my colleague alicia menendez picks it up. >>> hello, i'm alicia menendez. joe biden's build back better initiative close to crossing the finish line. right now the senate is spending a second weekend hammering out final touches on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. today the senate voted 67-27 to invoke cloture which essentially ends debate on the massive bill and paves the way for final consideration. but the timing of

my colleague alicia menendez picks up our news coverage now. taylor, wow. i blew that one. >> i'm alicia menendez. welcome to "american voices." at this hour, we're closely watching the senate floor. a group of bipartisan senators working through the weekend to agree on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. the latest from senate majority leader chuck schumer is that the bill's release is imminent. so any moment, we could get it, and we will bring it to you. but as we wait, some other big news to report from capitol hill this hour. backlash against the house minority leader for saying this last night. >> i'll make this one prophecy, if we win the majority, which i don't know we're going to, you're all invited. i want you to watch nancy pelosi hand me

i'm alicia menendez, u.s. nation's capital of kabul. president biden today authorizing a total of 5,000 troops to help evacuate u.s. embassy workers. defense officials at the pentagon tell nbc news that 1,000 of those troops are already in afghanistan. nbc news spoke to a taliban spokesperson, who says the militant group is aware of u.s. presence but would only act against troops if provoked. still another taliban commander says he expects to quote conquer and free kabul very quickly. the taliban defense has been swift. they have captured more than half the regional capitals in just a week, including the last

i'm alicia menendez. >>> dr.prove the vaccine by the end of the month. >> i hope, i hope -- i don't predict, but i hope it will be within the next few weeks. i hope it's within the month of august. >> okay. >> if that's the case, you're going to see the empowerment of local enterprises giving mandates. that could be colleges, universities, places of business, a whole variety, and i strongly support that. the time has come as we've got to go the extra step to get people vaccinated. >> meanwhile the fda is working to authorize extra doses of the covid vaccine for those with weakened immune systems as cases surge nationwide. "the new york times" reports people with impaired immune systems such as cancer patients would be able to get an extra dose legally as opposed to those trying to get the extra shot on their own. it's forcing the teachers union to reconsider mandating vaccines. >> i think that on a personal matter, as a matter of personal conscience, i think we need to be working with our employers, not opposing

i'm alicia menendez on this tuesday, august 10th. we'll start the news.begin with the latest on coronavirus as the delta variant causes infections to surge across the u.s. the u.s. case count now exceeds 36 million since the start of the pandemic. for the first time since february t country is averaging more than 10,000 new cases a day fueled largely by infections in areas with low vaccination rates. in some parts of the country, hospitals are nearing capacity with available icu beds available in the single digits. worse, in some instances, patients are being turned away. nbc's news correspondent morgan chesky has more. >> reporter: as the delta variant wreaks havoc nationwide, covid is on the rise in every state. the virus causing the highest number of u.s. cases since february, hitting the south where vaccination remains low is especially hard. in austin, texas, home to nearly a million people, only six icu beds remain open, residents getting this robocall over the weekend. >> the covid-19 situation in austin is dire. >> reporter: the attorney's top doc

i'm alicia menendez. this saturday, major news on multiple fronts. a the anniversary of a monumental march on washington. >>> plus president biden promised america was coming and the military has delivered retaliation against isis-k. the commander in chief says the terror group can expect more. >>> high alert along the gulf coast. hurricane ida is churning along louisiana, expected to slam ashore tomorrow. it adds insult to injury for hospitals across the coast already at a breaking point with covid patients. this is "american voices." >>> lots of news today. we'll begin this hour with the fight for voting rights. today thousands marched through the streets of d.c. and other american cities like phoenix, miami, and atlanta. the protesters united against the gop's sustained attacks on voting rights made possible by state legislatures and gop control. today the new president of the afl-cio, the largest federation of unions in the united states, spoke to nbc news on the sidelines of a rally in phoenix. >> we are concerned about what we're seeing in term

alicia menendez.ooearly. tooearly e the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. if you're 55 and up, t- mobile has plans built just for you. switch today and get 2 lines of unlimited and 2 free smartphones. plus you'll now get netflix on us. all this for up to 50% off vs. verizon. it's all included. 2 lines of unlimited for only $70 bucks. and this rate is fixed. you'll pay exactly $70 bucks total. this month and every month. only at t-mobile. as your business changes, the united states postal service is changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide, and returns right from the doorstep. it's a whole new world out t

i'm alicia menendez. i am going to see you tomorrow 6:00 p.m. eastern for more "american voices." a. >> hello alicia. thank you very much and hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. right now, voting rights rallies are underway across the country. protestors are demanding protection from a wave of ballot restrictions in republican-led states. we'll get into that with texas congresswoman sheila jackson lee. >>> president biden says another attack on the airport in kabul is, both, likely and imminent. this after a deadly u.s. drone strike against the terror group isis-k. >>> and a federal judge sanctions lawyers who spread former-president trump's big lie about the 2020 election. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, i'm joshua johnson. welcome to "the week." >>> let us begin tonight with hurricane ida. residents are trying to head inland as this major storm approaches. bill karins starts us off tonight with the latest on ida.

i'm alicia menendez, u.s. forces are now arriving in afghanistan as the taliban continues to advance on the nation's capital of kabul. president biden today authorizing a total of 5,000 troops to help evacuate u.s. embassy workers. defense officials at the pentagon tell nbc news that 1,000 of those troops are already in afghanistan. nbc news spoke to a taliban spokesperson, who says the militant group is aware of u.s. presence but would only act against troops if provoked. still another taliban commander says he expects to quote conquer and free kabul very quickly. the taliban defense has been swift. they have captured more than half the regional capitals in just a week, including the last northern strong province which fell today. this shows the group's flag being raised in the second largest city of kandahar, which the taliban captured yesterday. afghan president addressed his country today, and said he's focused on preventing further instability, and promised not to give up achievements of the last 20 years

i'm alicia menendez on this friday, august 20th.ll start with the news. >>> facing intense criticism over the exit from afghanistan, president biden will deliver remarks on the evacuation efforts. as of yesterday afternoon the u.s. had evacuated thousands of americans since saturday when the government began to collapse. nbc news correspondent kelly o'donnell has the latest. >> reporter: u.s. officials say another 6,000 people made it safely to the kabul airport awaiting evacuation. pressed repeatedly, officials at the departments of state and defense could not say how many americans still need to be rescued. >> i don't know with that level of detail. >> we're just not in a position to give a number right now. >> reporter: in an interview with abc, the president defended the evacuation mission despite chaos near the airport. >> well, there s but, look. no one's being killed right now. god forgive me if i'm wrong about that. but no one's being killed right now. >> reporter: among the most vulnerable, afghan women and girls, fearful o

my colleague alicia menendez picks it up. >>> hello, i'm alicia menendez. we begin with breaking news on capitol hill. a key part of president joe biden's build back better initiative close to crossing the finish line. right now the senate is spending a second weekend hammering out final touches on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. today the senate voted 67-27 to invoke cloture which essentially ends debate on the massive bill and paves the way for final consideration. but the timing of a final vote remains up in the air. here's senate majority leader chuck schumer earlier today. >> we can get this done the easy way or the hard way. it's in either case the senate will stay in session until we finish our work. it's up to my republican colleagues how long it takes. >> vice president kamala harris was seen on capitol hill today talking to senators about voting rights and support for that infrastructure bill. so what is at stake for the american people in much need of infrastructure investment? the bill includes $550 billion in spending for bridges, roads, publ

also joining me is alicia menendez, host of "american voices" right here on msnbc.

i'm alicia menendez. i'll see you here next weekend at 6:00 p.m.t host. hi, anand. >>> good evening. i'm in for mehdi hasan. tonight, the infrastructure bill is closer than ever to president biden's desk. we are moments away from a key vote. if it passes the senate, will the house take it up? and will progressives play ball? i'll ask congressman jamal bowman. then is it too little too late? some say the president should have done more for americans facing eviction before the moratorium expired. you will hear from sabrina davis, one of millions experiencing eviction. plus, retired lieutenant colonel alexander vindman came to america to escape authoritarianism, but has it followed him here? he joins us live. and governor andrew cuomo is heading for impeachment. can america shake its habit of toxic male leaders?

alicia menendez and jonathan capehart. thank you, thank you, thank you.c and gorgeous ladies. big ups to angela rye and jemele hill, the greatest vacation planners

hello, i'm alicia menendez. two pieces of breaking news as we come on air.ion,

i'm in for alicia menendez. it's been called the forever war. and tonight, it's officially over.l, the united states launched a war to oust the taliban as leaders of afghanistan. today, in the final stretch of america's withdrawal, the taliban resumed power. raising the question of what the last 20 years were for. and what the future holds for a country awash in chaos and hardship, and in particular, women and girls there who tonight have been plunged back into rule by a regime dedicated to their subjugation. new video from al jazeera shows what the end of a fragily democratic government looks like. it reportedly shows the taliban inside the presidential palace in kabul, sitting in the chair that afghan president

i'm alicia menendez.e ida remains a category-4 storm, maintaining its strength, slamming much of southern louisiana and mississippi. as the national weather service in new orleans put it moments ago, ida is not weakening. this is not what you want to see. ida made landfall near port fourchon, louisiana, in the afternoon. and by the hour, video like this from houma, louisiana, showing the power of this storm, entire roofs ripped away. then there's flooding from rain and storm surge. before it's all over, up to 20 inches could douse southern louisiana. higher than the total from katrina, which hit new orleans 16 years ago today. at this moment, some half a million people are without power

i'm alicia menendez. our coverage continues. mehdi hasan after this break. whiter teeth. its highly active peroxide droplets swipe on in seconds. better. faster. 100% whiter teeth. crestwhitesmile.com i became a sofi member because i needed to consolidate my credit card debt. i needed just one simple way to pay it all off. it was an easy decision to apply with sofi loans, just based on the interest rate and how much i would be saving. there was only one that stood out and one that actually made sense and that was sofi personal loans. it felt so freeing. i felt like i was finally out of this neverending trap of interest and payments and debt. ♪♪ i can't let diabetes get in my way. i've got way too much stuff to do. interest and payments and debt. so here's what i do. i wear this dexcom g6. it continuously sends my glucose numbers to my phone. and this arrow shows me where i'm headed and how fast. without fingersticks or scanning, making it much easier to keep my glucose in range. which for me is between 100 and 160. and the more time i spend in range, the bet

i'm alicia menendez. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. eastern for more "american voices." but for now, i'll hand it over to joshua johnson. >> thank you, alicia. >>> tonight, the $1 trillion infrastructure bill is one step closer to becoming law. one senator stands in the way of a final vote. so how soon can we expect one? >>> elections in the atlanta area could be under new leadership, through a process that georgia republicans have started. last night, i spoke with one of georgia's top election officials. tonight, fulton committee chairman rob pitts gives his response. >>> also, florida breaks another record for daily covid cases. nearly 24,000 cases just yesterday. the start of the school year is right around the corner. how concerned should parents be? >>> and the future of travel president biden is pushing for 50% of new vehicles to be electric. how might that change the way that you think about cars? from nbc news world headquarters in new york, i'm joshua johnson. welcome to "the week." . >>> it's been infrastructure week all year

i'm alicia menendez. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. and it over to joshua johnson. >> thank you, alicia. >>> tonight, the $1 trillion infrastructure bill is one step closer to becoming law. one senator stands in the way of a final vote. so how soon can we expect one? >>> elections in the atlanta area could be under new leadership, through a process that georgia republicans have started. last night, i spoke with one of georgia's top election officials. tonight, fulton committee chairman rob pitts gives his response. >>> also, florida breaks another record for daily covid cases. nearly 24,000 cases just yesterday. the start of the school year is right around the corner. how concerned should parents be? >>> and the future of travel president biden is pushing for 50% of new vehicles to be

i'm alicia menendez in for nicolle wallace. there is new urgency in the mission to evacuate americans and allies from afghanistan. just a day after a devastating bombing by isis that killed 13 u.s. service members and more than 100 afghan civilians, national security officials have reportedly told the president another terror attack in kabul is likely. the pentagon today warning of, quote, specific credible threats while clarifying that yesterday's attack involved a single suicide bomber and one or more gunman at a gate to the kabul airport and there was not a second explosion at the hotel nearby as was originally reported. with just a few days to go before u.s. forces leave evacuation flights are still under way. more than 12,000 people were flown out in the last 24 hours. the state department believes the number of americans looking to leave afghanistan now in the hundreds. crowds are still gathering near kabul airport, a scene here in satellite photos not far from the site of yesterday's attack. "the new york times" describi

i'm alicia menendez on this august 19th. >>> the biden administration is employing new strategies toht the new virus like encouraging booster shots and mandating vaccinations for staff. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: making it official, the first booster shots for the general public will go in the arms on the 20th. most adults fully vaccinated for the first eight months will qualify. a top priority, protecting health care workers, nursing home residents, and seniors who were vaccinated first. the booster shot, a third dose of the same formula and vaccine for those who were fully inoculated with pfizer or moderna. >> it will be easy. just show your vaccination card, and you'll get a booster. >> reporter: for those vaccinated with johnson & johnson, a booster will likely be needed, but for now there's simply not enough data, citing a multiple variety. the cdc released complex charts and bar graphs containing data from pfizer and moderna. the takeaway is simple. your chances of catching the virus increased. still, effectiveness against hospitalization while slightly

i'm alicia menendez. this saturday, major news on multiple fronts.monumental march on washington. >>> plus president biden promised america was coming and the military has delivered retaliation against isis-k. the commander in chief says the terror group can expect more. >>> high alert along the gulf coast. hurricane ida is

i'm alicia menendez, now i hand it over to my colleague joshua johnson. >> hello, it is good to be with does this mean for the troops? we'll have the latest. >>> we are watching haiti after a 7.2 earthquake struck this morning. the prime minister has declared a state of emergency. >>> also, 40% of last week's covid hospitalizations came from two states, florida and texas. an er doctor from texas will share what he is dealing with now. >>> and the new census data out this week will fuel a new round of redistricting. how that plays out out could decide who controls congress. in new york, i'm joshua johnson, welcome to "the week." we begin in northern afghanistan, where the taliban have taken its last major city. the collapse of

i'm alicia menendez. i'm going to see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. eastern for more "american voices" but for now, i hand to over to my colleague, joshua johnson. hello, joshua. >> as soon as you used the phrase witch hunt, i was like i know the story. i don't know about you but that gives me huge hope for the future. they were amazing. so, very cool. thank for ending with that story, alicia. you have a good night. hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. wish we could start with a more pleasant story but we, of course, start with afghanistan because president biden met with his national security team today. theys discussed the security situation there and counterterrorism operations. >>> pennsylvania congresswoman susan wild will join us to consider what happens now. >>> plus, covid remains a critical situation in alabama. >>> and also, in florida. today, that state passed 3 million confirmed cases. florida's governor is giving some school districts 48 hours to drop their mask mandates or face losing some funding. >>> and donald trump is hol

i'm alicia menendez, now i hand it over to my colleague joshua johnson. >> hello, it is good to be with you tonight a. growing number of provincial capitals in afghanistan are under taliban control. what does this mean for the troops? we'll have the latest. >>> we are watching haiti after a 7.2 earthquake struck this morning. the prime minister has declared a state of emergency. >>> also, 40% of last week's covid hospitalizations came from two states, florida and texas. an er doctor from texas will share what he is dealing with now. >>> and the new census data out this week will fuel a new round of redistricting. how that plays out out could decide who controls congress. in new york, i'm joshua johnson, welcome to "the week." we begin in northern afghanistan, where the taliban have taken its last major city. the collapse of mazar-e-sharif they have taken three capitals just this week. today president biden authorized troops to the legion. kelly kobiaya starts us off tonight from kabul. >> reporter: well, the president has announced that 5,000 troops will now be heading to afghanistan to

. >> earlier we had senator warren on with my colleague alicia menendez.fident are you you're going to get to bed before sunrise? it seems like this has been going on quite sometime. >> it has been going on for a long time because quite frankly, the specifics are difficult to draft. one, the committees were not involved in the original drafting and, goes. we have been very busy all weekend making sure that the bill is drafted properly. i am confident that we'll see the bill tonight. and that we'll start voting on amendments tomorrow. i know that it's been a long process, but the prize at the end is not only passing this infrastructure bill, but getting on to the budget reconciliation bill which is so important for the american people. >> what's the biggest thing, senator, that you like about this package, at least as you understand it so far, and the biggest thing that you would like to see improved? >> what i like about this bill, it incorporates the work of the committees on the transportation infrastructure that will significantly increase our ability o

also joining me is alicia menendez, host of "american voices" right here on msnbc. josh, walk us there what we are expecting to hear in the president, hopefully beginning any mom. >> reporter: we expect to hear the president, when he speaks, try to change the focus from the rough initial phase of this drawdown and this evacuation, on to the progress that the white house feels they have made over the last 72 hours or so, in ramping up what they are calling one of the largest airlift operations in history. so they are going to be pointing to some of the numbers that show that they're getting more and more people out of afghanistan, including about 3900 people in the most recent 24-hour period, according to the white house, who were airlifted on u.s. military aircraft making for a total of 25,000 since august 14th, who versus airlifted on military as well as commercial flights. the president has a lot of explaining to, as he's under a barrage of criticism, not only from u.s. allies, including nato and g7 members who the president will meet with virtually on tuesday, bu

i'm alicia menendez. i'm going to see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.o over to my colleague, joshua johnson. hello, joshua. >> as soon as you used the phrase witch hunt, i was like i know the story. i don't know about you but that gives me huge hope for the future. they were amazing. so, very cool. thank for ending with that story, alicia. you have a good night. hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. wish we could start with a more pleasant story but we, of course, start with afghanistan because president biden met with his national security team today. theys discussed the security situation there and counterterrorism operations. >>> pennsylvania congresswoman susan wild will join us to consider what happens now. >>> plus, covid remains a critical situation in alabama. >>> and also, in florida. today, that state passed 3 million confirmed cases. florida's governor is giving some school districts 48 hours to drop their mask mandates or face losing some

i'm alicia menendez. i'm going to see you back here tomorrow 6:00 p.m. now, i hand it over to my colleague, joshua johnson. hello, joshua. >> hello, alicia. thank you very much. and hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. right now, the senate awaits the final text of the bipartisan infrastructure bill after a rare-saturday session. if it passes the senate, will progressives in the house support it? >>> we'll speak to the vice chair of the house progressive caucus. >>> plus, the delta variant is sparking new concerns. today, florida reported its highest-daily caseload, since the pandemic started. the president's former-senior adviser for covid response, andy slavitt, joins us live. >>> also, a report suggests that republicans could retake the house, just by re-districting four southern states. it is mathematically possible

i'm alicia menendez. i'm going to see you back here tomorrow 6:00 p.m. eastern for more "american voices." but for now, i hand it over to my colleague, joshua johnson. hello, joshua. >> hello, alicia. thank you very much. and hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. right now, the senate awaits the final text of the bipartisan infrastructure bill after a rare-saturday session. if it passes the senate, will progressives in the house support it? >>> we'll speak to the vice chair of the house progressive caucus. >>> plus, the delta variant is sparking new concerns. today, florida reported its highest-daily caseload, since the pandemic started. the president's former-senior adviser for covid response, andy slavitt, joins us live. >>> also, a report suggests that republicans could retake the house, just by re-districting four southern states. it is mathematically possible but is it politically probable? and how might a pared down voting rights bill affect that? >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, i'm joshua johnson. welcome to "the week."

hello, i'm alicia menendez. two pieces of breaking news as we come on air. the senate working to improve america. the chamber back at it this evening working through another sunday session, nearing the end of the road on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. majority leader chuck schumer with a progress report. >> i repeat, that democrats are ready and willing to vote on additional amendments to the bill before moving to final passage. once again, that will require the cooperation of our republican colleagues. i hope they will cooperate so we could move for quickly. other wise we'll proceed by the book. >> next, comes a vote expected within the next hour or so on an amendment to finalize the bill's language. if that happens on our watch, we will let you know. and the other big story this sunday. new testimony by trump's former acting a.g. revealing previously unknown efforts to subvert the 2020 election. "the new york times" first report that jeffrey rosen had a two hour meeting friday with the justice department's office of the inspector general. and then satur

i'm alicia menendez. this saturday, major news on multiple fronts .on voting rights on the anniversary of the monumental march on washington. former secretary julian castro on where this fight goes next. >>> president biden promised america was coming and the military has delivered retaliation against isis-k. the commander in chief says the terror group can expect more. >>> high alert along the gulf coast. hurricane ida is churning toward louisiana, picking up speed, expected to slam the shore by this time tomorrow. it adds insult to injury for hospitals already at a breaking point with covid patients. this is "american voices." >>> we'll begin this

i'm alicia menendez, now i hand it over to my colleague joshua johnson. >> hello, it is good to be withstan are under taliban control. what does this mean for the troops? we'll have the latest. >>> we are watching haiti after a 7.2 earthquake struck this morning. the prime minister has declared a state of emergency. >>> also, 40% of last week's covid hospitalizations came from two states, florida and texas. an er doctor from texas will share what he is dealing with now. >>> and the new census data out this week will fuel a new round

i'm alicia menendez in for nicolle wallace.inst the clock. at least 21,000 people have been flown out in the past 24 hours. that's more than at any point in the mission. in total, 58,700 americans and afghans have been evacuated since august 14th. this hour the president will announce that the united states is sticking to its deadline of withdrawing all forces from afghanistan by august 31st. we're going to bring you his remarks live when they happen. one official telling nbc news that the situation is fluid and things could still change. quote,

. >> i'm alicia menendez. welcome to "american voices." at this hour, we're closely watching the senate floor. a group of bipartisan senators working through the weekend to agree on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. the latest from senate majority leader chuck schumer is that the bill's release is imminent. so any moment, we could get it, and we will bring it to you. but as we wait, some other big news to report from capitol hill this hour. backlash against the house minority leader for saying this last night. >> i'll make this one prophecy, if we win the majority, which i don't know we're going to, you're all invited. i want you to watch nancy pelosi hand me that gavel. it'll be hard not to hit her with it, but -- >> democrats saying congressman kevin mccarthy has gone too far. california congressman eric swalwell of house judiciary tweeting, america has suffered enough violence around politics. gop leader mccarthy is now a would-be assailance of speaker pelosi. he needs to katherine clark of massachusetts, this is exactly who the republ

i'm in for alicia menendez. it's been called the forever war. and tonight, it's officially over. and here's the bitter truth. america lost. 20 years ago this fall, the united states launched a war to oust the taliban as leaders of afghanistan. today, in the final stretch of america's withdrawal, the taliban resumed power. raising the question of what the last 20 years were for. and what the future holds for a country awash in chaos and hardship, and in particular, women and girls there who tonight have been plunged back into rule by a regime dedicated to their subjugation. new video from al jazeera shows what the end of a fragily democratic government looks like. it reportedly shows the taliban inside the presidential palace in kabul, sitting in the chair that afghan president ashraf ghani relinquished just hours ago. he fled his country after the taliban advanced into kabul. he posted a statement on facebook saying he thought it was best to, quote, get out. president biden and vice president harris are monitoring developments by the hour, both were briefed by the national securi

i'm alicia menendez. i'm going to see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.and to over to my colleague, joshua johnson. hello, joshua. >> as soon as you used the phrase witch hunt, i was like i know the story. i don't know about you but that gives me huge hope for the future. >> yes. those eighth graders, you can trust them with anything. >> they were amazing. so, very cool. thank for ending with that story, alicia. you have a good night. hello to you. it is good to be with you tonight. wish we could start with a more pleasant story but we, of

alicia menendez and jonathan capehart. thank you, thank you, thank you. so i spent almost a week apiece in mant yooego bay, jamaica, a country that actually takes covid seriously, and cabo san lucas, mexico. with these dynamic and gorgeous ladies. big ups to angela rye and jemele hill, the greatest vacation planners ever. and the other machetes. sunny hostin, tiffany cross, erin haynes, latasha barnes, alicia garzia and brittany pac man cunningham. we had the best time as you can see. and i know a lot has gone on while i've been away. this delta variant has now mutated again into delta plus. and some of your governors are belatedly figuring out that this is actually out of freaking control. we'll get to that later in the show. and mary trump will be here to talk about her new book. and you know i've got to ask her what happened on "the view" this week. and there's a lot more. but we begin "the reidout" tonight with the state of new york where new york city has finally gotten the ball rolling implementing a serious vaccine mandate which will probably save

i'm alicia menendez. a busy sunday of breaking news along the gulf coast where as we come on the air, hurricane ida remains a category-4 storm, maintaining its strength, slamming much of southern louisiana and mississippi. as the national weather service in new orleans put it moments ago, ida is not weakening. this is not what you want to see. ida made landfall near port fourchon, louisiana, in the afternoon. and by the hour, video like this from houma, louisiana, showing the power of this storm, entire roofs ripped away. then there's flooding from rain and storm surge. before it's all over, up to 20 inches could douse southern louisiana. higher than the total from katrina, which hit new orleans 16 years ago today. at this moment, some half a million people are without power across louisiana. and that number grows by the minute. here's president biden a short time ago at fema headquarters. >> this is going to be a devastating, devastating hurricane. a life-threatening storm. so please, all you folks in mi

>> alicia menendez, thank you for that. day in 20 years of warfare that the u.s. has been involved in at afghanistan, this tragic news, the loss of a dozen u.s. marines who died serving their country and think of the people alive today because of the actions of these u.s. in a reasons over the past several days, part of this successful air bridge the united states has established getting americans and their afghan counterparts out of that country. retired retired u.s. army four star general barry mccaffrey among those with us for our coverage as we are awaiting president biden at the top of the hour. all indications from the white house are that he is, indeed, on time and we will be hearing from the president at 5:00. general mccaffrey, i know you have been in touch with colleagues of yours. i know you have been watching the coverage as it has unfolded. if you are the combatant commander on the ground in afghanistan, where are your thoughts and priorities right now? >> well, i think general mackenzie, who is a superb, very

i'm alicia menendez in for nicolle wallace. the mission in afghanistan now a race against the clock. at least 21,000 people have been flown out in the past 24 hours. that's more than at any point in the mission. in total, 58,700 americans and afghans have been evacuated since august 14th. this hour the president will announce that the united states is sticking to its deadline of withdrawing all forces from afghanistan by august 31st. we're going to bring you his remarks live when they happen. one official telling nbc news that the situation is fluid and things could still change. quote, we think we can be done by august 31 if all stays on track. but if a terror attack shuts down the airport or if the taliban prevents americans or our visa holders, et cetera, from coming, then we may need more time. the administration had been facing intense pressure to keep troops past the august 31st deadline not just from western allies who pressed the president in an emergency meeting of the g-7 earlier today, but also from allies in congres

joining us now, mike barnicle, eugene robinson and alicia menendez. good morning to you all.lamar jackson, so many of these guys are heroes, people look up to them. lamar jackson saying despite having covid twice he needs to learn more about the vaccine before getting it. >> incomprehensible, lamar jackson is a great quarterback but setting a terrible example for his fans. and he says he's looking into the vaccine, he apparently hasn't heard of long term covid. he's had the disease twice. he had bad symptoms twice. now it's not -- he didn't have asymptomatic cases. he was home sick. quite ill. and he got better. he could get it again. and that endangers his season and his team. his teammates. it's just -- so i hope the doctors are telling him the right thing and i hope he listens. >> mike, we've seen this in the nfl, in professional baseball, in the nba, a reluctance among the athletes, of course, it's their right not to get the vaccine, but again so many people take their cues from the huge sports stars. >> yeah. you know, lamar jackson is a tremendous quarterback, athlete,