destruction left in its wake, we saw with that look like, including people who had been assassinated, in fact their hands tied pander back, executed, the beuse against women, against children, it is horrific. there has to be accountability for. >> the secretary of state gets tonight's last word. the 11th hour with stephanie ruhle starts now. arts now tonight, absolute horror. mariupol's mayor says 5000 civilians had been killed in his city, hundreds of them children. as we get you images of the country, we are live across ukraine. and the u.s. hits russia with another round of economic sanctions. this time, targeting putin's adult daughters and blocking russian banks. plus the house asked the doj to criminally prosecute two more former trump aides for defying subpoenas as the 11th hour gets

underway on this wednesday night. good evening, once again, i'm stephanie ruhle. russia's unprovoked invasion of ukraine is now entering day 43. officials there warned that moscow appears to be escalating attacks in eastern ukraine as strikes against the port city of mariupol continue. the mayor there says over 5000 civilians have been killed, including at least 210 children. more than 100,000 residents are still trapped there. the red cross now suspending ongoing efforts to even try and enter the city. a senior u.s. official says there are no russian forces around kyiv, but warns that the city is still under threat. meanwhile, we are still learning about russia's brutal massacre just outside kyiv. nbc's richard engel is in ukraine with the latest. again, we warn you, the images you're about to see our disturbing.

>> they are destroyed tanks are all that remain of russia's occupation of the town of borodyanka outside kyiv. and the holes in the skyline. the awning gaps in rows of apartment buildings. today, ukrainian rescue workers were not taking for survivors here, they were trying to recover bodies. local officials believe that hundreds of civilians, many of them women and children, were hiding in shelters beneath these buildings in tuned under the remains of their homes. presidents today came back to salvage, mostly memories, photos and witness could be saved. in nearby bucha, russian troops killed civilians up close, shooting people in the head. in borodyanka, most were killed by airstrikes, but as many or perhaps more civilians that here. deliberately attacking

civilians is a war crime. unless russia can somehow prove that these were military targets. >> president zelenskyy accusing russia of now trying to hide evidence of potential war crimes, as russia claims that what happened in bucha, what you just saw on your screen, russia is claiming it was fake. the u.s. responded today with new sanctions aimed at punishing moscow, including banning new investment in russia. putin's two adult daughters were also sanctioned along with other russian elites. president biden leaving no doubt about where his administration stands. >> there is nothing less happening than major war crimes. we will keep raising economic costs and ratchet up the pain for putin and further increase russia's economic isolation. [applause] we have already taken and predict to shrink russia's gross domestic product by this year alone.

just a one-year, sanctions are about to wipe out the last 15 years of economic gains in russia. >> it comes as the justice department stopped a cyberattack by russia, and charge russian oligarchs of violating sanctions. >> it does not matter how far you sell your yacht, it does not matter how well you conceal your assets, it does not matter how cleverly you write your malware or hide your online activity, the justice department will use every available tool to find you. >> the attorney general also says that u.s. prosecutors are working with investigators to gather evidence of russian atrocities across ukraine. secretary of state anthony blinken told our own colleague andrea mitchell that the u.s. is committed to find those responsible. >> the wheels of accountability can move slowly but they move. some day, some way, somewhere, those who committed these

crimes and those who ordered the crimes will be held accountable. but it takes time. part of this is building the case, part of this is knowing what we're doing and what others are doing. >> unfortunately, ukrainians do not have time. i want to bring in my dear friend and colleague, ali velshi, back with us from lviv. talk to us, we are hearing rushes focusing on eastern ukraine. what more do you know about that? >> there is speculation that sometime within the next 3 to 4 days, they will do what they have been saying they were doing. if you remember when they were in istanbul negotiating with the radiance, there was talk of pulling out of the kyiv and the neighboring areas as a show of trust. a lot of intel experts say it is not about trust, but it was because there are bogged down and not getting anywhere in and around kyiv. they wanted to regroup and figure out what to do. they are reverting to the original goal which is eastern

new crane, the done ask andrew honks region. there is a sense that there will be an increase offensive in those areas sometime in the next 2 to 3 days. we have been seeing remarkable images when we can get them out of mariupol in places like that. one wonders how much more damage can you do. there is actually more damage to be done. those areas are without heat, without water, without supply chain, without food, i did speak to a city council member from mariupol. he said that he thinks the russians are actually supplying both a way out and food and supplies to people that a russian or implied that they would be okay every settling in russia. if you are identifying as ukrainian, they are not letting you out. as you reported, the red cross is abandoning efforts to even try to get back into their. the red cross and doctors without borders are saying they cannot even get in. doctors without borders took fire while trying to help out.

there is some sense that something more is coming. the second part of that is as we have seen what as happened in breonna and bucha when we have gone in, and the media has been able to go in and see the damage, it is much worse, the deaths are far greater than what we expected. you talked about the number the mayor saying, maybe 5000 dead in mariupol. again, the city council member that i talked to said it could be worse than that. they think that there are russians taking mobile crematoriums and burning the bodies of people so that there is not evidence that these were crimes. as the russians pull out of a place, everybody moves in with a cameras the document. as much as it seems to our viewers sometimes that this cannot get much worse, it looks like it could get worse in eastern ukraine in the coming days. >> then let's talk about that. there is this feeling that things are getting worse. if russian troops are regrouping, whether ukrainian forces doing? >> ukrainian forces are emboldened.

they have what appeared to be what a remarkable victories. either real victories with a force that the russians or places where russians are bogged down, at a fuel, and motivated, not quite sure what they're doing it and have orders to back out. there is a sense that there is not a battlefield commander here, somebody on russia on the russia side, a battlefield genius. ukrainians have that. they continue to recruit. more civilians are joining the civilian defense. they're getting more weaponry each passing day. for the moment, it is exhausting, the pressing, but they are not demoralize. ukrainian forces seem ready to continue to fight. the fear of course is that this is not a matter of weeks or months, it might be substantially longer. >> extraordinary resilience. ali velshi, thank you so much for joining us tonight. with that, i want to bring in this evenings experts. aaron schmidt, a senior writer for the new york times covering

terrorism and national security. he run a pulitzer prize of his coverage of putin. jeremy bash joins us, former chief of staff at the cia in the pentagon, and julia freeland are, a senior policy adviser at the treasury department in europe, where she focused specifically on sanctions. now she's the deputy director for the atlantic council. eric, talk to us about the status for the focus on the east. what is the ukrainian government tying civilians to do their? >> as i said in his report is now, we see a group of russian forces north of kyiv, as many as 40, 000, have basically fallen back into russia and belarus to re-arm and regroup there. it is unclear when they will move out again, but the pentagon believes they will move to the east. because of that and because of a threat of a major offensive by russia there, ukrainian officials are time people in the east that it is time to get out, it is time to flee the destruction and mayhem that the

russians have inflicted there, that you have seen some of these other reports. everybody is gearing up for a major battle, whether it is in the next several days or few weeks. but u.s. officials believe it is coming soon. >> the question will be, is ukraine ready? jeremy, president biden has been criticized for not getting the right type of military substance there, and not getting it there fast enough. i want to share what he said and what secretary of state said about all this earlier today. >> yesterday, i signed another package to send more javelin missiles, shoulder mounted missiles that can take out tanks and armored vehicles. advanced weapons and ammunition are flowing in every single day. >> between the united states and other allies and partners, for every russian tank in ukraine, we have provided or will soon provide ten anti-tank systems, ten for every single russian tank. >> how do you think the administration is doing, jeremy, i getting to say it out? how critical or weapons like

javelins? >> there has been one point 65 billion dollars worth of military assistance that has gotten into the ukrainians. this is the largest in direct war that unites us is ever fought. we are not only fighting it alone, we are fighting it alongside at least 30 countries in nato and other countries like australia and coaches around the world who are supporting the ukrainians. the more advanced systems are going, including surface to air missiles, a hand launch drone, courtney kube how did report earlier tonight about the switchblade drones. not only our equipment going in, we are training ukrainian military service members outside ukraine here in the united states and potential in europe. this unprecedented military campaign but united states is absolutely change the battlefield geometry. it assisted ukrainians and rolling back the russian aggression. this light infantry effort by

the ukrainians to attack rearguard mechanized armored by the russians has forced the russians to absolutely abandon plan a. plan a was to decapitate the central government. that plan is at the window. now they are falling back to try to take before they launch a sleigh's onslaught in the east. >> julia, i want to talk with sanctions. i understand why sanctions are imposed in phases, especially on things like oil and gas, given your dependency. to sanction putin starters today, we're in the world took him so long? by now, it is safe to say that those two girls have cleared out there are accounts. >> it is possible. thank you for having me. again, you say, wrapping up the pressure is reserved -- many believe that putin's daughters are as you say conduits for money laundering for putin's assets. >> why would you not sanctioned them day one? the ideas had putin where hurts, i think his daughters will be

that. this is why many people feel like what are you doing, was it taken so long? >> i think it is a question of firstly -- that is a signal of regime change. going after the family is considered an escalation because you are going after the assets abroad and how close it gets to the hearts of dozen officials. that is also why you saw a leverage children also be section. >> would we have left in terms of economic pressure, what haven't we done? >> we haven't done and focus on the one thing, the energy. that is up to the europeans. the biden administration's threat to understand that this is a key aspect of their economy, and how much it would hurt. one thing the u.s. really has to consider is whether to employ secondary sanctions. that is when you sanction third parties who work with sanction and to these. that means is the u.s. going to consider sanctioning india or china. >> now that would be interesting. eric, i found something fascinating today. the pentagon now training

ukrainian soldiers here in the united states to use specific weapons to attack russian tanks. can you explain this? >> what happened here is that you have the pentagon already sending several hundred drones which blade drones, drones that basically come in a backpack, called kamikaze drones, they basically strike armored vehicles, tanks, those kind of things -- it turns out there are about a dozen ukrainian soldiers here in united states before the invasion started in february, who were here on educational assignment. the pentagon decided to send the switchblade drones. anyways, when i train up these guys on how to use them? john kirby, the pentagon's chief spokesperson told them that it takes about two days to train them. they have been trained at a u.s. military base in the south on how to use these. they will be used -- they will help train their fellow soldiers over there. when the switchblade drones arrive, they will be arriving in the next several days, there are more on the way, you can

see soldiers will be able to use that much more effectively. >> jeremy, you saw secretary of state blinken talking to andrea mitchell about war crimes and consequences and these things take time. when he stabbing to convict putin war crimes? he stabbing to convic putin war crimes >> in essence, it is going to be litigation that it's going to play out over many years with people gathering evidence, and prosecutors pulling together cases, and trying to go after putin personally. but what i think is interesting, an interesting development is that the russians made a demand in istanbul that if they were going to withdraw their forces, they wanted three things. sanctions relief, the ability to retain their forces in the east, and the donbas region, and they wanted their international community to call off any calls for a war crime prosecutions. well, obviously, in light of bucha, in light of what we have seen in the country, the war crimes have unfolded, adding

that deal is never coming back. there is no way the international communities can give up on this issue. so russia's efforts for that peaceful on ramp are effectively done tonight. >> so let's say he gets convicted, even if it takes years, what would the punishment look like? >> well, i mean, if he can escape jurisdiction by staying in russia, not much. but obviously he would be unable to travel, and unable to go anywhere, and he would be a person totally isolated. he would control billions of dollars, but he would have very little ability to deploy it. but of course, if you were to be actually physically grabbed, like -- was grabbed, he could be brought to the hate for war crime tribunal, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. >> that would be noteworthy. julia, i want to go back to sanctions, and oil and gas. what if europe made the decision we will suffer the economic pain, and they truly cut russia off. because right now russia is

still getting billions of dollars every day for their precious oil and gas. what would it look like if they got cut off? >> well, i think we would see an immediate reduction in russia's current account. russia entered this crisis in a very good fiscal position. they have been doing a lot of things to protect themselves from u.s. sanctions after 2014. >> very good kind of, it is still a small economy when you think of it. >> it is the 11th largest economy in the world. >> that is a far reach. >> they have a lot of leverage over oil and gas markets, not only in europe, but oil is a globally traded a commodity. it is more costly for the united states, and the developing world. so, again it is a question right now the policy makers need to make is that do we need to force russia into a default in order to force them back to the negotiating table? i think my colleague has clearly said that that is further off now than we have

thought. but do we need to essentially fully destroy the russian economy in order to empower the ukrainian forces? that is a question that no one really has an answer to. >> well, the rubble has already recovered, what does that tell us? >> that is capital control. the russians are very good. they're central banker is a real expert. you should give her a lot of credit for what she is dealing with right now. they are using domestic dollars, and the denomination of export revenues converting them to rubles, and using it to prop up the rubble. but again, that cannot last forever. because it has major inflation repercussions. so the russians are still on bought time. and again, the measures that the biden administration put today in order to prohibit russia from reaping its debt in dollars makes it very close that they are really on the edge of a sovereign default. >> i have bad news for both of you, julia wins the smartest guest tonight. thank you for joining, i will

appreciate it, we will leave it there. coming, up channing calls out donald trump's frivolous election fraud claims as the house vote on contempt charges for his former aides. but will there actually be consequences? and later, will one district attorney calls the biggest policing of america we will ever see. how scammers claimed billions and billions in bogus covid unemployment benefits, that was meant to help people who were out of work during a once in a lifetime pandemic. man, the 11th hour just getting underway on a wednesday night. esday night. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ finding my way forward with node-positive breast cancer felt overwhelming at times. but i never just found my way, i made it. so when i finished active therapy, i kept moving forward and did everything i could to protect myself from recurrence. verzenio is the first treatment in over 15 years to reduce the risk of recurrence for adults with hr-positive, her2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer with a high chance of returning, as determined by your doctor when added to hormone therapy. hormone therapy works outside the cell while verzenio works inside to help stop the growth of cancer cells. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor, start an antidiarrheal, and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain.

serious liver problems can happen. symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain, and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to be. i'm making my way forward, my way with verzenio. ask your doctor about everyday verzenio. since suzie's got goals, she'll want a plan to reach them. so she'll get some help from fidelity, and she'll feel so good about her plan, she can focus on living it. that's the planning effect, from fidelity. as a main street bank, she can focus on living it. pnc has helped over 7 million kids develop their passion for learning. and now we're providing 88 billion dollars to support underserved communities... ...helping us all move forward financially. pnc bank: see how we can make a difference for you.

this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

i know there's conflicting information about dupuytren's contracture. i thought i couldn't get treatment yet? well, people may think that their contracture has to be severe to be treated, but it doesn't. if you can't lay your hand flat on the table, talk to a hand specialist. but what if i don't want surgery? well, then you should find a hand specialist certified to offer nonsurgical treatments. what's the next step? >> if 90% of success in life is

visit findahandspecialist.com today to get started. just showing up. than 90% of acting in contempt of congress is not showing up. the rest of contempt is not turning over documents you have been ordered to produce and acting with open disregard and scorn for the rule of law, congress, and representatives of the american people. >> the election claims made by donald trump were so frivolous and so unfounded that the presidents lead lawyer did not just lose these cases, he lost his license to practice law. >> just moments after we heard from members of the january 6th committee, the house voted to

refer former trump aides, -- for criminal contempt of congress. the only republicans to vote in favor? representatives liz cheney and adam kinzinger who of course are both on the committee. now the question is, what will the doj do with that criminal referral? let's discuss. i am bringing in and why you law professor melissa murray. she worked as a law clerk on the federal bench before her nomination to the supreme court, and jackie, congressional reporter for the washington post. jackie, the doj has not acted on the houses criminal contempt referral for mark meadows. any reason to think we are going to see reelection with navarro and scavino? >> yes. thank you for having me on tonight. that is a question that everyone is wondering right now, especially the lawmakers on the january 6th committee investigating the attack on the capitol who realize that they are taking a bit of a gamble here as these contempt referrals are piling up.

the foreigner white house chief of staff mark meadows, and peter navarro, all of which have yet to be decided on by attorney general merrick garland who will have to say whether or not the justice department will ultimately decide to prosecute these cases. but, my colleague and i took a look back at some former legal opinions that were issued by the justice department today. many of which actually sided against the committee and said that congress ultimately does not have the power to force and compel the testimony of the presidents top aides. but what you saw today was people like liz cheney, and adam schiff remotely, and others make the argument that the justice department is compelled to do so. and that is the clear cut case. it is something that we will be watching closely even though we have reported that the justice department is currently stonewalling the committee when

they have asked for guidance here. >> explain this one to us, steve bannon has been charged by the doj with contempt of congress. but now, a federal judge ruled that he cannot argue that he is not guilty, because he was following the advice of his lawyer. why is that significant? >> i think that this is significant, and again it shatters these other cases of potential contempt prosecution that jacqui is talking about. because steve bannon essentially was set as a defense that he was following the advice of his lawyer who advised them that because of executive privilege he was not compelled to provide testimony to the january six special committee. that of course led to a charge of contempt of congress which was referred to the doj which then has been referred to prosecution. one of the things that separates the bannon case from some of these other cases is that whether it is unclear whether bannon would actually count as an advisor to the president and will be covered by executive privilege during this period while he was doing the work and the january 6th effort.

that is one significant thing. but again, the fact that bannon no longer has the defense according to this district court judge means that he is either going to have to go to trial and put on a defense, or he is going to have to plead guilty. this of course is a charge that carries up to a fine of $100,000 or a year in prison. >> your colleague, josh dossier, reports that trump and all of his old cronies reunited at mar-a-lago yesterday to -- the 2020 election. they repeated the big lie. they all sat around drinking well, trump was not drinking wine, but drinking wine and eating shrimp -- if there are not consequences for any of these people for congressional subpoenas, then wet? >> yes. it was pretty remarkable to read about peter navarro in mar-a-lago last night like nothing is happening in a year and a half since the insurrection. it is clear that the former president himself has been hardly chastened by the conversation about potential

criminal liability that has been swirling around. but i highly recommend that everyone go ahead and read, my colleague josh's dispatch from mar-a-lago last night where the president doubled down on his claims that have been disproven over and over again that the election was rigged. i think that seems like more and more it is highlighted, the likelier you are going to hear a cry from the january six committee to maybe push a bit harder to make that criminal referral. it doesn't actually have any legal bearing, it does carry some political weight to the department of justice. maybe that could potentially influence the justice department going forward as well, although they have tried very hard to remain as apolitical as possible. and really adhered to the fire wall between the politics of the january six investigation that separates them from the committee. >> do you think any of this will influence the doj, melissa?

when you look at these people, no sense of fear whatsoever does the doj think about the danger of no consequences? i am sure they're thinking about it. it may also be the case that they're being forced to drink trump won as punishment enough by itself. they certainly had to be thinking about all of this in the optics of what it looks like for the american people. again, the doj has been prosecuting many of the indigenous involved in the january six insurrection. a lot of these are low level individuals, a lot of these people are -- the real question is, how far up does it go? where do you get to the head of the snake? that is the real question that everyone is looking at. of course, the doj's thinking about it. because, this looks like a free grand disregard. >> switching topics, the senate appears to confirm to ketanji brown-jackson to the supreme court tomorrow, i want to play with republican senator, tom

cotton, is not saying. >> the last judge jackson less the supreme court for nuremberg and prosecuted nazis. this is judge jackson might have gone there to defend them. >> you do not think it was a bridge too far to make a link between nuremberg and nazis? >> no, because in three separate cases, she was representing, not american citizens, but foreign terrorists. >> this is a man that graduated from harvard in three years. what is your reaction to what he said, melissa? >> again the defense of defendants is a cornerstone in the american legal system. she has a role as a public defender and a private practice to provide legal defense to individual clients. that is embedded in a six amendments guarantee of the right to counsel.

again, to acquit this with nazism, genocide, nuremberg, is really a bridge too far. i think senator cotton probably knows that. certainly, he knows that if he intended harvard oscar any law school. this is basic stuff that we teach our students. everyone knows who goes to law school that the sixth amendment is a cornerstone of our constitutional system. >> all right, ladies, before we go, a quick lightning round, to you first, melissa. i am looking at the upper right hand behind you. is that a giant picture of meghan markle? i just want to know on your pineapple pillow, with a say? >> i think the pineapple pillow is a room raider pillow. yes that is a giant head of meghan markle. >> and to jacqui, you know the question coming, i am going to need you to turn around and open up the cupcake giant cookie jar. i need to know what is in it. every time you see on

television, i need to know what isn't it. your butter villa. it is in there? >> it is very subversive, it is a cookie jar. actually, we come bearing a joke which is, what is a kitchen island that is not populated by cupcakes? deserted. [laughs] >> oh my god, you ended the segment with a dad joke. as my children would say, you are done. jacqui, melissa, she does give us a dad joke, my goodness. coming up, as scammers stole billions and pandemic unemployment insurance. the policing of america when the 11th hour continues. the 11th hour continues. a hideous curse. uhh, i mean the whole turning people to stone thing was a bit of a buzz kill, right? so she ordered sunglasses with prime, one day delivery. ♪♪ clever girl. people realized she's actually hilarious

once you get to know her. eugh. as if. ♪♪ well, he was asking for it. prime changes everything. plain aspirin could be hurting your stomach. vazalore 325 liquid-filled aspirin capsule is clinically shown in a 7 day study to cause fewer ulcers than immediate release aspirin. vazalore. the first liquid-filled aspirin capsules...amazing! okay, this is a freezer, not a time capsule. sometimes the house itself can tell you how a young homeowner

is turning into their parents. -not those two. -yep, they're gone. -forever? -yep. that there is progressive's homequote explorer website, where i compared home insurance rates. we don't need to print the internet. some are beyond help. i will give you $100 if you can tell me what this is. -scotch egg. -it's a meatball. progressive can't help you from becoming your parents, but we can help you compare rates on home insurance with homequote explorer. we've got a lot of work to do. i've got moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there'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. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ get fast relief of your worst allergy symptoms,

including nasal congestion, with powerful claritin d, so you can breathe better. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. claritin d. ♪simply irresistible♪ ♪ ♪ ♪simply irresistible♪ applebee's irresist-a-bowls are back. now starting at $8.99. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. here we go... remember, mom's a kayak denier, so please don't bring it up. bring what up, kayak? excuse me? do the research, todd. listen to me, kayak searches hundreds of travel sites to find you great deals on flights, cars and hotels. they're lying to you! who's they? kayak? arr! open your eyes! compare hundreds of travel sites at once. kayak. search one and done.

(music throughout) large out-of-state corporations have set c their sightsds of t on california.once. they've written a ballot proposal to allow online sports betting. they tell us it will fund programs for the homeless, but read the fine print. 90% of the profits go to out-of-state corporations, leaving almost nothing for the homeless. no real jobs are created here. but the promise between our state and our sovereign tribes would be broken forever. these out-of-state corporations don't care about california. but we do. stand with us. (music throughout) tonight, as part of nbc news

relaunch of the serious, the policing of america, we take a closer look at how many people took advantage of the billions of dollars meant to help americans that lost their jobs or independent make. tom costello has more on the shocking amount of unemployment fraud that took place over the last two years. >> in pennsylvania, a horrific case of identity theft caught on camera in a restroom. >> prosecutors say a caretaker for and intellectually disabled person stole their identity and filed more than $100,000 in fake unemployment assistant

claims. he's not entered a plea. and california, a hospital worker allegedly stole the identities of dying patients. this guide that if you are as a go, how many names do we need? he, texted a coconspirator. it is happening in every city and state. crooks stealing billions in pandemic related state unemployment benefits. >> claims being made in the names of inmates, the throw people, that people, fake people -- >> sacramento just attorney -- >> is still fleecing of america? >> this is the biggest piece in america that we will ever see. >> sacramento is in the middle of it. unemployment insurance fraud is happening all across the country. california is ground zero with an estimated 20 to 30 billion dollars in fraud in just two years. that is equal to almost 10% of all california stay agency spent last year, stolen. who's behind it? every day americans and criminals, even overseas crime

syndicates cashing in on pandemic unemployment assistance. many filing obviously fake claims using aliases like many miles, spooky breaches and john doe. but the states is equipped to audit the millions of pandemic claims are also under pressure to issue checks to prevent massive unemployment in poverty. tens of thousands of california prison inmates were used to file claims and send those checks to addresses nationwide. any one of these houses could be a hot spot. >> you never know. >> you never know. >> he's used to uncover this type of fraud. he says the total losses are much higher than most states are willing to meet. >> i can tell you that in some states, as many as three out of four applications for some of the federal programs were very likely fraudulent. >> 75%? >> 79% in certain states, really stunning numbers. >> many claims are filed under stolen identities, yours and mine, for sale on the dark web.

security veteran took us inside. >> this person is selling 8000 passports, seven -- >> they contain personal information including social security number and data birth. >> some bio claim simultaneously. the problem, most states did not share insurance claim or fraud information with each other. nbc news asked all 50 states how much they lost fraud, and how many americans have been affected? most didn't know or wouldn't say. >> but ohio state auditor was candid. his own stolen identity was used in a fraud scheme. >> we found systemic failures on all levels. we found that the system did not have the proper controls to avoid fraud and overpayment. we think the total number now is over five billion dollars lost. >> we are going to have to fix this problem unless america is willing to accept that we will literally send hundreds of billion dollars to criminals. >> police say street criminals

have found easy money in finding they claims, helping to fuel the surge and drugs, guns and violence. >> a lot of people may think that unemployment insurance fraud as kind of a victimless crime. you are just taking money from the government. >> well, ask anyone on the other side of a handgun, or an automatic weapon that has been purchased with unemployment insurance fraud. ask them if that is a victimless crime. ask anyone whose child was found dead in a room for fentanyl poisoning. when we put astronomical money into the hands of a criminal. this is not a victim's crime. >> we've heard a lot about pandemic fraud, but is the unemployment insurance fraud that has exploded since the start of the pandemic when tens of millions of americans filed for unemployment benefits. criminal saw an opportunity and they moved into cash in. but let's be clear, this is our money that they have been taking, and we will probably never get most of it back. >> hearing the word puppy

breaches on television would normally crack me up, but this is so disturbing, you cannot even crack a smile. we kind of people do this? absolute circus. our coverage of the fleecing of america will continue with the white house american rescue plan coordinator, gene sperling. no doubt, we have questions. also tonight, a man has been convicted on charges of sex trafficking and forced labor after moving into his daughters on campus dormitory at saraland's college in 2010. according to the indictment, 62-year-old lawrence ray allegedly began their pieces shunts with some of the students, pressuring and exporting hundreds of thousands of dollars from these undergrads. prosecutors said he psychologically manipulated his victims and accusing them of damaging's property and poisoning him. one woman testified that she became a sex worker to try to pay for reparations to ray, which over four years, total

two point $5 million. the scheme lasted almost ten years. he was found guilty today of all 15 federal accounts against him. he said to be sentence is a temper. he faces life in prison. coming up, witnessed a war, we speak to a photographer that is in bucha documenting the atrocities and destruction from russia when the 11th hour continues. th hou continues. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? once-weekly ozempic® can help. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds.

in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. sales are down from last quarter, but we're hoping things will pick up by q3. yeah...uhhh... doug?

[children laughing] sorry about that. umm...what...it's uhh... you alright? [loud exhale] [ding] never settle with power e*trade. it has powerful, easy-to-use tools to help you find opportunities, 24/7 support when you need answers, plus some of the lowest options in futures contract prices around. [ding] get e*trade and start trading today.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> i do believe that there

could be more. they could help us much more than that. because, they have seen all these photos and videos from bucha in the suburbs and they are still not doing enough. >> evacuees from irpin and nearby bucha are begging for more assistance from the west. as more videos and photos are emerging of the horrors inflicted by russian forces. so, let's bring in heidi lviv. photojournalist for the washington post, she joins us live from kyiv. heidi levine, your latest photos from bucha are really difficult to look at. but how important is it for the world to really see what's happening? >> first of all, i really believe that my photographs and our reporting is showing our darkest, one of our darkest periods in history. and my photographs are

documents, historical documents that i hope will be used in the war crime tribunal. >> i need to warn our viewers of the very, very graphic nature of this particular photo you took in bucha of volunteers who were collecting bodies. can you tell us more about what you witnessed? >> well, i saw the corpses of eight males. you can see that some of the men had their hands tied behind their backs. you could see gunshot wounds at close range. there were eight corpses in this particular area behind the building and there was no doubt that the men had been executed. >> i know that you also took photos of ukrainian soldiers with destroyed russian tanks. how did even minor victories like that impact the feeling on

the ground when everything else around them was just so devastating? >> well, there were civilians that were finally coming out for the first time because they felt safe. i mean, you have to bear in mind that these people were living underground in total fear. the image shows how many -- how much russian military were on this one particular street that you could see in my photograph. it started with one woman, her name was fara. she said that her son had counted 75 military vehicles on that street. people were in shock, they were emotional, they were crying. but there was also a sign of relief that they could finally get out and that they could leave and be brought to safety. >> what has this been like for

you? you have been a photojournalist for years and years. explain this experience and how it's impacting you as a photojournalists. >> i think, not just for me but all of the media, all of my colleagues that i meet on the ground, i mean, i've been doing this for over three decades. it is really difficult. i mean, at the moment i feel like i'm actually an investigative photojournalist trying to uncover the crime scenes and find out exactly what's happened. it's important and that's what really keeps me going. i really feel like my work is a mission. and people need to know what's happening to the people here in ukraine. >> and we are grateful for your work, heidi, thank you so much for all that you do, i appreciate you joining us tonight. >> thank you for having me, i also want to thank all the people here in ukraine that

have allowed me to document their stories. >> we heidi levine have the washington post, thank you. >> coming up -- get grilled on top gust prices. democrats put the pressure on, republicans, not so much. when the 11th hour continues. ♪ ♪ nice suits, you guys blend right in. the world needs you back. i'm retired greg, you know this. people are taking financial advice from memes. [baby spits out milk] i'll get my onesies®.

♪ “baby one more time” by britney spears ♪ e*trade now from morgan stanley.

i know there's conflicting information about dupuytren's contracture. i thought i couldn't get treatment yet? well, people may think that their contracture has to be severe to be treated, but it doesn't. if you can't lay your hand flat on the table, talk to a hand specialist. but what if i don't want surgery? well, then you should find a hand specialist certified to offer nonsurgical treatments. what's the next step? visit findahandspecialist.com today to get started. as a business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig.

all on the most reliable 5g network. with no line activation fees or term contracts... saving you up to $500 a year. and it's only available to comcast business internet customers. so boost your bottom line by switching today. comcast business. americans today are facing powering possibilities.™ extraordinarily high gas prices at the pump. the average price of the gallon of regular gasoline one year ago was under $3. today, the average is over $4 a gallon. and in some places, it's nearly $6 a gallon. these prices are straining our constituents budgets and their patients. >> the last thing before we go tonight, pain at the pump. some of america's top oil executives were brought, you saw that, before a house

subcommittee today to get a grilling from lawmakers. >> why is the price of oil coming down but the price at the pump is still near record highs? >> the american people are getting ripped off as these companies choose to keep production lows so that their own profits stay high. >> it is time for the big oil companies to lower prices rather than pad their bottom line. >> it feels like gouging. it even feels like profiteering. >> but you'll never guess who the republicans on the committee was actually to blame for high gas prices. >> president biden walked and they won with an agenda to kill american energy. >> rather than deflect blame, president biden should consider his own culpability. >> today is purely political. president biden is covered for his war on american energy that has caused gas prices to skyrocket. >> this might be a good time to let you know that members of this very subcommittee received

a whopping $383,000 from big oil. and according to the f cc, 97% of that money went to republicans. so, what did the oil executives have to say about the high prices that americans are paying at the pump? they said it's not their fault. >> we do not set or have significant influence over the price of our product. >> noah comedy sets the price of oil or gasoline. the market establishes the price. >> shell does not set or control the price of crude oil. also it does not control the price the consumers. >> it is true, they do not set the price of oil. and it is also true that during the height of covid when oil prices dropped, so did their profits. but as oil prices have gone up, last year they made more money than they have in eight years. and since the start of this year, they are expected to make even more. but here is what matters, where are they spending all of that

money? on buybacks and dividends for shareholders. not increasing production. so please note that we have invited all of these oil executives that were on to talk about what they can do about gas prices and what they can do about increasing production. so far, none have accepted our offer. but they're all welcome to join. and we're gonna stay on this because we still have questions and we know you do to. and on that note, i wish you all a very good night from all of our colleagues across the network of nbc news thank you for staying up late with us. i will see you at the end of tomorrow. tomorrow i am joining you once again tonight from the city of lviv in western ukraine. today, about 300 miles east of here in the suburbs of ukraine's capital, a welcome sight for residents. ukrainian army tanks rolling