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President Biden Gives News Conference Following G20 Summit; House Dems Eye Tuesday For Votes On Infrastructure And Spending Bill; Interview With Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA); Weather, Staffing Shortages Lead To AA Flight Cancellations; Candidates Make Final Pitches In Virginia's Tight Governor Race; Braves Take 3-1 Lead, One Win Away From First Title Since 1995. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired October 31, 2021 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:25]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for joining us this Sunday.

I'm Fredericka Whitfield in Atlanta joined by my colleague Chris Cuomo in Rome.

We begin with breaking news.

President Biden is set to hold a news conference in the next hour officially wrapping up the final day of the G20 summit. We'll bring you the president's speech live as it happens.

Earlier he held meetings on the global economy and supply chain issues pledging a U.S. commitment to reinforce stockpiles and prepare for future bottlenecks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I'm announcing two further steps. First, I'm allocating additional funding to help American partners as well as the United States cut port congestion by slashing red tape and reducing processing times so that ships can get in and out of our ports faster.

And second, I'm signing an executive order that will strengthen our management of the United States defense stockpiles for minerals and materials and allow us -- allow us to react and respond more quickly to shortfalls in the industrial base.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Biden also met with Turkey's President Recep Erdogan raising human rights issues and Turkey's use of a Russian missile system with the Turkish president.

Biden did not attend some of the more informal cultural event including tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain with other G20 leaders.

So many of these leaders will be traveling to Scotland tonight and tomorrow where the United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP 26 is under way.

Let's go now to Rome for the final day of the G20 summit. CNN's Chris Cuomo is there anchoring our live coverage. Ciao, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Ciao, Ciao, (INAUDIBLE) presto -- the next time we're here we've got to be together.

So, you know, we don't want to ignore any small sign and I only say this because it's completely facetious, Fred but none of the leaders threw those coins at the Trevi Fountain directly at any of the other leaders. They all threw them over their shoulders and into the fountain.

WHITFIELD: Good. That was for good luck. Good measure.

CUOMO: If you throw it into the Trevi Fountain it means some day you will come back to the Trevi Fountain. If you throw it at another leader it means you've committed a crime.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: All right. Joining me now is CNN senior White House correspondent Phil Mattingly, CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson and CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. Now he is a step ahead. He's in Glasgow, Scotland -- the site of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. It's great to have all three of you.

Let's start with the obvious. President Biden giving a press conference. That's a story in and of itself because he doesn't do it often. What is the motivation here to come out, be heard and take questions?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think that a sense of normalcy, right, if you're coming off of a summit, a president always gives a press conference. He did it in June, come out of both the G7 and the NATO summit. And he will do so now.

He hasn't done one since June at the NATO summit and so I think there are no shortage of questions whether domestic or international that need to be asked and I think what is certain is you'll hear the president at least start the press conference talking about what he feels like the U.S. was able to take away from the past couple of days and meetings, both bilateral meetings, the broader meetings, today's meeting on supply chains.

You know, we've heard about the 15 percent global minimum tax. Certainly the endorsement of that was a big step forward. Talked about the U.S. and E.U. agreement to ease tariffs. That was a significant move that the administration has been working on for several months. To be able lock that in, I think is something that the administration is quite pleased with right now. The meeting today on supply chains, it's a little bit dense of an issue but one that everybody recognizes when your packages aren't arriving on time or when you're trying to think about holiday gifts.

And bringing 14 leaders plus the E.U. together around the table to talk about ways to address that given it is such an international and interconnected system and issue I think officials might not be able to point to real concrete tangible steps but they feel like that's a net positive.

I think the big open question and Nic and I were talking about this before we came on air is on climate and obviously that leads us straight into where we're going next.

But the language that we've seen that's going to be in the communique related to climate isn't as strong as perhaps some climate activists would want it to be, particularly on coal internationally or globally.

And how the president addresses that trying to create momentum going into Glasgow is a real open question.

[14:04:54]

CUOMO: So I want to come back to you on what's he going to get hit on domestically at this press conference because we haven't had a chance to ask him questions. There's plenty going on.

But staying thematically consistent, Nic. What do you believe the tough pushback is on the climate measure that was here but specifically about coal? The outward criticism is that well, this isn't really new.

This isn't really more. There is no enforcement. There is no dating on it. It seems like lip service. What do you expect?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There is no agreement as you say to end the use of coal-fired power stations, only to stop international investment in them by the end of the year. That was out there already, so that's falling short.

I think we've heard from Mario Draghi, the Italian Prime Minister who was hosting this conference essentially saying, yes, we've come up short, yes on the issue of coal. We've just taken a small step.

Do I know where it's going to go, he said, and what's the next step and where it's going to end? No, I don't. I think there's disappointment that the net zero global emissions wasn't set and agreed for 2050.

Now it's sort of somewhere nebulously around -- sometime around or before 2060. So there's going to be disappointments on there. This is under-deliverance.

Boris Johnson normally one of the most optimistic and boisterous politicians you'll hear, at the podium today said essentially we've fallen short. I think his rate card of how the G20 has performed on this issue was probably a 5 out of 10.

He knows he goes into the COP26 that he's helping host, you know, on the back foot.

CUOMO: Bill Weir great advantage, doesn't just understand the issues, he lives them. He does stories on all of the challenges we're facing everywhere. You're a step ahead of the process right now in Glasgow.

You know, Nic was just showing us video of a family member who has had their road washed out because of a flash flood in Scotland. Do no one is immune from the issues. What do you think might be on the table for Biden in this press conference as it's set up to where you are?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, he's got to tackle the very tricky problem of American credibility in this space. Going back to the Kyoto protocol in '97 in which the rich countries say, ok, we're going stop emitting the pollution that cooks the planet. Back to the Paris accords in 2015, in both cases the U.S. was sort of at the table leading the negotiations and then pulled away after a Republican president was elected.

So Biden is bringing a full contingent of cabinet members, enough to field a soccer team, football as they say here in Glasgow ranger country and he's got John Kerry and Gina McCarthy and Barack Obama is going to make an appearance here as well.

He has the Pope weighing in on this, who probably would have done it regardless of the president's visit there just to say we're all in.

The states, you know, some of our biggest economic engines of California and New Jersey, they are way ahead of the curve. And meanwhile back in Congress that sort of multi-trillion dollar in an ideal universe, the Biden universe, multi-trillion-dollar climate- heavy package that he was hoping to bring here as proof is not happening yet.

CUOMO: Look, that is a range of things. And here's an interesting point Bill, that you bring up, that Biden is not coming empty-handed in terms of his team. He has his special attache Kerry and a host of other people and how often does a former president show up at any of these conferences, almost never. And to have Obama there that also adds some credibility to it.

Now push back from the right, two beats on this Phil. One, I want to talk to you about what he's going to get hit on domestically, but on this the right's counter to everything that Bill said which was completely germane is but we're so far ahead of everybody else on coal. You know, we've done things that nobody else in the world wants to do, why do we have to sign on to these things? Why don't you make everybody else catch up? How does Biden deal with that?

MATTINGLY: That it's the U.S. responsibility to lead and I think this is -- you know, Bill lays out kind of a great timeline of what's transpired which leads to a lot of the skepticism from world leaders in terms of where the U.S. will actually stand on things. And to some degree what I've heard from U.S. officials is they want to leverage that and say this underscores the urgency of making real, tangible, concrete commitments now. You don't know what's going to happen four years from now. You don't know --

CUOMO: Right.

MATTINGLY: -- where we're going to be in 2025. This is the moment to do this. It's obviously the moment to do it when you look around the world, the climate disasters we've seen. But also we have to strike now. That's why they are going so big. That's why they're looking for tangible commitments. And I think you're going to see a number of tangible commitments from the U.S. side over the next 24 hours.

CUOMO: Quickly, how much does Biden have to deal in this press conference with what's going to happen Tuesday not in Glasgow but in the United States?

MATTINGLY: A significant amount. I don't think there's any question about that. Look, his entire domestic agenda is on the line. The White House is not officially setting that deadline but Democratic leaders have told their members in the House that they want to have a vote on both bills -- the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package as well as the $1.75 trillion economic and climate package.

One thing I would note and I think you'll hear the president talk about it. He might not have a something through Congress but he has a framework and within that framework is $555 billion directed to climate, it is in black and white. It is almost certainly going to be in the final proposal.

[14:09:59]

CUOMO: Right.

MATTINGLY: Maybe it's not through Congress. But I think you're going to hear him talk, I've been told he's been talking a lot about that framework behind closed doors here. He'll certainly try and emphasize that today and also going into Glasgow.

CUOMO: All right. Gentlemen -- thank you very much. Bill, also standby. I know we're going to need you on the backside of hearing what the President has to say.

Still to come, you know, part of the United States' presence Glasgow this week, including as Bill was laying out to you, Bill Weir, a group of U.S. governors making a urgent plea for action on the climate crisis.

We're going to talk to one of them Washington Governor Jay Inslee. You remember him from the race for president. He was all about the need to make climate change as part of his campaign.

Plus, it's time for this party to get together and deliver. Those are the words of progressive House Democrat Ro Khanna. Are the Democrats ready to stop stealing defeat out of the jaws of victory come Tuesday. We'll see.

Stay with CNN.

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[14:14:59]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

When President Biden returns home from his overseas trip on Tuesday, he may see some major movement on the two pillars of his domestic agenda -- at least that's his hope.

House Democrats are pushing to hold votes on both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Biden's larger spending plan.

But before those votes happen, Senator Bernie Sanders telling CNN today that he believes all 50 Democrats in the Senate need to publicly agree on a framework for the social safety net bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): I think there has got to be a framework agreed upon in the Senate that all of us know is going to be implemented before the members of the House vote. Going to have a piece of paper which will say this is going to be in the bill.

You don't have to have all of the legislative language, but you have to have a statement which says a, b, c, d and e is going to be in the package and 50 members of the Senate are supporting it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is with us now from Capitol Hill. Suzanne, another deadline for the Democrats. Where do things stand?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, friend. Well it does look like they are getting closer to potentially voting for both of these bills -- the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $1.75 trillion -- that's trillion, both Ts for those bills. for the social safety net program.

But there are three criteria, Fred, three hurdles that progressive Democrats have to get over. The first one you just heard Senator Sanders really spelling it out quite clearly here. They want assurances from Senators Sinema as well as Senators Manchin, the moderates who have really been holding back and really driving this negotiating process. We heard from Representative Jayapal who is head of the progressive team, and she was not satisfied that she got that assurance that they are going to push that larger bill so they want it in writing.

The second thing, of course, is those two bills voted in tandem at the same time. Speaker Pelosi wasn't offering that last Thursday. Now the Democratic leadership is offering that on Tuesday.

Check that box, that would be good for the progressives.

And finally, the third thing, Fred, if you just take a look at the graphic, what's in and what's out this is a process here and that progressive Democrats went from $6.3 trillion to $3.5 trillion to now $1.75 trillion. They have to accept some policy initiatives very difficult that are not ultimately likely to get in that package -- that is the Medicare and family paid leave. And then also Medicare's ability to negotiate for lower drug prices.

So just take a listen. This is what the progressives are going through this morning, Senator Bernie Sanders and his counterpart on the House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: I worked yesterday, we're working today. We're going to work tomorrow to strengthen that bill. It is outrageous that we continue to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Well, I want to ask you about that.

SANDERS: And that one out of four Americans cannot afford the prescriptions that their doctors write. That is not acceptable.

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): The negotiations are taking place. I'm going to be a yes. I think we can have the vote by Tuesday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so Fred, that is really what is happening here. Letting go of some of those pieces, agreeing to what is already essentially about 95 percent done, that framework that was delivered on Thursday.

Some administration officials, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm saying look, potentially some of those policy initiatives can be introduced at a later time, a later date in smaller pieces and perhaps even get some Republican support, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And that, too -- it might be a tough sell to some of the Democrats who want all or nothing.

All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much for that. Appreciate it.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead. President is set to wrap up his time at the G20 summit with closing remarks. You'll hear from him live, coming up.

Plus American Airlines scraps more than 1,500 flights this weekend. What's behind the cancellations.

[14:18:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: All right. Not to hype it, but here at the G20 summit, the American president having a press conference is going to be a big deal. Why? He doesn't do it a lot. He's got a lot to spin and explain. He's got questions about what happened here, what's going to happen next when he goes to Glasgow and what's happening at home.

So the stakes are real. His performance is going to be measured and this won't be that short. So we're waiting on it. When it comes it comes, it comes and we'll bring it to you and we'll discuss how he did.

Today, tomorrow, you're going to start seeing the leaders that are here migrate to the COP26 climate summit in Scotland which I was just looking at video. They are getting hit with extreme climate change there also. Weather events that they are not used to seeing, roads being washed out by what used to be simple storms. So nowhere escapes the reality, so they will go from here in Rome.

This final communique that they put out did include language on keeping global warming to a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius and trying to achieve net zero carbon emissions by or around 2050.

There is going to be big criticism that it is all talk and very little provision for making people walk the walk. There is also a commitment to stop public financing of coal by the end of this year but there is a little bit of a loophole in there.

[14:24:55]

CUOMO: It's more about what countries do in funding things that are abroad than what happens domestically. And then you have another layer of it politically in America which is where the right is going to say America's already ahead on coal of these other countries. Why do we have to match measures with them? Why don't they get to just catch up before we do anything else?

Now somebody who cares about these intensely in fact made it the center piece of a campaign for president. We've never seen that before.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee. He ran for the Democratic nomination for president. He was banging on a green platform. He was talking about climate justice and he is a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance. He's going to go to Scotland as part of this retinue of governors who want to say, look, I run a significant economy, this is a real problem.

So It's great to have the governor ahead of this all-important summit. It's good to see you Governor Inslee.

GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA): You bet. Thanks for covering this.

CUOMO: We'll we've talked about this before. When you made climate the center piece in the presidential race it was seen almost as a political oddity. But now we see here and now coming into this summit it is a top-tier issue probably everywhere in the world except in the United States in terms of our government.

What do you hope to achieve here to change that?

INSLEE: Well, a meaningful international agreement and also agreements amongst the states. And, you know, I ran for president because I thought wee needed a champion to defeat climate. Fortunately we got one. Joe Biden has done a great job. I believe he's going to land a $300 billion plus climate change investment that I believe will be in reconciliation ultimately. So I hop that that will lead an international consortium to advance the international ambition.

But one way or another we're going as governors of states. And this is the United States of America and I'm leading a group of U.S. governors and governors around the world to show what states can do.

Look, you know, the U.N. Calls us sub-nationals. We think of ourselves as super nationals because we have 25 states and 25 governors who are committed to more ambitious efforts and we're acting.

We have a climate change, a program in my state that's everything that we would want federally. We have 100 percent clean electrical grid law. We have a cap and invest bill. We have the most ambitious cap on economy-wide emissions in the United States.

And that kind of thing is going on around the world, so we're both going to have a federal presence which I think is going to show us a strong hand of the investments.

Federally we're going make clean energy and we're going to show that 61 percent of the whole U.S. economy is covered by states that have made these commitments so I'm looking forward to good things coming out of this.

CUOMO: Let's talk domestic and then we'll go geo in terms of the questions and implications.

On the domestic side you're going to get hit from the right, two basic arguments. One is boy you democrats love to throw our money at problems. And here it's $300 billion, $500 billion depending on how you look at the climate policies and a couple of different bills that the president is trying to get passed in the congress right now ow and America is already ahead of so many of these other countries.

Why keep slowing us down when the rest of the world hasn't caught up yet and spending our money on technologies that aren't even ready?

INSLEE: Look, when you drive a electric car and you're not slowing down, you're speeding up. If you've ever driven an electric car they hold the race records for drag motor cycles. When you drive an electric car you get instant torque. Look, when we've revolutionizing the building a lean energy economy, we're accelerating our economic growth.

This is where the jobs are growing faster and the jobs in clean energy are growing three times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy. When Ford is making an F150 that is all electric which they're doing and every auto manufacturer in the world is racing to transform their internal combustion into electric fleets, you know that this is an acceleration.

We're putting the pedal to the metal but this time it's electricity and that's happening. The big money is making these investments. And so this is happening, but we need to accelerate it. And we can't let the fossil fuel industries drag us back.

That's who is dragging us backwards, the fossil fuel industries that are trying to retard this accelerating part of our economy. These are the jobs not only of the future but today.

So the most rapidly growing states in the United States economically are the ones that are embracing bracing clean energy. I mentioned our (INAUDIBLE) you have 25 states. This represents 61 percent of the whole U.S. economy and those are the states that have the most rapid economic growth.

[14:29:47]

INSLEE: So if you want economic growth, get on the bus, get on the electric bus. I just opened up ground-breaking for our first electric bus manufacturing plant. I went to a company that's going to increase battery capacity maybe by 50 percent.

I just went to a company that's using a fuel cell to power -- swapping out a diesel drive train for a fuel cell lithium ion battery in the biggest truck in the world that mines precious metals. So this is what is happening. I wish Republicans were helping ion battery in the biggest truck in ion battery in the biggest truck in the world that mines precious metals so this is what is happening.

I wish Republicans were helping out on this, but they are tied to the past. They are the guys who still wanted to have the horse drawn buggies while we're moving to the steam power. So we're excited to keep moving forward

CUOMO: Geo -- on the geo side, you've been critical of China. Nobody supports fossil fuel infrastructure more than they do and they are exporting it to anybody who wants it. President Xi, obviously not in attendance at the G-20. China has resisted some of the stricter language around the climate commitments.

What do you do about them?

INSLEE: Well, we do what we can. It was good to know that China did publicly say that they are going to actually stop financing coal-based infrastructure around the world. That's a good first step.

But we need to keep the pressure on China, and the way to keep the pressure on China is show our economic growth here around clean energy. That's what puts the pressure on China, when we're growing jobs, when we are seizing markets so that we are manufacturing these products, that's what puts pressure on China. And if you're going to demand their neighbor, you know, mow their yard and stop throwing garbage over the fence, the way to do that is own more yard. And we've got to be in the moral high ground and when we land this

reconciliation bill and when we show what states have done in this climate alliance that I'm helping lead, we're going have the moral high ground to keep pressure on them to move forward. But listen, it's their failure if they are not investing in clean energy like we are, because we want to seize these markets.

You know, I just went to this company. It's called Group 14 the other day. They have invented a new silicone anode battery that could increase capacity by 50 percent. They are now in talks with all the major auto manufacturers. When we seize that market, we're going to have an international competitive advantage over China, and that's the kind of strategy that underpins the reconciliation bill that President Biden has led on.

Those are the types of investments that are going to get us an economic leg up. We know what the future is. It's not fossil fuels. The faster we seize that, the better we're going to be in the international economic competition.

CUOMO: And, of course, the future of the progress will bring its own challenges, the raw materials that you need to make these batteries, how do you preserve them, but those are questions the world is going to deal with. It's just who's going to deal with them first.

Governor Inslee, thank you very much. As I said to Secretary Kerry, if you want a platform to discuss what the positives are and negatives in Glasgow, you'll have "CUOMO PRIME TIME" all throughout the time of the summit and I -- you know, I give you the invitation in advance. Good luck doing the work of the people.

INSLEE: We'll be there. We've got a good story to tell.

CUOMO: All right. Take care, Governor.

INSLEE: Thanks, Chris.

CUOMO: I want to toss it back to Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Chris, thank you so much.

American Airlines cancelling over 1,500 flights this weekend. Executives are blaming severe weather at two major hubs and staffing shortages.

Pete Muntean joins us now from Washington.

Pete, what more is American saying about its cancellations and what can it do?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, American Airlines says this will start getting better starting tomorrow, but for a lot of folks stranded at airports across the country right now, this is going to feel like it's going to get worse before it gets better. Just take a look at these latest numbers here. American cancelled 816

flights today alone, 548 yesterday, 343 on Friday. Those numbers over the three-day period represent a cancellation of about one in every ten American flights.

American says this all really started on Thursday when high winds and bad weather hit its biggest hub in Dallas. That cause it had to start cancelling some flights and then that left crews out of position. So American COO David Seymour wrote the entire company to say he wanted to build certainty into the operation, so the airline began proactively cancelling flights. But just tell that to all these folks who were stranded right now, also at America's second biggest hub in Charlotte where we've seen long lines and a lot of frustration now.

I want you to listen to one of these folks who are stuck there right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't understand why it's cancelled. I've heard that they don't have enough staff. Well, you sold me a product. I paid for it and now it's your job to get me there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Now, remember, this is not just about staffing issues. American says there is a bit of a silver lining here because starting tomorrow, November 1st, about 1,800 flight attendants who are on pandemic time off return from leave so they say things are going to get better, but it's still a big problem for a lot of folks who are stuck at airports right now, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness, I know there's a lot of frustration at so many airports from coast to coast right now.

[14:35:01]

Pete Muntean, thank you so much.

All right. Stay with us. We'll take you back live to Rome where at any moment now President Biden is expected to speak to reporters. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. It's the final push in Virginia's race for governor. Both Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin crisscrossing the state, trying to secure those last-minute votes in a race that even the White House acknowledges is a bellwether for the midterms 2024.

[14:40:04]

Just ahead of Tuesday's vote, a new NBC News poll shows President Biden's approval sinking with 42 percent of Americans approving of his job performance so far.

Joining me right now from the campaign trail are CNN's Eva McKend and Arlette Saenz.

Arlette, you first, is there a strong feeling that Biden's popularity or policy-making will impact McAuliffe's final days of campaigning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, that is a big question in this case. How much of a referendum this campaign will be on President Biden's first year in office.

But on the campaign trail, Terry McAuliffe, as you can see, he's right behind me now in Henrico, he has really been touting his record as governor when he served previously, pointing to his job-creating record. But he has also repeatedly, as he has done throughout this campaign sought to make former President Trump a central figure here, consistently tying the GOP candidate to the former president, hoping that will be a motivating factor for Democrats.

Take a listen to the nickname he gave his GOP rival a bit earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY MCAULIFFE (D), VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, that's what you get with Glenn Trumpkin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now the focus for today is trying to energize Democrats heading into Tuesday's election. They are hoping that in an area like Henrico County, where Democrats have been making gains in recent years that they can also get that kind of turnout on Tuesday night -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Arlette, thanks so much.

Eva, to you. You know, how is Republican candidate Youngkin spending his final days here just a couple days away, Tuesday, voting day?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Fred, his campaign slogan is that he will make Virginia the best place to work, live and raise a family, and he's really tried to appeal over time of Republican. He's honed in on this parents matter message that seems to be breaking through because when you go to his rallies, most voters there tell me that this cultural battle over what the future of Virginia public schools looks like, that that is their number one issue.

Now, we followed him all along the trail in mostly a Democratic areas, so places like Charlottesville and Fairfax County. So he's made his pitch there to voters. But today, he's in Scott County. That's a county where former President Trump won by nearly 70 points, so pretty safe to say that Youngkin will do well, there but he's still trying to do all that he can to motivate conservatives in that region to show up in this off-year election -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Evan McKend, Arlette Saenz, thanks to both of you. Appreciate that.

Let's talk some more about this from the perspective of Ron Brownstein.

This is indeed a nail-biter, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Ron is a senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic." Everyone knows that by now but we like to remind.

So, let's talk about. I mean, early voting ended yesterday with more than 1 million early votes cast. What does that tell you about the enthusiasm at the polls?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, well, look, you know, it's becoming a common feature of our modern politics that Democrats are voting early and Republicans are voting on election day. I think Democrats feel they have a substantial lead among that early vote, but as you say the overall election is a nail-biter.

There is no escaping the shadow of the president in modern U.S. elections to answer the question you asked before. I mean, know, for Terry McAuliffe, Joe Biden being at 42 percent nationally, only at 43 percent in "The Washington Post" poll in Virginia that came out a day or two ago, that is a tremendous undertow and it's a warning to Democrats. Win or lose, this is going to be a close election, much closer than 2020 was in Virginia.

And what it basically says is that Democrats have a year to rebuild some of President Biden's approval because if he's this low in November of 2022, it is going to be a tough election for Democrats. History makes that very clear.

WHITFIELD: And then this morning on NBC's "Meet the Press", Terry McAuliffe, you know, put the blame for parents' obscene behavior at school board meetings squarely on Glenn Youngkin, also saying that Youngkin has created hatred and division just like Donald Trump. You heard him calling him Trumpkin. So Trumpkin (ph) has avoided with Trump along the way.

Are Republican voters seeing differences between Trump and Youngkin, or are they seeing similarities?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, certainly hard core Republican voters are up and down the line with Youngkin, and he -- many Republicans feel he is creating a model for how to deal with Trump without fully embracing him or fully pushing away from him but offering just enough ambiguity to both prevent a full scale eruption from the Trump base but also appeal to the more of the center right voters who drifted away from Trump in the suburbs over the last few elections.

I mean, this education issue on what is being taught in school is really in one against a reflection of the broader Trump message of kind of resistance to a changing America.

[14:45:03]

But it may go beyond that as well. It may be reaching some voters who have been drifting Democratic, and that is going to be something that is going to be pored over. But like I said, I think the overwhelming message of this is going to be win or lose, when the president is at 42 percent, it is tough for candidates in his party and improving that number starting by passing the -- the economic agenda really has to be job one for Democrats in Congress, not only out of solidarity for Biden but have self-interest and survival.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. And there you've brought together the gubernatorial race in Virginia for the White House.

Let me ask you about President Biden's agenda. I mean, he returns to the U.S. on Tuesday the same day votes on his two key pieces of legislation could happen. Pretty high stakes, wouldn't you say?

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely. Look, there are, what, 272 Democrats in Congress, 222 in the House and 50 in the Senate, and there are 270 who clearly agree on the way forward. I mean, if Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema would have followed President Biden's unveiling of this framework last Thursday by clearly indicating, unequivocally indicting that they would support it and vote it, the infrastructure bill would have passed on Thursday night ands all of this would become kind of glide path or becoming law with potentially giving a boost to McAuliffe.

They chose not to do that on Thursday, knowing that that was the key that would unlock the action in the House. So, we are somewhat in the same position that we always have been. Will House progressives allow a vote on the infrastructure plan to go forward without an explicit public statement from Manchin and Sinema that they will support this broader economic package, which has been reconfigured almost entirely to meet their specifications and demands. It's really in their hands above all.

Pelosi, again, is expressing optimism that everybody is going to go forward if they have enough assurances. But she's been on that -- you know, on that ledge of going forward before. Manchin and Sinema could make this very easy and they are choosing not to.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Lots in the air, all-night nail-biters.

Ron Brownstein, always good to see you. Thank you so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And we'll be -- we'll be right back.

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[14:51:39]

WHITFIELD: Some sad news to share. The huge loss of an industry colleague and an Atlanta fixture. Longtime Atlanta news anchor Jovita Moore died this battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Moore who had opinion with WSB-TV in Atlanta for more than 20 years and also worked at television stations in Memphis, Tennessee, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was a journalist who was also hugely generous giving so much more back to her viewing audience, including sharing countless hours, mentoring local students.

She is survived by her mother and her two children. And in a statement, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom said, quote, may her beautiful spirit soar. Jovita will be truly missed.

Moore was 53 years old.

And the world of sports is mourning a devastating loss today. Legendary Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy died last night at age of 68. Remy played second base for Boston in the '70s and '80s but he was better known as the voice in the booth for the last three decades. Some of his more iconic calls were moments of laughter just like this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY REMY, RED SOX BROADCASTER: We did some investigative reporting between innings on who and what was thrown hat that gentleman, and the gentleman has been ejected but it was an ugly, ugly sight. I don't know why it was necessary. I don't have my telestrator. Here comes the pizza, see it. Oh, cheese.

UNIDENTIFEID MALE: Highly unnecessary.

REMY: Guy with the Patriots jacket and he's been asked to leave the ball game for ruining a good piece of pizza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Jerry Remy stepped away from commentating earlier this year to seek treatment for lung cancer. It had troubled him for years making recommend a vocal anti-smoking advocate. He made his last appearance at Fenway Park earlier this month throwing out the first pitch for the wild card game and, yes, the Red Sox beat the Yankees that night.

All right. The Atlanta Braves are one win away from their first World Series title in 26 years.

Andy Scholes joining us now from the ballpark.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Fredericka, you can just feet excitement here in Atlanta. We're right outside Truist Park in the battery where fans got here early this morning to set up their chairs just to be a part of tonight, just to be able to watch the game on the big screen and hopefully see their Atlanta Braves make some history and win their first World Series title since 1995.

And I'll tell you what? These fans, Fredricka, were wall to wall here last night for game four and they went absolutely bonkers with Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning to give the team the lead. The Braves would go on to win game four 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this series and the Braves undefeated here in Atlanta this postseason, a perfect 7-0. One more win, and they will be World Series champs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN SNITKER, ATLANTA BRAVES MANAGER: Just want to win tomorrow. I mean, I don't know how confident I am. I mean, I like -- I'm glad we are quite honestly. I'd rather be up three than down three I guess, but I -- I've been around too long to get ahead of myself.

[14:55:02]

DANSBY SWANSON, ATLANTA BRAVES SHORTSTOP: Twenty-seven more outs. I think that that's kind of the mentality we need to keep. They obviously have a great ball club over there.

A lot of great players, you know, a lot of respect for just the ability those guys have over there. So, I think we should need to come out, continue to compete and do what we've done to get ourselves into this position.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yeah, Fredricka, even though it's Halloween, lots of people want to be here tonight. Just for an upper deck seat in the stadium going for more than 1,000 bucks.

WHITFIELD: What? Oh, that's a spooky number. Quite frightening.

All right. Andy Scholes, thank you so much. Go Braves. Lots of excitement there.

SCHOLES: All right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stay with us. We'll take you back to Rome where at any moment now President Biden is expected to speak to reporters. We're back in a moment.

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