to ramp up the pressure on some members of his own party. also this morning, morphing challenges with this pandemic. we just crossed 41 million known covid cases since it all started and right now in the largest school district in the country, kids are back in class. it's the first day of school in new york city with no remote learning option. earlier on today's school town hall, dr. walensky said. >> getting everyone vaccinated that's eligible and to surround our younger kids by people who are vaccinated, masking in the schools, ventilation, screening, testing, those strategies work. >> also this morning, to get a booster jab or not? that is the question health experts are tackling this morning. a group of leading u.s. and international scientists say in the peer review journal that

vaccine booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public.public, it comes an fda group is meeting on data surrounding the wide use of booster shots. we'll dig into that in a minute. we'll start with the pandemic. rehema ellis is at the largest school system in the country, shaquille brewster made his way to idaho in rural idaho and i want to bring in dr. natalie aczar. dr. natalie is a rheumatologist and msnbc medical contributor. dr. natalie, the scientific review in the lancet just out in the last hour of so, scientists are arguing that evidence does not appear to show that there is a need for boosters in the general population adding the wide distribution of boosters is quote not appropriate at this time in this stage in the pandemic. your thoughts and their argument

and the reality of where we are right now. >> yeah, you know, there is a lot to parse out. if there is one take home message, it might be this. if you are an otherwise healthy individual under the age of 65, getting a third dose or a booster at this point probably gives you some nominal enhanced immune protection against covid-19, but what does that really do at a population level? that's what they're arguing. they are saying there are several lines of arguments that suggest immunity does wane over time and we're seeing it play out in unvaccinated folks and individuals that are immune compromised and some of the cdc data is suggesting as i mentioned that individuals over the age of 65 may have a little less protection against hospitalization than individuals who are younger than 65 but that

number goes from about 90 to 80%. this is why all ears and eyes are on the meeting on friday and after that when the cdc takes it over to really make their guidelines and recommendations and what i think we'll hear is that older folks, potentially nursing home residents, things like that will be first in line for that third shot, but you and i and other individuals who are otherwise healthy who received our first two series, we just may not be candidates yet. the science does not suggest that we are at increased risk for hospitalization and death at this time. >> i don't want to put you on the spot but there are a lot of folks out there who are still vaccine hesitant skeptical about wearing masks and one of the reasons that they frequently cite is that all the guidance seems to change. one day they say you need boosters then you don't need boosters. one day they say you get the shot and don't have to wear the

mask. now they want everyone to wear the masks. here we are with what appears to be to a certain extent is guidance that is squishy. >> for some weird reason this morning i was thinking when i was on the covid wards in april of 2020 and we were in full ppe but we weren't masking in the general population because at that time, number one we were concerned there wouldn't be enough n 95s for health care workers but we didn't have the sign that was robust and suggestive enough that masking would help reduce transmission but then more information was gained, more knowledge was then applied to the guidance and it changed, and listen, i understand. i hear it from my family, my husband likes to push back and plays devil's advocate, i think it's the lawyer in him to sort of make me rethink my arguments but at the end of the day, this is what happens with science and certainly in the setting of a pandemic where things change.

new knowledge is acquired, and guidance changes because of that and if there is some uncertainty, it because it's literally happening in realtime and we only have the evidence that we have at that moment to make these decisions and when we need to be nimble, we need to be flexible and we need to be able to, you know, follow experts' leads on this because they're really the ones investing literally all of their time and effort into trying to make the right decisions for us as a nation and really for the world. >> shaq, let's get to idaho here because apparently it's so bad there that state officials are warning people to be cautious during basic activities like driving and bike riding to avoid an e.r. visit that would take away from covid patients. what are health care workers telling about the situation there in idaho? >> reporter: craig, put simply, they're saying that, the fear is that it is only going to get worse. i mean, just listen to that warning you have from state officials to avoid basic things. the concern is that the spread

is so high here, look at the positivity rate. one in four people that get a test are turning back with a positive result. the increase in cases turns into the increase in hospitalizations at a time when doctors are saying hospitals are full. they feel like they've reached the limit at this point. you have hospitals turning hallways and classrooms into additional bed space to increase their capacity. there is also the struggle to fill open positions, hundreds of positions open right now so you're having the army, you're having national guard come in to back fill these medical professionals dealing with the surge that's then leading to the decrease in the quality of the care. you have many of these hospitals in this rural part of the state now authorized to be able to ration care or delay care for people that need it, especially when they need it and it's not just affecting covid patients but really affecting anyone looking to receive medical treatment. i want you to listen to what a

medical expert here in the area told me about what they're seeing and the impact the surge is having at a time like this. >> people are definitely facing longer wait times if they come into the emergency department, longer wait times if they come into the hospital. we have a low amount of beds that are actually available so our hospital accepting patients from around the area from other hospitals just cannot happen. we don't have the space. no one wanted to be here. this is really the worst point of the pandemic for us. >> reporter: worse point of the pandemic. craig, add in the fact that students went back to the classroom last week. there was also a state fair recently and you also have the labor day holiday where people were gathering in large groups. those numbers aren't even reflected in the numbers you're seeing now. the impact of those trends are not reflected in what you're seeing right now. the concern is that it will only

get worse especially when you look at the vaccination rates, craig. this is an area where you only have about 40% of the people who are eligible for a vaccine receiving even one dose of that vaccine, what that looks like is at hospitals 90% of the new cases, 9 0% of hospitalizations are among those who have unvaccinated. it's clear you hear from the governor saying the vaccines are the ticket out of the surge and pandemic but you're not seeing the increase that you need in those vaccination rates here, craig. >> hard to get your head around it at this point. you mentioned school starting there in idaho. rehema, you're here in new york city not far from where i'm sitting. kids back in class today. this week there will be vaccination sites at schools for students ages 12 and up. that's more than 700 locations. what are you hearing from parents? are you hearing from students? return i'm hearing is a mixed

message. so many parents are saying this is what needs to happen, the masks and vaccinations and some other parents are hesitant concerned about the fact there is no remote learning and kids are going to the same schools they left before the pandemic, which were crowded. new york city schools are old and there is not a lot of space. with the whole issue of vaccinations, let me share a statistic with you. here in new york city, 65% of the 12 to 17-year-olds have received their first dose of the vaccination. and what is happening with them is there is no requirement like in california but here, those students who want to play contact sports, basketball, football, wrestling, they are required to get vaccinated. what does that mean for wearing masks for children? every single child i saw this morning going into school had on a mask but listen to what one little boy told me about what he was wearing. how do you feel about starting school today? >> nervous.

>> reporter: why are you nervous? >> i don't know just a little nervous. >> reporter: are you nervous about what you're going to learn or are you nervous about having to wear a mask? the mask. >> i am just going to make them comfortable as well because we need to follow protocols. they will be fine. they will get used to it. >> reporter: don't you love it? he just pointed to his mask and said he's a little uncomfortable about that. but he's going to get used to it, at least the teachers and the parents hope that he will. children have a tremendous since of resiliency about them and adjusting to the circumstances they're in but one father with a 3-year-old and 5-year-old in the school, he walked his daughter to the school and she put on her mask as she was entering and this father said he is very comfortable with the mask requirements and he's also comfortable with the fact that the teachers and everyone working in the building, the

staff, those in the lunch room, custodians are required to be vaccinated. he says he works in health care and saw what the pandemic, what covid-19 did to this particular community of mostly brown and black people. he said he doesn't want to go back there. craig? >> thank you, rehema. dr. natalie, mayor deblos owe -- de blasio stopped short of mandating vaccines for students. listen to this. >> it's our responsible to make sure that across the country students don't have to deal with disrupted learning again. in those places where they are doing vaccine mandates, i support the efforts to be safe. >> should more schools go that way? >> those are local decisions but i believe, yes. if we're seeing vaccines work and they're our best tool, they should. >> so dr. natalie, here is what i have yet to fully understand or appreciate. two kids in school. you got kids in school, as well.

schools have been requiring vaccines literally since we started compelling kids to go to school and vaccines became into existence, polio, mumps, measles, chickenpox. what's the objection to requiring a covid vaccine? >> you know, craig, i think it's the same argument we heard from the general population about concerns or hesitancy or reluctance and it's just the fact that it's a new vaccine, honestly. i really haven't heard any other compelling argument as you mentioned, it's not unprecedented to have vaccine mandates both in the grade school level up to college. you know, and yes, i have two children who are teenagers, both of whom are vaccinated and, you know, i made the decision as a medical professional, as a mom and as a mom to follow the science and knowing that the benefits far, far outweighed any potential risk. i'm just going to leave you with

the, you know, the mantra now that we've been saying for sometime that no corners were cut. this is an unbelievely safe and effective vaccine and i think every parent in the country should feel very confident about having their kids vaccinated. >> dr. natalie, we'll leave it there. thank you dr. natalie aczar, shaquille brewster in idaho and rehema ellis. we continue to follow breaking news in the nation's capitol. capitol police confirmed officers arrested a california man who had a bayonet, a machete and other knives in his pickup truck. the man was arrested near the dnc headquarters. we want to warn you the images we're about to show include a symbol of hate. an officer pulled the truck over this morning after noticing a swastika and white supremacists symbols painted on it. the 44-year-old driver told the officer he was quote on patrol and started talking about white supremacist ideology.

capitol police stress at this time it is not clear if he was planning to attend any upcoming demonstrations or whether he has any ties to any previous cases in the area. meanwhile, right now the capitol police chief is briefing the leaders on security plans ahead of saturday's justice for january 6th rally. that rally was organized in support of those arrested after participating in the insurrection on january 6th. security fencing like this from earlier this year going back up around the building now. nbc leeann caldwell is on the hill for us. leeann, what do we know at this point about security preparations and what we can expect to learn after this meeting? >> reporter: hi, craig. the head of capitol police tom manger just walked into a meeting with members of congressional leadership of both parties and they're meeting in a secure room so that's a good sign that they are not only just

going to hear about what is going to happen on the security front on saturday but also what sort of intelligence capitol police and law enforcement are receiving related to the rally on september 18th. now, we do know that capitol police have been making a lot of plans to prepare for this. they are taking this extremely seriously. they are, as you mentioned, are expected to put up the fence back around the capitol. they have started communicating much better with their rank and file police officers including sharing intelligence with some. they've increased training and just in the past couple days, they've put up military style security cameras. there is at least three around the capitol perimeter, something we've not seen before. so this increased communication is an effort to show they are prepared. we don't know exactly what is going to happen, obviously, at this rally. there is a permit for 700

people. it about a quarter of a mile at the base of the hill of the capitol, so there is some space between them and the capitol but we don't know how that is going to play out but capitol police are doing what they can to be overly prepared as much as possible, craig. >> and again, to be clear, these people who are rallying, they're rallying in support of the folks that stormed the capitol, they feel like these people have been treated unfairly? >> that's exactly right. the name of the rally is justice for j-6. they want justice they say for those who have been charged or being investigated for their actions on january 6th, so these are those supporters. these are people standing in solidarity with them. the big question is are people from these far right groups like the oath keepers and the proud boys, are they going to be in attendance, as well? capitol police are preparing as if they're going to be, craig. >> leeann caldwell on the hill for us this monday morning.

thanks, as always. right now, president biden is on his way to get a firsthand look of the damage from the massive wildfire season. what he's going to see on the ground in california and idaho. he'll also make a campaign stop for gavin newsom. msnbc got a brand-new interview with the republican trying to knock newsom out of office. first, a moment from today's town hall earlier with students and teachers and paparents. a question from and shared this message with the 2021 national teacher of the year. >> teachers across the country see ourselves reflected in you. you were a teacher, principal, administrator and the parent of children that attend public education schools. how do you hold on to hope for our profession? >> 50 million reasons i have hope across the country. 50 million students are able to

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right now president biden is on his way to the west coast. the president set to get a firsthand look at the damage, devastation from this summer's massive wildfires. president biden will be landing in idaho in a couple hours and head to california. this season wildfires are

burning nearly 2 million acres in california alone. that's about the size of rhode island and delaware combined. one of the fires burning right now is the bridge fire. that fire is about 30 miles east of sacramento. that one is about 95% contained at this point. nbc's steve patterson is near that fire in california and joins us now and so does mike. mike joins us from his perch at the white house with more on the president's jump. mike, i'll start with you. where exactly is the president going to be touring? what else can we expect during the trip? >> reporter: during the course of his presidency coming up on eight months now, president biden had multiple briefings with officials here and across the country about the incredible wildfires we've been seeing especially in the west but by the president's own description, he's a tactile guy. he likes to see things in person himself. today he's making his first trip as president starting out in

boise where he'll head to the hub of the federal wildfire disaster relief hub there and he'll get briefing there about the efforts going on on the west coast and from there he'll head to the sacramento area where he'll join the governor's emergency response center and gavin newsom they will fly and see wildfire damage there. hundreds of thousands of acres have been destroyed. now, this also will follow the sort of pattern that we saw when the president went down to louisiana and up to new york and new jersey last week. he will meet with some soft families affected by this but also make something of a push for his domestic agenda here, the build back better agenda. the president expected to give a speech in denver to focus on what he's seeing in terms of natural disasters and some of the climate related provisions in the 3 -- $3.5 trillion build back better making a pitch for it after seeing this. it's often you see a president try to separate some of the politics from some of these

disasters on these trips but in the case of the white house and their view of this, you can't separate the two. what the president is calling for in his infrastructure proposal would deal with the kind of crisis we're seeing with increasing frequency now, craig. >> you're right. we heard president biden do the same thing when he toured the devastation here in the northeast in louisiana drawing that through line with climate change. mr. patterson, give us a sense of how extensive the damage has been out there from these fires. >> reporter: oh, craig, there is no doubt the damage this year has been catastrophic. look at this. there are burn scars like this all over the state of california, something that is certainly top of mind for californians and something that is certainly on the ballot in this recall election tomorrow and what is already one of the worst years on record for california wildfires following the worst year on record for california wildfires. close to 2 million acres burning in this state as you mentioned.

thousands of structures destroyed. two of the largest fires that burned in this state are about 150 miles apart. this is something that republican challengers have used to bash the governor saying he hasn't gone far enough in dealing with forest management, in other words, clearing forest trees out so there is less room for wildfires to burn. the governor would point to the half a billion dollars he's allocated to deal with forest management and deal with hardening homes, to deal with clearing out some of the fuels but republicans say this doesn't go far enough and they certainly, certainly don't want to hear the reasoning that they've heard from the governor, which is part of the truth here that a lot of this is caused by human cause climate change. that's messaging we've heard over and over again from the governor and messaging that we've heard over and over again from the president and we expect to hear it again today when the president hits the ground with the governor in just a few hours touring some of the extensive

damage from the caldor fire. >> thank you both. voting rights, infrastructure expanding the safety net, oh, and making sure that government can still borrow money. those are some of the things that congress has on its insanely long to do list and the news democrats just made on how they want to pay for some of these plans. next. that delicious omelet was microwaved? get outta here. everybody's a skeptic. paper money. it's the future! get outta here. i'm leaving with my gold. it's not crazy. help me, mother. it's an omelet. just crack an egg.

today the senate returns from the month-long break. senators are facing a busy agenda this fall. two of the biggest issues on the to-do list the $3.5 trillion budget, the safety net and voting rights that could be voted on as early as this week. nbc news national correspondent joins me and i'm joined by veteran journalist, professor of professional practice at usc's school of communication and journalism. good to have you back. let's start with voting rights. take us through what we're expecting this week and how soon that vote could happen. >> craig, senate democrats are working to finalize a piece of legislation on voting rights that can win the support of all 50 of their members. they've been working on this for months and sources tell nbc news they are close. the reason they have been working on this for sometime is

that senator joe mansion of west virginia is not supportive of the previous version of the for the people act but supportive of many items in it including making election day a federal holiday and automatic voter registration. what happens next is key because getting 50 democratic senators on board is not the end game. they need 60 to clear a filibuster and that is where activists and democratic aids who are invested in this issue are waiting to see what senator mansion does once it is a clear ten republicans won't support that bill. it is a when not if because they are light years apart on the issue of voting rights. the question is will senator mansion say let's give up and not do something or change his position and say let's pierce the filibuster to get something major done on federal voting rights legislation. big, big question. >> getting 60 senators a tall order on an easy day but especially difficult when we talk about something as

contentious as voting rights. this report that caught my eye yesterday and here is the headline. it reads quote, biden tells top democrats he's preparing a lobbying blitz on filibuster reform and goes on to say quote biden's pressure would aim to help schumer convince moderate democrats to support a carve out to the filibuster, a must for the party if it's going to pass voting protections. they're siting three people briefed on the recent communications without side groups. first, christina, how significant would president biden's pressure be and what sort of filibuster carveouts do you envision the president pushing for? >> yeah, i'll take the first question first. looking at this, idea of the president using his muscle is something activests have been pressuring for a long time. they believe that he is louder, more active, doesn't let up that this is an issue that the

american people will be behind and of course, congress would follow. this is about the power. democrats look at the calendar and realize the midterm elections are in the blink of an eye away and this is a moment on two major issues, voting rights and looking at the $3.5 trillion effort to really reshape a lot of policy in this country and help a lot of people and so on both issues they want to see the president become more engaged. it's not as if he wasn't been talking about it but not done enough and they really want to sigh them pick up the phone like "rolling stone" reported tell me when i need to make phone calls. is that persuadable enough? we know joe biden is a creature of the senate. he served in the senate. these are his former colleagues. can he be more persuadable than barack obama when he was president. he had sometimes a tough time getting congress to get behind his top priorities but activists

are really saying they need this to happen now because there is not going to be any better time or easier time. >> christina, thank you for the moment. we'll see you in just a few minutes later this hour. as was just mentioned, the $3.5 trillion safety net bill, democrats are calling a safety net bill joe mansion drawing a line in the sand it would seem over the price tag. take us through where things stand there. >> craig, house committees are working on this bill continuing into this week and the two wings of the party, the centrists and progressives are haggling over the price tag. there is real tension here with progressives that say the $3.5 trillion level is a compromise from the $6 trillion they wanted and democrats including senator mansion and kyrsten sinema of arizona saying that $3.5 trillion is too much for them

but the two ideological polls of the senate caucus, bernie sanders and joe mansion were on the sunday shows yesterday. let's play what they had to say about this. >> so you're not against this? you can support this $3.5 trillion plan -- >> i can't support this plan. >> it is not a time issue, it's a cost issue. >> many of us made a major compromise in going from the $6 trillion bill that we wanted, supported by the overwhelming majority of democrats down to 3.5. >> now, it can't be a bare minimum and too much at the same time. something has to give. mansion has not said what specific provisions of this package he opposes except for one thing. he does not support the 80% clean electricity standard that democrats are eyeing. he said that doesn't make sense to him. mansion is from west virginia a big cole state and doesn't want

to support an attack on the coal industry. these are compromises democratic leader haves to hash out because they have to get every democrat in the senate and all but three democrats in the house of representatives to get this passed, craig. >> and any word on how they plan to pay for it? >> that is right. the houseweighs and means committee has provisions. let me run through a few of them. the child tax credit will be extended through 2025. the aca also known as obamacare subsidy boost will be made permanent. the top tax rate increase will go up for those making $400,000 or more and the corporate tax code is going to be replaced with a graduated system where businesses making less than $400,000 are going to pay less

than they're paying now. they will pay 18%. 21% will stay for business income up to $5 million and 26.5% is going to be the rate that businesses making more than $5 million get done. at the end of the day, this is about largely about pay fors, progressive value in and of itself to curve income inequality to pass on the tax increases and the argument that progressives are pushing for the centrists is that if you want to be fiscally responsible, raise more taxes to pay for the plans. let's listen to senator alex padilla had to say about that. >> for joe mansions of the world who are concerned about being fiscally responsible here, here is how to invest significantly in infrastructure in ways that are needed and urgent and pay for it. so i think it's a strong step forward in getting the second of the two bill package done. >> just a taste of what we'll see from democrats over the coming weeks as they finalize a

multi trillion bill at the heart of the agenda and find ways to pay for it. >> so much happening on capitol hill. thank you for walking us through it. thank you. in a few hours, house committee is going to be questioning tony blinken for the first time since the united states chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan. blinken supposed to testify at 2:00 eastern. this is the first of several hearings related to afghanistan. tomorrow the senate foreign relations and intelligence committees will hold a hearing and wednesday the armed services committee will hold another hearing and two more scheduled for later this month. we are just one day out from california's recall election for governor gavin newsom. check this out, more californians had voted in this recall as of the start of last weekend than the total number of registered voters in at least 45 other states. that's according to the

sacramento burro chief for the l.a. times. up next, what some of those voters are saying and a brand-new interview with newso m's top challenger. how he's feeling 24 hours out. no more cardboard cut out fans this football season but how are nfl teams working to keep everybody in those stands safe from masks to tests to vaccine requirements? different teams are doing ahead. - stand up if you are first generation college student. (crowd cheering) stand up if you're a mother. if you are actively deployed, a veteran, or you're in a military family, please stand. the world in which we live equally distributes talent, but it doesn't equally distribute opportunity, and paths are not always the same. - i'm so proud of you dad. - [man] i will tell you this, southern new hampshire university can change the whole trajectory of your life. (uplifting music)

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strict new protocols. >> nothing quite like the opening sunday of the nfl season. >> reporter: nfl sunday is back and so are the crowds. 60,000 packed in indianapolis masks encouraged but not mandated. nearly 70,000 in tennessee after containing on outbreak on the team weeks ago. most stadiums have drastically loosened covid protocols, no mask mandates and temperature screening a far car from last season's cardboard cutouts. the strict's rules set to play out of the las vegas raiders season opener. last season looked a lot like this. empty stands. monday night a different picture. 65,000 fans will take a seat here but first, they will need proof of vaccination. >> they can celebrate in the way that they love and remember and not worry about the person sitting next to them. >> reporter: for the glass family, the vaccine mandate is

pushing them through the gate. >> it got me over the hump, okay, they mean business. >> reporter: here is how you get inside. from your home, you download the clear app. you select las vegas raiders, upload your i.d., take a selfie, opt to add your vaccination card and then you're good to go without a mask. the ground breaking call not considered a touchdown by everyone. a tweets calling it ridiculous, intrusive and too far. 1800 tickets were refunded or rolled over to next year. have you worried the call might isolate any raiders fans or discourage people from coming? >> we can keep the building full regardless of what the health landscape looks like. >> reporter: all of the raiders players are vaccinated, their opponent with more than 90%. last month lamar jackson said he's undecided about getting the vaccine. it's unclear if he's since changed his mind. the nfl promising to doll out strict punishment for covid

outbreaks among unvaccinated players. the infected team could be forced to take a loss. but the nfl's top doc optimistic with less than 7% of players league wideout the shot. >> about half of the players who came into training camp that were unvaccinated have gotten started on the vaccination process since that time. we are seeing continued movement. >> reporter: a pandemic that won't dictate how you root for but will shape how you do it. >> all right. emily, thank you. in less than 24 hours, election day in california. our jacob wrapped up an interview with the top challenger to governor gavin newsom. jacob will join me with that interview after this. yea, thatk of pure terror... ...no, no, the smile... ...and that second right before the first tear comes... ...what?! pizza on a bagel-we can all agree with that. do you want a hug?

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california voters decide if governor gavin newsom should stay in office. the governor will get a big assist from president biden tonight. the president will be campaigning with newsom in los angeles. the special election could make newsom the third state governor in state history to be removed from office through recall. our jacob soboroff just talked to the leading republican candidate larry elder and christina is back with me, as well. jacob, let me start with you. again, you just talked to the leading republican candidate. what stood out to you from that

conversation? >> reporter: larry elder is a larger than life figure out here in southern california having grown up out here and a fixture on conservative talk radio and the front running replacement against wide-ranging interview. we talked about covid, we talked about the wildfires. but i also asked him about stephen miller, the former senior adviser to president trump, who according to reporting from the los angeles times, had him on their program dozens of times, including exchanging emails in which he said to miller, the architect of the family separation policy, that he thought he should be president of the united states one day. so i wanted to ask larry elder about his relationship with stephen miller and whether or not he would had a part in his administration. take a look. >> would stephen miller have a role in a larry elder administration? >> what does he have to do with this election? this collection is about crime,

homelessness, about the fact that people are leaving california for the first time in history, it's about the way the man shut down the state ignoring science, one-third of small businesses are gone forever. this election is about crime, it's about the rise in homelessness, it's about the fact that gavin newsom shut down the state, while ignoring science -- >> i'm sorry to interrupt. will stephen miller become a part of your administration if you win? >> this election is about crime, homelessness, the rise in cost of living, it's about the fact that for the first time in our state's history the average price of a home has reached $800,000. it's about poor forest management, we're running out of water and having rolling brownouts because of our failure to invest in the energy grid. >> he was a part of the separation policy. i'm just curious, is he still an adviser or protege to you? >> i've been campaigning for two

months. i've been a politician for two months. i've been going up and town the state above sacramento to san diego. no one has asked me about him. >> reporter: so, craig, those questions obviously upset larry elder. he left without answering the questions, but then did come back after our interview to say he wanted to amend his answer. he unequivocally said stephen miller would not be a part of his administration, but did say he had talked to him within the last three weeks. but that wasn't the only thing we talked about. covid, of course, here in california is at the center of the reason that the governor is facing a recall election in the first place. larry elder is against vaccine mandates, he's against mask mandates. and i asked him about that as children, including many of our own, are going back to school. here's what he said. >> you said publicly you don't believe in mask mandates, you don't believe in vaccine mandates when it comes to covid. that makes a lot of parents of young children very nervous when

they're sending their kids back to school. >> parents who want their kids to wear masks and who want their kids to be vaccinated can do that. i'm talking about mandates. i'm not anti-vax. i've been vaccinated. i believe in vaccines, but a lot of people feel very differently. >> reporter: so there you have it from larry elder himself. governor newsom, again, is on the ropes fighting for his political life. the president of the united states will be out here tonight campaigning on his behalf. one other thing larry elder told me, craig, amongst many of the other items that we discussed, is not just that he's against these mandates, not just that he says stephen miller won't become a part of his administration, but that across the board this is a referendum of gavin newsom. gavin newsom wants everyone to believe this is a republican recall. and on that note, larry elder did not say that he would be willing to accept the results of the election come tomorrow and i pressed him repeatedly on that

as well. >> jacob soboroff, that was fascinating. thank you. christina, you're there in california. does larry elder have a shot? >> i mean, of course everyone has a shot. stranger things have happened in elections and people get surprised in elections. all of the numbers indicate that newsom has been able to turn this around, where people were fairly evenly divided on the recall election just a few months ago, now it seems as if he's going to prevail. but, again, i've stopped my political predictions ever since the 2016 election because voters have a way of having their voice heard. either way, it is a mark on the governor, who at the very beginning of this administration had a wide election margin, and was able to enjoy a lot of success. but people are frustrated with the back and forth that has happened in this state. i live in a very liberal city represented by congressman adam schiff, and there were people

petitioning to get this recall on the ballot many months ago, and a lot of people here were really trying to push that, even though many of them are democrat. they don't necessarily like him. but california is unique, right? there are only 19 states in the country that allow for recall elections, and we're not only a state that has had a high profile one in 2003, but one where the governor was actually recalled. things do happen here. governor arnold scharzenegger. and i will say that the democratic tactic has been to scare people about what could happen. that's why they call it the republican recall and it is republicans that are primarily pushing it. and the sort of clash of science and mask mandates is something that a lot of people, there's a backlash against because we're seeing here in l.a. that mask mandates are actually working. you're seeing it in a lot of workplaces and the vaccine

mandates, these are areas that we might have a chance to finally end this. and a lot of people will talk about that. at the same time, there are plenty of people that are frustrated with the back and forth. >> solid work there. thank you for that conversation. and thank you as well for joining me on a monday morning. that's going to do it for me. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today." "andrew mitchell reports" starts next. i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice.

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good day. this is "andrew mitchell reports" in washington, at a critical moment in the pandemic as the nation's largest school district welcomes children back to the classroom today. new york city schools will require mandatory masking, 3 feet of social distancing when possible, without any remote learning options for students, as children across the country return to their classrooms there are growing concerns about how that could accelerate the spread of the delta variant, which is finally trending downward in parts of the country. the seven-day average of covid cases dropping for the first time in nearly two months. in the face of huge backlash from republican governors and others, the administration is defending its new policy of vaccine mandates for larger businesses and the federal workforce, as the head of cdc told savannah guthrie on "today." >> the plan is to get more people vaccinated, to keep people out of the hospital, to keep people from