u.s. and the world as cases of coronavirus multiply over the weekend. cruise ship passengers are preparing to be evacuated in california. a leading senator and house member self-quarantined. 500 parishioners in a georgetown church here in d.c. are ordered to stay home after their pastor is diagnosed. and stocks plunge, forcing wall street to temporarily halt trading. >> you can see the cessation in techs. >> wow. >> the first circuit breaker -- >> for whom the bell tolls. >> -- has been triggered. >> this is not a test as donald trump shakes hands with supporters in florida this morning, in violation of government guidelines. the white house facing criticism over mixed messages from the president and the leaders of his coronavirus task force. >> we don't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward. >> anybody right now and

yesterday, anybody that needs a test gets a test. they're there. they have the tests, and the tests are beautiful. anybody that needs a test gets a test. and make or break. bernie sanders facing an uphill climb with six more states voting tomorrow, the key one being michigan, as joe biden packs up more key endorsements and opens up a double-digit lead in one poll. >> we're taking on the political establishment. we're going to win this election. >> senator sanders is a good guy, likes to say we need a record turnout to beat donald trump. he's absolutely right, and we're the campaign that's going to do it. good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. we're continuing our breaking

news coverage of a trading massacre in the markets after an historic drop on wall street. here's where things stand at this hour. you can see that the markets are down 1,375 points on the dow jones, standard & poor's, 154, the nasdaq composite 389. less than ten minutes after the opening bell today, the massive sell-off hit 7% losses on the s&p 500, causing a circuit breaker, an automatic circuit breaker, and a 15-minute pause to prevent additional panic trading. the key concerns for investors are a crippling oil pricing war between russia and saudi arabia and persistent fears over the coronavirus. the focus today in northern california, where the "grand princess" cruise ship will be able to disembark, we're told, with all passengers beginning 14 days of quarantine after they are lifted off board. there are 21 confirmed coronavirus cases on the ship. 19 of those people are crew members. right now there are more than 500 confirmed cases across the

u.s. we have the story covered across the country. nbc senior business correspondent stephanie ruhle at the new york stock exchange, nbc's erin mclaughlin in oakland. oakland's representative in congress, barbara lee here in washington, and nbc's rehema ellis at columbia university in new york city on the fallout on campuses around the country. we begin with stephanie ruhle on this horrible day on wall street. >> without a doubt, andrea. you mentioned it earlier, this drop in oil price. we haven't seen a drop in crude like this since the gulf war, and it does connect to corona. opec met last week to discuss how to address the drop in demand, specifically for china around oil. russia walked out of that meeting and said, i don't know, everybody do what they want. saudi arabia's response, we will. jack up production and drop prices. now, the president has tweeted about that today, saying, don't trust the fake news, low oil prices are good, good at the pump. it's a double-edged sword. it is good for lower gas prices,

but back in the day, it was great, we didn't produce oil. we have massive oil production here in the u.s., specifically in houston. this really hurts those companies that were already hurting. and think about the advice we're giving people around corona -- hunker down, don't go to work, don't go to big events, stay at home. lower gas prices doesn't help. this has only worsened the corona situation and is rooted in communication or lack of communication, the president continuing to underplay the impact of corona, when you and i both know this is a service-based economy. if people aren't out, they're not spending. it's time to get honest about it. >> and one quick question about that, because we understand from our white house correspondents that the president is going to get recommendations today about a stimulus package. but a stimulus package, and it's to help the cruise industries and other travel industries, but a stimulus package is to get people out of the house, not staying home and avoiding travel, or shopping and going to the malls, as the government is

advising. >> and that's what's going to be interesting, because remember last week when we got the emergency rate cut from the fed? it didn't do anything. it had the opposite effect. people aren't going to go out. and then the fed lost a bullet. they don't have it anymore. as far as a stimulus package, many are recommending, let's go to where it hurts. there may be a bailout for the cruise industry or the airline industry, and i don't think you'll see the public outrage that we saw around the financial crisis, because in this case, we're looking at it more like a natural disaster. nobody's blaming those big companies, those ceos. or you could see something like what jason furman suggested, possibly cutting a check directly to individuals. consider all the people that don't work at big companies, that can't get paid sick leave. there may be a solution for them. >> that's a very important factor. stephanie ruhle, thanks for all of that from the new york stock exchange. thank you. and now to nbc's erin mclaughlin in oakland, california, waiting for the "grand princess" to finally dock.

how are they going to do this, erin, without endangering the rest of the community in oakland? >> reporter: that is a huge concern to authorities here in oakland and in california. you know, i was just speaking to a passenger on board the cruise ship, and he was telling me that he could see the golden gate bridge, a symbol of hope to him that this nightmare might soon be coming to an end. he said he has not been told by the captain exactly when they will be arriving. however, the port authority here in oakland says that the arrival is expected around noon. this is an extraordinarily complicated operation currently under way, especially when you consider that the port of oakland is not equipped to handle cruise ships. so a lot of factors here at play. once it does arrive, they're planning on taking the passengers off in three separate groups, the first group being anyone symptomatic, anyone in need of urgent medical care, the second group being over 900 californians currently on board

the cruise ship. they're going to be taken to travis air force base for their 14-day quarantine. and then the rest of the passengers -- it's a total process that will take two to three days to complete. spare a thought for the crew members, though, andrea. they are going to be staying on board the "grand princess," and they'll go back out to sea. destination for them is unknown at this point. >> erin mclaughlin, thanks to you. we'll, of course, be getting updates throughout the hour. meanwhile, democratic congresswoman barbara lee represents california's 13th district, which includes oakland and alameda county, and joins me now. congresswoman, thank you very much. i know how busy this is for you. we watched the mayor of oakland and governor newsom briefing yesterday, and they were trying to aleve concerns that this would in any way implicate the community because they are going to be very precise about separating the passengers, those who need to be guaranteed, those who need to be hospitalized, those foreign visitors who need to be traveling home and doing it all without getting them on

commercial aircraft. how is that going to work? >> sure. thank you, andrea. and of course, yesterday i was on a conference call with the governor's office. today again i talked with the governor's office. and this requires a whole-of-government response. and, in fact, of course, the first concern is the health and safety of our passengers, of our community, the health care workers, the dockworkers. and the protocols are being put into place, and i just have to say to the governor, he has been working -- about our governor and the state and our mayor -- we've been working together with cdc and with health and human services and with all of the health care partners to make sure that this becomes the safest and the most high-level public health response that we have seen yet. >> i want to play something that the president said in atlanta at the cdc on friday. rehema suggesting that he would rather they stay offshore permanently because it would hold down the numbers of those infected in the u.s. let's watch.

>> they would like to have the people come off. i'd rather have the people stay, but i'd go with them. i told them to make the final decision. i would rather, because i like the numbers being where they are, i don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship. that wasn't our fault. and it wasn't the fault of the people on the ship, either, okay? it wasn't their fault either, and they're mostly americans. so, i can live either way with it. i'd rather have them stay on, personally. >> i have no words. why don't you respond to that? >> this president is not a public health expert. i'm urging him to allow dr. fauci, cdc, health and human services and all of the health care experts to make these decisions and to allow communities and the country to move forward with a public health response. we have to, in many ways, go around this president because this is serious and we have to

be transparent. this is about truth-telling, and it's about protecting the public. and, in fact, going back to oakland, we have a community in west oakland that has been historically the subject of many environmental racism, unfortunate kind of strategies by different entities. we have to make sure and our mayor's making sure and the governor's making sure that our communities are seen as a priority in terms of health and safety of our residents. and the president, i don't believe he has a clue. and so, i wish that he would allow our health officials and the cdc and all of those who know what they're talking about, who are being trance parsparent conduct this response. this is an emergency and the experts know exactly how to respond. the president of this united states of america does not. >> and i see you're on the hill today. we know that senator cruz is

self-quarantining after having been i think at cpac, close to someone who was later diagnosed and was infected, as well as congressman guessar gassar. nancy pelosi was asked about that. >> always have to measure what the impact of what we are doing is. and we don't want to instill fear. we want to take precautions. we want prevention, but we don't want panic. and again, we'll make judgments as we go along about the risk that is involved. thank you. >> congresswoman, what do you think the balance should be as far as meetings, hearings, sessions of congress? >> well, the speaker's absolutely correct. we have to have a balance. and we have our protocols that are in place. and in fact, we have to also follow the standard of public health guidelines, which, in fact, have been public for several weeks now in terms of the standards and what needs to happen in terms of the

transmission of this virus -- washing hands constantly, the disinfectant for hands, not putting one's hands in one's face, staying away from those places and crowds and airplanes and other places where masses of people congregate. this applies to everyone in the country. and so, the speaker's correct in terms of not panicking. but in fact, we have to have the same protocols and the same public health standards on capitol hill as we have throughout the country. >> congresswoman barbara lee, thanks to you and our wishes go to all the people in your district. i know that there is a lot of nervousness out in oakland today and they will try to do the best they can in dealing with it. >> andrea, oakland has stepped up. thank you very much. and i'm very proud of the fact that everyone has stepped up pulling this together to make sure that this response is appropriate and protects the public health and safety of everyone. thank you. >> indeed. that was very clear from the

mayor's press conference yesterday, and of course, the governor. thanks to you. and we are going next to the upper west side, upper, upper west side of manhattan, specifically morningside heights. nbc's rehema ellis on columbia university's campus, the latest university to act in response to coronavirus concerns. rehema, what is columbia doing? and we've already seen other campuses, they're clearly canceling overseas travel, foreign study abroad, but it's also a concern for lower schools, elementary schools, for schools where children across the country rely on schools for their meals and where parents, especially low-income parents, rely on schools because they can't pay for daycare. what is the impact on empathize? >> reporter: absolutely. andrea, there is a concern about the ripple effect of what is going on with this coronavirus concern. here on the campus at columbia university, a campus with over 33,000 students, and the sister campus across the street,

bernard, with some 2,600 students, they have quarantined a member of the columbia university community who they say was exposed to the coronavirus. so, out of an abundance of caution, they've canceled classes here for today and tomorrow. and then after that, they are going to go into what they call online learning, until spring break, which starts on friday. then they'll be gone for a week. students here say they think that that's the appropriate thing to do. some, however, are concerned about what might happen after spring break is over, because the news about this virus, they say, seems to be changing by the hour, and certainly, by the day. they're concerned, what about those students who -- we heard from students who say they're traveling to california. some say they're going to florida. who might they be in contact with? and what impact would that have on them coming back to school? ripple effect also for those children at elementary schools, if their parents, if the schools are closed down, what will their parents then do? andrea? >> it is a big and growing problem. i know you're going to be covering it on your empathize

beat. rehema, thank you so much. and coming up next, doctored orders. president trump continues to defy his health advisers, playing down the experts and the facts about coronavirus. how is that hurting the government's overall response? you're watching "andrea mitchell reports." stay with us right here on msnbc. rts. stay with us right here on msnbc. e's no space there! maybe over here? oven mitts! oven mitts! everything's stuck in the drawers! i'm sorry! oh, jeez. hi. kelly clarkson. try wayfair! oh, ok. it's going to help you, with all of... this! yeah, here you go. thank you! oh, i like that one! [ laugh ] that's a lot of storage! perfect. you're welcome! i love it. how did you do all this? wayfair! speaking of dinner, what're we eating, guys? in so many ways. which cage free eggs taste fresher and more delicious? only eggland's best. which organic eggs have more vitamins and less saturated fat? only eggland's best. better taste, better nutrition, better eggs.

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coronavirus outbreak, contradicting his own experts and misinforming the public. white house officials acknowledge to nbc news that the president is simply not on the same wave length as his team but add that there is not much they can do about it. in atlanta on friday, the president waved off any concerns after touring the centers for disease control and prevention. >> anybody right now and yesterday, anybody that needs a test gets a test. they're there. they have the tests. and the tests are beautiful.

the tests are all perfect, like the letter was perfect, the transcription was perfect. this was not as perfect as that, but pretty good. people are surprised that i understand it. every one of these doctors said, how do you know so much about this? maybe i have a natural ability. maybe i should have done that instead of running for president. >> joining me now, philip rucker, white house bureau chief with the "washington post" and co-author of "a very stable genius" on "the new york times" best-seller list, should we add? and john brennan, former cia director under president obama. phil, there's so much to break down there, the fact that maybe he has a natural talent for medicine and should have. a doctor instead of running for president of the united states. but all of these corrections and misstatements and downplaying it, understand the concerns of downplaying an emergency or trying to reassure the public, the markets. that makes sense. but in this case, it's in stark

contradiction to his own experts. >> that's right, andrea, and it's in stark contrast to his own vice president, mike pence, who's been leading the coronavirus task force and providing near-daily updates to the media and is conveying the seriousness of the crisis in a way that president trump is not. we've seen on twitter this morning the president truly flailing about to try to cast blame, to try to suggest that coronavirus is not as bad as the flu, to suggest that the media is overhyping the situation, all while he was at mar-a-lago over the weekend and playing golf and other things. and he's now at a campaign fund-raiser, even as his own government is scrambling to try to address the situation. >> and he was at mar-a-lago in west palm at the same time on saturday as the vice president was meeting with cruise ship industry officials in west palm, so they were in the same town. the president of the united states was playing golf.

the vice president was leading this emergency meeting with the cruise folks. john brennan, you've dealt with post-9/11. you've dealt with crises throughout your career in intelligence, real home land security issues, inside the white house and in the agency. this feels so very different. >> it is very different. and when i was the homeland security adviser for president obama, three months into the administration we had to deal with the h1n1 crisis. and this was a crisis that was obviously identified first inside the united states, not abroad, so we didn't have time to try to figure out how it should -- >> how bad? refresh our viewers' memory about h1n1. >> it was identified first in april of '09 and then through the next year, too, because once it subsided over the summer, it came back in the fall and the winter, and there were about 16 million americans that were affected by h1n1 virus with about 12,000 deaths. it was different than the coronavirus right now in terms of its transmissibility as well

as which demographics were affected by the virus. h1n1 infected younger adults much more seriously than the older population. so one of the things president obama told us, he wanted to have the science, facts, and data drive administration policies and actions. and so, we had to engage very comprehensively as well as very aggressively to make sure that there was going to be an across-the-government effort in terms of the federal government, but one of the most complex things is making sure that the federal government is working with the state and local governments as well as with the health industry and others. so, dr. fauci was someone we relied on so heavily. and president obama would get regular briefings on this, but he always deferred to the experts to guide the popular perception about what they should do and how serious that, you know, influenza pandemic was at that time. >> and later on, president obama had to deal with ebola. so he really had two on his watch. >> right, and he had created then a pandemic office in the

white house that has been taken down by the trump administration. so, one of the things i think we see the difference here is that donald trump, who throughout his entire life, he's looked through the world through a prism of how things affect his financial and political fortunes and i wonder if he's psychologically capable to put the country's well-being first and to subordinate his own interests in trying to succepin things in a manner that won't reflect badly on him. politics need to be damned at this point. health and safety of the american public is most important. now, obviously, we want to make sure that our economy is going to be able to width stand the traumatic hit it seems to be taking right now, but we want to make sure there is truth and honesty coming out from our public officials, certainly from the white house and from someone who purports to be president of the united states. >> and phil, this is happening at a time when on friday night, the president for all intents and purposes fired mick mulva y mulvaney, acting chief of staff, and is bringing in mark meadows, his strong supporter from the

hill and former head of the freedom caucus. so, and there are these other jobs that are not filled. but we do have the people at nih and cdc who are the professionals and could be listened to. you also have the president just today arriving in florida for that fund-raiser and shaking hands on a rope line. so, politics will be affected. aside from the president shaking hands, you're hearing from the campaigns, both bernie sanders and joe biden, that they're going to take advice from health experts. i don't think you're going to see rope lines. you might not see rallies. and this interview just within the last hour, joe biden sitting down with lawrence o'donnell for tonight's broadcast, and this is what he had to say about the president. >> there is no confidence in the president in anything he says or does. i wish he would just be quiet. i really mean it. that's an awful thing to say about a president. i wish he'd be quiet. just let the experts speak and acknowledge whatever they suggest to him is what we should be doing. >> phil, i know that will seem

very partisan. and clearly, there's, you know, there's a partisan element to all of this, but as we head into and dial up this campaign, you know, it's going to be very difficult on all sides to try to separate partisanship from what they should be doing. there's a big -- there are six big primaries tomorrow, and right at this hour, we're going to be talking later about what we're going to be seeing from sanders and from joe biden. >> yeah, and andrea, that clip from joe biden, while it is partisan, there are actually a number of republicans here in washington and perhaps including in the west wing who would agree with that statement, who think that this coronavirus situation would be in much better hands if the president were to stay quiet, defer to the experts, and really let vice president pence take the lead on this. again and again, it has been when the president himself has inserted himself into the situation, has offered his own faulty information, his own guidance that contradicts the

health officials where we create so much public confusion. and perhaps one of the reasons why the markets have been so jittery of late, especially this morning. >> indeed. phil rucker and john brennan, we have to leave it there, but thanks so much to both of you. and coming up, slash and burn. bernie sanders going off, and it's against joe biden, with the all-important michigan primary tomorrow. democratic michigan congresswoman debbie dingell joining me next. stay with us right here on i oi andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. i oi andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. ♪ thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women

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former vice president joe biden now has the backing of two more of his former rivals, senators kamala harris and cory booker, who are campaigning with him both today in michigan. michigan is one of six states holding primary contests tomorrow and has the highest number of delegates at stake, 125 up for grabs. senator bernie sanders is making a big play for the state that he won narrowly in an upset over hillary clinton four years ago. at a campaign rally in ann arbor sunday night, sanders went on the attack against biden. >> we're taking on the 60 billionaires who are funding his campaign. [ audience reacts ]

we're taking on the wall street executives who are helping to fund his campaign. [ booing ] we're taking on the political establishment. [ booing ] we're gonna win this election. [ cheers and applause ] >> joining me now, democratic congresswoman debbie dingell of michigan. congresswoman, it's great to see you. nobody knows michigan better than you do, so what is your projection, if you dare make one, on election eve, as to how michigan will go? >> well, you know, you were the very first person i told four years ago that i thought hillary was going to lose the primary in michigan. >> and what did i say to you, congresswoman? >> you thought i was crazy, like a lot of other people did. >> right. >> and that's why i don't trust polls, but there have been three polls in the last 24 hours that show vice president biden with a significant lead in michigan. senator sanders has worked it hard since friday.

he's been in my district a lot. i think if i had to make a prediction now, he will win my district, but mine is likely to be the only congressional district he'll win in the state. >> and how important do you see michigan overall for bernie sanders, given the trajectory from super tuesday, how poorly he did with the african-american voters, how he doesn't have a path in the south and he has a bad calendar coming up next week? >> so, i think he's not a quitter. i do think -- one of the reasons that i've stayed neutral in this race is that we've got to come together. i'm focused on what's going to happen in november. i remember the bern after what happened four years ago, and there were so many people who stayed home because of the vitriolicness, the lack of unity. we have no choice but to come together and make sure that we win in november. so, it's -- i think, honestly,

michigan four years ago was what gave him new energy. if he loses my district, that's a very significant message. and then i think he's got to look long and hard. otherwise, i think he's likely to stay in for a few more weeks and we've got to find a way to bring everybody together by the time of the convention and we're not at everybody's throats and discouraging people by thinking their vote matters and then not showing up in november. >> ordinarily, bernie sanders appealed to the labor unions and working people would be very strong, but is there an emergence among the autoworkers about medicare for all? because it would mean, as the culinary workers showed us in nevada, it would mean giving up their hard-fought benefits for which they have traded pay increases over decades for those medical benefits that they don't want to give up? >> so, it is -- look, i am one of the strongest supporters of medicare for all that there is,

and my father-in-law wrote social security, was the first person to ever introduce it. but i have had a lot of discussions in union halls about what it is and what it means. they're fearful they're not going to have the same benefit. they're fearful that they're going to have to pay more. i think it's impossible to even really have a good conversation about medicare for all and how do we make sure -- you know, when i'm in a labor hall and i'm saying, don't you think everybody should have health insurance? but we want you to have what you have, but we want everybody to have what you have. people come along, but they're scared. there's a lot of misinformation, and it's very hard to have a real conversation about health care and a lot of the issues in this kind of climate or environment. >> now, we've talked a lot among us women, not you and i, but a lot of women have been talking about elizabeth warren's departure from the race, what it means that there are no women left, other than, you know, no leading women candidates left. and then, i don't know what you think about this, whether it's

specific to warren or has more to do with gender along the way that she was criticized for things that a man would never be criticized for, but take a look at "snl" and the incredible clip with kate mckinnon and elizabeth warren. >> hi, there. >> how are you? >> oh! how are you? >> how are you? thanks. sorry. i want to put on my favorite outfit to thank you for all that you've done in your lifetime so -- >> i'm not dead. i'm just in the senate. >> right. >> and "snl" tweeted out this viral moment on flipping the switch. just take a look at this. and we will get that other tape up in a second. we get the wrong tape up there. in any case, we'll show that to you whenever we get it. we're going to show it to you because it's so funny. but tell me what you think about the women not being viable anymore. when we see kamala harris in

grand rapids tonight and in detroit tonight, rather. >> in detroit tonight. and cory booker will be joining her. you know, look, i think elizabeth warren was very honest when she answered that question, and it's do you beat your wife kind of question. there's no, if you complain about women being treated differently, you're a whiner. if you acknowledge it is. the fact of the matter is women are making gains, but it's not only women in politics, it's women in the workforce. it's, you know, the me too movement has changed some things but not for the factory floor worker or a lawyer or a doctor or a waitress, quite frankly. so, i think that women are becoming more engaged. they, quite frankly, there were a lot of women that didn't vote or voted for donald trump four years ago. and i think a lot of women want to see -- we bring a different perspective. we bring a different skill set. and i think i look forward to

the day that we're not based on our gender or the color of our skin, but our decisions are based on our talents and what we bring to the table, and we're probably not there yet. >> and by the way, do you think coronavirus is going to lead -- i know the speaker hasn't made a decision yet -- lead to congress recessing or changing the way you guys do business? >> i know that there was a lot of discussion of it over the weekend, particularly from members who are in areas like washington and california, who have long airplane flights are worried about what is happening in their district, that think that you need to lead by leading. on the other hand, there are a lot of things that we need to worry about, and we cannot vote in any way other than in presence. but we're also a petri dish, as some people said, for people coming from all over the country. i think we'll have long, thoughtful discussions in the next 24 hours as we try to figure out how do we keep people safe. we need to all bump. we've got to all stop shaking

hands and we need to wash our hands and we need to stay calm and wash our hands. >> stay calm and wash your hands. it's a new phrase we should all adapt. adopt. congresswoman debbie dingell, always a pleasure. thank you. >> good to be with you. and coming up next, lockdown. classes canceled across italy as 16 million people there remain under quarantine. could that happen here? stay with us right here on "andrea mitchell reports." you're watching msnbc. "andrea mitchell reports." you're watching msnbc. ♪ it's the easiest because it's the cheesiest. kraft. for the win win.

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to combat this? >> reporter: well, there are, as you said, 16 million italians trying to adapt to this new almost draconian measures, you can call them, that were introduced by the government on sunday to try to top the spread, at least in the north of italy, because that's where the worst outbreak is. it's so severe right now that the numbers of those who tested positive to coronavirus and those who die seem like they're spiraling out of control. so the government felt like they've really had to come in with some new, very strict measures. what are they? well, they are essentially telling the 16 million people in the north of italy not to really restrict their movements, not to get out of their regions, not to get out of the provinces, and even to restrict their movement around their neighborhoods, their territories, only if they have a real work or health emergency, which they need to prove, because now today the government said, well, we have a form for you that you can download and you can print out and you can fill up to show up

those checkpoints, the people at the checkpoints, the soldiers, the police, that are going to ask you, where are you going and why, andrea. >> it's just extraordinary. and jennifer nuzzo, i mean, we can imagine that happening in some locations, certainly washington state's already affected, not only the university but the whole community because of that nursing home situation. what can you as a public health expert from johns hopkins tell us about what communities should do? >> well, the most important thing communities can do right now is really think about how we should isolate sick people. that is probably the most important thing we can do to stop the spread of this virus, to make sure that people who are sick stay home. obviously, if they require medical attention, then you know, hospitals should be made available. but you know, we know the vast majority of cases that were likely to occur are going to be mild, and these individuals need to be able to stay home. that's going to require some community-level support. we need to make sure that people who live by themselves are able to access food and medicines, et

cete cetera, they need in order to stay at home. they may need help in determining when and if they should access care, say if their symptoms worsen. i really want communities to focus first on those measures and then also to think about how we reduce impacts in the people that we know are likely to be most vulnerable to this virus. that includes nursing homes and long-term care facilities like we are seeing as being important in washington state. other congregate settings where people live that have underlying health conditions, making sure we limit the introduction of the virus to those places so that we can reduce the number of people who become severely ill. >> and jennifer, we just want to point out that the outbreak is diminishing in china, which may indicate that this is a shorter-term experience, rather than something that keeps going and, you know, recurs and spreads. at least in china the cases are reduced. and there were some 3,000 deaths globally, and nbc news just posted some very useful

information. they've analyzed, of 167 that they analyzed, we're told that they had medical data on 116 of those who had died and 114 of those 116 had underlying health conditions. so, that is another corroboration of the advice from health officials such as you, that those with underlying health conditions should probably self-quarantine right now. >> yes. i do want to say, though, that it's instructive to learn from china's experience, but just because we have seen a decline in cases there doesn't indicate that this virus is going to go away. it stands to reason that if nobody leaves their house, then they're not going to infect other people, but that's not a sustainable approach for the long term. china needs to get back to work. they're an important producer of essential medicines and personal protective equipment that hospitals are going to need to manage this crisis. and as they get back to work, given that the virus is still

out there circulating, we would expect to see cases increase. so, we shouldn't be too, you know, complacent in thinking that this could go away in a few weeks. >> well, that's a very helpful correction. thank you very much. because they took draconian measures that we cannot do in a democratic society. understood. thank you so much for your experience and your wisdom. claudio lavanga as well, jennifer nuzzo from baltimore. and coming up, game on. as joe biden climbs in the polls, senate republicans are ramping up their attacks on the former vice president. democratic senator chris murphy joins me next. stay with us on msnbc. urphy joins me next. stay with us on msnbc. >> tech: don't wait for a chip like this to crack your whole windshield.

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political. joining me is democratic senator chris murphy who serves on the foreign relations committee. you've been so deeply invested in ukraine and what happened and all the facts back and forth. what do you think about the homeland committee on the senate side going after hunter biden now that it seems like his father is more likely than less likely to be the nominee? >> curious timing, of course. i've been involved in u.s.-ukraine relations since the revolution of dig any in 2013. what i know is ukraine wouldn't be where it is today, a sovereign state that is fighting for its future without joe biden. joe biden was by ukraine's side for those years from 2013 to 2016. he was the orchestrater of the early congressional support, both the defensive support and the non-lethal support that helped ukraine survive those early years. what i'm worried about, andrea, right now, is there seems to be

a double standard in the administration. these agencies that are being requested -- documents being requested of by these committees would not comply with requests made by congress when we were investigating potential wrongdoing of president trump. now they seem potentially willing to comply with requesting being made regarding investigations designed to harm the president's political opponents. i think, frankly, the inspector generals of these agencies should launch an investigation to see if there is a political double standard being applied in which the department of justice, the department of homeland security, department of whomevr is being requested documents by the committees led by senate republicans are applying a different standard to those requests than they applied to the requests being made by house democrats during the early

impeachment inquiry days. >> very briefly, david ignatius wrote a column which caught my attention. his point is that joe biden did nothing wrong, as you pointed out. in fashion, he was helping in helping ukraine be more democratic and independent. someone should have gotten with him when he was dealings with the illness with his son and stopping hunter biden. he needs a more human answer on the campaign trail as a family member why he didn't stop his son from being involved. >> i have respect for david. i haven't read the column. i agree with his baseline premise which is that no one has accused the vice president of doing anything that violates ethics rules. his son is a private citizen who i think has admitted in interviews about mistakes he may

have made, but the bottom line is that vice president biden has done nothing wrong and, in fact, is the reason, one of the primary reasons today why ukraine is an independent sovereign state. >> fair enough. senator chris murphy, thank you very much. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ get 'em while they're hot. applebee's 25 cent boneless wings are back in your choice of three sauces. that's unnecessarily complicated. make ice. making ice. but you're not because you have e*trade which isn't complicated. their tools make trading quicker and simpler

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before we go, as i promised, here is that viral video we talked about of "snl's" kate mckinnon and elizabeth warren. ♪ ♪ i just flipped the switch ♪ i don't know anybody else doing this ♪ >> you can't even talk about that. now i am flipping the swish to ari melber in new york. >> we always welcome you flipping the switch. who new elizabeth warren had moves? >> she's got moves, and political moves, too. >> and political moves. >> we'll see with this endorsement whether she goes left or right. another set of moves. good to see you, andrea. >> you bet. we begin with the markets. they are in free fall partly due to the express concern over coronavirus. the dow is way down right now, as you see, at one point trading was