good to be with you this monday morning. i'm lindsey reiser in new york.

historic, timely, brave. that's how ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy describes the surprise visit from president biden this morning. [ sirens ]. >> with air raid sirens blaring, on presidents day no less. a major morale boost days before the country marks a year since russia's invasion. president biden announcing another major military aid package, making it clear that despite domestic pressure to down size assistance, the u.s. support for ukraine is unwavering. >> freedom is priceless. it's worth fighting for for as long as it takes, and that's how long we're going to be with you, mr. president, for as long as it takes. >> as the president now embarks on another leg of the trip,

we're learning crucial new details about how this historic moment came together. more on that ahead, and how the kremlin is responding with the trip coming just days after the u.s. formally accused russia of creigh committing crimes of against humanity. prayers for former president jimmy carter, the oldest living president is in home hospice care. we're live in the hometown of plains, georgia, as the community rallies around him. back to campus under a very dark cloud. michigan state university students return to class today, one week after a mass shooting there left three students dead and five others injured. what we're hearing from students there this morning. >> we are going to begin overseas with this historic high-stakes visit to kyiv by president biden. starting us off, nbc news foreign correspondent erin mclaughlin in kyiv, josh lederman in warsaw, poland,

where the president is also set to visit. also joining us right now, clint watts is going to join us in a minute. i believe we also have peter baker, chief white house correspondent for "the new york times" and an msnbc contributor. josh, first let's go to you. we know the president has left kyiv. before today the white house also said that warsaw, poland, where you are was going to be the president's only stop on this trip. what can you tell us about how this all came together. >> >> reporter: well, this covert trip was shrouded in secrecy, lindsey, as these wartime visits often are. traveled several years ago with then vice president biden to iraq, a similar secretive mission as this one was today with the president leaving washington just after 4:00 a.m. on sunday under the cover of darkness, even as the white house put out a public schedule that suggested that the president would not be leaving until 7:00 p.m. as that public schedule came out, the president was already

half a world away making his way secretly to the region. the white house withholding the details of what method of transportation the president took into the country until he is safely out. they say they will be releasing that information in the coming days. we heard from white house deputy national security adviser john finer who said this trip was meticulously planned over months with the details kept very close hold to just a small handful of people. the president continuously updated about the security preparations, finally making the decision to go ahead with the trip during ang oval office huddle on friday. we are also learning that within hours of this trip, the white house informed the russians of the fact that president biden intended to go to kyiv. they say that was an attempt to do deconfliction, to make sure the russians knew where biden was going to be, and if they had

any plans to launch any attacks on ukraine or particularly kyiv during that time, they wanted the russians to know that biden was going to be there so they could call that off. it just speaks to the fact that this was a dangerous and risky mission as white house national security adviser jake sullivan told us, this was not without risk, but the president felt it was critical to take that risk to make this visit to show his steadfast support for ukraine as this war enters its second year, lindsey. >> erin, talk to us more about the energy during the president's visit, the mood on the ground when he arrived. also, talk to us about some of the additional assistance he promised ukraine. >> reporter: president zelenskyy calling the visit historic, timely and brave. that's a sentiment that has been echoed in any number of ukrainians i have been speaking to. it was a visit, as josh just pointed out, that was shrouded in secrecy and heavy security. large swaths of the city were

completely sealed off. the visit began at the presidential palace where president biden was greeted by president zelenskyy and the first lady ol layne nah zelenska. during that meeting he announced another $500 million package of aid for ukraine including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems and well as air surveillance radars. he also had this message. take a listen. >> one year later, kyiv stands and ukraine stands, democracy stands. america stands with you, and the world stands with you. >> reporter: from the presidential palace, they then made their way to st. michael's cathedral behind me, both presidents walking side-by-side with air raid alarms ringing in the distance.

they paid tribute to the memorial wall of fallen ukrainian soldiers behind me in a poignant and powerful moment, the two presidents embraced. from there president biden went to the embassy where he met with u.s. embassy staff before departing the capital. this is being seen by russian officials as a provocation, but by ukrainians as a powerful show of support and solidarity from the united states. lindsey. >> peter, i want to read some of your reporting on the president's visit. the first time in modern history a u.s. president has entered a war zone where there's not an active military presence. you report, the alarms sound almost daily in kyiv, but the blare of the siren added to the bristling tension of the moment. ukrainian officials have been warning that russia was planning a large-scale missile bombardment to be timed to the one-year anniversary of the war. you also report the president

seemed energized by the visit. can you explain the weight of this trip considering the amount of risk and the high stakes? >> i think that's exactly right. as josh mentioned, other presidents and vice presidents have gone into war zones. we had people on the ground, we control the airspace. there's no american troop presence in ukraine. we don't control the airspace. the ukrainians don't control the airspace. you can't have a president even fly in there. what american officials have been doing when they visit kyiv is fly to poland, and take the train across the country, a long arduous trip, about ten hours each direction. this for president biden would be coming after a transatlantic flight. for any 80-year-old person much less one with the burdens of office he has on him, it would be an arduous journey. he did look energized, happy to be there. he looked like he was sending a message to vladimir putin abroad

that the united states won't give in, that the united states isn't giving up on ukraine and to his audience at home, that he's still a vigorous commander-in-chief at a time when people are doubting it because of his age and he, in fact, sending a message to americans who may doubt whether americans should be investing so much money in ukraine. his point is, yes, this is vital to the united states' national interest as well as ukrainian's. >> clint, talk to us about where we are in the conflict, also the use of trenches which haven't been used in europe since world war ii. >> that's right. it's a remarkable turn of events. one year ago today, as we're about to kick off the war, phase one started. that's when you saw the russians advancing in many directions towards kyiv, pushing in here from russia and also breaking out of kyiv to mykolaiv. the fight moved to this area

here. this is the donbas region right in here, the donbas region, luhansk and dough netsing, they have seen sustained fighting since the start of the war. very grime many battle. phase three, here in the dark red you see the territory still claimed by russia, but what we should remember is here in the light blue, this is where late fall into early winter we saw the ukrainians do a daring counteroffensive and take some of this back. the terms of trench warfare is here. we're starting to see russian units pushing in multiple locations up to the north. behind you're seeing russian formations ready to deploy as a reserve. i would like to remind you that this is a very different battle. if we look at where the real battle is today, it's at bakhmut. it's a battlefield under intense competition for at least 30 days now. the wagner militia group

fighting it out there. when you look to the south a very different scene today. we saw the russians invade in, then the ukrainians push back. now you're getting some of that trench warfare like you were talking about. if you look at some of these locations, these are fixed positions. you might think this is world war i or world war ii, this is today just north of the border, russians digging in very persistently. if we look at the battlefield that we're focused on, particularly around bakhmut, this goes back to last summer. this is what it looks like today. you can see the artillery strikes, the forces dug in. it's a really different battle. we haven't seen this in 60, 70, 80, even 100 years. a different combat than we saw at the beginning of the war. we'll have much more on president biden's visit to kyiv including the reaction from inside russia. we're live from moscow ahead.

residents of east palestine, hi high, want answers and help after the ceo of train company norfolk southern visited the town and said he was terribly sorry for the train derailment there. an outpouring of support after former president jimmy carter's announcement that he's entering hospice care. we're live from plains, georgia. >> if you were his friend, you were so blessed. and if he was your friend, it was a greater blessing. eater blg

(cecily) what's up, einstein? (einstein) my network has gone kaput! (cecily) oh, you tried to save a buck on it? (einstein) i got what i paid for. not so smart. (cecily) well, there is a smarter way to save. (einstein) oh?! (cecily) switch to verizon. you'll get a new 5g phone, on them. (vo) yup, get the new samsung galaxy s23+, a watch and a tablet, on us. that's a value of up to $1900 (einstein) oh, i love that math! i'm switching! (vo) switch to verizon and get the new samsung galaxy s23+, watch and tablet all on us the network you deserve. the savings you want.

verizon i think i'm ready for this. heck ya! with e*trade you're ready for anything. marriage. kids. college. kids moving back in after college. ♪ here's to getting financially ready for anything! and here's to being single and ready to mingle. who's ready to cha-cha?! age is just a number, and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv as a business owner, now your bottom line ison® ba always top of mind.. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable 5g network. with no line activation fees or term contracts. saving you up to 60% a year. and it's only available to comcast business internet customers. so boost your bottom line by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities.

this morning tributes for former president jimmy carter as he receives hospice care in his hometown in georgia, spending his final days at the plains, georgia, home that he shared for decades with his wife. the church prayed for comfort sunday for the former president

in his final days. >> we would be amiss this morning if we didn't lift president carter to you. lord, we pray you be with his family and those around you. we thank you for his service to this nation. >> joining us is nbc correspondent priscilla thompson, and washington correspondent at "the daily beast" eleanor clift and jon meacham. priscilla, what do we know about how the former president is doing right now and the kind of care he's getting at home. >> reporter: we know the former president is no longer receiving any medical intervention at this point. he's under hospice care which means they're working to make him as comfortable as possible. this was a decision that the former president made himself according to the carter center. they say he had experienced a series of short hospital stays recently and he decided that he wanted to spend his remaining days at home with his family.

of course, that including his wife of more than 75 years, rose lynn carter. we saw his grandson tweet after the announcement was made saying he had been with his grandparents in recent days and they were at peace about this. they said this is a home that was filled with so much love. that is a message we're hearing from so many people here in this community, this idea of peace. we were apt president carter's church yesterday as folks there were attending service and leaving. we had an opportunity to speak with some of them. they know him affectionately as mr. jimmy. we also spoke with some business owners here about what president carter means in this community. i want to play some of those conversations. >> he kind of become like a second father to me when my father passed away. he probably doesn't even know that. >> a lot of people understand, you know, he's a ppt.

to me he's a friend. to a lot of us here he's a fellow church goer that sits on the same pews. >> time for us to carry on his legacy, try to be good people, help people. >> reporter: that last sentiment is one we are hearing from people around the country and across the globe as they have taken to social media to share photos of run-ins they may have had with the former president and sending love and support to the family during this time. lindsey. >> jon, we know carter survived a fight with cancer in the '80s. i want to play what he said in 2015 about that diagnosis and the life he's lived. >> i just thought i had a few weeks left. i was surprisingly at ease. you know, i've had a wonderful life. i've had thousands of friends and i've had an exciting and

adventurous and gratifying existence. >> of course, that was in his 80s, not the '80s. reflect on that for us, particular his life post presidency which also was completely dedicated to service. >> it's a remarkable american story. it's hard to really recall how striking that campaign was in 1976, our bicentennial year. the country had been riven by vietnam, watergate, president ford, a good man, but carter represented something about turning the page, about moving into a different time after years of scandal. he famously pledged "i will never lie to you." his campaign book was called "why not the best?" i think at this particular hour as a man of faith he is, i

suspect, finding comfort in a traditional line from the scripture which is "i know that my redeemer liveth." i think very few americans have given as much as consistently overall most a century to, not only the life of the nation, but the life of the world. >> eleanor, you covered the presidential campaign. what are you reflecting on most today in your storied career as he enters his final days. >> it's remarkable that he has lift as long as he has or is and in the same place. he recently gave a gift of a guitar to a musician, and the guitar was made from wood from a tree that he had planted. so just wrap your mind around that, the length of time he has spent in plains. plains is not the center of the earth, but for carter it meant everything.

his boyhood there goes back far enough that he did live for a time in a house that did not have running water. he actually has eaten opossum. he didn't like it, but i don't think there's another president who has eaten opossum. he's inspired us -- i wish he inspired us more during his four years in the white house, but in the time since, he has set the standard for the most meritorious post-presidency that anyone has ever seen. in the course of that people have re-evaluated the four years he spent in the white house and looked at the accomplishments that he did achieve. it was a difficult time. in 1976 there were no battleground states. every state was a battleground. the country was not nearly as divided, even though, of course, there were divides over nixon, and he carried the south, and he had more trouble from his own

democratic party than he had from republicans. the liberal wing of the party had trouble adjusting to this southerner. he was a little suspect, but he had the entire civil rights community with him. i think he was misunderstood, and he got into the office because of the moral -- the way he injected morality into his campaign message. then when he became president, everything was scrutinized. well, did he deliver on all of those promises he made? did he ever really tell a lie? the media coverage was pretty brutal. maybe that's as it should be. but i remember jody powell, his press secretary at one point saying to me that after he had been in the white house for a couple years, he was beginning to wonder if richard nixon had gotten a raw deal because the

media coverage seemed -- they never could get on top of it. a lot of bigger forces than carter. his first day in office he pardoned all the vietnam war protesters. that was a significant healing step. he didn't quite get credit for most of the things that he did, and he did lose in a landslide. he was very depressed going back home to plains. his peanut business was in disarray. he didn't have a way to make money. he wasn't going to make speeches and take money from corporations. he didn't play golf. he wrote books. i think he wrote more than 30 books reflecting on everything in his life from politics to his boyhood. >> jon, one of the reflections and one of the sources of inspiration, his life of love. his marriage to rosalynn.

the longest hair raj in president history. talk about the role of this incredible woman in his life. >> when you were around the carters, and i was privileged to be around them on a few occasions, it was as though it was one person in two corporal forms. there was a simpatico that one was not really part of, but they were part of it with each other. it was controversial at the time that mrs. carter i think attended cabinet meetings. that all feels rather quaint now. but she was there at every moment. he wasn't building habitat houses by himself. she was there. he wasn't supervising elections in distant lands. she was with him. i think one thing to remember is at this hour president carter is

in a very -- a lovely but not especially grand house in plains. in that sense the carters are rather like the trumans, they generally went home. we all wish them the very, very best in this final chapter. >> well said as always. priscilla thompson, eleanor clift, jon meacham, thank you. president biden promising military support to ukraine during his surprise visit to kyiv. we're live from moscow with the reaction there. students in michigan state are back in class this morning for the first time since a gunman killed three people on campus last week, their emotional return. the ceo of train company norfolk southern after the cleanup of a derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals. why residents are skeptical. >> you're still worried. >> oh, yeah. how can you not be worried? you d

♪ honestly i don't care ♪ find the perfect vacation rental for you booking.com, booking. yeah. ♪♪ inner voice (kombucha brewer): if i just stare at these payroll forms... my business' payroll taxes will calculate themselves. right? uhh...nope. intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes, cheers! with 100% accurate tax calculations guaranteed.

introducing astepro allergy. cheers! now available without a prescription. astepro is the first and only 24-hour steroid-free spray. while flonase takes hours, astepro starts working in 30 minutes. so you can [ spray, spray ] astepro and go.

this morning residents in ohio are growing more frustrated with and wary of the response to the derailment of the train carrying hazardous chemicals. over the weekend the ceo of the company visited east palestine, ohio. officials have been assuring residents that no contamination has been reported yet in tests of air and water. "the new york times" reports some residents are seeking independent tests or looking for ways to conduct their own as residents to continue report health concerns like headaches and rashes. nbc's george solis has more on reaction from locals in east palestine. >> reporter: the ceo of norfolk southern coming to town to meet with a few local leaders, firefighters, even a few employees that work here in town. the problem is this visit was unannounced. many residents feel they didn't get a chance to voice their frustrations as the ohio

department of health announced a health clinic is expected to open in town tomorrow. this morning residents of east palestine expressing frustration. >> it's a terrible accident. it falls on their shoulders, it's their train. >> reporter: after alan shaw, the ceo, made an unannounced trip to town. >> i made it very clear. i'm terribly sorry for what has happened to this community. >> reporter: this as fears over air, water and soil quality escalate. >> to walk out this morning, i couldn't breathe. >> reporter: mike mckim is among a small group that spoke with the ceo privately. >> he was hesitant about coming here with a bunch of angry people. >> reporter: security cameras from mckim's newly opened winery captures the derailment. customers canceling reservations over health concerns. in an interview with our nbc affiliate, shaw declined to answer specific questions about

cleanup concerns. >> we're being completely transparent and collaborative with the ohio epa. >> reporter: transportation secretary pete buttigieg called for accountability, writing the people cannot be forgotten adding norfolk southern must demonstrate you will not seek to super charge profits by resisting higher standards. it comes after a report that says norfolk southern pushed against safety standards for the rail industry. shaw met with buttigieg to discuss shared goals. but in a memo reviewed by "the washington post," a transportation department lawyer said the meeting was an opportunity for norfolk southern to raise concerns about a proposed rule that would require trains in most cases to have two crew members. federal regulators argue that two could better respond to derailments. many residents are still using bottled water, some relying on giveaways like this one.

even so, the future of this town still uncertain. >> you're still worried. >> oh, yeah, how could you not be worried. >> reporter: norfolk southern said it paid out some $2.6 million to residents and businesses. keep in mind residents just want assurances about their drinking water. sherrod brown recommending residents test their water. as the investigation into the derailment continues. back to you. >> our thanks to nbc's george solis. this morning students are returning to michigan state for the first time since the mass shooting that left three students dead and five critically wounded a week ago. over the weekend funerals, vigils and tributes were held in honor of the victims of the shooting. nbc's jesse kirsch is in east lansing, michigan, with a reaction on campus. i can't imagine these students, after this gunman opening classroom doors and opening fire, i can't imagine how

they're trying to move forward. >> reporter: i want to put an image in people's minds here, the walk to class, your first day of school back after a break, obviously not a typical break for college students by any stretch. imagine going on your walk to class, the first day back to campus and there are flowers, signs of support, chalk on the sidewalk. all these reminders of what unfolded in the past week. that is, no surprise, leaving a conflicted sense on this campus amongst students as to whether or not they're ready to go back. here is what one student shared with us about his thoughts over the weekend. >> the energy is definitely different. i expected it would be a little less than normal. it seems like everybody is banning together and showing love for each other and that's what it's all about. >> are you ready to be thinking about school work right now? >> i don't prefer to be, but i think the best way to really get back to normal is just to kind of embrace the discomfort right

now. >> reporter: at a press conference yesterday, the university police department told me may they haven't made any substantial security changes at this point. they are confident in their plan. they say students may be seeing a more visible police presence on campus in the days ahead. the university made clear all classes, including those directly impacted by the attack last monday night are going to be resuming today. however, the student union and berki hall where the gunman is said to have opened fire, those two locations remaining closed for the rest of the semester. >> jesse kirsch, thank you. this morning we're learning more details about the death of a popular catholic bishop which is now being investigated as a murder. 69-year-old bishop david o'connell known to some as l.a.'s peacemaker was found shot to death in his home. what are officials saying? >> reporter: detectives are

investigating this death as a murder, calling it a targeted attack on los angeles auxiliary bishop david o'connell found shot to death saturday afternoon in his home. he was shot in the tore so at just 69 years old. neighbors say after he didn't show up for a church event, a deacon went to look for him and found him bleeding. they said there was no threat to the community. all that changed sunday after investigators spent hours at his home collecting evidence the community is shaken by this. he served as a priest and bishop in l.a. for more than 45 years, born in ireland. pope francis appointed him as auxiliary bishop in 2014. pope bishop was known for being a peacemaker. his fellow archbishop said he had a passion for building a community and honored the dignity and every human life.

there was a growing memorial outside of his home now where we're working on getting an update from law enforcement. so far they haven't named a suspect, but we know they are looking through surveillance video in the neighborhood to find out why someone would kill a bishop. lindsey. >> nye ali charles, thank you. coming up, a joint show of force with the u.s. taking part in military drills with our south korean and japanese allies after north korea fired more missiles towards japan. the details of that response. first, president biden called out vladimir putin directly in his visit to kyiv this morning saying his war conquest is, quote, failing. we're live in moscow with reaction to biden's surprise visit next. rise visit next the adventurers and the doers. to everyone that works hard and plays hard. whether it's your first silverado or your tenth.

thank you for making chevy silverado the #1 best-selling retail full-size pickup. want your clothes to smell freshly washed all day without heavy perfumes? try downy light in-wash freshness boosters. it has long-lasting light scent, no heavy perfumes, and no dyes. finally, a light scent that lasts all day. downy light! the hiring process used to be the death of me. but with upwork... with upwork the hiring process is fast and flexible.

behold... all that talent! ♪ this is how we work now ♪ think he's posting about all that ancient roman coinage? no. he's making real-time money moves with merrill. so no matter what the market's doing, he's ready. and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. [♪♪] your money never stops working for you with merrill, if you have diabetes, it's important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose. try boost glucose control®. it's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today. ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ hey, man. nice pace! clearly, you're a safe driver. you could save hundreds for safe driving with liberty mutual. they customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need! [sfx: limu squawks]

whoo! we gotta go again. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ cat purrs ] only pay for what you need. [ phone vibrates ] introducing astepro allergy. steroid-free allergy relief that starts working in 30 minutes, while other allergy sprays take hours. now with astepro fast allergy relief, [ spray, spray ] you can astepro and go. suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night? try vicks sinex for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours. vicks sinex targets congestion at the source, relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. try vicks sinex. today's surprise visit by president biden to ukraine comes one day before russian president vladimir putin is set to deliver his annual address to parliament. president biden's trip will almost certainly come up. the kremlin already firing back

against explosive comments this weekend by vice president harris who said moscow has committed crimes against humanity in ukraine. a kremlin spokesperson instead cast the u.s. as the, quote, primary source of international tensions. nbc news chief international correspondent keir simmons has more from moscow and correspondent richard engel is in ukraine. keir, how is all this activity landing in moscow? >> reporter: badly, honestly. we do know the kremlin was told just a few hours before about president biden's trip to ukraine. the national security adviser saying that they were advising russia for deconfliction purposes. we're not entirely sure what the kremlin exactly was told, but very likely president putin saw it properly for the first time on russian television. it began to appear on russian tv just a short time after it began to appear on american

television. the kremlin saying he was busy working on that speech for tomorrow. i suspect that speech will be angrier than ever. you can certainly expect no compromise from president putin who is likely to reiterate his determination to keep going to try to wear down the west, if you like. and i think president putin will see this now as a symbolic fight, as ukraine is symbolizing something crucial just as president biden does. of course, president putin a year ago would have liked to have been in kyiv just as president biden was alongside a different leader from president zelenskyy. you can imagine his feelings as he watched today's events play out. >> richard, what is president biden's visit doing for ukrainian morale? >> reporter: it is encouraging

ukrainians. ukrainians know that without american support, they would not have been able to last this long. they are dependent on the united states for money, for ammunition, for political support, for galvanizing other countries and keeping them focused. so ukrainians are deeply appreciative of that. it's not just the united states talking about its commitment to ukraine, but sending weapons, meeting with world leaders in munich, going to poland and then coming to ukraine on this extraordinary visit. previous american presidents have visited war zones, but not like this. they've gone to military bases or they've gone to countries where u.s. is a large military footprint like iraq or afghanistan. the u.s. works closely with ukraine but does not have troops here in a combat role, does not have the ability to respond militarily should there have been some sort of incident.

they spent months according to national security council officials preparing for this and working across a different u.s. intelligence and security agencies. but had something gone wrong, there was a risk here because it was not in a controlled military base or in a country where the u.s. has a large presence that could respond quickly. >> keir, the kremlin announced china's foreign minister is set to become the first senior chinese diplomat to visit russia since the invasion. what do we know? >> reporter: we're waiting to find out when wang ye will arrive. i think the issue will be that there's little trust by the west and particularly by the u.s. in china. i think what the chinese are trying to do is trying to present this idea of them leading the diplomacy, trying to search for peace, but at the same time the u.s. saying that china is kind of behind the scenes considering sending lethal weapons to russia.

so there seems little signs of that kind of diplomacy working out. i will say wang lee will arrive in moscow to a city still economically -- you can see the traffic, despied the plunging traffic, sidewalks covered in snow, there are people out and about. it's a city that is still economically surviving. there are predictions that russia's economy will grow, only by a small amount, but will grow this year. russia is a big country. moscow is not the only story. that's an aspect of all of this that president putin will get confidence from as he tries to wait out the west, if you like. >> keir simmons and richard engel, thank you both. meanwhile, another potential headache on the world stage. north korea appears to have launched two more short range ballistic missiles. this marks the second weapons test in three days.

janis mackey frayer has more from beijing. >> reporter: north korea fired more missiles today, two according to officials in japan. the warning from pyongyang is they could turn the pacific into a firing range, but it isn't kim john un making these threats, it's his sister. saying it all depends on the behavior of u.s. forces. now, this was the second launch in three days, there was an icbm launched on saturday. the u.s. went ahead with joint drills it had with japan and south korea on sunday. the two missiles fired today fell into the sea of japan east of the korean peninsula. the first one flew a distance of 250 miles at an altitude of about 60 miles. the second one flew at a lower altitude and shorter distance. north korea described the launch today as, quote, a super large multiple rocket launcher exercise which is a means of

tactical nuclear attack. analysts say these warnings about turning the pacific into a firing range could signal that there are more launches in the works. missiles that perhaps could go further and maybe be fired toward guam. japan's prime minister has asked the u.n. security council for an emergency meeting. it's unlikely there will be sanctions against north korea given the veto power that china and russia have at the security council. simulated nuclear tabletop exercises and field training exercises that are slated for next month. north korea's foreign ministry has already said if these exercises do go ahead, they will respond with, quote, unprecedented persistent strong counteractions. tension in the region is again ramping up. >> our thanks to nbc's janis mackey frayer for that reporting. up next on this presidents

day, we're less than one year from the first presidential primaries of 2024. so is one big possible republican contender about to jump in the race?

(vo) with verizon, you can now get a private 5g network. so you can do more than connect your business, you can make it even smarter. now ports can know where every piece of cargo is. and where it's going. (dock worker) right on time. (vo) robots can predict breakdowns and order their own replacement parts. (foreman) nice work. (vo) and retailers can get ahead of the fashion trend of the day with a new line tomorrow. with a verizon private 5g network, you can get more agility and security. giving you more control of your business. we call this enterprise intelligence. from the network america relies on. wayfair's president's day clearance is on now. save big on area rugs up to 70% off. and score deals on major appliances up to 30% off. shop wayfair's president's day clearance and get it fast before it's gone. ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night? try vicks sinex for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours.

vicks sinex targets congestion at the source, relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. try vicks sinex. ♪ ♪ why are there two extra seats? are we getting a dog? a great dane? two great danes?! i know. giant uncle dane and his giant beard. maybe a dragon? no, dragons are boring. twin sisters! and one is a robot and one is a knight. and i'll be on the side of... the octopus. rawr!!! the volkswagen atlas. more room for possibilities. my mental health was much better, but i struggled with uncontrollable movements called td, tardive dyskinesia.

td can be caused by some mental health meds. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements. ingrezza is different. it's the simple, once-daily treatment proven to reduce td that's #1 prescribed. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com ♪ ingrezza ♪

this morning florida governor ron desantis is in new york city for an event spotlighting law enforcement. it's intensing the spotlight he's understood with the 2024 bid on the horizon. former maryland governor lrry hogan had this to say on "meet the press". >> if you thought your candidacy was going to contribute to inadvertently help donald trump, would that be a reason not to run. >> i don't care that much about my future in the republican party, i care about making sure we have a future for the republican party. >> nikki haley and her former boss donald trump are still the only republicans to formally announce their presidential runs. more announcements could come soon. joining me now former republican congressman florida, david jolly and former senator from alabama doug jones. help me understand these remarks. yes, maybe republicans might be

concerned about splitting tickets, muddying the waters here, but if people believe that they want somebody other than trump to carry on, be the standard bearer for the republican party, somebody's got to stand up to him. >> yeah, look, god bless larry hogan on his principles. the party is not coming back to larry hogan's direction. those who have chosen to stay in the party despite the direction of donald trump and ron desantis and others are largely going to remain silent and go along with whoever the leader ultimately is, but the trajectory of the party has changed dramatically in the last ten years. larry hogan will not have an outsized influence in the primary. the republican nomination will be about platforming donald trump himself or someone like a ron desantis. >> i mentioned, governor desantis is spending the morning in staten island, and new york city mayor eric adams took a

swipe at the governores tweeting this, welcome to new york, a place where we don't ban books, discriminate against our lgbtq plus neighbors, use asylum seekers as problems. we're happy to teach you something about values while you're here. >> ron desantis did very well in his gubernatorial race. he's enjoying a lot of popularity right now. is this one of the messages that democrats are testing? >> i don't think there's any question about it. ron desantis is running on a culture war divisive platform. it worked in florida for him. the fact is he is trying to divide people. he is only an antiwoke type of platform, and democrats are going to point that out. we need a unifier. i think everything that mayor adams just put in one tweet is something you're going to see amplified should ran desantis

get into this race as everyone expects. >> congressman, let's turn to michigan where an election denier is about to take the reins. fred upton told nbc news we lost the entire state house, talking about michigan, for the first tame in 40 years in large part because of the top of the ticket. all deniers, and he said as i look at the state convention, it looks like it could well be more of the same. michigan is a battleground state. does it appear that party leadership is out of step with what votersnt? >> certainly, which is why you see republicans continuing to underperform since the advent of the trump years. this is also where republicans are playing with very destabilizing themes and narratives that people like larry hogan and others are not able to wrestle back. i would point to the launch by nikki haley recently as an indication that there is no return for the party ideology. she wants to promote age discrimination through some

weird diagnostic cognitive test of anybody over 75, and she said that ron desantis's don't say gay bill didn't go far enough. if that is a leading contender entering the field, those are the politics. when you lack the ideology and you also have donald trump giving breath to election denialism, you create these destabilizing moments like we're seeing in michigan. >> senator, when you look at the field we're seeing right now, both who's formally announced and who we're likely going to see announcements from, how does this work or pretend for president biden should he announce he's going to re-run again? >> i think president biden's got a record to run on. it's a record of success, it's a record to some extent of bipartisanship. there's extraordinary success, and i think he will run on that as they implement the infrastructure bill and the chips act and health care for veterans. all of those things portend very well because it is a presidency of inclusiveness, of really

doing exactly what he said in his inaugural address, and that is being a president for all people. certainly you see a desantis and haley and trump and others. that is not the case. they want to be the president for a small portion. republican party. a significant portion that have base, but not for all people, not for all americans. >> do you think we'll see an announcement soon from him? >> i think we'll see an announcement fairly soon one way or another. all signs point to him running. i think he understands that that announcement has got to come relatively soon for a lot of reasons for his own candidacy or others should he decide not to run. >> okay, former congressman david jolly and former senator doug jones, thank you, both. that does it for me this busy hour. i'll be back here tomorrow. josé diaz-balart picks up our coverage next. z-balart picks up coverage next. a once-daily pill. when uc got unpredictable, i got rapid symptom relief with rinvoq. and left bathroom urgency behind. check. when uc got in my way, i got lasting, steroid-free remission

with rinvoq. check. and when my gastro saw damage, rinvoq helped visibly repair the colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting, steroid-free remission. and a chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc in check and keep it there, with rinvoq. ask your gastro about rinvoq. and learn how abbvie could help you save. we all have a purpose in life - a “why.” no matter your purpose, at pnc private bank we will work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it. so let us focus on the how. just tell us - what's your why? the virus that causes shingles is sleeping...

in 99% of people over 50. and it could strike at any time. think you're not at risk? wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night? try vicks sinex if you're over 50, talk to your doctor for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours. vicks sinex targets congestion at the source, relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. try vicks sinex. power e*trade's easy-to-use tools make complex trading less complicated custom scans help you find new trading opportunities while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market everything's changing so quickly. whbefore the xfinityol helps y10g network, trades we didn't have internet that let us play all at once. every device? in every room? why are you up here? when i was your age, we couldn't stream a movie when the power went out. you're only a year older than me.

you have no idea how good you've got it. huh? what a time to be alive. introducing the next generation 10g network. only from xfinity. the future starts now. business can happen anytime, anywhere. so help yours thrive and stay connected with the comcast business complete connectivity solution. it's the largest, fastest, reliable network. advanced gig speed wifi. and cyberthreat protection. starting at just $49.99 a month. plus, you can save up to 60% a year when you add comcast business mobile. or, ask how to get up to a $750 prepaid card. complete connectivity. one solution, for wherever business takes you. comcast business. powering possibilities.

good morning, 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific, i'm josé diaz-balart, and we begin this morning with breaking news. president biden is heading to poland after making a surprise and historic visit to ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary of the war there. the president went to kyiv to meet with ukraine's president and to show support and solidarity with the ukrainian people. it's the first time in modern history a president has visited a war zone where there's not an active american military presence. the president also announced an additional $500 million aid