1
00:00:00,333 --> 00:00:01,434
>> YEAH.

2
00:00:01,434 --> 00:00:03,336
ALL RIGHT.
PETE WILLIAMS, THANK YOU.

3
00:00:03,336 --> 00:00:05,905
>>> ALSO THIS MORNING, THERE IS 
NEW PROGRESS TO REPORT IN THE 

4
00:00:05,905 --> 00:00:09,809
VACCINATION PUSH.
NEARLY 27 MILLION AMERICANS NOW 

5
00:00:09,809 --> 00:00:13,046
FULLY VACCINATED.
THAT'S ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN 

6
00:00:13,046 --> 00:00:14,014
ADULTS.
10%.

7
00:00:14,014 --> 00:00:18,251
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE 
7-DAY AVERAGE OF DAILY SHOTS 

8
00:00:18,251 --> 00:00:20,320
ADMINISTERED HAS TOPPED 2 
MILLION.

9
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,024
IT'S ALONG SIGNS LIKE THAT WE'RE
GETTING A FIERY REACTION THIS 

10
00:00:24,024 --> 00:00:26,426
MORNING FROM THE PRESIDENT AND 
HEALTH OFFICIALS TO THE 

11
00:00:26,426 --> 00:00:28,628
GOVERNORS OF TEXAS AND 
MISSISSIPPI.

12
00:00:28,628 --> 00:00:31,264
THEY'RE ROLLING BACK 
RESTRICTIONS COMPLETELY AND 

13
00:00:31,264 --> 00:00:33,767
LIFTING MASK MANDATES.
WE'VE GOT TWO REPORTS.

14
00:00:33,767 --> 00:00:36,569
WE'LL START WITH NBC'S TOM 
COSTELLO.

15
00:00:36,569 --> 00:00:38,071
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.

16
00:00:38,071 --> 00:00:41,775
ONE CONCERN HERE IS THAT WE HAVE
NEW VARIANTS SPREADING QUICKLY.

17
00:00:41,775 --> 00:00:44,244
WE HAVE NEW CASES AND MORE 
DEATHS.

18
00:00:44,244 --> 00:00:48,448
NOW, IMPORTANTLY, WE KNOW THAT 
TESTING HAS DECLINED 30% IN 

19
00:00:48,448 --> 00:00:51,251
RECENT WEEKS.
WE MAY NOT HAVE A VERY GOOD 

20
00:00:51,251 --> 00:00:54,421
HANDLE ON HOW MANY NEW CASES ARE
REALLY OUT THERE, BUT HEALTH 

21
00:00:54,421 --> 00:00:58,058
EXPERTS SAY THAT RIGHT NOW 
LIFTING RESTRICTIONS COULD, IN 

22
00:00:58,058 --> 00:01:03,263
FACT, ENDANGER LIVES.
THIS MORNING STRONG PUSHBACK TO 

23
00:01:03,263 --> 00:01:08,301
MISSISSIPPI AND TEXAS DEFYING 
THE CDC AND LIFTING COVID 

24
00:01:08,301 --> 00:01:14,741
RESTRICTIONS. 
>> IT IS NOW TIME TO OPEN TEXAS 

25
00:01:14,741 --> 00:01:18,078
100%.
>> FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN.

26
00:01:18,078 --> 00:01:23,216
>> THE LAST THING WE NEED IS A 
NEANDERTHAL THINKING EVERYTHING 

27
00:01:23,216 --> 00:01:26,820
IS FINE.
>> IT'S RISKY TO DO THAT.

28
00:01:26,820 --> 00:01:30,824
>> AFTER DEFINING FOR SEVERAL 
MONTHS, CASES ARE CLIMBING 

29
00:01:30,824 --> 00:01:32,692
AGAIN.
TEXAS AND MISSISSIPPI AMONG THE 

30
00:01:32,692 --> 00:01:35,095
STATES WITH THE BIGGEST UP 
TICKS.

31
00:01:35,095 --> 00:01:42,502
MEANWHILE, OTHER STATES ARE 
PARTIALLY ROLLING BACK OTHER 

32
00:01:42,502 --> 00:01:46,172
RESTRICTIONS THE CDC DIRECTOR 
URGING ALL AMERICANS TO CONTINUE

33
00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:48,842
WEARING MASKS AND SOCIAL 
DISTANCING.

34
00:01:48,842 --> 00:01:54,180
>> EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS THE 
POWER TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE

35
00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:57,984
REGARDLESS OF OF WHAT THE STATES
DECIDE FOR PERSONAL AND PUBLIC 

36
00:01:57,984 --> 00:02:01,354
HEALTH.
>> MANY NATIONAL CHAINS ARE 

37
00:02:01,354 --> 00:02:05,859
STILL REQUIRING MASKS.
>> THE VACCINE ROLLOUT IS 

38
00:02:05,859 --> 00:02:11,531
PICKING UP PACE WITH THE J&J 
VACCINE GOING INTO AMERICAN'S 

39
00:02:11,531 --> 00:02:14,501
ARMS.
>> THREE, TWO, ONE.

40
00:02:14,501 --> 00:02:17,170
VACCINATED.
>> BUT LIKE MILLIONS OF SENIORS,

41
00:02:17,170 --> 00:02:21,975
PAUL IN FLORIDA IS FRUSTRATED 
AND DISCOURAGED.

42
00:02:21,975 --> 00:02:25,378
SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE BOTH 
CANCER SURVIVORS.

43
00:02:25,378 --> 00:02:29,916
WHILE HE GOT HIS FIRST SHOT, SHE
SPENT TWO MONTHS ON THE PHONE 

44
00:02:29,916 --> 00:02:33,253
TRYING TO GET HERS.
SO FAR NO LUCK.

45
00:02:33,253 --> 00:02:36,556
>> THEY'RE OPENING IT UP TO EVEN
YOUNGER PEOPLE AND I HAVEN'T 

46
00:02:36,556 --> 00:02:38,958
GOTTEN MINE YET.
IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING.

47
00:02:38,958 --> 00:02:42,929
>> MEANWHILE, FROM THE 
PRESIDENT, A PLEA TO WEAR THE 

48
00:02:42,929 --> 00:02:45,699
MASK.
>> I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS REALIZED

49
00:02:45,699 --> 00:02:49,102
BY NOW THESE MASKS MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE.

50
00:02:49,102 --> 00:02:51,104
>> A PARTICULAR CONCERN, THE NEW
VARIANTS.

51
00:02:51,104 --> 00:02:58,111
THE UK VARIANT, BRAZIL, SOUTH 
AFRI

52
00:02:58,111 --> 00:03:00,447
AFRICA, AND CALIFORNIA.
ALL OF THEM HAVE SHOWN UP IN 

53
00:03:00,447 --> 00:03:04,384
HOUSTON.
DR. FAUCI SAID IT'S GOING TO BE 

54
00:03:04,384 --> 00:03:07,721
CRITICAL TO DEVELOP A NEW 
VACCINE THAT ADDRESSES ALL THE 

55
00:03:07,721 --> 00:03:12,459
VARIANTS.
>> THE J&J VACCINE IN 

56
00:03:12,459 --> 00:03:18,765
PARTICULAR, HAS RAISED A CONCERN
FOR SOME IN THE RELIGIOUS.

57
00:03:18,765 --> 00:03:23,069
>> CATHOLICS ARE URGED TO AVOID 
THE J&J VACCINE IF THEY CAN 

58
00:03:23,069 --> 00:03:35,715
BECAUSE IT IS DERIVED BY USING 
CELLS OF ABORTED FETUSES DECADES

59
00:03:35,715 --> 00:03:38,585
ALE.
THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS IS SAYING

60
00:03:38,585 --> 00:03:43,656
IF YOU CAN CHOOSE THE PFIZER OR 
MODERNA, CATHOLICS SHOULD DO 

61
00:03:43,656 --> 00:03:48,094
THAT.
IF YOU CAN'T, TAKE THE JOHNSON &

62
00:03:48,094 --> 00:03:48,094
IF YOU CAN'T, TAKE THE JOHNSON &
JOHNSON VACCINE BECAUSE IT'S