upcoming season after he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy by smoking marijuana. whole season for marijuana. that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. i turn you over to brianna keilar filling in for wolf blitzer. these right next door in "the situation room." >> thanks, jake. happening now, breaking news. new terror warnings, britain raises its threat level to severe saying an attack by islamist extremists is highly likely. what's the u.s. doing about the danger? and hitting back at isis. ufs air strikes slow the jihadists advance. iraq, but as the trosities mount in syria, why doesn't president obama have a plan for action there? and ukraine's street battles. pro-russian rebels may be getting help from up to 5,000 russian troops but russia says the u.s. and its allies are imagining things. wolf blitzer is on assign the. i'm brianna keilar. you're in "the situation room."

>> and there are new worries about isis terror attacks far from the middle east battlefields. britain today raised its terror threat level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. that came with a chilling warning from prime minister david cameron, but american officials are not raising the threat level in this country. even as president obama takes heat for not having a strategy to deal with isis atrocities in syria. our correspondents and guests are standing by with full coverage. we begin with cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta. >> brianna, right now the obama administration says it's not following britain's lead in guarding against a terrorist attack saying there is no imminent isis threat to the u.s. one day after president obama admitted he doesn't have a strategy for hitting isis in syria, there's a new sense of urgency in britain. >> we will always take whatever action is necessary to keep the british people safe here at

home. >> reporter: british prime minister david cameron cited the dangers posed by isis for his nation's decision to race its terror level to severe, which means an attack on its homeland is highly likely. the killing of james foley, cameron said, may just be the beginning >> it was clear evidence not that any more was needed, that this is not some foreign conflict thousands of miles from home we can hope to ignore. >> by contrast, the who us is downplaying the threat in the u.s. >> the most detailed intelligence assessment that i can offer from here is that there is no evidence or indication right now that isil is actively plotting to attack the united states homeland. >> but both governments share the concern that jihadis can travel from the u.s. and the west to isis battlefields and back again with ease. britain believes 500 of its citizens are fighting with isis while the u.s. has identified roughly a dozen both countries are stepping up airport security and taking a harder look at the

passports of western isis radicals. as for striking isis on its own turf in syria, the white house is still trying to explain the president's candid rationale for why he didn't ready for such a mission. >> we don't have a strategy yet. >> the president's aides say it's because the military is still developing syria options. but the pentagon insisted it's prepared. >> i think that anybody who has any knowledge of the united states military knows that we're ready. >> ask whether there's a debate over hitting isis in syria. >> is the president on the same page as his cabinet when it comes to dealing with isis. >> the more important observation is the cabinet is on the same page as the commander in chief. i'm fully confident that's the case. >> is the pentagon on the same page as the white house in terms of the threat posed by isis? >> yes. next question? >> now, don't be surprised if the president gets some work done on isis tomorrow morning. the president was supposed to spend much of this weekend doing

some fund-raising and attending a wedding up in new york, but earlier today, brianna, the white house announced they're changing the president's schedule. he's coming back tonight and spending part of tomorrow morning here at the white house. that might mean some more work on isis is yet to come. >> we'll be waiting. jim acosta, thank you. the concern in britain is much greater than it is in the u.s. right now. as the threat level was raised to severe, prime minister david cameron warned that isis poses a terror danger to britain that's greater and than ever. hundreds of britons have gone to syria and iraq to fight with islamist groups. the big concern is what happens when they return haul. karl penhaul is live from london with that. >> this threat level is the highest it's been in britain for the last three years, in fact. and that is causing a lot of raised eyebrows here. what that threat level means is a terror attack could be highly likely although mr. cameron admitted there was no specific intelligence about any imminent

threat but he did raise very great concerns about the capability of isis particularly that of british jihadis as they return from the battlefield. listen to what he had to say. >> what we're facing in iraq now with isil is a greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before. in afghanistan, the taliban were prepared to play host to al qaeda. a terrorist organization. with isil, we are facing a terrorist organization not being hosted in a country, but actually seeking to establish and then violently expand its own terrorist state. >> prime minister cameron said that come next week, he will benouncing to parliament some of his suggestions of how to clamp down on the threat of radical islam at both abroad but also in britain. among the suggestions he's going to make is perhaps withdrawing the passports of britain's returning from syria and iraq

and also putting travel bans on britons intending to travel to those conflict zones. but he did say we've got to get ready for what he described as a generational fight. he said the pite to remove it the threat from radical islam could take years or even abdecades. >> he set up some expectations. karl penhaul in london, thank you. as britain brent warns isis fighters may return to launch terror attacks, u.s. aircraft launched fresh air strikes at isis targets in iraq. anna coren is live from the iraqi city of erbil. ana, you're there in northern iraq. what reaction are you getting to prime minister cameron's strong statement today? >> look, brianna, they welcome it. there's no doubt about it for weeks they have been telling us this is not just our war. it's not just syria's war. this is a war that involves the entire world.

so they welcome prime minister cameron raising the terror alert. obviously, the case is those foreign fighters and they believe they are in the thousands who have come here to iraq to syria to fight this jihadist cause. it's a warped sense of islam. it's sheer brutality. but certainly as far as these young disaffected muslim men are concerned, they have a sense of belonging by joining isis and what it represents. i mean, in the past few days, weise have seen these executions in syria, also here in iraq in mosul. that's just literally up the road. iraq's second largest city where peshmerga soldiers have been captured and one of them executed on video. so this is unfolding and officials here just pleased that the world is now paying attention. >> and kurds in northern iraq

there, an flori na are taking o. how is the fight playing out on the grounds today? >> definitely, the real strategic place at the moment for this mission to try and hit isis hard is around mosul dam. we were up there last week when the kurdish forces managed to take it back from isis who claimed it earlier in the month. it's interesting, we would have thought they would have pushed through the surrounding areas. they haven't been able to. isis is digging in. the u.s. air strikes you mentioned have really focused on that area. there's been about 110 to date. and they are helping the peshmerga move these areas, advance to a certain extent but isis is laying plenty of land mine, ieds, booby-trapping houses and buildings. so this is what is slowing this em down but from the kurdish military officials that i've spoken to, they are saying they need the usair offensive to expand and intense phi if they

are going to cripple isis certainly here in iraq. >> anna coren, thank you. president obama is taking a lot of heat for saying there is no strategy yet for dealing with isis in syria. are there military options? let's turn to pentagon correspondent barbara starr. what's the pentagon saying, barbara. >> on this day when of course, the uk raised its terror level, actually took action, the pentagon as part of the obama administration still struggling obviously to explain exactly what's going on in washington. if the president says there is no strategy yet to deal with isis unless syria, what is the pentagon doing about military options? they acknowledged today what we all know. they've been working on military options for months. they have military options. so what is holding everything up? that's a question i put to the pentagon press secretary. >> planning is anitirative process, barb. it's not like, you know, the

question is it assumes this is some sort of binary thing where we get an order to do it and here's the binder and there you go, we've got to turn it into you on your due date. the situation on the ground constantly changes. it's very fluid. >> the reality is, of course, the pentagon again has been working on military options for months and months. and they have been discussing them with the white house. do you call that a strategy, do you call that an option, a plan? whatever you call it, if the president was to make a decision to go ahead, the pentagon is clear they would be ready to go. they would have to collect last minute intelligence on isis targets in syria. where are the isis troops? where are the isis leadership targets and the training camps, exactly where they are. but they would be ready to go with military action. what it takes now, of course, is a decision to proceed authorization from the president. >> barbara, these kinds of

decisions require a lot of internal deliberation between the president and his cabinet. are you getting the sense? we saw secretary hagel, we saw the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff martin dempsey sort of had i guess you could say a forward leaning posture when we heard from them last week and they were talking about the options and how they saw this threat of isis in syria. then you got the sense yesterday the president was tapping the brakes and trying to let people know, okay this isn't imminent we would be taking on isis in syria. are you getting the sense maybe there is disagreement or not consensus yet on what to do? >> it's interesting. nobody of course, in the pentagon wants to go on the record disagree is with the commander in chief in the slightest way but let's be candid. if you talk to people privately, i think there are military officials of very significant rank in the pentagon who are scratching their heads a little bit. you had secretary hagel saying this is more, you know, a

terrorist threat like we have never seen. you have the chairman of the joint chiefs saying if you're going to deal with isis, you are going to have to deal with them in syria. military or not, you are going to have to deal with them in syria. but the border is nonexistent. so you have a lot of people talking about this and you have the president saying not just yet. >> barbara starr, thank you so much. and next, britain raising its alert level due to concerns about the isis terror threat. why isn't the u.s. doing the same. >> i'll be speaking with republican congressman peter king and also western sources say russia now has up to 5,000 troops in ukraine. russia says the west is imagining things. opportunity sales event,xun you'll discover what happens when we cut corners. the corners of test tracks. where we engineered our most track-tested line of performance vehicles ever.

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our breaking news. britain raises its terror threat level to severe. signifying that an attack is highly likely. prime minister david cameron ties the threat to isis and other extremist groups, warning that foreign fighters could come home to wreak havoc here in the u.s., no increase in the threat level as president obama takes attacks continued criticism for not coming up with a plan to deal with isis unless syria. >> good afternoon, everybody. >> and joining me now is congressman peter king from new york who sits on the homeland security committee. thanks for being with us. >> thank you, brianna. >> the uk has increased its terror threat. do you think the u.s. should do the same? >> first of all, there is a real terror threat to the world from isis and to the u.s. but i don't see any need to raise the threat level right now because i can tell you all about law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies are doing all that they can. they're aware of the danger of

isis. what i think should be done is that the president should address the american people the way david cameron addressed the british people and let the country know how serious this threat is. but the intelligence people know it, the law enforcement people know it, the homeland security people know it. but the president seems like he's unable to confront that reality. >> doll lawmakers know it i guess is the question, congressman? last year about this time, he was asking congress essentially for support for strikes against syria. there was no way in the end that he was going to get it. he ended up moving back on what appeared to be a plan to go forward with that. would he get the support that he would need from congress to do this and if not, what does he need to do to shore up that support? >> yeah. well let me say unequivocally, i would have supported the president last year, i said i would and i would support him this year if he asks for

authorization or wants some type of vote of approval. i will certainly do it. a lot of it is up to him to provide leadership. i don't think he has to come to congress. as commander in chief, he would have the power to launch air strikes against air strikes in iraq and syria. i believe he has that constitutional power as commander in chief. if he wants to go the route of congress, he should work with the leadership in both parties, get started right away and to do that, he has to convince the american people because up till now, he talks about the war in iraq being over, al qaeda being decimated and as recently as last year, he was talking about us being back at a pre-9/11 terror level. i think we should support, don't get me wrong, if he asks for the authorization but it's up to the president to go to the american people. he's the one with the bully pulpit and can show the leadership to convince the american people so they can then put pressure on congress. there's no excuses. if congress doesn't to it, it's

their fault. the president has the ultimate responsibility. i'm not here to assign blame. he should take whatever action is necessary. >> if you were to go ahead without congress, you say that's fine. a number of members of congress certainly don't agree with you on that. >> yeah, i realize that. again, that's partly their responsibility. it's also partly the responsibility of the president who spent the last three years telling us the war in iraq was over and saying that we were back to a pre9/11 level. so it's a combination of congress in many cases not doing its job and the president most importantly not showing the leadership. there's enough blame to go around. this issue is too important for partisan games. i would do whatever i have to do to get the support for the president. i'm not saying i can sway a lot of votes. i certainly would and i know many others would, i know that. >> if the u.s. goes in and there are air strikes against isis in syria, is it possible a side fect of that is essentially

propping up the assad regime? >> that could be a short term effect. this is also part of the president not having any overall strategic plan for syria or for iraq or for isis. he's had more than a year to get ready for it. but that is not reason enough not to carry out the attack. the reason i say that isis is more of a direct threat than assad is in syria. tilled hope assad is not buoyed by this. having said that, to me, the overall goal of destroying and annihilating isis has to come first. if there's a secondary effect is a short-term benefit for assad, i don't appreciate that. but i would take that as a price to pay to destroy isis. >> you would take that and you wrote in a recent op-ed in the new york daily news "isis is stronger than al qaeda was in afghanistan in 2001. do you believe that isis has the capacity thatside did have in

2001 having carried out 9/11? >> i think it has more capacity. it has over $2 billion. it has thousands of potential. >> more capacity to carry out you the a wide wed scale attack on the homeland on the u.s. homeland? >> yes, yes, i do. the reason i say that, thousands of european fighters who can come into the united states because they're european citizens without getting a visa. there's over 100 americans fighting with radical terrorist groups in iraq who can come back to the u.s. on a u.s. passport and about 500 canadians, all people who have the ability to come to the united states. al qaeda never had that many people with that type of access. we know isis does want to attack the united states. three years ago, their forerunner, al qaeda in iraq, attempted to attack fort knox. there's no doubt they want to attack us. they have more money, more personnel and have the worse of the worst working for them. >> do you think the u.s. threat level then should be increased

if that's your assessment? do you think the u.s. threat level should be increased? >> i don't think it matters that much what the threat level is. the reason i say that, it's all hands on deck anyway. here in new york, the nypd is always at the top threat level if you will. i can assure you that the fbi, all of the intelligence and homeland security and law enforcement agencies at the federal level, they've already gone back months have set up special procedures where they're monitoring isis, doing all that they can do. so again, again, if the president wants to raise the threat level, if the homeland security secretary wants to, i would support it, but i don't see the need for it. what we really need is it presidential leadership here. that's more important than a threat level. i can assure you all those who know about the nature of these threats are doing all they can right now. it can't just be us playing defense over here. that's why we need strong action taken overseas. only the president can authorize

that. >> earlier today, you were criticizing what president obama said yesterday admittedly many democrats feel he was inartful in his phrasing yesterday about not having a strategy ready for syria. you also though criticized the president's wardrobe, his choice of suit of a light colored suit. do you think that was fair to do that? >> yeah, because it was the context of the president coming out, the world and the country have been waiting for a week for what he's going to say about syria. what he's going to say about isis. he comes out yes, with the new suit on. what bothered me was he began by not even talking about syria. he wanted to talk about the issue most americans are concerned about and that's the fact that the economic numbers for the second quarter will been adjusted. to me that was an insult to the memory of jim foley who was killed. >> why did you take issue with the suit? >> because you know the imagemakers in. the white house. here's a president coming out at

such a serious moment where he should be addressing the country on such a serious matter and he looked like he was on his way to a party at the hamptons which would have been fine if he addressed the issue at hand. instead he talked about the economy saying that was more important than syria. i thought it detracted from the seriousness of the moment, different than david cameron the way he addressed the british people today. it did not show the seriousness of purpose that you need from a an commander in chief at a serious time like this. >> even when we've seen president clinton, president reagan i believe addressing the nation in similar attire? >> at a moment like this when the whole country is waiting to see and the whole world is waiting to see to me, he could have worn whatever he wanted if he addressed the issue head-on. to start talking about the economy to me detracted from the seriousness of the moment i thought the suit was a metaphor for his lack of seriousness. >> congressman peter king.

>> thank you. >> and coming up, the women of isis. how they are helping carry out a brutal reign of terror and sources say there are now up to 5,000 russian troops in ukraine. is that an invasion or not? you're in "the situation room." you pay your auto insurance premium every month on the dot. you're like the poster child for paying on time. and then one day you tap the bumper of a station wagon. no big deal... until your insurance company jacks up your rates. you freak out.

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pro-russian separatists, ominously a british government source says russia has moved up to 5,000 troops in formed units into ukrainian territory. diana magnay is in eastern ukraine. diana? >> the hi, brianna. well, the rebels control around 100 kilometers of the russian ukrainian border. so it is easy to move in fighters and weapons as we've been seeing consistently throughout this crisis. and now, as this is uk source says, 4,000 to 5,000 russian troops, well, we're not in that part of the sort of rebel-held area where there is heavy fighting going on there and it's difficult to tell. i'm in the town of mariupol which is near the sea but it was here that this town was captured by pro-russian forces two days ago, prompting fears that a

southern front would be opened. >> and it appears that we are having some technical difficulty with the signal we're getting from diana magnay. we'll try to reestablish that. i want to bring in now ambassador daniel bear in eenna, austria, the u.s. representative to the organization for security and cooperation in europe. ambassador, thanks for being with us. we're hearing what's going on there on the ground and hearing words to describe it, we're hearing incursion, what so many people are using. we're not hearing the word invasion. in your opinion, is russia invading ukraine? >> i think as the president said last night, this is a continuation of a month-long effort by the kremlin to cause violence, destruction, devastation in eastern ukraine and in the last 48 hours or so, we've seen a significant escalation of that, including evidence that there are russian forces inside of ukraine that

are participating in this. and so we've seen the escalation last 48 hours and it is -- the president spoke last night and said the world is united in responding to this and sending a message to the kremlin this is unacceptable. >> you say it's an escalation. what is sort of the ret reticence to use the word invasion? >> well, i think we're focused on what the facts are on the ground and the facts are on ground that there have been -- there has been a month long effort. russia supported this effort with fighters. they have supported this effort with heavy artillery with weapons. there has been enormous human cost not only on the ukrainians but obviously on the victims of mh-17, all of their loved ones and increasingly a human cost being paid in russia because the russian government is cutting the people off from a future that they deserve. i think there are different words being used to describe

what's happening but the fact is that as president obama said last night, there are new images of russian forces inside ukraine that make it plain to the world to see what is going on here. and you know, there have been many who have been reticent to acknowledge the extent of the kremlin's role. there's no longer any room for debate on the extent of the kremlin's role. >> vladimir putin made what sounded like an ominous threat today. he was reminding us of russia's nuclear arsenal saying "it's better not to mess with russia." you hear those words. how concerned should we be with them? >> well, i mean i think there's a great many unfortunately, actions that the russian government has taken over recent months that are cause for great concern. the international system is a rules-based system. it requires that responsible actors international actors that want to command respect live by the rules. and part of what we've seen

obviously has been enormous consequences on the territory of ukraine but what we're really seeing is a crisis with russia. russia is making a choice or making a series of choices that send an ominous sign about the future of russia. the degree with which russia wants to participate in the international system. this is something that obviously the rest of the world is united in sending a message saying there needs to be a rules-based system. that's what international commerce depends on and international security depends on. and president putin and the kremlin are making a series of choices that fly in the face of that international order. >> so you're looking for international support here, international pressure on russia. that's why i want to get back to you're calling it an effort. you're sort of saying it is what it is. what russia is doing in ukraine. at the same time, calling it an effort instead of an invasion. is that in a way sort of a rhetorical way that reduces the imperative on the u.s. and others to intervene and do something here?

>> i don't think so at all. we've been walking in march step in lock step with our european partners, our international partners for months now in escalating the costs to russia as it escalates its negative actions, destructive actions in ukraine. we've been very clear russia's hand has been behind the destruction and violence in eastern ukraine for several months. as the prsz said last night, we have new images of russian forces inside ukraine. those are the facts. there are different words being used to describe them but there are russian forces inside ukraine participating obviously russia has been playing a significant role. this would not be happening without russia and that has been true for months. we've seen an escalation this week and that is what the world is now challenged to respond to. >> ambassador, thanks so much for being with us. you know, i also want to talk about this with general wesley clark. ukraine sure to be on the agenda when president obama heads to

nato. he's going to go to the nato summit next week. i want to ask you, general clark, when we look at sort of this alliance and wondering if there's any realistic options that will make vladimir putin pay attention, sanctions don't seem to be working. is there anything that can be done to reign in putin? >> well, certainly. i mean, sanctions are useful because sanctions help bring the alliance together politically because each nation has to face its own domestic constituencies and it has to pay the price of those sanctions. so they shouldn't be -- they shouldn't be diminished as an important response. they're good for nato. they're not going to change putin. he wants ukraine. he'll take part of it now. but he'll want all of it later. i think the issue for nato is whether nato is going to be able to actually help ukraine or whether nato is going to simply say, gee, it's too bad about ukraine but we'll put more forces forward in case it

happens to a nato member state. i hope we will take the steps to help ukraine. they need military assistance, intelligence information, they need to know they're backed up by their neighbors who are also democracies and want freedom. this is 45 million people who are fighting for freedom and democracy against vladimir putin. they're not fighting against russia. he is manipulating the people in russia. but this is putin's dream. you know, in 1935, when adolph hitler took nazi germany and reoccupied the ryanland and then he began to be build up forces, there were lots of people in europe who said we need to stop this but there are leaders s afraid to face it. >> people are looking at this and saying this may be happening again all over again. we'll be ready when the next nation is threatened. i really want to get your perspective on the president's trip. he's going to estonia before the

nato summit in wales. he's in the region. what message does he need to send? >> he needs to give them a message that the united states and nato are firmly in support and will fight to defend the sovereignty of all nato nations. but he actually needs to do more than that in my view. needs to help nato formulate a strategy to help ukraine. because ukraine itself with 45 million people is larger than any of these nato member states in eastern europe. so the time to stop putin and get him to change his view of the world and all the bad things that the ambassador is talking about, the time to stop him is now, not after he's digest the all or part of ukraine into general clark, thank you so much for your perspective on this. we'll be much waing the president's summit with you and hopefully have you back next week. still ahead, we will look at how isis is attracting female fighters to join its reign of terror. when folks think about what they get from alaska,

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this in off the sidelines, a new book about what it's like to be a 47-year-old woman in politics in 2014. gillibrand is one of only a few women in history to give birth while in congress and talked to me about that several years ago right after her youngest son was born. >> there's a lot more interest in younger women beginning to look at public service earlier. and when we look at public service earlier, it means weise have children while serving. it's good for the congress. >> she's open about struggling with weight gain after two pregnancies. as she was shedding pounds, she lost 50, a male senator came up behind her, squeezed her waist and said, don't lose too much weight. i like my girls chubby. gillibrand makes headlines fighting for women's rights against sexual assault in the military yet, she says male colleagues didn't realize their comments were crass because they're older in their 60s and up, but 74-year-old house democratic leader nancy pelosi who came to congress when few

females served is appalled. >> it's absolutely ridiculous. it's disrespectful. here's senator gillibrand is one of the great leaders in our country. >> there are now 20 women in the senate, an all-time high but still only 20% of the senate and women make up more than 50% of the u.s. population. >> barbara mikulski is the longest serving female senator in history. whether he she first came only 28 years ago, women weren't even allowed to wear pants on the senate floor. bathrooms were limited. >> there's this place called the senate gym. the locker room. that just couldn't accommodate me. >> the good news is women can now exercise in the congressional gym. the bad news is, it's apparently a forum for inappropriate comments like when a colleague told gillibrand, good thing you're working out because you wouldn't want to get porky but she reports she gave as well as she got responding thanks a hole. dana bash, cpn, washington.

>> all right. and in the next hour of the situation room, u.s. and european worries that isis fighters are back at several locations in europe. we will speak with a former u.s. ambassador to iraq and afghanistan. but next, we'll look at how isis is attracting female fighters to join its reign of terror. did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age? [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. ocuvite. help protect your eye health. you'll discover what happens when we break the rules. ocuvite. the rules that said a luxury car should be powered by gasoline only. we introduced the world's first luxury hybrid. and now, 85% of all luxury hybrids on the road... ...are lexus hybrids. the result: the gold standard of luxury hybrids. and the only place you'll find it is at the lexus

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how these isis fighters are using women at check points, in house raids, using them to intimidate other women. it's a way of terrorizing local populations in the city occupied by isis and it appears at least some women who work with this group don't have much choice in the matter. the terrorists of isis, dressed in black, armed and now some have observed them wearing burkas. women have joined the ranks of isis. we're told there's at least one group of women which operates in the isis strong hold in syria. >> you will serve in the brigades, that will protect you open your family. >> a former spokesman for the free syria army. he says friends of his have had female relatives pushed into isis. cnn could not verify those accounts. representatives tells cnn that

isis uses women primarily in a policing role patrolling the streets, cracking down op other women who aren't wearing conservative enough clothing. female isis militants also help at check points where the male comrades are not allowed to touch the women coming through. >> they're able to check the women coming through and detect any of the enemy combatant coming through the check point. >> including men coming through the check points dressed as women. isis women also go on house raids. >> they need to women to search inside the woman's clothes, the bedrooms and they do a body check for the women. >> isis has demonstrated a quote diabolical flexibility in pursuing its goals and is open to using women tactically to advance them. does that include fighting on the front lines? >> females do not fight for

isis. there is no theological legitimation for a lady to be allowed to take up arms against men on a battlefield within isis's extremist interpretation of islam. >> why would a woman join this brutal group? experts who follow the region say personal security and small salaries are the incentives. >> the alternative is to go to turkey to work as a prostitute for your family, women join because they have relatives in the movement, they have networks within their communities who are a part of that movement. women join because they've been raped. >> and there seems to be little if any 'empowerment of women in all of this. one activist says isis created these female brigades to terrorize women. >> brian todd, thank you so much. coming up, growing concerns about the possibility that isis

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critics are pouncing after the president admitted he doesn't have a plan yet for attacking isis in syria. this hour the growing pressure to expand u.s. air strikes. plus -- >> what are you doing? >> stop pointing it. put the gun down. >> calling it quits. we'll have the latest on a police officer caught op video threatening people in ferguson, missouri with an assault rival. we want to welcome our viewers from around the states and aernd the world. you're in "the situation room." breaking news, a new warning that the danger of a tore roar attack by isis is now severe. britain raised its threat alert to the second highest level. prime minister david cameron says his country faces a deeper terror threat than ever before.

he's raising questions as to president obama's response to isis. we have correspondents, analysts and news makers standing by to cover breaks news in the united states and around the world. first though, to barbara starr. she is at the pentagon. what are you hearing? >> well, as so many americans get so ready to travel on the holiday weekend, why is it that long do is no worried about the terrorist threat and washington is not? two leaders with very different public messages on isis. british prime minister david cameron announcing the threat level is raised to severe in the uk. >> this is not some foreign conflict thousands of miles from home that we can hope to ignore. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy yet. >> president obama not ready to commit to fighting isis with air strikes in syria.

but britain clearly feeling the pressure that isis could strike at home. the new warning means an attack is highly likely. >> the ambition to create an extremist caliphate in the heart of iraq and syria is a threat to our own security here in the uk. >> particularly worried because it was a brit irp voice on the tape showing the murder of american journalist james foley. an estimated 500 people have traveled from britain to fight in syria and iraq along with hundreds of other europeans. u.s. and european security services believe isis fighters are back at several locations in europe but those cells pay mott be under direct isis orders. officials won't say where the cells are. u.s. officials say they don't believe there's a cell in this country but are tracking about a dozen americans fighting for isis overseas. just this week, two american isis fighters were believed killed in syria.

>> i think our european allies feel a greater sense of urgency. i think they feel as if the threat is close tore home right now. and for us it's more of a distant issue. >> for now the u.s. plans no changes. the department of homeland security says it's unaware of any specific credible threat from isis. some analysts say, however, this is not the time to sit around and wait for what may be an inevitable attack. >> we need to understand that this is a threat now to our homeland, and we have to start designing a game plan to defeat them as quickly as possible. >> u.s. counter terrorism and law enforcement officials will tell you that they are watching americans who may have traveled to syria and come back, americans who may have some declared loyalty to isis. one of the biggest worries, however, is a lone wolf type attack. it is one of the most difficult threats to detect.

brianna? >> someone inspired by one of these groups. let's go to britain, where the new terror alert is in effect right now. karl pen hold is in london. they seem to be taking the flet from isis seriously. how worried are they? >> reporter: well certainly raising that threat level, that's the highest it's been for the last three years. what that threat level means is that a terror attack is highly likely. when we questioned prime minister david cameron and asked him if there was a specific threat, he said he had no intelligence to suggest that there was an imminent threat. the concerns all stem from the number of britains who are traveling from syria and iraq and joining zea haddy groups and the threat that they will return and bring that brand of islam back to britain and carry out

some terrorists attacks. but no suggestion that that is happening right now. but plm cameron was very clear when he said he had to fight the threat in syria and iraq and on the home front in britain as well. let's listen to what he had to say. >> what we're face in iraq now with isil is a greater and deeper threat to our ur security than we have known before. in afghanistan, the taliban were prepared to play host to al qaeda, a terrorist organization. with isil, we are facing a terrorist organization not being hosted in a country, but actually seeking to establish and then expand its own terrorist state. >> reporter: now in terms of what he's going to be doing in britain, mr. cameron said he would g b going to parliament at the start of next week putting specific measures there. that could include withdrawing the passports of britain who have traveled to the combat

zones. e could also put travel bands in place on those planning to get out there and fight. and wh the police have told ugs in the last few hours is that they will be stepping up a presence at public facilities in britain, at the train stations, at the airports and also we could see armed police patrols on british streets and that is somewhat unusual. we're not used to seeing police with weapons in their hands. >> thank you. britain's new terror alert is adding to the pressure on president obama to go after isis in syria and iraq. the president is getting a lot of heat for his admission that she doesn't have a strategy yet for expanding u.s. air strike to syria. let's go now to our senior white house correspondent jim acosta. a lot of fallout from yesterday. >> that's right. no apologies from the white house here after the president's comments when talking about whether or not he want to strike isis targets in syria.

i went back and forth with the white house secretary josh ear nest on this point. the president did not misspeak. it was the media that misinterpret whad he had to say. here's how josh earest reacted to my question. >> when you're the president, words matter. and just getting back to the first question, does he wish he had articulated that sentiment differently? >> well, jim, he was asking a very specific question. and he was asked a question about -- >> right. >> but let me finish this. this is important. he was asked a specific question about whether or not the president would seek a congressional authorization before ordering any sort of military action in syria. and the point that the president made is that's putting the cart before the horse. this president hasn't yet laid out his specific plan for

military action in syria and the reason for that is simply the pentagon is still developing the plan. >> reporter: the pen gone press secretary was asked whether or not the united states is prepared to strike isis targets in syria and he said to barbara starr, quote, i think that anybody who has any knowledge of the united states military knows that we're ready. so this raises this yes as to whether or not there's a debate inside the president's cabinet as to the wisdom of striking isis in syria and how soon and how hard. i asked josh ear nest about that and whether or not the president is on the same page as his cabinet and josh shot back that it's the cabinet that's on the same page as the president. whether or not there was a debate leading up to yesterday inside this administration, the white house is saying publicly, that debate has ended. >> privately we're hearing a different story which often happens as well. jim acosta at the white house. thank you. i want to get another perspective on the isis threat

now and president obama's response to it. we're joined now by the former u.s. ambassador to syria and iraq. thanks for being was. >> thank you, brianna. >> you advocated in a recent article in the "the new york times" for air strikes. but i wonder, you actually said in this article, you said degradation of isis could allow the secular opposition to gain some momentum. how is that possible to have air strikes that help the rebels fighting ba har al a sad without relieving the pressure that isis is putting on him? >> brianna, the first thing is to get our priorities right. i do believe we should launch air strikes. they should be heavy and immediate. but this is not the take side in a syrian civil war. this is to protect our own national security. i think prime cameron said it

pretty well and speak for conditions in the country as well as in the uk. there can be secondary effects. isis has probably done more damage to other elements of the syrian-sunni opposition than it has to al assad's forces. so a degradation of isis in addition to the most important point, which is keeping america said, could change the chem tri, the mix politically and militarily on the ground in a way that could benefit more moderate opposition and could make a political settlement between that opposition and the al assad regime possible. there are others out there who stand with assad because they feel they have no choice but they are no happy with the way he's conducting his campaign. >> i wonder, we were all watching the president speak

yesterday. other countries were watching the president speak. no doubt isis was also watching what he said yesterday. to isis, if they're watching him say we don't have a strategy yet when i comes to isis in syria, what would isis leaders think of that? what is their reaction, do you suppose, as they hear that? >> well vi no insight into the minds of -- >> i guess my point is, do they take that as a -- do they take that as a positive for them? do they feel like they are sort of winning in a way by hearing something like that? or does it not -- is that not part of it? >> i would think that they are likely to feel that the pressure is off, at least for the time being, and they can get on with planning more complex and longer term operations, which is why i think, adds i said earlier, that

we need to move quickly to develop that ar get sed inside syria and then we need to execute some pretty strong strikes while keeping up the pressure in iraq as well. this is al qaeda version 6.0. they're like nothing we've ever seen before. we need to move. we need to move forcefully and we need to move now. >> we tried to understand the president's thinking as he is making what is a very difficult decision. this is such a complicated difficult problem. earlier this month in an interview with a "the new york times" columnist the president said he acted decisively, the u.s. launched air strikes with, they were successful but then the situation didn't get better. >> that is the day after gaddafi is gone, everybody is feeling good and hold up posters saying thank you america, at that moment there has to be a much

more aggressive effort to rebuild societies that didn't have any civic traditions. you've had a despit for 40 years. so that's a lesson that i now apply every time i ask the question should we intervene militarily. do we have an answer the day after. >> young that's a good question and do you think that perhaps the president is haunted by libya? >> well, i hope he's not haunted. certainly there are lessons to be learned from libya. you always have to be thinking a about the day after. you have to be aware there are no military solution to any of the problems that we face out in that region. but we know we've got an enemy, a very determined enemy who, as

the british prime minister has said, is likely to start moving west. i don't think we have an alternative to swift decisive military action. give them no safe place to plan attacks. then you have to see what can be done politically, forming a government in iraq that is inclusive that brings the sunnies back in. we're probably the only outside power that can play a decisive role in that process. outside syria we need to see what the fe ekts of military action is. it's hard to imagine that e could have a worse situation if we launched strikes than the situation we have now where they're free to plan operations. we need to get going and understand that military action sen political action are

intertwined. we need to be ready to reassess if we do take action and it does degrade isis to see what opportunities that may provide to finally get a political process started in syria. >> thanks so much for lending your expertise to the conversation. really appreciate it. >> thank you, brianna. still ahead, the terror threat for americans during this busy holiday travel weekend. stand by for the latest. plus new fallout from the unrest in ferguson, missouri involving a police officer who threatened protesters with a rifle. we'll go live to the hospital where joan rivers is being treated after she suffered cardiac arrest during a medical procedure. ♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ sweet, sweet st. thomas nice ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ st. croix, full of pure vibes ♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce

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the threat from isis is considered so great that the uk raised its threat level to severe. the u.s. considers the threat serious as well taking a number of steps to enhance aviation security overseas. cnn aviation correspondent has our details here. >> well you know, the fear is that westerners fighting for isis overseas could fly back home. today the u.s. says it's actively tracking known foreign fighters who travel in and out of syria. but the problem is the unknown fighters. >> and a scan of this threat is growing. >> as britain raises its terror threat level to severe, the u.s. says it's working to track foreign fighters who travel in and out of syria and the u.s. is continuing enhanced aviation security measures at overseas

airports with direct flights to the u.s. >> we now have to make sure our mobile phones and laptops, they can see that it's charged. >> since this summer flies bound for the united states have had to power up all electronic devices to prove they wront explosives. intelligence had suggested that terrorists were developing more sophisticated bombs to avoid airport screening. in the uk today, a clear sign that they are worried about foreign fighters returning. >> we're seizing passports, we're barring foreign nationals from reentering the uk, we're depriving people of citizenship. >> the sus is trieking a similar tone after two americans were killed fighting for isis in syria that week. >> we have the prerogative at the state department in coordination with law enforcement authorities to revoke passports when it comes to a point when somebody is

working with a terrorist organization or posing a threat to the american public. >> the government in-fly list and law enforcement watch list are updated and sent to tsa in real time as threats develop. but it's not a perfect system. >> when i went back to florida -- >> this man grow up in florida, flew to syria trained as a jihadist and returned to the u.s. he was able to fly again oversea, not to be seen again until he blue himself up in a suicide attack in syria. >> we know something about somebody, they're going to be questioned. the real concern is the sleeper cell, somebody who has kept under the radar. >> the 14 million americans taking to the sky this weekend may see heightened already in place. but more security is being considered and not all of it will be visible. >> i don't anticipate at this point that there are -- that there's a plan to change that

level. >> well the u.s. no longer use as color coded terrorist threat system. they stopped that in 2011 because it was just confusing and ineffective. the system used now posts alerts on the dhs website and sends it out to the press and social media when there's an elevated threat. >> thank you renee. let's dig deeper. joining us is cnn national security analyst peter bergen and analyst bob baer. so peter, we're seeing the uk raise this terror threat. what does that entail? >> i think david cameron spoke to that in terms of the kinds of measures they're going to take. it seems like an abundance of caution. they have 500 people that have gone to syria. there's no way you can track that number of people. luckily the u.s. number is much smaller and we have much more law enforcement than the british

law enforcement. >> someone will fall through the cracks? >> inevitably. these people are going to syria on a one-way ticket. he came to the states but he went back to syria and died. we have the guy from minnesota over the weekend who also died. and you're also finding good people going there who have no idea what they're doing. we have a woman who got killed in syria last year. so yes, it's a problem. but it's not always a guarantee that these people will even come back. >> bob, raising this threat level, you get the sense that this has been done for a reason, that there must have been some kind of reporting that prompted this. but that we're obviously not privy to that. will we become privy to that at some point, do you think? >> first of all, neither this president, the white house, nor 10 downing street want to go to war in syria. but nobody wants a war in iraq.

there's no will to spin everybody up. when they talk about a threat, i take it seriously. and when they talk about isis being better equipped, more capable with technology, getting around airport security, i believe that. i also believe they have the intent to do harm and they will do harm to us if in fact we have to go into syria and bomb them or bomb them in iraq. there's the will to do it and they have the capability. starting on that basis i would say we're getting close tore an attack. predicting it is almost impossible because frankly, from what i've seen, we've got no sources in isis to tell us what their plans and intentions are. we couldn't find foley's location in that rescue attempt. we're not inside that group and that's the problem. >> this is a et big travel weekend for americans and certainly the threat, it seems to be a little focused -- it seems to be grander at this point in the uk than it is in the u.s. but there are still a number of people who have gone from the u.s. who are traveling to fight

for isis. is there anything that americans as individuals can do when they are out traveling on a big weekend like this or any other time? >> they should enjoy themselves. >> and they can't worry about this? >> yeah. it's like, everybody should get a life. yes. the uk have put the level of threat out. but they've done it before and nothing happened. this is what governments are paid to do. they're paid to worry about their citizens. that doesn't mean that the citizens need to be in a constant state of worry. >> if you hear what bob is saying, there aren't people inside of isis who have giving great entail that can let us know what's going on? >> it's a fact we launched a special operations on july 4th at the place where the prisons were being held. we had intelligence about where they were held. the fact is they were moved three weeks earlier. the general point is true but the fact is that we do have intelligence to some degree. >> is that why we're seeing this threat level increase?

>> david cameron has a huge problem. one of his citizens killed a citizen of his closest ally and did it on video. he has to u take charge of this. he knows there are other brits that are part of this hostage group. there's the possibility of more executions going forward and there are other citizens that i can't describe that are a part of this hostage group. he has an enormous problem and he needs to be shown to be doing something right now. >> that's part of it, that the prime minister needs to be proactive and really just kind of come to terms with the fact of what a problem this is and get ahead of it? >> well, i think it's the unknown that worries people, because if they say there's not a problem and something happens, they've got political, you know, catastrophe for them. remember before 9/11 we ignored all of the warning signs and neither london or washington tend to do that again.

>> there were again warnings, right, in a way, peter, not specific when it kams to 9/11 but general that the idea of plying planes into buildings may be a possibility or had been floated out there? >> there were multiple warnings by the cia, bob's colleagues, very precise warnings about a threat in the summer of september of 2001 ff they were not paid attention to. the cia gave perfect strategic warning. we've had jay johnson, the head of the department of homeland security saying very much the same thing. we've had the admirable saying the same thing. a little perspective is needed here. >> great for that perspective. thank for being with us. just ahead, president obama

is cracking a joke about that infamous tan suit. also, a police officer tret threatening to kill protesters in ferguson and pointing a gun at their faces. legendary comedian joan rivers is hospitalized after she stops breathing. we have the latest update ahead. ♪ fill their bowl with the meaty tastes they're looking for, with friskies grillers. tender meaty pieces and crunchy bites. in delicious chicken, beef, turkey, and garden veggie flavors. friskies grillers.

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we're following the breaking news. the uk raising its threat level to severe. prime minister david cameron made the clilg warning today in a stern speech. back in the u.s. republican critics are seizing the moment to hit president obama harder after he said yesterday, we have no strategy yet. here's senator rand paul. >> if the president has no strategy, maybe it's time for a new president. >> joining us to discuss this cnn chief political analyst gloria borger, josh rogan, a senior national correspondent at the daily beast and retired lieutenant general mark hertling. he is a cnn military analyst and a former commander of the u.s. army europe. he also worked on war planning at the pentagon during 9/11. question to you first, josh. you're hearing about some dissension in the ranks of the

president's cabinet. where are we seeing the divisions here when it comes to how to move forward tackling isis in syria. >> that came as a prize to a lot of people inside the administration. but preparing options for the expectation that something was going to happen all week long. so in the state department there's a lot of people advocated for doing more in syria for a long time, including john kerry, in the military, it's a split but there's an agreement that in order to defeat isis, if that's what we're trying to do, it has to include syria. there's two sfrat assessments. the office of director of national intelligence believes we can't really strike syria with help on the ground and there are other operators in the cia who believe we can work with the syrian army. there's only one vote that matters, that's president obama. he hasn't made up his mind yet. so all of the rest of the people who think we need to confront

isis will have to wait. >> he was tapping the brakes yesterday. you saw that where he wanted to make it clear that he's not moving forward imminently on something here. >> yeah. >> as he's thinking about this, what are the other factors in play? >> he's listening to divided advisers here. go back to a year ago, almost exactly at this time where john kerry got out in front of the president, joe biden got out in front of the president on assad after chemical weapons. the president had drawn the red line and then he took the walk around the rose garden with his chief of staff and came out on a saturday and said, no, we're not going to do anything now. he doesn't want that -- >> he didn't have congress's help. >> she said we're going to go to congress and then of course congress wouldn't give it. so he doesn't want that to happen again. that was not a good political moment for him and it wasn't a good leadership moment for him. so she tried to tamp everything down yesterday and say wait a

minute, we don't have a strategy meaning i don't have a decision. >> and general, back when you were a one-star, you worked on war planning at the pentagon during 9/11. so you have the perspective certainly about trying to target a terrorist threat. why not launch air strikes in syria and why launch air strikes in syria? >> well i would say don't launch air strikes in syria until you get more details. a strategy is not all about launching air strikes. there are many things that go into a strategy. you mentioned my time on the joint staff. i arrived about a month before 9/11 as the chief war planner of the j 7. and remember, after we were attacked on 9/11 it took a long time before he had attacked to counter al qaeda. the straut gi obama had for

syria before is it's a civil war. we don't want to get involved. with the expansion of isis, that strt zbi evolving. he's looking at different way to address it. just pa because it came from syria, the hostage taking came in from syria, doesn't mean we have to strike in syria. too many people are too quick to say we have to pull the trigger in syria. >> how much time does he have to think about this and gather those details, as you said that he should? >> well, i think there are many options he's likely been presented by general mattery dempsey and he's considering all of those options as well as the other options. you don't have to immediately strike in the country. there could be the potential of do we block isis at the border between syria and iraq while we continue to help iraq. do we contain nem in syria and hope to bring them down piecemeal. does it become a war of

attrition? these are all consideration that any decision maker on strategy has to take into consideration. >> and it sort of goes to the point a lot of people have asking, what is the president wait for here. >> go ahead. >> i think the border between iraq and syria that the president take very seriously doesn't exist for isis. they move freely back and forth. but the big question that we're getting to here is what is the strt gi in syria. if we're not going to strike, how do we fix that problem? both of those efforts are failing. there's no one who can say there's a political process in syria that's active and no one can say that the moderate opposition is not very close to be annihilated by isis. so without any movement on those two things, we can't expect that the situation is going to get any better. >> there's a political component here, which is the question of whether the president would go to congress, when he could go to congress. you've got an election coming up

in 60 days and the white house -- i spoke with the senior administration official yesterday saying they're not exactly sure what kind of support they would get out of the congress. privately, people are saying to them, you know what? we really don't want to take a vote right now to authorize -- >> it's the mid terms and i'm hearing demeanors say he needs to talk to the american people. it's a shuffle, if you will. >> he might get more overt support from lots of people in the republican party, including the leadership and the congress in the republican party. but but his democrats are very weary about this and they're reflecting his own am bilens, quite honestly. >> and the president knows that if he want to strike, he won't go to congress because it's a rabbit hole. when he did go to congress, he didn't strike syria. >> it was a debacle a year ago. i want to end on this. the elephant in the room which has come out in "the situation room" today, the tan suit. the president made a joke --

>> what color are you wearing? >> you're not wearing the tan suit but the president made a joke about it today. he was taking off his jacket and he said, the tan jacket was cooler. but he's even -- peter king hit him on this saying that tan suit wasn't serious enough for what he was talking about. >> absolutely ridiculous. and now by the way, now that president obama has worn it, tan suits are suddenly going to become cool. so i expect josh rogan to show up tomorrow in a tan suit. >> i won't be wearing one. i will not be wearing a tan suit tomorrow. >> i don't, general. i think you can pull it off. thank you so much for being with us, josh, gloria as well. thank you. and just ahead, it was a video that outraged people across the country, a missouri police officer threatening protesters, pointing his assault rifle at them. we have an update on his status on the force. and delivery by drone, a big name in the tech world is

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liberty mutual insurance. there are some major news out of ferguson today. remember this guy? >> my hands are up, bro. my hands are up. >> hands up! hands up! [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. >> well that incident occurred ten days ago during ferguson's tensest evening. we've just learned that that officer has resigned after 20 years of service. and joining us to discuss, cnn law enforcementable cyst tom fuentes. are you surprised it took this

long to play out. >> this long? >> ten days. >> it thought that was a little bit soon. it might have take an long time and he might not have lost his job. but from the standpoint of a police executive, you don't want people like that on the street that lack self discipline and self control. we trust or officers with the weapons and life and death. and to have somebody come out and display that he doesn't have that control and came out close to pulling the trigger and killing those people is absolutely unconscionable. you can't have that. >> he was overtaken by the situation. >> you can't have that. >> it can't happen. >> you don't get to be that way. i don't care how long you're out there or whatever the situation, you don't get to lose your temper ore lose control. >> we saw this happening to varying degrees in ferguson. when you look -- we've got the benefit of a few weeks now past

the protests that went on for some time. are there long lasting lessons here that are going to be taken away that police departments across the country are going to be using to instruct their officers? >> there will be many discussions along police executives starting in the beginning with the -- even outside the shooting itself. but starting with the deployment of the military-looking equipment. it's not that a police department should not have that equipment. they should and they need it. they've been outgunned many times for decades. but that needs to be used properly and it wasn't. they brought it out too soon. the image of the officer on top of the one of the trucks with a rifle looking at the crowd -- >> there's other ways to look at the crowd. >> you don't do that. >> that's why i wonder what you think about this st. louis county police, the chief, he recently defended the way that officers used the military style equipment in the protest, which is exactly what you're saying

wasn't done the right way. many people. you represent so many people that feel the same way. was that tone deaf? >> it could be. looking at the situation he's trying to make the decision. it could have been the other way. he could have not brought out the equipment or not had it close enough at hand and you could have had a riot and people were killed and he didn't have the equipment to quell it. there's judgments. the police can only be so reactive. they have to be prepared for every outcome. and to look back and say maybe it was too song of an initial presence of that equipment and those officers, that's easy to do now. but it could have been the other way and he would have been, you know, crucified if he had not had the equipment out there and people would have died if control was lost. it's a tough business and that's why we have people in those jobs to be make those kinds of judgments. >> hindsight is 20/20.

drones, the mall unmanned aerial vehicles could be flying through your neighborhood shipping goods. who's behind the latest project? it's google. tell us all about it athena. >> the. >> the folks at google x have been working on for the two years. these are the people behind the self-driving cars and google glass. they are working on something they say could change the way society works. hear that? it's the building buzz of potential business by drone. >> order dog food for my dogs, please? >> reporter: and now backed by a rock tune rift, google announced a drone delivery service for anything from dog treats to first aid kits. >> project wings aspires to take

another big chunk of the friction of moving things around the world. >> reporter: moving things around is something companies like google are looking to stream line. it might seem like a strange move for google which built an empire out of searches, maps and advertising. >> they want the world to work like the internet. they want these pieces working on your behalf. >> reporter: google is no stranger to innovation like the driverless car prototype. he says google wants to transform the world, quickly delivering medical supplies and goods to people in hard to reach places. >> the postal service changed society. so don't we think that being able to get you a package in two minutes would also change society? >> reporter: this time google is a bit behind.

amazon introduced their prototype in december. and domino's tried a drone in 2013. the coast guard uses drones to look at ice sheets. real estate agents are using them to show homes. and they were used after an earthquake struck napa, california this month. but swlu of privacy and technical issues have to be addressed first. the faa is looking at putting rules for drones in the international air space by 2015. that's one reason that google tests its system in australia. >> another big question is are we ready for this? privacy and safety issues aside, are we looking at a future where delivery truck drivers don't have jobs and we have thousands of drones flying around the cities? that's something that a lot of people find hard to imagine. but others are going to say i'm

ready, bring it on. >> pretty cool and pretty scary. thank you so much. and just ahead, joan rivers' daughter is asking for prayers for her mother after she suffered a cardiac arrest. we'll go live to the hospital where she is being treated, next. inus" our expenses. perfect timing. we're offering our best-ever pricing on mobile plans for business. run the numbers on that. well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be... one-seventy-five a month. good calculating kyle. good job kyle. you just made partner. our best-ever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. now with a $100 bill credit for every business line you add.

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joan rivers' daughter says her mother's season remains serious. we are outside the hospital where rivers is being treated. >> reporter: the family is also

saying that she is resting comfortably but folks who know her say they saw no sign that this was coming. the 81-year-old comic legend remains hospitalized in stable condition after she stopped breathing from cardiac arrest suffered during a throat procedure thursday morning. in a statement daughter melissa says her mom is resting comfortably and adds my mother would be so touched by the tributes and prayers that have been received from around the world. her condition remains serious but she is receiving the best treatment and care possible we ask you continue to keep her in your thoughts and we pray for her recovery. wednesday evening, rivers was performing and had 24 live shows scheduled through november. that's in addition to her show on e. >> and the legs go on and on and on like -- >> and promoting her jewelry on

qvc. rivers iconic career started in the late '50s and took off after her debut on "the tonight show." >> was this '65? >> people call you lue seal or lucy? >> reporter: she was named the show's permanent guest host. a few years later she became the first woman to host her own late-night show. she has been breaking barriers and the rules of etiquette ever since. >> she goes oh, my father flesed me. take a good looked a yourself, darling. let me tell you something, you should be thrilled if that man paid any attention at all. >> if i want to talk about it, then it's right to talk about it. and i purposely go to areas that people are sensitive and smarting about. >> reporter: but for now a serious turn for a whom who says she never wants to stop making

people laugh. >> i think i'm working the best i've ever worked now. the only time i'm truly happy is when i'm on a stage. >> reporter: and now her show has been cancelled tonight and there are shows scheduled for september. they are not canceling yet. >> thank you. and erin burnett "outfront" and erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com "outfront" next, a dire warning, isis forcing the uk to raise its terror alert. is the united states homeland at risk too? terrifying documents in what's being called isis' laptop of doom. manuals on building bombs and spreading the bouw bonnic plague. and two ferguson area police officers off the force tonight. the actions during the michael brown protests that