Presidential election regular things. But if these two guys in particular, what you're talking about, about j. D. Vance, i feel like that's more so more true than evero this year. Yeah. They don't typically matter. But this one may. On yeah. O and we don't know which j. Vance we may know but we really don't know which one will come tomorrow night. So, we'll see. I've got a big rachel maddow show style spiel, a big story that i think people don't know about vancedo coming up a littl later on in the show. Oh, good. That's my homework assignment for tonight. We'll be watching. Thank you, jen. Muchnk appreciated. Thanks at home for joining us this hour. This is one of those news day where everything isho busting o all over. There's a lot going on. And a lot of the big news in the country and the world is still developing tonight. So, i have to tell you, tonight we are keeping our eyes trained on the middle east. A suggest nif can't expansion in the conflict between israel and hezbollah in hebb non. Hezbollah, of course, is the iranbacked militia group that's based in lebanon. They are a keyin ally of hamas. Hezbollah and israel have been trading fire for months across the border of those two countries since the hamas attack in israel last october. You will also recall that earlier t this month, israel, st of, opened a new foray there. They launched attacks in lebanon that killed dozens of hezbollah members, injured thousands of other edpeople, including civilians. Israel then ramped up air strikes across lebanon, which killed hundreds of people and displacede hundreds of thousan. They then killed the leader of hezbollah. Well, earlier today, israeli troops were seen massing on the ground near the lebanese border. And now israel has reportedly launched a ground incursion over the border inside lebanon. This is a big deal. Two u. S. Official telling nbc news that an israeli ground operation has, in fact, begun tonight inside lebanon. U. S. Officials have been blunt about the fact that they fear operations like this could sink the whole region into further and moregi widespread fighting d chaos. But, again, the news tonight, the developing story, we are keeping our eyes on it. Israeli troops on the ground inside lebanon tonight. I'll keep you posted as we learn more. Here at home tonight, news of every imaginable shape and size. Tomorrow, of ancourse, is the ve presidential debate, which is always an interesting point, t, always, kind of, an unpredictable wildcard in any presidential election because of these two vp candidates this year. I feel like this time at least i submit for your consideration will may be at it worth thinking a little bit harder than usual about this particular debate in advance before it happens. So, as i mentioned to jen at thn top of the hour, i've got a lot more coming up on that later on in the show this hour, in particular something that you might not know, something you might have heard about but you might not h really know about j. Vance in particular. So, we've been working on that story for a long time. Y i have to tell you, i've debatee with myself a long time about whether or not to do this story. But it's the eve of the debate. It's time to do it. We are going to do it. That's still ahead later on in the show tonight. We also got major news today from the fbi, which just released its report on violent crime in america for the first half of this year. According to that new fbi report, violent crime is significantly down in the countryic for the first half of this year, down by more than 10%. In is mfact, it's down by every metric in the report. Aggravated assault downre 8%, robbery down 13%, rape down 17%, murder down more than 22%. So, as donald trump and j. D. Vance campaign for president and vice president by saying that america is a crimeinfested hellscaperi because of joe bide and kamala harris, this new report from the fbi may play a role in the debate tomorrow, may play a role in the campaign in general. But regardless of the politics, it is good news for the country full stop. We're also watching the ports right now on the east coast and on the gulf coast where the g longshoreman's unio has a contract that expires tonight at midnight. Really important for the whole country. There's about 47,000 longshoremen in that union. And in a lot of ways, they are a lynchpin in the american economy at large. The ports along the east coast and the gulf coast that bring goods into this country, those ports literally can't operate without the longshoremen. And it has been decades since this union has gone on strike. If this strike happens, if it is prolonged, it has real potential to cause serious chaos and disruption in the american economy,er potentially leading very visible consequences for americans doing their everyday shopping, shortages in the stores, priceor increases. And that of course would all be happening just a few weeks before the f presidential election. If this strike happens, it's estimated that it will cost the u. S. Economy about $4 billion every day that it goes on. Again, unless there is a lastminute agreement at the bargaining agtable, that potentially very consequential strike is expected to begin tonight at midnight. Like i said, news of every shape and size right now, including a lot that's going to be developing overt the course of this evening. We've also still got eyes on georgia, specifically on a giant toxic gas plume in rockdale county, georgia, east of e atlanta. You probably saw the news early yesterday morning. There was a fire that erupted at a chemical plant in conyers, georgia. That fire at the chemical plant produced this giant poisonous chlorine cloud. And this isn't out in the middle ofn nowhere. This is in very well populated georgia. In the immediate aftermath of the hefire, interstate 20 had t be shut down in both directions. I20 has since reopened. But more than 24 hours after the initial fire, there are still more than 90,000 people who are still under stayathome orders as of today, people who are being advised to not open their windows, not open their doors, not turn on their air conditioning, all to prevent exposure to these poisonous chlorine flumes. That order has just been lifted, but it was in effect for most of the day today, a very consequential, again, chemical plant fire and toxic gas plume. And then of course on top of all of that, we have just been consumed inbe what has happenedn the h wake of hurricane helene, which has killed at least 121 people across six different states. It has left extensive damage in its wake, particularly in beautiful western north carolina. The region that hasl endured wt one local official described as, quote, biblical devastation. More thanca 300,000 people are without00 power in north caroli tonight. The epicenter of the damage in north carolinar appears to be bunken county, particularly the lovely and historic city of asheville. At least 40 people have died in bunken county alone. More than 600 missing persons reports were filed as of last night. Roads andas bridges, homes and a businesses, have just been washed away. The citywa of asheville's water system has taken extreme damage. Officials said today that full restoration of ashe t vill's war could take weeks. And as you know, a place without water is pretty much uninhabitable. The mayor of asheville has described power lines in the city as looking like spaghetti. Power down and all the other damage has knocked out cell service. That, in particular, has hampered recoveryla efforts. North carolina's governor, roy cooper, was on the ground in asheville today surveying the damage, meeting with first responders. His assessment coming out of there was grim. He said, quote, the devastation was beyond belief. And even when youio prepare for something like this, this is just something that has never happened before in western north carolina. Joining us now live, i'm honored to say, is the governor of north carolina, roy cooper. Governor cooper, i know you are really in the middle of it. Dd thank you for taking the time to beki with us tonight to help us understand what's going on. Thank you, rachel. Glad to be here. We've all covered a lot of storms, a lot of hurricanes, a lot of devastating inland flooding. Even stillng it feels like the scale of this is just something qualitatively different. Can you tell us a little bit about how i guess the scale of it and how this compares to other things that you've had to contend with in your time in leadership? i've seen a lot of storms and aftermath of storms. I've never seen anything like this. This is an unprecedented disaster. But we are meeting it with an unprecedented response. We have 92 search and rescue teams out now rescuing people as we speak. We're working closely with fema. They've been onwi the ground wi me all day today. They delivered a million liters of water, 600,000 meals, hundreds and hundreds of pallets are being airre lifted to communities that are completely cut off from the ground because they aref surrounded by water. O we know that there are a lot of people hurting. When you don't have power, when you don't have cell phone service,l when you don't have water, this is a catastrophic situation for you. And we are coordinating federal, state, local nonprofits into helping the western part of north carolina. You know, this is rugged terrain on beautiful blue sky days. But after these landslides and raging rivers like we have never seenke before, some of our communities are completely wiped out. And it'stely really emotional, particularly to people in north carolina and people from all over the country who go frequently, just w seeing the devastation here. But i've talked to people today. There isto a real strength ther. Nurses sleeping in hospitals, restaurants serving free meals, hotels offering their rooms to first responders, people working in thers parking lot passing ou water at churches. People are pulling together. We're going to get through this. But we have a lot of work to do in the short term and a lot of recovery in the long term. Rescue comes before recoverye as you said. 92 search and rescue teams out tonight, as we speak. Is there any place that search and rescue teams are still having trouble getting to? are there impassable are there places that they can't get to? are there resources that could help, again, the rescue teams that you don't have that you need? atwell, we have rescue teams from all over the country right now, from over 20 states, federal rescue teams. Our national guard is deployed. We have over 700 activated. We're taking phone calls from people who haven't heard from theiren friends or relatives an doing well checks on them to make sure they are okay. And if you can't get to them by land, then we are using aircraft to get in there. There have been g a number of a rescues, actually hundreds of air rescues, because areas have been cut off. We're going to keep pouring in the resources. This is going to have to be a sustained response tarks you canning talking with the president a coupleon of times today, talking with the vice president, theal fema director on the ground. Stay in north carolina. She and i will be in the western part of the state tomorrow. We know that this is going to require g everything we have to get these roads open as quickly as we opcan, to get cell phone service ceup, to get power on t people, to make sure that people have food and water, people are working around the clock, real heroes who have damage to their own homesar are out there worki giving medical assistance to people, working in first response. It is amazing, heartbreaking, and encouraging at the same time to see everybody working together so, so well right now. North carolina governor roy cooper, we know that your state is really right now. Thank you for taking time to help usr understand. Good luck. Go stay in touch if there are things to get the word out about or things to ask for that you need, let us know. Thank you so much, rachel. We do have word from the white house that president biden,ho you just heard governo cooper say he's going to be back in north carolina tomorrow. President biden is scheduled to visit the statet the day after tomorrow, on wednesday. All right. Up next, something that i have been debating for a few weeks now whether or not to do on the show. But i feel like, well, if not me, who? it's not coming up in other places. I, sort of, feel like we all need to know it. So, now is the time. On the eve of the vice presidential debate tomorrow, i feel like now is d the time, so we're going to do t it. Settle in. Right on the other side of this break, i have a story to tell you. It is one, i will confess right now, it is a story that gives me the ughs big time. But we've got to do it. Got to know. That story's next. Next. Llinois. I'm not an actor. I'm just a regular person. Some people say, why should i take prevagen? i don't have a problem with my memory. 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Beautiful design, tremendously rich content, and, my favorite touch, it's the only site that always connects you to the listing agent. Feels like a work of art! (marci) lovely. What about the app? (luke) uhoh! look what i did. It's ringing. Hello? hello? (marci) they can't hear you. (luke) hello? (marci) because you glued a frame over the microphone. (luke) i think i've glued the frame over the microphone. (vo) ding dong! homesdotcom. We've done your home work. Let's say you're deep in a show or a game or the game. On a train, at home, at work. Okay, maybe not at work. Point is at xfinity. We're constantly engineering new ways to get the entertainment you love to you faster and easier than ever. That's what i do. Is that love island? okay. This is one of those stories. You ready for it? here we go. His name was charles r. Walgreen. He lived in illinois. As a young man he lived in a shoe factory. At an accident in the factory, he got injured. He lost a finger. Because of that, he had to give up the shoe factory job. So, he started working instead as an assistant pharmacist at a drugstore in his hometown. He had to go off and fight in the spanish american war in cuba. While he was in cuba, he got both malaria and yellow fever, neither of which is any fun. But he survived both of them. And he came back to the u. S. After the spanish american war, came back to the chicago area and decided he would keep going with the pharmacy stuff. So, he opened up his own drugstore. But it wasn't just a drugstore. Charles walgreens big retail innovation was that, yes, he operated a pharmacy, but his pharmacy would also sell stuff other than drugs. They'd be a place you could also get a sandwich or a milk shake or buy other stuff you might need for your house. And with that model, mr. Walgreen was wildly successful. By the 1920s, he had over 100 walgreens drugstores by. The 1930s, he had hundreds more. And by the 1930s, he was also very deeply freaked out about his niece, specifically about his niece, lucille, being exposed to free love and communism. Charles walgreen's niece, lucille, had gone off to the university of chicago, great school. But when she came home from school, she and her rich uncle walgreen apparently started having what he called frequent arguments. Here's the new york times, april 12, 1935, c. R. Walgreen takes niece from college. Karls r. Walgreen has caused his niece to withdraw as a student at the university of chicago and has written a letter criticizing the institution for its communistic influence. His letter was sent to president hutchins in the university. Copies were mailed to the university's trustees. This turned into a big famous thing at the time. There was a whole bunch of newspaper coverage about it at the time. You can see the headlines here. Walgreen answers university of chicago, asking facts. Promising proof of communism. Here's another. University of chicago head demands data on charge of radical teachings. Attack is called vague. Here's another. Legislators hear walgreen charge. He asserts university of chicago taught communism. Free love is also alleged. Oh, no, not free love! they actually did hold a hearing in the state legislature in illinois on this scandal of the walgreens guy taking his niece out of college. His niece was exposed to free love and communism. The hearing was dominated by walgreen's expert witness who he had called to testify on his behalf. Her name was elizabeth dylan. And she really took over the hearing and turned it into a big spectacle. She demanded no one silence her. She said she would continue her testimony on the radio if they told her her time was up in the legislative hearing. She said she knew, she had lists of all the communists at the university of chicago. She also mentioned she had lists of u. S. Senators who she knew were communists as well. She said the president of the board of trustees at the university of chicago, who was, like, a millionaire meat packing guy. She said, he was not only a communist, but she said, he was a communist, of, quote, the cream puff type. Yeah. That was elizabeth dilling. The hearing that she testified at was, sort of, wild. The a. P. Described it as fist swinging, hooting, cheering, and heckling. Elizabeth dilling's husband was there. He punched out a guy from the antidefamation league at the hearing. It was crazy. Charles walgreen arguing with his niece goes from that to a full blown state legislative hearing on whether the university of chicago should be shut down by the state as a subversive organization. And even though that crusade by uncle walgreen did not work to shut down the university of chicago, the crusade, sort of, caught on. After the walgreens university of chicago thing, the same expert witness, elizabeth dilling, got a call from henry ford of the ford motor company. He paid elizabeth dilling $5,000 to come to michigan toxpose all the evil communists at the university of michigan and try to get the university of michigan shut down as well. Then it was california. The los angeles chamber of commerce paid elizabeth dilling to come to southern california, where she assured everyone that she had confirmed that ucla was a hot bed of communism, presumably also free love. She did the same thing at cornell. She did the same thing at northwestern, trying to get all of these universities shut down. They wanted all of these universities shut down, as evil, subversive, communist institutions. They did not get the university shut down. But a lot of very rich, very influential people were working on this. This is what they thought was a main stream political project. As weird as it sounds, this is a thing they really put at the center of their agenda. And the expert who they had work on all these campaigns, elizabeth dilling, she was a piece of work on her own. Not to put too fine a point on it, but she was a huge fan of adolf hitler and the nazi party. Before we got into world war ii, the