the basic work-up. getting a lab check, as you said earlier to be cautious, i do think things are going to be common here, meaning that being dehydrated, as a result of having your blood pressure go a little bit lower, feeling not well, that is probably the logical explanation. but i do think that probably getting it checked out makes sense. >> last time we heard about her blood pressure was last year, her physician put out the information her blood pressure at that time was 100 over 65, heart rate 72, her ekg that she had taken was thunderstonormal. what did it say to you? >> it painted a picture of somebody who didn't have a problem with her heart, something that would not be a concern, certainly last year we got that in july. so i think that you get a static image in time, at that time it's an important image, but from a year ago. i think if somebody has an episode again like this, again i think the likelihood that any of those results will come back abnormal right now is very low. but that is part of what you do with you're the physician and sort of looking at a situation like this and saying hey, let's be diligent and thorough and make sure there is nothing going on with this. i think she just got overheated, that is what led to this. but again, the difficulty getting in the van like that. the balance problem that she seemed to have walking. again, forget that she is who she is, getting a routine checkup makes sense. >> so they're suggesting it could have been hypothyroidism, explain that. >> as you get treated for it with the medication she is taking for example, there are several out there to choose from, she is taking one that can sometimes lead to feeling more overheated. so becoming more heat intolerant as opposed to being more cold intolerant, also it raises your metabolism, so sometimes people can have more of those episodes even when the climate seems comfortable. that is a possibility. she is also on medication for allergies. she recently said she increased the dose of her antihistamine, why is that relevant? it can dry up your nose, for example, but also can be a component. so those, the thyroid condition, maybe if somebody has not drank enough fluids, those would top the list in terms of causing those episodes, but again, wolf, there is for speculation, there is no medication data to suggest to give us anything objective. >> the temperatures was in the high 70s. she had been there for an hour and a half. she could have simply been a bit dehydrated a bit. the deep thrombosis she has suffered over the years, the blood clot in her brain, could that have had an impact these years later? >> it is an important question, any doctor who is taking care of her will take this into consideration. the brain area is more my area. but i don't think it is the blood thinning medication that would necessarily cause an episode like this. i think it is certainly worth warranting. but in 2012, she had a fainting episode that developed into the blood clot. we heard she had a viral illness, was dehydrated at that point. and then obviously again she has an episode, again, if i were her doctor it is very possible that there are very logical explanations for both of these episodes. but i would want to know just make sure again there is nothing else that has happened. just get the basic workup done to make sure there is no connection. but she got her brain work done at the time, and it is part of the medical workup that is why we worry there could be a long-term impact welcopollacimp blow to the head. >> what her husband said, the former president bill clinton said following that event he suggested she was recuperating for about six months. a lot of us remember also those glasses, those thick glasses she was wearing when she testified up on capitol hill, we're showing our viewers now, those glasses she was wearing at the time, supposedly she was suffering according to her physicians from some double vision. that is why she had to wear those glasses. tell us a little bit about that. >> well, a couple of things, so six months as you just pointed out as the former president said secretary clinton was recuper e recuperati recuperating. it sounds like it was a significant blow to the head. people who have concussions can take a long time to recover favorite. and look, a concussion is a brain injury, so she did have a brain injury at that time. and it can take a while to recover. the prism glasses that you refer to, what can happen sometimes if somebody gets a concussion, the nerves as they control eye movements can be affected by that. so the eyes don't move the way you want them to, as a result people will have double vision. it is usually something that goes away, it's temporary, but in the interim, the prism glasses were being used to treat that. so it warranted several months to recover. but again, the salient point here reading her doctor's letters, yes, we're reading about the long-term impact of that. we've done the cognitive testing, the brain testing and there is no long-term impact. and the blood clot that was there seems to have resolved. again, this was in regards to her doctor's report. >> this will have to be explained by your physician at some point because the american public is going to want to have that kind of information. >> yeah, i think it's a really important point, wolf, when something like that happens, wolf, you can speculate all you want and if you look at the most likely causes of what happened today, they're common things and things that are temporary, they're self-limited. they go away. but i do think it is one of those situations where it would be nice to hear from the doctor, maybe even have the doctor take questions about this. i think a lot of people are going to look at the video and have questions until somebody comes out and explains it more thoroughly, i think the questions are just going to increase. so the transparency here probably -- and the doctor could even take some of the questions would be helpful. >> and very quickly, the highly publicized coughing incident she has had had in the last several days, what is that about? >> well, she has seasonal allergies, the way that is related you increase the amount of medications you're taking, you increase the amount of deconge decongestants, they help with a that but the problem with that they can dry out your sinuses, dry out parts of your body. so you're even more likely to develop dehydration and the symptoms of dehydration. >> so you would not be surprised if they postpone her trip to the west coast and do medical checkups? >> i think they are doing that right now, leading aside she is who she is or somebody who is running for president i think it is something you get checked out now. i don't necessarily think it's something you go to the emergency room, but just eliminate, i think it's very low likelihood, that is why you do the checkups, statistically, they're likely to be negative but you don't know it unless you do it. >> good medical advice from dr. sanjay gupta. we'll have you stick around and obviously stay on top of this story. we'll resume our coverage right after this. ♪ i used to watch this perfect couple. they were the embodiment of true love. do you know megan hipwell? she's gone missing. you were seen in the area that night. i went to visit my husband. you mean your ex-husband? there's some time missing. i need you to stay away. what happened that night? rated r. it takes all kinds of jobs. and the best place to find the job that's right for you ♪ is on the world's number-one job site. indeed. how the world works. welcome back, wolf blitzer reporting from new york, hillary clinton is back at home after she was seen stumbling after leaving a 9/11 ceremony earlier in new york. she left the event early telling aides she felt overheated. let's talk more about that. back with us, larry sabado, director of the center for politics at the university of virginia. brian, how should hillary clinton address this stumble? the questions now about her health? >> well, definitely different than how she has handled it. she was taken away, hidden for 90 minutes and the explanation they gave all the incident when they finally gave an explanation, she was overheated. problem is, it is not that hot out there today, it's not exactly death valley. it was in the '70s. with the campaign's false explanations throughout and you combine it with the secrecy, there are either real questions about her health, which is a real problem, or they can come out with a physician and explain why all of these things are just a coincidence. combined with her in the past, she had a blood clot and described memory conditions due to a condition. if all of these are just circumstantial evidence, and there is an explanation, in which case she needs to share it, or else there are real problems that need to be revealed. >> well, just to answer the questions and do it simply and clearly, and put a doctor out there to respond to whatever the details are, one of the ironies here though, wolf, is that the huge youth culture, right, and the two leading candidates for president are both eligible to social security and medicare and the early bird special across the state of florida, when you have people of this age they're going to have little health problems. you don't have to get to the paranoia notions floating around on the internet, she is not going to spend time on the basketball court like barack obama did, let's just be frank about that. >> hillary clinton is 68, she will be 69, and donald trump is 70, is it time for them to be completely transparent about their medical records? >> absolutely, i agree with that 100%. they should have been doing that already. i am very disappointed that they have not done it already. and yes, the tax returns should be given by donald trump as well. but it's important for the public to know that. having said that, i really have to emphasize again that the probability, as dr. sanjay gupta suggested is very high that there is not any serious problem here. you know, some of our healthiest presidents, like president george h. bush, and president george h.w. bush fainted in the white house after choking on a pretzel. these things happen, and the rest and people in politics are too quick to seize upon them and blow them up and make them into game-changers and they almost never are. >> and brian, you can respond to that. but also i want to play some sound. we have donald trump, he was asked about hillary clinton's health incident when he was leaving that 9/11 memorial ceremony earlier this morning. listen to what he said. >> mr. trump, a question about hillary clinton's health incident this morning, her health incident this morning? >> he said i don't know anything about it. i am sure that was an accurate statement. i suspect also brian we're going to hear more from donald trump in the hours and days to come about this. >> i'm sure we will. we have been hearing accusations for a while now from donald trump's campaign and surrogates for a while. so i don't expect this pitch to go by. in responding to some of larry's comments, i thoroughly enjoy your prognostications, but doing what they have done, comparing the pretzel choking incident to this, that is in essence, playing arm chair doctor. the transparency would either help the campaign in explaining why all of these circumstances are just coincidences, or it's going to give the american people the information they deserve. >> very quickly, larry, go ahead, respond. >> i'm 100% in favor of hillary clinton being examined and all of that being made public and her doctor talking. i don't want anything hidden at all. but i think it's important to point out that fainting is not all that unusual, even when you restrict it to presidents. >> all right, we take a quick break. larry sabato, brian morgenstern, we'll be right back with our special coverage. my brother, captain jason m.dahl. >> that was this morning in shanksville, pennsylvania, where on this day 15 years ago, the terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 americans and changed this country forever. this morning at the pentagon, president obama addressed survivors and the victims' families and called on their families to honor their strength and resilience going forward. and families gathered to read names of the 2,753 people who died in the attacks on the world trade center. many are discussing how 9/11 has changed their lives and will continue to change their lives. but they're also discussing national security and the impact on national security. what are you hearing? >> reporter: well, wolf, 9/11 has impacted nearly every aspect of our national security. and while today is a day of remembrance and mourning, for many americans, this day 9/11, folks, feelings of fear, worrying that there is another major terrorist attack on the horizon. despite all the updates and changes made to our security measures. now we did speak to the police chamber earlier today and he said there is no imminent threat planned here for new york city. we also spoke to the secretary of security who said the u.s. has never been better equipped to deal with an attack. take a listen. >> we're on a constant state of alert against not only the terrorist-directed attack of the 9/11 type, but also terrorist-inspired attacks. the so-called lone wolf, the homegrown-bound extremism, the type we've seen in l.a. and san bernardino, we're on alert now where we have to be concerned about the traditional threat as whereas this new threat where al qaeda, isol, can literally reach into our living room, through our media and continue to inspire people here. >> reporter: now jay johnson also pointed out that homeland security is still trying to figure out how to prevent those lone wolf style attacks and that cracks that nut is what keeps him up at night. now, the memorial here at ground zero was incredibly moving. they did the reading of the names. there were several moments of silence held. and this was just one of many memorials held across the country to honor the victims and their families. and wolf, this evening the tribute and the lights will be illuminated. and those lights will start to dim at dawn. wolf? >> all right, rachel, thank you, rachel crane reporting for us, special coverage of the 9/11 memorial continues right after this. is it a professor who never stops being a student? is it a caregiver determined to take care of her own? or is it a lifetime of work that blazes the path to your passions? your personal success takes a financial partner who values it as much as you do. learn more at tiaa.org amid so many dark memories of september 11th, 2001, there came out memories of kindness, the amazing show of generosity of people who gave hope to others who suddenly found themselves in the small canadian town about 50 miles from new york city. and when the airports were shut down, hundreds of planes landed there. and facing the situation, hundreds of people in gander opened their homes. it is a huge gesture of kindness. joining us now, the mayor when the attacks took place. mayor, thank you for joining us so much. >> it's mr. pleasure, wolf. >> walk us through that day, tell us what sticks out in your memory 15 years later. >> well, i guess it was, what are we going to do with all the passengers? we never had -- only 500 hotel rooms in the community. but what will we do with all of those 6 or 7,000 people? and we realized the greatest strength we had in our community were the people, and we knew the people would rally around. and we called on them. and we did. we put people in schools and churches and put people in people's homes and everything. so we certainly accommodated everybody for the five days they were here. >> nearly 7,000 passengers, crew members, landed in your community in gander. so the magnitude was huge. so people just opened up their homes and said come on in, you can sleep in this bedroom. is that what happened? >> oh, yeah, i mean, we had had people that would pick people up, take them to their homes, and we would go to work and people went to work and did their daily work. and people could stay in their houses, get a cup of coffee and sleep and we would go about our business as usual and let the people stay in our homes to rest up. and you know, some of them went back to the places they were staying in. >> how long did that go on for? how many days were these passengers, crew members stranded in your community? >> five days. >> five days, that's a long time. some positive relationships did come through this very day, right? >> oh, yes, there is no question. i mean, we have had the friendships and the bonds made between the people of gander and the people of the united states has certainly been tremendous. and we just finished a service here in gander about an hour ago where 12 people came up from new york to do some presentations to thank us for what we had done. and you know, so that bond is there between us and the american people. and the friendships, i think they will be there forever for as long as we live. >> well, let me thank you on behalf of all the americans who are remembering what happened 15 years ago, mayor elliott, thank you so much for what you and your community did. we really appreciate it. >> thank you very much, wolf. >> and tonight, the cnn special "9/11: 15 years later" will air at 7, 8:00 eastern. we got him. right here on cnn. hmmmmm... the turbocharged dream machine. the volkswagen golf gti. named one of car and driver's 10best, 10 years in a row. at safelite, we know how busy life can be. these kids were headed to their first dance recital... ...when their windshield got cracked... ...but they couldn't miss the show. so dad went to the new safelite-dot-com. and in just a few clicks, he scheduled a replacement... ...before the girls even took the stage. safelite-dot-com is the fast, easy way to schedule service anywhere in america! so you don't have to miss a thing. y'all did wonderful! that's another safelite advantage. (girls sing) safelite repair' (girls sing) safelite replace. what comes to mind when you think about healthcare? understanding your options? or, if you're getting the care you need? at aarpadvantages.com, you can find helpful information about healthcare options. leaving you more time to think about more important things. like not having to think about healthcare at all. surround yourself with healthy advantages at aarpadvantages.com/health. i'm wolf blitzer reporting today from new york. we're following developments, hillary clinton leaving early from a 9/11 memorial event in new york city. then seen taking a stumble as she got into a van. then headed to her daughter's apartment, and a few hours later she left waving to reporters saying she felt great. cnn politics producer dan merrick was part of the press corps when the event happened earlier this morning. he is joining us right now outside of hillary clinton's apartment in chappaqua, new york. what is the information we're getting about what happened, dan? >> reporter: you know, it's still pretty much in a holding aren pattern, as you said, hillary clinton wobbled after leaving the ceremony. she left early, she is set to fly to california tomorrow for a fundraiser in san francisco. and then has events on tuesday in california, and then events on wednesday. all of that remains, we have not been told if anything is cancelled. right now, it's a wait and see, clinton's press toll has been waiti ining for details, those details not really provided. so what we're going on is hillary clinton left chelsea clinton's apartment. and she kind of tried to squash any type of suggestion that she may have fainted. she tried to squash it by saying she felt fine. the reason this is an issue for the clinton campaign is that these rumors and talk about her health has kind of festered on right wing websites for months now. and the video that we have been playing and the elements we have been playing have elevated it and made it into a topic that the mainstream media is now talking about. >> tell us, dan, what happened when she left the 9/11 memorial early. we saw her stumble as she got into the van. normally the traveling press corps, at least a pool of reporters who cover hillary clinton, they would follow that van wherever it is going. but in this particular case they left without the press corps. what happened? >> so it's a protective pool, so the white house, it follows president obama wherever he goes, if he goes to the gym, they go. if he goes to get coffee, they go. the campaign has not fully bought into this, made it very difficult at times to cover her. she left under the memorial event while her press corps stayed in the media area where the media was for the event. she then went to chelsea clinton's house, and the press pool got there later, and then hillary clinton left chelsea clinton's house and went back to chappaqua, new york. it's an issue that makes it difficult to cover her. you don't know when she is getting home, where she is, that sort of thing. and it's not really standard at this point in the campaign. it should also be noted, however, that donald trump went to the same memorial without a press pool. >> so right now, we're basically standing by to get an update from the clinton campaign, either a written statement or some sort of appearance before the cameras to at least reconfirm that everything is still on schedule for that west coast trip tomorrow morning. >> absolutely, and they're going to have to do something. this has become a big media story. they're going to have to weigh in to talk about her health and to confirm she is still going to fly cross country tomorrow for what would be considered a full day of campaigning, a fundraiser in san francisco, multiple fundraisers in l.a., and events in los angeles. all in about 72 hours. so they're going to have to confirm that that is still on, given that she had this incident after the memorial service down at ground zero. >> dan, as soon as you get word on what is going to unfold, get back to us, thank you for your excellent work all the way around. let's take a quick break. we'll be right back. comfort food, you've had a good long run. but your time is over. it's time for something new, something simple. grown right here in california with absolutely no antibiotics ever. food we're comfortable eating, making, serving. this is the new comfort food. and it starts with foster farms simply raised chicken. california grown with no antibiotics ever. let's get comfortable with our food again. you're not taking these. hey, hey, hey! you're not taking those. woah, woah! you're not taking that. come with me. you're not taking that. you're not taking that. you're not taking that. mom, i'm taking the subaru. don't be late. even when we're not there to keep them safe, our subaru outback will be. (vo) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. each year more than 70,000 young adults in the united states are diagnosed with cancer. this week's cnn hero has helped thousands of cancer patient s face down their fears with a life-changing adventure. >> we see them as feeling they're the only ones dealing with this. we get them to realize other people are going through the same stuff. from day one, these guys are not paddling through the water, and last day they're paddling through the whitewater. we're starting to see beautiful transformati transformation. >> to see how their story unfolds, watch cnn.com. and earlier this morning, hillary clinton left the memorial at ground zero, saying she was overheated. clinton went to her daughter's apartment, and left later saying she felt great. it's important to note 15 years ago when planes struck the twin towers in lower manhattan, hillary clinton was a junior senator from new york. in a statement from chris cuomo, the democratic presidential candidate looks back on that day. >> remind people where you were on that day, and your earlier memories. >> i got to the senate, and by the time i got there, the senate was being evacuated. the senate buildings. the capitol itself. so i gathered up my senior staff and we were just looking at each other with such total pain and confusion. and we -- then of course learned about the second plane. we learned about what was happening in new york. got to tvs as quickly as possible to begin monitoring it. it was just a sickening experience, chris. and i -- went the next day, chuck schumer, and i, we were one of the very few planes in the sky that day, the 12th. and we landed at la guardia. we were on a fema plane. and we took a helicopter. and we went over -- circled the burning pile. and when we landed we met up with the governor and the mayor. and went walking toward ground zero. and as we moved further south and we saw this curtain of black smoke that was stretched across the island, basically. occasionally it would be broken by a firefighter coming out. i remember one image so indelibly, dragging his axe. and it was as close to a depiction of hell that i have ever personally seen. there is a lot that i remember from those early days and from all the days after. because as an elected official i felt such a responsibility to reach out and help everyone who had been affected by this terrible attack. there were not that many survivors. the ones who did survive were terribly injured. the loss of life was overwhelming. i went like so many others to the armory, to see what was happening. how people were reacting. but it was also you know, my job and the job of other elected officials to get our city and our state and our country, what we needed. >> just ahead, we're going to hear from parents who lost their son on 9/11 and have since turned their pain into purpose. ♪ ♪ ♪ the heirloom tomato. when you cook with incredible ingredients... you make incredible meals. fresh ingredients, step-by-step recipies, delivered to your door for less than $9 a meal. get $30 off your first delivery blueapron.com/cook. kind of like this look. i'm calling it the "name your price tool" phase. whatever. as the nation again pauses to mourn the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11, it's hard to believe 15 years have passed since the attacks. liz and steve alderman lost their son, peter in the attacks. they have since turned their lives into helping others. >> this is a family, wolf, that is have been involved with and reporting their story for five years. as you know, after these many years, it strikes you, their son, peter, you see him there full of energy and life. and he was at a conference at windows on the world in the world trade center on 9/11. and he was murdered that day. and his mother told me she had two choices, that she could just basically kill herself, she said, meaning just give up her life and die emotionally or she could move forward with purpose in her son's name. and what they have done is remarkable. they have helped more than a thousand victims of terror around the world. and i caught up with them after 15 years from the attacks, to talk to her and remember her son and talk about the work they have done in his honor. >> this is your first time ever being here at the memorial? >> yes, yes. >> what's it like? >> strange. it's a beautiful place. but it's disconcerting. for me, it rubs my face into something that while i think about it every day, i am not directly confronted by it. so it's -- >> it's difficult, it's hard? >> oh, absolutely, absolutely. >> i felt as long as i was here i needed to go and see and touch his name. and that was extraordinarily upsetting. it was like there it was, written in stone. i probably will not come again. it is, peter is not here. it is the scene of his death. and -- i don't need to be here. >> the two of you, years ago, started the peter c.alderman foundation, now a million and a half year foundation to help victims of war and extreme trauma throughout the world. >> peter was killed because of terrorism. there was nothing we could do for peopter. but there are over a billion people on this earth who experience mass terror and violence. and over 50% of these people can no longer live functional lives. and if in peter's name we can return these people to life there is no better memorial. we could not do it for peter, but if we can do it for others in his name, that is what we're all about. >> peter is in my mind every day. the work we're doing makes me mindful of peter. because that is why we're doing it. >> this became even bigger than peter. this was done to leave a mark that peter existed and that the world would be a better place because he lived. but it's become -- we have treated over 100,000 people. >> so it's pretty extraordinary, wolf, for me to see as a reporter how this family has been able to do what i think we all wish we would do, and that is to turn our loss and our unimaginable grief into something so productive. but they have done exactly that. and it's interesting at another part of the interview which you will see on my show, the father, steve, says, if you really want to feel better, help somebody. and that is exactly what they have done. >> this courage of people who have gone through such an awful, horrible experience and emerge to do something positive for other people they're so inspiring. >> they're so inspiring. and i think they remind us all there is light and love and beauty in this world even when there is tragedy. i mean, you're here in new york seeing your beautiful new grandchild. i have a new child, and we see sort of life born amid tragedy. and one interesting thing about this family is they get together, all of his entire friends, to remember him. and they write memories down. this is what one friend wrote, i would give anything to have him by my side. but i will have to settle with keeping him in my heart for as long as it beats. and that is just thousands of memories about this one victim. and we know more than 3,000 lives were lost that day. >> obviously, you didn't know him, i didn't know him. but based and what we're hearing just a terrific young man. >> a terrific young man who you know his mother said to me, he truly smelled the roses. and she said not just like the cliche, he actually enjoyed every single day of his life. and it's usually near the end of our life, i said we look back and say we wish we had actually smelled the roses. he actually spent most of his 25 years doing that and had an incredibly full life. and now his parents carry on his legacy with their incredible work. for anyone who would like to help, you can go to peter c. alderman website. >> and multiply that story by 3,000, because you can remember died that day. ul people who >> and the heroes who saved so many lives. >> it's a time to reflect a very important event. p poppy, you're going to pick up our coverage. all right, i'll take it over from here. thank you for joining us. i'm poppy harlow. and we begin this hour with a somber remembrance of that day, of all of us who remember those taken in new york city. bag pipes played, and bells tolls, our nation forever changed when the planes crashed into the twin towers in new york city and the pentagon in washington, d.c., and a field near shanksville, pennsylvania. and meanwhile, this morning, hillary clinton left that 9/11 remembrance ceremony early. her campaign said she felt at one time overheated. you see her getting into a van there, stumbling, wobbling a little bit as the secret service helps her. clinton says she now feels quote, great. meanwhile, the race seems to be tightening up significantly. eight straight polls in a number of battleground states, showing an extraordinarily tight race across the country. we'll ask our political experts to explain how clinton's post-convention bounces seemingly all that slipped away. a lot to get to. let's get to the story earlier on hillary clinton having to leave the ceremony. the official word is that she overheated during that 9/11 commemoration ceremony. take a look, she gets into the van with the help of the secret service. they took her to her daughter's apartment in new york, chelsea clinton. she was there for a bit, supposedly at home. the latest in chappaqua, new york, but what is the latest on how she is doing and what her campaign is saying? >> reporter: well, poppy, we actually have not heard from the clinton campaign for several hours now. the only statement we got from the clinton campaign was late in the morning, when hillary clinton did in fact get overheated. and that is why she left the 9/11 memorial earlier and came to chelsea clinton's home. but we did learn that hillary clinton did in fact appear to faint. i want to be clear this is not