as well as here. >> yeah. and -- in the last hour, when molly was with us, she played a teaser, in which meghan markle referred to the firm. and it's unclear if that's the family. if it's the larger institution. so hopefully, more context with that, as well. >> very loaded word right there. >> right. all right. well, it is a new hour here for us on msnbc. and we are going to start with the breaking news on capitol hill. something they are calling vote-a-rama and it's lot of drama, actually. lawmakers surpassing 18 hours of debate as they look to pass that mammoth, $1.9 trillion bill that could put $1,400 into the pockets of millions of americans. >> the sun is coming up in washington, d.c. and we have spent all night debating policy and questions, to arrive at this moment, at 6:00 a.m., with an amendment that is, literally, robbing peter to pay paul. amendment after amendment, republicans are pulling out grueling delay tactics, as we

inch our way towards a vote. plus, we're learning new, disturbingol and the imminent danger officers faced. >> and fully vaccinated doesn't necessarily mean a full return normal. the cdc delaying the release of new guidelines for those who have gotten their shots. and. >> that plateau is about 60 to 70,000 cases, a day. when you have that much of viral activity, in a plateau, it almost-invariably means that you are at risk for another spike. stark warning from dr. fauci, as the nation hits 29 million cases. and some states move to open, at 100%. . and that senator was absolutely right. the sun is coming up above washington, d.c. as we say good morning, at 7:01 a.m. on this saturday, march 6th. i am kendis gibson. >> i'm lindsey reiser. they have been up all night.

so have we following everything so that you don't have to. and we have a crew of stellar reporters, and analysts following the very latest for you, right now. msnbc's amanda golden is following the developments on capitol hill. carole lee is at the white house with reaction there. and julie has new fallout from the capitol attack. >> amanda, let's start with you. give us a sense of what is happening right now in the upper chamber of the capitol. >> kendis, we are here in daylight, vote-a-rama is still ongoing. so of those 534 republican amendments that have been brought to the floor for a vote, only -- just less than 20 have seen a vote take place and only a handful have passed. as we have been following over the last-several hours, this is an ongoing process. it's a slow inching across the finish line where democrats still feel confident that they will be able to pass this $1.9 trillion covid-relief bill, but along party lines with that 50-50 split. we still do not expect to have any republican support coming forward for this bill. things could change. let me couch that. but at this point, they are

waiting to see which amendments will still continue to be brought to a vote before things can actually inch along. and as we have voted, any changes that will happen when this is ultimately passed in the senate, willo biden's law. the hope is to do this before march 14n part led by senator joe manchin of west virginia, who was unhappy with the unemployment-benefits clauses that were coming up within the portions of the bill, that he felt were not appropriate. did not speak to the -- to the level of -- of spending that he wanted to see. and so, now, the details of that deal for unemployment benefits have been reduced in a new-democratic plan to $300 a week for jobless benefits. that's down from $400 from the house version that passed just one week ago. if you are making less than $150,000, you can have a tax credit up to $10,000 -- $10,200 for those benefits that you will see. so, we are eagerly watching and awaiting for any updates.

i have been continuing to talk to many senate staffers who are also here, have been here for many hours. they are tired. they want to see things move forward just as much as everyone else does and we are getting some really interesting color from the floor of the senate chamber. from the capitol hill reporters that are rotating through in that pool rotation to note some senators seem surprisingly awake. others taking naps at their desks, resting their heads. going back and forth between their offices trying to get some rest. a few others even talking about breakfast orders. the latest on the actual timing, though, which everyone wants to know. we don't have a clear sense. there are some aides that are optimistic in telling me they think things could wrap up in the next couple hours to get to the final vote on the bill. but again, we are waiting to see what will happen. things are, slowly, inching along here. >> well, if i was sleep-deprived, i would be thinking about breakfast orders, too. carole, well even if not sleep deprived. the president is happy things are moving forward, despite these delays. but when should we expect to see

this bill reach his desk? >> well, the white house expects lindsey that the white house could sign this legislation, sometime, next week. and obviously, this would be a significant victory for president biden despite his early efforts to try to get some bipartisan support for this bill. we heard from white house press secretary, jen psaki overnight saying that president biden supports that compromise that democrats reached on unemployment benefits. adding, most importantly, this agreement allows us to move forward on the urgently needed american-rescue plan, with $1,400 relief checks, funding we need to finish the vaccine rollout, open our schools, help those suffering from the pandemic, and more. so, the president, also, is seizing on the popularity of this bill. a number of the elements that are within it, saying that this is something that americans, broadly, support. take a listen to what he had to say. >> the american rescue plan, i

believe, and according to the polling data, the vast majority of americans believe, is essential to giving them some help. that isn't some academic discussion. it's about you. >> now, this moment comes, as the president's own popularity is showing that he has broad support among majority of americans. take a look at this. it's 60%, overall, of -- of americans say -- support the job that joe biden is doing. 94% of democrats and just 22% of republicans. so, you know, the president, using his own popularity, for the time being, as well as the popularity of this bill. to try to build momentum for, not only passage, guys, but, then, what comes next. what the hope from the white house is that we will hear from the president, likely after this passes the senate. once it fully gets to his desk and is signed, he will go on a sales pitch where he tries to make sure that americans know what's in this bill. and that it maintains that popularity.

and then, he will outline his agenda moving forward. where he's got a number of things that he wants to try to accomplish. and the hope, within the white house, is that he can build on the momentum from this-particular legislation to try to get some of these other things done. >> yeah. and beneath those numbers, an overwhelming-70% plus of americans approve of how he is handling covid, including 44% of republicans. julie, in the meantime, want to shift to you and shifting gears, in the meantime, to the insurrection investigation. actually, two months, to the day. and still, high security, where you are. lawmakers, on alert. and hoping to get some answers from an upcoming report that is expected, within days. what are our expectations from that? >> hey, guys, good morning. the sun is coming up. you could see, the fence, clearly, behind me. the national-guard troops, right over there, over my shoulder. these guys are actually from maine. they have been stationed here since the beginning of the post-riot station when they

brought all the troops in. and they're not going anywhere, anytime soon. as you mentioned, general honore, speaker pelosi appointed him to lead the security review of what happened on january 6th. and lawmakers are bracing to hear from him on monday and they have many questions. especially, in light of the fact that capitol police requested national-guard troops stay, actually, as long as the next-two months as we wait to hear from president biden, for example, in his joint address. other-security threats that capitol police are facing. and i want to point out to you, something really important. and it's that, after the riot, we are still seeing arrests come out of all the insurrectionists that were here in this capitol. and one of those, a former-trump appointees former-president trump's, in the state department, he was actually arrested overnight and charged with his role in the riots. here in the capitol, behind me. and another piece of this, guys, while lawmakers are waiting to find out details, i spoke to some of them, on both sides of the aisle in the house and in the senate on the arm services committees who are pretty angry about the lack of details, frankly, coming out.

despite receiving certain briefings from officials. but obviously, we still have yet to hear from them, publicly. they have not held any press briefings. some important point that i want to point out to you. inside the capitol, a lot of staffers. we can't forget what the capitol community, themselves, went through two months ago. and as they walk to work, walk through all the fencing that's here behind me and see the barbed wire, they relive that day over and over again. and i spoke to a couple of them this week. particularly, those in the black and brown community here, aides and custodians, capitol workers and officers. who say that this trauma is just beginning. the healing is just starting. and take a listen to one of them that i spoke to, who told me that he's concerned about not being able to, quote/unquote, blend in like some of his other, white staffers. >> at this current moment, i choose not to be in communication with my previous friends that occupy positions on the other side of the aisle. and i don't see how they live with themselves, to be quite

honest with you. >> so, that's remington belfort there. he is a house staffer for democratic congresswoman. he and so many others are telling me they are reeling from the trauma. they weren't surprised, frankly, that a day like january 6th happened but unlike the lawmakers, they feel more safe with the fencing and barricades up and they don't trust that capitol police have it all under control, yet. so they are happy with the fencing staying up. kendis. >> sad times. the great american divide we have had for so many years, now within the capitol, itself. thank you, all, for joining us. with us right now is congresswoman who is a former chair of the democratic congressional campaign committee. she represents the 17th district in illinois. >> good morning, congress woman. i want to ask you about what we have been seeing happen overnight in the senate chamber there. your colleagues, arguing about these amendments. through the night, now into the early-morning hours. they are still at it here, as we take a live look inside.

and i want to ask you. you have republicans using these stall tactics. they're accusing democrats of trying to slip in unnecessary spending into this bill. then, you have democrats saying these amendments are robbing peter to pay paul. what's your take? >> well, my take is that we have to have a sense of urgency around this. you know, as we sit here, my -- the congressional district that i serve is in the northwest corner of the state of illinois. most geographically, very rural. it's a 7,000-square-mile district. and just take this example, as one congressional district. 101,000 people, in the congressional district i serve. we just surpassed the 100,000 mark. have contracted coronavirus. we have 113,000 children, kids, who haven't been able to return back to school, full time. and then, in the state of illinois, we now have 20,000 illinoisans who have lost their lives. so that is just an example of what is going on in the state of

illinois and my corner of the state of illinois, that i am lucky enough to serve. and there just has to be a real sense of urgency around here. the fact that the -- the republicans in the senate have required the -- the 600-plus-page bill to be read, word for word. now, these stalling tactics. this vote-a-rama, as you referred to early in your show. it -- it -- we have got to get to work here. president biden understands that. the popularity numbers that you just went over. president trump never had those kind of numbers. so, the -- the momentum is -- is with us to get this going. the momentum is with president biden, to get this signed into law. and as he announced earlier, before he was even sworn in, saying help is on the way. help needs to be on the way, now. >> congresswoman, you -- you mentioned your constituents there in the area, rockford area of illinois. are you satisfied with the direction of this bill when it comes to addressing the concerns of those constituents?

>> yeah. the bill that i, enthusiastically, supported when it went out of the house. actually, what, a week ago, today, this morning. in the -- in the early hours. i -- i supported that because we need to have that additional-unemployment help. and i know it's now been reduced out of the senate, from $400 to $300 per week. we need that additional $1,400 that are going to go to families all over peoria, i iowa from my porch, i know folks need help there as well. we resume help at the very-granular level back to our towns. the trash collection, snowplowing, makingure that our police officers are not laid off and our firefighters are not laid off. those are real things that are happening, on the ground. so that help to the city, governmes. >> and this bill -- this bill

addresses all of that? i mean, it doesn't have the minimum wage. the bill that you guys passed doesn't have the minimum wage. this bill addresses all of those concerns? >> well, i mean, there's always going to be more work to be done when you are talking, again, about a 600-and-some-page bill, we're not going to be able to get everything in there that we want. >> okay. >> i -- i supported the minimum wage. i hope that, eventually, we will be able to get that taken care of. >> all right. >> right now, senator joe manchin has a lot of power in your caucus because the -- you guys need every vote that you have, right now, or at least on the senate side. how do you feel right now about the democratic compromise, in reducing those weekly-unemployment payments to $300 a week? >> well, i would argue that, actually, every-house member and every senator has a lot of power in that. we have got a 50-50 split over in the senate. and we only have a four-vote majority in the house. so, if you look at it that way, it just requires that we do our best to try to work together. i think, as we -- as we move forward in this congressional session, we are going to have to figure out how we're going to

work out a compromise, that is going to work for people. >> uh-huh. >> and, you know, in the end, we have to get something done. that's what it gets down to. we have to get something done. this -- the stalling tactics. it's -- it's an annoyance but we're going to pass this. the senate's going to pass it. they'll send it back to the house. we'll pass it. we'll send it over to joe biden. the call for action here is that we -- we send help. the help that is on the way. we have got to get that out the door, and to -- to families, to small businesses. and try to get things back to normal in this country. >> all right, congresswoman, we will leave it there. thanks for being with us, this morning. >> thank you. pandemic partying. spring breakers are packing up their swimsuits and heading down to sunny florida, with many hotels, already, at capacity. restrictions are meant to stop a superspreader event but will they be enough? we'll speak to the mayor of miami beach, coming up. and today, on "the cross connection," dr. anthony fauci joins tiffany to talk about the newly-approved johnson & johnson vaccine and how the biden administration plans to address

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what is there to do here, other than go to the bars or the beach? and they're closing all of it. i think they are blowing it way out of proportion. >> doing us bad. we need a refund. this virus ain't that serious. >> if i get corona, i get corona. at the end of the day, i'm not going to let it stop me from partying. >> wow. i'm not going to let it stop me from partying. that was the attitude spring breakers had at the start of the pandemic. risking their health and safety of others to party in places like miami beach and other parts of florida last year. you may remember this video of people playing tug-of-war on the beach. no mask in sight. no social distancing, of course. now, one year later, it seems like not much has changed. this is actually from two days ago.

what is going on? and that could just be the beginning. hundreds and thousands more, expected to flock to the city in the coming weeks, as miami hotels report seeing 90%-occupancy rates for weekend bookings, despite the restrictions and curfews put in place to prevent the spring breakers from being superspreader event for many. it's one of the biggest concerns for miami-beach mayor, who is joining us right now, dan gelber. dan, thank you for being here. >> happy to be here. thank you. >> i was in miami, just a couple weeks ago. it was different from new york, i will tell you. i -- i -- i felt like i had stockholm syndrome, when i walked off the plane. and i almost flew back, the next day, because it was just a uniquely different world there. no mask. social distancing, what is that? what are you doing to kind of counter that? >> we are doing everything we can. i mean, the governor has opened up the state. doesn't allow us, even, to

get -- impose a mask fine. we -- we had given out a thousand fines, i think, after the cdc announced a mask mandate to actually im -- impose one. but we're not allowed to actually enforce it now, in that way. we can't close things, if there is a violation. so, we have been, for other emergency-order violations we have created. but it's a very challenging situation. and frankly, one of the biggest problems is that there are really no other places open. this is, you know, the -- the one place people can go to. airfare, if you -- if you flew here, you could have got a flight for $45, from any -- any place in the northeast. the rooms are discounted, in some areas. not all. and so, this is where people are going right now and it's got us very concerned and we are trying to do as much as we can to work around some of the limitations that are placed on us. >> yeah, absolutely. i paid $99, roundtrip, to get down there. paid twice as much for my dog. it's really cheap to fly there. many of the hotels are booked

up. the new -- new hotels take a long time to book up. the new hotel, they are telling me, 96% capacity. so a lot of people are going to be heading there and while the hotels are taking big measures to enforce to wear a mask to ge the bar because the cops might be looking. but once you get into the bar, you can take it off. >> it's very challenging. and i got to tell you something. it's -- you know, for me, a year ago, i -- we closed our beaches. you know, we -- we closed ocean drive. we did the things we needed to do. and now, it's -- and -- and then, people actually didn't think it was a big deal as -- as your -- showed. now, it's a whole-different scenario. people are just tired of sitting around. they are fatigued. they want to let loose. so, we have two-similar problems. one is, too many people are coming that don't really care about the virus, at all. we, also, have issues of, really, security and public safety because some of the

people that are coming, you know, are ready to let go and let loose. and -- and we are not an anything-goes city. so, we are enforcing all of our ordinances. we are -- you know, if you are drinking, publicly, you're going to be arrested. if you're smoking pot, publicly, you're going to be arrested. and obviously, if you do more things than that, we have license-plate readers on our causeways. we really are not treating this as the 1960s spring break that people remember, if -- if they're as old as i am. we're treating it like a real, public-safety challenge. >> yeah. i want to talk with you, really briefly, about the battle between local and state officials. "the miami herald" editorial board says that the governor has done his best to depict florida as a place where covid, magically, doesn't exist. and claims that he is tying the hands of local governments, prohibiting them from enforcing mask mandates and other restrictions. do you, kind of, fee as if there is a superspreader that comes out of spring break and people get sick from this, it's all on desantis? >> you know, listen.

i -- he, certainly, he's not helped and he is the one person that could help, the most. i mean, you know, listen. the mask mandate, we would enforce. and a lot of these things have been pushed down to local government to -- to be the folks that say, this is the tough medicine you have to swallow. the biggest problem has been that, not only has the government said you can't enforce it but, most importantly, his voice. the most compelling voice in the state of florida has not been urging people to practice healthy, you know, healthy practices. he just hasn't been part of that discussion. in fact, he's been on the opposite side of it. so, i get e-mails, every day, from people who just are angry i'm telling them to wear a mask. angry, because they think that all of this is -- is ridiculous. and we had 32,000 deaths in -- in the state of florida. nobody should be celebrating how we have handled this pandemic. >> understood. mayor dan gelber, i look forward to returning to your city, after i get the vaccine. and -- and -- yeah, exactly.

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new york lawmakers have voted to strip governor andrew cuomo of his executive powers, related to the pandemic. the vote comes, as cuomo finds himself embroiled in two of the biggest scandals of his career. allegations of underreporting covid-19 deaths, in nursing homes. and allegations of sexual harassment and assault by a growing number of women. the vote impacts cuomo's ability to enact laws on his own, as it relates to the pandemic, including lockdowns, quarantines, and business closures. the emergency powers, were originally granted to governor cuomo last march, as new york became the epicenter of the pandemic.

now, those decisions will, either, be left to local officials or require a deal between cuomo and the state legislature. cuomo, who has denied accusations surrounding each issue, now faces not one but two investigations into his conduct. and the new york attorney general just ordered his office to preserve any records that may be relevant to the sexual-harassment probe. msnbc's cori coffin joins us now from the governor's manhattan office. cori, good morning. >> yeah, good morning, lindsey. this action by the state legislature. the most consequential taken, so far, against governor cuomo amid these dual scandals. most recently here, a third woman coming forward accusing cuomo of an inappropriate advance at a wedding. this picture here, depicting the moment anna ruch says governor cuomo placed his hands on her face and asked ruch to kiss her. now, governor cuomo has said in his most-recent press conference, this is how he's greeted hundreds of people, men,

women, young, and old. and he apologized and said, still, it doesn't matter my intent if they were offended by it, it was wrong. prior to ruch, there was, also, charlotte bennett. she said, as a former aide, she had multiple occasions with governor cuomo, where he asked about her intimate relationships, including on one-such occasion, june 5th, 2020. where he asked her to stop recording after taking dictation. here's what she said, in an interview to cbs news. >> i thought, he is trying to sleep with me. the governor's trying to sleep with me. and i'm deeply uncomfortable, and i have to get out of this room, as soon as possible. >> and to be clear, what made you think that he was trying to sleep with you? >> without explicitly saying it, he implied, to me, that i was old enough for him, and he was lonely.

>> now, cuomo has said that he never made advances toward ms. bennett. and that he denied any inappropriate -- denied ever intending to act, in a way that was inappropriate. he addressed her allegations, specifically, in his most recent press conference. listen here. >> first, i, fully, support a woman's right to come forward. and i think it should be encouraged, in every way. i, now, understand that i acted, in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. it was unintentional, and i, truly and deeply, apologize for it.

and frankly, i am embarrassed by it. >> another-former aide, lindsey boylan, the first-known accuser, has said that cuomo harassed her on several occasions, from 2016 to 2017. including, asking if she wanted to play strip poker and placing an unwanted kiss on her, at one point. governor cuomo has denied ever touching anyone, inappropriately, and said that ms. boylan's accusations are, quote, quite simply, false. these allegations have led new york attorney to launch an investigation. he has asked the citizens of new york to reserve judgment, until the results of that investigation are complete. but lindsey, kendis, this is the second investigation, as we mentioned, launched against the cuomo administration, in 2021. you may remember, that the fbi is, also, looking into the attorney general's report that cuomo's office possibly

undercounted deaths, covid-19 deaths, in nursing homes, by as much as 50%. cuomo has said that he -- he admitted that they -- his administration has miscategorized those numbers but he has denied any-intentional wrongdoing. >> all right. cori coffin, thank you. well, today marks exactly-two months since the capitol-hill riots. we dive into the new details of the chaos from that day. and why the feds are digging deeper into whether lawmakers may have communicated with rioters. wealth is breaking gn your biggest project yet. worth is giving the people who build it a solid foundation. wealth is shutting down the office for mike's retirement party. worth is giving the employee who spent half his life with you, the party of a lifetime. wealth is watching your business grow. worth is watching your employees grow with it. principal. for all it's worth.

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we're back, now, with the breaking news. senators on capitol hill, now, nearing 20 hours of debate on that covid-relief bill that's promising to deliver much-needed aid for millions of americans. they have now been voting on just a plethora of different amendments. nbc's amanda golden is there, right now, with a play out of exactly what is happening on the floor, at this point, amanda? >> well, kendis, the vote a ra vote-a-rama is ongoing. as senators continue to -- republican senators bringing these amendments as they file them to see if they are going to get democratic senators to make on-the-record comments, in one way or the other. one thing to note about all this is republicans want to put democrats in a spot where they can be making uncomfortable calls that could come back to hurt them later on as they are debating this legislation before

it goes to that final vote in the senate. to then go back to the house to repass. to then, ultimately, go to biden's desk. some new reporting from my colleagues carol lee and kelly o'donnell. president biden was directly in touch with senator joe manchin of west virginia, throughout the ongoing debates for -- for unemployment benefits that we saw play out over the course of yesterday. we remember that nearly-12-hour delay during the vote-a-rama where manchin was wavering whether or not he would support, ultimately, a democratic plan for unemployment benefits. was leaning toward the republican version of that. and ultimately, what ended up happening was that $300 a week jobless benefits, down a hundred dollars. in addition, $200 of a tax break that was nontaxable for those benefits, as well. so, we are waiting to see on the timing. the votes are ongoing. senate staffers are, also, incredibly tired and want to see this continue to wrap up, soon. numerous are telling me, though,

they are optimistic this could come to a head to a final vote, within the next couple of hours but again, things continue to change and we are seeing this move along at a snail's pace. >> yeah, a lot of these amendments they are voting on have nothing to do with covid. including the current one, public-funded abortions. it will not pass. amanda golden, on capitol hill, thank you. >> we are turning back to disturbing, new details about the capitol insurrection. the d.c. national guard chief says the defense department took more than three hours to green light troops during the riots. with general charles flynn, the brother of michael flynn, advising against deploying troops. and there is a new report that federal investigators are looking into communication between gop lawmakers and rioters. as the investigation explores whether any lawmakers help ed the insurrectionists. joining us right now is president and ceo of the southern poverty law center, margaret wang. margaret, thank you so much for being with us and good morning

to you. can you explain the significance of this latest update that officials are looking into any communication, whether that exists? and do you have any insight on what they might find? >> good morning, lindsey. there's no question that there are many connections between the gop and many of the extremist groups, that led to the incidences on january 6th. what we have been seeing is an erosion between the soft barriers that, previously, used to exist. so, now, we have post-trump republicans in office. folks, like marjorie taylor greene and lauren boebert, as well as people who have aligned themselves with some of the anti-democratic organizations that led the january-6th insurrection. folks, like ted cruz, josh hawley, and matt gaetz. these connections are increasing. last week, at the america-first political action committee meeting, a sitting member of congress, representative paul

gosar, of arizona, actually, was the keynote speaker at that -- at that extremist-group convening. so, those kinds of ties indicate that there will likely be some connections uncovered as we look at the january-6th events. >> well, dhs secretary, alejandro mayorkas said in an exclusive interview with nbc news that domestic terrorism is one of our biggest threats. let's listen. >> one of the greatest threats that we face, in the homeland, is the rise of domestic-violent extremism. and one of our responsibilities, in the department, is to ensure that we're disseminating intelligence information to our state-and-local law-enforcement partners and to the communities, so that we can equip the communities to guard against this growing threat. >> we saw another threat, this week. so, how do we combat this? >> i think, there's no question, that this kind of threat is ongoing. certainly, one of our biggest

concerns is not that we're going to see another, necessarily, another incident like january 6th. but that, as some of the predictions of groups, like qanon, do not come true. individuals may become very frustrated, and take action, on their own. and so, we've seen this happen, in the past. qanon adherents, who have decided to take matters into their own hands, and who then commit violent acts. one of the most important things for everyone to be doing is to be, really, thinking about the information that they are sharing. to make sure that it's accurate. and to talk to people around you, who might be expressing support for some of the ideas, underlying the big lie about the election. >> okay. margaret wang, thank you so much for being with us, this morning. well, this is a big deal. workers are organizing in the ranks of one of the world's largest retailers. thousands of amazon employees, in alabama, are trying to form the country's first union. we're going to have a live report on the historic vote under way, next. ex nt.

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an historic labor showdown is taking place between workers in alabama and the retail giant, amazon. workers trying to unionize accuse the company of putting profits, over people. the fight has caught the attention of leaders in washington, with many lending their voice to support the cause. msnbc's gary grumbach joins us from outside that facility in birmingham. so, gary, what are these workers telling you? >> well, it depends who you talk to, right? if you are talking to the pro-union folks, they believe this union will firmly happen at this -- at this facility because they had to get 2,000 cards signed just to have a union vote, in the first place. so, they firmly believe there is going to be a union here. but on the other side of the coin, if you talk to folks who are anti-union. i spoke to a woman, yesterday, who told me she deals with hundreds of amazon employees on a daily basis and not one of them has ever mentioned to her that they are pro-union. now, i want to introduce you to

two people. kevin johnson and john hoge. both of them are employees here, at this amazon facility. but they have very different views on unionization. here's what they had to say. >> we're not going to be tolerating with being -- with fear. because being fear, that's what they give us. >> i am not here to pass judgment on anybody. what somebody else has gone through that i don't know about, i'm not here to say they didn't go through it. the only thing i would say to them is what avenues have you exhausted through amazon that lead you to feel that this is the only way to go. >> reporter: so the vote is ongoing now. vote by mail due to covid. results at the end of the month. if pro union get 50% plus one, that will start the process.

next step is contract negotiations. >> amazon is one of the largest retailers here. what could it mean for workers around the u.s. and other large companies? >> reporter: this is a natural spot, president biden supported workers here in alabama and across the country generally in unionization. we saw the congressional delegates come to the g the facility in support of unionization. if this vote does pass, amazon facilities across the country, workers will certainly be interested in possibly unionizing their facilities. also has to do with other companies, uber, tesla, workers at those companies toying with that. feel if it could happen here, could happen anywhere. >> thank you. breaking barriers on the race track, we introduce you to the pit crew trio making

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we are celebrating women's history month with our next guests breaking barriers for women and people of color in the nascar world. >> brianna daniels, brianna o'leary made history at the daytona 500 where the first time three women were pit crew

members. >> brianna, you were playing basketball in college and someone mentioned nascar pit crew to try out, you told them girl, i don't even watch nascar. what do you think they saw in you to chase you down and why did you say yes? >> that's exactly what happened. but i mean, i think tiffany told me because god or something told her to tell me. she didn't necessarily plan to sort of let me find her something, something told her to tell me, like god told me to go to the tryout. that's what made me say yes. i had something else to decide between, whether i was going to report a professional baseball game with intern ship or go to the tryout and i went to the tryout. >> the rest is history.

you said someone came up saying i can tell my granddaughter she can do this, too. what did hearing that mean to you? >> i think hearing that is probably like the most rewarding thing of the whole experience. i got to do some cool things as a nascar tire changer. but hearing that is definitely the best part of all of it. >> and meantime, should mention you were there at the super bowl for nascar, not only were you alongside another black woman at the daytona 500, you were making history alongside your mentor. take me through that moment. >> it was amazing. it was like a great experience. >> i want to talk about nascar in general. it hasn't been the most inclusive or diverse

organization. there are strides like this, a sign of progress. how far do we need to go? what are your hopes and aspirations for this? >> to see black folks across the board, you know what i'm saying. already making strides. my sister on the pit crew now, seeing more color and crew chiefs, people in the garage, i want to get nascar to the point it looks like the nba or nfl, like with different ethnicities, not just one race dominating the whole sport. i want everybody to feel welcome. >> nascar had racial issues over the years. >> yes. max siegel, and coach do their job well getting more diversity in the sport, driver's side and pit crew side. >> that's awesome. who can change a tire quickest? breanna says she can change two

tires in 15 seconds. >> we all have our days. >> kendis, don't have to pit them against each other. we can rise each other up. >> typical guy there. typical guy. we'll all lift up together. appreciate you guys. this is awesome to see you there on pit row. pit crew. all right. >> you're all so inspiring. thanks for being with us. >> thank you for watching. kendis gibson. >> that vote-a-rama is still going on. it is dubbed the maga meltdown. the capitol rioter who famously posed for photos lounging in

nancy pelosi's desk, gets his come uppance in court and is not happy. one election expert says we are experiencing the greatest roll back of voting rights since jim crow era of legalized segregation. go ahead and guess who is behind it. check your answers at the bottom of the show. one of the drugs to get us out of the nightmare getting a bad wrap. velshi starts now. good morning. it is saturday, march 6th. i am ali velshi. this is the united states senate which remains in session after debating, making changes to biden's $1.9 trillion relief package through the night. lawmakers are still going at this moment. final vote is expected and could happen as soon as this morning. overnight deal