— red county is worth hurricane helene hit hard. 's what donald trump is hoping to hold onto _ donald trump is hoping to hold onto cart— donald trump is hoping to hold onto. carljust mentioned when he was — onto. carljust mentioned when he was speaking that if kamala harris — he was speaking that if kamala harris loses one of those blue watt— harris loses one of those blue wall states she would have been depending on an area like this, a state — depending on an area like this, a state like this, north carolina, in the sunbelt strategy where you have some 16 electorat— strategy where you have some 16 electoral college votes up for grabs — electoral college votes up for grabs. that's one of the reasons— grabs. that's one of the reasons that this battleground state — reasons that this battleground state is — reasons that this battleground state is unique and why the harris — state is unique and why the harris campaign is hoping that they— harris campaign is hoping that they might be in with a chance of flipping it in this election.— of

the current balance is partly due to the catastrophic impact of hurricane helene and hurricane milton, which have already cost more than $7 billion in immediate response funding, even before recovery work has begun in earnest. we must replenish the fund so that fema can continue to respond to disasters affecting any of our states. while fema takes the lead for immediate disaster response, the small business administration and the departments of transportation and housing and urban development work to rebuild critical infrastructure, assist small businesses, and help communities address long-term recovery challenges. today, we will also discuss the multiple disasters facing our farmers and rural communities. in addition to battling severe weather events, many farmers are facing an economic crisis. net farm income has dropped. many commodity prices have significantly decreased, and there has been a major increase in input and operational cost due to inflation. i have heard from farmers in maine who are struggling to stay afloat. they are doing all that they can to stay in operation. but

testify on president biden's request for nearly $100 billion in disaster relief and the wake of hurricane helene and hurricane milton. transportation secretary pete buttigieg and others were among the witnesses. senator jon ossoff and john tell us spoke in front of the committee to speak about how their home states have been affected by the recent storms. this is just over three hours. >> good morning. this committee will come to order. today we are holding a hearing to discuss the urgent federal funding needs for communities harmed by the recent natural disasters. before we get started i went to acknowledge briefly this is the first hearing we have had since the election. it is clear some things will look different next year, but one thing will not change, and it is my commitment to working with senator collins to keep doing the important work of this committee in a bipartisan manner despite any disruption thrown our way. anne criswell before the senate appropriations committee. >> one thing will not change and it is my commitment to working with senator collins to keep doing the important work

on september 26th hurricane helene made fall in florida a powerful and fast moving category 4 storm with fast moving winds extending 40 miles and tropical storm force winds extending 310 miles from its center. helene then entered georgia as a category 2 hurricane before becoming a powerful tropical storm that continued to release historic rainfall over already saturated soils as it marched through south carolina, north carolina, tennessee, and virginia. there were also impacts in west virginia and kentucky. helene's powerful winds and flood waters altered landscapes and devastated communities in many places not accustomed to experiencing such storms. the destruction caused by helene was catastrophic. less than 2 weeks later hurricane milton rapidly intensified into a category 5 storm in the gulf of mexico. after making landfall in florida as a category 3, it moved across the state into the atlantic, spurring the formation of tornados and leaving an overlapping trail of destruction in many communities still reeling from hurricane helene. many of these same communities were still recoverin

helene then entered georgia as a category 2 hurricane before becoming a powerful tropical storm that continued release historic rainfall over already saturated soils as it marched through south carolina, north carolina, tennessee, and virginia. there were also impacts in west virginia and kentucky. helene's powerful winds and flood waters altered landscapes and devastated communities in many places not accustomed to experiencing such storms. the destruction caused by helene was catastrophic. less than 2 weeks later hurricane milton rapidly intensified into a category 5 storm in the gulf of mexico. after making landfall in florida as a category 3, it moved across the state into the atlantic, spurring the formation of tornados and leaving an overlapping trail of destruction in many communities still reeling from hurricane helene. many of these same communities were still recovering from hurricanes ian, hurricanes idalia, and hurricane debbie. and our hearts have been heavy with the stories of the survivors we've encountered and talked to. people who have lost their homes, their loved on

tornadoes and leaving an overlapping trail of destruction in many communities still reeling from hurricane helene. many of these same communities were still recovering from hurricanes ian, adelia, and debby. are hearts have been happy with the stories of survivors we have encountered and talked to, people who have lost their loved ones, their homes, and businesses. these two catastrophic storms led to the loss of over 200 lives and caused extensive damages to homes and neighborhoods across the impacted states. there was also widespread disruption of critical services across southeastern united states, including the obstruction of transportation routes, which isolated many homes and communities. fema's mission statement is a simple one, spelled out in seven powerful words. helping people before, during, and after disasters. and in my written testimony, i have provided a detailed account of fema's preparation, our prepositioning and assets of personnel, and our coordination with other federal agencies in support of our state, our local, and our tribal partners. i have described in detail how fema r

even before, i want to point out, even before hurricanes milton and helene hit sure, house republicansk in session, we will continue to provide for the american people with resources that are desperately needed. i saw firsthand, i went to florida where helene made landfall, and i spent a lot of time in western carolina, where it looks like a bomb went off in the areas there, so these communities can be rebuilt responsibly and congress has a role to play. >> when the senate returns after thanksgiving, senators can expect to finish our work before the end of the year. both sides must continue working together to keep the government open beyond december 20 deadline. letting the government shutdown before christmas would be asinine, plain and simple, and nobody would like that to happen. well, there may be a few in the other chamber who do, but they are a minority. we must pass the annual defense authorization to provide for our troops and hold the line against america's adversaries abroad. we have passed the ndaa every year over the last six decades. with so much going on around the world

— looming question, the impact of hurricane helen which _ looming question, the impact of hurricaneen which hit hard hit in september. how— hurricane helen which hit hard hit in september. how voters - hurricane helen which hit hard hit in september. how voters feel. in september. how voters feel president _ in september. how voters feel president biden— in september. how voters feel president biden handled - in september. how voters feel president biden handled thati president biden handled that disaster— president biden handled that disaster could _ president biden handled that disaster could end _ president biden handled that disaster could end up- president biden handled that- disaster could end up influencing were _ disaster could end up influencing were that — disaster could end up influencing were that they— disaster could end up influencing were that they would _ disaster could end up influencing were that they would trust - disaster could end up influencing were that they would trust a - disaster could end up influencing i were that they would trust a harris administration.

businesses remained closed while they repaired physical damage after devastating flooding from hurricane helene. in tampa florida met with the owners of the popular restaurant who weathered hurricane milton but were closed for several days everywhere that homeowners dismayed to find out they lack the coverage for floods in seeking to rebuild, cleanup and stay in their communities. sba has a vital role to play in the federal disaster response. the disaster loan program has been unable to meet demand since october 15 after a certain demand for disaster loans following helene and melted exhausting all subsidy for disaster lending. hours after kalyna milton, sba staff are on the ground ready to help survivors. sba has been working around the clock to provide up-to-date timely information to constituents and minimize the confusion and delays. sba has also continued to process these loan applications, provide the customer service support and communicate directly with survivors while we wait for congress to appropriate the funding. to originate loans and dispersal sponsor the more than 12,500 disaster

routine, back into a school, back to a better situation even after a catastrophic event like hurricane helene or hurricane milton. >> what strategies can help children get back on track? >> some things that really help children in the aftermath of disaster ilude getting back into a routine. that can be a really hard thing when a home is damaged or destroyed, when a school is closed for a period of time. when parents have lost work. or, when there is other disruption around the children. also, providing social support to children, ensuring the support comes from multiple angles in their lives. so, the support comes from trusted loved ones in the family, that tears are available. peer support networks can be very important especially to adolescents and teens and also that children receive support through their schools. that is of the utmost important. >> what are signs of distress young people might show in the wake of a natural disaster that adults might miss? >> our research after hurricane katrina revealed sometimes children, and especially adolescents and teens may hide their distress from

i want to talk about what happened in north carolina with the storm of hurricane helene. it starts a couple days earlier, when a weather system came into western north carolina and dumped inches and inches of rain on several, more than a dozen, major river basins and saturated the land. now, we have hurricane helene come in, through the florida panhandle, georgia, up through south carolina and into north carolina. it largely maintained the integrity of a category 1 storm, tropical storm, a couple hundred miles inland in a mountain range. it's a first of a kind storm that is the most deadly in north carolina history. folks, we've been hit by florence, matthew, hugo, i can go through a long list. over 102 people dead, some still missing. we have families that are disconnected and will likely not even have electricity. there's a community called bed creek. asheville is without drinkable water today. businesses are suffering. the small business administration somewhere out of money. they are telling people who have had claims processed that your claim has been approved, and a

. >>> the aftermath of hurricane helene, the chef is preparing to cook a thanksgiving meal for thousands. >>> this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. in a perfect world, most of us are already at our holiday destination, especially with a storm that brought snow to the rockies, racing to the east tonight where macy's parade marchers in new york may be stepping to the beat of raindrops. a wintry mix likely in store up the 95 corridor tomorrow. ringing travel delays from richmond all the way to boston. here's a view tonight of some of the nation's busiest highways, some folks perhaps trying to time there escapes to be the worst of the traffic. air travelers also trying to get ahead of the storm's impact. today there were already more than 3000 flight delays nationwide. in newark, air traffic controllers had staffing shortages that led to our and a half long delays. we will get a weather update on the coming cold snap from al rocher in a moment but first, here's tom costello on the travel picture. >> moving to the rockies and taking aim at the midwest this ev

the scale of destruction from hurricane helene is massive. the storm washed away homes and bridges, toppled hundreds of trees and power lines, and devastated communities. more than 100 people were killed. damaged infrastructure and inaccessible roads are making it tough to repair the downed lines that took out power to more than a million customers and that's where a small nonprofit is filling the gaps. our correspondent jessica gomez shows us the efforts to help communities in crisis with clean energy. the serenity of the blue ridge mountains, interrupted by the sounds of relief weeks after hurricane helene slammed the region. keep going. okay, good. the nonprofit footprint project. loading up solar technology for those still without power, the scale of devastation is honestly, it's indescribable. dividing and conquering as they fan out into some of the most remote parts of western north carolina. footprint founder will heegaard. there's just not a lot of focus on sustainability in relief that needs to change. if we're going to be responding

about a tree that survived hurricane helene, getting a big honor at the white house.ountains of western north carolina. millions will decorate home ths holiday season. cartner's christmas tree farm, a family business, started in '50s, has a special honor. after beating out the competition, one of their firs is going to the blue room in the white house. >> reporter: the trees are planted when they're saplings, about a foot or so tall, then they grow a foot every year. this tree has been in this spot for 25 years. now it's time to head to the show. >> reporter: today, friends and family gathered to cut down the tree. >> why was it chosen? >> the tapers, number one. it's got absolutely perfect taper on it. >> reporter: what makes perfect taper? >> it's not too this way, it's not too slim. it's just right. >> reporter: co- owner sam cartner even has a name for the perfectly-shaped tree. >> tremendous. >> tree-mend-us. so this tree is going to mend us. >> reporter: this needs mending after hurricane helene. many including cartner's suffered damage from mudslides. today was

and to serve this country and make it better, especially difficult times like hurricane helene.n and day out. >> john: for squire, sandra, will blow you away. they have done specials with and sung at the vatican last year in carnegie hall in new york and it will be very special when the audience can hear them sing silent night later on. >> sandra: that will officially put me in the christmas spirit. just be it will be great and the whole "five" game and i brought the tide from north carolina just for this. >> sandra: i can't wait. the best way to kick off the christmas holiday season and i'm really looking forward to it. good to see you. i love that tie, by the way. john jewett is officially that time of year but it is a little. we will make this happen in all looking forward to this because it is christmas music, find, fun and our colleagues. it will be a good time. >> john: you had the rain and it was intense but i hope everybody will be fine. i hope the christmas lighting goes off without being too soggy but you are right a lot of people taking next week off for thanksgiving.

with the storm of hurricane helene. started a couple of days earlier when a weather system came into western north carolina and dumped inches and inchess of ran on more thanha a dozen major rir basins and saturated land. now we have hurricane helene coming in through the florida panhandle through georgia and carolina and into north carolina maintain the integrity of a category 1 storm tropical storm a couple hundred miles inland. the first of its kind storm that is the most deadly in north carolina history and folks we've been hit by a long list over 106 people dead and some are still missing. wess have families that are disconnected and will likely not even have electricity. there's a community asheville is without drinkable water today. businesses are suffering. the small business administration is the money. they are telling people who have a process so your claim claim has been approved and as soon as the federal government replenishes the small business administration's account than they will get the money. think a

hello. >> hello, mike two months since hurricane helene wrecked northwestern carolina.giving people some sort of normalcy this thanksgiving. to the home improvement store lows handed out 3,000 thanksgiving day meals. now to make all let this happen, lowe's hired restaurant workers who are now out of a job after helene destroyed countless businesses. when north carolina man says his small idea turned into a massive operation. >> in my mind, i was going to cook a thanksgiving day meal for about 1,200 people or so just come back home and feel good about what i did and call it good. but you know, when god is on your side, god is on your team, his plans are always different than yours. >> david burke says now the plan is to feed 5,000 people. thanks to all of the volunteers who stepped up to help. burke says operation thanksgiving blessing is a mission set by god to feed people impacted by hurricane helene. over 100 volunteers in northwestern north carolina preparing 124-pound turkeys. those in need will get a full thanksgiving day meal, and a second barbecue plate to take h

and the impact on 25 counties were affected by hurricane helene.e early discussions was, you know, a lot of these counties are red. are they going to be able to vote and then everyone felt like. >> bill: come on over here i will show that to you, martha here 2% statewide. what you are talking about martha let me draw that up. all those counties are west of what we are talking about. west of charlotte. this is the blue dot bun comb county, asheville. that happened joe biden erase about a 43,000 net gain on on behalf of donald trump. all the other counties trump was up 275,000. he came out of these 25 counties so wrecked by this hurricane with a net of 43 -- sorry, he lost 43. a net of 220,000 votes. let's go and clear this off and just refresh our memories here four years ago. here were the results. trump won the state several days later but a little less than 75,000 votes. all this out here is going to matter. what the democratic governor roy cooper said he was going to put these mobile voting vans in western north carolina to make sure that nobody

. >>> and after surviving hurricane helene, the tree chosen to light up the white house this christmas. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening and welcome. flood and landslide warnings growing as what climate scientists are calling a once-in-a-decade bomb cyclone bears down in the region, cutting off power to nearly a half million people, toppling trees and wreaking havoc on the roads. the dangerous weather system still off the washington coast tonight has already taken at least two lives. torrential rains expected to fall for days. expected to fall so far it is the winds causing the most misery. some gusts clocking in at hurricane speeds. while northern california is bracing for its own winter blast, an atmospheric river that could drop up to 15 inches of rain and five feet of snow in some mountain passes. steve patterson is in the west to start us off tonight. >> reporter: and lester, that rain is just starting to fall here. but officials warn it could last for the next three days straight. elevating the risk of mudslides and flooding. but so far it is the

taking the lead in western north carolina handing out thanksgiving day meals those hit hard by hurricane helene >> so many people lost everything after helene. today, volunteers are making sure thousands of people in need get a thanksgiving day meal. one north carolina man says his small idea turned into a massive operation. >> is thought, you know, they were so much devastation in the western part of the state. all the homes eradicated. so, i was thinking, i know how to cook. i do some fund-raising where i live and decided, hey, i will go out to make and help these people and cook a thanksgiving day meal. >> julie: david burke called operation thanksgiving day placing a mission by god to. he went to church, heard sunday school lesson about service and knew it was a sign. the original plan was to feed around 1,000 people but volunteers quickly got on board with david burke's plan and wanted to help your typical is o feed 5,000 people impacted by hurricane helene. 100 volunteers northwestern carolina with turkeys and also ham, dressing, potatoes, colored grains, corn bread, in cranberry sauce. >

come before the committee on the dire conditions faced by georgia farmers in the aftermath of hurricane helene. georgia farmers and farmers in neighboring states are suffering deeply in congress as proceed urgently to pass disaster relief by the end of the year. georgia agriculture was devastated by this hurricane and i respectfully urge this committee to swiftly send the full senate a disaster relief bill that includes assistance for georgia farmers who are in acute distress and who are the backbone of georgia's rural communities and their states economy. hurricane-force winds and torrential rains destroyed the fall crops knocked down pecan orchards that growers planted decades cultivating and damaged 1.5 million acres of timber land, 1.5 million acres of timber land. in addition to the agricultural devastation georgia suffered severe damage to the power grid, to businesses, housing, roads and other critical infrastructure. virtually every crop and commodity produced in georgia has been seriously damage damaged including poultry cotton timber cattle blueberries pecans peanut's tobacco vegetab

this is because of drought conditions on the north hurricane. helene damage and the south reporter mills hayes explains. >> christmas tree farmers say that it takes about 7 to 10 years for a christmas tree to reach its full height. and these here right now, 9 years old. take a look at this one and how long it's taken for this tree to get this high. now up in the northeast, that's where we're seeing some severe drought, about 30% of the northeast is in a severe drought and that's going to have an impact on the supply of christmas trees in the future. but what's having a real impact right now is also from hurricane helene down in north carolina, some christmas tree farms hit hard for generations. the avery family has run avery farms in newland, north carolina, their homes, christmas trees and farm equipment were wiped out by helene this year. they only have tabletop trees and wreaths to sell. trees are hard to come by in some areas, which is why many retail farms use a wholesaler to get enough trees. but those wholesale christmas tree farms are having to

. >> brian: hurricane helene survivors that lost so much dedicated to helping other this is christmasing back to america. we're taking the best fibers our farm can produce, spinning it at one location, weaving it, then finally into a cut and sewn product. there's value in buying american made it has a real life impact up and down the supply chain. we want our customers to feel how special this product is, right when they open the box. go to redlandcotton.com and receive 20% off your order with code fox 20. have you compared your medicare plan recently? with ehealth you can compare medicare plans side by side. so we invited people to give ehealth a try, and discover how easy it can be to find your medicare match. this is pretty amazing. very helpful. and i do like that it covers dental, vision, and hearing. i can go on a vacation with this money. i have quite a few prescriptions. that's why people call us. i got all your prescriptions. i got your doctors as well. this plan has a $0 monthly premium. i love zero. the zero co-pay is what i'm looking for. i'm gonna go ahead and compare the

tremendous. >> tree mend us. >> this area of north carolina needs mending after hurricane helene.carter's suffered damage from mudslides. today was a moment to take pride in their resilience. >> all the good things like faith, hope and love that's what we want this tree to represent. >> have you felt that spirit in this air? >> absolutely we have. >> and like every year during the holidays north carolina is sharing that spirit with the rest of us. nbc news, newlands, north carolina. >> we are glad to see the community is on the mend and thinking of all of those still impacted by hurricane helene. tonight and on the very important note i want to take a deep breath with you and i wish you a very good night. from all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up

here's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: hurricane helene tore through six states. the most destructive storm in north carolina's history. less than two weeks later, hurricane milton ripped florida's already-battered west coast. on capitol hill, fema's administrator, deanne criswell, criticized over the agency's response. >> do you think you could have done better? >> we can always improve. and we will review -- >> is that a yes? is that a yes? >> nobody's per. >> reporter: malinda williams spoke to us in what's left of her north carolina home. >> i'm only alive by god's grace. >> reporter: she was in the house when the water tore it off the foundation, somehow managing to survive. do you recognize -- >> i did. >> reporter: that house that's wrapped around that tree? >> that's my kitchen. >> reporter: but while the local government has helped, she has seen little federal assistance. her application still pend. >> it's kind of like they've forgotten about the people. >> reporter: your neighbors? >> yes. >> reporter: you. you feel forgotten. >> i do feel forgotten by

less than >> reporter: hurricane helene tore through six states, the most destructive storm in northolina's history, less than two weeks later, hurricane milton ripped apart florida's west coast. on capitol hill, fema's administrator criticized over the agency's response. >> do you think you could have done better? >> we can always improve and we will review all efforts. nobody is perfect. >> reporter: malinda williams spoke to usthe house when the water tore it off the foundation. in what is left of her north carolina home. >> i'm only alive by god's grace. >> reporter: she was in the house when the water tore it off the foundation, somehow managing to survive. >> that is my kitchen.people. >> reporter: your neighbors? >> reporter: she says she has seen little federal assistance, her application still pending. >> it's like they have forgotten about the people. was given a $75 >> reporter: your neighbors, you, you feel forgotten. >> i do feel forgotten by the government. >> reporter: she was given a $750 check for immediate needs but still no assistance to rebuild her lost home. >> i

and, after the devastation for hurricane helene, the band marching on in the biggest thanksgiving celebration of them all. >>> this is nbc nightly news with lester holt . >>> good evening and welcome. weather which you can see and faa staffing shortages which you can't see our complicating and maybe delaying many of your holiday travel plans tonight . with record numbers of people on the move this holiday, it does not take much to make things unravel. we have certainly been seeing that and delays linked to shortages of air traffic controllers. the faa warning for the potential of ground stops. weather, of course, the biggest story this holiday. major system could slow travel in the central u.s. from tomorrow into thanksgiving. al roker will have the forecast in a moment but first, here is tom costello. >> 36 hours before thanksgiving and the weather threat is growing. rain delays on the east coast and the west and more on the way. the biggest chokepoint, newark airspace with ground stops and flight delays due to the ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. >> we will use traffic flow mana

moving video smoothly, including in western part of state that was heavily damaged because of hurricane heleneection officials say state voter turn out -- early voting record on track to meet or exceed voters set in 2020 for total ballots cast. >> jonathan thank you. >> sta take it to the partnpanel, we heard about abortion issue. we saw in 2022 in midterms it was a more of an impact than people thought it would be going in. in this situation it appear only a quarter in of voters who are democrats say it is the single most important factor in their decision, that will be a big question, does abortion turn out to be as big an issue as perhaps democrats would like it to be. >> i thought fox voter analysis on gas prices and food prices was staggering, 85%. very concerned about both. but certain vote or analysis in other networks, edison, reuters has abortion at 14, democracy at 35, economy at 31. immigration down at 11. i'm not sure i buy that. but, it say stark choice presented to america. do you want status quo, which is high prices. high cost of living, fairly liberal to open border situation

. >> and finally, today is a day to give thanks after hurricane helene. >> people in north carolina areanksgiving, there is hope. >> we believe there's the possibility they may be alive somewhere. >> two months after hurricane helene washed away lives and livelihoods, reshaping the landscape, authorities are still hopeful that they can locate three of the people missing since the storm, which left more than 230 people dead. 103 in north carolina. >> i've never been in a situation like this. no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no nothing. >> we spoke to angela mcghee during the storm. she and her children fled their home near the swannanoa river for higher ground. when she came back, it was gone. >> the more i think about it, the more i cry about it. >> they lived out of their car for four days with little food and water, no phone signal and no money surviving, only thanks to the help of other evacuees. it took fema like a whole week to get to us. >> it took red cross a whole week to get to us, and i don't understand that. yes, i'm mad about that. >> community leaders say socially vulnerable pe

hurricanes helene and hilton -- milton.adly, these storms are becoming more frequent and becoming more destructive, and we will see again and again the need of the senate to respond with the urgency that this demands. i was pushing for additional disaster assistance for georgians reeling from past storms before hurricane helene landed in our state; namely, following hurricane adahlia last year and debbie in august of this year. my office was on the front lines of the federal response to hurricane helene in georgia, and i was proud to work with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, including senator tillis and senator budd of north carolina, to kickstart this disaster funding process. i want to thank the president for listening to the people of our state? expediting this request. i want to thank patty murray for acting on this priority today. it's something she and i have talked about over the last several weeks. since these storms tore through georgia and much of the southeast, we have seen light in darkness, as communities

went hurricane helene hit sure, he went to the front lines of search and rescue missions all up and down the coast. when hurricane milton hit less than two weeks later, you stepped up again to help your fellow americans. i also want to note that every day here in new york, you keep this port to care and the people safe and the world knows it. thank you, thank you, thank you. by the way, simply put we owe you and your families, with all due respect to those in uniform, we don't thank you enough. i mean this from the bottom of my heart. people say thank god, you get to go stationed around the world. isn't that wonderful? and then your daughter is a junior in high school, i've got great news, we are leaving. we are going to go to another school. thank you, thank you, thank you. we underestimate the impact that they all provide for you to be able to do your job. folks, i often say as a nation, we have only one sacred obligation. that's to care for those we sent into harm's way and care for them when they come home and to make sure their families are taking care of beforehand after. i mean th

a bees of the community busted by hurricane helene, and this is a month of a 2020 results look at these areas in the west here. mostly will mostly white, heavily republican bees, a trump strongholds, except to be a little pockets of blue. but i mentioned a moment to go around the democratic stronghold of ashville, again, by the affected by the hurricane. now, it's unclear how hard can lean is going to swing these elections. but it may affect the pace of the accounting process. how the federal government, that's by and i'm paris at the white house on the state government respond to this disaster. and how that perceive to respond could be a key factor for the states votes as, as they had to the pulse. it still has on our to 0. i'm drawing hendern in atlanta. we're new. americans are changing the demographics of the state of georgia. and that has implications for tuesday's election. the music in a time of conflicts, we meet the musicians determined to spread a hopeful message in some done the, [000:00:00;00] the, there's no limit to how far a dream continue to study in your own event, you

at a rally in gastonia attacking the biden-harris response to hurricane helene. >> you've been through a lot. your government has not helped too much. >> reporter: tonight he'll make his way to greensboro, a blue region in the purple state. the former president's supporters have been lining up hours before he's scheduled to speak here, but this is also an early voting site. and voters on the other side of this complex have been casting their ballots on the last day of early voting here in north carolina. north carolina has toppled its previous early voting record with republicans outpacing democrats by more than 50,000 votes. voters determined to make their voices heard even in communities hard hit by hurricane helene. >> motivated to vote and want their voices heard, especially in a time of need. >> reporter: a democrat hasn't taken north carolina in a presidential race since 2008, but polls show a tight race here. nbca in rally. >> reporter: it's taking up to two hours to get through the early voting line. it's full of young and diverse voters, the demographics harris needs if she wa

molly: and almost two months after hurricane helene devastated parts of western north carolina freezingreat of snow are causing new problems for residents. senior correspondent steve harrigan has more from north carolina. >> eight weeks after hurricane helene devastated western north carolina, conditions for many here have gotten worse. with fema hotel vouchers expiring, some families are living in donated trailers alongside the remains of their homes. most without electricity or running water. for the less fortunate, tents, they have two small children. >> it's awful especially with your kids, feel like you're letting them down, it's cold and uncomfortable, and we want to be back in hour home and normalcy, this is so far from normal. >> freezing temperatures and snow means the race is on to find those without heat or fuel. volunteers say they are stunned at the pace of the recovery. >> it's been slow, it's been ineffective. it's been inefficient. >> there's no sewer, no water, there's no power. there's your answer. >> there are still a dozen municipal water systems in western north car

gives a prayer, priest that gives a prayer, chamber singers from high t university impacted by hurricane helene and they have given so much money back to north carolina residents and they are coming here to sing for us. >> brian: this is all from last year. this year bigger and better. gets bigger and the tree. when do we cut down the tree? >> lawrence: we cut it down weeks ago. you will have a turtleneck on. i went and purchased you a turtleneck. it is not matching mine. >> ainsley: all american christmas lighting here at fox. watch it tonight during "the five" and the hosts of the "the five" will be out there. >> john: president-elect trump pushing forward with the transition. he and his team are selling lawmakers on his cabinet while unveiling a new pick for attorney general. good morning, i'm john roberts. bill and dana are off. great to be back with you. this time for a full two hours. >> gillian: great to be with you for a half hour yesterday. >> john: some people would say they wouldn't want to be near me for even 30 seconds. thank you for being so generous. >> gillian: this is "america'

they are just to add thousands of survivors displaced by hurricane helene.o live in tents and makeshift homes with dangerous cold weather on the way. that is why volunteer organizations like wind to water doubling town and continuing their mission to help them. joining us wine to water counter, and his wife amber. thank you so much for joining us today. we really appreciate it. tell us about wine to water and tell us what you are doing there. >> awesome, thank you for having us. we are an organization around for 20 years and actually i was a bartender when i started it and just a regular old guy but i so people all over the world that didn't have access to safe drinking water or two i felt like may be out there like me could do something about it. so we started 20 years ago and we have worked 50 countries over the world and help 2 million people get clean drinking water. but also we have responded to multiple disasters, whether it is an florida or another earthquake, earthquake, hurricane. we never thought this was our headquarters. we never thought we would

reports of partisan bias in the cleanup after hurricanes helene and milton. florida was hit hard.ion on western north carolina but florida was hit in the wake of that storm. deanne criswell runs the organization and is on the hill answering to the agency's mistakes right now. florida congressman cory mills. his district on the east side of florida just south of daytona. thank you for your time and i guess you guys were in the line of fire for this. here is what we came across. put up number one. about ten days ago. daily wire puts this out. internal messages obtained by the daily wire show a fema official ordered relief workers in florida not to help houses with trump signs. what you see in the highlighted portion there is best practices, avoid homes advertising trump. do you think this was exclusive to florida? or are you thinking this happened elsewhere? >> no, i think it absolutely happened elsewhere. i spent roughly 11 days in western north carolina going from asheville to banner el bing, to pensacola, north carolina to bat cave to all the hard hit areas. during that time peri

it has been a rough time for people in north carolina ever since hurricane helene devastated several cities. now, volunteers are trying to help out this thanksgiving, and groups of volunteers, both large and small, are reaching out to those in need over the holiday. >> how one east bay grandmother is doing it one turkey at a tim. >> the neighborhood that will top off near 70 degrees on your friday. the bay area forecast is on deck and coming up n it is inevitable. chloe! hey dad. they will grow up. [cheering] silly face, ready? discover who they are. [playing music] what they want from this world. and how they will make it better. and while parenting has changed, how much you care has not. that's why instagram is introducing teen accounts. automatic protections for who can contact them and the content they can see. ♪ mmmm, kinda needs to be more...squiggly? perfect! so now, do you andhave a driver's license?e. oh, what did you get us? with the click of a pen, you can get a new volkswagen at the sign then drive event. lease a 2024 tiguan for zero down, zero deposit, zero first month's

two weeks ago, he was here after hurricane helene with the storm damage, and was not up-to- date on what mark robinson's campaign was doing here. for donald trump, his old focus is getting to that to a 70, really relying on the senate house candidates to give him the majority of the congress, which of course will be just as important to him to push through his legislative agenda in 2025. >> you and i travel a lot. there's always a debate about whether or not you sit in the aisle seat. i don't know what kind of deal you made with the people next to you, you seem to be controlling the whole operation. nice to see you, buddy. >> this is called, hanging out on the tarmac and not able to get off. >> thank you, don hilliard somewhere for us in an airplane. >>> let's bring in von bennett winkler, chairman in wisconsin. good to see you. i need to talk to you and people like you this weekend. while you understand politics at a state and national level, one thing you always tell me is what is going on on the ground. wisconsin is one of three boom blue wall states. chemic harassments michigan, penn

of these of the community busted by hurricane helene, and this is a month of a 2020 results look at these areas in the west here. mostly will mostly white, heavily republican bees, a trump strongholds, except the little pockets of blue that i mentioned a moment to go around the democratic stronghold. asheville, again, by the affected by the hurricane. now is unclear how her complaint is going to swing these elections. but it may affect the pace of accounting process, how the federal government, that's by and i'm paris at the white house on the state government to respond to this disaster. and how that perceive to respond could be a key factor for the states votes as, as they had to the pose. finally, invisible as a protest, as a march through central london, demanding the government take immediate action to end the pollution.

describe damage hurricane helene did to your land. >> just total devastation.ough, we were not prepared, we were -- did no prep work, had no idea it was coming to the extent it did. total devastation, as you can see from the pictures and video. it is truly awful. >> todd: i don't think you can beat yourself up over that. i don't think anyone in a mountainous area thinks it will hurt them. what goes through your mind when you see generation upon generation of your family legacy destroyed? >> it is mostly, first it of the sadness and a lot of grief. we just take it one day at a time and will slowly work to rebuild. it is our generational family farm, we have to build back, it does not matter if we have to work the rest of our lives, this is who we are and what we do. we will put our heads forward and try to keep moving forward and try not to dwell on what we've been through. >> todd: how much will it cost you to start over? >> it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars and really more labor, there is money and labor, it is going to be tremendous amount of work.