kamala harris a communist. >> that makes me laugh. you can be a liberal. but that's something different to be a communist. >> reporter: but at another table jose fernandez, who's also from cuba, sees it differently. which is why he's supporting trump. "what happened in cuba is happening here," he said. "even though people don't believe it, i do because i lived it." the cuban american vote helped trump win florida and he's leading here again in the polls. but this november the real battleground here is over a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution. currently a six-week plan is in place. nelson perdomo isn't sure who he'll vote for but on this issue he takes his cues from his wife. "it's a moral question," she said, "but it's also a physical

one. so yes, i agree that women should be able to choose." and after a quick break for some cuan coffee -- >> this is my third coffee of the day. >> reporter: we grabbed a guava pastry and hit the road. so we're driving north to port st. lucie. it's in a county that voted twice for barack obama and then flipped around and supported donald trump in the past two presidential elections. we made our way up the coast. ♪ florida ♪ to mexican restaurant casa amigos in port st. lucie, where the shrimp was sizzling and tacos reigned supreme. at the bar we met jim bassett, who says he'll likely vote for trump. >> 2008 i voted for barack obama. 2020 was really tough. i did vote for trump. >> do you belong to a party or -- >> i'm registered republican but to be honest i'm more independent than probably anybody.

>> reporter: bassett and his wife jenny met in colombia, her home country. and for them immigration is top of mind. >> if we allowed people to immigrate to this country legally in an expeditious timely way, i think it would prevent a lot of the border crossings. these people risk their lives to come here. >> reporter: at a booth nearby we found friends claudia and valentina catching up over drinks. >> we're constantly living day to day paycheck to paycheck, having to work multiple jobs just to be able to get through. >> and forget trying to start a family. we're like in today's economy honestly we can't. >> reporter: on that note i asked how they were thinking about the abortion issue in florida. >> i believe women should choose that, they could do whatever they want. >> faithwise i'm a christian. >> i don't think abortion is okay. i personally wouldn't do it. but i don't think it should be taken from someone that wants to do it. >> do you mind if i ask who you

voted for in the last election? >> i voted for biden. >> okay. >> i voted for trump in the last one. >> oh, you did? >> i did. >> and you're still friends. >> but i didn't know much when i did vote. i think my mind has changed in the past few years. that's why i don't know where i'm at now. ♪ >> reporter: with bellies full we packed up for the night to get some rest before breakfast. so florida's a state that's been trending more and more red. but we're heading up to orlando. it's in orange county. and that's a place that's been reliably blue for the past several presidential elections. ♪ ♪ i keep blowing down the road ♪ >> reporter: we arrived at 903 mills market nestled in an orlando neighborhood. >> hi, good morning. >> reporter: and found the house blend and hot topics on tap. >> the possibility that kamala harris would become president keeps me up at night. it worries me sick. >> reporter: casey has supported

trump since 2016. but like many voters we heard from for him the issue of abortion is nuanced. >> i'm a catholic. i paid for an abortion once. so does that mean i believe in it? no. i think the states should have the decision. and if somebody wants an abortion bad enough they can certainly get to a state that allows them. >> reporter: outside we found rachel and her son. >> one, two, three. yay. >> reporter: starting their day off with something special. ice cream for breakfast. >> you're a mom. i'm a mom. i know we stay up all night about lots of different things. >> yes. >> but when it comes to this election is there anything that in particular keeps you up at night? >> sometimes women's health care really does keep me up at night. and of course the climate change keeps me up at night because for them that's the world they're going to inherit. >> reporter: but this election season there is something that

all floridians can get behind. >> maybe just stop with the election text messages. >> i think that is a universal, unifying message. >> yeah. >> reporter: and that abortion ballot measure in florida would require 60% of the vote to pass, which is pretty high. it means a lot of republicans would have to support for it -- support it. and as you saw from some of our conversations, some of them might. but what i really took away from this trip is that voters have the capacity to think about a lot of different issues at the same time and just because you're in a red state or a blue state it's a lot more complex than you might think. >> that was caitlin huey burns reporting. stay with us. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

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than appearing on stage. >> i want to give more black people and people of color that experience of seeing someone who looks like them. ♪ >> reporter: jones, who grew up in texas, was among 14 singers from a dozen countries selected to come to rome free of charge for a program aimed at broadening opera's appeal and base. do you think opera's inaccessible? >> i always thought about it subconsciously as an art form that was for, you know, rich people. and to be honest, i thought it was only, you know, a while thing. >> reporter: that's what opera for peace is trying to change. >> my father was from india. i am not from what is considered to be a historical operatic superpower.

>> reporter: instructor kamal khan is among the co-founders. >> the future of opera is global if it's going to have one. and then it's really up to us to provide both access, standards, connections, supportive ear. >> we saw that a lot of young people, young talents needed help. and we wanted to give it to them. >> for you it meant leaving a job at the opera in paris. >> exactly. i was deputy casting director. >> reporter: juliet laga huzer came up with the idea after seeing a lack of diversity at auditions. ♪ and talent not developed at the right moment. >> when you come from a social economic background where this kind of career is very difficult then you need even more help. >> i know the power of getting an opportunity that changes your whole life. >> my grandfather didn't have shoes till he was maybe like 13,

14 years old. and so to have that kind of background and then end up in a place like this, it's extremely humbling for me. >> reporter: the space villa medici has humbled and inspired for centuries. on this day it was hosting opera singers, but artistic programming here at the french academy in rome has a history stretching back to the mid 1600s including artists, sculptors and architects. >> for me everything changed. >> reporter: farouz derazavi is an alumni. >> i was singing totally different roles, different arias. >> reporter: as a teenager in iran she'd started an r&b group, wantons, recording but not revealing herself. >> nobody knew it was me.

i couldn't show my face. like otherwise, you know, stuff can happen. >> reporter: her family helped her get from tehran to vienna, where she was introduced to opera. she had interest but not much support. ♪ >> you're from iran. like this land that is so far away from classical music, you know. and i've always felt like i have to do more to kind of impress people. but then all of a sudden there was this foundation that is actually acknowledging that even a person from outside this like sphere can actually be as good as the people inside. it was just such an empowering and like a winning moment. ♪ >> you didn't do so many -- >> reporter: through master classes and mentoring they're developing this next generation of more diverse performers who can change career trajectories. ♪ ♪ let your soul take you where

you long to be ♪ >> i went to see "phantom of the opera" and it was norm lewis who was actually performing as the phantom. but it was something seeing someone who looks like me on a big stage like that that just sparked something in me. ♪ >> reporter: now she's an ambassador of this art form as that spark propels her to ever bigger stages. >> that was seth doane for us in rome. stay with us. you're watching "cbs news roundup."

america's 39th president, jimmy carter, will be marking his 100th birthday tuesday. as you may know, mr. carter was placed in hospice care some time ago, but his family says he is still well enough to celebrate this remarkable milestone. greetings and warm wishes are flooding in from around the globe, including a very special one from our current president, joe biden. >> mr. president, on behalf of the entire biden family and the american people, happy 100th birthday. mr. president, you've always been a moral force for our nation and the world. i recognized that as a young senator. that's why i supported you so early.

your voice of courage, conviction, compassion, most of all beloved friend to jill and me and our family. we know this is the first birthday without rosalynn. it's bittersweet. we always know she's always with you. she's in your heart. she'll never go away. she may be gone, but she's always going to be with you. she's always there. and i know you know that. your hopeful vision of our country, your commitment to a better world and your unwavering belief in the power of human goodness continues to be a guiding light for all of us. you're one of the most influential statesmen in our history. even after you left office the moral clarity you showed throughout your career showed through again in your commitment through the carter center and the habitat for humanity. in solving conflicts, advancing democracy, preventing disease, and so much more. it's transforming the lives of people not only at home but around the world. put simply, mr. president, i admire you so darn much. jill and i send to you and your incredible family our love. may god continue to bless you, mr. president.

you've been a good friend. >> that was president biden with birthday wishes for former president jimmy carter. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." be sure to join us for the vice presidential debate. margaret brennan and norah o'donnell will moderate. and our coverage begins right here at 8:00 p.m. eastern. reporting from the cbs news broadcast center in new york city, i'm shanelle kaul. ♪ hello and thanks so much for

staying up with us. i'm shanelle kaul in new york and here are some of the top stories on "cbs news roundup." hurricane helene is leaving behind a crisis in north carolina, where entire communities are still cut off by mudslides and washed-out roads. israel says its troops are now conducting limited on the ground raids against hezbollah targets inside lebanon. and the clock is counting down for both vice presidential candidates as we approach tuesday night's debate. more than 130 people are dead across six states. 600 are still missing. and the death toll is expected to climb dramatically. helene crashed into florida as a category 4 hurricane, with storm surge above 15 feet. then it was on to georgia, where the governor there compared the destruction to a bomb going off. but the highest death toll is in north carolina. hundreds of miles from landfall. where the emergency is still unfolding. many communities need food and

fresh water, with roads still cut off supplies are now being delivered by helicopter. cbs's skyler henry has more from inside the storm zone. >> reporter: the southeast is suffering. days after hurricane helene's hit, nowhere appears to be hit harder than western north carolina. where some areas received more than two feet of rain. roughly 600 people are still unaccounted for. >> but this is just -- it's hard to understand. i mean, this is just massive. this will take years to clean up if it's ever. >> reporter: the city of asheville and the area around it has been largely cut off since friday. cell service is mostly out. electricity won't be restored for days. and help has been slow to arrive. >> we've got a lot of family businesses that have been here since the turn of the century. they're devastated. and they're just trying to salvage anything that they can get. >> reporter: ten miles east the

tiny mountain town of swannanoa is named for the river that runs through it, the same river that washed it away. anita krauter's husband had to use a chainsaw to get into her family's home. her father died a week ago, and now they say the flood took what little they had left. >> i can't imagine this. it must be tough. >> it is. to see everything he worked so hard for destroyed. it's hard. these people have worked hard for their -- what they've got. and it breaks your heart. >> reporter: president biden says he will visit north carolina on wednesday. he added that the region will get whatever it needs for as long as it takes to recover. skyler henry, cbs news, swannanoa, north carolina. the pentagon is sending thousands of additional american troops to the middle east to bolster security as israel begins what it calls a limited

ground operation in southern lebanon. cbs's chris livesay was given a closer look at that israeli troop build-up. >> reporter: cbs news has confirmed israeli commandos are conducting limited raids into southern lebanon, gathering intelligence on hezbollah's troop positions and its tunnel system ahead of an expected ground offensive. we witnessed some of the build-up. the roar of engines is the beating drum of war. at this staging area in northern israel soldiers prepare to put israeli boots on the ground in southern lebanon. dozens and dozens of tanks, armored fighting vehicles and bulldozers, everything you'd expect for a ground invasion and the clearest sign yet that israel's preparing to expand the conflict. israeli defense minister yoav gallant tells his troops we will employ all that is needed, from the air, from the sea, and also from the land. the mission, to push back

hezbollah and its onslaught of rockets that's forced around 70,000 israelis to flee their homes. two reserve brigades have been called up to join the thousands of soldiers already deployed on the border. as the almost year-long conflict is poised to enter a new and potentially much deadlier phase. >> that wa cbs's chris livesay reporting from tel aviv. closer to home this hour, tuesday's vice presidential debate between j.d. vance and tim walz is now less than 24 hours away. cbs's caroline cummings reports from the cbs news broadcast center. >> reporter: the stage is set for tuesday's vice presidential debate between ohio republican senator j.d. vance and men minute democratic governor tim walz. vance arrived in new york as walz spent one last day prepping in northern michigan. >> looking forward to tomorrow. but my thoughts are certainly in the southeast. >> reporter: new cbs news polling finds 65% of democrats

are enthusiastic about walz as a vp candidate compared to 49% of republicans, who are enthusiastic about vance. >> one of the key things for any vice presidential nominee, of course, is could they step in and act -- or be president if needed. and here again challenge for both candidates. you get about half electorate says they think they're qualified to be president. let's see if those numbers move after the debate. >> reporter: the debate here at cbs news in new york will be the vp candidates' first and likely only opportunity to challenge each other face to face in real time. author kate anderson brower who wrote the book "first in line" on the vice presidency says the back and forth could get at times heated. >> i think it could get pretty ugly. i think people are going to be interested in watching for that reason. >> reporter: the trump campaign says vance will try to turn the focus to immigration and on walz's military record, while walz will work to call attention to vance's stance on abortion and family life. cbs evening news anchor norah o'donnell and "face the nation"

host margaret brennan will moderate but won't interrupt the debate to fact check. cbs news says that will largely be up to the nominees. caroline cummings, cbs news, new york. and the cbs news vice presidential debate between senator j.d. vance and governor tim walz takes place on tuesday right here in new york. you can watch our live coverage of that debate here on cbs news and streaming on cbs news 24/7 and paramount plus. dock workers in ports on the east and gulf coast are hitting the picket lines. from maine to texas more than 45,000 workers have gone on strike over disagreements about wages and automation. economists fear that if the strike lasts more than a few weeks it could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods. major league baseball's all-time hit king and cincinnati reds legendary player pete rose has died. spending most of his career with the reds, rose earned the nickname charlie hustle because

of the way he sprinted around the diamond and often slided head first when stealing bases. he won three world series and accumulated more than 4,200 career hits. in 1989 he was banned from baseball after the league determined he was betting on games while managing the reds. pete rose was 83 years old. straight ahead on "cbs news roundup," it's a hot-button issue in the election, but is crime really running rampant in america? we'll take a look at the numbers and talk to voters.

food isn't just fuel to live. it's fuel to grow. my family relied on public assistance to help provide meals for us. these meals fueled my involvement in theater and the arts as a child, which fostered my love for acting. the feeding america network of food banks helps millions of people put food on the table. when people are fed, futures are nourished. join the movement to end hunger and together we can open endless possibilities for people to thrive.

visit feedingamerica.org/actnow when i grow up, i want to be a ballerina. [twinkle sound] because dancing makes me happy. i get to entertain people and nothing makes me feel more like me. [male narrator] pi impacts millions of children's lives. early and accurate diagnosis and treatment gives children like olivia a chance to achieve their dreams. it takes a great team to put on a show. it also takes a great team of caring people to keep a dream alive. and now my dreams are coming true. [narrator] for more information visit our website at info for pi dot org. this is "cbs news roundup." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. in just a few hours the vice presidential candidates will take the stage right here at the

cbs news broadcast center for their only scheduled debate of this election season. governor tim walz and senator j.d. vance will likely field questions on crime. the fbi reports a major drop in crime last year, including murders have plummeted by more than 11% between 2022 and 2023. still, crime remains a top issue for voters. weijia jiang reports from the battleground state of wisconsin. >> reporter: charlene abugren says she is fleeing her native city of milwaukee because of crime. >> it's touched every corner of the city, and it's very, very sad. >> reporter: abugren is moving 30 miles away, hoping gunshots won't keep her teenage son awake. > he rolls out of his bed onto the floor and like are we okay, are we safe? it's like we live in the middle of iraq or iran, a country that's constantly at war. >> reporter: in watertown, wisconsin -- >> he had his whole life ahead

of him hp. >> reporter: jennifer gasberg's greatest fear was realized when her 16-year-old son henry was shot and killed by his father, a former police officer who then committed suicide. >> we need change in this country. we do. >> reporter: both mothers are among the 64% of likely voters who say crime is a major factor in the election. in wisconsin crime is down including in milwaukee, where homicides decreased 22% compared to last year. but on the campaign trail -- >> i believe the right to be safe is a civil right. >> reporter: the nominees know crime remains a big issue. >> they can't walk out of their apartments and buy a loaf of bread without getting mugged or wrapped or shot. >> reporter: harris's crime proposals include strengthening gun laws, hiring more police officers and intercepting illegal drugs. for trump, replenishing police departments, protecting officers

from frivolous lawsuits and addressing homelessness. >> i am voting for donald trump in 2024. >> reporter: abugren says she felt safer when trump was president. >> the city is ran by democrats. the county is ran by democrats. and they have done nothing to stop the crime. >> reporter: gasberg says both parties have failed to find a fix. >> you said you might not vote. what will help you decide? >> they make promises and they don't follow through with them. that's what upsets me. >> reporter: and now the candidates have just days to convince voters who can make the country safer. weijia jiang, cbs news, wisconsin. >> and of course cbs news will be hosting the vice presidential debate. norah o'donnell and margaret brennan will moderate. our coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern. "cbs news roundup" will be right back. strong enamel is your best defense against acid erosion and cavities. that's why i recommend pronamel active shield because it will strengthen your enamel and create that shield around it.

i'm excited for this product. i think patients are really going to like it. try pronamel mouthwash. lawmakers are trying to shut down planned parenthood. the health care of more than 2 million people is at stake. our right to basic reproductive health care is being stolen from us. planned parenthood believes everyone deserves health care. it's a human right. future generations are beginning to lose the rights we fought for. the rights for ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids. gone. just like that. i can't believe this is the world we live in, where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. last year, politicians in 47 states introduced bills that would block people from getting the sexual and reproductive care they need. where does it end? planned parenthood fights for you every day. but we need your support now more than ever. visit this website, call, or scan the code on your screen, with your $19 monthly gift.

help us win the fight for the constitutional right to control our own bodies. truly if planned parenthood had not stepped in, i would not be here today. they saved my life. your support is urgent. our rights and the rights of future generations are at risk. and lives are at risk. and that's why we have to keep fighting. in every state, everywhere. donate $19 a month, or whatever you can afford. and you'll help us fight against laws that block care, and take away our rights. we fight to make sure everyone and anyone can get the care they need. but we need your help. and there's never been a more urgent time to join. so go online, call, or scan this code now. sign up with your monthly gift today, and we'll send you this “care. no matter what” t-shirt. it is your right to have safe health care. that's it. we won't give up, and we won't back down. we need you now more than ever.

go online, call, or scan right now. when a tough cough finds you on the go, a syrup would be... silly! woo! hey! try new robitussin soft chews. packed with the power of robitussin... in every bite. easy to take cough relief, anywhere. chew on relief, chew on a ♪ robitussin ♪ more now in our series on internet romance scams targeting people looking for love online. although many involve simple text messages, fake photos, and a request for cash, others are much more elaborate. we uncovered one scheme that ended up costing the victim $700,000. our year-long investigation took us to three continents including west africa, and there we found scammers working in secret rooms

to convince targets across the globe to send them their hard-earned cash. debora patta has more on this for "eye on america." >> reporter: operating out of underground boiler rooms across ghana, online criminal syndicates prey on elderly americans, running sophisticated scams that break hearts and empty bank accounts. they pretend to fall in love in order to steal their victims' life savings. and as this fraudster known as cola admitted, there are fleeting moments of remorse. >> take money from people and you feel like oh my god, how are they going to feel? >> reporter: but in the end it's all about survival. >> most young guys, if this game had not come, they'd have to pull the trigger on people and steal from them. >> reporter: they may not be putting a gun to peopletion heads, but the cruelty of this crime is no less devastating, leaving victims emotionally bereft and financially ruined.

gerald panpati heads up the anti-money laundering unit in ghana's organized crime office. >> we have a lot of unemployed youths, people who are talented, who have gone to school and they don't have anything to do. >> what kind of people do they prey on? >> caucasian male. they are elderly people who are quite lonely. >> reporter: gonen's scammers tell us they prefer targeting men as they're easier to trap and less likely to report it because of their deep shame. we found one such scam. the victim, a 75-year-old american radiologist we're calling john. not his real name. the syndicate busts 34-year-old alfred kwame ayivo. and the accomplice, a mysterious blond woman. john declined an interview, but we know he believed he was in love way woman called grace erskine, an australian living in the u.s. in fact, he was actually texting with syndicate boss alfred

ayivo, posing as grace. ayivo controlled the scam, which included the extreme measure of hiring the mysterious blond woman to play the part of grace for any in-person meetings john insisted on, as these text messages reveal. ayivo offers to pay her $100,000. but the woman wants more than double that, threatening "without me everyone gets nothing. i could always call and say it was a scam." but she doesn't. and pretending to be grace, she visited the radiologist in the u.s., even meeting his family, and claimed she'd inherited a ghanaian gold mine that john was their future together. these texts show the scammer asking her to meet john in ghana, insisting "it's just one week plus tlc." she doesn't seem keen to get

physical. whatever happened, john did travel to ghana and stayed here at the same hotel as grace in accra while syndicate boss ayivo posed as their driver. and john was so enamored with grace he unwittingly paid over $700,000 for a fraudulent investment in a non-existent gold mine. the money was a red flag for ghanaian detectives as ayivo was unemployed. >> we realized that the person did not have any form of work that is commensurate with the amount of monies that were coming into his account. >> reporter: ayivo was arrested but died of an unknown illness before serving prison time. the mysterious blond woman posing as grace had vanished. until cbs news tracked her down last week outside sydney, australia. her real name is rebecca jade silk. >> are you sorry? do you have anything to say to

his family? >> reporter: when confronted she did not deny or confirm the allegations, keeping her mouth shut and her head down. silk has not been charged with any crimes. she remains a person of interest for ghanaian police. but she has a lot to answer for, as ghana and the u.s. battle a crime that's reached epidemic proportions with scammers around the world willing to do anything for money. for "eye on

when governor tim walz and senator j.d. vance take the stage, they'll be representing two different sides of a divided nation. but just how divided is the american electorate? david pogue is here with the polls that show there's much more that unites us than divides us. >> reporter: we hear all the time about how polarized we've become as a nation. when pew research asked americans what one word it would use to describe politics today, the most popular response was divisive. and it is true that on this policy or that policy skpevts liberals still disagree on many of the same issues we've had for years. but there are also a whole lot of things that we actually agree on. for starters, we tend to worry about the same kinds of things. artificial intelligence. getting scammed. we worry that our kids are spending too much time on their phones.

but no matter the political party, we all tend to love the national park service and nasa and the post office. then there are some things that pretty much all of us dislike. like people having affairs. the idea of cloning people. and kim jong un. but almost all of us watch fireworks on the 4th of july, leave tips for our servers at restaurants, or say we do, keep our phones nearby every waking hour, and decorate our homes for the holidays. we believe in the freedoms of speech, of privacy, of religion, and we fiercely believe that everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. so yeah, the angry pundits on tv and social media certainly give us the impression that we're a wildly divided country. so that's what we wind up believing. but you know what? we might just be a little bit wrong about that.

one study after another after another after another shows that we tend to have exaggerated ideas about what the other guys believe. and they have an exaggerated idea about us. for example, this 2018 study found that republicans believe that 37% of democrats are union members. the actual number is 11%. meanwhile, democrats believe that 33% of republicans earn more than $250,000 a year. the real number? 2%. so it's true. we're not as far apart as we

it's tuesday, october 1st, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." breaking overnight, on strike. tens of thousands of dockworkers at dozens of ports walk off the job for the first time in nearly half a century.