Skip to main content

tv   Andrea Mitchell Reports  MSNBC  April 16, 2014 9:00am-10:01am PDT

9:00 am
bloomberg revamps his gun are lobby. >> this is not a battle of dollars. this is the battle for the hearts and minds of america, so that we can protect our children, protect innocent people. ready to run after yesterday's moving moments on boylston street. a stark reminder of the security challenges ahead of monday's boston marathon. boston police detonate two suspicious backpacks near the scene of last year's terror attack. coming up, we'll talk to one boston bombing survivor and the college student who helped rescue her. >> you can't go backwards. you can only move forward. and that's the direction i'm going.
9:01 am
i'm andrea mitchell in washington where we're following the latest updates from a deadly disaster off the coast of south korea. at least four people are dead. there are still nearly 300 unaccounted for. after this passenger ferry began sinking south of the peninsula. the ferry was carrying more than 300 students. right now, crews are searching through the night for survivors. nbc's kiera simmons is monitoring all of this from the london bureau. what do we know and what are the efforts the u.s. navy is making to stand by for the rescue? >> they're talking about this potentially being south korea's worst maritime disaster for more than 20 years. as you say, 300 passengers are still unaccounted for, out of almost 460 who were onboard. and many of them were high school students. so desperately worrying for the families and parents who we have seen gathered on beaches, looking, waiting to hear news of their loved ones.
9:02 am
to make things worse for them, at one point as south korea thought that up to 300 people had been rescued, they then had to revise that number down to 174. it really was a pandemonium as they tried to pull people from the ferry, over the two hours that it was sinking. all kinds of boats getting there, including fishing boats, just pulling people down from this ferry that was on its side, until finally it sank into the water. there is relatively shallow. so i was talking to one maritime expert who is saying that it is possible that there could be very substantial air pockets onboard this ferry where there may still be survivors. remember, into the night there now, they have been searching, continuing this rescue operation, and hoping that there are still people that they can rescue. >> thanks so much. desperate rescue against the clock in south korea. after days of restraint,
9:03 am
ukraine's government finally began pushing back against russia militia, seizing government buildings throughout ukraine. but a complicated situation is further confused. some ukrainian government troops are defecting to join the pro-russians. this is already contributing to greater tension in the area. i'm joined from donetsk by jim. jim, you've been traveling through the region. tell us what you're seeing. >> hi, an degree a. we were just driving back from luhansk, part of the people's republic of donetsk. one of those towns occupied by pro-russian militia. i tell you, they are dug in. we were stopped at heest a half a dozen times at checkpoints. serious checkpoints. we're talking old tires piled up, stacked seven, eight feet high. just to get into the area.
9:04 am
we ended up in this surreal situation, a very leafy square in sloviansk, where we saw these vehicles, including a tank, spread out across the square. they were apparently driven in in the morning to cheers, into the square by defecting units of ukrainian military. part of yesterday's operation, apparently, was to obviously retake that airfield next door. in that nearby town. and these soldiers were apparently part of that operation. they decided to defect, because they did not want to shoot at their own ethnically ukrainian people, they say, so they switched to the other side. now, there have been a number of other ukrainian defections to the pro-russian side, and it really underlines how difficult it's going to be for kiev to
9:05 am
keep any control. not only over their eastern part of the country, which is not the majority, but which is heavily russian speaking, but over armed forces as well. i mean, russian ties do run deep, including in the military, the ukrainian military. so many of the people here we were talking to said, i'm ukrainian, i have a you rain yan passport, but my soul is russian. it's been a relatively quiet day. we've driven a lot of miles, with both sides trying to expand their areas of control. and no doubt waiting to see, andrea, if anything is going to come out of this first meeting of all the political players tomorrow in geneva. back to you. >> jim maceda, thanks so much. now the president of the brookings institution, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> you covered the former soviet union, you know russia so well.
9:06 am
one question that certainly comes to mind is, what is putin up to? because this is a critical meeting that secretary kerry is now flying toward geneva to be a part of tomorrow. it's the first four-way meeting with the european union with the russians, and they're willing now with the americans to have the kiev government play a part. >> he has a near-term goal, which is apparent, and it's been updated today as we've just heard from jim. and that is to do everything possible to stabilize everything in government, that the government that succeeded the brutal and corrupt presidency of yanukovych fails to have elections in another month. and his long-term goal is to build upon that instability, a reimposition of the ukraine. he basically wants all of the countries around the periphery of the russian federation with the exception of maybe china to be in one of two categories.
9:07 am
either they will basically take orders from moscow or basket cases. he's trying to make a basket case out of ukraine. >> they've also been doing very, very effective pr work, the russians -- the russian government, medvedev's facebook page saying in translation, blood has been spilled in ukraine again. the threat of civil war looms. he goes on to plead with ukrainians to decide their own future without usurpers and bandits, without tanks and armored vehicles, making much of john brennan's visit. the american side has been rather slow to react in a lot of these face-offs with the russians after putin spoke to obama. the russians immediately posted and tweeted, you know, their version of that conversation, that it took the white house four and a half hours later to even begin to say what their version of the reality was. >> andrea, you put it very, very politely in saying effective pr.
9:08 am
this is not effective pr. this is the worst, most grotesque kind of orwellian propaganda. we haven't seen this kind of big lie since the darkest days of the cold war. and by the way, going back to jim's report. we have to be very, very careful about accepting the russian version of what's happening there. there has been a poll just within the past week that shows that a large majority of the russian-speaking ukrainians, in fact, want to be part of a unified and independent ukraine. so there is a lot of mischief being made by the russian side, including in the area of propaganda. >> obviously the people you would see on the streets and the people who would be most vocal would be the russian minority, or the russian speakers in eastern ukraine who want to support the russians. >> there's another thing, too. because of the sort of fraught intimacy of these two countries, which were one country not that
9:09 am
long ago, in our memories certainly, a lot of the folks that are out there, not only raising russian flags, but raising soviet flags, with hammer and sickles, are russians from the other side of the border. nirds, just as we saw in crimea, this is not a local option being exercised. this is not only being stirred up, but actively magnified by moving russians across the border. >> nato said they will send planes and ships and troops to neighboring countries. but what should the u.s. be doing? there's more pressure from john mccain and others, john harmon said, another think tank, others are saying why not small arms? why not help ukraine? >> if it comes to lethal arms, we want to make sure that we're in very close touch with, as we are, with the interim government of ukraine.
9:10 am
because the interim government of ukraine doesn't want to give moscow more of a pretext to do what they're already doing. but i can't imagine that there isn't plenty of room for additional nonlethal aid. i think you reported on your show that neil's ready to eat mres going in, no toothpaste, no socks, no sleeping bags, that kind of thing. there's a lot more that we could do that would have practical use for the ukrainian military, but would not be lethal. the other thing about the ukrainian military is that it is not in good shape. it's been a casualty of the lousy government that the ukraine has had ever since it got free of the soviet union, and of course, it hasn't had the benefit of cooperating with nato under partnership for peace which was the case for the early years of the '90s. >> can i switch gears for just a moment, and just ask you, there was an extraordinary video that came out of an al qaeda meeting, and this showed a group that we believe were released from
9:11 am
prison in february or march, and a lot of people are asking, why would a group this large, surfacing in yemen, an area that you had to deal with when you were deputy secretary when the "uss cole" was blown up, attacked in yemen as well, why weren't they struck by drones? a lot of people are wondering, why can't the cia either know about this or go after them? is that a fair criticism? >> it's certainly a fair question. and i'm sure it will be answered. but there is actually a tie into the story that we're talking about. what vladimir putin is doing today may look like a walkover for him and a big victory for him. but it will be a defeat for putin and the russians. it has to do with organizations like al qaeda. putin's basic line here is that he is abrogating to himself the right and obligation to defend what he calls kinsmen and fellow
9:12 am
citizens, i.e., native russians, or ethnic russians on the other side of borders. that is going to create a pretext so organizations like al qaeda will say, well, we can help our brethren in places like chechnya, and the islamic parts of the russian federation. >> we should say we have not independently verified that video. but it is, by most experts, looks like an authentic al qaeda video. thank you very much. >> thanks. >> good to see you. and last night, a frightening reminder of the boston bombing tragedy and the risks leading up to this next week's marathon. police reported a bag had a rice cooker inside, some sort of a hoax perhaps. belonged to kevin edson. he was arrested for disorderly conduct.
9:13 am
he appeared in court at an arraignment moments ago. a judge has ruled today that the surviving bombing suspect tsarnaev will view the photos of the victims. the judge rejected a defense request to dismiss some of the criminal counts against tsarnaev. the 20-year-old who has pleaded not guilty to all charges was not in court for this hearing today. the trial is set to begin in november, where tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted. coming up, a survivor's story, boston bombing victim and the college student who helped save her life. that's all next right here. "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc.
9:14 am
cars are driven by people. they're why we innovate. they're who we protect. they're why we make life less complicated. it's about people. we are volvo of sweden. why relocating manufacturingpany to upstate new york? i tell people it's for the climate. the conditions in new york state are great for business. new york is ranked #2 in the nation for new private sector job creation. and now it's even better because they've introduced startup new york - dozens of tax-free zones where businesses pay no taxes for ten years.
9:15 am
you'll get a warm welcome in the new new york. see if your business qualifies at startupny.com
9:16 am
the events leading up to monday's running of the boston
9:17 am
marathon continue today as "sports illustrated" releases its boston strong cover, featuring many of the survivors and first responders from that day. hundreds of people were injured when those two bombs detonated, including roseanne, a spectator, who lost part of her right leg when the second bomb went off. she spoke to nbc news just days later. >> it was just a terrible day, but here i am. i'm actually very lucky to be alive. and what can you say. you can't go backwards. you can only move forward. and that's the direction i'm going. >> when roseann was released from rehab, by her side was the college student who put a tourniquet on her leg that helped save her life. >> her attitude said it all. i don't think anyone can imagine going through what she's gone through. to see her just constantly have this up attitude, that she'll beat it, it's super powerful.
9:18 am
>> roseann and her rescuer join me now. >> thank you. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing well, thank you. i have ups and downs, but it's really moving in the right direction. >> what has been the most challenging thing about this anniversary emotionally? is it uplifting? is it frightening? >> emotionally, it's difficult just thinking back a year ago. i actually had two legs, and here i am today using a prosthetic. but, you know, i've really kept myself extremely busy, and got through yesterday, and i'm continuing to do the same until marathon monday on the 21st. and once that's all over with, i think it will be a big sigh of relief and i can continue to move forward. >> there's clearly such a bond
9:19 am
between you and shores. first of all, tell me about that day, and coming to roseann's aid? >> that's a day that i'll definitely never forget. it all happened so quickly, and instantaneously. i was just a spectator down there, with my roommates and a couple friends. and at a time when the bombs went off, i was with only one of my friends. he and i were separated by the blast, just tlub the chaos of everything. and after the second bomb went off, i initially made my way away from the bombings, but then something came over me and brought me towards roseann. and that's where i found her on the side of boston street. >> roseann, it's clear that he means so much to you. but when he first helped you, and put the tourniquet on, do you remember, were you still in shock? >> i'm sure i was in shock, because it was just such a jolt
9:20 am
to my body. but i do remember everything, and as everybody was kind of running in many different directions around me, past me, i felt as though i was completely alone there, until he came out of literally nowhere. and picks me up off the sidewalk. so at that point, it was just -- i knew something tragic had happened to me, but i felt better that someone was there to help me. and honestly, the bond has really been since that day. i know when i did my early-on interviews, that i didn't know who he was, and we were searching for him. and it just felt a piece that i needed to solve of that puzzle, and quite frankly, when he was hold gz the tourniquet, i don't know that he was holding the tourniquet. i guess i assumed that they were doing something to stop the bleeding. so i do remember, but, you know, a lot of the details are unknown, because i was just kind of concentrating on staying
9:21 am
conscious. >> what are your plans for marathon day? >> well, as of yesterday, they were to go to the marathon route where the baa and the one fund have a location for us to watch, sort of in a -- i call it a safe location. but after last night's dealings with boylston street, i mean, i'm pretty sure i'll still go, but it's definitely making me think twice at this point. >> because of the hoax? >> exactly. >> so that brought back the bad memories, and that just is obviously frightening to anyone who's been through this. >> it's definitely unnerving. you know, i know there's going to be a lot of these hoax type situations. and i know there was nothing in the backpack, so to say. you know, that was explosive. but it just makes you think
9:22 am
that -- i just don't want to relive it again. i do have a friend who jokes with me and says, what are the chances of being blown up twice. so i have to kind of keep that joke, that thought in my mind, and kind of get past it. >> shores, you said that your first instinct, as all of ours would be to run away. you ran into danger. did you have any training, any medical training that helped you to save roseann's life? >> no, nothing besides, i guess just human instinct. some credit, i did get direction after picking up roseann and bringing her into boylston street, i did get some direction from a physician's assistant who was nearby, and directed me to hold the tourniquet while he sat next to her and checked her vital signs to make sure she was still alive, and conscious, and that basically we were going to try to make sure that she got through this alive.
9:23 am
>> and where are you going to be on monday, shores? >> wherever she is. the bond that we have struck up, with me, roseann, another first responder, firefighter and policewoman, has been really close. so i think all four of us plan on spending the day together. >> roseann, what are your biggest challenges? right now, in terms of your rehab? >> you know, the biggest challenges are still trying to walk appropriately. i have kind of that amputee dip that happens, and i'm trying to shake that, and really just kind of get through each day with my prosthetic. my limb right now is still atrophying, so as my limb changes shape, so does the need for the upper part of my socket. the socket part of my prosthetic
9:24 am
changes when my limb -- needs to change when my limb changes. so really fighting the fight of getting the prosthetic to fit appropriately so i can walk appropriately and go through pt and different types of training is still that type of challenge. my future goal is to really eventually not walk appropriately, but get back to running, and the different activities that i did in the past. >> we know you will. your courage is extraordinary. and both of you, the bond that was created on that awful day is one of the good things that came out of this. thank you so much for sharing. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. and coming up all week, we're going to continue our special coverage of the boston bombings one year later, as we look ahead to monday's marathon, in a program of boston strong, more than 35,000 runners plan to race this year. 9,000 more than last year. organizers are also expecting a surge in spectators eager to
9:25 am
cheer them on. stay with us. this is "andrea mitchell reports." you're watching msnbc. if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, like me, and you're talking to your rheumatologist about a biologic...
9:26 am
this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain. this is humira helping me lay the groundwork. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection.
9:27 am
take the next step. talk to your doctor. this is humira at work. without standard leather. you are feeling exhilarated with front-wheel drive. you are feeling powerful with a 4-cylinder engine. [ male announcer ] open your eyes... to the 6-cylinder, 8-speed lexus gs. with more standard horsepower than any of its german competitors. this is a wake-up call. ♪ add vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance and get $100 off for every year of safe driving.
9:28 am
we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side on this day, seven years ago, the shooting massacre on the campus of virginia tech ended up with 32 people killed. it was the deadliest mass shooting in our nation's history. today a $50 million promise by mike bloomberg to take on the nra which could hurt some pro-gun democrats already locked into the fight of their political lives for the senate. >> when they get through their primaries and come to a general election, they're going to have to be right on guns and we're going to do everything we can, shannon and i and all the people we represent, to make sure that we reward those who are protecting lives, and make sure that those who are trying to keep people from being protected lose elections. >> joining me now is julie pace,
9:29 am
white house reporter for the associated press. thanks to both. mike bloomberg is taking on these candidates in a different way. he's now saying he's going to make an appeal to women voters, and he's appealing to moms basically, because frankly, the mayor's campaign which spent a lot of money didn't have the desired results so far. >> right. i think what's interesting, andrea, $50 million is a lot of money. i say whether you agree or disagree with what michael bloomberg thinks on ibs, you've got to pay attention to him, because he is willing to spend and has this amount of money. i actually think the most interesting thing he's doing is not running ads, sort of going away from the just running ads, sort of theory or strategy, which really didn't pay dividends except in a few house races in 2012, and doing more of grass roots activist building. he understands that it's not about public support for some of
9:30 am
these gun proposals. that's there. the it's about the passion and intensity of writing letters to members of congress, making members of congress feel pressure. that's what's lacking on the pro-gun side that the nra has in huge numbers, enthusiasm, passion, willingness to donate to a cause. i think bloomberg, if he wants to combat the nra, not buying a bunch of ads and running them on cable television. >> and he had with him on the "today" show with savannah guthrie, shannon watts, julie pace. this is aimed at women, trying to make an appeal at mothers, after what we saw in newtown, and the lack of action following the best efforts of the president and the vice president, and no changes. bloomberg's response is, 16 states now have background checks. >> absolutely. in targeting women, what bloomberg is trying to do, to
9:31 am
chris's point, is to find people who can make pushing gun control laws one of their top issues. this has always bp one of the problems when this issue comes up is that on the pro-gun side, you have people who vote on this issue, who go to the polls because of this issue. and on the gun control side, this isn't always at the top of their list. what he's trying to do is make this the number one issue for women, in particular, and say, in your state, in local races, you have to get out to the polls, because of this issue. >> one of the things that has evolved, though, is that he's going right up against senate democratic leadership, harry reid and chuck schumer have been saying to him, mike, the republicans are worse than we are on this gun issue and you are endangering democratic control of the senate, by, for instance, in arkansas, going after the senator there. and other program senators. >> part of the problem -- look at the senate map for democrats this november. alaska, that is not a state
9:32 am
where i think a mike bloomberg message on guns is going to be that well received. you mentioned arkansas, louisiana, north carolina, south dakota, montana. these are not easy states to sell that message. and i think harry reid and chuck schumer are the ultimate political pragmatists. they look at that a democrat in the senate is better than a republican in the senate for what might bloomberg wants to do. mike bloomberg said, not particularly the case. there were some who wouldn't get behind the proposal president obama was pushing, so what difference does it make, you have to scare these people, in some ways sort of campaign by fear, make them know that they will pay a penalty, and that may be a long-term play for mike ploomberg. harry reid and chuck schumer are in november elections. >> one of the things bloomberg told "the new york times," you can tell me all the time that the republicans would be worse
9:33 am
than the democrats, but that's not what we are talking about here. i talked to him about this, his view is if the nra is a single issue, i'm going to be a single issue. julie? >> i think what is unclear is exactly what he's going to do if we get into a situation where you have a pro-gun democrat running against a republican in one of the states that chris mentioned. how much effort is mike bloomberg going to put into trying to do what exactly, right? trying to get them to vote against the democrat, stay home from the polls. it's unclear what happens in a situation like that, or he stays out of that race altogether. it sounds like he's going to be single issue, going after even democrats on this. i think the practical effect is yet to be seen. >> julie pace, and chris, thank you both so much. down under, the royals have arrived, making a very colorful first impression. katherine nearly stole the spotlight even from prince george as they arrived in sydney. thousands of australians came out to welcome them, and to try
9:34 am
to catch a rare glimpse of t george. salesperson #1: so, again, throwing in the $1,000
9:35 am
9:36 am
fuel reward card is really what makes it like two deals in one. salesperson #2: actually, getting a great car with 42 highway miles per gallon makes it like two deals in one. salesperson #1: point is there's never been a better time to buy a jetta tdi clean diesel. avo: during the first ever volkswagen tdi clean diesel event, get a great deal on a jetta tdi. it gets 42 highway miles per gallon.
9:37 am
and get a $1,000 fuel reward card. it's like two deals in one. volkswagen has the most tdi clean diesel models of any brand. hurry in and get a $1,000 fuel reward card and 0.9% apr for 60 months on tdi models. schools will be meeting with senior officials at the white house this afternoon. their goal, to how best prepare students to be future leaders in the executive suites that are still dominated by men. joining me are two women leaders, who are going to be part of this. senior adviser to the president, chair of the white house council on women and girls, and dean of the kellogg's school of management at western university. thank you both so much. first, valerie, what is the president's goal here? what do you and your women's council trying to achieve? >> well, as you know, andrea, on june 23rd the president is hosting a white house summit on
9:38 am
working families. our goal is to make sure as we have a 21st century workplace, that we're building it in a way that is designed to enis this ur that the 21st century worker thrives. we have about 14 deans of our nation's most prominent business schools to come and share with us and brainstorm with us on best practices for making sure that we're doing everything possible to train the leaders for tomorrow. as you know, women now compose half the work force. they are graduating from graduate school at a higher rate than men. and two-thirds of all families have either single head of household who is a woman, or two bread winners. we need to make sure we're switching the paradigm and making sure the workplace is such that it cannot only be profitable, and thrive, retain the employees in their work force, but also that it's working for the employees. and so we want to brainstorm with our deans today about how best to do that. >> and let's talk about that, the mix of women.
9:39 am
there are only 4.6% of women ceos in the fortune 500 at this point. is that reflected in business schools? what is the participation rate of women in higher education in business? >> in graduate schools, business women make up roughly 40% of the classrooms. it's been pretty steady over the last ten years. a lot of the reason we think that happens is it's happening in the late 20s when women are coming in. that's a critical time in family development. and a lot of what we've been thinking about at the kellogg school is how do we get the knowledge to women at the right times in their lives. so we have recently introduced a degree called the masters of science in management study. so women who want to study right after college, before they're heading into the work force, can get a year's worth of business education on top of a liberal arts degree. >> once women get through business school, 40% is a pretty high rate for women participation. aside from family planning, and other challenges that women
9:40 am
face, in doing it all, and the balancing that we all know about, what are the problems they face in the executive board rooms, valerie? >> i'm happy to talk about that. i was a mom of three kids getting a ph.d. back in the '80s. it was not a simple task. i think it in three transitions that i've been incredibly lucky in my career to have male sponsors. you've got to get the women through child bearing years which have unique challenges to them. as they're moving up in their careers, and their kids are beginning to be very active in schools, and then you've got to get them to the pivot to senior leadership. each of those are critical moments when women get tempted to opt out. the way to get more women in the top tier is addressing those moments with the education, network support and developing better plans out in the workplace with corporate partners. >> andrea, i completely agree with what the dean said, but i also think what's important, as we look at it from the perspective is how can our u.s. companies remain competitive,
9:41 am
you want to make sure you can retain them, you want to have less turnover, you want to make sure that the investments you've made early in their career benefits the company later on in their career. and having flexibility in the workplace, our council of economic advisers, about three years ago, did a study that demonstrates that companies that have that flexibility are actually more profitable. they have less turnover, better loyalty. and therefore, they're more productive. that's one of the ways we want to make sure the workplace, again, meets the needs of that work force. >> some obvious things, which are flex time and day care and things like that, but there are certain advantages that women bring to the table. and men have to -- men who are in power positions have to realize that long-term, having women in the work force makes a very big difference. >> i think it's true for all of society. our task at business schools is to prepare the leaders that the
9:42 am
country needs and the world needs for the 21st century. diversity of inclusion of all kinds, recognizing the data shows us over and over again, the more diverse voices that you have in the board room, the better the results of company performance. we're beginning to see it in study after study. so the question is, how do you create flexibility for women, for men, for ethnic minorities, for families, as you're emphasizing, valerie, because families go through crisis. >> exactly. >> you're lucky you get healthy children. if you're lucky, your parents don't reach into crisis. we have to make the workplace family friendly. that's the foundation of society. >> a recent study we just saw that shows that 29% of people who work, with children, have had a child care crisis within the most recent several month period of time. if that's the case, then you need to make sure that you're building into the way you structure your workplace, the flexibility for people to go and take care of those child care crieses that come up.
9:43 am
predictable affordable child care is pivotal to men and women in this day thriving in the workplace. how do we build that support network around the working family to ensure they're going to get the best out of the employee, and therefore, that will lead to the most successful companies. >> and support for the children, too. >> yes. >> the dean also mentioned women are more often, daughters are more often the caregivers for aging parents. there are a lot of women in the sandwich generation who have to worry about crises in both directions. the workplace is not always hospitable. thank you for what you're doing. >> thank you. >> thank you, andrea, for your interest in this topic. we appreciate it. >> you bet. the ncaa under fire for making billions of dollars while their players go hungry, has finally relaxed one rule. it's no food rule for athletes. napier, the star of the championship team, told fox sports that there were some nights he goes to bed hungry.
9:44 am
he said sometimes, like i said, there's hungry nights and i'm not able to eat and i've still got to play up to my capabilities. yesterday the ncaa's legislative council shamed by all this, approved a new policy, allowing schools to provide unlimited meals and snacks to all division 1 student athletes. [ cellphones beeping ] ♪ [ cellphone rings ] hello? [ male announcer ] over 12,000 financial advisors. good, good. good. over $700 billion dollars in assets under care. let me just put this away. [ male announcer ] how did edward jones get so big? could you teach our kids that trick? [ male announcer ] by not acting that way. ok, last quarter... [ male announcer ] it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. ♪ makes sense of investing. this one goes out to all you know who you are... you've become deaf to the sound of your own sniffling. your purse is starting to look more like a tissue box... you can clear a table without lifting a finger...
9:45 am
well muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin. because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin doesn't start working until hour 3. zyrtec®. muddle no more™
9:46 am
9:47 am
well, they call themselves nuns on the bus. their mission, to rally support for those living in poverty. the trip began in 2012 when sister campbell organized a group of catholic nuns for a tour across the country, objecting to paul ryan's plan that would cut social programs impacting the poor. now sister simone has written in a book what she experienced on that remarkable road trip, called, what else, nuns on the bus. executive director of network joins me now to talk about the book and the current state of the catholic church, and the issue of poverty.
9:48 am
thank you so much. it's great to see you. we did do an interview back in 2012, but you were on the road on a bus tour. >> that's right. >> it's so great to meet you in person. tell me your mission now and why you wrote the book. >> i wrote the book to hold up two aspects. one is our nation is best when we're community. as your story about the reality in boston illustrated. and the second was to encourage all of us to share our own stories. what we all hold values that treasure the common good, we need to share those stories and be more bold about it. hopefully my book is nourishment for that desire. >> first of all, i love the cover. this is just so bright. and it's so embracing. of the whole issue of poverty, wage disparity, the growing wage disparity, income disparity, i should say, in this country, and the fact that government doesn't seem to be able to respond. >> absolutely. it's really worrisome that our government is so gridlocked at
9:49 am
this point bipolarization. and what i know is that we the people of the united states need to stand up for what's best for the whole nation. it's not about the 99%, it's about the 100%. because we all do better, we have better health, better education, better roads and services if we all participate. and we're all a part of the story. wages need to be higher, and we need to care for each other. that's the key. >> what is the role of the church in all of this, and what comfort, if any, do you take from the -- from pope france is and from his emphasis, renewed emphasis on helping the poor? >> oh, pope francis is a joy of my heart. to have our pope speaking of the needs of those who struggle at the margins of society and challenging all of us to focus our care on their needs is key. that's what really makes the message, that he brings, key for us. we need to have safety nets, but we need to have a reformed economy and that's what he's
9:50 am
challenging us to do. >> and as the church tries to fulfill this mission, there's so many other hierarchies involved, and so many other issues, the social issues that have divided this country, divided the church itself. >> that's true. and we must atone for the horror that's taking place in our church and acknowledge the sinfulness. i was so glad pope francis apologized and is atoning for that. but the thing is, we need to have the conversations about these tough issues, not divide each other. we need to come together and talk about it. that's what's really important. >> the role of women in the church? >> well, i think it's a key role for leadership. i was heartened that pope francis appointed a commission that was half women, half men, to look at the issue of abuse in the chumrch, and make recommendations for change. we move slowly, but we're making progress. >> you write in the book about the issue of abortion.
9:51 am
that abortion rights have come to dominate the institutional catholic church's priorities creating an opportunity for champions of one segment of the ministry, to downplay the social justice agenda. the church's mission has become the complementarity, and to the advantage of what i tend to call the pro-birth movement rather than the pro-life movement. interesting choice of words. >> pope benedict raised this up, actually, as being the key thing, that both the orientation towards individual and care for the unborn as well as care for individuals is rooted in the same load that the social mission is rooted in. we have dignity for all life at all time. i'm hoping that by balancing this out, that we can move together into the future, living out jesus' command in this holy
9:52 am
week to love one another. that's the key. >> sister, it is such a pleasure to meet you in person. and the book is "a nun on the bus." and thank you. >> thank you for this opportunity. it's a big honor. >> the honor is all mine, believe me. it was a warm welcome for students returning to franklin regional high school this morning, exactly a week after their classmate alex hribal went on a stabbing spree injuring 21 people. in a show of support today, the community turned out, welcoming the students back. four victims do remain in an area hospital. one has had four operations. they say he's now off a ventilator and showing signs of improvement at upmc presbyterian hospital in pittsburgh. we wish him a strong recovery. ♪
9:53 am
♪ [ male announcer ] the nissan altima with nasa inspired zero gravity seats. ♪ let it take the weight off your drive. ♪ ♪ nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ who would have thought masterthree cheese lasagna would go with chocolate cake and ceviche? the same guy who thought that small caps and bond funds would go with a merging markets. it's a masterpiece. thanks. clearly you are type e. you made it phil. welcome home. now what's our strategy with the fondue? diversifying your portfolio? e*trade gives you the tools and resources to get it right. are you type e*?
9:54 am
9:55 am
9:56 am
that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." thank you for being with us today. follow us online, on facebook. ronan is up next. okay ladies, whenever you're ready. thank you. thank you. i got this. oh, no, i'll get it! let me get it. uh-uh-uh. i don't want you to pay for this. it's not happening, honey. let her get it. she got her safe driving bonus check from allstate last week. and it's her treat. what about a tip? oh, here's one... get an allstate agent. nice! [ female announcer ] switch today and get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. only from allstate. call 866-905-6500 now. here we go! hold on man. is that a leak up there? that's a drip. whoo. okay. aah. now that's a leak.
9:57 am
that is a leak! and if you don't have allstate renters insurance... game over. [ female announcer ] protect your valuables from things like water damage for as low as $4 a month when you add renters insurance to your allstate auto policy. call 866-905-6500 now. plus, drivers who switched saved an average of $498 a year. just a few more ways allstate is changing car insurance for good. [ female announcer ] call an allstate agent and get a quote now.
9:58 am
salesgets up to 795 highwayal is the passamiles per tank.selt salesperson #2: actually, we're throwing in a $1,000 fuel reward card. we've never done that. that's why there's never been a better time to buy a passat tdi clean diesel. husband: so it's like two deals in one? salesperson #2: exactly. avo: during the first ever volkswagen tdi clean diesel event, get a great deal on a passat tdi, that gets up to 795 highway miles per tank. and get a $1,000 fuel reward card. it's like two deals in one. hurry in and get a $1,000 fuel reward card and 0.9% apr for 60 months on tdi models. (music)
9:59 am
defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. calcium citrate plus d. highly soluble, easily absorbed. our word today, identity. identifying the ingredients in our food. we look at the way hip-hop is changing our national identity. and a policy change in america's biggest city may affect when its police are going to need to see some i.d. >> we thought it would be relaxation for michael bloomberg, think again. >> a grass roots operation to rival the nra. >> this is not a battle of dollars. this is a battle for the hearts and minds of america. >> major developments in ukraine. >> the growing sense that the president needs to do more than sit back. >> why is it always us? why is it always on us to do it? breaking news coming out of south korea. >> witnesses say they heard a
10:00 am
loud bang before the ferry lost control. >> rescuers are scrambling to locate survivors from that ferry disaster. amid fears that the death toll could rise drastically. >> i've repeatedly voted for sanctions against iran. >> rand paul is on the defensive from critics in his own party. >> by golly, we will never stand for that, they're now voting for war. >> some republicans are crying foul. >> i will not rest until this injustice is fixed. >> while the weekly standard was the first to catch on to the reenactment of the senator's campaign defending the ads saying the reshoots were necessary forbidding the use of senate material in political ads. >> let me say, i think i'm in love. today marks seven years since a gunman opened fire at virginia tech.