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tv   Alex Witt Reports  MSNBC  May 29, 2022 10:00am-11:00am PDT

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paying homage to the victims of tuesday's horrific attack at robb elementary school. he's meeting with the families of those who died later this afternoon. but first will be heading to church. take you back to volley in just a moment. church take you back to volley in jus a moment a moment connected, cutting downtime, and delivering on time depends on t-mobile 5g. and with coverage of over 96% of (vo) unconventional thinking delivers four times the 5g coverage of verizon. and it's ready right now. t-mobile for business. welcome to your world. your why. what drives you? what do you want to leave behind? what do you want to give back? what do you want to be remembered for? that's your why. it's your purpose, and we will work with you every step of the way to achieve it.
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at pnc private bank, we'll help you take care of the how. so tell us - what's your why? ♪♪ another crazy day? so tell us - what's your why? of course—you're a cio in 2022. but you're ready. because you've got the next generation in global secure networking from comcast business. with fully integrated security solutions all in one place. so you're covered. on-premise and in the cloud. you can run things the way you want —your team, ours or a mix of both. with the nation's largest ip network. from the most innovative company. bring on today with comcast business. powering possibilities.™ attorney's office to pursue justice for everyone. but like so many of my colleagues, i resigned in protest because chesa boudin interfered in every single case and failed to do his job. the office is absolutely in disarray right now. chesa dissolved my unit
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prosecuting car break-ins. now criminals flock to san francisco because there are no consequences. we can't wait. recall chesa boudin now. very good days all of you from a messy role headquarters here in new york. welcome everyone to alex reports. right now our president and first lady doctor joe biden are on the ground in uvalde texas, they are currently about to attend mass at the sacred heart catholic church. this after doing what you are witnessing here. laying flowers at a memorial outside of robb elementary. this is governor greg abbott also join the president there but the community did not welcome the governor warmly. >> [noise] and it's in part
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because that communities is reeling from not just the loss of 19 children and two adults. but the growing outrage over the delays in the police response. and then less than three miles away in houston, the nra is today ramping up its annual meeting while lawmakers are hoping this shooting would be the one to spark change to federal galas. those are democratic lawmakers who hope for that change. joining us now from uvalde, we have embassy sam brock and yasmin vossoughian and julia chester will be joining us from wilmington, delaware, as well. sam, or going to go first for you here. walk us through the visit so far. >> so it should be clear right now alex, so far we have not heard from president biden yet but he arrived about an hour ago locally it's 12:00 so he got here at 11. we watched him, he has been was describing lay down flowers and dr. jill biden. at the memorial there and the planned for the moment to be a tenant mass shortly.
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then after about 90 minutes afterwards alex meet with some defending embers here even impacted by complete and utter devastation. and it is quite a contrast where i'm standing right now. in the mood and feelings overall in the community. it's serenity and its reflection. at this plaza, i'm about a mile to a mile and a half away from that school where president biden was just visiting. we're going to see right now a shot, i think we have another camera amble of how many people are out here. this goes seven or 8:10 people deep in many cases is reflective. it's serene. there's a lot of people here as you walk around and see their faces with red eyes, mothers holding their children. i'm just watching a young mom -- hugging him so closely. and you get the sense of course that families right now are grateful to have their loved ones alive. contrast that with the anger, it's not even, anger infuriate in. outrage involve uvalde over how it's possible he could have 19 law enforcement officers inside the hallways of the school at 12:03, that is 47 minutes
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before the gunman was killed. and people here want to know what were they doing, why were they not giving orders to pursue until ultimately, federal agents decided to override local school district police and go in and kill the gunman. and i want to give you a sense right now, some folks made a very clear to me as they were holding posters on the side of the road that say enough. you're looking at on your screen right now. enough is enough. this is a border town, only about an hour away from del rio. and they say that at a moments notice, you cannot people track down for just potential fear that they could be migrants. and yet there are kids inside of school and inaction, take a listen to some of the conversation. >> they wait too long, those kids were tortured. you put your cowards. >> do you feel like there's any kind -- of >> hell now. they have not explain themselves that. all no explanations would change this. nothing. >> what's upsetting? that they didn't go in there. but they're quick to stop you here for any little reason.
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>> as in if you commit -- >> if i commit a little speeding, over the speed limit, they'll stop you and you have 20 cars there. searching you down. but they couldn't go in there and break -- that door? they are nothing but damn cowards. cowards. they let those kids get slaughtered. those kids have dreams. those dreams are shattered just because those you pd cowards to go in there and go -- school shootings need to stop. they need to do something. they need to stop this -- about foreigners. we're tired of it. enough is enough. >> yeah alex, the texas commission on law enforcement, a couple of years ago, in light of would have an incentive here in texas and part update its guidance on active shooters. the language could not be more clear. it says the priority of life skill number one, innocent civilians. number two, first responders.
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and the words in the document also say that for anyone who is a first responder who isn't willing to sacrifice their life for innocent people, you should consider another career choice. we know president biden is expected to meet with first responders later this afternoon. i would love to be a fly on the wall to hear that conversation. because it strikes the very core right now of what this community clearly is feeling and experiences right now which is anger and they want an explanation as to how this all unfolded. alex. >> you hit the nail on the head without assessment. sam brock, thank you so much for that. from there, just about a mile to half away by our description let's go to msnbc host yasmin vossoughian. right there by the robb elementary school memorial. i know that you yasmin have community reaction to the presidents visit but i want to first ask you about the breaking news from the doj. what have you learned from the justice department? >> listen, so we talked a lot about the path of this community wants accountability. since ex really took us through that. that's 11 hearing across the board as well.
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we heard a hear from protesters people that were here watching the president visit of course the governor as well. speaking with the president. you heard people say we need change, we need accountability. this town needs help. our kids need to be safe in schools. and i want to read for you the justice are saying they're going to launch an incident review and let me read for you verbatim over getting on this because i think it's important to take you through this. the u.s. department of justice today releasing the following statement at the request of uvalde marathon mclaughlin. the u.s. department of justice will infect conduct a critical incident review of the law enforcement response that a mass shooting in uvalde texas. he called a say of this review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day into identify lessons learned as they say at best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events. the review will be conducted with the departments office of community oriented poll seas and this will obviously if they go on to say be an independent review. i want to reiterate this, is
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not them saying they are launching an investigation. this is an incident review that the department of justice, investigation can subsequently come next if in fact they find wrongdoing. if in fact they find that the police department is gone in sooner. if in fact they find, as they did by the way, when it came to parkland, but the school resource officer stayed outside the building while children were losing their lives inside the building. this is something we're gonna be following along the way. >> he has. even >> presidents going to, go ahead. >> let me ask you because of just pull this up as well make fun of this one for someone to go over with you. that this review is going to try and look for the best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events. what was going on there two months ago in uvalde? >> preparing for an responding to events. >> there you go. >> they were practicing to prepare and propel respond to events. we have reports, sam since reporting on this as well in the new york times has been
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some reporting. first of all they have a swat team two years ago posting the we are prepared for an active shooter chill. visiting every public school in uvalde county. in the eovaldi area. to prepare for an active shooter drills. we want people to know the resources are there to keep them safe. two years ago. two months ago, they had active shooter drills in the hallways of the schools. we have images of those drills. they had individuals pretending to lie on the ground as if they had been shot. alex. preparing for an incident like this. but in fact, here we are, the sunday after a mass shooting, 21 people losing their lives, 90 those filled run. and the cops failed to go in. an hour plus, they sit outside, waiting for backup. and so your, right in pointing that out, and saying we are going to prepare for, we need to figure out what to do, they were preparing. they did figure out what to do. but you can't help but think,
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this is an incident of. uefa fact they find wrongdoing. there could be an investigation. so we need to keep that in mind. this is in the investigation will not be launched, or it will be launched. but this is right now an incident review. it's a step. this community, alex, they want more. do you guys still have me because i just lost my all leo, alex, i want to throw in some sound. because i want you to hear from a committee member why have you and that is joanna santos. join us santos is the sister of a teacher who was inside that school. and she's okay. her sister. but i want you to hear the moments in which she didn't necessarily know if her sister would survive. and she was texting with her sister the entire time. and she walks us through it. let's listen to her. >> i immediately thought about my sister. i said, let me see if i can get a hold of her. and see if she can give me any
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information. so i text mr.. because i didn't know at the situation was, i didn't want her phone to be ringing. and when i got my phone, she had messaged me as well. and said please pray for me. there is a shooting. there's an active shooting. and so that's where i knew it was real. >> why did you do at that moment? >> i got up and told my husband if there is an active shooter there. my sisters there. i don't know, what do you do? you start thinking the worst. you start thinking this is something that would never happen in our community. >> and when did you learn that she was okay? >> i just kept on messaging, are you okay, are you okay? and it was constant and i wasn't getting an answer back. and i was praying it was because she was busy with her kids, getting them to safety. and it was several hours. and she finally said, i'm safe. fbi came in and got us and we
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are at the civic center. >> have you seen her since? >> i have not. >> why is that? >> she's pretty torn up. she doesn't really want to see anybody. >> joanna, it was incredibly emotional her sister obviously will be facing ptsd for quite some time. or going to leave here, alex, in a couple of days. we're going to go, we're gonna move on to the next story. hopefully something like doesn't happen again but the likelihood is a well. this community is going to be feeling this forever. they're going to live with this. and someone like china is going to live with this her, children are gonna live with this, i'm gonna have more than available later on with my show as well. let me just close with this, alex. reviewing, preparing, this incident report that they're going to be looking into, the department of justice. this community wants action. they were supposed to be repaired. they were supposed to be reviewed. they want action. >> well, i will say to your point, yasmin, that uvalde will be going down in history. it'll be associated with
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columbine, with sandy hook, newtown, parkland, it will never ever shake this level of infamy. something they did not seek and it is a tragedy of a proportions. yes ma'am, thank you for that. sam is well down the ground for us in uvalde. let's go now to capitol hill and talk about the new york cinci to try to find some sort of a compromise on gun legislation. following the shooting. let's go to nbc allie raffa who joining us from there. so senators, we know we're on recess for the memorial day holiday alley understandably so. but the toxin can control continue. any word of any progress being made? word of any well alex, we know there has been progress on talks. but obviously, as you mentioned, no action yet. this is coming nearly ten years after sandy hook, as yasmin said. there is been no significant reform on gun control. and lawmakers say that this time, they know it will be
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difference. this is not a call for mass reform, a ban on assault reference weapons. they are saying there is smaller more incremental reforms that they believe senators on both sides of the aisle could be able to meet in the middle on. this is to be played on the sunday show this morning. i believe we have a clip here between senator chris murphy and texas republican congressman dan crenshaw. alex. >> these are serious negotiations. and we are going to continue till early next week to try to find some common ground. listen, i've been clear. i'm not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. i would like to plant assault weapons. i think it is probably the most impactful way to stop these mass shootings. i would love universal background checks. >> having use many weapons of war, having went to war, i don't classify these weapons as rifles of war. as weapons of war. we use them. but they are more a self-defense weapon. and i would say if the infantry goes on offense, they're using
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much bigger roughens there are not available to comment civilians. >> senator murphy in his interviews later said that these talks are going on on the sunday show but they are also going on behind the scenes. soon, phone calls and text messages between senators on both sides of the aisle over this ten-day-long memorial day recess. and he says that is because he asked senate majority leader chuck schumer to give him his time. instead of throwing a bill on the floor that would be doing from the start, give him the time to find ten republicans we come over the democrats side, in favor of some gun reforms. and before senators left on this recess on the thursday, we heard a little bit about their initial proposals, which are divided into three buckets. the first of which is, expanding background checks to cover a gun show online sales, closing that charleston loophole. which would not allow for a fire on purpose to go through unless the background check was completed. the second bucket is a red flag law. this is something that has widespread bipartisan support
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from the american people, as well as several states of taking this. up and a third in which, is mental health checks. supporting hardening schools. there is a lot of debate over the next few days. time will tell when they come back with. when they return from this memorial day weekend, alex. >> sadly i do have to add an addendum to that. if anything at all, we will see. ali raphael, thank you so much. joining me now julian castro from uvalde. former mayor of san antonio, texas, and former housing and urban development secretary. also an msnbc political analyst and good friend to us here. here is my question to you. you are staring crenshaw. he said that the air style rifle, that weapon, is not a weapon of war! there are any number weighs, i am thinking, how do you begin to describe that? >> alex, you might as well have said that with a way to a lot of people. because i think how most people here that is with incredulity.
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folks cannot believe that. even the folks you talk to who purchased these ar-15s. which has become a very popular weapon to buy, especially over the last decade or so. they acknowledge that it is not used for home defense. it is used on the shooting range. with perhaps one or two others. it is not used from defense. police report analysis of weapons used for home defense. the which bears that out. these are not weapons that are actually often used for home defense. i actually believe that is also one of the reasons why, when we do get closer to legislation, to restrict whose hands these guns get into. and that there may will be more support than people believe even among those who own these ar-15s. >> is that going to come from within texas? is there a lot to your
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knowledge of ar style weapons, and their owners there? even if just for the collector's item concept. you have to wonder, of course, things like that cannot be properly locked. we have heard the stories of people taking off with a parents gun, unbeknownst to that parents, going off and doing something horrific with that. i mean, i guess i'm trying to wonder about the ideology of those that connect these guns. for what purpose? >> there has been a gun culture here in texas and through other country for generations. it has got more dangerous with the availability, easy availability, of these military style weapons, like the ar-15. which is very popular. and when you have a law like texas does, which makes these guns available for purchase to people who are 18 years old, but also says you to be 21 years old to actually buy a
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handgun, which does not seem to make any sense, along with this macho gun culture that has gone off the rails, it creates this very toxic route that has led to the kinds of incidences, as we saw here in uvalde. and changes that there is pressure for the state, the one consistent thing that i hear. which i hear even from john hunter's, is what difference does this make for an 18 year old to have access to these weapons of war? so i think if there is common ground to be found in the state of texas,. if >>, but we'll also make sense, and i go back to the people that do not have nefarious intent was wanting to buy a gun like this. they want to have the rights to buy something for collectors or for bragging rights or whatever it is. what about the very simple prospect of limiting the amount of ammunition that you can buy, and keeping the likelihood of
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having a gun like that just for show? okay, say that you own it. yes, maybe there is some limited amount of ammunition you want to sell for going to target practice in certain places. but as has been seven times on this process, hundreds not use a gun like that. they do not shoot bambi with an ar-15 rifle. if they did so, there will be nothing to bring back after hunting that particular animal. whatever thrill or excitement today. the amount of ammunition that could be purchased, is that one of those common sense things that you think texas could get behind? >> that has been brought up as a policy option is solution. for whatever reason, it has not gone nearly enough traction over the years. not like others have. most of the policy approaches are focused on the guns
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themselves. but others have said, look, why don't you go straight to the issue? ammunition. >> so let me ask you, understandably you are a graduate of harvard law school. so let me ask you about the statement from the doj that they are going to conduct an inquiry, looking into what exactly transpired, and trying to make some recommendations going forward. as to how to best prepare the law enforcement community. when mistakes were, made and how they can go forward into this better. the frustration, is in part, an active shooter drills held just two short months ago. >> yes, alex. this is going to be an issue both trust and confidence. with i hear in the community here is that many folks have lost trust in their local police department after reports that local police, specifically district police, at the instant command on the scene and made a
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decision to wait. so i think what folks are looking for is an independent investigation in that sense. and i think it gives more confidence when you have more of a state investigation that is going on, and a federal investigation to come. if it relieve you review, so far, not necessarily an investigation. perhaps an investigation in the weeks and months to come. that will give, i believe, people here more confidence they are going to get to the bottom of what actually happens. here in uvalde. it is also important that those lessons are learned. they have a, training that drill, a couple of months ago, in the school district. obviously it did not go as they plan for to go. they didn't follow the protocol that is in place for the first responding officer in the scene to pursue the gunman.
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to try to do what they can to keep him extracted and locked down, and to be aggressive and go forward, instead of holding back, like used to be the policy before columbine. but what is important is long forsman around the country -- got rid of this happening another community. but given the way that this is, all the issues attacked with guns, it probably well. the police departments, whether they are districts, local police, state and federal agents, fall this protocol, gets the training, do the things they should do to make sure that more lives are not lost. >> julián castro, former mayor mayor and former secretary, now msnbc political analyst. thank you so much for weighing in on this very difficult day. appreciate it. we are going to keep following the president. he is now charged with the first lady. but there is other big news to share today. more lives lost, more money and weapons. where is the war in ukraine heading?
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first lady jill biden they're trying to console a city in mourning today. they have visited a memorial outside of robb elementary school that happened a short while ago. vin showing you pictures of that right now. they will then after finishing up with the church, be meeting with families impacted by the mass shooting in uvalde. upon here comes just two weeks after the president had to comfort families of ten black people shot to death at a supermarket in buffalo, new york. from there now to the war in ukraine. a big developments there as president zelenskyy's got a firsthand look at conditions on the ground in kharkiv today. making his first trip outside of the capital of kyiv since the war began officials say that russia is pounding eastern cities from kharkiv all the way south to the severodonetsk. the institute for the city of north of the situation and severodonetsk is the most serious challenge for ukrainian
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troops to see standoff in mariupol. joining me right now, for child admiral james to brittani. supreme allied -- msnbc chief international security and diplomacy analyst. by the way, he has a new book, it is called to risk it all. admiral, sir, welcome to you, we have president ski again asking in the u.s. says it is sending longer range weaponry. will any of what this country is sending help ukraine hold on to the trouble spots we just mentioned? >> i think it will, alex, and if you think about where we were three months ago roughly when the war war started. many of the protections for that the russians simply sweep across the country. that didn't happen due to their own incompetence but also because of the weapons that were put in the hands of these very brave ukrainians. since then, our logistics training if you will has risen to a top speed. we are flowing a lot of weapons systems in, including as you
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mentioned long-range howitzers. a lot of ammunition. a lot of additional cruise missiles that can be used to outright russian ships at sea. i think the weapons are going to a least hold the russians roughly where they are. so no chance now of a big breakthrough. we just have to keep the logistics flowing as we have been for the last couple of months. >> and specific requests, admiral, for a long range missiles, why is that? >> well the ones for use at sea are to take out russian warships. you'll recall a couple of few weeks ago essentially the flagship of the russian fleet. the moskva was sunk at sea. using those longer range christmases the ukrainians can hold the russians off their shores. and allow for free passage in and out of goods. and then other longer range
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missiles can be used to reach behind the front lines, to russian ammunition depots. there are supply lines. that will slow their advances as well, so it's all part of a well constructed combined arms campaign you're seeing on the part of the ukrainians. >> admiral, you very aptly recall the fact that a lot of the reasons that ukraine was able to hold off russia from the beginning was the courage of ukrainians in those soldiers but in addition, the incompetence, as you called, it by the russians. how much might that have changed, how much does the calculus now say from the russian point of view, we made some mistakes, we may have underestimate our enemy here. and they've learned from them so we'll constantly use the excessive manpower they have access to. and military might in terms of the armament they have. how much do you think this war is going to be on a bit of a more level playing field. even with everything that the united states is providing? >> yeah, you've put your finger
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on precisely the right point. which is that as the war started, the russians were spread too thinly. they were all around the country trying to come in very bad battle plan. now that they have confined their efforts to this southeast corner. the logistics got a lot easier. the battle plan is much simpler. you have a more limited range of targets. you have to take out. look at that map. recognize that previously it was the entire country of ukraine, the size of texas, now your down in a corner of it. think of down in the southeast corner of texas, in and around houston if you will. the battle space is limited. against the russians. an opportunity to kind of learn from their mistakes. i'll close on this, alex, by saying however the ukrainians continue to astound me with their a village to improvise, to use the weapons that were
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given, and they're deep desire to take risks. the subject of the book that you mentioned. they will take a risk and fight here. and i think they're going to succeed quite well. >> good. glad you have that assessment there. let me ask you about diplomacy quickly as we had yesterday president putin taking that 80 minute call with french president macron and german chancellor scholz rather zelenskyy repeated that only putin can negotiate the end the fighting. do you think putin is realistically any closer to making successful negotiations? >> i think eventually vladimir putin is going to have to come to negotiating table. in the united states, we had that famous scene from the civil war, general sherman. war is hell. alex, war is also very expensive. and the burn rate on russian capital reserves, ability to finance this, along side the burn rate in terms of killed in action which is really quite
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extraordinary. it's going to force putin to negotiating table. zelenskyy knows that. he setting himself up to have the strongest possible position so that when the negotiations began, he's in a position to make the right kind of demands on the ukrainian side. >> here's the question, though. dick giving up of land, whether seized an acquired or part of the national sovereignty of ukraine. that's what the fight is over. is either side prepared to do that to achieve peace? >> short answer, not yet. both sides are still in the mode of creating the strongest set of conditions on the ground. so they can go to the table and negotiate. ultimately, giving up territory on the part of the ukrainians, that's the decision for the ukrainians to make. if they want to do that, i think the west would support it. if on the other hand they want to continue to fight on, i think the west will support that option for them as well. >> okay, admiral, i will close
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with identifying you solely this time as the author of this book to risk it all. and then just add that you're a very good friend to us, thank you for joining us sir. >> anyone taking a plane this weekend? it might one up being a trip to nowhere. we'll be right back with that. being a trip t nowher nowher we'll be right you try crazy things... ...because you're crazy... ...and you like it. you get bigger... ...faster. ♪ you can never have too much of a good thing... and power is a very good thing. ♪
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it's about the friends we make along the way. you said it, flo. and don't forget to floss before you brush. your gums will thank you. -that's right, dr. gary. -jamie? sorry, i had another thought so i got back in line. what was it? [ sighs ] i can't remember. now to these other top stories just moments ago. crews in georgia found the people who went missing in the pudding saturday. several people were killed. -- got rescued at the coast guard, but the cause of the crash is unknown. it is still under investigation. one of the five gop house members was subpoenaed by the january six committee. it congressman andrew biggs confirms that he had rejected that subpoena. speaking to nbc news last, night big denied knowing about the calls to storm the capitol.
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new video of israeli police arresting several palestinians in jerusalem today as tensions rise amidst the flag march. thousands of israeli nationals are marching through muslim areas in jerusalem, but this is the same event as a righted the war last year. this breaking news reports that the justice department will now reveal the police response to that shooting in uvalde. which left 19 children and two teachers dead. it comes as the local police force faces increasing scrutiny after state officials revealed that students and teachers are calling 9-1-1 during the attack. while the school police chief told them the dozen officers should wait in the hallway. nbc news national -- is joining us from of all. the deal don, thanks for joining. us what exactly is being looked at in this investigation by the doj? >> i want to be the statement to, you would just come within the hour. providing an independent council of enforce action that
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day. investigations got to be fair. but they also to find the lessons learned. and then the best practices moving forward, helping first responders prepare for a situation like this to arrive once again. . >> okay, so that's what they're looking at. we remind our viewers that they are looking at -- without actually being successful in information seeking cast two months ago. on how to endo handle an active shooting process. this is going to put a lot of questions into what happens then, versus what happens now. as i read any discussion of that discrepancy? >> not so much here on the ground, but you are right. a couple of months ago the police chief did undergo, of course, something like this ever come into formation. and of, course it did answer a lot of questions surrounding, what is the officers got inside the building, a few officers
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responded immediately, but then of course as we know, 19 officers in the hallway did not engage the shooter. and that's because they did not get the go ahead from the police chief. the community is wondering if this investigation is at the request of the mayor, here. the governor came by a little while ago, and president biden trying to console the community. he wants more answers. i think the public wants more answers. in regards to the timeline, what was done and why weren't things done in the timely fashion? >> yes. those are the questions. there are a lot of them, don hampton, thank you for letting us know those right there. of course, the shooting is putting a spotlight on the fact that firearms are the leading killer of children according to the cdc. gun related deaths for people under 19 have said sadly reserve this past decade, and are in fact the top cars in
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2020. there was a stunning 30 person increase of children fell by killed by guns in the last year. joining, us author of the book, children under fire, an american crisis. aptly named, sir. thank you so much for joining us. look, john there were 42 acts of gun violence in american schools in 2021. that is the most as 1999. that smashed the previous record of 30. but also includes those two months when most schools were closed due to the pandemic. there was all that remote learning underway. why do you think was driving this spike? >> it is hard to say. we know that there was a huge surge in gun purchases during the pandemic. so a lot of homes have guns that did not have guns before. we know the great many of those homes are not storing them properly. there are millions of children in this country who live in homes where they are loaded and
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unlocked weapons in dresser drawers, and in some cases just lying around. we know, to, the children are dealing with very heightened levels of distress, depression, anxiety due to the isolation. they did not have the support systems that they would have had in the original schools. so really, the minute that schools went back into session last march, we saw this huge spike. not until oxford where we seeing oxford back in november. the shooting in michigan that took two lives. most of the early shootings were targeted shootings. these last couple, though, or obviously something very different. >> yes, for sure. the media tends to focus solely on the children that are killed in school shootings. but your latest article, here, it puts a spotlight on the children who survived. some of these kids suffer no physical, winds likely are still profoundly haunted.
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for years, but what they saw in what they heard and what they have lost. talk to me about this. >> yes, that is much of my work over the past five years, book two is really focused on that population of children. the reason being, to your exact point, we tend to focus on early in the children who have died. those are the numbers that last. parkland, 17. in this case 21. we remember those numbers. but the truth is, it does not begin to capture the scope of this crisis. it is hundreds of thousands of children who deal with the consequences of school shootings for a long time. and what that can look like for children who are not physically -- the case of panic attacks, fear overloud noises. the difficult of it can be friendship. kids who have lost someone. debilitating ptsd.
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that data from her book, she still cannot go back to school, she still on anti psychotics and anti depressants. she still tries to harm or self. she is dealing with all sorts of trauma as a result of what you went through. it is because of a school shooting for 12 seconds, which did no physical harm to her at all. so we have really not even begun to understand what this is doing to children in the country. when it will continue to do four years if we don't act. >> i said to read from my article to -- ten years old. he's a little boy he was a ten inch gash through his back because of the bullet that went through hand, and is shattered with shrapnel part of his arm. he is there lying in his hospital bed, with his big brown eyes.
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saying, i think his clothes are ruined. and he says, that's okay. he's gonna get you new clothes. then she says, i don't think it go back to school. then he says, don't worry about it, squeezing us on the left-hand. that is a good one. i lost my glasses, he continues. i'm sorry. >> awful. it is awful. it is awful. he represents something. he represents something that is so much larger. that is would inspire that database to say -- because i went there, i saw a lot of kids just like noah, who are dealing with guilt and nightmares. could not sleep at night, could not sleep at home. good nonfunctional more. and i thought, how many cases this represent? but we now know is it is over 300,000 children who have been in the school when a shooting occurred. since columbine.
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and we are just now allowing it to continue. we are not doing anything differently than we were when this all began. it is unfathomable. >> john woodrow cox, we want to make sure the people know the book. children under fire, an american crisis. pretty easy title to remember these days. thank you so much for joining me. my next guest wrote this column. the nra's money speaks louder than parents screams. get ready for that conversation. because it is next. conversation because it is next because it is next extra bucks rewards each year just for filling at cvs pharmacy. ♪ ♪ bonnie boon i'm calling you out. we've got bonnie right here on a video call. we don't take kindly to video calls. oh, in that case just tap to send a message. we don't take kindly to messages neither. in that case how 'bout a ringcentral phone call. we don't take kindly to no... would you can it eugene! let's just hear her out.
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(sighs wearily) here i'll take that! (excited yell) woo-hoo! ensure max protein. with thirty grams of protein, one gram of sugar, and nutrients to support immune health. first lady jill biden attending mass right now in uvalde after visiting the memorial site and said the robb elementary school. the president wiping away his tears earlier as he looks at for those of the victims. there is it comes as the justice department says it will review the law enforcement response to the shooting. some new protests in houston at the site of the nra's national convention. check it out. >> well on your hands.
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>> how many gets you kill today? >> police did nothing. >> the group's roughly 5 million members opposing any new gun legislation, despite all the lives lost in uvalde. one of the nbc nightly news report by garrett hag. >> a small but vocal minority is opposing measures like mandatory background checks. which new polling shows 8% of americans support. how does the gun lobby exert its influence? it starts by rating candidates and lawmakers. >> the nra's ratings are a very effective shorthand way for conservative candidates and incumbents to signal to their supporters that they have not wavered from mentoring and writes lines. >> the group then spends -- supporting the top performers and -- their enemies.
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spending $20 million or 2020 without like. this >> defined your, freedom defeat biden harris. >> that leads us perfectly to a new piece by my next guest. the nra's money speaks louder than parents screams. nbc daily columnist haines brand is joining me here in the studio. welcome, i'm glad you've done all your research. let's put something together here. looking at what's the brady group has compiled for us. this is a look of the republicans who take the most money from the nra. the suggestion being, they can be bought. because the people are getting their money for their campaigns on the. like it gives the nra a tax exempt status. that is the status right now. right? and we talk about thoughts and prayers. but look at the money. >> that is a lot of money that is flowing. a lot of money that is flowing into republican candidates coffers. the money that you see there, it varies in terms of how effective it is. for example, you show the mitt romney had the most amount of
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money donated by the nra. but i believe that those numbers could include when he was running for president as well. >> that is right. i'm glad you're making this point. i did yesterday. because it looks like he's got more than double the next fact, is since 2018 and now in this cycle for reelection for 24, he is not accepting -- brightness >>,. . gun rights groups, according to open secrets, the watchdog group for federal lobbying indirect campaign contributions, they have noted that 99% of the money that comes from gun registry has been passed on to republicans since 1989. it just has not been focused on republican lawmakers at the federal level, believing that they will follow their lead on gun rights. and their belief is that everybody should have access to guns at all times. there should be no real restrictions on their industry, which they are lobbying for. which is something i think we
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cannot talk about enough. this is an industry lobbying for -- >> moneymaking! very effective moneymaking. >> so they are looking out for the companies that are producing guns and selling them to people. they're making sure that people, that they demand is there for. guns that they are trying to supply. and making sure that even though americans owned more guns per capita than any other country in the world, the people still want more. they still think they need the newest biggest most effective killing machines possible in their homes. >> so, what is it that you think terrifies some of these caralee republicans who refuse to stand up? what are they afraid of? are they afraid if they say something bad and don't support the nra or various gun lobby actions, that they are going to have a commercial about them? with maybe a bull's-eye on them from the nra? >> i mean, yes actually. the thing you have to think about when it comes to republicans is how terrified all of them are, for the most, part of being pride way from
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the right. we are thankfully starting to see some lewis that this campaign cycle. but when it comes to guns, that is not an issue that i feel like is up for grabs, really, within the republican primary. you are seeing even so-called moderate republicans still pushing out ads featuring them with guns. you see in the pennsylvania senate primary race, which is on a recount right now. the two main candidates, mccormack and mehmet oz, were featured heavily in gun ads. so the people knew, we are pro wet the supreme court now says the second elements as. >> we were talking with us 1999 bill responding to qualify. let's play a clip from nbc nightly news after that tragedy. here it is. >> line of fire. in-depth coverage from the summer where gunman invaded a high school, shooting students. >> we are under the tables, and the glistening with across from me in the table shot in the head.
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>> moment by moment, a day of terror and tragedy. after eight school shootings in two years, when we learned about keeping kids safe? and the families painful lessons. boeing was a child in another school shooting. >> what people don't realize is that we have to do something. people realize. >> the calculus that's skill from nightly news tonight. >> one thing i want to quickly is it in 2021 we saw both gun control and gun rights groups spent the most in federal lobbying that they ever have. according to open secrets, the gun control groups spent two point $9 million in federal lobbying. the gun rights groups spent $50 million. vast spending. the spending has only been match in 2013 after sandy hook. >> following the money. and a lot of other things for us. hayes brown, good to see my friend. thank you. >> so who is hitting the road this weekend he was staying home? numbers my velocity with an answer. home numbers my velocity with a answer
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right now, we're all feelin' the squeeze. but walmart's got your back with thousands of rollbacks so you get everything you need to keep your summer rollin'. because when you save money, you can live better. right now, thousands of flyers are doing with like cancellations and delays and they have been doing it all weekend long. so far in the u.s. today, more than 200 flights have been canceled more than 1000 flights delayed. many of those 22 stormy weather, a delta airlines was hit the hardest with nearly one in ten flights canceled on saturday. those flyers are among more than 39 million americans traveling this weekend and they're paying some record high prices to do so. let's go to nbc scott cohn in castle valley, california, for us with gas prices at record highs. scott, where do experts think
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the prices are going to go the summer? >> alex, i don't have a whole lot of good news for you on that front. take a look, 6:59 a gallon here at this chevron station in the san francisco bay area. it's not like we had to go very far out of our way or out of our way at all to find prices that high. there is the average in california. $6, 14 cents a gallon. that is about 50% more than we are paying a year ago. in some rural parts of the state, it's over $7 a gallon. they do tend to be higher out here in california but nationally, same sort of deal. force dollars and 61 cents a gallon. that to his about 15 -- as you plan your trip -- get used to it. >> what we do know is that based on everything we're seeing, particularly on the price of oil which is driving these high gas prices. with oil not coming down in the foreseeable future, it's very likely that we're going to keep
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these high gas prices. >> jet fuel and gas prices that have in some places doubled or tripled since the last summer of travel, and a staffing shortages. it's a tough environment for low prices to be available. >> and indeed, it is beyond just gas prices. you can see that the price of airfare is up. roughly 40% from pre-pandemic levels. same thing with hotel rooms they are up sharply as well. right now, people still are heading to the road for the memorial day weekend. we'll see how long that kind of demand last summer. >> collab, okay. scott kahn, thanks for that and that's going to do it for me on this edition of alex reports. i'll see you again externity -- yasmin vossoughian catches our coverage from uvalde, texas. >> from uvalde, texas. >> from uvalde, texas. >> ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ ♪
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vossoughian. live for you in, uvalde texas. the latest seen on what is becoming an american ritual. the president of this country trying to comfort the victims of a mass shooting here, yet again. president biden in the first lady attending a mass right now as we speak after arriving in uvalde and visiting the memorial here at robb elementary school. the president visibly stake in, moved by the scene

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