go to aerotrainer.com to get yours now. a very good day to all of you from world headquarters here in new york welcome to weekends with alex witt. here's what's happening for all of you. we're turning to the breaking news out of louisville where that crowd has gathered to commemorate the one year anniversary of breonna taylor's killing. let's go to antonio hilton who's there for us. we heard a lot of cheering and singing there when benjamin crump had taken to the podium, the stage there. what's that right now? it sounds like singing. >> reporter: there's been some singing here today, alex. but right now the mood is a lot of hurt and anger. benjamin crump is still speaking, he's one of the lead lawyers working on breonna taylor's case from the start. but family members, supporters are on the stage here. you're hearing renewed calls for transparency. there's a major divide between residents in the city and those they counted on to serve them. what you're hearing from black residents particularly is even though there have been reforms made over the past year that until someone is charged as responsible for killing of breonna taylor, justice hasn't been served, justice hasn't happened here. we have heard spoken word poetry and music but ultimately many faces in the crowd are crest fallen, their emotions are running high. i'm sorry, i'm actually choking up a tiny bit myself because there's been so much hurt for black folks in louisville over the course of this year between the case of breonna taylor and the effects of covid, you can just tell how exhausted and hurt so many people in this city have been. and a year has gone by, but for the family, they say consistently to reporters they feel like they're still living on that very first day, march 13th of last year, that they are constantly on this roller coaster revisiting that moment. and for residents, even residents who never got to know breonna taylor much the same. i spoke to an activist and poet here who has a daughter named breonna as well and she's just a year younger than breonna taylor would be right now. and she feels this case in her bones and that's so much of what you're seeing happen in the crowd and up close as benjamin crump continue to talk to those who continue to stream in here throughout the day. >> i love the fact that you are a person and someone who's very sensitive along with being an excellent reporter. so it's okay to show emotion. it is emotional. all the people frustrated there after a year, feeling no sense of justice, nobody has been charged in this particular case. let me ask you quickly about what's on tap for today, and have we heard yet from breonna taylor's mother? we heard from her earlier on msnbc and i was watching early this morning and i have to say i cried listening to her, the pain she still feels is horrible. >> reporter: i did, too. tamika is expected to speak any moment now. but it's a fluid situation. people are getting up, talking, going through their memories of breonna, talking about their work on the case, people are expecting to hear from her, but often breonna taylor's mother over these months when she's spoken publicly she's sometimes overcome by emotion and it's hard for her to speak and she asks others to speak in front of her. earlier she came and stepped out and entered back in. people, the second she comes, they give her the space she needs. they understand this is a mother who's actively still grieving missing their 26-year-old daughter and giving her the time and space she needs. when she's ready to speak, i know the crowd will make the space for her to step up and do that. >> i'm glad they do that, her grief is unimaginable. i'm the mother of two kids, if i think about it too much, i'll lose it myself. thank you for that. do stand by we'll try to come back if tamika comes to the podium and speaks to that crowd. thank you very much. let me have paul butler come back to the show. one question for you, paul, and that is, in one year, why has no one been charged with a crime in the death of breonna taylor? why not? >> the kentucky attorney general blamed the grand jury for failing to indict any of the officers who killed breonna taylor. but this prosecutor is a mitch mcconnell accollate who apparently had no intention of charging these officers. he withheld evidence from the grand jury and he did not even give them the option of charging those officers with homicide. >> is there a time that will be put forth here that after a point that they couldn't charge again? can this be revisited? should it be revisited, paul? >> it could be revisited, so homicide has a long statue of limitations. but alex, now the real hope is that the biden administration will bring civil rights charges against the officers who killed breonna taylor. the justice department stepped in after the cops who beat up rodney king in california were found not guilty and then after the officer who shot walter scott in the back was not convicted in south carolina. so the new attorney general, merrick garland should make breonna's case one of his first priorities. >> paul, thank you very much. i appreciate that. to antonia's point earlier, there's a lot of hugs. there's space to those on the stage, but lots of hugs along the way help as well. we'll continue watching this. let me ask our control booth if we know who is -- we're going to move on, folks. as soon as we have someone at the microphone we'll take you back there. other big headlines to share with you today. financial relief for millions of americans. the irs is beginning to send the $1,400 stimulus checks. up to 85% of eligible households can expect them to hit their bank accounts this weekend. and this morning ie owe napress si saying the bill is a lifeline for those hit hardest by the pandemic. >> those having sleepless nights worrying about how they will pay for life saving medication, diapers, groceries, businesses worried they may be permanently shuttered, help is on the way. this is a mass i've step forward, providing critical relief to millions of families and workers crushed by this pandemic. also new today, the department of justice dubbing the investigation into the capitol hill riots one of the largest in history. so far more than 300 people have been charged and prosecutors are expecting at least 100 more as the volume of evidence is growing. later this hour i'll break it down with a former fbi senior official. the biden administration is hitting the road next week for a covid relief tour with stops across six cities. let's go to monica who's in wilmington, delaware for us. talk about the message that the white house wants to send. it's something of a victory lap they're taking. >> reporter: that's right, alex. and also an educational one. senior white house officials are saying they feel quiet bolstered by the public popularity of this piece of legislation. so they want to make sure that americans understand what's in it because that giant $1.9 trillion price tag has a lot of components to it. that's why you see the multiple stops over the next week. and the main principles as they're called, the president, vice president, spouses, but it won't just be them, it's also cabinet officials traveling and then you see some of the bipartisan mayors and governors start to become part of the conversation, because the white house, even though no republican senators voted for the bill, they do want to make the argument and case that out in the country there were praubl lawmakers and leaders who did back it. so you're going to be seeing a little bit of that over the next couple of weeks, alex. but what's also interesting here to point out, this is a white house that hasn't done much domestic travel, at least in the initial stages, in the 50 plus days because of covid and restrictions, they wanted to be careful and respectful and they vow to do the same thing when they hit the road next week but it's the same as if it weren't in the middle of a pandemic. these are smaller, more targeted and focused events. but the one that will make a lot of headlines is in atlanta, georgia the first time that president biden and vice president harris are on the stage together. but listen to why president biden is launching the help is here tour. >> i promised the american people, and i guess it's becoming an overused phrase that help is on the way. we delivered on that promise, i don't mean i delivered, we delivered. it's critical to demonstrate, not democrat, republican, it's critical to demonstrate that government can function. can function and deliver prosperity, security, and opportunity for the people of this country. >> reporter: and there's a geographic political play here as well, alex. they're going to states that are important for democrats in the coming elections and in senate races and you saw on the map earlier, the vice president and her husband are going out west to nevada and colorado. all of this is by design and something else they're going to talk about on the road is the pace of the vaccinations. the white house is expected to exceed its goal of 100 million shots in arms by day 60. that's in hopes that by may 1st all states are allowing every adult who wants to be eligible to get a shot in their own arm, alex. >> thank you so much from wilmington, delaware. joining me now from california row canna, good to have you back here. those $1,400 relief checks they're hitting bank accounts this weekend. so if you were to identify one thing in this bill that is life changing for americans, beyond this $1,400 check, what would that be? >> alex, it's the child allowance. any family that's working class, middle class that has kids is going to get $3,000 for every child that they have. that's money that can go for food, clothing, school supplies, it's a lifeline for many families. and it's transformative not just now but i expect it'll be permanent. they estimate it's going to cut child poverty in half. >> i want to pick up on that, because experts are backing that up. the american rescue plan reduces poverty overall by a third, child poverty to your point by more than half. republicans were unanimous in their opposition to this package. why are republicans voting against lifting people out of poverty? >> alex, it's perplexing, when you have senator romney who has a plan that's almost identical to what we put forward, i don't see how he could not vote for it and how no republicans could vote for it, what has to assume it's political. they didn't want to vote for something that president biden was for. i voted for every covid relief package that president trump put forward, there were things i disagreed but i said we have to get relief to the american people, many democrats did. it's disappointing and sad not a single republican crossed the aisle to vote for relief for the american public. >> have those republicans forgotten they're elected to do this job because they locked arms against biden's relief bill now they plan to make it a top election issue. really, how do they sell that? what's your response to that? who comes out on top in 2020, if this is indeed a key focus? >> they're misreading the moment. they're using the old play book, which is obstruct, obstruct. we have a crisis, a health care crisis, people desperately need these checks. these checks are popular. we won the georgia senate race largely on the promise to deliver people checks. i think this was a miscalculation by the republican party. if they wanted to oppose other parts of president biden's agenda perhaps that would have been strategic but to propose covid relief, a bill that is 70, 80% popularity, it just was a blunder. >> when you think back to thursday, president biden giving his first primetime address there. do progressives like what they're seeing from the president at this point? we're just a bit more than 50 days into his first term. >> you know, i didn't support the president in the primary, i thought that was one of his finest speeches he exuded decency and empathy. he understands the sense of loss the country has experienced. and the end he talked about americans can do anything, this is our country is resilient. it was inspiring to hear an american president summon us to the common good. so obviously there are policy differences we're going to continue to push for a $15 minimum wage, expansion of medicare. but just has an american citizen i felt pride listening to president biden on thursday night. >> i think a lot of people felt the same. let me ask you about the $15 minimum wage increase. you told me if it wasn't in this reconciliation it would need to be in the next one. but seeing eight democratic senators vote against the amendment to include it, do you think the minimum wage hike can pass among democrats through reconciliation? >> yes, alex i do. the reason is, if it's part of a broader package, you will not see the same senators vote against it. we have said, the progressives, that we're open to compromise. we're open to having tax credit for small businesses because we recognize small businesses need assistance. we're open to the schedule of years for small businesses. we're open to building a coalition but we have to do it with 51 votes. here's the point, if you can't get one republican to vote for giving checks to the american people, then it is naive to expect 10 republicans to suddenly vote to increase wages. wages haven't been raised, the minimum wage in this country, since 2009, it's stuck at $7.25. we have to do it the way to do it is with 51 votes. >> it seems the amount is the issue. we heard senator joe manchin saying there's not one senator that doesn't want to raise the minimum wage. but the debate is $15 versus what he suggested, $11, is there room to compromise on this? >> i just don't think $11 is sufficient anywhere in this country. and what we can compromise on in my view is the tax credit, the schedule of when the raise goes into effect. here's the point. we can even have a dialogue. the first thing we need to know is it's part of the reconciliation. if it's 60 votes, it's theoretical and no one has an incentive to get serious about passing it. if we make a note we're going to have a reconciliation, they were wrong, and i don't think you can allow the repeal of aca through reconciliation and not allow the minimum wage, then we can get to a consensus. >> you've been vocal about seeing senate democrats eliminate the filibuster especially as the house is repeatedly passing legislation it appears to have little chance of getting through senate. eliminaing the filibuster would likely get bills passed but the tables would be turn in a gop majority senate. is that what is the biggest challenge to consider? >> alex, the reality is we have policies in this country, such as an increase in the minimum wage, such as eliminating student debt, such as expanding health care, that are popular, 70, 80% have democratic and republican support and they still aren't getting through. something is broken. when you have the act supporting labor, and can't get through the senate something has to change. i think we have to eliminate the filibuster. it's worth the risk if republicans have the majority. but the biggest complaint is washington can't get anything done. it's not because of the house. it's the senate, everything takes 60 votes. that's not the way for a modern democracy to function. >> thank you so much. what it is like to be ahead of schedule for once in the coronavirus. we'll talk about that next. rona. wel 'ltalk about that next fine, no one leaves the table until your finished. fine, we'll sleep here. ♪♪ it's the easiest because it's the cheesiest. kraft. for the win win. up at 2:00am again? tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. zbloe let's get to the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, the u.s. is ahead of schedule in reaching president biden's goal of reaching 100 million shots in 100 days, this according to the cdc, 35 million people are fully vaccinated, which is just over 10% of the population. a texas judge sided with austin's mayor who refused to lift the city's mask mandate, the order will remain in effect for two weeks, despite a lawsuit from the texas attorney general for not complying with state orders. a poll finds little vaccine hesitancy between white and black americans, 25% of black and 28% of white said they didn't plan to get a shot. the black community in alabama is struggling to even get vaccinated through parts of the state because they have a vaccine surplus in some parts of the state. let's go to elson barber in selma. from one part of the state to the next you have surplus and then you have deficiency. what's going on here? >> reporter: that's not clear what we've seen in reports there were cvss in alabama with surpluses what we heard here was they could use more, the amount they had was used quickly because there is demand here but the supply doesn't match the demand just yet. we spent the last three days going across the black belt because we wanted to get a sense of how vaccinations are going here. we'd been here in the summer at the height of covid-19 infection rates that have just devastated this area we knew they had a lot of challenges as it related to getting access to ppe and also access to covid-19 testing. so we started on the east part of alabama's black belt region in dallas county and went to the furthest county on the west, and what we heard from people is in some counties they say vaccination efforts in the black belt region are goi bar was rea begin with. here's some of what we it's so war ii, there's not a family in town that doesn't have a family member or friend that either died or was severely ill. >> when the door is open for more people who's outside of the a criteria, right now for getting the vaccine is open. we won't have the capacity to do it by ourselves. >> i think the lens that has to be changed is instead of allocing based off of population is allocate based off of need. i think our nation has embraced a hierarchy of human value. if your skin tone is one color you're more valuable than if your skin tone is another color. >> reporter: the alabama department of health said 20% of the people living in the black belt region have been vaccinated as of wednesday but when you talk to people in groups like the black belt community foundation they say that number is not high enough when you consider how vulnerable they are, these are some of the poorest counties in alabama, they're rural and do not have access to quality health care. when you look at what happened here in the summer, these counties had some of the highest infection rates per capita of covid-19 in terms of infections and also death. at one point in the summer, alex, black alabamams were dying at a rate twice as high as white alabamaians. >> thank you for that report. we appreciate that. joining me now is dr. ria boyd, welcome to the broadcast. let's talk about a study that shows 8.9% of black americans have been vaccinated that's about half the rate of white and asian-american counter parts, why do you think that is? i know you're familiar with that as well, the black community is so disproportionately affected by covid. >> that's what's so devastating. despite black folks across the country having the second highest mortality rate, we are among the populations least likely to have access to the vaccine right now. when we look at why, it's how our nation has built out the distribution strategy. we are prioritizing communities who have access to internet, telephones, a regular health care provider, access to health insurance or live near pharmacies. the communities that's not the case you don't have regular interne