Watch booktv this weekend on cspan2. President biden has picked Denis Mcdonough to head the Veterans Affairs department. He previously served as white house chief of staff during the last four years of the obama presidency. His confirmation hearing he was asked about veterans access to healthcare, modernization efforts in the das responds to covid19. This is just over two hours. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] i i want to call this evening to order. I want to welcome everybody. I appreciate all that are here, all those that are online. The purpose of this hearing is due from the i president s nominate to serve as secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis Mcdonough. Before i talk about him i just want to say i appreciate this committee all the reasons we sat on this committee thats been bipartisan and its been nonpolitical, and we tried to do the best by our veterans whether you are the republican side for the democratic side of the aisle. I particularly appreciate the re
You can find any book youre looking for and support independent book sellers across the country. With that out of the way, lets get started. Youll probably recognize the voices of both of our guests tonight but our host is laura ziegler, a national npr reporter covering the midwest. Currently shes producer and Community Engagement reporter as kansas city affiliate kcur. Laura, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Youre welcome. Good to be here. And im jumping in now, i guess. Im delighted to be here and introduced you to pam fessler, who is an awardwinning journalist at npr. Shes covered poverty and election issues, voter issues for many years. Now in the tradition of npr journalists who you recognize as excellent storytellers, podcasts and online, shes proven the ability to translate that ability to tell stories on the radio, to the platform of the printed word and, of course, a book. Her new book car villes fear, leprosy, stigma and fight for justice. Im delighted to have the
Undemocratic, what some Top Republicans are saying about the president s latest efforts to sow doubt about the election. This wild press appearance from Rudy Giuliani. And crimes you dont have to smell, and you cant smell this one. And a week long recount by hand. And ready, set, shop. A surprising plus of the pandemic just ahead and why the thanksgiving meal will cost less this year, and the holiday deals are starting today, a full week ahead of black friday. And plus a we love a parade like none other, and what is being done to pull off the beloved macys day parade unlike no other. Today, friday, november 20th, 2020. From nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. From studio 1a in rockefeller pla plaza. Hi, everybody, good morning. Happy friday and glad you are with us, and hoda is off and we have a lot of news. And potentially significant news. It is just breaking surrounding the vaccine and the coronavirus, and key step forward this morning. The Pfizer Company is
You can imagine about just what happens next not only with the election. Certainly the president s health and the president s own duties. Joining us now bay area congressman Jared Huffman who represents parts of the north bay congressman thank you for being with us tonight your first reaction when you heard last night that he has covid and then when you heard late this afternoon that hes going to be hospitalized. No thank you for having anytime the president of the United States has a health problem, its its a serious issue. And i wish who has contracted covid full. Hes in the best hands, the best medical hands we have in this i hope the doctors at walter reed are in charge of the president has surrounded himself with some. The some quack ish medical doctors as well so im hoping that hes letting the top notch folks at walter reed call the shots at this stage i think if they do theres theres every reason to believe that they dont have a a cautionary tale obviously when you have someone
The second hour of the future of health care summit. Id like to thank our sponsor for their support of todays great program. We spent the first out on lessons we learn from the coronavirus pandemic. Will expand to look at policymaking breakthroughs and innovation in the face of seen and unseen challenges. Before we get underway a few housekeeping notes. You can tweet as at hashtag the Health Health and taking questions. Ive got a bunch that already come in. Speakers beware. If your experience, with a live stream lees refresh the page. It should be a quick fix. Thats what they say. Lets get started. Im please enter it is my first guest dies Health Official in the land alex faison sect of health and human services. Secretary azar has a a breadthf expense of both public and private sectors. His key areas of focus include healthcare reform, research and innovation come all of which have assumed added significance in the coronavirus era. Well, thanks for joining us today. We had a fantastic