escape from the flames. dramatic video out of southern california's firefighters try to gain the upper hand. this as police make three arson arrests. with lethal injection under intense scrutiny, a republican lawmaker from utah is floating an old concept for capital punishments but do firing squads really have a place in today's society? brown versus board of education. have our nation's classrooms taken a step in the wrong direction? california dreaming. all eyes on as california chrome continues his run for the triple crown.

hey there, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." firefighters are finally getting the upper hand in the fight against the deadly wildfires burning in southern california. cooler temperatures and calmer winds expected through the day, helping emergency crews working around the clock to contain nearly a dozen fires burning across more than 20,000 acres north of san diego. the fire burning in carlsbad is said to now be about 90% contained. this dramatic video of a giant wall of flames was shot during the worst of that fire as it came within a few feet of cars trying to escape. in san marcos, officials say the massive fire, which has burned some 2500 acres, is now at least 50% contained. and with thousands of residents forced to evacuate, some are returning to find only rubble where their homes once stood. >> it is really, really difficult because it just makes you think of all the times together. >> nothing happened but still we have our family and they're

safe. we'll go on from here. >> meanwhile, three people have been arrested in connection with those fires. military personnel, they're also battling three separate fires burning near camp pendleton. those fires have scorched about 22,000 acres. we're going to show you a map. it captured just how wide spread these fires are across southern california. and the smoke, that's now triggering health warnings. on the ground in san marcos. with a good day to you. have they gotten a full tally of how many structures have been destroyed? >> that's a difficult question. there are some that aren't in the official assessment accord to some of the nbc crews who were on this fire, the cocos fire. on the eastern edge, there was like a church camp, a retreat camp that lost about half of its 30 buildings. those were not in the official tally. they're still assessing.

it is difficult because you don't see neighborhood blocks like you see in so many other fires where one neighborhood is hit and you can count the houses. it has hopscotched around. so you'll see one house. like this one is the only one on its street burned down. miles away, they'll be one more. what you can see behind me is what you were talking about earlier, about how the weather has changed. this smoke that you see in the fog, it's an inversion layer. that's good news, even though it's bad for people trying to breathe the air. once that onshore breeze comes in, it brings humidity and cooler temperatures and keeps the smoke in under the inversion layer and over the city where people are trying to go about their lives. so ways bad news for most people is good news for firefighters. and for people who are waiting for these fires to finally be put out, alex. >> i can imagine, you're explaining, it does help the firefighters, but how much do they expect to make in terms of

progress today? >> there are two phases to putting out fires. you have the containment lines and then the control. the control can take weeks because all of those hot spots in the middle have to be stamped out. none of these fires technically is out. the containment lines, however, is what we've been hearing about. this one has about a 50% containment. you say, what do you mean, there's no active fire, there's no smoke. the air is clear. there are no water drops happening. there are boots on the ground digging lines around every flank of this fire to make sure if the sparks kick up they don't reignite. that's what they're working on today. >> let's go to alex wallace of the weather channel. he has a little more of how the weather is going to affect the fire. >> tracking the conditions, staying very dry. we're talking about critical fire danger. for over 42,000 square miles. shifting into parts of the

southwest, mostly northern arizona. even southern california, we still have an elevated fire threat here. improvement for some of the areas that have really been under the gun. big ridge has kept things very hot. that's shifting a little bit further east. and now the flow coming a little bit more onshore. that's going to allow for a little more moisture coming in. that's going to help with matters, along with cooler numbers as well. a lot of these areas that have been baking will cool down a bit, including l.a. where we'll be in the mid-70s by the time we head into tomorrow. tomorrow, we'll watch a little further east where the heat's building. fire threat is in place here. parts of arizona, on into new mexico. a quick check on the preakness. that's taking place. not too bad at all for us. sunshine out there for the day. we'll see if california chrome can maybe get that win to keep up with that triple crown. back to you, alex. >> thanks for that. a bit later, an update on the preakness, including the

favorite, california chrome. we'll look at who can stand in his way. that's coming your way at the bottom of the hour. let's go to politics. new today, president obama going on the offense in his weekly address, saying he's going to work to cut red tape for major transportation infrastructure projects with or without support from republicans. >> if congress doesn't act by the end of this summer, federal funding for transportation projects will run out. states might have to put some projects on hold. some already are. if congress fails to act, nearly 700,000 jobs will be at risk over the next year. >> republicans are focusing their weekly address on the growing veterans affairs probe. here's senator john mccain. >> it's been more than a month since allegations that some 40 veterans died while waiting for care at the phoenix v.a. were

first made public. to date, the obama administration has failed to respond in an effective manner. this has created in our veterans community a crisis of confidence towards the v.a., the very agency that was established to care for them. >> the fallout continues. v.a. secretary eric shinseki has accepted the resignation of the undersecretary for health care. he was set to retire later this year, though his resignation is effective immediately. the first lady is challenging high school graduates to continue the fight for equality while honoring an important moment in american history. michelle obama spoke last night at a senior recognition ceremony in topeka, kansas. her speech coincided with the landmark supreme court decision brown versus the board of education which put an end to school segregation. >> my challenge to all of you today, as you go forth, when you encounter folks who still hold the old prejudices because they've only been around folks

like themselves, when you meet folks who think they know all the answers because they've never heard any other viewpoints. it's up to you to help them see things differently. >> nbc's christine welker's at the white house. with another good day to you, my friend. as you know, there was some controversy leading up to the first lady's speech. how did everything turn out? >> she got a really warm welcome. she got a little bit of background about that controversy. the lady was scheduled to speak at the actual graduation ceremony in topeka today but students and some parents protesting, expressing their concerns there wouldn't be enough seats for their family members because seating would be limited if the first lady were to attend. the first lady's office said, she'll speak friday night, the night before. she did receive a warm welcome. her central message is that brown versus board of education is still being decided every single day. she encouraged, as you heard,

the students to continue to fight for diversity, for desegregation. and we're getting a new report which shows in some states schools have become more s segregated in recent years. so last night, a call to action from the first lady. take a listen. >> there is no court case against believing in stereotypes or thinking that certain kind, of hateful jokes or comments are funny. so the answers to many of our challenges today can't necessarily be found in our laws. these changes also need to take place in our hearts and in our minds. >> and while the first lady mostly directed her comments towards those students towards the next generation, she did reflect a little bit on her own upcoming. talked about the fact that the board of education really paved the way for her to get a good education.

we didn't hear from president obama publicly about brown versus board of education on friday. he did release a statement talking about the importance of it. i am told by one white house official is because he wanted the first lady's comments to stand on their own. the president did meet with some family members who are descendants of the plaintiffs of the brown versus board of education court decision and also some members of the naacp. alex. >> the president did comment on other issues. today is the international day against homophobia and transphobia. what's he saying? >> alex, secretary of state john kerry said it was appropriate that this is falling on the 60th anniversary of brown versus board of education, noting the fact the struggle for equal rights continues. here's what president obama had to say. he said, quote, at a time when tragically we are seeing increased efforts to criminalize or press lgbt persons, we call on partners everywhere to join

us in defending the equal rights of our brothers and sisters and ensuring they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. this is the ninth international day against homophobia and transfolk ya. people are celebrating in 120 different countries worldwide. of course there are deep concerns about how these communities are being treated in places like africa, russia, of course, we saw that unfold during the olympics. another big milestone today, alex, it's also the tenth anniversary of same sex marriage being legalized in massachusetts, the first state to do so. here's how "the boston globe" is marking the day, by highlighting and focusing on a same-sex couple who have benefited from that decision. of course, since then, 17 different states have legalized same-sex marriage, including washington, d.c. as you know, this is going to be a big issue in the run-up to 2014 and certainly 2016 as well, alex. >> banner day on the calendar. thank you very much. nbc's kristin welker. less that two hours ago, rescue workers ended the search

for the missing miners after the last bodies were recovered. the turkish energy minister said today the death toll is now 301. the nation's worst ever industrial accident. now the grieving families and survivors want answers. they're taking to the streets in protests that continues to escalate as the government slaps down with iron. now, the very latest. >> reporter: there is still a lot of anger in this entire community. most of this anger is directed at the government. at the government's response, which many miners, families and friends believe has been insensitive and callous. today, for the second straight day, there were angry demonstration, in the town of soma, which is the miner's hometown. when those demonstrators took ton the streets, the turkish government sent in riot police who used water cannons and tear gas, detained about a dozen

people today. many people here are also angry because of a video that has emerged that appears to show the turkish prime minister slapping someone as he was mobbed by an angry crowd when he visited soma. a turkish newspaper today is quoting the prime minister during that altercation as saying, if you boo the prime minister, you get slapped. and that pretty much sums up how people here see the government's response. the government sending in the riot police to a town that is still mourning and the prime minister slapping someone who was there amid the maelee amid families grieving. president erdogan's office says there's no evidence he slapped anyone. >> richard engel, thank you. bringing the firing squad back to death row? why a utah lawmaker says he wants to see it happen. a plan of action announced a short time ago in the case of the kidnapped. over 400,000 new private sector jobs...

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so we're just a few hours away from finding out if a big horse from california is one step closer to winning the triple crown. and carolyn mono from nbc sports is at the race for us. >> reporter: horse racing fans have not been able to celebrate a triple crown winner in 36 years. it's a feat that requires a horse to win the three biggest races in the sport in just over a month. as many people can attest, the preakness is still a significant hurdle on the road to the triple crown. california chrome, a horse that two weeks ago became the first

california bred in more than 50 years to win the kentucky derby. >> california chrome shines bright in the kentucky derby! >> reporter: though his west coast roots made him an unconventional derby win, it's the back story of the horses an connections that have made california chrome a popular favorite heading into the preakness. the owners are two blue collar guys who parlayed a handshake into the ultimate american dream. they value more than the multimillion-dollar offers they've received and rejected for their horse. the trainer, art truman. an old school horseman who has spent his life on the sport. a stable hand in 1955 for the derby winner swaps. and now at 77 years old, the oldest trainer to win a run for the roses. the jockey, victor espinoza, for whom the jockey on his silk is

not just a humorous symbol, but also a personal reminder of his humble beginnings in mexico, where he started riding donkeys on his father's got farm. a tough field awaits california chrome in baltimore, including faces that weren't seen in the kentucky derby. they're called new shooters. aboard one of them will be this jockey. she looks for her first preakness win as she teams up with trainer bob baffert who has won this race five times. there's a filly in the race for the first time since 2009, ria antonio is her name, and she'll have hall of fame jockey calvin barel aboard. they'll all aim to take down the champ. even so, california chrome will be the favorite. both sentimental and actual to win pimlico. it's the people's horse in the people's race with a shot at history.

california chrome is still the favorite here. he is in new territory when it comes to the turnaround of the kentucky derby. the previous five races he's won, he's had at least 28 days of rest in between. that won't be the case this time around. he's also been dealing with a blister on his throat this week, though those in his camp say he is just fine, he'll be ready to go for the preakness. >> what a great package there on the preakness stakes. our coverage is at 1:00 p.m. eastern on the nbc sports network and at 4:30 on nbc. it is a battle in the bluegrass state. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell is fighting off an attack from the right. with the latest nbc poll predicting an easy win for senator mcconnell. november, however, could be another story. joining me now, democratic congressman from kentucky, john yarmoth. it's nice to see you, as always. >> good to see you, alex. >> so what has this primary race

shown you about what kentucky republicans are looking for? >> well, i think what we've seen is that people are very tired of mitch mcconnell. republicans are not enthusiastic at all about his re-election. in a poll that came out this morning which is the big poll that's watched here, the bluegrass poll, it's done by television stations and newspapers across the state. 25% of the voters said they would vote for allison grims in the fall. 35% of his voters said they wouldn't vote for mitch. that kind of defection, if it comes true, means mitch cannot win. again, i think it's -- they're tired of mitch mcconnell and i think some republicans, particularly the tea party element, don't think it's enough. >> matt bev be was all the buzz for so long. are you surprised he's trailing by 30 points in the polls at

this point? >> well, a little bit. matt has not been particularly active in the media. i don't think he's raised the amounts of money people thought he was going to be able to raise. i wouldn't be stunned if it ends up being a very close primary on tuesday. because this poll showed 55/35 mcconnell, which, you know, is pretty pathetic when only 55% of republicans say they're going to vote for a 30-year incumbent. there's nothing else to bring republicans out next tuesday. there are no republican primaries virtually anywhere in the state. i think there's going to be an enthusiasm factor. mcconnell's people may think, well, he's going to win, i don't need to go out and vote. but bevan's people will all come out and vote. it could be closer than the polls show. >> you mentioned a likely tight race between mcconnell and allison grimes. let's look at an nbc/maris poll out this week. those two are virtually tied. how can she keep those number once the noise quiets down

though? >> well, there's been 17 straight polls in which she's been tied or ahead. this bluegrass poll this morning, she was ahead. she's done that, despite the fact that mcconnell spent $12 million of his own money and super pacs have spent another $7 million. so you have almost $20 million that's been out there, either attacking her or supporting mitch mcconnell. his numbers haven't budged at all. so she's got all the upside potential in the world. mitch mcconnell's disapproval rating is around 66% according to this poll today. she's got all the potential in the world. and all the attacks so far have not budged the race at all. so i think it looks very, very good for her. >> there are some political analysts who suggest that the success so far is due to the fact that she may be a democrat in name only. as we look at the issues, she is for deregulation in business, pro energy industry, for cutting

government spending, she's been critical of obamacare, and as we all saw, there's that picture there, pretty handy with a rifle. is there anything to that, given its kentucky? >> i don't think so. i think she is certainly what i would classify as a moderate democrat. she has some positions that are probably closer to the conservative bent. on the other hand, her primary point of emphasis has been raising the minimum wage to $10.10. she's very strongly in favor of extending emergency unemployment benefits. she's for equal pay for women for work. so she's i think on the bread basket issues very much in line with democratic values and progressive values. >> how are those issues? how are those playing for kentucky? >> overwhelming majority support all of those things. the same for equal pay for equal women.

shies on the popular side. i think she's on the right side. this is what will give her a huge wedge women as we move forward with the campaign and with innocent voters. >> can we switch gears and talk about the v.a. hospital scandal right? the undersecretary for health affairs, he resigned. he indicated earlier he was going to resign. the president already named his successor. is that somewhat of a hollow action? is that something that's being done just in name only? is that going to quell the critics? >> well, no, i don't thing anything will quell the critics. if the allegations that have been raised are true, the critics shouldn't be quieted. i think we absolutely have to take very, very strong action on investigation of the congress to make sure that the v.a. is acting responsibly and legally and certainly isn't cooking the books or covering up mistakes that they've made. so i think we have to do that first. but we can't lose sight of one

thing. we need to know what the reasons for this delayed and deferred care are. there was a report out today that showed veterans who are eligible for veterans medical care are using those facilities at a race that's unprecedented. an average of 14 times a year. if in fact this is a result of excessive demand and access and limited access, we have to really consider our commitment to v.a. health and make sure they have the opportunity, the access, to the health care they need. we got to get at the roots as well. >> i do want to make note of something. you called it correctly with california chrome in the kentucky derby there. so do you think that with the preakness it's going to happen again? >> i bet on california chrome but i bet on a lot of actors and none of them ended up coming in. i look smart but i end up broke.

i think he ought to win today easily. he's had a fairly weak field. racing luck won't play much of a part. i think the real challenge will be to find the horse that runs second and third. this bayern horse that bob baffert trains was one time considered a very serious contender for the derby. california chrome should win easily. >> spoken like a true horse racing fan from kentucky. good to see you, thanks. next up, two tech giants call it a truce in a war over pat aernts. [ male announcer ] ortho crime files.

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welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." leaders have just wrapped up a meeting in paris are officials from u.s., france and britain to discuss the kidnapped nigerian schoolgirls. the french president said they have agreed on a plan of action against the militant group. all side agree the group will continue to pose a major threat to west and central africa if nothing is done. >> without the countries in west africa and central africa coming together, we will not be able to stop these terrorists. boko haram is no longer -- >> meanwhile, the summit amid growing criticism of nigeria's response to the crisis. senator mccain is issuing

some criticism today in reaction to the v.a. scandal. >> i respect the important role of the inekt er general but my fellow veterans can't wait the many months it takes to issue the report. they need answers and accountability from this administration and congress now. clearly, the v.a. is suffering from a systemic cultural problem that congress cannot resolve with piecemeal responses. >> he and veteran secretary shinseki was grilled on the veterans affairs this week. let me bring in msnbc's managing editor and national journal editor richard just. welcome to the both of you. we'll go with ladies first. are republicans going to be satisfied with this? is that going to be anywhere close to enough? >> i don't know. this story is such a tragedy right from the beginning. the u.s. went into war for a

decade. very unprepared on the back end as far as the v.a. is concerned. the truth is, mccain is right, this has been a systemic problem. a problem all through the bush administration and unfortunately also through the obama administration that just doesn't seem to be getting fixed. so i think the question is, are veterans going to be satisfied? i think that's really the point here. that's what we want to see addressed. >> okay. so on the heels of that assessment, then it's been said by you and many others it is a systemic problem, including senator mccain. we have lawmakers who have called for secretary shinseki to resign. how do you see him emerging from all this? would a resignation result in change? >> i don't know whether he ultimately resigns. i think what's politically interesting is the degree to which it potentially exposes blind spots. things that are difficult for both parties to grapple with. i think you often have a lack of awareness that public

institutions can be inefficient. the public bureaucracies don't serve their clients as well as they should. on the flip side, the republican party right now in the era of the taet parea party is not in where it is always willing to commit the resources necessary to fulfill our common obligations in society. i think everyone in washington should be able to agree that fulfilling our obligations of giving good care to our veterans is one of the resources we ought to be providing for. it may turn out to be part of the problem may have been inefficiency. part of the money may have also been a lack of money, a lack of doctors, lack of ability to provide the care needed. >> let's get to another investigation under way, that being benghazi. speaker john boehner selected several for a house committee. we know there have been seven official ones thus far. you now have the republicans

calling for it. daphne, why create another select committee? >> because hillary clinton might run in 2016 and all of this is about her. this is a perfect way to keep the heat up on a story that she was involved in. it doesn't matter how many panels they come up with. what they want here is just a constant drum beat, a constant probing into a story that she was involved in as the secretary of state. >> what do you, richard, think is the end goal for the republicans on benghazi? >> i think it's absolutely about hillary. benghazi is an easy way for the republicans to talk about foreign policy now in the way that papers over the central divisions. it's hard to think of a time in recent american history where you've had a political party that's as fundamentally divided on what american foreign policy should be. you've got the rand paul libertarian wing which wants a real pullback. you've got the more traditional

neo conservative establishment, whose critique of obama is he hasn't been involved enough in places that need american involvement like syria. i don't know how the republican party ultimately resolves that tension. but if they win the white house in 2016, how they resolve that tension is going to have enormous implications for what america -- what role america plays in the world. part of the reason you see this focus is it's an easy partisan thing for republicans to talk about and agree on that just belies the fundamental divisions underneath which are very deep. >> new jersey governor chris christie said to me he's going to deliver a keynote address at an awards gal. his appearance after he reportedly apologized to a donor in las vegas, saying he misspoke for using the term occupied territories daughter event there. are there any doubts as to whether he is going to try to

run? >> feel like he wiped those doubts away. he said clearly yes he is thinking of running. he even talked in a radio address this week about what it would be like to run against jeb bush who's a friend of his. he described it as that would be a stressful event. he prefers to run against people he doesn't like. so he's obviously thinking about it. i think the fact that he's going to an event like this, which is really about giving an award to christy or recognizing christy and also, you know, again, trying to work closely with potential donors i think is all the evidence you need. he does a lot of fund-raising on his own as part of his job with the republican governor's association. this one is really all about him tomorrow night. >> the governor says he's putting the bridge gate scandal behind him. you think voters will as well? >> the problem is it reinforced the narrative about christy that was always going to be a problem for him, which is his persona.

which some people say, fairly or not, is abrasive and a little bit mean. if you look back at someone like reagan be who was more idealo logically conservative, but reagan wrapped his ideology in a persona that was warm, uplifting. i think if you look at the presidents since him, bill clinton, george w. bush, barack obama, all of them have done that, and it's been part of their appeal to voters. the problem for christie is he had this persona problem. now the bridge gate scandal came along and reinforced a lot of the things that maybe were already going to be issues for him. ideologically, he's a very appealing candidate. obviously, his ability to win repeatedly in new jersey by a large margin last year suggested his appeal to crossover voters, to moderate democrats. it is the persona issue that is going to continue to be an issue and something he'll have to figure out how to deal with. >> all right, thank you for the conversation. appreciate it. let's get straight to today's number ones.

according to the world health organization, the amount of alcohol consumed in 2010 by people age 15 or older amounts to a gallon and a half per person every year but that is nothing compared to the 4 1/2 gallons consumed in belarus. they lead the list of the heaviest drinking countries. 9 of the top 10 are in eastern europe. second is moldova, slightly less than 4 1/2 gallons a person. lithuania, it's about 4 gallons. the world health organization's also released its report on life expectancy. it's 81 years for women, 76 for men. that is far from making the top ten. the longest for women, japan, at 87 years. spain, switzerland and singapore. italy ranks third. also at 85. 81.2 years in iceland is best for men. switzerland at 80.7.

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. a new nbc news poll shows that two-thirds of americans favor alternatives to lethal injection. one utah lawmaker says it's time to bring backfiring squads to kill death row prisoners. representative paul ray says a firing squad would be a quick and humane way. joining me now is nbc legal analyst faith jenkins. welcome, faith. okay, let's try and tackle this one. because a couple weeks ig an sh, ago, we saw the botched injection in oklahoma. death penalty opponents are using lockette's death. trying to argue it is cruel and unusual punishment. you've got people favoring the death penalty. do you think the recent controversies will give any weight to representative paul ray's proposal? >> states are really facing a

quandary. they don't have access to the three-drug cocktail that used to be used to describe as painlessly end someone's life. now states have been looking at pharmacies to come up with largely unteted drugs to use to come. then you have the result of what happened in oklahoma. so opponents are saying if you know in advance there is a substantial likelihood these drugs are not going to work and prolong the ending of someone's life, i think after 45 minutes, clayton locket eventually died of a heart attack, opponents are saying that is cruel and unusual punishment. lawmakers knl o s come out and , let's go back to another method. let's go back to firing squad. >> there have been some proposals in the states. those have absolutely stalled. how does a lawmaker overcome

objections in the legislature about it being cruel and unusual? >> look at what utah did back in 2010. so utah abolished the firing squad method in 2004. if you were condemned to death prior to that date, you had the option to choose. and one prisoner did choose in 2010 to use the firing squad. so they brought him in a room. they sat him in a chair. they placed a white target right over his heart. they wrobrought in five police officers. they put bullets in their guns. one officer had a weapon with blanks in it. they all fired. and that prisoner was shot in the heart and pretty much died instantaneously. i'm assuming this utah lawmaker is going to use that case. say, hey, if you're concerned about someone suffering and these drugs not working, here's another method. let's go back to what we did in 2010. >> apparently not the only one who prefers an alternative.

it says 20% say let's go with the gas chamber. 18%, the electric chair. 12%, firing squad. 8%, hanging. in fact, some states have these methods. delaware, new hampshire, washington, they allow hanging. arizona, wyoming, they allow the gas chamber. what are the legal arguments? >> first, it's stunning to think about the number of states that still have these laws on the books. the fact is is for example, we're not going to go back to hanging people as a form of killing them in this country. our country has a long and dark history. with lynchings particularly to african-americans. that's just not going to happen. the primary argument is cruel and unusual punishment. the last time the firing squad by death issue was before the supreme court was in the late 1800s. times have changed. attitudes about the death

penalty has changed since then. >> i still can't believe they would even allow hangings. thank you very much. remembering the supreme court ruling that changed the lives of millions of schoolchildren in this country. in the nation, it's not always pretty. but add brand new belongings from nationwide insurance... ...and we'll replace destroyed or stolen items with brand-new versions. we take care of the heat, so you don't get burned. just another way we put members first, because we don't have shareholders. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom.

the prestigious film festival in the world. considered one of the most anticipated films, "grace of monaco" starring nicole kidman, kicked off this week. >> i'm a protocol expert, not a marriage counselor. but my duty is first and foremost to monaco. >> well, the customs, the history, the protocol.

i want to know them all. nobody gave me a handbook when i got married. >> joining me, contributing editor for "the hollywood reporter." let's talk about this movie. it's reportedly not sitting too well with her family since it depicts her life as a princess basically in a cage. >> well, not one but two statements, saying they were totally against the movie. princess stephanie even asked photographers at the premiere to put down their cameras, which they did not. harvey weinstein threw the movie under a bus when it opened. it was a complete, literally, as one newspaper says, a fiasco. the guardian said it was so wooden it was a fire risk. i believe it was another paper that said it was a -- [ speaking foreign language ] grace kelly at that point was

basically one of the most beautiful women to ever walk the planet. nicole kidman is an australian actress and she's 46 years old. the story itself is such an incredible tragic fairy tale. princess grace was the princess diana of her time and you need to totally pull this off or don't even try. unfortunately, it was a big flop the opening night of the festival. >> now it's a big flop for all these reasons you're chronicling, but what about her acting? some have said she's not bad in the film. >> she's not bad, but doesn't she look like nicole kidman? princess grace was just one of the most gorgeous people who ever lived. i really think either go with someone who is unknown. but nicole kidman -- she's a great actress, that's never going to change. but the movie was kind of out of a lifetime script.

it really wasn't up to snuff. the director, just something here went wrong. as it often can at cannes. cannes is chic, it's glamorous, it's the yachts. but at the same time, when things go wrong here, they go very, very wrong. i'm not sure you heard that last night at the premiere of "how to train your dragon" america ferrara who is the star -- [ inaudible ] her dress and -- just shocked her and kate barcate blanchett kind of calm her down. >> i just want to make sure people heard you because it's dropping in and out. this turkish journalist, ukrainian journalist, he got into her dress. i don't know if people heard that, like, what? he does this kind of stuff all the time. big names on the red carpet, who are they? >> ryan reynolds and blake

lively. they were so gorgeous last night. the dress you see right there, gucci premiere. i'm not even a fashion person. that dress is to die for. ryan gosling has his writing and directorial debut. tommy lee jones. even pamela anderson's here. >> wow, okay. [ speaking foreign language ] thank you very much. fun with jon hamm. he talks about his new film. >> no one's going to judge you, alex, that's all i'll say.

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outlawing school segregation, how diverse are today's classrooms? we'll take a look. another good day to all of you. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." here's what's happening right now. we have developing news. as we have just learned a small team is being sent to battle a small brushfire in southern california near where multiple wildfires are already burning. for now, it's only burning about half an acre. it has the potential to become a lot larger. as crews begin making major strides in the fight to contain the nearly dozen fires bushing across north san diego. as crews work, they're catching a break today with cooler temperatures. the fire burning in carlsbad is said to now be about 90% contained. this is pretty dramatic video of a giant wall of flames. it was shot during the worst of that fire as it came within just a few feet of some cars that were trying to escape. then in san marcos, officials

say the massive fire, which has burned some 2500 acres, now at least 75% contained. with thousands forced to evacuate, some are returning to find only rubble where their homes once stood. >> it's really, really difficult, because it just makes you think of all the times together. >> that didn't happen, but still we have our family and they're safe and we'll go on from here. >> meanwhile, three people have been arrested in connection with those fires. joining me now by phone is david garrett, a reporter with the san diego union tribute. we hear the weather is helping in terms of firefighters on the front lines today. what about these reports that smoke is causing some health concerns for residents in the area? >> we've heard that the hospital's been busy all week. the skies were black and brown for several days. >> okay. what about the damage estimates? do you have any numbers as far as homes, office buildings and

the like being destroyed? >> the latest numbers we have from authorities are 11 homes, two commercial buildings and then two 18-unit apartment complex. reporters on our staff have spotted additional homes in our city san marcos. we're looking at 17 homes, authorities say 11, so somewhere in that zone. >> i know residents have been allowed back. how many are still evacuated? >> we don't have a hard enough number on that. 120,000 total were evacuated. i would say the vast majority are back in. seems like every 90 minutes there's another announcement that people are allowed to go back in their neighborhoods. i would think the number of people kept out is almost dwinding close to zero now. >> with regard to those three facing charges now in connection with the fires, we know that one is a 57-year-old man. the other two are teenagers. first up, are they connected? what are people alleging their

involvement was? >> to say that they're connected in a significant and important way that the whole fire storm this week was arson would be overstating the case dramatically. the two juveniles or teenagers, they were basically setting fires that had nothing to do with the wildfires. the man in ocean side is accused of throwing brush on an existing wildfire. one of the smaller ones called the san louie ray fire. so he made a fire get worse but he didn't start it or at least no witnesses saw him start it. >> david, inner it er i in term containment, what about that? >> the weather has radically improved yesterday a little bit and today quite a bit. tomorrow, it's supposed to get even better. there's a lot of optimism and confidence among firefighters and among authorities. keep in mind, in the wider picture, overall, with the drought we have, this is going to be the longest fire season

we've ever had. it's really kind of a scary thought. >> it's weeks ahead of when it usually would start. as you were heading to make this phone call and join us here on the air, what are the skies looking like today in your area? >> we have the typical marine layer. we missed it this week. it would have been nice to have it. it's actually finally here for the first time. looks like the sun is going to come out. the morning was mostly gray. >> okay. david gehrig with the san diego union tribute, thanks, david. a shift in temperatures and the winds as you heard expecting to calm those fires in california. there's still a threat in the east. now, more on that. >> tracking the weather traditions across the southwest, continuing to stay dry. the fire threat remaining as well. critical fire danger. we're talking nearly half a million people impacted here. mainly northern arizona. but still elevated fire threat into southern portions of california where it's been a

really terrible situation there. the heat with our ridge that's been in place in those areas, shifting a little further east. the pattern setting up for more of an on-shore flow in southern cal. that's going to bring in nmore moisture which will help the situation here. temperatures are coming down as well, including l.a. we'll be in mid-70s by the time we head into tomorrow. we'll shift that fire threat, critical in nature, a little further east. we've got fire weather watches across parts of arizona and new mexico. >> okay, alex, many thanks. to politics now. new reaction today from a key lawmaker. senator john mccain delivered the gop's weekly address, calling for a complete overall of the v.a. his his criticism follows reports of problems in the v.a. the undersecretary is stepping down. his resignation is effective immediately. officials from the uk and

u.s. are meeting today in paris. they're discussing the nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in nigeria by islamic extremives. it comes on the heels of the white house spending on that. let's talk about the headline coming out of this meeting today. how do you see it? >> there were a couple of headlines. the first is that france's president francois hollande said they had agreed on an action plan about how to better combat boko haram. that is the terrorist group behind those kidnappings. hollande saying his country, the uk, the u.s., would be giving more help in the context of surveillance, intelligence, and that they would do a better job coordinating when it comes to those things. the other big headline here is that nigerian's president said boko haram is no longer a local terrorist group, that it is now a terrorist group that is threatening all of west africa

with links to al qaeda and that really underscores the fact that boko haram has become quite emboldened in recent years. also, the idea that nigeria is having a lot of trouble handling this crisis on its own. you heard u.s. officials speak to that very issue, this past week. one official saying the nigerian military is afraid of fighting boko haram and that it doesn't appear as though nigeria can really handle this situation even with the international help that it is getting. this is really a crisis. remember, this group has been threatening nigerians for the past five years. 3,000 people it's thought have been killed at the hands of boko haram. you are hearing the debate which you mentioned continue to bubble up in washington, d.c. with senators john mccain, kelly ayot ayotte, calling for special forces to be at the ready to go in, to rescue these girls. white house press secretary jay carney has answered a lot of questions about that in recent

days and has said that the u.s. is not currently considering a military option, not considering sending in or even preparing special forces to be ready and it doesn't appear as that's a real likelihood. they don't know how that would really help the situation. still, the u.s. continues to help with intelligence surveillance and help on the ground. >> may i ask you about this huge election win in india. it's the cover story of today's "new york times." >> the white house is welcoming the news. the candidate, orenda modie swept into office. he's with the opposition party in india. this would be a new opening, a new step forward between the relationship with the u.s. and india. the two have had a number of diplomatic disputes in recent years. president obama called modie on friday, congratulated hip,

welcomed him to washington. it's significant because modie had been denied a visa in recent years after he failed to quell riots in 2005 when he was the chief minister of kujarat. here's what the spokesperson said about this. she said, quote, we congratulate modi in winning the election. which saw more voters cast their ballot freely and fairly. and looks forward to working with them on our shared prosperity and security. a record 66% of indians went to the polls. modie ran on a platform of economic reform so there is certainly a lot of expectation including here in the united states, where, again, they would like to smooth other some of the difficulties between the u.s. and india.

let's go to turkey now. the last two bodies were recored by search crews. 300 miners were killed. the worst industrial accident in turkey's history. the government's response has sparked angry demonstrations. joining me now is nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel. there's a lot of anger in the streets. >> reporter: there is a lot of anger in the town of soma in particular. this is the miners' hometown. a lot of the victims from this mine tragedy are from soma. their families still live there. their relatives are there. pretty much everyone in soma is connected to the mining industry. the teachers teach the children of the miners. now soma looks like a police state. there are hundreds of riot police on almost every corner.

police have been brought in from nearby cities. they were starting to do spot checks today where authorities would walk up to people and ask for their identification papers to see if they had any criminal records or reason to arrest them. a group of lawyers went out, started to question the police why they were doing this action, and the lawyers got arrested. and they were taken to a sporting facility and that sparked another round of angry protests. it sparked some clashes. police used water cannons and tear gas for the second day in a row in this mining town. this is not the reaction that people in soma were expecting. they thought they would be getting sympathy. maybe compensation from the government. not turning the town into a lockdown police state. >> richard, you and i spoke a bit earlier about the potential of this being a breaking point for prime minister erdogan. after what's really been a year of violent protest.

does it appear to you that this is going to change anything? >> it's very hard to know because there's been so many moments like this where you think the turkish people will decide they've had enough. there have been so many public scandals over the last several months where erdogan himself or members of his cabinet are caught red handed in corruption scandals. they've all denied them, but there have been audiotapes released in which erdogan or members of his close advisers are talking about suspicious dealing, calling to intimidate newspaper editors, telling their family members how they should hide large sums of money. there have been violent epsopds where riot police are sent in to break up demonstrations. yet none of it has managed to unseat the prime minister who remains very popular with about half of this country, primarily because the economy in turkey, although it's gotten weaker recently, still remains quite

strong. >> all right, richard engel, many thanks for the live report. it is the new ef health threat in america that has the cdc on a heightened state of alert. how much do we really have to worry about mers? up next, we're going to take you where people have been tested for that mysterious disease. [ male announcer ] covergirl presents the making of a bombshell starring new bombshell volume from covergirl. featuring the exclusive bombshell boost system. extreme volume meets an intensifying topcoat. and tada. a bombshell is born. with 10 times more noticeable lashes. nothing gets attention like a bombshell.

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new leadership at the naacp. it has selected cornell williams brooks to be its new ceo and president. brooks is currently the ceo and president of the new jersey institute for social justice. he replaces lorraine miller. she took over after benjamin jealous stepped down last year. in orlando, the latest results on the second u.s. mers case are in. tests came back negative for the 20 health care worker and family members who came in contact with that second mers patient.

the cdc and health officials are not finished yet. the senior health reporter of the orlando sentinel joins me. can you just outline for viewers exactly what mers is? >> middle east respiratory syndrome is not anything we want to get. it was 30% fatal. highly contagious. people want to be careful to contain it when it strikes. >> the cdc, what's their approach? what's their next step for them, other agencies as well? >> they have put advisories throughout airports, especially flights in and out of saudi arabia, to be careful, be on alert. they want people to do their due diligence. they have contacted the 500 passengers on the floor flights that the saudi arabian man took and made sure they are aware they were exposed.

>> what has officials concerned the most? >> well, the spread. they did a really nice job of containing it. they identified the man as having mers within eight days of him arriving in orlando. they put him in isolation. they contacted all the health workers. tested the family members he was living with. all of them have tested negative for the mers virus. so they feel very comfortable this is contained. >> the investigation continues. is there any indication how long they will go with that? >> the outbreak could happen within 5 to 14 days of exposure. so after 14 days of the window which this man was traveled says when the all clear can be lifted.

>> do we know what signs to look for? >> fever, cough, malaise, the usual flu-like symptoms. if you've been to saudi arabia in the last few weeks and you have these sim tops, get to a health care worker quickly. be sure to tell them if that's the situation. >> you talk about it's a fatality rate which was significantly high. why is that? >> because there's no treatment for it. there's no vaccine. there's no anti-viral. it attacks the kidneys and lungs and ammpneumonia is usually wha takes them out. it is scary. this is nothing to mess around with. >> absolutely. okay. thank you so much. he is a mad men now searching for a diamond in the rough. i love to eat. i love hanging out with my friends. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture.

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making a new pitch in theaters with a baseball drama called "million dollar arm." a real-life story about a down on his luck sports agent who turns to india to find his next big star. >> how are you going to know if anyone can throw if you keep your eyes shut all day? >> i can hear it. >> really? >> what, that's about a 43. bingo. >> we have our finalist. >> joining me now, actor jon team. hey, jon, it's great to have you. do you love baseball and can you throw waked fastball? >> well, don't know wicked it would be. i can throw a ball. we'll put it that way. yes, i do love baseball. i was born and raised in st. louis so we had -- it's kind of in our dna there. yes, i'm a fan. >> good. well, that may be part of the reason why you did this film. i know it's been described as jerry maguire meets slumdog

millionaire. what is it that made you want to do it? >> first of all, it's nice to be compared to two movies i like. what made me want to do it is the one thing neither of those stories have. this is a true story. it is a story that's incredibly inspirational. it's a story about a couple kids getting an opportunity to succeed against all odds. and really working and working their tails off and succeeding. and as i mentioned, against all odds. not only that, but it's a story about my character who kind of comes up with an out of the box idea, sees it through to completion and changes his life because of it. it's a bit of a departure from the guy that i played in my day job. >> talk about your day job. is he the anti-don draper? >> well, i don't think he's

anti-don draper. i just think he's different from don draper in the same way that, you know -- i can't think of another person. let's call it fonzie is different from don draper. there's a reference that no one will get under the age of 30. >> oh, come on, you got it on the fonz. >> i do, but i'm 43. >> what character to you like better? >> well, i will always be partial to don draper since i've lived with him for ten years. he's not the greatest guy. he has his moments, but he's not greatest guy. but j.b. is a real person. he's standing right here. he's not. he's a real person. it's different portraying an actual human being you can have a conversation with. a person that went through the actual story that you're telling. >> is it tougher to do that? do you feel the pressure, you've

got to get it right? or you allow your own interpretation? >> i think both. you definitely don't want to be false in your portrayal. as i mentioned, he's standing right there. j.b. has been incredibly helpful to the film and giving of his time, his story. we're so happy to tell it. it's an inspirational story, aspirational story, it's heart warming. it's an incredibly great message for kids. this idea that if you work hard enough, you can achieve what you want seems to be getting lost in this generation of just like, no, i deserve everything. and not to turn this into sort of a social political decision, but it really is a lovely message. the boys the story focuses on are two of the greatest kids you'll ever meet. i was inspired by the story.

>> tell me who you think is going to see "million dollar arm." it's family fare? >> oh, definitely. another reason why i chose the film. it's nice that i can be in a movie that my friends contain their kids to. and not be embarrassed. so yeah, it's for all ages honestly. >> it's on my list of things to see. thanks so much. have a good one. the supreme court outlawed racial segregation 60 years ago today. also, a small town in new hampshire wants a police commissioner to quit after he allegedly made a racial slur against the president. you won't believe what the man is saying now. a big meeting is held in paris to device a strategy to save those kidnapped nigerian girls. do authorities even know where they are? tigers, both of you.

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welcome back. 31 past the hour. leaders five west african nations are vowing to work together. they all took part in a summit with officials from the u.s., france, great britain, to discuss the extremist group boko haram. meanwhile, their summit comes and goes amid growing criticism of nigeria's response to the crisis. nbc's bill neely is joining me now. let's talk about the leader of which countries were there and what kind of strategy are they looking at as far as going after boko haram? >> yes, alex, this was certainly the most significant summit i think ever held to discuss terrorism in west and central africa. whether it proves to be the most effective is a different matter. the leaders certainly talked

tough. there were five african nations there. basically, it was nigeria and its immediate neighbors like chad, niger and cameroon. they basically declared war on boko haram. which is of course the group not only that's kidnapped the schoolgirls but a group that's been killing thousands for five years here in nigeria. chad's president pledged total war against boko haram. nigeria's president, goodluck jonathan said, look, this isn't just some kind of local menace. this is a regional threat. he said it's not just linked to al qaeda, this is a group that's part of al qaeda's operation. so they certainly talk tough. what do they do? we, again, the details are sketchy, and this will be hard for them to carry out. what they wanted to do was to seal the borders between their countries more effectively to prevent boko haram smuggling arms and men across those borders and also to share more

information. because that's been a problem. a french diplomat said nigeria and cameroon, for example, basically aren't talking to each other and, in fact, both those countries were the victims of a boko haram attack today, in cameroon, ten chinese worker were kidnapped, about a dozen people killed. so the leaders certainly talking tough, pledging big things, but it will take some time to seal borders. so we'll wait and see. >> yesterday, president goodluck jonathan canceled a trip to its chibok -- or however it's announced, where more than 300 girls were abducted. it would have been his first visit there since the kidnapping. what did he say about the decision not to go? >> well, goodluck jonathan did defend his decision today in the news conference at the end of that summit, saying, if he'd gone, it wouldn't have solved

any problems, and he promised to go some time in the future. but interestingly, his spokesman denied that there was ever a plan for goodluck jonathan to go to chibok in the first place. there was a security detail on the ground in chibok and certainly it hasn't gone down well with the parents of the missing girls who feel not only did he break a promise but that he doesn't care about those children. he also claimed today 20,000 nigerian troops were searching for the girls. i think that is a very questionable figure indeed. just finally, there has been no confirmed sightings of those girls so far. >> bill neely, thank you very much. the small town of wolfboro, new hampshire, is the latest site of racial controversy after its police commissioner not only used a racial slur to describe president obama, they then refused to apologize. about 100 people voiced their outrage. many residents are calling on

him to resign. a town resident overheard him making that comment. and then rosht ereported him to city hall. >> the fallout isn't now just for the police commissioner. people are actually threatening to cancel their vacations to new hampshire, so that town wolfboro suffering a blow to its image and maybe now to its economy. wolfboro new hampshire police commissioner robert copeland sat with his arms crossed as resident after resident. >> i feel less safe in this commute. >> reporter: stood up to call for his resignation. >> if you do not have the decency to resign, prepare yourself, because we will institute recall! [ applause ] >> reporter: jean o'toole says she's the one who overheard copeland a few weeks ago in a diner usinge ining a racial slu. >> comments like this,

especially from an elected public official, are not only inexcusable, terribly unfortuna unfortunately reflects on our town. >> reporter: he said not only will he not resign, an e-mail o'toole says copeland wrote says, i believe i did use the "n" word in reference to the current occupant of the white house. copeland is one of three elected police commissioners in the town of 6,300. his fellow commissioners have doning in to discipline their colleague, saying only the three would meet in private to resolve the matter. >> i suspect he has some serious thinking to do. >> reporter: while some in town supported copeland. >> leave him alone, it's a free country, free speech. >> reporter: twitter sphere has erupted. and more from across the country. not another 82-year-old racist

white guy. i mean, how many could there be? #donaldsterling. this is a reference to the clippers owner. the town released a statement saying copeland's views are in no way representative of the town, ice administration or the men and women of the police department. they explain they have no jurisdiction over an elected official and so they are urging copeland to resign on his own. >> it's a rare day i'm renn deshed speechless. you have done so with this story. today marked 60 years since the supreme court outlawed segregation in public schools. the landmark decision of brown versus education. new studies show some schools are resegregating. here's chief correspondent rehema ellis. >> reporter: expectations are high.

>> i want nothing but as and bs, okay? >> reporter: but test scores are not. this public school has an f-rating by state standards. it sits in the heart of the mississippi delta where cotton once was king. now it's the poorest region in the poorest state in the nation. 95% of these students are eligible for free and reduced price lunch. nearly all of them are black. whites are only 2% of the city's public schools. even though they make up more than 20% of greenville's population. this, 60 years after a ruling that declared seg ra gated public schools in america were unequal and illegal. does did look like brown versus board of education happened here? >> no, because you still see a school with all blacks and no whites. and then you see a private school where mostly whites. >> reporter: you think this is the way it's supposed to be? >> no. >> no, ma'am. >> reporter: those private

schools are open to students of any race, but most black families can't afford the tuition. the mayor says it's not totally a race issue and race relations have been improving here. >> socioeconomic factors are some of the biggest contributors to the poor school grades. >> reporter: would you send your children to the public schools? >> no, ma'am. >> reporter: you would not? >> i have two daughters i raised h her. quality of education was not what i felt they needed to have. >> reporter: some parents want the government to do more to level the playing field. >> the parents have to fight for equal education for our future. we shouldn't have to fight. i rally. for quality education for our children. and for our teachers. >> all right, listen up -- >> reporter: no matter the challenges, assistant principal dave miller believes the sky is the limit for his students. >> they are smart.

they have passion. they're amazing people who have amazing potential. >> reporter: principal diane xanders is a delta native and coleman alumni. >> these children, i treat them the way i would want my children treated. i tell them, i'm not ashamed where i grew up. >> ci grew up with my mama driving a head start bus and picking cotton. as little children, we went right with her. no matter what goes on in your home in this day, you determine what you will be in life. and it starts right here, you guys. >> reporter: these students get her message. thoughts for the future? >> i want to be a pediatrician. >> i would like to become an obstetrician gynecologist or a lawyer. >> i would like to become a lawyer or a teacher. >> reporter: teachers committed to helping students bridge the past and the present. to create a better future. rehema ellis, nbc news,

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and no added artificial flavors. we've come a long way. and whatever's ahead, we'll be there for each other. naturally. purina cat chow naturals. today's topics, back to b benghazi 60 years later. opinion writer and nbc contributor goldie taylor. republican strategist joe watkins. and democratic strategist chris cofenis. let's go first to back to benghazi. senate republicans calling for a select senate panel. this on top of the special house committee. former secretary of state rice weighing in. take a listen. >> i think there are unanswered questions. they could be easily answered. but i think they need to be answered. for me, it is not a question of

what the talking point said or didn't say. i know how murky intelligence can look at the moment. i've been myself a victim of some of that, so i understand that. >> all right. first up to you, goldie, what's your reaction? >> i think she's right about one thing, there are questions to be asked. those questions won't be asked by this select committee. this committee is about talking points. this committee is about 2016. if we're going to have a meaningful conversation about benghazi, then we ought to be talking about our security apparatus that protects our facilities around the world. and, you know, what happens exactly with benghazi? that can be rendered effectively in the future. that's an important question to be had. the conversation this select committee is going to be having has absolutely zero to do what that. >> you're hoping for a broader perspective on that.

regarding benghazi and what goldie's just said? >> clearly this is a serious topic. when four people die in the service of their country, we want to know why it doesn't happen again. the problem i have, you had seven congressional examinations of this. you have had an independent study of this. the committee to achieve a political result and the conclusions we already know, doesn't make any sense to me. have a select committee that is balanced between democrats and republicans. if you want a political goal, that's what they've designed. one that is clearly orchestrated and created some kind of

conclusion. >> he said he had no plans to put together a senate committee on benghazi. house speaker boehner says he's created this house special panel to consolidate all the investigations. what is it the gop senators want? what would be the purpose of another panel? >> want the same thing congressman gowdy who's leading the select committee wants, which is to have really not a political witch-hunt but find out what happens so the families who lost their loved ones so other americans can know once and for all what happened. and so we don't make the same mistakes going forward, that's the important thing. some people may take advantage for political gain, but it

should be right down the middle, just the facts. >> you don't think given all this this isn't a focus on clinton were she to run in 2016? >> no, there will be some who think that if she decides to run will be the democratic nominee for president. clearly, that's in the minds of some people. i think as long as people like congressman gowdy prevail and keep this really apolitical and apolitical discussion and investigation i think we're much better off. >> 60 years later, as today marks 60 years in the historic decision of brown versus board of education. offering a hopeful message to the future, while highlighting the work that still needs to be done. >> many districts in this country have actually pulled back on efforts to integrate their schools.

and many communities have become less diverse as folks have moved from cities to suburbs. so today by some cities so suburbs. so our schools in some areas are as segregated as when dr. king gave his last speech. >> how much far have we come and how much farther do we need to go? is. >> i think land mark pieces of supreme court rulings like brown verse board of education did a lot. they offer an equal playing field in terms of education, affording us fair housing, voter rights. when black and brown people started to move into certain neighbors, the previous working white people moved out. that middle class moved to the suburbs and they took their children and businesses with them. then later on, middle class black families moved out as

well. you have an increasing level of segregation. and in that lies or death. the supreme court rulings were right for our country and they're right to this day. another dynamic unfolded on the back of that that creates a level of economical partide that cannot be missed. >> we made some, we have a distance yet to travel. i work in a school district that has been challenged economically and academiclally. we're working hard to save it and make it a great school district. it's predominantly african-american. and our challenge is to make sure that every child, no matter what they look like our their economic background is that they have a shot at a great education. >> every single kid and in terms

of this also, chris, the messages was a fight for equal for for minorities and gays. >> this is an enduring struggle. you look at public schools and education in this country especially compared to western and industrial countries and with have a long way to go. i believe in public schools. there is nothing more important than the ability to provide everyone an equal education so they have a fair shot to their own destinies. we're not doing that. that is, i think, a major fault of our leaders that we need to address. >> okay, today's best and worst of the week, next.

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time now for the best and worst of the week. what's yours? >> mine is cornell brooks, the newly elected ceo of the naacp.

my worst is the assistant veteran affairs, sloane gibson. >> how about you, joe? best and worst? >> my best, of course is eric holder gave a great speech, commencement speech, and used it to talk about sentencing of african-american men. and worst is the story about the pregnant sudanese woman who would not recant her christianity and is being put to death for it. >> best is hillary clinton thanks to dr. carl rove who made her look better this week than before. worst was a close call between the "new york times" for house republicans voting down another

immigration provision. >> okay, good to see you guys. thank you so much. and that's a wrap of the show. i'll be right back here tomorrow at noon eastern. 's correct. cause i'm really nervous about getting trapped. why's that? uh, mark? go get help! i have my reasons. look, you don't have to feel trapped with our raise your rate cd. if our rate on this cd goes up, yours can too. oh that sounds nice. don't feel trapped with the ally raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. reckless seeding. a backyard invasion. enter homeowner, and ortho weed b gon max. kills weeds without harming innocent lawns. guaranteed. ortho weed b gon max. get order. get ortho®.

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these outbursts of bigotry while horrible are not markers of the struggle that must be erased. >> confronting race on this 60th anniversary of brown versus the board of education. they were talking about the kind of racism that does not make headlines. and castro about to join the obama administration. what is ahead for him and what the white house is saying about his future. also, the sauce and the stir. in california, a not so secret