hi, everybody, welcome back. i'm yasmin vossoughian. if you are just joining us at the top of the hour here, welcome. if you are still with us, thank you for sticking around. a lot to dive into in this second hour. russia's devastating war inside ukraine. we are at the two-month mark and showing no signs of letting up. we got a new missile attack in odesa, leaving five people dead, including a young child. and then in mariupol, an increasingly dire situation as the true extent of russia's brutality there is only just being revealed as what appears to be a growing mass grave is seen in new satellite images. local officials saying up to 9,000 bodies could be buried there. and then in kharkiv, one of

dozens of attacks overnight caught on camera by associated press reporters. watch this. scary situation there. we are live in kyiv with the very latest on all of that. and then there's here at home. republican reckoning. house gop leader kevin mccarthy coming under fire after audio leaked of him claiming that the former president admitted some responsibility for the attack on the capitol. >> the only discussion i would have with him is that i think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation he should resign. he told me he does have some responsibility for what happened. and you need to acknowledge that. i've had it with this guy. what he did is unacceptable.

nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it. >> why is that revelation important to your committee? >> i think it is very important that kevin mccarthy has evidence the former president acknowledged bearing some responsibility for that attack on the capitol. this is an admission of guilt by the former president. >> by the way, doesn't stop there. we're also learning about a new court filing that says trump's former chief of staff, mark meadows, was warned before the january 6th attack on the capitol that it could turn violent. my political panel is going to join me to break all this down and what it means for the investigation going forward. and then, of course, there is midterm madness. as the former president prepares to take the stage in ohio tonight as he endorses senate candidate jd vance, who once was a stark critic, never trumper of trump. we're going to dive into whether the former president's

endorsements could actually backfire on the gop. plus, canceling russia. wimbledon bans russian players from competition. but are they punishing the right people? opinion columnist dave joins me live to discuss why he thinks this is the wrong approach. we want to begin, though, with that breaking news from ukraine. secretary of state tony blinken and defense secretary lloyd austin are expected to visit tomorrow. that is according to president zelenskyy. and if true, they're going to be the highest level u.s. officials to visit the country since this war began. nbc news has not yet confirmed this claim. nbc's cal perry standing by for us in kyiv with more. so, cal, we're just learning this over the last few hours or so. of course, our folks on the ground, scrambling to get this confirmed. we're not getting any sort of real confirmation on our end. but we're taking the ukrainian president's word for it at this point. what do we know? >> reporter: yeah, i think it's unlikely we'll get confirmation. the white house is declining to

comment on that report from president zelenskyy. again, this would be, as you said, the highest level delegation to come to the country. the way that he phrased it in the press conference was that a high-level delegation is coming tomorrow and then he would be meeting with secretary blinken and defense secretary austin. both of those gentlemen were recently in poland. he also said, president zelenskyy, that when the securities situation permits it, president biden would come here at some point. again, the white house declining to comment and for security reasons, i think it's unlikely they will until we see these men on the ground here. this was an extraordinary press conference. we heard a lot of discussions about vladimir putin and more discussions are happening, i think, as we hear from president zelenskyy about what he believes is president putin's mental state. certainly, this came up when the discussion of nuclear weapons arose. here's a little bit of what he had to say. >> translator: i do not believe that a normal person can today

use nuclear weapons in the world. i think that only when a person is cornered can use nuclear weapons, but when that person has lost touch with reality, with common sense, i believe that i can -- it's not possible to see the use of nuclear weapons in any other connection. i don't think it's an accident, and if the leadership of the russian federation doesn't completely lose touch with reality and common sense, they will not be able and they will not use nuclear weapons. >> reporter: now, those comments coming on the heels of the ukrainian president saying that it takes a sane person to choose diplomacy. you can see he's starting to hit those notes, yasmin, about president putin being mentally instable, something that he wants to portray to world leaders. the other thing, of course, that came up were the attacks in odesa today. our colleague, kelly cobiella,

was arriving in odesa when those rockets hit, at least eight people killed, 18 others wounded, including a 3-month-old baby. this baby will now be unable to spend easter tomorrow here with its family. it is worth noting this is a city at war, not that this city needed the reminder, but we had air raid sirens here about 30 minutes ago. this is something that we've been told to expect by the government. orthodox easter here tomorrow. they want people to be prepared, they say, for an increase in air strikes across the country, yasmin. >> cal, i know when you were last in ukraine, obviously, you were in the western part of ukraine in lviv. you're now in kyiv. can you just kind of talk to me a little bit about the differences that you're seeing, is now being in kyiv, as the russian forces have pulled out of that area and they're back to the eastern and southern parts of ukraine, what is the city like? how are things operating there? >> reporter: so, the first thing that you notice is the massive amount of destruction on the

suburbs of this city. entire blocks, completely destroyed. roads that have been taken out. so, a drive that would normally take six hours, you know, can take 10 or 12 hours. the other thing that i noticed were people headed back into the city, trying to get home, trying to check on their apartments or their houses. and perhaps the most interesting thing that we noticed on our sort of walk about town this morning, this is a city at war. it is a city that feels under siege, and so you have military assets being put in places where, of course, the ukrainian government does not want people to know that they are. so when you walk down the street, walk past a cafe, a restaurant, and then a building that is covered in camouflage and has security s front and they don't want to talk about it. they don't want to be seen. they don't want the location to be known. but it's an indication that this is a country that is very much at war, fighting for its survival and that war is all consuming and you see it. you see it in this city in a way that is unique and is pretty impressive, yasmin. >> cal perry, as always, thank you. appreciate it. i want to bring in now former u.s. ambassador to

ukraine, vice president at the u.s. institute of peace, ambassador bill taylor. thank you so much, as always, ambassador. we appreciate you joining us on this. let's talk through a few things, some of which cal just talked about a little bit, and i want you to pull on some of those threads, which is first this announcement from the ukrainian president, and i do want to say once again, nbc has not yet confirmed this reporting but we're going with what the president is saying now. the ukrainian president is saying now. and that is the visit of secretaries austin and secretary blinken to ukraine tomorrow. what do you make of it, and what needs to be heard by them? >> well, yasmin, so, as you say, not confirmed, but we have heard over the last several days of the plans for senior americans to visit kyiv, and of course, other senior europeans have been there, and it's been a very good sign for the ukrainians to see

europeans and if the americans come, to see the americans as well. it's a sign of support. the best thing you can do is show up. you ask about the conversations. certainly, there will be conversations about how we can best -- how the united states and nato, the rest of nato, can best support ukraine. they are under -- they are threatened with a big attack. you've been reporting on the missile attacks, the bombardments in various parts of the country. but the big -- the big offensive is being prepared in the east, and the question for secretary blinken and in particular secretary austin is, how can we help? how can we support? what kind of weapons do you need and when do you need them and the answer is, right now. >> talk to me about this warning from zelenskyy. we've heard this over and over again. this is nothing new. but of course, he talked more about -- and cal talked about this. russian president putin's mental state. that a sane person, as he puts it, would not choose to use a nuclear weapon. but it seems as if zelenskyy is

implying we are not dealing with a sane person, russian president vladimir putin. and there is a very real risk that he will, in fact, if cornered, use nuclear weapons. the world needs to be prepared for that. what do you suspect zelenskyy's motive is in repeatedly talking about the threat of the use of nuclear weapons? >> so, yasmin, he clearly wants to highlight the importance of defending against the russians, and he's making the point that you can't really tell what's going on in president putin's mind. you can't tell what his plan is, whether he's the -- whether he is stable, ready to make this decision. he's right that it's not sane to even think about this. we heard bill burns, the head of the cia, make this same -- express the same concern, that is, you have to be ready, and it is possible that that could happen. we have not seen, bill burns says, the steps, the operational

steps the russians would have to take before they use that kind of a weapon. but we have to be ready. >> i want to talk about president putin's ultimate motive here, his ultimate end game. and i bring this up to say this. if we look back to what russia did in 2014, and we fast forward to now, russia has now concentrated its efforts once again in the south and east region and it seems as if their end game is to capture and occupy the eastern part of ukraine. who is to say, if they are able to do this, that in three, four, five more years, we will not be -- we will be here once again as russia tries to expand that border further in to ukraine? how could ukraine even settle on giving any territory to moscow at this point?

knowing that could be in their future. >> yasmin, you're exactly right. and that's why they won't. that's why president zelenskyy has made it very clear that they will not give up claim, ukraine's claim to donetsk and luhansk, what we call donbas. they will not give up claim even to crimea, because exactly what you said. that is, the russians have been in donetsk and luhansk, donbas, since 2014, and now, they're pushing further, so this is not something that president zelenskyy will give up on. this is not something that the united states and nato should be aware of -- should be accepting of as well. we need to support the ukrainians as they push back and indeed, as admiral kirby said yesterday, defeat russia. it needs to be -- russia needs to be defeated so that they don't do exactly that, yasmin, that they don't come back, because last thing, that is,

putin wants all of ukraine. he doesn't -- he's not satisfied with donetsk. he's not satisfied with luhansk. he's not satisfied -- he wants to control all of ukraine and then we have to worry about what comes next. >> so, with that, then, ambassador, i do want to touch on that a little bit, which is kind of putin's obsession with wanting to go to soviet era russia, right, to take in the territories that were -- that used to be a part of the soviet union. who is to say that he will not then expand beyond the borders of ukraine, going into countries that were former soviet and soviet-aligned republics, now members of nato, and what that would look like. >> that would look like a big war, yasmin, you're exactly right. if he were allowed to succeed in ukraine, i think he won't, i think the ukrainians will defeat him, but if they -- if russia is

allowed to take ukraine and control it, then you're exactly right, all those nations that you just put up are much more vulnerable, much more vulnerable, and the opposite is also true. that is if ukraine defeats russia here, if the united states and nato, the rest of nato, can provide the weapons and the support to enable the ukrainians to defeat russia here and now on this ground, then the rest of nato, all those nations that you just put up, they are much more secure. and the chances of real war, of further war, of broadened war go way down. >> all of those countries obviously watching what is happening in ukraine very closely for a number of reasons, that being probably the number one reason. former ambassador bill taylor, as always, thank you for your brilliant analysis on this. we appreciate it. and ahead, richard lui is going to be at the big board to break down the satellite images and russian movements. coming up, by the way, athletes getting punished for a

war they didn't start. our next guest says wimbledon's ban on players from russia and belarus is setting a dangerous precedent. and still ahead, why endorsements from former president trump might be the republican party's kryptonite heading into the midterms. republican party's kryptonite heading into the midterms. what goes on it... usually. ♪♪ in it... mostly. even what gets near your body. please please please take that outside. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 products. rigorously tested. walgreens pharmacist recommended... and particularly kind to your wallet. ♪♪

[ sigh ] not gonna happen. that's it. i'm calling kohler about their walk-in bath. and particularly kind to your wallet. my name is ken. how may i help you? hi, i'm calling about kohler's walk-in bath. excellent! happy to help. huh? hold one moment please... [ finger snaps ]

hmm. ♪ ♪ the kohler walk-in bath features an extra-wide opening and a low step-in at three inches, which is 25 to 60% lower than some leading competitors. the bath fills and drains quickly, while the heated seat soothes your back, neck and shoulders. kohler is an expert in bathing, so you can count on a deep soaking experience. are you seeing this? the kohler walk-in bath comes with fully adjustable hydrotherapy jets and our exclusive bubblemassage. everything is installed in as little as a day by a kohler-certified installer. and it's made by kohler- america's leading plumbing brand. we need this bath. yes. yes you do. a kohler walk-in bath provides independence with peace of mind. call... for $1500 off your kohler walk-in bath. visit kohlerwalkinbath.com for more info. all right, so, wimbledon is serving up controversy ahead of the summer's big tennis tournament. the governing body now saying it

will not allow russian and belarusian players to compete this year because of russia's unprovoked aggression in ukraine. the decision has drawn immediate praise but also some pretty harsh condemnation from the sports world. in an op-ed on msnbc.com, sports writer dave writes this. this is horrible. even indefensible politics and one hell of a slippery slope, banning individual players because of the actions of their governments is a path rife with hypocrisy and pitfalls. and dave zirine is joining us now. great to talk to you. thanks for joining us on this. let me read for you a statement from wimbledon, saying, it was their, quote, responsibility to limit russia's global influence and avoid world war iii. that's paraphrasing it a bit, but nonetheless, what do you make of that? >> well, it's wrong for so many reasons, and let me please break down the most important one. and that's the fact that there are anti-war russian tennis players so you look at number

seven player in the world, rublev, he has been outspoken against russia's aggression in ukraine. he even was probably had the most viral moment of any russian against the war when he went up to a camera lens and with a magic marker, drew an anti-war statement and, you know, even though there's, of course, great risk of fallout for him in russia for doing such a thing. why are we silencing him right now? wouldn't we want to elevate that voice and wouldn't wimbledon be the perfect place to do so? why enact collective punishment against a player and this goes for all the players, who don't fly under a flag. they're not olympic athletes. they're not world cup athletes. they're independent contractors. most of the time, they don't even live in their country. they live in places like dubai or turks and caicos. they don't live in russia or pay taxes to russia. i get why people are supporting

this. we can all feel so helpless in the face of such carnage and aggression that we're looking for things to say, we're against this and this is how we're against this. but this is not the way. and as you said, and as i wrote, it also sets one holy heck of a precedent against any country that any tournament disagrees with in terms of their actions and that could perhaps also boomerang pretty sharply around the united states. >> here's the thing, though, dave, and let me just play devil's advocate for a moment. if you think about the sanctions that have been level against russia in general, the people that it's hurting are not only these russian oligarchs and vladimir putin and his cronies surrounding him but it's also hurting the russian people, some of which don't agree with what's happening in ukraine and don't agree with their own president's decision to invade ukraine for no other reason but because of his ego. that said, it's still hurting them. this is what happens when it comes to war, whether you are a professional athlete or you are a normal russian citizen.

because of the decisions of your leader. >> no, and i understand that, and if we want to have a discussion about the world cup, about the olympics, about sporting events where you do compete under the flag, that's one question. but when we're talking about professional athletes, we're talking about independent contractors, and i think we need to understand that. >> got it. yeah, that's an interesting distinction, because i was going to ask you, for instance, if this was the russian soccer team at the world cup, would you have a different opinion? and it seems as if possibly you would in that instance because they are competing under the flag? >> there's an entire tradition in international sports of raising these kinds of objections. i mean, this was during the '60s and '70s against countries like south africa and rhodesia. you had solidarity movements that said, these countries cannot be represented because of the injustices they are in.

i think that's a completely reasonable political position to take. but when you take it to the level of saying, this individual cannot compete because of what their country does, i mean, you could imagine other countries that have power in these various federations who say, look at the united states, look at iraq, look at afghanistan, look at the carnage they're in, why do we have a rule for russia and not the united states? i just think -- i'm not advocating that as a political principle, i'm saying that what we're doing is opening that up, that every athlete just by being born under a flag, no matter their opinions about what their country is doing, should thereby be punished collectively because of the actions of what far too often is a tiny minority. >> an incredibly valid point and a good one. dave zirine, thank you so much. i think we could talk about this for the entire show. we don't have time, sadly, today, but i thank you for weighing in with your really good piece. >> no problem. >> on msnbc. thank you, dave. good to see you. coming up, everybody, a

former trump official claiming then chief of staff mark meadows was warned days before the insurrection that the event at the capitol could turn violent. but what did he do with that information? stay with us. sfloechl stay with us sfloechl what happens when performance... meets power? you try crazy things... ...because you're crazy... ...and you like it. you get bigger... ...badder... ...faster. ♪ you can never have too much of a good thing... and power is a very good thing. ♪

♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ ♪

that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. welcome back, everybody. the republican hypocrisy surrounding the former president is on full display right now so as gop leader kevin mccarthy is denying these disparaging comments that he made about trump in that leaked audio from the days following the capitol riot, take a listen to this. >> the conversation's very good because the conversation here is what they -- what they said we did, we never did. i mean, i never asked president trump to resign. we both talked about that. we've talked about -- >> you spoke with him about resigning? >> no. let me be very clear. you're misinterpreting. i have never asked the president to resign. >> so, that's not really quite

lining up with what he actually said on january 10th of 2021. >> the only discussion i would have with him is that i think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation he should resign. i mean, that would be my take, but i don't think he would take it. but i don't know. >> mccarthy, by the way, didn't stop there. >> i've had it with this guy. what he did is unacceptable. nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it. >> all right, so, there's some good news so far, i guess, for mccarthy. trump indicated to the "wall street journal" last night that there was no ill will between him and the gop leader, even after those recordings surfaced. all this coming as a new court filing from the house panel investigating the capitol riot revealed former trump chief of staff mark meadows was warned before the day of the attack

that january 6th could, in fact, turn violent. the question is, what did he actually do with that information? i want to bring in my panel, atima, president of omara strategy group and democratic strategist and charlie sykes editor-at-large of the bulwark and msnbc contributor and columnist. charlie, let me start with you on this one. it's interesting because if we take a listen to the statement that was made by kevin mccarthy, he says, and i repeat, i did not ask the president to resign. he actually might be telling the truth, because in that phone call, he said, my plan is, i'm going to talk to this guy and i'm going to tell him that he should resign. the question is whether or not he actually did that. did he actually have that conversation? did he have the chutzpah or whatever you want to call it to say that to the former president now? were you at all surprised by these recordings and what mccarthy said on them? >> well, i was surprised at the existence of these recordings.

that it's been so long that, you know, since then that we didn't know that, you know, there were tapes. but they're consistent with what kevin mccarthy had said in public, but they certainly just underline so many things, this whole phenomenon of what republican leaders say in private versus what they're willing to say in private. mccarthy splitting hairs when he says that he never asked trump to resign. he talked big to his colleagues, and then he obviously choked, so no, i guess i'm not surprised, but i guess it's just -- it emphasizes not just the political cowardice but to the degree of political cynicism that they knew how bad it was and then chose not to do anything about it. in fact, chose to go down to mar-a-lago and kiss his ring, knowing how awful it was. >> yeah, and in a way, it's kind of the same old story, right? lindsey graham doing exactly that as well, right? standing on the senate floor,

saying, you know, screw this guy, we're done with him, i'm over him, and then going golfing with the former president a few days later. we could go on and on, right? >> right. >> about the people that have done that and then made an about face with the former president and now obviously kevin mccarthy, this, you know, these recordings revealing just that. what did you make, charlie, of the former president saying, oh, look, now, i'm actually complimented by all of this? because they actually said, i made a mistake and now i'm on his side once again. >> no, he likes it. he likes the fact, when he -- he likes it when republicans grovel and, you know, beg for his forgiveness because he has kevin mccarthy exactly where he wants him. he has the next speaker of the house of representatives, you know, under his thumb and kevin mccarthy is now a wholly owned subsidiary of donald trump. his entire political future is dependent on donald trump's favor, and as we know, that favor can be withdrawn, because the loyalty only goes one way, so it is temporary. and so, you know, this is where

donald trump feels his power. he has these people on a very, very short string, and so, i guess i'm not surprised, but then again, i wouldn't be surprised if he throws kevin mccarthy under the bus after the election. >> yes. yeah. after -- or even before, if he just makes an about-face in two months and says, or realizes he didn't actually like those recordings or something else surfaces as well. atima, how much could this threaten mccarthy getting the speakership if, in fact, republicans were able to take the house in the midterms? >> actually, i don't think it threatens his speakership at all. he's definitely rose to power being a tactician who understands his districts very well. if he does his job of gaining a lot of seats, getting within striking distance or winning the house, i think he's going to be able to stave off an elise stefaik or someone else shanking

him. he doesn't have a power base outside of trump. to charlie's point, he no longer can claim any high ground or anything separate from trump, and so as long as he's able to achieve what he is supposed to achieve as speaker or to become speaker again, i think that he is fine so long as he, you know, toes the way and kisses is ring of donald trump. >> i want to take a little listen more, guys, to some of that recording from mccarthy. >> i asked him personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened? does he feel bad about what happened? he told me, he does have some responsibility for what happened. >> so, of course, the former president, atima, essentially saying that's not true. that he didn't take any responsibility for what happened on january 6th. i'm wondering this. are all indications pointing to the fact that whatever happens

to this january 6 investigation, especially when we enter the public testimony during the january 6th investigation, nothing is going to move voters, no matter what is revealed? because this was definitely the revelation of these recordings was definitely a wow moment. >> it's definitely a wow moment. i feel like every day you find something new, like the mark meadows. oh, he knew about violence a few days before and it's like, ho-hum, drinking my coffee for the day. right? and it's just -- it's mind boggling to realize this was not just some guys who decided to get a little wild after a few beers and try and break into the capitol. this was coordinated, clearly at the highest levels, and you know, it goes back to saying that, you know, the stakes are really high for the elections this fall. democracy is back on the ballot

because if, you know, leader mccarthy becomes speaker mccarthy, if mcconnell becomes the senate leader, mcconnell then all bets are off as to what they will try to do to make sure that their party holds power and that somebody like trump if not trump himself gets the white house again. >> charlie, i want to talk a little bit about mark meadows as atima just referenced, this idea that he was told that there could be violence at the january 6th rally, which turned into the insurrection and the attack on the capitol. and the question of what he actually did with that information. let me read for you from this piece. cassidy hutchison, special assistant in the trump white house, says meadows received information before the day of the attack that indicated there could be violence. hutchinson said she remembers mr. ornado coming in and saying we had intel reports saying there could potentially be violence on the 6th and mr. meadows said, all right,

let's talk about it, an apparent reference to ornado, a secret service official. i know there were concerns brought forward to mr. meadows, hutchinson said, but again i'm not sure if he -- what he did with that information internally. hutchinson said. what do you make, charlie, of this revelation that the chief of staff, mark meadows, had this intelligence, knew there could possibly be violence on january 6th and may very well have not done anything? anything to ward it off, to make sure it didn't happen, to warn folks, to stop it. >> well, let me make three points here. number one, mark meadows is at the center of all of what was going on with the white house in january 6th. he is the hub. you know, we've seen the text messages with mike lee, with other members of congress. all of the attempted coup attempts and ideas and schemes went through mark meadows. that's number one. number two, mark meadows may be

the single most ineffectual presidential chief of staff in american history. he is right up there. this is why it is so urgent that we have the department of justice aggressively pursue all of this, because these guys are never going to tell the truth until they are forced by a federal grand jury, until there is a federal grand jury with subpoena power and real muscle behind it, there's no way that calm's ever going to tell the truth or that mark meadows is going to tell the truth, and there's obviously a lot more there, and this is beyond the ability of the january 6 committee to resolve before the election, so again, this is going to land on merrick garland's desk and one final point. look, this doesn't necessarily affect voters and won't affect the midterm elections, which is too bad, but that should not matter in terms of the rule of law and the administration should pursue this as aggressively as possible. >> it really -- you make such a

great point. it really does seem like all roads back when it comes to the january 6 insurrection, all roads lead back to mark meadows. everything we talk about, all the evidence that comes up, all those text message exchanges, all of the people that were surrounding the former president, everything leading back, it seems, to mark meadows and what he knew when. atima omara, thank you. charlie sykes, thank you as well. great conversation, guys. coming up, everybody, residents in bucha, ukraine, had to flee their homes in minutes, leaving much of their life behind. now some are going back to find the town completely decimated. >> i don't understand. it's really quiet. i don't unde. it's really quiet. our commitment to you is clear. save money. live better. offer low prices every day, without sacrificing quality. by delivering fresh groceries you feel great about serving.

providing prescriptions as low as $4, to keep your family healthy. always being here to help you save money and live a little better each day. ♪ ♪ maybe it's another refill at your favorite diner... or waiting for the 7:12 bus... or sunday afternoon in the produce aisle. these moments may not seem remarkable. but at pfizer, protecting the regular routine, and everyday drives us to reach for exceptional. working to impact hundreds of millions of lives... young and old. it's what we call, the pursuit of normal. ♪ ♪

faces get all the love what about the body? new dove shower collection is infused with hyaluronic and peptide serums to make your skin feel smoother and more radiant. new dove body love. face care ingredients now in the shower. (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.

♪ ♪ ♪ aloha! isn't this a cozy little room? sorry your vacation request took so long to get approved, so you missed out on the suite special. but lucky for you, they had this. when employees are forced to wait for vacation request approvals,it can really cramp their style. i'm gonna leave you to it. um, just— with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom.com and schedule a demo today. ♪simply irresistible♪ ♪ ♪ ♪simply irresistible♪ applebee's irresist-a-bowls are back. now starting at $8.99. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. welcome back. so, in ukraine, hundreds were left for dead after the russian occupation of bucha and even more displaced.

now, some of those former residents are returning, trying to find some hope in the wreckage that russia left behind. nbc's molly hunter reports. >> reporter: this is one of the lucky ones, we met him in lviv with his brother-in-law and they escaped bucha on march 9th. >> it was so dangerous. >> reporter: now, he's heading back. did you know your house was still standing? >> no. no. i heard my dog. >> reporter: as we approach the family house, we hear barking. his dog was waiting. he takes a second to warm up, then recognizes his owner. their house is frozen in time, and intact. >> we have only ten minutes to leave. >> reporter: the russians didn't get inside. dinner plates are still on the table. >> we can go in. >> reporter: he shows me the shelter they spent so much time in. >> it's on that treat. >> reporter: but we don't linger.

he wants to see his hometown, the famous street, he says. >> it's hard to believe. >> reporter: does it feel like home? >> maybe no. i don't understand. it's really quiet. >> reporter: then, he wants to go see this place he's heard about. >> it's like a cemetery of cars. it's hard to imagine what happened with these people. >> reporter: how scared they must have been. >> yes, it's scary. >> reporter: most of them have signs on them. children, civilians. >> people. >> reporter: people. on the other side, russian tanks left behind. it doesn't feel safe yet, he says. are you glad you came back? >> maybe yes. >> reporter: because despite all of this, it's still home. molly hunter, nbc news, bucha. all right, more fears are mounting after a russian

commander suggested the kremlin has ambitions beyond ukraine and into the east of the country. nbc's richard lui is joining me now. richard, let's talk through some of this, because the prospect of this happening, if these, in fact, are the plans of russian president vladimir putin, are terrifying. and what the implications of all of that really is the question. what that could turn into if, in fact, it happens. so what are you learning? what are you seeing? walk us through it. >> yeah, especially after we see the reporting that was just given to us by molly hunter. what can happen if that were to come true in the southwestern parts of ukraine. well, yasmin, you know, this eastern strategic objective, you reported on it, you've talked about, it has been in the mix since the start. now, the difference this time around is that russian forces, they're better poised to make that happen, and i just want to show you the latest map here we have, as of today, where russian forces are at. and you can see, very solid here in the south and in the east. but i want to take you back to just what was one month ago, and

that gives you an idea of why maybe that potential of going this way makes more sense or is a bigger threat. see how this all -- they were dispersed, the russian forces, through the north, through the east, and through the south. and today, when you look at it, it's completely different. they're all concentrated here in the south, so taking the southeast looks much emptier before. the commander you mentioned, when he says they want to go that way, it means a little bit more because they're in the south right now. this would extend the growing land bridge to moldova. moldova being this area here, just slightly several miles away from where odesa is. now here's the map of where russian forces are at the moment. where they have breakaway regions across southern europe, you can see in south, georgia, there's a threat earlier of forces moving up here to help this front. but here's transnistria. why this makes sense for potentially russia to move this way because if they do, then

they control all of these ports on the northern part of europe. this means not stuck by this being frozen over. they can operate militarily as well as commercially here in the black sea, all yearlong, in addition to that, they have trade routes that go into romania, bulgaria, they can also reach down to the grecian peninsula. this is a much different trek if you're trying to move goods or military all the way around ukraine through belarus. that's a big deal here. so, again, that access to the second access to the southern european markets and flow there, goods can flow, unfettered to romania and all that area. the argument why this makes sense is a little bit different. he says they go all the way to odesa here, which is right here in this area. then why not go to transnistria, right next door? there's about 1,500 troops there. now, some detail about this small land prize that i'm talking about that's called transnistria. this little sliver here.

it's about the size of rhode island. transnistria is a separatist enclave. it has around 500,000 people. russia reportedly wanting a land link to the region for decades. the commander's justifications are familiar, rescuing russian language speakers from what he's calling oppression and the thing is, in this little breakaway region here, saying how small it is, they also have significant number of ukrainian speakers. they have a large ukrainian population, and yasmin, the leaders of this breakaway region have stayed neutral for the last two months on the war. they don't -- they see the pictures in the report. they don't want to be entangled in what's happening. add in that russian troops, they're weathered from all of the war-torn weeks and now months they've been in. yeah, so, the logic is weak, experts are saying, in terms of why it makes sense but so is the muscle to get it done. >> really good stuff, richard lui for us. thank you, richard. good to see you. tomorrow, by the way, i'm going to be joined by a ukrainian

fighter pilot that goes by the name moonfish to protect his identity. he says they have been able to fight off -- to fend off, i should say, the russians but they need more help. that is tomorrow, 3:00 p.m. eastern. still ahead, everybody, why heading into the midterms former president trump's endorsements could be the republican party's kryptonite. dorsements could be the republican party's kryptonite >> you were great in your day, superman, but it just stands to reason, when it came time to cash in your chips, this diseased maniac would be your banker. chips, this diseased maniac would be your banker 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? sorry, i had another thought so i got back in line. what was it?

[ sighs ] i can't remember. we hit the bike trails every weekend what was it? shinges doesn't care. i grow all my own vegetables shingles doesn't care. we've still got the best moves you've ever seen good for you, but shingles doesn't care. because 1 in 3 people will get shingles, you need protection. but, no matter how healthy you feel, your immune system declines as you age increasing your risk for getting shingles. so, what can protect you? shingrix protects. you can protect yourself from shingles with a vaccine proven to be over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your pharmacist or doctor about shingrix. shingles doesn't care. but you should.

as a main street bank, pnc has helped over 7 million kids develop their passion for learning through our grow up great initiative. and now, we're providing billions of dollars for affordable home lending programs... as part of 88 billion to support underserved communities... including loans for small businesses in low and moderate income areas. so everyone has a chance to move forward financially. pnc bank: see how we can make a difference for you.

you're pretty particular about keeping a healthy body. what goes on it... usually. ♪♪ in it... mostly. even what gets near your body. please please please take that outside. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 products. rigorously tested. walgreens pharmacist recommended... and particularly kind to your wallet. ♪♪

all right. in just a couple hours, former president trump is set to appear at a campaign rally in ohio, stumping for his chosen candidate, j.d. vance. here is mike flynn, trump's former national security adviser, supporting one of vance's opponents. >> we talked about it, but here's where i think that -- and i think he's been poorly advised on the other candidates. the grass-roots movement in ohio is so strong. >> all right. that's flynn speaking while campaigning for mandel this week, and he's not the only one challenging trump's endorsement.

others are asking d. and trump rolling out over 100 endorsements. 70% of those candidates falsely believing the 2020 election was stolen. that's his line, it seems. an argument in a newsletter for "the atlantic" this might be the gop's kryptonite, and may, quote, be the best thing to happen to the democrats in the state of georgia. the author of that piece. molly, as always, my friend, great to talk to you. let's talk through some of this. i want to read more from your piece, talking about getting involved in a purple place, saying this -- many of trump's advisers begged him not to get involved in pennsylvania as primary, because the wisdom is es he brand does not play well in purple suburbs.

laura ingraham telling kellyanne conway that it was a mistake. it seems as if the red line for trump being, do you think the election was stolen or do you not? how can democrats seize on this moment? >> i think democrats need to remind voters, democracy is on the ballot. we know the election wasn't fraudulent, and they're trying to undermine the democratic norms as a whole. >> you end your piece by saying, democrats face considerable headwinds, but trump's terrible

misjudgment could save the democrat it is, and perhaps free the gop from the death grip. that's talking about how this country is defending democracy, right? in this mid temperature election, it's a feet for democracy, the legitimacy of this country's election. the question is, is that louder than the economy? is that louder than inflation? what so many voters are worried about. is that louder than whatever you say voters are angry about after two years of president biden? to be a king maker, you have to make kings, right? we've seen a lot of time in the midterm elections, in trump's midterm election, even in 2020, that trump inch doesn't necessarily scale.

just because he considering himself to be a king maker doesn't actually mean he makes kings. and what will be interesting if he can pull it off -- if he can't, if this is the third election he loses, that's going to hurt him, and ultimately that will hurt in 2024. >> exactly. that is a great point, depending on what happens here, it will obviously have a ripple effect when it comes to 2024. molly jong-fast, always great to talk with you. thank you. we'll be right back. h you. thank you. we'll be right back. you get a smile on your plate. only from ihop. join the rewards program and earn double pancoins with any omelette purchase.

my a1c stayed here, jit needed to be here.am and earn ruby's a1c is down with rybelsus®. my a1c wasn't at goal, now i'm down with rybelsus®. mom's a1c is down with rybelsus®. (♪ ♪) in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill. 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. need to get your a1c down? (♪ ♪) ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. only two things are forever: love and liberty mutual customizing your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. if anyone objects to this marriage... (emu squawks) kevin, no! not today. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things.