Transcripts For MSNBCW The Week With Joshua Johnson 20210125

From nbc news headquarters in new york, im Joshua Johnson. Welcome to the week. Tomorrow President Biden will announce new covid travel restrictions. The new order blocks most noncitizens if theyve recently been in south africa, where a new covid variant was recently discovered. Mr. Biden will also reinstate a similar ban affecting International Travelers from the uk, ireland, brazil, and much of europe. Meanwhile, the legislative focus remains on the American Rescue plan, including direct payments of 1,400 to most americans. Also it would increase the federal weekly Unemployment Benefits of 400 a month through the end of september. It would raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour, and it would provide billions of dollars for state and local government aid including for schools, covid testing, and a National Vaccine program. This afternoon President Bidens top economic adviser discussed the relief package on a call with a Bipartisan Group of 16 senators. Sources tell nbc news the conversation was robust and that it was a great first meeting. Heres what one member of mr. Bidens council of economic advisers told us in the last hour. There was a real shared urgency among the people on that call from both sides of the aisle. Now, they could pass this bill with a simple majority. They could also use a parliamentary procedure to avoid the filibuster. But the Biden Administration is actively courting republican votes. The president signaled the importance of bipartisanship on inauguration day. He said, quote, with the unity we can do great things, important things. Some republicans are already dismissing that. Is talk of unity from this white house dead already . Yeah, no, unity and ideology are two separate things. Unit doesnt mean uniformity. That is ridiculous. The elections prove it. The 50 50 split in the senate proves we have people with very different opinions. He may use the language, rhetoric, demeanor of a centrist but so far his policies dont seem to represent that and that is an important thing to note. So how does a Biden Administration work with an Opposition Party if its divided among itself . Republicans are split on whether to convict the former president in that senate trial set to begin the week of february 8th. According to the washington post, mr. Trump is apparently toying with creating his own political party. A way to get back at republicans who did not back him near the end of his term. Joe bidens first few weeks in office will be busy but Congress Also has a lot on its plate. Today Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer laid out what he believes the senate has to accomplish in the next three weeks. There are three essential items on our plate. The trial of President Trump, now that the house has impeached him, bold, strong covid relief, and approving the president s cabinet, desperately needed at a time like this. The senate must and will do all three. The stakes are too high to delay any of them. Joining us to talk through all of this are juanita tolliver. Michael steele, a Senior Adviser for jeb bushs president ial campaign in 2016, and former press secretary for House Speaker john boehner. Good to have the three of you with us. Let me start with you juanita. What do you think is the democrats best strategy Going Forward right now . I think schumer already laid it out. Do it all and do it all quickly. The American Public went into the 2020 election with an explicit mandate. We need immediate relief and help in this pandemic. Trump needs to be held accountable. There is, not doing it is not an option at this phase. I think an old colleague of mine would always say there is a lot to be done and undone. That is a tone and tenor were seeing from this senate under schumers leadership as well as under bidens leadership. The senate absolutely has to do it all and do it quickly. Before i come to you, michael, juanita, let me get your reaction to this cut from senator mitt romney, republican from utah. Here is part of what he said on Fox News Sunday with regard to President Bidens call for unity. Watch. Do you see an inherent conflict between calling for unity and a new president pursuing his agenda . Well, i think it would be unrealistic to assume that democrats and republicans are going to see eye to eye on every issue. There are going to be differences of opinion. That is expected. But at the same time i think it is appropriate for us to have unity of purpose, unity of heart. A recognition that we respect each other and treat each other with comity. And that is something which i believe President Biden wants to see. At the same time, i think there are some actions the president is taking that are going to lead to some anger and division. Juanita, what about that, balancing the call for comity with the things that republican lawmakers just arent going to go for . Look, i think the white house has been explicitly clear about the fact that President Biden has been doing outreach across the aisle for weeks now on this plan so anything in this shouldnt be a surprise to them. Honestly it is incumbent upon both parties to prioritize the needs of American People which it can be argued the gop and bidens predecessor ignored and perhaps perpetuated the dire straits people are experiencing right now. So i think absolutely to my previous point this senate needs to perform and move quickly in order to meet the needs of people who are facing challenges, whether with housing, food, employment right now, because it is only going to get worse without action. Michael steele, what do you see as the path forward for republicans right now . I think the senate cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. I think they need to delay any impeachment trial of President Trump while they get the Biden Cabinet confirmed and then act in a bipartisan way on a smaller, more targeted covid relief bill. I dont think there is any appetite among republicans for such a large bill. I dont think there is any possibility even with the reconciliation process of passing it with only democratic votes. The only way to get much needed relief to the American People as quickly as possible, speed up vaccinations, increase testing, is to delay the trial and move forward with a relatively targeted, much smaller covid relief bill. Dont the democrats have the votes, though, to do this if they feel like it . Are you talking about trying to break through a filibuster if republicans decide to filibuster a democratic plan . I guarantee a bill this size will be filibustered. Democrats do not have the votes given the narrowness of their majority and the fact that it includes some relatively moderate Democratic Senators to break the filibuster on a Party Line Vote to go nuclear to end filibuster or to use the reconciliation procedure which is very complicated and difficult. The only realistic path forward here is a bipartisan product. Is that a good look, though . Joe biden won by a significant margin in 2020 and republicans have a much bigger problem to deal with potentially, which is the possibility that there are people in their ranks who may have helped foment an insurrection on january 6th. It seems like the party has enough to deal with internally. Wouldnt it be wise for them to pick as few internal fights as possible right now . One of the good reasons to delay the impeachment trial in the senate is because Law Enforcement and others are learning more every day about the events of january 6th and i think in order to have a fair trial, a thorough trial that gets at all the facts, we just cant do that in the near term. At the same time, the point is to get people immediate relief related to the covid pandemic and the economic fall out. There is nothing to do with a 15 minimum wage in this fight. That is why we need to focus on vaccines, testing, aid to education, schools, et cetera, immediate, personal relief to deal with the crisis we face. What is your sense of where things stand in congress in terms of moving something forward . Mitch mcconnell and Chuck Schumer are still apparently working out some kind of power sharing plan. Until that happens there are material changes in congress that have yet to happen. There are still committees in the senate that still are headed by republicans because the shift over hasnt happened yet. This is gumming up the gears in a lot of different ways. Right, and that conversation that has ground to a halt and it does signal some of the problems President Biden is going to face ahead in pushing through an almost 2 trillion package. Theres really i think little that republicans and democrats agree on right now aside from getting some sort of package through and putting that money toward Vaccine Distribution and production. But theres huge objections to things republicans have had objections to this entire pandemic. In particular the 350 billion earmarked for what republicans have deemed to be a bail out for poorly run localities. Republicans again have been against providing additional funding to state and local governments for months now. Lawmakers have also raised questions again about the 1,400 stimulus payments to americans that they feel those need to be more narrowly targeted. There are also questions about more extensions of emergency unemployment set to expire in march. There are a lot of questions about a lot of Different Things and the Biden Administration says that on a Conference Call today theyre taking in some suggestions. It was a bipartisan call with republican senators. That they are listening to and going to proceed accordingly. But the pathway to unity, especially when it comes to pushing through what biden wants to be a bipartisan package, has several hurdles to overcome before they get there. You know, we have some reporting on that call from nbc that senator susan collins, a republican from maine, one of the more moderate members of the group on the call indicated she cant yet support the Biden Administrations big plan, that 1. 9 trillion plan, said through an aide it is, quote, premature to be considering a package of this size and scope, unquote. Said the stimulus checks are in her words are not well targeted to those who would most need them. And also, a number of republican members asked for data to show that more money for education on top of the money that was in the last bill that passed is necessary. So it sounds like theres some work to be done. There is also the matter of the president and Vice President themselves. A lot has been made of the fact that joe biden has these deep alliances and longstanding friendships on capitol hill. What is your sense of how congress expects the dynamic to maybe shift once he and Vice President harris get in the mix of trying to work this out . Well, that is the 1. 9 trillion question, and it is something weve seen joe biden bank his candidacy on and now his presidency. These relationships. Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell has written glowingly about his relationship with biden. Called him a good man in his memoir. But well see how far that relationship actually takes him. At the end of the day the minority leader is running the party out of power and is now more concerned with getting back in power, resolving the gop civil war in his party between the party of trump and the rest of the Republican Party right now. And i think its been a lingering question since joe biden declared his candidacy, how far can the appearances of bipartisanship and working with one another actually go in this polarized and very hyperpartisan climate . Very briefly, i wonder what your sense is of how the discord in the Republican Party might affect things Going Forward. We found out about arizonas gop censuring governor doug doocy, cindy mccain, the widow of senator john mccain, and also former senator jeff flake, who had all opposed President Trumps efforts to overturn the election and the post is reporting donald trump is tossing around the idea of starting his own political party. Juanita, is this signal or noise . How much attention should we be paying to this very briefly . I think we should absolutely be paying attention because it highlights the fact the gop is in a shambles right now as you have people being censured, penalized, for doing whats right. It has to have lingering impacts well into and beyond the midterm elections. Michael, before we go . The president wants to leave he has incited conspiracy theories and embraced conspiracy theories that cost us the Georgia Senate races, cost us the majority in the senate. If he wants to go his own way, he is more than welcome to do so. He will do whatever is in his personal, political, and financial interest. He has no loyalty to the Republican Party. Juanita tolliver, jacqueline alamany, michael steel, we appreciate your analysis. Thank you very much. We have two Big International stories coming up. First, russia is seeing mass protests over the arrest of Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny. How will the Biden Administration deal with Vladimir Putin . Plus, the president s decision to block the keystone xl pipeline is not sitting well with our neighbors to the north. Well hear from the premier of alberta, canada, and from an activist fighting to protect tribal lands. Before we get to that, the headlines. Good evening to you, joshua. Stories were watching this hour mexicos president tested positive for the coronavirus. He tweeted he has mild symptoms and is receiving medical treatment. He plans to continue working through that illness. At least one person was hospitalized after a Police Officer drove through a crowd in tacoma, washington. The Police Department says a group crowded that vehicle and hit its body and windows. Independent investigators are looking into the incident. Finally tonight, former White House Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders is expected to announce a run for governor of arkansas tomorrow. So reports two people familiar with her plans. Sanders toyed with this campaign since leaving her post in 2019. She was quietly setting the wheels in motion over the last year. More of the week with Joshua Johnson right after the break. K. There are many reasons for waiting to visit your doctor right now. But if youre experiencing irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or lightheadedness, dont wait to contact your doctor. Because these symptoms could be signs of a serious condition like atrial fibrillation. 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In russia, tens of thousands of russians are protesting the arrest of Vladimir Putins highest profile critic Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny called for demonstrations after he was detained last sunday. Officers pulled him aside as soon as he landed at the airport in moscow. He was flying back from berlin where he had gotten medical treatment for poison. Last August Navalny was attacked with the nerve agent novichok, a weapon known to come specifically from russia. Once he emerged from a coma he told supporters staying out of russia never crossed his mind. The Trump Administration and president putin enjoyed warm relations in many ways. Now President Biden faces the tough task of redefining americas relationship with russia. But what is in the best interests of the u. S. And the world . Joining us now is michael carpenter, former Deputy Assistant secretary of defense for russia, ukraine, and eurasia. He was also a Foreign Policy adviser to joe biden back when he was Vice President. Mr. Carpenter, good evening. Nice to be with you. What do you make of the protests in russia right now . Well, it is really astounding that across the vast expanse of russias 11 time zones you saw protesters literally braving the bitter cold and a Massive Police presence to voice their support for Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny. Remind us why he should be important to americans watching who may not be following the tit for tat between him and Vladimir Putin. Why does he matter . Sure. So Alexei Navalny is the most Prominent Russian opposition figure. Someone who has been rumored would run for president if he could, if he was allowed to stand for such an election. And he is someone who has been poisoned twice. Already once when he was on vacation and then a second time with a chemical nerve agent this past summer and was forced to seek treatment at a berlin hospital. He was in a coma when he was transported to germany. And recall also that the previous sort of leading russian opposition figure was assassinated just steps from the kremlin five years ago. So this is about human rights but it is also about democracy. How much does he factor into the Biden Administrations larger questions about what to do with russia . Russia has its fingers in a lot of pies right now including the ongoing troubles in syria. Vladimir putin and syrias president assad have gotten cozier over time. Turkeys president and syrias president and russias president have all kind of slowly gotten closer to one another. Erdogan, the president of turkey. Where does this, these protests, where does this sit in the larger scheme of what the u. S. Does about russia . Well, look. I think the Biden Administration has to do a number of things simultaneously. It has to strengthen our alliance structure, which means primarily nato, increasing its military capabilities, mobility, readiness. At the same time it has to be prepared to impose costs on the kremlin whenever russia engages in hostile actions against the United States or transgresses the sovereignty of its neighbors. It also has to step up our own game here in the United States in terms of strengthening our resilience against things like cyber attacks, dark money, disinformation, which is by the way where russia has wrought the most harm to our national security. Fourth, i think the administration will stand up for human rights and democracy. That is something missing for the last four years and a central component of President Bidens Foreign Policy. Last but not least i think the administration will need to support or strengthen strategic stability between the two nations to make sure we neither enter into a Nuclear Arms Race nor that some sort of miscalculation spirals out of control and we end up with an unintended confrontation. I was going to ask you about that because the Biden Administration is seeking a five year extension with russia of the Current Nuclear treaty just before it runs out. A number of treaties that have to do with longrange missiles, the open skies treaty, which creates this blanket zone where various nations can perform aerial surveillance. Those treaties have either languished or lapsed. I know the prospect of a nuclear or icbm conflict between the u. S. And russia is terrifying but that is why these treaties are so important. I would presume that there is no good reason for the u. S. To try to force russia back to the table and say, no, no. We want to amend this before we do this again. I presume that the first step is just to go back into those treaties. Right . Or is it . That is correct. The new start treaty expires on february 5th so the administration has very little time to seek a fiveyear extension which is what it said it will do. This is terrifically important because as you mentioned the fabric of our arms control agreements with russia are completely frayed. This is one of the last few agreements that is still left standing. And its a good one because it constrains russias Strategic Forces and if its extended it will do so until 2026. It has a very robust inspection and verification regime. We can build on this to include other types of weapons. But in the meantime, given how little time is left, it makes sense to extend the treaty which five years ago when was ratified had the support of 71 members of the senate, both democrats and republicans. Im going to steal ten seconds very briefly at the end. You mentioned nato is one of our keys to dealing with russia. How much work do you think has to be done in terms of repairing that relationship . Would it be easy to get back to where we were . Before we go. Real quick, in terms of military capabilities, nato is in good shape. It continues to need to adapt to threats both asymmetric from china and russia and other nations. But what is missing is the political solidarity within the alliance. Here, the last four years, have led to a catastrophe. I think the Biden Administration has a lot of work cut out for it. But it will be a priority to reestablish those relationships. Youve seen Major Companies like france and germany reaching out to the United States to try to realign our strategic visions on some of those challenges like terrorism, russia, china. And so i am hopeful that although it will take time we can get there. Michael carpenter, managing director of the Penn Biden Center for diplomacy and global engagement, thanks very much. Thank you. The keystone xl pipeline is called off. President bidens decision to revoke the permit is getting mixed reactions across the u. S. canada border. Youll hear from advocates on both sides, next. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. 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And as the Covid Vaccine rolls out, well be ready to administer it. Your journey requires Liberty Mutual. They customize your car insurance. So you only pay for what you need. Wow. That will save me lots of money. This games boring. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. On friday President Biden made his first call to a foreign leader, canadian Prime Minister justin trudeau. It is just one sign of how primary the u. S. canada relationship is. That call lasted about 30 minutes. There was some disagreement. Mr. Trudeau expressed disappointment at the president s decision to cancel the keystone xl pipeline. It would transport 830,000 barrels of canadian crude from the province of alberta over the u. S. Border and eventually on to the gulf coast. Keystone xl has been a political and cultural football for the past 12 years. Mr. Bidens decision was cheered by environmentalists and tribal activists on this side of the border. It was strenuously opposed by many in canada, especially those whose jobs depend on the pipeline. Lets hear from both of these sides of the debate. Starting us off is jason kenny, the premier of alberta. That province is north of montana, idaho, and washington state. Good evening. Thanks. Great to be here, joshua. What was the most important aspect of the keystone xl pipeline to albertans . Was it jobs or was there more to it . Jobs are critical of course. It would create tens of thousands of good jobs on both sides of the border. And i should point out that most of the big American Construction unions that supported mr. Bidens campaign were also strong supporters of the project. But there is a bigger context of Continental Energy security. We both know the United States has paid a great price to maintain Energy Security in the past. And i think it is much to the u. S. s advantage to have a safe, reliable, environmentally responsible source of Energy Rather than having to depend more on opec dictatorship energy. Secondly, if this energy does not move by pipe it will move by rail and even president Obamas State Department concluded it would actually increase Carbon Emissions so we think this is good both for national security, jobs, and the environment. How are albertans doing these days, jobwise . I know there have been a lot of big hits to canneds economy with covid19. Alberta is usually home to the calgary stampede, and that got curtailed this past year, hopefully not the year to come. How are albertans doing these days . Well, weve been through some challenges here no doubt about it and in the last year the global covid recession, the impact of the pandemic, and a collapse of Energy Prices started last spring. With the russia opec price war on energy hit us hard. But were resilient. This is the entrepreneurial heart of the canadian economy, the youngest population. Well come back strong but we want to do it in partnership with the United States. We congratulate President Biden on his election. We want to work closely with his administration. The canada u. S. Trade relationship is critical. But the biggest part of that is our energy exports. Nearly 100 billion a year of energy that we export to the u. S. Mainly from this province and we think that is good for the u. S. To have access to this Energy Rather than depending on venezuelan, iranian, or russian energy. Your point is well taken in terms of getting off of foreign sources and indeed russias kind of standoff with opec threw chaos into the world energy market. Im sure everyone was glad to see that end because it freaked the market out for a while. You have called for some kind of compensation in exchange for this pipeline being called off. How would that work . Well, joshua, canadian investors, including albertas government, invested in this pipeline that actual Border Crossing which is subject of the president ial permit and now veto is in place. It was built last july. So our point is that investments were made on the basis of the predictability of the american regulatory system, on the approvals in place. Those things have been retroactively repealed by President Biden on wednesday. We think that is a violation of the, at least of the spirit and probably the letter of the Investor Protection provisions of nafta which have been carried forward. We fought hard against President Trumps effort to rip up nafta. We are glad President Biden wants a constructive relationship with us. One way of demonstrating that would be, i think, to say, sorry about this. We disagree about the pipeline but we recognize that the u. S. Has changed its mind and at least to provide some compensation to those who invested. A lot of the conversation on this side of the border has had to do with how the keystone xl pipeline affected indigenous lands. That was one reason why i think millions of americans ultimately said this is not a good idea. What would you say to folks here in the u. S. Who say, sorry about your investment. Investments are inherently risky. Sorry you lost your money. But there are also perhaps larger imperatives in play here. A couple things. All the polls indicate majority support in the u. S. For the project including among democrats and union members. Secondly, every State Government along the route supports it. Its gone through exhaustive, over a decade of environmental assessment. The Obama State Department determined it would actually reduce Carbon Emissions versus moving it by rail. I think indigenous communities, it is a lot safer for the energy to move, again, underground and modern technology as opposed to overground by rail. Finally the Company Trans Canada Energy was negotiating Equity Ownership arrangements or partial ownership with native American Communities. What we here call first nations. Finally, you should know that the energy comes from the canadian oil sands, which has the overwhelming support of our native American Communities here, our first nations. Many of them are Business Partners with the Energy Companies in responsibly developing that. Last ten seconds, would it not be better to just shift to renewable sources of energy and leave tribal lands alone . Well, certainly, this province, we have a higher share of renewables. But as long as the world needs oil and gas i think it is better it come from a rights respecting democracy like canada in partnership with our Indigenous People as opposed to coming from opec dictatorships. Jason kenney is the premier of alberta. Premier kennedy, thank you. Thanks for your interest, joshua. Lets continue now with nick tilson, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota nation. He is president and ceo of the ndn collective. Good evening. Thanks for having me on. What did it mean to you to see the Biden Administration stop the keystone xl pipeline . I was inspired by the Biden Administration taking the time to listen to Indigenous People and to listen to the groundswell of our movement that was on both, actually on both sides of the border, largely led by Indigenous People. Also the support from the environmental organizations, both indigenous and nonindigenous groups. It meant a lot to us in this 12 to 14year struggle that this has been because we prayed on this through ceremony and it has meant so much to us as a community and as a people. Not just to protect our lands and to protect the environment but also to stop Global Climate change and the things that are impacting all of humanity. So we were grateful to have to see this action being taken on day one because we work really hard to fight for biden to get into office and it is an indicator of the Biden Administration working towards repair with Indigenous People. Can you give us a quick geography lesson . Where exactly is the Oglala Lakota nation and what part was affected by the keystone xl pipe line . The Oglala Lakota nation where im calling from, my Home Community here in western south dakota, and the area of this entire area is the seven council fires. And so this pipeline cut directly through our territory and through our land and it would have directly impacted our waterways, our cultural ways, our ceremonies. It also would have had a direct impact on the economy of the region. Most of these jobs that people talk about are short term, boom and bust jobs. It also creates these man camps that bring violence and drugs into our communities and contributes to a huge issue of murdered and missing indigenous women, which is at absolute epidemic levels in our communities. So this is the region that were in and all of the ways that this pipeline directly affects us. I think the one thing to also remember is that as indigenous nations we dont recognize the colonial borders that divide us. And the border between the u. S. And canada is a colonial border. And many Indigenous People in canada for decades have been resisting the fossil fuel industry. And the Oil Development happening at the tar sands. So we are calling not only for the closure of and stopping of these pipelines but actually stopping it at the source and stopping the pollution thats happening in the waterways, in the communities, and the Human Rights Violations happening as a result of these projects to the Indigenous People and our relatives north of the medicine line. I know my time with you is tight but i wonder what your thoughts are on the other part of what premier kenney said, which has to do with energy. All of us use the energy that is provided from various sources, renewable or nonrenewable. This one happened to affect your tribal lands, cut right through them. And i understand why Indigenous Peoples have been solidly against this. I also know were not quite ready to go renewable yet. There are many parts of the country that are not ready. How do you see that balance between being able to build for a Clean Energy Future tomorrow, one that will be more respectful of tribal lands, and dealing with our energy needs today . Oh, i think the Renewable Energy technology is far superseding this old fossil fuel model. I think the reality is i believe in the innovation of indigenous communities and social entrepreneurship and the ideas that tribal nations can innovate and create new, economic models that are aligned with our indigenous values that work toward a just and equitable transition away from the fossil fuel industry. I actually think that anything is possible. Actually, we stop believing in these old, false narratives that we absolutely need the fossil fuel industries when we know that those have been destructive to our economies and human rights. I believe in the coming years we can be creating new economies based on Renewable Energy and to a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. I believe it is completely possible and now is the time to take action in doing that. Nick tilsen, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota nation, thank you very much for making the time. Absolutely. Thanks for having me on. Well shift gears when we come back to the fight against covid19. Much of the u. S. 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Each state is handling its rollout a bit differently. That means some are having more success than others. One state is setting a strong pace with its rollout West Virginia. Nbc news digital reporter mora barrett has the story. Reporter without a federal system in place for a vaccine administration, each state is doing it a little differently. But some states like West Virginia are having better results than others. We dont have vaccines in a warehouse sitting on a shelf. Weve got them in peoples arms. Reporter West Virginia is topping the charts with one of the best per capita vaccine rates in the country. Its also near the top of the list of states administering a high rate of doses distributed to them. But how exactly are they doing it . For one, theyre focusing on high risk populations first. The state was the first in the country to complete firstround vaccinations in Nursing Homes and Long Term Care facilities. But there was another strategy they used. Our Great National guard and all of our Health Officials came up with an idea to basically recruit all the local pharmacies. Our state is very unusual in that walgreens and cvs are not nearly as welldistributed across all of our state. Half of our pharmacies in West Virginia are independently owned. We organized over 200 pharmacies in a network that could reach people not only in the Population Centers that we have but in the Rural Communities as well. That was something that we were not going to be able to have if we had activated the federal Pharmacy Partnership early on because we knew that there was at least a twoweek delay with the federal Pharmacy Partnership. Reporter this worked well initially but officials soon realized they needed to change course. We had to make a really big pivot away from really going with the walgreens and cvs to going with our National Guard. Reporter at least 16 states have activated the National Guard to assist with vaccinations. President biden plans to deploy both fema and the National Guard nationwide to help increase vaccination numbers across the board. By the end of our first month in office we will have 100 federally supported Centers Across the nation that will ultimately vaccinate millions of people. Reporter when it comes to the number of doses distributed West Virginia has received roughly 200,000 doses. This is significantly less than larger, more populated states like texas and california who have received 2 million and 3 million doses each, respectively. Fewer doses means less of an organizational headache but West Virginias vaccination rate is impressive nonetheless. Now that the state is wrapping up their first round of vaccinations theyre ready for more. Now what we need in West Virginia is more vaccines. Reporter bidens post inauguration plans include invoking the defense production act to rapidly expand vaccine manufacturing but organization will remain challenging. Whether in West Virginia, california, or pennsylvania, if we can get a shot in the arm we got a real chance of saving somebodys life. That was nbcs mora barrett reporting. Last night we noted President Bidens call for us to come together and end what he called our uncivil war. We asked how youre finding ways to connect with people you disagree with. Well share some of your stories before we go. Its customized Home Insurance from Liberty Mutual only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. With relapsing forms of ms, theres a lot to deal with. Not just unpredictable relapses. All these other things too. Who needs that kind of drama . Kesimpta is a oncemonthly injection that may help you put this rms drama in its place. It reduced the rate of relapses and active lesions and slowed disability progression. Dont take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could come back and cause serious liver problems or death. Kesimpta can cause serious side effects, including infections, especially when taken before or after other medicines that weaken the immune system. A rare, potentially fatal brain infection called pml may happen with kesimpta. Tell your doctor if you had or plan to have vaccines, or if you are or plan to become pregnant. Kesimpta may cause a decrease in some types of antibodies. Talk to your doctor about any injectionrelated reactions. The most common side effects are upper respiratory Tract Infections and headache. Ask your Healthcare Provider about kesimpta. Dramatic results. Less rms drama. vo last year when people were going hungry, dramatic results. Subaru and our retailers donated 50 million meals to feeding america. And yet, one in four children may still face hunger. So, as part of our love promise, subaru and our retailers are doing it again, donating an additional 100 million meals to help those in need. Love. Its never been needed more than right now. Subaru. More than a car company. Introducing voltaren arthritis pain gel. The first full prescription strength nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel. Available over the counter. Voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. Voltaren. The joy of movement. Is that net carbs or total . Eh, not enough fiber. Chocolate would be good. Snacking should be sweet and simple. The delicious taste of glucerna gives you the sweetness you crave while helping you manage your blood sugar. With nutrients to help support immune health. Before we go, lets read some emails. We asked you to share how you have worked around your disagreements with others to connect with them. Don writes, hi, joshua, im a conservative who voted for trump and spend a lot of time on fox news. I turned on msnbc and was surprised to hear your reasonable suggestion that we stop and listen a little to the other side. I applaud you and think thats answer for us getting together as a country and united nation. And thanks for not suggesting that i should be reprogrammed before having a point of view. No reprogramming necessary. Welcome, don. Glad to have you with us. Hope you keep coming back. Wendy writes, im a teacher and a registered democrat. In order to build bridges and better understand friends and colleagues, i invited them to have afterschool political discussions. We listen, learn, and connect. Our goal is to find Common Ground as often as possible. Our motto, be curious, not judgmental. As adults, we encourage children to practice empathy, do hard things, and use their words. The teachers that join me in these conversations know that sometimes grownups need to take their own advice. Quite a few people said they are not ready or willing to reach out. Others questioned if its even possible. Nestor writes, how can we listen more if everyone is so afraid to be real, honest, and vulnerable. You catch people in their b. S. Real quick, and its hard to play along. Its hard to believe anyone at this point. Finally, linda in Salt Lake City writes, as a retail cashier, i, we, are at the receiving end of every complaint our customers have. Ive found more than anything, people just want to be heard. I quietly allow them to speak their piece, and when they feel they have been heard they are much more open to finding a compromise to the problem. If i speak with a kind, interested voice instead of confrontational, which is what they are expecting, they let their guard down, and then we can have a conversation. Good stories all. Thank you very much for sharing them. We always love to hear from you. Feel free to email us at any time, theweek msnbc. Com. Follow us on twitter, theweek. Well post our future topics for audience callouts and questions. Maybe well read your comment on the air. Were here every saturday and sunday night. 8 00 p. M. To 10 00 p. M. Eastern. Come on back and do bring a friend. But until we meet again, im Joshua Johnson. Make it a wonderful week. Ibrate only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Since my dvt blood clot. I wasnt sure. Was another around the corner . Or could things go a different way . I wanted to help protect myself. My doctor recommended eliquis. Eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. Almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didnt experience another. And eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Eliquis is fdaapproved and has both. Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. 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