Stunned the entire room. Welcome to the lead. Im Kaitlan Collins In for Jake Tapper. And we begin this hour in louisiana where President Biden is expected to speak any moment after touring communities ravaged by Hurricane Ida and meeting with state and local leaders. Those hardest Hit Towns including laplace where many neighborhoods are still swamped with water. More than 800,000 hopes and businesses across the state still have no power five days after the storm. As victims deal with their destroyed homes, temperatures continue to swelter. Right now in baton rouge, for example, the Heat Index is 105 degrees. Were covering the aftermath of ida all over the country. Miguel marquez in new jersey, Ed Lavandera in louisiana, and Arlette Saenz is live at the White House. Arlette, i want to start with you. What has been President Bidens message while hes been on the Ground Today for several hours . Reporter President Biden has had a message of support, both when it comes to the federal resources that the administration is leveraging in response to Hurricane Ida, as well as on that personal level as so many thousands and millions of people in the region have been affected. The President Said that in his conversations with leaders on the ground, it has been clear that this is not a political trip. It is one focus on saving lives and getting communities back up and running. Now the president has been in a briefing with state and local officials for about the last hour, sharing what the federal government is trying to do and also hearing what needs they have on the ground at this moment. The president any moment now is also expected to tour one of the neighborhoods that has been impacted by Hurricane Ida as well as deliver remarks a little bit later in the afternoon. Hes going to take an Aerial Tour to survey damage, spending hes expected to spend a total of about six hours on the ground there in louisiana. And the president has talked about the administrations efforts in discussions with Power Companies as well as Cell Phone companies and gas and trying to release more gas to the area as those shortages are affecting so many people in the area. But in a short while we are expecting the president to speak more towards that support that the government is trying to offer. Kaitlan . Ork, arlette, well get back to you when President Biden is expected to speak. For now i want to bring in cnns Ed Lavandera who is in laplace, louisiana. Ed, we know that hundreds of thousands of people there are still without power, without food, without gas. Are the conditions on the ground improving at all . Are people still not able to get access to these basic necessities . I think right now many residents are still kind of scrambling day to day to get what they need as those storm supplies that many people stocked up on before the storm are quickly running out. You see Food And Water distribution sites being kind of brought up in many parts of this region because people desperately need that water. Water systems are hampered. Powerlines are still down. And in a place like laplace, parish officials here are really urging residents to understand that this is going to take a considerable amount of time. The Parish President here says that virtually every piece of infrastructure connected to the Electrical System has been damaged and severely impacted so theyre having to rebuild all of that. And that is going to take some time. So were looking at a process that will take weeks not days, especially in hardhit area here like laplace where the president is visiting not too far from where were standing here this afternoon. Gas lines still remain a big issue as well. We see that all over town here as people are depending on that gasoline to run small generators in their driveways, to power up whatever they can in their homes. So, that is the kind of struggle that Tens Of Thousands of people are still facing here in southeast louisiana. Yeah, weeks not days is not what you want to hear when you dont have a house in the middle of the heat that is getting to 105 degrees. I also want to ask you about some disturbing details weve learned today, that four Nursing Home residents are dead and hundreds more had to be evacuated after they were sent to a warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida. Of course, this is all raising questions about whether that was safe, whether it was sanitary. What are you hearing about what the conditions inside that warehouse looked like . Reporter well, these Nursing Home residents were taken to a Warehouse Kind of facility the way it was described as a precaution ahead of the storm. And according to state officials, that facility was checked out, and apparently was up to standards. But in the days since the storm hit this region of southeast louisiana, conditions inside that warehouse deteriorated. Generators that they had werent able to keep up with the electrical demand that was needed inside of that warehouse. Three of the four deaths are believed to be stormrelated. And the governor here in louisiana says it will be investigated and legal action will be taken if its deemed that that is necessary. So, there is still a great number of unanswered questions as to exactly how all of this transpired. Initially local officials there in the town of independence, louisiana, just north of the New Orleans area, said that it was about 350 patients that were moved to this warehouse. But by the time the storm rolled through that, number had grown to about 800. So a very dangerous situation there. So disturbing, Ed Lavandera, well check back in with you. Thanks so much for joining us. The news, unfortunately, doesnt get much better up the East Coast where at least 50 people are now confirmed dead after Hurricane Idas remnants pummelled the region earlier this week. Desperate searches are still underway for at least six people who are missing. And as cnns Miguel Marquez reports, there are new warnings that this historic could get even worse over the holiday weekend. Reporter damage from a tornado just outside philadelphia. No one prepared for a tornado here. Its unimaginable. Reporter the twister, winds up to 130 miles an hour ripped through fort washington, damaging homes, businesses, and bringing down powerlines. The landscape of our community is completely different. Reporter Power Poles Strewn across streets. Huge trees uprooted in neighborhoods. And even roads and overpasses left in disarray. Today 4 Million people in the northeast remain under a Flood Advisory due to swelling waters. At one Apartment Complex in philadelphia, the National Guard rescued almost a dozen people and their pets, one of several in the area. We really appreciate it. We were waiting for quite some time. And you dont really expect these types of things to happen when youre in a big building like this. You Cant Walk anywhere out of the building. They told us we might lose our electricity and our appliances. So we were, like, we better get out of here. Reporter today new Jersey Governor Phil murphy getting a firsthand look at the devastation in his state. Six people there remain missing and more than two dozen reported deaths. Its quite clear our state and our nation does not have the infrastructure to meet this moment and to meet the future as it relates to these storms, which are more frequent and more intense. Reporter in mullica hill, families are trying to recover after a tornado ripped through their homes. Our house is gone. We were all huddled. Everything was falling on our backs. And luckily our house has a Walkup Basement or we would have never gotten out. Reporter New York saw some of the worst Flash Flooding in the region. At least 16 people died across the state with nearly a dozen victims in queens alone. There was only sadness. And its just overwhelming. Reporter at least eight of the victims in new York City died in basements. Those who lost a loved one, someone swept away in a car, people trapped in their basements not able to escape. Those are the images that haunt me in the aftermath of this storm. Reporter now, what youre looking at here is a really disturbing scene. This is a Drainage Ditch in passaic, new jersey, on the night of the big flood. Two young people, 21 and 18 years old, they were last seen clinging to their car for their life near that Drainage Ditch. They were swept. The searchers believe they were swept into this Drainage Ditch. The family hopes they are still alive maybe in a hospital somewhere, just havent been identified. They are holding out hope. Back to you. And we are hoping that of course that hope does come through. We know new Jersey Governor Phil murphy has said that he expects the death toll, unfortunately, just to climb even further. Thank you for joining us with that reporting. Indeed. Any moment, President Biden is set to speak in louisiana after touring the Hurricane Damage there. Well bring that to you live. Plus, from americas longest war to a long strand of red tape. Why it could take years to process all the afghans who are now seeking a new life in the u. S. And slow your rollout . New cnn reporting on the confusion over Booster Shots in the biden administration, next. What makes new Salonpas Arthritis Gel so good for Arthritis Pain . Salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. Its clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength. Salonpas. Its good medicine. 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And even when things go a bit wrong, weve got your back. Here, things work the way you wish they would. And better protection costs a whole lot less. Youre in good hands with allstate. Click or call for a lower Auto Rate today. In our health lead, not so fast. White house sources tell me that the biden administration may have to scale back their ambitious Booster Plan, which was slated to begin in less than three weeks potentially to include only the Pfizer Vaccine for now. These details were first reported by the New York times today. And as Cnns Athena jones reports now, with some americans already having gotten that third shot, the need for direct and clear guidance from the White House couldnt be more urgent. Reporter confusion and possible Scaling Back of the White Houses covid19 Booster Plan for september. Less than a day after dr. Anthony fauci said i would not at all be surprised that the adequate, full regimen for vaccination will likely be three doses. Reporter as the Delta Variant drives new covid cases in the united states to nearly 170,000 a day on average, new data shows a third socalled Booster Dose of the Covid Mrna Vaccine provides more protection against the virus. Theres No Doubt from the dramatic data from the israeli study that the boosts that are being now done there and contemplated here support very strongly the rationale for such an approach. Reporter and making the case for boosters, fauci explaining israeli data shows they reduce the risk of infection by 11fold and of severe illness by tenfold in more than A Million people over the age of 60. Another study showed the risk of fell up to 68 , seven to 13 days after a third dose. By as much as 84 after 14 to 20 days. President Joe Biden announced in late august this Booster Program is going to start here on september the 20th, pending approval of the fda and then the cdc committee, outside experts. Reporter but federal Health Officials now warning the White House they may not have enough data on the Moderna Vaccine by then to recommend boosters for anyone other than pfizer, Biontech Vaccine recipients. You cant make an announcement and then say well wait to see what the Fda And Cdc says. Thats just really not the right way to do it. Reporter the acting Fda Commissioner explaining why the Booster Announcement was made before all the data came in. When it happens, we dont want to have a couple more months where we have to get ready and make a plan and then execute against the plan. Reporter and moderna just announced it has finished submitting its data on Booster Vaccine doses to the fda. Still, its unclear if that data will be sufficient for the decision to be made by September 20th. Well see if that actually puts all this back on track to the White Houses plan. But of course well stay tune for that. Lets discuss all of this with dr. Megan ranney, professor of Emergency Medicine at brown university. And, dr. Ranney, what do you make of these Health Officials now advising the White House that they might have to scale this back and just have the Pfizer Vaccine getting Booster Shots in a few weeks from now . So, i wish the White House had not announced a date for when we were going to need boosters. The science is certainly accumulating, pointing to the fact that many, if not all of us, are going to need a third shot if we got Moderna Or Pfizer or a second shot if we got j j. This is how vaccines work. And certainly the data from israel and the Uk Point that this is going to be needed for many of us. But setting a date before the fda had had a chance to review the data was a little bit ahead of their skis. I want to reassure all of us across the country that its not a change in the science, its not a concern about the safety, its just this is the way the fda works. And when they have had a chance to review the data, i have No Doubt that theyre going to be approving Vaccine Boosters for most of us. Because thats what we do with most vaccines is give an additional dose to boost our immunity months after those first series of doses. Yeah. And we know the fda had actually appealed to the White House not to put a date on all of this because they were worried it could change the trajectory, maybe confuse people. And after they announced this in august, a lot of people went out and got one, maybe even off the books before it had actually been put in stone by the fda and the cdc. Should the people who got a third dose of the Moderna Vaccine have anything to worry about right now, or what would you say to those people . I certainly know a lot of folks in and outside of the Healthcare Field who have gone out and gotten their third shot whether or not theyre immunocompromised theyre saying that they are. Theyre not having any adverse effects or safety effects. The one thing that i will say to people that are thinking about getting a third dose before Fda Approval is please wait at least six months after you finished your primary series of immunization. There is preliminary data suggesting that that sixmonth period is essential for the booster to have full effect in terms of increasing your bodys natural ability to fight off this virus. So if you can hold off a little more, please do. And in the meantime, remember, masks and outdoor Distancing Or Ventilation also work probably just as well as a booster to help protect you from getting a breakthrough infection. And, dr. Ranney, there are tens of millions of Vaccinated Americans who are getting are really close to that eightmonth mark since their second dose. Theyre waiting to hear what the Fda And Cdc are going to do. But if theyre hitting that eightmonth period now, what should they do after the decision is made . So, listen, im among them. I finished, i got pfizer, i finished my second dose in early january. I am fully eight months out at this point. I am waiting for Fda Approval. In the meantime i am masking when im in public locations. I am eating outdoors if i go to a restaurant. And i am being careful about who i spend time with, making sure that they are fully vaccinated. If you do those things, you are going to remain protected. Again, if youre immunocompromised, Go Out and get that third shot because its already been approved for you. But, remember, even the current doses of vaccines still protect you so well from hospitalization and death. We are not back in early 2020 or even early 2021 for those of us that have not received boosters yet, we are still protected against the worst effects of this virus. I think that next meeting is september 17th. So well wait to see what they say about that. Dr. Ranney, thank you for joining us and answering our questions on this today. Thank you. Any moment, President Biden is set to speak in louisiana after touring the Hurricane Damage there. We are going to bring you those remarks live. A sluggish Jobs Report and a sinking approval is capping off a really tough month for the president. How the White House is looking to recover, next. You need an ecolab scientific clean here. And you need it here. And here. And here. Which is why the scientific expertise that helps Operating Rooms stay clean is now helping the places you go every day too. Seek a commitment to clean. Look for the Ecolab Science certified seal. Ayy, ayy, ayy yeah, we fancy like applebees on a Date Night got that Bourbon Street Steak with the Oreo Shake get some whipped cream on the top too two straws, one check, girl, i got you bougie like natty in the Styrofoam Squeaksqueakin in the Truck Bed All The Way Home some alabamajamma, she my dixieland delight ayy, thats how we do, how we do, fancy like, oh you founded your Kayak Company because you love the ocean not spreadsheets. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. Indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. Visit indeed. Com hire President Biden just arrived to tour a hardhit neighborhood in laplace, louisiana. The president is expected to survey the Hurricane Damage before giving remarks shortly on what hes seen today and what the federal Governments Response for all of this is. We will bring you his remarks live when the President Starts speaking. We are going to turn to our Money Lead though, because there are some disappointing Jobs Numbers for the month of august showing just how much the Delta Variant is weighing down the economic Recovery. 235,000 jobs were added back to the economy last month. A lot fewer than the predicted 728,000. Still, President Biden struck an optimistic Tone Today while also seeming to blame the unvaccinated for the job loss. Too many have not gotten vaccinated. And its creating a lot of unease in our economy and around our kitchen table. Some wanted to see a larger number today, and so did i. What weve seen this year is continued Growth Month after month. Mix in a chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan, natural disasters happening in louisiana and of course in the northeast, and an Infrastructure Agenda that is now hanging in the balance, President Bidens tumultuous august seems to be bleeding into september. Here to discuss it with us is today in his remarks about the job numbers, he said, quote, the Biden Plan is working. Were seeing an economy that can weather the ups and downs. But is that how most economists are seeing it after these jobs Numbers Today . I think theres worry because uncertainty means worry when we talk about the economy, kaitlan. And i think theres uncertainty. I dont think Joe Bidens wrong in that clip that you played. I do think the unvaccinated have helped fuel this Delta Variant spread and thats led to people feeling like we were getting to near maybe out of the woords earlier this summer, and now it feels like a place where, well, i got vaccinated and i wore the masks and i socially distanced and now what . And i think that is a difficult place for Joe Biden to be on two fronts. Hes going to be judged on how he handles covid19, period. Hes also going to be judged on the state of the economy. And if im a democrat in a Swing District in 2022, im worried at this point. Now, its september 2021, not september 2022, granted. But the signs there are not great. He knows coronavirus is top of mind for most americans. In this new Abc News Washington Post Poll that came out today, it actually showed that the President S Approval Rating is lower than his disApproval Rating for the first time since he has taken office. 44 approve. 51 disapprove. What stood out to you in this poll besides seeing a lot of this erosion with independent voters . I think its how this poll fits into a number we have seen recently, which has given us a pretty good sense that Joe Bidens Approval Rating has gone down slightly since he took office. Now, some of that is expected. We expect people who felt optimistic about a new administration to kind of return to form. But also, as you mentioned, it is the real challenges that this administration is facing. A Renewed Pandemic Due to the Delta Variant, the chaos in afghanistan, climate change crisis, stalled voting rights, and Infrastructure Bills. And this White House thought that when it was going to focus on the Coronavirus Relief Package first that it would get the vaccinations out first and then move onto its top agenda of running up a filibuster left and right. But the Delta Variant is remaining challenging. Kaitlan, just to add to that point, remember that the Core Argument that Joe Biden made for his candidacy was effectively in, in a word, competence. Im a guy whos been in politics for a really long time. I know how this stuff works. Ive seen domestic problems. When you have afghanistan, the economy, covid19, the border, it starts to erode out that sense that this guy is the competent guy. Now, of course, its not black and white. Joe biden is not solely responsible for covid19 in this country. But we know that President S get more blame than they should and more credit than they should. Hes in the Blame Cycle right now. And i think its based on that belief that we thought we elected the guy who is competent after four years of the guy who is incompetent. And yet weve got all these things bubbling up and the competent Guy Isnt fixing them. And i think one of the biggest parts of concern here is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the Delta Variant because i think even the Jobs Report today, people thought that we were going to be kids going back to schools, businesses are reopening, people going back to the offices at a full scale and were not seeing that exactly because of the Delta Variant. Its disrupting a lot of that. And so, chris, im wondering what you think of, given whats the news with this Booster Shot Plan and how it could potentially just be pfizer vaccinated people that are getting Booster Shots in a few weeks, could that potentially disrupt this even further, you think . I do think Joe Biden himself got a little bit over his skis and said by September 20th were going to start doing this. I think whats hard, kaitlan, is theres no specific plan to get us to the end of the tunnel. I think when we all a year ago, lets say, it was once we all get vaccinated or, you know, we reach Herd Immunity via vaccination and people who have had the virus, then things are going to be normal. Well, obviously not everyones vaccinated, but you have hundreds of millions of americans who are. And yet were still kind of in this place where, should i wear a mask, should i not wear a mask . And i think thats the fundamental challenge for Joe Biden. What certainty can he give people that this will be a return to normal . And i dont think one exists. And thats a political problem for him. Well, and another political problem thats facing the president is Senator Joe Manchin who is now calling for a pause on the 3. 5 trillion spending package. Senator bernie sanders, who is the budget committee chairman, is also pushing back. But how big of a threat is this new oped from Senator Joe Manchin to the President S carefully crafted economic agenda here . You know, it is a Warning Shot from the real president joe, right, joe manchin, of the senate, who has control of that budget in his hands. And obviously with the 50 50 senate, any senator can have that power. But he has been the one thats most willing to use that leverage partly because of his unique electoral position back in west virginia. We have also seen Senator Sinema from arizona express some concerns about that. And this is core to Joe Bidens promise. Even if they get that bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed with the help of republicans, this is the priority for the base. These are the set of things that they want. Its also a smaller package from even than what many in the base want. So, for Joe Biden, this is going to come down to can he keep the party together, number one, to pass this . But, at the same time, can he keep those factions feeling optimistic . The Core Macro Problem for democrats right now is that they are the republicans are favored when we look back into midterms. Usually we see a backlash against the President S party. We know that the republican house maps are favorable to them. So democrats are already on the uphill climb. But if they cannot provide for the base, if they cannot energize the base in a unique way, that hill gets higher and higher, and there might be a small this democratic window of a trifecta of controlling the White House, the senate and the house of representatives, that might be just a twoyear window with real challenges to get back into that place. So the stakes are very high. We know that. But we also know the democratic party has such ideological diversity that the president Cannot Rest assured that hell get everyone on board. Just add that to the President S already full plate. Thank you both for joining us today. One senators dangerous course into Conspiracy Theories and lies. That sounds nothing like his early days in politics. Is your family ready for an emergency . You can prepare by mapping out two ways to escape your home, creating a supply kit, and including your whole family in practice drills. For help creating an emergency plan, visit safetyactioncenter. Pge. 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And while some of his supporters are riled up about his conspiracyladen and baseless rhetoric, which often sounds a lot like the former President S, others are now turning their backs on him. Cnns Sarah Murray went to the senators home state of wisconsin. Reporter as senator Ron Johnson toys with running for a third term, it seems there is no controversy the Wisconsin Republican Wont wade into. Whether its Fueling Misinformation on vaccines. There are logical problems, clotting, strokes. Its a cornucopia of problems that people assume they believe are associated with the vaccine. Reporter dismissing the Climate Crisis as b. S. Or suggesting the fbi had inside knowledge of the January 6th insurrection but didnt thwart it. His apparent willingness to deny facts and spread conspiracies has left some in the state wondering what happened to Ron Johnson. He was our guy. Reporter former head of the brown County Gop went from rallying behind johnson to campaigning against him in a few short years. Everything that hes done since Donald Trump, its been so devoid of reality. Reporter still, becker called Up Johnson to air his frustration over republicans peddling unfounded claims of election fraud. When johnson surprisingly returned his call i said, ron, Joe Biden won the election. And he said, yes, but 1. 5 million people voted for Donald Trump. Im not stupid. Im not going to make those people mad. Did you hear from him at all after you wrote an editorial about that column . I sure did. You know i did. So, yeah, crazy. So i got a text on january 7th. This was a day after the insurrection. Mark, it is my sincere hope to never have to see or speak to a Lowlife Weasel such as yourself again. Please stop trying to contact me. So theyre still picking up glass on the floor of the capitol and thats what hes concerned about. Reporter johnson declined an interview. Johnson expected the call to remain private. According to johnson, months later he went public with what he claims the conversation was about and what i had said. Anyone who would do that is a Lowlife Weasel and nothing they say should be given any credence. [ applause ] reporter in a Statement Johnson says those remarks are consistent with what ive been saying publicly on the 2020 election, and pointed to interviews where he admits biden won. But he also continued to raise unfounded claims of election irregularities. To michelle, johnson is the same guy she first brought to a Tea Party Event back in 2009. Hes always been a frank talker. He doesnt skirt around issues. He is not looking to make friends necessarily all the time. Reporter she says He Won over the crowd with a personal story about his Daughters Heart Defect and his concerns about governmentrun healthcare. When ron spoke, you could have heard a pin drop. Reporter but she was skeptical when she wanted to challenge the democrat incumbent. He wasnt from politics, he ran a business. Im like a campaign is County Fairs and dairy breakfasts and shaking hands seven days a week 24 hours a day. Reporter but she helped him make in roads with conservative operatives and Radio Talk Show hosts. Coupled with his accounting background. He won, Ousting Fine Gold in a gop wave election. We need to restore fiscal sanity to this nation. Reporter they ran finegold again in 2016. And johnson notched another victory. This time alongside Donald Trump. What do you say when people are, like, what happened . Well, i get two kinds of questions. One is what happened to Ron Johnson, and the other is, like, why is he saying and doing all this stuff. Reporter Craig Gilbert has been covering politics since the 1980s and following johnson since he was elected in 2010. Its unusual to have a member of the senate from a 50 50 state as kconservative as Ron Johnson is. Its not great Election Politics to be where Ron Johnson has been on some of these issues. Reporter those issues include questioning safe and effective vaccines. While touting covid19 treatments that Health Officials have found ineffective, or as the fda warned, dangerous. Its not hydroxychloroquine. Theres ivermectin, theres other things that we just completely ignored. Reporter Johnsons Spokesman said he wants the pandemic to end and hopes the vaccine will play a key role in ending it. She says johnson is also an early advocate for covid treatment. He wants all the drugs researched. While johnsons critics see him as a powerhungry politician trying to keep a grip on the trumpy base of the party, he remains eager to question the establishment. Ron johnson for him, theres a lot of truth out there. Lets put it that way with the vaccine thing, its not about being a contrarian. I think just ron likes to listen to different sides of things. Reporter Gop Strategist Brian Shimming insists Johnsons Frankness appeals to voters. Hes telling it as he sees it. And theres a lot of voters who say thats what they want. Reporter as the senator grapples with whether to backtrack on his 2016 Campaign Pledge to seek only two terms. Im going to serve one more term. Feingold was 18 years. Reporter like saying black lives matters protesters are threatening while capitol rioters are not. People who truly Respect Law Enforcement would never do anything to break a law. Had the tables been turned and President Trump won the election, and those were Tens Of Thousands of black lives matter antifa protesters, i mightve been a little concerned. Reporter Johnsons Spokeswoman says he condemns the violence that day but respects those who protested legally. Hes a person who has morphed into the guy whos going to say the racist part out loud. Were talking real Rc Bunker on top of the Conspiracy Theories. Reporter with candidates like Mandela Barnes already using johnsons words against him. He speaks his truth, and unfortunately hes delusional. Reporter Ron Johnsons office says he has plenty of time to decide if he is going to run for a third term. That indecision has not stopped former president Donald Trump from already endorsing johnson for reelection months ago. Kaitlan . Sara murray, those texts were something else. That was some fascinating reporting from wisconsin. Right now, President Biden is meeting with people whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Ida, seeing the debris up close, hes expected to address what hes seen today at any moment now. We will bring you those remarks live. Next, what sources are telling cnn about closeddoor conversations in a slowwalked Paperwork Process under the last administration that mightve prevented these chaotic scenes in kabul. In business, its never just another day. Its the big sale, or the big presentation. 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With app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change. Faster. Vmware. Welcome change. What if you could have the perspective to see more . At morgan stanley, a global collective of thought leaders offers investors a broader view. Folks, look. Im grateful for the governor asking me. We just came down to visit and to see and i want to thank him for his leadership as well. We just came from an Emergency Operations to see just exactly whats happened on the ground. See whats going on in peoples homes. A lot of people fear, for example, because they dont have Cell Connections are unaware of what available help there is right now to get them. The Fema Director and i were just talking. Were going to make sure we have someone coming through here going door to door letting people know whats available to them right now because they cant connect online. And with the governor and mayors and members of congress, community leaders, all the folks that are here, weve been working together to deliver millions of meals and liters of water. And i know you all are frustrated about how long it takes to restore power. Its dangerous work, it 25,000 linemen from around the country have come here to louisiana to help crews from 32 different states are helping. And two of them lost their lives in the process of trying to get power back up. And were working 24 7 with the Energy Companies who we met with the heads of today, and were deploying more federal resources including hundreds of generators, and theres more to come to restore power as fast as we possibly canfaster than anytg that happened during hurricane katrina. And were also working with the Cell Phone companies so you can call your Loved Ones and make sure the people you know and you love you havent been able to talk to lately, be able to know whether theyre okay. Were moving quickly to keep gas flowing to the pumps including ive gone into the strategic petroleum reserve. Thats whats been set aside. The Crude Oil providing flexibility and providing flexibility for how many hours truckers are able to drive and transport Gas And Fuel because theres a law in america. You Cant Drive for Safety Reasons beyond so many hours a day. But we need more movement of this fuel. And were expanding the supply of gasoline that can be sold in the state of louisiana. And theres much to be done. Were working around the clock with the governor and the elected officials here until we can meet every need you all have. In fact, reports suggest that some Insurance Companies may deny coverage for living assistance unless the homeowner was under a mandatory evacuation order. And so you paid your insurance premiums, youre supposed to get payments for additional living expenses, in the case of an emergency. Well, but the Insurance Companies are saying, no, no, we wont pay you what we owe. Well, were putting as much pressure as we can. We know all the parishes that issued strong voluntary Evacuation Orders first. And many didnt have enough time to make that order mandatory as the storm moved so fast. Even with voluntary evacuations ordered, folks felt safest leaving their homes in many cases. No one fled this Killer Storm because they were looking for a vacation or a road trip. So, folks, they left their home because they felt they had to flee the risk of death. Theres nothing voluntary about that. And so im calling on private Insurance Companies, dont hide behind the Fine Print and technicality. Pay what you owe your customers. Cover temporary Housing Costs in natural disasters and help those in need. Thats what we should all be doing now. Thats what we are doing. So far we have provided with the governors help as well, 100 Million in critical assistance directly to people in louisiana by putting 500 in their Bank Accounts once theyve contacted us. Thats what were going to come back and let all you people know exactly how to do that. Thatll happen. And secondly as the governors request, femas helping with what fancy phrase transitional sheltering assistance, meaning a place for you to be able to safely sleep at night and covering your Hotel Bill you racked up because you couldnt stay at home during a hurricane or because your home is not liveable now. Or making sure this kind of relief is equitable for those hardest hit, the resources they need have to be given to them. If you live in an affected area, please visit disasterassistance. Gov once youre able to use your Cell Phone. Or call 1800621fema. Thats 18006213662. Hurricane idas another reminder that we need to be prepared for the next hurricane. And Super Storms are going to come and theyre going to come more frequently and more ferociously. Ive been working closely with the governor and our colleagues in congress on both parties on my build back better plan that will modernize our roads, our bridges, sewers and Drainage Systems and Power Grids and Transmission Lines to make sure theyre more resilient. I walked through the backyards here. So many Telephone Lines are down. So many Telephone Poles are down. So many of the way in which we transmit energy is lost. We know for a fact if theyre underground theyre secure, cost more money. We need to not just build back to what it was, we got to build back better. We got to build back more resilienty. And we got to make sure we do the same thing across the board. Think about how that 760 Million West Shore Project here in southern louisiana will build miles of new levees, Pumping Stations and Drainage Structures to provide protection for 60,000 folks in the area. It will change their lives in future storms. The governor has my full support to get this project done. And, folks, i know youre hurting. I know youre hurting. I know the folks in Lake Charles who i visited earlier this year are still hurting from hurricane laura. I want you to know were going to be here for you. And with regard to Lake Charles, ive put in a request in the budget to provide for help for Recovery for Lake Charles as a consequence of laura and delta. This isnt about being a democrat or republican. Were americans and well get through this together. We just got to remember we not only have to build back, we have to build back better than it was before. So when another Super Storm comes, its not the damage done. So thank you all very much. Im going to see the rest of the folks in the neighborhood here. But every time id walk out of my Grandpops House out in scranton, pennsylvania, hed yell, joey, keep the faith. My grandmother would yell, no, joey, lets spread the faith, lets get this done together. Thank you. [ applause ] thats President Biden speaking there after hes been on the ground in louisiana for hours. He has even gone into some peoples homes to tour the damage that has been done by this storm. Of course, the storm turned into a hurricane that hit unexpectedly in the New Orleans and laplace and several of these areas where a lot of people are still going without basic necessities right now as they are just trying to get the power turned back on for thousands of people. Of course, this is compounded all by the fact that it is incredibly hot right now in louisiana. Weve seen the Heat Index get up to 105 in some points. President biden was calling out Insurance Companies, saying that they need to step up to the plate and not cover people just because they have voluntarily, in his words, left their homes because of this storm. Thanks for joining us today. Im Kaitlan Collins In for Jake Tapper here on the lead. Our coverage continues right now though with Wolf Blitzer in the situation room. Happening now, breaking news. President biden is getting an upclose look at the Hurricane Damage in louisiana and says he knows people are so, so frustrated. Many are pleading for help as they struggle with the lack of Power And Fuel during sweltering heat. Also today, ff