good evening. tonight's lead, enemies within and without. right now, it seems like we are watching another border for signs of an invasion. as the biden white house and its allies gird for potential invasion of ukraine by russia, president biden continues to huddle with european leaders speaking this morning with the ukrainian president about the hope for diplomacy and deescalation after yesterday's call with russian president vladimir putin ended mostly in a stalemate. of course, some of the same conservative patriots calling the president weak over the situation in ukraine are the same ones calling for the

economic mayhem on our northern border to spread into our cities as canadian police and anti-vaccine protesters clashed this weekend over the ongoing blockades of major border crossings. federal law enforcement is worried that the unrest could threaten america's biggest sporting event tonight in los angeles. all of that tonight. later, as the president's infrastructure overall starts to break ground, i will talk to the former new orleans mayor, now president biden's infrastructure coordinator, about what it means for black america from detroit, michigan, to the mississippi delta. it's a big show tonight. big week ahead. let's get started. joining me now is maryland congressman anthony brown,

member of the armed services committee and a retired u.s. army colonel. thank you for being here, congressman. >> happy super bowl sunday to you. >> congressman, let me start with you. president biden has been working the phones to try and diffuse the situation in ukraine. this morning, president biden and ukrainian president zelensky spoke by phone and reportedly noted that the u.s. will respond, quote, swiftly and decisively to any further russian aggression towards ukraine. biden spoke with russian president vladimir putin by phone for over an hour yesterday where biden reportedly warned putin that the u.s. and its allies will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on russia. of course, ukraine was today,

spoke with putin yesterday warning him if anything were to occur in ukraine. on friday, the u.s. sent an additional 3,000 troops to poland. this came as the u.s. warned that russia has positioned itself to invade ukraine within days. is the white house making the right moves here? >> i think the white house is making the right moves. the diplomacy, this robust diplomacy, not only by president biden yesterday on the phone with putin, but also secretaries blinken and our defense secretary lloyd austin, they have been actively engaged. the dynamics on the ground haven't changed. to the extent they have changed, we have seen a larger buildup of russian forced in russia and belarus and seem to be well

positioned to invade ukraine. what is the u.s. response? sure, there's been a lot of dialogue and rhetoric and communication. but we have, as you mentioned, sent forces to europe. why? because we need to demonstrate to russia that our commitment to our european allies is ironclad. if russia moves into ukraine, we will not only use the most sanctions that we can impose on russia, the russian economy, russian leadership, but it is only going to cause the united states and european allies to put even more troops into those countries where vladimir putin does not want to see more nato troops. >> congressman, russia observers who are familiar with putin's tactics have floated the idea that putin's aggression towards ukraine and his demands for nato are a huge bluff. what are your thoughts on that? what do you believe putin's intentions are here?

>> look, putin has always stated his concern and his desire, actually, to re-establish the boundaries of the former soviet union. the baltic states, lithuania and latvia, estonia as well as ukraine. i visited all of those nations. i can tell you the leadership in those countries understand putin's intent and desire to re-establish those boundaries. i think it's very important for the united states to take the position and maintain the position that we have that we will not commit to keeping ukraine out of nato simply because vladimir putin is demanding that we do that. i don't think we make that commitment. instead, we demonstrate our resolve to nato by sending the troops that we are, 5,000 from the united states, moving some troops from germany forward into eastern europe. because putin only knows one thing. that's force. it's economic force and it's military force.

i'm not suggesting that the u.s. military should engage or would engage in direct conflict or combat with russia. but an increased u.s. presence in europe, an increased presence of our european partners is what we need to demonstrate to putin and to deter him from any invasion into ukraine or beyond ukraine. >> while i have you, i want to ask you about legislation in your home state. top maryland lawmakers vowed on tuesday to ban what is called ghost guns in the state of maryland this year. it hopes disrupting the supply of unregistered and untraceable guns. this comes after homicides have soared to levels not seen in over a decade and have been driven by gun violence. congressman, do you think a ban on unregistered ghost guns is a

sustainable solution to combat gun violence? >> i most certainly do believe that a ban on ghost guns is a sustainable solution. in my conversations with local law enforcement, they see more and more of these unregistered -- they don't have serial numbers -- and untraceable guns. anyone of any age can buy online in the mail different parts to assemble a gun. these guns are just as lethal as the gun that you would buy from a registered dealer. it only makes sense that we ban those weapons. if you have a weapon, we require you have a serial number on that weapon so you can register it. if you don't, that's a criminal offense. it will be in maryland. we have to get ghost guns off the streets. we are seeing a rise in homicides, gun-related homicides. we have to do more in maryland and across the country to take guns, including ghost guns, off the streets. >> lastly on tuesday the house passed a significant reform for

the first time in 15 years of the u.s. postal service. that would bring financial relief to the agency. it would eliminate a significant portion of its debt and restructure its operations. congressman, this bill is largely bipartisan. do you see it surviving in the senate? can you talk to us more about the significance of this bill to the post office which not only serves many financially struggling communities, but employs a significant number of minorities as well? >> the post office, we all rely on the post office. seniors rely on it for delivery of medication. it's the last mile for so many of the commercial distributors of the goods that we purchase. it's invaluable. yet over the years, it has been struggling, because it has been

cash strapped. we have given them greater financial flexibility to invest in the people, the men and women, our letter carriers, in the equipment and facilities to make the delivery of mail more efficient and cost-effective. it's certainly my hope that the united states senate can find a bipartisan group of senators to pass postal reform. we should have six day service. that should not be in question. i believe not only do residents and those who rely on the postal service, but the men and women who serve in the postal service deserve better. reform is long overdue. it's going to bring relief and improve service. >> all right, representative anthony brown, thank you. before i let you go. rams or bengals? >> i'm going to stay with the odds. i will go with the rams. what i'm looking for is the halftime show with dr. dre, snoop dogg, mary j. and kendrick lamar. that's going to have my

attention. >> you know what i'm looking for? after the game, getting down to business on some real fairness in the nfl. we will talk about that another time. >> that's right. work to do that. joining me is christel knight, former republican representative joe walshe of illinois. joe, let's start with the conflict between ukraine and russia. this morning, defense department press secretary john kirby had this to say about an imminent attack. >> what we are seeing in plain sight, continued accumulation of russian military capabilities along the border with ukraine. in belarus, he continues to add force capability well over 100,000 right now and actually over the last few days even more. number two, i think a mosaic of the intelligence we are seeing. we have good sources of intelligence. they are telling us things are

building now to some sort of crescendo opportunity for mr. putin. >> as the biden administration works to deescalate the tensions in the region, what role should the u.s. play if russia invades ukraine? >> good to be with you. the u.s. has to play a leadership role. look, i agree with the congressman who you just spoke with. what putin is trying to do is resurrect the old soviet union borders. i give joe biden a lot of credit. unlike his predecessor, biden understands the importance of nato. if russia makes this mistake and invades a sovereign country, it's up to the u.s. to rally and lead nato to be unified against this egregious act. i think biden and nato are prepared for that. >> christel, let's turn now to

another international crisis. at the u.s./canadian border, this morning police officers cleared out the remaining protesters that were blocking the route that sees 25% of all trade between the two countries. some republicans have embraced this demonstration and have expressed their interest in seeing it happen more in the states. let's take a listen to senator rand paul. >> i'm all for it. civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country from slavery to civil rights to you name it. peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates. i hope the truckers come to america. i hope they clog up cities. >> i thought that was interesting. i have engaged in civil

disobedience. i went for three months about navy bombing. they are embracing this. why is the right wing latching on to this crisis that inevitably hurts the u.s. economy? >> i think that they are embracing it because they embrace hypocrisy. these are the folks who are against the mask mandates and vaccine mandates. they complain about the supply chain shortage. you can't have both things. if you want supply chain to move freely across our borders, you have to free the border. they are holding up the border at the thought of not being vaccinated to go into canada, to come into the united states. that just doesn't make sense. what rand paul was statemenstat morning is nothing short of hypocrisy. these are the same folks who claim that they want freedoms, they want everyone to be safe, but they also complain about the

supply chain shortages. these things don't match. we have to get supply chain products and things moving across this country. we cannot do it if we have folks holding up our border over a me first attitude. we have to think about the economy. we have to think about the health and safety of our workers. holding up a border is not the way to do it. >> joe, switching gears to the house january 6 select committee. there's new reporting from "the new york times" that rudy giuliani, donald trump's former personal lawyer, who helped lead the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, is in talks with the committee about testifying. how critical is giuliani's testimony? have you seen other trump loyalists stonewall the investigation? do you think giuliani at the end will really cooperate? >> i will tell you, i'm not going to believe it until i see it. you know giuliani better than i do.

he was trump's right-hand man throughout this. he is one of the poster boys -- one of the poster children for people trying to overthrow an election. he is hip deep in this. it would be wonderful if he came clean to the january 6 committee. we got a lot of evidence that the main players like my former colleagues jordan and meadows, these guys are not going to cooperate. they have no interest in us getting to the bottom of january 6. their only interest is in protecting trump. >> christel, ron desantis is signaling his support for a bill moving through the florida legislature that would ban discussions surrounding sexual orientation and gender identities in schools. the don't say gay bill is

receiving pushback from parents, teachers and some lawmakers. despite it quickly advancing through the state legislature, it is getting this pushback. president biden called the bill, quote, hateful. said his administration vows to protect the lgbtq community. how will this bill affect florida's lgbtq youth? >> i think what it will do, it will hurt people -- it will hurt youth in wanting to speak out and identify as being lgbtq. this bill is not only hateful, it's harmful. it is homophobic. it's downright disgraceful. florida has been ground zero for a lot of crazy legislation coming out of the chambers of governor ron desantis. this is the same state that is attempting to ban crt. this is also the same state that has seen a high rise in covid outbreaks because of their

anti-vaccination, anti-masking legislation. this anti-gay bill -- you can't say the word gay. that's not helpful to not only youth but anyone who identifies as lgbtq. it's signaling to them it's not safe to live your fullest self in the state of florida because you may be attacked prematurely by those who don't believe in your lifestyle or your personal choice. >> joe, let's talk about a new cnn poll that shows neither donald trump or president biden has their party's full support. only 45% of democratic leaning voters would renominate biden and 50% of republicans leaning voters would want trump back in office. what do you gather from this poll? >> i don't know that there's much to it. i speak with republican voters every day. i can tell you that donald trump still has a stranglehold on that

party. if trump wants the nomination in 2024, sadly, it is his. the party is a cult. they are under his spell. i think with biden, i think it's just covid and the economy and it is situational. if biden can help turn things around this next year or two, i think his position among the american people will be a lot stronger in a couple years. >> christel, let me go back briefly to you. president biden is expected to meet with some of his potential supreme court nominees this week to replace retiring justice stephen breyer. how do you see this process going? how quickly should democrats move to get her seated? >> democrats should move swiftly. remember, ten days before the election in 2020 -- excuse me, 2016, president-elect trump -- former president trump was able

to push through a nominee led by senate majority leader mitch mcconnell at the time. this administration and chuck schumer should not waste any time -- five weeks i think is what has been thrown around. there have been several women, several nominees who had bipartisan support and approval. hopefully, the president can get this woman seated immediately so we can move on with the business of the supreme court. that's what's necessary to continue legislating. >> thank you both for being with us. later, let the building begin. former new orleans mayor and current white house infrastructure coordinator mitch landrieu talks about the projects that will transform and revive many minority communities. the super bowl will kick off in just over an hour. i will share with you my

thoughts on the fight for a more equitable nfl. first, my colleague with today's other top news stories. good sunday. more on today's call between president biden and zelensky. biden reaffirming in the call the u.s. and its allies would respond swiftly and decisively if russia invades ukraine. zelensky following the call saying the two talked about security, economy, existing risks, sanctions and russian aggression. pentagon's press secretary saying today, time is running out to negotiate a diplomatic resolution. canadian police began making arrests this morning near the ambassador bridge on the border with detroit. they are trying to clear the crossing there. demonstrators spent the last weeks protesting covid-19 related mandates. the bridge is the busiest land border crossing in north america. that creating supply chain problems and causing production delays across the united states and auto industry. the 56th annual super bowl is just over an hour away.

the rams and bengals square off at sofi stadium. kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. eastern. not to take sides, but go rams. s voltaren is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel for powerful arthritis pain relief. voltaren, the joy of movement. woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin, yeah that's all me. ♪ ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin that's my new plan. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything. ♪ woman: keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. most who achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months had lasting clearance through 1 year. in another study, most people had 90% clearer skin at 3 years. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses.

♪ it's my moment so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything. ♪ 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 fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything. ♪ woman: talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. ♪ ♪ before you go there, or fist bump there, or...oh! i can't wait to go there! or reunite there, ♪ ♪ start here. walgreens makes it easy to stay protected wherever you go. schedule your free covid-19 booster today. 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.

time now for our weekly rise up segment. today as you rise up to lift the chips and dip to your mouth or grab a cold beer from the fridge during the super bowl, i want you to keep in mind that although this is a celebration of two fiercely competitive teams duking it out in the big game, behind the scenes, there's still a lot of work left to bring social justice to the nfl. this week in my capacity as the head of the national action network, i help lead a group of

civil rights leaders who met with the nfl commissioner to address the brian flores racial discrimination lawsuit. the former dolphin head coach says he was fired from his job for refusing to deliberately lose games and was passed over for other positions because of his race. the dolphins denied any allegations of racial discrimination. the nfl stated that diversity is at the core to everything they do and will defend against these claims, which are without merit. several years ago, we saw colin kaepernick's career evaporate. we hope we will not see flores left out in the cold as well. our message to the commissioner was clear, the rooney rule has not worked. that's the policy that requires

teams to interview ethnic minority candidates for head coaching or senior football operation jobs. so far, the rule has failed to lead to diversity in the upper ranks of the league. right now, there are only two black head coaches and no black owners of 32 teams, even though the league's players are predominantly black. what we need is not just different rules but a more equitable outcome. if the nfl wants to move forward to address the concerns of its fans, then we must ask why teams should be entitled to public funds to help finance the stadium and other facilities if they are not committed to that and show tangible results. the goal here isn't to sack the nfl but to throw a flag on the play. we want the league to create a

more equitable environment. civil rights leaders and the national action network are demanding explicit plans and a time line for how the organization can address these inequities. there is a role that we all can play. we can hold the nfl to its word and push for changes in leadership and ownership. we can all enjoy the rivalries and rooting for our favorite teams. but we can also rise up and ensure everyone has a fair shot. the game is all about who wins and loses. and we want to even out the playing field. we'll be right back. e playing field. we'll be right back.

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. i recommend nature made vitamins, because i trust their quality. they were the first to be verified by usp, an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ nature made. ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ ♪♪

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'.

among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. welcome back. the biden administration can point to one very big win for the country ahead of this year's

midterm election grudge match. the bipartisan infrastructure framework is in its early stages of modernizing our nation. as historic inequities that were literally built into our nation are torn down to make way for an america that can weather the storms of the future while creating jobs here and now in communities that need them most. joining me now, senior white house advisor and infrastructure coordinator. he is also the former mayor of new orleans and a forever friend of this show. welcome back. >> how are you doing? thank you for having me. it's hard to concentrate. mary j. blige will do the

halftime show with dr. dre. i'm happy to be here. >> last time i saw her was in new orleans with you at the super bowl. before she tears the place down tonight, let's deal with building up the country. let's get right into -- >> no question. >> the initial investment from the bipartisan infrastructure framework that are underway. with the white house having cast it as a once in a lifetime opportunity for america to rebuild materially and modernize for the future, what makes this plan so transformative? >> it's a once in a generation opportunity. you and i -- i'm a little older than you. but you can remember back to the day, the last time we did something like this was when president eisenhower was around. the last time there was a major

investment. you don't need to be a rocket scientist to feel the bumps on the roads and bridges that are broken. everything that's broken down, this is an opportunity to fix it back up. on top of that, the major investment in connecting kids to things they don't have. making sure high speed internet gets to every kid in america. whether you are in the delta, making sure kids, seniors have access to telemedicine. the other thing is clean water and clean air. everybody has been talking about lead in the pipes that have been really hurting children. there's a lot of money to clean that up. on top of that, there's money to make sure that we put people back to work. this is people of color all across the country. there's a great opportunity here if we seize it. we have hit the ground running. $85 billion has been sent out down to the states and the cities, where most of the stuff will get built. i'm excited.

we haven't done this in a long time. it's going to take a lot of work. it's going to take coordination. we have a great opportunity to make it happen. that's what i'm going to try to help the president do. >> as the white house infrastructure coordinator, i heard you talk about how this plan utilizes new technology to modernize our nation. innovations in construction, transportation and how we go about cleaning up toxic sites that are often concentrated in poor communities. for someone watching this show in urban detroit or in rural mississippi delta, how will these innovations improve their lives? >> let's talk about one in particular. let's talk about lawrence county, alabama. cleaning up the waste water

treatment. we have money going to states that's supposed to be used to clean up neighborhoods. a couple of weeks ago, the president announced cleaning up coal communities. we have folks of color that live there. we are cleaning up oil sites. a company dirtied up the area and left something behind. to get in and clean it up. lead pipes. everybody knows how dirty the water has been and how challenging. if you are in detroit, if you live in the delta, there's money to make sure those pipes get cleaned up so everybody has access to clean water. on top of that, as we rebuild all this, the jobs that will be available are for working folks that have an opportunity for good paying jobs. we have to push this down to the ground. i want a level set. 90% of the money will be spent by governors and mayors. our job is to make sure they spend the money the right way in communities that need it most. the thing that i'm pumped up

about is access to high speed internet. you talk about leveling the playing field. access to knowledge and access to information is the thing that people need to be able to compete in this economy. if you don't have access to high speed internet, you are sitting on the bench and you will be last. >> huge problem. >> this is a commitment from the president to make sure 100% is covered. >> it's a huge problem. i emphasize you saying you are going to make sure the governors spend the money to where the communities need it most. democrats will have to campaign on the infrastructure plan in the midterm election year. of course, it's always helpful when you can point to where government actions lead to results and job creation. how does this administration, which has committed itself to equity, intend to make sure that black entrepreneurs are not left behind both in contracting -- in

the contracting process for these big structural projects while at the same time making sure that black workers benefit from the historic job creation the white house has predicted will come from this plan? >> that's a great question. thank you for asking it. two things i want to talk about. you hear the president say we're going to build back better. the build back is important. but the better part is important, too. equity is throughout this entire thing. there will be recommendations made and the grants given to make sure that they don't have any plans that equity is not without. equitable rules from top to bottom. there's a substantial amount of money that creates a new office in the department of commerce. it's right next to the small business administration. it's the minority business development office. that office is designed to actually help create entrepreneurs in the african american community. make sure contracts are broken

down so that small businesses can take advantage of it. make sure that there are assets available so that the african american community didn't just get the benefit of a new bus program that takes people back and forth to work, but actually helps the people own the bus company, manufacture buses and sell them. >> this has been a priority of president biden. how has it been working with him? is this high on his priority that he monitors and wants to know what is going on? how big a deal is it to president biden? >> well, let me say this. he rides me like a wet mule. every day he talks about it. every week he has a trip where he highlights what it is we're doing. whether it's a bridge, a road, talking about the new electrical vehicle buses, charging stations which we are putting all over the country and making sure they

are in communities, he is on this like a dog on a bone. trust me. it's a signature investment. he has other stuff going on. this is one of if not his top priority. >> thank you. rams or bengals? >> i'm hurting because obj grew up with one of my kids. then the quarterback for the bengals took lsu to the national championship. i'm in pain. i want them both to do well. i gotta go with the underdog. the bengals might surprise everybody tonight. >> all right. we will see. coming up, a controversial ruling from the supreme court on alabama's election maps sets up a massive battle over the voting rights act. we will get the details from a top civil rights attorney next. e (naj) because as a fiduciary, it's our responsibility to

always put clients first. (other money manager) so you do it because you have to? (naj) no, we do it because it's the right thing to do. we help clients enjoy comfo. (other money manager) sounds like a big responsibility. (naj) one that we don't take lightly. it's why our fees are structured so we do better when our clients do better. fisher investments is clearly different. your heart is at the heart of everything you do. and if you have heart failure, entrust your heart to entresto. it's the number one heart failure brand prescribed by cardiologists. entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. heart failure can change the structure of your heart, so it may not work as well. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. and with a healthier heart, there's no telling where life may take you. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby.

don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. entrust your heart to entresto. it's still the eat fresh refresh™ so subway's upping their avocado game. we're talking just two great ingredients. perfectly ripe, hand-scooped hass avocados and a touch of sea salt. it's like a double double for your tastebuds. subway keeps refreshing and refreshing and refreshing...

this is a warrior. midnight to morning, she's in command. all-day comfort. all-night shift. head nurse. heart on her sleeve. so, when leaks show up, our protection helps keep them dry. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you.™ can you be free of hair breakage worries? we invited mahault to see for herself that dove breakage remedy gives damaged hair the strength it needs. even with repeated combing hair treated with dove shows 97% less breakage. strong hair with new dove breakage remedy. number one beauty brand not tested on animals. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

welcome back. race was in the headlines this week again. as the ongoing fight over black voter protections in this election year made its way to a supreme court already dealing with racial controversy. also this week, a new assessment by "the washington post" found that despite the historic public pressure for police reform after the murder of george floyd in

2020, fatal police shootings set a new record in 2021. the highest total since "the post" began tracking these seven years ago. joining me now, civil rights attorney and candidate for attorney general of texas, lee merritt. great to see you. a lot of topics to cover. here we go. tomorrow, the federal hate crimes trial of the men that killed ahmaud arbery begins in georgia after last year's state murder trial ended in convictions for all three. you represent his family, his mother wanda. earlier this month, a federal judge rejected a plea deal from one of the defendants, travis mcmichael that would have precluded his hate crimes trial. can you tell our audience why it's so important to the family that the defendants stand trial?

>> we don't really believe what the mcmichaels have to say. they have taken the stand. travis specifically, the triggerman who murdered ahmad ar arbery. they were interested in the trial going forward. they want to see it played out. they want to see the trial take its course. we also believe that because the state convictions took place first and that it received the sentence, that the federal trial is more about hearing the facts on the record. >> let's go to the supreme court. this week, overturning a lower court decision that found alabama's republican-drawn congressional map diminishes black voting power in the state. you are currently running for attorney general in texas, which is facing a federal lawsuit over

its gop-drawn congressional map, which the justice department contends is discriminatory against black and hispanic residents. how would you as state ag strengthen voting rights in your state, understanding that your state government is likely to remain dominated by republicans bent on restricting them? and is it possible without federal help? >> it's exactly what the case before the united states supreme court turned on. it's the area that we must use to act. article 2 says you can't discriminate against the black or brown or any racial class in order to minimize the effective voting power. the supreme court didn't disagree with them. the lower court said that there was evidence of discrimination.

the court said they should go forward simply as a matter of convenience, which is absurd. the state of texas should be joining along with the democratic attorney generals across the country. there are powerful attorney generals. all of these should come together to put pressure on the supreme court to protect the voting rights for all americans. we must show up to d.c. we must offer backup to our legislators fighting to create stronger federal protections for our voting rights. because states like alabama or texas, runaway legislators are allowed to diminish the voting power by black and brown actors. we all lose. >> as i mentioned in my intro -- i know you saw this from "the washington post," 1,055 fatal police shootings in 2021.

according to the newspaper's tracking. this despite the sustained protests after the murder of george floyd and other incidents the year before. your response. >> i'm here campaigning for the office of attorney general in houston. i attorney general in houston. and i stopped by bishop dix on's church today. and what bishop dix onsays to me in a private situation. he says, the law, the society doesn't change based on emotion. and after 2020 and after the murder of ahmaud arbery and george floyd and so many other folks, there was an emotional response, and people were taking attention to the issue of policing, but we did not pass the george floyd justice in policing act. and, as a result, i'm not surprised that the deadliest police coach is still on target to remain that way. we need more than just an emotional response. we need a change to the laws.

>> we must change legislation. demonstration without legislation is incomplete. and bishop james dixon and i worked together for many years. in fact, he introduced me to do the eulogy there for george floyd in houston. i know you're a proud morehouse man. and historically a black colleges and universities continue to receive bomb threats. nearly two dozen in the last few weeks. this week, it was morehouse's sister institution, spelman college in atlanta. its third bomb threat this year. you've called on the administration to form a federal task force, investigating the threats. what needs to happen, briefly, please? >> in each state, from the d.c. to where these bomb threats are taking place, we must take these threats seriously. if this were happening at yale or harvard, we would see major reaction. we must take the real threat, domestic terrorism, from white

supremacists taking place in this country, seriously, and we must have policy to address it and programs to respond to it. this can't just be saying, when the white house responded to this, they said, it seemed to be a bunch of kids. this is not a situation of kids being kids. this is a domestic terrorism that has to be addressed with policy. >> all right. lee merrick, civil rights attorney extraordinaire, candidate for attorney general in texas. thank you for being with us. up next, my final thoughts. r be. r be. next, my final thoughts that's all behind me now. nurtec is the first and only option proven to treat and prevent migraines with one medication. onederful. one quick dissolvelet can start fast and last. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion. with nurtec, i take on migraines my way. what's your way? ask your doctor about nurtec today.

first psoriasis, then psoriatic arthritis. it was really holding me back. standing up... ...even walking was tough. my joints hurt. i was afraid things were going to get worse. i was always hiding, and that's just not me. not being there for my family, that hurt. woooo! i had to do something. i started cosentyx®. i'm feeling good. watch me. cosentyx helps people with psoriatic arthritis move, look, and feel better. it targets more than just joint pain

and treats the multiple symptoms like joint swelling and tenderness, back pain, helps clear skin and helps stop further joint damage. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections—some serious —and the lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. it's good to be moving on. watch me. move, look, and feel better. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. at intra-cellular therapies, we're inspired by our circle. a circle that includes our researchers, driven by our award-winning science, who uncover new medicines to treat mental illness. it includes the compassionate healthcare professionals, the dedicated social workers, and the supportive peer counselors we work with to help improve - and even change - people's lives. moving from mental illness to mental wellness starts in our circle. this is intra-cellular therapies.

(music) who said you have to starve yourself to lose weight? who said you can't do dinner? who said only this is good? and this is bad? i'm doing it my way. meet plenity. an fda -cleared clinically proven weight management aid for adults with a bmi of 25-40 when combined with diet and exercise. plenity is not a drug - it's made from naturally derived building blocks and helps you feel fuller and eat less. it is a prescription only treatment and is not for pregnant women or people allergic to its ingredients. talk to your doctor or visit myplenity.com to learn more. tomorrow is valentine's day, where people traditionally exchange flowers and candies and

maybe go out and dine to show their loved one some affection. but also remember those that have been robbed of that. this thursday, i will be in minneapolis, minnesota again to do the funeral services for a 22-year-old man, amir locke, who was killed by a no-knock warrant, by police in minneapolis, who had the wrong apartment, wrong place. he had loved ones, too. so did ahmaud arbery, so did george floyd, so did breonna taylor. let us, as we cherish the moments with those we love, remember that some people are just looking at memories that they should not have had. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next

weekend at 5:00 p.m. eastern. more news on msnbc at the top of the hour. msnbc at the top of the hour ♪ so different and so new ♪ ♪ was like any other... ♪ woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. with skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months after just two 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 fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything. ♪ woman: talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. (music) woman: talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪

(sniffing) i know my old spice long-lasting scents anywhere. that's me, mr. cole. oh... (sniffing) mmm! let's talk about a raise. ( ♪♪ ) let's talk about a raise. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ 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.

hey, everyone. i'm alicia menendez and we begin "american voices" this sunday with breaking news. the president's ongoing attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in ukraine. as of this hour, it appears ru