new alarm in ukraine. the tension escalates with russian troops moving through crimea. president obama an vladimir putin talk on the phone for 90 minutes. it's being described as a testy conversation. what was said? did it resolve anything? another snow alert across the west, and now in the east. the latest forecast in moments. and taking a toll, the long hard winter leaves america's highways, roads, bridge, a mess. the realities and dangers that exist every time you get behind the wheel. and that huge gold find. how did two people happen to stumble upon $10 million in gold coins in their backyard? it's a fascinating back story. hey, everyone, it's high noon here in the east.

9:00 a.m. out west. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." let's go to the ukraine. the prime minister says ukraine is, quote, on the brink disaster. he calls the russian military bases a declaration of war and blames president vladimir putin for bringing the nation to those point. the president expressing deep concerns over russia's violation ukrainian sovereignty and the international law. putin defended what he called russia's rights to protect its tests. today on "meet the press," secretary of state john kerry cave his take on putin's actions. >> there are plenty of ways to protect russian speaking people in crimea and other parts of ukraine. but they're really sort of a hidden pretext here, possibly

trying to annex crimea. >> meanwhile, protesters in ukraine stormed an administration building and kharkiv. what's it like on the ground here today or this evening? >> reporter: hello. in ukraine, you may be able to make out behind me, in the square surrounds by protesters. these protesters are defending lenin, they say. there are flowers. there are photographs. but the photographs here are of riot policemen during the violence in kiev a few days ago. now, yesterday, there were clashes between pro-european protesters here what's left 100 people injured. and occupied the city here and

hoisted the russian flag. today, they have riot police outside of it. the next target will be the big industrial city in the midst of the country. and quite pro-russia. the feel is there are is general chaos here and the tensions that justify the intervener here in the same in crimea. here it is news. and certainly, they won't be able to do it here without a backslalas backlash. and you'll see that ukraine has it on high alert. so the situation here is very dangerous. all eyes are on the crime mia on the fear this could well be russia's next problem. ian, i ask you to pick up on the statement militia-looking groups raising the russian flag. have those groups been identified as being russian

soldiers or not. >> we can't say for sure. the group that took over the city here are not really identified. rather like in crimea, they say they have spoken with russian accent. they left the building and but they left and now are out in the front. it's very hard to say who's they are. but people who witnessed here say they were speaking with russian accents and they couldn't identify as being local people, alex. >> nbc's ian williams, thank you noor report. well, the u.s. is taking its first action in response to russia's military involvement in ukraine after that 90-minute phone call between president obama and president putin saturday. the white house said it's extending its meet, from-n preparation for the g-8 summit to take place that sochi.

they released this statement, russia's continued i ed violati international law will lead to greater political and economic isolation. >> this could be a situation if this continues in a provocative way. we have many options like many nations do. we're trying to deal with the diplomatic focus. that's the appropriate, responsible approach. and that's what we're going to continue to do. >> joining me now for analysis is former u.s. ambassador to ukraine. steven piper. he's currently the dreshlgt are the brookings armed control. and does this lead to war between russia and ukraine, and what would war look like? would it even be a conat the time? >> well, it's a very scary situation. first of crimea, you have to say that forces reacted

with incredible restraint. they've staided on the bases. if they have allowed a broader area, like kharkiv, the army has mobilized and i believe them would fight and have forced-on force factions. the ukrainian army have gone through difficult times, they weren't been well funded but it's still a very large group. >> sir, you spent most of your career focused on that rege there been. i'd like you to give me some perspective on the historic relationship between russia and ukraine. and how it is framing this crisis. >> yeah. this is one of the things that's odd, for most russians and ukrainians, they get along perfectly well. and my guess is that, for a lot of people in both russia and ukraine, the prospect that because of vladimir putin's actions and the russian actions

in crimea that they might actually be at war is a horrific thought. it's somewhat like united states and canada going to war. so there is this historical connection. and one hopes in some ways that might restrain the russians. but unfortunately, mr. putin has not acted in a very restrained way this past week. >> may i ask you and this is a generality, it seems as if the eastern half of the country identifies itself with russia as opposed to the western part that is more ukraine-orient? is there a religious foundation to that? >> certainly, going back to the time when ukraine became an independent country. people talked about that east/west divide. even in eastern ukraine, when you talk about being pro-russian, the majority of the population, in eastern ukraine is ethnic ukrainian. the oath part of ukraine where

there's an ethnic russian minority is on that peninsula of crimea. my guess is, for the large people of ukraine, they might be confused order unhappy what's taken place in keev the last couple days, but there's no sign that they want to see separatism as the answer. when i traveled to east, my sense was although it's not as deep as western ukraine, there still was the sense of ukrainian identity. >> do you think that president putin wants to actually crimea for russia? or do you think this goal is to rescue a pro-russia in kiev? >> i think part of mr. putin's goal is to destabilize that government that faces a host of problems. mr. putin calculates that is somehow to russia's advantage. i don't understand why, but he uses a difficult calculation. i think the surprising thing is,

and many people expected that russia would do something to unnerve kiev. but mr. putin has a number of economic levers and he's seemed to have jumped over those levers in the intervention in crimea. crimea has a long intervention in russia up until 1954. it was actually part of the russian federation and then transferred from the soviet to ukraine. in 1991 there was agreement by all parties including the russians that you would recognize the existing borders. since 1951, russia recognizes as part of the ukraine. >> on the heels of th, something i've been reading about this is budapest memorandum which you actually negotiated. correct me if i'm wrong, it was signed in 19 another by russia, ukraine, and the uk. which basically says none of the

signatories are threatened or used force against ukraine and its independence. where does that stand? and is it law? >> what that document did, it pulled together a number of commitments that the united states, britain and russia had by virtue of the fact that ukraine was a member of the organization and a member of the united nations. it didn't commit new concerns for nonuse of threat or coalition. in the way that ukraine in 1994 felt it was politically valuable. however, it's not a treaty. there's a reason why it's the budapest treaty of assurances, not guarantees. the assurance would be that britain, united states, even russia would take concern if any of those commitments were in jeopardy. russia now is clearly violating those commitment, and i think it's time for united states and

britain to act to show support for ukraine. >> how so? where is the leverage? is there any leverage for the u.s. to use here? what kind of tools do we have? >> this is one of thele cha le a challenges. my guess is there's not serious interest in the west and military action going to the world in crimea. there do seem to be a number of political groups the west could take that would be designed to publish and isolate politically the russians. for example it would make stones go to the u.n. security council and put forward a resolution condemning russia and calling for russia to stop. russia would violate that and be isolated to veto to block that. i think we got to go beyond the notion of telling the russians if they don't stop, there would be no g-8 summit in sochi. if you don't stop, we'll go back to the g-7. this is a group of industrialized democracies.

russia has long not been a democracy. it's time for the other seven to stop giving russia a pass on that. and they make it as a pent for this action. >> so big picture here, is the united states' current relationship with russia the most fractured it's been since the fall of the soviet union? >> you know, up until a week or two ago, i would have argued that as bumpy as the relationship has been in the last couple years. it still didn't get that low point of august 2008 that far the georgia/russia conflict. unfortunately, i think we're about to hit a new low. >> come see us again. great analysis. another winter storm is hitting the midwest and quickly heading east. indianapolis is seeing it now. nbc's john yang is there. john, indianapolis with more than 51 inches, i'm told. are they fed up like we are? >> reporter: yes, is the short

answer. you talk to people around here, they are ready for this to end. march and winter just will not leave. not only is it annoyance, but it's costing businesses money. we talked to a businessman who owns a music store in downtown indianapolis, he's talked about how many events he's had to cancel. . concerts, musical events, dance coming into play. he also said it's not just him being affected. he just wrote his sales tax check to the state and that was down. so tax revenues are down. but this storm today has the potential of setting a new report here in indianapolis for the snowiest snow season on record. the storm started overnight with about an inch of snow, mostly a lot of frozen rain and sleet. later this afternoon, the snow's going to come back for a second wave which it seems to be the theme of this winter. waves of snow. it's going to last, the second wave will last tomorrow morning. if they get six more inches that

will break the record set in 1981/'82, of 58.2 inches. a record that was more than 30 years old. you talk about teases of what's to come. the high yesterday here in indianapolis, 49 degrees. alex? >> oh. deep sigh. okay. thank you very much, john yang. weather channel meteorologist greg postel is joining us. >> z >>. >> we have a big storm coming soon. everywhere on this map staided in dark blue. not only, we've got winter storm watches and advisory which is those include new york city. in philly, d.c., richmond, winter storm warnings out along that i-95 corridor.

expect heavy snowed. looking at the radar, it's moving its way eastward. that's pretty mild on the east coast but that will be changing as arctic air will begin to work its way in overnight tonight. let's time it out. as we move through the afternoon hours. we start much of the region with rain. south of trenton region. snow in sneaker. and just westward into pennsylvania, new jersey, all the way into west virginia. that's where the rain/storm line is going to be we think by then. it's going to continue to sag southward because arctic air is going to sag in from the north. overnight, we're going to see an eruption of snow across the region. radar will begin to fill in and snow will become heavy across the region. tomorrow morning, travel will be difficult. that whole band of snow slips southward and probably into the carolinas. if you want to see how much snow you're going to get. new york city, 1 to 3, but more

as you head south, d.c., right in line for significant snow. maybe more than 8 inches. stay tuned. >> dr. greg postel, thank you so much. the fight to raise the minimum wage. i will talk to the congressman who is taking it to extreme measures. and country is crumbling beneath our feet. what's standing in the way of a critical list of growing danger. it's not just potholes. the story is just ahead. nner is. and absolutely delicious. everyone is cooking with new campbell's slow cooker sauces. out for drinks, eats. i have very well fitting dentures. i like to eat a lot of fruits. love them all. the seal i get with the super poligrip free keeps the seeds from getting up underneath. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. a lot of things going on in my life and the last thing i want to be thinking about is my dentures.

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as yet another massive storm makes its way across the country, we're learning more about the toll that this winter's taken on our roads and bridges. and after years of neglect, the amount of money needed to repair them is staggering. and washington can't seem to fit the bill. >> reporter: in miami, construction crews in in full

swing, building an enter change from the rapidly growing suburbs. one upgrade from a national system of roads, bridges, that is cracked, crumbling and patched up and rusted. the i-5 bridge collapse in washington state after a tractor trailer clipped a support beam. now as americans dodge a lunar landscape of potholes, the government has put a price tag on where it will be to put our roads up to where it should be. 145 millions for roads add bridges. another 25 million to upgrade the rails. >> we have a leaky roof. and what happens if you have a leaky roof if you don't fix it, it becomes more expensive to put it back together. >> reporter: while congress has spent infrastructure on the american recovery act, 11% of nation's bridges remain structurally insufficient. that's 66,000 requiring repair.

pennsylvania has most with 5500, fold by oklahoma, iowa, missouri and california. bridges typically have a 65-year lifespan. the frederick douglass bridge in washington, the span carried 15,000 cars day. and it's starting to strain. to pay for the national repair job, president obama this week called on congress to overhaul the tax code. >> rebuilding our infraare structure is vital to business, it creates good-paying jobs which, by the way, can't be outsour outsourced. >> reporter: but a divided congress sun like it go to along. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> joining me is one of mos representatives, tim hjorth from new york. thank you very much, representative bishop. >> thanks for having me here. >> we're facing the roads.

and that's not even the hidden dangers that tom costello was report on with the bridges. will congress act? >> well, i certainly hope so. i mean, we have to reauthorize the surface transportation bill that expires in september. but the challenge is going to be finding a funding source that's going to give us the revenue that we need to invest in our infrastructure. and the highway trust fund is going to be essentially insolvent by the end of this summer. and simply, the motor fuels tax doesn't bring in as much revenue as we need to make the kind of investment in improving our infrastructure that's so essential. so i'm hopeful that the congress will give of course serious consideration to what the president has proposed this week. a $302 billion infusion of support, to upgrade our roads and bridges and tons and rail systems. and also chairman camp of the ways and means committee has included some effort to improve

infrastructure spending in his tax reform proposal. >> okay. thank you for that. i want to talk about something else you're working on right now. and that is minimum wage. this past week, you filed the petition to see what i think is an up orb down vote. you want to raise it to $10.10 an hour over the next few years. first of all, explain to the viewers how the petition works? >> well a discharge petition is one of the few tools available to the minority to try to move legislation that the minority -- pardon me, that the majority is not interested in moving. if we get 218 sixes on the discharge petition, that's 50% of the house, plus one. by the rules of the house, the legislative measure come to the floor of the house for immediate consideration. so it's one way of moving a piece of legislation that otherwise the majority's going to keep bottled up in committee. >> okay. have you counted the votes that an increase would have. in my research here i read that you're intending to reach out to

seven republicans who signed a letter in favor of minimum wage. though, that was seven years ago, of raising the minimum wage township that includes peter king, one of your colleagues in new york. >> well, here's our numbers. there are 190 democrats that have signed the discharge petition so far. when the minimum wage bill passed in 2007, it passed with 82 republican votes. some 35 or 40 of those republicans are still in the house of representative spops we're going to -- well, we're going to reach out, certainly, to the nine democrats that have not yet signed. and then we're going to be reaching out to as many republicans as we possibly can to see if we can bring them on board. we're convinced if we can get the 218 signatures and get the legislation to the floor, we're convinced it will pass. as i say, increases in the minimum wage have historically passed with pretty strong bipartisan support. that was certainly the case in

'07. and we think it can be the case again. we just have to get to this threshold of 218. >> but you of course were quoted recently, sir, saying that the petition is the only tool you have to get a vote. does that tell you anything about the country and the democratic process and its desire for this change? >> well 70% of america supports increasing the minimum wage. the house of representatives has referred to as the people's house. if we are are the people's house, we should be response touf what 70 purse of america is telling us. that's certainly my message to my colleagues in the house on both sides of the aisle. it is one of the few tools that we have. the majority controls the floor schedule. the majority controls the means by which, or the process by which legislation moves from committee to the floor. and this is a way of forcing the majority to do something that by all appearances they're not

remotely interested in doing. which is giving america a raise. we need to give america a raise. >> democratic congressman from new york, tim bishop, good luck with this. we'll be watching. thank you very much. the back story of the california couple who found 10 million in gold coins in their yard. how taking a walk with their dog led to the discovery of a lifetime. for instant beauty sleep, no sleep required. new fresh effects from olay. for instant beauty sleep, no sleep required.

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thcar loan didn't start here. it started with that overdue bill he never got. checking his experian credit report and score allowed him to identify and better address the issue. then drive off into the sunset. experian. welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." the headlines. shoppers dove for their lives a full-size pickup truck crashed into a las vegas grocery store. police say an 88-year-old woman was behind the wheel when it happened saturday. more than two dozen hurt. two children. hundreds in northwest venezuela took to the streets in anti-government protests. they were speaking out against heim violations committed by the government as it cracked down on protests. student-led demonstrations have led 18 dead.

at the vatican, pope francis is urge be dialogue for ukraine. the pope encouraged all of the ukrainian society to work together and build a future together. secretary of state john kerry on "meet the press" took a more firm approach to the tense situation in ukraine. >> we're now discussing all of the options. this san act of aggression completely trumped up in terms of its pretext. it's 19th century behavior in the 21st century. if russia persists in this, g-8 countries goring to assemble in sochi. that's a starter. >> nbc kristen welker is at the white house. president obama spoke with president putin for 90 minutes saturday. what are the white house telling you about that conversation? >> reporter: well, white house officials describe a testy conversation between president brooke and president putin with president obama accusing rush

yaf invading ukraine's sovereignty. and also saying that the u.s. would no longer attend preparatory meetings for the g-8 summit meeting which will be held in sochi, russia. earlier today on "meet the press," secretary of state john kerry signaled that the u.s. is also considering withdrawing from the g-8 summit and possibly withdrawing russia's member in the g-8. that what is not on the table, military action. here's more of what secretary kerry had to say. >> you just don't invade another country on phony pretext, in order to assert your interests. >> well, the way -- >> there are ways to deal with this. and the president putin knows that. president obama yesterday offered mediation. there are plenty of ways to protect russian-speaking people in crimea or other parts of ukraine. but, you know, they are -- really, sort of a hidden pretext here of possibly trying to annex

crimea. >> so there's a lot of tough talk coming out of this administration. but the question is what will actually happen? and what realistically can the use do. i've been speaking to foreign policy experts one telling me that sanctions are a possibility. cancelling upcoming meetings with russia's trade delegation and basically removing russia from the g-8 summit. again, it's not clear that any of those courses, alex, would convince russia to withdraw from ukraine. certainly, those are things under discussion right now. what's interesting, you look at the rhetoric on the sunday shows, you have republicans also saying that they don't think military action should be a consideration right now. including senator marco rubio who appeared on "meet the press." alex, back to you. >> hey, kristen, first of all, 90 minutes between these two

seems awfully long. and the word "testy" being used to describe the nature of the conversation. that's just not normal? >> reporter: it's not normal and alex, it points to the fact that this is the supportiest the relation espn between united states and russia has been. going back to the cold war, according to a lot of experts who study this relationship. this is an escalation of tensions mounting over time between the u.s. and russia. of course, they have sparred over foreign policy issues like gay rights, edward snowedth. this seems to be a tipping point. having said that, the united states trying to take a restrained approach so as not to inflame this situation which is incredibly volatile even more. but there's no doubt it marks the deterioration of the u.s./russia relationship.

that testy phone call marking that. >> either i'm hearing something or is there a demonstration? >> reporter: there is a demonstration. i'll not sure if you could hear it, alex. you're absolutely right. student protesters from all 50 states have turned out in front of the white house. they are protesting that keystone xl pipeline, that incredibly controversial pipeline. a lot said it would be bad are to the environment. state department releasing a sthament it might not have a significant impact. we're still waiting for the obama administration to weigh in and decide whether or not they're going to green light the construction of that pipeline. the strange signs a california couple saw before realizing they'd been sitting on a golden treasure.

in today's office politics, joy reid most of "the reid

report." and why the criticism of efforts to help young minority men. but, first, i asked joy what's at risk in kentucky's high profile senate race. >> this is one of the most races in the country. first of all, it has happened that somebody at mitch mcconnell's level has been brought down. it's possible that he could lose this thing. i don't think it's possible that he loses the primary. but it's possible that the primary drags him down with that tea party base. all of the tragedy of is fascinating. rand paul, a junior senator but really now a boss now. you've got this old-fashioned politician who tries to bring home the bacon but now can't bring home any bacon because if he brings home pork he's in trouble. and then this woman who actually has a shot if you look at the polls. big bill, the clintons,

campaigning for her. yeah, mitch mcconnell could lose. >> are saying the gop could take control of the senate come no, if that would help. how would that change the dynamic in this country? >> i think it would be the end of president obama's legislative agenda. i think right now it's in trouble because it's coming up and republicans feel they're in a good position. >> this week, the president introduced "my brother's keeper." program. there are some who say this president has not done enough yet. what's your opinion? >> being the first black anything. or the first woman anything. the pressure on you is so substantial. because you just want to do the best job as the thing you're being, right. like, the pressure from the group that was the most invested in is you-s always going to be enormous. now, on the african-american issues i do think they're

purposefully resistant. on the second term, you'll see the president be more open about the issues of race. talk about his experience as blake man. he came from a very activist, community-based, community-organizer background. i think you're seeing that now. the president was raised in midwestern values, by a white set of grandparents and mom. he wasn't raised in the african-american community. he adopted it as he got older. but i think he's passionate about it. >> let's talk about your kids. you have three. >> yes. >> you did not grow up as mine did with home being on tv. >> right. >> what's this all about for them? >> they've taken so much of this in stride. my two boys, 14 and 16 were born in florida. they never lived in the big city. they lived in the gated community. in the 'burbs. not just to my job or the

prominence of my life but to the city life, but the freedoms of being sort of not in mop's car and going everywhere. my daughter who had to move schools in the 11th grade for which i felt tremendously guilty. they adjusted so well. and so quickly. and they're just such great kids. they've made it a lot easier. and they've been big supporters, of course, my husband as well, a great dad. >> and they have a great mom. you can catch "the reid report" weekdays at 2:00 p.m. eastern on nbc. next weekend, nicolle wallace. the oscar pistorius case heads to trial tomorrow. what to expect when court convenes. nnouncer ] staples has everything you need to keep a germ-free office. from latex gloves and antibacterial wipes to steam cleaners, keyboard vacuums and microfiber cloths. yes, staples has everything you need for a germaphobe-friendly office... [ sneezes, coughs ] except germ-free coworkers. [ retches ] thousands of products added online every day...

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well, you might have already heard this past week about what could be the greatest gold coin discovery in history. a lot more to the story. a california couple unarthed more than 1400 19th century gold

coins estimated to be worth about $10 million. this couple turned to gold coin expert mr. kagan for helping to assign those coins. did i get that right? >> first of all, you brought one of the coins with you, can you show it to us and this worth 1 million bucks? >> yeah, this is the star of the collection. the treasure. the 1866, no model, gold piece, the finest known. >> that is incredible. it's worth a million bucks. clearly, this is rare. how rare is the discovery? >> the discovery itself is incredibly rare. rarer -- it's probably about a 1 in 1 billion shot much rarer than hitting the lottery. we've heard about ship wrecks. we've seen that. i've been involved in most of the ship wrecks but this is a

buried treasure. something that anyone could possibly find, but this couple did. >> and when you met with this couple, and you checked out their coins, what was your reaction? >> well, interesting enough, my chief that mistivity first met with them. they were coy about how many pieces they had. some of the original pieces they showed us, uncrusted in dirt, rust. they looked like normal coins if you can envision professionally restoring them and getting them to the original lust are, but in nice condition. later on, they revealed just how many they have. and of course, we saw that many of them were very rare dated coins. and some of them, many of them, the minest known. >> yeah. so this couple who unearthed the coins. they want to remain anonymous. they don't want people coming in dredging up their backyards. identified as john and mary.

when describing the location, john said, quote, years ago, we noticed an old tree growing into a hill and have-h an empty, rusty can hanging from it that the tree had grown around it was right at the site where we found the coins. there was also an unusual angular rock up the hill from where the coins were buried. we'd wondered what in the heck it was. mary realized it might have been a marker. you walk ten paces towards the north star, you wind up smack in the middle of the coins. >> come on, is this a buried treasure map? >> i don't know. that's how they described it. possibly, the person who is continuing to bury the tin can, there were eight of them, over a long period of time. we believe, wanted to make sure they could find their way back. and possibly had some markers to guide them back. >> and who would have had access to coins like this? you know, we're all starting to

think about the types of coins and the era in which it was made. ewe thinking was this loot from a bank robbery? was it miners just putting stuff away and hoping they'd come back and find it? any idea? >> more of the latter. because of the array of coins and what they were taken out. it wasn't just one shot where somebody robbed a bank and put the gold in these tin cans. it was clearly over a period of time. going back over the records we understand it was probably somebody in the mining industry. as they got paid or bonuses, he would take his money in gold coins, put them in the ground. remember, back then, it's the wild west. it's the late 1800s, and people didn't have trust in banks like they do today. >> so the restroration process, don, how long is that going to take? has it been completed? >> it has been completed. we spent months s it's a very

proprietary formula. i would not recommend anyone trying to scrub their coins and enhance them. go to a professional. then after we restored them, then we sent them to the independent grading firm in california. they authenticated and graded each and every one of the coins. so just after they got that done. that's when we made the announcement. >> well, it's the heck of an announcement. it's captured the fancy of us again. i'm going to say it again, numismatist. it's fun to say that word. what leverage does president obama have to stop? vladimir putin's latest military venture. we've got answers next. hi, cascade kitchen counselor. stop stalling and start shining with cascade platinum packs. over time, platinum fights cloudy residue 3x better than the competing gel. it's so powerful it even helps keep the dishwasher sparkling. avoid embarrassing moments... at least for your dishes.

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this was a time for careful, wise, steady leadership. the tensions increase. and i think all nations have to be very careful here. of not promoting any more tension through provocative actions. >> that is defense secretary

chuck hagel this morning on the situation in ukraine. the white house has announced its first direct response to russia's military sbrerngs. the u.s. is suss spending preparation in the preparatory meeting for the g-8 summit set to take place this june in sochi, russia. lincoln bring in beth flewy. and the costs, can they accept action and if so, what might be that be? >> it was like when i was covering the 2008 and russia went to war with georgia. president busch at the time was talking about cost. senator mccain was talking about cost. senator mccain said we're all georgians. now a couple days ago, he said we're all ukrainians now. i don't think what more the president can do, president

obama. he can pull out of the g-8. he's suspended participation as you said but not fully for that. he could do that. he's not going to go to war with the ukraine. there's no support for that in this country. he has to be more measured to the bellicose members of congress or people watching this would like him to do. >> can you be specific when the president says he wants to develop better economic and political isolation. >> well, you take action certainly on the economic front. you can freeze banking or deflect russian banking. there's a lot of people who make a lot of money and businessmen are very invested in doing business with the west and with the united states. but it doesn't seem like he's ready to take that step quite yet. >> i understand things like suspending visas. making it difficult for people to come into the united states or leave. let's talk about "the new york

times." they've written about finding powerful leaders for mr. putin and it will be challenging for president obama and they have seen that repeatedly that warnings often do not discourage autocratic rulers from taking violent action. as when syria crossed the president's red line by using chemical weapons in its kicivils war. >> putin does not respond the same as other leersd do. the u.s. government has critiqued them. they have talked about pulling out of the g-8 summit. putin wants to make russia a stronger country. one that is more influential. and he's going his own way. i'm not sure the u.s. can change that at all. >> what about the biggest challenge for the president? what kind of a line does he need to walk when dealing with russia? i mean. ery, we heard about this conversation that the ped had yesterday with president putin.

90 minutes in length which is somewhat unique. certainly, they're not described traditionally as being testy. >> i don't think there's any line to walk. i think putin and obama don't like each other very much. the russian and u.s. relations are not very good. we sent activists of lbgt to sochi which made putin angry as well. with the balance, it's more like what can america do to change putin's behavior. the answer is not anything. putin knew there would be condemnation. i think that's the challenge. the president spent a long time talking with him trying to motivate him to change his opinion. it's not clear that putin's opinion has changed at all. >> i want to talk to you about the president's launch of "my brother's keeper." perry, you wrote, it's titled with my brother's keeper, president obama looked beyond the white house. and you say this could be

president obama's legacy even more so than the affordable care act? >> no, the affordable care act would certainly be a bigger issue than this, particularly. but i do know, he wants to have this initiative continue after he's president. so if you can imagine an obama foundation, a lot of lines along what bill clinton's done. one thing they want to talk about is helping men of color achieve more. data shows that men of color tend to graduate from college less. and are unemployed even more. particularly, even female people of color. this san issue they're going to work on going forward. >> beth, how do you think my brother's keeper will help define the president's legacy? >> well, he is the first black president. and that presentation to me is a sign he wants to own being the first black president. it seemed like the first term he would deflect that term. he would say i'm the president of all united states of america.

not just black america. now that he's done with his last election, he's looking towards his legacy as perry said. now he can step forward and say this is what i want to leave my mark on. it's quite remarkable and could leave a huge impact. there are critics who say how could he apply federal money to one population. and the president wants to show he's supporting. >> beth, perry, thanks guys. the nfl has cracked down on players using racial slurs. the big three with new thoughts. we asked people a question, how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? $500,000. maybe half-million. say a million dollars. [ dan ] then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. ♪ i was trying to like pull it a little further. you know, i was trying to stretch it a little bit more. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going to have to rethink this thing. [ man ] i looked around at everybody else and i was like, "are you kidding me?"

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like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition or stomach ulcer, take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners... ...or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctors about all medicines you take. pradaxa side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you or someone you love has afib not caused by a heart valve problem... ...ask your doctor about reducing the risk of stroke with pradaxa. there's a huge price to pay the united states is united. russia is isolated. >> tough talk. the crisis in ukraine grows more ominous. president obama and other leaders warn russia to get its troops out of ukraine. but no sign of the withdrawal mount the tensions of what will happen next. here at nome, another winter

storm. oscar pistorius, the paraolympic blade runner prepares for the fight of had its life. why might a bathroom door be key to the trial? hello, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." 10:00 a.m. out west. we go to new developments in the ukraine where the government there is mobilizing troops to take control of crimea. the prime minister is calling russia's actions a, quote, declare of war. what is believed to be russian soldiers pulled up in front of a crimea military base. the administration along with the uk and france have now decided to cancel preparations for the upcoming g-8 summit in sochi. and this morning on "meet the press," secretary of state john

kerry warned russia it will suffer a major loss if putin does not reverse course. >> he's going to lose all of the glow that came out of the olympics. his $60 billion extravaganza. he's not going to have a sochi g-8. he may not even remain in the g-8. the united states is united. russia is isolated. that is not a position of strength. >> so joining me now from moscow is nbc's jim maceda. jim, with a good evening to you. a lot of diplomatic salvos being tossed back and forth here. but what's happening on the ground in crimea? >> reporter: hi, alex. you're right. it's hard to keep up with them all. tonight, crimea looking pretty much neutralized. russian forces have now been moving freely around the peninsula for a couple of days because they are mostly off the streets. they and the armed vigilante groups, if you will, are in control. airport, the telecommunication

towers. today as you alerted, units of russian troopser driving to various ukrainian military posts trying to persuade the ukrainian soldiers to hand over their weapons. and then surrounding the posts of those who refuse to disarm. just taking them out of operation. so despite all of the appeals that we're hearing from the united states, from kiev. from the west in general, those diplomatic salvos, as you call them, to put his forces, putin's forces back, to pull them back, crimea today effectively is in vladimir putin's hands, alex. >> okay. so, jim, the new ukrainian prime minister is calling this a declaration of war. i imagine that is not what president putin calls it. what does he say? >> reporter: no. anything but. putin would call it an act of self-defense. to save what he calls russian compatriots from the threat of

those anti-russian agents emanating from kiev. now, that's very much part of the old soviet playbook. to justify military intervention. we've talked about that before. we've seen that many times in the past. and reporters who are there on the ground have seen absolutely no such threats to ethnic russians. but according to many analysts we've talked to here in moscow. putin does tend to see the new pro-western government in kiev as posing an existential threat toe his interests in ukraine. meaning crimea, they say, gives put than essential warm water port. it gives him that base for his black sea fleet. and he's apparently now made that cost-benefit calculation, that taking crimea back is actually worth the risk. he's not worried, apparently, about the consequences. be that half of the g-8 nations

don't show up in sochi or that russia is somehow slapped with some form of sanctions. putin, we're told doesn't doesn't believe that the u.s. or its allies have the leverage to hurt him. especially when it comes to the kind of reaction. he sees the reaction in the streets of moscow. st. petersburg, today, there were tens of thousands demonstrating in support of putin's actions in ukraine. alex. >> so far, u.s., uk, canada and france at least in part canceling sochi. the sizes of russia's forces in crimea is not known specifically at this. "the new york times" reports that the ukraine has 3500 troops in the region armed. ukraine said its total actual army has 1 thourt soldiers. let's go to the white house, nbc's kristen welker is following latest developments including strong words from secretary of state john kerry. good day to you, kristen. what is he saying?

>> reporter: well, tough talk, indeed, alex, with secretary of state john kerry appearing on several sunday shows, warning russia against increase its escalation. and invasion of ukraine. he accused russia of behaving like it's the 19th century. saying it has violated ukraine's sovereignty and warning there will be consequences. among those he signaled. sanctions he said he's spoken to ten foreign ministers who have all agreed that they will isolate russia economically if it continues to escalate the situation. also, potentially withdrawing from the g-8 summit. something you that were just talk about, potentially revoking russia's membership to the 2k3w48. of course, the big question is, will all of that actually convince putin to pull back. as you just heard jim talking about, it's not clear by any measure that those steps will have actually have the desired impact. u.n. ambassador samantha power

yesterday appeared at the u.n. she also had some tough words for russia. take a listen. >> this intervention is without league basis. indeed, it violates russia's commitment to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of ukraine. it is time for the russian intervention in ukraine to end. the russian military must stand down. the aspirations of ukrainian people must be respected. and political dialogue must be allowed to continue. >> now, power also called for monsters to go to that region. and that is something that is certainly being discussed as well. one thing that is not on the table right now, alex, it appears, military action. and what is interesting, you have some hawkish members of congress, republicans like john mccain, marco rubio saying that no one wants to see military intervention. they are, however, calling on the u.s. to take a stronger stance when it comes to dealing

with russia. so those are some of the things that are under consideration on this sunday. at this point in time, president obama doesn't have any public events on his schedule. but he is undoubtedly monitoring the fast-moving developments behind the scenes here at the white house. >> as are you. thank you very much. an economic snab shot of ukraine shows 20% of the country lives below the poverty line. 8% unemployed is half a percent higher than the world afternoon. and russia is its top trading partner. 26% of imports from russia. let's go to the weather. know massive winter storm is hitting the midwest and quickly heading east. already causing dangerous road conditions. more than 100 vehicles were involved in a pileup on denver's interstate 25. a thousand miles east of that where we find nbc's john yang. john, another hello.

58.28 inches of snow. do you think we're going to beat it? >> reporter: it could. it could happen, alex. we had a first wave of snow that came overnight, ended midmorning left about an inch of snow. but forecasters say an even bigger wave is going to come this afternoon and last until monday morning. as you say, if that brings 6 inches of snow, 6 more inches will break that record for indianapolis. ait will have its snowiest season on record. this has already been a brutal and unrelenting winter with the snow and cold. there have been some thoughts, people were looking eager for this to end. about two weeks ago it was 60 degrees here in indianapolis. a lot of the grow that was on the ground melted. but now, it's back yesterday, the high was 49 degrees. right now, in indianapolis, 19 degrees. 24 hours a drop of 30 degrees. so it says march on the

calendar, but winter just won't leave. alex. >> right. i'm looking at march going come on, really. all right, john yang. thank you so much. here's i look at the in the forecast. atlantic city could see up to a foot snow. baltimore and d.c. might get 6 and 10 inches. new york will see a little less with up to 4 inches of snow. yikes! california customers there at a restaurant weren't expecting this. pretty fierce storms causing that flooding. also clearly churning up the surf. to the moby dick restaurant in the area of santa barbara. fortunately, no one was hurt. on to a high-profile trial that starts in south africa. double amputee oscar pistorius who stunned the world in olympics in london are now getting attention for a

different reason. he's on trial for murdering his girlfriend last february. ayman mohyeldin is there. >> reporter: it's being called the trial of a century. shaping up to be a media circus. more than 2,000 journalists have applied for accreditation to cover the trial of oscar pistorius. it's drawing comparisons to another part star also accused of killing his lover, that of o.j. simpson. from national sports hero to criminal defendant, on monday, oscar pistorius will have his day in court. and the chance to explain can answer and central question. why did oscar pistorius fire four shots through his bathroom door, killing his beautiful model girlfriend reeva steenkamp? was it a tragic mistake as os daughter and his lawyers have maintained? or cold-blooded murder as his attorney for the national prosecuting authority told nbc's keith morrison. >> what everybody will be

watching for is whether or not he can prove he ended to kill her. and you sound like you're pretty confidence. the prosecution has enough to be able to prove that isn't. >> we would not have charged if we didn't believe so. >> reporter: the prosecution believe there is a strong case with witnesses testimonies. messages on cell phones. forensics at the crime scene. all that will paint oscar as an angry man and extremely jealous. others suggest the prosecution's case seemed to stumble early on. there were allegations of mrs. mismanaging evidence. and the defense will delve into oscar's fear of crime that propelled him to shoot at what he says was aine intruder that broke into his house in the middle of the night. as an olympian, oscar pistorius made south africa proud on the word stage. but tomorrow, his life and his actions will take center stage in a courtroom here. and that, too, will be watched just as closely by his

countrymen and many around the world. >> the trial gets one way with opening statements by the prosecution. the first in this country, a south africa can judge has aloud cameras into the groom for the first time. so you can imagine the kind of media attention it is going to get. now, the trial is expected to last anywhere between three to five weeks. and it could be several weeks before that before the judge irs a verdict. >> thank you very much. if diplomacy fails to defuse the crisis in ukraine, then what? can armed conflict be avoided? d. so you can breathe and sleep. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. [ ship horn blows ] no, no, no! stop! humans. one day we're coming up with the theory of relativity, the next... not so much. but that's okay. you're covered with great ideas like optional better car replacement from liberty mutual insurance.

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more now on today's developing news. ukraine's crimea region has all but fallen but where russian forces have landed an unidentified gunmen surrounding military bases, president putin calls it protecting his

citizens. but ukraine's new prime minister calls it a declaration of war. at the united states nations u.s. ambassador samantha power called for russia to stand down. >> it is ironic that the russian federation regularly goes out of its way inside the security chamber. today, russia would do well to heed its own warnings. russia's activities pose a threat to international peace and security. >> joining me now international ambassador to the ukraine and the longtime foreign correspondent. welcome, gentlemen, both. mr. ambassador do you see this as leading to war between russia and ukraine, and if not, what needs to be done to stop it? >> well, unfortunately, it could lead to war. if the russians make a mistake and send their troops into the eastern part of ukraine. or if they attack ukrainian

forces in crimea, it could very well lead to war. the ukrainians will fight back. ukrainians are proud people. they've got a serious military. and they will fight back. there are things that we should be doing, that the russians should be doing, that the ukrainians should be doing to avoid this, but it could happen. >> should it happen, sir would the u.s. offer any military support, and if so, in what fashion? >> it's a good question and a hard question. there are principles here that we care deeply about. there's a partner that we care deeply about, that is ukraine. there are relationships with ukraine that we've struck that they give up their nuclear weapons. >> the budapest accord. >> it could be clear there's no obligation to support on the military level. but that san important step that could be taken. >> all right, david, your latest article looking at how the u.s. should deal with president

putin. z the white house have an established russia policy? >> that's -- i think there is one. there was the reset that they talked about a dramatic shift away from george bush. and more dialogue with putin, at this point, that has failed. what i'm hearing from experts, there needs to be a whole new approach towards russia. it can't be business as usual. that putin is, you know, operating like this is the 19th century. and he's watching president obama. he wants to see what president obama is saying. not what secretary of state john kerry is saying. and the u.s. and europe, one very basic thing the u.s. can do, start providing more energy to europe. europe depends on russian gas. putin is banking on that, that europe won't act in this situation. we could start in the long term changing that energy balance. getting more american gas to europe. >> mr. ambassador, where can the west find leverage over russia? the u.s. needs to work with them. it's not an isolated incident. we have syria we have iran. david is just talking about the major economic and energy ties

there with europe. so where does the leverage come from? >> i think we should not overstate the problems of pushing back very hard against the russians. the russians, yes, they are trying to be somewhat helpful in our conversations with iran. and we need them to do something on syria, but they've not been key to either of these. certainly not on the iran side. we can deal with the iran negotiations on nuclear, without the russians. so i don't think we should be constrained by other issues to a great degree. and pushinging back very hard against this russian aggression. >> david, do you get the sense that president putin wants to actually claim crimea for russia? or do you think his goal is to resurrect a pro-moscow in kiev? >> i believe he believes it's a plot by the cia and other european intelligence agencies. this is what's on russian

television. this is his mentality. this is a great power game. the u.s. is trying to take away his warm water port in crimea. the danger is as taylor said, he overplays this and you'ves into eastern ukraine now. if you push putin too hard in the short term, he'll double down. but again there needs to be a whole new strategy against russia. that era is over. >> that belgs the question the ambassador. unusual to you. how does it strike you that these two presidents had a snient-minute conversation and it was described as a testy tone. i said earlier to kristen welker, this doesn't is seem like the norm. >> it's not the norm. nor are russian actions the norm. russian actions are abnormal. and they need to be recognized about what they are.

russia is acting as an international outlaw and ought to be treated as such. >> association david, the united states' current relationship with russia, is it the most fractured it's been since the fall of the soviet union? >> i would say, definitely. and another expert this morning said that china is watching all of this. china and the pacific and asia, seeing its own stick sphere. the stakes are high here. the united states isn't going to go to war with russia. but figuring out how to respond to putin, and as others watch do we hold this together since it existed since the cold war or not. is it is an outlaw action as the ambassador said and it's a very situation. >> you said ukraine's enter rim government will hold until the planned elections until may. has your opinion changed at all? >> it has not changed. if anything, i believe these actions by the russians will galvanize the ukrainians.

east and west. even in the east, ukrainians are not eager to be under the russian thumb. in crimea, that may be the case, but not in most of the ukraine, including the east. certainly not in the west. so i believe that this threat that the russians are posing will pull them together. will pull the ukrainians thog. >> all right. ambassador, david webb, thank you very much. want a no doubt guaranteed winter in today's oscar awards? our oscar expert appears to make a perfect pick. soothing scents for your sheets, your pj's, too. the sweet dreams collection -- it's a breakthrough! the moral of this tale shouldn't be controversial. buy the sweet dreams collection, because this is a commercial. shh! no! shh! ♪ [ click ] ♪

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sandra bullock is also up for best actress. christopher orr calling this is great year for film but a few that stand out above the others. others say not so much, overrated. christopher orr is joining me with his favorites and not favorites. let's go to the one you say is an absolute slam dunk. you say 100%. let us know. >> i will say emanuel uzbekky. for "gravity." the other one "frozen for animated picture. made a huge apartment of money. my children are still singing the songs of that. those two are in the bag.

>> let's get to the next picture. and who should win? something i liked in your "atlantic" article. you talked about who should win, who didn't get nominated that should have been nominated. let's go with best picture now. >> i think "12 years a slave will win." and i think it ought to win. there's a decent is chance "gravity" will win. and a slim chance that "american hustle" might squeeze in. and there's a time that tell might have a run like "argo" last season. and i think "american hustle" is a long shot. "12 years a slave say favorite. >> and you talked about three of niece nine films, "nebraska," "philomena," "osage county" as being overrated. how come? >> i actually liked all three movies. some people have gotten the idea

i'm anti-numbebraska. i'm not. i've seen the film twice. there are a strong amount of nominees that did not get nominated. i think the academy overall did a pretty good job. >> what about lupita in yong go. >> all the years in cotton. that's what i went for. >> does she beat out jennifer lawrence? >> i think she does. if jennifer lawrence had not won last year. she'd been an overwhelming favorite. the academy adores jennifer lawrence. but he won lashe won last year. she's only 23 years old. i would not put lupita in the heavy favorite category but she

will beat jennifer lawrence. she has a lot of momentum. and jennifer lawrence did just an oscar last year. >> and what about best actress? and your reason for thinking that meryl streep might have been scrapped from that nominee list. of course, anything she does, why not make it this time? >> she did. >> right, but in your mind, you think she shouldn't have. >> i thought emma thompson would get nominated for "saving mr. banks." i i think she deserved it. and cate blanchett is the overwhelming favorite in this category. it would be a real shock if she doesn't win. >> also a shock if jarod lido doesn't win, right. that's give folks what he did playing a transgender. a heck of a performance. here it is.

>> do you like this dress? because i think the necklines a little plunging? >> ma'am, the whole purpose of this study is to determine things without helping people. >> no helping me. >> that doesn't mean i'm going to stop trying. >> does he win best sporting actor. >> almost certainly. he's a heavy favorite and has been basically since the start of the award season. i'm not a huge fan. i think it's a role that's familiar. i think it's a role we've seen before. some people have raised concerns about him playing to transgender stereotypes as well. my biggest concern it did not seem like a fresh take to me. it was a capable performance. >> and we see math move mcconaughey in the screens with him is he your pick for best actor? >> he is. a strong favorite. not an overwhelming favorite. i think he should win. he's almost unrecognizable. it's a great performance. he's been on an incredible run.

in "mud." the small role in "wolf of wall street." an early favorite to get an emmy for hbo's "true detective." he's firing on all cylinders right now. >> christopher orr, i appreciate it. why does one writer call america's obsession with cars and homes weird? the answer from the author of that piece. hey guys! sorry we're late.

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welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." let's go to the weather now. nose massive winter storm is hitting the midwest. and it's quickly heading my way, east. the weather channel's meteorologist mike seidel is live near st. louis, where urging drivers to stay off the roads. why is that? lots of ice throughout, mike? >> reporter: first off, if i had it my way, we'd crank the thermostat up and be done with winter. it's been long and miserable. yes, indeed, ice on the roadwayser especially this morning and last night. we started off the met throw

area with freezing drizzle. i-70 was shut down in the central part of the state for about nine hours near columbia because of jack 95ed tractor trailers. here i-70, roads are slushed up because we have the higher hallelujah march sun angle. even though you don't see the sun, it gets through that. and the road is going to freeze right back over. the average high is 50 degrees. it's 15 degrees. let's show you what you had to deal with this morning. i know everybody's getting tired of this, not only in st. louis, but coast to coast, where you have ice and snow. but it's this stuff. you know, it's just getting old. now, one sure sign of spring, over here, we've got some buds on the trees. so that's certainly letting us think warm weather. from the equinox, three weeks away. kansas city, 1 degrees.

they're going to set the record for the coldest afternoon high in march. going back to 1888, alex. we've got snow here, maybe two or three inches. how about the impacts back east. washington, d.c., it will start later on tonight. 5 to 8 in d.c. 5 to 8 inches right now the forecast for philadelphia. new york city, weather channel forecast, 2 to 4 inches north of town, up in westchester, north of the tappan zee. it will fall off. the juicy spot will be d.c. and philly. and that will end tomorrow afternoon. do you feel any better? >> no, because you bring up the ice scraper, and i've heard that sound way too much. i'm ready to ditch mine. anyway, i'll keep it out longer because you think we need to, mike seidel. thank you. the weather has been taken a

toll on car sales. it's partly the blame for largest number of unsold new cars since the recession. they're trying to lure drivers back into the showroom. a surprising study from the bureau of labor statistics, the typical american family spends half of the money they urn on just two things, transportation and housing. analyst dirk thompson said it doesn't have to be that way with what they call the love affair with cars and houses. the other% of the country is divided up 3%, clothes, 13% food. on 5% on entertainment. you can give us the numbers to the rest world, i'm curious if it's divided up as equally? >> right, americans' love affair with cars and houses, it's weird for two reasons. we spend much more than other countries. we spend more than canada, more than the uk.

japan only spends a third of its money on housing. they spend a lot more on food at home eating with their families. the second reason it's weird. according to the study, it doesn't matter how much we make, if you don't graduate from high school. you tend to earn $30,000. if you graduate from college, you make about twice that much. both of these levels, just about every level in the u.s., we spend about half on houses and transportation. it's extremely strange. >> yeah, it is. but not unexpected, derrick. because america's love affair with cars goes back decades. take a look at this old car spot. >> yes, it's the new 1950 future amm amm amm ammic oeldz. >> smart interior. >> and new upholstery fabric. >> and what a thrill it would be

to drive. >> oh, sign me up, i've got to buy one. anyway, do you think cars were more affordable then as it relates to the average person's income? >> well there's a lot of reasons why we are a car culture. we absolutely are. look at our gas tax, for example, some of the lowest in the world. we really do encourage a suburban-oriented, car-oriented culture. it goes back to the most fundamental thing about the united states which is geography. we have a lot of space. luke at europe which is crammed. japan, a lot of people living on a small island. we're living in a huge cotton incide continent. we've built the suburban culture, connected with interstate transit that very much encourages all the spending on cars. as a result, encourages us to have more money dedicated to housing and car culture. look, for example, the mortgage interest deduction.

we make it very easy for people to build and live in enormous houses and drive cars that connect them to the city is where the real economy exists. >> but you look at your rents, your mortgages, train passes, taxis, maintenance on your cars, all that so expensive. so how do you get around it? and you say someone's already getting around it? >> right. so there's a criticism that exists about they don't spend -- they're spending all their money on smartphones and dinners out with friends and shoes that are fancier than their income warrants. they have one of the lowest housing ownership rate than any generation in the last 50 years. they aren't buying new cars. they grew up and graduated into recession. when you take this one dollar out of every two dollars that we're spending on housing and trl transportation and you redistribute that to technology and education and dinners out with friends you see a different

economy. to a certain extent, one can imagine that the economy lived in by young people today which downplays housing and transportation, upplays technology and connectivity, maybe eating out, these sort of luxuries, you could have the makings of a slightly different economy with major implications. >> what's to watch. super interesting. thanks for bringing it to us, derrick thompson. how can president obama pressure russia to pull out of the ukraine. like his newest invention, liquid muscle, that lifts and cleans tough grease with less scrubbing. it's a liquid gel, so it's less watery and cleans more. and its cap stops by itself so almost nothing's wasted. ♪ no matter where he went or who he helped, people couldn't thank him enough. new mr. clean liquid muscle. when it comes to clean, there's only one mr.

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let's take a listen to secretary of state john kerry on "meet the press." >> president obama hopes that president putin will turn in the direction that's available to him to work with all ofs that you creates stability in ukraine. this does not have to be and should not be an east west struggle. this is not about russia and the u.s. this is about the people of ukraine. >> your reaction to that? >> i think that's a message that john kerry has been trying to emphasize all week. he did it in his interview with ann mitchell. this isn't going to be a return to the cold war. it's certainly looking that way. there wasn't this push towards democracy and the west having some impact in ukraine, i don't think we would see this. but i think the way putin is behaving certainly makes us feels like it's the cold war all over again. >> you know, jason, this is another foreign policy challenge for president obama.

understandably he's loathed to get military involved anywhere. how does this set him up for this challenge? >> it doesn't set him up at all. there's very little we can do. we're not going head to head with the russians. those days are long gone. we can't afford it. they don't have the resources. we don't have the resources. the on thing we can do is try to squeeze russia economically to get them involved. unfortunately, we'll have to see this with putin. it's just like the czech, with georgia, it's a weakened empire and trying to exert their power. >> and joel, just like jason said, it is suspended it's upcoming preparations for the preparatory meetings in sochi for the g-8. what do you make so far, the fact that canada, britain and france said we're going to suspend prep for that as well? >> well i think that's the right thing to do. i think the u.s. these show that it supports the people of the ukraine. and that's the right thing to do. i agree with what jason said,

though. we don't have a lot of options. the president doesn't lots of anticipation or leverage in this case, concerning the fact this is not just about the u.s. and russia. even if it was, russia only accounts for 2% of our trade with the u.s. so they're not a huge trade partner. and we have to consider the fact that most europe rely heavily on russian gas. really having the leverage that we might need to force putin's hand is going to find. >> do you see anything with any teeth in terms of leverage, dafna? >> i do, i think there are supports there. with the energy with russia is a good thing. i think there is a price to be paid. and i think there say toll. you can find different means, including the g-8 summit where putin wants to be the host. wants to be in charge. wants to be an equal among world powers to say hey, wait a minute, it's not going to be as

easy as you think. >> let's switch gears. this next topic is getting tons of attention. the nfl considering a new rule banning players using racial se a quarterback at the university of oklahoma. >> i'm old enough to understand the scourge of racial slurs but i'm also young enough to kind of understand the new culture and how the new culture works and what they say and what they do, but it still doesn't make it right. i think it will raise the conscience level but it's a broader discussion i think that needs to be had. >> okay. so this proposed ban, jason, would you support it? >> no. it's ridiculous. first off, it's hypocritical for a league to pebbnalize you for

using the n-word and have the redskins. you can want cuss at players and referees. this is from the older generation trying to play the bill cosby school to us young people. i wouldn't support it. >> okay. there you go. unequivocal on that one. joe, the critics, we have a proposed rule saying this would be a majority of white owners and refs telling predominantly african-americans how to use a word they claimed and not used a derogatory way between each other. what do you think of that? >> well, i think that at the end of the day in a perfect world we want people to be treated the way they want to be treated. but at the same time, as somebody that played sport tons varsity level, half the game is not just physical but psychological and sometimes opponents use anything they can to get inside the skin of their opponent so if the nfl does impose a ban, there's 15-yard

penalties to be shuttled around back and forth. >> jason, are you laughing and shaking your head looking at joe? >> yeah. it's ridiculous. there's a lot of foul things said in the locker room and with women's sports, not just a gender thing. the nfl is wasting their time. >> what's the biggest challenge of implementing this rule if they don't listen to jason and adopts it? >> oh, i think there's going to be a lot of challenges but, you know, i think, you know, it does remind me about the redskins and kind of a measure of the times and the period that we're in and different kind of sense from people about what's acceptiable and what's isn't and the conversation in this country, you know, a bigger one, broader one about the redskins, these are important and they are sort of a measure of the period we are in right now and they're important to people. even if it does seem sort of ridiculous. >> well, it is important and

interesting, i'll say that. as is this coming up, everyone. one of the must reads about the oscars. take something. truth is, sudafed pe pressure and pain won't treat all of your symptoms. really? alka seltzer plus severe sinus fights your tough sinus symptoms plus your runny nose. oh what a relief it is

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we are back with the big three's must reads. jason, you are first. >> i know everybody's excited about the oscars but if you want to know about the history, there's a great article talking about the mafia backing, the hits, the violence, the lay bror strife behind the oscars and learn history before you start watching tonight. >> i am so reading that. joe, yours? >> a great article in "time" magazine to talk about the challenges faced in the ukraine and a sense of how people there who support russia feel about this, as well. >> very timely. dafna? >> at msnbc.com and called it and nailed it on marco rubio. he was on "meet the press" this week and i think the spot on

senate foreign relations is ticket back. >> okay. great writer. thanks so much. good to see you. come on back soon. that's a wrap. stay with us. we have headline hup dates and breaking news and up next "meet the press." have a good one, everyone. first word... uh...chicken? hi, cascade kitchen counselor. stop stalling and start shining with cascade platinum packs. over time, platinum fights cloudy residue 3x better than the competing gel. it's so powerful it even helps keep the dishwasher sparkling. avoid embarrassing moments... at least for your dishes. cascade. beyond clean and shine every time. did you run into traffic? no, just had to stop by the house to grab a few things. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go-- yea, sure ya did. [ male announcer ] introducing at&t digital life.

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mayo? corn dogs? you are so outta here! aah! [ female announcer ] the complete balanced nutrition of great-tasting ensure. 24 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and 9 grams of protein. [ bottle ] ensure®. nutrition in charge™. from nbc news in washington, from nbc news in washington, the world's longest running television program, this is "meet the press" with david gregory. >> and good sunday morning. so just one week later, the good will from the olympic games has been replaced by an international crisis as russia flexes its military might. how should president obama respond to a crucial test of his leadership after russia sent troops into the crimean peninsula, which is part of the ukraine? secretary of state john kerry calls it an invasion and ukraine has now mobilized its army now. it is our top issue this morning. president obama spoke with president putin of russia on saturday after warning there