denied. >> i love you, mommy. >> children no little of the arcane world of motions and appeals. cassidy has grown. her father, her mother, bits of memory ever farther away. that's all for this edition of "dateline"ment i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. good morning to you. i'm richard liu i in new york. 7:00 in the east, 4:00 in the west. here's what we're watching this morning. new poll numbers showing voters are significantly more energized than nerp four years ago. what's good for the ds, what's good for thers? >> collusion, obstruction of justice, the issues being raised and what they mean. plus the death toll and the rise for hurricane michael.

the hard choices ahead for those who lost almost everything. first, new this morning, just 23 days to the midterm election and re-electing and not re-electing some of the folks headed to that building. a new poll giving a hint of what might happen. a sharp inees in voter en throughs yachl since the last midterm. 77% of registered voters say they are absolutely certain to vote or have already voted early. that's up 12 percentage points from a 2014 poll from october that year. specifically, enthusiasm is up among all demographic groups. but the increases are greater among younger adults. nonwhite voters and those who say they favor democrats for the house president meanwhile, president trump last night in kentucky, the latest stop on his tour of critical midterm states striking familiar themes. >> to make sure that america's

extraordinary comeback, we want to make sure it continues full speed ahead. we don't want democrats that are coming from a different place. we don't want them getting in office. all they'll do is obstruct. under republican leadership, america is booming. it's thriving. >> meanwhile, president trump's approval rating stands at 41% in the new poll. 5 percentage higher than august. second highest for this poll but still underwater with 54% disapproval. let's bring in the washington examiner and a reporter for the hill. i want your reaction on the latest poll numbers. the number of voters likely to vote is up 12 percentage points. what does this suggest to you? >> well, it suggests what we've seen this entire cycle, which is that enthusiasm is up among

democratic voters. it's also evident in the fact that you have a record number of women running for office on the democratic side. and a record number of people getting involved. i've been on the trail myself. in these competitive districts, you're hearing women as well as men say that they were never involved in politics before. but that this time around, they really want to be out there, whether it's helping a candidate go door to door canvassing and getting out the vote. >> one of the items coming out of this poll, julia, is that we were -- i was just mentioning, 77% of registered voters say they're certain about or have already voted. flip side is that when we take a look at who they prefer in congress, it is trending down, although democrats still do hold an advantage at the time. so energy up, lead by democrats down. potentially the kavanaugh bump

is showing up in polls. >> yeah. richard, i think the kavanaugh bump is absolutely showing up here. we're seeing that president trump's approval rating is still in the 40s. but up five points from the last poll that took place. we're seeing major parts of president trump's base, including noncollege educated white men and women. they're likely voting is up. when delving more deeply, we're seeing numbers on whether they're likely to vote are also very high. we're seeing younger women, raicial minorities, young millennials saying they want to vote. i think that's good news for democrats but bad news for republicans. we still have a few weeks to go until midterms. i don't know if this kavanaugh bump can really sustain itself. president trump last night talked about how democrats are an angry mob. he cited those protests during the kavanaugh hearings. i think this is a republican strategy of trying to keep that

momentum from kavanaugh going into next couple of weeks. i think there is a risk of republican voters becoming complacent. you know, the economy is good for them. they have their two conservative supreme court justices as well as a slew of other conservative justices on the lower courts. republicans need to make sure they don't get complacent and they go out to the polls to combat potential blue wave. >> when you talk about the economy and taxes, i need to make a note on the poll numbers. that's because, democrats and republicans are competitive basically within the margin of error here in the 40s when it comes to taxes and the economy do not forget what we saw on friday. a big, big drop that we haven't seen in years. as we look to monday and the markets and what this means in the following 23 days, what we're seeing in the economy could change potentially. >> that's right. i mean, it could.

so the other thing is that republicans have been running away from their talking points, not on just the economy but on their tax plan that they passed and health care. democrats have been hitting those points consistently and very hard because they found that when they do, they do well in these districts. so that is leaving republicans to run on very far right issues, such as immigration, the border wall, which is something that we think could come up after the election as well. >> we've been talking about what might happen if the democrats do take control of the house and they may be laying ground already. house minority leader nancy pelosi saying demanding the president's tax returns is one of the first things we do. her words. that the easiest thing in the world, that's nothing. when you look at this here, julia, is that right? is it that simple? >> it's really not that simple. we're seeing a lot of potential heads of those committees and

the housey elijah cummings, proposing -- however in terms of the president's tax returns, you know, this could set up a very potential long-winded fight with the treasury. that's a political gamble that the democrats have to decide if they want to take, if they want to take it. between the midterms and 2020, they want to get gains in the house and potentially the presidency between that time. they have to decide if they want to get themselves involved in a long wind battle with the treasury when there could be other issues that voters could potentially care about more than the president's tax returns. however, this is a talking point democrats have used consist at the present timely to attack trump. >> one of the things that came out in the poll this morning, health care. that's big still. >> uh-huh. that's right. i mean, democrats have been trying to make this the biggest issue going into the final

stretch ahead of november 6th. they are increasingly releasing ads on health care, trying to convince and show to voters that republicans, if they stay in power are going to further gut aca, are going to go after preexisting conditions and so they want to make sure that voters hear from them. if you want to check on this, check on the president, be it on health care or on tax, then you have to put us in power. >> all right. laura barron-lopez. julia manchester and the final issue of health care, not an easy one for both sides to explain to potential voters. certainly. >> good morning to both of you again. the death toll rising from hurricane michael. at least 19 are dead. that number expected to rise. more than 600,000 people without power right now. analysts estimate private insurers will pay about $6 billion in claims for wind and storm surge damage. let's go to lynn haven florida,

where marian a atencio is. >> we don't want to hear the numbers get higher. >> reporter: that's right, richard. for cities like lynn haven, one of the smaller ones in the panhandle left devastated. this is about 30 minutes from the beach. look at what's left of their chamber of commerce. this is also part of their police department and i mean, residents are coming back to images like this. the mayor telling our local nbc news affiliate that power in lynn haven will likely be out for two months. there is no water or sewer system. it is not safe to come back. there will be no school for children. so for residents still processing the trauma of the storm, seeing these images behind me as well of devastation is just a mixed bag of hope, helplessness. let's hear from some of them. >> it breaks your heart.

but so thankful how with as bad as it was, were there so few people hurt, you know? that's incredible. >> this was the big one. once in a lifetime thing. i probably won't live long enough to see anything like this again. >> the girls' room imploded and the windows went, the door frame went flying through the wall. then our neighbor's shingles came off and came through our bedroom window into the drywall across. that was when i'm like, i'm going to stay in the hallway. we got lucky, definitely for sure. >> this is, no doubt, a life changing storm richard. we drove in last night from mexico beach, which is utterly decimated. it's a drive that would usually take 40 minutes, 30 minutes. it took us hours. it was bumper to bumper traffic because people all along the panhandle are desperately looking for power, for supplies for water. it's also a dangerous drive because this was a wind event, there are toppled trees, toppled

power lines, making this entire area a safety hazard, really. as you heard from those folks, this entire area and smaller cities like the one i'm standing in now left reeling after this storm. >> the sound of chainsaws so welcome and important for that safety measure you were describing there. thank you so much. reporting live in lynn haven, florida. marian atencio. >> what the next step could signal in the russia probe.

how do you top mac & cheese? start with 100% clean ingredients. like vermont white cheddar. then... add bacon, bbq chicken, or baja blend. catering and delivery now available. panera. food as it should be. [woman 2] ..this... [man 1] ...this is my body of proof. [man 2] proof of less joint pain... [woman 3] ...and clearer skin. [man 3] proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... [woman 4] ...with humira. [woman 5] humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. [avo] humira can lower your ability to fight infections.

serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. [woman 6] ask your rheumatologist about humira. [woman 7] go to mypsaproof.com to see proof in action.

unstopand it's strengthenedting place, the by xfi pods,gateway. which plug in to extend the wifi even farther, past anything that stands in its way. ...well almost anything. leave no room behind with xfi pods. simple. easy. awesome. click or visit a retail store today. sunrise 7:14 a.m. at the capital. it is a beauty. more now on that new poll out this morning.

23 days until election day. the odds overwhelmingly predict the house flips to the democrats. that stays consistent. the republicans keep the senate. >> this could be the most important race there is. so get out and vote. we can't let this happen. >> president trump in kentucky last night urging republicans to turn out at the polls next month. this week the president will visit miss oula, montana, mesa, arizona. there's support for a democratic congress to keep the president in check. in that poll i was talking about, 54% favor a democratic congress. however, that is down from 60% in august. conversely, those favoring a republican congress, that rose 7 percentage points to 41. while the number of women candidates reached record levels and new study finds a historic

drop in white men running for congress. an increase of 75% points among women of color and 36% among white women. for what matters to people 23 days before the midterm election, we'll go to orange county, california where jacob s saeb revolve says they're trying to flip republican seats there. >> los angeles, downtown union station probably isn't where you think you start a quest to find the most traditionally republicant territory in americ. the biggest county in america is one of the most diverse and democratic. if you take a short train ride south, the politics can seem a world apart. >> it used to be from l.a. to orange county you cross through the orange curtain. because you go from a democratic area to a very republican area. this year, back in washington, the democrats are hoping that's

changing. so you all live in orange county? >> yes. >> if you watch the news, all you hear about it brett kavanaugh. what gloria? >> no. that's all you hear about. you know, it's hard to think about something else and all you hear is the brett kavanaugh. >> do you think you're going to be thinking about that when you go into the polling booth on election day? >> i hope not. >> you hope not? what are the things you'd rather be thinking about? >> traffic and pollution. traffic and pollution. >> hopped off the train in irvine. weave, like good californians could carpool. turning out people of color and young voters. we head to the local university of california campus. in-n-out burger. do you want to know what they think, here's where you come. >> what do people care about in irvine? >> myself and my friends are minorities, so we're thinking about that. >> enough to flip the district?

>> i hope so. >> i think 26,000 kids go to school here. if the democrats can get all of them to vote for them, then the republicans would be in trouble in this district. but i don't know. >> sorry. not to be annoying, we're with nbc news and i'm trying to figure out, anybody here going to vote in the election on november 6th? anybody? anybody? nobody is going to vote? is anybody going to vote in the congressional election in november? you are? thank you. sir, what do you care about? >> what do i care about? >> school. >> what about you? you need to get on this bus? >> yeah. >> what's going to get your vote? >> schools and expenses. >> you're not talking about the issues that people talk about on the news all the time. the russia investigation, the supreme court. >> i don't watch that stuff. >> i don't watch the news. >> are you registered to vote? >> not yet. >> how old are you? >> 18. >> this could be your first

election. >> yeah. >> ultimately, you could decide whether or not the house of representatives is democratic or republican control. are you thinking about all of that? >> not currently. maybe if i took more time to get informed about what's going on in politics. i assume that the people voting have at least some idea of who they're voting for. >> are you going to vote? >> i should. we're the most unreliable voters. i should vote. >> that's what the democrats want. >> but they can't count on you guys necessarily. >> no. the rest of the people our age will be like oh, man, better vote. all the old people telling us to vote. >> am i old? >> older. sorry. >> dude. >> jacob, that happens. that was nbc's jacob sobriety revol -- jacob reporting. billionaire democratic donor tom stieer is spending $3.5 million in california alone in efforts

to get the folks jake was talking about, millennials to vote. >> the trump legal team preparing responses to written questions. there are only 15 of them. is that enough? we've got the reaction next. you just knew the kanye wild, wild, west wing would be a "saturday night live" send off. we begin with the idea that time is a myth. there's infinite amounts of universe. i'm a prisoner in a different dimension. have i lost anyone so far? and when i put this hat on, it's like superman's hat. >> superman didn't have a hat, you idiot. >> you want to add anything, jim? >> add? i got a couple of subtractions i'd like to forget. i'd like to forget with fidelity wealth management you get straightforward advice,

tailored recommendations, tax-efficient investing strategies, and a dedicated advisor to help you grow and protect your wealth. fidelity wealth management.

...if we listened more? could the right voice, the right set of words, bring us all just a little closer, get us to open up, even push us further? it could. if we took the time to listen. the most inspiring minds. the most compelling stories. download audible. and listen for a change.

new questions today on what's behind special counsel robert mueller's written questions to president trump. nbc news confirming reports that the president's legal team is preparing answers to 15 questions submitted by mueller's team. let's go to legal analyst and contributor. danny, the reports, they suggest the questions are only about collusion between the trump 2016 campaign and russia. what do we know about what these answers might be and specifics to the questions? >> when you think about it, it's consist at the present time ten are about collusion. largely the indictments out of the investigation have revolved around russian collusion-type issues. it may be the case that the mueller team has concluded that the firing of james comey and the investigation into potential obstruction is not really fertile ground for the prosecutors and investigators. that would be a significant inference to draw from this. but the other big question is,

why and for what reason has the mueller team agreed to accept written answers to interrogatories. you almost never see this in criminal cases and when you o do see them in civil case, they have largely fallen by the wayside because everybody knows that giving written answers to written interrogatories, it's very easy to monkey around with your answers. you can say they were vague. you can say they were ambiguous, those questions. and then you can think really hard about your answer and give the most nonresponsive answer legally possible. >> then why do it? >> it's advantageous to trump, of course. it may avoid him sitting down or giving testimony under oath. an informal interview or testifying before a grand jury has a lot of pitfalls, not the least of which are potential perjury or section 1001, false statements to government investigators. for the mueller team, perhaps

it's part of their overall chess strategy, to get answers from trump on some critical questions which will help them frame the investigation going forward. >> danny, so you were mentioning obstruction of justice. does this mean that the mueller team either has a very good case and they don't need to ask questions about this or nice ver vice versa, they don't have a case? >> you could be on to something. perhaps they think they have an airtight obstruction case. if you take a step back and look at the counter arguments, there are arguments that he could have had the authority to fire james comey even if part of his motivation may have been self-protection. after all, he is the president of the united states and that decision was supported, at least in part, by rod rosenstein. you may be right. it could go the other way. >> danny, always great to have you on this sunday morning. msnbc legal analyst. appreciate you my friend.

that does it for me. i'm richard liu i. you can watch politics nation with al sharp ton at his new time 5:00 saturday and sunday. first, your business is nechblgts next. ♪ [ telephone ringing ] -whoa. [ indistinct talking ] -deductible? -definitely speaking insurance. -additional interest on umbrella policy? -can you translate? -damage minimization of civil commotion. -when insurance needs translating, get answers in plain english at progressiveanswers.com. ♪ -he wants you to sign karen's birthday card. it's a high honor. -he wants you to sign karen's birthday card. got it?

got it. nooooo... nooooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent. bounty, the quicker picker upper. our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition... for strength and energy! whoo-hoo! great-tasting ensure. with nine grams of protein and twenty-six vitamins and minerals. ensure. now up to 30 grams of protein for strength and energy!

i decided that i wanted to go for electrical engineering and you need to go to college for that. if i didn't have internet in the home i would have to give up more time with my kids. which is the main reason i left the military. everybody wants more for their kids, but i feel like with my kids, they measurably get more than i ever got. and i get to do that. i get to provide that for them. you can do things like change your settings, learn tips and tricks, troubleshoot, and even manage your account. finding your xfinity username or wifi password, restarting your equipment, or paying your bill is easier than ever with x1.

x1 help. another reason to love x1. say "teach me more" into your voice remote to get started. good morning. coming up on msnbc, your which is business, we'll show you how chris and heidi powell built a digital fitness empire. after launching two successful companies, he hit rock bottom. the founder of this company says her pillowcases improve hair and skin while you sleep. she convinced shop fie to feature their product in pop-up stores. we have your back with information and advice to run your companies. that's all coming up next on "your business."