- [speaker] at first, just leaving the house was hard. - [speaker] but wounded warrior project helps you realize it's possible to get out there - [speaker] to feel sense of camaraderie again. - [speaker] to find the tools to live life better. - [narrator] through generous community support, we've connected warriors and their families with no cost physical and mental health services, legislative advocacy, career assistance, and life skill training for 20 years, and we are just getting started. hey, there i'm stephen romo in for yasmin today.

blocked from the ballot, we're waiting for a move from a trump campaign. now that maine is joining colorado and keeping former presidents name off of its primary ballot. >> as we engage in this process, what is important is the meaning of the constitution, the facts before us, and that interpretation. there can be no other consideration. >> however, california decided it would allow trump to stay on the ballot there. with an election year fast approaching, what does this all mean for his campaign. plus, a showdown growing in texas. the justice department threatening to sue texas if it enforces a new state law that allows police there to arrest migrants who crossed the border without authorization. we will tell you how governor greg abbott is responding to that. counting down, new york city -- around the world are putting the final touches on the new year's eve celebrations. security remains a big concern. live report on how the city is

preparing. and, it was a banner year for women, from taylor swift to barbie, we will tell you why women helped everyone win bag in 2023. the u.s. supreme court, now expected to play a critical role in the battle to figure out whether donald trump will be allowed on individual state primary ballots ahead of the 2024 presidential election. maine is now the second state in the nation to disqualify trump from its primary ballot. a similar decision in colorado. main secretary of state decided that trump is ineligible because of his role in the january six insurrection. joining me now, jordan -- msnbc legal debt -- former prosecutor for the new york district attorney's office in manhattan. also nbc analyst glenn kirschner, former prosecutor and host of the justice matters podcast. jordan, let's start with. you in maine, joining colorado to keep trump off the ballot. bellows wrote that main

decision. the possibility of action from the supreme court on this, nullified, this those are her words saying that colorado's case nullified this ruling does not relieve me of my responsibility to act. do you think more states will try to follow this? walk us through the way that maine and colorado did this. there are two different processes at work here. >> that is right. it is possible that more states will follow it. but really, the bottom line is that all eyes are on the u.s. supreme court. whether they decided through this colorado case, the main case, or any other case. each state has its own procedures. we are seeing that playing out differently, even with how they got to them, with maine, it is the secretary of state in the first instance. in colorado, it was the judge. but really, if you're thinking about the question of how did we get a nationwide resolution, all of these cases are just a means to an end of getting the issue before the u.s. supreme court. and next, really what we are watching is whether and when the u.s. supreme court is going

to stepped in in this colorado case that is knocking at their door right now. >> reporter: jordan, just after the main decision, the secretary of state in california decided that trump would still appear on its primary ballot. and michigan had the whole effort rejected to disqualify him from the ballot there. how will this effort in other states and the potential supreme court ruling all play out for any other state the decides to give it a try? >> i'm glad you brought up those other rulings because something i want to emphasize is that these other states, they have effectively let trump be on the ballot. those decisions are really have not grappled with the key constitutional issues like maine and colorado have. really what we have seen is from the states that have actually delved into the real issues that could be in front of the u.s. supreme court, they both ruled against trump now. so each state has its own procedure. and that is why we're seeing

some of those rejections from other states, which were not rejections on the merits, it's just the other states essentially said that we are not going to get involved. so the split is on the bottom line, but it is important to note that the courts here in the main secretary of state -- once you actually get into the issue, it is a really tough case against trump. so each state has their own procedure but again, it is all going to come down to the u.s. supreme court and this colorado case gives them the chance to do it. >> that is really where the decision lies. jordan, thank you so much for that insight. glenn, let's bring you in here and turn to the special counsel, jack smith. he filed a motion to try to stop trump from injecting political arguments in this election interference case. smith is saying in part, quote, much as a defendant would like it otherwise, this trial should be about the facts and the law, not politics. do we know anything about the progress of the motion or how likely it is to get approved? >> steven, there is no progress

on the motion. that is because at the moment, judge tanya chutkan, the presiding trial court judge in donald trump's dc khan -- she can't act in the case because there is an appeal on what we call an interlocutory issue, whether donald trump is actually i from prosecution. that is now sitting with the d.c. federal circuit court of appeals. as long as it sits there there will be no progress on trial court matters for jack smith, as we have seen. they continue to file motions to put the defense on notice of what is coming, and in the event that the case is returned or remanded to judge chutkan, she will begin taking up these issues. the motion he filed that you just referred to, it is a motion in a fancy way to say that one party is trying to limit what the other party can't present by way of evidence or argue to the jury. i will say, these motions are pretty routine in criminal

litigation. jack smith is trying to say listen, these are the dos and don'ts, and we would like judge chutkan to reaffirm for the defense what some of those don'ts are so that they don't try to throw improperly prejudicial stuff into the jury box. >> from what we've seen so far, it's hard to imagine trump going along with that anyway. glenn, i also want to get your thoughts on what we've seen play out in colorado and in maine, and whether it could give trump more fuel for his claims that he is being politically persecuted and mistreated. could this all backfire? >> you know, in the political arena, donald trump will continue to make arguments that are sort of untethered to truth. and unbound by the rules of evidence. it would be a very different matter when these cases are in court. but what i really like, stephen, is there is nugget buried in the ruling from the colorado supreme court, and what they did was they actually quoted a ruling by then judge, neil

gorsuch, on the very question of whether states get to disqualify people from state election ballots. here is what then judge gorsuch said. now, of course, justice gorsuch, he said a state's legitimate interest in protecting the integrity and practical functioning of the political process permits the state to exclude from the ballot candidates who are constitutionally prohibited from assuming office. i have to say. that feels like a little bit of foreshadowing on at least how judge gorsuch, now justice gorsuch, will approach this issue. >> reporter: fascinating to see how that will play. out interesting tidbit there for certain. gwen, in the colorado case, th state gop, they are the ones who asked the supreme cot review the specific questions. if you would talk to us about their request and what it entails. >> yes, i think jordan, who was commenting a few moments ago

about how we are all kind of just waiting for thisssue to land at the supreme, whether donald trump is qualified or disqualified from being on the presidential ballot. i think inevitably it will hit the supreme court and they will have to wrestle with the issue of whether the plain language of section three of the 14th amendment, which says any officeholder who takes an oath and swears allegiance to the constitution who then engages in insurrection or gives aid and comfort to those who do, that person is disqualified from holding office in the future. i am not sure how the supreme court might manage to work its way around what is the plane, unambiguous language of section three of the 14th amendment. but i suspect we will know soon enough. >> even more uncharted territory. am i right? glenn kirschner. thank. you coming up at four pm,

symone sanders-townsend speaks to maine secretary of state, bellows, on about her decision to make trump ineligible for the ballot. and the appeal by the president. four pm eastern here on nbc's nbc. coming up in 60 seconds, for the second time the biden administration has bypassed congress to approve weapon sales to israel. a live report as israel's military continues and intense assault on gaza. that is next. assault on gaza. that is next

>> welcome back. for the second time this month the biden administration has bypassed congress to approve additional emergency arms sales to israel. secretary of state, antony blinken authorizing the sale of 100 and $47 million in equipment saying that it wouldn't affect u.s. defense readiness. the idf says that a pause military activity in the city of robert for four hours earlier today, for humanitarian purposes. hundreds of thousands of

palestinians are packing into refugee camps there, and the united nations is not more than half 1 million people are dealing with the risk of starvation. jay gray joins me now from tel aviv for more on. this we want to get to the latest on the ground there, also, do we know how these new arms from the u.s. will be used there? >> yeah. it appears that the shipment, which was sent for emergency reasons, the white house saying that it must get here as quickly as possible because it is desperately needed by the israeli army, it basically contains some of the parts and equipment needed to activate some of the ammunition sent with an early order from the u.s.. this is more of a support shipment than an actual arms or ammunition shipment, though we are told that there is some ammunition that is a part of the ship. we also know that the state department has told israel that they must, and i'm quoting here, comply with international humanitarian law and take every step feasible to avoid a harm to civilians.

of course, all of this is coming a secretary of state, uncanny blinken, is expected to make his fifth trip here in tel aviv next week. surely, this is something that will be discussed, along with a hostage situation in trying to figure out exactly how the me be able to get those sides back to the bargaining table there on the ground. the primary focus continues to be on eunice, the israeli military is saying that they are going to be there for an extended amount of time until all of the targets in that region are met. they are working furiously to find command and control centers. tunnel networks as well. they've exposed one in the region already, a pretty major tunnel network there, but they are looking for others they believe are in the region to the north. we are seeing airstrikes continue, drone strikes as well, and really when you talk to some of those on the humanitarian side of all of this, they will tell you that the fighting is justice intense, just as violent now as it has

been in any other part of this war, stephen? >> not slowing down as we round out the year. jay gray, thank you. meanwhile, more fears about this war spilling over. tensions are rising along israel's border with lebanon as israeli officials step up threats against the militant group, hezbollah. one general said that the military is an estate in high alert and has proved plans in a second front, if that battle opens up their. however, the idf says that the rockets fired by hezbollah have landed inside of lebanon before actually reaching israel. nbc news is unable to independently verify that number. joining me now is ambassador, former israeli consul general in new york, thank you for being with us today, so what do you make of the situation with hezbollah? what are the concerns for this larger regional role that could break out into a full-fledged new front in the war? >> it is exactly as you described, it's stephen. i mean, the fear from the

outset, from october 7th, the fear in the u.s. was that this could escalate and geographically, evolve or expand into a regional conflict. now, hezbollah is not hamas. hezbollah have tens of thousands of precision missiles. these are not area rockets that are shots at the tel aviv area that it may or may not hit. these are precision missiles. and, for that reason, president biden as early as october 10th in his white house speech, threatened, well, warned to be more mild, warned hezbollah and iran not to expand and not to escalate. he said don't, although he didn't name them by name. for that purpose, he dispatched to the middle east, to aircraft

carrier strike forces. the gerald ford and the eisenhower and later, on the marine expeditionary force and the nuclear sum marine. capable of carrying 400 or some, 450 cruise missiles. the whole idea that the u.s. was to prevent the various questions that you described accurately in your opening remarks, what is happening now is almost an intractable situation, an intractable problem. on the one hand, no one has a vested interest in escalating this, or escalation in general. on the other hand, israel cannot stay idle in front of these constant provocations. the question is, what is making hezbollah take?

what is their calculus? how much of iran is behind us and how much is the u.s. willing to deter them? i think, if i may add one more sentence, stephen, that the u.s. is worried not just of hezbollah, and escalatory steps, but also of israel's. >> yeah. the question of iran, can't leave that out. i also want to ask you about the hostage negotiation situation. that hamas agrees in principle about resuming negotiations to the release of more hostages. that's according to mediators and qatar. so, israel seems a bit wary of this, but how positive of a sign to think this could be? >> well, as a positive, the israeli government, the netanyahu government has relegated the hostages to a second, third, fourth priority on the list.

it's as if they don't care anymore. it is tragic and uncomfortable to say so. the qataris were playing a very positive role at this point in this, and they've come out reportedly, as you have mentioned, where they planned that israel calls attempted to preliminary, unfounded need to look at it, et cetera, et cetera. i think that the contours of a deal to free the hostages that are not combatants, meaning those that are not in uniform and those that are not soldiers, male and female, i think the contours are clear. hamas will let them, according to the qatar, according to what was reported as being the qatari plan, with american encouragement. a release of those 40, 50, 60, i don't know the exact number of hostages in exchange for it

one or two retailers. where that stands? i honestly don't know. >> the family of these hostages, caught in the middle of all of this. just agonizing for them. ambassador, we appreciate your time today, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> still ahead, as a migrant search continues, the justice department is now threatening to sue the state of texas if it implements a new state immigration law, we will have more on that. , plus as new york city prepares for the ball drop in the influx of tourists, they are already here, many people are still trying to get home after the holidays, so how is the busiest travel season of the year shaping up? we are checking in. and they look at who helped run the economy, and the world this year. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc.

one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. (man) mm, hey, honey. looks like my to-do list grew. "paint the bathroom, give baxter a bath, get life insurance," hm. i have a few minutes. i can do that now. oh, that fast? remember that colonial penn ad? i called and i got information. they sent the simple form i need to apply. all i do is fill it out and send it back. well, that sounds too easy! (man) give a little information, check a few boxes, sign my name, done. they don't ask about your health? (man) no health questions. -physical exam? -don't need one. it's colonial penn guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance.

if you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed in most states, even if you're not in the best health. options start at $9.95 a month, 35 cents a day. once insured, your rate will never increase. a lifetime rate lock guarantees it. keep in mind, this is lifetime protection. as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today. there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling. right now get a free footlong at subway. like the new deli heroes. buy one footlong in the app, get one free. it's a pretty big deal. kinda like me.

order in the subway app today. the chewy app has everything for pets. hungry pets, itchy pets, scratchy pets, and most importantly, your pet. every day great prices and 35% off your first authorship order. right to your door. download the chewy app. honey... honey... nyquil severe honey. powerful cold and flu relief with a dreamy honey taste. nyquil honey, the nighttime, sniffing, sneezing, couging, aching, fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold, medicine. welcome back.

all right, sheila, are you throwing a dress like a dad party, a birthday brunch, or a vow renewal for your dogs? yes! the right drinks delivered for any party. drizly.

this weekend, security is ramping up around new york city's famous new year's eve ball drop. vaughn forsman is on alert across the country as people get ready to welcome in 2020. for the state of vigilance is due to potential protests and even possible lone wolf attacks as tensions are heightened from the violence going on in the middle east. joining me now for more, nbc's george soliz from times square

in the heart of the big apple. george, i know the tourists are already out in force all around. how are people feeling about security ahead of the ball drop? >> hey, steven, a number of people that we've been speaking with feel pretty secure with the police presence they have been seeing building up to the iconic ball drop here in times square. keep in mind, right now authorities and officials are saying there's no credible threats in the city or in the. state have, course as you, mentioned given the unrest and tension in the middle east, there is obviously a closer eyeball on all things from foot traffic to things on social media. tourists we've been talking to say they have really noticed an increase in police presence. they've been keeping a close watch on all the alerts from the nypd, or other cities that -- the significance and the amount of people expected to turn out in major, cities not just here in new york, for new year's eve festivities. so here in times square, as you, know the party as. rocking you can hear the music

blasting. you can see the tourists that are flocking. many of them know they will be here for the long haul. seeing the police presence, even knowing there is a police presence but they can see, just to make sure they are, safe it's something a lot of people are very assured by. we caught up with a few people here in times square, enjoying the sights, the sounds, here is what they think about all of this in the city so far. >> i feel pretty safe. it is not -- with this crowd i don't feel intimidated. or that my safety -- i feel pretty relaxed. everything looks to be moving smoothly. everybody is having a good time. i'm, fine i feel safe. >> i'm not used to the crowds to this level. so we're glad to have some security around. >> it's cool. >> it's cool. >> you are cool? >> you are -- sometimes when we got a san francisco they feel scared. which they are not scared right now. so that's a good sign. >> obviously lots of smiles and cheers to go around at the moment here in new york in

times square. the nypd's expanding the perimeter more this year to make sure they have space to work around should there be some protests that we've seen at almost every single major holiday event here in the city. of course, everything since the october 7th attacks as well. overall people are ready to ring in 2024, it's a goodbye to 2023. so we are going to see and let them do that and keep hearing from those voices. happy new years eve eve to you. hopefully you can get out there and celebrate the new year's, see them. >> won't be going, there but i appreciate the alicia keys playing on a loop behind. you hope you enjoy that as well. happy new year's eve eve. turning now to holiday travel rush. millions are hitting the roads and taking to the skies this weekend to try to get to the new year's destinations or to get home from their holiday trips. this is surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to the tsa. joining us now from nbc, blaine alexander from the world's busiest airport in georgia.

>> reporter: if you're traveling through atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport, your experience today really depends on what time you actually arrive at the airport. for, instance right now what we are seeing at the world's busiest airport is a far cry from what we have seen earlier this morning. that is when it is really living up to its name, long lines, long waits, a lot of people waiting to process through security. right, now certainly a much lower trickle. however, this is certainly one of the busiest travel days around the country. now, what we are seeing here is around the country different airports. a number of long lines, people experiencing long wait times, tsa came into this holiday season expecting to process 115 million passengers. that is the second largest number since the year 2000. the largest number of passenger as we have seen since the pandemic. now, officials believe that certainly when you're looking at today, monday will be the busiest travel day. we are talking about new year's day, expecting to process one

-- 3.5 million travels. if you're not heading to the airport, if you're planning to hit the road, instead we are going to see a lot of volume there as well. in, fact in many cases, travel numbers from the airports and on the roads are exceeding pre-pandemic. numbers for those of you who are watching and waiting to decide what time you're going to get on the, road aaa says that the busiest time today is going to be between five and eight pm. certainly important to know as you plan your travel over this holiday weekend. back to. you >> important tips. blaine alexander, thank. you >> coming up, thousands of migrants are making the dangerous track to the u.s. border. hoping for a better life. but it comes as u.s. cities are struggling to deal with the surge of migrants already in the country. a live report on how places like new york city are trying to prepare for another influx. that is coming up next. that is coming up next. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive.

nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as 14 days. now i can help again. feel the difference with nervive. a carrier of migrants is headed my name is douglas. i'm a writer/director and i'm still working. in the kind of work that i do, you are surrounded by people who are all younger than you. i had to get help somewhere along the line to stay competitive. i discovered prevagen. i started taking it

and after a period of time, my memory improved. it was a game-changer for me. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription.

north through mexico. there's an estimated 7500 people from 24 different countries making the long dangerous journey to the u.s. border. this caravan set out just days before secretary of state blinken and other senior u.s. officials met with mexican president, lopez obrador, trying to find a way to address this historic surge in migration. in december, alone u.s. border authorities reported 225,000 illegal crossings. that is a new monthly record. the influx is overwhelming some border towns. especially in texas. republican governor, greg

abbott, recently signed a new state law allowing texas itself to charge illegal entry as a state crime. the justice department is now threatening to sue if texas tries to actually implement that law. saying it violates the constitution because enforcing the international border is a job for the u.s. government. this clash between federal officials and local leaders is no simple partisan issue. democratic mayors from new york, chicago, and denver, are pleading with the biden administration to do more, saying their cities just simply cannot afford to care for this many migrants. many of whom were bussed or flown from states like texas. nbc's antonia hylton joins us from new york city on this. it, tonya new york is trying to go the transportation method. try to make these bus arrivals at the very least more predictable. what can you tell us about that? >> that's right, steve, a new executive order from the mayor is in effect now and here are

the new rules. when buses come from places like texas here to new york, they need to get at minimum 32 hours of advanced notice. they can only arrive between 8:38 am and noon and they have to go to the port authority. they cannot just drive to any hotel or social center here in the new york city area and drop migrants off and leave them to fend for themselves. they need to go through an orderly process. that is part of the city's effort right now to scramble to take care of near record levels of migrants arriving here. this is a sanctuary state, laws here -- the laws here locally still require the new york step up and find beds and support. there is a whole network of nonprofits and lawyers who take action for that. but as much as there is this local effort, it is not just a national and political problem, it's an international one. take a listen to my conversation with man named julio. he just took a bus from texas here with his family to new york. you can hear the international politics in all of this.

>> [speaking in a global language] >> and you can hear when you hear families which is so often the case, they described violence and families from honduras, guatemala, it is not something that can be solved by mayor eric adams.

we need congress to take action. right now, because of the nature of congress and the fact that some lawmakers very openly don't see much of an incentive to really solve immigration challenges, it is hard to see into the crisis right now. >> such a difficult situation. so important to remember that there are real people involved here who are not at all prepared to be left in new york city in the middle of the night. such a difficult situation. tony hilton, thank you for your reporting. all right, let's bring in carlos curbelo, a former congressman from florida and the former political analyst. thank you for joining us today. a nice and sunny day behind you there. but serious questions here including the justice department including texas having until january 3rd which is wednesday to confirm that it will not enforce the new state law where police can arrest people before crossing the border without authorization. where do you see this going? >> that is what we see happening all over the country, as a federal government continues to fail and comes to immigration policy, by the way,

it includes congress is an action over the past few decades, you see states and cities like new york city, starting to take action some selves, and trying to resolve this pattern as best they can or at least alleviate the burden on their communities. obviously, governor abbott has been one of the most aggressive in this regard, clearly he has the support of a state legislator, and of the people of texas, at least the majority, because a lot of these border states and communities feel overwhelmed by all of these immigrants coming over in an irregular manner. this isn't the solution. the solution is in for every state in every city to adopt its own immigration policy. of course, the solution is for congress and the executives, whoever the president might be at the time, now it is president biden, to work together to address the root causes of these issues, and alleviate the burden on a lot of these communities, including big cities all over america

which have become the equivalent of border towns. >> the united states is trying to work with the mexican government, mexican authorities have started to clear out migrant camps along the border. that came after meetings with secretaries blinken and new york's. is this a sign the biden administration message actually go through mexico? >> it is important for the biden administration to do everything that they can to treat the mexican government has a partner when it comes to this immigration question. after the biden administration, it is important to show in the united states that they are doing their best to address this crisis well the reasons for all of this irregular immigration are complex, the politics are quite simple. most americans want to see an orderly, predictable immigration system in their countries. doesn't look good for the biden administration, for thousands of people to be coming across the border each day. so, trying to get a regional

partner to assist on this front is critical, and importantly for them, here domestically it, shows that they are taking this issue seriously and trying to solve it. >> on the topic of the federal government actually taking care of this instead of going state by state, congress went home for the holidays without signing an immigration bill, so where do you expect this to be on their priority list when they come back? >> steve, there's still a lot of hope on the hill that there will be a deal on immigration which of course will include funding for the ukraine and russia war and funding for israel and their war against hamas. republican senators are committed to working with their democratic colleagues to find a solution that's tenable and that can improve the situation at the border and can solve some of these long term problems with immigration. >> thank you so much for your time today.

>> thank you. >> after the break, on the topic of russia, officials are saying ukraine is hitting back with attacks in the country's southwest region just one day after russia launched its largest aerial assault on ukraine since the war started. the latest on the fighting coming up next. coming up next. [music playing]

mother 1: who is that? that's my doggie. charlie: cancer, it's different in a child because your child is still growing. i had 14 rounds of chemo. there's thousands and thousands of kids all over the world who need help. child: it is my first time having cancer, and it's the very worst. narrator: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. [music playing] mother 2: it's scary to watch your kid battle and fight for their lives. narrator: 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in the us will not survive. mother 3: childhood cancer is hard.

it's a long road. you just have to give. you have to give someone that hope-- and especially with them being so young. narrator: please call, go online, or scan the qr code for only $19 a month. families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food so they can focus on helping their child live. father: she grew up in this. so when we go to st. jude, she's happy because that's her home. every time i take her to the doctor, she's excited because she gets to play. and that's all because of st. jude. narrator: when you call or go online with your credit or debit card right now, we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt you can wear to show your support to help st. jude save the lives of these children. mother (speaking spanish):

narrator: every gift counts, and whatever you can give will make a difference. [music playing] (man) mm, hey, honey. looks like my to-do list grew. "paint the bathroom, give baxter a bath, get life insurance," hm. i have a few minutes. i can do that now. oh, that fast? remember that colonial penn ad? i called and i got information. they sent the simple form i need to apply. all i do is fill it out and send it back. well, that sounds too easy! (man) give a little information, check a few boxes, sign my name, done. they don't ask about your health? (man) no health questions. -physical exam? -don't need one. it's colonial penn guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. if you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed in most states, even if you're not in the best health. options start at $9.95 a month,

35 cents a day. once insured, your rate will never increase. a lifetime rate lock guarantees it. keep in mind, this is lifetime protection. as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today. there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling. welcome. back now for some of our top stories we are following today.

former president trump, attorney general, -- attorney michael cohen said in a court filing on friday that he accidentally sent his lawyer fictitious artificial intelligence generated documents that were later submitted to court. he said he mistakenly thought that the a.i. bot google bard was quote, just to supercharged search engine. the researching legal cases that would show president for eliminating his supervised release. he said in the filing that the cases produced by the a.i. service did in fact not exist. ohio's republican governor, mike define, has vetoed legislation that would've barred transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care. he said that's signing the bill would be, quote, saying that the state, the government, knows what is better for youth than their parents. the bill also sought to stop transgender athletes from taking part in women sports. , and make sure to check your powerball tickets later tonight. powerball jackpot for tonight's drawing is worth an estimated 760 billion dollars, making it

the sixth largest ever after no one match the winning numbers on wednesday. it is also the largest powerball jackpot of 2023. a grim outlook for ukraine ahead of the new year as russia carried out just a massive aerial attack on the country. it is the biggest from the air since the war started almost two years ago. russia unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles this weekend on populated civilian targets including a maternity hospital, a shopping center, kindergartens and apartment buildings. officials there saying 18 people or have been killed in 132 others have been injured in that country wide attack. nbc,'s megan fitzgerald, joins us from london. megan, what more can you tell us about this attack? could it be a sign of more violence in the new year? >> absolutely. this could certainly be a precursor for more violence in the new year. what we know is that ukraine has been saying for months that they feared russia would stockpile weapons to use in cold, bitter winter months,

which would resemble what the ukrainians saw last year where civilians and the country's energy grid was targeted, plunging thousands of people into the bitter cold and darkness. as you mentioned, yesterday ukraine saw attacks from the viva and the, west kharkiv in the, east and across the country. in the capital city of kyiv, the mayor there said two more bodies today were pulled from the rubble. bringing the death toll and his city to 13. the death toll across the country is over 30 people, with more than 100 people injured. no, ukraine has called for new year's day to be a national day of mourning. meanwhile, today, and a border city in russia, it came under attack. the kremlin is blaming ukraine, ukraine has not taken responsibility but more than a dozen people were killed in this border town, including children and over 100 people injured. russia now saying they will retaliate and just within the last couple of minutes we are getting word from the minister of the interior of ukraine that

kharkiv has been under attack again within the last couple of hours. we can see that this violence just continues to escalate as this war closes in on two years in february. >> reporter: wow, incredible that it's been a full two years and the fighting is just continuing. what has the u.s. said about this recent uptick in attacks? >> look, the focus is right now making sure that all the aid gets to ukraine. we know that there is a bill being held up right now, money that is being held up right now in congress. there is concern, certainly, by the president of ukraine that the money will slow up. we know that there is other things happening across the world where attention is focused on different things. but we know that the president of the united states continues to reassure ukraine that the united states stands with ukraine in this fight against russia. >> reporter: all right, megan fitzgerald with the important update. thank you, megan.

still ahead, from taylor swift to beyoncé to barbie, women ran the world this year. we will take a look at how these women and more proved they could make the economy shimmer. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ th safe step' standard heated t and new fast fill faucet, you can enjoy a nice warm bath up to 20% faster! and the convenient touch pad control is right at your fingertips. each tub comes standard with a dual hydrotherapy system. the ten water jets can help, increase mobility, relieve pain, boost energy, and improve sleep. while the microsoothe advanced air therapy system oxygenates and softens skin. safe step walk-in tubs are built to maximize safety. so you can stay in your home and enjoy the comforts of bathing again. so call now for more information and a free no obligation consultation.

call now to receive our best offer of the year! a free shower package plus $1,600 off! with the purchase of your brand-new safe step walk-in tub. the promise of america is freedom, equality, but right now, those pillars of our democracy are fragile and our rights are under attack. reproductive rights, voting rights, the right to make your own choices and to have your voice heard. we must act now to restore and protect these freedoms for us and for the future, and we can't do it without you. we are the american civil liberties union. will you join us? call or go online to my aclu.org to become a guardian of liberty today. your gift of just $19 a month, only $0.63

a day, will help ensure that together we can continue to fight for free speech, liberty and justice. your support is more urgently needed than ever. reproductive rights are on the line and we are looking at going backwards. we have got to be here. we've got to be strong to protect those rights. so please join the aclu now. call or go to my aclu.org and become an aclu guardian of liberty for just $19 a month. when you use your credit card, you'll receive this special we the people t-shirt member card magazine and more to show you're part of a movement to protect the rights of all people. for over 100 years, the aclu has fought for everyone to have a voice and equal justice. and we will never stop because we the people,

means all of us. so please call or go online to my aclu.org to become a guardian of liberty today. welcome back.

2023 was a magnetic year for

women, from the music we listen to, to the movies we watched. this year put the funnel back into our everyday lives. all of that excitement really made an impact, from women in entertainment to those dominating in the workplace. women added billions of dollars to the economy this year. msnbc senior business correspondent, christine romans. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: no questions asked. in 2023, women are running the u.s. economy. from the silver screen, to a blockbuster success for not one, but two major stadium tours. female touring artists drove 72% overall sales that stubhub. swift's eras tour, the biggest in stubhub history, both taylor and queen bey pumping millions of dollars into the economies of every city they dazzled. into theaters, hotels, hair salons, and transportation. the nationwide economic benefit

is staggering! swift's eras tour's contributing 5.7 billion dollars into the u.s. economy. beyoncé's renaissance tour tacking on another four and a half billion. >> reporter: the number one movie? -- >> hi barbie. >> i can. >> barbie! protocol in four billion dollars worldwide. >> beyoncé, taylor swift, and bobby mayer sailed the taylor -- >> taylor swift effect even infiltrating the nfl. her newfound love with travis kelce increasing ticket prices for some games 43%. >> reporter: it wasn't just the megastar is making their mark. women saw record-breaking workforce participation with over 77% of women in their prime working years looking for a finding employment. >> everyone was going to concerts, they were also doing a lot of work, especially women! >> reporter: notable gains, but they still make 20% less than men for the very same job.

women of color remain under represented. >> i want to take a victory lap. i know you often caution some of the hurdles that can keep women from full participation. >> in closing that pay gap, it will help with all of the other things that inhibit women. like childcare caused, medical costs, having to be that person for their families that are looking both after children and aging parents. >> there is no question that women are eager to take their shot. female entrepreneurs receiving five billion dollars in loans, 69% higher than 2020. >> the opportunities in the workforce have gotten wider. women have been a beneficiary of that high demand for talent in the workplace. women's progress cannot be taken for granted. it has to be nurtured. >> reporter: one shiny success at a time. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ i think taylor swift and

beyoncé just carry the whole economy this year. our thanks to christine romans for that report. we have a lot more coming. up you're watching msnbc. our second hour starts right now. welcome back. i am stephen romo filling in for yasmin today. we are counting down, just two weeks from the iowa caucus and the republican candidates are crisscrossing through the state. this weekend they try to make their last ditch efforts to win over voters. how they are doing coming up in a live report. as 2023 comes to a close, there is at least one person who might not be looking forward to the new year. that is former president donald trump. his counter is packed with court dates. i will talk to a legal expert about what we can expect to see in the upcomg year. the most unproductive year in decades. the 118th congress passed only

20 bills that end up being signed into law. i will talk to freshman congressman seth magaziner on his first year in the. hill plus a former first lady to pop icon. we will remember those we lost in 2023. we begin in the middle east as the war between israel and hamas is one of its deadliest stretches yet. according to officials in gaza, nearly 250 people have died in the last 24 hours alone with israel saying it is expanding its mission in central gaza. meanwhile, the biden administration has once again sidestepped congress to approve millions in additional arms sales to israel. nbc's jay gray joins us from tel aviv with more on this. jay, we are hearing that there was a brief pause in fighting in the city of rafah for some humanitarian aid. what do we k that? >> stephen, you are absolutely right. an area that is desperate for humanitarian aid. a four hour pause in the fighting in rafah. thousands there living in