unity from the west could be cracking as moscow's invasion in ukraine gains ground. . >> this hour we are monitoring a press conference in another sense of gun florence vestavia hills, alabama. police say two people were killed when an gunman opened fire at a church pot luck dinner last night. the gunman in custody but police say the motive is unclear. also happening this morning, the texas house committee investigating last month's elementary school massacre is about to hold another hearing in uvalde where that shooting took place. memorial services were held yesterday for 11-year-old lila salas, the last funeral to be held in uvalde for the victim of a shooting. another child, uzia will be

buried in his hometown of san angelo, texas. all of this as a bipartisan group of senators tries to finish writing a bill aimed at reducing gun violence. with us to talk about this, sam brock in vestavia hills, alabama, capitol hill correspondent ali vitali. sam, how are people in that community processing what happened last night? >> i think it's very telling, jose next to this church behind me, there is an assisted living facility who said we are just disappointed at the world. we cannot process how it is possible we're talking about another shooting, another church shooting. right now investigators are going to be updating us within the next hour or so, jose. we're waiting on some details because we know that around dinner time last night the gunman, according to police, walked into the church and started firing, killing two people, one person is wounded and in a hospital. it's not clear what their condition is right now. you're talking about a

neighborhood, jose, about ten minutes south of birmingham, vestavia hills. it is immaculately man cured lawns, beautiful homes, quiet, safe space. according to the police department on their website this is what they list that this community is rated as one of the safest community in the state of alabama, a place where you can raise families and have businesses and just feel comfortable and insulated and yet here we are right now talking about another shooting. there is the statement on your screen right there. consistently rated as one of the safest communities in alabama, a wonderful place to raise your family, work and own a business. residents here, jose, that we talked to are beyond stunned. they are having a difficult time trying to understand how this could happen here. here's one woman in the aftermath of the shooting. >> shocking and horrible, like just, i don't know, quite alarming that something like this would happen, you know, the tragedy a few weeks ago with the children and now churches.

>> reporter: jose, in the context of the conversations that are going on on capitol hill right now, alabama is one of those states that does not have a red flag law on its books. we do know there's a democratic lawmaker here who told our montgomery affiliate she is planning on introducing legislation again. it has failed to pass the alabama legislature in recent attempts. that is top of mind when how telling is this, that i just spoke with a minister here who says not only has his community suffered from the latest shooting, he studied with people at ison in south carolina where two of the people he studied with were killed by dylann roof in 51. this man has been attached to multiple church shootings in his lifetime in a span of seven

years. >> do we know anything about the gunman? he is in police custody. >> reporter: the gunman is in police custody. he is no longer, of course, an ongoing threat to this community, but the question is, what sort of a relationship, if any, did he have with this congregation. at the time this happened according to the church on its website, there was a potluck dinner going on from 5 to 6:30 for the boomers group. if you look at the definition of boomers group, 55 and up according to the clutch a group that gets together on a monthly basis for fun and fellowship. that's the words used on the website. instead of fun and fellowship, they have horror they're trying to process as two people are dead and another person is injured. >> and ali, as vestavia hills mourns those who are murdered, where do things stand on capitol hill with efforts to get some text on that anti-gun violence bill? >> reporter: negotiations are at a standstill right now. we know this bipartisan group of negotiators were working through a few last sticking points as

they started crafting the actual bill text behind the framework that was released a week ago. some of those key negotiators, two of them, one of them saying he's frustrated, john cornyn, as he was leaving town yesterday, the sticking point right now remaining around the so-called boyfriend loophole. what to do around domestic abusers who may have access to firearms. we know that that is one of the key ways that gun violence often happens against intimate partners and something sdrms wanted to deal with for a long time. it remains one of the key sticking points. our republican and democratic sources are taking two very different lines when we ask them about this. republicans saying one of them saying either the democrats accept what the republicans are asking for on boyfriend loophole or it will be dropped entirely, whereas democrats are, instead, saying negotiations are ongoing. chris murphy himself, i can pull that statement up on the screen,

saying we've continued to make progress over the last two days and have finalized agreement on the majority of our framework's positions. our staff is currently drafting the text on those areas of agreement as they still work through the final sticking points. he still says he believes they can bring this to a vote next week. the negotiations very much still ongoing, even as these sticking points remain. >> ali and sam, thank you so very much. also happening right now, former aide to donald trump peter navarro is set to appear in court after being indicted for contempt of congress after he refused to supply with a subpoena from the january 6th committee after another dramatic hearing from the house package investigating the insurrection where lawmakers described just how close vice president pence was to the rioters and the threats to his safety. >> approximately 40 feet, that's all there was, 40 feet between the vice president and the mob. make no mistake about the fact that the vice president's life was in danger. a recent court filing by the

department of justice explains that a confidential informant from the proud boys told the fbi the proud boys would have killed mike pence if given a chance. >> and now the panel is shifting its attention to virginia tom marks wife of supreme court justice clarence thomas after obtaining communication records from her and john eastman who the committee said knew he was asking mike pence to violate the law. joining us garrett haake, karen letting, a reporter at "the washington post" and msnbc contributor and the author of a very stable genius and i can fix it, and paul butler, former federal prosecutor and professor at the georgetown school of law and msnbc legal analyst. what's next for the investigation? >> there's lots of moving parts here and go in different directions. as it pertains to navarro, he is in court today and dropped his civil suit against the committee and he's hired new lawyers.

i don't know if that is a change in tone from him or how he might respond to the committee, but i suppose we'll find that out later today. on ginni thomas, the committee has sent her a formal invitation to come testify. thomas told the daily collar she would be happy to clear up misconceptions about her role. john eastman has weighed in on an online forum saying conversations about the election weren't necessarily conspiratorial. she asked him to brief a group she talks to. nevertheless, the committee has renewed interest in figuring out what exactly thomas was doing and with whom she was communicating. that's not the central focus of the committee. the central focus of the committee moving into next week now will be their next hearing scheduled for tuesday. that's going to be on the pressure campaign to overturn the results in the various states. we're seeing the story backwards here. we saw the focus on mike pence yesterday an the fact that he did not reject election results

from the various states come the 6th. we're going to be taking a step backwards in time to see the effort put forward in places like georgia and michigan and pennsylvania to try to overturn the election results before they even got to that stage where mike pence would have that decision to make. that will be the focus of the next hearing tuesday afternoon. >> and you mentioned that this hearing yesterday demonstrated the vice president pence was close to mortal danger than many thought? >> that's right. jose, it's really interesting, because when we reported this in the days after january 6th, my colleagues and i at "the washington post" found what we thought was pretty scary evidence that pence was literally not in fear for his life, but he should have been in fear for his life. his secret service detail leader tried three times to get him to leave the hideaway in the senate and move to a more secure location as rioters breached the

building and were marching through the hall chanting hang mike pence. we reported at the time that they came within at least 100 feet of pence as he was escorted to his hideaway and before he was taken to a secure area of the basement. it turns out it was only 40 feet. and seconds, actually seconds between the time pence moved across that hallway and rioters stormed up to the threshold where officer goodman, as you may remember from lots of videos, quickly spirited those protesters in a different direction, away from the vice president's hideaway which was pretty brilliant actually. another thing we learned from the hearings which i thought was really striking, and that is, how vice president pence essentially became the commander in chief that evening and afternoon. he was the person talking to the secretary of defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs,

the one talking to the acting attorney general about what they needed to do to secure the capitol and continue the work that he was determined to finish, certify the election. >> kind of odd none of those conversations were with the president? >> it is odd, very odd. the president was busy with other things apparently as our "washington post" colleagues reported in the days immediately after january 6th, donald trump spent almost three hours either gidly watching the television and seeing his supporters march up to the capitol and breach police barriers and attack police, and also working with both his daughter and with his chief of staff, who were pleading with him to issue a statement that would essentially get his supporters to leave the

capitol and end the potential for more lives being lost. five people died as a result of the riot that day, including a police officer who was attacked by a trump supporter. >> paul, meanwhile, politico summed up the hearing this way, quote, for all the panel's quibbling over whether to refer trump to the justice department for a possible criminal case members did it their own way. they used the hearing to illustrate what they view is evidence that the president broke the law. what do you think the doj took away from that hearing? >> so we learned that john eastman was the architect of the attempted coup and eastman knew that his wacky legal theory wouldn't hold up in court but that didn't stop him. hard to see how eastman doesn't get prosecuted by doj but if eastman is culpable so is donald trump. a federal judge ruled twice there's probable cause ta

eastman conspired with donald trump to subvert the election and yesterday's hearing directly linked eastman's illegal theory about the role of the vice president to the life-threatening danger that vice president pence faced on january 6th when that crowd was chanting "hang mike pence" that wasn't just rhetorical. members of the proud boys have said, that if they had actually made contact with pence, they would have killed him and taken out speaker pelosi. >> so you think that eastman would actually face criminal charges, paul? >> i don't see how he doesn't face criminal charges. again, the department of justice is not revealing who is under investigation but he is as culpable as the more than 800 people who have been charged

with the january 6th insurrection. >> paul, karen and garrett, thank you very much for being with us this morning. don't forget the next hearing is this coming tuesday. our special coverage at noon eastern, 9:00 pacific led by andrea mitchell and hallie jackson. thank you. we have breaking news. the food and drug administration has just announced it has authorized emergency use of the moderna and pfizer covid vaccines in children as young as 6 months old. the vaccines still need approval from the cdc expected tomorrow. shots could be available for the youngest kids next week. up next we'll talk to senator dick durbin about how to push past the sticking points in the gun legislation being negotiated in congress. we're keeping our eyes on the market after another volatile day on wall street. there you see it. it's up about 50 points. this was fueled by the fed's decision to raise the interest rate. what president biden is saying about a possible recession.

coming up. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" ching "jose diaz-balart reports" you ever wonder why people are always on their phones? they're banking, with bank of america. look at this guy. he bought those tickets on his credit card and he's rackin' up the rewards. she's using zelle to pay him back for the hot dogs he's about to buy. and the announcer? he's not checkin' his stats, he's finding some investing ideas with merrill. and third as you know in baseball means three. digital tools so impressive, you just can't stop banking. what would you like the power to do? you're pretty particular about keeping a healthy body. what goes on it. usually. and in it. mostly. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 high quality products. rigorously tested by us. real world tested by you. and delivered to your door in as little as one hour.

bipolar depression. it made me feel trapped in a fog. this is art inspired by real stories of bipolar depression. i just couldn't find my way out of it. the lows of bipolar depression can take you to a dark place. latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. this is where i want to be. call your doctor about sudden behavior changes or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, confusion, stiff or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be life threatening or permanent. these aren't all the serious side effects. now i'm back where i belong. ask your doctor if latuda is right for you. pay as little as zero dollars for your first prescription. don't like surprises? [ watch vibrates ] proactive notifications from fidelity keep you tuned in all day long. so when something happens that could affect your portfolio, you can act quickly. that's decision tech, only from fidelity.

this is xfinity rewards. you can act quickly. our way of showing our appreciation. with rewards of all shapes and sizes. [ cheers ] are we actually going? yes!! and once in a lifetime moments. two tickets to nascar! yes! find rewards like these and so many more in the xfinity app.

okay. ahhh! wa-hoo! ha ha!

no! no ha ha! . returning now to one of our top stories, efforts by a bipartisan group of senators to write a bill aimed at reducing gun violence may have hit a snag. the group is still at odds over language around closing the so-called boyfriend loophole, which allows dating partners of domestic victims to still legally buy guns. here's how texas senator john cornyn described the disagreement. >> there are current relationships covered by the law and the democrats want to define other relationships and it's a little bit vague and i think we need some clarity. >> with us now to talk more about this, illinois senator dick durbin who chairs the senate judiciary committee. it is a pleasure to see you and i thank you for your time. how do you feel about what's going on here? are you hopeful that this

apparent snag can be solved? >> i am. i can tell you, we can see the finish line and we know the importance of this undertaking and i was briefed yesterday by my staff about the problems -- there were a number of them at the beginning of the day and far fewer at the end of the day. we're not quite there. people of goodwill can resolve these differences and i trust they will in time for us to consider this next week. >> you think that there is goodwill among all of the sides? >> no question about it. i think the senators that are involved have stuck their necks out politically and i respect them very much for doing so. we don't want to see it derail at the last moment over one issue when there's so much at stake. >> you know, we just saw another killing overnight. it's just like it seems like it's just nonstop, senator. >> i want to be very candid, i think what we're doing is

positive steps forward. it's not my agenda. mine would be much more expansive. we cannot expect even with this -- the enactment of these measures into law, that the killings on the streets and even the mass shootings will stop. there may be more to do in the future, but let's grab what we can now on a bipartisan basis to make america safer. >> senator durbin, i want to talk about something close to your heart. you've been on this issue for many, many years. this past wednesday marked ten years since president obama created a daca program, protecting hundreds of thousands of young people who had come to this country and know no other country. keeping them safe from deportation temporarily. there's so much support for giving these people a path to citizenship. why is it it has been ten years and still they're in limbo? >> well, i brought a measure to the floor the dream act 21 years ago, brought it to the floor five times and passed it with

majority vote but could never reach the 60 vote requirement under the filibuster rule. here we stand where an overwhelming majority of americans support justice for dreamers and daca and yet we are held up by discussion about, for example, the border policies on asylum, which are critically important, i agree, but there are so many aspects of this, that i hope we can find a way through it. let me tell why we have to. in the first week in september there will be a federal court considering daca and whether or not it continues at all. we could a few days or weeks before the election in november see a decision by the federal court which would nut doubt or destroy the hopes of hundreds of thousands currently protected by daca. we should move and move now. i'm hoping when we return from the fourth of july recess we can do that. >> senator, just want to underline the importance of tps,

salvadorans, nick what cans, haitian, people from sudan, are in a difficult situation. >> absolutely. i will tell you that we are desperate for workers in america. we have two jobs for every unemployed person. we cut back on legal immigration for job purposes from the trump administration. we should be expanding not at the expense of america's workforce but to the betterment of our economy overall should be expanding our workforce with people that we can trust to do their job and do no harm to this country. there are many aspects which we should take up on a positive basis and do it. >> senator, as the house january 6th committee holds public hearings the panel has obtained e-mailed correspondence the wife of clarence thomas and john eastman a lawyer in a plot to overturn the election. the committee has asked ginni

thomas she looks forward to clearing up misconceptions. what do you make of this? >> the spouses of people in high public office are often tested as to their rights of citizens. they have the same basic rights of voting and expression as any citizen in this country, but what we have is an extraordinary case the wife of a supreme court justice was in direct communication with the chief of staff of the president during a period which was, at least at a minimum, worrisome in terms of future of our nation's constitution. that puts her in a special category and raises questions about the role of her husband and future rulings. there's already been one supreme court ruling where he was the only one who voted against the effort to dispose more information. i think, frankly, in the best interest of the integrity of the court he should recuse himself from all issues related to january 6th and transition from president trump to president

biden. >> senator dick durbin, i thank you for being with us this friday. let's continue our conversations going forward. thanks. >> let's do it. thank you. up next, the damaging effects of inflation. we're live with its major impact on businesses as we head into summer. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. your why. what drives you? what do you want to leave behind? what do you want to give back? what do you want to be remembered for? that's your why. it's your purpose, and we will work with you every step of the way to achieve it. at pnc private bank, we'll help you take care of the how. so tell us - what's your why? ♪♪ hey businesses! so tell us - what's your why? you all deserve something epic! so we're giving every business, our best deals on every iphone - including the iphone 13 pro with 5g. that's the one with the amazing camera? yep! every business deserves it...

like one's that re-opened! hi, we have an appointment. and every new business that just opened! like aromatherapy rugs! i'll take one in blue please! it's not complicated. at&t is giving new and existing business customers our best deals on every iphone. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ i want to rock and roll all night ♪ ♪ and party every day. ♪ ♪ i want to rock and roll all night ♪ applebee's late night.

because half off is just more fun. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood.

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. 28 past the hour with the official start of summer just four days away, families across the country are seeing inflation and gas prices going up and up and up with so much uncertainty over the future of the economy, president biden spoke with the associated press where he told them that a recession is, quote, not inevitable. joining us now from chicago, nbc news correspondent shaquille brewster and susan paige, washington bureau chief for "usa today." shaq, what are you hearing from people there about the impact of the gas prices, food prices going up? >> reporter: yeah, jose, one family telling me that they canceled a trip altogether. instead of doing an out-of-state trip at the end of the school year, they opted for a staycation in downtown chicago instead. another couple from the west

coast telling me instead of renting a car and driving around the region, they're taking the train and crashing with friends and family. that cost-cutting that is happening among consumers is impacting the industry and the businesses, making it harder for them to operate. for example, we spoke to the chief operating officer of the tour guide here, the river cruise, the shoreline sight seeing down the chicago river, and he said they have had to add a $1 fuel surcharge to their tickets. they have even been making operational differences like driving the boat slower, less idling and cutting back on routes. listen to the challenges they've been facing as consumers have been trying to do what they can to cut back. >> we love this city and we love sharing it with people, and that is really one of the intangibles that all of our employees get, but, you know, actually covid sort of prepared us for this because our capacity was so reduced.

now we're telling our employees, hey, the number of people may not be what we wish it was, but that experience that we have to create for those who are here becomes even more important. >> reporter: he said that he noticed fuel costs for his fleets are now 54% higher than they were at this time last year. that's leading to the higher costs that get passed on to consumers who are less willing to do things like that. >> wow. 54% higher than they were last year. susan, this morning the paper released the national poll asking how americans are feeling about the economy. what did you find? >> well, americans are definitely in a funk and president biden is paying some of the cost. 39% approval rating in our poll out about an hour ago. here's a big red flag, 47% of americans, almost half of americans, now say they strongly disapprove of the job that president biden is doing, and this as we head into an election season with the midterms just

five months away. >> is that just strongly approve in general or about the economy? >> no, this is in general how do you think the president is doing. we also asked people how they think the country is doing. 71% tell us the united states is headed in the wrong direction. you see just a lot of concern about the economy, about inflation, americans in their lives are seeing it harder to buy gas and food and infant formula, and it has had a big effect on the nation's mood. >> and susan, in his interview the president was kind of defensive to those saying that some of his own policies may have led to the rise in inflation saying, quote, if it's my fault why is it the case in every other major industrial country is higher but not every country has high inflation as we do. >> that's right. i think independent analysts who say the biden administration failed to take inflation

seriously enough at the beginning, they thought it was something that would be transitory, and some criticism also of the fed for not handling rising inflation with more skill and adeptness because now we're using these heavy tools from the fed that just may tip the economy into a recession. >> and that is, of course, the big issue, whether that recession is announced or not, susan, that would make a difference for a lot of people. >> yes. recessions are hard on americans. some of the good news about the economy like our very healthy employment rates would take a hit if the nation heads into a recession. >> susan and shaquille, thank you for being with us this morning. appreciate it. a live look right now at authorities holding a news conference on last night's alabama's church shooting. we're monitoring it for you and we will bring you the news as it comes to us. up next, the state department now says it's aware of unconfirmed reports of three

americans missing in ukraine who traveled there to fight. we're in ukraine with an update next. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." atching " diaz-balart reports." bogey's on your six, limu. they need customized car insurance from liberty mutual so they only pay for what they need. woooooooooooooo... we are not getting you a helicopter. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty. liberty.♪ open talenti and raise the jar. to gelato made from scratch. raise the jar to all five layers. raise the jar to the best gelato... you've ever tasted. talenti. raise the jar. thinkorswim® equips you with customizable tools, dedicated trade desk pros, and a passionate trader community sharing strategies right on the platform. because we take trading as seriously as you do. thinkorswim® by td ameritrade every year we try

to exercise more, to be more social, to just relax. and eating healthy every single meal? if only it was this easy for us. migraine attacks? you can't always avoid triggers like changes in weather. qulipta™ can help prevent migraine attacks. you can't prevent what's going on outside,

that's why qulipta™ helps what's going on inside. qulipta™ is a pill. gets right to work to prevent migraine attacks and keeps them away over time. qulipta™ blocks cgrp a protein believed to be a cause of migraine attacks. qulipta™ is a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and tiredness. learn how abbvie can help you save on qulipta™. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. woo hoo! ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ women have to overcome more obstacles to reach the top. it's made them fiercely determined and more innovative. just because they can navigate the obstacles doesn't mean they should have to. citi is committed to investing in opportunities for 10 million women globally by 2025.

♪ ♪ for investors who can navigate this landscape, for 10 million women globally by 2025. leveraging gold, a strategic and sustainable asset... the path is gilded with the potential for rich returns. 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. ♪ it's still the eat fresh refresh, and subway's refreshing their app. so you can customize your favorite footlong, set a pickup time, and jump the line! oh, here she goes!

ugh, i thought she was actually gonna jump. just use this code and order on the subway app! . 37 past the hour. the european commission has recommended ukraine join the european union. the announcement the first formal step to the eu. this comes after the leaders of europe's three largest economies, germany, france and italy visited kyiv on thursday. vladimir putin spoke at the st. petersburg economic forum where attempts to hammer the russian economy have failed and the state department says it's aware of unconfirmed reports of three americans missing in ukraine who have traveled there to fight. the fiancee of andy huynh, missing in ukraine, spoke with molly hunter about when she got the call he was missing. >> he told me how during an operation they got separated and that andy and alex did not make

their rendezvous point. >> what did you do? >> my mom has this big pillow on her bed and i fell on it and cried into it a lot. >> joining us now from ukraine is nbc correspondent ellison barber, what can you tell us about the missing americans? >> reporter: yeah. as you heard from their families through molly hunter's reporting, they are very worried about their whereabouts. the state department right now says they are aware of unconfirmed reports that two americans were captured in ukraine. a spokesperson for the agency says they are in touch with ukrainian authorities, the international red cross, as well as the families of the missing men, but they say they have not reached out to the russian federation in part because they say they have not seen any sort of concrete evidence from russian force claiming to have the men in their custody. initially this all came to light after a report from a british

outlet speaking and citing comrades of andy and alex as the source saying that the men were captured after a battle in the kharkiv area. there is a third american who has reportedly gone missing in recent weeks. the state department said they areware of that and in touch with that person's family and that individual traveled to ukraine to take up arms but they wouldn't get into specifics of that case. yesterday, you had four members of eu states coming to ukraine to meet with president zelenskyy. the president of france, the president of romania, the italian prime minister and the chancellor of germany, in addition to announcing their support for ukraine to get status within the eu, they came here to see destruction like this. there is so much of it. they said that they are committed to helping ukraine to rebuild after the war.

in order for ukraine to get status, all 27 members of the bloc need to agree to it. the german chancellor believes ukraine should be part of the european family and they are in his view part of the european family. the austrian chancellor has expressed some concern or hesitancy looking like ukraine is jumping ahead of baltic state that have been trying to get candidate status. this is expected to be discussed at a summit in brussels next year but all 27 members have to agree to candidate status for ukraine to get it. jose? >> ellison barber, thank you so much. joining us now, laura hain, foreign correspondent and former adviser to emmanuel macron and peter, an nbc news political analyst. laura, the leaders of france, germany and italy, traveled to kyiv, ellison was telling us about that, to support the effort to join the eu.

what is the sense among european powers on the status of what's going on in ukraine, vis-a-vis the war? >> when you speak to people here, what is interesting they all agree it's important and it was an important gesture, it was an important symbol for the french president, the leaders to go to kyiv. but on the other hand it's going to be a very long process. you have wars and nice pictures and nice images, unity, but it's not going to happen tomorrow, as it was mentioned a few minutes ago, it's going to take days, even weeks, months. there are going to be multiple summits. you have some countries which are completely opposed to that. but officially it was really important to show a european unity for president zelenskyy. >> laura, before the invasion and just during the first i guess phase of the invasion,

macron talked about the need for ukraine to be finland-ized. the finland-ization of ukraine. that is a different perspective of what many in ukraine feel they need to do, which is to get rid of the russian forces 100%, no exceptions? >> yeah. from the beginning the president really here wants to be the mediator in chief. he wants to speak with vladimir putin. he wants to go to president zelenskyy. what was interesting yesterday when you are talking to the president, the french president, he was saying listen, i need to do that. i need to speak with zelenskyy and zelenskyy knows that i'm speaking with putin. i want to maintain this, zelenskyy is well informed what i'm doing when i speak to president putin, but macron wants to try to maintain a

dialog between the two countries at war. it's extremely important when you are talking about the french position. he really, really wanted to be a leader in europe going to try to persuade president zelenskyy and president putin to sit down at the table of negotiation and is extremely criticized for this position. >> and peter, right now, as western leaders are trying to figure out what to do going forward, whether they double down on delivering more sophisticated weapons or push forward diplomacy, what are you thinking that they're thinking about that could tip the scale one way or another? >> yeah. you do see this tension right now, you're right about, between what my colleague described as the justice party versus the peace party. those who think it's time to find way to negotiate a settlement even if not satisfying, leaves russia in a better position it ought to be in, and those who say no, it has to be fought to the end, it has

to be fought until russia is out of ukraine entirely. that's a, you know, real important division in the west. the question is whether it becomes so divisive that putin and the russians are able to take advantage and exploit it. so far the west has shown unanimity and solidarity behind ukraine. as this drags on, as people get tired of the fatigue factor sets in and the public and the united states and europe, the question becomes, at what point do europe and the united states' interest in this diverge from ukraine's? >> i'm wondering what are some of the issues going forward could cause maybe even a bigger divide and get to a point where some folks could just say look, it's time to just negotiate and see what you can get from the russians? >> yeah. i mean look what we've seen in the past the russians have used what they call frozen conflicts to sort of redraw the map, you know, through de facto fabltss

on the ground than through negotiation. they've taken a large slice of eastern ukraine and their goal is just to make that a de facto part of russia and use that on the ground and dictate to the west saying we're not leaving and you can't do anything about it. the west, other than supplying weapons to ukraine, isn't going to intervene directly to change that. then the question then becomes, does that become sort of an unsatisfying, but basically realistic end to this, where the russians end up holding on to some territory, even if it's not satisfying and the west says we don't accept or agree to it, but that becomes the reality going forward, or does the war continue, you know, on indefinitely? that's a real serious issue with a real consequence because people are dying every day and the question becomes, how much bloodshed is worth it at this point? >> 2022, go took about 2014 and ukraine. i'm wondering is the french president willing and able to continue having a discussion

with putin when putin doesn't have much to say as far as giving in to what ukraine may or may not want? >> that's an excellent question and we don't know. at this moment and i was what was interesting yesterday when listening to the press conference, there was a moment when president zelenskyy said clearly, president macron, inform me each time he's going to russia and each time he speaks to president putin and informed after and then president macron was saying a few minutes after, i always said to zelenskyy what i'm doing when i'm speaking to putin, so you can see that again, president macron wants to maintain dialog, really trying hard to make the two leaders agree on a lot of things. at this moment he went to kyiv to express unity around president zelenskyy from the european leaders and it was

maybe too late, but at least again he wanted to say face to face to president zelenskyy, we have to maintain the dialog with russia because when there's a war, you have someone who is there, who is forcing leaders who don't want to discuss to sit down at the negotiating table. >> there is a big difference between a dialog and a monologue which may be is what in many cases -- >> and also very quickly, jose, i think we're talking a lot about what's happening with the export and the possibility of the food crisis, the global food crisis, and i think yesterday it was mentioned by president macron with president zelenskyy to try to find a solution in europe to make sure that this fight, the war, the grains are going to be exported, especially towards africa, which is, as you know, in deep need. >> it's already having an effect. laura and peter, thank you very much for being with us this

morning. i appreciate it. we'll be back with much more. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. no, he's seizing the moment with merrill. moving his money into his investment account in real time and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. bipolar depression. it made me feel trapped in a fog. this is art inspired by real stories of bipolar depression. i just couldn't find my way out of it. the lows of bipolar depression can take you to a dark place. latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. this is where i want to be. call your doctor about sudden behavior changes or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, confusion, stiff or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be life threatening or permanent. these aren't all the serious side effects. now i'm back where i belong. ask your doctor if latuda is right for you. pay as little as zero dollars for your first prescription.

(music) ask your doctor if latuda is right for you. 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. you're pretty particular about keeping a healthy body. what goes on it. usually. and in it. mostly. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 high quality products. rigorously tested by us. real world tested by you. and delivered to your door in as little as one hour.

think he's posting about all that ancient roman coinage? no, he's seizing the moment with merrill. moving his money into his investment account in real time and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company.

we have new details out of alabama where two people were killed in a church in birmingham. sam brock is with us. what did we learn? >> reporter: the calls came in at 6:00 p.m., to be precise. it turns out that one of the attendees of this potluck dinner they were attending, we just learned he was a 71-year-old man who was an occasional attendee of services there who in the middle of this dinner, he pulled out an ak-47 and started shooting. there was additionally an 85-year-old woman who was still injured and being treated, but two killed, one injured. and the question is what was the relationship of this man that

was inside this church and the parishioners who were there for fun and festivities of a potluck meal. police asked if there was anything known about this man, if they knew him in the community, if there were any red flags. they declined to answer that question because they're in the middle of an investigation. i asked if this firearm was obtained legally. i was told they were done with questions and that's it, they walked out of the room. it was a 71-year-old man in the room that killed two people and injured another. new details about the massive effort underway to build a new museum dedicated to latinos. o latinos. ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪

56 past the hour. a milestone with the first exhibit dedicated to latinos opening this weekend. it shares the various experiences of latinos in the u.s. joining us with more, nbc anchor and host of "top story" on "news now," tom llamas. tom? >> it's been a fight to get to this point because the people behind it said they need to raise hundreds of millions of

dollars, and people behind this project said they won't stop until the doors open, generations of americans will have a museum where the story of the american latino comes to life. you're looking at the first of its kind of exhibit at the smithsonian, not just artifacts. this is an edition of a long battle celebrating the american latino. from the cultural contributions of salsa music to the mexican-american heroes of the workers rights movement, to the vivid risks so many took to come to america. >> you look at this and you think, how could somebody cross an ocean of this, and then you think, why would someone cross an ocean of this? they're pieces that make you stop and think. >> they're not just american latino, but struggles around the world. >> reporter: what does the financial situation look like right now? >> it's a little daunting when

you take on a task like this, but it's exciting because the opportunities are there. >> reporter: this cuban american is leading the efforts. they still need to raise $500 million, find a prime location and find artifacts spanning a century. >> do you find it difficult to come here wanting something so bad and starting with nothing? >> i do. that was one of the reasons i took this job. i felt it was a calling. >> reporter: a calling like this woman who has handcrafted pieces from her studio.

>> reporter: recognition and a new museum that will finally fill a void. >> i want to make sure that our future generation, your kids and my grandkids, will be able to come to d.c. and go to a museum and say, i can't believe my story is being shared here. >> reporter: a home for so many to share those stories, look back and create that tide to keep pushing forward. jose, i don't have to tell you one of the problems facing latinos in the u.s. is that at times we can be fractured. we can retreat to our own groups whether they be cuban american, dominican american, et cetera, et cetera. the organizers of this museum hope this is a place where we can all come together, as we mentioned, share our experiences and not just educate our communities but educate all americans about our stories and our histories. jose? >> thank you, tom. when we could all be recognized. tony llamas, thank you. that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose diaz-balart.

be sure to follow the show online @diazbalart. i'm peter alexander in washington. right now we have our eyes focused on the white house where we expect to see the president just moments from now. will he stop and speak to