>> i was vindicated but chilled by the open and unsolicited admission of guilt. >> reporter: that's jim mccormack the brother of durst's first wife kathy who says he hopes durst will confess to killing her and others. >> i'm hopeful he will finally man up, tell his lawyers to bug off and he wants to have this thing over and put behind him. >> reporter: dan simon, cnn, san francisco. that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. turning you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." happening now, taking credit for terror as the death toll rises in a deadly museum attack. a web post from isis now claims its knights, they are calling them knights, are behind the attack. complete reversal. days after saying he doesn't support a palestinian state, fresh off his party's election victory, the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu flip-flops and says a two-state solution is okay. will president obama trust him?

power couple. north korea's kim jong-un is invited to visit vladimir putin's russia. is it the start of a dangerous threat to the u.s. and world peace? and is this excessive force? pictures of a college student covered in blood, angry allegations he was roughed up by police. tonight we have new details about the investigation and the outrage. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." breaking new, a brazen new claim from izsis, a statement posted online saying the terror group was behind the attack that killed 23 people in tunisia's capital city. the statement singles out two suicide gunmen calling them knights. ominously, it warns the attack is just the start. we are also following breaking news in mississippi. police have now found the body of an african-american man hanging from a tree. the man has been missing for days and we are awaiting word on whether it's a suicide or murder.

we will be discussing u.s. race relations with the head of the national urban league and president of the naacp. the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, republican congressman ed royce is here in "the situation room." our correspondents and experts, they have been working their sources. they are all standing by to bring us the latest on all of this evening's breaking stories. let's begin with the isis claim it's behind that museum attack. our pentagon correspondent barbara starr has the latest. >> reporter: wolf an audio claim from isis that they were indeed behind the attack against the museum in tunis yesterday, not totally verified yet. but the u.s. is saying that right now, it has no reason to doubt the authenticity of the claim, that according to a u.s. official i spoke to. meanwhile, the tunisian government cracking down. they have now made nine arrests, they say, four of them directly linked to the attacks. the tunisian prime minister naming two people that were involved in this. not clear if they are in fact the two dead gunmen.

tunis really trying to make an effort to show the world it is on top of this and it is trying to get to the perpetrators of this attack. nonetheless, as you can well imagine, a lot of concern about who exactly was behind this and what may come next. >> barbara, stand by. we are getting breaking news coming in from the white house. we are told president obama has finally spoken to israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu congratulating him on his party's election victory. it comes amid u.s. irritation over the israeli leader's flip-flop on the latest issue, whether or not he supports the creation of a palestinian state, whether he would work towards that so-called two-state solution. monday the day before the election he said he no longer thought there could be a palestinian state on his watch. today, though a different message coming from the prime minister of israel. let's go to our senior white house correspondent jim acosta. first the details on the breaking news we are following, that phone conversation between the president and the prime minister. what have you learned? >> reporter: i wish i had

details about that phone call between president obama and prime minister netanyahu. all we know from what we are hearing at the white house is that that call indeed did happen. the white house was forecasting that we might get that earlier today and in fact the two leaders have now spoken. we will find out within the next couple hours, i would think, perhaps within this hour exactly how that phone call went down. but simply put, we do know that he congratulated netanyahu on his victory, but that's the extent of it at this point. simply put, the white house is not buying what israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is selling today. administration officials are much more focused on netanyahu's remarks in the final moments of his re-election campaign when he rejected palestinian statehood. the white house sees that comment as a key reversal that could damage prospects for middle east peace. top aides to the president are also outraged over netanyahu's remarks that arab voters were heading to the polls in droves, remarks that the white house blasted as racially tinged and

un-democratic, a cynical election day tactic aimed at marginalizing arab israeli voters. netanyahu tried to walk all of that back in an interview, flip-flopping again on the palestinian issue, saying he now supports a two-state solution. but earnest said earlier that is not enough. >> words matter. that is certainly true in this instance and i know very well that the israeli prime minister is aware of that and he was talking about something that even he would acknowledge is a very important issue, an issue that has serious consequences for the country that he leads. >> reporter: now, what's the white house going to do about all of this. officials here are suggesting they may allow votes at the united nations in favor of a palestinian state. as nouyou know that is a measure the u.s. has blocked before. the other question what does the president have to say about all this the president declined to weigh in during his earlier public appearances, but of course that phone call did happen. we just don't know exactly what was said during the conversation.

but oh, to be a fly on the wall for that phone call. >> i know you are working your sources at the white house. we are working sources in jerusalem as well to see if we can get some information from the prime minister on how that phone conversation between the president and the prime minister actually went. we will get back to you. jim acosta at the white house. there is also another story that's breaking right now. russia confirming it has invited the north korean leader kim jong-un to visit moscow in early may and says north korea has accepted the invitation. our senior international correspondent matthew chance is joining us live from moscow right now. more on the prospects of two of the world's most unpredictable leaders, shall we say, getting together. what do we know about this? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. vladimir putin could be standing shoulder to shoulder with kim jong-un at the upcoming victory day celebrations that take place in the russian capital. if it happens it will be the first time the north korean leader has made an official visit outside of his own country.

of course it comes at a time when moscow and pyongyang both under western sanctions, are looking to deepen their ties. facing a backlash from the west, russia is looking east. vladimir putin inviting kim jong-un to moscow to attend upcoming world war ii anniversary celebrations. the russian official says north korea's supreme leader is expected to attend but so far, no formal confirmation from pyongyang. >> you have seen the number of meetings he's had with western leaders in europe decline, and so the russians have talked about this asian alternative. this is including outreach to china but other countries in asia to try to portray mr. putin as not isolated which in fact is the case. >> reporter: the kremlin says 68 world leaders were invited to the victory day celebrations on may 9th but some leaders, including president obama, have declined. relations with the west are

strained following russia's and nextation of crimea from yu krab ukraine. recently russia and north korea have been fostering warmer relations, even declaring 2015 their year of friendship. if kim attends it would be his first official trip outside north korea since inheriting the leadership in late 2011. >> if he's able to go to meet putin in moscow or elsewhere in russia this would appear to be a sign that he has completely consolidated control and is confident enough to leave the nest and go do statesmanlike things around the world. >> reporter: putin continues to flex russia's military muscles. defense officials saying nearly 80,000 troops have been placed on full combat alert. on wednesday, nato jets intercepted a number of russian military aircraft as they neared latvian air space, further rattling nerves among russia's

neighbors. the blossoming relationship between moscow and north korea is another source of concern, potentially complicating u.s. efforts to isolate north korea over its nuclear weapons program. back to you. >> matthew chance, good report. thanks very much. let's dig deeper. the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, republican congressman ed royce of california, is joining me here in "the situation room." mr. chairman thanks very much for joining us. the fact that kim jong-un of north korea is now apparently going to be going to moscow in early may for these celebrations is that good or bad? >> it is bad, and we recently were in negotiations with representatives of the government of china that shared with us and some of their think tanks also shared with us the fact that even china has been very concerned about the direction kim jong-un has taken in terms of this acceleration of his nuclear weapons program. they put pressure on north korea and yet here the russians come in with a lifeline to kim

jong-un at a time when even the chinese are trying to get more responsible behavior out of kim jong-un. >> you have a good idea what putin, vladimir putin, is up to right now? because over the past year since his annexation of crimea you see war games going on latvia is a member of nato and if one nato ally is attacked all nato allies are attacked. >> the irresponsibility of the embrace of kim jong-un at a time when as you remember kim jong-un killed his uncle who was close to china, given this dictatorial rule and the arbitrary nature of it it is making putin look just as arbitrary to embrace a dictator like this. i think all of this along with as you say, these very aggressive moves against our nato allies by doing these overflights just send the message that he's not particularly in a mood to recognize that the sanctions

that are on him that are slowly imploding the economy in russia need to be addressed with a change of behavior. >> as you know he has now basically confirmed, admitted that he ordered the takeover of crimea from ukraine to annex it make it part of russia but is that territory, all the territory he wants? are you fearful he's going to try to grab some more? >> if you recall what he said at the celebration ceremony it was that as a russian, he viewed the ukrainians as russians. you can imagine how that's going down in kiev right now. they do not view themselves as i shared with you, i was in eastern ukraine and i talked with a lot of the russian speaking ukrainians and all across russia you know, there is this attitude now as people begin to follow the dictator and listen to putin, that he's very menacing for the people of ukraine. >> i want you to stand by. we are getting more information on the phone call that president

obama just placed to the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, getting some details just coming in. stand by. much more with the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee after this. 40% of the streetlights in detroit, at one point, did not work. you had some blocks and you had major thoroughfares and corridors that were just totally pitch black. those things had to change. we wanted to restore our lighting system in the city. you can have the greatest dreams in the world, but unless you can finance those dreams, it doesn't happen. at the time that the bankruptcy filing was done, the public lighting authority had a hard time of finding a bank. citi did not run away from the table like some other bankers did. citi had the strength to help us go to the credit markets and raise the money. it's a brighter day in detroit. people can see better when they're out doing their tasks, young people are moving back in town the kids are feeling safer while they walk to school. and folks are making investments and

the community is moving forward. 40% of the lights were out, but they're not out for long.they're coming back. he spilled a little soda on his shirt, but that wasn't the big deal... this story had 30 minutes left. the like really big deal was that he was with jessica. until kim realized that stouffer's mac and cheese is made with real aged cheddar. so, what about jessica? what about her? stouffer's. made for you to love. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more.

now? can i at least put my shoes on? if your bladder is calling the shots ... you may have a medical condition called overactive bladder ... ...or oab you've got to be kidding me. i've had enough! it's time to talk to the doctor. ask your doctor how myrbetriq may help treat... ...oab symptoms of urgency frequency, and leakage. which may mean fewer trips to the bathroom. myrbetriq (mirabegron) may increase your blood pressure. myrbetriq may increase your chances... ...of not being able to empty your bladder.

tell your doctor right away if you have... ...trouble emptying your bladder or have a weak urine stream. myrbetriq may affect... ...or be affected by other medications... ...so tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. before taking myrbetriq, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. common side effects include increased blood pressure, common cold symptoms, urinary tract infection, and headache. take charge by talking to your doctor about your oab symptoms and myrbetriq. find out if you can get your first prescription at no cost by visiting myrbetriq.com ♪ ♪ (ee-e-e-oh-mum-oh-weh) (hush my darling...) (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) (hush my darling...) man snoring (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) woman snoring take the roar out of snore. yet another innovation only at a sleep number store. two weeks later.

look, credit karma-- are you talking to websites again? this website says "free credit scores." oh, credit karma! yeah it's actually free. look, you don't have to put in your credit card information. whew! credit karma. really. free. we're back with breaking news from the white house. president obama haas just spoken on the phone with the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu congratulating him on his party's victory and reaffirming the u.s. commitment to israel. we are back with senator ed royce. we are told the u.s. reaffirmed the u.s. commitment to working towards that two-state solution israel living alongside a new

state of palestine. on the eve of the election the prime minister said there would never be a palestinian state on his watch. today he flip-flopped and said he does support a two-state solution. what's your reaction to this uproar? because the administration the obama administration is very angry. they are saying they have to reassess their options with israel because of this kind of statement by the prime minister. >> what the prime minister said today as i recall the statement was that he supported -- he did not support a one-state solution. he did support a two-state solution. the timing wasn't right at the moment but it put him back on the same page i would say, as those of us that support -- >> it sounds like he flip-flopped. 48 hours or 72 hours ago he was saying it was not going to happen. now he's saying in his words, i want a sustainable peaceful two-state solution. >> but i think there's a certain danger here in terms of this whole election overseas in a democratic state. i have had a number of

delegations i have led to israel met multiple times with hertzog, with netanyahu -- >> the opposition leader. >> exactly. and we have always been very careful on the foreign affairs committee in a democratic state not to support one candidate over another in an election. in this case it was made very very clear who should win and who should lose. i would just make the observation that in the middle of that you can end up with unintended consequences. >> there have always been american political consultants, i covered this story for a long time, who have gone over to israel and gotten involved in elections. they are hired political guns, if you will. a lot of the democrats, top political centralstrategists go over and work for the labor party. some work for the likud. that's happened for the past 20 years as far as i can remember.

>> but in the past our government has tried to distance itself from the machinations -- >> pardon me me for interrupting but you're saying the obama administration tried to interfere -- >> because of the level of intensity of the feelings between the president of the united states and prime minister of israel it seems as though this became an election issue. so this is why elliott engel and i, as we talk about these issues together in a bipartisan way, we attempt when approaching other democratic states when we are involved as election observers or involved in trips over there before an election as we took we try to avoid speaking on issues that are going to inflame passions. we are in a situation right now where those passions are still high. >> because the accusation was that the prime minister in effect only two weeks before the election came here at the invitation of the house speaker john boehner, was effectively

siding with the republican leadership at a time when u.s./israeli relationship has always been built on bipartisan cooperation, bipartisan support for israel. he seemed to be aligning himself with the republicans. >> it seemed as though it was a counter effort against what was coming out of the white house. so what i'm saying is we should all step back from this and maybe, maybe look again at our principle of not getting involved and maybe not having our lieutenants directly involved in these campaigns because there are unintended consequences and now we are trying to sort this out. the sooner we get back on track to our objectives in the region and off of the politics of it the better. >> let me ask you a quick question about what's going on in tunisia right now. is it confirmed, we know isis has issued this audio tape saying they were responsible for this massacre at this museum killing 23 people in tunisia, in

tunis, injuring another 30 many of them remain critically -- in critical care in hospitals right now. do we know for sure this was isis or was it al qaeda in the maghreb, some other al qaeda spin-off if you will? >> besides the other admission, the reason why i think it is isis is because of the level of recruitment, 3,000 fighters from isis out of tunis to go fight alongside isis. so when you have the largest recruitment effort in any region in the world coming out of tunisia, you can readily see how easy it would be for isis to recruit and train fighters and send them back. this speaks to the problem that tunisia is going to have in the future but also saudi arabia 2500 fighters out of saudi arabia may face as a consequence of these recruits not just being further indoctrinated but trained. >> serious situation. thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. coming up a very different

story we are following right now. there is breaking news out of mississippi. shocking news. police have discovered the body of an african-american man hanging from a tree. we'll have the latest on this investigation. also there is outrage after the bloody arrest of a university of virginia honor student. is it a case of excessive force by police? sir, we're going to need you on the runway later. don't let a severe cold hold you back.

get theraflu... ...with the power of three medicines to take on your worst pain and fever, cough and nasal congestion. it breaks you free from your toughest cold and flu symptoms. theraflu. serious power.

breaking now. isis apparently claiming responsibility for the museum attack that left 23 people dead most of them tourists from europe and asia. it happened in the capital of tunisia, the country where the so-called arab spring started some four years ago. let's dig deeper with our national security analyst peter bergen our cnn counter terrorism analyst, former cia counter terrorism official philip mudd and joining us from baghdad, our global affairs analyst, retired delta force officer, lieutenant colonel james reese. guys thanks very much for joining us. isis in this audio, it says it's just the start, get ready for more. your reaction? >> look there has been a battle for influence across the middle east in the wake of the arab spring. you have moderate islamists, you have governments, you have militaries. isis just conducted something they consider a major success. this is an isis billboard going out to potential recruits saying before you consider going with the moderates or al qaeda, which is an adversary of isis come to us. we are the biggest players in

town. it's an advertisement. >> we are being told the two terrorists who died apparently killed themselves. they were carrying explosives the tunisian president has just said. >> right. these two guys blew themselves up so they went into this operation knowing they would die. those who will sacrifice themselves. they also went into it knowing they would get quite a lot of media coverage because the story continues. we have three people still on the loose. >> how do you prevent these kinds of attacks from going on? tourists come into tunis, a relatively quiet place unlike next door in libya which has become for all practical purposes a failed state run by a bunch of terrorists. how do you prevent these types of massacres that have occurred? >> bottom line it has to be a combined intelligence operation, both intel and operations have got to be talking together all the time.

one thing you have to remember tunisia has had probably the largest elements of the population that have gone to syria to fight with isis over the last year year and a half. that to me from a government official, i would be very concerned about that. but it is an ongoing process as we have seen throughout the months over the last year and a half with isis. what you have to do it's difficult but again, because of their past i would think they would have their elements in those key positions locked down a lot better than they did. >> they clearly didn't. should we be bracing for more of this in tunisia right now? i hope it doesn't happen but could that state wind up like libya, total disaster? >> i don't think so. i think the real interesting point here that you are touching on is when states aren't in chaos, we have seen al qaeda and isis take advantage of chaos in syria, yemen, libya, afghanistan. when they are not in chaos, very smooth transition in tunisia after the 2011 revolution can

governments and security services in those stable environments keep a lid on this. i think they can. but we might see episodic incidents because it's impossible to contain everything. >> is there any collaboration going on now, isis claiming responsibility there's another group called ansar al sharia claiming responsibility, al qaeda in the islamic maghreb, are they all working together, maybe? >> i kind of doubt it. al qaeda in the islamic maghreb and isis wouldn't cooperate, i don't think. it's possible. ansar al sharia are a local group, might collaborate with either one of those. isis is the biggest kid on the block right now. we have seen the attack in libya last month that killed ten foreigners at an upscale hotel, including an american. we have seen an attack in the sinai last month, in egypt, where 26 people were killed by an isis affiliate.

this was even a separate issue, which was police and military officials. isis is really -- i find it very hard to believe that al qaeda and isis will cooperate. >> colonel, you are there in the region. is there collaboration going on between these various terror groups all of whom by the way, consist largely of sunni arabs? >> yeah right now what we are seeing here is like peter said isis is the big dog on the block. they have pushed some of their senior leaders out to some of these failed states like we have seen recently in libya with the attacks there, but i don't think the more power positions are going to work together. you saw what happened last week with boko haram. one thing i will tell you, we noticed here isis is getting whacked pretty hard right now north of baghdad into tikrit. they will have a major blow

defeat here when this is all finished up. i think what isis might look at understanding is that their ability to fight an army is not going to be very good for them and they might have to get back to more of those traditional terrorist roles we have seen in the past with some of these bombings these lightning fast hits and the suicide attempts because they are not going to be able to fight these armies one-on-one as they get prepared more. >> we will have more on this story coming up. stand by, guys. there's a disturbing report coming out of mississippi right now. the body of an african-american man has been found hanging from a tree. the fbi we are now told is on the scene. we are getting details. stand by for that. a 20-year-old african-american honor student bloody and pinned down by officers. new details on the investigation into allegations of excessive force. the real question that needs to be asked is "what is it that we can do that is impactful?" what the cloud enables is computing to empower cancer researchers. it used to take two weeks to sequence and analyze a genome;

with the microsoft cloud we can analyze 100 per day. whatever i can do to help compute a cure for cancer, that's what i'd like to do. it's happening. today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about long-acting levemir® an injectable insulin that can give you blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. and levemir® helps lower your a1c. levemir® comes in flextouch® the only prefilled insulin pen with no push-button extension. levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. that's 50% longer than lantus® which lasts 28 days. today i'm asking about levemir® flextouch®. levemir® is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic

to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life-threatening. ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. check your blood sugar levels. your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing swelling of your face, tongue or throat sweating, extreme drowsiness dizziness, or confusion. today's the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch®. covered by nearly all health insurance and medicare plans.

we have breaking news out of mississippi where the body of an african-american man has been found hanging in a tree. the fbi is now on the scene. we are told they are investigating as well as others from the justice department. our justice reporter evan perez is here in "the situation room." pretty shocking. what are we learning? >> yes, wolf. this is going down in southern mississippi, about an hour from jackson, mississippi. according to the fbi, the local authorities there called them in after they found this african-american man hanging from a tree. it's about a half mile behind the last known residence that he had. it's in some very deep woods and the local authorities have been looking for him because he was reported missing on march 2nd. now, there is at this point no indication of what happened.

they don't know if it's a suicide or if it was something that -- whether he was killed by someone. so that is something now that has gotten the interest of the fbi. they have got their civil rights inspectors there, their investigators there, they've got the justice department civil rights division involved and the attorney's office is investigating. obviously the context here is that there's not a lot known. they know it's a suspicious death but they don't know more than that. they have to do all the forensics and make sure they can check out whether he's got known enemies and all these things before they decide what to do. >> pretty unusual, so quickly representatives from the civil rights division the justice department fbi, already on the scene. what do we know about this individual? >> we know he was reported missing on march 2nd according to sources i have talked to he was somebody who had a criminal record. again, this goes into the investigation, whether or not this is somebody who perhaps had

something against him and would want him dead. so that's the reason why they are doing all of this investigative work. again, suicide has not been ruled out but it is something they are looking into. >> evan we will stay on top of this story. pretty disturbing development. thanks very much. police are also investigating the bloody arrest of an african-american honor student at the university of virginia after this photo surfaced 20-year-old martice johnson is seen pinned down to the ground by alcohol control agents. his head cut open and bleeding. the incident has sparked protests on the campus of the university of virginia and calls for an investigation by the virginia governor. cnn's brian todd is joining us from charlottesville with more. what do we know, brian? >> reporter: wolf tonight the virginia state police are confirming to cnn they are conducting a criminal investigation into the conduct of the officers involved in the arrest of 20-year-old martice johnson. those officers from the virginia department of alcoholic beverage control. a criminal investigation now

going on into their conduct. this as we are learning more and more about this investigation. here we can show you martice johnson's blood still on the sidewalk almost 48 hours after that incident occurred early wednesday morning. this is an incident the treatment of which -- martice johnson's treatment is being called brutal and animalistic by the black student alliance of the university. a disturbing scene on the sidewalk just a few feet from the university of virginia campus. martice johnson, a 20-year-old uva student, is pinned to the ground by agents for the virginia department of alcoholic beverage control. an injury to his head requiring ten stitches. >> how did this happen you [ bleep ]? >> reporter: what's your opinion of the way police treated him? >> i mean i didn't necessarily see any violence but then again,

i didn't see any of them trying to help him. >> reporter: uva student jennifer goldman witnessed part of the confrontation early wednesday when johnson was already on the ground. she recognized him from an orientation session he had led this year. >> he introduced himself to the entire group and was very outgoing and nice and bright and cheerful. >> reporter: virginia's governor ordered an investigation into whether excessive force was used. concerned over these images of johnson's head bloodied. for young african-americans who have protested on the streets of charlottesville, this reopens the wounds of ferguson. madison. staten island. >> we are angry. we want answers. we want people to be punished for the mistreatment that they had on the young man, martice, and we just need -- we need people to be held accountable. >> reporter: uva's black student alliance calls johnson's treatment brutal and animalistic. johnson addressed the rally in a measured tone.

>> we are all part of one community. we deserve to respect each other, especially in times like this. >> reporter: even at wednesday night's protest, police got one woman in a headlock. the officers who arrested johnson are from a state agency known as abc, an official of that agency would not respond to the allegations of excessive force. in charging documents, johnson's described as being intoxicated, agitated and belligerent, that he had just been turned away from a bar on st. patrick's day. it's not clear how he sustained these wounds or what happened in the moments before this scene was videotaped. as you come back to the scene, you see his blood still here, how do you feel? >> now seeing it all in the daylight, it's definitely sr surreal. i can't believe i saw it first-hand. >> reporter: martice johnson's lawyer says johnson is quote, absolutely devastated by what happened. he points out that johnson prior to this incident had no criminal record and that he holds positions of leadership at the

university of virginia. we should hear from mr. johnson's attorney in a few minutes. wolf? >> brian todd thanks very much. we will stand by to hear what he has to say. let's get some more now with the presidents of two of america's leading civil rights organizations. marc murial is president of the national urban league cornell brooks head of the naacp. thank you for joining us. you are a father. you have a son about to go to college next year. you see something like this what goes through your mind? >> it's absolutely horrific to see a young man full of promise, majoring in italian and media studies who is a campus leader on the ground with his face bloodied over what appears to be some kind of minor offense. but we don't know that. but what we do know is we have a young person on the ground with a face smashed in. it's absolutely terrible. >> your reaction? >> this is the university of virginia. this is a young man who represents the best.

high-performing student, a leader on campus who finds himself down on the ground with blood on his face at the hands of these law enforcement officers. i was happy to see him speak and speak forcefully about the need to unify people and the fact we are all part of one community. as you know the governor has called for an immediate investigation and we certainly look forward to the results. this is yet another disturbing incident of it seems to be needless and unnecessary law enforcement violence against a young black man. >> how do we fix these kinds of things? i know the naacp has been working for a long time to get everybody more sensitive, aware of what's going on. what do we need to do? >> i think one of the things we need to make clear is that policing that is in fact community sensitive is effective policing. in other words, when you talk to criminologists and leading law

enforcement officials, what they say is building relationships of trust. it is also important that you respond to interactions with the community in a proportionate way. you don't use a sledge hammer when a tap hammer will do. we saw that in the doj report. we see this in instances all across the country where police officers have to exercise judgment. we don't know all the facts here but we have seen too many instances where police officers have engaged in a great deal of aggression that wasn't warranted. >> the national urban league you just released your 2015 state of black america. obviously, if you go through it there's a lot of work that needs to be done. let's just talk briefly about this image we now have from mississippi of an african-american man hanging from a tree obviously his body hanging from a tree. the fbi is now down there investigating, representatives from the civil rights division at the justice department are down in mississippi. we don't know if it's suicide. we don't know what happened. but it's so disturbing --

>> his death is tragic period. we need to find out what the facts are. as i sit here i'm hopeful that it isn't what we think and anticipate. this is the symbol of one of the most awful forms of if you will terror and murder the use of the noose that was propagated in large numbers in the early part of the 20th century. but the report that we released the state of black america report one thing i would point out is that there's the justice crisis that we certainly have talked about, but the recovery which i applaud, the job creation that's taking place in this country, but it's leaving lots of americans behind. we found that in 33 of the top 70 cities in america, the black unemployment rate exceeded 15% and -- >> it's 5.5% nationwide.

what is it nationwide for african-americans? >> it's in the ten range. it's double that. but in urban communities, 33 of these urban communities, it's triple that. it's in the 15% plus range and seven cities have unemployment rates in the black community over 20%. >> has it been getting better over these past say six years? >> the facts are these. certainly over the course of a generation unemployment rate among african-americans has always been double that of their white counterparts. while unemployment has gotten better the unemployment differential, racial differential has not. >> it stays like that. i recommend this state of black america. >> we have recommendations for solutions, too. >> if you guys can stand by we are expecting a news conference by the way, coming up. both from charlottesville on the university of virginia campus on what happened there. also mississippi. we will get some information on

what happened there. body of an african-american man discovered hanging from a tree. you never want to see that because you're right, it brings up that awful, awful memory. coming up we are following other news. u.s. secret service is pushing back against reports its agents drunkenly crashed into a white house barricade. what actually happened that night? stand by.

most of the products we all buy are transported on container ships. before a truck delivers it to your store, a container ship delivered it to that truck. here in san diego, we're building the first one ever to run on natural gas. ships this big running this clean will be much better for the environment. we're proud to be a part of that. i bring the gift of the name your price tool to help you find a price that fits your budget. uh-oh.

the name your price tool. she's not to be trusted. kill her. flo: it will save you money! the name your price tool isn't witchcraft! and i didn't turn your daughter into a rooster. she just looks like that. burn the witch! the name your price tool a dangerously progressive idea. oh yea, that's coming down let's get some rocks, man. health can change in a minute. so cvs health is changing healthcare. making it more accessible and affordable with walk-in medical care, no appointments needed and most insurance accepted. minuteclinic. another innovation from cvs health. because health is everything. so...you're sayin' you'll give me my credit score for free... right! now you're gonna ask for my credit card - - so you can charge me on the down low two weeks later look, credit karma -

are you talking to websites again? this website says 'free credit scores'. oh. credit karma! yeah, it's really free. look, you don't even have to put in your credit card information. what?! credit karma. really free credit scores. really. free. i could talk to you all day.

a stunning revelation from the head of the u.s. secret service. the director joseph clancy told lawmakers reports of a drunken agent or agents are exaggerated.

his organization may have erased surveillance tape of the incident. joe johns has been following the story. joe, are you discovering? >> reporter: this is his third grilling on capitol hill in a couple days. the head of the secret service telling lawmakers surveillance video shows that initial reports were wrong of agents crashing that car into a barricade outside the white house. he said that vehicle was only moving at one or two miles an hour. serious questions about the secret service incident remain tonight, especially about surveillance video that was recorded over before it could be reviewed. >> we understand it's a concern. we're doing everything we can to retrieve those images. >> reporter: the director said it's standard practice for video to be eliminated after 72 hours. the problem is he was not alerted to the incident until nearly a week later. >> the fact that i did not learn of this allegation until five days after it is said to have occurred is unacceptable. i'm very unhappy about it.

>> reporter: following a retirement party in early march, two senior agents drove under police tape into the middle of a bomb investigation outside the white house, bumping a plastic barrel with their car. it's unclear if they were driving that night. the director is prepared to take disciplinary action depending on an investigation. >> if they felt the driver or the supervisor were under the influence of alcohol, they should have taken appropriate action. that action would have been certainly to notify the chain of command all the way up to my office. >> reporter: for the highly trained agents of the secret service, it's another black mark on an institution that prides itself on professionalism. some experts now question whether director clancy is the right person to get the service back on track. >> clancy is part of the problem. you know what's needed here is an fbi investigation into what

happened. because you simply can't to trust clancy and the secret service to impartially investigate what happened. >> reporter: clancy supporters say he needs more time to fix what's broken at the agency. clancy has admitted that he is frustrated but he has been asking for patient. >> disturbing the whole development. joe johns, thanks very much. during the next hour live coverage of two of our breaking stories. we're awaiting a news conference on the accusations of excessive force. a news conference in mississippi where the fbi is investigating why a black man's body was found hanging from a tree. the real question that needs to be asked is "what is it that we can do that is impactful?" what the cloud enables is computing to empower cancer researchers. it used to take two weeks to sequence and analyze a genome; with the microsoft cloud we can analyze 100 per day. whatever i can do to help compute

a cure for cancer, that's what i'd like to do. moderate to severe crohn's disease is tough but i've managed. except that managing my symptoms was all i was doing. and when i finally told my doctor, he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have flu-like symptoms or sores.

don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible.

happening now, claiming credit. isis says its terrorist forces are behind the museum massacre. the death toll is climbing. isis is making a chilling new threat. playing with peace. benjamin netanyahu flip-flopped hours after his victory. details of the phone call president obama made to the israeli leader. tree hanging. an african-american man found dead in mississippi, federal officials on the scene investigating. bloody arrest. a black student's violent confrontation with authorities all caught on camera. did state agents use excessive force against this honor student? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you are in "the situation room"." we're following major and foft moving stories including isis saying it is responsible

for the terror attack on a museum. president obama issuing a warning to the israeli prime minister a little while ago on the phone telling the leader u.s. relations with his country need to be reassessed after what the prime minister has said. plus two racially charged stories. the bloody arrest of an african-american student near the university of virginia. we're standing by for a news conference on that. that's coming up momentarily. we're awaiting an update on the grim discovery of the body of a black man found hanging from a tree in mississippi. we're covering that and much more this hour with our correspondents and guests. let's begin with our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. she has more on the museum massacre attack. what are you picking up? >> reporter: tonight, a u.s. official tells me they cannot

absolutely verify the isis claim that it was behind the attack but make no mistake, the u.s. wants to figure out if this is the opening round of isis expanding its campaign. the blood is still there. tunisian security forces on high alert looking for at least three suspects in the attack that has now killed 23 people and injured three dozen. isis claiming responsibility for the attack. warning, this is just the start in an unverified audio message. >> this is the latest example of extremist terror. we have to fight it with everything we have. >> reporter: growing u.s. worries about the spread of isis and where it could lead. >> a terrorism attack like this on a soft target in tunisia promises there will be more terrorism in europe and eventually will wash up on the shores of the united states. >> reporter: for now, the u.s. doesn't doubt the isis claim of

responsibility. officials caution al qaeda affiliates in north africa also are very active in tunisia. these attackers perhaps inspired by isis rather than directly ordered to attack. violent as it was, u.s. officials say the tactics appearedappear ed haphazard, not a kidnapping plot. authorities announced nine people had been arrested four directly linked to the attacks. the prime minister identified two suspects by name, one had been known to security services. the prime minister did not say if they were the gunmen that had been killed. a tour guide tells of the terror. >> translator: i thought a roof collapsed. we hid from the shooting. >> reporter: an inmeeenemy difficult to track down.

>> what makes this so difficult to kill is because it is home grown self-recruited and there's no center there's no return address that we can destroy it. >> reporter: this attack was so violent at the museum wolf so frightening to the people there that we now have learned a spanish couple hid in the museum overnight thinking that the terrorists were still inside. wolf? >> thanks very much. other breaking news we're following. we have just learned president obama spoke by phone just a little while ago with the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory. we are learning the president game the prime minister a blunt warning. jim acosta is working the story for us. what do we know about this phone call, jim? >> reporter: the white house said this was a call to congratulate the prime minister on his victory. a top official confirms the president also told netanyahu that the administration will need to reassess its options after the prime minister's

comments on a towo-state solution with the palestinians. this sounds like a call with consequences. >> thank you. >> reporter: meeting with prince charles and his wife president obama refused to comment on israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu who has become something of a royal pain to the white house. administration officials say they are furious over netanyahu's remarks in the final moments his re-election campaign. pointing to the prime minister's rejection of a palestinian state in the interview as a key reverseal that would damage prospects for middle east peace. asked whether a palestinian state would not be formed if he remained prime minister netanyahu said indeed. >> is the president disappointed in prime minister netanyahu's comments? >> i would acknowledge that the president is aware of the comments and noticed them. i don't think i would characterize his reaction. but i think that there are obvious policy implications.

>> reporter: in a post election interview, netanyahu completely flip-flopped saying he wants a peaceful two-state solution with palestinians. the white house is also outraged over netanyahu's comment that arab voters were heading to the polls in droves. >> that cynical election day tactic was a pretty transparent effort to marginalize arab israeli citizens. >> reporter: netanyahu insists they will have a right to vote but they are not buying that at the white house where officials are threatening to allow votes in favor of a palestinian state a meshasure the u.s. blocked before. republicans are saying get over it. >> what about the administration sort of lukewarm reaction? >> lukewarm? >> the obama administration and benjamin netanyahu need to wake

up understand the realities of what they can and cannot achieve and try to restore some adult supervision. >> reporter: now, as for the phone call a white house official said the president discussed netanyahu's comment about arab israelis. it matters what he said before the election than how he is cleaning it up now. >> now he wants to reassess u.s. relations, i assume with israel in the aftermath of the statements. thanks jim acosta. democratic congress womwoman of high hawaii is here. thanks for coming in. how worried are you? >> it's concerning to see this immediate reversal or flip-flop as they are calling it by prime minister netanyahu because as we look forward to a two-state solution a peaceful solution in the middle east it's going to be hard to take him seriously and know whether or not he really has the will to be able

to conduct these negotiations in a way that is in good faith, that will have that desired outcome. >> on the eve of the elections, he told one interviewer that there would be no palestinian state on his watch. and then today, he said he does want a sustainable two-state solution. that sounds like a complete flip-flop. >> and the words he was using, the statement that he made seemed to be very strong and very clear the night before the election and the opposite comment now after having won the election. again, i think that we have to really look at this and understand that israel obviously working with the palestinian authority is going to have to be able to operate and negotiate in good faith. >> how do you fix that? what does he need to do the prime minister of israel to reassure members of congress like you and, of course the president of the united states and secretary of state that he can be trusted to live up to these commitments since 2009 his

position was he does support the two-state solution israel living along side a new state of palestine? >> it's going to be more than words. he can use words that he wants. but i think it's going to require some action on his part. i think first and foremost is to stop building settlements on the palestinian-held territory. >> have you conveyed your concerns to israeli officials in your conversations with them? >> as this has developed, not as of this point. but i know these are conversations that we will be having with them as we move forward towards this effort of peace in the middle east. >> i want you to stand by for a moment. we're getting on the phone -- the chief palestinian negotiator is joining us. i want to point out, we invited benjamin netanyahu to join us. we invited the israeli ambassador to the united states to join us. unfortunately, neither could join us now. they have invitations to join us down the road.

what's your reaction to this flip-flop by the prime minister a couple days ago, three days ago he was saying there's not going to be a palestinian state on his watch, today he says he supports a two-state solution. what's your reaction? >> caller: wolf you know that as far as netanyahu is concerned -- i don't think he was ever a two-stater. i think it was one of the rare honest moments when he said he will not make a palestinian state on his watch and he will not allow it. he was saying the truth. this man since he came to office in 1996 and 2009 to now he did nothing but undermine a two-state solution. i take this very very seriously. i think his election is very very dangerous. i think those of us who believe in peace and the two-state solution israeli, palestinians americans, whoever, we must stand shoulder to shoulder in order to restore hope in the

minds of palestinians and israelis. and we need to make sure to tell mr. netanyahu and others we will not allow him to succeed in destroying the hope of peace and the two-state solution by more settlements. and he needs to be held accountable. >> let me get your sense though right now -- what he says is he doesn't see this peace process getting off the ground so long as the palestinian authority, the plo, the president of the palestinian authority have this alliance with hamas in gaza which is committed, he says to the destruction of israel. no recognition of a jewish state. how do you get over that barrier? >> well he knows that we -- israel has a right. the plo and majority of the palestinian people stand tall on the two-state solution. he knows that.

he is a man of finger pointing blame assignment. if mother theresa was the president of the palestinians and thomas jefferson were to be the speaker of the palestinians and they would say two-states they will be accused of connections. wolf you know this area. you know how dangerous such statements are. you know the forces of extremism when we fight isis and all the forces and they must be defeated. we cannot have such statement and such deeds and such activities because winning the battle over extremism in this region requires peace between palestinians and israelis. there is only one option for this peace between palestinians and israelis and that is a two-state solution. netanyahu made a big mistake and he must show deeds by announceing and standing tall and telling his people that we have to live side by side with the

palestinians and their own sovereign state and he must immediately move to stop settlement activity. failure will bring palestinians and israelis deeper in the conflict. >> i know you are heading to washington. we will see you in "the situation room" next week. thanks very much for joining us. the chief palestinian negotiator. tulsi gabbard is with us. do you want to react? >> i think he brings up good points in representing the comments and views and feelings really of the palestinian people. it's important to understand where they are coming from as we look forward to that point where we can get back -- get this process back on track. >> i know the administration wants tory to revive that peace process. it looks gloomy right now. let's see what they can do. stand by. we have more to talk about. lots of news happening. we will take a quick break. much more after this.

let's take a look at your credit. >>i know i have a 786 fico score, thanks to all the tools and help on experian.com. so how are we going to sweeten this deal? floor mats... clear coats... >>you're getting warmer... leather seats... >>and this... my wife bought me that. get your credit swagger on. become a member of experian credit tracker and find out your fico score powered by experian. fico scores are used in 90% of credit decisions.

shopping online is as easy as it gets. wouldn't it be great if hiring plumbers, carpenters and even piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list now it is. start shopping online from a list of top-rated providers. visit angieslist.com today.

female announcer: right now at sleep train get up to 48 months interest-free financing on tempur-pedic. save hundreds on beautyrest. or choose $300 in free gifts with stearns & foster. the triple choice sale ends soon at sleep train. the breaking news we're following, two terrorists that killed 23 people in tunisia were carrying explosives meant to detonate and cause more casualties this according to tunisia's president. isis claiming responsibility for this terror massacre. we're back with congresswoman

tulsi gabbard of hawaii. an iraq war veteran. what can anyone do to stop these kinds of attacks? you served in iraq. these are brutal these heinous -- they go in there, tourists from europe from asia they're visiting a ship stops, they go to this museum all of a sudden they are slaughtered. >> this is what we need to be concerned about, that these kinds of soft targets are what we are seeing is the most recent manifestation of the islamic extremist groups conducting attacks. what we have to figure out what our tactics need to be to be able to prevent these and detect them to understand what's driving them so we can try to prevent these attacks from happening in other parts of the world. >> it has been reported that 3,000 tunisians, mostly men, left and went to fight with isis in syria and iraq. some of them have returned. i don't know what the prospects of them carrying out terrorist attacks in tunisia or elsewhere

are. but 3,000, that's a lot. >> it's a significant number especially when you consider the country where they are coming from and the proximity to what's happening there. it's important to see this and recognize we need to work with partners we need to work with this young democracy there in tunisia to make sure that we are sharing intelligence that we're sharing different ideas on how best to counter this islamic threat. as i said before this goes to you have to know the enemy to identify them. >> let me ask you about this report that was published in the army times. the u.s. army now investigating allegations that a platoon of soldiers in alaska were given a free pass to use racial slurs during what came to be known as racial thursdays, allegedly the same unit that private danny chen belonged to. he killed himself after he was hazed. you are a veteran. how do you explain this? >> this is unaccessible.

this is a complete failure of leadership if these allegations are true. i know they are launching an investigation into these allegation allegations. as the dele taztails emerge it goes to holding them accountable, starting with the platoon leader not only for appearing to allow this to happen under his watch but driving it and being the instigator for it. this kind of activity can't be allowed to happen anywhere especially in our military where our service members are held to a high -- a very high standard. >> tomorrow marks the 12th anniversary of the start of the iraq war, the second iraq war to liberate iraq get rid of hussein. i was in kuwait with 200,000 u.s. troops getting ready to move in at the start of that war. i remember it very very vividly. they were going with gas masks. they thought there were weapons of mass destruction. you are launching the congressional post-9/11 veterans caucus. >> there are over 2.8 million veterans in the united states

who served post-9/11, after the attacks occurred. we formed this caucus along with a republican from pennsylvania scott perry, who is an army helicopter pilot, to bring voice to concerns and issues that our post-9/11 veterans are facing whether it's homelessness or unemployment but also the experience that these veterans are bringing back to our communities. i think it's important -- very important for us on this anniversary of the u.s. invasion in iraq to remember what brought us there and what the very high human cost of this war has been not only trillions of dollars but thousands and thousands of american lives. to remember what brought us there, the decisions that were made especially as we look into who made those decisions and the questions that we are facing with this current islamic extremist threat. >> thanks for what you are doing. thanks to the other iraq war veterans afghan war veterans

including all those who served in the united states congress, thanks for creating this caucus. >> thank you. the breaking news we're following, the body of an african-american man found hanging from a tree in mississippi. plus more on the investigation into the bloody arrest of a black university of virginia student, an honor student. did the state agents use excessive force? you will hear from the student's attorney. that's coming up next.

meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more. hey mom, you want to live by the lake, right? yeah.

there's here. ♪ did you just share a listing with me? look at this one. it's got a great view of the lake. it's really nice mom. ♪ your dad would've loved this place. you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. zillow you're driving along, having a perfectly nice day, when out of nowhere a pick-up truck slams into your brand new car. one second it wasn't there and the next second... boom! you've had your first accident. now you have to make your first claim. so you talk to your insurance company and... boom! you're blindsided for a second time. they won't give you enough money to replace your brand new car. don't those people know you're already shaken up? liberty mutual's new car replacement will pay for the entire value of your car plus depreciation. call and for drivers with accident

forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. switch to liberty mutual insurance and you could save up to $423 dollars. call liberty mutual for a free quote today at see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. hi, i'm henry winkler and i'm here to tell homeowners that are sixty-two and older about a great way to live a better retirement... it's called a reverse mortgage. call right now to receive your free dvd and booklet with no obligation. it answers questions like... how a reverse mortgage works how much you qualify for the ways to receive your money...and more. plus, when you call now, you'll get this magnifier with led light absolutely free! when you call the experts at one reverse mortgage today you'll learn the benefits

of a government-insured reverse mortgage. it will eliminate your monthly mortgage payments and give you tax-free cash from the equity in your home and here's the best part... you still own your home. take control of your retirement today! ♪ state police are opening investigations into the arrest of a black university of virginia student that was caught on camera. 20-year-old martise johnson was

pinned. brian todd joining us from charlottesville with more. what's the latest there? >> reporter: we just picked up crucial information filling in gaps that we needed to fill in about what happened that night that he was taken down by the virginia abc officers. we have been wanting to find out what happened in the moments before that amateur video was taken, before we saw him on the ground being pinned down by those agents. just moments ago, his attorney filled in some of the gaps giving their version of what happened in the moments before we saw him on the ground in that video, filling in the gaps about what happened about how he got those injuries. take a listen. >> he was standing on the sidewalk near a pub in charlottesville. an employee of the establishment approached him and asked him for

identification. he presented a valid illinois state identification card issued in 2011. the employee then asked him for his zip code. he recited his zip code which is different from the chicago city zip code on the identification card that was printed almost four years ago. at no time throughout the encounter did he present as -- at no time throughout the enter counter did he present as has been reported by some a fake i.d. nevertheless virginia abc officers who were present on the scene questioned my client about being in possession of false identification. the conversation resulted in my client being thrown to the ground his head hitting the pavement the officers' knees presidented into his back, his face and skull bleeding and needing surgery. >> reporter: that moments ago from the attorney for mr. johnson filling in their version

of the events which happened which in those moments before we saw that amateur video and the moments before we saw his head bleeding we were wanting to find out how he got the injuries. their version of how he got the injuries. we have to point out the virginia state police are conducting their own investigation into the conduct of those agents. we will hear probably when that is complete the agents' version of what happened. we will see if it matches that description, wolf. >> we heard last night from mr. johnson, the student. tell our viewers what he said. >> reporter: that's right. he did speak at a rally last night. we hadn't heard from him. listen to what he said when people were demonstrating on the streets last night. >> i want the students to be able to share their opinions and feelings. i beg for you guys regardless of your opinion and the way you

feel about suggests, to subjects we are part of one community. we deserve to respect each other. thank you. >> reporter: there have been demonstrations in the streets last night. we're waiting to see if there will be any tonight. you can certainly take away from this that this town is on edge over this incident that occurred less than 48 hours ago. >> brian, thanks very much. we will get back to you. we're standing by for a news conference on the other breaking news we're following out of mississippi. the body of an african-american man has been found hanging in a tree. the fbi is on the scene. they're investigating as well as officials from the civil rights division of the justice department. evan perez is joining us. what are you hearing from sources about this very disturbing development? >> reporter: wolf we are hearing from our sources that the authorities are believed the body they recovered is that of a man who has been missing since earlier this month.

that man's name is otis byrd. he is 54 years old. the fbi is looking into this simply because it is very suspicionus suspicious. he was found hanging from a tree half a mile into some deep woods behind the last known residence that he had. this is in mississippi, the southern part of the state near the louisiana border. obviously, this is bringing back very dark reminders for this area of the country which suffered through a lot of violence during many many years. so that's something that the fbi is looking into. we should say that otis byrd has a criminal record. he was convicted in 1980 of murder. so that is also something that the fbi is looking into simply because they have to check out whether someone perhaps with a beef to settle would have reason to kill him. this is something that the fbi doesn't know yet what the cause of the death is if it might be a suicide or if it's something

nefarious. that's again part of the investigation the fbi is doing along with the mississippi bureau of investigation, local authorities, the u.s. attorney's office in southern mississippi and the civil rights division here in washington of the justice department. >> evan perez, thanks for that update. i want to dig deeper on both stories we are following. joining us the president of america's two leading civil rights organization the national urban league and the naacp. joining us don lemon, tom few fuentes and john gaskin. let me start with mark. let's talk about the civil rights division. they have sent agents down there, the fbi, we're beginning to learn more about what's going on. >> we need to get all of the facts. i think that the civil rights division and the fbi acting quickly and swiftly, the media throwing a spotlight on this because the method used here

reminds us of one of the most heinous periods in american life. certainly, i wouldn't want and don't think anyone should jump to an immediate conclusion. but this is highly suspicious and certainly we hope it isn't with a we may suspect. >> your quick reaction? >> i absolutely -- the need to be careful, thoughtful clinical in our assessment and gathering of the facts is important. we also have to remember the history of mississippi and the history of this country. we have had 5,000 people of prodominantly african-american but variety of ethnicities lynched in this country. where you see a black man hanging from the end of a rope it is a moment for concern and a moment for law enfonsmentrcement to respond. for the community to do the same. >> we don't know obviously, whether he was killed whether it was suicide. that's why there's a local, state investigators on the scene as well as representatives of

the federal government. don i know getting back to the other story, this young 20-year-old honor student at the university of virginia a hon ren -- a horrendous story. i think you had a chance to speak with him. did you? >> i did. i spoke with him earlier this afternoon. it was before the press conference. he said that he didn't -- couldn't talk long because he was preparing to put out a statement with his attorney. he was preparing firee inging for a press conference. he conveyed to me what the attorney said that he never -- according to him, he never presented a fake i.d. that he was not intoxicated. things escalated quickly. the police didn't believe him. but, again, i don't want to betray the confidence of our call because there were other things we spoke about. but basically, he is saying the same same story and saying he is

concerned. it has been a tough time for him. he hopes his wounds heal. he is worried about school. he is worried about money. he is worried about getting a job, about his reputation after this. now he is worried about all the attention that goes along with this and his family. this young man is very concerned at this point. we have to see how the investigation plays out. it does not look good for those agents right now. the investigation has to play out, but just considering the circumstances, the kind of young man he is also saying that he was not intoxicated at the time he took a breathalyzer if that proves to be true then the reasons for his arrest may be quite nebulous. >> john gaskin you are still a college student. you can relate to what's going on over there at the university of virginia. we heard from the attorney that the 20-year-old -- promising student grew up in the south

side of chicago. a single mom. majoring in italian and media studies. on the honor society. all of a sudden this happens. it's outrageous when you think about it. we hope of course he's going to be okay. what was your reaction john when you heard about this? >> i was certainly shocked when i heard about it. but certainly, i think about reality. this is a great reality for african-american men. living in this country doesn't matter if you go to an elite college or what income bracket your parents are in. the fact of the matter is discrimination and police brew tam -- brutality knows nothing. living as an african-american man, you face those challenges. my heart certainly goes out to him. the thing that i was most impressed with was the students there at the university of virginia how they mobilized

cohesively last night, peacefully and did it in a dignified manner to give it the attention it needs. >> tom fuentes, the governor of virginia he wants a full investigation. the chancellor of the university the president of the university they want a full investigation. they are outraged by what happened. >> when you see somebody with that much blood on their face wolf it looks horrible. the specific aspect of the case is going to be how did he get that wound? was it when he hit the pavement? was it an accident? did the police slam him to the ground? we need to know exactly how that wound was inflicted. when you see the aftermath of that, the part where the video starts it doesn't look like officers beating him or kicking him or trying to smash his head down any further. in fact, they're trying to handcuff him. he's not cooperating. they're gingerly trying to grab his arm. >> even if somebody -- a 20-year-old kid, a college kid, let's say he has fake i.d.

does he deserve to be treated like that in. >> no. the way is to comply. if the police for whatever reason whatever charge it might be -- we don't know that. if it's something ridiculously dumb that they're charging him with it's still -- the person has to comply. >> it's an issue, wolf. >> by the way, the lawyer says he didn't have fake i.d. >> abc agent was in concert with the employee of the bar who questioned this young man as to "what is your zip code" after he presented an i.d. which i presume the face matched the person. >> right. >> the instance -- that suggests to me perhaps profiling. why would this student have been challenged on do you know your

zip code? >> i could -- let's say the kid has fake i.d. some other state driver's license from highawaii, he might not be familiar with the details. they want to double-check. >> look in a bar like this if the abc agents are hanging out, they have a familiarity with the type and style of fake i.d. that may go around. i think it's about not only the abc agents and how they treated him but why, in fact may this -- was this student challenged? i would like to know were other students challenged for the same violation on the same night? >> let me get don lemon to weigh in. the lawyer says this was a legitimate state i.d. >> i take them at their word. the investigation has to play out. if it continues to go on in this vein and it's true what the student is saying it does not look good for the agents. sometimes i can't remember my own zip code. this student has probably moved

around or had a couple drinks -- i have to think about it. when have ii have to use my debit or credit card i forget especially if you are in a stressful situation. they were trying to figure out if it was legitimate. i remember my license now is a georgia license, i don't remember my zip code in georgia anymore. i live in new york city. if someone asked me it would not match where i live now. i don't know how legitimate that is. i agree with mark. the agents seem to be in concert with the people in the bar. they should act independently. they should take the young man aside and say, here is what you are accused of. do you have a false i.d. instead of throwing him to the ground? >> it's the virginia alcohol beverage control. the acts responsible -- i want to take a break and continue this. go ahead. >> i think it's important to --

polices have to exercise judgment as well as authority. the fact that you have the authority to question someone does not mean you suspend judgement in terms of the interaction and your decision about how much force you use and whether or not you use any force at all. >> stand by. everybody stand by. we're awaiting a news conference from mississippi. an african-american man's body was found hanging from a tree. we will get the latest on that disturbing development. much more right after this. hey, girl. is it crazy that your soccer trophy is talking to you right now? it kinda is. it's as crazy as you not rolling over your old 401k. cue the horns... just harness the confidence it took you to win me and call td ameritrade's rollover consultants. they'll help with the hassle by guiding you through the whole process step by step. and they'll even call your old provider. it's easy. even she could do it. whatever, janet. for all the confidence you need td ameritrade. you got this.

he spilled a little soda on his shirt, but that wasn't the big deal... this story had 30 minutes left. the like really big deal was that he was with jessica. until kim realized that stouffer's mac and cheese is made with real aged cheddar. so, what about jessica? what about her? stouffer's. made for you to love. the lightest or nothing. the smartest or nothing. the quietest or nothing. the sleekest... ...sexiest ...baddest ...safest, ...tightest, ...quickest, ...harshest... ...or nothing. at mercedes-benz we do things one way or we don't do them at all. the 2015 c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through

mercedes-benz financial services. i just got charged for my credit score...again. you should check out credit karma...they're like free. yeah? yeah. how? ads. credit karma? yeah. cool! yeah. credit karma. really free credit scores. really. free. word. ...to your mother did you call your mom? i should probably call her... you should probably call her. it's her birthday.

♪ ♪ (ee-e-e-oh-mum-oh-weh) (hush my darling...) (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) (hush my darling...) man snoring (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) woman snoring take the roar out of snore. yet another innovation only at a sleep number store.

standing by for this news

conference from mississippi from an african-american man's body was found hanging from a tree. fbi agents are on the scene investigating. representatives from the civil rights division of the justice department in washington, they are on the scene as are local and state officials, including the sheriff, marvin lucas. you know of marvin lucas, the sheriff there? >> yes. he is the preceding president of the naacp branch there. he is known to the community, known to the naacp. >> african-american? >> african-american. in a community that's predominantly african-american. our local branch and state conference president derek johnson are in touch with the family and the local authorities. >> don lemon, i want you to react to what we are hearing. a disturbing development involving the u.s. army where soldiers in alaska were seemingly given a free pass to be racists on so-called racial thursday. the same unit where that chinese

american soldier killed himself after being hazed over his heritage. can you believe what's going on in this one platoon in alaska? >> i can't believe the conversation that we have going on. i wonder which decade we're living in. >> what century. >> right. with these stories. you are exactly right. usa said as you said they were being investigated with hazing. according to reports, the leader of that platoon said on thursdays, you are free to use any kind of racial slur or do whatever you want and you won't face consequences as a way of team building. the person who turned them in is african-american. he said -- nothing was used against him. someone else said -- someone else who was a whistle-blower said did he have some against him. i think it's the most backwards

way of building comradery. sure there should be open conversations about race. you should not be able to say racial epithets as a way of building moral. it's ridiculous. >> the u.s. army has been advanced in accepting african-americans, other minorities. >> tremendous strides. >> i'm shocked that this is -- >> i hope this is isolated. i hope this is not indicative of anything widespread. getting transparency on it and certainly we hope the department of defense and leadership of the army will immediately investigate and take appropriate disciplinary action against those, because this seems to be a problem with some command level that is not only but encouraged in some perverse behavior. >> john in another part of the country, you're seeing some

other problems. the mayor of austin has come out condemning stickers that are being posted ton businesses in the state capital of texas that read quote, exclusively for white people. i don't know if you've been following this but pretty shocking what's going on over there. >> you know i have to agree with mr. morial. to be having these types of conversations about these types of issues in 2015 even when we have an african-american president, and to be discussing these types of issues it just, it's -- i have no point of reference. >> mind boggling. >> that's right, don. and it's very disappointing, because we talk so much that we live in a post-racial society, but these are reminders that we have such a great ways to go. >> stand by because we're going to be following this story. we're standing by for that news conference from mississippi as well. don, by the way, will be back with much more on all of this at 10:00 p.m. eastern for his

special program, "cnn tonight," a special hour coming up looking at all of these racially charged stories as well as the phrase "hands up don't shoot," whether it was really a false narrative. stick around 10:00 eastern time, don lemon, "cnn tonight." much more news right after this.

there's nothing more romantic than a spontaneous moment. so why pause to take a pill? and why stop what you're doing to find a bathroom? with cialis for daily use, you don't have to plan around either. it's the only daily tablet approved to treat erectile dysfunction so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. plus cialis treats the frustrating urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any symptoms of an allergic reaction stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. why pause the moment? ask your doctor about cialis for daily use. for a free 30-tablet trial go to cialis.com

heated rhetoric in the

battle over confirmation for the attorney general nominee, loretta lynch. democratic senator dick durbin accuses republicans of delaying and pushing lynch, in his words, quote, to the back of the bus. senator john mccain is angry. >> i deeply regret that the senator from illinois chose to come here yesterday and question the integrity and motivation mine and my republican colleagues it was offensive and unnecessary and i think he owes this body miss lynch, and all americans an apology. >> let's dig deeper with our chief political analyst, gloria borger and our senior washington correspondent, dick zeleny. did dick durbin go too far? >> i think, probably. i think they all look embarrassing to me. i think if republicans oppose loretta lynch for any reason and i think it's probably because she says that the president's executive action on

immigration was legal, and i think they oppose her for that. if they oppose her for that then go on the floor and say, that's why we oppose her and we're going to hold up her nomination for a reason. sticking you know, making it a bizarre procedural issue makes them all look bad, and i think this whole thing, and the name-calling that's going back and forth is beneath the dignity of the united states senate and it's an embarrassing spectacle, that should just not be occurring on the floor of the senate. >> what mccain and other republicans are so angry about is that dick durbin the number two democrat in the senate using the race card. >> it makes senate republicans look bad, but it makes the whole senate look bad. she should have been confirmed by now. now it will not happen until mid-april. so this is completely going on too long. the question is this is really going to hurt the republican party's image. it's certainly not going to help it but it's already pretty bad among diverse groups.

you have senator rand paul out there trying to improve the party's brand. i've been waiting for him to step up or maybe one of these presidential candidates to step up. it makes the entire senate look bad. it's ridiculous. >> and the name-calling is what's just so silly. and the notion that by the way, she said okay i think the president has legal standing on immigration. what do they expect her to say? she's the nominee of the president of the united states. i mean this does not come as a surprise. she got the votes of three republicans on that committee. >> the judiciary. >> the judiciary committee. so for durbin to come out and talk about the back of the bus and then mccain to come out -- >> there's some blame to go around on both sides. >> have we heard from the president on this? >> we've not heard from him. that's a great point. why isn't the president speaking up more on this. we know he's not making phone calls, or at least we don't think is. but i think it makes everyone look bad. her confirmation hearing, i was there for a few of them, she actually is an

independent-minded attorney general. she didn't agree with the administration on everything. so the republicans want to know the attorney general, let's bring her in. >> our new poll, gloria we asked, has the presidency been a success? bill clinton at this point in his second term 77% thought his presidency was a success. president obama, 50% think it's a success. george bush at this point in his presidency 39%. so he's right in the middle there. >> but this is actually good news for the president, because when you dig deeper into our poll over half of the people in this country believe that things are actually going well economically. they give the president credit for leading on the economy. and when people feel good about themselves they're starting to feel a little bit better and they tend to like their presidents a little bit more. >> but he may be near the top. he's -- people still do not think he's lived up to all the change they thought he would bring. >> nearly two years ago. we'll see what they can do. guys thanks very very much. you can follow us on twitter. tweet me @wolfblitzer tweet the

show. be sure to join us again here tomorrow right here in "the situation room." you can watch us live or dvr the show so you won't miss a moment. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." aaron burnett "outfront" starts right now. next breaking news. president obama tells prime minister benjamin netanyahu that america is quote, reassessing its relationship with israel. netanyahu's foreign policy adviser, dory gold is "outfront." and more breaking news a black man's body found hanging from a tree. the department of justice and the fbi are investigating tonight. and a pregnant woman answering a craigslist ad viciously stabbed, her child cut from her womb. we have the 911 call tonight. let's go "outfront." good evening. i'm erin burnett and we begin "outfront" tonight with breaking news. a very tense phone call between