to get the job done. the underwater search off the coast of south korea. it shows just how difficult, how desperate the search has become. most of the nearly 300 missing are teenagers. now, hundreds of parents wait for any word. meanwhile in ukraine, there's talk of an easter truce,

but even if there is one, what happens after? >> we've been having a political fight about this for five years. we need to move on to something else. that's what the american people are interested in. >> president obama's victory lap this week was a thumb in the eye to the repeal and replace republican crowd, but it was also a not-so-subtle nudge to some in his own party. it was a really low part of my life and frustrating. really hard to comprehend that, you know, i would never have movement again. >> feelings like that could become a thing of the past. there's some new research that is truly ground breaking, and it's today's big idea. also today, a small city rallies around its high school graduates, giving them a way to reach far beyond high school for free. a whole heck of a lot to get to. i'm craig melvin. good saturday afternoon to you. we start this hour with the very latest on that ferry disaster in south korea. right now at least 32 are dead.

nearly 270 others are still missing. most of the missing are teenagers, high school students. and hope is fading fast this afternoon that anymore survivors will be found. nbc chief global correspondent bill nealy is in jindo, south korea, for us. >> reporter: hello, craig. from a place of deep sadness, sorrow, and frustration as many of the parents of these missing children are beginning to give up hope that those children might be found alive. they did, however, hear for the first time really an explanation from the captain of the ship, who was paraded before the cameras when he was arrested and formally charged. he apologized to the parents, and he explained that the reason he didn't order an early evacuation was that he feared that the passengers in their life vests, if they jumped into the water because there were no lifeboats around, he said, might just drift away. alongside him, two crew members, a 26-year-old woman who was

steering the ship at the time, was sobbing as he spoke. and beside him also, the helmsman who blamed the steering gear. well, the relatives blame the captain. remember, he was photographed abandoning his ship early and also found coming onshore with the first group of survivors. he is 69 years old and is now in custody, charged with criminal negligence. and you know, for the relatives of the missing children, this really is desperately difficult. i've just come from a gym where many of them are gathered. while they were there, an official came on stage and said that two more bodies had been found. the bodies of two young girls with long, dark hair. when he said that, there were screams from the floor of the gym. they also watched a video taken by an underwater camera of the hull of the ship. i think shown really to give them some idea of how difficult the visibility is down there. some of the parents have now

given dna and order that the children who come ashore here, the bodies can be more ready identified. but the rescue operation, at least the search operation, goes on. giant cranes have arrived at the scene to lift the ship, but this won't happen until the parents agree. right now they're not agreeing. one man i spoke to said we simply cannot give up hope, how could we? more poignant scenes at the schools where these children came from. a candle lit vigil to the children who are missing. and to the popular vice principal who organized the trip. he was on the ship with the children, and he survived. but then here he killed himself and left a very poignant message in his final note. his ashes, as he wished, have now been scattered at the site of the missing ship. terribly, terribly difficult scenes here. back to you. >> bill nealy for us in south korea. afternoon. bill, thank you. joining me now on the phone from seoul is jeff kain.

he's with global post. jeff, first of all, where does the rescue operation stand right now as we're speaking? >> well, good afternoon, craig. the rescue operations actually have been -- at least the parents have accused the rescue operations of being quite d disorganized. the government says since the waters are extremely rough and the tides are strong, they've been unable to send in divers to get further closer to the ship. for much of the time, the divers end up feeling their way around because the waters have been too murky. they have tapped on the ship, hoping if they tap on the hull, some survivors will tap back. so far, they haven't found anything. parents are losing hope there will be any survivors at this point. >> i would imagine these families, in addition to being

desperate, i would imagine they're also fairly frustrated with authorities there, no? >> oh, they're extremely frustrated. there was the incident this week when one family member of a missing child threw a water bottle at the prime minister. the frustration here runs deep. the president has come under allegations that the government has disorganized. at first, they misreported the number of people who had been rescued and reports had gone out at first that everybody was safe, everybody was off the boat. then the number -- the second number that came out was 100 people missing. finally on wednesday, the government said, actually, it's 300. it wasn't until a second day of the operation that the government set up an emergency command center to streamline the flow of information.

so there's been a lot of criticism here and a lot of frustration over what the family members see as a very disorganized response. >> geoff, thank you. ukraine today declared an easter truce as pro-russian separatists still refuse to put down their guns and leave occupied buildings. they don't seem to be budging despite a brokered deal. secretary of state john kerry announced that deal thursday in geneva. >> we agreed today that all illegal armed groups must be disarmed. that all illegally seized buildings must be returned to their legitimate owners. and all illegally occupied streets, squares, and other public places in ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated. >> but militants in the eastern region say they'll not stand

down until the new ukrainian government dissolves. david ward is here, a contributing editor at "the atlantic." you just wrote a fascinating piece for reuters on the crisis in ukraine. you claim among other things that what we're seeing now is a direct result of how we've dealt with vladimir putin over the past 15 years. you note several key points. among them, the u.s. missile shield. underestimating post-soviet russia, not paying attention, even after the fall of the soviet union. not paying attention to the fact it was still a major power. nato expansion, the war in iraq. how did all of those things combine to get us where we are now? >> the simplest thing is what happened was that we made our putin problem worse. he's not an easy guy to deal with. a lot of the fault lies with him, but we didn't pay much attention to russia. when we pushed to expand nato

first under george w. bush, we really played into his fears, these conspiracy theories that the west was trying to surround him with hostile neighbors. there's a core difference on one key issue, which is democracy. both the bush and obama administrations and maybe they should be applauded for this, will not sort of go silent on putin's repression inside russia if he'll help on, let's say, iran. so there are these core fundamental differences. there was this camaraderie first between bush and putin. then there was the reset under obama. we don't agree when it comes to democracy. and the countries that surround russia, should they be able to join nato. >> what we see as spreading as democracy, he sees as meddling. >> yes, and i think he's wrong on that. i'm not saying if we had been nice to vladimir putin, he'd be a jeffersonian democrat. but this wasn't the greatest 14 years of american policy towards russia.

we didn't pay much attention. we were kind of clumsy at times. we were arrogant at times as well. >> let's talk about what would happen should this thing continue to escalate and russia decides to move on ukraine. it would not really be much of a contest, most think, at least. ukraine's forces right now, eight to one. reserves, 28 to 1. russia has 40,000 tanks to ukraine's 3,000. russia has four more military hardware overall. what would the reality be on the ground if russia moves to annex more of ukraine? >> i think you're right. they would quickly win militarily. we're not willing to invade. you know, experts say it wouldn't make any sense. so while we haven't paid attention to russia and really haven't agreed with the europeans about what to do and when we've squabbled in our domestic politics, he's worked very consistently for 14 years to boost oil sales, get europe dependent on his gas, and rebuild his military. so we need a new forward-looking strategy about how do we contain

putin and focus on russia again. >> former defense secretary leon panetta said something this weekend i found interesting. folks in his own party starting to criticize president obama. panetta saying, quote, the president has made some tough decisions, but it's been a mixed record, and the concern is the president defining what america's role in the world is in the 21st century hasn't happened. do you agree with that assessment? do you agree with that characterization? >> i think that the president has done a better job than he's sold to the american people. there's no consistency. there's no simple kind of bullet point about what his vision is of the united states in the future. and that quote was in a story about hillary clinton. she's trying to portray herself as much more hawkish in 2016, that she was tough on iran, tough on china, supported the bin laden raid. so will president obama's foreign policy legacy hurt the democrats in the election this year and in 2016. >> will voters in 2016 want

hawkish? david, always good to see you. thank you so much for being here. reuters an "the atlantic," fascinating piece. topping saturday headlines, kansas city, missouri, police have arrested a man in connection with 12 highway shootings. 27-year-old mohammed whitaker faces 18 felony counts related to the shootings that happened on area highways between march 18th and april 6th. three people were wounded. police at this point still do not know why he did it, but they believe he acted alone. meanwhile, the white house is urging people who have accounts on healthcare.gov to change their passwords. it's in response to a review of the government's vulnerability to the heartbleed internet security flaw. the administration says at this point there's no reason to think the website has been compromised, but they're taking this step as a precaution. and the obama administration has pushed back the review period on the keystone xl pipeline. the state department says it needs more time to review the

more than 2 million public comments that have come in so far. we'll have a live report from the white house a little bit later in the broadcast. president obama's latest victory lap this week wasn't just to brag about those new enrollment numbers for the affordable care act. he was giving his party some new marching orders. we're going to talk about that. plus, the statistics are staggering. heroin now kills more in some communities than violent crime and car crashes. in just a few moments, i'll talk to former new jersey governor about what he is doing to help his state recover from addiction. also, we'll talk about why he was on stage with this guy, chris christie, this week. h to keep life balanced. i don't always have time to eat like i should. that's why i like glucerna shakes. they have slowly digestible carbs to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [male announcer] glucerna... cut! [bell rings] this...is jane. her long day on set starts with shoulder pain... ...and a choice take 6 tylenol in a day which is 2 aleve for...

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my health care plan is awesome. leave it alone. that was essentially president obama's message thursday.

>> we now know that the number of americans who have signed up for private insurance isn't the marketplaces has grown to 8 million people. 8 million people. 35% of people who enrolled through the federal marketplace are under the age of 35. >> all he didn't say there was nanny-boo-boo. good to see both of you. josh, let me start with you. how much of this was a victory lap for president obama? but how much was this about him saying, stop being such wussies? >> one, this is the president's most important policy project of his entire presidency. i think he's proud of it. i think it bothers him that it's been such a political problem for him for much of the time. so given the success, i think he wants to brag about it a little

bit. i think politically, obamacare is a mixed thing for democrats. you can pull it different ways and it pulls well or pulls poorly. the conventional wisdom is it's been an issue that drags democrats down. i think he wants to make the case, if you frame it right, it's something that can be an asset to democrats coming up into the election later this year. >> molly, president obama spoke to some of the frustration that josh just outlined. take a listen. >> we've been having a political fight about this for five years. we need to move on to something else. that's what the american people are interested in. we're helping because of something we did. i don't think we should apologize for it. i don't think we should be defensive about it. >> you asked in a story of yours earlier this month if obamacare will still be the democrats' albatross in the midterms. what kind of impact do you think it's going to have? are we going to start to see some democrats actually campaigning on obamacare? >> i don't think we're going to see that yet, but a lot of democrats have been saying to

the white house, look, we can't change people's minds about this thing if you are not out there selling it, number one. second, it's real hard to change people's minds about this thing when, you know, the koch brothers and other conservative groups are out there spending millions of dollars on ads just relentlessly making this drum beat that obamacare is terrible. and there hasn't been any countervailing push of ads from the left to say, no, it's actually helping people. so that makes it hard to change people's minds. so i think, you know, the president here is trying to speak to the american people now that they finally feel like they can breathe a little sigh of relief. the initial problems do seem to have been worked out. people are signing up for it. so to get a positive message out there. and we do see public opinion turning a little bit. it's still viewed more unfavorably than favorably by a wide margin. but first of all, could that still change and get more favorable? you know, and second of all, it's not nearly as bad as it was back in november when nobody

could sign up. >> republican national committee no surprise didn't waste any time responding to the president's move on message. on their twitter page, they responded very simply. no, no, we won't move on. we won't just move on. that's their response. how much of this, josh, is about republicans just using this to fire up the base for midterms? smart republicans know they're not going to repeal it. at this point, it's going to be very difficult to even tweak it. >> i think republicans don't have a plan "b" politically. you've seen why part of elites in the republican party were distressed about ending up in the shutdown last fall. it was distracting from their anti-obamacare message, which is how they see to connect with voters. they think they can motivate their base with that and possibly win back the senate. anything that's distracted from that they view as a problem. the question for them is what if the issue becomes less favorable? it's not necessarily a winning issue for the president yet, but

if it's less valuable ammunition for republicans than it looked to be, they don't have a clear replacement health care program. they don't have a popular economic agenda to campaign on instead of health care. even if the issue isn't as good for them, they don't have an al personative to to campaign against. >> molly, politico reporting from their look at the transcripts that president clinton wanted to reassure americans that his health care plan would not disrupt their own coverage if they already had it. a lot of them want to know they can keep their own plan if they like it, clinton told his aides. that plan, of course, never got off the ground, molly. we know what happened to president obama's pledge that americans could keep their plans. how has the political climate over health care changed in this country over the past 20 years? or has it changed a great deal at all? >> i think it's amazing reading

this document to realize how little has changed. as you say, the worries were the same, the political flash points, people losing their doctor, people worried about whether they could keep their coverage, people worried about rationing, worried about costs going up. so, you know, it really underscores the extent to which this president took a huge political risk when he took this on. as we know in the obama white house, there were people who right down to the very end were counseling him to turn away, drop it, or make it a smaller thing. so i think the president's defenders would say that not a lot of people appreciate the magnitude of what he's done. perhaps now that, you know, millions, perhaps tens of millions more people have health insurance thanks to this law, people will start to appreciate. if obamacare remains the law, it will have been a seat change. >> molly, josh, do appreciate your time. we'll be right back. keep your lifestyle in retirement?

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it's the show many car fanatics look forward to every year. the new york international auto show. it officially opened yesterday. more than a million visitors are expected this year. no hybrids or electric cars were introduced. but muscle cars like the camaro and corvette are front and center. dodge also unveiled its 2015 challenger. six weeks after the malaysian airliner vanished, might we be coming to the end of the search? we're going to go to australia for the latest on that next. also, the big idea that's helped four paralyzed men be able to do what they once thought impossible. thing. and when you put them in charge of making an unbeatable truck... ... good things happen. this is the ram 1500. the 2014 motor trend truck of the year

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korea. the death toll stands at at least 32. that includes three bodies found today in the murky waters near the crash site. in addition, three crew members, including the captain, are now in police custody, charged with among other things negligence and abandonment. nbc chief global correspondent bill nealy is in jindo, south korea, with more. >> reporter: yes, hello. from the captain of the ship, an apology and explanation for the first time about what went wrong and why he abandoned the ship. here for the relatives of those missing children, another day of frustration, anger, and fading hope. under arrest and under fire for abandoning ship, charges with criminal negligence. the 69-year-old captain said he had deliberately delayed any evacuations. i was afraid the passengers would drift await in the water, he said. he admitted he'd been in bed when the accident happened.

beside him and sobbing, the 26-year-old woman officer who'd been steering the ship, and the helmsman who said he'd made a mistake but blamed the steefring gear. this was the captain arriving onshore with the first group of survivors. he'd left behind nearly 300 people trapped. his life rafts unused. for the parents waiting onshore, it is torture. i'm frustrated. divers have been there for four days, but we don't know whether our children are starved or not. we're dying here on shore, says this parent, while our children are in the water. the school friends of those missing are suffering too. at the high school, they comfort each other. more than 300 teenagers left here for a vacation. few have made it home. some of the survivors remain in the hospital, being treated for injuries and shock. back at their school, a vigil

for the missing and for the vice principal, who survived but then killed himself because he said it's too much being alive while my students are missing. and the vice principal's note really heartbreaking. put all the blame on me, he said. i was the one who organized this trip. perhaps, he said, i can be the teacher to those missing children in the afterlife. as he requested, his ashes have now been scattered near the sunken ship. back it o you. >> all right. bill nealy for us in south korea. thank you. now to the latest on the search for malaysia airlines flight 370. officials say the next few days are critical in figuring out how they will move forward to find the plane. it disappeared six weeks ago today. let's turn to nbc's katy tur with the latest from perth, australia. >> reporter: hey there, craig. six mixes completed so far. blue fin 21 is on its seventh mission right now.

officials said today they believe they could be done with the search in five to seven days. they're focusing on the most hopeful area right now under water. intensely focusing on it, stepping up their efforts because that's where they believe the plane is going to be. if they don't find it in this next week in this area, they're going to go back to the drawing board and figure out a new plan. as of now, they are still searching. haven't seen anything yet. but they are remaining hopeful it's going to be in this area. if they don't find it, they could continue to search under water with blue fin 21, or they could broaden it out into other options. unclear what they will do. but officials say it really is now or never. this next week is going to be the most intense week for them and this search and hopefully, they say, they're going to find this plane. craig? >> nbc's katy tur in perth, australia. thank you. back here, heroin is back with a vengeance. the use has surged 669,000 people, some as young as 12, used heroin in 2012.

that's up from 373,000 in 2007. those staggering stats are according to the federal government. meanwhile in new jersey, the problem is especially bad. a state report found drug-related deaths there rose some 53% between 2010 and 2012. the former governor of new jersey, now a member of a state task force on alcoholism and drug abuse. let's start with this heroin epidemic. how did things get so bad in the garden state? >> craig, it's very bad. i think two reasons. one, you always had problems within urban areas. now the reality is the number of young persons becoming addicted to heroin through prescription drug abuse. so whether it's percocet, basically these young people are taking prescription drugs and at some point moving because they've shopped the pharmacies, they've shopped doctors.

eventually they get on heroin. dope, sadly, is less expensive than alcohol. so it becomes the drug of choice. so you have a confluence of what's happening in certain urban areas but also the suburban gateway to heroin through prescription drug overdose. >> the task force you're running is behind the opening of a new high school that's going to be dedicated to helping students recover from drug addiction, recover from alcohol abuse as well. how would this recovery school work? >> well, i think the governor is strongly committed to taking a strong position in terms of increasing the opportunities of sobriety. that is whether it's drug court, diverting people from the criminal court process to drug court, and also providing avenues. say, for example, like this high school. sobriety high school. juniors and seniors will have a traditional curriculum, but will focus also in on sobriety. if i can, craig, an important

message here is 70% of the people behind bars are in akive addiction and we need to do more to divert people -- >> active addiction. >> active addiction. so that 70% of the people in new jersey, 70% of the people behind bars nationally are in active addiction. we have to divert them from the criminal justice process, but while they're behind bars we have to do something about treatment. because if they go behind bars and we don't treat them for the systemic reason for their criminal behavior, namely their addiction, then all they've done is tolled time, get out, and go back to the same street corner. >> we've known this for a while now. it doesn't seem like that's something as a society we've decided we want to do. >> craig, i think we're finally getting it because we have a two-thirds failure rate. 66% of ex-offenders come out and within three years commit another felony. that's a two-thirds failure rate. and we're spending so much money on our criminal justice system,

on our prison system, that we have to do better. whether you have governor christie, a prominent republican, chairman of the republican governors association, or democrats saying at a gut level, prisons aren't working, treatment has to be the preferential methodology. >> you brought up governor christie. you were on stage with him this week. i would be remiss if i didn't ask you why you were here. the governor embroiled in this george washington bridge closure. you stepped down when you were governor over matters in your personal life. what kind of advice, if any, have you offered to governor christie? >> you know, i think the governor is a strong person who relies on his family, on his faith, and as we say, we all fall down and we all get up. keep going, keep putting your left front in front of your right foot. i think when the governor speaks with integrity and authenticity about things he believes in, namely about treatment over incarceration, the light shines brightly on him. >> sounds like you think he's going to survive this. >> i'm not a politic.

>> one more thing while i have you here. >> prison ministry, i'll talk about that all day. >> we'll talk more about prison reform. >> it's almost easter. >> it is almost easter. >> so we've got to give praise. >> we should give praise. amen. one more thing, though. and this is something i've been wanting to ask you about for o some time, especially since i saw you in jersey. do you think with the shifting attitude in this country with regard to same-sex marriage, do you think what happened to you almost ten years ago that forced you to resign from public office, do you think you'd still have to resign today? have you thought about that? >> you know, i'm in a place of acceptance. to grow up as a young gay kid in new jersey and think you'd have gay marriage or think you'd have an african-american president i think is almost bewildering. to me, it's a sign of god's grace. i think as we move as a country, we recognize we have so much more in common. if i can take it back to prison ministry, people in those jails and prisons didn't start from

the same place you or i might have started. they have the same dreams, the same aspirations. we need to do better than merely locking people up for large swaths of time. we have to give people hope. >> you have an open invitation here, sir. >> all right. thanks, my friend. >> thanks for stopping by. >> god bless. >> happy easter. >> thank you. let's flash back to this date in 1995 now when a truck bomb planted by domestic terrorist timothy mcveigh and terry nichols detonated in front of an oklahoma city federal building killing 168 people and injuring nearly 700 more. here's tom brokaw the night of that attack. >> terror in the heartland. a massive car bomb exploded outside of a large federal building outside of oklahoma city, shattering that building, killing children, killing military personnel and civil yans. the ploegs came around 9:00 central time this morn, stunning a wide area with a ferocious

blast. the building crumbled, sending an untold number to their deaths. >> that bombing was the most destructive act of terrorism on u.s. soil until the september 11, 2001, attack. timothy mcveigh was executed in june of 2001. new hope for the nearly 6 million paralyzed people living in this country. four men can now move their limbs. houd they do it? we're going to tell you about the big idea.

♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ being able to move my legs, my toes, my ankles, which is a huge change in my life for my self-confidence and quality of life. >> it brought tears to my eyes, like it is now. >> today's big idea is big news for the millions who have been told they will never walk again. researchers working with the

christopher and dana reeve foundation have developed a type of therapy that challenges the long standing notion that the spinal cord, once damaged, can never recover. >> the spinal cord has a capacity that we never thought it had before. the more we learn about it, the more we can use that knowledge to help people with paralysis. >> here's how it works in a nutshell. below the injury, doctors implant a device the size of a pacemaker and collect electrodes along the spinal cord. when turned on, electronic pulses stimulate the nerves, engaging muscles, making movement possible again. the lead author of the study joins us. claudia, first of all, how did you develop this? how did this come about? >> well, this is actually research that's been taking place for our while in the animal model. back in 2009, we decided to move the animal model to the human

model and test it in human participants to see if we would get similar results. >> four people who have been paralyzed for years, i understand they've seen incredible progress in moving their legs as a result of this therapy. what kind of progress are we talking about here? >> well, that's exactly right. after the implantation, the last three participants, we asked them to move right away when we turn on the stimlator. they were able to move, which was very surprising. two of them had a complete injury. they were the ones that are the most severe injuries. the ones that are always told that they will never be able to move or walk again. >> where do we go from here? >> well, i think we still have a lot to learn about the spinal cord and its capacity. we know that it's intact below the injury, and it has a lot of

potential for organization of details. so we're going to keep working. we're going to actually start working on the technology as well. we're actually implanting a pain stimlator. so we're driving it to its limits right now. we think if we can improve the technology a little bit, we might get more function back and work towards standing, walking, and more complex functioning. >> doctor, thank you so much. do appreciate your time. >> thank you. and do you have a big idea that's making a difference? you can tweet us using #whatsthebigidea. you can also e-mail us. we love highlighting big ideas here. here an idea. what if you could go to college for free? sounds like a dream, right? we're not talking about

scholarships here. but there's one city that's making it a reality for students. we're going to tell you about that after this. : in retirement, will you outlive your money? uhhh. no, that can't happen. that's the thing, you don't know how long it has to last. everyone has retirement questions. so ameriprise created the exclusive.. confident retirement approach. now you and your ameripise advisor can get the real answers you need. well, knowing gives you confidence. start building your confident retirement today.

you're not doing anything as fast as you used to, which is funny, because i still do it better than her. [ afi ] i do not like sweeping. it's a little frustrating. [ zach ] i can't help out as much as i used to. do you need help? let's open it up. [ afi ] it's a swiffer sweeper. [ zach ] it's a swiffer dusters. it can extend so i don't have to get on the step stool. ♪ it's like a dirt magnet -- just like my kids. [ afi ] this is a danger zone. voila! i am the queen of clean! [ zach ] yeah, this definitely beats hanging out on a step ladder.

college-bound students have fewer than two weeks to decide where they will go. many applicants have to give schools a yes or no by may 1st. for many, that addition won't be based solely on where they fit in best, or which college university has their major, but how much their school of choice costs. a bold experiment in one michigan city helps alleviate that burden by offering free, that's right, free college tuition to high school graduates when they attend an in-state school. it's called the kalamazoo promise. it so far has helped more than 3,000 students in kalamazoo, michigan. erica adams is a product of that experiment. michelle miller adams is the mother of a participant. michelle is also an associate professor at grand valley state university. they both join me live now from grand rapids. good to see both of you.

thanks for being with me. michelle, this is a program that started in 2005. talk about how it works, how it's grown, and where all of this money comes from. >> okay. i'd be glad to do that. the kalamazoo promise was announced a little over eight years ago. it materialized for the community seemingly overnight. there was an announcement that a group of anonymous individuals who have, in fact, remained anonymous, had pledged to pay up to full college tuition for every graduate of the kalamazoo public schools. this sets this scholarship program apart from almost every other approach to financial aid because whether or not you get the scholarship does not depend either on your grades or on your financial need. it simply depends on having attended a kalamazoo public school for high school, resided within the district, and you may

use your scholarship any time within ten years after graduation to attend any in-state public institution in the state of michigan. the program is set up to continue in perpetuity. >> it's going to go on forever. >> it is. >> that's great. >> yeah, we don't know exactly where the money is coming from, but it has come from a group of local individuals who decided to go big and go long and do something that would truly transform not just opportunities for kids in the community, young people like erica, but that would really transform the community itself. >> erica, the promise helped you go to michigan state university, i understand. you graduated back in 2012. you now work as a foster care specialist for the state. but you were a sophomore in high school when the program launched. did you believe it when you heard about it? >> you know, it almost sounded too good to be true. based off everybody's excitement, i did believe it.

major blessing. >> how did the promise, how did that change your outlook on your plans? were you planning on going to college in state all along? >> yes, i was planning on going to college, but it completely changed what i wanted to do and what i could do. prior to the promise being announced, i probably would have did either a smaller university or maybe community college. perhaps something like nursing where it's a more structured program where i know i'm going to graduate on time. you know, when this was announced, i could do what i was passionate about, which is work with people. i was able to go to a big university at that. i studied abroad while i was there as well. it completely broadened the horizons and what was accessible to me. >> strangers changed your life. >> yes, strangers have changed my life. >> michelle, you wrote a book on this whole experiment. it's called "the power of a promise." i want to talk about the renewal issue here quickly. as recently as 2011, nearly one in three high schoolers in that

district were still dropping out. it's been nearly a decade since the program started. the dropout rate and the graduation rate, as i understand it, they've remained relatively the same. why is that? >> right. that's really one of the harder questions. so thanks for asking that question. i like a hard question. i've given that some thought because we've seen a lot of other really positive and significant impacts from the kalamazoo promise. early on, i would have said that i expected the graduation rate and the dropout rate to move in a positive direction a little more quickly. i do still think that there will be improvements in the number of kids staying in school and graduating. there do appear to be some indicators in the data that students are sticking around a little longer to try to complete their degree. if you get a g.e.d., you do not get the kalamazoo promise. you really do need that high school graduation. but what i do think is that the barriers that prevent students

from staying in school and graduating and the factors that push students to drop out are not really directly addressed by the availability of financial aid for college. a lot of those issues start very early in children's lives, and a lot of them have to do with poverty. many of them emanate from their home lives rather than from what's going on in school. simply taking away that financial barrier to higher education doesn't really change those things. the good news is that the kalamazoo promise has been a powerful catalyst for change in kalamazoo. and we have more efforts and more importantly better coordinated efforts than we ever had to help some of those societal factors and help move children along from the very early years in hope that they'll be able to make use of the kalamazoo promise. >> erica, is this something that you'd like to see done on a national level, perhaps? is this something that you think

we should figure out a way to grow? >> absolutely. it's completely life changing. just kind of seeing the culture change that's happened in my community, it's a complete change from what it used to be pre-promise. just start in one community and let it build and get bigger and bigger. i think it could create a major change. in our schools now, you can't walk up and not see something as soon as you walk up that's reminded you that our kids are up jib eligible, that our kids can go to college. it's expected. it changes the mindset. >> i'm surprised we haven't seen a rush of folks move to kalamazoo, michigan, as a result of all this just yet. >> we've seen some of them, yeah. >> i'm sure. i may be coming to kalamazoo in 10, 15 years. >> we'd love to have you. and craig, we have seen a bunch

of communities try to do this in their own community. so there is a lot of activity going on around that. we hope to see it grow. >> we do hope to see it grow. erica, thank you. michelle, thanks to you. >> thank you for having me. >> thank you. would you get a tattoo without knowing in advance what with the design will be? we're going to talk about that. we're also going to talk about the latest on the ferry, the south korean ferry, the latest on the rescue and search efforts there. keep it here on msnbc. ng, and that's epic, bro, we've forgotten just how good good is. good is setting a personal best before going for a world record. good is swinging to get on base before swinging for a home run. [ crowd cheering ] good is choosing not to overshoot the moon, but to land right on it and do some experiments. ♪ so start your day off good with a coffee that's good cup after cup. maxwell house. ♪ good to the last drop

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well, right now off the coast of south korea, the grim task of recovering the victims of this week's ferry accident. we'll take you there. and in eastern ukraine, separatists are not going anywhere despite that agreement brokered by the west. anger and anxiety over the latest decision or nondecision from the white house over the controversial keystone xl pipeline. >> as the sun hits these big pieces of ice hanging on the

mountain, they start moving a little bit and if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, we have tragic accidents. >> tragedy at the top of the world. the latest on the deadly avalanche that killed 13 on mt. everest. >> they're the most loving people here i've ever met in my life. >> but a lot of people get concerned when armed militias come out to take a stand against the u.s. government. hear how harry reid is stirring up controversy with the same group ahead. and how committed would you be to a teenager you've decided to mentor? would you get a tattoo? it's a very interesting story. we'll talk about that later in the hour. good saturday to you. i'm craig melvin. we start this hour with the very latest on that desperate search in south korea. right now at least 32 are dead in the ferry accident. nearly 270 others are still unaccounted for. most of the missing are teenagers, high school students.

and there is diminishing hope this afternoon that any more survivors will be found. nbc's ron allen has been following this story and joins me with the latest. at this point, what do we know? >> we know this ask a very awful situation. as you said, there are still hundreds of people missing, many of them high school students. the investigation is focusing on the captain of the ship, who was one of the first people off the ship. he wasn't in charge of the ship when the accident happened. the third mate was at the helm, a woman who's 26 years old and was navigating that particular stretch of ocean for the first time ever. so the captain gets off the ship, doesn't issue a distress call until some 30 minutes after the accident starts to happen. it appears the ship made a sudden turn. the cargo on the ship may have shifted, and the boat starts going over. as you can imagine, the families of these kids who are on the beginning of a four-day high school outing to a tourist destination, they're devastating. they're keeping a vigil, hoping against hope now. but a big decision is going to

come soon because there's a big crane and other heavy equipment near the vessel now. a decision has to be made when to lift it and move it. many of the parents don't want that to happen because they think there could be survivors trapped in air bubbles, air pockets. so many days later, it's a grim situation. >> the captain and the first mates you indicated are in police custody charged with abandonment among other things. >> negligence, abandonment. i'm not sure what the -- the captain is supposed to go down with the ship. that's something we all understand. why he left and was one of the first people off, he said something about how he didn't issue a distress call because he didn't want the passengers to go into the waters and get washed away by the sea. he ordered people to stay where they were. of course, they went down with the ship. just a terrible situation. most of these are high school kids who were just out on a field trip. >> at this point, most folks following this story believe this is a death toll that's most certainly going to rise.

>> there are some 270 missing. only 30 or so confirmed dead. yes, we're talking about hundreds of fatalities in the coming days. >> all right. ron allen, thank you for the update, sir. do appreciate you. pro-russian separatists in ukraine today are again refusing to lay down their arms. the refusal stands despite this week's u.s. brokered deal between leaders in kiev and moscow. militants in the eastern region say they will not disarm and leave state buildings until the new ukrainian government dissolves. nbc's jim maceda is in eastern ukraine for us. what's happening on the ground today? >> reporter: hi, craig. well, there's a lull here in eastern ukraine. part of it is due to the easter weekend. that has allowed the kiev government to announce today that it was suspending for several days its so-called anti-terrorist operation. basically to recapture those

occupied centers of power, be they police stations or city halls in about 12 different towns here in eastern ukraine during the holiday. now, the ukrainian foreign minister today warned that offensive would begin again if the pro-russian militants didn't start surrendering their weapons an abandoned their positions. in reality, that offensive has been a major pr disaster for kiev. they've lost a number of armored vehicles, including some tanks, over to the other side. few would be surprised to see the ukrainian cease fire hold. part of the lull also is due to the pro-russian militants waiting to see what the other side, the government side, is going to do next. separatist leaders have said they're not pulling out of their positions, for instance, until members of the kiev government resign, suggesting that they are

in a legally occupying government buildings. it's also the case those same militants haven't expanded those check points for several days. meanwhile, news here today is that a top -- says it sees no indication that pro-russian militants have the will to deescalate the situation, unless, of course, russia pushes them. but that isn't happening yet. back to you. >> jim, thank you. now to washington where the white house has made a decision not to make a decision on the keystone xl pipeline. the administration is giving agencies more time to submit views on whether the project is in the nation's best interest. nbc's kristen welker is live for us at the white house. kristen, what's the reason that's been given behind this move? >> reporter: well, the state department is saying that the reasoning has to do with a legal dispute that is currently before

the nebraska supreme court, which would determine the route of the pipeline in that state. legal analysts looking at this and saying that could take about a year to resolve. so you're looking at a decision after the midterm elections. so, craig, essentially what this does is to punt a thorny issue for the obama administration until after the midterms. but it's not proving to be favorable for all democrats. particularly those who are facing tough re-elections in oil-rich states. louisiana, mary landrieu, for example, who's trying to hold on to her seat there. she's also the chairwoman of the senate energy and natural resources committee. she has argued that part of why she deserves to be re-elected is because she has some authority, some ability to help enact energy policy. of course, her critics saying that this just underscores the fact that she really doesn't, particularly when it comes to the keystone xl pipeline.

it's also putting more pressure on democrats who haven't weighed in yet. democrats like mark udall. the mcconnell campaign seized on this and really tried to pressure and take grimes to task for not having weighed in yet on whether or not she supports the keystone xl pipeline. here's what house speaker john boehner had to say. quote, this delay is shameful with tens of thousands of american jobs on the line and our allies in eastern europe looking for energy leadership from america. it's clear there is little this administration isn't willing to sacrifice for politics. so republicans really accusing the obama administration of just playing a game of politics here. democrats not surprisingly pushing back on that. this was what barbara boxer had to say of california. she says, quote, given the unprecedented number of comments from the public on the keystone xl pipeline proposal and the legal uncertainties due to

lawsuits in nebraska, the state department was entirely correct to delay a decision on the pine line. so this very heated debate continues, craig. the reality is, though, most voters aren't going to the polls and voting solely on the keystone xl pipeline. the issues that are front and center for them are things like health care, the economy, and of course jobs. that being the number one issue still for most voters. >> nbc's kristen welker for us from 1600 pennsylvania avenue. thank you. >> reporter: thanks. up next, the postal service looks outside the box for some solutions to its financial problems, but a lot of postal workers are marking those ideas return to sender. >> a little later, it's a topic millions care about and washington talks about a lot but nothing is being done about. immigration reform. why? more ahead. this is msnbc, the place for politics. you need to get your client's attention. from brochures to business cards to banners. everything... except your client's attention. thousands of products added every day to staples.com,

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topping the saturday headlines now, four new subpoenas will be issued by the legislative committee investigating last fall's lane closures on the george washington bridge. that, of course, is the scandal that's been dogging new jersey governor chris christie for some time now. co-chairman of the committee made the announcement on "up" with steve kornacki this morning. he says he wants to consult with members of the committee first so they can understand who they are bringing in. governor christie has denied any involvement in the lane closures. a report commissioned by the governor's office cleared him of any wrongdoing. and the next few days will be critical in the search for malaysia airlines flight 370. so far the unmanned subsearching under water has come up empty. it's expected to wrap up the area it's been searching in a week.

officials maintain they'll not give up once the sub's work is completed. well, the u.s. postal service has long been a gateway to the middle class for many americans, but the postal service is under extraordinary financial pressures. the post office reported a $5 billion loss in 2013, and the nation's nearly half-million postal workers are feeling the pressure of cutback hours and layoffs. to save the post office, the postmaster general wants to reform and downsize. among his idea, opening mail centers inside staples stores. the postal workers union doesn't like it. the new president of the american postal workers union joins us now. thanks for being here. >> thank you, craig. >> it's a pilot program that the postal service wants to put in place. this is what one postal worker on the union's youtube page had to say. take a listen. >> we don't think that americans want to trust their mail to

corporate america. it should be in the hands of trained postal employees who are sworn to uphold the sanctity of the mail. >> you're planning a national day of action on april 24th, as i understand it, to kill this plan. why? >> well, craig, there are three obvious problems with the plan. one is these staples postal units are not staffed with postal employees who are accountable to the people of this country. when people take their mail to staples, the mail is not protected. it doesn't have sanctity of the mail. it doesn't have the privacy that you have when post offices or staff with postal employees under code of conduct and well trained. secondly, it's a transfer of decent paying, living-wage jobs to nonliving wage, nonbenefitted jobs. we talk about income inequality from this country and addressing that issue. you can't address it by take

good jobs and turning them over to low-wage jobs. third is putting postal services into private profit side of stores like staples. what that does is it's going to lead to the decisions of who gets postal services, where they get it t and when they get it as to whether an entity can make a dollar. >> the postal service did say in a statement in part, quote, the retail partner expansion program is not intended to replace any of the 33,000 traditional post offices or the valued employees that work in them. rather, the program is an opportunity to grow the business and has never been an earmark to pave a way to prooiftization. here's the thing, mark. we know that the post office cannot continue to exist the way

it does now. we can all agree on that. how, then, should we modernize it. how do we grow the post office so it can compete against the likes of u.p.s. and fedex and its biggest competition, e-mail? >> let me back up just one moment. the post office financial crisis is a manufactured crisis. it's manufactured by congress and the law in 2006. >> to a certain extent that is true. >> right. and the operating profit. the post office had an operating profit both last year and so far this year. in terms of your question, i think the way to grow the business is to enhance services, broaden services. there's no reason post offices can't be open later. there's no reason that the postal service cannot provide basic banking to the people of this country.

millions and millions of people are what's called unbanked. >> and underbanked. >> they're at the mercy of payday loans. the postal service can provide notary services, licensing services. most of all is the package delivery system is exploding in this country. if the postal service is allowed to do its job without the politicians looting its treasury, sticking it in the federal treasury, and saying, look, the postal service is broken, therefore the people of this country have to turn it over to the private side and at the mercy of businesses like staples, which by the way have just announced they're closing 225 stores. >> we should note that when you're talking about the financial viability of the post office, when you talk about congress looting its coffers, you're talking about the unfunded liabilities that are associated with the post office being required, federally required to provide health

benefits and pensions far above and beyond what most agencies or any other agency would. so mark -- go ahead. >> 75 years out for workers that aren't even born yet. no agency, no business ever faces that kind of crushing burden. >> you were a mail clerk. my dad was a mail clerk. where were you a mail clerk? >> i was a mail clerk in grooens bro, north carolina. >> my dad was in columbia, south carolina. >> well, great. and if anybody wants to follow this fight with what we call a dirty and secret deal between staples and the united states postal service, you can go to stopstaples.com. >> all right. mark, thank you so much. do appreciate you. >> thank you. it's a sign of the times when you can contribute to your favorite politician's campaign with virtual currency. bitcoin can now be used for donations to republican greg abbott's campaign for governor of texas. in fact, the abbott campaign is requesting it in a new solicitation on its website.

perhaps in hopes of this new way of contributing money will attract young and tech-savvy voters. you're watching msnbc. i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn.

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the search operation for the three people missing in the aftermath of yesterday's deadly avalanche on mt. everest has been suspended for the day. hours ago, searchers pulled a 13th body from the snow. it's the deadliest disaster ever on mt. everest. nbc's duncan golestani has been following the story. why did officials suspend today's search? was it the conditions? >> hey, craig. well, no, it's mainly because it's nighttime there now. the rescue effort had to stop. but you can be sure they'll be starting again early tomorrow. rescuers were working very quickly because they are trying to make the most of the good weather, something that is not guaranteed on everest. already working in tough conditions. it's dangerous, unstable ground. the sherpas, that's the name

given to the expert local guides, were on one of the most dangerous stretches above base camp. it's a passage way where huge boulders of ice overhang some bigger than houses. that's where on friday morning there was an avalanche that swept down over the sherpas who were trying to prepare the route for their international clients. climbers rushed to help, bringing the injured down. helicopters were brought in, but more bodies have been recovered than people rescued. many of the pictures you've been seeing there of that extraordinary effort on the mountain came from an nbc news crew that happened to be on site preparing for production for the discovery channel. thankfully we can say all nbc news employees are safe. today, families of the dead have been gathering outside a monostair in kathmandu awaiting the bodies of their loved ones to be returned to them. >> duncan golestani for us this afternoon from london.

duncan, thank you. land, taxes, guns. the constitution. you put those things together and they always spark heated debate, especially when they are in the heart of the nevada desert. later, a lifelong commitment to a young person. this is a mentoring program like none you've ever heard of. this one leaves a mark. this is msnbc flsh. cars are driven by people. they're why we innovate. they're who we protect. they're why we make life less complicated. it's about people. we are volvo of sweden.

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take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief. "start your engines" still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories. christie's will be auctions off a portrait of the pakistani teenager shot by the taliban in 2012 for championing education for girls. it will be auctioned on may 14th. it's expected to fetch somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000. that money is going to go to fund a program that promotes girls' education. i'm craig melvin. good saturday. here's a look at some of the other top stories making news

right now. four french journalists held hostage in syria for ten months have been released. at this point, it's not clear whether a ransom was paid for their release. we also don't know which group in syria's civil war was actually holding the men. a u.s. air strike kills 12 people in yemen. government officials say nine al qaeda members are among the dead. tribal sources in the central yemeni province said a drone circled for days and hit two cars. the suspected militants were in. three civilians were also killed, and several more were hurt. and a threatening note forced a delta flight to land friday in a remote corner of denver international airport. authorities searched and secured the plane and screened all the passengers. the fbi later determined that the threat was not credible. well, what started out as a dispute between one rancher and the federal government may have given new life to the power of armed militias.

last weekend the bureau of labor management suspended its operation rounding up hundreds of cattle after a confrontation with an armed militia. bundy illegally let his cattle graze on federal land. now harry reid is leading the charge against bundy supporters, calling themily thatmen, quote, domestic terrorists. here's a question and answer session thursday with the las vegas review journal. >> these people who hold themselves out to be patriots are not. they're nothing more than domestic terrorists. and i think that we are a country that people should follow the law. >> bundy responded to reid thursday night on the fox news channel. >> when you hear senator harry reid call you a domestic

terrorist, what do you have to say to the senator? >> well, i guess he's right. i don't know what wells we would be. we're definitely citizens riled up. i don't know whether you can call us terrorists. they're the most loving people here i ever met in my life. >> a nevada political reporter, host of ksnv's "rolston reports" joins us. senator reid did not back down from that line. here he is yesterday. >> if there were ever an example of people who were domestic violent terrorists want-to-bes, these are the guys. i think we should call it that way. >> what do you make of senator reid's comments? >> i think he's frustrated as a lot of people are the portrayal of those folks up there as patriots. in fact, right after he said that on that program, senator dean heller, his republican counterpart, said he disagreed with senator reid and called them patriots and then came up with this ridiculous figure they're throwing around that there were 200 armed blm

officers up there. reid thinks that the blm was in it the right. they were in the right. they didn't handle it very well, craig. i think what he's worried about now is the precedent that's been set. guy breaks the law for 20 years. the feds go in to enforce the law. then they back down when all these armed militia folks come out. i think senator reid was expressing frustration. i think he did not think that through, even though it was a premeditated speech that he gave right before that interview you played a little bit of. >> you just mentioned the blm could have handled this situation better, should have handled this situation better. what should they have done differently? >> well, you know, i think basically what they shouldn't have done is gone in there and tried to essentially round up this cattle with a show of force and they set up -- and this is standard practice for them. and it doesn't make sense. these so-called first amendment zones restricting where the protesters and the media,

frankly, could be. you get the protesters and the media mad, that's not going to result in good things happening. but you know, they were in the right. i'm just saying that that was not the way to go in and handle the situation. but of course they shouldn't have let him do this for 20 years either, right. but let's not miss what the law is here. he is grazing those cattle illegally. there are two federal court orders that say that he has to get rid of the cattle. he has flouted the law. now he's being portrayed as some kind of folk hero, which he is not. >> the sovereign poverty law center, which tracks hate groups in this country, appeared to back up senator reid's claims to a certain extent in their hate watch blog post last week writing, quote, several interviews that bundy has given over the years makes clear that he subscribes to patriot movement theories about the legitimacy of the federal government or lack thereof and to theories about the enshrinement of the powers of the county sheriff.

he's taken to comparing his confrontation with federal authorities to ill-fated clashes at ruby ridge, idaho, waco in the '90s that were infamous for inspiring inspiring militia organizing. end quote. what impact could the drawdown by the government in the face of the armed protesters, what impact could that have on other movements like this around the country i? >> well, it's going to embolden them, of course. that's the worst part of all this. while i think the blm had to stand down, there were kids out there. there could have been someone killed. maybe multiple people killed. but they have to do something. i think that's where senator reid's frustration comes from. he said he's talked to eric holder, the attorney general, the fbi, the blm. but the blm has to do something about this. the blm in the wake of this is essentially been silent about what it's going to do. i understand this is tricky now. there's that air of violence out there. that's the worst part of all this rhetoric with bundy saying

he doesn't believe the federal government even exists, doesn't recognize their authority. he was standing next to the clark county sheriff up there on his ranch and pointed to him and says, go and disarm those blm agents. this is emboldening all these people who are portraying him as some kind of folk hero when the guy's an outlaw, a welfare cowboy. >> we're going to leave it there, sir. thank you. >> you bet. up next, what hillary clinton has to say about the immigration debate and what her comments tell us about her. this is msnbc. mine was earned in korea in 1953. afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection. and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa.

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[ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ developing right now, mazda has just announced that it is recalling some 109,000 cars. this affects certain 2001 to 2004 mazda tributes. mazda says there's some sort of problem which could lead to a loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash. mazda will get in touch with

tribute owners. dealers will be installing that new part free of charge. but again, right now mazda recalling 109,000 mazda tributes. it was a case of he said, he said this week in washington. a passover phone call from president obama to house majority leader eric cantor. that is, if you believe the president. mr. cantor has a different view saying mr. obama ambushed him and complained about the lack of an immigration reform deal. either way, it it's now been a year since a bipartisan deal was passed. house republican leaders still say they want to pass their own bill by the end of the year. >> i know there are republicans in the house, as there are republicans in the senate, who know this is the right thing to do. i also know it's hard politics for republicans because there's some in their base that are very opposed to this. >> mr. obama there thursday from the white house. the brain trust is here.

good to see all of you. thanks for being with me. lisa, you're new to the brain trust. we will start with you. speaker boehner telling donors it apparently and industry groups that he aims to pass legislation this year. of course, the house just one step. but is that even something that's really possible at this juncture given the current climate in washington and given how many republicans are torn on this particular issue? >> you know, it is the question on a lot of people's minds here in washington, whether or not this is really one last opportunity for house republicans to take a look at this issue. and you saw there was another sort of revitalizing of the issue, reviving the issue this week in a story where speaker boehner was quoted as saying he was hell bent on getting this done this year. as soon as that story broke, the

speaker's office put out a statement saying nothing as changed. you have a situation where speaker boehner would love to do this issue. it is the issue that is dividing the republican party right now. republican party elders see the need to broaden the party's base, especially heading into the 2016 presidential election. they want to show that they are a bigger tent and that they are welcoming different groups. house republicans, however, are in these really, you know, much more limited re-election battles in their own districts, which have been carved out to be very conservative districts now. and so they are less interested. so this is an issue that speaker boehner would love to do for the party at large, his rank and file lawmakers, not so certain to march behind him on this. that said, i think there is this slight possibility that there could be some movement this summer. whether that amounts to a real package of bills that could then, you know, mesh up with the

big, broad bistart san bill that the senate pass, that's a whole other question. >> matt, what about this idea that not moving on immigration at all is a solid idea, perhaps for both parties, because it's something that riles up the bases ahead of the midterm elections? and we know in midterm elections, it's typically base voters that show up. >> yeah, i think that's right, craig. the fact is, we all know that a big comprehensive immigration bill is not good politics for republicans, but people like john boehner and jeb bush realize it's the right thing to do because our immigration system is completely broken. they also realize that the midterm elections is one slice of the electorate, but when we go to the presidential election in 2016, the republican party has to do something to change the demographic math around the country so that we can have even more people rally to our support besides just, you know, maximizing our vote with white guys like me.

and they realize that it's important for the long-term interest of the party, not just on immigration, but when it comes to all types of diverse voters out there. we have to welcome them in. that's why i think any action before november is unlikely, although i appreciate very much what john boehner and eric cantor are trying to do been. but there's also going to be a lame duck wrap-up session. i think the chances of getting something done there, not comprehensive, but something positive is more likely. >> ester, there's a recent poll that's out. i was somewhat surprised by this. just 3% of voters in this particular poll said that immigration was the most pressing issue facing the country. some believe the issue is going to be held over for the next administration. we don't know who that will be. but this much we do know. hillary clinton told a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant something this week that caught some folks' attention. this is what she said. >> i believe strongly we are missing a great opportunity by not welcoming people like you

and 11 million others who have made contributions to our country into a legal status. >> immigration, of course, a bit of a problem for hillary clinton back in 2008. especially the issue of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. are we seeing hillary clinton fine tune her policy on immigration now? >> we're seeing a combination of things. certainly we're witnessing the evolution of the strength of the immigration activist movement and advocates movement. what they're working on doing is making immigration the wedge issue that same-sex marriage was. so that politicians recognize that for 2016, not for the midterms, we're talking about a presidential election, that to be on the side of immigration reform is to get votes. and so part of the evolution of reform to the extent that it's such a wedge issue in the republican party is the success of the immigration activist movement. doing extraordinary things.

what hillary clinton did that was important was to recognize that numbers only tell partial stories. there was a great piece in the "new york times" that broke down the numbers on deportations. what hillary clinton did addressing that 19-year-old undocumented young woman was to say, i recognize your humanity. i recognize you're a person. and recognizing that numbers tell one story, but immigration reform is about family and education and prosperity and humanity. it's not just politics. of course, it so much becomes about that. >> speaking of hillary clinton, matt, perhaps you heard she's going to be a grandmother soon. >> good for her. >> there are a lot of folks who are saying -- and this highlights the evolution of hillary clinton from first lady perceived by some as pushy to senator to diplomat, now to grandma. what doesn't love a grandma? and what does this mean going forward for her presidential run? >> well, i can love her as a

grandma, but i'm still not going to vote for her. i think this is a great story. the fact is that, you know, there's no question that hillary clinton gets a lot of great press and that her family is admired by a lot of americans out there. and i think it's great that someone who is more at the latter stages of her professional career are going to jump into the presidential race. i mean, we're such a youth oriented culture. it's good to see her drk. >> did you hear what he did there? >> that was outrageous. >> you rehearsed that one. >> the latter stage of her professional career. presidents become presidents at hillary's age. >> unless you're barack obama. >> yeah, but there is such a specific tin gent of sexism. you're talking about a states woman who may well be this country's first woman president. i think her evolution has certainly, in terms of her political career, been about her relationship with power, dealing

with putting president bill clinton in a space of not always feeling like we have the two of them as a kind of power couple if you're talking about running for the presidency, which was her problem in 2008. and her emerging as a front woman, as a states woman, her being a grandmother is something that's beautiful for the clinton family. for it to become this whole political story, that's just some sexist stuff. it really is. >> wow. >> it's just not acceptable. >> wow. we're going to have to leave it there. i think this is the first time we've ever left something on the air like that. >> just saying. emotional terrorism is not acceptable. >> a big thanks to all three of you. up next, an ad for free tattoos gets more than 200 responses. it's a really odd story. you've got to come back to check it out. we're going to talk to one of those teenagers and one of those

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there's a new mentoring program over in brooklyn. it's unorthodox to say the least. it brings together teenagers, adults and tattoos. the teens you see they sketch out designs that their new mentors, some of whom they have known for just hours, then get inked on their body. and they don't eeb get to choose the design but it promises to make them better people. our panel is here with me. scott, let me start with you. how does this idea pop into your head? how was this born? >> it started out free art asked me to do a project with our kids and a day with their kids. i was trying to figure out a way

to make that day resinate as far as possible and really make an impact. >> you wanted to do more than just invite kids to your studio. >> more than just push paint around and leave and forget about it. >> we should note for our viewers at home, you are a tattoo artist of the stars. you have inked kanye, jennifer aniston, a lot of famous folks. and now this. and now this. you have 250 people to respond to this instagram post that said free tattoos. how did you kbet them in the door? >> i o put a post saying free tattooses. you don't get to pick the design. it's probably not going to look very good, but it will make you a better person. and we got over 250 people responded. i e-mailed them back with a brief description saying that they will be paired up -- they are volunteering to get paired up with a kid between the ages

of 12 and 18 years old. their obligation is to sit down with that kid, get to know them, get their name tattooed on them and they don't ever have to see them after that moment. beyond that their job is every time they see that tattoo to believe in that kid and to think about them. so that kid knows from that point forward they can't ever say that no one is thinking about them. >> you see the instagram post. you're like, this is a great idea. this is perfect. sign me up. >> i was definitely intrigued by the instagram post. and then when i received scott's response e-mail with more information that's when i was hooked by the idea. because i have had the benefit in my past of having people believe in me when i didn't believe in myself and that has made all the difference. i was excited to be a part of it. >> we have a picture of your tattoo. this is the picture of the tattoo that's on your ankle. correct? >> yep, there it is. my favorite tattoo.

>> and what does that symbol next to your name? >> that's my tag for my graffiti, my art right there. >> how did you get involved in this? >> a service program in my school gave me the application and signed it and i was hooked on to it automatically. >> was this your first tattoo design? >> this is my first tattoo design ever. >> scott was like you can design a tat and you were like, really? it's that simple? >> i was speechless at first. i didn't know anybody who was going to get their name tatted on their skin of a different person. >> how nervous were you? >> i was nervous at first because i was like this is going to be on your skin forever. >> here's the thing. this seems to be about so much more than just the ink. so much more than just the tattoo. for you, what was it about? >> i really feel like without the tattoo after meeting devin

and learning the type of remarkable person he is, he would have stuck with me either way. this way he sees it, he knows that he has that impact on me in my life and i think often we move through the world and we don't realize we have strong impressions on people both negative and positive. this is a physical manifestation of one of those impressions that devin made. he will know it's always there, i'm always thinking about him and he is going to go out and make those impressions on other people in the future. >> were you surprised by the turn out? >> absolutely. reading the e e-mails, i was sitting there looking at the e-mails kind of overwhelmed. people are good. you see so much negative and hear so much negative, but if you give people an opportunity to do something really good for

someone else, if you just give them a chance, they will say yes and show up and they will do something. >> what did it mean to you when you saw your name etched on this it stranger's ankle. >> it meant a lot to me. and the program was basically made for people to believe in you. i felt like after she got that tattoo, she believed in me. i felt like if there's anybody in the world to believe in me, the first person would be stella. >> what's your life plan? that's a heavy question for a 16 yeeshld on a saturday afternoon. you want to be an artist? >> not necessarily. >> you want to dabble in art. it's going to be a part of your life. congratulations. it sounds like it was a huge success. are you going to do it again? >> it's funny because we picked ten volunteers, which means we turned down 240 people. a lot of them were pretty upset. . so is this an annual thing? >> congrats to you.

how many tats do you have? >> 20 something. >> when you don't know, that's a sign you have a lot of tats. >> thank to all of you. speaking of tats, i made that up, i'm kidding. karen finney is coming up next. i will be back tomorrow at 3:00 eastern. disrupt with karen finney is up next. [ yodeling plays ] worst morning ever. [ angelic music plays ] ♪ toaster strudel! best morning ever!

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2,000 feet. ♪ still looking very good. 1,400 feet. [ male announcer ] a funny thing happens when you shoot for the moon. ahh, that's affirmative. [ male announcer ] you get there. you're a go for landing, over. [ male announcer ] the all new cadillac cts, the 2014 motor trend car of the year. thanks for disrupting your afternoon. i'm karen finney. coming up in this hour, the president has a challenge for democrats. and why grandmother is a political sorry. a rancher, is she a dead bet or a hero? i recognize that their party is going through the stages of grief. anger and denial and all that stuff. >> i just lost it. >> 35% of people who enroll througe