>> i'm joie chen, i'm the host of america tonight, we're revolutionary because we're going back to doing best of storytelling. we have an ouportunity to really reach out and really talk to voices that we haven't heard before... i think al jazeera america is a watershed moment for american journalism >> new clashes in the street. the national guard called in to take control. an autopsy threatens to explode tensions anew. what do investigators now know about the shooting that took michael brown's listen. the new fears that forced a community to call off the first day of school, and what another hot august night might bring. an "america tonight" special report "flashpoint ferguson." welcome to "america tonight",

special edition "flashpoint ferguson." i'm julie chen. thank you for being with us. we are live in ferguson, and as you see, the developments are taking place, giving you an indication of how difficult the weekend was, and what the concerns are going into the week. there were a lot of demonstration, and where we are on west flory son avenue gives you an indication of what law enforcement is trying to do. they are taking the toughest position in trying to hold off a repeat of the weekend, creating roadblocks. orders given to demonstrators gathered over the area, saying you can march, you can continue to stop, you get a warning and you go to gaol. they have taken a firm line, trying to event the event that took place over the weekend when the tear gas was thrown. other gas bombs as well, and molotov cocktails, according to

the police, were used by demonstrators in the streets. there was more agitation when an autopsy was released, commissioned by michael brown's family. you see the demonstrations taking place behind me. a remainder -- reminder of the emotions and civil rights act visits that have become involved, following up on the death of michael brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, killed by a police officer's bullet not far from here. there were six shots, according to the report from the family's medical examiner, the fatal one in the head.

the original autopsy had the county coroner had tonne a tox coly report, but they would not be released until the grand jury saw them. the governor jay nixon lived a curfew, but called in the national guard. president obama left his vacation in martha's vineyard for a briefing, and wanted to urge calm among the demonstrators, among the community. he said he would send attorney general eric holder into ferguson tomorrow to xil the situation. in the course we'll go to the cull district, which -- school district, which postponed the first day of school. 11,000 children kept out of school as a community tries to come to grips with what is

happening. pressure threatens to reignite because of developments on one of the hottest days of the year. lori jane gliha was here as the protests took place last night, the confrontations with law enforcement and went back into the community today to find what was left. >> i believe they are coward and wars. >> reporter: this pharmacy has been this man's business for about eight years. can you describe what happened when you walked up to your building. >> i was scared. i was really, really upset. i was really upset. >> he opens two side by side shots in a community called dell wood. he didn't sleep when vandals

turned businesses there into targets. can you describe the contrast and what is it like for you to look around and see the boarded up window. >> it got me worried about what is going on here because of - as much as i support the protest, this is without of control. . >> sunday night shootings in the area forced cops to clear the road hours before curfew. dressed in riot gear, they barrelled towards crowds, shouting at protesters, and launching tear gas and white smoke. fire, tear gas. >> we wore gas masks for for

example and followed behind the -- masks for protection and followed behind the police. this is the direction they have been launching tear gas. the police have gas masks weapons, guns. >> i understand people are upset. this is not justice for michael brown. what kind of justice is this where you run small business out of business. >> to be safe, this dell wood party store closed early. how many shots do you think were fired? >> 10, eight or 10 shots were fired. >> reporter: and you were in your chair watching this? >> yes. helpless. >> dozens poured into his star, looting, wrecking his liquor supply and causing a fire. he couldn't do a thing. >> it's depressing. you feel helpless, you can't do anything, just watch in front,

watching your hard work and life savings disappear in front of your eyes. it's hard. >> monday afternoon finally investigators arrived to help. this was the second time crowds toosh over this business in the last week. he's owned this place for 15 years. >> it's devastating. i don't know if i can recoup losses, my inventory is stolen, it's a mess. >> how scared are you to open your doors? >> i don't know, i might consider to lock it down. i don't know. i can't stay in business where my son is work and employees. anyone gan get hurt -- can get hurt. >> reporter: in the daylight clean-up seems safe. business owners can't help but

brace themselves for what may go down. >> martin luther king and gandhi had nonviolent protests. why they can't stay don't destroy the small businesses, that's not the right way. people need to understand, it's not helping the cause, it's grating worse. "america tonight"s lori jane gliha joins us back here on the scene as we watch what is happening. as you talk to people in the aftermath of what is happening, is there a sense that the national guard can clamp down and make a difference. >> business owners are open to having the national guard here if it can help to keep the peace. one of the store owners did peaceful marking. one of the store owners said that michael brown's parent were customers. they are a mile down the road,

not even in ferguson, and the stores are targeted and hit. all up and down the road we see boarded up businesses and shattered glass. anything that can restore and refocus the message, that's what they are advocating. >> "america tonight"s lori jane gliha here in ferguson. of course, as we have noted, there has been a clamp down in the course of this day. the national guard moved in, and the county police and the national guard set up a number of roadblocks, accordoning off a wide area, bringing attention and focus on who was coming into the area and encouraging people to move, to not stand still and protest. the follow up now with a report from al jazeera's jonathan betz on what is making a difference here. >> ferguson is downtown 10km centre st louis. most of the demonstrations have

been in the south-eastern corner of ferguson, nearby where michael brown was killed on cannes field court. a lot of clashes were half a mile away on west flory son avenue, it's about a mile long but has seen process and looting. the quick trip convenience store was among the first attacked and burnt, and is where protesters gathered. others hit is sam's meat market and ferguson's market and liquor, where brown is accused of stealing the cigars. nearby, the mcdonald's where two journalists were arrested. the police have been staging down the road here at a target parking lot. the national guard is called in to protect this area so local police officers can focus on protecting businesses and on stopping the looting as we have seen in ferguson, jonathan betz report of what is happening in the area, cordoned

off by law enforcement, trying to prevent a repeat of the violence. this is a story drawing media attention, international media attention, international observers, trying to keep an eye on any rights violation that might occur in ferguson. joining us from amnesty international, which has taken an unprecedented step to get involved in an american conflict. >> that right. because we see the human rights crisis happening here. amnesty wanted to be on the ground. we see an overuse of police presence in protest activities that don't warrant the type of response that the police were showing. there are international standards and we saw them violated. we issued reports, for example, on the use of tear gas, and appropriate circumstances, and clearly the way tear gas was used the other night in a

situation with the elderly, young children. areas where it will be hard for a crowd to escape. clear violations of human rights. >> what about something like this? this is a wooden pallet located by a producer in the melee that took place, in a clash with law enforcement. what is it, why is it a problem? >> this is a problem because it could easily take out a person's eye. if it hit a young child it may kill them. >> is it an appropriate use of force for crowd control? >> no. it is disproportionate to what was being faced. that's is not a situation that is warranting the type of force that the police have been using. tills -- amnesty international

is hear on the ground to be observers, and making sure there's a thorough investigation into the death of michael brown, and that there are clear standards around protests, and thou make sure they are not militarized. >> is it clear there were rights violations in michael brown's death or is that a position you are investigating. when you talk to people out here, there is. >> certainly we wait for a thorough investigation. we certainly are applauding the fact that the attorney-general is coming here hopefully with his message there'll be a discussion about greater federal investigation into the death of michael brown.

we are hoping the attorney-general will order a thorough investigation. >> amnesty international. the demonstrations continue it from a number of different groups once again. they have been advised by law enforcement that they'll keep moving because otherwise the likelihood is they'll go to gaol. [ chants ] claz

welcome back to this special edition of "america tonight", "flashpoint ferguson." julie chen is live on the ground. i'm sheila macvicar in d.c. michael brown, the unarmed teenager was shot six times, including twice in the head according to a private autopsy commissioned by the brown family, and found that he was not shot at close range. >> at least six times. we have one to the stop of the head, the a pex. there's one that entered above the right eyebrow. we've got one that entered the top part of the right arm.

in this instance there's no gunshot residues on the skin surface so that the muzzle of the gun was at least one or two feet away. the muzzle at the time of discharge. it could have been 30 feet away. >> what can we learn from the private autopsy performed by dr michael bayden. we are joined by a forensic psychologist from the pittsburgh school of medicine. what does the autopsy tell us? >> we know he was shot at least six times, the four shots in the right arm - one has to be careful to determine the angle and whether they were front to back or back to front or side to side. keep in mind that the arm has great mobility so that when someone is moving in a dynamic mobile ever-changing situation such as occurred in this instance, you can't be certain what position the arm was in.

>> he could, in fact, have been running away from the police officer and shot in the arm, or, in fact, had his hands in the air, which is consistent with the story of some of the witnesses. >> yes. >> we can't tell. >> you have to keep that in mind. you can't be sure, absolutely not, unless one had video to correlate. now the two shots to the head, one was at the ver text, the top of the head. they gave no indication of its trajectory, except that bullet was certainly the shot that killed moun, entering the -- michael brown, entering the brain. that would have been - the other shot in the face entered above the eye, and moved downward, exited from the jaw, re-entered the superclavicular area above the collarbone. here you have an interesting trajectory, 6 foot 3 was michael brown's height.

>> he was a very big man. >> you'd have someone shooting from a building or street, that tells you that michael brown had to have been falling forward, in my opinion, when that shot was fired. >> we know this is the second of what is to de fully autoop cess. the third has been -- autopsy. the third has been performed today. do you anticipate there'll be differences? >> no, i do not anticipate differences. it's a shame there's a third, the body has been dissected twice. i don't expect a difference of opinion insofar as the number of shots, location and whether they were fired from a distance beyond 6-8 feet. i expect no differences, whether there's difference in interpretation, that's another matter. science is not an exact science as some have you believe, or as

people watching the fictional shows on tv have you believe. thank you, a forensic pathologist the the pittsburgh school of medicine. now to a potentially explosive scandal involving the longest serving governor. friday a grand jury indicted rick perry. claiming that he tried to force a distribute attorney to resign by threatening to veto state funding. rosemary lynn berg was asked to step down after being convicted of drunk driving. rick perry is fighting back saying the indictment is politically motivated. >> we don't settle political differences with indictments in this country. it is outrageous that some use partisan political theet ricks

to rip away at the fabric of our state's constitution. this indictment amounts to nothing more than abuse of power. and i cannot and i will not allow that to happen. i intend to fight against those who would erode our state constitution and laws for political purposes and i intend to win. >> the confidence was on display days before the indictment as rick perry did the rounds at the iowa state fair. iowa is the all-important first fest for presidential candidates, and the state fair has become an essential stop for presidential hopefuls. the eventeneded with fire -- event ended with fireworks and more than 9,000 people through the gates. including contenders. we stop for a look at iowa's

brand of politics. >> reporter: the iowa state fair - with the corn dogs, butter cow and wholesome farm bread competition. it is a heaping portion of america, star-spangled, deep fried and gigantic. it's where the presidential horse race begins. iowans are the first in the nation to cast votes. it's been that way since 1972. >> people ask why is iowa so important? iowa is not first in the nation because it's important. it's important because it is first in the nation. >> so far at least a dozen presidential hopefuls made visits to iowa, even though the presidential election is more than two years away. texas governor rick perry is one of them, making an appearance days before an indictment cast a shadow on his prospects. >> governor rick perry of texas.

welcome back to iowa. >> reporter: if you want to toss your name into the ring to become president of the united states, you have to come to iowa, and you really have to come to the iowa state fair. >> politicians love to go out to the state fair. you can show how brave you are by eating food on a stick. >> reporter: cathy is a political columnist. >> those things make for good tv and photo ops. >> reporter: more than good photo ops, a trip to iowa and the fair is a signal you are considering a run for the president. this year it's dominated by would-be republican competitorc. hillary clinton is sitting it out. >> if you are thinking about running in 2016, they'll show up. >> reporter: this man runs the

family leader, a christian organization in iowa, whose endorsement is coveted by republican candidates. is it possible, do you think, to be elected president of the united states without coming to iowa, and without, if you are a republican, coming to this event? >> whether they win iowa or not will be irrelevant. you need to be here to get the message out, to play in the other states. >> nice to meet you, what is your name. >> reporter: so it shouldn't come as a surprise louisiana governor bobby jingle made an appearance, insisting will not make a decision about running or not until after november. but... ..if you were to make the decision, could you see a path to the white house that does not involve iowa. >> i think historically iowa has been the first in the nation. it's a great tradition. the folks take it seriously.

>> reporter: candidates that ignore iowa and ions do so at their own peril. this state of 3 million pumps above its -- punches above its political weight. >> if you look back in history, candidates tried to skip iowa. ruudie giuliani, he would not do that great. by the time the race got to florida, it was over. >> iowans don't always pick the nominees. republicans picked mick huckabee in 2008, and rick santorum in 2012. film-maker aj shnabbing directed "caucus", and spent months following the candidates. >> it's good for the candidates,

because they are learning how to run for president. when they arrive in iowa, they may not be good at running for president. they may be good for running for congress, but running for president is different. >> reporter: in 2012 rick perry played the texas card hard, boots, buckles well. the 2014 is more hipster, square glasses, polo shirt and dress shoes. test-driving a new issue. iowans meet the candidates and hear down-tomb politics, looking the candidate in the eye and judging the handshake - it's key. >> it's hard to imagine a better place an iowa, if you want to be part of the dialogue and interact. you meet them all. it's early enough in the campaign that you are not held behind. >> reporter: pete is a voter, and met just about everyone in

the last two election cycles. >> the adage is two. you make up your mind after meeting each of them in thinks like the state fair. that would make them happen. >> we are accustomed to sizing them up. it makes them better candidates. we earnt the street cred. we fete the candidates well on the democrats and the republican side. they have to visit one on one. kitchen tables. they can't buy it on tv. >> texas senator ted cruz was another presidential candidate taking his turn on the soep box at the iowa state fair. >> i spent most of last month in washington d.c., so it is great to be back in america. >> trying out campaign screens and laugh lines. >> you look at the fantastic foods, and it reminds you.

>> reporter: with this crowd the joke falls flat. long-time iowa senator chuck has been coming to the state fair his whole life. >> you don't think jimmy carter would have been present if he hadn't carried iowa. no one knew who the georgean governor was, he came and lived here for two years, and got 22% of the democratic vote at the caucuses, but that set him apart from everybody else, he went on to be president of the united states. >> in 2006 barack obama, a little known senator, also came to the iowa state fair. >> all you have to do is ask president obama to find out how important is iowa. he doesn't beat hillary clinton if it's a different way.

>> reporter: ions will see more politicians in the months ahead. taking to the stage, in the hope it will serve as a springboard to dizier mites in washington. >> -- heights in washington. >> bill schneider is with us to talk governor rick perry, and 2016, the road to the white house. has there been a presidential candidate or anyone that ran for president whilst under indictment? >> not that i recall. there was a charge that george w. bush had been arrested in maine for drunk-driving, it was in the distant pass. if there was a candidate under indictment we would have had a mug shot. a summons has been lifted for rick perry. >> he has rosemary lynn berg

arrested for drunk-driving. video surfaced showing her on a rant inside a police station. and kicking down doors, demanding that they call the sheriff, all of this going on, clearly not in good shape, and it's based on this - her arrest that perry demands that she resign as da, and then what happened. >> then what happiness is he threatened - he threatened to veto funding for the ethics division that she headed and that was seen as threatening and coercing a public official. which is a crime. a lot of people see in as politically motivated. austin issued indictments of politicians before. one was convicted, tom delay. charges were dismissed. a lot thing it could be dismissed, we don't know. >> it could be a distraction.

quickly, who do you think, if perry stays in the race, who do you think he'll be dealing with in iowa. >> there's a long list of characters, anyone from herman kain to ted crews. the republican race is wide open. if there's a crowd over his head, if it goes on trial in the middle of a presidential campaign, a lot say we better go with someone that is a little clean are or safer. >> bill schneider, thank you for joining us. still to come - other stories making headlines, and we return to our special coverage "flashpoint ferguson." >> back here in ferguson on the street, you see and hear the protest continue. it continues to move through the streets and law enforcement is managing the demonstrators and the media. we'll talk what that means after

the black, and what they are trying to prevent a repeat of, and look forward to what might be next in ferguson, missouri. stand by.

>> before we go back to julie chen, live, a snapshot of

stories making headlines. backed by another round of air strikes, iraqi and kurdish forces say they've recaptured the largest dam from islamic state fighters. president obama called it a major step forward and says that the air strikes would continue for the foreseeable future. today wikipedia founder julian assange says he would leave ecuador's embassy in london, but added it was not because he needed medical treatment. julian assange sought asylum at the embassy to avoid extradition to sweden, where he faces sexual assault and rape allegations. a new report released tallying up the price tag of raising a child. a child born in 2013 will cost $250,000 to raise to aim 18, and that doesn't include tuition. costs will be lower in rural

areas and in the urban south. those are the stories making headlines. let's go back to julie chen live in ferguson. >> thank you so much. we are back in ferguson, missouri, where the demonstrations continue, a number are taking police with a number of different activists moving through the streets. law enforcement keeping a firm eye and grip on developments here to prevent a repeat of the weekend's activities. joining us here is al jazeera correspondent rob reynolds who was here last night where the clashes were violent. >> well, we saw a lot of pushing back by the police. i didn't see any fights between police and protesters. the gas thrown, and a dramatic movement of lengths of armoured vehicles, and police officers on foot in full riot gear, heavily armed. it was very dramatic.

we did, of course, get enveloped in clouds of tear gas, as did most of the protesters. i talked to a number of people who said that they were gassed and they - they are still feeling the aftereffects of the irritating experience. we have seen and talked about in the hour of the developments of this day which included law enforcements taking a different tack. the national guard sent in by the governor of missouri. when we started this evening, the protesters were able to come. now we see they are lined up nose to tail to make sure distance is kept here. what is going on. >> it seems the police have changed tactics. they are saying that people have to move continuously. they can't stand in a group and protest. they have to keep going up and down the streets. the cars are intended to pin the protesters in and off the streets, the streets are blocked

off. the only vehicles going up and down are police vehicles. it's not as if the protesters walking through the streets would be jeopardizing themselves or anyone else. i did ask the head of the law enforcement group here, captain ron johnson about that, and he said they were determined to protect everyone's constitutional rights to peacefully protest. to do that they have to impose restrictions which seems like a contradiction in his answer. >> we'll see how the evening goes. ron reynold's with us, thank you very much. >> this is a day that saw other developments. we reported the release of an autopsy commissioned by the family of michael brown, as well we were told that there is a completed autopsy done by the county medical examiner which included a toxicology report. this has not been released to the public, we don't know the

contents. we saw the family out some si released. we don't know the county medical examiner, that's because it needs to be given to the grand jury, which could be meeting as early as tomorrow or wednesday of this week, and they would be having an opportunity to look at that information as well as all the other information that has come forward so far in this case to see whether they want to indict anyone related to it. joining us now is lisa bonner, not only an attorney, but a st. louis native. you live in new york. you come to be part of the demonstrations. let's talk about the legal situation. we have heard from people that they will not be satisfied unless there is an indictment against the officer in this case. what is happening there. is that possible? >> from what i understand they are looking to present the case to the grand jury on wednesday.

they convene once a week, and there are rumours, we don't know if they are substantiated. >> what is the procedure there, could an officer, for example, be arrested and charged on the scene after the shooting after something like this. >> normally they would do an investigation. it seems to me they have enough to eeffect an arrest. an arrest is not - it's not an indictment. we can present it to the grand jury. another thing we need to do is everyone is acting like if an arrest does not take place, there'll not be any peace. the mayor will have his day in court. as long as he is arrested. that will quell the violence that is going on here. and you'll have the time to present his evidence. he'll be tried by a jury of his peers. it's important that for the people, at least.

that they show that this man's life was worth something. >> as they continue to protest. they do that. we see a lot of messages honouring mike brown. thank you for being here with us. >> lisa bonner an attorney and st louis native that understands this community. we'll take a break and return for more special coverage af a

break. welcome back to al jazeera america. tonight special coverage of "flashpoint ferguson." we are watching developments taking place this hour. demonstrations continue through the main streets of ferguson missouri, as people are told they can continue to march. if they stop and stand still, they stand a good chance of arresters officers tell them. we continue to notice that we are placed a good distance by them as police officers lined and cordoned off the area where the media is. so much of what happened here over the last week and a half has been the images from here on the streets of ferguson, and the messages coming not only from ferguson, but around the world, transmitted digitally as people share their experience. joining us from -- "the stream,"

they will talk about the exchange. you'll probably see more of this an twitter. >> more than a week has passed since the doth of michael brown -- the death of michael brown. there has be across america and the world people followed live feeds and twitter streams to watch whether the clash in ferguson between protesters and police would continue. for a while it did. online police said they were attacked. protesters were stunned. children were in the crowd. and phones were lit up for another night of conflict. since wednesday night ferguson has been the story on social media, and on sunday twitter

erupted with images associated with far-flung war zones. more tear gas, looting. more correspondents were dispatched to the scene. a reporter caused a storm when he thought he saw a dead body. he clarified that the person was injured in a car crash. the tweet was retweeted many times. everyone was trying to make sense of what was going on. >> you guys know if they come this way... >> get out. >> smartphones the only window. >> police up the road. i thought this guy would grab me. >> online reporters shared stories of harassment at the hands of the police. one threatened to shoot. >> stay down.

stand down. >> a 'financial times' journalist posted the video of his arrest. >> you are under arrest. >> tear gas rained down near the mcdonald's that was a fuelling station for journalists the the window was broken by protesters who were angry, fleeing for safety or seeking milk. >> when the results of michael brown's autopsy came out. outrage and confusion spread like wildfire. for the first time supporters of the police officer came out in force with around 150 people gathering during the day on sunday. >> this is what a peaceful gathering looks like. >> tens of thousands falling officer darren wilson pages,

thanking him for his service, frustrated by trial by media. supporters raised $10,000 to support him and fizz family. when the morning broke, locals came out to clear the damage. >> without the social media, ferguson probably wouldn't have become a global story. you can get social media will play a vital role as the situation plays out in feg ferguson. >> we've been taking pictures and tweeting those. there has been other revolutions recently that have - the arab spring, where we have seen a social media push to create ent. >> you are right. the local becomes a national becomes the international with the touch of your thumb on the

smartphone. one tweet, one youtube clip or photo. consolidates a local movements into an international movement. we have seen that with hashtag ferguson, and michael brown. and what is happening if ferguson, it's interesting. there's a movement started through social media. we have the hashtag if they gunned me down. hands up, don't shoot. and specifically people are finding out about what is happening in ferguson, five minutes ago on twitter, getting scott olson's sun, finding out that his father was arrested in ferguson. and for the intersection of social media and the new, you can catch "the stream" monday through friday. after the break we'll talk about another movement driven by social media.

this has a chillier tone. standby for that.

>> now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for survivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now before going back to julie

chen live, we want to bring you a story about another movement online. if you're on facebook you probably have seen 1.2 million celebrities dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads, for a good cause, the fight against als or amyothophic lateral sclerosis, lou gehrig disease. sufferers lose control of their muscles, most with the disease live 2-5 years after diagnosis. it hopes to raise awareness and funny for the disease. the movement gains momentum, celebrities and politicians join the craze with videos from bill gates, oprah and lebron james. the change seems to be making a difference. according to als association, donations have spiked to 8 times

more than this time last year. hopefully it can help to find a cure. one of the frustrating effects is the loss of speech. a new technique let's people with als bank their voices for when they can no longer speech. >> al jazeera's "techknow" doctor found how it's changing lives. >> reporter: on a snowy day in the off season a football training season seems desert. ed. the advisor to player development is at his desk. you come to work, one wouldn't blame you if you stayed at home. >> sure, i could stay at home and go into sebbing lugs after my als diagnosis. coming to work is about refusing to give up. you feel isolated from

interaction i'll wither and die. >> a driving force on the ravens 2001 super bowl winning team. he was paralysed with a paralyzing and killer disease. amyothophic lateral sclerosis, when he was 37. als, a neurological disorder is known as lou gehrig's disease, and robs the body of almost all its muscular functions. >> this building is brimming full of men who appear to have super human strength. no matter who they are, they agree on one thing. this is the strongest of them all, despite being unable to move on his own. silenced by als, he is the voice of locker room inspiration. >> do you have something for us? >> get ready for something great. stay humble and hungry. >> reporter: o.j. speaks through his eyes, gazing at his computer

screen to produce a synthesized voice. how far frustrating is it not to hear your own voice. >> frustrating, but i'm thank. that i would communicate through the use of technology. >> this is the state of art of that technology, the toby i 15, i got to try it out. the camera scans my eyes. >> exactly. the camera looks at how the light it eflecting out of your -- reflecting out of your eye. >> the compurely send out infraread ray, and the light spots are reflected to the computer. calibrated to my gaze, my eyes work the keyboard like my fingers. there are precalibrated words i can choose from, or type my own. >> you probably don't want to no. >> hello, my name is shini.

>> hello, my name is shini. >> reporter: computer-generated voices have been around, but it's recognised that they don't really capture the essence of a person. >> come up here, come on boy. come on, boy. >> go get it. >> a little kiss at the same time. >> reporter: holly has been silenced by her als. walker responds to the voice that summoned him. >> good dog. >> now generated from a toby, custom loaded with 840 of her own recordings. >> hi, my name is holly, it's nice to meet you. >> reporter: it's lovely to hear you say that. diagnosed with als, holly started recording her voice about six months before losing the ability to speak. a process called voice message banking. >> that was the machine talking, i take into responsibility. >> for conversation not banked,

holly must full back to the computer's voice. >> how important is it for you to use your voice that you've banked? >> i think the greater impact is on the listener. >> it allows for engagement that using the computer voice doesn't allow for. >> it's been pretty profound. >> please, just let me finish. >> go ahead. you always get the last word. >> hearing her jokes, her comments, hearing her chow for now. hearing her favourite one liners. >> forget about it. >> the immediatelying of i-tracking computers and personal voice recording is the brain child of this doctor. . >> we started and a hand-held recorder recording in a dot wave final. that's significant. >> i save them on the computer. i tag them so that each of them

is named for the phrase. >> the recordings are uploaded to the computer and assigned to category short cutslike medical, food and social. >> they are there for the eventualuality of someone needing to have their voice, because they have lost the ability to speak. >> sure. >> sure. >> massachusetts artist nancy campbell was diagnosed with als four months ago. nancy knows the cruel progress of the diseasing having cared for her -- disease, having cared for her mother. >> i used to write on index cards saying "would you like a glass of water?" are i would write smile or laugh. i realised that's how important communication was. >> reporter: tear fully reluctant at her first recording session, she changed her tune.

"i want a hug." >> you can say "i want a damned hug now." >> hopefully i'll be able to capture my laugh, my expressions, my things that i want to say to my family. >> it is only beginning. get ready for something great. >> the silent voice of o.j. speaks volumes. but o.j. and his wife regret not voice banking. >> i miss hearing his natural voice. my husband had a sexy voice. >> some have to go, and this o.j. is out of here as well. >> i did not fully realise the importance and value of hearing their own words and voice. voice banking is one of the first things i recommend to newly diagnosed. >> think about recording the legacy messages, deeply personal terms of endearment. >> i love you too, joanie. >> when you hear that, how does

it make you feel? >> well, it helps me out. emotional. happy. sad. bittersweet. don't want to lose it. and the goods news, i guess, about the message banking is i don't have to lose it. >> i thank you for everything. >> you can catch voice banking this saturday on "techknow", 7:30. that's it for us in d.c. let's send it back to julie chen, live in fisz. >> thank you so much. we'll continue to watch what is going on tomorrow on "america tonight".

another loud night in ferguson as the national guard arrives to help keep order. is the national security team advising the president on iraq wrong for the job? hello, i'm moantonio mora, welce to "consider this". those stories and more straight ahead. the attorneys for michael brown releasing the results of an autopsy on the teen shot