president harris. and, you know, that begins with the fact that i'm a conservative. and i know that the most conservative of all conservative principles is being faithful to the constitution. and you have to choose in this race between someone who has been faithful to the constitution, who will be faithful, and donald trump, who it is not just us predicting how he will act, we watched what he did after the last election. we watched what he did on january 6th. and so coming to this as someone who has been a life-long republican, a life-long conservative, also as someone who spent -- i spent time working overseas before i was elected to congress, and i have spent time working in countries where people aren't free, and where people are struggling for their freedom, and i know how quickly democracies can unravel. and i know that as americans we

can become accustomed to thinking, well, we don't have to worry about that here. but i tell you, again, as someone who has seen firsthand how quickly it can happen, that that is what is on the ballot. it is absolutely what's on the ballot. i also -- i come to this decision as a mother. i have five children, and there was a moment right after january 6th when my husband and i were having dinner with our two youngest, our two sons, and i looked across the table at my young sons and i thought to myself, you know, in the aftermath of the attack on the capitol, are they going to grow up in a country where we don't have to worry about the peaceful transfer of power? are they going to grow up in a country where that is guaranteed? and i believe that every one of us in this election has a duty

and obligation to do what we know is right for the country and that's to support vice president harris. so i'm very honored to be here and be able to do that. [ cheers and applause ] >> you know, if i can just echo the congresswoman's point. so i've now as vice president met over 150 world leaders, presidents, prime ministers, chancellors and kings. many of them, multiple times to the point we're on a first name basis. and the last few times i've seen them in the relative eve of this election. they're very concerned, our allies, because as you know, when we walk in those rooms around the world representing the united states of america, we have traditionally been able to walk in those rooms, chin up, shoulders back, with the self-appointment and earned authority to talk about the importance of democracy and rule

of law. but as all the role models here know, as a role model, people watch what you do to see if it lines up with what you say. people around the world are watching this, and i -- i tell you, sometimes i do fret a bit about whether we as americans truly understand how important we are to the world. i hope everyone does really understand that we represent something. imperfect though we certainly are, flawed though we may be, we represent in terms of our ideals, the basis of our constitution, we represent a gold standard, and when we have someone who has been president, who wants to be president again, who is saying he would be dictator on day one, would weaponize our department of

justice, one of the principles of our democracy, is that we say we have a justice system that is blind, that is not punitive against one's enemies, they are watching. so this is about direct impact on the american people and it most certainly will impact people around the world. >> you know, i'm so glad you brought that up. and i -- as i follow-up, i would ask congresswoman cheney too, we live in a dangerous time. i think americans are watching what is happening overseas, in ukraine, in israel. republicans, we used to be the party that would be on the side of our democratic allies like ukraine. talk to me a little bit and all of us about why from a foreign policy standpoint you find yourself able to endorse democrats who didn't used to be that way. >> well, it's not just able to endorse them, but if you look at

the numbers of the most senior officials who served donald trump, his own vice president, national security advisers, chief of staff, you know, the leading generals who served him, who all said he's unfit, and people really need to stop and think about how completely unprecedented that is. and the idea, when people sort of say, well, we might, you know, be tempted for some reason or another to vote for donald trump. if the issue is foreign policy, i would just ask everyone, think about how dangerous and damaging it is to have someone who is totally erratic, totally erratic, completely unstable, someone who has aligned himself

with, who idolizes tyrants. the choice here with respect to national security policy is a man who has proven, he's absolutely proven that he will not stand up, he won't defend this nation with respect to our own constitution and rule of law. and vice president harris, who has been clear in terms of support for ukraine, in terms of recognizing and understanding across the board that america cannot maintain our own freedom and security if we walk away from our allies around the world. and our adversaries know they can play donald trump. they absolutely know they can play him. and we simply can't afford to take that risk. so, as someone who spent a career on national security issues, again, this was not at all a difficult choice for me, the choice here is absolutely clear in terms of the necessity of supporting vice president harris. >> and if i may emphasize, part

of the backbone of our national security is our military. and let's please not overlook how someone who wants to be commander in chief and was has talked about our servicemen and women. has talked about an american hero like john mccain, was a prisoner of war, said he didn't respect him, didn't like him because he got caught. has talked about our service members as though they are less than the most courageous of us. those who put on the uniform, who represent the united states of america, who are willing to die for the sake of everything we stand for. and he calls them suckers and losers. these things cannot be overlooked. and i have said many times publicly and i'll say it again, in many, many ways donald trump is an unserious man, but the

consequences of him being president of the united states are brutally serious. there are things that he says that will be the subject of skits and laughter and jokes. but words have meaning. coming from someone who aspires to stand behind the seal of the president of the united states. these are the things that are at stake. >> i couldn't agree more. so i do want to ask you another question, though, before we go to the audience. you know, you talk a lot about -- >> good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. we're going to continue to monitor vice president harris in the pennsylvania suburbs for first of three starts today with republican liz cheney. focusing on undecided women voters and anti-trump republicans writ large and donald trump is in hurricane-ravaged asheville, north carolina today. we begin with ashley parker,

former biden campaign adviser now chief impact officer for 1063 west broad alencia johnson and former trump white house deputy press secretary sarah matthews, who resigned from the trump white house on january 6th. ashley, first to you, harris is taking questions directly from voters today, with liz cheney, holding trump accountable for the fall of roe, offered specifics on her economic plan. but this comes after this extraordinary weekend that donald trump spent in pennsylvania and you can see in her answers about how this is a time for someone who is serious, not, you know, these will all be in skits. but, you know, we have to focus also and we will in this segment on some of the things that donald trump said this weekend, which were his most vulgar, most lewd things i think ever said at a campaign rally. >> yeah, i mean, he was

incredibly crude and as you put it vulgar this weekend. it is not totally surprising, you know. we have seen this from him before, though maybe not necessarily on stage in a swing state in the closing days of the election. and it cuts both ways. the democrats believe that the more voters remember what trump is like, how he speaks about people, the less they like him, the more that chaos kind of comes back front and center, the more it will benefit the vice president. and you're certainly seeing that also. i had a story that posted that is not quite about his crude language, but about the ways he repeatedly insults vice president harris, her as dumb, dumber than a rock, stupid, insults her intelligence and intellect and for a lot of people that reads not just as insulting, but as racist and sexist and that's another thing that voters don't like.

the flip side, though, sort of one caveat is that in talking to voters and in talking to people who have done a ton of focus groups with the voters who will decide this election, they still want to know more, fairly or unfairly, about what vice president harris' plans are. in some ways when donald trump is grabbing the media spotlight, even for the spectacle that arguably conventional wisdom says will not help him politically, it does drown out what harris needs to do, which is explain a bit more clearly and forcefully to voters what she would affirmatively do to help them in their lives. >> alencia, she's just said there in philadelphia that she will not be a continuation of biden, trying again to clean up what she had said i think two weeks ago, the week before last, it is all sort of merging together that she couldn't think of anything that she would do differently. but one thing that is very clear is the contrast that they're trying to show to trump. i want to play some of what we heard.

this was not just crude and obscene, but completely inappropriate. he was describing -- he was in latrobe, pennsylvania, in pennsylvania all weekend, showing the importance of that state, and in latrobe, pennsylvania, which is where arnold palmer, the golf legend is from, native pennsylvanian, and he went on to describe arnold palmer's anatomy in the most remarkable way. and harris then responded later that evening. watch. >> arnold palmer was all man. when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, oh, my god. that's unbelievable. you have to tell kamala harris that you had enough, that you just can't take it anymore. we can't stand you, you're a -- vice president. the worst. >> the american people deserve

so much better. that's how i come at it. and to your point, the president of the united states must set a standard, not only for our nation, but understanding the standard that we as a nation must set for the world. what you see in my opponent, a former president of the united states, really is -- it demeans the office. >> so, alencia, i'll ask sarah matthews also, who is with us, how did those comments play with suburban women? >> listen, i mean, i think, one, she handled the question well on the interview with reverend sharpton on msnbc, but you also saw her addressing this in her conversation with liz cheney today. there are a lot of suburban and swing voters, particularly white women voters who actually don't like this crude language, this toxic masculinity that they're already -- that they're seeing displayed from donald trump.

you know, the people who quite frankly couldn't stand when he came -- the "access hollywood" tape happened and then have seen him get even more emboldened with these gross comments. the other piece that, to couple this, disdain and disgust with donald trump and you hear people talking about not raising the next generation with this type of leadership, on top of that, the suburban voters are considering what happened with roe v. wade was overturned, abortion is still a top issue for a lot of women voters including some republican women voters, as well as vice president harris when she wrote out her care economy policy to help all of the caregivers in this country, over 100 million people are caregivers. so providing relief there. so coupling with some proactive conversations around those issues as well as highlighting the grotesque language coming out of donald trump, it is moving some swing women voters. >> sarah, there is something he said on fox news and he is

doubling down even more to the point about defining who the enemy within is, you know, mike johnson, lindsey graham, trying to say, he's not talking about specific people. he was talking about nancy pelosi as the enemy within and her husband almost died because of an attack. and she was the one who is being targeted by that criminal. let me play what he said on fox. it is very short. >> these are bad people. we have a lot of bad people, but when you look at shifty schiff and some of the others, yeah, they are, to me, the enemy from within. i think nancy pelosi is an enemy from within. >> nancy pelosi is the enemy from within. as mike johnson and lindsey graham, lindsey on nbc, mike johnson, i think, on cnn were saying that's not what he's talking about. he's talking about the policies. >> yeah, it's really pathetic to watch lindsey graham and mike johnson and jd vance even has been asked about this, watch them try to contort themselves

to defend the comments. i recall not too long ago a lot of republicans were saying that it was democrats' rhetoric calling donald trump a threat to democracy that was responsible for the two assassination attempts. it is rich then for them to defend these comments when we know that nancy pelosi's husband was brutally attacked and i think that republicans are, like myself, who have gone against donald trump, though are right to call out the threat that he is to democracy, because he is someone who tried to overthrow a free and fair election. so, that is the threat to democracy. and i also think too that i don't know how these republicans can defend these comments from trump when he's calling his political opponents or people who vote differently and don't support him the enemy from within, because i don't view those people as the enemy from within. i view them as my fellow americans. and so it shows what kind of man he is, and what kind of leader he would be, now, contrast that with the view that we have today where kamala harris is on stage with liz cheney, this is a woman

who voted with donald trump nearly 93% of the time. she is as conservative as it gets. gut they're out hitting the campaign trail because she knows just as well as i do that donald trump is a danger, and so that she wants to make sure that we defeat him and this is also kamala harris showing what kind of president she's going to be, one for all americans, not just those who vote for her. >> sarah, alencia, thank you so much. ashley parker as well. and right now, 15 days to go before the election, we're watching kamala harris and donald trump campaigning in critical swing states. harris on the trail with former congresswoman cheney. trump in north carolina in storm-damaged areas. more on that coming up. but first, in 90 seconds, as the secretary of state heads back to the middle east, how the apparent leak of classified information about israel's potential plans to strike iran could impact the road to peace. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. with a delicious apple and blueberry-flavored

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are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo xr may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, or abnormal movements. seek help for fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, or sweating. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ ask your doctor for austedo xr. ♪ austedo xr ♪ secretary of state tony blinken heading back to the middle east today. this will be his 11th trip to the region since the october 7th attack. first, today, tomorrow he'll be focusing on jump starting, trying to jump start the cease-fire and hostage release talks following the killing of hamas leader yahya sinwar. the region is on edge as many are expecting israel to retailiate against iran for

iran's ballistic missile attacks this month. those plans are under more scrutiny today after highly classified u.s. intelligence about israel's plans were apparently leaked online. and as israel fights on several fronts against hezbollah and lebanon, hamas inside gaza, fighting in the west bank, joining us now is nbc news international correspondent hala gorani. president biden just last week in germany before the world called on israel to stop in gaza and focus on getting the hostages out with a temporary cease-fire and they just ramped it up in the north of gaza. >> reporter: yes, it seems like the opposite is happening as you rightly say. the north of gaza is under increasing bombardment and our crews have spoken to rescue workers on the ground who say that their entire swaths of

territory in the northern part of the besieged enclave that are essentially sealed off to emergency services. as far as antony blinken's trip, you mentioned it is the 11th in the region since october 7th. we don't know what other countries he's going to be visiting on this trip. we know he'll be coming to israel. in the past to egypt, qatar, gulf countries, that's something i think we'll learn once he hits the ground. but it has to be said that optimism levels are very low. the special envoy to the region was in lebanon today and has said there has been proposals to come to some sort of resolution between the warring parties, hezbollah and israel, since the summer. that essentially there was an admission of failure by him on the u.s.' part. and as we know, president biden's push for a cease-fire has also not succeeded. we're going to have to see if this trip is any different, an intra. >> low expectations.

hala gorani, thank you so much. i'll be joining the secretary on that trip momentarily. joining me now, though, is legendary journalist bob woodward. his new book "war" offers gripping behind the scenes reporting never before told stories on how the biden administration's attempts to contain the crisis in the middle east and the war in ukraine had fallen on deaf ears. the dire warnings about donald trump, from former joint chiefs chair mike millie. welcome, bob. congratulations on this extraordinary book. i want to go through a number of these elements of these quotes that you have from people. you describe prime minister biden -- i mean president biden fuming about prime minister netanyahu in the spring to a close associate. you quote him saying that some of the b -- deleted word, bibi netanyahu, he's a bad guy. he's a bad effing guy. he doesn't give a bleep about

hamas. he gives a bleep only about himself. i'm cleaning this up. it goes to the question raised by critics, you know, how can these two men agree on a temporary cease-fire? their relationship is poison us at this point. >> yes. there is deep hostility between them, but they're allies. the united states and israel. and so the personal relations get set aside. but i was able to get some descriptions of this and you see how emotional, how intense it is. so emotional and so intense it affects the relationship between the two individuals and the two countries. >> and right now it seems as though blinken and he's leaving in a couple of hours, i'll be on that plane, he's going in to the worst possible situation because israel is poised to attack iran,

we believe. and still attacking gaza. even after president biden last week said this is the time, you got sinwar, you've accomplished your goals, something israel's defense minister also said. >> yes, and what is important to understand about the biden administration, they're trying to lower the violence. time and time again you see in this behind the scenes reporting and also in the open, the concern about humanitarian suffering. it just -- what has happened in the middle east is so bloody, so violent, and to the credit of the biden administration, they actively are saying, you know, this is crazy. >> and it is, of course, the criticism within the democratic party, kamala harris dealing with this right now, that there are many people, especially in

michigan, the uncommitted voters, the arab muslim communities there, feeling that -- and college campuses, that he hung on to netanyahu too long, some of his own people probably believing that. secretary blinken, you describe him as exhausted by this process. 11 trips at a time when, you know, he was carrying the ball back and forth, going to all these countries, two countries a day, once we were in four countries in a day and it is going to be like that, potentially on this trip as well. how can he continue? does the u.s. look weak pause we're not persuading netanyahu? >> well, netanyahu, as we know, is his own master. he always says if you're weak in the middle east, you're roadkill. and he does not want to be weak. he does not want to be roadkill. >> and he was after october 7th because of how badly surprised

they were. let me ask you about -- >> yes, that intelligence failure, no one has really gotten their arms around fully. >> netanyahu has not allowed any investigations internally in israel until the war is over. and the war has not been over. donald trump, playing such a role in this, you report exclusively on the repeated calls and i was told just the week before last, two weeks ago, another call to netanyahu from trump, but repeated calls to putin. he's very engaged in foreign policy and publicly saying to netanyahu, go all the way. go big. get this over with. but do it big. he said that on the record at the last meeting. >> yes, and, of course, that's trump's posture always. be tough. and the impact on our country and those relations, he quite frankly poisons it. >> you have exclusive reporting

on things that arab leaders have said at various times to blinken and others. the egyptian intelligence chief talking about how, you know, should chop off their heads. you have quotes from a number of people in the book, just going after him from all of these arab countries. it indicates the opening is there. they wanted these terrorists killed also and they would -- the saudis still want to do a deal with israel, but now what happened in gaza and now lebanon has put them on their back feet so that they have to demand more pathway to peace for the palestinians. they can't go against the populations of all these countries. >> and there is so much that goes behind the scenes. i have some more notes here, just -- this is from july of this year, just a couple of months ago, this is when israel

took out hezbollah's top military commander. biden calls netanyahu and says bibi, in beirut? you're extending the war, and, of course, trying to limit the war, and then finally a couple of hours later when hamas leader is killed at the inauguration in tehran, i mean here is bibi saying kind of getting this -- or i'm sorry, biden getting it exactly right and he says, quote, the perception of israel around the world increasingly is that you are a rogue state. >> this is new reporting that is -- since the book published. >> no, no, this is in the book. this is in -- >> i didn't see that.

okay. >> yes. and what netanyahu says, of course, this is his philosophy, the harder you hit, the more successful you're going to be in negotiations. so, it's -- >> let me talk to you also about what we're hearing today about retaliation from trump against his enemies, the enemies within, and what he said about mark milley. which you reported in the book, the joint chiefs chairman. this was him threatening mark milley and talking about mark milley. >> of course, milley had his say, saying that trump is the most dangerous person ever, a fascist to the core. this is a respected former military general who was the top person, who dealt with trump, and he says he is a fascist to

the core, and the most dangerous person. now, this man, donald trump, is running for president again. you don't have to accept milley's judgment as final, but it is based on experience with trump and experience in the military. >> and he said publicly that he thought that, you know, milley should be exterminated. he said that at a rally. >> yes, yeah. >> so -- >> but this violent talk is not in isolation. lots of violence out there. something to worry about. and if you're going to have political figures like trump stoking it in this way, and if i may say, having spent years on trump, spent a year talking to him, his last year as president during the year of covid, and if you look at that record, it is

the most pathetic record on dealing with the major pandemic, where he was warned, and i kept talking to him and saying doctor fauci says this, if you talk to dr. fauci, and trump is saying, well, we're a busy white house. we don't have time to talk to fauci. now, you know, this is a situation like the house is on fire, oh, let's wait to call the fire department. you call in and you don't have to accept everything fauci says, but at least listen. it is the off switch in donald trump that is part of this tragedy. >> bob woodward. the book is "war." thank you very much. >> thank you. and in august, former u.s.

marine paul whelan finally back on american soil after being held prisoner in russia for more than five years. he had been wrongly convicted on charges of espionage, charges which president biden called false. i spoke with paul whelan for his first interview with the news since he was released. we talked about how he survived in a russian prison camp and what it is like now being a free man. paul, welcome back. how are you feeling? how are you doing? >> returning, five years, seven months, five days as a hostage in russia, in extremely poor conditions. it takes a toll. >> do you have flashbacks? >> you know, i do. when i look online, especially and see pictures of me in court, it takes me back to the camp, takes me back to the court, and the things that were happening there. >> do you have trouble sleeping? >> i do. and the reason i have trouble sleeping is the entire time i

was being held hostage, the russians interrupted my sleep. they harassed me in the labor camp, in moscow they always except the light on. in my cell, 24 hours a day. >> 24 hours a day? >> 24 hours a day. every night they came and they woke me up. it is a mild form of sleep deprivation. it is a mild form of torture. >> it doesn't sound mild. >> it is difficult. if i see a bright light or anything like that, it reminds me of having a flashlight shined in my face. >> what was it like when you were arrested, out of the blue? you were there as a tourist in moscow. you were visiting friends, coming to a wedding. >> when the fsb stormed in my room and arrested me, it was a shock. and at first i thought it was a joke. they said i committed espionage. i knew from the things they were doing, the things they were saying, their tactics, they were trying to get a quick confession and trying to lead me down a road that was completely false.

but also it was all made up. it was a sham. >> it is the cold war all over again. >> i don't think the cold war ever really ended. everything comes from the fsb. and putin controls the fsb. >> did they try to make you give a confession? >> they did. several times. it was kind of laughable. i was in a prison known for the shooting gallery where they would take prisoners to shoot them. >> do you think you were abandoned by your country or did they it let you see someone from the embassy? >> the only time i felt i was abandoned was the second time i was left behind. >> when you got sentenced to such a long sentence, you know, what went through your mind? i'm stuck here forever? >> the 16-year sentence was a joke. it was a situation that i understood to be a kidnap and ransom. >> and then other americans are taken. >> yeah. >> trevor reid and he gets out. and then you get left behind.

and then brittney griner and she gets out. what was going through your mind? >> the russians kept changing the goal posts. they kept changing their demands and changing what they wanted. >> were there moments of total depression and distress? >> i think the worst was when my dog died. many, many times i would say good-bye to my dog and come home and there she would be. when she died, she was 15 years and 4 days, when she died, you know, that meant when i got home, it wasn't going to be the same home i left. you know, things had changed. >> what was your dog's name? >> flora. when i would call my parents, i would call from russia, and i would speak, and my dog could hear my voice over the phone, and she would walk to the phone, and she would stand there wagging her tail. and people would put the phone down to her ear, and she would hear me speak to her, she would wag her tail, she knew who it was. >> what about your health, your

food? what did you eat? >> the -- russian food in general is not great. the prison food is even worse. they give you a watery soup and fish that only russians eat. it was horrible. people are just left there to suffer. >> what are the guards like? >> russia is a corrupt society. the prisons are a direct reflection of the society. the guards always had their hand out. nobody wanted to do their job unless they received a pack of cigarettes. >> were you aware when navalny died in prison? how did you feel? >> we were told that he had died of natural causes. when the russians say natural causes, they mean either somebody whacked the guy or he committed suicide. >> did you ever think of suicide? >> no. no, i was fighting too much. i knew the whole thing was false. i knew i was a hostage. i wasn't going to give them the

satisfaction of me committing suicide, so every day i tried to stick it to them. >> once you knew that viktor bout was traded for brittney griner, did that make you worry there was nobody else the u.s. could trade? >> it was devastating to hear the news. i completely understood that the u.s. had given up their negotiating position. i had to go down to the prison control room and use a telephone to call my parents and tell them what was happening and reassure them that, you know, the u.s. would leave no stone unturned to get me back. >> that was hard. >> that was difficult. because i wasn't sure when they would get me back. >> when you got to the airport and got on an airplane, what was that like? >> we're sitting on the tarmac, and, you know, evan is there with me, in the back of my mind i was thinking, okay, today is the day i could be going home. and, you know, i reserved any exhilarating feelings for later in the day. >> what was that homecoming like? >> i didn't realize that we were flying to andrews to see the

president. i was wearing clothes that i had been arrested in. they hadn't been washed in years. i hadn't shaved for a number of days because i was in solitary confinement. i hadn't showered in two weeks because they wouldn't let me shower. so i didn't really feel i was dressed appropriately to meet the president of the united states. i was malnourished. i'm holding on to the railing, i waved and did a salute, but what was going through my mind wasn't that the president of the united states was standing there or media or family members were there, but i didn't want to fall down the steps. >> and then the president did something very unusual. >> yeah. as we were talking, he took this flag, this lapel pin off his lapel and put it on to my shirt. >> and how did that make you feel? >> it cemented my feeling that, you know, america had not lost hope in me, and i hadn't lost hope in them. and that, you know, the u.s. government had done what they

said they would, bring me home. >> and now that you know the details of this giant trade, the biggest trade since the cold war, what does that mean to you? >> there has to be diplomacy with foreign countries, and unfortunately rogue nations like china, russia, north korea, we have to work harder to make sure that those diplomatic relationships are strong. if they're not, people resort to taking hostages. but our president, he needs to be strong, she needs to be strong. >> do you worry, as some critics have said, that these trades will encourage other rogue leaders, dictators, to grab more americans, more innocent people from other countries? as bargaining chips? >> well, in russia, the only thing that putin could do to help us as well as help his people is to drop dead of a heart attack. >> you lost your home, you lost five and a half years of your life. your job.

how do you rebuild? >> i'm 54, trying to get a job at this age, you know, it is difficult. i might have to find something new, reinvent myself as it were. >> and i'm looking forward to seeing what paul whelan's next chapter is going to be. an extraordinary resilient man. and right now i'm going to go on assignment. i'm traveling with secretary blinken at this hour as he's going to head to the middle east. my colleague jose diaz-balart is picking things up. thank you, jose. you are the greatest friend and colleague. have a great rest of the show. >> you are to me. thank you so much, my dear andrea. a live update from miami as florida voters head to the polls for their first day of early voting, sparking big questions about turnout after the wreckage of two recent hurricanes in florida. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. florida. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc

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san francisco's leadership is failing us. that's why mark farrell is endorsing prop d. because we need to tackle our drug and homelessness crisis just like mark did as our interim mayor. mark farrell endorsing prop d, to bring the changes we need for the city we love. 44 past the hour. and in two weeks out from election day and early in person voting expanded to several more states across the country. voters from alaska to connecticut are stepping into the voting booth to cast their votes. first day of early voting records smashed last week in both georgia and north carolina, despite huge parts of that state and those states being wrecked by hurricane helene. now, it is florida's turn. even as many are still reeling

from the devastating impact of back-to-back hurricanes. and nbc's jesse kirsch joins us now from miami. jesse, what kind of turnout are you seeing so far today in florida? >> reporter: hey, jose, so already, again, this is unofficial, very early, we got more than 15,000 people who have cast votes in person early today in miami-dade county along what you just talked about there with those storms, you and i have been keeping a close eye on for the past month with the amount of tough weather we have been having in this state. that is having impacts on how voter is going to be done this fall. it is also becoming political fodder in a senate race between the incumbent senator rick scott and his challenger, the democrat, a former congresswoman. that's something we're watching in terms of how much of a political football it will be. it is also impacting how the voting is going to be done. the governor here, ron desantis, signed an executive order which

is going to give flexibility when it comes to mail-in voting, when it comes to where poll locations are on election day and when it comes to the procedures around the voting process. so there has been some flexibility built in to adapt to the aftermath of this storm situation. florida is also going to have a couple of issues front and center this fall beyond the obvious, the presidential race. there is a ballot measure up for a vote here that would make recreational marijuana legal, if it passed. there is one that would enshrine expanded abortion rights in this state. >> jesse kirsch in miami, thank you very much. good to see you. coming up, tracking tropical storm oscar after heavy rain and flooding caused the nationwide power grid collapse. actually, this power grid collapse in cuba happened before that storm, which hit as a cat

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at the nation's largest power plant on friday. the regime says that it's because of the deteriorating infrastructure. nbc's weather anchor, bill karins, is with us. bill, great seeing you. what impact did the hurricane have on cuba. >> this was like a little baby cane. sometimes hurricanes are all different sizes. we have big, huge ones. you can think of some of the big ones we've had. this one only had hurricane force winds within 5 miles of the center. this did pop up in a hurry. we were watching it all last week coming across the atlantic, thinking it could develop. all of a sudden it popped up in a hurry, and small hurricanes can spin up quickly. that's why we did get all the way up to a category 1. right where it made landfall, maybe some minor wind damage. but it stalled over eastern cuba near guantanamo. there are a lot of mountains here, high elevation. it's still pouring. we've had already reports up to

10 inches of rain. we could get up to 10 inches of rain. and as we've seen what happened in areas of eastern north carolina with helene, heavy rainfall in mountainous areas is a bad recipe. life-threatening flash flooding, mud slides. that's what's taking place now in areas of extreme eastern cuba. later on this afternoon into tonight, it's begin to finally head off of the island and back over the warm waters. it does not look like it's going to get much stronger. the hurricane center as it goes through the bahamas, brushes the turks and caicos, like 40 to 45-mile-per-hour winds. no wind damage issues. kick up some waves. it will bring some rain through the reason. it will miss the east coast. as far as additional rainfall goes, maybe isolated totals. but the worst is probably already happening. it's like if the hurricanes hit here. usually there's a day before we get the pictures or the images in. we're sure that there's been mud slides. there's been flooding from the rivers because of this storm, but we just don't have that imagery yet. >> and you know, i think it's

important, bill, to underline the fact that a relatively small cat 1 hitting anywhere is a problem. but when it hits an island where the regime has had 64 years of neglect on infrastructure and housing and everything else, the damage is much more substantial. and bill, just to remember -- i don't have to tell you, but we're kind of getting towards the tail end of the atlantic hurricane season. >> i was hoping that we were there, jose. i was hoping that we weren't going to have to deal with anything else. an average season, we typically have four hurricanes by now. this was the tenth hurricane we've had. we haven't had as many big, huge major ones. we've had four, plenty enough. the typical is two, but ten hurricanes in one season, this has been impressive. we haven't had as many named storms, only 15, but two-thirds have become hurricanes. which is pretty rare. there's nothing brewing behind this. we get to catch our breath and

continue that recovery effort. and ever since helene hit and milton, we have had ideal weather conditions in florida, even south florida. the humidity broke in many areas and it's been really good for the recovery. >> it has, indeed. although there have been some unusual winds and rain. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." andrea will have more from the middle east tomorrow as she heads over there today. thank you for the privilege of your time. "chris jansing reports" starts after a quick break. "chris jansing reports" starts after a quick break. f $100,000 or more she can sell all or part of it to coventry for cash. even a term policy. even a term policy? even a term policy! find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com.

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