Transcripts For MSNBCW MSNBC Live 20200703

Cases. Around the world, nearly 11 million cases of covid19 have been reported with over half a Million Deaths so far. The u. S. Currently has the most cases of any country with brazil, russia and India Following behind. Major League Baseball Just Announced that it is cancelling this years allstar game. The los angeles dodgers, who were set to host this seasons summer classic, must now wait until 2022. Atlanta will be the site of next years allstar game. Coronavirus infections are ballooning across the country as weve been covering, with florida, texas and california leading the pack in these new cases as hospitalizati cases. As hospitalizations surge in california, local officials are tightening the restrictions this weekend, closing beaches and public places, mandating masks in others. In los angeles, where the number of cases has topped 107,000, the demand for tests is skyrocketing. A nurse who works in a Los Angeles Covid unit at the hospital there spoke to nbc news about the rising number of patients they are beginning to see. You know, our staff and supplies and our resources residents infinite. We have a finite supply of ventilators and a finite amount of nurses and a finite amount of icu beds. And i think that because weve never been in a situation like this as a community, as a country, its not really hitting home just how serious that is for some people. This personal testimonial is capturing the urgency for these front line workers. Erin mclaughlin live at a beach in california this morning. Erin, tell us how hard it is to get a test. Reporter people here in california have prided themselves here in california for building up their testing capacity. Mayor Aaron Garcetti has said anyone who is symptomatic or asymptomatic can get a test. But were hearing there is a surge of demand for testing, and were hearing anecdotal evidence of people trying to get a test not being able to get one, including vics collard. She needs to get a test to make sure her partner is okay. Take a listen. Being tested regularly is critical for me because i need to show im not bringing anything home and giving it to my wife who could, you know, literally die from it. Frustration doesnt even begin to explain. Its like banging my head against a brick wall right now because i have to be tested. I have to keep safe. Reporter and were also hearing from authorities that there is limited sites available over the Holiday Weekend, compounding potentially that situation. Meanwhile, big emphasis here in california on masks and mask wearing. A new psa has been put out by the state starring former governors, including arnold schwarzenegger, urging people to wear masks. Theyre also looking at enforcing existing maskwearing orders, for example, in west hollywood. Tickets of up to 300 here in santa monica, tickets up to 100 for being out in public without those masks. In the meantime, over the Holiday Weekend, beaches up and down the california coast are closed as theyre trying to discourage people from gathering to enjoy the july fourth holiday. Peter . Yeah, that stunning picture behind you, not a live shot we see from Southern California very often. Those beaches effectively deserted for most of the Holiday Weekend. Erin mclaughlin on the beach, we thank you very much. Now we take you to texas where there has been more than 6,000 daily coronavirus cases since monday. Harris county, the home of houston, has leaded state wid t infections. As houston hospitals continue to adapt, the number of cases continue to go up. At Harris Health systems lbj, lyndon b. Johnson hospital. David, one of the workers there compared this to a hurricane that never ends. A hurricane normally lasts five days. This thing is terminal, it seems. Theyre running out of rooms at the hospital. How are they addressing that issue . Reporter nbc news has taken note of people who are concerned here on data when it comes to testing. One in four of those tested here in houston have come back positive. That is an astounding statistic. The hospital im standing in front of is one that serves a population that largely doesnt have health insurance, peter. Its part of the Countywide Health system. There are two hospitals like it. They expanded their footprint already. In april they built tents along the side to help with more patients. They talked about the shuffling theyre having to do at this point of time. They are a constituent of other Medical Centers, they can move people to other hospitals in the area, but its gotten very real now. I was in the heart of the Medical Center yesterday. I spoke with the chief innovation officer, the Incident Commander for covid19, at the Methodist Hospital there at the texas Medical Center, and i asked her how worried she is now as she has to try foto figure o where to put patients with covid19 and others coming in with other issues. Listen to what she had to say. Am i nervous that the Covid Patients will crowd out all the others that need medical care . Yes. We are preparing every nook and cranny of this hospital to be able to take care of every patient who needs care during this time. Reporter peter, Roberta Schwartz ended that interview with a treaty for everyone to wear a mask, and as im talking to you, a statewide mask mandate has gone into effect in texas. The governor reversed course to the surprise of many yesterday afternoon, signing that executive order, authorizing that mask mandate, affecting every county where there are more than 20 cases of covid19. It went into effect at noon local time today. First offense, you get a warning, subsequent enforcements are a 250 fine. You dont have to wear one if you go to church, go to vote or if youre working out, but it is something the officials here in the state of texas have been pushing for for a while, peter. David gura is there in texas. They spoke to the president a number of weeks ago, thought they were going to beat this thing. Now the cases only continue to grow. Joining us is the mayor of houston, sylvester turner. We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us before this Holiday Weekend. Our correspondent on the ground is reporting that more than one in four covid19 tests in houston are coming back positive. How fast does this situation evolving in use thouston, one o biggest metropolitan areas in the country, and are your people responding to the threat appropriately . Let me say it is evolving very quickly. Lets put it this way, the end of april, early may, the Positivity Rate was about 5 . Then a month ago, it was about 13 , and now, for example, youre recording about 20 . So more people are getting infected, more people showing up at the hospital, more people in icu beds. I appreciate what the governor did yesterday. That was a good step in the right direction, requiring masks across the board, whether youre in a business, an employee or a customer. Thats a good step. Hes also now allowing local officials to limit gatherings outside to no more than ten people. We are doing that. Thats a positive step. Closing the bars, thats a positive step. So i think people are getting the message. Were engaged in a very active media pr campaign, mask up. Thats the nature of the campaign. Were utilizing wrappers, we utilize some of our astro players, bios and others to get the message out. We recognize that we have to blunt the progression of this virus and we need to do it very quickly. Im struck by that line of celebrities that call houston home or at least grew up there and call that city their native home. You wrote a letter to greg abbott. He asked you asked him to mandate mask wearing and limited public gatherings. I know you said hes taken positive steps on those. If the governor is listening right now, what could he do right now to better satisfy the neet needs for your community . I made several other recommendations yesterday, and for example, regardless what the occupancy limits are right now, im asking people to step back. If the occupancy rate for restaurants is 50 , and gyms, id like them to go back to 25 . We need to step back in order to blunt the progression of this virus. Im prepared to ask for various institutions for their Worship Service to resume them virtually. I think thats going to be critically important. Then we just have to make sure that all of us as elected leaders, community leaders, you name it, that were all on the same page, strongly encouraging people to mask up, to engage in social distancing and exercise proper hygiene. Another thing is a huge demand for testing. Im hoping the federal government fema will continue that collaboration with us. Theyve extended their stay until midjuly. They need to extend that stay until at least the end of august. In terms of testing right now, weve seen these long lines across much of this country as americans fill up their tanks and wait for hours, literally, to get a test. How long do most folks in houston need to wait to get a test, and what more can be done to try to satisfy that immediate need . Well, we have ramped up our testing, but the demand is far exceeding what our capacity is. Generally speaking, people are waiting hours to get tested, and whats happening, for example, at our two major sites that we can test up to 650 per site per day, we are reaching that Maximum Capacity somewhere around 1 00 these days. So schedule to be there up until about 5 00 or 6 00, but were reaching that Maximum Capacity early. We could double that capacity because the demand is so great. The demand for testing is tremendous. We have told people to go ahead and get tested. Now they want to get tested. So we just need to ramp up even more. Mr. Mayor, we hope when we talk to you over the next couple weeks, particularly two weeks from now, as a function of the july fourth weekend, that the numbers have steadied or come down. The folks in your city are listening right now. What do you tell them as some people consider gathering together, maybe pulling off that mask to enjoy this Holiday Weekend as if there is no virus thats plaguing the country . Let me just say this. In march or april when we asked people to stay home, to work remotely, to put on their masks, we were able to flatten, to blunt the progression of this virus. End of april, early part of may, our numbers were very, very good when you looked at the numbers across the country. The same thing we did in march, april and may are now the things we must do in the month of july. We have to do it yesterday. We have a very narrow window to get this virus under control to make it more manageable, and so the next two to three weeks, what we do will be critical, especially as it relates to august and september. Americans all in this for the long haul right now. Mr. Mayor, we appreciate your time. We wish you a safe and happy fourth of july weekend. Thanks very much. Thank you very much. Coming up here, President Trump is kicking off the Holiday Weekend with thousands at a packed amphitheater in mt. Rushmore. But concerns about lack of social distancing and safety protocols are not the only thing stirring up controversy. We are live outside mt. Rushmore after this break. Youre watching live msnbc. Msnc metamucil supports your daily Digestive Health using a special plantbased fiber called psyllium. Psyllium works by forming a gel in your digestive system to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. Metamucils gelling action also helps to lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels. So, start feeling lighter and more energetic. By taking metamucil every day. Liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. I wish i could shake your hand. Granted. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. What do we wburger. Inner . I want a sugar cookie. Wait. I want a bucket of chicken. I want. Its the easiest because its the cheesiest. Kraft. For the win win. Iredefined the wordng thschool this year. Its why, at xfinity, were committed to helping kids keep learning through the summer. And help College Students studying at home stay connected through our university program. Were providing affordable Internet Access to low income families through our internet essentials program. And this summer, xfinity is creating a Virtual Summer camp for kids at home all on xfinity x1. Were committed to helping all families stay connected. Learn more at xfinity. Com education. President trump is traveling to south dakota this afternoon for an independent state fireworks display at mt. Rushmore where social distancing will not be enforced, and it comes as we learned that Vice President pence had to delay his trip to arizona earlier this week when his advance team became infected with coronavirus. Tonights fireworks display back for the first time in more than a decade is prompting pushback from native americans who have criticized the memorial for being built on indigenous land. Theres also been criticism about the decision to hold a public event with crowds of people, thousands expected. The states republican governor christy nome defended her decision this week to welcome the president in the middle of a pandemic. We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home. But those who want to come and join us, well be giving out free face masks if they choose to wear one, but we wont be social distancing. Were asking them to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we have in this country. The states republican governor saying there will be no social distancing. Nbc news correspondent cal perry joins us from keystone, south dakota, in the shadow of mt. Rushmore there. No social distancing, thousands expected. What are you hearing from folks on the ground, cal . Reporter you know, a confluence of events when you take into account the covid, when you take into account the possibility of a forest fire, the National Parks service keeping a keen eye on that. We havent had fireworks here in over a decade, and of course, the historical context. This another stop along trumps tour. We had that stop in tulsa and now here in the black hills. A touchy issue for so many people in the area. This was land promised to the people in 1888. That was a treaty broken by the federal government. So when you talk to people here about the memorial, they have a very different view on it. Take a listen to the md collective. Mt. Rushmore is a National Symbol of white supremacy. When you carve out four white men who were colonizers, who committed genocide to the American People and yet carve out these faces, and that be okay in Society Today is fundamentally wrong. We have to change systemic racism and give this land back to the indigenous people. Reporter you have a historical past this country is now facing. Add to that you have a community here that is vulnerable, vulnerable to the coronavirus. It is impacted in a way that other communities are not. You take, for example, some of these reservations south of where i am in the black hills, and its three hours to the nearest hospital. There is not running water. So the concern is not just the message that the president is putting out, but also the virus. We could see an uptick in this area and in this community, peter. All of that and the frought relationship between this president and the native american communities. Hes used the name pocahontas to attack one of his opponents. Cal perry in keystone, south dakota just down the road from mt. Rushmore. Cal, we thank you very much. Joining us is kevin tome. We appreciate you joining us, sheriff tome. When the president speaks at the National Memorial tonight before the first Fireworks Show in years, the crowd will not be required to socially distance or wear masks. Does that concern you, whose job is to keep a close eye on the safety of members of that community . Well, first, thanks for inviting me on the show and thanks for covering the event and highlighting what were doing here in south dakota. In terms of the covid19, thats one aspect of what were doing in regards to Public Safety at the monument today. Its an outside event, so that lowers our concern. Masks are available for attendees. Masks are optional for our deputies. Generally they wont be wearing them. The hand sanitizing stations are available. And we put out a pretty strong message that if youre uncomfortable with that setting, dont attend the event. There are other ways to watch it. Livestreaming it on tv, we hope people take advantage of that. Just for clarity, what was the reason behind why you said your deputies wont be Wearing Masks. What was the conversation about why they wont be doing that and why it may send a better message for them if they were doing that, and for their safety . Its optional for the deputies. Weve not had a high number of cases in our area. Again, we believe that our independent nature here, freedom of choice, and if they want to wear a mask, they can. If they dont want to, they dont have to. Its an outdoor venue, and we think that helps with the safety of the event itself. Even the cdc acknowledges both indoor and outdoor venues of sizes like this are what they call the highest risk at this time of coronavirus spread. Experts have been concerned about a surge of cases we saw in florida and arizona this week, the Vice President s officials coming down with the virus. Has this done anything to set back the event from what youve seen . Not that im aware of. Let me ask you about the National Parks service. After studying it, they said fireworks would be safe to do, but several people who formally ov oversaw fire danger at the National Memorial say its a bad idea that, it could lead to a wildfire. What precautions are being taken right there right now . Obviously tinder dry conditions throughout much of the northwest. Weve been planning long before covid came into our country. Theres been a variety of studies for environmental impact, safety, fallout zones for the fireworks. If we reach a point where the forest is too horrible or too dry, that would be a no go situation. Fortunately this week weve had rain showers in this area through the black hills. We had a rain shower yesterday afternoon. That all helps mitigate the risk of fire in the area. Yeah. President trump obviously not the first president to come to your area. I think hes the 16th u. S. President to come there to mt. Rushmore. How are you preparing for protesters, some of whom are expected to descend on that . Will they be in any proximity . Will the president not have any interaction with them, but would he see them if other members of the native american tribes and others were to try to communicate their concerns about the president . Thank you for acknowledging many of the president s have been here going back to 1927, calvin coolidge, when the monument was first started. First Lady Michelle obama was here. Weve had a lot of people from the white house here over the years and what the shrine of democracy represents. Weve been working with a variety of groups this week. Some have reached out and talked to us about their plans to protest and weve worked directly with them. What their idealogy is is not my concern. What my idealogy is shouldnt matter. Our job is to provide Public Safety for those attending the event, and thats what were attempting to do. Kevin tome, the Pennington County sheriff. You have a lot on your hands there. We hope its a safe and celebratory event there. Good luck to you. While junes job numbers may be giving people a bit of hope, many of americas black families say they are being left behind, with the addition of close to 5 million excuse me, well tell you why the addition of 5 million jobs last month doesnt tell the whole story. The redskins telling me they will undergo a review of their name. Youre watching msnbc livmsnbc back here live on msnbc and were expecting an update into Aurora Police officers who took inappropriate photos for a memorial of elijah mcclain. Mcclain died in august after police in aurora put him in a chokehold and they injected him with a powerful sedative. One officer has already resigned, another was placed on paid leave. With us is Gabe Gutierrez on the ground in aurora, colorado. Gabe, what more are we learning . Reporter hi there, peter, good afternoon. Earlier this week the internal investigation into those photos wrapped up, but those officers had 72 hours to appeal whatever discipline was handed down. That 72hour window expires within the next hour or so, and so were awaiting some update from Aurora Police this afternoon, though it hasnt been formally announced. Peter, this is a community that is demanding answers after photos that were taken apparently last october but only recently came to light. The police chief said she was made aware of those photos. Elijah mcclain died last august, and protests have ramped up in the last week since the death of george floyd. We spoke to his family. Take a look at what he says. Especial and he is missed. Reporter if you could speak to the officers who stopped him that night, what would you say . Youre a coward, but you shouldnt be Police Officers anymore, and were coming for your jobs. Reporter and, peter, elijah mcclain, again, was stopped last august after a 911 caller reported that someone sketchy, thats a quote, was walking on the street. He was wearing a ski mask but his family insists thats because he often wore one because he was often cold. He was then placed in a karate hold and injected with that sedative. His heart stopped and he died several days later at the hospital, the coroner saying the cause of death was undetermined. And, peter, the states attorney general has now been appointed special prosecutor in the case. Unclear when the results of that review will take place, but also federal authorities are looking into this case to decide if there were any civil rights violations, and again, were awaiting an update this afternoon from aurora pd into the separate internal investigation into those potentially inappropriate photos that were apparently taken near the site of that encounter. Peter, also one more thing. A public protest is scheduled here in aurora later on tonight, peter. Such powerful words from Elijah Mcclains father as we await new information from the situation there in what is already a terribly heartbreaking impact on that community. Gabe gutierrez in aurora, we thank you for that. The Unemployment Rate fell just about two points but the gap between black and white unemployment has widened since the pandemic began. As the economy starts to show signs of recovering, many black americans feel left behind. Nbc news ron allen has the latest in our series inequality in america. Reporter this week ellen lavar finally reopened her hair salon, shut down for months because of covid19. 30 years in the business, celebrity clients, but shes still extremely worried about whether her business will survive. Things are very tight . Yes, things have always been tight. I usually have two or three jobs. Reporter do you have a financial cushion to help you recover . Not really. Reporter despite the jobs report, 404,000 jobs added for africanamericans, americans wealth gap shows a Steep Mountain to climb. White families typically have ten times more wealth than blacks, savings for college or to shore up a business. Just 44 of black families own a home, the way most people build wealth, compared to 74 for whites. Financial planner braxton tries to help families widen the gap. You still have first generation health, meaning were just Getting Started on the wealth track. Reporter a big challenge, she says, the wage gap. Black learners earn on average 25 less than their white counterparts. Kaliyah discovered some of her white cloeolleagues at a Media Company were earning more doing the same work. Just to hear that my work wasnt valued, it was hurtful, truthfully. Reporter she has moved on and still feels the odds are against her. A lot of people are able to breeze by because they know a friend who knows a friend. That doesnt deem well for us. Reporter entrepreneurs like John Hope Bryant insist that americas future depends on investing in communities of color. You cannot have a country where the majority of people have a network of 20,000 and a High School Education and expect us to be the leader of the free world. Reporter calls for that kind of dramatic change for many now marching in the streets. Ron allen, nbc news, new york. We thank ron allen for that reporting. Some other news were now reporting. Breaking news after days of renewed public pressure, washington, d. C. s Football Team now says it will consider changing its name viewed as a racial slur. In a statement a short time ago, the redskins owner dan snyder who has resisted getting rid of the teams name says the team, in fact, is undergoing, quote a i that a a that are row review that not only takes into account the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football league and others in the community that is proud to have that name. They own the names rights to the stadium, not to mention steve smith owns a stake in the team, a stake that forbes says is worth more than 3 billion. The pressure to change the name is also coming from representative raul grualva. With fourth of july just one day away, many people are planning to spend it at the beach. How can beaches stay open and people remain safe . Youre watching msnbc live. As Many Americans begin their fourth of july weekends today, local officials have closed beaches in california, florida and texas over fears that large crowds will help spread the virus. But across the atlantic in europe, officials there have implemented new guidelines to ensure that beachgoers can stay safe. With more on this, im joined by nbc news global corresponde correspondent villum marks. Villum, what are the steps put in place to make sure those beaches are safe . The sun has vanished behind the clouds, very typical of this country. In countries like france, beachgoers have to book a spot in advance. Its like reserving a table at a restaurant. In greece umbrellas on tables have to be 13 feet apart. And in belgium, there is a similar traffic light system using cell phone data to let beachgoers know where areas are congested and where there is more space. Also in parts of belgium, some really interesting developments in terms of how to keep people safely apart. We spoke to one of the men responsible for the heights beach about the measures theyre taking. On the beverly beach, we have implemented what we call beach bubbles where people of one family, people of friends can be together in a safe way and to visualize the distance they should be from one another on the free beach not only on the beach bubbles but in our 10kilometre beach which gives them the luxury of space. Reporter some of the big differences, really, peter, is the fact that here in europe, government, state, municipal authorities, theyre insisting these are the rules, you have to follow them. In the u. S. , you are seeing those beaches that are open the emphasis on personal responsibility. I think the Alexander Beach bubble is going to be reserved to the backyard this weekend. Well see how that goes over with my kids. Let me ask you, as it goes to the folks there, the uk will end coronavirus quarantines for people arriving from more than 50 countries now, i think, right . Its germany, spain, italy among them, but it will not apply to those coming from the u. S. That means americans will have to quarantine. What does this mean to american tourism there . Reporter well, peter, it means that if youre going to come to the uk from the u. S. This summer, you better book a very, very long vacation, because for the first 14 days, youll be forced to selfisolate in a hotel room or wherever youre staying with friends, potentially. These measures really are designed for more than 50 countries. As you mentioned for british holiday makers to go go countries like france, like italy, like spain to be able to come back to work. Ive just come out of isolation myself after a trip to belgium, and i can tell you it gets really old pretty quickly. I trust it does. Were glad youre safe, villum marks. Thank you very much for that report. Earlier today on the today show, the Surgeon General for the United States, jerome adams, spoke to my colleague craig allen about people in large gatherings. Take a listen. We know that large gatherings presents the biggest risk right now. Would you advise someone to go to a large gathering, yes or no . Well, craig, its not a yes or no. Every Single Person has to make up their own mind. Im joined now by ann ramoin. She is professor for epidemiology and director for the center of Global Health at ucla. Go, bruins. Good to see you. I want to get your reaction first to the Surgeon Generals comments about large gatherings what you would advise as americans consider it heading into this Holiday Weekend . I think that the advice is pretty straightforward. Everybody should be wearing a mask. I wont be the first person to say this, but im going to say it right now. If you want to show your patriotism and the love of your country on the fourth of july weekend, wear a mask. Its the patriotic thing to do. We can wear how much we care about our communities, our country on our faces by wearing a mask. It will prevent the spread of disease. Because we do not know if you are asymptomatically infected or just prior to showing symptoms, you want to do your best to avoid spreading disease. Wear a mask. Its pretty simple. And its clear that the governors, republican and democrat alike in many states, are fimnally getting that message. Weve seen the message coming out of places like texas even as we speak today. The big concern, obviously s what it looks like two or three weeks from now. Already were seeing these major numbers. Just getting ready for this broadcast, i think the numbers are going up in 40 out of 50 states, to say nothing of hospitalizations and infection rates right now. What is your primary concern two weeks from now after these fourth of july celebrations . Peter, we know that hospitalizations, icu and death rates are all lagging indicators. So we can anticipate that we will see spikes in all of these numbers in the coming weeks. Its what we saw with memorial day weekend, with just reopening in general, and so there is no reason to expect anything different in this scenario. The rules of virus transmission apply whether youre talking about it memorial day, fourth of july or any other day of the week. So we should anticipate seeing spikes in cases. And, professor, obviously theres been so much conversation about asymptomatic spread, particularly among young people, right . A lot of young people, were learning about some parties where theyre trying to see who can get the virus first, as insane as that sounds right now. But if youre young or old and youre asymptomatic, just so theres clarity for folks heading into this weekend, you are able to spread the virus like anybody else, is that right . Absolutely, peter. There are many studies that have suggested that large proportions of the population could be asymptomatically infected and not know it and be capable of spreading it. I also want to make it clear, because there are some data saying, well, maybe asymptomatic people in general are not spreading as easily as symptomatic people. But you dont know if you were asymptomatic until after the fact. It could be that you are p presymptomatic, meaning right before youre symptomatic with that virus, you could be spreading it to a lot of people. I spent many years working on ebola in the democratic republic of the congo, and we learned that many of the diseases, you may not have been asymptomatic as you thought. You could have very minimal symptoms that you dont even think about, a tickle in your throat, runny nose, something that you could just think that it might be just something else. And thats actually your infection. So this whole idea of asymptomatic versus symptomatic, its a very thorny issue, its complicated, and so the bottom line is everybody should assume that they could potentially have the virus, spread it to others and do their best to reduce that possibility. Of course, the irony right now, a lot of these states are finding out that theyre now behind the curve again. They thought they were ahead of it. They reopened too quickly, now forced to halt those reopenings. California, a lot of places there, including the county where you are, Los Angeles County among those right now. Anne rimoin, we appreciate your time. Thank you for being with us. A month after the death of george floyd, black lives matter protests are still happening across the country. Were going to take you to branson, missouri, a city in americas heartland, where those protests are being met with a lot of resistance. Youre watching msnbc. Msnbc. Now is the time to support the places you love. 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Vmware. Realize whats possible. Six weeks after the death of george floyd, people akros america continue to march and protest for the black lives Matter Movement is met with opposition from counter protesters particularly in some smaller towns. Nbc elson barber went to branson, missouri and brings us this story. Reporter 76 country boulevard is usually filled with tourists headed for the towns popular country miezusic shows taking place in stead, a reckoning on racism. Go back to africa. Reporter as in big cities and small towns across the country, the debate is visceral. What do you represent, baby . Freedom of speech. Reporter so is the push back. Youre such victim. Reporter branson in heart of the ozark promotes it ast as Family Friendly destination but the prodominantly white area is home to dixix outfitters whose owners have ties to the ku klux klan. The black population is small but since the death of george floyd, protesters from around the ozarks have turned out for several black lives matter protests outside the store. Are you surprised by the numbers here . Im not. People are getting fed up with it all over the world. Im not surprised by the numbers on our side. Im not surprised by the numbers on their side. Reporter when asked about the ties to the kkk, he had no comment. His wife said it was years ago and are not members. Supporters say the store should say. Branson teenager helped organize the protest. This is not place that you would think people would be protesting in support of black lives matter. I feel like i can come comfortably stand there and speak because i know this is an issue that has perpetuated because of my community silence. Thats my responsibility to fix. Reporter still some here question why there should be black lives matter protests at all. This is family town. A tourist town. Theres no racism in this town at all. Does it bother you that the owners of store have ties to the kkk . Thats what i heard. Whether they do or dont, its none of my business. Reporter dixie outfitters is still open. Whats your problem in. Reporter the showdown over race is far from over. Thank you. Has potential to be a long hot summer with fierce conversation akros this country. Coming up in our next hour, the devastating impact the coronavirus is having on our nations veterans. Well have more on that when we see you. More onha tt when we see you. D you know diarrhea is n caused by bad bacteria in food . Try pepto diarrhea. Pepto® diarrhea is proven effective to treat symptoms, and it also targets the cause of diarrhea. The 3 times concentrated liquid formula coats and kills bacteria to relieve diarrhea. While the leading competitor does nothing to kill the bacteria, pepto® diarrhea gets to the source, killing the bad bacteria. 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Transfer your service in minutes, making moving with xfinity a breeze. Visit xfinity. Com moving today. Good afternoon. Its 11 00 a. M. Out west. 2 00 p. M. Out east. Here we are with the facts we know them at this hour. The United States are nearly 2. 8 million cases of coronavirus with about 130,000 deaths across the country so far. Cases are spiking in states across the south and the west. Among them places like florida, texas and california. This afternoon the president will go to mt. Rushmore in south dakota for a fireworks display. It will host the event does not appear to be following social distancing guidelines. The governor has said that they will not be enforced. Globally coronavirus cases are almost at 11 million. In brazil, the country with the second highest number of cases behind the u. S. , the death toll there has now passed 61,000 people. We want to begin this hour and this friday before a Holiday Weekend in florida. The state is bracing for spike of coronavirus infections. Its reporting more than 9400 new cases today for a total of 178,000 cases across the state so far. In jacksonville, as the city prepares for the Upcoming National republican convention, the cases there keep rising. Joining me is nbc news reporter. Duval county experienced a single day jump of 767 cases. Almost a 10 increase in 24 hours. Theyve been doubling faster than anywhere else in the country. What level of concern are you hearing from people there . Reporter peter, first let me show you what we have been seeing here all day. Despite some of those milestones both for the state and for the county that you just mentioned there, the record numbers, Jacksonville Beach is open and take a look around. This is a beach day here. Its a Holiday Beach day. We have people take ng the sun. You have some swimmers out here. I saw some people fishing earlier, doing yoga, all the things you would see on a normal beach day. The crowds are smaller than you might see on a typical Holiday Weekend. People are here despite some of those numbers. Now, the image that youre seeing here is very different than what youll see in south florida where the vast majority of beaches are closed. Despite the numbers here, ive been talking to county officials and they say the businesses here really need to see some of this influx of tourism because they have been shut down for so long. Its not just Jacksonville Beach that is open. Its all of the beaches in duval county. Neptune beach and Atlantic Beach. I spoke to the mayors of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach earlier today. They have been working together on their policies and the rules and how they will handle the crowds this weekend. Take a listen to what they told me. Obviously, things have changed. Were seeing a spike but hospitalizations and deaths, in our area, have remained relatively flat. Whats important is were giving our residents an opportunity to accept responsibility for their own health and safety and the safety of their family. We have Police Officer that will go out and train them, warn them before they take any action. If it got out of hand for any reason, we would shut it down very quickly. Reporter peter, if you look around here, we have been seeing a good deal of social distancing. People are not clumping together. There are no mask requirements for outdoor spaces but masks are required, as of monday here, anywhere indoors or anywhere where social distancing isnt possible. Another big difference the beach goers there see this weekend, no fireworks tomorrow. The city decided that a while back. They wanted to avoid the crowd gathering to see the fireworks display. They are here celebrating Independence Day but a little bit differently this time around, peter. Less than two months before President Trump heads right there no jacksonville to accept his nomination as the republican nominee for the 2020 election. A white house official telling me yesterday that the campaign will look a little bit different, they think, in the weeks and months ahead. Perhaps a little more out door activity as opposed to indoor events as well. Thank you. Lets go to arizona right now where coronavirus cases are surging as well. More than 4,000 new cases reported today. A 5 increase. This as the Washington Post reports that Vice President s trip to arizona this week was delayed by a day after several secret Service Agents on the advanced team either tested positive for the virus or were symptommatic. Were joined from scottsdale, arizona. Youre outside a business thats openly defying orders to close. Tell us about that. Reporter this is what businesses in arizona are now having to reckon with here is the fact the spread is only continuing throughout the community, peter. How many months is this . To what extent does this go through 2021. Thats what you awe earsaw earls week. The governor required gyms and Fitness Studios to shut their doors as an effort to stop this Community Spread. Thats where mountainside fitness, an arizona based gym, the ceo said he had every intention of defying the orders. At the end of the hour, the state gave them in order to shut their doors theres a question mark of this operation, what it will look like at the end of this hour. We were going to talk with the ceo but hes going to meet with the governor this hour. Were pleating with debra ewing. You just left this studio. I know. Youve got mask on. What did you see inside of there and why continue to use this gym . The gym is never been cleaner. They go around all the time cleaning everything up, spraying, wiping. The staff does. They are continually cleaning. I wear mask in. I wear it in when i leave. I take it off on the treadmill. I wipe it down. Even though i saw somebody else wipe it down. Youre one of 2 of about 40 people wearing mask. Im not aware of that. Im looking at my heart rate and trying to get it up. Are you concerned about folks not Wearing Masks . Are you concerned about the gym staying open . No. I want it to stay open. If casinos can stay open, how the you close a gym. Youre telling me your own situation. Im on chemo. I was incurable cancer. I need to have this exercise for not only my mental well being but my health. What would be your message to the governor who is meeting with the ceo of this mountainside fitness this hour . You need to come. You need to see how clean this place is and how well its run. We are here for our Mental Health as well as our physical health. Without it, were going to be in a sad state. Thank you very much. Thank you. I know youre running to grab your pedicure. Thank you. I was just talking with the gm of row house, another fitness studio. She was making her case that at her gym that everybody is required to wear a mask. They have cleared some of the machines out and if Liquor Stores and tattoo parlors, if the likes of casinos are able to stay open, why can they not do it if they do it safely. What you heard from debra is where the state of arizona finds itself in a time of which the covid spread appears out of control. Yeah, first of all t our priority that debra stays healthy and well. I want to ask you about the governor of that state. Obviously, the Vice President there just matter of days ago. What is the message from him right now . What has changed in terms of that States Strategy as they witnessed the skyrocketing number of cases . Reporter the governor and the Public Health director are urging folks to stay home. At the same time, they have resisted closing down Indoor Dining operations and retails and mails. There malls. Theres the oldest rodeo. Lit be drawing thousands this weekend. The governor said hes not shutting that or stopping that. Theres still municipalities where the rodeo is at, where there are no mask requirements. This is a governor who is trying to wage a pr campaign to tell people to wear masks, stay home and be safe. At the same time, you continue to see debra was one of just two people out of 40 inside of that gym Wearing Masks. Theres a strong pr campaign that they still have to wage here. Based off of these numbers on a day, just today, when theres record hospitalizations, record vent larts or record icu beds in use, this is a tough place the state and government finds itself in. For sure. Thank you very much. Joining us here now is the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and current executive director of arizona public held association. Lets get your take on this for the state of arizona. The Holiday Weekend has be potential to inflame an already bad situation there. How concerned are you or satisfied that enough is being done to make sure this doesnt get worse . Thats a good point. Its really out of control. Theres so Much Community spread right now. My biggest concern is really around hospital capacity. You heard us talking about flattening the curve from the very beginning of this thing. Arizona was actually pretty successful at the beginning but we did not flatten the curve. Were at a point now where really were out of icu bed capacity. The Health Director and the governor declared crisis standards of care which is a new triage system for the hospitals here in arizona. Just because the availability of health care is not adequate for the number of cases of covid that are coming in. Youre talking about the crisis, the new standard of care situation. The reports, i think they are a little more than 150 icu beds left in the state. Is that solely attributable to the surge in covid cases or elective surgeries the reason that number, the availability is so low. Do they need to change that . Yeah, here is whats happening. Theres so many new cases of covid that are coming into the hospitals that its pushing out other people that would have been in hospital beds. You see a big increase in the number of covid cases hospitalized both icu beds and regular inpatient beds. A decrease in hospital usage for other causes. This leads to one of the things thats an underappreciated Public Health impact from this epidemic which is that as you push out folks from the hospitals because the availability is so tight, it creates a pents up demand for additional procedures that have other Public Health consequences and it will cause an increase from other causes from covid19 add well. We have been showing some pictures from across your stats of long lines of people waiting in the hot sun, hopefully in their ac trying to get tested for the virus right now. Is the availability satisfactory and how concerned are you about the impact its having there . The number of tests have been increasing significantly in the last three weeks. The problem is that the Community Spread is so bad that the demand for testing is still out stripping the supply by a big margin. Our percent positive rate is way higher than texas and florida. Were all like 25 positive rate and 29 a couple days ago. We need a lot more testing. Another big problem here, which is the turn around times for those folks that do get tested has been averaging between 6, 7 and 8 days. Contact tracing doesnt work when the turn around time is that low. Its got to be a lot faster or your contract tracing, you cant do its work. You cant get isolation and quarantine done in time because the people infected or other household members, coworkers, et cetera before they know their status. Do in and out. Parts of the country where the governors are asking people to keep track of everybody they invite to their barbecue so they can reach out to them quickly. My last question, are they going to need to ration care at some point . All the hospitals are in whats called surge care . They are surging the number of beds. That doesnt mean youre in crisis standards of care or doing that extra triage. It means youre adding resources. You can only add resources to a certain thresholds and then you have to make the difficult decisions that involve the triage protocol. Its been activated. If its not happening today with triage, its going to be happening in the next few days. Right now, whats happening is they are trying to move patients from hospital to hospital as hospitals begin to have just a few beds on icu space. Its a tough situation. It really is. Will, we appreciate your time. We wish you guys good luck down there. Thank you so much. Up next, tourism amid this pandemic. How one historic and remote vacation destination is preparing for the fourth of july weekend. In texas, an abrupt reversal on masks. Why Governor Greg Abbott is ordering residents to cover their faces in public. The political baggage that President Trump carries with him to mt. Rushmore. Behind in the polls and facing a pandemic thats spreading out of control. Does the white house have plan to turn it all around . To turn it all around . Some Companies Still have hr stuck between employees and their data. Entering data. Changing data. More and more sensitive, personal data. And it doesnt just drag hr down. It drags the entire business down with inefficiency, errors and waste. Its ridiculous. So ridiculous. With paycom, employees enter and manage their own data in a single, easy to use software. Visit paycom. 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It comes amid a pandemic that the president keep insisting that will disappear. Polling from battleground states that will worry the Trump Campaign and a widening scandal over how the president handled intelligence that russia was paying bounties for the death of u. S. Troops in afghanistan. Joining me is my colleague carol lee on the north lawn at the white house for us. You and i were at the white house together just a matter of hours ago yesterday. We were having a conversation about this white house and the urgency for the president to turn things around heading into the month of july. When you look back at the month of june, it started with that panned march over to st. Johns church and ended with dr. Fauci saying the number of cases could skyrocket to 100,000 if more doesnt happen. How are they trying to get ahead of this negative curve . Reporter they are hoping that july is the place where they can turn the page on what was a remarkably terrible month for the president. Even by the standards of weve seen the president have bad weeks, bad stretches. This was from the first of the month to the 30th of the month, a really rough time for the president. Some of it was selfinflicted. There were a number of tweets. He tweeted a protester may have fallen harder than pushed. He tweeted a supporter chanting white power. He had his own chairman of the joint chiefs of staff apologize for pyrie in appearing in that at the church. John bolton published a tell all book with scandalous details about how the president conducts himself in office. It was just like from the white houses perspective and thats not to mention all the polls that showed him trailing joe biden by double digits. This was a real blow of a month. They are hoping that pivoting into july they can regain their footing, go on offense a little they are facing is this surge in coronavirus cases and how they will deal with that at the same time. Also looking ahead towards the economy and what happens there. I think youll hear them talk a bit more about the low mortality rate of the virus. Well see a bit more from the Coronavirus Task force trying to message there. As you mentioned, the president is moving forward and going to mt. Rushmore to have that event where there wont be social distancing or masks. We wants to move forward and wish the virus was no longer with us. Unfortunately, it is and theyre trying to figure out a way for him to manage that. As we saw this week, the president trying to focus on the economy and this rebound. Although the rebound is just some growth from what was a historically bad month a couple movants ago. What was striking yesterday when the president spoke about the coronavirus saying that its quote, being handled. Nonetheless, its not really clear how its being handled as they continue to sort of defy some of the cdcs own guidelines. Reporter this is the frustration that we have heard and youve heard and anyone who covers this white house has heard from people around the president. It used to be early on the president wants to go one way and his medical advicers want to go another way. That space with the advisers were occupying has broadened. He sets these expects, they are very high. Its going to go away. Were dealing with it and the reality sets in and it shows thats not the case. We have seen this time and again since january. Whats what the president is instincts are. As the team tries to planor him to move on the a terrible month of june, they are going to try to put a plan together for him but the question is, as it always is, is he going to follow it . Carol lee on the north lawn on a scorchers of a day in washington. More than 95 degrees out there as the president plans to head west. Joining me is phillip rutger. Phil, let me ask you about this. The president has stuck closely to his base but increasingly forced to confront reality like what seemed to be a little bit of a change in his stance in terms of Wearing Masks. Is there any potential for change from this president . Theres always potential for change. Im not sure its in the cards necessarily. If movement on mask was nuanced. He, himself, refuses to wear one public. Hes ever known to have worn one once and photographed backstage in that instance. Hes not modelling the kind of behavior that droctors fauci an birx would like to see our nations leaders model. It comes at a moment where the science shows that wearing mask works to help control the spread of this virus which is spreading beyond control in so many states around the country and in particular in republican led states that trump carried in the last campaign. A lot of his supporters are the ones bearing the brunt of the crisis right now. It comes as we prepare for the president to head out to south dakota. They will not be enforcing social distancing. Im told by the white house official that the president s remarks will focus on a theme hes been hammering home on social media about the sort of trend we have seen. A will the of americans protesting the confederate statues, pulling them down. The president really fueling these cultural wars in the belief its his base that will get him across the finish line for reelection. Thats right. That seems to be where the president has been focused the last few weeks trying to promote the preservation of Confederate Heritage and history and protecting these monuments. Thats not a conversation that most other republicans are eager to have four months away from the general election. I spent the last few days talking to a lot of republican strategists who are trying to help the various embattled senators retain their seat. They really dont want there to be a National Debate on the confederacy. Thats not an issue that wins the day in state like colorado or a state like maine and yet heres the president focusing on it because he believes, his instinct tells him that appealing to his white space is the way to help close this polling gap which joe biden. Hes continuing to push ahead on that theme. Some of those republicans saying, theyve just been dealt a very bad hand of cards. Sometimes its the president himself who is the one dealing. The president is also now threatening to undo an obama era fair housing initiative. Can you talk about the curious timing related to that decision . The timing is very curious. The reporting on this issue suggests there was no immediate need to bring it up right now or no is decision that needed to be made with regard to this fair housing act. The president seized upon it in the last couple of days on twitter in what appears to be a direct appeal to white voters in suburbs across the country. This is a demographic that support him in 2016 and the polling is drifting far away from his candidacy. It appears to be political to try to win back some of these white suburban supporters and give him a chance in pennsylvania, north carolina, florida, michigan, ohio. A will the of those states where suburban voters influential. Always good to talk to you outside the briefing room. We appreciate your time. We wish you a happy and safe fourth. Still ahead, a popular vacation destination opening. How a small island with no cars is preparing for tourists amid the pandemic. Can smart thermometers give us advance warning about upcoming outbreaks. Youre watching msnbc. Upcoming outbreaks youre watching msnbc. When you shop with wayfair, you spend less and get way more. So you can bring your vision to life and save in more ways than one. For small prices, you can build big dreams. Spend less, get way more. Shop everything home at wayfair today. Car vending machines and buying a car 100 online. Vented now weve created a brand new way for you to sell your car. Whether its a year old or a few years old, we want to buy your car. So go to carvana and enter your license plate, answer a few questions, and our technowizardry calculates your cars value and gives you a real offer in seconds. When youre ready, well come to you, pay you on the spot, and pick up your car. Thats it. So ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. Wearing a Face Covering slows spread of covid19 and it protects you and your family. That is why today, i am issuing a Face Covering requirement for all counties with more than 20 covid cases. After weeks of resistance, republican governor greg abbots of texas announcing mask requirements in his state effective today and for good reason. New daily cases and hospitalizations keep spiking across texas. To be clear, this is not a statewide mask man date. For counties not on the list, governor abbots executive order includes a caveat allowing local leaders to impose social distancing restrictions on gatherings of ten or more people. Texas is one of 19 states, then theres the District Of Columbia requiring Face Coverings in public. Oregon, kansas and pennsylvania as well as major metropolitan areas like st. Louis instituted mask requirements. If youre Planning Party to celebrate americas birth day, Public Health officials are worried about b you and every one youre planning to party with. To see why you need to look no further than social gatherings near the university of alabama. Here is nbc National Correspondent miguel. Reporter crowded pool parties, alcohol flowing freely, barely a mask in sight. Whether in public venues or backyard barbecues, Authorities Say these are the conditions that fuel Community Spread. In alabama, a rash of new fin infections among young adults prompting alarm from local officials. We had seen parties going on in the county where students or kids would come in with known positives. Reporter as improbable as it sounds, official say they have received reports of parties where positive tests are celebrated. These kids are having party and putting money in a pot and theyre purposely trying to get covid from the person who has covid and apparently whoever gets covid first gets the pot. Reporter the university of alabama says its not been able to identify any students who participated in such activities. Its not just college kids holding parties. Cheers again to an incredible 75 years. Reporter in the nations capital, wealthy social lite Ashley Taylor hosted party at her home following an online gala for the washington ballet. She was later diagnosed with covid19 along with some of her guests. Theres no listen to believer she knew she was ill that night, the paper rights nor is it clear how or when she contracted the virus. She did not respond to nbcs request for comment. Please, please cooperate. I am speaking especially to the younger adults now. Reporter in new yorks rockland county, a large party hosted by an infected person led to eight other cases. Those individuals refusing to cooperate with contract tracers. Im forced by these circumstances to send subpoenas to the individual who is are required to cooperate with us. Reporter on the eve of Independence Day, for some no holiday. Health officials desperately working to flatten the infection curve again. Just the idea that people are shoeg showing up at parties known to be positive make you shake your head. Another story were focusing on is about a digital thermometer that may be key to mapping coronavirus hot spots. Alerting officials before those outbreaks get out of hand. The smart thermometer tracks an up load data and Public Health officials immediately after a user takes their temperature. Joining me now is the founder and the ceo. I appreciate your being with us. How does the thermometer work and how have scientists been able to use it so far . It starts with smart thermometers. They connect into an app that provides an individual with medical guidance. Whats perhaps less known is we aggregate that data to identify hot spots across the country. We get to see where fever levels are rising and transmission rates are higher than expected across the country. Thats really an early indicator of where covid19 will spread. Were able to talk to people and see that data in realtime before people enter the Health Care System. Someone who has symptoms might not enter the Health Care System for five, eight, ten days. They might have gotten it from a Family Member or someone else who had mild symptoms but never got sick enough to talk to the doctor. Thats how the system works. Obviously, its that mildly symptommatic spread that can make this a difference maker for folks who may not go to the hospital, folks maybe low grade or the like. That can help give people a head start in the communities to kind of prepare for what might be coming. Thats right. Were seeing we can detect hot spots two to four weeks in advance of where their occurring. Lets talk about whats happening across the country today. Lets split it up in three groups. Areas that are seeing case surges. Places like texas, florida, arizona and Southern California. Those locations were continuing to see higher than expected transmission levels. Thats not a good sign. It indicates were going to see further case increases a week and two weeks down the road. Another group of places that doesnt have very high case numbers just yet, places like utah and nevada. Were seeing their elevated transmission levels there. A week or two down the road, im worried well see a case surge on there. A third group is places where were not really seeing case increases just yet. Illinois, indiana, wisconsin and michigan. Were worried. Those are areas to watch for. Were seeing transmission levels that are starting to get higher than expected there. Those are areas to watch. Just to be very clear, a lot of people in states are coming to their tvs to hear this. The places you have data that says they may be next, where should we keep a close eye now . Utah and nevada, missouri are places where were starting to see case increases and were seeing that its probably going to get worse there. Places that are not seeing significant case increases but places to watch that were concerned about are illinois, indiana, wisconsin and michigan. Those places need to keep a close eye on this now. About this technology, one of the challenges is perhaps theres not sufficient wide use. Do enough americans have the thermometer to make your tracking and data mapping effective . Theres about a million and a half thermometers out there. It covers about four and a half million people. We have pretty good insight at the state level and city level. Getting down to counties and below counties, we dont have enough thermometers to hot spot with that precision. At the state level and city level we have good penetration to detect these hot spots in advance. The founder and ceo of the new digital thermometer, or new to those who havent heard about it. Still ahead, the number of active cases at va hospitals tripled in month of june. Well have more on the threat posed to our nation oos hs her. First to michigan, how it could serve as an example of how to vacation in the era of covid. man 9. 95 . Hm. 9. 95 . 9. 95. Whats with all the 9. 95 notes . I thought youd never ask. Its about a Life Insurance plan with options starting at 9. 95 a month. Been seeing it on tv. We talked about getting more Life Insurance. Remember how much your brothers funeral cost . 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Reporter there are no cars allow on michigans mackinaw island, just bikes and horses. Its the sight of the film somewhere in time. Place where many come to try a bygone era on for size. This year because of the pandemic, the island season was shortened by a third. Two months lost. Now many tourists slow to return. You managed to weather most storms. We have weathered most storms and this storm is unlike anything we have seen. How are you doing today . Reporter his family has run a Ferry Service for three generations now struggling to keep the business afloat. Thank you. Reporter the company spent thousands of extra dollars a month on safety measures, including hightech disintecting foggers and masks for customers at a time when ticket sales are down. I define success if were going to be here next year at this date, and if we are, its successful. Reporter its the same story for the islands carriage industry which has a mask on policy and plastic barriers between the seats. Then theres the jewel. The fabled grand hotel. Its nearly 400 rooms typically sell out every night. This season, occupancy is around 40 . Families can still sitz together. Reporter hotel staff hopeful business will pick up. After anything else this w9 e people came to feel good and safe and they knew we would do it the right way. We trust they will come and they trust well be here for them. Reporter for more than a century people have been coming to the grand hotel to take in the views from the famous front porch. The longest porch in the world. More than two football fields. You can still do it there year but even the famous rocking chairs have been socially distanced. For island businesses, its safety first this season. Youre going to take a financial hit . If we have a healthy society, well have a good economy. If we dont have a healthy society, the economy isnt going be good any way. Reporter on this Independence Day weekend, this Little Island will be depending on good weather and good luck in hopes of surviving to celebrate another season. Kevin tibbles, nbc news. Wishing them very much good luck. Still ahead, theres been coronavirus outbreaks and at least 11 v. A. Medical centers. How the disease is spreading in the facilities treating our veterans. Lets take a look at a story of a veteran that continue to serve his country after leaving the military. He turned his struggle with ptsd into a nonprofit that helps thousands of people each year. Theres not a veteran that comes back from combat that isnt changed. Every ones posttraumatic stress is different. What makes veterans unique is we understand it. I went to iraq in 2005 where i got hit with a roadside bomb. I was in the hospital for three years. In patient. There was a lot of things i was struggling with my myself and i went out on a couple trips and i saw how it really helped other veterans in just getting outside and getting some sun on the back of their neck. I thought we can do this. In helping myself, i found that helping others was the key. Seven years ago, we started war fighter outfitters. A nice drip all the way down. Reporter we provide hunting, fishing, over land and engagement trips along with adventure motorcycling. We started with a jeep and boat and taking veterans two at a time down the river. Now were couple thousands a year on a good year. When i get an email from a quiet veteran that didnt say anything all day and then two weeks later, i get an email from either their mom or their spouse that says, i dont know what you did, you completely changed their life. Thats what this Organization Means to me. Theres always a longing for that service, for that connection to still be there. This is a way that we have been able to find to put it together. Usaa is made for whats next no matter what challenges life throws at you, were always here to help with Fast Response and Great Service and it doesnt stop there were also here to help look ahead thats why were helping members catch up by spreading any missed usaa insurance payments over the next twelve months so you can keep more cash in your pockets for when it matters most and thats just one of the many ways were here to help the military Community Find out more at usaa. Com to help the military community but a resilient business you cacan be ready for it. Re. A Digital Foundation from vmware helps you redefine whats possible. Now. From the hospital shifting to remote patient care in just 48 hours. To the university moving hundreds of apps quickly to the cloud. Or the City Government Going Digital to keep Critical Services running. You are creating the future on the fly. And we are helping you do it. Vmware. Realize whats possible. Back now live on msnbc as states across the south and west try to get a handle on surging outbreaks the department of Veterans Affairs is reporting a large spike of patients within their system. The number of active coronavirus cases among v. A. Patients tripled in june. Joining me now is Jeremy Butler the ceo of iraq and Afghanistan Military veterans. I want to get your reaction on what youre hearing from the Veterans Community about the v. A. s response to coronavirus an these new figures. Yeah, the figures are certainly disconcerting. In the beginning of the pandemic, not unlike the civilian population a lot of the v. A. Facilities that were seeing the highest numbers of the pandemic were on the east coast, similar to the hot spot in the civilian community i think maybe the v. A. Was confident that that as numbers got under control on the east coast they wouldnt see a rise out west and in some of the areas of the midwest where the numbers have been low. Unfortunately, similarly to what we have seen in the civilian community the numbers are jumping everywhere, in. Keeps themselves safe from this pandemic. Im seeing some of this new reporting the department hospitals have a 30day supply of ppe, Officials Say that six months is what theyre going to need to be prepared for the possibility of a surge going forward. Obviously, on one hand, youve got the sort of Health Crisis youre dealing with, the other one is the economic crisis. The veteran unemployment is just shy of 9 . Lower than the overall number, more than 11 . What has the situation been like for veterans in terms of their ability to hold on to their jobs or to potentially find work if theyre looking for it right now. Absolutely. That number can be misleading. Obviously thats a conglomeration of every veteran out there. What you see the Unemployment Rate is higher than that number for the younger generation, for the younger generations that served in, you know, after 2001 you see above 10 , approaching 11 . This is something that we have been dealing and talking about and fighting against for a long time here. That has to do with unemployment and underemployment for the veterans. Theyre looking for a challenge they had when they were on active duty, they want leadership opportunities, they want to bring the skills they learned while serving our country to the civilian sector. Theyre not finding that as much. A helping our civilian leaders in the industries understand how much our veterans can bring to their workforce. Obviously, that isolation caused by this pandemic, these circumstances, can lead to anxiety and depression, leads to the fears of additional suicides within the veteran community. I want to ask you about some new reporting that relates to americas troops, this generation of troops the u. S. Intelligence indicating that russia was offering to pay cash on the deaths for the deaths of american and Coalition Troops in afghanistan, your reaction to that . What are you hearing from other veterans and troops right now. Lot of people very troubled about this. We know that russia can in my ways be our adversary. When there are reports real targeted attempts to kill and target u. S. Service members overseas, thats really disconcerting, we know that theres always a risk when youre deploying what we know and make sure our government is doing Everything Possible to protect us from those risks. You touched on a number of issues were dealing with right now not just russian bounties to to taliban, its certainly the ongoing suicide crisis that were dealing with. And its also things more close to home like the tragic murder of specialist at ft. Hood, texas. So much we have to do to support our service members. Also, make sure were responding to things like Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment within our own forces. So much work to be done. To really try and tackle these problems headon. Jeremy the number one thing you think needs to be addressed by the fed rl government is what . For a long time, members have been saying suicide, so much wrapped up there that really ties into every other issue that were talking about, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, unemployment, education benefit. All that ties into the Mental Health of our veterans when they come home. Were grateful for the service of those veterans who served in iraq and afghanistan. Frankly all veterans across this country as we celebrate americas birthday. Jeremy butler, we appreciate your time. That will do it for me on msnbc. Im peter alexander. We wish you a very safe and happy fourth of july weekend. Ali velshi picks up the coverage after a short break. P the covere after a short break. New microban 24 watch as microban 24 kills 99. 9 of bacteria. And then, even after multiple touches, keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours. I trust microban 24 to keep killing bacteria for 24hours. Good afternoon. Its 3 00 p. M. In the east. 12 noon out west. The fourth of july holiday is a time for cookouts, baep trips, firework displays and other fun activities to celebrate americas birthday. The raging coronavirus pandemic is forcing many of those activities to be curtailed. Today the death toll passed 130,000 in america. The number of confirmed cases in the u. S. Stands at nearly 2. 8 million although the cdc says the actual number of infections could be ten times higher. For the sixth time in nine days the United States has set a new record for the number of cases reported in a single day. Yesterday, roughly 56,000 new infections were reported. Ongoing spike in cases in the south and the west. Half of those cases came from four states arizona, california, florida and texas. Texas Governor Abbott responded to the spike if his tate to by requiring people to wear mask. The nations top Infectious Disease expert says things will get worse unless we take immediate action. We need to realize that if we dont adhere to the guidelines as were trying to open, and i dont mean officially the people that are out there, were going to be in some serious difficulty. Right now if you look at the number of cases its quite disturbing and were setting records practically every day in the canumber of cases being reported. President trump tweeted his assertion that the number of coronavirus cases is rising because we have more testing. His own contradicted him. Theres no question that the more testing you get the more you will uncover but we do believe this is a real increase in cases because of the percent positivities are going up. It also appears that the coronavirus is again inching its way closer to americas top leaders. The Washington Post reports that Vice President pences trip to arizona this week was postponed by a day after several secret Service Agents who organized the trip either tested positive for the virus or shown symptoms of being infected. None of this stops the president from thinking this surge in case is serious. Some areas very hard hit are now doing very well. Some were doing very well. We thought they may be go up. We implemented an aggressive strategy to vanquish and kill the virus and protect americans at the highest risk, while allowing those at lower risk to return safely to work, thats whats happening. While Health Officials in many places are urging americans to stay at home and avoid large crowds this weekend, President Trump will not be heeds this advice. Later today, the president will head to mt. Rushmore in south a dakota where hell speak to 7500. The south dakota governor said social distancing wont be required during the event and that masks will be optional. President trump is not only celebrating americas 244th birthday but the news that nearly 5 million americans returned to work last month and the unemployment dropped to 11. 1 . At the same time, another 1. 4 million workers filed for Unemployment Insurance last week. Well have a look at the Coronavirus Response when i talk to Peter Navarro one of President Trumps top trade and economic advisers later this hour. We begin in a couple of coronavirus hot spots. Joining us now is david gura. Houston is if place where theyre implementing provisions because they are at capacity when it comes to intensive care and those kinds of beds. Reporter this is place to borrow a phrase from dr. Fauci a place thats setting record. 8,000 new cases across the state of texas yesterday, ali, and you look at those intensive care unit beds this is the medical capital of the world the largest hospital facility in the world and they have a lot of ic ushu. Theyre full at this time. Now, they say that have about 800 more beds that theyll be able to put into place if they make adjustments within those hospitals. As we learn from our colleagues, among executives higher in houston, theyre worried. Theyre wondering where things are going to go. You mentioned what happened with the Governor Greg Abbott, this was a reversal, this was a aboutface, for so many weeks, local officials here in the state of texas pushing the governor to issue a mask mandate and he declined time and time again. It was a real surprise yesterday when we got word from austin the governor had signed that executive order and there are exemptions. You dont have to wear one if youre going to church or voting. Im electing to wear one as a policy of nbc. Its a step forward. The mayor of this city happy with change. He wrote a letter to the governor saying it was something that needed to be implemented, one part of many things that he needed. We also called for more ppe. Testing is going up nominally, but demand is going up much more than that. People want to get tested. Thats major issue. Same thing in arizona. The cases are going up faster than the testing. Whole idea of more testing means more cases is not accurate. Erinn mclayoff lynn in houston, officials werent taking social distancing and mask wearing seriously, they turned around on that. Thats not the same in california. The governor acted when new york acted and when Washington State act and the mayor acted. What happened there . Reporter thats right, the key question is, were people listening . Experts ive been talking to that people in california were not following the rules, were not heeding the advice of authorities and so authorities are now having to take drastic action, let me just show you the scene playing out behind me, its truly staggering. This is santa monica, just over that way, youll see a completely empty beach. Very few cars if any parked in that park parking lot. Normally on a fourth of july holiday that would be packed with thousands of people here to enjoy the beach, here to enjoy the fireworks, the fireworks now prohibited. The Amusement Park that way, completely shut down as well. Authorities are trying to get this from spiraling out of control. 56 increase in cases over the last two weeks here in california. Speaking to people out in santa monica today, they told me they recognize people were not following the rules, theyre generally supportive of these drastic measures. Take a listen. We have to follow the medical advice, wear the mask, social distancing, it only makes sense. I feel like we put in three months and without people complying were back to where we were three months ago. Im glad that people are seeing that you still have to social distance its not just other. Reporter authorities trying to thinking of new ways of communicating with the public as well. L. A. Mayor garcetti talking about a new warning system, currently at orange, stay indoors, only go out if necessary. Erinn mclaulaughlin. I dont know, joe, i dont know if we need to talk about this, donald trump keeps saying that the reason were seeing more cases is because we have more testing, thats just not true, theres no causal relationship between testing and getting the virus, only a causal relationship between testing and knowing that the virus is out there. Absolutely right. Just because were not there doesnt mean the tree doesnt fall. These cases are there whether or not were testing. We have a much bigger problem. What are you thinking about in terms of the number of states that have increases that are seeing not just increases but actual spikes and records, these four states that were seeing, do you think that everyone has taken this seriously enough, Highwater Mark when the governor of texas tells people to wear a mask. Obviously, we didnt take it seriously enough. If you remember very early on when we were talking about national shutdowns absolutely no one has a political agenda where the shutdown is the goal. It kills our economy, it kills everything about it. If we didnt do that all at the same time and do all the same things this exactly is what would happen. Theres no national strategy, its different from city to province, to states, just pick a state or pick a city and theyre doing it somewhat differently with slightly different rules. If we all accept the same basic rules, its painful medicine but well have to take to get through this until we get a vaccine. Let me ask you about the theme that seems to be emanating from the white house, we heard it from the white house, about the death toll isnt going up, theres Something Different about the people who are getting the infection now, weve heard from the president s press secretary and from the Vice President the idea that younger people are getting it and that means Something Different than what we saw at the beginning of this, what do you make of that. You know, theres a trend where younger people are getting this, some recent everyday that there have been some genetic mutations for it to be more contagious, that may explain why younger people are getting this. In fact the death tolls go, treatment has improved from when we first saw this virus until now, treatments as far as the drugs are improving and just the protocols, do you intoo bait and do you not intointubate . Et cetera. Its only going to get worse. I honestly predict we had the number 200,000 number well reach that if not higher. Joseph, weve been talking about this for months, at the beginning we could see some divergence between Public Health experts and people at the white house and in leadership, what we didnt foresee all those months ago the degree which this would become political and partisan, the Lieutenant Governor of texas one of the people piling on to Anthony Fauci and suggesting that hes wrong and hes misinforming america, this is very dangerous situation where were seeing more than 50,000 cases a day and in a country, where predicted to have 30,000 in the next three weeks. Absolutely. I think theres this perception that theres some agenda the left wants everything shut down and the right wants everything open, its not that at all. Certain people care about the lives of human beings and want to do this safely. We all want to open. We just want to be able to do so safely and without risking our lives. So i think this politicalization of the pandemic has made it so much worse. Its already bad enough as it is. Joseph fair, good to see you as always. Virologyist and epidemiologist. With the coronavirus pandemic showing no sign of letting up any time soon, President Trump is defying the experts hosting a fourth of july event tonight. Later, the president says the pandemic is under control and the economy is coming back. Facts say otherwise. Ill be joined by white house trade adviser Peter Navarro. Needles. Essential for sewing, but maybe not for people with certain inflammatory conditions. Because there are options. Like an unjection™. Xeljanz. 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Shes confident, protected, her strength respected. Depend. The only thing stronger than us, is you. As Health Officials urge americans to stay home this Holiday Weekend with recordbreaking coronavirus cases nearly every day this week, donald trump is still traveling to mt. Rushmore in south dakota tonight for a fireworks display that he described, quote, like few people have seen. This is what the seating situation currently looks like. South dakotas governor said social distancing will not be required and the masks provide willed be optional. Let me remind you the significance of this event the continuation of particular choices that donald trump is making to seemingly despite Health Experts and activists at the same time. Its annual fireworks display was cancelled in 2010 because of its threat to Public Safety. Thats not all. Native american groups are expected to protest at the event tonight. The leader of the sioux nation says trump doesnt have permission to enter the land that mt. Rushmore sits on which the Supreme Court ruled in 1980 was seized by the United States in violation of its treaty with the sioux nation. 1980 the Supreme Court ruled on this. The tribe continues to take its own steps to protect its people from the coronavirus. Heres the president of the sioux nation last night. For me its hard for me to remain diplomatic because of the lack of communication. To fight for these lands, defend these lands. Its a threat to the land and its a threat to mankind in general, to human life. All right, joining me now just outside of mt. Rushmore is nbc news correspondent kal perry. The governor there has been h h highly specific that not social distancing and not wearing a mask is somewhat connected to what america is all about, prix domestic,ened thats what theyre going to be celebrating. Reporter yeah, theres a defiance thats occurring here and we saw this in tulsa as well, the president is being defiance against medical advice, against science, and thats what youre hearing from the governor of south dakota at all. Saying, look, if youre worried about it, stay home. This is america. We wont be social distancing. Its raised concerns here amongst the local community there could be an uptick in coronavirus cases. The native american thats dhit much harder by the virus. Cal, what do we know about protests planned for tonight . Reporter we know that there will be protests right around here, this is about as close as you can get to the black hills site, to that memorial, there should be about 100 to 200 folks here, i think history that you laid out, 1868 this was land promised to the people and that was betrayed by the u. S. People when gold was found in these mountains. This is sacred site to these tribes. When we asked them yesterday, do you think the president is doing this on purpose . They said yes, this is no different than tulsa, juneteenth, he wants to drive a wedge in this issue. He wants to make this a patriotic issue versus sort of what its historical fact. I dont think well see what we saw in tulsa. I doubt think the protesters will be able to get near the trump supporters, theres way too much security around the national park. Cal, good to see you. Nbcs cal perry just outside of mt. Rushmore. I want to bring in the superintendent who served at mt. Rushmore for nine years. She warns that trumps plans for fireworks there is a terrible idea. Thank you for joining us. Tell me about the dangers, the fireworks and the damngers in that area. There are a number of different dangers in the area, the fires caused by the embers or the fireworks, theres also the groundwater issue the Water Quality issue of the chemicals in the fireworks that will permeate the soil and the groundwater, and the groundwater is what employees and visitors are drinking and then the concern about the pandemic and employees and visitors being potentially exposed to coronavirus. Yeah, this is an important issue because these events have potential to become spreader events, even superspreader events. At a place like mt. Rushmore, it sounds like its out there in a great wide open space but there are people who work there, employees who work there, theyre exposed. Thats correct. Many of the visitors and the employees interacting with one another, its very difficult for that number of people who are going to be attending to social distance properly. Everybody wants a seat. Everybody wants to see everything. Very closely. And its going to be very challenging. Cheryl, thank you for being with us. Former superintendent of mt. Rushmore. Well be covering all of those developments. Donald trump took to the white house podium to brag about the junes job numbers, it would be almost good news if so Many Americans werent still out of work and the number of coronavirus cases werent skyrocketing. Can the white house focus on economic recovery while fighting this virus . Peter navarro, white house trade advis adviser, joins me after the break. Adviser, joins me after the break. Last nights sleep, interrupted by pain . Tonight, silence it with new zzzquil night pain. Because pain should never get in the way of a restful nights sleep. New zzzquil night pain. Silence pain, sleep soundly. Well, you see here. Theres a photo of you and theres a photo of your mommy and then theres a picture of me. But before our story it goes way, way, way back with your great, great, great grandparents. 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We had something where it gave it a disincentive to work last time. We want to create a very great incentive to work, so were working on that and im sure well all come together. The change