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Gunman Kills 2 Employees at Dallas Hospital; Record Turnout in Geogia Where Senate Control May be Decided; Immigration a Top Issue for Latino Voters Ahead of Midterms; Doctors Warn of "Unprecedented" Rise in RSV Cases in U.S. Children; Pennsylvania Senate Race Tightens Between Dr. Oz, Fetterman. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired October 22, 2022 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

STANLEY TUCCI, CNN HOST, "STANLEY TUCCI, SEARCHING FOR ITALY": Beautiful. Thank you.

Now -- (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Si, si, si, si.

TUCCI: That is amazing, I've got to say.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TUCCI: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: That looks delicious.

An all-new episode of "STANLEY TUCCI, SEARCHING FOR ITALY" airs tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. on CNN.

And the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REID (voice-over): We are just over two weeks from the midterm elections. New numbers show nearly six million ballots have been cast already in 39 states.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're talking did more than 660,000 people across the state of Georgia who have already voted. Record voter turnout that started Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our vote does count. Women's rights are on the line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are seeing an uptick in RSV nationwide and, in particular, when it comes to kids having to go to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are taking drastic measures to deal with the surge that they're seeing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're see some institutions putting up tents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Things have actually gotten worse since we were admitted.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was just about six weeks ago that Boris Johnson was leaving Downing Street in disgrace.

BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now, the U.K.is abuzz with talk of a Boris comeback.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: I'm Paula Reid, in Washington. Pamela Brown is off. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin with the latest from a deadly shooting at a hospital in Dallas, Texas. Details are still coming into CNN. But so far, police are confirming at least two people are dead, both employees at the hospital.

I want to get right now to CNN's Camila Bernal.

Camila, what are you hearing from your reporting on the ground?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Paula. We know this happened at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. And the shooting was reported at around 11:00 a.m. local time in Dallas, so about 12:00 p.m. Eastern.

Authorities were getting calls of an active shooter in the area. And it was Methodist Health System Police who responded to the scene.

Unfortunately, by the time all of this happened, two people were already dead, hospital employees.

It's unclear how the suspect got into the hospital. But we do know that the Health System Police officer, he confronted the shooter, and he was able to stop him because he did shoot this suspect. And then that's when he was arrested.

Of course, the health system now saying that everything should be OK moving forward. But of course, saying they are grieving the loss of two of their employees. I want to read part of the statement that the leadership there

released where they said:

"During this devastating time, we want to ensure our patients and employees that Methodist Dallas Medical Center is safe and that there's no ongoing threat. Our prayers are with our lost co-workers and their families, as well as our entire Methodist family."

Now we also just heard from the Dallas Police Department. They are assisting in the investigation.

But what they said is that the suspect is a 30-year-old who already had a criminal record. They said he was on parole for aggravated robbery. He was wearing an ankle monitor and has been arrested on capital murder charges.

So there's a lot more to this story. So far, authorities not saying what the motive was behind all of this. Of course, we will keep asking -- Paula?

REID: Camila Bernal, thank you so much for that reporting.

Last hour, I spoke with CNN's national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem. Here's what she told me about what happens next in this investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, if he's alive, it will determine if he is speaking and whether he's willing to say who he is. They know who he is now.

Was he an employee, former employee, patient, family member of a patient, or was there some ideology behind this? We don't know the specifics yet. So I'm going to be careful here.

But the questions you would want answered are, who, in fact, were the victims? Were they known to the suspect, or were they random victims? Where were they? And what -- where were they in the hospital?

If they are on the seventh floor and not the first floor, someone was looking for either them or the place where they were working.

That's what our reporters are figuring out, as well, is sort of what's the narrative here behind a very not unusual shooting that happens a lot in the U.S.

[20:04:59]

But at a hospital where someone is not -- did not just come in shooting, this seems more targeted. The targeting, we don't know if it was because of the individuals says or something else.

REID: As you noted, it's not uncommon. We're seeing deadly shootings in schools, supermarkets, and at hospitals. Some people may not realize that a lot of hospitals have their own police force. KAYYEM: Yes.

REID: So is this really just the reality in America now?

KAYYEM: It is. It's absolutely the reality. So it's not surprising to me that it was a hospital police official or armed officer who was able to stop the suspect alive. Once again, the investigations will continue.

Anyone who's been to a hospital lately knows there's a lot of security at the front.

There tends not to be the sort of pat-downs or other things like that because hospitals are big. They have a lot of people coming back and forth. It would be hard to do. Emergency rooms are hard to secure.

You also have COVID. And most hospitals require masking. And they are - there's sort of distance still kept at many hospitals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: And the Dallas mayor gave this statement to CNN. Eric Johnson says, quote:

"I am praying tonight for the loved ones and colleagues of the two nurses at Methodist Dallas Medical Center who were violently and senselessly taken from us. Our city loves our health care heroes, and our residents will be there for them as they grieve and seek swift justice."

They're appearing to confirm that the victims were nurses.

Turning to the midterm elections. In just over two weeks, voters will determine which party will control the House and the Senate. And high stakes means high turnout. Nearly six million Americans have cast early votes in 39 states.

In Georgia, which, of course, tipped the Senate to Democrats two years ago, it has been a week of record-breaking voter turnout. Officials there say more than 660,000 people have cast early votes with more than 140,000 just yesterday.

CNN's Nadia Romero spent the day at a polling place in Atlanta -- Nadia?

NADIO ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Paula, this is the first Saturday of early voting here in the state of Georgia. But see behind me long lines here.

One voter told us that it took her 27 minutes to get from the back of the line all the way to the front. And by the time she got her valid I.D. to the poll workers, it took her just about 10 minutes to vote.

But that's what it takes in some polling locations we're seeing across the state of Georgia. And here we're talking about we cases. We have a gubernatorial race

with our incumbent governor, Brian Kemp, with a rematch with Democratic challenger, Stacey Abrams.

People are also keeping a close watch on our Senate race here because of the national implications, and that's why people tell me they came out to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERONICA HAYGOOD, GEORGIA VOTER: I believe in that -- teaching my kids. I have one that's like -- I'll vote later -- we're going as a family. Yes, I think it's very important to do it as a family.

MIA EVANS BUCKNER, GEORGIA VOTER: Your future is on the line. I have a 19-year-old son, and I've heard, you know, some of the fodder about, it's not important, I don't matter. Yes, we do.

And as a parent, it's really important for us to note the history of how far we've come as African-Americans, not only in the state of Georgia but as a whole, nationally. And we've done that through legislative action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: Another reason why voters tell me they wanted to participate in the early voting process is because of the key issues that matter most to them.

People tell me it's the abortion issue, it's inflation, it's the economy, it's health care. That's what's driving people to come out to the polls and vote early, as well -- Paula?

REID: Nadia Romero, thank you so much for that reporting.

And Latino voters are the fastest-growing voting bloc in the country, and winning their support is crucial to those running in the midterm elections.

Recently, there's been a shift in communities all over the country with more Latinos voting Republican.

CNN's Boris Sanchez talked with voters to find out why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABRAHAM ENRIQUEZ, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, BIENVENIDO: If America is so bad, if America is so -- is such a terrible country to live in, why did 50 migrants die, suffocate in a trailer, to come seek a better life in this country?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The grandson of Mexican migrants, Abraham Enriquez says Democrats are losing support among Latino voters because their rhetoric is out of touch and that their policies allow for what he calls unrestricted immigration.

He says hardline policies like those pursued by former President Trump resonate with many voters like him.

ENRIQUEZ: I think Latinos, we don't care really much of what you say. It's what are you going to do, right?

So many people are tired of politicians that just speak but don't act. And for the first time, we had this political outsider that came in and spoke a lot but acted even more.

SANCHEZ (on camera): Do you feel like either party is addressing that issue well?

CARLOS GOMEZ, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: No. No. Neither party is addressing the issue well.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Immigration Attorney Carlos Gomez stays a sensible, balanced approach is so sorely needed but missing.

[20:10:03]

GOMEZ: And either they talk to their base, they talk to the right, or they talk to the left, but they don't come and talk us to. They don't see what we are doing on a daily basis.

SANCHEZ: Justin Stubbs, an Independent who supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, says it's the GOP that seems to be paying most attention to the border crisis.

JUSTIN STUBBS, INDEPENDENT VOTER: It just seems like the Republicans care and talk about more -- they talk about the border issue a lot more.

SANCHEZ (on camera): While the immediate impact of immigration might be felt most strongly by voters here in Texas at the southern border, it's an issue that resonates all over the map.

(voice-over): Including here in Florida where there is also a large Hispanic population and a Republican governor that has taken a hardline stance.

MARIA CORINA VEGAS, DEPUTY STATE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN BUSINESS IMMIGRATION COALITION: This is not a policy. That's a stunt. I'm sorry. That is a stunt.

SANCHEZ: Local pro-immigration advocate, Maria Corina Vegas, says leaders like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott try to win votes by demonizing outsiders.

VEGAS: And that's what populists do effectively.

SANCHEZ: But the Venezuelan-American warns the long-term costs could be devastating.

VEGAS: I never thought I would see that in this country. I saw that in my country. It tore my country apart. And it doesn't matter if it comes from the right or from the left. It's anti-democratic.

JULIO CABRERA, BUSINESS OWNER: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SANCHEZ: For Cuban-born entrepreneur, Julio Cabrera, the issue of immigration is tied to the economy.

CABRERA: This country moves because of the immigrants and Latinos.

SANCHEZ: Sixteen years ago, Cabrera says he was robbed at gunpoint by criminals in Mexico while trying to seek asylum at the southern border with his daughter. Today, he is a successful restaurateur in Miami.

The American dream, Cabrera says, would be impossible without immigrants. So he has turned off what he called incendiary rhetoric.

CABRERA: Everybody is an immigrant here. And we have done something remarkable for the community.

SANCHEZ: Younger voters, like Marvin Tapia, a Colombian-American who lives in Miami's Little Havana, argued that demographic change is a blessing that more politicians should embrace.

MARVIN TAPIA, COMMUNITY LEADER: We're sharing a country built on immigrants, and we should kind of be proud of that, that we evolve and we grow and we change.

Things can't stay the same forever. I believe that growth is pivotal to the growth of a country, especially like the U.S. We should learn from it instead of run from it.

SANCHEZ (on camera): With early voting under way in many states, the Latino vote could prove pivotal. Already, in Florida, nearly a million ballots have been cast.

The question remains, will this right-ward trend in the Latino community continue?

Boris Sanchez, CNN, Miami Beach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Children are filling up pediatric hospital beds right now more than at any other point in the past two years. In some places, hospital playrooms are being turned into patient rooms.

So what should you look out for as this wave of respiratory illnesses crosses the country? Dr. Saju Mathew joins us next.

Plus, hackers got into the accounts of CNN correspondent, Donie O'Sullivan, once. Can they do it again? Wait until you see what happened. And learn how to secure your own accounts from similar hacks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:17:22]

REID: The respiratory virus, known as RSV, is spreading a lot faster than usual, flooding hospitals with sick children.

Take a look at the leap in weekly cases. Over 7,300 in one week. This month alone, the highest in two years. This is based on less than 10 percent of the population, so the true number of cases could be many times greater.

Earlier here in the CNN NEWSROOM, I spoke with a pediatric infectious disease specialist about whether the surge could have anything to do with kids being physically isolated during much of the past two years.

But she says look more closely at grown-ups as the possible source.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. AMY EDWARDS, PEDIATRIC INFECTION CONTROL, UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS RAINBOW BABIES & CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: RSV does not induce what we call sterile immunity. So if I get RSV, I will get it again.

But what we do know is that kids who get RSV, then when they get it again the next year or two years later, tend to have milder cases. So there's some protection from getting multiple RSV infections, back-to- back-to-back. And of course, we're missing that.

And the other thing is adults are actually also very dependent on getting multiple exposures to RSV, back-to-back to back, which they haven't been doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: One place seeing the effects of this RSV surge is Connecticut Children's Medical Center. This hospital is considering opening a medical tent in front of its lawn to handle the massive influx of patients.

For more on this, I want to bring in Dr. Saju Mathew.

All right, Doctor, setting up medical tents? Sounds like a pretty drastic step.

So what do parents, who have been trying for the past over two years to keep their kids health and safety -- safe from COVID, what are they going to do now? What can they do to protect their children from RSV?

DR. SAJU MATHEW, CNN MEDIAL ANALYST: Yes. Well, welcome back, by the way, Paula, from maternity leave. Nice to see you back.

Yes. To answer your question, listen, there are vaccines that are out there that are true and tried, like for COVID-19 and for influenza. So first of all, get vaccinated.

There's still a lot of hesitancy amongst parents, especially now that kids are back in school full time without a mask. That's also why this virus is spreading like wildfire.

Now for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, for RSV, there's not a vaccine. Guess what, researchers are actually working on that. So in the next few years, we can look forward to a vaccine that decreases your risk for RSV.

But washing your hands. And remember, most kids actually do fine. Just to reassure parents, 90 percent to 95 percent of kids with RSV do well.

It's the kids who are really young, below the age of 2 years, especially below 6 months, maybe even kids who have cardiac or pulmonary issues or who are premature. Those are the kids that usually don't do as well with RSV.

[20:20:11]

REID: And why are things getting so bad so early in the year? It's interesting, I talked to two other doctors earlier, and they noted that usually it's a wave across the country. But instead, they're seeing this uptick simultaneously across the nation.

So what do you think's going on here?

MATHEW: I think there's a lot. I mean, it's just a perfect storm.

America's back open again, largely unmasked. I'm a huge believer that we made a mistake when we took away mask mandates on planes and trains. And I know it's difficult for kids to wear masks, but that is really one of the drivers.

And, secondly, the fact that we don't really have much immunity. This is the first time that we're going out there as Americans traveling, going to school, without wearing a mask. And a lot of people are not vaccinated.

So if you don't have immunity from the last two years, when you're exposed to the virus, the virus really acts up.

And I think what's most concerning is, not that RSV is surging. It's how it's surging. How hospitals like here in Atlanta -- a friend of mine who is a pediatrician was intubating a child in the hallway the other day because they weren't able to keep up with the demand.

REID: Wow.

Now on the issue of masks, I want to show our viewers something you tweeted today.

You wrote, "I was one of several TV medical analysts that said once you remove a mask mandate, it will be tough to bring it back. Now when we need that mandate, especially at airports, on, trains, and congested spaces, we are fighting a blizzard of viruses, and it's not even winter yet."

Look, nobody's talking about restoring mandates. So will it make a difference if someone chooses to wear a mask right now, even if no one else is? As they travel, as they attend school events?

Can you be the difference for yourself if no one else is doing it? MATHEW: It's better than nothing, Paula. Obviously, when I wear a mask

and somebody else wears a mask, then we protect each other much better. If you're on a plane, 99 percent of people are unmasked.

So absolutely wearing a KN-95 mask will be key, washing your hands, and also making wise decisions.

A lot of people listen to me and are like, there goes Dr. Mathew again about the masks.

But I'm not saying masks in of itself will take care of the problem. It's about a layered approach. Why not wear a mask if you're in crowded spaces, make sure you are careful.

Secondly, if you're sick, stay at home so you don't spread the virus.

And get vaccinated. You know, the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine this year, I think, Paula, is going to work.

A lot of the epidemiology friends that I'm talking to, they think that we have hit the nail really when it comes to predicting which strains might affect us this year. So definitely, get the influenza vaccine, as well.

REID: Why are they so confident this year? One of the criticisms that people who don't get the influenza vaccine is it doesn't always match the strains that are out there.

Why is there this heightened confidence this year?

MATHEW: Well, you know, what you really do is -- it's a guessing game. Obviously, if you look at all the facts, and it's really a medical evaluation of which strains might affect which geographic areas, it's not always the hard-core science.

But this is what I tell people. I know this from being a primary care physician. Even if you get influenza or the flu after getting vaccinated, the severity of illness is much less.

And that's what I mean about the layered approach. Get all the ammunition, go out there and enjoy your life.

I've been traveling. I've been to Paris. I've been to India. I've been very open on social media. I'm not living in a bubble, Paula. But I'm definitely taking the precautions that I can take.

REID: All right, Dr. Saju Mathew, thank you so much for joining us.

MATHEW: Thank you, Paula.

[20:23:59]

REID: In the Pennsylvania Senate race, Dr. Mehmet Oz is writing another big check to his own campaign. He's millions of dollars behind Democrat John Fetterman when it comes to fundraising. The latest on that race and the battle for the Senate, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:28:44]

REID: Just over two weeks now until the midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress.

Voters are turning out in big numbers across the country to cast early ballots. So far, nearly six million people have already voted in the midterm elections.

Candidates are also on the trail today stumping for votes.

The tightly contested U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania pits Republican Mehmet Oz, who loaned his own campaign an additional $1 million this week, against Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman.

CNN's Dan Merica in in Pennsylvania where Fetterman's campaign event has just wrapped up -- Dan?

DAN MERICA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right, Paula. This event wrapped up where John Fetterman was on stage with Amy Klobuchar, a Senator from Minnesota.

It was a unique event for John Fetterman, who had a stroke in May, returned to the campaign trail over the summer, and has mostly focused on rallies where he had talking points, a stump speech to give, that allowed him to stick to a certain script.

This was different. He was in a more intimate conversation with Klobuchar that touched on everything from their backgrounds to unions to the abortion debate and the economy.

[20:29:52]

And John Fetterman acknowledged he was using closed-captioning technology. That's the technology that allows Fetterman to read what Klobuchar is saying as she says it.

Because as he's acknowledged, he has auditory processing issues from that stroke. Now, there are two monitors in front of Fetterman and he was seen reading those remarks as Klobuchar gave them. Why does this matter? The debate on Tuesday against Oz is going to be key.

And if that debate, closed caption will also be used. So in many ways, this was a practice run for the Fetterman campaign. Now, Fetterman did push back pretty hard on Oz throughout the conversation included on crime which has dominated the race here in Pennsylvania. Take a listen to how he commented on Oz' focus on crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FETTERMAN, PENNSYLVANIA SENATE NOMINEE: He literally doesn't have a plan, other than to talk, and that's been a hallmark of his campaign. Just not any plans, just cheap photo ops, or just empty kinds of arguments. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MERICA: Now, Paula, it's not happenstance that we're here in Chester County. This was a key county to Democrats in 2020. It helped deliver the White House, frankly, to President Joe Biden. It was key to Democrats in 2018. But as recently as 2012, this county voted for a presidential nominee -- Republican presidential nominee in Mitt Romney. That is why Fetterman is here. He and his campaign aides know they need big turnout here in Chester County to beat Oz in November.

And as we've noted, this race is tightening, polls over the summer showed Fetterman with a pretty big lead. But as we've gotten closer to November, those polls have tightened. This race is really coming down to the wire, Paula.

REID: All right. We'll be watching. Thank you so much of that report.

And there were already claims of voter intimidation and harassment ahead of Election Day, and at least one candidate who's already questioning the integrity of the vote. We'll break it down with our own Chris Cillizza and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez of The Washington Post.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:53]

REID: Democracy in action and possibly under attack across the country. There are reports of voters and election officials being harassed and intimidated. And even the system itself is under attack with election deniers undermining confidence in the election process.

Now, I want to bring in Yvonne Wingett Sanchez of the Washington Post. She holds the newly created position of democracy reporter for Arizona. And here in studio is CNN's politics reporter and editor-at- large, Chris Cillizza.

All right, Chris. Just days before voting gets underway in Texas, the Secretary of State in Austin notified Harris County, so that's the largest in the state that it will send inspectors to check voting records and vote counts.

Now, the county's top election official a judge who's a Democrat suggests the goal here may be to sow distrust. So is this just something that's going to happen everywhere? Is it in the playbook?

CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, I was just -- I was just going to say this is the first of a lot of these things. This is a state versus a federal. So the top election officials in the county are saying, we need the federal government involved the State, the Secretary of State, are sending their own people. We're going to see this a lot. This is -- this is not an isolated incident. This is going to keep happening all the way up to and maybe even after Election Day.

I mean, remember, we're talking about really close races in a lot of these places. These are not races that may be decided on Election Day. We may have extra vote count, you know, absentee ballot, all that sort of stuff. And this is a precursor of something that's going to get worse and worse, or more and more. I shouldn't say worse and worse, more and more contentious between now and Election Day and even maybe beyond.

REID: And you talked about either state issues --

CILLIZZA: Yes.

REID: Here, Yvonne, in Arizona, they've sent to the Justice Department three complaints of voter intimidation, including this one, quote, there is a group of people hanging out near the ballot drop box filming and photographing my wife and I as we approach the drop box and accusing us of being a mule, end quote.

So, how worried are election officials that these so-called activist observers will try to intimidate voters who go to these drop boxes?

YVONNE WINGETT SANCHEZ, WASHINGTON POST DEMOCRACY REPORTER FOR ARIZONA: Well, they're so worried that last night they called local authorities and asked them to come out to a voting location in Mesa. This is something that folks here in Maricopa County have been bracing for. It, very clearly, is coming to fruition.

And you know, they are really trying to sort out, you know, how do we balance people's rights of observing these drop boxes within 75 feet and voters ability to cast their votes without fear? And clearly, this is something that is probably only going to escalate here in Maricopa County and Arizona more broadly. I mean, we're home of the 2,000 mules movie. This is a conspiracy that has taken hold here in Arizona and has really gripped people in a way that voters are now seeing the consequences of.

REID: And, Yvonne, Arizona's Republican gubernatorial nominee, Kari Lake, has long touted false election claims. Last week, here on CNN, she refused to say if she would accept the results if she loses. But now, she says she will accept them with some conditions. Let's take a listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARI LAKE, ARIZONA GOVERNOR NOMINEE: I will accept the results of this election if we have a fair, honest, and transparent election. Absolutely 100 percent.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: But if you were to lose and you went out and you had all your appeals they went through.

LAKE: As long as it's fair, honest, and transparent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: So Lake's democratic opponent, Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, has said her office is preparing for challenges from Lake. Lake has, of course, called into question her role as Secretary of State and all this. Just how incendiary could all this become? SANCHEZ: It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Lake's allies are very clearly starting to lay the groundwork for potential challenges. Everything from Hobbs overseeing this election to, you know, potential issues on voter day at the polls. They are preparing for potentially a long drawn out legal affair.

[20:40:09]

And I will say Kari Lake has been pretty direct about how she will treat the results of the 2022 election. If she wins, it's very clear she will accept them. If she does not, it's very clear there will be a fight.

REID: So, Chris, it's very unlikely that Lake suddenly found confidence --

CILLIZZA: No, she did not.

REID: -- in the system. So she's taking a step back potentially to have a broader appeal?

CILLIZZA: I don't think so. I wrote down, she said fair, honest, and transparent. Now, five years ago, those were not terms that we would have a debate about, right? It's like, well, OK, fair, honest, and transparent. That makes sense. But fair, honest, and transparent has become in the eye of the beholder, to some extent, and I think that's what you're seeing with Kari Lake here.

REID: Interesting. And Lake's opponent, the Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs. She's been criticized for not debating Lake. Hobbs says that Lake has turned the GOP into a circus. So, it seems like voters, they're really getting shortchanged here. Because no one's talking about the issues. No one's talking about inflation, immigration, abortion,

CILLIZZA: It's very much a personality contest. And I actually think that -- and look, to some extent, all politics is a little bit of a personality contest. I always said to people, you know, no one goes to a website and looks at all the -- very few people go to website and look at all the policy proposals, check them off, then go to the other website, check off those and say, OK, well, I have more checks on this one.

People vote on personality. The issue, I think, if you're Katie Hobbs is Kari Lake is a very polished personality. She spent decades doing what we do talking on television, it's a skill, it's an acquired skill that she has. And I actually think Katie Hobbs made a mistake by not debating her. Her explanation was, I'm not going to debate someone who's an election denier, why would I give her that platform?

The problem is, you look like you're running from that. You look like you don't feel like you can stand on the stage with Kari Lake. And I don't think that's working Katie Hobbs is favored. I mean, we'll find -- the good thing is we'll find out in 17 days.

But I would just circle fair, honest, and transparent. That used to be something that we could all sort of nod our head, shake hands and agree on. That's really in the eye of the beholder. And to Yvonne's point, I think Kari Lake is very likely if she doesn't win and contest this selection or not concede. There's nothing that she's done in the past that would indicate anything else.

REID: Interesting. And, Yvonne, you have so many critical races in the state of Arizona, the governor's race, as we mentioned, the Senate race, Secretary of State. What are voters telling you about their confidence in the system that is going to determine all these critical outcomes?

SANCHEZ: Look, it depends on who you're talking to. Democrats, very clearly, trust the system. A lot of independent women, these folks out in the suburbs, these moderate Republicans, for example, they trust the system. There are ambassadors for the system like Rusty Bowers, the Arizona Speaker of the House, who are, you know, one person at a time conveying their own trust in the system. And I think that that has helped make sure you know that that people do feel as though their votes are going to be counted and as though the results are going to reflect voter's will.

However, on the other side. We have had two years now of former President Donald Trump and his allies. Lake, Finchem, Mark Finchem, who's running for secretary of state, Blake Masters, who's at the top of the ticket. The Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, every single one of them has played a critical role for the last two years, denigrating the system sowing mistrust, distrust in the system.

And people are going to respond to that. We have voter turnout, especially on the Republican side that is pretty low right now. The ballot returns are not as high as they have been in previous years. This reflects likely voters mistrust in the system. They are probably going to show up on election day in bigger numbers than we have seen in previous years.

REID: Interesting. Well, we'll be watching and reporting. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Chis Cillizza, thank you. And don't miss Chris' new podcast, Downside Up, where he speaks with journalists, experts, and forward thinking futurist to help us envision what might have been and how even a small shift in the status quo could change our world completely.

And still ahead, we had three years to fix passwords, Donie O'Sullivan, after last getting hacked on TV by a cybersecurity expert. Now, we'll see if his accounts are safe. We'll put it to the test once again as he gets a reality check on something we should all learn about securing our accounts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have been using quite a few of the same passwords over the years. I've gotten a bit better with some accounts.

RACHEL TOBAC, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, SOCIAL PROOF SECURITY: I guess we'll find out (END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:45:24]

REID: Nearly five months after the Uvalde School massacre where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers, the Texas Department of Public Safety has fired the highest ranking state trooper initially on the scene that day. Sergeant Juan Maldonado was among the first to respond arriving less than five minutes into the massacre, but law enforcement waited 77 minutes to move in on the killer.

And while the school district police chief was fired in August, and the Uvalde School's Superintendent retired this week, plenty of others still have their jobs. As CNN reported exclusively on Thursday, this State Police Captain, Joel Betancourt, remains on active duty even after sources say he ordered a delay of the classroom breach thinking a more highly skilled team was on the way.

[20:50:12]

Now, we've all gotten those e-mails alerting us to a suspicious login attempt. But what if your account really does get hacked? CNN's Donie O'Sullivan found out firsthand just how vulnerable our passwords can be, and how often we leave the door wide open for hackers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'SULLIVAN: So it's been three years since you last hacked me here in Vegas, Rachel.

R. TOBAC: Yes.

O'SULLIVAN: You have stolen about two and a half thousand dollars worth of hotel points. A lot has changed. There's been a pandemic, there's a new president. I am still wearing the same shirt though, so.

R. TOBAC: Oh, yes.

O'SULLIVAN: You have put me in a middle seats.

R. TOBAC: On a five-hour flight.

O'SULLIVAN: Oh, my God. This time, I mean, as far as I know, you haven't broken into any of my accounts so far or anything like that.

R. TOBAC: No, I'm about to do that right now.

O'SULLIVAN: OK.

R. TOBAC: Most people, when they log into their accounts, they reuse their passwords, or they change it just ever so slightly. And when you do that, if you've been in a breach, which all of us have, that means I can take that password and I can shove that into all the other sites that you log into. O'SULLIVAN: I have been using quite a few of the same passwords over the years. I've gotten a bit better with some accounts.

R. TOBAC: I guess we'll find out. I'm going to go to a data breach repository site. And I'm going to put in your e-mail address. And you can see here that you're involved in 13 breaches just with this e-mail address alone.

O'SULLIVAN: Wow. Online, there are sites that collect all that breached information like e-mail addresses and passwords. And it's likely some of your data is in there, too.

R. TOBAC: We have our first password that I found. Does that look familiar to you, Donie?

O'SULLIVAN: Yes, that's a password I still -- I used to do occasionally.

R. TOBAC: OK. So you were using that on LinkedIn.

O'SULLIVAN: Many times.

Tip number one, don't use the same password for different services. Your password for your Gmail should be different to the password for your Instagram. If one of these services gets attacked, and your password is leaked, hackers can use it to get into a different site if you're using that same password.

R. TOBAC: The hackers got a lot of information, some of which included a hash, we also were able to crack one of your passwords. The other half is Evan, is the other half of Social Security. I want to bring him in here and show you what it looked like when he cracked your password.

O'SULLIVAN: Evan emerges from the darkness.

R. TOBAC: Come on in here, Evan.

EVAN TOBAC, HEAD OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL PROOF SECURITY: I can take all the passwords that we know about you, put it in a word list, and then try 10,000 different little tweaks that you'll probably try. I can add a number at the end, I can add a special character. And we did that to your password list and we cracked one of your new passwords.

Is this a password that you use now?

O'SULLIVAN: Yes.

R. TOBAC: How do you feel about that?

O'SULLIVAN: I -- tip number two, don't use very similar passwords across different websites. If you don't want people like Evan being able to figure out your password.

I guess I probably go change my passwords. That not great. R. TOBAC: it's not.

O'SULLIVAN: So, what are the tips for people not to be like me?

R. TOBAC: Well, first and foremost, it is on the companies to avoid getting hacked and prevent breaches like this. Many companies do not use MFA internally, that second step when they're logging in. We need them to use that.

O'SULLIVAN: MFA is multi-factor authentication, which is when they text you code or whatever after putting your password.

R. TOBAC: Text you a code, you look at an app, you have a prompt on your phone. That's your second step. So, if I get your password, I still can't log into your account because I don't have that code. Don't reuse your passwords. If you reuse your passwords across multiple sites, even for sites that you deem silly or kind of a throwaway site, I can take that password and I can use it against you. So, you have to use long, random, and unique passwords for every single site. I recommend storing it in a password manager which keeps all of your passwords safe and encrypted and can generate good passwords for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Donie, Donie, Donie, thanks for helping us all. Remember to change our passwords. We appreciate your reporting.

And tomorrow, join Stanley Tucci as he explores the heel of Italy's boot. It's a region known for its fresh and simple food, along with its famous olive oil. Don't miss an all-new episode of 'Stanley Tucci Searching For Italy" tomorrow night at 9:00 on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:55:21]

REID: Former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, arrived back in the U.K. today, just days before key party vote on a successor to Liz Truss, the woman he replaced just six weeks ago. Although Johnson hasn't publicly declared himself a candidate for his old job, he reportedly told a cabinet minister he's up for it.

Elsewhere overseas tonight, Iranian leaders are lashing out at the West after another week of nationwide anti-government protests. One Tehran official says Iran plans to sue the United States for what he calls direct involvement in the unrest.

And doctors in Haiti are sounding the alarm about an outbreak of cholera. About 100 people every day need treatment for cholera now that is very concerning to health officials in a country already dealing with a critical food shortage as well as fuel shortages and violence. At least 37 people have died from cholera in just the past week.

Well, thank you for joining me this evening. I'm Paula Reid. Pamela Brown is back tomorrow night.