- [Announcer] This is "CBN Newswatch"

- Thank you so much for joining us

on this Good Friday, April 2, 2021.

I'm Efrem Graham.

Ahead today, new details emerging

about a deadly shooting in California.

We're sharing what weknow now about the gunman.

An infrastructure planwith a hefty price tag.

See why the president saysit's what America needs.

Preparing for Easter inthe midst of a pandemic.

We're exploring if churcheswill be able to open their doors

for Resurrection Sunday.

And a musical with a Christian focus.

See the story that's trending high

on a major streaming platform.

All those stories and more are ahead

in this edition of "CBN Newswatch."

We begin this half hourin Southern California,

where we're learning moreabout the gunman accused

of killing four people andcritically wounding a fifth

at an office building.

Police say he knew the victims.

And before he opened fire,he shut the entrance gates,

delaying officers' ability to get inside.

One of the victims was a nine-year-old boy

in the arms of a womanbelieved to be his mother,

who is the only survivorof that deadly attack.

The White House callsit a common sense plan

and lawmakers are now considering

the multi-trillion dollarinfrastructure proposal

the president laid out on Thursday.

It is extremely expensive,

but President Biden sayshe knows how to pay for it.

CBN White House CorrespondentEric Philips has the details.

- Today, I'm announcing thatI'm asking five cabinet members

to take special responsibilityto explain the plan

to the American public.

- [Eric] The first Bidenadministration cabinet meeting

happening just hours after hisbig speech on infrastructure.

- It's a once in a generationinvestment in America.

- [Eric] In blue collar Pittsburgh,

the president made his pitchfor the American Jobs Plan.

- I'll begin with the heart of the plan.

It modernizes transportationinfrastructure,

our roads, our bridges, our airports.

- [Eric] Key items include

replacing lead piping across the country,

5,000 charging stations for electric cars,

improving the nation's power grid,

and a focus on research and development.

- Markets like batterytechnology, biotechnology

computer chips, clean energy,

the competition with China in particular.

- [Eric] In the process,the president says,

putting Americans towork on good paying jobs.

- Not a contract willgo out that I control

that will not go to a companythat is an American company

with American productsall the way down the line

and American workers.

- [Eric] The price tag, about $2 trillion

spread over eight years.

The Biden payment plan,

tax increases for those makingmore than $400,000 a year

as well as businesses.

- We're gonna raise the corporate tax.

No one should be ableto complain about that.

It's still lower than what that rate was

between World War II and 2017.

- [Eric] The president alsowants to close loopholes

that allow Fortune 500companies to escape paying taxes

and eliminate deductions for corporations

that take jobs overseas.

- It's honest.

It's fiscally responsible.

- And it really is not anhonest conversation we're having

about what this proposal is.

- South Carolina Governor Kristi Noem said

she's taken part in a call with governors

from around the country aboutthe president's proposal.

- And I was shocked

by how much doesn't gointo infrastructure.

It goes into research and development.

It goes into housing and pipes

and different initiatives, green energy.

And we're gonna be back herea couple of years from now

wishing that we weren't in a situation

where people had less money.

- In 50 years, people aregonna look back and say,

"This was the moment thatAmerica won the future."

- [Eric] In Washington,Eric Philips CBN News.

- The Red Cross is in thedisaster response business,

and while there's no shortage of work,

the response can be even more challenging

during a global pandemic.

As Caitlin Burke shows us,

the Red Cross has had to changelike the rest of the world

to respond to strugglingfamilies virtually.

- From large-scale naturaldisasters like hurricanes

or wildfires to smaller emergencies,

Red Cross volunteers are oftenamong the first on the scene,

joining state, local,and federal authorities

to provide support.

- We work with all of those agencies

to set up a family assistance center,

where the families of thosewho died during the event

are able to come and access resources

from a number of different organizations.

- [Caitlin] When the scope ofthis pandemic became apparent,

folks at the Red Cross realized

this type of mass casualty event

would require a new approach.

- We set up what we were calling

our Virtual Family AssistanceCenter on a website

by inviting many differentagencies to join us

on that website to let peopleknow what services they offer,

what resources they have.

- [Caitlin] Rather than sending volunteers

to physical locations,they deployed virtually.

- 'Cause normally, in afamily assistance center,

we would have mentalhealth and spiritual care

and health servicesvolunteers working directly

with the clients.

Because of the pandemic, we can't do that,

so we have a call center.

- [Operator] Good morning.

This is the Red Cross VirtualFamily Assistance Center.

How may I help you?

- [Caitlin] Spiritualcare is the specialty

of volunteer Linda Rainey.

- So spiritual care for the Red Cross

is not based on anyreligion or denomination.

For us, spiritual care really is about

care and compassion for the people.

- The Red Cross, our missionis to alleviate suffering

in people who have beenaffected by a disaster

or by an emergency, andthat's what we're doing.

- [Caitlin] Over the last year,

just about every call seemsconnected to the pandemic.

- People call in askingfor all sorts of things.

They ask for help designingfunerals or memorial services.

Many people are lookingfor financial resources.

- [Caitlin] The pandemicled to the creation

of the virtual family carecenter, but it will continue

even after the US is nolonger in COVID's grip.

- We feel that there willcontinue to be a need

for a place where people can go

to get both that emotional support

and some access to resources.

- [Caitlin] And the virtualmodel allows the Red Cross

to respond within seconds.

- We can scale up.

We can add people to the call center

if we start gettinglots and lots of calls.

We can pivot to being a morelocal or regionally-based site.

- During a time when safetyseems synonymous with isolation,

the Red Cross wants youto know you're not alone

and their volunteerswant to hear your story.

Caitlin Burke, CBN News.

(inspirational music)

- I am Regent's firstROTC graduate student.

(women laughing)

- [Efrem] I'm Efrem Grahamand this is "Studio 5."

Cruise with me as I discoverthe good things happening

in the world of music, sports,television, and movies.

- The fact that Ryan Coogler

was gonna be directing the film,

I knew that somethingspecial was gonna happen.

- [Efrem] We'll chat withartists at the forefront

of entertainment andexplore the connection

between popular culture and faith.

- I asked my pastor, I said,

"Well does that mean I'msupposed to be a preacher?"

He says, "Well no, youalready have a pulpit."

- [Announcer] Wednesday night at 8:30

on the CBN News Channel.

- How'd you like to geta redo on your health,

on your body, on your arteries

so you could have theenergy you had 20 years ago?

The great news is you can.

I'm Dr. Mike Roizen,

chair of the Wellness Instituteat the Cleveland Clinic.

I've written four NewYork Times bestsellers.

But even better thanhaving to read all that?

You can listen to this DVD and watch it.

Protect your heart?

Yes, you can.

Here's how.

- [Announcer] Go to CBN.comor call 1-800-700-7000

for your free copy of"Protect Your Heart."

Let the medical experts showyou their new discoveries

on how to avoid heartdisease and even reverse it.

Easy steps to uncover the hidden dangers

in your medicine cabinet, reduce stress,

and get a completedo-over for your health.

Call 1-800-700-7000.

That's 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com

to claim your free copyof "Protect Your Heart.

- It's looking like Easter

could be much different this year.

As more people get vaccinated,

many church leaders hope to safely reopen

for Resurrection Sunday services.

Charlene Aaron brings us the story.

- In 2020, many churches closed doors

and moved to virtual servicesas COVID-19 forced churchgoers

to celebrate Easterthrough computer screens

and mobile phones.

This year, with moreAmericans getting the vaccine,

a growing number want toreturn to worshiping together.

- We're doing a lot of services

to accommodate all of the space,

and so doing all of thespacing and the masking

that's being asked and required

to make sure that it's a safe experience,

but yet people still canworship the Lord together.

- [Charlene] In California, however,

there are still restrictions,

and one pastor is pleadingwith Governor Gavin Newsom

to fully reopen churchesahead of Easter Sunday.

Several churches suedover extreme restrictions

banning in-person services.

Then the Supreme Court steppedin to offer some relief.

In a video, Pastor Jack Trieber

of Santa Clara's NorthValley Baptist Church

says enough is enough.

- We have a 3,000-seatauditorium that sits empty.

Governor Newsom, I imploreyou to open up our churches

by Easter Sunday, April the 4th.

We've been obeying for 366days, one year and one day.

We have had zero deaths in our church

of thousands of people.

We've had zero hospitalizations.

- [Charlene] Thanks to therollout of the COVID vaccine,

Americans are ready tohead back to church.

According to a Pew Research study,

roughly 4 in 10 plan toattend Easter services

in person this year.

- Most people who are comfortable

with coming back have comeback, and we're expecting,

as the numbers have continually gone down

and people are getting vaccinated,

people are more comfortable,

we're expecting peopleto start coming back.

- [Charlene] Not everyone agrees.

Pastor Shavon Smith and her husband

lead New Generation Churchin Berlin, New Jersey.

Like most congregations, theytook their services online

when the pandemic hit,then moved back inside

with a 25% capacity andother safety precautions.

When New Jersey lifted restrictions,

the church hosted ananniversary celebration,

a move Pastor Smith now regrets.

- Church was full.

Following the service on Sunday,

we're starting to feel, you know,

eh, feeling a little flu symptoms.

You know, some coughing,some got headaches,

some have fever.

My son tested positive.

My husband tested positive.

My daughter tested positive.

Every day, we're still gettingreports, tested positive.

The musician tested positive.

One of the praise and worshipleaders tested positive.

- [Charlene] For thatreason, Pastor Smith says

their planned Easter service is on hold.

- Now, since this has happened,

you know, with me andmy husband dialoguing,

I think we're gonna have to have

a virtual Resurrection Sunday service.

- Our viewership online has skyrocketed,

and that's been thecase for most churches.

And so we've really put a lot of effort

into making sure that we havea good online experience.

We've really done everything that we can

to meet people and disciplepeople where they are

and where they feelcomfortable, to be honest.

- [Charlene] Still, whetherin-person or online,

those we talked with agree

that sharing the message ofEaster is what's most important.

- Yes, there is a big emphasis on Easter,

but we're not justafter the regular people

who have been coming coming back.

We're after the people who don't know Him

to come in and experience Him.

- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron, CBN News.

- [Efrem] Still ahead,the women and men gear up

for the Final Four of the NCAA.

The historic moments we canlook forward to are coming up.

Stay with us.

(dramatic music)

(inquisitive music)

- Daddy?

- Yeah, buddy.

- How many nickels are in a dollar?

- There are 20

nickels in a dollar.- Look!

How do birds fly?

(dad rumbles)

Does milk really make my bones stronger?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Daddy?

When we die, will we go to heaven?

- [Announcer] Do you have the answer

to life's biggest question?

Call the 700 Club.

We'll help you find answers

to the important questionslife brings your way.

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The CBN News Channel, aperspective you can trust.

Enjoy credible news reportingfrom around the world.

Discover inspiring programsand stories of hope

all in one place from aChristian perspective.

The CBN News Channel, aperspective you can trust.

To watch the CBN News Channel,

download the app orvisit CBNNewsChannel.com.

- Hello, I'm Dr. David Perlmutter,

board-certified neurologist

and number one New YorkTimes best selling author.

Wouldn't it be great to boost your energy,

eliminate brain fog, andeven reverse brain disease?

Well you can and I'm gonna show you how,

along with some of the world's

most well respected brain experts

in this DVD, "Protect Your Brain."

- [Announcer] Get "ProtectYour Brain," a free DVD,

only from the ChristianBroadcasting Network,

featuring experts on the cutting edge

of neuroscience and brain health.

- No matter how many timesyou've failed in the past,

you really can do this.

- [Announcer] In "Protect Your Brain,"

you'll discover simple strategies

to keep your brain young andhealthy, improve your memory.

Discover the gut-brain connectionin "Protect Your Brain."

Get your free copy at CBN.comor call 1-800-700-7000.

- If you want to improvethe quality of your life,

get the DVD, "Protect YourBrain," and get it today.

- Only a few teams remainstanding in the NCAA championship.

March Madness now officiallyin the Final Four.

Joining us to talk about tomorrow's game

and the history-making moments

is CBN Sports Director Shawn Brown.

So Shawn, tonight is all about the women,

and Dawn Staley and AdiaBarnes will make history

as the first black head coaches

in the Final Four for women's basketball.

What have they had tosay about this moment?

- Hey, good morning, Efrem. Yes.

Hey, just such a fantastic moment

to have two African American coaches

coaching at the same time in a Final Four.

Dawn Staley just commented that,

hey man, you know, so manyyears have gone by where,

there's so many African American coaches

that can coach andthey're being overlooked.

And so now to have twoAfrican American coaches

coaching in this Final Fourfor the first time in history,

again, at the same time,it's just monumental.

And for those ADs

that have overlookedAfrican American coaches

and coaches of color, well,they need to look tonight.

They need to look tonight to see both Adia

and Dawn Staley coach tonight.

- Beautiful to see.- And of course,

Adia looks up to Dawn

because she's a little older,a little more seasoned.

- Yeah.- But just gonna be,

just classic match-ups tonight.

- Love it.

Now, for the men, tomorrow afternoon

is certainly gonna be busy,so break it down for us.

Who's playing and when?

- Well, hey, again, exciting, exciting.

Baylor has Houston at 5:14.

Gonzaga has UCLA at 8:34.

You've got two number one seeds,a two seed, and an 11 seed.

Gonzaga, Baylor, number one seeds.

Houston, a two seed.

UCLA, an 11 seed.

Exciting, exciting,exciting tomorrow night.

Very exciting, and you've got two series,

the women's and the men's basketball.

I didn't say the women's times,

but 6:00 PM tonight, SouthCarolina and Stanford,

9:30, Arizona, Yukon tonightis the women's as well.

And so just an excitingtime of basketball.

- Indeed.

Any prediction on which teams

will earn the championship title?

- You know what?

At least for the men's,

Gonzaga has been really,really consistent.

I can't ignore what they'vebeen able to pull together.

I mean, how are you gonna stop Drew Timme,

Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert?

How are you gonna stop those guys?

But UCLA has been able to shoot well

over the last couple of games

and so we'll have to seehow that match-up goes.

But I'm gonna Gonzaga all the way.

It'd be great if it's Gonzaga-Baylor

in the championship game,two number one seeds,

but you can't rule outthe underdog in UCLA

But I'm going Gonzaga,

- Indeed, indeed.- gotta go with Gonzaga.

- Before we let you go,

UNC basketball coach RoyWilliams is retiring.

What's been the reaction to the news?

- He is a legend.

Efrem, I have seen himcoach in Final Fours.

He is a legend and really, really

just has all of the things

that you would look for in a head coach.

Just the utmost respectacross college basketball,

and I just salute his career.

He will be missed.

You know, I've been inseveral Final Fours,

and just to see him coachhis guys is phenomenal.

And so, just a surmounting amount of love

and respect towards Coach Roy.

- Indeed, it is.

A busy weekend for you as well, Shawn.

Thank you so much.

We will see you next week.

- You got it.

- [Efrem] Coming up, aChristian-based musical

getting great reviews straight ahead.

We're gonna speak to the actors

behind the movie, "A Week Away."

Stay with us.

(dramatic music)

(papers rustle)

(buttons beep)

(copier whirs)

(paper rips)

- [Announcer] Life is betterwith a good night's sleep.

Get your free DVD or bookletof "Protect Your Sleep" today.

- [Efrem] Welcome to "Studio 5 Uncut."

This is our opportunity toshare extended conversations

with some of the great guestswe've had on "Studio 5."

- You can't go anywhere on the planet

and not see the impact ofgospel music on popular culture.

- Now, you're a comedian and a Christian?

You know, why is that such a baffle?

- Being an artist who is Christian

and an artist who's in hip hop culture,

I'm trying to find my own sound.

- [Efrem] "Studio 5 Uncut," next.

(jazzy music)

- [Terry] Remember for a moment

what it was like to be a child.

You believed every story you were told.

You saw a world full ofendless possibilities.

What stories will the world's orphaned

and at risk children believe?

We believe the Bible tells the only story

truly worth believing.

We believe that every child

should have the opportunity to dream,

the chance to take challenges

and turn them into possibilities,

the chance to stand onthe promises of God,

to recognize their place inthe greatest story ever told.

They have their whole lives ahead of them.

Theirs is a world ofendless possibilities.

They are looking for a story to believe.

We will tell them that story.

Will you join us?

(soft music)

(child giggles)

- [Announcer] This Easter season,

celebrate our risen Saviorwith your CBN family.

Join us on the CBN Family app

for a virtual communion with Pat,

special Easter teachings from Gordon,

and more Holy Weekreflections and services.

Bake a springtime favorite with Wendy

and watch Terry share the meaningof Easter with her family.

Don't miss this special timeof celebration on CBN Family.

- Welcome back to "CBN Newswatch."

The first faith-basedmusical streaming on Netflix

is getting rave reviews.

"A Week Away" debuted in thetop five in its first weekend.

We chatted with the film's stars,

who share what inspired them

to take part in this production.

(upbeat music)

- Here's Will Hawkins' file.

Social Services put everything in there.

- [Will] You didn't tellme this was church camp.

- It's gonna be great.

- What's with the name, Aweejaway?

- Aweegaway.

Every once in a while,somebody's just a week away

from an experience thatchanged everything for them.

♪ So if you hear it, youhear it, you hear it too ♪

- I'm Avery.

- Nice to meet you.

What's her story?

- Way out of your league, trust me.

Her dad owns the place.

- If I'm gonna fit in here, Ihave to be something I'm not.

- Well, this'll be fine.

Good luck, Will.

You're gonna need it.

- Kevin, what do you mostlike about this storyline

and your character, Will?

Tell me a little bit about him.

- There's just so many layers

and you just see so manydifferent sides of Will

that are so beautiful and so vulnerable.

So being able to portray that character

was just really humbling for me.

- Did you like him?

- I liked him a lot.

I mean, I feel like he wasrelatively likable guy.

I guess Avery liked him.

(Efrem laughs)(indistinct)

- Bailee, tell me about your character

and your thoughts on joining this project.

- Well, I play Avery, andshe's the camp counselor's,

you know, he runs the camp,turns to his daughter.

And you know, I think she'sone of the first people

who really, really takes toWill and sees him for him,

and I think maybe beforehe even can recognize

those qualities about him.

She sees through the pain and the mistakes

and I think she can see his heart

at the end of the day, which I love.

If the two of you just would talk.

- Seriously, dude, youjust gotta talk with her.

- Yeah.

(soft guitar music)

- Tell me about your character

and what you like most about him.

- George and I aredefinitely kindred spirits.

I definitely see a lot of myself in George

as, like, being super passionate

and, like, one could say nerdy.

But feeling like he hasn'treally found as though, like,

his people, his tribe to reallyembrace him for who he is.

♪ Can't help but wonderif I'm good enough ♪

- Kat, tell us about who you are playing

and what you like about her.

- So, I play Presley and Ilove everything about Presley.

I'd say I'm like her in some ways,

but I love that she's quirky.

I like that they're shownin, like, a positive light

in that it's not like,

oh, well these are kindalike our loser characters

and we're gonna have themchange to become cooler.

Like, no.

They're quirky, but they're loved

and accepted the whole time.

- Jahbril, why is it important

for characters like the two of you

to be seen and celebrated on screen?

- Hopefully, it'll be super empowering

for kids these days to see that

and know that it's notsomething to be ashamed of,

having, you know, weird,nerdy, specific interests.

♪ Turn it up ♪♪ Turn it up ♪

♪ Dive in ♪♪ Dive in ♪

♪ Let it play like a songfrom your heart to your skin ♪

♪ While we're young,take a chance with me ♪

♪ Come on, come on,let's go make a memory ♪

- Was the singing too much?

I couldn't decide-- No, no.

No, that's what got me.

- Oh, the singing?

- Tell me about your favoriteparts of the music story here.

- The CCM hits were animperative part of the script,

I know, for the writers and the producers.

And, you know, getting cameosfrom Steven Curtis Chapman,

Amy Grant, and getting them on board

with our re-imagined versions of the song

was just the coolest thing.

♪ Is harder than it seems ♪

♪ Feels like ♪

- I mean, I grew up listeningto these kinds of songs.

I grew up in a really faithful household

and we loved music and we loved worship.

So, so many of these songsI grew up listening to

from my older siblings and my mom.

It all felt very, very full circle

and so, so, so gratifying.

But their songs have changedthe lives of so many people,

and the idea of us beingable to reimagine it

and then letting us takethat chance and run with it

in hopes of re-introducing these messages

and these songs to a new generation,

you could feel thatenergy on set every day,

so it was really special.

♪ If there are millions ♪

♪ Down on their knees ♪

♪ Among the many ♪

I love the idea that anentire family could sit down

and enjoy this movieand watch it together.

That's like the best feeling in the world,

to get to be a part ofsomething like that.

- We're so thrilled aboutthe partnership with Netflix.

And I think I'd much ratherhave people streaming it

as many times as they can

as opposed to walking into a movie theater

every time they want to see it,

having to buy a ticket.

It's a consumable movie.

And with everythingthat's going on right now,

the timing is just super relevant,

so if anything, I hope itbrings joy to all the viewers.

- I'm like trying to be whateverybody expects me to be.

It is exhausting.

- [Will] I totally get it.

- I think the hope of this movie

was that it didn't feellike we were letting anyone

not be able to see thisfilm or projecting a message

that basically said,"Hey, if you have faith,

your life is great and you're perfect."

(Efrem laughs)(indistinct)

That's not the reality of it.

And I'm a very faith-basedperson, so to get to have,

you know, a teenagecharacter be very vocal

in the fact of, like, "Hey,I don't have it figured out,

but I'm trying and I'm doingthe best that I can every day."

I think we all need to start having

those conversations more with each other,

especially right now when we're all facing

such a weird time.

- Your parents wouldbe really proud of you.

♪ This is the best thing ever ♪

- With that, it's timefor your Friday Faithful,

and on this Good Friday, Ileave you with this thought,

borrowed from the lyrics of a gospel tune

you're sure to hear inchurches this season:

"Jesus went to Calvary tosave a wretch like you and me.

That's love."

The song goes on to say,

"They hung Him high and stretched Him wide

He hung His head and for me He died.

That's love.

But that's not how the story ends.

Three days later, He rose again.

That's love."

And with that, have awonderful, Good Friday

and a wonderful weekend as well.

That is gonna do it for thisedition of "CBN Newswatch."

Remember, you can alwaysfind more of our programs

on the CBN News Channel at any time.

You can also find themonline at CBNNews.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

Let us know what you think

of the stories you've seen here today.

You can email us.

The address, newswatch@cbn.com.

And of course, you can always reach out

and touch us on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.

We would love to hear from you.

Again, make this a fabulousResurrection Weekend

and we'll see you right backhere same time come Monday.

Goodbye, everybody.

God bless and thank youso much for watching.

(dramatic music)