>> WE'LL TAKE A LOOK BACK TO THE STORMING OF THE CAPITOL, AND A LOOK AHEAD TO A POSSIBLE NEW WAY OF VOTING.

NEXT ON "IVORY TOWER."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> WELCOME TO "IVORY TOWER."

I'M BARBARA FOUGHT FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

JOINING ME IN THE WCNY STUDIOS ARE: KRISTI ANDERSON FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, RICK FENNER FROM UTICA COLLEGE, BEN BAUGHMAN FROM CAZENOVIA COLLEGE AND TARA ROSS FROM OPTIONED COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR BACK TO THAT EXPWRAN 6 AT THE CAPITOL.

SOME REPUBLICANS DOWNPLAYED IT THIS WEEK, OR FALSELY CLAIMED IT WAS NOT AN INSURRECTION.

BUT THE AFTERMATH INCLUDES FIVE DEATHS, 140 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS INJURED, $30 MILLION IN DAMAGE AND MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE CHARGED WITH CRIMES.

AND I'M WONDERING, TARA, AS YOU REFLECTED ON IT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT DAY?

>> FIRST AND FOREMOST, JUST THE SIMPLE EVENT WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THERE HAD NOT BEEN AN ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL SINCE THE WAR IN 1812.

EVEN IN THE CIVIL WAR, THE CONFEDERATES DIDN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH.

THIS WAS A HUGE, HUGE EVENT.

AS YOU RIGHTLY POINTED OUT, HUMAN LOSS, DAMAGES.

THAT IN AND OF ITSELF SHOULD MAKE IT SIGNIFICANT.

BUT IT SHOULD ALSO MAKE IT SIGNIFICANT THAT IT IS TRULY THE EPITOME OF HOW POLARIZED WE ARE THAT SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE WATCHED, EVERYONE SAW, STILL THERE IS AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AND TURN THE NARRATIVE TO SOMETHING THAT IT WAS NOT AND NOT SIMPLY TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THE HEART OF OUR DEMOCRACY WAS ATTACKED AND WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IT IN TERMS OF THOSE INVOLVED AND IN TERMS OF WHY THIS OCCURRED AND WHETHER OR NOT OUR PRESIDENT WAS INVOLVED.

>> JUST TO MAKE A QUICK OTHER POINT IS THAT UNDERNEATH WHAT ALL THE LAYERS ARE TALKING ABOUT, TARA, IS THAT THE PROTESTS AND AT THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL WAS BASED ON WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED THE BIG LIE THAT TRUMP IS DIFFICULT SEM FATING THAT HIS ELECTION WAS, THAT HE IS THE PRESIDENT, THAT THE ELECTION IS STOLEN AND THESE PEOPLE WERE ACTING AT HIS BEHEST IN A SENSE TO FIGHT AGAINST WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE THIS LIE.

AND THAT HASN'T GONE AWAY.

OBVIOUSLY THAT IS STILL AROUND.

>> IS IT EVER GOING TO GO AWAY, KRISTI?

>> MY CONCERN IS THAT YOU THERE IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPONENT, WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING ENOUGH TIMES, YOU COGNITIVELY START TO BELIEVE IT, EVEN IF IT IS NOT TRUE.

AND THE FACT IS THAT WE WERE ATTACKED ON THE 6th OF JANUARY AND REPRESENTATIVE BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WERE HIDING AND IN FEAR OF THEIR LIVES.

COWERING ON THE FLOOR, RIGHTFULLY SO, AS THE CAPITOL, THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR DEMOCRACY WAS ATTACKED.

>> BUT WHAT WORRIES ME IS THIS WEEK WILL THERE WILL BE VOTING ON WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE THE COMMISSION THAT WAS TO LOOK INTO THIS AND IT HAS BECOME QUITE A MESS AS KEVIN McCARTHY HAS COME OUT TRYING TO TORPEDO IT.

MITCH McCONNELL NOT TOO SURE WHETHER OR NOT HE IS GOING TO DO THE SAME IN THE SENATE.

AND WHAT I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHAT DO PEOPLE REALLY THINK IS GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS COMMISSION?

I'M AFRAID THAT EVEN THOUGH THE INTENT IS FOR THIS TO BE NON-PARTISAN, THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN TO WHAT MOST OF YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF HOW DIVIDED WE ARE.

I DON'T SEE WHAT FACTS ARE GOING TO COME OUT, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THE VIDEOTAPE THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH OTHER INFORMATION HERE, THAT ARE GOING TO REALLY CHANGE ANYBODY'S MIND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ISSUE.

>> LET ME JUST NOTE THAT WE ARE RECORDING THIS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING.

SO YOU WILL KNOW BY THE TIME WE AIR, PERHAPS WHETHER THE HOUSE HAS VOTED FOR THIS COMMISSION.

BUT THE SENATE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE NEXT WEEK.

TARA, I'M WONDERING ARE YOU ANY MORE OR LESS HOPEFUL ABOUT DEMOCRACY AFTER THIS?

>> WELL, SADLY I'M NOT.

INITIALLY I WAS BECAUSE INITIALLY THERE WAS THIS SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS AMERICANS, WE SHOULD ALL BE OUTRAGE AND WE SHOULD MOVE BEYOND THE PARTISANSHIP.

AND THEN THE FURTHER AWAY THAT WE MOVED AWAY FROM JANUARY 6, THE MORE PARTISAN IT BECAME AND IT WAS LIKE WE LOST THAT SENSE OF THAT AMERICA AS A UNIFIED BODY, WAS ATTACKED.

SO SADLY I'M LESS FEELING CONFIDENT ABOUT DEMOCRACY.

>> KRISTI, HOW ABOUT YOU?

I GUESS-- I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OVER BY NOW AND WE WOULD BE UNITED AND TOGETHER, POLYAN AME.

>> BUT IN ORDER TO BE UNITED, EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE MORE OR LESS THE SAME IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENED, I THINK AND THEY DON'T.

THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT IDEAS.

IT IS INTERESTING TO COMPARE IT TO 9/11 AND THE NINE 11 COMMISSION 9/11 COMMISSION.

THERE ARE MIXED ASSESSMENTS OF HOW WELL THAT COMMISSION DID.

BUT IT BASICALLY THREW A LOT OF BLAME ON THE FBI, THE CIA, THE INTELLIGENCE, WHICH WASN'T PROVIDED VERY WELL BEFOREHAND.

AND I CAN IMAGINE THIS COMING UP WITH WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED ANALOGOUS TO THAT.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT THE CAPITOL, BETTER WINDOWS AND DOORS, BETTER TRAINING FOR THE CAPITOL POLICE.

BUT THAT WOULD LEAVE OUT THE REAL CENTRAL STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, AS TARA SUGGESTS AND I CAN'T SEE AT THIS POINT, A COMMITTEE CONSIST TICK OF DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREEING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED REALLY HAPPENED.

>> AND THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS JUST ONE OF COUNTLESS ISSUES THAT WE ARE DIVIDED ON.

YOU GO FROM CLIMATE CONTROL TO CRIME TO THE ELECTION TO THE VIRUS.

WE CAN'T AGREE ON JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

SO THINKING THAT THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO HELP SOLIDIFY ANY VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY, I THINK, UNFORTUNATELY, IS MISTAKEN.

>> BEN, WITH YOUR BACKGROUND IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, I'M WONDERING WHAT DO YOU THINK HOW IMPORTANT THIS CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION IS WITH THE OTHER INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON.

>> I THINK IT IS HUGELY IMPORTANT.

IT IS A HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUE WHERE YOU ARE COUNTING LEGALLY CASTED VOTES AND THE BUILDING THAT REPRESENTS DEMOCRACY IS ATTACKED.

AND THAT IS DISRUPTED TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER.

I WILL SAY THAT I'M A HALF FULL ON THIS, THAT JOHN KATKO HELD THE LINE AND BEAT DOWN ATTEMPTS BY THE DEMOCRATS TO HAVE AN IMBALANCED COMMITTEE.

SO I THINK IT IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE'LL FIND OUT BY THE TIME THIS ACER.

BUT I FEEL LIKE IT IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH REPUBLICANS THAT BELIEVE IN TRUTH AND BELIEVE IN HONESTY AND MOVING FORWARD AND FINDING THE COMMON GROUND AND NOT BEING AN US VERSUS THEM.

>> I WISH YOU WERE RIGHT, BEN.

I'M AFRAID YOU ARE WRONG.

>> WE WILL SEE.

TARA, ONE LAST QUESTION.

CAT JOHN KATKO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THEN SEEMED TO BE UNDERCUT BY McCARTHY.

DOES THIS SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIS STATUS?

>> I DON'T THINK IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT HIS STATUS BUT DOES SAY MORE ABOUT THE INTERNAL DISARRAY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY RIGHT NOW.

WE SAW IT LAST WEEK WITH LIZ CHENEY.

KATKO PERHAPS NOT AS WILLING AS CHENEY TO GO COMPLETELY OUT ON THE LIMB AND SAY ABSOLUTELY THIS WAS WRONG AND THIS IS THE BIG LIE, ET CETERA.

BUT CERTAINLY IT DOES IMPORTANT TEND THAT HE IS TRYING TO FIND A MIDDLE GROUND AS A MOD MODERATE AND PERHAPS FIND A LEADERSHIP MIDDLE GROUND, AGAIN LOOKING TOWARDS THE TBUT AND TRYING TO W THAT YOU CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE REST OF THE PARTY AT TIMES BUT ALSO TAKE ABINDIVIDUAL STAND >> SEVERAL PEOPLE SAID AND RICK JUST SAID THE SYSTEM NEEDS FIXING.

HERE IS ONE MODEL APPROACH THAT STATES AND SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES ARE TRYING FOR VOTING.

AND, IN FACT, NEW YORK CITY IS HOLDING ITS PRIMARY THIS WAY NEXT WEEK.

CALLED RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

AND VOTERS JUST DON'T HAVE TO MARK ONE CANDIDATE.

YOU CAN RANK THEM 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

THE PERSON WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VOTES OVER 50% WINS.

BUT IF NOBODY GETS PAST 50%, THEN THE ELECTION BOARD REDISTRIBUTES THE VOTES OF THE BOTTOM CANDIDATE TO WHOMEVER THOSE VOTERS CHOSE AS THEIR NUMBER TWO AND IT GOES ON AND ON UNTIL SOMEBODY GETS MORE THAN 50% OF THE VOTE.

KRISTI I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS.

DO YOU THINK IT IS AWE GOOD WAY.

>> I THINK IT IS AN INTERESTING WAY.

A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS.

THIS IS HOW WE THINK ABOUT CANDIDATES.

WE DON'T THINK THERE IS ONLY ONE CANDIDATE.

WE HAVE A RANKED IDEA IN OUR MIND IN A MULTI-CANDIDATE RACE AND THIS WOULD ONLY BE PUT INTO PLAY IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN TWO CANDIDATES, OBVIOUSLY.

SECONDLY, I THINK THAT IT ASSURES THAT THE WINNER OF A PARTICULAR ELECTION, HAS OVER 50% OF THE VOTE.

SO SOMEBODY IS NOT GETTING 42 OR SO% OF THE VOTE OR WHATEVER.

IT TEPS-- THE CAMPAIGN THEMSELVES-- AND WE SEE THIS IN THE MAYORAL CATEGORY, FIVE DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR MAYOR, IT INCENTIVIZES THE CANDIDATES TO NOT BE AS NEGATIVE AS THEY MIGHT BE OTHERWISE.

I MEAN BASICALLY YOU WANT TO WIN, AND YOU WANT TO MOBILIZE YOUR SUPPORTERS, BUT YOU ALSO DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY ALIENATE THE SUPPORTERS OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT VOTE FOR NEW THEIR SECOND OR THIRD POSITION.

SO I THINK A MORE CIVILIZED CAMPAIGN IS A POTENTIAL OUTCOME OF THIS AND FINALLY I BO SAY THAT IT MEANS THAT VOTERS DON'T HAVE TO BE PROGNOSTICATORS.

NOW WE ARE VOTING ON NOT ONLY WHO WE THINK WOULD BE THE BEST CANDIDATE, BUT WHO WE THINK WILL WIN.

WE DON'T WANT TO THROW OUR VOTE AWAY.

SO VOTING FOR A THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE, YOU THINK NO, WOULD I NEVER DO THAT BECAUSE HE OR SHE COULD NEVER WIN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD ASPECTS TO IT.

>> YOU HAD ARKANSAS GOVERNOR BILL CLINTON WITH 43 PESHESZ% OF THE VOTES THAT WON THAT ELECTION OVER GEORGE BUSH WHO SERVED HIS FOUR YEARS AND WAS HOPING TO SERVE ANOTHER FOUR YEARS WITH ROSS PER ROW BEING THE SPOILER EFFECT THAT KRISTI IS MENTIONING AND HE ENDED UP HAVING 19% OF THE VOTE.

NOW BUSH SUPPORTERS ARGUED THAT ROSS PEROT TOOK THE MARKET OF THE VOTES FROM HIM AND I THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF APPROACH THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP ADDRESS THAT, BUT I ALSO AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL CONFUSION IT IS GOING TO ADD BY HAVING THOSE ADDITIONAL BOXES TO CHECK AND THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH THAT THAT COULD IMPACT US IN A SITUATION LIKE A HANGING CHAD AND OTHER THINGS WE DEAL WITH WITH THE COUNTING PROCESSES.

>> AND THE PER HAPPENINGS THAT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF VOTING, ALL RIGHT, SOMEBODY COULD BE LEADING WITH 35 OR 40% OF THE VOTE AND ULTIMATELY NOT WIN THE ELECTION BECAUSE EVERYBODY, 40% OF THE PEOPLE LIKED HIM.

60% HATED HIM OR HER AND HAD THEM AT THE BOTTOM SO SOMEBODY IN THE SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH ROUND PASSES THEM AND THAT PERCEPTION, I THINK IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR PERSONS, TALKING ABOUT STEALING ELECTION, HOW COULD SOMEBODY WITH 40% OF THE VOTE, MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, END UP NOT WINNING.

>> WE ARE USED TO WINNER TAKE ALL AND IT WILL BE HARD TO CHANGE, BUT I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

AND I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT OF WHAT BEN BROUGHT UP, IN THINKING ABOUT RALPH NADER AND THE ELECTION OF 2002.

BUT YOU ARE RIGHT.

AND BEN'S RIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT THE DESIGN OF THE BALLOTS AND THE WAY PEOPLE VOTE AND THE WAY THEY'RE ANALYZED NEEDS TO BE REALLY DONE CORRECTLY SO AS NOT TO THROW THE WHOLE THINGS... >> THE FINAL THING I CAME ACROSS AND THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, I SAW SOME STUDIES AND SOME EXPERTS SAYING THAT EVEN THE PERSON THAT HAD THE MOST FIRST PLACE VOTES COULD STAND UP LOSING WHICH I DON'T THINK THAT SPEAKS TO DEMOCRACY.

GH WE NEED MORE EDUCATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE.

TARA, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THIS?

>> MY VIEW IS MIXED BECAUSE I I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE IT WOULD ENSURE YOUR CANDIDATES TAKE A MODERATE STANCE, PAY ATTENTION TO THE ISHESZ, THAT THEY SPEAK TO A MORE DIVERSE POPULATION RATHER THAN JUST THOSE THAT SUPPORT THEM.

CERTAINLY WOULD END NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING AND I THINK WE ALL WANT THAT.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I ALSO WONDER HOW LONG WOULD IT REALLY TAKE TO GET VOTERS TO ADJUST TO THIS SORT OF VOTING AND TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, OKAY, AS I LOOK AT THIS GROUP OF FIVE OR SIX CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, I REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, IF MY NUMBER ONE DOESN'T MAKE IT, CAN I LIVE WITH NUMBER THREE.

AND WHO WOULD I REALLY WANT TO BE NUMBER THREE.

WE'VE GOTTEN USED TO PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR ONE CHOICE AND THAT'S IT.

>> THE IT BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT WORKS IN NEW YORK CITY AND THE OTHER PLACES THAT ARE GOING TO TRY IT.

LET ME MOVE US TO OUR THIRD TOPIC.

I LOOKED UP THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN THE FIVE COUNTIES SURROUNDING SYRACUSE AND IT'S AROUND 6.5%, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN NORMAL.

AND YET THERE'S A PARENT A A LOT OF JOBS OUT THERE.

SO RICK, HOW COME THE JOBS ARE NOT GETTING FILLED?

>> A LOT OF REASONS.

BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, THERE IS A MISMATCH BETWEEN THE SKILLS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND THE JOBS THAT WE SEE THAT ARE OPEN.

I THINK THERE IS STILL SOME CHILD CARE ISSUES, SO DIFFICULTY OF KIDS LEFT AT HOME OR ADEQUATE CHILD CARE.

BUT THE ISSUE GETTING THE MOST ATTENTION RIGHT NOW IS WHETHER OR NOT THE EXTRA FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS.

AND CURRENTLY THAT RUNS AT MAXIMUM $300 A WEEK THROUGH SEPTEMBER.

AND WE ARE GOING TO FIND OUT BECAUSE A NUMBER OF STATES HAVE MOVED TO OPT OUT OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAM SO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE RATE OF JOB GROWTH IN THE DIFFERENT STATES AND COMPARE IT WITH SAY A STATE LIKE NEW YORK, WHICH IS GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE $300 A WEEK.

AND WE'LL FIND OUT TO WHAT EXTENT THAT IS GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.

I WOULD TELL PEOPLE TO BE CAREFUL.

JUST BECAUSE WE MIGHT FIND OUT THE RATE OF JOB GROWTH IN TEXAS IS FASTER BECAUSE THEY GOT RID OF THE $300 A WEEK BENEFIT.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WAS A BAD POLICY.

IT COULD BE THAT THOSE PEOPLE IN TEXAS ARE GOING TO WORK AND LEAVING THEIR 10 OR 12-YEAR-OLD CHILD AT HOME UNATTENDED OR IT MAY BE THAT THEY'RE TAKING EXTRA RISKS WITH THEIR HEALTH THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO.

OR THEY'RE TAKING JOBS THAT ARE FAR BELOW WHAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING.

WHAT WE WILL FIND OUT IS TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH PEOPLE ARE STAYING HOME BECAUSE IT KIND OF PAYS FOR THEM MORE THAN IF THEY GO TO WORK.

BUT THAT DOESN'T EQUATE NECESSARILY TO BEING A BAD PUBLIC POLICY.

>> I AGREE 100%.

BUT I ALSO THINK WE ARE OVERLOOKING SOME OTHER ISSUES.

ALTHOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE TRANSITORY, A LOT OF THE ISSUES, IN OTHER WORDS, SHORT-TERM ISSUES THAT SEEM TO BE INFLUENCING, WE STARTED AT THE PEAK OF OUR PANDEMIC OF 18 MILLION BEING UNEMPLOYED TO NOW BEING ABOUT 2.1 WITH THE LAST REPORT.

BUT I THINK WE ARE OVERLOOKING THE MENTAL ILLNESS OR MENTAL COMBONE ENT THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC TOOK ON ALL OF US.

NOT BEING ABLE TO VISIT OUR LOVED ONES IF THEY'RE BEING CARED FOR IN ELDERLY PLACES, NOT BEING ABLE TO GO AND HUG OUR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS THAT MAY LIVE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.

AND I THINK THAT, ALONG WITH PEOPLE BEING LAID OFF AND THE TOLL THAT THAT TAKES ON SELF-ESTEEM AND BEING ABLE TO GET UP AND MOVE FORWARD, NOW THAT WE ARE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, AT LEAST IT APPEARS WE ARE, TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIND A JOB WHERE THEY MAY HAVE RELOCATED FOR THEIR PARTNER'S JOB THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LAID OFF DURING THIS.

>> I WOULD MAKE A COUPLE OF POINTS.

I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE JUST HESITATING A LITTLE BIT TO JUMP BACK INTO JOB MARKET IN PART BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE LITTLE CUSHION THAT'S UNEMPLOYMENT.

BUT A LOT BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SITUATION, AS BEN POINTS OUT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START THINGS OVER AGAIN AND MAYBE THEY WANT A BETTER JOB THAN THEY HAD BEFORE.

MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING KIND OF DIFFERENT, IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT RICK MENTIONED, ALSO, THAT THEY STILL MAY HAVE KIDS WHO ARE NOT BACK IN SCHOOL.

IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE, I THINK.

THE OTHER THING I READ, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE NOTICED THIS, THIS IS FROM AN OP-ED PIECE, I THINK.

IF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS WERE HOLDING JOB GROWTH BACK, YOU WOULD EXPECT THE WORST PERFORMANCE IN LOW WAGE INDUSTRIES.

THE PATTERN WAS THE OPPOSITE, JOB LOSSES IN HIGH WAGE SECTORS LIKE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

SO I THINK YOU KNOW, THE MEDIA HAS FOCUSED OR WE THINK IT'S FOCUSING ON THE LOW WALK WORKERS.

BUT-- LOW WAGE WORKERS BUT MAYBE THAT'S NOT WHERE PEOPLE ARE HESP JOBS.

>> A LOT OF THIS IS ANECDOTAL.

AND THAT'S WHY THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DIFFERENT STATES THAT ARE PROPOSING THE CHANGE.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, SOME OF THE STATES ARE ALSO PROVIDING BONUSES UP TO $2,000 TO OFFSET SOME OF THIS.

AND OTHERS, TO THEIR CREDIT, ARE ALSO OFFERING SUPPORT FOR CHILD CARE.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD SET OF DATA SO THAT WE'LL HAVE MUCH BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS REALLY DRIVING THESE DECISIONS A LITTLE BIT LATER ON IN THE SUMMER AND INTO THE FALL.

>> AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THE POINT, AND KRISTI, YOU TOUCHED UPON IT, IS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE FEAR FACTOR, TOO.

MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE IN JOBS WHERE THEY WERE VERY MUCH EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS AND, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST INITIALLY THERE WERE A LOT OF ILLNESS, AND IN SOME CASES DEATH.

MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE, IF THEY COULD, HAVE RETHOUGHT WHAT THEIR CAREER PATH IS OR WHAT THEIR JOB IS.

OTHERS WERE FURLOUGHED OR LAID OFF.

AND THEY HAVE FOUND THAT THEY FOUND BETTER JOBS OR JOBS THAT ALLOW THEM TO WORK FROM HOME.

AND THAT'S THE OTHER GROWTH INDUSTRY THAT I THINK WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK AT HOME ONCE WE ARE PAST THE MAIN PART OF THE PANDEMIC.

>> WE WILL HAVE TO SEE AND AS RICK SAYS MAYBE THE STATES DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WILL GIVE US ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN SIX MONTHS.

IT'S TIME TO OPEN UP THE GRADEBOOK, KRISTI.

IT'S YOUR F TIME.

>> F TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES."

IT'S MORNING NEWSLETTER ON MONDAY CONTAINED THIS UPDATE.

A TRAIN HAULING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS DERAILED AND CAUGHT FIRE IN OHIO.

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN IOWA, NOT OHIO.

AS SOMEONE WHO GREW NEWSPAPER NEBRASKA AND HAS LIVED IN OHIO, I SAY THE TIMES CAN SHARE THIS F WITH ALL THE EASTERNERS WHO HAVE ZERO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.

>> ONE OF THOSE FOUR LETTER STATES.

>> MY F TO RICHARD MONTINEZ ABOUT THE JANITOR IN TREAT OWE LAY WHO IN 1989 CONTACTED THE C.E.O.

OF THE COMPANY AND SUGGESTED THEY MAKE A SPICY SNACK AND SO FLAIPING HOT CHEETOS WERE BORN.

HE HAS GONE AROUND THE COUNTRY THE LAST 15 YEARS TELLING HIS STORY.

JUST LAST WEEK PLANET MONEY, MY FAVORITE PODCAST ON NPR DID A GREAT PIECE ON HIM.

HE HAS A BOOK COMING OUT.

HOLLYWOOD IS MAKING A MOVIE OF HIS LIFE.

UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE.

IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, THE L.A. TIMES REPORTED AND CONFIRMED BY TREAT OWE LAY THAT RICHARD HAD NOTHING P TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT, CREATION OR NAMING OF THE SNACK FOOD.

AS A LOVER OF ALL THINGS CHEETOS, THE STORY IS DISHEARTENING.

WHEN WE HAVE FEEL GOOD STORIES LIKE THIS AND THEY CRUMBLE IN THE DUST, I JUST SHAKE MY HEAD.

>> SORRY, RICK.

HOW ABOUT YOUR F, BEN.

>> I HATE TO DO THIS AGAIN.

TO A G.O.P.

MEMBER.

McCARTHY.

HE DEPUTIZED REPUBLICAN KATKO TO BROKER THIS DEAL FOR THE COMMISSION THAT'S AT THE HEART OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AT THE HEART OF OUR DEMOCRACY.

AND NOW, AFTER PUSHING FOR IT, BEING BEHIND IT, HAS NOW OPENED UP EARLIER THIS WEEK, SAYING HE IS NOT FOR IT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS SUCH AS ROY ON THES AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS THAT WERE NOT AT THE HEART OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE ATTACK ON THAT.

>> TARA YOUR F. >> THE RECENT MERGER BETWEEN AT&T AND DISCOVERY.

THIS COMBINATION OF WARNER MEDIA AND DISCOVERY HAS PROMISED TO BRING BETTER AND MORE DIVERSIFIED CONTENT TO PEOPLE AND LONG-TERM PROFITABILITY TO ITS SHAREHOLDERS.

UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE AND USUALLY IT JUST MEANS HIGHER PRICES FOR CUSTOMERS.

>> KRISTI, QUICKLY, THE As.

>> TO PREB'S PRESIDENT BIDEN TO SHARE VACCINE DOSES WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

EVENTUALLY 60 MILLION DOSES OF ASTRO ASTRAZENECA AND THE OTHERS, IT IS AN IMPORTANT RECOGNITION THAT HELPING PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES GET VACCINATED BENEFITS EVERYONE, INCLUDING US IN THE U.S. >> A TO SUPERVISOR FOR REPUBLICANS, ONE DEMOCRATS FOR CALLING OUT THE ARIZONA SENATE AND THEIR AUDIT OF THE COUNTY'S VOTES FOR THE 2020 ELECTION CALLING THIS A SHAM, POLITICAL THEATER AND BASED UPON INSANE LIES.

>> BEN.

>> IN A BIG BIPARTISAN VOTE, THE HOUSE HAS SENT AN ANTI-ASIAN HATE BILL TO BIDEN'S DESK THAT MAY BE SIGNED AS EARLY AS THURSDAY SO BY THE TIME THIS IS AIRED, THIS LEGISLATION IS AIMED AT COMBATING THE SHARP BIAS AND HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICANS AND PART OF THIS HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY TERMS LIKE CHINA VIRUS AND THE KUNG FLU.

>> TARA.

>> MY A THE FLEESH ARASHAD, RECENTLY NAMED AS DEAN OF THE DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF FINE ARTS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY.

>> WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT THESE TOPICS OR OTHERS YOU WOULD LIKE US TO DISCUSS AND YOU CAN WRITE US AT THE ADDRESSES ON YOUR SCREEN AND IF YOU MISS THE SHOW ANY FRIDAY NIGHT, IT REPEATS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT 5:30.

OR FIND US ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG.

THANKS FOR WATCHING AND GOOD NIGHT.