good choice. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, this abbey vanity combo is a special buy. just $299. f. good afternoon, i'm mara and here's what's happening right now. terror threat prompts 22 embassy closing in 17 countries and a travel warning for americans at the height of the summer vacation season. we'll get the very latest from washington. celebrity status. new word on the new life of laker edward snowden just as the u.s. envoy meets with russian aides to discuss the diplomatic fallout. a report from moscow. >> i want you to have this, this is really a gift from my brother and all the people online.

i want you to have this and use it how you want. >> the man traveling coast to coast giving away hundreds of dollars to unsuspecting americans. could your hometown be next? we begin with a worldwide heightened security threat. tod todayinter pole issued an extra security after recent prison breaks in iraq, libya and pakistan that could all be the work of al qaeda. it comes as the u.s. government issued its own worldwide travel alert for americans and orders 22 u.s. embassies and consulates across the muslim world to be closed tomorrow. u.s. officials tell nbc news it's based on a significant increase in chatter they intercepted in the region. >> we're taking concrete steps to make sure our personnel overseas are safe. >> what we can tell you, andrea, it is al qaeda linked. it emanates from the arabian peninsula. >> nbc news white house correspondent kristen wellker is

live at the white house with the very latest. kristen, good morning, good afternoon, rather. >> u.s. officials say that they are closing the embassies, issuing that travel alert out of an abundance of caution. but lawmakers who have been briefed on the situation say this is really one of the most serious threats they have seen in years. in fact, one u.s. official telling me it's based not only on chatter, but actually goes beyond that. the state department is being very careful not to give too many details about the essence of this specific threat. but as you mentioned, 22 embassies will close tomorrow temporarily in 17 different countries. mostly in the middle east and north africa. a worldwide travel alert has been issued with the state department warning americans that there's a threat emanating from the arabian peninsula and u.s. officials tell nbc news that they are really focusing on yemen. you will recall that president obama met with the president of yemen earlier this week.

also, you will recall that there have been several drone strikes in yemen this past week alone. now, it's not only the united states, mara. the british, the french have also closed their embassies in yemen, as well. how long the closures will last, we don't know at this point in time. we know the travel alert will last until at least the end of the month. president obama continues to get updated on the situation. in fact, he is out playing golf right now. he celebrates a birthday tomorrow. before he left for that sort of celebratory game of golf, we're told that he was updated on this situation. now, state department officials telling americans who might want to travel to logon to their website first to get the very latest information. mara? >> now, kristen, the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi was almost a year ago and four americans, of course, were killed in that incident. how much of these closures is influenced by what happened last year in libya. >> well, mara, it's hard to pinpoint it, but no doubt what

happened in libya is weighing heavily on the minds of intelligence officials and u.s. officials right now. that is, of course, a prime example of what can go wrong in a worse-case scenario. four americans including the u.s. ambassador killed there. august also has particular resonance when you look back in history. this is the period of ramadan. a highly charged time right now there the muslim world. if you look back august is the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in mumbai and terrorist attacks in russia. also the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in tanzania. so, this is certainly a highly charged period. all of that is coming into play as u.s. officials monitor this situation. mara? >> kristen wellker live at the white house, thank you. >> thank you. in today's political headlines, florida will hold hearings this fall on its controversial stand your ground law. the house speaker made the announcement on friday. it's a victory for the dream defenders.

quinnipiac university found 53% of voters nationwide are for stand your ground and a deep divide when you look at the racial breakdown. among white voters 57% support the stand your ground laws, but it's exact opposite among black voters where 57% oppose the laws. senator linds lindsey graha facing a from the right is about to get another challenger. nancy mase announced she is throwing her hat in the ring. mom of two never ran for office before. the first female grad wit of the citadel and her dad is a retired army general. mitch mcconnell will share the stage with two of his challengers in fancy farm, kentucky, at a raucous political b barbecue. alison lundergan grimes are

challenging mcdonnell from the left and the right. we have to bring in the political panel. let's bring in bill snider, mav political reporter at "political times." and editor at politico. now, bill, i want to start with you. congress is now gone for the summer. i want to tell you more about that. lawmakers, he's pressuring lawmakers to move forward with his weekly agenda. the fact that they're gone for their recess, who is he really speaking to here? is this about rallying public support? >> yeah, the public needs to put pressure on congress. the only way to break the gridlock. no progress whatever. i think they really not passed more than a couple of the appropriations bills that are necessary to keep the government running. there are only nine legislative days coming up in september before they could face a government shut down. and so the president is really

trying to ratchet up public pressure because he's not getting very far in trying to make deals with congress. >> now, mav, the unemployment rate inched down to 7.4% last month. they added 162,000 jobs, but that's still below expectations and in addition to that, minorities continue to have a difficult time finding jobs. the unemployment rate for african-americans is at 12.5% and for latinos, it's 9%. as lawmakers return home to their districts, what do you think they'll from their constituents about the economy? >> a lot of people out here in the country who just feel like things are not improving quickly enough. honestly, the job numbers that we saw this week were disappointing in the sense that a lot of the jobs added were very low-wage jobs. and more people were leaving the or just giving up in terms of finding work. so, there's, obviously, a lot of discontent out there and i think people are watching what's happening in washington and just shaking their heads.

i mean, congress left in complete chaos. you have the fights within the republican party going on, nothing's moving forward. and obama's talking about addressing income inequality over the next, you know, couple of years of his term. but will he actually get a lot of traction with any of that? it's unclear. >> now, turning to kentucky, we just reported on the upcoming political spectacle at fancy farm where senator mitch mcconnell will have to share the stage with his two opponents. facing a challenge from alison lundergan grimes and matt bevin. you have been in kentucky, how vulnerable do you think mcdonnell ? >> that has been the case all along. you know, for mcconnell he has to really worry about getting hit from the left and the right. heading up to next year and for alison grimes, you know, she is an a appealing candidate for

democrats. democrats really feel that she represents probably the best opportunity that they have had in years to knock him off. but, she's 34 years old, she's only been kentucky secretary of state for less than two years and she really has not spelled out a lot of her policy positions. so, when we get closer to the election and this is a conservative state that is very hesitant about electing democrats to federal office, it's going to be difficult for democrats to win. that being said, it is going to be close and mitch mcconnell could lose. >> a tiff between senator rand paul and new jersey governor chris christie about spending. let's take a listen. >> if senator paul wants to start looking at where he will cut spending for defense, maybe look at the pork barrel spending he will cut to kentucky. i doubt he would because most washington politicians only care about bringing home the bacon so they can get re-elected. >> this is the king of bacon

talking about bacon. he's making a big mistake picking a fight with other republicans because republican party shrinking in new england and northeast part of the country. i'm trying to grow the party by talking about libertarian ideas of privacy and the internet and attacking me isn't helping the party, he's hurting the party. >> bill, is this a preview of what we'll be seeing in 2016 in the primaries? >> very likely. the republican party is splitting all over the place. there's this libertarian wing represented by rand paul which just scares the notable republicans. chris christie who is the leading spokesman for the republican establishment. he knows how to hang on in very blue states like new jersey. >> and, mav, just to touch upon that a little bit more. senator christie agreed to meet with him. >> if he wants to break bread

and see if we can find some common ground, i think it would ha help the party to not have us feuding. >> that did not get a warm response from the governor. let's listen to that. >> sit down and -- >> i am running and if i find myself in washington, i will look him up. i don't expect to be there any time soon, i have work to do here. so, how much of this is really about these two men and how much is about a larger ideological battle in the party? >> well, i think it's about a larger ideological battle in the party but 2016 looks really fun if we have these kind of insults flying back and forth this early. these two men represent the opposite polls of the republican party and a lot of people who are concerned that on the republican side that chris christie is too moderate where rand paul, others see as being

kind of too far out there. we'll have to see, but it looks like it will be fun if it will be a feisty debate between these two over the next couple of years. >> just to go back to the republicans who are facing republican challenges. not just mitch mcconnell but lindsey graham facing nancy mase and mike inzi liz cheney. is it seeing a shift from the old guard to the new guard, potentially? >> potentially. but those incumbents are in a very good spot to win their primaries. you know, mitch mcconnell has to face matt bevin the louisiana wealthy businessman and he will most likely win. lindsey graham has to worry about that rand paul faction on the right, the libertarian faction attacking him. but multiple candidates and mike enzi close and interesting race to watch.

but, actually the republican establishment is coming out more so for him than liz cheney. she may have a uphill fight to climb for the neckt year. we've seen these primary battles play out ever since the 2010 elections. they've grown increasingly tense and i think the republican incumbents this time are prepared for that. they saw what happened to dick luger and bob bennett in utah several years ago and they don't want that to happen to them. >> bill, i saw you nodding enthusiastically, you agree? >> i do agree. look, the republicans are in bad shape. they elect the democrats after they lost several elections in the 1980s. they had to make a decision. go to the left or do we go to the center? eventually they found bill clinton who led them to the center made them electable, again. that is splitting the republican party. rand paul and the libertarians believe it is the wave of the future and they can get young voters that appeals to privacy. i'm skeptical of that but that debate is full throated and it's

splitting the republican party. >> all right, guys, thanks so much for this discussion. bill schneider and manu raju from politico, thank you for being here. coming up, a mysterious outbreak solved. the fda says they've discovered the source of a massive outbreak of stomach illness that's affected hundreds. but the investigation is far from over. young, jobless and living back at home. what's happening to america's next generation and why is it so difficult for them to leave the nest? >> i'll answer that if you tell us about your glasses. first person point of view. what happens when an nbc producer gives nancy pelosi a lesson on google glass. we've got the video and more of pelosi's reaction. next minute i'm in the back of an ambulance having a heart attack. the emts gave me bayer aspirin. it helped save my life. i was in shape, fit. i did not see it coming.

my doctor recommends i take bayer aspirin to help prevent another heart attack. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i've lived through a massive heart attack. i don't take life for granted. see your doctor and get checked out. ♪

she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian... ...and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and now boost comes in two delicious, new bars. look for them next to boost drinks. [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... ...being my mom.

while the july jobs report reflected the familiar pattern of slow but steady economic growth, there are some really staggering numbers out now about young people in the workforce. that same report shows the youth jobless rate in june stuck at 16.1%. that's more than twice the national average. and there are 1.8 million young adults without a job who've given up looking for work altogether. joining me now rory o'sullivan. thanks for being here this afternoon. >> thanks so much for having me, mara. >> the biggest sign is a new statistic from the pew research center that finds that 36% of americans 18 to 31 are living at their parents' house. that's the highest number in four decades. why are we seeing this? >> well, as you said, the youth unemployment rate is twice the national average. the youth unemployment dipped down a little bit this month, but the numbers are really misleading. one of the big reasons that it went down so many discouraged

young people that left the labor force because of a lack of opportunity. so, if you can't find a job, you're not going to be able to afford rent. a lot of young people out there have no choice but to move back home with their parents. >> now, economists say unemployment numbers for millennials are particularly troubling because this is the age where people are typically starting to build a foundation to start a family or buy a house, could this signal a real generational shift here? >> this could be a huge problem. if you think about your first experiences, the first couple jobs you had out of school and the confidence that you built and how you learned to carry yourself in a professional setting. wipe that out completely for this generation and that's what we're looking at here. as you said, economists have really good data on this that lack of early work experience has long-term consequences. 10, 20 years down the road we could see much lower wages for this generation and that's not just going to hurt individuals but serious consequences for the future of our economy. >> can you tell me a little bit

more about that? if we're looking 10, 20, 30 years down the line with this group of young people getting this start in the workforce, how will that impact society at large? >> well, we're just going to have a lot of workers out there who have a lot less experience. it has been shown when you graduate school to enter a recession you could have wages that are 10%, 15% lower and even a decade therefore. you'll see a lot fewer people working and a lot lower income for young people unless we can turn this around. >> what is the best advice professional advice for millennials right now. should they go to school longer or get involved in volunteer programs? how do you start your professional life in a climate like this? >> right. getting early work experience is really important. so, any internships or early jobs that you can do while you're in school, absolutely vital. and skills and education are more important for this generation than they've ever been before. so, you have to get some kind of credential after high school. young man graduating high school

today is going to earn about 75 cents on a dollar of what his dad did back in 1980 with just that high school degree. so, essential to get some education skill after high school and get some work experience. >> all right, policy director for the young invincibles offering some very valuable advice. thank you for your time this afternoon. >> thank you, mara. amelia earhart takes flight. amelia rose earhart. following in her relative's footsteps. the 30-year-old weather and traffic anchor for kusa in denver will fly around the world next summer. her two-week, 100-hour flight will trace the route taken by the elder earhart before she disappeared over the south pacific. >> when i think about the best way to honor, being a namesake of amelia, it's all about adventure. not a lot of things we're entitled to in life. we're entitled to developing our own adventure whether it's leaving the house or flying all

the way around the world. my best way to keep amelia's spirit alive. [ male announcer ] ah... retirement. sit back, relax,

pull out the paper and what? another article that says investors could lose tens of thousands of dollars in hidden fees on their 401(k)s?! seriously? seriously. you don't believe it? search it. "401(k) hidden fees." then go to e-trade and roll over your old 401(k)s to a new e-trade retirement account. we have every type of retirement account. none of them charge annual fees and all of them offer low cost investments. why? because we're not your typical wall street firm that's why. so you keep more of your money.

e-trade. less for us. more for you. welcome back to msnbc, the place for politics. i'm mara schiavocampo. nancy pelosi fielded questions from reporters yesterday during her weekly press briefing, but she had a question of her own for nbc news producer frank thorpe. >> are you concerned at all that time is running out considering how much effort is going to be dedicated to these fiscal fights for immigration to pass out of the house this year. >> i'll answer that if you tell us about your glasses. >> they're google glasses. >> but what are we doing with all this right now? >> this is being filmed and also being filmed by those cameras, as well. >> no, it's good. >> thorpe has been wearing

google glass to note his experience covering capitol hill. d.c. intern beetle holloway reached out to politico a mustache caucus. he makes a solid argument. look at his list of top ten mustaches in congress. hallway closes his pitch to politico saying, "i think you would agree this needs to happen and i urge you to seek comment from them." senate debate got heated this week when open mike moment harry reid let colleagues know he how he really felt. >> madam president -- >> sit down and shut up. >> if you think that was heated. consider a few highlights of lawmakers behaving badly around the rest of the world. an all-out brawl in taiwanese parliament complete with punches and water throwing all over a debate about nuke nuclear power. these two women in korea decided to use their fists to

help get their words across. and some lawmakers in the ukraine packed a parliamentary punch. they threw rotten eggs at this speaker who had an umbrella handy to defend himself. finally it's the song of the summer and now a republicanidation with grade school instruments thanks to jimmy fallon. check out this new version of robin thicke's "blurred lines." ♪ ♪ hey, hey, hey ♪ i know you want it i know you want it ♪ yep, there i am with flo. hoo-hoo! watch it! [chuckles] anyhoo, 3 million people switched to me last year, saving an average of $475. [sigh] it feels good to help people save... with great discounts like safe driver, multicar, and multipolicy.

so call me today. you'll be glad you did. cannonbox! [splash!] like shin splints... over here. or runner's knee... ah. i recommend dr. scholl's active series insoles with triple zone protection to help reduce pain from three sports injuries. i can feel the difference. i'm a believer ! dr. scholl's active series. i'm a believer.

we're keeping an eye on new developments overseas. the state department putting a priority on safety. closing 22 embassies caconsulates in the middle east and arab region and issuing a worldwide travel alert. live reports from kabul and cairo coming up at the top of

the hour. well examine back to msnbc, i'm mara schiavocampo. the tainted salads that made hundreds sick originated at a vegetable processing plant. those salads were sold at olive garden and red lobster restaurants. the u.s. supreme court says california will have to follow a lower court's order and reduce the state's prison inmate population by about 10,000 convicts this year. appeal on the merits of the case. if you're in one of these 12 states right now a sales tax free weekend for items raging from school supplies to clothing to computers. an annual tradition to help families get the ball rolling on back to school shopping. edward snowden is getting used to his new life outside the moscow airport. his lawyer says he's exhausted and misses his girlfriend and still hasn't decided what he wants to do next. jim maceda joins with the very

latest on the nsa leaker and his life ahead. >> hi, there, mara. edward snowden has, it would appear, settled into his new russian life as quietly as he spent most of his almost six weeks ined is that transit zone inside moscow's airport. so quiet, in fact, that some paparazzi and journalists who were apparently stalking him all that time are calling it anticlimatic. the only information we're actually getting about snowden is coming from his lawyer anatoly kucherena. he found a place to stay, an undisclosed location in moscow. he is keen to learn the russian language and culture and looking, according to kucherena, for a job as a human rights activist. he's also giving up, apparently, on the idea of seeking asylum in any latin american country. that means that he's probably

taking the advice of his father, lonnie snowden who told me in an interview we did on thursday from washington, d.c., that if he were his son, he would stay here in russia and make a life of it because it's a strong country, he said, that could resist extreme u.s. pressure to actually to hand his son over to face a trial on espionage charges. meanwhile, official russian reaction to snowden is gaining a temporary one-year asylum here has been muted to say the least. there's been absolutely no word from president vladimir putin on the subject. the kremlin, perhaps, waiting to see how the obama administration reacts. it's interesting to note, mara, that even as some u.s. politicians are calling for strong reaction, a strong retaliation like trade sanctions and some are calling for boycotting the upcoming winter olympics in sochi very quietly behind the scenes on friday mike mcfauld, the u.s. ambassador

here had a meeting with a top kremlin official about snowden's status and a whole range of thorny issues including syria. these two countries really know that they need each other and some analysts now are saying that we might see a cancellation of that one-on-one meeting between presidents putin and obama here in moscow scheduled just before the g-20 early next month. but besides that, very little more is expected. mara, back to you. >> jim maceda in moscow, thanks so much, jim. this week marked a historic milestone where same-sex couples began exchanging vows as same-sex marriage became legal in both states. this on the heels of a global shift in perception on gay rights. on his way back from brazil earlier this week pope francis said he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation. in a mixture of english and italian, if someone is gay and searches for the lord and has good will, who am i to judge?

including new york cardinal timothy dolan position has not changed, but is this a new opening between the church and gay community. sharon groebs is the director of the religion and faith campaign and she joins me now with more. sharon, thanks for being here. >> thank you. >> the pope's comments don't change public policy but change the tone of the discussion. how do you think this affects the childrenurch's relationship does it? >> it makes a difference and my hope is this will be a an opening. the pope opened a door when he said, who am i to judge? the question is whether or not the catholic hierarchy will actually walk through that door. >> what do you mean by that? what is it you would like to see come from this moment? >> right. so, what i'd really like to see is for the catholic church, particularly, the hierarchy of

the catholic church to actually live into this notion of who am i to judge? you know, we've witnessed in 2013 the people that have been fired for issues and schools and other locations. and catholic schools. and it's, that seems to me to contradict this notion of notion i am not a judge. i would like to see at the very least for an actual discussion about how we can live into this, this statement that he made. >> you know, it's intring that this made so much news because the pope is essentially saying what jesus says in the bible which is, fundamentally christian message of love the sinner, hate the sin. but still a big departure from his predecessor. your group issued a statement and response about the hate the sin part. as long as millions of lgbt catholic individuals, couples and youth alike are told in churches big and small that their lives and their families

are disordered and sinful because of how they are born how god made them, then the church -- >> the shift that the pope has made recently with this notion of, do not judge. which we have actually done some research on and has shown that that -- it's kind of like hitting the pause button. it's a place for those who are conflicted about what their church is teaching them and what they know in their hearts. it gives an opportunity for them to actually be on a journey and reflect on this without, without doing substantial harm. so, we, we are not approaching the statement that the pope made with rose colored glasses. i mean, the intent was limited, he was not intending that to be for anyone beyond celibate priests. however, the extent that that will have a particular outcome, i think, across the globe, is

substantial. >> turning now to another related issue on friday secretary of state john kerry announced a new visa policy in response to the supreme court's decision to strike down the defense of marriage act. let's take a quick listen. >> today the state department, which has always been at the forefront of equality and the federal government, i'm proud to say, is tearing down an unjust and unfair barrier that for too long stood in the way of same-sex families being able to travel as a family to the united states. >> how significant do you think this development is for same-sex couples? >> it's enormously significant. this is just one, one issue amu among many where we're seeing a shift in this culture and we're recognizing the full humanity of couples' when you look at the kind of just pain and torture in

some ways that couples have had to go through when people have been separated. when couples have been separated because of prejudice. >> on the one hand it seems like a lot of momentum towards lbgt rights like we just heard from secretary of state kerry and what we heard from the supreme court, but we can't forget dozens of states that have restrictions the other way. how would you rate the current state of gay rights in this country? >> sure. i think we're at a tipping point. we're -- we've crossed over, but there's an enormous amount of work to be done. >> okay. we'll have to leave that as the final word. sharon groves with the human rights campaign. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. we should note that msnbc network nbc universal who broadcast the olympic game in sochi because there is some controversy, a statement about

that. nbc universal strongly supports equal rights and the fair treatment of all people and the spirit of the olympic games is about unifying people and countries through the celebration of sport and it is our hope that spirit will prevail. we'll be right back. ecay and ba? [ exhales deeply ] [ male announcer ] well there is biotene. specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants, biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy, too. [ applause ] biotene -- for people who suffer from dry mouth.

biotene -- okay, a? b? b. a? that's a great choice. let me show you some faucets to go along with that. with the latest styles and guaranteed low prices, you can turn the bath you have into the bath you want. good choice.

more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, this abbey vanity combo is a special buy. just $299. a dramatic shift may be under way in the where and when people are choosing to live. many are noticing their neighbors are saying good-bye to suburban living. but where are they going and why? you might just be surprised. suburbia, the proverbial american dream with its white picket fences and leave it to beaver innocence. >> here we are. >> reporter: but that dream may have lost its luster. after more than 60 years, families who once fled to the suburbs are now trying to escape or avoid them altogether, says author lee gallagher. >> we're in the middle of a major fundamental shift. >> reporter: a radical new housing trend is under way says gallagher and pretty soon a lot more families may be living like

this by choice. >> this is our daughter's room. it's really small, but we've made it work. >> reporter: a two bedroom city apartment for a family of four. but the dailies wouldn't have it any other way. >> it's for the kids, too. they don't have a yard, but they get to walk home from a celtics game. >> reporter: when many of their friends left the city to raise families in suburbia, they said, no thanks. urban is our scene and we're staying put raising our two kids in downtown boston's financial district. >> they have endurance and street smarts. >> reporter: in fact, they're part of the future landscape according to lee gallagher's new book, "the end of the suburbs." >> everything you can possibly measure is pointing to this idea that we are not expanding any more into suburbia and people want a different solution. people want more neighborhoods and they want more community. >> reporter: she moved back into downtown seattle after she tried

suburban life in nearby bellevue. >> overall, i just missed the energy and the bustle and just the pulse of being part of something. >> reporter: grueling commutes, waning car culture and a sense of isolation are fueling the suburban rejection, according to gallagher. so what is it that people do want? >> what people want is really a sense of liveliness and neighborhood identity and community. >> reporter: of the estimated 132 million homes across the country, about 80% are in metropolitan regions and of that 80%, more than half are in the suburbs. but for the first time in almost a century, our largest cities are growing at a faster rate than the suburbs. metro areas with 5 million plus people saw double-digit downtown population growth between 2000 and 2010, according to the u.s. census. >> sort of like proximity is the new location, location, location. access, access, access. people want to be near the things they want to do and the future is going to look very

different. >> reporter: that future is what denise and gary gibson are seeking by selling their oversize six bedroom suburban chicago home. >> we felt it was a good time for us to transition. >> reporter: down sizing to move their family from long grove to libertiville. granted from one suburb to another, but to a brand-new suburban, urban street development with a nostallgic close-knit design. this is why. community and camaraderie driven by proximity. >> the old front porch bringing back the neighborhood. >> good old neighborhood feel. >> moving on, the big 1-0. mario martinez turned 10 on wednesday, but he didn't want a new x-box or a bike, he wanted to help the hungry. so, instead of gifts, mario told his friends to donate money to their local food bank in wichita, kansas. >> some their fridge is empty and hardly anything in their cabinet. one day just decide, why not?

i already got all the stuff i need. >> well, in all, the birthday boy raised over $100, which came as a touching surprise to the food bank employees and to mario's own mom. >> just heartwarming. i mean, of all the things this kid could ask for and he didn't want anything. he's got what he wanted, he just wanted to help people. >> if a 10-year-old can do this, what else can the rest of us do? just can't wait to see what he does next. is the better choice , he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of president kennedy. the subsequent investigation found that a lone gunman assassinated the president. reexamines the kennedy assassination. based on "mortal error" the shot

that killed jfk. joining me now is the book's author, thank you for being here this afternoon. >> thanks for having me. >> now, bonner, the commission that investigated the assassination found that the shots that killed president kennedy and wounded governor connally were fired from the sixth floor window at the southeast corner of the texas school book depository. the shots which killed president kennedy and wounded governor connally were fired by lee harvey oswald. tell me about your theory. >> that's correct. my book was based on the investigation by baltimore gunsmith and firearms expert who spent 25 years looking at the evidence from the assassination. initially he set out to initially verify the conclusions, but pretty quickly

some anomalies developed with respect to the head shot from a ballistic and forensic standpoint. and based on those discrepancies, it was clear to him that there was no possible way that lee harvey oswald could have fired the shot that struck kennedy in the head. so, as a result, he began to try to determine where that bullet might have come from and ultimately concluded that the only logical explanation was an accidental discharge from an ar-15 rifle handled by a secret service agent in the vehicle immediately behind the presidential limousine. >> another theory isn't new, it's been around for a few decades. have you or the filmmakers that you worked with found any new evidence to support these conclusions? >> well, really, the film is about two investigations. it's about donahue's 25-year investigation and the evidence that he developed in the conclusions he reached. and then it also includes the

work done by a retired australian homicide detective by the name of colin mclaren who read the book 20 years ago when it came out. was intrigued by the conclusions and decided about four years ago to dig back into it as a cold case. essentially reviewed all available witness testimony. and other evidence from the house committee selection of 1977 and developed a lot of additional information that collaborates donahue's theory. >> we asked the secret service for comment on this and they referred to us the war commission. do you think this case is closed or people out there who are still open to other theories? >> well, you know, there is certainly a lot of people that don't necessarily buy the official explanation.

there is evidence that suggests it could not have been true. again, howard donahue looking specifically at the ballistics evidence was virtually certain that head shot could not have been fired by lee harvey oswald. the secret service i don't know what they're going to tell you other than the fact that the conclusions are correct unless they had a change of heart. >> we'll have leave it there. we'll hear a lot more about that this being the 50th year aof th assassination. go ahead, sir. >> people can make up their own mind, but they should try to tune in to reels network on november 3rd. the documentary will run then. and second edition should be available on amazon by the first of september and, you know, people need to look at donahue's evidence. he was, he was an honest man who

made a good faith effort and he was extremely, i think, observant in ways that others weren't. he was able to assemble information. sometimes seemingly contradictory in a comprehensive, coherent and plausible scenario. and i think the american people deserve to hear what he had to say. >> all right, like you said, people can watch and make up their own minds. author of "mortal error." thank you for your time. >> thanks for having me. up next, game over, the deadline is looming. for alex rodriguez to settle on suspensions for allegedly using performance enhancing drugs. the negotiations are under way right now. and smart snooping. security holes are leaving tv factories and nuke lnuclear powr plants under attack. called "black hat." ♪

"first day of my life" by bright eyes you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen.

good afternoon. i'm mara schiavocampo and here what is hap pg right now. . closing more than 20 embassies. we're on the ground in cairo and kabul. >> you can if you want use this entire interview to talk about the scandal. look, i know it's out there. i did these things. at what point do i get to say let's talk about the issues important to the city of new york? combattled comments. anthony weiner speaks out in a new one-on-one interview. hear what else he had to say. >> there is a process. i'm excited about the way i feel tonight and i'm going to keep fighting. >> and a-rod is still swinging. the yankee hits a homer last night while taking shots at the yankees. now, the countdown for him to accept a punishment for his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. we begin this hour with high alert.

president obama continues to receive updates on the potential terror threat coming from the arabian peninsula. we know 22 u.s. embassies and consulates closed tomorrow and a global travel alert for americans. now, interpoll is joining these warnings issuing its own global authority alert. we have two reports right now. starting with amen in cairo. what is the very latest happening where you are? >> good afternoon, mara. two different events unfolding here in cairo. one the security risk imposed to the u.s. embassy and the measures they're taking to thwart any security breach additional police patrols and a heightened security presence overall. the u.s. embassy here in egypt, rather, is accustomed to security risks because of the political volatility of the country and especially what it's going through. the u.s. embassy in recent months has been the target of several street demonstrations. sometimes that have been very

violent right at its doorstep. as a result of that, it has put in place a lot of additional security, including blast walls and diverting traffic from in and around the area of the embassy compound. but, more importantly, the political environment here has one that has often targeted the u.s. government. that is because both sides of the political divide, those that support the ouster of president morsi and the islam backers of the president have accused the u.s. in meddling in affairs and accused of siding with the wrong side in this. u.s. officials under the pressure of the political environment and now this recent terrorist-related threat that has emerged in recent days. against that backdrop street demonstrations are still continuing by supporters of the ousted president demanding that he be reinstated. right now the deputy secretary of state william burns is holding talks here in cairo with representatives from both the interim government and representatives of the coalition to try and broker some kind of deal, if you will, that can save

off any attempt by police or the military in breaking up these protests in a violent way. mara? >> an awful lot happening in egypt. ayman, thanks for that report. a bombing today near the indian consulate. killed at least eight people, many of them children. suicide bombers drove a car into the checkpoint near the consulate. atia is live in kabul. do we think this was connected at all to the terror threat against u.s. embassies? >> hi, there, mara. we don't think it's connected to the current global threat issued by the u.s. and interpoll as you just mentioned. this is just continuous terrorism inside afghanistan. the indian embassy has been attacked in the past. this is one of the first incidents that we heard of in eastern afghanistan at their consulate. that being said, the u.s. embassy here under that same warning that the other 22 embassies and consulates are under at the moment. what their precautions are the

normal precautions they take when they go on lockdown. they are on lockdown quite often compared to other u.s. embassies around the globe. they will have restricted movement. embassy vehicles not leaving the compound and that meetings coming in from outside the compound and staff has been asked not to come into work tomorrow. the last huge attack we saw on the embassy, a complex attack that took place in september of 2011. we saw insurgents holding up in an abandon building nearby targeting the embassy compound and throwing rockets and firing off their weapons. the u.s. embassy here on very high alert and they're taking the threat very seriously, but they already have their own lock down procedures and they will be following it by the book. they still don't know if they're going to be locked down for just tomorrow or for the days to come. mara? >> atia in afghanistan, thank you so much for that. for more on the terror threats, let's bring in former

u.s. ambassador and served for middle east policy and david rhode author of the new book "beyond war" which examines america's role in a middle changing east. thank you both for being here this afternoon. >> thanks. >> david, i want to start with you. these closures of these embassies have been called unprecedented. what kind of information would lead to a response like this? >> i think it is something very significant. some kind of intercepts from senior al qaeda leaders and no warning since the killing of osama bin laden in may of 2011. something serious they've heard. i also think this is the reaction of the benghazi scandal. the administration does want to look like it's lax on security and not being aggressive enough. i think they're also being very, very broad in terms of shutting down so many embassies to be careful politically. >> if something else were to happen, of course, a lot of people critical of not having done enough. mark, i want to turn to you on this. we heard a lot over the last

decade about how much al qaeda has been weakened by the war on terror, but does this contradict that? do these closures suggest they are stronger than we've been led to believe? >> i don't want to say it's contradicted and david has put his finger on it. the fact of the matter is we've always known despite the killing of osama bin laden that there's been a series of franchise organizations directly related to al qaeda. they've been in the caucuses in the north africa and the al qaeda which committed attacks in amgeria, as well as in libya. there have been, of course, the granddaddy of these franchise groups. al qaeda and the arabian peninsula where the continuous secret shadowy drone wars continue as we speak against terrorists. just the other day the u.s. drone strike took out a series of al qaeda operatives and now we something we never wanted to see again.

al qaeda in iraq has resurrected itself and more al qaeda operatives in syria. and then, just within the last 24 hours, mara, the dr. evil of al qaeda, the number two who's still alive and needs to be dead issued a statement after several years calling on attacks on united states. so, there's a confluence of circumstances, including the end of ramadan to make this a very unholy period for american diplomacy. >> now, let's turn to the middle east peace talks which took place earlier this week in palestine. let's take a listen. >> we're here today because the israeli people and the palestinian people both have leaders willing to heed the call of history. leaders who will stand strong in the face of criticism and are right now for what they know is in their people's best interests. their commitment to make tough

choices, frankly, should give all of us hope that these negotiations actually have a chance to accomplish something. >> now, david, you were with secretary kerry on his trip to the region in june. with everything else that's happening there, with egypt, with syria, why is the administration taking this on now? this is always a monumental challenge. >> it's a good question. really kerry himself, personally. i talked to other people in the white house, as well. from the beginning when he came into office in january, he wanted to push this and kerry feels he can somehow make a breakthrough. egypt they have bill burns, the deputy secretary of state there. the u.s. is very unpopular. so, some criticize this. i think it's a good step by kerry. i'm not sure it's going to work. good for the israelis in the short term. they didn't want the palestinians pushing in september for an independent state. abbas has gotten 104 prisoners released and now set a timetable for nine months of negotiations. i don't think it will work, it never seems to work but i give

kerry credit for pushing so hard and making these talks start again. >> mark, you know about dipl diplomacy in this region and hamas is not included because of their refusal to announce violence, but a strong political voice in that region. a lot of people in the palestinian territories feel hamas speaks to them. how does that play into peace talks in the region? >> basically carved out of this. they're not going to participate and the fact is they are increasingly, believe it or not, mara, very unpopular right now in gaza where they rule. there's an increasingly distress over the way in which they have managed their responsibilities in gaza. so, yet, at the same time, has not stood for re-election in almost five years. in so far as to who actually speaks for the palestinian people needs to ultimately be resolved before these talks get to where they are. echo what david said. the secretary of state john kerry deserves a lot of credit. let me just add, let's not forget that in a moment where

american foreign policy is having extraordinarily challenges in the middle east, the fact that this particular negotiations offers a ray of hope in an area where israel faces so much instability on its borders, it's a very good investment of foreign policy right now. >> all right, thank you, both, for your insights on these important issues. thank you, both. >> thanks. >> sure. good to be with you. coming up, a witness in the bulger case found murdered. why investigationer now say the death is not related to the mobster's trial. first, iran's first new president in eight years will be inaugurated in just eight hours. a new opening for relations with the west? we're live in tehran. one last look at the cleveland house of horrors. what happened when survivor michelle knight returned to the scene. this is msnbc. how much protein

does your dog food have? 18 percent? 20? new purina one true instinct has 30. active dogs crave nutrient-dense food. so we made purina one true instinct. learn more at purinaone.com

>> i am going to say this. there is more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. that's not my teammates and that's not the yankee fans. >> who is it? who benefits? >> i can't tell you. i can't tell you that right now and i hope i never have to. >> you think that's a factor in what's going on? >> i'll let you decide that. alex rodriguez isn't going down without a fight. telling reporters he's ready to return to the yankees' lineup as early as monday but major league baseball is expected to step in publicly with a major suspension in the next 48 hours. let's bring in nbc sports rob and bob nightiknighten gale. thanks for both being here. >> thank you. >> i want to start with you and the nuts and bolts of the situation. what is happening behind the

scene scenes right now. >> right now major league baseball has presented alex rodriguez as well as a number of other players with a discipline that baseball plans to impose. and the players have until tomorrow night to get back to major league baseball as to whether they're going to appeal that discipline or accept the discipline and, so, we do expect an announcement by major league baseball on monday of what sort of discipline exactly alex rodriguez and several other players who have been caught up in this biogenesis scandal will face. >> now, bob, a-rod is facing much tougher penalties than some of the other players involved in this case. why is that? >> they believe that he's been lying for years, mara. and also that he tried to impede the investigation by buying documents by the director of biogenesis, tony bosh. they're trying to get him for all that. they're telling him, you better take this 215-game suspension right now or we may impose a

lifetime ban on you. and right now he's resisting everything. we'll see if he would accept a smaller penalty, but baseball isn't budging and he's not budging. everybody else in this case will get 50 games and they're trying to get at least 215 for him. >> just to piggy back on that thought, does it have anything to do with his star power and making an example of a really big name? >> no, they can't do that. but he's been in the office as for years with different doctors, gambling pro with poker games and he's asked that question for years. have you taken performance enhancing drugs and he always said no. so, they believe he's been lying since 2009. the big thing is trying to obstruct this whole investigation by buying off documents and coercing witnesses not to speak. >> rodriguez is trying to say this is a creative way to get him out of his contract. do you think there is any truth to that? >> the quote you played from

alex rodriguez from yesterday. that other party he is referring to or more than one party that he benefits, he's talking about new york yankees. the team that is currently paying him. this year they have $9 million left to pay him and $25 million on his contract next year. and just about $100 million left on a contract that they signed him to five years ago. a-rod, essentially, is implying that the yankees have a lot to gain from him being suspended. because in baseball, contracts are guaranteed. the only way you can really get out of that obligation is if he is suspended for a lengthy period of time or perhaps for life. the bad feelings between a-rod and the yankees really right on display in that quote you played from a-rod. >> i want to put you on the spot a little bit, rob. do you think there's any truth to them perhaps trying to get out of this for other reasons? >> well, i don't think that really the yankees are a factor at this point, as far as major league baseball decisions are concerned. baseball is making its decisions

based on what it thinks really is best for baseball. you have to remember bud selig, the commissioner of baseball, he knows that right now his legacy is going to be defined by steroids. he was the commissioner during the steroids era. he wants to be known the commissioner who got steroids out of baseball and not the commissioner that presided over steroids in baseball. he is fighting for his legacy here and he wants to send a strong message that baseball is going to take a hard line against players who not just use steroi steroids, but in the case of alex rodriguez, cover it up quite elaborately, which is what he has done in this case. >> bob, in yesterday's game a rehab game in the minor leagues. a mammoth home run from a-rod. he said he hopes to play five more seasons, at least. he says he still has a lot of game left in him. do you think potentially kicking him out of the game for life fits the crime he is accused of? >> well, he needs to be kicked

out of the game for life, but his thing is, if i get suspected through 2014 season, that's two straight years i'm off. i had hip surgeries twice in the last four years. no way i can come back at 39 1/2 and be productive. right now, to be honest, he's better than anything they have and they could use him. they prefer not to pay that money. i think the yankees would rather have the three of us play third base than a-rod just to get out of that contract. >> maybe you two, not me. >> they don't want to use him at that price. a-rod is not worth that kind of money. another third baseman at a fraction of the price that they have to pay a-rod. >> not like the yankees are hurting for money, let's be honest. but in terms of the game itself, rob, is it good for the game? >> he's a superstar player and kids look up to him and a lot of fans love him. is it good for the game to get rid of the big-name players and it might not be a ban for life,

but like bob pointed out, is he really going to come back in two years and be a player? >> mara, what is bad for the game of baseball is that we have been talking about this now for ten years. we have been talking about steroids more than we've been talking about who has been winning and losing on the field. you know, about a week ago they had the hall of fame induction ceremony in cooperstown, new york. not a single living player inducted into baseball's hall of fame and the reason is because all the players who have stacks that are worthy of being inducted are all suspected, one way or another of using steroids. this is a terrible situation for baseball. it's got its biggest records and its biggest stars over the last ten years all tied up in this steroids era and a-rod maybe the last to fall, who knows. what would be good when we're talking about something besides steroids when it comes to baseball. >> bob, do you think all these efforts to rid the game of steroids have been effective? is baseball cleaner now than it was before all of this started? >> it's definitely cleaner.

steroids going in baseball since the late '80s. been around for a long time. for a long time everybody looked the other way when a guy got caught, that's a tough break. i'm still doing my stuff and now, though, the culture in the clubhouse has completely changed. players are very upset now when guys are still using stuff and getting caught. i've never seen players turn on one of their own like they have with ryan braun where guys are saying he should be banned for life. he should have his contract voided. we never would have saw that even two years ago. so, it is a cleaner game. and i think, you know, probably less than 2% of guys are doing something now in baseball. they've spent more money on this investigation than they have in every investigation in the history of the sport. >> thank you, both, for your insights on this. you're willing to play third base for much less than a-rod. thanks for your time. >> thank you. >> thank you. well, it turns out that sorry was not enough for the philadelphia eagles riley cooper. the wide receiver has been

excused from all team activities after he was caught on tape saying the n-word at a kenny chesney concert. the eagles are making cooper take the time off to seek counseling and gave no details on when he might be allowed back on the field. cooper delivered a formal apology for his actions on wednesday. >> this is, you know, kind of the lowest of lows. you know, this isn't the type of person i want to be portrayed as. this isn't the type of person that i am. and i'm just extremely sorry. a? that's a great choice. let me show you some faucets to go along with that. with the latest styles and guaranteed low prices, you can turn the bath you have into the bath you want. good choice. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, this abbey vanity combo is a special buy. just $299. a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat.

the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes.

do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com.

hosni mubarak once america's great ally called locked in a metal cage. flashback to this day in 2011 when egypt's former president hosni mubarak rolled into a cairo courtroom on a stretcher creating a spectacle on the first day of his criminal trial. accused of conspiring to kill unarmed demonstrators the ailing

mubarak was charge as an accomplice and sentenced to life in prison. egypt's longest of power before his trial, hundreds of thousands of people fled to the streets of cairo calling for his resignation. two years later, a similar situation unfolds with the ouster of mohamed morsi as violent clashes between police and protesters have claimed dozens of lives. iran's new president officially took office today in a symbolic show of the handover, mahmoud ahmadinejad handed it over to the supreme leader who then gave it to the new president. promised a new constructive interaction with the world. tough sanctions have left iran increasingly isolated because it refuses to end its nuclear program. live in tehran, this new leader is described as a moderate, does that give iran any hope for change here? >> well, mara, it's given people a little cause for hope here.

they're not overwhelmingly hopeful but people believe he might be the man to change things but he has a huge task on his hands. inheriting an economy partly because it was mismanaged by his predecessor and part of these tough sanctions that are being put on iran. deliver on the economy. externally, there's a huge amount of pressure for him to deliver on the nuclear issue and i think he's going to have a very short period of time to come up with the goods. he's going to have a very, very short honeymoon period and then a lot of people have expectations from him internally and externally. we were walking out on the streets in tehran and asking young people if they were hopeful that he has become president and they were very cautiously hopeful. they thought he was better than the other candidate, but they thought this is going to be a really, really tough challenge for him because of how bad the

economy is and how bad relations are with the west. mara? >> all right, live in tehran, thanks so much. up next, cyberwar fare. where hackers are showing off their skills and security experts are looking for new defenses. and what the nsa chief says about threats from leakers like edward snowden. you're watching msnbc. hey linda!

what are you guys doing? having some fiber! with new phillips' fiber good gummies. they're fruity delicious! just two gummies have 4 grams of fiber! to help support regularity! i want some... [ woman ] hop on over! [ marge ] fiber the fun way, from phillips'.

the scheduled implosion in bakersfield, california, goes terribly wrong. one of the spectators lost his leg after a piece of shrapnel from an old power plant shot across a nearby parking lot. the injured residents were several hundred yards away from the demolition zone. welcome back to msnbc, i'm mara schiavocampo. some of the top stories making news right now. a 69-year-old massachusetts resident has been arrested in the connection of steven rakes found dead days after prosecutors told him he would not be a witness in the bulger

trial. police believe moody acted alone, poisoning rakes iced coffee. closing arguments in the whitey bulger trial are expected next week. ariel castro is beginning his prison sentence in isolation. ohio officials say the current quarters are for castro's safety and will stay that way until a long-term placement is agreed upon. michelle knight followed up her brave remarks directed at castro this week by returning to seymour street thanking residents for their support. knight was imprisoned for over a decade. well, edward snowden is making international headlines and getting a lot of buzz among the men and women working in the cybersecurity field. >> this is black hat. one of the biggest cybersecurity and hacker conferences in the country and it's the first major hacker conference since the edward snowden, nsa revelations.

that's been the number one topic here at the conference among the hackers and cybersecurity experts who are attending this week. we saw a presentation from the head of the nsa general keith alexander earlier this week. afterwards we were able to catch up with him in a back hallway and ask him about what his reactions were? >> do you think he should come back and face charges here? >> i do, absolutely. >> what do you think will happen to him? >> that's up to our juadditional process. i think he'll get justice. >> you want the russians to let him go? >> ababsolutely. >> but i've got to tell you, all sorts of very scary things on display here. a lot of these guys are doing hacks to fry try to figure out can be done as infrastructure and patch those before any bad guy hackers get into them. a demonstration earlier this week involving oil pipelines and how hackers could get into the sensors that tell whether an oil

pipeline is open or closed and spoof the operators of those pipelines to think the valves are open when, in fact, they're actually closed. that could cause an explosive leak in a pipeline. we also talked to some folks who said they could do a similar thing by spoofing the temperature controls at power plants, including nuclear power plants. that could cause a meltdown or something catastrophic here in the united states. they say they want to find all these things now and patch them before anything dangerous actually happens. back to you. >> all right, that was cnbc reporting. now, let's get right to our brain trusts. host of "wake up call" bob franken simulated columnist and matt welch at reason magazine. thank you for being here. >> good afternoon. >> so, ester, i want to start with you. we heard about this state department warning that they have shut down the 22 embassies across the middle east. what does this tell us about the global war of terror or the state we're in right now? >> certainly, we had this notion

that the war on terror was minimized especially after the killing of osama bin laden. this has been described as the most serious threat since 9/11. i think the thing that is interesting to me is notions of the definition of spichk becaus because 22 embassies were closed on friday and this major alert starts but goes all the way through the month of august. also a travel alert. britain is now telling its citizens it's now closed its embassy in yemen and telling its citizens to leave. the question about exactly what the threat is is still an unanswered space. so, the idea that it's a specific threat and, yet, we don't know what that is is kind of a question between how much information should we as the public have and how much is the administration holding back and why. >> bob, we've heard a lot about edward snowden and the debates about releasing certain classified information on intelligence gathering. but is this a real world

scenario where we're looking at what the potential benefits of those intelligence operations are. i mean, could things like this be threatened if operations like the ones that edward snowden revealed are stopped? >> well, as a matter of fact, you bring up an interesting subject and let's talk about the elephant in the room and that is the skepticism on the part of some that this is a bit of a contribance that is supposed to make the argument that all this intrusive surveillance that we've been hearing so much about which was revealed by snowden that it's necessary. the indication would seem to be, however, that this has credibility. first of all, you have the end of ramadan and entering what we'll call the 9 september 11th season. this seems to be a credible threat, but going to raise the issue about whether this kind of surveillance that we have been spending so much time talking about is necessary. >> but do you think that this will have an actual impact on how the public feels about this? is this a reminder of, whoa, we

are in a dangerous world and maybe we have to do things that we're uncomfortable with to keep us safe. >> i suspect the people in the intelligence community are going to be making that point. some people believe that as a result this has been a bit made up but too many indications that maybe it has not been. >> matt, you know, in september it will mark a year and how much of this do you think is response to what we learned from that attack in which four americans were killed. >> they might be more willing to talk about perceived threat ahead of time feeling like they weren't listened to enough. there was actually quite a lot of chatter before the september 11th, too. issues and warnings issued by the state department and other people back then. i think in terms of nsa and snowden and all this is the thing we have to remember is we have to take the administration's word for it. true under bush and cheney and true under obama. what we're seeing increasingly is a broad base skepticism. plenty of skepticism on the orange and red alerts and all of

that back then. so we don't really know and all administrations have in the past distorted or exaggerated the extent to which all these fancy new tools were responsible for preventing this attack and that attack. we don't know whether they're relying on the more controversial aspects of their spying program to detect it. we just don't know and we have to take their word for it and americans are getting increasingly skeptical taking anybody's word for it right now. >> the trouble is because of that you think of the legislation that has come post the terror threat and it's always about the continued erosion of our civil liberties and that we should co-sign that on the basis is that is what is going to keep us safe. so, the presence of the threat creates this kind of collective, this kind of collective significant yes. we will accept whatever you're

telling us because we're all under threat and significant tool in passing legislation that is really problematic. the broad skepticism is important and it's healthy, even as we stay very kind of alert to the nature of the threat. >> let's talk about homeland security for a moment because officials are saying that there is no indication that we are under any threat here at home and that is much more of a global threat that we're facing. what does that say about homeland security and the strength of terror groups to attack us here at home and instead deciding to go for softer targets in other countries? >> i think the concern has been that the nsa and the snowden thing is the reason why we don't have the same issues here. that becomes the argument. the reason why we don't have those kind of homeland security issues is because we have an nsa. when we're arguing about there not being that kind of oversight into our private worlds, having that keeps us safe. that is the concern that that would be the argument by those intelligence officials. >> bob, you seem to agree. but i have to play devil's

advocate here. what is so wrong with that? if a certain amount of privacy lost means we are kept safe at home, why is that such a bad thing? >> well, because it's the kind of thing that can grow ex exputentially. number two widespread view that our intelligence people have not been as candid as they should be. basically in this situation all they should say is there is a threat. perhaps maybe now is the time to go as far as they can in describing the nature of the threat. a long way towards resolving some of the credibility problem that they encountered. >> you mean intelligence officials are being cagey? say it ain't so. if you can stick with me for one moment, more from you next. up next anthony weiner's one-on-one interview. >> i currently engaged in a nonexplicit online relationship. >> 100% not. >> we'll hear more of his comments. i can't wait for that one we'll

debate if that will do anything to help his campaign for mayor. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

>> when was the last time you sent a sexually explicit text or e-mail? >> at this period a year or so ago. i don't have any of the records. i deleted everything. something i put behind me. >> so, it's not going to be this year, not 2013. >> no. >> and you're not currently engaged in a nonexplicit online relationship? >> 100% not. well that was wnbc andrew sift sit-down interview with anthony weaner and we're back now with our brain trust ester and matt welch. i have to tell you guys, i love this story. i know a lot of people are tired of it, too salacious. so, ester, i want to start with

you. >> a day without weiner is a day without sunshine. >> kind of guilty. ester, i want to start with you. his campaign keeps plotting along. at this point he's humiliating his wife and making a fool of himself and the poll numbers are plummeting. why is he staying in this race? he says to talk about the issues, but that can't be it. >> he's talking about it on a daily basis. what no one else is doing is talking about any of the other candidates. we haven't heard about bill thompson or christine quinn. we have no discussion about the issues. the biggest issue is community safety act. a huge landmark trial and a major issue in the city and weiner is not talking about the issues. his numbers are going down, just told me his numbers are going down. you know, his relationship with power reminds me of john edwards.

that absolute clinging on when the whole thing is done. go already. >> completely ineffective congressman so, really, this is more about having some kind of power than anything else. bob, as we heard coming into the block, weiner did this interview with wnbc and he essentially said it's the media fault that the scandal is still a focus. let's take a listen to that sound bite. >> you can if you want use this entire interview to talk about the scandal. look, i know it's out there. i did these things. but at what point do i get to say, let me talk about the issues important to the city of new york? when do i get to say that, do you think? >> how indignant he is. so, bob, even if he really does want to talk about the issues and gets an opportunity to talk about the issues. at this point, isn't the messenger the problem? >> first of all, the answer to his question is, at what point does he get to talk about other issues maybe two or three years from now when he has gone through some sort of

rehabilitation. that's number one. by the way, i would point out that somebody on npr suggested that if weiner pulls out of the race some sort of ground swell for alex rodriguez getting in. >> probably the one guy who is more popular right now. >> the fact of the matter is, that is the issue and of course it would be the issue. it speaks to his fundamental character and although anybody can have redemption, it really has -- sort of like the alcoholic that says i've been sober for 30 minutes now. >> and, matt, i want to talk about his wife huma abedin a political force in her own right. very successful career. normally the wife is a sympathetic figure, but she's kind of tarnished a little bit at this point by standing by him, just by virtue of the fact by how slimy he seems. what effect do you think this will have on her political future? >> the most important thing about huma is that she is hillary clinton's closest confidant and has been for more

than a decade. she's an important person to who the next democratic presidential nominee is going to be. there have been legitimate inquiries about how much money she is getting from the state department versus how much she's getting over here and security clearances are overlapping. so, this, there's a reason i think why the clintons want weiner and this scandal to go away. it's unhelpful for hillary's future to have huma be dragged through all of this stuff. you brought up john edwards, which is a great comp out there and bob filner down in san diego and other people. after the fall of the binder full of women and these other kind of like usable jokes from the democratic party, this is exposing, you know, a minor category of pathology that exists or at least is just a weird coincidence among people. the democrats right now don't have a really good bench. antonio villaraigosa, is that who you're going with next? not really. nobody else besides hillary. hillary is way up here, but the

talent underneath is not impressive. the new york city mayor election right now is just kind of a joke and it would be a joke if he resigned from the race right now. that i think is a real problem. >> it is. and i think, and then the issue becomes because the issues are not a joke for new yorkers who are facing a major amount of hardships. the unemployment level is disproportionate for the latino community and huge landmark trial this year. first time we've ever seen literally in the dark. and none of these things are being discussed because sex has become kind of the campaign issue for this new york city may oral candidacy and has overtaken everything. he has a fair point. the media's refusal to talk about anything else is also problematic. >> bob, you wanted to jump in. >> just very quickly. i mean, i was quite interested in his reaction. he's presenting himself as mr. new york.

and for better or worse, obviously. but that whole indignity that he just was talking about, he was so indignant. that is so characteristically and stereo typical of new york. that is my word of the day. >> i think that was the obsession of power and the belief that because you are the person, because you're the person that should hold that office, you think anybody questioning your fitness for that office is in a front to that. that's exactly how john edwards came as he spiraled out of control with the whole scenario there. incredibly egotistic. >> exactly. that's the word of the day, the second word of the day, narcissism. >> contribe econtribed and narc. you're hearing the word narcissism from somebody who works in tv. >> bob, to ask you quickly in terms of the clintons and their relationship to this, you know,

it seems like no good option for them. if hillary distances herself it seems disloyal. if they stay they get dragged through the mud. what is the best way for them to respond? >> i think the best way to respond is put as much distance as possible. i would point out that anthony weiner's wife houma is standing by her man. like hillary clinton did when her husband was president. >> we've had this conversation before. weener is no bill clinton. >> it sounds like the old presidential debate. you are no bill clinton. >> we don't know what huma's aspirations are. there was a judgment call. i think there is a concern about

putting women on trial when it is their husbands running for office. just their choice to stay with that man becomes this whole character thing. >> allow me to make -- >> one second. the first time around she didn't go through that scrutiny. she was left alone. she was dealing with someone dealing with a private issue privately. as soon as you step out in the front of the cameras, you're fair game. so at this point she has immersed herself. >> if you can't stand the heat, stay in the kitchen. >> you did not just say stay in the kitchen. >> i don't think he meant that. >> no, no. once family members are out there, then they are fair game. >> i totally and completely agree. once get in front of a camera. >> she is an important public figure in her own right. >> we will talk about this and much more when we return. is like hammering.

riding against the wind. uphill. every day. we make money on saddles and tubes.

but not on bikes. my margins are thinner than these tires. anything that gives me some breathing room makes a difference. membership helps make the most of your cashflow. i'm nelson gutierrez of strictly bicycles and my money works as hard as i do. this is what membership is. this is what membership does.

as promised, we are going to

now at this point decide who is the winner of the biggest brain. i've decided to crown mattwell which the biggest brain. he said they approved true oversight begins with the people. has the government overstepped in its zeal for security? >> holy cow, have we not been reading the headlines? just this week the obama release ad memo saying the nsa was repry imagined by the foreign intelligence surveillance court for repeatedly breaking their own opaque rules that they don't know anything about in the way we collected data on millions and millions of americans. we're only finding out that kind of stuff because of the snowden revelations. we're only beginning to have these conversations because of that. it shows us in order to have an actual public discussion, the public needs to know. it is not enough the executive branch says aware all doing good. we have good checks and orders. trust us. that doesn't work. public attitudes are changing on

this only because the public is finally starting to know. >> if you can piggyback on that, what is the issue? is it the process taking place or just that it is taking place in secret? would this be okay if there was more disclosure? >> it would certainly be better if there was more disclosure. the secrecy breeds abuse. it is as simple as that. you can always count on the fact when authorities, whether they're law enforcement or intelligent, get power, ultimately they will abuse it. there has to be all kinds of checkpoints placed on their authority. >> and very quickly, why has congress not done more to restrict these powers? >> it's not in congress's interests. which is why it is so important that it is the revelations from snowden that enables us to have an informed discussion. it has an understanding of what it means for our daily lives. and i think it is important for the people to never say we simply trust the government, period. that oversight which is our engagement in our own democracy is really important.

>> thank you all for being here. what a lively discussion. great group. esther from wbi radio syndicated columnist, thanks for watching. we'll see you back hear tomorrow. we'll be back at 3:00 p.m. eastern. first "disrupt with karen finney." a? that's a great choice. let me show you some faucets to go along with that. with the latest styles and guaranteed low prices, you can turn the bath you have into the bath you want. good choice. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, this abbey vanity combo is a special buy. just $299.

(announcer) flavors this delicious are worth searching for. friskies. feed the senses. s president obama hits the road for jobs. congress heads home and the right wing, they're still clueless. >> this foreign born -- >> that nut case was more powerful in that room than the members of congress. >> young black americans are the most violent group in this country by far. >> their deep injustices we must address. >> racism in america. for it to be so blat abbott. >> that's right. jay-z, america is blatantly racist. that's why you're a