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we're gonna learn. over the next 10 years, comcast is committing $1 billion to reach 50 million low-income americans with the tools and resources they need to be ready for anything. i hope you're ready. 'cause we are. good evening. tonight is one of those moments in history, you may remember for the rest of your lives. because more than 15 months after the cdc first recommended wearing masks, a recommendation that was unnecessarily politicized. but nevertheless, became a symbol of the pandemic and the restrictions we have all lived

under. that same agency has made a stunning announcement that speaks to just how far we have come in fighting the disease in this country. starting today, the cdc now says that if you are fully vaccinated, you don't need a mask, anymore. i just want to repeat that, because it's kind of great to say. and we've waited a long time to say it. if you are fully vaccinated, according to the cdc, you don't need to wear a mask, anymore. not indoors, not outdoors. now, there are some caveats. if you are on a plane or train. and we are going to discuss the new policy, as well as the exemptions to it, in a moment, with dr. sanjay gupta and dr. leana wen, who joined for almost all of the 25 coronavirus town halls we have done over the past-15 months. but before we do, we want to pause and take stock of the past-15 months. more than 584,000. that is the official number of americans we have lost to the virus. 584,000 human beings. and remember, when the projections came out and said that we could see 100,000 deaths and that number was too high to even believe. no way, we thought. no way, we would lose 100,000

people. and now, tonight, the official stands at nearly-six times that. as you may know, there are estimates the actual number of deaths may be much greater and it's clear many of those deaths could have been avoided. but that's not the conversation, perhaps, for tonight. it's this. practically speaking, today's news means we see more smiles and basic-human interaction should get a little easier. it also means that vaccinations work. and that's worth repeating, as well. vaccinations work. and today's announcement by the cdc is evidence of that. symbolically, removing those masks also represents perhaps the biggest step toward returning to some kind of normalcy. today, reaction poured in across washington. >> this is an exciting and powerful moment. >> i think it's a great milestone. a great day. >> certainly, a great step in the right direction, and i can't wait for this whole, you know, period of time to be in the rear-view mirror like millions of other americans. >> it's about damn time. >> i wouldn't go as far as to

say it's essentially over. i think this is a very important step, in the direction of trying to get back to some degree of normality. because this is something that everyone has had on their mind. >> i am glad this message was sent today. i think it needs to be even clearer and louder, in the same way that putting the mask on was a clear-and-loud message. >> you guys take your masks off in the oval? >> we did. president took his off, too. we had our masks off. >> now, cdc finally caught up with it that a naked face is probably okay to be able to walk around, to be able to talk to people after you have been vaccinated. >> key is after you have been vaccinated. that's -- let's start right now with our chief white house correspondent, kaitlan collins. you have some reporting about when the white house was notified about the cdc announcement. >> yeah. anderson, it caught white house officials off guard because the cdc has been really cautious throughout all of this. and they thought it was going to be at least several-more days before they got updated guidance from the cdc. just two weeks ago that they had put out that other guidance about vaccinated people not wearing a mask outside. and so, how this went down, what

we are hearing from sources is that yesterday, the cdc director, dr. walensky, met with her top officials at the cdc. they talked about this and she made up her mind to change this guidance. and then, afterward, she briefed the hhs secretary on what the next plan was, how they were going to be changing this. and it was only after that, they then went to the white house and said, hey, by the way, tomorrow, pretty drastically, we are changing this guidance on what fully-vaccinated people can and cannot do. or should and should not do. when inside and outside. and so, that's kind of why you saw a little bit of a scramble at the white house, today, with president biden addressing this change, which he was not, initially, scheduled to do. he wasn't supposed to talk about the pandemic today. those remarks were scheduled for earlier-this week. and then, of course, at the last minute, they added those remarks so they could tout just what a milestone this really is. >> what did president biden say at the announcement? >> basically, he was saying it's a good day for the country. and he was smiling as he came out there. modeling this new guidance, himself. but also, trying to use it as an

incentive for those people who have not gotten the shot, just yet. >> the rule is very simple. get vaccinated or wear a mask, until you do. if you are vaccinated, you can be around the vaccinated or unvaccinated people. but if you're not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask for your own protection and the protection of other, unvaccinated people. the choice is yours. >> and that is something white house officials have wanted for so long. to be able to directly tie getting vaccinated to something as basic as taking your mask off. because they do think that will help incentivize people who have not been vaccinated, yet. and also, it just points back to the science. and so, they went ahead and changed the guidance. the white house e-mailing staffers tonight that yes, when you are on white house grounds if you have been vaccinated, you don't have to wear your mask walking to and from one office to another, like they had been doing previously. >> kaitlan collins, appreciate

it. thank you. perspective now from our chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta. and dr. leana wen, former baltimore health commissioner, cnn medical analyst. and we are going to give the conversation plenty of time tonight so we can also include some of the questions you, our viewers, have sent us. so sanjay, first of all, your reaction to the news. how the decision was made? it' is it the right i decision? >> it's big day. as you pointed out, it feels like a very momentous time here. i think, the decision, in many ways, follows the science. we have known the benefits of these vaccines for some time. that they are very protective in terms of you from getting sick. they are protective reducing your chance of becoming infected. and now, newer data shows that the likelihood that, even if you do test positive for the coronavirus after being vaccinated, the chance that you would transmit that virus to somebody else is -- is very low. so, this -- this follows the science, i think, in this regard. i think it still feels jarring, to be honest with you. having conferrings with people at the cdc last week even.

the impression was this sort of loosening of the guidance was going to be a long time coming, still. in fact, loosening of indoor masking would take some time. and we would have to be at a very low level. so i was a little surprised, frankly, that it happened this quickly. and i think the implementation of this is going to be challenging. you know, i was just reading this, anderson. in nevada, the casinos. they were basically told follow the cdc's guidelines, no matter what they are. that's been their, sort of, policy from the governor. well now, because the cdc guidelines have changed, basically, the casinos are going to be maskless in -- in nevada. there is no mandate to show that you have proof of vaccination. so, how is that going to play out? there may be a lot of unvaccinated and unmasked people, indoors, in those crowded situations. >> yeah. i mean, dr. wen, that does bring up sort of the essential problem here. is that, you know, when everyone was wearing a mask, it -- you know, you -- you weren't in danger from somebody else, who maybe wasn't vaccinated or you

were in less danger. now, if no one's wearing a mask, you don't know who's been vaccinated and who has not. i suppose, if you are vaccinated, it's not as big a risk to you. you can still get positive but it won't take you to the hospital. or kill you. but how do you see this? >> well frankly, i was shocked when i heard the news. and i thought that the cdc had gone, from one extreme, to another. they were overly cautious. and now, i think they are throwing caution into the wind. >> because you have been critical of the cdc for being too cautious in their previous guidance. >> that's exactly right. and i thought that there is a lot that they could do. so part of what they did today was great. saying these vaccines are wonderful. once you get the vaccine, you can choose your own adventure. you can go out and take off your mask and do all these things. i think that's exactly the right message. the only problem is that, also, needed to be tied to proof of vaccination. because what i really worry about is essentially, the cdc today eliminated mask mandates and social distancing. they are saying it's all an

honor code, from now on. and so, it's actually going to be a disincentive. there are a lot of people, who never wanted to get vaccinated. never wanted to wear masks. now, they can just say, oh, i'm vaccinated. i don't even have to show anybody proof of vaccination. and so, i really worry about those people who cannot, yet, be vaccinated, like our children. the individuals who are immuno compromised and are not fully protected by the vaccine. we are now putting them at risk and i think bringing us actually even further from reaching herd immunity. >> sanjay, what about that? i mean, for -- for kids or even -- yeah, you know, if somebody comes up to them. how does their parent know if that person's been vaccinated or not? >> yeah. i mean, that -- that's -- that's the issue. i mean, that is really it. and that's, i think, the surprising part of this. i think that the -- the idea that, as you point out, if you are vaccinated, then you -- your -- previously, your obligation was to wear a mask because, perhaps, you might still transmit the virus to somebody else. what the science has shown that that's -- that's really not

likely. there's been a couple of studies that have come out. we can show you one. this is one of the ones i talked to dr. walensky after the press conference. and this is a study that she focused on. it came from the new england journal of medicine. if we have it, we can put it up. but basically, if shows these vaccines are very protective against symptomatic infection, 94, 95% protective after two weeks. again, that's for the vaccinated population. but, leana has small children. there are other people out there in the population, who are not, yet, vaccinated. or can't be vaccinated, for some reason. if there are unvaccinated-unmasked people around, they're potentially putting them at risk. what someone said to me today, i thought was very interesting. the deputy director for the vaccine program at nih said, essentially, what hmay happen. we keep thinking of this country as vaccinated and unvaccinated country. these two populations. what it is slowly going to turn into is a vaccinated and infected country. because people who are not

vaccinated may increasingly become more likely to be infected as a result of this. now, may be a small number. i don't want to exaggerate the threat here but that -- that's sort of what is happening. vaccinated people will likely be safe. but unvaccinated people hanging out with other unvaccinated people may be at greater risk. >> hmm. dr. fauci did address businesses requiring proof of vaccination today. and in florida, for example, governor desantis signed an executive order prohibiting the use of covid-19 vaccine passports in the state. what did dr. fauci say? >> well, you know, yeah. he was asked about this, you know, and he said the sort of same thing. that there's -- there's not going to be a vaccine database with regard to vaccine. you know, vaccine passports. businesses, restaurants, things like that. they may enforce these things, themselves. some of them may continue to have mask mandates. there's no -- nothing prohibiting them from still having mask mandates because they don't want to actually go through the process of trying to ensure vaccination status. but it's going to be a little

bit ad hoc. i mean, you know, that's -- that's part of the issue here is that you have federal guidelines, but then each institution and state/community will enforce it on their own. >> yeah. sanjay, dr. wen, stay with us. we have got a number of viewer questions to answer. coming up next, including one dealing with variants, as well as masks in school. later, the latest on hinge moment from a congresswoman with a history of them. marjorie taylor greene's aggressive behavior against a colleague inside the capitol. she denies it. there are witnesses. will republican leadership respond? democratic congressman joins us to discuss, when we continue. fine, no one leaves the table until your finished.

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will they be protected enough? >> yeah. i am really worried about this, too, anderson. and i know that you are in a similar situation. i mean, i have a 3 and a half-year-old who can mask and a one-year-old who doesn't mask. and my kids are not eligible to be vaccinated. it's not that i don't want them to be vaccinated. it's that they can't be. and i do really worry. now, we are going to be potentially going into grocery stores or other settings, where they could be exposed. and just to be clear, vaccinated people are not at risk, themselves. now, we know because they are now vaccinated. but those who are unvaccinated are still at risk, especially if there are now unvaccinated people who are not masking. and so, i do think that having your child wear a mask does help. that distancing is really important, as well. so if you are taking your kids to the grocery store or somewhere else, try to go at a time -- and if there are a lot of maskless people walking around, you suspect that some of them could actually be unvaccinated. maybe, leave and come back later. >> also, if your child is above

3 or i am not sure what the latest guideline is, and you want them to wear a mask in a public place like a supermarket. i mean, they can, right? >> absolutely. and i -- that guidance, i think, goes to other people, too. i mean, you could be vaccinated. but maybe, you are immunocompromised. maybe, you live at home with somebody who is and you just want to be cautious right now. i think that's entirely fine. i actually think a lot of it right now, it is going to take some time for us to adjust to this new normal. and in that period, we have to give each other a lot of courtesy as well. >> dr. wen, today, the cdc director said the guidance was based on science, that its purpose was not to give people an incentive to get vaccinated. i mean that seems, like, contrary to what president biden was saying. >> right. and i actually really disagree with dr. walensky here. i think the goal of the cdc, the purpose of the cdc is to advance public health in the country. and also, to help local, state officials, businesses, and others, with their public policy. so your guidelines have to make

sense. and they also have to have that broader purpose and mission in mind. and so, i really wish that the cdc had taken an intermediate step. instead of going the pendulum swing all the way to the other direction. why not just say fully-vaccinated people can be around other fully-vaccinated people, including at work. in workplaces, you can take off your mask. i think that would have been a good-intermediate step. give people time to a just to that. and then, do something this drastic but i really fear that, we are just going to take away the incentive for people who may be on the fence. now, may just think, well, i could just take off my mask, anyway. what's the point? >> sanjay, jimmy sent in a question saying i know fully-vaccinated people of johnson & johnson and moderna who have contracted covid most likely while dining outside at a restaurant. in light of this breakthrough infection, how does the new-cdc mask guidance make any sense? and speaking, sanjay, breakthrough infections, new york yankees are dealing with this right now. eight of their players and staff tested positive.

six have been asymptomatic. all have been vaccinated. >> right. so this has been a big question. the idea of the vaccine, in terms of what it was proven to do initially was to prevent you from getting sick, which it does well. it was not clear that it prevents you from getting infected. there are these breakthrough infections, as you say. and my guess is it's even higher than we realize because a lot of people don't bother to get tested again, after they have been vaccinated. so it could be even higher. but i think the big question, and one that's been more clearly answered just over the past-few weeks, is whether or not, even if you get a breakthrough infection, your likelihood of then being able to transmit the virus to others. and i think that that was critical. this is data that the cdc, i think, really relied on with making these new recommendations. and it does -- it shows that you are just not -- you don't create a viral load that's high enough to actually be, really, contagious toward somebody else. >> so just be clear about that because i'm very cslow on this. if i have been vaccinated, which i have been, i can -- i can still become positive with covid.

but i am highly unlikely to be able to transmit it to somebody else because the amount of covid in me is small? >> correct. right. i mean, you know, the virus gets into your system. and then, it starts to replicate. when it eventually gets to a high-enough load, that's when you become contagious. the thinking was and wasn't proven till recently that because you have antibodies, because you have been vaccinated, you won't get to that viral load. so, even if you test positive, you are unlikely to be contagious. >> let me just ask -- >> a critical sort of point. >> let me just ask one other simplistic question, which again, i'm simplistic. if i get -- if i have been vaccinated and i get covid, and i have mild symptoms, whatever. and it goes away. what -- am i vulnerable to being one of the people who get long-haul symptoms? because a lot of those people had mild cases and a year later, they are still dealing with stuff. >> that's a good question, anderson. and i don't -- i don't know the answer to that. i mean, if you get symptoms, after you have been vaccinated. which can happen. the vaccines very good at

preventing you from getting really sick but the idea that you could get more mildly ill is there. as your likelihood of long haulers still present? probably. we -- there's been some studies recently that shows people who got vaccinated after they had been infected, that did seem to have some benefit in -- in quailing some of their long-hauling symptoms. but i don't know if the opposite is also true. so, you know, those -- those are still some unanswered questions. but i do think the idea that you -- that the masking of a vaccinated person, to protect others around them, made total sense. but this new data that you are unlikely to transmit it after you've been vaccinated, i think, is the critical point. >> dr. wen, psy has a question about variants writes what if somebody's carrying the indian variant? how do i know i will be safe without a mask? >> right now, it appears all the variants that we are aware of that the vaccines do work well, against them. some of the variants may work less well with the vaccines. but the indian variant, as far as we know, seems to work well

with the vaccines that we have. but i think it does bring up a broader question. there may be other variants that arise over time. it's something that has to be monitored and we have to remember there are some individuals who are vaccinated -- it's rare -- but there are some individuals who are vaccinated but who may not mount enough of an immune response. patients on chemotherapy, for example. people who have organ tra transplants and are on immunosuppressants, they don't mount as much of a response. so i think there is an obligation for our society and policies to also protect those who are vulnerable and not just leave them without their freedoms, too. >> sanjay, another way to look at this is you could argue, this is an incentive for people to get vaccinated. because there are, now, going to be a whole bunch of people running around, without masks, who have not been vaccinated. and you have no idea who has been, and who hasn't. and if you want to protect yourself, you should get vaccinated. is that correct? >> right.

i -- i think there is all sorts of different ways to look at it. i -- i would agree with that way of looking at it. i would agree of getting vaccinated -- >> i mean, just from a self-preservation standpoint. that's an argument if that's what you are concerned about, that seems to be a more selfish way of looking at it but maybe it's reasonable? >> yeah. i mean, the idea now that i -- i would like to go to a indoor location or some sort of gathering, and i am going to look around the room. there's going to be a lot of unmasked people. i don't know who's vaccinated, or not. if there is no requirement to show that proof. if i'm -- if i'm unvaccinated, then i think, okay, well, this may be a higher-risk environment now, so i should get vaccinated. i think you are right. that could be an inecentive. what i keep coming back to and i don't know if leana agrees or not. but i think what i hear leana saying is this only works, the incentive to take masks off and everything, is if there is some proof of vaccination. is that -- is that what you were saying? is that the only way that this would work? >> i don't know if it's the only

way. but i do think it's a powerful incentive. and we have seen this over and over, again, in polls. i was just in a focus group done yesterday with a bunch of vaccine-concerned individuals. and for them, this idea of, well, if we can't travel without showing proof of vaccination. if we can't engage in society, without proof of vaccination, that was a really, really powerful motivator. and now, if you can do everything, why bother? >> right. that worked in israel, early on, when people weren't getting, you know, going to get vaccinated. companies said, well, look. if you aren't going to get vaccinated, you can't work here. and vaccination rates went up, because people wanted, you know, to be able to go back and work. companies can still decide. i mean, are -- sanjay, can a company decide their employees have to be vaccinated if they want to work in the office? >> there can be vaccine mandates by private organizations. i mean, one thing we have heard from the biden administration, over and over again, is they are leaning away from the idea of keeping a vaccine database, having sort of vaccine, you know, passports or whatever.

but organizations can do that. concert venues can do that. large gathering events can do that. saying you have to have proof of vaccination. you got i.t. companies that are now creating apps, that may go on your phone to do that. but it is a provocative, controversial topic. some people say it infringes on your healthcare information. so, you know, who knows where this goes? >> sanjay, thanks. dr. wen, as well. thank you. up next, republican congresswoman marjorie taylor greene accused of shouting at her democratic colleague alexandria ocasio-cortez. greene denies it. i will talk it over with another congresswoman, val demings, when we continue. the scent made quite an impression. ♪ i swear ♪ it was like that towel and jaycee were the only two left on earth. but... they weren't. you can always spot a first timer. gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. try the new light scent from gain. hello spring daydream.

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the latest unhinged moment on capitol hill involves republican congresswoman marjorie taylor greene, who is no stranger to controversy. the conspiracy theorist is denying a "washington post" report that she shouted at democratic congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez yesterday. asking why she supports antifa, a far-left activist group and black lives matter. falsely, labeling them terrorist groups. "the post" says greene shouted to ocasio-cortez she was failing to defend her radical-socialist beliefs by declining to publicly debate her. greene told reporters, quote, she is a chicken, she doesn't want to debate. tonight, ocasio-cortez is firing back. she is also expressing security concerns with her office calling top lawmakers to ensure congress

remains a safe, civil place. there is some talk of a possible et ethics clant against greene. here is how the republican congresswoman responded to that this afternoon. >> i don't know why she needs security. she shouldn't have a problem debating about her policy. why would a member of congress need security to debate with another member? that doesn't make sense. she doesn't need to file ethics violations or whatever she's doing. that's -- that's reacting, like a child. adults are able to debate policy. >> joining me now for spek perspective on this, former democratic congresswoman val demings. the latest in a list of spectacles orchestrated by marjorie taylor greene. it's actually something similar she did on video years ago to one of the parkland survivors who was lobbying congress on gun control. she did that on the street and recorded it. what do you make of this? >> well, anderson, it's good to be back with you. and what i make of it is this.

look. we, all, were elected by persons in our various districts to represent them. alexandria was elected by the people in her district to represent them. she has a lot on her agenda, just like we all do. we are coming out of a pandemic, thank god for that. but we know that businesses are hurting. families are hurting. we are trying to get children back into schools. trying to get as many people vaccinated. and ms. greene would better serve congress, and i think the people in her district, working on an agenda that really works on behalf of the american people. look. you know, there is a certain, i think, when you are a leader, i believe that you should respect the rights of other people. and it is just a major distraction that, i think, is ridiculous. i'm not sure what group she's talking about when she talks about antifa. but if she asks alexandria why does she support black lives

matter. the question for ms. greene would be, why doesn't she support black lives matter? so, we have a lot of work to do. the american people are sick and tired of the distractions. there's no agenda on the republican side. we need to come together. and get down to business. >> yeah. i mean, it does seem that these are, you know, clearly, with this congresswoman greene, this is a -- you know, it's a cheap ploy to raise money. she, you know, doesn't have power in congress. so, she basically is trying to raise the power of her name. and just fund raise off these kind of things. republican congresswoman liz cheney, who was ousted just yesterday from her leadership position, by people like congresswoman greene. she just gave an interview on fox and i just want to play some of what she said. >> i think that, for us, as republicans, we have a huge set of issues we've got to be able to defeat the democrats over. and we have got a huge set of policies we've got to be able to implement. we have to get people to vote for us. and we can't do that, if we are a party that's based on a

foundation of lies. >> it -- it seems -- i mean, she is right. she -- i'm not sure how right she is on -- that there are a lot of ideas that the republican party has right now. there are, certainly, not arguing those ideas. i mean, they're -- they're doing things like this, things like, you know, talking about cancel culture. which are all legitimate things to talk about if that's what the american people want. but in terms of like healthcare policy, there is not a lot of policies coming out of the republican side. >> they have no agenda, anderson. they have absolutely no agenda. and because they have no agenda, that on behalf of the american people, they are just, every week, every day, throwing up distractions. that really amount to nothing. look. liz cheney. she is a rock-solid conservative. but one thing that she has been consistent about. she's -- we were classmates -- is that she believes in the rule

of law. she is standing by the constitution. she's standing by her oath. and she is protecting our democracy. she will not play, one minute, with the big-lie theory. and so, she is on the right side of that. she will be on the right side of history. it's been, really shameful to watch the republican leadership, the other colleagues go for the big lie. what they have, basically, said is that, to me, if they lie about this -- >> yeah. >> -- they will lie about anything. they do not have the people's backs. they have their own backs. >> i do just want to play some of what -- some of the republican colleagues -- your colleagues in the house were -- were saying yesterday. rewriting history. i played it last night but i mean, it is really just so shocking and shameless. i just want to play this. >> when i see this sheet on our timeline, and on the -- let's see -- okay -- at 2:07, a mob of trump supporters breached the steps.

i don't know who did a poll that it's trump supporters. >> you didn't know the tv footage was a video from january the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal-tourist visit. >> i mean, how do you -- what does one do about that? i mean, i just find it shameless. >> well, anderson, it is shameless. and what they have proven, as i just said, if they will lie about the capitol riot. the deadly-capitol riot, on january 6th. these members. and we can call them by name. have proven that they will lie about anything and everything. they do not have the people's back. they have their own backs. they have, basically, sold out, willing to lie about, they are basically dismantling our precious system of government, our democracy. and it is shameful. >> congresswoman demings, appreciate your time. thank you.

>> thank you. coming up. update on that vote review in, well, if you really call it a vote review in phoenix. kind of a charade. later, new information tonight about the ransom demanded by the russian hackers who launched the cyberattack. all that, when we come back. combination of advil plus acetaminophen. advil targets pain. acetaminophen blocks it. advil dual action. fast pain relief that lasts 8 hours. ♪ ♪ we know it's going to take many forms of energy to meet the world's needs while creating a cleaner future for all. at chevron, we're lowering the carbon emissions intensity of our operations, investing in lower-carbon technologies,

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organizers of that stranger-than-fiction review of voetds cast in last year's election in phoenix, arizona, are hitting the pause button on one of the most outlandish escapades. a private company called cyberninjas is far from the finish line and saying they are counting more than 2 million votes cast in maricopa county. a number of high school graduations which were scheduled for the building where the count is being held. the review is being orchestrated by republicans in the arizona state is senate. amid wild-conspiracy theories, involving ultra-violet light and even bamboo. c cnn's kyung lah has been covering since the beginning and was finally allowed inside. >> reporter: we are getting the first look ourselves, at the next act in the replay of the big lie.

the 2020 election was stolen. >> so, this is the press box and that's the floor. >> reporter: the counting floor of yet, another, tally of the nearly 2.1 million ballots in maricopa county. from a distance. and they are keeping reporters so far away that i have to use binoculars to see. it looks like a ballot review. but look harder. and the ballots are on a lazy susan. zooming by ballot counters. this guy in a cowboy hat walking around with what appears to be some type of cell-phone jammer. and then, there is this light machine with multiple cameras. >> two of the three. >> reporter: ken bennet, hired by the republican-controlled arizona senate to help one this ballot review explains why they are using it. >> some microscopic cameras with zoom in on certain parts of the ballot to make sure where the ovals were filled in, there is a depression. instead, of the ovals being filled in by a xerox machine. >> is there a concern that ballots were xeroxed? >> there's always concern that

we want to make sure that every ballot came from a -- an eligible-registered voter in maricopa county, as opposed to somebody trying to introduce unauthorized ballots. >> reporter: that's a conspiracy theory that ballots were, somehow, snuck in leading to donald trump's defeat in the state last year. these types of lies resonated with ballot counters, like eloise flag. >> i hope that we can come to a point where we are happy with the results. and truth is told. >> reporter: we talk to her as workers arrived outside the coliseum to count ballots. their cars covered with bumper stickers supporting trump and logos for conspiracy websites. >> do you think that donald trump won arizona? >> yes. i do. i think that donald trump won the election. firm believer. >> reporter: these workers didn't want to talk, unless -- >> hunter biden's laptop. >> reporter: workers were told to not tell the public anything.

remember the guy in the cowboy hat? he jumped in to tell this worker to ignore us. he works for cyberninjas. the tech company hired by arizona-senate republicans to conduct this third-ballot review. or, as lisa calls it -- >> it was complete theater. >> reporter: with no training, she got hired for two days. here she is on the floor as an observer. she is retired, a democrat, and worried about lack of training or consistent protocol with ballots. >> the effort here is to uncover a fraud. and if they can't uncover it, then they are going to create the fraud. >> from the counting process, it is not a normal-recount process. it is definitely not an audit process. >> reporter: ryan is an expert in election technology. he is on the floor brought in by the arizona secretary of state to observe cyberninjas' ballot count. he is a registered independent and has been hired by both republicans and democrats to help safeguard dozens upon

dozens of state and federal elections. >> i mean, there's ballots. there's people counting. but the process, in which they are utilizing, at least on the counting floor, is nothing that is in an election environment. >> reporter: a show, that the maricopa county sheriff does not want to be a part of. >> to be reckless and to give away something of this capacity into the hands of a complete stranger is not going to happen while i am the sheriff. >> reporter: why is the sheriff involved? another conspiracy, this audit is chasing. the cyberninjas want county routers to see if hackers rigged the election. sheriff penzone refuses to hand over the routers saying the entire county's law enforcement technology is at stake. >> and when you have individuals who assume a conspiracy, and then try to create the reality behind it. it's extremely dangerous. >> is that what's happening here? >> that is what's happening here. you know, there is assumptions, without any-factual information to justify that.

>> reporter: and this bizarre ride is far from over. in just a couple of hours, the ballot counting is going to pause because there are high school graduations next week. so they got to give up the space in the coliseum. and so, those 2.1 million ballots, they are going to travel outside that coliseum past what i am standing in front of, which is the crazy times carnival. it runs through saturday. the move is going to happen, tomorrow morning. and they are going to head to that green building. the cyberninjas' arizona republicans. the -- the senate republicans saying that, that building is temperature controlled, 24 hours, monitored with security. but here is a couple of issues anderson. the wall closest to the carnival has, as it's being used by carnival goers, it's public toilets and the state fairgrounds does not recommend use of that building right now because of summer heat. and we are talking about paper ballots. anderson. >> how long is the crazy time carnival open by the way, do you

know? >> another 48 hours. so i believe tickets are on sale, if you would like. >> well, i will try to rush down. crazy times. kyung lah, appreciate it. thanks very much. as her story pointed out, what is happening in arizona is a direct result of the former president's big lie that the election was somehow stolen and that lie has rippled across the country. especially, in states led by republicans. which have enacted a series of new laws aimed at restricting of voting in upcoming elections. joining me now is former georgia state representative, stacey abrams, founder of a group called fair fight and author of a brand new novel "while justice sleeps." representative abrams, i want to ask you about your new book, in a moment. but just first, on the news, given all your work on voting rights. when you see this so-called audit in arizona, with cell phone jammers and uv lights and conspiracy theories about bamboo ballots brought in from asia. what is happening there? >> it's a continuation of the big lie. but more importantly, and more concerningly, it's a continuation of the insurrection. of this attempt to dis --

disenfranchise voters, and to dismiss the legitimacy of our elections. and we know that this is only part of a larger intention. just today, leaked audio from heritage action for america where they admitted this is model legislation being promulgated across the country, through a vast-republican intention of limiting access to the right to vote because they think it's the best way to win. and according to the leaked audio, they have been meeting with secretaries of state, with governors, with legislators, all, with the intent of putting forward legislation that will restrict access to the right to vote. and make it easier for republicans to win. and we should all be concerned because our elections are not about partisanship. it should not be a question of republicans or democrats, gaming the system. but everyone being able to participate and make their own choices. >> what is so kind of orwellian about all of this is at the same time this is happening, kevin mccarthy is saying that no one is contesting the legitimacy of the last election, which is exactly what they're doing. >> well, they're not only -- not only is there this hypocrisy.

but it's gas-lighting. they are saying, aloud, that there is nothing wrong. and at the exact same time, they are pushing forward legislation to fix something they say is broken. either, they are lying then. they were lying then, or they are lying now. and the reality is the lie that continues to weave its way through our democracy is one that turns this issue of partisanship. partisan grab, this is about citizenship, who has the right to vote in our nation and should that vote be impeded? and answer should be no. >> i want to play an exchange you recently had on the hill about voting rights with louisiana's senator. about restrictions put in place in georgia. >> tell me specifically -- just give me a list of the provisions that you object to. >> i object to the provisions that remove the access to the

right to the vote, that shortened the federal runoff period, restrict the time that a voter can request and return an absentee ballot application. eliminate -- >> slow down for me because our audio is not real good here. >> you went on and in great detail and i think he was surprised that the detail you were able to go into. since then the federal voting rights bill you've been advocating for stalled. are you confident something will get passed at this point? because joe manchin indicated he wouldn't support the voting rights bill known as the for the people act. he indicated he would support a more moderate voting rights bill called the john lewis act. >> i think it is important that the standards embedded in the for the people act, and that is standardizing and laying a threshold for how people vote no matter where they live. whether that occurs through for the people act, which i know is stalled currently but this is a long year and as we discovered in 2020 years can take longer

than we imagine. but we also know that the persistence of this attack on voting rights in florida, in georgia, in texas, in arizona, in iowa, now introduced in michigan, in ohio, that these attacks are going to continue, that heritage action says it intends to do this in nevada and in pennsylvania. that every time we see our right to vote under attack, it should reaffirm for every good american, especially ones who hold federal office in the u.s. senate, that we have to protect the right to vote, not to defend a party but to defend the ideals of our nation and that the most patriotic thing we can do is pass voting rights legislation that actually defends the right to vote for all. >> so while you have been working on all of the political things you have been working on, you have also written a book, which is how you were able to find the time i'm not sure, but it is called "while justice sleeps." it is a legal thriller set at the u.s. supreme court. what inspired you to write it? >> i actually started writing it back in 2008 based on a conversation i had with a dear

friend, teresa wynn roseboro, about a quirk in the constitution. the only people in the constitution who are given lifetime appointment are federal judges, but there's also nothing in the constitution that says that you can remove them for simply being unable to do their jobs. when i thought about that, i thought about what if a supreme court justice who is the swing vote fell into a coma, what would we do and how would we react as a nation. avery kean and "while justice sleeps" was born. >> i appreciate it. >> thank you. still to come, the pipeline cyber attack. long lines for gasoline, the question is was ransom actually paid? plus, more on the breaking news on the relaxing of masking for vaccinated people. what it means for those who travel on planes, trains and buses and what we need to know.

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dr. wilensky laid out a caveat, even if you are fully vaccinated you should wear a mask when traveling. we asked the tsa about this, and it said the biden transportation-wide mask mandate will stay in place meaning on trains, planes, buses and boats and here in terminals like the international airport. >> do we know how long the mask mandate will stay in place? >> reporter: september 13th was the latest date. it was supposed to expire this week and it was extended after a little bit of lobbying from flight attendants. they are the ones who say they're on the front lines of enforcing all of this. >> certainly the faa reported a large increase in unruly passengers on commercial flights over mask rules. i imagine there must be concern this is only going to increase now that people don't have to wear masks in most places if fully vaccinated, even though the rule says they have to wear them on the plane. >> reporter: well, anderson, the head of the largest union of flight attendants says there should be no confusion about this. the faa actually is already messaging on this on social

media, saying you still have to wear a mask on board a plane even if you are fully vaccinated. you know, the faa reported a large uptick in unruly passengers, not just about masks. 1,300 reports in the last three months alone, and one has to wonder if this mixed message here will create more problems. >> pete muntean, appreciate it. thanks very much. as gas lines persist across parts of the southeast, an update on the ransom payments demanded by the hackers of the pipeline operator. that's next. [sfx: thunder rumbles] [sfx: rainstorm] ♪ comfort in the extreme. ♪ the lincoln family of luxury suvs. bipolar depression. it's a dark, lonely place. this is art inspired by real stories of people living with bipolar depression. emptiness. a hopeless struggle. the lows of bipolar depression can disrupt your life and be hard to manage.

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