hello. we are live in our nation's capital. this is a whole new hour of msnbc. today a dual, -- battles are playing out here in washington, d.c.. president biden is talking about the controversy surrounding his classified documents. he says, quote, he has no regrets. at the same time, and economic crisis is threatening to send us off a cliff. the u.s. hit the debt limit. the department began enacting, quote, extraordinary measures

to pay the bills. they will need to reach a deal with the new house republican majority by early june. otherwise, the u.s. will default on debt payments for the first time ever. at the white house yesterday, president kateri discussed a potential meeting between the president and speaker mccarthy. >> the president is looking forward to meeting with speaker mccarthy. we have been very clear about where we stand when it comes to the debt ceiling. i have been clear, the president has been clear. it should not be used as a political football. >> we have nbc news correspondent standing by for us. julie, what more can you tell us about this debt ceiling flight? >> -- they immediately responded on twitter to that invitation. president biden, i accept your invitation to sit in and

discuss the irresponsible government spending. i'm told no official meeting date or time has been set. this is for the continued public back and forth between mccarthy in president biden. we will sit down, we will negotiate, we will talk. as you heard him say there, the white house said that they are not gonna negotiate over the debt ceiling. that is something that has been increased nearly 100 times since world war ii on a bipartisan basis. even in 2021. we can't play politics. there is all of the spending the democrats were doing. there is the debt ceiling increase that needs to happen over the summer. it will invalid -- congress has already approved it. this is what the treasury department needs to fund. the money has been appropriated through partisan bills, covid relief bills. there is the package that just passed in december. all of these issues are coming

to a boiling point. you know will that that lines are not really respected until we get closer to them. i cannot see much happening here in the next few months until we get closer to the possible looming deadline sometime in the summer. once again, kevin mccarthy is up against a very slim majority in order to win the gavel. he made those concessions to some deficit hawks in his own party. they made it clear there should be no debt ceiling increase without cuts to future spending. >> there's a lot going on the hill with the debt ceiling. you are in delaware where president biden is hanging out for the weekend. tell us a little bit about his thinking when it comes to the controversy over his handling of classified documents. he spoke out. i wonder what the decision for him to do that. >> i am sure that you were keeping track as much as i was. look at how many days in a row president biden had ignored reporters questions about classified documents and their

discoveries. both at the center in washington, d.c., and at his wellington, delaware home. he was touring storm damage in california. he gave some brief remarks. he finally address this. take a listen to what he had to say. >> we are fully cooperating. we are looking forward to getting this resolved quickly. i think that you are going to find that there is nothing there. i have no regrets. >> the president downplayed the backlash in the wake of these discoveries. essentially saying that his team did everything right. immediately telling the justice department and the national archives about these discoveries. that was a soon as they were made. it was obvious that president biden was being very careful to stick to the worries and had been preparing for him on that piece of paper there. there is the simple fact that he did react to this. it is really a confirmation of what sources have been telling us. president biden's pressure with a backlash in the wake of all of this. there is the white house response to all of this. also with the sloppiness of his former staffers back when he

was the vice president. they had packed these classified materials into these classes. they eventually ended up at the center and his wilmington home. president biden addressed this. but there are still so many questions that reporters have for the white house. the biggest of them is, why didn't the white house, as soon as they learned of these various discoveries, why did they not immediately tell the american people? there is still so much to learn as a story only continue to develop. >> there are really so many unanswered question. thank you so much. >> joining me now is a democratic pollster an msnbc political analyst. back with us here. this is the adviser to the lincoln project. this is the author of it was all a lie, how the republican party became donald trump's. i want to start with you. we talk about how your children are doing. i want to talk about how speaker mccarthy's.

there is the fact that he has put himself in this position. >> my kids are doing a lot better than speaker mccarthy. he has made his bed. he is dealing with a horrible situation right now. innocence, he's stripping away all of the powers that he would have had an exchange to get that gavel. right now, he understands better than anybody that he is a political opportunity list. he is between a rock and a hard place. if, god forbid, the united states ends up with a default, this is not only gonna be on speaker mccarthy, it is gonna be on the house republican. by extension, the republican party. that is why the attitude of the administration, the senate democrats, and the democratic party, it is the correct one. they need to lay a clear lens and as they have done. we are not gonna negotiate or be held hostage. there is this catastrophe from house republicans. they will dominate 6 million

jobs and evaporate 15 show you dollars of wealth. >> those are conservative estimates. they break the did ceiling. the years republicans keynoting gauge. under donald trump, the deficit grew by 25%. at the same time, they voted a few times. it is not gonna work. as long as they make that message and stick to the disappoint attitude, they are gonna come out on the right side. at the end of the day, i don't think that the debt ceiling will be breached. >> stuart, what he is talking about is the high stakes. he also mentioned former president trump. i want to play a little bit of sound from former president trump and the senate minority leader. take a listen. >> under no circumstances should republicans vote to cut a single penny from medicare or social security.

>> the important thing to remember is that america must never default on its debt. they never have aaron never will. >> what do you make of what republicans outside of the house are saying about this debt ceiling? >> look, this is not theoretical. in the united states, the dollar is the default currency in the world. if we default on our debt, this would be a disaster. it is a simple test here. how did vladimir putin like the republicans to vote? there is nothing that would make him more happy than the united defaulting on its debt. it is really just an absurdity. we should not have a debt ceiling. there's really no purpose to it. it is not about spending. people confuse the debt ceiling with the spending ceiling. as you point out, this is about money that has already been spent. look, i don't think that this

is a winning thing for republicans. the people that they are gonna put out there, the ones that are gonna talk about this, these are people who are small political figures. ultimately, with these kind of things, the thinker person out there, the bigger argument, that is what usually carries the day. >> talk about negotiations. ferdinand, i want to ask you about the joe that has power in d.c.. not joe biden, joe manchin. he is expressed some interest negotiating with republicans. other democrats said that they do not want to do that. that includes president biden. what do you make of that stance? >> look, i think that you have to look at this through a political prism. it is probably a little bit performative. he is up for reelection in 2024. this is a state with no democrat. look at the numbers. they should not really be carrying this statewide. i think he is gonna go through these steps and motions just to

show himself as an honest broker. he will sit and hear the other side out. make no mistake, he is exactly like mitch mcconnell. he knows the catastrophic economic ruin that would happen if we don't get this that ceiling problem resolved. not just for the united states, but the global impact as well. he may sit down and have a few meetings. at the end of the day, he's gonna align himself with mitch mcconnell and joe biden. he will blame the euas extremists in any caucus if they insist on taking this nation to the kamikaze choice. >> stuart, i want to ask you another question. this pastor do with the classified documents and the controversy there. how big of a political mess do you think this could be for president biden? >> look, i think these things always go to a larger questions. what does this say about the person? how did they respond to it. it is not always about the crisis. it is about how you respond to it. president biden seems to have gone exactly what he was supposed to do here.

i think that is pretty much all you can ask. clearly, they should not have happened. i wish it had not happened. it is about how you deal with it. donald trump, this just goes to the larger reality of donald trump. he is a pathological liar. he doesn't care about the united states. he doesn't>> this is a direct la guy who takes documents. he seems to account deliberately. he lies about it. he conspired to overthrow the government of the united states. that is a very different person than joe biden. i don't think that this is going to hurt president biden. at the end of the day, politicians, people are pretty good at understanding who politicians really are. i think they saw that in 2020. i think they will see it in 24. trump will end up running against biden again. >> here is another question to you, how big of a problem could this be for president biden? >> let's be clear, i think that stewart is exactly right. it is about how you handle the situation. i think that is a fair

criticism of the biden administration. they share not have waited to get this information out. if there's any thing for them to be criticized on, it is why they are taking a defensive stance here. like they say, the president should go on on offense. if need be, address the nation. he can explain meticulous detail what happened, how it was discovered, how they volunteered. the documents needed to be brought to the intention of the justice department. they are cooperating. use that speech or address to draw a contrast with the criminal, premeditated, and deliberate actions of what president trump has done when it comes to this document snafu. asked ewertz a, as if the american people can understand and ct balance of what took place, they are going to sign with the lawful actions of joe biden every time. it is only in this defensive posture -- i would embrace it. tackle it head on. don't be scared.

i he should not be afraid of this. >> we will see if he takes some of that advice. thank you so much for spending some time with us. >> coming up, a shocking story out of mexico. a former republican state house candidate is currently in jail for conspiring to shoot democratic lawmakers. we will talk about that case in the rise of political violence across the country. that is next. ntry that is next ♪ music (“i swear”) plays ♪ jaycee tried gain flings for the first time

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court hearing. he is currently being held without bond. he was arrested on multiple charges after being accused of orchestrating a string of shootings. they targeted for democratic lawmakers in albuquerque. nobody was hurt in the shooting. he did not enter a plea during his first court appearance on wednesday. police say that the election

denier plot of the shootings just a month after losing the race for the new mexico state of siege. there is growing political violence in the country. to me right now is the end msnbc legal analyst. the former u.s. attorney at michigan. the law professor at the university of michigan law. also with us, charles coleman junior. he is an msnbc legal analyst, civil rights attorney, and host of his podcast. barbara, the capital pleas is saying that something like 7500 threats were made against lawmakers. you have this happening in michigan. the governor. shouldn't will be being done here? >> i fear that it is. for a century is, we have to hug safety from political violence in the united states. it regional they're countries around the world. we look at them. we really looked down on them. there is a superior grant brand of government.

-- they disagree in courts and at the ballot box. we see people taking the law into their own hands. there is also their families. it prevents good people from seeking office. even if they themselves have courage want to see sacrifice to make the office. i feel like they won't have a putting their family at risk. governor whitmer recently announced his husband is closing up his dental practice a ears earlier than he planned to retire. although she gets a protective detail, he doesn't. he received death threats to himself and his patients. he is deciding to close up shop. that is a high price to pay for public service. i worry that it is going to target people from serving a elected leaders. >> yes. it is heartbreaking. somebody has to wrap up their dental practice. barbara, i want to stay with

you. what responsibility do you think political parties, mainly republicans, what responsibility do they have cab to call this out? >> i think that there are a couple of ways to reduce violence. you want to stop it from happening in the first place. when you have people stoking violence, you might not know who, when, why. but you know that someone is going to take the bait. there's actually a term for that and terrorism. that is when somebody issues -- they say horrific things about a target. you know that other people are going to be mobilized to attack. that is called radicalization. when you say things about a political opponent, there is often someone out there, maybe someone who is on hand. they will take the bait. for example, when donald trump talked about how the fbi may have planted evidence in his mar-a-lago home when they conducted a search. there was a man in cincinnati, ohio where those words and took it upon himself to go to the

fbi field office in his hometown with an assault rifle. he was killer later that day in a standoff. what we really need is for politicians to stop letting the views that has resulted in political violence. >> that is such a good reminder that this is really having real world consequences. charles, we have a number of election deniers who made it into congress. we also have charles solomon. he lost his raised by 48 points. you have to underscore 48 points. this is not at all a close election. he tweeted that he never conceded the race. he was researching his options. i was wonder what you would make of how much election denialism will be a part of what is happening. it is going continue to grow, grow, grow. even when races are not close. >> i do believe what you have learned is that election deniers might not have the heyday that they did. we saw them across the country.

the reason i think that matters because of the overwhelming message from the american public. they're basically saying, listen, we believe in free and fair elections. we believe in democracy. i don't necessarily know this going to be a trend. >> we may have been worried about this going into midterm elections. if that is any indication. i do think that what barbara said, she used the word radicalization. i think that was a big important point. we also to be mindful of the fact that not just different politicians, but also different media platforms allowed these false equivalency's tell linger long enough. -- this has been the result. >> i want to stick with you for a minute. there is also an investigation.

>> the albuquerque pd says they are located in into campaign finds that may have been connected to drug trafficking. what could this mean for pena when you think about the potential prosecution? i think it makes thing easier. particularly because you are talking about some very serious charges that he is already facing. there were nefarious activities and how he may have gotten fond. it is not like the prosecutor's gonna find out additional information and somehow disregard that. these are two separate tracks are likely going to come together at some point. there is a legitimate basis to proceed with a prosecution regarding the campaign finance issues. this is something that should be of significant concern to him moving forward. especially if he knows that he has some shady dealings around

his own campaign. >> definitely important. solomon pena, he literally went to peoples doors. what can be done for the security for politicians? you have someone -- there coming to people's front doors after they lose. >> yes. we really need to look at the way that we invest in security. whether having security systems outside homes, there might be other things. natalie, the paul pelosi example is a good one. we need to take seriously the real peril that public officials aren't. >> definitely. thank you so much. >> coming up, tomorrow marks the landmark decision for roe v. wade. it was overturned.

they are trying new tactics to make changes at the state level. we explain that next to. stay with us. stay with us

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that supreme court justices were interviewed before the leaked abortion ruling. the stairs, day the court announced that after 100 interviews, officials have -- the lead created a media firestorm. apparently all of the justices cooperated fully with the process. none were implicated in the the. tomorrow marks 50 years since the 1973 looked roe v. wade stationed legalized abortion. activists will gather for the annual women's march for the first time since's supreme court overturned the ruling. half states have new abortion restrictions or all out bans. activists from both sides are

changing strategies. yesterday, antiabortion protesters were in washington, d.c. for the annual march for life. many focused on the fight for a federal abortion ban. abortion rights activists are shifting their focus to what is happening at the state level. that includes state and judicial elected elections. this is the co-chair of american bridge, former president of the planned parenthood federation of america. thank you so much for being here. i'm wondering if you can talk to me about what you make of abortion rights activists, supporters of abortion rights. they have a focus on judicial elections and state laws in this battleground. >> we have to do both, try? we have to actually pass laws at the state level. now, as you just show, this is a state by state issue. we have 17 states that have banned abortion. there's the danger to women and what is happening. stories are coming out every day. we also have to make sure that this is a federal right. it should not depend on your

zip code or your circumstances, whether or not you can make your own decisions about pregnancy. that is sort of where we are. i think that it is important to point out that even though in the last election, the midterm election, it was clear in the american people are against these abortion bans. and we had some initiatives in six different states. that includes conservatives gates like kansas and kentucky. overwhelmingly, people rejected these bands. the republican party is still committed to trying to pass more legislation. that includes a federal abortion ban that lindsey graham introduced just last session. the risks are great for women everywhere. >> you bring up that. you know more than almost anyone, what this fight looks like on the ground. you think there is any chance that a federal ban might go into effect? we know the democrats are in the white house in the senate. down the line, and a couple of years, could that possibly be

something that happens? >> absolutely. the only thing standing between women in a total abortion man is having a democratic president. right now, a democratic senate. our rights should not rely on an election, election by-election. that is not how we should be living in this country. it is terrifying. the republicans of a very narrow margin in the house of representatives. they have chosen to spend their time passing further restrictions on abortion. that is frightening. i'm down here in louisiana. i know that you've spent a lot of time on the road. you see what is happening. women are terrified in these states. even in states where there are exceptions for the health of the life of the mother. there are fetal issues. when in cancun abortion access. a big story in the new york times today says exactly that. this is a terrifying time for women. it is time to redouble efforts to make sure that anyone can make their own decisions about their pregnancy.

>> in talking about redoubling efforts, i want to play some sound about what antiabortion protesters are saying. let's take a listen. >> the march began as a response to roe. we don't and as a response to roe being overturned. why? we are not yet done. >> everything that happened before road, that was just the preseason. we always envision this day when it would happen. not if roby reversed, but when. think that our work is done, well, our work just begun. >> our work just begun. what do you make of how the antiabortion movement is changing and focusing on new things? >> this is what we expected, right? when the supreme court said this was somehow going to be a state issue, that was only true as long as there is a democrat in the white house. and democratic congress.

the republicans are committed to ending abortion all across the country. you know, we think that some of these states are already restricted. we saw in the state of arkansas that republicans have now introduced legislation that would allow for the arrest of women who would intentionally miss carry. this is the kind of world that republicans want. women in doctors could be criminalized, put in jail. that is what we are seeing in the medical profession. doctors are afraid of taking care of women because of the fear of prosecution by the publicans of office. >> talking about fear, there are now antiabortion demonstrators who planned protests at pharmacies. they express their objection to the fda allowing the sale of abortion pills. i wonder what you make of the emotional impact of that. >> look, the whole purpose of the anti choice movement, their whole way of operation is to

threaten doctors, scare women. i saw that through all the years i was at planned parenthood. we just saw that in illinois. there was the bombing in the planned parenthood office there. that is what i worry about. i am from texas. the overwhelming sentiment you here in texas from health care providers and clinicians, it is one of fear. that is a state where they are not only protesting, but you know also have a bounty hunter system where you can turn anyone who helps a woman who is seeking access to safe and legal abortion. this is not the kind of country that people want and that voters demonstrate. the republicans did not listen. they are not listening. >> you talk about republicans. i want to ask you about what you make of democrats and how they are handling this. especially the biden administration. do you think they are doing enough? >> i think that the biden

administration is taking so many important steps to ensure access to medication abortion. that is now the most common form of abortion. it is a safe option for women across this country. there are only so many things that the federal government can do. that is why, it here first point, we have to be fighting this in state legislatures all across the country. republicans are completely focused on ending all safe and legal abortion everywhere, no matter where you live. >> well, conversation will continue to be having. thank you so much. >> yes. >> coming up, we will take you live on the ground in ukraine for the latest on russia's assault on the nation and weapons and some officials say could decide the course of the war. plus, we have the shocking announcement from new zealand's prime minister. it is why she is stepping down. there are still much more to come on the msnbc reports. keep it right here. ep it right here ha-ha-ha!

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possible distribution of weapons that ukrainian officials are saying could describe the war. this is during a meeting and ukrainian allies. western defense officials failed to reach a deal to send german battle tanks. meanwhile, it was reported that the cia director met secretly with ukrainian president zelenskyy. the washington post reports, quote, top of mind for zelenskyy and his senior intel event officials.

they want to know how long they could expect them to continue. that is following the takeover of the house. ukrainian aid is among part of the u.s. electric. joining me now is the msnbc news foreign correspondent. please, tell us, what is the latest on the ground in ukraine? >> there is an enormous amount of frustration here in ukraine. the western allies cannot seem to get a deal together to bring tanks into this country. ukrainian officials are sounding the alarm over and over again. vladimir putin's forces are regrouping. they are preparing for a new offensive. potentially in the coming weeks. we met yesterday with the head of the ukrainian national security and defense council. he showed me a digital map on his computer screen where he was following the fighting in bakhmut. that is the city all the way in the east. he was pointing to artillery strikes here, airstrikes there. he jabbed his finger at the

screen. he said that this is why we need tanks. the frustration is not just limited to the ukrainians. we have a delegation of three u.s. senators. we have democrats and republicans. they expressed frustration that this issue of tanks remains unresolved. i want you to take a listen to a little bit of what senator graham had to say. >> president zelenskyy said that we are not asking for charity. we are asking for an investment. here is what i will tell the american taxpayers in south carolina, the reason that i am asking you to help ukraine is because if we do not stop putin here, he will keep going. i am tired of the show surrounding who will send tanks, when they will send them. world order is at stake. >> you can see the that is some strong language there. he is actually standing in front of the wreckage of some

battle tanks. i asked him if he was concerned that the republican majority in the house would cut aid from ukraine. kevin mccarthy's said no war blank checks for the ukraine. senator graham says that he was not. richard blumenthal said they were not asking for a blank check, they were asking for a big check. >> i also want to ask you about the united states navy. they confirmed the death of a former navy seal that was fighting alongside ukrainian forces. what can you tell us about the incident any implications there? >> yes. this is a former u.s. navy seal, 's name is daniel swift. he was killed on wednesday of this week. he was a very decorated special forces operator. he served with the united states military all over the world. there is the odd wrinkle in the story. he was actually a deserter. that is according to the u.s. navy. he abandoned his post three

years ago. a navy says they cannot confirm the exact circumstances of his death in the eastern ukraine region. it appears that a large number of former american military personnel are fighting alongside ukrainian forces against the russian invasion. he is dead, his story has come to an end. one of the major concerns for american officials, what happens of one of these american citizens fighting alongside ukrainians is captured by the russians? that would give vladimir putin and the group a potentially major diplomatic chip to apply pressure to the united states. we have seen the way that russia prepared to use american citizens as hostages in their diplomacy. it makes a lot of people in washington very anxious to have these americans running around a nation ukraine. i mean? >> certainly a lot of anxiety. thank you so much from ukraine. this week, new zealand prime minister just under ardern took

many by surprise by announcing her resignation. nbc has more. >> new zealand's prime minister jacinda ardern had a surprising unemotional announcement. >> i am announcing that i will not be seeking reelection. >> leaving office lay eight months before the next election. >> six years of big challenges, i am human. politicians are human. we did all that we can for as long as we can. and then it is time. for me, it is time. >> a pioneer when elected. the year -- the world's youngest head of government. only the second to give birth in office. the first to go on maternity leave to spend time with her daughter. later bringing here to the u.n.. >> they have incrementally led the way to be able to make it possible for people to look upon my time and leadership. they think that they can do the job and be a mother. >> praise for banning assault weapons when a white gunman

targeted two mosques. speaking out against anti muslim hate. >> they have chosen to make new zealand their home. it is their home. they are on us. >> shutting down early when covid-19 hit. getting cases down to zero. the aggressive lockdown sparked backlash jeopardizing reelection. through it all, pushing back against gender stereotypes. >> a lot of you will be wondering, are you too meeting because you are similar in age? you have a lot of common stuff? >> just because two women meet, it is not simply because of gender. >> do you see this as a setback for new generations of younger female leaders? >> i see it as an affirmation of this new generation of younger leaders. she knows she will have many chapters in her life. >> she hopes her legacy will be that you can be kind and strong. you can know that it is time to go. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> great reporting by andrea mitchell. up next, the countdown to the

oscars. who will be among the nominees announced next week? we take a look at some possible contenders. that is next. that is next entrust your heart to entresto, a medicine specifically made for heart failure. entresto is the #1 heart failure brand prescribed by cardiologists. it was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. heart failure can change the structure of your heart, so it may not work as well. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. and just imagine where a healthier heart could take you. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. entrust you heart to entresto.

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nominations are set to be announced this coming tuesday. with over 300 films eligible for an oscar, there are a lot of contenders. joining us now is chris witherspoon. he is the ceo of pop viewers. he is an msnbc entertainment contributor. chris, thank you for being here. there is a lot of buzz about which films could be nominated. i wonder what you make of your predictions and what you think might be happening here. >> the key for having me. i am so excited. this is like my super bowl at this time of year. what is exciting about the best picture category is that a lot of the films are one of the people of actually seen. people didn't always see the films. a lot of these films did go to the box office. top gun maverick made over a billion dollars.

avatar just crossed the two billion dollar mark. elvis, everything everywhere all at once is also a star contender. as well as the banshee of in sharon. i think that the wildcard in this category could be wakanda forever. it has gotten a lot of bras and a lot of support for the best supporting actor, angela bass it. >> i remember when she became the for marvel after is to get a major award. i was cheering along. i also want to ask, what are your predictions for the nod for best actor and best actress? >> listen, for this category, i think that the clear front runner right now is austin butler. he did a great job starting as olive is any elvis presley biopic. he won a golden globe. he won over the hearts of so many people. there is the speech that he gave. we are speaking thinking of the pressley that passed away recently. there's also tom cruise and brennan fairways are.

>> wow. that's a lot of predictions there. i want to keep on going with a prediction energy. tell me a little bit of what you think of who could possibly be the best original song there. i do say that i love rihanna and taylor swift. there is also the weekend. he could possibly be up as well. >> yeah. this is going to be a great category. keep in mind that we normally see people perform. we will hopefully see these people take the stage. rihanna, her song is doing so well. a lot of buzz. hold my hand by lady gaga. carolina by taylor swift. nothing is lost by the weekend. i am most excited to see rihanna and lady gaga take to the stage. they always shut it down. >> i don't want to be biased, but rihanna is one of the people that i hope wins. i also want to ask you about this. there is will smith. there was so much controversy at the last academy awards. i wonder if you think he might

be nominated for his film, emancipation? >> listen, in that slot last year launched 1000 memes. it will still be the elephant in the room. jimmy kimmel, the host, he will probably bring this up. just so you know, will smith's ban from the oscar awards for ten years. he can still be nominated. he can't vote. but his film is a really great epic. it could be nominated. if he were to win, he could not take the award because he won't be there. >> that slap was heard around the world. remember being woken up by a white house official told me about the snap. it had nothing to do. it was that big of a deal. you brought up the jimmy kimmel is hosting for the third time. what do you think of that? >> listen, jimmy camel knows how to get people out when other tv is watching the show. this is what he does. it is his third time. i was hoping that we would have these people again. the ratings last year were

around 16 million. jimmy hosted in 2028. they were at 26 million. this is all about ratings. i think he will do a great job and strike that appropriate core. >> what are you looking most forward to when you think about the oscars? i look at the red carpet. there is all of the great speeches. what are you looking forward to? >> i think about the speeches. we have not seen angela good and oscar nominations since 1994. i want to see it depicted and giving a great speech. there's also viola davis. she missed the best actress category. i am rooting for her in a major way. she knows how to give a speech. i hope that she makes me cry. there's also the fashions. the fashions are always on point. you have to keep in mind that we have not seen our stars come together the past few years. it is good to see them back and being stars. shining as only they can. >> thank you. and looking for all the things

that you just mentioned. >> coming up tomorrow on the sunday show, we welcome award winning actress, producer, an activist. we will be discussing a growing number of anti-trans and anti-anti-lgbtq bills circulating across state legislatures. we watch this and msnbc.com. does it for me today. alex witt is up next. alex witt is up next ingles doesn't care. because no matter how healthy you feel, your risk of shingles sharply increases after age 50. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome

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msnbc headquarters in new york. welcome to alex witt reports. we begin with some breaking news. new confirmation today of a department of justice investigation. reportedly related to the nationwide baby formula shortage that we all remember. and specifically about abbott labs. joining me now is msnbc legal analyst and not a criminal defense attorney. as well as nbc's kathy clark. welcome to you both. i want to start with you here. what are you learning about this investigation? this is the country's largest baby formula maker. >> yeah. alex, this is some big news. the wall street journal was the first to report that the company is now under a criminal federal investigation. >>