don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. learn how abbvie could help you save on humira. the more we do with our phones, the more network quality matters. only verizon has been the most awarded for network quality. that means the best experience with calls, texts, and data usage of any major carrier, according to customers. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you. introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business. powering possibilities.

good day to all of you from msnbc world headquarters here in new york. welcome everyone to "alex witt reports." we're going to start this hour with the latest in the coronavirus pandemic. right now the nation's testing capacity already strained to keep up with demand. it is facing enormous new

pressure with people waiting in long lines to get tested as the omicron variant fuels a rapid spike in cases. meanwhile, the biden administration scored a big win last night in its push to enforce federal vaccine mandates. a federal appeals court reinstated the white house's vaccine or testing mandate for large businesses with at least 100 employees. business groups quickly appealed to the supreme court. and new york officials reported over 21,000 new covid cases on friday, the highest single day total of the entire pandemic. governor kathy hochul spoke with katy tur about what's to come. >> it's going to get worse, especially after christmas day. people gathering in person. there will be absolute more spread. we saw a 70% increase in cases from thanksgiving to two weeks later, and the same thing's going to happen. . >> cause and effect there. let's go to california now and nbc's scott cohn. welcome, what does it look like out there today, and what are

you hearing from local officials about the numbers of people and how hard it may be to get appointments or get a shot or a test? >> it's busy, alex. it has been busy really throughout here in santa clara county or san jose, home of silicon valley. they have done a lot of things right during this pandemic, particularly after logging some of the very first covid-19 cases in the country back in 2020, a bad winter surge last year. so vaccinations like this, sites like this are plenty busy. there's also a testing site at another location here at the county fairgrounds. that too is busy. they have vaccinated about 80% of fully vaccinated. their population in this county, and yet, they know that omicron is coming. how do they know? a week ago we were talking about the first case discovered here in santa clara county, and they test the sewage to see where the virus is, and at one facility in

the county they had found omicron. now it is in every facility. and while there's still so much we don't know about this variant, local officials are bracing themselves. >> so when i look around the corner ahead, what i see is a deluge of omicron. what i see is perhaps one of the most challenging moments that we've had yet in the pandemic. it's because right now omicron is really taking hold across europe, and i believe it will do the same here in the united states. >> reporter: right now in california you can get vaccination appointments, and you can get testing. one of the things that they've been trying to do here is increase the equity of vaccinations and testing to some of the underserved parts of the population. and with all of that, we know that hospitalizations are starting to go up. again, not sure how much of that

is tied to omicron and how much is residual from delta, but here in santa clara county, a little more than 150 patients in hospitals, that's up in the neighborhood of 20% from a month or so ago, which is in line with what we're seeing statewide. but in some places like ventura county in southern california, that hospitalization has doubled now, and that has officials certainly country in california, which is not a hot spot at this point, they're bracing themselves as i said for a potential holiday surge. >> it feels kind of warm to me. thank you very much, scott, appreciate that. let's go to some of the other major stories we're following for you at this hour. the senate wrapped at 4:00 a.m. today without passing two major agenda items, both build back better and voting rights. this comes as senate majority leader chuck schumer vows to make voting rights a top priority ahead of 2022 putting biden's spending bill on the back burner. in our last hour terri sewell

discussed the importance of passing the bill. >> it is going to be incumbent upon all of us to continue to keep the pressure on the two senators as well as all of the senators. you know, i would rather be in favor of giving voting rights to all americans than to be, you know, siding with a filibuster that actually stops democracy and the will of the people from actually coming to fruition. >> former trump homeland security official ken cuccinelli was questioned for more than four hours late last night. this morning congressman roger krishnamoorthi said the testimony should provide answers to some of the questions. >> what did people like cuccinelli and others know in the run up to january 6th? we know that there was intelligence, that folks were descending on the capitol, that some of them had extensive preparations for what they would do once they arrived, and yet, still, the government either was

flat footed or it was intentionally holding back its response, and that's deeply disturbing. >> meanwhile, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell is making headlines after he seemingly showed support for the committee by saying their findings are something the public needs to know. and a florida man who attacked cops with a fire extinguisher has received more than five years behind bars, and that is the longest january 6th sentence to date. that was a long time. joining me now, hugo lowell, congressional reporter for "the guardian." welcome back, always good to see you. alex jones who was supposed to appear before the committee today, it was postponed. a number of depositions that were set for this week were postponed at the last minute like this one. so this keeps happening. why? is it a stall tactic, and can the committee stop it? >> that's a good question. it's difficult to tell. the committee says the reason why these depositions keep getting delayed is because they're engaging with the committee and they're trying to figure out the scope of their

cooperation, whether this is document production or whether this is with executive privilege constraints if people were indeed speaking to trump. the fact of the matter, though, a lot of this is by the wayside. they've had a very busy week as well the committee. they've interviewed now 300 witnesses since the investigation started getting going three months ago. i think they'll also have a backlog of documents they'll have to get to. they'll have to figure out what questions they want to ask these guys. i think it's a case of trying to manage all the information that's coming in. >> on thursday the committee subpoenaed phil waldron, who as you reported here on the broadcast last week was the retired colonel whose powerpoint recommending trump declare a national emergency to stay in office was sent to mark memeado. how significant is his subpoena? >> hugely significant, right? because mark meadows and his lawyer always said the extent of his engagement with this powerpoint that, a, declared

how -- or recommended how trump could declare a national security emergency to return himself to office, and number two, recommended that pence just throw the -- to the house or just refuse to certify certain states electors. mark meadows said his engagement ended with this in his inbox. we now know this to be false. he met with phil waldron eight to ten times at the white house. phil waldron basically briefed members of congress about the content s of this powerpoint and said we know the involvement with the white house and members of congress is far more extensive than any of these guys have been letting on. and so when the committee gets him to testify, they will be asking him the extent of his contacts with people across the federal government. >> do you know when, if we may start seeing public hearings? >> i think that's the question on everyone's minds. i've heard a number of different things. i've heard late january, early

spring, but they are coming, and they are coming and i know they are coming because the committee has started to make preparations for the kinds of things that they're going to unveil to the public. i understand according to my reporting that there are going to be two tracks. the first track is going to be revealing to the public what the committee has learned to date over the course of these depositions, over the course of these document productions. it will be similar, i understand, to how they read out the text messages that meadows turned over. so it could be really a big moment for the committee because they're not doing an interim report, but they might read out what they have to date. the second thing they intend to do is to have public hearings with witnesses, and this is also really significant because whether it's witnesses pleading -- invoking their fifth amendment right or just refusing to answer questions at all, this will be beamed into the televisions of people nationwide, and they will see for themselves how these trump associates and these trump operatives are refusing to cooperate with the committee. >> to which i say stay tuned, hugo lowell. thank you so much, always good

to see you. closing arguments are expected to begin on monday in the manslaughter trial of former minnesota police officer kim potter following another emotional day in a minneapolis courtroom over potter's fatal shooting of 20-year-old daunte wright during a traffic stop in april. the defense rested its case, and nbc's stephanie stanton is following the trial for us in minneapolis and is joining us now to talk about it. kim potter took the stand yesterday. it got very emotional, but content-wise, what did we hear from her? >> reporter: yeah, good afternoon to you, alex. it did indeed get emotional. kim potter broke down more than once as she took the stand yesterday in her own defense in this courthouse behind me. potter is 49 years old. she is a law enforcement veteran. she described those fateful moments leading up to that fatal shoot when she shot and killed 20-year-old daunte wright during that traffic stop. she testified about how she was training a new recruit and that

it was that recruit that wanted to pull over that vehicle, daunte wright's car for a tag violation and an air freshener violation. potter says she testified on the stand had she been alone she probably wouldn't have pulled over wright's car. she also talked about how things got very chaotic before the trigger was pulled. take a listen. >> we were struggling -- we were trying to keep him from driving away. it just went chaotic. and then i remember yelling taser, taser, taser, and nothing happened, and then he told me i shot him. >> you didn't run down the street and try to save daunte wright's life, did you? >> no.

>> you didn't check on the other car that had been hit, did you? >> no. >> you were focused on what you had done because you had just killed somebody. >> i'm sorry it happened. i'm so sorry. >> now potter is facing one count of first degree manslaughter and one count of second degree manslaughter. she has always maintained that it was an accident, that she did not mean to shoot daunte wright, and as you said, alex, closing arguments are set for monday. >> okay. stephanie stanton, thank you so much for the latest from there. when vice president kamala harris agreed to an interview with talk show host charlamagne tha god, she may not have expected the heat it stirred up, but it did. in a moment the question that got the vice president more than a little ticked off. ticked off. but the clothes washed in tide- so much cleaner.

if it's got to be clean it's got to be tide hygienic clean. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list event.

(vo) t-mobile for business helps small business owners prosper during their most important time of year. when you switch to t-mobile and bring your own device, we'll pay off your phone up to $1000. you can keep your phone. keep your number. and get your employees connected on the largest and fastest 5g network. plus, we give you $200 in facebook ads on us! so you can reach more customers, create more opportunities, and finish this year strong. visit your local t-mobile store today. and tonight's winning number, 43 yes! and finish this year strong. noooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent, so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

so who's the real president of this country, is it joe

manchin or joe biden, madame vice president? >> come on, charlemagne, it's joe biden. no, no, no, it's joe biden, and don't start talking like a republican about asking whether or not he's president. >> do you think joe manchin is a problem? >> and it's joe biden, and i'm vice president, and my name is kamala harris. i hear the frustration, but let's not deny the impact that we've had and agree also that there is a whole lot more work to be done, and it is not easy to do, but we will not give up. >> vice president kamala harris in quite the exchange as congress heads home for the holidays without passing the president's build back better legislation. senator joe manchin's objections to the social spending package prompting the senate to postpone passing that bill until the new year. joining me now is ruben gallego a democratic member of the house armed services and natural resources committee, chair of the bold pac and a good friend to us.

welcome back, always good to see you congressman, what'd you make of that exchange, the reaction particularly from vice president harris? >> well, look, i think vice president harris is frustrated. i think she feels that people aren't giving enough credit to this administration. she is correct. the administration has done great things. really turned around the economy, got us out of the recession induced by the pandemic, lowest unemployment ever. has passed great agenda work when it comes to maternal health, all these types of things that i think are for us to kind of hang our christmas ornaments on i would say. but at the same time, you know, there a balancing act she has to. she can't be attacking joe manchin at this point because she's still negotiating with him. i will tell you charlemagne, unfortunately, is right, i think there is a lot of us that are very frustrated that one senator is holding up a very important agenda that this president and the vice president ran on. and she can't say it because she

still has to negotiate with them, and neither can the president, but a lot of democrats including members of congress are very unhappy that this one person is holding this up. not only holding it up, really, you know, if you really are worried about this and get in there and negotiate. stop stretching this out with the drama that it doesn't require. i don't understand. just get in the room and negotiate and get this done, all right? he just likes the dramatic nature of it. i don't know if he was in theater at west virginia university or something like that, but it's time to get this done. >> a lot of drama, that is for sure. hey, look, it's not just one. there are two, it's senator manchin, but the democrats also need to get your fellow arizonian senator kyrsten sinema fully on board. what is behind this? are they political motivated? and are you concerned that even in the new year build back better could be in peril of getting their support? >> i think a lot of it is what

they actually believe, but some of it is some political calculations, but the political calculations are wrong. you are demotivating the base of the democratic party, and it will cost us and eventually them at some point when they run for office. and you know, so using the filibuster as an excuse i think is not the way to go. the reconciliation is working at least for bbb, but for voting rights act there is no excuse. you should not be using the filibuster to stop the voting rights act. you shouldn't be using the filibuster at all, but shouldn't use it to stop civil rights legislation. and in the end, i think they will change their minds, at least when it comes to voting rights act. i can't imagine senator sinema is going to be the only holdout when it comes to the voting rights action. it's not sustainable. she wouldn't survive an election if she does that. and you know, in the end, you know, she is a survivor, and she's a political survivor, and she will do what's right especially if it helps her get reelected. >> hey, no time like the present, guys. let's turn to january 6th, a

text from your republican colleague jim jordan to former trump chief of staff mark meadows was among those released by the select committee. jordan's was questioning the electoral votes and what then vice president pence should have done. jordan's office said the text was a forward. here on msnbc earlier this week, you called congressman jordan a traitor. do you get the sense that he and other lawmakers who have defended trump or those who texted meadows on january 6th are getting nervous about where this investigation is heading? i'm curious the chatter on capitol hill about this. what are you hearing? >> no, i don't go talk to -- i would say that table of people in the cafeteria. actually, nobody does. they're kind of their own little world of politicians, you know, most republicans don't even like talking to them either. you don't really go over there. look, but let's look at their actions. they've certainly tried to obstruct the january 6th committee. they've certainly tried to stop

telecoms from actually answering subpoenas, legal subpoenas from calls, conversations, emails, so everything that they're pointing to shows me that they're trying to hide something. they're trying to either hide something they did illegally or something they're very ashamed of. at some point, the truth will come out. now, that's the january 6th committee. i also have to remind people we have the department of justice, we have merrick garland who has a lot of power to actually also being prosecuting a dual track system to this. i am extremely frustrated that we have the department of justice that is treating this as if it's a normal -- this is just normal course of business. there was a coup attempt. it was a coup attempt that happened at the white house. it happened outside the white house and it happened within people in congress. we need that investigative body to actually do their job to protect the constitution of the united states. >> okay. i'm going to get back to the cafeteria politics in just a moment, if we have the time. but i have to ask you about russia because you, sir, led the congressional delegation to ukraine recently, which is grappling with the threat of a

russian invasion as troops are amassed big time at the border. after you made comments on the russian military built buildup, a russian politician called for your kidnapping saying we should be looking for that bud and if he travels anywhere, grab him and bring him over here. in response, it's actually classic what you tweeted. you tweeted eff around and find out. so the whole thing is a big wow. what has happened since you tweeted this? what's been going through your mind finding yourself in this wild situation. >> well, it means for me it tells me that i was on target with my messaging about ukraine and the situation. look, i believe in democracy both here and abroad. ukraine is a sovereign nation that is duly elected representatives of their country. it's trying to be taken over by a mafia like corrupt government led by putin in a country called russia, and i went to investigate to see what i could do to be helpful and partly made

an assessment what kind of diplomatic support do they need. and i met with other members of congress. i took a bipartisan group out there to understand this, and we came and we urged the administration to support them in diplomatic terms and with the arms that they need. and i'm realistic. i don't think the united states should be involved in actually sending troops over there because it's not one of our obligations. but we should support a democracy. we should support democracy that we told the 1996 give up your nuclear weapons, don't worry, your sovereignty will be safe. well, now it's no longer safe. we know russia wants to invade ukraine, and we should do everything we can to make sure ukraine has the ability to withstand an attack by russia: >> to one point you made there, we should say the president has said the prospect of sending u.s. troops, putting boots on the ground is not on the table and doesn't expect that to be. >> it shouldn't be. >> you're echoing the sentiments of the president.

the biden administration has recently reinstated the trump era remain in mexico policy, and that happened because of a court order. when it comes to that, what goes through your mind as you watch this political situation come back into effect? how does that make you feel? >> well, it makes me feel as a long-time, you know, just a long-time follower of, you know, i would say immigration politics, it makes me feel frustrated because really what we need to do is just have an overhaul of our immigration system, and it's -- you know, we've just been battling back and forth, back and forth whether it's, you know, people coming from in mexico. refugees asking for asylum. we really need a real reform to the whole system so we can stop having these backs and forths that happen between administrations. i think, you know, we should find a way to make sure that people that are legally seeking asylum have a right to seek asylum and do it in a safe

manner: i understand there's concerns about covid, but there are laws on the books. let's follow those laws on the books, but really, let's focus on fixing this overall. it's maddening that we keep having the same conversation and that we had the same conversation for the last, you know, i would say 30 years of politics. >> yeah, the white house confirming this week it is not going to extend student loan relief. confirmed payments will restart in february. when asked about president biden's promise to cancel $10,000 in student debt, white house press secretary jen psaki said it's up to congress to help carry that promise out. is that how you see it? >> no. but she wants a bill, send a bill, obviously we have to get it through the senate. at a minimum, i am disappointed in the white us. they should just hold on the student loan payments for now. look, there's going to be a lot of people that are not going to go back to school, not going to go back to work because of omicron.

there are a lot of economic indicators, especially for younger people that are still unstable. i don't get the political outcome of this, republicans are going to hate no matter what democrats do. what we need to do is make sure we keep young people excited. the way to keep them exciting is at least show them we're not going to continue to put them in debt. we give millionaires and billionaires tax breaks, let's get that student at least a $200 tax break per month at least for now until we can figure this out. >> we'll have to talk about the cafeteria another time. you brought that up. there's some good gossip there. thank you so much, always good to see you my friend. the student loan crisis and voting rights will be among the topics i'll discuss with financial services committee chairwoman maxine water here tomorrow on "alex witt reports". a name you haven't heard lately, julian assange, why my next guest says donald trump better home the notorious hacker and leaker doesn't return to the u.s. eturn to the u.s. (naj) at fisher investments, our clients know we

have their backs. (other money manager) how do your clients know that? (naj) because as a fiduciary, it's our responsibility to always put clients first. (other money manager) so you do it because you have to? (naj) no, we do it because it's the right thing to do. we help clients enjoy a comfortable retirement. (other money manager) sounds like a big responsibility. (naj) one that we don't take lightly. it's why our fees are structured so we do better when our clients do better. fisher investments is clearly different. look! oh my god... oh wow. ♪ i want my daughter riley to know about her ancestors and how important it is to know who you are and to know where you came from. doesn't that look like your papa? that's your great grandfather. it's like opening a whole 'nother world that we did not know existed. ♪ you finally have a face to a name. when you give the gift of ancestry®, you give the gift of family. ♪

o man, that's a whole lot of wrinkly at least my shoes look good! looking good start with bounce wrinkleguard, the megasheet designed to prevent wrinkles in the dryer. trelegy for copd. [coughing] ♪ birds flyin' high, you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ breeze driftin' on by... ♪ if you've been playing down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, it's a new day,... ♪ ...it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy. ♪...and i'm feelin' good. ♪ no once-daily copd medicine... has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain,

mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy, and save at trelegy.com. superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance. ow! i'm ok! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ only in theaters december 17th. where's mom? she said she would be home in time for the show. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ don't worry, sweetie. she promised she'd be here for it. ooh! nice shot! thanks! glad we have xfinity, with wifi speed faster than a gig! me too! woah, look! mom is on tv! she's amazing! (cheers) xfinity brought us together, after all! power your whole home this holiday with wifi speeds faster than a gig. click, call, or visit a store today. - [narrator] this is dr. harold katz. sing 2

he used to worry about how to fix the world's oral health problems. - i think i've got it. - [narrator] then he invented therabreath formulas. - you want fresh breath? i'll give you a fresh breath. - [narrator] for fresh breath, healthy gums, dry mouth, and healthy smiles. - whoa, that's fresh. - [narrator] now, the world's mouths have never been healthier. (sighs contentedly) - works for 24 hours, i guarantee it. therabreath, it's a better mouthwash. - [narrator] available at walmart, target and other fine stores.

president biden's agenda is facing some new roadblocks today. early this morning the senate adjourned until january 3rd. that happened around 4:00 a.m., by the way. but it left the build back better act and voting rights in limbo. let's go to nbc's josh lederman joining us from wilmington, delaware. of course he's with the president. a couple of things here, it means we're not going to see any progress on these bills until the new year. that's one thing. also, i understand at least you have some information about the president when it comes to covid and something he's going to say. what's happening there? >> reporter: yeah, that's exactly right. we have just learned via kelly o'donnell that president biden will give a major speech on tuesday on the next phase of fighting the covid-19 pandemic. white house officials telling nbc news that biden in those remarks on tuesday will announce

new steps the administration is taking to help communities who are needing assistance and also issuing a stark warning about what this winter will look like for americans who are unvaccinated. that of course follows those very dire comments from the president just a few days ago where he said that we are facing a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated. now, you'll recall the president has already issued a winter plan for fighting covid-19, but white house officials are telling us that biden wants to go even farther than that given the new omicron variant developments in all of the concerns we're seeing at schools and everywhere else around the country. tuesday will be the time to watch what president biden has to say about what additional they can do on covid-19, although we are also told he will again in that speech emphasize the need for everyone who's possibly eligible for boosters to go ahead and get that booster shot. now, as you mentioned, you know, this is coming at a time when

there's not a lot of chances for progress, at least the rest of this year on the president's domestic agenda both in terms of spending and as far as voting rights. we know the senate is adjourned. the white house does say that president biden will remain in touch and working with senator joe manchin throughout this coming week, even as we are approaching the christmas holiday. as they try to find some type of an agreement that could get a breakthrough on the log jam over the president's spending bill, but of course any kind of vote on that would not happen until next year, and in fact, president biden in acknowledging the fact that there's not going to be a vote this year ahead of that deadline that chuck schumer had set for december 25th, you know, he didn't set a new deadline. he didn't say we want this in early january or by, you know, the beginning of february. he just said as early as possible, and i think that's a pretty good indication of the fact that white house officials right now are not really feeling like they can count on any

particular time line for actually getting movement on this, alex. >> you know what, josh, that makes sense. when you set those time lines and then you have to not make a deadline, it just -- it's not a good look on anybody's front. so i think that's probably why -- >> the flip side is that you don't set a deadline, and in washington without a deadline, nothing gets -- nothing happens, you know, especially on capitol hill. so you're start of darned if you do, darned if you don't. i think you're right, there is some reluctant to set and miss another deadline. >> i think you're right as well. there's always a couple of ways to look at everything. thank you so much. the founder of wikileaks is one step closer to being extradited to the u.s. last week a british judge ruled in favor of the united states appeal that julian assange could be extradited to the u.s. to face charges under the espionage act for publishing those classified diplomatic and military cables in 2010 and 2011. he could face up to 175 years in

prison. press freedom groups call it a miscarriage of justice. assange's lawyers will certainly appeal the decision. our next guest says if he is extradited, it could also stir up trouble for donald trump. joining me now, frank figliuzzi, former assistant director for counter intelligence at the fbi, and an msnbc security analyst. julian assange for his part, he has fiercely fought extradition to the u.s. you have written that donald trump also better hope that assange never sets foot on u.s. soil. what should trump be so afraid of? >> yeah, alex, well, there's at least three people who should be very concerned about the possibility of assange being extradited to the united states. first, former president trump. secondly, don trump jr., and also roger stone, and here's why. assange possesses the capability, the knowledge to help close the gap between all of that muller investigation talk of collusion with russia and the 2016 campaign, and the

gap between that and criminal chargeable conspiracy with russia. so here's the deal, if you recall assange wikileaks actually reached out to gooseifer 2.0 known to be a russian gru entity and said give me that hacked material, that by the way, muller charged 12 russian intelligence officers for hacking, give that to me, i'll disseminate it and help the trump campaign. he knows also who he was in direct contact with during the campaign. we know from investigation that ton jr. was in contact with wikileaks for months during the campaign, even received tasking and acted on it from wikileaks. we also know from investigation that rick gates, an aide to trump on a trip drive to laguardia airport with trump, trump took a call he says from roger stone, hung up the phone and told gates there's going to be more dirt coming from wikileaks soon. so stone was asserting that he was in contact with wikileaks.

if assange can close that gap, here's who i talked to in the campaign, here's what they told me trump knew. here's how i talked with russia on behalf of the campaign. it also means that trump would have lied to muller when asked about this issue numerous times. >> i want to be real clear on the espionage charges with assange faces. they are not about the 2016 wikileaks publication of democrat party emails hacked by the russian government. the case surrounds assange's part in the hacking and publishing of documents around the iraq and afghanistan wars which were made public, at least in part by working with media organizations. president obama chose not to charge assange with the espionage act because of concerns on a negative impact on journalists. nevertheless, you've suggested assange may be able to help the u.s. government by accepting

more lenient charges or some kind of a plea deal if he provides intel on the russia investigation. so what does that look like? >> yeah, i don't do this -- i don't do this lightly because, you know, i was the head of counterintel. >> right. >> i led leak investigations. i had a piece of this one. i think wikileaks is tantamount to a foreign power against the united states. but here's the deal. they can split the difference at doj, and say you're not a media organization if your sole purpose is to help someone hack, give him the tools to mask his hacking, if you exist solely to commit criminal activity and help people do it, that's not a media organization. we're going to help you with that charging of hacking and dissemination of the hundreds of thousands of classified emails that chelsea manning gave you. we're not going to get into the larger complicated issue of what a media organization is and all

the other hacking and dissemination you did of material. we're just going to focus on the manning thing if you help us with the trump cam campaign investigation. that's where i think this could go. >> okay. the extradition case in britain, that did not center on the charges. it focused on whether the prison conditions here in the u.s. are too harsh for assange's mental health conditions. the court sided with the biden administration after giving assurances that he would be treated humanely. is this the kind of argument, similar ones like this we're going to hear in trials going forward? >> this gets complicated when you're talking about mental health issues. you may recall that assange was holed up in the ecuadorian embassy to the uk for seven years. >> yeah. >> that was not -- that was not a pleasant experience by all accounts, and the brits are rightly concerned about his mental health. that could play into his voracity and credibility. the american system is set up to deal with the criminally insane.

we have mental health facilities. we have prisons that deal with people who have serious mental health needs, and we have satisfied the british courts thus far who said, okay, we're with you. you can have him. he's going to appeal. we'll wait that out, but the statute of limitations is still there because if we ever get information from him and we want to charge the former president for lying to mueller about this. the clock starts when he submitted those responses to the mueller inquiry. we're still within that statute of limitations. >> it's extraordinary, complicated and extraordinary. thank you so much for airing it out for us frank figliuzzi. have a good one. the fox news anchors texts refrlations about january 6th, should there be more fallout? t , should there be more fallout for driving safe and driving less. okay, what message did you hear this time? safe drivers can save using snapshot? -what's snapshot? -what the commercial was about. -i tune commercials out. -me too. they're always like blah, blah blah. tell me about it. i'm going to a silent retreat next weekend. my niece got kicked out of one of those.

-for talking? -grand larceny. how about we get back to the savings? [ everyone agreeing ] nurse mariyam sabo knows a moment this pure... ...demands a lotion this pure. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragrances. gold bond. champion your skin. johnson & johnson is the world's largest healthcare company.. building a future where cancers can be cured. strokes can be reversed. joints can be 3-d printed. and there isn't one definition of what well feels like. there are millions. we're using our world to make your world a world of well.

are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? what if your clothes could stay fresh for weeks? now they can. downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh waaaay longer than detergent alone. pour a cap of downy unstopables into your washing machine before each load. and enjoy fresher smelling laundry. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. shop online for downy unstopables, including our new, lighter scent.

bye mom. my helpers abound, i'll need you today. our sleigh is now ready, let's get on our way. a mountain of toys to fulfill many wishes. must be carried across all roads and all bridges. and when everyone is smiling and having their fun i can turn my sleigh north because my job here is done. it's not magic that makes more holiday deliveries to homes in the us than anyone else, it's the hardworking people of the united states postal service. i have dreamt at performing in redshore city it's the hardworking since i was a little kid. here she is the star of our show. [ gasps ] there's nothing rosita can't do. i can't do this. she's afraid. can i try? no, no, no, porsha wait! ♪ this girl is on fire ♪ this is probably for the best. but i wrote this part for you.

time to show the world what you're really made of. ♪ she's walking on fire ♪ new revelations of what fox news anchors said on air about january 6th versus what they said in private text messages to former white house chief of staff mark meadows. here to break it all down is npr tv critic. welcome back, eric, it's good to have you here. what did those texts reveal? >> well, they reveal a couple of things. number one, that two of fox's best known prime time personalities reached out to suggest a course of action to the president while this carnage was happening and the attack was happening at the capitol. that's not really the role of even someone who is an opinion

journalist, they're expected to be fair and they're expected to be independent. that's not really the role of someone who works for a news organization to reach out to the president and tell them what to do or suggest what they should do. >> yeah. >> the other problem is that what they were saying in their text messages sort of communicating their horror at what was happening was directly contrary to what they were telling their viewers. they were minimizing the violence of the attack. they were minimizing the impact of the attack to their viewers while at the same time sending text messages to mark meadows saying this is terrible. this will destroy his legacy. he has to denounce it. >> yeah. brian kilmeade was one of them but i believe the two you are referring to is sean hannity and laura ingraham. they addressed the texts this week and here's some of their responses. >> text messages, let us look at your text messages. >> i actually don't care to read any of their text messages

because they're all so aggressively boring. they're the most boring people, they're so predictable. it's like hang a piece of meat and they just grab it. >> are people more or less critical of them for asking donald trump to stop the riots? >> well, i think people who are sort of outside the fox bubble are more critical of them because it highlighted the hypocrisy of their actions in the way that i just described. i think people who are inside the fox bubble are not as critical because within the world of fox news, they are, as you saw, kind of explaining away, joking away, trying to shrug off the implications of what they did. the question is whether or not the world outside the fox bubble can hold these people to account. i mean, i don't consider sean hannity or laura ingraham to be journalists, but i do consider

them to be high profile opinionators, and even people who express opinions for a living the way i do have a set of values and standards, ethical values and standards that they should follow, and the first one is to be independent and not to be overly beholden or overly attached to either political party. >> which brings me to this question. how unusual is for members of the media to have such direct relationships with top administration officials like this? i mean, they weren't just reaching out for comment on an ongoing story. the point you made was they were looking to influence the president's actions. >> well, we've seen reporting that indicates that when trump was in office he regularly consulted with sean hannity after hannity's show was over on actions that he would take as president and that he also spoke with tucker carlson regarding some of the actions that he would take as president. so it's been known for a long

time that donald trump is such an avid consumer of cable television news, especially on conservative oriented channels and especially on fox news channel that the best way to reach him is to put messaging there and that the people who anchor those shows amount of influence on his thinking, and can say things on the air that will affect his thinking and also call him directly and speak to him directly and affect his thinking in private. >> eric, do you have a sense fox news executives are at all concerned about this, and what is now public knowledge? >> i think fox news executives are mostly concerned about ratings, and about revenue. as long as this scandal doesn't affect either one of those things, they won't care. what is interesting about this moment is that when roger ailes, the founder of fox news, was in control of that outlet, he often tried to avoid directly looking like they were directly

connected to the republican party or conservatism. but as the republican party and conservatism particularly has gotten more extreme that mask has fallen and fox news has devoted less and less energy to try to look like its impartial. it is a political operation that occasionally behaves as a news organization and it's more and more willing to reveal that to the public and less and less affected by criticism rooted in that truth. >> eric deggans, disturbing conversation. thank you for bringing it to us nonetheless. appreciate it. a comeback story like no other. tiger woods returns to the links with a playing partner who kind of looks like him. ks like him. you have a wealth plan that covers everything that's important to you.

this is what it's like to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. making sure you have the right balance of risk and reward. and helping you plan for future generations. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity. with downy infusions, let the scent set the mood. feel the difference with downy. for future generations. is struggling to manage your type 2 diabetes knocking you out of your zone? lowering your a1c with once-weekly ozempic® can help you get back in it. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! my zone... lowering my a1c, cv risk, and losing some weight... now, back to the game! ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight.

adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription.

(vo) t-mobile for business helps small business owners prosper during their most important time of year. when you switch to t-mobile and bring your own device, we'll pay off your phone up to $1000. you can keep your phone. keep your number. and get your employees connected on the largest and fastest 5g network. plus, we give you $200 in facebook ads on us! so you can reach more customers, create more opportunities, and finish this year strong. visit your local t-mobile store today.

right now tiger woods is making his highly anticipated return to the world of competitive golf.

the 15time major winner competing in his first tournament in almost a year after that traumatic car crash nearly took his leg. we have more on his comeback. >> reporter: alex, in sports great story lines but then the saga of tiger woods just ten months ago could have lost his leg and even his life in that car except. woods says he may not be 100% yet, but wouldn't pass up a chance to play with his son charlie whose swing, well, looks awfully familiar. the tiger effect in full effect. the 15time major winner giving fans everywhere and early christmas gift. [ applause ] >> whew! >> reporter: swings and smiles alongside his 12-year-old son charlie. >> awesome day. to be out there playing with my son. had an absolute blast wecht second at the 11th. >> reporter: a preview of this

weekend's main event. >> look at this. >> reporter: the pnc championship partners of pros with family members. woods returning with his son amp placing seventh a year ago. the first time playing since his car crash in california ten months ago. nearly costing him his life and left with a surgically repaired leg. >> i still have a long way to go in the process. i don't have endurance to be out here and play at the tour level. this is different. >> reporter: woods says he's lost some of this trademark pow around will be using a golf cart. admitting he couldn't walk the course even if he wanted to. some who thought he came here to play, think again. >> i don't think any expectation. tiger is competitive. charlie is, too. >> i know these guys are playing to win because that's the tiger woods way. >> reporter: that competitive edge apparently genetic, too. the pga tour shared this

heartwarming video featuring the elder woods smiling ear to ear as he and charlie showcase identical mannerisms from the hand on the hip to the trademark swing and tee pick-up, all offering a little christmas magic for everyone, including woods himself. >> we're out here having a great time, and that's what it's all about. bonding, having the time of our lives. >> reporter: the dynamic woods duo teed off just after 12:00 this afternoon. get this. the winner of the tournament gets $200,000, but last place, still gets to walk away with a cool 40 grand. either way, young charlie going to be able to make a nice dent in his college fund. >> for sure. fun to watch. thank you for that. breaking news and new information about the number of omicron cases across the country. new details for you top of the hour. p of the hour.

at least my shoes look good! looking good start with bounce wrinkleguard, the megasheet designed to prevent wrinkles in the dryer. i thought i was managing my moderate to severe crohn's disease. then i realized something was missing... ...me. my symptoms were keeping me from being there for her. so, i talked to my doctor and learned humira is the #1 prescribed biologic for people with crohn's disease. humira helps people achieve remission that can last. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible.

learn how abbvie could help you save on humira. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ clerk: hello, how can i? sore throat pain? ♪honey lemon♪ try vicks vapocool drops. in honey lemon chill. for fast-acting sore throat relief. wooo vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops.