from positive cases from ten to five is in part due to america's lock down fatigue. >> if you're asymptomatic and you're infected, we want to get people back to the job. >> it had a lot to do with what the we thought people would tolerate. >> the decision on the part of the cdc is really a true and good decision and based on science. >> we may well not be able to or willing to comply with ten days worth of isolation. >> okay. is it science or what people will tolerate? joining me now, former acting director of the cdc, dr. richard besser. great to have you with us, doctor. thanks for being here. i'd like to start, if i may, on this issue of the five-day period and whether or not you need to test negative at the end of those five days. here's dr. fauci this weekend. >> there's been some concern about why we don't ask people at that five-day period to get tested. looking at it again, there may be an option in that that testing could be a part of that. we'll hear more about that in the next day or so from the cdc. >> martha: okay. what is your take on that, sir? >> martha, thanks for having me on first off. clearly a number of factors. clearly how far you out from the start of your symptoms the less likely you are to transmit. there's people five days out that can still spread. one of the things being balanced here is a desire and need that people feel to get back to work to stay in their jobs. and the risk to public health. if there were tests widely available, if anyone wanted them could get a rapid test, i think you would like people to be tested at the end to make sure that they're no longer positive. but right now there's a crunch. i spent several days trying to get tested at local pharmacies and couldn't find them. for someone that doesn't have sick leave, the days mean they're not getting the money that they need to pay rent or put food on the table. >> you touched on something important here. that is the difficulty in getting tests, getting tested. so you know, the american people look at the programs have been passed. you had $35 billion ramped up. the need we need to spend our tax dollars on this, we need more testing. $35 billion in the first round. second round, $47 billion. about 2.6 billion in these relief packages that were to ramp up testing and make them readily available. i realize that you're a former cdc director. but you're a doctor and you look at these things from the big picture. where did that money go? where are the tests? >> you know, i can't comment on where the funds have gone but i can say that we haven't done what we needed to do in terms of tests. part of that i think was last spring where the numbers were going down. looked like we were reaching an end game in terms of this pandemic. so you weren't seeing the same drive for testing. right now we're seeing how critically important testing is, how valuable it would be for children to be able to be tested, to be able to stay in school if they've been exposed, for people in the workplace to be tested if they've been exposed. it's very important. moore is being done. we're a long way from having the amount of testing available freely to people that we need to see. you don't want someone's income to determine if they have access to a test. right now the challenges are incredibly low. >> martha: absolutely. when the american people spend $82 billion to ramp up testing and can't get a test, they have every right to ask what happened to the money, where the money went and why they didn't get a test for their $82 billion. that is the subject that they can continue to try to bear down on here. with regard to masking, listen to this from scott gottlieb, the former fda commissioner. >> this is an airborne illness. a cloth mask won't protect you from a virus that spreads through airborne transmission. could protect better through droplet transmission but not like this coronavirus. >> martha: you know, people have been wearing cloth masks the last two years, doctor. where is the guidance on this and is all of that cloth mask wearing that we've been doing for two years worthless? >> i have a lot of respect for dr. gottlieb but i disagree on this point. clearly n-95 masks will give you the best protections. k-95 masks will provide protections. cloth masks do help. it decreases the aerosol going to another individual. there's some protection. if you're at significant risk and you have access to n-95 masks, that's a good way to go. for other people, it provides some benefit. if you're wearing a mask and the people you're engaging with are wearing masks as well. >> martha: all right. would you describe where we are with covid as the end game? are we getting close to the end of this? we felt we were at the end so many times, doctor. >> you know, i wish i could say with certainty that we are. i think there's the potential that omicron could be our way out of this pandemic. some will depend on whether new variants rise up, some depend on how strongly the global community rallies around and provides vaccines around the globe. as we saw with omicron, new variants can spring up anywhere, this current strain is so contagious, the rise and the number of cases is so great. thankfully the vast majority of these cases have been mild. this could be a way that most of the population gets exposed and had some underlying level of protection against new strains. time will tell. sure would be a wonderful thing if this is our way out of this. the next six weeks will be challenging as children try to get back to school and people try to get back to work. >> martha: we're going to dr. to dr. redfield about the school issue, which is so important. before you go, i need a quick answer. does it make sense for americans to be getting three and four shots when other countries haven't had one or two? >> it makes sense for anyone who hasn't been vaccinated at all to not get vaccinated. it does make sense in terms of a booster shot. if the doses were to go to someone who has no access to vaccine whatsoever around the globe, it would be a more equitable and just society. >> martha: senator burr is asking for answers about what happened to the $82.6 billion that americans approved for that money to ramp up testing. that's a lot of money and people want to know where the tests are. dr. besser, thanks very much. great to speak with you. >> thanks, martha. >> martha: you bet. so new york city's new mayor is not ruling out requiring booster shots for city employees but he says he's not there yet. >> we're going to examine the numbers. if we have to get to the place of making that mandatory, we're going to do that. we're encouraging them to do it now. i took my booster shot. >> martha: that is democrat eric adams. he says his resolution is the city will not be controlled by crisis. he wants to balance safety with keeping new york city open and keeping it safe. it's a refreshing message i think that would like to be heard across the country. he's sticking with the former mayor's vaccine mandate that was controversial. we'll talk about that coming up. that's the new mayor of new york city holding up a picture of his mom when he was sworn in. trump administration cdc director dr. robert redfield joins me. we'll get his take on what is going on with closing schools again and businesses again for covid. chicago rang in the new year and four people were murder. this city, chicago, has the highest homicide rate in 25 years. 56 of those that were killed were under the age of 17 years old. something must be done. my next guest says that mayor lightfoot is a complete failure and he claims there's one real way to get the city back on its feet. he joins me next. ♪ ♪ welcome to allstate. where everything just seems to go your way. ♪ ♪ you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. people with moderate to severe psoriasis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. as a professional bull-rider i'm used to taking chances. but when it comes to my insurance i don't. i use liberty mutual, they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wooo, yeaa, woooooo and, by switching you could even save 665 dollars. hey tex, can someone else get a turn? yeah, hang on, i'm about to break my own record. yeah. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ veteran homeowners. only pay for what you need. while some banks and lenders are raising their rates newday is holding the line with their two and a quarter refi. that's 2.25%, with an apr of 2.48. this is their lowest rate in history. the newday two and a quarter refi can cut thousands of dollars off your mortgage payments. there's no money out of pocket and no up front costs. lock in your rate. moving is a handful. no kidding! fortunately, xfinity makes moving easy. easy? -easy? switch your xfinity services to your new address online in about a minute. that was easy. i know, right? and even save with special offers just for movers. really? yep! so while you handle that, you can keep your internet and all those shows you love, and save money while you're at it with special offers just for movers at xfinity.com/moving. >> martha: among the many shootings over the weekend a new york city police officer. he was shot in the head while sleeping in his car between his shifts. it happened just after 6:00 a.m. on new year's day in a precinct parking lot in east harlem. the bullet penetrated his skull but he's expected to recover. police don't know if he was the target. the shot was fired from a significant distance away. it's one of many shootings across this nation paralyzing a lot of our cities. then you have the new mayor, eric adams, has sworn that he will be different in terms of his leadership in this city. we'll see if that percolates across the country. a lot of people hope it does. look at this. at least 17 american cities set new homicide records for 2021. a report that we hope does not get broken in 2022. foxnews.com put together this list based on reports from local police departments. other cities dealing with surges that they haven't seen in years or decades. garrett tenney reporting live from chicago this afternoon. hi, garrett. >> hi, martha. good afternoon. chicago led the nation in homicides last year with nearly 800. that is the highest number that the city has seen in a quarter century. chicago's top cop, he said police cannot solve this crisis alone though. if this next year is going to be any better, folks in the hardest hit communities need to step up. >> we must do more to protect the people of chicago. we will continue to give our all to the people of this city we live so dearly. >> sandra: we ask that everyone joining us in this effort, join us. we can't do it alone. coach, tutor or mentor a young person. everyone has a role to play in our public safety. >> across the country, 17 cities broke homicide records last year. washington d.c. had over 200 murders for the first time since 2003. minneapolis was one homicide away from reaching their record set in 1995. in more than 1400 people were killed in los angeles. the highest since 2007. new york city reached nearly 500 murders for the first time in a decade. the newly sworn in mayor says he's taking steps to prevent that from happening again this year. >> our intervention is immediately having a plain clothes anti-gun unit to do precision policing, going after gangs, targeting them, stopping the flow of guns in our city. >> most expert as agree the pandemic played a role in creating this surge. and as the pandemic continues, there's no quick-fix solution to addressing these root causes that have led to these heart-breaking statistics that we're seeing. >> martha: thanks, garrett. let's bring in theo hardaway. great for coming back. you listened to the superintendent there, david brown, saying people need to get involved, mentor somebody. this is the work of your life trying to fix the violence in your city of chicago. you've been very critical of mayor lightfoot and david brown. you say what they're doing is not working and nobody is saying your city. >> one thing i can say i agree with the superintendent, david brown, saying the police cannot do it alone. he cannot do it at all. every strategy he tried to implement in chicago has failed. mayor lori lightfoot refuses to think out of the box to actually achieve results in chicago, which leads to reduction in shootings and homicides. in 2020, we had almost 800 homicides. the superintendent and the mayor play games with the homicide numbers. as a matter of fact, in chicago, we have experienced over 840 homicides during the year 2021, over 4,400 people shot, 1,645 carjackings in chicago. so once people stop playing games with the numbers and become honest how they're failing in their efforts to reduce shootings and homicides, we can get somewhere in chicago. >> martha: you say you have a radical solution that needs to be tried. can you explain it? >> yeah, first and foremost, the gun violence problems in chicago, memphis, new orleans is more of a cultural issue. what i'm recommending to everybody, we need a semi military solution. what i mean by that, i'm not saying go to the communities with the armies, taking over the corners. we need like a united peace convoy with a united states general to come into these communities and assess the severity of the problem and present new strategies and solutions to dealing with war-torn-type of communities. we're dealing with wartime numbers. something has to be done. some people may be critical because i'm suggesting a semi military solution. until then, the only thing that will work is more like an army of tough love with african american men stepping up addressing their own people. it's more of a cultural issue. people talk a good game. right now we need results. makes no sense, a lot of legislators are passing policy can criminal justice reform instead of talking to the people in the valley. they're making decisions from a mountain time. criminal justice reform is the backfiring on society, especially in chicago. >> martha: you have an interesting exodus is happening of a lot of african americans and hispanics that are leaving cities in the hundreds of thousands from places like detroit and chicago. we'll have to see if they break up the gangs. we'll see. thank you. good to see you. >> thank you. >> martha: all right. this breaking news moments ago. former new york governor andrew cuomo will not face charges with his handling of covid with regard to the nursing home. this was an issue was devastating for him. he's no longer the governor of new york. one of his lawyers says the manhattan d.a. has closed the case and said there were no laws that could be broken. the state attorney general found that the governor's office had underreported the number of deaths in the nursing homes, but today as we said, a former lawyer for cuomo says the d.a. closed the case without any charges. that's the important thing to note here. it's not a question of whether or not there was a dereliction hoff duty. he no longer has his job of governor of new york. but in terms of criminal charges, it appears that that won't happen to the former governor, andrew cuomo. okay. coming up, dr. robert redfield will join us and advise us on what the latest surge of covid means and what he thinks of the newest shut-downs and travel and in schools and businesses. he's here next. throughout history i've observed markets shaped by the intentional and unforeseeable. for investors who can navigate this landscape, leveraging gold, a strategic and sustainable asset... the path is gilded with the potential for rich returns. >> martha: a live look at reagan national airport where snow has added to the headaches caused by covid staffing shortages. more than 2,900 u.s. flights cancelled today. it's more than 15,000 since christmas eve. some airlines offering double or triple pay to crew to keep the planes in the air. so how safe is it to fly right now given all of these shortages? let's bring in anthony roman, a former corporate pilot. good to have you here. let's get to it. i did a little flying this weekend myself. you know, delays everywhere. if you're leaving on point a and get home in the same day, consider yourself lucky at this point. it crossed my mind, so the bagses are 1 1/2 hours delayed or can't get them on the plane. it's 1 1/2 hours delay. what worries me is maintenance and pilots and the stuff that keeps people safe. are we safe right now? >> yeah, i think we are safe. the airlines are very good at managing extreme challenges, particularly the larger airlines have exceptional crews to not only monitor the statistics and trending, but also to prepare an event for these kinds of challenges. there's a global pilot shortage and mechanic shortage that has developed due to the baby boomer's retirement. they have long prepared for this challenge by accelerated training programs, incentives, financial incentives, benefit incentives. so i think it's -- >> martha: there's a big pilot shortage, is there not? haven't you expressed concern in the past over the accelerated training programs? >> there is a concern about the accelerated training programs. but if any airlines are reflective of their success, it has been some of the european airlines that have long used accelerated programs. the accelerated programs have also been present in the united states for about 20 years. it has not, it seems, affected the safety level. but the pilots that are coming out are less seasoned and require more mentoring from the captains and more experienced pilots in the cockpits. >> martha: interesting. good to hear. i'd point out for folks at home following the numbers on these rescue packages and plans that were told had to get pushed through in order to keep things going, $50 billion went to the airlines in order to keep them fully staffed and up and running. so that's another question about where the $50 billion that went to the airline industry has gone and how it's doing in terms of keeping things running smoothly. thanks, anthony roman. good to see you today. so two years after this moment -- >> last night at my direction, the united states military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number 1 terrorist anywhere in the world. >> that was two years ago. iran is still thinking about it and they're now warning the united states that we will face revenge if former president trump doesn't stand trial, they say, for the killing of the top official. more when we continue. veteran homeowners, newday's rates have dropped again. it's time to refinance. newday's low rate refi offers their lowest rate in history. two and a quarter percent. just 2.48 apr. save thousands every year and there are no upfront costs. not one dollar. the newday low rate refi. take advantage of these record low rates so you and your family can save. psoriasis really messes with you. try. hope. fail. no one should suffer like that. i started cosentyx®. five years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infection, some serious and a lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reaction may occur. best move i've ever made. ask your dermatologist about cosentyx®. >> vo: my car is my after-work decompression zone. ask your d♪ music ♪ist >> vo: so when my windshield broke... i found the experts at safelite autoglass. they have exclusive technology and service i can trust. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ i lost 26 pounds and i feel incredible. with the new personalpoints program, i answer questions about my goals and the foods i love. i like that the ww personalpoints plan is built just for me. start the new year with three months free. join today at ww.com. hurry, offer ends january 3rd. your shipping manager left to “find themself.” leaving you lost. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up matching your job description. to what's possible... with rybelsus®. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to the possibility of lower a1c with rybelsus®. you may pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. >> martha: tensions boiling over as iran threatens revenge for the killing of the top iranian general and demanding that former president trump stand trial for it. the bombing took place at the baghdad airport. qassim soleimani was planning attacks on americans and the u.s. attack had terminated the top general. trey yingst is in jerusalem with more. >> today marks two years since qassim soleimani was killed in a u.s. drone strike. his death was commemorated at a memorial attended by top officials in iran. they chanted death to america as iran's president threatened president trump since he ordered the strike. >> the then president of america, which is the main aggressor, murderer and criminal, must be prosecuted and killed. the sentence of god must be executed against him. >> it wasn't just iran that marked the anniversary. in iraq, they stepped on american and israeli flags as they looked at the car that he was riding in. now tensions increase among rhetoric surrounding the 2015 nuclear deal. iranian proxies are still in lebanon, syria, gaza and yemen. with nuclear talks stalled, further provocations by iran and the proxies are expected. the big question is will israel act unilaterally against iran to stop their program. martha? >> martha: thanks, trey. reporting from jerusalem, let's bring in john ratcliffe, director of national intelligence after the u.s. carried out that drone attack. what is your reaction to this call from the iranian president against the former president, president trump? >> my initial reaction is they wouldn't be doing this if donald trump was still president. they wouldn't be out openly calling for these things or protesting because donald trump was the guy that pulled the trigger so to speak on the most important military exercise after the terrorist nation and network that anyone in the middle east can recall that includes the taking of the life of osama bin laden. because at the time of bin laden's death, he was largely, although very important mission, he did not have operational control. al-quaida was not able to carry out the kind of attacks that qassim soleimani was as the leader of a terrorist nation and the largest terrorist network in the world. so it was a bold move that saved untold american lives. something that president trump should be praised for. the fact that two years later it's still bothers the iranians so much tells you how historic that was and vital to america's national security interest. the world is a safer place and americans are safer because of what happened to qassim soleimani at the order of president donald trump. >> martha: so as we start 2022 and you look at iran and their posture, they're shutting down the computer systems at the jerusalem post with images of blowing up a reactor in israel and then you look at what is going on with vladimir putin and ukraine and you see this sort of diplomacy, this effort coming from president biden with putin and putin making very big demands, how do you assess where we are in terms of these situations and we begin this year? >> well, like most folks, i'm not happy about it because, you know, whether the biden administration admits it or not, 2021 was the worst year for american foreign policy in terms of gains and losses of u.s. national security interest around the world of our lifetimes. look, as a result of joe biden's decisions on foreign policies, russia is stronger because of the biden administration, china is stronger, iran is stronger, radical islamic terrorism, taliban and isis are stronger. every foreign policy decision that this administration has made in less than a year now has proven to be disastrous. our adversaries have gotten stronger and u.s. national security posture has gotten weaker. that is not an opinion. that is what our intelligence is showing us. that's why you are seeing these things in the news. it's not a coincidence that china is more aggressive, that russia is more aggressive, that iran is more aggressive that the taliban is more aggressive. this has to do with leadership in the white house and has to do with joe biden and his foreign policy team that has failed the american people. that's why there's not a great feeling if this much damage can be done to national security in one year what can happen in the next three years? that is something that i get that question more than anything when i'm out in public. people are so concerned about the direction that we're going as our standing slips around the world and this issue with vladimir putin is just the latest in a long litany of these problems. >> martha: you were privy to all of the classified intelligence that was in existence when you were in that post. you have to wonder what the current dni sees coming across his desk at this point. this is the reaction from president biden. i want a quick response to this. when he was asked, you know, putin is laying down a lot. he's saying u.s. -- no western presence at all in these former satellite soviet republics, no membership for ukraine in nato. he's laying it down. here's what president biden said. >> i'm not going to negotiate here in public. we made it clear that it cannot -- emphasize "cannot" -- move on ukraine. thank you. >> martha: what do you say to that? is that strong enough and that desire to not engage? >> no. it's bewildering. you can't make a worse decision -- if there's a good outcome here, it's in spite of what joe biden is doing. the most self-defeating thing you can do is tell your adversary what you're not going to do. when he said we're taking military sanctions off the table, you cut the field in half for vladimir putin. you couldn't have done a bigger favor strategically. so again, you can set your watch to it. if joe biden can make the wrong foreign policy decision, he's going to. >> martha: thanks very much. the current dni is a she. i correct myself. former dni is john ratcliffe. thank you. >> happy new year. >> martha: same to you. 25,000 members of the chicago's teacher's union said they're ready to walk out if the district doesn't mean back to remote learning despite what we know about the failure of remote learning. dr. robert redfield responds and gives us his prediction on the path of covid to come next. ake k for your life. so we offer a complete exam and x-rays free to new patients without insurance - everyday. plus, patients get 20% off their treatment plan. we're on your corner and in your corner every step of the way. because your anything is our everything. aspen dental. anything to make you smile. book today at aspendental.com, walk in, or call 1-800-aspendental. i recommend nature made vitamins, because i trust their quality. they were the first to be verified by usp, an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. (gasps) ♪ did it work? only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ spider-man no way home in theaters december 17th >> our students belong in the classroom. we can do it safely. >> it's safe enough to gets the kids back to school. >> martha: that is the guidance from the neighbors's top officials. though about 2,700 schools across the country are closed or fully remote this week according to the website verbio. others are tightening their masks. robert redfield on that and his prediction of what may be coming next. he was right about omicron and we'll ask him about that in a moment. first, grady trimble is in chicago. he says that teachers are threaten to strike if they have to go back. >> yeah, hi, martha. chicago schools are back in session today but that could change because the teacher's union is threatening to walk out. they asked the district to go virtual the first two weeks in order to implement new safety protocols. they're asking for testing for all staff and students. they want 300 test sites established and they want the district to hand out masks like n-95 and kn-95 to all teachers and students. the district insists the classrooms are safe without the measures and the union will vote whether to walk out on wednesday. there's a similar back-to-school standoff taking place between the district and the union in new york city. despite the fact that public health officials and the education secretary have said classes should take place in person. >> any decisions on very short term or emergency closures are most likely based off of staffing issues. they're safety issues when you don't have adequate staff. the goal is full time. the students have suffered enough. >> some districts in other states have started the year virtually. the larger schools have gone to in-person learning. we'll see how the vote plays out tomorrow. it could be back to remote learning for students here in chicago as early as wednesday of this week. >> martha: wow. okay. thanks very much, grady. dr. robert redfield led the cdc at the beginning of the pandemic. he joins us now. thank you, first of all and happy new year to you. good to see you back on the program. here we are again. schools are thinking about staying closed. what do you say about that? >> well, martha, it's important as you heard us say. we have to keep the schools open. the public interest of k-12 has to go to face-to-face learning. it was never in their interest to go to virtual learning. we've seen the negative consequences. so i think we have to be vigilant about keeping these schools open and giving the kids to opportunity to get the education that they need. >> martha: yeah. i remember the chicago teacher's union doing interpretive dances and things like that to express their feelings about being home. i look at the fact that when you see the learning, the loss of learning, the months of loss of learning in reading and math for united states students based on covid loss is dramatic. i keep wondering why we're not hearing from the department of education about the need for summer school this year or the need for increased house of schooling in order to catch up. it's never a conversation that happens. do you think that is something that we should be looking at? >> well, i think we have to get the kids back on the curve. the problem is for some children, they're never going to get back on the curve without some intensive intervention. the harm that has ben done to them is going to last a lifetime for some of these kids. so yeah, i mean, i have 12 grandchildren, you know. nine of them are in school. it's an important thing that they get face-to-face learning. not to mention the other things that we talk about before. how many kids get their nutrition from school, how many get mental health services from school. the schools are a good source of recognizing if there's child abuse. we've seen the cost of being isolated in terms of mental illness, suicide, drug use. and then you have the other that you and i just talked about. it's the loss of the learning curve. >> martha: it's devastating. >> i hope that the teachers will grab on and reflect on the vocation, with the beautiful gift of vocation as teachers. with that, we need them to teach those children in face-to-face learning. >> martha: we've seen parents that opted out and teaching at home or gone to other schools now. those that have those options have taken advantage of them. in terms of the criticism that the trump administration received about the handling of covid, rich lowrey is reflecting on that. here's what he wrote in the "new york post." joe biden said of trump "anyone that is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president." why then does biden get to stay in office in more people have died of coronavirus in 2021 than in 2020. if you simply look at the progression of cases and deaths, you'd have no idea that a new president took office in january of 2021. do you think that's fair? >> well, you know, martha, the real enemy here is the virus. there's areas that really disappoint me. you mentioned one in the earlier part of your show. there's not been a real push in private and public partnership to give the nation the tests that we need. we need 1 to 2 billion tests a month. we have to embrace knowledge of infection rather than these general mitigation steps that say, well, knowledge of infection, you know, it's not something that we can accomplish. we can look at the cdc's new guidance for isolation in five days. it's really imperative that these people get tested with an antigen test upon release back in to work, et cetera. you heard the reasons that well, they didn't do it. dr. besser said we don't have the tests. the second things that is really a figure in my view is there needs to be an operation warp speed like mindset to developing anti-virals. not just two anti-virals from pfizer and merck but we need a portfolio of anti-virals that can put this pandemic in its place. that's what's going to bring us to what we call the endemic state where we learn to leave with it, when we have the adequate testing, anti-virals combined with continuing to get the american public vaccinated, revaccinated and revaccinated? a great point. we have a couple of them coupling down the pipeline. there's not been an emphasis. is omicron the last burst of this pandemic or is there something else coming behind it? >> yeah, you know, martha, i'm a virologist by training. so i want to just be really clear, i anticipate that this virus will continue to evolve like i mentioned to you months ago. it will continue to involve a variant that is more infectious than delta. that was omicron. we're going to get one more infectious than omicron. it will continue to evolve. it will look for a transmission advantage in the population that it has access to. that population is going to be vaccinated or previously infected. that's what we're seeing with omicron. i don't want people to think omicron is somehow not something of any significance. when i look at the hospitalizations in the state of maryland yesterday in my role as the senior public health adviser, 45% of the people in hospital now are hospitalized with omicron. so this is not a totally benign variant. so i do think we'll get another variant after this. it will be more infectious. that's why we need to put these things in place. we need the testing up to speed, we need the public private partnerships, the operation warp speed approach to anti-virals and we need to continue to live our lives and get these important aspects of life functioning. can't afford kids to be out of school and closing down our economy. we need to move forward. one of the real secrets to doing that is adequate testing. >> martha: thanks, sir. great to see you. we spent $82.6 billion taxpayer dollars and you were told that that money was going to make sure that there would be testing across the board. now people are having a heck of a time trying to get their hands on a test. something is wrong there and people need to ask the hhs, ask the government what is going on with that money and where are those tests that they were promised. dr. robert redfield a sobering message. as always, honest and straight forward. happy new year to you. hopefully 2022 will bring the end of this pandemic. everybody is hoping for that. all right. more of "the story" after this. stay tuned. are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. i always dreamed of having kids of my own. ♪ ♪ now i'm ready for someone to call me mom. at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. dry eye symptoms driving you crazy? inflammation might be to blame. time for ache and burn! over the counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. those'll probably pass by me! xiidra works differently, targeting inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. xiidra? no! it can provide lasting relief. xiidra is the only fda-approved non-steroid eye drop specifically for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. one drop in each eye, twice a day. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects, include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. after using xiidra, wait fifteen minutes before reinserting contacts. talk to an eye doctor about xiidra. i prefer you didn't. xiidra. not today, dry eye. ♪ ♪ 80% get genetically. meaningful health info from their 23andme dna reports. ♪ ♪ 80%. that's 8 out of 10 people who could get something enlightening. something empowering. something that could change everything. info that could give you greater control of your own health. and it's right there, in your dna. ♪ ♪ it's the most meaningful way to start the new year. and right now, our health and ancestry kit is just $129. ♪do you know what the future holds?♪ >> martha: the jury is apparently deadlocked on some of the charges against the former silicon executive worth more than $4 billion. elizabeth holmes is accused of duping patients and investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars by intentionally lying to them about the effectiveness of her blood testing technology. she testified that she never misled anyone. the judge has told that jury that they need to keep trying to move forward and get to a verdict in this huge case. she was one of the hottest tech stars. now she's facing time in prison. we'll see what happens. that is "the story" of this morning january 3. good to see everybody. happy new year to you. we will persevere through 2022 as "the story" goes on, we'll see you back here tomorrow at 3:00. stay tuned. "your world" starts right now. have a great evening, everybody. >> here we go again. congress is back and democrats are trying to ram through trillions in social spending. joe manchin is reportedly open to talks with new demands. coming up, karl rove on if manchin is about to cave. welcome. i'm charles payne in for neil cavuto. this is "your world." first to chad pergram on capitol hill where the spending pressure is back on. >> good afternoon, charles. the senate was delayed today. no votes. everything