democratic lawmakers, lou correa of california and sylvia garcia of texas. meantime, new details are emerging about safety concerns about last weekend's deadly stampede at a concert in houston. and the justice department is fighting back against efforts to block a proposed new rule requiring large employers to mandate vaccination. and a new migrant humanitarian crisis is brewing. this time along a major border in eastern europe. and we begin in washington, where president biden is launching a huge effort to sell the bipartisan infrastructure bill, even though he hasn't signed it yet. the president will visit baltimore tomorrow to tout it and several cabinet members will also hit the road to make a sales pitch. he says, it will not be an easy task. >> it's going to be a tough fight and it ain't over yet, as they say, but i feel good and i think people are realizing, beginning to realize, it's important to get it done. >> meantime, the house committee investigating the january 6th insurrection is ramping up its probe, issuing subpoenas and demanding testimony and documents from six trump associates, including former national security adviser, michael flynn and attorney, john eastman, who wrote a memo, making a dubious case for then vice president mike pence to reject the certification of joe biden's victory. with more to talk about this, punch bowl news founder jake sherman and "new york times" chief white house correspondent, peter baker. both jake and peter are msnbc contributors. thank you for being with me. peter, let me start with you. this effort to sell the infrastructure bill comes as a new "usa today"/you have foakes university poll shows president biden, his approval rating reaching a new low of 38%. how does that complicate efforts to sell this infrastructure bill? >> right, exactly. that poll indicates just how low things had gotten for president biden before this bill was passed. remember, that survey was taken of voters after the virginia and new jersey elections last week, before the friday night vote on infrastructure. so what president biden would like to do is start to pump that back up. it's important, when you look at the midterm elections, the most important factor in every midterm election is a president's approval rating. and he would need to get that higher or closer to 50% if not above to have a chance of holding on to the congress. they know that. with the infrastructure bill, you know, they're learning the lessons of past presidents. who passed big initiatives, and then didn't bother to sell it the way they're talking about doing it now and it never really sank in with the public. they didn't get the credit or the political credit that they wanted. that would be pram after his health care program. that was president trump after his big tax cuts, aides to both of those presidents later regretted the fact they didn't do more. they assumed the public would know. but in fact, you need to go out there, as president biden's staff is telling him, every day, to tell him what's coming down the road and why this matters to them. >> and peter, i mean, this bipartisan bill is popular with americans, writ large. >> yeah, look, this is what president trump talked about doing, you know, but didn't do in his four years. infrastructure has been a bipartisan goal, going back decades. it's something that has been very elusive, and something therefore the president can talk about. bridges, roads, ports, broadband, you know, water facilities, all of these kinds of things are necessary in communities and you can point to very tangible specific things and say, this is what happened as a result of this bill. now, you know, that doesn't mean that you've got to convince anybody to vote for them, but it's certainly better than where he was a week ago. >> jake, meanwhile, moderate democrats in the house agreed to vote on the reconciliation bill after they see a score from the cbo. why is this so important when the legislation will be changed by the senate and they'll have to go through this process again? >> a few reasons. number one, they want to know wing, what their point is, that they're about to vote on nearly $2 trillion of spending. they want to make sure that it's paid for the way that the white house claims it's paid for. just because the white house suggests that it's paid for, those five people on the screen, josh gottheimer, as the leader, basically have said that, you know, we're not going to take the white house's word for it. we would like to get the nonpartisan budgetary analysis. this cuts both ways, right? because cbo scores are not the magic bullet, so to speak. they are oftentimes disappointing. they oftentimes don't show what you had hoped they would show. so it's a risk. and the bigger risk is the cbo score is not out next week when the house has said that they're going to consider this. if it's not out next week and will these members vote for a piece of legislation without that cbo score, i think the answer to that is probably not. but, yes, it will go over to the senate, it's going to be torn apart. it will get a new cbo score over in the senate, and it will come back to the house at some point in the next couple of months, and will get another really difficult vote then. so we are, you know, we're just getting started here on this large-scale social spending package. >> and jake, i want to turn to the subpoenas issued by the january 6th committees. what do these subpoenas tell us a about the pace of the committee's work? >> you know, i think that they tell us that they're going to be issuing a lot of subpoenas. obviously, these folks -- i mean, bill stepien was the campaign manager to donald trump, jason miller also on the campaign side. neither of those men worked in the white house. they're clearly going beyond just that january 6th insurrection at the capitol. i will say, though, i do not believe that this indicates that they are wrapping up at any point soon. i really don't. i think this is going to go straight through next year. i think, especially if some of these folks go to court to try to block the subpoena or block the production of documents, block interviews and block testimony. i think that if -- it's all at the mercy of judges and how quickly they rule and some have indicated that they will rule quickly. i think this is, just, again, another example of how wide of a net that they are casting in compelling people to testify. >> yeah, and peter, you were talking about the importance for presidents in the case that we were just talking about to sell things that they feel are important. do you think this investigation on the january 6th issue has done a good job of selling to the american people the importance of what they're doing? >> well, i think you'll see that more if and when they have public hearings with some of these witnesses, right? it's hard to -- it's hard to, you know, get across to the public what the importance of a subpoena is, necessarily. but if you can get people planted in chairs and begin to grill and question them and get information out of them that tells them something new, that dramatizes what happens, that sheds light on a pretty important day in american history, that will make clear, i think, to the public, what's going on. it's a real gamble here, i think, for republicans, if by -- if they fight these subpoenas. republicans would like for this to be over with before the midterms really get going next year. the longer they push off testimony, the more likely it is that some of this -- these hearings and the commission and investigation will be trailing into next fall at the very time voters are going to be making up their minds. that's something republicans would like to avoid, if they could. >> yeah, those elections are a year ago yesterday, right? so it's right around the corner. peter baker and jake sherman, thank you both for being with me this morning. now, to continue this conversation is california democratic congressman, lou correa, he sits on the homeland security committee and also a member of the congressional hispanic caucus. congressman, it's a pleasure to see you this morning. thank you. >> thank you. >> do you expect the house to vote on the build back better act next week or could we see more hang ups that would delay it further? >> it's our hope that we would vote on this build back better legislation next week. clearly, we've been waiting for votes for a couple of months, at least. but i believe since we've got the infrastructure bill passed, the agreement is that now democrats will come together and vote on the build back better, either next week or very, very soon thereafter. >> a new "usa today" suffolk university poll shows that americans are split when it comes to supporting the reconciliation bill. how do you explain what democrats are trying to do with this bill? >> well, essentially, what we're doing is investing in human capital. child care, pre-k, universal pre-k. making universities more affordable, more financial aid. and jose, think about it. 40, 50 years ago, when you and i went to college, it was essentially for free. today, no such thing. we have to pay. our young people have to pay very high prices for an education. and if we want to be competitive with china, with the rest of the world, we have to make sure that we have the most highly educated in the world. we're not going to win against china with the best rockets. we're going to win with the best computer scientists, the best technology, the best artificial intelligence. and that mean we invest in education. >> that's so important. congressman, you and your democratic colleagues chuy garcia said you would not vote for the reconciliation bill unless it included a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. the bill doesn't include that language right now. how do you feel about that? >> jose, this is not about immigrants, this is about america. keeping america strong. today on any given day, 10 to 20% of our doctors are foreign born. we have dreamers. the pictures behind me, there's a dreamer there that made the ultimate sacrifice for america and iraq. these stories are repeated over and over again. dreamers are nurses, their doctors, they're lawyers, they're police officers. we need the workers. farm workers, we need scientists. how many einsteins are out there waiting to come to the u.s. to keep america as the greatest country in the world. this is what immigration is about. and like you said, it's still very iffy. i want a pathway to citizenship, not a gift, but rather, the opportunity for these immigrants to earn the american dream. and that's what we're fighting for. there's a lot of moving parts, jose. we don't know what's going to come out of our house. once you said, once it goes to the senate, another one to two amendments will be made. we continue to fight the fight. it's a good fight. here in the district, my district, orange county, california, republican orange county, i represent the greatest number of dreamers in the united states, all good people. >> absolutely. hey, congressman, i remember this moment, of you being confronted by hecklers a at dulles airport a couple of days after the january 6th attack in which you stood your ground and you responded. you know, congressman, it's becoming so polarized. everything is so divided. how can we get anything done? how can you get anything done in a bipartisan way on capitol hill when our discourse is so poisoned? >> good question, jose. and what i do is one relationship at a time. i have very good friends that are republicans as well as democrats and it's about talking through these issues. the most conservative republicans in congress are my very good friends. we don't agree on a lot of issues, but for example, immigration is one of the issues we all agree on. we need the workers in the fields, in the food processing plants, in manufacturing sectors of our economy. it's about working together to come up with a solution. and jose, let me remind you, the last time we had a huge immigration reform was under a republican president, a california president, ronald reagan. so it's about continuing to work to make sure, number one, we build the trust. and number two, we're all focused on making america, keeping america the great country in the world. >> you know, it's really amazing to think that the last comprehensive immigration reform, as you say, purnd president reagan with the democratic house and senate was in 1986. i mean, how long must we wait for anything to get done on this so important issue. congressman, it's a pleasure to see you. thank you for being with me, sir. >> thank you, jose. >> thanks. >> still ahead, the supreme court takes up two important cases today. we'll dig into that with pete williams. plus, the latest in the trial of three men accused of killing ahmaud arbery. the family now raising concerns about the defense team's strategy. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. there's a different way to treat hiv. it's once-monthly injectable cabenuva. cabenuva is the only once-a-month, complete hiv treatment for adults who are undetectable. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider once a month. hiv pills aren't on my mind. i love being able to pick up and go. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems,...and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments. with once-a-month cabenuva, i'm good to go. ask your doctor about once-monthly cabenuva. pnc bank believes that if a pair of goggles can help your backhand get better then your bank should help you budget even better. virtual wallet® with low cash mode℠ from pnc bank. one way we're making a difference. ♪♪ cash mode℠ from pnc bank. things you start when you're 45. coaching. new workouts. and screening for colon cancer. yep. the american cancer society recommends screening starting at age 45, instead of 50, since colon cancer is increasing in younger adults. i'm cologuard®. i'm convenient and find 92% of colon cancers... ...even in early stages. i'm for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. every single day, we're all getting a little bit better. we're better cooks... better neighbors... hi. i've got this until you get back. better parents... and better friends. no! no! that's why comcast works around the clock constantly improving america's largest gig-speed broadband network. and just doubled the capacity here. how do things look on your end? -perfect! because we're building a better network every single day. we're keeping an eye on the supreme court where two significant cases are being argued today. right now, the justices are hearing arguments in the united states versus madero, which considers will residents of puerto rico, u.s. citizens, are considered to certain benefits. the justices will also hear arguments involving religiow. joining me now is justice correspondent, pete williams. what more can you tell us about these cases? >> in the puerto rico case, the benefit is supplemental social security income. congress has determined that people in puerto rico aren't qualified to receive it. this is aid for people with disabilities or certain other problems that allows them to get additional income from the federal government. people in puerto rico don't pay income taxes, so congress has decided that it's okay to exclude them from this program. it's one of a series of cases, jose, which the supreme court has to decide what rights people in puerto rico have. the people in this case are arguing that this is an unfair treatment, it denies them due process of law. so that's the first case. the second case involves a man on death row in texas, who wants to have his pastor in the lethal injection chamber with him to pray aloud and undergo that process that some religions of laying on hands where the pastor touches the death row inmates. texas said that would interfere with the execution, interfere with their ability to look for signs of distress, interfere with the solemnity of the occasion, and for that reason, texas says he shouldn't be allowed in. and there are really two issues. one is the religious rights of the pastor. the other is of the inmate. you know, the supreme court has shown a great interest in religion in the execution chamber. some of the few cases that the supreme court has ever blocked executions are when people block issues over their religious freedom. and for texas, of course, it poses a problem o prefer to have the death penalty the way they want it or whether they're going to recognize religious rights. >> interesting. pete williams, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> you bet. turning now to georgia and the latest of the trial of the three white men chandler in the killing of ahmaud arbery. this morning, one of the first responding officers on the scene is taking the stand. it comes as arbery's family raises concerns over the slower than anticipated pace of the trial. joining me now from outside the courthouse in brunswick, georgia, is nbc's ron allen. also with me is danny cevallos, criminal defense attorney and an nbc news legal analyst. what can we expect from the trial today? >> reporter: more testimony from police officers, jose. what's important is that these are officer who is interviewed the defendants at the scene of the crime of the fatal encounter and they are -- the prosecution is trying to get on the record what they said to the officers, because it's unlikely that the defendants will testify. and the police are essentially serving as witnesses for the prosecution, because they're literally reading from the transcripts of body camera interviews that they did. their body cameras were rolling the whole time and capturing not just a crime scene, but interviews they did with the defendants. today, for example, we heard from an officer who interviewed greg michael, one of the defendants. and the defendants insist that they were trying to execute a citizen's arrest. that they acted in self-defense, that they were trying to catch a fleeing robber, they say. and the prosecution argues against that. so here's how a prosecutor questioned the police officer about what gregory michael said to him at the scene. take a listen. >> did gregory michael ever indicate to you at that time that he thought that ahmad arbery, the guy, committed a crime that day. >> no, ma'am. >> so he didn't say, the guy committed the crime of this? >> no, ma'am. >> what's important about that is the defendants could be found guilty according to the law. they have to establish that they actually saw a crime being committed in order to go execute this citizen's arrest. and the prosecution is maintaining that they didn't see a crime being committed. and that's why -- that's part of this case. but it's going through these transcripts of the body camera interviews, meticulously, through police, that we expect to happen throughout the day. jose? >> thanks, ron. danny, i want to get your take on the arbery family's concerns about the defense team slowing down the trial. what do you make of that? >> it may be frustrating to the family that the defense appears to be slowing down the trial, but this is the prosecution's case in chief. i may be a biased defense attorney, but it is our sworn duty to basically be a pain in the neck to the prosecution and make any objections that we think we immediate to make. and of course, the defense is making objections. keep in mind, if they don't make those objections, they don't get into the record. in an appeals court, if there's a conviction, they won't even consider that argument in most cases. as frustrating, i understand, as it can be for watchers of a trial and certainly the family of someone who has lost their life, defense attorneys often, especially in the prosecution's case in chief, interpose a lot of objections and it can really slow down a trial. >> danny cevallos and ron allen, thank you for being with me this morning. time now for the news out west. in los angeles, as covid verification rules kick in, thousands gathered yesterday to protest the mandates, as positive cases climbed statewide and the infection rate is now twice as high as one-time hot spot florida. joining me now with more is nbc's guad venegas. guad, good morning. what happens if these protesters don't follow the mandate? >> reporter: jose, good morning. well, the vaccination mandates in los angeles are in place with the proof of vaccination required for anyone entering indoor businesses like restaurants, shopping centers, theaters, museums, and other spaces. so that, of course, applies to all eligible to be vaccinated. many of the protesters yesterday, they stand against the vaccine mandates for governor employees and also for some schoolchildren here in los angeles. now, the protest was organize i'd by a group called firefighters for freedom, who called this rally a march for freedom. some of the most vocal protesters were the firefighters and the police officers who attended. lapd officials say about 75% of the police department are vaccinated, while the l.a. city firefighter's union says about 76% of them are vaccinated. meanwhile, the city council has expanded the deadline for city employees to be fully vaccinated, now to december 18th. meanwhile, mayor eric garcetti has warned all city employees saying those who don't get -- those who don't get vaccinated should be prepared to lose their job, jose. >> guad, also in california, a devastating story about two mothers giving birth to each other's babies in a nightmare ivf mix-up. what was that about? >> this is a really unique case where the two couples gave birth to each other's babies, this because of this apparent mix-up at the fertility clinic. after what they did what's called an in vitro fertilization process. so both couples raised each other's babies for months and one of the couple said they suspected that the baby wasn't theirs because of a different skin complexion than theirs. they then decided to get a dna test, which revealed that the baby they had was not theirs. then after what they say was an overwhelming process, they exchanged the baby with a couple that had raised theirs. that second couple has remained anonymous. the cardinelli's complaint accuses the center for reproductive health and its owner, dr. moore, of medical malpractice, breach of contract, negligence, fraud, and it also demands a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages. meanwhile, the office administrator for the center has declined for comment as of monday and moore also could not be reached for comment, jose. >> guad venegas in los angeles for us this morning. i appreciate it. thank you, sir. coming up, the fbi now investigating the tragedy at the astroworld festival that left eight people dead. we'll talk to congresswoman sylvia garcia about the impact this is having on the houston community, next. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." watching diaz-balart reports. ♪ ♪ there are beautiful ideas that remain in the dark. but with our new multi-cloud experience, you have the flexibility you need to unveil them to the world. ♪ unconventional thinking means we see things differently, so you can focus on what matters most. that's how we've become the to unveil them to the world. leader in 5g and a partner who delivers exceptional customer support, and 5g included in every plan, so you get it all. as someone who resembles someone else, i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. oh, yeah. that's the spot. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ feel stuck with student loan debt? 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>> reporter: they're calling this a very active investigation, jose. that conversation that took place between houston's police chief and travis scott apparently happened just minutes before scott took the stage for friday's astroworld festival. the police chief described it as brief, but respectful. and it was during that short conversation that we're told that he expressed concerns regarding the attitude of the crowd, the temperament of the crowd, prior to that fate crowd surge that left eight people dead. and important to note here that there were warning signs, jose, hours before these eight lives were lost. video has shown that in some cases, people were able to jump pass barriers, bypass security guards and screenings altogether and gain access to those concert grounds. that's one of the many things that investigators are looking at here, as they try to find out what may have led to this fatal crowd surge. in addition to that, we know that they're certainly going to be looking at different videos and angles of those moments around 9:15, when those real serious calls started to come in right now. the fbi now joining this investigation with both county and local authorities. they've stayed relatively tight-lipped about what they've gathered so far. they are calling this a criminal investigation. they've said that they're working with the narcotics unit, the homicide unit here in gathering evidence. but when pressed for answers, authorities have said that as of this point in time, it does not appear that scott incited any sort of crowd surge to take place. that's important to note, because we have seen multiple instances in 2015 and 2017 at past concerts where scott did appear to allegedly encourage the crowd to get rowdy and approach the stage, similar to what we've seen in the videos on friday. jose? >> morgan chesky, thank you so much. i want to bring in congresswoman sylvia garcia. slepts texas' 29th district, which includes much of eastern houston. she's a member of the progressive and hispanic caucuses. congresswoman, it's a pleasure to see you this morning. first of all, i want to address the astroworld tragedy. the houston fire chief spoke to my colleague stephanie ruhle just moments ago. here's what he had to say. >> as the chaos started on friday afternoon, when the crowds rushed through the gates. should that the no have been a red flag to stop something before it got worse? that's hours before the crowd rush took place. >> i'm not prepared to say that that alone was the -- that should have ended the concert. >> congresswoman, talk to me about the impact this tragedy has had on the houston community. >> it is, indeed, a very tragic event. our hearts and prayers continue to be with the family. and of course, many prayers for the 9-year-old that is still in critical condition. we need to make sure that we take every step necessary to figure out what happened, when, who did what, who failed to do what, to make sure that this never happens again. there's concerts all over this country, in fact, all over the world, kids enjoy them, parents enjoy them, adults were there. and we should be able to make sure that they're taken care of, and not risk this kind of tragedy. so i'm glad that the fbi has joined the investigation. i'm going to be checking in with them to make sure that they have all the resources, all the staff power that they need to ensure that no stone is left unturned. we need to look at this top-to-bottom and make sure this doesn't happen again at any concert. >> what a tragedy, as you said, a little 9-year-old is in critical condition, as we speak. >> and i'm sure there were other children there. this is the one we've heard from. so i think parents need to be cautious about this thing. but more importantly, we immediate to make sure that police, fire, fbi, and all of our local investigative resources are there, again, to make sure this never ever happens again. >> congresswoman, let's talk about the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will soon be law. how will this help your community? >> well, it's great for texas. it is going to be great for texas, the infrastructure bill will bring about $38.5 billion to texas. the infrastructure bill will help us with highway programs, bridge programs, our airports, all kinds of public transportation improvements. so this is huge for texas and for us here in oous. it's also very big and helps our local bus system, it will help our ports. a friend of mine used to say, it's almost as hard to get around as it is to get along. this will help us get around. >> you have faith that the reconciliation bill will pass both chambers of congress? >> oh, i'm absolutely convinced that it will and the good news is that the cbo, the group that looks at the whole bill to determine the cost and the impact and whether or not it pays for itself, we delayed it to get those numbers. the numbers will be out this week. we're prepared to vote for it next week. i will be a "yes" vote, because it helps our kids. this is really about the kids. it's about universal health care. it's about making sure that we can take care of the kids at home and that we're back to school. and that in turn helps put people back to work. it's about a jobs bill. it's about making sure the 4 million women who left the workforce because of the pandemic can return if they want to. that they'll have the child care, that they'll have the housing assistance to keep the roof over their head, put food on the table, and to make sure that those kids go back to school. >> congressman, you pushed for recognition of vanessa through legislation. she was murdered after reporting sexual harassment. where does the act stand right now? >> just about the great bulk of the bill is now part of the armed services bill is. we're now waiting to see what the senate will do. and the most important piece of that is of course that the complaints of any kind of sex discrimination of sexual harassment, sexual assault could be taken out of the chain of command and there will be an independent prosecutor that will look at those, within the system, of course, within the army, will it take things more seriously in the army and particularly in sexual harassment domestic cases. so i'm really pleased with where it's at and additionally have filed a bill to name a post office that was near her school after her. i'm still a little bit shy on getting all the votes for that one, but i hope real soon to be able to have her name at one of our local offices. >> thank you for keeping vanessa guillen's name very much in the forefront. thank you for being with me, congressman. it's a pleasure to see you. >> thank you for having me. god bless. >> you're welcome. thank you. still ahead, several states are seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases. we'll talk to a doctor for the outlook for the winter season. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. r az-balart reports" on msnbc. oh, this looks like we're in a screen saver. 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[ cellphone vibrates ] you'll get proactive alerts for market events before they happen... and insights on every buy and sell decision. with zero-commission online u.s. stock and etf trades. for smarter trading decisions, get decision tech from fidelity. as the white house faces an uphill battle over its vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more employees, the biden administration is telling employers to push ahead with the mandate, while the courts deal with the legal challenges. this comes as some states are seeing a resurgence in new covid-19 cases. among them, colorado. it has the fifth highest case rate in the country. hospitals across that state are seeing the highest number of covid patients since last december. joining me now from aurora, colorado, is nbc news correspondent, steve patterson. also with me is mauricio gonzalez. steve, what are you hearing from doctors in colorado about this surge of cases there. >> you know, jose, i think, unfortunately, it's equal parts frustration and worry. the frustration is out there. the worry is in here. let's start with out there. doctors are trying to figure out what this spike is stemming from. and i don't think there's a real clear answer. there's a number of, of course, of factors, obviously, this is driven by the delta variant, which is still raging across the country. obviously, you know, some of the restrictions relaxed in a place like colorado. you have groups that are more tightly intertwined. they're taking the virus a little more serious. it's cold outside. you might have a bigger collection of those groups. the worry is in a room like this, because hospitals are really in a bad way here in colorado, with this virus. they're now at tier 3, which basically allows them to more easily, you know, transfer patients around in systems here. but, also, moving resources around, because some of the hospital systems are so strapped. and part of that is because of non-covid patients, as life has returned to normal, we're seeing a larger influx of them, too. i spoke to a doctor with the colorado hospital association about just that. here's what she said. >> well, there's a thought that a few things are leading to this. first is that over the last year, many of us had to delay or defer care. many of our states across the nation had to pause or stop doing surgical procedures and there was, i think, hesitation among our communities for patients who may have had chronic disease that may have held on coming to see their doctors. and so now, months later, we're seeing the impact of that delayed care. >> health experts, of course, looking at a number of factors. but of course, one of the biggest ones is people simply not getting vaccinated. the majority of patients now in colorado with covid are unvaccinated. >> dr. fauci spoke with npr and gave an assessment of where he believes the pandemic stands here in the u.s.. here's part of what he had to say. >> well, certainly, things are going in the right direction with diminution of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. the steepness of the deflection is not as good as it was, let's say, a month or so ago. because we were getting 10, 15% decrease from week to week for the prior week. it's down to a lower number. >> doctor, what exactly does that mean? >> well, dr. fauci is hopeful and i do agree with him that we were getting better for three, four, maybe five months, jose. now, you know, the nih and all the big academic institutions in the united states, they have been saying that they were worried that we're not going to reach winter in a good place. so the problem is that some states are not, you know, quite vaccinated. you know, if you speak about new york, more than 80% of adults are vaccinated, so we're looking at a good winter. but that's definitely not the case with other states. so those are the differences. >> doctor, you know, a lot of latinos, i guess in general, but the latino community has concerned -- parents are concerned about, well, giving their children vaccinations, right? what would you say to them? >> well, i would say, first, that i took my kids this morning to get vaccinated, both of my kids. and we explained to them thoroughly what the vaccine was and how it was tested. obviously, in simple terms. and that really, you know, did the trick. so what i've been doing on social media and in interviews and so on is just basically explain how the process is. and i can assure the parents of kids that the process that these vaccines went through was extremely rigorous and what we know so far is that it's effective and safe. >> and you gave it to your children, no second thoughts? >> no second thoughts. >> dr. mauricio gonzalez and steve patterson, thank you for being with me this morning. coming up -- the unbelievable rescue of a man trapped 900 feet underground in a cave for two days. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." days. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. as someone who resembles someone else, i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. oh, yeah. that's the spot. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent i can du more... yardwork... teamwork... long walks.... that's how you du more, with dupixent, which helps prevent asthma attacks. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? 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>> one thing veterans continue to face is difficulty with mental health issues. we spoke with secretary mcdonough about how the mental health of veterans was impacted by the chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan. they saw an uptick in the number of veterans reaching out to the veteran crisis line. that was specific to the with withdrawal from afghanistan and it coincided with the anniversary of 9/11, a time they often see more reach out. secretary mcdonough spoke to those veterans who may be looking for help. >> make sure that people get timely access to care when they need it. we're here. let me communicate through you directly to veterans real quick. if you are in an emergency -- and it's natural, as we approach the holidays, as veterans day comes, if you are in crisis, get in touch with us. if you need emergency care, we can have you see someone today. if it's urgent, not an emergency but something pressing, we can get you in to see someone within two days. if you have a crisis, reach out. >> if it's not an emergency, he said they can get people in within two days. in an emergency situation, they will get you in the same day. he did acknowledge he worries about individuals who may fall through the cracks. he said that's one of the things he's working hard on, is making sure veterans get the mental health care they need. that wraps up the for me. i'm jose diaz balart. follow the show online at jd balart msnbc. thank you for the privilege of your time. craig melvin picks up right now. good tuesday morning. craig melvin here. we're staying on top of a number of stories this hour. first the concert tragedy in houston that left eight dead and hundreds more hurt. so far more than a dozen lawsuits have been filed against travis scott and the organizers of astro world. the fbi is now a part of that investigation. this morning we're hearing more firsthand accounts of the chaos. >> i'm a big guy. i