to face some pretty tough questions on capitol hill as congress opens up the first hearing on ebola since the disease first arrived in the u.s. one huge red flag, why was amber vinson allowed to board a flight to dallas from cleveland even after she told the cdc she had a low grade fever. frontier airlines is putting people on paid leave, and is reaching out to 132 passengers out of an abundance of caution. and there could be testimony with explosive allegations. in an exclusive with matt lauer, brianna aguirre became the first nurse to go public about the lapse of protocol. >> knowing everything i know, i would try everything to refuse to go there.

if i don't actually have ebola i may contract it there. >> the hospital is disputing those accusations, we'll have a lot more on the finger-pointing later. but once again, ebola is causing jitters across the country. let's start with the cleveland connection, two schools closed after possible exposure to amber vinson and 13 nurses have taken leave about an hour outside of dallas. a texas college rejected at least two students from nigeria citing ebola concerns. by the way, nigeria is actually beating ebola. and even players with the new york giants in dallas this week take on the cowboys briefed on ebola. we're following all the moving parts from atlanta to dulles and even wall street where ebola fears factored into yesterday's wild roller coaster ride. we begin with gabe gutierrez, live in atlanta. gabe, good morning. how is amber vinson doing this

morning? >> hi, jose, at last check she was described as ill but clinically stable, she made the transfer here from dallas to emory. this morning, emory is not giving out her condition, citing patient privacy concerns. but we do know she is here, one of two ebola patients currently being treated at the specialized isolation unit. now, as you mentioned, jose, one big question was why amber was allowed to board a commercial airline on monday. the spokesperson said she did call the cdc on monday and self-reported a fever of 99.5 degrees. but apparently that didn't meet the risk threshold of 104.4 degrees. so she was not told that she could not board that aircraft. however, yesterday at a press briefing the cdc director said she should not have boarded the aircraft. and as you said, he will be facing tough questions on

capitol hill. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. i want to share with you a tweet from our nbc cameraman, ashoka mukpo, who is also being treated for ebola. he wrote, a wish for a speedy recovery for the two dallas nurses. it is not easy, but you will make it. thanks for your bravery. and screenings now beginning at four major airports. nbc's tom costello was outside dulles international airport right outside of washington where the screenings were under way. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, jose, we have screenings under way, in addition to jfk, at o'hare, here in washington, and as well as atlanta hartsfield. and they have added personnel from the coast guard because they simply don't have enough people to do this job. so the coast guard is coming in

to help them out. they will screen about 150 people a day who come in to the united states from liberia and guinea, they were giving them a health questionnaire, have they felt sick in the past days, or had contact with individuals with ebola? that information will then help them decide if the person is clear to go through the united states and enter through customs border control or should they instead be pulled aside into quarantine. that begins today. the five airports are thought to hold about 95% or so of the people who come into the country come through one of those five airports. in the meantime, there is this concern, now, this growing concern as reflected on capitol hill, both some republicans and some democrats really questioning whether there should be anybody coming in from west africa, whether in fact there is time for some sort of ban from

passengers arriving from west africa. the administration all along said well, wait a minute, if we had no flights coming in from west africa, that would make it very difficult to get ngos and other health care workers to west africa. they may be reluctant to go if they thought they could not get out quickly. you have a lot of ngos, others going in and out. it still remains if it is important to go in and out and whether it is important to contain the virus there in west africa. this is a conversation that is bubbling up with both republicans and democrats. back to you, jose. >> here is something i've been wondering. the airports have now been testing the passengers. what happens if somebody shows symptoms? are the airports set up so that the isolation will be actually effective? >> at these airports that we've mentioned they all have cdc

quarantine rooms. so they will be put aside in the quarantine room. the person would put on the protective gear, and call the local health authorities and paramedics who would then transfer the person to the facility, wherever they believe is the safest place to begin treatment of the person before, eventually being moved onto one of the most robust biohazard treatments in the country. >> nbc's tom costello, thank you for joining us. let's bring in dr. natalie azar, thank you so much for being with us. >> thank you. >> after hearing all the troubling ebola headlines what is the most important thing you think people need to know about the crisis? >> that is an excellent question, i'm always trying to be the voice of reason and separate fact from fiction and all the news we're getting on a daily basis. i still maintain and this is primarily from a medical background as a health care worker and also you know a citizen in the country and reading everything and hearing

everything that everybody else is. i still maintain that everybody is probably more concerned, and should be more concerned about influenza and other critical diseases, the fact that two other health care workers got infected here is very distressing to dr. frieden and oth others who are health care workers who potentially could be exposed. but if you look back at what happened in the past few weeks and we go back from the very beginning, this all started with the flight coming out of liberia where a person did not identify himself as being an at-risk patient, you know, potentially being exposed to somebody. and certainly the failure on the part of the health care team who took the initial history and physical exam and just a blatant recognizion that he possibly was

infected. >> then i'm concerned about this nurse who actually called the cdc getting on the plane. let me tell you, doctor, if my 6-year-old daughter gets 99.5 fever, i'm not taking her to school that day. i'm going to take her to the doctor and get her checked out. but if somebody gets on a plane and has been exposed to ebola, it would be a red flag. >> you have a person who fielded the phone call, but if it was somebody who was merely looking at the check list, saying uh-huh, it doesn't make the cutoff list, that is an absolute lack of nuance, these are things that you don't teach people. you have a check list, this is a person who reported she directly took care of a person, an infected person, who reports a low grade fever?

absolutely no if's and's or buts, a blatant failure. >> there is a lot of fiction, there are facts we need to know and be reminded of all the time. thank you for joining us. >> you're welcome, thank you. and i want to take you now to wall street, yesterday the stocks tumbled for a while. things are a little bit better today. and there you see the opening of the stock market. mandy, good morning. yesterday was a wild ride, what is the ride looking like today? >> well, you know what? lower again today, jose, the nasdaq has even touched in lower territory than we thought. it already touched the levels in the session. the dow and s&p have not yet come near correction territory. the dow is down about 10.5, here is the thing, jose, out there looking for a bottom. is this the worst? will we go lower?

will we bounce off the lows? nobody knows, the problem is when you get good news, like the progress with goldman sachs, there is still a bit of a concern with oil moving below 80 bucks a barrel, that is one good thing for us, at the pump it is cheaper. but it does not speak well about the global economy and demand for energy from that global economy. and you have been talking about this black swan this morning, ebola, it doesn't help sentiment. why, from an economic standpoint if the fear of the disease stops people from going out to restaurants and going out and spending that is where the concern comes in from wall street. >> thank you so much for being with me this morning. >> thank you. we'll continue to monitor all the situations. but coming up, we'll have a lot more on the morning's ebola developme developments. and dig in on the federal response. kristen welker is at the white

house where the president again cancelled a fundraising trip today. we'll go to capitol hill where the cdc director, tom frieden, and they will all testify. my colleague, andrea mitchell, will have live coverage of that today. later right here, a little political absurdity. big buzz out of the governor's debate right here in florida. the big message of the evening? never let them see you sweat. >> governor crist, why did you certifies insist on bringing a fan here when your campaign knew this would be a contentious issue? >> why not? you know, it's -- is there anything wrong with being comfortable? i don't think there is. ames becomes? i think the numbers speak for themselves. i'm sold! a "selling machine!" ready for you alert, only at lq.com.

the setting is perfect. you know what? plenty of guys have this issue, not just getting an erection, but keeping it. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. and you only take it when you need it. good to know, right? if ed is stopping what you started... ask you doctor about viagra. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor if viagra is right for you.

ugh... ...heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm... amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. yeah. it's in the shop. it's going to cost me an arm and a leg. that's hilarious. i'm sorry. you shoulda taken it to midas. get some of that midas touch. they'll tell you what stuff needs fixing, and what stuff can wait. all right. next time i'm going to midas. high-five! arg! did not see that coming. [ male announcer ] get the midas touch maintenance package including an oil change for only $24.99. and here's a deal, use your midas credit card and get a rebate of $25. oil. tires. brakes. everything.

i want people to understand that the dangers of you contracting ebola, the dangers of a serious outbreak are extraordinarily low. but we are taking this very seriously at the highest levels of government. >> that was president obama yesterday and for the second day in a row the president has cancelled travel plans to deal with the ebola crisis. nbc's kristen welker joins us from the white house. kristen, good morning, you and i have been following the situation for sometime, and it is pretty rare if the president cancels travel plans. >> reporter: yes, it is pretty rare, i looked through my files, the last time the president cancelled a trip, hurricane sandy, and also the shooting in colorado. the bar is incredibly high for

him to cancel a trip and the fact he did here underscores the urgency here at the white house. and the fact that the federal government's response needed to be more robust. we spoke with president obama who met with his cabinet. he said the federal response needs to be more aggressive. he announced s.w.a.t. teams will be dispatched within 24 hours of a person getting diagnosed with ebola. and we know that the president will follow up on that meeting he had at the white house throughout the day. he will be watching closely what happens at the white house. and tom frieden will get tough questions. his responses have been criticized. he acknowledges there has been mistakes. and also whether or not u.s. hospitals are now prepared to deal with another case of ebola. should there be a travel ban? i know, you and tom costello discussed that. on both sides of the aisle they

are discussing that, the white house says it could stop their efforts to fight the disease in west africa. president obama says he continues to have confidence in the cdc director tom frieden and continues to say that the chances of an outbreak here in the united states are still very slim. jose? >> kristen welker, at the white house, and now, less than two hours they will hear a conference on the ebola crisis. the nih director, anthony fauci, and tom frieden, what a pleasure to see you. >> thank you, jose, good to be with you. >> thank you, what do you want to hear from the witnesses who testify today? >> well, i think the thing i'm most concerned about is to dig into the public health federal apparatus to make sure we have

the proper authorities in place and the protocols in place. the americans need to be as ssud they're not at risk today. and we have issues at the local hospitals. the issue is critical, and also the question of whether the cdc or some other entity would have the authority it needs to make sure the proper steps are taken. >> yeah, you know, the cdc exists for something like that. yet there is a lot of criticism on how it handled the situation. what is your reaction on what is going on so far and the cdc's handling of the crisis so far? >> well, you know, we're in a political season, jose, and any time there is a type of question it will be raised, the spectrum of whether this administration is competent. it is really a disservice to the discussion. but i think for instance there are legitimate questions on whether or not the cdc is responsible for issuing guidelines and so forth is

issuing the right guidelines, whether the world health organization guidelines would be more appropriate. and why the cdc decided to use them at this point. i think there are legitimate questions on how the cdc is handling this. but again, i want it to be with the purpose of getting at the best possible preparation and response and not necessarily just to play the blame game. >> so what do you want to see the outcome of this hearing be today? >> well, i think what we need to see primarily is whether congress needs to act in any way. whether the cdc has the resources it needs, or whether other agencies like the border patrol or hhs, the department of transportation, homeland security. these are all agencies that are somewhat potentially involved in protecting us from ebola. so we have to make sure everybody has the resources they need. and whether there is congressional action that is required to make sure that -- whether it is additional authority or resources that that is forthcoming. >> and carson, while i have you.

let's talk a little bit of politics, the question of the senate race playing out in your home state. hillary clinton joined allison grimes, trying to give her the edge over the incumbent, mitch mcconnell. grimes also drew some attention for not answering if she voted for president obama. congressman, how do her chances look right now? >> i think they're great, i think the actions are being misinterpreted. i don't think they handled it very well. but look, allison, you have twice as much money as any other candidate, you can afford your own tv time. but they also wrote out a check for the get out the votes for allison, they're far from disengaging for the race. they know the race is very much in place. so does mitch mcconnell. she has an unprecedented field on the ground working every day.

literally hundreds and hundreds of people throughout kentucky. literally the race again is a dead heat. she has all the energy in this campaign. and hillary clinton helped that last night. it was an incredible event, 4500 people, i was there, as well. there was enormous energy to retire mitch mcconnell and elect allison grimes. so i think we're in good shape. >> and congressman, let me let you go. did you vote for president obama? >> i did, twice. >> listen, thank you for being with me, appreciate it. >> you bet. >> always good to see you. coming up, we'll have much more on today's ebola developments. but first, an update from hong kong. more pepper spray. but once again, a possible thaw between the pro-democracy government. one more shot of the people's house in the pink colors. the north portico illuminated in

pink to show support for people affected by breast cancer. we'll take a short break and be back in just seconds. if i can impart one lesson to a new business owner, it would be one thing i've learned is my philosophy is real simple american express open forum is an on-line community, that helps our members connect and share ideas to make smart business decisions. if you mess up, fess up. be your partners best partner. we built it for our members, but it's open for everyone. there's not one way to do something. no details too small. american express open forum.

this is what membership is. this is what membership does. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients.

plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience.

so i know how important that is. . and we have this bit of breaking news to share with you this morning. sources tell nbc news president obama is expected to issue an executive order today giving him the immediate authority to order u.s. national guard and reserve units to liberia to deal with what is going on as far as ebola in that country. as a matter of fact, one of the reasons is military officials have said the slow progress in the facilities there has been a progress with logistic support and challenging conditions. so this executive order that is expected to be issued today, we're just finding out about it right this second, is specifically to deal with the log jam, the bureaucratic problems coming through on the

movement of american forces to liberia to deal with ebola in that country. so that is expected today sometime this afternoon. and now to a weather alert this morning with the tropics heating up in the east and west. over the atlantic, hurricane gonzalo has strengthed overni e overnight, this is a massive category 4 storm, the eye is expected to pass by the island, i should say, sometime tomorrow. but a hurricane warning is already in effect. people there are already starting to get ready. this is a massive storm. in the pacific, tropical storm anna is gaining strength, and could be a hurricane by saturday. ana comes after gonzalo lashed the area with heavy winds and power damage. and in hollywood this morning, the pioneer for latinas, pioneer

elizabeth pena died after a short illness. you probably recognize her after playing sophia's mom. and she was in the incredibles, and jacob's ladder. elizabeth pena was just 55 years old. begins with the cloud. this is "titanfall," the first multi-player game built and run on microsoft azure. empowering gamers around the world to interact in ways they never thought possible. this cloud turns data into excitement. this is the microsoft cloud. come on! let's hide in the attic. no. in the basement. why can't we just get in the running car? are you crazy? let's hide behind the chainsaws.

smart. yeah. ok. if you're in a horror movie, you make poor decisions. it's what you do. this was a good idea. shhhh. be quiet. i'm being quiet. you're breathing on me! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. everyone is looking for ways while to cut expenses.s unique, head for the cemetery! and that's where pg&e's online business energy checkup tool can really help. you can use it to track your actual energy use. find rebates that make equipment upgrades more affordable. even develop a customized energy plan for your company.

think of it as a way to take more control over your operating costs. and yet another energy saving opportunity from pg&e. find new ways to save energy and money with pg&e's business energy check-up. (receptionist) gunderman group is growing. getting in a groove. growth is gratifying. goal is to grow. gotta get greater growth. i just talked to ups. they got expert advise, special discounts, new technologies. like smart pick ups.

they'll only show up when you print a label and it's automatic. we save time and money. time? money? time and money. awesome. awesome! awesome! awesome! awesome! (all) awesome! i love logistics. we are following a lot of fast-moving developments right now in the ebola crisis. we're waiting for officials in summit county, ohio, to hold a news conference any moment now. amber vinson, the second dallas patient diagnosed with ebola, flew to cleveland. in dallas, the officials say the first nurse to contract ebola, nina pham is currently in a quote "improved condition."

let's go live to dallas with craig melvin. >> reporter: good morning, jose diaz, i want to bring in the spokesperson for the public information today. there is new information regarding a control order, collect? >> let me explain that, the doctor, the commissioner -- the health authority here within the state of texas, so what the doctor is saying right now is that we clearly have an issue here where health care workers who treated mr. duncan, for example, are using public transportation. what are we talking about? we're talking about planes, public buses, whatever that may be. that needs to stop. and health care workers really have to help us monitor that. so these health care workers will be monitored twice a day. and if for some reason they are not wanting to cooperate, dr. laky will issue a control order to ensure they are helping us with the situation and agree to be monitored. >> how do you enforce the control order?

>> reporter: those are questions that really need to be directed to the state. but in mr. duncan's case, we heard that louise was going in and out of the apartment, she was told to stay inside -- that was duncan's fiancee. the control order was issued so that it is clear you're going to have to stay at home, and we're going to be outside to be here for you but to make sure you're in your home. >> how real is the concern that a lot of these folks who were supposed to be self-monitoring are not doing that? is that why we see this control order? do we -- >> and that is a fair question, so what i can say about that, this is a very fluid situation. right? not only are we dealing with ebola for the first time in the country we're deals with different aspects, you're talking about if we're monitoring everybody. the cdc has been very aggressive and staying on top of everybody they believe had contact with the ebola patients and staying in contact with them twice a

day. but right now, the concern is are they putting others at risk. and let's make sure that is not happening. >> and really quickly, today we understand the city is going to take steps to improve public information. is that accurate? >> so when it comes to public information, you know, i've been out at the scene with partner agencies in all three cases. and in mr. duncan's case, and the case on sunday and now the one from yesterday. and in each case, i'm starting to realize as are a lot of my colleagues we're putting out so much information but yet we're getting the same questions. so we are going to come together today to build a strategy for an aggressive public campaign so that we make sure that the citizens of dallas know we're doing everything in our capacity to make sure they're safe and doing everything we can to keep them safe. >> thank you so much. that is the very latest here in dallas on the ground. we'll stick around here for the

information. and report new information as it is warranted. >> craig melvin, thank you so much for that live report. and for the first time the nurse at the dallas hospital where thomas eric duncan was speaking publicly where she says was a lack of planning and precaution. >> there was no special precautions other than what we know in the medical industry, to be you know, basic contact precautions and droplet precautions. no special gear. we -- we were unprepared in the sense that we did not know what to do with his lab specimens. they were handled, and that is what the lab technician told me. and it was a volatile, chaotic scene. >> brianna aguirre says she was not one of the nurses who cared for thomas eric duncan.

but related what they told her. >> thank you for having us on. >> you have been one of the voices taking aim at the protocol. what do you make of what you just heard from nurse aguirre. >> it is not surprising. we did the study with over 750 facilities nationwide. over 2,500 nurses responding. and they had the same exact answers. our employers are not providing the patient protection gear. they're not providing education and training. they're not providing hands-on dri drills. the protocols are constantly changing. and what we really want to see happen is i'm really happy to hear that president obama is going to use executive authority to assist the people in liberia. but the nurses are going to be calling on president obama to issue an executive order that the cdc guidelines and

standards, and optimal protection need to be an executive order to protect the health care workers in this country. >> now, that is a good point. and you're referring to this executive order news that we broke right here in this hour that the president is going to issue an executive order. but i don't know if you need an executive order for clear and concise guidelines to be given to all health care workers in this country, isn't that what the cdc is all about? >> well, the cdc puts up the guidelines, but it is up to all 5,000 hospitals and health care facilities to issue the guidelines, and those guidelines are just exactly that. the hospitals do not have to follow the guidelines. they don't even have to read them. and it is obvious they're not handing them out to the employees because the nurses at dallas were very upset that the guidelines they were making up things as they went. >> and i want to bring you

specifically to the dallas hospital. because it is important to note that nbc news did reach out to the hospital for a response to nurse aguirre's allegations, as they directed us to a statement they released overnight regarding the nurses with the national nurses united. they said quote, that does not reflect the actual fact. our hospital followed the cdc guidelines and sought additional guidance and clarity, what is your reaction to that? >> well, they may believe they followed the guidelines but when you talk to the nurses we talked to, they were sending mr. duncan's lab specimen through the pneumatic system, which had documents, pieces of closed containers and jello and crackers like that.

it is a transport mechanism and they were sending his blood through that system. so you know, i don't know what planet they're on. but in my world, you wouldn't send somebody that has ebola, their lab specimens through the pneumatic tube system. >> well, we don't know if they did that after they found out he had ebola, some people said it was before. but i get your point. the hospitals around the country need to be focused on something like that possibly occurring in the future and how to best deal with something so deadly as ebola. deborah berger, thank you for joining us, appreciate it. >> okay, thank you. i want to bring in maggie fox, good morning. >> good morning. >> your latest article offers a reality check on the ebola situation. what are you hearing about how bad it will get here in the u.s.? >> it is not going to be getting bad in the u.s. there will probably be a few more cases imported from africa.

it is very likely people will fly here from africa with ebola. it is unlikely to spread far because it doesn't spread easily. it is unfortunate but it was not unexpected that two nurses became infected. we know that health care workers are at very high risk of infection because they're right down in there. they're right in the faces of the patient. and thomas duncan was very ill. should it have happened? no, was it something that people had predicted? yes, it was. what we have to worry about, it is spread from person to person to person. and it is very unlikely since nurse pham and nurse vinson are now isolated. >> and a lot of focus is on the u.s., but the situation remains very critical in west africa. now you write, quote, many patients are being treated at home, dying in their own beds or even creeping off to die in the forest uncounted. what are officials saying about the ebola outbreak in west africa?

>> it is dreadful. it is still out of control. they still don't have a handle on it. the latest numbers are close to 900 infections and more than 4500 of them dead. but the world health organization says the numbers are almost certainly great under estimates. this morning, sierra leone said the last province that was free of ebola is no longer free of ebola. they can't even count the numbers there. and people will be turned away from hospitals, going away to die in their own homes and probably infecting many if not all of their own family members. >> maggie fox, thank you so very much for being with me as i show the symptoms and how many days it takes for people really to show some manifestation of ebola. thank you for your time this morning. >> my pleasure. and coming up, it is mid-term season. so we fan out. the political story of the day

happened right here in south florida. here is senator rubio's take. >> it was distracting. you can clearly hear it in the microphones. what was more distracting -- >> you can hear it certainly in the hall. you could. >> the miami harold was in the room. the moment that will live in fan history. we'll discuss that, there was some actual serious issues discussed as well. but first, you may have noticed i'm wearing a purple tie this morning. here you go, as a matter of fact i love purple, purple is my 6-year-old daughter, sabrina's favorite color. but today, it is gladd annual spirit day. my colleague, thomas roberts, will host a twitter chat on that important topic at 2:00 p.m. eastern, with glaad ceo sarah

ellis. we'll be right back. my nutritional standards are high. i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got 8 grams of protein. twist my lid! that's three times more than me. 17 vitamins and minerals. and zero fat! hmmmm. you bring a lot to the party! yay! new ensure active clear protein. 8 grams protein. zero fat. 17 vitamins and minerals. in delicious blueberry pomegranate and mixed fruit.

. and breaking news right now coming from the office of the homeland security secretary, jay johnson, who is announcing the retirement of transportation security administrator john pistole, who has been on the job really since 2010. he is the guy really behind a lot of the issues we're dealing with in airports as far as the tsa. including the tsa pre, which is a relatively new thing that up to 5 million passengers in the u.s. use every day when they use the nation's airport. but to be clear he is retiring after being in that position since june of 2010. and now, let's talk about something else. and we're going to bring it a lot closer here to south florida. this.

governor, florida governor rick scott. our incumbent governor and the republican, we have been told that governor scott will not be participating in this debate. now, let me explain what this is all about. ladies and gentlemen -- ladies and gentlemen. >> this is great. this is -- welcome to south florida. welcome to florida, never a dull moment here in the sunshine state. charlie crist, taking center stage last night before the real debate between crist and scott even began, scott apparently accusing to take the stage because of the constantly breezy companion, and the fan tweet -- a longstanding twitter account. that was embarrassing, hash tag

fan gate, stand your ground, gov debate. scott said later he thought it was charlie crist holding up the debate, and joining me now to talk about the important political news, co-author also of the latino america, and co-founder of latino decisions, matt moreto, matt, you were at this event yesterday. there were odd political moments. >> i would say this was the oddest moments in the debate. we specialize in weird political news. but when you have not only a former governor and a candidate who likes to have a fan as a traveling companion. >> and he has had it since day one. >> in his 2006 debate with gallagher, there was a bit of a row over the fan, in that case tom gallagher wanted the fan. in this case there is a dispute

as to what said what and who did what. at 7:00 p.m., there was supposed to be a live debate. if you're a candidate and the candidate's campaign you make sure you and the guy are up there at 7 p.m. >> and especially, this issue has been going on for a while, it is not a new thing that crist put on -- >> and the scott campaign kept insisting that crist not be allowed to have a fan. he drinks a lot of diet red bull. so his metabolism is rather high, he gets a rather high amount of sun, that increases your body temperature. but the scott campaign, making it a big issue, that the campaign flipped the switch and did -- >> i wish i had a fan here in my studio, not because of the sweating issue but because i could look like the michael bolton videos, we agree, we would be a fan. this race is in a dead heat. the issues that were debated

last night were very intense, and there were some very difficult political points that were made yesterday. >> yeah, and there was a clear contrast between the candidates. certainly on medicaid expansion. charlie crist, he didn't really set up the debate here, but he will do it by executive action. he said i don't know if that is legal, by the way, to extend medicaid. there is minimum wage, that is a very clear difference between the two. charlie crist wants to raise it. rick scott doesn't. >> it is going to get weird -- >> it already is weird. the polls are very, very close. >> they are dead even, the tampa times has them at 40, cnn, 44, optimist, the leading firm in washington, has it 49 for scott, 40 for crist -- >> speaking of polling, specifically numbers on latinos in florida, with crist up but a

lot remaining undecided. in a state with over 2 million latinos what issues are swaying them around these two candidates? >> well, i think mark said it right there by leading with the issue of medicaid expansion. in the poll that we did with the nclr action fund, we found it was a very important issue to latinos. they continue to have the highest rates of being uninsured. and a lot of people would get covered in florida with medicaid expansion. it was a very popular issue in florida. and i think crist would gain ground if he continues to work on that issue in the latino community. >> and matt, there are differences in the latino voting blocks, specifically the i-4 corridor, south florida. tell me a little bit about that. >> yeah, that is exactly right. when anybody talks about the latino vote in florida they really need to look at it and speak about the largely cuban-american vote in south florida. and the orlando/tampa vote is

very heavily puerto rico. and there is a large latino vote growing. it used to be 20 years ago that all of latino politics was dominated by the cuban/american vote in florida. that is just not the case anymore. there are only 35, 40% of the vote, that means 65% are colombian, and puerto rico, and if he pulls that out it will be because he is doing well in that corridor. >> i want to have you guys back on because florida is always colorful, among other things. it will be an important race, this is an important state. >> yeah, you got to keep your cool. >> i'm going to get a fan for you next time. >> please. coming up, an end note on that florida fan moment. you got us thinking about some other memorable debate moments.

the five things coming up. well, that was interesting, thank you very much. and your rebuttal. >> we have no response. >> that is the way you do it. that is the way you debate. turn the trips you have to take, into one you'll never forget. earn points for every flight and every hotel. expedia plus rewards. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night,nd. and stay awake during the day.

this is called non-24, a circadian rhythm disorder that affects up to 70 percent of people who are totally blind. talk to your doctor about your symptoms and learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. don't let non-24 get in the way of your pursuit of happiness. synchrony financial partners with over two hundred thousand businesses, from fashion retailers to healthcare providers, from jelers to sporting good stores, to help their customers get what they want and need. banking. loyalty. analytics. synchrony financial. engage with us. great. this is the last thing i need. [ hand ] seriously? the last thing you need is some guy giving you a new catalytic converter

when all you got is a loose gas cap. let's take this puppy over to midas and get you some of that good old midas touch. hey you know what? i'll drive! i really didn't think this through. [ male announcer ] get the midas touch maintenance package including an oil change for only $24.99. and here's a deal, use your midas credit card and get a rebate of $25. oil. tires. brakes. everything. trust the midas touch.

it is already being called fangate, personally, i'm not a big sweater but it does get hot here in florida, charlie crist needs a fan, and rick scott, apparently not needing the fan held up the debate over it. just in the five memorable moments, number one, someone who could have used crist's fan, a

balmy richard nixon, and number two, ronald reagan, provided that even at the ripe old age of 73 he could still crack a joke. and walter mondale. >> i will not make age an issue of the campaign. i am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience. >> number three, hillary clinton, versus barack obama in 2008 when they were still first officially rivals. >> i don't think i'm that bad -- >> you're likeable enough. don't worry about it. >> number four, there was this moment in 2008 when our own then moderator tom brokaw refused to let senator john mccain stand in his way. >> we want to thank our host at belmont university and the commission on international debate. and you're in the way of my script there if you will move. >> and number five, someone who

wishes he had a script in the last election, texas governor rick perry. >> i would do away with education, the -- commerce. and let's see. i can't -- the third one, i can't, sorry. oops. >> and then there is one thing i needed to tell you, i forget. anyway, what i do know that wraps up this hour on msmbc. and next up, the responses to the ebola question today on capitol hill. i will see you here tomorrow. what's wrong with trying new things? feel that in your muscles? yeah... i do... try a new way to bank, where no branches equals great rates.

 when laquinta.com sends him a ready for you alert the second his room is ready, ya know what salesman alan ames becomes? i think the numbers speak for themselves. i'm sold! a "selling machine!" ready for you alert, only at lq.com. good morning, everyone, i'm tamron hall, this is "news