(air whooshes)

- [John] Tonight, the race is on.

- There still are challenges ahead.

- [John] The U.S. effort tobeat the virus with the vaccine.

Plus...

(air whooshes)

- This is what a crisis looks like.

- [John] As the humanitarian situation

at the southern border worsens...

(air whooshes)- It is precisely now,

during a pandemic, when weneed to pass these bills.

- The United States House votes

on new pathways to citizenship.

(air whooshes)And despite reopenings

across the U.S., joblessclaims are on the rise.

This as the U.S. is set for the first

big face-to-face with China

during the Biden administration.

(air whooshes)And tonight marks

the return of March Madness

(air whooshes)after last year's

coronavirus cancellation.

All this and more tonighton "Faith Nation."

(urgent music with air whooshes)

- 100 million vaccinationsin less than 60 days.

Welcome to "FaithNation." I'm John Jessup.

- And I'm Tara Mergener.

That announcement comingtonight from President Biden,

weeks ahead of schedule, the milestone

coming amid a tenseexchange on Capitol Hill

as leading health officials testified

about the progress inthe war against COVID-19.

- Experts say the key toprevail over the pandemic

is overcoming vaccine hesitancy

so that as many people aspossible get inoculated.

- CBN White HouseCorrespondent Eric Philips

has tonight's top story.

Eric?

- Tara, John, the president talked

about vaccines just a short time ago,

touting how much progress has been made

in reaching his 100 million shots in arms

earlier than he promised.

This came on the heels of that hearing

on Capitol Hill where frustrationsgot the most attention.

- I'm proud to announce that tomorrow,

58 days into our administration,we will have met my goal

of administering 100 millionshots to our fellow Americans.

Today, 65% of people age 65 or older

have received at least one shot.

- [Eric] Though manyAmericans have shown interest

in getting vaccinated,the president himself

has expressed frustrationbecause others are hesitant.

- I just don't understandthis sort of macho thing

about "I'm not gonna get the vaccine,

I have a right as an American,my freedom to not do it."

- You wanna get rid of vaccine hesitancy?

Tell them they can quit wearing their mask

after they get the vaccine.

You want people to get the vaccine?

Give 'em a reward instead of telling 'em

that the nanny state's gonnabe there for three more years

and you gotta wear a mask forever.

- [Eric] During Thursday's hearing,

Senator Rand Paul chidedDr. Fauci for encouraging

even Americans who have beenvaccinated to wear masks.

That sparked a heated exchange.

- What studies do you have that people

that have had the vaccineor had the infection

are spreading the infection?

If we're not spreading theinfection, isn't it just theater?

- Here we go again with the theater.

Let's get down to the facts.

When you talk about reinfection

and you don't keep inthe concept of variants,

that's an entirely different ballgame.

That's a good reason for a mask.

- [Eric] A theme throughout the hearing,

the importance of gettingshots in people's arms.

- So the challenge is tostay ahead of the variants,

particularly making sure that we do it

not only quantitatively, but with equity,

equity with regard tounderserved populations.

- [Eric] Wednesday, Dr.Fauci and others watched

as faith leaders gotvaccinated in an effort

to encourage the overallcommunity to do the same.

And this week, former PresidentTrump joined the chorus.

- [Donald] It's a great vaccine,

it's a safe vaccine, andit's something that works.

- [Eric] Still, it's an uphill climb

as health officials hope this pandemic

will teach us severallessons for the future.

- I look forward toworking together to address

both the immediate challenges ahead

and the deficiencies in ourpublic health infrastructure

that left our countryvulnerable to this pandemic.

- A couple of otherpoints Dr. Fauci stresses.

He prefers not to dwellon any magical number

when it comes to herdimmunity, instead focusing

on getting everyone vaccinated.

That way, he says, we'redefinitely covered in that case.

Also, the CDC is now expectedto adjust its guidelines

where students in schools are concerned

from having to be six feetapart to three feet apart,

and that could make iteasier for schools to reopen

where in-person learning is concerned.

Back to you in the studio.

- Easier, indeed. All right, thanks, Eric.

Well, tonight, outrage in the wake

of a deadly shooting spree in Atlanta

that left eight peopledead, the majority of whom

Asian-American women.

Discrimination and violenceagainst Asian Americans

coinciding with the pandemic was the focus

of a hearing on Capitol Hill today.

California Congresswoman Judy Chu said,

quote, "This day was coming."

- The Asian-American community has reached

a crisis point that cannot be ignored.

Since the beginning ofthe COVID-19 pandemic,

Asian Americans have beenterrified by the alarming surge

in anti-Asian bigotry and violence

we have witnessed across our nation.

- The Atlanta suspect has not been charged

with a hate crime.

Authorities say it is unlikelythe 21-year-old shooter

was motivated by racial bias,but have not yet ruled it out,

claiming he targeted the spas

because of a, quote, "sex addiction."

- Tonight, Xavier Becerra is set to become

the chief of Health and Human Services

after a tight Senatevote along party lines.

Becerra is the first Latino HHS secretary

after squeaking by on a 50-49 vote.

That is the closest marginof any of President Biden's

Cabinet picks confirmedin the Senate so far.

Pro-life leaders have criticizedBecerra, who is Catholic,

for his consistent supportof abortion rights.

As a lawmaker, Becerra voted against a ban

on partial-birth abortions,and against the Hyde Amendment

preventing tax dollars frombeing spent on abortions.

Well, today, the House votedon two immigration reform bills

that would provide a path to citizenship

for millions of undocumented immigrants.

- That's right, Tara.

It includes those who came tothe U.S. as young children,

known as Dreamers, andagricultural workers.

CBN Capitol Hill CorrespondentAbigail Robertson

is here to explain why,despite bipartisan support,

the bills could face anuphill battle in the Senate.

Abigail?

- That's right, John.

For more than a decade,both sides of Capitol Hill

have supported protectionsfor the Dreamers.

It's their disagreement overother immigration issues,

though, that might once again block

the Dreamers' pathway to citizenship.

- Legalizing anybodyunder these circumstances

will lead to even moreillegal immigration.

- [Abigail] Senator LindseyGraham, who for years

has joined Democrat Senator Dick Durbin

in sponsoring the DREAMAct, now seems hesitant

to move it across the finish line.

- Biden has lost controlof the U.S.-Mexican border.

Until he regains control, by implementing

policies that work,it's gonna be very hard

to do the Dreamers or anybody else.

- [Abigail] This week, Graham joined

Republican Congresswoman Maria Salazar

in introducing the Dignity Act,

(air whooshes)which combines border security

and legal protections forundocumented immigrants.

(speaking in foreign language)

- I'm offering dignity.

What I'm offering isthe art of the possible.

I'm offering to bring thosepeople out of the shadows,

the ones with TPS andeverybody who has been here

for more than five years and does not have

a criminal record, right?

So you bring them out of the shadow,

and you give them dignityso they can continue

raising their American children,

they can continueworking and paying taxes.

And then if they want to become Americans,

after 10 years, they can do so.

- [Abigail] Thursday, House Democrats

argued Dreamers and farmersneed that protection now.

- Dreamers are doctors,nurses, lab technicians,

contact tracers, and job creators.

Farm workers are gettinginfected and dying from COVID

at a much higher ratethan the general public.

They are literally dying to feed you.

- While both bills havebipartisan support,

as the situation escalates at the border,

it's unclear if eitherwill get the 60 votes

needed to pass the Senate.

John, Tara?

- All right, AbigailRobertson. Thanks, Abby.

Well, here with us now,veteran Washington journalist

Ray Suarez.

Ray, it's always great to see you.

Let's start where Abby left off,

with comprehensive immigration reform.

It's long eluded pastpresidents of both parties.

Is what we're seeing, Ray, on Capitol Hill

a sign that Democrats nowprefer a piecemeal approach,

rather than pinning theirhopes on comprehensive reform?

- Piecemeal may be the only way to do it,

but in a way, that's reallykind of a surrender to reality.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a member

of the Democratic leadership,

said it's just too much toget a comprehensive bill

across the finish line in this Congress,

and he cited the need, in a 50-50 Senate,

for 10 Republican senatorsto vote with the Democrats

simply wasn't going to happen.

Breaking such an enormous,complicated piece

of legislation intoseparate component parts

seems to be the only way togo, even though the public,

let's talk about the public for a minute,

they are not divided, not heavily divided

like the politicians are,over immigration reform.

Big, big majorities approve making

illegally resident people legal

and giving them a path to citizenship,

and the Dreamers enjoyhuge polling numbers.

This is politics.

This is not where the Americanpeople are at the moment.

- Republican MinorityLeader Kevin McCarthy

wants to remove CaliforniaDemocrat Eric Swalwell

from the House Intelligence Committee

over his past association

with a suspected Chinese operative.

U.S. officials foundnothing illegal there.

Is McCarthy's bid reallyabout national security,

or settling the score after Democrats

kicked off a freshman GOP congresswoman

from her committee assignments?

What do you think?

- Well, maybe a little bit of both.

I mean, Congressman Swalwell's association

with Fang Fang, who fled the United States

and went back to China,is certainly problematic.

Working in his favor?

The fact that she's been outof the country six years,

and there's no contactbetween the two of them now.

What is it that Congressman Swalwell

would hear and see on the committee today,

in 2021, that would be complicated

by a relationship six years in the past?

Kevin McCarthy hasn't explained it,

but still, he's introduced a resolution

to take Swalwell off the committee.

So, some score-settling, perhaps,

but certainly, this should get a look.

It's a pretty sensitivecommittee membership.

- Ray, Congress today held a hearing

about the increasing levels of violence

directed against Asian Americans.

It seems like we're moving backward,

not forward, in this regard.

I know that you'reinvolved in a new special

that looks at race, identity, and justice,

and what it means to be an American.

Your thoughts on all of this?

- Well, you know, Asianshave been the target

of American immigration lawin a way that no other group

of Americans has ever been.

For more than 50 years,it was the law of the land

to prevent Chinese frommoving into the United States

and having legal residence.

They were prevented, even ifborn in the United States,

from becoming American citizens.

So this is an old reflex in some ways,

and certainly the hints ofgrowing rivalry with China itself

and the attachment of thecoronavirus to a Chinese origin

has made things very uncomfortable.

The groups that count these things,

both the not-for-profit groupsand the Justice Department,

have noticed a sharp uptick in the number

of hate incidents, bias incidents,against Asian Americans.

It's a tough time right now, and I think

it's really good for the biginstitutions of our society

to be very clear that this stuff

doesn't go in the 21st century.

- All right, as always, Ray,

thank you so much for your thoughts.

- Good to talk to you.

- Thanks, Ray.(air whooshes)

Coming up, less-than-hopefuljobless numbers

with an increase in unemployment claims,

even as the economy starts to reopen.

- [Announcer] Introducingthe CBN Bible from CBN.com.

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- [Announcer] Watch breaking news,

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credible news reporting.

- We show you what'shappening in the world

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- [Announcer] This is "CBN Newswatch,"

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- Tonight, jobless claims are on the rise,

an unexpected jump, evenas the American economy

starts to relax COVID-19 restrictions.

Today's report showsunemployment claims have dropped

since the depths of thecoronavirus recession last spring,

but that employers arestill laying off workers.

Jobless claims rose to 770,000 last week,

up from 725,000 the week before.

Before the pandemic, jobless claims

never topped 700,000 in any one week.

And joining us now is MarkHamrick, Washington Bureau

chief and senior economicanalyst at Bankrate.

Mark, jobless claims unexpectedly jumped.

- I don't think we should take too much

from the matchingexpectations piece right now,

'cause we're in the volatile stage

of this economic recovery.

They're higher than what we would like.

We had a total of morethan a million new claims.

When you pile in the PandemicUnemployment Assistance

program, 18 millionindividuals on some form

of unemployment assistance.

I do think that we'll obviously have

a solid reopening of theeconomy in the coming months.

We're just not quite there yet.

- Mark, millions of Americansare still struggling,

many of whom are receiving perhaps

their third round of stimulus checks.

Early today, the count was90 million payments made.

Mark, how much does this help?

- Oh, it helps a lot.

John, right now you canimagine that some households,

between the stimuluspayments and the average

federal income taxrefund, if they qualify,

you could be talking about two parents

and two children and the tax refund

adding up to about $10,000.

It's quite remarkable.

And so, as all that moneybasically gets moved

into the system, some ofit's going to be spent.

At Bankrate, we would love for people

to try to save as much ofthat money as they can.

Pay the bills, yes, buthold some of that back,

because we learned one primary lesson

from this downturn, as wedo from every downturn,

and that is the too many people

are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

It feels good to spend,we'll wanna do some of that

with the reopening of the the economy,

but we also need to protectfor our financial future.

But this is gonna be a bigyear for the U.S. economy.

The Federal Reserve justupgraded its outlook for growth

for the full year, all the way up to 6.5%,

looking for a jobless rate of 4.5%

by the end of the year, John.

- Well, Mark, there's a lot of talk

about rebound in the economy.

How hard is it going tobe to really bounce back

with so many businessesshuttered during the pandemic?

We've got a really severelyhollowed-out economy now.

- We do, and we should not overlook that.

We should not overlookthe fact that about 50%

of households lost incomeduring this downturn.

I just saw some reporting today that said

the retail sector isgonna open more stores

than it has in some time this year

because many of these store operators,

obviously big businesses in many cases,

are getting bargain-basementdeals on the ability to lease.

So this is gonna be a fascinating time

where there's gonna begreat opportunity in opening

new businesses or expandingexisting businesses as well.

- Mark, we have about half a minute left.

The IRS, as you know, announced this week

that it will extend the taxfiling deadline by one month.

That does not include,though, tax payments

that are still due April 15th.

Mark, can you explain the move,

and do you think it will really help?

- I think, basically, they'retrying to just give people

more time to comply ina complicated situation,

to make sure that they canget their stimulus payments

and also apply for any benefitsthat they may have coming.

It also, frankly, I thinkalmost more importantly,

it gives the IRS more time.

It's typically underfunded,underresourced,

so they need some help at the IRS, too.

- All right, Bankrate's Mark Hamrick.

Thank you so much for your time.

- Thank you.

(air whooshes)

- [Tara] When we come back,a frosty meeting in Alaska,

the Biden administration'sfirst major talks

between the U.S. and China.

- When I came to Regent University,

it's like the world opened up.

I felt like I needed to advance

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to understand that we canbe significant in the world.

- [Announcer] Regent University.

Follow Your Path.

- [Wendy] Nigerian Christians are being

slaughtered every day.- Christians in Iran

are routinely arrested

for their faith.- Nepalese Christians

continue to suffer.

- [Announcer] In timesof trial and affliction,

you need to know the truth.

- One of the fastest-growing Christian

populations in the world.

- [Announcer] Join Wendy Griffith

and George Thomas for"Christian World News."

- [Woman] Young people are the ones

who are open to the Gospel.

- [Announcer] Powerfulstories of suffering and hope

(air whooshes)that affect all Christians.

(air whooshes)Watch "Christian World News,"

Saturday at 5 p.m.

- [Announcer] Get "Protect Your Sleep!"

and discover how to improvethe quality of your life.

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to get your free DVD or booklet.

- Well, welcome back.

The U.S. and China are set fora frosty meeting in Alaska.

- It is the first major, big face-to-face

between the superpowersunder President Biden.

Secretary Antony Blinkentouched down today in Anchorage,

where he will meet withChina's top diplomat

and foreign ministerover the next two days.

This week, the State Department sanctioned

two dozen Hong Kong and Chinese officials

in response to Beijing restrictions

on democracy in Hong Kong,

Thursday, the secretary of state pressured

China to influence NorthKorea toward denuclearization.

- And here with us nowfor more is Gary Lane,

CBN's senior international correspondent

and senior, I'm sorry, (laughs) Gary,

let me get this right,

international news director.- I'm senior!

(John laughs)

- Gary, what's the expectation

out of this first face-to-face

between China and the United States?

We're talking about the twolargest economies in the world.

- John, I would sayexpectations are fairly low,

because, keep in mind,this is the first meeting

between the two sides ofthis new administration,

so there are low expectations,

but I think what they're looking for

is feeling one another out.

I think the Biden team iswondering if the Chinese

are going to take a hardline against the U.S.

and respond harshly to thesesanctions against Hong Kong.

But in addition to that, Ithink the Biden administration

wants to know, hey, what'sthe priority for the Chinese?

And of course, in these first meetings,

nothing much really comes out of it.

We see maybe another meeting scheduled

after that where moresubstantive talks occur,

maybe eventually a meetingbetween Xi Jinping,

the Chinese president, and also Joe Biden.

I don't know if thatcould happen in person,

but at least a virtual one could happen

if it happens this year.

But I think that's whatthey're looking for,

just trying to get along withouthaving too much friction,

and maybe scheduling moremeetings in the future.

- Is this the point where we find out

whether President Biden'sWhite House continues

to take the hardline standseen in President Trump's

administration or will back down?

- Well, President Biden has already said

that he will take a hard line and continue

Trump's policy of toughtariffs, those harsh tariffs

that Trump put in placeagainst the Chinese.

Biden wants to continue those.

I think he wants to use those

as leverage in future negotiations,

whether there'll bereduced eventually or not.

But I think that is whatBiden is looking for.

But look, on the "GlobalLane," which airs tonight

on the CBN News Channel, the new episode,

I talked to Gordon Chang, he'sa China expert and author,

and Gordon told me,look, we have to do more

than just talk the talk.

We have to walk the walk.

We have to have actions after the talk.

You can have the tough talk, but if you

don't follow it up with tough action...

So I think the key is, willthere be tough actions?

And we got into a discussionabout how many people,

and you guys know this, becauseyou're right in Washington,

especially on Capitol Hill, many of 'em

are getting money, working deals,

their family members areworking deals with the Chinese.

And we're talking DianeFeinstein, Nancy Pelosi's husband,

also Hunter Biden and others.

And even, it's across party lines.

Look at Mitch McConnell'swife, Elaine Chao,

the former transportation secretary.

Her family is alsoinvolved in shipping deals

with the Chinese.

So as long as they're making money,

are they going to be tough on the Chinese?

We got into a discussion about that,

so you'll have to watch tonightto see what Gordon says.

- Must-see TV there, Gary.

I wanna ask you aboutthe secretary of state

and the State Department.

Of course, they announcedthese new sanctions

against Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

How do you interpret those?

- Well, they had to do something.

I mean, they just can't sit back

and allow China to dominate Hong Kong

and take away democracy thereand renege on their agreement.

Let me remind you, theChinese reached an agreement

with the British back in 1984,

an agreement that they that they called

the One Country, Two Systems agreement,

which allowed for China'scountry to have two systems,

one in Hong Kong, which isdemocracy, communism in China.

And it set a 50-yearperiod, starting in 1997,

When the British handedover Hong Kong to China,

that that would start taking effect.

There would be autonomyfor Hong Kong for 50 years.

That didn't happen.

Look what they just did.

They basically have stolenthe election process

away from the people in Hong Kong,

dominating the legislaturethere, the legislative.

- All right, Gary Lane.

Thank you so much for yourtime and your insights.

- Sure, glad to be with you.

(air whooshes)

- [John] Coming up, 68 teams,

seven rounds, and one location.

March Madness kicks off after last year's

coronavirus cancellation.

(urgent music)

- [Announcer] Christians around the world

are standing with the Israelis, but why?

In CBN's free magazine"Friends of Israel,"

you'll discover whyChristians are supporting

the Jewish state, how Israelis fulfilling prophecy

as a light to the nations, and ways

you can pray for the people of Israel.

Israel needs the supportof friends like you.

Call now or go to CBN.com to get

your free copy of "Friends of Israel."

(upbeat hip-hop music)

- Heavenly Father, we do thank You

for the work of Your Spirit,

Lord God-- Lord Jesus.

- With this movement of getting the Bible-

- Yes.- Lord, into public schools.

- [Announcer] Watch "The Prayer Link,"

Tuesday nights at 6:30.

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- [Announcer] Discover asleep-enhancing bedtime routine,

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- Don't miss out on this brand-new series.

- Finally, tonight, March Madness

is bringing life back tothe city of Indianapolis.

- That's right, Tara.

Hundreds of players,coaches, and officials

are scattered across hotels connected

to the Indiana ConventionCenter by skywalks.

A year after "MarchSadness," when the event

was canceled last yeardue to the pandemic,

the games are set to begin again today.

The real challenge will beisolating teams from one another

all day, except for the 40minutes on the game clock.

This is the first time ever that one city

is hosting the entire NCAAMen's Basketball Tournament,

something Indianapoliswas rather built for.

Tara, you got your bracket set?

- (laughs) My son was justdoing that this morning.

It's great to see signs of life, right?

- Absolutely.

- That's gonna do it for "Faith Nation."

Thanks for joining us.

- We hope to see you again tomorrow.