passing president biden's economic agenda before the end of this year. and avoiding a debt default in the process. senator mazie hirono will join us to discuss the path forward. meanwhile, as the president heads to the midwest to tout his infrastructure law, we'll talk to two mayors, one from the east coast, one from the west, about what this historic investment could mean for cities. and beyond our borders, 400 years after the first english ship arrived to its shores, barbados has now cut ties with the british monarchy and is now the world's newest republic. >> this morning, there's new cdc guidance on boosters. the cdc now saying that all adults should get covid booster shots when they're eligible. it's a much broader recommendation than the one the agency released just a couple of weeks ago. the news comes as pfizer is expected to seek authorization for a covid booster for 16 and 17-year-olds amid concerns surrounding the omnicron variant. joining me now are our own very reporters, gabe gutierrez in new york, sam brock live in miami, shannon pettypiece at the white house. also with us, dr. kavita patel, an msnbc medical contributor. gabe, experts in south africa have seen an increase in covid hospitalizations among young children. what more can you tell us? >> jose, this is very interesting, and we're just getting this information now. but experts in south africa say they've seen a large increase in transmission there in south africa, but they don't know how much of it exactly is due to the omnicron variant and how much could be to delta. but there is reason for concern. but as you mentioned, something that's notable is that they're seeing an increase in hospitalizations among very young children. that is children less than 2 years old. they are now making about 10% of hospital admissions, and that is the largest of any age group. that is fueling new concerns, jose, that this new variant, possibly, could be affecting younger children. at least that's what we're hearing from south african experts. still, much more study is needed, jose. >> and gabe, how are local officials in new york responding to the threats posed by this new variant? >> jose, they're treating this very seriously. the governor here has just declared a state of emergency. it takes effect later this week. that's meant more to increase hospital capacity, to increase staffing levels, prevent staffing shortages. she would also have the national guard, you know, potentially available to deal with any staffing shortages, but here in new york city, as well, local officials have just reinstituted a mask -- an indoor mask advisory. notably, they're not using a mask advisory, regardless of vaccination status. but it's very likely, jose, as you know, as experts have been saying, that this new variant is here in the united states. we just don't know about it. the white house saying that the u.s. is analyzing and sequencing some 80,000 samples per week, meaning it's likely we could find out that this variant is in the u.s. very soon, jose. >> and sam, there's fresh concern about what this variant could mean for local economies. you're in miami for art basel week, where hundreds of thousands of people from everywhere are expected to attend. what are you hearing? >> reporter: it's a big week, jose. there's no question about that. and this is the major international art fair or festival that's going on in the united states since travel restrictions were lifted back in september. you have hundreds of thousands of people coming here to miami, as you hear the music, already getting going here in wynwood, and there's some ground rules that have already been set up. this pre-dated the omnicron variant. business owners here that i talked to, small business owners are just trying to figure out what the playing field is. they've had to go through so many ups and downs over the last 18 months, this is lance durham. he drives a golf cart for wynwood art walk around this neighborhood, showing people the street art. he has encyclopaedic knowledge of it and allows interaction between his clients and the artists. he's worried about this evaporate, as well. here's what he told me. >> it's been up and down in terms of, in miami, the fact that we attract just from all over. with that, others are a little bit more casual, thinking you come to florida, you don't have to wear a mask. so it's been up and down. and with that -- but i can tell you, it's more relaxed right now. because i've had many older guests who will feel comfortable without wearing a mask, because they've been -- they've received a second shot. >> jose, there's going to be a lot of eyes on south florida this week, and there's always some degree of friction between the city leaders and administrative leaders in this case, for art basel, and the governor of the state who has said, no mask mandates, no vaccine requirements, no covid lockdowns, not in florida. they don't work. so you have, again, always this frictional dynamic between the cities and what's going on in the state level, jose. >> and sam, you're in a state where the number of covid cases has dropped precipitously. >> reporter: it's dropped dramatically. it's been that way for weeks. obviously, florida has ridden this roller-coaster. so much of the country has. it's been an epicenter as recently as this past summer. florida led the nation in hospitalizations in covid. but the numbers are down right now. the concern, jose, is that it's such an international population, you have people coming from all over, especially the caribbean, south america, as you know, and if there are burgeoning variants, especially this variant, that that could be very easily spread in a place -- everyone is okay. there was an accident to the right of me. everyone is okay. it's been an active -- >> everybody's okay. it's a typical day in miami. just from the music, the hot dog traveling, to the accidents. sam, thanks. shanna, president biden called omnicron a cause for concern, but not a cause for panic. >> reporter: administration officials are certainly acknowledging that there are so many questions they don't have answers to. and they might not have answers to for days or weeks, potentially. but in the meantime, we're getting a bit of a two-pronged approach from the administration. on the one hand, they are saying, as you noted, it is not a time to panic. they are not anticipating any other lockdowns. they are not anticipating any further travel restrictions. at the same time, they are preparing. and preparing for the worst, potentially. we heard the president yesterday urging people to go get their booster shot. and certainly, go get vaccinated if they haven't gotten their first dose. but there is a sense that a booster shot could really help provide people additional protection, even from this new variant, if it does appear to evade some of the vaccine's initial protection. so big emphasis on boosters. we heard the people telling people to wear masks. i know you were just talking to sam a minute ago about these mask mandates. the president clearly saying, wear masks indoors if you're in a crowded area regardless of vaccination status or where you may be in the country. and of course, the white house is saying that if this is a worst-case scenario, where the new variant does evade the vaccines, there is a plan in place. the pharmaceutical companies, as they have said, are hard at work trying to recalibrate the vaccines, if necessary, for this new variant. the administration has been planning since the early days for the potential of this. and that they will deploy all the resources of the federal government to get boosters or new vaccines out, if that happens to be necessary here, jose. >> shannon pettypiece, sam brock, just to confirm, everything okay there on the streets of florida? >> just one accidente, but we're okay here. the cars drove away. just another day in miami, like you said. >> as long as everything's okay, i'm happy. thank you all for being with me this morning. i want to turn now to dr. patel. you're always great at breaking things down for us. what does the average person need to know about this variant, doctor? >> jose, the average person needs to know that there's a lot more that we don't know than we do. and what you can do as an individual is making sure that you're up to date on your immunization, that includes a booster. and i would just encourage you, make sure you actually have your flu shot, as well. we're seeing lots of cases of things that look like covid and they're just confusing, because it could be the flu. get up to date on all of your care as an individual. and we're all tired of wearing masks. i know i am. but when you are in a place that's crowded, especially holiday shopping or busy stores or restaurants, it's a smart idea. remember, it's an airborne virus. and i have confidence, also, that we're going to see that our vaccines work against the variant. it's just a question of how much they work, not in the 90s, probably, like they have been s the other variants, but having 50% protection is better than zero. getting vaccinated, staying up to date, wearing a mask and thinking about the air quality. that's what you can do as an individual. that's what you should be doing, whether or not we had a variant called omnicron. and jose, it reminds me, just in general, we'll have other variants. we just need to prepare for these things and not feel defeated by them and just understand that this will happen. >> and doctor, to be fully vaccinated, young adults haven't made up a large share of hospitalizations so far, so explain this push for boosters for them. >> yeah, it's really interesting. i think that pfizer, by the way, remember, way back months ago, they were one of the first to offer the vaccine for 16 and older in general. so they've had data, they've had patients that are age 16, and now as young as 12, and now as young as 5. they've been collecting this data and doing it worldwide. and what we're seeing from our own country and other countries is that having boosters in this age population can improve their chances of not getting infected, not being hospitalized. and i do think, though, that will be something that will take a little bit of time. it's not an overnight decision by the fda, because they'll be weighing the benefits and risks. the risks of vaccinating younger people, very rare, but that inflammation of the heart called myocarditis, those are the kind of things that i think people will weigh. and i do think that it won't be something as definitive as what we heard from the cdc yesterday, which is, 18 and above, you need to get a booster, period. and 16 -- >> how about 12 -- sorry, doctor. like 12 and over, are they going to be in getting their shots in the next couple of months? >> yeah, it's a great -- so they are doing this in other countries. so we know that israel boosting 12 and above. this is something that is in our future, but we don't have enough data in the united states on that age population. so i think that we're all wondering, fast forward, jose, six to ten months, could a three-dose vaccine be part of all of our regimen, including 5-year-olds? and i think that's where we will have more of that data from people who were vaccinated in the age group 12 to 17. we'll see if they authorize boosters 16 to 17. and then we're just getting these children vaccinated, but we'll be looking forward -- this is not the end of the story with how old a person needs to be to get boosters. i think we will see the age potentially decrease, but not quickly. >> and doctor, the president's travel ban, according to him, is really his way of try to buy time and essentially to learn more about this variant. but these bans have drawn criticism from south african leadership as well as others. was it the right move? >> i think it was one of the right moves that's necessary -- look, i've had to work in kind of both a policy and political environment, and sometimes you have to respond to both. and if we were the only country that had zero travel bans, it would -- not only would it have looked irresponsible, because it is, but it would also beg the question, what are we doing as a country? what i do have an issue with, jose, is if you look at where we've banned, it's southern african countries. we now have cases of community transmission from other countries, and we have not banned travel from there. i'm not an advocate of saying that we should ban from these other countries, but if we're going to apply a policy, it should probably be applied evenly and equitably. >> it makes you wonder why some are being banned and others not. >> right. >> dr. kavita patel, it's always a pleasure to see you. thank you. >> next hour, dr. anthony fauci joins craig melvin. don't miss it. still ahead, the situation on capitol hill now being called a mess, as one of our reporters put it. can congress meet the deadlines to get things done? 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[screams and laughter] yeah! xfinity brought us together after all. get started with xfinity internet and ask about wifi speed fast than a gig. click, call or visit a store today. as. 17 past the hour. now to capitol hill where efforts by lawmakers to get through a big list of items before christmas may have hit a snag. republicans blocked the motion to end debate on a major defense policy and budget bill to protest the exclusion of some amendments. that bill is just one of the many big items that congress had to deal with before the end of the year, including keeping the government open before friday, raising the debt limit and finishing work on nearly a $2 trillion bill aimed at reshaping the social safety network and fighting climate change. with me now, jake sherman, founder of bunch bowl news and an msnbc political contributor. jake, great seeing you. what's going on with the defense policy bill and efforts to keep the government open past friday. >> so let's take this issue by issue for a second. number one is defense policy. as you mentioned, republicans blocked efforts to overcome the filibuster last night to clear a procedural hurdle over concerns about amendments. we anticipate based on our reporting that those differences will be bridged. there'll be some sort of agreement to deal with amendments at some point. we also anticipate that government funding, although it's coming down to the wire once again, i feel like we talk about this every few months, it's coming down to the wire, but we anticipate some sort of agreement in the next couple of days. we don't anticipate a government shutdown, the house will take up a short-term government funding deal first that goes until the end of january. senate will take it up, crisis averted, most likely. then we get into the difficult issues. there's the debt ceiling for which we have no true, firm idea about how that will be resolved. senate majority leader chuck schumer and mitch mcconnell, the minority leader, have been in intense conversations about the way forward. we reported on that extensively this morning for punch bowl news. we anticipate that -- there's a bunch of options that both men have. they have to decide which way they're going to go forward. then we get to the most difficult issue, which is the build back better act, which joe manchin said he does not see how it's done before christmas. what i say about joe manchin, based on me covering him and my reporting, is you have to take him at his word. and it does not seem like he's ready to move on this multi-trillion piece of legislation before christmastime. >> and jake, meanwhile, democratic sources tell nbc news that senate democrats will make their case to the senate parliamentarian this week to keep those provisions in the house version of the build back better act that would provide millions of undocumented status. the parliamentarian has already rejected this twice. what are the chances that the house provisions will pass with the parliamentarian? >> reporter: it's very hard to know. the parliamentarian is basically a black box. we don't know how they make their decisions. they released some summaries to the lawmakers afterwards. it's impossible to truly say, i think democrats in the senate, the ones that i've spoken to, dick durbin, who has been the tip of the spear for a lot of these issues is hopeful. and hope springs eternal, right? but these are issues that without them, it could become difficult to pass this many trillion dollar bill through the house of representatives, because immigration has been hanging out for a long time, unsolved. democrats have wanted it to be a priority. and then there's the nuclear option of ignoring the particle parliamentarian. we don't anticipate that will happen, but we'll get more clarity in the next week or so. >> jake sherman, thank you so much for being with me. with me now to continue the conversation, hawaii democratic senator mazie hirono who sits on the armed services committee. it's a great honor to see you. the defense authorization bill is a bill that normally gets overwhelmingly bipartisan support. but what does it say about the state of affairs on capitol hill when this piece of legislation gets mired in political wrangling? >> it just goes to show that only, you know, a few people can gum up the works. in this case, it's about seven republican senators who are ignoring the fact that there have been over 50 amendments, bipartisan amendments, to the national defense authorization act. so i expect that something will be worked out, maybe as soon as today. so that we can get that bill done. >> and how could that be worked out by today? how do you see that happening when you have this relatively small group of people saying "no"? >> oh, that they will see the light and there'll be some sort of compromise that is achieved, so my hope is that it will get done quickly, because we have a lot of other things on our plate, as you know, jose. >> absolutely. another big item, for example, is the build back better act. senator schumer says his goal is to get it through the senate before christmas. is that possible, given all you and your colleagues have to accomplish in the next couple of weeks? >> the way i look at it, jose, anything is possible if everybody agrees that it's possible. so i have hope that we'll get it done, because the people of america, especially women, need to get back to work. they need to have their cost for child care lowered. seniors, especially, would like to see prescription drug coss lowered. that's what build back better would do, and it would be paid for. so it wouldn't have an impact on inflation. so all of these good things are waiting. >> all right, senator kaine just tweeted that he thought that the build back better act will be on the president's desk before the end of the year. let's see, to quote jake, i guess hope springs eternal. senator, you came to this country as a child. how important is it for you that immigration reform be part of the build back better act? >> i think it's very important, because we have a broken immigration system and especially during the pandemic, we know that there are millions of immigrants who have been living in the shadows, who have worked in essential work areas, such as in our meat packing plants and agriculture fields. and this proposal will enable some 7 million of them to have temporary protection from being deported. so it's very important that we get this into build back better. and so when they are able to work, they will be paying taxes and we will be treating them like human beings. and yet, we still need to do comprehensive immigration reform, but it certainly would be a start. >> i mean, many of them already and have been paying taxes since they won through, right? it's unbelievable that -- and these are people who got here before 2011. >> yes, the ones that are included in this build back better. so what happens, senator, if the senate parliamentarian once again rules that these provisions are not going to be included in any kind of senate bill? what happens then? >> my hope is that this proposal, which is very different, and that there is no pathway to citizenship, and it simply expands authorization that is already there with the secretary of homeland security, that there are enough differences that she will come to the conclusion that we can have these provisions in build back better. that is my hope. >> senator mazie hirono, thank you for being with me this morning. i so appreciate your time. hawaii just the best. coming up, roe v. wade hangs in the balance as the supreme court takes up its biggest abortion case in decades. we'll take an in-depth look at what happens to women when they don't have access to abortion. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." bortion. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. 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(soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. 28 past the hour. at this time tomorrow, the u.s. supreme court will be hearing arguments in the most consequential abortion rights case in decades. the justices are going to be hearing a case surrounding a mississippi law that would ban most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. it's a direct back on the high court's landmark 1973 roe v. wade decision, which said states cannot restrict abortion before the point where a fetus can survive outside the womb. and a 1992 case where the court ruled that states could enact limited restrictions, as long as they did not impose an undue burden on a woman's right to an abortion. with me now from san francisco is nbc news correspondent, jake ward. jake, good morning. you have been looking at a new study on what happens to women who receive or are denied an abortion. what did that study find? >> well, jose, the reason we are looking at this is that tomorrow in the supreme court, we're likely to hear all sorts of arguments. and they'll probably be on moral, religious, even political grounds. but it turns out that when you look at the science, the outcomes for women who are denied abortion are extraordinary. and that is because this huge study of more than 1,200 women found that the physical, mental, and financial effects on women who could not get the services they wanted went on and on. >> brittany moststiller spent her teen years here on the south side of chicago, living with her mother and raising two baby daughters. >> i learned a lot here and i became a mother here. had no clue what i was doing. >> reporter: but once she became pregnant with her third, she knew it would be too much. >> i called around to a few abortion clinics to terminate the pregnancy and the prices i was quoted felt -- i mean, just -- they were ridiculous. i could not save up enough money if i tried. i was essentially, you know, forced to carry the pregnancy to term, even though i didn't want to. >> reporter: she says her fears came true. being if you should further into poverty was definitely one of those fears and it definitely happened. at some point, i was living on my own, because i needed to redistribute money within the household, and make sure at least the rent was paid. >> reporter: her story is far from unique. in a first of its kind ten-year study of more than a thousand american women, diana green foster of the university of california san francisco saw this path repeated again and again. >> we find that women who are denied abortions are more likely to be poor, people saying, it's not the right time, and we find that they're unable to achieve other life aspirations when they're denied an abortion. >> reporter: the study found that women who were denied an abortion saw a four-fold increase in the odds that their household fell below the federal poverty line, they were more likely to get lower credit scores, more likely to report evaluated levels of stress and anxiety, and less likely to graduate with advanced degrees. about ten years ago, moststiller became pregnant again. she found grant money and got the abortion she wanted. >> i didn't feel like i was going to be like pushed further into the poverty. it changed a lot for us. >> reporter: and all of that put her in a decision to decide, at age 28, that she was ready for another child. today, moststiller is an advocate for reproductive rights. >> when i felt ready in different ways, and it shows, because she's wise beyond -- i mean, it's -- she's something else. she's something else. i bought my first home recently. like, i can see it clear now how much things have changed. i feel like accessing the care i needed and getting the abortion i needed set up everything. >> jose, researchers here at ucsf say that for women across the country, if the mississippi law is upheld, more than 20 other states may follow and at that point, we're probably looking at hundreds of women a day beginning a process of falling into more and more desperate circumstances. that is what the science, not the rhetoric, seems to say, jose. >> jake ward, thank you so much. with me now to continue the conversation is talley farhaddian winestein, a former federal and state prosecutor in new york and an msnbc legal analyst and she clerked for former supreme court justice sandra day o'connor. good to see you. jake ward just talked about the study that showed that women who are denied abortions are more likely to live in poverty, have a lower credit score, have evaluated stress levels and anxiety levels and less likely to have an advanced degree. should the supreme court consider the economic and financial impact of an undue burden on a woman's right to abortion? >> generally, that has not been a part of the consideration of up due burden, but it's absolutely right to think about how a decision in this case is going to impact different american women differently. you know, just from a legal perspective, jose, if the court were to overturn roe v. wade and drain them of their meaning, we would wind up in two countries, about half the states would make abortion illegal immediately, either because they have trigger laws on their books, that say that after a decision like that, abortion would be legal, or because they have old laws on their books that already restrict abortion. and in about half of the other states, we would live in a very different world. >> what would you be looking for when the supreme court hears oral arguments on the mississippi abortion law tomorrow? >> i'm going to be listening, jose, for how they talk about precedent. because the thing is that mississippi is not even pretending that this law is somehow compatible with roe and casey. what it has asked the court to do is to go back and to reconsider the basic framework we've had for decades. that says that viability, which means the point at which the fetus can live on its open, survive on its own, outside of the womb, is an important legal turning point and that the state's ability to regular utility an abortion changes before and after viability. and this is really a frontal attack on that framework. and so, as much as the court is going to be talking about the constitutional right at stake here, i'm going to be listening for how they talk about precedent, and what it means to unsettle what has been described as settled law. >> so what are the options if the supreme court could get to, in other words, what are the possibilities that it could come to an agreement on? >> well, it could say, at the extreme, we were wrong about roe and casey, and about there being a constitutional right here to have an abortion. that's at the farthest end. at the fore farthest end, they could overturn the mississippi law and say, this is inconsistent with the constitution as we have interpreted. and in the middle, there are a bunch of different things that they could say, including that, you know, we know that the science is different now and it doesn't really make sense to focus on viability. that has been one of mississippi's arguments. to sort of get at it and to narrow roe and casey and the window for having an abortion that way. >> talia farhaddian winestein, thank you for being with me. and tomorrow the supreme court arguments will beginning at 7:00 a.m. specific. i'll be joined by a panel of legal experts as we listen inside the courtroom. it will be fascinating. coming up, as president biden hits the road to promote his infrastructure bill, mayors are scrambling to make sure their cities get some of the billions. we'll talk to two mayors about the real-life impact that money could have on their cities, next. plus, we're keeping an eye on the white house. president biden is about to seek and sign several bills. we'll bring you any developments as they occur. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. mm. 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of the only medicare advantage plans with the aarp name. yeah! we want to keep it the way it always was, right? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ that's your grandma. she was the best at the holidays. 40 past the hour. any moment now, president biden will be signing three bills into law at the white house before traveling to rosemont, minnesota, where he will tout the bipartisan infrastructure law. there are hundreds of billions of dollars up for grabs under the new law and mcclatchy reports that mayors are fighting for time to pitch transportation secretary pete buttigieg on why their city deserves some of that money. joining me now are two of the mayors fighting for their city's projects. miami-dade mayor daniella lavigne cava and sacramento mayor darryl steinberg. thank you very much for being with me. mayor lavigne cava, talk to us about what money you're looking for in your city. >> thank you so much. great to be with you. well, we're definitely interested in all the different pots of money. we've got transportation projects, water and sewer projects, resilience projects. we're ready for everything out there and we're doing our due diligence to make sure we're ready. what are the biggest obstacles that the folks in miami-dade are facing that need almost urgent work on? >> correct. well, septic to sewer, a huge issue for us, with the water table rising and a lot of septic systems being inundated with the seawater, we need to protect our bay, our best natural resource, and we've got to convert for waste water to sanitize waste water. this is a critical need, as well as our transit corridors. we have huge congestion. we've become yet again a mecca for so many and we're very happy to be housing so many, but we need to have our roads and transit system up to par. >> mayor star, you're working towards carbon neutrality. what will you be pitching when you meet with secretary buttigieg in january? >> jose, let me just say, this is an unprecedented amount of money. and for mayors, this is an incredible opportunity. you know, i contrast it with ten years ago, i was the leader of the state senate in california. and we were dealing with a $60 billion budget deficit. in 2021 and now 2022, we have because of president biden in the congress, opportunities to invest in our people and invest in infrastructure like never before. and for california and for sacramento, it is about climate change. it is about climate resilience. $10 billion for public transportation, for california alone. and electric charging station opportunities, as we convert to electric vehicles. there is so much. but i also want to say that this bill, as good as it is, is not enough. because there's the second half of this. there is the build back better bill, which is even more important. $150 billion for housing. and if there's one issue that is preeminent for california and for sacramento, it is the need for more affordable workforce housing. and that's a key piece that we remain focused on. >> that is so, so important. i'm glad you bring that up. mayor levine cava, i want to pivot to coronavirus. florida has had low cases recently, but there are precautions you're taking. are you taking any new precautions because of this omnicron variant? >> so we're regularly briefed. i spoke to our chief medical officer yesterday and i'm speaking to him again today, tracking exactly what is going on in the world. and we know that it's just a matter of time, most likely, until this new variant hits our city and our county. definitely, we're -- we have the highest vaccination rate in the state and very low positivity, so we've done a very good job up until this point and we're going to continue those efforts to get everybody vaccinated, who possibly can, and to make sure that people are safe. >> and mayor steinberg, what's your reaction to this new variant? how are you handling it? >> we're obviously concerned, but really, it just is a reminder of what we've known all along. that the way to deal with omnicron, with any variant is to make sure that people get vaccinated and that we take the right precautions, that people mask up when they're indoors. so we're just not letting our guard down and continuing to remind the public that we have some power within ourselves to make sure that our people remain healthy. we've been through so much. and we're at the tail end of it, really, when you think about it. but it's up to us really now to do the right things, to make sure that this variant, my future variant, that it does not take us back to where we never want to go again. it's about moving forward. infrastructure investment and keeping the people safe. >> mayor darryl steinberg, mayor daniella levine cava, thank you very muching if for being with me. sacramento and miami, just like the best places. still ahead, how the omnicron variant is wreaking havoc with travel around the globe. plus, an event more than 400 years in the making. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? 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>> reporter: this is obviously going to be dealing a body blow. once again to the global travel industry. nothing hit harder than here at heathrow airport. the british government are trying to crack down but trying not to add insult to injury to the last two years of pandemic. instead of getting a lateral flow test after you return from traveling abroad, you need a full-on pcr test which is a bit more invasive and takes a little bit more longer. they're also saying you do need to isolate in place while you're waiting for the results of that test, which if they're negative, then you're free to go. greece also, everybody over 60 in greece is now going to be required to be vaccinated or face a fine. so countries are gently turning the screws on their population, trying to get out ahead of this new variant, which bears repeating it's not entirely proven it's necessarily any worse than the existing variants, but there has been a lot of worry. >> meanwhile, overnight barbados became a republic. what does it mean for that country? >> reporter: a lot of efforts to try to disassemble the trappings of monarchy and colonialism that have existed in barbados for 200 years. barbados was the center of the slave trade in the atlanta for britain and the united states. this wasn't some acrimonious ceremony. this wasn't the result of a resistance movement or civil war. this was simply the government deciding they were going to separate from the crown. and they did so with a ceremony where they invited the monarch. prince charles was there. this was sort of an affectionate letting go. prince charles made some comments about the history of colonialism, about slavery. you can just file this under the global racial post colonial reckoning we've been seeing throughout the world. >> colony no more. meanwhile, josephine baker is receiving an honor from france. >> reporter: josephine baker was then a hugely celebrated dance hall singer in france. she joined the resistance. she had an extraordinary life. she died decades ago and her body will remain interred in monaco at the request of her family. they're going to be putting a coffin in the pantheon in paris with bits of soil from four different places where she lived throughout her life, the places that defined who she was. this was a woman seeking refuge from the horrible racism she saw in america, so she came to france. it's an interesting time because we just saw a far right candidate. he just said today he was going to be running for president. he has a very conservative, some would say very racist line. this is all coming as france explores its own racial reckoning. next, tiger woods holds his first wide ranging press conference since his horrific car accident. horrific car accident this may look like a regular movie night. but if you're a kid with diabetes, it's more. it's the simple act of enjoying time with friends, knowing you understand your glucose levels. ♪♪ ♪ when you have nausea, ♪ ♪ heartburn, ingestion, upset stomach... ♪ ♪ diarrheaaaa.♪ try pepto bismol with a powerful coating action. for fast and soothing relief. pepto bismol for fast relief when you need it most. every day in business brings something new. so get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. introducing comcast business mobile. you get the most reliable network with nationwide 5g included. and you can get unlimited data for just $30 per line per month when you get four lines or mix and match data options. available now for comcast business internet customers with no line-activation fees or term contract required. see if you can save by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities. just last hour tiger woods speaking to reporters for the first time since his car crash nine months ago. what did he have to say? >> that progress has been slow and brutal and agonizing and painful and at times heartbreaking, but that he's essentially on the other side of it. this was a guy that is now revealing that doctors essentially said that amputation wasn't off the table after that car accident. and now he's happy to be back around the game. here's what he said about his recovery. >> there were some tough times in there. the pain got pretty great at times. he helped me get through it. i'm on the better side of it but i've still got a long way to go. i'm lucky to be alive but also still have the limb. those are two crucial things. so i'm very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me, that i'm able to not only be here but also to walk without a prosthesis. >> he also revealed he's able to hit 18 holes but in one of the most candid moments in the press conference somebody asked him, are you in pain now? and he winced a little bit and said yes, my back hurts, my leg hurts. he's coming back to the sport but you may have seen him don a green jacket or hoist a trophy for the last time and he's at peace with that. he's just happy to be around the game. >> that wraps up the hour. be sure to follow the show online at jd balart msnbc. craig melvin picks up with more news next. good tuesday morning to you. craig melvin here live from msnbc headquarters in new york city. this hour we are laser focused on the global effort to contain the new omicron variant. right now the cdc stepping up its booster guidance. forget the idea that you can get a booster. experts there are now saying you should get a booster. in just a few moments we're going to hear from dr. anthony fauci about those boosters. why he says even though they were created before this new variant even existed, they still offer you some protection here. critical information from one of our nation's top doctors in just moments. also this