• Huge swaths of the Southeast are still digging out from Hurricane Helene after the storm made landfall Thursday night along Florida’s gulf coast. As of late Sunday, more than 90 people were reported dead across six states. Tampa and western North Carolina saw some of the worst damage from the storm. Blue Ridge Public Radio reporter Gerard Albert III joins us to talk about rescue and recovery efforts around Asheville, N.C.
• Later in the show, Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters talks about the state of play in one of the most pivotal swing states in the upcoming election.
• And in headlines: Former President Donald Trump called Vice President Kamala Harris ‘mentally impaired’ during a weekend rally, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Friday airstrike, and the International Longshoremen’s Association and its tens of thousands of members are set to strike starting Tuesday.

• Resources help victims of Hurricane Helene –https://tinyurl.com/43ykrkuc
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• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

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TRANSCRIPT

Jane Coaston: It’s Monday, September 30th. I’m Jane Coaston. And this is What a Day, the show where we are still not going to see any horror movie this fall. Nope. Won’t do it. Being scared on purpose? Not for us. It’s a presidential election year. I’m just going to wait for Paddington three. [music break] On today’s show, Israel continues to strike Lebanon. Plus, longshoremen are on the brink of a strike that could impact your daily deliveries. But first, huge swaths of the southeast are still digging out from Hurricane Helene. The storm made landfall Thursday night along Florida’s Gulf Coast and moved up into Georgia, North, and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. As of our recording time Sunday night, more than 90 people have been reported dead across those six states. And that number is expected to keep going up as rescue efforts continue. Tampa and parts of western North Carolina saw some of the worst damage from the storm. On Sunday, officials in Buncombe County, North Carolina, home to Asheville, confirmed 30 deaths. Helene caused massive flooding and mudslides that knocked out power, cell service, and even water for a lot of people in the area. The county manager said Sunday that officials had also received about 1000 reports from people who said they can’t contact their families. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper talked about the challenges the region is facing during a press conference. 

[clip of Governor Roy Cooper] Please know that we are sending resources and coordinating closely with local governments, first responders, state and federal partners and volunteer organizations to help those impacted by this tragic storm. 

Jane Coaston: For more on what’s going on in North Carolina, I spoke with Gerard Albert III. He covers rural communities in western North Carolina at Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville. He’s been on the ground talking to people affected by the storm. Gerard, welcome to What a Day. First and most importantly, how are you doing right now? 

Gerard Albert III: Thanks. I’m all right. I was actually stuck in a in a town or a city called Brevard, about an hour south of Asheville. It’s the one of the more rural areas of the state. And the roads were so flooded that I couldn’t get back and didn’t have cell service or Internet. So I got back, have cell service and Internet now, so I’m feeling better. 

Jane Coaston: Officials confirmed on Sunday that at least 30 people have died in Buncombe County, which is where Asheville is. What more can you tell us about that? 

Gerard Albert III: Right. At the 10 a.m. press conference, there was only ten reported. So I can tell you that the number is growing as they go and do their search and rescue missions. 

Jane Coaston: What are things like on the ground right now in western North Carolina? Because the images coming out of the region look terrifying. 

Gerard Albert III: Yeah, I mean, those images are what’s going on. I stopped by a neighborhood on the way back up again in a more rural part, a little south of Asheville. And the entire road to their neighborhood was taken out by a creek. They had built a makeshift bridge to get across and get supplies in and out. Our big hospital in Asheville Mission Hospital lost power for a little bit. It’s back on now, thankfully. 

Jane Coaston: What areas in western North Carolina have been hit the hardest? 

Gerard Albert III: Yeah, the rural counties, there’s not a lot of communication and cell service is slowly coming back. A couple of people have power. It’s sporadic. This is the biggest metropolitan area in western North Carolina. So that’s why you’re hearing the the larger numbers of fatalities. But rural North Carolina is getting it just the same. In the area that I was at, there’s a small town called Rosman. It’s about 700 people. And when they issued mandatory evacuations for parts of that town, the sheriff said only about 50 people left. When I visited on Friday, half the town was completely underwater. The rivers reached historic crests almost all across the western part of the state. 

Jane Coaston: What are people’s most immediate needs right now? 

Gerard Albert III: The big one in Asheville is water. Not technically sure what happened, but there is no running water in Asheville. So that means toilets, showers, restaurants can’t have water. And the city has been requesting water, but they’re unsure of when that’s going to come from the state reservoirs. 

Jane Coaston: And with major roads blocked off and damaged, a lot of the area has been shut off from the rest of the state. So when is any aid expected to arrive? 

Gerard Albert III: Yeah, that’s a question we’ve been asking officials as they’ve been holding press conferences periodically throughout the day. Um. There are little pockets of supplies being dropped here and there from the county. But the larger state and federal supplies, the counties are still vague on when that’s going to come. 

Jane Coaston: So there’s no timeline for power and communications lines or anything like that, or do we have any idea on that front? 

Gerard Albert III: I mean, we’ve heard from county officials that water will be back. Power will be back um again we’re getting some power here. There has been no timeline presented. 

Jane Coaston: How can people who are listening to this or watching this on YouTube, how can people help? 

Gerard Albert III: That’s a good question. A lot of things right now are cash only. So even sending money to people in the area is tough because there are lines around ATMs that wrap around the building. I’m sure that there will be ways to give on the federal level, things like the Red Cross, maybe. But right now, outside help is it feels like it’s nonexistent right now. 

Jane Coaston: Okay. Well, Gerard Albert III. Thanks so much for joining me and please stay safe. 

Gerard Albert III: Of course. Thank you. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Gerard Albert III. He covers rural communities for Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville. We’ll link to more places where you can give to help people recover from Helene in our shownotes. [music break] Over the past few weeks, we’ve been checking in with politicians and local organizing groups from the key swing states in this year’s election. This week, we’re heading to God’s mitten Michigan, after the state voted for former President Donald Trump in 2016, Democrats have built a lot of momentum there. Michigan voted for President Biden in 2020, and Democrats now control the governor’s mansion and the state legislature. On top of being a pivotal swing state in the presidential election this year, there’s also a big race for an open Senate seat that’s being vacated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow. And if you know me, you also know that Michigan is a state that’s very dear to my heart. It’s where I went to college. Go blue. So for more on Michigan, I spoke with the state’s other senator, Democrat Gary Peters. We talked about what Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz need to do to build on Democratic momentum and keep Michigan blue. Senator Peters, welcome to What Day. 

Gary Peters: Oh, it’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me on. 

Jane Coaston: Absolutely. So last week, The Detroit News reported that Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra told a fundraiser crowd that the Democrats are going to, quote, “steal some votes” in the Michigan Senate race. That race is between Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. Of course, Hoekstra has no evidence to back this up, but this has been going on with the Michigan GOP for a couple of years, like they’ve been among the biggest election denialists around. How are you and other Michigan Democrats responding to the GOP’s lies about election fraud this year? 

Gary Peters: Well, you’re right. It’s kind of the way they operate. They did that last year uh lying all up and down the ticket, starting with Trump at the top. And clearly, we know all that was fabrications. All the courts ruled that way, it was done fair and free. And yet they continued that. And they didn’t stop. They continued through the year. The Republican Party here in Michigan has been in complete disarray. Uh. There’s been changes at the top with the leadership. They’ve been fighting each other. I mean, literally, there are some uh–

Jane Coaston: Actual fighting. 

Gary Peters: Actual actual fighting. Yeah. It’s not just words. And, of course, we’re seeing Donald Trump talking about the only way he loses is if things are counted properly. I mean, he’s he’s basically setting it up that I’m going to say he knows he’s going to lose. And he’s already trying to make excuses once again. And we are just all fed up and tired. But we’ve got a lot of work to do on the ground. And we’re doing that. And we have a far superior ground game to the Republicans right now. 

Jane Coaston: Vice President Kamala Harris has a narrow lead over Donald Trump in most polls of Michigan, but those polls also show the race tightening a bit in the state. What do you think are the main issues that the Harris Walz campaign needs to emphasize in order to connect with Michigan voters and get them to turn out to vote? 

Gary Peters: Well, I think what they’re doing right now is the right thing is to come into the state. We were seeing the other side come into the state and be present. We have to make sure the top of our ticket, we just had Governor Walz in to to see a Michigan game. He was in the big house to see them play Minnesota. I’m happy Michigan was victorious, let’s be clear in that. But he was on the ground doing events. The fact that the kind of enthusiasm that he found with students there was was tremendous. And having young people come out to vote in Michigan is critically important. It’s why we had a huge election in the last cycle. And it was primarily because we had Prop three, which was to enshrine abortion rights into the ballot. We had the highest turnout of young voters in the country last cycle. That issue motivated folks. We know that issue is on the ballot again. Kamala Harris has been doing an amazing job making sure that folks understand what is at stake in the election when it comes to reproductive freedom. And we just have to make sure that we let folks know, give them the facts and are on the ground being present. And I’m seeing all that happen with the campaign. But we cannot let up. We’ve got to run through the tape. We’ve got to run through every single day here and understand every day in Michigan right now is Election Day. 

Jane Coaston: Do you think the urgency is there, though, since the state protected abortion rights with the proposition you mentioned two years ago? How do you repeat that success? 

Gary Peters: Well, it’s still there because it’s on the ballot. We know that Republicans continue to talk about national abortion bans. We’ve seen the types of laws that have been passed in states around the country as well. And people realize that when you’re talking about a fundamental right for women, it shouldn’t matter what state you’re in. And it still motivates folks to make sure that we’re electing people who will stand up for that fundamental right. So it is still salient. It’s still powerful. But clearly we’re going to be talking about a whole range of issues that people care about and and that’s making sure they have jobs and opportunities. And that’s been the Harris record. And that’s part of what she is focused on going forward for the future. 

Jane Coaston: I want to switch subjects a little bit. You chair the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and last week you released a bipartisan report that documented the Secret Service failures around the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. What information stood out most to you from that report? 

Gary Peters: The thing that really stood out was the number of problems and failures when it came to protecting uh the former president. Had any one of those failures uh not occurred, though probability likely would have prevented the shooting from occurring in the first place. And it all started with the planning. But there were also communication issues. There was a reliance on local law enforcement, as usually is always the case, to help the Secret Service. And yet they’re on two separate communication channels. They weren’t even talking to each other. That makes no sense whatsoever. And you’ll find that information was not being communicated to the Secret Service in a timely way because there were these two separate systems and the Secret Service, had they had that information, uh would have acted differently. 

Jane Coaston: Congress passed legislation last week that gives an additional $231 million to the Secret Service. In your view, what does that money need to be used for in order for the agency to address these current issues? 

Gary Peters: The report we put out is an interim report, we’re going to continue to evaluate and look at what needs to change. We put out a number of recommendations uh to the Secret Service report, they’re adopting many of those kinds of changes as they’ve gone through their own investigation into what happened. But what we have found, many of them are management failures. They’re planning failures, communication linkage, which is just about how you manage the site and resources may be an issue going forward. But I’m in the school of thought, you just don’t throw money at a problem. You also have to make sure that money is being used efficiently and effectively. We do know that right now, without question, the Secret Service is stretched. You have two presidential campaigns that are being very aggressive and traveling around the country. We celebrate that. We want them to do that. That’s American democracy at work. When candidates are out and crowds are showing up to to be a part of that event with the candidate of their choice. But in order to protect those with Secret Service, which is fixed, they can’t bring new agents on and train them in the time they’re going to be relying on local law enforcement to fill the gaps with these events. And so those resources will allow them to bring more local law enforcement in to help them secure these sites around the country. And that that money is incredibly important now and then we’re going to need to do a longer term assessment for the resources the Secret Service has. They have a big job, and we appreciate what they do each and every day. But we have to make sure that the folks who are managing that process doesn’t let the men and women down who are actually on the site doing everything they can to protect the protectee. 

Jane Coaston: Senator Peters, thank you so much for joining us. 

Gary Peters: Great to be with you. Thank you. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Michigan Senator Gary Peters. Absentee ballots are already in the mail in Michigan, too. So keep an eye out if you’re waiting for one. We’ll get to the news in a moment. But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Watch it on YouTube and share it with your friends. More to come after some ads. [music break]

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Jane Coaston: And now the news. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of Donald Trump] We’ll be transformed into a third world hellhole is what’s going to happen. 100%. Remember, there’s a hat that’s made that sells like crazy. Oh. There’s a fly. Oh. I wonder where the fly came from. See, two years ago, I wouldn’t have had a fly up here. You’re changing rapidly, but we can’t take it any longer. We can’t take it any longer. It takes centuries to build up the unique, unique character of the United States of America. 

Jane Coaston: Did you get all that? Did you get that former President Donald Trump saw a fly at a rally in Wisconsin, decided that in 2022 we didn’t have flies and seemed to blame its presence on immigration? In the midst of everything that is going on in the world. Trump is still on the campaign trail, despite what some media outlets might attempt to argue. He’s still a tremendously terrible person. But there is more because at the same rally in Wisconsin, Trump had this to say about Vice President Kamala Harris. 

[clip of Donald Trump] Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way. [laughter] She was born that way. 

Jane Coaston: And at a Pennsylvania rally, he doubled down. 

[clip of Donald Trump] Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired, sad. But lying Kamala Harris. Honestly, I believe she was born that way. [laughter] There’s something wrong with Kamala, and I just don’t know what it is. But there is definitely something missing. And you know what? Everybody knows it. 

Jane Coaston: But don’t worry. Republicans were quick to go on television on Sunday and explain that Donald Trump, a guy I’ve been told tells it like it is, wasn’t. Here’s Senator Lindsey Graham on CNN. 

[clip of Senator Lindsey Graham] I just think she’s crazy liberal. I don’t question her uh–

[clip of unnamed CNN reporter] But what what do you think about that rhetoric? 

[clip of Senator Lindsey Graham] I just think the better course to take is to prosecute the case that her policies are destroying the country. They’re crazy liberal. 

Jane Coaston: Okay, Lindsey, whatever you say. President Biden told reporters on Sunday that he will speak with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after airstrikes killed dozens more in Lebanon and fears of an all out war continue. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Friday. The latest and most intense effort by the Israeli military to take out the Lebanon based militia organization. Nasrallah led the group for nearly 30 years. According to The Wall Street Journal, he was meeting with senior Hezbollah leadership and top members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a bunker more than 60ft under a Beirut neighborhood. The Israeli air force targeted the location with 80 tons of bombs. [clip of Benjamin Netanyahu speaking in Hebrew starts playing] In a statement, Netanyahu said that he approved the assassination of Nasrallah because otherwise he believed the Hezbollah leader would be able to rebuild the organization. Over the weekend, Israel also launched airstrikes aimed at Iran backed Houthi militants in Yemen, hitting a seaport and power stations in the country. The International Longshoremen’s Association and its tens of thousands of members are set to strike starting Tuesday morning for the first time in almost 50 years. The longshoremen who load and unload cargo are fighting for higher wages and protections against automation. The disruption would affect the supply chain for weeks, even causing delays for the holiday shopping season as 36 ports are set to shut down. Over 170 industry groups have asked the Biden administration to intervene. A potential strike could cost the U.S. economy up to a billion dollars per day. Yet another blow to the economy with the presidential election just a little over a month away. 

[clip of unknown speaker 1] Freedom Space X, [?] capture confirmed. 

[clip of unknown speaker 2] Crew nine has arrived to the International Space Station, docking confirmed at 4:30 p.m. Central Time, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time over Botswana. 

Jane Coaston: Space X’s crew nine docked at the International Space Station on Sunday. Part of the rescue mission to bring two stranded astronauts back to Earth. The Boeing rocket that originally brought the two astronauts to the station returned with no passengers as a safety precaution after there were issues with leaks on board. The stranded astronauts aren’t set to return until February after having spent eight months in space on what was supposed to be a one week mission in June. And that’s the news. If you watched sports this weekend, like me, you saw some astonishing moments. Georgia erasing a 28 point deficit against Alabama and almost winning in Tuscaloosa. The Detroit Tigers clinching a playoff spot, their first in a decade. And you saw lots and lots and lots of gambling ads. 

[clip of unknown speaker 3] When you got overs and unders. And [?] every time they throw the ball, kick the ball, dribble the ball, maybe it’s not even a ball. Who needs a ball? 

Jane Coaston: This is actually pretty new. See, in 1992, the professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act effectively banned sports betting across much of the United States. But in 2018, the Supreme Court ruled the law violated the 10th Amendment. And now, in 38 states and D.C., sports betting is pretty much everywhere. Even retired iconic athletes like Wayne Gretzky are cashing in on that obscene amount of sportsbook money. And ESPN has its own sportsbook with ads featuring On-Air Talent like Stephen A. Smith. 

[clip of unknown speaker 4] Listen, it’s all about winning in the trenches. 

[clip of unknown speaker 5] C’mon, Bobby, you need a superstar quarterback. 

[clip of unknown speaker 4] Superstar, always with the superstar. 

[clip of unknown speaker 5] Let me guess. You’re one of those underdog guys. 

[clip of unknown speaker 4] Everyone loves an underdog. I’m taking him straight up on ESPN Bet tonight. 

Jane Coaston: Americans are now betting more than one billion dollars a month on sports and they’re not betting just at sportsbooks or casinos. They’re betting on their couches, on their phones. But the knock on effects of legalized betting aren’t great so far. As detailed in a new piece from The Atlantic, two Southern California economists found that legalized online sports betting increases the chances the household will go bankrupt by nearly 30%. And yes, the sports leagues are well aware that gambling addiction is real. The NFL has a public service announcement aimed at getting gamblers to play it safe. In the PSA, former NFL coach Steve Mariucci writes on a chalkboard, Set your limits. Stick to them, track your bets and only bet what you can afford. 

[clip of Steve Mariucci] That’s the game plan. Stick to it. 

Jane Coaston: But the problem is that betting is addictive and the sportsbooks and the sports leagues benefit from problem gamblers. Back in 2020 and 2021, 5% of gamblers in New Jersey spent 70% of the money. According to a Rutgers study. And it’s not good for athletes either. Here’s Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum explaining how sports betting has changed his interactions with fans and not for the better. 

[clip of Jayson Tatum] Yeah, fans yell shit all the time. Shoot one more three, give them more rebound, get 25 before the half is over. Um. There were definitely a lot of– [mumbles and audio fades out] 

Jane Coaston: Fans have yelled at athletes since the beginning of time. But now fans are betting on those athletes to make them money and getting mad at the athletes for not doing so. Fans are DM-ing college athletes, students, effectively children, upset that their performance cost them money. Legalized sports betting is incredibly popular and incredibly profitable. But I do not think that legalized sports betting is good, and I don’t think it’s going to get any better anytime soon. [music break] That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review. Don’t bet on sports and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading and not just the descriptions of movies to determine if they’re too scary like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and February will be here before you know it astronauts. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded by Jerik Centeno and mixed by Bill Lancz. Our associate producer is Raven Yamamoto. Our producer is Michell Eloy. We had production help today from Ethan Oberman, Tyler Hill, JoHanna Case, Joseph Dutra, Greg Walters, and Julia Claire. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our executive producer is Adriene Hill. Our theme music is by Collin Gilliard and Kashaka. 

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