switched its string water source from the detroit minister pull system into the toxic waters of the flint river all in an effort to save money the tragedy only revealed after the general motors engine plant noticed corrosion caused by high levels of chloride in the water coming from the flint river the decision to switch the water source eventually exposed residents in the most block in lower income communities to high levels of blood and prompted more than a dozen lawsuits against those involved at the same time bacteria in the water was blamed for an hour. of legionnaires' disease that left 12 and others it was snyder's administration who was in charge during that water crisis now i spoke to michigan's attorney general's office and while they aren't releasing anything at this time they did tell me they are working diligently on 2 types of investigations one is the civil side which the a.g.'s effort and the other is the criminal side which is being led by the solicitor general and special prosecutor reporter going to york trinity child as r.t. . or a boy a boy criminal and civil they're not ho

>> reporter: after the city of flint switched from the detroit water system to the contaminated flint river to cut costs in 2014, at least 12 people died. 80 others were sickened and thousands of children exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water flint mother leann walters said she and her four children have been battling health problems for years and she has this message for those charged. >> how did you let the cries of a whole entire city go unnoticed? why did common sense not kick in to say something was wrong? >> reporter: governor snyder's lawyer calls the case against him a flimsy one and a waste of tax payer money lester >> gabe, thanks. >>> now our nbc news exclusive. the top disease official in china speaking about the origins of the coronavirus, and as the w.h.o. begins investigating how it first appeared in wuhan here's janis mackey frayer >> reporter: tonight, one year after the virus emerged, a world health organization team is in wuhan though two scientists were denied entry after testing positive for antibodies the latest hurdle with china weary of blame the cou

snyder was governor in 2014 when flint switched its water source to the flint river to save money. properly. that allowed massive amounts of lead to be pumped into homes in the predominantly black city. the lead was also blamed for a deadly outbreak of leginnaires' disease. snyder has been accused of mishandling the crisis and covering up the dangers. >>> "the minneapolis star-tribune" says fired police officer derek chauvin will be tried separately in the death of george floyd. a state judge ordered chauvin to stand trial in march on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. three other fired officers charged in connection with floyd's death will be tried together in august. chauvin pressed his knee against floyd's next for several minutes in may while floyd was handcuffed facedown on the street. a community organizer in minneapolis says that the fight for justice will continue. >> we ne t t minneapolis police department accountable to the fullest. that goes beyond the four officers. that goes to all the cops who have killed people in the past, who will poten

construction delays the state a point of emergency manager switches the city water sorest of the flint river without corrosion controls lead to leeches from old pipes discolored water smells and tastes bad the general motors plant discontinues using flint water as engine parts corrode due to high chlorine levels children test with high lead levels and it was later determined that some of those test results were falsified 12 people died of legionnaires disease 2015 virginia tech scientists test and determined that the water is not safe for drinking or cooking 2016 fed. state of emergency is declared the national guard is mobilized to distribute bottled water 2017 lead levels are measured below 15 parts per 1000000000 that's the e.p.a. action level and the state ends water bill subsidies study demonstrates decreased fertility rates and increased fetal deaths since the 2014 switch 2019 pipes are being replaced 7 of 15 officials accused of fouling flints water and failing to address the crisis take pleas with no jail time 2 years ago on this show legalities from detroit is for environmental just

100,000 people when, to save money, the state's switched the city's water supply to come from the flint river. leeann walters was one of the first residents to ring the alarm. >> there are huge victories that have accomplished, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. >> reporter: nearly seven years later, even though officials say the tap is safe, residents like shirley drake still rely on bottled water. >> i don't trust the water in the pipes. >> reporter: jim annerneck, a michigan state senator, doesn't like his 5-year-old son drinking the water. >> especially in younger people, we're going to have to deal with this for a generation. some people i don't think will ever feel there's justice, but i think criminal convictions of folks will be a start. >> reporter: and david, the former governor and the others charged have all posted bail and been released. david? >> all right, alex perez tonight. alex, thank you. >>> and when we come back here tonight, that winter storm on the move this evening. alerts now in 15 states as the system hits the midwest and then the east in a moment

100,000 people when, to savmoney, the state's switched the city's water supply to come from the flint river. lee ann waters was one of the first residents to ring the alarp. >> there are huge victories, but there is still a lot of work that needs the be done. >> reporter: nearly seven years later, even though officials say the tap is safe. residents like shirley drake still rely on bottled water. >> i d't water in the pipes. >> one of the real tragedies is th avoided if they just would havet think we'll ever feel there was justice but criminal convictions of folks will be a start. >> reporter: and david, the char ged have all posted bail and been released. david? >> all right, alex perez tonight. thank you. >>> and when we come back here tonight, that winter storm on the move this evening. alerts now in 15 states as the system hits the midwest and then the east in a moment. those who du more with less asthma. thanks to dupixent. the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathin

they, instead, would start getting their water from the local flint river. and they made the switch -- i'm going to understate it wildly here, though -- they made the switch improperly. among other things, river water is much more corrosive to pipes than lake water is. but they ignored that. they didn't treat the water before they pumped it into the city and the city's water pipes, and that corrosive, untreated water, in a totally predictable way, basically destroyed the pipes in the city's water system, and that's what created the disaster. it created a number of disgusting consequences for the people of that city that were immediately apparent to them. the people of the city of flint could instantly tell there was something wrong with their water, as soon as it was switched. they besieged their local officials -- at least their local officials in name, to the extent that they had any -- they confronted the people who they thought ought to be in charge of these things, immediately, as soon as they saw the switch was made. but that's the beauty of having an

and instead, they said let them drink from the flint river. we can save more money that way. s was seven years ago. everybody in flint who drank water was poisoned at some level with some sort of toxic material in them of the but it was the children. children who ingests lead, it never leaves them. the effect on them is permanent. there are over 10,000 children in flint with permanent, permanent, lifetime, brain damage. there is no way to fix it. no way to change it. these children were ruined by this. after a year or two, they covered it up. this is a bigger crime. the one way it intersects with what's going on, this governor must not be let off the hook. he has to be prosecuted for the actual crimes that he did. the president of the united states, if they do not try him and convict him, the message to all other politicians is, have at it. and especially if it is a city that's poor and black, have at it even more. because nothing will happen to you. that is what they have learned. if that's the lesson from future presidents when this happens with trump, we're all doomed with

he appointed a manager who decided to use water from the flint river for drinking in the predominantly tainted with lead and untreated. a woman on death row executed for the first time in 70 years. lisa montgomery of kansas was put to death by lethal injection earlier today after the supreme court cleared the way. she had killed a pregnant woman and cut the baby from the womb in 2004. israel carried out airstrikes in syria, targeting iranian-backed fighters and stockpiles. syrian media say they hit towns near the iranian border. at least 57 fighters were killed. in north korea, the ruling parties congress came to a close, with kim jong-un calling for a beefed-up arsenal. party members applauded the leader at the gathering in pyongyang. he vowed to oppose forces. >> by accelerating the push to make our military stronger, we need them prepared to play their role against threats and unexpected situations. stephanie: north korea faces the toughest challenges of kim's nine year rule, from sanctions, to the pandemic, to crop losses. the u.s. imposed the most serious measures against china's

years ago when in attempt to save money, the city switched its water source from lake huron to the flint riverto both state and national emergency declarations. the water supply for the city of 100,000 people became contaminated with lead from pipes along with bacteria for a deadly outbreak of legionnaires' disease that claim 12 lives. snyder has faced heavy criticism for his handling of the crisis but has maintained he responded to it as best as he could. >> if you were involved in something that didn't go right, if you had people beneath you that didn't do the things that could've avoided this or dealt with this problem that the first of all he should take responsibility. so i'm trying to stand up and take responsibility like our value system says we should. >> six years later, flint is still replacing its lead pipes that led to this disaster and despite the epa and others saying it is now safe to drink, many residents continue to rely on the bottled water on a daily basis. >> bret: thank you. up next, president trump celebrates the border wall, joe biden has other ideas and has for some tim

snyder was governor when state officials in flint switched the city's water to the flint river in 2014 as a cost saving measure that move caused lead to spoil the water for nearly 100,000 residents. standards that she has released a statement downplaying a potential criminal prosecution as only a political move. and this just in to breaking news, the house of representatives in washington has just officially passed a resolution calling on vice president mike pence to invoke the 25th amendment and remove president trump from office, this is a live look at the capitol building in dc the vote was largely along party lines. 223 votes for it 205 against it. vice president pence earlier today in a statement said he is not going to invoke the 25th amendment and the resolution carries no legal weight here but it sets up impeachment tomorrow that comes the night before the house is going to vote to impeach the president for quote inciting insurrection. >>i switch gears here for a moment time for a 4 zone forecast we're getting a live. right now. a beautiful shot of the golden gate bridge from o

sickened are legionnaires disease when the city switched the water supply from lake hurron to the flint river the lead pipes and not only did people die but children have life long developmental disorders, major implications for so many kids in flint because of that decision. >> and it took years to address. it is just alarming. >>> 2020 candidate andrew yang will rick off his run for mayor this morning. yang has lived in new york for some 25 years. raising his two children there. he is, however, facing a packed field, including a former hud secretary, former police captain and the city controller. >> of course he became well-known in the primary for his trademark policy idea that is a universal basic income. it is something that he's championed for a long time and is something that he would try to effect in new york if he is elected mayor. >> >>> well a new intelligence bullet is warning that the capitol attack may moat vaf extremists to more violence and offline chatter is now off the charts. we'll have new details ahead. >>> busy news morning to you. i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlo

officials in flint switched the city's water supply from detroit's water system to the flint river.to dangerous levels of michigan's solicitor general said this about the charges against former governor schneider. >> let me be clear. there are no velvet ropes in our criminal justice system. nobody, no matter how powerful or well-connected, is above accountability when they commit a crime. >> joining us now is congressman dan kildee. he was important and raised in flint and represents the area in congress. congressman, good evening. >> thanks, joshua, thanks for having me on. >> what does justice look like in this case and do you expect justice to be done in this case? >> well, it remains to be seen whether justice will be done. i never get ahead of a criminal investigation or criminal charges. i think the process will work itself out. and the people of flint finally will have their day in court. but justice for flint comes in lots of forms. holding these individuals accountable, especially thinking about the times we're in right now, seeing that the state of michigan, this current p

unelected emergency manager, appointed by then-governor snyder, switched flint's water supply to the flint river as a cost-saving measure. the move has been linked to at least 12 deaths from an outbreak of legionnaires' disease and widespread lead poisoning in residents, including children, in the majority-black city. michigan's solicitor general fadwa hammoud spoke thursday. >> at this very moment, the people of flint continue to suffer from the categorical failure of public officials at all levels of government. who trampled upon their trust and evaded accountability for far too long. there are no velvet ropes in our criminal justice system. nobody, no matter how powerful or well-connected, is about accountability when they commit a crime. amy: to see our documentary "thirsty for democracy: the poisoning of an american city," go to democracynow.org. in immigration news, a new damning report published by the justice department directly implicates president trump in aggressively pushing for harsher, crueler immigration policies despite knowing this would lead to the separation of thousands of as

flint had switched its water supply from the detroit water system, of course, to the contaminated flint river devastating. there were at least 12 people killed, 80 sick. thousands of children exposed potentially to lead and many of those residents have been seeking justice for several years and many have blamed some of the officials in charge. now back in 2017, there were some local officials that were charged. however, one of them was charged with involuntary manslaughter but those charges were dropped two years later in 2019 citing special counsel in the investigation. right now he has been charged with willful neglect of duty. there may be more charges coming, including a former public works director in michigan. we expect to learn more from michigan's attorney general and local prosecutors at a news conference within the hour. >> gabe, gutierrez, live for us there, thank you so much. appreciate it. >>> president trump impeached again back here in washington, all eyes are on the senate this morning. you know the question is now. will donald trump now become the first president in history t

unelected emergency manager, appointed by then-governor snyder, switched flint's water supply to the flint river as a cost-saving measure. the move has been linked to at least 12 deathfrom an outbreak of legionnaires' disease and widespread lead poisoning in residents, including children, in the majority black city. to see our documentary on the poisoning of an american city, go to democracynow.org. and billionaire casino owner and republican megadonor sheldon adelson has died at the age of 87. adelsowas donald trump's largest single donor during the 2016 race. since 2015, adelson donated more than $250 million to trump, other republicans, and right-wing super pac's. he was also an influential political power in israel where he used his news outlets to back prime minister benjamin netanyahu and the expansion of illegal israeli settlements in the occupied palestinian territories. he will be buried in israel. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the quarantine report. when we come back, we turn to yale scholar timothy snyder, talking about the american aby

court documents show the emergency manager snyder appointed started using the flint river for the city'ser supply even though it was contaminated with lead 12 people died from a legionnaires' outbreak that the experts say was linked to that dirty water. former governor snyder could spend up to a year in prison if convicted. >>> confirmation hearings begin to fill out the incoming cabinet. nominees for secretary of defense, state and treasury all questionedby senate panels their agenda for the first tu day as head. >>> plus, covid watch. vaccinating our way to herd immunity but some states report they're about to run out and that people are overdue for a second shot. cnbc's meg terrell takes a look at where we stand and this week marks one year since the first coronavirus case in the united states in the past 12 months 400,000 americans have died. tonight and for the first time the nation mourns together sights and sounds from a ceremony led by the incoming president of the united states it's either the assurance of a 165-point certification process. or it isn't. it's either testing an ar

rick snyder was governor in 2014 when state managers switched the city's water supply to the flint rivert treated properly and lead leak from the old pipes and tainted the water distribution center. excuse me water distribution system for 100,000 people. snyder was charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty. those air misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1000 fine. former presidential candidate andrew yang announced his candidacy today for mayor of new york. he posted a two minute video on twitter talking about his love for the city and how he plans to change it. we'll take back control of our subway and clear of the closing doors. please will create a people's bank, so it stops being so expensive to be poor advocacy for universal basic income is so critical executive and was a democratic candidate for president last year, a media event is scheduled for tomorrow. i don't know where the money is going to come from for people to pay taxes still to come here. millions of people will soon be paying taxes on unemployment benefits, the added financial burden on people

scandal in flint, michigan, where they switched the water supply from detroit to the contaminated flint river people were killed. we can tell you just this morning a short time ago, former michigan governor rich snyder was actually arraigned on two counts of willful neglect of duty, punishable by up to a year in prison and up to a $1,000 fine. we also understand that the former public works director also will face those same charges. this, again, copcomes years aft the scandal. it comes after in 2017, there were michigan officials that were charged by then. one with involuntary manslaughter, a more serious charge. those charges were actually dropped in 2019, two years later, because of concerns with how the special counsel at the time conducted that investigation. michigan's attorney general right now, we are listening to this news conference, is announcing the results of the wide ranging investigation, something that had been anticipated by many of the families in flintthat had been watching closely. we have not heard from rick snyder. his attorney did tell the associated press, i believe ye

after state-appointed officials switched the city's water supply in 2014 from lake huron to the flint river-cutting move. the more corrosive river water damaged the city's aging pipes, causing lead to leach into the drinking water. ariana hawk's son suffered from blisters and skin rashes. when we visited her home in 2019, she told us the lingering effects included a loss of trust. are you angry? >> of course i'm angry. i am more upset and hurt. it is hurting because they are people we trust every day. john yang: tests today show flint's water is safe to drink, but work to replace the city's damaged pipes is still incomplete. flint activist -- >> it seems we have been forgotten. nobody is sitting in jail. if i poison deal, we would -- i would be sitting in jail. we are coming up on years of seven being in a prison where we can't even be safe in our own homes. then, of course, under covid, we have all been locked indoors, and we're stuck using this water. john yang: compounding a situation that still dominates life in this majority-black city. in november, the michigan attorney general announ

. >> after the city of flint switched from the detroit water system to the contaminated flint river to 80 others sickened and thousands of children were exposed to high levels of led in their drinking water. >> this case has nothing whatsoever to do with partisanship, it has to do with human decency, abandoning the people of flint and final, finally holding people accountable. >> eight other former officials and charged, two with involuntary manslaughter. >>> joanne rodgers, widow of the famed fred rodgers, died at the age of 92. >> hi. >> you remember mrs. rodgers? >> reporter: for 50 years joanne and fred rodgers built a family with two children of their own and millions more they never met. >> oh, queen share. >> when fred died in 2003, joanne kept his legacy alive and relevant. >> he did his very best. >> reporter: renowned magician siegfried passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. the illusionist known for his las vegas acts was 81 years old. >> it's not a magic show, a show with magic moments. >> his death comes eight months after roy horn died from covid-19 complicati

water system was contaminated with lead in 2014 after managers switched the city's water to the flint riverelling you about, good news and bad news this morning. the bad news is there were no tickets matching all six numbers in last night's drawing, so no one takes home the prize which brings us, of course, to the good news. the jackpot is on the rise $750 million up for grabs in friday's drawing if you can't manage to wait until then, there's always powerball. that's tonight that drawing worth a cool $550 million. >>> now to a new concern tied to the threats of more extremist violence in washington and at all 50 state capitols. ahead of next week's inauguration. >> as police and the military work to tighten security, there are mounting questions this morning about potential sympathizers in their own ranks. >> nbc's gabe gutierrez is at the michigan state capitol in lansing. hey, gabe. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. michigan's attorney general tells us that authorities plan to put up new fencing to protect the state capitol behind me. lansing's mayor is calling on the govern

minutes ago prosecutors say he was negligent when he took flint off of detroit's water supply and switched it to untreated water from the riveraire's disease that killed 12 people. he pled not guilty. prosecutors have charged other state officials in recent years but those charges were ultimately dropped. >>> just ahead, social media is teeming with threats of violence ahead of inauguration day. but conspiracies that the election was stolen from president trump will not end with the inauguration of joe biden, and neither will the growing threat of extremism from inside our own borders. one 50 or is at increased risk for shingles. the pain, the burning! my husband had to do everything for weeks. and the thing is, there's nothing you can do about it! well, shingles can be prevented. shingles can be whaaat? prevented. you can get vaccinated. frank! they have shingles vaccines! whaaat? that's what i said. we're taking you to the doctor. not going through that again. you can also get it from your pharmacist! 50 years or older get vaccinated for shingles now. 1 in 2 kids is under hydrated. ♪ plant-powered creative roots gives kids