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Milton To Hit Florida; Fort Myers Prepares For Milton; Tampa Prepares For Milton; Harris Proposal For Home Health Care; Luke Combs And Eric Church Are Interviewed About Their Benefit Show. Aired 9- 9:30a ET

Aired October 08, 2024 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:00:00]

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Speaking in particular about Hamas. But we have heard time and again, from military and security experts, including those here in Israel, who have warned that without any kind of alternative to Hamas in Gaza and without defeating Hamas' ideology, you really cannot entirely defeat Hamas as a guerrilla force, as an alternative, providing some measure of hope to people in Gaza at the moment.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Jeremy Diamond, in Tel Aviv for us, thank you so much.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the breaking news, Florida bracing for what could be one of the most powerful and destructive storms on record. The state trying to keep gas stations supplied as people rush to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton.

All right, just into CNN, Donald Trump had, quote, "maybe as many as seven calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin since he left office." The bombshell new reporting by Bob Woodward.

And two of the country's biggest music stars - country music stars joining forces to help with hurricane recovery efforts.

Sara is out today. I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BOLDUAN: Bracing for catastrophic loss. That is what officials in Florida tell us that they are doing right now as Hurricane Milton takes direct aim. This hour, nearly the entire west coastline of Florida has been urged to evacuate. Officials in Tampa are warning that Milton's extremely dangerous strike could bring impacts not seen in over 100 years.

Orders to evacuate, they seem to be working. Officials on the ground seem to be happy with what they've seen so far because they've seen this, long lines of traffic stretching for hours all along the interstate.

The latest from the National Hurricane Center is that Milton is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. The storm is right now a monster category four. It could become a category five once again in the coming hours. The head of FEMA telling me this morning they are ready to respond

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: So, we are prepared for this. We plan for this. I'm not saying it's not going to be a challenge, but I know that we are going to be able to meet everybody's immediate needs as Hurricane Milton comes in. We're pre-positioning resources, like search and rescue teams, health care assessment teams, the Army Corps of Engineers for power assessment and generator support, and a lot of different resources to meet the immediate needs for the people in Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: We have CNN's Carlos Suarez in Fort Myers, we have CNN's Derek Van Dam also standing by.

Derek, let me get first to you.

What's the latest on the track? What are you seeing? What are you watching so closely?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right, Kate, so we have seen fluctuations in intensity. One that we would expect with the strength of this storm. But what we're noticing now with the latest update from the National Hurricane Center is that dreaded northeasterly turn, right, that's going to bring it on its inevitable path into the west coast of the Florida peninsula.

New this morning, we do have hurricane warnings stretching from the west coast of the Florida peninsula, all the way to the east coast. And there's tropical storm warnings newly issued across extreme southern Florida, including The Keys, as well as Miami.

But let's talk about the trajectory of how Milton will approach the state of Florida. Unlike Helene, if I can use an analogy, that sideswiped like a - like a small sedan along the parallel coastline of the west coast of Florida, Milton will actually be coming in and create a perpendicular approach to the state, meaning it will reach the state and maximize its potential, almost impacting us like a t- bone crash from an SUV. So, this will maximize the wind, the surge threat, and, of course, there are other hazards associated with it.

The National Hurricane Center explicitly talking about how the wind field will expand and double in size from its compact size that it is now. So, we will feel the threat - the impacts of catastrophic wind damage far inland. And then there will be a moment in time late Wednesday into early Thursday morning when we anticipate landfall. We could experience hurricane conditions from the gulf coast, all the way to the Atlantic coast. So, if you've perhaps evacuated to Daytona Beach, this isn't necessarily the right spot to go. You either need to go north or far south. Ten to 15 foot storm surge means catastrophic damage right along the coast. We all know it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Derek, thank you so much for keeping such a close eye on it. We've got to continue to do that over the next couple days.

Let's go now to Florida. That is where our Carlos Suarez is standing by in Fort Myers.

What are you seeing there, Carlos, and what are you hearing from people?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, good morning.

So, preparations are well underway here in Fort Myers, Florida, in Lee County, where the folks are thinking about not just Hurricane Helene from two weeks ago, but they're still dealing with a bit of the PTSD from Hurricane Ian two years ago.

[09:05:08]

That's the storm that folks are trying to keep in mind as they get ready for whatever effects we're going to get from this storm.

The folks out here began in earnest preparing for this hurricane, which is expected to make landfall, if that forecast track holds, to the north of us. However, the concern for the folks here, which is what you're taking a look at here, is the six-to-ten-foot storm surge associated with Hurricane Milton. The folks out here are keeping in mind that when Hurricane Ian hit, the biggest concern for this part of Lee County was the storm surge. All of that flooding. Folks tell us that they got anywhere between four to five feet. And Lee County was one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Ian.

And so, the folks here are taking this storm very seriously. The evacuation orders out in Fort Myers Beach went out yesterday, as well as Sanibel. And so the folks here are trying as best as they can getting ready for this storm. Again, we are expected to feel some sort of impact from this storm, most likely when it comes to the storm surge.

On our drive over yesterday from Miami here, we could see that the traffic really was building as folks were trying to evacuate north. They were trying to make their way more to the central part of Florida. And some folks were just trying to get from southwest Florida over into Broward County. And so they were making that drive from Naples east, all in an effort to just try to get away from this storm.

Again, Kate, right now, the concern going into all of this is the storm surge. We're about - I'd say about two blocks away from the Caloosahatchee River, which is a river that connects out to Lake Okeechobee. And that is really one of the prime concerns for the storm surge, because once all of that rainfall moves through, once all that water pushes in, that river is going to, obviously, crest and then all of that water will push inland.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, and we see sandbags and the preparations, people trying to board up maybe before they get out, behind you.

Carlos, thank you so much.

Let's go now to Tampa, where there's been a lot of concern about the direct hit that Tampa could be facing.

Ivan Rodriguez is there for us.

Ivan, we see people getting sandbags prepared just behind you.

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, good morning.

Yes, this is actually not a sandbag official distribution center, but it's just a beach here where we are on Davis Island. A lot of the folks here bringing their own bags, getting the sand here, right on this beach, on Davis Island, and then taking it back to their cars packed right here. It's been very busy, Kate, all morning long.

And a lot of people who I've spoken with who have been here at this specific area where we are of Davis Island say that a lot of residents have already evacuated because after Helene there was a lot of damage, a lot of devastation left behind. Still, a lot of debris here in these neighborhoods as well. And that's also a big concern that officials are worried about all that debris getting picked up by wind gusts. They could become dangerous projectiles. If not, they could flood and clog sewer lines or just impede specific areas here.

People bringing in these sandbags to their trucks as well.

And, Kate, after these people put in these sandbags, from what I've been gathering, people I've spoken with, a lot of them are going to also be evacuating here. One gentleman I spoke with said he's going to be putting these bags in front of his sister's home, and then they're going to be evacuating as well.

Highways in the Tampa area have been jam packed all morning long. We're going to continue to see that throughout the rest of the day. Tampa Bay's international airport also suspended all operations this morning as well. Sarasota's airport will close later this afternoon. They won't be opening again until later today as well.

BOLDUAN: Ivan, thank you very much.

I'm just starting to get nervous for everybody all along that coastline, John.

BERMAN: All right, thanks so much, Kate.

So we've got new polling this morning showing that likely voters now believe Vice President Harris is the candidate representing change rather than Donald Trump. In this "New York Times"/Siena College poll Harris leads Trump 49 to 46 percent. That is within the margin of error.

The numbers also show Harris making inroads with Republicans and older voters. And it does come as she is ready to announce today, CNN has learned, a first ever proposal to have Medicare pay for home health care costs for seniors.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is with us now on this new proposal, part of this big media blitz she's doing.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is an opportunity that the campaign is using for her to outline a new proposal that is about long-term care for senior citizens. This is especially appealing to what is called the sandwich generation. Those adults who are both caring for children, as well as their aging parents.

Now, the idea here, according to a senior campaign official, is to provide assistance for those long term needs, knowing that only - people only get that assistance in the very narrowest of circumstances and only if they're eligible through Medicaid.

[09:10:03]

Now, when asked how exactly they're going to pay for this, that includes, as you see there, expanding Medicare, drug price negotiations, increasing drug discounts for manufacturers, among other measures.

Now, we anticipate that during this interview on "The View," the vice president will flesh out a little bit more of this proposal.

She is also likely to pull from her own personal story. She has talked about, in the past, how she also cared for her aging mother. But this is broader than that too. The campaign, over the last couple weeks, has been needling the former president on health care, an issue that is top of mind for voters and one where the campaign is trying to make more inroads with voters because, as you mentioned, John, the polls are close. They have been close. The needle isn't moving very much. So, this is a media blitz intended to increase the exposure of the vice president, as well as to have her reach different audiences. "Call Her Daddy" was millions of women, today on "The View" she'll have a different audience, Howard Stern later this afternoon, mostly male audience, and then "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." So, certainly a lot of media appearances to try to get this message across.

BERMAN: You know, we talked about "The New York Times"/Siena College poll, Harris doing well with seniors. You have the home health care proposal today. Also doing better with Republicans than she was before, which is interesting after the Liz Cheney appearance, not just at a campaign rally, but also on "60 Minutes."

ALVAREZ: Yes. I mean, the campaign has certainly been working quite hard to try to get more Republican endorsements. Liz Cheney was a big deal for them, especially with that campaign appearance last week. And that campaign appearance is also being used in a new ad by the Harris campaign. Again, they're - I - their hope here is to not - is to perhaps try to reach those who are not die-hard Democrats, but they're the disaffected Republicans. And they think that if they can bring those in, in some of these counties, which are probably going to be decided by only a few hundred or thousand votes, that that can certainly help boost them in November.

So, this is certainly welcome news for the Harris campaign. They plan to use these endorsements more over the next several weeks, clearly showing that with the campaign ad with Liz Cheney.

BERMAN: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for being with us. You're going to have a busy day watching all these media appearances.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: For sure.

This morning, FEMA is fighting against misinformation coming from Donald Trump and his allies as another major storm is barreling toward Florida, as we've been discussing. Now the head of FEMA says that misinformation and pushing it is dangerous and, quote, "this needs to stop."

And two of country music's biggest stars, and North Carolina natives, will be joining us live to talk about the concert that they've just announced, all put together to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. Eric Church and Luke Combs are our guests.

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[09:17:42]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC CHURCH, AWARD-WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (singing): In your darkest hour, baby, I come running up. In your darkest hour, I light your way. Baby, don't give up. I'll do everything in my power, to take even a minute off your darkest hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: That new song is called "Darkest Hour" by country music star Eric Church. He's released the song as a heartfelt message and also a way to support his home state, North Carolina, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. All the earnings from the song will be donated to ongoing recovery efforts.

And Church is also joining forces with fellow North Carolina native Luke Combs, announcing Concert for Carolina, a benefit live event to raise money for relief efforts. The show will be in Charlotte October 26th. And the show will also feature legendary artist James Taylor and Billy Strings.

And joining us right now to talk about all of this is Eric Church and Luke Combs.

Guys, thank you so much for being here.

Luke, Concert for Carolina, how did it come about, and how did it come about - come together so fast?

LUKE COMBS, AWARD-WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM GRANITE FALLS, NORTH CAROLINA: Yes, you know, I called this guy, I think it's the day after, you know, I'm beginning to - to see things about - about kind of the - the devastation back home. And I called him and say, hey, are you - are you open to doing a show? I said, I don't know when. I don't know where. He was like, yes, absolutely.

So, got on the phone with my team and I said, hey, let's reach out to the Panthers. Let's see if we can't get Bank of America, make it work. And the tepers (ph) were super gracious to - to give us a date there on the house, which is - which is huge.

And, yes, the teams worked feverishly for seven or eight days and - and were able to get this thing set in stone. And I'm just real thankful for - for everybody's work to - to make this happen.

BOLDUAN: A hundred percent.

And, Eric, I mentioned we played some of your song, "Darkest Hour," and you're signing over all the publishing royalties from the song to the people of North Carolina affected by the disaster. What was it about this song? How much help do you think it's going to be able to provide?

ERIC CHURCH, AWARD-WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: Well, I mean, I think I - when I wrote this song, I didn't envision a - or envision the scenario for this song.

[09:20:06]

I had already written the song. I was in the studio for a project next year. And then Hurricane Helene happened, and western North Carolina and the devastation there. And there's a line in this song that says, in your darkest hour, I'll come running. And that's what the people there need right now. They need us to come running. And I just, I thought it fit the moment. Sometimes you give a song its life and sometimes a song finds its own life in its own way. And this was just the right moment with the right song.

So, we - we signed the song over to the people in North Carolina now and forever. They'll - they'll own the copyright of it. And it will go to helping the recovery. Because what we're talking about here, Kate, is, this is not a month's thing. This is a year's thing to rebuild what the infrastructure and the community there is. So, I think paying attention to that is going to be a big part of this recovery. It's - we've got everybody's attention right now, but in a few months it's still going to be really important that we think about rebuilding what was, what we remember as western North Carolina.

BOLDUAN: And such a beautiful part of - of North Carolina.

I mean, Luke, the pictures coming out are just unbelievable. I mean the governor has been on with me talking about entire communities wiped off the map. I mean seeing this happen to your home, I mean do you - do either of you still have family there? I mean, what do you make of it when you see these pictures?

COMBS: Yes, I mean, it was tough to - to see. And - and, you know, I have things filtering in. You know, obviously I grew up in, in Asheville and a lot - a lot of my - my best friends are - are still living there currently. One of my dearest friends is a lineman there, so he's sending me updates every day as he, you know, travels around the county trying to restore power. And it's just hard to process, you know? Seeing places that, you know, you hung out as a child or, you know, places that you went to your friends weddings at just almost cease to exist in some way while still being there is - is really unfathomable for me. And like Eric said, it's going to be - I mean this - the - the efforts needed are tremendous and it's going to take a long time. It's tough.

CHURCH: And, Kate, I think disbelief is the biggest thing for me. I mean, it's just - when you - when you see those images and it's places we both know, it's places we've been. We've - when - when I - when I saw some of the pictures and images that came out of there, knowing what that used to look like, and what it looks like now, it was disbelief and shock, frankly, for me.

BOLDUAN: And it's not - it is so much, you know, broken buildings broken power lines, broken communities. But it's also what threatens is a broken spirit when you just have so much devastation, what it can do - what it can do to people. And that's what I was - what kind of - maybe you guys are able to provide. I mean you're a son in North Carolina as well. Another son of North Carolina, James Taylor, is going to be joining you for this charity concert. Billy Strings is going to be joining. He's fresh off of the birth of his first child. He's got a ton going on in his life right now. I mean, what - what are you all going to do with this powerhouse group on stage? And what do you hope it brings?

COMBS: Yes, I hope - you know, obviously, we hope it - it brings at least a night of joy and a little bit of time to - to take people's minds off of what's going on for just a second. You know, the - the charities that I'm working with, I've invited all their teams out. You know, I've been kind of in direct contact with - with them and, you know, they're just - they're in the thick of this every day. You know, I can't imagine what - what that's like, the stress and the pressure of, you know, trying to help and - and being there helping 24/7, seven days a week for the foreseeable future.

So, just to be able to provide a night of spiritual relief and then, obviously, to have that night hopefully produce a huge monetary benefit for the communities that we come from, I think, is -- is vital. CHURCH: So, and I think - I think, Kate, you hit on it pretty good

with the - the hope there is the key part. These are incredibly tough people. It takes a tough person to live in those mountains of North Carolina. And it's a lot of small, tight knit communities. And I think the hope part is the key part here. It's going to be a marathon. It's not going to be a sprint. But these are the kind of people that as Americans the - this is the fabric of who we are as America, and who we should be as America. So, these are the kind of people that we have to help, we need to help, we should help.

BOLDUAN: There are a lot of fans out there watching this, and they, of course, love your music, but it is always wonderful to see artists, people with a big voice and a big megaphone doing something really good for their communities back home. People that - that cannot be forgotten.

Eric Church, Luke Combs, thank you guys both much for coming on.

[09:25:03]

It's great to meet you.

And a reminder to everyone out there -

COMBS: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you both.

Concert for Carolina is Saturday, October 26th at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. Tickets are going to go on sale this Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

That, I'm going to look forward to.

This, still coming up for us, new details from Bob Woodward's latest book revealing seven private conversations between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin since Donald Trump left office. Plus, the secret shipment that the former president sent to the Russian leader at the height of the pandemic.

And First Lady Jill Biden taking on a new role. How she plans now to help the Harris campaign in its final stretch.

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