Transcripts For MSNBC Alex Witt Reports 20240708

A very good day to all of you from msnbc World Headquarters in new york. Welcome to alex witt reports. Developing at this hour, some new reaction to the rnc Censuring Congresswoman liz cheney and congressman Adam Kinzinger for their role in the house probe of january 6th. That resolution receiving some major backlash for referring to attack as, quote, legitimate political discourse. Fellow 1 6 Committee Member jaime raskin just telling me what struck him the most about that move. Theyre licensing Political Violence in america. Theyre essentially embracing insurrection and coup as a mode of taking power in the country, and one thing that was particularly alarming to me about it was that it wasnt even clear that donald trump was the one pushing them to do this. Theyve so internalized the Command Structure of the new Republican Party under donald trump as a cult leader that they just do his will without even being told. It comes as former Vp Mike Pence delivered his Harshest Rebuke yet of donald trump, saying his claim that he should have overturned the results of the 2020 election is, quote, wrong. Meantime, overseas, new reporting from the New York Times says according to Ukrainian Armed forces, portions of the Russian Military have reached, quote, full combat strength and appear to be in the final stages of readiness for Military Action should the kremlin order it. It comes as President Biden sent more than 3,000 u. S. Troops to nato allies in Eastern Europe and is keeping another 8,500 soldiers on standby and just a few minutes ago, chairman of the House Armed Services committee, adam smith, telling me why hes confident in that move. Putins whole goal here is to divide the west, divide nato and to drive us out of Eastern Europe. What were showing, and i think its one of the better moves by the Biden Administration, is that this is going to have the opposite effect. We are going to be more present in Eastern Europe as a result of this, primarily because poland, romania, the baltic states, you know, theyve always had a high level of fear about russia, but now thats going up. They want our help. They want natos help. And to the extent that we increase our presence and strengthen our ties with Eastern European nations, that shows putin that his effort to sort of redominate Eastern Europe, to bring back the soviet empire, is not going to work. Joining us now, nbcs josh lederman, covering the president from wilmington, delaware, where the president is spending the weekend and matt bradley is joining us from ukraine. Josh, were going to start with you. Russia and china appear to be forming quite a united front after that putin and xi meeting, so hows the white house reacting to it . Reporter well, china clearly one of the most important partners for russian president Vladimir Putin, alex, and it might seem like ancient history, but if you rewind the clock to 2008, The Last Time Beijing hosted the olympics, it was on the same day of the opening ceremonies that russia actually launched its incursion into georgia. So there is a history here of russia using these kinds of major world events as perhaps a distraction from Military Action that they are taking against their neighbors. And thats one of the concerns that u. S. Officials have now. Either that russia could do something during the olympics or potentially wait until its over to then launch an attack. We heard from the top u. S. Diplomat for asia, daniel, who was arguing that, look, if this were to take place during the olympics, it would serve to really embarrass china, to put beijing in the place of tacitly supporting or even endorsing an incursion by russia into the sovereign territory of a neighbor. Now, as that dynamic is playing out over in asia, the u. S. Continuing to try to head off potential steps by Vladimir Putin to create a false pretext for a war in ukraine. Pointing out and making Public Information that the u. S. Says they have about russian plans to create a fake video that would depict ukrainian attack against russia, complete with fake bodies and all kinds of Crisis Actors that would basically be a Propaganda Effort to justify russian actions. That prompted quite a bit of pushback here in washington from reporters and others who said, look, show us the evidence if thats true because theres a troubled history of the u. S. Making allegations based on intelligence not putting it all out there and then some of that turning out not to be true, so thats why i was so interested to hear what the chair of the House Armed Services committee, adam smith, had to tell you about that last hour. Lets take a listen. I have not personally seen this declassified information. I dont know that anyone has, and i think it would be helpful if the Biden Administration would show it to people. I think its perfectly okay for reporters to ask, okay, you say this, okay, based on what . Prove it. Were not just going to take your word for it, and i think the Biden Administration would be well served to provide that evidence. Reporter u. S. Officials still closely watching all this play out even though the United States does not have a diplomatic presence at the olympics, choosing to boycott those games in beijing, alex, but in the meantime, the signs of a Russian March towards conflict seem to be evident throughout the weekend with reports that russia has flown two bombers, Nuclear Armed bombers, over its neighbor, belarus, where, of course, russia has been pouring thousands of troops. The u. S. Has said they could put up to 30,000 troops, potentially creating another avenue for a russia invasion into ukraine. Yep. Okay. Thank you for all that. Appreciate the latest from that, josh. Lets go to another shipment of u. S. Military cargo to keep in this same vein of discussion. It has arrived in kyiv today as thousands of Russian Troops are massed on ukraines border. Matt bradley is joining us from ukraine once again. You have to wonder how the folks there, matt, are preparing and even reacting to these latest headlines, though i know you say in some parts along the border, its been a constant state of stress and potential war. Reporter yeah, i mean, were in a really interesting place right now, alex. This is actually, youve heard of kyiv, of course, were in kharkiv, the second largest city of ukraine and kind of the undeclared capital of the east of the country. Its a large city, mostly russianspeaking and there used to be a place where there was a lot of prorussian sentiment and Vladimir Putin could point to a place like this and say reliably that this was a place where the population might support him if he were to launch an invasion. Not so anymore. Not after that 2014 incursion. A lot of people are no longer sympathetic to Vladimir Putin and russia, even though they, you know, i spoke with one woman today, she said, i was born in russia, i speak russian, i think in russian, and i would die for ukraine. We started the day off this morning, we were at a civilian training for basically just average schmos who are trying to volunteer to learn how to fight in case it comes to an insurgency. These guys are not going to be the first line of defense against russia, but they may end up being the last line, because once the russians move in with their superior ground, air, and naval forces, they could really, really run right over the conventional forces in a conventional battle against ukraine, and it will be up to what would essentially be an insurgency that would be led by people like this. So it was a really interesting day, watching these men prepare to take matters into their own hands and fight against the russians. And very interesting commentary from that ukrainian, saying, born in russia, think and speak in russian, yet would die in ukraine. Thats going to stick with me for a long time. Thank you so much, matt bradley, for that. Joining me now is new york congressman gregory meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee. Welcome, sir, good to speak with you and were going to get to ukraine in just a few moments but i want to start with that putin and xi meeting in which they declared opposition to any expansion of nato and affirming taiwan is a part of china. Lets take a look at the joint statement, which reads, in part, the sides reaffirmed their strong mutual support for the protection of their core interests, state sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and oppose interference by Exernal Forces in their internal affairs. So the question to you, sir, is, has the u. S. And its policy pushed russia and china closer together, and was this unavoidable . If two authoritarian governments whos doing this. The aggressors in all of this has been russia. It wasnt the United States that has threatened russia or anything of that nature. It wasnt the United States who Invaded Crimea and georgia, maldova, taking sovereign territory. Thats russia. And so in this case, with ukraine, they are making their own decision of which way they want to go. So, it is his saying that, here we are in 2022, and you see someone trying to be is being aggressive and taking sovereign property, and i would assume that that would be the same thing with china, trying to move in. And so it is a the reason why the western countries and democracy is at stake here and why we in the United States, along with our western allies and freedomloving and democratic countries across the globe need to stick together to prevent the kind of authoritarian governments that we currently see in russia and china. But theres a how here question, because the other part of that statement, putin and xi said, in part, friendship between the two states has no limits. There are no forbidden areas of cooperation. So, what threat does this Tightening Relationship Pose to the u. S. . I mean, how can it be countered . Look, i think that in this age of interconnectedness, global networking, global economy, if russia and putin ties hands and we stay firm with our beliefs, they will have and this is why the devastating sanctions that will be put on russia would cripple their economy, et cetera, and i think they will feel the problems from their own countries, because of what will take place there. So, the bluster of what they talk, i think that the key is to try to see if they can make us break the unity that we have. The key is they see the unity that we have with our western allies, with our european allies, with our nato allies, with our allies, for example, in australia and india, moving forward, and so what they would like to do with this bluster is to see if they can divide us. If they cant divide us, then i think that you will see them move back. Lets go to the escalating tensions between russia and ukraine. Last week, you ratcheted up some frequent flyer miles when i met a bipartisan delegation to meet with officials in ukraine two days ago as well, there was a bipartisan classified briefing for house members, so given all that you have learned, sir, how close to the brink is the prospect of a russian invasion . Well, i dont think that we really know. I dont know putin knows what hes going to do and what hes not going to do. And thats why i think that the Biden Administration has done what it should be doing, and that is have a plan a and a plan b. The diplomacy road is open. And thats what we hope that putin takes. And dialogue and conversation will continue. And hopefully diplomacy will win the day, and theyre still having that conversation. But should they choose a different way, thats why weve got to give the arms to the ukranians so that they are in they are prepared to defend themselves, and thats also why we had to send some troops to the baltics for to protect our nato allies. So, im curious how you see sanctions fitting into diplomacy, because you know the senate is inching closer to completing a Sanctions Package against russia. We have political reporting that senators in both parties are a little concerned, a, that its taking too long. Theyre worried that russia could invade ukraine before they finalize it but theres an issue thats being debated and its the timing, whether to impose sanctions now or do it after an attack, so which one do you think would be most effective and which approach do you support . I support that we dont need to go now, because that then could give russia, say, well it wont then act as an deterrent. The deterrent is, if you go in, then this is whats going to happen to you. These devastating, crucial sanctions. And i think that also, what that does is solidify us with our nato allies, you know, you go in, prematurely, go in early, then it could endanger the unity that we already have with our european allies. You know, before i went to the ukraine, i went into brussels, and i met with our allies in both nato and the european union, and i saw the solidarity that we had right now with the position that weve been taking that if russia crosses that line, how we will come together, and it wont be unilateral sanctions, it will be multilateral sanctions and thats whats successful. And i think that we need to continue on the path on keeping our unity with our allies together because as i said earlier, if, in fact, the russians could divide us from some of our european allies or nato allies, then thats a victory for them. So lets stay tight with our allies, lets move forward and if, in fact, they cross the line, lets keep that as a deterrent, but if they, in fact, cross the line, we have the plan b to make sure that they are the devastating sanctions will be then launched upon them. Let me ask you one final question a bit closer to home, the focus there with the majority of your, sir, your district, which includes parts of new york city. Crime is certainly up here in the big apple, about 38 overall this year, shootings up, Transit Crimes up a whopping 70 , car thefts almost doubling. New yorks certainly not alone in this regard. Major cities across the country are facing crime surges and you know the president met with mayor eric adams and he said that the answer is to come together, police and communities have to build trust, make us all safer and the answer is not defunding the police. What are your constituents telling you . What do you think is the best approach to reducing crime . I think mayor eric adams has it right. I think that what we can do is we can have the appropriate Law Enforcement without them without and have justice and hold people accountable at the same time. My district, for example, we focus so much so on wanting and having an appropriate police department. We had another precinct being built in the district. But at the same time, it doesnt mean that there has to be an abuse of police, and i think mayor adams said it correctly. Restarting his anticrime unit and saying that he will hold those accountable if, in fact, you break the rules. So we can go and get safety in our communities without having overly aggressive policing that causes individuals to be randomly pulled over without any probable cause. It was done you know, im a former prosecutor. It was done previously under mayor David Dinkins and we can do it again in to regard. And i think that weve got the right mayor at the right time with the right message, the right knowledge to get that done. So im solidly behind the proposals that mayor eric adams has proposed. Okay. New york congressman gregory meeks, thank you so much for your time. Good to see you. Well, it could wind up being the biggest moment in their lives, but they cant be in beijing to see it. How an alternative plan is helping the parents of olympic athletes next. Plan is helping the parents of olympic helping the parents of olympic athletes next. The entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. Otezla. Its a choice you can make. Otezla is not a cream. Its a pill that treats Plaque Psoriasis differently. With otezla, 75 clearer skin is achievable. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. It may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. Tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines, and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. vo americas most Reliable Network is going ultra with verizon 5g Ultra Wideband now in many more cities so you can do more. Hey, its mindy downloading a movie up to 10 times faster than before. Oh, is that the one where the mom becomes a. mindy yep vo i knew it lets work offsite. Public wifi . No thanks. 5g Ultra Wideband is faster and safer. And whats this . 5g internet for your home and business . Just plug and play. See ya cable 5g Ultra Wideband is now in more and more places. Verizon is going ultra, so you can too. Okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. Woo hoo ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. And ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. Inner voice Furniture Maker im constantly nodding. Because i know everything about furniture. But with the business side. Im feeling a little lost. Quickbooks can help. An easy way to get paid, pay your staff, and know where your business stands. New business . No problem. Success starts with intuit quickbooks. This winter, Comcast Business Is helping team usa and businesses across america stay ahead. Keep yours ahead too with reliable connectivity and secure solutions on the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. And get access to over 20 million wifi hotspots from coast to coast. So no matter what big event comes up, your team can be ready for whats next. Get started with fast and reliable internet and voice for just 64. 99 a month. Or, ask how to get a visa prepaid card with a qualifying bundle. It is the first full day of competition at the beijing Winter Olympics and while the games go on, so does the tension along the ukraine border. Russian president Vladimir Putin attending the Opening Ceremony on friday. He is the highestprofile guest at those games following the decision by the u. S. , britain and others not to send officials. This in protest of chinas Human Rights Abuses and its treatment of the uyghurs. On friday, putin and xi declaring their opposition to any expansion of nato. China shocking many by deciding to make a uyghur crosscountry skier a torchbearer at the ceremony. China rejecting International Criticism of its crackdown on uyghurs. And it came after House Speaker nancy pelosi said u. S. Athletes need to focus on competing and resist the temptation to speak out on chinas Human Rights Abuses. Pelosi said athletes should not risk incurring the anger of Chinese Government officials because it is ruthless. And with Family Members of athletes unable to travel to beijing, because of covid restrictions, they are heading to familiar ground. They are watching the competition from the Olympic Sports Park where the 2002 games were held in salt lake city, utah, and nbcs Gadi Schwartz is right nearby. I wish i was there in park city, utah. It looks beautiful and i want to go skiing, seeing those mountains, but gadi, i know you talked to some of the families who normally would be cheering in the stands, of course, but theyre instead watching back at home so what have they told you about watching their kids perform that way . Yeah, despite these Bluebird Skies out here, the families we talk to say, to describe it as difficult is an understatement. I mean, you got to think about the little things, alex, that really put things in perspective. Yesterday, i was talking to one dad who said he put 250,000 miles on the familys car just driving his son to practice. They have been there for those competitions. They have been there for all of those highs and lows, cheering them on in the stands, and now, to see their olympians going to the biggest stage in the world and having to deal with all the uncertainty that you just mentioned, the possibility of Contracting Covid at any time, the paranoia that comes with that as well as the rising tensions geopolitically, theyre also looking at the Human Rights Abuses and the dangers of protesting against those Human Rights Abuses, so these families are just hoping their olympians can block all of that out without the most powerful thing in the world, which is the powerfully grounding hug from their parents, those words, hey, everythings going to be okay. You got this. As those families watch, 6,000 miles away. Could you imagine . We talked to one mom last night of one of the hockey olympians. She says watching her daughter play hockey across the world has been extremely difficult. Heres what she had to say. I know there are cell phones and facetime and phone calls, but whats missing . Oh my god. Seeing i mean, just that emotion. Like, she scored a couple goals. She i dont know. I think youre always a kid at heart. You know . You score that goal, or whatever you do, you make a great play, or you do this, and you know, like, hey, mom. Hi, mom. Hi, michael. You know . And they look up and no ones there. I also think something thats interesting, as we were talking, the parents, how close this team has become, because theyre their family now. Theyre who they have. And so its a very, you know, i mean, its a its a dynamic that the whole world had to go through. Reporter and Kendall Coyne scofields mom says she cant wait until shes home and she hugs her but friend and family are barred from going to beijing to watch in the stands wauf Covid Protocols, Covid Protocols that were feeling the effects of here in park city 6,000 miles away. Were at a crosscountry track where another olympian, casey dawson, is training today. He tested positive for covid19 about a month ago. He was told originally he had to get two negative covid tests to travel to beijing. That then changed to four. Hes supposed to compete tomorrow and just yesterday, he got his fourth negative covid result so hes going to be missing his event tomorrow, but hes hoping to be on the next flight, Next Charter Flight To Beijing to be able to compete in the team event coming up soon. Oh, lets hope so. Okay, thank you for all of that, Gadi Schwartz from a beautiful place, park city, utah. Lets go to new nbc news investigation which shows that books on race and sexuality are disappearing from texas schools in record numbers. Among 50 books parents want banned in texas are these three. Out of darkness, the story of a 1930s romance between a Mexican American girl and an African American boy. Ghost boys about an African American boy killed by police. And white bird A Wonder Story about a jewish teen living in france after nazis seized power. Joining me now, eddie glaude jr. , author, chair of the department of African American studies at Princeton University and also an esteemed msnbc political analyst. As we talk about this big number, 50. Some of these books have been in circulation for years and years. Why do parents want them banned . Well, we find ourselves, first of all, its great to see you, alex. We find ourselves in a moment of retrenchment. There are forces in our country that are really in a state of panic about losing, in some ways, the kind of cultural, you know, bearing, their cultural bearing, and so one of the reflections of that sense of panic is this attempt to police and censor what our children are exposed to, and at the heart of it, at the heart of all of this, of course, is this idea that america must remain culturally and politically a white nation in the vein of old europe. Well, thats disturbing. What about the difference if you can explain, between Banning Books and then just taking them off the reading list and thereby the implications for longstanding policies against censorship. Yeah, so, the difference, of course, between removing texts from lists could very well be, you know, the language. It could very well be a choice with regards to the curriculum as curricula evolve, but Banning Books is a very different, different procedure. Its actually trying, alex, to dictate what we read and how we read, and when we read. And whats interesting about this, particularly with regards to our children, the world is morally and ethically complex. It has it is fraught with all sorts of differences, with all sorts of challenges to how we make sense of it. If were not equipped in some ways, by way of reading, to manage that complexity, we will fall into a kind of narrowness in our response. We will fall back on our prejudices, on all those things we already know and in some ways, we will make that world more dangerous than a better place. Im curious the impact, how you see it. What happens when books have been outlawed . What kind of impact does that have on students in terms of the information that will then not be readily available to them and then how much should parents have a say in what information their children are exposed to . Look, we should make a distinction between provincialism and parochialism. We often read those two as the same thing, as synonyms but theyre not provincialism could be just the circumstances of ones living, i happy to be raised in a small town in rural montana, which limits what im exposed to. Parochialism is different. It is a choice to be narrow. It is a decision to block from view the complexity of the world and narrow ones sphere of concern, so when we refuse to expose our children to certain literatures, were choosing narrowness. Were choosing a kind of parochialism that provides a kind of false comfort, a false sense of safety, an illusion, a fantasy about how we should understand ourselves, and parents should know better. We want to equip our children, i think, with the means to be decent people. You hear me, alex . We have to equip our children with the means to be decent human beings, and if were not open to difference, if were not open to difference, we actually cultivate the capacity to be other, you know, to be meanspirited, to not be concerned about that which we do not know anything about. Its a very dangerous, dangerous impulse. Ill tell you, though, but speaking to a parent of two kids, youre exactly preaching to the congregation, and the way ive tried to raise my kids with an openmindedness and let them understand anything from religions to different race history to everything and its just it makes them better suited to go out into the world and understand the people with whom theyre going to work and live and associate, and its hard to understand why someone wouldnt want to give that gift to their kids. But when my often, my last question to you, and that is, sometimes this kind of thing can backfire. Maus, the book that was banned in tennessee, it goes and tops the charts. What about the opposite effect of bans . And you know, hey, having kids that are teenagers and going through that phase, how much control do parents even have on content, particularly given the internet these days, right . To what teenagers will consume. Yeah. Particularly the internet. Of course there would be opposing forces. The fact that maus has become a bestseller again is a good thing, but we have to be mindful that the work is still happening, that people are trying to narrow the sphere of moral concern of our children. It makes sense that this is happening in a moment where were trying to roll back voting rights. It makes sense this is happening in a moment where theres this talk about 1619 and 1776, talk about, quote, unquote, critical race theory. We are at a crossroads. We have to decide what kind of country we will be, and lets be clear, alex. Weve been here before. Think about mccarthyism. Think about former slaves had to engage in illegal activity while they were slaves just to read. The danger of literacy. And its relationship to freedom. We have to be mindful of what these forces represent. And they represent an antidemocratic sensibility that we must respond to in kind. What i say to all this is your students at Princeton University are so lucky to have you teaching them and im lucky to have you come on our broadcast and share your thoughts, eddie glaude, jr. The next step in Vaccination Efforts in the u. S. , what parents are saying as children under the age of 5 may soon be approved for the covid19 shot. E approvedor f the covid19 shot i dont just play someone brainy on tv im an actual neuroscientist. And i love the Science Behind neuriva plus. Unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of Brain Performance. More Brain Performance . Yes, please neuriva. Think bigger. This is a gamechanger, who dares to be fearless even when her bladder leaks. Our softest, smoothest fabric keeping her comfortable, protected, and undeniably sleek. Depend. The only thing stronger than us, is you. Deon, hand it over. Now how does that make you feel . Like a part of me is missing. Gabrielle . This old spice fiji hand and body lotion has me smoother than ever. Thats what it does. Right now, a protest is under way here in new york city in response to the Fatal Police Shooting of emir locke in minneapolis. This is one of several protests after Police Released Body Camera Footage of the shooting. Meagan fitzgerald has more on this developing story for us. So, what are we hearing from protesters today . Reporter well, alex, as you mentioned, we are seeing these demonstrations from new york to minneapolis. We know right now, folks are gathering in times square. Later today, were expecting another protest in minneapolis. Last night, we saw a caravan of protesters driving through the streets of minneapolis, honking their horns. These folks are frustrated. They are angry that another black person has been killed at the hands of police. I want you to listen to the sentiment of some of these protesters. I know personally, for myself, it definitely makes me angry seeing another black body killed, you know . Just and discarded. So, i feel like the noknock warrants, that needs to be a function, that needs to go away. And that young man wasnt even a target of that warrant, and yeah, if even myself, i have firearms at home, and you know, if Somebody Knocks on my door, whether they identify themselves as police or not, you know, im going to have a spooked response, so like, i really think the approach on policing definitely needs to change. Reporter that young man was 22yearold amir locke. Now, i want to get to that video and talk about it. Before i do, though, a warning here that it is disturbing. What we know is that Police Issued executed this noknock warrant wednesday morning just before 7 00 a. M. They entered. They announced that they were police. According to lockes parents, he was asleep on the couch. Police you can see him in that video underneath a blanket and thats when he sort of twists, and police say as soon as they saw a gun, thats when they opened fire. The interim police chief in minneapolis saying that it was a splitsecond decision. We are now getting some more context from his parents who say, look, first of all, we know he wasnt even listed on this warrant, but also, that he was licensed to carry a gun. He doesnt have a criminal record. Hes a good kid who had dreams, and now hes died and his parents are saying they are fighting for justice. They want to make sure on a federal level that noknock warrants go away so situations like this dont occur and also important to note that the mayor of minneapolis issuing a moratorium on noknock warrants because he too is saying that he doesnt want to see a situation like this happening again as they try and figure out next steps. We should never see a situation like this happening again but im glad theyre working on it. Meagan fitzgerald, thank you so much. Tomorrow on politics nation, Reverend Al Sharpton will speak with the parents of amir locke and talk with civil rights attorney benjamin crump, 5 00 p. M. Eastern on msnbc. Brian flores and his fight with the nfl coming up next, some new takes on his Class Action Lawsuit and what will happen to his Job Prospects when this is all over. T will happen to his Job Prospects when happen to his Job Prospects when this is all over wife hi, honey man like what . burke well, youd get a discount for insuring your jet skis. And boat. Rv. Life. Home and more. You could save up to fortyfive percent. man thats a whole lot of discounts. burke well, we offer coverage for a whole lot of things, and you could save a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. kid sup, dad burke seventeencar garage you got there . We are farmers bumpadum, bumbumbumbum subways new roast beef footlong has so much new, like Hearty Multigrain bread and usda choice angus roast beef. For indepth analysis lets go to marshawn lynch. What . Man, you just ate the product shot save big. Order through the app. With voltaren arthritis pain gel. Save big. My husbands got his moves back. An alternative to pills, voltaren is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel for powerful arthritis pain relief. Voltaren, the joy of movement. What happens when we Welcome Change . We can transform our workforce overnight out of convenience, or necessity. We can explore uncharted waters, and not only make new discoveries, but get there faster, with better outcomes. With app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps Companies Navigate change meeting them where they are, and getting them where they want to be. Faster. Vmware. Welcome change. The nfl is under scrutiny this weekend after being hit with an explosive lawsuit. Former Miami Dolphins head coach brian flores is suing the league and three of its teams, alleging Racial Discrimination. Flores claims he was mistakenly sent a text from new England Patriots coach Bill Belichick congratulating him on the New York Giants head coaching job before flores was scheduled to interview for it. Now, that text was meant for another brian interviewing for the job, which brian dable ultimately got. Flores claims he was only interviewed to satisfy the rooney rule, which is a League Policy that requires teams to interview minority candidates. He also alleges that in 2019, before getting the dolphins job, the Denver Broncos never considered him a legitimate candidate for the job while being interviewed. Also within the lawsuit is a claim that shortly after he was hired in 2019, Dolphins Owner steven ross allegedly offered flores 100,000 for every loss that season. Flores was fired from the dolphins despite two winning seasons in a row. Now, the nfl denies his allegations and says they will fight this lawsuit. The dolphins, giants, and broncos also pushing back, releasing statements vehemently denying the allegations. Well, joining me now is hugh jackson, an 18year nfl veteran coach, most recently as head coach of the cleveland browns, now head coach at Grambling State University and terrance moore, National Sports columnist for forbes. Com, also author of The Real Hank Aaron an intimate look at the life and legacy of the home run king. That should be a best seller. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me on the broadcast. Terrance, to you first here. Can you take a little deeper into these claims of what flores is calling sham interviews and the Incentivized Tanking . What could he allege that can prove Racial Discrimination . Well, a lot. And alex, let me begin with this. And this all starts and ends with the owners, which is why this is really a near impossible situation to solve. What i mean by that is, the owners of the National Football league, the ultimate good old boys. Im old enough to remember the flintstones, like the royal order of buffalos. Thats who these guys are without the funny hats. All white guys except for the jacksonville coach whos pakistanamerican, and you know, it harkens back to something that back in the early 80s, i used to cover the San Francisco giants, the manager back then was frank robinson, the first black manager in the history of baseball. He told me Something Back then that applied not only to baseball but to society. He said that these guys, these owners like to hire guys they feel comfortable having breakfast with and thats whats going on here. The only solution, obviously, is to change ownership, get more blacks in there and good luck with that, because who votes for the owners for the National Football league . The owners. Then the other aspect where you say, theres hope because we have black General Managers now, six in the National Football league out of 32 but thats not any hope. Take two of those black General Managers, one in chicago, one in minnesota, you hired white head coaches and people blamed that on the black General Managers. No, no. That goes back to the owners again. They have final say, so thats what makes all of this very, very difficult. You cant change the ownership, at least not very easily. You make a good point, then. We should say theres only one black head coach in the entire nfl right now, with the steelers, mike tomlin, so let me play for you, terrance, what brian flores told msnbc about his goals with this lawsuit. Lets all listen to that. And at the end of the day, this isnt about me. This is about black and minority coaches, black and minority leaders who dont get an opportunity to showcase their skills, their leadership, their acumen, their intelligence, their abilities and whatever field it is, and in my case, and in the nfls case, as coaches and leaders in this league. We need to change the hearts and minds of the people who make those decisions. So, terrance, just today, the Washington Post obtained this copy of a memo sent my nfl commissioner Roger Goodell telling the leagues 32 teams, the nfls hiring results have been unacceptable for diversity. So, does this indicate that floress lawsuit is impacting the league in a way that he had hoped, i mean, is there any sense around the league that owners will make more diverse hires . I mean, youve got the commissioner saying youve got to do it. Well, i mean, the commissioner has to say that because you have the lawsuit sitting right there. I want to tell you something, and i hate to be the pessimist here, besides the fact that the owners are the best way to solve this, the second best option is to have the owners and the few other blacks who are in position solve this and good luck with that because, you know, you got terry fontal, for instance, wasnt of the six General Managers here in atlanta, for the atlanta falcons, he was asked repeatedly down at the mobile at the senior bowl to comment on the situation, and he was like, i have nothing to do with this. I just want to concentrate on whats going on in the field right now. Then you have a situation in detroit, a Couple Assistant Coaches for the Detroit Lions were asked about this situation, and they both said that, hey, you know, everythings fine with us. And i bring that up because one of the things that brian flores wants in his lawsuit, he wants other people to join him. Thats not going to happen very easily. One other quick thing. Good friend of mine, former nfl player, sent me a text just yesterday, he wants to be a general manager, wants to be a head coach or something. He didnt get anything along those lines and he said that hes not sticking his neck out. So you know, its tough. Hugh, let me quick get to you with the allegation of your own in response to the claim that the Dolphins Owner paid flores 100,000 for every loss in the 2019 season. You tweeted, well, jimmy haslam was happy while we kept losing. A twitter user wrote, jimmy haslam wasnt offering 100,000 per loss or he would be on the forbes list. To which you replied, trust me, it was a good number. The browns said, any accusation that any member of our organization was incentivized to lose games was categorically false. The owner telling the knoxville news sentinel, hugh jackson was never paid to lose games. Thats an absolute falsehood. Are you still suggesting the browns paid you to lose, and if so, can you share anything with us to prove that claim . Yes, what i made very clear is that we came up with a fouryear plan. It was a fouryear plan that was put in place to incentivize the opportunity to not have a team that would have a chance to win, which there was compensation for it. Obviously, there was no, im going to pay you 100,000 to lose. Were going to do that. It was none of that. But if you seen the plan and if you understand just a little football, whereas, in the first two years of the plan, it had no winning, but it the last two years of the plan, in 18 and 19, it has that you needed to win ten games. And to me, that says a lot. Where does your lawsuit stand . Where does my lawsuit stand . I dont have a lawsuit. I went to arbitration. I tried to do the right thing through the league. I brought all this information to the league, used their process, through their constitution and bylaws, went to arbitration. I did not lose arbitration. I was never afforded the right to arbitration, even though it was promised to me through my contract and nfls constitution and bylaws. So, then, what happened . How did it all play out . No lawsuit, you go to arbitration, and what was the end result . Well, i was denied my rights because arbitration because i signed a release agreement. They didnt care about the fraud or the tanking or my complaints of racism. So, they really just said, hey, look, were going to let this go. Youre not going to move on to arbitration. Can i ask you, hue, about your thoughts about the nfls Hiring Practices . I mean, nine Head Coach Openings since the season ended. Five have been filled. None have been filled with a black coach. I mean, is the rooney rule not working . And if its not, then how the league become more inclusive . I think the rooney rule is not working. And i think we all can recognize that. And i think what was said just a second ago, that they want to hire people that look like them, i think thats very true. But i think brian has said something thats very clear, and its the same issue that i had for a minority coach. We just want fairness. We just want an opportunity to compete for the job at a high level, and the best person wins. Sometimes and we want a fair opportunity. I think thats what were all coming from but at some point in time, if we dont take a stand, its never going to change. Im concerned the minority coach is going to be extinct here, especially the chance to be a head coach or the leadership positions. Hue jackson and terence moore, we have just barely scratched the surface on this one. It begs for much more discussion. I hope to have you both back. Thank you, gentlemen. Appreciate your time. Coming up next, 28 names you need to know. Why . Well explain. Names you need to know why . Why . Well explain. Fingersticks can be a real challenge. Thats why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. One. Onesecond scan one. Numbers without fingersticks. Now im managing my diabetes better and ive lowered my a1c from 8. 2 to 6. 7. Take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. Now you know. Try it for free libre. Us i couldve waited to tell my doctor my heart was racing just making spaghetti. But i didnt wait. I couldve delayed telling my doctor i was short of breath just reading a book. But i didnt wait. They told their doctors. And found out they had. Atrial fibrillation. A condition which makes it about five times more likely to have a stroke. If you have one or more of these symptoms irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or lightheadedness, contact your doctor. This is no time to wait. [ ] contact your doctor. If you have diabetes, its important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose. Try boost glucose control®. Its clinically shown to help manage Blood Sugar Levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. Try boost® today. Do i need to pretreat my laundry . Nope with tide pods, you dont need to worry. The pretreaters are built in. Tide pods dissolve even when the water is freezing. Nice if its got to be clean, its got to be tide. Your record label is taking off. But so is your sound engineer. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. Indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. Visit indeed. Com hire it is black History Month and to celebrate, color com, the platform addressing diversity and inclusion across the communications field, is shining a spotlight on 28 black women who are Making History today. And joining me now, Lauren Wesley wilson, founder and ceo of color com. Welcome, lauren, and can i just say im proud to mention because this list includes some of my colleagues here at nbc, Tiffany Cross who precedes me here, sheinelle jones, a weekend anchor and anchors part of the today show. So, im really proud of their accomplishments. But walk us through your choices for this years list and the impact that these women have had. Thank you, alex, for joining me. Every year, it is so hard to narrow it down to 28 women who are Making History this year. So many of the cards that we love and the technology we consume, the brands that we love, theres a marketing and communication strategy behind it, and these women on this list are the ones responsible for why we like certain products, why we know of certain brands, and so that is why we narrowed it down to these 28 extraordinary women who are really making change right now. But its beyond just business. I mean, why, big picture, is it so essential to have these voices represented in communications and in news for these two that i mentioned specifically . Well, theyre reflective of america. We need diversity at the table, diverse way of thinking, diverse way of decision making, diverse voices, lead to a better product, lead to a better news, and its just so important that we bring these voices together and highlight these women and their stories and the impact theyre making. Yeah, im going to have steve, my producer, put back this list again because i think, you know, the i spy with my little eye, i think Yamichec Alcindor is also on this list. Shes underneath the 8. Its remarkable the accomplishments of these women, but heres whats notable. Many on your list, lauren, theyre the first black woman or woman of color to hold their positions. What does that tell you about where we are as a society, big picture . Were moving in a better direction. Jessica is the first black editorinchief of allure magazine. Michelle turner, first host of entertainment tonight, but it showcases that we are here. Oftentimes, Companies Share that they dont know where to find executive women of color to lead their companies, and we push back, and we say, were here, and we are represented, and you need to get to know our stories and you need to do some homework, you need to do some research, and this is why it is so important to bring this list to light. Yeah. So, im curious, when you tell them they have won, whats their reaction . Other than, really . Thats cool. Do they see it as a statement as well . Yeah. I mean, i think it certainly shows their value inside their companies. It really highlights the work and campaigns that they have done, and many of these women are behind the scenes. You mentioned the women who are a little bit more visible, who have shows at nbc, but some of these women are really behind the scenes, doing the work and oftentimes dont get the credit and dont get recognized by their own companies or just the industry as a whole, so this certainly does that and so many of these women have been very excited. We had a social Campaign Going on and we are sharing the stories for 28 days during the 28 days of black History Month, and so join along. Learn about us. Follow us at colorcomm and get to know the work theyre doing and the history theyre making. Totally worth it and im going to add one of my former bosses, a behind the scenes rock star, she was honored by your colorcomm group again, before, so Lauren Wesley wilson, thank you so much for coming and talking with me. Lets have a date next year when you put out the list again. Appreciate it. Oh my gosh, i cant wait. Next year is going to be even harder. Thank you so much, alex. All right, thats going to do it for me on this edition of alex witt reports. My friend, yasmin vossoughian, continues our coverage. Friend, friend, continues our coverage if it works on nfl jerseys itll work for you. Seriously just perfect and itll save up to 150 a year. And its cold so you will turn to cold . Fine ill turn to cold that guy needs to chill out this was a cold call vo for me, one of the best things about life is that we keep moving forward. We discover exciting new technologies. Redefine who we are and how we want to lead our lives. Basically, choose what we want our future to look like. So whats yours going to be . Woman i have moderate to severe Plaque Psoriasis. Now, theres skyrizi. With skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90 clearer skin at 4 months after just two doses. Skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. Nothing is everything. Woman talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. Learn how abbvie could help you save. Good afternoon, everybody, im yasmin vossoughian. A very busy saturday afternoon. Its surprising apology from joe rogan today after racially charged comments from the podcaster surfaced online. Former Vice President mike pence sends shock waves through the Republican Party with a direct attack on his former boss. This is all happening as the Republican Party censures liz cheney and Adam Kinzinger in a statement that called the January 6th Insurrection legitimate political discourse, the latest reaction to both of those major political