He doesnt understand relationships, how to sustain them. Hes leaving us on the sidelines. Its an abdication, really, of the United States position in the world. Landmark ruling. A drug industry giant being held responsible for spreading the Opioid Epidemic. What does it mean for the rest of the industry . We have proven that johnson and johnson built its billion dollar brand out of greed and on the backs of pain and suffering of innocence people. And the leaderboard, conflicting polls raising questions about how solid joe bidens lead really is with elizabeth and Bernie Sanders rounding out the top three. This is just started. This is a marathon. Weve got another how many days . A long, long time before this primary is over. Good day, im Andrea Mitchell. President trump is back in washington dealing with the fallout from his contradictory statements at the g7. Today irans president rouhani is demanding that the u. S. First lift sanctions before talks take place. And china is denying the president s claim that beijing called with hints of a truce in the trade war. Now the stunning news also today from brazil, that its president is rejecting the g 7 offer of 22 million to help fight amazon wildfires. Complaining about the perceived slights from president macron of france while praising donald trump. Joining me now is robert costa, moderator of Washington Week on pbs. Washington post White House Bureau chief phil rutger, White House Correspondent anne vernen and margaret carlson. Great to see all of you. Phil, lets talk first about the president s Foreign Policy challenges. Iran, rouhani saying that sanctions need to be lifted. That would seem to indicate that there are preconditions from both sides despite denials in the past that there wont be talks anytime soon. Do we think there might be some give here . Well, andrea, clearly president macron of france is trying to initiate some talks between the u. S. And iran. This is something that President Trump has been open to for some time dating back to his campaign as long as certain conditions are met. Hes not been clear about what those conditions might be. Its unclear when any sort of rouhani might take place. Of course, the u. N. Will be gathering later in september in new york for the annual General Assembly them. All we know is that President Trump is open to the conversation as long as ki conditions are met. Anne, are there conflicting views within the administration, where does this come together given the fact that the president has no Real NationalSecurity Team with the unified voice . There is a unified voice for sure, both National Security advisor bolton and secretary of state pompeo are well known for being hawks on the iran issue in general and deeply skeptical of negotiation with iran in particular. That hasnt changed the president s view that was expressed as recently as yesterday that at some point the u. S. And iranian leaders are going to have to sit down and have a chat and trump is much more open to doing that really than it appears anybody who works for him is. And you know, of course, you have to have another side that wants to talk to you. Consistently for the last two months, there iranians have rejected that idea, shown zero interest in doing so. But trump may be right that eventually the ground will be ripe for that talk. Then theres brazil and Climate Change. Robert costa, weve seen some tweets from the president and now from brazil, the brazilian president thanking President Trump. Trump saying ive have gotten to know brazils president well. Hes in all respects doing a great job for people. Now a tweet sent back, this is a new way of doing diplomacy. Tha thanks, were having Great Success in fighting fires. Brazil is and will continue to be an example to the world. The Fake News Campaign will not thrive. The u. S. Can always count on brazil. So youve got these two leaders standing against the g7, which tried at a Climate Change meeting, the president didnt attend, to do something, 22 million, perhaps a drop in the bucket for the g7. But trying president is being blamed for, his policies. President trump is chummy with him, but brazils president is dealing with president macron of france and there are high tensions in that relationship. Even accusations of personal slights. Thats preventing some kind of deal between the g7 nation and brazil about some kind of relief for these fires. The g7 nations want to see the environmental standard being applies. That the amazon is being protected, theyre not given money to pour water on a fire but theyre having a process involved. That has to be worked out. You see President Trump out on a limb away from the other g7 nations. Then theres melania and kim jongun. I dont know where to go with this one. Theres what the president had to say lets play what the president had to say and lets weigh in on this surprising now Foreign Policy advisor. Its a country with tremendous potential. I also by the way with respect to north korea. Kim jongun, who i have gotten to know extremely well. First lady has gotten to know kim jongun. I think shed agree with me, hes a man with a country that has tremendous potential. So had to be some clarification of that. None of us had ever seen Melania Trump in hanoi and singapore at the dmz, at any of these meetings with kim jongun. The former spokesperson for the first lady , chief of staff, clai clarified shes an advisor with the president and he had shared these communications with kim jongun. These love letters, actually. Now we know. She shares in his view, that kim jongun is really a great guy. An advisor in all things. It was a gratuitous lie. No one was waiting for him to cite melania for his views on dear leader. It was just pulled out of the blue. Like many things were. You know, he didnt even make up a good excuse for not attending the Climate Change meeting. Chancellor merkel and Prime Minister modi were at the meeting and he said he was meeting with them separately. The g7 can count on our president as always siding with the rogue regime or the nonallied country. Thats what trump is good for. I think now this meeting, they now humor him. No communique because they know they wont get one. Just humorther preside the pres. Hope to get through it t. He didnt say hed rake the amazon forest. So it may just be a Tweet Exchange and will up in smoke. The Stephanie Grisham statement saying the president feels that the first lady knows kim jongun because he shared so much with her. Im paraphrasing. The president has shared so much with us about these letters hes been receiving back and forth. Hes very proud of them. No doubt hes talked about them in private with the first lady. Hes shared the content of those letters and talked about the relationship with her. Its odd he would invoke her in the context in which he did at that News Conference to suggest that she validates his view of kim jongun as a great man and a brilliant leader when she hasnt met him yet. And, in fact, what he didnt mention except to mischaracterize the short range missiles that kim again while they were in france was firing off on a weekly basis practically. And with Prime Minister abe of japan talking about the fact they dont violate any regulations or u. N. Resolutions when they actually do. Abe had to point that out because that is one of the tension points between the u. S. And japan which is not helpful at all. We now have a statement from joe bid biden. Had obviously an important statement from biden as a leader in this democratic field thats been in dispute with a poll. Biden saying that, in fact, there is no more telling metaphor for this administrations abdication of American Global leadership than the empty chair at the g 7 climate meeting. Biden is staking out a Foreign Policy position which hasnt come up very much in this campaign. Robert . You see Vice President biden navigating several different fronts with this statement. Hes trying to nod toward the left wing of the Democratic Party that has put Climate Change at the front of the 2020 debate to say he stands in solidarity with them with an emphasis on that issue. At the same time, he wants to underscore to all democratic voters in this primary race that he is a seasoned hand. He has dealt with these leaders on the world stage. So hes trying to in this time of the summer, somewhat sleepy summer, to reestablish himself as not just a known name but a known name with Foreign Policy experience. Then theres china. China trade. Anne, the president claiming that there was a call from the vice chair, that that came to his trade advisors, presumably to mnuchin, lighthizer, navarro, im not sure to whom this call came. The Chinese Foreign ministry denying theres any such call. Who is telling the truth . We dont know. Thats part of why we dont know a larger question here, the answer to a larger question here. After the g 7, the u. S. And china closer to beginning negotiations on meaningful ground or not . Both the u. S. And china have made somewhat some positive noises in recent days, but the president has also said a lot of things that are contradictory. Sometimes contradicting himself. Its not at all clear that chinas ready to come back and make the concessions that trump is asking china to make, nor is it clear that he got the kind of backing from the other members of the g7 he was hoping for. In fact, he got a couple of very mild raps on the knuckles, including Boris Johnson who made it known in public sitting next to trump that they would prefer trade peace, than trade war. Weve all covered g 7 summits, even g 8 summits in the past. Any of you guys jump in, who is reporting that the president is really serious about having the g 7 in america at the doral . Robert costa, what are you hearing . I have heard from Top White House officials and friends of President Trump that he is serious about having the next g 7 summit at doral, his miami resort. Hes talked through it with aides about how its a site, one of many, thats been presented to him. But he has rallied around it in private conversations. Thats solid reporting on my end. And you know what would be the reaction against that . The emoluments clause . Nearby the mayor or Tourist Commission has heard anything about the g 7 coming to miami. Trump sounded like a huckster, pushing this its near the airport. You can have these things we call bungalows where you can spread out, all your aides can be. Never thinking for a second what about camp david . Isnt that what president s do when they invite foreign leaders to this country . It sounded so unserious. The 2012, the last time the u. S. Hosted the g 8 was at camp david. They try to move them around. Moving it somewhere else might not sense. One i attended in colonial williamsbu williamsburg. The thing that is important in the doral question. When questioned directly yesterday about could the president assure the country hes not attempting to profit by having by being president and by hosting the g 7 his answer was that hes not only going to not make money but that hes already lost money. It wasnt the defense one would have expected to have heard from the president saying thats not why i annes paper has documented hes made 100 million on Holding Events at his properties, trips to his properties, secret service, his sons. Hes made money doing it. And both the former o. G. E. And richard painter says this is a violation of the emoluments clause. We have to leave it there. But my bet is it is going to many there in an Election Year and Vladmir Putin will be there. Thanks to all of you. Turning now to Tropical Storm dorian, churning in the atlantic according to the 11 00 a. M. Advisory from the National Hurricane center, puerto rico is still under a hurricane watch from the storm. Its expected to hit there tomorrow. Dorian could bring dangerous flash flooding to puerto rico. President trump just tweeted moments ago, wow, yet another big storm heading to puerto rico. Will it ever end . Congress proved 92 billion for puerto rico last year an all time record for anywhere. Well bring you the latest updates on the storm as we get them. Coming up, opioid reckoning. Its being called a blockbuster ruling against one drug company at the center of the opioid crisis. What is next for 1,500 other cases across the country. Youre watching Andrea Mitchell reports, stay with us on msnbc. L reports, stay with us on msnbc. T by motley crue truck honks wheels screeching clapping sound of can hitting bag and bowl clapping always there in crunch time. Doprevagen is the number oneild mempharmacistrecommendeding . Memory support brand. You can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. [dog barking] [dog barking] [dog barking] [dog growling] [horn blaring] [cat meows] vo the subaru crosstrek. With starlink remote horn lights. Dog tested. Dog approved. Hey i live on my own now ive got xfinity, because i like to live life in the fast lane. Unlike my parents. You rambling about xfinity again . Youre so cute when you get excited. Anyways. Ive got their app right here, i can troubleshoot. I can schedule a time for them to call me back, its great you have our number programmed in . Ya i dont even know your phone anymore. Excuse me . what . I dont know your phone number. Aw well. He doesnt know our phone number you have our fax number, obviously. Todays xfinity service. Simple. Easy. Awesome. Ill pass. A landmark ruling against big pharma in the deadly opioid crisis. At judge in oklahoma has ordered johnson and johnson to pay more than 500 million for its role in the Opioid Epidemic that resulted in thousands of deaths in oklahoma. The judge accused the company of aggressively marketing powerful painkillers. The ruling falls short of the 17 billion judgment that oklahoma sought. The ruling could set a precedent for thousands of lawsuits that are pend. We have proven that johnson and johnson built its billion dollar brand out of greed and on the backs of pain and suffering of innocent people. Joining me now is joyce vance, former u. S. Attorney and msnbc contributor who oversaw the development of a comprehensive initiative to tackle opioid and heroin addiction during her tenure as u. S. Attorney. Joyce, is this the template for the future to go after these industry giants and hold them responsible for the way they market these products . You know, as a global issue, it will be important for the corporations that made these drugs available to fund the plans that will be necessary Going Forward to end this crisis of opioid addiction. As far as this particular suit goes, oklahoma took a relatively narrow path based on a state law that made it possible to pursue a theory called nuisance. Essentially saying the Company Created a public nuisance with the drugs they made available and that they promoted and now they have to pay to abate that problem. We may not see that same legal theory used, but the evidence that was accumulated by the oklahoma case will be helpful to others as they move forward. Market experts have pointed out that johnson and johnsons stock was way up because the market had already discounted this judgment and had thought it would be a lot higher. I think thats right. This is a very modest judgment. It falls far short of the 17 billion that oklahoma said it would need over the next 20 years to help to deal with opioid addiction. So its a very modest settlement. Important to remember its only in this one case, and johnson and johnson and other companies will face nationwide exposure. There are currently more than 2,0 2,000 parties trying to seek recovery. From your experience in terms of trying to deal with the addictive effects, what do you think is the best strategy, using the courts this way . Public education . You know, how do you get your arms around this crisis . It has to be a multilayered strategy. The problem is were so used to looking at this as a criminal justice program. People in Law Enforcement want to deal with it purely as a matter of prosecution. Then we have people in the private sector who deal with it in their own way. What we really need is for all these groups to come together to deal with it as both the Public Health crisis that it is, and the Law Enforcement issue that it is and have everyone Work Together so that at the same time Law Enforcement is trying to restrict the supply of these drugs. We have Public Health working to deal with the impact and the effects of addition. Theres so much stigma, its often difficult for people to seek treatment. We need to address this problem on all fronts simultaneously. Joyce vance, thank you so much for your expertise on this, as always on everything. Thank you. Coming up, another tragedy in dayton. We talk to mayor nan whaley about a city deal ing with more violence overnight. Only three weeks after the mass shooting that killed nine people in her city. 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And twentysix vitamins and minerals. Were pretty different. Somos muy diferentes. Muy diferentes. vo everyone in your family is different. Thats why verizon now offers more plans to mix and match so everyone gets what they need without paying for things they dont. New plans now starting at 35. The network more people rely on gives you more. The first survivor of alzis out there. Ase and the Alzheimers Association is going to make it happen. But we wont get there without you. Join the fight with the Alzheimers Association. Dayton, ohio, is still reeling from the mass shooting three weeks ago. Today facing another tragedy, the death of two children. Police say it started last night when a suspect stabbed a woman, stole a police car and crashed into several parked cars, killing the children and injuring 11 people. The suspect is in custody. The chaotic night comes weeks after a gunman killed nine people and injured 27 others. Joining me now is the mayor of dayton, ohio, nan whaley who has become a leading voice for reforming gun laws across the coun mayor whaley, youre sorry youre facing another tragedand. You know, i think for us last night it was a senseless car accident. I would not be surprised if the toxicology report shows that this man was on some illegal substance. You know, were certainly feeling our thoughts and prayers to the family who lost the you know, the children that are lost. This kind of just random act is something that, unfortunately, happened the summer were continuing to deal with. Were the children in a parked car or a car that just happened to be at that intersection . Yeah, i think they were just driving i think is what happened. There was no pursuit or anything like that. You know, it was from another jurisdiction. He stole a Police Cruiser from another city and drove into dayton. Dayton police werent able to find him. It was seven minutes after he stole that car as he was barrelling through our downtown. Now, of course, the mass shooting has receded in terms of national conversation, but not in dayton. How are you dealing with that and the aftermath . I know you have been outspoken. Youve written an oped on the 23rd of august about what to do about gun laws. Where do we go next . Sure. Were talking with the governor and the Governor Office about his 17 point plans to change gun laws here in ohio, which were going to push heavily towards. Its not as big of a step as id like but its a step in the right direction considering just a year or two ago we were talking about guns in daycare centers. This is a movement of a much different discussion in ohio which i think were seeing across the country because dayton was the 250th site of a mass shooting just this year. Gun violence is affecting every Single Person in our country. I think people are saying enough is enough. We need commonsense gun legislation. When you joined President Trump when he toured dayton earlier this month, your told him the people in dayton are hungry for action. I know youre a person of action. The president shook your hand and responded youll like what you see. Have you liked what youve seen . Hes backed off on background checks already. No. Im not really surprised. I wrote that down because i wanted to remember what he said im not surprised. I said before i met him and during the time i met him that i dont think he knows what he believes around gun issues. He does that regularly hoping people will forget. He did that in parkland. Hes done that with every single mass tragedy shooting that has got contingenany attention. He is all talk and no action. Youve been working with elected officials. What is your message to the senators, to mitch mcconnell, to the house members. They havent passed a ban against assault weapons. As they return, coming back next week. Theres a very short window for them to tackle this. Right. You know, im happy to be joined with over 260 mayors of bipartisan effort across the country calling on mcconnell to take the vote. All we want is an up or down vote. We believe that the senators will do the right thing on universal background checks and closing some of these loopholes. All mcconnell has to do is take the vote and let the country see where everybody stands. You know, 94 of americans support background checks. In ohio, 87 of people who own guns support background checks. This is something weve never seen i dont think in a long time seen such universal acceptance for yet the folks in washington cant get action on it. I think thats what makes people so frustrated with government in general. When everybody agrees why does it have to be so hard . Somehow in mcconnell in washington, d. C. Thats what they specialize in. You had 25,000 people at a benefit concert over the weekend. The people of ohio are speaking loud and clear. Yes, i mean, ive been amazed by the outpouring of support from not only our community but communities across the state. We have a lot more ties than one would suspect. Everyone that is been through this city has spent a dinner, an evening, a walk through this district. I think thats why its so connected to so many people across the country. We were super grateful for Dave Chappells gift on sunday. Really, to celebrate their city, dave lives about 20 miles from dayton. He actually, the last time i talked to him before the event was in the oregon district. Hes well aware of this area. It meant a lot to the community that he spent the time and spent his generosity for our city. Thank you so much from dayton, ohio, and for everything youre doing across the country with your voice. Thank you. And coming up, we have a possible power shift. Is it democratic race ready for a shakeup . Well talk to a top Biden Campaign official with their pushback against one new poll. Youre watching Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc. Youre watching Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc so you only pay for what you need. Nice. But, uh. Whats up with your. Partner . Not again. Limu thats your reflection. Only pay for what you need. Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty i had a few good tricks to help hide my bladder leak pad. Like the old tunic tug. But always discreet is less bulky. And it really protects. cause it turns liquid to gel. So i have nothing to hide. Always discreet. Could there be trouble for the Democratic Front runner in the race for the white house. A poll shows Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren tied, with joe biden trailing one point behind. Ative shit shows growth for sanders and warren and a drop for the Vice President. Overnight good news for the biden camp, a new morning poll with a much smaller margin of error, 1 , put biden ahead at 33 , with sanders at 20 , warren at 15 . Joining me now to talk about all of this is kate beddenfield, joe bidens Campaign Manager and communications director. Thanks, kate, its good to see you. Nice to see you, too. One thing that occurs is if you put out an ad last week saying hes ahead in all the polls, advertising his lead in the polls then once even one potentially outlying poll goes down its going to get attention. Dont you need to have different rati rationales for the campaign . The polls show hes still in the lead. You mentioned the Morning Consult poll out this morning showing him at 33 which is in line with the real clear politics average, which is 28 . Were talking polls, hes leading in the polls to be clear. The most important thing is the reason why, which is not that voters know his name but that they know him. They know his character. They happen his values. And they know that hes offering plans and ideas that capitalize on the urgency of now. Hes putting forward ways to build on a Progressive Agenda that he fought for and that he and president obama fought for in the white house. So, you know, hes actually the only candidate in this field who has secured the deciding vote on a progressive overhaul of our healthcare system. Joe biden did that. Voters know that about him. It they know, you know, we actually put out a new ad today in iowa, talking about healthcare. Because healthcare is such a defining issue in this campaign. Its something that joe biden feels personally. Hes had experience hes lived the experience that so Many Americans in this country have lived with. The uncertainty and the fear of a health crisis. So, you know, healthcare is personal to him, but obamacare is personal to him. Thats an argument that you see him make every day on the campaign trail. Thats why voters are responding the way they are to him. Now, one of the other farthers in the poll, which may be an outlier, is he was tied with andrew yang in terms of support of younger people. He has consistently had support among older voters, but not younger people. What could he do to appeal more to Younger Voters . Well, first of all, lets be clear the sample size of that poll was 300 people as compared to the Morning Consult poll, which is a sample size of 5,000 people. So lets not put too much faith in one poll that is way outside of where all of the other polling is coming back. With all that being said, youre raising an interesting point about where candidate support comes from. I think one important thing about joe biden is he has tremendous support in the Africanamerican Community. I think, you know, when we talk about electability versus enthusiasm, you know, which is a favorite narrative of the press these days, you know, enthusiasm is not just about who excites progressive whites. Its also about who can build a diverse coalition. No democrat is going to win the nomination for president of the United States without africanamerican support. Nor should they. And joe biden has tremendous respect and relationship with the Africanamerican Community that i think is really important. Other leading candidates in this race have yet to prove that relationship. So i think as were talking about building a coalition, thats a really important point about voter enthusiasm and about enthusiasm in the democratic electorate. At the same time, i talked to a lot of people, democrats, elected democrats and others in the constituencies who has concerns about the verbal gaffe ser s hes made. Heres an example. I love this place. Look, whats not to like about vermont in terms of the beauty of it . What a neat town. I mean, this is a scenic beautiful town. So i know its just a mistake, but its vermont and New Hampshire, hes running in the New Hampshire primary. Does he have to be more careful to prove that he hasnt lost his fastball . I think the press has to be more careful in applying an unfair standard to joe biden than other candidates. If you listen to what the candidates say all day as theyre out campaigning, theyre talking all day. Everybodys going to slip up and misstate a name or a date or a location. It happens all the time. What doesnt happen is it doesnt get the outside attention that joe biden gets. I understand thats part of being a front runner. I think that people know him. As you said, people know who he is. They know its part of his charm. They understand that, you know, theyre getting it straight from him. Its not overly packaged. Its, you know, hes speaking from his heart. It means sometimes hes going to misstate a couple things. Frankly, so does every other candidate. Id love to see coverage of the other candidates misstating where they are at an event, because i promise you it happens almost single day. Were going to check that out. Great. We report on the president s misstatements, clear outright lies one after the other. Thats a very comparison. But well follow up on that. Kate, great to see you, thank you very much for coming. Thank you for having me, i appreciate it. Coming up, their day in court. Jeffrey epsteins alleged victims speaking out. Stay with us on Andrea Mitchell reports, only on msnbc. H us onl reports, only on msnbc. Expert tech advice and oneonone partnership. Call an advisor today at 877buydell. Actually, thats my buick. Your buick doesnt have a roof rack this is my buick. How are we gonna fit in your moms buick . Easy. I like that new buick. Me too. I was actually talking about that buick. I knew that. Did you . Buicks fresh new lineup is full of surprises. Current eligible nongm owners and lessees get 20 below msrp on most 2019 buick encore models. Woman 1 this is my body of proof. Man 1 proof of less joint pain and clearer skin. Man 2 proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis. Woman 2 . With humira. Woman 3 humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. Its proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage and clear skin in many adults. Humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. Announcer humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Man 3 ask your rheumatologist about humira. Woman 4 go to mypsaproof. Com to see proof in action. We have breaking news in new york. Stunning new remarks from the alleged victims of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein telling their stories in court. In the courtroom, four women among the 15 who have spoken so far mentioning epsteins partner. Maxwell has not been criminally charged and has denied accusations of wrauong doing. Stephanie gosk joins us now. What have these alleged victims been saying . Reporter a lot have come forward. Very few actually using their names. The majority of them coming up as jane doe. Theyre thankful theyre there. They thanked the judge for giving them the opportunity. They want more to be done. Theyre asking many of them for charges against these socalled accomplices of Jeffrey Epsteins. Maxwells name you just mentioned. The testimony, if thats what we can call it, really, has been meteorologi emotional and angry. Sometimes frustrated. Ill give you an example. We have one here from jane doe 2. She told the court, he was very strategic in how he approached us. A lot of us were in very vulnerable situations and in extreme poverty. I had so much selfhatred and doubt, and guilt for everything i still dont feel like i can say i was a victim. I hope that today people realize that each of us has a story. You know, what is striking to me, andrea, is how many of these women even though Jeffrey Epstein has taken his life, how many of them are unwilling to come forward with their names. Clearly wrapped up in a lot of emotion whether potentially shame or possibly fear because of how powerful his associates, how much money he had and influence he may have wielded even to this day even though he took his own life. What a tragic story. Stephanie gosk thank you very much. Several 2020 democrats now supporting legislation to create a commission to consider reparations for slavery. Ill talk to the leading democrat in charge in congress Sheila Jackson lee. Stay with us on Andrea Mitchell reports on msnbc. Back into the room. So, try febreze fabric refresher febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics bubbles popping and cleans them away as it dries. Use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. Fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. Make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. La la la la la. Agerelated macular ive degeneration, with which could lead to vision loss. 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As the nation commemorates that painful history a renewed focus on reparations for black americans has become a key issue for the 2020 democrats. Several hopefuls supporting a house bill that would set up a commission to consider Economic Justice for descendents of slaves. Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee has spearhead ed the legislative effort and joins me now. Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. Weve been wanting to talk to you about this for a while and the opportunity to understand better how this would work. Would it only be for the descendents of slaves or would it be for all africanamericans or people of color who have suffered from the effects of slavery, from discrimination and different aspects of life . Well, its so good to be with you. Let me indicate what a moment in history we have and thank you for reflecting on the ceremony that occurred in virginia on commemorating those who arrived in 1619 on the white lion. And slaves, about 20 or so, were traded for food. In the midst of white supremacy, white nationalism, and what i said a few weeks ago, that racism is a National Security threat, this commission would have an immense authority. The commission would study reparation proposals. We would not dictate to the commission its design but, clearly, it would be designed for those descendents of slavery. Tragically, 250 years of slavery in the United States for those enslaved africans did not receive workmans comp, salary, 401 k , or anything, and literally built the wealth of the United States and europe. Thats why it was called the trans atlantic slave trade, taking enslaved africans from africa, frankly, from many parts of africa. This commission would have the authority appointed by the president , the majority leader, the speaker, and scholars, to really dig deep. Something we have never done before. And to design the response. I think america is ready for this because of what we have been going through in the last couple of weeks, because of the attitude of our commanderinchief, and because of what we have seen. The dastardly impacts of white nationalism, white supremacy, and outright racism that has impacted others but certainly has impacted over the decades and centuries africanamericans, the descendents of enslaved africans. How do you ever fully compensate all of these descendents for everything thats been suffered over centuries . Well, i think that is clearly the point of discussion, if you will. I have analyzed this from the perspective of sociological, psychological, economic, religious, and educationally, that we can look at the impact of african americans. For example, mass incarceration. A million africanamericans incarcerated. Red lining, sponsored by the federal government, that specifically indicated dont provide africanamericans with the loans they need to move into good housing. The educational discrimination. Voting discrimination that warranted the 1965 Voting Rights act, the 1964 civil rights act. So i think the commission seriously appointed with leaders of this nation can look at the pain of slavery and to analyze its lasting effect and to begin to look at systemic responses, systemic changes. What part of it is an actual, official apology that has never been given in a formal way. I think the point that should be made is that were not asking my neighbor who happens to be white. This was an institutional work of the federal government. When the constitution was written, slaves were not given the single status of an individual. Were not written into the constitution. The 13th amendment had to end slavery. So this was governmental. Massachusetts was the first state to make slavery legal. This has to be a governmental response. Were not a broke country. Were, in fact, a prosperous country if our funds would be directed not to if i might say the top 1 but really to people who are in need, but i do believe the country has a capacity and now is the time in this horrible atmosphere that were in to really move toward reconciliation and understanding. I dont want one person, one member of congress to vote on this without understanding it, without appreciating it, and i will tell you having just come back with the Congressional Black Caucus and the speaker of the house in the year of return in ghana welcomed by the president of ghana, listening and seeing the most poignant reminder and lecture on this issue, i can tell you, now is the time. Congresswoman, thank you very much. Sheila jackson lee. To be continued. We appreciate you coming. That does it for this edition of Andrea Mitchell reports. Remember, follow the show online, on facebook, and twitter mitchellreports. Thank you, andrea. Have a great afternoon. Hello. It is tuesday, august 27th. Coming up this hour on velshi and ruhle Jeffrey Epsteins accusers are telling their stories in court today, up to 30 of them. Well look at what happens to their cases now that Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Plus, puerto rico has declared a state of emergency. Were live in san juan as americans prepare for another possible hurricane. And the leading cause of death in the United States is poor diet. We are breaking down why American Food is killing so many of us and what we can do about it. I will not remain a victim for one more day, those words from one of up to 30 women speaking out against Jeffrey Epstein in a new york city courtroom. Just weeks after the registered sex offender