his first significant comments on the rnc censure of liz cheney and adam kinzinger. he made those remarks to our own garrett haake. we want to start with a new escalation on the russia/ukraine border. just this morning russia showed off missile systems arriving in belarus. top navy commanders have also flown to the area, telling richard engel that russian exercises in belarus are set to enter phase two tomorrow and is expected to bring even more military activity into a very fraught situation. mike memoli is at the white house. i'm joined by barry mccaffrey, former member of the national security council and is now an msnbc military analyst. and nola haynes is a professor

of political science at pepperdine university and is also the director for women of color advancing peace and security. thanks for joining us on this. mike memoli, i want to play some sound for you from "morning joe" earlier today. >> the door to diplomacy is still open should russia choose to walk through it. every sign on the ground and now at sea is they are continuing down the path of escalation. >> so, mike, it seems as if what we're hearing there that time is running out, right, that we're pointing away from diplomacy now, more possibly towards a confrontation. talk us through what the white house is doing to avoid that. >> yeah, those comments are so telling. we've seen over the last few

weeks a real fleury from president biden, trying to align on sanctions and preparations for a potential invasion. you've seen other major european leaders, manuel macron leading with putin, the new chancellor of germany traveling to russia as well. there's a sense that as long as putin is talking, they're not invading, which is a good thing. but a common thought at the white house is it's not putin's words but the actions they're looking for. the fact they're moving ahead with military exercises with belarus is particularly concerning. the biden administration has been calling for a deescalation and so finer's comments speak to the concern there. we're going to see that diplomatic outreach continue. we just learned within the last

half hour that the vice president, kamala harris, is going to be traveling to germany next week. she's speaking at the munich security conference. that's a major gathering of our allies, always a focus of nato and european solidarity. so a big test for harris on the world stage and a big diplomatic move as well. >> matt bradley, you're on the ground there. i want you to expand on a possible conflict happening there. we know as mike memoli pointed out, diplomacy is first and foremost. when we look at what the ukraine military is working with, they are outmanned and they're also having some finance issues. talk us through that. >> reporter: they've always had finance issues. 2014 was the last time russia

invaded. as ukrainians constantly remind me, russia has invaded before and annexed a huge part of the country, the crimea to the south. that's one of the reasons why we don't get that visceral fear from the ukrainians. but the military has improved quite a back because of billions from the u.s. one of the things here i was watching today was i went and saw a private citizen. a woman, quite wealthy, showed up at a store and bought a generator and a couple of chain saws for them. the military here takes donations from private citizens. so it's very interesting. it's a really very interesting dynamic. patriotic people will go and

give money to the military. we're seeing that with states with veterans and veterans' families being rounded up to are them but not for the active military, not for equipment that's going to be used -- not necessarily lethal equipment but will be used in the fighting. it goes to show how underfinanced and how the military here is kind of a friends and neighbors sort of affair. >> that's fascinating, general mccaffrey, but i also want to talk about what they're up against, the russian military. we have over 100 million troops amassed at the ukrainian border and we're seeing missile systems arriving in belarus as well. it's reported these exercises are set to enter a phase two. how concerned are you by some of these images now coming from the russians? >> i don't think we should have any question the ukrainian military does reflect a sense throughout ukraine that they

don't want to be dominated by russia. however, they are not capable of standing up to a russian major intervention with over 80 battalions, marines coming in from the south. ukrainians do not have a credible air defense system, they really don't have an air force, they don't have much of armored capability. they cannot focus on redirections at the same time. so if putin decides to go all out invasion, he will get ukraine in under 90 days, but it will be a catastrophe for him. so the only way out is diplomacy. i think macron's been muddling the situation. the normandy conversations, excluding the u.s. and great britain. germany has gone moot, blinken and biden and the administration are doing the best they can to pull together a deterrent sense to stop putin from carrying out military operations.

>> so, general, do you see the $200 million in defensive aid now being given by the united states to ukraine as being fruitless at this point, that not enough can even be given to ukraine at this point to defend against a possible invasion of russia or does that change the narrative at all? >> well, i think it's an important political gesture. everything president biden and secretary austin and secretary blinken are doing adds value. certainly the presence of german chancellor in the white house where at least he did not object to president biden's characterization of economic sanctions was helpful, but in terms of military situation, you know, $200 million is a drop in the bucket. we really have not rebuilt ukraine armed forces that's capable of carrying out independent operations against the russians. not going to happen. putin, though, is in bigger trouble than many would imagine. how long can he keep a giant

force deployed on the borders of ukraine out in the cold and the snow at great expense without using it? i think he understands now he's going to outrage european public opinion and most of the globe if he goes in. >> what diplomatic options do we have going forward? we know there's unity among european leaders and we're hearing from macron and the german leader as well, not specifically saying what they're unified for. but we know what russia wants. we know that russia wants a pledge that ukraine will not be admitted into nato, tomorrow or in the future, and that is not something the u.s. is willing to back. and putin has been fairly clear about the fact that the only person he's really willing to negotiate with and make a deal with, i should say, is the united states. so at this point what options do

we have going forward? >> well, you know, it's very interesting because putin also said that he wanted to talk to macron and that happened and we saw how he tried to undermine him by feminizing and using gender language. in terms of the type of diplomacy still ongoing, it's a major -- the pipeline is a major economic boone for russia. it would increase their influence in europe and create jobs for russians. so that particular -- that particular economic piece is very, very important to diplomacy right now. and i also want to kind of explain that there's a two-prong approach. while diplomacy is always on the table, the show of military strength is also part of the strategy. so diplomacy is always the go

to. that's always what we all hope -- that we all want. no one wants to go to war. no one wants world war iii. people are talking diplomacy is still on the table. like i said, economic sanctions will have an impact, not just on particular people in russia, but the russian people, the working people. russia does not have a large economy. california's economy is larger than russia's economy. so by not having that pipeline, that will definitely impact the russian economy. >> i want to thank you guys all for joining me, matt bradley, we'll see you back. so for now thank you guys, appreciate it. as we mentioned, we have brand enough reaction from house republican leader kevin mccarthy on the rnc's decision to censure two of his own members. here's what he told garrett

haake. >> i think anybody who entered this building that rioted is not legitimate discourse but i don't think that's what the rnc was talking about. >> reporter: they tried to clarify it afterwards. >> what they believe -- if you watch what the january 6th committee is doing, they subpoenaed people who weren't here on january 6th, who were actually down in florida. >> you're talking the alternate electors? >> yeah, they've gone after people that weren't even a part of january 6th. that's the portion they're talking about. no one believes the people who -- >> do you believe on the decision to censure then? >> i think there's a reason why adam is not running again. i think there's a reason why --

[ inaudible ]. >> thank you. >> and garrett haake joining us now. look at mccarthy taking his time, garrett, with you, giving you a good 45 seconds in his response to you. talk me through some of this. this is in direct opposition from what we heard from mcconnell yesterday. if we're looking a look at a statement from the rnc, that is exactly how they are describing january 6th, as legitimate political discourse, despite the fact that mccarthy is saying that's not what they meant. >> reporter: let me break this down. you see mccarthy distancing himself from that specific language of legitimate political discourse saying anybody who was here and involved in the attack, that was not legitimate political discourse. and he also tries to explain the reason why the rnc used this language. they're trying to make the argument that what they meant to say was that the january 6

committee, going after folks like the alternate site of electors or rnc members subsequently caught up in this election, that's not what they meant. that's not the text voted on by the rnc. i agreed whether he agreed with the decision to censure cheney said this is the right the rnc has and points out that adam kinzinger is not running for reelection and doesn't think liz cheney will. cheney would dispute that. she's raised a ton of money. you see him distancing himself there. some of the internal republican politics are mccarthy has been getting pressure to kick those two members out of the republican conference. there's a live debate about whether that adds to pressure or

relieves it. you see him trying to leave that ball and move on from it. most elected republicans understand any time they're talking about january 6th or having to parse or defend comments like that is not a good day for them politically. >> i don't think it's surprising considering his history, especially liz cheney and taking her away from her leadership position in the house. do you have see mccarthy and mcconnell sitting down and having conversation when what they did, making sure they're on the same page because obviously they're not. >> no, i don't see them having this conversation. for mcconnell, it's not the kind of thing he concerns himself with. he's got members who voted to convict president trump and lisa

murkowski is facing a pro-trump candidate. both of these men are pursuing a return to a republican majority in their respective chambers and this last 24 hours have illustrated well the different ways in which they see that path unfolding for them. >> thank you for getting that. appreciate. coming up, major developments in this fight against the pandemic. we have one eye on a government response team briefing under way. and we're watching new york where the governor will speak any moment now ending the mask requirements. one area she's not going to change, the mask mandates for schools. what we're learning about her decision next. schools. what we're learning about her decision next.

dove 0% is different we left the aluminum out. and put 48 hour freshness. and one quarter moisturizers in. dove 0% aluminum deodorant. lasting protection. that's kind on skin. - [narrator] this is steve. he used to have gum problems. now, he uses therabreath healthy gums oral rinse with clinically-proven ingredients and his gum problems have vanished. (crowd applauding) therabreath, it's a better mouthwash. at walmart, target and other fine stores. i've got moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months, after just 2 doses. skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fever,

sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪nothing is everything♪ talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. to make my vision a reality my varilux progressive lenses provide seamlessly transition from near to far. with every detail in sharp focus. that's seeing no limits. varilux lenses by essilor.

welcome back, everybody. right now all eyes are on this press briefing set to begin at any moment now from new york governor kathy hochul. she is expected to join the wave

of governors rolling back mask mandates but the rules on masks for new york schools is expected to stay. we're watching a briefing under way from the white house covid response team where we expect the country's top doctors to get questions about the changing mask rules with dr. fauci speaking there. also with me is harvard medical school physician. tell me what we're expecting to hear from the governor here at any moment as she begins that press conference. >> reporter: you said it here, governor hochul is expected to weigh in on two major things, the mask mandates set in police for businesses and then mask mandates for schools as as well. she could let the mask mandates

school through at least the end of the month. we will get a definitive answer in just any second now as we're seeing a stream of governors ease become and roll back mask restrictions. massachusetts the latest to join delaware oregon. the massachusetts governor sid they will let the mask mandate expire at the end of this month citing and mentioning that their state ranked second in the country for the largest share of vaccinated kids. other governors pointing out the dropping case numbers, covid-19 cases plummeting more than 60% over the past two weeks. but the state's actions come in contrast to recent cdc guidance. reuters was told this week this is not the moment for states to be rolling back mask measures in public places and in schools. it does appear that governor

hochul is starting to speak here. so i'll toss it back to you in case you want to pop in there. >> doctor, while we're awaiting to hear from the governor here, i have heard she has begun speaking there, talk to me about the timing here. is this the right time? emily laid out how we're seeing drops in cases across the country here. 46 states have seen new cases drop over the last two weeks or so. new york alone has seen more than 72% decline in this state. is this the right time to drop the mask mandate? >> it's not the right time. every state that drops the mask mandate should anticipate a rise in cases. in january alone we lost 55,000 to covid. >> i'm just going to step in here because the governor is in fact speaking. let's take a listen. >> we have been talking about our covid numbers. they are declining on many

front. i'd like to start talking about the next phase. let's look at where we've come from the last few weeks. we talked about our anticipation of a very serious winter surge, even back in september and i had been on the job just a month and wanted to make sure our health care workers were vaccinated, viewed as controversial at the time. we stood firm and said anybody that enters a hospital or nursing facility or any medical center should have the knowledge they will not contract covid from the person charged with their health. so we stood by that mandate and heard a lot about it but we stood with it and i'm proud that was part of the effort to fight the impending winter surge. we talked about the vulnerabilities of gathering times, halloween, thanksgiving, hanukkah, kwanza, new year as

and a super bowl which we'll get to another day, another year i guess and also valentine's day is coming up. we saw vulnerabilities because we had the pattern from the year before. we've been relying on the data and trends from the previous year so we talked about making preparations literally right around thanksgiving and making sure we had capacity in our hospitals, including me signing an executive order that allowed hospitals and any case where capacity has gone below 10% that they have surgery flex capacity and can suspend surgeries, which was a critical point and step we took to make sure we could handle what was coming our ways in literally the next couple weeks. by september 1st, we were already deploying the national guard to help our nursing homes

and to talk about how we can protect society's most vulnerable as we had seen them so devastated during the first couple of variants from covid. so we always think about them and how we can protect them the most. so december 10th came around. we were watching what was happening around the world. we saw what had happened in south africa. we saw how quickly omicron spread. we saw what was happening in england, the u.k. we were studying what was happening around the globe and saying this is coming our way. we know this is coming to new york and we need to be prepared for that. so literally on december 10th, in anticipation that we're heading into the busy holiday season, lots of family gatherings, lots of people going in and out of stores for their holiday purchases, people going to be gathering in restaurants, we said we do not want to shut down our economy. i've said from the beginning we're keeping new york open. but how can we protect people

knowing what is coming across the horizon? we saw it coming. so what we did on december 10th, literally two months ago was initiate and i don't think any other states followed through with this a plan to say that across the state any business would have the option either require people to be vaccinated or let them choose if they want to enforce having people wear masks. it was a strong action to take at the time. we heard a lot about it, but i again stand behind that as our effort to not have to resort to shutting down businesses when this variant ended up spreading like wildfire. so we're proud of that accomplishment. by december 31st, those of you who gathered with me on new year's eve, most did not, we were in albany talking about our winter surge plan 2.0 and how we can make vaccines and boosters

and test kits more widely available. then we got hit hard. right in anticipation of the surge we were ready, we had test kits and vaccination sites. you think about where we were -- look at that number, 90,000 people, new yorkers tested positive six months ago. look at that trajectory. we saw it coming. it happened. we hit our peak on january 7th but now we've witnessed a 93% drop in cases. we are now below february 8th with 6,000 cases below where we were on december 10th when we had 11,000 cases and cases were starting to spike up. that is what we've been watching for, exactly what we've been waiting for and talking about and it is finally happening. let's talk about other metric, our statewide seven-day average

positivity. december 10th, 24.2%. we were testing everybody. i was out at testing sites in every corner of this state and people did an extraordinary job to make the test available so people could know whether or not they should stay home or carry on with their lives. that was really important. enormous number of tests being done, higher than any state in the nation and we are showing a 23% infection rate, those who be tested testing positive. look at that drop from 23% to february 8th 3.67% and numbers continue continue to decline. >> we have been taking a listen to new york governor kathy hochul there and the governor walking us through what new york

city has been through over the last six months or so specific when i when it comes to the winter surge the governor just laid out, at about a 24% positivity rate with about 24,000 people tasted. i want to bring in dr. aditi nerurkar who has been waiting. it's this case that a lot of folks have made, which is if you want people to trust the advice of scientists or physicians, then back off when we have positivity rates dipping below a certain percentage point and ramp it up when we hit surge points. do you see that as a good way forward, especially as we enter it seems this, some would argue, endemic phase in the swing. >> everything that the governor has presented, all of that data

does point to an optimistic turn of events. we know the peak numbers have decreased, but in the northeast, we are still in a risk stage. we have cold temperatures, people indoors and particularly in new york city a high population density. so now is too premature. perhaps a month from now it would be something to consider as temperatures warm up and more people are outside. at this time, though, it is much too early to remove masks. >> what do you say to people then, doctor? as they're hearing this guidance. people are exhausted, to be honest, putting those masks on every day, for folks especially who are vaccinated, taken all of the precautions they were asked to take. what do you say when the governor says you can take them off now? >> i sympathize. i, too, am frustrated.

in massachusetts we're seeing similar things that we're seeing in new york. unfortunately the reality of the situation is that omicron continues. we have potentially a new strain. and if we are to remove mask mandates, what is the contingency plan? we need a contingency plan that is pro active and not reactive. we will see a rise in cases with the removal of masks mandates. >> what should the contingency plan be in that respect? >> that is something that we hope the cdc and american academy of pediatrics can comment on and i think that's what hair going to be discussing at the white house briefing. >> i think for parents like me is the fact that my 3-year-old is not vaccinated and we're awaiting the decision from the fda and cdc on that. we know they're going to be reviewing that in the next couple of days, emergency use authorization for children under

the age of 5 to get vaccinated, having to look at some of the findings of those studies. will that change the game if that portion of young dids are then able to get vaccinated in. >> yes. i'm in the same boat having children under the age of 5. that is my concern, until we give every child and every family the opportunity to get vaccinated, removing mask mandates in the school as premature. we also need to focus on increasing vaccinations. new york has an excellent vaccination result for adults. but it lags in kids. only 30% of kids are vaccinated in new york. we must do more to vaccinate all sectors of population, adults, the run valuable, children and youngest children as it pertains to you and me and millions of other families.

>> all right, we appreciate you sticking with us through this. we are continuing to monitor the press conference here of governor kathy hochul, making an announcement, wanting to lift mask mandates across the state but keeping school children masked for the next few weeks. thank you, guys. appreciate it. coming up next, everybody, new reporting on january 6th, including what we're learning about what key players were up to weeks before. we'll be right back. to weeks before. we'll be right back. and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today.

what happens when we welcome change? we can make emergency medicine possible at 40,000 feet. instead of burning our past for power, we can harness the energy of the tiny electron. we can create new ways to connect. rethinking how we communicate

to be more inclusive than ever. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change. faster. vmware. welcome change. -great party, carlene. you must have blown your budget. -not exactly. -you have great name-brand snacks, tons of meat, and where did you get this imported cheese? -hello! grocery outlet, bargain market. - this week, your local grocery outlet has 2lb bags of wonderful pistachios for only 9.99. - ♪ grocery outlet bargain market ♪

alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice and long-lasting gain scent beads. try spring daydream, now part of our irresistible scent collection.

dove 0% is different. we left aluminum out and put 48 hour freshness and 1/4 moisturizers in. dove 0% aluminum deodorant is kinder on skin and now it's refillable for life. the republican leader of the house ran, actually literally, refused to condemn that resolution of legitimate political discourse. republicans can run but they cannot hide from what happened on january 6th. >> so that was speaker of the house nancy pelosi moments ago responding to comments from kevin mccarthy that we played on the show calling the january 6th attack legitimate political discourse. >> i think anybody who entered this building that rioted is not legitimate discourse but i don't

think that's what the rnc was talking about. >> those comments are coming as we learn more about what the committee investigating the attack is digging into. how extremist groups could have planned the attack. investigators are looking into rallies and events that members of groups like the proud boys and oath keepers attended up to a year before the capitol riot, by the way. this is all part of an effort to see how these extremists communicated and whether these earlier events laid the groundwork for them to actually take violent action in the future. ben collins is on this for us and broke it for us this is incredible reporting on this. i think the overarching question here is what events specifically are the investigators looking into when it comes to these extremist groups? >> they're locking into anti-covid lock double play protests, into state capital protests in places like michigan

and oregon where they had plans to take the governor in the case of the michigan protest. they are wondering if some of these protests served as maybe recruitment vehicles or maybe different ways to band together these disparate movements. the oath keepers and proud boys are not the same and not even particularly similar. qanon and conspiracy theorists aren't inherently militia people. they're looking at hard and fast data connecting these groups and people, whether that's social media posts or testimonies from the people they've subpoenaed or if it's these sort of like larger ideological underpinnings that brought these groups to the. >> that seems really intense and it seems as if it's something that's going to take quite some time. how long would an investigation like this take to actually have

findings that mean something, that they can communicate to the public, for instance? >> well, they've been at it for months now. they subpoenaed two major white nationalist figures that were supposed to appear today, patrick casey and nick fuentes. they're talking to all people involved, conspiracy, militia and white nationalist movements, all brought together. it will take a long time. it will look like a mueller report or warren commission or something like that. they're eventually going to bring people in front of cameras probably for public hearings. they told me they have a broader scope, a broader mandate than the d.o.j. they might actually -- they told me as well they might make recommendations to federal law enforcement to handle this stuff a little bit differently so that

things like january 6th don't happen in the future. >> i'm glad you bring that up bus we've all been asking ourselves if something louk this can happen and what are we doing to prevent january 6th from ever happening again, kind of talking about how federal agencies are on high alert. eyhigh alert so what, in fact, are they doing to make sure this never happens again? can we feel -- can we feel safe? >> that's a really good question. i know the committee is looking at this a little bit differently than they would federal law enforcement. they are looking at this as a broader idea. the things that brought these people together on january 6th

were donald trump and if they lost trump they thought they would lose the country to communism. the groups have become more militant and have come together over this idea there's this invisible hand. these groups, anti-vaks movements, extremists and they're coming back to fight against that and it's probably bigger than ever. >> wow. not necessarily comforting to say the least. ben collins for now, thank you. great reporting on this. coming up, everybody, build back better is not dead. the white house is making that clear today as the president meets with energy ceos about his agenda. with the bill on ice, what can democrats ultimately get passed? we're talking about that coming up. up

- [businesswoman] so you get the reactions you want. try grammarly today at grammarly there's a different way to treat hiv. it's once-monthly injectable cabenuva. cabenuva is the only once-a-month, complete hiv treatment for adults who are undetectable. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider once a month. hiv pills aren't on my mind. i love being able to pick up and go. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems,...and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva,

attend all treatment appointments. with once-a-month cabenuva, i'm good to go. ask your doctor about once-monthly cabenuva. get help managing your money for the life -- and years -- ahead. with fidelity income planning, we'll look at what you've saved, what you'll need, and build a straightforward plan to generate income, even when you're not working. a plan that gives you the chance to grow your savings and create cash flow that lasts. along the way, we'll give you ways to be tax efficient. and you can start, stop or adjust your plan at any time without the unnecessary fees. we'll help you go from saving... to living. ♪ play all day ♪

to make my vision a reality my varilux progressive lenses provide seamlessly transition from near to far. with every detail in sharp focus. that's seeing no limits. [ joe ] my teeth were a mess. varilux lenses by essilor. i had a lot of pain. as far as my physical health, my body was telling me you got to do something. and so i came to clearchoice. your mouth is the gateway to your body. joe's treatment plan was replacing the teeth with dental implants from clearchoice. [ joe ] clearchoice has changed my life for the better. it's given me my health back. there's an amazing life out there if you do something for your health now.

all right. in just a couple of hours, the president is going to sit down with a group of ceos of major utility companies. the meeting is aimed at drumming up support to fight climate change, a key part of the build back better agenda. with us is michael memoli and garrett haake. michael, let me start with you and ask what the white house here is hoping to get out of this meeting and is there really a larger plan to refocus on at least getting part of build back better across the finish line? >> well, you and i started this hour by talking about the issue that has dominated president biden's attention behind closed doors over the last few weeks and that is the situation in ukraine. but rather quietly, publicly, the president has been out there every day trying to really build -- or lay the groundwork for a revival of the build back

better and you saw the president at the white house doing an event, touting a new plant in tennessee, which will go online to help satisfy demand for electric vehicle battery capacity charging. that's a result of the infrastructure law. today's meeting with ceos is about clean energy, which is about lowering cost for consumers by building resilience in our energy grid, creating demand, new jobs in the clean energy market. we'll see the president hitting the road, something that the white house said they wanted to do more, tomorrow going out to virginia to talk about inflation on a day when we're going to get new inflation data from the federal government. so the president and the white house advisers are really trying to find out in conversations with key negotiators on the hill where there might be opportunities to revive this legislation.

the president's state of the union address is coming up in just a few weeks. they'd like to have a sense of what they can lay out before everyone runs home. >> garrett, there is this conversation about getting build back better passed piecemeal. but there is the joe manchin factor. he has talked about the fact that he's open possibly to getting something passed on clean energy. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. the idea that this is going to get passed in pieces is fallacy. it's a reconciliation bill. it needs all democrats to hang together and you're going to get one crack at it. it will be passed in piece, not pieces. democrats are going to get one more whack at it. the question is when they try again. they don't have 50 votes to spare until the new mexico senator returns after recovery

from surgery after suffering a stroke. you're looking at probably a couple of months before we find out what and when joe manchin is willing to move forward on this. he's expressed openness theoretically to some of the clean energy or this bill addresses directly is inflation. so, unless the bill can tackle that or the numbers start to tick back down, manchin seems pretty happy waiting this out. >> thank you, guys. so, the future for farmers looks brighter after years of chaos. . farming morale is pretty high right now.

>> i think it's going to be a very good year. >> the wild card farmers are concerned about and how it could impact you. that's coming up. it could impact you that's coming up why does walgreens offer prescription copays as low as zero dollars? ♪ ♪ so you won't have a medicare in the world. ♪ ♪ plus, 90-day refills and same day delivery. larry? that's even less to medicare about. fill your medicare prescriptions with walgreens and save. ♪ ♪

i'm still drawn to what's next. even with higher stroke risk due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin that's a trail i want to take. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk better than warfarin. and has less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis has both. don't stop taking eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking, you may bruise more easily or take longer for bleeding to stop. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, or unusual bruising. it may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines.

tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor about eliquis. super emma just about sleeps in her cape. but when we realized she was battling sensitive skin, cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. we switched to tide hygienic clean free. it's gentle on her skin, and out cleans our old free detergent. tide hygienic clean free. hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. meet ron. that man is always on. and he's on it with jardiance for type 2 diabetes. his underhand sky serve? on fire. his grilling game? on point. and his a1c? ron is on it. with the once-daily pill, jardiance. jardiance not only lowers a1c... it goes beyond to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. and jardiance may help you lose some weight. jardiance may cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare life-threatening bacterial infection

in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction, and don't take it if you're on dialysis. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. a once-daily pill that goes beyond lowering a1c? on it with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. [♪♪] bodid you know you canso shorten your cold with cold-eeze® lozenges? cold-eeze® can shorten your cold by 42% try cold-eeze® the number one best-selling zinc lozenge. and try new cold-eeze® ultramelt™ chews in a great-tasting orange flavor that quickly dissolves on your tongue.

all right. welcome back. so, new data is showing the u.s. trade deficit hit an all-time recareered in 2021, including more spending on china. as our trade deficit was up 14.5% just last year. but even so, american farmers are feeling optimistic after years of suffering from trade wars. and just back from iowa in studio. talk to me. what are farmers saying about their optimism as they look ahead? >> i don't know how many firms we evisited but what we heard at every single one of them is we're not able to turn a profit because you saw the number of u.s. exports from soy beans, dairy, wheat all plummet. and that is where the concern was and the encouragement and support of the trump

administration taking part in the trade war. at the same time, there were consequences as a result. but now what we've seen is the biden administration mend relationships, particularly with some of our allies, increasing the number of exports and china remains this x-factor. did you support the trump administration's negotiations with china? >> yes, it needed to be done. china's not a fair player. >> reporter: will they ever be? >> no. >> reporter: but you need them to be? >> yeah, a fair player would help. >> we want free trade out of the country as we try to sell our crop. >> reporter: just in the last 24 hours, we got new federal trade data here. in january 2020, the trump administration, as part of their trade deal, what they call phase one, china said they would buy an additional $200 billion worth

of goods over the 2017 value. but with new data we got yesterday, based off the last two years of purchasing from china, they fell about $200 billion short of what they were going to purchase, whether it bow from automobiles, aircraft, agriculture. while we hear some optimism about increase in existing markets. at the same time, china, there's frustration. and if we could pull up the u.s. trade representative spokesman saying the data released today has fallen well short of the purchase commitments they made under the phase one agreement. we have engaged prc on its shortfalls for months but have not seen real signs towards moving forward and our patience is wearing thin. the biden administration has

held on to them but didn't do enough -- >> considering what you're saying about china not fulfilling obligations. they're not seeing a reflection of that as of yet. is that down the road? >> because the u.s., the biden administration, feels they've mended some of those relationships. they rolled back the tariffs on steel and aluminum. and said to counter china, we need to not only build existing relationships and markets with our allies but we have to focus at home. and that's why they said they were focussed on their domestic agenda last year. because china has clearly not been a willing cooperative partner and not able to fulfill the basics of their obligations.

>> speaks of the issue that is china and all roads leading back to china. great to see you in the studio in person. moments ago new york governor cathy hochul, lifting the vaccine and mask mandate for businesses in the state. take a listen. >> at this time, we say it's the right decision to lift this mandate and let counties, cities and businesses to make their own decisions on what they want to do respect to masks or the vaccinations requirement. >> so, masks are required in public transit, health centers and schools. the change comes as cdc director just told reporters in the white house briefing that cdc continues to recommend indoor masking. >> those decisions are made at the local level. but at this time we continue to recommend masking in areas of

high and substantial transmission. that's much of the country right now in public indoor set gsz. >> the updated rules in new york going into effect tomorrow. that's it for me on this busy wednesday. you can always catch me right here 3:00 p.m. "andrea mitchell reports" starts right now. are good day. this is "andrea mitchell reports" in washington where senate republican leader is slamming the republican national committee for censuring liz cheney and describing january 6th as political discourse. and mcconnell is objecting to the rnc refusal to support candidates who won't go along with mr. trump's fight to overturn the 2020 election. >> the issue is whether or not the rnc should be