. >> hi, nicolle. i'm curious your further reflections on colin powell, and also a time when people are looking for public servants to look up to, as we remember one. >> i said this to andrea mitchell a little bit ago. i shared a little bit of that history. he was icon status, i was a mid-level white house staffer. we used to run into him, there was no one who i was more star-struck by than him. he just had a presence. and his break with not just the bush administration, but his break with the republican party, i've been saying this all day, was so seismic. i don't know that there was an endorsement that sort of had the impact, john mccain was someone that colin powell had known forever. when he endorsed then-senator obama, it was a huge, huge, huge deal. both for then-senator obama and against john mccain. to hear him say it was because of sarah palin, he understood the dark forces gathering on the republican side. it's such a loss. >> it means a lot coming from you. and as you say, he spoke out on ma

. >> nice to see you, nicole as always. welcome everyone to "the beat." we have more on the news or developments that nicole and i were just talking about that we're trying to interpret around here. president biden did formally delay this planned morning departure to europe for the g20 that was today which seems like a sign that's spending negotiations are getting close, maybe. today was a policy roll are coaster, progressives and this group of holdout democrats made what could be the final moves in the march to pass this giant spending package so crucial to biden's opening plans for his administration and according to the president crucial for america. now what is the president telling us? why is it like i said to be just honest and transparent with you hard to interpret in he combines sort of the victorious language of historic, the well worn washington caveat of a framework implying no final written legislation. >> after months of tough and thoughtful negotiations, i think we have an historic, i know we have historic economic framework. no one got ever

nicolle was saying, at some point you have to take the deal. there's even questions about whether this might be stalling out. politico, which sometimes sets the mood for at least a few hours had this headline -- biden already won. there's signs that the holdouts will ultimately pals it. but someone may have forgotten to tell politico, because they have another piece that says biden tried and stumbled, now has suffered clearly, quote, a blow to the agenda. they're talking about the same story, and i've said it on air myself, sometimes it's hard to know what's going on. anyone tracking this, a news viewer, a newsperson, someone in politico, i field you, are they winning? like biden, obama has traveled overseas, trying to deal with domestic battles. he was actually in mexico in 20 09d during some of those heated obamacare battles. is a loan even wrote of the healthcare horror, and he had trouble back home with competing, fluctuating drafts of obamacare. we actually went back to show you that to make a point. it's a point about intellectual humilit

. >> hi, nicolle. steve bannon could face jail as this probe intensifies, and coming up i have a special report on a right winged and racist theory. how it's spreading in america and how we're going to debunk it in evidence and history tonight. we've been working on that special for you and we have that coming up. >>> then there's the biden agenda with an overwrite for spending. >>> steve bannon facing possible jail time after stonewalling these investigators. no documents, no testimony, and they said they will hold him in contempt for not responding to the subpoena. if you're looking at steve bannon or any of this footage that reminds you he's had recent legal problems, that's because steve bannon was indicted. that trial never occurred because he called in a favor. and although him and donald trump had a famous falling out that had everything to do with ethics to how he dressed, then-president trump did pardon mr. banbannon, which means he g to skip what most citizens had to deal with. here he is, da

>> thank you, nicolle. public outrage as the governor is literally trying to recruit anti-vaxx police officers in his state. >>> also later tonight, we have an important legal special report. it's about justice, it's about reasonable doubt and a new controversy on oklahoma's death row. it is the kind of story that tests what kind of nation we want to be, so i do invite you to stay with us, hang with me this hour, because that report, which is vital, comes later on in this edition of "the beat." our top story right now picks up on the continuing probe and insurrection. the steve bannon contempt, a battle over possible jail time, now we have the combination of new independent reporting and congressional fact finding about how coordinated this plot was which goes to how high the culpability is. the committee's operating theory increasingly looks at this more like a top down operation than many originally thought in january, a coordinated, planned assault with one d.c. hotel forming the headquarters for what wo

. >> hi, nicole. welcome to the beat, everyone. tonight, we're back with a look at history's lessons for dealing congressional obstruction and later, a report about a police stop in ohio. our top story is a welcome headline for the biden administration. a vote in the house expected to begin at any moment to pay america's debt starting from the last administration. part of the compromise to raise the so-called debt ceiling until december. speaking pelosi telling progressives she shares their concern about negotiations and are pushing democrats below a safety net spend package that was aimed at over 3 trillion. >> i'm very disappointed that we're not going with the original $3.5 trillion. whatever we do, it will be transformative. but the fact is is that if there is, are fewer dollars to spend, there are choices to be made. >> choices to be made. meanwhile, progressive leaders like bernie sanders argues that was the compromise position and that it has widespread support. >> we have the strong support, the overwhelming support of the

. >> thank you, nicolle. i am "the beat." house liberals hold the line and actually adjust their power. as a political matter, that means the president must deal with his left flank, which as we come on the air, we know that biden is meeting with house progressives who made speaker pelosi delay that bill on the biden infrastructure bill. but let's be clear and objective. that political leverage, however real, does not ensure any automatic success, it just ensures a seat at the table of the biden is now at that table and he's telling his party that they will still have to move towards joe manchin a little bit. they will have to cut down from the over $3 trillion spending s a safety net. one of the leaders is offering a peek into this conversation and what it will take to fund their priorities. >> we're not thinking about the number, and the president said this to us, too. he said, don't start with the number, start with what you're for, and that's what he's asking for, and then we'll come tie number. >> so if we're not looking

. >> hi, nicole. welcome to "the beat" everyone. we begin with breaking news. i am ari melber. the fda moving forward, its panel voting unanimously to recommend something many parents have been eager for when it's safe. they are giving the green light for kids age 5 to 11 to have a small dose of the pfizer vaccine. >> this concludes the vote. out of 18 voting members, 17 voted yes and we had one abstain. thank you. >> that zoom life which is part of pandemic life, but the headline could not be clearer. a major hurdle is now over. potential turning point for the coronavirus pandemic and something so important to families and communities in any place where children are growing up. this goes to the full fda. the panel is a big deal, but then the fda tends to issue its final ruling which follows what here has been an overwhelmingly supportive panel decision. the cdc then has final signoff. to put it clearly though, if past precedent guides us, we expect this to follow the normal procedure which leads to full approval. then could you have shots in arms within weeks. pfizer says the

. >> hi, nicolle. welcome to "the beat." we're tracking a big story. news coming out of capitol hill is preparations are under way for a vote tonight to hold trump aide steve bannon in contempt of congress. here is what we know. tonight's vote is the first time the january 6th committee is using these powers to enforce its mandate. it's suggested they have to votes to hold him in contempt. now, if that happens, then congress hands a criminal referral of bannon to attorney general garland, who can then make a call on whether or not to prosecute bannon. a conviction could land him in jail for over or about a year. the entire clash is not what democrats are aiming for. they pushed for bannon's cooperation to gather facts about the insurrection. he is the one escalating this with total defiance we've seen. he's following donald trump's calls to duck the request as it probes how so many people came to washington with such aggressive tactics and plans to storm the capitol, which they did. it's also eyeing statements like this from bannon to the maga faithful

thank you so much, nicolle. we are jumping into the big story on "the beat." house liberals winning their tactical standoff last night. today president biden went to the scene of the pushback, going to congress to huddle with house democrats in private. on one side of the stakes, it is actually his first meeting with the caucus since taking office. >> if i had a whistle on, i would whistle for it. >> speaker pelosi insisted she would get a floor vote last night, but she didn't. liberals held firm on that vow to block any watered-down package that fails to expand the safety net. many of them touting this as a procedural win. that's one headline. the progressive economist paul krugman meanwhile saying he views the plan as something where liberals gave biden a tactical victory here, holding the line and smoking out new information from the conservative holdouts in the senate. pelosi for her part projecting cool confidence about the negotiating left to do. >> after hours of meetings, the two sides still seem trillions of dollars apart. how do you bridge did gap? >

nicolle wallace will be back tomorrow. the man so clean they call him ajax. the beat with ari melber starts right now. hi, ari. >> always love the toss, jason. thank you. i want to welcome everyone to the beat. i am ari melber. we have a special show for you right now. many attacked president biden's partial vaccine mandate when it was announced. is it working? we actually have the data and a progress for you later tonight. >>> also a deep dive into why this whistle-blower criticizing mark zuckerberg matters. >>> and later, some new developments in a court filing from that sex crime probe involving republican matt gaetz. so all of that is ahead as our top story picks up on the spending clash with new data showing most americans are with president biden when it comes to this spending. that's a reality. the administration is emphasizing right now on what you see here, sending the president out to michigan, a swing state he carried by three points, to cut through the noise and all the talk of math and tell voters the stakes are high. >> these bills are not about

. >> hi, nicolle, thank you very much. the top story here is a flurry of what looks like real action from democrats because there are reports tonight that they are truly nearing a finish line on the sweeping spending bill that is supposed to define president biden's first year agenda. and by all accounts, the talks have become quite intense. in a moment, we'll be joined live by the chair of the progressive caucus who wrapped up the closed door meeting. kind of a private huddle with the speaker, who is setting a key committee hearing on parts of this bill tomorrow. politico though has right now one of the most telling quotes we've seen. several democrats saying this this deal is now essentially done. just pending sign off of the president and bernie sanders. who has been negotiating with manchin among others. they also say that president biden will delay a thursday morning flight to europe if the deal is finished. >> an agreement is within arm's length and we are hopeful that we can come to a framework agreement by the end