know. and velshi across america, i travel to window rock. the stunning navajo nation to mark native american month. i'll have a vital discussion on this thanksgiving weekend. "velshi" starts now. good morning. it is saturday, november 27th. i'm ali velshi. new covid variant is causing global alarm as countries enact travel restrictions in the attempt to contain the latest coronavirus threat. the w.h.o. classified the omicron as a highly transmissible virus of concern. that includes the delta that it includes to drive up the hospitalizations and deaths in europe and u.s. many mutations found within the omicron variant are linked to increased antibody resistance which affects how the virus behaves. scientists in south africa first discovered it was driving a spike in cases there on thursday. so far, omicron has been detected in belgium, botswana, hong kong and israel. the u.s. is moving to restrict travel from south africa and several other countries in the region, including botswana, mozambique and zimbabwe and eswatini. those restrictions will go into effect on monday for non-u.s. citizens. dr. fauci joined peter alexander and kristen welker on "weekend today" to discuss the omicron variant. fauci says there are no cases identified in the u.s. right now, he would not be surprised if it is already here. >> we have not detected it yet. when you have a virus that is showing this degree of trans miss built and you are already having travel related cases noted in israel and belgium and other places. when you have a virus like this, it is ultimately going go all over. the issue of blocking travel from a given country is to just give us time to assess it better. that's the reason for doing that. not any reason to panic. >> meanwhile, president biden issued a statement urging americans to get vaccinated. america is leading the world in vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 and has been vaccinated teens for months now. we need more americans in all age groups to get the life-saving protection. if you have not gotten your vaccine or not taken your children to get vaccinated, now is the time. he sent a message to the global community. the united states has donated more vaccines to other countries than every other country combined. it is time for other counties to match america's speed and generosity. joining me is dr. bedehlia. she is a contributor to msnbc and a friend to the show on the topic for far too long. good to see you. dr. fauci talked about the degree of transmissability. are we talking about mortality or infectiinfectiousness? what does this mean with the degree of transmissability. >> the reason omicron is of other than there are over 50 mutations and 30 on the spike protein that the virus attaches to human cells. the nature from what we have seen can do a couple of things. one is increasing transmissability. if you have it, you are likely to pass it on to somebody else. there is concern the way the few mutations look, it is similar to others. there is a concern that none of the other mutations, beta and lambda have taken over is delta is king of the hill. if you all of a sudden are seeing variant that has mutations that may both cause greater transmissability, but also decrease efficacy of the current treatment, it might out-compete delta because cases are starting to go up in south africa. this is something we need to be concerned about. i will caveat this with all of the data is quite early. the next two weeks will help us figure out what is what and what turns out to be the truth with the epidemiology in south africa and lab work. >> it was detected first on thursday. the monitoring seems to be working well. you used two terms in the explanation. you talked about antibody resistance and decreased efficacy of the vaccine. are those two sides of the same coin? the antibodies are not holding off omicron the way they hold off delta? >> there is suspicion it is and there is a concern from the w.h.o. in the population they are seeing. this early. why does it matter? the way vaccines work is that it creates antbodies and has a longer term t-cell response to protect you. when antibodies go down, you may get greater chance of infection, but the t-cell may protect you from severe disease. in these cases, the variants decrease efficacy. the good news is no variant to date, ali, and this is the question of the current vaccine works. no data completely overwhelmed or evaded. they may provide protection which is why i think you are seeing president biden and dr. fauci encouraging everybody to get vaccinated and boosted. >> you give us a lot of information in little time. we are appreciative of it. it is not only important and necessary information, but it can be life-saving information. we are grateful to you and how ready you are to come and talk to viewers. an infectious disease physician. congress reconvenes next week and facing a number of key deadlines and democrats seek to pass the $1.7 trillion build back better plan through the senate where democrats hold a razor thin majority that relies on vice president harris' tie breaking vote to pass anything that doesn't have republican support. it is a consequence kweengs al week for justice. three white men who cased and killed ahmaud arbery were found guilty of murder charges. a virginia jury reached a partial verdict in the unite the right trial. nine individuals are entitled to more than $25 million in compensation for injury sustained during the 2017 charlottesville rally. they could not decide if the organizers engaged in a conspiracy to commit violence under federal law. joining me now is the democratic congress member troy carter of louisiana. a member of the house transportation and infrastructure committee. congress member, i love talking about infrastructure and i want to talk about that, but first let's talk about racial justice in america. we saw the verdict in georgia and on the heels of the verdict in minneapolis. it does seem to suggest that while we may not be at a point where justice is done for killing unarmed black people, but there may be some accountability that is to be had. >> certainly there was a recognition of the need to have justice. clearly, one verdict doesn't change the issue that our country faces. there is a tremendous problem in our criminal justice system. this was a victory, but it was outlandish and clear that the evidence was clear that it would have been difficult to come back with anything but a guilty verdict. however, we have seen this before. denotes we still have a long way to go. we should pause on this victory and recognize the so many others. rittenhouse and others that require the kind of careful attention and recognition that our criminal justice system is severely flawed. >> you said it was outlandish and clear, yet there was a chance it would not result in a conviction. part of the reason it is is because there is a video. in one group says one thing and another group says the other, the population tends to believe unarmed black people don't get killed for just doing nothing. >> that is a fact. the reality is if you reversed the roles that had been three african americans chasing a white gentleman, unarmed and no items suggested he stolen something, there would not have been media. there would have been conviction in the media and court and probably would not have had the level of deliberation. that is the real issue of why the racism and criminal justice reform needs to be fixed. there's no question. when i say outlandish, this was easy. yet, for many people, it wasn't. if it was reversed, it would have been a different day. >> let's talk about infrastructure. you are on the infrastructure committee. how will you and democrats effectively -- this infrastructure bill is massive. it is huge. it's a big deal. it should have been bipartisan from the beginning. it was marginally bipartisan which confuses me. i grew up thinking infrastructure was as republican a thing as democratic. you have to message how big a deal it is and how it improves people's lives. how will you do that? >> we are talking about $1.2 trillion. "t." not "b." for louisiana, $7 billion to come to my state to address clean water and removing lead pipes. like looking at the 25% of critical infrastructure facilities that are in imminent danger if we don't do something about it. these are life changing once in a lifetime opportunities. this is the largest infrastructure impact for the country since the creation of the interstate system under president eisenhower. that is a really, really big deal. when you talk about those saying there is not enough in it or it should have been more. at the end of the day, we all love to have it bigger and more robust and deal with greater issues. we are talking about trillions of dollars and talking about trillions of dollars that not only impact democrats, but impact republicans, democrats, people all over the country. people who voted for me and didn't. people who voted for president biden and didn't. of all things, infrastructure should never been considered partisan. i'm proud of the work that those republicans that did, although all too few, come along with us. cassidy in the senate from my home state who did an incredible job to fashion the final passage of the bill we should all be proud of and will yield great benefits for many years to come. >> congress member, good to see you. we appreciate the time you have taken. democratic representative troy carter of louisiana. still ahead on "velshi" we continue to talk about the build back better bill with representative emanuel cleaver. he joins us at the top of the hour. november is native american heritage month. i headed to window rock. the capital of navajo nation. the issues facing native people. and america is losing out on the best and brightest immigrants the world has to offer and it is costing our nation a great deal. is costing nation a great deal. -had enough? -no... arthritis. here. new aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain in the aspercreme. >> man: what's my safelite story? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. 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( ♪♪ ) what a pain in the... alice? if it's "let's wrap this up" season, it's walgreens season. switching wireless carriers is easy with xfinity. just lean on our helpful switch squad to help you save if it's "let's wrap this up" season, with xfinity mobile. they can help break up with your current carrier for you and transfer your info to your new phone. giving you a fast and easy experience that can save you hundreds a year on your wireless bill. visit your nearest xfinity store and see how the switch squad can help you switch and save. it's the xfinity black friday sales event. learn how to save up to $1000 on select phones by visitng your local xfinity store today. no secret i'm a big fan of american immigration. in fact, i'm a product of american immigration. when i think of thanksgiving, other than getting sleepy from all of the food i remember, there would be no thanksgiving if not for immigration. those first pilgrims arriving at plymouth rock were grateful for the bounty of the land and in this case, a tribe that welcomed them and without whose help they would have starved. the first immigrants weren't the best model given the genocide and land theft that followed. america would not be what it is if not for immigration. it concerns me when america doesn't work hard to attract the best and brightest minds. as the washington post reports, as the global economy heats up and a battle for the young and able has begun. with fast track visas and promises of permanent residency. many wealthy nations are sending a message all over the world. help wanted now. countries are racing. germany offering accelerated work visas and six months for the country to find a job. australia plans to double the migrants it allows into the country over the next year and my beloved canada will grant residency to 1.2 million new immigrants by 2023. with aging work forces and negative population replacement rates and labor shortages, even countries that have historically resisted immigration, like japan, are opening the door to workers. the world's developed countries are realizing welcoming people in is more economically productive than keeping people out. for those who still need to be convinced of it, the oecd, basically the group of the world's most developed nations, released data that shos shows migrants benefit more for the economy. we lost the plot on attracting the world's best. u.s. immigration policies are broken. we let too few people in and make it too hard for those people who stay even when they have been educated in america. we have onerous visa review processes when we should roll out the red carpet. other nations are racing to create programs to attract skilled foreign workers, america's fear based policies are basically scaring skilled workers away. a lot of americans are perfectly fine with that. a new poll shows 1 in 5 americans would stop most if all immigration right now. i really like to talk to those folks so i can understand how they think in america without immigrants will work. america stands to lose out on the intelligent and skilled people in the world. after that, the u.s. will risk falling behind in even entrepreneur ship and science. ing the biden administration is trying to fix one part of this. the build back better program. the problem with not understanding the value of immigration and lots of it is by the time everyone figures it out, it will be too late. the time to prioritize getting more people in america is now. tg more people in america is now. its innovation organic ingredients and fermentation. fermentation? yes, formulated to help your body really truly absorb the natural goodness. new chapter. wellness well done. ♪ ♪ ♪ (sha bop sha bop) ♪ ♪ are the stars out tonight? 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in other words, we are getting more race blind? we're able to see whether or not the case was motivated by race and able to look at justice as justice? >> no, i don't think we made great strides. this is one important step just like the verdict in the derek chauvin trial was one important step to leveling the playing field. opening people's eyes to the injustice that a lot of african american men face on a daily basis. there are thousands of people in jail and killed, african americans. we can't turn back the clock. this is an important step. we have to keep on pushing in the court and through federal legislation and with activism. i think we see a convergence in the derek chauvin trial as in the mcmichael-bryan trial. we see the factors. and the evidence that points to heinuos crimes committed. >> the three men convicted in arbery's murder. they tried to argue they were performing a citizens arrest. following the death, georgia repealed that law. many states across the country have similar legislation. not just citizens arrest, but things that give people impunity if they kill people in a manner that most of us would think extra judicial. do you think those laws can change? if so, who is behind changing them? >> i think those laws can change and those laws must change. the people behind changing them would be the citizens in each state. in state of georgia, for example, the legislature changed the law because of the pressure. the murder of ahmaud arbery, even before the trial, the whole video that the state and country and world saw, was so disturbing and aggravating and so much of a disturbance, in georgia, the legislature repealed the law. it was an 1863 law after all. what happens in georgia happens in the south and northern states and the midwest and west coast. there needs to be a concerted effort. the people in the states are the ones who are responsible for the repeal. >> an 1863 law passed in response to the emancipation proclamation because slaves were trying to get away from their masters. this is a slavery-era law. ck is the former president of the national bar association and veteran trial attorney. we hope you had a great thanksgiving. it is time to burn off the calories and put on the farming hat. the ideas for farming sustain bring in the future. you can listen to the show on the go anytime. listen for free anywhere you get your podcasts. free anywhereou t your podcasts. ♪♪♪ ♪♪it's a most unusual day♪♪ ♪♪feel like throwing my worries away♪♪ ♪♪as an old native-born californian would say♪♪ ♪♪it's a most unusual day♪♪ ♪♪it's a most unusual sky♪♪ ♪♪not a sign of a cloud passing by♪♪ ♪♪if my heart won't behave in the usual way♪♪ experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list event. ♪ when you have nausea, ♪ ♪ heartburn, ingestion, upset stomach... ♪sanctuary ♪ diarrheaaaa.♪ try pepto bismol with a powerful coating action. for fast and soothing relief. pepto bismol for fast relief when you need it most. people with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. like pulsing, electric shocks, sharp, stabbing pains, or an intense burning sensation. what is this nightmare? 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>> we didn't know if the restaurants were going to reopen. we lost about 60% of revenue in a week. we needed to find ways of pivoting and ensure our viability. >> reporter: which is why he made the community part of the plan. creating a home grown supply chain. >> this is the second step here. >> the second stage of the whole process. >> reporter: it gets other products to where they're needed most. >> we bring in other products from other local farms to create the box like this for families. >> reporter: families like this. what does it mean to have healthy and fresh foods? it means a lot for you. it is something you need. putting a sustainable future and healthy meal just an arms length away. morgan radford, nbc news, denver. >> thanks to morgan for that report. november is native american heritage month. i traveled to window rock for a conversation about infrastructure and culture and what it means to be native american. 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 wayfair's biggest cyber monday ever is now on. now you know. yes! score unbelievable savings. like area rugs up to 80% off. living room seating up to 70% off. and ge appliances up to 40% off. plus tons more limited-time deals. and free shipping on thousands of products. our cyber monday is happening now through december 3rd. shop the event of the season. only at wayfair.com ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ (tiger) this is the dimension of imagination. ♪ ♪ the snapshot app from progressive rewards you for driving safe and driving less. okay, what message did you hear this time? 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"finding nemo" is in the navajo language. we premiered our third which is "fistful of dollars." we did it because the other two, you know, i would get older folks asking you should do a western. our older generation are holding on to our language. the big number one reason why we push for that is because language is at the core of any culture. our language is -- it's at a tipping point for navajo people. if we don't do anything about it, we will lose it forever. >> can i get a share of hands of who speaks the navajo language? okay. >> the colleagues and panelists here have spoken about the need to preserve language. it all hinges on the difference in that we speak the language. we have a connection to our land and when we speak these words into the universe in prayer, it is how we find our grounding with who we are. >> and my viewer who may not know you refer to the people and culture and language? >> yes, ali. >> i'll talk about politics. the infrastructure bill finally got done. it is uniquely not abstract to you in navajo nation particularly in relation to water. >> for many decades, the issue about water is really been overlooked by the united states. for tribes, not just navajo. for navajo, we had a rolling log of constant need for water development on the navajo nation. today, i just ended health service. they have a listing of almost 10,000 homes that don't have water today. >> this is in navajo nation? >> in the navajo nation, there are almost 10,000 homes that lack water. if there is approximately four family members per home, that is easily 40,000 people. money is one factor in all of this. right now, i -- i -- i see the money that could come. $3.5 billion for water projects. to get water to homes. i know too many of the details about the process to get water to homes. it will be a real struggle. yes, the money is coming, but there's still a long way to see a lot of families get water. >> with native americans in congress, you know, i think we have kind of been gathering more support and dr. jill biden was here a few months ago. we have some allies, i think, in the higher level that sees what he is seeing as far as need for our navajo people. basic needs. on top of water, of course, we need infrastructure. there's still a lot of dirt roads that we have to travel on and our police vehicles are getting torn up. internet. you know, internet. everybody else has internet, but a lot of the navajo people don't have internet. cell service. being optimistic, i think, eventually our leaders see it and they will forecast and say let's help our native people a little bit more and little bit better. they are vested in us. we have treaies with them. it is their agreement with us that they take care of our native people. >> you know, really, when you look at the history in the federal government and then our stance working with them with the government-to-government relationship, often times we don't have a seat at the table. it is other individuals making decisions for us and about us and not having the firsthand knowledge from individuals like myself and the president who knows what is going on here actually on the nation and on the reservation impacting our communities. when i think about representation, i think how the new administration has come in really and wants to gauge what it feels like to be part of the navajo nation or part of other indigenous communities out there. having the seat at the table and making sure that we are heard from our perspective because your perspective and my perspective, i live here and i'm navajo 24/7. this is all i know. you have come to visit or other people are trying to understand the perspective to live on navajo. you heard a little bit about the water issue and the public safety and safety and the health. how it's vastly different compared to western society and the western world out there. so having that ability to know the difference between the two worlds, society that we have to live by is very imperative that we continue to voice our opinions and make sure that we continue to get strong men and women of native heritage in these high positions within d.c. or the states, legislatures or even here within our tribal government, as well. >> it's really one of the best conversations i've had in the last year in "velshi" across america. coming up in the next hour you'll hear part two of the conversation in which we discuss the complexity, and what navajo people want non-native americans to take away from native-american heritage month. all right. it's been seven years since russia invaded ukraine and illegally annexed crimea. according to ukraine, russia is up to something again. if you're washing with the bargain brand, even when your clothes look clean, there's extra dirt you can't see. watch this. that was in these clothes...ugh. but the clothes washed in tide- so much cleaner! if it's got to be clean, it's got to be tide hygienic clean no surprises in these clothes! couple more surprises. ( ♪♪ ) what a pain in the... alice? if it's "let's wrap this up" season, it's walgreens season. i just heard something amazing! now for the first time one medication was approved to treat and prevent migraines. nurtec is the first and only option proven to treat and prevent migraines with one medication. onederful. one quick dissolve tablet can start fast and last. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion. with nurtec odt, i treat migraine my way. what's your way? ask your doctor about nurtec to find out! a mountain of toys to fulfill many wishes must be carried across all roads and all bridges. it's not magic that makes more holiday deliveries to homes in the us than anyone else, it's the hardworking people of the united states postal service. ♪♪ ♪♪ there are serious fears that russia is on the verge of invade ukraine again. vladimir zelensky claims ukrainian intelligence has obtained audio recordings of the plotters trying to rope ukraine's richest businessman into the plan. russia's denied any involvement, but this latest development comes as tensions are boiling in the region. the u.s., nato and ukrainian officials are warning about an unusual buildup of russian troops near ukraine. the head of ukraine's defense intelligence agency told military times that, quote, russia has more than 92,000 troops masked around ukraine's border and was preparing for an attack. in response to this potential threat, zelensky said, quote, we are in full control of our borders and are fully prepared for any escalation. the white house says all options remain on the table. joining me now is bobby gosch is currently an editor and columnist for bloomberg opinion. bobby, good morning. good to see you. bobby, in 2014, when russia invaded ukraine, a sovereign country that is not part of nato, but western-facing more so than russian facing, the u.s. didn't do what it needed to do. putin has constantly challenged whether the u.s. will help or intervene if it meddles in ukraine and frankly, the test has so far failed as far as america's concerned. >> yes. that's exactly right. in 2014, when russia essentially invaded ukraine, it took a big chunk and the crimian peninsula into europe and into the mediterranean area, and the obama administration did nothing. it was taking a strong line, but in the end the obama administration did not, nato did not, the europeans did not and the lesson putin learn side if he times it correctly he can take pieces of territory and hold onto it, and he's been using the threat of doing that consistently in the seven years since then, and there have been other moments in that period when there's been this acceleration of russian troop concentrations on the border with ukraine, but this in the past few weeks seems to be the most serious effort at least to knock very hard on europe's door, to send a scare across the western alliance. >> and what's the right response, bobby? because as we've mentioned ukraine is not part, it's not a member of the european union. there is a general understanding among nato countries that an invasion or an attack on one is an attack on the other and that doesn't fit when it comes to ukraine either. there have been a lot of noises on ukraine to become more western facing and integrated with the west. it is integrated to some degree with russia. what's the right thing to do if russia may or may not overtly or covertly try to interfere with ukrainian issues again? >> at this point we are in the message-sending part of this face-off. so russia is sending a message by amassing troops on the border. the biden administration is trying to send the message that letting it be known that it is thinking of sending military advisers and it is a very loose definition and thinking of sending military advisers to ukraine to help protect ukrainian territory, their stock up more with nato, nuclear bombers over that territory, and so both sides are, if you like, this is shadow boxing that's going on. the u.s. yesterday the secretary of state for the assistant secretary of state for the european affairs used the language all options are on the table. that is in diplomatic terms very strong and that would have been noticed. the trick for the biden administration, though is to get the europeans behind it. it's not enough. it's not going to be enough if putin only hears from joe biden. he is fully aware that the united states, the american people are not in the mood for a war and he can, putin can keep pressing harder and harder against ukraine without getting a military response from the u.s., but he has to hear from the europeans and the europeans are really divided over this. the french want to take a tough line with putin and the most crucial voice in europe has to come from germany and germany has always been well for the last ten or 12 years has been very dovish on russia in general and think, in germany you have the additional competition right now. if you have a change of leadership, angela merkel, the rock of germany so many years is on her way out. >> right. he's not been tested in this position yet. bobby, always good to see you. editor and columnist with bloomberg opinion. don't go anywhere, much more "velshi, representative emanuel cleaver, i'll ask him how many changes to the build back better act house democrats can tolerate after the senate puts its hands on that bill. another hour of "velshi" begins right now. ♪♪ ♪♪ good morning. it's 9:00 a.m. in the east, 6:00 a.m. out west. i'm ali velshi. govern ams