republic. good evening, jacqui. >> good evening to you, bret. russia is not backing down but the white house is still giving diplomacy a chance to work and a big part of that is coordinating with nato allies on what the response might be. president biden knows reporters want answers on ukraine he didn't have time on that this morning after giving remarks on semiconductor dhips. >> the reason we are not going to have any questions for time now. they have to get quickly on a plane and go out and do a major announcement in ohio. you will ask me about russia and not anything having to do with chips. >> biden dodged the press on his way to camp david where he will huddle with his national security team this weekend disgusting ukraine. fox news has learned preparations are underway for possible evacuations of americans in ukraine. the white house framing it as standard ton continue genesee planning. it's unclear how many are there. >> is there any effort right now to get a handle on how many americans are in ukraine? i remember afghanistan. that was an open question. dynamic difference this time. >> it's an open question around the world. we don't put a chip in americans when they go to around the world and track their movements. >> told today the number could be as high as 20,000, according to one g.o.p. source. the pentagon sees no sign of russia descalating. >> in fact, quite the contrary. i think they continue to add to the force presence there. >> the department of defense now keying up options to bolster u.s. forces in eastern europe should it become necessary. >> we're going to make sure that we have options ready to reassure our allies particularly on nato's eastern flank if there is another incursion, some of those capabilities can come from right inside the european command area of responsibility or even from the states. >> the white house rejecting criticism it hasn't taken enough action to deter putin. >> i would note that the united states has delivered more security assistance to ukraine in the last year than any point in history. the deliveries are ongoing including today there is more deliveries coming. >> a u.s. official tells me one of those deliveries is arriving in kyiv tonight. and the embassy will be releasing video of that. bret? >> bret: jacqui, following your questions in the briefing today you had a chance to talk with some senior administration officials what can you report? >> yeah, we had a long list of questions. and we are still working through them. including whether the u.s. is going to make written responses to russia public given the fact that putin could just do it anyway. also, how aligned the nato allies are on any possible response and if u.s. has firm commitments from germany on nord stream 2 should russia choose to invade ukraine. now, i'm told the u.s. is pretty confident, that was the language, pretty confident that nord stream 2 will not come online if putin moves into ukraine. but there will be more, too released on that next week. i'm also told generally strong alignment among the allies on economic sanctions, but would not get into the details around that, including on removing russia from the swift payment system, i'm also told the u.s. is closely coordinating with european allies on those written responses to russia. bret. >> bret: all right. we will follow it jackie, nice job. thank you. there was no apparent movement on either side during today's meeting between the top diplomats between the u.s. and russia. but the two sides did agree to keep talking. benjamin hall is in geneva tonight. >> tense talk in gentleman new year's eve gentleman v.a. today not much progress. just an agreement that the u.s. will now as requested deliver a written response to written responds. >> to rook at paper. and we will see where we go from there. >> but just a few days ago secretary blinken had said there would be no written response because russians concerns and pretext for aggression were false. secretary blinken responded to this u-turn today. >> lavrov look you in the eye and tell you lied to your face and if so why humor with a response? >> no, when it comes to the conversations we have: i think the charitable interpretation would be that sometimes we and russia have different interpretations of history. >> today's meeting went as expected. secretary blinken offered russia a diplomatic off ramp while reiterating there would be consequences if russia invaded. he said he hoped they would reverse course. >> if russia wants to begin to convince the world that it has no aggressive intent toward ukraine, a very good place to start would be by descalating. >> foreign minister lavrov, meanwhile denied russia was planning to invade and accused the u.s. of historics. >> our concerns are not imaginary but real threats and facts that nobody is hiding. stuffing ukraine with weapons. sending hundreds of western military instructors. >> if nothing else bought a little more dime for diplomacy and talk of biden putin meeting if russia thought it was warranted. >> i cannot say if we are on the right track or the wrong track. we will understand it when we get the american's written answer. >> meanwhile russia continues to mass its troops and pose tore for an invasion while ukraine continues to ask for more support to defend themselves. for now, at least, ukraine welcomes the talks. >> the longer diplomats speak the better it is. when diplomats get quiet, arms start speaking. >> another issue come to the surface, nato doesn't have a unified response to what they would do in the case of a russian invasion. although secretary blinken today repeatedly said they were in lock step and unified. it does appear some nato countries don't feel quite as strongly about standing up to russia as others do, bret? >> bret: benjamin hall live early saturday morning in geneva. benjamin, thanks. tensions are pointing in the ukrainian capitol tonight with russian troops poised on that border ready for a possible invasion. senior foreign affairs correspondent greg palkot is live in kyiv tonight, good evening, greg. president biden's muddled comments. secretary of state blinken said what officials here once said that no russian incursion is okay. that any invasion would be met with a swift response. one expert here told us talking is better than fighting. no chance of early break through as long as they are talking they are not shooting. that's a very positive thing. >> still, the two sides are dangerously wide apart as they 125 russian troops build up around ukraine's borders including more troops into nearby belarus. more ammo and ply russian backed separatists inside in country. ukraine should be pleased that the u.s. is promising more military aid for its forces and that ally canada offered $95 million loan much more is thought to be needed. take a look what we saw and heard in kyiv today puts it all in perspective. >> this called a memory wall in the center of kyiv. photos of ukrainian soldiers who were killed fighting russian-backed sprittists in ths in the east. fighting has been going on for years. a warning of what could be coming. >> i have tears in my eyes. these young guys protected us. we live in peace because of them. my brothers and arms on the front and here in kyiv have only one question. where will rebury the russian soldiers. >> tough words, a lot of emotion and uncertainty on the streets the kyiv. back to you, bret. >> bret: greg palkot live in ukrainian capitol. new prediction that the surge of the omicron variant will peak before the end of this month and that would be followed by a steep decline in infections here in the u.s. we are also getting new information about just how serious the pandemic remains. correspondent jonathan serrie has details tonight from the home of the cdc in atlanta. >> two years after confirming its first covid case the u.s. is averaging more than 740,000 new cases per day. driven by the highly infectious omicron variant. despite increased break through infections, new cdc data show a booster dose of the pfizer or moderna vaccine is still highly preventing serious illness. >> following a third dose vaccine infects omicron increased to 90%. nearly matching the effectiveness delta variant and higher vaccine effectiveness after the two doses of mrna vaccine. >> cdc director defended her agency's continuing policy to not include boosters in definition of fully vaccinated. explaining vaccine eligibility varies from person to person. >> if you recently got your second dose, you are not eligible for a booster. you are up to date. if you are eligible for a booster and you haven't gotten it, you are not up to date and you need to get your booster in order to be up to date. >> new modeling from the mayo clinic predicts the omicron surge will peak in the u.s. before the end of january. followed by a steep drop in cases. >> it doesn't mean okay, everything is behind us. people are still going to get infected on the way down. just as many on the way down as on the way up. some of those are going to produce sear illness. >> injunction against enforcing president biden's vaccine mandate for federal workers until litigation is resolved. judge jeffrey brown wrote the issue is whether the president with a stroke of a pen can require a medical procedure as a condition of employment for millions of federal workers without congressional input. the biden administration says it will appeal. bret? >> bret: jonathan, thank you. stocks were way off again today. the dow lost 450. the s&p 500 fell 85. the nasdaq was down 385. for the week the dow lost more than 4.5 percentage points. its worst week since october of 2020. the s&p 500 was off five and two thirds. it's worst week since march of 2020. and the nasdaq fell 7.5 percentage points. its biggest decline since april of that year. the justice department is charging a texas man with making violent threats against local election officials in georgia. it's the first criminal case of its kind since the 2020 presidential election. it's also the first to be brought by a special new task force focusing on threats against local election workers and volunteers. attorney general merrick garland told u.s. mayors today assaults such as the one on a texas synagogue last weekend will not be ignored. the president's resolve was clear. we will not tolerate this. we will not tolerate attacks on synagogues or other houses of worship. we will not tolerate violence or threats of violence fueled by anti-semitism, hatred, racism, or bigotry of any kind. >> bret: the perpetrator of that texas incident was killed when an fbi rescue team moved in. all hostages escaped safely. president biden once again is putting daylight between his administration and progressive calls for defunding law enforcement. the president talked with the country's mayors today as the crime crisis shows no sign of easing across the country. here is white house correspondent peter doocy. >> americans are looking to the president for an answer to this question. >> will i be safe walking in the park. >> republicans make them come up with something by november. >> crime is going to be probably the biggest issue in the election. >> murder rates are nearing a 25-year high. but the president plans to take a mostly hands off approach. >> he believes that more need to be done by local leaders. >> local leaders seem egg eager more than that if we are forced to rely on state and local government, we are never going to be able to change the system in the way it happens. >> justice department is telling mayors they are a phone call away. >> we stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the fight against violent crime. >> and the president continues to distance himself from activists in his party calling to defund the police. >> we shouldn't be cutting funding for police departments. i propose increasing funding. >> biden officials largely point to money that's already been sent to cities and states. >> as we have investst vested in our police departments we saw a shocking correlation, crime went down. shocking correlation, right? that was a joke. >> the biden white house's effort hasn't solved the crime crisis, but the plan is to stick with the same approach. >> we ask cops to do everything, including be psychologists and social workers. guess what? they need psychologist and social workers. [applause] no i mean it not a joke. the people watching worry about staying safe either. the president hinted at where public safety is on his to do list, talking to mayors, more today about covid and climate change than about crime. bret? >> bret: peter doocy in the white house briefing room. peter, thank you. up next, whatever happened to the gabby petino case? we have the answer tonight. some breaking news. first, here is what some of our fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. fox 2 in san francisco as teachers meet with school officials to try to avoid a walkout. teachers say they want to keep schools open but need assurances about safety amid the latest covid surge there. they are threatening to strike if an agreement on protocols is not reached by tonight. khon in honolulu as a ceremony is held to deactivate the island based island warriors third marine regimen. fought in vietnam, kuwait, iraq and afghanistan. today's action comes amid a core wide redesign that is part of the service's long range plans. this is a live look at salt lake city from our affiliate fox 13. one of the big stories out there tonight and it's beautiful, k 9s from all over the west arrive in utah for training as avalanche dogs. they attend a special school that teaches them the school to help rescue trapped humans. the meant reese class includes teams from colorado, idaho and california learning how to rescue amid avalanches. that's tonight's live look outside the beltway from "special report." we'll be right back. ♪ aleve-x. it's fast, powerful long-lasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. new projects means new project managers. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. when you sponsor a job, you immediately get your shortlist of quality candidates, whose resumes on indeed match your job criteria. visit indeed.com/hire and get started today. can. >> bret: thousands gathered in washington today for the annual march for life the largest pro-life rally in the country. many in attendance are hoping the roe v. wade supreme court decision could be reversed in coming months. however, the latest fox news poll indicates 63% of those surveyed think the court should let roe stand. just 31% believe it should be overturned. a slim majority believe abortion should be legal, 52%, 47% disagree. please join shannon bremen on "fox news sunday" with new poll results on president biden, covid, the economy and midterms. shannon will also have an exclusive interview with south dakota governor kristi noem. the transportation safety administration is now making it easier for illegal immigrants to board commercial airliners. this comes as more than 100 republican lawmakers want a thorough review of the biden administration's actions during the border crisis. correspondent bill melugin has the latest on the border battles tonight from south texas. video from a law enforcement force migrants who crossed illegally into eagle pass texas, wednesday night. border patrol photos show the size of that group with the sector chief himself saying this was no coincidence. it was orchestrated by criminal elements for money. the night before the exact same thing happened. photos from border patrol show another group of 400 after they crossed illegally into eagle pass tuesday night. here in the rio grande valley we embedded with text dps looking to aveed near lajoie gentleman texas. to men in this group were from china. allowing illegal immigrants to use arrest warrants as i.d. as security checkpoints in airports telling us in part, quote: for non-citizens and non-u.s. nationals who do not otherwise have acceptable forms of i.d. for presentation at security checkpoints, tsa may also accept certain dhs issued forms. including ice form i-200. warrant for arrest of an alien. >> tsa confirmed that, that all they need is an arrest warrant to get past security. it tells me all i need to do is wear a mask and commit a crime and i can board a plane in the united states of america. now more than 100 g.o.p. lawmakers including 21 senators have now sent a letter to the dhs inspector general requesting, quote: a comprehensive review of the decisions by the biden administration that have led to the worst border crisis in united states history. >> we want to know who came through with the checkpoints that was denied. who actually made through. who was caught in between the checkpoints? and what are the got-aways. these are questions that the american people are asking. >> and, bret, in just the first three months of fiscal year 2022, there have already been more than half a million migrant encounters here at the southern border. that is more than double the first three months of fiscal year 2021. we will send it back to you. >> bret: love those drone shots. bill melugin at the border. thanks. still ahead how president biden's involvement in the midterms could help or hurt democrats in different parts of the country. first, beyond our borders tonight. at least 13 people are dead and scores injured after a truck carrying explosives to a gold mine in western ghana detonated. smoirlding tinder sheet melt hundreds of houses had stood in settlement about 130 miles west of the capital. the blast up to 60-foot wide crater. pope francis is promising justice to victims of clergy, sexual abuse. it comes as german authorities call for further investigation after an independent audit faulted retired pope benedict for having botched four cases of abuse when he was archbishop the munich. met today with the vatican office that handels sex abuse cases. this is a look at dali, china from earth tv. one of the big stories there tonight, china is limiting the torch relay for the winter olympics to only three days amid coronavirus worries. organizers say the flame will be displayed only in enclosed venues that are deemed safe and controllable. just some of the other stories beyond our borders tonight. we'll be right back. ♪ running on empty ♪ it's time for sleep number's january sale on the sleep number 360 smart bed. what if i sleep hot? ...or cold? no problem, the sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing so you both sleep just right. and it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. so, you can really promise better sleep? yes! you'll know exactly how well you slept, night after night. we take care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. and now, save $1,000 on the sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, queen now $1,999. plus, 0% interest for 36 months. only for a limited time. with directv stream i can get live tv and on demand anywhere. look, serena williams... matrix... serena... matrix... serena... matrix... ♪ ♪ ♪ get your tv together with the best of live and on demand. introducing directv stream. ♪ >> bret: breaking news in our whatever happened to report on the gabby petino case. this evening we are getting some closure on the tragic story of a man and his girlfriend both dead after a relationship that went terribly wrong. senior correspondent laura ingle is in tampa, tonight. >> we finally know the answer to one of the biggest questions in this case. did brian laundrie leave behind a confession before he took his own life admitting that he was responsible for the death of his fiancee gabby petino while they were on their cross-country road trip last year. on friday the fbi revealed that answer is yes. this new information was released in what the fbi called its final investigative update on the gabriel petino case. the statement reads in part: investigators found human remains later confirmed to be mr. laundrie along with a backpack, notebook and a rerevolver. a review of the notebook revealed written statements by mr. laundrie claiming responsibility for mispetino's death. the fbi also revealing that there were several text messages identified between laundrie and petino's cell phones in the days after petino's death and saying that the timing and content of these messages shows that laundrie was attempting to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression that gabby was still alive. now, the attorneys for both families will work on dividing gabby and brian's property. the petino's tell fox that while this wraps up the criminal part of this case, it is not the conclusion for them. at the fbi field office in tampa, florida, laura ingle, fox news. ♪ ♪ pet pet in tonight's midterm spotlight president biden is promising to be deeply involved in this year's midterm elections. right now, democrats are continuing to stage some bitter fights among themselves. congressional correspondent chad pergram takes a look. >> when the calendar flipped from 2021, to 2022, politics shifted to one word. >> one more year before the midterms. >> midterms leathernecks year. >> election 2022. >> democrats controlling the house, senate and white house are on the clock ahead of this fall's elections. >> the 2090 days and 13 hours. >> republicans are primed to pounce. >> i think the midterm election almost certainly is going to be a referendum on the party in power. >> president biden aims to help his party maintain the house and senate. >> i'm going to be deeply involved in the -- these off year elections. >> it's a reflection of how we want to spend his time and recognition he wants to spend more time out in the country. >> but democrats could face a nightmare this fall. >> the midterms are generally for the party in power. >> farnsworth said even a president with poll numbers in the tank can help. >> about bringing the base out on election day. likely to happen in greater numbers with the president's involvement. that builds up democratic excitement. >> some democrats say don't call us, we'll call you. if mr. biden is a drag down ballot. democrats hope to build back better, a broken build back better bill to enthuse voters. >> they have come to agreement on aspects of build back better legislation. we may want to have to rename it. >> but the g.o.p. doubts rebranding helps the president. >> he is a guy that knows he is going to get beaten badly. he knows he is going to lose the house. lose the senate. >> the political dye is often cast for midterms by spring. that's why democrats are racing to pass their bills to present a contrast to the g.o.p. bret? >> bret: chad pergram on the hill. chad, thanks. the actor and singer known as meat loaf has died. marvin lee aday had a six decade career including hit records and performances in movies. wayne's world, fight club and the rockie horror picture show. jonathan hunt takes a look at his career. ♪ bat out of hell ♪ gone, gone, gone. >> it was one of his most famous songs and in many ways the perfect description of the man himself. meat loaf gave everything to everything he ever did. ♪ let me sleep on it. >> born marvin lee aday he was nicknamed meat loaf in grade school and embraced it he began performing as. became an icon partly because of his stage thee attics. he launched into rock and roll stardom in 1977 with instant classic collaboration with songwriter jim steinman on the bat out of hell album many ♪ two out of three ain't bad. >> two out of three ain't bad. you took the words right out of my mouth, and paradise by the dashboard light all became the sound track of so many teenage lives. ♪ i would do anything for love. >> in 1993 came another huge hir love. yet another meat loaf song that has stood the test of time crossing generations and genres. ♪ i had fun pop songs on meat loaf. grandmother -- >> meat loaf starred in dozens of tv shows and films including the 1975 original the rockie horror picture show and 1999 fight club. as tributes pour in across social media from cher to andrew lloyd weber to mitt romney. fans we know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support from his heart to your souls don't ever stop rocking, echoing thoughts from the man himself. >> thank you for all the years. god bless you and keep rocking. >> in los angeles, jonathan hunt, fox news. ♪ >> bret: as we go to break. another celebrity passing to tell you about. louie anderson died today in las vegas. his four decade career including comedy, acting and hosting the "family feud" game show. anderson won an emmy for his work as a mom to two adult sons, twins in the tv series baskets. louie anderson was 68. and it's easy to get a quote at libertymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows a whistle. [a vulture squawks.] oh boy. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ a lot of people think dealing with copd is a walk in the park. if i have something to help me breathe better, everything will be fun and nice. but i still have bad days... flare-ups, (cough cough) which can permanently damage my lungs. my lungs need protection against flare-ups. so it's time to get real. because in the real world... our lungs deserve the real protection of breztri. breztri gives you better breathing... symptom improvement, and flare-up protection. it's the first and only copd medicine proven to reduce flare-ups by 52%. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition... or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling... problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. for real protection, ask your doctor about breztri. ♪ music ♪ there's software. and then there's industrial grade software. capable of optimizing your flight by turning data into your co-pilot. meet honeywell forge. analytical software that helps assembly lines build walls against cyber threats. and makes sure you're ready for game day every day. that's honeywell forge. industrial grade software ♪ music ♪ at university of phoenix, we have scholarships for everyone hard at work, no matter where you work. get up to a $3,000 scholarship, starting with your first course. explore your opportunities at phoenix.edu ♪ >> bret: a strike hit a prison hit by houthi rebels. seven detainees killed and dozens wounded there strike part of a pounding aerial offensive that hours earlier knocked the arab world pushest country off the internet. intense campaign comes after iran backed houthis claimed responsibility for a drone and missile attack that struck inside the united arab emirates capital earlier this week. meantime the islamic state group has launched sophisticated attacks in syria and iraq including an attempt to break into a prison where expected extremists are being held by u.s.-backed fighters. officials say dozens detainees in syria and 11 iraqi troops were killed. john kirby says the u.s. used airstrikes to support the syrian democratic forces in the prison break attack. the separate attacks are believed to be some of the largest since isis lost the final sliver of territory it held nearly three years ago. tonight we have some good news. a good news story for you. it involves an afghan combat tabs later and his family resettling here in the u.s. after being matched with a sponsor. thanks to a chance conversation with fox news. we connected him with the head of a veterans nonprofit the independence fund that assists evacuees. here is national security correspondent jennifer griffin. >> baby duna whose name means world in dari was one of three afghan children born on board u.s. military evacuation flights last august. don't make it happen here. many words and the aircraft landed. so, was the right time. >> she was born as the c-17 landed in qatar. five months later she and her family arrived to a warm reception at a vfw hall in jacksonville, florida. >> just amazing what they have been through. >> now one step closer to achieving the american dream, thanks to the generosity of carol williams of jacksonville, florida, she committed herself to henning refugees when she lost her baby daughter in 1968. >> i want americans to show what americans really stand for. >> williams rallied her community to welcome the family it providing a fully furnished house and paying rent for a year including utilities. they donated a used car and started a college fund for duna. in another twist of fate, williams and baby duna share the same birthday. >> going to run circles around most of us. is he going to be the american dream. >> he graduated from afghanistan's west point and was first brought to the u.s. military to complete an english emerging program at lachlan air force base in texas. he was certified as a black hawk helicopter pilot. >> what he did is greater than anything we could ever thank him for. >> he has the following wish for his new daughter. >> a love like she [inaudible] she got to do what she want to do. >> he and his wife are now adjusting to new life in jacksonville. grateful now that they're safe. jennifer griffin, fox news. >> bret: that's a great story. the friday lightning round. president biden's impact on the midterms. latest on ukraine plus winners and losers with the panel. ♪ ♪ with a revolutionary, rollerball design. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. [♪♪] 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. you're a one-man stitchwork master. but your staffing plan needs to go up a size. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire ♪ >> what are republicans for? what are they for what are they for? we are for food or our shelves, we are for kids back in our school. a border that's secure. we are for safe streets and neighborhoods going forward. we are for small businesses that can open and not be closed. not have mandates put upon them. the idea of freedom going forward. we are for american energy to be independent. not that we bring russian national guard into america. natural gas.not putin so can hel europe. >> i think the american people are about to send this administration a pretty big message that they do not approve of all the things that are going wrong. >> bret: senate minority leader mitch mcconnell on this show last night talking about where the administration is and looking ahead to the midterms. still a long way to go. but if you look at the real clear politics average of the direction of the country when that question is asked, right direction 27%. wrong track 64%. as of right now. what about this? where things stand politically? let's bring in our panel, josh h hour. kimberly will strossel and jason riley wall street journalist and senior fellow at the manhattan i object substitute whether a if you are a democrat city suburb. and you want to hold on to your seat. do you want president biden to campaign for you or not? >> well, first of all, the strategy is now coming into focus and you saw that in the clip that you just played which is that traditionally as we know midterms tend to be referendums on white house performance. the president there is desperately now trying to instead make this about republicans and claiming that they don't have any ideas. i think the problem for those moderates that you mentioned, those so he burr ban representatives is that voters are looking at the economy, inflation and impossible for them to not views that a referendum on the presidency. and right now, no, i don't think most of them would want him in their district given polling numbers and recent failures the senate had in getting his agenda across the line. >> bret: josh, you a&e agree? >> yeah, and i would also add that, you know, president biden had an opportunity to reset talk about the issue that most concern americans, economy, covid, rising crime, and he instead chose to double down on first year agenda by break up the social spending package and try to get it passed in the new year it was not a re-set it was a double down. that is his biggest problem. you are not going to have democrats in swing districts and states campaign with him if they are not talking about the issues that their constituents are caring most about. so, you know, the press conference was an opportunity to reset the messaging. and it doesn't seem like this white house still really gets the message that a lot of voters are sending. >> bret: jason, what about this tactic about what are you for when the president controls, obviously the white house, the senate and the house? >> well, i would agree this is a search for a message not going well. response to covid, that he had hoped would happen and so i think what we saw or what we are seeing is him reverting to the sort of tired tactics that the left reverts to. which is identity politics and racial division and that's why we see this double down on voting rights act. and pretending that, you know, the black franchise, jeopardy and that's what the reverting to. this is the new shiny objects that they want people to pay attention to. even though i don't think there is any basis in reality here. we have seen, you know, voter, both registration and turnout going up decades among black and in some case it's exceeded the turn out rate among whites, even in the deep south. so, this is a fake issue but this is all they have to run on. i mean, when democrats are pushed into a corner, they play the racial division card, and that's what they are playing here with voting rights because so many other things on their agenda aren't going well. >> bret: kimberley, now talking about ukraine and the possibility that the administration is going to pull out diplomats or families of diplomats. there are some making parallels between what's happening in this situation and afghanistan. take a listen. >> i would just reiterate that the united states does not track or put a tracker on american citizens traveling overseas. whether they are in afghanistan or any country around the world. >> does the president have a plan to evacuate americans from ukraine? >> we are already at a level 4 travel advisory for ukraine for covid and have add rised that u.s. and have been advising that u.s. citizens should be aware that russia is planning for significant military action against ukraine. we don't put a chip in americans when they go to countries around the world and track their movements. >> brian: bloomberg writes it, kimberly, u.s. pulling family members. deploys 180. according to embassy website that doesn't include family members. so the number of u.s. citizens living in embassy house something probably much higher, point being, here we are again on numbers of getting people out ahead of whatever happens on the ground. >> yeah, if you look at afghanistan, there is a direct line between that moment, that horrible disastrous withdrawal and president biden's declining domestic polling. but also the aggression from other rogue leaders around the world because they saw that as a signal that the u.s. was not willing to go the full way. and it doesn't have the strength to really push back. and now we have biden essentially with no real plan now. lots of questions about why he is sitting around. this seems to be a crew that thinks everything can be solved in diplomacy room. but, you know, the president needs to be uniting europeans and letting russia know that the resolve exists to not let them do whatever they want in ukraine and that should be just as important as making a plan for getting our people out. with. >> bret: jason, you get to be the winner and loser panelists. is okay. so who is your winner? >> my winner of the week unfortunately is vladimir putin. who is playing the biden administration like a fiddle, i believe. and my loser of the week is novak djokovic who couldn't defend his australian open tennis title because he refuses to get vaccinated which is also a loss for a lot of tennis fans. >> bret: all right, panel, thank you very much. have a great weekend. when we come back, "notable quotables." ♪ ♪ (judith) in this market, you'll find fisher investments is different than other money managers. (other money manager) different how? don't you just ride the wave? (judith) no - we actively manage client portfolios based on our forward-looking views of the market. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions, right? (judith) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client's best interest. (other money manager) so when do you make more money? only when your clients make more money? (judith) yep, we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments we're clearly different. your kindness outshines your highs and lows. your strength can outlast any bad day. because you are greater than your bipolar i, and you can help take control of your symptoms - and ask about vraylar. some medicines only treat the lows or highs, once-daily vraylar is proven to treat depressive, acute manic, and mixed episodes of bipolar i in adults. full-spectrum relief for all bipolar i symptoms. elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. report fever, stiff muscles or confusion which may mean a life-threatening reaction, or uncontrollable muscle movements which may be permanent. high cholesterol and weight gain, and high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death, may occur. side effects may not appear for several weeks. common side effects include sleepiness and stomach issues. movement dysfunction and restlessness are also common. you are greater than your bipolar i. ask about vraylar. >> bret: it's friday. you know what that means time fore"notable quotables." >> i didn't overpromise. but i have probably out performed what anybody thought would happen. >> the holiday should be a day on not a day off. did not let up for a moment and neither have we. >> i'm being clear right now. so if you are interested i will continue to be clear. >> they don't stand understand the process. >> we are going to drive down crime and we are going to make sure new york is still safe. >> what the hell is going on? looked like a third world country. >> the senate rules must be reformed. >> the united states senate has never, in 233 years, been able to end debate on legislation with a simple majority vote. >> we'll teach all our history the good and the bad. >> nobody cares what's happening to the uyghurs okay? >> one thick if it's a minor incursion. >> no incursion into ukraine is acceptable. >> if you are betting on divides in congress on this, don't bet on that vladimir putin. >> the problem with the democrats right now is not that they have bad leaders. they have bad followers. >> he has had 52 weeks of bad week. >> if aliens landed tomorrow. he said take me to your leader. you would be embarrassed. >> i want to know how many "notable quotables" senator kennedy has been. in i think it's pretty high the number. monday on "special report." several countries are easing covid restrictions and treating it as an endemic. will the u.s. follow suit soon. this week on "fox news sunday," shannon bream will have an exclusive interview with south dakota governor christie gnome. kristi noem.check your local li. thanks for incitings in your home and all this week. that's it for "special report," fair balance and unafraid. make it a great weekend but before you do, tune in to this show. have you seen it "fox news primetime" hosted by heeg heat peg seth this weekend. big week, buddy. >> pete: big week indeed. and, bret, there is the last time you are tossing to me. you got to keep jesse in line starting on monday. you know that. >> bret: i will. i definitely will. >> pete: looking forward to it bret, thanks a lot. have a great weekend. good evening, america. it's 7:00 p.m. on the east coast and 6:00 p.m. in god's country which means it's time for "fox news primetime." i'm pete hegseth. tonight we start with the divider in chief. joe biden who just wrapped up a disastrous first year in office. things are getting so bad that even "time" magazine who gleefully attacked trump and his supporters for four years is painting the biden