because the animals need to be cared for, and we like taking care of them. because we want to go out to dinner with our friends. because, in family photos, we want to be able to smile. a new fda-approved treatment for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis could help them do more of the daily activities they care about. to learn more, go to now4gmg.com and talk to your neurologist. good morning. we have a lot to get to. russia is stepping up its deadly attacks on cities across ukraine, including the capital of kyiv. but the determined and resilient ukrainian military has kept the city from falling to president of the united states control. with experts now saying that the war appears to be entering a stalemate. here at home, a crucial and historic day for judge ketanji brown jackson. she's set to begin in just a few

minutes. she'll face senators for the first day of her confirmation hearings to the supreme court. we'll take you live to capitol hill. and the latest on the health scare for clarence thomas, the longest serving member of the current supreme court, hospitalized. and we begin this morning with several new developments unfolding right now in ukraine, as russia's relentless war on that country enters its 26th day. experts saying the war is now headed toward a bloody stalemate, with putin failing to seize ukraine's capital and force regime change. this morning, the kremlin says talks between russia and ukraine have not made any significant progress. ukraine says it's willing to negotiate, but will not surrender or accept russian ultimatums. at the same time, ukrainian president zelenskyy calling again for a face-to-face-meeting with putin, to end the war. zelenskyy offering an ominous

prediction if peace talks fail. >> we have to use any format, any chance in order to have the possibility of negotiating, the possibility of talking to putin, but if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third world war. >> the mayor of kyiv says eight people were killed in a new round of russian attacks overnight. the city has just imposed a another curfew, taking effect later tonight, lasting for 35 hours. in the southern port city of mariupol, russian forces bombing an art school over the weekend, where local officials say about 400 women and children were sheltering. the number of casualties unclear. the mayor says hundreds could be dead. meanwhile, some of the workers at the chernobyl nuclear power plant were allowed to go home sunday after being trapped at

the facility for more than three weeks, when russian forces took control of the site. the departing employees replaced by a group of volunteers. not clear if the remaining workers will also have the opportunity to be rotated. let's go live to ukraine this morning. nbc's jacob soboroff is in lviv. jacob, good morning. air raid sirens have been blaring there all day. how have things changed there over the past couple of hours? >> reporter: jose, good morning to you. things have quieted down here in lviv. and when i say quieted down, it's all relative, of course. lviv is a city in the far west of ukraine that's been relatively peaceful. we did head down into those air raid bunkers earlier today, because there were four different alarms over the course of the morning here that sort of have been a constant refrain here in lviv. because of those rocket attacks in particular that occurred late last week, and you're looking at footage of us going down into the bunker this morning, people are taking this very seriously.

there was that military aircraft maintenance repair facility that was targeted by russia here. what's happening in the west pales in comparison to the absolutely destruction and devastation of what's happening in the south, especially in mariupol. you had mentioned that vladimir putin and the russians had insisted that volodymyr zelenskyy, the president of this nation, surrender that city and that's exactly the opposite of what happened. the president here doubled down, saying absolutely not. and it is, it is incomprehensible to think about what's happening there. not only that art school where 400 people were trapped inside and the search continued for those people, but also that theater, potentially a thousand people. and those are scenes that continue all throughout this country. you mentioned the attacks in kyiv this morning. the bomb shelter like the one that we went in here in lviv is one of the only safe places in this country right now, especially in these cities that are facing constant, constant devastation and attacks from the

russians. >> yeah, i mean, jacob, to think that mariupol is on day 26 of what has been an incessant bombing. no water, food, electricity. it is in real critical state. >> reporter: totally destroyed, jose. and i think that is the idea. of course, it is a strategic port city that would connect the eastern territories of donetsk and luhansk, already controlled by russian separatists and that is why russia has continued to target it. and there is no sign right now of those attacks stopping. the key is to get the civilians out and get the civilians here to places like lviv, where they can go from being internally displaced people to potentially refugees, if they want, crossing into countries, including poland and hungary, romania, all of these countries along the border here that you have seen hundreds of thousands, actually, millions of people attempt to flee this country. but the reality is, right now, we don't have communications with people, particularly in

mariupol. and so, we have updates few and far between, and until they get out of there, until we have aid workers that are able to get in there and actually report back, we don't have a full picture of what is happening in the south. and there have been millions, literally millions, not an exaggeration to say, of people on the move in this country, in what is, you know, you might look at where i am right now, and i, i hear people singing music in the park, there are people on the streets, there are cars moving. yes, there are people out, people are defiant, people are fighting back in their own way, but this is a completely different picture of what we're experiencing elsewhere in this country. >> important point. jacob soboroff, thank you very much for being with us. in just one hour, an historic round of confirmation hearings will begin for judge ketanji brown jackson. here you can see judge jackson leaving her home just moments ago, ahead of today's hearing with lawmakers. i don't know if we have that image to show you, but she just shortly, just a little while ago, left her home, got into the vehicle that's going to take her

to capitol hill now. if confirmed, jackson will be the first plaque woman to ever serve on the nation's highest court. hearings are expected to last four days. and we're monitoring another development from the supreme court. justice clarence thomas, currently hospitalized with an infection and is experiencing flu-like symptoms. joining us now, nbc news washington correspondent, yamiche alcindor, also the moderator of "washington week" on pbs. also with us, nbc news capitol hill correspondent, ali vitali. yamiche, you have spoken to a number of people who have known judge jackson personally going back to her days at harvard. what did those conversations tell you about the judge? >> i spoke to a number of people, including lisa fairfax, who's going to be introducing her, as well as antoinette coakley and nina simmons. together, these four women bonded as freshman at harvard university and then all remarkably got into harvard law. they were roommates and they all told me judge ketanji brown jackson is someone who really

works hard, she studies hard, she was brilliant at harvard. she was someone who convened people around here, starting study groups to really have people talk and an intellectual process. they said, if you had to describe her as someone who was in a race, she would be the anchor of the race nape also called her the glue, the captain. they say that she is someone who has been training for this and dreaming of this moment her whole life. one of her friends, antoinette coakley, actually told me that in their harvard dorm room, she told judge jackson that she would be the first black woman on the supreme court. and why did she say that, and she told me, it's because she really saw the desire and the work ethic in her friend. another thing to note is that she's someone who really values her african-american heritage. i was told by lisa fairfax, who's going to be introducing her, that she wanted people to make sure that they said her name right. that ketanji and what it meant to her was something that she wanted to underscore for people.

but they also said that she branched out, oftentimes outside of the very closed-in african-american community at harvard and went on to join dance troops and to be in an a cappella group, to also be in theater productions. so she was someone who was reaching across the aisle, reaching across racial lines, and her friends say that that is what brings her to this moment. that she is someone who will be able to bring consensus to the court, like, of course, judge breyer did when he was, and when he is still on the court. so it's really a remarkable moment for a lot of the people who know her. but they say in some ways, they're not surprised that she got here. so that tells you just how hard she's been working. i should also say, her friends tell me that while she's tired, exhausted, that they also say that she is ready for this moment, and has even been texts some of her friends since 2:00 in the morning, checking in on them, making sure that their personal lives, their kids are doing well. she's also someone who very much cares about the people around her, they told me. >> and ali, what's the level of confidence that democrats have going into these hearings?

>> i was talking to white house officials last night who say they still feel good about these confirmation hearings and their nominee. of course, she has done extensive prep for this moment. i'm told these prep sessions have even included mock hearings, like the one she's going to begin in just under an hour here on the hill. but of course, they're also prepped for the attack lines. we've seen these things forming in the recent days and weeks. key republicans signaling that they want to paint jackson as soft on crime. pointing to different pieces in her resume. and what white house officials and those close to this process tell me is that nominee is ready for that. they are going to point to the endorsements that she's gotten from chiefs of police, from bipartisan attorneys general. and look, even in the beginning of this year ago, we're going to see them try to blunt that criticism and make this as non-partisan a confirmation hearing as possible. they have a conservative judge, retired by appointed my george w. bush, it's going to be the other person introducing her in addition to her friend, lisa

fairfax, who yamiche was talking about. so again, an attempt by the white house in her confirmation team to evaluate this out of the usual partisanship of the hill and instead make this squarely focus on her qualifications and of course, republicans have questions and they've said this to us on the hill in recent weeks, as they've been meeting with her, about her judicial philosophy. certainly, that is going to come up, but i think the interesting thing about this nominee is that while she does have depth and breadth of experience, it's hard to get a sense of her judicial philosophy because of the role that district judges play and the way that their rulings are so predicated on higher courts above them. that's something interesting i'll be watching for today. but the white house signaling confidence, because really, this is a confirmation that could go off, if all 50 democrats just get in line behind the white house's first nomineeing. instead, the white house is hoping there is some bipartisanship to this. they have been reaching out across the aisle, as have the head of the judiciary committee,

dick durbin, and talking to republicans. she's met with dozens of senators, upwards of 35 of them, republican and democrat alike. and the outcry from those meetings has been that she is qualified and most people on the republican side say they'll wait for these hearings. >> thank you for being with us this morning. joining us, democratic senator alex padilla from california, who sits on the senate judiciary committee. senator, it's great seeing you. what are your expectations for these hearings today? >> good to be back with you, jose. look, i'm expecting a big and obviously, an historic week. i've had the honor and privilege of not just studying judge jackson's background, but meeting with her as she was making her rounds and members of the judiciary committee and other senators, my office was on that itinerary, spent just shy of an hour, not just talking about legal philosophy and issues, but getting to know her

as a perp. and one of the things i'm excited about is the whole country getting to know judge jackson better, getting to know judge jackson for the judge and the person that she is. i want to also make a appoint right away on this, jose. she is more than eminently qualified to be on the supreme court of the united states. if you look at her record, look at her credential, her education, and her life experience, she is ready for this. and i lead with that because, some of my republican colleagues have signaled they're going to call some of that into question. it's just wrong. she's more than qualified, and yes, she's historic. representation matters. you and i have talked about this. so just her appearance before the judiciary committee today writes a new chapter in our station's history. >> well, as a matter of fact, it's always important to recognize that i'm speaking to the first latino senator of california in the history of that state.

representation, does, indeed, matter, senator. i was wondering your reaction to some republican leadership, accusing judge jackson of having special sympathy with criminals, as senator mcconnell put it. >> first, absolutely wrong. absolutely false. whatever they're pointing to is completely taken out of context. senator mcconnell has pointed to it. but really, it's been led by josh hawley, senator hawley, who's on the committee, as you say. that's a little bit of a warning of what we may be in for this week. but let's remember who he is. senator hawley is part of the fringe element of the republican party, who was fist-bumping with insurrectionists on january 6th. number one, it's fall. number two, remember where it comes from. and number three, let's not get distracted from the qualifications and the experience that judge ketanji brown jackson brings to this role. so plenty of opportunity for a

number of members to raise questions, raise issues, but most importantly, the american people will hear directly from judge jackson herself. >> and there we see her just a few moments ago, stepping out of her house and going into the car that takes her to capitol hill. senator, before i let you go, i want your thoughts on ukraine . over the weekend, we've been seeing this escalating of the bombing, of the destruction. just earlier in the last hour, we had a ukrainian member of parliament pleading for the west to send in airplanes, to send in, but today, not next week, not next month, things that they could use to defend themselves from russia. what do you see there? is there anything else that we could or should be doing more? >> look, i think the united states stands firmly with ukraine and the people of ukraine, along with our other nato members and other allies around the world. every time there's been an appeal for more resources, president biden and frankly congress has stepped up to provide that.

so we're going to continue to support to provide the resources necessary for ukraine to defend itself, defend democracy, and continue to evolve as the situation on the ground continues to evolve. >> senator alex padilla, thank you so much for being with us this morning. appreciate your time. >> thank you, jose. take care. up next, live to ukraine as russia continues to pound civilian sites. we'll talk to a journalist about what he's been seeing there over the past 24 hours. plus, as the war appears to hit a stalemate, we'll talk about the tactics that putin could be using next. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." ext. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. you see, son, with a little elbow grease, you can do just about anything. thanks, dad. that's right, robert. and it's never too early to learn you could save with america's number one motorcycle insurer. that's right, jamie. but it's not just about savings. it's about the friends we make along the way. you said it, flo. and don't forget to floss before you brush. your gums will thank you. -that's right, dr. gary. -jamie?

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20 past the hour. ukraine officials have denied russia's demand to lay down their weapons in the besieged city of mariupol. it comes as russian forces are attempting to blockade ukraine's capital, likely to worsen the humanitarian situation across the country, according to

british defense officials. joining us now, olexy sorkin from western ukraine. alexi, thank you very much for being with us. i haven't had a chance to speak with you for over a week and a half. how has the situation changed in that time? >> well, currently, we're looking at a stalemate. russia is stuck. it can't advice. and unfortunately, russia chose to sell residential areas and hospitals of major ukrainian cities, kyiv, kharkiv, mykolaiv, mariupol, and for the first time yesterday, to inflict as much damage and to force zelenskyy and his government to concede. >> russia is demanding the surrender of ukrainian troops in mariupol. russia said they would allow

some civilians and some soldiers to leave. what do you make of that? >> first of all, obviously, ukraine doesn't trust russia. all the attempts to provide a humanitarian corridor from mariupol were broken by russia. they shelled the path to other ukrainian cities. and ukraine can't leave mariupol, because if the city falls, then those massive troops that russia is currently placing around the city will be then relocated into other hot spots, for example, in donbas, kharkiv, and this will stretch ukrainian officials. >> oleksiy, i want to bring it back you, the reality of this, day 26 of an invasion. that's 26 days of destruction, of death, of missiles, of

suffering. how do you deal with that, oleksiy? >> it's hard. i would never, even to my -- i don't know, people bo don't like me, i would never want them to live through this. this is absolutely horrendous. and every day, you hear that somebody's relative, somebody's friend, a person you bought coffee from is either injured, dead, they have family members who are displaced. the whole nation is affected. there is no safe zone in ukraine now. and i think many people right now are struggling to make their life work, because even those who stay, even those who try to keep a normal life, obviously, it's impossible with this notion that you can be killed. you can simply be killed any day

of the week. i know my friend, my good friend who live in irpin, which was one of the best suburbs around in kyiv, a lot of young people -- a lot of young families live there. he was able to escape a day before his house was completely destroyed. and now he lives in western ukraine and he doesn't have a home. and even if the war ends tomorrow, there is nowhere for him to return to. and this has been an absolute misery and tragedy for most ukrainians. and i have no idea how the country will keep up. this is, this is very tragic. >> and i mean, war and violence, damages the soul of humans. how do you think that going

forward the remnants of this will carry through to the ukrainian people? this is not something that can easily be forgotten. there's so much death. >> i think it's impossible. i think the day of february 24th, i will remember until the end. it was probably one of the most scariest days in my life, when i heard basically russia declaring war on my country and minutes after, i hear an explosion, i call my dad ewho was sleeping, and i just yell into the phone that we are at war. i never imagined to say that my father and then try to relocate my family and hear my friends, people who i know suffering, living in basements. this will never go away.

this stays with the nation and this will be part of who we are until the rest of our days. >> oleksiy sorkin, let's stay in touch. up next, breaking news from china. new details on an overnight plane crash in the mountains. more than a hundred people onboard. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." d. you're watching "jose diaz-balart report s. this is vuity™, the first and only fda approved eye-drop that improves age-related blurry near vision. wait, what? it sounded like you just said an eye drop that may help you see up close. i did. it's an innovative way to... so, wait. i don't always have to wear reading glasses? yeah! vuity™ helps you see up close. so, i can see up close with just my eyes? uh-huh. with one drop in each eye, once daily. in focus? yep. [laughs] like, really? really. vuity™ is a prescription eye drop to help you see up close. ow! wait, what? wait. wait? wait, what? see for yourself. use vuity™ with caution in night driving

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year. and these striking images going viral. it's a mother who crossed the rio grande river at the southern u.s. border with her baby literally tied to her chest. the honduran woman told telemundo that she feared for the baby's life due to the force of the river's current. a migrant crisis on our southern border. up next, president biden about to get on a call with top european leaders about the war in ukraine. will putin face war crime charges? you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." ges? you're watching os"je diaz-balart reports. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ with a bit more thought we can all do our part to keep plastic out of the ocean.

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limiting what reporters can say under threat of imprisonment. >> reporter: as president putin plots his next moves, behind the walls of the kremlin, outside, a simple question elicits an unwavering response from many of his people. describe president putin. >> it's very good. >> reporter: very good? >> good. >> reporter: good? >> good. >> reporter: you think he's good? you think he's excellent? >> yes. >> i fully agree with putin. any, any action, any decision. >> reporter: for others, simply answering is too difficult, perhaps even dangerous. what do you think of president putin? >> no, no. >> reporter: what do you think of president putin? >> oh, no comments. no comments? >> yes. >> reporter: the president attending a rally broadcast by loyal state tv, rousing his supporters with increasingly incendiary language. last week, calling his critics scum and traitors, attacking the

many russians fleeing the country, accusing them of wanting to eat european oysters and foie gras, but he has also conceded that russia has faced casualties, even senior officers. ukraine now claims six russian generals have been killed, although there's been no independent corroboration of that. military leaders forced to the front line. some western analysts believe to improve morale and organization. questions over president putin's state of mind are not helpful, according to a senior adviser, who was on a call between turkey's president erdogan and the russian leader just last week. >> president putin was, as usual, on the call, calm, and, you know, make his case and explaining his position. >> reporter: he says a meeting between president putin and president zelenskyy will happen, but not yet.

>> mr. zelenskyy thinks that he is ready, but mr. putin says the positions are not close enough yet. >> reporter: the american says any peace deal must be permanent and irreversible, while president putin calls those sanctions an economic blitzkrieg, vowing they will fail. this morning, both the u.s. and russia agreeing on one thing. that a long battle looms. >> our thanks to keir simmons. and this just in to nbc news. russia has summoned the u.s. ambassador to russia in moscow in protest of president biden's comments about putin. biden has recently called putin a, quote, war criminal and a murderous dictator, and president biden heads to europe this week, where he will attend a nato and eu summits on thursday and head to warsaw for a bilateral meeting with the polish president on thursday. the white house confirms the president has no plans to visit ukraine. joining me now, pbs "newshour" chief correspondent, amna

nawauh. always a pleasure to see you. the u.s. is not supporting a no-fly zone. they say they don't want to be the intermediary between those polish migs and ukraine. what can we expect from these nato summits? >> jose, it's always good to be with you. man, what a stark split screen difference we see with those crowds, supporting putin on the ground there in russia, and the brutal scenes we have seen unfolding in ukraine, getting worse week by week. look, the timing of the president's visit here to brussels really couldn't be more crucial, and probably couldn't come fast enough, according to the folks on the ground in ukraine. we know those meetings he's going to have with nato member partners and nato member nations is going to focus largely on what an additional military response could be. we know the goal has been to give the ukrainians everything they need to continue to be effective defensively, and so far, white house officials tell

me here, they believe it's working. they believe that is why the russian advance has not been as successful as it could have been in those early days, and why the ukrainians continue to be able to keep them at bay. but they know that more help is needed, even as they maintain a no-fly zone is a no-starter. they believe there's a stark difference between providing ukrainians with what they need to defense themselves and u.s. troops or nato troops directly engaging with russian troops on the ground. so that remains a firm red line for them right now. and of course, there's also going to be a meeting with eu partners and g-7 nations. that's going to be the forum white house officials tell me where they figure out ifs could be ramped up. we know they have pressed unprecedented, devastating sanctions against the russian economy and russian oligarchs. could more be done, as you mentioned now, the president also adding on a trip to poland. this is something white house reporters have been asking for day. how close will he be able to get. poland is about as close as you can get. no other country has taken in more ukrainians, fleeing their nation than poland right now. and we should mention, jose, this is as the humanitarian

crisis only gets worse. you're talking about more than 3.5 million people who have fled that country, over a million people a week, and now we have new numbers from the united nations over this weekend, saying they believe about 6.5 million are internally displaced, meaning forced from their homes. that means the total number of people who have had to leave their homes in ukraine to about 10 million in the last three weeks. jose? >> in three weeks. and when we hear talk of war crimes and a war criminal, what exactly does a war crime mean? and what implications would that have? >> so, i am not a legal expert, much to the disappointment of my parents, but i will say international prosecutors and folks who are familiar with the work of the international criminal court, which is one of the bodies where those kinds of charges could move forward, that's the legal definition prosecutors have to be able to make. and i think president biden has been under a lot of pressure to

ramp up some of the rhetoric, to see how it is that they're view putin at this time. and we have all seen civilian areas being targeted. we've seen the bombing of hospitals, the bombing of a theater that was clearly marked children, indicating that there were children among those sheltering there. now in the last 24 hours, the bombing of a school where we know that people were sherling. there's no question that civilians are caught in the cross fire. i think the legal definition of saying these were targeted, deliberately, and putin was behind it, something prosecutors will have to figure out. but i will say, experts also say that forced displacement could also be a war crime. and there is no question about that part of the humanitarian crisis in ukraine. >> thank you so much for being with us this morning. i so appreciate your time. >> thanks, jose. and we're just moments away from history. the confirmation hearings from supreme court nominee judge ketanji brown jackson is about to get underway. we're going to dig deep into who she is, next. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." xt you're watching "jose

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supreme court confirmation hearings will begin for judge ketanji brown jackson. it's an historic moment for the nation and for black women across the country. joining me now, tamika brown nagin, the dean of the harvard radcliffe institute, and the author of "civil rights queen." also with us, talley farhaddian winestein and neal katyal, former acting solicitor jm. he served as a law clerk for justice stephen breyer and an msnbc legal analyst. neil, you mentioned that you've known neil jackson for two decades. you've argued in front of her as an appellate judge. what more can you tell us about her? >> you're going to see today, jose, gravitas and brilliance. that's what she's about. she's done -- she's got a legendary resume and all of that, but far beyond any of it, she's not just deeply analytic, she is a real person. she is someone who connects to

people. i think they'll come across in her opening statement and in the way she answers questions in the days ahead. i'm one of the few people who argued in front of her and lost while she was an appellate judge. she was an appellate judge only briefly. even if my loss, she wrote a really well reasoned opinion. this is an historic day, not just for african-american women, but for the supreme court and the united states more generally. this is an extraordinary nominee and i think we're going to see all of that in the few days to come of the hearings. >> and you clerked for justice sandra day o'connor. >> well, she has been practicing to the point of having basically something like a moot court, even walking through that room. but you know, jose, this is her fourth time before the senate judiciary committee. so, i think as far as nominees go, she's just about as

experienced and ready as one could possibly be for this moment. >> i mean, look, this is a politically polarized time in our nation. certainly in congress. just, is there something that, you know, when you go from appellate to this level, is there something that you can never be ready for? >> she seems to me, jose, pretty much ready for all of it. so she has been on the d.c. circuit for about a year. that's a court that's often referred to as the mini supreme court because of where it sits. it's a court that handles incredibly complex, often technical cases. i was a law clerk on the d.c. circuit before i went to the supreme court. and to be a law clerk there. and there is really some continuity there. i mean, of course, this is the big-time, but it's hard for me to imagine that anyone will have

discovered anything about her in the last year, or that she did anything while a judge on the d.c. circuit that would really change the tenor of the confirmation hearing to make it different or to really produce a different outcome from the one that happened a year ago, for the position that she's holding different or change the outcome from the position she's holding now. there we're just about to get under way. as we look at these images there at the senate hearing, what goes through your mind? we talk as it's an historic day but it really is a supremely unique day. >> it is. this moment has been a long time coming. i have spoken about having written about constance baker motley, who was the first black woman appointed to the federal court. the judge said she stands on the shoulders of judge motley. she might have had this moment

but it was denied her because of her race and now that this moment has arrived, it was a big moment for millions of people. i'm getting texts about watch parties. people are excited. they will be inspired, many of them, by her performance. she is imminently qualified. she will be able to engage with the senators in a way that will, as i said, be unspiring to students, to millions of americans and it's an exciting moment to behold. and history is truly being made. a statement about equal workplace opportunity in this country that i'm so proud to witness. >> it means so much no doubt to so many. but it's also really the focus on the supremely qualified person to the supreme court.

>> that's right. and so motley was well qualified and she was not able to move forward, yet we are in a moment where -- and i'm happy to see it, where not a lot of people are attacking this nominee on the basis of her qualifications because they can't. she is graduated twice from harvard, including harvard law school. she has clerked for three judges. she has practiced widely in the public sphere and in private practice and so there's no doubt about her qualifications and yet we will see questions raised about some components of her legal career, in particular her time as a public defender and i have no doubt that she'll be able to answer those questions in part by leaning into

foundational principles in american constitutional law, that. >> deserves a defense. she's proud and should be proud to have played a role in upholding the principles of the american legal system. >> just wondering, we were talking about it's almost like moot cases already have been run through as she's been in this process since eight months ago. but facing some of these questions that some republican senators have talked about as they go through her past, what are some of the writings, et cetera, that they can look at to pinpoint or pick out some things in context or out of context, to ask these kinds of questions? >> jose, you almost got to feel bad for the republicans because they don't have very much to work with, but they spleently want vehemently want to support

her but they're not sure why yet. i've argued 45 cases at the supreme court and she's as extraordinary as anyone up there now. so it's going to be tough. number one, she represented a guantanamo detainee. i represented a guantanamo detainee for five years and liz cheney went after me vehemently. and the second thing is something that josh holly has been floating in my mutual fund very disingenuously. he's saying she's soft on child

pornographers. and on the sentence commission, she recommended lower sentences by some folks with justices like justice breyer agreeing. >> thank you very much for being with us this morning. i'm jose diaz-balart. stay with us for special coverage of the supreme court nomination hearing next. craig melvin will pick it up with the latest news right here on msnbc. here on msnbc

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good monday morning. chris jansing here. we'll have more coverage of the war on ukraine. but right now we want to focus on an historic moment on capitol hill. any second now the high court supreme court nomination hearings for judge ketanji brown jackson will begin in the senate judiciary committee. she's been nominated to fill the vacancy left by retiring justice stephen breyer for whom she clerked. if confirmed, she would be the first black woman ever to sit on the nation's highest court. in just moments we'll hear opening statements from the chairman, democratic senator dick durbin and the republican

ranking member, senator chuck grassley. chairman durbin notes she's been confirmed three times before including for her current position on the d.c. court of appeals. we're going to start this very special coverage with our team of reporters and experts. chuck rosenberg, a senior u.s. attorney and eugene daniels, co-author of the play book "news letter." chuck, what will you be looking for and listening for from the committee and judge jackson as these hearings get under way? >> academically and experiencially she's a sue superb candidate. i was a prosecutor for many years, i never wanted to be a public defender but thank goodness we have public