captioning sponsored by cbs weeken"face th waob naon," americans may be more than willing to turn the page on what has been a sobering summer. back to school time brings new concerns about covid and the questions are more urgent and pointed. when will children be eligible for vaccine? when will boosters be available? and when will the pandemic ever end? we'll check in with dr. anthony fauci. and in the aftermath of ida, will her legacy be a wakeup call on both climate change and the need for boosting america's infrastructure. >> biden: we need to be prepared for the next hurricane, and super storms are going to come, and they're going to come more frequently and more

ferociously. >> we'll talk with the leaders in the two states hit the hardest: new jersey governor phil murphy, and cynthia lee sheng. plus the texas anti-abortion law is now the strict teest in the country, after the u.s. supreme court declined to block the controversial new law. we'll hear from texas democratic congresswoman veronica escobar about the fight to preserve "roe vs. wade." finally, president biden struggles to recover politically from the tumultuous withdrawal from afghanistan. are we prepared for the consequences? we'll talk with the former deputy director of national intelligence, sue gordon, and our own david martin, on what we've learned about the war in the 20 years since 9/11. it is all just ahead on "face the nation." ♪ ♪

>> good morning. and welcome to "face the nation." on this traditional last weekend of summer, there is a lot of news to get to this morning. developments on afghanistan, abortion rights, and the extreme weather across the country. we begin this morning with america's covid crisis, and president biden's chief medical advisor, dr. anthony fauci. good morning, dr. fauci, it is great to see you. >> doctor: good morning. great to be with you. >> i want to start with boosters because we're two weeks away from september 20th, that is the date that the administration had planned to start administering vaccine boosters for adults. is that still the plan? >> doctor: in some respects, it is. we were hoping that we would get both the

candidates -- both products, moderna and pfizer, rolled out on the week of the 20th. it is conceivable we would only have one of them out, but the other would likely follow soon thereafter. as we said right from the very beginning, we're not going to do anything unless it gets the appropriate f.d.a. regulatory approval, and then the recommendation from the advisory committee and immunization practices. it looks like pfizer has their data in, likely would meet the deadline. we hope that moderna would also be able to do it so we could do it simultaneously. but if not, we'll do it sequentially. so the bottom line is: very likely at least part of the plan will be implemented, but ultimately the entire planth kav a. ts insufficient data, as you just mentioned, about the moderna booster. is there anything you can tell us about what data is still missing that you

still need and how long it is going to take to collect that information? >> doctor: you know, the data are in two elements: one is safety -- in other words, to get enough people that you followed significantly along enough to say that it is safe. we feel almost certainly that it is, but you want to make sure when you're dealing with allowing the american public to receive an intervention, you want to make sure you're absolutely certain. the other is the immugenegenethity or efficacy. the companies getting their data together will submit, or has submitted some of it, if not all of it, to the f.d.a. the f.d.a. will examine it and make a determination whether from a regulatory standpoint it is okay to go ahead. so it looks good. i think it is going to be, at the most, a couple of weeks, to a few weeks delay, if any. >> if the pfizer is

available on the 20th, has the eligibility changed for people who can start getting it? >> doctor: well, no. actually, the eligibility, as we've mentioned, is a regulatory decision and a recommendation from the advisory committee. so nothing has really changed with respect to that. >> okay. well, if i had the moderna vaccine and i'm hearing that pfizer is going to be available come september 20th, is it okay for me to mix and match? and what about for people who got the johnson & johnson vaccine? >> doctor: that's a good question. we are doing studies right now, which are just what you said, they are mixed and matched studies. namely, we're lining up pfizer against pfizer, pfizer against moderna, and vice versa. hopefully in a reasonable amount of time, measured in a couple of weeks, we will have that data. but right now we're suggesting, and hopefully it would work out that

way, that if you got pfizer, you'll boost why pfizer. if you got moderna, you will be boosting with moderna. but we are doing studies to see if we can do just that, si switch one with the other. >> thank you. i want to move on to kids who got covid. i know many are returning to the classroom. the c.d.c. released two reports, one that the hospital i increased nearly five times from the end of june to the mid-of august. can you help us understand that spike? >> doctor: it is pretty easy to understand because we're dealing with the delta variant. the delta variant, as opposed to the alpha variant, is much, much more transmissible. it has an efficiency of transmitting from person to person much, much more readily than previous variants. and so many more people, including children, are getting infected.

and that's something that is not surprising. that it is so seasonly easily transmissible. and the children, when they get infected, with the relative number of people that will actually get into the hospital, you'll wind up seeing more children and the hospital. >> and what can you tell us about the severity of those cases, in light of the delta variant? >> doctor: you know, we're looking at that very carefully. there is some indication in adults that the delta variant might be more severe, but all of the data that we are collecting right now does not give us any definitive information that the delta variant is more severe in children. we know certainly more children are getting infected, and, therefore, more are getting hospitalized. but we don't have definitive enough data to say that, in fact, on a child by child basis that

it is any more severe. >> and i know that delta remains very dominant, but you said this week you're also keeping a close eye on the mu voorn variant -- what does a close eye mean? what are you looking for? >> doctor: u you're looking to see if the variant becomes more dominant. right now we're not seeing that. the delta variant is over 99% dominant. so when we say we're keeping an eye on the mu variant, we want to make sure it doesn't become more dominant. we don't know what the consequences would be. the concern is that it has a fewer constellation of mutations that would indicate that it might evade the protection from certain anti-bods. antibodies. that's what we mean when

we say we're keeping an eye on it. right now it is not an immediate threat. >> is there any data available to detail how affective the vaccine might be against mu? >> doctor: i don't think there is any indication right now because we don't have enough data. but if you look at the level of antibodies that our vaccines induce, particularly following the boost -- we have data when you give a third boost toer t me pfizer, it is very affctive against any variant that we tested. so that's the good news about our vaccines. if you get the level of antibody high enough, which boosters actually do, then you can feel pretty confident you'll be protected against virtually any variant. >> okay. dr. fauci, thank you for joining us. sorry about some of the technical cliches you saw, but we heard you loud and

clear. thank you. >> doctor: no problem. thank you. >> we turn to the devastation left in the wake of hurricane ida. ida's path measured more than a thousand miles from where it made landfall in louisiana to the northeast, bringing torrential rain and spawning tornadoes in at least six states. at least 65 people are dead. in new jersey alone, 27 people were killed, largely due to flooding. the state's governor, phil murphy, joins us from mill town. thank you for making time for us. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> i want to get the latest on the recovery from hurricane ida, but i want to start with a quick question on covid since children are returning back to school in your state this week. the largest newspaper in your state published a op-ed criticizing your decision not to require school staff to show proof of vaccination or submit to any testing until

october 18th. given how transmissible the delta variant is, why not use every weapon you have at your disposal now? >> governor: well, i would just respond to say that we are, period. everyone in our school buildings will be masked. students, educators, staff -- n. educators, as we sit here today, are already at a very high level of vaccination. we think that timeframe is a realistic one. and they will be required to have a vaccination. and if not, be subject to multiple tests per week. we think that package of steps is what we need to have a safe environment because we desperately need to get our kids back to in-person learning, back into school, and we're confident we can achieve that. >> okay, thank you, governor. i know a lot of families are not only thinking about sending kids back to school, but right now how they're going to get their kids and families back in their homes.

president biden is heading to new jersey this tuesday to look at all of the damage. are you going to ask him for any additional resources or assistance that you already know you need? >> governor: yeah. the president and his team have been outstanding. we have already asked for assistance. and we've gotten the first step, and we will continue to ask for more because we need it. this was an historic storm, deadly, tragically the loss of 27 lives, four still missing. small businesses, and roadways, and in some cases schools -- first responders were extraordinarily heroic, but there is a significant loss associated with this storm. we'll do all that we can in the state, but we need the federal government in a big way. i'm confth and i'm looking forward to having the president with

us on tuesday and seeing it up close, with our own eyes. >> you said after this storm, that new jersey needs to update its playbook for storm responses, quote, "as it relates to our infrastructure, our resiliency, our whole mindset, the playbook that we use, we have got to leap forward and get out ahead of this." what was it about this storm that led you to that conclusion? >> governor: this is something we've been spending all of our hours thinking about, and we will be doing that, i suspect, for many years, if not decades, to come. we screamed loud and clear tornado warnings, flood warnings, flashflood warnings, we begged people to get off the road, and still you've got 27 losses of life and enormous destruction. we had rain in many communities in two or three hours that were equivalent to what they normally get in a month or two. and this, sadly, we think is part of what we're

going to be facing, more frequency and more intensity. so i mean that in terms of the playbook in every respect. we need a much more resilient infrastructure. that infrastructure bill that is being debated in congress would have a huge positive impact on states like new jersey. we're the most densely populated state in america. a location second to none. but we've got infrastructure that was built for a different reality. and so that's the big piece of this. and we want to make sure that folks, when they hear these warnings, bless their souls, that they take them as seriously as we mean them. god willing, we'll be able to sharpen that as well ging forward. >> mr. governor, that reconciliation bill that you mentioned, it is going to have a tough road ahead to passage. if it fails, what can you do as a governor to recreate that playbook? >> governor: i think the failure would be historic. i think it would be,

sadly, an example of where america did not meet the moment. the alarms have been going off for decades, if not longer. and the intensity and the loss of life and destruction that we've seen just this week is a stark reminder. so if it does not happen, with the heaviest of hearts we'll do everything we can inside of our state. but this is one example where the resources and support of the federal government is vital. there is no other player that can fill that role. as i say, the president and fema have been extraordinary in the reaction of this storm, but as a proactive matter, we need congress to step up right now. >> governor murphy of new jersey, thank you so much, and best of luck to you as you try to get your state through this. >> governor: thank you for having me. >> "face the nation" will be back in one minute. stay with us.

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>> we turn now to the situation in louisiana, following hurricane ida. cbs news reporter jeffrey mitchell has been since the storm made landfall. >> reporter: the louisiana heat and humidity has become unbearable for the hundreds of thousands here still without power. officials said yesterday full restoration might not happen until the end of the month. a week after ida slammed the gulf coast, much of new orleans is still in the dark and drying out after deadly flooding and high winds. barrier island, grand isle, is un uninhabitable. supplies aren't the only thing for residents to worry about. there is more bad weather on the horizon. >> even if it visits our area as a tropical storm, we're in no condition to receive that much rainfall. >> reporter: and tragedy continues. louisiana has ordered the closure of seven nursing homes following the

discovery some of its residents relocated to a mikeshift shmakeshift warehouse. at least six have died. state officials said conditions in the warehouse was unhealthy and unsafe. >> to think they would put these people in a warehouse and leave them like that, like they're not even human. >> reporter: the owner of those nursing homes, bob, jr., spoke with local reporters last week. >> we only had five deaths within the six days. with 850 people, you usually have a couple of deaths. >> reporter: louisiana's governor said the state is going through a tough time. ida's death toll stands at 12. in the same period, 350 have died of covid. >> we have had a winter storm, a flood, and all of this during the course of a pandemic. and, quite frankly, it is more than a lot of people can bear. >> reporter: at last count, some 2400 people

remained in red cross shelters across the gulf. for some, it could be months before they return home. >> jesse mitchell, thank you. we go to the president of the jefferson parish, cynthia lee sheng. good morning to you, cynthia. >> good morning. thank you so much for having me on the show. >> thank you for being here. you said in a recent briefing that the dangers after the storm are just as serious as during the storm. what are the most imminent dangers you're worried about right now, and how are you coping with them? >> well, i mean, that's definitely the case, if you look at the storms that we've had in louisiana in the past year. i think we've lost more lives post-storm. in jefferson parish, we only lost one life during the storm. unfortunately, i happen to know the person, and it's very, very tragic, where the waters rose very high. a couple days later, two days later, we lost three people to carbon monoxide

poisoning, and another resident to a nursing home, an issue with that, with the people who evacuated. and we also had, which is not directly storm-related, but we had a fatal shooting at a gas station because we're living in a community that is completely broken down, and people be stressed and it is a very fractured community right now. we have lost more people post-storm than we did during the storm. we're, day by day, trying to put our community back together. the fuel situation just hit us as a double whammy in the fact that eight refineries got hit. so the fuel at the source of it got hit. if this storm would have been anywhere else and the roads were passable, we would have been shipping our gas to them. but the fact that our eight refineries got hit where the storm hit land, is a double whammy for us, in trying to make sure our first responders have fuel and our critical needs

have fuel. that was very unfortunate for us. >> i know that the biden administration has tapped into its emergency fuel reserve to try to help you guys out. it sounds like that is not enough. did you ask president biden for more when you met with him on friday? >> yes. >> and what else did you ask from him? >> absolutely. we appreciated the visit. i'm so glad he got here to see the destruction firsthand. but fuel was absolutely the essential need. we talked about the assistance for our medical special needs people because as the days go on and people are staying at home, it was getting hrder and harder to kind of take care of these people. so that was great news yesterday. i was at the new orleans convention center, meeting teams from rhode island and new hampshire, and law enforcement officers from california. it was such a bright way to start my day yesterday, to know that the most vulnerable people with have in jefferson parish, we can send there.

if they're not critical enough to be in a hospital, we have major resources right here locally that we can send our vi vulnerable people. and that was, like i said, a great way for me to start the day yesterday, to see all of these additional resources. i told my team, when it is just the days after the storm, it is so difficult because the problems are there, and we don't have the resources, we're trying to do search-and-rescue and save lives, but every day additional resources come in from outside and we feel better about things. and that's been really a relief, just getting the reenforcements in from outside. >> i know despite all of that help right now, you're still asking some people who evacuated not to come back just yet. is that right? >> yeah. because we still have the fuel issue. you know, i was very grateful that the school systems are not starting this week. my teams, and this is my department, we have to get the water pressure up. we're still under a boil-water advisory.

our sewer system is dependent on electricity. thank goodnesses all of our hospitals have electrical power now. our emergency operation center -- our core of communication for first response actually lost generator power. so the electrical company got us powered up. so the critical infrastructure needs need to get powered up, and entergy is working on getting the neighborhoods back up slowly. if you don't have fuel, you don't have electricity, water pressure is low, the sewer system is fragile, having the masses come back is a community not ready for it. but i think as electricity comes on, every day i think this gas situation hopefully will get better, and we will bring people back. all my job is to tell people this is the situation, this is the real-life situation. it is up to them to make the personal decisions as to whether they want to return. if they think life is too difficult -- financially if they can stay out

longer -- that's an issue with the hotel bills. we're just trying to get atiofor them to make their own decisions. but i really feel good about it. every day we're going to get better and better. >> cynthia, we're thinking about you. and i'm so sorry about your personal loss. thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you so much. >> and we'll be right back. st better together, aren't they? like tea and crumpets. but you wouldn't bundle just anything. like, say... a porcupine in a balloon factory. no. that'd be a mess. i mean for starters, porcupines are famously no good in a team setting. geico. save even more when bundle home and car insurance. in 2016, i was working at the amazon warehouse when my brother passed away. and a couple of years later, my mother passed away. after taking care of them, i knew that i really wanted to become a nurse.

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muck ♪ >> the world's toughest athletes return to one of the country's most iconic museums with one purpose, to help out those in need. ♪ ♪ >> welcome aboard the blue ghost, also known as uss lexington. built during world war ii for the united states navy, this ship has seen her share of defending the freedom we all share as americans. but today this 900-foot flight deck becomes home to 300 opportunities of dirt, 2,000-pound four-legged freight trains and the world's toughest sport, the pbr. >> welcome to the