has trump up 16 points on nikki haley. that poll conducted in the last two days. nikki haley has got a big hill to climb in the next week. >> a lot of work to do. that does it for us this morning, ana cabrera picks up the coverage right now. ahead, the big four at the white house, congressional leaders get an invite to meet with the president with a partial government shutdown days away. and later, wicked cold, 90 million americans under alerts for freezing temps with another winter storm on the way.

♪♪ hello, and thank you for being with us. it is 10:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. we begin with donald trump back in court for the second day in the defamation case brought by writer e. jean carroll. this time with carroll herself expected to take the stand as the first witness. carroll is seeking $10 million in damages arguing trump ruined her reputation with the comments he made during and after his presidency. now, today's proceedings follow an intense jury selection process where trump and carroll came face to face for the first time in more than 25 years. nbc's garrett haake is covering the trump campaign, joining us from new hampshire this morning. also with us nbc's rehema ellis who's following developments in the courtroom along with our legal analyst former assistant manhattan district attorney catherine christian. so rehema, carroll did testify in her first defamation trial, but not with trump sitting right there in the courtroom. set the stage for us. what can we expect today?

>> we can expect it to be very tense in court today. it will be a long day for e. jean carroll. she is going to take the witness stand. i'm looking at notes coming from our producer who's inside. donald trump has entered the courtroom. he's taken off his overcoat and he's sitting down. e. jean carroll has not yet entered. the expectation is that her attorney is going to question her for about two hours. after that she will be cross examined by donald trump's attorney. under direct examination, she's expected to talk about how her life has changed as a result of the disparaging comments from donald trump that she was harassed, received death threats, even rape threats as a result she says of the comments at he made, comments that were disparaging of her even up until yesterday morning before court entered, something like 20 some odd disparaging remarks about her. so the very thing that she is going into court about is continuing, and that's part of what she is going to be saying, that he has ruined her reputation, ruined her life, made life very difficult for

her. very interesting too, the judge said yesterday that these jurors are only to consider the damages and that this is about punishing. that was his word, to punish donald trump for what he's saying, and hneyeras been saying hopefully that punishment will be severe enough to stop this kind of threats being made against her. >> these words that have been led to the threats by some of trump's supporters that have totally changed her life, according to her attorney. so katherine, as carroll takes the stand with trump sitting right there with this jury now listening in about to decide his fate, what are you going to be listening for? how do you approach this if you're her attorney in the questioning process? >> what you're going to hear her talk about, trauma. pain, humiliation, you know, being terrified when i received death threats and rape threats, how it destroyed my career. i had a successful career as an advice columnist, and i don't have that anymore.

you know, nightmares. you're going to hear those words because she's -- that's the damage. what harm did his -- did donald trump's defamation cause her? trauma, pain, loss of income, so she is going to testify to that. two hours is not a long time. it will be interesting. with him sitting there, will that cause her pain and trauma just looking at him, particularly if he's going to be scowling, and if he does scowl, will the judge make a comment to his attorneys and make it clear that he has to have a poker face? so i'll be looking for that, that what she's going to outline because she wants $10 million, so she's going to have to let the jury know how $10 million is going to compensate, is it too much, should she get less, but it's going to be her testimony that's going to determine that. >> imagine that she really wants them to feel her pain and what she's experienced through all this. garrett, trump was there yesterday. he then flew to new hampshire

for a rally. he's back in new york city this morning. how is he spinning this on the campaign trail, and why did he opt to be in court when he doesn't have to be? >> reporter: well, ana, he's running something of a commuter campaign right now back and forth from the courtroom in new york to the campaign trail here in new hampshire. we'll see the exact same thing happen today. i think the reasons are obviously in part personal for donald trump to want to be in court on this case, but also politically. he's basically making the same argument around his court appearances that he's making on the campaign trail. the idea that he's somehow being unfairly targeted be it by the biden justice department or democratic prosecutors or by judges or complainants whom he thinks are somehow out to get him. when he makes these remarks on the campaign trail, he gets a significant response from his reporters in the room. here's how he talked about this yesterday on trail in atkinson, new hampshire. >> i come here. i meet with great groups in new hampshire. i get in a plane late at night

when it's snowing and freezing out, wonderful, and the pilots say, sir, it's going to be tough. and i get there early in the morning. i go to a biden witch hunt, and then i come here in the afternoon, and i stop and we make speeches, and we get your votes and all that stuff. but nobody's ever had to do this before. >> reporter: so ana, two things out of this. first of all, nobody has to do this now. trump is not required to be in this courtroom. and secondarily, you hear him talk about this is a biden witch hunt. this is not a case that has anything to do with joe biden in the law, in reality, but it has that space in the minds of his supporters, and i've found in my travels increasingly in the minds of other republican voters, even though who aren't supporting donald trump, they do tend to very much believe he is being targeted by the justice system kind of across the spectrum of the cases he's facing right now. >> garrett haake, thank you for that reporting. so trump's playing the victim card, even though he is the

accused here, and he's been convicted essentially. i know it's not a criminal case. this is a civil case. the wording's a little bit different. catherine is it unusual for a defendant to be there during jury selection. this jury as we discovered didn't know who the defendant was until they showed up in court yesterday. do you think he was trying to send a message to them by his presence just being there? >> oh, definitely. it is unusual for in a civil case for the defendant to show up. has an absolute right to be there, but he did not have to be there. i think this was not a legal strategy. this was a political strategy, and as your reporter said, this is a civil case that was filed when he was president. it has absolutely nothing to do with doj or joe biden. this is a personal lawsuit by ms. carroll against donald trump. >> court is in session i am told, so we'll be looking for any new developments that come out. in the meantime, rehema, what can you tell us about this jury

selected yesterday? >> well, there are nine members of this jury, seven men, two women as i understand, and in the jury selection, what they came down to, they've got an er doctor and one who is a transit worker, a mother. the judge was asking many of the prospective jurors questions. one of the questions he asked was raise your hand or tell me does anyone here believe that the last election was stolen. two people raised their hand indicating they felt the last election was stolen. no surprise, they were not selected for this particular jury. but that jury selection process took two hours plus yesterday. so now here we are with these nine members, seven men and two women. >> and as far as what we might hear from trump's defense, his lawyer argued yesterday during the opening statement that president trump's statements did not harm carroll but, in fact,

quote, it's the exact opposite. she has gained more fame, more notoriety than she could ever have dreamed of, end quote. >> that's the blame the victim defense. it's not what my client donald trump said to her. in fact, she is enjoying that because it brought her publicity. of course the reality is she would argue the negative publicity. it brought her all the nuts came out and started attacking her the same way that donald trump did, you know, sending her messages, threatening her, harassing her. so this is the blame the victim. she wasn't harmed. she's made money, and that's what her testimony is going to be today to tell that jury and look at them and to say the absolute opposite thing happened to me. this is the harm and trauma this man's statement did to me. >> this is a case about damages, so defamation has already been proven. the judge said the jury doesn't

get to decide that. they have to accept that as fact, and yet, trump continued to defame e. jean carroll even yesterday while he was sitting there in the courtroom according to her attorneys that he was posting on social media like 22 times, rehema mentioned this, what they call lies about carroll and this particular case. he's also been attacking the judge. can the judge do anything about this? >> the judge can, you know. he can -- we'll find out today if the judge has any comments about what donald trump is doing outside of the court. and admonish him. i mean, we've seen this happen before with donald trump. it will be interesting because this is a federal court, federal rules and federal judges tend to be much more strict than state court, so we'll see if donald trump crosses the line, will the judge just overlook it? i doubt it because there's a jury here! right. >> the civil fraud trial it was just a judge. the judge wasn't worried about any prejudice happening towards a jury. there's a jury here and i predict if donald trump crosses that line, he will be slapped

down by this judge very quickly and his attorneys. in fact, the judge stopped his attorney yesterday during opening when she crossed the line, so i don't think we'll see the same type of behavior by mr. trump or his attorneys, and if it is, it will be a very harsh punishment that will happen by this judge. >> catherine christian, rehema ellis, thank you both. please stay close as we continue to watch the developments in the courtroom this morning. and we are gearing up for a granite state showdown. six days until the new hampshire primary, how trump, haley and desantis are making their case to voters. plus, the president's set to meet with top congressional leaders at the white house this afternoon. what's on the agenda as lawmakers race to stop a partial government shutdown. also ahead, wicked weather, record setting cold blanketing the country impacting millions, and there is another winter storm in the forecast. you're watching "ana cabrera reports." we're back in just 60 seconds. w.

n that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks. treat and prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. relief is possible. talk to a doctor about nurtec odt. power e*trade's award-winning trading app makes trading easier. with its customizable options chain, easy-to-use tools and paper trading to help sharpen your skills, you can stay on top of the market from wherever you are. e*trade from morgan stanley power e*trade's easy-to-use tools make complex trading less complicated. custom scans help you find new trading opportunities, while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market. e*trade from morgan stanley

we are now just six days out from the next big contest of the 2024 campaign. the new hampshire primary, and we will see all three candidates on the ground there today. but what we won't see is another debate. both debates now scrapped after nikki haley refused to participate without donald trump on the stage. meanwhile, our nbc news team is reporting that the ron desantis strategy appears to be survival mode, staying in the race for as long as he can, and that his team's thinking is that he, quote, doesn't have to win next week's new hampshire primary, but he needs nikki haley to lose. and we just got a new snapshot of where things stand there in new hampshire, which disclaimer, can be hard to poll. this new poll shows donald trump leading the field with 50%, nikki haley in second, 34%, up 29 points over ron desantis. nbc news correspondent dasha burns is in han chester, new hampshire, for us. desantis hasn't spent hardly any

time really in new hampshire compared to iowa and doesn't appear his strategy is to actually win there. so how is he making the case to voters to stay in this race? >> reporter: no, ana, this is not desantis territory. it never has been. he does not do very well with the voter base that nikki haley is succeeding with, those independents, those moderates here in new hampshire, it's undeclared voters. even some democrats that might be trying to participate in this primary just because the rules here are different than they are in iowa, than they are in south carolina. so his team knows this, but here's what's interesting. i was watching the cnn town hall last night, and over the course of the last few months, the governor does sound like a pretty different candidate than what he sounded like at the outset of the race when he really was pushing so far to the right of trump, he was focused on the disney fight. he was focused on wokism, that he said woke just about every other word. last night i did not hear that

word come out of his mouth. he was focusing on policy. he was trying to really talk to the people. he was giving personal anecdotes. he was sounding like, you know, a human being, which i know from talking to advisers behind the scenes has been a challenge for them to try to humanize this candidate. and he is making the case coming out of iowa that, look, he punched his ticket out of iowa as he said, meaning he's got in second place. he's able to move forward here, and they're looking now towards south carolina. but he's making the case about what voters might be looking for. take a listen to what he said last night. >> you still had roughly half of the iowa caucus goers that made another choice, and so that shows me, that tells me that there is an appetite for a different leader. >> reporter: and this is why they are trying to remain in the survival mode to get to south carolina where they believe nikki haley will struggle in her home state, and they think that at that point they could turn it into very practically, not symbolically as they've all been

trying to pretend is a two-person race, they think it's south carolina, that's when it can become a two-person race, and that's when they can coalesce that other half that they believe exists of republican voters that don't want trump to be the nominee. >> desantis isn't exactly polling well in south carolina either. let's bring in republican strategist susan del percio and democratic strategist basil smikle. here's more of our nbc news reporting about the thinking inside the desantis campaign. at best, desantis is in full-on survival mode. at worst he's living in fantasy lane. his team is rallying around the idea that he has a path to the nomination if he can get into an extended one-on-one fight with trump across the country. at least holding on but that nikki haley is defeated and that that would wipe her out and now it's a mono on mono, does that make sense? >> no.

even if nikki haley is wiped out, let's just say south carolina she comes in third. it doesn't mean desantis has won anything. you have to win states to get the nomination, and frankly, desantis has another big problem, and that's campaign money. he's went through a lot of cash. his super pac is -- those donors are hesitant. he's not raising money at the same clip, and why would people want to support him now? the path is clear that it will be donald trump unless something just -- that we can't plan for happens. but they are right about nikki haley having -- if she doesn't win new hampshire, she's also knocked out. it does nothing for ron desantis. ron desantis is done, and frankly, if his adviser were worried about him and his future, they'd tell him to step out now. if he runs again, all they're going to say next time is he lost in iowa, he lost in new hampshire, he lost in south carolina, he lost in nevada.

so better not to just be a loser and just say it wasn't my time. >> do you agree? >> absolutely right. there's a strategy for coming out, how to make that exit and how to, as they say in sports, give yourself an opportunity for future consideration, right? >> is that what his advisers do you think are telling him? >> i don't know if they're telling him that. what they're clearly telling him is be more relatable. maybe that was advice they could have given him a year ago instead of trying to be the anti-woke candidate to the right of donald trump because if you're going to go to the right of donald trump, why not just vote for donald trump. but i think on the nikki haley piece, what's interesting is that donald trump consolidated evangelicals behind him, which he didn't have in 2016. south carolina has a lot of evangelical vote. they're a more conservative vote than nikki haley's trying to be in this race, and so what's interesting to me is will she lose her home state. >> where she was governor. >> where she was governor. and so i do think new hampshire

is her last stand. i think she has a better opportunity there because of the independent voters that are more gravitating -- gravitating more toward her, but i just don't see where donald trump doesn't win this. >> oh, i agree with you, but i also think if she wins new hampshire, the koch network is behind nikki haley, they can pour tens of millions of dollars in south carolina. i'm not saying it's enough to get her to where she needs to go, but at least, again, there's somewhat of a very narrow path. >> and she would have some momentum at that point. >> exactly. what do you see is the impact of no more debates, at least not for this next contest. >> i think haley made a great decision. i think that was great campaign advice. donald trump's not showing up? why should i? and it elevates her and puts her at that stand. >> i'm sorry, and remember too, it's a delegate race, so there's going to come a point in time where the distance between what donald trump has and what these other candidates have, it can't

be made up anywhere as we go into super tuesday, and so that is part of the calculation. every candidate has to make that case to them to say i have a path, but once that path really starts to narrow because you can't make up the difference, you got to step out at some point. >> trump is still lobbying attacks, of course, at his opponents after initially saying let's all come together after he won iowa, and now he's referring to nikki haley by her formal first name, which is nimrada, that seems pretty obvious what he's trying to do, now? >> he did it for barack obama in talking about this kenyan running for office and the birtherism. he believes it worked for him then. he's going to try it now. he's already done it when he talked about her heritage and her ability to -- and perhaps her inability to run for president because of her indian heritage. now, having said that, it puts haley -- it puts nikki haley in a tough position because she has

down played her background consistently. she couldn't even say the word slavery and she just said america is not a racist country. which we have sound of, let's play it. >> are you a racist party? are you involved in a racist party? >> no. we're not a racist country, brian. we've never been a racist country. our goal is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. are we perfect? no, but our goal is to always make sure we try and be more perfect every day that we can. >> right. [ laughter ] >> this was after she got a lot of blowback following her comments about the civil war where she just omitted that slavery was behind it. she must think this works for her, though? >> well, actually, if she really wanted to make a difference in her campaign, she'd come out hard on donald trump on this. she would say i'm proud of my full name. here it is, donald trump. that's what concerns you? well, i believe -- and lay out a

stronger policy. lay out an immigration policy. do something with it, but just to sit there and ignore it, it seems like actually a lost opportunity for haley. >> put her in a really tough position, it will be interesting to see how she comes back. >> basil smikle, thank you so much. thank you, susan del percio. up next, the president and the big four congressional leaders invited to the white house this afternoon with a partial government shutdown still looming. also ahead, the newly released 911 audio shedding light on the hospitalization of defense secretary lloyd austin. you're watching "ana cabrera reports." stay right there. atching "ana ca reports. stay right there preservision areds2 contains the exact nei recommended, clinically proven nutrient formula to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. thanks to preservision, i feel better that i'm doing something about it like millions of others.

preser♪ision. students... students of any age, from anywhere. students in a new kind of classroom. ♪ using our technology to power different ways of learning. ♪ harnessing ai to plant new beginnings. ♪ so when minds grow, opportunities follow. there is a lot of information out there. hamas is a terrorist group oppressing the palestinian people. hamas refused a continued ceasefire, a continued pause in fighting and more aid from israelis in exchange for just freeing more hostages. instead, hamas resumed attacks. not to protect the palestinian people or obtain peace, only to destroy israel. we must stand against hamas and stand with palestinians and israelis for basic human rights.

in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart, efficient, savvy. making the most of every opportunity. that's why comcast business is introducing the small business bonus. for a limited time you can get up to $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet. yup, $1000. so switch to business internet from the company with the largest fastest reliable network. give your business a head start in 2024 with this great offer. plus, ask how to get up to $1000 prepaid card

with qualifying internet. welcome back. new u in washington today where in just a few hours spooid president biden is set to meet with the big four. three sources telling nbc news that negotiations will center around u.s. aid for ukraine and israel all while republicans

insist on more money for the border. these tensions come as the clock ticks closer to a powerful partial government shutdown this friday. so joining us nbc news chief white house correspondent peter alexander and our julie tsirkin on capitol hill. peter, what are you learning about this big four meeting, who will be there exactly and what's on the azwraen? >> this is certainly a crucial conversation, and the first face-to-face discussion between president biden and congressional leaders in months. he hasn't met face to face with speaker mike johnson the new house republican speaker since october. they will both be in the room today, chuck schumer, mitch mcconnell, and hakeem jeffries as well as leaders from those key committees, appropriations, foreign affairs, foreign relations, the intelligence committees as well, and the key topic of conversation the white house insists here is going to be the issue of ukraine.

the president initially calling for $110 billion in new funding to ukraine, israel, and to the border as well. the president saying that if this is not passed immediately -- in fact, they said that even a month ago -- they said this could effectively hand the victory to vladimir putin in ukraine right now. republicans have really fought back on this issue. they've stalled any approval of any of this money based on their desire for a stronger crackdown on border policies right now. the president agreeing that he is open to concessions on these issues, but that really has been the holdup to this point, and some of the key concessions that may be at stake here that are on the table, whether to make it more difficult to gain asylum in the united states, republicans also wanted to restrict the use of an immigration policy known as humanitarian parole, and mike johnson who you see there, has basically said that house republicans will not go long with. they will not approve what's being knocked out, hammered out by senators from both parties

right now, which means there's a real potential they face a stalemate with the urgency ramping up right now. >> julie, because of this partial government shutdown, there is major urgency. the senate moving ahead, but in the house, what kind of bind, i guess does speaker johnson have to try to navigate with such a slim majority? this was the issue after all that brought kevin mccarthy down. >> reporter: yeah, and totally, ana, johnson just a couple of moments ago holding a briefing with the press actually acknowledging that, saying this is the slimmest majority they've had to deal with. it's a message that should be directed at some of those hard line conservatives that keep pushing him to go farther and farther in their direction, despite johnson saying in order to keep the lights on, they have to cut some deals with the democratic majority in the senate. take a listen to his full remarks here and we'll talk about it on the other side. >> right now as it sits, the house republicans have the second smallest majority in history. we have 218 right now to 213 on

the other side, and beginning next monday, we'll be at 217. literally the smallest republican majority in the history of the congress and the second smallest of all time, rivalled only by the 65th congress in 1917 during world war i before women had the right to vote. >> reporter: now, remember, johnson did reverse course slightly on the stopgap funding measures. the last time he passed one in november, the two-tiered structure that brings us to that first shutdown deadline on friday, he said he's not going to do it anymore. now he's realized there isn't enough time on the calendar. he's a new leader. he's new to this position. he's realizing things do take a lot of time behind the scenes to figure out. now he's going to try and force his members to pass a new stopgap continuing resolution that takes us into march 1st and march 8th keeping the structure of those deadlines. it's work that the senate already began last night overwhelmingly approving the procedural step to get there. we'll see if the house can do it

today. certainly a lot of things that johnson is contending with. quickly here, he also said in the press conference, his message to biden today, border, border, border. >> julie tsirkin, peter alexander, thank you so much for that reporting and keep us posted after this meeting this afternoon. meantime, house republicans are putting pause on efforts to hold hunter biden in contempt of congress. the reason? his lawyers along with the house judiciary and oversight committees have renewed conversations about scheduling a date for him to testify. and this latest development comes after you'll recall hunter's dramatic appearance on capitol hill where the president's son dropped into a committee hearing focused on holding him in contempt over skipping a closed door deposition. at that time he had said he would only testify publicly. this morning, a newly released 911 call is shedding new light on the hospitalization of defense secretary lloyd austin, which you'll remember the white house wasn't told about for days. in the audio obtained by nbc

news, at least one aide asks that an ambulance not show up with lights and sirens saying they wanted to remain, quote, a little subtle. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from washington with more on this. gabe, what else does this audio reveal? >> reporter: hi there, ana. good morning, well, this 911 call reveals that at least one aide to secretary lloyd austin wanted to keep his hospitalization as quiet as possible, and that's remarkable, ana, because as you know, the secretary was overseeing multiple military operations across an increasingly tense middle east and beyond. >> fairfax county 911, where is your emergency? >> it was new year's day, just after 7:00 p.m. when lloyd austin's aide called 911 from the defense secretary's home. >> can i ask -- can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? we're trying to remain a little subtle. >> yeah, i understand. yeah, usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they'll turn them off.

>> in the newly released audio obtained by nbc news, the dispatcher then asks about austin's condition. >> did he pass out or does he feel like he's going to pass out? >> no. >> the pentagon previously said austin was taken to the hospital for complications following a surgery to treat prostate cancer about two weeks earlier. >> if we need them to take him to walter reed medical, is that a possibility? >> let them know that when they get there. >> reporter: doctors at walter reed say austin was first diagnosed in early december, the 911 call now adding to questions about why president biden was not informed of that diagnosis for a month. >> does the president think that's acceptable? >> it is not optimal. >> reporter: the white house wasn't even told about austin's new year's day hospitalization for three days, neither was austin's deputy who had taken over some of his duties while she was vacationing in puerto rico. the intensely private austin later said he took full responsibility and could have done a better job ensuring the

public was appropriately informed. the president says he still has full confidence in him but -- >> was it a lapse in judgment for him not to tell you earlier? >> yes. >> the pentagon's inspector general is now reviewing all of this. secretary austin left the hospital on monday and is now working from home, ana. >> gabe gutierrez, thanks. we have breaking news involving kate, the princess of wales expected to be in the hospital for at least ten days after elective abdominal surgery. we'll get the latest from london. also ahead, the new blast of winter weather on the way while millions of americans are still shoveling themselves out from the last storm. shoveling themselves out from the last storm

this election is a choice between results or just rhetoric. californians deserve a senator who is going to deliver for them every day and not just talk a good game. adam schiff. he held a dangerous president accountable. he also helped lower drug costs, bring good jobs back home, and build affordable housing. now he's running for the senate. our economy, our democracy, our planet. this is why we fight.

i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message. not just any whiteboard... ...katie porter's whiteboard is one way she's: [news anchor] ...often seen grilling top executives of banks, big pharma, even top administration officials. katie porter. never taken corporate pac money - never will. leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading. and the only democrat who opposed wasteful “earmarks” that fund politicians' pet projects. katie porter. focused on your challenges - from lowering housing costs to fighting climate change. shake up the senate - with democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message. we're back with breaking news from the united kingdom. the princess of wales kate middleton has been admitted to the hospital after an abdominal surgery.

the surgery we're told was successful and that she's expected to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days. let's bring in nbc news foreign correspondent molly hunter. molly, what are you learning? >> that's right, 10 to 14 days is getting a lot of attention. that is a long stay in the hospital. all the information that we have is from kensington palace. kate, the princess of wales was admitted to the hospital, the london clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. the surgery the statement says was successful. we're also learning from a kensington palace source, it is not cancerous. that is very good news. kate is 42 years old, no major medical issues we're aware of, but she is expected to remain in the hospital as you mentioned for almost two weeks, so very serious recovery time. then we understand she'll return home to windsor to continue that recovery according to kensington palace. the statement also says she's unlikely to return to public duties until after easter. another three months of serious recovery. they say that's based on current medical advice, but that's a

long time out of view, ana. the last time we saw kate was a couple of weeks ago celebrating christmas at son dring ham. the princess says she would really appreciate privacy at this time especially for her three kids. the statement says kate looks forward to getting back to her duties as soon as possible. she's even apologizing to those concerned. this is generating a ton of interest over here on this side of the pond. a kensington palace source tells nbc news that the prince of wales, william her husband, of course, will postpone a number of upcoming engagements to support his family. of course be by the side of his wife but also his three young kids. he will not undertake any official duties while his wife is in the hospital and we don't expect any international travel for either kate or william in the next few months. so really thinking about this family. i'm jooking down at my computer because unbelievably in the last few mut we have actually just gotten another statement, this time from

buckingham palace. i'm just going to read it right now. it says in common with thousands of men each year, the king -- that's charles, of course -- has ht treatment for an enlarged prostate. his majesty's condition is ni and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. the king's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation. major medical breaking news in the royal family. we've just learned the king will go into surgery next week, and we understand as i mentioned, kate, the princess of wales is in hospital and will remain there for at least 10 to 14 days. >> so you just brought that additional breaking news on the king. did we have any awareness that he was potentially having a health issue? >> we had absolutely no warning. this came out just moments before while you were on your break, ana. very surprised i guess this statement came out directly after the medical news about the princess of wales. but we have no additional information. of course we're asking sources. we are asking buckingham palace

for any additional information about that. but certainly no advanced warning. the good news at least in this four-line statement is that it says his condition is benign. so let's hope that this is corrective, that this is preventative, and hopefully both members of the royal family will be okay. >> okay, king charles going to the hospital next week for an enlarged prostate and the other breaking news, kate middleton, the princess of wales in the hospital currently following an abdominal surgery and more details on that hopefully to follow. thank you so much for the updates. molly hunter, back to our ore breaking news here in the u.s. right now e. jean carroll is on the stand in her second defamation case against donald trump. the former president is also in the courtroom. right now we're told carroll is testifying about her life and her career. and back with us is our legal analyst former assistant manhattan district attorney catherine christian. we got some color from the courtroom that when e. jean carroll walked up to take the witness stand, trump actually looked in the other direction avoiding making eye contact with

her. >> so not a glare, not a scowl, so that was fine. that was interesting that he didn't want to look at her. it's unclear whether or not she looked at him, probably did not. i'm sure it was obvious to -- if the jurors were looking, the jurors may have just been looking at ms. carroll, so there's also reporting that ms. carroll is doing exactly what she said she would do. she's talking about how her career was ruined by being called a liar and a whack job, and you'll see her continuing going through all of her professional and personal damages that have occurred because of donald trump's lies. >> so rehema, i know you were still looking at this google doc that has the realtime reporting from her testimony from the courtroom. what more can you tell us about what the jury is hearing and any additional potential interaction in terms of eye contact with the former president and e. jean carroll. >> well, it seems like it's a tough day for donald trump's attorney. she -- at the beginning of this, before the jurors walked into

the courtroom, she asked the judge for kindness, if you will, saying that e. jean carroll has not experienced a death in her family. as you know, the former president's mother-in-law has died, her funeral is on thursday. they had asked for the court to be delayed, postponed for him to attend. the judge said no, and that seemed to be the end of that, but today she brought it back up that there should be some sort of consideration for him. and he said no. she said, but he's not able to attend every day. he referred to the supreme court saying the supreme court says that the defendant is here, doesn't have to be, or his attorney represents them. sit down. she responded i don't like to be spoken to that way. the judge repeated sit down. your objection is not merited. sit down. what we're seeing now is that she is objecting also to just

the way that jean carroll was testifying. she is talking about her life. what it was like for her before these comments from donald trump, that she had a life growing up in rural indiana and went on to write for rolling stone, new york, glamour, "vanity fair," even be a writer on snl at some point, and then in 2019 when donald trump made remarks about her from the white house, she said, things changed dramatically. and at one point it's being asked if -- i'm looking here reading through the documents -- and she makes an objection meaning donald trump's attorney makes an objection, and the judge, judge louis kaplan says, quote, when you speak in this courtroom, you stand up. she's having a tough day here. >> it sounds like it. >> it does not seem like the judge is fond of the way that she is presenting her case for her client, but as is indicated here, it seems as if she's playing to one person, and it's not the judge.

it is her client, donald trump. >> what do you make of that sounds like combative nature and interaction between donald trump's attorney and this judge, catherine? >> it's completely appropriate for an attorney to fight for their client but there are lines that are set by the judge, and you can't cross them, so if -- and judges will always at the beginning say when you -- the jurors enter the room, you have to stand. you know, when you make an objection, you have to stand. some judges aren't like that. this judge is, so you have to abide by what the judge is telling you to do. and she'll be given some rope, but there's a jury there. the judge is not going to allow her to disobey his directives. >> i mean, it certainly sounds like the judge is trying to set a tone for his courtroom, especially because of the jury being there. >> indeed. resident me add this, however, the judge is giving her a little leeway in this sense. e. jean carroll is being asked about what happened at that department store where this

sexual assault occurred, and e. jean carroll said we met outside of bergdorf and he asked me to help him find a gift, and at that point she objects saying this is incredibly prejudicial. the judge says sustained and move to strike. and he says members of the jury, you have been notified what has already been established and that is that the sexual assault has already been established and he doesn't want to hear anything about it. >> they don't want to go back through it. thank you for coming back with us. up next on "ana cabrera reports," new strikes by american forces against iranian-backed houthi rebels in yemen, the threat they pose to the stability of the region and is this sustainable? and that's when i started looking for something that would help. when i first started taking prevagen, i noticed my memory was so much better. just stuff seemed to come together

and fit like a jigsaw puzzle in my mind. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. it's odd how in an instant things can transform. slipping out of balance into freefall. (the stock market is now down 23%). this is happening people. where there are so few certainties... (laughing) look around you. you deserve to know. as we navigate a future unknown. i'm glad i found stability amidst it all. gold. standing the test of time. ♪♪ on medicare? have diabetes? when enjoying life's special moments, are you left guessing which foods are right for you? with the freestyle libre 3 system, you'll know your glucose and where it's headed. no fingersticks needed. freestyle libre 3. manage your diabetes with more confidence... and lower your a1c. so you can focus on those special moments. now covered by medicare for more people

managing diabetes with insulin. talk to your provider or visit freestylelibre.us/medicare. ♪♪ (christina) with verizon business unlimited, freestylelibre.us/medicare. i get 5g, truly unlimited data, and unlimited hotspot data. so, no matter what, i'm running this kitchen. (vo) make the switch. it's your business. it's your verizon. (vo) if you have graves' disease, your eye symptoms could mean something more. that gritty feeling can't be brushed away. even a little blurry vision can distort things. and something serious may be behind those itchy eyes. up to 50% of people with graves' could develop a different condition called thyroid eye disease, which should be treated by a different doctor. see an expert. find a t-e-d eye specialist at isitted.com

more breaking news just in the last few minutes, the united states is redesignating the yemen-based houthis, an iranian-backed group as a global

terrorist group following those three u.s. strikes against the group in recent days over attacks on vessels in the red sea. and this morning as fears are mounting about wider regional tensions, secretary blinken says he feels a, quote, fierce urgency to find a long-term solution overall for the middle east as he expresses concern about what's happening in gaza. >> for me, i think for so many of us, what we're seeing every single day in gaza is gut wrenching, and the suffering we're seeing among innocent men, women, and children breaks my heart. >> let's go nbc's raf sanchez joining us from tel aviv. raf, what more can you tell us about these developments involving the houthis and the challenges facing israel and gaza right now? >> reporter: so, ana, this is really interesting, the houthis were initially designated as a terrorist organization by the

trump administration. biden administration almost immediately took them off the list because they said that designation was hampering efforts to get humanitarian aid into yemen. now they're putting them back on, and they say this is designed to try to cut off their funding to put more pressure on them to stop these relentless attacks on cargo ships. this morning conflict in the middle east continuing to flare-up far beyond israel and gaza. new strikes by american forces against iranian-backed houthi rebels in yemen who are stepping up attacks in the red sea, threatening global shipping. u.s. central command says it destroyed four houthi missiles that were ready for launch and posed an imminent threat to both merchant and u.s. navy it is s assault against hamas after three months of war. but launching ground and air strikes on the city of khan younis, where thousands are sheltering. israel also announcing a diplomatic breakthrough, hamas

allowing medicine to finally be delivered to the hostages, in exchange israel letting more medical supplies into gaza for palestinian civilians. the hostages missing milestones every day. sharah was born five weeks ago with curious eyes and two older sisters who adore her. but she's missing one thing, her father is one of six american hostages still being held in gaza. his wife, 7 months pregnant on october 7th, giving birth without him. segui has never held his baby girl, doesn't mean her name, which means dawn in hebrew or that his family survived the attack. if you could speak to him, what would you tell him about his new daughter? >> i would say that she is the most beautiful thing i've ever seen. there will come a time when he is going to enter a room somewhere, two little girls are going to leap in his arms, and his wife and his new baby are

going to hug him and never let him go. >> reporter: and we spoke a little while ago to the israeli doctor who helped broker this agreement to get more medicine into gaza. he says he's very encouraged that the deal appears to be holding, he's very grateful to both france and qatar, who have been instrumental. but he says the families of the hostages want proof that the medicine has actually reached their loved ones. they want to see video. they want to see pictures of these medicines getting there. it is not clear that is something hamas is going to provide. >> that baby girl, just a powerful reminder of just how heart wrenching the situation is for so many families right now. raf sanchez, thank you for that reporting. joining us now is msnbc military analyst and retired four star general barry mccaffrey. general, i want to ask you first about this news just in, the biden administration relisting the houthis as a specially designated global terrorist group. what is the impact of that

terror designation? does this open up new resources, give a green light in terms of a harsher response, what does it do? >> i think the biden administration and secretary blinken in particular are using every tool they can, going to united nations for resolutions, redesignated houthis as a global terror organization. none of them will have any impact on deterring the houthis from restricting this vital international water way. what we could do, i suppose, with military power unimpeded, air power, naval power, is degrade their capability to several lines of communication coming out of the suez canal. that's an escalation. i think that the biden administration is properly concerned about doing it. the houthis fired -- fought a seven-year war against saudi air

power. with no real impact finally gave up. so, look, we're in a regional war. it is centered in iran. iran has a lot to lose from having this go catastrophic escalation. but they're now carrying out direct strikes to iranians in syria, in iraq, they have allegedly attacked ap out in the indian ocean. they have seized an oil tanker in the persian gulf. so they -- they're playing a very dangerous game. i think in addition, one thought we need to take into account now, israelis have run out of room, the global opinion is turning against them, that they lose the support of the united states in public, they'll be in terrible trouble, so they got to negotiate now a truce and get their hostages back. >> quickly if you will, general, coming back to the actions against the houthis, the u.s.

striking them yet again, three u.s. strikes since thursday, is there any evidence that these strikes have been effective in some way if the goal is to diminish the houthis' capabilities? >> yeah, i don't think it is any question. but, you know, if you put naval air and tomahawk missiles against targets, precision munitions, they'll find and destroy valid targets. having said that, many of these tools the houthis are using, coming from iran, are $20,000 one-way suicide drones. so, it is, you know, from an economic viewpoint, this is as much of a -- as much leverage we have. so, again, if the u.s. navy and air force are told you got 30 days to try and degrade substantially the houthi ability to interdict the straits, which are 19 miles wide, the narrowest point, we'll have greater

impact. but the houthis are in a position that they like being in. the global community of paying attention to them, they're protecting hamas, this is not a good situation for the u.s. coalition that we have built. >> general barry mccaffrey, thank you for helping us understand a complex situation and very dynamic one in the middle east right now. we appreciate your expertise. okay, take a look at buffalo, new york. covered in snow. bitter cold settling all across the country. and there is another winter storm on the way. we'll have the details right after this. sful day can trigger migraine attacks too. that's why my go to is nurtec odt. it's the only migraine medication that can treat and prevent my attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. now i'm in control. with nurtec odt i can treat

a migraine attack and prevent one. talk to your doctor about nurtec today. a force to be reckon with. no, not you saquon. hm? you! your business bank account with quickbooks money, now earns 5% apy. 5% apy? that's new! yup, that's how you business differently. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need... ...without the stuff you don't. so, here's to now.

get out those blankets. you could be one of the nearly 95 million americans under windchill alerts this morning. and more bad news, a new arctic blast is on the horizon in the coming days and a new winter storm. adrienne broaddus is in chicago for us where temps haven't climbed above 5 degrees for three days now.

adrienne, chicago can be cold, but this is something that hasn't happened, i guess, in chicago since 1996. how are folks dealing with it? >> you know what, ana, they're taking it one day at a time and in doses. you might see a few folks walking behind me, some people have to be outside because it is a workday. and they know how dangerous these temperatures are. across the country, there have been at least 12 weather-related deaths. five of those deaths were confirmed yesterday. by contrast, we did speak to some folks who say after three days they needed to escape being inside, but when they walk outside, here's their key to success. >> i never felt something like this. they should have given us a warning, a sign, something. >> i'm not used to negative degree weather. >> reporter: and those temperatures are expected to improve today. we're going to climb and get out

of those negative temperatures. meanwhile, drivers of electric vehicles are also facing challenges, because it is so cold, their batteries aren't holding charge. they're dying at a rapid pace. ana? >> that is an unexpected consequence, i suppose. adrienne broaddus, go get warm, thank you very much for giving us the update. that does it for us here today. thank you for being with us. i'll see you back here tomorrow, same time, same place. for now, i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. jose diaz-balart picks up our coverage right now. and good morning. it is 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart at our nbc news headquarters in new york. at this hour, former president donald trump is back in a new york city courtroom as e. jean carroll takes the stand in her defamation damages trial against him. it comes as new polling reveals trump has a 16-point lead in the republican primary in new hampshire, less than a week away. in washington, we're just hours away from a critical meeting