graduated in 1964. and then in 1965, he listed into the united states army. now, if you are doing the math, him enlisting in 1965, that was way before the drive for vietnam. the drop didn't start until years later, in 1969. he won in, before that, by choice, he enlisted in 1965. and then in every day in business brings something new. so get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. introducing comcast business mobile. you get the most reliable network with nationwide 5g included. and you can get unlimited data for just $30 per line per month when you get four lines or mix and match data options. available now for comcast business internet customers with no line-activation fees or term contract required. see if you can save by switching today. comcast business. biden administration today powering possibilities. should make it so that rare cancers, respiratory diseases, and disability related to those exposures can be covered as service connected disabilities. it is a whole raft of changes, research, rules. the head of iraq and afghanistan veterans of america says it is a good first step there are too many potential outs in the fine print of what was announced today. he explained that veterans and their supporters will be pushing to get the research done that needs to be done, the rules that need to be changed, to get vets into va health care if they have been made sick by those burn pits. it is literally hundreds of thousands of american veterans who have served in afghanistan who have that kind of exposure. it is a very big, deal that story will get bigger and bigger, and be more and more consequential for the u.s. government and veterans. over all the time that we live on this earth, because of the sustained exposure of those burn pits for all of those years, and both those long ways. so we have been following those stories today. this veterans day. i also want to tell you that cbs news today had an important advance, a big story, on something that we told you about last night. this is something that we got a lot of feedback on from you guys, from viewers last night and today. after last night show we covered the story, that starts with an attack, a major attack, against u.s. troops in january of last year. in january of 2020, here is some of the coverage from the time the attack happened by nbc's foreign chief correspondent. >> iran has confirmed that it is launched a conventional strike firing, it says more than a dozen ballistic missiles from inside iranian territory at bases that house the american personnel here in iraq. iranian state tv posting video ground to ground ballistic missiles are roaring towards iraqi bases, housing u.s. troops. it claimed the run supreme leader, had personally overseen the launch in the control room. iranian tv posted more video of what it says was the impact, around 5:30 pm eastern time. each of the missiles was packed with 1000, or 1600 pounds of explosive. military officials told nbc news, and enough to shred this rogue houses and throw shockwaves as powerful as truck bombs. one of the missiles landed here, and because the ground is a little softer it created a deep crater. it is about 15 feet deep, twice as wide. so you can see these were powerful ministers just by the fact that they were able to displace this much earth. many soldiers were taking shelter near where the missiles were exploded. summoned bunkers, others out guarding the base. so you could feel that? the push on your body? >> 100%. >> out guarding the base when those ballistic missiles landed. this was the al-assad air base in iraq. u.s. troops were hit there in january of last year so just under two years ago now. we now know that was the largest ballistic missile attack ever launched against u.s. troops. 13 missiles, each with an explosive payload of between 1000 or 2000 pounds. these are missiles the size of tracks. we have footage of the missiles hitting al-assad base, we have footage of the aftermath at the base. how much damage was the stain. u.s. soldiers on base at the time was sheltered and sandbag bunkers, which indeed may have saved their lives, but certainly did not save them from injury. dozens of soldiers were wounded, a couple dozen were many fact out in the wake of the attack. it was only soldiers who were maybe back out. we but there are dozens of other soldiers who were injured in that missile attack, but they apparently, either never heard back after they sent in their nomination paperwork for purple hearts, or according to usa today's reporting, they were discouraged from filing the paperwork in the first place in order to apply for the accommodation. now, why would troops have been discouraged for applying for a purple heart? why would troops who actually apply for a purple heart, or nominated for a purple heart not hear back and let -- have those packages, those nomination papers just languish? now for almost two years, something we are at happened at the time of the attack, politically, which apparently has resonated through this entire process and has resonated through the lives of these dozens of wounded soldiers who -- . at the time this attack happen, january of last year, we decided that he did not want to admit that american soldiers were wounded in that attack. it was one of the stranger proclamations with lots of competition for that title but let it not be forgotten, he did say this about american troops wounded in battle. one question on iran, initially you said -- was that after iran retaliated there are no americans were injured. we now know at least 11 u.s. service members were injured from iraq. can you explain for me? >> no i heard they had headaches. a few other things, but i would say and i can report it is not very serious. >> it's it's not very serious not very serious, that's what he said. and he stuck to it, we now know, that they are after, from reporting at cbs news and usa today. that after the president made those public utterances, dozens of purple heart applications from soldiers who were seriously wounded in that attack they, a they're wounded soldiers were discouraged from filing the paperwork at all. and a purple heart is a sacred accommodation. it is also a practical thing. among other things, it entitles you to priority medical care. it streams lines your ability to access all sorts of practical benefits. captain jeffrey hansen, was an officer at the base at the time of the attack. he himself was wounded in the iranian attack. he tested that he and other officers were told to stop inquiring about the soldiers who had applied for purple hearts and hadn't received them. or who had been discouraged from been applying to the middle. he told us that the message that he was getting that the political situation wasn't going to support more approvals. the political situation wasn't going to support more approvals of purple heart awards? that has been the situation, that has been life for these wounded service members and their families for nearly a couple of years now. since that unprecedented massive attack on the outside base. well now, apparently, it appears perhaps in response to press inquiries, from cbs news, the u.s. military, now, finally says that it is going to review additional nominations for the purple heart. from soldiers who were wounded that day. expectations are now that dozens more wounded soldiers may finally receive that commendation that they earned the hardest possible way. it's been a remarkable saga. joining us now is former army captain geoffrey hansen, he was one of the leaders of tax for scarecrow, the army unit that was attacked by the ballistic missiles. he and several soldiers under his command were injured that day. captain geoffrey hansen it's an honor to have you here with us on veterans day in particular. thank you for being here. >> thank you for having me. this is really exciting that we're reporting on this. >> it is exciting because it feels like it is turning around. it is harrowing to know what it is turning around from. let me just ask you, i am summarizing reporting from usa today and from cbs news here and from what we know of the attack that happened at the time. let me ask, you if anything as i said strike you as wrong, or if i'm getting at the wrong way around. >> no, i think you're spot on. we submitted all of those packages originally. we bought those packages through a full medical review, we had doctors sign off on. them we put it as a diagnosis, and the severity for purple. heart and like you said, only 23 of those were awarded. >> does it make sense to you that the 23 that were awarded were all soldiers who were meta vaxed. there were dozens of soldiers wounded that they, some of them were medevacs. some of them were not in the immediate aftermath of the attack. it does seem like more of a coincidence that that seems to be the distinction that it least, thus far, had been determinative to whether or not the purple heart was awarded. >> i definitely agree. i think that there is a causation will listen, for medevacs, for the purple heart. how it's written in the entitlement. >> when you told cbs news the messaging i was getting was just the political situation, wasn't going to support more approvals. i was hoping you could just explain what you meant by that. you, and other officers, were advocating for soldiers who had been wounded to perceive this combination. you were inquiring about soldiers whose packages, the purple heart packages, had just been set on. they hadn't heard anything back. what's sort of messaging did you receive that made you conclude that the political situation wasn't going to support more approvals? what does that mean? >> when the word came down, who was going to get a purple heart or not, we asked what the criteria was. who was going to get them, who wasn't going to get. them and the message we got back was to not ask any more questions. you're going to get what you are going to get. and be happy that you're getting what you are getting. >> it does sound like, thanks to inquiries, it seems, from cbs news reporting on this, that the army has changed tactics. that whatever political presage that they had previously been in, it was interfering with the application process with these purple heart accommodations. that political situation has changed enough that they are now going to start looking at these again. what do you understand about the change, and what are you expecting? i know that it is not just soldiers that are serving under your command, but you yourself, you were wounded that they. >> yes, what i understand from the changes that they're going to go back through, it they're going to reevaluate all of the package from scratch. they are going to talk to the surgeons that were on the ground that she did us during that attack. and they are going to do a comprehensive review. i don't necessarily think that they need to automatically reward all 59, but i think they need to have a look. we need to see what the criteria is, and whether or not they need those craters or not. >> if in fact, i asked this question though you may not want to answer, i know that taking these concerns public was not your first choice talking to the news media was not something that you relish, so feel free to opt out of this question. >> thank you. >> but if the army looks into this, as i believe they should, and it is determined the purple heart awards were not delayed, or were not issued because of a fear within the army that that would undermine or undercut the public messaging from the president who was denying the severity of these injuries at the time, how should that be fixed? how serious is that? the messaging coming from the president at the time was bizarre for us as civilians, watching the. if it in fact resulted in the delay of benefits, and the delay of earned medals to soldiers including yourself in those who served under you, for all of this time, what is the right way to fix that? what is the right remedy? >> honestly, i'll be happy that they are doing this thorough review and that they are going to go back. they're going to give it a good look. award those who they think are deserving. i think that is enough to go back and say that this is the right way to do it and to go back and take care of the soldiers. >> u.s. army captain geoffrey hansen, captain thank you so much for being here and for letting us know that this was happening, i think you and your colleagues, letting people know that it's happened, led to the media asking question which for the different type of pressure on the military here. it couldn't have happened without you being willing to speak about it publicly. i know that was uncomfortable for you, but it really made a difference, thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> all right, we've got much more ahead tonight, stay with us. , stay wit us oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! my zone... lowering my a1c, cv risk, and losing some weight... now, back to the game! ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? 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don't want to let any more -- come in here. or jesse jackson, whoever was in here earlier this week sitting with the victims family, trying to influence the jury in this case. >> we don't want any more black pastors coming in here. you see the other people in room blanche, right. did i really just say that? again, courtroom cameras, cuts both ways in terms of whether it advances the public's understanding of the legal system and how it works and cases of public interest. in this case, interesting strategy to say the least. but i -- namaste... ...surprise parties. aww, you guys. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... ...for 3!... ...so i can du more of the things i love. 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 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what they are can be tried by a posse. and then they turn around and say. they are defending themselves. saying that he was afraid of his little five-year-old. what about the five year old who are a freeze now for jobs in brunswick. what about the young black kids that are now saying that if they kill me, they are going to stack the jury and walk. that is why we are in brunswick. >> yesterday, the reverend al sharpton had a press conference, and then a visual. three men are on trial for killing. reverend al sharpton invited him to lead the visual, and then watch the proceeding. which are open. today, one of the defense attorneys took issue with reverend dog al sharpton in the courtroom. and he did so in a shocking way. the judge responded, quote, everybody comply with this court ruling on sitting in this courtroom and listening to the evidence. i don't hear motion, and i will tell you this, i am not going to blanket lee exclude the members of the public from this courtroom. let alone have some sort of no black pastors role as the defense attorney would ask the jet. >> joining us now is reverend with al sharpton, he is of course the host of msnbc's nation. reverend thank you for making time to be here tonight. >> thank you rachel. >> what should we understand about the dynamics at work here. i think that it sounds by itself, there are cameras in the courtroom, the soundbite has more than gone viral, and rocketed around the country. can you give us contacts and tell us what is going on, here what led to that and what you think this means. >> i think, first of all, what led to it is soon after the killing the family and the attorney talked with me, both the father and mother. even before the videotape came out, because that is the kind of work we do. that is not only my activism, we have been awesome -- three weeks ago i preached at a church in savannah georgia both the mother and father came. we had prayed and they publicly asked that i come to the trial. and i did, and i made my statement outside of my concern about the racial makeup of the jury in a city that is 55% black. there is only one black on the jury of 12, less than 10% of the jury is black. and i raise that concern. and then the families allowed one person in with them, one with the mother, one with the father and i assume the defense family were speaking in front of them in the court bringing in who they won. they brought with them, as well as the person with them who came in with the mother. and then, i think what is striking about it is the kind of arrogant insensitivity that the family has the right to choose who they want to sit with them. you must understand the setting. they are sitting in a courtroom, looking at the three men that killed their son. and the family of those men, sitting there, that is a very tense and challenging situation for a mother and a father to sit with. and if they want a minister there, someone to console them, someone to be there with them that has been with them since the beginning, that is their choice. but he didn't just say that he didn't want a public figure, he said black pastor. so if it was a white pastor, it would be all right? how do we know if the pastor are not sitting with the defendant's family? i think that he was very telling in his specifying black pastors. and i think that this is an outrage and i think that it is absolutely insulting to all people regardless of their feeling on this case, to say this in a court of law, given this kind of taste, is startling. but also revealing. >> reverend, we also had a defense lawyer in this case tells the constitution, even after, the jury as you said, it's a 12 member jury and there's one why person on the, jury there's one lecter who despite the racial makeup of the community in which missouri was strong, nevertheless we had a defense council, defense lawyer in the state of the atlanta georgia of constitution that this jury needed more, quote, southern, or joe sixpack. which would also seem to be something that had a racial implication in terms of what he is asking for even with. is it blue color, or six, but other jurors who look like brian, who look like one of the white defendant. it does feel like this is sort of saying the quiet part out loud. given how blunt the have to ask you if it is affecting the, judge if it's been affecting the conduct of the trial. >> i think it should. i do not know what is affecting the jury but certainly i think anyone should say, what are you seeing here, it's clearly the actual. killing three white men take it upon themselves to try to execute a young man, they claim they thought was engaged in a robbery, he is unarmed, he definitely was on not armed, and they took it upon themselves to take his life. not to arrest him. not to call police to arrest him and to try to hold him until they get there. they shot and killed him. so there is race all the way through this. and i think it is telling when they said, they need more brothers on the jury, the juries 11 to 1, white to black. in a town that is majority black, with a black man. and now, he says specifically, i want to that black pastors from coming in. if there is racism front and said there. he has certainly made that the case. we want to see justice. and i think that justice will all be what we hope and what we pray for. but to set a precedent and absolute this judge for not feeding into it either way so far, but to set a precedent that you can exclude people based on the race, black pastors and what they are there for, i think it is something that should be alarming to people all over this country, that go to court seeking justice and want to see the victims family to be able to choose who they want to console and whether or not they are nationally-known or not. >> reverend al sharpton the host of nbc politic nation. reverend, thank you for making time to be here tonight. i know that you are working 28 hours a day at this point, thank you. >> thank 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another firework through the window, at that time, it sets off an explosion. again, this is democratic party headquarters, in austin texas. and with that fire burning, as you see there from the interior camera, the man we goes into the night. we covered the story, right after it happened, we showed some of that surveillance of the man being caught a few minutes later. and the democrat told investigators that in addition to the explosion, in addition to the fireworks, and the cocktail, the man left them a threatening, very political note. leaving no doubt a select of what the motive. what saying that the explosion that he set off was a warning shot and this kind of thing would happen again if democrats continue to with do democratic party stuff. if they continue to, run for office and support candidates for office. we a few days later, a suspect was arrested, he is currently facing the charges, and also federal charges in connection with these fire bombings in the headquarters in austin. well, tonight here is your unexpected update on that story. the man is now out of jail. he has been released on 2500 dollar bonds? 20 $500. he does have an ankle bracelet. he was actually let out a few weeks ago. remember the attack only happened september 29th. he was let out of jail a few weeks ago. people who work at the office said that we only found out about his release a few days ago. which is the only reason that we know about. it democratic party in austin told us that the recently reached out to the fbi looking for an update on the case. and when they asked about the defense, the fbi wouldn't say where he was so the democratic party had their lawyers, spoke around, and the ultimately found the paperwork outlining the conditions of the release and the fact that he was released. democratic party in county, telling us tonight that they are upset and that they weren't informed. before the man who set up a cocktail in their office and threatened that it was just the start of his war against them they are disturbed that he was released on bill without them ever being justified. the chair of the county democratic party told us today, after assurance that the suspect would not be bond eligible given the nature of his crime, it is very disheartening to find that he made bond at 20 $500 and was released without her knowledge. well today, here's another update. now the trump county has filed a civil lawsuit against that men we. he is also facing criminal charges. they say that they are filing the civil suit to hold the, met quote, accountable for his violent act and to prevent future domestic terror attacks on our voting institution. they say tonight, quote, the threat of radical extremism and the violent behavior from the far-right persist. and you know what, there is good evidence that they are right about that. particularly in austin texas right now. and addition to the molotov cocktail and the fireworks, the arson, the attempted burning down of the democratic party, with this man has since suffered. halloween night, a couple of weeks, ago somebody set a synagogue on fire in austin. luckily no one was hurt but there was significant damage to the synagogue. the security footage caught a man walking the ground from the synagogue that night holding a five gallon jerry can of gasoline. you can see eaton's right hand. there that man is now in custody, he was just arrested. about a week before that attack students at a high school in austin showed up to school one morning to fine sought to and racist slurs taken all over the parking lot, the very next day a dozen people displayed this banner over a highway overpass in austin while they made the heil hitler nazi salute, the banner says vexed would jews. members of that same group then reportedly traveled to a disempowered with antisemitic costar started walking up to block in hispanic people on the street to tell them hateful things about jews. then this week, these anti-semitic relationship polls were found in an austin park. just blocks away from the synagogue that was set on fire. you can see that one poster says, learn about the white racial religion. this sunday, in response to all of, this there is going to be something they are calling a rally for kindness. on the steps of the texas state capitol in austin. they are trying to rally in solidarity. the target of these ugly antisemitic tactics in the last few weeks in both keeping an eye on this and in austin, watch this space. that is going to do it for us tonight, we are going to see you again tomorrow, now it's time for the last word with lawrence o'donnell. >> good evening rachel. you know what's disappeared from my life during covid? among other things, cuff links. i imagine my stress when i went for this anchorman show