at msnbc.com/the next 25. follow our show online. kasie hunt is next with "mtp daily," only here on msnbc. y," c if it is thursday, republicans plot the defense of trump amidst stunning revelations of panic at the highest levels of the u.s. military during his final weeks in office. one top military official compared to gospel of the furor. president biden delivers remarks on the first day of new child tax credit payments, democrats try to build support for $4 plus trillion legislative agenda which could make or break hopes to hold congress next year. desperate attempts to convince vaccine holdouts in southern states. the delta variant fuels arise in cases around the country. live in one of the areas hardest-hit as it braces for dark days ahead.

welcome to thursday. it is "mtp daily." kasie hunt in for chuck todd. we begin with the latest revelations involving the former president's conduct in final weeks in office, what it says about the future of the republican party. former president trump is meeting today with house minority leader kevin mccarthy, a meeting which will likely at least be in part about marshalling republicans to defend trump as the house select committee investigates the january 6th riot. that comes as excerpts from a book talk about the most alarming things around the president as he tried to overthrow election results. new excerpts published last hour with new details about trump's response or lack thereof during the january 6th insurrection as aides urged him to intervene.

at one point, the book's authors say he stayed in the dining room, watching television. nbc news obtained additional excerpts from the book which reveal stunning levels of alarm among top military commanders leading to the january 6th siege. according to new reporting, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff was preparing to have the military hold the line against a potential coup attempt. perhaps the most stark example of his fears comes from this passage in the book. milley saw trump as the classic authoritarian leader with nothing to lose. described to aides he had a stomach churning feeling that worry some early stages of 20th century fascism in germany were replaying in america. he saw parallels from election fraud to insistence that he was a victim and their savior. the gospel of the fewer or.

they're based on interviews with 140 sources, including on air interview with trump himself. lengthy response to milley's account, he says he quote, never threatened, spoke to anyone about a coup of our government. comes as the former president is leading republicans in congress and around the country to take action to whitewash events of january 6th and push the lie that he won the election. for the latest and for what it means to republicans, for the former president and military top officials, joined by lee ann caldwell on capitol hill, and matt gorman, nbc news pentagon correspondent courtney kube. thank you for being here this afternoon. courtney, i want to start with you. as you read through the account of what general milley had, even as republicans on capitol hill were quoted anonymously in "the washington post" as saying

what's the harm in humoring the former president through this period while he processes his loss, clearly the military officials were preparing for something much more dire, and based on what happened january 6th, they're likely the ones who had it right. can you take us inside some of the thinking of the commanders and tension they must have felt between what the commander in chief was doing and what their obligation to the country was at that time? >> i know there was a lot of concern at the time. you remember this well, i am sure, after the election and president trump was talking about the election being stolen, more and more we heard churn, concern about invoking the insurrection act, potentially trying to use the military to stay in office. that was something that was really building. we talked about it on msnbc. there was reporting about it, a lot on social media, a ton on social media about it. of course, like you, here at the pentagon we were asking the question all over.

is there any talk of the military being pulled in, could that happen legally, what would it look like, trying to figure it out. and every person we talked to, including people working closely with general milley said it is not possible, the military will not be pulled in, there's no reason for them to be used in this manner, and it is not going to happen. and even if you pressed them, it was always well, we would only follow a lawful order, and the notion that the military would be used to try to keep someone in office at the white house most likely would not be lawful order. but one thing i have been struck by reading excerpts is what we heard in the public, what we were hearing in the public at the time from military leaders and then what seemed to be happening behind the scenes. they were very dismissive of this being a reality when it seems as if behind the scenes they were planning for it, talking about it being a possible reality. the pentagon plans for everything. we know that. was it just in that realm or was it something more, did they

think this was a possibility, the president would try to use the military and the fact they were talking about things as much as resigning their posts to stop it from happening, that in and of itself is a different sense than what we got at the time, kasie. >> lee ann, reporting about pelosi as well, how she expressed concerns to him about use of nuclear weapons, most extreme possible scenario here. what do you see when you look through new accounts as we learn more about this period of time. as we look ahead to the january 6th select committee with their hearing scheduled for later on this month, seems inevitable we have to hear from some military officials. >> yeah, new evidence is showing exactly that, and it is putting a new sense of urgency on the select committee that is coming together as we speak and their

investigation moving forward. it is interesting to hear what speaker pelosi was saying back then privately because even publicly she started to telegraph some of that. she would talk constantly publicly to reporters saying she's worried about the stability of the former president, saying in so many words he is crazy and she's worried about the democracy. these now are found to be real fears she had, not just platitudes, that she was telling the press. the select committee will be a hot button issue as we wait on appointments by kevin mccarthy, the gop leader, who is actually meeting with the president i think as we speak, having lunch up in new jersey with him. there's conjecture the former president will put pressure on

kevin mccarthy to see who he puts on the committee. >> on that point, there's been discussion. kevin mccarthy has insisted he has not decided one way or the other to appoint people. our reporting suggests while he may say that in public, clearest -- clear he is on track to do that. what is the thinking around which kind of republicans to pick, loyal to president trump regardless, but there's a wide range of personality, temperament, attitude that kevin mccarthy could choose from. what's the latest sense of reporting who may represent republicans on this and why? >> it is anybody's guess. he has a wide range of republicans that he can choose. he can choose representative marjorie taylor greene and people that denied january 6th or down played what happened up here on january 6th, or he could

choose people who voted to impeach the former president because of january 6th. you know, i suspect there could be a wide range of people. he only has five choices. perhaps a bit of each category that he is going to put on this committee. when he meets with the former president today, his aides tell me it is going to be about record breaking fundraising numbers of republicans, how republicans will take back the house in 2022, but you can be sure that who he chooses on this select committee are going to be a topic as well. we know how mccarthy's attitude changed about the former president during his last high profile lunch three weeks after the insurrection, one week after inauguration day when he went from saying the former president is partly to blame for what happened january 6th to after his meeting with the former

president fully embracing once again donald trump and minimizing his role in january 6th, so we think this could play a big role in the pressure mccarthy is getting from the former president on who he actually decides to choose. >> and mccarthy himself potentially has a lot to lose here. matt gorman, i want to touch with you big picture, what we learned from the book, what general milley was doing and thinking during this time. let's tie it with what's happening now. what seems concerning about this is that the entire government had to mobilize to try to keep our institutions, democracy, on track. and the riot was mobilized by a president lying to supporters by saying i won the election. you need to go to the capitol and take care of this. the reality we have seen in the

states especially among state parties that has continued to be perpetuated. there was a republican party official in michigan just ousted after he gave an honest quote, he was attacked, criticized for the quote, came under threat for that quote, that he had given months and months ago. finally said enough is enough. what is the potential level of damage currently being done. for me, this reporting threw into stark reality that we have to pay close attention to what's going on in state parties and what's being said because consequences are really unpredictable. >> look, i think it is unfortunate you see state parties -- the strategy forming in my party, talking to folks yesterday about this, what they called essentially don't take the bait, don't want to address

backward looking stories, they view it as a way to take bait and give oxygen to inner party fight or these stories. what they see is what lee ann mentioned, mccarthy said he is talking about with trump, have a good chance to take back congress, have issues they can talk about against biden like inflation. going back doesn't behoove them. that's what you're going to see from the party hopefully moving forward. >> what's your sense of mccarthy in this. he was relatively open how angry he was with the president, he said these are your people, not antifa, not anyone else you may claim them to be, obviously he changed his story pretty fast. there are clearly questions. liz cheney suggested that mccarthy could face trouble, i think she said publicly, could face trouble if he is subpoenaed

before the committee. what's at stake for him, maybe not even politically but also legally? >> i am not a lawyer but i will speak the politics of it. i think mccarthy along with mitch mcconnell are two of the smartest political minds. mccarthy has gotten to where he is in a relatively short amount of time, and i think what you'll see, will play out likely ann said, one of the interesting things, who he appoints, january 6th commission. i think you'll see some political mix at play. i don't think you see a marjorie taylor greene, that's too out of bounds for him, you'll see it modeled what they did for impeachment, jim jordan, somebody that can be a firebrand, i guarantee what they're talking about today in new jersey, trump is caring about the optics.

he cares who looks good, who can make the case for him. that's what will play in mccarthy's mind as he appoints these folks. >> all right. lee ann caldwell, courtney kube, matt gorman, appreciate the insights and reporting. we're keeping a close eye on the white house. the surgeon general is addressing the issue of misinformation and vaccines and is taking questions. let's listen. >> do you personally believe that public figures, public companies helping spread misinformation about the vaccine should be held accountable? >> in a moment when we see misinformation costing us our loved ones, costing us lives, all of us have to ask how we can be more accountable and responsible with the information we share. those of us that may have larger platforms have greater responsibility to think about that. bottom line, all of us have an

important role to play. technology companies have a particularly important role. we know that the dramatic increase in speed and spread of misinformation is enabled by the platforms. that's why in the advisory we ask them to step up. if they address misinformation, but much more has to be done. can't wait longer to take aggressive action. it is costing people their lives. >> the reality is a lot of misinformation you recite came from this lecture last year. what do you think the approach is to deal with misinformation from public officials and in position of authority? >> what i would say when it comes to determining what is accurate in terms of health information, science has to guide us. we have credible science, doctors and nurses, public health departments and the cdc, we have medical schools, nursing schools, health care

institutions. these should be our sources of credibility when it comes to evaluating whether information is true or not. one of the greatest roles public leaders can play is to point to scientists and to credible sources and have them speak directly to the public. that's one thing this administration has done, work hard to put scientists and health professionals in front of cameras, speaking directly to the public. that's what we have to do more of. the problem now is voices of credible professionals are getting drowned out. that's why we are asking technology companies to lift voices of credible health authorities, why they have to do more about misinformation, so true voices of experts can shine through. >> thank you so much. are there specific elected leaders you believe are part of the problem with pushing misinformation, and we have an abc news "the washington post" poll that showed 90% democrats

vaccinated or will be vaccinated, only 49% of republicans. how do you break through with people that may be trusting elected leaders pushing some misinformation more than they trust members of the administration. >> i think about this as i think about doctoring, as i think about my approach to patients. i recognize each patient that i was blessed to care for is an individual, regardless of political affiliation or past may be. my goal is to understand what their needs or values were, help them improve their health. we have to take similar approach reaching people about covid-19 and the vaccine. we have to recognize sometimes the most trusted voices are not the ones with the most followers on social media or the ones that have the most name recognition. sometimes the most trusted sources are a mother or father or faith leader or local doctor or nurse. that's why to reach people with accurate information, what we have to do is partner with local

trusted voices. in the advisory one thing we point out, important role of government is support local organizations, health care professionals, so they can get out there, speak directly to people and share information. public health efforts move at the speed of trust. we have to recognize where trust is, where relationships are, invest in them, support them, so people ultimately get the information they need to improve their health. >> following up. thank you so much. >> thanks, everyone. >> we have been listening to the u.s. surgeon general taking questions about covid. we'll have much more about the covid crisis in the show. up next, biden's agenda and democratic control of congress on the line as the next phase of wrangling begins over what democrats say is the most

expensive bill passed through congress. later, wildfires raging out west as hot and dry conditions fueled by climate change fuel bigger, more destructive fires. bigger, more destructive fires tl — they customize my car insurance so i only pay for what i need. 'cause i do things a bit differently. wet teddy bears! wet teddy bears here! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪

when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪

i believe this is actually a historic day. historic day in the sense you continue to build an economy that respects and recognizing the dignity of working class people and middle class families. it is historic, our effort to make a giant step toward ending child poverty in america. >> welcome back. that was president biden, touting the expanded child tax credits which millions of families began to receive today. payments which the white house says could cut child poverty by as much as 50% were part of the american rescue plan. while that legislation was biden's first priority, the fate of much of his agenda comes into

focus next week. before the president spoke, chuck schumer announced he will proceed next monday on the $579 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill which is not finalized. he set a deadline of next wednesday wens for the democratic caucus to move forward on the budget reconciliation framework. senator, great to see you. thank you so much for spending a couple minutes with us today. let's start with the child tax credit. it is something that many democrats want to expand or extend in the reconciliation bill. i talked to moderate senators who are a little concerned about the price tag, how to pay for it. are you confident this is not the last time the credit is offered to families? >> i am. i think we are working very hard on the american families plan, i think that bill will be a

vehicle to continue to invest in the u.s. economy, build it back better, and working families, having resources up to $300 for young children makes a difference in cutting policies for children in half. it enables parents to provide food they need, clothing they need, education they need, and it is essential to part of our recovery. >> senator, some families may find if they've had increase in income in 2021 they have to payback some tax credits. is there any concern families may be taken by surprise next year heading into midterm elections? >> no, i don't think so. this is a priority of families who are working, family up to $400,000. this is a tax cut. basically a middle class tax

cut. they want families to be able to raise their children. i don't think there's any concern people will be caught unaware. it will not only be extremely popular but needed. we heard from new yorkers across my state this kind of investment can mean the world to their families. >> some families speaking to us as well. senator, let's talk about the reconciliation package, particularly some of the more -- sometimes moderate senators have a tougher time winning a general election than primary in states that are purple or lean red. senator john tester suggested the price tag is high, he wants more details. we obviously spilled a lot of ink and air time talking about senator joe manchin and his interests. he raised questions about fossil fuels. how difficult is it do you think to get 50 democrats on board for

the framework? how hard is chuck schumer's job there? >> i think it is a very hard job but senator schumer has been doing it extremely well and he has listened every caucus member. the budget committee has been working very hard together. you have senator bernie sanders and senator mark warner on both sides of the spectrum in terms of ideology coming together over this proposal. so this proposal has been vetted and it does things we need. it has affordable daycare, universal pre-k, national paid family and medical leave plan, money for housing, money for nutrition, things that make the difference between surviving and thriving. i believe that this bill has so much common sense, common ground that it will win support of every democrat. >> senator, while i have you, i would like to talk about your

sexual assault legislation because i have watched the floor try to take a bill of sexual assault crimes out of the chain of command, seen male colleagues democratic and republican essentially block that move. what do you say to them and how do you answer criticisms like senator susan collins that suggest the legislation is too broad because it includes crimes that are beyond sexual assault. >> when we drafted the bill eight years ago we made the decision based on advice of military justice experts that said it is better to have a bright line at all serious crimes than pulling out one crime because pulling out only one crime will marginalize those that use that system. so women in the military today are already isolated, they're already undermined, and if you say that victims of sexual assault can get to use this

special system, again, they're getting special treatment. what members of the military want is they want professional, unbiased treatment. they want a criminal justice system worthy of their support. whether you are focused on reform from plaintiff rights for sexual assault victims or looking at from defendant's rights on creating a bright line of felonies so there's no bias in the system or less bias in the system and more professionalism, it is a good reform. i just haven't had a chance to sit down with senator collins because she is no longer on the armed services committee to take her through why the bright line is better, and i believe i will win her support. she has been a supporter eight straight years on this same bill, so i am optimistic if we continue to talk about the reason why this bright line of serious crimes matters, we will win them. the perfect example for anyone following this is the vanessa guillen case. she was harassed by two

different people in her unit, she was murdered. if you only took sexual assault out of the chain of command, her case would not have been reviewed by trained military prosecutors to decide whether to prosecute. she would never have had the benefit of that review because she was murdered. we know that murder is often the extreme of harassment and assault cases, in domestic violence cases, they often end in murder. we have harassment cases or even a case of a woman that broke up with her boyfriend who was in her unit and he murdered her. these cases deserve the same professionalization, unbiased determination as a sexual assault or rape case. serious crimes. from the defendant's perspective, if you go to jail more than a year of your life, you deserve unbiased reform. there's a lot of bias with regard to race, black or brown service member, you're more

likely to be punished. if you are a black man in the military, you're more likely in capital cases to be given death penalty. this is life or death. this matters deeply. we should reform the system so it is good for everyone and more professional and more transparent for everyone. >> senator gillibrand, thank you so much for spending time with us. appreciate the insights. turning to the other big story on capitol hill, several texas democrats that fled their home state to block a restrictive voting bill met with joe manchin from west virginia, key vote in passing federal voting rights legislation. because senator manchin is a staunch supporter of the filibuster, major roadblock getting laws through the senate 50/50 split. at the same time, back in austin, hundreds of protesters march in front of the texas state capitol against the gop backed voting bill. joining me now, one of those pushing for action.

state rep eddie rodriguez. he was briefed about the meeting with senator manchin. state represent, thank you very much for being here. can you tell us a little about what your colleagues heard from senator manchin? >> i handful of senators visited with him, he expressed commitment to protecting voting rights in america and he believes bipartisan voting rights bill can pass. >> what's the mechanism for that. did they talk about the filibuster and how hard did they press him? >> well, i was told a little about that, but i am reluctant to talk about specifics now. he does believe, the senator believes there's a way forward, he is committed to that. >> in terms of how you are looking at the options on the table here, it seems clear

senator manchin doesn't support for the people act in its entirety but is open to hr 4, john lewis voting rights act. he outlined principles he could support in a broader bill. what do you and your colleagues think is the most effective way for congress to weigh in in a way that would effect what's going on in your home state? >> i think legislation has to pass, it is that simple. we need something to supersede what state law might happen if the bill in texas were to pass. any combination of things that are in the john lewis act or for the people act, any combination of those bills, any pieces of the bills would be very helpful. i know as you said senator manchin expressed support for parts of the john lewis bill and parts of for the people act, so we are hopeful something that looks like both those bills in

some level will pass. >> so you and your colleagues committed to staying here in washington until the session ends, that's quite awhile. what do you plan to do with the rest of your time here? >> continue to visit with legislators. i met with senator klobuchar, warnock, and leader schumer, and that was my group of people. other groups of my colleagues are meeting with other senators as well. we have to keep up the divide and conquer strategy and full court press. it is critical that we speak to not only the senators that are going to be with us 100% but those that may have some issues with these bills here in congress. >> all right. texas state representative eddie rodriguez. thanks for being with us. really appreciate it. after months of decline,

coronavirus curve in the country is going the wrong direction. new cases are way up, new vaccinations are way down. former acting cdc director joins us next on the surge and who is getting vaccinated, who is not. getting vaccinated, who is not i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice. don't settle. start your day with secret. secret stops odor- causing sweat 3x more. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. and the provitamin b5 formula is gentle on skin. with secret, outlast anything. no sweat. secret. all strength. no sweat.

[grunts] [grunts] pnc bank believes that if a pair of goggles can help your backhand get better ...then your bank should help you budget even better. virtual wallet® is so much more than

a checking account. its low cash mode feature gives you at least 24 hours of extra time to help you avoid an overdraft fee. you see that? virtual wallet® with low cash mode from pnc bank. one way we're making a difference.

welcome back. as you just heard from the white house, surgeon general is warning against vaccine misinformation, calling it an urgent threat to public health, saying it is undermining vaccination efforts. according to nbc data, only 44% of the total population in the u.s. is fully vaccinated, and number of doses administered every day is shrinking. meanwhile, the delta variant is surging in communities with low vaccination coverage, and cause for rising cases in at least 40 states and washington, d.c. the crisis in arkansas has escalated so much, one paper called it a death march. senior national correspondent

kris jansing is in bigelow, arkansas for us. kris, what have you heard on the ground there? >> reporter: yeah, this is a terrible situation, so much so the republican governor says that the delta variant is moving at warp speed. all numbers going in the wrong direction, the number of cases are up this week. the number of deaths. yesterday was second highest in the country. hospitalizations up 67%. >> we're having a little trouble with chris jansing's signal. chris, can you hear us now? i don't think so. i think we're going to dr. richard besser who is standing by with us, former director of the cdc, to talk a little about this. great to see you. saw each other briefly this morning on "morning joe."

through the day we heard from the administration, the surgeon general, about vaccine misinformation and how to combat it. this is obviously something that's incredibly pernicious. there were issues before the pandemic, now it is dire. what is the most effective way to combat this information, is it even possible? >> well, it is challenging. there are so many sources of information out there. we are so polarized as a nation that people tend to listen to sources they trust. one thing is clear, most people in this country have health providers who they trust. one of the things the surgeon general is encouraging that's important is as you're considering whether or not to get vaccinated and you have questions, get questions answered by a health professional who you trust. don't get them answered through

the media, through politicians, through others that aren't those people that have been providing you with care throughout your life. go to someone you trust and have a relationship with, ask your question to make an informed decision. i have never seen a health crisis in this nation where we have been this polarized. one of the things that concerns me greatly is the number of political leaders who are calling on their population to not follow the recommendations of public health. tennessee is one of the places we have seen that, they stopped promoting vaccines for children 12 and older. i am a general pediatrician, i looked at the data and it is so important that we get everyone vaccinated for whom the vaccine is authorized. the idea that we could have our children going back to middle class and high school safely, back to activities they want to do, that we want them to be able

to do. that all depends on vaccination. and the reason it is critical now, you see that in arkansas, is that the delta variant, while it is not any more severe, it is much more contagious. spreads easily. any pockets in any community where vaccine rates are low, it is going to take off, take hold, we're going to see people suffer. >> doctor, in these communities where delta is spreading, we have two americas emerging because in many ways of this distinction people are making from a political perspective around the vaccine. on election night, sure, we talk about blue america, red america, how they're different. now the consequences are literally life and death. how damaging is that going to be for the country to have itself divided in this particular way, to have the two americas? >> it is extremely damaging. i break it down to more than two

americas. you'll see differences by income. there are people in america who are in jobs that pay lower income that are still challenged in terms of taking time off or thought of missing work for a day if they have a sore arm, feel lousy after a vaccine. we have to address that. there are people with disabilities who are home bound. we have to do better effort of bringing vaccine to them. there are people in america mistreated, disrespected through history, across history, to this day, black americans, brown americans, we have to make sure that they're hearing from voices they trust and getting questions answered. i think when the fda finally rules on the vaccine, and i expect they will approve, fully approve the vaccines, that will be a turning point for many people who are waiting for that, as they weigh the decision whether or not they want to be vaccinated. >> that's interesting.

so what should we do in communities where the vaccination rates are low and this is spreading, there's reporting out of southwest missouri that's really devastating and in some ways, some measurements are worse than march, april, may of 2020, number of people hospitalized in the icu with really, really severe disease. it seems obvious the people where vaccination rates are low are unlikely to accept regulations like distancing and masking, restrictions where they can go. what is there to be done to protect communities where the vaccination rates are lower? >> a couple of things. first, while we see cases go up, we're not going to see the same level of impact in terms of hospitalizations and deaths that we saw last summer. the reason for that is that across the country in just about every group you look, the vaccination rate for elderly americans, those at the greatest risk is quite high.

that gives me a lot of comfort that we won't see the same level of devastation we saw last year with peaks and last winter with peaks. we will see more young people in the hospital because even though the disease doesn't have the same level of impact in young people, if the number of cases is going up dramatically, we will see the number of people hospitalized and unfortunately the number of people that die will continue to increase. when i talk to patients about this and families about it, one thing i try and hit on is that you vaccinate to protect yourself but you also get vaccinated to protect those around you who can't be vaccinated. for instance, children under 12, there's no vaccine. people with immune problems can't be vaccinated, and people with immune problems who have been vaccinated who aren't fully protected because their body doesn't react the same way. even if you personally want to risk it, you're putting other people at risk. so for those people you love, for those people in your

community, that's another reason why it is such a valuable thing to encourage people to get vaccinated. >> in terms of convincing young people, you suggested and it makes sense trusted health care providers, a lot of college students perhaps are away from home, don't necessarily see the same doctor all the time, have been healthy their whole life, don't have that in their lives. what other messengers are effective for that. the white house thought olivia rodrigo was a good move. what is your sense of that. >> for some young people, thinking about colleges and universities, that's one of the settings vaccines can be mandated. if they want to be on campus, vaccines can be mandated, totally acceptable thing to do to get the experience on campus people had in the past. for other settings, you know, i think the easier you make it,

the better. i am looking forward to seeing some evaluation of the promotional aspects where people were giving people things to get vaccinated. for a lot of young people that feel they're not vulnerable to this, that the risk is low, incentives may have a role to play that they would be less effective to older adults. so i'm looking forward. there are so many things have been tried across the country, door to door efforts, reaching people where they are, going with sports stars, entertainment stars. i don't think it is one size fits all, but being innovative, trying these things, not giving up because over time, even though the rate of vaccination is down, we are seeing slow, slow increases in communities and that does give me some hope. >> and free beer can never hurt. dr. besser, thank you so much for being here. appreciate your expertise.

coming up next, confronting climate change. the governor of oregon joins us as wildfires in her state are driven by extreme drought conditions and extremely high temperatures. conditions and ext temperatures fier removes 99.9% of the virus that causes covid-19 from treated air. so you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection. ♪ ♪ if you have moderate to severe psoriasis, little things can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur.

tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ♪ ♪ otezla. show more of you. hey, i just got a text from my sister. ♪ ♪ you remember rick, her neighbor? sure, he's the 76-year-old guy who still runs marathons, right? sadly, not anymore. wow. so sudden. um, we're not about to have the "we need life insurance" conversation again, are we? no, we're having the "we're getting coverage so we don't have to worry about it" conversation. so you're calling about the $9.95 a month plan -from colonial penn? -i am. we put it off long enough. we are getting that $9.95 plan, today. (jonathan) is it time for you to call about the $9.95 plan? i'm jonathan from colonial penn life insurance company. sometimes we just need a reminder not to take today for granted. if you're age 50 to 85, you can get guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance starting at just $9.95 a month.

there are no health questions so you can't be turned down for any health reason. the $9.95 plan is colonial penn's number one most popular whole life plan. options start at just $9.95 a month. that's less than 35 cents a day. your rate can never go up. it's locked in for life. call today for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner, so call now. (soft music) ♪ hello, colonial penn? to make my vision a reality my varilux progressive lenses provide seamlessly transition from near to far. with every detail in sharp focus. that's seeing no limits. varilux lenses by essilor. among my patients i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely.

sensodyne sensitivity and gum gives us a dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. ♪ ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ welcome back. wildfires are raging across california and the pacific northwest right now. these intense fires are starting earlier and growing larger than normal for july. the largest blaze is oregon's

bootleg fire has burned nearly 230,000 acres and threatened nearly 2,000 buildings. the fire is wreaking havoc on the interstate state infrastructure bringing power from california to oregon and wildfires swept through the states with hotter temperatures creating perfect temperatures for wildfires. in europe, extreme flooding in germany and belgium and the netherlands. i am joined by governor kate brown to talk about this, and i know it is a very difficult time for your state. you are battling this enormous wildfire right now. what concerns -- i mean, what is there to be done about this at this point? what is your state need in the short term, but also, what are

you asking for in the long term? >> well, obviously, the west is the canary in the coal mine in terms of the climate, and the signals are not subtle ones. in the past, here in oregon, we have had historic wildfire, unprecedented ice storms, and devastating heat storms and drought and of course, flooding. so clearly the climate changes are happening and our people are dying and the forests are burning and the rivers and lakes are burning up. we must take action and politics cannot get in the way. i am so pleased to have the biden/harris administration that sees the science and data around climate change and they are willing to take action. in oregon, we have taken a number of steps to tackle climate change from passing legislation to reduce the intensity of the current emissions to moving to clean

energy, and oregon now once i sign the bill will have the most aggressive clean energy standard in the entire country. >> so, governor, i am curious if you have seen as you have experienced this heat wave and as different industries and people that you are seeing in the politics around this, because it is an issue for many years that people said that it didn't exist, and we were fighting over that, and arguments over the data and seemed far away for people in their every day lives, and some would say it is taking a long time, and others are saying that it is abruptly feeling it in their lives and is this translating to more support of the clean policies for the constituencies or the groups who may in the past didn't care about it or were opposed to making some of the changes to protect the climate? >> well, what we are seeing on

the ground is obviously the climate change is impacting everybody. our farmers are hurting. our tribes are unable to access native fish species because of the die-outs, and the fish are incredibly important both spiritually and economically for the tribes, and agriculture is an important sector for oregon's economy, and devastated by the heat dome that we saw a couple of weeks ago, and obviously the ice storms were extremely challenging for many communities throughout oregon. first of all, we are all going to have to be better prepared for these types of climate change events. they are happening too frequently, and too rapidly, and we must be better prepared. the second piece is that oregon has been able to take action. as i mentioned, we were the first state in the nation to move to our coal to clean and

eliminating the reliance on the coal-based energy and i will be signing soon our legislation to move us to 100% clean by 2030. one of the most aggressive standards in the nation. but the reality is quite harsh on the ground. as you mentioned in terms of the wildfires, we have seen twice as many fires and four times as many acreages burned as this time last year, and this is why it is so critically important that we are better prepared for wildfire season. i stood up a wildfire council a couple of years ago and the recommendations from the council were codified into senate bill-762, and it is going to provide the tools to make sure that the communities are more resilient in the face of wildfire and it is going to make sure that we are modernizing the wildfire fighting efforts and ensure that the communities and the landscapes are healthier. for example, we require a higher

level of harvest, prescriptive burning and thinning to create a healthier landscapes that are more resilient in the face of the wildfires. >> do you to do that with the infrastructure, too? i mean, you saw a lot of strain in the heat wave? >> there is no question about it. for example in terms of the wildfire, we needed to hire more people, and have more boots on the ground, and also have more aircraft to fight the wildfires and we are incredibly grateful to the biden-harris administration for the efforts to partner with the west to create a comprehensive collaborate approach to fighting wildfires. in terms of the heat wave, i have asked my agencies for an after action report, and expedited one, because we may have one again in the next couple of weeks, and we need to make sure that we are providing more tools to keep our citizens safe.

>> all right. governor kate brown, thank you very much for spending time with us on this absolutely critical topic, and we really appreciate it. thank you for all of you for being with us on this hour, and i will be back with you for much more "meet the press daily." and don't go anywhere, because we have more coverage beginning with geoff bennett after the break. eoff bennett after the break. new crest pro-health complete protection kills 99% of bacteria. plus, it works around... ...and around... ...and around the clock. crest pro-health complete protection gives you 24-hour protection. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america.

before we talk about tax-smart investing, what's new? -audrey's expecting... -twins! ♪♪ we'd be closer to the twins. change in plans. at fidelity, a change in plans is always part of the plan. (realtor) the previous owners left in a hurry, so the house comes with everything you see. follow me. ♪

(realtor) so, any questions? (wife) we'll take it! (realtor) great. (vo) it will haunt your senses. the heart-pounding audi suv family. get exceptional offers at your local audi dealer. team usa is ready for the olympic games... ...and so is sharon! she got xfinity internet and mobile together... so she has the fastest wifi you can get at home... wow! ...and nationwide 5g on the most reliable wireless network...

oh my gosh! ...plus up to 400 dollars off her wireless bill! wow! cheer on team usa with xfinity internet. and ask how to save up to $400 a year on your wireless bill when you add xfinity mobile. get started today. it is good to be with you. i'm geoff bennett and as we come on the air, president biden is about to welcome to the oval office angela merkel who is long described as the de facto leader and in the trump administration, she is the defunct leader, and merkel is planning to step down after 16 year, and aides say that they will discuss everything from covid to china to climate change. and this meeting is to project