tonight the cdc releasing new coronavirus guidelines and it's good news for people who are fully vaccinated. they can visit other vaccinated people indoors without masks or social distancing. jury selection set to begin tomorrow in the trial of the former minneapolis police officer accused of killing george floyd. floyd's sister will join me in a few moments. and fallout from the harry and meghan explosive interview with oprah winfrey, alleging racism in the royal family and that someone expressed concern about the color of their son's skin. >> there's a conversation with you -- >> with harry. >> -- about how dark your baby is going to somebody. >> potentially and what that would mean or look like. >> much more on harry and meghan's interview straight ahead this hour. but i want to get right to something we have all been waiting for and that's the cdc releasing official guidance for americans who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. what can they do? where can they go? can you hug your family, be inside without a mask or without masks, plural? joining me now, dr. reiner of george washington university hospital. doctor, thanks for joining. this is good news. we can see some small gatherings, grandparent hugs. but dr. leana wen argues it's too cautious. you should be cautious, right? she says the cdc should be saying, if you're willing to get vaccinated, you can travel freely. do you agree with that? >> oh, i agree with dr. wen. look, this administration has said that science was going to drive their policy. and if science was truly driving this policy, then they would acknowledge that folks who are fully vaccinated are very well protected against becoming infected themselves and are also pretty well protected now against transmitting the virus to others. we have that data from large patient cohorts coming out of israel. so what i think is happening with the cdc is they're reluctant to make a recommendation like if you're vaccinated, you know, go ahead and knock yourself out. get on an airplane, because they're concerned about folks who are not yet vaccinated taking that cue to start travel. and they're very worried about igniting a spark that might create another surge in this country. so they're going to wait until there's more sort of core group of vaccinated folks in this country before they start making these kinds of travel recommendations or telling you that it's okay to sit in a restaurant without a mask on if you've been fully vaccinated. but the science already tells us that. if you're fully vaccinated, it is safe for you to travel. and if you are fully vaccinated, it is safe for you to sit in a restaurant. >> i just want to make clear she argues that it is too cautious. she's saying if you get vaccinated, you should be able to travel freely. >> i agree. here's the big reason in this country. it's important for our economy. >> yeah. >> there are people that are really hurting, people in the airline industry who's have been laid off, servers in restaurants. >> restaurants are closing. people have lost their tips that they live on, right? that's their salary. sorry. go on, doctor. >> this is not about getting people who are, you know, going cabin crazy at home out, you know, of their places and into restaurants. it's about re-igniting our economy, and that's why when the science matches, we should be advancing the recommendations. my sense is that the cdc, under the new administration, is just getting their footing. it's led by a super capable person, dr. walensky, and my guess is that fairly soon, they'll start to catch up with the science and make these kinds of guideline recommendations. >> speaking science, this is senator rand paul, who is also a doctor, responded to the cdc guidance by tweeting this. he says rather than listen to government scolds, look to the science of immunology and once you're two weeks out from the vaccine or have recovered from the actual infection, trash your mask and live free again. multiple states are removing mask mandates. we're seeing "burn the mask" rallies in idaho. the thing is, though, how do you know, right, if someone is walking around freely without a mask, if they actually meet the guidelines that senator rand paul is talking about? i mean how dangerous is this, doctor? >> it's super dangerous, and i don't take any recommendations from dr. rand paul. i'll remind you he was the guy that as he was waiting for his covid test to come back, decided that it was a good idea to take a swim in the senate swimming pool. right. so the key sentence in that tweet of his says "live free." he considers masks a burden. he considers it a lack of freedom, and that's the other big lie. that's the lie that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of excess deaths in this country, the lie that tells people that masks somehow impinge on your freedom. i was incredibly offended looking at that mask-burning event in idaho. 525,000 people in this country have died. think of all the families and friends that have suffered this year because of this kind of politicization of masks. >> yeah. >> so we need to be smart. we need to stick with masks for quite a bit longer and then finally put this, you know, pandemic away. >> yeah. i just kept thinking about what they're teaching their kids. there were kids there. thank you, doctor. good to see you. i'll talk to you soon. president joe biden says he'll sign the $1.9 trillion covid relief package as soon as it lands on his deck, which could be as soon as wednesday. joining me now is congresswoman sheila jackson lee. thanks for joining. >> thank you for having me. >> this $1.9 trillion covid relief package is huge. will it pass the house, and what does it do for people? >> well, it's a rescue package, and frankly, don, people need rescuing right now. if you go in any of our districts, people have been unemployed for a very long period of time. women have been impacted the worst in the workforce, many women not being able to return. schools have not been able to open. so this rescues the american people. $28 billion for restaurants, mom and pop restaurants. essential workers, our waitresses and waiters, they've been put out of work. it provides $350 billion that we've been fighting forever and ever to help our cities and counties to pay law enforcement and firefighters. it provides $20 billion plus for vaccines and contact tracing and testing. it really is a lifeline for the american people, and once these dollars are out invested in helping this economy turn around while people are still wearing their masks, socially distanced and washing their hands, we will be on the road of recovery. we will be rescued and going toward the end of 2021 and into 2022, america can get back to work again. >> i got a lot of topics i want to talk to you about. i want to turn now to the "for the people" act, the democrats' electoral reform act that was passed in the house last week. it would allow for at least 15 days of early voting, expand mail-in voting, make it easier to register to vote, and protect curbside voting. the question is does the republican-led assault on voting across the country show just how urgent passing these voting protections are? >> absolutely. yesterday was bloody sunday. you know that's the day that many walked across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama, for the right to vote. and in this instance, we have a pandemic of voter suppression that is running rampant across america, led by republican legislators and republicans. the president of the united states -- former president characterizes what it seems the republicans want to do, and that is his speech in mar-a-lago, or in florida, he indicated, give them one day to vote. so this h.hr. 1 is imperative along with h.r. 4, because there's a pandemic of voter suppression everywhere you look. republican legislatures are trying to stop in most instances black voters from voting and all other voters from voting. so h.r. 1 is imperative. it gives a free opportunity for people to express their views. when i say free, a widely freedom-based voting system that gives you more days, that gives you the opportunity to be registered, and it is long overdue, and we have to fight voter suppression. and it is on the rampage in the united states. >> perhaps the most important thing about the act is the way that it would create 15-person independent commissions to redraw district lines in each state to stop gerrymandering. that is a huge problem. what are the implications for future elections? >> well, i certainly know that this bill is going to go to the senate, and we certainly want fair redistricting. anything that we can do to help do that, and i believe that this bill has components in it. there will probably be other amendments in the united states senate, but it will make a difference that republicans, again, unfortunately cannot skew the lines and to ensure that there is one vote/one person, and that it is not a republican-drawn map so that more republicans go to the legislature, the state legislature, and that's what's been happening. we certainly don't want that to happen again. >> we've got a lot of ground to cover. thank you so much. we'll see you soon. you be safe. >> wear your mask. thank you for having me. >> i got it right here. thank you very much. we'll see you, congresswoman. the trial of former minneapolis police officer derek chauvin in the death of george floyd set to begin tomorrow morning. i'm going to talk to george floyd's sister. what is his legacy for america? >> this is our opportunity to move in a different direction this. is an opportunity to ensure that our justice system is actually fixed and that our communities can begin to focus on what type of nation we want to be. sup—- neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. hi sabrina! >>hi jen! so this aveeno® moisturizer goes beyond just soothing sensitive skin? exactly jen! calm + restore oat gel is formulated with prebiotic oat. and strengthens skin's moisture barrier. uh! i love it! aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™ so ten months after the death of george floyd, jury selection is finally expected to begin tomorrow morning in the trial of former minneapolis police officer derek chauvin. george floyd died on may 25th, 2020, after chauvin, then a minneapolis police officer, placed his knee on floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while floyd pleaded "i can't breathe," which sparked massive protests across the country. chauvin is pleading not guilty to a second degree unintentional murder charge and a second degree manslaughter charge. but a judge is still deciding whether he is will also face an additional charge of third degree murder. security being stepped up outside the courthouse today where hundreds of protesters gathered demanding justice for george floyd. joining me to discuss, joshlg fl -- george floyd's brother and the attorney for the family, ben crump. we're so happy to have you. thank you so much. the trial is finally here. how are you holding up? what are you focused on as this begins, sir? >> it's been like a roller coaster ride. it's been ups, downs, left, right. we just really just talking with each other, praying with each other, and we have faith that we will get a conviction. so basically that's all we talk about is memories of george floyd, everybody. >> ben, how critical is it -- jury selection? how critical is the makeup of the jury in a case like this? >> it's critical, don. as we've known from history, oftentimes people who don't share an understanding of george's background, his life experiences will be likely not to give him the benefit of consideration and humanity. so we want diversity on the jury. we pray that attorney general keith ellison and his prosecutors demand that they have a diverse jury that reflects the population of the city. >> potential jurors are being given a questionnaire asking things like what coverage they've seen of the case, what experience they have with drug addiction, what podcasts they listen to, and whether they have martial arts training. some of those questions may seem strange, but how will the defense and the prosecution use questions like these to get a jury that works in their favor? >> well, don, it's what they taught us in trial practice back in law school. if you've got your jury, the facts don't matter. so it's going to be critical that you have a diverse jury because if you have a jury that don't believe george floyd was worthy of consideration, that don't believe george floyd's life matters, then we get those results that you and i have saw far too many times where there's philando castile or where there's trayvon martin or where there's alton sterling. so we have to have people show up for jury duty, and i'll just say this. one of the hardest things for a black lawyer to do is to go into the courtroom with his black client or black cause, and the only other thing in the courtroom black is the judge's robe. so we need people to answer jury summons and serve on jury duty. >> the mother of eric garner, gwen carr, giving a warning ahead of this trial. i want you to listen to it. >> don't think that this is a slam dunk because we know once you get in court, they try to assassinate the victim again. first they murder him. they assassinate him on the street. then they want to assassinate the character. and, you know, we just need a justice system that is true, that is fair to all people, not just some. >> you've already heard some of it, and i wonder your concerns. have you heard some of the things about, oh, there may have been drug use. there was drugs in the car, on and on, the character assassination that she's talking about. are you concerned about this? >> i'm not concerned about a lot of things because you've seen the video. the proof is in the video. he was on my brother's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. my brother laid in the prone position, face down, while chauvin had his hands in his pocket with a smirk on his face, torturing my brother to death as his soul left his body. i don't understand. if you can't get justice for that in america, what can you get justice for? >> yeah. ben, listen, there is a big difference. i think philonise is right. i'm not sure how it will play. listen, i'm not an attorney. i'm not on the jury. but there is the difference of the video. you did see the video in this case, and in the other cases, you don't necessarily see it, not in all of the cases. is that how the defense is likely to play this, attack the character of george floyd, even with that video? >> don, again going back to law school, we were taught if you have the facts on your side, then you argue the facts. but if you don't have the facts on your side, then you attack your opponent's character in hopes that people will be distracted and won't focus on the facts. but with this video, don lemon, this video has galvanized the world. 50 million people have saw that video, and if the jury does not look at that video as philonise said and hold these officers accountable, then god help us because where can a black person get justice in america in. >> i new "usa today"/ipsos poll shows americans see this case largely along racial lines. philonise, this is for you. 64% of black americans see this as a murder. fewer than a third of white americans see it that way. are you concerned what that means for getting justice? >> i'm not concerned. i have confidence in the team. they know what to do, and also, like i said before, the video. that video is like you're watching at the movie theaters or something. that was the thing to see. it was a pandemic. it was covid. people were in their homes. they were glued to the tv when you were all talking about it because they just can't believe it. they don't understand why somebody's life had to be taken from them for nothing. they had to explain that to their kids. their kids, they're looking at that. they don't understand. but the older kids, they haven't been through this before. they're like, mom, you told me that things like this don't happen. and all of a sudden, you have to explain what's going on in america today. my brother, he was killed. [ inaudible ] it's like gianna has to look at all of this. the kids have to see this. it's devastating. >> philonise, thank you. ben, thank you. we'll be watching this closely as we have been covering it. we appreciate both of you joining us. >> thank you, don. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. we'll be right back. so you want to make the best burger ever? then make it! that means cooking day and night until you get... (ding)... you got paid! that means... best burger ever. intuit quickbooks helps small businesses be more successful with payments, payroll, banking and live bookkeeping. we haven't heard from the royals since meghan and harry's explosive interview with oprah, which aired tonight on british tv. but the fallout's been intense since the interview was first broadcast here in the u.s. last night, especially over the allegation that someone in the royal family expressed concern about the skin color of the couple's son archie. let's discuss now. cnn's senior political analyst kirsten powers is here, as well as the author of "this is why i resist: don't define my black identity." thank you both for joining. shola, let me start with you because the meghan/prince harry interview has aired in the uk. it is late there, but how is meghan in particular being perceived? what is the response from this interview? >> it's definitely a divided response. so you have people who are definitely in support of meghan, who understand what she was trying to share with everybody, which is that she was suffering in silence. i have those who have taken a side, which is to stand for the monarchy. now, i don't think that harry and meghan's interview was meant to be against the monarchy. they were just speaking their truth and speaking about their experience. but people rather than listen to what they have to say, those who are in the camp of "we're against harry and meghan" have seen it as a direct attack against the queen. >> kirsten they are facing a lot of backlash in the media you just heard shola talk about, and you've been watching. look at the headlines we have up there. listen to some of what we're hearing on fox news here. >> although the royal couple now lives in a $14 million mansion, duchess meghan maintains they are just trying to get back to the basics. >> it's hard to believe they are the victims in this. >> we know prince harry got $20 million when his mother died. >> they're going to have plenty of money the rest of their lives. i just don't know what the point of that interview was. >> why has this also become a right-wing issue in the united states, and what does having a lot of money -- >> they're all pro-monarchy now. look, money does not protect you from racism. money does not protect you from suicidal ideation. i mean those were the two key things, i think, i took away from the interview that meghan talked about. and the only, i think, appropriate response to what she said would be empathy, right? this is a woman who said, i wanted to die. i did not want to be alive anymore, okay? and no amount of money is going to help a person who is feeling like they want to end their life. and no amount of money is going to protect somebody from the kind of racist coverage, which anybody can look up and see it's there for everyone to see. we have side-by-side -- by the way, kate was covered for doing the exact same things that meghan did in a completely different way. there was a lot of abuse, and for some reason, people on the right want to bully meghan markle into not talking about her abuse. and, you kn