Skip to main content

tv   The Reid Report  MSNBC  October 6, 2014 11:00am-12:01pm PDT

11:00 am
one hoir from now president obama will be briefed on the response to ebola's low scale but high anxiety arrival in this country, including the possibility of ramping up airport screenings at in points for flights from west africa to the u.s. the cdc says it's monitoring 14 potential contacts of liberian national thomas eric duncan. doctors say duncan is in critical condition, receiving supportive care as he fights for his life in dallas. meanwhile, the freelance nbc cameraman working with dr. nancy snyderman in africa arrived in nebraska just a few hours ago. mukpo's family spoke about their son's condition at a news conference, alongside a growing team of about 40 specialists overseeing his care. >> of course, it's still quite frightening, but he's hanging in and he sounds very strong. >> he walked off the plane, gingerly waved to us as we saw
11:01 am
him from a distance wheeled into the room. and, you know, it's tentative and frightened, but i think he's strong. >> at the same time in dallas today, governor rick perry announced a new initiative and new leader to head up a special task force in texas. >> today i issued an executive order creating the texas task force on infectious disease preparedness and response. as public officials, we have a clear duty to provide a greater level of education about this disease. we as a nation, as a state, and as individual counties can clearly do a better job. >> nbc is live outside the hospital where eric duncan is being treated. what do we know about the kind of treatment mr. duncan is receiving? >> reporter: good afternoon, joy. we have just confirmed with the drug manufacturer and the hospital he has been given an
11:02 am
experimental drug called brincidofovir. the family sent a sample of duncan's blood to the manufacturer and it was put in a petri dish and the end result was the drug killed all the ebola in his blood. very promising. they made the decision to go ahead and begin administering that brincidofovir to duncan, who is in critical but stable condition. he's also provided supportive care, the things his body needs to keep going so he can continue to fight the ebola. according to family, they've been told that includes at this point a ventilator and a dialysis machine. he did take a turn for the worse over the weekend, being downgraded from serious to critical condition. he is not the first ebola patient here in the states to receive an experimental drug. as you recall, dr. brantly and nancy writebol, the first two patients flown into the u.s. received an experimental drug,
11:03 am
zma zmapp. doctors can't say for certain this is what cured them. this is why they were able to recover successfully but it shows a lot of promise and hope for people as they continue to battle this worldwide epidemic. >> and, sarah, i'm told dallas officials will be holding their own news conference in about an hour from now. what do we expect to hear from them? . >> reporter: we expect to hear more on the con takenment efforts, monitoring of 40 individuals who may have had some sort of contact with duncan, as well as the clean-up effort in his apartment. there have been people in hazmat suits all day going in and out. that includes incineration of all blankets, mattresses, sheets. the carpet was all pulled up. the apartment disinfected. this is really new ground here for companies to dispose and to clean these areas, to make sure it doesn't spread in the close proximity of an apartment complex to anybody else. they want to be sure that's all taken care of.
11:04 am
the people who lived in that apartment, that is, at least three family members of duncan, have been moved to another home here in dallas at an undisclosed location in a gated community. they are in isolation right now as officials continue to monitor their vitals and temperature and check for any signs or symptoms of ebola. >> thank you very much. while the federal government, including the cdc repeatedly insist u.s. hospitals are prepared to handle and identify ebola case, not everyone is so sure. according to a survey of 400 nurses across 25 states, more than half, 60%, do not believe their hospitals are prepared to handle patients with ebola. more troubling, more than 80% said their hospital hasn't told them about any policy that spells out how to handle potential ebola patients. director of registered nurse response network.
11:05 am
thank you for being here. that's a very alarming finding. is it your contention that hospitals are not educating nurses or that the hospitals themselves are not receiving sufficient information? >> that's correct. actually, our numbers have tripled. we've had over 1300 responses. no improvement in terms of the level of education and training. and for us, what we see right now, which is so critical, is that we move from the electronic paper plan to an actual national health care action plan. it's not sufficient to just refer folks to a website or do a posting. we actually need 24/7 training of the health can care professionals. everyone from triage to treatment to waste disposal. what our nurses are reporting is that this is just not happening. >> this, of course, is of major importance because the risk to the public is quite low in general in terms of the number of cases. but the risk to health care
11:06 am
providers is obviously quite high. what is the nurses association make sure nurses themselves are safe to know what to protect themselves, their coworkers and patients? >> right now we're reaching out to all of our members and all nurses across the nation and informing them of the highest starndz, including the need for the hazmat suits and also the critical need to train and drill as a team. as i said, we have the expert nurses and the expert physicians, but we need to have a national approach to this. a national health care plan where all of our providers are training and drilling so that they can be prepared for whatever walks in that door. >> we've already seen polling that shows people are not very confident. the government will be able to handle an ebola outbreak and people are quite worried about it, especially the fact that it isn't as prevalent as some other things. people are actually worried about it. the nurses you talk to, what is
11:07 am
their greatest fear, that they won't actually know the symptoms of ebola when they're presented to them or they won't know what to do if they do recognize those symptoms? >> their greatest concern is the actual preparation, training and planning with the whole health care team. that's what should be happening. it's not sufficient to just refer nurses, physicians, workers in the hospitals to a site or post -- or refer them to a posting in the hospital. we actually have to engage in active drilling. everyone needs to rehearse and know what their role is. >> bonnie castillo, thank you for being here. >> thank you. now to another major health concern. it's actually showing up with much greater frequency across the country than ebola. enterovirus, a 4-year-old new jersey boy died in his sleep nearly two weeks ago as a result
11:08 am
of the virus. assistant professor at lsu health sciences center and tulane university medical center. doctor, thanks for being here. >> thank you. >> talk about the health -- we just spoke with bonnie castillo of the national nurses association who says nurses aren't ready to deal with ebola. in your estimation, are hospitals ready to handle enterovirus. >> one thing about them both is we theoretically are ready as health care providers because there's no difference in the way you would deal with ebola than enterovirus or the measles or the mumps or anything else. you know, it's standard precautions and then we have heightened precautions. when it comes down to, you know, all of the contagiousness of the virus, we need to talk about something that's very specific. called rknot, the reproductive number, how contagious a disease is. that's basically how many people will get the disease if they
11:09 am
come in contact with one person. measles and mumps have a much bigger number than ebola or lots of other things. we have to keep this in perspective. we definitely need to make sure we have the amount of people ready in case there is a real outbreak. but it's not going to be where we learn anything new about the way that we deal with the patient. the most important thing is asking the patient that comes through the door, have you been to west africa? that's the most important thing. and then we can deal with it. >> doctor, the most important thing is take that information and communicate it to somebody who can do something about it. >> exactly. this is nothing new. we deal with more contagious viruses every day in a hospital. so, i don't want to not alarm people because i'm not going to say it's not important. but what i am saying, people, use the things you were taught in medical school, nursing school. keep your hands washed. make sure you wear protective
11:10 am
clothing. make sure you don't get anything splashed into your eyes. as an er doctor, i understand that and people need to understand that as well. we need to ask the questions. >> anybody who's been to an er, even the doctor or hospital, understands the ratio of nurses to doctors is growing. people are being treated by nurses and nurse practitioners. do we have a system failing those nurses? because they are the ones dealing with the combination of people with the flu, people coming in with kids sneezing and coughing and may have things that look like measles or mumps or whatever they think they have. on top of, that you have over 500 cases, 538 cases so far, of respiratory illnesses caused by enterovirus which has killed before. 43 states worth of illness. all of that converging with flu season. are our hospitals ready? if they're not, what needs to be done to help the nurses get ready? >> i think -- first of all, the amount of nurses taking care of patients directly, that number has skyrocketed in the last ten years. nurses are very smart, very well
11:11 am
trained. i think the amount of nurses in a hospital we need to increase. a lot of people don't realize, every night in a hospital, they look at the amount of patients in the hospital and then they bring in the amount of nurses needed and they know they call off nurses if they don't have that amount of patients. we should really talk to the hospitals to say, let's do away with that system and then have ten nurses in a place and not just say we only need eight today because we only have two patients. that's what's actually happening in hospitals and that's a problem. >> one last question, just because you're in louisiana, we also have states not expanding medicaid where people don't have insurance and may not go to the doctor or the hospital because they're not covered. how much of a problem is the lack of insurance and lack of expansion of medicaid in some states? >> joy, don't even get me started. don't get me started. >> i had to get you started. >> if we don't expand medicaid, people will die. bottom line. my state, we have an issue with it. other republican states they're staying steadfast in my whole -- i'm going to stick with my party
11:12 am
lines. we need to expand medicaid. all those republican governors are going to roll over because they're losing money every day. when the right person dies, i hate to be that way, that's when they'll change. totally agree with. >> you well, i have gotten you started. doctor, thank you very much. i appreciate it. >> thank you. after the break, major developments from the supreme court on the first day of the new term. we'll explain how the court's decision not to take up same-sex marriage will actually expand marriage equality into several more states. plus, high school students in colorado push back against a school board's plans to push with the students are calling an ahistoric conservative agenda. >> the society to this day, including the american revolution, women's suffrage and civil rights movement were undertaken by people causing social disorder. the yearning to improve this country out of love and respect is what i call patriotic. you know.... there's a more enjoyable way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious and an excellent source of fiber to help support regularity. mmmm. these are good!
11:13 am
the tasty side of fiber. from phillips
11:14 am
amerigallons of sugary3 billion beverages every year. over-consumption may link to obesity. but there is a better choice. drink more water, filtered by brita. clean, refreshing, nothing is better.
11:15 am
11:16 am
welcome back. about one hour ago state officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples for the first time in gentleman va va after the supreme court this morning chose not to enter the debate over state gay marriage bans effectively overturning them in virginia and ten other states. nbc's pete williams is live outside the supreme court. pete, explain how the court not making a decision involving five states actually affects several more states. >> reporter: right. so, let's leave the supreme court out of it for just a second because, after all, that's what they did themselves today. remember that what happened is, challenges were filed to the bans on same-sex marriage in five states. utah, oklahoma, indiana, wisconsin and virginia. now, they were filed in many others, but those cases went through the federal courts of appeals, the trials courts and appeals courts all ruled the bans were unconstitutional.
11:17 am
but those courts put their rulings on hold, wanting to give the supreme court the last word. in other words, stays were put into effect that block the effect of those rulings as long as they were pending in the supreme court. well, today the supreme court said, we're not going to hear them. they're no longer pending. the stays are dissolved. that means that the people who challenge those bans win. so, that's easy enough when you think about the five states. there are three states in those federal circuits that declared bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. now, that ruling applies to all the states in those circuits and that adds six more states. colorado, kansas and wyoming out of the tenth circuit and west virginia and north and south carolina in the fourth circuit. as of yesterday, there were 19 states that granted same-sex marriage. you add those five that win today because the rulings are now in their favor and now go into effect, plus the other six. you get 11 more.
11:18 am
add that to 19. you get 30 states that now permit or very soon will permit same-sex marriage. all as a consequence of what the supreme court didn't do today. >> and, pete, is it your understanding that on both sides of this issue, people would like the supreme court to affirmatively take a case. we showed that map and there's this huge swath of gray where you have completely different rules now. you es sshlly have two americas when it comes to marriage rules. >> reporter: of course, we have since the very first same-sex marriage state, massachusetts. it's just been -- the map has been getting less lopsided as the time goes by. yes, both of the parties daisht people who won and the states ask the supreme court to hear their challenges. let me say today, the people who support same-sex marriage are much more pleased with what the supreme court did than the people that oppose it. >> i can imagine. pete williams, thank you for
11:19 am
clarifying. mark solomon is national campaign director with freedom to marry. normally i would go ladies first but i'm going to start with mark. this strange situation, now after this ruling. 60% of americans will soon live in a state where they have marriage equality. but if they should cross over the border into one of those states in that big gray part of our map, they don't. is this a win for marriage equality or is this just creating two countries within the same borders? >> well, it's certainly a win for the people who live in those states where they can now get married, take care of their families, et cetera. you raise a very good point. there is still a patch work where, you know, marriages are not respected and so many states, 40% of the country, and where people are harmed every day by being denied the freedom to marry and by being excluded from protections that come along with marriage. so, it's certainly positive, but we want the supreme court to take up a case and rule, you know, pretty immediately.
11:20 am
>> well, in the direction they've been ruling. that's what's bizarre, they didn't jump into it. so, you have now -- this issue has not cooled off as a political matter for republicans. b bobby jindal said today -- he was asked about the supreme court decision. let me play you what he said. >> on this issue, i'm not a weather vane like president obama or hillary clinton. i happen to believe marriage is between a man ask a woman. >> he got the hillary clinton dig in there. is same-sex marriage even an issue anymore politically? i'm not sure i understand its saliency to obviously what he was referring to, which is 2016. >> the political implications are much bigger for lbgt people. what's really crazy about what happened today with the supreme court is that while we're celebrating the, quote/unquote, marriage victories, 9 of 11 states impacted still do not
11:21 am
have basic nondiscrimination protections for lbgt people. let me tell you what that means. what that means is i may be able to get marrieded it's still in place oon though it's been picked apart by various supreme court and lower court opinions. section two of doma declares that all states and territories have the right to deny recognition of marriage of same-sex couples that originated in states where they are legally recognized. they can say a ban in a particular state is unconstitutional but the state next door's ban applies to a state that passes marriage quality? is it too confusing or am i -- >> it's very confusing.
11:22 am
if you're a married couple here in new york and you gone on vacation a couple states, you're legal strangers. if you're living in florida right now or georgia, your spouse dies, you know, you can end up having to give up your home because you don't get social security protections. that's why we need the supreme court to take up this issue and solve it once and for all for the country. >> and we're also talking about children in these situations, because mark brings up a really good point. if you have a couple legally married in massachusetts and then they go on vacation in florida and, god forbid, something happens to one parent, you could wind up with strange custody issues kicking in for the surviving spouse. has any of that been the subject of an actual case that could make it to the supreme court and overturn doma overall? >> you know, that's such an interesting point because the conservative argument against same-sex marriage has rested in these ridiculous arguments about kids and family and harm. the reality is, there are 2 million children being raised by lgbt couples.
11:23 am
when bobby jindal goes off at the mouth, what he's sig is he doesn't care about the livelihood of those 2 million children whose parents need to have legal ties and relationships to them. i think that gets back to my previous point blt fact we have all of these antiquated family policies on the books but for cohabitating couples, too. >> everybody wants to be celebrating this news today as celebrating this news today as good news but it
11:24 am
well, did you know certain cartoon characters should never have an energy drink? action! blah-becht-blah- blublublub-blah!!! geico®. introducing the birds of america collection. fifty stunning, hand-painted plates, commemorating the state birds of our proud nation. blah-becht-blah- blublublub-blah!!! geico®. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about long-acting levemir®,
11:25 am
an injectable insulin that can give you blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. and levemir® helps lower your a1c. levemir® is now available in flextouch® - the only prefilled insulin pen with no push-button extension. levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. that's 50% longer than lantus®, which lasts 28 days. today, i'm asking about levemir® flextouch. (female announcer) levemir® is a long-acting insulin, used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life-threatening. ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions.
11:26 am
check your blood sugar levels. your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, swelling of your face, tongue or throat, sweating, extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion. (male announcer) today's the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch. covered by nearly all health insurance and medicare plans. many americans who have prescriptions fail to stay on them. that's why we created programs which encourage people to take their medications regularly. so join us as we raise a glass to everyone who remembered today. bottoms up, america. see you tomorrow. same time. another innovation from cvs health. because health is everything.
11:27 am
. today you're buzzing about how isis is shaping the world's view of islam. as kurdish militia defend kobani. the isis flag is flying over the eastern part of kobani. kurdish fighters say ongoing u.s. air strikes are not enough to help them defeat isis on their own. you're sending tweets like this showing mothers and daughters with vintage russian defending the city. others are tweeting about the possibility loss of this kurdish stronghold which lies on the border with turkey. you're sending tweets like this, quote, biggest fail in human history. when 54 countries and u.s.-led coalition couldn't protect or help the city of kobani against isis. as that battle rages you're still debating ben affleck called bill maher's statements about islam gross and racist.
11:28 am
here's maher's statements. >> there's isis, the global jihadist. the degree to which you say, i witnessed this behavior, which we all object to, i'm willing to flatly condemn those of you that -- >> meanwhile, after this american woman defended her conversion to islam on twitter, she began receiving marriage proposals from isis supporters. jennifer williams, a researcher at brookings institution sent this tweet a week ago to muslim apology #muslimapologies. the hashtag was created in reaction to negative views of muslim in spawn of isis. it was retweeted 12,000 times and she became a twitter star who used her tweet as pro-isis propaganda. while still defending islam as a beautiful religion, she put out a statement on her blog which reads, i do not have my
11:29 am
conversion story to attract mother people to a repugnant ideology. these debates over the perceptionings and correct interpretations of islam will kernel continue for better and worse. you can join the conversation with fellow reiders on instagram, facebook, msnbc.com. parents of michael brown are asking to reconsider not appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the death of their son. in ferguson, protesters led a powerful demonstration during the concert at st. louis symphony. ♪ ♪ which side are you on which side are on you ♪ ♪ which side are you on friends ♪ ♪ which side are you on ♪ justice for mike brown
11:30 am
justice for our cause ♪ ♪ justice for mike brown justice for our cause ♪ ♪ which side are you on s why i need to keep an eye on my health. ugh! we won! that's why i take metabiotic, a daily probiotic. with 70% of your immune system in your gut, new multi-health metabiotic with bio-active 12 helps maintain digestive balance and is proven to help support a healthy immune system i take care of myself, so i can take care of them. experience the meta effect with our new multi-health wellness line and see how one small change can lead to good things.
11:31 am
narrator: these are the skater kid: whoa narrator: that got torture tested by teenagers and cried out for help. from the surprised designers. who came to the rescue with a brilliant fix male designer: i love it narrator: which created thousands of new customers
11:32 am
for the tennis shoes that got torture tested by teenagers. the internet of everything is changing manufacturing. is your network ready? i know... this third shift is rough...
11:33 am
we are looking at live pictures from virginia as one of the -- one of the first same-sex couples to get their license in virginia is now marrying in front of the courthouse in arlington. very nice. we are back now with an update on the ebola patients fighting for their lives in the u.s. here's what we know as of right now. clean-up at the apartment complex in dallas where liberian national thomas eric duncan was staying before he was hospitalized is now complete. meanwhile, duncan's family tells msnbc he received the first dose of an experimental drug used to combat the deadly vice. the family of ashoka mukpo,
11:34 am
where his treatment is being overseen by dozens of specialists. we're outside the nebraska medical center in omaha. what do we know about the treatment and status of the patient? >> reporter: joy, we know they're considering an experimental drug here as well. are this he are -- it's sort of evaluating the patient mukpo, seeing his status, seeing his symptoms and running tests. because there is no fda-approved drug, all the treatments are experimental. and because there is no sort of planned regiment that doctors use to treat ebola patients, everyone is individualized. everyone has to be -- treatment plan has to be customized to the patient. that's what they're doing now. also first five or six hours here at the hospital, they're treating his symptoms. they're keeping him -- giving him fluids, keeping him hydrated
11:35 am
and replacing the fluids he's losing because of his symptoms of ebola. but there is a great deal of optimism or confidence here, i should say. doctors not only confident because of the experience they gained treating dr. rick sacra, but mukpo's symptoms are not severe. he got out of liberia and got here for treatment before his symptoms became severe, but they are expected to get worse. at the same time, his parents say he looks strong. he does look a little frightened, a little tentative. he gave -- he gave his parents a little wave as he was taken off the ambulance on a gurney and taken into the hospital. and they were also able to talk to him, sort of face to face, by video conference. they can't be in the same room. there were several hallway apart. saw him on video conference. both his parents say it was
11:36 am
finally a relief to see his face. >> john yang, thank you very much. let's turn to the ebola outbreak in west africa. moments ago the associated press reported spain sends a madrid hospital nurse has tested positive for ebola after treating a patient in africa. meanwhile, the death toll has climbed above 3300 in west africa with sierra leone recording the deadliest day since the pandemic began. joaning me is jeffrey york, africa correspondent for "the globe" and "mail" and jeffrey spent a week in liberia covering the crisis. thank you for being here. a lot of questions for you. i'll start with the first, which parallels what's happening in the united states. it seems there is sort of a standard treatment regime, give or take experimental drugs. is there a standard course of treatments being used in countries like sierra leone and how effective is it, if it exists? >> that's a good point. the misconception to think the
11:37 am
only way to save ebola patients is to fly them to the u.s. that's completely wrong. yes, of course, the standard of care is going to be higher at a very expensive, ultramodern u.s. hospital compared to liberia. but you have to understand that the people on the ground in liberia and sierra leone have been getting a lot of experience in how to deal with these cases. i went to one hospital in monrovia, liberia, last week, the msf hospital, which so far has saved something like 200 patients. in other words, there's been 200 ebola patients who have become survivors after treatment at this one hospital in monrovia. that's actually a very impressive record. they're saving probably almost half of all the patients who come in. keep in mind, that many of the patients they get are in the very late stages. so, you have to remember, the people on the ground are doing a heroic job and they're developing a lot of experience and saving a lot of people. >> and, jeffrey s there a problem in these countries in west africa with the shortage of
11:38 am
staff, a shortage of supplies? because the sense we get here is that people don't want to go in, don't want to be there treating patients, and it's difficult to find people to stay and keep treating people. is that true? >> yes, all of that is very true. you know, is there has been an outpouring of financial support especially from major institutions -- financial institutions and major agencies, you know, the world health organization, the cdc and msf, doctors worth borders. they're pouring a lot of money and personnel into west africa. the number of ngos, private charities that are actually willing to go into west africa is very small compared to how many there have been in previous disasters around the world. if you look at the tsunami in indonesia or the earthquake in haiti. there were hundreds and hundreds of ngos and charities that went in. west africa, a place like liberia, there have only been a small handful of organizations willing to go in. people say, of course, because
11:39 am
it's risky. in fact, you talk to people on the ground, doctors and managers of hospitals, and they say, no, the risks are completely manageable. yes, there is some risk, but you take a calculated risk. the risks are containable, manageable. there's really no excuse for health-related ngos sitting on the fence not to be there, on the ground where they're desperately needed now. >> jeffrey, one other question is, countries like where you are in south africa or countries like nigeria, that had a small outbreak but contained it, do you get a sense they're closing off countries like sierra leone, not allowing people out? if that is the case we had dr. anthony fauci on this show, he says that makes it worse if you close these countries off because you also close them off to the supplies and the personnel they need. do you see that happening within the african continent? >> well, that's very, very true. i was in liberia last week.
11:40 am
there's only two commercial airlines still willing to fly into liberia. and those are not every day. i mean, there's a flight a few times a week from brussels and a flight a few times a week from casablanca. the only two routes into the country. now, there are starting to be some aid flights, u.s. military flights and u.n. flights. basically, there's only two commercial airlines willing to go in. all the other ones that were flying to liberia before have canceled. that is having a huge effect already on the ability of doctors and nurses and health workers and experts to get into the areas that are afflicted by ebola. so, you know, there was -- there's even a greater danger, which is economic turmoil, trade is cut off and shipping routes into liberia and sierra leone are cut off, it could have a devastating effect. >> definitely, indeed. thank you for your reporting. jeffrey york in south africa. thanks so much. >> thank you. coming up, after a move to give the high school history curriculum a conservative
11:41 am
makeover, a school board in my former home state is getting a lesson in civil disobedience. i'll talk to one of the students leading the charge to preserve actual history. so guys -- it's just you and your honey. the setting is perfect. you know what? plenty of guys have this issue, not just getting an erection, but keeping it. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. and you only take it when you need it.
11:42 am
good to know, right? if ed is stopping what you started... ask you doctor about viagra. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor if viagra is right for you.
11:43 am
11:44 am
♪ "here i am. rock you like a hurricane." ♪ fiber one now makes cookies. find them in the cookie aisle. welcome back. any republican dreaming of 2016 and spoiling for a fight over national education standards would be wise to review the events out of colorado over the past two weeks. because they speak volumes about what americans will and won't put up with when it comes to injecting politics into our public schools. a successful protest by teachers, students and parents in colorado's second largest county effectively ended an attempt by members of the local school board to put a conservative spin on how ap u.s. history is taught. the conservative majority on the jefferson county school board had demanded the curriculum promote patriotism and not civil disorder.
11:45 am
that sparked student protests and walkouts and implicit rebuke of the national republican party. back in august the rnc claimed the new national standards put forward by the college board for the ap u.s. history exam, quote, reflects a radically revisionist view of american history that emphasizes negative aspects of our nation's history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects, unquote. but today is appears students who want to learn actual history have won a round against the right. joining me now is ashlan mar, one of the students parting in the protest and spoke last thursday and jesse paul, reporter for the denver post, who has been following the controversy. thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> thanks for having us. >> jesse, i want to start with you. just give us the big picture of where we stand with jefferson county curriculum after these protests. >> well, the protests are still ongoing. i definitely wouldn't say they've stopped. the biggest development was on thushsz there was a school board meeting, the first one since the
11:46 am
original curriculum proposal, the committee was proposed a few weeks back. and we saw about 1,000 people come to protest that. it was a very heated debate. and on that night there was kind of a compromise that teachers and students didn't see it as a compromise, but there was some sort of compromise by the school board essentially to not totally nix the proposal but it definitely dumbed it down. >> ashley, you were one of those protesters, one of the leaders of the student movement, which has impressed a lot of people across the country. what do you and your fellow protesters want the school board to do? what do you want to see happen? >> well, we were all there at the meeting on thursday. and we saw it as less of a compromise than they seemed to see it, because the committee still got passed and they are still able to do everything the original proposal says they can do. so, we as students want to get our message across that we're not going to settle for this and
11:47 am
we want our voices to actually be listened to. not just heard and ignored. we're trying to get the school board to understand that they cannot compromise and break mother board policies and still make us happy. >> jesse, when these school board members ran, i understand it's three conservative members on, i think, a five-member school board, did they run on a platform of injecting conservativism or promoting conservative ideas and values as members of the jefferson county school board? >> you know, i can't really speak to you much about that election because i wasn't covering it back then. i can tell you it was an off-year election. the turnout wasn't great. almost as soon as they were elected, there were a lot of problems, a lot of pushback from the teachers, parents and students. >> ashley -- ashlan, from your point of view, was it a surprise when you heard school board members say they wanted to minimize protests in the curriculum. did this come as a surprise or were you and your parents aware
11:48 am
there was now a conservative majority on the school board? >> well, i was aware there was a new majority on the school board because i've been watching the school board for the past year or so since the election. and i had been growing increasingly concerned with how things were run. i watched several board meetings at home from the live feed. i talked to other students, teachers and parents about what was going on. and so, it didn't shock me as much as it seemed to shock everybody else when they proposed this new curriculum review committee. i was happy to see everyone else get involved with it. >> it's been very impressive that it's led by students 37 jesse, one of the other things has happened is you've had a member of the kol state board education, pam, go on her facebook page to say essentially that the history test, the ap history test, portrays u.s. negatively. as an example, i note our slavery history. yes, we practice slavery but we also ended it voluntarily at great sacrifice while the practice continues in many countries today. the factual inaccuracies of
11:49 am
something like that. has that started to arouse more protests? is that why teachers actually started to get involved in this movement? >> that's an interesting point. i did see that facebook post. there was a media outlet here that did run a story on that. we did not at "the denver post" but the teachers' side of this is very interesting because the first protest began with two teacher sick-out three weeks ago. following that, a lot of students were supporting the teacher sick-out, and the teachers i've spoken with said this is just the beginning. the ap u.s. history curriculum, the protests have brought national attention to this denver suburb is just the tip of the iceberg. they say they want a lot more done. they want to talk about more issues now that the spotlight is here. >> indeed. you'll keep protesting? >> yes. we have a demonstration planned on this coming saturday, october
11:50 am
11th, from 12:00 to 3:00 and our mission it-s to show the school board we're still listening and we always the compromise is in their favor. we'll have a lot of different student speakers, a college professor is going to be there and speak. but it's basically to just show as a community we're all together and we're all against what the board majority is trying to do. >> ashlan marr, just watching the school board meeting on television earns you "the reid report" seal of approval. looking for your run for candidate of the state. thank you both. here's a look at what people on twitter are saying. crest gaand the other, a crestwhitening toothpaste.. here's what they thought. i can't tell if the paste whitened.
11:51 am
well the whitestrips worked. yeah. the paste didn't do that. crest whitestrips work below the enamel surface, to whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest whitestrips. the way to whiten. but parallel parking isn't one you do a lof them.ings great. you're either too far from the curb. or too close to other cars... it's just a matter of time until you rip some guy's bumper off. so, here are your choices: take the bus. or get liberty mutual insurance. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. call liberty mutual insurance.
11:52 am
11:53 am
11:54 am
today is the final day to register to vote in the states you see on this map. hello, florida georgia and american samoa. early voting starts in ohio after a one-week delay. several states including ohio, michigan, floer and wisconsin face key governor races, along with ohio secretary of state, given they actually run u.s. elections. think florida in the year 2000. as you know control of the senate will come down to a handful of states. republicans need to net 6 of the 12 swing seats to hand harry reid's gavel to mcconnell. and with pat roberts increasingly likely to lose his seat in kansas, they really actually need seven. so, where do we stand with just 29 days to go? our latest nbc news find things very tight in iowa where
11:55 am
republican joni ernst leads bruce braley. that race could turn on votes by woman and ernst's 2014 support of a personhood amendment. women are also key in north carolina where democrat kay hagan holds a four-point lead over tom tillis. hagan is carrying women by 19 points. le redifference could be african americans who voted in higher percentages than white voters in the last two presidential elections but tend it turn out less in midterms. one thing is not in doubt this midterm season and that is that it's going to come down to turnout. go to my website and chick on one voter challenge to get yourself and someone you care about registered today. that wraps it up for "the reid
11:56 am
report." visit us online at reidreport.msnbc.com. "the cycle" is up next. happy monday, cyclist. >> we've been talking about that one voter challenge since your ice bucket challenge. good thing someone challenged you. >> my hair still isn't dry, toure. we have to talk. >> that sounds like an issue between you and your hairdresser. we'll talk about the issues roiling america right now. ebola, isis, gay marriage, hillary clinton. we're also going toe talk about this new biography about bill cosby. and adam sandler has sparked a revolution in america. for more, stay tuned to the show. >> adam sandler revolution? i'm so confused. i'll watch "the cycle." [ hoof beats ] 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
11:57 am
to take their medications regularly. introducing cvs health. a new purpose. a new promise... to help all those wishes come true. cvs health. because health is everything. cvs health. oats go! wow! go power oats! go! go power! yayyyy! i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.
11:58 am
like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving
11:59 am
the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. amerigallons of sugary3 billion beverages every year. over-consumption may link to obesity. but there is a better choice. drink more water, filtered by brita. clean, refreshing, nothing is better.
12:00 pm
i think he shares in the relief with the rest of his family he's been able to come back for good medical treatment. >> the nbc news freelance cameraman diagnosed with ebola last week is back in the states. he's at the nebraska medical center, same high-tech facility that cured another american. showed good spirits, walking off the flight. things have worsened for thomas eric duncan, first person diagnosed in the u.s. i'm toure. doctors are about to update duncan's condition once again and it's not good. >> we understand his situation has taken a turn for the worse. we know that ebola is a very serious disease and we're hoping for his recovery. >> keeping a close watch on duncan's family and a dozen others who made contact with him after he started showing symptoms. that's when you're contagious. calls are being made in washington for a ban on all ig