sahil, let me start with you. this is the final day of 2020, which i think is a relief for so many who have struggled through this just devastatingly difficult year. mitch mcconnell had told president trump essentially sign the covid relief package, include $600 checks, and i will try to at least start the process to deal with some of your other demands. one of those demand ls was a $2,000 check. but the way he's doing it all but guarantees that that's not going to happen. walk us through how that works and what it means for families. >> it's interesting language there, kasie, from mcconnell when he says begin the process of doing something. technically he has begun the process. he's introduced a piece of legislation that provides $2,000 checks and pairs it with repeal of section 230 which is an internet liability law. it creates a voter fraud commission. those two provisions are seen by democrats as poison pills. they're unrelated to the house-passed bill and even if mcconnell's bill were to somehow clear the sen

monica alba, sahil kapur, thanks to both of you. >>> l.a. county hospitals are in an absolute crisis. right now nearly every hospital in los angeles county is being forced to divert ambulances away. some are transforming conference rooms and gift shops to treat patients. even that's not enough. nbc's steve patterson is outside the martin luther king, jr. community hospital in los angeles. steve, i understand the ceo there is now warning they may need to start rationing care. how is the staff handling this crisis? >> reporter: craig, this hospital is at the epitome of desperation. most hospitals in this region are feeling, at the epicenter of this country's crisis. this hospital, the staff can barely keep their heads above water because of the incoming tide of patients. they have 131 beds and 215 patients. as you said, they're looking for just about every available space, every corner is being scoured for more additional space. they've converted conference room, the gift shop, the chapel at this hospital has been converted into patient space.

. >> nbc news national political reporter sahil kapur is on capitol hill for us. mcconnell trying to tie those payments with repeal of an internet liability law and this commission to study voter fraud. is the plan to get out more direct payments, is that plan effectively dead? >> reporter: it's not looking good for that plan right now. i think americans were counting on those payments, should not expect them any time soon. the reason is the only viable vehicle that could get through congress quickly in the next few days before the congressional expressi e sex expires is the c.a.s.h. act. mitch mcconnell made an aggressive denunciation of the piece of legislation, complained, among other things, it adds about $400 billion to the national debt. he complained that some small amounts of money will go to big families that make as much as $300,0 $300,000. the reality is mcconnell is conflicted between competing pressures. there are some republicans in this conference that support the president, that includes lindsey graham. let's play some sound of graham. >> so to my

. >> and also, kelly and jeff and sahil, sahil, to you, i wanted to ask you briefly about this terribleory about the collect-elect, luke letlow, only 41 years old, he's got two young children. from what i read, he was tested positive for the virus on december 18 and died yesterday. this is just such a terrible tragedy for this family. >> it's a horrible tragedy, andrea. there are condolences coming in from leaders of both parties including speaker pelosi and the republican leader kevin mccarthy. he was 41, he had two young children, 3 years old and just 11 months old. i think it's just a reminder of the horrors and the grief and the tragedies that this virus has imposed on this nation and around the world. obviously the seat is now vacant. my understanding is louisiana law calls on the governor to essentially set up a special election for who will succeed him. right now nobody's really thinking about that. this is a reminder that covid is horrifying and it's deadly and it can strike anyone, even someone as young as 41. >> and we have heard very little from the president, if anything, ab

nbc's sahil kapur.reciate you being here. >>> next, for the first time in the u.s., a new case of the coronavirus variant has been reported and an effort to get americans vaccinated. the variant was reported in colorado after being found in a man in his 20s who is in isolation in elbert county. scientists say the strain is more contagious. and sparked ireland, france, belgium and germany, as well as continents outside of the continent. that's tricky, it's already here. >>> we also have this shocking development. a newly elected member of congress has died from complications relate to the coronavirus. luke rentlow a republican just 40 years was set to be sworn in on sunday. the entire delegation as well as speaker pelosi all offered condolences. he leaves behind a wife and two young children. he was diagnosed less than two weeks ago on december 18th. a few days later he was hospitalized and later transferred to another hospital. it is not believed that letlow had any underlying conditions. >>> meanwhile,

a town in money's northern sahil state. when he's happy with the sound trade or will send his songs via whatsapp to his producer at the start hell sounds like a bell in the us. up with one day my producer asked me if i could record some song tracks with my phone and send it over whatsapp of the always. so i said ok no problem i'll do that about. this it's an article and that's how it started or if that's the. sahil sound then puts the tracks online the idea behind the low tech production is to help musicians from the sad hell to reach new audiences says the producer it's just essentially an experiment to see you know how can we break down these barriers in truth for artists in west africa who really don't know access to things like. you know the credit card or how they can get on a lot of these digital platforms. and some i'm sorry hill sounds artists and now winning henson sounds from fans who pay to download tracks it's been going really well though i mean the we've got artists typically artists are making between that sa

sahil sound then puts the tracks on line the idea behind the low tech production is to help musicians from the sad hell to reach new audiences says the producer it's just essentially an experiment to see you know how can we break down these barriers in truth for artists and we're stuck with who really don't have access to things like. you know the credit card or how they can get on a lot of these digital platforms. some of sat hill sounds artists and now an enhanced and sounds from fans who pay to download tracks it's really really well though i mean the we've got artists typically artists are making between at say like 800 the highest artist made by $3000.00 in a month was. for trailering as well as making money this is a chance to expand his horizons beyond bamako. a label from mali can't get you to the united states are going on international tourists and kamaka doesn't have that possibility and i think. his hope now is that others will also hear his music and help him to hit the big time. and on that musical notes that swayable leave it for today's program be sure to check out our

sahil sounds then puts the tracks on line the idea behind the low tech production is to help musicians from the sad hell to reach new audiences says the producer it's just essentially an experiment to see you know how can we break down these barriers in truth for artists in west africa who really don't have access to things like. you know the credit card or how they can get on a lot of these digital platforms. some of the sad sounds artists and now waiting henson sounds from fans who pay to download tracks it's really going to really well go i mean the we've got artists typically artists are making between at say like 800 to the highest artist made by $3000.00 and a lot was. for trailering as well as making money this is a chance to expand his horizons beyond bamako. a label from mali can't get you to the united states are going on international tourist and kamaka doesn't have that possibility. his hope now is that others will also hear his music and help him to hit the big time. and on that musical notes that's labeled leave it for today's program be sure to check out our other storie

also with me is sahil kapur. mitch mcconnell on jukted to that bill being introduced. where does it stand today? >> what mitch mcconnell did is couple the checks with the repeal of section 230. a statute that governs internet companies and an electoral fraud commission. and mitch mcconnell understands how the senate works, right? he knows how to get it through, slow things down, or kill them. there is a bill that will increase checks to 2,000. he decided not to take up that bill. that's just a basic simple explanation here which we all have to accept and move on from. and i don't move on from -- >> your own personal -- i don't mean move on from, i mean there is no other explanation here besides that. >> i guess my next question is i guess this is dead in the water. it is not going to happen in this congressional term? >> right. unless something unforseen happens. something that no one is showing any cards on right now. meaning he decides to take the bill that the house has passed. he had a long conservative with cornan. those things don't happen accidentally. he came o

lindsey graham, for instance, who had been golfing with the president over the weekend, and of course as sahilinted out, the critical two senators up for election in georgia, endorsed the $2,000, so they're closely aligning themselves to the president ahead of the runoff next week. there's a lot of concern that remains in the republican party how this would affect the national debt and the deficit. that's not something the president has addressed at all in any of his tweets so far today, ayman. >> thank you both for joining us this hour. joining me to discuss all of this, cochair of the problem solvers. they worry that the stimulus checks will be going to people who don't really need the money. this was senator pat toomey yesterday. watch. >> we're talking about sending checks, the vast majority of which will be going to people who have had no loss of income whatsoever. that's just a fact. we're in a very different place today than we were back in march. now we've got a very different situation. the economy grew at 33% last quarter. >> a, is that a concern, and b, why can't you get the money t

. >> sahil, monica, beth, thank you.ew year's to you if i don't see you between now and tomorrow. thanks again. >>> joining me now to discuss is democratic senator from hawaii, mazie hirono. thank you for joining us on this new year's eve. we've got a lot to cover this morning. one of the major concerns for americans going into 2021, as we look back on this last year, is that vaccine rollout. and vaccine distribution. a lot of folks anticipating the end is in sight. they're hoping to get that vaccine in their arms, many americans to go back to what we thought was normal at one point. one of the problems at this point is the vaccine distribution, the goals that "operation warp speed" said they were going to hit as i was just speaking to beth about. that 20 million magic number. we're nowhere near that. just out of your own state, the hawaii department of health counting on approximately 80,000 doses to arrive before the end of this year. according to the cdc, 56,000-plus doses have been distributed to the state and 14,000

sahil sound then puts the tracks on line the idea behind the low tech production is to help musicians from the sad help to reach new audiences says the producer it's just essentially an experiment to see you know how can we break down these barriers in truth for artists and we're stuck with who really don't know access to things like. you know the credit card or how they can get on a lot of these digital platforms. some i'm sad sounds artists are now ending henson sounds from fans who pay to download tracks it's been really well though i mean the we've got artists typically artists are making between it say like 800 to one host artist made by $3000.00 a month. for trailering as well as making money this is a chance to expand his horizons beyond bamako i. was . a label from mali can't get you to the united states are going on international tourists and kamaka doesn't have that possibility and. he's hope now is that others will also hear his music and help him to hit the big time. and on that musical notes that's labeled leave it for today's program be sure to check out all of the stori