the v.a. fiscal year 2015 budget. members i called this hearing two weeks ago following a series concerning an inconsistent report from veterans and the department of veterans affairs employees around the country about the current state of v.a. funding. i don't believe anybody was aware then of the troubling extent of the v.a.'s current budget crisis except maybe those in the central office. unfortunately, i suspect that had i not called this hearing we would still not be aware today of the $2.6 billion funding shortfall that the veterans health administration is currently estimating. largely as a result of increased ephedrine demand for non-ca care and rising costs of hepatitis c treatments that v.a. did not properly plan for or manage. given the extensive demand for care that was exposed during last year's hearings on weight time manipulation, v.a. had ample time to adjust its budgetary needs with the office of management and we are now seeing today. in february through april of this year, s

v.a.'s -- vamcs collect on veteran suicide to better inform vha's suicide prevention program were often incomplete and inaccurate. for example, as part of v.a.'s behavioral health autopsy program which i'll refer to as vhap, vamcs collect date of death, number of mental health visits and last v.a. contact. we examine 63 bhapp reports from five vamcs and found that about two thirds of them contained inaccurate and incomplete information. moreover, this situation is further exacerbated because bhap reports prepared by vamc rst generally not reviewed at any level within vha or accuracy completeness or consistency. lack of accurate and complete bhap data limit opportunities to learn from past veteran suicides and ultimately diminish efforts to develop effective methods and approaches to enhance suicide prevention activities and reduce veteran suicides. the v.a. made good progress in addressing the six recommendations to improve weaknesses we noted in our report. in the six months since the repo

if the v.a. is their choice then build their insurance to get on the plan. >> if they have it somewhere else then veterans don't use v.a. because they want more funds to be there. today if they have private insurance we do build their insurance sometimes it is the medigap coverage and we may not get paid to them don't have the authority to bill medicare or medicaid for the tri-care. >> that is robbing peter to pay paul with taxpayer dollars but private insurance is different. >> those collection rates have been going up steadily year after year. >> i yield back. >> thank you for being here, gentlemen. the statement of first on fiscal responsibility. i was reading the report last week -- he said the v.a. cap $43 million in the account. all of a sudden, it was just found. that is somewhat of an astounding -- i look at the act there are $360 million put aside for awards and bonuses and the type of deal. i totally support an award when it's appropriate. is that an accurate figure? >> no, it's not. th

v.a. so long term plan for the transformation of the department with the cultural changes said of the staffing. >> have a bite to see something dramatic to change the status so it is much better than the bureaucracy that we have now. . . secretary mcdonald said ten months. that doesn't mean we don't need to be getting things done. we do. but i think we have to take into account the fact that changing an organization as large as va in less than a year i am not sure who would be able to do that inside the federal government no less. >> i have another question about the choice act. i think part of it is the problem with getting a provider list up there. and my understanding is that we were going to be paying medicare rates for care. but it is always my understanding that the third party providers are getting medicare rates but the people doing the care are not getting medicare rates. they are getting a less than medicare rate. and some of the providers said the rates are 30% less. so they are

the v.a.ployees do you think should be fired, based on what you know? >> robert mcdonald: well, the report we've passed up to the senate committee and house committee has about 35 names on it. i've got another report that has over 1,000. >> pelley: if 1,000 people need to go, give me a sense of what are some of the things that they did? >> mcdonald: we're simplistically talking about people who violated our values. >> pelley: and those values are what? >> mcdonald: it's integrity, it's advocacy, it's respect, it's excellence. these are the things that we try to do for our veterans. >> pelley: but bob mcdonald can't punish or fire 1,000 people right now. he's discovering how different the capitol is from capitalism. to fire a government manager, he has to put together a case and prove it to an administrative judge. >> mcdonald: scott, the reason this is... reason this is okay in some respects, is that... >> pelley: a lot of people think it's not okay... >> mcdonald: well, that's different. >> p

the v.a. had prescribed 14 drugs including pain killers and tranquilizers. >> it said 14 in the autopsy report. we didn't know that, but it was in the autopsy report. >> reporter: the doctor in charge of the prescription policies was dr. david houlihan. some patients and staff called him the candyman. and the hospital candy land. according to v.a. documents obtained by the center for investigative reporting, prescriptions for four common opiates at tomah quadrupled after 2005 when dr. houlihan became chief of staff. >> these veterans come out worse than when they went in. >> all drugged up. >> reporter: jason simcakoski wasn't the only patient to die under dr. houlihan's care. carrie hem has spent years piecing together evidence about what happened to her brother, army veteran craig farington. he died eight years ago hours after being released from tomah. what conclusion did you reach from all of this? what happened to your brother? >> they killed him. >> reporter: according to his death certi

v.a. has been overwhelmed for problems of the past with the old id system is a lack of a planning system with treating hepatitis and the medical technology is changing so rapidly that we did not plan for this backlog for the appeals process and as you mention and andrew have a good way to plan for a demographic shift i worry about places like las vegas where demand is increasing. but to give or take a few going through money quicker will we run not moved money sooner? how do you make up for that kind of money? >> that is the great question. recently giving the budget guidance when i got to that recommendation page to mention the number down or another up but that is not the way we will do this. the requirement starts with what we expect to deliver to the veteran. so i will take appeals. to give the veteran and appeal decision now it is like four years or five years obviously we cannot beat that standard immediately to decide how long it would take and that conversation we have is the only

v.a. health system scandal rocked this administration and forced the replacement of a cabinet secretary, the v.a.'s commitment on health care continues to fall tragically short. a year later the number of patients facing long wait times is still the same, and somehow the number of patients waiting more than 90 days has actually doubled. a year later the v.a. health system continues to fail our veterans. we know that they have the right stuff, these veterans do, the selflessness, the courage the pride that they demonstrated in defense of the american way of life. but what must they think of our government now? unconscionable long wait times, bureaucratic mismanagement top-down rationed care, these are all well below the bare minimum standards any american should expect, yet this is exactly what the v.a. under this administration, continues to offer our veterans. at least this congress has pushed for reform for access, for choice. in the last year we have passed laws to set out to improve ac

what is the v.a.'s aversion to alternative forms of treatment like meditation, acupuncture and exercise? >> first of all, let me say i completely share your enthusiasm for i believe it's visn 3 is doing. and i have spoken to those folks. it's wonderful. and we have many thousands of veterans actually using alternative forms of therapy. so there is no aversion whatsoever. for veterans who are already getting opiates, like other americans and some of whom come to us from active duty on those same medications, the path forward is going to be different. it's not starting from day one. so i love what you're doing in new york. and i have spoken with many veterans and have actually begun to think about how we might use their stories to help those who are struggling to get off opioids and try alternatives. many of the veterans who take opioids would like not to but they'd like to kind of wake up and it would all be okay. the journey there is not so easy. >> we have a system here you know works. and i think it

joce: the v.a. evaluates soldiers' sirges to figure out who -- soldiers' injuries to figure out how much they should qualify in benefits. the family took to facebook and they started getting action. when sergeant eric hunter risked his life for his country a second time he came home with more hardware than the purple heart medal. >> he stepped on the bomb the day before our one-year wedding anniversary. joce: this was hunter in 2012 the day one step set him back 1,000 more. >> i have been at his bedside every day and i have watched the blood, the sweat, the tears and seen all the pain he has gone through. joce: 60 surgeries the loss of his right leg physical therapy to hold on to his left. it has become normal for the family of the 27-year-old soldier to watch him fight. just not like this. >> it's like a slap in the face. joce: hunter's latest scar is courtesy not of war but with a battle with veterans affairs. this week the agency gave the sergeant a disability rating of 90%. short changing he say

it also gave the v.a. secretary the authority to fire senior executives for poor performance and required a top to bottom study of the entire department to be completed within one year of enactment. when government failure is exposed and legislation aimed at restoring accountability is enacted, it makes sense that action would be swift and immediate. people would be fired wrongs will begin to be made right. unfortunately that's not the case at the department of veterans affairs. while there's many as 1,000 employees that could potentially face disciplinary actions, the v.a. has punished a total of eight for involvement in the scandal. we continue to hear about unacceptable patient wait times unanswered benefit inquiries, patient safety concerns, medical malpractice, flagrant mismanagement, corruption and years of construction delays that total millions of dollars. frustration, anger, outrage. mr. speaker, these are just a few of the words that describe how i and other americans felt when we read these late

and the v.a. said sari. we cannot accommodate maybe on a case by case basis we might be able to accommodate the field. that is the concern for me because i've already feel the implications of the dilemma i am presenting. and at the same time we have providers in the mental health providers utilizing it to the extent that they can be utilized and we are not pushing the veterans to the contracts. third with tri-west is committed to a administering the choice program they plan to hire lots of folks to do a better job to provide the choice program. all of these issues that i raise rates now are fighting against each other. he would not want tri-west to hire a lot of people then tell them sari. fayette my veterans in ventura county are not receiving the services to feel this dilemma. i am not sure i have a question except to say thank you for your leadership if you were not asking those hard questions with the financial management system you and the secretary both we still might not be aware of the problems i app

moreover, v.a. admits that the execution of these authorizations does not comply with the contract requirements of the federal acquisition regulation or f.a.r. and veterans affairs requisition, v.a.r. mr. fry will testify that by long standing and massive circumvention of the f.a.r. and v.a.r. in the fee-basis view, they have billions of improper payments that represents material weaknesses in audit controls. the o.i.g. reported on inaccuracy and inefficiency of fees paid through the fee-basis program. it was reported that v.a. medical centers made hundreds of millions of dollars in improper payments, including duplicate payments and incorrect amounts. most troubling is that v.h.a. had not established fraud protection controls because it did not consider the program to be at significance riche risk. o.i.g. said think could be paying as much as $380 million annually for fraudulent claims. and in may 2014, contrary to v.a.'s assertion that previous illegal purchases can be institutionally ratified, oi

yesterday the v.a. inspector general issued findings concluding that the v.a.es that miles had not requested long-term mental health condition. hopper today blasted the report in an interview with me calling it quote, a whitecash, since it does not mention among other things miles ask for help. if the v.a. is not to give extra consideration to people like miles, the policies should change. the v.a. however, disagree. how is that works? >>> questions about the clinton foundation i sit down with former president bill clinton. no question is off-limits. that's next. >>> also the decade that changed the way we watch television to lange wang that may make you wince today. it scared me. i thought they better be careful. >> there had not been a clean black family with the father. >> where are you going to find one? >> lakers against the bucks. >>> if there's a legacy of television in the '70s, it's that you mattered. ♪ we will rock you ♪ ♪ >>> if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis like me... and you're talking to a rheumatologist about a biologic this is

there are even reports that v.a. has -- the v.a. has required gay veterans to pay back benefits because their state will not recognize their marriage. in one case, a young woman a 50% disabled combat veteran was initially approved for benefits for her wife and child but later told by the v.a. that because of where she lived and who she loved, she was not only going to lose a portion of her benefits, the v.a. was also going to withhold her future payments until she paid the v.a. back. this is just disgraceful. to cut the benefits earned by a combat veteran and then also require that she pay back the v.a. all because of who she married and where she lives. perhaps the most frustrating part of this story is knowing that if this woman moved across the border to another state she would have no problems with the v.a. my amendment would fix this issue for these men and women who have volunteered to serve in our armed forces. they have volunteered to put themselves in harm's way to leave their families and their homes, to travel around the

eligibity,he v.a. loan is the best option. lolow rate, 30-yeaear fixed ratete and 100% financing which means nono down n paymt required. >> what t if you have used up youour eligibily? >> 100% finanng non-v.a. mortgas are an option. i would lo foone wiwithout private mogage insurance to save thousands. >> for someone retiring g or bung a second d home, what can you recommend? >> it dedepends on t location d how w long they ll have the mortgagage. arms or jumbo rtgages are e a good o optio also, 100%0% fincing, watch out for private mortgage insurance. >> g great, thank k you. vago: thanks veryry much.h. we will see you next weekek. you havfinancial question vago: washington's decision to sendnd 250 tan and personanal carriers to europe is a welcome message r nato allies worried about russia. u.u.s. troop levels will nt increase. american soldiers will be rotated througeupe for aining. the message would have been more powerful if washshington stopppped withdrawing u.s. forces from europe and start increasing levels there and in

within the v.a. itself in different hospitals around the country, each with evidently a different i.t. system. it's been pretty difficult in that regard. mr. sessions: i don't want to take you guys on. i don't know how old is old. i don't know if a few years ago it wasn't working. it's my understanding that today when a person leaves the military, they are also given an option to get their own records in their hand, which is a light-year advantage too. on the side of the military, just the flow through is the problem. thank you very much. please tell chairman rogers and nita lowey that, in fact you showed up and that guy asked the question again. i don't think this issue should go away until it's solved. i know both of you-all feel that same way. by the way i notice when tom cole walked in there was a sense of relief across both your faces to think that you had some help on this side of the dais. you do. tom cole, awesome job on behalf of rules committee when he's with you and when he's up here. it's

we all know the challenges that the v.a. has some wonderful people working within the v.a. but it is a challenged environment for our veterans. thankfully, there are these military nonprofits that are trying to address needs on multiple fronts. the tax organization is here today. bonnie carol who is providing a great service to the families of our fallen. there is a post-traumatic stress involved there. for our iraq and afghanistan families. there are services out there that are providing and i encourage anyone who is seeking service or seeking help from the iraq and afghanistan community to continue passing on the information of where these services are provided. there is a lot to learn from those who served in past wars and certainly those who are serving now. we can never do enough for those who are serving our nation. there is a lot more to be done and we can always try to do a little bit more. >> with nearly a decade of war winding down, how do you see the mission of your foundation changing as fewer and fewer combat veterans come out of the armed forces and with the w

but there is a huge backlog within the v.a.lf in different hospitals around the country each with evidently a different i.t. system and it has been pretty difficult in that regard. >> well look, i don't want to take you guys on. i don't know how old is old but i knew a few years ago it wasn't working. it is my understanding that today when a person leaves the military, they are also given an opportunity to get their own records in their hand, which is a light year advantage too, on the side of the military, just the flow through is the problem. great. thank you very much. tell chairman rogers and anita lowy that you showed up and that i asked the question again because i don't think this issue is going away until it is solved and i know both of you all feel the same way. i know when tom coal walked in there was a sense across both of your faces to think you have your help. and in fact you do. tom cole does an awesome job on behalf of the rules committee when he is with you and when he is up here it is all about you. so the youn

at v.a.ree from harm at all times. i'm deeply saddened by the tragic outcome involving a veteran, so to families here today, or watching this hearing who've lost a loved one, i want to express my sorrow and regret for your loss. i appreciate your sharing your experiences with us, and we will honor your loved ones by learning from those experiences, and improving care for veterans in the future. we acknowledge up front that we have more work to do to reduce opioid use meet the increasing demands for mental health care and prevent suicides and we've taken significant actions to improve these areas in order to better serve veterans. as ranking member custer said chronic pain is a national public health problem. it affects about a third of the nation's adult population, and about half of veterans from recent conflicts. as a result a number of veterans and americans rely on opioids for pain control. and they can be effective for awhile. until the side effects become quite worrisome, and often mixe

it is more what will the v.a. and retirement the four people who continue to go to these games. i wanted that to continue. we have less new injured and less new ill but iff they via can continue thaprocess, that would be great because that is where most of the people will benefit. guest: i had great care. they were very adamant about taking care of me and going through everything with detail. my stataff, the sqd leaders the chain of command was excellent. i have returned to duty back to my unit at home. they d't have that k knowlededge to allow me to go through the therapy need to go through. vago: let me ask, how are you guguys improving? guest: we hadad a wonderful position before. i always ask what i need to do better. check were nation is he because of the complexity of the injuries a and this business providing transition to communities is really important. vago: service transition to the v.a. as well. guest: yes because they will need long-term services. vago: one quick question to be both of you. how do you think you're going t to do? what events are you running? guest: a

but according to the new york times, the v.a. did not anticipate the demand for medical care would continue to soar. the v.a. is also facing a nearly $3 billion budget shortfall. the agency is reportedly considering furloughs and hiring freezes. and in rural virginia: an infusion of funding and a change in leadership could keep a historic private women's college open, at least for the next year. in march, sweet briar college announced it would shut down after more than 100 years of service. but graduates collected $12 million in pledges. last night, the state's attorney general announced an agreement to allow the alumnae to donate the money while the school makes sweeping changes in leadership. a judge still needs to approve the details of the agreement. >> as we leave you tonight, congregants in churches across south carolina are planning a special church service outside mother emanuel this evenings. one of the victims of the shooting, state senator clementi pinkney will lay in state in the south carolina capital on wednesday. o

require community meetings hosted by the v.a. and establish a joint d.o.d.-v.a. working group to improve coordination and communication at all levels of government. in an era when medical research and technological advancements have led to at least a 90% survival rate of wounded soldiers we must continue to focus on the battles that our veterans face when they return home. including the treatments of those wounds that are not evidently viable -- or visible. one marine in my hometown, andrew white, returned home to west virginia after serving in iraq. andrew displayed signs of ptsd including insomnia, nightmares constant restlessness and pain related to an injury. in addition to an antidepressant and antianxiety pills doctors placed andrew on an antipsychotic drug and over time increased his dosage from 25 milligrams to 1,600 milligrams, more than twice the dosage recommended to treat schizophrenia. andrew white died in his sleep at the age of 23. andrew is a reminder of the physical and mental side effects of the war. we must work together to provide the resource

compliant, v.a.ilizes internal controls to ensure carob tand from a qualified provider and the services billed are consistent with va regulation before a claim is paid. these practices safeguard veterans to protect taxpayer dollars. va's use of community care has risen dramatically. in fiscal year 2006 it was roughly $2.7 billion. for fy-2015 we estimate $10.4 billion. over those years the different authorities for purchase care have not been applied consistently and have been marked by conflicting interpretations. with the determination by the department of justice that individual authorizations are contracts and therefore must be f.a.r. compliant va began reviewing its internal processes working toward development of a plan to improve immigration transparency, and oversight of all purchased care. we have recognized these problems and proposed a solution. last year in informal discussions with committee staff va noted issues that would need to be addressed by statute. in february's budget submission

the v.a. is facing a $3 billion shortfall. they are crying poverty.pecial focus for your organization as well as you. do they need more money? >> absolutely not. the focus on money is merely an excuse for them not being able to properly manage the money that they do have. the department of veterans affairs is the second largest government agency. their budget is over $160 billion a year. money is not the problem here. gross mismanagement, lack of accountability and fiscal irresponsibility is where the problem lies. >> i thought we were supposed to see some substantial changes and improvement with a new change on top and a new focus from the white house? >> it's absolutely appalling that a year after the worst part of the scandal with all the promises from president obama and secretary bob mcdonnell that things were going to get better for veterans a year later, veterans are actually worse off than they were a year ago. they are now having to wait 50% longer for medical appointments and that's absolutely unacceptable. >> amber, don't you agree that the

here you have a system where the v.a. is using an open source software if you believe the news reports committee to department of defense is on a precipice of spending $10 billion on a proprietary system. i presume it you have done significant hearings in your some -- subcommittee as to why the proprietary software is the >> we've examined the -- we're impressed by what the d.o.d. has put forward. the real question is if it is driven by the chairman and your interests, how long will it take to have indeed operability. and i say this respectfully, the v.a. is dealing with an antiquated system. it may be open source, but it is hindered by operations in a variety of different hospital settings where the i.t. is no match for whatever -- whatever they are promising. i feel pretty good about where the department of defense is but we have been insistent they accelerate what they are doing and have an earlier connection to whatever v.a. comes -- their legacy system. we have been insistent. we have had a committee focused on this

. >>> the v.a.ission to get 50,000 homeless veterans off the street and back to work as part of a new program. more than 150 will identify job ready veterans and connect them with local businesses. they will provide resources to help the vets succeed in those jobs and the v.a. expects to have cecs at all medical centers nationwide within the next year. well cracking down on the selfies. the european union wants to ban people from taking pictures of landmarks like the eiffel tower. a proposed law would require permission from officials before taking pictures of buildings, public buildings and landmarks, even if it is just in the background. lawmakers say this is aimed at commercial photographers who publish pictures online but many fear tourists could be targeted. a vote on that ban is set next week. >> interesting. >> basically don't take a picture if you're in paris. there's a landmark behind you in every situation. >>> eight minutes until the top of the hour. making isis sweet. walmart doing damag

. >>> an nbc news investigation, shocking allegations against a v.a.claims that overmedicated patients with deadly results. >>> hero on mt. everest. the risky mission to save those trapped at the top of the world. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york

earnest: what's clear is that our v.a. is committed to making sure that our men and women in uniform who served this country get the benefits that they deserve. and that is the reason for that agency's existence. and it is something that the president has indicated to his team here at the white house and at the v.a. is a top priority and that's why you have seen all this significant progress that web of been able to make in terms of expanding access to care and making sure that we are working through the backlog 6 that has materialized -- that has materialized. we've made important progress in those regards. as it relates to this specific case, i'd refer you to the v.a. so they can talk about how they're processing these claims and following through on that commitment. but the president certainly believes that they're doing so is consistent with the instructions they've received to make sure that the v.a.'s doing their job and looking out for our veterans. questioner: is the white house doing anything to keep tabs on that

the v.a. system will be audit -- the pa system will be automated. and the dirty carpets we have grown accustomed to, they are gone. >> this with ntsb recommendation. those train cars are more than 40 years old. >> they will put a new car online every month for the next several years. they will have the option to add 220 more once funding is secured. >> i love it. this is exciting. >> the new 7000 series trains will initially only run on the blue and red lines. metro has not told us yet when they plan to roll out additional service. larry: strong wind being blamed for a rough landing on a united express flight from dallas to buffalo. -- from dulles to buffalo. there were 73 people on board but no reports of injuries. the main runway is open. a massive manhunt is underway after two convicted killers escaped from a massive -- from a maximum security prison in new york. here is more on how they escaped. >> these are convicted murderers that we are talking about. a female prison worker is being questioned by police. the question that remains unanswered t

as i go out to the v.a. with my dad, i talked to worker after worker who had formerly worked at gm and other plants who are now making $10 an hour driving vehicles out to the v.a. the dayton region is filled with people like that. there was a plant level about five years ago, and now it is a hollywood casino, where people are working at $10 an hour. have you read the agreement? who can read it? was matthews recently had obama on a couple of weeks ago or a month ago and president obama said he would debate those opposing the trade agreement like senator terry brown and elizabeth warren and now senator schumer. the american public needs to know what is in it, and our representatives need to know what is in it. guest: absolutely. this week, we are voting on tv pa. frankly, it gives congress the ability to get into the middle of these negotiations and be part of the process. i have read the tpa. the tpp which is not fully negotiated yet a something members of congress do have the ability to read. it is kept in a

nbc 10 has new information about the off-campus party involving top philadelphia v.a.ficials and employees. >>> and severe weather moves through the area we continue to track it for you. the atlantic city expressway and the pleasantville area seen here just one area getting pounded with heavy rain lightning and flooding. live team coverage continues. >>> our team weather coverage continues now with jersey shore bureau reporter ted greenberg live in ocean city. >> i know a lot of rain, lightning and flooding where you are. >> it's certainly all of the above, jackie and rosemary. the rain is coming down here in ocean city. between 12th and 11th. and you can take a look. we have some high water here on west avenue. these cars are going through it. just a few minutes ago, we saw a new jersey transit bus headed south to west. the driver decided. made the wise decision of not driving through this flood waters. so she made a big three-point turn and went back the other way on west avenue. take a look over here. 12th street, completely flooded on this side. this is looking wes

. >> the v.a. says more than half the veterans it treats deal with chronic pain. half a million take some type of medication for it. >> with approximately 22 vet remembers dying by suicide every day, and more attempting suicide reducing instants of overmedication, and limited access to powerful prescription medications must be included in a comprehensive approach to addressing this issue. al jazeera. >> a new lawsuit is accusing the border patrol of mistreating migrants. civil rights groups undocumented migrants were detained in helding cells for days. they say the rooms were freezing filthy. >> overcrowded. and that the detainees were denied food, water and medical care. last year agents made more than 87,000 arrests at the arizona facility. the governor of texas sign add new multimillion dollars bill to tighten border security, it is part of an effort to sure up the border with mexico. but some people who live in that area are taking matters into their own hands. heidi joe castro met one rancher doing what he can to protect his land. >> what does that feel like

. >>> an nbc news investigation, shocking allegations against a v.a.ospital claims that overmedicated patients with deadly results. >>> hero on mt. everest. the risky mission to save those trapped at the top of the world. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in

the creeks do not want to hike v.a. t on electricity by 10 percentage points. it puts a lot of poor families not in a position to afford electricity. and roughly 33% of the greek population is considered to be living under the poverty line. greeks don't want to lower pensions from 550 at the moment to 220 next year. these are the things that the government is asked to do. things that it considers will deepen the recession and poverty, and things that it vowed not to do in the january election. this government is back against, i think, the compromises that it is noble it make and probably will conversation to make. they have to resolve the issue with their creditors. >>> with no hope of finding survive jfrs disaster -- survivors, disaster teams in china are right the the ship. more than 80 bodies have been recovered. hundreds are missing. adrian brown is in janely. >> more of the "eastern star" is starting to appear as the salvage operation continues. it began on thursday night. the rescue operation helped by an improvement in the weather conditions. we had torr

i'm in texas and won't go to the v.a.ible for handling the veteran housing allowance and he has men dying and women dying on a waiting list waiting for money they are already owed to adapt their home. there is no reform. we're not seeing it. >> okay. also pay retirement reform for vets. >> absolutely. if you'll read the headlines, president obama is heavily in favor and it seems like the senate and house may pass to only up the annual cost of living allowance to 1.6% to 2.6, an entire percentage almost $1,000 for our service men and women serving today, $1,000 legs they will get next year. i don't understand how with 1.4 million people serving, cutting their pay by 1% is somehow going to save our economic downturn our our debt. you know at the end. day i think that the president can't focus on the backs of the least controversial way to save money. >> okay. these are things you would like to see in the leader for 2016. when you look at candidates like jeb bush or rand paul or hillary clinton or we focused on rick perry be

the bill that's currently in legislation, i'm interested in it and i would like the v.a. to reimburse patients and because it is a big part of my treatment. right now i'm kind of shunned from the program and i really don't even go to the v.a., so i really hope for progress on that front. host: you're allowed medical marijuana in the state of new jersey? caller: yes. so the way new jersey works is a doctor essentially tests my condition that is prepblg sistered in the program and then the state writes my prescription. so the state wrote a prescription for two ounce as month for me to go and i have to pay out of pocket and this is from my service, service connected injury that i have. but i have to pay out of pocket and the v.a. doesn't reimburse and the other social cost of it. i'm trying to find work right now and it's hard. because employers aren't necessarily understanding of my medical condition which is also another issue. patients rights. host: anthony, would you mind telling us when you served and what did you do? >> my injuries are to my lower spine, lower back pro

another point of contention is the greek government doesn't want to increase consumer tax or v.a. on household bills and other services andrew simmonds is live in brussels where the finance ministers are meeting. let's go life to athens this idea. the referendum letting the people decide what do the people think of that. >> well this referendum is quickly picking up proxy value here. nominally the question is do you or do you not accept the latest proposal from creditors, which is an austerity package, which you rightly outlined just now. the proxy value of the referendum is really to test the resolve of the greek voters and taxpayers on continuing along the course of balancing the budget and producing primary surpluses required for it to remain within the eurozone essentially, because those are the terms that lenders insist upon to continue financing its debt. should they stop doing so, greece will default and inevitably finance experts believe in bankers, and full out of eurozone as a result. on the political side of things. the government has already spoken. the prime minister

. >> to be clear, the v.a. was only used for research and an avatar will not do your taxes, but it is a new way for companies like block to test concepts in virtual reality to move them to reality. >> it was great to meet you and please don't hesitate to call me. >> john looks weird. >> for "nightly business jane wells, los angeles. >> john looks weird? tonight we begin tonight's market boke us. sales of tobacco and candy and health products help expertations. same-store sales were strong but revenue slightly below expectations and sairs were up 3% to $74.98. >>> medtronics results beat on the top and bottom line. first quarter to include revenue from the quick of the makerco indivi. full year profit outlook was below estimates citing the strong dollar and shares were higher to $76.88. >>> new guidance from delta weighed on its shares today. lowering forecast for new revenue which is a key measure on a decrease in business travel. shares fell 2.5% to $43.21. >>> several hedge funds have asked macy to consider s

. >>> an nbc news investigation, shocking allegations against a v.a. hospital claims that overmedicated patients with deadly results. >>> hero on mt. everest. the risky mission to save those trapped at the top of the world. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news."

freedom act, the proposal i am supporting you would either be on medicaid, medicare, social security, v.a. tri-care, something like that, or you get your insurance through your employer. for those who do not have public or employer-sponsored insurance mostly get a credit and if they did nothing the state would have the option of enrolling them in insurance unless they opted out. that way you get greater participation than we have under obamacare. some would estimate as much 5% participation. i think you probably heard me say earlier, in louisiana, our rate of uninsured is 20%. we can do better than that. we can replace the integral man j -- mandate with something effective. ms. attias: senator cassidy we are talking about a scenario where the government loses and king v. burwell. if the government wins the case, have you see that playing out? senator cassidy: i think the health-care law is on tenuous ground. interest premiums are increasing 20% to 60% across the nation. this is with deductibles of $6,000. we were told we had to pass the law to protect people from medical bankruptcy, and y

two v.a. facilities are holding open houses.the first is on woodland avenue in philadelphia the medical affairs center. residents, community and corporate organizations are invited to learn how to better serve our vets through volunteering community projects and job opportunities. the other event is at the coatesville veterans affairs medical center. the open house runs from 10:00 to 2:00 this afternoon. >>> you've heard people say this before. it looks like that's right out of a movie. you know what i'm talking about. >> what you're about to see really does. a camera caught this driver who never bothered to stop for a draw bridge opening. what happened next and why police say he did it. >>> and the breeze is blowing this morning. those are winds of change today. we'll likely see something we didn't get yesterday. right now 69 degrees at 4:37. oose world. choose, choose, choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number... don't miss the lowest prices of the season, going on now sleepiq technology tells you how