Platforms banning the former president for his unrelenting false claims over the 2020 election and dangerous rhetoric ahead of the January 6th insurrection. And there is national disappointment with the decision to keep Track Superstar Shacarri richardson off of an olympic Relay Team running days after her suspension for a positive Marijuana Test is set to be lifted. Ill speak to fourtime Gold Medalist Sonya Richards ross about the decision. We begin with bill karins tracking the Storm And Nbcs Vaughn Hilliard in surfside, florida. Bill, lets start with you. The storm made landfall late this morning. What is the forecast for Northern Florida and the states along the Atlantic Coast over the next few days . Yeah. This is a giant inconvenient storm. So its not going to cause the destruction, it doesnt look like in any low area, but as it moves up the coast it will be a six to 12hour period of Heavy Rain, Gusty Winds and maybe scattered Power Outages and the highest Wind Gust we have is 30, 40 miles per hour in the populated areas and we did have a report of 71 miles per hour at the landfall spot. Again, as you expect with a tropical storm. As far as threats, obviously with any Landfall System as we get tornados that could always be a problem. Thankfully, we havent had any confirmed Tornadoes Yesterday or so far today with this system. It doesnt mean we wont have a couple more and we also have Flash Flooding concerns around perry, florida, thats where some of the heaviest rain is right now. Occasional Tornado Warnings and the potential for some Flash Flooding. Winds are still at 65 miles per hour. Thats the highest winds possible. Its weakening quickly from here and well be watching it going down probably to 40 by this evening and it will start moving quickly, too. By Tomorrow Morning it will be over the top of columbia, south carolina, and then the possibility of going almost right along i95 and maybe over the top of areas like new York City, Long Island and even boston. Heres how its going to play out. For the rest of today, the rans will be heavy from jacksonville To Savannah and the heavy Rain Threat goes along Charleston Area and Myrtle Beach through raleigh and by Thursday Afternoon and evening the Heavy Rain will be in d. C. It looks like the worst for philly and new York City will be overnight into very early Friday Morning and that will help with the morning commute. 6 00 a. M. Friday it looks like the rain could be over with in new york, hartford, Long Island, Providence And Boston it looks like a rough, early Friday Morning for you and then the storm will begin to head out. Kasie, the other thing we havent talked about and this is not related to elsa and there is a huge Flooding Area and threat of texas and it doesnt have a name, but theyre expecting up to 15 inches of rain near Corpus Cristi and im sure well show you in the days ahead. Well be keeping texas in mind, as well. Katie, let me go to you, we heard about Governor Desantis earlier as some may not taking elsa as serious because it is a hurricane and there are concerns about Power Outages and a potential storm surge. What do we know . Reporter yeah. Kasie, florida is a great, big state and this storm has had a long trek up the west Coast And Crossing over the state and the governor was trying to be cautious in his words to say it will not be the same impact for everyone as the storm is making this path some of you may get Heavy Rains and Heavy Rain and as it gets inland there could be popup tornados and there could be orders to shelter in place and to heed those warnings and take them seriously because this storm obviously has been tracking a long time. Weve been talking about it for nearly a week. Actually, we started naming This Storm Last Thursday and this is the third landfall that this storm has made. So it has been quite a journey and its not over. As bill was mentioning, we wont see this weather fully making its exit probably until friday or saturday and as for where we are in tampa, here in the central part of the sunshine state, people are certainly sighing relief. The sun is out and the winds are dying down. As you can see, the surf which was crashing over the Sea Wall this morning has receded back out and people are actually in the water and you have to keep in mind that this is a Vacation Week for a lot of people and a lot of tourism in florida, so these tourists had no real option of places to go to ride out the storm and theyre trying to do it now with what little sunshine and good weather may be left in the week. Kasie . Catie, im glad youre getting a little bit and so far we believe everyone is safe and well so, thank you. Vaughn, to go back to the operation in surfside where obviously the situation is much, much different for so many families. Its been a long, long two weeks of emotional trauma as this operation continues. I know they found some additional people. Whats the latest . Reporter yeah, good afternoon, kasie. The mayor of Miamidade County just a few minutes ago made the statement that ten additional bodies have been recovered since last night. That is progress and the goal is here to recover these individuals and that puts that number at about 18 in just the last 36 hours alone. Theres a reckoning here that again, theres been no survivors pulled since the national moments after the collapse and the Fire Chief here in Miamidade County also making the statement acknowledging that there is no signs that any of these now total individuals have recovered have shown signs of life after that initial collapse which puts the context of the search for those potentially additional 94 in greater context about the extent to which this is a potential Recovery Effort as opposed to a rescue one. There is a hearing that we should note this morning at 9 00 a. M. , kasie, in which there were 38 lawyers that went before a judge. The judge working with not only the Condo Association Board whos had the now had a receivership appointed, essentially someone from outside of the Condo Complex here to help them through this tough time work their end for this and now theyre going to have a team of lawyers essentially representing them pro bono and depending on the compensation on the funds they were to win in court, there are also discussions this morning about what happens to this land, the judge proposing that they try to sell this property to make as much money in excess of 100 Million to help with that fund in order to pay out those damages to those who lost their Loved Ones or those individuals who survived that have lost their homes. Kasie . So unbelievably difficult and all of it and such a long road ahead, thank you all are have much for starting us off this hour. We really appreciate it. Joining me for more on the investigation into the collapse is Aaron Hillsheimer his company investigated the pentagon after the 9 11 terror attacks and has been hired to work with those down in surfside. Sir, thank you so much for being with us today. Each day the mayor of miamidade is being pressed on what caused this collapse, but we dont have a definitive answer yet. How much work can be done to try and find an answer to that question while the Search And Rescue operation is under way . Weve been working since friday after the collapse in doing all of the things we can do without physically being on the pile in the debris. Were doing Computer Models of the building based on the original drawings that we have. Were comparing those results to the Building Code requirements at the time. We are looking at photographs. We are looking at videos. Were listening to all these hundreds of emails were getting a day telling us different kinds of information. We input that all into what were doing. Were not losing any time and we cant do the Materials Testing and site investigations yet. It doesnt lose any time and it just delays when we can do that part of the investigation. Have you reached any conclusions so far or found anything new that may point to something that we havent already been discussing at length . To answer your question theres no one that can tell you yet building fell down with the information that we have at this point in time and those that may do that are kind of guessing at what they might see. No, we havent seen anything new. We are continuing to evaluate pretty much 20 hours a day and its just a very long process. As i explained before, its like taking two 3,000piece puzzles, throwing them up in the air and mixing them all up on the ground and trying put them back together again. Just incredibly difficult work. Sir, there is a discussion of a Reserve Study where a state would force a Condo Association to assess their Building And Figure out how much its going to cost to repair it. Does that need to be in place for condos nationally, do you think . Weve heard a lot of reporting how there were so many arguments about how to pay for the repairs that they seemed to think the building did need. I cant speak to what the law wants to be changed to or other things like that. What i can speak to is that when you own a house, apartment, a condo or whatever you need to pay attention to the building and when the plumbing breaks you begin fixing it. When you have too much fixing to do, you replace it. What condos need, they need capable, experienced people as a consultant or On The Boards that understand buildings that can help people understand what they need to look in more thoroughly over what period of time. All right. Allyn kilsheimer, we appreciate you being here. Youre welcome. Up next, we are following the Breaking News out of haiti where the president was assassinated overnight. President Jovenel Moise and the first lady. President biden said we condemn this heinous act and moments ago he called it very worrisome. Dan delose for the Nbc News investigative unit. Dan, good to see you. Thank you for being here. What do we know about what happened here . We still dont know very much, but what is interesting is the interim Prime Minister issued a statement earlier and said that the attack was carried out in a coordinated way by highly trained individuals who were heavily armed. So the implication was this was not some lone actor or some amateur group and they might suggest they might be foreigners and they were speaking spanish and english in the frenchspeaking country there. We do know it is a country racked by political unrest and tremendous gang violence. All right. Dan de luce, thank you very much for that update on a difficult story. Im sure well keep following it. Thank you. Thank you. Coming up next. Trumped up . The former president says hes suing facebook, twitter and others to preserve First Amendment Rights and shifting focus as unvaccinated areas bear the brunt of the deadly Delta Variant. The biden administration takes the new approach to keep people protected. This is Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc. This is Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc it doesnt ring the bell on wall street. Or disrupt the status quo. Tmobile for business uses unconventional thinking to help you realize new possibilities on americas largest, fastest, and most reliable 5g network. Plus Customer Experience that finds solutions in the moment. And firstclass benefits, like 5g with every plan. Network, Support And Value without any tradeoffs. Thats tmobile for business. The instant Air Purifier removes 99. 9 of the virus that causes covid19 from treated air. So you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection. Of course youve seen underwear knowing that you and your fam that fits like this. On. But never for bladder leaks. Always discreet boutique black. I feel protected all day, in a fit so discreet, youd never know theyre for bladder leaks. Always discreet boutique. [narrator] at southern new hampshire university, were committed to making college more accessible by making it more affordable, thats why were keeping our tuition the same through the year 2021. I knew snhu was the place for me when i saw how affordable it was. I ran to my husband with my computer and i said, look, we can do this. [narrator] take advantage of some of the lowest online Tuition Rates in the nation. Find your degree at snhu. Edu. Alright, guys, no Insurance Talk on beach day. Im down. Yes, please. [ chuckles ] dont get me wrong, i love my rv, but insuring it is such a hassle. Same with my boat. The insurance bills are through the roof. [ sighs ] be cool. I wish i could group my insurance stuff. [ coughs ] bundle. The house, the car, the rv. Like a cluster. An insurance cluster. Woosah. [ chuckles ] i doubt that exists. Its a bundle its a bundle, and it saves you money hi. Im flo from progressive, and i couldnt help but overhear. Super fun beach day, everybody. [ Me And You by barry Louis Polisar ] and i couldnt help but overhear. Me and you just singing on the train Me And You listening to the rain Me And You we are the same Me And You have all the fame we need indeed, you and me are we Me And You singing in the park Me And You, were waiting for the dark suing twitter, facebook and the Parent Company of google claiming theyre censoring him and other conservatives. There is no better evidence that Big Tech is out of control than the fact that they banned the sitting President Of The United States earlier this year. A ban that continues. It continues. So we get the word out. It is not a fair situation. Very bad for this country, very bad for the world been if they can do it to me, they can do it to anyone. The three Social Media sites have banned the former president for the foreseeable future they say because he used their platforms to spread lies about the 2020 election and stoked violence on January 6th. As of right now Facebook And Twitter have declined to comment on the former president s announcement. Peter baker New York Times chief white house correspondent, Jen Palmieri for the Obama White House and 2016 campaigns and former Press Secretary to House Speaker Jon boehner. Thank you all for joining us this afternoon. Peter, let me start with you. Do you think President Trump actually expects these lawsuits to be successful . Well, look, first of all, we should remember that Donald Trump is one of the most litigious people hes seen in american history, hes filed suits, threatens suits, withdraws suits at the drop of the hat. Its a strategy for him and hes told aides and adviserses this that the suits are not just there to win, they send a message and intimidate an Op Bonent and create pressure. He didnt always follow through. He didnt always take it the full length of actual court process. So the message you just played is the message hes trying to get it across. If they can do it to me, they can do it to you. Hes connecting to his base. Theyre out to get us and you should remember that i am one of you and youre one of me and thats the important message hes sending and there are interesting issues here and legitimate issues of what the responsibility Social Media has in terms of Free Speech and the responsibility of the content of the speech. Theyre not subject to the first amendment and the first way the government is. Theyre not a congress and theyre not a government and theyre private entities that can set their own rules, but how do the rules apply when they are, in fact, the De Facto Town Square for the united states at large, and i think these are big issues and real issues that are still obviously being with liberals and conservatives alike . Its a great Point And Congress has struggled to get their arms around this debate and catch up, basically to where these Tech Companies have gotten. Jen, let me ask you about something we learned from axios. They first reported these lawsuits ahead of the announcement and they had data that shows the Social Media interactions on stories about trump. Look at that. They have completely plummeted since he was banned from these platforms. What impact does this have and im interested to know what you think in terms of how this impacts his base and also the broader public and has the ability to raise money. He still has been raising money regardless. I thought it would be a bigger distraction for the biden team than hes ended up being. Its interesting that, for example, his blog did not succeed. Even though people might have shared his Blog Posts on twitter, on facebook, on instagram, but as it turns out, the companies know how to work the algorithm to prevent a workaround and his supporters could have taken the Blog Post and put on a platform and made sure that it got seen that way and things didnt really go viral. So this is i think its having a very big impact on him and its not, hes just not getting the traction that he used to. Look, it remains a very strong figure within the Republican Party and even if hes not as strong as he was in the Republican Party, he has unleashed and to use the Harry Potter term, he has unleashed trumpism into the Republican Party and that is what this party is about now, but he himself, these controls are having a big effect on him. Brandon buck, and you can see it the way that graph drops off the map, the former president is not getting the same attention that he did when he was in office and before when he was running for office. So why are republicans still obsessed with what he is thinking and saying about them . I dont think that shows that theres any loss of affection from republican voters. I think theyre still very much infatuated with him. In State By state republicancontrolled legislatures, theyre putting bill targeting Facebook And Twitter as revenge for what they did. This shows the debasement of what it means to be a conservative under Donald Trumps Republican Party. The first amendment is there to protect peoples rights from congress passing lawsuits. Its not there to dictate to what a private company should be doing and that is completely lost in Donald Trumps version of the Republican Party. Its Populism And Anything goes. As peter pointed out, its really all just a vehicle for his politics. A vehicle for grievances where the elites are out to get you. Theyre fighting you and that means im fighting for you and it all comes full circle. What i think is important for all of us to remember, the reason he was removed from these platforms is he led a massive campaign to lie to the american people that led to a violent insurrection. That is why hes not on these platforms and nobody should feel like you have any right to be on a private Entitys Platform after you do something like that. I spoke to one Capitol Police Officer who suffered injuries and was out of works for months who said that the rioters that he confronted were telling me were here because Donald Trump told us to be here and im not listening to you. Im listening to the president and they used these platforms to organize. Peter baker, that actually brings us right to something i also wanted to touch on. Our Capitol Hill Team is just reporting in the last hour that the House Gop Leader Kevin Mccarthy is planning to appoint republicans to the January 6th select committee. There had been some questions about whether or not he would participate at all. It looks like thats going to happen. Were also hearing that one member, Rodney Davis who is a more moderate member from illinois has expressed interest in the job, but of course, were talking about trump allies and whats the calculous for republicans and what does this mean for how it will unfold . Great question. The difference between this select committee and what congress and pelosi, Nancy Pelosi had tried to create a separate commission that would be outside of the current Office Holders is going to be enormous, right . What youre saying is youll have current Office Holders that will face election in 18 months time trying to pass judgment on these events in a super heated, super partisan moment. So i think that what and the hopes for any independent genuinely revealing inquiry are relatively muted because youre looking at is probably, you know, a constant fight between what we presume will be Kevin Mccarthys republicans who will be loyal to President Trump and democrats who are antitrump and one republican, liz cheney, is very critical of what the former president did on January 6th and before. The chances for getting a Consensus View or Consensus Investigation of what actually happened, how it happened, what can be done to stop it from happening again, is pretty slight at this point and thats why, in fact, the select committee was a second and plan b, at best because it almost inevitably will become a partisan show. Right. When we all need is one common set of facts that we can all agree on about what happened that day. Peter baker, jen palmery, brandon buck, thank you for bringing your insights to us. We appreciate it. Up next, left at home. Americas fastest woman Shacarri Richardson wont go to tokyo after her positive test for marijuana. Fourtime olympic Medalist Sanya Richardsross is up next. This is Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc. Reports only on msnbc when technology is easier to use. Barriers dont stand a chance. Thats why well stop at nothing to deliver our technology asaservice. This may look like a regular movie night. But if youre a kid with diabetes, its more. To deliver our technology asaservice. Its the simple act of enjoying time with friends, knowing you understand your glucose levels. Still fresh unstopables inwash Scent Booster Downy unstopables welcome back. Now celebrating a milestone and a marriage like few others. Former president Jimmy Carter and former first Lady Rosalynn Carter celebrating 75 years of matrimony today. We get a look at their Love Story from our own Andrea Mitchell. Its a Love Story now spanning more than seven decades. Former president Jimmy Carter and first Lady Rosalynn Carter are the longest married first couple and now marking 75 years of marriage today. Both growing up in plains, georgia, the carters went on their first date back in 1945. Though rosalynn initially rejected the first proposal, the couple tied the knot on july 7, 1946. Their love has seen them through raising four children, a president ial term, running the Family Farm Supply business, humanitarian work around the world and a cancer diagnosis. Theyve even gone from Sharing A Kiss on the president ial Debate Stage to a smooch on the Kiss Cam in 2019 nba game. The Relationship Hasnt been without tribulations, though. The couple reflecting on writing a book together on today. We really did have a terrible time writing a book. We thought perhaps the last chapter would be about our divorce. Former carter white house Communications Director Jerry says the couple has always worked together as a team. They treat each other as equals and they always have. The 39th president also sharing this Marriage Advice in a new interview with Judy Woodruff on pbs. We also make up and give each other a kiss before we go to sleep. The carters plan to celebrate with a big party in the hometown of plains this weekend. Thanks to andrea, of course, for that, and our best wishes to the carters. Congratulations. Lets go now to this story. The decision by us Attraction And Field to keep superstar sprinter Shacarri Richardson off of an olympic Relay Team is frustrating millions of american Sports Fans or worry her absence will keep the u. S. From another gold. Sanya richardross is a fourtime Gold Medalist for the olympic Track And Field team and now an analyst. Thank you so much for doing this. We really appreciate it, and i just want to start with your immediate reaction to this and to what her fellow athletes who did make the team are saying about not having her there at all. Hi, kasie. Thanks for having me. This has been a tough one because i think it is hard to separate the emotion from the reality, and i think many of us have fallen in love with shacarri and wanted to see her in the olympics and the truth is that the rules are the rules. Shes owned up to the fact that she made a mistake and made a bad choice before the olympics and that is why shes being held out of these olympic games and its hard, like, people have feelings on either side of this issue, but at the end of the day its sad for her and for the fans that were looking forward to seeing this young superstar in tokyo. Its a big loss for all of us not to see her there. You said you didnt even take vitamins before going to the olympics because you were so worried about this. Do you think that the rules need to be reexamined because drugs like marijuana are becoming legal. The time to change Rules Arent after we break them. Now there will be a lot of attention on whether or not marijuana should be allowed to be legal during competition, but the truth is that we all knew the rules and know the rules before we compete and its about being vigilant and being disciplined and so i never even took vitamins because i was cared that the bottle might have been contaminated and going to the olympics meant so much to me. Obviously, i think the shacarri situation will bring about change. We will reexamine those rules, but at the time those were the rules and we all knew that and so, unfortunately, shacarri like she said made a bad choice and it would lead her out of the first olympics and shes still young and hopefully she has many more olympics ahead of her where shell go on to do great things. In fact, she tweeted about this exact thing. She said I Cant be yall olympic champ this year, but i promise ill be your World Champ next year. What can we expect from the u. S. Team in tokyo. Theyre facing very tough competition from the jamaicans and they wont have Shacarri Richardson. Team usa is so dynamic and there are so many stars including gabby thomas. Shes a 200meter runner, so dynamic and was the fastest runner ever when she crossed the Finish Line at the olympic trials and i think shell come home with gold in the womens 200. The womens hundred team will be strong, the mens 400 and so many phenomenal athletes for Team Usa. So it will still be amazing to watch, and i hope that you will support these athletes who have worked so hard for not four years now, kasie, five five years to have the opportunity to compete for Team Usa. So the olympics will be awesome and i am so fortunate that ill get a Frontrow Seat and ill be in tokyo calling for Team Usa for Track And Field and im excited about that. I cannot wait to listen and watch while you do that and while other incredible athletes get out there to represent us. An extra year of having to wait for this competition. Sanya richardsross. It is an honor to have you here today. Of course, you can watch the olympic games from tokyo beginning with the Opening Ceremony July 23rd on nbc. Up next, honoring the heroes. New York City takes a moment to celebrate the workers who gave so much to help so many. This is andrea reports on msnbc. S on msnbc. This past year has felt like a long, long norwegian winter. But eventually, with spring comes rebirth. Everything begins anew. And many of us realize a fundamental human need to connect with other likeminded people. Welcome back to the world. Viking. Exploring the world in comfort. Once again. The instant Air Purifier removes 99. 9 of the virus that causes covid19 from treated air. So you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection. Some say this is my greatest challenge ever. Knowing that you and your but ive seen centuries of this. With a companion that powers a digital world, traded with a touch. The gold standard, so to speak ; im greg, im 68 years old. I do motivational speaking in addition to the substitute teaching. I honestly feel that thats my calling to give back to younger people. I think most adults will start realizing that they dont recall things as quickly as they used to or they dont remember things as vividly as they once did. Ive been taking prevagen for about three years now. People say to me periodically, man, youve got a memory like an elephant. Its really, really helped me tremendously. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. Welcome back. Today new York City is honoring its essential workers with a Ticker Tape Parade along manhattans iconic canyon of heroes. The parade is for those guiding new York City through the pandemic through the worst Health Care Crisis in more than a century. Nbcs Rehema Ellis is along the parade route. Rehema, I Cant tell you how nice it is to see this mood on display in new York City especially after all of the live shots that were done outside of hospitals during such, such a dark time. Talk to us about it was like out there. Everybody loves a parade, and i think people really loved this one, kasie. Look at people lined up along the route here as the parade is passing us by, but this is a good thing. As one woman said to me, it was not an option as to whether or not she would come out here and show her Gratitude And Grace and thanks for what people did here. Were honoring the essential workers of which the Health Care workers were at the top. There are 260 different groups being represented out here. Those people who helped keep this City Running from the sanitation workers, to the transportation workers, to the Delivery Service people, to the Food Service people, all of them who put their lives on risk to keep the rest of us safe and the city is saying thank you to them for doing it. Ive talked to some of the Health Care workers and one nurse told me, she said and the unit sometimes it felt like a war zone, and they didnt think that they would make it. So many people, as you know, did not make it to this time so this is an opportunity of celebration. Let me pan over here and ask this person real quick, what your thoughts are and why did you want to come out. I work for nyu. You work for nyu and you wanted to see the parade. I appreciate the hometown girl. People are saying thank you to all of the folks again, who put their lives at risk to keep the rest of us safe. Kasie . Rehema ellis, thank you so much for that. It really is just amazing to have this be the story. Joining me now to talk a little bit more about the pandemic, dr. Ashish jha and the dean of the school of public health. It is nice to take a moment to celebrate the good news and how far we have come on this, but we are, of course, dealing with the spike in cases in a number of communities, particularly the Delta Variant creating new threats here to communities with lower vaccination rates. What should we be doing here at this point as we grapple with this challenge . Yes. Kasie, thanks for having me on. First of all, its great to see that parade happening. We absolutely should be celebrating where we are. As a country, weve made so much progress since last year, but as you suggested, we are not done. The Pandemic Isnt over and what we need to do is get people vaccinated, one, two and three and if we can get all eligible americans vaccinated, we can put this pandemic in the rearview mirror, and we have huge challenges to get to that goal. The biden administration has that as the top goal and the president addressed this directly. Take a listen to what he said. Please get vaccinated now. It works. Its free. Its never been easier, and its never been more important. Do it now for yourself and the people you care about. For your neighborhood. For your country. And the white house is of course, also shifting the focus away from Mass Vaccination sites to get it into local pharmacies, Primary Care doctors and pediatricians. They talked about going Door To door and thats been seized on by rightwing media. Is that going to work or considering the challenges with communities that are against this vaccine, is it a hopeless cause . Definitely not a hopeless cause. Greater accessibility especially in people that trust their pediatrician. They trust their doctor and if that person is not only suggesting you get it, but is offering it because they have some, i think it will make a big difference. Will it get us to where we want . No. It is one part of the solution and we have to do other things as well including combatting the misinformation that is harming so many communities. So dr. Jha, one question as people try to sort through the information that they have as the Delta Variant shows up is okay, if the communities got a lot of spread going on and im fully vaccinated, do i need to wear a mask indoors, it is confusing. Walk us through what your recommendations are. Absolutely. It is really confusing, right . The w. H. O. , says wear a mask indoors and the cdc says no. If you are fully vaccinated you are protected and its not 100 and you have a question which is what is that risk, really, if youre in a low Infection State like massachusetts or vermont. Your risk is exceedingly low. I dont think you need to wear a mask indoors. If youre in missouri with low vaccinations and high infection numbers yeah, you may have a high degree of protection, but one of them may break through and cause a Breakthrough Infection and you should be wearing an indoor mask. Its about local Community Spread and vaccinations that drive this. Dr. Ashish jha, thank you as always for your clear advice and information. We really appreciate you being here with us today. Thank you. Coming up next, giving back. A major corporation and a national civil Rights Group Team up to give a boost to blackowned businesses struggling to the pandemic lockdown. This is Andrea Mitchell reports only on msnbc. Ports oc well, would ya look at that it was an accident. I was speaking of accidents, we accidentally left you off the Insurance Policy during enrollment, and youre not covered. Not even a little bit . Mmmmm. No insurance. No. When Employees Cant enter and manage their own benefits enrollment information, it can be a real pain. Not even nope with paycom, employees enter and manage their own Hr Data in a single, easytouse software. Visit paycom. Com and schedule a demo today. Piano Playing here we go. [john legends i can see clearly now] make your reunion happen with vrbo. Your together awaits. Vrbo welcome back. As the Country E merges from the pandemic, we are learning that blackowned businesses were twice as likely to close due to the economic downturn. The National Urban League has teamed up with pepsi to provide a possible solution for some of the businesses that may be struggling. Joining me now from Victorias Kitchen in philadelphia. The president of the national urban League Mark Morial and c. D. Glen from the pepsico foundation. Its great to have both of you. Mark, of course, welcome back. Can you explain this new program of course. Can you explain this new program and why it is important for blackowned businesses. First of all, we have the menu. Dont forget when you get to philadelphia its Victorias Kitchen. Heres the premise of the programs. Blackowned businesses closed at a rate of four to one during the ban demmic. The sector was battered and capitalization, this program, a partnership between the National Urban League, pepsico and the philadelphia Urban League will provide through our grant assistance, technical assistance, Coaching And Mentoring to black restaurants in 12 cities across the nation. Today were in philadelphia at Victorias Kitchen. They will receive a 10,000 grant to assist the efforts and the partnership is about recognizing it is capital that black owned restaurants need infusions of capital and black businesses disproportionately impacted and historically not had access to bank loans of Equity Capital that made it on sheer grit. This is an incredible environment and proud to make this happen today. Speaking of pepsi, what prompted the company to step up like this . Thank you. Pepsico is committed to the black community, through local communities seasons our inception but this combination of the global pandemic as well as what we are calling our racial Equality Journey invited us to step up to this challenge and this opportunity. Black businesses are the Life Blood of the black communities as mark so often said. Its about Job Creators in the community, places where theres a Community Connection and global Food And Beverage company that we found no greater Need And Opportunity to support that need than the black businesses. Well invest in 10 Million over 5 years to really support 500 restaurants throughout the country and through the national urban League Production centers we give more than money why this is marketing, mentorship. Black owned businesses need solutions. They need to recover from the global pandemic, retool and taking money for training and build resilience to preserve them, protect them and provide the needed support to expand and grow. I wont put you on the spot to question whether they can serve coke or not, sir. Mark, one of the key pieces of that we have talked about is ppp loans that saved businesses but victorias was denied. Hows this different from white owned businesses . This is i think what is important. I think that all businesses who suffered during the pandemic need support. This is targeted at businesses that we have worked with for years. What the Ppp Flaw was in the original design, i believe that it should have been more targeted to businesses with less than five employees. Why . Because in the black community 90 of all businesses in the Back Community have one employee or less and then the average size of those that have more employees is about five so the Relief Programs were not specifically targeted enough to those businesses really small, sometimes Mom And Pop shops who are the Life Blood of these communities so i think all businesses deserve support. The Government Program benefited a larger businesses which tended to be white owned and left out africanamerican businesses and hispanic businesses and while theres an effort to correct that in the late days of the Trump Administration but particularly in the early days of the biden administration the bell had been rung and many businesses are left out so this is a demonstration with dollars and a private commitment we can do what maybe the government could have done and maybe should have done. This doesnt replace or supplant the need for continued Government Support to address the longstanding disproportionate can make great leaders. No. It is a fascinating point there. Mark, before i let you guys go, one and other question. Planning to meet with the president tomorrow. Talk us through whats on the agenda. Police reform is on the agenda. Democracy and voting and the attack on voting. The great alarm we now have given a very, very regressive supreme Court Decision which narrowed the application of the voting rights act. Also the Violence Issue in communities and the view to Balance Justice and public safety in communities so we will have quite a bit on the agenda. We want to hear from the president. We want to share our perspectives with the president but we are in a State Of Emergency when it comes to democracy in this country. As well as policing. Joe biden and Kamala Harris and i think the american people want to see dramatic action on both of these issues. All right. Mark, cd, thank you for being with us to talk about this program and this partnership between the National Urban League and pepsico. We appreciate your time today. Thank you. Thats going to do it for this edition of Andrea Mitchell reports. Follow the show online. You can also follow me on twitter. But dont go anywhere. Next garrett haake is in for Chuck Todd for mtp daily. Hav. 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