they go to the store or go online, and they can't always find what they want and when they want it. we're tracking these issues and trying to figure out how to tackle them head on. >> but there are top ceos wondering if the president really does get it and whether his administration has the frame of reference to get it. one anonymous ceo told politico's ben white, i don't think the administration is on top of it at all. that person went on to say, how many people inside this white house really know what inflation is or how it impacts businesses? it's not really their fault. it's been so long since we really had it. but we do have it now. and here is the current reality for all of us. milk and eggs up 11.9%. beef up 20.1%. gas up nearly 50% from a year ago. >> the holidays are going to be different because the cost of everything is higher. so i'm going to have to buy less presents, spend less money on food. >> this is something we talk about, right, you know, our credit card bills, how we can save. how we can keep the costs down. >> restaurants too. i mean, they've gone through the roof. i think that's another 15, 20%. groceries and going out to eat. it's really expensive. >> and this isn't it for rising prices, sad to say. people are bracing for more to come, because colder temperatures are on the way, and the energy department predicts heath bills will be up to 54% higher this season. 54%. joining me, msnbc anchor lindsey reiser who is at a gas station in fairfield, connecticut. nbc white house correspondent monica alba and politico's chief correspondent ben white. great to see all of you. ben, what's the biggest factor contributing to this increase and what more are you hearing from the folks you're talking to about what can be done to tackle this inflation problem? >> it's really difficult because it's global, it's complicated. it's in large degree a result of the pandemic. what's causing it in part are worker shortages in a lot of places that need to create supply for businesses. i talked to a cfo of a business that gets pvc pipe for construction projects. it used to be able to get stuff in a day or two, now it takes three months, charging customers a lot more for projects. across the board there's a lack of supply. we've got port backups in california. we've got semiconductor shortages slowing down car production and not enough people working in trades like food, restaurants, and bench. so they have to charge more. there is no quick fix, there's no obvious answer. it will take a bit of time, he really need more people back in the workplace. we need to see wages keep rising. and then the question will be how long will it take. 6.2% year over year inflation, chris, wages are up 4.9%. stuff costs 6% more, we're making 5% more. and it's making people unhappy. >> ben, i'm going to have you talk to our folks back here, we're having a little bit of audio problems, and we'll come back to you. lindsey, i want to go to you. look, you've been talking to people who are feeling the pain at the pump big time today. what are they telling you? >> yeah, chris, i mean, everybody but one person i talked to today is really upset about how much more they are having to pay for the same amount of gas to fill their cars. one gentleman i talked to said he has a fuel efficient car, he doesn't commute to work, he was the only one unbothered by all of this. right now the average for a gallon of gas nationwide is $3.41. here in connecticut, about 3.54. people in connecticut are paying a quarter more for a gallon of gas than they were last month. $1.50 a gallon more than last year. we're inching closer to a record of $4.39 set back in 2008. i talked to the connecticut energy marketers association and they tell me it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better. it's an issue of supply and demand. during the pandemic, demand halted and now demand has skyrocketed and supply hasn't caught up. let's listen to people i talked to at the gas station, chris. >> i recently retired. instead of a spontaneous trip i used to and was looking forward to with retirement, i'm going to have to think a little bit in the monthly budget about those trips. and also shopping in general. >> it seems it's going to affect everything. >> so again, talking about it getting worse before it gets better, triple a is predicting a busy travel season this thinking. 90% of people say they'll travel by car. we'll see 2019 travel levels, the biggest year to year change since 2005. it's not just the gas you put in your car, it's the fuel, as you mentioned, that you use to heat your home. they're not expecting, due to supply chain issues, labor shortage issues, they're not expecting grocery bills to come down until the first or second quarter of next year, chris. >> monica, the white house has its hands full. they released a statement with joe biden writing in part, i have directed my national economic council to pursue means to try to further reduce these costs and have asked the federal trade commission to strike back at any market manipulation or price gouging in this sector. what else can you tell us about the president's plan and how the white house is feeling about what is clearly a difficult messaging challenge? >> absolutely, chris. and i think that statement speaks a little bit to the challenge here. and some of the limitations that white house officials argue the president has when it comes to something this gargantuan that has been laid out in the beginning, in his first answer, is really about a domino effect of a ton of different industries confronting the challenge from the supply chain disruption to of course this economic recovery we're still in from the covid pandemic. so the president yesterday decided to take it head on. that was a strategic choice, i'm told, by white house officials. they're not going to ignore it, they're not going to say that these pain points aren't real. of course they're going to acknowledge that some americans are really feeling this and need to be heard. but the president, all he can really say is that this is a priority for him, that they'll continue to evaluate it. and then he's going to make the pitch for his economic agenda and why he feels something like the bipartisan infrastructure deal which has already gone through but is basically sitting on his desk waiting for signature which will happen sometime on monday, can do things like allocate billions of dollars to our clogged ports that will hopefully help, they believe, the bottleneck in goods and the supply and demand. there are things like that the white house feels they can do in the immediate, saying they pretty much have this done, even though americans won't necessarily see or feel the impact of that for weeks or months to come. the bigger question is what happens to try to solve this longer term, because as economists point out, this isn't something that gets resolved overnight. it's going to be a problem, and the president himself has acknowledged when he's been asked about things like rising gas prices, like what lindsey was just discussing, that he doesn't have a short term solution, that he can't promise americans when those numbers are going to come down. so that speaks to the absolute political high wire the president is walking and this white house as they try to celebrate some of the good news from their legislative victory while acknowledging all the work still to be done. >> stephanie ruhle is nbc's senior business correspondent. so good to see you in person. >> so good to see you in person, i wanted to give you a hug when i sat down. >> high wire act politically, high wire act for a lot of people out there who are on a fixed income. you and i are not going to not buy milk, right? but if you're on a fixed income, if you're working at a lower wage job, listening to the president say this may take weeks or even months, the question becomes what do i do in the meantime. somewhat is the prognosis? you talk to a lot of folks. >> we don't know exactly when this is going to be over. we have to remember, this is not inflation in isolation. all of this is a direct impact of covid. and we have to remember where we came from, chris. this time last year, none of us were vaccinated. we now have 200 million americans vaccinated. this time last year, restaurants were shutting down. they were laying off workers. now they can't find enough workers to work at the holiday parties we're trying to book. so we're in an economic recovery. and we have to remember that the government did somewhat plan for a rocky recovery. it's why we got that third stimulus check. you've got the families of 60 million children in this country getting that expanded child tax credit, right? that's 60 million families. and for those who are on a fixed income, starting next year, that social security benefit has been adjusted up for inflation, up 5.9%, the most we've seen in years. so yes, accommodations are being made. however, it's not enough. and many people feel like the biden administration should have been on top of this sooner. i interviewed the treasury secretary just a few weeks ago and like many, many cabinet officials or biden administration officials, we kept hearing, oh, this is short term. they can't make that argument anymore, because people are feeling it in everything they're buying. >> when you talk to these folks at high levels in business, economists, what do they tell you? are they at least in the white house doing the things they could be doing, knowing that it's not going to change tomorrow? or are there other things they should be doing? >> at this point it feels like yes, they're doing what they can do, because this is a complicated situation. and the other sort of dirty little secret is, one of the reasons you're seeing people pay all these high prices is because we can, chris. household savings in the u.s. has hit record highs. we don't like to pay these high prices, but we're expecting this holiday retail season to break records. you can't get a dishwasher? one of the reasons, because so many people are renovating their kitchens. so people actually have a financial cushion. they don't like paying these high prices, we're anxious they're going to keep going higher, but we are in an economic recovery. this is not dire. >> ben white, when you look at the big picture stephanie was just talking about, even if a solid plan essentially materializes here and we see that things are ultimately going to move in the right direction, how does the president, how do democrats, walk this political high wire? >> yeah, it's really difficult. and steph laid out really nicely how we got here from basically no inflation for decades to 6% plus, which people just haven't seen and aren't used to, and is shocking people. we've had a lot higher than that in the past, let's not pretend we're in '70s stagflation. democrats need to take it head-on, they can't ignore it. the white house did say "transitory" for too long, too dismissive of this as a short permanent pandemic effect. it's a longer term pandemic effect. you could make the argument, if you're criticizing the information, maybe they went a little heavy on the last stimulus and the last set of benefits and kept people out of the labor force who might otherwise be there now, working some of these holiday parties, doing some of these things that would help bring prices down. that's going to happen, but it will take a bit of time. if you're a democrat, you can't stick your head in the sand, you have to say, i know your gas and milk costs more, i know your christmas gifts cost more, worry working with supply chains and businesses directly to figure out why they can't source the materials they need and how to get it to them more quickly, be hands on, be aggressive. there's nothing worse politically -- i mean, there are scandals you could have that are worse, but rising inflation is not a place you want to be, ask jimmy carter. >> who is going to fill all these jobs that the infrastructure bill creates? >> ask any restaurant or small business owner in new york city, i hear it all the time. i know people who have fewer hours at their businesses because they just can't staff them. human beings can only work so long. >> maybe restaurants don't need to be open seven days a week. if you can cut your labor costs and still make the money, maybe it's a better business and quality of life? >> where am i going to eat? >> i happen to know you're a good cook, chris, i see your pictures on instagram. >> great conversation, i appreciate it. another dramatic day at the kyle rittenhouse trial in wisconsin. a day after he broke down on the stand and the judge lashed out at the prosecution, we may be edging closer to the case going to the jury. donald trump's latest effort to block the january 6th committee from getting their hands on documents tomorrow. and new turns in the battle over kids wearing masks in school. ♪ ♪ 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. ♪ to make my vision a reality. i have to take every perspective, and see clearly from every point of view. with my varilux progressive lenses i seamlessly transition from near to far. and see every detail in sharp focus. when you see no limits, there are no limits. book now at your local essilor experts to push the limits of your vision. varilux lenses by essilor. ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ got a couple of bogeys on your six, limu. they need customized car insurance from liberty mutual so they only pay for what they need. what do you say we see what this bird can do? woooooooooooooo... we are not getting you a helicopter. looks like we're walking, kid. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ after an explosive day in court, kyle rittenhouse crying, the judge yelling, the defense is back presenting its case today in his trial. over several emotional hours rittenhouse made his own case, arguing he acted in self-defense when he shot three men at a racial justice protest last year in kenosha, wisconsin. two of them, of course, died. today dr. john back, a use of force expert, went frame by frame to break down the decisions rittenhouse made during that deadly encounter. joining me, nbc news correspondent meagan fitzgerald and veteran prosecutor paul henderson. meagan, bring us up to speed from kenosha. >> dr. back, as you said, a self-defense expert, went frame by frame through the video, dissecting the timeline, honing in on the moments when rittenhouse pulled the trigger. just before the lunch recess, or just within the last hour or so, jurors last heard from the third witness that the defense called for the day. this was drew hernandez, who was at the protest that night, took video, posted to social media, and was used by the defense to bolster their argument that kyle rittenhouse was there to render aid, to help people. he also testified, this hernandez witness, that he saw rittenhouse de-escalate a situation. as to when we can see the defense wrapping its case, we know it's very possible that that could happen sometime today, chris. >> all right, thank you four that, meagan. paul, one of the more talked about things yesterday, and i haven't been watching but i understand there's been some tense moments again today, but the judge absolutely excoriated the prosecutor. it was difficult to even watch these fireworks as they were going on. what do you make of what happened and what do you make of the defense request for a mistrial? >> they still haven't quite made the motion yet. they keep talking about making the motion, but the case is pretty much going in their favor so far, based on the evidence and based on what we're seeing in the courtroom. so they may not have to make that motion. but if and when they do, this judge has made it very clear how he feels about the case, the prosecution, and he's indicated how he would rule, likely, if that motion were to be filed. yesterday the specific language that he talked about was information that should not have come in, that the prosecution's evidence was over the line. and then he trailed off and didn't finish his sentence. but there's a clear indication and encouragement that opens the door for the defense team to know that when and if they bring a formal motion, that it's likely to be granted by this judge. he's had his thumb on this case from the very beginning. it's very clear from his demeanor, from his rulings, and from his tone and actions in the court that he either doesn't like this case from the prosecution or he doesn't like the lawyering that's taking place in the case, or likely both. >> so we aren't exactly sure, and they can change their minds in process, but how many more witnesses the defense may actually call. and it's a tricky business trying to get inside the head of jurors. having said that, is the heart of this case done? is what kyle rittenhouse said essentially going to form the bulk, likely, of those deliberations and whether or not they believe he acted in self-defense? >> that's a great question, because it's pretty much done for the defense. it is absolutely not done for prosecution. there is a lot of ground that needs to be made up. and at this point, they can only either recall witnesses with new grounds or make an outstanding and phenomenal closing argument in rebuttal when it comes to the end of the case. and they've struggled from the very beginning, and their case has crumbled slowly and eroded over time. they clearly just weren't as prepared with these witnesses as much as defense was. as weak as the prosecution's witnesses were, in fact even losing some of their witnesses to the defense team, some of the witnesses, but also in the cross-examination that we saw yesterday where they were really down and fighting to try and get the defendant to admit some things that were most of the statutory violations. that witness, the defendant, was so well-versed and so well-prepared that he gave very little ground to prosecution. and in fact i don't think they were as prepared to have him take the stand in the way that he did so suddenly. typically even if a defendant is going to take the stand, you put him on at the end of your other witnesses. and so by having him, surprise, up on the stand, i don't think prosecution was really ready to cross-examine him and they didn't get very much out of him. on the other end that have, i think the defense attorneys really made a strong or a credible case about whether or not there could be self-defense as an excuse or a reason for the behavior. so i think the cake is pretty much baked for the defense team, and they are just waiting either for a verdict, and if they get a verdict that they don't like, they'll ask for a mistrial. i think for the prosecution there is a lot of ground to be covered to make up for what has happened, the disasters in this case for the prosecution in trying to counter a self-defense argument. >> the closing will be fascinating. great to see you. up next, a new court fight for donald trump today. is it his final chance to stop the capitol riot investigators from getting their hands on information he doesn't want anybody to see? and they don't call it the swamp for nothing. toxic politics going from bad to downright ugly on capitol hill. feel stuck and need a loan? move to sofi and feel what it's like to get your money right. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ move to a sofi personal loan. earn $10 just for viewing your rate — and get your money right. ♪ at t-mobile for business, unconventional thinking means we and get your money right. see things differently, so you can focus on what matters most. whether it's ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs... being first on the scene when every second counts... or teaching biology without a lab. we are the leader in 5g and a partner who delivers exceptional customer support and 5g included in every plan. so, you get it all, without trade-offs. unconventional thinking, it's better for business. subway® has so much new it didn't fit in our last ad. like the new app with customization, curbside pickup and delivery. there's so much new, we don't even have time to show you who's holding this phone. bet you don't treat brady this way. come on, man! you clearly haven't seen the other ads. it's the eat fresh refresh™ at subway®. if you wake up thinking about the market and want to make the right moves fast... get decision tech. for insights on when to buy and sell. and proactive alerts on market events. that's decision tech. only from fidelity. so donald trump's lawyers don't ascribe to three strikes you're out. after a judge rejected a third bid from the former president's lawyers to stop the national archives from releasing documents from the trump white house, trump's legal team is now making its case to an appeals court. trump has repeatedly cited executive privilege as a reason to stop the release and to keep them secret in perpetuity. unless the appeals court intervenes, the january 6th committee is set to receive the first batch tomorrow. joining me, nbc news intelligence and national security correspondent ken dilanian and "new york times" chief white house correspondent peter baker, who is also an msnbc political analyst. good to see you, guys. ken, what happens now? >> chris, now we see whether the dc circuit, the appeals court, decides to grant a temporary injunction or not. if they don't, we can expect donald trump to appeal this to the supreme court on its so-called shadow docket where it takes up emergency measures without hearing oral arguments and briefs. then the question will be whether the supreme court grants an emergency stay. if neither of those things happen, the documents will be turned over. if they do happen, the question becomes how quickly will the courts hear this case. the law right now seems to be on the side of the biden administration which is arguing strenuously, and the select committee, which is arguing strenuously that executive privilege doesn't apply here, that it's really important that the commission, the committee, get these documents. but even if the law is on their side, if it's delayed, justice delayed is justice denied in this case. the committee is trying to get something out on the political calendar by the spring. if the appeals court and supreme court takes this up under its normal slow pace it could be bad news for those who want to see these documents. >> peter, let's remind folks, what is it that the committee thinks is so important in these documents, and that obviously trump thinks is so important that he's trying to stop it? >> well, among other things, what they're looking at are call logs and other documents related to mark meadows, white house chief of staff, who was there on the white house on the day of january 6th, and involved also in the efforts in the run-up to january 6th to try to find a way to overturn the election by pressuring the justice department, by pressuring officials in georgia and so forth. these documents will help put together how the systematic campaign to change the election played out. we don't really have a good sense of what was happening in the white house on the day of january 6th. the events on the capitol were well-documented, they're on video, we've seen them, they're terrifying and gripping. we had 535 members who of course were witnesses on some level or another. but what happened in the white house that day, we only have sort of a very vague sense of. the president issued a couple of tweets and a video which didn't satisfy his critics because he didn't fully call on the people who were storming the capitol to knock it off. but we don't have much of a sense other than some good journalism that's been done about how the president was watching this on television, who he was talking to, what was happening in the white house that day. this committee would like to find out more about that. >> peter, in her denial on wednesday, the presiding federal judge wrote, trump's position that he may override the express will of the executive branch appears to be premised on the notion that his executive power exists in perpetuity. presidents are not kings, and plaintiff is not president. and it also pointed out that at the heart of this is a dispute between a former and an incumbent president here. what are the politics of this, and what are the stakes? >> well, i mean, the stakes are pretty important, because we haven't really established full boundaries what have is covered by executive privilege. traditionally courts have recognized that there is an interest in providing confidentiality, protecting confidentiality of a president's communications with his staff about things relating to the governing of the country. it usually doesn't extend quite as powerfully to former presidents because they're no longer in office, there's no longer a consequence to their governing the country if the paper or testimony is given. this incumbent president, joe biden, who is an interest in executive privilege, has said he thinks the need for the documents and testimony overrides any interest in executive privilege. so you have a former president at war, in effect, legally, with the existing executive branch and legislative branch. he's trying to set new standards, in effect, for presidential confidentiality. and i think that a lot is at stake even beyond this particular investigation. >> peter baker, ken dilanian, thank you, gentlemen, appreciate it. the tense, even toxic atmosphere on capitol hill has pushed a group of house democrats to say that tomorrow they'll introduce a resolution to censure republican congressman paul gosar. he tweeted an altered anime video depicting himself killing congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez and attacking president biden. that's not the only example of this tension. congresswoman marjorie taylor greene recently tweeted out the phone numbers of fellow republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill, including that of michigan congressman fred upton who revealed he got death threats like the one we're about to play. we would like to warn our viewers, this audio is disturbing. >> [ bleep ] traitor, that's what you are. you're a [ bleep ] piece of [ bleep ] traitor. i hope you die. i hope everyone in your [ bleep ] family dies. you [ bleep ] piece of [ bleep ] trash mother [ bleep ], voted for dumb [ bleep ] biden, you're stupider than he is, and he can't even complete a [ bleep ] sentence. you dumb mother blood pressure blood pressure traitor. >> and then there's this. several house members have used or worn the phrase "let's go brandon" on the house floor, a now not-so-coded insult aimed at joe biden. punchbowl news has written a lot about this and joining me now is its founder, john bresnahan. john, you can listen to a phone call like that or look at the other things that happened and say it's juvenile, it's stupid, except in the context of we have seen the violence that can come out of political hate speech in 2021. so talk to me about where we are on capitol hill right now. have we ever seen anything like this? >> no. and i've covered congress for almost 30 years now, and i've never seen anything like this. it's gotten worse over the years. the 90s were a period where there was a lot of partisan chip, the clinton administration, the clinton impeachment, newt gingrich, the start of the tea party, trump, the backlash against trump. politics has gotten so personal and so bad between members. there used to be a level of camaraderie. it's not there. we have metal detectors outside the house, they're checking for weapons on members of congress going onto the house floor. we've almost had fights on the house floor. that's happened in the past, but, you know, it feels every day like all it is is, you need a spark and, you know, it could set off some kind of dispute. and it's been that way since january 6th. since january 6th, both sides are kind of on a knife's edge. and they view everything -- the level of distrust, discord, and unhappiness is really the toxicness of the atmosphere is really unprecedented. >> a censure doesn't carry a lot of consequences. i guess you could argue it would be humiliating, it would be on the record of congressman gosar. but on the other hand couldn't you just argue, oh, he'll just fund raise off of it? >> gosar would absolutely say, look, liberals are trying to destroy me. when gosar was first elected to congress in 2010, that first two-year term, he was kind of a moderate guy. and then his district was changed in 2012, following the 2010 census and it became a lot more conservative. and he's been -- since that time his rhetoric has gotten worse. and really in the last couple of years, in the trump era, it got worse. he's openly, you know, attended events with white nationalists, he's retweeted tweets and memes from neo-nazis. i mean, this is a member of congress we're talking about. and then there's really no accountability here. nancy pelosi, speaker nancy pelosi has asked for an ethics investigation over this last incident, over this video. >> where is kevin mccarthy, john? >> they're not going to allow that to happen. mccarthy has talked to gosar but there's not really anything he can do. if he does this, there's no way really to stop him. >> john bresnahan from punchbowl, thank you. and thank you guys for continuing to cover this, it's so important. across the country we're honoring the men and women who served this country this veterans day. the first veterans day without a war in two decades. in washington there was a flyover and procession commemorating the 100th anniversary of the tomb of the unknown soldier, the guarded platform at the heart of arlington national cemetery, open this week for the first time to the public. president biden took part in a formal wreath-laying ceremony this afternoon. >> our veterans represent the best of america. you are the very spine of america, not just the backbone. you're the spine of this country. and all of us, all of us, owe you. >> and here in new york city, what you're looking at, the largest veterans day parade in the country, just about to get under way. you can see them lining up. this is the 102nd year. and fifth avenue is packed to honor our veterans. it also marks a return to normalcy because last year's parade was held without spectators. up next, the new front in the fight over masks in schools. and the latest on that concert tragedy in texas. what a survivor is telling us about the horror as it unfolded quickly that night. ♪ i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers ♪ [sfx: sniffs / long exhale] ♪ and my clothes smell so much fresher than before ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers ♪ ♪ it's a freshness like i've never smelled before ♪ one sniff of gain flings and you'll be a gainiac too! the only detergent with oxiboost and febreze. ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us great care starts with understanding... we all have different needs. that's why unitedhealthcare offers more benefits to help more people in more ways. so call us today to get medicare with more. our medicare advantage plans give you zero-dollar copays on tier 1 and mail-order tier 2 prescriptions. you'll also enjoy zero-dollar copays on primary care doctor visits, zero-dollar copays on preventive dental, and free yearly eye exams. so, take a closer look. with unitedhealthcare we'll help you get the care you need. got medicare and medicaid? 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one million in counting. that's the number of kids age 5 to 11 who the house says have already gotten their first doses of the covid vaccine. hundreds of thousands of appointments are on the books for the coming weeks. that's just in pharmacies nationwide. some school districts are already beginning to reconsider mask mandates for students. nbc's stephanie gosk is in queens, new york. hey there, stephanie. >> reporter: hey, chris. i'm outside of citi field, home to the new york mets and also the city's largest vaccination site. children with their parents ages 5 to 11 are showing up here, getting in line to get their vaccines. meanwhile, that fight against mask mandates taking a blow in a courthouse in texas. a judge there ruled that the ban in the state against mask mandates is unlawful. after months of heated clashes nationwide over masks in schools, a texas judge ruling overnight the state's ban on school mask mandates violates federal law. governor greg abbott issued the order prohibiting schools from requiring students and staff to wear masks before the year started. >> kids will not be forced by government or by schools to wear masks in school. >> reporter: in a conversation with lester, cdc director rochelle walensky says with vaccines for kids ramping up, now is not the time to let our guard down. >> kids should continue to wear masks even if they're vaccinated? >> i would say masks are for now but not forever. >> reporter: in new york city, children aren't just going to get vaccines. the vaccines are coming to them. >> did it hurt? >> no. >> you're brave, aren't you? >> reporter: the shots are right there when class is over. >> we're very, very happy that they're able to get vaccinated and the school made it so easy. >> reporter: the white house says nearly 1 million children ages 5 to 11 have received their first covid shot. 700,000 more have scheduled appointments in pharmacies alone. those parents haven't hesitated. but actor matthew mcconaughey echoed the skittishness many families feel about their young children vaccinated. >> it's scary. right now i'm not vaccinating mine, i'll tell you that. >> reporter: but the surgeon general says that puts kids at risk. >> covid is not harmless in children. many kids have died, sadly. thousands have been hospitalized. >> reporter: the white house says they recorded more vaccinations in the last week than they have in five months. and that's because of the increase in boosters and kids ages 5 to 11. but adults, those new doses for adults, those numbers are still going down, chris. >> stephanie gosk, thank you for that from queens. joining me, pediatrician and msnbc medical contributor dr. edward redlener. good to see you. i assume you agree with the cdc that it's not time to get rid of mask mandates in schools yet. but outside of schools, what's your advice to parents of newly vaccinated kids, when and where is the right time to allow them to stop wearing masks? play dates? making that delayed trip to see grandma and grandpa? what's your advice? >> well, i think we should just say that parents should feel comfortable in vaccinating their children in that 5 to 11 category. the fda looked at the data very carefully, said it's safe and effective. the cdc also said the same thing. and basically recommended strongly that parents get their children vaccinated in that age group. i agree with that, chris. and i agree with it because while it's still unusual to see many children getting the disease, there have been many, many children now that have been hospitalized. there have been over 600 deaths in kids since the pandemic began. this is not to alarm parents. it's still a small fraction of what we've seen in adults. but the fact of the matter is it's time to bite the bullet, get your children vaccinated, keep them safe. >> and if you do, can they stop wearing the mask? >> not yet. hopefully soon. but don't forget, we're on the verge of entering, a, the winter season, which will increase the spread of the vaccine, and b, have many people gathering for holiday gatherings and so on. and i think until we hear otherwise from the cdc, i would still think about keeping those masks in place, the mask guidelines. >> let me tell you what the american academy of pediatrics put out. they said child cases have declined since a peak of 252,000 the week of september 2. but covid cases among children remain extremely high. and 24 states have seen at least a 5% increase in cases over the past two weeks. new hampshire had a 63% increase. what does that tell us? >> well, it tells us we're just not done with this. recently some former fda official was saying we'll be over the main thrust of the covid-19 pandemic by early january. i think that's just a preposterous, dangerously optimistic prediction to make. the fact of the matter is i think all of us are being very vigilant about this winter season and the holidays and so on. and i think we need to keep our guard up. and i think this is what's really important now, chris, that everything that we need to do should be done to make sure that children don't see even more cases. we had over 100,000 cases last week. no time to let our guard down, chris. >> when you say no time to let our guard down, i assume you're not meaning that family members who are vaccinated should worry about getting together over the holidays. it's like, when you go inside shopping at the mall or you go into your grocery store, keep wearing the mask even if you're vaccinated. what's the sort of common sense advice you have, given that this is not over? >> yeah, there's a lot of gray zone here. let's acknowledge that. there are many, many circumstances that are not clearly laid out in any cdc guideline. so part of it is using your best judgment. i'll tell you this, that the redlener family's get-togethers will say nobody comes to the house who has not been vaccinated, period. and we'll be testing people. and i think this is what i think every family will have to determine. but i'll tell you that the safest thing to do is not get back immediately into the large group gatherings. and we should make sure that people are vaccinated. >> dr. irwin redlener, always good to see you, appreciate it. up next, a crew member on the movie "rust" who saw his friend die before his very eyes, filing a lawsuit. what he's accusing the movie's producers of doing and not doing. ♪ 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. ♪ exploring the heart of historic europe with viking, you'll get closer to iconic landmarks, to unveil them to the world. to local life and legendary treasures as you sail onboard our patented, award-winning viking longships. you'll enjoy many extras, including wi-fi, cultural enrichment from ship to shore and engaging excursions. viking - voted number one river cruise line by condé nast readers. learn more at viking.com. as carla wonders if she can retire sooner, she'll revisit her plan with fidelity. and with a scenario that makes it a possibility, she'll enjoy her dream right now. that's the planning effect, from fidelity. ♪ say it's all right ♪ she'll enjoy her dream right now. ♪ say it's all right, it's all right ♪ ♪ have a good time 'cause it's all right ♪ ♪ now listen to the beat ♪ ♪ kinda pat your feet ♪ ♪ it's all right ♪ ♪ have a good time 'cause it's all right ♪ ♪ oh, it's all right ♪ - [announcer] meet the ninja foodi family, with pressure cookers that steam crisp, ovens that flip up and away, grills that bring outdoor flavors indoors, and blenders that spin up healthy eating. ninja foodi, be proud of what you make. hello? 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