for a brzezinski to remember a birthday is big. mika's mom and dad haven't got one right in 47 years. if it's way too early, it's "morning joe." we love having you with us. we wish we could go four or five hours, but unfortunately they're going to pull us off now so you can listen to peter alexander and "the daily rundown." that's straight ahead. thank you for being with us. see you tomorrow. a second barbaric murder of an american journalist by isis. president obama today says the u.s. will not be intimidated and vowed to destroy the islamic militant group. meantime in just moments from now, president obama will take the stage again in estonia just 500 miles from moscow as that country and its east european neighbors wonder what the west is ready to do about putin's push. back here at home an nbc news exclusive. an interview with ebola survivor dr. kent brantly.

his experience along with nancy writebol has fueled new hope on the devastating disease, but officials say the window is closing for containment. good morning from washington. it is wednesday, september 3rd, 2014, and this is "the daily rundown." i'm peter alexander. you can see the president is now preparing to speak to a group of young people in estonia. we will monitor what we hear from him over the course of this hour. he is expected to address his trip to that region, a reassurance of sorts as he has been visiting with the presidents of latvia, lithuania and estonia as leaders have concerned about what the west is willing to do to support them as vladimir putin supports more area in that region, specifically along the border with ukraine. but we begin right now with developing news out of eastern europe where president obama is resisting pressure to dramatically alter his strategy against isis militants, despite the brutal beheading of a second

american journalist. overnight the national security council confirmed that the video of steven sotloff's execution is real. while in estonia this morning, president obama responded to sotloff's murder that comes just two weeks after the execution of american james foley. >> whatever these murderers think they'll achieve by killing innocent americans like steven, they have already failed. they have failed because, like people around the world, americans are repulsed by their barbarism. we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists. >> in the same video showing sotloff isis revealed another hostage, a british citizen that nbc news will not show or name because of a request from that man's family. the militant group said sotloff's death was payback for u.s. air strikes in iraq but there is no indication the u.s.

is any closer to launching air strikes in syria. as of yesterday the u.s. had launched 124 air strikes across iraq, many of them focused near mosul, sinjar and amerli. the u.s. is sending another 350 military personnel to iraq specifically to protect the embassy in baghdad. more than 800 american troops have now been tasked with beefing up diplomatic security. but the drumbeat continues to grow among congressional lawmakers who want president obama to expand and tie isis operations into ssyria. the republican and democrat heads of the house foreign affairs committee weighed in tuesday on cnn. >> you want the president of the united states to authorize air strikes against isis targets in syria? >> yes, i do. i for years have been calling to aid the free syria army. >> chairman rice, are you on the

same page as congressman engel? >> i am. target them and target the terrorist training camp where they're bringing these thousands of fighters from around the world, putting them through training over a period of weeks. >> and florida democratic senator bill nelson spoke to msnbc yesterday revealing plans to give the president the authority to go into syria. >> these people are clearly coming after us, and if there is a question of is it legal, does there need to be legal authority to go into syria, then that can be resolved and i will offer an amendment to the defense bill when it comes up to do exactly that. >> president obama, who was stopped by estonia, as we noted on a way to a nato summit later this week said the u.s. strategy to fight isis in iraq is working but he said he's hesitant to back a mission in syria until he

has the support of congress and the american people. when asked what america's overarching objective is, the president parsed his words carefully. take a listen. >> the bottom line is this, our objective is clear, and that is to degrade and destroy isil so it is no longer a threat not just to iraq but also the region and to the united states. >> did you just say that the strategy is to destroy isis or to simply contain them or push them back? >> our objective is to make sure that isil is not a ongoing threat to the region. and we can accomplish that. it's going to take some time and it's going to take some effort. >> nbc news chief white house correspondent chris jansing is traveling right now with the president and she has more from estonia on the u.s. strategy. in the wake of steven sotloff's execution. chris. >> reporter: good morning, peter. the president also said this

morning our reach is long and justice will be served, but an administration official told me that this has not changed the white house view on the threat posed by isis. clearly listening to the president at the news conference this morning, no indication it's changed his strategy, which is slow and methodical. he does have a list from pentagon and other intelligence officials of possible targets in syria, but no indication he's ready to move on that. instead he'll be leaving estonia later today. he will be heading to the nato summit in wales, what a lot of people are calling the most consequential since the end of the cold war. isis is not officially on the agenda but he'll certainly be talking about it with among others british prime minister david cameron. it's worth noting that isis does still hold americans, aid workers, as well as three british citizens as hostages. peter. >> all right, chris, thanks very much. nbc's chief pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski joins me from washington and ayman mohyeldin joins me now from new york. mik, we'll begin with you if i

can very quickly. i want to get a better understanding about these 350 more american troops as we look at president obama still speaking to the people of estonia right now. i want to ask you about his authorization of 350 more american troops heading to iraq. the pentagon was careful to say their primary focus is and will be diplomatic security, but could they be in a combat role or see action in that way in any form? >> unlikely, of course, unless they are attacked either at the embassy there in baghdad or at the airport where the u.s. has some significant facilities and operations under way out of the baghdad airport. otherwise they are there for security. but the message that the president and the state department and the pentagon are sending, by sending 350, up to 350 additional forces to iraq is that the u.s. is in fact in this for the long haul. this is an indication that they

are beefing up the security because they know as the operations there continue over some length of time that the threat, the potential threat against americans in that country only grows. and back to that idea about a strategy in syria, the president himself said it last week when he said we have no strategy in terms of dealing with isis in syria and military officials here agree that air strikes alone against syrian targets -- i mean against isis targets in syria is not a military strategy. and the president, according to officials here, is methodically working through it attempting to gain more international support to support a long-term u.s. coalition effort against isis in syria. >> mik, we'll let you pick up that call and get back to you in a second. ayman, i want to turn to you. the president is resisting pressure to change his strategy.

he says effectively that the current strategy is working, at least in iraq. is he right? and if you attack isis in iraq successfully, does that ultimately matter if the safe haven exists next door? >> i think that's the argument that a lot of people who follow the region closely, including critics here, are saying isis is using it as their base of operations. some of the initial suggestions about where those american hostages were killed suggest it took place on the outskirts of a syrian city. so trying to push them out of iraq is important, it gives the iraqi government cohesiveness and the upper hand and there's one more country that can fight isis. but if the u.s. doesn't go after them, it's going to be a lost effort. >> we're going to interrupt you and listen to president obama who's speaking about russia and ukraine. let's listen to president obama in estonia. >> it is a brazen assault on the territory of ukraine, an

sovereign and independent european nation. it challenges that most basic of principles of our international system, that borders cannot be redrawn at the barrel of a gun. that nations have the right to determine their own future. it undermines an international order where the rights of peoples and nations are upheld and can't simply be taken away by brute force. this is what's at stake in ukraine. this is why we stand with the people of ukraine today. [ applause ] now let's put to rest once and for all the distortions or outdated thinking that has

caused this crisis. our nato alliance is not aimed against any other nation, we're in an alliance of democracies, dedicated to our own collective defense. countries like estonia and latvia and lithuania are not post-soviet territory. you are sovereign and independent nations with the right to make your own decisions. no other nation gets to veto your security decisions. the protests in ukraine were not led by neonazis or facists, they were led by ordinary ukrainians. men and women, young and old, who are fed up with a corrupt regime. and who wanted to share in the progress and prosperity that they see in the rest of europe. and they did not engage in an

armed seizure of power. after an agreement was brokered for constitutional reform, the former president then abandoned his office and parliament endorsed new elections. so that today ukrainians have a new democratically elected president, and i look forward to welcoming president poroshenko to the oval office this month. he was chosen by the people of ukraine. it was not the government of kiev that destabilized eastern ukraine, it's been the pro-russian separatists who are encouraged by russia, financed by russia, trained by russia, supplied by russia, and armed by russia. and the russian forces that have now moved into ukraine are not on a humanitarian or peace-keeping mission.

they are russian combat forces with russian weapons in russian tanks. now, these are the facts. they are provable. they're not subject to dispute. as a result of state-run propaganda, many russians have become convinced that the actions taken by their government is strengthening russia, but reaching back to the days of the czars, trying to reclaim lands lost in the 19th century is surely not the way to secure russia's greatness in the 21st century. [ applause ] it only shows that unrestrained nationalism is the last refuge of those who cannot or will not deliver real progress and opportunity for their own people at home.

let's also be clear where we stand. just as we refuse to accept smaller european nations being dominated by bigger neighbors in the last century, we reject any talk of spheres of influence today. and just as we never accepted the occupation and illegal annexation of the baltic nations we will not accept russia's annexation of crimea or any part of ukraine. as free peoples, as an alliance, we will stand firm and united to meet the test of this moment and here's how. first, we will defend our nato allies, and that means every

ally. in this alliance, there are no old members or new members, no junior partners or senior partners. they're just allies. pure and simple. and we will defend the territorial integrity of every single ally. today more nato aircraft patrol the skies of the baltics. more american forces are on the ground training and rotating through each of the baltic states. more nato ships patrol the black sea. tonight i depart for the nato summit in wales, and i believe our alliance should extend these defensive measures for as long as necessary. because the defense of talin and others is just as important as the defense of berlin and paris and london.

during the long soviet occupation, the great estonian poet wrote who will come to help right here at present. now. and i say to the people of estonia and the people of the baltics, today we are bound by our treaty alliance. we have a solemn duty to each other. article 5 is chris crystal clea attack on one, is an attack on all. so if in such a moment you ever ask again who will come to help, you will know the answer. the nato alliance, including the armed forces of the united states of america right here present now. [ applause ]

we'll be here for estonia, we will be here for latvia, we will be here for lithuania. you lost your independence once before. with nato, you will never lose it again. [ applause ] second, and in addition to the measures we've already taken, the united states is working to bolster the security of our nato allies and further increase america's military presence in europe. the new initiative i proposed in warsaw this spring includes several elements and we're working with congress to get it done. here in the baltics, it would mean positioning more american equipment so it's ready if needed. it would mean more training and exercises between our militaries. and it would mean more u.s.

forces, including american boots on the ground, continuously rotating through estonia and latvia and lithuania. third, nato forces need the ability to deploy even faster in times of crisis. now, this week our alliance must unite around a new plan to enhance our readiness. and that means we need to step up our defense planning so we're fully prepared for any threat to any ally. it also means we need to have the infrastructure and facilities that can receive rapid reinforcements, including here in the baltics. we need to enhance nato's rapid response force so it can deploy even more quickly, and not just react to threats, but also deter them. and even as we meet conventional threats, we need to face other challenges. and that includes propaganda

campaigns that try to whip up fears and divide people from one another. we reject the idea that people cannot live and thrive together just because they have different backgrounds or speak a different language. and the best antidotes to such distorted thinking are the values that define us. not just in the baltics, but throughout europe. we must acknowledge the inherent dignity and human rights of every person, because our democracies cannot truly succeed until we rout out bias and prejudice, both from our institutions and from our hearts. we have to uphold a free press and freedom of speech, because in the end lies and misinformation are no match for the truth. we have to embrace open and

inclusive societies because our countries are more successful and more prosperous when we welcome the talents of all our people, including minorities. that is part of the work we must do. [ applause ] that's the example we must set. fourth, even as we keep our country strong at home, we need to keep our alliance strong for the future. that means investing in the capabilities like intelligence and surveillance and reconnaissance and missile defense. here in europe, nations need to do more to spur the growth and prosperity that sustains our alliance. to its great credit, estonia stands out as an ally that contributes its full share, it's full 2% of gdp to the alliance and latvia and lithuania have pledged to do the same, so this

week -- that's worth applause. [ applause ] so this week's summit is the moment for every nato nation to step up and commit to meeting its responsibilities to our alliance. estonia does it. every ally must do it. fifth, we must continue to stand united against russia's aggression in ukraine. [ applause ] keep in mind that repeatedly president putin has ignored the opportunity to resolve the crisis in ukraine diplomatically. the united states, the european union, our partners around the world, have all said we prefer a

diplomatic solution. but in light of russia's unwillingness to seize that opportunity, we have come together to impose major sanctions on russia for its actions. and make no mistake, russia is paying a price. capital is fleeing, foreign investment is plummeting, because investors know that today's russia is a bad bet. given its behavior. the russian economy has slipped into recession. its energy production, which is the engine of the russian economy, is expected to drop. its credit rating is near junk status. the rubel just fell to an all-time low. in short, russia's actions in ukraine are weakening russia. russia's actions are hurting the russian people. and it doesn't have to be this way.

we have no interest in weakening russia. it's a nation with a rich history and a remarkable people. we do not seek out confrontation with russia. over the past two decades, the united states has gone to great lengths to welcome russia into the community of nations and to encourage its economic success. we welcome a russia that is strong and growing and contributes to international security and peace and that resolves disputes peacefully with diplomacy. and in contrast to russia's isolation and economic woes today, that path, which would include a stable and prosperous ukraine whose sovereignty is respected, would also ultimately result in greater success and opportunity and respect for russia.

that path remains available to russia. that path will deliver truer progress for the russian people. but it's a path that starts by russia changing course and leaving ukraine, so that ukrainians can make their own decisions. and i have no doubt that one of their decisions would be to have strong relations with not just europe, but also with russia. but it has to be freely chosen. and this brings me to the final area where our nations have to come together. in our steadfast support for those who reach for their freedom, and, yes, that includes the people of ukraine, and few understand this better than the baltic peoples.

you know from bitter experience that we can never take our security and liberties for granted. we want ukrainians to be independent and strong and able to make their own choices, free from fear and intimidation. because the more countries are free and strong and free from intimidation, the more secure our own liberties are. so the united states will continue to help ukraine reform. to escape a legacy of corruption and build democratic institutions. to grow its economy. and like other european nations, diversify its energy sources, because no country should ever be held hostage to another nation that wields energy like a weapon. [ applause ] we'll continue to offer training and assistance to help the

ukrainian military grow stronger as they defend their country. and since ultimately there's no military solution to this crisis, we will continue to support president poroshenko's efforts to achieve peace. because like all independent nations, ukraine must be free to decide its own destiny. and this week nato must send an unmistakable message in support of ukraine as well. our alliances had a partnership with ukraine for more than 20 years. ukrainian forces have served with distinction in the balkans, in afghanistan. so in wales we'll meet as an alliance with president poroshenko to show that our 28 nations are united in support of ukraine's sovereignty and right to defend its territory. now, ukraine needs more than words. nato needs to make concrete commitments to help ukraine

modernize and strengthen its security forces. and, by the way, we have to do more to help other nato partners, including georgia and moldova strengthen their defenses as well. [ applause ] and we must reaffirm the principle that has always guided our alliance. for countries that meet our standards and that can make meaningful contributions to allied security, the door to nato membership will remain open. so this is a moment of testing. the actions of the separatists in ukraine and russia evoke dark tactics from europe's past that ought to be consigned to a distant history. masked men storming buildings, soldiers without flags slipping

across the border. violence sending families fleeing and killing thousands, including nearly 300 innocent men, women and children from all across europe and around the world when that airliner was shot out of the sky. in the face of violence that seems intractable and suffering that is so senseless, it is easy to grow cynical, and i think tempting, to give into the notion that peace and security may be beyond our grasp. but i say to all of you here today, especially the young people, do not give into that cynicism. do not lose the idealism and optimism that is the root of all great change. [ applause ]

don't ever lose the faith that says if we want it, if we are willing to work for it, if we stand together, the future can be different. tomorrow can be better. after all, the only reason we're here today in a free and democratic estonia is because the estonian people never gave up. you never gave up when the red arm came in from the east or when the nazis came in from the west. you never gave up with the soviets came back or when they sent your best and brightest to the gulog never to return. you never gave up through a long occupation to try to break your spirit and crush your culture. their tanks were no equal to the moral power of your voices, united in song. their walls were no match for the strength of your people, united in that unbreakable

chain. and like the pols and hungaryians and the czechs and the slovaks, you were stronger and always believed one day no matter what we will win. today your example, your victory, gives hope to people all over the world. yes, there will be setbacks and there will be frustrations and there will be moments of doubt and moments of despair. the currents of history ebb and flow. but over time, they flow toward freedom. more people in every corner of the earth standing up and reaching to claim those rights that are universal, and that's why in the end our ideals are stronger, and that's why in the end our ideals will win.

dignity will win, because every human being is born equal with free will and inalienable rights and any regime or system of government that tries to deny these rights will ultimately fail and countries that uphold them will only grow stronger. justice will win. because the only path to lasting peace is when people know that their dignity will be respect andy their rights will be upheld and citizens like nations will never settle for a world where the big are allowed to bully the small. sooner or later, they fight back. [ applause ] democracy will win. because the government's legitimacy can only come from citizens.

because in this age of information and empowerment, people want more control over their lives, not less. and because more than any other form of government ever devised, only democracy rooted in the sanctity of the individual can deliver real progress. and freedom will win. not because it's inevitable, not because it is ordained, but because these basic human yearnings for dignity and justice and democracy do not go away. they can be suppressed. at times they can be silenced. but they burn in every human heart, in a place where no regime can ever reach. a light that no army can ever extinguish. and so long as free peoples summon the confidence and the courage and the will to defend

the values that we cherish, then freedom will always be stronger and our ideas will always prevail. no matter what. thank you. and long live our great alliance. thank you very much. thank you. >> you've been listening to president obama speaking in estonia today. president obama in reference to russia's aggression into ukraine referred to it as a brazen assault on the territorial integrity of ukraine. the president said that nato will defend nato allies, every ally, and he said that the russian forces that have now moved into ukraine are not, in his words, on humanitarian or peace-keeping missions. he also noted that president poroshenko, the ukrainian president, will head to the oval office in the weeks ahead. i'm joined by the president and ceo of the woodrow wilson center, the former democratic congresswoman jane harmon.

if i can ask you very quickly, the president says this is a moment of testing as it relates to russia and ukraine. so how is president doing on this test? >> well, this speech was a whopper, especially the end. where has that barack obama been? we need him. we needed him after ferguson and we certainly need him as we hear more and more about what he calls isil, the l is for levant, that's a broader piece of real estate than just syria and iraq. i think he did well today. it was a well crafted speech, and i think the alliance, the nato alliance is definitely and carefully going to push back against russia. the other weapon that we have is petro poroshenko, the democratically elected new president of ukraine. he's very capable. i was there for the election at the end of may, which was free and fair except for 13% of the people who couldn't vote because of this russian intimidation, but he is working with vladimir

putin, the right thing to do, to try to craft a solution that keeps ukraine intact, very important, but also hopefully gives russia a reason to back down. and if russia does not back down, the e.u. is ready with tougher sanctions, which is a very courageous move by them given the fact that their economy is softening and these sanctions will hurt europe as well as russia. >> congresswoman, i want to ask you more specifically about isil, isis as they're commonly referred to as well, the islamic state, you can pick your phrase to describe them. president obama in recent days has received criticism from both sides of the aisle, including from democrats like dianne feinstein who said this president this time may be just a little bit too cautious. his administration officials, white house advisers say to us privately it's easy to announce air strikes. what's a lot harder is what you do next. >> yeah. >> so is this president being too cautious in terms of what the u.s. strategy related to isis in syria should be? >> well, i think developing a

strategy for the region that includes people in the region is tricky. limited air strikes by u.s. alone are not going to what obama said degrade and destroy isil in syria. that is what we have to do, because just going against isil in iraq causes it to in intelligence terms squish out into syria, and so more of it is now in syria, which is essentially a failed state. the only part that bashar al assad controls is the so-called spine of syria and the rest of it is just lawless territory. going against isil just in iraq isn't going to defeat isil in syria. >> quick question on that topic, though. >> congress has to get into this act and debate this issue quickly and include the american people in debate so they understand what the interests of the u.s. are and what the costs to the u.s. are. >> and very quickly, should we make a deal then with bashar al

assad since the priority should be isis and not assad. would that be the way to go? >> i don't think assad has much juice in the lawless areas of syria where isil is. he can claim that he could have saved these poor reporters, and by the way, that was a monstrous act and anti-muslim to do that, the muslim world should get that, but the whole region which has issues at stake, the whole sunni crescent there is threatened by isis, isil and a logical headquarters of some islamic state will be mecca, so saudi arabia has got to get in this game and qatar has to be on our side, not on both sides. >> congressman harman we appreciate your time. we just wrapped up the president's remarks from estonia a short time ago. thank you very much. again, i want to go back to jim miklaszewski right now. mik, the president heads next to wales in the u.k. where he will be joined in what some have described as the most significant nato summit not just in years but decades right now.

nato is expected to endorse a rapid response force, perhaps as many as 4,000 troops as the president referred to, to go into hot spots as needed. do we have any better understanding right now of what the u.s. contribution to a force like that would be? >> well, certainly as a nato ally, if not the leader of the nato allies, the u.s. would take part in this. they have already scrambled some forces to work with other nato countries in terms of training and preparing for any possible military action, and they would, of course, provide weapons, lo air support but nobody is talking seriously about america going to war with russia over ukraine. there's no scenario that has russia storming across ukraine and crossing the borders to go after nato allies at this point. and let's pay attention to what

the president said. he said there is no military solution to this current crisis. and jane harman herself echoed that when she said that the nato response has to be strong. there has to be a strong but careful push back on russia. so this is a very delicate dance that nato and russia and ukraine have to do at this point. and as one three-star general pointing his finger at me said, we are not going to war with russia, peter. >> all right, mik, thank you very much. we like this administration juggling a serious of issues right now. on the topic again of isis and the beheading, that barbaric execution of the journalist steven sotloff, we are now hearing from secretary of state john kerry putting out this statement just moments ago. it says yesterday the world bore witness again to the unfathomable brutality of isil terrorist murd rerz when we saw steven sotloff, an american

journalist who left home in florida to tell the story of brave people in the middle east taken from us in an act of medieval savage reby a coward hiding behind a mask. joined again by ayman mohyeldin, who spent so much time in this region. i want to ask you more specifically about this isis group. if we have any real full agreement, is there full agreement perhaps from that region in terms of this militant group's goals? is their goal territory? is their goal terror directed toward the west and toward the u.s.? and is there consensus on that? >> well, terror is the tool that they use to try and acquire the territory and to try to subji gate the people under their control. we've seen them take control of some parts of syria and iraq and in those areas, the people living under their control are being subjugated to a lot of draconian ways of living. executions, crucifixions,

lashes. they are trying to govern. they want to establish a state, that's a very obvious stated objective that has been coming out of the leadership of isis. they're trying to recruit more people to build their vision of that society, a very evil society, and certainly jeopardizes not only the countries they now have a foot hold in but the entire region. there is a consensus that isis has to be dealt with, and not only dealt with to contain them from expanding and acquiring territory but also trying to rout out this ideology. i think that's going to be the longer battle, the much harder one, because that stems over the course of generations, education, you have to improve the political governance in the middle east. a lot of underlying issues that have been feeding into this ideology now for the past several years. >> ayman mohyeldin in new york for us today. jim miklaszewski at the pentagon just moments earlier. gentlemen, we appreciate your time. thanks very much. coming up next, new developments out of richmond, virginia, where a jury is now in its second day of deliberations in the corruption trial of former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife, maureen.

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♪ we're back now on "the daily rundown." the seven men and five women weighing the fate of former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife, maureen, just began a second day of deliberations. the mcdonnells are charged with 14 counts of public corruption and after hearing from 67 witnesses, on tuesday jurors heard nearly two hours and 90 pages of instructions from the judge, james spencer. before deliberating behind closed doors it turned out more than five hours yesterday, nbc's pete williams is live in richmond for us today. pete, the judge laid out in that lengthy list of instructions a few key ones for the jury about specifically how to define official actions that would seem unlikely to help the defense here. help us understand. >> reporter: a bit of an

understatement, perhaps. the jury is just this minute beginning day two of deliberations after this five-week trial, so who knows how long it's going to take them. there are 14 counts here that involve both the former governor and his wife. but in terms of the jury instructions, the prosecutors and the defense lawyers had argued over what they should be, and the way they came out in key parts was favorable to the prosecution. here are the main points, i think. number one, the judge said that in order to prove this bribery conspiracy, you don't have to prove that jonnie williams, the virginia businessman who gave them $177,000 in cash and gifts, that he actually got anything of value. the judge said as long as there was an agreement that they would take his gifts and try to help him, that's enough, whether he got anything or not. secondly the judge said official acts by the governor can be almost anything that governors do, whether it's part of their legal responsibility or not. so arranging a luncheon at the governor's mansion at which this

product made from tobacco was launched, urging state employees to get more involved in supporting it, urging universities to consider doing research on it, all those things could potentially count. and then he said it also doesn't matter whether the governor would have done this anyway. and what governor mcdonnell has said is that the things he did for jonnie williams were what any governor would do for any businessman, and the judge said today that doesn't matter in terms of the conspiracy. if there's a legal reason for what they did, that doesn't excuse it if there was this agreement that they would do it for money. >> pete williams is live outside the court house in richmond, virginia, as we await a verdict in the trial of bob and maureen mcdonnell. pete, thank you very much. coming up, major developments on the west africa ebola outbreak. another american missionary doctor, this time in liberia, tests positive for the virus, while a british nurse who contracted ebola in sierra leone

has just been discharged from a london hospital. we have new details and we're also going to separate fact from fiction about the efforts to contain this outbreak with dr. anthony fauci of the national institutes of health. that's all coming up on "the daily rundown." ing worlds to exr and challenges yet unmet, new friendships to forge, and old ones to renew. it's more than a job. and they're more than just our students. so welcome back, to the students, and to the educators. ready to teach. and ready to learn. i wish... please, please, please, please, please. [ male announcer ] the wish we wish above all...is health. so we quit selling cigarettes in our cvs pharmacies. expanded minuteclinic, for walk-in medical care. and created programs that encourage people to take their medications regularly.

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several new developments in morning and what has become the worst ebola outbreak in generations. a third american missionary doctor tested positive for the e ebola virus this doctor was treating pregnant women and not ebola patients. more on him in a moment. the a 29 -year-old british nurse who contracted ebola has been dangischarged from a londo hospital.

later this morning, one of the american ebola survivors, nancy writebol, will hold a conference since being discharged. the other american survivor, dr. kent brantly, with was matt lauer when he learned about the latest ebola case involving his colleague in liberia. matt asked if it will make americans less likely to volunteer in west africa. >> i think that is a reality, you know. that's the nature of ebola is that health care workers are predominantly affected because of the way it's spread. in this situation, seeing another colleague, another foreigner, another doctor, another health care leader now brought down by this infection again, i think what you've stated is a very real difficulty we're facing in fighting this epidemic. >> ebola has killed at least 1500 people since march. 10% of those were health care workers. another 3,000 people are

infected with ebola. the world is losing the battle to contain it. joining us now is dr. anthony the director of national institute of allergy and infectious diseases. thank you your time. we appreciate it. >> good to be with you. >> can the outbreak be contained? perhaps more specifically given fears about what is taking place across west africa. how? >> it can be contained because historically since the first outbreak was noted in 1976, there have been close to two dozen outbreaks a s alb s all t other outbreaks have been contained by good infection control, ooifgs identification, isolation, and contact tracing and providing proper protective equipment for the health care providers.

what we need to do is focus on that with a major intensification of resources to allow the countries involved that have very poor health care infrastructure. there's no doubt about that. and that's really the problem that the mechanisms of containing this have been proven to work except you have to do it on a much, much larger scale now that we're involving multiple countries, particularly with high populations and in the cities. >> and i want to ask you specifically about what the threat level is or at least should be considered by everyday americans in this country. i think after both doctors who were taken to emery hospital were discharged, there was a sense of maybe letting our guard down. the good news they're both okay. perhaps we have reduced our level of intensity in terms of protecting ourselves against the potential threat of ebola coming across the ocean. it's just a flight away. some would suggest. where do you think americans should view the real threat to

the u.s. from ebola right now? >> well, the realistic situation is that we should realize that it is almost inevitable and we've seen it sooner or later someone is going to get infected in west africa and not feel sick, get on a plane, and get off a plane in a city like new york or l.a. or london or paris and get sick there and possibly infect maybe one or two or three people before we realize that there's an ebola person here. there will not be a major outbreak as we see in west africa. because we have the capability of identification, isolation, and contact tracing. so we should be aware of it. the general american public certainly follow this and if cases do come, one needs to make sure we have the capability of doing the type of isolation. it's not something that general american public should feel would be a major outbreak in the united states because of our

capability to contain it. it is not something something to be taken lightly. it's a very serious situation in west africa and perhaps even beyond west africa. >> doctor anthony, we appreciate your expertise. thank you for visiting with us today. >> good to be with you. that's going to do it for this edition of the daily run down. coming up next jose will interview one of stevinterv interview -- condemning so the lot of's killing. you're watching msnbc. ellen is the owner of the perennial gardener on main street in fort collins, colorado. she said main street retail stores can succeed if they make shopping an exciting experience and offer a big selection of items customers didn't even know they wanted. if i can impart one lesson to a

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terms and conditions apply. to learn more, go to celebrex.com. good morning. i'm jose diaz-balart. developing on the e bolt will outbreak. the president has just wrapped up a speech in estonia, we'll

have more remarks next hour as our nato allies confront the crisis in ukraine. our first focus is on the worldwide outrage of the murder of another american journalist in syria. at any moment we're expecting to hear from john kerry at the state department. there you see it. the podium is there. you may have something to say about the murder of stevotloff. here is the statement. the world bore witness again to the unfath mble brutality of isil terrorist murders in an act of mid evil savagery by a koud ward hiding behind a mask. there are no words strong enough to express the sorrow we feel for his family. president obama strongly condemned isis terrorists and vowed to hold them accountable for their second brutal murder of an american journalist in two