it is 2:00 p.m. on the east coast and coronavirus cases are exploding across the country. the u.s. once again of the shaerring records overnight reporting 74,000 new infections yesterday, higher than at any point since the pandemic began. as cases soar support for president trump's handling of this pandemic is hitting an all-time low. a new abc poll shows 67% of americans disapprove of trump's response. when asked by nbc's jose diaz balart about the fight against covid-19 the president ignored the reality of rising cases and claimed victory. >> is the united states losing the war against covid. >> no, we are winning the war. we have areas that flamed up. they aring go to be fine over a period of time. >> as the president down plays the risks of the pandemic for americans, he is also drawing sharp criticism for his late-night decision to commute the sentence of his long time friend and political adviser roger stone. stone was scheduled to report to prison next week for lying to

congress, including the house intelligence committee during the russia investigation. >> a jury of roger stone's peers found him guilty on every charge. and what the president is effectively doing is saying it is okay to lie to congress as long as you lie to protect me. >> let's bring in nbc's josh letterman at the white house and danny issavalos. new reporting out of the justice department on attorney general barr's opinion on whether or not this sentence should have been commuted. what are you learning. >> more about outrage from some white house and administration officials about the president's decision to offer this clemency to roger stone. our colleagues, carol lee and pete williams reporting that according to an administration official, the justice department had nothing to do with the president's decision to offer this clemency to roger stone. in fact, that official saying that attorney general bill barr

spoke with the president ahead of this decision and actually recommended that the president not do exactly what the president ultimately went ahead and did anyway, which was commute the sentence of roger stone. we are also hearing that officials here at the white house also opposed this move, including the chief of staff. but the concerns that they were raising were more about the politics of this, about the concern the president could actually face political blowback from people who think he is interfering with the judicial process more than concerns over whether this was a proper thing to do. >> david, what do you think about the president being out of step with his own attorney general? >> it is not unusual. and it happened before in the past. of the 61 commutations that president clinton issued only a handful of those were even approved by his department of justice. pouredans, commutations have always been very traefl and they

have often been used by presidents, republicans and democrats alike, to pardon controversial political figures. president clinton pardoned his own half brother. there have been plenty of other pardons and commutations that have been controversial in the past. including jimmy hoffa, eugene debs. and now with roger stone, president trump has to take on whatever political heat he gets because that's exactly how the framers designed the pardon power. in fact, political backlash is about the only check on the pardon hour. >> i wonder, as someone who is not a legal expert, help us walk lieu the decision on commutation versus actually pardoning stone. >> exactly. a pardon is a forgiveness of the crime. but a commutation really only ends or limits a then-existing sentence. so the person is still guilty of the crime. it's just their sentence is cut

short. it's much better of course to get a pardon because that erases for the most part -- there are still some lingering records of your conviction, but it's better to get a pardon. but most prisoners would take a commutation if they get it. strangely, of the statistically commutations are less common than pardons. >> josh this all happens against the backdrop of a raging pandemic. the death toll stands at 135,000 across the country. five states registering record daily death tolls just this week. the president in a public debate with dr. fauci and his coronavirus task force. what is the larger message coming out of white house this afternoon? >> well, the president continues to down play the severity of this as he was traveling in florida, he barely even mentioned the coronavirus even though he was in perhaps the hottest spot in the country for it. but today alicia, the president shortly is going to be heading over to walter reed medical center to pay a visit to wounded

warriors as well as to health care workers who have been treating covid patients n. a major departure, the president actually plans to wear a mask and be photographed wearing a mask. he made that announcement yesterday. the white house clearly knows that the president is increasingly alone on an island as far as not wanting to wear a mask and not wanting to call on people to wear a mask. so they wanted to put him out there in a way showing he is on the side what have increasingly is the consensus from public health officials. so the president using the fact that today is different than a rally. it is different than being in the white house. he's in a hospital. as the big leaf for why now as opposed to all of the time up until now when he has declined to wear a mask. we do expect to see him in a mask today. then i think the real key question is, is this the new normal for the president? did we see him from now on willing to wear a mask trying to set an example to americans across the country or is it a

one and done. i wore it, you saw me in it and then doe clients to wear it in the future just like he has up until now. >> josh and danny thank you both. turning to houston, where a devastating surge in coronavirus cases has taken a major toll on health care workers and hospitals. >> it is very challenging and hard position to be in. we are making due right now and we have more capacity to expand. but it is limited capacity to expand. our teams are stretched. we are managing it. but we can't sustain this trajectory for many weeks. >> it is serious. et cetera not a hoax. it doesn't have just one person's name on it. >> a growing number of houston residents are dying in their homes. according to a nbc news and pro public review of houston fire department data. priscilla thompson is on the ground in houston. what are houston fire departments saying about this increase that we are seeing in

at-home deaths? >> reporter: well, as our investigation noted, we are seeing the numbers here in terms of at-home deaths tick up. that is something that we also saw in new york city and detroit when those areas were hot spots. i asked the fire chief about that today. he tells me that he thinks a couple of things are going on. one is that folks are waiting until the very last possible moment to call 911 because they are worried about going to a hospital and possibly being exposed to the coronavirus. sometimes not even knowing that they may already have the virus, and that may be what's causing some of their symptoms. the other thing that the chief mentioned to me is that houston is a very diverse area. texas a very diverse state and that there may be people who have some immigration issues that they are concerned about, and it is making them nervous about calling 911 to seek treatment. what we do know is that there has been a 30% inclorease in tes

of the. of a calls imagine responders in houston are fielding. the chief tells me more than he has seen previously those numbers are ticking up in terms of when they arrive and the person has already died, what he referred to as d to, a. lip to what the chief told me about the numbers. >> we are seeing a steady increase. we average on a normal month we average about five doas per day. in the last three weeks, in the last month, actually, what we've seen is almost doubling of that. just three days ago we had the highest number of doas than we have ever had, at 18. the me, what it tells me is that people are just waiting too long to call 911. >> reporter: now we are hearing officials really placing an emphasis and seeking to message and educate folks if there is an issue, please call 911. do not way. as the chief told me, it is better to be dealing with a

heart attack at a hospital or in an ambulance than it is to be dealing with that at home by yourself. >> part of what we saw in the nbc reporting is the fact that you also have people still going to the hospital for things like a car accident, like dehydration. have you heard anything more about a potential stay-at-home order in houston? >> reporter: that's a key point here. the idea if there was a stay-at-home order in place there would not be as many people going to the hospitals needing to be treated for heat exhaustion or car accidents and then those beds and those staff could be focused on covid relief. we heard city and county officials asking the governor for the power to issue some stay-at-home order. many of them across the state are recommending that people in their areas do stay home. but governor abbott has been reluctant to issue a statewide

order. although notably last week in various interviews that he did, he did say that if we can not get this virus under control and contain it the next step to be a stay-at-home order. alicia. >> all right, priscilla thank you. a study out of spain this wouldeck is casting doubt on the prospects of heard immunity as a defense against covid-19. the study, which annize analyzed 60,000 said only a small percentage had coronavirus answered bodies. it comes as sweden practiced heard immannity tactics on a nationwide scale and is beginning to see a rise in the number of covid-19-related deaths. tessa ar celia is in brussels. what have spanish health experts told you about this new study? >> reporter: basically, what the study has found, it adds you in evidence against the approach of trying to achieve heard immunity through natural infection while we still don't have a vaccine.

this study is large scale. as you say, it involved more than 60,000 people. it concluded basically this is not achievable because even in a country like spain, one of the hardest hit in europe only 5% -- 5% of the population developed anti-bodies. currently the scientific threshold to achieve heard immunity is hovering around the 60% mark. 5% is really far from that. we still don't know whether the mere presence of anti-bodies guarantees immunity. one of the analysis in that study said is that one thing that countries can take away from this is that heard immunity would result in more deaths in the older population and overburtdenning the health system. one said it is also unethical. >> the region of madrid, one of the most affected, only 10%, 11%

of the population have developed anti-bodies. that means that if you want to achieve heard immunity, exposing the population, you should be prepared to have a much more equipped health system. and you should tolerate something that is i think unethical. >> reporter: she also adds that you know there are so many unknowns still surrounding covid-19 even with studies like these coming out. given what we currently know she still thinks it is best that everybody does their part to stop the spread of this infection. >> when you look at what is happening in sweden, they doubled down on this idea of heard immunity. now that they are seeing a rise in covid-19-related deaths, how is the government adjusting? >> indeed, it was -- some were seeing it as a real life experiment so to speak in the approach towards this pandemic. sweden was one of those countries that took a different

approach than most. they didn't have a lockdown and they continued life as usual. they are under lot of scrutiny because of the high death toll and death rate compared to their numbers. also, they are looking at whether there was an economic benefit in keeping the economy going during the height of the pandemic. some suggest it wasn't that big of a gain. sweden sticks to their decision. we reached out and they said that they still believe their way of approaching things was the right way to go because it is more sustainable in the long run. this is the crux of the matter. even if you have studies like these coming out adding evidence and knowledge to the mix this is still only part of the picture. some argue we need more time. we are still right in the middle of a pandemic. >> tessa. thank you. back here in the states, disney world is starting to reopen, even as florida faces a record spike in new coronavirus cases. disney world join's orlando's other major theme parks including universal studios and sea world, which opened in june.

nbc's chris palone joins me live from orlando. how is opening day going so far? what safety measures have been implemented. >> reporter: hi, there, alicia. opening day is going well so far other than the occasional deluge of rain that we see here in orlando during this time of year. you know, disney is taking a lot of steps to try to ensure that people remain safe during this pandemic. probably first and foremost is it is not particularly busy in there. that's because only certain people are allowed to go to the park today, people who made reservations on lined they had to fit into certain categories. when people come out to the two parks open today, magic kingdom, and animal kingdom, they have to face getting their temperature taken. everybody over the age of 2 has to wear masks, wear them properly. there are actually staff member and even the costumed characters who are going to be enforcing social distancing. seats on various rides are being left open to practice social

distancing. there are 4,000 hand sanitizer areas. and also, disthe middle east me has gotten riffed all indoor performances, parades, and fireworks so people don't gather together. a far different world here at walt disney world, alicia. >> chris, thank you. up next, the president's response to the coronavirus pandemic is the main issue driving voters right now. we will show you the impact it is having on the 2020 election. later in the hour i will speak with the attorney representing the family of vanessa guillen about their calls for justice for vanessa. and more one of a kind finds. it all ships free. and with new deals every day you can explore endless options at every price point. get your outdoor oasis delivered fast so you can get the good times going.

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president trump is heading to walter reed medical center this afternoon to visit service members and their families. in an interview with nbc and telemundo's jose diaz balart on friday the president said he would wear a mask today, something we have not seen him do in public. >> i mean, hopefully i look good

in a mask. i have had masks on. i think you have pictures of me with masks. no, i think in certain settings like a hospital -- i am going in to see some of our troops. i am going to see some of our covid workers, people that have done an incredible job. i am going tomorrow night sometime. and i will be wearing a mask. >> joining me now is andy kroll, washington bureau cheechb for rolling stone and andy shir as ka of npr. president trump says we are winning the war against coronavirus, and he points the finger at china. the china deversion, is that mant to complicate, to confuses, to persuade stho who is the audience for that message? >> it is meant to do all of the things you just described. this is a president whose chief mode of communicating during the pandemic is to sew information, spread misinformation if not

active disinformation. i think the president believes the audience is the whole of the american population. i think the vast majority of americans see through the notion that we can still blame china for the administration's failed handling. and really he is trying to shore that base up before his re-election. this is not a strategy to try to reach and convince all americans. because they are just not buying it, as the polls show. >> uh-huh. right, and to your point about those polls, ayesha, the latest abc news, up sis poll, just one in three americans aprofl prove of the way the president has handled the response to covid. the white house, the re-election campaign know that, they see these numbers. what are they saying when you ask them about it? >> it seems like they do try to mount a defense of the presidenting and his handling of it. they will argue that testing for instance has gone up. which it has. although people are still

waiting a long time for the results, which kind of counter-acts that. they will also point to the fact that we are making ventilators and things of that nature. as you said, it is clear that the public is not -- does not approve of the way that the president has handled the coronavirus. so what you really see from the white house is talking about other issues, and trying to focus on statues, and you know -- you know, talking about american heritage and protecting those things. they are talking about everything but the coronavirus because at this point they don't have a great story to tell about the coronavirus. >> andy, to that point, you have your colleague at rolling stone, jemile smith who we often have on this program saying the president is treating the covid pandemic as quote an election obstacle that comes on the heels of the reporting from the "washington post" saying that president trump sees himself as a victim in all of this.

yet every doctor i i talk to comes back to the same point, if you want to declare a victory over this virus you need a national response. what does it mean for a national response if you have a president who sees this pam as an obstacle to his own re-election and who seize himself as a victim in this pam crisis? >> it means you don't have a public response. i am amazed at the conversations i have had with public health officials, with governors, democrats and republicans i would add, with elected officials on ground, in congress, in the states, who say the federal government is missing in action. they say the administration appears like they want to simply, quote, move on from this crisis or that if they don't pay attention to it, if they pretend it is not as saf as it is, it will quote fade away as the president has said. i don't think this point can be clear you have in. there is no national strategy come out of the white house and the administration right now.

there is work the different agencies are doing on their own. but there is no coordinated strategy unless you call spreading misinformation a national strategy as a way to distract from the severity of this very real crisis that is still, again, accelerating in the wrong direction. >> ayesha, as if to underline the point about the lack of national strategy you have dr. fauci the nation's top infectious disease specialist saying he has not briefed the president in about two months. take a listen. >> first of all, the mortality rate -- dr. fauci is a nice man but he has made a lot of mistakes. we are testing and creating. it is the greatest thing that ever happened for the opposite party. but we are doing something that nobody has ever done to the extent and we are doing a great job. >> as a country, when you compare us to other countries i don't think you can say we are doing great. i mean, we're just not. >> walk us through the dynamics here. why is the president, it seems,

feed feuding with dr. fauci? >> it seems that because of that last clip that you showed from dr. fauci, dr. fauci is not saying what president trump wants to hear, which is that america is doing a great job, everything is going fine. in a few weeks, you know, he told, just in a recent interview president trump said in a few weeks everything -- we will be on the other side of this, everything lab looking good. that's to the the case. and dr. fauci is not saying that. he is not putting this rosie gloss on it. and saying that you have to make some tough decision. president trump at this point just seems unwilling to accept that and really willing to take ownership of this. this is going that is going to be a defining part of his presidency, but that doesn't seem to have clicked for president trump at this point. it does seem as if he is acting as if it is something he can

just work his way through. at this point you know the experts are saying that this is not going to go away. at this point, it's getting worse. so he's going to bump up against the reality of this, just like with the reopening when you see a surge in cases. the reality comes back and bites you. >> all right. andy, and ayesha, thank you. up next, it was a story that sparked outrage across the country. the president's policy of separating families at the southern border. but if you think that policy is done, think again. we will talk to my colleague jacob soboroff about his new book and the latest developments in this ongoing story. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz a pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate has not helped enough. xeljanz can reduce pain, swelling, and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. before and during treatment,

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immigration bill that a lot of people don't know about it. you have break news. but i am signing a big immigration bill. >> is it an executive order. >> imgoing to do a big executive order. i have power to do it as president. i am going the make daca a part of it. we are putting it in. and we are probably then going to be taking it out. we are working on eventually taking it out. >> it is not clear what the protections would be for d.r.e.a.m.ers. meanwhile a group of prominent business leaders from target, google, amazon and facebook worry that daca changes would impact the economy. this comes as the administration continues the pursue it is immigration agenda as coronavirus cases spike. detention centers in arizona have numbers who have tested

positive for covid-19. detainees point to lack of showers and other necessities because of staff shortages, one has died. the trump administration said tuesday of the might continue to hold parents of children to be released from centers. this -- this as the president has left 1 million international students in limbo. a letter was written toize and the department of homeland security calling this irrational and xenophobic. mitt and harvard are now suing the trump administration over the move. jacob soboroff joins us.

he is launching an incredibly important book. you have been following this story for a long long time. i wonder had you you connect the dots between the story you started following months ago and all of the news we are seeing in just the last few days about immigration coming out this white house. >> thank you my friend for having me here. listening to the laundry list of restrictive, aggressive, what activists and lawyers say are anti-immigrant policies make you think that what happens two years ago never really went away. while the situation of 5,400 kids from their parents, what position force human rights calls tortures what the trump administration and the u.s. government person traded on those children was its own unique and reprehensible action by the u.s. government. here we are today where things are arguably worse for migrants at this moment than they were just two years ago. >> in your book, you write that

rodney sought, today chief of the border patrol called your coverage of family separations a quote made for tv drama in a letter sent on official letterhead. what did that letter tell you? what did that turn of phrase tell you about what people in powerful positions think of your coverage. >> knowing full well what goes on inside border detention centers that they would say my characterizations of cages as cages was made for tv drama makes you think or understand a little bit deeper how these folks thought about the family separation policy and how they think about immigration enforcement today. this is the same rodney scott that paraded donald trump around the border wall prototypes those eight giant monuments to his

immigration policy none of which were ever built nor will will be built. that's what this has been all about. they are the ones creating made for tv drama. trump saying to jose diaz balart yesterday we will put in daca. we will take it out. what is he even talking about? like you said it is not coherent. under the surface of all of this are policies damaging permanently traumatizing for a lifetime as one official told me and you can read it for yourself in the book. that's what is at stake here. it is a true horror which i had the misfortune of seeing with my own ice. >> that horror is tied to a larger story. i want to read an achange from the book. an exchange between and you katie miller a spokesperson for vice president partnerships and

wife of steven miller. quote, my friends and colleagues tell me when i have kids i will think about the separations differently. i don't think so. dhs sent me to the borders to see the separations myself and it didn't work. she says, i believe if you come to america you should assimilate. why do we need to have little havana. i wonder what this exchange tells but the agenda that is driving these policies. >> they said it right there. why do you need to assimilate? it is a lack of compassion. an admitted lack of compassion for people who come to this country in order the seek not just a better life but refuge from. so of the most dangerous conditions and places on this planet. so when katie miller through kalee mcenany the white house press secretary denies she said this as described in the book remember this is the same katie

millier what was part of the kirstjen nielsen department of homeland security and denied it existed. even though we are looking at photos her own department released. she admitted it her sez selves. other sources said she said similar things both before i published and book and subsequent to the book coming out. it is all available now for all of us to read and to understand the motivation behind all of this. >> the book is "separated, inside an american tragedy". jacob, thank. up next, the army launches a special review into the death of vanessa guillen. what her family is saying now. next.

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the u.s. army has announced it is launching a comprehensivery view of the command, climate, and culture of the fort hood in texas. the announcement comes following the death of an army specialist found dead after claim he was she was sexually harassed. a suspect took his own life on june 30th. another suspect is in cut. now hundreds of survivors of military sexual assault and harassment are speaking out using the #i am vanessa guillen. joining us, a emin of vanessa's

family. and a u.s. army veteran and a veteran advocate. thank you for your time. natalie, i want to start with you. president trump was asked about vanessa's case on friday. take a listen. >> mr. president, vanessa guillen, army soldier, immigrant. have you heard of her? >> i have, yes. he why, i have. >> she was killed. >> that's right. very sad. >> on an army base in texas. >> yeah. >> is there something you could do to have more transparency in the way the armed forces investigates sexual harass in skpent sexual abuse? >> we are going to look at that very -- i saw that on the news the other day. i thought it was terrible. i gave specifically orders i want to know everything about it. they are going to be reporting to me on monday about it. and i will be able to release something to you at that time. i thought it was horrible. i thought it was absolutely horrible. >> natalie, i wonder what you make of that response and what justice looks like for the guillen family. >> thank you for asking me that

question. this family has experienced a tragedy no mother, no sister, no one wants to experience. we are demanding justice. we are having a rally, a protest a peaceful one, in washington, d.c. on july 30th. at 9:00 p.m. we are introducing our bill. it is the #i am vanessa guillen bill. we want our congress -- everyone wants congress to change these laws, reform the military code of conduct, have an independent agency provide these soldiers somewhere to go if they are being sexually harassed and sexually assaulted the way vanessa experienced. this should have never happened. our bill will address that. we want everyone out there to support our bill and cam to the peaceful protests on july 30 to show their support not just for vanessa but for every soldier man or woman out there that needs this relief.

>> listen to something that loupe guillen, vanessa's sister said. listen. >> my sister was sexually harassed yet they didn't keep her safe. they are always trying to cover up for each other. why? my sister is a human, too. she deserves respect. she deserves to be heard. because if this can happen to my sister, it can happen to anyone else. my sister was also sexually harassed and it led to this. >> service members past and present are now speaking out sharing their own stories using the #i am vanessa guillen. what have you heard from them. >> first of all, it is deeply -- can you hear me? >> yeah. >> seeing the guillen family reminds me of myself. i myself am the daughter of immigrants. and my own mother encouraged me

to enlist in the military. what i am hearing across the nation from active duty military women as well as vet man women -- >> my sister -- >> is that decades after decades the military has treated structural racism and gender violence as an occupational hazard. congress members, long standing congress members have had thousands of stories brought to their door, and nothing has been done. importantly, the guillen family, seeing her sister, it reminds me of myself as a young immigrant daughter having to speak up for my own family. so this is also a racial justice issue. and the guillen family's demands have been clear. shut down fort hood. more bodies have been found. it is a danger to the community and the guillen family is right, to shut that base down. congress must do their job and investigate. we also -- i am stunned to hear so many women across the country who would give everything to

serve our country with honor and pride saying we must boycott enlistments because the military that treats sexual violence as an occupational hazard is not safe for anyone and we will not enlist until there is justice. >> lucy, this is of course very personal for you. what strikes you most about vanessa's case? >> that it should never happen. it has been such a long time that women having crying out. and our voices still have not been heard. we really need to be more vigilant when it comes to changing the culture, the toxicity that serving in the military. protect our women in arms. proelk us because we are such a value to the military. and they still -- they still don't believe us. our voices continue to be invisible. and it is happening. it is happening every single day.

iet but it is happening right now, a woman in the military is being harassed, is being assaulted. and we have to change that culture immediately. there is urgency in this cause. >> natalie a final question for you. how is the guillen family doing? >> well, i will be with them again on monday. it is so hard. we will be meeting with the u.s. attorney's office. their trial team. because they are prosecuting. i can keep you updated on that as we go along. friday they are going to have a memorial at the base for her. we are preparing the funial arrangements. i would like something in washington, d.c., a memorial service for her, too, have everyone be part of this. that girl was not just a sold e not just a sister, she was not just a daughter. she was part of all of us. we all feel -- all of us have something in common with her. it is going to be a representation for all of us to have a moment to say this could have been me, it could have been her, it could have been us. it is all of us.

and we are ready to change, we are ready to take this movement and do it together as a country. >> all right. natalie, pam, and lucy, thank you all. openly gay and -- congressional candidate who wants to make history by winning his race and working in washington, ritchie torres, after the break. working in washington, ritchie torres, after the break. never letting anything get in my way. not the doubts, distractions, or voice in my head. and certainly not arthritis. new voltaren provides powerful arthritis pain relief to help me keep moving. and it can help you too. feel the joy of movement with voltaren.

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guillen. in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, a wave of change is coming to congress as protests and calls for social justice reform sweep the country, a new group of fresh economic candidates are ready to take their concerns to washington. ricky torrez, poised to win the 15th congressional district seat which would make him the first openly gay member of congress. that race hasn't been called, absentee ballots are still being counted. he is currently in the lead over the other contenders. councilman torrez joins me now.

a lot has been made about the significance culturally of your potential win, first openly gay afro-latino. i wonder what it means to you. >> i hope to stand as inspiration to people of color, lbgtq people across the country. i belong to a new generation of leadership that reflects the mosaic of a multi racial, multi ethnic democracy in the middle east, in the united states. p the vice president said if you don't have a seat of the table, you're probably on the menu. finally lbgtq and people of color will have a seat at the table of congressional politics. >> you're a part of so many communities that are at the center of a pandemic that's just hitting communities of color so much harder than it is hitting anybody else, hitting us harder, if you were in congress today, what type of relief would you

want to see going to americans to really reckon with what people are up against, both economically and when it comes to the health crisis they're facing? >> well, we desperately need in the united states a comprehensive social safety net that establishes health and housing as human rights, the outbreak of covid-19 brought to light serious disparities in access to health care. almost all the covid-19 fatalities in new york state had at least one co-morbidity, most common, hypertension and diabetes. south bronx which is ground zero for racially concentrated poverty has the highest rates of diabetes and hypertension in the united states. that's why we need greater access to health care. >> new york city, huge school district in the midst of a pandemic. should schools reopen this fall? >> look, we should reopen in a

manner that's in keeping with public health. i am unconvinced remote learning is an acceptable substitute for in person instruction, but we have to reopen schools with staggered schedules, with proper precautions because we have an obligation to protect the public health, especially our children. >> we saw the last election cycle lots of new faces in congress really shaking things up. i wonder, is that what you see as your agenda? do you want to shake things up in washington? what becomes the legislative priorities for you? >> look, albert einstein said if you do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, that's the definition of insanity. i was elected to represent the next generation of leadership and change the status quo, and we desperately need to change the status quo. greatest thing facing our

country is the affordability crisis. health care is bankrupting american families. we need a federal government that's going to work for working people in this country, especially in the south bronx, which is ground zero for covid-19 and racially concentrated poverty. >> all right. councilman torrez, we'll continue to watch your race. thank you so much. that wraps it up for this hour. my colleague joshua johnson takes over the top of the hour with a fight over how to reopen schools. the president wants kids back in class. what do parents want? a parent and teacher join the debate. i will be back at 4:00 p.m. eastern, talk to former gubernatorial candidate stacey abrams, i will ask her about potential problems with voting in 2020 and her new book on empowering americans to create a fair system by making their voices heard. i'll talk to weekend nightly news anchor jose diaz-balart about his exclusive interview

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♪ ♪all strength ♪we ain't stoppin' believe me♪ ♪go straight till the morning look like we♪ ♪won't wait♪ ♪we're taking everything we wanted♪ ♪we can do it ♪all strength, no sweat

hey there. i'm joshua johnson. americans are clamoring for help as coronavirus pandemic claims more than 130,000 lives. some are getting it, but not all. roger stone also clamored for help as a court prepared to send him to prison and he did get it, thanks to president trump.