. >> ed o'keefe in philadelphia for us tonight, thank you. >>> overseas, ukrainians are facing another night of rolling blackouts following russia's targeting of its power grid. officials say there have been more than 300 missile and drone attacks on yolk's energy facilities in the past ten days. cbs's holly williams reports tonight from kyiv. >> how are you? >> i'm good. >> reporter: vitali klitschko is the mayor of kyiv. a former world heavyweight champion and a symbol of ukraine's resistance. >> they tried to destroy our critical infrastructure. they want to make our citizens freezing in the winter, without heating, without electricity, water. >> reporter: he's talking about this, a new wave of russian strikes that ukraine says has targeted 45 energy facilities, destroying 30% of its power stations in just over a week. the government's warned of rolling blackouts as the frigid winter approaches. yet the people of this nation appear as stoic as ever. kyiv's subway has served as a bomb shelter for civilians during russian attacks. but this morning we found it packed with busy commuter

. >> o'donnell: cbs' ed o'keefe is in philadelphia.sh prime minister liz truss quits in just six weeks after her policies led to economic turmoil. cbs' ramy inocencio with the familiar face that could replace her. and a record drought and worker shortage has one company turning to a different source of labor. >> reporter: picking strawberries is backbreaking work, but not for these robots. this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. >> o'donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us on this busy thursday night. we want to begin with some important health news for families. in recent weeks across the country, there has been an alarming increase in illness among young children. and it's not covid. it's something called r.s.v. hospitals in at least 33 states are seeing a dramatic rise in cases of children suffering from the respiratory virus. cases have more than doubled in 25 states over the last month, and it's putting a strain on hospitals. some healthcare f

ed o'keefe, thank you. >>> there is a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." want to wake up to smoother, brighter skin day 1? olay retinol 24 recharges my skin while i sleep. no wonder it was awarded best night cream! night mode...activated. olay. face anything. when you really need to sleep. you reach for the really good stuff. night mode...activated. zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. its non-habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. >>> the irs is responding to rising inflation and helping people shield more money from taxation. all seven federal income tax brackets are being revised upward for 2023. plus, the standard deduction is going up $1800 to $27,700 for married couples that file together. and for single taxpayers, it's increasing by $900 to $13,850. >>> now to a st. louis suburb, where there is growing outrage tonight over new evidence that shows unacceptable levels of radioactive contamination at an elementary school. it's near an area where nuclear weapons were produced during world war ii. cbs' adrian

cbs' ed o'keefe reports from tempe. >> reporter: for anyone arguing that democracy is under threat, arizona is ground zero. here three top republicans running for office openly repeat the unfounded claims the 2020 election was stolen. mark finchem is most vocal about it. >> we have more questions than answers. that's why i call it irregularities instead of fraud. >> reporter: he is running for secretary of state, a job that would put him in charge of elections ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign. his democratic opponent worries about what could happen if finchem wins and donald trump runs again for president. >> he may not certify an election that donald trump doesn't win in 2024 as well. >> is there anything to think that mark finchem would not finalize the votes. >> it's about were there votes cast outside of the law? did the counties follow election process in the law? if they did, let the chips fall where they may. but if they didn't, and somebody has an objection, that's why we have the courts. >> reporter: by a 4-1 ratio, arizona republicans forever officials who say president bid

ed o'keefe, thank you. o'keefe,. the i.r.s. is the i.r.s.s responding to rising inflation and helping people shield more money frompem taxation. taxation. all all seven federal income tax brackets are being revised upward for 2023. plus, the standard deduction is going up $1800 to $27,700 for married couples that file together. and for single taxpayers it's increasing by $900 to $13,850. now to a st. louis suburb where there is growing outrage over ia new evidence that shows unacceptable levels of radioactive contamination at an elementary school. it's near an area where nuclear. it's near an area wh weapons were produced during world war ii. cbs' adriana diaz spoke with some of the parents who are demanding answers. >> reporter: radioactive contamination detected at jana elementary school's playground measured 22 times higher than normal, according to a study commissioned for a class action lawsuit. the study also found "unacceptable levels" in the school's kitchen, gym, and ventilation systems. >> it's overwhelming right now. >> reporter:

we get more from ed o'keefe. >>> president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. -- >> reporter: the mystery behind the assassination of john f. kennedy in an open motorcade at dealey plaza in dallas stretches almost 60 years, and the new lawsuit alleges president biden and the national archives are dragging out the release of about 15,000 documents related to the november, 1963, killing. >> these records need to be made public because they tell us about a very important event in american history. >>> jefferson morely is with the organization sighing. he's a longtime skeptic of the cia and says until the documents are released americans are left to wonder whether anyone accused of shooting lee harvey oswald was involved. is there a bombshell about officers who knew about the accused assassin while jfk was alive? >> let's see the records, and we can decide. >> reporter: most of the documents are from the cia and could have more on a plot to kill fidel castro. it was the 1991 release of the film "jfk" by director oliver stone that fueled conspiracy theories and prompted a law calling for the release

we get more from ed o'keefe. >> reporter: in footage obtained by cbs news, on august 18th -- >> i got you -- >> reporter: police showed up at the tampa home of tony patterson, a registered sex offender who was told he was under arrest for voter fraud. >> voter fraud? what is voter fraud? >> voting when you're not supposed to, sir. >> reporter: that same day, romona oliver, who served 18 years on a second-degree murder charge, was arrested for voting illegally in 2020. even though she'd received a voter i.d. card from the state. >> voting? i voted but i ain't commit no fraud. we got to stop. >> reporter: patterson, oliver, and 18 other were accusesed of violating a 2018 state law that allows them to vote after prison. florida republican governor ron desantis touted the arrests that same day. >> they did not get their rights restored, and yet they went ahead and voted anyways. that is against the law. and now they're going to pay >> reporter: the arrests were made following investigations by a controversial state police force established by the governor to investigate voter fraud. in th

governor >> o'donnell: ed o'keefe, thank you very much. tonight, a third of ukraine is without power, afters russia destroyed power stations in the last eight days. president zelenskyy says russia has thrown the country into massive blackouts, and is urging his nation to brace for a tough winter. that's something the world health organization is warning, could become a spiraling humanitarian crisis. we get more now from cbs's holly williams inside ukraine. >> reporter: russia's tactics in ukraine may be changing. today, its strikes targeted thes insi power grid across the country. ( explosion ) ukraine says 30% of its power stations have been destroyed in just over a week, causing rolling blackouts. ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy reassured his nation that the grid is getting fixed, but urged people to use as little electricity as possible. ( explosion ) long-term power outages could be devastating for the military, the public, and everyone's morale-- and that's probably the whole point. it's not the first time that russia's attack

norah. >> o'donnell: ed o'keefe, thank you. we want to turn now to the sharp rise in book bans in america's schools and libraries. a recent study found hundreds of books, mostly focused on l.g.b.t.q. themes or racial issues, have now been forbidden across the country. cbs' elaine quijano goes in depth. >> reporter: a small michigan town is locked in a war over words. the battle is over these five books with l.g.b.t.q. themes. >> these books and lifestyle wrong.s are destructive and >> reporter: last month, a group called the jamestown conservatives led a successful drive to essentially defund the library. they want those books removed from the shelves. >> i feel like we've kind of stepped back in time, talking about book banning. >> reporter: library board president larry walton opposes moving or removing the books, calling it censorship. >> it's heartbreaking to be associated with this situation. >> reporter: across the country, book banning in libraries and schools is gaining momentum. a recent study found more than 1,600 boo

norah. >> o'donnell: ed o'keefe, thank you. we want to turn now to the sharp rise in book bans in america's schools and libraries. a recent study found hundreds of books, mostly focused on l.g.b.t.q. themes or racial issues have now been forbidden across the country. elaine quijano goes in depth. >> reporter: a small michigan town is locked in a war over words. the battle is over these five books with l.g.b.t.q. themes. >> these books and lifestyle choices are destructive and wrong. >> reporter: last month, a group called the jamestown conservatives led a successful drive to essentially defund the libra.ant booksem i feel kindofstepd back inim,ng autk barert:ib o remo t calling it cea>>sbrea t associated with this situation. >> reporter: across the country, book banning in libraries and schools are gaining momentum. a recent study found more than 1600 books were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states. jonathan friedman of the free speech advocacy group calling den p filing criminal complaints about books available in li

ed o'keefe has more. >> shout out to the election board workers across our country because it's a hard job, it's a thankless job. >> reporter: philadelphia city commissioner omar sabir says it's part of his job to be a cheerleader for elections. it's also up to his office to help hire the more than 8,000 poll workers the city of brotherly love will need to run elections smoothly. >> people don't understand that the average poll worker, they're the ones that actually administer the elections. >> reporter: in hopes of filling the jobs the city recently boosted pay for poll workers. 250 bucks to work more than 12 hours on election day. the first major raise since the 1970s. needed to address the growing challenges of the job. >> so when people say things like elections are fraudulent and things of this nature, it's really a slap and indictment against america. >> reporter: a survey by the non-partisan brennan center says nearly a third of elections officials know of at least one colleague who left the job in part because of fears for their safety, increased threats or intimidation after t

. >> o'donnell: cbs' ed o'keefe is in philadelphia. britispr

ed o'keefe , cbs news, philadelphia. >>> ahead of the election, human rights watchdogs say facebook and tiktok are failing to block ads between blatantly false information. the nonprofit global witness at the cyber security for democracy team say they pushed out 20 false ads designed to discourage voter turnout, they say tiktok approved 90% of them in facebook okayed a significant number. >>> both companies say they have taken steps to reduce election misinformation on their platforms and this test is not a representative of their practices overall. >>> russia's relentless attacks on ukraine's energy infrastructure have cut 40% of the powergenerating capacity, all heading into the recent months. they fear italy to a new wave of refugees as people seek electricity and heating, more than 1000 cities in ukraine are for experiencing gecomplete blackout. but ukrainian authorities also say they are winning the war and they will fight until the end. >> our people in the last eight months have shown that they are ready to wait , they support our army and they are ready to suffer. we understand

. >> o'donnell: cbs' ed o'keefe is in philadelphia. british prime minister liz truss quits

here's cbs's ed o'keefe. >> reporter: in footage obtained by cbs news, on august 18th, police showed tony patterson, a registered sex offender who was told he was under arrest for voter fraud. >> voter fraud? what is voter fraud? >> voting when you're not supposed to, sir. >> reporter: that same day, ramona oliver, who served 18 years on a second-degree murder charge, was arrested for voting illegally in 2020 even though she'd received a voter i.d. card from the state. >> i voted, but i ain't committing no fraud. i was headed to work when y'all stopped me. >> reporter: patterson, oliver, and 18 others were accused of violating a 2018 state law that allows most former felons to vote after they complete their sentences, but not those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses, as patterson and oliver were. they now face five years in prison. florida republican governor ron desantis touted the arrests that same day. >> they did not get their rights restored, and yet they went ahead and voted anyways. that is against the law, and now they're going to pay the price for it. >> reporter: th

ed o'keefe reports. >> reporter: from pennsylvania -- >> dr. oz celebrated with roe v.ade. ♪ got to have a friend in jesus ♪ >> reporter: to arizona. >> hello, arizona! >> reporter: democratic and republican candidates are making their final push. >> this is an attack on the very right to vote. >> reporter: republicans are sticking to a message focused on the economy and crime. >> this is an economic and health crisis. a doctor can help fix it. i'll keep us safe, cut your taxes and protect our jobs. >> you think you and your family deserve better than open borders and fentanyl and double digit crime increases? >> reporter: while many democrats believe a focus on abortion rights will help bring out their base. >> the republican party have been very clear it is their agenda to have a national ban on abortion. >> reporter: for his part, president biden has been working to curb inflation and gas prices. last week he approved the release of more oil from america's strategic reserve but denied any connection to the looming election. >> i've been doing this for how long now? i

here's cbs ed o'keefe. >> reporter: in footage obtained by cbs news on august 18, police showed up at the home of a register sex offender told he was under arrest for voter fraud. >> what is voter fraud. voting when you're not supposed to sir. >> reporter: the same day, romona oliver, who served 18 years on a second degree murder charge was arrested for voting illegally in 2020 even though she received a voter i.d. card from the state. >> i voted but didn't commit no fraud. i was headed to work when you stopped me. >> reporter: patterson and 18 others were accuse fed of violating a 2018 law to allow most former felons to vote after their sentences. they now face five years in prison. ron desantis touted the arrests the same day. >> they did not get their rights restored and yet they went ahead and voted anyways. that is against the law, and now they're going to pay the price for it. >> reporter: the arrests were made following investigations by a controversial state police force established by the governor to investigate voter fraud. in the videos first obtained by the tampa bay times

and editor-in-chief of the cook political report, senior white house and political correspondent, ed o'keefes, chief economic correspondent for "the wall street journal" is also at the table. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> amy, we just heard anthony's scenario here. this is not a red wave, but it is a republican majority. does it match with what you're seeing? >> yeah. i think the way that anthony pointed it out is a very smart way of thinking about this. you know, elections, normally midterm elections, the challenge for the in-party is usually their own side doesn't turn out. that's where the other side is much more motivated and you see those big, big gains like we saw in 1994 or 2010 on the part of republicans. this year we're seeing republicans and democrats are motivated. republicans a little bit more. democrats feel pretty good that they're at least getting more of their base turned out. now, young voters being always a challenge for democrats. look, i think what happened over the course of the summer is that the issues surrounding abortion rights, plus the focus on do

over at cbs, ed o'keefe asked the obvious question, will pennsylvanians be comfortable with someone representingm who had to conduct a tv interview this way. that's a mild way of putting it, but it's a fair observation. the guy is reading off his answers off the screen with the reporter three feet away. that's the definition of impairment. and again, this is a very serious job. but others in the media scoffed at the idea that was a problem at all. in fact, far from being a problem, it was an asset, because if the equity agenda means anything, it means that incompetent people ought to be in charge. that's equity. as one councilwoman put it, questions about him, it's enablist. we need more diversity in elected office, including people with speech impediments. we desperately need that. that's absolutely right. actually we're not talking about a speech impediment. she's telling us he has a stutter. remember when they told us joe biden's speech, he had just a stutter? it didn't prevent him from understanding people's speech. "the new yorker" answered that question with a question. would they treat a

of the few mainstream media reporters out there doing her job between her and a c cbs reporter ed o'keefeacked. another hispanic reporter said hey, ed, you're hispanic you need to do better especially since its been a rough week for us. i think he's referring to the racist comments by la councilmembers in california. listen, their job is not to get dr. oz, is to get the story and the story here is the complete lack of transparency, hypocrisy and out right lying of john fetterman now if his health doesn't bother you, and it should, his records certainly should disqualify him. stuart, here is a guy who has the number two, across pennsylvania, lt. governor, missed about 33% of all of the required meetings that he had as presiding member over the state senate. he never really missed a pardon boards meeting though. they was always there to make sure criminals got back on the street. he's pro-criminal, anti-fracking and energy-rich pennsylvania. his salary this year of lt. governor is triple that the of the average household, he has a private security detail and he's being taken away when he de

so over at cbs and , reporter ed o'keefe, ask the obvious question, what will pennsylvanians be comfortable? pennonkede representing them who had to conduct a tv interview this way? >>v now, that's a mild way toay put it, but it's certainlyild wa but it's observation. the guy is reading his answers off the screen with the reporter three feet awayporter s that's the definition of impairment.y and again, this is a ver y serious job. idea butht others in the media scoffd at the idea that was problem at all. in fact, far fros m beinangbeca a problem, it was anus asset because if the equity agenda mea means anything, it means thatns incompetent people ought to be in charge. that's equity. as new york city councilwoman joseph put a questions about letterman's profound brain damage, our quote incredibly ablest ableist. we desperately need more diversity in elected office, and that includes people with speech impedimenwe i t when we desperately need that.ie that is absolutely right.rately nbut actually , we're not talking about a speech impedimentalking. she's telling us he's gotshe' a stutter, jus