does she ever get criticized with this idea, you don't speak for all muslims. >> she said that she just speaks for herself, and she's not an expert. >> good to see you, thank you. i'm tony harris, in new york city and john seigenthaler is back with

talking about the murdered children of new town connecticut in a packed white house east room. >> every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. >> the audience victims of gun violence and their families. there to see the president announce new executive actions effective immediately and cracking down on private sales of guns on the internet or gun shows where no background check of a buyer is need: under the plan those who sell guns for profit no matter where the transaction takes place will have to get a license. there by making their customers suspect t subject from felonies and other reasons that would bar them from buying a gun under federal law. >> this is not a plot to take away everybody's guns. you pass a background check.

you purchase a firearm. the problem is some gun sellers have been operating under a different set of rules. >> republicans are unmoved. the party's presidential candidates immediately bashed the president. >> it's an over reach. >> not only for what he did but how did he it, and promised to undo the executive action as one of their first acts if they make it to the white house. >> if he's serious about gun violence, he'll look at what is it in our cull future that is leading people to create crime. >> the president is asking for hundreds more fbi and atf personnel to investigate and enforce the new rules. that will require funding, and the g.o.p. controlled congress is likely to try and stop it. in the wake of the shooting at sandy hook many thought that the moment had come.

president obama invited the parents of of a 15-year-old girl from chicago killed in a ram done shooting while standing at a park with friends. >> they deserve a vote. >> but the effort to pass new gun laws collapsed, and that vote never game. tuesday in the east room the same couple stood behind the president. they say without cooperation from congress he's doing all he can. and his emotions were genuine. >> he has two daughters, and's father first. the thing is it touches home. >> today guns are our here illegally and rapid children are looking left and right to make sure that it is okay for them to play on the porch and things that have nature. it's unfair to them. i think his tears were sincere. >> and john, even some of the president's harsh critics say there is less here than meets the eye with these proposals. the president is beefing up

enforcement of existing laws and it will do nothing that will stop high profile shootings that have would illicitted response over the last serve years. the white house and president is saying that it's not just mass killings, but the homicide and suicide and if this saves one life the effort is worth it. >> the national rifle association responded tonight. the statement says in part the american people do not need more emotional condescending lectures that are completely devoid of facts. president obama's proposals would not have prevented any of the horrific events he mentioned. the proposed executive actions are right for abuse by the obama administration which has made to secret of its contempt of the second amendment. former u.s. attorney general alberto gonzalez is in nashville. judge gonzalez, welcome, it's good to have you on the program.

>> it's good to be here. >> talk about this executive order by the president of the united states. first of all, do you think it will be struck down by the supreme court? >> i'm not sure there is going to be an issue with respect to what the president has done in that--the president says if you're a licensed--if you're engaged in the business of selling firearms that you have to be licensed. the statute does not limit that to establish businesses. and what the executive order makes clear is if you're engaged in the business of firearms whether it be at a gun show or over the internet, that you have to get licensed as a dealer. so i think if you talk to many people about what the president has done here, i think they're going to say there really is not much big change as a result of the executive order. now having said that i will add that on such a volatile issue i think its preferable to have the

parties working together. here with the executive action you have the government saying the president doesn't have right to do so. >> let's go back to the order. do you think it closes the so-called gun show loophole that your former boss president george w bush supported? >> well, i think that it does to the extent that--look, if you go to a gun show and you sell--you're engaged in an occasional sell and you sell firearms as part of your hobby, then you don't have to register as a licensed dealer. however, if you go to the gun show, and you're there to sell 100 rifles for example, that is part of your traveling route, you're traveling from city to city, then gun show to gun show, then you're subject to becoming licensed as a dealer. >> what are the limits to the presidential order? especially in this case? >> the executive order is as

described--as it's announced. it is an order to the executive branch. this is the order that a basically atf to make sure that those individuals engaged in the business of dealing in firearms that they become licensed. and so atf is going about the business of ensuring whether it be over the internet. whether it be at gun shows if you're engaged in the business of dealing in firearms that you become licensed. >> and as i understand your position, you think that congress should--you know, if the president is going to try this executive order the congress ought to get involved with this as well so it's very clear that the government is moving in one direction, is that right? >> yes, it's more prominent. as you know it can be undone by the president if he wants to change his mind. it can be undone by the next president, by congress if it's successful in passing a law. i just believe again on the volatile issue like the guns and

the second amendment, it's preferable for the american people for this nation to have our elected members of government working together. >> it sounds like the president is exasperated with congress. hasn't been able to get any action from congress. and that this is a last-ditch effort. but in your opinion an illegal last-ditch effort. >> i understand being frustrated, but the president has the authority or not. whether or not--if congress does not do its job, that does not allow the president to go beyond his institutional authority. if he has the authority, he can do this. if he doesn't have the authority, the failure by congress does not give him this authorities. >> but the second amendment is not an institute, right? >> no, you're absolutely right. the second amendment is not absolute. the supreme court has recognized reasonable restrictions of regulation of that right. like virtually all of our rights under the constitution are not absolute. freedom of religion is not institute.

freedom of speech is not absolute. the freedom of arms is not absolute. certainly with respect to background checks. those have been found constitutional by our courts. >> always good to see you. thank you very much for joining us tonight. >> thank you for having me. >> the hometown of chicago struggling with the rising tide. gun violence despite the fact that there are no gone shops or gun shows in that city, residents hope that the executive action also make a difference. >> andy rosen reports. >> tuesday would have been terrell's 28th birthday. he was shot dead while unloading musical equipment ten years ago. no one knows who killed him or where the gun came from. >> so i was hoping to have justice before ten years. >> the big concern for his mother is making gun runners, those selling guns illegally on the streets believe they will get in trouble if they're caught and holding them accountable when they are.

>> if it's done on a federal level, and if people know they purchase a gun, and it ends up missing and it's on a cream seen and they enforced this law, it would help. >> illegal gun sells in chicago are rarely prosecuted. >> i've been at the forefront of supporting legislation for gang members who are caught with guns. has it had the impact we wished that it would have? no, it has not. >> the president's executive action on tuesday does address that with a five-year term and $250,000 fine for anyone caught selling a gun without license. and would require background checks for guns sold at gun shows. >> 40% of the gun crimes in chicago come from gun shows in northwestern indiana. why? there is no background check. they felt they could cross state

lines and you know what happened next. >> and some made their frustrations clear. >> i can lay in my bed at night not only on new year's eve and hear, boom, boom, boom, pow, pow, pow. [ sirens ] >> will the president's executive action change that? pam bosley home hopes so. >> i'm glad the president is making an executive decision to save lives, for us, to southern california there won't be any more--so there won't be any more terrells. >> we have more of an in-depth look at gun ownership and gun violence in this country. a soldier was killed in afghanistan today. they were taking part in a joint afghan operation to push back recent taliban advances. the taliban forces had been trying to retake helmand, province. the group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in kabul

monday which could complicate the peace talks that are scheduled for next week. eye lies are lining up saudi arabia in its dispute with iran. bahrain and sudan cut diplomatic ties with the country after protesters ransacked the embassy in tehran. andrew simmons reports. unfortunately, we don't have that piece right now. grim discovery at the coast of turkey. the bodies of three dozen refugees were recovered today. like so many before them. trying to reach greece in search of a better life. jonah hull has more and this warning some of the images are disturbing. >> it's the first week of a new year. the warm summer long gone and the refugees journey is getting

harder. off the turkish coast a rubber dinghy has capsized. it's passengers thrown to their fate. for those on greece on tuesday more than 20 would never arrive their bodies washing back ashore o on the beaches of turkey. >> we came an hour ago. we heard the boat sank and hit the rocks. i believe they died when they tried to swim for the rocks. we came to help. >> but, there wasn't much to be done. the turkish cost guard disbatched three boats and a helicopter to search for survivors. eight people were rescued. including one man who emerged from the freezing waters on their own. it's estimated that a million refugees and migrants through its outlying islands traveling

on to central and northern europe as part of the biggest humanitarian crisis on the continent in two decades. >> migrant refugees continue to enter greece at a rate of 250,000 a day. so we see the migrant flows continuing through the winter, and obviously the fatalities are continuing as well. >> this is where most are heading the greek island of lesbos gateway to the european union some ten kilometers off the turkish ves coast. the refugees' welcome can be a harsh one. >> the women and children are not safe at night. as are the men who come with women and children. they're stealing, there is raping, there is theft. there i is there are knives here and there are guns here. those things happen here.

>> so the fate of even those who survive the sea crossing is uncertain. most will find safe harbor in european countries like germany. but here on the greece shore their ordeal has just begun. jonah hull, al jazeera. >> a journalist jailed in turkey for more than four months is a free man tonight. mohammed rasul was arrested in august charged with assisting a terrorist organization. his british colleagues were quickly deported. rasul, an iraqi, was held as a protective measure. tonight freed on bail but still cannot leave the country. >> tonight, cold comfort. >> the system is crazy. disgusting. filthy, just totally out of order. >> is this executive order for

their safety? plus, defending stephen avery. >> i've always had really nagging, persistent deep doubts about whether the system worked. >> all right we talk to attorney dean strang about defending the killer of this duco-series.

>> tonight armed protesters in oregon say they have no intention of backing down until their demands are met. their occupation of an empty federal building is now in its fourth day. adam schauffler is in burns, oregon, near that wildlife refuge where there are new

developments. >> absolutely new developments tonight here john. you see the gentleman sitting on the ground behind me, that is one of the spokesmen for this group. he came out here maybe 20 minutes ago. we want to roll videotape, we'll tell though is a little bit rough. he said that he had evidence, we have not confirmed this, that there were reports that the fbi had warrants for the three bundy brothers, for him and for somebody else, and he's saying if you have a war rent for me this is where i'll be. come on out. i'll stay here so you can come and serve that warrant. we have no confirmation that those warrants have been issued at this point. they could not confirm that.

>> they had half of the media following him to the hammond research 25 miles south just to record what is happening there. they believe that the hammonds may be in some kind of theater. bizarre theater, and we don't know what it adds up to. i can tell that you this peaceful scene has been disrupted and may be coming apart a little bit. all that have said what this boils down to right at the base is the issue with the hammonds and their resentencing, the farmers from here land use issues around the country, and especially around the west. >> at the occupied federal offices trucks delivering supplies rolled in and out on tuesday. the group which took over the facility seeing that as an

indication of community support. >> we also appreciate the advice that the community members have given us about how to reach out and how to share our message. so that other community members will know we're not about fear. we're not about force. we're not about intimidation. that's the reason why we came here. >> by nearby burns is a town split by the protest. many people saying the cause may be important but the tactics may be wrong. jake came to the site late monday night to get answers. worried about what the long range plans are and what could happen here. >> we're not comfortable with a wide-spread invitation of militia unvetted coming here to our community, you know, where we really have no idea what their clear picture is as to the outcome. >> but the neighborhood at dawn you might run into bill wilbur.

>> the retired rancher called the take over misguided but appreciates that it has caused tense between those who work the land and the people who enforce land use rules. >> the underlying issue is the never ending rules and regulations. >> tom sharp runs cattle on a thousand acres of private land. but is still impacted by regulations governing the federal land that surrounds the sharp ranch. he also thinks that the hammonds' five-year sentences amounted to government overreach but modern ranchers have to learn to work with, not against government. >> it's extremely important that

we collaborate with all those groups from our federal agency toss environmental groups that are the wash zags to make sure that the land is not being abused. yes there are differences. again, we have opted to settle those differences where we sit at the table. >> for farmers at the west especially that relationship is difficult, and in this case has led to the occupation of federal property and rising tensions in oregon's wide open separations. those tensions appear to have boiled over here tonight. lots of bizarre theater. lots of threats. we have no idea what is happening on the road on the way to the hammond ranch to the south. no way of knowing what is happening on the compound, but this is where he'll stay until the feds come and get him.

>> adam schauffler thanks for the update. here in new york city the mercury dipped to 11 degrees. the mayor's office said that the city brought in 97 homeless people overnight. a new state than date by the governor requires officials to remove people from the streets in freezing temperatures. january smith has more. >> it was a cold blue night in new york city. that means temperatures below freezing, driving more people into shelters like this one for a warm place to sleep an and a hot meal. >> as the temperatures drop we'll see more and more people for our people and we expect the number to increase over the course of the winter to up to 200 people overnight. >> private shelters will fill up quickly but despite the cold some of the homeless refer to sta--prefer to stay outside. >> governor andrew cuomo signed

an order that requires officials to bring homeless people inside, by force if necessary. >> this is a blanket uniform statewide rule. they must. not you could, but you must. >> the system is crazy. disgusting. filthy. it's just totally out of order. >> you have team who bully you. people who steal your stuff. people who come here every day. >> the order is based in part on state law that allows the homeless to be taken into custody if they're a threat to themselves or to others. homeless advocates d say that the law do not allow for a round up. >> someone may think they can take care of themselves on the

streets. they miscalculate. there are people that the police will never find despite the executive order. >> some 59,000 people live in shelters in new york city alone. another 34,000 live on the streets. the mayor has announced plans to deal with the homeless, but progress has been slow. >> there is someone like me on every corner, every crevice, every turn. go around the corner, someone built a house where they live. >> the governor's order to bring everyone at 16 degrees. it was 11 degrees tonight. both under the level for hyperthermia to set in. >> while the east sees freezing weather, the west sees heavy rain and snow. >> meteorologist: we have both

stories to talk about. after a december of record-breaking temperatures across much of the united states, we're looking at quite a bit of a shock coming into january. right now we're at 28 degrees in new york city. when you factor in the windshield not too bad as it was yesterday because we're right around 25 degrees. that is because the winds are a little lighter. as we go up to the north we saw temperatures this morning northern new hampshire, northern main. tomorrow morning, new york is going to be 19 degrees for those temperatures back on the rebound. we're going to be hitting 53 degrees by the time we get to the weekend. now to the flooding in the west coast of the united states we're looking at not just one storm but three storms making their way towards the united states. the first one has made landfall, we're looking at a lot of rain for parts of our california. now coming into parts of nevada as well. the second storm right here in the pacific, that will be a factor later on this evening and another one out here towards the west.

that is going to be a factor as we go to the late week. let's take a look at what is happening right now as the storm came through. we're looking at some regions getting over three inches of rain. take a look at some video that came in of the flooding situation across the area. some people stuck in cars. some people going through water crossings, stalling out very dangerous situation there. and we're looking at still a lot of problems especially down towards san diego county this evening. i want to show you what has been happening in terms of warning across that area. i want to show you those warnings. most of the area, we're talking about flash flood washes. they're expecting in that area anywhere between one and a half to two inches of rain just in two hours. and that's not going to end in the next three days. more rain. >> they need rain not that much. thank you very much. coming up next. gun ownership rising fast in the u.s. while gun violence is on

the decline. we'll take a look deeper at the gun control debate. and making a murderer. viewers in the documentary are signing petitions to set a convicted killer free. we're going to ask the defense attorney about whether he thinks that his client is really innocent.

>> hi every, this is al jazeera america. i'm john seigenthaler. president obama unveiled executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. he was joined at the white house by families of victims. the president said more needs to be done. >> all of us need to demand that congress be brave enough to stand up to the gun lobbyist lies. we all need to stand up and

protect our citizens. all of us need to demand governors, legislators and businesses to do their part to make communities safer we need the wide majority of gun owners to grieve with us when this happens, and if your views are not being represented to join us and demand something be done that is better. >> even before president obama announced today gun sales were hitting record highs, and even with the president's executive actions, they may find it easy to buy guns. >> in the gun debate there is one thing that all can agree on. there are at least 250 million firearms. that means there are more guns in the united states than people. and by most accounts the firearm

ownership trend is intensifying. at the blue ridge arsenal gun rage in virginia, the owner said that gun sales are bigger than ever. >> people want to buy things before their abilities are taken away. >> the irony, no abilities at a gun store will be taken away because of president obama's new actions. gun stores have long been required to conduct a criminal background checks the president's proposal will help the fbi process the background checks. buas it stands only seven states and the district of columbia require a background check if you purchase a weapon at a show or individual. in maryland and pennsylvania the background check only apply foss

handguns. in 43 other states individual sellers have no obligation to conduct a background check. this is known as the gun show loophole. still, the idea that the president might take any executive action more gun enthusiasts are see more bans are coming. >> it's the government telling people what they can and cannot do or what they can or cannot have. those fears have spiked during the obama administration. last year the figure topped 11 million, thanks in part to president obama the biggest impact next may come online. hundreds of weapon weapon collectors operate virtual stores. now these gun sellers will be

required to check the background of each buyer. >> one in 30 people looking to buy guns on one website have a criminal record. >> over all americans are significantly more likely to die from gun violence than residents of other industrialized countries. yet the center for disease control reports the number of gun deaths have stabilized, and compared to 25 years ago it's down by over 40%. in other words while mass shootings gun purchases and calls for action are up, the data shows over all levels of u.s. gun violence are no longer getting worse. david shuster, al jazeera. >> republican presidential candidates are rejecting the president's gun control plea. today senator ted cruz promised to undo the executive action on guns if he's elected.

he's on his sixth day of a 36 36-day tour to iowa. >> ted cruz's campaign bus tour through iowa is covering 28 counties in six days and includes a focus on one amendment, the second, and president obama's executive action on guns provided the candidates with extra fuel. >> i can tell you right now those executive orders are not worth the paper they're printed on because when you live by the pen you die by the pen, and my pen has got an eraser. [applause] >> even in anticipation of the president's announcement cruz painted leading democrats as totally focused removing guns from the hands of its owners. >> if hillary clinton is elected president the supreme court will rule that no individual american has any individual rights to keep and bear arms whatsoever and the government can make it a

felony for you to own a firearm and protect your family. >> come and take it. [applause] >> clearly it is an issue that plays well for the crowds that greeted him from boone to winterset. and the feel of this campaign swing was as much old time revival as it was politics. >> i want to ask each and every one of you is that you pray. as we go to our knees and we pray for our country, we pray for this awakening, the spirit of revival that is sweeping the incident. >> cruz knows the voters he needs to attract. >> religion. >> how important is that to you as a voter. >> somebody could compromise on life as a general principle, then they'll compromise on anything. >> i know he's christian man. that's fundamental to my feelings, too, where he stands

with the lord. >> thanks. >> in iowa where cruz stands on renewable energy is important, too. according to the iowa corn growers association, 47% of iowa corn goes into ethanol production. >> cruz is still struggling to convert some farm voters who may not see eye to eye on his ethanol mandates, but he would end up a energy-specific subsidies ethanol and oil among others. >> i support farmers and ethanol, but i don't think washington should pick winners and losers. >> please welcome senator ted cruz the next president of the united states. >> steve king likes what he hears from ted cruz removing federal subsidies, although he admits it may not be easy to grasp. >> we have got a month to go before the caucus. >> as his bus rolls through

iowa, cruz leads in the state and knows the attention is it finally on him. >> two weeks ago every candidate in the field, just about every candidate in the field was attacking donald trump. now every candidate in the field is attacking me. i guess one thing has changed. >> one thing that has changed in iowa the candidate who seize himself as the underdog is now leading the pack. michael shure, des moines. >> the iowa caucus is now lows than four weeks away. kathy with the ""des moines register"." and she's with us tonight. kathy, is this all about the evangelicals getting out for their candidate or not? it's not all about evangelicals, but evangelicals christians are part of the voting block.

they were above 50% of the iowa caucusgoers. it's not just about them. there are candidates have other demographics that are important and getting those voters out is important as well. one thing that ted cruz has done that the others have not is start to unify and consolidate support from that really evangelical block. you heard those voters talk about christianity being important, and that is, in fact, how he's appealing to them. >> but is christianity more important than corn and ethanol? >> actually, i think so. >> oh, wow. >> yes, yes. you know, not because everybody who lives in iowa works directly in agriculture. so the farm vote is important. but it's not the only vote i think we've seen that the single issue voters that we see are not

necessarily making ethanol that single issue. >> you know donald trump went after ted cruz for being born in canada, raising questions about whether he should be actually legally be president of the united states if he were to win. you think that could backfire on donald trump or not? >> well, you know, i have to say that i'm done predicting something that donald trump is going to get egg on his face for anything. he just does not follow any of the political rules that we normally have. iowa republicans generally don't like it when candidates attack other republican candidates. yet donald trump gets away with it. if something like this, i do think that ted cruz gets questions all the time about his birth in canada and his citizenship and he has to answer those questions the best he can. but i don't see donald trump having a down side for bringing

it up. >> try to sprain this to me. you heard donald trump say he has been accepted and embraced all over the country. is that the case in iowa? >> so donald trump is very much in the race here in iowa. we talk about ted cruz leading but donald trump is right with him in the polls. but what is interesting is that donald trump is very invested in winning. you hear him talk about his poll numbers all the time. you know, he actually does not do very well when he's not on top. he gets angry-sounding at his events. i think that winning in iowa is going to be very important. not because he couldn't win elsewhere, but it would be a blow to his image to himself and to the voters as a winner.

>> what we've learned over the last few months is that nothing is certain in this campaign. thank you very much. >> coming. next. guilt or innocence, the top case at the bloc buster documentary making a murderer. we're going to talk to the defense attorney about the fight that set a convicted killer free.

>> now a case that has resisted true crime. stephen avery was cleared after

serving 18 years for a rape he did not commit. but he's back in prison. this time for life. it is the netflix series that is an obsess. making of a murderer is the story of a man named stephen avery. dna helped exonerate him after he served 18 years for a rape he did not commit. but two years after his release the wisconsin native was tried and convicted for the murder of teresa holbock the freelance photograph who are visited his property to take pictures for an auto trader magazine. >> we find the defendant stephen a. avery for first-degree intention homicide. >> avery's story was filmed over a ten-year span. it raises questions about the case against him. the ten-our documentary series is told from his point of view. it suggests he was framed by vindictive law enforcement

professionals angry over a $36 million civil lawsuit avery filed against the county for his wrongful rape conviction. >> this is one of those wrongful convictions that shocked the conferenc conscience. >> "innocent killer" highlights th the the exculpatory evidence that should have released him 18 years ago. >> it showed that it was virtually impossible for mr. avery to have committed the crime. the jury convicted mr. avery. >> when he was charged with the murder, it wa, his response was the same as in the previous

case. he said that the police set him up. but the jurors didn't believe him. a petition on "wwwchange.org has garnered petitions. many celebrities had tweeted about the case. outraged after watching all ten episodes of #making a murderer, the prosecutor in the murder case said that the netflix documentary left out damning evidence against avery. in a recent magazine evidence craft said they don't even tell you 80% of the evidence that the jury saw. they purposely kept all that evidence that i showed the jury that discounted this evidence-planting theory. dean strang is stephen avery's attorney and he's featured in the documentary "making a

murderer." as you know the prosecutor in this documentary said that this documentary is one sided, glosses over evidence. he said that incriminates your client. what do you say to that? >> i don't think that's fair. >> this trial was six weeks long and no movie can be that long. it could only capture a fraction of the trial itself, and i think that the filmmakers did a good job in capturing the most significant evidence and arguments that the state made and the most significance and arguments that the defense made. both points on both sides had to be excluded. for myself i can't imagine what

the prosecutor would swap out. >> the prosecutor said that avery's sweat was found in the victory's car. that he made phone calls to the victory, and he threatened to rape and kill a woman while in prison. shouldn't that have been included in this document, too? >> no, the idea that it was sweat is pure speculation. utterly without evidently support. it was some sort of dna transfer other than blood, but that could have happened in any number of ways the harder dna to transplant would have been the blood. it would have been easier to transfe transfer dna without

blood. the pictures and threats in prison, the judge excluded that months before trial, and that hung on the proposed testimony of prisoners who themselves were looking to shorten their senses. he called and asked when he's coming and protected his privacy by using star-67 and then not on a third. >> we know that your client is under no obligation to testify at trial, but why didn't he testify? >> it was ultimately his decision. it's here. it goes right into privileged communications that we have. and i can't comment specifically on his decision or any other client's decision to testify or not. >> isn't it possible that they

completely botched this case? >> yes, it is possible. i'm left with doubts that it its true, but it's possible. the question here whether the state met its burden of proof and whether it was reliable given the shortcomings of the investigation that is suggested. >> what would be the motive? >> it is rare for police officers to go out and try to plant evidence against someone they believe to be innocent it's a belief in the belly button or somewhere that the person is guilty, and the fear that he'll escape conviction. typically it leads police officers to bend the rules or corruption the process when they do. >> as i understand it, avery has

exhausted his appeal. what is next? you are hoping for new evidence, and what if you don't get it? >> if we don't get new evidence he's likely to die in prison, whenever that day comes. his realistic hope is that newly discovered evidence mighty merge. that might be factual, a secret someone has been carry forgive ten years or something that someone saw or heard and haven't disclosed. it might be new scientific testing available now in the years to come that was not available at the trial. >> how has this case changed your life. i understand that it keeps you up at night. >> it and a number of others do. look, mr. avery ended up with the most harsh sentence that can be imposed under wisconsin law. life in prison without the possibility of parole. i carry that. he obviously has to live with it. i lost the case.

i've always had really nagging persistent deep doubts about whether the system worked right, and whether that was a liable verdict. >> you've been called a modern day atticus finch. how do you react to that? >> i don't know what to make of that. you will not hear me describe myself as a modern die atticuk finch. i was a guy who was minding his business and getting along here until a couple of weeks ago. >> a couple of people in the newsroom has been interested in this case. do you think americans as they watch this are playing a modern day back-seat detective? >> i do think there is a lot of sleuthing going on, and we could have a lon long conversation about the ways social media and opportunities online have

allowed people everywhere in the world to look at their tv, see something that upsets them, and not just throw a sock at the tv or stalk off to bed early, but now participate in some way that at least offers the prospects of having an impact on things in the world that upset us. you can participate in the discussion that might change the outcome. that's a really interesting cultural phenomenon. >> clearly this case has had an impact. dean strang. it's good to talk to you. thank you for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. >> ali velshi on target takes a close look at president obama's new executive actions on guns and the criticism. >> john, president obama did an end run around congress taking a serious of executive action on gun control. republican critics say that he's overreaching. that's not a price. but even some of those who support gun control said that the measures announce ready

underwhelming and there is a nagging question what took him so long. that's "on target tonight" 9:00 eastern. >> he brought saturday night fever.anand grease to the screen. we'll take a look at robert stigwood after this.

>> robert stigwood died today at the age of 81. he was the driving force behind pop culture hits in the '70s and '80s, movies that have become classic. john travolta did the trusting, the bee gees provided the sound track, but it was one person who put it all together. robert stigwood, a show man with style and an eye for success. he produced saturday night fever. it was a defining film for the

disco generation. as manager and promoter, his roster was legend. the cream, the who, rod stewart. david bowie and of course the bee gees. [ music ] helping stigwood's label send tens of millions of albums. in theaters he staged groundbreakers. there was "hair." "jesus christ superstar." and "sweeney todd." and on the big screen stigwood was the force behind "tommy" ; "greas e," but it was the story

in brooklyn farewell beloved robert tweeted andrew webber, the great show man who taught me so much. >> that's our broadcast. thanks for watching. ali is next. target hi. i'm ali velshi "on target". tonight power play president obama bypasses congress on gun control taking executive anxiouss that are either overreaching or under whelming, depending on which side you're on. president obama is kicking off 2016 by taking a stand in combatting gun violence and he is ticking off his opponents in the process. he announced aie