About this transcript: This is a full AI-generated transcript of Morning News NOW Full Episode – Oct. 12 from NBC News, published October 12, 2026. The transcript contains 15,426 words with timestamps and was generated using Whisper AI.
"Developing right now on Morning News Now, Deal in Doubt this morning were new questions about a so-called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump saying both sides made the agreement, but so far Moscow has not confirmed while Ukraine announced new Russian strikes on its..."
[0:02] Developing right now on Morning News Now,
[0:04] Deal in Doubt this morning were new questions
[0:07] about a so-called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
[0:12] President Trump saying both sides made the agreement,
[0:15] but so far Moscow has not confirmed
[0:17] while Ukraine announced new Russian strikes on its facilities.
[0:21] All this just days after President Trump agreed to ease sanctions
[0:25] on Russian diesel fuel and called for Ukraine's president to be replaced.
[0:30] If they want energy ceasefire, we are open for this.
[0:34] He wants to make problems for the world.
[0:36] He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel.
[0:41] I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.
[0:46] Also this morning, mounting fears in the Middle East
[0:49] after two attacks on Saudi Arabia's main airport.
[0:52] We have the latest.
[0:53] Developing this morning, we're tracking wild weather stretching from coast to coast.
[0:58] In the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Isaias making landfall as a Category 2 storm,
[1:11] slamming coastal neighborhoods with heavy rain, powerful winds, and even reports of tornadoes.
[1:17] Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rachel wreaking havoc on the West Coast.
[1:21] And it's not over yet.
[1:22] More on the conditions, the dangers, and what to expect where you live.
[1:27] Then, campaign controversy.
[1:29] A federal judge ordering government-funded pro-Trump TV ads off the air immediately.
[1:35] Plus, the Justice Department now investigating TV networks
[1:39] over suspended pool coverage of President Trump will take you to Washington.
[1:44] And a spooky reality this Halloween.
[1:47] Candy costs creeping up compared to last year.
[1:50] How the not-so-sweet price tag reflects a haunting truth about our economy.
[1:55] Good morning. I'm Nikki Batiste, in for Joe and Savannah.
[1:59] We begin our program with the Russian-Ukraine war.
[2:02] On Sunday, President Trump said both countries had agreed to an energy ceasefire.
[2:07] There was no immediate comment from Moscow,
[2:09] while Ukraine's President Zelensky told Axios the truce was, quote, news for me.
[2:15] Kiev also said Russia continues to attack its energy facilities.
[2:19] It comes just days after the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions on Russian fuel.
[2:23] It's a deal that allows Russia to release 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global markets.
[2:30] The controversial move is aimed at trying to bring down diesel prices weeks before the midterm elections,
[2:36] but is sparking backlash from U.S. allies and some members of the president's Republican Party.
[2:42] NBC News correspondent Bianca Faschini joins us now with the latest.
[2:46] Bianca.
[2:47] Hey, Nikki, good morning.
[2:49] President Trump did say that an energy ceasefire was agreed upon by Ukraine and Russia,
[2:54] but it's really uncertain if it's fully in effect.
[2:57] And the president made this announcement just days after reaching a deal on diesel supply with Russia.
[3:05] An energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is in effect, according to President Donald Trump.
[3:11] The president announced the deal in a post on Truth Social Sunday, saying that both parties have agreed.
[3:18] Do not break it.
[3:19] But it's unclear if both countries really are on board.
[3:23] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios it was, quote, news for me, though he would agree to one.
[3:30] And later Sunday evening, he said Russia struck a Ukrainian power plant.
[3:34] Meanwhile, Russia has not publicly confirmed the agreement.
[3:39] But President Trump says Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a deal.
[3:43] President Putin would like to see a settlement strongly.
[3:47] And look, he's freeing up a lot of oil for the world, OK?
[3:50] That's a good thing.
[3:52] And, by the way, at a very low price.
[3:54] On Friday, the president announced the U.S. lifted sanctions to allow Russia to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the global market.
[4:03] Some lawmakers are supportive of the move.
[4:06] It's another example of our president thinking out of the box.
[4:09] While others in the president's party say it's illegal.
[4:13] And I do believe there's a legitimate case for saying the president's not following the law.
[4:16] And I will guarantee you, at the first opportunity Putin has to embarrass or undermine President Trump, he will.
[4:24] The move to lift sanctions comes as the White House grapples with high gas prices and consumer concerns ahead of the midterms.
[4:31] Though some energy experts doubt that this will significantly shift prices.
[4:36] And Senator Tillis is part of a bipartisan group of senators calling on the president to reverse the deal with Russia, claiming it gives Putin a financial lifeline.
[4:45] And, Bianca, over the weekend, President Trump again called for Ukraine to change leaders.
[4:52] What did he say?
[4:53] And how is President Zelensky responding?
[4:56] Yes.
[4:56] So over the weekend, President Trump said he believes it's time for Ukraine to elect a new leader and claimed that Ukrainian President Zelensky is avoiding making a deal with Russia.
[5:06] So then in an interview with ABC, Zelensky responded to that, saying it's up to Ukrainians to do so, but that they need to be able to safely vote.
[5:15] And right now they can't do that because they're in the middle of a war.
[5:18] I also think it's important to note that he added in that interview that he believes President Trump and other figures like Elon Musk are going after him instead of Putin because they can't find a way to stop Putin.
[5:33] Bianca, thanks so much.
[5:34] So, Megan, good morning, good to see you.
[6:03] Walk us through this judge's ruling, what it means going forward and how the White House is responding.
[6:09] Hey, Nikki, good morning.
[6:10] So the judge late last night ordered the Trump administration to immediately stop airing any of these ads, including, by the way, any ads that may have been supposed to air on Sunday night.
[6:21] So the judge in her ruling had argued that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed based on the merits of their argument and also argued that by putting an injunction on this, which is basically temporarily blocking the administration from airing those ads, it was serving the public interest.
[6:39] So as of last night, the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this.
[6:44] But in a previous court filing over the weekend, the administration had said that basically there had been ad buys in through Sunday, but that they had told vendors after that to not be airing any of these ads.
[6:58] Now, another aspect of this as well is that the Trump administration, President Trump, had previously said last week that he would have MAGA Inc. now pay for the ads moving forward.
[7:09] That was after backlash about these government funded ads.
[7:12] And so that's another aspect of this to keep an eye on is, you know, whether we might still see those ads potentially just paid for not by the government, but by his super PAC MAGA Inc.
[7:21] All right. Time will tell. And Megan, in other news, the Justice Department says it's investigating major TV networks, including NBC, over their suspension of full coverage of President Trump.
[7:31] It comes after networks briefly declined to participate in pool duties when the president barred CNN, Politico and MSNOW from the White House grounds last month.
[7:40] What exactly is the DOJ probing here? And has there been any response from the networks?
[7:44] The DOJ had said over the weekend that they're investigating the networks that make up the TV pool.
[7:52] So that's NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and Fox for allegedly potentially violating federal antitrust laws.
[8:02] So a DOJ spokesperson said over the weekend that group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act, referring to an antitrust law.
[8:12] So in terms of the network's responses here over the weekend, representatives for CBS, CNN and NBC declined to comment.
[8:20] Fox didn't respond to requests for comments.
[8:23] And ABC News said in a statement that it has not received any notification from the Justice Department, but expects to.
[8:30] Nikki.
[8:31] And finally, Megan, we talked a lot last week about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying the execution of the Fort Hood shooter would be live streamed.
[8:38] Since then, there's been a lot of backlash from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
[8:42] Now it looks like President Trump is going to have the final say on this matter.
[8:46] Is that where things stand?
[8:48] That's right.
[8:48] So President Trump said over the weekend that he still has to make a final decision on whether to live stream that firing squad execution.
[8:58] Now, it comes after just a day earlier, he had said that he had absolutely approved those plans to live stream the execution.
[9:05] But, you know, as you mentioned, there are lawmakers from both sides of the aisle that have pushed back against that.
[9:10] Some of the explanation for those lawmakers who criticized this move by the administration,
[9:15] they're arguing that by live streaming this, they could potentially be causing people to radicalize in the future.
[9:24] And the live stream could potentially be providing terrorist organizations with recruitment material moving forward.
[9:32] But the president said yesterday that maybe other people won't be doing what he did,
[9:38] referring to if the administration does ultimately end up live streaming that execution, Nikki.
[9:43] All right, Megan, thanks so much.
[9:45] As it often is, Michigan is expected to be one of the key battleground states for the upcoming midterms.
[9:52] Democratic Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is locked in a tight race with Republican opponent former Representative Mike Rogers.
[10:00] Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker caught up with El-Sayed to discuss the crucial vote.
[10:05] Here's Kristen with more.
[10:06] This week on Meet the Press, I sat down exclusively with Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed along the campaign trail in Mount Pleasant, Michigan,
[10:14] to discuss his final pitch to voters and why he says he's concerned his opponent won't honor the results of the election.
[10:22] You recently campaigned with former Vice President Harris, who said Democrats have got to turn out the votes in large numbers.
[10:31] We've got to be too big to rig.
[10:34] Do you agree that Democrats need to make the election, quote, too big to rig?
[10:38] We've got to win by massive numbers.
[10:40] Or else what?
[10:41] Donald Trump has already threatened to do what he did in 2020, which is deny the outcomes of an election.
[10:48] And right now he is president of the United States.
[10:51] He has weaponized ICE in ways that are really quite dangerous, if you think about the implications for our democracy.
[10:57] So, yes, we have to win by massive numbers.
[10:59] The guy I'm running against, he insinuates that he didn't actually lose in 2020.
[11:03] He talks about this mythical van that showed up in Detroit with a bunch of votes as if he didn't lose.
[11:08] That's the guy I'm running against right now.
[11:10] And he said that in a time when Joe Biden was president.
[11:14] Now you've got Donald Trump as president.
[11:15] So we've got to win by massive enough numbers that it is unquestionable that we won.
[11:21] Are you concerned that if your race is close, the validity will be called into question?
[11:26] I am.
[11:27] I am concerned that Donald Trump and Mike Rogers are not committed to the institution of our democracy.
[11:33] You can see my full exclusive interview with Dr. Al-Sayed at meetthepress.com.
[11:39] You can also get more Meet the Press right here on NBC News Now every weekday at 4 p.m.
[11:44] Kristen, thank you.
[11:47] Cleanup efforts are underway from coast to coast this morning after severe storms battered several states over the weekend.
[11:54] In the south, Hurricane Isaiya slammed into the Florida panhandle before its remnants brought heavy rain and tornadoes to the northeast.
[12:02] At least four people were killed and hundreds of thousands left without power across the south.
[12:07] The damage forcing some schools to remain closed this morning as cleanup continues.
[12:12] The National Guard conducted search and rescue efforts across the state after Isaiya's mid-landfall.
[12:18] They're also on the ground with drinking water and other supplies as many remain under boil water alerts.
[12:24] Meanwhile, out west, California's coastline is reeling from tropical storm Rachel.
[12:28] Severe winds and heavier-than-expected rains brought high tides and severe flooding to the several coastal neighborhoods,
[12:36] battering beaches and oceanfront homes.
[12:39] NBC News correspondent Jesse Kirsch joins us now from Pensacola, Florida, with the latest.
[12:44] Jesse, good morning.
[12:47] Nikki, good morning.
[12:48] This is just one example of the force of Isaiya's.
[12:51] Take a look at this massive tree snapped from its trunk base, crashing across this yard, into the pool area, and on top of the home.
[13:02] Thankfully, the folks who live here are okay.
[13:05] But we are just minutes away from where another tree crashed down, killing a woman.
[13:10] And that underscores the devastation across this region.
[13:16] And Jesse, what are rescue and cleanup crews priorities this morning?
[13:20] Yeah, there are any number of things, Nikki, being worked on.
[13:26] We've got power crews racing to get power restored at one point.
[13:29] There were hundreds of thousands of people across this state and across the region who were without power.
[13:35] Thankfully, that number keeps going down.
[13:37] You talked about the boil water issues.
[13:39] We are in an area that is under one right now.
[13:41] We ourselves have not had what has been deemed safe, officially, tap water for the last couple days now, too.
[13:48] There were officials handing out bottled water over the weekend to people, handing out tarps as well.
[13:53] Because, like this home, they have a hole in their bedroom.
[13:56] You can imagine there are a lot of people who need that help.
[13:58] And originally, they were trying to get this tree out of here today, potentially.
[14:02] But now the homeowner tells us that that's not going to be possible anymore.
[14:07] The crew had to cancel.
[14:08] They were supposed to come here and just speaks to, you know, this is just one tree in one yard.
[14:11] There are trees all over this community broadly, and that also makes it hard for these crews to get around side streets and get to where they need to go as well.
[14:21] So just any number of challenges facing people here.
[14:23] And that's to say nothing of the grief for at least four people who have been killed in the midst of this over the weekend.
[14:31] Jesse, it's really remarkable to see that tree.
[14:34] It gives you some perspective what that community has gone through.
[14:36] And this storm may finally be making its way offshore, but not before its remnants brought more severe weather to multiple states, including tornadoes.
[14:44] What more can you tell us?
[14:48] Yeah, multiple tornado reports.
[14:49] We'll look to see what the National Weather Service survey says there.
[14:52] And there have also, you know, been any number of flight delays that we've seen over the weekend.
[14:58] Of course, it's not just the issues here.
[14:59] There are problems out west as well, flooding in Las Vegas.
[15:02] So it's not just East, I-East is aftermath we're dealing with out west.
[15:06] They're dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Rachel.
[15:08] And the good news out here in the east is what's left of East, I-East is expected to make its way offshore today.
[15:16] Jesse, you mentioned Tropical Storm Rachel out west.
[15:18] What's the damage like on the west coast?
[15:23] We've seen coastal communities in Southern California.
[15:25] They've been battered.
[15:27] The beaches, coastal properties, again, there's flooding in Las Vegas.
[15:31] And, you know, I think with anything out there and here, sometimes as time goes on, you learn about more and more, Nikki.
[15:39] All right, Jesse, to you and your crew, please stay safe.
[15:41] Thank you.
[15:43] For more on the weather near you, meteorologist Raphael Miranda joins us now with the latest.
[15:48] Raphael, good morning.
[15:49] Good morning, Nikki.
[15:50] Good morning, everyone.
[15:50] Yeah, we are seeing those improving conditions across Northeast, saying goodbye to the remnants of East I-East.
[15:55] But we still have some rain across coastal New England and down towards the Delmarva.
[15:59] That should quiet down over the next couple of hours.
[16:01] But there's more rain on the way in the Northeast.
[16:04] That's going to be to the north of the city.
[16:05] A next system moves into northern New England.
[16:08] So today we're drying out.
[16:10] But then tomorrow, showers are pushing back into New England from Connecticut through places like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine,
[16:17] all seeing that rain moving in during the day Tuesday.
[16:20] And some of it may be heavy enough to cause flooding.
[16:23] We have, yeah, maybe an inch or two of rain in some of those spots in northern New England,
[16:27] watching out for isolated flooding there.
[16:29] Temperature-wise, we warm up and then we come back down here in the East near 80 on Wednesday.
[16:35] But then we come back down to a more fall level Thursday and Friday.
[16:39] Now, speaking of temperatures, heat continues to be the big story across the middle of the country.
[16:44] Look at all the records that are possible.
[16:46] These are warm weather records over the next several days,
[16:48] all the way from northern Midwest down to the Gulf Coast,
[16:52] including places like Little Rock, Indianapolis, Chicago, Madison,
[16:57] and out east towards the Carolinas.
[16:58] Record heat.
[16:59] We've seen it week after week.
[17:01] No break this one.
[17:03] You can see it's feeling like summer today.
[17:05] St. Louis, 94 degrees.
[17:07] The record is 89.
[17:09] So temperatures running well above average again.
[17:11] And look at all these records possible tomorrow.
[17:15] Detroit, 83 degrees.
[17:17] Where is October?
[17:18] It's not showing up here on the maps.
[17:20] Greenville, 93.
[17:21] And New Orleans, close to 90 for tomorrow.
[17:25] Now, out west, we're still dealing with the remnants of Rachel here across the desert southwest,
[17:30] the Intermountain West.
[17:31] Raining this morning in Los Angeles.
[17:33] That's going to be a problem for the commute there.
[17:35] And parts of the southwest seeing heavy rain and even thunderstorms pushing in.
[17:39] 15 million watching out for flash flooding today, including the desert southwest.
[17:44] We have some flash flood warnings this morning.
[17:46] Heavy rain and thunderstorms.
[17:48] All of this because of the remnants of Rachel, which are going to be slow to move out here.
[17:52] And again, that flash flood risk today.
[17:54] We have that slight risk in the blue shaded area, including much of the southwest and the Intermountain West.
[18:00] Rachel is going to be slow to move through the southwest today.
[18:03] That flash flood threat for Utah and Arizona.
[18:06] And tomorrow, more of the same.
[18:08] The system not really making much headway there.
[18:11] Still across the Four Corners region.
[18:14] We're watching some downpours continuing around low pressure and even some mountain snows there in the highest elevations.
[18:20] As the remnants of Rachel move east, we see a severe weather threat for tomorrow.
[18:25] This is the threat for damaging winds, especially places like Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern Texas.
[18:30] Now, a big view of the country for the next week ahead.
[18:33] Nice weather today in the northeast as we say goodbye to Isaias.
[18:37] We have that record heat across the middle of the country.
[18:39] And, of course, we're tracking that flood threat.
[18:41] By Wednesday, a fall feel in New England.
[18:43] But look at the temperatures.
[18:44] New York City to D.C., 70s and 80s.
[18:47] So one last taste of summer there.
[18:49] Stormy across the middle of the country.
[18:51] And we're finally drying out for the west coast there as the remnants of Rachel continue to push east.
[18:56] Friday, we're tracking a soggy start across the northeast.
[18:59] That's a cold front.
[19:00] It's going to usher in much cooler air this weekend here in the northeast.
[19:05] Maybe even some flurries across New England.
[19:08] Yes, we're talking about some big changes.
[19:10] But it is time for that change to come.
[19:12] I know.
[19:12] From almost 80 to flurries.
[19:13] I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some October weather that we're used to.
[19:17] Yes.
[19:17] Let's have it stick around.
[19:18] Yes.
[19:18] Thanks.
[19:19] Thanks, Rafael.
[19:19] Good to see you.
[19:20] Much more to come here on Morning News Now later this hour.
[19:23] Prayers for the Pope.
[19:25] Pope Leo announcing he's set to have lung surgery this week.
[19:28] What we're learning about his condition and the prognosis.
[19:31] But up first, after the break, President Trump threatening to retaliate after back-to-back attacks on Saudi Arabia's main airport.
[19:39] We'll be right back.
[19:44] Welcome back.
[19:45] An unidentified projectile struck Saudi Arabia's main international airport yesterday,
[19:50] one day after a deadly missile attack at the same site.
[19:54] It's all leading to new questions about whether the United States will get involved in another overseas conflict.
[20:00] Video from Saudi Arabia's state media shows the moment Iranian-backed Houthi militants struck the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.
[20:10] 13 people, including an American citizen, were killed in that strike on Saturday.
[20:15] 300 more were injured, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities.
[20:18] And now President Trump is weighing the next steps.
[20:21] NBC News Chief International Correspondent Keir Simmons is on the ground in Saudi Arabia, covering this for us.
[20:27] Keir, good morning.
[20:29] What can you tell us about the timeline of the strikes this weekend and how big of an escalation it really is?
[20:35] Well, it's a blow to Saudi Arabia.
[20:39] It's certainly an escalation in a situation that has been escalating now for months at Nikki.
[20:45] The key attack, I suppose you could say, happened on Saturday.
[20:50] And those images are just terrifying of passengers suddenly experiencing a kind of white blast as these security cameras are rocked.
[21:00] And then you can see crowds running for their lives, parts of the ceiling falling in on them, bags and possessions left just strewn around.
[21:09] And understandably, the news now is that 13 people were killed in that attack on Saturday.
[21:16] That is the deadliest attack here in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade.
[21:22] There was another strike yesterday that killed one person.
[21:26] Hundreds have been injured.
[21:28] And that follows a strike last week, too, on the same airport.
[21:32] We're now hearing this morning that the airport here in the capital, Riyadh, has been, the closure of it, has been extended.
[21:41] There are warnings of fresh waves of strikes.
[21:44] The U.S., among many governments, warning their citizens.
[21:47] There are tens of thousands of Americans who live here in Saudi Arabia warning their citizens not to travel to the airports.
[21:55] But NBC News, Nikki, is one of the few international news organizations who's made it here to the capital since those attacks.
[22:02] We drove through the night across the border.
[22:05] It's the only way to get here.
[22:06] Kira, we're seeing those surveillance images from the airport incredibly frightening.
[22:10] And these are just the latest in a recent string of attacks that Houthi rebels have launched on Saudi Arabia.
[22:15] Just explain why they're ramping up attacks now.
[22:21] Yeah, there was an attack last week that killed three people at the same airport.
[22:24] And there have been other attacks on other airports here in Saudi Arabia.
[22:28] What they're doing, the Houthis, are they are trying to put pressure on the Saudi government, frankly, to capitulate to a whole range of demands.
[22:38] But the Houthis are also backed by Iran.
[22:41] So Saudi officials openly say that this is part of that conflict with Iran begun by President Trump.
[22:48] And the Israeli prime minister earlier this year is a domino effect, if you like.
[22:53] There are longstanding grievances between the Houthis and the Saudis, certainly.
[22:58] But also the Houthis really are trying to support Iran, it appears.
[23:05] And one of the things they're doing is restricting ships in the Bab al-Mandev.
[23:09] That's another international shipping lane like the Strait of Hormuz.
[23:13] And it's going to put more pressure on oil prices, on commodity prices, on trade routes, just at the time when President Trump really doesn't need that.
[23:23] And Kira, what will the U.S. be weighing up as it decides whether to get involved in this conflict?
[23:32] Well, I mean, one of the calculations for the Trump administration will be how effective it can be.
[23:36] The Trump administration did launch a wave of strikes against the Houthis last year, and they didn't defeat them, clearly.
[23:46] So there are questions about whether it's possible to beat the Houthis, certainly from the air.
[23:51] And the Saudis, together with the Emiratis, have in the past fought a long war with the Houthis on the ground.
[23:59] And again, for multiple reasons, clearly that was not ultimately a success.
[24:04] So the Trump administration are in a difficult position here because Saudi Arabia is a U.S. ally.
[24:09] President Trump came here early in his second term here to Riyadh and to Saudi Arabia.
[24:16] He is a supporter of the crown prince here.
[24:19] But at the same time, the danger, I suppose, for the U.S., for the Trump administration, would be that effectively what you do is pull yourself back in to this conflict more, achieve very little, and take that political risk domestically.
[24:33] All right. To you and your team, Kier, please stay safe. Thank you.
[24:39] Turning now to the Vatican, where Pope Leo is preparing to undergo lung surgery later this week.
[24:44] The 71-year-old pontiff revealed during Sunday Mass that doctors discovered a small nodule on his lung during recent medical tests, saying it was caught at a very early stage.
[24:54] The Vatican says the surgery will take place in the next few days, with the Pope expected to need about a week to recover.
[25:01] Joining us now from the Vatican is NBC News international correspondent Claudio Livanga.
[25:06] Claudio, good morning.
[25:08] This news came as a surprise to many, but the Pope was back to his regular schedule this morning, holding audiences as planned.
[25:14] That's right, Nikki. In the last half an hour, the Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, told us reporters that the Pope met all the people he was scheduled to meet.
[25:26] There were seven people among archbishops, bishops, cardinals, among other people.
[25:31] So he's stuck to the schedule, despite the announcement yesterday also.
[25:37] Tomorrow, he is expected to travel to Castel Gandolfo, that is the summer residence of the Popes.
[25:42] That's about an hour's drive from here, where he is expected, scheduled to give personally an award, a sustainability award to a cardinal.
[25:51] I spoke to the press office of Villanova University, who's organizing this event, and he said that he hasn't heard from the Vatican of any changes.
[25:58] So we expect him to do that, too.
[26:01] So yesterday, the Vatican said that this surgery will have happened closer to the beginning of the week than to the end of the week.
[26:10] So we do expect this surgery to happen at some stage, either perhaps on Wednesday.
[26:15] But we haven't had any actual precise information of when the Pope is going to be hospitalized, Nikki.
[26:22] And Claudio, do we have any idea what the Pope's recovery could look like?
[26:25] Well, yesterday, the Vatican press office said that they expect him to at least have a week-long recovery.
[26:36] We don't know whether that means that the Pope is going to spend a week in the hospital or whether he can leave the hospital earlier and do some of that recovery here at the Vatican.
[26:45] What we know is that the surgery is going to take place at the Gemelli Hospital here in Rome.
[26:51] That is the hospital where traditionally popes go to when they need surgery or where they need to be hospitalized.
[26:57] They have a whole floor on the 10th floor that is dedicated to them.
[27:01] Of course, you know, a lot of people may remember that from last year when Pope Francis was going in and out during his problems with pneumonia before he died on Easter Monday, Nikki.
[27:13] Claudio, this is obviously concerning news for Catholics around the world.
[27:17] What kind of reaction are we seeing at the Vatican and all over?
[27:24] Well, I was here in St. Peter's Square late last night, and there were still people who told us they were shocked, they were praying for the Pope.
[27:31] And today, of course, there's a lot more people around.
[27:33] And I met a tourist from North Carolina, Yvonne Pesce, who told me she literally just arrived today with her husband here, and she booked tickets for the general audience on Wednesday.
[27:45] She was really hoping to see Pope Leo.
[27:48] Just take a listen to what she said.
[27:49] Selfishly, it would be wonderful to see him on Wednesday, which is our plan and why we flew in here today.
[28:00] But he has to do what's best for his health.
[28:03] I imagine if he does conduct that mass on Wednesday, it's going to be even extra well attended, and there'll be many, many more people from around the world here.
[28:13] And that would be an exciting thing, but we just have to wait and see.
[28:22] It's a cool here there, Nikki.
[28:23] These tourists from North Carolina are giving priority, of course, to the Pope's health over her desire to see the Pope on Wednesday.
[28:30] I'm sure that this is a sentiment that is shared by many faithful around here, Nikki.
[28:35] And Claudio, the Pope has a major trip to South America planned for next month.
[28:39] What does this mean for his upcoming schedule?
[28:41] Well, that is a really demanding schedule for anyone, I mean, let alone a 71-year-old who would have just had that kind of surgery.
[28:54] We're talking about 14 flights, two helicopters, 40 speeches, 50 events in the space of 11 days.
[29:03] Now, what's interesting here is that the Vatican hasn't announced any change to this event.
[29:08] And even before the Pope announced the surgery yesterday in St. Peter's Square during the traditional Sunday prayer,
[29:16] he said he was thanking some people from Peru, faithful from Peru, who were in the square yesterday on Sunday,
[29:22] and told them, well, thank you for your prayers, for the trip to Peru that I will make.
[29:27] Now, some people have read that as some sort of confirmation, but I think the general understanding here is that doctors will see how the surgery goes,
[29:35] what they find before they decide whether there should be any changes or cancellations about this trip, Nikki.
[29:42] All right, we're wishing the Pope a smooth surgery and recovery.
[29:45] Claudio, thanks so much.
[29:48] Coming up, screening screen time.
[29:50] It's a shared struggle for parents today.
[29:53] Now, a new book is offering insight on how to protect kids in the digital age.
[29:57] We'll zoom in on the problem and tap into possible solutions next on Morning News Now.
[30:03] We're back with a new book that could help parents navigate one of today's biggest challenges,
[30:13] raising kids in a world where screens are everywhere.
[30:17] It's called Connecting, Raising Kids in the Digital World,
[30:20] written by two pediatricians and published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
[30:25] Focus is not to eliminate screen time.
[30:28] Instead, it offers parents practical ways to help their kids navigate technology and social media safely and confidently.
[30:35] New data shows that virtually all parents say screen time is part of their daily routine,
[30:40] whether it's helping kids unwind, keeping them entertained, or giving mom and dad a chance to get things done.
[30:46] But here's the catch.
[30:46] Nearly 85% of parents say they feel guilty about how much time their kids spend on screens.
[30:53] And that leaves many families grappling with the same questions.
[30:56] How much screen time is too much?
[30:58] And when are kids really ready for their own devices?
[31:01] Two of those experts are joining us now to help take some of the stress out of digital parenting.
[31:05] Thank goodness.
[31:06] Doctors Jenny Radesky and Megan Moreno are the co-authors of the new book,
[31:10] Connecting, Raising Kids in the Digital World.
[31:12] Dr. Radesky is a developmental behavioral pediatrician,
[31:16] and Dr. Moreno is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
[31:20] Good morning to you both.
[31:22] Thank goodness you're here as a parent.
[31:24] Congratulations.
[31:25] Your book is out tomorrow.
[31:27] And Dr. Radesky, I'll start with you.
[31:29] A lot of this book, you just want to take the guilt away from parents
[31:31] and trying to fight this, what feels like a battle.
[31:34] What's your main takeaway with this book, your main message?
[31:37] We really want families to understand that this is a really hot topic
[31:42] that everyone's exhausted about, but there are good reasons why it feels so hard.
[31:47] Parents never had to parent around technology that wanted so much of our kids' time and attention before.
[31:53] These products are not regulated the way that other things like cars and baby formula are
[31:58] that our kids use every day.
[32:00] So the number one thing we do is say,
[32:02] hey, parents, if you feel overwhelmed by this problem, welcome to the club.
[32:06] Like, we all feel overwhelmed.
[32:07] We're experts in this, and it's hard for us to parent our own kids.
[32:11] So really, that's the main message is let's take the temperature down
[32:15] and really reduce the guilt and blame and shame around this topic.
[32:19] I mean, I have two little kids, and so much of my conversations already with parents
[32:22] is about this exact topic.
[32:24] Dr. Moreno, you say we should be taking the focus on how to get kids off screens
[32:28] and should be asking what they're actually getting out of them.
[32:32] Why is this such an important shift?
[32:33] I think that there's been so much focus on either no-tech or high-tech,
[32:40] and there's so much beautiful space in between those two polar opposites.
[32:45] And what we really want to help parents navigate is where is the right fit for their family
[32:51] at this time, and also understand that that might change as their kids get older.
[32:56] I was thinking age must be so important in sort of the decisions that you're making.
[33:00] I mean, young kids, 15-year-olds.
[33:02] Dr. Odeski, let's get, and I love that you have these real-life examples of how to manage this.
[33:06] So if your child is hooked on Roblox or games where they're constantly earning rewards,
[33:11] what are some fun offline activities that can give them the same sense of accomplishment?
[33:16] Yeah, this is a key part of the book.
[33:18] It's like you have to understand children's development and what's going on under the hood
[33:22] in order to be able to both meet them where they are and then motivate them to do something off-screen.
[33:27] So if they are a little builder who loves Minecraft and Roblox,
[33:31] then find them some construction toys, Legos, or other things.
[33:35] If they're like a collector of gems and everything else online,
[33:38] then find some ways that you go collect rocks or you are playing Monopoly
[33:42] or something else with a lot of currency.
[33:45] There's lots of ways to figure out, what is my kid fascinated with online,
[33:49] and then move that offline and enjoy it together because parent-child connection
[33:53] is the most important thing you can do to support your child's emotional well-being.
[33:58] It's such an interesting way to think about it and one that I certainly have.
[34:01] And Dr. Moreno, for those kids who are attracted to the TikTok videos or the YouTube videos,
[34:06] what's the real-life option?
[34:08] I think a lot of teens are really interested in short-form videos,
[34:12] and those can really kind of pull you in and get you stuck in your feed.
[34:16] But parents can often try to understand what they're interested in
[34:21] and think about translating it to long-form media.
[34:25] If your child is really interested in a certain topic,
[34:28] look for long-form content and watch it with them.
[34:31] Adolescence is often a time where parents tell us it's hard to connect to your teen,
[34:35] and technology can actually be a way to connect to your teen
[34:39] by understanding what they're interested in.
[34:41] I know so many of us, I think, are like, here, I need a break,
[34:43] but it is important to pay attention to what they're seeing for sure.
[34:48] And for Dr. Wodeski, for kids who are going to social media devices for connection,
[34:54] what are the options in real life?
[34:57] Well, first, again, you need to understand who's your kid.
[35:00] What are they searching for?
[35:01] Are they more of like an artsy kid who loves music videos and theatrical stuff?
[35:06] Then try to find a community theater, right, for them to find their people.
[35:10] If they're a kid who loves stunts and pranks and all this attention-grabbing stuff online,
[35:16] find a skate park, find a climbing gym, right?
[35:19] Because you have to harness that energy and drive into something
[35:22] that they will find real-life inner satisfaction and inner rewards.
[35:27] I mean, here's the thing.
[35:27] In the age of AI, we've got to raise kids who can handle some friction,
[35:31] who can handle the messiness of human connection
[35:34] and of trying really hard at something and feeling that, you know, mastery grow over time
[35:39] rather than the easy wins of like a bubble-popping game
[35:42] where it's so easy to just, you know, earn your gems and have a good time.
[35:47] So we really encourage parents to embrace that friction and that mess a little bit right now.
[35:52] And we know there will be friction when you try to get your kids off the screen
[35:55] and onto something in the real world.
[35:57] I think so many of us parents feel pressure to be good enough.
[36:01] What's your advice to parents on what it looks like to be a good enough parent in a digital age?
[36:06] I mean, I think you get to the end of your day and you're like,
[36:09] all right, today was good enough.
[36:11] I laughed with my kids a little bit.
[36:13] I heard about what was going on in their life.
[36:16] Maybe we, you know, took a walk or something like that.
[36:19] Life is tough right now for families.
[36:21] And if you have this perfect parenting mindset, you're going to disappoint yourself all the time.
[36:28] And it's actually not good for kids to try to be perfect.
[36:31] We need to leave some space for them to, you know, experiment and fail and learn from failure.
[36:37] So we really embrace a growth mindset.
[36:40] Now with little kids, that might mean, okay, today you had this huge tantrum and I felt really embarrassed.
[36:45] And what do we do next time to prevent that?
[36:47] For teens, how do you embrace a growth mindset?
[36:50] I think what we often hear from teens is that they're watching their parents to see how their parents handle mistakes.
[36:56] Just thinking that.
[36:57] Yes.
[36:58] I think parents sometimes can feel a lot of pressure to role model perfectly.
[37:02] But a wonderful learning moment is if a parent makes a misstep and owns it and says,
[37:07] I'm going to work on doing better.
[37:10] That's a huge learning moment.
[37:12] I was going to say, kids are always watching.
[37:13] We have a little basket we put our phones in in our house with our two little kids.
[37:17] Great advice.
[37:18] Can't wait to read the book.
[37:19] Dr. Jenny Rodeski and Dr. Megan Moreno, thanks for joining us.
[37:22] Thank you.
[37:23] Connecting, raising kids in the digital world is out tomorrow.
[37:26] Coming up, a jump scare at the grocery store.
[37:29] The cost of candy is on the rise.
[37:31] Haunting families ahead of Halloween.
[37:33] Our friend and financial expert, Brooke De Palma, is here to break down the data.
[37:38] Don't be afraid.
[37:39] Morning news.
[37:40] We'll be right back.
[37:40] This Halloween, the fight isn't just at the haunted house.
[37:49] It's also in our wallets.
[37:51] Rising prices for everyday essentials like groceries and gas are forcing many Americans to spend less.
[37:57] The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average prices for chewing gum and candy have soared in the past year, jumping more than 8%.
[38:05] Despite the increase, many people still plan to spend on Halloween candy this year.
[38:10] In fact, the National Retail Federation projects that Americans will spend a whopping $13.5 billion.
[38:17] Brooke De Palma is here to explain what's driving candy prices higher.
[38:21] She is a senior reporter and on-air correspondent for Yahoo Finance.
[38:25] Brooke, good morning.
[38:26] What is happening?
[38:27] So let's look at the recent data.
[38:29] The average price for a 100-piece bag of candy is nearly $17.
[38:33] Scary.
[38:34] It's just under $10 five years ago.
[38:37] What's happening?
[38:38] There's a few different factors coming into play here.
[38:40] Most of those factors include either extreme weather or those tariffs that we saw go into effect earlier this year.
[38:46] So that extreme weather hit the global supply of cocoa production, particularly within the Ivory Coast in Ghana.
[38:52] That's where a majority of the world's global supply of cocoa comes from.
[38:55] And this extreme weather known as El Nino or this essentially a drought or extreme rainfall, that hit production during 2023 to 2025.
[39:05] Now these manufacturers, they contract out their cocoa supplies.
[39:09] So we're paying for prices, higher prices that they paid a few years ago.
[39:11] We also have those tariffs of about 10 or 12.5% go into effect for 60 countries back in July.
[39:18] And we're paying for those prices now.
[39:20] That's a lot of money for a bag of Halloween candy.
[39:22] It is.
[39:23] And a recent survey from the University of Michigan shows that consumer sentiment is at a five-month low as people are growing more frustrated over these costs.
[39:31] Despite feeling pinched, why are so many people still willing to spend?
[39:34] I think I saw a statistic earlier that like 96% of people still plan to buy this expensive candy.
[39:38] Yeah, they still plan to buy candy.
[39:39] In fact, that's one of the things that they're not giving up on.
[39:42] They're saying a majority of Americans are saying that they're in fact are going to spend about $4 billion in total on candy.
[39:48] So they're spending a majority of their money this Halloween on that candy because they just don't want to give it up.
[39:52] And this consumer sentiment hitting a five-month low, it's near record lows right now because these higher costs, ultimately think about what we're paying at the pump, but also higher borrowing costs when you think about loans, think about mortgage rates.
[40:03] That's all impacting our mindset, how we feel about the economy.
[40:06] But because of that, we're leading into these little luxuries, this maybe spurging on to makeup or an experience, going out to dinner, going to a concert and buying candy.
[40:16] And on top of that, this nostalgia factor, we're not necessarily giving up on the holidays.
[40:20] We want to feel like a little kid again despite this macroeconomic uncertainty that we're facing.
[40:24] And no one wants a trick-or-treater and not having any candy.
[40:27] Exactly.
[40:28] What is your advice?
[40:29] How can people save some money when buying candy this Halloween season?
[40:32] Right.
[40:32] Well, it might be hard, but maybe set a budget for yourself.
[40:35] So if you're new to a neighborhood, maybe ask the neighbors, how many trick-or-treaters do we actually get?
[40:40] Because the reality is maybe you don't get many, so then you'll overbuy candy.
[40:43] So ask the neighbors, talk to them, set a budget for yourself.
[40:46] Also, if you belong to a membership, a wholesale membership already, like a Costco, a BJ's, a Seance Club, buy in bulk if you can.
[40:54] Even though it costs about $17, you could save some money there.
[40:58] You also want to maybe swap out, instead of buying chocolate, we see higher cocoa prices.
[41:03] So maybe swap out gummy.
[41:05] Think Skittles.
[41:06] Think Sour Patch Kids.
[41:07] Those have seen an increase in prices, but not necessarily as much as chocolate has.
[41:10] That's a really good tip.
[41:11] Right.
[41:11] I also love a gummy.
[41:12] I love gummy.
[41:13] But I can't say.
[41:14] Snickers, Reese's.
[41:15] Twix.
[41:16] Yes, yes, exactly.
[41:17] We're not giving up just yet.
[41:19] Mr. Palma, thanks for being here.
[41:20] Thanks for the tips.
[41:21] Coming up on Morning News Now, a centennial celebration worth singing about.
[41:26] Secret, is it music?
[41:28] Is it family?
[41:29] I think music and family, mainly.
[41:32] Music has been a very important part of my life.
[41:36] When we come back, we'll take you to Virginia, where a beloved local jazz singer is celebrating her 100th birthday, doing what she loves most.
[41:45] We end this hour in Alexandria, Virginia, where a local singer known as Miss Pat has performed at the same regular jazz night for the last two decades and celebrated her 100th birthday at last week's show.
[42:01] Mark Seagraves from NBC Washington was there for the celebrations.
[42:05] Pat McCarter has lived her entire life in the Delray neighborhood of Alexandria.
[42:15] She grew up just a few doors down from what is now the St. Elmo's Coffee Pub.
[42:21] She's seen a lot of changes to the neighborhood.
[42:23] I've seen an awful lot because this was like a little toony town, no restaurants or anything like that.
[42:32] One thing that hasn't changed for the past 30 years, every Thursday night, the not-so-modern jazz quartet has been playing at St. Elmo's.
[42:43] About 20 years ago, Miss Pat, as she's known by all the neighbors, started sitting in with the band.
[42:51] I love it.
[42:58] She was 80 years old when she started.
[43:08] Surrounded by her family and friends and the band, Miss Pat celebrated her 100th birthday.
[43:17] While the crowd was happy to sing for her, Miss Pat was more than happy to sing for the crowd.
[43:27] Let me ask you, what do you think is the secret?
[43:34] I mean, you don't look a day over, not even close to one.
[43:39] Don't look a day over 99.
[43:40] Is there a secret?
[43:43] Is it music?
[43:44] Is it family?
[43:45] I think music and family, mainly.
[43:49] Music has been a very important part of my life.
[43:53] My mother and father played the piano, and when I was at eight years old, daddy would say,
[43:58] come on, Patricia, sing a number.
[44:00] And that's the way it was.
[44:01] Miss Pat, who still lives on her own, plans to keep singing with the band on Thursday nights for as long as they'll live.
[44:09] As long as I can do it, I love it.
[44:18] Thanks to Mark Seagraves for sharing that story, and congratulations to Miss Pat from all of us.
[44:24] That does it for this hour of Morning News Now.
[44:26] The news continues right now.
[44:28] Good morning.
[44:42] I'm Nikki Batiste, in for Joe and Savannah today.
[44:44] Right now on Morning News Now, underwater, a mammoth hurricane, Isaias, has millions up and down the East Coast cleaning up this morning.
[44:53] Heavy rain, driving winds, it even spawned these terrifying tornadoes in South Carolina.
[44:59] So, are we out of the woods yet?
[45:01] Your work week forecast coming up.
[45:03] Also this morning, blame game, a deadly weekend of violence in Saudi Arabia.
[45:09] An unidentified projectile caught on camera, striking the nation's main international airport Sunday.
[45:15] It comes just hours after at least 13 people, including an American, were killed, hundreds more injured from another attack that played out there on Saturday.
[45:25] A Saudi-led coalition pointing the finger at Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
[45:31] And now President Trump is weighing a potential U.S. military response against them.
[45:36] More on that, plus the high-profile diesel deal that has the commander-in-chief's relationship with Vladimir Putin back under the microscope.
[45:45] Then, Pope Leo expected to go under the knife this week after he says doctors discovered a localized nodule on his lung.
[45:53] But what's the papal prognosis?
[45:56] We'll take you to the Vatican a little later in the hour.
[45:59] And it's a story that's truly fit for a Monday morning.
[46:02] Are those dreaded Sunday scaries actually getting worse?
[46:06] The rise of that post-weekend dread and how you can maybe ease your mind before getting back to your 9 to 5.
[46:14] We begin this hour with the storm cleanup taking place on both coasts this morning.
[46:18] Hurricane Isaiya slammed into the Florida panhandle over the weekend.
[46:22] According to officials, at least four people were killed in the storm.
[46:26] And this morning, crews are working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people across the south.
[46:32] Meanwhile, the storm's remnants are being blamed for at least 20 tornadoes across multiple states.
[46:37] It also brought heavy rains to the east coast.
[46:40] It comes as the west coast is reeling from the impact of Tropical Storm Rachel.
[46:44] Homes along the California coastline battered by the storm's winds and heavier-than-expected rains that flooded several areas.
[46:51] NBC News correspondent Jesse Kirsch is in Pensacola, Florida, with the latest.
[46:57] This morning, a major cleanup is underway after two powerful storms battered both coasts.
[47:04] Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday near Destin, Florida.
[47:08] Look at those trees being bent.
[47:10] The Category 2 storm forcing evacuations across parts of Florida's panhandle and Alabama.
[47:16] Isaias ripping this Pensacola hotel's roof right off.
[47:20] The storm also sending a massive tree crashing into Darrell Wellens' bedroom.
[47:25] He and his wife barely surviving.
[47:27] We jumped in the house and then two seconds later, bam, that whole thing just collapsed.
[47:31] So, you were seconds away from possibly being right under this.
[47:36] We could have been dead.
[47:37] At least four people were killed, according to officials, including Jennifer Williams,
[47:42] whose family says she lost her life when a tree fell onto her Pensacola home.
[47:47] Milton, Florida, also hard hit.
[47:50] This is what remains of a convenience store.
[47:52] There's debris all over the floor, and it is completely open to the sky.
[47:57] This school ripped apart.
[47:59] Now, crews are racing to restore power for hundreds of thousands.
[48:04] These flamingos riding out the storm in a Panama City Beach Zoo bathroom.
[48:08] Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel flooding Las Vegas,
[48:14] damaging homes and beaches along Southern California's coast.
[48:19] Back east, Isaias' remnants being blamed for at least 22 reported tornadoes in multiple states.
[48:25] And travel delays hitting airports, with wild weather impacting a long weekend across the country.
[48:33] Jesse, thank you.
[48:36] And for more on how the South is cleaning up and recovering from Hurricane Isaias,
[48:40] let's bring in Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins.
[48:43] Good morning, Lieutenant Governor Collins, and thank you for taking the time to join us.
[48:48] This is the first hurricane to hit Florida this year.
[48:51] Looking back on the past few days, do you feel that you were properly prepared for its landfall?
[48:55] Well, good morning, and it's good to be on.
[48:58] Yes, I do think we were well prepared for this.
[49:02] Unfortunately, being a peninsula, we do get hit by hurricanes.
[49:05] We've had a lot of practice over the years.
[49:07] You know, undergoing a run to Santa's, we have put an incredible amount of effort into doing this.
[49:11] We had over 16,000 utility workers out, vehicles from other states, our state.
[49:16] We had 5,000 National Guard on standby, 400 state guard ready, 1,000 generators, 260 pieces of heavy equipment, food, water, everybody there.
[49:28] Our state roads and bridges were up well within 24 hours.
[49:33] Validated, checked, managed, traffic flowing.
[49:36] We have worked across the state, working with counties to make sure roads are cleared, homes are safe, and people are getting the food, water, and everything they need.
[49:45] And we stand ready to continue to do more.
[49:48] I'm proud of what our workers have done.
[49:50] Our first responders, our utility workers, man, they're doing God's work out there.
[49:56] Please, if you see them, make sure you say some nice words to them.
[49:59] They put a lot of effort in.
[50:01] Incredible and important work indeed.
[50:03] What are your biggest concerns now that the storm has passed?
[50:07] Well, now it's recovery, right?
[50:09] It's getting people back up.
[50:10] It's making sure that those people who have had damage to their home, they've taken pictures.
[50:15] They follow the process, making sure that the insurance and everything else can get reimbursed.
[50:21] For the state, you know, we're going to have a major disaster declaration.
[50:25] We're well into the qualification of that.
[50:28] And that's making sure we dot the I's, cross the T's, and make sure that the federal government,
[50:32] the state government, and the locals are all collaborating and working together.
[50:36] You know, we had two deaths in Florida, one from a tree and one from someone wearing a
[50:41] generator inside their home.
[50:44] And heartbreaking.
[50:46] We have to remind people, be prepared.
[50:48] Don't wear generators in your garage or in your home.
[50:51] And we are not out of hurricane season yet.
[50:54] November, the end of November ends that month.
[50:57] There are so many challenges after a storm like this, a hurricane.
[51:02] But what is the biggest challenge in this aftermath?
[51:06] Well, it's making sure that people's lives come back to normalcy, providing comfort and
[51:11] supporting our people.
[51:12] That is exactly where our focus is.
[51:14] And it's something that our state and our counties are working 24 hours a day to make
[51:18] sure we take care of.
[51:20] Which areas were hit the hardest there and what resources are available to them right now?
[51:26] Are they getting what they need?
[51:27] They are.
[51:28] So the cities and counties have done incredible work.
[51:31] They're very good at what they do.
[51:32] We have floridadisaster.org for our new updates.
[51:36] The state stands ready to pick up anything that's requested of us.
[51:41] Overall, the hardest-hit counties were Santa Rosa.
[51:44] There was kind of an anomaly on the western side of that storm, where it looks like a cold
[51:49] front and some wind shear caused really extreme winds.
[51:53] It caused severe damage.
[51:56] Escambia, Walton, Washington counties all have pods.
[52:00] You know, it's that area just to the east of the storm and then there's the Santa Rosa
[52:03] unique little system that came through there.
[52:06] Those are the ones that seem to be the hardest hit.
[52:08] Thank God it wasn't as bad as we thought.
[52:11] When that storm was ready to come on shore and you got that shearing force, it really made
[52:16] a very diffuse eye.
[52:18] That changed the dynamics of this storm.
[52:20] It still went through quickly, but it really lessened that direct damage.
[52:24] We dodged a little bit of a bullet and I hope people get back online quickly and be prepared
[52:29] because we're not out of hurricane season yet.
[52:31] A little bit of luck there.
[52:33] Lieutenant Governor Collins, where can residents find the most up-to-date information on cleanup
[52:37] efforts as the state continues to recover from the storm?
[52:41] Well, obviously, social media is always a great tool to go find that information.
[52:45] FloridaDisaster.org is our primary website for the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
[52:51] All updates will run through there.
[52:53] It's one centralized catalog system.
[52:55] So stay tuned to that.
[52:57] I encourage you, stay in touch with your local emergency management in your counties.
[53:02] They have great information and the state will be involved until the counties are clear
[53:07] and up and running, until they have it on their own.
[53:10] And we stand ready to serve our people.
[53:13] And FloridaDisaster.org is that website.
[53:16] One more time.
[53:17] We're all thinking of your impacted communities there.
[53:20] Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
[53:23] Well, thank you.
[53:24] God bless.
[53:25] Thank you.
[53:25] Now let's bring in meteorologist Raphael Miranda.
[53:28] He's tracking the latest for us this morning.
[53:31] Raphael, good morning.
[53:32] Good morning, Nikki.
[53:33] And thankfully, we are saying goodbye to East IES now.
[53:35] The remnants still pulling away after a very soggy Sunday, improving additions across the northeast.
[53:41] Still cloudy right now, but the sunshine will return by the end of the day.
[53:44] Then we're tracking another system, not tropical, but a front that's going to slide on south tonight into tomorrow.
[53:50] And another area of low pressure rides along that front.
[53:53] It's going to be soggy for northern New England at this time.
[53:56] The major cities, New York City, Philadelphia, D.C., should stay dry.
[54:00] But from Boston north into New England, more rain on the way, not expecting significant flooding.
[54:05] But there will be some heavier pockets of rain in northern New England.
[54:08] So we're watching out for some isolated flooding there.
[54:10] Again, this is for tonight into tomorrow.
[54:13] Now, temperature-wise, we're going to see a big bump up by Wednesday here in New York City.
[54:17] 78 degrees, so well above average.
[54:19] And then we're back to fall by the end of the week with temperatures returning to the 60s.
[54:24] Now, the heat continues to be the big story across much of the middle of the country.
[54:28] We're looking at all of these possible records from the border with Mexico, Laredo, Texas, all the way up almost to Canada.
[54:34] So widespread heat continues across much of the middle of the country, even expanding into the southeast over the coming days as well.
[54:42] Take a look at some of the numbers today.
[54:44] St. Louis, 94.
[54:46] That should smash an old record of 89 degrees.
[54:49] Chicago, mid-summer heat there in October, 86.
[54:53] And we have 90s across the Gulf Coast as well.
[54:57] Tomorrow, no relief, 96 in St. Louis, 83 Detroit.
[55:01] And also the southeast feeling that heat, near-record temperatures possible in Georgia and Florida.
[55:07] Out west, the remnants of Rachel causing issues.
[55:10] We've seen some rain heavy at times across the desert southwest.
[55:14] Flooding will continue to be a concern.
[55:16] And watch out for travel delays, millions impacted by the potential for flooding over the day today and even into tomorrow.
[55:23] You can see that risk for flash flooding continues for the desert southwest.
[55:27] We'll be watching that very closely.
[55:28] The remnants of Rachel slide east during the day today and eventually tomorrow.
[55:33] It's a slow mover.
[55:34] So we see that rain threat continue into Colorado.
[55:36] Maybe some mountain snows as well, mainly in the highest elevations.
[55:39] We're not quite cold enough for that widespread snow just yet.
[55:43] Severe weather ahead of that storm tomorrow in places like the southern plains from Texas into parts of western Missouri.
[55:50] Damaging winds will be the main threat.
[55:52] A look at your week ahead.
[55:53] Nice in the northeast today.
[55:54] Record heat continues across the middle of the country.
[55:56] And then we see that rain causing stormy conditions.
[55:59] And we do cool down in much of the upper Midwest by the middle of the week as we head towards the end of the week.
[56:04] Soggy in the northeast.
[56:05] A cold front is going to bring some rain, breezy conditions, and much cooler weather by next weekend.
[56:11] We are talking some real sweater weather across much of the northern part of the country, including here in the northeast.
[56:16] I am ready for that sweater weather.
[56:19] You and me both.
[56:19] All right, Rafael, thanks.
[56:21] This morning we have new video of the deadly attack at a major Saudi Arabian airport on Saturday.
[56:27] An American was among at least 13 people killed while hundreds of others were injured.
[56:32] And a new strike there overnight is adding to the escalating tensions that may prompt the U.S. to get involved.
[56:38] NBC News Chief International Correspondent Keir Simmons has the latest from Saudi Arabia.
[56:44] Keir, good morning.
[56:45] Hey there, good day to you.
[56:46] Saudi Arabia just announced it is extending the closure of the airport here in Riyadh with warnings of a new wave of strikes on the country.
[56:56] NBC News, one of the few international news organizations to make it here to the capital after those terrifying attacks.
[57:04] As passengers line up at the gate of a major international airport, a blinding white blast rocks this security camera.
[57:13] Through smoke, terrified crowds rush to escape.
[57:17] A second video showing roof tiles falling on people.
[57:20] 13 were killed, including an American, in this one attack Saturday at King Khalid Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
[57:27] Hundreds were wounded.
[57:29] A second strike Sunday killed one.
[57:31] Iranian-backed Houthi militants are responsible.
[57:33] Saturday's strike is the deadliest attack on a U.S.-Arab ally since the start of the Iran war.
[57:39] President Trump has resisted pressure to join airstrikes against the Houthis,
[57:44] which would potentially widen the U.S.-Iran conflict weeks before the midterm elections.
[57:49] I think it's terrible.
[57:52] Well, you're going to find out, Steve, but I think it's terrible.
[57:56] Well, they're able to defend.
[58:01] Look, the Saudis are good fighters, but I think the attack was a terrible thing.
[58:05] Just last week, the same airport in Saudi Arabia's capital was hit, images showing smoke and flames.
[58:12] Three were killed.
[58:13] Now, this flight monitoring site showing commercial aircraft diverted over Saudi Arabian airspace,
[58:18] potentially further disrupting international travel.
[58:22] The FAA warning U.S. carriers not to fly there.
[58:25] The Houthis are an independent militia in Yemen with deep connections to Iran.
[58:31] The conflict threatening a second international waterway, similar to the Strait of Hormuz,
[58:36] renewing pressure on oil prices.
[58:37] This Houthi military spokesman warning international groups not to use Saudi airports,
[58:44] while Saudi officials defiant this morning.
[58:46] The events of recent weeks are serious.
[58:50] Our response must be equally serious.
[58:53] But this is the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in a decade,
[58:57] bringing international condemnation, terror to airport passengers,
[59:01] and questions over whether countries around Iran have adequate air defenses.
[59:08] We drove for 10 hours through the night across the border to get here to Riyadh.
[59:13] There are tens of thousands of Americans who live here in Saudi Arabia.
[59:18] The U.S., one of multiple governments now, warning its citizens not to go to the airports.
[59:25] Kier, thank you.
[59:26] President Trump is facing growing bipartisan backlash following his announcement of a deal
[59:31] to temporarily lift U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel fuel.
[59:35] The president also says Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy ceasefire,
[59:40] but Moscow has not commented, and Ukraine's President Zelensky told Axios the truce was,
[59:45] quote, news for me.
[59:47] NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Garrett Haig joins us now with the latest.
[59:51] Garrett.
[59:53] Hey, good morning.
[59:54] This is now the third major policy shift by the president in recent weeks
[59:57] to try to bring down diesel prices ahead of the midterms.
[1:00:01] The latest move, a controversial direct deal struck with Russia's president,
[1:00:05] would involve the immediate purchase of what U.S. government data shows
[1:00:08] would only amount to about one full day's worth of American diesel consumption,
[1:00:13] with more fuel promised to follow.
[1:00:15] The agreement stunning American and Ukrainian allies,
[1:00:18] and even has some members of Congress from both parties saying it might be illegal.
[1:00:23] This morning, new violence in Ukraine and backlash to President Trump's announcement
[1:00:33] over the weekend of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin
[1:00:36] to temporarily suspend U.S. sanctions in order to purchase an allotment of Russian diesel fuel.
[1:00:42] Today, Russia agreed to send us millions and millions of barrels of oil, and it's diesel.
[1:00:51] The president posting yesterday that there would be a, quote,
[1:00:54] an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, but neither side confirmed that agreement.
[1:00:59] And Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, speaking this morning,
[1:01:03] saying Russia has already violated any possible ceasefire,
[1:01:07] with multiple strikes launched on Ukraine yesterday, killing nine.
[1:01:10] It was clear that Putin does not read through social,
[1:01:17] and his check-in drones follow a different set of instructions.
[1:01:23] So for now, this is Putin's answer to Trump.
[1:01:28] Zelenskyy saying Ukraine would welcome a deal, but urging the U.S. to pressure Russia more,
[1:01:34] defiant after President Trump had said the Ukrainian leader should be replaced,
[1:01:38] when Zelenskyy criticized the diesel deal this weekend.
[1:01:41] I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.
[1:01:45] Diesel fuel is critically important to the global supply chain,
[1:01:49] impacting the prices of everything from food to retail products and heating oil.
[1:01:54] The president's post that the Russians would, quote,
[1:01:56] immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace
[1:02:02] quickly met with skepticism at home, too, after Congress passed a law in 2022,
[1:02:08] following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, banning the purchase of Russian oil.
[1:02:12] And I do believe there's a legitimate case for saying the president's not following the law.
[1:02:16] Republican Tom Tillis and six other senators releasing a bipartisan statement condemning the
[1:02:22] president's plan and calling on the administration to immediately reverse course.
[1:02:26] This morning, the cost of a gallon of diesel is $6.26 on average.
[1:02:33] That's up nearly $3 since this time last year.
[1:02:36] Analysts say this deal is unlikely to bring those prices down meaningfully.
[1:02:41] And it's not clear that Russia could even provide the promised fuel as Ukraine continues to blow up
[1:02:46] Russian refineries, all in a conflict that candidate Trump repeatedly promised to end on day one of his presidency.
[1:02:54] Nikki?
[1:02:55] Garrett, thanks so much.
[1:02:57] Let's continue this conversation with former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor.
[1:03:02] Good morning.
[1:03:02] Thank you for joining us.
[1:03:04] Let's start with this energy ceasefire that President Trump says was agreed upon between Russia and Ukraine.
[1:03:10] As we mentioned, Zelensky says he wasn't aware of it, but he says he's willing to back the truce if Moscow does as well.
[1:03:16] What do you make of the way President Trump announced this?
[1:03:19] And has Zelensky been caught off guard here?
[1:03:23] Zelensky, Nikki, has proposed this before.
[1:03:26] He's proposed an energy ceasefire.
[1:03:28] He's proposed a broader ceasefire.
[1:03:30] And on several occasions, President Trump has agreed.
[1:03:33] The problem has always been Putin.
[1:03:35] Putin has always said no to any ceasefires.
[1:03:38] Now, if President Trump has recently talked to President Putin, which we know they've had a phone call,
[1:03:44] and if President Trump got from President Putin a commitment to enter into a ceasefire, an energy ceasefire, that's good news.
[1:03:52] The problem is, Nikki, we haven't heard from the Kremlin.
[1:03:56] We haven't heard anything from Putin saying he's willing to go into a ceasefire.
[1:04:00] We have heard from Zelensky, even though he wasn't consulted.
[1:04:03] He said, fine, if you can get Putin to agree to a ceasefire, I will stop shooting at the Russians.
[1:04:10] Ambassador Taylor, this comes just days after the Trump administration agreed to this controversial deal to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel.
[1:04:20] Do you think Kyiv will feel somewhat betrayed by this agreement?
[1:04:24] Oh, they are betrayed.
[1:04:25] They feel it, and they are betrayed.
[1:04:27] They count on allies, including the United States, to put pressure on Putin to end this war.
[1:04:34] The Ukrainians want this war to end, and they know that the only way it's going to end is when Putin realizes he cannot win,
[1:04:41] and that's going to happen when he's put pressure, when he gets pressure.
[1:04:45] And part of that pressure has been these economic sanctions that says we don't buy oil from Russia,
[1:04:51] and Europeans have stopped buying oil at great cost to them.
[1:04:56] We've said the same thing.
[1:04:57] It's against our law to buy from Russia.
[1:05:00] And so when President Trump decides to change that, to waive those sanctions,
[1:05:06] yes, the Ukrainians felt betrayed, so do the Europeans.
[1:05:09] Over the weekend, President Trump also repeated his call for Ukraine to get a new president.
[1:05:14] Zelensky has been the country's leader since 2019, and there was supposed to be an election in 2024.
[1:05:19] Do you think Ukraine should hold an election soon?
[1:05:23] Is it even possible to do so right now?
[1:05:26] They shouldn't, and it's not possible.
[1:05:29] What President Trump has done by making those statements yesterday is boost the support for Zelensky in Ukraine.
[1:05:37] The same thing happened a year and a half ago after that Oval Office meeting.
[1:05:41] Putin wants Zelensky to go.
[1:05:44] When Trump said he wanted Zelensky to go yesterday, that will undoubtedly have the effect of boosting the support for Zelensky in Ukraine.
[1:05:56] And it is legally impossible, according to their constitution, to have an election during wartime.
[1:06:03] They've got martial law.
[1:06:04] They can't have an election.
[1:06:05] They can't bring their soldiers back to vote.
[1:06:07] They can't go to the polls without the Russians attacking them.
[1:06:12] So if there's security, Zelensky has said, if you give us 60 days of security, we'll do an election.
[1:06:18] Glad to.
[1:06:19] Ambassador Taylor, thanks so much for your time.
[1:06:22] Much more to come on this hour of morning news now, including why new research reveals those so-called Sunday scaries might just be getting worse.
[1:06:30] First, though, after the break, the papal procedure that has Catholics from all over the world concerned about Pope Leo's health, the latest from overseas next.
[1:06:39] We're back now with new details about Pope Leo's health as the Vatican confirms the 71-year-old pontiff will be hospitalized tomorrow morning ahead of lung surgery.
[1:06:53] The Pope revealed Sunday that doctors found a small nodule on his lung during recent medical tests, saying it was detected at a very early stage.
[1:07:02] The Vatican has not said what caused the nodule, but says the upcoming procedure will require about a week of recovery.
[1:07:09] NBC News correspondent Danielle Hamamjan joins us now from London with the latest.
[1:07:14] Danielle, good morning.
[1:07:15] Good morning, Nikki.
[1:07:16] It started off as a regular Sunday on St. Peter's Square with thousands gathering for the weekly blessing by the Pope,
[1:07:22] only to hear the pontiff himself deliver the news about his health.
[1:07:27] This morning, business as usual at the Vatican.
[1:07:31] Hours after Pope Leo addressed his first health scare since becoming leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
[1:07:41] On Sunday, the American-born pontiff delivered his weekly blessing, along with news no one expected.
[1:07:47] The medici mi hanno trovato...
[1:07:49] Leo telling the crowd in St. Peter's Square that doctors found a localized nodule in his lung,
[1:07:56] that it was detected early and well-contained, but needed to be removed.
[1:08:01] When we use those terms in the medical community, we're usually talking about a cancerous-type nodule.
[1:08:07] Still, experts also point out lung nodules are fairly common.
[1:08:12] The Vatican now confirming the Pope will be hospitalized Tuesday morning at the nearby Gemelli Hospital,
[1:08:18] where his predecessors were also treated.
[1:08:22] Doctors say the good news is that Leo, at 71, is a young Pope, energetic and especially active on the tennis court.
[1:08:29] He keeps a busy schedule and is due to make an 11-day tour of South America next month, including Peru,
[1:08:40] where he served as a missionary and bishop for nearly two decades.
[1:08:44] The main thing is that this was caught at an early stage, and it's much more likely to be successfully treated,
[1:08:50] and he could end up recovering much quicker because it's a smaller nodule than if it happened later on.
[1:08:55] From his hometown of Chicago to beyond, prayers for the Pope.
[1:09:00] We hope the surgery is going to go well for him.
[1:09:02] Yeah, of course.
[1:09:03] That he's going to be okay after.
[1:09:05] Grazie. Buona Domenica.
[1:09:07] Now, during his address, the Pope did mention his upcoming trip to Peru in November,
[1:09:13] suggesting that it is still going ahead, though unclear if the surgery would affect the itinerary.
[1:09:18] A Vatican spokesman said the estimated recovery time will be about a week.
[1:09:23] Nikki.
[1:09:24] Danielle, thank you for more on Pope Leo's upcoming lung surgery and what it could mean for his health.
[1:09:29] We'll join now by NBC News medical contributor, Dr. Natalie Azar.
[1:09:34] Dr. Azar, good morning.
[1:09:36] It's good to see you here in person.
[1:09:38] What exactly is a nodule?
[1:09:40] Are there warning signs?
[1:09:41] Could the Pope have felt something?
[1:09:43] So a lung nodule, by definition, is a little spot on the lung that is less than three centimeters.
[1:09:50] Greater than three centimeters, we call that a mass.
[1:09:52] Pulmonary nodules are incredibly common, and the vast majority of them are benign and asymptomatic.
[1:09:58] However, there are a couple of warning signs that we always like to remind our viewers
[1:10:02] because this could be an indication of something more serious.
[1:10:05] For example, chest pain, shortness of breath, a chronic cough, certainly a bloody cough,
[1:10:10] any loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, and recurrent respiratory infections.
[1:10:14] It appears that his was caught what we refer to as incidentally,
[1:10:18] meaning that they were doing maybe a scan for another purpose, and they saw this lung nodule.
[1:10:23] They took a closer look at it and have recommended that they resect it.
[1:10:26] Why do you think doctors did decide to remove it?
[1:10:28] Is that standard, or is this a different protocol because it's the Pope?
[1:10:32] You know what?
[1:10:33] I like the way you asked the question, right?
[1:10:34] Because we always do say with people in positions like this,
[1:10:37] are they going to be a little bit more cautious?
[1:10:39] And the answer here is probably not.
[1:10:41] They probably saw something about the nodule that made them more suspicious
[1:10:44] that it was maybe just something benign that they need to follow.
[1:10:48] So a lot of things that they look at, Nikki, are the size.
[1:10:51] For example, less than eight millimeters.
[1:10:53] They usually just do surveillance with CAT scans every year.
[1:10:56] But it's the shape, it's the size, it's where it's located, how dense it is.
[1:11:01] There were probably some features about the nodule that made them suspicious
[1:11:05] that it maybe wasn't a prior infection, or it wasn't necessarily a benign nodule,
[1:11:10] but something a little bit more serious, like an underlying malignancy,
[1:11:13] that they have recommended that they take it out,
[1:11:16] look at it under a microscope, and actually give us a diagnosis.
[1:11:18] Popolio is 71 years old.
[1:11:21] How risky might a surgery like this be for someone his age?
[1:11:24] You know what?
[1:11:25] I think the risk with a surgery like this actually has less to do
[1:11:28] with the person's chronological age,
[1:11:31] but rather their underlying medical history, their overall function.
[1:11:35] So if you're otherwise healthy and you're having this procedure,
[1:11:37] you can expect to do pretty well.
[1:11:40] There's always a risk with a surgery like this,
[1:11:42] infection, bleeding, something like that.
[1:11:44] But if you had underlying heart disease, underlying COPD,
[1:11:48] where you're going to lose more lung function,
[1:11:50] those are the people we worry about.
[1:11:52] From what we gather, he's a very healthy 71-year-old.
[1:11:55] He plays tennis regularly.
[1:11:56] He swims without any known underlying lung or cardiac disease.
[1:12:00] I think he's going to do just fine.
[1:12:02] He's got a busier schedule than most of us.
[1:12:04] Oh my God, and a busy one coming up, but I think he'll be okay.
[1:12:07] Great hands.
[1:12:08] We don't know yet if this is a cancerous schedule.
[1:12:11] What will doctors be looking at?
[1:12:13] How could this impact his long-term health?
[1:12:15] Of course, I would imagine it'd be a biopsy.
[1:12:18] Right, right.
[1:12:19] So they're going to take the lung nodule out.
[1:12:20] They're going to look at it under a microscope.
[1:12:22] They're going to give us what's called a pathologic diagnosis.
[1:12:25] They're going to tell us whether it's cancer or not.
[1:12:27] They're going to tell us what type of cancer.
[1:12:29] They're also going to make sure that it was like a very well localized, right?
[1:12:32] A full resection, no lymph node involvement.
[1:12:35] And then they do all of these fancy tests on cancers
[1:12:37] to see how rapidly or slowly it's growing.
[1:12:40] And that's going to give us the best indication of his overall prognosis.
[1:12:44] The good news is, especially when things are found incidentally,
[1:12:47] that usually indicates that they weren't causing symptoms,
[1:12:50] which usually means that they're a little bit smaller.
[1:12:52] And the five-year survival for a resection like this,
[1:12:54] even with lung cancer, can really be quite excellent,
[1:12:57] upwards of 90% and above, you know, again,
[1:13:00] as long as the tumor has good features.
[1:13:02] But we'll wait and see.
[1:13:03] Could end up being benign.
[1:13:04] So we're all hoping for the best.
[1:13:06] Absolutely.
[1:13:07] Dr. Azar, thank you for being here.
[1:13:09] Coming up, some food for thought this morning.
[1:13:12] Food pantries in deep red rural America
[1:13:14] struggling to keep up with demand in the face of major economic hardships.
[1:13:18] So how is this affecting support for President Trump in these areas?
[1:13:22] We'll take a closer look next.
[1:13:24] Back now with a closer look at what's making news
[1:13:36] in the world of politics this morning,
[1:13:38] starting with the federal judges ordering President Trump's TV ads
[1:13:41] to be taken off the air.
[1:13:43] NBC News political reporter Megan Brand joins us now.
[1:13:48] Hey, Nikki, good morning.
[1:13:49] Let's start with those pro-Trump ads that you may have been seeing on TV.
[1:13:53] The ads included a disclosure that they were paid for by the U.S. government.
[1:13:57] Now a federal judge has ordered the administration
[1:13:59] to immediately stop airing the ads.
[1:14:02] Over the weekend, the administration said in a filing
[1:14:04] that they were advised through Sunday,
[1:14:06] but that the vendor is not supposed to buy ads after that.
[1:14:10] Let's turn next to the Justice Department,
[1:14:12] which said that it's investigating five TV networks.
[1:14:15] This comes after the networks temporarily did not provide pool coverage of President Trump
[1:14:20] after he blocked some outlets from having White House access.
[1:14:24] Now the DOJ is investigating the networks that make up the TV pool.
[1:14:28] NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox.
[1:14:32] The DOJ is arguing that the networks were allegedly potentially violating federal antitrust laws
[1:14:38] because of their decision to temporarily not provide that pool coverage of the president.
[1:14:43] That network decision had come after President Trump moved to ban CNN,
[1:14:47] MSNOW, and Politico from White House grounds.
[1:14:51] ABC News said that it has not received any notification from the Justice Department,
[1:14:55] but expects to.
[1:14:56] Representatives for NBC, CBS, and CNN declined to comment.
[1:15:01] Fox did not respond to requests for comments.
[1:15:04] And finally, let's take a look ahead at the president's campaign schedule for this week.
[1:15:09] Trump is traveling to Ohio for a rally today.
[1:15:12] There are a couple of high-profile races there.
[1:15:15] Democrats are trying to flip both a Senate seat and the governor's seat.
[1:15:19] Later this week, the president will travel to Alaska, Arizona, and Montana for rallies.
[1:15:24] And that's a look at what's making news in politics this morning.
[1:15:28] Nikki?
[1:15:29] Megan, thank you.
[1:15:32] More families in West Virginia are turning to food pantries just to survive the month,
[1:15:36] largely due to higher gas prices and federal cuts to food stamps.
[1:15:40] It's a state that voted overwhelmingly for President Trump.
[1:15:44] The president promised to make life better for people in rural areas during his campaign,
[1:15:49] but many voters there say it has actually gotten worse.
[1:15:52] Demand at food pantries has spiked,
[1:15:56] getting less food from the government to give those in need.
[1:15:59] NBC News senior policy reporter Shannon Pettypiece has the details.
[1:16:05] Sometimes I just sit down and cry.
[1:16:08] Like when you're looking at your bills or, yeah,
[1:16:10] and then trying to figure out what you're going to eat out of a can or something.
[1:16:14] In Dunlow, West Virginia,
[1:16:16] Joanne Gerben is one of hundreds of people who count on this food pantry every month.
[1:16:20] Every time you pay bills and buy food and stuff, you're broke.
[1:16:24] Coal mining jobs once built towns like this one, but they've been disappearing for decades.
[1:16:30] Now, families here are also paying more for just about everything,
[1:16:33] cutting into their monthly food budgets.
[1:16:36] At the same time as demand is rising,
[1:16:38] the food pantries here say they are getting less food from the Trump administration
[1:16:41] than they did during the Biden years.
[1:16:45] West Virginia voted for Trump three times,
[1:16:47] and many people here still back the president.
[1:16:49] But some say their patience is wearing thin.
[1:16:53] I love Donald Trump.
[1:16:55] He shouldn't promise people things that he ain't going to do, though, you know.
[1:16:58] Trump said there wasn't going to be no wars.
[1:17:01] America was going to come down to where people would be living good over here.
[1:17:04] They ain't living good.
[1:17:05] Okay.
[1:17:06] They ain't living good.
[1:17:07] I know people that's working right now, barely making it.
[1:17:09] Bill Likens runs the Dunlow Pantry.
[1:17:14] Each car gets two boxes.
[1:17:16] Each car.
[1:17:16] Which serves 700 to 800 households a month.
[1:17:18] He says in August, it received about two and a half pounds of food per household.
[1:17:23] A few years ago, he says it got 20.
[1:17:27] Bonnie Newsome, a retired school bus driver, used to take Likens to school.
[1:17:31] Now, she's dependent on him to put food on her table.
[1:17:35] And if it weren't for this food pantry that Bill's doing, we would be in trouble.
[1:17:43] It's an issue that extends beyond West Virginia.
[1:17:46] An NBC News survey of the largest food banks across 35 states in Washington, D.C., found that nearly three-quarters said more people are showing up at their doors over the past year, driven by higher costs and cuts to food stamps under Republicans' so-called Big Beautiful bill.
[1:18:02] At the same time, more than 80 percent said the food and funding they received through the U.S. Department of Agriculture has dropped.
[1:18:09] Last year, the Trump administration cut nearly $1 billion in planned spending by the Biden administration to support food banks.
[1:18:17] I really thought President Trump would move right on in and take care of everything.
[1:18:22] He's disappointed me.
[1:18:24] In another corner of West Virginia, Donna Paterino says the number of families at her pantry has doubled in the past year, while the food she gets from the USDA has shrunk.
[1:18:38] There's some months you don't get anything, but maybe some canned green beans, and we're thankful for anything.
[1:18:45] There may be some times that you just get 48 cans of peaches.
[1:18:50] The USDA says it has not reduced the amount of food it provides.
[1:18:54] The White House says the president is uplifting Americans through tax cuts and efforts to boost jobs and business investments.
[1:19:02] I live by faith and not by sight, because if I'm looking, I see a bunch of people in Washington who are out of touch.
[1:19:10] A message echoed by those Paterino is there to help.
[1:19:15] I mean, it's just like Washington's turned her back on us.
[1:19:20] They just want to feel something.
[1:19:22] Yeah.
[1:19:23] They've just turned her back on us.
[1:19:26] Shannon Pettypiece, NBC News, Dunlow, West Virginia.
[1:19:30] Coming up, do you struggle with those so-called Sunday scaries?
[1:19:35] Well, new research shows they may be getting worse.
[1:19:38] So how many of us are actually dealing with that post-weekend doom and gloom?
[1:19:42] And how can you make Mondays less monstrous?
[1:19:46] We're clocking in next on Morning News Now.
[1:19:48] We're back with more on the growing crisis, over how much time children spend using screens and the type of content they're exposed to.
[1:20:01] Several big tech companies have recently introduced enhanced safety features to protect younger users,
[1:20:06] like removing filters, banning harmful topics, and muting notifications during school.
[1:20:11] Now Apple is even revamping its features to give parents more control over what their kids can access on their devices.
[1:20:19] But do these features actually work?
[1:20:21] Morning News Now anchor Savannah Sellers has a closer look.
[1:20:26] Okay, moms, I want to know how you guys are handling screen time.
[1:20:29] Take away the screens from kids. Take away the screens from kids.
[1:20:32] Children and screen time.
[1:20:34] The issue is a growing crisis of our generation and one big tech is taking note of.
[1:20:39] We're committed to building a safe and trusted platform for kids.
[1:20:43] With mounting pressure from parents and mental health professionals, several companies have rolled out new safeguards.
[1:20:49] But do they really work?
[1:20:51] These tech companies are embracing that the tools need to be easier to use and some of the onus is on them.
[1:20:56] Earlier this year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT for teens, which limits conversations involving sensitive topics like eating disorders, self-harm, and violence for users under 18.
[1:21:07] And after settling a multi-state lawsuit for more than $18 billion, in which Meta did not admit any wrongdoing,
[1:21:14] Meta agreed to make major changes for its teen users, including a two-hour daily time limit on Instagram and Facebook,
[1:21:21] muting notifications during school hours, and removing access to extreme beauty filters.
[1:21:26] Apple just unveiled its revamped features as well.
[1:21:29] We're giving parents powerful, easy-to-use tools to help manage what kids can see, who they can talk to, and when they have access.
[1:21:39] Parents can now manage who their child communicates with via message, FaceTime, or phone call,
[1:21:44] choose which apps their child can use and set time allowances,
[1:21:47] restrict access to apps during important hours like school, dinner, and playtime,
[1:21:52] and limit their child's web browsing by requiring parental permission to access a new website.
[1:21:58] We want the future to kind of grow with the child as they're interacting.
[1:22:03] Dr. Sambal Desai serves as Apple's vice president of health,
[1:22:06] overseeing a new partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, including a family media plan.
[1:22:12] How do we make it so that parents have some guidelines that they can use and have a conversation?
[1:22:18] It's really meant to be a conversation starter.
[1:22:19] Apple says the guide is designed to help parents and kids build healthier online habits
[1:22:24] by balancing screen time with sleep, schoolwork, and social activities.
[1:22:28] We want parents to really think about, they know their children best,
[1:22:33] and they are the expert when it comes to their child, but they need support and guidance from experts.
[1:22:37] But NBC News Chief Tech Analyst Joanna Stern says parents have to stay involved.
[1:22:43] The safeguards only work under the watchful eye of an adult,
[1:22:45] which can be a big job with all those devices and apps.
[1:22:49] I think every parent wants to shed the title of IT manager,
[1:22:52] but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
[1:22:54] You have the platform controls, which in this case is Apple,
[1:22:57] but you also have all those other apps, the social media apps, the TikToks,
[1:23:02] the Instagrams, the Minecrafts, the Roblox, all of those have different settings.
[1:23:06] A never-ending juggle for parents navigating a new world.
[1:23:11] Savannah Sellers, NBC News, New York.
[1:23:14] Savannah, thank you.
[1:23:15] And there's also been growing scrutiny for Silicon Valley on their silver screen.
[1:23:19] This year alone, several new Hollywood projects are putting the spotlight on tech titans,
[1:23:24] including Elon Musk, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and a Facebook whistleblower.
[1:23:28] NBC News entertainment correspondent Chloe Malas got a closer look.
[1:23:32] This month at the movies, Hollywood's taking aim at Silicon Valley.
[1:23:38] From an inside look at Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' final days before entering prison,
[1:23:43] to a searing documentary on Elon Musk.
[1:23:49] We have one person who's this chaotic and has this much power.
[1:23:53] Later, there's Artificial, a dramatized take on the rise of OpenAI,
[1:23:59] where Andrew Garfield plays CEO Sam Altman.
[1:24:02] What is the image of the future that you see?
[1:24:07] His breakout role?
[1:24:08] 2010's The Social Network, playing Mark Zuckerberg's former best friend.
[1:24:13] Because I'm not coming back for 30%.
[1:24:15] I'm coming back for everything.
[1:24:18] In the beginning, you had these almost kind of anti-but heroic stories of these young kids
[1:24:25] taking on authority.
[1:24:26] And there was excitement around that.
[1:24:28] Ben Mesrick's book, The Accidental Billionaires, served as the basis for that Oscar-winning film.
[1:24:33] It's follow-up, The Social Reckoning, hitting theaters this weekend.
[1:24:37] These movies are much angrier, rather than the sort of story of someone trying to make it big
[1:24:44] or trying to create something or trying to build something.
[1:24:47] We're not in the building phase anymore.
[1:24:49] We're in kind of the apocalyptic phase.
[1:24:51] I'm not going to risk my job.
[1:24:53] The Social Reckoning focuses on Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen,
[1:24:57] who leaked data and told Congress in 2021 that the company put profits before people.
[1:25:03] I think a lot more people have the strength than them to be whistleblowers.
[1:25:07] Tinseltown's focus on the tech industry comes as it faces more scrutiny than ever,
[1:25:13] with AI whistleblowers and leaders sounding the alarm over safety,
[1:25:17] and Metta's multi-billion dollar settlement in social media addiction claims,
[1:25:21] the company denying wrongdoings.
[1:25:24] I don't want to be made an example of by a guy with unlimited resources.
[1:25:27] For the real-life Haugen, these films are a call to action.
[1:25:31] I think all of these are a symptom of us turning to art,
[1:25:35] to try to find meaning and guidance in this period of transition.
[1:25:39] Signs this reckoning for titans of tech is only just the beginning.
[1:25:44] Chloe Malas, NBC News.
[1:25:48] October may be the season for scares,
[1:25:51] but for many Americans, nothing is more frightening than the thought of going back to work on Monday.
[1:25:56] And experts say those so-called Sunday scaries are only getting worse.
[1:25:59] NBC News correspondent Emily Akeda joins us now with more.
[1:26:03] Emily, good morning.
[1:26:04] Well, if a sense of dread or worry starts to creep in ahead of Mondays, you are not alone.
[1:26:10] The Sunday scaries are sweeping the country with economic uncertainty and technology,
[1:26:14] blurring the lines between the office and home.
[1:26:18] It's that feeling that rolls around at the start of the work week.
[1:26:21] I got to get out of here.
[1:26:22] I think I'm going to lose it.
[1:26:23] Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.
[1:26:27] That's taken on the nickname Sunday scaries.
[1:26:31] Sunday scaries are absolutely the worst thing ever.
[1:26:34] The phrase has become so popular,
[1:26:36] it was officially added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary last month,
[1:26:40] defined as feelings of anxiety or sadness that arise on Sunday
[1:26:43] from the knowledge that the weekend is almost over.
[1:26:47] The Wall Street Journal reporting on the rising pre-Monday dread amid a new survey showing
[1:26:52] it's a sentiment felt across many Americans, like Chris Keller.
[1:26:56] Knowing that Sunday is coming and then the weekend is over.
[1:27:00] So I think, you know, that anxiety sort of builds up.
[1:27:04] Nearly six out of ten workers experience the Sunday scaries at least sometimes,
[1:27:09] with most citing workload or unfinished tasks as the biggest contributor to those feelings.
[1:27:14] Something a few of us have experienced here at Today.
[1:27:18] When you come back from a vacation on that day,
[1:27:20] and you've been totally shut down for about a week,
[1:27:22] people have been very considerate of your time.
[1:27:25] And all of a sudden they start giving,
[1:27:26] hey, hope you had a good trip.
[1:27:29] Sorry to bug you, but tomorrow morning,
[1:27:31] and then it all starts to become reality.
[1:27:33] Yes, scary, scary, scary.
[1:27:34] So what's driving the gloom and doom?
[1:27:37] The Sunday scaries is due to a confluence of factors
[1:27:39] that are all happening at the same time.
[1:27:41] The rise of AI, the rise of economic uncertainty,
[1:27:45] social media, and a decrease in the buffers of social support
[1:27:49] and community that we once used to have.
[1:27:51] And smartphones haven't helped either.
[1:27:54] This is my boss.
[1:27:57] Psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma says people now feel the need to respond immediately
[1:28:01] and be available at all times.
[1:28:03] But there are some companies working towards easing that anxiety.
[1:28:07] Salesforce practices asynchronous communication
[1:28:10] to give employees more flexibility to respond on their own schedule.
[1:28:15] And Dropbox enforces core collaboration hours,
[1:28:18] four-hour blocks of time in which meetings can only be held.
[1:28:22] I give consent to sever my memories between my work life and my personal life.
[1:28:30] And since total severance isn't an option,
[1:28:33] the reality is our work life does bleed into our personal life.
[1:28:36] There is no way around it.
[1:28:37] To deal with Sunday scaries, I would say decrease the risk
[1:28:40] that you associate with this bad thing happening
[1:28:42] and increase your ability to deal with it.
[1:28:46] Experts say there are several things you can do
[1:28:47] to counter those pre-Monday feelings of dread.
[1:28:50] Spend a few extra minutes on Fridays to close the loop on things
[1:28:53] so you won't have to think about them over the weekend.
[1:28:56] Plan some fun things during the week
[1:28:58] to give you something to look forward to.
[1:28:59] And if your anxiety stems from having too much on your plate
[1:29:02] or feeling burned out,
[1:29:03] it may be worth having a conversation with your boss.
[1:29:06] Back to you.
[1:29:07] Emily, thank you.
[1:29:09] Coming up, you could say that a journey of nearly 10,000 miles
[1:29:12] starts with a single step.
[1:29:14] But for one amazing father-son duo,
[1:29:16] their love of America's favorite pastime
[1:29:19] has them peddling for more than just pride.
[1:29:21] We'll explain next.
[1:29:27] We end this hour with a nearly 10,000-mile journey
[1:29:30] that brought a father and son even closer together along the way.
[1:29:34] NBC Weekend Nightly news anchor Hallie Jackson has their story.
[1:29:39] These two on the move.
[1:29:42] First place, brah.
[1:29:43] Scott Pesch and his son Ethan
[1:29:45] greeting their online followers with a daily update.
[1:29:48] Good morning, Bike to Ballparks fans.
[1:29:51] Day three of our trip.
[1:29:52] We go day 67, Bike to Ballparks.
[1:29:54] This is day 136.
[1:29:57] They're peddling nearly 10,000 miles from coast to coast,
[1:30:00] stopping at every big-league ballpark in the country.
[1:30:04] The goal?
[1:30:05] To raise $100,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
[1:30:09] I mean, wow.
[1:30:10] Look at this.
[1:30:11] Pushing through rain and shine.
[1:30:13] Thunder and lightning storm hit.
[1:30:15] Poured on us.
[1:30:17] Some lows.
[1:30:18] Wow, this is freaking scary.
[1:30:20] And plenty of highs.
[1:30:22] For Scott, this journey feels extra special.
[1:30:26] In 1994, he biked the same route with his college friends.
[1:30:31] And now, three decades later, he's doing it again.
[1:30:35] This time with his son by his side.
[1:30:38] This is a beautiful country and there's beautiful people in it.
[1:30:41] And that's what I wanted to show my son.
[1:30:44] I actually rode my bike to every Major League Baseball stadium.
[1:30:47] I didn't drive a car.
[1:30:48] I didn't fly a plane.
[1:30:50] I rode my dang bike.
[1:30:51] Pushing each other to keep going.
[1:30:53] He's an amazing person.
[1:30:55] An even better friend and an even better dad.
[1:30:57] He's like Superman to me.
[1:30:58] And making memories to last a lifetime.
[1:31:01] I love you, Ethan.
[1:31:02] I'm grateful I was able to do it with you, Dad.
[1:31:04] It was, man, I can't even, no words to describe it.
[1:31:08] Hallie Jackson, NBC News.
[1:31:11] How sweet.
[1:31:11] Thanks, Hallie.
[1:31:12] And that does it for this hour of Morning News Now.
[1:31:14] The news continues right now.