why not $1,000? why now $2,000? maybe these new free money republicans should join the everybody gets a guaranteed income caucus. >> there is no way that anybody in congress had the opportunity or the time to go through and read this bill to know exactly what was in it. i've been here long enough to see how provisions are snuck into these bills. >> trace: kristin fisher is live at the white house to kick things off this morning. kristin, do we know when president trump is expected to sign this later this morning? >> we don't have an exact time yet but it will likely be sometime today. this bill will provide some relief for so many americans. after months of gridlock congress was finally able to come together and compromise. here is what they came up with. a second round of stimulus checks $600 per person for most americans or $2400 for a family of four. extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits. extension of the eviction moratorium. more funding for the paycheck protection program and funding for vaccine distribution. not in the bill liability shields for businesses. more money for state and local governments which democrats wanted and direct aid for the restaurant industry which has been hit so hard in this pandemic. some members the second largest in u.s. history they say it is still not enough. others like rand paul say $900 billion is way too much. >> it's not too little too late. >> if we can print up money with impunity, why not do it? the treasury could just keep printing the money. that is until someone points out that the emperor has no clothes and the dollar no longer has value. to so-called conservatives who are quick to identify the socialism of democrats, if you vote for this spending monstrosity you're no better. >> mitch mcconnell disagrees and believes that the $900 billion figure is right on the mark. >> it's not too little too late it is directly tar g*eted at exactly what the country needs right now. if after the new administration comes in they want to advocate more we'll take a look at it based upon conditions in the country at that time. >> and that is something that democrats have said they want to do. they view this latest deal as a down payment, something to tide americans over until a biden administration takes over. here is democratic congresswoman gabbard. >> you get $600 bucks that's what's left for you. i'll tell you in hawaii, that in most cases won't even cover 25% of your rent. it is an insult and a slap in the face to every single american in this country who is struggling because of this covid pandemic. >> it's still $600 extra delays in most american's banks accounts and steve mnuchin believes those checks, the first checks will begin going out next week. >> sandra: kristin fisher live at the white house this morning. for more on the latest from washington let's bring in bill mcgurn from the "wall street journal." you heard rand paul on the senate floor making the case calling out free money republicans as he called them. tulsi gabbard saying there is no way any lawmaker had the time to actually read through this bill and see what's in it. mcconnell says it's perfect. >> right. well, i have some sympathy for the rand paul point of view and tulsi gabbard is right. that's the way congress works. in many ways i think we're talking about the wrong thing. to me the most important thing about this relief package is what it didn't have. thanks to senator pat toomey in pennsylvania it puts a limit on the pandemic lending facilities that were supposed to expire at the end of the year. the democrats want to keep these going. it enhances the fed's power to give out money and so forth without an act of congress. what the democrats would like to see happen is for this to go into support for the blue states. i think that's coming. so it was good there were limits on it. they won't be revived after december 31. the other thing i think we're missing is look, the real stimulus at this point is the vaccine, one. and two, getting the country back to work. people talking about aid to restaurants. what sense does it make to give money to restaurants while not allowing them to operate their businesses? so i think we have to recognize tulsi gabbard is right. she wants more money instead of the $600 but she is right it doesn't go far enough. we can't substitute the government for the private sector. people need incomes and they need to get back to work. and that is the primary stimulus. all this other stuff i think is for political reasons. >> sandra: what's in it, $69 billion for vaccine distribution. $22 billion for states testing and tracing. really important, $13 billion increased nutrition assistance. $7 billion broadband access. list through what we do know is in it. we also know the foreign aid allocations in the spending bill, $500 million in foreign aid to israel. 1.3 billion to the egyptian military. 25 million to pakistan including for gender programs. some are pointing out and i'll ask you if rightly so, perhaps some of that foreign aid at a time when our country economically is so hungry and needing the additional assistance, perhaps some of that foreign aid should have gone to americans who are still struggling. >> yeah. are we shocked to find when there is a big spending bill people in congress stuff in all sorts of things that they couldn't defend on their own. i don't think we should spend that money on aid. you want to have a separate bill and do things like that. when you pile this on and covid. i think we're losing our priorities. they need to be to get the economy back up and running so people can provide for themselves and businesses don't go out of business. there is a lot of little individual things that can be adjusted but again i'm more afraid of the long-term spending, one, we have to pay for it somehow. and two, are they going to give the fed more power to intervene in the economy? i don't think they should without an explicit authorization from congress. that's what worse me. >> sandra: funds going to ukraine. the list goes on. bill, if you could stand by with us and we are going to bring in rich edson on other news. we'll see you in a moment. >> trace: bill barr saying there is no need for a special counsel to take over the federal investigation into hunter biden's taxes. rich edson live for us in wilmington, delaware. good morning to you. the biden team is stressing that joe biden will play no role in this investigation. >> good morning, trace. that's right. the transition team is saying that a biden presidency will feature an independent justice department even though that justice department will very likely still have an ongoing investigation into hunter biden next year. that's why republicans, president trump say that situation calls for a special counsel. >> up to me i would take the u.s. attorney in delaware and give him the entire hunter biden portfolio so he could look at everything hunter biden did throughout the world which is pretty massive, industrial size influence peddling. i thinwe need a special counsel because i worry that what hunter biden did may have compromised our ability to wage foreign policy effectively. >> the justice department investigating hunter biden's business since 2018. earlier this month hunter said he had just learned the u.s. attorney's office here in delaware was investigating him. attorney general bill barr says the ongoing investigation is sufficient and there is no need to add a special counsel. >> i think to the extent that there is an investigation, i think that it's being handled responsibly and professionally. currently within the department and to this point i have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel. and i have no plan to do so before i leave. >> attorney general barr's last day is tomorrow when he leaves the justice department and deputy attorney general jeffrey rosen takes over on an acting basis. here from delaware today we'll hear from the president-elect speaking to reporters later on this afternoon here in wilmington. trace, back to you. >> trace: rich, thank you. >> sandra: let's bring back bill mcgurn. thanks for staying with us. to the hunter biden story now senator tom cotton weighed in and said it isn't just about the hunter probe, this is a pattern with the biden family. watch. >> it's not just hunter biden, either. it's part of a pattern of joe biden's family. his sister and brother and son trading on his name and public office going back decades. joe biden's public life. it happened when he was a senator, it happened when he was vice president. what makes anyone think if he assumes the most powerful office in the land that it will stop now? >> sandra: do you agree? is this more about a pattern with the biden family? >> it looks that way and should be investigated. i do not favor a special counsel just because in principle i'm opposed to special counsels but the question here is the attorney general said there is no need, the integrity of the investigation is fine now. i don't think anyone questions that. what they question is whether it will continue going forward or whether a biden justice department will quash it. one of the things i would like to see is reporters start asking tougher questions on this. generally they ask a question and joe biden's answer is i love my son, he did nothing wrong, and he promises not to do it again. we need more answers than that especially as the evidence comes out. but one thing that i believe the president should be pressured to do is to announce that the investigation will go on until it is concluded and to make sure that that happens he is going to keep on the u.s. attorney in delaware now looking into this until he has completed his investigation. that way i think we avoid the pitfalls of a special counsel going off on his own tear and we still get the investigation that we need. >> sandra: i hear you saying we need more answers from joe biden. he needs more questions on it as well. we have seen the press avoid asking him further questions about the hunter biden probe. as far as the special counsel is concerned, point taken on your part you don't like special counsels but were you shocked to hear bill barr during this program yesterday when he held that news conference take a question on it and say very clearly that if this is done responsibly and professionally he doesn't see the need for one. were you surprised by that? >> no, because i think that's the principle of his position. now -- [poor audio] the reason he did it is to make that attorney harder for joe biden to just fire. i think he thinks the stakes are so high that they need one in that case. that's designed to keep the investigation going. but again i do think it's a bad idea. i don't think we'll get any justice until the press starts asking questions instead of protecting joe biden. it is just unbelievable how these are ignored. even the questions of special counsel and the fundamental question. now that you are president, can you guarantee the american people that the investigation into your son will be fair and not closed prematurely because of your position? i haven't heard that question. i don't know about you, but it seems a logical one. >> sandra: it is a fair point. we'll see what happens over the next few weeks whether there will be more questions, i don't know. bill, good to have you here this morning. happy holidays to you. >> thanks. >> trace: california appears headed for a longer lockdown. governor newsom says it is likely he'll extend the state's stay at home order because of a surge in coronavirus cases that are overwhelming hospitals. the controversial order that doesn't appear to be working was set to expire for the southern part of the state at the end of the month. meantime dr. anthony fauci says a travel ban because of the new strain of covid found in great britain would be premature with current information known about the virus. his comments come after 10 european nations as well as canada and israel have restricted travel from the u.k. two weeks have passed since news broke that congressman eric swalwell once had ties with suspected chinese spy christine fang. but the story has gotten little to no coverage in several mainstream media news outlets including "the new york times," which hasn't covered it at all. why the media blackout? let's bring in rachel campos-duffy. always good to see you. for the record here, eric swalwell has not denied any of this. not even accusations that he had a romantic relationship with christine fang and the question becomes it is not a smear, the media falls back, it is not a smear. he hasn't denied any of it. the question is wouldn't you think the media would be curious as to what china's goal is as to what they were shooting for here? >> absolutely. a huge story. it would have been a huge story if any rank and file member of compromise had been compromised sexually by the chinese spy. this is somebody on the intel committee, the most sensitive committee appointed by the speaker of the house. it is a big story and not being covered by "the new york times" for a couple of reasons. one it is political. you know, "the new york times" used eric swalwell as their go-to person in the fake russian collusion story about foreign interference in our elections. and here we have this very same member of congress, they're covering for him. the media is fake in that regard. "the new york times" in particular. another angle. substantial. "the new york times" has some deep financial ties to china. their biggest -- 17% investment by a person who saved the paper from bankruptcy a few years back and he has deep ties to china. also a very odd op-ed in the paper last month very pro-china actually glorifying their crackdown on hong kong. we need to look at all of this. >> trace: stay on topic of the actual -- let's put this on the screen here. cbs, zero, nbc, zero. joe concha said the following. in the end the best bet that swalwell will do what is a popular strategy when democratic public figures find themselves in trouble. briefly address the issue with a friendly outfit and hope a news cycle washes away the story as it gets ignored by enough outlets and move on. it's a nice deal if you can get it. it seems like the proper strategy because if you ignore it long enough it might just go away. >> it might but we shouldn't let it. it is very important. china is our greatest geopolitical adversary. look at those outlets, abc, two minutes. abc has -- owns disney and espn. deputies to china. nbc, universal. we need to look at all of this. congress ought to look at these financial ties. our media is also being compromised by the chinese by not telling the story. this story is important, trace, because he was -- he may very well have tipped off fang. she escaped the country. our f.b.i. did not get hold of her shortly after he got a defensive briefing. we need to know did he tip her off? >> trace: i want to play this sound bite by clyburn on kneel cavuto. >> eric swalwell had alleged ties with a chinese spy. you say he should stay on the house intelligence committee i want to be clear. >> allegations are allegations. i have no idea what you are talking about. so i'm not going to pass judgment on what swalwell should or should not do when i have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. >> trace: he might know what he was talking about if somebody covered this. last thoughts. >> his friend nancy pelosi certainly does. she got a briefing by the f.b.i. this week. kevin mccarthy was part of the briefing. he was more troubled than ever. the reason she is keeping him on she is up for speaker election in january and needs every vote she can get including eric swalwell. she is putting her political interests ahead of our national security. >> trace: always good to see you. >> thank you, merry christmas. >> sandra: several people arrested after -- they demanded an end to some lockdown orders in the country. governor cuomo's response -- [poor audio for captioner] ] >> i can tell, i worked hard this year. we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our 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first time the volcano erupted on the big island since 2018. for more on these and other stories download the fox news app. scan the qr code on your screen or go to foxnews.com/apps. >> sandra: oregon state police arrested four people for anti-lock demonstrators who pushed their way into the state capitol building. reopen oregon rally took place at lawmakers held a special session on coronavirus relief. jonathan hunt is live on that this morning. oregon police have had violent confrontations with left wing groups. now it's coming from the right. >> good morning. after a summer of skirmishs and outright battles with left wing groups including antifa, now winter that is shaping up to be a running battle with right wing groups including the proud boys and patriot prayer. in monday's disturbances groups of protestors, some armed, smashed windows and broke into the state capitol in salem while politicians were debating covid lockdowns and economic relief. troopers attempted to push the crowd back after some got inside. some of the protestors were armed with handguns and rifles. according to oregon state police osp troopers were sprayed with some kind of chemical agent on two different occasions. and they said a 41-year-old man had been taken into custody as a result. at least three others were arrested as troopers declared an unlawful protest. the protests with many taking part unmasked by organized by the right wing group patriot prayer. >> shame on you. shame on you. police brutality. police brutality. crimes against the citizens of oregon. >> in a video on twitter patriot prayer leader said the group is, quote, going to probably occupy this capitol and i don't think these people are going to go anywhere. and he added hopefully this will spark something not just here, but in capitols across the country because if we don't take this back, man, we're done. we're done. so sandra, if law enforcement officials in oregon thought they might get a break from protests post election. only the political motivations of the protestors have actually changed. >> sandra: jonathan hunt live for us on that. thank you. >> trace: just two weeks ago georgia's secretary of state is taking action to make sure out of state voters do not try to cast ballots in the upcoming runoff elections. that will determine which party controls the senate. jonathan serrie live in atlanta. it involves warning letters. who is getting them? >> good morning, trace. this involves warning letters going to approximately 8,000 individuals who have both requested georgia absentee ballotss but also recently filed for out of state changes of address with the u.s. postal service. now, brad raffensperger said that's fine in cases where the move is temporary. for example, someone attending an out of state college or someone serving a military assignment in another state. but raffensperger warns anyone looking to come to georgia temporarily to cast a ballot in the runoffs or established residence in another state but thinks they can game the system we'll find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. early voting in georgia is already in its second week. a group called true the vote has submitted elector challenges that will require more than 364,000 voters who filed out of state or in state changes of address with the post office to prove their eligibility before casting ballots in the county where they are registered. elections officials in several large metro atlanta counties have already declined the elector challenges. decal *b county will take it up this afternoon >> sandra: let's bring in alyssa farah. thank you for being here. on that point what's the gop doing to insure fair elections in january? >> good morning, sandra, thanks for having me. the georgia republican party has been taking efforts, efforts underway to insure that we have signature verification, that we have poll watchers. but what we're really trying to convey to voters and listen, understanding that millions of americans have concerns about irregularities and fraud that we have seen in the 2020 election. what we're conveying to georgia voters is if you care about -- if you don't want a rigged election you have to get out and vote. you insure a democrat victory if you don't get out and vote. we're taking measures. we have them in place. we should be able to trust the results of this election. the most important thing here and now is that georgia republicans get out and vote. >> sandra: got in your message there. charlie hurt was on fox news last night. he was talking about just what he sees at stake in this race if democrats win control of the senate. watch. >> the big difference between today and say 2009 when barack obama was in the white house, i think this current crop of democrats are far more dangerous than anything we saw even with barack obama bringing in obamacare. there is no telling what these people are going to try to do if they get control of all levels of the government. >> sandra: that's how charlie hurt sees it. how does the white house see what is at stake in georgia? >> that's absolutely correct. i agree with charlie there. we have seen this crop of liberals in the house who frankly are steering the party far, far left. something i've learned dealing with hill negotiations for years in various capacity it's pelosi's caucus that calls the shots. even if we have a scenario that chuck schumer is the leader, it will be the aocs, omars and tlaibs pushing policies that go to the house to the senate. there is a lot at stake here. we're -- also with both of the georgia candidates i would say we see very far left candidates in john ossoff and raphael warnock. this is something we have to be thinking about and get out to vote. >> sandra: to that point there is new reporting from the federalist on john ossoff and his ties to a hong kong media company. it says ossoff received compensation from a hong kong media company with a bent in the years between his failed house campaign and his run for senate. then left the transaction off his financial disclosure. ossoff first chalked it up to a paperwork error. then amended the statement to disclose the payment but also claimed the amount was under the $5,000 threshold that requires reporting. so with so much riding on georgia and not as if this is comparable to the chinese spy allegations with eric swalwell, but still should this be more highly scrutinized by your party? >> it should. the chinese target up and coming politicians to gain influence in the u.s. system. this is a ccp aligned contribution to a film project he was working on. it's something that warrants scrutiny. more broadly we really have not gotten strong answers from democrats on what they'll do to hold china accountable. as they potentially assume power, what will they do to hold them accountable for the coronavirus and other things? this is something that should be scrutinized. i've said it before they are trojan horses for far left liberal policies in georgia. but on top of that this is really a concerning potential area for our adversaries to get involved in the georgia party and i think that's very concerning. >> sandra: with the few seconds i have left rens priebus and his forecast. >> there is no reason for the republicans to lose early vote or absentee ballot voting in georgia. you can hire almost unlimited amount of help on the ground to identify those voters who haven't voted, bring them to the polls and cannibalize every single election day voter you can between now and election day. if the republicans do that, they should win. >> sandra: final thoughts on that. >> he is absolutely right. we have a strong ground game and take no vote for granted and get everyone out there that we can. >> sandra: great to have you this morning. thanks so much. trace. >> trace: several lawmakers facing criticism for getting the coronavirus vaccine and some of the backlash is coming from their closest allies on capitol hill. it's squad versus squad. and west point now facing one of the biggest cheating scandals in its history. how dozens of cadets broke the honor code. ♪ i'm getting nothing for christmas ♪ ♪ 'cause i ain't nothing but bad ♪ ♪ you must go and i must bide ♪ but come ye back when su-- mom, dad. why's jamie here? it's sunday. sunday sing along. and he helped us get a home and auto bundle. he's been our insurance guy for five years now. he makes us feel like we're worth protecting. [ gasps ] why didn't you tell us about these savings, flo? i've literally told you a thousand times. ♪ oh, danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling ♪ i'm just gonna... ♪ from glen to glen >> trace: dozens of west point cadets are accused of cheating on an exam they were taking remotely. 73 cadets were accused of cheating on a calculus test in may because of irregularities in answers. honors committee dropped several cases because of a lack of evidence and some cadets resigned. more than 50 others admitted cheat being and have been placed on probation. others face hearings and could be expelled. >> sandra: congresswoman omar is calling out some of her colleagues for getting the coronavirus vaccine before front line workers. the minnesota democrat even went after fellow squad member alexandria ocasio-cortez who received the shot over the weekend. let's bring in former wisconsin congressman sean duffy and robert wolf. does she have a point looking at aoc, pulls down the shirt to get the shot. many of our front line workers and even our seniors haven't even had access to the shot yet? >> she definitely has a point but she has a point personally. her father passed away from covid so i have to say if i was her i would absolutely make sure and want to make clear the elderly should get covid before anyone. if i was in congress and outside of congress i think 535 members should get the vaccine and it will bring us back to a normal environment in committee and from a foreign intelligence percent pebtive we need people back in committee. >> sandra: sean, omar says we aren't more important than front line workers and teachers who make sacrifices every day. i won't take it. people who need it most should get it full stop. tulsi gabbard agrees but also says i shouldn't get it before our seniors get it. here is gabbard. >> now they are recommending that 100 million so-called essential workers. they can get the vaccine before our grandparents can. that members of congress like me, we can get the vaccine before at-risk seniors can. i had planned to take the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until they can. >> sandra: sean. >> i agree with omar. she is right. first of all there is enough old people in the congress that would qualify for being elderly and have co-morbidities they should get the shot. that's an important message to the american people. this is a safe vaccine. we can all take it. trump has, vice president has, biden has. so are the older members of congress. if you are young like omar and aoc no need for you to take the vaccine. give this to the older people in america. the congress and fauci and others said follow the science. science would dictate older people should get it first. these members of congress who are younger are at lower risk of dying from the virus. >> sandra: how about in massachusetts, robert, where they are prioritizing prisoners. this is dr. wilde from the covid-19 advisory group decided to prioritize prisoners there. we used equity as a core principle in our recommendations. we've had a lot of cases of voefd in the prisons and those at highest risk were getting the vaccine first. do you agree with that move, robert? >> i'm surprised. it is probably not the pecking order i would choose but medical ethics is something that i would leave mainly to the doctors. what i would say, sandra, almost 10 states have prisoners in the first phase and over half of states have them in the first two phases. both red and blue. so this isn't a massachusetts issue, it's in louisiana, kentucky, indiana. so it's probably not the order i would choose. i would choose the elderly. but i understand from a medical percent pekt beive he made a decision on spreading and on percentage of deaths. so it's hard for me to challenge that. it is not what i would do. >> sandra: sean? >> this is stupid government at its finest. we should reserve the vaccine for the elderly. i'm sick of the politics. i don't care whether you're a minority or not. i care if you are old or have comorbidity. i'm tired of politics. enough with the prisons, give it to old people. >> sandra: new york governor andrew cuomo says he is on santa's nice list this year. >> so healthy holiday and i'm going to have a great one. santa will be very good to me. i can tell. i worked hard this year. >> sandra: robert. first of all, it's not a question do you agree with him. why go there? why go there knowing we're still in the middle of this pandemic, there are still struggling americans, we still have an economy shut down here in new york. why take a victory lap right now? >> you know, my guess is he probably would like to have a mulligan on that one. i hope santa is -- >> sandra: you are kind, robert. >> i hope santa is good to new york city who needs the help right now. the medical workers, the teachers. i hope santa is good to new york and cuomo too. i'll give him a pass on that one but it wasn't one of his finest lines. >> sandra: leo terrelle doesn't give him a pass. >> governor cuomo no victory lap. you should be ashamed. 39% of those who died died in those retirement homes. he has basically embarrassed the state of new york by allowing seniors to die, withdraw total support from the police and more importantly begging the federal government to bail out his economy because he is basically bankrupt the state of new york. >> sandra: santa will be very good to cuomo he says. cuomo says. >> he was reading the wrong list. i think he is on the naughty list. he put covid patients in nursing homes, 36,000 new yorkers passed away because of covid. because of his lockdowns and shutdowns, 10% of the jobs in new york have left new york. shootings in new york city are up by 95%. he has been a disaster as a governor. to say he is on santa's nice list. he is making big money off a book he sold about leadership. i think it's shameful and he should apologize and i agree with my co-host here that he should do a mulligan on this one. >> sandra: it's painful to hear from the economic perspective and painful for those who lost loved ones who thought they unnecessarily. >> we're having a tough time here in new york. >> sandra: our best to you. happy holidays to both of you. great to have you here >> trace: we're waiting for president trump to sign the covid relief package. some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticizing some of the provisions in the bill. why the divide? plus another state's businesses facing a shutdown order and why one sheriff says his county will not enforce those restrictions. >> my focus will continue to be public safety, apprehending actual criminals and not harassing everyday citizens attempting to make a life for themselves and their families. when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org can you tell me the story again? every family has their own unique story. give your family the chance to discover theirs this holiday season, with ancestry. que cubriera su condición preexistente. ella necesitaba uno económico. ellos querían uno que cubriera a su familia. y todos lo encontraron en covered california, un servicio gratuito que conecta a los californianos con planes de salud de renombre además de ofrecer ayuda económica para los que la necesiten. consulta con un experto local en español, por internet o teléfono. covered california. tu seguro médico empieza aquí. inscríbete ahora. >> trace: as stay at home orders pile up with mounting cases of covid-19 the sheriff of one new mexico county is refusing to do lockdown orders. here is the county sheriff manny gonzalez and get your response on the other side. watch. >> some elected office holders have prioritized turning everyday citizens into villains attempting to live their lives. these restrictions will only hurt our community. for that reason we will not follow along with any orders that subvert their constitutional rights. >> trace: he says he won't turn everyday citizens into villains. your thoughts. >> well, look, i mean i think as you go around the country you see various lockdown orders in several jurisdictions where governors or mayors are trying to prevent the spread of coronavirus. now, the issue is, however, are you going to be the sheriff that executes that order in the middle of christmas? you know, i understand and i think we all understand the pandemic but at the same time these are all rights that can very easily be washed away by crisis like a pandemic. i think good on the sheriff for not enforcing an order that he believes to be unconstitutional. >> trace: the governor of that state, her office released this statement quoting it is deeply disappointing not to mention directly harmful that any public official would take any action that undermines the health and safety of their community. but the question you have to ask, is it harmful? you look at states like california. they're in day 16 of their shutdown and the case infection rate has never been higher. and they are thinking about extending the ban. something clearly is not working. >> look, i think if you just look at human nature. generally people that take the virus seriously that want to stay healthy will do their best to follow the guidance. they'll do their best to stay at home as much as possible to wear masks and social distance. the people that aren't, they aren't going to necessarily respect this order, right? you aren't going to have a bunch of people out there saying well, the governor said i can't do this. i wasn't doing it before so now i have to stop. the bottom line is these things are ineffective because they aren't going to hit the people that you are trying to get to. the people that may be going out and may be going the parties or what not. the governor's order won't stop them. the only thing it will do is stop the people trying to live by the rule that may go over to a friend's house for, you know, a coffee or may go over and visit family for christmas. that's who this is going to hurt. >> trace: i think that's accurate. good to see you, merry christmas, thank you. >> sandra: we're just moments away from dr. anthony fauci and other top health officials getting their covid-19 vaccinations live on camera as they look to build public trust. we'll bring you that when it happens. plus the u.s. postal service is struggling to get packages out to you in time for christmas as the post office grapples with financial trouble. is biden going to bail them out? 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>> well, sandra, if you are willing to pay more and with luck your package might get to where it's going on time. at this point most of those shipping deadlines have passed and it is set to be a record breaking year for holiday shipping. at this point 3.5 million packages per day will be delayed at least a day according to ship matrix. they say usps is the worst performing. despite such high demand they posted a fiscal loss. the postal service in the relief deal will get $10 billion. in the cares act it was intended as a loan but now converted to direct funding. under president-elect joe biden when he takes office, he wants to provide more funding for the postal service. he also wants to eliminate the requirement to pre-pay for future retirees's healthcare benefits. to do that he will need help from congress. >> sandra: all right. grady trimble. a busy holiday season for the post office. thank you. meanwhile a high profile vaccination event about to be underway in maryland. top government officials will join front line medical workers to get some of the first doses of the newly approved moderna vaccine including health and human services secretary alex azar. dr. anthony fauci and others. today's public vaccination event is designed to demonstrate the vaccines are safe and effective. we'll be watching for that. and house and senate rushing to approve another huge covid relief bill. $900 billion in emergency aid providing a lifeline to millions of struggling americans and businesses hurt by the pandemic. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom" on this tuesday morning. welcome, i'm sandra smith, hi, trace. >> trace: good morning everyone. i'm trace gallagher. details of the massive package including government funding stuffed into a bill more than 5500 pages long. many lawmakers complaining they only had six hours to read the bill. stuffed with all kinds of pork before voting on it. republican senators rand paul calling it absurd blasting colleagues who back the bill. when his speech on the senate floor going viral. >> if free money were the answer, if money really grew on trees, why not give more free money? why not give it out all the time? why stop at $600 a person? maybe the new free money republicans should join the everybody gets a guaranteed income caucus. >> sandra: the publisher of the federalist and he joins us now. what do you make of rand paul there calling out his fellow republicans as free money republicans for agreeing to this covid bill? >> i do think this is one of those rare instances where a lot of republicans who normally would be joining rand paul's criticism aren't in part because this is a situation where the government shut the economy down. you can't really expect people to pay the penalty when they weren't the ones who did the crime here. and i think that frankly what things like governor andrew cuomo and mayor bill deblasio have done have been criminal in terms of their approach to dealing with this. you see so many people whose livelihoods are wrecked. the possibility they will be able to come back is going to be put at risk. one issue that i would point out here is the problem really isn't the $600 that you are sending to working americans across the country. the problem is that you are sending all this other money in all different directions that are largely determined by the access of lobbyists, their ability to get things shoved into massive pork-filled packages like this. that's the real problem. it is one that has been around in washington for a long time. >> sandra: here is more from rand paul going off on the sheer dollar amount. >> if we can print up money with impunity, why not do it? the treasury could just keep printing the money. that is until someone points out that the emperor has no clothes. and that the dollar no longer has value. to so-called conservatives who are quick to identify the socialism of democrats, if you vote for this spending monstrosity you are no better. >> sandra: there he was. aoc is right. absurd to have a spending bill in secret and hours later demand an up or down bill nobody has had time to read. congress is broken. this is why congress needs time to actually read the package before voting on it. members of congress have not read this bill. it is over 5,000 pages. arrived at 2:00 p.m. today and we're told to expect to vote in two hours. that was after -- before that happened but ben, it brings back the visual of aides pushing or pulling i believe it was the entire 5,000 page bill into the capitol. it is massive. there is no way any lawmaker had time to read this >> of course they didn't read it. they count on their staffs to read it and people stressed out, overworked, young, and forced into positions where frankly they no less about what's in the bill than the lobbyists who helped right it. after all her complaining she ended up voting for it anyway and where you see a lot of this. >> sandra: because people need help. >> because people need help but also because no one in congress ever has been able to have a coalition ever since this whole pork escalated in the last couple of decades to push congress back into the point of being a functional member of the three different branches of government. instead you have people just force these issues through, try to sneak things in, and they end up being successful time and again because no one in congress is able to get enough people to go along with what rand paul is saying there, standing up and saying this is not the way we ought to function as an institution. >> sandra: i want to transition to the final topic. tucker carlson last night teed off on what he is calling woke activism when it comes to biden naming members of his team, watch. >> my tribe. no, my tribe, no, mine, mine, mine. this is what late-stage identity politics looks like once you strip away the euphemisms. no mention whatsoever of competence or expertise or any other quality that might actually help our country. just the relevant back ground to run the energy department? who cares, you are the wrong color, no dice. >> sandra: he came to that opinion days after joe biden said this about his cabinet. this is december 19th. listen. >> today the announcement we'll make the sixth african-american members of our cabinet which is a record. after today our cabinet won't just have one or two precedent- [ing appointments but 12. today's long overdue appointment of the first native american cabinet secretary. already there are more people of color in our cabinet than any cabinet ever. more women than ever. >> sandra: to be fair joe biden said this when he was campaigning that he would put together one of the most diverse cabinets that the white house has ever seen. he appears to be following through on that. but to tucker carlson's point about woke activism you say what? >> best era, joe biden's choice for secretary of health and services botched his name and title when he introduced him has no expertise in the area of health. he has no background in the area. he has no expertise, no policy background, no chops about it. he is just being named to check a box and to be a frankly aggressive leftist on culture war issues in that job. as someone who worked at that department under the bush administration, i find that insulting especially for someone hispanic. i find that insulting. you don't put someone in that job unless they can do the job, unless they have the qualifications for the job. the idea you can put them in there and check a box on identity politics and say look, isn't that wonderful? pick someone who can do the job and earned it. that is something will be a repeated problem under this administration. they look to satisfy woke activists, satisfy identity politics and put people in the jobs who have no actual expertise in doing them. >> sandra: interesting perspective. as we await dr. fauci, all action azar and others publicly get their vaccine, the moderna vaccine. a lot of debate who should get this first. iona pressley who has received the vaccine is saying it should be prisoners. similar to what we're seeing in massachusetts in the group along with first responders who should be getting it. watch. >> i trust the vaccine and that's why i had it administered. i want to say thank you to all the scientists and researchers and i'll continue to fight for our most vulnerable, communities who have been disimportant portion nately impacted. healthcare and essential workers, incarcerated men and women to be prioritized in the distribution of the vaccine. >> sandra: a few things going on. omar says members of her young squad congressional team shouldn't be getting it first. they aren't at high risk. you have aoc rolling up her sleeve and getting it on camera. pressley has gotten it and put prisoners into the group of those who should be getting it first. your thoughts? >> well, i do think that to a certain extent i understand they don't have the flexibility of other people in terms of avoiding interacting with others. but really we all know who should be getting the vaccines first, the elderly. people who are older are most at risk from this disease. people are additional health problems. i also think that when it comes to members of congress there is a point there just in the sense that a lot of them are younger and that's something that i think they all have to make the decision for themselves. what we don't want is for people to be able to skirt around the different order and requirements put in place because they're wealthy or powerful. i don't want to see celebrities cutting in line on this. we need to target it at the people at the most risk. i hope we do that and i hope frankly this incoming administration is able to turn things around when it comes to the way this vaccine is viewed. we saw a 20-point shift after kamala harris's criticism of the vaccine according to the stat poll that looked at the way that minorities in america looked at this vaccine with negative numbers rising among the people who said they weren't going to take it because of a rise in distrust. we need to turn that figure around. people need to be able to have confidence in this and hopefully displays like we'll have today help convince them that this is safe. >> sandra: dr. fauci will be getting it in a few moments. he recently turned 80. alex azar will get it as well. ben, great to have you here this morning. hap holidays and first christmas with your new baby. enjoy. >> thank you very much. merry christmas to you and yours as well. >> trace: one of the most bustling cities in the world turning into a ghost town. london is usually packed at this time of year filled with tourists, shoppers ahead of christmas. now the streets are empty after the city was placed on lockdown amid a surge in a more infectious strain of covid-19. greg palkot is live in the british capital. an eerie sight. >> london laid low by the new covid-19 variant has prompted a severe lockdown. 50% more contagious than earlier strains. also thought to be spreading throughout the country. that according to officials could prompt more lockdowns. it is not, however, according to the scientists here thought to be more deadly and more word it is probably not resistant to current vaccines out there. the creator of the pfizer biontech vaccine saying his vaccine could probably handle it. if it doesn't he could make up another one in six weeks. this doesn't solve the immediate problem for the u.k. at its borders, trucks backed up at port crossings. one of several dozen countries slap travel bans on folks coming from the u.k. london, paris, brussels say they want to solve it. we're already seeing runs at supermarkets here. as for the u.s. there are reports airlines like british airways will now only allow passengers who tested negative for covid to get on their flights to new york and elsewhere. something being called for by u.s. officials. washington holding off on a full u.k. travel ban. it should be noted that the trump administration has had for a pretty long time tough restrictions on british travelers coming to the u.s. amid new reports that yes, this new strain has been found elsewhere in europe and it is maybe in the u.s. back to you. >> trace: greg palkot live in london. thank you. >> sandra: chilling new surveillance video. an officer shot in the line of duty and a suspect on the loose. why authorities say this shooting was especially troubling. plus this. chaos in one state capital. officers pushing back against protestors who tried to enter the building. what started that next. 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[laughing] that works. >> trace: tension in oregon, state police declare an unlawful assembly. this after demonstrators pushed their way into the state capitol in salem calling on the governor and lawmakers to reopen the economy. officers deploying blue smoke to try to disperse the crowd. joining us now is brian kilmeade. co-host of "fox & friends." thanks for fitting us into your schedule on radio time. this is a statement from one of the protestors. he said this quoting. these people are unemployed and their lives are being ruined by this situation and most importantly by a government that seems to have taken totalitarian views. clearly this person and a lot of others are fed up. are protests the way to vent your frustration in your opinion, brian? >> a couple of things. we're sharing audiences. i was talking about this with our audience on the radio. they were told, trace, january 2 they will be able to open up their economy. they were just extended to march 2 in oregon. you just left california. in california they said for your own good we're shutting down your business, preventing you from having breakfast and going out to lunch. preventing you from eating outside. at the same time destroying businesses along the way. there is protests everywhere. i ask you, what else can they do? they had the legislative meeting where they are deciding their future. you show up. i'm not for violence but showing up in numbers. especially as legislators can see the faces of those they're shutting down. maybe forever. you know what's different about these riots in oregon as opposed to seattle? they're not against america, they want to work in america. they want to live the american dream. i would imagine they were living it until they were stopped by a pandemic from china. but then they doubled and tripled the pain by terrible leadership by mayors and governors, case in point in gore oregon. >> trace: what is happening most people fed up are not protesting. they are not following the stay at home guidelines and why traffic in these states that have stay at home orders is back to almost pre-pandemic levels especially when you mention a state like california where they are in day 16 of the lockdowns. infections are going up. it is clearly not working. people are not abiding by these things anymore. >> i bring you to germany. they were doing it right. they were in a lockdown through christmas. the most disciplined society in the western world with culture is israel. they got hit by two or three waves. is sweden and netherlands. as long as we're human beings we can't stay in our living rooms. could it be that 70% of all infections hap when we get together with our families or extended families? could it be the vaccine and therapeutics are the only way? a certain things happen. we can't stay in a dungeon or prison unless we violate the law. you take healthy people and you want them to salt away and watch their lives wither away. it is not possible. that's what will be written about this pandemic. wear a mask and sometimes you still get infected because you have to take a deep breath, go to school or go to target or other stores. >> trace: they're making the wrong decisions. kim foxx, she is the d.a. in cook county, the prosecutor there,, which is chicago. she wants to clean the records of drug dealers who deal cocaine and heroin saying if we recognize substance abuse disorder as a health condition, then we must modify our justice system to treat it as such. criminalizing health is not in the interest of public safety. cocaine and heroin dealers. who knew the cartel was just having health problems? >> great point. it is a case-by-case basis. do we know people with addicted? do we know other people who say the way for me to make a living is to deal drugs and become an under class in society and try to up end city after city after city? you cannot make holistic changes like this. marijuana i guess we're a few days away from getting -- a few weeks or years away from having it legalized. they will release anybody in jail because of dealing marijuana. i get it. with heroin and meth and other illegal drugs, cocaine. it is a case-by-case basis. it bothers me that people think that criminal reform involves you have a health problem. now go out there and go back to your gang. >> trace: go back to your radio audience. merry christmas to you. we appreciate it. >> trace: thanks to you, too and your audience. >> sandra: two tech titans teaming up. google and facebook facing claims together that they agreed to help each other if they ever faced an investigation into their strategies to combat competition. the lawsuit and the fallout from that plus members of congress among the first to get the covid vaccine. are they cutting the line to get the shot first? >> you have a young aoc, 30 years old. you got doctors, you got nurses, you've got policemen and people working in ambulances. you have icu nurses that haven't gotten it yet and she gets it? 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harris said all members of congress should get it. as far as alexandria ocasio-cortez she makes the case, she got a puff piece in elle magazine. it wasn't her decision. if she didn't take it it would go into storage. i think it's easy to pander on this issue. >> sandra: whether or not they're cutting if line. some make the case. some agree, some don't agree. as we wait for dr. fauci to get his he is 80 years old. a lot of this also the criticism is that some of these lawmakers who are going to be first in line getting the vaccine were also those who called into question the vaccine to begin with. and sewed public distrust of it. >> i think it's time to put all that aside. who will be the moral arbiter, you get it or you don't get it because i don't like what you said six months ago. you could have said members of congress over 65. omar is good at saying see is noble for not taking it. i have sympathy because her father died of covid complications. with 42% of republicans saying they probably won't get the vaccine, 12% was the figure for democrats. there is a symbolic benefit for leaders of both parties starting with mike pence last week. to put it on camera and instagram and show it's a safe vaccine and as more doses become available all americans should avail themselves of miraculous drugs. >> sandra: pressley believes prisoners should be receive the first doses. listen. okay. let me know when you have that sound. dr. fauci is 80 years old. he says i'm ready to go. we're about to see him get his vaccine. i'll get vaccinated as soon as i can. i hope it will be within the next few days to the early part of next week. we know that is about to happen in just moments. and howie, this is a big moment. he is the top infectious disease expert with us athroughout the pandemic and he and alex azar will receive not the first dose of the pfizer but the first doses of the moderna vaccine, which is the newly approved vaccine. and this is certainly a big moment for all of us in this pandemic. >> absolutely. look, anthony fauci has been doing it since the reagan administration and he should get the vaccine at 80 years old. joe biden i'm glad he got it yesterday. he is 78. mitch mcconnell is 78. nancy pelosi is 80. it is easy to score political points and hard to balance people in nursing homes, absolutely. front line healthcare workers, absolutely. people in retail stores, they can't phone it in. i hope enough becomes available that more and more of our fellow americans particularly those most vulnerable americans can get the shot like the politicians. >> sandra: here is hhs secretary health and human services secretary alex azar seated and about to receive his first dose. howie, certainly a moment like the vice president who received his the other day. show up in short sleeve shirts. easy access to the arm there. he will be receiving his vaccine as many lawmakers are first in line for this. the elderly obviously front in line, front line healthcare workers across the country. there are waiting lists as you well know as we see the secretary about to receive his shot. for people signing up to get this as soon as possible around the country. >> this is a nice christmas gift for the country particularly those who can get it early on. i have to remind everybody six months ago i went back and reviewed the coverage. almost all the media and experts said no way president trump could deliver on his pledge to have a vaccine roll out by the end of the year. they were wrong. he was right. i haven't seen many people crediting the president's leadership on operation warp speed. all the scientists who work long hours deserve credit as well. there will be some jockeying as we watch these pictures. at least we're now on the road to getting more of the country vaccinated. it is frustrating it will take a few more months. >> sandra: he got his first shot and await 80-year-old dr. fauci next in line. we all watched vice president mike pence get his in the last several days. the first shot along with the second lady karen pence, dr. fauci now is approaching the medical worker who will be administering his shot. doctors have recommended president trump hold off on his shot for now because of the experimental treatment that he received when he was in the hospital. here is dr. fauci. let's stop and listen and take this in. >> i'm an attending physician here on the staff at the national institutes of health clinical center and so i do see patients. but as important or more important is as a symbol to the rest of the country that i feel extreme confidence in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine and i want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated so that we can have a veil of protection over this country that would end this pandemic. >> thank you for coming today, dr. fauci. any last-minute questions, concerns? >> no. thanks for helping out. there you go. thank you very much. [applause] >> sandra: he says he has extreme confidence in this vaccine and given the moderna vaccine that received emergency approval, howie, just this past week. shipping over the weekend. we, of course, began to see the site of all those vaccines getting delivered. operation warp speed plans to distribute 5.9 million doses across the country this week. your reaction to what you just saw. >> well anthony fauci's comments are why he should not only get the vaccine in addition to the fact he is 80 years old but do it on live television. he can send a message. he has been at odds with the president and he hasn't had a perfect record but he is sending a message to all of america this is safe. i'm taking it, you can take it when it becomes available. it was an important television moment and i'm glad we're covering it. symbolism is important here. dr. fauci, a lot of people respect his views because he has done it in republican and democratic administrations. >> sandra: he believes the new strain we're fearing and reading about believes the vaccines will also be effective with that. all right, that was a moment. bethesda. maryland. happy holidays to you. >> merry christmas. >> trace: a statement from the newest member of the so-called squad calling capitalism a form of slavery. how does he back that up? charles payne with a closer look at that next. ♪ this year we got creative with our dollars. but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪ nwhat it feels like to get ang of hhero's welcomeeran. let's end the year enjoying more. on your own front lawn. at newday usa, our aim is to help every veteran family celebrate home by helping them leverage their va benefits to purchase a home with no down payment to enjoy the life they so rightly deserve. zë even walmart's fast delivery on the perfect last minute gift. like...as fast as today fast. let's end the year nailing it. ♪ >> trace: the newest member of the squad making headlines. incoming democratic congressman bowman talking about our economic system in an interview saying capitalism is a form of slavery. charles payne is the host of making money on fox business. charles, good to see you. congressman elect bowman went on to say he thinks capitalism is slavery by another name saying one that keeps the majority of americans unemployed or under employed and struggling to survive while the power elite continues to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few and allows large corporations to pretty much run the world as multi-national corporations. what do you think about that, charles? >> well, there are so many places it is hard to know where to begin. factually certainly within america it's -- the majority people are not unemployed even in the midst of this horrible pandemic. most people in america have seen amazing upward mobility. it is not just the u.s. story. capitalism particularly as rich nations have gone out and invested in poor nations you go from 1990 to now. 1 billion more people have left poverty around the world, entered the middle class. we've gone from 37% of the world being in extreme poverty to less than 10% now driven by gains from capitalism and the things that happen from it such as investments and then the ability tore other people to become entrepreneurs, business owners and so-called stakeholders. so it really is -- we've heard these comments before. the reason i think it's so dangerous now, though, trace, there is a concerted effort organized, smart, brilliant effort to bring down america's capitalistic society and to replace it with something that has been disastrous everywhere it's been tried. >> trace: even when you hear conservatives saying things like there is too much concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, charles, do you know what remedy they are trying to seek? >> you know, the remedy worries me because if you start talking about the redistribution of wealth and you start to say who do we empower to make these decisions, who gets to decide what is too much? i remember when president obama made a comment very similar to that. when is it enough? well, no one is asking that about his book deals, about his tv deals, about all the other things that probably now his network is well over $100 million. the idea, though, every one of those deals he is involved in are creating jobs and every one of the deals he is involved in creates other things that society may or may not enjoy. the bottom line something comes out not out of thin air. a lot of folks are too busy focused on the envy of capitalism rather than participating in it. that's wonderful about being an american. you can participate in it. you can get your piece of the -- you can get your piece of the action. >> trace: charles payne always good to see you. merry christmas, sir, thank you. >> you, too, thanks a lot, trace. >> sandra: happy holiday season like no other rolls along. the fight against hunger is as desperate as it has been in years. we'll talk with an organization focused on fighting just that next. 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[ beeping ] for those who were born to ride, there's progressive. introducing the new sleep number 360 smart bed... now temperature balancing, so you can sleep better together. it's the final days to save up to $700 on new sleep number 360 smart beds. plus, 0% interest for 48 months on all smart beds. ends thursday. finding the right words can be tough.n it comes to autism, finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org dreya! hey! how are you so good at this? relax. get into it! aw, yeah! i've got it! rated everyone. >> sandra: this holiday season is so challenging for all of us in many ways. but for nearly 50 million americans it is especially difficult. the census bureau reporting that one in eight americans did not have enough food as of mid-november. the feeding america organization is working hard to meet the growing demands. their ceo joins us now. claire, thank you for being here this morning. what are you doing to help those that are so desperately in need across the country today? >> if you give me just a moment i want to take one breath to say thank you. since march 1 between march 1 and november 30th our remarkable network of food banks, 200 of them, 50,000 pantries, 2 million volunteers have provided meals to 4.8 billion meals to people in need. that's in no small part because of the generosity of audiences like yours. so before i do anything i want to stop and say thank you so much for what you've already done. you are making a difference out there. >> sandra: happy to hear that. our viewers are eager to help in any way they can. tell us what your efforts look like right now to try to get food to those who need it most over the holidays. >> so unfortunately what has been playing out with us is very similar to what we saw early on in the pandemic. we're seeing about a 60% increase in need. about 40% of the people turning to us for help have never before relied upon our system for help. what we're doing is getting as much food as we can to the people who need it the most and trying to do it in a way that's safe for everyone involved. so it takes a village. part of that village would be members of your audience. >> sandra: we know it takes money and food and help as well. we're showing video of the many people who work for your organization and all the effort that goes into getting help to those who need it. it is a huge collaboration. thanks for what you do. >> well thank you. so much. it is a huge collaboration and we're seeing ourselves being really effective in getting food to where it is needed the most right now and what it takes is what you just described. we do definitely continue to need access to funds. we need donations of time as well. so volunteers. over 60% of our members are still active volunteers right now and we need advocacy from people. you know and your audience maybe is aware of the fact that recently congress was able to pass some legislation that legislature includes lots of things i hope will help people in need now. among the things they packed was an allocation for food throughout people with our network. it doesn't happen without members of the public making it clear to members of congress it's important. the marathon that we're engaged in. i know it will be a long fight but i am confident that the american public will continue to show generosity. so go to feeding america.org, a place where you can help if you have the ability. and also a place you can go if you need help, too. if you need help from us we're here for you. >> sandra: we've had feeding america.org at the bottom of the screen while you are talking. thank you for sharing your message here. our best to you as you try to help so many over the holiday season. thank you, claire. >> thanks for having me. i appreciate it. >> trace: one of hollywood's biggest stars having a temper tantrum on site getting a new label. is tom cruise the new ellen? ber commercials with exciting stunts. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's something you shouldn't try at home... look, liberty mutual customizes home insurance so we only pay for what we need. it's pretty cool. that is cool! grandma! very cool. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ if ththen i'm not a real potato reciidaho potato farmer.shes, genuine idaho potatoes not just a side dish anymore. always look for the grown in idaho seal. >> trace: tom cruise getting new comparisons on social media after the leaked audio of him freaking out on the set of the new mission impossible. some people calling him the new ellen degeneres over his tirade. charlie shimkus joins us with that. tom the new ellen. what do you think? >> the buzz feed article written about ellen degeneres came out in july. she is probably going how did i get roped up in the tom cruise controversy? there were a toxic work environment and she was forced to apologize. tom cruise facing backlash for this rant but also celebrity support. folks like george clooney said he shouldn't have freaked out but he is trying to keep people safe. those who support him. others say he went too far. a third group of people think this rant was nothing more than a publicity stunt and plot twist there. >> a former scientologist big critic of tom cruise and scientology said the following about his rant. quoting i would bet that tom had this rant written for him and had his scientology assistant record and release it. saying such a thing indicates the god-like figure tom believes he is and what he is told by scientology. ouch. >> yeah, i saw that, too. she was once a member of the church of scientology has repeatedly criticized scientology and tom cruise. the church came out with a statement saying don't trust her. do what you want with that. leah does make a good point in saying tom cruise gave himself a lot of credit saying that other movies are in production because of him and what a mission impossible 7 is doing. or could they just be all following basic coronavirus procedures on movie sets? i've watched about 150 new hallmark christmas movies this year filmed this year and i don't think they have anything to do with tom cruise filming the latest installation of mission impossible. >> trace: did we figure out how the audio was released from the tom cruise rant? >> one can assume it was an angry crew members. five crew members walked off the set of mission impossible. so while he is trying to keep people's jobs apparently some folks aren't happy and are walking off the mission impossible set. >> trace: has ellen degeneres rehabilitated her reputation? >> yes. her ratings dipped in the beginning but unclear if it has anything to do with the controversy because daytime ratings across the board are down. so been a bad year but her show is still going strong. >> trace: a bad year for everybody. carley shimkus, always good to see you. thank you. >> sandra: fox news alert as we await the white house. president trump expected to sign the covid relief bill passed late last night. his approval could come at any moment. we're watching for that. welcome back to "america's newsroom." i'm sandra smith. good morning, trace. >> trace: good morning, everyone. i'm trace gallagher. the package that passed the house and senate in rapid succession is the second largest bill in u.s. history and it includes a second round of stimulus checks, $600 per person for most americans. an extra $300 week in unemployment benefits. more funding for the paycheck protection program and more help for schools and rental assistance. what do lawmakers think of the agreement? here is senator lindsey graham. >> the bottom line is they wanted $3 trillion for the pandemic last year. we wound up with $900 billion. you could have gotten this package in july. mitch mcconnell is right about that. they refused to talk to us before the election because they thought a relief package would help president trump. if you think this bill is bad, lose georgia and see what happens. >> trace: kristin fisher is live at the white house. good morning to you. >> good morning. the second round of stimulus checks is one of the signature components of this massive new bill. the way it works if you make less than $75,000 you will get a direct payment of $600. now, the size of that benefit is going to decrease if. if you make more than 75 grand a year and disappear entirely if you make more than $99,000. as for when americans can begin to expect to receive these payments, here is treasury secretary steve mnuchin. >> the president wanted direct payments so we will be sending out next week direct deposit. i expect we get the money out by the beginning of next week. $2400 for a family of four, much-needed relief in time for the holidays. we also have extensions of the ppp. >> despite the fact we saw some bipartisan compromise to get the bill across the finish line late last night there is also bipartisan criticism. republican senator rand paul who voted against the bill argues $900 billion is far too much money. >> why stop at $600 a person? why not $1,000? why not $2,000? maybe these new free money republicans should join the everybody gets a guaranteed income caucus. >> democratic congresswoman gabbard voted against it for the opposite reason. she says that those $600 payments are nowhere near enough. she also really didn't like the fact that she only had a few hours to read this nearly 6,000-page package before she was expected to vote on it. >> there is no way that anybody in congress had the opportunity or the time to go through and read this bill to know exactly what was in it. i've been here long enough to see how provisions are snuck into these bills. >> this bill is going to be making its way right here to the white house where president trump is expected to sign it. we still don't know when it will happen but expected to happen sometime today. >> trace: we'll be there when it does. >> sandra: that stimulus as you just heard sparking bipartisan criticism with alexandria ocasio-cortez raising concerns about the size of it. >> it is why congress needs to read through this. they have not read the bill. it is over 5,000 pages. it arrived at 2:00 p.m. today. this isn't governance it is hostage taking. ted cruz taking issue with the timing of the vote tweeting this. aoc is right. absurd to have a $2.5 trillion spending bill negotiated in secret and hours later demand an up or down vote on a bill nobody had time to read. guy benson, host of the guy benson show, mo elleithee, both fox news contributors. get the breaking news banner out. ted cruz and aoc are in agreement. >> yeah, look, they're not wrong in that these things the end to be long, they are complicated and the members don't have a ton of time to read everything in it. but i do think it speaks to the urgency of the matter, right? this thing has taken way too long to get to where it is. people are coming up on the holidays, benefits are expiring. >> sandra: there was urgency in july. wasn't there, guy? >> there has been urgency a number of times throughout the course of this process. republicans held it up as well at certain points. so we are where we are now i'm glad we're about to get it passed. a good first step. >> sandra: guy, there is a lot of stuff in this. over 5,000 pages bill. you saw it pushed through the capitol there. is this really going to help struggling americans? is it enough? >> well, i think it will help a lot of struggling americans. there are two pieces of it. the covid relief, $900 billion and should have been passed months ago. a lot of the delays and stonewalling and obstructionism was done by the democrats as nancy pelosi has basically admitted for electoral political reasons which is pretty shameful. we finally gotten to this point. the second component of this huge bill which is funding the government through, i think, next september. all of these spending things rolled into one and then passed in a matter of hours. so i think that the covid piece was better than nothing. i think i support it overall. i think the government funding provisions are a mixed bag. but i do agree with both aoc when she is right and ted cruz, this is no way to govern. to roll it all up behind closed doors and to a giant snowball and then shove it down the hill and tell the members of congress it's voting happening tonight, get on board. we need to do this. it is an emergency. there is a cliff right there. it is an extremely dysfunctional way to govern a great kun tree. unfortunately we haven't been doing regular order debating the bills and appropriations and passing individual bills the way that it is supposed to go. that feels like a thing of the past even though it really shouldn't be. this is irresponsible. >> sandra: seemed to be a lot of debate who should be getting the shot first when it comes to the vaccine. alexandria ocasio-cortez, 31 years old, member of congress sat down and did this on camera, watch. >> so the covid vaccine became available to members of congress last night and we are urged to take it as part of a continuity of governance plan. that's it. >> sandra: she is getting criticism from a member of her own squad ilhan omar said it would make sense if it was age. it is of importance and shameful we aren't more important than front line workers. teachers, etc., who are making sacrifices every day. which is why i won't take it, she says. people who need it most should get it. some disagreement within the squad over priority for the vaccine. thoughts to both of you on that. >> look, there was some republican members who took it who got criticized because of their previous down playing of the coronavirus and yet they were among the first to get it as well. there will be criticism all around. my feeling on it, everybody who has access to it should get it when they have access to it. if medical professionals are saying people who serve in government should get it in order for the continuity of governance as well as to send a message to everybody else to get it, then they should get it. i have no problem with that. and i applaud anyone who gets it when they have the ability to do so. >> sandra: do you agree with that, guy? >> well look, i realize that i personally am probably 250 millionth online to get this vaccine. i do want to get it as soon as i can but i'm younger and thank god for now i'm healthy and so i'm less of a priority. i understand the criticizement of the oac and marco rubio and other side of the aisle. there is a case to be made and i see both sides of this debate. there is merit to both sides. if you have people public figures, politicians with power, with followings signaling powerfully to the american people, their constituents who trust them that this is a safe vaccine, this is an effective vaccine and so important i'm taking it, you should trust it as well and instill confidence in the american people that's a good thing. my only point is your position no matter who you are, your position on this little mini controversy about aoc and rubio and others, you should have the same consistent position no matter which younger politician it is regardless of party. if you're upset aoc got it you should be upset rubio got it. if you're fine with rubio getting it, fine with aoc getting it. same principle. the debate is prioritization versus building confidence. a fair debate to have. let's be consistent and make it less than hyper partisan and just people taking shots at politicians they don't like on other issues. >> sandra: dr. fauci got it on camera a few minutes ago. 70% of the population needs to get it to stop the spread of the virus and the danger of the virus. appreciate both of you here, happy holidays to you both guy and mo. >> merry christmas. >> trace: calling out attorney general bill barr after he brushed aside calls for a special counsel. gregg jarrett questioned the move on hannity last night. watch. >> bill barr, his stated reason for elevating john durham from u.s. attorney to special counsel was the make sure that a biden administration didn't extinguish the case. the same principle now applies to the potential of extinguishing the hunter biden case. barr is nothing if not inconsistent. >> tom bevan co-founder and president of real clear politics. gregg jarrett's theme is if it's good for the russian origin probe special counsel it should be good for the hunter biden probe, your thoughts. >> look, i think thee are apples and oranges. whether the hunter biden story rises to the level of special counsel, i'm one who believes special counsel should be used sparingly. the problem with the hunter biden story was not so much -- was realty media story. the fact the media did not investigate this in the same way they would have investigated donald trump's son if they had done the same sort of thing. unethical? absolutely. illegal? peddling access and influence? it happens all the time in washington the old song, the scandal is what is actually legal in washington >> trace: a lot of concern among politicians that this whole thing once the new administration takes over is going to be brushed under the rug. here is lindsey graham and i'll get your response on the flip side. watch. >> if it were up to me i would take the u.s. attorney in delaware and give him the entire hunter biden portfolio so he could look at everything hunter biden did throughout the world, which is pretty massive industrial size influence peddling. i think we need a special counsel because i worry that what hunter biden did may have compromised our ability to do foreign policy. >> i'll say i think special counsels should be used sparingly. no problem giving the portfolio to the attorney in delaware. and this is another reason why it is from a republican standpoint why these senate races in georgia are important. if republicans control the senate they can investigate this and continue. democrats will dismiss it as a partisan investigation but they can continue to investigate not only hunter biden but other aspects of the incoming biden administration as a check on them. that's the argument. that's where the investigation should be taking place. congressional oversight. >> trace: you mentioned the media failed to cover the hunter biden case and laptop case. the letter signed by 51 intel people who said this was russian disinformation. well, now the national review has tried to contact all 51 of those people and they cite this while the majority did not respond or delined to comment those that did defended the letter and emphasized that the existence of an investigation which reportedly pertains to tax evasion and money laundering does not disprove the claim that russia may have helped disseminate the damaging information. what do you make of that? there is zero evidence of russian disinformation in this. >> right. and the folks are now trying to split hairs saying we were talking about russian information campaigns. not disinformation. accurate, not accurate. you know, that really is beside the point. it was reported as russian disinformation and oh by the way, these folks apparently had no problem with a foreign national christopher steele gathering up gossip from around the world from his russian sources and using that to launch an investigation of the trump campaign which the media has been covering for four years. james rosen reported on october 29 that there was -- the f.b.i. investigation of hunter biden's finances went unreported in the media. >> trace: and to double down on your by the way, nobody from the biden camp disputed these emails were hunter biden's. great to see you. merry christmas, thank you, sir. >> sandra: fox news alert. we're expecting president trump at any moment now to sign that stimulus bill. the package was passed late last night but still some lawmakers said they just could not throw their support behind it. one of them who voted no will be our guest. also breaking right now the acting secretary of defense just touched down on a surprise trip to afghanistan. just as american troops are getting ready to head home. we're live at the pentagon next. we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa we're made for. finding the right words can be tough.n it comes to autism, finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org dcoughing's not new.. this woman coughs... and that guy does, too. people cough in the country, at sea, and downtown. but don't worry, julie... robitussin shuts coughs down. >> sandra: fox news alert on that $900 billion coronavirus aid package heading to president trump's desk for his signature. the package provides $600 direct payments to the american people and extended unemployment benefits. the massive bill did not escape harsh criticism from some lawmakers, 59 of them. nearly all republicans did not vote for that bill. one of them joins us now. texas congressman brian babin. why did you cast a no vote? >> it was a no-brainer for me. there is some good stuff in there. but the process. this is not the way our government is supposed to be working. the process was a complete failure and it is a disgrace to the american taxpayer. the bill was nearly 6,000 pages long. easily one of the largest bills ever passed in congress. in fact, it was so big that the printing presses broke down at the capitol and the computers crashed. so that further delayed our ability to even actually see the text. and they gave us just a matter of a few hours to read 6,000 pages. no amendments were allowed. no committee work for the final product. just a handful of members and their staffs who gathered in secret to really write a 2.3 trillion dollar bill and the rest of us could take it or leave it. to do so in less than four hours. i believe it was irresponsible to my constituents and the rest of the american taxpayers and to vote on something of that magnitude and not know the details of it. >> sandra: as we all know democrats blame republicans for holding this up. republicans blame democrats for not getting this done back in july. how did we get to this point? i mean, we are -- we're almost 10 months into that pandemic. >> well, you know, i'm going to -- anyone who is on the other side of the aisle watching this program might say he is just blaming the democrats. but listen, sandra, ms. pelosi and her team had every opportunity. in fact, in excess of 40 times we tried to get ppp passed and authorized. there was 137 billion dollar still sitting there. we couldn't touch it because she wouldn't deal. so now we have it. it was done at the last minute behind closed doors, and as i said a second ago, that is not the way to run a railroad. and i just didn't feel like it was a responsible thing for me to do to vote for that. and vote on something that i hadn't read. you can't read 6,000 pages. you can't even read a synopsis of it in just a matter of the time that they had given us. and i had actually made requests to have certain items put into it. some of them made it early on. but some of them were not. they shut the door and had a closed operation where you could not get any amendments into it. >> sandra: congressman, as far as what's in the bill we could do our best to show our viewers what we know so far as far as dollar amounts for vaccine distribution, $69 billion, $22 billion to states for testing and tracing. $7 billion for broadband access is in the bill. $45 billion for transportation and transit agencies. rental assistance. the $600 that is going to the american people that is so badly needed. do you agree this will go to some degree to helping struggling americans? >> absolutely. absolutely. there was some good stuff in this bill. there was also climate change, there was reduction for ice funding. we've got a wide open southern border that the president has done an amazing job trying to control without any congressional help. and to cut ice by $431 million is simply not a good thing. there is also some gun control in there. background checks. money for that. there were some things in there that were good. things that were bad. the overall process of the way it was passed, the way it was done, the magnitude of it and no time to really study it was what made me decide to vote against it. >> sandra: and you cast your vote no and you are here to talk about it this morning. congressman, we know that's headed to the president's desk and expected to sign it this morning and we'll watch for that. appreciate your time this morning. thank you. >> thank you, sandra. merry christmas. >> sandra: to you as well. >> trace: american soldiers stationed in afghanistan greeted by a surprise visitors today when acting defense secretary christopher miller arrived in the country to meet with the president there to discuss the ongoing troop withdrawal. lucas tomlinson with more on this. >> nearly two decades after secretary miller first arrived in afghanistan as a green beret he returns in the same way, in secret. the pentagon explains quote due to security concerns surrounding this trip it was not announced in advance. while in afghanistan the acting secretary met with the president of afghanistan. this historic opportunity to achieve peace in the country. the visit by president trump's defense chiefs as u.s. forces are being cut in half. 4500 to 2500. at the height of u.s. military involvement a decade ago over 100,000 u.s. troops were deployed to afghanistan. 437 americans were killed in action that year. this year began with 13,000 troops, 4 killed in action. none since the u.s. and taliban signed a deal in late february. violence continues to rise. miller's visit a roadside bomb killed three prison doctors, two women and other medical staff while driving to the country's largest prison where hundreds of taliban prisoners are locked up. taliban deny involvement. taliban have stepped up their attacks in southern afghanistan. u.s. air strikes were needed two weeks ago to prevent afghan troops from being overrun. this comes after the afghan government is in peace talks with the taliban in qatar right now. >> trace: lucas, thank you. >> sandra: a new strain of the coronavirus in great britain has been on the radar since september we're learning. now medical experts are warning it could already be here in the united states. can the current vaccines handle this threat? plus convicts in prison going to the front line for vaccinations. should they get priority over some home health aides, seniors, and other at-risk groups? we'll be there when you want better rates too. or to get money for retirement. we'll be there because we work only with veteran families like yours to help you get the most life out of a home for the life of your family and with free curbside pickup at walmart... you can get the perfect gift up until the last minute. let's end the year nailing it. ♪ introducing the new sleep number 360 smart bed. let's end the year nailing it. now temperature balancing, so you can sleep better together. can it help keep me asleep? absolutely, it intelligently senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable can it help with snoring? i've never heard snoring. exactly. no problem. and... done. so you can really promise better sleep? not promise. prove. it's the final days to save up to $700 on new sleep number 360 smart beds. plus, 0% interest for 48 months on all smart beds. ends thursday. but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪ some things are good to know. like where to find the cheapest gas in town and which supermarket gives you the most bang for your buck. something else that's good to know? if you have medicare and medicaid you may be able to get more healthcare benefits through a humana medicare advantage plan. call the number on your screen now and speak to a licensed humana sales agent to see if you qualify. learn about plans that could give you more healthcare benefits than you have today. depending on the plan you choose, you could have your doctor, hospital and prescription drug coverage in one convenient plan. from humana, a company with nearly 60 years of experience in the healthcare industry. you'll have lots of doctors and specialists to choose from. and, if you have medicare and medicaid, a humana plan may give you other important benefits. depending on where you live, they could include dental, vision and hearing coverage. you may also get rides to plan-approved locations; home delivered meals after an in-patient hospital stay; a monthly allowance for purchasing healthy food and beverages; plus an allowance for health and wellness items. everything from over the counter medications and vitamins, to first aid items and personal care products. best of all, if you have medicare and medicaid, you may qualify for multiple opportunities throughout the year to enroll. so if you want more from medicare, call the number on your screen now to speak with a licensed humana sales agent. learn about humana plans that could give you more healthcare benefits. including coverage for prescription drugs, dental care, eye exams and glasses, hearing aids and more. a licensed humana sales agent will walk you through your options, answer any questions you have and, if you're eligible, help you enroll over the phone. call today and we'll also send this free guide. humana, a more human way to healthcare. >> trace: top headlines. the one issue bringing together liberal activist alisa milano and phil robertson, both sounding out against the covid stimulus bill passed by congress. complained that the aid is not enough to help struggling americans. one example of the bipartisan criticism over the bill's measures unreelated to covid. >> sandra: 2020 set to be the most deadly year in american history. more than 3 million americans will die this year spiking mostly because of the coronavirus. the biggest jump in a single year since 1918 during the last pandemic made even worse because of world war i. >> trace: west point is accusing dozens of cadets of cheating on a mass exam. the biggest cheating scandal to hit the military academy since the 1970s. for more on these and other stories download the fox news app, scan the qr code or go to foxnews.com/apps. >> sandra: the new coronavirus strain in bitian is probably already here. >> when you see something that is pretty prevalent in a place like the u.k., there are also mutations we're seeing in south africa and given the travel throughout the world, i would not be surprised if it's already here when we start to look for it. we'll find it. >> sandra: dr. anthony harris is the chief innovation officer. thanks for being here this morning. what do we need to know about new strain being discovered? the last we need is more fear of this virus. >> yes, the first thing we need to know. thanks for having me on here. first thing we need to know is not to panic. the reason why is there is overwhelmingly sufficient data to show this mutation is nothing new. we know that the spike protein has mutated in some literature up to 18 times as dr. fauci mentioned. mutations are being found from november 1-december 21 out of south after yeah. the mutation in the u.k.2020-21 is nothing new. spike protein mutation should hopefully not affect the efforts we have with our vaccine currently being distributed. >> sandra: biontech helped pfizer to develop the vaccine. the ceo says that with that new variant they can take the current vaccine developed and shown to be successful and they can adapt it to the new strain. watch. the beauty of the messenger mrna technology is we can directly start to engineer a vaccine that mimics the new mutation and could manufacture a new vaccine within six weeks. that sounds promising, doctor. >> it does. and the reason why is we have the data, right? if we look at the evidence from the u.k. over a period of time almost 25,000 samples of unique geem owns have been studied. 6% have the new mutation, right? we know there is about eight mutations that make up the one spike protein mutation out of the u.k. because of that level of detail that we have from the scientific evidence, that tailoring of the vaccine is now possible. >> sandra: you look what's happening overseas there. people are terrified of learning of this new strain and we feel like we're finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel here at home. dr. fauci just received his vaccine live on the air. we're starting to see more and more people get vaccinated in this country. to learn of this new strain is concerning but even dr. fauci himself said he believes that the current vaccine will be enough to combat that. so final thoughts from you, doctor, as we try not to head into the holidays too terrified that something else may be coming. >> yes, let's stay hopeful. i just received my vaccine yesterday and i'm confident that it will be enough to keep my family and friends safe, my patients safe and we'll keep the public safe as we continue to roll out the vaccine and administer it to the general public. don't fear, enjoy your holidays, please stay safe and expect that we will be on the end of this as we move forward. >> sandra: thank you for joining us. happy holidays. >> trace: georgia secretary of state taking action to stop ineligible out of state residents from casting ballots in the senate runoff races. jonathan serrie is live in atlanta. how does this plan -- how do they plan to do this exactly? >> they are sending out warning letters, secretary of state sending roughly 8,000 warning letters to people who have both requested georgia absentee ballots but also filed with the u.s. postal service a change of address to some out of state address. now, that's fine in cases where the move is only temporary such as a student attending an out of state college. a military assignment in another state. but brad raffensperger warns anyone looking to come to georgia to temporarily to cast a ballot in the runoffs or anyone who has established residence in another state but thinks they can game the system we'll find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. early voting in georgia is already in its second week. a group called true the vote has submitted elector challenges that would require more than 364,000 voters who filed out of state or in-state changes of address with the post office to prove their eligibility before casting ballots in the county where they are registered. the organization says true the vote's researchers performed uniformly across all counties without regard to voting history or demographic. the executive director of the state's democratic party it is a baseless attempt to wrongfully disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of georgia voters, including members of our military serving abroad. elections officials in several large metro atlanta counties have already dismissed this request from true the vote. another county will take up the issue early this afternoon today. >> trace: thank you, jonathan. >> sandra: remember the emt who gave cpr to a suspected coronavirus patient on a flight? 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>> well great to be on with you as always. the issue, we understand the outrage. here are law abiding citizens who have to wait for those convicted of crimes to get these life-saving measures and vaccines. but it is understandable that the municipalities take this course of action. why do i say that? you have a captive population. they have their freedoms taken from them. they don't have a way to evade the infection. if you look at how many individuals that are in the prison system that have been infected with the virus is nearing 300,000. 1800 of them have died just since march. so those are pretty daunting numbers. that's one of the reasons why the municipalities are taking this course of action even though on its first blurb it's offensive. but they need to do this. they have a heightened duty to protect the inmates. they have a duty to do so based on the law. what is their choice, trace, if they are required to protect the inmates it's either release them into society which would pose a threat or vaccinate them and keep them in prison. >> trace: interesting. colorado was going to be among the states but the governor there said not going to happen. listen to him. >> as we do 65 and up i would think it would include prisoners in that category. the vast majority of people 65 and up are free, it will go to people in nursing homes. front line workers. so there is no way it will go to prisoners before it goes to people who haven't committed any crimes. >> trace: no way it is going to prisoners before people who have not committed crimes. is he facing some kind of dilemma there legally? >> well, if these inmates do get it amongst the population they were just identified how many did get infected i'm sure there will be inmates bringing lawsuits against the municipalities that haven't given them the vaccine. whether there will be immunity to those lawsuits that's to be seen but there is a whole body of law that permits these inmates to get their 1983 actions. they can redress the injuries in the effect event they get infected. this is a captive population, no freedom. densely populated. small contained in small environments. it will be problematic if one individual becomes infected the population could be infected as well. >> the aclu of massachusetts that says do not vaccinate the inmates, just let them out. prisons and jails are petri dishes. we need to release people who aren't a danger to society so more people are alive to receive the vaccine when it becomes available and that's also its own set of issues there. your last word. >> choice for these municipalities. release them into society to protect them, vaccinate them in the population. so it's really a choice for the municipalities. you'll see jurisdiction by jurisdiction make the choices and it may not be universal. >> trace: merry christmas. thank you. >> merry christmas. thanks for having me. >> sandra: we told you yesterday about parents outraged over so-called anti-racist manifesto at a very expensive manhattan private school. now a former student there is warning the same thing could happen soon in public schools across the country. we'll tell you why next. ♪ aging is a journey. you can't always know what's ahead. since 1995, seniors have opened their doors to right at home for personalized care. to be their guide. to steer them through uncharted territory. and when it comes right down to it, to keep them safe at home. after all, home is the best place to be. right at home, navigating what's to come. ♪ navigating what's to come. we have to find somethingust else. good luck!ut it. what does that mean? 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[ laughter ] that's it... i figured it out! we're going to give togetherness. that sounds dumb. we're going to take all those family moments and package them. hmm. [ laughing ] that works. >> sandra: a warning for parents that anti-racism rules at a top private school in new york city could wind up at public schools in your hometown. a graduate says the manifesto shows what public schools will look like in the future. scott johnston writes a blog called the naked dollar and is author of the best selling book campusland and joins us now. thank you for joining us this morning, sir. what is the prediction that you are making here? >> thank you. just to clarify i'm not an alum from there. i went to a nearby similar school and didn't go to dalton. why i involved myself with this since i was fed this manifesto by a concerned insider. that's because it isn't just about dalton. they may be one of the more he grejous examples i'm seeing. it is happening at private and public schools and colleges and emanating outward into institutional america. and i would urge people not to take my word for any of this. go on my blog, the naked dollar i've reprinted the entire list of proposals and they read like they are written by some freshman who is majoring in marxist studies. they want to hire full-time diversity officer. i'm not sure what they would do all day. 50% of donations rerouted to the new york city public school system where the money would disappear forever. mandatory diversity plot lines at school. no more ap classes, if blacks under perform. i could go on. a long list that goes on for eight pages. >> sandra: yearly tuition is $54,180. it does have grades k-12 in it. as you well know having gone to a prestigious private school near dalton it sounds like it was one, i assume. you are not naming. >> no reason to drag them into it. yes, that's correct. >> sandra: we do know that this is the aim of many private schools today to have more socio-economic diversity. that's not new. that has been around. it is the way the dalton school went about this that has caused outrage among parents there. will they lose support and will they lose those students and families that are currently enrolled? >> a few, not many. a lot of the parents at dalton, a very progressive school and a very progressive community and they view it as a right wing hit job. it is their money and their kids so they have a right to do what they want to do. but what's sad about it what diversity has become and what they are pushing is an thet call to what they are trying to accomplish. it makes the whole white hierarchy feel good about themselves but hurts the people they help but anointing them with permanent victim status. if the goal was to create -- >> sandra: what's the right way to address it then? a lot of calls grew out of the george floyd protests over the summer. there are -- there is a lot of talk about complaints of racism that we see reported in all the time, some of these prestigious schools. how could they in your view from your perspective, how do they address this while also having the appropriate curriculum for those students who want to go there? >> don't treat people like victims for starters. or they'll be victims their whole lives. treat them with more respect and intelligence than that. people need help, you give them help. but martin luther king advocated moving toward a color blind society and what this is doing is precisely the opposite. it is looking to codify our differences and categorize us all by race. i think it's anti-intellectual and a step backwards, not a step forward. >> sandra: appreciate you coming on this morning. thank you. >> trace: well, how does python sound for dinner? where these giant reptiles could end up on restaurant menus. that's next. ♪ when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org even fast delivery on the perfect last minute gift from your walmart store. really fast. really perfect. let's end the year nailing it. ♪ if you have postmenopausal and a high risk for fracture, let's end the year nailing it. now might not be the best time to ask yourself, 'are my bones strong?' life is full of make or break moments. that's why it's so important to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen. or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping, skipping or delaying prolia®, as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium, serious infections, which could need hospitalization, skin problems, and severe bone, joint, or muscle pain. don't wait for a break, call your doctor today, and ask about prolia®. introducing the new sleep number 360 smart bed... now temperature balancing, so you can sleep better together. it's the final days to save up to $700 on new sleep number 360 smart beds. plus, 0% interest for 48 months on all smart beds. ends thursday. we made usaa insurance for veterans like martin. when a hailstorm hit, he needed his insurance to get it done right, right away. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪ >> trace: a new species could be slithering onto menus and the sunshine state. giant burmese pythons are now being studied as potentially food. florida state agencies are taking mercury levels to see if the reptiles can be safely eaten. pythons are an invasive species in florida and pose a serious risk to wildlife. the state even pays residents to humanely kill them if they do spot them. how do you think a fast food restaurant chain called "snake shack?" >> sandra: [laughs] trace, don't sign me up for the first tasting of that. unless you go first, trace. >> trace: maybe filleted python. >> sandra: delicious. >> trace: sounds like fun. >> sandra: that was a big three hours. you never know with christmas week, the amount of news we are getting. great to be with you this morning, trace. >> trace: great to see dr. fati and alex azar get their vaccine shots, a boost of confidence for the people out there. >> sandra: absolutely. we see you back here tomorrow morning. "outnumbered" starts now. >> harris: the house and senate have passed a massive spending bill, and lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle are calling a congressional leadership now, for giving them just a few hours to read it. it's a combination of the $9 billion coronavirus relief package and the $1.4 trillion resolution to fund the government. that comes to a grand total of $2.3 trillion, at nearly 6,000 pages it is the largest bill congress has passed by far. members had only six hours to read it, which means they would have to get through