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Holiday Shoppers Out In Full Force Despite Inflation; Early Voting Begins in Closely-Watched GA U.S. Senate Campaign; Trump Hosts Holocaust Denier At Mar-a-Lago During Visit With Kanye West; Mike Pence Considering Cooperating With Justice Department's January 6 Probe; Supreme Court Clears Way For IRS To Release Trump Tax Returns; Irene Cara, "Fame" And "Flashdance" Singer, Dies At 63. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired November 26, 2022 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:00:25]
PAULA REID, CNN HOST: On Saturday, they are estimated that more than 60 million Americans will get out there to do that holiday shopping. Many of them plan to do it in stores.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're a little worried about inflation. So I hope we can get some sales.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't mind spending money. It is only once a year and you only live once.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything has gone up this year. I think as we go out and look for gifts, we're really mindful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both of these systems will be moving across the country over the next 24 hours. so even if your travel plans aren't today but maybe they're tomorrow, these systems may end up impacting you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know there is that extra headache or stress added to being on the road during this time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In more than two dozen counties across the state, early voting underway here.
HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: This is a fight that we're going to win.
SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): It is time to show up and vote.
Are you ready to win this election?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: I'm Paula Reid in Washington. Pamela Brown is off tonight. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. We're following two big stories as they unfold -- the mid-term
elections and the beginning of the end.
In parts of Georgia early voting is underway in the run-off election for the nation's final open Senate state. It took a state Supreme Court ruling for today's vote to happen.
And holiday hustle and bustle on the road and in the air. Some 55 million Americans are traveling this Thanksgiving weekend. Weather though is adding to the snarl and the biggest surge is just ahead.
But we begin this hour with the holiday squeeze on your wallet. Prices are rising. The economy is souring, and your gift list isn't getting any shorter.
Well, President Biden is hoping to lead by example in this season of spending, working in a little holiday shopping for the second day in a row.
Now, CNN's Gloria Pazmino is out and about among the shoppers in New York City. Gloria, you've got a great assignment here. And I did a little shopping yesterday. So what are you seeing out there right now?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I leave all my shopping for the absolute last minute every year. I think this is the year I'm going to do it on time. And I still wait until the last minute.
But there is a lot of energy out here. People are definitely in the spirit, and they have been shopping all day. They join millions of Americans that have been going out in the last few days after Black Friday, after Thanksgiving trying to cash in on some of those sales, some of those discounts.
I have been talking to people here about their shopping, but also about the economy to see if they're worried with record high inflation. Is their shopping list looking a little different? After speaking with people for hours all day? I can tell you that most people are prioritizing those purchases. They're trying to have a good time and they want to spend their money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came in here knowing what I wanted to buy and I came out with that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came because it's, you know, Black Friday weekend, so we got some of the sales. But inflation is definitely, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like it's been a really rough go the last couple of years, so I just want to have a fantastic holiday season and celebrate with my family and buy some nice things with them. So I was happy to spend the money.
(END VIDEO CLIP) PAZMINO: So just a few of the millions of Americans out there shopping today. 60 million people estimated to go out on this Saturday alone.
You can see the numbers peak for Black Friday. Then they come down a little bit and up again to Cyber Monday, which is in just a few days.
And now, I do want to put all of this in the context of inflation because even though it is at a record high, 7.7 percent last month, people are still going out to shop. In fact, retail sales are expected to increase this year.
So I perhaps will join the masses and do some holiday shopping myself. But for now, a lot of energy here and people who are really looking forward to the holiday.
REID: Yes. Jump in there. Spend some money. Get a few things crossed off your list. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.
By air and land, some 55 million Americans are traveling this holiday weekend and many of them are dealing with headaches. So far today more than 2,700 U.S. flights have been delayed and wet weather will complicate plans through tomorrow.
[17:04:58]
REID: CNN meteorologist Gene Norman joins us now. All right, Gene, which areas of the country are going to be the most problematic?
GENE NORMAN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well Paula, tomorrow it will all going to be along the East Coast. Today we're still tracking some delays in Orlando. And that's mainly due to volume, but there is some rain nearby.
Earlier today, Houston and Dallas were slowed down by this storm system which is going to be tomorrow's problem on the East Coast.
And we're still dealing with -- for drivers -- some really rough storms here. We had a tornado warning -- confirmed tornado just to the southwest of New Orleans earlier this afternoon.
But I do see a lot of lightning with these storms. It kind of concerns me. We could see some more rough weather for drivers along I-59, I-10. In fact, the tornado threat could extend all the way over to Panama City as we work our way into the overnight hours tonight.
Now, let's talk about tomorrow because that's where it's going to get real soggy and you will be slowed down here as this rain pushes up towards St. Louis and Cincinnati. I95 going to be a slow go. And if you are heading to those airports, be prepared for slowdowns because these storms are going to really impact air travel tomorrow.
We're looking at moderate delays. That's what we're forecasting now for the airport -- New York, Washington, D.C., Philly. But it wouldn't surprise me if they move into the major delay category because of all this rain and the volume. Also out west, tracking a snowstorm out there which could slow things down. Paula, the best thing we could say about tomorrow is you won't need
that winter coat. Temperatures will be in the moderate. Rain, in fact, Miami broke a record today at 87 degrees.
You will need to pack your patience and the poncho as you try to make your way back after the big Thanksgiving holiday. And that's when you spend all that money shopping.
REID: Way to look on the upside, gene. Thank you so much for that forecast.
Early voting is underway in the Georgia U.S. Senate run off battle. But only after the state Supreme Court sided with Democrats in a legal fight to allow voting on the first weekend after this Thanksgiving holiday.
Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock faces Republican nominee Herschel Walker in this high stakes contest. As many as 22 of the state's 159 counties let voters start casting their ballots today.
CNN's Eva McKend is outside a polling place in Atlanta. All right. Eva, you have been doing such great reporting down there for what seems like so long. What kind of turnout are you seeing today?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: well, Paula, there has been a steady stream of people all day at this polling site in Atlanta. Some folks have had to wait quite a long time -- an hour and a half, two hours is what we're hearing.
You know, Democrats not only won in terms of getting the Saturday voting, you see people obviously coming in and out of this site. But this is also really a galvanizing issue for Democrats, this question over voting access. We met one women who told us that she left and then came back and she felt motivated to come back because Democrats fought so hard for this Saturday.
This issue of Saturday voting also really important for college students. Take a listen to two that I spoke with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOPHIE KIEFFER, GEORGIA VOTER: I thought it was my responsibility as a college student to ensure that while I was home for break that I vote and make sure my voice is heard.
EMMA DEMILIO, GEORGIA VOTER: I go to Boston College, so this is kind of the only time that I'm in Georgia and able to vote. I've had a lot going on in the past couple of days being back from college, so this is really the only time that I had available to vote.
So I leave tomorrow so really happy that I was able to get it in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKEND: As many of our viewers are aware, this Senate contest now in overtime has really been a costly affair. From October 20th to November 16th Senator Warnock raised $52 million to Walker's $21 million. So Senator Warnock with a significant fund-raising advantage there.
But that is not the only sort of powerful measurement of a campaign's strength. Really this runoff, Paula, is about turnout. How many voters each side can turn out ahead and on December 6th?
REID: That's a great point. And of course, all eyes are on this runoff. We would expect there are likely some big names headed to the state. Who can we expect this time around?
MCKEND: That's absolutely right. Former President Barack Obama will return to Georgia next week to stump for Warnock. He was here just a few weeks ago during the general election. But Republicans, you know, still believe that this is a winnable race.
What we have seen is the powerful Senate leadership fund. That is the fund-raising arm, one of the fund-raising arms for Senate Republicans pour a lot of money in support of Herschel Walker, specifically into the ground game that incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who was just re-elected that he has built. You see national Republicans investing in that get out the vote effort, Paula.
[17:09:50]
REID: All right. Thank you so much. We'll keep in touch. Great reporting on the ground on this runoff. Thank you so much.
And new scrutiny for Donald Trump after he hosted white nationalists and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate this week. The dinner was at the request of rapper Kanye West who has changed his name to Ye.
CNN's Maeve Reston joins us now. Hi, Maeve..
An unusual situation to say the least. What are you learning about this dinner?
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. So what Donald Trump has said so far is that he was planning on having dinner with Kanye West and that Kanye showed up with Nick Fuentes who is a Holocaust denier. He is someone who has been banned on most of the major social media platforms because of his hate speech and anti- Semitic views and also the fact that he is a white nationalist, a white supremacist.
So this has obviously brought a really swift backlash so soon after President Trump -- former President Trump his announced his presidential campaign.
He has been condemned by potential rivals like Chris Cristie, as well as his former ambassador to Israel and even President Biden today talking about this. So clearly a controversy that is not going to go away any time soon.
REID: Absolutely. Because if someone brought someone like that to your house or my house, you could always just tell them to leave. But that's not what happened.
And of course, President Biden weighing in, too. How did he respond?
RESTON: So President Biden was asked about -- by a reporter about this today and I think we have that sound saying that --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, what do you think of Donald Trump having dinner with a white nationalist? What do you think of that, sir?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You don't want to hear what I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RESTON: so obviously, you know, that's the whole reason why Biden got into the presidential race originally was because of Charlottesville and people like Nick Fuentes and the fact that President Trump had used this sort of false equivalency when he talked about there being good people on both sides at a white nationalist rally.
So we are seeing this becoming more and more of an issue as this campaign moves forward. And President Trump did come out and try to clean this up a bit with some posts on Truth Social. I just want to read you what he said.
He said "This past week Kanye West called me to have dinner at Mar-a- Lago. Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends who I knew nothing about. We had dinner on Tuesday evening with many members present on the back patio. The dinner was quick and uneventful. They then left for the airport."
So once again trying to distance himself, claimed that he did not know about this person's ideology but not using the opportunity on Truth Social to condemn that ideology as we have seen before.
REID: Exactly, something we have seen many, many times with the former president.
Maeve, thank you so much for your reporting.
RESTON: You're welcome.
REID: And this month alone, there have been 36 mass shootings in the United States. So what needs to be done to stop this truly American problem?
Well, Shannon Watts, the mother of a Sandy Hook victim and the founder of Moms Demand Action joins us next.
Plus, some families lost everything from Hurricane Ian. So giving thanks this weekend takes on a different meaning.
And it's no secret pro wrestlers love to be hated, but the way politics are right now, it is becoming too dangerous.
[17:13:20]
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REID: The man who opened fire inside a Virginia Walmart bought his gun on the day of the shootings. He killed 6 people before taking his own life. And like most states, Virginia does not require a waiting period to purchase firearms.
But from 1994 until 1998, the U.S. did have a federal waiting period to buy a gun. And a Harvard study found that waiting period laws that delay the purchase of firearms by a few days reduce gun homicides by roughly 17 percent.
Now, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action joins us now. Shannon, thank you so much for being with us. All right.
Let's just kick off with the biggest question here, which is why don't more states have these kinds of waiting periods?
SHANNON WATTS, FOUNDER, MOMS DEMAND ACTION: It's a great question. Only nine states and Washington, D.C. have some kind of waiting period. In some cases hours, in some cases days.
As you said, there are studies that show that they reduce not only gun homicide but gun suicides. And I think big picture the real issue here is the fact that we need stronger gun laws. Yes, it is state level. But in particular at a federal level, right?
Right now we're only as close or as safe as the closest state with the weakest gun laws. And so we have been working for a decade now through Moms Demand Action to pass laws at a federal level.
We just passed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act this summer. It will save thousands of lives. It approaches gun violence holistically But the laws that you are talking about, a waiting period, even a basic background check, a red flag law, an assault weapons ban, we don't have those things right now at a federal level.
And that's what we have been fighting for and in the interim really going state by state to help pass these laws.
20 states now have a background check on every gun sale. 19 states have red flag laws and on and on. This work is happening from city councils to school board to state houses. But we need our federal legislators to act.
REID: And Shannon, the amount of gun violence in this country is startling. It is not just mass shooting, of course, it's also as you noted, suicides, domestic violence. And when it comes to mass shootings, so far this years, the United States has experienced 612. In November alone, we had 36 mass shootings.
Of course, people call for action after highly publicized shootings with very little changes. So is it even possible to get any laws that would make a difference?
[17:19:52]
WATTS: So first of all, I would argue that very little has changed. So much has changed just in the last decade that I have been doing this, right? We finally have a grass roots movement that can go toe to toe with the gun lobby. We have 10 million supporters in our organization. We're twice as large as the NRA.
As I mentioned, we passed state level laws. We passed policies city councils and school boards. These are life-saving laws that are proven to save lives in America from gun violence.
And also I think it's important to remember that we often talk about, as you said, mass shootings because there is so much coverage of something when there's a certain number of people who are killed.
But every day 110 Americans are shot and killed in this country, hundreds more are wounded. Not just gun homicide but also gun suicide, unintentional shootings, domestic gun violence.
And so we have to really remember that this is a crisis of epidemic proportions, but it impacts us at all different levels. And so we have to find solutions to all of that.
And I mentioned earlier the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, that's the federal legislation that passed first gun bill in 30 years. We had 15 Republicans sign on, a seismic shift in American politics and it looks at this issue wholistically from domestic gun violence to unlawful community violence, intervention dollars, to strengthening red flag laws.
So this work is happening. People shouldn't feel hopeless at all. Obviously these mass shootings, gun violence is tragic. And it can feel disheartening, but if we're cynical, I think that can often lead to inaction.
So when you join an organization like Moms Demand Action and you get involved as an activist you realize how much we are winning on the ground both offensively and defensively and you realize that your activism makes a difference.
REID: Shannon Watts, thank you so much for joining us.
WATTS: Thank you.
REID: Colorado residents showed their support for one of the heroes in the Club Q mass shooting. Army veteran Richard Fierro re-opened his family's brewery this week for the first time since the attack on the LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs. The line to get in stretched outside the door.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA MCGUIRE, CUSTOMER: This brave man in here, he deserves all the respect that he can get for just coming out and loving the community and then helping the people in the community right where he was at the right time.
SUSAN KERINS, CUSTOMER: He saved a lot of people's lives, you know. He could have been killed. And that's why we're here, to support his business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Fierro is one of two people police say took down the accused gunman in the nightclub shooting. Five people were killed, including his daughter's boyfriend. More than a dozen others were injured.
And there are fears of a post-Thanksgiving surge in cases of the flu, RSV and COVID. A doctor joins us next to explain how you can protect your family.
[17:22:47]
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REID: Anger continues to boil over in China over the government's zero COVID policies. Protests erupted in multiple cities across the country as people demand an end to strict government COVID restrictions.
In some parts of the country, residents have been forced to stay in their homes for more than 100 days. Authorities say the restrictions are necessary to protect lives.
Now protesters are blaming the lockdown measures for delaying firefighters from reaching the deadly scene from a deadly apartment fire in an apartment earlier this week. 10 people were killed and 9 others injured.
Now, despite the lockdowns, China is seeing a record number of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. Authorities this week reported more than 30,000 cases a day.
And as families gather together this holiday weekend, health officials fear a triple-demic of flu, COVID-19 and RSV. The Department of Health and Human Services says more than three-quarters of hospital beds nationwide are full.
Experts worry that holiday travel and large family gatherings could worsen the spread and push those hospitals to the brink.
So joining us now is Dr. Richina Bicette McCain. She is an emergency medical physician and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Doctor, thank you so much for being with us.
First I want to touch on the case loads at hospitals where you are and hospitals across the country. What are you seeing right now?
DR. RICHINA BICETTE MCCAIN, EMERGENCY MEDICAL PHYSICIAN: Well, luckily for us, COVID cases around the United States have remained relatively stable for the last few months. We are not seeing signs of the winter surge that we experienced over the last two years, but I cannot say the same as it relates to RSV and the flu. We are seeing unprecedented numbers of RSV at this time of year. But
not only are the cases higher than we're used to seeing, the rate of rise is also a lot quicker than we are used to. The positive news there is that in many places across the country, Texas being one of them, RSV does seem to be on a bit of a down trend.
Here we had a 26 percent positivity rate for RSV in October. And at the end of last week, that was down to 15 percent, so headed in the right direction.
Not quite the same for the flu, however. We haven't seen flu numbers like we're experiencing currently since probably the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. And not only are flu cases high, they're staying high and they're continuing to rise.
REID: Pandemic is not a word that anyone wants to hear right now. But why is all of this happening? Why these three viruses at this level right now? What exactly has led to this situation?
[17:29:52]
BICETTE MCCAIN: You know, there are so many things that I could touch on and so many reasons. This is really multifactorial.
I hear a lot of talk about the immune debt and immunity gap, and I don't think that that fully explains what's going on. I have said this before, that I think that's more of a societal term than a truly scientific one.
What we're not talking about enough are the potential impacts that COVID-19 infections can have on one's immune system and how it can negatively impact your immune system.
Not only making it more susceptible for you to contract viruses but making those viruses more virulent and dangerous once you do contract them.
Right now, infants under the age of six months are being hospitalized at seven times the rate with RSV than they were pre-pandemic. That can't be explained by an immune gap.
What can explain it is that studies have shown that pregnant mothers, who are infected with COVID, deliver infants with higher levels of an inflammatory marker that impact their health long term.
Or the fact that other studies have shown mothers that contract COVID deliver infants who have lower lung volumes than others.
So there are a lot of things at play here.
REID: That's really interesting.
Can you talk about the ways these three viruses spread as people go from these big holiday gatherings, back to the workplace, back home. They don't all transmit the same, correct, the flu, RSV and COVID? BICETTE MCCAIN: Correct. For the most part, these are respiratory
viruses. But viruses such as COVID spread via airborne particles, whereas, with the flu, we're looking at respiratory droplets.
Viruses can live on surfaces, not just your hand but surfaces like counter tops and doorknobs. COVID for the most part hasn't shown to be transmitted at a high rate by touching surfaces. But RSV can live on surfaces for up to six hours.
REID: All right, Doctor. Thank you so much. Arming people with that information will help prevent some of the spread.
Thank you again for joining us.
BICETTE MCCAIN: Hopefully. Thank you.
REID: And former Vice President Mike Pence is said to be considering cooperating with the Justice Department. They are, of course, investigating the January 6th capitol riot, among other investigations. And former federal prosecutor, Shan Wu, joins us next.
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[17:36:21]
REID: And Mike Pence's legal team is indicating that he's considering cooperating with the Justice Department's criminal probe into Trump's efforts to impede the transfer of power after the 2020 election.
Pence previously rejected a request to testify before the Democrat-led January 6th committee.
Now defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, Shan Wu, joins us now.
Shan, if Pence was your client, would you let him cooperate and to what extent? How much would you let him say?
SHAN WU, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: If he was my client, I would tell him to cooperate fully, actually for a good political benefit because maybe he could peel off more mainstream Republican voters.
And at the bottom of the argument is there's no legal basis for executive privilege because it is the executive branch. This is not Congress where he could say this is all political that I'm helping President Trump, et cetera.
This is the executive branch investigating a crime. He is going to lose that legal argument.
But the problem is, of course, he could cause a big delay on this. If I was advising him, I would say, Mr. Vice President, you will lose at the end of the day and it will make you look good to cooperate now.
Plus, who is going to enforce the executive privilege against him? Nobody. REID: That's a great point.
Speaking of delays, a matter that's been going on for years, the House Ways and Means Committee has now been authorized to receive former President Trump's tax returns.
Now, the committee had to say they wanted these because they want to examine whether tax laws apply to sittings president, they would do some legislation. They had to say that to get it through court, right?
But the bigger question is, what, if anything, are you hiding?
And so what is the potential risk here now that this committee has these tax returns?
WU: So this is sort of the holy grail in Trump's world, those tax returns.
What's really juicy about it is you can match up some of the information he's already made public. For example, he's got like 500 LLCs, which are limited liable corporations, that he ensconces his businesses in.
When you get the tax returns, you can compare those and see how he's really treating that income.
And also what are some of the sources of that income? Are there foreign assets? Are there foreign taxes?
And even some of those sort of questionable charities that he supposedly donates to, all of that could be found in the tax returns.
And they could choose to release some of that publicly. That's within their discretion. And if there's something juicy, DOJ could ask for it.
REID: All right. I was down in Atlanta a few days ago where the court of appeals was hearing arguments about the investigation into classified documents possibly being mishandled down in Mar-a-Lago.
The panel of judges didn't seem quite convinced by the Trump team of lawyers and their arguments about why they needed this third party to review these documents.
So lay out for us what are the constitutional concerns here with this case and having this so-called special master, this third party review these materials?
WU: So the constitutional concerns are this is a criminal investigation, and there's a civil matter being used to interfere with it. So that is very untraditional. It is very rarely seen.
And I think the 11th Circuit panel was very much reacting to that. It is very much an interference with the executive branch's primary core duty to investigate crimes. Special masters are used, but they're used in a very narrow way, which
is lawyers' offices searches, like when Giuliani's office was searched or Michael Cohen's.
The appointed special master, kind of like a tank team, could shifted through it to determine what's privileged, what's not.
[17:40:03]
But the Trump team has been all over the place with that very small amount of privileged documents. They're mostly trying to talk about the unfairness of the investigation. And the 11th Circuit was not very sympathetic to that.
REID: No, they're like, this is unfair. If you get a special master, everyone will ask for a special master.
Shan Wu, thank you so much for helping us make sense of it all.
WU: Good to see you.
REID: And parts of Florida are still working to recover from Hurricane Ian. Next we will check in with a man who swam half a mile to rescue his elderly, disabled mother trapped in her flooded house.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY LAUDER, HURRICANE IAN SURVIVOR WHO SWAM TO RESCUE MOTHER: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) We're looking at four feet of water, and I have been swimming forever. Oh, my god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[17:45:12]
REID: Actress and singer, Irene Cara, who is best known for singing the theme songs for the movies "Fame" and "Flashdance," has died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: That was, of course, Cara singing her Oscar-winning song "Flashdance, What a Feeling."
Her publicist confirmed the news this morning saying Cara had died in her Florida home.
Cara's breakthrough came in the 1980 movie "Fame," where she starred as a student of the New York School of Performing arts. She also appeared in the 1976 musical, "Sparkle." In a statement too CNN, Cara's publicist says: "Irene was a gifted
woman whose body of work is loved by millions of people all over the world."
"She became an icon for music lovers in the '80s and inspired many of today's most influential singers, such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston."
"We're all mourning her death but we'll celebrate her legacy as a bright spot in our lives."
Irene Cara was 63 years old.
And it's been nearly two months since Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida. Many of those affected are still recovering. So many spending Thanksgiving without a home.
But you know the saying about being thankful even when times are rough? Well, our next guest is taking that to heart.
You may remember him from his last appearance on this show after he swam half a mile through a flooded neighborhood in Naples to save his elderly, disabled mother, who he found stranded in her home.
We wanted to have him on this holiday weekend for `an update on his incredible story and the heartbreaking recovery efforts still underway in Florida.
Johnny Lauder joins us now.
Johnny, first of all, happy Thanksgiving to you and your mother.
So tell us how was your holiday and how is mom doing?
LAUDER: Thank you.
Holiday was good. Most of us had to work. You know, we might have lost everything, but we didn't lose our jobs.
Mom was feeling a little under the weather. She's in a recovery center. She had bacterial infections and other complications.
But she's in good spirit. And she wasn't feeling well, so she wanted to sit this Thanksgiving out.
We did have a lot to be thankful for, though. So it was a little -- a little touching Thanksgiving, I guess you could say.
REID: Talk about your home. How are things going on that front, and your neighbors as well? What is it like down there?
LAUDER: The city and the county has done a really good job so far cleaning stuff up. There's still debris in a lot of places. A lot of people were displaced.
We are currently staying with my oldest son at his house. We were finally able to secure housing, which is next to impossible right now. And the place that we secured won't be ready until the end of the year.
So a lot of people in Lee and Collier County lost their homes, had to move elsewhere. Shelters are overfilling. And a lot of people are just coming together and staying with family and just doing the best we can.
Some people picked up and left and figured they didn't want to take a chance on the next one.
REID: So often after a natural disaster like this, attention eventually moves elsewhere. Do you feel that your community is getting the support that it needs to fully recover?
LAUDER: Yes, yes. And we're making way the best we can. I mean, the outpouring of support that I have had from family, friends, the city, people I don't know has been overwhelming. Everybody has just come together.
It's amazing how a disaster can make the community closer. It's sad that it takes something like that at times.
But we all have our heads up and keep pushing forward. And we'll get through this.
But material stuff is gone. You know, the important thing is finding a roof over one's head. After that, you can fill it with whatever you want. You know, it can all come back.
REID: And that's a wonderful way to look at it.
You did say there are some difficulties in trying to get a new home, new shelter. What kind of red tape are you encountering in this process?
LAUDER: Well, it is not necessarily the red tape. It is just that, you know, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and there's many homes that, you know, you cannot live in because of the mold or the walls of the house has just been completely destroyed.
So anything that was available, now you have 100,000 people all looking for the same place. It is a race to try to find a place.
(CROSSTALK)
[17:50:05]
LAUDER: There's not enough homes -- yes. I'm sorry?
REID: Oh, no, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
The video of you, the story of you and your mom, it really became so iconic of that particular storm. How has that video changed your life?
LAUDER: I get a lot of people that I don't know that now know me or say you look like the guy on TV with the funny hat to save his mom. I get a lot of that.
But I'm just a boy who wanted to go help his mom. Anybody would have done it. When I explain it, they all say the same thing, good job, good son.
(CROSSTALK)
LAUDER: It's a nice feeling. It's a nice feeling.
REID: We're so glad that you made that journey. And we hope you and mom continue to do well this Thanksgiving holiday.
Johnny, thank you so much for joining us.
LAUDER: Thank you. Thank you.
REID: And the U.S. national soccer team is getting ready for a showdown with Iran. A win will send them to the next round of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Argentina soccer star, Lionel Messi, made sure his team won today. Patrick Snell joins us live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:55:56]
REID: At the World Cup, the U.S. men's national team is getting ready for what may be one of the most-closely watched matches as it takes on Iran Tuesday.
CNN's Patrick Snell is with us.
Patrick, I'm no sports expert, but it seems pretty simple, right? Win or go home for the American team.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN HOST, "WORLD SPORT": You said it, Paula. You're spot on. Yes, that's what they've got to do. America's national men's team needs to get that win.
Last night, they, the U.S., had a draw 0-0 with the England, the 1966 winners. The point is good for the Americans. They certainly had their chances to win the game for me.
They absolutely were the better side for most of that match. But if you don't score, you're going to be left frustrated.
Huge match to look ahead to on Tuesday facing Iran, who had a really impressive victory over Wales by 2-0 on Friday.
Simply put, an American win over Iran puts the U.S. through to the last 16. Remember, the U.S. team did not qualify for Russia 2018.
I've got to get on, Paula, to a thrilling Saturday at the World Cup in Qatar. Argentina needed to beat Mexico after that shock loss to Saudi Arabia to get their campaign back on track. It's a 35-year-old, the iconic Lionel Messi, with a wonderful strike,
which the goalkeeper can't keep out.
Then Messi rolling it very calmly to 21-year-old Enzo Fernandez. What a moment for the young star, who produces a stunning goal. Look how he curled it. Perfection.
He's now the youngest Argentine to score in the World Cup since a certain 18-year-old Messi back in 2006. A massive win for the South American giants who stay very much alive.
Earlier in the day, Poland recording a vital win over Saudi Arabia, who shocked Argentina in their opener.
Another big story Saturday, France are the reigning world men's champions and they are the first team to qualify for the last 16, the first team to do it since Brazil who did it in Germany 2006.
Another standout weekend for another young talent, super star, Kylian Mbappe. This was vintage stuff on the French. And it's Mbappe who breaks the deadlock, a typical Mbappe Finish.
Just past the hour mark, the Danes did make a game of it, though. Seven minutes later, Christiansen with the header there. That makes it 1-1.
The stage was set for a game Mbappe winner. Paula, he did not disappoint. Four minutes, he is right there to seal a priceless three points for his country.
And Mbappe scored in the World Cup final in Russia. Incredibly, already at the age of 23, Paula, he already now has 23 goals for the French national team.
I said it was an exciting Saturday at the World Cup, and I meant it.
REID: You sold me. You made it really exciting, Patrick. Thank you so much for that breakdown.
On the season premiere of "THIS IS LIFE" with Lisa Ling, how virtual reality, Artificial Intelligence and even sex dolls have become the answer for many people trying to ease their loneliness. Is this a smart solution or a dangerous trend?
Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA LING, CNN HOST, "THIS IS LIFE": Tell me about when you first became aware of Real Doll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh gosh, it was a special on one of the cable channels. And I was like that's interesting.
Before I brought her home, I wasn't sure what to expect. I opened the box and I just went, "Ah", like that. I was just so taken aback. And I felt her saying, "My name is Tasha, take me home, take me with you."
LING: Is she really heavy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's about 60 pounds.
LING: Do you carry her around a lot, or is she pretty stationary?
[17:59:59]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has a stand or she sits in a chair like this.
LING: And you style her, you do her makeup, everything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, I do. A lot of YouTube videos.
