the war in ukraine reaches the 40th day as russians are accused of genocide with new horrific images emerging. and president zelenskyy addresses america during a videotaped message during the grammy awards. plus, a deadly shooting and multiple ones over the weekend, the worst in sacramento. at least 18 dshot, six people

died, 12 others were hurt. the musical's biggest nights we've got all the highlights include a plea from the president to the audience. and the national champions as they take down powerhouse uconn. "early today" starts right now. good to be with you this morning. i'm francis riviera. >> and i'm barry romo. as forces retake towns around the capital, the scenes they're finding are horrific a warning some of the images may be disturbing. t the attacks amount to genocide. >> they need to see the pictures, the death and destruction for no reason just because we exist, and there's a word for this. this word is genocide.

>> in the city you can see what appears to be the lifeless bodies of civilians lining the streets of bucha about 20 miles away from kyiv let's get an update from nbc's molly hunter who joins us from kyiv good morning. it's just unimaginable. >> reporter: frances, unimaginable they are horrific images we started to see these images on saturday. russian troops we were told by ukrainians started to pull out of bucha, a suburb, commuter town 20 miles outside of kyiv. on saturday when journalists got inside t images that came out were horrific, dead bodies on the streets, people with their hands tied now president zelenskyy has called it a total catastrophe. he's accused the russians of genocide human rights watch which has been documenting these cases and got access to the scene calls it

evidence of war crimes we've been reporting how russians have been pulling back to reorganize, resupply. that also means the ukrainian troops have recaptured these towns. they were able to talk to residents, get an assessment of the situation. but take a listen to what some residents had to say >> translator: those people were just walking and they shot them without any reason bang in the next neighborhood, it was even worse they would shoot without asking any questions. >> all of a sudden the russians started shooting they hit him, crushed his boyne and he fell down they said don't scream or i'll shoot. then they turned away. they shot his left leg off completely and then shot him allover the chest. >> it's not just happening in bucha. this is where we can see it. human rights watch say if this is what we can see, imagine what's happening elsewhere

russians are now refocussing over the weekend, odesa, that southwestern port city i was in last week, a fuel depot was hit. we saw explosions there, the biggest we've seen for a while. >> horrifying situation, molly, made even more gut-wrenching with those images. thank you for the update. one of the ongoing concerns for the people of ukraine and the world at large is that russian will use chemical weapons. the white house has confirmed the united states is providing ukraine with supplies that could be used to protect against a chemical attack. nbc's richard engel now with more insight about those dangers. >> good morning, steven. one possibility that experts say is a cause for concern is called a false flag attack, a staged accident it works like this a chemical plant across the country. you can see some of the attacks right now on this map. they can use missiles to try to damage it, releasing dangerous chemicals into the air that's not the actual chemical

attack if you will, but it is what russian officials say is an accident or say ukrainians blew up their own chemical plant as strange as that might sound. either way it's an attempt to create deniability the russian officials will hide behind chemical plants like these that are across the country. these are the top eight, by the way. they would hide behind that explosion. here are all of them all the facilities in ukraine. and they produce zindustrial chemicals like ammonia, chlorine, nitrates notice the proximity to the conflict areas, right here these are, of course, of interest around kyiv and the donbas region. military strategists warn russian operatives could stage false flag attacks in these areas. one of these plants here, the results would be damaging physically as well as psychologically. chlorine attacks within themselves would cause uncontrolled tears and ppe and

would slow movement and cause discomfortnt to the point of cls t clause tra phobia. that's why this is extremely important. police in sacramento, california, are looking for multiple shooters that left six people dead and a dozen wounded. it happened just as the bars were closing the city's police chief called the violence unprecedented and the mayor made a plea for gun control. >> no surprise that any city would be hit with this kind of terrible event, but here is what i know it is beyond time to have a sane conversation about guns in america. we have a sickness it's a sickness in our country it's a sickness in our culture. >> police say a large fight took place right before the shooting. three of the dead are men and another three are women. president biden released a

statement. he wrote, quote, fund the police and crime prevention intervention strategies that can make our cities safe jeer well, similar shootings with several victims rocked multiple other cities as well one happened on sunday evening at a chicago apartment complex police say during a barricade situation they shot and killed a gunman after he allegedly shot two people and fired at officers when they got to the scene no officers ended up shot. officials say they tried negotiations and de-escalation techniques with that gunman, but he later died after they shot him. the victims were identified as a 48-year-old woman and 78-year-old man both listed in critical condition. meanwhile on saturday night one person was killed an at least 11 others hurt after a shooting that happened at a concert in south dallas. police say it happened after someone fired a gun into the air and another person fired a gun into the crowd that investigation is ongoing. the 64th annual grammy

awards well held in las vegas after being postponed and moved to los angeles due to the omicron variant. the music of the night kicked off the performance of 777 by silk sonic ♪ ♪ let's go ♪ >> the retro soul du >> the duo won big with all four awards they were nominated for including record and song of the year including "leave the door open j jean-baptiste won for the song "we are." and in her grammys debut, olivia rodrigo delivered her hit "driver's license. she also won new artist. questlove took home a grammy the front man who plays on the

tonight show who plays jimmy fallon won an oscar last week. ukrainian president zelenskyy gave a powerful prerecorded video speech. >> tell the truth about the war on your social network, tv, support us, any way you can, not silence, and then peace will come we need your help. i have a dream of them living and free, free like you on the dream stage. >> he was followed by performance of "free" by john legend accompanied by three ukrainian artists. the late drummer foo fighter hawkins won an award during a tribute they won best rock album, best rock song, and

best rock performance. south carolina and uconn, two of the best battle it out for the women's battle the title. and the huskies put up a fight, but they wereno match for sc they pulled a dominant performance. >> it is not unfinished business any longer south carolina has captured its second national championship >> south carolina wins the championship, 64-49. it is the school's second title, the first since to 17. henderson and coach dawn staley will be on the "today" show coming up later today. >> and the men's national title gets decided tonight after takin retiring coach coach chef takes on the campus. let's check out the will as bill karins is covering two storms coast to coast. bill >> good morning. it's funny

we've been in a weather pattern where the weekend has been rather quite and then all these outbreaks. that's going to be the case once again this week. we're watching the pesky storm in the northeast that's leaving we have a storm moving into the great lakes and this storm againing down through areas in oklahoma and north texas but it's the tail end of this and a new storm developing that causes all the problems. we start this afternoon into the evening with thunderstorms popping up around the dallas area, abilene. and then this whole severe weather complex will move into areas of northern mississippi during the overnight hours damaging wind and isolated tornadoes. the threat will continue along the gulf coast and the south as it hits alabama, mississippi, and even south carolina through your tuesday be prepared. the same regionsh the

northeast, still cool, but at least the sun will return. and this severe weather outbreak doesn't stop tuesday, either, guys even on tuesday it will plague us in the southeast. >> thank you. five ground braking women are giving a whole new meaning to the word change-makers. the program celebrates revolutionary women which changed american history a pilot and first lady rose roosevelt and a ballerina will grace the backs of quarters next year. >> very cool. thousands of flights canceled over the weekend. will things get better today. a key vote for ketanji brown jackson. we're back in just one minute. bottle... with no cap.

you just grab and squeeze. platinum's upgraded, more powerful formula breaks down and removes grease 4 times faster. nice! no flip, no mess. platinum is also a go-to grease cleaner for your sink, your countertops, and to pre-treat stains on laundry. faster. easier. new dawn platinum ez-squeeze. flip the way you clean dishes. ♪ for decades, most bladder leak pads were similar. until always discreet changed that. by inventing a revolutionary pad, that's incredibly thin. because it protects differently. with two rapiddry layers that overlap, where you need it most. for strong protection, that's always discreet. it's time to question your protection. it's time for always discreet.

leading the news, a historic vote in the senate judiciary committee that could set the stage for the nation's first black woman to serve on the supreme court. they'll decide this morning whether to send judge ketanji brown jackson's nomination to the full senate. democrats are hoping for a final confirmation vote by the end of the week so far only one republican, senator susan collins, has announced her support for judge jackson browne meanwhile, a new quinnipiac poll found a majority of americans also support judge brown's nomination with only about 30% opposing. the head of russia's space agency says it will end iss cooperation until the current sanctions are lifted dmitry rogozien said he wrote to nasa and other space agencies and took to twitter to announce the restoration of normal relations between partners is only possible if these sanctions are lifted nasa reportedly responded with a letter saying, the existing u.s. control measures in place will

continue to allow cooperation between the u.s. and russia. frustrated travelers stranded at airports across the country over the weekend after airlines canceled more than 3,300 flights. thousands more delayed bad weather in florida was a major cause, but southwest airlines also blamed technology maintenance and air space issues southwest, jet blue, american, and delta are among the airlines most affected. experts say these disruptions may persist until at least wednesday. the television world continues to mourn the loss of actress estelle harris >> frank, i'm cold >> order a hot dish. >> why can't we sit over there >> that's not a booth! >> who says we have to sit in a booth? >> i didn't take the subway all the way to new york to sit at a table like that! >> i didn't take the subway to be in a drafty restaurant! >> harris died saturday in california she played george costanza's mother estelle on seinfeld and

voiced mrs. potatohead in the "toy story" movies jason alexander called it a treat to hear her laughter, adding, serenity now and always. she was 93 years old. >> irreplaceable. still to come, fleeing from the sting of slapgate. will faces backlash from major studios after that hit on chris rock. how atda"sury night live" handles a moment from the oscars that had everybody talking swiffer. in just a few minutes, duster captures dust before it gets airborne. it traps and locks dust in one swipe. yes! for our floors, sweeper's heavy duty cloths easily trap dust, dirt and hair... locking it in. see ya, dust! and swiffer partners with the american lung association to support clean air. ready to shine from the inside out? say "yes" to nature's bounty. the number one brand for hair, skin and nails. with our signature blend

of health and beauty nutrients to bring out more of your inner beauty. nature's bounty. live bountifully. inner voice (furniture maker): i'm constantly nodding... ...because i know everything about furniture ...but with the business side... ...i'm feeling a little lost. quickbooks can help. an easy way to get paid, pay your staff, and know where your business stands. new business? no problem. success starts with intuit quickbooks. better skin from your body wash? success starts with try olay body wash with skincare super ingredient collagen! olay body wash hydrates for healthier-looking skin in just 14 days, from dry and dull to firm and radiant. with olay body, i feel fearless in my skin. she's feeling the power of listerine. he's feeling it. yep, them too. it's an invigorating rush... ...zapping millions of germs in seconds. for that one-of-a-kind whoa... ...which leaves you feeling... ahhhhhhh listerine. feel the whoa!

got lingering odors? grab febreze small spaces. ahhhhhhh press firmly to activate... and small spaces continuously eliminates and prevents odors... ...to freshen up any small room... ...for up to 45 days. febreze. ♪la la la♪

i did see slap, i enjoyed slap, i was very impressed with my hitch you know quite an arm on hitch. i always knew hitch had an arm back in pursuit of happiness, he's slugging the machine on and off the subway, i thought it was great. they slapped in the bathroom in that movie, it's so sad. it's so sad. it's a sad night for hitch too, it's a very sad night. >> "saturday night live" had a

field day with the oscars slap seen around the world with joke after joke from the cold open through "weekend update. >> will smith, for those who don't know, walked on stage during the academy awards and slapped chris rock after he made a joke about jada pinkett smith, which i think was a disgraceful act that saids a terrible precedent for having to defend your wife at award shows >> during his acceptance speech, will smith said, love will make you do crazy things. you know what else makes you do crazy things crazy. >> still talking about it with the fallout and all the jokes that keep continuing after this whole thing. moments i'm sure will have everyone talking for many weeks to come. more fallout, netflix and sony reportedly pausing film projects featuring will smith. it cops in the aftermath of that slapgate according to "the hollywood reporter," netflix has moved to the back burner "fast and loose" starring smith

the company said it happened after the original director withdrew from his position one week before the infamous slap. "rolling stone" is reporting sony has benched an upcoming fourth installment to the "bad boys" franchise. >> i knew backlash was going to be intense, but wow, here we are. one project after another being shelved. we're going to have your weather for the week ahead, that's next. koalas are named an endangered species, ttseing off a race to save one of australia's most beloved animals. you want a sticker? for great checkups, crest has you covered... because crest pro-health protects 100% of your mouth for 24 hours. keep up the good work. now, from crest pro-health new densify. like bones, your teeth lose density overtime. but, crest has you covered. crest densify... actively rebuilds tooth density to extend the life of teeth. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. if you've been living with heart disease, to extend the life of teeth. reducing cholesterol can be hard,

even when you're taking a statin and being active. but you can do hard. you lived through the blizzard of '96... 12 unappreciative bosses... (phone rings) 17 fad diets... five kids, three grandkids... one heart attack... and 18 passwords that seem to change daily... and now, with leqvio, you can lower your cholesterol, too. when taken with a statin, leqvio is proven to lower bad cholesterol by over 50%... ...and keep it there with two doses a year. common side effects of leqvio were injection site reaction, joint pain, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, chest cold, pain in legs or arms, and shortness of breath. with leqvio, lowering cholesterol becomes just one more thing life throws your way. ask your doctor if leqvio is right for you. lower. longer. leqvio. a jelly bean that's good for you? nature's bounty introduces

new jelly bean vitamins. good-for-you nutrients in a tastier for you form. more sweet dreams. more flavorful immune support. new nature's bounty jelly beans. live bountifully. new nature's bounty jelly beans. ♪ ghirardelli caramel squares. makes life a bite better. want fresher drives every day? get febreze car vent clips. just click, install and febreze steady release technology uses your fan to circulate freshness throughout your car. so, you can enjoy up to 40 days of consistent scent. febreze car. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks choose stelara® from the start and move toward relief after the first dose with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections,

some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. welcome back to "early today. here's your week ahead forecast. today we have the obvious issues of the severe weather threat in the south. a storm coming into the pacific northwest. another umbrella day for you apologies to the northern great lakes with snow. the storm to the east coast, by the time we get to wednesday, showers and rain left over in the northeast. by friday we're still watching things unsettled in the northeast and great lakes. not the best of weeks. >> bill, thanks. now considered an endangered

epecies, what's being done to ke the koala from extinction that's next. e odors... simply shake and spray to unlock the breakthrough power of touch-activated scent technology. that lasts, even hours later! that's because febreze touch stores scent in your fabrics so you get bursts of freshness with every touch. your whole world will come alive. welcome home to fresh with febreze touch. la, la, la, la, la do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort.

try nervivenerve relief. welcome back australia is racing to save one of its most beloved species. floods and wildfires devastated the country and it's posing threat to koalas nbc's sarah james has the latest >> reporter: one of the world's most iconic species, found nowhere else but australia, and now endangered >> in listing them as endangered, it brings them into the lime tight and gets them that protection they deserve. >> reporter: the koala population plunging 50% in queensland, australia, in the last two decades the australian koala foundatio

says the country has lost 30% of its beloved mar smarsupial overe past three years among the threats, intense wildfires in 2019 and 2020 according to the world wildlife fund in australia, 60,000 koalas were killed or affected in some way. me dramatically rescued. >> his eyes are quite clear. >> reporter: australian army vets worked to save the surviving koalas. >> give a really good cleanup, trim off the dead skin. >> reporter: the wildfires aren't the only factor in population decline land-clearing has stripped away the koalas' natural habitat and food supply. tell me about melly, she's super cute. >> she is female, about 8 years old. >> reporter: kaitlin cares for koalas at australia's moonlit sanctuary. kaitlin what will we lose if we lost the koala

>> when you think australia, you think koalas they're an example of amazing adaptation they have found a niche in an environment where it's harsh and hard to survive. they eat a food source that many other animals can't eat. they get water from those leaves they're up in a place that's safe for them at the top of the trees. they have managed to adapt to harsh country, harsh environment. >> do you think we can save the koala? >> absolutely. but it requires acting now we can't wait too late we can't plant trees and have them grow up to be adult trees overnight, we have to plant trees now thinking of where they're going to be in ten years' time. >> reporter: the australian government has pledged $50 million to save this national treasure, with measures including habitat restoration, health protection, and a national koala monitoring program. >> our thanks to sarah james for that report. time to celebrate birthdays. actress jamie lynn spears is 31 years old. >> actor and comedian erika

drogday is 39 years old. david blaine is magically 49. >> iron man actor robert downey jr. is 57 years old. actor christine lahti is 72. >> craig t.

the war in ukraine reaches the 40th day as russia is accused of genocide with horrific images emerging president zelenskyy addresses america in a videotaped message during the grammy awards >> we defend our freedom to live, to love on our land we are fighting russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs the dead silence fill the silence with your music. fill it today to tell our story. tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on tv.

support us i