for your parents, siblings and neighbors. captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, a major change-- the c.d.c. issues new guidelines, allowing fully vaccinated americans to resume some pre-pandemic activities. then, closer to reality-- president biden's covid relief bill is on track to clear one last hurdle before he can sign it into law. then, the royals and race-- meghan markle paints some in the british royal family as racist and details her ruggles wrought by the pressures of palace life. >> when a black woman has tried to enter one of the most

important institutions, she says that due to race, she was unable to stay in the instituon and that's why it's important. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> well, audrey's expecting... >> twins! >> grandparents. >> we want to put money aside for them, so, change in plans. >> all right, let's see what we can adjust. >> we'd be closer to the twins. >> change in plans. >> okay. >> mom, are you painting again? you could sell these. >> let me guess, change in plans? >> at fidelity, changing plans is always part of the plan.

>> the chan-zuckerberg initiative. working to build a more healthy, just and incluve future for everyone. at czi.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and individuals. >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

>> woodruff: the centers for disease control released new guidelines today outlining what fully vaccinated people can do safely. the recommendations provide a small window into what more routine life in the u.s. may look like in the months ahead. c.d.c. director dr. rochelle walensky said fully vaccinated people may gather indoors without masks, with each other, or with those at low risk, such as children. 31 million people, or about nine percent of the population, have been fully vaccinated so far. the news comes as pandemic deaths in the u.s. passed 525,000. john yang has the details. >> yang: judy, the c.d.c. says people who are fully vaccinated should still follow some

precautions, like wearing a mask and distancing when visiting with an unvaccinated person at high risk for severe infection; wearing a mask and distancing in public; and continuing to avoid long-distance travel. the new guidelines are couched in caveats and could change as more data becomes available. dr. richard besser is a former acting head of the c.d.c. and is now head of the robert wood johnson foundation, which is a newshour funder. being with us. a lot of people want to know what this means. as more and more people get the vaccine, they want to know what the new guidelines mean. a not see random example: my sister's first grandchimed was born in october. she and her husband were both fully vaccinated. her son and daughter-in-law are teachers and have gotten their first shot and soon will be fully vaccinated.

when they're fully vaccinated, will they be able to see their first grandson? >> what i'm seeing is a path to normalcy. while they are small steps, i hope it encourages more people to get vaccinated. so individuals who are fully vaccinated can meet indoors with other people fully vaccinated, or they can be indoors with one familiar who has not been vaccinated, as long as that family does not have anyone who is at high risk of having severe disease. that is a step towards normalcy and a step towards people coming together. and it gives me a lot of hope. >> a step towards normalcy, but still precautions that the c.d.c. wants people to follow. 90% of americans are not still fully vaccinated. is there a target percentage of the population you would like to see fully vaccinated before restrictions can be taken off? >> i think it is about more than the percentage of people who are vaccinated. some of it will come down to a better understanding

of what happens as these variants spread around the country, these strains that have been identified in brazil and south africa, the u.k., and in places in this country. there is a question that is outstanding in terms of how much protection, what level protectio, you'll get from these vaccines. i expect that as more science comes in on that, that the c.d.c. will start to broaden the lifting of restrictions. i'm hoping that they'll come forward soon with new guidance around travel. and i expect that that will occur as more and more people get vaccinated. >> what do we know about whether people who have been vaccinated can still spread the virus? can give the is virus to somebody else. >> we're starting to see evidence that they -- the chances of that happening are going down. not all of the science is in, but the data that i have seen gives me encouragement that like with so many other vaccines, if the person is

fully vaccinated, they will not be spreading the infection to other people. i don't know you can say that about some of the variants, and that may be what is holding the c.d.c. back from giving recommendations about going out to restaurants or other places, where you may be able to come in contact with people who may be at higher risk. >> are you concerned about the number of people hoo who are skeptical about getting the vaccine? we have seen polls at how this has become, in some way, politicized, that republicans are more skeptical of getting the vaccine than others. does that concern you? >> yeah. there are a couple of things about vaccine distribution that concerns me. one is that we're not doing a good enough job at getting vaccines to groups that are at the highest risk, black, latino populations in particular. they have very low vaccination rates compared to white populations. when you look at maps of cities that show what neighborhoods have been

hit the hardest, those tend to be the areas that are having the lowest vaccination rates. to increase those rates, you need to ensure that people are hearing from voices that they trust. that goes as well for the point you're making about the big split by political affiliation in terms of vaccine hesitancy and desire to get vaccinated. we need republican leaders to stand up and encourage those who follow them to get vaccinated. we know that former president trump got vaccinated in january. and there are a lot of people who look to him for advice on vaccination. his voice would be very valuable in terms of getting people who support him to roll up their sleeve and get vaccinated. >> dr. richard besser, thank you very much. >> thank you, john. >> woodruff: on the economic front, president biden's sweeping covid stimulus package

is on the cusp of becoming law this week. congressional correspondent lisa desjardins begins our coverage. >> desjardins: house democrats are back in washington, standing by to give final approval to the $1.9 trillion covid relief package. white house press secretary jen psaki, on the bill, which is largely what president biden proposed. >> i will note that the plan that the senate passed this weekend puts us one huge step closer to passing one of the most consequential and most progressive pieces of legislation in american history. >> desjardins: senate passage came only after some high-drama and high-stakes bargaining. west virginia democrat joe manchin raised concerns about the size of unemployment benefits, but got on board after a compromise idea and a phone call with mister biden. pass the bill, democrats used a budget process requiring just 50 votes, but as they have exactly 50 votes, they needed the support of every senator in their party. after more than 24 hours of debate and votes on dozens of

amendments, the senate finally passed the so-called “american rescue plan” saturday in a party-line vote. it included a new round of direct payments of up to $1400 for americans making under $75,000; and an increase to the child tax credit for one year. it will also extend $300 weekly unemployment benefits through september 6th. that is shorter and lower than the $400 house democrats wanted to go through the end of september. in addition, the legislation boosts funding for covid vaccine distribution and testing, and funds $125 billion to help k- through-12 schools re-open safely. another $350 billion will go to state and local governments, targeted to their pandemic losses. >> it's a great day for the country! >> desjardins: senate majority leader chuck schumer hailed the outcome on saturday. >> we made a promise to the american people that we were going to deliver the real relief they needed. and now we have fulfilled that

promise. >> desjardins: but minority leader mitch mcconnell faulted democrats for passing an historic bill on purely partisan lines. >> voters picked a president who promised unity and bipartisanship. democrats' response is to ram through what they call, 'the most progressive domestic legislation in a generation' on a razor-thin majority in both houses. >> desjardins: republicans question the need for such a large bill and argue it could backfire with a spike in inflation. but treasury secretary janet yellen told the newshour she's optimistic. >> the fed does have tools to address inflation if it becomes a problem. but i don't believe i don't believe it will. and i don't see markets or most forecasters worrying about that. >> desjardins: the bill was not perfect for every democrat-- progressives remain frustrated that the senate dropped provisions to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

ultimately, though, democrats want the bill sent to president biden and signed by march 14th when current federal unemployment benefits are set to expire. >> woodruff: and for more, i'm joined by both lisa and white house correspondent yamiche alcindor. >> woodruff: so, hello to both of you. i'm going to start with you, yamiche. what more can you tell us about what the white house is saying about this bill as the house takes it up? and what more have we learned about the impact of this legislation, if it becomes law, as it now is written? >> yamiche: well, the white house and president biden are touting this 1.9trillion dollar relief package as a huge victory. they say it is president biden keeping his campaign promise to get urgent need directly to the american people as this pandemic continues. on that note, on thursday, president biden will be delivering his first prime time national address.

he will be marking the one-year anniversary of lockdowns related to covid in the united states. he will talk about what he plans to do for americans, and talking about the sacrifices they made. o that note, as he waits for this bill to hit his desk and sign it into law, he is wasting no time in explaining it into detail. part of the explaining it to the american people is going to be him talking specifically about the racial justice aspect of this bill, connected to his overall goal of having more equity in the country. i want to explain a bit about the racial justice issues in this bill. there is more than $8 billion to federal and local health agencies for vaccinations, including targeting underserved communities. more than $7 billion to community health centers to provide health to underserved areas, to serve black, latino, and other communities. and the bill has the single largest infusion of dedicated res sources to native people, and 26 million of that money

is going to combat covid, and the indian services, which provides to tribes and tribal communities. native americans, black and latino americans and americans of color have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. >> woodruff: and, lisa, there is still more in this legislation that targets racial inequity. tell us about that. >> lisa: that's right. beyond those covid and health care-related items that yamiche laid out so well, there are other items that the democrats put in to address systemic racism. there are provisions for socially disadvantaged farmers, and those are famous of color. this bill would pay off 120% of federally-backed loans that those farmers have because of years of inequity, and they point out 80% loss of land by

the black farmers. and there is so much for the native-american community. total it all up, $31 is billion of federal funding in different programs for native americans. that is the latest infusion of cash ever in american history for native americans in this country. and finally, also, i want to point out one item in that $31 billion, $20 million, a small slice is, but an important slice, to native communities to help try and roll back the loss and sustain native languages in this country, which many communities fear they're losing at a rapid rate. now, republicans say these items, however good they may be, should not go into this bill because they're not directly covid-related, and democrats say these are all good for the health of the country overall. >> woodruff: lisa, you were telling us a number of health-related items in the legislation even separate from covid. tell us about tha >> lisa: more big news

on this front. let's go through these quickly. first medicaid. this bill would have more iincentive for states have no expanded the medical under obamacare, and they would pay more of the bill, up to $1 billion. in health insurance, it would pay 100% for people unemployed, and tht is temporary until the end of september. and this would expand subsidies overall under obamacare, temporary, but something that the democrats say is critical at this moment. and one more big item we hope to get talked about more, is pensions. this bill has an $86 billion provision that would basically bail out some soon be in solvent pension funds, and that would affect billions ofs workers standing to lose those. >> woodruff: finally,

yamiche, one of the major beneficiaries of this are schools, and that is outside of the money going to reopen the schools. tell us about what is here for colleges. >> yamiche: that's right. president biden has been really focused on trying to get schools reopened, as well as giving resources to students, both students in higher ed as well as "k" through 12, to help them go through this pandemic. i want to walk through some of the things that shools get. there is nearly $40 billion for higher education, public and private colleges, and historically black colleges, which will receiving $3 billion. and there is more than $7 billion to provide devices to students so they can participate in learning online. that is a big issue with the digital gap in some underserved communities. more than $1 billion for students learning during the coming months where we're going to have to continue to weather this pandemic while people are still getting vaccinated. this is really money focused on students, focused on their parents, focused on educators. this is what president

biden says is aimed at really trying to get education rolling in this country and trying to make sure people don't fall through the gaps as we continue to weather this pandemic. >> woodruff: so much in this piece of legislation, and it is so important for the public to understand as much as possible about what is here. yamiche alcindor and lisa desjardins, thank you both. >> thanks. >> thanks. >> woodruff: as we reported, all 50 senate democrats voted to pass the covid relief bill. one of them is alex padilla of california. and he joins me now from capitol hill. senator padilla, thank you so much for joining us. we have been hearing from my colleagues, yamiche and lisa, about some of what is in this legislation. my question for you is: what is the main difference it is going to make for your home state of california? >> i think it is going to make a world of difference for people that have been suffering throughout this pandemic. i think in the prior

segment, laying out the various elements of this rescue package, i think it reflex the realities of the pandemic. there have been dual pandemic, to be honest. devastation froma health standpoint on so many people throughout the country. that needs to be responded to. the rescue plan does that with more vaccination, supply, distribution, equity, and administering of the vaccines. and then some resources for schools to reopen, but reopen safely, etc. and also from the economic standpoint. you talk about some of the other elements of the bill, which some of our republican colleagues tried to paint as non-covid-related when it couldn't be further from the truth. the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the economy, both from a health standpoint and the economic standpoint, disproportionately on communities of color and working-class communities. the equity lens that wraps this all together was absolutely the right thing to do. i was proud to vote for it on saturday and can't wait for the president to sign it.

>> woodruff: and, senator, we know that despite all of this, there are still voices out there saying that this legislation is too big. $1.9 trillio that it is not targeted enough, it is bloated, it is throwing money all around. specific criticism we've seen about your state of california, that it is going to get tens of billions of dollars, even though california is facing a surplus this year. how do you answer? >> as soon as that came up during the course of the debate, this supposed surplus in california that some of my republican colleagues pointed to, is a false surplus. you don't want to penalize states like california for doing the right thing early in the pandemic. looking at taking deep cuts, not just in the social service safety net, but even into state employee contracts, etc., that make it appear like that is a surplus on paper, but the funding

that this package is going to restore to states across the country will replenish those social service programs when they are needed the most. so i take difference with that spin, if you will, on this package. it is a holistic package because we are suffering through a once in a century pandemic. and as i said a minute ago, it has had devastating health impacts as well as economic impacts. but as we're turning the corner here, this is exactly the infusion we need not just to restore the economy, but to keep the trend lines going down on the number of cases and fatalities. no state is bigger, no state is more diverse, and no state has more stake in this than the state of california. >> woodruff: senator, we know one provision that was taken out of the legislation had to do with raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. there is still going to be a push to do that. but at this point, it doesn't look like there

are the votes to get to $15 and hour. given that, would you be willing to support, separate from this legislation, but other leslation to raise the federal minimum wage to $11 an hour and then gradually higher after that? >> the minimum wage needs to go up. even the $15 an hour minimum wage sa compromise in and of itself. we're going to get that done. i'm disappointed that it wasn't included in this final rescue package, but we're going do have other opportunities to get there, maybe through reconciliation, maybe through stand-alone legislation. states like california and new york are well on their way to getting to a $15 an hour minimum wage. people throughout the country, in every corner of the country, deserve a living wage. if you work full-time, you should not live in poverty. that's what the minimum wage is about.

we're going to keep fighting for that. and it allows me to point out other elements of the rescue package. a significant expansion of the earned income tax credit and a significant expansion of the child tax credit, that could lift a lot of people living in poverty today in the united states of america out of poverty. that is the magnitude and the power of this rescue package that is soon to be on the way to the president. >> woodruff: bottom line: would you be willing to accept $11 an hour in e near term? >> $11 an hour is not enough of the american wage increase. the americans deserve better. republicans and democrats across the board, as they were supportive of this rescue package, support an increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour. >> woodruff: so much to ask you about. i want to ask you about immigration. you are the chair of the immigration judiciary committee. we know you are pleased

with at least what appears to be the thrust of president biden's approach, what we know of it, to immigration. and yet right now we are seeing a surge at the southern border. just in the last few weeks, the "new york times" reporting the number of children at the border has tripled just in the last two weeks. my question to you is: how concerned are you that this may complicate efforts to try to find a bipartisan solution to immigration? and what can be done about it? >> look, i am hopeful -- if you recall, it was as recent as 2013 that a bipartisan immigration reform was approved by the ited states senate. i know it seems like the political world has changed dramatically since then, but we have got to have hope. there is at least something to work from. immigration reform in this country is long overdue. it was long overdue prior to the beginning of the trump administration. but clearly in the last four years, it was

devastating not just for immigrants coming to the united states, immigrants living in the united states, and immigration policy overall. we're going to do this right, unlike the last four years. we're going to restore humanity and common sense to immigration policies. >> woodruff: well, we will continue to talk to you about that, senator. as we know, the number of people trying to cross the border is increasing and people are looking for a solution. we thank you very much, senator alex padilla of california. >> thank you. > >> woodruff: tomorrow night, i'll talk to republican congresswoman nicole malliotakis of new york as the house of representatives votes on the revised covid relief bill. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, a task force recommended extensive changes in u.s.

capitol security, including a quick-reaction force and a permanent, retractable fence. the report follows the january 6 storming of the capitol. it also calls for a larger police force, expanded intelligence, better equipment and streamlined communications. president biden today ordered a review of how colleges and universities handle sexual assaults. trump-era rules call for clear and convincing evidence of wrongdoing. they also let the accused cross- examine accusers. the rules, and the review, come under federal title ix, aimed at preventing sex discrimination in education. the u.s. state department isn't commenting on a new peace plan for afghanistan. reports say secretary of state antony blinken has proposed a 90-day reduction in violence and an interim government that includes the taliban. blinken's main spokesman would not confirm or deny the reports today. >> it is often important for our

diplomatic efforts that we're able to conduct them in private. this is a moment in time where progress is possible. we want to do everything we can to facilitate that progress. >> woodruff: blinken also reportedly wrote to the afghan president, warning the u.s. could still withdraw all its troops by may 1st. in lebanon, protesters fed up with economic and political turmoil closed main roads for a seventh day. near beirut, they blocked highway entrances with burning tires and tents. the country's president ordered security forces to clear the roadblocks. at least three more people were shot dead in myanmar today, protesting the military coup. security forces trapped hundreds of others in yangon. that brought thousands more into the streets after dark, defying a curfew. they chanted and banged on water bottles to distract police from making arrests.

pope francis is back at the vatican after his tour of iraq, the first by any pope. he was seen off today by iraqi president baraham salih and his wife in baghdad. later, on his plane, francis defended meeting with grand ayatollah ali al-sistani, a top shiite muslim cleric. >> ( translated ): you know that there are some critiques that say that the pope is not courageous, he's reckless, that he is doing things against catholic doctrine, that is one step away from heresy. these are risks but these decisions are always taken in prayer, they are not whimsical. >> woodruff: the pope said he prayed a lot before making the trip, amid concerns about spreading covid. he drew large crowds who mostly ignored social distancing and mask requirements. back in this country, the u.s. supreme court rejected the last of former president trump's appeals to overturn the 2020 election results.

without comment, the justices dismissed a challenge to thousands of absentee votes in wisconsin. missouri senator roy blunt announced today he'll retire instead of running for a third term, in 2022. blunt is number four in the senate republican leadership. he becomes the fifth g.o.p. senator to pass up a bid for re-election. the city of jackson, mississippi, the state capital, is finishing a third week of having to boil drinking water. it's due to damage from last month's winter storm. running water has been restored to most of the city of 160,000 people. but crews were still working today to restore full pressure to the system. and, on wall street, tech stocks took another beating, partly over interest rate worries, but the broader market advanced. the dow jones industrial average gained 306 points to close at 31,802. the nasdaq fell 311 points, and

is officially in a correction, down 10% from its peak last month. the s&p 500 slipped 20 points today. still to come on the newshour: meghan markle breaks her silence, painting some in the british royal family as racist. tamara keith and amy walter break down the politics of covid relief. plus much more. >> woodruff: audiences around the world watched harry and meghan, the duke and duchess of sussex, describe life in the british royal family to oprah winfrey last night. in a two-hour interview, meghan spoke about racism she faced from inside and outside the institution. amna nawaz takes a look at what

her experience reveals about the ancient institution of the monarchy. >> nawaz: here to discuss what last night's interview says about british attitudes on race within royalty and society more broadly is marcus ryder. he is executive producer for caixin global and a visiting professor of media diversity at birmingham city university. he is also the author of "access all areas: the diversity manifesto for tv and beyond." >> nawaz: marcus ryder, welcome to the "newshour," and thanks for making the time. obviously huge ratin here, massive interest in this interview. what about in the u.k.? how is last night's interview resonating over there? >> one of the important reactions is the fact that the reactions have been so different and so contrasting. people are falling into two camps, and there are some people feel this is an opportunity to really talk about race and racism, and there are some people who feel this has nothing to do wth race and we shouldn't be taking about racism.

so i think it has split and exposed attitudes towards certain elements in british society. >> nawaz: so some of the racism that meghan markle has faced early in her relationship to prince harry was sort of evident in the t tabloids and the coverage of her. among the more shocking revelations was that it was sort of overt racism she faced in the royal family. meghan alleged they didn't want to give her baby a royal title. and oprah followed up. take a listen. >> why do you think that is? do you think it is because of his race? i know that is a loaded question, but... >> and i can give you an honest answer. in the months that i was pregnant, all around this same time, we had in tandem the conversation of won't be given security, not going to be given a title, and also

concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born. >> marcus ryder, that story, that allegation that someone in the royal family was asking and expressing concern about her baby's skin tone, did that surprise you? >> what is important is that son is, or wouldn't be a future employee of one of the most important institutions in the u.k. at this state. once she is alleging, once you take away the more salacious elements, what she is alleging is that a future employee would be too darkr their race would play against them from being an employee of one of the most important institutions of the state this story is not an international story because they are famous or an interesting family; it is interesting precisely because when a black woman

has tried to enter one of the most important institutions, she says that due to race she was unable to stay in the institution. and that's why it is important. >> nawaz: well, just to follow up on that, in this institution, you think back to the time that meghan entered the family, and there was this huge opportunity that was talked about for this royal family, for this institution to move forward, to be more reflective, not just of british society, but of the commonwealth nations, which are largely black and brown. they didn't do that. why do you think that is? >> you only have to look at the low number of journalists in our newsrooms, and look at the fact there is not one major news television bulletin which is headed by a person of color. so if british media is having trouble doing that, then i would say, and it would be fair to presume, that other parts of britain and the u.k. are also going to be struggling.

i would hope that the response to the interview, not just from the royal family but from institutions and throughout society, is how do we make sure that all british institutions are welcoming to black women? and exploring how we can make sure that we do not have a case ere when a black woman is breaking a glass ceiling, who is entering a space that hasn't been entered by black people before, that it is not followed up a few years later with revelations or accusations that her mental health suffered, and that she contemplated suicide, that prospective members would not be welcome if their skin tone was too dark. so we need to make sure that not just the royal family, but all institutions, look at themselves in the u.k. and make sure that this does

not repeat itself. >> nawaz: marcus ryder, visiting professor at beedie university, thank you for joining us. >> thank you so much. >> woodruff: back to our top political story of the day-- the american rescue plan is in its final stretch towards becoming law, marking president biden's first significant legislative achievement since taki office nearly 50 days ago. our politics monday team is here to analyze what it means. that's: amy walter of the cook political report. and tamara keith of npr. >> woodruff: hello to both of you. so good to see you. and let's start by talking about this. amy, it is about to cross the finish line. what does it mean for president biden? and does it diminish the

win in any way that he didn't get any republican tes? or doesn't appear to be getting any. >> amy: that's right. judy, it is a big win to get a bill passed with everything you want in it. the administration came out saying this is a $1.9 trillion package, and the looks like he will get a $1.9 trillion package. there are some changes in there, but he pretty much got what he wanted. it was dramatic-free. there was a little byte of bit f consonation on friday night about the unemployment extension, but overall, you think how different it is than what we've been watching, judy, for the last four years. where a deal that looked like it was going one way could be derailed just by a tweet coming from president trump. this had all of the markings of a traditional way of moving through a piece of legislation.

and the democratic party is really united on this. now, does it mean they're going to be united for everything to come? it is unclear. the big risk for democrats going forward is that they put a lot of their political cap capital into this, and if it doesn't work. and the risk for republicans is that they all voted against it and it does work. >> woodruff: and, tam, pick up on that. what does it mean -- going forward, the fact that no republicans voted for it, and the fact you have other important legislation coming down the pike? >> tamara: the ground work for this win for president biden -- and this will be a big win and he will do a prime time address, and he will continue talking about it for several weeks to sort of cement the idea in people's minds that this is a big deal. this was hatched on january 5th, when those

senate seats in georgia were won by democrats instead of republicans, and then democrats got this narrow as possible majority in the senate, which they were then able to use to make this deal happen, to get this bill over the finish line without any republicans. and, you're right, this was a unique situation. they were using budget reconciliation, which is a process that they can't use for every bill. it has to be budget-related. and so in the future, for things like raising the minimum wage, for instance, or gun-control legislation, or structure, which is, i think, where president biden wants to turn his attention next, his "build back better" plan, as they call it, and all of that is likely going to require bipartisan support, particularly in the senate. these are not going to be things that can get done only through budget reconciliation with the

narrowest 50-vote majority. >> woodruff: so much coming down the pike, voting rights and the rest of it. i want to turn you both to something else that is in the headlines right now, and that is new york's governor andrew cuomo. amy, not only accused of not being truthful about nursing home deaths in his state from covid, but also, as we know now, a number of accusations from young women that he was -- accusing him of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment. what do you make of his mishandling of it? every time we think these #metoo movement stories may be going away, they pop up. there is madison hawthorne and ronnie jackson, who made their own accusations -- wu see happening, first, though, with governor cuomo? >> i think what we're

starting to see in new york, because everything is bigger in new york, and it gets a whole lot of attention that a governor of another smaller state wouldn't. andrew cuomo is ?oft not not jut the governor of new york, but he is was at the epicenter in the covid crisis. al franken was at the very beginning of this, the senator from minnesota, who resigned under pressure from many democrats. but this is really since the trump era has ended and the biden era began, here is the first opportuny for democrats to put down their marker of how they'll handle allegations of sexual harassment in their own ranks. i think what you're seein is pressure on the governor, first of all, to agree to the attorney general investigating, which he has agreed to. you're starting to see

legislators, democratic legislature, calling for him to resign. i think as this moves forward, depending on what comes forward, you may see more people announcing that. the biggest political hurtle for cuomo right now, or the biggest question mark is: does he run for a fourth term? and can he run for a fourth term? or are we going to be talking about a resignation before then? >> woodruff: and i think, to tam, a lot of people are asking is this the kind of thing he can survive? he says he is not going anywhere. but they've now -- these accusations have now reached a level that, as amy says, a number of prominent state democrats are calling for him to step down. >> tamara: i think democrats are really still, as amy said, trying to figure out their footing when it comes to me too and other scandals.

democrats, certainly during the al franken period, in the early part of the #metoo movement had a zero-tolerance policy. and republicans have not had a zero-tolerance policy. they've been tol tolerant of some behavior. republicans have felt maybe democrats took it too far, and questioned if democrats would regret this zero-tolerance policy. well, now you have a situatiowhere you have someone who is saying, i'm not going to go. and typically in these sorts of cases, if someone isn't going to go, then there isn't a mechanism really, other than an election, to get them to go. and that's what you saw in virginia with governor northam d others who were wrapped up in various scandals, the black-face scandal and other

scandals. top democrats were calling them to resign. governor northam and everyone else in the state of virginia stayed and something happened. they just stayed. and so perhaps we are seeing another test of, hey, if you're just willing to stick it out and take the pressure, can you just take the pressure indefinitely? >> woodruff: well, we are watching it, and we'll see what happens. and we'll have more opportunities to ask you about it down the line. thank you both. politics monday. amy walter and tamara keith, thank you. >> you're welcome. >> thank >> woodruff: and don't go anywhere, we'll be back shortly with a special look at our new podcast series, "the longest year," which explores how covid has transformed our lives over the past 12 months. but first, take a moment to hear from your local pbs station. it's a chance to offer your support, which helps keep programs like ours on the air.

>> woodruff: on international women's day, we look now at what the pandemic is doing to women and the distinct burdens they are facing. paul solman has this encore "making sense" story, part of our "chasing the dream" series. >> the day that our school system announced that our children were going to be starting remote i turned in my resignation. >> reporter: nurse and mother of three shannon niemann quit to watch the kids in august. in october, retail worker and single mom of two michelle perez was let go. >> because it was no longer convenient for them to actually accommodate the schedule that worked for me. >> reporter: gabriela villagomez-morales, also single, worked at a daycare center until it closed in march. >> i think if it wasn't for my sister helping me out, i'll

probably be out in the street with my kids. >> reporter: when travel to maui halted, so too did jessica oyanagi's tourist-dependent photography business. >> i never thought at 40 i'd be on unemployment, food stamps, living with my parents at this age at this time of my life. >> reporter: just some of the faces of the so-called "she- cession." >> in the 2008 receson, people called it a man cession because it was men's jobs that went first. that's because we were losing jobs and construction and finance, places where men tend to dominate. >> reporter: economist betsey stevenson says the gender dimension of this recession is different. >> we lost jobs in retail and leisure and hospitality and in hospitals and health care services. and those are all jobs where women hold the majority of the jobs and they actually got the majority of the layoffs. >> reporter: after the great recession of '08, the economy shifted away from male-dominated manufacturing to female-heavy services, says economist, mom and blogger diane lim.

>> people seem to get more pleasure out of experiences and buying experiences and buying services, than buying things like having a fancy car or buying a big house. all these really people intensive jobs, those were exactly the jobs that got hammered >> reporter: perhaps nobody knows the risk better than direct care workers. like single mom catherine namisango. in april her manager told her to assist a covid-positive patient. >> and i think about it and i say, you know, i don't have any other job. i don't have any other income. and my kids, they have to eat. they have to. i have to pay my rent. i have to pay my bills. so i have to do this job. >> reporter: did you get coronavirus? >> yeah, i had coronavirus. >> reporter: did your kids get it too? >> all of us, all of us. we were covid positive. because our house is small. we use the same bathroom, the same toilet, the same kitchen.

>> reporter: women are being disproportionately hit in another way. take jessica oyanagi, whose tourist-based business went bust. >> if i wanted to try to go find just like a traditional 40 hour week job, that would be pretty much impossible at this point in time. >> reporter: why? because she's caring for her young daughters. as schools andaycare centers across the country remain closed, mothers are forced to fill the care gap. >> my husband is an essential worker. he's a welder. he's continued to work throughout the pandemic. so, i mean, it's a pretty black and white choice. >> reporter: shannon niemann quit her dream job as a lactation nurse to tend to her school-age kids while her husband managed his business. >> i really felt like my job was a ministry. that's how much i loved it. when i had to make the choice to leave, i mean, i cried. but my husband also has a responsibility to his 13 workers and all of their families. >>eporter: according to the census bureau women are three times more likely than men to have left their job because of childcare during the pandemic. >> i think it's amplifying the inherent bias not just in the

economy, but in our households. if kids are relying on moms to make sure that they get out the door in the morning more than they relying on dads, that's a small gap. but if the kids are relying on mom to get them all the way through the school day because they're doing school from home, that's a giant gap. >> reporter: moms are more than three times as likely as dads to do most of the work at home. it's unpaid and thus not event counted in g.d.p. but consider the work women do that is counted. >> they get the majority of college degrees. they get the majority of advanced degrees. and not only that, but they're coming at the top of their classes. you literally cannot have a v shaped recovery if we don't get the women back. >> reporter: but the hardest hit moms are the 15 million raising kids by themselves. after gabriela villagomez morales lost her daycare job, she and her four kids moved in with her sister, where she's been helping them with online school.

>> with my second second grader. i am sitting right next to her >> reporter: what would she what would she be doing if you weren't sitting next to her? >> probably go to youtube or and play other games and not focus on what she's doing. >> reporter: but if you get a job, then who takes care of the kids? >> i would have to find some... i don't know, it's hard. >> reporter: are you sort of just trying not to think about it? >> and get myself overwhelmed. >> reporter: single mom michelle perez worked retail for years. but with her kids at home doing virtual school, she couldn't work the hours she used to. that's why she was laid off. >> my son was supposed to start kindergarten so i could actually go back to school and start working more. but here we are. i'm already struggling with trying to learn as much as i try. it's not working. >> reporter: so how are you getting by? >> my roommate, and so he is actually completely taking care of us for the most part through all of this. and, you know, that is very hard

to kind of accept because i kind of feel like, you know, i'm not contributing to my family at all and then i'm putting him in this position that he also shouldn't be in. >> reporter: wom account for o-thirds of the job losses in retail. the economic implications, in stevenson's view? >> i think we are creating a system with worse inequality than we already have today. and we're already in a pretty unequal society. >> reporter: michelle perez and her kids have a long road ahead. >> this was supposed to be the time where i was able to really start working towards changing our lives. and now this is going to set me back for years. like i have no income coming in, but i'm in debt. i don't know how i'm gonna change that. >> reporter: for the pbs newshour, this is paul solman.

>> woodruff: we're now one year into the covid-19 pandemic, and the virus has altered our lives in ways we do not yet fully understand. the newshour launched a new podcast series called, "america interrupted: the longest year," hosted by amna nawaz. we talk to americans from all walks of life about what they have faced over the last 12 months. here is a clip from one of those conversations, with an i.c.u. nurse in new york city. >> nawaz: you've probably heard sandra lindsay's name before. back in december, her face was splashed across tv screens nationwide when she became the first person in the u.s. to get a covid-19 vaccine. but for this critical care nurse in queens, the journey to that vaccination began back in march, when the first major coronavirus surge overwhelmed hospitals in new york city.

new york city. i wonder if you can describe for us, because it is hard to remember what it was like, when the cases really started to r you day to day?like >> what i saw >> what i saw were just people scurrying around in personal protective equipment, looked like we were from anher planet. and through the face shield, you could just see the fear in people's eyes. you could see the sadness, but you could also see courage. but i know that, i knew that they were just mentally and physically exhausted. >> nawaz: during those early days of the pandemic, lindsay says it was relentless. when someone would die, their i.c.u. bed would immediately need to be flipped for another covid patient. >> at that point you're starting to have some moral dtress, in addition to the physical and the mental distress. you're morally distressed because you figured that, you

know, i should have been able to save someone's life and i couldn't. and they passed away and i can't even spend time to honor their spirit the way i would have loved to, because somebody else is waiting for the bed and we're trying to see if we can save that person's life. so it was just it was just so fast. sometimes you didn't have time to think. >> nawaz: were you ever worried yourself that you might get sick? >> oh, absolutely. every day i left home. i looked in the mirror and i would say, i don't know if i'm making it back home today, but i'm going out. >> woodruff: that's from our new podcast series, "america interrupted: the longest year." it is so hard to believe. and that is the "newhour" and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here

tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe, and see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> the kendeda fund. committed to advancing restorative justice and meaningful work through investments in transformative leaders and ideas. more at kendedafund.org. >> the alfred p. sloan foundation. driven by the promise of great ideas. >> supported by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information at macfound.org

>> and with the ongoing support of these institutions >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

emergency planning for kids. we can't predict when an emergency will happen. so that's why it's important to make a plan with your parents. here are a few tips to stay safe.

know how to get in touch with your family. write down phone numbers for your parents, siblings and neighbors. hello, everyone. welcome to “amanpour & company”" here's what is coming up. >> myanmar's new "shoot to kill" policy is what the international policy is calling the junta's crackdown on protesters. we have the latest on the resistance to thcoup, and i am joined by the u.n. envoy of the burmese foreign government. then the great chilean author on her feminist odyssey. also ahead -- >> if you want to understand, read this and you will understand what you not understood before. >> one of the most famous authors james patterson talks to walter isaacson. why his latest bis