outbreak a global pandemic. our senior medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta joins us to explain why. what makes it a pandemic? >> there are criteria that are somewhat defined to call something a pandemic. let me preface by saying this terminology that we're going to start using now isn't so much to cause panic but rather to really cause a focus on preparedness. >> sanjay will join us in a moment. more than 525,000 americans have died since sanjay made those remarks. but this morning there are so many positive signs. 2.2 million people a day are getting vaccinated. the cdc has new guidelines for 30 million people who are fully vaccinated. >> if you are one of them, the cdc says it is safe to gather with other vaccinated people indoors without masks. and vaccinated grandparents can safely visit unvaccinated grandchildren. but the experts say we're not out of the wood yet. coronavirus variants could still trigger another deadly surge, especially as states relax their guidelines. texas is set to end its statewide mask mandate tomorrow. the chief of the houston police department will be with us on his strong feelings about that. first, let's bring in dr. sanjay gupta, cnn's chief medical correspondent. so much of the past year has been a blur. just one day bleeds into the other. i sometimes don't remember what i had for dinner two nights ago. but i do remember that day. i do remember that day exactly a year ago. i tomorrow so well because you had decided through lots of research and reporting that it was time to call it a pandemic. but could you see what was coming, what was going to happen over the next year back then? >> no, absolutely not. that's just being honest. i think even at that time, i remember that was a monday that we wrote that article, calling this a pandemic. the world health organization, the cdc hadn't done it. so i did give this a lot of thought. and there is always this sense of you want to hope for the best, prepare for the worst. and even in the preparing for the worst sort of mentality, the idea that 22 people had died, by that day, march 9th of last year, could turn into 525,000 absolutely not. there was no conceivable sort of model or projection that i had in my mind. i think most people i talked to as well, the same thing it would have gotten to this point here. i did think that it was going to be bad but i also thought there would have been a very appropriate reaction from the united states in terms of curbing those -- that spread and, obviously, lowering these deaths. >> now we are where we are, sanjay. 525,000 deaths later, but signs of progress. more than 2 million people vaccinated a day which is a really extraordinary number for a vaccine that didn't exist one year ago when we were sitting here having this discussion. now we have these cdc guidelines. it's telling vaccinated people they can hang out with each other. other vaccinated people inside. it's telling vaccinated people that they can visit with unvaccinated people under certain circumstances. you have been meeting with the white house. what's the most important takeaway here for you? >> well, first of all, now we have some guidelines, right? what we were hearing from a lot of people, i've been vaccinated. that's great because i'm much reduced risk of getting illness, but what can i do with my life? now you're starting to see that. this is the conversation we've all been having on your program for some time. what does it mean to be vaccinated? i think there were a few things in the reporting from yesterday talking to people on the task force that jumped out at me. one is that we have been discussing things in a very binary way for some time. you can do this. you can't do that. what you're going to start hearing is more low-risk, medium-risk, high-risk. giving people more decision making. but also you know, people kept waiting for this idea of herd immunity, getting to 70%, 80% of the country vaccinated before anything would change. now we're seeing that points along the way, 10% of the country is vaccinated. we're seeing these recommendations. when we're 20% vaccinated, you're going to see loosening of the recommendations and so forth. so you'll see the sort of gradation. they use the term first step over and over again as they were releasing these recommendations. and then finally starting to get some sense of when, overall, the country will return to some sense of normalcy. there's a lot of caveats there as everyone has said. but, you know, i thought those were the things that really jumped out. it was a tone that was really important. still very cautious but more optimistic than i've heard in a while. >> as you know, i keep a close eye on the daily cases and so here's where we are today on saturday. it was 58,000 cases. sunday, 40,000. almost 41,000 cases. but that's always a low day of reporting. then yesterday, 50,000 cases. i don't know when i started to become comforted by 50,000 cases a day, but somehow i am because i keep bracing for the uptick that all the medical experts say we need to be on guard for because of the variants. >> yeah, you know, i'm right there with you, alisyn. 50,000 should never feel normal. none of this should feel normal. but the trends are important and the numbers have been going down. i think what is critical, and i've been looking at the data out of the uk for quite a bit. they started vaccinating before we did. 90-year-old margaret keenan was the first person to be vaccinated on december 8th. what happened after that? well, the numbers went up significantly for a period of time. and they went back sort of into shutdown mode because of the variant and its increased transmissibility out there. that's the big concern. if that sort of thing happens here as well. and this is a really important but, if the case numbers do either plateau or continue to go up, we're going to be looking very carefully at what happens after that. do we see the increase in hospitalizations a couple of weeks after? do we see the increase in these sad deaths, tragic deaths a few weeks after that. i'm thinking by looking at all the modeling and putting it together that hopefully that won't happen. you may see an uptick but i think a much smaller proportion of hospitalizations and deaths as we've seen in the past because not only are vaccines out there, but increasingly, the right people are getting vaccinated. the people who are most at risk of getting sick and dying are the ones also getting vaccinated. so nursing homes, long-term care facilities, that was 33% of the people who died in this country. one-third. and now the vast majority of them have received vaccines. so you get the picture that i'm painting here. we could see the number goes back up or plateau. but will that translate into hospitalizations and deaths? >> it's a really important point to make. you've opened my eyes to that. the cases could stay static or even rise but hospitalizations could continue to drop, which means that the vaccinations are working. hospitalizations continue to drop because the vaccinations are working. people aren't getting as sick is what that would mean. thanks for being with us today. >> you got it. thank you. texas governor greg abbott is lifting the statewide mask mandate tomorrow. new cases have declined over the past month but the end of mask mandates has health officials and law enforcement officials concerned. joining us now is chief art acevedo of the houston police department. thanks for being here. great to see you. okay. so what's your biggest concern? how does the lifting of the mask mandate make your job harder starting tomorrow? >> well, because we know the masks have become a political issue in our country and it's become a very divisive issue in our country and what's going to happen is that in this state, businesses have property rights. and so you know, no mask, no service means you can't be in that business and i can assure you we'll start seeing our calls for service and conflict go up. conflict that can be avoided by simply continuing to follow the science and being patient. we're almost to that finish line. i think this is a step in the wrong direction. >> can you explain what that's going to look like? if a business says all patrons need to wear a mask, that's the business' rule but the customer doesn't want to, what makes the police get involved? >> in texas, we have very strong property rights. so if a person does not want to wear the mask and refuses to wear's mask and refuses to leave, it's t becomes criminal trespass. they'll either be arrested or given a criminal trespass warning which means they can't come back to that business for a year. we're hopeful that most americans and most texans are people that are good people, good-hearted people, care about their neighbors, their friends and the majority will actually follow the rules. but unfortunately we're going to have some folks that won't, and i can see the conflict coming and the cops will be stuck in the middle like we always are. >> you're hoping for the best but bracing for that possibility and talking to your officers about how to handle a situation like that? >> we had to put out enforcement guidelines. we've always had the mindset we'd rather use honey than vinegar. look for voluntary compliance, but we've already seen here in this city an individual at a bar, an employee having a glass broken over his head simply for asking someone to wear the mask. we have another restaurant where the owner is calling me. they're talking about calling i.c.e. on their employees because they've chosen to follow the science and keep their customers healthy. and so the conflict is coming. it was avoidable. this was unnecessary and unfortunately, something else that will be on our plate moving forward. >> how about these mask-off parties. there's already been announcements, posters have gone up. flyers for these big parties in houston. at some of these, they've had to be cancelled once word got out. but why -- do you have any idea why people feel so angry about wearing a mask? how is wearing a mask a big restriction to your lifestyle? >> because there's some people that are more interested in their own individual rights than the health and safety of their family members, their friends, their neighbors and the first responders. here in houston, we've lost three members of our department to covid. we've lost four firefighters to covid and a lot of friends and relatives to covid. and so like i said in a tweet not too long ago, give an opportunity for texans to see who cares about others and who cares about self. it will be telling about the character of the people we live with, work with and the people that reside in our state. let's see who amongst us cares and who amongst us doesn't. and i look forward to actually helping our community keep the peace. but again, we're going to see people die. we're going to see the trajectory going the wrong direction because our governor was more interested in political theater than in actually doing the right thing for the right reasons. >> in terms of the categories of who cares bothers and who doesn't, where do you put governor abbott? >> i think he cares about his poll numbers. and the extreme to the right has a real problem with masks. and quite frankly, he's going to continue to wear his mask, is my understanding because he understands the risk to his own health and so if it's good enough for him to wear a mask, i'm not sure why he doesn't care enough about the rest of texans to continue to follow the science. >> chief art acevedo, we appreciate you joining us. we'll see what happens in texas over the next weeks. we want to remember some of the nearly 526,000 americans lost to coronavirus. richard ortega loved the supermarket where he worked in san antonio so much, he said it was like his second family. he was there 38 years. long enough for three of his family members, of his real family, to start working there and he was just 55 years old. helen etu was just 20 years old. a senior at the university of north texas, she aimed to become a pediatrician. her brother says she loved kids and just wanted to help. on the opening night in the metropolitan opera's latest production, they wrote on facebook it never mattered to me whether i was a principal artist or ensemble member as long as i got to do it. he sang all over the country. one conductor told "the new york times," she was struck by his ability to act as he sang. he was only 38 years old. we'll be right back. ♪ comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs. new projects means new project managers. comfort in the extreme. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our resume database. claim your seventy five dollar credit, when you post your first job at indeed.com/home. ♪ ♪ we made usaa insurance for veterans like martin. when a hailstorm hit, he needed his insurance to get it done right, right away. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa if these beautiful idaho potato recipes are just side dishes, usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. then i'm not a real idaho potato farmer. genuine idaho potatoes not just a side dish anymore. always look for the grown in idaho seal. this morning we're still waiting on final passage of the $1.9 trillion covid relief bill. joining us now, the assistant speaker of the house, catherine clark of massachusetts. thank you for being with us. what can you tell us about the timing of the final vote? >> good morning, john. we are very excited that this bill will pass imminently. if not today, it will be scheduled for a vote tomorrow. and this really is an exciting time because it is a source of optimism for the american people who have faced such loss and challenge that help is on the way. this is going to be a lifeline for families at home in my district and across the country. >> so maybe today but more likely tomorrow morning at this point? >> it's really just a matter of paperwork, but we are going to have a vote as soon as we can because we know what's at stake. we know that families are waiting to see if they're going to continue to collect unemployment. if they're going to be able to feed their families, keep a roof over their head, access the vaccinations. all of this in that bill. >> let me ask then how you would explain in 30 seconds or less to an average citizen of the commonwealth how their life will be affected by the passage of this bill. what will change for them? middle income person. >> i would say let's look around your kitchen table and see the changes you need. because what i hear from my constituents is they are unable to put food on that table to feed their families. they need their schools reopened. this bill is going to help do that safely. child care has been destabilized. it is a foundation for rebuilding our economy. and making sure women who have been hit so hard in this recession can get back to work. that is in this bill. a $40 billion investment. it's going to say to children, we are going to be able to lift children. half of the children in this country out of poverty with this bill. this is big, powerful stuff. these are solutions the american people hunger for. and it is a moment where we are going to be able to say to them, we understand. we see the suffering they have had, but this is a chance for us to send you a lifeline. and not only for the immediate, to make sure you get those vaccines, you continue to have testing available. but for building a stronger and more inclusive economy. >> it looks like, as of now it will pass without a single republican vote. and that's on republicans to explain why they couldn't support this one, but they supported the last covid relief bills. they can't support something 60% of americans or more support. but i want to ask you about bipartisanship. i read boston magazine and they did a profile of you in there. you talk about mark wayne mullen from oklahoma whom you worked with in the past on opioid legislation and other things. he was one of the members on the republican side who voted to overturn the election and all that. and you say, quote, i dont know if i can work with him again. you have to believe upholding the constitution. and what i saw of his behavior fundamentally changed the way i view him. he did smome other things you disapprove of in those days. given that you aren't sure you can work with him again, what can americans expect, reasonably in the way of bipartisanship going forward? >> well, i think what we are seeing now is a time of great divide and we'll continue to find those issues we can work on together. but i don't want to brush by what you just said. think about this. not a single republican voted to expand vaccination programs. not a single republican voted to fund the safe reopening of our schools. voted to extend unemployment benefits. voted to offer a lifeline to small businesses and restaurants in our communities. not a single one voted to expand our food program so kids don't go to bed hungry, to put in tax credits that can lift kids out of poverty and give families a new chance in our economy. that is stunning. and while the republicans are trying to figure out what they stand for, who they are going to be, i can tell you that we are committed to meeting this moment of historic challenge with historic progress. >> let me ask you quickly about -- one more moment. one more moment the country is facing today. and that's a rising number of unaccompanied children at the border. and being held. and running out of resources, it seems, to house them. how would you assess your level of concern now? how would you assess the biden administration's response to this? jen psaki talking just moments ago, acknowledging this is a real challenge. >> it is a real challenge. and i am grateful to be able to work on these challenges with the biden administration that has already demonstrated that they understand our immigration system is broken. and the way we fix it is we do it with compassion. we do it in a comprehensive way. and we put resources into it. so that we build a system where people can come to this country and make a case on why they need to access the incredible opportunity of the united states of america. and that we do not go back to policies that we just had for four years where we lead with just saying the worst things about immigrants. portraying them in a very unfair and discriminatory way and building policies that purposefully separate. but this is a real challenge. and i stand with the biden administration that they are looking at this and not blinking. and understanding that there are factors here, kids in the care and custody of the united states. and that we have to do better. i've been to the border several times over the last four years. and there are real challenges there, but i am so proud to have a white house that now understands that we can meet those challenges. we can get to the root cause. we can treat people humanely, and we can rebuild an immigration system that works for everyone. >> representative katherine clark, thanks for being with us. prince charles appeared in public, and he was asked for his response to the stunning interview with his son and meghan markle. what did he have to say? we'll tell you next. opportunities are all about timing. so if you're turning 65 or retiring soon, it's time to take advantage of a plan that gives you more for your medicare dollar: an aarp medicare advantage plan from unitedhealthcare. call unitedhealthcare today to get $0 copays for all primary care doctor visits, $0 copays on preventive dental, and $0 copays on hundreds of prescriptions. in 2019, members saved an average of $7,200 on prescriptions. you'll even get free annual eye exams, and free 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about it. >> can i ask what did you think of the interview? >> thank you, everyone. >> no response. joining us now is heather mcgee, the author of the sum of us, why racism costs everyone and how we can prosper together. heather, great to have you here. >> great to be here. >> so i want to start with harry and meghan because i remember when they got engaged and there was all of this optimism and all of this talk that they were this very sort of quintessentially modern couple and they were going to be able to usher the monarchy into, you know, the 21st century. how do you think it all fell apart so quickly? >> when i look at the story of harry and meghan, i see something that i write about in my book, which is the cost of racism to people beyond just the targets, right? this was absolutely an opportunity for a british crown who was instrumental in the trans-atlantic slave trade which wealth was built on colonialism in africa and other countries, where the state of racism is always just there beyond the veil. and yet they had an opportunity to have a daughter, a descendant of the -- enslaved peoples be the new part of the royal family. to be an ambassador to a commonwealth that is majority countries in the africa and the caribbean. this was really a possibility for the crown to actually engage with that shameful past and do it in a way in the family of a very charismatic, obviously, radiant young duchess. and they couldn't do it. >> why not? why not? >> they couldn't -- >> when you sat there listening to the anguish in both harry and meghan's voices as they described a system that was built to protect a certain type of royal. and that was simply unwilling to protect this new kind of royal. unwilling to even countenance the idea that a quarter african-american young royal would be given an honorary title or that the grandson of diana, whom the british press hounded to her death, would be given a security detail. particularly once the racist inflections in the tabloids made this not just your normal press scrutiny but the kind that invites the worst elements of society to target this family. it really was a cost of racism. >> at the same time, that interview is sending shockwaves. the derek chauvin, former police officer in minneapolis, trial is beginning. and since the time that george floyd was killed and it gripped the country and people were so horrified witnessing those eight-plus minutes of him underneath the knee of officer chauvin at the time, but public opinions seem to have changed since then. here's the latest "usa today" poll. back in june of 2020, 60% of all americans believe that the death of george floyd was murder. today that number is 36%. among black americans in june of 2020, the 83% saw murder in what happened there. now it's down to 64%. what do you think that's about? >> i think that's about a few things. i think that's about the shock wearing off. i think that's, frankly, about politics running its course, right? we saw an enormous outpouring of support. not just in the united states but across the globe. and not just in the black community, but importantly, in -- over 90% of the black lives matter protests were in majority white communities. this was something that galvanized people, black, white and brown across the ideological spectrum to say enough is enough. and systemic racism in policing does exist. and then to be honest, the right wing did its work. starting to really focus on the few instances of clashes between demonstrators and police even though we know that over 90% of the black lives matter protests were completely peaceful, no property damages, no conflict with the police at all. and then, by the end of the summer, i looked at this in my book, "the sum of us," you saw that voters were roughly split between whether the protests were largely violent or largely peaceful. even though over 90% had not so much as property damage. and then you began to see that creep into the very ideas about the facts of the case. and that's the problem with a very polarized, partisanship and media system where we can't simply agree on the humanity of our people and on the fact that george floyd should still be alive. >> let's talk about the findings of your book. i know that you traveled across the country. you investigated the ways in which racism, you say, hurts more than just people of color. so what did you find out? >> so i came at this book as an economic policy person. i want to see one of the greatest countries on the planet. the largest economy on the planet provide for the basics in life. universal child care. health care. reliable modern infrastructure. tell that to my family in texas. a public health system that can actually handle pandemics. and as it turns out, the greatest threat to our progress in the united states, the thing that's holding us back from all of those things is a zero-sum world view. the idea that is held mainly by white people that progress for people of color has to come at white folks' expense. it's simply not true. economically speaking if we close the racial economic divides our economy would be $16 trillion larger over the past 20 years. that's from a citigroup report. and yet the idea that we need to fear progress of people of color, that a dollar more in my pocket means a dollar less in yours, that's what's holding us back. and so i found that through all of those issues, stories talking to white people who lost their homes in the financial crisis, white workers in mississippi who failed to get a union that would have given them higher wages and stronger benefits, they said to me, this zero-sum isn't working. it's not us versus them. as long as we're divided we're conquered. >> the book is "the sum of us: why racism costs everyone and how we can prosper together." heather mcgee, great to talk to you. thanks for the conversation. >> thank you. as more students return to the classroom, many minority parents remain skeptical that schools truly are safe. so we'll talk to them, next. research shows that people remember commercials with exciting stunts. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's something you shouldn't try at home... look, liberty mutual customizes home insurance so we only pay for what we need. it's pretty cool. that is cool! grandma! very cool. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ like, seeing my mom. it's unthinkable to me that i can't see her and i can't hug her. not being able to hug is just like somebody has to tie me down. touching someone to say i love you, to hug you... those are the things that i miss. ♪♪ ♪♪ new data this morning shows that black parents are far more likely than white parents to keep their children in remote learning. but the pandemic's disproportionate impact and fears that they cannot trust the system, many families of color say staying home is the only option that feels safe. cnn's ryan young is live in atlanta. this is something we're hearing around the country, ryan. >> yeah, absolutely, john. when you think about it, the school behind me is quite beautiful. they've done a lot of improvements. but across the country, minority parents have been complaining for years about the institutions, about whether or not they've been cleaned properly. whether or not they're getting the maintenance necessary. now all these schools are saying they're ready for kids to come back. parents are saying, not so fast. >> good job. >> reporter: covid-19 has already taken so much from jasmine gregory. a mom of three boys, she's not ready to send her kids back to the classroom. >> i'm a mom. and i don't feel safe. and i know what the cdc says, but in my heart, my children's safety is priority. >> reporter: black families who continue to be hit harder by covid-19 now also grappling with the idea of sending their kids back to school for in-person learning. >> honestly don't think it's worth it right now. risking children's lives would be world it. even though, you know, they need to be in that setting to learn. >> reporter: the cdc says returning to the classroom is safe and opening schools has become a priority nationwide. but many minority parents aren't ready to trust systems that haven't always heard their voices. the cdc in a recent study found that 62% of white parents strongly or somewhat agreed schools should reopen that fall compared with 46% of black parents. >> all people are going back into the building. i just don't want to die coming home to do it. >> reporter: pam gandy, a mom and longtime teacher in baltimore is still puzzled by all the mixed messages teachers and parents are gciven about returning to the classroom. she wants the district to be up front about their strategy before she makes her own decision. >> we should have already had these plans. you went to the governor to threaten his teachers and educators. let me see the plan as the teacher. let me see the plan as the parent. >> reporter: educators and parents have had to deal with severe underinvestment in classrooms in underserved districts leaving them in bad shape and covid further highlighted this inequity. >> how we're being so devalued, but then as a parent, i feel that you are underestimating me. i do want my child back in school. my children are literally suffering emotionally and socially. >> are you scared some of these kids are going to slip beneath the cracks? >> yes. and i think that that's a question that any educational leader, particularly if they are serving and leading in an urban school system, that is exactly what we worry and think about. >> reporter: atlanta public schools new superintendent lisa herring is leading one of the largest school districts in the state of georgia and knows there is an unhill challenge to get minority kids back into class. >> the vast majority of our families who have chosen face to face are our families that are white, caucasian. trust or lack thereof surfaces to the top. let's be candid and honest about that. that's the truth. >> reporter: in a year full of uncertainty, many minority parents remain skeptical that schools are truly safe. when you think about schools in general, you can say, look, we talk a lot about first responders, but our teachers are so important. they deserve an award for what's been going on. these buildings provide so much from food to mental care to activities to keep kids out of trouble. when you think about this, the impact it's had on the community, it's amazing. when you think back to your life, there's always one or two teachers that stick out in your head. i think about ms. johnson or mr. diaz in my life. you want those kids to still have the impact. especially when they're dealing with difficult times at home losing family members to covid-19. >> i know that j. smith, my middle schoolteacher is watching right now as he does every morning. i totally agree. our lives would be different. ryan, thank you very much. here's what else to watch today. there are dozens move to rules to restrict voting being passed in several states. what is being done to fight back? that's next. - oh. - what's going on? - oh, darn! - let me help. here we go. lift and push and push! there... it's up there. oh, boy. hey joshie... wrinkles send the wrong message. help prevent them before they start with downy wrinkleguard. hey! bud. hey, pop pop! so you won't get caught with wrinkles again. [woman laughs] out here, you're a landowner, a gardener, a landscaper and a hunter. that's why you need versatile, durable kubota equipment. keeping your oysters business growing has you swamped. you need to hire. i need indeed indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a shortlist of quality candidates from a resume data base claim your seventy-five-dollar credit when you post your first job at indeed.com/promo georgia's state senate passed an election bill that would repeal no-excuse absentee voting, among other sweeping changes in that state. joining me is la tasha brown, the co-founder of black voters matter. thanks so much for being with us. let me put up specifically what this senate bill does. there 24 are two bills in georg that restrict things. this would repeal no-excuse absentee balloting which has been in place since 2005. it creates i.d. requirements for absentee ballots. gives the legislature authority to temporarily block emergency rule changes. what do you see going on? . >> it is so clear. this is an attempt to restrict access to the ballot. it's quite frankly an attack on voting rights in this country. an attack on voting rights when we look at this last election in georgia. one-third of voters across the state use absentee ballot voting. and there was no fraud that was discovered in that process. even when they counted the votes three times and came up with the same exact result. the bottom line is this is all predicated on the big lie that trump told and now the republicans are actually trying to take advantage of this opportunity really to take advantage and really restrict voting rights. if something is working, where people are participating, it's making free and fair access to the ballot. why would you attack those rights? it's quite simply just what it looks like on the face. it is an attack on voting rights. >> one thing that's interesting is to think about the timing. this was no excuse absentee balloting was something that republicans when they controlled things in georgia, which they still do, they passed. they wanted it. it was something that republicans liked. so what changed? what's the intervening moment that caused them to not like no of excuse absentee? >> when you expanded access to the ballot, more people in georgia did not align with their agenda. they saw this record historic turnout of black voters in georgia which ultimately led to a different outcome than what they wanted. it's ironic they came up with this as a strategy and that they use this and put this legislation in place. and so now they are attacking it because it is quite frankly voter suppression. black voters and other voters across the state overwhelmingly use this as a vehicle in this last election psychele. n now it's time to change the rules. >> when the other party starts using it, you want to pull it back. when it's something that benefits you, you like it. i want to put up what iowa is doing. they reduce the number of early voting days from 29 to 20. it closes polling places an hour earlier. the other law or bill being discussed in georgia right now does away or reduces the number of early voting days, including sunday, taking away sunday there which african-americans vote disproportionately there. they are doing all of these in the name of voter security. that's the catch phrase that they use. how does limiting early voting or cutting back on days do anything to address voter security? >> you know, you can dress up a duck and put lipstick on it and it will still be a duck. this is voter suppression just clear. this is voter suppression. at the end of the day, the republicans in georgia are seeking to do everything they can to restrict ballot access. this is an attack on the voting rights of those in the state that have actually used this. and so how does it actually benefit the system to actually restrict access to the ballot? actually strengthens democracy when there's expanded access to the ballot. what we're seeing across this country in 30 states, this uprising of bills being led by republicans because, quite frankly, they don't believe they can win unless they cheat. >> the question now is, what are you going to do about this? they have the power to pass this in the legislatures. they have the power to change these rules. >> we have power as well. that's part of the reason we're organizing. i'll just say to the organizers yesterday, while this was one bill, there were many bills. 45 bills were killed yesterday by organizers, killed in the house, with pressure being put on. pressure does work. i think one of the things we have to do is put pressure on the entire ecosystem which is why we launched a campaign to actually call into question our corporate partners in the state. you have major multinational corporations like delta and coca-cola and aflac and at&t that are right here in the state of georgia. and with this being that georgia, that atlanta is a city too busy to hate but not too busy to suppress the vote. we have to call corporate citizens, the business sector and say we're going to be relentless. >> i get that. that's up until the point it becomes law. but there are places around the country where it is already becoming law. once it becomes law then, how do you operate within this new system in order to get the votes that you need? >> i think the history has shown there's a couple of things. that's why we're pushing there's immediate passage of hb-1. we need strong legislation on the federal level. we need the senate to end the filibuster to get some real voter rights legislation passed. that we need layers. in addition, that most of the work when you're looking at voting rights in the south in a state like georgia, they've always been egregious, which is the purpose of the voting rights act in the first place was. there's a number of thichngs. we have to put pressure on the state, on the ecostill and need congress and the senate to have sweeping changes that will protect the right to vote. we operate as if someone letting black people vote in this country they're doing us a favor. we pay taxes, we organize. we're going to be relentless in making sure our rights are restored. if that means we have to work every single day to roll back this every single day, that's what we're going to do. can't stop, won't stop. >> latasha brown, this is an issue not going away. we look forward to talking with you over the coming months. >> thank you. a lot of news going on today. we're watching as the covid relief bill works its way through the congress. final passage expected tonight or tomorrow. our coverage continues next. opportunities are all about timing. so if you're turning 65 or retiring soon, it's time to take advantage of a plan that gives you more for your medicare dollar: an aarp medicare advantage plan from unitedhealthcare. call unitedhealthcare today to get $0 copays for all primary care doctor visits, $0 copays on preventive dental, and $0 copays on hundreds of prescriptions. in 2019, members saved an average of $7,200 on prescriptions. you'll even get free annual eye exams, and free designer frames. don't miss your shot. if you're turning 65 or retiring soon, learn about our wide choice of plans, including ppo options, call unitedhealthcare today. we'll walk you through your choices and find the right plan for you. catching a good opportunity is all about timing. so, enroll today, before the moment slips away. it's time to take advantage. we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa ♪ very good tuesday morning. i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. next hour, jury selection will begin in the trial of derek chauvin. that's the former minneapolis police officer charged with killing george floyd. this follows yesterday's surprise delay in that trial. chauvin is facing second-degree murder and manslaughter charges but now the judge is considering reinstating a third-degree murder count. we'll have a live update from minneapolis in just a moment. also the white house has announced president biden will deliver his first primetime address since taking office. that will be this thursday. of course, that day very significant. it marks one year since the covid-19 shutdown. >> can you believe it's been a year? that milestone comes as health experts are signaling really a brighter future ahead in this pandemic fight. the cdc says more people in th