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president will. the time has come. good morning. i am krystal ball in for melissa harris-perry who will join us later in the program, so stick around for that. we have a lot to get to this morning including the growing political showdown over immigration reform. but we begin with the latest on arthur, the first hurricane of the season has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. and it is moving toward canada after bringing heavy rain to parts of new england, new bedfo bedford, massachusetts got as much as 8 inches of rain causing a flood emergency. north carolina received the brunt of the storm when arthur made landfall late thursday, about 1,600 people are still without power this morning. the storm gladded some homes and toppled trees but the damage was much less than officials had expected. make sure to stay with msnbc throughout the day for the

latest on arthur and the holiday weekend forecast. we turn now to the surprise out of washington this week because, contrary to popular belief, it turns out congress can get stuff done. just, you know, it has to be something that unequivocally benefits members of congress. as the national journal reported this week, members of the house of representatives no longer have to disclose privately funded travel. how nice that is for them. travel like the $50,000 trip that democratic congressman mike mcintyre took to australia this year with his wife. that was at the expense of the australian defense industry association, you know, that kind of thing. the house ethics committee made the decision behind closed doors and they neve announced it publicly. as national journal points out last year members of congress and their aides received $6 million worth of free travel from private sources. as for this year, we just won't know how much travel our elected leaders, their spouses, and their staff take on the dime of peel who have something to gain. so that's something congress accomplished.

see, when congress really wants to act, they still can. of course there is so much more that congress refuses to accomplish. >> i believe speaker boehner when he says he wants to pass an immigration bill. i think he genuinely wants to get something done. but last week he informed me the republicans will continue to block a vote on immigration reform at least for the remainder of this year. >> that was president obama in the rose garden on monday threat ebbing more executive action if congress continues to block comprehensive immigration reform and republic quans will, apparently, at least for the remainder of this year, six more months, continue to block comprehensive immigration reform. they will refuse to pass it while 363,000 people wait for their deportation cases to move through a backlogged, overtaxed system while our country maintains space for 34,000 people to be held in detention

centers, a minimum mandated by l law. people are waiting more than 20 years -- 20 years -- for their visa and green card applications to be processed. while more than 5,000 children, who are the citizens of the united states, are in foster care because their parents were deported or detained. as tens of thousands more children come pouring over the border, they're desperate to escape violent crime and crushing poverty in their home countries. we have a special obligation, 20% of all the immigrants in the world live right here in the united states and yet still no immigration reform for the remainder of this year. the president pulled no punches in his con tematidemnation of w passed last year. >> our country and our economy would be stronger today if house republicans had had allowed a simple yes or no vote on this bill or, for that matter, any

bill. they'd be following the will of the majority of the american people who support reform. and, instead, they've proven again and again that they're unwilling to stand up to the tea party in order to do what's best for the country. and the worst part about it is a bunch of them know better. >> stand up to the tea party. but who is there to stand up to the so-called tea party? look at the chairman of the committee with juroisdiction ovr fwrags policy, really the lead house republican on immigration that would be congressman bob goodlot, a fellow virginian, i might add. he responded to the president's speech by blaming the president for the current humanitarian crisis is at the u.s./mexican border. and for blaming him for the gridlock in congress and saying the senate's immigration bill is a nonstarter. if the senate bill were to become law it would worsen the crisis because it fails to skaur our borders, mitigate threats to

national security, deport criminal aliens and enforce our immigration laws going forward. the statements like that, it's hard to be as hopeful as the president tried to at least sound on monday that the house republicans will pass a bill some how, some day. >> maybe it will be after the midterms when they're less worried about politics. maybe it will be next year. whenever it is, they will find me a willing partner. >> but he also made clear that in the meantime, he will act alone. at least to the fullest extent that he can. he announced that two of his cabinet members, attorney general eric holder and home security secretary johnson on how much the president can do by himself. he announced that he will act immediately on those recommendations and that he doesn't really care what congress has to say about it. >> if house republicans are really concerned about me taking too many executive actions, the

best solution to that is passing bills. where i would greatly prefer congress actually do something. i take executive action only when we have a serious problem, a serious issue, and congress chooses to do nothing. >> do you remember no drama obama, the cool headed moderate mediator? had well, this president obama is bringing the drama and it is about time. joining me now we have national republican consultant, we have an assistant professor of criminal law, beth, senior editor for msnbc.com be a, of course, the attorney and columnist for u.s. today. thank you all for joining me. i appreciate it. happy fourth belatedly.

raw, let me start with you. the president finally bringing the drama, final ly seeming to acknowledge the fact that nothing is going to happen with republicans, we can stop holding our breath, and the timing certainly seems tied to eric cantor's dramatic primary loss. but i would say, also, immigration reform advocates have been very successful at putting pressure on this president. >> right. and i think most immigration reform advocates feel it's not just that the time is now. it's that it's much, much overdue because they have been putting pressure on the president for quite some time to take action. they've been making the same argument the president is making now that congress is not going to do anything, that there's re really no hope for congressional legislative relief. they have been saying that all along and it's only final hi now that he is getting it. and it's great that he is. but i think one consequence we will see of him waiting so long to take action is now. absolutely the immigrant community, certainly many latino voters expect him to go very big on whatever executive action

that he takes. they expect something very expansive, very broad. partly to make up for so much time going by. he's been tagged with this label of deporter in chief, and as unfortunate as that is, it is borne out by statistics. >> it's borne out by sta ttisti and i think that label actually really seemed to have is an impact on him and put pressure on him. but to raul's point, what could the president feasibly do with executive action because i do think hopes have gotten very high and perhaps very unrealistic we should also keep in mind that anything he does through the executive branch is obviously by its nature temporary, the the next president could could come right in be a undo it. >> absolutely. but the president has broad authority to act, to stem the tide of mass deportations and the tension in this country. he can do it in three core ways. first, he can put an end to some of the programs that have been funneling people into the broken system to begin with. these are programs like secure communities, 287-g, programs that essentially use local p

police interaction to target people. usually in communities of color for deportation. and these programs have been criticized for racial profiling and eroding community trust the so he can put an end to those. he can also expand prosecutorial distregs that allows people to come forward and if they meet certain requirements they get a temp rather reprieve and work authorization. the idea is there are many people who will eventually benefit from immigration reform and they shouldn't be torn apart from their families before that immigration reform happens. >> and, i want to get you in here with the republican perspective. it strikes me one of the things republicans were trying to do, they were trying to pressure the president to keep him from taking additional executive action and they tried to tie the border to what we have already had. but the president seemingly didn't list en to that criticis and said, you know what, if you aren't going to act, i'm going

to go ahead and do it on my own. >> this is born in politics and these are all politicians and i think you will find the republicans in the listening audience after the midterms. >> you are hopeful after the midterms? >> let me go back to nominating john mccain as our nominee before mitt romney. and if you would think that immigration was the death republican politicians, john mccain won south carolina. the temperature has change. the sad, disappointing part is the 370,000 cases sitting there that you just mentioned waiting to get to court, a year and a half to wait. now we have 90,000 children, soon to be 140,000 children, being trafficked by criminals from the central america. that's going to hurt our effort as republic yabs who want immigration reform because now the message has become muddled in the middle the midterms. i think republicans will capture the united states senate the. i think that in 2015 there is our chance as republican party

to do something substantial with the problem that nobody seems to be able to solve. i always -- i criticize the president for a lot of things but the first four years when he had the house and the senate. where was he then? >> well, he was acting on a lot of other issues. the economy in free fall. we had banking regulation. we had a lot we had to deal with in that time. >> he picked the affordable care act. he had sway but we didn't get it then. and now executive order -- >> i don't think it's fair to blame -- when you have the republicans who are coming to the house floor. i know. i get it. stay there. we have more on this. this is not the first time the president has promised to make immigration reform happen as our friend katon was pointing out. could his words come back to haunt him again? at every ford dealership, you'll find the works! it's a complete checkup of the services your vehicle needs. so prepare your car for any road trip

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many immigrants' rights activists have expressed hope this time president obama will take concrete action to fix what he can of a broken immigration system but they've been hearing promises for a long time. here is candidate obama speaking with jorge ramos in 2008. >> you've been waiting 100 days? >> i cannot guarantee that it will it be in the first 100 days. but i can fwaguarantee we will e an immigration bill that i strongly support and that i'm promoting and i want to move forward as quickly as i can in my fist year in office. >> and here is president obama running for re-election nearly four years later speaking again to univision. >> i can promise i will try to

do it in the first year of my second term. this is something i care deeply about. it's personal to me. and i will do everything that i can to try to get it done. >> so we are back with our panel continuing to talk about the politics of immigration. i wanted to get beth in here. beth, how high is the disappointment among immigration reform advocates? are they still feeling like president obama is really behind them and has their back and is doing everything he can to push forward with comprehensive immigration reform? >> look, i think they know he is in a box. that he's done -- he probably hasn't done as much as he could. the deporter in chief label really bothers him, but they ultimately know he wants to get it done, that there was a bipartisan proposal that came out of the senate he supported that had a lot of promising outcomes for immigrants in this country. but the fact of the matter is,s and i def to katon on this, republic wrans neans need to ge. the way the house districts are

jer jerry mannedered. they have no reason to vote for it. they are not running for president. they're not necessarily looking at the health of the future of the republican party. they're looking for what their constituents want. in many cases those constituents are not interested in seeing a change to this. they want more people sent away. they don't want a path to to citizenship. so he really -- the president really is up against a real wall there. and so he has to take actions he can actually perhaps get away with legally. even how much republicans will try to push back on those. >> alina, what do you say to that question? is there a sense in the immigration reform community the president deeply gets this issue? with health care, i think we all had this sense that deep in his belly the president got that issue. he was connected to it through his mother. i get that sense with the work he does on equal pay, through his daughters. do you feel he has that same deep level connection to this

issue? >> i think the president does deeply care, but his actions have been very different. i mean, he is the one who has deported more than 2 million people, more than any other president, and more than any other administration. >> and why do you think that is? >> i think he's been trying to create some political space for immigration reform to show he's tough on immigrants. now here we are six years later relying on mass incarceration, one of the most inhumane aspects of the immigration system with more than 1,000 persons at the ported every day and more than 30,000 people detained each night. and it's a terrible system that has torn apart countless famili families. he not own has the authority to act now, he really has an obligation to do this, to fix the problems he's created by taking such a progressive stance on immigration. >> i think he has a moral responsibility at this point to act. and i believe that he does care deeply about this issue. i just think that at some level maybe it's his blind spot. that's the only way i can try to figure it out.

he's been pushed on it so much and yet throughout these years of his administration he's pursued -- his strategy has been we'll pursue immigration enforcement and that will somehow win over enough republic wrans that republicans that we can do reform. he's giving it up and going forward. in the latino community there's deep frustration, a sense of betrayal, tremendous disappoi disappointment and given all that -- so he's in a tough spot. also some precedent for the situation that he's in right now. in 2012, we were at a different level. the deportations were going full steam ahead when he was running for re-election and then the deferred action for young immigrants. his numbers shot up with the latino community. they shot up among so many of the immigrant reformists. the they saw at least he was willing to expend some political capital and do something. so i think we might be at one of those moments, again, where things are at a breaking point.

but if he pushes ahead and shows some political courage on this issue, he will be rewarded. and speaking of political courage, i think republicans right now are missing a real defining moment for their party because we need to see people like marco rubio. we need to see moderates like jeb bush coming forward right now and denouncing that ugliness we saw in california with people screaming at the buses and yelling at these immigrants already traumatized. this is a time all those republicans need to say that's not our party. that's not conservatives. this is not us. and so far they've been pretty quiet. >> yeah, we're still waiting for those voices. stay with us. the immigration debate is not just a political issue but obviously also a humanitarian one. coming up, we will talk to an activist about the real people who are behind these headlines. ♪

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47,000 you be accompanied minors have come across the u.s. border with mexico since last october. they are running away not only from extreme poverty and a lack

of opportunity but often from the very real threat of violence. the heartbreaking pictures has put new pressure on congress and on the president to do something about immigration. and that is the power of putting a human face on our immigration system. joining us now from rang lang, california, with the california immigrant youth justice alie wrans, thank you so much for being with us. i was hoping you could start by sharing a bit of your story. you are an immigrant. tell us how you came to the united states. >> sure, hi. good morning, everyone. >> good morning. >> so, yes, i actually crossed the border back in 2001. a few weeks before 9/11 and i was 12. i'm originally from mexico. and the main reason why i was coming over was to reunite with my father. it was my mother, my sister and i that crossed the border.

i guess you can say i was one of the lucky ones. i was able to cross and i was guided through different experiences of getting at the tand by border patrol, going to, i guess, their offices where they had two sections, one for minors and one for adults. having a reality check on how we were treated, seeing adults chained up from head to toe and us being called names, you ugly names, and asked why are we here, why are we crossing and eventually cross iing the borde and settling here in south central l.a. attending university high schools and eventually

graduating. >> i want to ask you when you first came across, i understand you were detained, sent back to mexico and then were able to cross successfully. what sort of message did that send to you about this new country you were coming to? >> we as a family talked. and my dad didn't want us to actually go through because he, himself, went through it. he crossed through the desert. he crossed through the mountains. he tried different multiple times before actually making it. we tried to get a visa, some sort of visa of the because we were working class, we were street vendors, flower street vendors back in mexico, we were not allowed to get that visa because, again, we didn't have any money in the bank. we didn't have any property. we had to make that tough decision and we were not the only ones. it was different people going through the same struggles and

getting caught at age 12, caught and harassed and called names made me realize we were not wanted in this country. we were not wanted. we were dehumanized for being who we are. how does the experience compare to what you saw as a child at 12? >> it's very heartbreaking. i was 12. there are kids as young as 4, 5. and i can just imagine their journey going through mexico and not a very friendly immigrant country as well. i can relate to a lot of the emotions of not feeling wanted, like you belong, not feeling

supported, escaping from poverty, from violence and coming to this country you expect to be at least welcome, at least embraced, right? this is a country of immigrants. they're not getting that from us. they're being slapped and told you're not wanted. you should go back and die. that's the decision they have to make. survive through desert and then make it here. once you're here, you're being called names. you're being told, go back. we don't want you here. >> edna, thank you for being here and your courage and your work. we so appreciate you. >> thank you. and, again, we expect president obama to do the right thing and grant humanitarian asylum to these families. stop deportations and extend administration relief to the

undocumented immigrants. he must act now. he said he has the power now, right, after saying that he doesn't. so we want him to come forward and do the right thing. >> that's what we're talking about this much. thank you so much. when we come back exclusive original reporting from msnbc. what happens when 1 nx 500 people cram into a space that's meant for 250. and i have copd. i'm j-e-f-f and i have copd. i'm l-i-s-a and i have copd, but i don't want my breathing problems to get in the way of hosting my book club. that's why i asked my doctor about b-r-e-o. once-daily breo ellipta helps increase airflow from the lungs for a full 24 hours. and breo helps reduce symptom flare-ups that last several days and require oral steroids, antibiotics, or hospital stay. breo is not for asthma. breo contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not known if this risk is increased in copd.

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this, and definitely this. and that means this, so if you're looking to buy a car, don't wait because the savings have already begun. just make sure before you buy to go to truecar.com or use the truecar app for guaranteed savings. happy fourth of july. a city along the mexican border in texas, many people are crossing there that the border patrol station is housing 1,500 immigrants a day in a facility that's designed to house no more than 250. this week msnbc.com visited a shelter there for parents and young children just released from border patrol pendinging a court date. the families are cheered by volunteers when they walk in and welcomed.

the shelter is run by catholic charities of the rio grande valley and save the children provides them with clean clothes, hot meals, a clean shower and legal advice. they have toys and games and arts and crafts for the can kids. many of the families there say they are fleeing the threat of violence like this mother from guatemala who is hoping she will be allowed to stay with her mother in miami. often border patrol simply drops these immigrants off at a bus stop with instructions to appear at court at a later date. there are organizations who run the shelter, pick them up, they offer them a safe place to rest before they continue on their journe journeys. >> you know if the church

doesn't help these people, who will? our government seems to be taking its time in declaring this an emergency. it is an emergency. it is a crisis. we have families that have been authorized to be here temporarily that are in trouble. >> alina, i don't understand how anyone can watch these stories and then pail to act. >> absolutely. this is a humanitarian crisis that needs a humanitarian solution. and that means that people shouldn't be locked up or turned away. we're not a country that sends children to their death. we're a country that will accept these children, and if they do have a well-founded fear of persecution or if they were abused, abandoned or neglected in their home can countries there are legal mechanisms to stay here in the safety of the united states. >> and estimates by the u.n. say as many as 50% of these children -- >> 60%. >> may be eligible for asylum here. and yet all i hear from really any politician is how can we most quickly send them back?

to a place, katon, they were fleeing because of sometimes fear they and their family would be targeted. >> the argument will be on both sides right now. the argument on the republican side, we're a nation built on law that is has legal immigration, broken be a doesn't work. now the issen tral american countries -- and i think the real tragic story is the money making enterprises that are picking up these children, sneaking them lou the united states and we don't know how many have died. we don't have that figure yet. as tragic as it is, our laws are broken, things are done. but the face of this had will get sadder and sadder and sadder. the realization will be that we have failed to secure our borders first. we haven't done that yet. >> katon, republicans talk about honors our rule of law. it says we treat refugees a certain is way. with we have provisions

specifically for child migrants. we can't disregard that. the president is trying to expedite them being returned which would speed up due process which is a very dangerous proposition and having the border patrol process these children on their own is extremely treacherous. they're to go their job but the border patrol is a law enforcement agency. it's not a child welfare agency and it's very difficult to process asylum claims whether it's legitimate, some of these children don't even speak spanish. so it's not a job for the border patrol. >> and, beth, politically we seem to relate to this crisis in a different way than when we see refugee crises in other countries. that's essentially what we have here. >> yes, and we were talking during the break that maybe 50% or 60% of the children are legitimately considered political refugees coming from a situation of violence in their home country. since the whole immigration debate has been conflated and it's about people coming over

the border and breaking the laws and cheap labor, free labor, it's hard to sort of distinguish between these children who were -- and families who are facing this crisis at home and people who are simply just coming here to have a better life. not that they shouldn't want that, too, but it all becomes one and the people with legitimate concerns about persecution and violence at home, their voices are not heard as loudly as it might otherwise be if it weren't lost in the rest of immigration. >> as you were saying during the break, a lot of folks try to go through the normal process but there, in essence, isn't any real normal process for them at this point. i want to thank alina dos for skroing us this morning. the rest of the panel is going to stick around. and i had some thoughts on this issue as well while i was watching the fireworks last night and listening to "god bless america" and thinking about what the fourth means. i couldn't stop thinking about a country that is so great and so full of promise and opportunity and safety and benevolence that people would walk for thousands

of miles and risk their lives to get here to bring their families here, to bring their children here. is there anyone who believes in the promise of america more than these immigrants who put all their faith in us, who place their lives and their children's lives in our hands arriving with nothing but a belief that somehow in america they can make a go of it. watching the footage of children in bare, crowded detention centers, watching the anti-immigrant protesters screaming and demanding they go home, watching john boehner make excuses for why now is not the right time to take action, i just can't believe the way that we are failing it them falling so short of their vision of america, of our vision of america. we have a genuine humanitarian crisis on our own border and we can't muster the will 0 to deal with it. we are a nation of immigrants. we elect the leaders who make the laws and ultimately are responsible for living up to the promise we proclaim with those

fireworks when we say we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. i hope the next fourth of july we have more than just our past to celebrate. and that's what we have to say on immigration. coming up we're going to take you live to the 20th annual essence festival, one of the most anticipated events of the fourth of july holiday weekend. but first, two people who deserve four stars. starts with back pain... ...and a choice. take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief. "start your engines" ♪ and zero words per manwich. hold on. it's manwich.

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you know that dream... visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. on my count. ...the one where you step up and save the day? make it happen. (crowd) oh no... with verizon xlte. hey guys, i got it right here! we've doubled our 4g lte bandwidth in cities coast to coast. so take on more. with xlte. on the largest, most reliable 4g lte network. on tuesday two people named howard gave america reason to stand up and cheer. one of them you probably heard of, the amazing goalie for the soccer team, made history by recording 16 saves in the americans' game against belgium, the most in a world cup game in nearly 50 years. he won the nation's hearts,

inspiring a flurry of fan love on social media. his wikipedia page was altered briefly to name him secretary of defense. with ties to the real defense department set another record for the u.s. michelle j. howard became the first female four star admiral in the u.s. navy and with her new rank takes over as the vice chief of naval operations, the first woman and the first african-american to ever hold the job. admiral howard has a history of firsts including being the first black woman to command a u.s. navy ship but may well be known best pour helping to orchestrate the daring rescue of captain richard phillips kidnapped from a cargo ship by somali pirates in in 2009. it was so dramatic that it inspired a real hollywood drama. the oscar nominated film "captain phillips." the secretary of the navy said howard's promotion is a representation of how far we

have come and how far she has helped bring us. >> she is also a great example of how much we as a navy and a nation lose if we put artificial barriers in, if we don't judge people based on their ability, based on their capability. >> admiral howard also noted the significance of the moment. >> you don't believe today was a first when i call to order four star for women they didn't exist. special contract and you folks are seeing the first set in the history of the united states. >> that is just too cool. all right. still to come, more on how women of color are making history. we will take you live to the essence festival in new orleans.

a celebration of african-american women now in its 20th year. and someone that you just might have heard of, our very own melissa harris-perry is going to join us live, yes, right hear on her own show. she will be a guest but up next the latina making a groundbreaking run for office. from former juvenile delynn went to powerful politician when we come back. a soluable fiber from whole grain oat foods like cheerios can help lower cholesterol. thank you! if your denture moves, it can irritate your gums. try fixodent plus gum care. it helps stop denture movement and prevents gum irritation. fixodent. and forget it. ♪he cadillac summerirritation. collection is here.

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them how to navigate safely. show them sites you feel are acceptable. teach them how to deal with cyber bullies, and encourage them to come to you if they've seen something that makes them uncomfortable. you wouldn't let your kids go walking thru the neighborhood without permission, right? the same should hold true when they go online. the more you know. speculation about the 2016 election is not limited just to the presidency. in nevada 2016 speculation has made the race for lieutenant governor a national story. nevada's republican governor currently brian sandoval is expect expected to cruise 0 to re-election this 2340e6, but it is the speculation that he will, himself, challenge senate majority leader harry reid in 2016 that is bringing that extra focus. because if sandoval wins the senate seat the lieutenant

governor will then move on up to be governor. nevada state senator mark hutchison won the gop primary for lieutenant governor last month and if elected could become governor himself should mr. sandoval decide to go to washington and successfully challenge harry reid or maybe not. maybe that governor in waiting will be the democratic nominee. this daughter of immigrants, a form former high school dropout and the current state assemblywoman from nevada's 28th district, lucy flores. flores has a fascinating story, and she is profiled in a new msnbc original report. >> by the time i was 15, i was on juvenile parole. by the time i was 17, i was a high school dropout. and at that time there was nothing to indicate that i would about on to become the first in my family to go to college, to be a practicing attorney, and certainly not your democratic

nominee for lieutenant governor. this is the neighborhood are where i grew up. there are 13 of us. when we moved here, we moved here because of a family tragedy. my two oldest brothers had actually been murdered because of drug and gang violence. we didn't have much. we were pretty low income. but weigh made to. it wasn't until my mom left that things really started to fall apart. it was very minor crimes, shoplifting, because i had already been on probation and because i had had multiple arre arrests, that is when they decided they were going to send me away for a long-term juvenile institution. i didn't know about being successful or being in college.

what i did know about was that i knew a lot of people who were in prison and a lot of people who were on welfare and a lot of people who were, you know, just having babies. when i was sentenced to this facility i just felt like it was just another normal occurrence, something that was bound to happen. we're at the college of southern nevada, one of our community colleges here in las vegas. this is where i decided to start my new life once i made the decision that education was going to be the key to my future. i ended up in the state legislature. i felt like i had this amazing opportunity to work on all kinds of issues that were important to me and do it in a way that didn't affect just five people but affected entire communities, that could affect an entire state. >> joining me now live is the woman herself, nevada assemblywoman and democratic nominee for lieutenant governor,

lucy flores. thank you so much for being with us. and when i watch your incredible story, i just have it to ask myself, how did you overcome the obstacles? how did you make it this far? >> well, first of all, thanks for having me. i appreciate the opportunity. >> of course. >> you know, i guess sometimes i ask myself that same question. i always tell people, look, it's a demonstration of what happens when we invest in each other. i certainly did not do this alone. one of the things that wasn't mentioned in that preview was that my parole officer was the first person who made a huge difference in me and really helped to empower me and get me on the right track. and of course that's where it started. it's not where it ended. it's really a demonstration what happens when we don't give up on each other, when we invest in the resources kids need, that communities need to be success itful. obje obviously i took advantage of that. but it wasn't without that intervention that i was able to

be where intoday. >> so let's talk a little bit about the race, about your current campaign. it's a very exciting one, likely to be quite close. nevada is tough state still for democrats. in an off year, what's your strategy to win and how are people receiving you on the trail? >> well, the strategy to win is to talk to. certainly i'm talking about my background and people, my story resonates with people because they may not be able to necessarily identify with, you know, the specific details of may life but they identify in ways that speaks to them because we all have challenge. we all have struggles and we have had much of that here in nevada. and so, you know, when i'm out on the campaign trail, i'm talking about those challenges and i'm talk iing about how to x them. i'm talking about solutions. and that really resonates with people and people are getting really excited about that because, you know, i think that for a long time we haven't had necessarily someone in our top leadership here in nevada who is

really talk iing with about tho everyday challenges that nevadans experience and that are also -- that someone is proposing a solution to address those everyday challenges that regardless of partisanship, that people are experiencing here in nevada. >> i want to ask you, also, about this moment from last year that got a lot of attention when you talked with something else that happened in your youth. let's take a listen. >> at 16 i got an abortion, and that was a very difficult thing for me to do. and i'll never forget being there and having that done. and i don't refwret it. i don't regret it because i am here making a difference, at least in my mind, for many of the other young ladies. >> very courageous moment there, and there was a huge backlash. you received death threats, but you also had a lotulel of womene forward and saying thank you for

having the courage to say what you said. how has the issue of abortion and your courage on that issue played into the campaign that you're running? >> well, you know, right now it hasn't really affected my campaign or what we're talking about right now. look, i'm unapologetic about being pro-choice and standing up for women and their ability to make their own health decisions. and, you know, i've always been pro-choice. i am that now. and so that hasn't necessarily been, you know, a wedge issue that has been brought up in the campaign. the now certainly people do remember my testimony and, you know, people are just thankful that there is a politician -- i mean, i hate to refer to myself as a politician, an elected official. i came here to do a job, to try to improve people's lives. and, you know, sometimes that requires making courageous decisions. i think that's what all elected offici officials are supposed to do.

and people, they really appreciate that i did that. and i've always just been very honest about the things that have occurred in my life and the decisions i had to make. again, people experience that every day of their lives. and we should be talking about that because we're making decisions and policies that affect people's lives every single day. >> i think voters really appreciate that level of candor and courage really. lucy flores, thank you so much for joining us this morning. i want to let everyone know that you can continue this conversation with lucy online. she will be answering your questions. visit mhpshow.com. we will post her answers this week. still to come this morning, melissa harris-perry is live. nor nerd land at the top of the hour. you can get a $1,000 turbocharged reward card with a new volkswagen turbo. so why are we so obsessed with turbo? because there's nothing more exhilarating than a powerful ride. and you can get that in places you might not expect. like the passat. and also in the fun-to-drive jetta. in fact, volkswagen has sold more turbos than any other brand over the last ten years.

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welcome back. i am krystal ball in for melissa harris-perry. happy fourth of july weekend. if you are like many americans

you spent yesterday maybe taking in a patriotic parade, grilling with family and friends in the afternoon and enjoying an evening of fireworks. these are the traditions of the independence day weekend for so many americans, red, white, and blue -- and purple. prince is why the superdome was that color last night headlining the essence festival convert in new orleans and kicking off a weekend featuring an absolutely incredible lineup of recording stars. the essence fest does turn 20 years old this week. and for many women in this country this is what the fourth of july weekend is really all about. maybe you first learned about essence fest last year when melissa broadcast this very show live from the very noisy and very enthusiastic new orleans convention center. here is what you have to know about the four-day-long event in new orleans. yes, it is about the music and, yes, essence is about enjoying the extraordinary city of new orleans. in fact, essence was so devoted

to the city that it returned to the crescent city just a year after taking one year break following hurricane katrina. the festival's nearly half a million attendees adds more than $100 million to the new orleans economy each year at precisely the time heat and humidity lead to a summertime tourism lull. the festival is about so much more than the music and the city. it ises very consciously an empowerment event whose goal is to encourage women of clr to think seriously and collectively about how to wield economic power in the marketplace, political power at the ballot box and in life. joining us vanessa kate bush and the host of this very show. how is it going down there in new orleans? is we miss you. >> it's great. it's so wonderful and weird to be a guest on my own show but thank you, krystal, for stepping in today on a holiday weekend to do this. >> it's my pleasure. >> but, listen, it's been

extraordinary. i think essence festival always is such a special time. you know, this year on the fourth of july, on independence day, last night the big headliner, prince performed. but i think, you know, as you said, it's so important to recognize that although the evenings here are definitely about the party, the daytimes here are definitely about the purpose. and so i had the incredible opportunity yesterday, for example, to sit with alicia keys and with a panel of what we like to call real women, women living with hiv, living here in this k country and talking about how african-american women are empowered to end hiv and end aids in our lifetime. so we did that and then went to see prince. >> an amazing and powerful day. vanessa, speak to that. the creator called it a party with a purpose. it's 20 years old now. how is the festival evolved over the years to make sure it's meeting the needs and wants of everyone who attends? >> well, you know, the founders

of essence thought it was truly important for us to make sure we didn't just have a party but that we actually empowered people with free daytime entertainment workshops that focused on issues in our communi community. weigh digging deeper intoish tuesday with what's at stake talking about what's going on in our cities. we're going to have a mayor's panel, from baltimore and from oakland. and they are really going to talk to us about the solutions, the innovative things that they are doing. and that's just really part and parcel of what essence wants to bring to the table. we don't want to talk about what are the problems and pathology is. really how do we bring solutions to the table. >> i think for me that's part of what's important is to remember that in the last two presidential elections, that in the last two presidential elections african-american women have had the highest voter

turnout of any race and gender group. when you look at the obamas in the white house, that is the result of the political empowerment of african-american women voters who showed up and voted, right, and so part of what happens here at essence is that you have the identification of the problems but, also, continuing to point out that despite economic and social and political marginalization, black women are nonetheless already wielding their power in the public sphere. >> and, vanessa, to that point as melissa is pointing out, black women are the most reliable, progressive voting block they account ed in 2012 fr 13% of all votes despite being 12% of the electorate so it is a very powerful block indeed. is there a focus in essence on finding and making sure that we're fully expressing that political power? >> oh, absolutely.

if you look at our columns on ib use to watch, important cities in our communities, we talk about voting rights. a voting rights piece in an upcoming issue in the september issue where we talk about some of the losses that we're seeing. some of the changes. we may not be aware. we are sure that this very powerful voting block, these black women, are active and activating in the spaces where we need to to make sure that our voices are heard. >> and, melissa -- >> krystal, i think -- you know -- >> go ahead. >> we've seen some of this kind of fundamental question we like to call in nerd land intersectionality over the course of the past few weeks. so if we think about the amazing program launched by the white house this past fourth, my brother's keeper meant to it address the concerns of african-american boys and men, that's a critically important step. but we've also seen the white

house take a little bit of heat for that from african-american women who are activists, intellectuals saying, hey, what about our daughters? we have seen over the course of the past week the civil rights -- the reproductive rights decisions coming out of the supreme court and even though we've had a lot of progressive conversation about it, we haven't always emphasized the ways in had which african-american and poor women are most heavily affected by those decisions. where you say being a black woman is not just being black plus woman. it is its own unique set of with wonderful and difficult experiences and sometimes we have to get together with ourselves in order to have a conversation about how we address the reality of living at that intersection. >> so true. you've done such a great job of educating me, for one, and your audience in general on intersectionality and what that means and what it means in our political culture.

vanes vanessa, one of the things essence is nope for and intertwined with is the city of new orleans itself. could you of see bringing that event to any owe cities in the future? >> actually this year we did a road to essence festival. we took the experience to cities from chicago to atlanta to rural maryland to arkansas and we did both. we brought the empowerment experience, had deep issues of concern to our community as well as the nighttime flavor, the concerts, and it was phenomenal, just another way for us to expand our footprint and make sure everyone in the community gets an opportunity to be heard. >> we get the big fourth of july party here in new orleans. there's no way we're letting essence go. >> absolutely. we couldn't think of a better partner. this is the home for us. the way people embrace us, there's nothing like it and that's why we're so fortunate to have been here for practically 20 years. >> after katrina at a time we

department even know if our professional sports teams would come home, so many people were o potentially abandoning the city, nearly a decade later it doesn't seem such a big teal. of course you would come back. people were questioning whether this city could come back and it took part fers like essence to say we'll be back. we'll be there in the summer when the tourist dollars go down and we'll support the economy. >> i have to say i'm jealous of you both not only for being there but i'm jealous you got to see prince last night. i would loved to have seen that. thank you very much. and, melissa, thank you. and thank you for letting me hang out in nerd land for the day. it's been fun. we are looking forward to having you back here tomorrow. >> thank you for sitting. >> anytime. stay right there. still ahead the potential 2016 candidate who may catch everyone by surprise, everyone except us nerds, that is.

and we will meet the artist who could change everything you think about shakespeare.

the letter of the week but here is the latest on arthur. this morning arthur was downgraded to a tropical storm and it's now moving toward nova scotia after bringing heavy rain to parts of new england. there had been real concern that the first hurricane of the season would wreak havoc on one of the biggest holiday weekends of the summer. but this morning officials are breathing a sigh of relief. though arthur caused flooding and did topple some trees when it made landfall along the north carolina coast late thursday,

the damage was minimal. at the height of the storm more than 40,000 people were without power, about 1,600 people are still without power this morning but there were no reports of injuries or deaths, thank god. and already things are beginning to get back to normal. >> we've been through this many times before. the wind blows, storms come. we clean up. the next day we go and do what we do. >> the biggest threat from arthur right now may be rip currents which can could affect beachgoers all along the atlantic coast, at least 100 people a year drowned because of rip currents so officials are urging people to be extra cautious on this holiday weekend. in new york rip currents forced the macy's fireworks barge to move but the show did go on with the nation's largest fireworks display. it lit up the skies over the east river. stay with msnbc throughout the day for the latest on arthur and the rest of the holiday weekend weather forecast. up next for us, he's got the looks, he's got the record, but can he get the votes? the potential 2016 candidate who

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if you are already fatigued with early speculation about the 2016 election and the single inescapable narrative, let's call it the inevitability of hillary, you can in part blame the gop for your exhaustion. while democrats are focuseded on one person as the object of their obsession, republicans have what has been called at least a, quote, deep bench, a is variety pack for the 2016 republican nomination that has a little something for everyone at the party. "washington post" chief correspondent dan balls told "the daily rundown's" chuck todd it's still anybody's game. >> there is no front-runner. we've said it repeatedly. >> that's not satisfying, dan. come on. >> it's not satisfying but it's truth.

you can pick out any one person and say they have a niche of this party that if they can build out from that, they could become a formidable candidate. no one has been able to do that yet. >> but look a bit closer at the ak pan occupants of that deep bench and it looks more rich with plain old embarrassment. take, for instance new jersey governor chris christie. if there's anyone poised to become that fomdable republican candidate who could possibly go all the way, it's the guy who won a landslide re-election victory in a very blue state except that road got the a lot more bumpy when it took a detour through a traffic jam over the george washington bridge. and while there is still no evidence linking governor christie to the scandal directly, he is still close enough to it to be tainted with the stench. then the contender who seemed like such a sure thing that "time" magazine declared him, quote, the republican savior.

but a little dehydration during his state of the union rebuttal and a lot of failure on his push to reform policy left the savior standing in need of a bit of rescue. and then this guy, rick perry. you remember him from the 2012 primaries though probably not in a good way. you will like ly see him reapper again. he has gotten ahead of the game with his first precampaign blunder comparing homosexuality to a lifestyle choice acan kkin being an alcoholic. the son of a presidential dynasty, former florida governor jeb bush. and if he decides to launch a campaign, he's already got a built-in bush donor network as well as his own folks onboard in an appeal to a broad coalition of moderate republicans, conservative democrats and independents all working in his favor. bush's strong support of immigration reform may run him afoul of the very same tea party

populace that just ousted establishment leader eric cantor. so, needless to say that full bench has its share of splinters which is why we wanted to introduce you someone to the far, far, far end of that bench. we just think might be sitting pretty, someone that you probably never thought of before. behold the dark horse with the bright mane. just look at that glowing head of perfectly parted presidential white hair. those strong and manly shoulders that seem as though they could bear the weight of the u.s. presidency. pence after serving six it terms in congress where he rose to the number three power position in the republican caucus was pushed to run for president in 2012 by tea party activists and republican conservatives. four years ago he was the one many hoped would be the conservative alternative to mitt romney but instead chose to run

for a seat in indiana's executive office. his record in indiana isn't bad. he has the backing of the grassroots with none of the whac c can ky gas, would you just look at that hair. far be it for us to engage in premature speculation. if you see your neighbor's signs covered in signs for pence, you heard it here first. joining me now, katon. sorry for that one line. raul reyes, attorney and l kol uppist for "usa today" chuckling the whole time, beth, and we have david, senior political correspondent with the daily beast and the writer of this very exciting article mike pence, dark horse in training for 2016. david, thank you so much for joining us.

thanks for coming back. you get into who mike pence is and why he could be in a good place. you say he stays on message. a the lot of guys have a message but they can't deliver it well. you go on to say much of the praise of pence is in this vein. he will not embarrass us. is that what gop folks are looking for in 2016? it seems like a low bar. >> i think it's fair to to say they like that. going through the whole l iitan. pence is still sitting there waiting for his teurn. >> you know mike pence. friends with him. contributed to him. is he going to run? is he in for 2016, do you think? >> being a front-runner you want to be set for a root canal.

once you're the front-runner, then you're going to get all the attention. the nice thing about mike pence he has a nice, clean record. his wife, karen, a lawyer by trade. has done a radio talk show for years. i invited him in 2004, i think it was, to speak at a republican convention where he wooed the audience. he was an up-and-coming star. i think mike is doing his job. they turned the mandate down but mike is getting some solutions and has done the hip 2.0. >> medicare -- >> medicare expansion. he's getting some real answers that will resonate among a republican elected rt tort. building an organization, getting anything ready, you no longer can just show up, like you said, show up and become a ca candidate. >> you've raised your share of republican funds. >> i have. >> do you see big donors who are saying chris christie is not

going to happen, scott walker, there are issues there. do you see them looking at mike pence. >> california, texas, new jersey. and chris christie i ran into when i was raising money early in the year. i ran into the chris christie machine raising money and he's still raising money for the rga. what republicans are looking for in the donor class is somebody they know they like. we have to have a likeable candidate. we just murder each other. we can take a real likeable candidate and make them unl unlikable pretty quick. the mike pence will be a guy hard to do that, too. >> back to what katon was saying, this is a tough choice. they all have this choice to make, right, whether or not to expand medicaid and they've chosen different paths, of course, rick perry absolutely not. kasich on the other hand from

ohio went ahead with the medicaid expansion and here mike pence has tried to find a third way. he is trying to take the dollars, though it's not official they will be able to do that. trying to find a third way. is it going to be a problem in a republican primary that he was willing to do anything with the affordable care act? >> basically, my opinion, most of the governors aren't taking this money not out of spite for the poor people in their state but they don't want to accommodate obama on anything. >> out of cowardice, i would say. >> the fact pence did this shows creativity, maturity as a politician, and hopefully he's getting more health care to his constituents. i see some problems just at the outset. to be popular with the tea party helps you get elected in a

republican state like indiana. i don't know that gets you a lot of looks in other parts of the country. he faces a social issue quandary. a federal judge is awaiting a hearing. the federal government will recognize those marriages and pence is going to have to decide whether or not he or his state will recognize the gay marriage in that state. what is the message he wants to send to republicans nationally about how he handles this issue going the way of gay rights. >> and not going backwards. >> he's been very conservative on gay issues. >> he may have some of the trouble rick perry had. and then on the national stage when rick perry was out in san francisco facing questions about same sex marriage and what you

think of it and how to deal with it, it's not something he's used to dealing with. that's something he has to be aware of, to stake out a position. what plays at home may not the play in the national market. and, you know, he has had -- he's a politician. has had this record as congressman and governor. he has had a few stumbles like when he said abortion was the number one cause of death for african mens and he apologized later when he drew some comparisons when the security upheld the affordable care act. he has had some gaffes. >> he also called for all money to be taken away from planned parenthood not just that to abortion. he's been very, very conservative and has had a few gaffes. just how real, though, is the pence hypothesis? a reporter who will explain how

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save up to 15 percent and earn bonus points when you book at wyndhamrewards.com we are back talking about the dark horse who can could be the run to watch for the presidential nomination, indiana governor mike pence. joining me from indianapolis someone who spent a the lot of time covering the governor, editor and publisher of indiana legislate inside. thank you for joining us. how do you think his record will stand up? >> that was another box that he had to check, krystal. he lacked executive experience to that point. he's done a good job building on that.

he's put together budgets that will create surpluses. you will hear that we will end with a surmuss of close to $2 billion and he's done a real good job of assuaging the tea party types, the conservatives within the republican party that he's one of them while at the same time not using those as wedge issues. >> i want to take a listen to mike pence. >> if i only had 12 years left to live, i'd want to live it as a member of congress because that was the longest 12 years of my life. the cure for this country will come more from our nation's state capitals than from our nation's state capitals. the. >> the cool thing is to be an

outsider. he was in congress for 12 years. it's hard to say you're a washington outsider when you've been in congress for 12 years. that's case and positioning. >> he was one of the guys, and this is going to give him additional credentials who took on john boehner. he wasn't fiscally conservative enough and he has the t-shirt and some of the bruises to prove that. he went through that no child left behind fight. he understood what needed to be done was really being done in the state and wanted to lead the state of indiana. >> hang with us. i want to take it back to our panel. katon, do you agree? he feels like a regular relatable kind of a guy, doesn't necessarily feel like your washington insider? mike is -- his conservative k

credentials can the not be questioned. they have to make the decision do they want to build the apparatus to do that. that is a tough, expensive process. mike is a guy we saw come in long ago. he picked fights against the leadership. mike wasn't in love with congress. so being governor in indiana is a good day job right now for mike pence. the does he want to build a network nationally to get in the game. >> how is mike's relationship with the base of the party as we were talking about? he's going with this third way on medicaid expansion. he backed the guest worker program while in congress that set him at odds with hard-liners of the that's another issue that he has to deal with. how is his standing among the base these days? >> i think they love him.

you could poke holes in's record. this is a guy against no child left behind, against tarp, the medicare expansion. he is good on conservative issues. when you talk conservatives they describe him as a full spectrum conservative. >> ed, going back to you, let's talk a little bit about the medicaid expansion there in indiana going forward with what's been seen as a third way, taking the federal money. how is that received there? are voters excited about that path? >> well, everybody is excited about that including a lot of democrats. back to a point that katon made about the base and just as importantly mike pence is a guy some of the leaders in the party, in the very conservative wing of the party, the gary bauers are comfortable with

would come to his aid in a moment. he can raise a lot of money. be and speaking of a lot of money, you've raised the so-called medicaid expansion. it's a consumer driven program, medicare expansion. we're still working on some waivers. this is really a consumer driven kind of program that works to empower the people of indiana on the program, an expansion of a very successful bipartisan program that has worked for 45,000 people for the past several years. >> one thing that can be a real turnoff for voters, if they feel their governor is looking beyond their state to what is coming next for them and positions themselves for a run for president, any of that sense

either among the population or insiders there in indiana that he is, in fact, laying the groundwork to make a run in 2016? >> we've been there and done that. if you look at all of our u.s. senators since 1962 there's only been one that has not run for president. we had dan quayle, obviously. i think the hoosiers are proud of people looking at folks in indiana saying we think these people are worthy of being president and it's something that brings a lot of attention and as mitch daniels showed a couple of years ago this is something that helps bring home the indiana message to the rest of the country and shows them that we are really a success story regardless of who is in charge of the state at any given time. >> one thing i'm wond 0ering about if he is the tim pawlenty a lot of talk, a lot of

excitement among a certain class that doesn't pan out. we will have to wait and see. thank you so much for your insights and thank you, also, to our panel here in new york. we've had katon, david, beth, and raul. thank you so much to all of you. and still to come a perfeormanc of shakespeare like you have never heard before. but first, my letter of the week. to start your car search. great for frank, who's quite particular... russian jazz funk? next to swedish hip hop. when he knows what he wants... - thank you. do you have himalayan toad lilies? spotted, or speckled? speckled. yes. he has to have it. a cubist still life of rye bread... sold. it's perfect. which is why we'll ship a canary yellow jeep with leather seats from dallas to burbank if it's the one frank wants. carmax. start here. it means trying something new. [ woman ] that uncertainty of what's to come. ♪

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ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. detroit's water at the present time accounts for nearly $6 billion of the $18 billion in debt that led the city to declare bankruptcy last year. the department has turned off the water for thousands of residents who have fallen behind in paying their bills. the city of detroit says cutting off the water is the only way to get people to pay their bills and recoup the money they are owed by customers. the city is also denying a veit

issal resource to its most vulnerable residents when they need it the most. today my letter is going to the detroit emergency manager overseeing the shutoff. dear kevin oher, it's me, krystal. did you happen to catch the weather report for detroit this week? you had a perfect day to celebrate the fourth of july, a bright and balmy 77 degrees. lovely. but that is cool compared to what's coming. detroit is supposed to hit 87 degrees by friday, the kind of day that makes you want to go inside and have a nice, long drink of ice, cold water, beat the heat by standing for a few minutes in a cool shower or any shower at all for that the matter. sounds nice, doesn't it? thanks to the decision of your department there will be no such relief for the thousands of detroit residents who are going to be without water at the height of summer. kevin, cans cans a sin and national shame that you border the great lakes with more than 20% of fresh water on the planet

and yet these citizens will v been reduced to appealing to the united nations to get help for just a drop. what you are with holding isn't a summertime, clean water is a vital resource not only for survival but also for preparing food, tending to personal and family hygiene and maintaining safe living conditions. providing for those most basic of needs, you are depriving them of their human right to a life lived with dignity. kevin, have you considered how turning off the tap could create a public health crisis in a city already strained by limited resources to be able to respond? john conyers laid out the dangers to which you are exposing detroit residents in a statement saying, quote, the failure to reinstate water service means malnutrition and disease for babies, the sick, and the elderly. this forcing the most vulnerable

people to try and eke out an existence without water only 0 doubles the disgrace. you are attempting to collect a debt for those who paid the greatest debt, the economy has been crippled by a 40% poverty rate. a population decline of 1 million people since the 1950s. those left behind have had to shoulder the burden of the crumbling infrastructure of the water and sewage system. as their abbott to pay bills declines, the coast of water has only gone up. 119% over the last decade. aisle not saying that detroit's water department doesn't have the right 0 to try and collect what it's owed. it does. why not start with the 57% of the commercial users who still haven't paid their bills or the 55% of the industrial users who are also delinquent?

between the two of them that's nearly $30 million in outstanding payments or, here's a thought, maybe try saving money by turning off the untold amounts of water continuously flowing through leaky pumps in abandoned buildings. in the meantime, keep the water running for the people who truly need it the most. you are the emergency manager for the city of detroit. you are supposed to be helping the people of detroit out of an emergency situation not finding new ones for them. sincerely, krystal. ile a body in tends to stay in motion. staying active can ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, this can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain, and improve daily physical function so moving is easier. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits

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our foot soldier understands the intersection of the old and the new. the son et man, teamed one broadway producer r. jcj. shaw william shakes pehich wil

shakespeare's word with this. ♪ nothing like the sun far more red than her ♪ ♪ spread your white ♪ month such rosie in the cheeks ♪ ♪ more delight >> that was afer form answer in jamaica. devon has taken his sweet swan of avon hip hop fusion to workshops and classrooms from coast to coast as well as sha. s next week he will be performing at the world renowned festival at lake ontario, canada. i'm thrilled to have here with me the man bringing the bar to hip hop and the hip hob generation to the bar, sonnet man, devon glover. it is great to have you. thank you for joining us. >> thank you.

>> how did the sonnet man start? you went to ithica college and majored in math. >> math, yes. >> how did this start? >> well, my passion is music and education. after studying shakespeare in my later years the beauty of his language and the fact that -- you know, students around the world cannot avoid shakespeare. i thought this would be an innovative way to introduce shakespeare in a more catchy way than giving them a book and a large play of shakespeare. start small and add some living to it and have them dance and move to it. they get to learn subli. >> do they connect more with shakespeare after they heard you? >> yes. it is more like bridging the gap. usually students that are in tune with hip hop, not familiar with shakespeare, either dash at a young age, especially

students -- to compare to dark connect shakespeare to a great genre like hip hop it inspires them to open up shakespeare and learn more themselves. >> you start from a place they have a connection. they use that as a bridge. i think that's brilliant. >> yes. >> on the flip side you also perfect formed, as i mentioned, stratford upon avon shakespeare's birth place. how did the true shakespeareans view the work you were doingsome. >> it was quite a great experience. you know. the -- they like the beauty of the language and the fact that i was using his words and there was no switching of his words. i rye to call myself hip hop, you know, cliff notes. i actually -- it is the sonnet i have used, consider studying on. and they -- like the meaning and definition that i brought to this audience. it was -- actually great. actually i had been requested to come back next year. >> that's awesome. >> i'm sure they love the weigh you bring it to life. you have a new cd out.

i'm excited to have a copy of it. what can people expect to hear? >> you know, you can -- you can dance, if it has -- lot of different themes to it. you know. shakespeare. a lot of themes and different tunes. we have the -- blend the moats where you learn along and read along with shakespeare. just -- you know, getting a glimpse of shakespeare and getting a glimpse of may life because -- the sonnet i choose, i like to connect to my life and story. >> i will listen to it on the way to the beach today. i understand you performed a sonogram and engagement party yesterday. tell us about that. >> well, just -- went to a friend's house and, you know, that had -- had a couple of requests to possibly do a couple of songs. it was just -- you know, just -- good times and good times with friends and i like to -- do open shows as well as, you know, theater. it works great for me. >> awesome.

we are glad to have you here, devon glover. the sonnet man. thank you for joining us. now i'm going to invite you to get up from the table and head over to our summer concert series stage aka right over there. for those of you at home, we are going to leave you today with this version of william shakespeare's sonnet 18 i am krystal ball. melissa will be back tomorrow, 10:00 a.m. eastern. "weekends with alex witt" will be up next. now devon glover, the sonnet man. ♪ sonnet 18 ♪ shall i compare thee art more lovely ♪ ♪ ♪ open must is gold complexion dimmed ♪ ♪ every fare

♪ eternal summer shall not fade ♪ ♪ possession of that ♪ wanders in the shade ♪ ♪ where eyes can see ♪ so long live this ♪ thee ♪ this gives life to thee ♪ sonnet 18 ♪ can it be my sunny day ♪ you can chase my frowns away ♪ i will be with you every day ♪ come on baby let's fly away ♪ come and be my sunny day ♪ you can chase my clouds away ♪ i will be with you every day ♪ come on ♪ right away ♪ you remind me of the weather in the middle of june ♪ ♪ so nice no clouds in the sky ♪ it always seems like something end today soon ♪ ♪ i want to spend it with you and every good thing ends ♪

♪ i'm going to pretend ♪ your skin won't be gone, the wind ♪ ♪ the forces of nature change of transforming angel to a complete stranger ♪ ♪ hindsight your beauty helps my eyesight ♪ ♪ this sight is about your highlights ♪ ♪ it is written in stone is on no one can read write ♪ ♪ be my study delight ♪ you are the perfect memory ♪ i write about your memory so it never goes away ♪ ♪ my love is immortal ♪ you looks are forever ♪ i wrote it in my journal ♪ come and be my sunny day ♪ you can chase my clouds away ♪ i will be with you every day ♪ come on baby let's fly away ♪ come and be my sunny day ♪ sonnet 18. instead of mailing everyone my vacation photos,

i'm saving a ton of time by posting them to my wall. oh, i like that one. it's so quick! it's just like my car insurance. i saved 15% in just 15 minutes. i saved more than that in half the time. i unfriend you. that's not how it works. that's not how any of this works. [ male announcer ] 15 minutes for a quote isn't how it works anymore. with esurance, 7 1/2 minutes could save you on car insurance. welcome to the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call. airports in europe are now stepping up security for flights headed here to the u.s. we will tell you about the information that led to the

alert. new outrage in california. arrests and confrontations in a town that has been the flash point for immigration. the show about nothing turns 25. ♪ hey there. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." a new security let has airports in europe stepping up security for flights headed to the u.s. the move follows new concerns to al qaeda is trying to develop a new kind of law making you get through airport security. let's talk about the details you learned about this. what do you have? >> reporter: good afternoon. french officials warning travelers that there could be delays on flights this summer. pilots that are bound for the u.s. now, the delays are currently estimated to be about 30 minutes to an hour. this comes amid intelligence that extremists fighting in