allegations at a phoenix hospital. in an op ed in the usa today shinseki reports the report's findings were reprehensible to me. i remain committed to providing the high quality care and benefits that veterans have earned and deserve. they found scheduling practices systematic throughout the va, and at the phoenix center it found the average wait for a first-time appointment was 115 days, but staffers told the va it was only 24 days. the report also found 1700 vets waiting for a poims were not on the appropriate waiting list and were considereded at risk of being forgotten or lost. also yesterday at a contentious hearing at capitol hill, three top officials from the va were on the defensive. >> ma'am, veterans died! get us the answers, please!

>> i understand that, mr. chairman and i will look -- >> that's what you said three months ago. >> i'm a staff-level federal employee and i do the best job i can. >> mr. huff -- >> five senate democrats are joining republicans and calling for shinseki to resign, mark ushg call, jeanne shaheen and john walb. political columnist congressman patrick murphy and he's the first iraq war vet to serve in congress and he's also an america s nbc contributor. gentlemen, thank you so much for your time. >> hi, tamron. >> patrick, i'll start with you on this, and looking at the numbers and the information coming from the report we were told a lot of the decisions would be made pending this information that's been revealed that's been stunning. the numbers are absolutely staggering to hear that people waited 115 days. it goes beyond unacceptable. >> i absolutely agree with you, tamron. this is criminal negligence. the folks who doctored the books

and may have resulted in veterans' lives being lost is absolutely unacceptable and general shinseki called me yesterday on this issue and the report that he ordered which came out yesterday, he's now relieved seven people, the three people in phoenix, one person in wyoming and one person in north carolina and then the head of the veterans health administration. so his top person for health care in the va was asked to resign early. so that happened now, but he also is accepting all of those recommendations from the ig and implementing them including contacting every single one of those 1700 veterans to make sure they get health care whether it's through the va or the private sector now. >> and dana, despite the call for shinseki to resign, as i mentioned the new list of senators and you have other organizations that have called

as well a week ago and the week prior. let me play what speaker boehner said in the last hour. >> i will continue to reserve judgment on the -- on general shinseki. the question i ask myself is -- is him resigning going to get us to the bottom of the problem? is it going to help us find out what's really going on? and the answer i keep getting is no. >> and dana, the president, according to politico, has not decided to fire shinseki. he is on what they describe as a probation. to speaker boehner and the president make a great point. if shinseki resigns does this fix the problem that by the way, we know has existed well before he became the secretary of veterans affairs and we can point to most recently the walter reed scandal in 2007. >> it doesn't fix the actual problem at the va. it may change the president's political problem because one reason boehner and most

republicans aren't calling for shinseki's resignation is they'd like to pin blame on this president. when you're managing the scandal you want to get out in front of it. as patrick said, shinseki has fired a number of people and had one of these fellows retire early. i don't think people are going to feel that that's enough, and it's absolutely true that this pre-dates the obama administration so the president can come in and say i brought in eric shinseki. he's a great american and served his country with valor and he didn't do the job as i told him to so the president has justification for bring in new blood. >> absolutely upon. that's why it's perplexing to those watching this whether they're independent voters or exhausted of watching the politics as usual in washington, d.c., who say these problems existed before obama went into office. if shinseki was supposed to fix them, he did not, remove him and then let's put in something, whether it's a mix of

public/private, whatever the situation is to resolve this issue, dana. >> yeah. to bring in somebody who is beyond reproach and neither political party can take issue with. shinseki was just that sort of guy, but it's not -- you know, it's not suggesting there's some sort of political scandal to step in and say i asked for a job to be done, job not done, we have to bring somebody else here. it's not surprising of those democratic senators asking for shinseki's resignation, they're the most vulnerable about the resignation. he's got to bang some heads together there. >> there certainly seems to be the case there. patrick, you have some of those vshg a workers on capitol hill yesterday being confronted, and very heated. i spoke with someone earlier today who said if anything will force shinseki to resign will be seeing his people beat up on that way when essentially he's at the top of the food chain and

not those workers. >> i agree. general shinseki who i served under in the army is a person who cares about his team, and i think when we look -- and again, i want to be very clear, tamron. i know you come from a military family, but the job that president obama gave general shinseki to run the va, he has made some great strides there. >> yes. >> but this instance, as you know and i agree with you is unacceptable. he is taking action. as i said, probation. we need to see him get out in front and let the american people know and restore confidence, not just with the american people, but especially with this team, those 300,000 workers within the va to let them know he's fighting for them because they're all in the same boat to take care of the nationy's heroes when they need it the most. >> i'm curious if you think they're moving fast enough and i know you need reports and hearings and all of these things, but we're talking about urgent, critical, medical

assistance and i do believe from when this story broke to where we are even right now there are men and women on the wait list, and i feel like we hear a lot of talk and very few solutions. >> yeah. and i agree with you, tamron. his i.g. set recommendations and he's doing those things. >> the i.g. report said don't fire anyone else within the va and it will upset the investigation right now. i know politically, for people like me who are ticked off about this. the heads will continue to roll here and he's doing his due diligence, and i understand a lot of people are playing politics with this and i understand there are senate democrats that aren't for reelection and are doing what they feel right and i'm sure they feel a lot of political

pressure. what i care and most veterans services care like the vfw and the va. we want to see an outside commission on this to make sure we're getting an objective set of eyes on this to make sure things are getting taken care of. >> dana, quickly, what political cover does the president have? there are suggestions in this report including don't fire people. >> well, he can try to do that, but of course, you do have the american legion already calling for his dismissal and you've reached a point where they keep saying if if something systemic is wrong, there are no more ifs about it it, and now there are no more ifs and not a lot of cover. >> thank you. >> i was going to say it was shinseki that made the standard of 14 days and it's his standard that they were putting the books on and lying to him and those who need to be put in jail, the people who lied all of the way up the chain. >> thank you both for your time. we appreciate it.

president obama will address the first-ever white house summit on youth sports concussions. according to the white house nearly 250,000 kids visit hospital emergency rooms each year with brain injuries caused by sports or other recreational activities. appearing on "morning joe" today, white house senior advic advic advicer adviser valerie jaret. >> we'll hear a series of announcements, a partnership between the ncaa and the defense department and $30 million funds that will be allocated to continue the research and increase awareness and it's not just football as we know. it's soccer. it's cheerleaders. we're finding these head-related injuries across the board. >> joining me now "washington post" editor of the early lead cindy borren and hall of famer and normer new york giants

linebacker, harry carson. he's smiling because he knows i love my cowboys, but i love him, but we'll move on. the young lady that will introduce the president her name is tori belucci she suffered con kou cushions playing soccer. as valerie areaet and this young lady will point out it is not exclusive to the grade iron. >> no, it's not. sports like soccer, hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, even stock car racing. >> yeah. >> you you know, any sport where the head is subjected to being hit or injured in some way, you know, there's a likelihood that you're going to sustain some kind of traumatic brain injury and it doesn't just go away. it's something that lingers for years and years and years, and as a former football player,

i've seen more than my chairs of concussions and they've never been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. >> the wish wash journal post asked about concussions. are for you concerned about concussions, 40% said yes. 57% said no. do you think this is why valerie jaret said this summit is about raising awareness or do you think parents are aware or do they think it won't happen to their kid? where do you think we are there? >> i think the awareness is dawning on people now, on parents when they're seeing, you know, people like junior seau dying at such a young age, the suicides among not just nfl players, but the the injuries other athletes are having. i think it is only really beginning and i think it's hard to see and equate that right now with, you know, a lack of, well,

parents don't care. i think if you go back at that in another three years it will be vastly different. i think it's -- it's, even last week. it's pro basketball. last week paul george had a concussion in the pacers game. it's just a matter of raising awareness and the fact that it's the cumulative effect, too, of small concussions. it might not be a complete bell ringing or however you want to describe it from the old way of thinking. >> yeah. >> but it's the cumulative effect and the fact that you have to be aware of what you've had and then sit out and recover. you wouldn't play if you pulled a muscle. you don't need to play if you've seen stars. >> absolutely. >> cindy, it's interesting that the white house will highlight some of the commitments across the board and public/private sector and the ncaa and the defense department, launching research on concussion risks. pop warner, a private youth league will participate in a research project that tracks

concussions and concussion trends in high school sports. the nfl, under a lot of scrutiny, committing $25 million over the next three years for -- to promote youth sports safety. it is a new day when you have those kind of dollars and commitment for research. >> yeah. i mean, it's still a drop in the bucket when you consider the multibillion enterprises that the ncaa and the nfl are, but again, it's a beginning and it's also a nod to the fact that these organizations are aware of parents as with president obama. you'll remember he wouldn't let his sons play football if he had sons. they're aware that parents are beginning to say this and no one wants to see football go away. they want to have a safe way to play it. let me play what the president said if he had a son and football. let's play that. >> it was like this on a football helmet that would

reduce the impact of this. i know you're a big chicago bears fan. >> i am. >> and i know you're a quart quarterback, and he is suffering from dementia. >> we are so glad that you were able to do this and we're very proud of you. >> i'm sorry. that was another interview with the president talking with a young athlete, but he said, harry. in an interview, i'm a big football fan, and if i had a son i would have to think long and hard if i let him play football and there are comparisons that football would go the way of heavy weight boxing and thousands of people would go to the match and that was the king of sports. >> when he said that i had to sit up and take notice because the president finally acknowledged that, you know, even him as a -- as a male would have to think twice about allowing his kid to play. >> a male who loves football. >> and i love football, as well, but i also have a second -- sort

of a thinking now even though i played the game. i know the damage that it takes on you physically and mentally and also from a neurological stand point. the purpose of the summit is to make people aware, especially parents, and you know, 20, 25 years ago this thing has been around for years and years and years, since the beginning of playing football, but it's only now that the everyday person is made more arc wear of the issues of concussions and those long-term or long-range effects. it doesn't just affect football players. if you look at the soldiers coming back from war, they're also dealing with traumatic brain injury and that's the reason why junior seau or ray easterwing or any other former player would commit suicide and 15 to 20 soldiers now across the country on a daily basis are committing suicide. >> that's why the research is

critical, cindy, as well. we showed that video just a second ago and this young lady talking to the president at the science fair. she actually developed a gel helmet and they were discussing the concussions suffered by the great jim mcmahon and the life he lived hampered due to those injuries and this event is starting right now. let's quickly listen in to a young lady who had to give up soccer after suffering five concussi concussions. >> i am honored to have been invited here to share my story in hopes of raising awareness of concussions and symptoms alike. many things changed throughout my life, but my passion for soccer has played constant. i started playing soccer when i was just 4 years old and when i was 8 i joined my first competitive travel soccer team. when i was 185, i walked on to the soccer field unaware of how my life would change in the years to follow. if your years i had the honor of leading my team to three

regional tiles while being awarded individual honors like athlete of the year and receiving a scholarship to play division 1 collegiate soccer. but the other side of my story began in my sophomore year when i went out for a header during the game and got my first concussion. thinking it was only a headache i played in the game the very next day, a mistake that many athletes make. a fall during that game caused another severe concussion and started my battle with head injuries which i am still fighting to this day. during the next year i experienced my con you cannicus simple tasks like focusing on my assign ams, remembering class schedules and socializing with my friends became increasingly difficult. it was also emotionally draining trying to learn how to live with my everlasting impacts of my concussion and to adjust to a life without soccer. concussions have drastically aerlted my life, but the experience has paved a new path for my future and teaching me

not to take anything for granted. stories like mine are way too common which is why i would like to thank president obama for shining a light on concussions and the severe impact they can have on a young athlete's life. with that being said, i am more than honored to introduce our next speaker, the president of the united states, mr. barack obama. >> i am so proud of you. good luck. [ applause ] >> the -- when you -- as a dad, tori's parents are here, and i have to imagine they are awfully proud of this remarkable young lady, and we really appreciate you taking the time to introduce me. i want to welcome everybody here to the white house. i want to thank members of congress who are here and we've got leaders from america's

sports and medical communities especially young people here like tori who did such a great job sharing her story today. you know, all across the country, there are millions of young athletes just like tori who spend their weekends and summers on baseball diamonds and soccer pitches and they put in extra practice so they can make the varsity or maybe even earn a college scholarship. most of them are not as good as tori was at her sport. i certainly wasn't, although i had the same enthusiasm, and for so many of our kids sports aren't something they do, they're part of their identity. you know. they may be budding scientists or entrepreneurs or writers, but they're also strikers and linebackers and point guards and that's a good thing. first of all, the first lady thinks everybody needs to move, and obviously, there's a huge public health interest in making sure that people are

participating in sports, but sports is also just fundamental to who we are as americans and our culture. we're competitive, we're driven and sports teaches us about team work, hard work and what it takes to succeed, not just on the field, but in life, and i was a basketball player. as i said, not as good as tori was at soccer, but i learned so many lessons playing sports that i carry on to this day, even to the presidency and still, when i need to relax and clear my head i turn to sports. whether it's a pick-up basketball game and i'm much slower than i was just last week or the more sedate past times like golf or, you know, watching sportscenter, and more than that as a parent, michelle and i have always encouraged our girls to

play sports. one of the greatest transformations i think in our society have been how young women have been finally given the opportunity because title nine and now you see just unbelievable women athletes who are getting the same exposure and experience and outlets for sports all across the country and malia and sasha are part of that generation. they take for granted, of course, we're playing sports and we're plague everythiying every soccer to tennis and track. sports are important to our life as a family just like they are for families all across the country. >> the reason we're here today though is all across the country. parents are also having a more troubling conversation and that's about the risks of concussions. there is a lot of concern, but there is a lot of uncertainty, and as tori's story suggests,

concussions are not just a football issue. they don't just affect grown men who choose to accept some risk to play a game that they love and excel at. every season you've got boys and girls who are getting concussions in lacrosse, wrestling and ice hockey as well as football and in fact, the center for disease control reportses that in the most recent data that's available to us, young people made nearly 250,000 emergency room visits with brain injuries from sports and recreation. 250,000. that number obviously doesn't include kids who see their family doctor or as is typical don't seek any medical help. before the awareness was out there, when i was young and played football briefly there were a couple of times where i'm sure that -- that ringing

sensation in my head and the needing to sit down for a while might have been a mild concussion and at the time you didn't think anything of it. the awareness is improved today, but not by much. so the total number of young people who are impacted by this early on is probably bigger than we know. i say this not to scare people. we want our kids participating in sports. i'd be much more troubled if young people were shying away from sportses. as parents, though, we want to keep them safe and that means we have to have better information. we have to know what these issues are. the fact is we don't have solid numbers and that tells me that at every level we're all still trying to fully grasp what's going on with this issue. last fall a comprehensive report found there are too many gaps in the understanding and treatment for the concussions.

researchers are still learning about the causes and consequences of injuries. >> communities are wondering how young to start tackling football and parents are wondering if they're wearing the right techniques and whether they should participate in any full-contact sports at all. we have outstanding scientists like francis collins, the head of the nih. there may be tests that at some point we can do to see if there is a particular susceptibility to concussions. some people's brains may be more vulnerable to trauma than others are. we don't know that yet, but there may be some evidence that is worth exploring. so with all these questions swirling around, as a parent and as a fan, and in discussions with a lot of other parents and

fans who happen to be in this white house, we decided why not use our convening power to help find some more answers and today we brought together the president of the ncaa, the mls commissioner and the senior leadership from the nfl and the nfl players' association. we've got some of the nation's foremost brainec perts and we have doctors who work with kids every day from all over the country. we've got leaders in pop warner and little league and underarmour and espn participating and members of congress like joyce beatty and tim bishop and bill pascrall, all of whom have taken a big interest in this and because we're all here and are looking for information, even if we may not agree on everything, the one thing we can agree on is that sports are vital to this country and it's a responsibility for us to make sure that young,

talented kids like tori areicip possible and that we're doing our jobs as parents, school administrators, coaches to look after them the way they need to be looked after. that's job number one. the good news is across the country people eagerly signed up to participate here. they recognize this is an issue that is worth paying attention to. we've seen all 50 states pass laws requiring con cussed athletes to get a medical clearance before they return to play. folks from u.s. hockey banned checking before 12 years old. in march the nfl donated $45 million to u.s. football for their head's up football program which emphasizes coach training and player safety. on our part, this administration, the cdc has spearheaded a public awareness

campaign for parents, athletes and coaches and school staff called head's up and you can check it out at cdc.gov/concussion. that's where we've compiled a lot of the best information available for parents. and while the number of concussions reported among young athletes has risen over the past decade, one reason is because players, coaches and parents better understand symptoms of these injuries. still, there's more work to do, we have to have better research, better data, better safety equipment and better protocols. we have to get every parent, coach and teacher recognize the signs of concussions and we need more athletes to understand how important it is to do what we can to do what we can to prevent injuries and to admit them when they do happen. we have to change the culture that says you suck it up. identifying a concussion and being able to self-diagnose that this is -- this is something that i need to take care of. it doesn't make you weak.

it means you're strong. at the same time i want to point out that this is not just a matter for athletes. you will notice this big guy here ray odierno who is not only the leader of our army, but also is somebody who plays football -- i don't know if he still plays, although he could, but as a leader of our armed forces, he sees the effects that injuries have had on brave men and women who serve in uniform and all of us who cares about them. that's why ray's here today, and i've seen in my visits to wounded warriors, traumatic brain injury is one of the signatures of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. the mild traumatic brain injury

cases in the military occur outside deployment so even those our wars are ending addressing this issue continues to be important to our armed forces and as part of a new national action plan we announced last year, we're directing more than $100 million in research to find more effective ways to help prevent, diagnose or treat mental health conditions and traumatic brain injury because the more we can learn about the effects of brain injuries the more we can do to help the troops and that will give us more information about our kids as well. today i'm proud to announce new commitments and partnerships from the folks in this room that will help us move the ball forward on this issue. the ncaa and the department of defense are committing $30 million for concussion education and a study involving up to 37,000 college athletes which will be the most comprehensive concussion ever and our service academy, army, navy, air force and coast guard have signed up to support this study in any way

they can. the nfl is committing over the next three years to creating the health and safety forums for parents and piloted by my own chicago bears to get more trainers at high school games. and the nih is announcing the mix step in this partnership with the nfl. they're dedicating $16 million of the nfl's previous donation toward studies and clinical trials to examine the chronic effects of repetitive concussions. the national institutes of standards and con you cannings will develop the lighter and more responsive materials for protective equipment and i want to signal out the new york giants chairman, steve tish who is here and donating $sen million of his own money to expand the brain support program at ucla to prevent study and brain injury in youth. so all of these new commit ams are terrific and we want to

thank everybody here for participating. [ applause ] >> so just to wrap up so you can hear from people that actually know what they're talking about, these efforts will make a lot of difference for a lot of people. from soldiers on the battle field to students on the football field, take the levine family from rockville, maryland, who are here today. where did they go? there they are right there. cheryl, jason levine have three boys who when you look at them you know right away they're brothers, isaac, sydney and ruben. they have loved ice hockey since he was young, when he was 7 years old, sydney suffered moderate concussions on the ice and a few years later he suffered a more severe concussion in the game and after the injury both boys had headaches and they started struggling in class. they started acting out.

isaac's concussion kept him out of school for a while and as you might imagine, cheryl was horrified as she put it. you only have one brain. that's a good point. and you want to make sure that you're treating it right. fortunately with the help of their doctors both boys' health and behavior improved and sydney was back on the ice ten weeks after his concussion. he's hoping to play varsity next year as a freshman and next winter isaac played forward as his high school team won the the state championship. cheryl and jason could have pulled their boys out and it was such a scare and had their doctors recommended it and that's what they would have done and just like millions of kids across the country, kids love their sports so cheryl and jason educated themselves on the issue and with their doctor's blessing and the support of the coaches and teachers, they're encouraging their boys to lace up those skates and get out on the ice and as cheryl said my kids aren't going to go on and

play in the nhl. i hope they know that, by the way, but what i'm worried about is getting them through their teens while having fun and building confidence and doing the things they want to do obviously within certain limits and that's good parenting by cheryl and that's what today's about. >> okay. we are listening in to president obama discuss the crisis of youth head concussions in all sports. he was introduced by a young lady who played soccer and was forced to end her soccer career even after she received a huge scholarship due to the fact that she'd sustained five concussions. he is flanked by military personnel and ray odierno is there as well as a number of athletes and this is focusing on the public/private investment and research and technology to learn more about concussions by the numbers. the white house says some 200,000 kids go to the emergency room every year as a result of suffering a concussion. right now on capitol hill, a feud between the first lady and

house republicans. it's intensifying as lawmakers debate changes that's become one of the first lady's top priorities. what she said in a new op-ed in the new york times and a house committee is deciding on a provision that would let some public schools skip it upon. we'll have much more on that coming up. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] great rates for great rides. geico motorcycle, see how much you could save.

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meal like salmon cakes and succotash. >> the psa may not be controversial, but the first liddy's op-ed has drawn reaction. crist 10 welker, pointing out the house republicans have gone ahead with this provision that have let them opt out that it will not go anywhere as far as the senate is concerned and they've made their line in the sand. >> reporter: just a little bit of background, this relates to a food nutritional bill that the first lady really fought for that went into effect back in 2012. it requires public schools across the country to provide certain -- a certain level of balance in lunches to kids, for example, a certain amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. some republicans and critics argue that they have heard from some schools that are cash-strapped that say it's been difficult to implement these new

nutritional standards and that some kids are just throwing the food away and opting out of eating it and that that's costing them money. so this is a little bit of what you're hearing from republicans. this is the chairman of the agriculture appropriations committee. take a listen. >> the bottom line is the schools are finding the regulations to be too much and too quick. school districts need more time to implement the changes. >> that was representative robert aderholt. this bill simply includes a compromise provision to allow school districts that are facing consistent financial losses to apply for a temporary, one-year waiver that would expire at the end of the year. they're saying this is just temporary. the first lady says this is unacceptable. she says it it will undo some of the gains that have been made in combatting childhood obesity and she particularly cites the high rates of childhood diseases that

result from obesity. so she is not letting up and, of course, this is a rare posture for the first lady to take. we are used to hearing her talk about that, that is nothing new and we are used to her fighting childhood obesity and encouraging kids to exercise and the fact that she's taking direct aim at house republicans, this is rare political territory for the first lady and on tuesday, by the way, she met with school nutrition officials and lambasted congress for trying to enact this legislation, just a note, tamron, the broader fight will come in 2015, that's when congress is going have to determine whether they want to reauthorize this school nutrition bill and that will be a much bigger fight than the one we're seeing today. yes, indeed. >> thank you very much, kristen. new reaction this morning to nbc's exclusive interview with nsa leaker edward snowden. americans seem to be divided

with the self-proclaimed whistle-blower. some see him as as patriot while others see him as a traitor. the man behind the largest intelligence theft in american history tells brian williams what he sees wrongdoing and he considers what he did an act of civil disobedience. >> have you done, as you look at this, just a good thing? have you performed, as you see it it, a public service? >> i think it can be both. i think the most important idea is to remember that there have been times throughout american history where what is right is not the same as what is legal. sometimes to do the right thing you have to break the law. >> the interview was the first chance the american public has had the chance to hear edward snowden. there are signs that public opinion may be shifting.

>> i think what he did could be viewed as patriotic. i think it also is in direct violation of the espionage act. >> he was, in his approach i was not expecting that, it was a calm demeanor, you could trust him. it made me look at him personally a little bit different. i still am on the fence about his actions. i still don't feel like it needed to go as far as it did. >> joining me live now, nbc news senior political editor mark murray. mark, it's interesting on the "today," ounofficial poll taken by the orange room, most people described edward snowden as a traitor. i think we have the numbers we can show. after the interview, 60% saw him as a patriot. obviously, we're not going to get a direct quote from the white house on this poll, but it is food for thought as we move forward and the questions that linger with the nsa.

that poll is unscientific, but tamron, it wouldn't be all that surprising if people view him in a more sympathetic light. they're able to put a voice to pretty much a still photo that we've been seeing over the past year. he was able to humanize himself, tell his story. that is pr 101 if you want to be able to do something like that, but he remains search a polarizing figure and tamron, you look at people that are so on the one hand that think he is a patriot. on the other hand they think he's a traitor and very few people have these gray, the in the middle types of positions on him, but to me what was the most fascinating thing about the entire interview is how he wants to be able to come home. he made that clear to brian williams and the question is will he get it? >> the questions or the conditions of the deal as it's been reported, the administration or sources have said if he comes back they will work out a deal of some sort, but that would mean he has to return with no assurances.

>> that's right. one of the clips that you played there was edward snowden talking about civil disobedience and that was something we've seen in the country's history and whether it's martin luther king, jr., or foreign affairs where people like nelson mandela. those people in the civil disobedience was seen by history as being the right call and those people still were in prison and there are many people who were out there saying that edward snowden is in russia and if he wasn't in russia he would have rather have been in venezuela or cuba and to some people that remains a problem for them. >> mark murray, thank you very much. >> may is national foster care month and dozens of young people from across the country are on capitol hill today to try out congress and improve the foster care system. it's part of the third annual foster youth shadow day. members of congress have been paired up with people in the foster system for a day of learning and teachable moments. joining me now is democratic

congresswoman karen bass hosting the e rent and toni washington who spent years in the foster system. thank you for joining us. the quite an honor. >> you and i both know, we see the headlines from time to time and they just -- it's like a punch in the gut when you hear that a foster child or a child that's been adopted has been abused and in some cases killed and people wonder how these things can happen. what do you want to hear today or what do you believe will be uncovered today to improve the system and ultimately in some cases, rare cases save a life? >> well, actually today is a very inspiring day because all of the young people that are here today are absolute successes. >> yes. and they have lots to teach and they're shadowing members of congress and they're telling them about their personal experiences and telling them what needs to be done to improve the system so we began our morning at the white house and they did breakouts and talked about health care and education

and they have very specific suggestions to make that we'll follow up on. >> toni, you are a success story and you're there looking beautiful, by the way. >> thank you so much. >> what would you like to see? what are some of the recommendations you're making to congresswoman bass and the others there? >> some of the recommendations will be i just want anything that a regular kid gets from their parents. that's when we want. we want a sense of belonging and knowing that people care about us because a lot of times we feel like we're invisible and congresswoman bass, she advocates for us and i'm so grateful to be here and to shadow her. i feel so lucky. >> you are fortunate to be there and to be able to have your voice heard in this, but congresswoman bass again, back to some of the concerns that toni just pointed out, that kids want to feel like they're part of a family. i know that dr. phil, the television personality will be on capitol hill testifying about the the issue of children in

foster care being over medicated and while it is a story of inspiration there are serious issues that need to be addressed and what is on your agenda? >> absolutely. his testimony will be about the psyc psychotropic medications and they feel they don't need all of the medications. what they actually need are basic services. so, for example, the age group that is here is 18 and above and they need housing. they need education, they need the support that any child would need once they go out on their own. you know, when our kids reach 18 and they go off to college they don't really leave us. we're a support system for them and we're a safety net for them until they reach adulthood and financial stability and so it's the same type of support that children in the system need as well. >> by the numbers, congressional research data says in 2003, 2010, one out of four children

were using psychiatric medication and that was four times the rate of all children and another serious issue, 400,000 youth in the foster care system, 26% of them are african-american. we need, obviously, families ever all races is to bring a child into their home and there should be no limits whether there is a white family a want doing a black child or whatever the combination of the family and it is a family, but it seems by the numbers that there needs to be more african-americans if they can to give a home to a child. >> absolutely. we have a very diverse group with us today and on the issue of psychotropics, a lot of the young people feel that if they were to address the problem they do not need the medication. >> so it's really important that the medications be used appropriately and we know that will be covered in today's hearing. >> a lot to cover and thank you both for your time. toni, again, i love that you're a success story and you are proof that you bring a child

into your home and show them love you end up with her on television with a great smile and a success story. so i'm so proud of you, toni and proud to speak with you today. >> thank you. >> thank you. up next, maternity guru, rosie pope. she's working with a charity, red, white and babies, get this, to give military families a generous gift while their spouse is serving overseas. she will join me live, but first, one day after legendary american author and poet maya angelou passed away, the national portrait gallery installed her portrait this morning and what a portrait it is. the painting by artist ross rossum will be on view through june 12th. angelou was able to see the portrait during the unveiling in april. she was 86 years old. [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer.

[ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪

star power and a whole lot of corporate love is changing lives for military families with babies on the way.

an organization called red, white and babies is stepping up to make sure expectant families get a big financial and emotional boost when one parent is deployed. they even get free baby showers to celebrate the occasion and in the center you may recognize rosie pope, the founder of rosie pope maternal, sponsoring this incredible effort. good to see you. >> you too. >> i love you're reaching out to help these families. it's tough doing it alone and doing it alone with your spouse overseas fighting in a war. >> it's hard enough being a mom as it is and dad. add on to that the fact that often spouses of deployed come into the military very different stages of financial security. and quite often they come in and can't even afford the cribs and gear they need to keep their children safe. it's really important to get involved. >> it seems part of mommy hood is sharing what you learn from another mom. you have a chance to bond with these ladies at the baby shower when you're celebrating, they

are also afraid. it's an emotional bubble, i can't imagine. >> in going down there, until i got there i had no idea quite what it was like to be a military mom. it's hard being a mom, for anybody. but then layer on to that the fact your husband is defending our country and you don't know if he's going to come home and add that anxiety, it's incredibly difficult. to spend the day with them and hear their stories and worries and then to celebrate with them, it's a special experience. >> some 100 sponsors from around the world. >> yeah, who doesn't want to give to military families. it was heart warming that crib companies and baby clothes and maternity clothes and books, everybody was overwhelmed to help. >> you're a mom of four? >> four now. >> and many people know you from pregnant in heels, given out great advice and guidance to

woman. what is the number one question that you're asked by moms, other than how do you do it all? >> the number one question, i think people are just concerned how am i going to give enough time to each child. how can i devote enough attention as well as their siblings and spouse and themselves and really concerned about being a great parent and want to know how to do that. the anxiety today is extremely high because we want to do our best job. >> are you surprised when you're labeled as a maternity guru, i can't imagine what's you started out. you started giving advice and sharing information, this journey you're on then you're elevated to the guru. >> it's really nice, a lot of pressure especially when my kids are crying in a supermarket. i've got this, i'm the expert. it makes me strive to be better. i think it comes from a place i want to be a really good parent and the most important role any of us will ever play. so it makes me want to get better at what i do so i can help other people get better at what they do. >> what a blessed experience to be at the baby shower with those

families and your journey as a mom and helping others. thank you so much. >> that does it for us for this edition of "news nation." up next "andrea mitchell reports." i missed you, too.ou. hi buddy. mom! awesome! dad!! i missed you. ♪ oh... daddy. chevrolet and its dealers proudly support military appreciation month. with the industry's best military purchase program, for all that have served. that, my friends, is everything. and with the quicksilver card from capital one, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on everything you purchase. not just "everything at the hardware store." not "everything, until you hit your cash back limit." quicksilver can earn you unlimited 1.5% cash back

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right now, in from the cold, for first time nsa leaker edward snowden reveals the motive behind the largest intelligence thestd in american history. what shocked him and his hopes of returning home to the u.s. we'll fact check his most provocative statements from brian williams exclusive interview as the man who now faces spy charges defends his actions. >> i may have lost my ability to travel. but i've gained the ability to go to sleep at night and put my head on the pillow and feel comfortable that i've done the right thing, even when it was the hard thing. and i'm comfortable with that.

>> system failure, a report of widespread misconduct to hide long delays for veterans ats va hospitals across the country, leading to a bipartisan call now for eric shinseki to fall on his sword. >> it's time for secretary shinseki to step down. and if secretary shinseki does not step down voluntarily, then i call on the president of the united states to relief him of his duties, to fire him. >> collision course, today's white house summit tackles the growing risks of head injuries in young athletes, a serious concern that hits close to home for all parents, including president obama. >> sports are important to our life as a family, jst like they are for families all across the country. the reason we're here today though is all across the country, parents are also having more troubling conversation and that