of course, like we said, we re working to learn the identity of that young man, so as soon as we get it, we will bring you more details. leland: the white house unit on that [inaudible] leland: well, here at the white house on a rainy saturday you re looking live now to chicago, live pictures of marches in the streets on what they are calling a march for science. one of their main issues, climate change. and the president s view of the issues. someone who, shall we say, disagrees with many marching today, physicist and princeton professor william happer. thanks for joining us. thanks for having me. leland: from the north lawn here we can hear some of our chants, our james rosen out in the crowd showed us some of their signs. agreeably, it appears as though they are pretty unified in their view of the science behind climate change, and i m wondering what they have wrong.
reporter: the security fences are up, the stage literally sent. science not silence. reporter: for the 2017 march for science. i definitely think that the planet is getting warmer. because of that, certain things are happening. reporter: 150,000 people expected on the mall, then march to the capital. science has been politicized in a way that s not right for a few years now. reporter: this among a series of environmental protests. the saturday event, a celebration of earth day, but also to raise awareness about climate change. i m skeptical. reporter: walt comey is not a true environmental believer. i wish i could rely on what the scientists are telling me so i could make an informed decision. reporter: there is a price for the many protests in the nation s capital. [ sirens ] security and costs are millions. the city has budgeted $12.9 million for unanimonon-inaugura events.
progressed from light drizzle to what we would now call teeming, it doesn t seem to have diminished the tens of thousands, and acts from bill nye the science guy who elicited beatle-like squeals on the streets today. and to groups. there are hundreds of these events in cities around the world ranging from london and geneva and new york, to australia. the stated goal of all the marchers around the world is to broaden civic appreciation for science and what they see increasing attacks on science, whether it s in the debate over climate change or the debate over vaccines and so forth. the organizers of the washington events were quoted as telling the associated press that this is not a
be intensifying. but it is doing nothing really to diminish the enthusiasm of the tens of thousands of americans who have come from great distances in some cases to be here on the national mall for this first march for science. it s an extraordinary scene in respects because it s very festive, although you do have a heavy police presence as well. people are carrying signs, they re selling stuff, and the basic aim of this march is to promote what they see as, well, to bring attention to what they see as a disrespect for science that is creeping into broader culture. they see this in the dismissal of some of the facts that are arrayed in the climate change debate or the debate over vaccines, they see it in decreasing funding levels for science-based educational programs and so forth. but all in all, it seems to be unfolding without incident. they ve got an enormous stage and video screen set up, and they ve heard from people like bill nye the science guy and one of the organizers, questl
yesterday. we will will be having a big announcement on wednesday having to do with tax reform. the process has begun long ago, but it formally begins on wednesday. reporter: so that was president trump telling his treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, to get it done, get tax reform done. it s very clear that he wants to score some legislative wins before his first 100 days are over. leland? leland: and we ll see what kind of concessions have to be done to make that happen. kristin fisher working the weekend as well. thanks, kristin. liz? elizabeth: well, the rain is not deterring thousands of people from hitting the streets here in washington where the march for science is underway. it s one of more than 500 rallies scheduled across the globe today, which is also earth day, to protest what they say is an attack on science. james rosen is on the ground at the national mall. james, tell us, what are you seeing? is the rain clearing up at all? reporter: it is not. in fact, it seems, e