look at the year that has passed and the year that is ahead. through the prism of one state's experiences. while there is still much pain here, and a long way to go. there is some good news. some light, at the end of the tunnel. one recent analysis ranking rhode island number ten in terms of vaccine distribution. and the state just increased the eligibility to those 60 and over, as well as people as young as 16, with an underlying condition. i saw that hope, myself, this weekend, as i visited a mass-vaccination site at the dunkin' doughnut center, not far from where i am standing right now. where vulnerable residents were getting their first and second covid shot. take a listen. what was it like, after you got your first shot in your arm? what was that kind of emotion for you? >> oh, it was -- it was wonderful. but i tell you, today, it's really touching me today that we're so fortunate to have this vaccine after-only a year. >> it's a sense of freedom like, okay, now, i can -- i can go out to dinner. we haven't gone out to dinner in a year. not even anywhere. takeout. that's it. >> it feels good. >> i feel free. i'm immune compromised. so is my wife. so that's kind of why we are getting it before most people, my age. but it feels good. feels like i can, maybe, plan a vacation. a lot of what i heard from a lot of those folks is some anxiety is now gone. later this hour, i am going to be talking with three front-line doctors about whether the vaccine has transformed the battle that they're fighting, every-single day. including, dr. christian, who i interviewed right after got the first vaccine in this state. and dr. laura foreman who took me on the tour of a field hospital she had set up when i was here back in rhode island, in november. i am also going to share my conversation with pastor howard jenkins. a covid survivor, who is offering his congregates a message of hope. watch this. >> i think, faith has been a bedrock. it -- it's made a difference, in the lives of those that have reconnected in regards to their faith. so, god has, literally, given us the opportunity to reboot. >> you are not going to want to miss the entire conversation that i had with him. it was a really good one. also, in the two hours ahead. we are going to be looking at the economic and educational impact, imagine that, of the covid crisis. in our special-live coverage, right here from the state of rhode island. but first, i do want to get you up to the minute on stories that are happening outside of the state. and i got a team of reporters covering all of them. including, demonstrations and demands marking the one-year anniversary of the police shooting of breonna taylor. we go live to louisville, kentucky, for that. also, a republican senator's shocking comment about the capitol-hill rioters. i am going to tell you what he said. you don't want to miss it. and the growing chorus of democrats calling for the new york governor to step down as well. we also have new information on what the manhattan da may use in his potential case against former-president donald j. trump. but we do want to start with those events underway in louisville, kentucky, right now, to remember, of course, breonna taylor. the 26-year-old emergency-room medical technician and aspiring nurse was shot and killed in her home by officers who were serving a no-knock search warrant just one year ago, today. her family, and activists are keeping her memory alive with a series of events, across this city. with that, i want to bring in nbc's antonia hilton who is live for us in louisville, kentucky, and has been covering this story, front to end. antonia, good to talk to you on this. bring us up to date, you know, what we have been seeing on the ground, so far, today. >> hi, yasmin. so, throughout the day, hundreds of people have been coming here to jefferson square park, which is right behind me. this park has become symbolic. it is the central-meeting place for supporters of breonna taylor's family. for activists, who have launched actions, throughout the past year. and now, people are here hanging on every word, waiting for breonna taylor's mother, tamika palmer, to finally come out and speak. over the last couple days, she has been speaking out and calling on the commonwealth attorney here, in louisville, to pick up the mantle and try and bring charges against officers here. though, it's unclear because in the past, commonwealth attorney has said he believes there may be a conflict of interest. she also recently wrote a letter to president biden calling on him to bring renewed attention and assistance to this case. and what i am hearing from people on the ground here is that while they are happy some reforms have passed in the last year. ultimately, they still feel there is an immense amount of work to do here. take a look at this conversation i had with attica scott. >> i was here in september when that decision came out. when you look around, has much changed in six months? >> not as far as policy. not as far as practices, with the police department. but what has changed is the people. they have become even-more resolved in seeking justice. they have become even-more determined to get policy change. and i love all the people who plan to run for office, in 2022. that's change. >> just after that, rep scott and i discussed the fact that, just two days ago, two days before this anniversary, the kentucky-state senate has passed a bill that would criminalize insulting police officers, at protests, like this one. and representative scott told me that she thinks that kind of bill passage, that that kind of activity in the state legislature is directly connected to the historic movements we have seen come out of louisville this past year, yasmin. >> all right. antonia hilton for us. by the way, we are going to be bringing you those remarks from tamika palmer as soon as they begin. i also want to get to the much-needed financial relief for coronavirus. $1,400 could be headed your way, as early as today. with that, i want to go to monica alba, who is standing by for us in delaware. monica, i actually put a tweet out a little earlier to my followers, asking if anybody had gotten $1,400 in their bank account, as of yet. and some folks actually got back to me saying, in fact, that $1,400 is pending in their bank account, as of now. walk us through, exactly, who is going to be seeing some of this money. >> you are right, yasmin. we have plenty of anecdotal evidence now of those pending transactions. that's something that the treasury department was able to do, very quickly, for those individuals who already had their information on file with irs. so, you are already seeing the immediate impact of what the president and the white house are really going to be going out, and educating americans on. what's in that $1.9 trillion covid-relief bill when they hit the road next week with a series of events. those $1,400, stimulus payments that you reference. that was really, a very important part of this package. but many people may not even know other things that are within it. and that's why you are going to see the president and vice president go out and break it down, component by component. but those $1,400 checks apply to individuals, who make less than $75,000, and couples who, together, combined, less than $150,000, in their income. beyond that, when you get to the child-tax credit. this is something that we really can't underscore the impact of, enough, yasmin. experts predict that, if this is implemented in this way, it could cut child poverty in half. think of that. that is remarkable. so, it would mean $3,000 for families with kids between the ages of 6 to 17. $3,600 for those with children, under the age of 6. and then, there is also the enhanced-child-tax credit. that's something that parents will be eligible for, and families, from july to december. and it's an extra $300, a month, per child under the age of 6. $250, a month, for those children between the ages of 6 to 17. a very important question, here, though, yasmin, is all of these provisions are currently temporary. they will only last through the next year or so. and that's why you already have the president and other democratic lawmakers wanting to make them permanent. that's something they are going to be talking about as they navigate these cities and states. and they're also going to be touting the popularity of this bill. something-like-70% of americans back it. and even though, no-republican senators voted for it. you are going to see all the principals across the country in the coming days talk about why republican mayors and governors did get behind it. you are going to see a lot of that. and then, on top of everything, they are going to be talking about vaccinations. that's going to be a centerpiece of next week. and the fact that, now, they will exceed this $100 million -- 100 million shots in 100 million arms well-before the 100-day mark, yasmin, in fact, they are expected to hit it now by next week. >> yeah. you bring up the child-tax credit. it's really incredible. as to how it's really going to affect children that have been food insecure throughout the last year, across this country. one of the most progressive parts of this $1.9 trillion relief bill. nbc's monica alba for us. thank you so much. good to talk to you, monica. let's go to new york now and talk about governor andrew cuomo remaining defiant, amid multiple claims of his inappropriate behavior. even as senators chuck schumer and kristen gillibrand are joining a chorus of democratic lawmakers demanding his resignation. lindsey reiser is covering this story for us. so, governor cuomo acknowledging, right, that he acted in ways that may have made people uncomfortable. but emphatically, denying touching anyone inappropriately. moreover, he has shown no endcation that he is going to resign before an investigation is complete. even as you have these prominent democrats like senator schumer and kristen gillibrand urging him to, in fact, resign. where does this investigation stand, as of now? and is there a sense as to whether or not the governor is going to be able to survive this thing? >> well, yasmin, right now, seven women have come forward accusing the governor of inappropriate conduct. we also have state lawmakers here, who have opened up an impeachment investigation. and one of the most egregious allegations, first reported by "the times" union, has now been transferred to albany police. so, the newspaper, citing someone with direct knowledge of the woman's story reports that cuomo, allegedly, groped a young-female staffer at the governor's mansion when he asked for help with his phone. more allegations were levied yesterday as well in new york magazine. a journalist saying cuomo's hands had been on her arms, shoulders, the small of her back, and her waste. as you mentioned, cuomo, vehemently denying any of these claims. he was on a press call yesterday as well. this was before senators schumer and gillibrand put out their statement. but on this call, he was defiant, as you say. he said he was not going to bow down to cancel culture. and he said some people may have different motivations for levying these allegations. but to that point, one of his accusers, lindsey boylan, who says the governor made inappropriate comments to her. even kissing her on the lips. tweeted this. he is calling up hate and speculation to be directed at his accusers. all harm and hate directed at the women sits squarely on new york governor cuomo. now, nbc news has also learned, from sources, that we saw a cascade of democratic lawmakers, yesterday, calling for cuomo's resignation because they had reached a tipping point. they had been taking the temperature for a few weeks and came to the conclusion he didn't have the gravity, anymore, to lead this state. but missing, among all those lawmakers calls for his resignation, is new york representative, tom swazi. and i spoke to him, earlier this morning, and he says it's up to the governor to decide if he can execute his duties. listen to this. >> like everybody else, i'm grossed out by the allegations that exist. if my daughter came out and said -- and she's 25 -- came home and said this happened to her, i would be outraged like everybody else would be. but the governor's entitled to a process to go through. and the question, for him, right now, is can you do your job? we face all kinds of crises in new york state right now. can you do your job, while everybody is saying leave your job right now? and he's got to decide whether he can or not. >> so, the governor was photographed walking the grounds of the governor's mansion yesterday. and so, yasmin, among those duties. it's not a small list. distributing the vaccine. putting together a state budget. and now, we have the investigation from letitia james's office. also, the impeachment investigation from state lawmakers. and the federal investigation into the alleged undercounting of nursing-home deaths related to covid. yasmin. a long road ahead for the governor, that is for sure. msnbc's lindsey reiser in new york. thank you, lindsey. good to see you. still ahead, we got a lot more coming from the state of rhode island as we mark the first anniversary of this pandemic. i am going to be talking to three doctors on the front lines here. also, could donald trump really face prison time without the protection of the office of the presidency? we are going to take a closer look at the case against the now-private citizen. msnbc legal analyst, glenn kirschner, is going to join me, next, to break it all down. we'll be right back. next, to break it all down we'll be right back. there was nothing i could do. 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[ chuckles ] well, he may have friends, but he rides alone. that's jeremy, right there! we're literally riding together. he gets touchy when you talk about his lack of friends. can you help me out here? no matter why you ride, progressive has you covered with protection starting at $79 a year. well, we're new friends. to be fair. eh, still. when you switch to xfinity mobile, you're choosing to get connected to the most reliable network nationwide, now with 5g included. discover how to save up to $300 a year with shared data starting at $15 a month, or get the lowest price for one line of unlimited. come into your local xfinity store to make the most of your mobile experience. you can shop the latest phones, bring your own device, or trade in for extra savings. stop in or book an appointment to shop safely with peace of mind at your local xfinity store. welcome back, everybody, to providence, rhode island. i'm yasmin vossoughian. coming up, by the way, in our next hour. i am going to be joined by the mayor of the city, where the majority of the state's 2,500-plus deaths have happened and in just a couple minutes, a group of doctors who have been fighting this thing on the front lines, from day one, are going to join me for an in-depth discussion of what's really ahead. what they're facing. but first, i am following some other news for you. manhattan da, cy vance jr., announcing this week that he is not going to seek re-election. setting off a scramble for the position. and raising the possibility that his successor is going to inherit the office's massive investigation into former-president trump's business empire. joining me now, glenn kirschner. good to see you, my friend. this is -- this is -- cy vance basically announcing that he is retiring. correct me if i am wrong, the investigation portion of this will be over but whoever the successor is will have to inherit this investigation and take this thing to trial if, in fact, that's the direction and how is that going to complicate things? >> yeah, great to see you, yasmin. so, in a perfect world, it would have absolutely no impact on the course of the investigation or the prosecution. but we're not operating in a perfect world. i would say, in analogous circumstances, in the decades i worked at the u.s. attorney's office for the district of columbia. i -- i worked for ten different united states' attorneys. and, you know, that -- that position is, basically, comparable to the da in manhattan. you know, the head of a very large, prosecutorial office. some, appointed by democratic presidents. some, appointed by republican presidents. it did not impact the nature or course of my investigations or my prosecutions, one bit. let's hope that the same holds true for the work of the manhattan district attorney's office. because, yasmin, every indicator over the past-several months, has -- has shown us that it looks like that office is moving toward an indictment. whether it's their two trips to the supreme court. to finally, get ahold of donald trump's tax returns and financial records spanning eight years. whether it's hiring an expert former-mob prosecutor, former formerly chief of the criminal division at the southern district of new york attorney's office. whether it's considerable taxpayer dollars to hire an expert accounting firm. or whether it is now the eight meetings they have had with michael cohen. they, certainly, seem to be in the chute headed in the direction of an indictment of donald trump. >> obviously, he also brought up the name of alan wiesleberg. he is essentially the guy who knows the insides and outs of donald j. trump. how crucial could his testimony be in a potential trial? >> you know, yasmin, it's almost cliche that they are going to use the -- the accountant to take down this potentially-massive, financial fraud. but, it looks like, that's what they are aiming to do. and they have some considerable ammunition, in that regard. because there have -- there's been reporting that the prosecutors are, also, looking at. perhaps, talking with. perhaps, targeting, alan wiesleberg's sons, who were involved. one of whom, was directly involved, in some of the trump organization's business. another was a member of a bank, where trump did some considerable borrowing. and i can tell you. when crime becomes a family affair. i'm not saying it is, but that seems to be what they're looking at. then, the prosecutors could, very easily, leverage possible-criminal charges against wiesleberg's son in order to bring alan wiesle berg, himself, onboard. >> quite a spiderweb. glenn kirschner for us, thank you, great to talk to you, appreciate you joining us on this. coming up, everybody. vaccination elation. how residents on the ground here, in rhode island, feel about those efforts. plus, i am going to be joined by a panel of local doctors with their perspective on progress made fighting this pandemic for a full year. we'll be right back. starting today, nobody has to settle for less than the very best. because only verizon gives you 5g from america's most reliable network at no extra cost. and plans to mix and match, so you only pay for what you need. the plan is so reasonable, they can stay on for the rest of their lives. aww... and on top of that, nobody gives you more entertainment you love like disney+, hulu and espn+ on select unlimited plans. you even get one of our best 5g phones on us when you buy one. and it all starts at just $35. only from verizon. with hepatitis c... ...i felt i couldn't be at my... ...best for my family. in only 8 weeks with mavyret... ...i was cured. i faced reminders of my hep c every day. i worried about my hep c. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret... ...i was cured. mavyret is the only 8-week cure for all types of hep c. before starting mavyret your doctor will test... ...if you've had hepatitis b which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after treatment. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b, a liver or kidney transplant,... ...other liver problems, hiv-1, or other medical conditions,... ...and all medicines you take. don't take mavyret with atazanavir... ...or rifampin, or if you've had certain liver problems. if you've had or have serious liver problems other than hep c, there's a rare chance they may worsen. signs of serious liver problems may include yellowing of the skin, abdominal pain or swelling, confusion, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. tell your doctor if you develop symptoms of liver disease. common side effects include headache and tiredness. with hep c behind me, i feel free... ...fearless... ...because i am cured. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. [music: "i swear"] jaycee tried gain flings for the first time the other day... and forgot where she was. you can always spot a first time gain flings user. ♪ >> how are you feeling, dr. arbelaez? >> i think i represent you tell all the high-risk heath workers who put their lives on the line. it really is an historic moment, and i felt that. >> i saw you take that deep breath. >> i took a deep breath. i was trying to be present in the moment. >> i was there three months ago. he is the one who got the shot in his arm as he became the first rhode island resident and medical worker to receive the covid vaccine, back in december. i am going to talk to him, again, in just a moment. since then, more than a 100,000 residents in this state have been fully vaccinated. i headed to one of the three state-run vaccination sites just yesterday. here is what some rhode islanders that i caught up with are looking forward to, the most. >> my mom was diagnosed with covid. she's -- she'll be 98, next month. >> and did she live? >> she's alive. i call her every day. >> amazing. so, this means more to you than ever. >> oh, yes. yes. >> what do you say to folks who are scared to get this vaccine? >> they shouldn't be. >> terribly excited. >> you are excited? what does it mean to you? >> it means, getting back to living. it means, leaving the house, being able to go out. being able to see friends and see family. haven't traveled, since december of '19. >> my son lived in san diego. i haven't seen him in a year and a half. so i am actually going to fly out to see him in may. so i just felt like i couldn't do that, until i got the second vaccine. and i teach, also, so i'm a college professor. so it's nice to be around my students, knowing that, at least i'm safe with them being around me. >> seeing family. getting back to normal. little less anxiety. a lot of what i heard yesterday. >> joining me now, dr. laura foreman, chief of emergency medicine at kent hospital. she gave me a tour at the time of the operation, back in november, when hospitalizations were peaking honestly. also with me, dr. christian, emergency-medicine physician at rhode island hospital and dr. mitchell levy, director of critical care medicine at life span. i have seen you so many times throughout this period. sometimes, in good. sometimes, in bad. doctor, we just showed you that footage of you. the first in the state to be getting the vaccine. how is it been, since then? >> you know, since that day of that collective sigh that i took for all the health-care workers who were -- were just waiting for that vaccination. so that we could take care of the communities. we're seeing numbers that are dropping. and so, that's certainly good -- good news for us. i think we're beginning to see a lot of the chronic-medical problems that the community's been facing. and a lot of the socio inequities. and so, the mental health and the addiction, and things like that, we continue to take care of those patients despite covid and the numbers trending downward. >> doctor, i took a tour of that field hospital with you, at the time. 300 beds in that field hospital. and you had spent some time overseas, also, as a physician in hospitals like that. >> uh-huh. >> and you told me, at the time, it felt as if we were preparing for a war-zone-type scenario. subsequently, that hospital, now, has shut down. >> yes. >> which is great. >> amazing. >> great news to hear. so, how are you feeling about the road ahead? are you hopeful? >> i am feeling some glimmers of hope. you know, i think, the vaccine, the weather warming up. and the more we learn about this virus. i am feeling more and more hopeful. that life may return to some semblance of normal or at least move forward to a new normal. but -- but we are still in the middle of it. it's still, very much, among us, and we have a lot more work to do. >> but you are worried about the variants, you told me. >> yes, we are still worried about the variants. and with every turn with this pandemic, there have been things we didn't see coming. so, there is some concern. but i think, the more people who get vaccinated. the more hopeful i am. honestly, what's given me the most hope in all of this is seeing what we, as humans, have been able to do. resilience i have seen among health-care workers, and the population. we do things now almost reflexively that we couldn't have imagined doing a year ago today. and that's what i think is going to allow us to overcome it. >> so, dr. levy, in light of all of this, right, a lot of restrictions have been lifted. in texas, they basically said no-more mask mandate, right? in this state, some of the restrictions when it comes to dining outside have been eased, a bit. are you -- what do you make of it? what do you make of some of these restrictions being lifted as we kind of walk towards more and more folks getting vaccinated across this country? >> yeah, i think that is an important question. i think one thing, for me, is how consistent this -- the population of rhode island has been in -- in wearing masks and social distancing. so, i have a lot of confidence that we understand the importance of masks. and social distancing in rhode island. in a way that, maybe, other states don't. and so, even though we're relaxing restrictions about indoor and outdoor dining. i still feel confident that people are being careful, and understand that, until we achieve herd immunity, we're not out of the woods. >> how is it going to change the game now that people 60 and over, now, can get vaccinated? and folks with underlying conditions, as well, in this state? what's that going to change about the situation here in the state? >> i think it's going to be really important for families. people can finally visit grandparents. they can see each other. they can socialize with each other, again. maybe, wearing masks, depending on the situation. but i think, it's going to bring brightness, as spring comes, to people's hearts, during this difficult year. >> doctor, when i spoke to you after you got the vaccine. you said one of the reasons you wanted to be the first in the state to get this vaccine was as a representation to communities of color, that it was safe to get this vaccine. and we are seeing a huge disparity, not only across the country but, specifically, in this state. if we take a look at some of these numbers i want to bring up. of the folks that have been vaccinated this this state, 60% are white, over 60% and only 7% are black. that is incredibly troubling. what do you make of the disparity? what needs to happen to get folks in black and brown communities in this country and specifically this state to trust this vaccine? >> i think it's an incredibly important point. as a latino physician, i was allowed to be one of the first to get vaccinated to show not only our hospital staff, many of them people of color, but our communities. those that have been affected the most, not only in rhode island but across the country. so, first and foremost, for them to see me get vaccinated, i think, is critically important. number two is the message that it's clear that the science has been robust. that they have gone through trials. and that the vaccine is safe. i think, what we have seen and what's been exposed is the public-health infrastructure here has not been one, that has helped these communities, in the past. and so, i think, what we need to do is focus on health-equity access to the vaccine, number one. and then, addressing the reasons that communities are hesitant to get the vaccination. and a lot of that is, truly, community based. we need to find the leaders, within the community, who will bring the community along. we need to go take the vaccine to those churches that, as you showed earlier. and with those community leaders. really, in a partnership with the health-care system, get folks vaccinated because we need to get these numbers up, to be able to, you know, get that herd immunity within those communities. >> dr. foreman, my last question, to you. and it's just, you know, this persistent mistrust in the medical system, the health-care system. it was there, before. it was prevalent, before this pandemic ever came around. i was doing a story, before this pandemic started, about women who were dying in pregnancy, two to one, black women were dying in pregnancy versus white women. i mean, this has been a persistent problem. and the issue is will it ever, really, change? even when you are seeing these disparities heightened more so now than ever during this pandemic. >> and -- and have forced us to take a long-hard look at them. i think it is going to require a lot of reckoning, on the part of the medical community, itself, to look at them. and to really do the hard work of examining where the injustices are and how we are all perpetuating some of those. and i think until we start having those conversations and start taking a really granular look at it, i don't know that those disparities can be resolved. i think it is incumbent on us in the medical system to do that work, which we have begun doing. to try to get to a better place where healthcare is actually equitable in this country, which is where we need to be. >> dr. levy, you said you were going to visit your grandchild. did you get that visit? >> i did. i did. >> and how did it go? >> it's wonderful. he is about 8 weeks old and i have gone to see him twice. it's wonderful. >> i bet. i am so happy for all of you for the work that we have done, and this full year we have come through. i know there is a long road ahead. but man, we appreciate every single thing awe that you guys do every single day. and the knowledge that you provide for us, and the care, more so now, than ever. so thank you so much for taking the time out on your saturday to join me with jackets on. these guys actually usually come out with no jackets on. they're not as tough as they say. thank you, all. dr. laura foreman, dr. christian, and dr. livy, thank you. still ahead. this is a portrait of americans who love their country, at least according to one republican lawmaker. the shocking reason one senator says that he was not scared of the insurrectionists. shocking be -- because he actually said it out loud, he said the quiet part, out loud. and remembering those lost here in the state of rhode island. the real-life toll of the pandemic, one year later. we'll be right back. back. sprinting past every leak in our softest, smoothest fabric. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. fine, no one leaves the table until your finished. depend. fine, we'll sleep here. ♪♪ it's the easiest because it's the cheesiest. kraft. for the win win. i'm greg, i'm 68 years old. i do motivational speaking in addition to the substitute teaching. i honestly feel that that's my calling-- to give back to younger people. i think most adults will start realizing that they don't recall things as quickly as they used to or they don't remember things as vividly as they once did. i've been taking prevagen for about three years now. people say to me periodically, "man, you've got a memory like an elephant." it's really, really helped me tremendously. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) ♪ ♪ comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs. did you know prilosec otc can stop frequent heartburn before it begins? 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doesn't seem like ron johnson saw many of the videos we have been showing on january 6th. this is coming as federal prosecutors as for a delay, of course, in the criminal cases stemming from the riots. calling the probe quote the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the department of justice. nbc's ali vitali is on capitol hill for us, with more. ali, i got to say, this is astounding to hear ron johnson talk, this way, about these rioters. honestly, he's saying the quiet part, out loud, right? >> that's exactly right. >> this is exactly what we talked about, capitol, after the insurrection. we talked about the fact that, had these been "black lives matter" protestors, had these been antifa, they would have been treated very differently. >> certainly, that was the conversation that was being had, around washington, d.c. that, if black lives matter protestors gathered, and stormed the capitol, in the way that these insurrectionists did on january 6th. that it would have been a very different day. but when senator johnson make those comments, that these folks would not cause harm, or that they respect law enforcement. certainly, the videos that we have seen, with our own eyes, tell a very different story. more than 140 law-enforcement officials were wounded, that day. one was killed, as he was responding to this-exact insurrection. not to mention the fact that, when you look at those arrests, more than 50 of the people who are being charged and tried right now, have ties to extremist groups. and so, this sympathizing that senator johnson is doing, yet again, i would add, is really eyebrow-raising for a lot of folks here. even conservatives on twitter responding now to what they are hearing from johnson. i want to take, for example, former-congressman joe walsh who tweeted. he said i got elected with ron johnson. i liked ron johnson. i don't know who the hell this ron johnson is. he calls it ugly and racist and says that ron johnson needs to be defeated. now, we're not exactly sure if he is running for re-election, or not. that election will come next-calendar year. he is already receiving pressure over other things, not just his comments on -- about the january-6th insurrection. but also, for his votes against things like covid relief. and so, we have seen that pressure, on the ground, from some groups in wisconsin. but i think it's also really important to point out here, yasmin. this isn't the first time that he has made eyebrow-raising comments about january 6th. previously, back in february, he made sympathetic comments. saying that it didn't seem like an armed insurrection, to him. of course, again, the video tells a very different story. and so, these kinds of sympathetic comments that we're hearing from the wisconsin senator. not exactly new. but definitely, stunning. >> again, it seems as if he didn't see any of the video, nor listen to any of the testimony. >> or ignored it. >> when it comes to the capitol-hill insurrection. or ignored it. yeah, that's a really good point. hey, ali, while i have. just quickly, can you tell me about the delay in the investigation into the january-6th insurrection? >> well, there's the investigations that we have seen happen. and then, the investigations that we're hoping to see happen. there have always been a few, different levels to this. the senate, having certain committees delve into what went wrong, in leading -- in the days leading up to the january-6th attack. we also saw the honore report, which basically looks ahead to try to bolster security here on the capitol complex, in the aftermath of january 6th. effectively, finding, in his report that came out a few days ago, that there is insufficient security here, on the capitol. and that they would like to ramp that up, going forward. as well as, ramp up intelligence efforts into threats that could come to the capitol complex. but then, there's that 9/11-style commission that we know was promised, but has yet to really materialize. again, that's something that, back during the 9/11 -- post-9/11 days, it was a fully-bipartisan commission. the difference then, for the most part, people could agree on the facts. when you look at something like what senator johnson is saying, there are other republicans who have been similarly sympathetic to what happened here on january 6th. or outright denied the role prominent republicans, including former-president donald trump played in it. when you can't agree on a set of facts and you have got a group of people throughout the country who want to believe the misinformation that some of these republicans are spouting. it really does cloud the waters here. and in terms of this 9/11-style commission into january 6th. at this point, it still remains sort of mired in partisanship. >> nbc's ali vitali, my friend. great to see you, ali. coming up, everybody. working to close the gap. the effort to help people of color get a fair shot, when it comes to vaccinations. i was just speaking with dr. christian about how a providence pastor is mobilizing his community. our special broadcast from the state of rhode island, continuing, after a very quick break. continuing, after a very quick break. pet hair? 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>> it's just, we have systemic processes within, that's how disparities are. there has to be equality across the board and we really have done a poor job defining equity. >> there has to be quality across the board. we will have more on the interview coming up at the top of the hour, as he takes us through his journey through covid diagnosis back in march to vaccination just a couple of days ago. also here in rhode island, the toll from covid has been significant. the state recorded its first deaths from the virus on saturday, march 28th of 2020, two people dying just that weekend. now, the state has more than 2500 deaths, the majority of those right here in the city of providence, 1900 of those 2500. each of those victims with a name, a family, and their own story. we want to remember a few for you now. there is elena carbone who died at the end of january, at the memory care unit of the saint elizabeth home in east greenwich and routes kept her children from seeing her outside of short visits with very little contact and only able to spend time with her in the last days of her life, holding her hand at the very end and they don't blame the virus for her death but the isolation and loneliness that came with it. >> there was cristos mansos and everyone know him as tony, tony's pizza palace, his daughter remembers mostly his joy for life and his big presence in hers. and there's ray and joan connery, whose lived were profiled in a pbs remembrance of victims of covid. >> ray and joan connery first met in the summer of 1953. >> at the beach in hyannis. i had my own business with four of my friends. >> they were exciting looking women but what made me go after you, you looked like you had money. >> ray served in the navy during the second world war. when he returned, he became a rhode island state trooper. joan was a dietician. they married within a year of meeting. and raised five children together. both had a passion for bettering the community. joan started a literacy program at the providence hospital, and advocated for better union contracts, and teacher pay. ray served ten years on the town council. they traveled the world together. but were equally happy at home. hosting dinners with their grandchildren and great grandchildren. they passed within 22 days of each other, both 93 years old. >> quite a couple and quite a love that they shared. also dr. ernest emoci, a veterinarian, who fought for animal rights as president of the rhode island society, for the prevention of cruelty to animals, he and his black lab marvin, a disabled dog, that he adopted, who became a talented fundraiser and the face of the marvin fund, which helps low income pet owners pay for veterinary care. coming up, everybody, in the next hour, of special coverage right here in the state of rhode island, i will be joined by the providence mayor with more on how the smallest state in the union mustered a larger than life response to this pandemic. also, we're going to hear from a local restaurateur, with concerns over neighboring states lifting restrictions ahead of rhode island. those stories and much much more, when we come back. in this family, everyone does their own laundry, but they all do it a little different. honestly, i add a couple of tide pods and just stuff everything in. it works. and of course, everyone thinks their way is right. i stood in line for hours to get this. it has to be washed on delicate. it has to be cold water, it's better for the planet. the secret is, with tide pods it all works. of course it does. told ya! they're going to do it their way, and i get a break from the laundry. no matter how you wash, it's got to be tide. it all starts with an invitation... ...to experience lexus. the invitation to lexus sales event. get 0% apr financing on the 2021 is 300. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. get 0% apr financing on the 2021 is 300. 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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>> yes, we have. we have been trying to stay safe and keep others safe. >> it's hard. >> a granddaughter, she's the apple of my eye, gee, i want to enjoy them. >> you want to hug her.