(orchestral music)
- Welcome, folks.
There's more or less good news.
Did any of you watch Dr. Fauci?
I think that man has gained a reputation
as being as anyone who's as devious
as anyone could possibly be.
He never tells you the truth,
he never tells you with the truth.
And over and over, and over again,
people say, "Well, what are the rules?"
Well, we're not quitesure what the rules are.
Well, the CDC has finallysaid, "Okay, if you've been
"fully vaccinated, youdon't need to wear a mask."
I hate masks.
People are actually outside.
They're playing tennis with masks on.
They're, it's just the mostridiculous thing in the world.
And do you remember, don't you hate?
- I don't get it.
And then I see people driving in their car
by themselves wearing a mask.
And I'm like, "Really?" (chuckling)
- It's so insane, it'sjust utterly insane.
You have about as much chanceof being hit by a meteor
as you do catchingCOVID outside, anywhere.
And you know, it's just ridiculous.
But anyhow, much of thecountry has already moved
off from the mask rules asthe number of COVID cases
and deaths have dropped sharply.
Abigail Robertson takes this look
at the latest CDC guidelines.
- President Joe Biden and the CDC now say
fully-vaccinated people wearing masks
can safely attend thingslike indoor worship services
workout classes, and restaurants.
- Beginning today, gatheringwith a group of friends
in a park, going for apicnic, as long as you
are vaccinated and outdoors,you can do it without a mask.
- [Abigail] The CDC considersindividuals fully vaccinated
two weeks after receiving the second dose
of the Moderna or Pfizervaccines, or two weeks
after the single doseJohnson & Johnson shot.
- If you are fully vaccinated,things are much safer for you
than those who are notyet fully vaccinated.
- [Abigail] New data from theCDC shows nearly 8% of those
who got the first shot areskipping the second dose
and the daily number ofpeople getting vaccinated
is declining, despitevaccines now being available
to all Americans over 16.
- And then them also puttin'the Johnson & Johnson on pause,
it really made me think morethan twice about goin' back
and gettin' the second one.
- [Abigail] The Johnson &Johnson vaccine is back in play
after the CDC decided thebenefits outweigh the risk.
But according to a new ABCNews poll, 73% of Americans
not yet vaccinated say they won't take it.
- The COVID-19 vaccines havebeen through many transparent,
rigorous processes that continue to prove
they are safe and effective.
- [Abigail] In an effort tocombat vaccine hesitancy,
West Virginia Governor, Jim Justice,
is offering hundred-dollar savings bonds
to people 16 to 35 who get vaccinated.
- I'm tellin' you, it'stime, West Virginia,
to shut this thing down.
- The CDC also says children'ssummer camps can reopen.
But since the vaccine is not yet approved
for individuals under16, they say mask-wearing
and social distancingwill still be necessary.
Reporting from Virginia,Abigail Robertson, CBN News.
- You know this wholesocial distancing thing,
it's a dead Italian.
A dead Italian who came upwith the six-foot thing.
Really, the actual social distancing
is three feet, not six for example,
but everything's set up at six feet.
The whole thing is confusingand it's scared people.
We've got this massive terrorgoing on like you've got
to go around with a mask.
I must say when thatJ & J one-dose vaccine
came out, I said let me try it.
And so they had a wonderful program
from the Chesapeake Department of Health.
I went in, it was magnificent.
I had the shot.
I have had not one twinge,not one blood clot,
not one fever, nothing.
I mean, it's just been marvelous, and I--
- That's wonderful.
- Have you, did you get the thing?
- I haven't had it, yet.
- Okay, well I love Jim Justice.
He is the greatest governor. (chuckling)
- [Wendy] He really is.
- I mean, he's, I'mgonna give $100 or ten,
or whatever he's gonna give a bond
to everybody that takes it.
But we really need to get the stuff.
But this mask business is just nonsense.
And when you think one woman actually died
'cause she was wearing amask and she was out running,
well, you just can't,you've got to have breath.
And what we need more thananything is breathing.
And young kids need to breathe.
They don't need to havemasks on their faces.
But I don't wear a mask if I can help it.
- Yeah, I've never seen youwith one on. (chuckling)
- Occasionally, I'll goneto somebody, some doctor,
you know, office and theyinsist you have a mask
before they let you in, thenyou get in there and I mean.
- It's just like in arestaurant, you gotta have it,
and when you go in, then you immediately
take it off.- Take it off, I mean,
the whole thing is just nuts, but anyhow.
The guidelines, thank goodness,
are being lifted and that'sgood news for everybody.
And anyhow, hallelujah, we are coming
on the other side of this thing.
It really has devastated our economy.
But we're on the otherside of it and for that,
I am very, very grateful.
Well in other news, a massive expansion
of government finance on the backs
of the American taxpayers.
That's how one Republicansenator described
President Biden's infrastructure plan.
The president is expectedto reveal the second half
of his plan tonight,during his long-overdue
first speech to Congress.
So what else could we expect to hear?
Efrem Graham has that.
- Pat, the president isputting the finishing touches
on his first speech to ajoint session of Congress
as he prepares to address lawmakers
and the American public, tonight.
This comes as he drawscloser to the critical
100-day measuring stick.
CBN News White House Correspondent,Eric Philips, has more.
- The president's 100-daymark hits on Friday,
two days after he addresses Congress.
During his speech, he assuredto address the accomplishments
of his administrationso far, as well as give
the American people moredetails about the second part
of his infrastructure plan.
Front and center,President Biden is expected
to take a victory lap forprogress made in the pandemic
for doubling his original goal
of 100 million shots inarms in his first 100 days.
- So help me, God.
- [Master Of Ceremonies]Congratulations, Mr. President.
- [Eric] From the dayBiden was inaugurated,
he promised to take on thepandemic and the economy,
the two biggest monstershe said he'd need to slay.
His first big victorycame two months in office
when he signed the $1.9trillion American Rescue Plan
sending payments of up to$1400 directly to Americans.
- This is an American achievement,
a powerful demonstrationof unity and resolve.
- [Eric] Next, the presidentaims to address the economy
through two more plans, theWhite House calling them
two parts of an overallinfrastructure plan.
Weeks ago, Biden gavedetails on the first part,
the $2.7 trillion American Jobs Plan.
- It's not a plan thattinkers around the edges.
It's a once in a generationinvestment in America.
- It is a massiveexpansion of the government
financed on the backs ofthe American taxpayers
with taxes that will hurtthe economy and cost us jobs.
- [Eric] The president'sset Wednesday night
to give details on the second part
of the infrastructure plandubbed the American family plan
which is sure to meet opposition.
He will also have to addressadministration setbacks
like the crisis at the southern border
where migrants, particularlyunaccompanied minors,
are overwhelming facilitiesthere, sparked by the reversal
of some Trump immigration policies.
Also, an uptick in massshootings across the country
has left the west wingscrambling to uphold pledges
of gun control and toaddress what it calls
systemic racism thatdisproportionately affects black
and brown people and how they're policed.
Then there's the issue of bipartisanship,
one that Biden hit hardon the stump and in his
inaugural speech, pledgingto reach across the aisle.
- President Biden's inauguralspeech rings hollow.
Instead of trying to bring us together,
he's on the phone makin'sure a couple a Democrats
will not work with Republicans.
- [Eric] The presidenthas also been criticized
for taking longer thansome of his predecessors
to address Congress.
- Should he have givenhis address earlier?
- I don't think so, he'sobviously been busy.
He's had a pandemic crisis and a crisis
of getting vaccines out.
He's had an economic crisis,so I think it's appropriate
at the 100-day mark,he can come to Congress
and report on what he'sbeen able to achieve
in vaccine distributionand in economic recovery.
- We don't know yet if thepresident will call on Americans
to support measureslike HR-1, which is the
Election Reform bill, or DC statehood.
We know that the presidentsupports both of those measures.
We know that they have passed the House
and are now headed to the Senate.
And Pat, we know rightnow, that the president's
approval rating hovers right around 52%.
- Now, what can you tell usmore about this spending bill?
It looks like it's a big giveawayto liberal constituencies.
It's not really aboutinfrastructure, at all.
That's a lie, isn't it?
- Well, we know that thebill is going to include
things like universal child care for those
three and four-year-old children.
It's a $1.8 trillion billthat will also include things
like extension of paidleave and free tuition,
free college tuition at community colleges
for everyone, regardless of income,
and that would includedreamers who were brought here
as children illegally to this country
and still remain here, at this time.
That's just some of thehighlights of the plan.
Now to your point, someargue that has nothing to do
with infrastructure in the way of bridges,
and say, waterways, and other types
of physical infrastructure.
But the White House intendsthis to be an address
to the social infrastructureof the country
and that's how they're tryingto sell the second half
of this infrastructure bill.
- Well you know, it'san interesting thing.
"60 Minutes" went to workon DeSantis from Florida
because they thought he mightbe a potential candidate
for the Republican nomination.
And now, South CarolinaSenator, Tim Scott,
is gonna deliver the GOP response.
And I understand "TheWashington Post" has got
three or four fact-checkers
trying to go after his background.
Do you know anything about that?
- Yeah, we are aware thathe is going to deliver
the response to thepresident's speech tonight.
What we're expecting there,Pat, is actually more
of what we've seen fromRepublicans, that is them
to rebuke this idea of too muchgovernment spending, right?
We're talking aboutthe second part of this
infrastructure plan costing $1.8 trillion.
That's on top of the American Jobs Plan
which is costing more than $2 trillion.
That's on top of the already-passedAmerican Rescue Plan.
And so Republicans are generally saying
this is too much, too fast,too much government spending.
On top of that, Republicansare opposed to these
major tax hikes that thepresident is proposing
to pay for all of this, that is,
tax hikes against thewealthiest in the country.
Republicans say that that,as well as corporations,
and Republicans are sayingthat should be, perhaps,
walked back a bit.
And I think anotherpoint that you can expect
tonight in the Republicanresponse is the fact that
a lot of this, the GOPfeels, is being done
without a bipartisan effort,as much as the president
talked about bipartisanshipduring his campaign
and during his inaugural address,
Republicans by and large feelthat these are not efforts
that are being seen asreaching across the aisle
but rather being steamrolled through.
- Thanks, Eric.
You know, ah well.
We get full coverage of PresidentBiden's address tonight.
You can sure to tune inlive to the CBN News Channel
and our app beginning at8:45 PM if you wanna hear it.
I imagine most of you want to go watch
an entertainment program somewhere.
I, I for one am not goingto be tuned in for it.
I just don't care.
All right?
- Well, he's still thepresident and he's--
- Well, it's questionable.
Anyhow. (chuckling)
I often wonder who's pulling the strings
and who's puttin' the words in his mouth
because it just doesn'tseem like we've got a person
who's in charge of things,mentally and otherwise.
Efrem?
- Pat, well if you spentany time sitting outside
in your hammock, you might have noticed
it is hotter than usualfor this time of year.
It's all part of a bigwarm-up across the south.
Along the east coast,temperatures hitting the mid
to upper 80s with Washington, DC expected
to top out at 90 degrees today.
A high numbers will dip downinto the 70s over the weekend,
but forecasters expecting ahotter than average temperature
for the month of May.
Pat?
- Well it's looks like, you know,
I was at my house, I wasout yesterday, outside,
and it just seemed like it was real hot.
And I got in and I, we gota little indoor thermometer
and it was reading 91 degrees.
- [Wendy] Oh, my goodness.
- In the shade, and I think good grief.
It was gone up like 50 degrees.
It used to be like 30 or40 and now it's jumped.
And what in the world is happening?
Well, I don't know ifthis is global warming
with a vengeance coming onus, but it does look like
we're gonna have areally, really hot summer.
And I don't think any ofus look forward to that.
The freezing cold isn't too good, either,
but temperatures, when theystart talking about 90 degrees
in Washington in May, it'skind of unusual, isn't it?
- Yeah, it's alwaysthe springs are strange
around here, though.
It sorta goes, like yousaid, from 30 to 80, and so.
- Well we get the GulfStream here that usually
moderates the temperatureso well we have a relative
moderate climate all year 'round,
but my goodness gracious, okay.
