agency is releasing some new crucial guidance about school reopenings. they now say classrooms can reduce their physical distancing rules from six feet to three feet, a game-changer for administrators and teachers. but there are some caveats. we'll talk about that. and a heat confrontation between the biden administration and china unfolding on camera. this is a rarity during these types of diplomatic meetings. we'll show you what secretary of state tony blinken said that caused such an uproar. we begin with cnn's steve zeleny and natasha chen. steve, first, who are the president and vice president meeting there with today? >> reporter: president biden and vice president harris arrived on the campus of emory university moments ago and they are meeting hyped closed doors with members of the asian-american community. elected leaders in the state and house who have been speaking out urging the white house to forcefully condemn these shootings and acts of violence, which the white house has absolutely done, but one thing president biden has stopped short of doing is specifically calling this a hate crime. of course, white house officials say the reason for that is he does not want to interfere in the investigation -- or, rather, the prosecution of this crime. make no mistake, the white house speaking out forcefully about the rising really epidemic of violence against asian-americans in this country throughout the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. we're told the president and vice president are both going to speak in the next hour quite forcefully about this. the president urging congress to pass the covid-19 hate crimes act. that would allow the federal government to have a faster response to responding to a hate crimes in the wake of this pandemic. brooke, we've seen it for months and months, but the shootings this week in atlanta have sharpened the focus on this. that's why the white house changed their trip to focus on atlanta and meet with community leaders, which is happening behind me. >> we'll look for them in a little bit. natasha, to you, on the investigation. we listened to adp brief everyone this time yesterday, saying nothing's off the table, saying they hadn't divulged some of the victims' identities per notification of their families. they have done so now. who were these women? >> reporter: brooke, this is very heartbreaking. we are learning that the four women who were killed at the two atlanta spas were all asian women. . in addition to the two asian women at a third spa here in cherokee county along with two other people. now, i want to mention, one of the victims at the cherokee county spa location was delanna yan. she was there with her husband for a massage on tuesday evening and we're learning now more from her husband about what happened. he said they were happy, she was getting off work, they were in separate spa rooms. here's a quote that he gave the spanish language newspaper. they took the most valuable thing i have in my life because she was taken from me. he left me with only pain, the killer, who killed my wife. something needs to be done. a difficult moment for these families. this husband also spoke to the paper about the fact that he was actually detained by law enforcement right after this happened. he explained he heard the gunshots in the moment, was not injured. his wife was in a separate room and he was urgently trying to find out information about how she was doing. he was in a patrol car, he said, until at a certain point the investigation led law enforcement to the suspect and that's when he said they told him that his wife was dead. and in giving this interview, he said he wished he got that information sooner. he was only told when they found out she was his wife. so much pain for all eight families and so many questions left to be answered and many angles left to be looked into, brooke. >> can you imagine until you find out that's how your wife was killed. thank you. we're standing by for the president and vice president there in atlanta. in the meantime with me now, patricia ang, the president and ceo of asian and pacific islanders in philanthropy. a pleasure and honor to have you on. just the fact that the president and vice president are in atlanta for this very reason. what would you like to hear them say? >> first of all, thank you so much, brooke, for having me today. and my heart goes out to all of the families of the murder victims. i am so glad that the president and vice president are there meeting with asian-american leaders. that is so important. we are so heartened by president biden's strong early responses to the violence that has been happening to the asian-american community, a community that has been in great fear. you know, very frustrated. >> pat, i was talking to this asian activist this time yesterday. she's in georgia. she's fighting for progress. she was extraordinary. she was on television just reminding all of us that in everyday life, asians, asian-americans get ignored or discounted. those were her words. that also includes times such as these in tragedy. she was frustrated that this hasn't already been labeled a hate crime. that it doesn't matter that he also had some sort of addiction. i'm just curious how you feel and what you want to see from the community at large and also law enforcement on this point. >> okay. in terms of law enforcement, i think that these matters are for law enforcement to determine. i certainly can speak about the impact that it has had on our community and the impact, as i had said earlier, you know, is this sense of fear and the sense of frustration that we are both invisible, we're often picked on and especially over the past year with covid and with the former president stoking that hope -- not hope at all. stoking that -- the racism that the community has experienced. and i would say that racism is not a new experience for asian-americans. it has been a factor in our lives here ever since asian-americans have stepped foot in this country. >> to that point -- i'm hanging on your every word. i just want -- in addition to the killings in atlanta, of course we've been covering the violence in san francisco, specifically we know police are stepping up patrols following the recent assault against asians there. you've already spoken about the fear. you told my producer that many americans feel these incidents against asians are episodic, you said. explain to us how you and the community really see them. >> yes. as i said, racism is not a new experience for asian-americans in this country. and i think that perhaps for a lot of people, they think of it as episodic. they see these kinds of incidents and they think, oh, this is terrible, but then it goes away. well, this is just really one of a long string, a long history, you know, of violence. and it is not experience -- for those who experience this kind of violence in our communities, it is not episodic. it is cumulative. it has a cumulative impact on those of us who are asian-american, those of us who are people of color, that we experience racism every day, you know, and these stories just really adds to the harm we feel. >> this isn't a one-off. this has been happening for a long time and now we're all just really talking about it. patricia eng, thank you again. the president and vice president will be speaking in atlanta in the wake of all of this. thank you very much. breaking today, the cdc makes it official. cutting the recommended distancing for kids in schools from six feet to three feet. it could be a major boost to reopening classrooms. is it safe? plus, the first face-to-face high-stakes meeting between the united states and china devolves into an insult fest and it all happened while cameras were rolling. we'll discuss that. and marijuana, it is legal in much of the country. it is also less harmful than alcohol, so why is the biden white house firing staffers who have admitted to past pot use? let's talk about that. i'm brooke baldwin. you're watching cnn. cell phone repair. did you know liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? just get a quote at libertymutual.com. really? i'll check that out. oh yeah. i think i might get a quote. not again! aah, come on rice. do your thing. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪ locating your parked car with the touch of a button might seem... excessive. unless... getting lost is the whole point. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ - [narrator] if you're thinking about going to school online, southern new hampshire university is where you belong. we've been online for more than 25 years and have helped thousands of students reach their goals. as a nonprofit university, we believe access to high quality education should be available to everyone. that's why we offer some of the lowest tuition rates in the nation, and haven't raised tuition in nearly a decade. so no matter where you want to go, snhu can help you get there. visit snhu.edu today. we're back. you're watching cnn. i'm brooke baldwin. president biden is visiting the centers for disease control and prevention in atlanta on this day, a big day for his administration. he is setting a new goalpost in his quest to get 100 million covid vaccines into people's arms in his first 100 days in office. his administration says that goal of 100 million was hit today, 42 days ahead of schedule. >> we hope we can keep the pace about 2.5 million a day, which means we may be able to get to -- may be able to double it. we hit the goal and continuing to move forward. >> some crucial changes for schools as well. listen to this. the cdc is announcing it is cutting physical distancing guidelines for students in school from six down to three. let's get the latest from nick watt in los angeles. >> reporter: reopening america's schools just got a bit easier. the cdc now says desks need only be three feet not six apart. >> in classrooms, with universal mask wearing. >> reporter: the cdc now also says one kid per row on the bus, staff should still keep six feet away from kids and each other. and everyone should still keep six feet of distance in the hallways, when eating, singing, exercising. physical barriers between students no longer advised, but divide them into cohorts. according to the cdc, the science says -- >> the k to 12 schools that implement strong layered prevention strategies can operate safely. >> reporter: more good news, the president promised 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days, done. >> in just 58 days, weeks ahead of schedule. >> reporter: but there's a massive mountain still to climb. in fact, 12% of the population is now fully vaccinated. herd immunity, best estimate, 70% to 85%. >> if it is that, we would probably have to get more children. i believe as we get high school students vaccinated in the fall, we'll be able to reach that. >> reporter: normality creeping closer. starting today, new york city restaurants can be half full inside. nationwide, 80% of amc theaters are open again, with restrictions, but open. while officials fear that more contagious variant first found in the uk. >> the likely accounts now for about 20% to 30% of the infections in this country, and that number is growing. >> reporter: average new case counts are rising in ten states. michigan up 45% in a week. >> we are going in the wrong direction with the key metrics we are tracking for covid-19. >> reporter: case counts falling in 11 states, holding steady for now in the majority. including texas. there's a jack in the box manager in league city, texas, showing a customer their rules to help slow the spread. >> when officers arrived at the scene, they found the shift manager leaning against the counter with multiple stab wounds. >> reporter: stabbed, police say, for asking that customer to wear a mask. now, that manager is going to be okay. meanwhile, it is exactly one year to the day since california triggered the first statewide stay-at-home order in this country. now 3.5 million cases, more than 50,000 deaths later, california, like the rest of the country, still trying to finesse the exit strategy from all this. right now, latest figures, nearly a quarter of californians have had at least one dose of vaccine. brooke? >> it's great, but still the stabbings over not wanting to wear a mask. we'll have a whole conversation about masks and vaccines and hesitancy in a little bit, resi resistance, i should say. nick watt, thank you, in l.a. dr. rod davidson is with me, executive director of the committee to protect medicare. welcome back. let's start on the point about the cdc now reducing the physical distancing guidelines in schools from six feet to three. a massachusetts study found there's actually no significant difference in spread whether you are six feet apart or three. do you think schools should fully reopen in the next couple of weeks? >> yeah, i think the cdc and the director walensky told us they're going to use science. the science is not airtight. it is murky at times. science across medicine is murky and we come up with recommendations based on best estimates. this study out of missouri and utah, they're showing as long as there is universal wearing of masks, kids can be three feet apart. particularly in the younger age group as long as community transmission is low, even in the older age kids, up to age 19. and then they have provisions at meals, you know, when they're eating lunch or breakfast, when they're in choir or at sporting events and people might be screaming or yelling, they still recommend that six feet. yeah, i think the science is there, so we should be going down that path and getting there as soon as we can. >> i also wanted to ask you about this. this new washington post kaiser family foundation poll. a bunch of us couldn't believe this. i'm curious about your perspective. found more than four in ten health care workers have not been vaccinated. the post points out, quote, health care workers were the first group in the united states to be offered coronavirus vaccinations but three months into the effort, many remain unconvinced, unreached and unprotected. i know you and i have spoken. you have gotten your covid vaccine. i'm just curious, given what the post is reporting, are you seeing in your own hospital front line workers refusing to get the vaccine? >> yeah, there are. there's nurses i work with that i respect that are amazing nurses. we have conversations. and the people that i run across, they are not dig my heels in i'm not going to get this, they're a little hesitant. >> tell me why. tell me what they say. >> they say, listen, we're a little worried that it was rushed. then we talk about the fact this was done along the path of every other vaccine and every safety measure was followed. they tell me they're worried because this is new technology. again, we go back to a decade of research, this mrna technology. little by little, and i've seen folks in my hospital come around eventually after a few months, after they see other people getting vaccinated and being able to meet with family members and feel safer about it. and more of those people are getting it. i'm confident that a significant number of those folks will get vaccinated. >> but given the study, given the fact we're also seeing 47% of trump voters who don't want to get vaccinated and one-third of military service members have opted not to get the covid vaccine, you know, when you hear all of this, is it possible we never reached herd immunity? >> well, yeah, that's possible. again, this is the politicalization of the pandemic and the politicalization of masks is why you see people getting stabbed who are trying to enforce mask mandates. it's unfortunate. it's real. health care workers are political folks as well. they have certain views. so, the more we can get folks like former president trump to come out and say this is important, the more we get people in congress. i think a quarter members of congress aren't vaccinated. get them to come around and get them to trust what is said by spergts. i think it can get better. this is the next great challenge and we have our work cut out for us. >> sounds like maybe politicians aren't the ones some folks are listening to, but they are listening to you and other doctors and even some faith leaders in their communities to dispel any myths and get vaccinated. doctor, thank you very much. good to see you. >> thanks, brooke. the insults and tough talk flying in front of the cameras in his first face-to-face meeting with china under president joe biden. if things got that testy in public, how will it go behind closed doors? 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on it with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. it's an important time to save. with priceline, you can get up to 60% off amazing hotels. and when you get a big deal... you feel like a big deal. ♪ priceline. every trip is a big deal. sources telling cnn a handful of white house staffers has been asked to resign after revealing in their background checks they had used marijuana in the past. at least five are no longer employed while others have been suspended or are working remotely. now, recreational use of marijuana is legal in at least 14 states and the district of columbia. medical marijuana use is legal in three dozen states. but marijuana use is still illegal at the federal level, with hurdles at the clearance process. an official tells cnn, this wasn't just about pot that was the issue for some staffers. so, what else was involved? >> well, brooke, we know for some staffers there are some challenges when it comes to their past use of marijuana. what we have been told by a senior white house official is that five staffers are no longer employed at the white house after reporting they had used marijuana during their background checks. now, we are also told that this issue for some of those staffers involves some other security concerns including possible hard drug use. we don't know any further details beyond that, but in addition to those staffers who are no longer working at the white house, there are additional staffers who have now been working remotely after they disclosed in their background check they used marijuana in the past. i spoke to some sources who said that during the transition period, it was suggested to some they would not be disqualified from working at the white house if they had used marijuana in the past, but now that appears to be slightly different. one of the sources i spoke with said also the white house policy was not made clear to staffers before they were filling out these forms. right now, it shows how complicated the issue of marijuana policy, even within their own white house, as transition officials ran into these issues where they saw younger applicants being disproportionately affected by their past marijuana use. >> is there anything they can do to get their jobs back? >> we don't know the exact details with those staffers no longer working there, but for those staffers who have been working remotely, the whole process right now, the white house consulted with the security personnel at the white house. they are granting kind of waivers to people who were required to get top secret clearance. now, from now on, some of those people who are el-r eligible for that exemption, those are people who said they used marijuana within the past year and their job doesn't necessarily require a security clearance. if people are eligible for this waiver, they must stop using marijuana. they have to sign a pledge saying they won't use it while in government service and they will be subject to random drug tests. for those staffers who have been working at home, there is a potential they could come back full time into the white house. a lot of people are working remotely during this period. it just represents one of the challenges they're facing over there. >> indeed. thank you very much. president biden weighs in on that fiery exchange his secretary of state had with chinese officials. the impact that on-camera confrontation could have on diplomatic relations. next. 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and what do you think it it says about the u.s./china? >> no, i can't recall a thing like that in the past. i think it's a good thing. hiding behind the diplomatic niceties which is typically what's done, and i think take the gloves off and have a frank and candid exchange is a good thing, so, you know, they have grievances with us and they cert -- we certainly have grievances with them. it shows some continuity with the trump administration, which at the end had a get tough policy with china. that's a good thing to have some continuity. i think the difference is we're going to engage with friends and allies as a part of this and which i think strengthens the u.s. hand a great deal more than trying to go alone. >> to your point about in the end trump being tough on china. for all the criticism, trump administration's handling of foreign policy in general, trump was tough on china and some appreciated how he handled them. what should the biden administration be doing differently here? >> well, i think what they'll do is -- and that was indicated in tony blinken's statement, is we're going to be confrontational in those cases where we need to be. i also think we'll find areas where we need to work together. and climate change certainly comes to mind. you know, if we have further pandemic challenges. so, there are issues where we need to work with china. of course, you have to remember how our economies are bound, which is, of course, in stark contrast to our other adversary these days, russia. >> you mention russia. putin is now challenging president joe biden to a debate. after biden called him in this past week's tv interview a killer. i'm curious first, director clapper, what you made of joe biden's language and, secondly, putin's reaction to it? >> well, i think this is language putin understands. maybe it wasn't the most tactful, diplomatic thing to say, but it is truth. putin has blood on his hands. he is a killer. he's tried to rub out political opponents. as far as i'm concerned, he has blood on his hands -- on his hands because of what the russians have done in syria. so, this is another case of truth telling. and i think this is a welcome change from the past administration, which was basically given the russians a pass. and so -- again, we already have found one area of agreement which i think is probably the most crucial aspect of our relationship, which is nuclear weapons. so, the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, and i think in the case of china, we'll also find areas where we'll work with the russians because it's in our mutual interest to do so. >> it's interesting between the on-camera exchange and what biden said. it feels like there's a lot of truth telling coming from this administration and just given china and russia, et cetera, president biden is facing a number of significant challenges now on the international stage, director clapper, what does he need to do to combat those threats and relax tensions? >> i'm sorry, brooke, i didn't hear the question. i'm sorry, could you -- >> between china and russia and other huge foreign policy challenges that biden is now facing in his first 100 days, what does he need to do to just relax tensions? >> well, i think one important difference here and as a tool of diplomacy and relating to foreign countries is the engagement of other -- of our friends and allies. and i think it calls, obviously, for a continuation of a strong military posture. at the same time, we need to get our house in order here at home. as you saw the chinese, you know, cited that, all of our challenges here. so there are tools available to him, and he's certainly got the experience -- personal experience through his long experience as a senator and again as vice president in dealing with these foreign countries. so, i personally think he's off to a great start and he's doing the right thing. >> director clapper, thank you very much. nice to see you. >> thanks, brooke. president trump finally came out and endorsed the coronavirus vaccine, but still so many republicans in this country refuse to get it. we'll talk about why and what it would take to change their minds. y? 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thank you! hey, hey, no, no, limu, no limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ 47%, that's how many trump supporters do not want to be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus according to the pbs newshour/marist survey. it's an alarming number and poses a real hurdle in the nation's effort to reach herd immunity. cnn's gary tuchman traveled to a deep red part of the country to find out why this is. >> are you going to take the vaccine? >> no, sir. >> tell me why. >> i don't trust the government and i don't trust biden. >> just don't want to. >> reporter: why don't you, if you don't mind me asking? >> because when i take the flu shot, i usually get the flu. >> reporter: so you think you'll get covid by taking the covid vaccine? >> probably. >> i'm just not. i'm not going to take it. >> reporter: what if president trump came out and was very robust and said, take the vaccine, i took it even though i didn't tell anybody about it, it was done secretly, but you should take it? he said it a little bit but he wasn't robust. if he was robust about it, would you take it? >> no. >> trump's a liberal new yorker. why would we listen to him either. >> reporter: did you vote for him? >> he was the best option. >> wow. >> frank luntz is republican strategist and pollster. thank you. we'll get to your op-ed in a second, but you just heard those incredibly candid sound bites from these guys. why do you think there's so much resistance on the right? >> it comes from the politicalization and the partisanship of the virus among trump people. they think it was used to defeat him in the november election. it comes from a concern, even a hostility toward the media. and it comes from a lack of trust in the information that washington's providing them. nour focus group sound is alarming but it's alarming. it's what we're hearing in our focus groups. we did a study for the foundation and among trump voters 18 to 49, more than half either are unlikely or don't want to take the vaccine. it's actually more than half. so, you're looking now, if trump got 75 million votes and roughly half of his people won't take the vaccine, that's over 30 million people. 35 million people. and you can't get to herd immunity. this is a problem. it's going to become a challenge. it could become a crisis if we can't move these people along. >> that's what i was just asking one of our doctors about, might it prevent us from ever reaching herd immunity. you heard gary's question, if president trump were to be more robust in his getting vaccinated, if he believes in it, would that make a difference? he said, no, he's a liberal new yorker who he voted for. is there anything president trump could say that could help this move the needle? >> trump's participation will help. it should have come four months ago, five months ago. it should have come back january, february. just since the flu vaccine, despite what that gentleman said, the flu vaccine is about 60% effective. this covid vaccine is about 95% effective. the public needs to know that. the other statistic is doctors when given the opportunity to take the covid vaccine, they're the ones that say no. third, when it comes from the local doctor, your doctor, that's more believable than any politician, than any agency, than dr. fauci, than anyone. we need the medical profession to participate directly in telling their patients, in telling their community, please, getting the vaccine may bother you for a day. getting covid can bother you for a lifetime. >> so this is the point you made in your "washington post" opinion piece where essentially you're saying it really is up to doctors that folks on the right in this country who may be refused would truly listen to the m.d.s. would you explain more on that and also if you want to speak about your own health here. >> i acknowledge it because this is why i'm focused on it. you can hear it in my voice. if i had done this interview with you 15 months ago, i would have been clearer, not stumble over words. i had a stroke a year ago in january. i did it to myself by my eating, my travel, lack of sleep, not taking my medications, i made myself sick and now i have to liv with it for a lifetime. don't make the same mistake. if you get covid from chronic fatigue to loss of taste to lung issues that will never heal, you don't know. it's a random attack. this virus, it's unclear what it does to you, but it is clear that the virus is far more dangerous than the vaccine. please don't make the same mistake i made. take the precautions, get the vaccine. it doesn't hurt. i will tell you for somebody who doesn't like vaccines, it really is perrinless, and i feel so much safer, and i wish i had learned this lesson a year ago. >> i appreciate you saying all that. this is you lifting the veil on your own health here. sowing mistrust is nothing new in the gop. we've seen lawmakers downplaying or denying the threat of climate change, for example. do you ever see that changing? >> well, i've got numbers behind it. in the covid survey, only 5% think that the virus is a hoax. 5%. and i remind people bobby kennedy jr. is the leading anti-vaxxer in the country and he's hardly a trump supporter or republican. they're going to make mistakes, but for the vast majority, 90% of the public, they know you get vaccines for dangerous viruses. you know that you wear a mask because it's proper behavior to protect others, not just yourself, and you know that this is something serious. i hope we focus on the 95% and not the 5% that are extreme. >> frank luntz, thank you. be well. >> thank you. thanks. >> we have more details on the coronavirus pandemic as president biden visits the cdc today, thanks the staff for fighting this deadly virus, and a new concern about the uk variant next. is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis... stelara® can provide relief and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? 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(vo female) get 0% for 63 months on select new 2021 models. now through march 31st. one in five children in the united states has a learning difference, and this week's cnn hero understands them. david was diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled throughout school. and he's paired schools with stu students. >> eye to eye provide as safe space with what's right around kids so they can talk about their experiences. >> do you get scared when you take a test or get nervous? >> i get an despite. >> i shake a lot. >> that happens sometimes. >> people's hearts sing when they're seen. >> really cool. i like how you use duct tape as a handle. >> my moment is when the stigmatizing of kids because they learn differently goes away. i want them to know their brains are beautiful and that they can ask for what they need and they can do it and that's what we give them. >> all right, daniel. >> these stories are so special. you can check out david's whole story and check it out at cnn.com. while you're there, please nominate someone you think should be our next cnn hero. please join cnn for the new special report, "the human cost of covid. wts the numbers are staggering. miguel marquez introduces us to some who are behind it. make sure you join us for this emotional hour, the new cnn special report. "the human cost of covid" airs tomorrow night at 9:00. we leave you with a quick programming point. join stanley tucci in "stanley tucci searching for italy" sunday night at 9:00 pacific. let's go to washington. "the lead with jake tapper" starts right now. welcome to the lead. i'm jake tapper. in this hour, president biden will speak in atlanta after meeting with asian-american community leaders in the aftermath of the horrific shootings there, which left eight people dead including six women of asian deese scent. and earlier president biden visited the centers for disease control and talked about his accomplishment of meeting his goal earlier than promised. today he promised 100 million shots in arms in 58 days, not 100. and today the big change with the cdc that could help g