seminar novak djokovic awaits a decision on whether he'll play in the australian open or be deported. his family claims he's being treated like a prisoner over a dispute over his visa and vaccine status. we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the "situation room." fist tonight, dr. rochelle walensky is vowing to improve her role as cdc director as her response to the omicron crisis and her credibility are being questioned. let's go straight to our chief national affairs correspondent, jeff szeleny. he's joining us from las vegas just ahead of the president's arrival. the white house is growing increasingly frustrated with the cdc director. what are you learning? >> wolf, as the pandemic continues to complicate essentially all walks of american life, there is significant criticism between the white house and other medical specialists directed toward the cdc. largely because of confusing communications about different rules, different guidelines. dr. rochelle walensky, a respected infectious disease expert is in her first government job. she's almost finishing her first year in that role at the cdc. she held a press briefing today, her first one, to acknowledge some of this criticism. she's right to work on her communications efforts. in fact, she's employed the use of an outside adviser to help her communicate this message better. there certainly is frustration from the white house at how the cdc in atlanta is making much of these decisions. but the president also acknowledged when asked earlier today at the white house if covid was here to stay. >> i don't think covid is here to stay. having covid in the environment and here in the world is probably here to stay. but covid as we're dealing with it now is not here to stay. we have so many more tools we're developing and continue to develop that will contain covid and other strains of covid. >> so certainly, there has been just a sense of frustration that's been building up, as this pandemic really enters its third year, but wolf, plenty of blame to go around. the cdc is not in charge of testing. that is the administration and the testing shortages and issues that is a challenge that they're working on back at the white house, not at the cdc. >> and jeff, another top priority, of course, for the biden administration is the u.s. economy. but today's monthly jobs report was largely disappointing, right? >> wolf, it certainly was a mixed report. about 199,000 new jobs were added in december. which means 6 million were added this year. but this was the weakest report of any month of 2021. the good news is the unemployment rate now is down to 3.9%. that certainly is historic given the nature of the pandemic. it was a disappointing jobs number. so there certainly are implication complications on the economy, no question about it. but the president right now is visiting the wildfire damages in colorado as he makes his way out west. that's just one example of many of the economic and other challenges, the climate challenges facing this administration and indeed the country. so the president biden administration certainly is hoping for a stronger economic report, but he, you know, certainly highlighted wage growth. wages have grown for average american workers some 16% over the last year. so that is something that they are pointing to. wolf, all of this comes as the president is making this first westward trip. he'll be landing here in las vegas later this evening. of course, he's coming here to eulogize former senate leader harry reid, who died a couple of weeks ago. of course, an icon here in nevada and indeed in the democratic party. >> you're absolutely right. jeff zeleny in las vegas for once thanks very much. let's go to chicago right now and the standoff over covid safety that's keeping hundreds of thousands of students out of school now for a third day. cnn's omar jiminez is joining us. omar, will the kids in chicago going back to school on monday? >> reporter: well, wolf, we're waiting on that final announcement. that should be coming soon, at this point. but if the trend continues, it would be a fourth straight day of canceled class here in chicago. this, of course, comes after the teachers' union earlier this week voted to go virtual. the school district said they couldn't support that. and then class was canceled. one of the major sticking points in these ongoing negotiations has been access to testing. we learned today, governor j.b. pritzker here in illinois has been in contact with the white house to try to get more tests to apply to this situation. these were conversations the white house confirmed, saying that they've been in touch with pritzker and chicago mayor lori lightfoot, trying to assess their needs in this. but of course, if they can't come to a solution, the teacher's union says they're prepared to refuse in-person work until january 18th or until these covid numbers go down, wolf. >> hope those kids are back in school on monday. let's see if that happens. omar, thank you very much. let's discuss this and more with dr. lena wen, thanks so much for joining us. if the goal of the biden administration is to regain public trust in the cdc, does there need to be, in your opinion, a change in leadership in order to make that happen? >> no. what they need is a change in process. and there's been so much focus on communication, the communication is not the problem. the policy is the problem. what i would recommend is two things. one is to very clearly explain when a change is being made based on science and new research, or if it's based on practicality. for example, if there are not enough tests, that's the reason why they're not recommending testing as as opposed to, well, tests are just not good. the other issue about process is, it would help a lot to issue draft guidelines and then give the public 24 to 48 hours to respond and provide their input. that would have prevented a lot of problems for the cdc. you have frontline health care workers or local health department heads who would understand how the policy on the national level is going to play on the local level. getting those input will be so helpful and prevent so much of the confusion that's occurred with the cdc. >> if there is ann't a reset ate cdc, let's say, are you concerned that public trust could further be eroded in the cdc, because we've already seen that in the wake of confusing guidance about whether americans need to test negative before ending isolation and other issues, we've also seen a lot of problems out there. >> yeah, there has been a lot of confusion around boosters, around masking, and now around isolation. we know that public health depends entirely on public trust. when you're asking people to do things that they normally wouldn't do and to give up aspects of their life, for example, being in isolation, that's really difficult. you have to have that trust. and what i'm so concerned about is, it's not just trust in the cdc. most americans don't know the difference between the cdc and the white house and hhs and federal health officials. they're also not differentiating between federal health officials and local and state health officials. and now what's happening is local and state officials are looking at the cdc guidelines saying, that doesn't make sense. i can't implement that. they're coming up with their own guidelines. and everyday people are confused and losing trust in the entire infrastructure of public health. that has a lot of negative impacts, not only for covid, but for so many other aspects of public health, too. >> let's turn to schools, dr. went, while i have you. some 340,000 students, as you just heard, in chicago, once again, kept home today for a third straight day. the cdc updated its guidance for kindergarten through 12th grade. did they get this guidance right? >> in general, yes, because the cdc has been very clear and i really commend the biden administration for being so clear, too, that in-person sk schooling has to be the number one priority. that schools need to be the last to close and the first to open. reducing community transmission is about closing bars, not about closing schools. and we know that there are so many methods that we now have to keep people open for in-person learning, meaning vaccines, boosters, and tests where available. so i think the focus on making sure that schools are open is -- that really should be our number one priority. and that at this point, there should be no reason why schools are closed for in-person instruction. >> as you know, several former health advisers to president biden now says that the white house needs to adopt a new pandemic strategy, focusing in on learning to live with this virus. what exactly would that look like? >> we need to recognize that covid is here with us. i hope that it's not going to be at this kind of level where there's so much virus around us and hospitals are getting o over overwhelmed, but we have to accept that omicron may very well not be the last horrible disrupt i have vauriant that we see. we may actually see surges every few months. how are we going to prepare for the next time? right now, it's about dealing with the threat of omicron, but so much of what the white house has been doing is reacting to the problem, rather than project what could be ahead. >> you're totally right. i know from my own reporting that the experts at nih and elsewhere, they're anticipating that there will be additional mutations beyond omicron that could cause even further, further problems here in the u.s. and indeed around the world. dr. lena wen, thank you so much for joining us. just ahead, a judge in georgia sentences all three men convicted of murdering ahmaud arbery to life in prison, too, without the possibility of parole. up next, i'll speak with arbery's mother and her attorney. ng it takes to make dentistry work for your life. so we offer a complete exam and x-rays free to new patients without insurance - everyday. plus, patients get 20% off their treatment plan. we're on your corner and in your corner every step of the way. because your anything is our everything. aspen dental. anything to make you smile. book today at aspendental.com, walk in, or call 1-800-aspendental. one role of a lifetime...one sore throat. but she had enough. she took new mucinex instasoothe sore throat lozenges. show your sore throat who's boss. new mucinex instasoothe. works in seconds, lasts for hours. my family's been devastated by covid-19. and we're not alone. we've all had to find new ways to keep going. and cue has made that easier. with cue, you get lab-quality covid-19 test results in just 20 minutes. speed and accuracy. it's just for the nba; it's for you too. cue health. the official covid-19 home test of the nba. go cue. go you. ♪ my name is austin james. as a musician living with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second scan i know my glucose numbers without fingersticks. now i'm managing my diabetes better and i've lowered my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7. take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free at freestylelibre.us zuriel: st. jude gave us hope. stephanie: all you've got to do is take care of your child, focus on her healing, give her a life. that for mother means a lot. and-- and thank you to st. jude. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ deposit, plan and pay with easy tools from chase. simplicity feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. some of my best memories growing up, were cooking with mom. she always said, “food is love.” so when she moved in with us, a new kitchen became part of our financial plan. ♪ i want to make the most of every meal we have together. ♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com we're following breaking news. a judge in brunswick, georgia, has handed down life sentences to each of the three men convicted of murdering ahmaud arbery. two of the men will not have the possibility of parole. cnn national correspondent ryan young has details. >> today the defendants are being held accountable for their actions. >> reporter: two of the three men convicted of killing auk mudd arbery sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison. travis and gregmy mcmichael received life without the possibility of parole. >> after ahmaud arbery fell, the mcmichaels turned their backs. it's a disturbing image. and they walked away. this was a killing. it was callous. >> reporter: william brian jr. sentenced to serve life with the possibility of parole at 30 years. >> he had grave concerns that what had occurred should not have occurred. and i think that does make mr. brian's situation a little bit different. however, mr. brian has been convicted of felony murder. >> reporter: before reading the sentences, judge womsy paused for one minute, a fraction of the roughly five minutes that arbery was faced. >> i kept coming back to the terror that must have been in the mind of the young man running through satilla shores. ahmaud arbery was then hunted down and shot. >> reporter: and the court heard powerful testimony from ahmaud arbery's family. >> i laid you to rest. i told you i loved you and some day, somehow, i would get you justice. >> reporter: his mother spoke directly to her son and to the men responsible for his death. >> these men have chose to lie and attack my son and his surviving family. they each have no remorse and do not deserve any leniency. this wasn't a case of mistaken identity. or mistaken fact. they chose to target my son when they couldn't sufficiently scare him or intimidate him, they killed him. >> reporter: taking aim at a defense attorney's comments during the trial. >> "his long, dirty toenails." >> reporter: about her son's toenails. >> i wish he would have cut and cleaned his toenails before he went out for that jog that day. i guess he would have if he knew he would be murdered. >> reporter: arbery's family was clear, they wanted the maximum sentence possible. >> me and my family, we've got to live with our death the rest of our life. we'll never see ahmaud again. so i feel, they should stay behind them bars the rest of their life, because they didn't give him a chance. >> the loss of ahmaud has devastated me and my family. we ask that the men that killed him given the maximum sentence available to the court. >> reporter: last december, they were convicted of murder after chasing ahmaud arbery while jogging, killing him after they said they thought they saw arbery inside an unfinished home on october 20rd, 2020. it took three months after arrests were made after the video mcmichael made went viral. when you think about this and the fact that that video played over and over, and the way the judge paused today were a lot of people quite shocked about how he was able to explain the law and how he arrived to his decision. but when you think about this for the family and the fact they had to go through this for so long, getting justice today might be some small satisfaction. there were a lot of people here in the community rooting for them. but at the same time, when you watch that video, it's so difficult to watch and listen to. >> so, so painful. ryan young on the scene for us. ryan, thank you very much. let's discuss all of this with ahmaud arbery's mother, wanda cooper jones and her attorney, lee merritt. to both of you, thank you so much for joining us. wanda, my heart goes out to you. our deepest, deepest condolences. i know you called for your son's killers to get life without parole. two of them actually did. how emotional was it for you to attend today's sentencing? >> today was very emotional. i knew today going in would be very emotional but i was very prepared for it. i'm very grateful that we got the outcome of that sentence today. so we're very, very thankful. that we got the sentencing that we got today. >> i know you said, wanda, that god gave you a fair judge and he was very powerful in his statements today. what did you make of judge walmsley's impassioned remarks, including quoting from your own words? >> i thought that judge walmsley was fair. i shared today earlier that i'm very, very grateful that he was fair. he listened to the testimony from all witnesses and the prosecutors and he made a fair decision. and after making that fair decision, he gave a fair sentencing. so i'm very, very grateful that we had the chance to work with the judge. >> you know, lee, the judge pointed to the lack of remorse from the mcmichaels, who turned their backs on the ahmaud arbery right after he fell. how much of a factor do you think that lack of remorse was in these sentencing decisions? >> i think it was a huge factor. and it's important that the judge focused on that and i was grateful to the court for making that observation. wanda has to deal with a number of indignities, from the defense council, from the defendants, from them ignoring her son on the ground bleeding to death without providing any first aid to their treatment of her in the courtroom, targeting her for who she prayed with or who she sat with. and so for the judge to say, well, now you have to answer for that indignity in the sentencing, i thought was very powerful. >> wanda, i understand that you were approached about a possible plea deal in the upcoming federal trial. it's a separate trial. the federal tile. you rejected this. tell us why that you want trial to move forward. >> i think that all three defendants need to stand before the trials on those federal charges, as well as the state, because those charges are just as important as the state charges. >> do you feel, wanda, that your son's killers have been held accountable? >> i do think that all three of them, they got what they truly deserved today. i think we finally got justice for ahmaud. we finally got the justice that ahmaud deserved. >> two of them will spend the rest of their life in prison without the possible of parole. one will spend 30 years in jail. after 30 years, possibly parole. he's already in his 50s, though, so potentially this could be a life sentence, as well. to both of you, thank you so much for joining us. and wanda, once again, my heart goes out to you. thanks again for sharing with us on this important day. appreciate it very much. >> thank you, wolf. take care. >> thank you. coming up, just in, the january 6th committee will reportedly ask the former vice president mike pence to testify voluntarily by the end of the month if key member of the select committee, congressman adam schiff is standing by live. we will discuss. well, more you. so thank you. we hope you like your work. get $1,500 lease cash toward a 2022 es 350. ♪ a must in your medicine cabinet! less sick days! cold coming on? zicam is the #1 cold shortening brand! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam. zinc that cold! ♪ ♪ ♪ easy tools on the chase mobile app. simplicity feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. ♪ limu emu and doug.♪ and it's easy to customize your insurance at libertymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows several different whistles. doug blows several different whistles. [a vulture squawks.] there he is. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. and there you have it. woah. wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. wow. big deal. we get unlimited for just 30 bucks. sweet, but mine has 5g included. relax people. my wireless is crushing it. that's because you all have xfinity mobile with your internet. it's wireless so good, it keeps one-upping itself. take the savings challenge at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings or visit an xfinity store to learn how our switch squad makes it easy to switch and save hundreds. this just into cnn. the chairman of the january 6th select committee appears to be steering clear of any subpoena for the former vice president, mike pence. npr is reporting that chairman bennie thompson says the panel expects to ask pence to appear voluntarily. cnn justice department correspondent, jessica schneider, has more on the investigation. >> after a day of remembrance on capitol hill, the january 6th select committee is back to work, and they say learning more about individuals conspiring to overturn the 2020 election res results. >> individuals including people in the inner circle of the trump white house? >> no question about it. >> reporter: committee vice chair liz cheney says they are not ruling out the possibility of concluding the former president and his associates committed a crime. >> for a president through, either his action or his inaction, for example, attempt to impede or obstruct the counting of electoral votes, which is an official proceeding of congress, is -- the committee is looking at that. >> reporter: some republicans have spoken out against trump. alaska senator lisa murkowski calling the rioters a mob incited by our former president. but others are folding under pressure, after senator ted cruz said this on wednesday. >> and it is an anniversary of a violent terrorist attack on the capitol. >> reporter: he later apologized on fox, after host tucker carlson called it a lie. >> the way i phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb. >> reporter: a year later, we are still learning new information about what happened that day. then vice president-elect and senator kamala harris had been at the capitol that morning. >> i had left, but they thoughts immediately turned not only to my colleagues, but to my staff who had been forced to seek refuge in our office, converting filing cabinets into barricades. >> reporter: but she declined to comment on revelations that she was evacuated from the democratic national committee headquarters later that afternoon, seven minutes after a pipe bomb was discovered nearby. while the fbi continues to search for the suspect, captured on video planting two pipe bombs the night before the attack, writhers continue to face their day in court and outspoken federal judges. anthony williams who has pleaded not guilty said in a facebook message that storming the capitol was the proudest day of his life. he had asked the court for permission to travel to jamaica, but chief judge beryl howell rejected the request, writing, this court will not commemorate the one-year anniversary of an attack on the capitol by granting the defendant's request for non-essential foreign travel when he is awaiting judgment for his actions on that day. and the january 6th committee expects to ask former vice president mike pence to appear voluntarily this month. the chairman of the committee, bennie thompson, is telling npr that pence's appearance is critical because of the tension he faced to reject the election results and of course, the fact that pence ultimately decided not to bow to trump's pressure. thompson says the committee will meet next week behind closed doors to firm up those final plans about possibly asking pence to appear voluntarily. wolf? >> very interesting and very important, jessica schneider with that report. thank you very much. let's discuss with a key member of the january 6th committee, congressman adam schiff. he's also the chairman of the house intelligence committee. congressman, thanks for joining us. will the committee, in fact, be asking the former vice president to come in and appear voluntarily? >> yes, i think our chairman has now acknowledged that we will be. and that's our practice, which is to invite people to come in voluntarily, hope that they'll do so. and he would have, i think, very undoubtedly relevant testimony for us about that pressure campaign. no one would be in a better position to speak to it than he would. all of the efforts to get him to violate his constitutional duty to count the votes and instead reject votes without basis. so we hope that he'll be willing to do so. and as the chairman has indicated, we intend to extend that invitation fairly soon. >> will you subpoena the former vice president if he chooses not to appear voluntarily? >> we don't like to speculate about that until we have a chance to see whether people will come in on their own volition. and he did the right thing on that day. i certainly have a lot of differences with mike pence, and i think for four years, he was tragically a dutiful yes-man for the president. but on the one day day that rea really mattered, he said "no." and i think he's got a good, important story to tell, it's a story the american people should hear, and it would be invaluable to our work. so let's hope that he's willing to do the right thing. >> yeah, he did the right thing on that day in certifying the election. and his top aides, while at the white house, his chief of staff, his national security adviser, and others who worked very closely with him, they are fully cooperating right now, aren't they? >> you know, i can't comment as to particular witnesses and their level of cooperation, but i can say that we're getting the help of a great many people. some who were in the administration, in the white house. others who were outside of the government. but still, i think even with other witnesses who are potentially helping the committee, mike pence knows things that only mike pence knows. and it would be very important to completely fill out our work. and i think this is one of public service that needs to be performed by the former vice pres president. >> the house speaker, nancy pelosi, suggested on cnn last night that she believes that some of her republican colleagues were in her word, perpetrators of the january 6th attack. does the select committee have evidence of that? >> i can't comment on what evidence we have at this point. and certainly i don't want to comment vis-a-vis members of congress, except to say that in my view, you know, those who even after that attack on the capitol, continued to vote to overturn the election, bear responsibility. now, that may not be a kind of a responsibility that breaks the law, but i think it violated their oath of office, their oath to uphold the constitution. in terms of whether members were aiding and abetting the insurrectionists in a way that ought to result either the justice department taking action or the house taking action, i'm going to await the conclusion of our investigation. >> we now know that then vice president-elect, kamala harris, was at the dnc, was evacuated when that pipe bomb was found outside. does this revelation, congressman, further underscore why the investigation into the many acts of violence that occurred on that day, that investigation remains critical, right? >> oh, yes. you know, i think that's unquestionably true. you had the current, at that time, vice president mike pence in danger of his life, with people outside the capitol with scaffolding wanting to hang him, and the incoming vice president, if these reports are correct, was in proximity to a pipe bomb that authorities have say was a viable weapon and could have killed someone. so i mean all of these things, i think, underscore the importance of a full accounting of what led up to that day. and more than that day, a full accounting of all the multiple lines of effort by donald trump and his enablers and anyone else to overturn presidential election, to essentially stop the peaceful transfer of power to the person who won, joe biden. and you know, that's what we're determined to do and to find out and to make public and protect the country through our legislative process. >> lots going on right now. we will stay in touch. congressman adam schiff, thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. just ahead, will the tennis star novak djokovic be released from detention and will he be able to play in the australian open? we'll have the latest on the standoff over his visa and vaccine status. ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. (man 1 vo) i'm living with cll and thanks to imbruvica (man 2 vo) i'm living longer. (vo) imbruvica is a prescription medicine for adults with cll or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. imbruvica is not chemotherapy- it's the #1 prescribed oral therapy for cll, proven to help people live longer. imbruvica can cause serious side effects, which may lead to death. bleeding problems are common and may increase with blood thinners. serious infections with symptoms like fevers, chills, weakness or confusion and severe decrease in blood counts can happen. heart rhythm problems and heart failure may occur especially in people with increased risk of heart disease, infection, or past heart rhythm problems. new or worsening high blood pressure, new cancers, and tumor lysis that can result in kidney failure, irregular heartbeat, and seizure can occur. diarrhea commonly occurs. drink plenty of fluids. tell your doctor if you experience signs of bleeding, infection, heart problems, persistent diarrhea or any other side effects. (man 2 vo) i am living longer with imbruvica. (vo) ask your doctor if it's right for you. learn how we could help you save on imbruvica. this... is the planning effect. this is how it feels to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. this is what it's like to have a comprehensive wealth plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. and set aside more for things like healthcare, or whatever comes down the road. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity. today, a centerpiece of president biden's anti-covid plan is under review by the u.s. supreme court. the justices hearing arguments today for and against vaccine mapt mandates and other requirements. let's bring in jeffrey tubin and our chief political correspondent, dana bash. jeffrey, i know you were following this four-hour hearing very closely today. did you give any sense which direction the court is leaning when it comes to the administration's vaccine or testing requirements aimed at large businesses? >> i sure did, wolf. and it was not a good day in the supreme court for the biden administration. you know, with the caveat that you can never predict with certainty, based on an oral argument, you saw at least five and perhaps six justices, including chief justice roberts, express skepticism that the biden administration had legal authorization to make this emergency order for vaccines and testing for large corporations. the three liberal justices acted like they were in a different planet. they were saying, look, this is a crisis, this is an emergency, people are dying, this is necessary. but the conservatives have the majority and they did not seem to see it that way at all. >> and they've got to make a decision very, very quickly. dana, politically speaking, what would it mean for the biden administration if this mandate they put forward is blocked by the u.s. supreme court? >> well, because the whole issue of vaccines and of requirements has become so politicized, as opposed to what it traditionally has been, which is much more of a public health question, it of course will have public ramifications if the supreme court does, in fact, block this. having said that, there was an evolution from joe biden himself. and it's largely -- and he said this, publicly, more than once, because of the fear that the supreme court woenuldn't -- or that legally, they don't have a lot to stand on to have this federal requirement. so there was a delay in the biden administration in doing this in the first place, because they weren't really sure that they had firm legal standing. but the political question is really an important one. and it will be more evidence for conservatives on a local level, on a federal level, that they're going to claim that this is more evidence that the biden administration is overreaching. >> did the court, jeffrey, seem open to a more narrowly tailored vaccine mandate aimed specifically at certain health care workers? >> well, there was a second case about whether the federal government could insist when it spends money on medicare and medicaid, could they insist that the medical providers also get -- insist that their workers have a vaccine or frequent testing. the court was slightly more sympathetic there, but again, it looked like there was at least a majority to overturn that requirement, as well. and, you know, i can't tell you how much the justices were in different worlds here. because particularly, justice elena kagan, one of the liberals was saying, people are going to die if we don't have these requirements. and that was an argument that was made very clearly and it was not accepted, clearly, by neil gorsuch, clarence thomas, samuel alito, in particular, and the majority looked like they were going the other way. >> yeah, we'll find out very, very soon wihat the decisions are. all right, guys. thank you very much. coming up, we'll have the latest on the standoff over tennis star novak djokovic's vaccination status. t than othery managers. (other money manager) different how? don't you just ride the wave? (judith) no - we actively manage client portfolios based on our forward-looking views of the market. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions, right? (judith) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client's best interest. (other money manager) so when do you make more money? only when your clients make more money? (judith) yep, we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments we're clearly different. this is the sound of nature breathing. and this is the sound of better breathing. fasenra is a different kind of asthma medication. it's not a steroid or inhaler. fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. it's one maintenance dose every 8 weeks. it helps prevent asthma attacks, improve breathing, and lower use of oral steroids. nearly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma may have elevated eosinophils. fasenra is designed to target and remove them. fasenra is not a rescue medication or for other eosinophilic conditions. fasenra may cause allergic reactions. get help right away if you have swelling of your face, mouth, and tongue, or trouble breathing. don't stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection or your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. this is the sound of fasenra. ask your doctor about fasenra. have you checked singlecare? i think you can get a cheaper price on this. cheaper meds with singlecare. stop! i should spread the word. but how? i wanna be remembered for the savings, with singlecare. you walk into the pharmacy, with great insurance. but then, (screams) singlecare beats the price of your copay. singlecare the musical. are people ready? (sings dramatically) oh, i need to get to work. telling people to check the singlecare price. [ kimberly ] before clearchoice, my dental health was so bad i would be in a lot of pain. i was unable to eat. it was very hard. kimberly came to clearchoice with a bunch of missing teeth, struggling with pain, with dental disease. clearchoice dental implants solved her dental issues. [ kimberly ] i feel so much better. i feel energized to go outside and play with my daughter. i can ate anything. like, i don't have to worry. clearchoice changed my life. earn about covid-19, the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today. the standoff between novak djokovic and the australian government is growing more heated by the hour. cnn's brian todd is working the story for us. brian, there's a lot of anger on all sides right now. >> anger among fans, players, and family members, wolf. and some anger among australian officials who got some signals crossed and now have a real mess on their hands. >> it's very difficult to speak. >> reporter: tonight, growing backlash against the world's top-ranked men's tennis player. australians outraged that novak djokovic received an exemption to the country's rule that visitors who are not fully vaccinated cannot enter australia. >> djokovic is a millionaire scumbag who has rightly incurred really that anger of a lot of people in australia. >> reporter: djokovic has not disclosed his vaccination status, but by most indications, he is not vaccinated against covid-19. this week, australian tennis officials and officials in the state of victoria granted djokovic an exemption to enter the country and compete in the australian open, where he's the defending champion. >> the federal government was not particularly involved in that process. in fact, they weren't involved at all. but they did send a letter about a month before djokovic came into the country, and they said, if a player comes into the country and they're using having covid-19 in the last six months the reason for their medical exemption and they're not vaccinated, they will not get into the country. and apparently, that's the reason that novak djokovic used. >> reporter: but federal officials in australia aren't having it. >> rules are rules. and there are no special cases. >> reporter: australian officials have canceled djokovic's visa, ordered him to be deported, while his lawyers fight that, the multi-millionaire has been staying in an immigration detention facility in melbourne. djokovic's supporters in australia and his native serbia along with the star's parents are protesting his treatment. >> they are keeping him in zwrun june of 2020, novak djokovic helped ork niez a charity tennis tournament in serbia and croatia, which had loose covid rules and several pliers, includersoring him, later tested positive. he now joins a list of other sport superstars who flouted covid restrictions like packers aaron rodgers and antonio brown who were caught lying about not being vaccinated. and blook lien nets' star, kyrie irving, who's publicly refused to get vaccinated and can't play games at home as a result. >> increasingly, i think they are being seen as people who just see themselves as requiring special treatment or deserving of special treatment and i think the public tolerance for that is really, really low, and getting lower by the day. >> a hearening on novak djokovic's appeal of the cancellation of his visa is scheduled for monday in australia and he is not getting a lot of sympathy from fellow tennis star rafael nadal, who told reports djokovic was aware of the vaccine requirements for months, that he quote made his own decisions and there are consequences. wolf. >> there rrnl certainly are. brian todd reporting for us. just ahead, the world pays tribute to the legendary activist sydney portier who died yesterday at the age of 94. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (music quieter) ♪ (phone clicks) ♪ ♪ people with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. andrea: this is the hardest thing we will probably ever have to go through. st. jude has given us transportation, treatment. to know that we don't have bills, they take every other stress off of your shoulders. mm. [ clicks tongue ] i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice. tonight in the u.s. and around the world, president biden is mourning the death of sydney portier. calling him a once-in-a-generation actor and advocate. cnn sara said side never looks back at portier's remarkable life and amazing career. >> reporter: sydney portier was so much more than a film legend. he is revered not just because of what he did on screen but also because of his tremendous impact off screen as a champion of civil rights. >> we believe in the central dignity of every human being. >> reporter: the son of a bahamian tomato farmer, he lived a life of firsts. the first black man to win an oscar for best actor and one of the first black people to become a true hollywood star among the greatest of all time. >> we have lots and lots and lots of -- of african-american actors. now, when we didn't have any, i appeared not because i brought so much because -- but because the time was right. >> reporter: but his career almost ended before it ever began. as a teenager, portier auditioned for the american negro theater but he was quickly thrown out because he couldn't read. he was tone deaf, and he had a thick bahamian accent. >> he says you are no actor. we got next to the door. he opened it, pushed me out, and slam. >> a determined portier would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifiling his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. >> i was right. i know i was right. >> reporter: in the 1950s, he appeared in that aror more than a dozen film upons beginning with no way out and an oscar nominated performance in the defiant ones. however, it was his portrayal of a former gi in the 1963 movie "lilies of the field" that earned him the coveted oscar for best actor. portier never overcame his tone deafness, limb-syncing the song "amen" in the famts lily scene. the song writer actually it the singing. portier was considered a ban bankable star in 1967 starring in a land mark film to sir with love. >> those kids are devils incarnates. i tried everything. >> reporter: playing characters that would force audiences to confront racial prejudices. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: but he would also challenge the hollywood establishment forcing a change in his iconic role as detective virgil tibbs in the 1967 academy award winning "in the heat of the night" because of a scene that would require him to acquiesce to a racist character. >> i am going to put you on the bus myself. >> you aren't taking me anywhere. you dig? you are holding the wrong man. >> reporter: that same year, he would star in the wa watershed film guess who is coming to dinner alongside spencer tracie and katherine hepburn. >> mom, this is john. >> reporter: the film not only depicted a successful interracial relationship, it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes. and they'll have some. and we'll have the children. oerds otherwise, i don't know what you would call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way joey feels? >> she feels every single one of our children would be president of the united states and they will all have colorful administrations. >> reporter: it's only fitting that, in 2009, sydney portier would be presented with the medal of freedom by president barack obama. >> portier once called his driving purpose to make himself a better person. he did and he made us all a little bit better along the way. >> sydney portier was 94 years old. may he reacollect in peace and may his memory be a blessing. "erin burnett outfront" start right now. out front next. the deadlock over re-opening schools. chick mayor and a top union at a stalemate. now, the white house getting involved tonight as one of the nation's top children hospital releases what they say are provocative new guidelines on getting kids back to class. muss, the cyber ninjas shutting down. why the controversial company, which had trump'