Direct hit in days. Cases spike infections increase in the midwest and great plains. In wisconsin, hospitalizations increase more than 65 in two weeks. Plus dr. Anthony fauci warns as many as 400,000 americans could die by winter. N. F. L. Outbreak with three more players testing positive, what the leagues chief medical officer says about the possibility of pausing the season. Accused terrorists face justice. Two isis fighters brought to the u. S. Will stand trial for the torture and murder of hostages, including journalist james foley and aid worker Kayla Mueller. And a house divided the lesson we can all learn from these trump and biden supporters living together under the same roof. This is the cbs evening news with Norah Odonnell, reporting from the nations capital. Odonnell good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us. Were going to begin tonight with breaking news. President trump is back in the oval office and back on camera tonight, two days after returning from the hospital. In a new video produced by the white house, the president says he feels perfect and calls his infection with coronavirus a blessing in disguise. He also says the experimental drug therapy he received is a cure and that he plans to make it available for free to all americans. Now, that might be over promising the drug, made by the company regeneron, because it has not been approved by the f. D. A. And was only given to the president under a special exception called compassionate use. Now, the president s decision to return to the west wing is not only putting his staff at risk, it violates his own governments guidance that anyone infected should isolate for ten days. Now, in a written statement today, his doctor said he does not have symptoms but he did not say if it was safe for trump to interact with others. Now, the president s new video tonight also risks upstaging his own Vice President , mike pence, just hours before he debates the democratic nominee, senator Kamala Harris. That faceoff, which begins in just a few hours, will now feature plexiglass dividers between the candidates because of the president s infection. Theres a lot of new reporting to get to tonight. Weve got our team of correspondents standing by. Cbs ben tracy is going to lead off our coverage tonight from the white house. Good evening, ben. Reporter norah, good evening. Since he returned from the hospital on monday night, President Trump has spent most of his time inside the white house residence, tweeting more than 100 times in just the past 24 hours. But he is not isolating. He returned to the west wing, potentially exposing whats left of his staff. A marine posted outside the entrance to the west wing today signaled President Trump, still infected with the virus and believed to be contagious, had returned to the oval office. Two top aides, including chief of staff mark meadows, were also in the room, said to be wearing protective gear, but still risking exposure. It just made me better, okay. I call that a cure. Reporter the president also released this white house produced video tonight in which he says getting coronavirus was a good thing. I think this was a blessing from god that i caught it. This was a blessing in disguise. Reporter but little is known about the president s actual health. His doctor releasing this brief fivesentence update that President Trump feels great, has been symptomfree for 24 hours, and has detectable levels of covid antibodies in his blood. When you look at the timing it seems to be too early for the president to have mounted his own antibody response that is now measurable. So its likely that any antibodies being measured in the bloodstream came from the antibody cocktail that he was given. Reporter dr. Sean conley has not revealed whether President Trump has any lung damage or if he is still on the powerful steroid dexamethasone. Cbs news has learned that so called isolation carts have been set up inside the west wing, stocked with medical gowns, surgical masks, eye goggles and hand sanitizer. Staffers are supposed to wear these when getting within six feet of President Trump. The president s inner circle has been ravaged by the virus. At least a dozen people have been infected. The latest, Senior AdviserStephen Miller who tested positive tuesday. The president is the most tested man in america. Reporter the white house wont say when President Trump last tested negative, raising doubts about whether he is actually tested every day like his press secretary claimed, something the president himself contradicted this summer. I do take probably, on average, a test every two days, three days. Reporter the september 26 rose garden event for his Supreme Court nominee could be where he got infected. Were looking at it in a detailed manner just because there were a number of people there that came down with it. Reporter now, in that five minute video that the president posted tonight, he talked about the experimental therapies that hes received, saying that he wants more americans to get them as well. He also talked about a vaccine, acknowledging for the first time that it will not be available by election day as he has often said. He blamed that simply on what he calls politics. Norah. Odonnell in this case, it was the f. D. A. Ben tracy, thank you. Tonight, Vice President mike pence and senator Kamala Harris will face off for what could be the most important Vice President ial debate in recent history. It comes as new polling shows biden with a sizable lead in pennsylvania, ahead in iowa and wisconsin, and tied in ohio. Heres cbs nikole killion. Reporter before the Vice President ial candidates hit the stage, there was already a clear divide plexiglass shields to separate Vice President mike pence and senator Kamala Harris, who will be seated at least 12 feet apart, though some outside scientists warn it may be insufficient. The Vice President attended last months Supreme Court nomination ceremony, a suspected epicenter of the outbreak, though he has tested negative several times in recent days. Do you feel its safe enough . Yes, i do. Reporter Karine Jeanpierre is harris chief of staff. Vice president mike pence should be fine. He should understand why we have to put safety first, right, why we have to have a plexiglass. Reporter harris team requested the barriers, while a pence aide told cbs news it was medically unnecessary. This despite the fact that pences own secretary, katie miller, had to leave Salt Lake City after husband, Stephen Millers positive test result. Pence will be pressed tonight on the administrations handling of the pandemic, given his role as head of the Coronavirus Task force. We flattened the curve before. We slowed the spread before. And we can do it again. Its not so easy just to put a political wrapper around it anymore, either. This is what the country wants to talk about. Reporter as the president continues to be treated for the virus, his Campaign Says he still intends to participate in next weeks president ial debate. I think the president has shown that hes feeling better already. Reporter but usually this takes anywhere from ten days to two weeks at minimum to run its course. Do you think thats prudent . Sure, sure, well be relying on the white house medical staff. Reporter but former Vice President biden. I think if he still has covid, we shouldnt have a debate. Reporter and now the mayor of miami, a registered republican, thinks its a bad idea. Anybody who is infected could infect others and also is in a state where they probably shouldnt be traveling. Reporter both candidates have been prepping here and they just completed their walk throughs of the debate hall. Cbs news has learned that the Vice President has held at least has held three 90minute practice sessions, while senator harris has been working with close aides. Not lost on either of the candidates whats at stake tonight, and potentially in 2024. Norah. Odonnell all right, nikole killion, thank you so much. Lets turn now to the economic despair being felt nationwide. Tonight, a Hospital System in st. Paul, minnesota, is closing, unable to pay its bills in the pandemic. 900 workers are going to lose their jobs, and in a sign of the times, the city wants to turn the hospital into a shelter for its growing number of homeless. This as tonight in washington hopes for a Financial Life line are fading. Heres cbs nancy cordes. Reporter white house whiplash just hours after calling off stimulus talks, President Trump said he wants congress back at the bargaining table on a set of standalone bills. Well, its hard to see any clear sane path in anything that hes doing. Reporter House Speaker nancy pelosi had been in talks with treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin over a comprehensive, 1. 5 to 2 trillion package with funding for schools, testing, small businesses, and those federal Unemployment Benefits that lapsed in july. Without it, economists warn the financial strain will only get worse. 40 of Restaurant Owners expect to close in the next six months, and last week saw a record spike in the number of longterm unemployed americans, out of work for six months or more. We are seeing a disproportionate amount of pain in the economy for women, for lowwage workers, for young workers, for black and hispanic americans. They said they were going to give the second stimulus check. That would help a lot. Reporter ami ndaiye had been counting on that money. Shes now 10,000 behind on rent for her apartment and her salon in downtown newark. I lost, like, 80 of my customers. Reporter another casualty of d. C. s confusion, rescue funds for airlines. Southwest c. E. O. Gary kelly we had hoped the federal government would again move swiftly, but they have not. Reporter President Trump now says he wants a standalone bill to help the airlines. But House Democrats tried to pass one last week and were blocked by republicans. The biggest obstacle now is the fact that the house has gone home to campaign for reelection, and the senate is out, too, over concerns about covid. Norah. Odonnell nancy cordes, thank you. Tonight, a new warning from the nations top expert on infectious diseases. Dr. Anthony fauci says coronavirus deaths in the u. S. Could nearly double to 400,000 by the end of the year. New cases have risen in the past two weeks in 30 states and the district of columbia. The midwest and great plains are becoming hot spots. And tonight, wisconsin is taking emergency action. Cbs mola lenghi is there. Reporter tonight, a dire situation in wisconsin. We have a pandemic that is out of control. Reporter hospitalizations are up more than 65 over the past two weeks, and the average daily deaths have tripled. This hospital in green bay forced to put patients on beds in the e. R. Hallway for the first time in its history. We have seen the number of people needing hospitalization double or triple, and we really dont have the capacity to double the number of people hospitalized in the state. Reporter today, wisconsins governor announced a Field Hospital at the state fairgrounds will open next week as a covid surge threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Wisconsin is not alone. Seven states have reportedly seen a more than 60 increase in new cases compared to just two weeks ago, and seven states are also now reporting record hospitalizations. In the northeast, protests erupted in new york city overnight after a lockdown was placed on several neighborhoods in brooklyn and queens. Some residents of the predominantly Orthodox Jewish communities burned masks in the streets in defiance. And at least three more n. F. L. Players tested positive for the virus today, including reigning defensive player of the year, new englands stefon gilmore. Now, the n. F. L. s chief medical officer is not ruling out pausing the season entirely as concerns grow. Now, you see the Wisconsin National guard here behind me staging the state fairgrounds, where patients will be transferred for lowlevel care. Now, just to illustrate that need as of tuesday afternoon, one hospital in green bay reported reaching 100 capacity, norah. Odonnell a lot of concern about whats happening in wisconsin. Thank you, mola. Tonight, the state of louisiana is under a state of emergency as hurricane delta barrels across the gulf of mexico. Delta could make landfall again friday evening as a category two or potentially devastating category three hurricane. Nearly 60,000 people along the coast are under mandatory evacuation orders tonight. Cbs Mireya Villarreal is in new orleans. Reporter packing fierce winds and torrential rain, delta slammed into mexicos yucatan peninsula early this morning as a category two hurricane, trapping Many Americans there on vacation. In nearby cancun, daylight revealing downed power lines, massive debris, and trees toppled on to cars. Tourists jammed into the airport last night before it closed. This is the line of cars waiting to get in today when it reopened. This is kind of where were at. Reporter those who couldnt escape, like Russel Ditalo and his family, rode out the storm crowded in a shelter with hundreds of others. Were in a pandemic right now, and knowing that were going to have close quarters this whole entire time, trying to figure out exactly how we were going to do what we could for our family. Reporter tonight, as hurricane delta takes aim at the gulf coast, officials are warning residents to prepare once again. By friday morning, conditions will be deteriorating rapidly. By the end of the day thursday, you need to be where you intend to be as you ride out the storm. Reporter there is a storm surge watch in effect right now from texas all the way to the eastern border of alabama, and louisiana is expected to get between seven and 11 feet. And thats exactly why they built up this levee system. On friday, there will be evacuations in this area, and the metal gate below me will close, making sure that surge doesnt get into the heart of new orleans. Norah. Odonnell Mireya Villarreal, thank you. Today, two former british citizens were charged with being part of an isis group that executed hostages in syria, including four americans. One of the prosecutors said, if you have american blood on your hands, you will face american justice. Heres cbs jeff pegues. I am steven joel sotloff. Reporter the videotaped beheading of american hostages steven sotloff, james foley and peter kassig, and the kidnapping death of Kayla Mueller in 2015 terrorized this nation. Today, in a Northern Virginia courtroom, two of the men suspected of involvement in the murders pleaded not guilty. They were radicalized there. Reporter u. S. Attorney zachary teriwilliger says the two british nationals, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey conspired with the ring leader of their group. Another british citizen known as jihadi john, whose real name was mohammed emwazi. These individuals assisted him in that hostagetaking cell. Reporter among the charges conspiracy to murder u. S. Citizens outside the u. S. , hostage taking resulting in death, and conspiracy to provide Material Support to a foreign terrorist organization. In a series of interviews since their capture in syria in 2018, the two men have shifted their stories. Do you still deny that you are a member of the group known as the beatles, which carried out executions and beheadings . Yes, of course. El shafee. Same question . Yeah. Reporter the families of the american victims called the charges today one step toward justice. Norah. Odonnell jeff pegues, thank you. Newly released Police Body Cam video shows the chaotic aftermath of the botched raid in louisville that left Breonna Taylor dead. Taylors boyfriend, kenneth walker, is seen sobbing and telling police that taylor was dead. Police shot the e. R. Tech six times inside her own home in march. No officers have been charged in her death. And there is still much more news ahead on tonights cbs evening news. A big week for women in science. Meet the chemists whose work could help cure some deadly illnesses. Later, trump and biden supporters living in peace under the same roof. Some College Students show us how its done. This election, all californians will be able to vote safely from home. Every active, registered voter will receive a votebymail ballot with a unique barcode. You can track it using wheres my ballot . And youll receive automatic notifications by text, email or voice call to let you know the status of your ballot once you mail it, drop it off at your polling place or at a drop box. Vote by mail ballots. Simple, safe, secure. Counted. Learn more at vote. Ca. Gov odonnell tonight, minnesotas governor has sent National Guard troops to minneapolis after the former officer charged with murdering george floyd was released from jail. Derek chauvin posted a Million Dollar bond. He was seen kneeling on floyds neck for more than eight minutes. Well, today, for the first time, the nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to two women. Jennifer doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won for their pioneering work on crispr, a gene editing tool that holds promise for curing disease. On tuesday, another woman, american andrea ghez won the prize in physics for her research on black holes. Congratulations to those women in science. Up next, one side of the house is for trump, the other for biden. How do they manage to get along in such a polarizing time . Odonnell at a time when dinner conversations too often become yelling matches over politics, we could all learn from some college kids in texas. Heres cbs omar villafranca. Reporter from the outside, its the perfect metaphor for america a house divided with opinions flapping in the wind. You know, we were unpacking all of our stuff, and we found a trump flag from last year. Reporter alex martin lives on the trump side, Paxton Murphy on the biden side. Originally, i was kind of against putting up signs. Reporter both are seniors at Southern Methodist university in dallas, following the covid rules at s. M. U. With their housemates. The confrontation started when paxton spotted a trump flag hanging on alexs balcony. That led to an emergency meeting with his roommates. And we saw three biden flags. And then they responded with more flags, and it just esk lapted since then. Reporter its on. Its on, yes. Reporter what people dont see is what happens inside. Martin, murphy, and their roommates are all really good friends. To us, our friendship is more important than those two guys. People can see us, you know, being so civil and being friends about then you can hope other people will understand that and do the same. Reporter what started as a civics lesson could end up being a lesson in civility for all of us. Omar villafranca, cbs news, dallas. Odonnell no doubt theyll be watching the debate tonight. Well be right back. Odonnell and dont forget to join us for cbs news live coverage of the Vice President ial debate. Ill be joined by gayle king and john dickerson. Thats at 9 00 eastern, 6 00 in the west. And a reminder if you cant watch the evening news live, dont forget to set your dvr, so that you can watch us later. That is tonights edition of the cbs evening news. Im Norah Odonnell in the nations capital. Well see you soon for the debate. Good night