this sunday, it is a an we've of a new session at the high court. justices get back to the bench monday morning, with abortion, guns and religious rights on the docket. what the supreme court decides has big implications for you. upset, in unison, where democrat or republican, women across america seeing eye-to-eye on one thing, that lawmakers need to do more for moms. is washington listening? republicans redrawing the map. how do democrats beat them at their own gauge. age is not a thing when it comes to comedy. let's begin this hour in washington, where morning begins a blockbuster term for the nation's high court. efforts continue across the street on capitol hill, to advance the build back better agenda. democrats debating over the $3.5 trillion price tag of the plan that will invest in child care, paid family leave, and universal pre-k. this is bernie sanders on "meet the press" mps. be? is not a wish list. the democrats can come together. and i think we can. to finally do what working families do in this desperately want us to do. >> you say democrats in congress have a lot on their plate. they also work to pass voting rights legislation and protect abortion access. these are priorities that come into sharper focus when the supreme court returns for a new term monday. keep in mind, this is a con serbtive supermajority court. three of donald trump's judicial nominees on the bench. that has many wondering what the court could decide now that it leans right. as "the washington post" frames it, quote, before the term ends next summer, the justices will have weighed in on three major public policy disputes. guns, religious rights and possibly race, if the court picks up a request to once again review affirmative action in university admissions. but the most watch cased, bound to be the challenge to mississippi's law banning abortions after 15 weeks. the case of four justices sets the case to eroing the 1973 roe v. wade decision. if roe goes, abortion access would be left up to the states. here's a map showing what that would look like. red-leaning states, mostly across the south and the midwest, banning abortions, with reproductive rights protected from blue states. and it's already a reality in texas, where the state legislature has banned abortions in six weeks, and has empowered citizens to enforce that band. that law sending thousands to the streets this weekend in protests across the country. if bans like this are upheld, the president of planned parenthood told me what she thinks comes next. >> our provider in oklahoma has seen more texans in oklahoma than oklahomans. the effect is going out in new mexico. it's put out for the patients having to travel to arizona and california. we had patients go all the way to oregon and new jersey, in order to seek care. >> important to note. the supreme court gets back to the bench tomorrow morning, facing a crisis of credibility. polling by gallup, reveals four in ten americans approve the high court. that's a row low. "new york times" columnist and msnbc analyst, the staff writer for "the atlantic." thank you for being with us. i'm going to start with you, reproductive rights. can we look at what might happen in the states if the court overturns roe. i talk to roots on the ground, they say they have been preparing for this reality for a while. they knew with this coming, it makes it no less devastating. republicans have largely been able to this point, michelle, to push anti-choice efforts, knowing that the courts would likely overturn them. they would rarely need to live with the reality of these laws. they would get to show anti-choice advocates they were trying to move the needle. what happens politically if anti-choice forces actually continue to succeed, at dismantlely abortion access across this country? >> i think it depends to some degree on what the decision on the mississippi law looks like. if they strike down roe, my sense is that will be the thing that rouses the women who marched, you know, on the day after donald trump's inauguration. that will be the thing that brings those women to march back to the street. so far, a lot of activists are burned out and there's a lot of confusion about the implication of the texas law, right? it was this blow against reproductive rights but it was done by the supreme court in a procedural way, in the middle of the night. it hadn't been, i think, as galvanizing as advocates would hope. i suspect that an outright overturning roe v. wade will be different. and then, beyond that, what we have seen in countries that have recently legalized abortion, in south america, in ireland, you have a feud after this response to the tragedies that ensue when abortion is illegal. those are coming. >> i mean, adam, over the last few weeks, we have seen a few of the courts's conservative justices. criticizing how the court handles emergency appeals. got to love the shoutout. what do you make of this public positioning to defend the court and alito's response to your work? >> this is one of the most powerful people. not addressing the criticism of what is called the shadow docket. not that it exists, but yized to make sweeping decisions outside of public scrutiny when there's partisan link. alito giving a trump-like rant, is exactly what i was rite writhing about, the justices behaving they are like partisan figures and behaving like they are above scrutiny. there's no decision that it was to award a scheme by anti-abortion activists to nullify constitutional right. women in texas no longer have the right to make decisions about when they give birth. alito and the leagues want to hide that behind procedure. but those in texas, whose loved ones have to live in that reality, do not have the luxury of such. and that's the issue here. and it's really -- if the court does not want to be seen as partisan, its justices can cease pursuing it as legal agenda. >> it was wild to see him take a swing at free press. it was wild to watch him seem to articulate your point for you. michelle, i want to take a wider view of the court as its skreblt slips away. "the washington post" writing, even the 6-3 division understates the tilt. the conservatives are much further to the right than the remaining liberals to the left. this is the most conserative court since the 1930s. and uniquely, one that ideological blocks aligns with the party of the president that appointed him. republicans working to restrict voting as the nation becomes more diverse. how is all of this, michelle, part of a bigger strategy for republicans to maintain power as their base shrinks? >> i think that one reason that the court is in such ill repute, now irreversibly associated with donald trump. it's the trump court. you have a president who was never elected by the majority of the voters, right? the second republican to become president without winning the popular vote in this century. and so, you have a situation -- look. the biggest problem in america politics are overriding crisis is minority rule, is the way changing demographics in an increasing urban and rural split is working with the structures of our government that allow people to exercise power without winning a majority of the vote, either in the senate, the president, being allowed the minority president to put people on the court, who further restrict democracy, who further restrict the franchise. there's a stranglehold on democracy by a minority of americans who feel they have the right to rule the majority. that is the escalating crisis that is facing our democracy. and the supreme court isn't a neutral arbiter in that crisis. it's a combatant. >> i will give you the final word. i'm running out of time. i would also addition to you augmenting michelle's analysis, if you have thoughts of expanding the court. if that comes into focus now, i would love to hear it. >> i have written about this issue. the actual issue that justifies expanding the court is the court's voting right. it's fine for republicans to win more electios and appoint more justices. it's another thing for the justices to approve of the republican party disenfranchising the electorate so they no longer have to be responsive to the people and therefore can select justices without actually having to win elections the hard way, by getting a majority of the vote. i think that's a unique issue that is distinct from this policy agreements with this court. i think that's the issue that's most significant with regards to the dynamic that michelle was just talking about. >> michelle, adam, thank you for getting us started. next, women of both main parties have found some common ground. they don't believe lawmakers are doing enough to help moms. are those lawmakers listening? plus, a new push to redraw america's political landscape with long lasting implications. can democrats beat the gop at a game it plays all-too well. first, a look at the other big stories we're watching this hour at msnbc. anita? >> thank you. developments out of afghanistan tonight, where at least five people are dead after a bomb went out outside a mosque in kabul. it is considered the deadliest attack since u.s. troops withdrew from august. those inside the mosque were attending a memorial service for the mother of the taliban's spokesperson. in los angeles, a massive oil spill in six miles of the pacific. clutches of oil and dead sea life are washing ashore. officials believe the leak is contained. the pacific air show was canceled to help with clean up efforts. officials confirming a spirit airline caught fire after birds struck the plane's engine. thankfully all onboard made it out safely. we have much more "american voices" after the break. a coupls on your six, limu. they need customized car insurance from liberty mutual so they only pay for what they need. what do you say we see what this bird can do? woooooooooooooo... we are not getting you a helicopter. looks like we're walking, kid. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ shingles? camera man: yeah, 1 out of 3 people get shingles in their lifetime. well that leaves 2 out of 3 people who don't. i don't know anybody who's had it. your uncle had shingles. you mean that nasty red rash? and donna next door had it for weeks. yeah, but there's nothing you can do about it. camera man: actually, shingles can be prevented. shingles can be whaaaat? camera man: prevented. you can get vaccinated. baby, call the doctor. camera man: hey! you can also get it from your pharmacist! 50 years or older? get vaccinated for shingles now. wealth is breaking ground on your biggest project yet. worth is giving the people who build it a solid foundation. wealth is shutting down the office for mike's retirement party. worth is giving the employee who spent half his life with you, the party of a lifetime. wealth is watching your business grow. worth is watching your employees grow with it. principal. for all it's worth. in business, it's never just another day. it's the big sale, or the big presentation. the day where everything goes right. or the one where nothing does. with comcast business you get the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses and advanced cybersecurity to protect every device on it— all backed by a dedicated team, 24/7. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. comcast business powering possibilities. women across the country want lawmakers to do more to help moms. in a new poll by marshall plan for moms, most female voters say the government is not supporting moms enough. and they name paid family leave and affordable child care as top priorities. that data drives home the need to revamp our country's human infrastructure, as congressional democrats debate cuts to president biden's agenda. >> the reality is, people are not going to necessarily remember the road. they are going to remember if they can get back to work because they now can afford child care. or they can take care of their families because they now have expanded medicare benefits or health care benefits. or that their kids are going to have a place on this planet because there is a planet because we're taking on carbon emissions. >> joining me now, two women who helped conduct the polling we just mentioned, democratic pollster carly kuperman, and solstice anderson, good to see you both. carly, what did you learn about the pandemic's toll on women and especially on working moms? >> thanks so much. you know, we found that the impact of the pandemic has had on women and especially moms is significant. you know, two thirds of female voters said they did not think that government gave moms enough support during the pandemic. and we really see why when we probed further to understand the impact it's had. nearly half of moms said they experienced either income reduction or unemployment during the pandemic. and another 41% said that they had to work less since the pandemic has begun. we saw that moms are overworked, they're burnt out, and they're exhausted. >> kristen, you have been polling republican women for a very long time. i wonder if there was anything in this research that surprised you. >> in some ways it surprised me that there was so much bipartisan consensus around so much of what we studied. it's hard for me these days to look at any survey and find things where you have republicans and democrats that are on a similar page. and while it's certainly the case that i think republican and democratic women probably have different ideas about the nuts and bolts and the details of how they would want to achieve things like more affordable child care, paid leave, et cetera, what was unmistakable in the poll is that republican women just like democratic women who are moms have been feeling the stress during the pandemic, and this sort of crisis moment really means a lot of folks are setting aside their politics and saying, even if you're apprehensive about government intervention, even if you're apprehensive about big government, you're not happy child care is so expensive and you may struggle to get family leave when you need it. what was surprising is how much nonpartisan consensus there was in the research. >> it's interesting to me as well because we -- there is a phrase that was coined during the pandemic, rage moms. all of a sudden you had moms who were trying to work full-time jobs, worthing as caretakers, trying to educate their children, and it all just became too much. all of the social safety nets that are supposed to be there to support us fell away, exposed cracks that were already there. i do have to say, as i look through the research, i was surprised to see child tax credit listed as one of the least important parent related policies for these voters. did that surprise you? what else can you tell us about their priorities? >> you know, i think that these women are just so eager for support. and i think that, you know, they're really struggling and they just want to see action happen. so what i found in the data, it was so much more about coming together and doing things that are going to alleviate the burden and let them go back to work. affordable child care, we saw in the survey that 48% of moms that are trying to go back to work said that it's just not worth it because child care is so expensive. and you know, one of the things that really stood out to me in the research is it was something like 75% of liberals but also two thirds of conservatives said that they would be willing to support a congressional candidate who aligned with their positions in terms of prioritizing child care and was potentially from a different political party. so these women just want to see action. they want stuff to alleviate the burden we're feeling. >> that was also the most interesting data point to me, that most women would cross party lines for a congressional candidate investing in the care economy. anyone who watches the show, we talk about this issue a lot. we talk about child care specifically as what many experts believe is a failed market. if you were working with a republican candidate and you were showing them this data, how is it that they then get onboard? i mean, right now, this debate is happening on capitol hill. there is an opening right now if they want to be a part of the solutions. if not now, when else do republicans come around to showing that they want to invest in the care economy? >> so if i was advising a republican candidate, i would say that being proactive and putting forward some kind of solution to how you get to more affordable child care, it's not necessarily going to win you huge numbers of democratic women, but it is going to cause a lot of swing women to give you a second look, who might otherwise have not been as interested in hearing what you had to say. i don't imagine that there are going to be tons of republicans champing at the bit to pass the reconciliation bill, but i know that if for whatever reason it winds up going through and there's not child care in it specifically, i think republicans would be remiss not to put forward their own ideas and to talk a little bit more about what their side believes is the way to achieve more affordable child care in this country. >> all right, thank you both so much. still ahead, who draws the maps will depend on what our political landscape looks like for the next decade. the redistricting fight facing democrats that is coming up. later, please don't sit on my bed in your outside clothes. it's not what i tell my kids. it's phoebe robinson's new book. she's going oo be here to talk about it. i can't wait. stick with us. ♪ ♪ peerless design, cutting-edge tech, and a world-class interior. the exhilarating mercedes-benz glc. extraordinary runs in the family. ♪ ♪ don't be fooled by the bike. or judge him by his jacket. while ted's eyes are on the road, his heart stays home. he's got gloria, and 10 grand-babies, to prove it. but his back made weekend rides tough, so ted called on the card that's even tougher. and the medicare coverage trusted by more doctors. medicare from blue cross blue shield. by your side, no matter what. that's the benefit of blue. find your local blue cross and blue shield plan at benefitofblue.com we have to be able to repair the enamel on a daily basis. with pronamel repair toothpaste, we can help actively repair enamel in its weakened state. it's innovative. my go to toothpaste is going to be pronamel repair. bipolar depression. it made me feel like i was trapped in a fog. this is art inspired by real stories of people living with bipolar depression. i just couldn't find my way out of it. the lows of bipolar depression can take you to a dark place... ...and be hard to manage. latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. this is where i want to be. latuda is not for everyone. call your doctor about unusual mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be life threatening... ...or uncontrollable muscle movements, as these may be permanent. these are not all the serious side effects. now i'm back where i belong. ask your doctor about latuda and pay as little as $0 for your first prescription. let me get this straight. you've got an a.i. strategy to deliver a better customer experience, that will help us retain our customers and even grow our business? how much is this going to cost? here's the figure. 59. 59 million? no, five9. as in five9 intelligent cloud contact center. they won't just power our transformation. they'll fund our transformation. yes, yes! exactly! what are you waiting for? ♪ ♪ there is a fight under way that will reshape american politics for a decade. states now working on the tedious process of redrawing congressional districts to account for the latest census numbers. it's a process we do every ten years, it's normal. what's not, cheating by the gop that redraws maps in its favor. new reporting from the "new york times" shows it is already happening. quote, the new congressional map released last month by texas republicans aims to lock in the party's advantage in washington over the next decade by building on the map previously gerrymandered in 2010. the proposed district lines also offset recent population growth spurred by communities of color, diminishing their voting power. this chart shows two maps of texas. so on the left, current congressional districts. and on the right, how the texas gop wants them modified. much more red on your screen. it is cheating in plain sight. and republicans have frankly turned it into a form of art. a game they play well, and usually win. question and answer tonight, do democrats have a plan to stop them? with us, tom perez, who we must note is now a candidate for governor of maryland. good to see you. i want to start with the consequences of those maps. because there's so much that we are asking people to care about right now. we're asking them to care about the infrastructure and reconciliation plans that are on capitol hill. we're asking them to care about voting rights. we're asking them to care about the supreme court's very full docket. talk to me about the consequences of getting this right and getting this wrong. >> ten years ago, i was the assistant attorney general for civil rights, running the civil rights division. i always say the most important year in voting rights is the year that ends in a 1. why is that, alicia? because that's when we have the census data and when we have redistricting, and when we have major league shenanigans. now, ten years ago, we had a tool at our disposal, section five of the voting rights act. if they had try today do what they're doing now in texas ten years ago, it never would have seen the light of day. what happened in georgia with their voter i.d. laws, all the other things, the redistricting, the burden would have been on the state to show that what they were doing was not retrogressive, in other words, was not diluting the voting power of communities of color. 95% of the population growth in texas over the last decade was communities of color. and what are they doing in texas? they're diluting deliberately the vote as your maps correctly outline. what do we do about it? in washington, we need to pass the john lewis voting rights act. we need to pass legislation. we have to do it, plainly and simply. we can't wait. this will have an impact for a decade, literally a decade. what we also have to do is make sure we're using section 2 of the voting rights act, constitutional claims, and i'm confident that my old division, the civil rights division, is going to be actively involved, because it's so critically important. a lot of litigation coming up. and voters should choose their representatives. representatives shouldn't choose their voters. that's exactly what's happening in texas and elsewhere. and it is wrong, and you remember the chief justice said in 2013 in the infamous shelby county case, that discrimination is effectively a thing of the past. the challenges we saw in voting no longer exist. boy, i tell you, texas and georgia are just proving how wrong that statement was. >> can we pull up those maps of texas again? i want to ask tom a question about them. the map shows how republicans are working to eliminate competitive districts to protect their incumbents. i want you to explain to me what it means when more and more americans are now living in districts that are not as competitive, and what i mean by that is the polarization of our politics that that contributes to, and then the way that polarization plays out in congress. >> well, what we're seeing in texas, these aren't simply political gerrymanders. these are racial gerrymanders. plainly and simply. and what it is doing is diluting the voting power of communities of color. primarily african-americans and latinos, but ten years ago, they were trying to dilute the voting power of asian-americans in the houston area. and ten years ago, we sued and won those cases. the impact of what they're trying to do in texas and elsewhere is it's going to contribute to the already polarized communities that we have across this country, because you know, the only thing that a republican is going to worry about when he or she is voting on whether to expand paid leave is going to be a challenge from their right. not a challenge from their left or the democrats. and that's what the consequences of this action are. and again, in texas, and in georgia, this is racial gerrymandering, plainly and simply. and that is wrong. and the supreme court needs to step in because with all due respect, chief justice roberts, you said this was a thing of the past. boy, were you incorrect on that one. and texas and georgia are exhibits "a" and "b" on why we need to pass the john lewis voting rights act and why we need to pass other legislation in the voting context. >> all right, tom perez, thank you so much. next, righting past wrongs of the past, how a prime piece of california real estate found its rightful owners after nearly a century. and one dope queen joins us, phoebe robinson on her new book, ahead on "american voices." look how the shirt on the left attracts pet hair like a magnet! pet hair is no match for bounce. with bounce, you can love your pets, and lint roll less. ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. whoo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, now introducing ensure complete! with 30 grams of protein. regina approaches the all-electric cadillac lyriq. it's a sunny day. nah, a stormy day. ♪ ♪ we see a close up of the grille ...an overhead shot. she drives hands free along the coast. make it palm springs. cadillac is going electric. if you want to be bold, you have to go off - script. experience the all-electric cadillac lyric. a small victory in the fight for reparations. the state of california handing over property to a family it was stolen from nearly 100 years ago. nbc's harry smith has the story behind the property known as bruce's beach. >> the allure of the sandy beaches of southern california is undeniable. perhaps especially so for african-americans living in the very segregated los angeles of the 1920s. >> so where are we now? >> right now, we're in front of the lifeguard station which is on top of the property that my family used to own. >> this is it right here? >> this is it. >> here was lodging, a cafe, and a dance hall. a black paradise developed by anthony bruce's great great grandparents, willa and charles bruce. >> they were doing quite well for themselves, and unfortunately, the community here, they saw it as a threat. >> it was a time in america when people were proud of their prejudices. manhattan beach claimed it needed the land for a park. paid the bruces and others a pittance, and while there's a park there now, the land sat vacant for more than 30 years. >> when you're robbed of your dignity, when you're robbed of your integrity, when you're rob offend your decent basic rights as a human being and mistreated like that, it sticks with you for a long time. >> thursday, though, on the very land the bruce family was run off of, they were welcomed back. through a unanimous act of the california legislature, the land is being returned to them. a bold act of reparation. >> i'm absolutely convinced this will be catalytic. we're changing the dynamic of the debates in terms of righting wrongs. >> for now, the bruce family wants to rent the life' guard station back to the county, the property, likely worth many millions of dollars, but don't expect to see them back. >> my thing is, like, i believe if anthony bruce or anybody else in the bruce family comes back here, we're going city the same exact thing. i don't think it's changed, harry. i think it's still here, and that's why we're not rushing to set up shop again. >> harry smith, nbc news, los angeles. >> 97 years. next, reflections from a dope queen, author and comedian phoebe robinson on how to maintain cultural momentum and that amazing move after this quick break. for what you need. sorry? 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so you only pay for what you need. sorry? limu, you're an animal! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ that's why i think we have to train in order to watch civil rights movies. we have to train the way runners do, right? if you want to become a runner, you do a couch to 5k program. we should do that for watching civil rights movies. you know? like the first week, all we're watching, "space jam." >> that was a clip from phoebe robinson's upcoming special on hbo max called sorry harriet tubman. the comedian is widely known for her work on two dope queens alongside jessica williams. she's also out with a new book where she serves her personal commentary on social issues including ally ship, white guilt, and white people taking up cultural movements. her book is called "don't sit on my bed with your street clothes on." in her book, she writes her formative alliship is more than being keenly aware of the camera, aka, the world, and presenting an idealized version of yourself, and also the idea of whiteness, which means by design, the work that is done is to soothe and protect whiteness, not dismantle it. phoebe robinson joins me now. phoebe, i am so excited to have you here. as you know, i am a fan of your work and a fan of your books, and i would ask how you managed to be so prolific, but i feel as though the past year and a half has given you a lot of material to talk about. >> yeah, i mean, i certainly wasn't planning on writing a book last year. but i was inside, thinking a lot, and so a lot of things were coming up. you know, sort of the performative alliship of it all, my boyfriend and i decided not to have kids. you know, self-care, all these things that were sort of ruminating in my brain, so to me, it made perfect sense to sort of jot this stuff down. and so i feel like this book, please don't sit on my bed in your outside clothes, while it is touching on covid and on the moment, there's still so many things in it that are evergreen and will last outside this current moment that we're in. >> absolutely, though i do like the idea of it existing somewhat as a time capsule where we're going to go back in time and be like, we were inside a lot and our relationships changed and everything changed. and part of what happened, in addition to all of that, was the racial justice movements that we watched worldwide following george floyd's death. in your book, you highlight examples of how some white people took up space in the movements without affecting any real change. i want you to tell me more about that. what does it look like to inappropriately take up space in a cultural movement? >> yeah, i mean, ranging from everything from the black squares that people were putting on instagram as if that was somehow going to do something, to sort of feeling like they have to kind of dominate the conversation, and you know, the pr, the press releases from all these businesses, okay, thank you for those words, but we need to back that up with action. i think that's the biggest sort of hurdle that we still are not able to overcome, is that people can get riled up when you're in the heat of the moment, and you can see these pictures of people sort of being outside and marching, but now we're a year later, and marches aren't happening every day or every other day. and so we really have to see how are people actually sort of taking their everyday lives and actually sort of living up to the promises that they made last year. and no one is saying it has to be, you know, you're going to defund the police. no one is saying it's something as big as that, but on a local level, are you invested in your local politicians. are now not participating in gentrification, are you looking at who is teaching at your schools and if it's diverse enough? there's so many ways people can show up. i feel like it felt like a trend to some people. >> to your point how there's so many ways to show up, the 2021 women in the workplace report was released. it shows 77% of white employees say they're allies to women of color, but only 39% say they confront discrimination when they see it, and only 21% advocate for new opportunities for women of color even fewer mentor. to me, those numbers sort of lay it bare, that people can call themselves an ally without understanding that alliship requires you to actually go to the mat and deliver for the person to whom you claim you are an ally. >> yeah, absolutely. i think it's not just enough to say, you have to put the action -- you have to put your words into action. so, you know, that's one of those things where it's really rare. i write about this in my book. i never had a black woman as a boss ever. i only had one black female teacher my whole life. so there's all these ways where it's like, if you're not advocating for women of color to be in the work place, if you're not making sure there's someone in the c-suite or teachers or lawyers or what have you, really saying you're an ally is only in words and not really in action, and we're not certainly expecting white women to just sort of like lay themselves bare and sacrifice themselves, but at the same time, you can't call yourself an ally if you can't even point to a handful of things that you have done that have benefitted someone else rather than just being a marker that you're on the right side of history. >> you are so incisive, so smart, and so generous with your time. thank you so much for being on the show. the book, of course, is titled "please don't sit on my bed in your outside clothes." i can't get through it without laughing. all right, next, seniors doing stand-up, comedians joe firestone and helain witt are here to premiere their upcoming special. first, remember to catch mehdi hasan and ayman mohyeldin at 8:00. mehdi is joined by alexandria ocasio-cortez, and then ayman is on with minnesota senator tina smith. one, two! one, two, three! only pay for what you need! with customized car insurance from liberty mutual! nothing rhymes with liberty mutual. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ (vo) at t-mobile for business, unconventional thinking means we see things differently, so you can focus on what matters most. whether it's ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs. being first on the scene, when every second counts. or teaching biology without a lab. we are the leader in 5g. #1 in customer satisfaction. and a partner who includes 5g in every plan, so you get it all. without trade-offs. unconventional thinking. it's better for business. bipolar depression. it made me feel like i was trapped in a fog. this is art inspired by real stories of people living with bipolar depression. i just couldn't find my way out of it. the lows of bipolar depression can take you to a dark place... ...and be hard to manage. latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. this is where i want to be. latuda is not for everyone. call your doctor about unusual mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be life threatening... ...or uncontrollable muscle movements, as these may be permanent. these are not all the serious side effects. now i'm back where i belong. ask your doctor about latuda and pay as little as $0 for your first prescription. still fresh unstopables in-wash scent booster and pay as little as $0 downy unstopables we have to be able to repair the enamel on a daily basis. with pronamel repair toothpaste, we can help actively repair enamel in its weakened state. it's innovative. my go to toothpaste is going to be pronamel repair. one, two! one, two, three! only pay for what you need! with customized car insurance from liberty mutual! my go to toothpaste nothing rhymes with liberty mutual. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ thank you-all for being here. as anyone been to a 2:00 p.m. comedy show before? >> my wife left me recently. >> life is a performance. then there was my head surgery. >> if my boss ever sees this, i'm dead. >> laughter is like food you put in your body. >> i'd like to be funny but not in an artificial way. >> i think you're genuinely funny. >> you do? >> yes. >> really? >> yes. >> you're the first person that's told me that. >> just a small sample of the huge laughs ahead october 15th when "good times" begins streaming on peacock. it is a heart warming, hilarious look at the power of not taking yourself too seriously especially during the toughest of times because as you'll see, this really came to be through zoom where firestone holds a 10:00 a.m. class every monday with senior citizens in new york. sessions began just weeks before the pandemic hit and this upcoming special takes those classes from screen to stage. comedian joy firestone joins us. when i saw the trailer and shared it with the team. i was like we have to talk to jo. every producer wanted to produce this segment. i want you to aces across the b. talk to me how this came about and how you started to focus on coaching seniors? >> well, i moved to a neighborhood and saw there was a senior center there and i taught comedy before. i thought i have some time. comedy, you get jobs and you don't always have jobs. you have some down time. i'll teach a class. then the pandemic hit. so then i had a lot of free time and it kept going every week. >> so great. did you have a sense of how funny these seniors were going to be or were you yourself surprised by material they were bringing you? >> i had high expectations but they went above and beyond. every monday morning at 10:00 a.m. i'm shocked by what everyone says. it gets blue before 10:10. it's an amazing way to start the week. i recommend it for anybody. >> why do you think seniors are particularly funny? is it the fact they've got to be a point where they don't care so much about what others think or what others have to say or is it just that wealth of lived experience that they have to draw from? >> yeah, i think that's -- those are two definitely contributing factors but also i think a lot of comedy has to do with being comfortable with yourself. i think a lot of people are pretty comfortable with themselves. they had a lot of years to get used to themselves. >> we think we have haline whit with us. you're no stranger to the world of comedy. the late, great joan rivers was an idle of yours. she bought some of your material. here is a portion of good timing where you take us behind one of those jokes. take a listen. >> in the '80s there was a song by olivia newton john let's get physical, physical. she goes out and says today is income tax day and my accountant is dancing around the office singing let's get fiscal, fiscal. >> let's get fiscal, let's get fiscal. >> and then she said it again. >> let's get fiscal. [ laughter ] >> and then she said it a third time. >> let's get fiscal! fiscal! >> she was angry they weren't laughing loud enough. more than that, she was singing it three times. >> i thought it was going to be a hot joke. >> what i love about this clip is it articulates there is two pieces about this. there is the material, writing the joke and delivering the joke and those are two different and distant skills. what was it like to go from writing jokes to being the one on stage selling them? >> good question. i love the joke and the way it's delivered and it's so important. you can be the funniest writer but if you don't give it the punch it needs or pull back on the punch, that makes all the difference. >> helene if someone is watching and says i have some material and i tend to kill it at a dinner party, i think this might actually be for me but they are nervous about getting up on stage or sharing the group zoom, what sort of is your pep talk for someone who thinks that their comedy days might still be ahead of them? >> there are so many zoom opportunities today to go on open mikes. in the pandemic, i could be on zoom 24/7. i go to tokyo at 3:00 a.m. i can go to california at midnight. there were so many opportunities for people who are nervous to sit in their living room like this and to go to mikes. there are classes galore. there are so many opportunities and if they don't live near a city, it doesn't matter. >> and no drink minimums for the zooms. jo, if there is one thing you want people to take away from this, what is it? >> helene is a super star. >> i think we can all agree on that, helene, anything you want people who watch this to take away? >> yes, that anything is possible. you know, i just met jo from a fluke. she showed up at the class as a fluke and given it's a pandemic and it could have been a grave situation, it ended up being a miracle, the whole thing. >> jo, it seemed this really changed people sort of opened them up that there was a self-revelation that happened in the process for some people, jo. >> yeah, i think that it was this -- we all really bonded through this and we hadn't seen each other in person so i think we had these inside jokes and liked seeing each other but seeing each other in person solidified this group and this kind of that we just cared so much about each other as artists and it was really one of the best experiences of my life i would say. >> i love that. jo, thank you both for that and for sharing it with us. "good timing" with jo firestone is streaming on peacock. i don't know what to say. you're going to love it. so heartfelt, warm and funny. that's all the time i have for today. i'll see you back here next weekend 6:00 p.m. eastern for more "american voices." for now, i hand it over. >> great interview. have a great rest of your sunday. tonight, on the show, alexandria ocasio-cortez is here fresh off a big win as they stand their ground on the build back better agenda. can they reach the big prize and secure a deal on a big transformative spending plan? plus, texas senator ted cruz mixing basketball and politics again. backing nba players hesitant about getting vaccinated, your body your choice. that wasn't his saying for the women of texas. the biden administration is meeting with a man that ordered his death. will saudi arabia ever be held accountable. we'll hear from jamal khashoggi's fiancee. good evening. september was supposed to be the month congress passed hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending and guess what? the house did 116-113. you might be scratching your head and say didn't it fail to come to a vote on thursday night? isn't the reconciliation bill nowhere near ready for a vote? you're right on both counts but i'm not talking about those bills. i'm