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thanks for staying with us. there is a growing international focus on nancy pelosi's big trip to asia after warnings from the white house and the pentagon against her going to taiwan, a major red flag for china's leaders, who have again today threatened potential military action. here at home communities throughout kentucky still underwater at this hour. at least 30 people are dead as catastrophic flooding, continuing rain, high temperatures and another wave of storms hampering the desperate search for survivors. jon stewart is back in

washington rallying against senate republicans rallying against legislation to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in iraq and afghanistan. >> do you understand why this is important? this is the canary in the coal mine for the lowest bar. this government should be soaring the heights, not playing limbo and trying to get underneath the bars that don't mean anything and some of the biggest midterm races from michigan to california as nbc kicks offer our race to november. just 99 days left on the calendar for general election candidates. i want to begin with the escalating tension between the u.s. and china reverberating throughout asia over speaker pelosi's tour of the region this week. china doubling down today saying

there will be serious consequences if she makes the visit. taiwan is self-governed, but china claims it as part of its territory. joining us now is "new york times" diplomatic correspondent michael crowley. no speaker has gone there since newt gingrich 25 years ago. was it a mistake for the president to signal that the military doesn't want her to go, making it look like the u.s. is giving china veto power over the speaker if she doesn't go. >> let me start by saying, no,

china should not have veto power over u.s. citizens or officials who go to taiwan. on the other hand, i think the president was well within the bounds of propriety indicating this would not come at a helpful time. we've already got plenty of tension in the international system, including a major war in ukraine. we're constantly trying to pull our allies and partners together. this is one that's probably not necessary. let's put it that way. of course, putting my old pentagon hat on, you've got to move carriers, jets and protect the speaker of the house, number three in line to the governance of the united states of america. i think the president is well within his rights to kind of gently indicate this probably is not terribly helpful. the speaker is the speaker of the house. she's going to make her own decision. i suspect in the end she'll

probably consummate this visit quickly and move onto the rest of the asia trip. going to be some white knuckles in the pentagon until this is over. >> michael crowley, former joint chief's chairman mike mullen went to taiwan in march for the biden administration. he spoke about ia visit on sund cnn. >> i would expect that it is very possible that she could still make a surprise visit, as controversial and as important as this has become. she's been there many, many times in that area of the world. she feels strongly about supporting the kinds of values that we stand for and working with our friends. and taiwan has been a friend for a long time and particularly in a bipartisan way. it wouldn't surprise me if she

went. >> what signal does it send to the world and to taiwan if she does visit as early as tomorrow? >> it signals, as we have seen for some time now, increasing american support for taiwan militarily and diplomatically, edging closer and closer to a line that china has declared unacceptable. china's red line here ultimately is that taiwan needs declaration of independence. over time what has happened more and more is that the u.s. is recognizing taiwan and interacting with taiwan in a way that suggests it does have a real sovereignty that i think most people in washington would like to see it have. but they understand that china would not accept actual independence. visits like this symbolically demonstrate that washington sees this as an autonomous entity of

its own, the equivalent of a nation, even though we don't recognize it that way. it's really almost like a game of chicken now. how close can we get to the line of treating taiwan as though it is an independent state, and how far can china go to warn us to push us back and to warn taiwan against any declaration of independence without having to use military action. i don't think anybody wants to see a war here, but we don't know who might cross that line first and be willing to fight for it. clearly this is very provocative to china. i think the biden administration as they are dealing with this crisis in ukraine and trying to figure out how to push russia back isn't looking for another major global crisis in this particular moment. >> of course a particular moment being right before a potential third term for president xi in

an unusual party congress coming up. admiral, i want to turn to ukraine, because you've been talking about trying to get some of that grain out. the first ship is sailing as we speak. it left the port in odesa after a very narrow demining of that harbor by the ukrainians. this is not a nato ship. it was a freeport ship flagged. let's talk about how important this is in getting this out. also one of your colleagues said he's surprised that president biden hasn't sent nato ships and humanitarian ships to create this corridor before now. >> let's recognize that the only reason vladimir putin has acquiesced in this arrangement brokered quite skillfully by the

turks. the only reason putin has acquiesced is because he knows if he does not, those nato warships and u.s. navy warships are coming. we conducted this kind of mission back in the 1980s moving oil through the strait of hormuz contested by the iranians. we certainly have the capability to do that. russia recognizes that. i think that's why they've come to the table. i'll close by saying put yourself in the position of that captain of the first of these big tankers. that's a white knuckle ride up there driving the ship through a narrow cleared channel. my hat is off to the mariners that are going to execute this

mission. unfortunately putin may still try to interfere in some kind of false flag information where it's not clear who's throwing sand in the ears. but all in all, this is a very good day for the ukrainians and an even better day for the north africans and folks in the middle east who will receive this grain. they need this grain to avoid real food scarcity. a good day, let's hope it continues to go to form. >> i meant to ask you, admiral, you know the taiwan strait. how narrow is that? i think it's a mile at its narrowest between the mainland and taiwan. talk to me how difficult that is and where is the ronald reagan now, the aircraft carrier? >> it's not quite that narrow, but certainly it is a very narrow passage. it also has islands in and around it which are manned by

the taiwanese and in effect their forward eyes and ears. i think that strait is about to be in the headlines, because the chinese response if the speaker does go is not going to be to attack taiwan, obviously. but look for a major movement in deployment over the strait, possibly chinese warships going in there. the reagan is the carrier. they're approaching the island of taiwan now. they will be operating in and around those waters. china could respond in the air, by sea or by cyber. those are all things you could see. >> thanks to both of you for your expertise. and race to the midterms, 99 days to go and the lies about the last election continue to put the next one in danger. cont put the next one in danger i could've waited to tell my doctor my heart was racing just making spaghetti... but i didn't wait.

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and turning back to primary races being held tomorrow, this time many michigan where more election denying republicans are trying to unseat gretchen whitmer, a january 6th rioter, ryan kelly is among the candidates as is a former horror star actor backed by trump. katie porter clashing with her republican opponent on inflation and abortion as she runs in orange county this fall. give us a rundown of the key races there in michigan. >> reporter: two big races folks are watching to see a test, so to speak, of former president

trump's power and control over republican voters in this battleground state. a trump backed challenger job gibbs is taking on peter myer, one of the house republicans who voted for trump's impeachment after the january 6th riots. trump has endorsed his challenger. the gibbs campaign says they are feeling good as they head into election day tomorrow. then we saw president trump this weekend weigh into the race to take on democratic governor gretchen whitmer, backing tu dor dixon, a former conservative commentator, over some of the other candidates. i spoke to one of her opponents. he dismissed that endorsement. he said former president trump is receiving bad information. republican voters who said they're undecided right now, listen to what they said about how they're digesting the former president weighing into this

race. does president trump's endorsement carry some weight? >> yes, a lot. >> why is that? >> because i thought he was a very good president and i thought the last election was a fraud. >> how important is trump's endorsement? >> probably 75%, but not 100%. >> reporter: one factor here is that according to the secretary of state's office, more than 600,000 voters have returned their absentee ballots before the former president weighed into this race. you look at the national attention these races are getting. it's very clear these will be a test of the power the former president has over republican voters here. >> so you spoke to congresswoman katie porter. she's been such a strong democrat, progressive democrat, the incumbent running in a swing

district. the issues of abortion and the economy have really fired up this race. >> reporter: that's right. i'm in this key district in orange county that sits at the center of the shaping of the election. on one hand you have president biden's unpopularity on raising cost of gas and groceries. republicans are trying to make this entire election on a referendum on rising prices and president biden as well. democrats like katie porter are trying to highlight the contrast. her argument is that her opponent has no plan to fight inflation. she says her plan is to go after corporate price gouging and to boost manufacturing. then there's the cultural factor. this area used to be a republican stronghold, but it's the party of ronald reagan and bob dole, not the party of donald trump. this midterm election is going

to test whether those voters have an appetite to return to the republican party or whether they are too far gone. katie porter talked about some of the cultural issues that are important here. let's have a listen. >> orange county values things like freedom and respect for others. that means leaving it up to individual people to make their own choice to love who they want to love, to make their own decision about when and if to start a family, including whether to have an abortion. respect for different ideas and celebrating people's choices about how best to live their lives is what democrats stand for. >> reporter: i also sat down with her opponent scott baugh here in newport. he does not support legal abortion. he's sympathetic to federal restrictions as well, particularly after the first trimester. he does not support same-sex marriage. he tells me he believes a

marriage is between a man and woman. he also did not commit to saying he would have voted to certify electors for president biden in arizona and pennsylvania, those states that faced objections in congress. he said he would have sought more information and he couldn't say how he would have voted. >> thank you so much. joining us now is amy stoddard. how likely is donald trump going to show a potential red wave in these elections tomorrow and also in the fall. will he slow things down? will he be an anchor weighing down republican candidates? michigan is a real test. >> right. there's no question that republicans are very nervous about the people that donald trump is backing and how they are running their campaigns, the fact that donors are slowing down in their contributions to

them and that right now the gubernatorial races in wisconsin, michigan and pennsylvania look like they are going the democrats' way. this is a problem for republicans who want trump to stay quiet. they know that no matter what happens in primaries tomorrow in arizona and michigan and missouri and elsewhere, donald trump will likely step into the race for president very early in august or september and blame any defeats in the midterm elections on other issues like voters getting angry over the jobs decision or the republicans' hesitanceover same-sex marriage. they are literally holding their breath to see how these races are going to shore up in what was otherwise to them a very

strong red year. >> speaking of the dobbs decision and roe v wade, there's a huge test on abortion in kansas storm. this is the first statewide amendment on abortion legality since roe. it's up for a vote after the supreme court overturned roe. huge implications here. if they uphold the state constitution right now, which does say that abortion is legal, that's one thing. but if they reverse it and you have a very conservative legislature there in kansas, it could lead to abortion bans. >> it could. it's a big decision not just in kansas but beyond to be a bellwether to see just how big the dobbs ruling will have an impact on the midterms. right now we've been looking at polling to see some suggest that it's the second issue that voters cite when asked what are the biggest issues driving them

in the midterm. it could really take away some of the tailwinds that republicans have, generally speaking. if we're talking about conventional wisdom, republicans should be in a great spot. the map favors them, the year favors them and midterm votes tend to go against the party of the president. in this case, this dobbs decision is throwing a very big caveat into that. if democrats are able to mobilize and talk about abortion access as well as reproductive access and marriage rights the way they have been doing like katie porter was in a way that resonates with voters, it could be a big problem, perhaps a bigger one than donald trump for republicans. >> senator manchin was just talking and says that he's going to talk to senator sinema today. he expressed confidence yesterday that she would end up voting for this, saying she was instrumental in creating it even

though she want part of the negotiations. she still has been against that carried interest provision. he said yesterday that he's not going to compromise on that because he thinks corporations should pay at least a 15% minimum tax. >> yes. that's going to be a huge issue too. i think manchin and other democrats know that in addition to these other issues that really having something on their score card, going to voters and say we did this on taxes and climate action is going to be crucially important to holding both houses if they have a shot at that particularly in the senate which is of course important when it comes to confirming judges. i think all eyes are on senator sinema right now and democrats are probably doing everything they can to bring her on board because that will be a crucial piece of the midterm puzzle. >> thank you so much. we have breaking news at the

courthouse. we've just learned that the federal judge there denying a terrorism enhancement in the sentencing of january 6th rioter guy riffet. prosecutors pushed for a sentence of up to 15 years saying he committed an act of domestic terror, even though there is not a domestic terror statute. ken, tell us what you know from the courtroom. >> reporter: judge fredericks has ruled that it would have been unfair to grant this terrorism enhancement, because she said the justice department has not sought it in other cases and, therefore, it would have produced a sentence that would have resulted in an unwarranted sentencing disparity. as it stands, she's ruled that the guidelines call for a

sentence between 7 and 9 years. if she sentences in that range, that would make it the longest sentence so far in the january 6th cases. this seems to be a significant defeat for the justice department. this is the first time they tried to argue that a case met the definition of domestic terrorism under that enhancement. they've lost that attempt at this hour. >> the case is significant not just because he's the first to go to trial, but because the department of justice argued that he committed an act of domestic terrorism. it's the first time the doj has made that argument in a january 6th case. walk us through the implications from the judge's ruling. >> this is about a technical sentencing issue and how judges calculate these notorious sentencing guidelines that we hear so much about. so i think i would caution people to not be unduly alarmed here. this doesn't mean that january 6th was not an act of domestic

terrorism. it clearly was according to most experts. what this means is that this federal judge who has a lot of expertise involving the sentencing guidelines commission has made a decision that she believes will make this sentence affirmable on appeal. she's made the decision that imposing the sentencing guidelines enhancement for domestic terror, which the government hasn't used in other cases, might put that sentence in a little bit of danger. >> let's turn to the january 6th committee. sources telling nbc that the next phase of their investigation is expected to focus more on law enforcement failures instead of former president trump. should we infer from that that that means not only lack of

communication but also the secret service and the missing texts and the inspector general and homeland? >> reporter: and the role of there's been an entire group of staff on the january 6th committee working on nothing but examining the question of law enforcement and intelligence failures. now they're about to have their moment and they're going to tell us what they've learned. we've already had a senate report that cast a harsh spotlight on the capitol police showing they had a lot of information they didn't act on. we know very little about exactly what intelligence the fbi had, what internal debate was going on about what to do about it, why they didn't write an intelligence bulletin before january 6th and why more wasn't done to protect the capitol by fbi, by dhs, by secret service. that's what this hearing is going to shine a spotlight on in the coming weeks. >> of course the capitol police have a completely different management team now as a result

in part because of hearings held last summer on those failures. i want to ask you specifically about those missing secret service text messages. congresswoman zoe lofgren was on last week and said this about the dhs inspector general delaying any report on look into those texts. >> i'm also concerned about the actions of the inspector general. he sat on this stuff for months and months and months as well. and now he has ordered the department to stop the forensic analysis of the phones, which we need. we need that to happen. >> we've also learned that the top two officials in homeland, their texts are missing from january 5th and 6th, not just the service agents. what's going on? it seems like a real area of

inquiry and a lot of coincidence to pass the smell test. >> i think that's exactly the right place to start. way too much coincidence. there's way too much smoke going on. everyone offers innocent sounding explanations, but this is far too much at this point to be a simple case of government incompetence. the important thing is to move this investigation out of the hands of the dhs ig and into the hands of the fbi. this requires an independent investigation, an effort to reconstruct materials that are missing and put them into the hands of congress and overall to get a sense of what happened here, because ultimately the trust that the american people repose in these agencies depends on a clear independent investigation. at this point we've heard too many different stories from the folks at dhs and secret service for them to continue on their own.

>> thanks to both of you for that deep dive. and fatal flooding in kentucky. the latest from lost creek, kentucky, coming up next. creek kentucky, coming up next when hurting feet make you want to stop, it's dr. scholl's time. our custom fit orthotics use foot mapping technology to give you personalized support, for all-day pain relief. find your relief in store or online. ♪♪ meta portal go. look professional. ♪♪ even if you don't feel it. meta portal. the smart video calling device... - right on time! - of course. that makes work from home work for you. so, shall we get started?

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today the national guard and kentucky rescue crews are fighting grueling temperatures and more rain as they attempt to rescue residents still trapped in communities after days of severe flooding through parts of eastern kentucky. the governor telling reporters that the official death toll in the state is now 30 and there are immediate concerns for others. >> hundreds of unaccounted for people minimum. we just don't have a firm grasp on that. i wish we did. there are a lot of reasons why it's nearly impossible.

>> maggie vespa from lost creek, kentucky. >> reporter: the death toll here in kentucky at 30 with the governor adding refrigerator trucks have had to be brought in because local morgues are full. we had more rain overnight causing creeks and rivers like this one, lost creek in lost creek, kentucky, swell as damage from torrential and deadly flash floods remains painfully visible throughout the region. these are two trucks tossed into this ditch. you see damage like this sporadically throughout the area. people here are almost used to it at this point. at the same time thousands still don't have electricity or running water and the governor is saying schools in at least three counties will have to delay the start of classes. fema is on the ground. keep in mind this is the heart

of ap lay cha. one person yesterday, a retired marine just laughed when we asked him that and he said absolutely not. he said people here are going to have to help each other just like they've always done. keep in mind so many have lost loved ones and so many have lost everything. at the same time while we have clear skies and dry weather right now and it's scheduled to remain that way throughout the day, when you look at the forecast throughout the next several days you have a chance of rain and showers and storms pretty much every day for the next week, the last thing this devastated area needs. >> thanks to you and our teams there and the misery for those people just continues. the fight is also just beginning for fire crews in northern california as triple digit temperatures and dry conditions fuel the largest wildfire in the state so far this year.

more than 50,000 acres near the oregon border have already burned and the fire is zero percent contained. thousands have been evacuated. coming up, remembering a legend from the basketball court to the white house, the civil rights front lines, the impact, the force that was bill russell, next. , the force that was bill russell, next oh, that i can't believe i scored this price feeling! well believe it baby! because wayfair always delivers. the look you want at the prices you want. so you can have the home you want! see we told you. wayfair always delivers small prices for big dreams. ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪

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tributes are pouring in for basketball legend bill russell. he won 11 nba championships in 13 years as the star of the boston celtics, of course also became the first black head coach at that top level in any american sport. russell faced vicious racism during his career. he went onto forge a legacy of activism, inspiring generations on and off the court. nbc's anne thompson has a lot more. >> bill russell was simply a winner. like many children in boston, i grew up cheering for russell as the celtics' center and then player coach. but it wasn't until i was an adult that i could appreciate what a force russell was in sports and society and all he endured that made him an

american legend. >> the only really important thing was to try to win every game. >> heralded as the ultimate team player, bill russell dominated basketball. >> what a play by russell! >> russell won two national college championships and olympic gold before leading the boston celtics to eight straight nba titles and a total of 11 in 13 years, later becoming pro basketball's first black head coach. but this morning he's also being remembered as a trail blazing activist fighting for equality on and off the court. president biden calling russell a great american. and president obama, who awarded russell the presidential medal of freedom in 2011, tweeting we lost a giant. as tall as bill russell stood, his legacy raises far higher both as a player and a person. russell was one of the first high profile athletes to take a

stand for civil rights. he marched with dr. king in the '60s, went to the south and supported muhammad ali's refusal to join the military during the vietnam war. in the '60s he battled hostile racism in boston, his home broken into and defaced. but russell never backed down and stayed politically active into his final years, posting this photo in 2017 in solidarity with nfl players. >> every time i could do something, i see it as an opportunity. >> he received an nba lifetime achievement award in 2017. >> where did they find all these tall people? >> and inspired generations of nba stars, including michael jordan, jason tatum and magic johnson, who wrote, i will forever remember his cackling laugh, sense of humor and love

for the game of basketball. bill russell was 88 years old. his family said he passed peacefully, his wife at his side. my favorite bill russell statistic, he played in 21 winner-take-all games in the ncaa, olympics and the nba and won all 21. back to you. >> thanks to anne thompson. another ground breaking activist nichelle nichols passing away this weekend at the age of 89. she was one of the first black women to have a leading role in a tv series. she later worked with nasa to recruit minorities. president biden said nichols redefined what is possible for

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capitol hill today pushing for the passage of the burn pit bill to help veterans exposed to toxins like agent orange and burn pits in iraq and afghanistan. 25 republicans to switch their votes at the last moment and are now blocking it. army veteran was exposed to toxic fumes in iraq. today she introduced comedian jon stewart at the rally. stewart is stressing that people are dying and pleading with lawmakers to do the right thing. >> let's spend $6 trillion on a war but not buy incinerators to burn everything that comes from that war. let's make sure that their health and their safety is as little protected as possible.

>> joining me now is rosy torez. she's the executive director and co-founder of burn pits 360. and samantha turner, a disabled veteran and proud graduate of the military academy at west point who served as an officer in kuwait as operation new dawn. so welcome to you both. thank you for what you're doing out there. tell us about your husband leroy. >> thank you for having us. my husband is captain leroy torez. served in the u.s. army. he was deployed where they operated one of the largest open air burn pits. they were burning everything from body parts to unused form pseudocalls and as a result of that, he's been diagnosed with constrictive bronx liets, toxic brain injury, auto immune issues. he was forced to resign from his job as a result of war injury and he just recently won his

supreme court case against the state of texas. this is what we're dealing with. such an injthsz. >> samantha, how you feeling? you're exactly who we're supposed to be supporting. >> i'm angry and disappointed. our elected representatives that we served freely, we went and we fought for are no longer fighting for us. so the folks that are out here, we're frustrated and angry and disappointed that political games are being played with the lives of people spending in some cases the last moments of their life out here fighting for this bill to get passed. >> and we all thought it was a done deal, so there's been no real explanation as to why after it passed with 84 votes and there was a technical correction in the house, and know that

senator toomey from pennsylvania, who's not running for reelection said there was substantiative change, but that was denied by the head of the va, who said this was just -- that this amendment from senator toomey would do is put a cap on it so after a couple years, these benefits would expire. >> yes, we thought we were calling a victory here on our way here to d.c., and unfortunately, we had someone as horrible as toomey to play with the lives of veterans. they are playing partisan politics. it's disgusting. it's criminal. these men and women fought for their freedom and they are sick and they are dying. we could silt here and talk about how many flipped their vote, but what i care about, what we care about are the men and women dying. how about count those numbers? all these people that flipped their vote, i challenge thunderstorm to meet with us.

we're not leeing until we get our vote. i also challenge them to go to the funerals of some of these men and women. talk to their children. talk to their spouses and mothers and fathers. it's disgusting. >> and i'm told that you have been out there since thursday. we have had some horrible weather. huge storms overnight in d.c. for several nights. you have been out on the capitol steps or near the capitol steps. >> right, we have been out here. burn pit 360 is in the lead. we have been out here and we have been -- what we call keeping fire watch. we have a hashtag which is something we do in the military when all of us stand guard for those of us around us. we do fire watch the entire time we're in a field. what we're doing now is standing fire watch for the millions and millions of americans that have served this country and we will do it rain, shine, snow, hopefully not snow, but rain and shine until this bill is passed.

we're going to be out here, we're protesting, we're advocating for ourselves and those who served with us until this bill is passed. >> another senator has tested positive for covid, senator cornyn. so votes are delayed. they are supposed to go on recess. so what's your message to lawmakers about getting this done this week? >> i think i speak for samantha and myself. if these men and women who went to war didn't get to go on recess, they didn't get to go on sick leave or any of these things senators get to do, then neither should they. they should stay here until it's done. stay overnight the way they have to. the way these men and women have been on these steps. it's an injustice and they have to stay to give them what is theirs. >> a big shoutout to jon stewart for what he's doing as he explained on "meet the press" yesterday, he's just been

carrying this flag. to you, to your husband, our best wishes to samantha, please stay in touch. we'll be checking back with you all week. >> thank you for having us. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." remember follow the show online on facebook and on twitter. "chris jansing reports" starts after this brief message. restars after this brief message your healthcare provider if an oral treatment is right for you. oral treatments can be taken at home and must be taken within 5 days from when symptoms first appear. if you have symptoms of covid-19, even if they're mild don't wait, get tested quickly. if you test positive and are at high risk for severe disease, act fast ask if an oral treatment is right for you. covid-19 moves fast and now you can too. moderate to severe eczema still disrupts my skin. despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash.

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hello, everyone. i'm chris jansing live at msnbc headquarters in new york city. we are on the verge of a huge primary day. five states that could provide some previously unexpected opportunities for democrats. in less than 24 hours, polls will open in arizona, kansas, michigan, missouri and washington. and spread across those states, some contests that seemed to favor the republicans a few months or maybe even weeks ago, they could now be be closer than we thought. governors races are increasingly looking like a bright spot. among the questions we hope to answer tomorrow, will far right candidates be be be a able to ride trump's endorsement to victory or has the former president's influence begun to fade? for trump picks like blake masters and kari lake and tudo