Transcripts For MSNBCW American Voices With Alicia Menendez 20210123

Executive actions, orders, and memorandums. 30, in all. Among them, halting funding for trumps border wall. Reversing trumps muslimtravel ban. And orders to start combatting the covid19 and mending the damage it has done to our economy. Including, an expansion to the foodassistance program. Fasttracking stimulus payments to americans. Improving access to unemployment benefits. And giving federal workers a 15 minimum wage. But President Biden cannot do it alone. He will need congress. And while, yes, his party is in control of both chambers, there are signs tonight, the gop is ready to obstruct. All of this, as we learn that on monday, the house will formally send its article of impeachment to the senate. Majority leader Chuck Schumer has now agreed to postpone the trial to february 8th. A sign of good will by schumer, following requests that trumps legal team get more time to prepare. And then, there is this. Late, last night, katie benner, of the new york times, dropped this bombshell. Confirmed by nbc news, revealing trumps 11thhour quest to stay in power. Quote, the Justice Departments top leaders listened in stunned silence, this month. One of their peers, they were told, had devised a plan with president donald j. Trump to oust jeffrey a. Rosen as actingattorney general. The goal. Replace him with jeffrey clark. A doj lawyer, who reportedly told trump he had a plan to cast doubt on the election results, and could put pressure on politicians in georgia to overturn the election. Which is something actingattorney general rosen refused to do. As the reporting lays out, mr. Trumps decision came, only after mr. Rosen and mr. Clark made their competing cases to him, in a bizarre, white house meeting. The two officials, compared with an episode of mr. Trumps reality show, the apprentice. Albeit, one that could prompt a constitutional crisis. Ultimately, trump decided to keep rosen in place. Leader schumer responded just a short time ago. Calling for the Justice Department Inspector General to launch an investigation, with the senateimpeachment trial on the horizon. It is a lot to get to. Joining me now, joyce vance, former u. S. Attorney in the Northern District of alabama. She is also an msnbc contributor. Joyce, good to see you, always. Your reaction to this news that President Trump had a plan to oust jeffrey rosen, as acting ag . This is one of the most serious stories that weve seen about the dimunition of integrity at the Justice Department. And its important, i think, to note that the individual in question, jeffrey clark, in the story that katie benner wrote in the new york times, denied, said that it wasnt true. He also refused to give her any specifics in her reporting about where he found flaws. And as you read this story, there is something that really sticks out to me here and thats the question of how did this communication between this doj official and the president take place . This is the head of the environment and Natural Resources division of the doj. He had become the acting head of the civil division, late during trumps tenure in in late summer. And so, the question is why is he talking to the president . Typically, there are communications rules that protect the independence of the Justice Department by ensuring that only a select few speak directly with the white house. The attorney general. The dag. A couple of people in their orbit. But here, we have someone well out of that line having direct communication. It looks like President Trump or someone on his behalf, likely, picked up the phone and called clark. And instead of doing the right thing and staying, mr. President , i cant talk to you about this. He not only took the call, he went onto cook up this plan with the president. It is very troubling. Joyce, is this news something you could see playing into the upcomingimpeachment trial . The way i view this is that its not really a separate story. This is part of the entire story thats unfolding in front of us. About the president s effort to hang onto power, after losing the election. Trumps effort to steal the election, long after it was clear that he lost it. And so, the way that this reporting ends is it says that justicedepartment officials sort of breathed a sigh of relief. They felt like they had dodged a bullet, here. And then, they heard the news that the capitol had been breached. And so, we see a president who moves on from one effort to overturn the result of the election, to another. And every time, it gets worse and worse. We go from the threats in georgia, to the effort to to use the Justice Department to achieve this end. And ultimately, we end up with a mob in the capitol building. Well, joyce, i mean, to add to that sigh of relief you just referenced. One of the reasons trump never went through with this plan was that dojsenior leaders said they would quit, en masse, if he did. I dont find that particularly surprising. I dont think we should be at a place where we find that particularly surprising. I wonder, though, what you make of that ultimatum . You know, the ultimatum is something that i think we owe to the voters because this is a Justice Department where the Senior Leadership really didnt stand up to some of the worst decisions that were made. No one stood up, when Jeff Sessions implemented family separation. Instead, doj followed that policy and implemented that policy. Senior leaders could have stood up, then, and threatened to resign. They did not. And so, along the line, for instance, when attorney general barr misrepresented, to the American People, the contents of the mueller report. Thats another point in time, where you would expect people of integrity to stand up and resign, to refuse to be a part of it. So, i think its telling that its only after the American People have spoken in the election. And repudiated President Trump that, finally, the people who are left at the Justice Department find the ability to stand up. But honestly, we should be thankful to them because they did spare the country from really unspeakable trauma in the closing days of this presidency. Joyce, Senate Majority leader schumer calling on the Justice Departments Inspector General to investigate. Can you give us a sense of the questions that that investigation would look at . And what kind of punishment it could result in . So, part of the Inspector Generals job is to undertake criminal investigations. And the Inspector General has that capacity, has investigators who understand how to do criminal investigations. And can make referrals to a u. S. Attorneys office or other entity for prosecution, if they find evidence. Thats the most serious part of Inspector General horowitzs work. We dont know if this would, for one thing, if he will accept the invitation to investigate. One suspects that he will. If so, will it be criminal . Will it be an internal investigation . Into misconduct. Itll take a while, for us to know that. Inspector generals dont move really quickly. But in this case, it is really incumbent upon horowitz to go ahead and get to the truth. Joyce vance, as always, thank you for your time. And in just a few minutes, on american voices, houseimpeachment manager, congressman Joaquin Castro joins me to discuss the plan for Trumps Senate trial. But the Biden Administration has been crystal clear. Combatting covid is their top priority. And on day one, they quickly found out just how big a lift thats going to be. Virtually, starting from scratch, especially when it comes to Vaccine Distribution. As a source with direct knowledge of the administrations covid19 work says team biden arrived at the white house to find a complete lack of strategy. Joining me now, dr. Celine gounder, Infectious Disease specialist and epidemiologist at bellevue hospital. She served as an adviser to the biden transition. Doctor, i am so happy to talk to you because as a member of the president s advisory board, you were among some of the first people who really got a chance to peek under the hood during transition. Can you just help us understand specifics . I mean, how far behind were you . And what are the areas of greatest concern . Alicia, the Biden Administration is inheriting a black box, when it comes to Vaccine Distribution. So, you have vaccines that are coming off the manufacturing line. You have some that are in pharmaceuticalcompany warehouses. You have some of those, that have been allocated which, essentially, means assigned to certain states but havent been shipped out, yet. You have others that have arrived in the states. And then, some of those have been distributed to facilities. But we dont have good transparency. A good handle on where those doses are, along that entire chain. How many are where . And this is part of the reason its been so difficult for facilities, for providers, to schedule appointments, because theyre not quite sure, always, what they have on hand and what is coming. You have states, like new york, california, others, reporting vaccine and supply shortages. Which are forcing them, as you said, to cancel these appointments. I think its really hard to wrap your mind, doctor, around all of this. Can you just walk us through what is behind these shortages . And how long its going to how long we should expect, before we have more supplies . Well, weve known for some time that were not going to have enough vaccine for all, 330 million americans, on day one. So, it is going to take time. I think, the real issue here, the real challenge, is how do you match supply with appointments . So that, people are not disappointed when they go in and then, you know, they dont have vaccination there or their appointment is cancelled. So, thats the real challenge we are contending with right now. I want you to take a listen what dr. Fauci said about his experience dealing with this administration, versus the last one. Take a listen. I can tell you, i take no pleasure, at all, in being in a situation of contradicting the president. So, it was really something that you didnt feel that you could actually say something, and there wouldnt be any repercussions about it. The idea that you can get up here, and talk about what you know, what the evidence, what the science is. And know, thats it, let the science speak. It is somewhat of a liberating feeling. What will it look like to have this effort led by science . If there is anything that i would call the biden brand, its to follow the science. And so, you are going to see people, like dr. Tony fauci, dr. Rochelle, the new director of the cdc, dr. Murphy, and others, who are true scientists and doctors, who really understand where things are. What we know and what we dont know. And you are going to be getting daily, weekly briefings from the scientists and government. And thats really whats going to guide the new administrations policy, as well. President biden pledged to vaccinate 100 Million People in the first 100 days. You have this whole back and forth, over whether that is ambitious enough. I am not interested in that question. I am interested in understanding what it is going to take for us to get to the other side of this. Well, part of its supply. And we do anticipate talking to the manufacturers that supply will ramp up over the coming months. But thats not the only bottleneck. As i described, distribution continues to be challenging. And then, you also have questions of demand. So, it thats really in the form of, are people wanting to get vaccinated . Right. What we are seeing is, already, as some people are getting vaccinated, their family, their friends, are seeing that it has been safe and effective. And are coming onboard. All right, dr. Gounder, thank you so much for your time tonight. Still to come. The biden agenda. How can he keep his Campaign Promises with a razorthin majority . And how will the former president s secondimpeachment trial factor in . Houseimpeachment manager, congressman Joaquin Castro, will join me. And later, the dismantling of alternate reality. Without qanon, where could conspiracy theories spread next . That is all ahead, on american voices. L ahead, on american voices. What are you doing . Art class. Its abstract expressionism. When you start with a better hot dog from oscar mayer, you can do no wrong. 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Our planet has reached its own doordie moment because of climate change. And our immigration system remains broken. Well, biden has plans to fix it all. But the question, tonight, will congress, especially republicans, hold him back . Joining me now, associate professor of Political Science at fordham university. And white house reporter, jonathan lemire, who is also an msnbc political analyst. Good to see you both. I want to start with you, jonathan. You write for the ap. Biden has made clear steering the nation through the pandemic will be his signature task. And some republicans believe that trumps implosion could create an opening to work across the aisle, on a relief deal. That is the closest thing, jonathan, that i have heard to a path forward. Can you tell me more . Well, certainly, the new president has made clear the enormity of the challenges. This historic confluence of crises that he and the nation face. And you just outlined a number of them. And he has tried, this week, to really, with a sharp break from his predecessor, both, in terms of style and substance. Some of its rather symbolic. We saw him wearing a mask as he signed his first batch of executive orders at the resolute desk. And, of course, these actions, themselves, ranging from immigration to the economy and, of course, the pandemic, itself. But these are small things. They know that. And the 1. 9 trillion covidrelief bill is where they are pouring all of their energy. There is a sense that there could be some republicans, the romneys, murkowskis, collins, who might be willing to to to work with them. To signal a deal could be reached. And the white house is is is still hopeful of that. The president is spending this weekend, is going to spend early, next week, he and his team, reaching across the aisle. Lobbying lawmakers to try to make this sort of deal. But they recognize the republicans may not want to play ball. And certainly, senateminority leader now, mcconnell, has signalled they are not republicans are not just going to be a rubberstamp for the democratic agenda which is why the biden team has not ruled out Senate Majority leader schumer to basically do this without republicans help. Christina, i want you to take a listen to what president obama said about the filibuster a few months back during his eulogy for john lewis. You want to honor john . Lets honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for. Once we pass the john lewis votingrights act, we should keep marching. And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another jimcrow relic, in order to secure the godgiven rights of every american, then thats what we should do. Christina, that clip is making the rounds, again. Because there is a lot of talk about the filibuster. And i think it is a really tough concept, right, if you are not a technocrat, to sort of wrap your mind around. So, can you explain how the filibuster is a jimcrow relic, as you have president obama saying there. And why so Many Democrats think it should go, and why it is such a hot topic in this moment. Well, its a hot topic in this moment, alicia, because the democrats only have two years, realistically, of unified government. And then, they will possibly lose the house, and or the senate. So, we know there will be gridlock, divided government. We will have a democratic president and a republican congress, and very little legislation will get through. Very first time i ever learned about the filibuster was learning about strom thurmond, the senator from south carolina, who i believe is on record now for the secondlongest filibuster. But he spoke for over 24 hours against a civilrights act that was that was on the floor. And so, in many ways, republican senators have been able to use the filibuster to block legislation that could go through. Oftentimes, that legislation progresses the nation in many, very substantive ways. And so, as we saw, just a few months ago, the john lewis Voting Rights act was passed in the house. But then, stalled in the senate. And so, we know that we must get certain things done, in a very limited time period. Before the divided government comes. I am somewhat hopeful that joe biden will sort of flex his muscle, a, because hes been listening and observing and has wanted this for quite some time. But we have to remember when he and barack obama came to power together in 2009, they had a limited amount of time to essentially save the American Economy from falling off of a cliff. Dragging the rest of the world there. Joe biden is now faced with the similar scenario and, added to it, is the covid crisis. Added to it, is a civil rights, i would say, a boiling point, immigrationboiling point, and all the other policy issues that you listed. And so, he needs to be able to have that. Its not necessarily a unilateral power but this flexibility within congress to actually push through some legislation that is really imperative to get this country back on track. Christina, thank you for laying that out so clearly. Jonathan, i had christina do that because this is all part of a dynamic that is at play between majorityleader schumer and mitch mcconnell. They are trying to cut this deal to determine how to govern the split senate. Mcconnell, reportedly, refusing to cut such a deal, without a commitment to protect the filibuster. Can you give us some insights, from your reporting, into how that is all playing out . Well, certainly, its not a hopeful sign for bipartisanship. And the white house is watching that, carefully. Youre right. The republicans, now in the minority. And lets be clear, its a very slim minority. In fact, its 5050. It would just be Vice President harris breaking the tie or or wanting to they are trying to enshrine the and protect the filibuster for these next two years. And they are refusing to set up this agreement with the democrats, until they do. And i think that this is a moment, here, of some reckoning. And we shouldnt lose sight, of course, of the other thing the senate is going to be on the senates plate right now. They, of course, this big covid deal, which is what the white house wants them to focus on. The white house also wants them to continue to confirm joe bidens cabinet appointees. At the end of bidens first week in office, they have only had two, so far, been confirmed. And now, then, of course, there is the trial, the impeachment trial of former President Trump. Now, the white house was pleased that got pushed back two weeks because they believe that that allows them two weeks for the senate to focus on these confirmations. And the covid deal. But that trial is going to is also going is going to shadow a lot of the proceedings here and its a moment where we may see some republicans. They are going to have internal reckoning and there may be some splintering here. Some republicans have signalled they would be willing to convict. And a lot of eyes are, of course, on mitch mcconnell. Whether he would. And he has renounced what President Trump has done, of course, he did so in the 11th hour, after allowing President Trump to propagate the baseless claims, the election fraud, for nearly a month before recognizing joe bidens victory. So lets not give mcconnell too much credit. But if he does vote to convict as a move to sort of rid the party of donald trump, other republicans may follow suit. But the question, will 17 . What is right now a very messy, very tense situation in the senate. Christina, jonathan, thank you both. Next. Trump on trial, again. When will it happen . What will it look like . As promised, houseimpeachment manager, congressman Joaquin Castro, joins me ahead. And later, the gop. Will it remain the party of trump . Are they ready to hold themselves accountable . More american voices, next. More american voices, next etia keeps me moving forward. Even after paying for this. Love you, sweetheart. They guide me with achievable steps that give me confidence. This is my granddaughter. Shes cute like her grandpa. Voya doesnt just help me get to retirement. Theyre with me all the way through it. Come on, grandpa later. Got grandpa things to do. Aw, grandpas are the best well planned. Well invested. Well protected. Voya. Be confident to and through retirement. Pick up like a pro. Just order on the subway app and its ready to go with contactless curbside. Turkey sub in a hot tub now get 15 off any footlong when you order in the app. Research shows people remember commercials with nostalgia. 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But healing and unity will only come, if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide. We have a date. February 8th is when the senates going to begin the second impeachment trial of donald j. Trump. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell agreed to give trumps legal team more time to prep its defense and they will need it. Fueled by his fight against the election. You know, the one he lost. And now, we have new reports that trump, and a justicedepartment lawyer, were plotting to oust actingattorney general, jeffrey rosen. And replace him with lawyer, jeffrey clark. This was first reported by the new york times, and confirmed by nbc news. According to the reporting, trump wanted a loyalist in place, as he attempted to overturn the results in georgia. The times reports doj officials vowed to resign, if rosen was dismissed, and persuaded trump from firing him. But only, after rosen and clark presented their competing cases, like an episode of the apprentice. Schumer now calling for the Justice Department Inspector General to launch an investigation into this attempted sedition. Joining me now, impeachment manager, Joaquin Castro. Congressman, good to see you. First, i went to get your reaction to this reporting about what happened at the doj with trump and attorney jeffrey clark. Yeah. I just saw that report, also. And its appalling, that donald trump would go that far and work in cahoots with somebody at the Justice Department. To basically, overturn the election. And, you know, every day, more information is coming out about Donald Trumps role, not only in inciting the riot but, with the purpose of trying to overturn the november election. Yeah. Congressman, based on what you understand about this new reporting, do you think it becomes a part of your case against trump in the senate trial . Well, were preparing, now, and we are putting all the pieces of evidence together to show that the president , again, incited a deadly insurrection. Once it was going on, did nothing, at least for hours, to try to stop it. And also, did it with the purpose of overturning the election. So, without speaking to any particular piece of evidence, you can imagine that all the pieces of evidence that go and prove that case, we will be focused on. In your house vote to impeach trump, you called him, quote, the most dangerous man to ever occupy the oval office. As an impeachment manager, what is the strategy for getting republicans to convict trump and prevent him from ever holding office, again . Well, we are trying to go and convince all hundred senators that they need to do a few things. Number one, they need to show that there is a consequence, not only for President Trump, as he was at the time but, for any, future president that tries to incite an insurrection. An attempted coup of the United States government. That they cant just do it in their last few weeks of office, run out the clock, and feel like they got a freebie. If thats the precedent that we set in these times, then you can rest assured that a future president , whether its ten years from now or a hundred years from now, will try that again. And so, what were asking for is for every senator, regardless of their party, regardless of where they come from, to put country over person, over donald trump, and also, over party. Over the republican or democratic parties. Heres one of your fellow impeachment managers, congressman eric swalwell, on witnesses. Take a listen. If the senate allows witnesses, we will be ready with witnesses because it is so obvious, you know, who the witnesses are. And its not only the people who had knowledge of what the president knew. The American People saw the Police Officers who were beaten and spit on, and stampeded. 50 of them, injured. Almost 20 of them hospitalized. One of them, killed. The cafeteria workers, who ran for their lives, as well. There is a lot of witnesses. Congressman, can you give us a sense of where you are on witnesses . Yeah. Its part of the evidence weve been collecting. Along with video and documentary evidence. [ inaudible ]. Congressman, i believe that i have lost your audio. Lets see if we can get it back, because i do have another question for you. No, were not going to get it back. All right. Congressman castro, as always, thank you so much for your time. Next, President Biden targets extremism. And you will hear what has been going on in qanon world since inauguration. Later, dismantling the trump legacy. Ahead on american voices. Legay ahead on american voices. Many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. A majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Heres your a1c. Oh my a1c is under 7 announcer and you may lose weight. 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Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. Some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Onceweekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® you may pay as little as 25 for a 1month or 3month prescription. Ask your Health Care Provider today about onceweekly ozempic®. Woman i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Now, theres skyrizi. Things are getting clearer yeah i feel free to bare my skin, yeah, thats all me nothing and me go hand in hand nothing on my skin, thats my new plan nothing is everything woman keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. With skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90 clearer skin at 4 months. Of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. And skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. I see nothing in a different way and its my moment so i just gotta say nothing is everything 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 now is the time to ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. Back with us, Democratic Texas congressman and impeachment manager, Joaquin Castro, who in addition to managing this impeachment is also clearly his own i. T. Guy. Before break, i was asking you about where we are with witnesses, if you could give us a sense of where that is. Yeah, you know, as eric mentioned. Were still [ inaudible ]. All right. Congressman, you and i are going to try this again, tomorrow. Maybe, another day. Thank you so much for giving it a shot. All right. Well, this week, joe biden became the first president to explicitly condemn White Supremacy at an inaugural address. And in doing so, took aim at the very vessel that helped fuel americas recent resurgence. Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies, told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and a responsibility, as citizens, as americans, and especially, as leaders. Leaders, who pledged to honor our constitution and protect our nation. To defend the truth, and defeat the lies. For some republicans, that call to action sounded like a personal attack. If you read his speech and listen to it, carefully, much of it is thinly veiled innuendo, calling us White Supremacists. Calling us racist. Calling us every name in the book. Calling us people who dont tell the truth. That was an attempt to, basically, say, if you are not for me, youre part of the group thats, you know, racist and nativist and fearmongering, which i didnt think was a good note to strike. President biden charging ahead with a threepart plan to combat domestic terrorism beginning with a comprehensivethreat assessment from the fbi and department of Homeland Security. Ben collins. Ben, the Qanon Movement expected mass arrests on inauguration day. How are they reacting, both to that prophecy not coming true, and biden actually becoming president . You know, the movements in tatters, right now. They are trying to find a narrative that makes sense, themselves. That doesnt mean they are not going to find one, by the way. They are trying, very hard, to find something that makes sense in their universe for this sort of thing. But the, you know, the issue is they are finding answers in bad places. They are finding answers from White Supremacists, who are recruiting them, explicitly, on the internet. These are not, you know, kindofWhite Supremacists, these are fullon White Supremacists explicitly recruiting qanon people. And they know they dont have answers right now. Some of these extremists have already turned on trump. Such as the proud boys taunting the former president as weak. So, who are they likely to follow next, assuming they continue to stay in this orbit . There will be a mantle to pick up here. You know, this is a this is a movement that sort of needs a tip of the spear to push, you know, specifictalking points. Specific messages. They need real boogiemen on a daytoday basis. Thats what moves these movements forward, generally, and that they have dates they can look forward to. They have specific people they can try to oust, either in congress, or just generally out there. You know, january 6th was a last stand because it was, in fact, the last stand. You know, they these people were planning, for months, to get this thing all sorted out. Like, the like militias and qanon people. They were all together, in these forums, saying we are coming together on the 6th. They need these sort of dates. Right now, there is no person out there giving them that sort of rallying cry. They are not giving them that centralized message and without it, they are less organized. Ben, biden isnt the only democrat calling for a crackdown. Stephanie murphy of florida has drafted a bill to prevent stop the steal and qanon believers from getting federalsecurity clearance. I wonder, then, what would that mean for the conspiracy theorists that are already in congress . Do you have a sense of that . You know, its a really good question. You know, Marjorie Taylor green is a fullon conspiracy theorist. Its hard to know what that means for them. And you know, i think its important to step back and look at qanon here as a larger sickness in a media diet. Its not just believing in this one, horrific thing. This one idea. That, you know, that democrats are all going to get rounded up one day. It is that but its also an off ramp to all these other extremist notions. The only thing you have to believe, at the end of the day, is that democrats are satanists and they need to be stopped. And thats the scary thing. And that doesnt end, just because one of their judgment days past. You know, it just takes a breather. Its going to find new extremists to latch onto. Ben, something that you and our colleague always go back to is the fact that all of this is has played out in the wake of this pandemic. Both, the isolation, the social isolation that people have experienced. The economic strife that people have experienced. Sort of, created circumstances, under which this has spread more quickly. As the pandemic begins to get under control. As the economic fallout begins to be reckoned with, how does that play into these broader movements . Well, the best truth serum, in this situation, is community and reallife contact with people. You know, were were talking to people right now who are sort of weaning themselves off of qanon. And the best way to do it is people in their lives who are reaching out to them, and bringing them back in. And that will happen, more and more, as the pandemic goes on. These people are addicted to instagram or addicted to lies on facebook because it gives them something to do. You know, and you cant blame them. If these people have lost jobs or they feel hopeless in the last year, you can blame them for going down these horrific paths. But you cant blame them for trying to find something on social media to pass the time. They just happened to find the absoluteworst lies available with antisemitic and racist undertones. So, thats thats the hopeful part of this is that when the world opens back up. Let me ask you that about, instead of looking it as the individuals, looking at it as these social media companies. Dozens of House Democrats accusing facebook, twitter, youtube, of enabling extremists. What changes are they demanding . Well, they the big thing here is the recommendations algorithm. Right . I dont think people want this all the way off the internet. Its a speech issue, and all this stuff. But, you know, you shouldnt be able to go in two clicks, from like a gun forum or something a regular person might participate in. A religious forum or a wellness forum. To fullon extremism. And that was happening on facebook and youtube, until this last year. They may have ramped it down a little bit. So, you know, thats what they want to find out. They want to be able to make it so people dont accidentally radicalize themselves, without even making a decision. All right, ben, thank you so much for your time. Next, confirming team biden. The team taking shape. What you may have missed this week. Later, gop soul searching. Now is the time republicans must decide if they remain the party of trump. Rump 150k. How are you, son . Whos your friend . Oh, um, this is erik. Oh, the big e. [ chuckles ] great to meet you. People love my nicknames. Its a whole thing. Thats wonderful, sir. Switch to progressive and you can save hundreds. You know, like the sign says. With oscar mayer deli fresh its not just a sandwich, far from it. Its a reason to come together. Its a taste of something good. A taste we all could use right now. So lets make the most of it. And make every sandwich count. With oscar mayer deli fresh judith at Fisher Investments, we do things differently and other Money Managers dont understand why. And make every sandwich count. money manager because our way works great for us judith but not for your clients. Thats why were a fiduciary, obligated to put clients first. money manager so, what do you provide . 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Haines vows she will focus, only, on the facts to protect the homeland. Do you commit to publishing analytic products, in the president s daily brief, even if those products do not match the views or the policy positions of this Incoming Administration . I do, absolutely, senator, and thank you for the question. I think, frankly, its that. Ive seen that in the past. Its fundamental its what the president elect i believe will expect from us. He will want to know what information we have that actually conflicts with his policy positions. Meet retired fourstar general, lloyd austin, your new secretary of defense. He spent four decades in the army and required a Congressional Army to lead the pentagon. Hes used to being the first, the first africanamerican Central Commander tasked with overseeing military operations in the middle east under president obama. He says he will address and combat Sexual Assault across Americas Armed forces. I take the issue of Sexual Assault seriously and personally. And to your point, senator, i think we put a lot of effort into this and im grateful for all of the effort that you have personally put into this and this committee has put into this, but we have not gotten better and we have to get better and we will get better. We have to go after the culture, we have to go after the climate. This is a leadership issue. Its a readiness issue and it starts from the top and we got to work from the bottom as well. And next week we expect to see more of bidens cabinet take shape. Set for confirmation votes, as soon as monday, if confirmed, janet yellen will be the first person to hold the trifecta of finance rolls, she served as chair of the federal reserve. Mr. Navalny is a voice i think for millions and millions and millions of russians and their voice needs to be heard in russia and the attempts to silence that voice by silencing mr. Navalny is something that we strongly condemn and weve spoken to it. And will continue to do so. Also ahead next week, a senate vote to confirm bidens nominee of secretary of transportation. You may know him as mayor pete. Im probably the only second biggest Passenger Rail enthusiast in this particular administration. I enjoy long train trips as well as short ones and i think that americans ought to be able to enjoy the highest standard of Passenger Rail service. One unknown as of tonight, if bidens nominee to lead Homeland Security will be continued to be delayed in committee because republicans feel he hasnt adequately explained how he will enforce laws at the border. Well dig more into that in the next hour of american voices. But first the undoing. President biden signing a slew of executive orders that unravel some of trumps legacy. 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Hey look, i found the tent get xfinity home with no Term Contract required. Click or call today. As many cities deal with Covid Vaccine shortages and distribution problems, in dallas texas the fight is over a plan to prioritize vaccines for those living in the countys most vulnerable areas. Dallas county scrapped the plan after the state threatened to reduce the allocation. Its bringing up concern about quity and who should decide all of this. Miguel almaguer has the story. Reporter after texas became the first state to administer 1 million vaccines, a plan to prioritize residents in several underserved minority dallas neighborhoods has hit a roadblock, the state saying in a letter the plan for Vaccine Equity actually want equitable at all. While we asked providers to ensure vaccine reaches the hardest hit area, sole live vaccine nating people who live in those areas are not in line with the agreement. In is where it had been helpful if the cdc had built into their category some sort of prioritization with communities of colors. Reporter with minority communities at highest risk for covid, in every one black americans are significantly underrepresented. In pennsylvania, for example, 1. 2 of white residents have been vaccinated compared with 0. 3 of black residents. So weve got to get everyone, including people who doesnt have access to the internet or who are, you know, who are home bound these vaccines. The u. S. Is still struggling to ramp up production and distribution. But they hope by the end of the summer everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be. Reporter it didnt arrive in time for this girl who is fighting for her life in a houston hospital. Im praying. Reporter the vaccine that people need most remains out of reach. A new hour, a new era of american politics. The new president now tasked with rolling back a raging pandemic. Tonight the work ahead and bidens road map to getting us back to some sense of normal, a goal made possible by undoing much of Donald Trumps legacy. Including immigration. What we know about team bidens plan to right one of americas greatest wrongs, family separations. Also tonight, was it sedition . New calls for an investigation into Donald Trumps 11th hour actions within the d. O. J. Plus who is the gop . What is the republican these days . And later, how Kamala Harris has redefined what American Leadership looks like. Welcome to american voices. Hello. We begin tonight with breaking news out of texas where the Justice Department announced charges a short time ago against a man they say took part in the january 6th attack on capitol. The feds tonight saying he posted online Death Threats that targeted alexandria ocasiocortez as well as a Police Officers. He faces five charges in all and will face a judge on monday. New demands from Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer for the