>> so, now, tropical storm idalia headed towards the carolinas. this storm is not done yet. tonight, from florida, the news continues. "the source" with kaitlan collins starts right now. >> tonight, straight from the source, hurricane idalia -- still dangerous though as it's moving north after battering florida. that record storm surges that continue to pose a threat, their homes underwater, and the rescue is still underway. plus, new questions being raised tonight after senate minority leader mitch mcconnell freezes up for a second time one month after a similar health scare. dr. sanjay gupta will join us. and a searing front page unlike any other, students in north carolina, summing up an american crisis really better than any photo ever could. the student behind the it will join me. i am kaitlan collins and this is "the source". tonight, hundreds of thousands of people are still without power in both florida and georgia, where idalia is barreling through now as a tropical storm. it is also lashing south carolina with heavy rain rain and sustained winds of 65-mile-per-hour. idalia did prove to be that once a lifetime storm for the big bend of florida, the strongest one to hit there actually in at least 125 years. thousands of homes have been damaged after the hurricane struck as a category three storm. look at this gas station. this is in perry, florida, you can see the powerful winds just dismantling it, and knocking it right down to the ground. tampa bay, the storm surge there broke records with water levels that surpassed four and a half feet. so far, more than 75 people tonight have been rescued from the severe flooding that happened in st. petersburg. it has been a long day to say the least for floridians, the danger is not over yet. our meteorologist chad myers is in the cnn weather center. chad myers, i know you have been following the path of the storm ever since we were talking last night. where is it hitting right now? and how bad is it now that it has become a tropical storm? >> it still has an awful lot of tropical moisture. and what we i don't, like what i am seeing right, now is this flare up of very heavy rainfall kind of almost to the peak month of south carolina. you know, raining down in the low country. it kind of just settles down into the low country. but when you get up here into the piedmont, it all has to run back down. and it's going to get into these creeks and streams and then into the rivers, and then pushed down towards the ocean. that's my concern at this point. and then back out here, the other flare-up we are seeing in the very warm gulf currents here -- very warm water -- that is going to start to rotate into north carolina. and so, when that happens, we are going to see the potential for spinning storms and, of course, the chance for a tornado or two. we have already had, i think, at least four on the ground so far. >> yeah, so, given that, the potential for tornadoes, with that could look like, i know everyone is keeping an eye on those alerts. what are the other threats that remain when it comes to the level of rain we have seen? >> sure. charleston now having its fifth highest tide ever on record, nowhere near where it was with hugo. but still, above nine feet there. and so we are going to travel the center of the hurricane, tropical storm, right there along the coast. and i'm really expecting significant beach erosion at this hour and all the way through tomorrow morning. still have tornado watches along the coast -- because that is where the weather is going to rotate on shore. and this is interesting that it happens on every single hurricane. but if you look at them, right toward the northern part of the storm, you will see that all of these cells as they come onshore can be rotating. and for much of the day, we were seeing reports of waterspouts after waterspout. and when they come onshore, they do damage. >> yeah, they do it a lot of damage, and we are concerned about that. chad myers, i know you are still tracking this. we will check back in with you. cnn gloria pazmino is in crystal weaver, florida, where officials say the city was decimated by part of the storm, i mean, gloria, i know we have been hearing from residents that were rescued after a storm surge trapped them inside their homes. what are you seeing there on the ground tonight? >> yeah, kaitlan. in fact, we actually just got an update from the local sheriff's office here. they have carried out about 75 water rescues throughout the day. as you said, some parts of crystal river where we are right now the water really came rushing in earlier today. especially after that high tide came into town. in this direction is a city hall. and over there, beyond the traffic light, it's where the river and the gulf of mexico come together. that water came rushing in. city hall, here in crystal river, had about eight feet of water according to the mayor. so, there is a curfew. 10:00 at night is the curfew here. and they are asking residents to stay away stay off the streets, you can see that there are some people who are still out here taking a look at the conditions. but they are asking people to stay away. we do not come in yet because they want to make sure they want to get to everyone who may be in need of some help. >> an eight foot storm surge is just remarkable. what are the after effects of that? >> look, i have been standing at this intersection all day. and i know it doesn't look like it. but things actually are a little bit better here. a lot of the water has actually started to recede. i spoke to a woman earlier today, kaitlan, who told me she was born and raised right here in crystal river. she is 64 years old. and she told me the water has ever come up this high. and it certainly has ever come up to the street. she told me last night she had to get out of her house through a window because the water was starting to rush in. we have all been preparing for the possibility of this storm surge coming in and really having just such a direct impact on property and people. and it is very dangerous. but so far, from what we can tell, it does look like people heeded those warnings, and people evacuated for the most part. and especially in parts north of us, we we are right now, cedar key, that big bend the area -- that took a direct hit. it looks like a lot of people actually managed to get out. >> yeah, we are great grateful to hear that. and -- gloria pazmino, thank you. i want to turn now to mayor allen perry of hilton head, south carolina, which is, of, course under a state of emergency with flood and tornado watches in effect. mayor perry, thank you for joining me tonight. i mean, as you are looking at this, i know it is getting dark, and that's a challenge as well. but what is the biggest risk facing your community right now? >> so, right now, what we are really facing is the storm surge. the majority of the storm has moved through at this point. but we still have high tides right now. and we are expecting 3 to 5 feet on top of that. so, that's what we are really most concerned about at this point in time. >> 3 to 5 feet on top of -- how does the high tide make that worse? >> right, so, high tide is about 8.4 feet. that is -- water at its high highest. and then you had 3 to 5 feet on top of that. the low lying areas, that means devastating flooding. >> i know this is an area that has seen flooding before. are you worried it is going to be breaking records tonight? what is your expectation on that front? >> no, i don't think we will see record-breaking. i think that there is going to be some minor flooding that will take place. we have had some other storms that have come through the area that did not provide flooding. but one thing this storm has done is, the winds did not hit us as hard as we have expected. >> that's good. i know that's always something that is kind of unpredictable. you had declared a state of emergency, a local one for the storm. and y'all had already gotten some storm related calls into the sheriff's office. i mean, what kind of calls are coming in now? our people and first responder bowl a bill to go out and respond to those calls tonight? >> yes. first responders are still out. so, the majority of the calls for this point have been for downed trees, whether on cars or roads are on houses. fortunately, no one has been injured to this point. but we have had some rain. and it has weakened the ground. so, we are still afraid that, as some winds come around this evening, trees may continue to fall. >> mayor allen perry, i know you've got a lot to keep your eye on tonight. thank you for taking the time to join us and keep us updated. >> we will. and thank you for taking care of us are looking out for us. >> absolutely. and of course, the state of florida is going to be needing a lot of disaster assistance. but there is a big question tonight about whether or not the federal funding is going to be there. this is a conversation playing out at the white house, a democratic congressman who is also florida's former top emergency official will join me next. plus, it happened again. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell freezing up during a news conference, prompting only more concerns and more questions about his health. ingredients clinically shown to protect your ears from dizziness, ear ringing, and even hearing loss. never miss a moment with lipo flavonoid. 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>> well, thanks, kaitlan, thanks for having me. right now, the biggest challenge is search and rescue. obviously, this surge has been continues to be the greatest challenge, and the greatest potential loss of life. it is water, it is not the wind. so, time is of the essence. where water rushed into homes, very quickly, within a matter of hours, eight feet in some areas making sure that they can go home to home and that people who need to be rescued by those -- rescue teams. that's the greatest challenge. and obviously, rushing in those -- life and safety, drinkable water, ice, food, making sure people get medical supplies. sometimes they set up a portable hospital and can set up portable prescription centers and people can get their medicine. that's what director kevin guthrie is dealing with. all those prepositioned assets that he moved in anticipation of the storm, those days of preparation are now coming into full view. >> we're just kind of getting the full view of the damage, and what that's going to look that will take. based on what you have seen and what you have heard, how long you think that recovery could take? >> well, look, category five storms take a decade. sometimes they take a little bit longer. the panhandle is still recovering after hurricane michael. so, look, this was a category four storm. it hit just on the cusp of a very strong category three storm, when it made landfall. that eyewall came through these areas that have not been hit by hurricane over 100 years. and in those areas, a lot of them are fiscally constrained. they don't necessarily have the resources. so, there are some communities that may never look the same, and others that will get rebuilt that will look slightly different. so, look, this is a life-changing event for some of these counties. some of these fiscally constrained counties. look, all of those resources, all those resources from fema that are gonna come in, the fema reimbursement, the hyde hud reimbursement -- >> -- you have worked with governor ron desantis in previous disaster in your previous role, including hurricanes that hit florida pretty regularly. what do you make of the job that he's done so far? >> yeah, the governor is doing a good job on emergency management. and he has since he came into office. he really understood that emergency management in florida needed to be the top agency in the country. in fact, on the very first day that i took over, in 2019, the very first place we went too was mexico beach. and quite frankly, the government in florida, including the governor, has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into building the greatest emergency management agency of any state in the state of florida and they are battle-tested. they just did in ian -- we have to be when you have storms like michael, ian, and now idalia all in a four-year period. the state is doing a good job. we have had a couple losses of life. that's been kept down to a minimum. there's a lot of lessons learned from -- the evacuation warnings. but look, we are not out of the woods yet. the immediate response is still ongoing before they eventually transition to recovery. >> of course, one person admitted there frequently because of that is the fema administrator, dan -- criswell she's coming to florida today. she says that fema has about 3. 4 billion dollars left and it's disaster relief fund. maybe it sounds like a lot of money, but it's not when you think of what they need to do in florida. and what's happening in maui, and other disaster areas in the u. s.. the white house is asking congress for 12 more billion dollars for that disaster relief fund. but some republicans have complained that it's tied to new ukraine funding as well. do you think that could imperil the passage of that money that they need for that disaster relief fund? >> that's a great question. first of all, i have the bill. i have the bill to re-fund the direct drf which is fema's fund for -- i filed that bill. senator rubio filed it in the senate. so it's a bipartisan, bicameral bill. neither of our bills are moving. so, yes, the biden administration couple that together with ukraine, which i support the biden package. i also support moving these pieces of legislation individually if necessary. the fema administrator said these communities, both in maui and in florida, are going to have the money that they need for their response. one of the things that we know, hurricane season is just beginning. we had all of september, we have all of october. and reimbursement for the state and these towns will be slowed down, and that's not something emergency management should be focused on. they shouldn't have to worry that their money is not coming on time. that's not what they should be focused on. they should be focused on response and recovery and rebuilding. so, congress needs to do its job. emergency managers out there are saving lives, they're preparing for their communities. every single solitary day away from their families, away from their kids, and people are losing their houses, losing loved ones. congress needs to do its job. the need to fund the one agency that helps people in their time of need, when we face disasters in this country. and that's fema. >> it sounds like you are worried that it might not get past passed. >> kaitlan, listen, we are on a six-week break right, now we're coming back to three weeks in september. we're only gonna work two weeks in october, rolling in over two weeks in november. congress hasn't passed a lot of pieces of legislation this year. right, you got the freedom caucus holding up bills, going to the floor by voting against the rule. so, yeah, i'm worried about that dysfunction. with that said, disaster management has shown that it's bipartisan. . it's nonpartisan. you have seen people like governor desantis and joe biden were together. not just in surfside, but in ian -- the pass on a bipartisan basis. >> to, what if it doesn't get done? who should voters hold accountable if that funding doesn't get passed and fema is forced to re-strategize and move pots of money around? >> we have got to hold the legislature accountable. we are the legislative branch. we are the appropriators. so, they have to hold us accountable. if those bills do not move in the house and senate, they have a to hold leadership of both the houses of the senate and house accountable. >> something president biden said today when he was speaking on this, in maui, he said, quote, i don't think anybody can deny the impact of the climate crisis now. but some republicans, who are running for his job, are doing just that. how do you deal with a crisis if lawmakers in the white house can't even find consensus on it? >> look, not every disaster is necessarily because of the climate crisis. but i can tell you, the hurricanes that are affected affecting florida are. this went from a tropical storm to a category four storm in 24 hours. it's called rapid intensification. it's the same thing that happened in hurricane michael. that's supposed to be the exception. it's now becoming the rule. why? the gulf of mexico is basically a hot tub. it's 90 degrees, we have had a buoy measure 90 degrees off of the state of florida. that's what's leading to this rapid intensification. so, that is where climate change is affecting the strength of these storms. watching the republican debate, when they were asked, is climate change real, yes or no? it wasn't a trick question. people look around to see what the answer was from the teacher. it was ridiculous. climate change is real. climate change is affecting these storms, and it's affecting things happening in areas that haven't happened before, tornado alley is expanding, we're seeing flooding in different areas. fires. and hurricanes that are much stronger. so, listen, we've got to be honest, which is, climate change is going to not only affect us globally, it is gonna make these natural disasters much stronger than we're used to seeing in the past. >> i mean, it wasn't just that they looked around at that question. vikram us warm question, vivek ramaswamy said, i believe his quote, was the climate change agenda is a hoax. >> yeah, i know. he did say that. why not just blame the deep state, or say it was woke? it was a weak example of what it's like to be a troll running for congress. and running for the presidency. and trying to tell people what they think they want to hear, because, oh, i'm gonna get to the right of everybody. i'm gonna get to the right of everybody. i'm gonna say climate change is a hoax. i mean, what a joke. that's not leadership. that's placating to the lowest common denominator. right? in the state of florida, the during that rick scott administration, they don't even say the word climate change. they would come hearing after hearing after hearing. they wouldn't even say the word climate change. it's totally ridiculous, especially here in the state of florida. so, look, we have to work on a bipartisan level. to address this. climate change is not just going to affect democrats. it's not gonna affect the libs. this is something that's going to affect us all together, we've got a figure at how we're work together to solve. it >> congressman jared moskowitz, a lot going on your home state tonight. thank you for taking the time to join me. >> thank you. >> ahead, if rudy giuliani was not already this strapped for cash, as his attorney claims, with his ballooning legal bills, he just lost a defamation lawsuit that was filed by those two georgia election workers, and it could cost him dearly. struggling with the highs and lows of bipolar 1? 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>> thanks for having me, kaitlan. it's great to be here. they have been through so much. and really been heroic in their willingness to not lie down and to stand up and fight for what is right. not just for them, but for democracy. and for the future of the protection of election workers throughout the united states. so, they were very pleased to hear about this result today, they feel vindicated. but they know that there is more work to do. and that there's a long road ahead for the two of them, in restoring they are reputation, and in trying to get some semblance of normalcy back in lives that have truly been shattered by the kinds of grotesque lies you just played a clip of and yes, to your, point it was a ginger mint, it was not a usb or a vial of cocaine or heroin. >> do they see this as a step so -- i mean, what was most searing about their testimony was talking about how they didn't feel comfortable going to the grocery store. or going out in public. did they see this as a step on getting back the reputations, that giuliani took from them? >> yeah, this is definitely a step. this is a significant milestone. it is a finding of liability on every count of our claims that we brought in this lawsuit. so, it is a significant validation of what they have been saying since day one. which is they were unfairly and improperly targeted for just doing their job. so, it's a significant step, a significant milestone. there will, of course, be a trial on the quantification of damages. that will give our clients the opportunity to have an actual day in court. it will also give mr. giuliani that opportunity. so, that is still to come. that will be significant as well. but this is a very significant step and a finding of liability on all of the counts of defamation, every other claim and a finding punitive damages are appropriate in this case. >> yeah, i mentioned what the judge said in the ruling. really dropping the hammer on giuliani, saying he was only paying lip service to orders that required him to turn over documents. he was telling the court that he couldn't, because his phones had been seized, is his devices have been seized as part of this separate investigation. why do you think he chose to take what could be, a. potentially a huge loss, rather than comply with those orders? >> you know, there's some of that questioning in the court order today. and i think only he can explain why he's made the strategic decisions that he's made to show up and litigate this case, but just not turn over any of the discovery and evidence that we ask for, and to not comply with the courts orders, from everything from producing basic documents, to us on his financial condition, to paying us $89,000 in attorneys fees that he was required to pay us and still hasn't. so, i don't know why he's chosen this path. i can't speak for him. or for the strategic decisions he's making. but it's not been a very effective strategy. it's one that's led him to a place we are liability is now established. and we really look forward to being able to put forward our damages, case and to pursue that over the coming months. so -- >> an advisor for giuliani said the ruling was, and i'm quoting this advisor now, a prime example of the weaponization of our justice system, and that it should be reversed. what is your response to that? >> i very much look forward to they are appeal. the weaponization of the justice system is when powerful individuals refuse to be accountable to the justice system. it's not when people who have traditionally lacked that power go to the justice system and fight over years and years to get their opponents to comply with basic discovery obligations. so, in our view, the weaponization of the justice system is when a powerful individuals hide behind it and refuse to have accountability. that is exactly what mr. giuliani attempted to do in this case. he attempted to get out of all of his obligations to do what every other person whoever gets sued has to do, which is to turn over potentially damaging or incriminating text messages and email to the other side in discovery. it is a painful, labourious process. but it is one that all responsible parties who sue or get sued comply with. particularly, people who are united states attorneys for the most famous district in the united states. they are expected to comply with those obligations. >> yeah, the judges basically saying, you know, he knows this better than anyone else. you mentioned that hearing where they're going to make a decision on how much he has to pay ruby freeman and shaye moss. in damages -- how high do you think that could go? could it be hundreds of thousands of dollars? millions? what's your expectation? >> so, we haven't quantified damages yet, just because of the stage of the cases. in in our expectation is that will be able to prove tens of million dollars in compensatory damages before you get to punitive damages. so, we expect it to be a significant damages case that will present to the jury. we're confident in our ability to document and demonstrate it. >> tens of millions? >> yes, you heard me correctly. >> that's what you believe rudy giuliani could be ordered to pay? >> well, if we're successful, i would hope so. yes. >> his attorney has been arguing in court, notwithstanding the fact he took a private plane to georgia last week and we haven't found out whose plane that was, though, i have asked his attorneys -- his other attorney was arguing in court, basically, he doesn't have money to pay for small legal bills. do you think ruby freeman and shaye moss will see any of the damages that they do get? >> you know, rudy giuliani wouldn't be the first person to try to evade accountability and responsibility by not paying, or claiming to not be able to pay. we don't know yet. we haven't seen the evidence. i think if you read the court's opinion today, you'll see that a lot of the evidence that would go to net worth and financial conditions are documents and information we've been seeking for months now. and have never been provided. so, we'll have to get that information from them. he has now been ordered to turn that over to us as part of the next phase of this case. and be able to make a determination of what may or may not be collectible. so, all of that remains to be seen. it's gonna have been quickly, and the court has set a fairly aggressive timetable out for us to go through that discovery process. and to have a trial on the damages face. phase. >> we will see what that number. is mike gottlieb, thanks for joining us tonight. >> thank you. >> ahead, there are major new questions about senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell, and his health. the 81-year-old lawmaker froze again mid answer at a press conference. >> did you hear the question, senator? running for reelection in 2026? >> [silence] >> i'm sorry, y'all, we're gonna need a minute. >> dr. sanjay gupta is here to answer our questions about that moment. when moderate to severe ulcerative colitis takes you off course. put it in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when i wanted to see results fast, rinvoq delivered rapid symptom relief and helped leave bathroom urgency behind. check. when uc tried to slow me down... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check. and when uc caused damage rinvoq came through by visibly repairing my colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid-free remission... ...and the chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check, check, and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc in check and keep it there with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save. 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(fisher investments) yep. we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments, we're clearly different. >> a jarring moment in kentucky today. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell freezing for over 30 seconds while he was in the middle of answering a reporter's question, the second time that this has happened in just a matter of weeks. >> -- running for reelection in 2026? >> [silence] >> did you hear the question, senator? running for reelection in 2026? >> [silence] >> all right, i'm sorry, y'all, we're gonna need a minute. >> in a string of -- [silence] -- [silence] -- >> wait a minute. >> are you good? >> are you okay, mitch? >> they are both difficult moments to watch, no matter where your politics lie, those two moments are raising questions about mitch mcconnell 's future, as the republican leader in the senate, a position that he is held for decades. after both incidents, aides said mcconnell was feeling light headed. he did attend a fund-raiser that evening, he did not make any mention of what happened earlier today in kentucky. but this time, unlike a month ago when it first happened, as you saw there on the right, mcconnell's office said the 81 -year-old lawmaker will see a doctor. this comes months after mcconnell suffered a fall at what was then the trump hotel in washington. he also had a concussion, according to his office. joining us tonight, cnn's chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta. sanjay, obviously, you have not treated the senator. you can't provide any solid conclusions about examining him in yourself. but you are a neurosurgeon. what do you see in those 30 seconds from today? >> well, you know, that is a pretty classic episode of freezing. the same term you used. that is what i see, you see someone who becomes frozen in their speech, even their face is sort of frozen, their body is frozen. you can see his hands, kaitlan, our clinching the sides of the lectern. one of his aides comes over to try to raise his hand, he's really locked in place. he doesn't look like he's fainting or something like that. and you'd be surprised, there's a pretty long list of things that could've potentially caused this. is it a temporary sort of lack of blood flow to the brain? something known as a tia? a mini seizure? something like that? those seem less likely. but you see people who have parkinson's disease, who come become kind of frozen if their medication starts to wear off. we don't know again, what he has. but that would be an example of something that could cause that. that's often associated with what's called a masked -- facies. people really lose expression of their face at the same time. we don't know. we do know that the aides who came to his side there, they didn't seem that surprised, kaitlan. we've seen this twice, you get the sense that they see it quite a bit. they even knew how to react -- and one of the ways that, it was in the sense of urgency, oh, we need to get into the hospital right away. which makes you think that they kind of had dealt with this, may already know what is going on. and as has been reported, he was doing fine later on. whatever it was came and went, pretty quickly. >> yeah, they didn't rush him out of the room either. he took more questions, moments after that. they were bit stilted. so office came out later. they said he was just feeling light headed at that event. but that's the same reason they gave us back in july, when he froze for those 20 seconds or so, that moment that was on the right side earlier. would that be a reason, feeling light headed, that somebody would stop speaking for a sustained period of time? and kind of clenching the lectern? >> you know, as i said, it's a long list of things. i would put that pretty low down on the list. someone who gets light headed, they may need to sit down. they could be confused, as a result of being light-headed a or feeling that they're going to faint, not the frozen face. the frozen clenching of the lectern. those suggest something else was going. again, seizure perhaps, or maybe medication is wearing off. we don't know. but i'm glad that he got checked out, because, again, this sounds like something his aides have been dealing with. these are pretty characteristic episodes. this is my area of expertise. i would certainly want to take a look at him and examine him to make sure we are not missing something else going. on >> -- on those followups tonight. it's not just the other time that mcconnell has frozen -- he has had several health. here's what do you make of this sequence of events? obviously, he is 81. a lot of us have parents and grandparents. we know how concerned we would be for those people if they had moments like that. what do you make of that sequence of events? >> i remember that back in 2019 -- you remember, kaitlan, he fell and fractured his -- shoulder. so, that was four years ago. there was a lot of concern then. he had polio as a child. he has always had difficulty walking as a result. but this year alone -- i mean, you look at the list of things. you go back to march, for example. that fall he had -- at the hotel, he got a concussion. he broke ribs. a significant fall. -- hospitalized for a period of time. he has had this trouble hearing reporters. and i don't know if that's actual trouble hearing, or if it's just part of the same thing we saw with the freezing, we are you are getting distracted, you are losing your train of thought, and you ask for the question to be repeated, not because you didn't hear it but because of those things. and then, as we talked about, most recently, these episodes of freezing -- if the doctors know what is driving this, if it's a. medication interaction, or a. medication wearing off, that could be the case. it might explain why they didn't quickly usher him out of the room and to a hospital. but the sequence clearly seems to have been picking up. at least what we know. you do get his impression that his aides and others know a lot more because they see him, obviously, a lot more than we do. >> yeah, that's a great point, sanjay. dr. sanjay gupta, i thank you, as always, for sharing your expertise with us. >> you've got, it kaitlan. thank you. >> after nonstop school shootings in america and -- little action -- students at one of the most recent crime scenes have come up with a way that, like no other, can sum up and draw attention to the gun violence crisis. it is raw. it is extremely powerful. we will show it to you -- what students at the university of north carolina -- did next. to sleep, so when our windshield cracked, we needed it fixed right. we went to safelite.com. there's no one else we'd trust. their experts replaced our windshield, and recalibrated our car's advanced safety system. they focus on our safety... so we can focus on this little guy. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ my a1c was up here; now, it's down with rybelsus®. his a1c? 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[ applause ] the day you get your clearchoice dental implants changes your struggle with missing teeth forever. it changes how you eat, how you feel, and how you enjoy life. it changes your smile and how others smile at you. clearchoice network doctors have changed over 100,000 lives with dental implants, and they can change yours, too. because a clearchoice day changes every day. schedule a free consultation. >> tonight, the university of north carolina at chapel hill is holding a vigil following a deadly shooting on their campus this week. on monday, a graduate student shot and killed a faculty member in a chemistry building on campus, leading to an hours long lockdown at the school. some students were seen jumping out of windows to find safety in the chaos after those shots had been fired. you can see them here. today, the school student newspaper, "the daily tar heel" -- filed its front page and filled it with text messages, sent and received by students during that long lockdown. some of them are understandably explicit. but that is the kind of language people use when they feel their lives are at risk. the messages are just a snapshots of what it is like to live through a school shooting. are you safe? get under the desk, or run if you can. please pray for us. i'm going to go straight to the source tonight. the daily tar heel's editor-in-chief, emmy martin. who is a student at the school -- emmy, i think this front page is really brilliant. can you just tell us how you came up with this idea and how you are doing tonight? >> thank you, kaitlan. i am doing all right, i think, like any student at u.n.c.. it is a weird feeling. we have lived through a campus shooting, and it's something i couldn't say before monday. and now, i can. but the newspaper was an idea that i had after seeing so many texts from loved ones and friends and family members on my phone, and also on social media, from students across u. n. c.'s campus. so "the daily tar heel"'s team immediately started asking students for those text and they just came pouring in. so much raw feeling and emotion and pain -- and we knew that had to be our front page. >> yeah, it almost makes you -- my little brother is your age. he is in college. and it almost makes you sick to just read those messages and to know that the panic that y'all are feeling. and you are not just the editor in chief of the paper. you are a student yourself. how is it on campus right now? how are you or other students doing? >> it is eerily quiet on campus. students are still processing. i know, at least in our news room, it has been tense. there has been a lot of tears shed. it is different, and i think our campus will be different from now on. >> how do you think it will make your coverage -- i mean, this is your second week on the job, i should note, just your second front page supposed to be about the football game. and instead it turned into this. how does it change your coverage, do you think? >> i think it has put a mark on the year for everyone, but especially our newspaper. so much of our coverage is, of course, going to shift to the aftermath of the school shooting and how our students are coping, and what our community is facing and doing in response to such a tragic situation for everyone. and yeah, you are right, it is only my second week. so many people are fresh. i am fresh. this is a new job for me. but we are really doing our best to make sure we are reflecting our community and serving our community in the best way that we can. >> you are. you are not just even serving your community. the front page has made such a huge impact. everyone at cnn was talking about this front page today. president biden even actually posted it tonight saying, no americans should have to send texts like these. what do you make of the fact that the president of the united states is sharing the front page that you and your other students at the paper put together? >> it was just absolutely overwhelming, mind-blowing, to see the president post our newspaper on all of his social medias, honestly. all of the outpouring of love from people across the nation has kept us going. it has been so rewarding to see that people are reading what we put out, and are connecting with it on such an emotional level. i think anyone who has lived through an active shooter situation has received these texts. and i think it also just points to a bigger issue. >> yeah. what is said is, the reason so many people can relate to it is because so many people have lived through something like that. >> exactly. and i think that is part of the reason that it drew so much attention, especially from the president. >> emmy martin. we are all thinking of everyone on campus, especially you and your colleagues at the paper. thank you for joining me tonight. >> thank you for having, me kaitlan. >> ahead -- is a big shift coming in u.s. drug policy? there's news about an announcement -- -- made at the white house -- on marijuana in america tonight. avoid the wait by scheduling for you... ...or the whole crew. or if you prefer to just pop in? 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[whoosh] [ding] or, a cambria hotel downtown for just the two of you. hold my wand. don't wave it at anything. stay twice and get a $50 giftcard when you book direct at choicehotels.com. mmm! yeah! what did i say!?! >> before we go tonight, our final word is about weed. the department of health and human services recommending that the feds significantly ease restrictions on marijuana. nearly 40 states have already legalized pot use in some form or another, but it's still classified at the federal level, alongside drugs like heroin and ellis the, considered, of course, as the most dangerous substances controlled substances. -- we classifying weed in a category with drugs like ketamine and testosterone testosterone, which are concerned you have a moderate to -- the change would not mean that marijuana is suddenly legal everywhere. but it would open up more research, expand the market, and allow marijuana businesses more access to banks. the final decision now rests with the dea. we will keep you updated. thanks so much for joining us tonight. we will pass things over to "cnn primetime" with abby phillip. hello, abby. >> hey, kaitlan. thank you very much. haveoo