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New Day Saturday

Biden Focuses on Economic Message, Slams GOP Ahead of The Midterms; Children's Hospitals Overwhelmed by Unprecedented Levels of RSV; January 6 Committee Subpoenas Trump to Testify. Aired; Families Wait To Hear From Loved Ones Taken By Russians As Prisoner Swaps Continue; Infrastructure Attacks Leave Parts Of Ukraine Without Power; One Of First Officers On Scene In Uvalde School Shooting Served Termination Papers. 6-7a ET

Aired October 22, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:43]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, buenos dias, and welcome to your New Day. I'm Boris Sanchez.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Boris. I'm Amara Walker. It is the final push to Election Day. We just weeks to go until the midterms. President Biden makes his final pitch to voters with his agenda on the ballot. And now his Student Debt Relief Program, which has been a selling point for young voters has hit a roadblock. We'll tell you what it can mean for millions of people across the country.

SANCHEZ: Plus, an alarming surge in respiratory viruses among kids leaving pediatric wards overwhelmed. What is behind the spike and what does it mean heading into flu season?

WALKER: And the January 6 committee issued a formal subpoena to former President Trump to try to get him to testify and handover crucial documents. Will he comply and what happens next?

SANCHEZ: And Russia unleashing a new round of strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, forcing rolling blackouts. We're going to take you to Ukraine for the very latest.

Take a nice big deep breath. It is the weekend Saturday, October 22, we were so grateful that you are starting it with us. Great to be with you, Amara.

WALKER: Yeah. Great to be with you as well, Boris. Good morning and happy weekend.

Well, as we were saying this morning, we are just over two weeks from the midterm elections. Yes, it's already here, when control of the House and Senate is up for grabs and millions of people have already turned out to vote in crucial races across the country. And new numbers show nearly 6 million ballots have been cast already in 39 states potentially pointing to another election cycle with high voter turnout.

WALKER: And with Americans facing high inflation and gas prices, the economy is the top issue heading into November 8. Republicans and Democrats are now working overtime to drive home their message to voters to mobilize their respective bases. President Biden spent yesterday touting democratic wins on the economic front while slamming economic plans put out by Republicans. One of his key initiatives though hit a big hurdle. A federal appeals court paused his College Loan Forgiveness Plan.

Let's bring in CNN's Jasmine Wright to discuss that. Jasmine, this forgiveness plan was a key point the White House was hoping would help motivate voters, especially young voters of color. Now, that plan is on hold.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Boris, and it is a major boat blow to the President. And the question for many now is how long will it last? The White House had initially said that people could see student debt relief as soon as Sunday. Now, of course that is on hold as that appeals court has given the administration until Monday to respond. And then those who brought the chancellor six GOP states have until Tuesday to respond to the administration. So obviously, we have a bit of a delay here.

Now, of course, this comes at a precarious time, just three weeks, under three weeks until the midterm elections. And finally, just yesterday, we saw the President really for what amounts to kind of the first time lean into this controversial executive order really touting the success that he said 22 million people have signed up in the first week. There were no glitches on the website. And of course, telling how beneficial it would be to young people and to young voters ahead of the midterms.

Now, he also slammed Republicans saying how, who do you think you are for those who are criticize the plan that he has? Now, of course, we know that the White House in response to this hold has urged people to still continue to sign up for the debt relief, really wanting them to continue their applications. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, she said, we will continue to move full speed ahead in our preparations and compliance with this order. And the administration will continue to fight Republican officials suing to block our efforts to provide relief to working families. So, the White House is clear not backing down on this but of course it remains to be seen how long this pause will last if not indefinitely. Boris, Amara?

WALKER: Yeah, and Jasmine, we know President Biden's approval ratings are underwater. He's not exactly welcome at many of the rallies to help the Democrats who are running in this election. But he is talking about his political future. What is he saying about his plans to run again in 2024?

[06:05:18]

WRIGHT: Well, the President gave the clearest answer that we've heard so far from him on 2024, about whether or not he will run. He said that he has not made a form of decision about running, but it is his intention to do so. Take a listen to him here in this MSNBC interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The reason I'm not making a judgment about formally running and not running, once I make that judgment, a whole series of regulations kick in, and I have to be -- I treat myself as a candidate from that moment on. I have not made that formal decision, but it's my intention. My intention to run again, and we have time to make that decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: Now, of course, his intention is going to loom large over these next two weeks, because as you said, he isn't an unpopular president, despite the fact that some of the things he's passed while in office are popular, and of course, his age 79 years old, he is the oldest president to date. So those are all going to be factors for the next two weeks, as this White House races to the midterm elections. Boris Amara?

WALKER: Jasmine, appreciate it. Jasmine Wright there.

And let's bring in CNN Political Commentator, Political Anchor for Spectrum News and Host of the, You Decide podcast, Errol Louis. Good morning, Errol. And we were just saying, right, I mean, heading into a midterm. This crucial we would expect to see at least traditionally the President holding big campaign rallies. But the White House has obviously taken a much more toned-down approach and stuff focusing on Biden's ability to raise lots of money for the Democrats. So more private events. And an analysis from the New York Times shows Obama I think, had 16 rallies in the October -- in October, before his first midterm. Trump had 26. And you see there Biden with the big fat zero for the month of October. Does this hurt or help Democrats in the midterms?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, Amara. You could put another line of numbers on that chart, and I think it would explain what President Biden is doing right now. Because after he did all of those rallies in 2010, and Joe Biden was there with him. President Obama's Democrats lost 62 seats, 63 seats in the House of Representatives. But, you know, after doing all of those rallies, Donald Trump saw the Republicans lose 40 seats in 2018. So yes, they are not following tradition. And they specifically want to break with tradition. They don't want to go out there spent a lot of time and a lot of money and a lot of political capital, only to see a real backlash from voters who traditionally don't particularly want to keep supporting the president's party when it comes to the midterms.

WALKER: So right, I mean, economy, right, is the huge issue. Americans want to feel like they have more money in their pockets. Right now, they don't feel that way. And inflation has been stubborn. Gas prices, I mean, it's barely inching down. Is there anything else the Biden administration can do to help on that front?

LOUIS: I think what they're trying to do is all you can do if you're in the White House under these circumstances, which is show that you are trying, that you are fighting for your constituency that you're going to try and make it easier for people, because it is a pretty grim situation at the pump, and at the grocery store counter. On the other hand, we've seen that President who had a tough economic hand, I'm thinking now of former President Bill Clinton, just by showing that he was fighting, that he was doing everything he possibly could, he won a reelection. I think that is the strategy that the Biden White House is attempting that they're going to do the best they can, even if it's just through executive order on student loans, they got to truly a trillion plus dollars into infrastructure, the Inflation Reduction Act, they're going to lower the cost of prescription drugs, they have an adequate record to run on. They just have a populace. I think that is very upset because there's a ground war in Europe and the prices keep going up. And there's a lot of bitter division for a lot of different reasons. But, you know, the record shows that over time for his own reelection, at least President Biden can expect people to start to realize that he's at least on their side, even if he doesn't win every single fight.

WALKER: What kind of alternative are the Republicans promising to improve the economy?

LOUIS: You know, it's interesting, because you don't really hear anything. And they understand that they don't have to really give anything in the way of specifics. Because that's not what this is about. When people fill up their car -- I had to fill up my car just yesterday. It's a pretty painful experience. It was at least $10 higher than I was expecting to pay. And when that happens, people I think it may go right rational calculation and say this isn't working out for me, let's just go in a different direction. And they don't particularly need to know that the Republicans want to cut taxes or, you know, adjust prescription drug prices or whatever it is they may be running on, they don't have to.

[06:10:15]

And if the message is, time for a change, because this isn't working, that's a very potent message going into the final days of an election season.

WALKER: Another topic that Biden was talking quite a bit about was abortion, right? This week, and he was promising to codify Roe v. Wade, if the Democrats did gain more seats in the next couple of weeks. When Roe v. Wade was overturned this summer, I mean, it seemed like the silver lining for the Democrats at least was, hey, this is going to inject more enthusiasm for the midterms. It's going to ignite this sense of urgency. Do you feel those feelings however, have faded a bit?

LOUIS: You know, the polling suggests that it might have been. But I emphasize might, Amara, because there was also a wave of new women, especially young voters who registered, who decided to vote for the first time. We've seen this before. And so, polls aren't necessarily going to capture those people. If you just newly registered, you don't show up as the kind of voter that pollsters are looking for. You're not necessarily in the databases that they're using. And so, Democrats believe they're hoping that they're going to be able to mobilize those people. That's why you see so many ads from so many Democratic candidates going back to abortion, even though it doesn't necessarily seem to have the kind of electric charge that it had right after the overturning of Roe. This is one of those mysteries that we're going to know better, how it all worked out on November 9.

WALKER: Well, whatever the issues are, that are mobilizing people we're seeing a lot of people turning out early, especially here in Georgia. And that is definitely heartening. Errol Louis, appreciate you joining us this morning. Thanks so much.

LOUIS: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So, this is a story that is of special concern for parents because there is a growing health issue that is affecting young kids, cases of a common respiratory virus, SRV, are surging across the country.

WALKER: Yeah, it's very concerning, right. I mean, federal data shows that 74% of pediatric hospital beds are currently in use nationwide. And several hospitals tell CNN that they've been overwhelmed with patients at a time of the year when the surge in RSV cases is unusual. CNN Medical Correspondent Dr. Tara Narula has more.

DR. TARA NARULA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Boris and Amara. We are seeing an uptick in RSV nationwide. And in particular, when it comes to kids having to go to the hospital, we're seeing hospitals in many parts of the country really being overwhelmed with the number of kids being admitted and diagnosed with RSV. We know that RSV is a very common lower tract respiratory illness in kids usually under the age of one and on average causes about 58,000 hospitalizations a year in kids under five.

Typically, we treated symptomatically. And most kids do well, even when they are hospitalized with supportive care. We think we're seeing this uptick in part because of COVID mitigation strategies, which really prevented kids in many parts of the country from being exposed at a time when they normally would. We know that most individuals have RSV before they even reach the age of two. But here we have a population of children who never really had the ability to develop immunity because of those mitigation strategies. Also, moms who may not have passed along immune immunity to their babies, because of decreased exposure to moms over the past two years.

In terms of what parents need to know. We want to make sure that they pay attention to things like runny nose, sneeze, cough, fever, wheezing, or in young infants, decreased activity or irritability or difficulty breathing. Certainly, if any of those things get worse or a child is unable to stay hydrated, looks like they're having respiratory difficulty, then it is important to get to the emergency room.

Pediatricians do have tests to help differentiate this from COVID in the flu, so that's another important thing to note. And finally, keeping kids safe. This is transmitted basically in similar ways with cough and sneezing and viral particles that can land on hard surfaces and actually live there for several hours. So, it'd be important to cover coughs, to wash hands, to disinfect and clean surfaces and really avoid contact with people who may be sick, particularly paying attention to your younger children and keeping them away from anyone who may be exhibiting signs, that could be RSV.

WALKER: Yeah, it's tough though. You know, these kids in these preschool settings are just sitting in a petri dish it feels like. Thank you, Dr. Tara Narula.

Coming up, the January 6 committee slaps former President Trump with the formal subpoena, calling on him to testify and hand over documents related to the insurrection. The question now, will he comply?

SANCHEZ: Plus, Russia hammering Ukrainian infrastructure forcing blackouts across the country. Now, there are fears Vladimir Putin is plotting an attack against a critical dam. We have the very latest from the ground in Ukraine. Stay with New Day. We're back in moments.

[06:15:06]

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WALKER: The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack made good on its promise to subpoena former President Trump formally serving him on Friday. It comes in an effort to try to get him to testify and hand over crucial documents by early November. Trump's testimony though rare for a former president is necessary to close the investigation. The documents and testimony each expected by early November.

SANCHEZ: Let's bring in CNN Capitol Hill Reporter, Annie Grayer, who joins us is now live with the very latest. Annie, this is a sweeping document. It's a trove of information that the committee is asking for. So, walk us through what's in the subpoena?

[06:20:12]

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yeah, this subpoena really lays out the committee's belief that Donald Trump was at the center of a multi-faceted scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the subpoena uses evidence at the committee's presented throughout its hearings to make that point. It says that Donald Trump enacted a wide- ranging pressure campaign across our government from the Department of Justice to state officials, to lawmakers, to even the former vice president to try and get help in this pressure campaign.

It says that Donald Trump orchestrated the fake elector scheme to have states submit fake electors on his behalf to Congress. And it says that Donald Trump played a key role in summoning the violent mob on the Capitol on January 6, because Trump knew that some of his protesters, these protesters were armed. And he did nothing to stop the violence for hours as he watched it unfold on television. So, in addition to laying all that out, the Committee requests a wide range of documents from Trump, including all the conversations he had on January 6. And any conversations he might have had with witnesses that have also testified to the committee. So those documents are due November 4, and the committee is asking Trump to sit for an under-oath deposition, either in-person or virtually November 14.

WALKER: And Annie, so what do we know about how Trump might respond to this?

GRAYER: So, we don't know yet exactly how Trump is going to handle this, but his lawyers who he has hired specifically for the subpoena, have acknowledged receipt of it and said they're developing a further response. But we know this is going to be a lengthy legal battle. And time is not really on the committee side, because it's expected to finish its work by the end of this calendar year. And the committee believes that Trump has testimony that only he can provide and are willing to take any steps necessary to secure it. Listen to what Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said on our air yesterday about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): He has a legal obligation to come in and talk to us but just as importantly, as a legal obligation to respond to the documents that we've ordered him to produce. All of which are important to finishing our investigation. So, let's see if he lives up to what the law requires of him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: So, we're just going to have to see how this plays out.

WALKER: Yeah, and of course, we'll be watching closely with you. Annie Grayer, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Annie.

WALKER: And up next, the story of a Ukrainian mother who hasn't seen her son since Russians took him at the start of this war. While he is believed to still be alive, the toll, his absence is taken on her is growing.

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[06:27:13]

SANCHEZ: New this morning, rockets reportedly seen passing over the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine as air sirens sound around the country.

WALKER: It is the latest and another round of unrelenting strikes from Russia that have crippled Ukraine's infrastructure and power sources, forcing widespread blackouts for many parts of the country. And as these unrelenting attacks unfold, there are many families who are still searching for loved ones, missing since the beginning of the war.

CNN's Clarissa Ward is in southern Ukraine and she is joining us now with more. Hi there, Clarissa.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Amara and Boris. Well, today we see evidence of what we've been seeing really now for almost two weeks that Russia is relentlessly targeting civilians and Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. We've spent the last couple of weeks working on a story about another way in which civilians have been targeted in areas that have been occupied by Russians. Civilians have been detained illegally and forcibly transferred to Russia. Many are now languishing in prisons, while their loved ones desperately work to get them freed. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: In the Kyiv, suburb of Hostomel, normal life has started to return. But the scars of Russia's five-week occupation remain.

Olena Yuzvak hasn't seen her son Dima, a 23-year-old engineer, since Russian soldiers took him from their family home seven months ago with no explanation.

They took him from our front yard and he's being held in the territory of the Russian Federation, she says. I know for sure he's alive because I received a letter from him. I demand Russia release my civilian son.

The letter sent from Russia was delivered via the Red Cross in Geneva. There are just three words, mama, alive, healthy.

(On camera): Did you know immediately when you read it that it was from him?

OLENA YUZVAK, MOTHER OF CIVILIAN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: Yes. (Foreign language).

WARD: He wrote it, she tells us. I feel he is alive. I know he is alive. I hope.

(On camera): What would you want Dima to know right now?

(Voice-over): Dima should know that Mama is waiting for him, she says. And Mama is fighting for him.

Olena is not the only mother fighting. On Monday, 108 women, including 12 civilians were released from captivity in Russia. According to Human rights groups, hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been imprisoned unlawfully there. The lucky ones are used as bargaining chips and prisoner swaps.

When we first met Katerina Andryusha in April, she was desperately looking for her daughter Victoria. The young math teacher was taken from her home by Russian soldiers on March 25th after they found messages about Russian movements in the area on her cellphone.

She was taken to a detention center in Russia. We hope that she will get in touch, Katerina says, with somebody somewhere. Last month, Victoria was one of two civilians returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner swap. "It's over, don't cry, you're home", the other woman released comforts her. It was a moment Katerina will never forget. KATERINA ANDRYUSHA, DAUGHTER WAS RECENTLY RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN PRISON

(through translator): She called me when she first crossed into Ukrainian territory. I was crying and shouting. The whole neighborhood could hear.

WARD: The family home now is a place of celebration. Victoria tries not to dwell on what she went through.

(on camera): Were you ever treated badly?

VICTORIA ANDRYUSHA, RECENTLY RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN PRISON (through translator): In the beginning when I first arrived there, yes.

WARD: In what sense? What did they do? What did they say?

V. ANDRYUSHA: Different kinds of threats about what they can do to me and how they will do it. There was physical abuse, too, but I won't say it in front of my mom. Mom doesn't have to know this.

WARD: How does that make you feel as a mother to hear what your daughter went through?

K. ANDRYUSHA: It's hard. So hard.

WARD (voice-over): Outside and away from her mother, Victoria tells us more about her detention.

(on camera): Were you assaulted in some way when you were held captive?

V. ANDRYUSHA: Yes, I was given electric shocks. They used sticks on their hands and legs. Really, this was physical abuse. They were beating me. Psychologically, I had prepared myself for this possibility. And I knew this could happen at any moment. I was probably lucky that it happened to me once.

WARD (voice-over): International law is very clear that it shouldn't happen at all. Under the Geneva Convention, civilians are to be treated as protected persons and the act of forcibly transferring them to another country is a war crime. Katerina is now focused on the joy of being reunited with her daughter after months of horror. But for so many others, the nightmare continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: Elana(ph) who you saw at the beginning of the piece is still looking for her son, Dima(ph), along with many other family members trying to track down loved ones who have been detained in Russia. And Boris and Amara, this is just sort of one pillar or one Russian tactic that we're seeing.

Another one is the forcible deportation or so-called evacuation of Ukrainian citizens into Russian territory from Russian-held occupied parts of Ukraine. That also, according to human rights groups, that forcible movement of civilians into Russia constitutes a war crime. So this is something very serious that we're seeing being implemented in various different ways on the battlefield.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CO-ANCHOR, NEW DAY WEEKEND: Yet another brutal tactic the Russians have employed in this bloody invasion of Ukraine. Clarissa Ward reporting from that region, thank you so much. Let's discuss further now with CNN contributor Jill Dougherty, she's actually the former CNN Moscow bureau chief and currently a Georgetown University Adjunct Professor.

Good morning, Jill, great to have you on bright and early. As Russia has been losing ground on the battlefield, we've seen them really start to target civilian infrastructure. Power plants, there's a dam that now is potentially under the Kremlin's scope. How long do you anticipate this is going to continue.

JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: This could continue for quite a while. Because really what's happening, you know, if you stand back and look at it, in the beginning of the war, the Russians were attacking, you know, fuel depots, things that could be used kind of in a military sense.

But now that they are ceding territory to the Ukrainians, the Ukrainians are taking back that territory. The Russians are really trying to figure out what to do, because on the ground, their gain is not strong. So they've taken to the air. And this is where they can go in and really just bomb civilian infrastructure. And you say, you know, why would they do that?

[06:35:00]

Well, number one, it degrades the Ukrainians. But it also sow a lot of fear and makes areas inhabitable. I mean, if you go after water, electric, lights, et cetera, it makes it almost impossible for people to live there. So I think that's the technique that they're using.

And Clarissa talking about, you know, removing people from the areas, you could say that, that kind of clears the decks for the Russians to try to have an all-out battle without civilians in the way.

But I think the problem now is, this is obviously the technique that they are continuing. They are not stopping this. And Putin apparently thinks that this is effective. So I fear that this is going to go on for quite a long time.

SANCHEZ: And a new chapter in this war also deals with the use of these suicide or kamikaze drones that Russia has started using. The United States believes that it is Iran that is supplying these drones. Iran denies it, Russia denies it. In your assessment, is there any credibility to those denials?

DOUGHERTY: Well, if you watch Russian TV, there's no credibility because actually on TV, we've had a couple of instances where the anchors or people who are interviewing were saying, well, we know they're Iranian, but we can't really say that. So let's keep it more kind of quiet. So this is -- it's ludicrous.

I mean, I think what's happening is, the Russians, from what I understand, have had -- have -- you know, bought these drones from the Iranians, and then tweaked them in some fashion to make them Russian. So when the Russians claim that they are Russian drones, technically, they have, again, you know, tweaked them, but they are essentially Iranian.

And they're not very sophisticated. I mean, they come in, they're kind of like small missiles. They are called kamikaze as they blow up. You know, there are other drones that can actually be reused. So these are really -- I would say, weapons of desperation. Russians do not have adequate supplies of drones on their own. And so they're using Iranian drones.

SANCHEZ: And the U.S. Intelligence is that there are IRGC agents or Iranians on the ground in Ukraine training Russians on these so-called Russian drones. Interesting curve of logic there. Jill, France has called for the United Nations to investigate this. They say it's a potential violation of international law. What could the United Nations do if they found evidence that Russia was doing this to punish them?

DOUGHERTY: Well, one of the problems in the United Nations is that, of course, Russia is on the Security Council, and so any action that they might take, Russia usually tries to block. But recently, we've seen a lot of nations actually condemning what Russia is doing. But ultimately, whether it could stop Iran or Russia from doing that is kind of questionable.

But I think, you know, overall, Russia's image is being damaged by that. You have to look at their friends now. Their friends in a military sense are Iran and North Korea. That in my opinion is a really sad commentary on Russian diplomacy.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the friends you keep say a lot about you, don't they? Jill Dougherty, thank you so much for the time. Thanks for the insight. Still ahead, mortgage rates are rising yet again, and this time, they are stopping just short of 7 percent. What that means for perspective home buyers coming up.

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[06:40:00]

SANCHEZ: Let's get a quick check on some of the top stories we're following this morning. In Texas, a state trooper among the first to respond to the Uvalde school shooting has been served termination papers. The Public Safety Department didn't disclose on what grounds Sergeant Juan Maldonado was fired.

CNN was first to report, he was seen on body-camera video less than 5 minutes after the shooter entered the school. His firing comes after public outcry over the extreme delay in law enforcement's response to the massacre.

AMARA WALKER, CO-ANCHOR, NEW DAY WEEKEND: A school district in Virginia says nearly 1,000 students at a high school -- at a high school were out this week with flu-like symptoms. Officials with Stafford County Public Schools canceled all activities through Sunday at Stafford High and will re-assess the situation Monday as they continue to quote, "work with the local health department to identify the root cause of the illness."

SANCHEZ: And the IRS making changes to 401(k) rules, an unprecedented boost to how much you can save for retirement coming from the IRS. Starting next year, you can contribute $2,000 or roughly 9.8 percent more into your retirement account. The new cap, $22,500. Contribution limits to traditional IRAs and after-tax Roth IRAs boosted as well the $6,500.

[06:45:00]

The jump is largely because of inflation, and it comes just days after the agency announced changes to tax brackets for the next year. The upshot for anyone with earned income, a likely boost in take-home pay.

WALKER: AND if you're looking to buy a home, you might want to think again, at least right now. This week, mortgage rates saw another hike creeping closer to 7 percent. Since the beginning of the year, mortgage rates have more than doubled.

SANCHEZ: It's the result of an effort by the Federal Reserve to try to tamp down inflation, but higher rates are putting home purchases more and more out of reach for many Americans. CNN's Rahel Solomon has more.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Boris, Amara, mortgage rates are more than double what they were at the start of the year when the average 30-year was closer to 3 percent. This means that buying the same house today costs much more than even just a few months ago.

For example, if you bought a $390,000 home today and put down 20 percent, that same home costs an additional $700 more every month, and that's causing buyers to sit out this market. New data this week shows that sales of existing homes in September fell nearly 24 percent compared to last year, and down 1.5 percent compared to the previous month.

So why are mortgage rates rising so much? Well, like many things in this economy, the answers lies with the Fed, as the Fed tries to cool inflation by slowing spending. It's been raising its key interest rate. That then impacts borrowing costs for us, consumers, including mortgage rates.

And in the housing market, we're absolutely seeing a slowdown in spending. Existing home sales have fallen for 8 months in a row. But what about home prices? Well, supply is still tight. So prices have yet to slow in a meaningful way. Prices are still on average higher than they were a year ago, although, slowing on a month-to-month basis. So what's a buyer to do?

Well, I talked to Dottie Herman; she's a real estate pro with Douglas Elliman who said, if you can still afford to buy, you might have better luck negotiating with the seller in this market. But the key words are, if you can still afford to buy. Boris, Amara.

WALKER: Yes, I don't think a lot of people can afford to buy right now. By the way, this programming note for you. Join Stanley Tucci as he explores Puglia at the heel of Italy's boot. It's a region known for its fashion, simple food, along with its famous olive oil. Don't miss an all-new episode of "STANLEY TUCCI SEARCHING for ITALY", that's tomorrow night at 9:00 on CNN. Back after this.

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[06:50:00]

WALKER: So, the Phillies are two wins away from going back to the World Series for the first time in more than a decade.

SANCHEZ: Andy Scholes joins us now. Andy, an eventful night especially for one player.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, good morning guys. You make a blunder in the post-season, fans will remember that for a very long time. And luckily for Phillies' second baseman, Jean Segura, he quickly made up for his mistake. Fourth innings, the Padres had first and third, Phillies get a great chance for a double play, but Segura drops it, a run comes in to score to tie the game.

But then in the bottom of the inning, Segura comes up with runners on second and third, delivers a single into the outfield, scores both runners, Phillies take the lead, 3-1. Padres get the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Jurickson Profar gets rung up on a check swing.

He was livid. He gets ejected. Really looks like he checked his swing there. The Phillies though, they hold on to win game three, 4-2, taking a 2-1 series lead. Here's Segura after the game on turning his night around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN SEGURA, SHORTSTOP, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: I make a -- I'm going to say in a second when I boo-boo the ball, and there's probably the play, and I made 3,000 tying every half in the game. But it's part of the baseball, you know. You learn from a mistake and keep on going. I just thank God I came through and a big moment for our team. Today, we walk with a win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Game four of the ALCS tonight, 7:45 Eastern. The ALCS also back in action, the Astros is up 2-0 on the Yankees, that game, 5:00 Eastern on our sister channel "TBS". All right, in the NBA last night, the Warriors hosting the Nuggets. Steph Curry trying to lead a fourth quarter comeback, hits the deep 3 here, he had a game high 34.

Warriors down 3 under 20 seconds left, they're pressing, they're going to get the steal, Jordan Poole lays it in, cuts the lead to one, but a heads-up play by two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, he grabbed the ball immediately and threw it down court to Bruce Brown for the slam. Denver holds on to win that one 128-123.

All right, have the back-to-back-to-back World Cup finals for the U.S. Women's soccer team is now set. The draw held for 2023 earlier this morning. The U.S. is going to open group play against Vietnam, then the Netherlands as well as a game against the winner of a playoff between Cameroon, Portugal and Thailand.

The U.S. was put on the opposite side of the bracket from England, which means they could meet in the final, although reigning European champs beat the U.S. 2-1 earlier this month. The 2023 Women's World Cup kicks off from Australia and New Zealand in July. Guys, I got another big day of college football. Boris, I'm sure, I mean, you're pretty excited. Syracuse taking on Clemson, that game is at noon --

SANCHEZ: That's right --

SCHOLES: Too, so you don't have much time between the show, you're ready for that one.

SANCHEZ: I am not going to miss it. I've been pushing you guys to give us some Syracuse orange highlights on weekend mornings, hopefully tomorrow, it will be highlights of a win and not a loss to Clemson.

SCHOLES: Yes, 14-point dogs, so you guys pull the upset.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: I just want to know, Boris, what you're going to be cooking up, because I'm always on your Instagram feed looking like what is he making today for the game?

SANCHEZ: I cook Sundays, not Saturdays, Saturdays, it's --

WALKER: Not Saturdays --

SANCHEZ: Uber Eats. Yes --

(LAUGHTER)

Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

WALKER: Thanks, Andy. All right, still ahead, hospitals overwhelmed and parents on edge. Cases of RSV surging in children across the country. More on what parents can do to try to keep their children safe.

SANCHEZ: So the city of Philadelphia had a record-high number of homicides last year, and incidents of gun violence continues to surge.

[06:55:00]

It's a danger that Tyrique Glasgow knows well. He's -- had been shot 11 times when he was a drug dealer in his south Philly neighborhood, but since he returned home from prison a decade ago, he has been a force for good. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRIQUE GLASGOW, EX-CONVICT: When you run a block, you're the one who the community people know, is a dangerous life, but it's a normal life. Going to jail really woke me up -- our community was going to follow me for someone of negative stuff, I just said, let me see if they're going to follow me for something positive.

All right, you can grab what you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make yourself at home.

GLASGOW: In 2019, we opened up our community engagement center which used to be a community drug house. But now it's a safe place for our children.

How many people here got kids?

We provide clothing, food, vegetables, we have hot meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One shrimp --

GLASGOW: One chicken. Giving people what they need not only helps them, it consistently stays safer here. The shootings are down and the hope is up. That's what you're here for. My relationships with the Philadelphia Police Department is cool. Seeing the officers in a different light, it builds trust and it builds confidence. They need to see that all cops aren't bad.

It's really about your heart and what you want to do. We're trying to create a safe haven environment for the whole neighborhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: To find out more about Tyrique and his work, go to cnnheroes.com.

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