'Your World' on Gov. Cuomo's impeachment inquiry, COVID vaccine mandates

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Gov. Cuomo's hypocrisy is a 'national embarassment': Democratic state senator

New York state senator Brad Hoylman calls for Andrew Cuomo’s impeachment on ‘Your World.’

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," August 4, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: All right, we connect, and you decide.

COVID restrictions that are ramping up that just as job creation appears to be slowing down, and this as we just get word that they're putting the brakes on this year's in New York auto show. This economy might not be on autopilot.

Welcome, everybody. I'm Neil Cavuto, and this is YOUR WORLD.

What is going on with a recovery that seems to be getting bumpy, as the number of new COVID cases are making a lot of people pretty grumpy, not only about going back to school this fall, if that is still on, but increasingly about doing anything like we used to be able to do, say, in the last couple of weeks in city after city, state after state where restrictions are coming fast and furious?

We have got Jackie DeAngelis talking about the big job impact of all of this, and also Susan Li on how some companies are feeling the pressure from this and higher prices that they're trying to pass along to you, but might not be succeeding for long.

All right, I want to first begin with you, Jackie, on this employment report that as people wondering, wait a minute, what's going on?

JACKIE DEANGELIS, FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, before I get there, Neil, I want to talk about the COVID cases, because that's how we're going to get to how these numbers impact the market.

COVID cases rising in the country because of the Delta variant, and states and cities are handling this surge very differently this time around. So, in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis says that he's not going to shut things down or impose a mask mandate. He believes the surge of cases is a seasonal outbreak, also adding that lockdowns have failed time and time again throughout the pandemic.

Meantime, in Louisiana, starting today, people aged 5 years and older are required to wear a mask indoors regardless of their vaccination status. Here in New York City, vaccine mandates for indoor dining, the gym and other businesses. You're going to need to prove that you had at least one dose for these activities coming September 13.

Now, Mayor de Blasio, he shared the CDC's sentiment on masks for vaccinated people indoors, but he did not reinstate the mask mandate. And it looks like the strategy here is to push people to get those shots.

Now, all this uncertainty, bring it back to the market with the virus, some of this key data coming out having an impact on Wall Street, the stock market lower today after a big miss in the ADP private sector report. This is teeing up Friday's jobs report. Now, the ADP numbers showed 330,000 new positions were filled. But it's a sharp decline from that 680,000 that we saw in June and the lowest since February.

Right now, this is the big concern for the market and its participants. It's the Delta variant and does it derail the trajectory of reopening plans and employment across the country, Neil?

CAVUTO: All right, Jackie, thank you very much on that.

Let's go to Susan Li right now, because this is coming at a time, you think about it, Susan, when investors are apparently cleared to think, all right, things are all going to be going back, the companies are in good shape, their earnings are strong, and yet more than a few of them have been citing these inflationary pressures.

What is going on?

SUSAN LI, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know it. That's right, Neil.

So, over and over again, we have been hearing from some of the biggest companies in the world, complaining about higher prices that they have to pay for labor, fuel and raw materials. So, companies being companies, they will protect their bottom line, so they're going to pass on those costs to consumers, Clorox being the latest.

Also, you have beer brewers, alcohol makers, food companies, consumer product brands, and it felt like, on every earnings call, you had executives being asked about inflation and responding by saying that prices were going up.

So, Clorox wipes are going to cost more in the future. Diaper prices have jumped over the past year. You have Budweiser beer being more expensive, Nestle ice cream, Smirnoff vodka, Starbucks coffee, and Chipotle burritos.

Now, a lot of these companies say that they need to pay their workers more in order to attract and keep talent these days. So, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve said that nearly three-quarters of companies in their survey say that wages went up this spring, which is, of course, stoking inflation.

So the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge rising at the fastest pace in 30 years in June from a year ago. And government officials, as you heard, Neil, that includes the Federal Reserve, say that this is all just temporary, transitory, as they say. We heard that from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen today, the former Federal Reserve chair saying that she believes monthly inflation will come down by the end of this year.

Now, Yellen making those remarks while trying to sell that $3.5 trillion climate and anti-poverty package, along with another trillion-dollar infrastructure deal. And, Neil, that's a lot of money that a lot of people say will increase prices even further if it's passed.

CAVUTO: Yes, and that's what some of these companies are worried about, that there will come a point where customers will say, all right, we're not going to keep paying these. And then they're in a heap of trouble, as are their customers.

LI: Yes.

CAVUTO: Thank you very much, Susan Li, for that.

Let's go to Edward Gomez. He runs the Da Noi Restaurants, the owner there, a big Italian eatery.

And he has to go ahead and comply with these new restrictions in New York that everyone has to be tested negative for COVID, preferably be wearing a mask when they go in. It's just going to be a mess and for him some food for thought. His headaches, of course, aren't over yet.

Edward, very good to have you.

Now, these are still a week or so away. But they're going to change the way you do business. How do you police people on whether they have been vaccinated or not or whether they're doing everything according to the city's wishes?

EDWARD GOMEZ, OWNER, DA NOI RESTAURANTS: Well, that's the big question right?

CAVUTO: Yes.

GOMEZ: Right now, we find (AUDIO GAP) staff to begin with? So now it's like an extra job that we have to make sure that people, when they come in, we have to kind of guard the gate and make sure that if they are or if they aren't.

And if they aren't, we will have to turn them away. So it creates a big obstacle for us. And we're already struggling to begin with, and still waiting for any type of relief from the federal or state government, rather than just the debt that they threw on us.

But...

CAVUTO: The vaccine requirement, it's one thing for the city to recommend it.

It's another for you to play, on top of everything else you have to do, the police to check that your customers are, and they might mete out punishments if some of those customers have snuck in and are indeed lying to you or misrepresenting whether they have been vaccinated or not.

Then you're on the hook for that, I guess, right?

GOMEZ: Yes, that's what they say.

And the truth of the matter is, like, I'm not even qualified enough to watch over these people, that we're running around (AUDIO GAP) where, at times, I'm cleaning toilets in between shifts, because there's nobody here to do any work.

It's really become something that is just daunting. And it's almost like we have to pack up and leave.

CAVUTO: Yes, you don't need this grief.

Edward, I'm curious too. I mean, obviously, you're quite an attraction. People love the food. And I'm wondering, what are your customers saying these days? Of course, this isn't immediate. It could be coming. The mayor promises, if everything is hunky-dory and cases subside, all of this goes away.

But that doesn't mean that for at least a few weeks it's going to be the rule. What are they saying? Are they saying, hey, I might not come -- come back, I might wait until this blows over? What?

GOMEZ: Well, it's -- everybody's up in arms.

I try not to -- I try to deflect a little bit because I try to bring happy times, rather than stress everybody out. But, at the same time, but it's my main concern, because we're really trying -- we're struggling to stay afloat as is.

And after almost 19 months of being used as a yo-yo, back and forth, open, close, open, close, and us being in Staten Island, New York, it's a little bit even more politicized. So, I try to take a backseat to it and just try to accommodate everybody as best I can.

But it really is -- it's just the mismanagement from the top down. And I feel like we're being used as whipping posts.

I don't know why they don't go after the...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Yes, it certainly seems that way.

Yes, well, hang in there. I know you're great with the garlic. Maybe that could wipe out a lot of the anger that people are feeling. It does that for me.

But hang in there, Edward, and keep us posted.

Edward Gomez runs the Da Noi Restaurants.

Let's get Sarah Westwood's read on this for The Washington Examiner.

Sarah, I don't know if you had a chance to hear that whole conversation. Here's a restaurant owner how has a devil of the time just getting staff together, reopening to the requirements of the city and the state, and now this added burden of checking out all his customers and making sure they have been vaccinated. He doesn't need this.

SARAH WESTWOOD, THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Well, that's right.

And the pressure, the upward pressure on wages is just one of many factors right now that's contributing to inflation. That's hurting Biden politically. It's creating a vulnerability for him in terms of his ability to get his massive spending package through Congress.

And it's one of many reasons why businesses are struggling right now. So, from a macro perspective, though, the rise in cases caused by the Delta variant and the renewed restrictions in cities, that could actually serve to soften the impact of inflation in some ways. The Biden administration has been blaming this on overheated demand related to the sudden nature of the reopening and a supply chain that just hasn't been able to catch up.

So, in some ways, from a macro perspective, that could alleviate some of the pressures. But for individual businesses that have already been struggling for more than a year and are now trying to claw their way back, facing the fact that the cost of their raw goods, the cost of transportation, the cost of labor is all going up, and then now facing renewed restrictions, it's just a really difficult for business owners like your previous guest.

CAVUTO: You know what is kind of interesting?

When I was looking at the story yesterday, Sarah, about the rising price thing, and then, of course, the rising spikes and what's happening on that price front, that this was seen as an opportunity for the president, rather than a damaging issue, that it will necessitate and justify still more spending.

I think they might have that upside-down. But what did you think of that? Because even a paper like The Financial Times, which looks at the global economy, is saying, this presidency is vulnerable to inflation, and with it the global recovery. What did you make of that?

WESTWOOD: Yes, I think that's absolutely true. I read that story as well.

This is a huge weakness for President Biden and the Republicans are sort of relentlessly beating this drum and tying directly the inflation that we have seen to the size of President Biden's stimulus package. You also can see that the Biden administration's messaging on this has completely shifted.

They have gone from saying that they don't expect inflation to accompany this massive package that they passed, to saying that they believe it's just a blip due to the fact that Americans had money in their pockets right when everything opened up to the due to the vaccine.

And now you have the Treasury secretary saying these high prices could be with us through at least the end of the year. And you're seeing the Biden administration reframe this argument related to their spending package.

Now they're saying that it's necessary to offset some of the high prices that American families are paying because they want to subsidize child care. They want to subsidize housing in some cases, and all these other social programs, that, if you look at the overall picture, it'll save American families money.

Republicans right now, though, are unified in arguing that this big spending is what's causing inflation. And there's signs that Americans could be buying that. There was a Morning Consult poll last week that said 59 percent of voters, not just Republicans, but all voters, blamed Biden's economic policy for inflation.

So that message is breaking through. And moderate Democrats, along with all lawmakers, will be going back to their districts for the August recess. They're likely to get an earful from constituents about inflation and the rising cost of living right now.

And so they could come back even more reluctant to support that massive spending package.

CAVUTO: Real quickly, Sarah, we're hearing from more and more of these consumer products companies that are saying, whether you're talking Kraft or Clorox, there is a point of resistance.

And we're beginning to see it out of customers who won't just keep paying these higher prices, serious headwinds. I'm wondering if that's reverberated yet on the administration, or they're just not buying it.

WESTWOOD: Well, I think that's certainly why you are seeing the Biden administration start to talk about this in a different way.

They are seeing polling that shows that more and more Americans are concerned about this. Polling shows that Americans are no longer really listing coronavirus as their top concern. They're starting to list their ability to pay their bills, their ability to get a job as things that they're more concerned about.

And this is a real weakness for the Biden administration. If people stop being willing to pay these prices, if they stop viewing them as a temporary byproduct of a recovery that started more suddenly than I think people expected, that's going to be a huge problem for the Biden administration.

And then, in addition to everything we have talked about, they're going to have a credibility problem on their hands, because the same people who have been telling everyone not to expect inflation, and then to expect inflation to go away, are then going to be trying to argue people out of caring about the fact that they're paying higher prices for everything from food to clothes.

And so there's a lot.

CAVUTO: Yes.

WESTWOOD: This just a mine field for the Biden administration right now, as they're trying to pass one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation that we have seen in recent years.

CAVUTO: Sarah, thank you, Sarah Westwood of The Washington Examiner.

We're continuing to follow that. And, by the way, when we talk about vaccines and getting them out there right now, how about a company setting a standard like this to incentivize workers to do so? Vanguard is saying it will give employees 1,000 bucks to get the COVID vaccine.

That's a start. More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, more controversy at the border, not so much with the growing throngs there, but now talk the administration will provide vaccines for those who are gathering there. And to say gathering might be an understatement.

Let's get the latest from Bill Melugin in McAllen, Texas -- Bill.

BILL MELUGIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Neil, good afternoon to you.

We have got some developing news we'd like to report to you. Take a look over my shoulder right now. You will see an emergency tent compound that was literally built here by the city of McAllen overnight. This was not here last evening. This was literally built in the overnight hours.

And it's being used to house illegal immigrants who have been released from Border Patrol custody. The city says they have to do this because Border Patrol has been releasing so many illegals in their city that some of them are being stranded out on the streets and they have got nowhere to go. So they are now building this compound to house some of those folks.

They say it has to be done. And they're being very critical of the federal government. Take a look at this drone video we shot this morning. This is when we got out here about maybe 7:00, 8:00 this morning.

When we first got word about this tent compound, there weren't a whole lot of migrants here just yet. It was the early stages of being built. But what we're being told is this had to happen because there are so many immigrants on the streets of McAllen released from the feds.

And we witnessed this happening on Monday. Take a look at this video we shot in downtown McAllen on Monday. We watched over and over and over as Border Patrol buses were dropping busload after busload of immigrants at a charity in downtown McAllen, just releasing them by the busloads.

We watched hundreds of them being released. Well, that Catholic charity can only take in so many people, they are well over capacity. And because they are so full, some of those folks didn't have anywhere to stay. They're wandering the streets of McAllen. And that's why the city says they had to build this.

But they put out a scathing statement towards the federal government. Take a look at this, saying in part -- quote -- "The city intends to demand relief from the federal government for the alarming number of migrants that are being released into the city of McAllen and that as these immigrants are released by the federal government -- as these immigrants are released, the federal government does not test them for COVID-19. A third party tests them for COVID and 19 once they are dropped off by Border Patrol."

And some shocking COVID numbers for you right here. Take a look at this, the city of McAllen reporting that immigrants released by the federal government, there have been 7000 COVID-positive migrants released into the city of McAllen just since the month of February, more than 1, 500 of which were just in the last week alone.

So, as you come back out here live, you can tell from that statement there the city of McAllen incredibly frustrated with the federal government. They are now having to build their own tent compound here to deal with this overflow. As they say, the federal government is just pumping illegal immigrants out onto their streets. Many of them have COVID.

And they say the federal government has to change something, because they're having to foot the bill for this now. We will send it back to you.

CAVUTO: Bill Melugin, thank you very much for that.

All right, the latest on Governor Cuomo in New York. Fully three-quarters of the Democratic powers that be in New York want him out of there. And, increasingly, average New Yorkers are saying pretty much the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Andrew Cuomo should not be -- have anything to do with politics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not too sure, because he came out and stated that he didn't do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should resign immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allegations are one thing. Proving it is another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: Three out of four New York lawmakers want Governor Cuomo out, including a Democratic state senator we will be talking to who says essentially this: The sooner, the better.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, they can talk all impeachment they want to in New York state. Right now, if they're pressuring the governor to call it quits, he is not giving them any ammunition, at least not now, saying that he is going to stick in his job and do what the people elected him to do.

Bryan Llenas is following this in New York -- Bryan.

BRYAN LLENAS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Neil, yes, look, 74 percent of New York state lawmakers, mostly Democrats, believe Cuomo should go.

But if the governor does not resign, the Democrats would have to impeach him. A simple majority of Assembly members is needed for that to happen to draft the articles of impeachment. Then, two-thirds majority of state senators and seven judges on the court of appeals would then have to vote to find him guilty.

And during that impeachment trial, Cuomo has to step down. It's only been done once before, this entire process, in New York in 1913. And, look, all of this as for district attorneys for Albany, Westchester, Nassau counties and Manhattan have now requested evidence gathered by the attorney general's office be turned over for criminal investigations into the governor.

The Albany DA is continuing its investigation into the allegations made by an unnamed executive assistant who says Cuomo groped her seconds before asking to take this selfie in the executive mansion in 2019. She claims Cuomo put his hand under her blouse in a separate incident months later.

The Westchester DA is investigating claims made by a state trooper that Cuomo personally asked that she joined his security detail and then sexually harassed her. Former aide Charlotte Bennett said this about Cuomo's video apology and bizarre kissing montage from yesterday designed to show that he's just a touchy-feely kind of guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLOTTE BENNETT, CUOMO ACCUSER: And I don't want an apology. It's not necessary. It's fake. And his propaganda video was not only uncomfortable and inappropriate, but downright weird and unnecessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LLENAS: Despite calls for impeachment right now, Neil, one Republican on the Judiciary Committee said: "We can't let emotions drive us."

It will take about a month for them to complete their ongoing impeachment investigation -- Neil.

CAVUTO: Bryan, thank you, my friend.

To Brad Hoylman right now, a Democratic New York state senator.

Senator, it doesn't look like the governor has any intention of resigning. Do you think he should be impeached?

STATE SEN. BRAD HOYLMAN (D-NY): ... for the attorney general's really comprehensive report.

To me, this is probably the tip of the iceberg. I mean, you have seen patterns of this kind of behavior relayed throughout this entire report. I cannot really fathom the hypocrisy that the governor's undertaking when he, for so many years used to advertise near state and his administration as a leader in human rights and rights for individuals who have been sexually abused, LGBTQ people.

And then this. It's a national embarrassment. The governor must go. I think the Assembly has enough information to act on the attorney general's report, bring those articles of impeachment to the Senate as soon as possible.

CAVUTO: If you had to wage whether your colleagues would vote on something like that, how do you think it will go?

(LAUGHTER)

HOYLMAN: Let me just say this.

This is not political, as the governor would argue. This, if anything, is the most apolitical act I have witnessed and all of my time in Albany. There's virtually no support in the state legislature for Governor Andrew Cuomo. And when I say no, I mean zero.

CAVUTO: You mentioned the attorney general, Senator.

And she has been among those listed as a potential gubernatorial candidate herself next year. Now, of course, that would put her in the unusual position of putting out this report and then, as Governor Cuomo seems to see it, capitalizing on that.

How do you feel about that, if she were to run for governor?

HOYLMAN: Well, I guess we will cross that bridge, she will cross that bridge when we get there.

Certainly, I don't think anyone can question the integrity of her investigation and the investigators, the comprehensiveness, the professionalism, and the conclusions that are supported by reams of evidence.

So, look, for Governor Cuomo to say that this is political, he himself led something at the time which was known as Troopergate to investigate one of his predecessors in office.

So, the difference here, I think, is that we almost seem to be unanimously supporting the attorney general, if not in reality. Again, I don't know of a single legislator who has spoken up in support of Governor Cuomo.

CAVUTO: All right, Senator, keep us posted.

Thank you very, very much, Senator Brad Hoylman, a Democrat in the New York state Senate. Could be a very influential player in all of this.

We will keep you posted if we hear any statements and reaction to calls, repeated calls we have had into Governor Cuomo's office. They have not been returned.

All right, in the meantime, the Great White Way is back in business. A new Broadway show, brand-new, first since the pandemic, it's called "Pass Over," but you first better hand over proof that you have been vaccinated.

We have the very, very latest right now Lydia Hu who on that -- Lydia.

LYDIA HU, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Neil.

Yes, after more than a year, Broadway is coming back, but with those new restrictions in place. So, will the crowds return? We're asking and getting some insight.

That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, we are just learning for the White House right now that the president at this point is not planning to lift international travel restrictions, but developing a policy to transition to a new system.

We don't know what that new system will be. But we're learning as well that the plan will require nearly all foreign nationals traveling to the United States to be fully vaccinated. Again, the issue of timing and details, we just don't have right now, but, again, a requirement that will probably raise some issues abroad that those who want to make their way here better be fully vaccinated.

Let's get a read on all this from Dr. Syra Madad of the New York City Health and Hospitals Special Pathogens Program senior director.

Doctor, what do you think of this, cracking down on those who come here, making sure they're vaccinated?

DR. SYRA MADAD, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS: Well, I think we're certainly in a period in the pandemic, both here domestically and internationally, where cases are continuing to increase, especially with the hyper-transmissible Delta variant.

So, only way we can layer on more protection to ensure we have less community transmission or less virus coming into the country, the better.

And so these mitigation measures of ensuring people are vaccinated or tested before they enter the country certainly provides that layer of protection that's needed.

CAVUTO: Doctor, how do you feel also that these mask requirements even for those who've been fully vaccinated? They're not too pleased about it. A restaurant owner was telling me he's not too thrilled about it either. But what do you make of that?

Are they that much of a risk that they should, indeed, be wearing masks?

MADAD: Well, I think, first, masks totally work. And they're part of the mitigation strategies and layers that we have in our toolbox to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Now, the best and primary strategy is certainly to get vaccinated. And with the news of the Delta variant being more transmissible and, in uncommon events, vaccinated, fully vaccinated people are able to transmit the virus to others, that's where that mask guidance now comes into play in areas with higher substantial community transmission to wear that mask indoors.

So I do think that is the right recommendation, given that we're seeing increased spread. But I think it's also important to note that the large majority of transmission that is happening is among unvaccinated communities.

So there's two things. First. the primary goal is to get vaccinated and, if you're not vaccinated, to continue wearing a mask and apply the risk reduction techniques to protect yourself and those around you.

CAVUTO: We're learning as well, Doctor, that maybe as soon as next month, the FDA will go ahead and approve I believe Pfizer's vaccine. Don't know about some of the others that are out there.

Do you think this will make a big difference? Do you think people who heretofore have been a little concerned about taking a treatment that has only been granted emergency approval, that many more will get vaccinated, if it has a nod from the FDA?

Can you hear us?

MADAD: Yes, I do think so.

Sorry. I think the audio is going out a little bit.

CAVUTO: I'm sorry.

MADAD: But I do think that getting that full approval of the Pfizer COVID- 19 vaccine will encourage people that are unvaccinated to get vaccinated.

In fact, some of the surveys, for example, the Kaiser Family Foundation has shown, in terms of individuals attitudes, about three out of 10 are stating that they are more prone or more likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine if it has a full approval. So I certainly do think it's going to make a dent in the overall vaccination rates.

On top of that, I think that many different organizations, institutions, agencies like health care systems and other employee -- employment agencies will probably start mandating COVID-19 vaccines once they have that full approval.

And I think we have collected so much great data, real-world data over the past seven months after clinical trials to show that these vaccines are safe and effective, and they can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death.

So it's high time that we get that approval, and that people that are reluctant to get vaccinated to protect themselves and those around them.

CAVUTO: All right, we will see what happens.

Dr. Syra Madad, thank you very much. We will see what happens.

To Lydia Hu right now looking at Broadway reopening, the first show to kick things off since the pandemic, new show to kick things off, but there are some requirements -- Lydia.

HU: Hi, Neil.

Yes, the patrons that are going to be seeing the premiere of "Pass Over," a play here at the August Wilson Theatre tonight, they will have to demonstrate that they have been vaccinated with proof that they have received those shots. And they must also wear a mask in order to gain entry to the theater.

But it's not just here at August Wilson Theatre. It is all 41 Broadway theaters across in New York City. A particular challenge for Broadway right now is tourism, because usually about 65 percent of the audience are made up of tourists.

And with tourism down across the city, the question is whether or not there's enough of a draw from a local audience, the tristate area, to make up for those ticket sales.

Just a little while ago, Neil, I talked to a Broadway producer who pointed out that, because "Pass Over" is a play, that's going to help with ticket sales, because that usually caters to more of a local audience, a New York City-based audience, rather than, say, a musical.

But, still, there's still the added pressure of the cost of just reopening. Just to bring a single production like "Pass Over" back online and make it available, it costs between $1 million and $4 million. And that's on top of the new vaccination requirements and mask mandates that are an added cost.

But still, Neil, not every precaution is being taken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLOTTE ST. MARTIN, PRESIDENT, BROADWAY LEAGUE: We are not socially distancing. And that's been one of our commitments from day one. The financial model for Broadway just doesn't work with socially distanced audiences.

So it's one of the reasons why we had to wait this long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HU: Now, the Broadway League says, Well, generally, about 75 percent of tickets need to be sold out in order to support a performance.

Anything short of that means that they are in the hole. And that could be problematic if you see that over the next coming weeks. I did look up ticket sales for tonight's performance, which is at 8:00 p.m. And it does appear, based on what I'm seeing online, that at least 75 percent of the tickets have been sold, maybe a little bit more.

So that is promising news for this particular show. We will have to see if that continues to happen in the weeks to come, as these requirements are enforced. Also, something else to look out for, the musicals are coming back online in September with shows like "Hamilton" and "The Lion King."

Of course, as I mentioned, those draw more of a national and international crowd. And, as we know, those tourists are not back here in the city. So it could be more of a challenge to get those tickets sold and see an audience in those theaters -- Neil.

CAVUTO: Got it.

We do want to be entertained, though. That's pretty clear. Thank you very, very much.

And speaking of wanting to be entertained, our parent company, FOX Entertainment, is out with earnings and revenues that handily beat estimates in the fourth quarter, coming in at 65 cents a share on an earnings-per-share basis, as we like to say, revenues close to $2.9 billion.

Those shares are not really moving much in after-hour trading, but they have appreciated about 20 percent since the beginning of the year, about 31 percent in the last 12 months. We're on top of that.

More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: You know, when we worry about inflation, it's the companies that pass that along to you. So you have seen it really at a Kraft Heinz and Clorox and some of these other big players, who've noticed that you will still buy when they raise their prices, because prices are going up for them as well.

But they seem to be pushing out a string right here, indicating, in the case of Clorox, certainly in Kraft Heinz, that these are worries down the road, not so much for Hostess, out with some numbers that beat expectations, but still saying that the inflationary pressures that are there, they're there. They don't miss them, and they're not ignoring them. But they expect people to still buy lots of goodies from them, even if they do go up.

Hitha Herzog here, a retail analyst extraordinaire, on what he makes of this.

You know, some companies are in the Hostess mind-set that, look, prices go up, we could pass it along, no problem. We don't like it going on and on like this, but we can deal with it. Others not so much.

Where do you see this going, Hitha?

HITHA HERZOG, RETAIL WATCHER: Yes, it really depends on the company, Neil.

And if you're looking at it by a company that produces product such as Hostess in these individual multi-package packages, it's going to be different than, let's say, a major retailer like a Walmart or a Target.

So what Hostess is doing is -- you're absolutely right. They did mention the fact that there are inflation headwinds. However, they're innovating and they're offering other products. So, if you look at the study that came out from Oracle back in May, it was talking about how across the board consumers were buying snacks like crazy during the pandemic, everything from glazed donut sticks to cereal-flavored coffee creamer.

Mostly, the millennials were doing that. But Hostess is really capitalizing on that.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Not just millennials. Not just millennials, young lady.

But let me ask you about that. There are ways companies can hide these increases right, Hitha? In other words, I have always noticed this phenomenon, I get a bag of chips and there aren't as many chips in the bag. But the bag is roughly the same price. They do things like that, right?

But, I mean, what other stuff do they do?

HERZOG: Right. It's called shrinkflation. So that's exactly what you're talking about. Price of the good goes up. So they have the same packaging, but you have less of that product.

You also have companies that include these fees, right? Some companies will tack on fees. God knows what those are for me. In the case of Uber, you might look at your Uber and say, oh, my gosh, well, here's a fee for -- who knows what that's for?

But, also -- and we're going to pivot back to Hostess for a second. They were talking about this innovation that they were doing. Well, they would maybe have a specific package like a single serve cupcake or doughnut, that maybe they will add in something extra, or they will repackage it so it seems like you're getting more for the price. But actually the price has increased and you just feel like you're getting more product.

So there are different ways that these companies try to hide the inflationary price increase. But let's be honest. If you're going out and buying doughnuts, you're probably price-agnostic. You just want that doughnut.

Neil, I was reading through the earnings report right now. I'm not going to lie. I may be going and getting a Twinkie in a second.

CAVUTO: Yes, real quickly, right?

I do want to get your take, though, on how severe this inflation is. Normally -- and you and I have discussed this. You know, inflation remains an issue if people continue paying more for goods, and goods especially they like or they find particularly attractive or delicious. And it stops or slows when they stop doing that.

Some companies have indicated they have run into resistance by consumers who say, all right, that's enough, that's enough, but not many. There are a few. But where do you see this going?

HERZOG: I think that we are going to certainly see those inflation headwinds affect all products and all product categories, mostly because, Neil, there's also another -- other factors, such as there's a lack of materials.

So you think about what's going on with some of the computers and the electronics, you don't have those microchips. They're still in short supply and demand. So, or I should say increase in demand, but short supply.

So when you have that, and also when things are -- products are being imported, and when you have a limited supply of things getting imported, that's also going to have an impact on that inflation. So while I think that, for the most part, consumers are price-agnostic when it comes to an iPhone or doughnuts or very specific things, there's also other factors that are going to be involved there.

CAVUTO: Right.

All right, and I know you. You're very thin and fit, Hitha. I cannot see you eating Twinkies. Me, I don't think any viewer would be stunned to hear that I would pay top dollar for them.

Hitha, great seeing you. Thank you very, very much.

HERZOG: You too, Neil.

CAVUTO: All right, in the meantime, a lot of people like working at home. They want to continue working at home.

And you won't believe what they told some folks what they would give up to make sure they could continue doing that -- after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, what would you give up if you wanted to work from home full-time?

A lot of folks want to do that. A lot of their bosses aren't too keen on the idea, but 65 percent would be happy to take a 5 percent pay cut. More than one out of three would give up their 401(k). People, I have got to talk to you about that. More than half would give up social media for one year. As if. More than half would give up Netflix for one year and half would give up Amazon for one year just for the liberty of working at home.

Mike Gunzelman here, the Internet radio host, Kat Timpf, "Sincerely Kat" host on FOX Nation, FOX News contributor.

Welcome guys.

Kat, that's a lot to give up. Would you give any of that up to maintain a couple of days still working from home? Maybe all those days?

KATHERINE TIMPF, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No.

I mean, certainly, I don't really have the option of working from home right now. But for some jobs, some people who think that they can do their job just as well from home, and have been doing it from home, they're saying, why I got to go back?

Look, this -- these lockdowns and being out of the office went on for a long time. And a lot of people adjusted their lives accordingly, and some drastically.

I will say that I personally know two or three people who I follow on Instagram, who I know or who I met who are now fully living in vans on purpose, so they can drive around the country and, like, appreciate nature or whatever it is they're doing, and work alone.

(LAUGHTER)

TIMPF: I'm not that into nature.

And work from their vans or coffee places. People like that, they're like, hey, I love nature. I love my van. I don't want to go back.

Some people made changes, and this lifestyle suits them and they just don't want to go back to how it was.

CAVUTO: Yes.

Gunz, what would it take to claw you out of your parents' basement?

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: By the way, you're not in your parents' basement.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I'm just curious. What would it take? What would it take?

Oh.

(LAUGHTER)

MIKE GUNZELMAN, FOX NEWS HEADLINES ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I actually -- I want to get out.

I have that personality where I thrive in an office setting. People see me in the hallway, they're like, yo, Gunz. I'm like, what's going on? Like, I need that.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: You're a very social guy. That's true. You are.

GUNZELMAN: These walls are getting smaller and smaller around me, Neil. I need to get out.

But I can't understand why some people are kind of hesitant to completely return. You look at like the technological advancements. Before the pandemic happened, the average person wasn't using Zoom or Slack. Now it's become routine, a normal part of our lives. So technology has made it easier.

And then also, like, what about those that are starting to feel stressed about 60 minutes, 90-minute commute back and forth twice a day? Like, that can kind of be a bummer. Like, why would people want to go back to that?

CAVUTO: Yes. Yes.

GUNZELMAN: And then also the parents aspect. Parents might want to be home with their children still, especially if they're young.

So, you combine all that and it's like, I will take a 5 percent pay cut, for those that want to. Not me, though. I need all the money I can get, Neil. Come on now.

CAVUTO: No. No.

Yes. I understand. You're a capitalist at heart. I admire that.

So, Kat, you're a busy capitalist, too.

TIMPF: Yes.

CAVUTO: You got all these hit shows you're on. You're doing a lot of different things. So, obviously, it's not easy for you to say, all right, I will do it all from home. I get that. But

a lot of people want a balance with that. Can I have one or two days at home and all that? What do you think of that? Because some companies are trying to meld the two. And some are going so far as to say, all right, you can keep it remote for a long, long time, maybe permanently.

Where are you on this?

TIMPF: All right.

Well, I mean, for me personally, obviously, as somebody who took off two days for her own wedding, I might be the wrong person to ask. But I love coming to work. And, again...

CAVUTO: That was one day too many, young lady, one day too many.

TIMPF: Yes, I know, right? I can't believe I didn't get fired.

CAVUTO: I didn't really like that, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

TIMPF: But, like, again, I'm coming in on a show where we sit there. We talk. We all have to be in person or it's a lot more difficult.

CAVUTO: Right.

TIMPF: But if you're someone who answers e-mails for a living, or -- I don't know what normal jobs are.

Banks, spreadsheets, whatever the normal jobs are that people have, and you're sitting at your computer anyway, you might say, what's the difference if I do it at home?

CAVUTO: Yes. You're right. It depends on the field. It does. You're right.

GUNZELMAN: Right.

CAVUTO: Gunz, like what would make you do it from home all the time? What would you give up? I know you're not keen on that. But what would you give up?

GUNZELMAN: I mean, I love social media. So I wouldn't give that up.

CAVUTO: Yes.

GUNZELMAN: But it would have to be it would have to be a lot in order to keep you home in all honesty.

But I do believe -- I thought the hybrid schedule was what we'd be going to. But with this variant, I think we're going to keep doing remote for a longer time, Neil.

CAVUTO: I think you're right.

GUNZELMAN: I think that's a big thing happening.

CAVUTO: Yes, I think you're right.

Guys, I want to thank you both. I didn't mean to jump on you.

But we got some news on the NIH director, Francis Collins, who wants to talk to us tomorrow about some of these spikes in cases and the kind of thing that could keep a little bit of this virtual work style going for a while.

Just how long is a while? We will find out tomorrow.

"THE FIVE" now.

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