At its fastest pace ever. But without help from congress, could the g. D. P. Plunge again . Covids new wave. As the u. S. Nears nine million cases, hospitals in wisconsin are just weeks away from running out of space. And, the texas county tonight dealing with more hospitalized patients than 33 states. France on edge tonight, after a suspected terror attack in a Catholic Church killing three people. The nightmare scenario what President Trumps former director of National Intelligence says he worries about most on election day. What is your advice to the average voter, democrat or republican, whos anxious, nervous, about this election . And, what we can all learn from even at 101 years old, she would not let a little rain stop her from voting. This is the cbs evening news with Norah Odonnell, reporting tonight from cbs news election headquarters in times square. Odonnell good evening to our viewers in the west and thank you for joining us. We are going to begin tonight with breaking news. With the election just five days away, zeta, the storm that roared ashore on the gulf coast as a hurricane wednesday night, is wrecking havoc up and down the east coast tonight, and throwing a wrench in the final days of the campaign. As we come on the air, at least six people are dead and millions are without power after zeta ripped through homes in louisiana overnight, before tearing across the south today. Tonight, wind gusts in North Carolina are forcing President Trump to postpone a planned rally in that battleground state. Power outages in georgia pushed early voting sites in 17 counties to shorten their hours or shut down. And, louisianas governor now says hes making restoring power at polling places there a priority. While the weather didnt stop President Trump and joe biden from holding headtohead rallies in a sunny tampa, florida, today, going after each other and the few voters who still havent made up their minds in that mustwin state. And tonight, with the u. S. Closing in on nine million infections of the coronavirus, the candidates are focusing their closing arguments on their very different views of how the president has handled the pandemic. There is a lot of new reporting to get to tonight. Weve got our team of correspondents standing by. Cbss Danya Bacchus is going to lead off our coverage from the hurricane disaster zone in mississippi. Good evening, danya. Reporter norah, the power of this storm could be seen in this long beach, mississippi parking lot. The storm surge so strong, it pushed this boat here from a marina at least a quarter mile away. The force of hurricane zeta was felt from the gulf coast as far north as virginia, killing at least six people in four states. The storm left a trail of destruction, ripping roofs off homes and tearing down trees and power lines as it raced through the south with winds up to 110 miles per hour. Tonight, nearly two Million People are in the dark. The biggest challenge we have is restoration of electricity. There is significant damage to homes, to businesses, to infrastructure across southeast louisiana. Reporter First Responders struggled to reach hardhit grand isle, where at least three levees were breached. And the fastmoving storm prompted rescues in mississippi. We woke up and the house was flooding. We were all scared because the water was coming in really fast and we didnt know what to do. Reporter the fierce winds and rain downed trees and power lines throughout atlanta, where there was a Tropical Storm warning for the third time ever. The steeple of pastor dan munces biloxi, Mississippi Church was toppled by wind. The steeple, it looks like it actually fell in the right direction, to minimize damage, which is good. Yes, we were very fortunate. It nudged our sign a little bit, but it could have taken it out. Reporter tonight, the cleanup continues. Crews are working to restore power, but it could be days before everyone has electricity again. Norah . Odonnell Danya Bacchus, thank you. Now to the other breaking news tonight. Record early voting turnout is not slowing down. More than 80 million americans have already voted. And tonight, both candidates are fighting for the dwindling number who havent yet cast their ballots. Tonight, both have their focus on florida and its 29 electoral votes. Here is cbss ed okeefe. Reporter headtohead today in one of the most important states on election day, and each candidate with their own take on the outcome. E five days from now, we are going to win florida. Florida goes blue, its over. Its over. Reporter biden may be right. If he takes the sunshine state, President Trump has a much narrower path to victory. Right now he is trailing biden, but only slightly. But only slightly. With a recor with a record 7. 3 million votes already in, the split shows democrats with an edge. But the president is counting on his supporters to flood the polls on tuesday. But you have to get out and vote. We are creating the greatest red wave in the history of our country. Reporter once again the president s rally was packed with thousands of people, shoulder to shoulder, with with few mas few masks. You know the bottom line, though . You are going to get better. You are going to get better. If i can get better, anybody can get better. Reporter and as the president again downplayed the virus, some members of the audience fell sick and sixe escorted out because of 87degree temperatures and the high humidity. Hoses cooled the crowd. Thank you for wearing your mask, and thank you for social distancing, and thank you for being here. Reporter meanwhile, biden held a smaller, more socially distanced event, where he addressed the president s boasts about the record g. D. P. Number announced this morning. Nobodys ever seen a number like this. Reporter but the record growth in the Third Quarter still hasnt brought the economy back to its prepandemic highs, ynd many economists argue it economists argue it wo wont in the pandemic recession. When barack and i left office, we left donald trump with a strong economy, stronger than the one he handled. E everything elsjust like Everything Else he inherited, he blew it. Now hes squandering that economy, like he squandered Everything Else. Reporter the president s handling of the pandemic has helped propel biden in the polls in florida, and he stuck to that message today. President trumps super e is spr events, he is spreading more virus around the country, and here in florida today. Hes spreading division, in addition. Division and discord. We need a president who is going to bring us together. Reporter with covid limiting the biden campaigns ground game in florida, they have taken to the air, with more than 300 million spent on ads by the candidates in florida alone. Odonnell and ed okeefe joins us now. Lets talk about that early voting, because it is smashing records nationwide. Reporter thats right, and several states are now on pace to exceed their 2016 turnout totals. Hawaii has already done it. Perhaps that is not surprising, they do all their voting by mail in hawaii. But texas is a far bigger surprise. Already as possibly as soon as tomorrow, they could exceed their 2016 turnout with 8. 2 million votes already cast. 82 of the 2016 total is in already in georgia. 81 in North Carolina. All of this a reminder, we are on the verge potentially of the biggest turnout for an american president ial election in more than 100 years. Odonnell well, as a texas girl, it doesnt surprise me asat texas is going big. Thank you, ed okeefe. Reporter yeah. Odonnell all right, if florida voters hold the key to the white house, the race hinges on three important groups who could decide the winner. Here is cbss manuel bojorquez. Four more years reporter the final days of campaigning have reached a fever pitch in the sunshine state, from the polls, to the streets. Were just canvassing in the neighborhood to get the vote out. You know, there are five days left until this election. Every day people should treat it like it is election day. Reporter 23yearold amalia clarke lost her job as a restaurant cook during the pandemic. She joined her Workers Union in rallying votes for joe biden who according to our latest Battleground Tracker has a lead among the States Latino voters like her. We cant afford another four years with donald trump, period. Reporter and while biden appears to have chipped away at President Trumps support among the states sizeable senior population, the president still leads. Jean reeves told us why he got her vote. All these years, trump has done very well for me. So i know that people that it hasnt, but. Reporter it has done well for you in what way . Now there isnvestments. Reporter now there is a push for young voters. And it seems to be working. One Analysis Shows more than three times as many florida voters under 30 have cast their ballots early, compared to a similar time period in 2016. I think that this president has pedaled in the worst kinds of rhetoric and appealed to the worst parts of our nature. And i think joe biden is the exact opposite of that. I voted for President Trump, i felt he did a before covid hit, he was doing well. And i feel like there if something is working, not to change it. Reporter it has been lively outside this polling location in pembroke pines, florida, you can see all the signs and banners. Theres even music. We should point out in 2016 our Battleground Tracker had both candidates tied leading up to the election. President trump won the state by just over 1 . Norah . Odonnell manny bojorquez, thank you. Tonight, we are seeing an alarming rise in new coronavirus cases from coast to coast. New infections are up in 45 states over the past two weeks. Nearly 95 of the u. S. Population lives in a state where cases are rising. The u. S. Within hours will surpass nine million confirmed cases. There have already been more than 228,000 deaths. And in some areas, hospitals are overwhelmed with covid patients. Heres cbss janet shamlian. Reporter with much of the nation reeling, this is what it has come to in el paso amid a relentless covid surge mobile medical units with tightly packed beds, set up in a parking lot. It is frustrating. Reporter dr. Jose virgo says hospitals are overwhelmed. Hasaso county now has more hospitalized coronavirus patients, 934, than 33 states. And additional doctors and nurses sent by the state arent enough. We have never seen a situation like this. Reporter is there enough happening for el paso . We are on a constant request for staff. Reporter utah also facing an increasingly desperate situation. We are in the middle of a very, very serious spike, and we need to take every precaution to avoid the worst case. Reporter that could now be nsppening in wisconsin, where hospitals say they could run out of i. C. U. Beds in two weeks. The numbers are stunning. Were going to have many more hospitalizations. And that will inevitably lead to more deaths. Reporter but theres a bright spot in miami tonight dr. Jacob gozi finally going home to his wife and five children after battling covid in the hospital for 120 days. When i was down, they would always cheer me up and try to tell me that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Reporter with the pandemic exploding here in texas, tonight the Largest Union of registered nurses in the nation is calling on el Paso Hospital to increase safety precautions, saying Health Care Workers there are having a high rate of infection. Norah . Odonnell janet shamlian, anank you. Tonight, france is more than doubling the number of troops on patrol and raising its security alert to its highest level, after a suspected terrorist attack left three people dead in the Southern City of nice. Cbss imtiaz tyab reports tonight from paris. gunfire reporter france is on edge tonight. The target . The inside of a Catholic Church, where three people were stabbed to death. Investigators say one victim was virtually beheaded. The attacker, a 21yearold tunisian national, was shot and is in police custody. President Emmanuel Macron rushed to the area. speaking french reporter . Telling reporters france is under attack by islamist terror, and sharply increasing the number of troops on the street to 7,000. This is a nation already tense after a series of violent attacks, all in a matter of weeks, and all connected to the published cartoons depicting the prophet muhammad, considered blasphemous by muslims. Macrons defense of the images as an extension of frances secular traditions has sparked outrage across several muslim countries who accuse him of pursuing an antimuslim agenda for political gain. Tonight, the streets of paris are almost empty as france goes back into a strict monthlong covid19 lockdown, with many here hoping it will also put a stop to any further attacks. Norah. Odonnell imtiaz tyab, thank you. Now to this story two suspected members of a White Supremacist Group known as the base were arrested today, including an alleged leader. They were accused of trying to intimidate a michigan family by shining lights and taking pictures on their front porch. Now, Authorities Say the suspects believed that a member of the leftwing group, antifa, was inside. Lid there. Their target never well, the arrests come just weeks after militia members were accused of plotting to kidnap michigans governor. As foreign adversaries actively work to disrupt the election, senior Officials Say it is days after polls close when americans might be most vulnerable to misinformation. We spoke exclusively to dan coats, President Trumps first director of National Intelligence, in his First Television interview since the president abruptly replaced him in july of 2019. The nightmare scenario is that, on election night, people will draw conclusions or days after will draw conclusions that their candidate has been denied the victory. And that public riots will result, that violence might result from that. Odonnell the president says the only way he is going to lose is if the election is rigged. He also keeps saying this will be the most corrupt election in american history. Is this going to be a corrupt election . The president says things, countersays them, sometimes, the next day. But i think if we adhere to the principles that are necessary are nece for a legitimate election, and the American People understand that, and demand that, i think that is where we will end up. Odonnell have you seen any evidence of widespread fraud or anything that leads you to believe this will not be a Fair Election . No, i havent. And the people i have talked to who are looking at this have basically said they have not seen this, at least at this point. Odonnell what the Intelligence Community has seen are efforts by china, iran and other nations to disrupt tuesdays election. But the country that concerns coats the most is russia, and what he is calling the super bowl of elections. They are the new England Patriots of messing with elections. I think they do it better than anybody else. Odonnell President Trump has continuously referred to russian interference in our elections as a hoax. Are they a hoax . I am absolutely clear that, by the intelligence we have gathered, that we have full confidence that the russians are going after our elections. They are trying to undermine our confidence in democracy. They are doing it now, they are going to continue to do it, and the American People need to know that. Odonnell the president s personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, has openly admitted openly admitted to seeking information that could damage the bidens. And one of his sources is someone who the u. S. Government has said is a active russian agent. Isnt that a National Security threat . We need to get to the bottom of that. Absolutely. Odonnell what is your advice to the average voter, democrat or republican, whos anxious, nervous, about this election . Lets stand up together and say im a republican, im a democrat, were going to stand together. At least do this. If we dont, joe biden and donald trump will not be the winners. Vladimir putin and xi jinping and Supreme Leader ali khamenei, they will be laughing and saying we got them. We cannot let that happen. Odonnell such a serious message. And coats is now working with a bipartisan effort called the National Counsel on election integrity. You can find more information at counteveryvote. Org and you can see much more of our interview with dan coats, go to cbsnews. Com, or on the cbs news app. And there is still much more news ahead on tonights cbs evening news. Cybercriminals target u. S. Hospitals, potentially disrupting patient care. The urgent warning from law enforcement. Plus, he was forced out in a scandal. Well, now, jerry falwell, jr. Is hitting back at the university he once lead. D. A nose in need deserves puffs indeed. fisherman vo ce how do i register to vote . 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Odonnell tonight, cbs news has learned, at least five u. S. Hospital systems have been targets of a new wave of ransomware attacks. Thats when hackers disable Computer Systems and demand payment to unlock them. Among those attacked was the university of vermont hospital system. Its patient records were made inaccessible. The f. B. I. Is warning of increased cybercrime targeting healthcare facilities. Jerry falwell, jr. Is suing liberty university, the school he once lead, for breach of contract and defamation. He says liberty relied on false claims about his role in an affair between his wife Becki Falwell and a former pool attendant and the couples business partner, when it forced him out last august. Falwell says his ouster was antithetical to the teachings of christ. Up next, why a 101yearold woman waited in the rain to vote, and what she hopes for the nation. For bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. Anyone making less than 400,000 a year wont pay a penny more, and im going to ask the very big corporations to pay their fair share. Were going to invest in creating millions of goodpaying jobs. Were going to ease the burden of the major cost in your life health care. Were going to protect Social Security and increase the benefits for millions of seniors. When i announced i was running, i said thats the reason, to rebuild the backbone of this country hardworking folks of the middle class. Im joe biden and i approve this message. And at fidelity, youll get planning and advice to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing whats most important to you today. Because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction youre moving is forward. Is often unseen. Because the pain youre feeling could be a sign of irreversible joint damage. Every day you live with pain, swelling, and stiffness. You risk not being able to do the things you love. Especially in these times, its important to keep up with your rheumatologist. Schedule an appointment today. Odonnell you want to see what inspiration looks like . This is anna belfield. She is 101 years old, and waited patiently on a rainy day in queens, new york just to cast her vote. Its not something she takes lightly. It is her way of honoring those who fought so hard to give her that opportunity. Annas first election was in 1952. She voted for dwight eisenhower, vd has voted in every election since then. Were not sure who she voted for this time. She said she just hopes her vote will make a difference and help bring this nation together. Anna, thank you, for showing us the way. And well be right back. Hmm . Hmm . 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Try new Vicks Vapocool drops in honey lemon chill for a fastacting rush of relief like youve never tasted in. Honey lemon ahh woo Vicks Vapocool drops now in honey lemon chill odonnell on tomorrows cbs evening news, we go on the road with cbss Steve Hartman for a mystery. Why are so many people visiting this cemetery after voting . And if you cant watch us live, dont forget to set your dvr so you can watch us later. That is tonights edition of the cbs evening news. Im Norah Odonnell in cbs news election headquarters here in new york. We will see you right back here tomorrow. Good night. Woman after covid, my hours got cut. So we cant pay our bills. And now our Family Budget is gonna be hit hard with prop 15. The yes on 15 ads say it only raises taxes on big corporations. Thats not true were all going to pay. 11 billion in new property taxes will get passed on to Small Businesses and farms. Theyll raise prices. Higher gas, health care, food. Even day care. We cant make ends meet now. Families cant afford 15. No on prop 15. Right now at seven, a mystery ballots mystery. Five days before elections, in the bay area county that is now investigating. We looked at everything that we can right now. We dont know what happens. Will be tracking it at all times. To make sure that my vote