white house records from the afternoon of the 6th show a huge gap with no phone calls going in or coming out from donald trump. the problem is we already know he spoke to at least two republican lawmakers during that very period. so the big question is, why aren't those calls in the official record? speaking of records, the "washington post" is reporting some of the documents that trump took back to mar-a-lago in florida were very clearly marked "top secret," potentially opening the door to legal problems for trump and more of his staff. let's bring in nbc's leigh ann caldwell on capitol hill, neil cotay, msnbc legal analyst, tim miller, writer at large for "the bulwark," and yamiche alcindor, mold ray or the of "washington beat. "leigh ann, what is going on with the january 6th committee meeting right now? i mean, there's a lot that came out this week. >> reporter: good morning, stephanie.

there sure was a lot of news this week regarding the january 6th committee including those hours-long gam like you mentioned on january 6th of no phone calls from the former president despite the fact we know he called at least two people. the committee also revealed this week that they have spoken to more than 500 people. so this is in addition to the people that they are subpoenaing. they are also getting lots of information from different places as well. as far as the select committee meeting this morning, they do this periodically, it will happen virtually, they talk about the status of the investigation because, remember, there's different groups of investigators who are covering different angles of this. so they come and the members get a status update. they talk about next steps and where things go. they also talk about unresolved issues including if they should subpoena members of congress including representative jim jordan and others who have not yet cooperated with the committee and what to do with those people who are defying

subpoenas. now, as far as next steps are concerned, representative liz cheney, the vice chair, she laid out a little hint in an op-ed she wrote yesterday where she says that hearings will show these charges -- excuse me, that they do not wish the truth of january 6th to come out have predictably resorted to attacking the says claiming it is tainted and political. our hearings will show this charge to be wrong. we are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and we will present those facts without exaggeration no matter what criticism we face. they are gearing up towards a series of hearings in the spring. i am told it will be many weeks of hearings with many hearings they do have. that's not all planned out yet. it won't be the end of the investigation, but it will be a pivotal point in this investigation, steph. >> my gosh. yamiche, talk about the missing phone calls.

at the least we know trump had to be using somebody else's phone and/or the record was altered. how much does that matter for committee? we are talking about missing phone calls from our president during the insurrection. >> i mean, i imagine that this really does again underscore why lawmakers wanted a january 6th investigation, because they wanted to really look deeply at what was going on at the white house during these critical moments when our nation was under attack and when american democracy was almost brought to its knees. the idea there are calls missing from the call logs is of course very, very important to the lawmakers and the information, those documents that were reportedly taken out of the white house and brought to florida, some of them reportedly marked classified and top secret. all of that is really important to this investigation. lawmakers want to know former president trump's state of mind, who he was talking to. and what we've seen now and have been learning now is there was really an official sort of line of white house documents,

official call logs, and then there were people calling cell phones and people texting the white house chief of staff and also emailing him on his private email. there were all these things happening operating outside of the official communication lines of a normal, traditional white house. this is incredibly important to know, what was president trump doing? that is a big part of the focus of this investigation. >> tim, add all this up this week, right, missing phone calls, ripping up official records, literally trying to flush them down a toilet, and new reports that classified documents made their way down to mar-a-lago. does any of this move the needles for republicans, who have made donald trump the king maker that he is today? let also remind everyone, you were a republican before he was. >> in this 2016, meticulous

document policyings were an issue, one of the things that made him a king. obviously, that was farcical in 2016, and the thing he rode to victory, the reason why he connected with republican voters and he's a king maker and i'm not a republican anymore, because republican voters didn't care about any of that. what republican voters liked about donald trump was he efs a big finger in the eye to all of the people to the left, imdwranlts, the mainstream media, you, stephanie, probably. and that hasn't changed, right. so, like, that is the frustrating thing about the trump era. for all of his corruption, for all of his manifesting competence, none of that has moved the needle with the voters that are giving him the power. we'll get to potential legal ramifications, but the only way to have got rid of him was for republicans to act like liz cheney and act with courage

during the impeachment vote. ten more republicans in the senate could have banned him from running again forever. i just don't think that's going to happen through the courts. as long as he has a stranglehold on those cowardly republican politicians thanks to the hold he has on the voters, i don't think this is going to move the needle. >> let's remember, he doesn't have a stronghold over all of the american voters. he lost the last presidential election. but, neil, let's talk about consequences, because the house oversight committee has announced an investigation into potential series violations of presidential records act. typically, we would say that trump didn't care about these things, there's no consequences. i remember back when kellyanne conway potentially violated the hatch act. she laughed at it. could there be any real consequences here? thus far, no results. >> exactly, stephanie. this is all not just about being oflded or upset.

this is about criminal action. i'm so excited to be on your last daytime show. it's an honor and privilege to be with everyone. when you think about the consequences for trump, there are four areas of wrongdoing. you have the documents trump hid in florida, the documents he ripped up, and the documents he flushed down the toilet. it's a miracle the national archives ended up with anything more than burger king receipts. they're piecing some back together. then we have missing phone records. team trump, they're such bad crooks, they tried to turn foemp phone records and gave them nothing on january 6th as if trump never made or received phone calls. even a kid with his handle on the cookie jar has a more plausible story. you have a suite of stamp utilities which forbid the

concealment, removal, or destruction of documents. there's been a debate in washington with merrick garland talking about going after trump, and one of his concerns i suspect is general statutes aren't written for something like trump. but here's where dump, i think, faces a problem. a statute is tailor made for someone like him. two punishments, jail, and disqualification from future office holding. congress when they wrote that statute gave future attorneys general a sign saying this is the way you go after a public official who does this. the proof is in the pudding. donald trump has reacted to allegations over the last 24 hours in an entirely different way than all the other legal accusations. he tries to send a note of cooperation in the statement saying i'm trying to cooperate. he's not attacking this in the same way as other things. i think that just reflects the legal gravity of this particular

set of claims against him. >> all right. i'm going to need to call that a wow. yamiche, what do you hear from congress? >> i mean, what you're hearing from congress and lawmakers is they are continuing to move forward and understanding that they are dealing with a sort of time line that requires urgency and requires them to continue these -- all these different teams looking into this. the other thing you hear is that lawmakers understand that part of this is that there might be legal consequences, it might be consequences in the public realm. when i talk to my sources, you think about the consequences, which i think is really what you are focused on this morning and we all should be focused on, what is going to come out of this. they want all this to come to the light, but what consequences these people face, whether fremp or the aide that helped him or the doj official, all that is still up in the air. >> tim, i want to talk about trump's former economics guy,

peter navarro. he was on msnbc last night with ari talking about not trump but mike pence. watch this. >> mike is not a lawyer. mike was just a tool and a puppet of these guys. he doesn't know a legal site from adam. i'm telling you, he betrayed the president simply by the act of not coming to the president and white house lead counsel. >> my goodness. as much as we can laugh at peter navarro and which he had a chair and a blazer, how concerning is it that this is the talk amongst republicans, portraying trump as the ultimate victim, that's the crime, not violating the constitution, the rule of law, or the american people. >> steph, i'm excited to talk about late night. we can talk about his outfits on the new show next week. here's the reason to take it seriously. there is an entire universe of

right-wing media that is very well trafficked and followed that is outside of, you know, even what people are watching on fox. i had an article of watching am podcast, one of the top ten, peter navarro goes on the show and advances even crazier things than what he was sharing with ari, about how they genuinely had a strategy and believed they could overturn the results of the election and the will of the people. they were at the highest levels of government with trump, had the ear of the president. if trump is to overcome the legal consequences that neil is talking about, it is the craziest among them, it is the 1/2 ro the 1/2 rows and the flynns who will continue to be involved. certain other folks i think saw

enough on january 6th. so i think of it as preposterous as it looks and peter looks, it's something we need to take seriously because there's a large audience for it and he has the ear of a very powerful person. >> he's achieving his goals. talk about the law, neil. peter navarro, mark meadows, all refused to work with the january 6th committee, yet they're allowed to talk to the media all they want. should the justice department be doing more to hold these men accountable? >> yes. so, first of all, i think what tim said is absolutely right. i mean, and it's one thing if, you know, navarro has a podcast. this guy was in the white house. he was running part of our government. i wouldn't trust this guy to work at the post office. it's a frightening thought. and now what he's been subpoenaed and they've all pled

executive privilege, that's something trump lost in the supreme court by 8-1. and yet you have peter navarro still invoking executive privilege again right now to try and not tell the truth to congress. i think i would's absurd and there's only one remedy for it. merrick garland has to prosecute these people for contempt. it's already been about 60 days since congress referred the meadows case to the justice department. the justice department hasn't done anything, much to my dismay. i think the american people are watching, people who care about the rule of law are watching, and we all recognize, steph, you or i get a system from congress, of course we go and talk about it. that's our job. particularly if we got that subpoena because of some activity we were doing as part of the government of the united states. of course you'd go and tell the truth. >> they are going on temperature and radio and spreading lies and it's working. thanks for kicking off the start to our show this morning. we'll leave it there.

up next, biden's new warning to americans in ukraine -- it is time to leave. and why secretary blinken says an invasion could happen anytime. and we're learning about the president's supreme court pick, biden zeroing in on four candidates. a lot more to cover. candidates candidates a lot more to cover.ou go. that way, [whistles] let's put away the parking talk, maybe, for a minute. parking is where the money is, though. can you imagine what this place pulls in on parking alone? alright, no more talking about parking lots a lot of these are compact spots. it's not pretty. progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. we still planning to head out around the third quarter? let's not talk about leaving before we're actually at the game. what happens when we welcome change? we still planning to head out around the third quarter? 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. step up. prep up. to help keep you free from the risk of hiv. descovy for prep. a once-daily prescription medicine... ...that helps lower the chances of getting hiv through sex. it's not for everyone. descovy for prep has not been studied in people assigned female at birth. talk to your doctor to find out if it's right for you. descovy is another way to prep. descovy does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections, so it's important to use safer sex practices and get tested regularly. you must be hiv-negative to take descovy for prep. so, you need to get tested for hiv immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking it. if you think you were exposed to hiv or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. they may check to confirm you are still hiv-negative. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a build-up of lactic acid and liver problems. the most common side effect was diarrhea.

tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking descovy without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about your risk of hiv... ...and if descovy for prep is right for you. get help paying for descovy for prep. learn more at stepupprepup.com. ever wonder what everyone's doing on their phones? they're banking, with bank of america. his girlfriend just caught the bouquet, so he's checking in on that ring fund. oh, that photographer? he's looking for something a little more zen, so he's thinking, “i'll open a yoga studio.” and as for the father of the bride? he's checking to see if he's on track to do this all over again...and again. digital tools so impressive, you just can't stop banking. what would you like the power to do?

breaking news in the standoff at the russian border,

president biden telling americans in ukraine to get out. the state department has marked ukraine a level four do not travel saying in part, the u.s. government will not be able to evacuate u.s. citizens in the event of russian military action. and this morning, secretary of state antony blinken warning that invasion could come anytime, even during the olympics. in an interview with lester holt, president biden warning that there could be catastrophic consequences. >> what are your plans toward american citizens who are in ukraine and might be there during an invasion? what scenarios would you put american troops to rescue and get americans out? >> there's not. that's a world war. when americans and russians start shooting at one another, we're in a very different world than we've ever been in. >> let's bring in nbc's chief white house correspondent kristen welker and chief foreign correspondent richard engel who is on the ground in ukraine. kristen, what are you hearing at the white house now that the president is urging americans to

get out of ukraine? >> reporter: well, they're underscoring what you heard in that interview between lester holt and president biden, that american forces are not going to be sent in to help evacuate americans. now, of course there was an order approved to send several thousand troops to the region to poland, in particular, to try to help u.s. citizens exit the region. but that is why they are stressing that now is the time to leave. and i think this just underscores the urgency of this entire situation, steph, and based on my conversations with senior administration officials, they are taking president putin at face value. the fact he has surrounded ukraine on several different sides, the fact he's intensified that troop buildup on the ground and also at sea. so they are bracing for the very worst. but they insist there is still a diplomatic off-ramp. that is why you are seeing this diplomacy, president biden reaching out to his foreign counterparts, president macron

of course meeting with president putin earlier this week. he had expressed some measured optimism that putin would be open to that, but publicly putin has expressed he does not see any imminent deal on the table. so the talks continue. that's where the real focus is, the real pressure point. the administration notes it has not only unified its nato allies in this focus to get russia to back down, but largely unified republicans and democrats, as well, even though there is a stalemate over that potential sanctions package being debated on capitol hill, steph. >> richard, there's no imminent deal, but with a warning like this from biden it's making more and more people feel like there is imminent danger. how concerned are you personally about still being in ukraine, and are ukrainians now starting to think they need to leave? >> reporter: i'll start with myself.

i guess that's the easiest answer. i feel comfortable. this is what we do for a living, why we're here. so that's not an issue in situations similar to this before afghanistan, iraq, et cetera. in terms of ukrainians, there is an interesting dynamic. so if there were to be a russian invasion, even a medium-scale russian invasion, this city would likely be in the line of fire because it's between russia and the crimean peninsula. so if russia wanted to link its territory, link the separatist areas and the crimean peninsula, it would have to go through here. there are other scenarios where russia would take off large portions of eastern ukraine or take the entire country and encircling or capturing kyiv. but even on a smaller possibility, this city could come into -- become a

battlefront. but even here, people are not particularly concerned. i was just talking to an old woman. she's the director of her building complex. there's about 200 people she was telling me who live in her apartment building complex. she's been responsible for it for 20 years. she was showing me they have a bomb shelter which they use to hold meetings and look like to have some sort of social gatherings. she showed me her liquor cabinet. there were festive decorations hung all around. i said are you worried you'll have to use this bomb shelter for real? she looked at me like i was asking a bizarre question. why? russians wouldn't come in here. why would they do something like that? that is the same kind of response i get from most people when i ask them here, do you think there will be an invasion? no, no, no, no, no. that's even hysterical and weird to suggest. so they're either following the government's line and the government is telling people here that what they're seeing is completely normal, that it is

the united states that is drumming up the hysteria, or it's the kind of dynamic you see when people are in the eye of the storm, the people who refuse to leave before a major tornado even though the weathermen are telling them this one is unlike anything they've seen, they don't want to go. maybe it's a bit of a combination of both. >> well, both scenarios are very unsettling. rich arnold, i'm glad you are safe where you are. stay safe, please. kristen, stay with me because here at home, the search to replace retiring justice stephen breyer on the supreme court is picking up big time. president biden will be spending the weekend at camp david. and nbc news has learned he'll be reviewing writings and background material on his supreme court candidates. he pledged to nominate a black woman to the court and he is considering more than a dozen names. now he says he's whittled down the list to just a few. >> what i've done is taken about four people and done a deep

dive, thorough background checks, and to see if there's anything in the background that would make them not qualified. >> so, kristen, what's the time line looking like? and when is the ball going to get rolling in the senate? >> reporter: well, there has always been an urgency about making this decision, steph. this is one of the most consequential decisions that the president will make in this office. he has said his time line is the end of the month. it seems as though he's on track for that. but i can tell you based on my conversation, some senators would like to see this happen very quickly. i spoke with the chair of the senate judiciary committee, who told me that dick durbin, who said he is quite anxious to see a nominee and get the ball rolling. take a look. confident he can make a pick by the end of this month as he has said he wants to? >> i have my fingers crossed. i want him to do the right thing and i want him to take the time to do it well, but i'm anxious.

i'm sure the committee will communicate that to the president. we want to get started. >> reporter: that was senator durbin's message to the president. he's anxious. we want to get started. so there is some pressure on president biden to make this decision. steph, as you pointed out, he'll be working on that over the weekend at camp david and interviews could start as early as next week. we know some of the top candidates are being vented by the fbi, including michelle childs, ketanji brown, as well as leon that kruger, supreme court judge in california. so in terms of where the pressure points are, take a look and think about, consider what the backdrop of it is. of course you have the midterm elections, and then the state of the union address on march 1st, steph, so this would certainly give the president something to tout, if he could, in fact, get his nominee announced by then. >> some lawmakers want to speed things up and lots and lottings

of democratic voters do. kristen welker, than you. coming up, as some states drop mask rules, mixed messages yet again from the cdc. the only thing that is not news. where are we in the pandemic? we'll ask an expert who's been tracking it for months. for w. wooo, yeaa, woooooo and, by switching you could even save 665 dollars. hey tex, can someone else get a turn? yeah, hang on, i'm about to break my own record. yeah. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ ♪♪ you pour your heart into everything you do, which is a lot. so take care of that heart with lipton. because sippin' on unsweetened lipton can help support a healthy heart.

lipton. stop chuggin'. start sippin'. stop chuggin'. aleve-x. it's fast, powerful long-lasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala reduces asthma attacks it's a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occured. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. we just moved. so there's millions of - dahlias in bloom. over nine acres. when we started, we grew a quarter of an acre. now i'm taking on new projects on the regular. there are millions of ways to make the most of your land.

learn more at deere.com ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ power e*trade gives you an award-winning mobile app with powerful, easy-to-use tools, and interactive charts to give you an edge. 24/7 support when you need it the most. plus, zero-dollar commissions for online listed u.s. stocks. [ding] get e*trade and start trading today.

(vo) when you are shopping for a new vehicle, how do you know which brand you can trust? [ding] get e*trade with subaru, you get kelley blue book's most trusted brand winner, seven years in a row. in fact, subaru has won most trusted brand for more consecutive years than any other brand. no wonder kelley blue book also picked subaru as their best overall brand. once again. it's easy to love a brand you can trust.

it's easy to love a subaru. more now of the nbc news exclusive interview with president biden and the growing confusion over governors easing indoor and school mask mandates in their states with nevada becoming the latest state to drop theirs. meanwhile, the cdc encourages people to still wear masks. >> look, it is confusing. it's worisome to people. they're trying to figure it out. i've tried to make sure we have all the vaccines needed, all the boosters needed, all the masks needed, all the protection that's needed. >> are you afraid some states and cities are moving too quickly to loosen indoor mask mandates? >> well, you know, it's -- i committed to following the scienc put forward by the cdc and the federal people.

i think it's probably premature, but, you know, it's a tough call. >> joining us now, shaquille brewster, following covid safety and protocols at the super bowl. and the founder and ceo of kinsa, a company that tries to stop the spread of disease by using data. there is so much confusion about wearing masks. what can you tell us? >> we're seeing overall levels of covid are dropping rapidly but we're not out of the woods yet. they're at the same levels as last year in january of 2021. there's concern there will be potential surges in cold and flu activity around covid versus flu. but we're seeing omicron levels drop rapidly. as far as those levels and the spread, what are we expecting in the weeks ahead looking at the numbers? >> we expect omicron levels to

continue to go down. there's a unique ability to forecast illness over the past seven years. we're expecting as mask mandates come down, especially in schools, there will be an increased level of cold and flu activity. we're expecting there will be a long tail to this illness season with cold and flu activity continuing. but we're not expecting to see another surge in covid cases. >> shaq, talk to us about the super bowl. that's going to be a lot of people in one place screaming and shouting. >> reporter: that's right. 70,000 people in the stadium behind me. your guys were just talking about masks. those are going to be required for the fans attending the game. you were talking about vaccinations. there's a proof of vaccination that's required. they cross-check that with your i.d. if you don't have vaccination, you need that negative covid it is that was taken recently. look, it's not just the game we're talking about. if you look around the l.a. area where you have many of these super bowl fan events, talking about the parties, the fan experiences, many of them have

these same requirements. some of the parties require a booster shot before fans can get access to it. i went to the nfl live experience, which is downtown in the convention center, and talked to some of the fans there. you know, the nfl is trying to make this as easy as possible for folks. there's a vaccination clinic outside, rapid testing available for people. it seems to be working. listen to what folks told me. >> i got my booster shot. >> reporter: here at the nfl experience? >> yeah. i got the shot and needed it. it was coming up on five months, so it all worked out. >> as long as you're trying to be safe, you worry about other people, too, you don't want no one else to get sick. it's a good way to protect each other. >> everybody wears masks for the most part. i'm very serious about it. >> reporter: steph, i have to tell you that so many fans were just appreciative of the fact that they were here in l.a.,

available to enjoy the game, the buzz and energy. you really felt it down there. you know, if you're going back just a month or so ago as we were in the peak of this omicron surge, there was genuine speculation over whether or not the super bowl would look like other super bowls, whether the stadium would be full. fans are just happy they're here and able to participate in these festivities. steph? >> shaq, i have to tell you i'm happy you're there and finally not covering something in freezing temperatures. i'm thrilled to see you in los angeles, california. >> we're on the same page. >> not wearing a giant coat, hat, and two scarves. keep shaq in warm weather. thank you both so much. coming up, protests on the u.s./canada border are causing major gridlock. the new warning it could spread across the border and the impact it's having on american business. and when that happens, guess who

gets hit next? the american consumer, you and me. the american consumer, you and the american consumer, you and me can help support a healthy heart. lipton. stop chuggin'. start sippin'.

stop chuggin'. aleve-x. it's fast, powerful long-lasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... with rybelsus®. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction.

serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to the possibility of lower a1c with rybelsus®. you may pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. my mental health was much better. my mind was in a good place. but my body was telling a different story. i felt all people saw were my uncontrolled movements. some mental health meds can cause tardive dyskinesia, or td, and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements in the face and body. it's the only treatment for td that's one pill, once-daily, with or without food. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements

in 7 out of 10 people. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about ingrezza, #1 prescribed for td. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com. are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, as little as zero dollars gas or abdominal discomfort? taking align can help. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up and learn what millions of align users already know. how great a healthy gut can feel. sign up at alignprobiotics.com also try align dualbiotics gummies to help support digestive health.

the markets opened just moments ago with the dow flat after yesterday's sell-off after we got inflation data. prices jumped 7.5% compared to this time last year, the biggest hike we've seen in 40 years and steadily climbing over the last 12 months. people across the nation are not happy about it. >> about $100 and only have about seven bags. >> 70 bucks to fim it up. if i was in a pickup truck, it would be 115, 120. >> i still have electricity to pay for. i used to have savings. i don't anymore. >> let's dig deeper and bring in cnbc's senior markets correspondent dom chu and senior economics reporter steve

liesman. dom, inflation is bad for the consumer but what about the markets? consumer demand is up. we don't like paying higher prices, but we are and companies are making a lot of money off us. >> the part getting a lot of attention is the stock market, specifically those stocks that are coming geared towards technology or media or communications. so as interest rates creep higher in response to that rising inflationary pressure, the relative attractiveness of those stocks goes away because in a world of really low interest rates like we've been living in you're willing to accept a lot of risk to make any kind of return. when rates rise, there's a hard choice that needs to be made about taking risk-free returns from the government or treasury bonds or stock profits. corporate profits are a concerned. they're citing pressure on profit margins because of rising raw material and input costs, rising transportation and fuel

costs, rising labor costs. for investors, oftentimes you're buying a stock in a company because you think they'll grow their profits and their share of the company's profits becomes more valuable over time. if those profits are threatened, you're maybe not as likely to invest in a company's stock, so there is a reason why a lot of folks from main street to wall street to k street are hyperfocused on that threat of rising prices. and by the way, don't forget the uggs has around, what, roughly $30 trillion of national debt. a lot of that debt is structural and needs to get refinanced periodically. if rates go higher, it will cost our country more to pay interest on that debt. a lot of concerns. >> i want to play what president biden had to say during his interview with lester holt specifically about inflation. watch this. >> it's going to taper off through this year. i think what you're going to see is a gradual reduction in inflation over time. in the meantime, i'm going to do

everything in my power to deal with the big impact on most people in their homes. >> steve, he says it's going to taper off. but when you look at this new data, it makes a good case this is not temporary. what do you think? >> i think it will tamer off. you remember the old posters that people used to put up, stephanie, wanted dead or alive? fed chairman jay powell gave speech several months ago and said inflation is going to come down one way or the other. let's talk about what those basically two ways are. either inflation comes down on its own or the fed is going to clamp down on the economy and slow the economy and cause it to come down. there's really no two ways about it. there's political consensus, economic consensus that inflation is too high. we have the policy tools to bring it down. think about it, steph. the fed hasn't even raised rates at all, but even thinking about

raising rates has caused interest rates to rise by 1%, caused mortgages to go up, so the fed remains powerful and has the ability to bring it down, has the political consensus of both parties to do so. inflation is going to come down with the main question being does that create lots of pain on wall street -- on main street. >> but, steve, corporations are raising prices, and at the same time many are seeing the best profits they have seen in 70 years. and they love using inflation as the excuse. if people keep paying up, is there any sign that's going to change? a lot of these companies could eat their increased input costs but they're not. they're passing it on to us, and we're paying. >> right. so, it's a great point, stephanie. inside of your question is a sophisticated comment from economist who is say the right cure for high prices is high prices. it's the consumer balking at the high prices, deciding to go without that particular good or

service or being unable to afford it. yes, companies are making a lot of money. they have not found resistance passing along those higher prices. and some, indeed, have raised prices more than their input prices because the market would bear it. it is, after all, a free market. and part of the problem, the administration hinl hints at, t feel they overemphasize it, but there is a problem that the u.s. economy is more centralized, more monopolized than it used to be, so more companies do appear to have that pricing power, and those are the companies that dom comes forward on cnbc and he goes, you know, they have high inflation, they have high wages, but guess what? their earnings beat expectations. we get a lot of that. >> i want you two gentlemen to stay there, but i want to bring in cal perry tracking the trucker protest across the border in canada, and gabe gutierrez following the impact of the protests at home.

cal, what are you seeing on the ground? >> reporter: i can show you the protest. it's only about 60 vehicles. this is the canadian side of the border, obviously canada in this direction. one of the things the protesters have done is brought their kids in fairly large numbers, a trampoline in the middle of the road. we show the u.s. side, we're talking about maybe 60 vehicle, about 100 folks, and this has been going on all week. this is causing an incredible snarl on the other side of the bridge where we are seeing waits of up to five hours as truckers try to make this crossing. the thing that strikes me this morning, stephanie, again, is that this protest has been absolutely successful in bringing the attention that these truckers want, which is to get rid of vaccine mandates. be clear to our viewers, the vast majorities of canadians, 79% are vaccinated and the vast majority of the truckers are vaccinated. but they say they'll stay here

as long as they need to. there is a court hearing this afternoon. automakers are being hit hard by this and they're suing for an injunction which would allow the payor to work with the police. there's a perimeter that stretches about a mile in every direction. it would allow the mayor to work with the police. they say they would probably warn these protesters they are going to come into this area. again they're waiting on that court decision sometime this afternoon, stephanie. >> gabe, this is really screwing with companies. we've had these supply chain issues and shortages the last year and this is make ig it worg. >> gm, ford, toyota saying they are feeling the impacts yesterday. yesterday gm said it had to cancel shifts at an assembly plant near lansing. ford also having to scale back production at two of its plants in canada. just listen to what governor whitmer of michigan had to say yesterday about the significance of these protests.

>> it's lost wages. it's damage to our businesses. this is an illegal blockade, and while people have the right to protest, they don't have a right to illegally block the largest land border crossing in north america. hundreds of millions of dollars a day are being lost. >> you can hear on both sides of the border, you heard cal mention, there's that court hearing expected later on this afternoon about that injunction. and there are lots of questions on really how much widespread support these protesters actually have in canada and who they're being egged on by. and now, stephanie, of course there is the possibility that some of these protests could spill over into the united states. the department of homeland security is monitoring the possibility that protesters could go to los angeles on sunday for the super bowl.

and while there are no, you know, planned -- there's no threats of violence planned right now, they're watching this very closely, and they're also watching the possibility that these truckers could then head east and disrupt other cities throughout the country ahead of getting to washington, d.c., for president's state of the union address on march 1st. a lot of people watching how this plays out, stephanie. >> steve, this could get way worse, because right now there are right-wing influencers donating to go fund mes, pushing for trucker protests to happen here. they're actually trying to hurt and worsen the supply chain problems. are you worried if this happens in a big way this could only prolong inflationary pressures? >> yeah. and the list -- the top list of things we don't need right now, i would put a trucker blockade on the border in canada that would further disrupt the supply chain. they're making slow progress on some areas. some of the ships, the ports are

making some progress. we still have an overhang from the virus in china and the virus here in the states that has really limited supply, and we're hopefully just coming out of that. one of the great lessons we listened is, you know, a pandemic is a supply shock to the economy, not so much a demand shock. you're absolutely right. this is going to make things worse over time in the critical area that we need to get better in order to solve the supply chain problem and of course the inflation problem. >> and we need to solve both. gentlemen, thank you all so much. really important topic that matters to all americans. coming up next, the countdown to super bowl sunday officially under way, so we'll go local with expert predictions from los angeles and cincinnati. that's next. from los angeles and cincinnati. that's next. oven-roasted turk, angeles and cincinnati, that's angeles and cincinnati, that's next subway keeps refreshing and re-

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. ok, let's talk about those changes to your financial plan. bill, mary? hey... it's our former broker carl. carl, say hi to nina, our schwab financial consultant. hm... i know how difficult these calls can be. not with schwab.

nina made it easier to set up our financial plan. we can check in on it anytime. it changes when our goals change. planning can't be that easy. actually, it can be, carl. look forward to planning with schwab. schwab! ♪♪ unleash the freshness... ♪♪ still fresh schwab! ♪♪ in wash-scent booster ♪♪ downy unstopables we have breaking news, a senior administration official confirming nbc that president biden will hold a virtual meeting with world leaders on ukraine today. he'll be speaking with the head of u.k., france, germany, italy and poland and nato and the european union. we'll have more on this developing story as we get it. shifting gears, we are two days

away from the biggest game of the year. the bengals and rams will play for the nfl championship, super bowl lvi this sunday night. joe burrow are the youngest team to play in super bowl in one of a dozen team that never won the big game. the rams led by matt stafford. they're in their second super bowl and if four years they have not won it. let's bring in our sport reporters. christian, the rams were built to win a super bowl and now they're basically playing a home game in l.a. does that give him an edge or does it just add to a lot of pressure? >> they actually lost more games at sofi stadium than on the road. this was what the team was built the super bowl this year.

bengals, charles would agree that this exceeds expectations to say the least. >> kids in cincinnati are so happy, even if they don't love football, they'll have a day off on school on monday no matter who wins. are the bengals playing with house money at this point? it is already a win just to be in the game. >> bengals is that much under dog. it turns out their vision didn't need nearly as much time as anyone expected with joe burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the nfl. the most explosive offenses in the nfl. literally the entire city something to all really rallying around. >> it makes it hard to let the bengals win, i am going to say it. christian, what is it going to take for the rams to win it?

>> the rams have the advantage. the headlines most this week has been the advantage with the pass rush. boy, i can't tell you how many stories i have read about the bengals' offensive line. bengals have played three close games already. the rams put themselves in two of those games. one thing that we have learned from the last couple of rounds of the playoffs is this could come down to a field goal. that's one area where the bengals have advantage over mcpherson. i expected the bengalsliability. they have smart rushes getting them this far. i suspect this will be a close game that'll come down to a kick. >> what is your final prediction, charles?

>> yeah, i think the bengals have the more explosive offense, the better quarterback and most importantly the defense most likely to create a turn over. the rams' quarterback matthew stafford maybe going up against the best. burrow has not been poised and qualm and collected. he out played the quarterback. burrow knocks them off that challengers are ready for the moment. i think the bengals can win this, 27-24. >> all right, what do you think is going to be? >> i am going to flip that. >> you guys are both going to say that, you are from l.a. and he's from cincinnati. thank you very much, i appreciate you joining us, for you at home, thank you for joining us, this is the time for

me to say a final good-bye or at least see you later as i mentioned earlier this week, i am going to be taking home of the 11th hour and the 11:00 p.m. here at msnbc starting march 2nd, i hope you will join me there where our goal will remain the same to get better and smarter every night instead of every morning. i can't leave this post without recognizing and thanking all the amazing people who wake up before the sun comes up every single day to build this hour. you don't get to see their faces but i want you to know it is their hard work and big brains and huge hearts and their dedication that make this hour so special and they have done it with me for the last six years. i end this run at 9:00 a.m. with an invitation for you to come watch us at 11:00 p.m. and a huge thank you for your viewerships and trusts and patience in me and an immense

amount of gratitude for the team behind this show, everyday, all of my producers and editors and every single one of them. to my friend, bailey, saving you for looking at what this face actually looks like and my friend chris jansen for always stepping in when i was not able to be here and my husband, the most appreciated for making it happen for anchors like me. i leave this broadcast with one of my favorites, i want to show you this great team that i work with. ♪♪

♪♪

>> you may think that i am pretty good at this job or smart, please know a lot of days these shows is a lot like "weekend at bernie's." i leave this broadcast with one of my favorite sentiments and important practices, in every breath there is a new opportunity, i hope you will take one last deep breath for me this hour. my dear friend and colleague jose diaz-balart picks up this coverage right now. thank you for joining. >> good morning, it is 10:00 a.m. eastern, i am jose diaz-balart.

congressman jason crowe will join me to discuss the latest. we are learning new details of when we could expect the president to announce his picks to fill the justice's seat and super bowl sunday is days away. we'll take a look at their security. a day without immigrants, a new campaign not to work on valentine's day to demand legal status for millions that make america home. we begin with the latest escalating tensions between russia and ukraine. a senior official told nbc news, kristen welker that president biden will host a virtual meeting, an hour from now on the