It is good to be back with you in this second hour of chris jansing reports. At this hour, Breaking News, Hunter Biden stuns the Special Counsel. His last Minute Offer to change his plea just as Jury Selection was set to start in his tax case. Will the president s son be able to avoid a highly public trial. Were live at the courthouse as proceedings get back underway. Also developing, Donald Trumps indictment in the federal election case. It was back before a judge, but completely upended. The Courtroom Battle Today and the big decisions looming after the Supreme Courts immunity ruling. And major news in the Campaign Money wars. The massive new haul from Kamala Harriss Team and how it compares to Donald Trumps fundraising numbers. And could a School Shooting in georgia have been avoided. What were learning about the fbis past encounter with a 14yearold whos now accused of murdering 4 people. Our Nbc News reporters are following the latest developments. Lets begin with David Noriega whos live, where Hunter Biden is returning to the courtroom after a recess. Did they have any idea what was coming . Reporter chris, no. They had no idea. This was a shocking, dramatic moment just minutes into the opening of proceedings, this morning, when abbe lowell, the lawyer representing Hunter Biden. After the judge explained how the proceedings for Jury Selection said there is no reason to proceed with Jury Selection as mr. Biden intends to change his pleas. In response, Special Counsel said this is the first weve heard of this. That means theres no plea agreement. The government has not agreed to any kind of conditions for this plea, which means that a lot still hangs in the air. It is not clear whether this gambit exists. An Alford Plea, although they are accepting a conviction and sentence, they are not factually admitting guilt as per the alleged criminal activity in the indictment. That is a very sort ofin the Weeds Plea that needs approval from high ranking officials inside the Department Of Justice. Thats what were going to find out in the next couple of hours, as all parties file back into the courtroom. This is why the judge for now is holding the 125 or so potential jurors here in the courthouse because its not clear whether theyre going to be dismissed or whether the court is going to proceed with Jury Selection as planned, chris. Keep us posted on that, David Noriega, Thank You. On the other side of the country, a judge is deciding how to move forward on Donald Trumps Election Interference Case following the Supreme Courts immunity ruling. I want to bring in msnbc legal continue, lisa rubin, who was inside the courthouse, and there was a debate about what allegations in the indictment can stay. What can you tell us . Chris, the Debate Today Wasnt just about what allegations in the indictment should stay or go, but the process for determining that was really the Name Of The Game today. The Special Counsels office saying that they want to present Judge Chutkan with the brief that defending their Superseding Indictment under the Supreme Courts Immunity Decision that gives her the evidence they relied upon. President trumps lawyers, on the other hand, saying none of this should be briefed now. They want to first deal with the question of whether the allegations about former Vice President Mike Pence belong until the indictment. They say if you take out of the indictment the stuff about the conversations between trump and pence, that the entire indictment has to fall because it is so heavily reliant on those conversations which they believe qualify for immunity. Lisa rubin, Thank You for that. Now to a new nbc exclusive. We just got our hands on Chairss Kamala harriss massive fundraising for august. How much did she raise, and how does it compare to Donald Trump . Reporter this is an eye popping moment, from my colleagues, that the harris political operation, not just the campaign but the affiliated entities brought in 300 Million total during the month of august. We wont get into the break down of who raised what and how until september 20th. Its significant when you look at the numbers that the Donald Trump political operation brought in in august. Thats 130 Million for that team, for the republican operation, and then 300 Million for the democrats, and so theyre talking about clearly all of these key moments that we just saw in august, and remember that since becoming the De Facto democratic nominee. When she took over the reigns of everything in late july, following President Bidens exit from the race. If you take that amount of time plus august, the entire political operation has raised more than 540 Million in that short time, and so theyre point to go that kind of momentum as one of the reasons why because then in august, you had the announcement of her running mate, governor tim walz. You also had the Democratic National Convention in chicago, and those events brought in really high numbers and sums that contributed to this. They were also saying that the fundraising has still looked strong after that. Now into september. And so they only anticipate this will grow. Thats why you saw the Harris Campaign make decisions about giving money to down Ballot Races and making some of that strategic realignment as well. We will likely expect to see more of that. But in the Fundraising Game in its totality, these are things we need for the advantage in terms of trying to do paid Media Blitzes and opening more offices if they feel they need them in certain Battleground States and all of those kinds of things. With nine weeks to go, this really just shows you what democrats are touting as an Enthusiasm Moment for Vice President harris and one they hope will continue in the weeks to come, and i think you can expect, chris, the debate will likely be another moment that both candidates will probably bring in pretty big hauls. Monica alba, Thank You. Were learning more details about the 14yearold Suspect in a deadly School Shooting, including an encounter he had with Law Enforcement a year before this tragedy. Nbcs Jesse Kirsch is on the ground in winder, georgia. What more do we know . Reporter chris, we just learned a short time ago, our colleague, tom winter, now able to report that according to two Law Enforcement sources, the suspect in this shooting appears to have been looking into having an interest in previous mass shootings. Thats new information that we have just learned and able to report in the last few minutes. We are also learning more about the suspects past, according to the fbi. They had previously investigated his potential connection with possible threats of violence against schools in the past. However, authorities have said there was no probable cause for an arrest in that incident in 2023. Fast forward to today, the Georgia Bureau of investigation says the suspect has been charged with four counts of felony murder. He has made a virtual court appearance. Heres part of what the sheriff told us in the community about the suspects past. We later found out in our investigation to the gbi that because the federal authorities showed up and said, hey, we had a tip, somewhat, if you will on this, where he got on to a web site, and i think the tip was id like to shoot up a school somewhere in the future. We felt like hes idolized some school shooters. Reporter so, again, thats more of what were learning about what has gone on in the past with this shooter, the suspected shooter, who were told, according to authorities, according to the sheriff was two days into being a part of this School District. He had transferred to the School District in the last couple of weeks, after school started and this was his second day in the School Yesterday when it deadly rampage unfolded, according to officials. Chris. Jesse kirsch, Thank You. When were back in 90 seconds. More on our top story, Hunter Bidens offer to change his plea. Will the federal government go along with it . Our legal experts are standing by. Our legal experts are stanng by ah, these bills are crazy. She has no idea shes sitting on a goldmine. Well she doesnt know that if she owns a Life Insurance Policy of 100,000 or more she can sell all or part of it to coventry for cash. Even a Term Policy. Even a Term Policy . Even a Term Policy find out if youre sitting on a goldmine. Call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect. Com. We are back with that Breaking News from california where Hunter Bidens last Minute Offer to change his plea stopped Jury Selection cold and sent the key players Behind Closed Doors. Im joined by nbcs mike memoli, msnbc legal analyst, and former Manhattan Assistant d. A. Catherine christian and Glenn Kirschner, former District Attorney for d. C. We understand, just to update people, that just a few minutes before 2 00, we know that the Special Counsel, Bidens Lawyer went back into the courtroom. We dont know if theyve started the proceedings yet, because strategywise, what do you make of this move . Well, it looks like Hunter Biden and his lawyers think maybe it will go better for him if hes permitted to plead guilty pursuant to an Al Ford plea. They are disfavored in the criminal Justice System. The case that gave rise to this kind of a plea, you know, was decided by the Supreme Court more than 50 years ago, someone named Henry Alford wanted to plead guilty to Seconddegree Murder when he was charged to Firstdegree Murder and potentially could have received the death penalty, he wanted to plead guilty, but he wanted to maintain his innocence. That case went all the way up to the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court ruled a defendant, together with their counsel can decide its in their best interest to plead guilty, even if they are maintaining their innocence. However, the legitimacy of the criminal Justice System is dependent on people who plead guilty being guilty, admitting guilt and accepting their responsibility. Thats why courtesy of your earlier piece, it has to be run up the bureaucratic chain at the Department Of Justice. I had to do this when i was a federal prosecutor in washington, d. C. if somebody wanted to try to enter an Alford Plea. Its an open question where the higher ups at the Department Of Justice will give the field Prosecutors Authority to enter this kind of a plea. Let me ask you, based on your experience, how often did it happen, and how complicated was it to run it up that Chain Of Command . You know, we can get approval from doj higherups very quickly when we need to. I suspect were going to hear something, if not today, perhaps in the coming days, and, you know, Alford Pleas are not ordinarily used in federal court, but they have been. The judge will have to be satisfied that there is ample evidence that Hunter Biden is, in fact, guilty, even though he maintains his innocence, if the judge is going to be willing to accept this kind of a plea. Catherine, what do you imagine has been going on Behind Closed Doors over the last couple of hours since they put everything on hold . First, the judge probably admonishing the defense attorney, why are you doing this now when i have a jury sitting there. What a judge typically says is are you pleading guilty because you are guilty . As glenn says, the criminal Justice System relies on convicting the guilty, not the innocent. Msnbc as reported that the Biden Family was hoping to avoid a trial obviously. Hes no longer the candidate, but this is very much a personal thing for this family that has been through a lot of ups and downs in 2024. What can you tell us . Reporter i was in and out of delaware on the Gun Related Charges in june. You can see how emotionally wrenching this was not just for Hunter Biden but the Biden Family members that were there to support him. I remember speaking with Jill Biden days after the verdict, she talked about how tough a week it was for the family, that they had to relive the difficult times, remember the emotional greeting that Hunter Biden had with his father just before his father traveled overseas. If the family could lift this legal burden off Hunter Biden, they would, but they have also supported him throughout the entire process to pursue the legal strategy as it was. As difficult as the trial was on the gun charges, it scratched the surface in terms of forcing the family to have to relive difficult moments. We saw testimony from his exwife, brothers widow, former girlfriend, his own daughter. There would have been new testimony on a far broader period of time, a far broader subject matter. Salacious details would have surfaced. Every step that could be taken to avoid the trial is one the family would welcome, even as they have supported his legal Teams Ability to set their own strategy that they believe is in hunters best interest. Politics is not supposed to be part of any case. Right . So what kind of argument should Hunter Bidens lawyer, whats his strongest argument to get this done . One, just last year, your honor, they offered my client two misdemeanors and no jail time. What has changed in this past year, and the prosecutor will say, we had to go to the grand jury, so what. And also the other argument is my client is being targeted because he is the son of the president. Thats also probably part of the argument. I think its going to hang on. Just last year, they were offering two misdemeanors, were prepared to do that now. Lets say the judge doesnt accept it. What happens then . Then they continue with Jury Selection, and i have a feeling ordinarily judges will defer to both the defense, if the defense wants to plead guilty and the prosecutors if they say we have ample evidence to convict Hunter Biden, if we proceed with the trial. But the real risk is Hunter Biden is facing more than 15 years in prison. Those are the statutory maximums, and i think most folks know that the voluntary Sentencing Guidelines come in well below that. These would be probation eligible offenses. When you just plead like this with no deal at all with the prosecutor to cap your exposure or your sentence. It will represent a real risk for Hunter Biden. Considering that risk, mike, is the White House saying anything more about whether the president would consider pardoning his son if it came down to it . He was asked that question repeatedly when he was expected to be the nominee for the democratic nominee for president. Thats not the case anymore. But do we know anything more contemporaneously . The president is currently travel to go where i am in Southwest Wisconsin for an official event. During the flight on Air Force one, the white House Press Secretary was asked by reporters, does the president revisit considering pardoning her son. No was the answer to the question. She was asked about consideration of a commutation, that may spare him a sentence. Hes awaiting sentencing on the gun related charge. Karine jeanpierre ruling that out. There have been so many people speculating once the election is over, yes, hes not a candidate but the political fallout for him to issue a pardon at this point would be politically explosive, potentially that would change, but every time the White House has been asked about it, every time i have talked about this with close officials to the president , they flatly rule this out. Well have to wait and see once the time comes. Mike memoli, catherine christian, Glenn Kirschner, Thank You. Well follow what happens in the courtroom. But straight ahead, Liz Cheneys bold challenge to fellow republicans who claim they love the constitution. Will it work . Will it work. And itchy eyes, thh may be even more uncomfortable. People with graves could also get thyroid eye disease, or ted, which may need a different doctor. Find a ted Eye Specialist at isitted. Com. Sleep more deeply and wake up rejuvenated. Purple mattresses exclusive Gel Flex Grid draws away heat, relieves pressure and instantly adapts. Sleep better. Live purple. Right now, save up to 1,000 during our labor day sale. Visit purple. Com or a store near you. Hi, My Name is damian clark. And if you have both Medicare And Medicaid, i have some really encouraging news that youll definitely want to hear. Depending on the plans available in your area, you may be eligible to get extra benefits with a Humana Medicare Advantage dualeligible special Needs Plan. All these plans include a healthy Options Allowance. 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Yeah, chris, so just literally seconds ago we heard from folks inside the courtroom that special Counsel Leo wise for the Justice Department is strenuously opposing Hunter Bidens attempt to enter an Alford Plea. Just to recap, an Alford Plea is one where Hunter Biden admits a conviction, a sentence in court. He would likely be convicted of the alleged crimes but does not factually admit wrong doing according to the facts of the indictment. Heres what Special Counsel had to say about that. I want to make it crystal clear the u. S. Opposes an Alford Plea. Hunter biden is not innocent. Hunter biden is guilty. We did speak briefly with the defense. Its not clear what they are attempting to do. The government is not prepared to agree or not agree to this today, that if there is to be some kind of plea, they need more time to consider it, and more time to discuss it with the defense. This is in sharp contrast to abbe lowells Hunter Bidens attempts in the hearing this morning to say the Court And Government should be prepared to accept an Alford Plea within the course of the day. Its not looking likely that will happen based on the Governments Response so far. We dont know, and thats what were going to be learning over the next hour or two. Thats why the judge has chosen to keep the 125 jurors in the building in case we go on with Jury Selection proceedings. Thank you for that. I know if we get more, well come back to you. I want to bring back Glenn Kirschner and catherine christian, msnbc legal analysts. I want to adjust a little bit of what were learning of what leo wise, the Special Counsel said. He said, theres no way to rush this at this point, and it shouldnt be rushed. Is it reasonable to say that if there is any expectation at all that youre going to accept an Alford Plea, we need to have a little time. You just Cant Spring it on us. Glenn . Yeah, you know, just before the break, catherine had mentioned that ill bet the first thing the judge did was Dress Down Hunter Bidens lawyers, why are you springing this on everyone at the last minute. That can be gamesmanship, it can be a ploy to buy more time when youre on the verge of Jury Selection, now it looks like maybe the chickens are coming home to roost. This is something that should have been smoothed out and worked through with the prosecutor. The court should have been on notice of it, so the Court Wasnt going to inconvenience more than A Hundred prospective jurors that have to come to the courthouse, and sit around and wait and see what Hunter Biden was going to do. I will say, and i mentioned before the break, Alford Pleas are disfavored. When i had Defense Attorneys ask whether their client could plead guilty pursuant to alford and maintain their innocence, i almost always said no. Because it runs contrary to the need for defendants to admit to what they did and accept responsibility. Thats what gives judges a Comfort Level in accepting those guilty pleas. Heres the interesting part to me from leo wise, well, theres many things about what happened while they were in break, but im going to quote hill here. Hunter biden is not innocent. Hunter biden is guilty. We did speak briefly with defense during the break, and its not clear what theyre attempting to do. What do you think they are attempting to do . Is this a Hail Mary . This is a Hail Mary. They not only Blind Sided the court, they Blind Sided the prosecution. Typically you discuss pleas before you get to court. Im talking about a regular plea where the clients say im guilty. Its unclear what mr. Bidens lawyers did here other than upset the judge, inconvenience over A Hundred people who came for Jury Selection, and also upset the prosecution. So does it sound to you, based on whats and again, court is ongoing, glenn, well wait and see what happens. But could a decision not be made today . Do you think thats likely or is the judge more likely to say, no, no, no, this isnt going to work . I have a feeling the judge will probably want to move this case forward in Jury Selection, and to trial. Rather than kind of waiting on the whims of Hunter Biden. And his lawyer, you know, this should have been ironed out before. It feels like a bit of a game thats being played. So and you can envision that if Hunter Biden goes in and says, im absolutely innocent, but then the government, ill use this word a little bit loosely, railroads him into a guilty plea, that is not a good look for anybody. Not in a high profile case, not in any case. Could that happen . Could he make a decision to just go ahead and plead guilty and take his chances . Or could he appeal if the judge says, no, were not accepting the Alford Plea, can that be appealed to a higher court . It cant be appealed that. St within the justices discretion. The Supreme Court ruled you dont have a constitutional right to have this type of a guilty plea accepted by the Court Justice because you offer to do it or pursue it. It feels like we are more likely going to be heading in the direction of a trial rather than an Alford Plea. Glenn and catherine, i know youre going to stay around just in case we get some more information out of the courtroom. Well be back with more right after this. Ack with more right after this ot your Sunday Obsession and we got you now with verizon, get nfl Sunday Ticket from Youtube Tv on us. And a great deal on galaxy z fold6. For a total value of Twelve Hundred And Fifty dollars. Only on verizon. Jalen Hurts see you sunday getting older is part of the journey, even with worsening heart failure. 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Liz cheney has laid down the gauntlet to other republicans. If you believe democracy is at stake, its not enough to deny Donald Trump your vote. I dont believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates names, particularly in swing states. And as a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the constitution, i have thought deeply about this, and because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am i not voting for Donald Trump, but i will be voting for Kamala Harris in this election. The question now is whether cheneys move will open the door for others to do the same. Shes from an iconic republican family, deeply conservative, pro gun, antiabortion. Already this week, John Mccains Son had endorsed harris, following a lineup of prominent republicans who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, and then there was that letter from more than 200 former staffers of four previous republican nominees, all of them supporting harris. Joining us now, matt gorman, former senior Communications Adviser for tim scott, and former aide to jeb Bush And Mitt romney. Megan hays, former special assistant to President Biden and Form Director of message planning. We know very few endorsements have the power to move the needle. Do you think this could maybe even more broadly sort of push the trend of republicans leaving trump . Could it have an impact . You know, i dont. I think certainly Liz Cheneys made no secret of what she thinks about Donald Trump, so it wasnt a surprise. I fail to see who that person in a swing state, maybe that independent voter was hemming and hawing beyond the fence, and suddenly, Liz Cheney sides with Kamala Harris, and they say, you know what, thats the way now. Look, she has the right to vote for whomever she wants. I dont see this to have a massive impact. Again, that may well be the case. But if youre talking about people who may be have thought to themselves, you know what, im just going to write in a name, im going to vote for myself. Im going to vote for dad, im going to vote for whoever, they might say, oh, you know what, maybe i do need to vote my conscience in whatever way that is . Look, i hear that. I personally believe i dont think its necessarily, well, i have to go with this person because i dont like another person. I dont owe the vote to anybody. You can write in somebody if thats what you choose. A vote is a statement of your values. I might disagree but respect it entirely. Youre right, we live in such polarized times that, you know, its a binary choice, and i dont think suddenly somebodys going to don that Liz Cheney is going to make it one way or the other. Cheney rejected the approach of Pat Toomey who said he wont Support Trump but he could not vote for harris either. Do you think its important this kind of philosophical question it raises that every Voters Responsibility is this is her argument is to cast a ballot that equals defense of democracy . Yeah, i do, and i also think, you know, i respectfully disagree with matt here. This sets up a Permission Structure for other republicans who are on the fence or are not going to vote to vote for a democrat probably for the first time in their lives. They also believe in the rule of Law And Constitution and want to support democracy in a way that Donald Trump does not or they dont feel that Donald Trump will. I think this is setting up a Permission Structure for those folks. You know, you have Mccains Son also endorsing the the appointees from different republican administrations and different staff endorsing the Vice President for president , so i just think that this is just people are voting on character, and so you might not agree on the issues and they are fully saying, we dont agree on the issues but we are voting for character, and we are voting for democracy because Donald Trump will not protect that. Heres how j. D. Vance reacted to Cheneys Endorsement of Kamala Harris . A very good thing i can say about the next presidency of donald j. Trump, hes going to make sure people like Liz Cheney are laughed out of the Oval Office instead of rewarded. Kamala harris is Liz Cheney make interesting partners. They get rich when americas Sons And Daughters go off to die. They get rich when americas loses wars, and they get rich when america gets weaker. It feels like i have this conversation every day. I think its an important one, which is he could have said what you said, matt, like, i dont think Liz Cheney is relevant here and move on. But instead, he did the tactic, which was very familiar, which is attack. It works with his base but it does not expand, in fact, it does sometimes remind people who may be on the fence of what they might not like about politics. Is that a mistake . I hear you on that. I think its a little different in this specific scenario. Right . I have followed j. D. Vances career, read his book, and i kind of recognize that in many ways i think for someone like him who is leery of foreign entanglements, but sees theneo conservative wing, the cheney family, as really being very idealogically opposed. I would see them crossing party lines, and more of a world you think for him. The Cheney Part of this in particular, the Neo Conservative Part of this i think is what you saw kind of draw his ire more than anything else. Do you think, meghan, that the Harris Campaign sees this differently . There is reporting that they courted this endorsement. Do you think its at all possible she could go out for Kamala Harris maybe in some of the big Battle Ground states and would it be effective . The Harris Campaign would be lucky to have Liz Cheney on the trail with them or an Email Or Fundraising letters. It would be important and impactful. But i think her saying this unprompted, it was not a Press Release, she said it at an event in North Carolina, doing it in North Carolina is meaningful, and also in the ways its done, it was authentic, and it was just sort of this is who im voting for and heres why. That also was impactful, and i think that reaches people in a different way than putting out a Press Release from the campaign. Meghan hays, matt gorman, Thank You both. Vice president harris is in pittsburgh for what political insiders call debate camp. Its an intensive closed Door Week of practice for next tuesdays big event. Her campaign agreed to a Debate Demand from the Trump Campaign that the microphones be muted for the candidate not speaking. They did so grudgingly, writing, Vice President harris, a former prosecutor will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President. We suspect this is the primary reason for his Campaigns Insistence on muted microphones. We understand that Donald Trump is a risk to skip the debate all together, as he has threatened to do previously if we do not accede to his preferred format. We do not want to jeopardize the debate. Kelly odonnell in pittsburgh, that statement, taking lemons and trying to turn it into lemonade. They got their shots in. Tell us about, i guess there was a toss of a coin. They established the rules, what are they . Reporter what we will see on Tuesday Night is 90 minutes where the two candidates, former president trump, current Vice President Kamala Harris, they will be meeting for the very first time Face To face, and there will be no notes, no props, and there will be a Back And Forth. And the microphones are scheduled to be off when one party is not speaking. So the focus would remain on the candidate who is directed a question, and if there is Back And Forth, the Harris Campaign has been trying to at least get the network thats providing the debate to consider opening up mics if theres a lot of overtalk. Theyre also expecting to have a party of the pool that travels with the candidates be in the room, in the Studio Space that theyre creating in philadelphia, to be able to observe as journalists if there is talking that happens that is not directly on the Television Signal Payoff the microphone situation. Well see how all of that unfolds. Of course as you pointed out, these were rules that were agreed to when Joe Biden was intending to run, and were used during the first debate from june 27th. To some degree, the Trump Campaign entrusting the simple art of negotiation doesnt like to give up something it already had, while the Harris Campaign, really viewed this as a new opportunity with a new candidate to try to set up a dialogue and an interchange that would benefit the american people. From their point of view, they think open minds work better. Well see how it plays out. It will be up to the moderators to direct the conversation. The reason were here in pittsburgh is because the Vice President is using this location for debate prep. She has her team with her here, and they will spend a few days working on the Back And Forth of rehearsing and going through the ideas and the policy issues, and all the strategy in a realtime sort of dress he reversal style, but being in pittsburgh in a state that matters so much also gives her the opportunity to get local coverage by her mere presence here, and in addition, if she heads out for what they call those sort of unscheduled stops, a visit to a Coffee Shop or a local business or any of those things should she do that, that just generates more local interest. So while were here covering it because we follow the candidates wherever they go, in the local media markets, which can be very influential for voters, there will be a lot of attention on Kamala Harris being in pennsylvania leading up to the debate, which will be held in the other big city, philadelphia on tuesday. Free tv time, kelly odonnell, Thank You for that. We want to give youan update of whats happening inside the courtroom with Hunter Biden, as we have been telling you. He threw a curve ball today. Said he wanted an Alford Plea, essentially saying im innocent but ill plead guilty. There has been a lot of discussion from the Special Prosecutor who is strenuously objecting. The judge, according to our folks in the courtroom seem confused about exactly what they were trying to do there now. Theyre in a 30minute Break and in the midst of all of this, 125 or so potential jurors have been hanging out, waiting to see whats going to happen. Again, there is a break, whether everyone is at lunch or going to have conferences, we dont know, well keep you posted on what was going on in what was supposed to be Jury Selection for Hunter Biden. Still ahead, teenage witnesses to tragedy, the heartbreaking stories from students now mourning two classmates and two teachers after a mass shooting one month into the school year. R My Name is brayden. I was five years old when i came to st. Jude. Ill try and shorten down the story. So ive been having these headaches that wouldnt go away. My mom, she was just crying. What they said, your son has brain cancer. It was your worst fear coming to life. Watching your child grow up is the dream of every parent. You can join the battle to save the lives of kids like brayden, by supporting st. Jude childrens research hospital. Families never receive a bill from st. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. What they have done for me, my son, my family im sorry, yeah. Life is a gift, especially for a child battling cancer. Call or go online and help save another lives of children like brayden. Now, im 11 years old. We were actually doing the checkup for my brain. And they saw something in my throat. Its thyroid cancer. It was heartbreaking to find out that he has cancer again. But we knew who we had behind us. It just gives me hope. You can make a difference. Join with your Credit Or Debit card for only 19 a month. And well send you this st. Jude tshirt. Without st. Jude or its donors, we would have been in a bad place. These kids, theyve done Nothing Wrong in the world. Finding a cure for childhood cancer, it means everything. Help st. Jude give kids with cancer a chance. [audio logo] schools were closed for the rest of the week throughout barrow county, georgia, after four people were killed at apalachee high school. There was, aerial bowling, a sophomore was on the Today Show with her mother. Talking about their experience. Im trying to hold up myself, just still, like, really in shock of like Processing Everything that happened. We heard shots fired, and we ran back into the room. And we just all piled up on top of Each Other in the corner. I saw a deceased body on the floor, but it was like covered up. And i saw a female with a Shot Wound to her leg. And it was just, like, really traumatic experience. I heard five gunshots, and then the phone went dead. So i didnt know if she was hurt. I just feel like youre basically never safe anywhere. She told me shes never coming back here. I just dont know what to do. Its scary. Joining me now is lisa por morgan, president of the Georgia Association of educators. This is an unspeakably difficult time. Thank you for being with us. I want to read part of the statement you posted on your groups web site. We enter our schools each day believing that they are the safest places in our community, and once again, that trust has been shattered. This was the 23rd School Shooting in k12 this year. Can you put into words what its like to be in the middle of it, and i wonder what goes through your mind when you hear a mother saying that her child has told her shes never going back . As a classroom teacher, you put yourself in that position. And we all enter our classes every day, and the utmost thing in our mind as we walk in the classroom is how am i going to ensure that my students learn today. It should not now it is, but it should not be, how am i going to ensure that my students go home safely, that the entire perspective has changed, and it is traumatic, it is disheartening, and its frankly im afraid going to push more really good educators out of our classrooms, and its so understandable that the student feels this way. As adults we dont want to go back to somewhere that weve experienced trauma, and that were going to expect these students to come back and walk back in that same place. Its horrifying. And we know theres been a lot of research on this that many of these students already felt traumatized by what they went through with covid. Educators as well. Extremely difficult time. Now this. I know that these students at apalachee were barely a month into the school year. For them, for the teachers who will have to return to that building presumably at some point, what resources are available . This is something we have been asking for. We have been asking for more counselors, more school social workers, more School Psychologists to be available, and typically what happens in these situations is they will bring in additional school counselors, social workers, but they are not there permanently. Its a short term, and then those resources that are needed every day are no longer there, and that is one of our concerns in this situation for all of our students, that we provide more Mental Health Resources for them within their schools, and that they be permanent positions that are going to be there to allow students to deal with these traumatic experiences. And what about for teachers who find themselves with a classroom full of kids who we know they feel they need to protect. Its very, very challenging to do when somebody has an ar rifle. It is impossible to protect the students in that situation, even if we succeed in protecting them physically, we are not able to protect them mentally and emotionally from the impacts of these types of situations. One of the things that has been so clear, you have heard over and over, i never thought it would happen in my community. We have to expand that because when it happens in any community, that community has to be our community. We have to solve the problem so that we dont have parents and students and educators in another community experiencing this trauma. All we can do from afar is, unfortunately, offer our prayers, offer our thoughts and hope that you get the resources that you need as i said, in this unspeakably horrific situation. Lisa morgan, Thank You, we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Thank you. And that is going to do it for us this hour. Our coverage continues with Katy Tur reports next. Katy tur reports next. All across america. 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