positive for covid. he says he's been fully vaccinated since january and as of now, has no symptoms. and breaking news about a new drug that could be a game changer in the fight against covid. and we begin this friday morning with a divided democratic party. after calling democrats' reconciliation bill fiscal insanity, senator joe manchin finally came out with his top number for a human infrastructure package. >> i'm at $1.5 trillion. i think $1.5 trillion does exactly the necessary things we need to do. take care of our children and take care of our people at the end of life, our seniors and we're working hard on that. >> founder of punch bowl news, also with us, mike memoli, nbc news white house correspondent. thank you both for being with me this morning. jake, we just heard from speaker pelosi moments ago. here's what she had to say about a vote. >> excuse me. excuse me >> probably later, have some conversation rather than hit and miss in the hallway. >> i hear you're getting conversation directly from our caucus meetings. >> yes, we're doing that too. >> -- the second reconciliation bill next year? is that one way to get them onboard for now? >> i don't know about that. a reconciliation bill is not excluded. it's not necessarily connected. >> so, she added, there will be a vote today. plan "a" is officially dead. what's plan "b" for democrats at this point? >> reporter: i don't think she necessarily said there was going to be a vote today. that was me talking to her. she said, we're on a path, which is what she's been saying now for two weeks or just a week, maybe. i think here's the thing. i think plan "a" is getting -- they're going to get a vote at some point. the big problem is progressives and moderates have no trust for each other and they shouldn't, frankly. they're miles and miles away from each other. and there's just a lot of skepticism. progressives believe that moderates in the senate, joe manchin and kyrsten sinema don't have their agenda at heart. and they don't. joe manchin and kyrsten sinema or between $2.5 billion and $2 trillion from where the progressives are and they aren't getting any closer. i would say that i do believe the infrastructure bill will pass. it will just require a lot of work. it will require a framework, some legislative text to be agreed upon, between these two actions. i mean, you're really talking about two factions that are already different parties at this point. joe manchin's politics are very different from pramila jayapal of washington state. that's just the reality of the democratic caucus. it so makes it very difficult to govern. but there is no timeline here. they have plenty of time to get this done. we view this as probably being a month away, two months away, three months away. so there's no reason for panic in the white house or on capitol hill yet. the good sign, and i'll stop after this, the good sign is that the white house the engaged. that's a very good sign for the prospects of this legislation. >> true, jake. and if there is ant timeline, an immediate timeline on that, the fact is that if they do not trust each other within the democratic party, how do you go forward, maybe a week or two, if you don't trust that the other side is going to come through on dealing with it down the road? >> well, you get principles -- it's a very good question. you get principles on paper. that's what the progressives are saying. show us what you're going to vote on. show us the legislation and the principles on paper that we will agree on. they'll enter into a negotiation. and once that happens, they'll give the moderates their infrastructure bill. it's important to remember, a lot of these progressives don't like the infrastructure bill. they think it's not sufficient. they think it directs money to the wrong places. they're going to vote for it, they want to pass it, but they don't think it's enough. if you are thinking about -- not game theory, but if you're thinking about inside the capital legislative tactics here, you don't let go of the bill that the other side wants until you get the bill that you want. it makes complete sense. so i think over the next couple of days, the next week, we're going to see a lot of negotiations between joe manchin and kyrsten sinema, moderates, and the leadership in the house and the senate. >> interesting, jake was talking about how the white house is still connected. mike, susan ryeson and other white house officials met with senator manchin on this bill. what more do we know about what happened in that meeting? >> jose, we don't necessarily know what was said in that meeting, but we know what was said after. you played a little bit of the comments from senator joe manchin a moment ago saying he was still at $1.5 trillion. the other thing he said is that we need more time. that's the argument that manchin has been making for quite some time, even floating the possibility that this whole process should be put on hold until next year. the white house feels that these are actually in a much different place. i think picking up where jake left off, the fact that the white house officials like susan rice and brian deese were up on capitol hill late into the night was a sign of progress as white house press secretary jen psaki put it last night, that we are making a great deal of progress. but as she put in that statement, we're not there yet. and we understand that work is underway. i think it's significant, not just that that meeting happened last night with senator manchin, but senator sinema was in there as well. they feel like they're on a pathway. and the other issue here is, i think it's good from the white house's perspective that this is now separated from what we were talking about yet. the possibility of a government shutdown. a real deadline in this process. now, they are stepping back from what has been a self-imposed deadline on the part of moderates in the house of getting a deal done this week. maybe we'll see that vote today, as nancy pelosi is opening the door to, but this is a process that could still play into next week. and the white house officials aren't downplaying that. that's not necessarily a bad thing if it means that we're getting to the final result that we want at the end. >> mike memoli at the white house. jake sherman on capitol hill. thank you both for being with me. for more on this, i'm joined by texas democratic congressman, joaquin castro. it's a pleasure to see you this morning. how are you? >> good to be with you and congratulations on the show. >> thank you, congressman. thank you so much. what's your reaction to manchin's $1.5 trillion number? is that a number that you think is enough? >> well, i think first, i'm glad that he finally put out basically an outlier, at least a starting point of where he wants to negotiate. remember, whenever you're in a negotiation, if you're the side that's holding out, you've got to come forward and tell everybody at least what you're willing to accept or where you're starting. i think that was a positive development yesterday. and look, i know there's been a lot of pressure to get it done by a certain date, which was yesterday, but the fact is that democrats have the white house, the senate, and the house, we should, until january of 2023. so we've got time to get this done. you've got a caucus in both the house and the senate that's committed to getting it done. and i think that we will. >> you know, $3.5 trillion versus $1.5 trillion. that difference is, i guess, there's enough money to go from new york to the moon and back if you stack the bills. so is there a possibility of getting somewhere between those two numbers? how low will you go? >> there absolutely is. and there will be a negotiation. and look, the infrastructure part is important. the streets and roads and highways that help all of us get to where we want to go on the road. but the other part is important, also. what's being called the human infrastructure, or what i think as the infrastructure of opportunity, just as there are streets and roads and highways that help us get to where we want to go on the road. in america, there's an infrastructure of opportunity that helps people get to where they want to go to in life. and we want to make sure that we do both of those pieces. i think you're right. i think it will be somewhere between the $1.5 and the $3.5, but we'll get there. >> so what specific things must be into that bill for you to support it? >> well, things like health care, education, housing, climate change, all of these things, i think, are important. but, look, you know, you've got a house and a senate that are both democratically controlled. and we've got to sit down and negotiate these things. everything that was put out in that $3.5 trillion is important, but you're dealing with the political reality that not everybody agrees. and so in that case, you've got to come together and make a decision on what's going to go forward. >> you're optimistic, then? >> i am. i actually think that we're going to get this done. and i think that it will get done soon. again, this was kind of an artificial deadline, but we've got some time to get it done for the american people. >> congressman, i want to turn to an issue you've been particularly vocal about. i know you're passionate about it. a new government report revealing that latinos are not at all represented in major newsroom and in films. there's such a huge disconnect, congressman. latinos make up 25% of theatergoers, only about 50% of major movie roles go to latinos. there's a huge abyss. >> you're right. it's important that we're talking about during hispanic heritage month, because latinos make up almost one in five americans, almost 20% of the country, yet are fairly invisible in many major american industries, including the media. the reason that's important is because american media and the entertainment industry are still the main image-defining and narrative-creating institutions about groups of americans. and it affects how americans perceive latinos. and so, better representation in that industry means more accurate portrayals and a better understanding of who this community is. >> yeah. i think it's important that we realize that there are disparities. and that we must focus on that. thank you, congressman, for putting a light, shining a light on that issue with such passion and determination. it's good to see you, sir. still ahead, anti-vaxers and the growing impact on schools. we'll be talking live with education secretary miguel cardona about navigating the difficult school year and those school board outbursts and threats that one group compares to, quote, domestic terrorism. plus, the pandemic's not over. far from it. but eviction protections are. we'll take a look at what's happening right now in california. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." diaz-balar. who pays more for prescription drugs than anyone else in the world? 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>> right, you know, there's a lot of passion here. everyone wants what's best for their children, but we've made it clear from day one, we're going to follow the science. we're going to listen to the cdc guidance and do what we know works. you know, you mentioned a minute ago, 700,000 deaths. we have tools now that can help prevent the spread of covid and safely return our students to school and keep them there. so they don't have another year of disrupted learning. >> and this is kind of a side story, but you told politico that you're worried that education would be left out of the essential spending package this time around, help our viewers understand, what would be missing? what are the components you think or you fear may be left out? >> well, look, we are on the doorstep of historic change in education. the president is adamant and bold about raising the bar. and that's what we need to do for our students across the country. so, you know, one of the things that i want to make sure makes it through this is community college for all. can you imagine the impact -- so many families, especially families that are living in poverty, think that college is out of reach for their children. that will change if we make sure that access to community college is part of this plan. >> look, education is a game changer for anybody and everyone. there's certainly a good thing to keep focus on, education. but i'm wondering, on the issue, for example, of like -- we're just talking about new york, right? this lawsuit that's coming up. do you think there should be a federal mandate for vaccines for -- i know that we have it for, for example, for employees of the federal government, et cetera. are there other things that the federal government is considering, as far as mandating vaccines? >> you know, the department of education, we don't mandate masks, we don't mandate vaccines. that's not really our purview. we do support, however, any efforts at the state and local level, where these decisions are made, to protect students and to protect staff. and to ensure that schools are open and not disrupted. so i that there are a lot of conversations and a lot of strong opinions on both sides of this. but i have to go back to what we know works. we know that schools that have mask requirements are three and a half times less likely to have spread in their school. we know that places that have higher percentage of vaccinations are less likely to have interrupted learning. so we need to follow the science and follow what works to keep our children safe. that's what we're talking about. the safety of our children. >> i want to give you the opportunity to clear things up a little bit more. the senate hearing yesterday, there's this moment that's gone somewhat viral on conservative sites. i want you to see it and give the opportunity to clear up and expand on it. >> sure. >> do you think parents should be in charge of their child's education, as the primary stakeholder? >> i believe parents are important stakeholders, but i also believe that educators have a role in determining educational programming. >> and i think that's going to be a little out of focus. i think what you're going to find across all elements of education, since they pay the bills. >> what's your view on parents' role in their children's education? >> i think that was really more about getting twitter likes than it was about the issues. anyone that knows me and nows how i've led, parents are the child's first and most influential teacher and any educational program worth having keeps parents and their voice at the center of the conversation. that's clear. i think what the senator was trying to do there is bring up issues around some of the controversies that are happening at board meetings. i do believe that parents do have a right to voice their opinion. and they should be at the table. and that's how we lead at the agency. and that's how i've led throughout my entire career as an educator. >> thank you for clearing up. a report found that when schools closed during covid, latino and black students took the hardest hits. and their test scores for reading and math, among other things. what are you doing to ensure that this next transition doesn't see the same disparities. and you know this better than anyone else, in our community, in the latino community, there is such a divide, on the digital divide? people don't have access to high-speed internet, so how do you go to school using high-speed internet from home when you don't have high-speed internet at home? >> you know, prior to the pandemic, we had disparities and opportunity gaps that we've almost normalized in this country, for years, since we've been collecting data. black and brown students didn't perform at the same levels. we have to boldly address that. the pandemic made it worse. so when we talk about providing access to students, we have to be bold in our actions. we have to make sure that not only in the k-12 space, higher ed, we're holding ourselves accountable for better results. that's what we're going to do at the department of education. and that's what this build back better agenda really does. it really focuses policy on addressing the inequities that are pervasive in our schools across the country. >> education secretary miguel cardona, it is great to see you. thank you for being with me this morning. appreciate your time. this morning, there is promising news about a potential new treatment for mild-to-moderate covid cases. the pharmaceutical company merck announced that a phase iii trial of their anti-viral drug reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by about 50%. merck says it will request emergency use authorization from the fda. it would be the first pill authorized to treat covid-19. we should note, this is not a replacement for vaccines, which prevent patients from getting sick in the first place. it's a treatment for patients who already sick. joining me now is dr. irwin redlener. he's an nbc news public health analyst and a founding director at the national center for disaster preparedness at colombia university. doctor, it's great to see you. right now, the u.s. has one anti-viral drugs and three other antibody treatments that can help people fight covid, but the supply of these drugs has kind of fluctuated, right? what impact could a drug like merck's have? >> well, i just tweeted out this morning, in fact, that, you know, obviously, the first big breakthrough game changer was the development of the vaccines, which are being promoted heavily. the problems in many communities, people are not getting vaccinated. and in many countries around the world, they do not have the vaccine supply or the infrastructure to make sure people get vaccinated. so this particular new development by its merck, but also pfizer and other drug companies following in their footsteps, it is a serious game changer, as well. not as much as vaccines, but extremely important. and it would work like this, jose. you would be feeling ill. you would go to the doctor, you get a covid test. if it's positive, he or she simply writes you a prescription, taking it to the pharmacy, take the drug for five days, and presumably, it will knock out the virus in your body. a huge difference it will make. the one problem is, we don't want it to discourage people in any way from getting vaccinated, which is what we really need as the first priority, jose. >> yeah, that's so important. as a matter of fact, merck's study found that it did not help patients who were already hospitalized with severe disease. what does this tell you about how the drug -- and you just told us how it could be used in the average cases. but i'm thinking, around the world, is this something that would be a game changer, as well, because of the lack of, you know, refrigeration, et cetera? >> well, it's a total game change internationally, and especially with low-income countries, where we're already seeing throughout africa and parts of south america, very low vaccination rates in the population. less than 2% of the population being vaccinated, some countries in africa. and any hope of getting the vaccination rates up in those countries is years away, in my opinion. so the development of a drug to treat people who have gotten sick, but not too sick and not hospitalized is a serious innovation to save lives, literally, throughout the world. and i think it's extremely important for that reason alone. >> dr. redlener, it is a pleasure to have you with me. thank you for your time. >> thank you. hundreds of thousands of california residents face being homeless as the state's eviction moratorium ends today. a recent census bureau survey finds more than 1 million california renters are behind on their payments, nearly half a million people say it's likely they will soon face eviction. joining us now from san francisco, nbc's jacob ward. jake, good to see you. what options do these retu rent have now? >> reporter: well, jose, as the sun comes up here, this is the first day that they do not enjoy the blanket protection of the statewide eviction moratorium. but the good news is, there is still an extraordinary amount of money available to help both renters and landlords. we spoke to one single mother of three, who lives in east palo alto, one of many incredibly unaffordable places across the barrier here, about what it is like to live under the threat of eviction. here's what she had to say. >> i'm hopeless. crying at nighttime sometimes. i'm staying up late, just trying to research different resources that we have in the community. it's definitely put a ton of bricks on my shoulders, to try to figure this out. while keeping the kids happy and not noticing every little thing that is an obstacle for us. >> reporter: now, miss cheadle there told us that it is impossible for her to even imagine moving her family right now. she could not afford to do that. and so you can just think about the cognitive burden of being under that type of pressure makes it that much more frightening to go out into the world and find the patchwork of support. it's a huge amount of money, but it's coming through. local agencies, local nonprofits, that sort of thing makes this so much harder than it was when there was this simple 18-month prohibitione evictions, jose. >> so california is taking action. what can you tell us? >> what's extraordinary here is that california was one of only four states in the nation that lacked the right, the legal right to strip police officers of their certification. to essentially kick them out of the profession, if they were to do something wrong. but now, all of that is changing. in the united states, the police procedures are really an ad hoc thing. they change from department to department, jurisdiction to jurisdiction. but now here in california, governor newsom has signed a stack of bills that will put in statewide rules about the use of force, crowd control, the use of tear gas or rubber bullets on protesters, and it will make it such that a police officer who is charged with serious misconduct, racial bias, dishonesty, will never work in the profession again. that's a very new thing here, jose. >> and jacob, today marks four years after the las vegas shooting. it was the deadliest shooting in u.s. history. how are the victims being remembered today? >> yeah, it makes my heart race to hear you bring it up, right, the horrific massacre of 59 concertgoers, when that gunman opened up from his hotel room in las vegas. right now, in las vegas, a remembrance is underway at the government center amphitheater. a dawn remembrance. and this evening, there will be a candlelight vigil where one candle will be lit for each of the 59 victims. next year, jose, fifth anniversary of this horrible tragedy may, in fact, see a permanent memorial put in in the concert space. but this year, it is candles, it is prayers, it's remembrance for the 59 dead. jose? >> jacob ward in san francisco. thank you so much. thanks for your time. coming up, another blow for migrants seeking asylum in the united states. and breaking news about supreme court justice brett kavanaugh. you're watching jose diaz-balart reports on msnbc. g jose diaz-bat reports onsn mbc what happens when we welcome change? we can transform our workforce overnight out of convenience, or necessity. we can explore uncharted waters, and not only make new discoveries, but get there faster, with better outcomes. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change-- meeting them where they are, and getting them where they want to be. faster. vmware. welcome change. centrum multigummies aren't just great tasting... they're power-packed vitamins... that help unleash your energy. loaded with b vitamins... ...and other key essential nutrients... ...it's a tasty way to conquer your day. try centrum multi gummies. now with a new look. at aetna, we take a total, connected approach to your health and wellness to help you age actively. with medicare advantage plans designed for the whole you. we offer monthly plan premiums starting at $0. hospital, medical and prescription drug coverage, in one simple plan. plus dental, vision and hearing. aetna medicare advantage plans medicare annual enrollment ends december 7th. call today to learn more or visit us online at aetnamedicare.com/tv2 ♪i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers♪ ♪and my clothes smell so much fresher than before♪ switch to gain flings. one sniff and you'll be a ganiac too! ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ we're following multiple developments regarding immigration here in the united states. an appeals court ruled that the biden administration can continue a policy issued under former president trump. it allows the u.s. to expel migrant families along the southern border by citing the need to stop the spread of covid-19. another major development, the department of homeland security has unveiled new arrest and deportation guidelines for its agents here in the united states. according to the report of "the washington post," the guidelines prioritize the arrest and deportation of migrants that pose a threat to national security. and "the wall street journal" reports, up to 80,000 green cards are about to expire today after immigration authorities were unable to process the backlog of eligible applicants. 80,000. joining me now on all of this is nbc news correspondent, julia ainsley. julia, great seeing you. how are these recent developments shaping the biden administration's stance on immigration? >> you know, i'm glad you asked that. let's take a 30,000-foot view here. it's really hard to see what exactly the biden administration's strategy is on immigration. you have title 42, which they won last night, in an appeals court decision, to allow them to keep expelling asylum seekers at the border who were here, trying to claim asylum. it's how they were able to deport 70 people back to haiti. they at first were told they had to end that. they appealed it, won it. so now those expulsions will continue. and then you have remain in mexico, something that they're trying to end, which is the trump-era policy that allowed the administration to keep asylum seekers in mexico, until their u.s. court dates. they want to end that part. then you have, at the same time, they're letting these green cards expire. but you also have these deportation priorities, where they say they don't want to prioritize people who might be very young, very old, might be caregivers. really anybody who's not a national security threat. something very similar to obama's stance on immigration. but for people in the united states, as well as immigrants who might be trying to decide whether or not they should make the journey to the u.s. border, it can be a really confusing time, when you're looking at the mixed messages on immigration that's coming from this biden administration. >> julia, just to hear your thoughts on this. so title 42, the administration publicly says that it's opposed to it. essentially. and yet, they're fighting in court to keep it in. isn't it like, pretty easy to eliminate it, if you wished? >> yeah, they could eliminate it overnight, if they wanted to. now, they say it's in place because it's a cdc authority that has been implemented, because of covid. but the people who are suing the administration over its implementation continue to use the title 42 in court. saying, look, that argument doesn't stand. because you're already letting in some families, you're letting in unaccompanied children. how can you say only single adults are the ones who spread covid-19? that doesn't make any sense from an epidemiological standpoint. so, really, they're conflicted here. and as we've reported here at nbc, there was a big fear, not only that covid might spread, but really that the numbers at the border might get past what border agents could handle. you already saw that big surge of haitians. they were look at 350 to 400,000 migrants, they thought, might come in october, if title 42 was lifted. so what i've been told is a big reason why they're keeping these covid restrictions in place and fighting for it in court is simply because they're worried about how many might come if they're not there. >> julia ainsley, thank you very much for being with me this morning. still ahead, troubling new data. latinos are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid epidemic. and they're having serious trouble accessing care. morgan radford will be with us to talk a little bit about that, when we come back. us to talk a little bit about that, when we come back. when i heard about the science behind the new sensodyne repair and protect with deep repair i was super excited about it. it shows that the toothpaste goes deep inside the exposed dentin to help repair sensitive teeth. life is just too short to miss out on simple things like drinking that cold cup of water or having a sip of hot coffee. i have the science to prove it, i can see that it works and i feel confident recommending it to my patients. i'm really excited to recommend new sensodyne repair and protect with deep repair. our retirement plan with voya, keeps us moving forward. hey, kevin! hey, guys! they have customized solutions to help our family's special needs... hey, graduation selfie! well done! and voya stays by our side, keeping us on track for retirement... ...giving us confidence in our future... ...and in kevin's. you ready for your first day on the job? 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>> reporter: jose, we all know this country is facing an opioid crisis, but did you know it's affecting different places and different communities more severely. for example, the latino community. here in boston, especially latino men are being hurt by this crisis. and if you look nationwide, the number of opioid-related deaths among latinos has increased 4% since the pandemic. and so we're at a place that is trying now to come up with bilingual and bicultural solutions. every morning, beverly rijos starts her day here at an opioid addiction treatment center just north of boston. [ speaking spanish ] what would have happened to you if you hadn't come here. [ speaking spanish ] you don't think you would have survived? >> reporter: and she is one of the lucky ones, fighting to survive an opioid epidemic made worse by the pandemic. [ speaking spanish ] >> when the pandemic came, everything fell apart. she couldn't find help in spanish, until she came here, to casa esperanza, just one of two bilingual addiction centers in the state. and nationally, the opioid deaths among latinos have increased nearly 4% since the pandemic. here in massachusetts, latino men have the highest rate of opioid-related deaths of any race or ethnicity. something that ernesto crespo, who is recovering from opioid addiction, says is made worse by a lack of resources. [ speaking spanish ] do you think it's more difficult for latinos to get professional help? [ speaking spanish ] it's difficult because of the language barriers. it's difficult to find translators. and experts agree. >> with covid, latinos are disproportionately impacted. similarly, the stigma in the latino community is -- has always been a problem. >> reporter: a stigma that beverly hopes other latinos will soon overcome. [ speaking spanish ] what would you say to other latino who still fighting? [ speaking spanish ] sometimes you may get tired, but it's worth it. the fight is worth it. and jose, while we see these numbers and the pain that this opioid epidemic is causing, fewer than 24% of treatment centers nationwide offer spanish language counseling. jose? >> morgan radford, thank you for shining a light on that for us. appreciate it. for the second time in a week, north korea has fired a newly developed anti-aircraft missile. this according to state media. it's just the latest in a series of recent weapons tests that have deadlocked the nuclearization talks with the u.s. joining us from london with more, nbc's kelly cobiella. kelly, good morning. what is north korea up to? >> reporter: good morning, jose. well, they certainly are testing the international community with this latest launch. this was an anti-aircraft missile, much smaller than the ballistic missiles that have been talked about so much. it's more difficult to see and study from long distances. unlike the projectile that was launched earlier this week, which the japanese say could have been ballistic, which would be in contravention of u.n. sanctions. they're still studying that, by the way. the north koreans say that missile was a hypersonic missile. really trying to show that they're still developing their weapons system, despite what the u.n. and the international communities say. we also heard from kim jong-un earlier this week, who said that he was willing to reestablish that hotline between north korea and south korea, which has been dormant for 18 months. at the same time, accusing the u.s. of pursuing a hostile policy towards north korea. but the u.n. said they tried that hotline once again today and got no answer. jose? >> kelly, in other news, china is struggling with severe shortages of electricity. millions of homes and businesses hit by power cuts. what's causing them? >> reporter: yeah. so china gets more than half of its power from coal. and at the same time, it's trying to cut back on coal in order to meet a carbon neutral deadline by 2060. so as the economy has started ramping up after this year and a half of fountain lockdowns, the demand for coal has gone up, price for goal has gone up. energy companies can't change the prices, because those are state controlled. so they're pulling back on output. and that's creating a supply problem for power around the country, particularly in the industrial north. so you're having rolling blackouts, not just hitting consumers, but also big manufacturers. and big, big industries, as well, jose, like steel, aluminum, fertilizer, cement. and that is going to have a knock-on effect to the global supply chain. and jose, it's coming at a terrible time, right in the run-up to the holiday season. >> so true. and kelly, we saw pretty empty-looking japan at the recent summer olympics. they have just lifted some of their covid restrictions? >> reporter: that's right. we saw something new in tokyo today. something we haven't seen in many, many months. and that is packed commuter trains. people were headed back to work today, after japan lifted its six-month state of emergency. it was put in place because of rising infection rates at the time and came in place just ahead of the olympics. well, that's now been lifted. people are going back to work. the japanese say that nationwide, their case rates are steadily falling. on wednesday, nation biden, they had less than 1,600 new cases of covid. and their vaccination rates are up, jose, more than 59% of the population in japan is now fully vaccinated. >> kelly cobiella in london, thank you. have a great weekend. still ahead, the lack of representation of latinos in the media. it's a report we talked about just a little while ago on this show. but you know what? it can really cause real harm. we'll talk about that, next. y c. we'll talk about that, next. alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice and long-lasting gain scent beads. try spring daydream, now part of our irresistible scent collection. tonight, i'll be eating a buffalo chicken panini with extra hot sauce. tonight, i'll be eating salmon sushi with a japanese jiggly cheesecake. 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( abbot sonic ) doesn't your family deserve the best? eggland's best eggs. classic, cage free, and organic. more delicious, farm-fresh taste. plus, superior nutrition. which is now more important than ever. ♪♪ 50 minutes past the hour. we're following breaking news from the supreme court right now. justice brett kavanaugh tested positive for covid. he's fully vaccinated and the court says he has no symptoms. he was tested. the court is set to begin a new term next week. pete williams joins us now. good morning. what do we know about the justice kavanaugh condition? pete? >> reporter: if you can turn the radio down. thanks. >> pete, can you hear me this morning? >> reporter: i hear you. >> we're on the air and i'm wondering the latest on the amy coney barrett. we see this file video of -- >> reporter: i don't hear program. >> we'll try to get contact with you shortly. there are some problems getting him on the line. pete williams, thank you for being with me. any day with -- >> reporter: jose? >> can you hear me now? >> reporter: yes. >> quickly, what's the latest on kavanaugh and coney barrett? >> reporter: well, this was to be the day that all of the nine justices were in the supreme court room for the first time since the court building was shut down in march of last year because of the covid pandemic. this was to be for the formal ceremony, welcoming ceremony for the supreme court's newest justice, amy coney barrett. it was delayed because of the pandemic. just as kavanaugh was not here today, the court said yesterday a routine testing of all the justices in anticipation of today's ceremony showed a positive test for kavanaugh. he has no symptoms. all the justices have been double vaccinated and also tested on monday before they met in their closed door conference to look over cases that have piled up over the summer. that test was negative for all of them. but the test on thursday was positive for kavanaugh. so we'll have to wait and see. the court formally opens the new term on monday. we'll have to wait and see whether he is here, whether he has another test, but he's been home. the court says his -- the rest of his family has also been tested negative. we'll have to wait and see when he gets to come back. >> pete williams, thank you so much for being with me this morning. appreciate it. >> you bet. >> a new government watchdog report finds latino representation is lacking. with latinos making up 11% of news analysts, reporters and journalists, only 8% of those working at print publications. even though there are nearly a fifth of the total population. the disparity causes harm. they make up 53% of immigrants nationally. the watchdog group finding that, quote, inadequate representation of people of color in the media can reinforce negative images of particular racial and ethnic groups. i want to bring in the president and chief creative officer at i-heart latino. it's good to see you. i want your perspective. does it feel like you're working in a silo almost where your work is so well-received around the country? well known, and yet, it feels like it's not part of america's pop culture consciousness? >> yeah. it feels like you also, and thanks for having me on. congratulations for the new show. listen, yeah, we have to walk into a room and always have to have the resume, your resume in your hand and justify your actions and explain to people who you are and why you do what you do. it gets -- it gets tiresome. >> you know, we make a majority of consumers. right? only a fraction of media productions. there's more salsa soul in the united states than ketchup. latino radio stations are some of the top markets in the nation. how is it there is this disparity, and is there something that we should be doing to help bridge this gap? >> yeah. well, we got to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities that we have. we need to see more people on msnbc and more santos and tyler perrys in the latino world. tyler perry felt underrepresented and he's adequately doing what he needs to do to change the game. and eva longoria, and producing the dora movie. the salma hayeks of the world. you can go down the list and there it goes. you mentioned supreme court justice kavanaugh. we wish him well. the supreme court needs to adequately reflect us, the citizens of the united states. police departments should reflect the communities they police to make sure there's not a disconnect. that we are properly -- it's dangerous, too. it's very dangerous when we're not adequately represented. >> it's good to see you. thank you for being with me. >> all the best to you. thank you. >> you can listen to the six-episode series hosted by us that features social influencers and journalists from the island of cuba as well as from the global exile community. you can find at iheart.com/podcast. that wraps up the hour and the week for me. i'll see you tomorrow on nbc nightly news. you can always reach me on twitter and instagram. be sure to follow the show online. thank you for the prif -- privilege of your time. more news is next. privilege of your time more news is next. instead of burning our past for power, we can harness the energy of the tiny electron. we can create new ways to connect. rethinking how we communicate to be more inclusive than ever. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change. faster. vmware. welcome change. at aetna, we take a total, connected approach to your health and wellness to help you age actively. with medicare advantage plans designed for the whole you. we offer monthly plan premiums starting at $0. hospital, medical and prescription drug coverage, in one simple plan. plus dental, vision and hearing. aetna medicare advantage plans medicare annual enrollment ends december 7th. call today to learn more or visit us online at aetnamedicare.com/tv2 liberty mutual customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need. how much money can liberty mutual save you? 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in just the last hour, house speaker nancy pelosi answered that question. perhaps it's more accurate to say she was asked that question. right now the speaker sandwiched between a group of progressives who have successfully delayed that vote, and two moderates, not even in her caucus.

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