hi, everybody, welcome. exactly three weeks until the midterms. it's the last chance for parties to seize the momentum as voters are headed to the polls. president biden and democrats out in force to say the least as republican campaigns capitalize on economic concerns. on the campaign trail, candidates facing off with a final message to voters as some states open up early voting this week. and then overseas, iran's fierce protest showing no signs of showing down. today iranians demanding a guarantee of safety for a female climber who competed without her head scarf prompting fears she could be targeted by the regime.

hey, everybody, i'm yasmin vossoughian in for hallie jackson, with me now is nbc white house correspondent mike memoli, "the washington post" and msnbc political analyst, ashley parker, also with us "new york times" politics reporter, lisa lerer. mike, let me start with you on this one and talk about what we heard from the president around the 1:00 hour. essentially the message is get out there and vote, especially if you are for abortion rights because we can help codify it come january. talk us through that, three weeks out now from the midterms. >> yeah, that's right, yasmin. i think the political strategy here on the part of the white house is very clear. democrats saw a real boost in the polls in the late summer months after that june decision by supreme court came down, striking down the protections for abortion rights under roe versus wade. as one democratic strategist put it, maybe if that decision came down in august we'd be feel

better about where things stand now. we are seeing in polls the economy continues to be the number one issue for voters. the number one issue that fires up democratic base voters continues to be abortion rights, and that's why as another democratic strategist put it, this is about the president making it clear that elections have consequences and putting a finer point on it, saying, yes, as he said before he wants to codify roe versus wade. he wants to make this the very first bill he sends to congress and wants to sign it by the 50th anniversary of roe versus wade. let's listen to the president really laying out these stakes. >> i'm asking the american people to remember how you felt, how you felt the day the extreme dobbs decision came down. right now we're short a handful of votes. if you care about the right to choose, then you got to vote. that's why in these midterm elections are so critical to elect more democratic senators to the united states senate and more democrats to keep control of the house of representatives. >> yasmin, where the president gave this speech i found really

interesting because, you know, i was just on the west coast. president biden was campaigning with a number of democrats in swing districts, in swing states. his message there was about the economy. the voters are really going to decide these elections in those districts in those states are concerned about the economy. he's talking about the chips bill in poughkeepsie, climate in colorado, talking about inflation in orange county. today this is a speech directed at a national audience trying to really get democratic enthusiasm levels back up to where they were in the summer because we know these elections come down to turnout, and republicans are motivated to turn out and get rid of democrats in power. but it's harder for the party in power to do that. so that's the president's agenda today. >> so memoli, it is about turnout, right? especially the base voters turning out especially when it comes to something like abortion rights. i've got to say when i was out in front of scotus reporting, of course, after the overturn of roe, i remember so many democratic voters saying specifically to me we've put democrats in power, and they

have not been able to follow through on many of the promises that were made, right? does the president risk the same thing here codifying roe, you can send a bill to congress, can you not mean it's actually going to happen. it's going to be an uphill battling. >> that's why i thought it was really interesting, the president devoted a big part of his speech talking about what was at stake with voing rights specifically. we need to not just keep control of the house, but we need to add votes to our majority in the senate. that's because they tried to codify roe versus wade earlier this year, but in a 50/50 senate, one democrat stood in the way of the carveout as it's called for the filibuster that enable them to pass this law. the president was appealing directly to young voters in this speech, saying, look, because you've turned out in 2020 we've been able to do so much. he ran through the legislative accomplishments. he also talked about the recent

executive actions on student loans and marijuana. he's really trying to make it clear that you have to turn out and give us those two extra senators. that makes all the difference between where you are in the status quo and unlocking even more that democrats can done. >> lisa, if you can walk us through how difficult it would be to codify roe in january. >> oh, it's extremely difficult. i mean, the chances of the president actually being able to follow through on this promise are extremely, extremely slim. first of all, democrats have to keep control of the house, which right now looks pretty unlikely. most strategists i talk to on both sides of the aisle say they expect republicans to take control of the house, and then he has to not only keep control of the senate, he has to expand his democratic majority there in such a way that he has enough votes to get rid of the filibuster which would allow democrats to do this with just 50 votes because obviously republicans, he's not going to get support from the ten republicans. he's not going to reach that 60

vote bar to get such a bill through the senate. so he's really making a promise here that it would be almost impossible for him given the current political dynamics to follow through on. that's the reality. >> if not that, lisa, then let's actually talk about what is going on here, right? the messaging when it comes to turnout for abortion rights. if you're looking at polling as memoli mentioned, right, this "new york times" poll, democrats republicans across the board, the number one issue is the economy. independents as well, which we're not showing, around 40% of independents also the number one issue the economy. it felt to me as if -- and i'm wondering if you can weigh in on this -- democrats looking at this as a moral rallying cry for their base as mike said, because maybe they feel as if they're losing the messaging on the economy. >> reporter: well, definitely i think abortion, you know, the fight to bring -- to restore some kind of federal right to an

abortion is something that democrats see as a political bright spot, something that's working in their favor when all these other factors are not. like the historical trend where the party in power typically loses a seat in the first midterm, the economic uncertainty, you know, fears of recession, high inflation. abortion is something where a majority of voters are with the party's position, but it has faded a little bit since, you know, as the shock of the overturning of roe in june has sort of receded into the distance. democratic voters, particularly those who wouldn't turn out in a midterm feel compelling to turn out here. they feel they are voting for something, the stakes are really high. >> house speaker nancy pelosi was on andrea mitchell earlier today, should democrats be messaging on abortion right now when the economy is where it is, inflation is where it is, and we're continuing to struggle with that. let's listen to that and then

we'll talk. >> i can tell you that women's concerns about their freedom are very, very much still very significant in terms of how they will vote. i believe that we will have the mobilization to turn out the vote. the clear message, we want to give women freedom of choice, they want to have a ban on abortion. >> you know, and we said this across the board, it certainly is a significant issue when it comes to mobilization with women. you've got record numbers of women registering to vote in states like pennsylvania based solely on abortion right. that is absolutely right. i can't help but go back to this polling and where people are financially. you've got gas prices going back up once again. you go to the grocery store to feed your three kids at home, and it is so much more money than it once was. i'm wondering if to a certain extent democrats are going to look back on this and say we should have focused more on these issues, versus not.

>> well, you know, you're right in the sense that it is incredibly mobilizing for democrats. it's not the top issue, but it is the top issue a number of women have cited of what got them to register and then presumably the hope from democrats would be turnout to vote in november. that said, you are also right that, you know, starting probably early this year, late last year, anytime i talk to democrats or people in the biden administration about the midterms, they would all sort of privately say that the thing at the time that they -- and again, this was before the dobbs decision came down, but the thing they thought would be most determinative of their political fortunes was inflation. it's an incredibly problematic issue for them. it's one they have struggled to message on since the very beginning. you may recall when they called it transitory, and biden has sort of come up with different ways to try to take bites at the

apple. they would also argue their messaging is not monolithic, that they can press the importance of abortion rights for women because it's not just a political issue for them. it is also actually something that many -- almost all democrats believe is a key principle. so it's something they believe in, and it has a galvanizing effect politically, but that they also want to draw a contrast with republicans on other issues. so they would sort of say we can walk and chew gum at the same time, we can talk about abortion. we can also tell what we think is our positive story on jobs, but you are right. they privately recognize inflation is their big issue, ask that's what we're seeing in the polls from voters. >> i love that mike pointed out kind of the location of where the speech was given, more of a national audience, right? and going to certain places knowing that, for instance, he was in portland, oregon, over the weekend touting, of course, the economy, the inflation reduction act specifically as well. i'm wondering, though, ashley if they're doing enough messaging when it comes to explaining

where we are and why we are here when it comes to the economy, right, touting the last two and a half years of being inside of the pandemic, right? supply chain demand, that sort of thing. passing the buck off to the administration before then. i haven't heard a lot of that, and yet this is an unprecedented time. we had never been through a pandemic before and much of this is a result of that. >> you're exactly right, and again, this gets back to messaging on inflation and also on solving inflation, right? the actual on the ground reality that people feel every day is something this administration and probably any administration would struggle with. they have struggled with how to talk about it. it's a very complicated story. for voters in the public, it's a very simple story. i go to the grocery store and it costs me twice as much to buy milk. when i drive to work, every gas station i pass is a billboard reminding me that gas is high,

right? it's a very simple story for voters but for the administration in fairness to them, it's a complex story. it involves infusions of money that went into the economy that people in retrospect can argue perhaps were too big, but at the time the administration was being told by a number of people the risk was not going big enough. it involved supply chain issues from a pandemic, and it of course involves a war in ukraine and a global economy, and that's not an easy soundbite. >> yeah, and by the way, that's exactly why or in part why the biden administration is so angry about some of the decisions made be opec and saudi arabia as well. we're going to talk about that later on in the show. it all leads up to the midterms and this uptick in gas prices. mike memoli, ashley parker, lisa lerer, coming up, exclusive reporting from nbc news on what the biden administration is thinking about doing to push back on saudi arabia, as i just mentioned. those details straight ahead. plus, the justice department filing new charges against a

french company for paying nearly $10 million to isis. we're going to tell you what they wanted in exchange. up first, we are just hours away from the first and only florida senate debate, what to expect. plus, the fireworks in last night's debates in ohio and georgia. all that coming up next. we'll be right back. iva plus. unlike some others, neuriva plus is a multitasker supporting 6 key indicators of brain health. to help keep me sharp. neuriva: think bigger. (bridget vo) with thyroid eye disease... i hid from the camera. and i wanted to hide from the world. for years, i thought my t.e.d was beyond help... ...but then i asked my doctor about tepezza. (vo) tepezza is the only medicine that treats t.e.d. at the source not just the symptoms. in a clinical study, more than 8 out of 10 patients taking tepezza

had less eye bulging. tepezza is an infusion. patients taking tepezza may have infusion reactions. tell your doctor right away if you experience high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath or muscle pain. before getting tepezza, tell your doctor if you have diabetes, ibd, or are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. tepezza may raise blood sugar even if you don't have diabetes. and may worsen ibd such as crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. (bridget) now, i'm ready to be seen again. (vo) visit mytepezza.com to find a t.e.d. eye specialist and to see bridget's before and after photos. it's the subway series menu. 12 irresistible subs. the most epic sandwich roster ever created. ♪♪ it's subway's biggest refresh yet! 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. here is cvs health. your money never stops working for you with merrill, where the beauty mark lets women know which images are real and unaltered. so we can have a healthy relationship with beauty. here, healthier happens together. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor will work with you on a comprehensive wealth plan across your full financial picture. a plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. this is the planning effect. we can't wait any longer. climate change is here. already threatening san francisco's wastewater treatment plant at ocean beach. risking overflow sewage

to dump right into the ocean. there's a solid climate plan in place, but changes to the great highway required by prop i would cost san francisco taxpayers $80 million to draft a new climate plan and put the entire west side and ocean beach at risk of contamination. protect our beach, ocean and essential infrastructure. reject prop i before it's too late.

welcome back, everybody. just three weeks until election day, debates are turning up in the heat and key races across this country. you've got florida, incumbent republican senator marco rubio and val demings, they're facing off for the first and only debate tonight in a race that is tighter than expected. rubio leading demings by less than five points, pretty close there according to a real clear politics polling average. following fireworks in debates in the ohio senate and georgia governor's races as well, in

clashes over abortion rights, jobs, and crime. >> j.d. and his extreme crew, they want to have a national abortion ban. they're not happy with people having to go to illinois. they want people to get a passport and have to go to canada. >> as i just said, i think it's totally reasonable to say you cannot abort a baby, especially for elective reasons after 15 weeks of gestation. no civilized country allows it. >> our recovery has been as good as any state in the country. we have had two record years of economic development. >> this is a governor who for the last four years has beat his chest but delivered very little for most georgians. >> and already in georgia, we're seeing a lot more people heading to the polls, first day of early voter turnout was nearly double what it was in the last midterm in 2018. we have sahil kapur in atlanta and jesse kirsch in youngstown, ohio.

sahil, you got early voting numbers out as we're seeing in georgia, first day turnout nearly double what it was in 2018. that's astounding in and of itself. what does this say about what we're going to see play out in georgia over the next couple of weeks? >> reporter: that's right. this is record breaking midterm turnout here in georgia on the first day of early voting. it was almost double what it was in 2018, and just a few thousand votes lower than what it was in 2020, which is the presidential election year, and since then we've seen some updated numbers come in. it is now upwards of 172,000 in terms of the early vote numbers. what does this all mean? i met earlier today, sat down with a prominent republican who's aligned with herschel walker and he said that this is a real wake-up call for republicans for the simple reason historically we've seen early voters are predominantly democrats. this shows what we've expected in the data, what we've seen in the data for some time.

2022 is shaping up to be an unusual midterm year. usually the president's party is demobilized and the party out of power is mobilized. this walker adviser shows republicans need to get their act together to turn out as many of their base voters as possible. you know, who we know are predominantly election day voters. in that senate race, walker the republican challenging raphael warnock, the democrat, it still needs to win those independents, those center right voters, those soft republicans who are leaning in the polls towards worn ok warnock. it's brian kemp who leads democratic challenger stacey abrams in a rematch of 2018. abrams has struggled with that same group of independents. she's pulling out all the stops trying to mobilize democratic voters, trying to inspire the base with an aggressive agenda.

those early voting numbers look good for democrats at this moment, if history holds true, and early voters continue to be predominantly democrats. we are looking at a very high turnout election in georgia, which could be decisive once again as it was in 2020 in the battle for control of the senate. >> incredible numbers to see there so far from georgia. let's move to ohio, polls there, jesse, right, neck in neck in the senate race. last night, the final, the last debate between democrat tim ryan, republican j.d. vance as well. fiery to say the least. what are the strategies these two guys are using to pull in voters in these last weeks? >> obviously these two candidates disagree on a variety of policy positions. one thing they seem to agree on is painting each other as an extremist, tied to the fringes of their own parties. for j.d. vance it was trying to tie congressman tim ryan the democrat to speaker nancy pelosi repeatedly. for ryan that was tying vance to the likes of marjorie taylor

greene, the congresswoman who has made controversial remarks time and again. we saw this play out on multiple issues at one point over a debate on the great replacement theory, a racist theory tied to immigration. ryan accusing vance of being tied to racist elements in the conservative movement, and vance taking it personally and invoking his own biracial children and how they are impacted negatively with hateful responses from people when that kind of thing is brought up. another time that this idea of extremism came up was around january 6th. vance making clear that he doesn't stand for violence, including at the u.s. capitol in the context of january 6th, but also saying that he thinks that democrats and the media want to focus on an issue like that instead of focusing on kitchen table issues. ryan threw it back at him saying we can walk and chew gum at the same time in this country. here's part of what he said. >> i want to talk about jobs. i want to talk about wages. i want to talk about pensions. i want to talk about making sure that people have, you know,

dignity, but my god, you got to look into it, j.d. >> if you were half as good as a legislator as you pretend to be, youngstown wouldn't have lost 50,000 jobs, and those steel workers would not be coming up to me telling me you failed them. >> reporter: and that's the other piece of strategy for the republican j.d. vance is to make the argument that tim ryan has had about two decades in congress including representing the district that this city, youngstown is a part of for, again, 20 years roughly. ryan will counter that by saying he has changes made in legislation, he has voted for and as someone who can work across the aisle. it certainly has the attention of national leadership and political parties, not just people here in ohio. >> so from what looks to be a pretty cold day in ohio, i've got to say let's head to sunny florida where we find shaq. let's talk about what you have ahead tonight. the one and only debate between marco rubio, val demingsings

also expecting that to be fairly fiery. what are you watching for? >> reporter: watching how these two candidates respond to attacks. this is a sleeper race in florida. much of the attention has been focused on the gubernatorial election, but you look at this margin, you look at average of polling, and here in florida, it's the senate race that is closer than many people expect in this increasingly conservative state. so one thing that you're getting from the campaigns, that we're hearing from the campaigns is their candidates are ready to fend off some of those attacks we've been hearing about. for demings, that means she's likely going to have to respond to the idea she's going to be a rubber stamp for democrats in congress. she's contributed to inflation, but that she supports defunding the police. you can expect her to bring up her background as a former police chief in the city of orlando. for marco rubio, you'll have to hear him fend off attacks on the issue of abortion, he's for a national abortion ban without any exceptions or the idea that

he's been somewhat of an absentee senator based on the votes that he's missed in congress. you'll hear him talk about some of his bipartisan accomplishments, even legislation signed by the president targeted at veterans. so you're going to hear these candidates respond to those attacks that have been flying. there have been a lot of money -- or there has been a lot of money spent in this race, a lot of people are interested and invested in this race, and now it's their opportunity. their one and only opportunity of this campaign to address those criticisms head on. >> three states to be watching, absolutely from now until november. shack brewster, sahil kapur, jesse kirsch, thank you all, appreciate it. russia's ramping up drone strikes against ukraine targeting critical power stations just in time for winter. our team's got the latest on the ground. up first, an nbc news exclusive, how the white house could respond to saudi arabia after opec made that huge cut in oil production. we are live in the pentagon coming up next. ming up next time. it's life's most precious commodity, especially when you have metastatic breast cancer.

when your time is threatened, it's hard to invest in your future. until now. kisqali is helping women live longer than ever before when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant... in hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's proven to delay disease progression. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain... a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills, or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. your future is ahead of you, so it's time to make the most of it with kisqali. because when you invest in yourself, everyone gets the best of you. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (vo) with their verizon private 5g network, associated british ports can now ♪ ♪ precisely orchestrate nearly 600,000 vehicles passing through their uk port every year. don't just connect your business. right on time. make it even smarter. we call this enterprise intelligence.

cotton candy. pink lemonade. bubble gum. when tobacco companies sell candy flavored products, they know exactly what they're doing because four out of five kids who use tobacco start with a flavored product. and once they're hooked, they can be addicted for life. this election: we can stop big tobacco's dirty trick.

voting yes on prop 31 will end the sale of candy flavored tobacco products. saving kids from nicotine addiction. vote yes on 31. welcome back, everybody. we are back with exclusive reporting, the biden administration weighing new ways to punish saudi arabia using american businesses.

sources saying after the decision from opec nations led by saudi arabia to slash global oil production. it is coming less than a week before the royal family hosts its annual investor summit, sometimes called davos in the desert, which will attract leaders of many top u.s. companies. nbc news pent gone correspondent courtney kube broke the story for us and is joining us now. this is fascinating stuff. i'm wondering what the sell is really on the part of the biden administration and how do you balance the geopolitical implications of doing something like this. >> reporter: balance is the keyword here, what the biden administration is trying to do, they are furious about the decision led by saudi arabia to decrease production at that recent opec meeting. the biden administration has made no secret about that anger. the question is what can they do that is enough to squeeze the saudis without actually fracturing the relationship. so now a number of administration officials and

former officials who are our colleague carol lee and i have spoken with say they are looking at options like the one we laid out in the story. that includes trying to discourage american businesses with doing business with the saudi government, particularly in riyadh. this rule that the saudi government is instituting in the next year or so, it says that some companies have to have their regional headquarters in riyadh if they want to have some lucrative saudi government contracts. this is a huge draw for companies who may have their locations, their headquarters in places like dubai mainly because it's a more pleasant place for some of their -- the people to live, their families to live than necessarily it would be in riyadh. the biden administration has not started doing this, according to a spokesperson for the nfc, but it's something that's under consideration according to the officials you spoke with. you mentioned davos in the desert. in addition to the fact that they're looking at this, the the

u.s. is not planning to send any senior u.s. officials to that annual gathering. another thing that is a big point of pride for mohammed bin salman, mbs, the head of the saudi government, that is his investment in that country, investment in riyadh, not sending a u.s. delegation to the davos in the desert, that's a big blow to mbs. >> it's going to be interesting to watch this, especially the implications this is having on the u.s. economy here and rising gas prices. courtney kube live at the pentagon. good to see you. let's get to another story we're following, specifically ukraine, another wave of russian missile and drone strikes. president zelenskyy saying 30% of ukraine's power plants have been destroyed just in the last week causing rolling blackouts across the entire country just as the first chill of winter is setting in. these attacks, they were carried out in part using iranian made

drone, ukraine saying they have terrorized civilians far from the front lines including in the capitol city of kyiv. nbc news correspondent cal perry is there on the ground for us and joining us. cal, good to see you as always. talk to me, we are now hearing a commitment from iran saying they're going to provide more of these weapons for moscow specifically. you have the capital city of kyiv feeling fairly safe from attacks, now no longer. you have power grids, power structures being the target of many of these attacks as well. how are people feeling on the ground? >> well, look, i think you can start to see what the russians here are doing, what their plan is here, their plan is to wring the front lines here to kyiv, and they've done so. three of the past five days this city has woken up to the sound of explosions. this is a city that is tired. this is a city that is weary, and this is a city that is fearing things on two fronts, the immediate fear being the drones and rockets that you see

doing extensive damage across the city, three people dead today. eight dead over the course of 24 hours, a dozen across the country. it's getting cold here. the power is out behind me, partly by choice, partly because of these rolling blackouts, and again, this is the russian play book. make they're not just doing it here. when we talk about energy infrastructure, we should talk about the nuclear power plant in zaporizhzhia where the russians are occupying the nuclear power plant. we spoke to officials who talked about torture and killings inside that plant in the city of dnipro, you have power plants there that are under occupation. so i think the fear is growing here amongst government officials who tell us, look, we are afraid that russia is going to divert the power to russia, cut it off here, and we should be honest. that could be a game changer here. >> are they worried, cal, about international aid being cut off, that it won't go on forever?

>> yeah, of course, and when you talk to government officials here, they're very aware of that. they're watching the u.s. elections very closely. i think there's a concern here not just about the politics of it, but the economics of it, right? europe, for example, energy prices up 800% year-over-year. there's a certain knowledge base that that's what's going on. officials here are looking to play the long game. they have to keep their eye on short-term battlefield gains. >> good to see you. a french company has pled guilty to paying isis millions of dollars for protecting its plant in syria. according to the department of justice, the cement company lafarj paid the terrorist organization up to $10 million from 2013 to the end of 2014. this is now the first time a company has been charged in the united states with providing material support to a terrorist organization. lafarge released this statement saying in part this, we deeply

regret that this conduct occurred and have worked with the u.s. department of justice to resolve this matter. joining me now is nbc news investigative correspondent, you think about 2013 and 2014 and what isis was involved with, beheading, kidnapping innocent civilians. killing people every single day. what is lafarge going to face now? >> they're going to face a $95 million fine and then essentially a pulling back of the profits and what will they put into the plant, all told approximately $770 million, yasmin. it's a steep penalty, but as you said, looking back at what was going on in syria at the time with isis and what they're accused of doing here, essentially starting out with paying on a per cement truck basis, isis to let their trucks go, and then from there it grew into actually isis on isis letterhead with placards providing a notice for people to put inside of their cars saying, hey, i work for lafarge and i'm

somebody who should be allowed through and isis guarantee it is. when you look at the charges, it's pretty significant. this is a company that has a presence in the united states. they were one of the cement providers for the 9/11 memorial, for the world trade center, for several other major infrastructure projects here in new york city. it was a couple of different things. the executives talked about it in their emails, essentially saying, look, if we pay isis for some of the raw materials with the quarries they've taken over, and pay them for interimmediate -- intermediaies and we look at how much profit in producing this cement, could we share in the cake, basically the profits of this with isis. al news ra is also alleged to have received payments for security as well. no longer in business is this plant in syria and all of the executives involved have since

been let go by the company, which acknowledged their behavior today and has told the justice department and they've agreed that they put in steps to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. >> those are some startling details. tom winter, thank you. coming up next, everybody. growing concerns about an iranian climber who's heading home after she competed without a hijab as protests stretch into the fifth straight week in iran. we have the latest details after the break. latest details after e thbreak. ♪ what will you do? ♪ what will you change? ♪ will you make something better? ♪ will you create something entirely new? ♪ our dell technologies advisors provide you with the tools and expertise you need to do incredible things. because we believe there's an innovator in all of us. it's the subway series menu.

12 irresistible subs. the most epic sandwich roster ever created. ♪♪ it's subway's biggest refresh yet! at humana we believe your healthcare should evolve with you and part of that evolution means choosing the right medicare plan for you. humana can help. with original medicare you are covered for hospital stays and doctor office visits but you'll have to pay a deductible for each. a medicare supplement plan can cover your deductibles and coinsurance but you may pay higher premiums and still not get prescription drug coverage. but with an all-in-one humana medicare advantage plan you could get all that coverage plus part d prescription drug benefits. with no copays or deductibles on tier 1 prescriptions. you get all this coverage for as low as a zero-dollar monthly plan premium in many areas. humana has a large network of doctors and hospitals. so call

or go online today and get your free decision guide. discover how an all-in-one humana medicare advantage plan could save you money. humana, a more human way to healthcare. vo: it's a new day. because covid vaccines just got a big update. just in time for everyone who works. with other people. just in time for... ...more togetherness. just in time to say “oh, you bet we'll be there!”

because the updated vaccines can now protect against both the original covid virus and omicron. and that's a moment... we've all been waiting for. red loved visiting grandma's house. and after saving big at amazon, she was ready for those... uninvited guests. [growling] shop legendary deals at amazon. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor will help you create a comprehensive wealth plan for your full financial picture. with the right balance of risk and reward. so you can enjoy more of...this. this is the planning effect. (vo) at viking, we are proud to have been named the world's number

so you can enjoy more of...this. one for both rivers and oceans by travel and leisure, as well as condé nast traveler. but it is now time for us to work even harder, searching for meaningful experiences and new adventures for you to embark upon. they say when you reach the top, there's only one way to go. we say, that way is onwards. viking. exploring the world in comfort. welcome back. an iranian rock climber is facing an uncertain future after a controversial gesture at a competition in south carolina. she made international headlines for competing without a hijab which is required of female iranian athletes. a post said the head scarf inadvertently came off. we do not know under what

circumstances she made that post. human rights activists fear for her safety. the hijab has become a potent symbol of that unrest which began after a 22-year-old woman died three days after being arrested by the so-called morality police. now women there are seen burning their hijabs in the street, a remarkable act of defiance with potentially deadly consequences. a new article highlighting how iranian americans in the fashion industry feel watching these signs from afar. one designer saying this, it it is not surprising the iranian women are the catalysts. they are the silent backbone of their society. this regime knows that the only way to survive is to break their spirit through humiliation and violence. the spirit of the iranian women cannot be broken. >> mark, it was a beautiful piece and thank you so much for joining us on this. >> thank you. >> what stood out to me about your piece is how remarkable iranian women are through all of

this, right? their power and their courage knowing that the consequences of them going into the streets without their head scaves on five weeks in could be death. >> i mean, i'm really not surprised that the women of iran are going to be the change makers of iran. when you look at the history of iran and how women were empowered certainly before the islamic revolution, it's just incredible that they have maintained spirit after 43 years of oppression and they're coming out now so strongly. >> what is it like for you specifically and then we'll talk more about your piece as an iranian american watching these things unfold in this country, you were not born in. >> i was not born in. >> but certainly you are connected to culturally, myself adds an iranian american as well. incredibly emotional to watch this take place. >> iranian culture is a very strong and beautiful culture. in our home we spoke far psy, we had all the traditions. it was always something that really defined our identity. watching what's happening in

iran now is just, it's a combination of horror and hope. and i keep going back and forth. it's like a tug of war between horror and hope. some of those images coming out of the streets from tehran, other cities are so frightening, and then you see the strength of the people and the courage and the sort of defiance of people, and you think these women are going to change iran. they're going to be the future of iran. >> are you also scared, though, to have hope that change may be coming? >> well, as someone who wasn't born in iran, who's not really connected to people on the ground in iran, i think it's very frightening to think there's going to be a vacuum, a political vacuum, who's going to be there when that regime collapses and that's a scary thought. >> who in fact would lead them to the next part of their leadership. i want to talk specifically about your piece, right? and you profiled and talked to

so many iranian american designers here and their thoughts on their inspirations of iranian women, what they take away from their own culture, but also about what's going on overseas. what stood out to you. >> what's interesting to me is one of our designers said something to the effect of as a designer we want women to be able to choose how they dress, and that right is not given to the women of iran, so we all collectively as an industry should be louder and amplifying the voices of the women in iran. >> do you think americans doing enough, the general american public, people that have a voice, people that have a platform to support the women of iran? >> i think there needs to be much more being done on behalf of the women of iran, on behalf of all iranians sort of fighting this fight to change the regime, to get the rights we're all invested in, yeah. >> what can be done? >> you can't write a check. that's not how you're going to help the people of iran. you have to amplify their voices. social media is a very powerful

tool, and i think what's really important is to seek out the voices coming in from iran and really amplifying them so the people know and have that awareness. >> you and i spoke about some of the videos about the courageousness of so many of these women. we talked about about the three young girls we saw walking across the street with their head scarves off, the courage it takes for an 8, 9 the, 10-year-old girl to be able to do that, the support they must have at home in taking that step. >> i think it's sort of a double-edged sword. there's so much courage and strength, but there's also a sense of hopelessness, it's like they've reached everything. they have so much hope for their futures and it's being taken away from them. they're ready to fight. >> they're ready to fight and what do they have left to lose. >> exactly. >> to a certain extent. it's a beautiful piece, if any of you have an opportunity to read it, you should. thank you so much. >> thank you for having me. still ahead, third-party

candidates could shake up the midterms in 21 days with some conservatives running outside the republican party to distance themselves from former president trump. we're going to dig into the waves that effort could make coming up next. >> it's important to look at the reality of the races that we're running. >> independents choose to do it the hard way. so naturally, we doubled down with a new puppy. thankfully, we also have new tide ultra-oxi with odor eliminators. between stains and odors, it can handle double trouble. for the #1 stain fighter and odor remover, it's got to be tide. (vo the new iphone 14 pro is here. and right now business owners can get it on us at t-mobile. for the #1 stain fighter and odor remover, apple business essentials with apple care+ is included so you can easily manage your team's devices, here, and here. all on the network with more 5g coverage. it's the ultimate business trifecta, with the new iphone 14 pro on us.

only from t-mobile for business. research shows that people remember ads with young people having a good time. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's a pool party. look what i brought! liberty mutual! they customize your home insurance... so you only pay for what you need! ♪young people having a good time with insurance.♪ ♪young people.♪ ♪good times.♪ ♪insurance!♪ only pay for what you need. ♪liberty liberty. liberty. liberty.♪ two new ihop lunch and dinner menu items for twice the goodness, twice the flavor, and twice the choice. sirloin salisbury steak and all-natural salmon. perfect for lunch or dinner. only at ihop. download the app and earn free food with every purchase.

the first time you connected your website and your store was also the first time you realized... we can do anything. cheesecake cookies? [together] the chookie! manage all your sales from one place with a partner

that always puts you first. godaddy. tools and support for every small business first. there's a different way to treat hiv. it's every-other-month, injectable cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by my healthcare provider, every other month. it's one less thing to think about while traveling. hiv pills aren't on my mind. a quick change in my plans is no big deal. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments.

every other month, and i'm good to go. ask your doctor about every-other-month cabenuva. all right, with razor thin margins in some closely watched races for governor and senate, some are fighting back against trumpism and that could make a real difference for the gop. ali spoke with some of those candidates who are running outside of the republican party and may be on a path to political victory. joining me now is ali. we have seen this before. jeff flake as an example of folks left the trump orbit. didn't necessarily bode well for them though. these guys however seem to be on somewhat of a different path. walk us through it. in the case of mcmullan who's running in utah, he's doing so as an independent candidate just

as he did in 2016. in some ways with a goal of giving utah voters simply a non-trump option. but in the cases of the independents that i'm about to show you, they could be big surprises on election night and go against the conventional wisdom. watch. >> i'm not going to washington if we prevail to be a boot licker for donald trump for joe biden. >> he isn't kidding himself. >> i think party still does matter. >> he's just hoping utah voters can put it aside. at least for now. >> i don't care what your party affiliation is. who you voted for in the last election. if you are committed to our core ideals as a country. >> his long shot bid against mike lee is as much as utah as it is about the future of the republican party. one he used to call himself a part of. >> there's no going home to donald trump for true conservatives. >> in 2016, he ran as an independent for that reason.

and lee, his now opponent, actually voted for him then. but times have changed. >> are you ready to stand with me and millions and millions of others who want four more years? >> unlike most third party candidates, he's in a one-on-one race. democrats staying out of it. >> i think it's important to look at the reality. the democrat was not going to win the utah senate race. >> it comes as 39% of americans say they're disillusioned with the two party system that never the less still reigns supreme. not unusual for independent candidates running in a political landscape so often cast in red versus blue and mcmullan's not the only one trying to upend the political status quo. betsy johnson is running as an independent. it is now a toss up in large part because of johnson.

>> i'm not a d, an r. i'm on o. i'm responsible to oregonians. i believe in a woman's right to bear arms and to bear children when she chooses. >> which is the point. >> independents choose to do it the hard way. the two parties come with their own base of support. their own base of money. >> but that's also been enough to turn some away. in missouri, conservative john wood briefly entertained a bid for senate to ensure a controversial republican didn't win the seat. when brightens lost the primary, he dropped out and liz cheney also toying with an independent bid. this one for president. >> i certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure donald trump isn't anywhere close to the oval office. >> this is a political realignment. >> even if they don't stay

outside the parties forever. is it a temporary realignment for you? >> it's hard to look beyond november, to be honest. i don't know where i'll be from a party affiliation perspective ten years from now. i just have no idea. >> and we've often talked about the political realignment happening within the republican party so fascinating to get to talk with him about that. but also if you want to see the real ramifications of these kinds of well funded, doing well independent candidates, look no further than the way president biden spent part of his weekend campaigning in oregon, one where the democrat is now struggling because ths a three-way race because of a well funded independent. >> good point. a lot of folks were scratching their heads wondering why he's in a state like oregon and you just put it there. thank you so much. and thank you for watching this

hour of msnbc. deadline white house starts right after a very quick break. right after a very quick break (bridget vo) with thyroid eye disease... i hid from the camera. and i wanted to hide from the world. for years, i thought my t.e.d was beyond help... ...but then i asked my doctor about tepezza. (vo) tepezza is the only medicine that treats t.e.d. at the source not just the symptoms. in a clinical study, more than 8 out of 10 patients taking tepezza had less eye bulging. tepezza is an infusion. patients taking tepezza may have infusion reactions. tell your doctor right away if you experience high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath or muscle pain. before getting tepezza, tell your doctor if you have diabetes, ibd, or are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. tepezza may raise blood sugar even if you don't have diabetes. and may worsen ibd such as crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. (bridget) now, i'm ready to be seen again. (vo) visit mytepezza.com to find a t.e.d. eye specialist

and to see bridget's before and after photos. (vo) with their verizon private 5g network, associated british ports can now precisely orchestrate nearly 600,000 vehicles passing through their uk port every year. don't just connect your business. right on time. make it even smarter. we call this enterprise intelligence. ♪♪ subway's drafting 12 new subs for the all-new subway series menu the new monster has juicy steak and crispy bacon. but what about the new boss? it looks so good it makes me hangry!

settle down there, big guy the new subway series. what's your pick?

it's 4:00 in new york. the panel tasked with the insurrection is likely to issue a subpoena tomorrow to the man