dying and the 10% of america that is the reddest, the most pro-trump part of america, six times as many, the death rate is six times as high there as it is in the bluest 10% of america. the death rate is three times higher in the reddest 30% of america than it is in the bluest. this is very much a pandemic of those who are refusing to get vaccinated and by and large those are right now the republicans because their leaders are telling them to do so. >> dana milbank, always a pleasure to talk to you. still to come, we're just one week into the new year and it's already feeling like a repeat of 2020. we're going to take a look at what's driving us back into the hot tub time machine to 2021. plus one of the biggest 80s villains on the big screen is here, actor martin kove. >> sweep the leg. you have a problem with that? >> actor martin kove on the fourth season of the netflix spin-off "cobra kai" and resurgence of nostalgia entertainment. then is it an end of the era for the golden globe awards? you won't catch them on tv or streaming this year. my saturday night panel is here to break it all down for us. i'm ayman mohyeldin. let's get started. happy 2022. a new year is a chance to hit the reset button, wipe that slate clean and start things off fresh. at least that's what it should be. it's only january 8th, folks, and so far 2022 is looking more and more like 2020 part two than anything else. perhaps we shouldn't have expected anything more than when the final day of 2021 unfortunately brought the sad news and the passing of hollywood legend betty white. while many of us were still sipping our new year's eve champagne, andy cohen started his year by getting something off of his chest. >> advance. >> let me tell you something. >> oh, please, tell us something, andy. >> watching mayor de blasio do his victory lap -- >> don't go on a rant. >> -- victory lap dance after four years of the crappiest job as the mayor of new york -- >> wow. >> so sayonara sucker! 2022, it's a new year. >> so while cohen was obviously beyond thrilled to have de blasio out of office, his replacement, eric adams, made sure to temper all of our expectations with a stumble at the gate. listen to this from a press conference he held on tuesday. >> my low skill workers, my cooks, dishwashers, messengers, shoe shine people, those working at dunkin' donuts, they don't have the skills to work in corner office. they need this. we are in this together. >> so adams is the mayor who says he wants to help new york city get its swagger back, but it's pretty hard to swagger when you've got your foot in your mouth. moving on to someone who has absolutely no dreams of swagger, texas senator ted cruz, he spent his week groveling and begging forgiveness from tucker carlson for accurately describing the january 6th insurrection as a terrorist attack. take a look. >> the way i phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was, frankly, dumb. >> i don't buy that. i've known you a long time since before you went to the senate. >> i wasn't saying that the thousands of peaceful protesters supporting donald trump are somehow terrorists. i wasn't saying that the millions of patriots across the country supporting president trump are terrorists and that's what a lot of people have misunderstood that comment. >> hold on, what you just said doesn't make sense. >> bravo, ted. bravo. just really well handled there, senator. i haven't seen courage like this since you blamed your daughters for sneaking off to cancun while your state was freezing over. to be clear, tucker never let cruz off the hook and despite coming off horribly in that interview, he still posted the video in its entirety on twitter, as if the whole thing was anything other than a tv host proving he has more power than the united states senator and perennial republican presidential candidate and loser. what a year, huh? eight days down, 357 to go, but who's counting. my saturday night panel is here to discuss all of this. maya wiley, former district attorney and former candidate for mayor of new york city. liz planck, msnbc columnist and journalist, author. and laurie kilmartin, author of "dead people suck." let's kick it off with our first saturday night panel of 2022 with a quick go-around question. who do you think had the worst week here? maya, i'll start with you. ted cruz, eric adams or american democracy considering we just watched republicans try to whitewash the january 6th coup. >> i'm going to choose d, which is all of the above. >> fair. does you can do that. it's impossible to choose between those. i think we, one, cannot forget that the most devastating reality we face today is the attack on our democracy and the fact that far too many elected leaders like ted cruz know and understand exactly what january 6th was and remains and that the lies about -- that have led to voter suppression are just that, lies but politically calculated. there's nothing more dangerous to democracy. but look, eric adams is the mayor of the largest city in this country. he is learning that as a mayor you get scrutiny for every single thing you say and one of the most important issues that we're facing today is the omicron virus is being a city where we're seeing historic surges again unfortunately. fortunately when people are vaccinated and we have the highest vaccination rates, we are seeing very few deaths, but nonetheless, it's really important that we talk about these issues, talk about people who are most vulnerable to being taken advantage of at work but also to succumbing to covid, that we're talking about our city and residents in a way that reflects just how valuable they are to us. i don't know what to do with the rest of it. so i'll just stop right there. >> i was going to say, we could be talking about this all night long. laurie, who do you think is loser of the week? feel free to add to the list. improvise going with option d, feel free to add someone we may have forgotten to kick things off this week. >> i'll stick with eric adams. i don't know why he went after low-level workers or low-skilled workers. he's a former police officer. you don't have to be a genius to be a new york city cop. you just have to get a 2.0 gpa. if you got an "f" in women's studies and an "a" in boxing, you could be a cop. low-skilled workers could be insulted by what he said. besides, i think serving food is a skill. i can't even make a foot long ham sandwich, and the recipe is in the name of the food. >> i was going to say i used to work at subway when i was at high school. eric adams thinks it's a low skilled job but truth is, it's a great beginning for a lot of people and important job. liz, what do you think? who do you think had it the worst this week? >> i also worked at subway and did not have the skills to handle it. i got fired. it was complicated. >> you're technically called a sandwich artist when you work at subway, by the way. just so you know. >> exactly, exactly. yeah, i think it's a tie. ted cruz just i would say let's create a task force and go find his dignity but i don't think he had any to begin with. he's once again being asked to defend the man that called his wife ugly, that called him the "p" word and said that his dad is a murderer. so it's really, really sad to see ted cruz have to humiliate himself like that. but i think there's something to say about that tucker carlson appearance. it almost felt like it wasn't for us. did you feel that way when you watched it? >> by "us" who do you mean exactly? humans? >> that, too. you know during the trump era we would say a lot of republicans would go on tv and it was for an audience of one, they were talking directly to donald trump. i felt like that was for tucker carlson and we were just there watching and it was kind of awkward. and that worries me. right? republican party or party in general where a sitting senator seems to have less power than a host on television. i apologize but we know how that ended. and then eric adams is just one giant red flag. he described himself as having swagger. i feel like we didn't talk about that enough so i do want to get to that. 80% of people are low skilled. i guess we're all low skilled workers if that's the parameter you're using. >> let's talk about that for a moment. let's talk about mayor adams and the comments that he said he had a lot of people including congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez calling him out for it as well for saying low-skilled workers. she said her own experience as a waitress has made her better at her current job as a representative of her district. so it begs the question was this just tone deafness by the mayor, was this insensitivity? does he have a lack of understanding as to people's stations in life and where one could be at any given moment in their station in life and just not be demeaning about this job? >> look, you know, i think it's absolutely right. laurie said it well, so did liz. i worked at baskin robbins, worked at the gap, did all sorts of jobs in order to get through college and buy my books. here's the thing, i can't speak for eric adams. in terms of what he intended. he certainly ran and after winning the democratic primary made very clear that he was a blue collar mayor, that he was the mayor who was going to represent the folks in this city, a large number of new yorkers who work long hours and struggle to pay rent, who work long hours and can't necessarily buy food at the end of the month. and that these new yorkers absolutely need a mayor that's going to recognize both how hard they work, the value of the work but also come forward with the policies that are going to make their lives better. new york city's facing the end of an eviction moratorium. this is a major issue because so many new yorkers who he is talking about when he uses disparaging term low skilled are the same people who are not sure how or whether they're going to be evicted when this moratorium is over, we need to hear what the policies of this administration are going to be for those people and that's really how you become the mayor of the people is really represent the policies and get them passed that meet their needs. >> let's go back to ted cruz for a moment, laurie, and talk about the week he's had. it what happens these days when tucker carlton has more power than senator from one of the biggest states seated. i find it interesting that ted cruz said i texted tucker carlson to say i want to come on and talk about this. what's your read about the ted cruz groveling for carlton and about the republican party today that they cannot use the word terrorism to describe what happened on january the 6th? >> oh, that's terrible. i mean, just ted cruz on tucker carlson is doom for the initials t.c. that's a terrible joke but i just had to get one out. i'm so unqualified to be on this panel. >> no, this is a joke friendly environment. >> he's -- ted cruz nauseates me to a degree. i actually have trouble focusing on him when i'm trying to write jokes. i remember during the gop debates where he had something in his mouth and it was like food or a loose baby tooth or worse, i don't know. but i haven't been able to get that out of my mind. and whenever i see him, i feel sick to my stomach. now what in a means for the republican party, i don't know but it's not good. >> you bring up an interesting point about who ted cruz was talking to by going on that program and it really raises the question of not how divided we are as a country but do we even hear each other? only moment, when somebody like ted cruz goes on tucker carlton, makes a complete fool of himself, his message comes to our side of the divide, the way things play out on social media, but the reality of it is somebody like ted cruz represents a powerful state and he's tone deaf to the rest of the country that witnessed what happened january the 6th as nothing short of a terrorist attack. >> yeah, and it's such a slap in the face to his constituents, that somehow again the opinion of one guy who is on tv is more important than all of the millions of people that he's supposed to represent. and it's an excellent question, you know. as i was watching it, it really struck me that there are two realities. or maybe several at this point about what happened on january 6th and that that felt like almost like ted cruz was held hostage, you know, saying this is the version, right, of what we are seeing happen and him saying yes. and really being forced to because we know what happens, right, to republicans who don't stay in line and don't go along with this version of reality that's just really false. >> not to mention that he had been using the word terrorism to describe january 6th for the better part of the year. >> yeah. 70 times. >> i got to ask you, maya, really quickly about a few other folks that find themselves in some hot mess this week. we learned this week ivanka and don jr. were spped subpoenaed by the district attorney letitia james. trump's lawyer are trying to block the questioning. do you think they'll be forced to comply with the subpoenas? how do you see this legally playing out for the trump family? >> well, look, i think they are going to be forced to comply at some point. the question will be at what point. but, look, it was also true for eric trump, who has already been interviewed by the new york attorney general's office on these same investigation. they are principals in the trump business and the trump org. this is a family-held company. this is an investigation that the new york attorney general is chartered to do and you just can't avoid investigations forever, no matter how long you try to drag it out and this is an understandable tactic to do just that, but i don't think they will be able to hide. >> all right. we'll see how that plays out. maya wiley, thanks for joining us, liz plank, laurie kil marten. still ahead, novak djokovic, his events just one day after supposedly testing positive for covid-19. from one of netflix's biggest successes, and icon and actor, martin kove joins me live. i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. as you know, our enemies are working together. they are combining their styles to beat us, but they are destined to fail because there is only one way. and what is that way? >> the way, sir. >> exactly. >> the year may be 2022 but the 80s are making a comeback. if you subscribe to netflix, you may have seen the platform's top trending list, "cobra kai", a continuation of "the karate kid." 1984 cult classic. dropped fourth season on new year's eve. within three days fans, including myself, spent over 120 million hours watching that show. according to netflix viewership. visits favorite story lines about training, family and mentorship and features famous actors, including my next guest, martin kove. congratulations on the success of the show. i'm interviewed world leaders, ministers, politicians, you name it but this is one of the most i've been excited to talk to. thank you for making time for us this evening. >> i got to correct you, though. it's not a character of hate. john krooes is not a villain, he's just misunderstood. >> i appreciate that. we'll talk about it in a minute. hollywood seems it's in a '80s nostalgia moment. what's it like for you about revisiting this character? made big impact on your career. what's your favorite part of reprising the character? >> oddly enough, i signed on asking the writers years ago to write the character with texture and vulnerability. i didn't want to play him the one-dimensional character of the movies and in karate kid i, he's a one dimensional character and truly the villain but he has a high moral fiber. and i wanted them to elaborate on that. and slowly each episode we're dealing with more vulnerability and a lot more texture and back story for this character, you know? so i enjoy that. >> why do you think the show is resonating so much, martin? when you look at it and you think about the character and the origins of "the karate kid" we're talking about decades ago, but it's still resonating with people today. why do you think that is? >> well, i think the kids might have started to watch the show in a family. number one, it's the only family show out there. it's like the old ed sullivan show. everyone can gather around the tv and literally get something from this, whether you're a teen-ager, or an adult or you're 60, it doesn't matter. there are so many topics from bullying to people, you know, they actually -- i guess they resonate with the fact that they lost a lover back in the 80s, you know, a girl friend and that kind of recaps itself a lot of times. but i think it touches upon from bullying to an old romance that didn't work to fish out of water situations. and there's a little bit for everybody. and the kids, who they turn their parents on to cobra kai, the parents get a chance to watch and they convince the kids now you got to watch "karate kid" one, two and three. and it an exchange. >> as someone who grew up in the 80s and watched "karate kid," i'm hooked on the show. did you ever think the story line in 2022 with recreate the -- rebring or recreate the franchise, did you have any reservations about taking this role? i know the karate kid franchise has gone through different iterations since the original in the 80s. did you have any reservations about coming back to cobra kai? >> really and billy, we've been friend for 30 years here. i only wanted it -- they were so articulate, the writers. when we sat down and we met the first time, they were big fans, like they were "star wars" fans. this was their "star wars." the greatest thing was i believed their pitch when they told me what they were going to do with the character. they say you'll come in in episode 10. i said why can't i come in in episode 5, episode, 6? they said because you're going to set up season two. they were right. there was a lot of excitement when john pops into the dojo and i never thought it would be the gift that keeps giving. but as long as there were moments that i enjoyed acting, i met them -- when i did "karate kid," i was on hiatus from "cagney & lacey tlt. cagney and lacey." we didn't think this would have the longevity that it does." we didn't think this would have " we didn't think this would have the longevity that it does. you know, there are really no prima donnas on this show. we're all really just pals trying to do a good job with some good writing. and we've succeeded, you know. >> let me ask you quickly about your podcast. i know that's something that's in the works. and i believe you have twins that are 31 years old. first of all, did you tell them that you were one of the most iconic characters in the 80s? did they grow up knowing about you? how old were they when they learned who john crease was? >> they watched the movie occasionally but that word icon, to me that is anthony hopkins, sean connery, marlon brandon, peter o'toole, john wayne, these are icons. to this generation, marty kove and billy zapka were icons. and the kids gravitate -- they gravitate to the story and they gravitate to the basic versatility of the show. so our podcast is like that. you know, my son jesse is an actor, wonderful actor, and my daughter rachel. she's a life coach. and our wonderful manager put together this deal with podcast one, which will air sometime in mid january and it's brilliant because we talk about mental health, we shot a couple of episodes so i know what the format is. we talk about bullying, we talk about fantasy and music of the show compared to yesteryear. and it's a multi-versatile show. it great because my daughter handles the psychological end of it because she's a life coach. my son is a younger fantacist, and i'm the old outlaw in love with the westerns. >> congratulations. we'll be watching and listening and following all of your work. it's great to see the comeback. so best of luck to you, martin. thank you so much for joining us tonight. >> thank you. >> take care. >> next, tennis superstar novak djokovic really knows how to stir up controversy. my saturday night panel is back. stick around. ound fries or salad? salad! good choice! it is. so is screening for colon cancer. when caught in early stages, it's more treatable. hey, cologuard! hi, i'm noninvasive and i detect altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers even in early stages. early stages. it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. (all) to screening! ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ kim is now demonstrating her congestion. save it slimeball. i've upgraded to mucinex. we still have 12 hours to australia. mucinex lasts 12 hours, so i'm good. now move! kim, no! mucinex lasts 3x longer for 12 hours. as a dj, i know all about customization. that's why i love liberty mutual. they customize my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. how about a throwback? you got it. ♪ liberty, liberty - liberty, liberty ♪ uh, i'll settle for something i can dance to. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ ♪ ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ new developments today in the covid controversy surrounding tennis superstar novak djokovic. earlier this week he was denied entry at melbourne airport after border officials canceled his visa for failing to meet requirements of all noncitizens to be fully vaccinated against covid-19. in documents just filed in an australian court, lawyers for djokovic alleged the tennis player contracted the virus last month and therefore qualifies for a medical exemption. djokovic is currently held in melbourne as he awaits a court date on monday. i don't know about you but this situation might seem a little familiar. >> beyond those doors is american soil. you are not to leave this building. ♪ >> there is a man walking around the terminal in a bathrobe. >> let's hope that djokovic is getting better treatment than tom hanks did in "the terminal." joining the panel, eric deggans, a tv critic. laurie, i'll start with you. those court documents claim that djokovic tested positive on december 16th but here is a picture and pictures that have been posted on twitter. it appears he was at a public event on december 17th. what do you make of these recent developments here? >> he's an awful guy. and i think he's so unlikable that i think every country would love to detain him and send him away. and kudos to australia for figuring out they are a formal penal colony so this is in their wheelhouse. i would also encourage every american anti-vaxxer to go to try to vacation in australia right now. >> do you have something to say about that? >> i was going to say it seems that looking at the facts, the organizers of the tournament told the players that they could qualify for a vaccine exemption if they had tested positive for the virus, but that's not in line with the guidelines of the actual health authorities in the country. and then once the public found out that he had this vaccine exemption and it seemed to be contrary to the rules they were living under, people got upset. >> rightfully so. >> this makes all kind of sense and the lawyers can say what they want to say but ultimately tennis organizers can't change the rules set by their health authorities. >> that's a very important point. ultimately it is the public health, not a tennis tournament that people should be concerned about. and, liz, djokovic has been outspoken about his opposition to the vaccine. from day one. he's not alone. you have a lot of sports stars in this country, you have aaron rogers, kyrie irving have voiced their hesitancy to get the shot. they have huge global platforms. you have to wonder whether or not this is exacerbating the problem and expanding vaccine hesitancy. >> of course. of course it is. and speaking of those tennis organizers, i would like to have a word with them. why would he get a vaccine exemption but naomi osaka is fined $15,000 for not doing a press conference? i have a lot of questions. but that being said, it's a really good point. these are well-respected idols, people look up to these people on so many thousands, so for them to use misinformation about the vaccine is very, very dangerous. and we could use this moment to talk about where he is right now. he's being detained at an i.c.e.-like facility. we have many here in the united states and we know they're terrible. australia has them, too. he's staying in a place called the park hotel which sounds really great, it's not. apparently filled with mold, they're serving maggots and other things coming out. there are 33 male refugees who are being detained there and they've been there for many years. and so it's a great opportunity to talk about how the vaccine is safe and also talk about the ways that we detain people. and he can leave, by the way. these detainees cannot. he can just go. >> he is pursuing a legal challenge to try to get into the country. we'll see how that plays out in the next couple days. eric, let's talk a little bit about the golden globes. it used to be a very popular show, 79th annual golden globes awards are supposed to be airing tomorrow night. they're not going to be airing. things will be different this year. the ceremony will not be televised. instead the organization will send out a list of winners. this follows obviously for those who have been following it a series of scandals that plagued the hollywood foreign press association including reports they actually had no black members. and will this, i guess, isolation if you will or lack of television support make a difference to the hollywood foreign press association? >> yes, certainly. and i guess they have. they have black members now. they finally made an effort and signed up some people over the past year. but what has essentially happened is that hollywood has sort of declared the golden globes persona non-grata for a while. asked them to hit the pause button, so nbc is not airing the awards broadcast. because of covid and the pandemic, they have decided to announce the winners in a ceremony that won't be public, will not be live streamed. no celebrities. so everything we're used to seeing with the golden globe, the red carpet, celebrities letting their hair down, a highly publicized telecast, none of that is happening this year. and it makes sense. this group has always been criticized for the fact that they're so few in number. before the scandal, there were less than 90 of them. they had a tremendous amount of power in hollywood. there was a sense that they encouraged the celebrities to schmooze them and a lot of concerns about how they wielded their power and once the diversity angle came out and it was realized that they didn't have black people as members of their group, hollywood hit a pause button, nbc stepped away and now a lot of publicists and a lot of outlet studios are not even using the golden globe nominations in their press. so -- >> interesting. >> there's a question of whether the golden globes will even be a part of the normal award show ramp up that leads to the oscars. so there's a lot going on with them and the pandemic has combined to make it worse for them. >> eric brings up an interesting point about the films in this situation and filmmakers, if you will. vulture put it this way, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? related question, if a film gets an award and no one is around to watch it, does it matter? do you think this is a problem unique to the golden globes and their troubled past or is the importance of ceremonies generally speaking slipping away, that you don't necessarily need these awards to become a successful movie? >> right. the only reason to watch the golden globe is to watch ricky gervais make people uncomfortable. and pitch age 86 atheism, right? they have a long history of racism, now if they're going to do it in private, it will be rich white people congratulating each other in secret, which is kind of like a golf club. so -- >> that's kind of politics. >> liz, the golden globes were known because of their loose vibes as eric was saying. it was one of the more casual -- not casual but you know what i mean, it was tv and hollywood, movie stars mixing together. other award shows they chatted and drank at the shows and gave us some iconic memes, and tom hanks' reaction and chrissy teigen's infamous awkward crying face. without a ceremony like this, are we losing some key cultural moments or is it not worth it? >> it's a tough one. i mean, i have to agree with everybody. if the golden globes were so biased and they had such a huge impact on the oscars, you're kind of happy that you're getting rid of them. but, yes, everyone was drunk at the golden globes. use the right words, let's just say it like it is. they were loose in a very specific way and it meant a lot of cultural fun moments. but maybe we can make some gifs tonight to make up for the ones that won't happen. >> if i could give you guys an award, i'd bestow upon you the best panel. eric deggans, liz plank, laurie kilmartin, greatly precious it. >> we got that, eric. we appreciate it. next, we remember activist and icon sidney poitier. snacking cs 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. oh hey there! i'm just reading wayfair reviews like it's my job. i love seeing people loving their home. my daughter and i never agree on anything. that's not true! but we did agree this rug was perfect. okay. stop being weird. mom and daughter agreeing on something. wayfair works miracles! ooh! check this one out. this chair is so comfortable. it puts both of my babies to sleep. look at you making a space that works perfectly for all of you! i could use a good nap. napoleon was born and raised to conquer. but he was just kind of over it, you know. watching prime video he realized he should follow his dreams. so he ordered a microphone with prime next day delivery. now the only thing he cared about conquering was his audience. prime changes everything. i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. 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 we have some sad news to share this evening. actor and civil rights champion sidney poitier, who broke barriers on the screen and in the streets over a seven-decade career died at the age of 94 on friday. he was the first black person to win an oscar, first black man to win an oscar as a ground breaking director, paving the way for black actors in film. beloved by generations for his intense, larger than life demeanor, as well as his activism for racial equality. it's especially poignant in america today. here's a brief look back at the man and his lasting impact. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: sidney poitier played characters who jumped off the screen, opposite rod steiger in "the heat of the night." >> now where did you earn it? >> i'm a police officer. ♪ amen ♪ >> reporter: and in "the lillies of the field" as handyman martin smith. >> lots of luck, mother. >> yeah you. >> reporter: the one that won him the first ever lead oscar for an african-american. >> it is a long journey to this moment. >> reporter: raised in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teenager and endured the usual hard scrabble climb to an actor's life. and then came "no way out," a groundbrooking film about racism. >> you watch yourself black boy, watch how you talk to me. >> just shut up. >> reporter: he played a doctor, in a performance so powerful, the film was credited with ending british colonial rule in the bahamas, and in the intense 22-year-old performer, hollywood had its first african-american screen star. >> why you black -- >> go ahead and say it! >> first he would point out it was too long in coming. >> if we are 40 million americans, we certainly ought to have more than one movie star. maybe i'll get down on my black knees. >> reporter: but he wasn't just a movie star. he was the embodiment of a proud and dignified black point of view in the american conversation about race that accelerated along with the civil rights movement. in '67 he reached hollywood's mountaintop, top earning leading man as tibbs, righteous enough to slap the politician who slapped him. >> there was a time when i could have had you shot. >> reporter: and in "guess who's coming to dinner" as dr. john prentice, half of an interracial couple telling his disapproving father times had changed. >> i'm your son. i love you. but you think of yourself as a colored man. i think of myself as a man. >> reporter: in the 70s he's moved from acting to directing. some critics said he played the same role too many times. >> let's get out of here! >> reporter: and as a director, he was a money maker with hits like "stir crazy" and hi buddy movies with bill cosby. >> our whole nation on the brink of disaster. >> reporter: but enduring image is a man, an actor of principle. no surprise he would play mandela, a man whose existence among us made racism let palatable as he noted after receiving a life time achievement oscar. >> not because i brought so much but because the time was right. circumstances were right. ♪ the time has come ♪ >> reporter: sidney poitier, the right man for his time. ♪ from closing books ♪ ♪ to sir with love ♪ does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. ever notice how stiff clothes there's no question it's something can feel rough on your skin? for softer clothes that are gentle on your skin, try downy free & gentle downy will soften your clothes without dyes or perfumes. the towel washed with downy is softer, and gentler on your skin. try downy free & gentle. before nexium 24hr, anna could only imagine a comfortable night's sleep without frequent heartburn waking her up. now, that dream... . ...is her reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts, for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? (vo) verizon is going ultra! and so is your home internet. what's this? verizon 5g for your home? for all-day, all-night protection. see ya cable! just plug and play it's ultra fast, ultra simple, 5g home internet. (mary) shhh (vo) and it's 50% off with your unlimited plan. verizon is going ultra, so you can too. finally tonight we turn to the growing unrest in kazakhstan, looting on the rise, crawling with russian troops, access to social media and internet is making it hard. so how did we get here? what initially started after an increase in gas prices snow balled as security forces cracked down. experts suspect fuelled by clashing political elites, as a result, kazakhstan's president gave the order to, quote, shoot to kill without warning those participating in the unrest. he also took advantage of the chaos to dismiss his cabinet and oust his predecessor, who is largely thought to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes from the security council. as one puts it, it is, quote, a coup by the current president against the old president. in order to solidify his shaky hold on the post soviet nation, tokayev has embraced autocracy and turned to vladimir putin. now, this is concerning for a variety of reasons but especially given russia's proclivity for sending so-called peacekeeping forces to countries that fail to leave. while he asked for assistance in this case, it's easy to draw parallels about the unfolding situation in ukraine. here's what secretary of state anthony blinken had to say about russia's involvement. >> one lesson in history is that once russians are in your house, it's difficult to get them to leave. >> as you can imagine, that didn't sit well. in response, according to reuters, russia's foreign ministry said that u.s. should reflect on its own interventions. citing vietnam and iraq. saying if anthony blinken loves history lessons so much, then he should take the following into account -- when americans are in your house, it is can be difficult not to be robbed or raped. in line with interests to expand control of the region. it comes at a time when tensions between russia and the u.s. are high. nations are set to begin talks monday. thank you for joining us and making time for us this evening. come back tomorrow night at 9:00 eastern on msnbc. from my podcast, the brother-in-law and sister of roseanne boyland who dried in the january 6th attack on the capitol will join us in their first television interview together. until we meet again, i'm ayman mohyeldin. good night. 's skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months, after just 2 doses. skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪nothing is everything♪ talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. in your hands or feet? try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort. try nervivenerve relief. ♪♪ you pour your heart into everything you do, which is a lot. so take care of that heart with lipton. because sippin' on unsweetened lipton can help support a healthy heart. lipton. stop chuggin'. start sippin'. nothing like a weekend in the woods. it's a good choice all around, like screening for colon cancer... when caught in early stages it's more treatable. i'm cologuard. i'm noninvasive... and i detect altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers... even in early stages. early stages. yep. it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. we're in. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ as a professional bull-rider i'm used to taking chances. but when it comes to my insurance i don't. i use liberty mutual, they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wooo, yeaa, woooooo and, by switching you could even save 665 dollars. hey tex, can someone else get a turn? yeah, hang on, i'm about to break my own record. yeah. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ every day in business brings something new. only pay for what you need. so get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. introducing comcast business mobile. you get the most reliable network with nationwide 5g included. and you can get unlimited data for just $30 per line per month when you get four lines or mix and match data options. available now for comcast business internet customers with no line-activation fees or term contract required. see if you can save by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities. i'm craig melvin. >> i'm natalie morales. >> this is dateline. >> they were party girls. >> they were fierce in our phone. >> beauty queen, the troublemaker, and the girl next door. >> she was really, really keen. >> one met the guy voudri ms., look at first sight. but at second glance, trouble. pregnant at 16. >> you wanted to be married, you don't want to do that. >> then, one night, an ambush. someone shot on the bedroom floor. a teenage mom at the