kentucky. we're ground zero, and i know this community is hit, has been hit really hard. we're with you. the whole state is with you. >> that is why we are on the ground in kentucky this hour with an update. also ahead, they vowed to be fighting for life, so why don't republicans vote for programs that actually help families? it's hypocrisy on display with roe on the line. plus, keeping a democracy, not easy. the white house's new push to protect and expand democracy across the globe. given america's troubled relationship with the truth, could a gen z conspiracy help lead us back to the truth? welcome to a new hour of "american voices." we begin this hour with the assault against reproductive rights in texas and how new attacks on abortion access could soon move to other gop-controlled states. it's been law in texas for more than 100 days, and it is not changing soon. the supreme court ruling friday the texas abortion providers can move forward with challenges against the law, but the law itself remains on the books as challenges move through legal system. as it's been for months now f someone in texas needs a safe and legal abortion, they will have to cross state lines, previewing what a post-roe america could look like if the supreme court upholds mississippi's abortion ban. a law specifically aimed at unraveling roe. the court set to reach a decision next summer. if it goes, 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortions too. this map showing what it will look like when the power over abortion access is put in the hands of each state. something massachusetts congresswoman ayanna pressley warned of today on msnbc. >> these courts have proven time and time again they're not on the side of the people. in fact, they are against the will of the people. this is settled law. a majority of americans do not want to see roe v. wade overturned. abortion care is health care. when we have these bans, it doesn't mean people stop having abortions. it just means they stop doing it safely and legally. and so this is quite literally a matter of life and death. >> while republican leaders work to control reproductive rights, they are argue they are fighting for the sanctity of life. why do these same leaders oppose every measure to help americans thrive, especially for children and families of low income? for example, they oppose the house's version of biden's build back better plan which provides four weeks of paid family leave, your life pre-k, investments in child care, and extends post-partum coverage under medicaid to a full year. vice president kamala harris touted that coverage this week at the first ever white house day of action on maternal health. >> maternal mortality and morbidity is a serious crisis, and one that endangers both public health and economic growth. which means everyone is impacted by it. we know that when we invest in women's health, when we invest in maternal health, economic productivity increases and socioeconomic outcomes improve. >> and that is where we begin this hour. joining us now, michelle goodwin, professor of law at the university of california irvine, and "new york" magazine senior correspondent. i want to talk about policies that improve the lives of family. an article from "slate" says a remotely humane pro-life movement wouldn't demand that kids be born into economic misery. instead they back policies that support parents and children once they're out of the womb. in other words, it might support something like biden's agenda, these are all policies that would make it easier to help single moms raise children and could theoretically make a post-roe world less financially nightmarish for families. but they run afoul of the gop's opposition to social spending by the government and thus face across-the-board opposition from conservatives. michelle, what are the consequences of banning abortions but then doing nothing to support or address measures to actually help children and families? >> first, thank you for having me on your show this evening. i think vice president kamala harris put it quite well. the united states leads the developed world and beyond that in terms of maternal mortality, and the most glaring rates of maternal death take place in the states with the most abortion bans, the most targeted regulations against abortion providers, otherwise known as trap laws. and though it seems that people have been shy about naming it for what it really is, many of these consequences are life and death. so even if we weren't talking about abortion bans, a person is 14 times more likely to die by carrying a pregnancy to term than by having an abortion. abortions are very safe, one of the safest procedures a person can have. so when these restrictions are papered over again and again, what we see are the increased risks to maternal health and safety, and we don't see these states enacting legislation or with doing in procedural ways that would help to enhance maternal safety. it's worth noting that infant mortality is also glaring and alarming in those states. let me just give you this one statistic that comes from the central intelligence agency. they noted it on their website. this is not just professor goodwin, this is cia, which notes the united states ranks below 50th in the world in terms of maternal health and safety. and we have to keep that figure in mind because then it's not just being behind england, germany, france, italy, et cetera. it means being behind bosnia and saudi arabia in terms of keeping people alive during their pregnancies. that's how the united states is doing, and it's even more glaring in the states like texas, louisiana, and mississippi. we'll talk about race too. >> glaring indeed. o rin, if they limit roe next summer, you have strong opinions whether or not they will, dozens of republican-led states will move forward with abortion bans. what tactic should we expect from this current republican party if we don't have federal guardrails protecting abortion access? >> they've certainly been laying the groundwork for a long time. i just want to underscore the point that professor goodwin made because in sates like texas, it's not a coincidence that their rates of infant mortality are so high. they kick people off medicaid 60 days after giving birth. you need that post-partum support when implications happen. this is when we lose people. and so instead of doing something like expanding medicaid for all people, instead of expanding the tenure of post-partum care for medicaid, legislatures like texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama have been laying the groundwork for what to do when the supreme court does wipe away these guardrails. and the supreme court has already let them do that. we don't even have to imagine, as you mentioned, alicia, in your intro, since september 1st, for more than 100 days abortion has been basically illegal for most people in texas, unless you can afford to leave the state or take matters into your own hands, which leaves you legally vulnerable to prosecution. so we actually don't even have to wait for it to happen. we can look at what's happening in texas. the other effects that will happen if in the texas case they've given them almost no opportunity for relief to reopen their door, even if they only get a custom months to reopen to a greater extent, it's a limited capacity they have right now, you're looking towards that decision in june, that of mississippi, which will empower many of the states around texas -- oklahoma, arkansas, alabama -- many of them already have legislation that's more straightforward than what they did in texas, doesn't stlofl kind of bounty hunter provision, just straightforward says we're banning abortion at whatever time. some states have even set up cascading bans that say they're set up for the supreme court every two weeks they ban abortion, and these laws will be triggered into effect the moment that the supreme court gives them the green light. in texas it's already happening, but should you live in texas, you will have fewer places to travel because a large swath of the country in that map you showed, you will have to travel ever further because the midwest and the southeast will all close their doors to people seeking abortions. >> right. >> they'll have o to get on a plane. >> and as you and i have talked about many times, there are people who just can't take that much time off work in order to make that type of trek, much less have the resources to take flight. which of course, professor goodwin, you said you wanted to talk about race both in the context of maternal health outcomes and in the context of who these abortion bans are going to affect. >> well, let's be clear that these bans harm the most vulnerable of people in our society, and those who have both risked their health in terms of being coerced or forced to carry pregnancies to term that they have not wanted have been black and brown women, including in the state of texas. and in mississippi where there's only one abortion clinic that remains, the majority of their patients happen to be black women. it's very clear that in laws such as this that we've seen in texas, sb 8, the mississippi law, that these are laws that have a discriminatory impact against black women. it's a disparate impact against them. we've seen in texas with people leaving to california and elsewhere, and sure there have been abortion funds that have helped to underwrite that sum for people who are of the most stratified means -- but in mississippi where the death rates are already high for black women who are coerce today carry pregnancies to term, who may have limited access, it's those people whose constitutional rights will be most affected. it's those people whose health will be most affected. and sadly, this is a pattern in states like texas, mississippi, and alabama, and it's our failure if we don't connect the dots. we cannot talk about this without also including america's history of forced servitude, of slavery. what we see is a continuation, a continued effect of gutting, erasing, ignoring any kind of human right, let alone constitutional right or civil liberty of black women to control their own reproductive health care. we saw that in the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s. thought that it was done with the 13th amendment abolishing slavery, but here we are back to states that say we can coerce black women, force them to carry to term pregnancies that they may not want, and, in fact, risk their life if they do so. >> professor goodwin, i have to tell you, i'm aware of your work, so i'm so happy i was able to have the two of you on tonight. thank you so much. next, democracy under threat here and abroad. the international challenge facing the biden administration. during trial, one of ghislaine maxwell's attorneys named an accuser that should remain anonymous, a danger for any survivor speaking their truths ahead. the latest on the tornado outbreak overnight across several states, nbc's steven romo tracking developments for us. steven? >> alicia, thanks. getting caught up on that breaking news tonight. authorities still searching for survivors after a series of deadly tornadoes ripped through six states overnight. those states include arkansas, missouri, mississippi, tennessee, illinois, and kentucky. in one case in kentucky where it's feared the death toll could surpass 100, the governor says they believe a tornado touched down and carved a 250-mile path across at least four states, which, if true, would be a record-breaking twister. president biden addressing those affected by the storms a short time ago. >> it's profound. it's just profound. but i promise you, whatever is needed, whatever is needed, the federal government is going to find a way to supply it. >> for more, we turn to mayfield, kentucky, where we find nbc news correspondent wendy woolfolk. what's the latest there? >> reporter: steven, good evening to you. the waiting is really weighing on people now that the temperatures are dropping and darkness is falling, making the situation gone from bad to even worse. no new numbers to report at this point. 40 people were rescued from what's left of the candle factory behind us. governor andy beshear saying it will have to be a miracle to find anyone else alive in this rubble. but the coroner late this afternoon still calling this a rescue and recovery mission, not giving up hope. first responders and emergency crews from all over the state have come to help. it's a massive undertaking. one firefighter saying it was like walking on the roof of a structure that's collapsed into a hole. it's going to be even more difficult with tens of thousands without power and without water. as you mentioned, the tornado that destroyed this candle factory was on the ground for more than 200 miles. it's really difficult to grasp the scope of devastation in this area. downtown, leveled. main fire station, gone. emergency service station, gone as well. that's why we're relying on those all-too-crucial aerial pictures and countless jurisdictions are here to help. 110 people were working in this candle factory at the busiest time of year, 24/7, three shifts a day, two weeks before christmas. such an awful story. but there are stories of survival, miraculous stories of survival, and we hope the nation and this community hoping that we find more of those stories of survival. that's the latest here live in kentucky. now back to you. >> just unbelievable devastation there. wendy, thank you so much for that report out of mayfield with the latest. we'll continue to monitor developments throughout the rest of the night here on msnbc. we have more "american voices" coming up after this quick break. if you have high blood pressure, a cold is not just a cold. unlike other cold medicines, coricidin provides powerful cold relief without raising your blood pressure be there for life's best 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the streets of san francisco and not get any justice. - chesa's failure has resulted in increase in crime against asian americans. - the da's office is in complete turmoil at this point. - for chesa boudin to intervene in so many cases is both bad management and dangerous for the city of san francisco. - we are for criminal justice reform. chesa's not it. recall chesa boudin now. if you want a democracy, you have to fight to keep it. an urgent matter leading president biden to host a virtual summit for democracy this week, inviting more than 100 nations for a discussion on how to expand democracy across the globe, which biden sees as the, quote, defining challenge of our time. >> but the future belongs to those who embrace human dignity, not those who trample it. who release the potential of their people, not who stifle it, and giving the opportunity to those to breathe free, not those to seek to suffocate people with their iron hand. >> consider this reporting from the "atlantic." quote, this was the fifth consecutive year in which the number of countries moving in the direction of authoritarianism outpaced those moving toward democracy. among the back sliders are some of the world's largest democracies, including brazil, india, and the philippines. the bad guys are winning. here at home we're inching toward one year since the deadly insurrection at the u.s. capitol. republicans are still pushing the big lie despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. remember, trump's own dhs said the 2020 election was the most secure in u.s. history. joining us now, senior fellow at the center for american progress. dan, when we talk about that global slide toward authoritarianism, what are the forces driving that? >> several things. the pandemic helped accelerate it, as leaders have used the excuse of the pandemic to shut down political space. you also had for four years you had a president of the united states who quite frankly and quite clearly didn't really believe in democracy, who embraced authoritarian leaders more than he embraced democratic leaders around the world. and that was a permission slip, if you will, for leaders to see that it was okay to close down space, to make it harder on independent media, to make it harder on human rights activists, to make it harder for women's rights, the whole litany of rights around the world. and you have an assertive china filling more economic space around the world, and that too gives more freedom of movement, if you will, for those who want to close down political space and who want to close down dissent. >> i will include that permission slip among the trump hangover. i want to talk with you about democracy here at home. new analysis from "the washington post" reads, quote, many americans spend little time thinking or worrying about issues of democracy. some see these warnings as alarmist, after all trump tried to overturn the election and failed, but not before an attack object capitol by a trump-inspired mob, given the former president's relentless campaign of untruths and a seeming desire to run in 2024, there's no guarantee that the system will hold the next time around. i believe those numbers, dan. i believe that there are a lot of people who are busy in their lives and they're trying to get by and they're trying to make ends meet, sitting around and talking about democracy can feel esoteric when reality it's at the core of our lives. how do you overcome the challenge, it would seem, of proving to americans that democracy is not a given? >> you have to prove that democracy can deliver. you have to make the positive argument rather than an argument that often -- as that quote highlights, often falls on deaf ears, feels like something that's far away and not part of the day-to-day lives of average americans. and so the real challenge right now, the governance challenge and the defense of democracy challenge is proving that democracy in the united states can make people's lives better. can tame the pandemic, can reactivate our economy, can provide family leave, can provide the sorts of things that are in the social infrastructure bill currently pending before congress. you've got to make a difference, a positive difference in people's lives and how they're living their lives day to day so that they can understand the value of democracy. otherwise it feels like there's no real difference. it just feels far away. and it's not an argument you win with words. it's an argument you win with deed. >> i have 30 seconds left but i do have to ask you about the eight latin american countries in the caribbean that weren't invited to this week's summit. what do you make of that? >> look, democracy is back sliding in the americas as well. you have some real outliers, the obvious outliers, the cubans, and venezuelans, and you have places where democracy is really under threat in a more -- in a less obvious way. in northern central america you have kind of rigged economies, rigged political systems. and this is troubling for a region that's stood out as a beacon of democracy. in the 1980s and '90s, the americas led the way in the wave of democratizization after a wave of oppression. the u.s. has got to get in the game and help democracies deliver across the region, a region that's been devastated by this pandemic, otherwise we'll see the negative trends continue. >> as always, i'm so grateful for your time. new information out of illinois this hour. authorities confirming six people are dead after a tornado hit an amazon warehouse. dozens more killed across several states in this rare december tornado outbreak. next, a story of survival from kentucky. a worker buried under the rubble inside a candle factory. y give r family just any eggs when they can enjoy the best? eggland's best. the only eggs with more fresh and delicious taste. plus, superior nutrition. which is now more important than ever. only eggland's best. 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and my supervisor, he was helping and trying to get -- he says, kiana, there's an air conditioning unit there, we can't move it. >> and so how did you get out? how did those things that were trapping people and trapping you get removed? >> we started moving the debris. they told me to cover my eyes, close my eyes, cover my face. i had on a hoodie, and i covered it up and we started breaking -- tearing up the dry wall and pulling the debris and moving and kind of digging ourselves out from the bottom. what happened was -- it was me and one of my coworkers. we were just all packed together. but once they started getting one out, then the others had moved -- to move around, we could get more and more people out. and then people were able to get in there to also help us to get out. >> did you feel at some point that you were going to die? i mean, i don't know how whether you're running on adrenaline right now or what, but if i had that experience, i don't know if i could formulate a thought, never mind my name. i mean, that sounded absolutely terrifying. >> it's god's grace and mercy. i have a praying family and community, and god kept us. for me, i didn't think i was going to make it because of where i was, and i was so afraid that -- so when the search and rescue people came, they had already got everybody out. i was one of the last people in that particular area. and so i was just so afraid. i'm like, they not going to be able to get me out. i'm going to die on my birthday. what is that? and so the guy, it was either gary ornate. those are the two names i remember. he says we'll get you out of there, kiana. i said, okay, can you just get this air conditioner off me? if you can get this air conditioner off, i can stay under here for hours because my legs -- i couldn't feel my legs. >> oh, my god. >> and the man told me, he said, kiana, there's about five feet worth of debris on top of you. >> wow. how are your legs now? how are you feeling now? >> my legs are sore. i will be going to the doctor. i have some bruises from the air conditioning unit. and then at some point something hit me in my head when we first went down. i got hit in the head, so my head hurts. so i am going to go to the e.r. i'm going to go to the urgent care just to make sure there's nothing -- i just want to get home because my clothes were soaking wet because initially i thought i was just underneath the water fountain. so the water was dripping. but it was still raining, so wince they started opening up, i'm getting rained on. it was a whole a lot of nada, and i just wanted to get home to see my kids because they were worried about me, they were crying. >> ali velshi will be reporting from mayfield, kentucky, starting tomorrow morning. you can see him and the rest of our team coverage then and throughout the weekend right here on msnbc. next, outing the innocent. what just happened in the ghislaine maxwell trial that could stop survivors from speaking their truth in the future. later, why gen z is out to prove a point when it comes to conspiracy theories. wondering what actually goes into your multi-vitamin. at new chapter. its innovation organic ingredients and fermentation. fermentation? 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>> absolutely. you know, one of the things that we know is that it's hard enough for survivors of sexual violence to come forward and report. it's one of the reasons that it is, frankly, among the most underreported crimes. and it's critically important that survivors have the choice to be able to access justice without sacrificing their privacy and really their sense of safety. and, frankly, all eyes are on this trial right now, so to see a defense attorney accidentally use the real names of those survivors on three separate occasions is just devastating for survivors everywhere. >> given that it was on three separate occasions, do you believe that it was accidental? >> you know, frankly, it's hard for me to believe on three separate occasions but it's going to be more significantly, it's the message it extends to survivors. you know, we have made tremendous strides over the past few years with the me too movement and victims and survivors coming forward and reporting. however, the continued progress of our movement is really dependent upon how we treat survivors and making sure that they are safe and supported. and at the heart of that is oftentimes maintaining their privacy and confidentiality. >> what are your concerns for these survivors specifically who've been named in court given how high-profile this case is? >> i think it's devastating. i mean, we have seen this defense relentlessly attack these survivors as they bravely come forward. and the potential, particularly with the media exposure in this case, with the internet, with social media -- we've seen this in other cases where their names have been exposed and they've been attacked. and so for these four survivors who came forward and decided to make a report, for this to be the outcome is just clearly devastating for them and devastating, really, for all survivors. >> given that this is not the first time that you have seen this happen, that this is what some might call a strategy that can be employed, when you have seen it in the past, does it work or does it backfire? >> i think it's really dependent upon, obviously, the jury. however, i think that particularly as our culture has been changing over the past few years with the me too movement and hopefully some of the changes have shifted around victim blaming, i think in this case, as other cases, it could really backfire in the sense that i think the jury could very likely question the defense's motives in accidentally naming the victims on three different times. >> to that end, do you expect the defense to change its game next week? >> you know, i think -- i can't speak for the defense in that sense. i think at this point what i see with the defense is them trying to throw a lot of mud and seeing what will stick. so they're making a lot of false claims, you know, within the media and such that these survivors are seeking fame, they're seeking fortune, none of which has validity. i don't think they'll change their tactics at this point. >> we were shocked when we watched this happen and wanted to speak with you. so thank you so much for your time. we continue to follow the devastation across the south from last night's tornado outbreak. right now emergency officials in tennessee are giving an update confirming at least four people were killed there overnight during the storms. one other person still missing. at least 74 others were injured. tens of thousands still without power tonight in tennessee. stay with us for continuing coverage. to support a strong immune system your body needs a routine. centrum helps your immune defenses every day, with vitamin c, d and zinc* season after season. ace your immune support with centrum. now with a new look! ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ why give your family just any eggs when they can enjoy the best? 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(crowd cheering) therabreath, it's a better mouthwash. at walmart, target and other fine stores. i think the 17th all around us, we believe they're charging on power lines. we believe that bird poop on cars is a liquid-tracking apparatus. >> that is cert of birds aren't real, a conspiracy movement with thousands of gen z followers. they believe the government replace birds with drones. it has chapters in all 50 states and protested outside twitter's headquarters in san francisco recently. >> birds aren't real! birds aren't real! birds aren't real! >> birds aren't real! birds aren't real! >> because it is. if that seems like a big joke, that's because it is. the leader of birds aren't real, telling "the new york times" the conspiracy theory is really just a parody with a purpose. taylor lorenz joins me now. i'm happy when i see your byline on the front page of "the new york times." and this story to me really gets to something we've been talking about the entire show. we talk about it every week, which is democracy and a post-truth america. you talk about a post-truth world that gen z has grown up in. what, then, is the appeal for young people raised by the internet of something like this? >> yeah. well, the appeal for something like this is kind of the same thing that appeals in terms of normal conspiracies, which is community and connection and kind of rallying behind a cause. in this case, it's also about kind of activism and dispelling a lot of the sort of true conspiracies that have taken hold in america. a lot of kids involved with this movement said it's really cathartic. some of them grew up in homes, you know, that are overrun with conspiracies, maybe their parents, relatives or friends believe in these really harmful conspiracies, so this is like a mass coping mechanism for these kids. >> the founder was homeschooled in arkansas. how did his upbringing inspire birds aren't real? >> well, his religious upbringing is, i think -- it really informed all of birds aren't real. he said it's from the deep inside. i think he really understands how these harmful conspiracies take hold, especially in young people's minds. so he's really, really focused on community-building and obviously now speaking out, he doesn't want the movement to accidentally attract anyone that actually might believe this type of stuff. he wants to make it very clear that it's satire. >> is he succeeding in that effort? >> yes. he is succeeding. i spoke to, you know, dozens of people about this, including a disinformation researcher. pretty much no one affiliated with the movement really believes that birds are not real. it's become kind of a meme. believes birds are not real. it's become kind of a meme. and, you know, it seems to be all in good fun, so i don't think they've attracted any kind of negativity so far. >> one of the organizers you spoke with described it as fighting lunacy with lunacy. and i wonder when you talked with disinformation experts if they think that that is a strategy that could apply more broadly. >> yeah, they actually said it was a really successful strategy. it's kind of instead of, you know, emotionally counterprotesting or trying to give facts to kind of counter a lot of these conspiracies almost stepping away and laughing at it and pointing at the lunacy allows there to be this deescalation. it's been really successful. the birds aren't real group, the bird brigade which are these activist members that go out and protesz, they've been successful in de-escalating a lot of conflicts, just one recently in cincinnati where anti-abortion activists were there, you know, rallying around this texas abortion ban. the birds aren't real sort of movement kind of took over that counter-protest and de-escalating. >> do you see them becoming a bigger political force? >> i think they already are. i mean, this group has hundreds of thousands of members. i mean you think about the power jen-z and young people wield on the internet especially when the communities are so strong as it is in birds aren't real, they absolutely have the power to invoke change. we saw similar things like this on tiktok, with tiktokers are biden, gen-z for change. they believe in these causes that they want to see elected officials speak to. >> as always, thank you so much for joining us. a curfew is in effect as first responders search for survivors from last night's tornado outbreak. kentucky's governor calling it the worst in state history. president biden approving a state of emergency there. we're going to bring you updates as they come throughout the evening. after another break what justice sonia sote meyer did this week that has many calling her the conscience of the supreme court. but first a preview of what is ahead tonight on msnbc. the january 6th insurrection failed to overturn the 2020 election, but next time democracy might not be so lucky. plus former white house chief of staff mark meadows' power point plan, sometimes the jokes really just write themselves. tune in tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on msnbc for "ayman." most. now subaru is the largest automotive donor to make-a-wish and meals on wheels. and the largest corporate donor to the aspca and national park foundation. get a new subaru during the share the love event and subaru will donate two hundred and fifty dollars to charity. snacking can mean that pieces get stuck under mike's denture. but super poligrip gives him a tight seal. to help block out food particles. so he can enjoy the game. super poligrip. we're making the fagioli! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ this looks great. awesome. alright. thank you! what... what recipe did you use? oh. my nonna's! she a good cook? -no. hey hun hey, get your own vapors relax with vicks vapobath or with vicks vaposhower. take a soothing vicks vapo moment wherever you chose. a final note about the supreme court and the justices quickly becoming in the eyes of many legal scholars the conscience of the court, sonia sotomayor. she went on record this week in the oral arguments in the mississippi abortion case calling out the politics that brought the abortion ban to the nation's highest bench, citing her own observation of how states are passing ever stricter abortion laws. explicitly inspire by the court's new conservative majority. here's justice sotomayor in her own words. >> will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the constitution and its reading are just political acts? >> will it survive the stench, she asks? as ruth marcus writes for "the washington post," quote, this was no spur-of-the-moment comment. stench was a word deliberately chosen, calibrated to the perceived danger of the moment, studiously oblivious to whether it would antagonize colleagues. it was the equivalent of shouting fire in an uncrowded courtroom, not so much to those present but to a live streaming nation. it wasn't just that s-word that made a mark. sotomayor also pounding lawyers arguing in favor of mississippi's ban and overturning roe. asking the state solicitor-general, quote, what are the advancements in medicine that could justify abandoning roe v. wade. and quote, when does the life of a woman and putting her at risk enter the calculus? while a decision has yet to be announced the court's conservative majority seems certain to uphold mississippi's prohibition on abortion, helping cement that fear the fact the supreme court decided this week to uphold the abortion ban in texas. the justices, however, ruling the law can be challenged in court. dissenting in the texas case justices sotomayor, kagen and breyer writing it's, quote, an unconstitutional scheme, in madness of the supreme court should have put to an end months ago. but by allowing the law to continue, the court, quote, betrays not only the citizens of texas but also our constitutional government. it's that language, the courage to address the stench within our own ranks has many like harvard league scholar laurence tribe describing sotomayor a conscience of the court. congresswoman nydia velazquez agreed with but with a reminder, highlighting a letter the scholar wrote in 2009 to then-president obama describing sotomayor as, quote, not nearly as smart as she seems to think she is. adding this hard truth when it comes to women of color we have to prove ourselves every day, indeed. this reminds us often a person who describes a woman of color as overestimating her own ability is actually underestimating how her own life experience prepares her hoobe the conscience of an institution. i'll see you back here tomorrow. for now i hand it over to my colleague. >> i'm so glad you ended on that point talking about the supreme court. we're going to spend some time talking about that tonight. it is a story that i think everybody in this country is watching very, very closely. so thank you very much, my friend. enjoy the rest of your evening. and good evening and welcome to you at home. i'm ayman mohyeldin. tonight nearly 200,000 are without power this afternoon after a devastating outbreak of tornados swept through parts of the midwest and tennessee river valley parts. overnight in kentucky alone officials are estimating that the death toll could actually reach at least 100. we are going to bring you the very latest on that breaking news story throughout the next two hours as it continues to develop. meanwhile the january 6th insurrection failed to overturn the 2020 election, but next time democracy might not be so lucky. congressman ted liu, joins me to discuss that. then the very latest school shooting in michigan has reignited debates over the effectiveness of school shooter drills. we're going to take a look at whether they