for their rights, among the first to ever beat isis on the battlefield. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, i'm joshua johnson, welcome to "the week." ♪♪ president biden's covid package is one big step closer to becoming law. but what's after that? how will democrats govern with republican support uncertain at best? it could depend on this senator, democrat joe manchin of west virginia. the stimulus package has smaller unemployment packets to gain his support, not $400 per person but $300. even with his support, there's getting over republican filibuster in future. takes every democrat and ten republicans to stop it. has a number of democrats calling to end of the filibuster. more you learn about them, easier it is to see why. they're not nearly as hard as they once were, if you're thinking of "mr. smith goes to washington," jimmy stewart talking continuously, that's old-fashioned. today you just email the floor leader, no stamina required. emerged after the senate was created. idea of minority holding majority party hostage worried founding fathers. james madison argued it contradicted the fundamental principle of free government -- majority rule. alexander hamilton warned of causing tedious delays, endless negotiations and continual compromises of the public good. filibusters have frequently been a low point. used by southern senators to defend slavery. one almost caused a duel in 1841 on this week. when it emerges, senate had a bigger problem, there was no rule how to stop one. didn't have 2/3 standard until later. modern day opponents. >> can't continue to have minority who are obstructing what the american people want. count me in as somebody who believes that majority should rule in the senate so we can begin doing the business of the american people. >> but this is about more than the minority party, the republicans. senator joe manchin could represent a key constituency for democrats, moderates and independents. he supports $11 minimum wage adjusted for inflation. it has some support but $15 has more. independents who lean democratic would largely like the party to be more moderate. heard the same from viewers. today on "meet the press," mr. manchin argued the power to slow the process makes the senate remarkable. >> the senate is the most unique body of government in the world, it's deliberate, it's designed to make sure minority has input. that's exactly our founding fathers. if you want to make it more painful, make him stand there and talk, i'm willing to look at me way we can, but not willing to take away the involvement of the minority. i've been in the minority and majority, and i can tell you respect i've had on both sides, should be i've got something to say, listen to me. i want that to happen. >> panel, white house correspondent and msnbc contributor. spokesperson for fix our senate, group aiming to eliminate the filibuster, had been communications director for patty murray, and writer and editor for msnbc daily. good to see you all. annie, start with you. what about senator manchin's comments this morning? seemed open to making filibuster more painful but occurs to me would require passing new senate rules, you could filibuster that and need 60 votes to get past. >> he's clearly a no. this is a slow movement. amy klobuchar, more moderate than bernie sanders, she's been more open to it recently. question is will biden step in and -- and make it clear where he stands on the filibuster. people i'm talking about where he stands compared to where he was in covid relief bill after georgia senate races. didn't want to say screw you to republicans, going to do rec reconciliation. but became clear reconciliation was the only way. that's what people expect him to do here. he's not going to get in front of this issue. he's a creature of the senate and traditionalist. but they think it's going to become clear over a little bit of time this is obvious choice to get anything done. he's wanted to be president his whole life, and when this becomes more mainstream, not just bernie sanders, but more senators on board, will be clear that he will come as last resort to support it too, that's what people are hoping who support it. they'll see from the white house. >> what does the path forward look like? going after some of the rules that govern filibusters? going after the procedure altogether and trying to abolish it? what do you think is most logical path forward? >> for the white house -- >> sorry, elie, go ahead. >> thank you. i think annie is exactly right. president biden wants to work in bipartisan manner, opened the door for republicans and democrats to work together. but takes two to tango, the republicans made it clear that they have no interest in working with democrats even on a bill with 72% support. this only passed moving through reconciliation, there's going to be issues, voting rights, democracy reform, raising minimum wage and many more, unless they find a way to get past the brick wall of mcconnell's filibuster, his agenda is going to stall out and all the success will be fleeting. >> hayes, what do you think about the political processes around the filibuster? even if it was gone right now, still have two parties that don't seem to work well with one another and republican parties that's shown not much interest in working hand in glove with democrats to get things done. covid bill is example. counterpart measure brought by republican senators was a less than a 1/3 of the bill, a nonstarter. >> miles apart from the beginning, that's why president biden encouraged reconciliation. the filibuster right now is not something you expect a lot of people to be really upset about, just if you polled them randomly. i haven't seen polling that says a majority of the country really wants to get rid of it yet, hasn't seeped into the public consciousness this is why things are broken in washington. but about the ways to change the filibuster, interesting suggestions came up recently. manchin talked about going back to holding the floor again like jimmy stewart. or change the rules for instead of 100 senators towards a filibuster, just people in the room at the time, 3/5 of those people. or idea of creating loophole around voting rights, much like a budget bill cannot be filibustered through reconciliation, a process to rule on and determine that bill on voting rights cannot be filibustered, call the the manchin rule for all i care, that's how you get voting rights to pass through. >> move on to something else said this morning by wyoming republican senator barrasso on "meet the press," chuck todd asked about the covid checks, checks in the stimulus package. here's part of what he said. >> this bill, they're going to people in prison, illegal immigrants, people who make much more money than you would expect people to actually need relief or help at this point. i think this is a mistake, what's happening in the bill just passed the senate. >> annie, should be clear, prisoners are eligible for stimulus checks, they were in the previous packages, that's not new, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for stimulus checks, that's false. what does that tell you about where the senate stands right now in terms of dealing with covid relief and whatever the next item on the agenda may be? >> bipartisanship is dead. this idea that biden wants to reach out and be a unifier, it's just not where the country or at least where washington is. maybe the country is more there. this bill had a lot of bipartisan support if you talk about support from voters. it had zero bipartisan support if you talk about elected officials. there's that gap. but it's also just a sign of this bill shows biden's economic philosophy, help from the bottom up, resuscitate the economy by helping poor people. trump's first action in congress was a tax cut for the rich. this is flip, 180 degrees from the last administration in its first big legislative push. and we're seeing that other side is going to oppose it and make it seem scarier by saying things factually inaccurate about it to tear this administration down and make it so he can't deliver on his agenda. >> also with regards to president biden's strategy, heard from kate benningfield about view of the filibuster, heard from annie about it but like to hear from you as well. >> his preference is not end the filibuster, he wants to work with republicans and independents. believes we're stronger when we build a broad coalition of support. look at what we've been able to do in first six weeks in office with the filibuster in place. >> eli, what do you see in terms of the future for the biden administration's agenda if the filibuster remains? drop dead necessity to get things done or way to make due for now? >> it's a necessity. president biden and senate democrats are going to have to make a choice to protect the outdated, abused senate rule that president obama called a jim crow relic or deliver on the promises on voting rights, democracy reform, raising minimum wage and so much more? there's a reason more and more moderates are coming out against the filibuster, see it no longer promotes bipartisanship and compromise but the opposite. you're going to see more and more pressure on president biden to get it done. he said he's open to change if republicans are obstreperous, and i think we'll see more obstreperousness in weeks ahead. >> it's been used as jim crow relic to defend jim crow slavery and so many of america's greatest crimes against humanity, really a relic of the worst of our government at work. >> absolutely. as you mentioned, fact it's mistake, weren't supposed to have filibuster. no founding father, if you went to madison, what do you think about filibuster, would have said that's terrible idea, not what i want. fact that you have senators clinging to this incorrect history of their own body in order to prevent things from getting done is distressing and troubling. i'm glad we're seeing more and more senators come out on the record being in favor of getting rid of the filibuster. if nothing else, got to make a new carve out like budget reconciliation exists, need to carve out at very least for voting rights. this is about the future of the country and democracy. if you cannot get past a filibuster on that, rule of the body, just broken. >> annie carney of the "new york times," eli and hayes brown, glad to have you. minneapolis on edge over the first trial in the killing of george floyd. if you're anxiously awaiting cdc guidance for vaccinated people, this week's dear doctor. but first richard lui. san francisco officials say public schools will reopen in april. 13,000 students. can choose virtual or learn in person. teachers are getting vaccinated before schools reopen. new york senate majority leader wants governor cuomo to step down. she and other critics point to sexual harassment accusations and scandal over the nursing home covid death data. cuomo denied the allegation, saying there's no way i resign. finally summer vacation in outer space? a space construction company announced first ever space hotel will start construction by 2026. starship shuttle can hold 280 guests. this intergalactic cruise lasts 3 1/2 days, orbiting the earth, $5 million a ticket. resort fees not included. more of "the week with joshua johnson" after the break. johnson" after the break for wh? 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. ♪ ♪ and a little bit of chicken fried ♪ ♪ cold beer on a friday night ♪ ♪ a pair of jeans that fit just right ♪ ♪ and the radio up ♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1 with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's. visible is wireless that doesn't play games. no surprise fees, legit unlimited data for as little as $25 a month. and the best part, it's powered by verizon. but it gets crazier. bring a friend every month and get every month for $5. which is why i brought them. two $5-a-months right here. hey. hey. plus the players of my squad. hey. what's up? 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why not? >> trying to, but the same thing keeps happening, there's just no justice. >> if i'm being honest, i feel nervous, something tells me he's going to go free or with lesser sentence. that's why we're having the protests to show our dominance and presence. >> maybe the process works for someone who looks like me, doesn't work for everybody. >> reporter: that's a concern as we start this trial? >> absolutely. absolutely. yes, i have concerns he's going to be acquitted like many other officers have been. >> i mean, given what's happened at the actual protests that happened, i think it's justified. i do believe people have a right to come back to their business after something happens, but it just shows the anger of the people, you know. they -- how fed up people are. >> there's no reason to put barbed wire or cinder blocks around public property if you think the decision is going to be aligned for black people, they're telling us might have him go innocent or lesser sentence. >> reporter: start of the trial begins with jury selection. in socially distant courtroom, see eight potential jurors interviewed each day, four in morning, four in the afternoon, will continue up to three weeks until a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates are seated. open arguments begin march 23rd. joshua. >> thank you shaq, that's shaquille brewster in minneapolis. up next, answer your questions about covid-19 and vaccines, dr. lippy roy when we come back. you love your pet...but hate wearing their hair. did you know that your clothes can actually attract pet hair? 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i understand some folks saying locked up a year, finally got vaccines, infection rates and death rates going down, hospitalizations going down, we're done, got to get out of the house, has to be beginning of the end. speak to those folks before we get to questions. >> joshua, i really truly empathize with the frustration, the anger that many people in this country are facing, and the world for that matter. i, too, want to go back to see broadway shows and sporting events and hockey games from the leafs. i want to socialize with family and friends in person and do all those things. however we're not there yet. deeply optimistic we're getting closer and closer but simply not there yet. we have variants out there. virus is going to continue mutating as long as we continue to create environment for it to grow and mutate. and yes, we have many excellent vaccines out there but we haven't vaccinated majority of the country. we're simply not there yet. ask people to be patient. we're going to get there. >> get to your questions. lower right of the screen, qr code, point your camera at it, take you to planyourvaccine.com, get information getting vaccinated where you live. ellen asked after having covid virus, antibodies for certain period of time. is it only protective for the strain of virus one had or can they protect other variants? i plan on getting vaccine at recommended time, 90 days after initial symptoms. doctor? >> ellen, first of all, so glad you're going to be getting the vaccine. by all means get that vaccine, because that vaccine is actually your best chance of getting yourself -- protecting yourself from the virus and different variants out there. while people who have been infected have some natural immunity from the infection, data has not shown evidence for long-term immunity. best chance to protect yourself is getting the vaccine. >> kathy in las vegas asked i have many christian family members who will not get a vaccine because they think they're made from dead babies. is this true? just by way of context, controversy from some catholic churches and u.s. conference of catholic bishops expressing concern that cell lines in j&j's research come from aborted fetuses. lines that go back decades right? >> yeah. to answer directly, patently no. none of the vaccines are made from dead baby or more specifically from fetal tissue from aborted fetuses. fetal cell lines have been used in development and research phases but those fetal cell lines are derived from cells in the 1970s and '80s that have been regenerated thousands of times, they're unrelated to the initial cell line. no dead babies in any of the vaccines. >> and statement from u.s. conference of catholic bishops reads in part while we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies decrees using aborted fetus cell lines, given the world, getting vaccinated can be charity to serve the world. that's the statement. gloria asks, i had first dose of the covid-19 vaccine, what am i to expect from the second dose? many have reactions from it. can you answer reason? should we stop wearing mask as governor advised? two-part question. >> first, congratulations on getting that first dose. by all means get that second dose. i'll share my personal experience. after i got first dose of moderna, felt fatigue and pain at injection site. both have extremely common. second dose again got the common side effects, fatigue, body aches and chills. most common side effects. you're not getting sick but immune system is doing what it's supposed to do, revving up in preparation for the virus should it ever infect you. doing what it's supposed to do. some people get no side effects whatever, i'm jealous of them. others are mild. they're short acting, only last one or two days. >> governor abbott's instructions, should she continue to wear masks? >> we're not ready for any easing of the mitigation measures, joshua, i recommend everyone continue to wear masks and practice social distancing. >> qr code lower right of the screen, point camera phone at it to planyourvaccine.com, information for you based on your state and preexisting health conditions. dr. lipi roy, good to see you, thank you very much. >> bye joshua. women's history month, a remarkable story of rebellion and courage from the syrian civil war. author of new book on all-female fighting force joins us next. 7 moisturizers 3 vitamins 24 hours hydration gold bond champion your skin it all starts with an invitation... ...to experience lexus. the invitation to lexus sales event. lease the 2021 is 300 for $359 a month for 36 month's, and we'll make you're first month's payment. experience amazing. why walgreens? 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"the daughters of kobani: a story of rebellion, courage and justice." the kurds are largest ethnic group in the world without a homeland. live in oppressive conditions in syria, turkey, iraq and iran. this was fight for justice and equality, defeated isis fighters while challenging the roles of women in society. author gayle tzemach lemmon made seven trips to northern syria, a senior fellow at council of foreign relations and joins us now. welcome to the program. >> thanks for having me. >> talk about the things that motivated the women to fight, particularly those pushing against the societal norms around them. >> at the beginning this story is about women in the communities like watching tonight. wanted to take care of neighbors and neighborhoods. never thought of fighting isis but the civil war turned into the isis fight and they had to take a stand. stood up to say these extremists will not bring their values to our neighborhood, and wanted to fight against the islamic state and for women's equality. 2014 really, kobani becomes a site of david versus goliath battle where david is a woman. >> one of the things about the societal shift around them, ethnic kurds motivated by a man whose philosophy said that the freedom of women is directly tied to their freedom as a people. that's pretty remarkable. >> it was, and i wanted readers of "the daughters of kobani" to enter this world, young women reading a man influenced by a man from new york migrated to vermont, practiced politics to left of bernie sanders. ideas come together in grassroots participatory democracy with notion that true equality for everyone can only come if women are also able to exercise their rights. so the kurds could not be free until women were free. >> how did people react to the ypj standing up? they were separate but equal part of another fighting force, ypg, that had begun to build around them. one section of the book one woman said we thought people invented you when heard about the women fighters and saw them in action. what was the reaction like? >> it was so fascinating. rosha, one of the women, america's partner against the fight in the nation's capital, asked her why? said could not let a world in which men bought and sold women stand. and just didn't want men taking credit for our work. that's most universal sentiment, i don't care where you were born a woman, anywhere in the world. notion that women would take credit for work they were doing in battle so they can govern when it came time to peace. wanted to show what we could do in war so when it came time for peace we would be able to govern with no one questioning us. >> talk about where this stands now. syrian civil war, ten-year war at this point, has had so much proxies in it, united states, russia, turkey, it's become this -- and there are so many factions moving within it. rebels who used to be part of al-assad's government, and isis and the kurds, a complex fight that america was involved in, including with the kurds who helped us with mutual enemy, isis. where does it sit now. >> story is the humanity amid the complexity. syria become a war that's extinguished the power of adjectives to describe its horrors. but story of hope. all around the world the people are questioning the rules they did not write that govern their lives. about young women who said i'm going to stand up for neighbors and neighborhood and show what i can do in the process. so next generation of boys and girls lives something different. that's what you see on the ground, every town they took from the islamic state, there's male and female cohead of the civil council. i go to the opening of the council cynical and left deeply moved. wasn't international presence, it was local folks standing up on the streets where isis bought and sold women we're going to set up council for women by women where we stand up for ourselves. wanted readers to enter that world. >> being developed for television, parts of the world, including the u.s., becoming to warm to the idea of women in foreign combat areas. now women training with amalie arenas in san francisco as we reported on. what does it mean for you to see the story gain attention? >> testament to the universeality of the human spirit and power of inspiration. people didn't believe so much inspiration could come from a war so few people are still paying attention to in the united states. i wanted to take a flashlight into that world and say what brings us together is so much more powerful than what divides us. as we think about women's history month, this is a story about women who said this will not stand, and we will create a future that looks different from the past. >> the book is called "the daughters of kobani: a story of rebellion, courage and justice" a page turner story about real people caught up in something larger than themselves and has impact that's moving and visceral and hard to put down, gayle tzemach lemmon, thank you. >> thank you. we asked independent voters what it would take to ask you to join a political party. share a few of your stories before we go. tomizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? i mean it... oh, sorry... 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( ♪♪ ) our lawyers just want you to know that this isn't real. that's my boy. just remember my motto: if you ain't first... all: you're last! purchase and get $10 per horsepower with dodge power dollars. that's $7,970 on the dodge challenger srt hellcat redeye. the movement to shift funding away from law enforcement is advancing in san francisco. city now has first ever street crisis response team. goal is to support people dealing with homelessness, mental health issues or addiction without involving the police. san francisco's mayor london breed hopes to break the cycle of ignoring the deeper issues that land some folks in trouble with the law. jacob has the story. >> crisis did not happen for me just like that. it happened gradually, found myself in the street. i've been in the street myself. >> reporter: spun out of control when his mother died, now he's sober and part of the street crisis response team in san francisco. peer counsel, behavioral and community. >> every response to 911 does not require a police response. in case of someone suffering from mental illness, can make things worse than they need to be. >> reporter: data is spotty but studies suggest quarter to half of all fatal police shootings involve someone with mental illness. william scott said he was eager for dispatchers to bring in this kind of help. >> i would like to see the police be in a position to bring resources we're trained to handle by noncriminal, non-pol non-violent situations. >> reporter: and president biden calls for just this sort of approach on the campaign trail. this team patrols the streets, looking for people in need. it's part of a new program costing an estimated $13 million a year and paid for by a business tax. 911 calls about people in crisis are directed away from police to these specialists. >> we could transport someone to a skiek yeah trick clinic, to a substance abuse treatment program. any resource the city has to often for folks, we'll have a resource for that. >> i remember when i was in crisis, i don't remember who's in front of me. sometimes the tone, it's a real person to person to say here, i'm here to help, how can i help you. ? i appreciate you talking to us. >> and homelessness, mental illness and equity are sensitive topics in san francisco and across the country. at least one passerby felt we should not be filming people in distress, even with their permission. ? these are people living on the streets. hello. these are people living on the streets. they shouldn't be recorded. >> reporter: we decided to blur the faces of people in the midst of mental health crisis. and by the way, this person got housing. >> what are they offering you that you need? >> what are they offering me? they gave me food and helped me pack my bag and fold my blankets. >> hey, thank you. >> it's tough. it's hard work. but i'm able to really rely on my team. we debrief each and every call. this is our debrief. who would like to begin. >> reporter: we watched the team offer comfort and bring over a sandwich. every detail is recorded. >> he had sub acute conditions, cuts on his finger, minor stuff that needed to be looked at. >> we provided resources and we would list out what those resources are and discuss his interaction. >> reporter: what would you say to someone who sees this and says, so wait, they're spending all this money to go out, talk to people, maybe give them some bags for their goods. >> i grew up in a household, most people don't know, with an aunt who was born with brain damage. she suffered from mental illness. she had a number of challenges, but she wasn't violent, but every team she was at a location where she would leave or wouldn't follow the rules then they would call the police. mental illness can affect anyone at any geffen team. we need to treat it that way. at the moment, there are two of these teams on the street. by summer, the plan is to be able to amdle the whole city. >> i believe we will be able to handle in excess of 10,000 cases a year. we plan on having six operational units every 24 hour periods. >> it's an opportunity for law enforcement to actually focus on public safety. we appreciate their work, but at that particular moment in time, it did not require law enforcement, and we happy we were there. >> i lived six and a half years in san francisco and that is remarkable. before we go, let's read a few e-mails. we asked independents, what would it take for you to join a political party. some had common themes. robert in modesto, california said i've been a registered voter. i've been a split ticket voter who picks candidates over parties. i did like the green party until 2016. but after the republicans' behavior and bush/clinton/bush, i changed. even if jesus ran as a republican, i'd be hard-pressed. so, if a non-right third party were to arise, they'd have a 50/50 shot with me. i would remain unaffiliated because i get too much junk mail. gaye writes i haven't voted republican since before 2000. i keep my affiliation because of local primary elections which are often the only contested elections. i want small, honest compassionate government with a liberal point of view on social issues. it's getting very difficult to remain in the republican party. i need party with a common sense approach to getting the work done. a party that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal came up in a lot of comments. edward writes i want a democratic party who understands spending money isn't policy. they also need to be much more grounded in the bill of rights. and democrats have to be way less arrogant and condescending. i want a republican party that is not bigoted or racist and recognizes a larger role in investing in the country and definitely one that's not so angry. and finally, tom from berkley, california writes, i'm a democrat. i would happily join a centrist party that brought together conservative democrats and liberal republicans. thanks for your comments, and thank you for making time with us. please remember the week starts early on the streaming service peacock. join us fridays on the choice. download the app or sign up free at peacock tv.com. we're still here saturday nights, 8:00 to 10:00 eastern. up next, "street level usa." make a wonderful week. i will see you friday at 7:00 on peacock. goodnight. peacock. goodnight. 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