ahead. good morning, it's wednesday, march 23rd, i'm mika brzezinski. police have identified three of the suspects in yesterday's terror attacks in belgium. nbc news has confirmed that two of the suicide bombers khalid and ibrahim el bakraoui were brothers and one remains at large, laachraoui. but first, witness accounts are shedding more light on yesterday's wave of coordinated terror attacks in brussels. here's what we know so far, at least 31 people are dead, 260 wounded. according to authorities 11 people died after two explosions went off at the brussels airport shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time. >> turned immediately opaque and

there was dust and debris and there was a smell. then the other uncomfortable fact of being surrounded by suitcases that had been abandoned and, you know, wondering are they full of clothes or full of something else? >> at least 20 people were killed in the maalbeek metro station. belgian fire and rescue services say more than 200 people were injured in the series of explosions including 30 who were critically wounded. isis has claimed responsibility for the attacks. right now, there is reinforced security throughout brussels, but belgian media report that life will get back to normal quickly with no lockdowns and schools will open. let's talk more about the suspects just identified this morning, shown here in the security video at the brussels airport, wheeling luggage carts. as we mentioned nbc news has now

confirmed that the two bombers in black were brothers identified as the el bakraoui. they died when the bombs exploded and the brothers were known to police and had suspected links to the terrorist network suspected in the paris attacks. the other man in the picture identified by police as 24-year-old najim laachraoui fled the scene. he's the suspect now being hunted by police. laachraoui is also suspected of involvement in the paris terror attacks. isis did claim responsibility for the bombings at both the airport and the subway yesterday and u.s. counterterrorism officials said that appeared to be genuine. meanwhile, raids were carried out across the country and counterterrorism sources described one site uncover as a bomb making factory. one raid yielded the improvised

explosive device containing nails and chemicals and an isis flag. joining us live from brussels, nbc correspondent ayman mohyeldin. >> good morning. we're getting a picture of the identity of the attackers. overnight, belgian police confirmed the identity of the three individuals. two suicide bombers who carried out the attacks, the brothers, khalid and ibrahim el bakraoui and the third suspect, laachraoui. the connection to the paris attacks is becoming a little bit clearer. a lot has to do with the apartment raided last week by belgian authorities in which they believe one of the brothers rented the apartment under a false identity. they found the dna connecting them to salah abdeslam. he was captured last friday. this morning, the identity of that third suspect who was now on the run according to the police also has connections to

syria. they believe najim laachraoui actually travelled to syria back in 2013, returning to europe before he was also involved in activities here that they say were related to terrorism. two brothers had a criminal background. both of them sentenced according to belgian law enforcement to nine and five years in prison for respective crimes -- >> we just lost ayman. that's ayman mohyeldin out of brussels. we're learning more about the american victims. the u.s. military has confirmed than an american service member was wounded along with four of his family members. sources tell nbc news none of their injuries were life threatening. a couple from kentucky, justin and stephanie schultz is missing this morning. the family member tells nbc news the couple lives in brussels and were dropping stephanie's mother

off at the airport. the mother is fine but family members said no one has heard from the couple. three mormon missionaries from utah suffered shrapnel wounds and burns during the attacks yesterday. one of the missionaries elder mason wells also happened to be a block away from the boston marathon bombings back in 2013. he was also in paris this past november when the french capital was attacked. >> we knew when the paris attacks happenedhat he was a few hours outside of paris. we weren't as concerned, we were more concerned about the missionaries that were there. not necessarily our son but the ones in downtown. but this time, we were concerned because this was mason's area. this is where he walks every day. >> and it comes as little surprise there will be no flights in and out of brussels airport today. just over 64,000 people travel through that airport every day. one of busiest in europe. some metro stations will remain closed, trams and buses will be operational. meanwhile the u.s. state

department has issued a travel warning for americans traveling to europe. the agency says terrorist groups continue to plan near term attacks throughout europe targeting sporting events, tourist sights, restaurants and transportation. american travelers are urged to be vigilant. there's been stepped up security here at home. the usual hot spots around new york city, washington and los angeles, particularly airports all seeing extra patrols. so in his response to the terror attacks in brussels yesterday, senator ted cruz called for increased policing of muslim communities in the u.s. stating quote, we need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized. the director on the council on american islamic nations responded, what is a muslim neighborhood? how many muslims have been in a neighborhood before it becomes worthy of checking papers and kicking in the doors of homes and businesses? it brings to mind an image of the dark days of the 1930s. it's a very frightening image.

cruz defended his proposal in the news conference last night. >> it is standard law enforcement if you have a neighborhood that is plagued by gang activity, it is standard and good law enforcement to direct more resources to work with the community that is facing gang activity, to stop the gang members. it is standard, good policing to direct your resources to where the threat is coming from. we should do the same thing with radical islamic terrorism. political correctness costs lives. and it is standard law enforcement, it is good law enforcement to focus on where threats are emanating from and anywhere where there's a locus of radicalization, where there's an expanding presence of radical islamic terrorism. we need law enforcement resources directed there. the object should be to keep

americans safe, to keep everyone safe. >> cruz invoked the policies of former new york city mayor bloomberg and last night the new york police department reacted, reminding cruz that the force has nearly 1,000 muslim officers in uniform. >> i would remind the senator he lives in the united states of america. in the statements he made today is why he's in at going to become president of this country. as we don't need a president that doesn't respect the values that form the foundation of this country. i have over 900 very dedicated officers in this department, many of whom do double duty. they serve as active duty members of the u.s. military, in combat. something the senator has never seen. so before he starts denigrating any population group, take a close look at who he's denigrating. >> thank you. that was exactly what needed to be said.

last night, donald trump said he agrees 100% with ted cruz's proposal to patrol and secure muslim neighborhoods. might want to listen to the commissioner about this. and he stressed his own proposal suggesting torture might have prevented the attacks. >> i think we have to change our law on, you know t waterboarding thing where they could chop off heads and they can drown people in cages and heavy steel cages. and we can't water board. so we have to change our laws and we have to be able to fight at least on an almost equal basis. we have laws that we have to obey in terms of torture. they have no laws whatsoever that they have to -- >> would you start torturing him right away or would you see if he would cooperate and share information? because belgian authority, police, say he has been talking. >> well, he may be talking but he'll talk a lot faster about the torture. if he talked you might not have

had the blow up. >> in response to the rhetoric on the republican side, democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton blasted her opponents' rhetoric and plans. >> the last thing we need, my friends, are leaders who incite more fear. in the face of terror america doesn't panic. we don't build walls or turn our backs on our allies. we can't throw out everything we know about what works and what doesn't and start torturing people. what donald trump, ted cruz and others are suggesting is not only wrong, it's dangerous. >> clinton is scheduled to appear at stanford university today to deliver a speech focusing on counterterrorism. and the presidential campaigns looked west last night in contests across three states on the democratic side. hillary clinton, the projected winner in arizona's primary, while bernie sanders is the

projected winner with caucuses in idaho and utah. despite sanders making a late push in arizona, clinton won with 58% of the vote bringing in labor secretary tom perez and former president clinton to claim. but sanders won big in idaho. taking 78% to clinton's 21%. another strong performance in utah with 86% of the vote in, he's still leading clinton 79 to 20 there. the senator from vermont attracted 10,000 people at a rally in salt lake city on friday. 10,000. sanders outspent clinton on the airwaves in all of yesterday's races with clinton spending nothing at all in idaho and utah. sanders is also -- so far the delegate winner of the night, taking 61 to clinton's 54. but clinton is still far ahead on the road to philadelphia, the sight of this summer's convention. and it was another election with strong turnout, but that

wasn't the cause of the tie-up in phoenix where some waited five hours to cast ballots after county officials in a cost saving move decided to open only 60 polling sites. in the county with 2 million registered voters. by comparison, 200 were open for the 2012 presidential primary. really? in arizona winner take all, trump has 47% to ted cruz's 25%. notice that marco rubio who ended his campaign a week ago is currently leading john kasich a likely effect of early voting. cruz answered back in utah's caucus where he is projected toizely clear -- to easily clear the 50% threshold to claim all of the delegates rather than a proportional split. kasich at 17%. trump at 14. well, confidence emanated from jeff roe who called his shot in the tweet around 1:00

a.m. eastern time, we will get 50% plus in utah. and all 40 delegates #babe ruth. cruz still has a big deficit to overcome and trump has the most delegates of the night. donald trump has 744 to cruz's 468. well, still ahead on "way too early," much more out of brussels. and plus, president obama was in cuba when the terrorists struck and now he's taking heat for what he did and did not do in the aftermath of the attack. we'll hear him explain why he kept to his schedule which included attending a baseball game. we'll be right back.

when your type 2 diabetes numbers aren't moving in the right direction, it can be a burden. but what if you could wake up to lower blood sugar? imagine loving your numbers. discover once-daily invokana®. with over 6 million prescriptions and counting, it's the #1 prescribed sglt2 inhibitor that works to lower a1c.

invokana® is used along with diet and exercise to significantly lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. it's a once-daily pill that works around the clock. here's how: invokana® reduces the amount of sugar allowed back in to the body through the kidneys and sends some sugar out through the process of urination. and while it's not for weight loss, it may help you lose weight. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or weak, especiallyhen you stand up. other side effects may include kidney problems, genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, changes in urination, high potassium in the blood, increases in cholesterol, or risk of bone fracture. do not take invokana® if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis. stop taking and call your doctor right away if you experience symptoms such as rash, swelling,

or difficulty breathing or swallowing. tell your doctor about any mel conditions, medications you are taking, and if you have kidney or liver problems. using invokana® with sulfonylurea or insulin may increase risk of low blood sugar. imagine life with a lower a1c. are you loving your numbers? there's only one invokana®. ask your doctor about it by name. monuments across the world lit up last night in solidarity with the people of brussels. new york city's empire state building remained dark in

remembrance of the lives lost. the brandon berg gate in berlin was lit up in black, yellow and red and rome's fountain stood aflow with reflections of the flag. the first family is in argentina after their historic trip to cuba yesterday. raul castro was on the tarmac for the president's good-bye. he also met with about a dozen cuban dissidents at the u.s. embassy in havana where he thanked them for their extraordinary courage. earlier in the day the president addressed the cuban people in a speech broadcast uncensored. he called his trip a moment, quote, to bury the last remnants of the cold war in americas and gave a forceful defense of democracy. >> i believe citizens should be free to speak their mind without fear. to organize and to criticize their government. and to protest peacefully.

and that the rule of law should not include arbitrary detentions of people who exercise those rights. there's still some tough fights. it isn't always pretty. the process of democracy. it's often frustrating. you can see that in the election going on back home. but just stop and consider this fact about the american campaign, that's taking place right now. you had two cuban americans in the republican party running against the legacy of black man who is president, while arguing they're the best person to beat the democratic nominee who will either be a woman or a democratic socialist. who would have believed that back in 1959? that's a measure of our progress as a democracy. >> but for the world of sports,

it was a day of mending in havana at the first game on the island featuring a major league baseball club since the orioles visited in 1999. the tampa bay rays served as baseball ambassadors in yesterday's exhibition game against the cuban national team. some familiar faces on hand for the festivities along with president obama including former yankee captain and baseball icon derek jeter. obama, the first sitting u.s. president to visit cuba in 88 years had a front row seat for the game right next to cuban president raul castro. the heads of state left the stadium by the third inning. as for the action on the diamond, tampa bay james loney homered and drove in three runs, propelling the rays to the victory over cuba. the rays nearly shut out the cubans but a long ball in the ninth inning put cuba on the board. against the back drop of the bloodshed in belgium, the optics of president obama's trip to cuba are drawing a lot of attention. the president stuck to his

planned schedule of attending a baseball game between the tampa bay rays and the cuban national team. at the ball park, he spoke with reporters from espn. >> given what mapped today was there ever any consideration to not coming to the game today and it's clear that you're enjoying the game. >> it's always a challenge when you have a terrorist attack anywhere in the world, particularly in the age of 24 hour news coverage. you want to be respectful and understand the gravity of the situation. but the whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt ordinary people's lives. >> the president then cited the fiery speech delivered from the diamond by david ortiz in the wake of the boston marathon bombings. >> when ortiz went out and said, probably the only time that

america didn't have a problem with somebody -- a person on live tv was when he talked about boston and how strong it was and that it was not going to be intimidated. and that is the kind of resilience and the kind of strength that we have to continually show in the face of these terrorists. >> it's not the first time the president's reaction to tragedy has spurred criticism. after the paris attacks last year, the president did not join 40 other world leaders in a unity march in the french capital. it's a decision the white house later admitted was a mistake. >> and some have asked whether or not the united states should have sent someone with a higher profile than the ambassador to france. and i think it's fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there. >> and of course after american journalist james foley was beheaded by isis in 2014, the president was on the golf course during his vacation in martha's vineyard. he was asked by chuck todd whether he would like to take that decision back. >> there's no doubt that after

having talked to the families where it was hard for me to hold back tears listening to the pain that they were going through, after the statement that i made that, you know, i should have anticipated the optics. you know, that's part of the job. >> so we'll talk much more about that on "morning joe" and with the full panel and joe as well. let's get a check of the weather now with nbc meteorologist bill karins. what have you got? >> a lot. today is a threatening day with tornadoes and also a blizzard in the middle of the country. very typical strong late winter/early spring type storm. snow is breaking out in denver, a very difficult morning commute. then it will last throughout the entire day. cheyenne, wyoming, has a lot of snow right now. we have a blizzard warning for northeast of colorado.

we have winter storm warnings covering nine states. it goes to wyoming back to michigan. the stripe of blue here is where we'll see the heaviest snow. here's the snow map. denver could get up to six to ten inches of snow today. then it moves into areas of nebraska, when we get to the pink coloring here, usually in the middle of the country you get four to eight. this is a foot of snow from rochester to oshkosh to green bay and through northern michigan. this is like -- you get the plows out and the kids are going to miss school for a day or two throughout this section of the country and then severe thunderstorms, isolated tornadoes later on today. st. louis, springfield, little rock, all included. dallas, most of those storms should be to the east. >> thanks very much. see you on "morning joe." much more on the attacks in brussels when "way too early" comes back in just a moment. the future belongs to the fast. and to help you accelerate, we've created a new company. ♪

one totally focused on what's next for your business. a true partnership where people, technology and ideas push everyone forward. accelerating innovation. accelerating transformation. accelerating next. hewlett packard enterprise. incredible bladder prthat lets from always diyou move like you mean it now comes with an incredible promise. the always discreet double youmoney back guarantee. always discreet is for bladder leaks and it's drier than poise. try it. we're so confident you'll love it, we'll give you double your money back if you don't. incredible bladder protection. double your money back guarantee. that's always discreet.

♪ ♪ and the whole world was on your case ♪ that was grammy award winning singer adele at her concert in london's arena last night. she dedicated the song "make you feel loved" to brussels in front

of 20,000 singing along with her. coming up on "morning joe," the latest details in the two brothers identified in yesterday's attacks. plus who is the third suspect? we'll talk about his fake identity and possible connection to the paris attacks as well. we're joined by tom brokaw, former cia director general hayden, supreme court allied commander of nato admiral james debritus. that and more coming up next on "morning joe." it took joel silverman years to become a master dog trainer. but only a few commands to master depositing checks at chase atms. technology designed for you. so you can easily master the way you bank. trust number one doctor recommended dulcolax constipated?

use dulcol tablets for gentle overnight relief suppositories for relief in minutes and stool softeners for comfortable relief of hard stools. dulcolax, designed for dependable relief every auto insurance policy has a number.

but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. ♪ those who have served our nation have earned the very best service in return. ♪ usaa. we know what it means to serve. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. . we stop arthris pain, so you don't have to stop. because you believe in go. onward. today's the day. carpe diem. tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. the first is fast. '

my thought at the time was "that's one, that's two, three's coming, maybe even four." and given what we know about what happened in paris i thought there's a good chance i'm going to start hearing rifle fire. in among the debris on the ground what you were seeing were people. it's tragedy, the blood, the destruction, that stuff i wouldn't wish on anybody to see. >> good morning and welcome to "morning joe." what is going to be a very, very big news morning today. we're following two big stories this morning. in politics we got a big endorsement