strike. will his visit pressure detroit's big three automakers to make a deal or drag him into an ongoing fight? plus, a desperate push on capitol hill, with just four days until the government shuts down. speaker kevin mccarthy trying to make a deal with hard-liners in his own party before time runs out. and later, trump blasting an effort to constrain what he says as we learn more about his upcoming trials and former aide cassidy hutchinson commits to continued cooperation with prosecutors in an interview with msnbc. >> if or when i'm asked to testify, i will comply as fully as i have in the past. thanks for joining us. it is 10:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. we begin at the white house where we expect to see the president leave this hour for a historic visit to united autoworkers picket lines in michigan. that strike now in day 12, with thousands of workers off the job across 20 states. senior white house correspondent gabe gutierrez is in wayne, michigan, maggie vespa 35 miles away in center line, michigan. gabe, start us off. the white house says president biden, the first president in modern history to visit a picket line will be there shortly. talk about why the president wanted to make this trip, which we should note comes ahead of trump's speech to uaw workers just tomorrow. >> reporter: yeah, ana, good morning. the white house is denying that both things had anything to do with one another. they say the president is coming here to show his support for autoworkers. president biden, of course, has been -- considers himself the most pro union president ever. he went to a picket line back in 2019 as a candidate, but, again, as you said, this is very significant because this is his first time as a sitting president, coming here. i want to show you where we're at. we're in wayne, michigan, a ford plant where the workers have actually been out here since this morning for the better part of two weeks and actually i had spoken with this worker here, jr, right? you worked here for three years. what do you make of the president arriving here today? do you think that autoworkers get the respect they deserve? >> i don't think so. we spend endless hours, 10, 12 hours a day in these factories. we don't get a lot of family time and you got people working at mcdonald's burger king making just as much as we are. we can't afford the vehicles we're producing. this is more than just for us, this is for the working class too. >> reporter: you think that this is a big moment for labor overall? >> i believe so, yes. >> reporter: and what is your -- what would your message be to president biden? >> thank you for taking this into consideration and taking a look at this matter to help keep our economy moving forward and building stronger. >> reporter: thank you for talking with us. again, ana, a worker here at this ford plant, been here for three years. you see the picket line here, we have been speaking with other workers here. they do support their leadership, they see it as shaking up the status quo here. this is very politically risky for president biden. no matter the outcome of the negotiations, by inserting himself in here, it will essentially likely own the outcome no matter what it may be and if the strike does drag on, there is the potential that it could cost the u.s. economy billions of dollars. very important as the 2024 campaign heats up, ana. >> and the economy is always a big issue every election cycle. so, maggie, to you now, what is the latest on negotiations and could the president's visit have any impact on them? >> reporter: well, workers sure hope so. as you saw in gabe's report, they have been tell us that for days, they're grateful for any additional spotlight or pressure on the big three, noting that negotiations are stalled when it comes to all three contracts. the uaw has said they made up more ground with ford and more progress there in the last couple of days. in that scenario saying they still have a long way to go. on that point, the automakers are kind of a bit more, i guess i'll say, vague as to whether or not the visits could milwaukee a dience. ford releasing this statement overnight saying ford and the uaw, i'll read this herere going to be the ones to solve this by finding creative solutions to tough i together at the bargaining table. going on to say they have a shared interest in the long-term abily of the domestic auto industry, the iial midwest and good-paying manufacturing jobs in the u.s. so basically not saying anything about the president coming to visit, not saying anything about the former president coming to visit, putting it back on the two parties that are actually at the table. talks are continuing with all three contracts. a backdrop to this is electric vehicles and his administration's push for the industry to go all electric. that's a big conversation we're having with people here. they're concerned about the long-term security of their jobs with expertsayg that electric vehicles can take about a third in some cases of the labor to build and just yesterday, a bigline in the detroit area, multiple local papers reporting and the company confirming ford halted construction on a $3.5 billion electric vehicle plant, basically saying they have done that until they can be sure that they can continue the work on that plant and their long-term plan with evs. they're not mentioning the uaw by name, tied to the halting of that construction, but a lot of people making that link with the obvious timing and just another layer as we await this historic presidential visit here in the detroit area. >> appreciate your reporting, maggie vespa, gabe gutierrez, thank you, both. we'll be waiting and watching as the president moves there from the white house later this hour. now i want to turn to democratic congressman dan kildee of michigan. thank you for being here. we have this new nbc polling that shows most voters disapprove of president biden's handling of the economy. what are the risks right now for president biden to make this trip? does he in effect own the strike now if it drags on and on? >> well, i don't know if he'll own the strike, but we have a stake in the outcome of these negotiations. the president has a stake, people i represent, we have a stake in it, even if they're not members of the uaw. i think the president's decision to go and visit with the striking workers is the right decision. he's clearly a pro labor president. he's not afraid to take a position. and i think in the long-term when this contract is eventually settled and the workers are going to benefit greatly from it, i believe that those who stood with the workers will obviously receive the gratitude of those workers. >> the country's attention fixed on michigan today and tomorrow. it is worth noting, as goes michigan, so does the nation. the candidate taking home the great lakes state winding up in the white house the last four presidential elections. how big of a deal are these duelling visits from president biden and trump? >> i think it is important that people take a measure of these candidates. i think with president biden, he has a record of standing on the side of workers. just the fact that over the last couple of years we have had a manufacturing in industrial policy that prioritizes facilities in the united states. and we're seeing the benefit of that. where as with president trump there is a different history. i think shawn fain, the president of the uaw, got it right in referencing former president trump's visit. he represents the millionaire and billionaire class that we are currently fighting against in order to get a fair share of the wealth that these workers generate. so, the records of the two are pretty clear and i think that's going to be clear to michigan voters. >> one analysis by the university of michigan found that if this strike lasts eight weeks, with all workers striking from the big three, it could cost 1.2 million jobs across the country, over 120 million in state tax revenue, some $7 billion in personal income losses nationally. how concerned are you about the broader economic impact, not just michigan, but the whole country if this drags on? >> we have to be concerned with it. that's why we hope the parties come together soon and have a resolution to this standoff and get back to work. but i also -- i think it is really important to keep in context that while strikes do represent some short-term pain, the people are feeling, those people on the picket lines, they're not earning their wages, but in the long-term, if we have a standard in this country that says that workers get the fair share of the wealth that they help generate with the work of their own hands, in the long-term, the economic impact is tremendously positive, and we know that from our own history. we have seen this take place even as late ago -- as far ago as the 1930s when the workers went on strike for 44 days. and what they did afterward is built the middle class of america. so the long-term effect is far more important than any immediate short-term impact. having said that, we would like to get this thing settled sooner rather than later and i hope the parties can come together and do that. >> why do you think americans believe republicans are better equipped to handle the economy than democrats right now, according to our latest nbc poll? >> well, that's a good question. i just think we have to look at the record. politics are going to be what they are, polling is what it is. look at the track record, this president has had greater job growth than any president in recent history, inherited a mess and turned it into a highly productive, you know, pro growth economy that is putting people to work every single day. even with the short-term challenges that we're experiencing right now as a result of these collective bargaining negotiations. we still have seen dramatic job growth. so i just think we have to do a better job of telling our story and making it clear that these jobs didn't just appear by accident. it is because democrats in congress and the president of the united states have adopted policies that support growth and support growing the middle class, not just rewarding people at the very top. >> shifting gears slightly, congressman, there are already economic concerns beyond this strike as you know. we're four days out from a potential government shutdown and right now it seems like speaker kevin mccarthy can't corral his own party to agree on something. but does that mean democrats are on the sidelines? what can your party do? >> well, we're ready to negotiate, we're ready to have a conversation. we have already produced a bipartisan budget solution. we did that back in may during the debt ceiling negotiation. democrats and republicans, two-thirds of the congress came together around a bipartisan deal. the problem we see right now is that this entire standoff is not about the thousands and tens of thousands of jobs that are at stake in contract negotiations in michigan, this is a standoff about one person's job. this is a standoff about kevin mccarthy's speakership, and he seems willing to put the entire economy at risk, to put the u.s. budget at risk, because he made a bad deal with a dozen or so members of congress who will never support a bipartisan solution to this budget standoff. so -- >> do you think he keeps his job at the end of the day? >> that's a good question. i think he sort of made this bet and now he's got to lie in it. it was a mistake he made when he entered into the power sharing agreement with the most extreme members of congress, and there are consequences for the american people. there will be pain felt across the country if the government shuts down. i was with a group of organizations yesterday in flint and they described in detail the negative impact on families if the government shuts down and, again, this is about one person's politics, it is just really irresponsible. >> real quickly, final question here, house republicans announcing their plans for this first impeachment hearing against president biden and this is going to happen on thursday. how are democrats going to respond? >> well, i'll respond by pointing to republican comments that they, you know, some republicans are telling the truth that they don't see any evidence that would support an impeachment. i think it is important to note, in the days before the government is about to shut down, where is the attention that republicans in congress? not on preserving the economy, not on making sure services are available, that social security cards will be issued. no. they're focusing on a fishing expedition to go after president biden. i think their priorities are wrong. i think the american people believe that as well. >> michigan congressman dan kildee, i appreciate your time. thank you for being here. when we're back in 60 seconds, a political high wire act, more on kevin mccarthy's dance right now as he tries to keep his speakership, four days away from the government shutdown. and how indicted senator bob menendez is trying to explain away the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash stuffed in his closet as more senate democrats call on him to resign. that is happening in the last hour. and later, more of our new nbc news poll out this morning, the issues that could be kryptonite for each party. tonit. whenever you're hungry, there's a deal on the subway app. buy one footlong, get one 50% off in the subway app today. now that's a deal worth celebrating. man, what are you doing?! get it before it's gone on the subway app. ♪♪ liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. with the money i saved, i started a dog walking business. oh. [dog barks] no it's just a bunny! only pay for what you need. ♪liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty.♪ you like that bone? i got a great price on it. only pay for what you need. did you see my tail when that chewy box showed up? oh, i saw it. my tail goes bonkers for treats at great prices. sorry about the vase. shop and get a $30 egift card through october 1st. at chewy. we're back. following a lot of drama on capitol hill this week, with just four days left to avert a government shutdown, speaker mccarthy has four new spending bills he's trying to push through as soon as today and an attempted show of faith to hard-liners at his own party. house republicans are trying to prove they can walk and chew gum at the same time and preparing for thursday's impeachment hearing into president biden and we have some new details about who will testify at that hearing. joining us now is nbc's ali vitali on capitol hill, and anna palmer, punch bowl news co-founder. good to see you. ali, let's start with the shutdown. four days left. what are these bills mccarthy is trying to push through exactly? >> reporter: effectively they're trying to show good faith to his right most flank. as you mentioned. this is something the speaker attempted to negotiate with his holdouts over the weekend, pushing forward on four key spending bills that are part of the total 12 that appropriators have to move on, but right now they don't have the time. effectively what would happen here if this worked out is they would hold votes on these rules today, on the four spending packages. that would be enough for conservatives to see that their spending goals are being heard and met, at least in these pieces of legislation and the future ones that will still be drafted and they could move on something look a cr that would buy them a little bit more time. when we say cr, we mean a continuing resolution that could fund the government for 30 or 45 days. that is something that mccarthy is trying to maneuver right now, which would both allow him to avert that shutdown and then also allow him to sort of keep in good standing with the hard-line conservatives within his conference because, of course, the alternative, ana knows this so well, if many carthy is seen to be looking to the left, in some bipartisan fashion, that bypasses some of the conservative hard-liners who have been such a thorn in his side, any of those singular members can move to oust him from his job, that's a threat they are openly wielding here in congress. and it makes mccarthy's job that much more complicated. so when you look at the dynamics both in the house and across the congress, in the senate, the way that senators are trying to move on their own version of this, that could be a lifeline in any other congress but not this one, where mccarthy's job is so closely tide to his conservative hard-liners and the cats that have been so hard to herd here. >> mccarthy seems to be walking a tight rope, trying to appease the far right members of his party and get this deal done with thousands of federal workers paychecks, the government services they provide, his own job, all on the line here. one house republican lawmaker told nbc news, quote, he has a career altering decision to make. do you think the stakes are that high for him? >> i don't think the stakes could actually be higher for kevin mccarthy. we're five days to a shutdown, barreling towards it. ali laid out his latest strategy, he's had several different iterations over the past couple of weeks trying to find a way forward, particularly with those house freedom caucus members who have more recently been emboldened by the fact that former president donald trump is saying that they shouldn't cave on anything, they shouldn't vote for anything, unless they get everything they want. of course, trump had his own shutdown and that didn't work out very well for him. but when you look at speaker kevin mccarthy, you have members of congress coming back in today, trying to get the temperature, have they been able to cobble together something that will make them be able to move forward on a spending resolution or is he going to have to face the facts that maybe they can't get something done and all of a sudden it is going to be a package from the senate which would pass with democratic votes, but if he has to look to democrats to get this done, he'll almost assuredly mean he's going to face a motion to vacate or somebody from the republican conference is going to say it is time for him to go. >> ali, on the impeachment front, the first hearing in the house oversight committee is on thursday, we're learning that house republicans are planning to call some witnesses, what do we know? >> none of them exactly surprising here, ana. they have a self-described tax forensics expert, another tax expert who has talked to this committee before and a conservaveawyer who we often see on foxnews. but the point of this hearing is not necessarily to tread new nd, it is to do it with now the almostialid umbrella title o an impeachment inquiry that, of course, speaker mccarthy backed about two weeks ago, in an attempt to sort of quell and let the steam out of the pot with some of the more conservative hard-line members. at the time, this was something that didn't exactly buy him much goodwill. many of the members told me they felt that this was too little too late. but nevertheless, now we have them marching on dual tracks, trying to avoid a government shutdown and having a talk about spending and moving forward on this impeachment inquiry. an impeachment inquiry is not a full impeachment, but for the people who are running this investigation on the chairman front, this hearing, again, is sort of a reset for them to present what they know. >> ali vitali and anna palmer, thank you. anna, i owe you an extra question next time around. thank you so much. from an impeachment effort to an indictment that is sending shock waves across washington this morning, three more democratic senators just this morning are now calling for senator bob menendez to resign in the wake of new bribery allegations. now, menendez has rejected those calls to step down and instead staying defiant and he's defending the wads of cash investigators found in his home. >> for 30 years i have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which i have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in cuba. >> he didn't address the gold bars, he didn't address the luxury car. nbc's ryan nobles picks up our coverage here on washington -- in washington on capitol hill. ryan, the senator plans to be back there today, but as he returns to washington, as we're reporting, he's getting more calls from his own party to go. have the floodgates now opened? >> reporter: there does seem to be a slow creep of democratic members in particular who had called for other members of congress to step down under similar allegations, and are now doing the same for a member of their own party. we're up to six united states senators all from the democratic party who are calling on bob menendez to step down and what is interesting is that of this six, many of them are up for re-election next year. sherrod brown in ohio, bob casey in pennsylvania, tammy baldwin in wisconsin, jon tester in montana, these are all senators who are facing tough re-election bids and want to show that even though there is another member of their party who is facing legal issues that they believe that the details that have come out, the evidence that emerged in this indictment is just too much and that he needs to step away from his position. menendez struck a defiant tone in his press event yesterday, saying he intends to be the senior senator from new jersey, long after these allegations are adjudicated. but he has yet to say whether or not he plans to run for re-election. and already he's facing a potential democratic primary challenger in the form of congressman andy kim, who is also from new jersey, and there is the possibility that other democrats could jump into the race as well. but we know that he is now stepping away from his powerful position as the chair of the senate foreign relations committee, the question, ana, as he returns back to washington today, will he still be able to do the day to day work of being a united states senator with these allegations in the cloud of an indictment hanging over him? we'll get the answer to that question, at least the beginning of the answer to that question when he arrives here on capitol hill later today. ana? >> ryan nobles reporting on capitol hill, thanks. up next on "ana cabrera reports," how donald trump's lawyers are responding to a gag order request in his federal election interference case. plus, we're at the courthouse where a january 6th rioter who wanted to citizen's arrest nancy pelosi is being sentenced today. the time he could spend behind bars. sentenced today. the time hcoe uld spend behind bars you know that feeling of having to rewash dishes that didn't get clean? i don't. cascade platinum plus... with double the dawn grease fighting power and double the scrubbing power. for a no rewash clean... and a cabinet ready shine. upgrade to cascade platinum plus. dare to dish differently. i promise - as an independent advisor - upgrade to cascade platinum plus. to put the financial well-being of you and your family first. i promise to serve, not sell. i promise our relationship will be one of partnership and trust. i am a fiduciary, not just some of the time, but all of the time. charles schwab is proud to support the independent financial advisors who are passionately dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals. visit findyourindependentadvisor.com (vo) you were diagnosed with thyroid eye disease a long time ago. and year after year, you weathered the storm and just lived with the damage that was left behind. but even after all this time your thyroid eye disease could still change. restoration is still possible. learn how you could give your eyes a fresh start at tedhelp.com. this is spring semester at fairfield-suisun unified. they switched to google tools for education because there's never been a reported ransomware attack on a chromebook. now they're focused on learning knowing that their data is secure. ( ♪♪ ) ♪ ♪ every day, businessesa everywhere are asking: is it possible? with comcast business... it is. is it possible to help keep our online platform safe from cyberthreats? absolutely. can we provide health care virtually anywhere? we can help with that. is it possible to use predictive monitoring to address operations issues? we can help with that, too. with the advanced connectivity and intelligence of global secure networking from comcast business. it's not just possible. it's happening. now to georgia, where a judge has ordered the identities of jurors be kept secret in donald trump's election interference case. that means no videos, photographs or even drawings of the jurors allowed at trial. the only time we'll hear from any of the men and women deciding donald trump's fate will be when the foreperson reads the verdict. at the end of the trial. joining us now is nbc's ken dilanian, with tia mitchell, washington correspondent for the atlanta journal constitution and former federal prosecutor paul butler. tia, georgia courts typically prioritize transparency about all matters. we had the cameras in the court for just about everything so far in these proceedings. talk to us about this significance of this ruling. >> yes, i think it is very significant for the reason you mentioned. it is pretty unusual for a judge to shield the identity of jurors in a court case because of the whole fairness to defendants to know who has the fate of their case in their hands. i think this, number one, the judge has some recent examples of the effects of jurors being identified when the special grand jurors' report came out, their names were on the report, they immediately reported being contacted, being harassed, information being leaked about them. so i think the judge knows that there is a lot of attention on this case, there will be a lot of scrutiny and what they don't want is to perhaps have a pool that is not as deep or as representative of the community that it could be because people are scared or fearful or just don't want to have to deal with the problems that come with being identified as trump jurors. >> and you point out what happens after the grand jurors issue the indictment and then have their identities and addresses put out there, made public, and received some harassment potentially from that. ken, let's pivot to the federal election interference case as well. trump's team just responding to the prosecution's motion for a partial gag order that would limit what the former president can say about the case, about witnesses. walk us through their arguments against this gag order and what happens next. >> yeah, i should say this is one of the biggest most consequential pretrial issues in any of these trump trials because this would affect what former president trump can say on the campaign trail and it is part of his identity, part of his campaign for president is to disparage the prosecution and in some cases the judge in these cases. and what the prosecution has asked is that the judge impose a limited gag order that would prevent former president trump and others on his behalf from making statements about the credibility of witnesses or disparaging and inflammatory or intimidaing statement about any party, witness, attorney, court personnel or potential jurors. that would obviously cover a lot of what we're seeing the former president say on social media. and his lawyers are pushing back and saying, look, the prosecution may not like president trump's entirely valid criticisms, but neither it nor this court are the filter for what the public may hear. the lawyers add, let's be clear, the prosecution hopes to create a contempt trap for president trump and his attorneys. so this is a big deal, the judge is going to have to decide it, it will almost certainly be appealed and may go all the way to the supreme court. it is a real test for where is the line between the first amendment rights of someone campaigning for president, and the ability of a judge to restrict what a criminal defendant can do to potentially affect the jury pool. >> and, paul, one of the moments cited in donald ums response to the proposed gag order is a press conference, special counsel jack smith held in which the trump team describes it as an incendiary attack against president trump, falsely claiming that he fueled an unprecedented assault on the american democracy. that's what the trump team wrote. let's play that moment for everybody to hear. >> the attack on our nation's capitol on january 6th, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of american democracy. it is described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies, lies by the defendant, targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the u.s. government. >> so as a former federal prosecutor, paul, does that sound like an incendiary attack upon former president trump? >> it didn't. it sounded like jack smith being very careful, stating the evidence that the people have a right to know. and, ana, this gag order is one of the toughest decisions that judge chutkan will have to make. legally it's justified. the first amendment rights are not absolute and courts upheld gag orders in other places in which there are concerns about public safety or intimidation of witnesses. but like it or not, the fact that trump is a leading candidate for president makes a gag order more problematic. think about mike pence. he could be a witness for the prosecution in trump's trial, so if judge chutkan issues an order restricting what trump can say about witnesses, how does that implicate the campaign, is it true as the indictment says that trump told you that you were too nice? would trump be allowed to respond to that? >> and so that is the dilemma. and we'll see. we will wait and see how the judge handles this. it is in her court now. paul, i also want to ask you about this interview that rachel maddow had yesterday with white house aide cassidy hutchinson, who you might remember from the house january 6th hearings, listen to what she had to say as it pertains to the two federal cases. >> do you expect to be called to testify in any of the trump trials? >> i have fully complied with all government investigations and all entities thus far and i will continue to do so. >> you can't talk about whether you're going to testify? >> if or when i'm asked to testify, i will comply as fully as i have in the past. >> paul, how credible would hutchinson be as a witness? >> well, we already have seen her as a witness in the january 6th house hearings. she was extremely compelling. i think she would corroborate a lot of what mark meadowses had to say, but she would be a more credible witness than mark meadows because she is not under indictment in any criminal court. >> thank you so much, paul butler, ken dilanian and tia mitchell. we'll leave it there today, guys. now to the federal courthouse in washington, d.c., where yet another january 6th rioter will learn his sentence today. edward vadalian was found guilty of conspiracy and obstruction charges earlier this year and charged alongside the defendant who drove a stun gun into a capitol police officer's neck. nbc's ryan reilly is outside the courthouse. he writes in his book "sedition hunters: how january 6th broke the justice system." he didn't stun the police officer himself, so what more do we know about him and his role and what kind of time is he facing? >> reporter: yes, so the federal prosecutors want to send him away for ten years. he's now after the last month his case is finally unsealed, even though he was charged much earlier. ed is interesting because he wanted to citizen's arrest nancy pelosi and testified about it and then after his trial, after his conviction in april, i spoke with him outside the courthouse and here is what he had to say. >> any person has a right to arrest anyone if they see them committing a crime or if they have knowledge of them committing a crime. >> what are you going to arrest nancy pelosi for? >> suspicion of knowing. >> suspicion of what? suspicion of knowing about -- >> the election interference. >> reporter: so that's something that prosecutors are now citing, saying that he continues to believe that he has the right to citizen's arrest politicians he disagrees with on vague criminal allegations that don't -- would never hold up in court. he said they say he's a threat to the country and was involved in this training session, including organizing paintballing missions before january 6th, getting ready for some sort of civil war to break out as they expected and then ultimately traveled here and was hoping to replace members of congress with people he referred to as patriots. they all communicated together in a group they call the patriots maga gang. >> okay, ryan reilly, keep us posted, thank you. up next on "ana cabrera reports," taking center stage, the seven candidates getting ready for tomorrow's gop debate and what republican voters are hoping to hear. plus, does the survival of florida's governor ron desantis' 2024 campaign hinge on a debate with a democrat who isn't even running for president? with a democrat who isn't even running for pridesent? [sneeze] dude you coming? because the only thing dripping should be your style. plop plop fizz fizz with alka-seltzer plus cold & flu relief. also try for fizzy fast cough relief. my little family is me, aria, and jade. just the three of us girls. i never thought twice about feeding her kibble. but about two years ago, i realized she was overweight. she was always out of breath. that's when i decided to introduce the farmer's dog to her diet. it's just so fresh that she literally gets bubbles in her mouth. now she's a lot more active, she's able to join us on our adventures. and we're all able to do things as a family. ♪ get started at betterforthem.com we are back with some breaking news from the supreme court this morning. the court rejecting a second attempt from alabama republicans to use a new congressional map that includes just one majority black district. the court ruled three months ago that the map violated the voting rights act. and an effort to redraw a new map is still making its way through the lower courts. let's bring in nbc news supreme court reporter lawrence hurley now. lawrence, the court ruled on this a few months ago, blocked it a second time. explain that and what did the courts say, what could this mean for the 2024 elections? >> yeah, this was a very long shot effort by republicans in alabama, never really seemed very likely that the supreme court after issuing a big ruling just a few months ago that reaffirmed key provision of the voting rights act that said alabama had to go back and redraw its maps because it discriminated against black voters would suddenly change its mind three months later when alabama republicans had drawn a new map that still didn't allow black voters to have a second majority district in the state. so there was no comment from the justice today. it seemed like, you know, they were never really entertaining this with any great seriousness. in terms of the election, of course this -- black voters are more likely to vote democratic this gives democrats a chance to pick up a seat in alabama because now they have two majority black districts out of seven instead of one. with the house obviously being very closely contested right now, this decision could have real ramifications. >> okay, lawrence hurley, thank you for the update, the supreme court rejecting for a second time a map drawn by republicans there in alabama. now, the second republican debate of the 2024 election cycle happens tomorrow at the reagan presidential library in california. former arkansas governor asa hutchinson failed to qualify this time. but, there you see him, the seven other republicans who participated in the first debate are all expected to be on stage. let's bring in nbc news correspondent dasha burns in los angeles ahead of the debate and former new hampshire republican party chair jennifer horn. dasha, how are the candidates preparing for tomorrow, what are you learning? >> reporter: well, look, ana, there is serious prep going on right now because the last debate there was some effect there. it did move the needle. it may not have done much to cut into trump's massive lead, you saw our poll that came out over the weekend, but it did shake things up among the folks that were on that debate stage. you saw nikki haley, vivek ramaswamy got more attention. the candidates on the debate stage on wednesday are looking to build on what happened the last time. and ron desantis has a lot of work to do right now. he is the one that everyone is watching because he has been slipping in the polls. he is still the top contender against former president trump, but he needs to do a lot in this debate. and we did get a copy of a debate memo that was sent around to donors and supporters over the weekend where the desantis campaign laid out their strategy, they did go after trump on the abortion issue and criticized his strategy in iowa and beyond. and also said that in the last debate, you know, while candidates may take the opportunity to distract or level false attacks, that desantis is going to stay focused on the mission at hand. in the last debate, he did not really get attacked and he sort of stayed focused on his message and they felt like that was a successful strategy. so, you might see sort of similar approach this time around, ana. >> and, jennifer, we have some sound from voters in your state, new hampshire, about what they're looking for in the debate. let's listen. >> i hope we can see on that stage is to see nikki jump ahead in this debate. i think she's the best candidate as of today. >> i'm interested to hear chris christie. he's been around. and he seems to be able to rise above the muck and is not a supporter of trump and he's one of the few people who called him out. >> the question might come up about who, if he is the ultimate nominee, who would vote for him. and i don't want to see any of them raise their hands. >> jennifer, what do those answers tell you and what will you be watching for? >> among other things, it lets you know that the moderate voice of new hampshire is starting to really come out amongst these voters. they -- while they don't want trump and they're expressing this anti-trump sentiment, the folks you're talking to, i do think that trump is still going to maintain that significant lead in new hampshire going into primary day. i still don't see a path where any of these other candidates defeat trump in new hampshire. i'll be looking at ron desantis, he's the one who really lost the most since the last debate. he has gone back to fifth place in the first in the nation primary state. he's focusing all his attention on iowa, which i don't think is a strong strategy for moving forward beyond those first couple of states. and, of course, that odd debate that he's got lined up with gavin newsom and the impact that's going to have on all of this is something to keep an eye on. >> we'll talk about that in a moment. before we pivot to that, i want to ask about the issues because we have new nbc news polling that finds the top issues for republicans and democrats to handle, and americans, it finds, trust republicans more on issues of border security, crime, and the economy, the last two i just listed, both all time highs for gop while democrats are more trusted to handle education, abortion, and healthcare. any surprises there, jennifer? >> none at all. those are immigration and the economy have been top issues for republicans for a very long time. what matters is what are they thinking about, what are the voters thinking about on election day. and regardless of whose fault it may or may not be, as long as folks are struggling to fill their car with gas, and they can feel the pain every time they go to the grocery store, those things are going to be very influential. at the same time, come general election, i think that just like we saw in the midterms, that people and voters, moderate especially, will be really focused, continue to be focused on issues like women's rights, a woman's right to privacy what is happening at the supreme court today, with voter suppression attempts by the gop. all of these issues will be influential, but president biden is one who is really going to bear the brunt of it unfortunately. >> it is interesting, you know, it is only october, right, and we have more than a year before the election. so that's just a snapshot, a sentiment, at this stage in the race. >> right. >> still very early. dasha, we just learned about florida governor ron desantis, soon to be debating. california governor gavin newsom. what is that about? >> reporter: november 30th in georgia, that's what we know so far. the desantis campaign is trying to frame this as sort of a proxy for a presidential debate. desantis said shortly after accepting the debate that, look, biden is ultimately just trying to take the california agenda national and he has tried to claim that biden might not be the nominee, that newsom might be the nominee. newsom, of course, has shrugged off any idea he might try to challenge biden, but he's really trying to make this a moment, right? he needs to create some kind of momentum here and this is a way to grab that attention to try to create a contrast between florida and california, that he's been trying to do on the campaign trail. so, he needs any sort of spotlight, any sort of presidential type of limelight he can get and that's what he's trying to do here. whether or not that will work, that's a question i think that maybe we'll get answered on november 30th, ana. >> dasha burns and jennifer horn, thank you, both. and up next on "ana cabrera reports," turning the page. the key vote today that could bring the hollywood writers strike to a close. plus, the findings in a new study on long covid. it's because of tiktok that i had to go out and get a website. i'm at a point now where i've outgrown my house. growing up, every me i'd get out of the shower, i would itch. my first experience with goat milk soap, it kinda was like a light bulb moment. tiktok is a fantastic platform for diy. if you'd have told me three years ago that i would own my own business and be expanding into a separate building, i would've told you you'd lost your mind. - "best thing i've ever done." that's what freddie told me. - it was the best thing i've ever done, and- - really? - yes, without a doubt! - i don't have any anxiety about money anymore. - great people. different people, that's for sure, and all of them had different reasons for getting a reverse mortgage, but you know what, they all felt the same about two things: they all loved their home, and they all wanted to stay in that home. - [announcer] if you're 62 or older and own your home, you could access your equity to improve your lifestyle. a reverse mortgage loan eliminates your monthly mortgage payments and puts tax-free cash in your pocket. call the number on your screen. - why don't you call aag... and find out what a reverse mortgage can mean for you? - [announcer] call right now to receive your free no-obligation info kit. call the number on your screen. (man) mm, hey, honey. looks like my to-do list grew. "paint the bathroom, give baxter a bath, get life insurance," hm. i have a few minutes. i can do that now. oh, that fast? remember that colonial penn ad? i called and i got information. they sent the simple form i need to apply. all i do is fill it out and send it back. well, that sounds too easy! (man) give a little information, check a few boxes, sign my name, done. they don't ask about your health? (man) no health questions. -physical exam? -don't need one. it's colonial penn guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. if you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed in most states, even if you're not in the best health. options start at $9.95 a month, 35 cents a day. once insured, your rate will never increase. a lifetime rate lock guarantees it. keep in mind, this is lifetime protection. as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today. there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling. right now hollywood writers celebrating what looks like a happy ending to their five-month strike. the wga leaders are expected to approve the deal, and the actors that read their lines are still on the picket lines. nbc news entertainment correspondent is here with the latest. what are the final steps to get this tentative deal across that final line? >> yes. >> and when could we see the shows back on air? >> soon. this is welcomed news and obviously everybody in the guild out of work and needed the paychecks coming in, the end is in sight. we will see the east coast and west coast, parts of the writers guild of america vote, and the agreement, we will see concessions when it comes to residuals in the streaming era, and once that gets voted, hopefully unanimously today, and you might see the wga lift the ban on working. even though it may not be completely signed, sealed and delivered, but you could see writers putting pen to paper and going back to work as early as this afternoon, potentially. >> you said this might mean new shows as soon as monday? >> late night, daytime talk shows everybody has been missing, potentially as early as monday. everybody has big staffs and you can't flip a switch and get everybody back, and now the actors have been on strike since july and have not had one meeting because the studios have been focused on the writers, and now they will shift their attention to the actors, and sag-aftra is expecting to have a deal on the works this weekend. we could see everything, according to my sources, people back working, content, tv, movies being made by thanksgiving. sounds far away, and it's really not because hollywood is a big engine, and all the businesses like dry-cleaning and construction, and remember, 17,000 jobs were lost from this shutdown, and we could see those back up and running as well. >> which would be a huge, huge bonus around the holidays for them and their families. thank you. up next on "ana cabrera reports," a report about millions of americans suffering from long covid. long covid. dan. ( coughing, sneezing.) ...like pneumonia, heart attack, and hospitalizations?” (coughing, gasping.) ...i just say, “but i'm just the flu.” (sniffs) (elevator dings) it's him! who? i'm just the flu. fight the flu with higher-dose flu vaccines from sanofi. they're proven to provide better flu protection than standard-dose flu shots in older adults. they've even been shown to better protect against flu-related complications. don't get fluzone® high-dose quadrivalent... ...if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its components... ...including egg products, or after previous dose of flu vaccine. don't get flublok® quadrivalent... ...if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its components. tell your health care professional... ...if you've had severe muscle weakness after a flu shot. people with weakened immune systems may have a lower vaccine response. demand more from your flu shot. to get a sanofi vaccine, make sure to ask for it by name. schedule your sanofi flu shot. available at these preferred national pharmacies. [♪♪] schedule your sanofi flu shot. did you know, there's a way to cut your dishwashing time by 50%? try dawn powerwash dish spray. it removes 99% of grease and grime in half the time. dawn powerwash has 3 cleaning boosters not found in traditional dish soaps that remove food and grease 5 times faster. and, because it cleans so well you can replace multiple cleaning products for counters, stoves, and even laundry stains. try dawn powerwash dish spray. brand power, helping you buy better. (bobby) my store and my design business? we're exploding. but my old internet, was not letting me run the show. so, we switched to verizon business internet. they have business grade internet, nationwide. (vo) make the switch. it's your business. it's your verizon. what do we always say, son? liberty mutual customizes your car insurance... so you only pay for what you need. that's my boy. ♪ stay off the freeways! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪ only pay for what you need. every day, businesses everywhere are asking: is it possible? with comcast business... it is. is it possible to help keep our online platform safe from cyberthreats? absolutely. can we provide health care virtually anywhere? we can help with that. is it possible to use predictive monitoring to address operations issues? we can help with that, too. with the advanced connectivity and intelligence of global secure networking from comcast business. it's not just possible. it's happening. welcome back. for years people suffering from long covid have struggled to find treatment or even to be taken seriously, but now scientific proof that long covid is real based on what has been found in blood samples. what are we learning, anne? >> well, there's a direction that may help those that suffer from long covid, exhaustion, fatigue and memory issues, finally get some help. the cello is joshua's pleasure and profession, but long covid has made it tough for the soloist to play lengthy pieces. >> what kind of difference has long covid made in your career? >> long covid has forced me to only do the most important things. >> long covid impacts 6% of adults, symptoms include fatigue, brain fog and memory loss. >> our study showed individuals with long covid had significant and measurable differences in their blood. >> what were those differences? >> a mixture of hormone dysfunction, immune dysfunction and reactivation of past viruses. >> specifically 50% lower levels of cord asaul, the hormone that makes you feel awake and alert, and dormant viruses like herpes and ebstein bar re-emerging. the study included 268 people, and people like roman. so what is next? the researchers hope this information will prompt more studies that may eventually tell us why people suffer from long covid. >> i imagine it's a relief to have answers and that validation, that what he is feeling is real. >> yes, and to keep the science moving forward. >> thank you so much for your reporting. that does it for us today. we are back tomorrow, same time, same place. josé diaz-balart picks up our coverage right now. good morning. it's 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific. moments ago, president biden boarded air force one for michigan. we will speak to a union member about what she makes of this historic move. meantime, president biden has a new message today for house republicans who are holding up a deal to avoid a government shutdown. how the senate will be taking matters into its own hands today. the list of senate democrats calling for new