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tv   NOW With Alex Wagner  MSNBC  August 12, 2014 1:00pm-2:01pm PDT

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>> don't shoot! >> we're seeing a boiling over of anger and frustration. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> they believe this was an innocent young man gunned down execution style in the streets of their city. >> the police allege that michael brown essentially caused this. >> the fbi is investigating for potential civil rights violations. >> there are only three black officers on the police force out of a force of 50. >> ferguson police will not release the name of the officer who fired the shots. >> the death threats started to come in the social media situation is so volatile, it will delayed for a little while. >> you have a young man that is dead and there are no answers. people are upset because of the lack of transparency. >> there's a dehumanization of black teens. >> and vendetta on the street. >> this is why so many people see america as what they call a
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racist country. >> at the end of the day there will be justice for mike brown. >> protests continue in suburban st. louis, a full four days after a police officer shot and killed unarmed teenager michael brown. today demonstrators marched outside the office of county prosecutor bob mckul loug. moments before the march began the ferguson police department announced it will not release the name of the officer involved in the shooting despite earlier promises to make his identity public by noon today. >> it went out over social media that the officer that was involved in the shooting was michael white. it was not. michael white was not involved at all. however, death threats started to come in right away from around the country. and based on that and that is one reason officer safety is a reason we can delay and we think it's prunt that we do that. >> last night police in s.w.a.t.
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gear fired tear gas and bean bag rounds into a crowd as demonstrations turned violent. according to police, more than 30 people broke into a shoestore in south st. louis, miles away from ferguson. today brown's father issued a call for peace. >> i need justice for my son. i need everybody to be on one accord. i need you all to be -- i understand everybody, how they are dealing with the situation because they have losses too, but i need all of us to come together and do this right, the right way, the right way so we can get something done about this. >> no violence. >> no violence. >> meanwhile, eyewitnesses continue to come forward with accounts of the shooting that differ considerably from police reports. >> did michael reach and struggle for the officer's gun as the police are saying he did? >> that's incorrect.
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he did not reach for a weapon at all. he did not reach for the officer's weapon at all. >> brown's death isn't the first time that the men and women of st. louis law enforcement have been scrutinized for their treatment of the communities they have been tasked to protect. in 2012, a county officer tased a 12-year-old girl in a victoria's secret store injuring her stomach and chest. this security camera captured a confrontation between st. louis city police and a man in a wheelchair. an officer was later accused of choking the man and slamming his head into the bumper of a police car. then there are the demographics of ferguson itself, 76% black with a police force that is 94% white. and joining me now is jason zengerly, author of "the new racism" and u gene robinson.
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eugene, let me start with you with the date that we just advised in terms of the racial breakdown and institutions in st. louis not representative of the communities that they are tasked to serve. do you think what we're seeing now is the harvest of that? >> well, i think you have to say that at least in part it is. i mean you would see those numbers and wonder what year this? then that seems like something from my childhood days. i think what we're also seeing is a reflection of the fact that african-americans have not done well through the recession and not bounced back like the rest of the economy. there's some anger and frustration unite there that an incident -- let's not belittle the incident itself because it sounds worst more i hear about
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it. but an incident like this can sort of trigger. >> disenchantment, when we look at riots, the call for peace is a good one but there are communities in the last few months, john crawford, 22 years old, shot by police in a dayton suburb of ohio after he picked up a toy gun at walmart. eric garner died after being subdued by police. this goes all the way back to 1992, rodney king. the instances of police brutality continue onward it seems and one asks what is a community's response. what we're seeing is the tangible outrage that nothing has been done. >> i think that's right. i think one thing that's important to understand for folks is that if you grew up in a middle class suburb, you'll
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likely have a democratic relationship to the police. the police aren't really there but come when you call them and leave when they are done. they are very much there to protect you. for people in communities like ferguson for many african-american communities like dayton, ohio, they don't have a democratic relationship. the police are always there, an ever presence. if you live in those communities, it's very likely your most common contact with civil authority is a police officer. they are not necessarily there to protect you. they are there to make sure that nothing happens. that there is no violence and no -- no crime, not in the sense of preventative but in the sense of they suspect you and people who look like you of being potential criminals. and living like that and have the sorts of police interactions based on nothing other than suspicion takes a toll on a
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community and leads to things like the riot on sunday. that's a tremendous amount of pressure. i guarantee, if you took a white middle class community and subjected that community to the same kind of suspicion and constant police presence, you would see similar results sfl jason, giving them -- ensuring they have very little political power which to change institutions that are potentially suppressing them, you have a devastating and really important peace in the new republic this week that talks about the decline of black power in the south. you quote one alabama state nor, hank sanders, who says to you, the republicans have demonstrated that we can be down here and powerless. and it is a multifacetted view of just how african-americans, minority communities have been marginalized systemically and pretty dramatically over the course of the last four years
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talk about how you see what's happening in missouri connecting with that story? >> missouri is not a southern state per se but has some of the characteristics of one. in the last few yeerds, you've seen legislature there, which used to be fairly competitive there and become solidly republican. it's different like alabama in the sense there are actually are white democrats in the legislature in jefferson city. and places like alabama and mississippi, the only democrats are black, aren't any white democrats left. the end result is the same, if you're an african-american in missouri, you're trying to be represented in jefferson city, the governor is a democrat but the legs you'res are so dominated by republicans you don't get your voice heard in the state capital and that can probably lead to frustrations. >> we're effectively talking about increasingly two americas divided along color lines.
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and again, i'll talk about the south. missouri is not a southern state but was a state with slavery during the civil war and has a republican held legislature. today in the south where 55% of the population lives, it's increasingly looking like a different country. more adults have hiv and residents suffer from the shortest life expectancy than any in the united states. two parallel tracks and one is decidedly much better than the other. >> absolutely. you see income disparities you see throughout the country, particularly acute in the south and income correlates with race and power in the south. so you're having a lot of disenfranchised poor black and brown people and a few wealthier
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white people and you have republicans and democrats also splitting along those lines. it's a troubling development in politics and there's no quick fix for it either. >> i guess i wonder, if we look at the michael brown case in the sort of broader context here, what can be done? how do institutions change themselves and make themselves more accountable to the communities they serve? one of the issues is black representation on the police force. how exactly the missouri police -- the st. louis police force deals with this situation is going to be critical. i wonder what you make of the fact that they have taken -- there are two competing narratives there, which is created no uncertain amount of friction. there's also the decision to not release the name of the police officer in context with the body of michael brown that laid on the ground for hours. how do you sort of process all of that in terms of the movement forward to deal with this case and see progress come out of it?
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>> well, i think the st. louis county and the ferguson police departments have a lot of work to do. i actually can't imagine a worse response to this than the one they've taken from the initial demonstrations and afternoon of brown's shooting where police brought dogs and guns to last night's here gas and rubber bullets and everything. i joked to friends that it was as if the corpse came from its grave and took over the police department there. no real attempt to reach out to the community. so going forward what needs to happen is essentially do as much as possible to rectify the past mistakes and show the community they are interested in coming to the bottom of this. right now it doesn't actually seem like the police department has any other -- seems like they are trying to protect an
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officer. and doesn't seem to be acknowledgement that a kid was killed for no reason. >> jason, one of the things that's most remarkable about your piece, you talk about how there is much more cooperation between -- not just democrats and republicans but black legislators and white legislators and that has come to an end. in 1994, 99.5 of black state legislators in the south served in the majority by 2010 that percentage had fallen to 50.5. today it is 4.8%. in terms of sort of negotiating power sharing, that is also dramatically on the decrease. i wonder if you think this same thing has happened in institutions, which is to say, was there ever a golden age with civic institutions were more representative of the communities they served? >> i think you did have instances where there was legitimate biracial collaboration. there might not have necessarily been that at the polls but
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within the institutions you did have that. and i think with the decrease actually of white democrats, that's a big part of the story in the south. there's no one left for black democrats to have these partnerships and build these coalitions with. and without that, wind up completely powerless as senator sanders said. >> eugene, usa today is reporting the doj may investigate both what happened in the chokehold death in new york and what happened to michael brown in missouri. i just wonder, there's going to be talk from certain corners no doubt that the black presidents and black attorney general is investigating racial violence and police brutality. in terms of the broader service for fair policing and more equitiable society, do you think the gains made in this administration on these particularly racially loaded subjects can last beyond 2016? >> well, i don't know if they can last.
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but i know this is what the justice department has to do. it has to investigate these incidents and particularly, in the michael brown case there's a narrative, one reason the community was so angry, a narrative from the teenager side that has been out in the community and kind of came out more widely today that is really awful. really makes it sound like why was he stopped in the first place? was at least one of the shots that hit him fired into his back? was he running away? these are things that eyewitness is now alleging. and we need facts and facts need to be established. this sounds like potentially a really, really awful case. >> and i'm sure we'll see it go up the chain of command and have greater federal involvement as time goes on. jason zengerly and eugene robinson and jamele, thank you.
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>> an aid helicopter crashes in iraq as new violence rages across the country. the latest with general wes clark just ahead. and with the quicksilver card from capital one, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on everything you purchase. not just "everything at the hardware store." not "everything, until you hit your cash back limit." quicksilver can earn you unlimited 1.5% cash back on everything you could possibly imagine. say it with me -- everything. one more time, everything! and with that in mind... what's in your wallet? (birds chirping softly in background.) and with that in mind... (loud engine sounds!) what! how's it going? heard you need a ride to school. i know just the thing to help you get going. power up with new cheerios protein.
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all new smartphone what, my love? >> everything, i'm flying. >> yes, my love. >> i'm flying. >> that was robin williams in the film adaptation of johner ving's, the world according to garp.
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the mork and mindy star surprised viewers in the first role but few others as successful in transition to genres, larry king joins me just ahead. ♪ start a team. join a team. walk to end alzheimer's. visit alz.org/walk today.
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i gotta break more toys. (vo) introducing the all-new subaru legacy. it's not just a sedan. it's a subaru. a helicopter carrying yazidi refugees was involved in a fatal crash. a yazidi member of parliament and two journalists working for "the new york times." the tell komter delivered emergency aid and picked up evacueeses before it crashed moments after takeoff. a u.s. drone struck isis targets in northern iraq near erbil. in baghdad two car bombed killed 12. there in the capital city the tides have quickly turned against nuri al maliki as the u.s. considers an expansion of its mission. secretary of state john kerry
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ruled out ground troops. but signaled a possibility of greater american involvement. >> the new iraqi leadership has a very difficult challenge, without any question we are prepared to consider additional political economic and security options as iraq starts to build a new government and very much calculated to try to help stabilize the security situation, to expand economic development and to strengthen the democratic institutions. those will be the guidelines. >> iraq's constitution allows maliki to remain in power up to 30 days as his successor al abadi forms a new government. after days of concern about a possible military coup, he has urged them to stay away from the military crisis. iran ended its aleej aus to
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maliki. calling for the formation of a new iraqi government. joining me now from the aspen institute, four star general and former commander wesley clark and senior fellow for the council on foreign relations, steven cook. steven, let me start with you in terms of maliki's next move. do you think there's a likelihood that nurial maliki will allow al babadi to form a new government peacefully. >> it seems that he will likely have to yield, but maliki still has the ability to make trouble. we saw that the other night when he deployed special forces loyal to him. despite his pronouncement that the armed forces should stay away from politics, he still has some support in some places that can certainly make trouble for al abadi. >> general clark, tactically
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speaking, in the long term, solution to what is happening in iraq, there's a lot of talk about an inclusive government. and i just wonder how feasible you think that is, especially now there are reports that the u.s. may be sending weaponry to the kurds. >> i think it is feasible to look at the more inclusive government. i wouldn't rule it out. it's going to take a different prime minister with a different approach to governance but the alternative is not desirable. we should put our weight behind the new prime minister and hope that he can make direction and make moves in the direction of having a more inclusive government. that's what the country ultimately needs. it has to pull its resources to contain and ultimately to defeat isis. >> general clark, let me follow on that. in terms of u.s. involvement ensuring that it is an inclusive government. what do you think -- what more should the u.s. be prepared to do? >> well, i think that there's obviously the opportunity for
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greater economic assistance. diplomatic as secretary kerry said. we've got special forces guys in there working with them. we could increase the military support that we provide to the iraqi ground forces. that could be done but can't be done with the government as it is right now. they are going to have to be able to bring in the different factions, otherwise it becomes a shia versus sunni war. they have to bring in the sunni element of the population and win their allegiance. if they do that, then the iraqi ground forces can move forward and we can provide the combat multipliers as necessary to supplement what iraq has and we've got a much better foothold in the region than we do today. >> let me ask you, steven, in terms of insuring it is an inclusive government that is representative of its people, what -- andrew taylor writes in the new republic but the recent successes if sustained risk not only a redrawing of boundaries
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but making isil and jihad iflts in general the authentic and awe authoritative voice for sunnis in the middle east. let's assume if we accept that predicate that isis could be seen as the sunni representative in the middle east, how imperative is it for the united states to ensure that isis be pushed back? >> i think it's very important that we work with our allies in the region to push isis back and do everything possible to support the kurds and others in the fight they are in right now. as to the previous point about an inclusive government, that's something something we would like to see. i'm not sure it's possible in iraq. if we look at the 16 leaders of iraq since u.s. invasion there, none of them have been able to govern in an inclusive way. all of the incentives are in the opposite direction and they tend to see their positions in order to enrich themselves. the united states can't resolve this problem for iraqis. we can provide the military
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support to meet the immediate threat of the moment, which is isis, but it goes beyond nuri al maliki and his ability to rule inclusively. there are a set of incentives and constraints on iraqi leaders that lead them to do the things that we've seen maliki do. something that we say in washington but doesn't come form to the reality on the ground. >> general clark, in terms of the president and his handling of this situation, he had some strong words apparently according to the daily beast for detractors on both sides of the aisle who said he could have done more in syria to arm the opposition and it would have potentially prevented the rise and the successes that isis has seen. do you agree with that? there's been a lot of back and
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forth between hillary clinton, former secretary of state and this administration over that subject in particular. >> yes, i think there were some discussions about being able to do more to support the syrian opposition, but the truth is that it was very difficult for the administration to actually do this. because normally when an opposition emerges to a dictator, it has a political leadership that then attracts the military. in this case, the country just disintegrated, there were hundreds of literally hundreds of opposing groups and no overall cohesive political leadership and no mandate. there was no program. so it was very difficult to organize this. now, in retrospect, could more have been done? certainly in retrospect. but at the time as i remember watching it in the press and talking to people very familiar with it, the normal model for helping the opposition, you help the political opposition and give them the resources. they parcel the resources out to the military that's loyal to
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them. in this case, that was very difficult to establish couldn't quite bring it together. >> do you disagree with the contention by former secretary of state clinton that there were folks to arm, clearly. >> no, i'm not disagreeing, i'm saying there's truth on both sides of this. there are many different alternative views of this. there were different times you could have done things for some of the opponents in syria. i think the real question is now. what is going to happen now going forward? i think the syrian opposition does need to be supported. i think it's one of the elements of a solution. if it can establish a foothold in the region and put its political leadership on the ground and gain the loyalty of forces fighting for it. there has to be a political leadership at the top. so if the political leadership and syrian opposition determines it can in fact establish a
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foothold in syria and maybe it can, maybe that will provide a basis along the kurds and iraqis and along with forces in lebanon, to be able to contain ultimately defeat and shatter this so-called caliphate. >> general wesley clark and steven cook, thank you both for your time. >> my pleasure. breaking news. president obama just released a statement on the fatal shooting of michael brown in missouri writing the death of michael brown is heartbreaking. i know the events of the past few days have prompted strong passions but as details unfold, i urge everyone in ferguson, missouri and across the country to remember this young man through reflection and understanding. we should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. we will continue to monitor that story as it develops and bring you the latest. phillips digestive health support is a duo-probiotic that helps supplement good bacteria found in two parts of your digestive tract. i'm doubly impressed!
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allow a russian aid convoy filled with humanitarian supplies on to its territory fearing it might be cover for a military operation. the convoy of 280 russian trucks carrying 2,000 tons of supplies, including medication, bottled water and generators and baby food left moscow earlier today on the long voyage towards the border. skeptical authorities in kiev are insisting supplies only be allowed in if they are first inspected by the red cross. ukrainian officials warn any unilateral attempts to deliver aid will be viewed as act of aggression. the aid is badly needed as fierce fighting between forces and pro-russian acceseparatists locked out power to lieu han k. red cross officials have been given no information where the trucks are headed.
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a spokeswoman said the alliance is closely monitoring the situation. just ahead, actor, comedian, humanitarian, larry king and james lipton look back at the life and times of robin williams coming up next. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. ♪ ooooohh!!! ♪ what it is, what you want? yeah. ♪ live your life right ♪ make the beat the bump ♪ it's like one for the treble ♪ two for the bass ♪ three for the pretty babies up in the place ♪ the undeniable! ♪ come into the party in a b-boy stance ♪ i rock on the mic ♪ and make the world wanna dance ♪ fly like a dove ♪ that come from up above ♪ i'm rocking on the mic ♪ and you can call me mos love
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robin williams first captured american imaginations in "mork and mindy" where he played an alien. the first starring role on the small screen was one of the dynamic performances the world is remembering after he was found dead yesterday morning. local officials announced today preliminary findings that the cause of death was suicide by hanging. and while many knew that williams battled depression and addiction, the death came in shock because his performance was full of life. whether in "good morning
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vietnam" or brilliant teacher in "dead poets society", williams' characters were as nuanced as diverse. audiences responded in droves. around the world his films grossed more than $5 billion, a figure not adjusted for inflation. williams himself hardly needed a script to entertain. you had to give him an audience and room and maybe a prop and let him go. it was an incredible gift, one that he demonstrated on "inside the actor's studio". >> i came to bombay last year. i would like to welcome you to iran. help me! >> my name is robert -- i would like to welcome you to the first openly gay show.
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why is tonight different from all others? because we are going to dance. >> joining me now by phone is the host of bravo's "inside the actor studio, and host of larry king now, larry king. james, let me start with you because we played a clip from inside the actor's studio and it strikes me the ferocity of his t comic timing and brilliance. what do you remember the most? >> i certainly remember that moment. it was more than a moment. it was about six or seven minutes. and it began when i suddenly looked at him after he had been going nonstop for an hour and a half or two hours. tell me something, robin, we do not understand what's going on inside your head. are you thinking faster than the rest of us?
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what are you doing? at which point he began to laugh and he said, i can't explain it but i can show it to you. then he went down to the foot lights and reached over and there was a young woman in the front row. he took her scarf, a pashmina, may i? he took it from her then he began that series of improvizations, completely improvised from beginning to end in which he appeared he was an indian film director, gay rabbi, iron chef, he finally at the end of it, he folded the pashmina so the tas sells hung in front of him and he was a car coming out of a car wash. that is genius, it is not explainable by the rest of us because genius is not explainable. a genius can do something that we would have to work very hard to do but he does just naturally. i remember that -- i remember the fact that when he came on
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stage, six magnificent minutes went by during which he worked nonstop and finally i raised my hand, what do you want? my i ask my first question. he was just -- he was so full of extraordinary things to say and do that if you just got out of his way, you were well off. >> larry, i want to play a clip of robin in 1986 addressing cocaine addiction. let's take a listen to that. >> here's a little warning sign if you have a cocaine problem. first of all, if you come home to your house and have no furniture and your cat is going, i'm out of here. warning. number two, if you have a dream where you're doing cocaine and can't fall asleep and you wake up and doing cocaine, bingo. number three, if on your tax form it says $50,000 for snacks,
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mayday! >> larry, you interviewed robin in i believe 2007 and he talked about recovery and sort of decided humor he had about it. tell us more about that conversation. >> he took recovery and made joy with it. it was almost incredible as james just described. it was completely off the top of his head. but he could get very serious as well. i spent many times with him. i emceed a show where he did stand-up and interviewed on my radio show and on television four times. he was completely comfortable, very, very honest, very open about his problems. he had no idea he was this deeply depressed. i saw him a couple of years ago in los angeles and he was doing fine. when you're depressed, people go in and out. this is inkprensible to me. i don't know how james feels but
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to have someone this alive, this funny, this serious, this caring, this giving take his own life, it is almost -- it's mind boggling to me. i can't believe it. >> james, he was able to also sort of jockey the line between comedy -- not jockey but cross over between comedy and drama and even tragedy so adeptly. as someone who observes keenly the art of acting, what sort of made his instrument different? >> he spoke of the actor as an instrument. when an actor acts, he or she, what does the actor have? in the end of actor has only himself or herself, the totality of himself or herself. that was what is called the instrument. what the actor does when he or
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she trains is to work on that instrument, hone that instrument, to perfect that instrument. and in robin's case, he happened to have been born with a strat var yus, so when he wanted to, he could move back and forth between comedy and drama because that instrument he played could do anything. >> larry, in addition to being as james calls him a strat var yus in terms of his instrument, he also had a heart that was huge and incredibly generous as a humanitarian. tell us more about the legacy there. >> he was accessible to all. if you had people in need, a person in need, whether a hospital, a charity in san francisco, a gay organization that needed help, any person that came to him -- he was -- he had an open heart and easily
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giving and extraordinarily generous and as james pointed out, as an accoutor very genero. actors look for generosity and al pacino told me about working with him in "insomnia qult, al pacino played a detective up in alaska helping a friend in a murder case and robin turned out to be the murderer. it was a classic, classic acting -- did you say that one, james? >> yes. >> it was incredible to watch robin be a totally hateful villain, yet a deep understanding there was a side of him you kind of understood. >> he was a humanist, humanitarian, generous, a brilliant mind. it is a death to mourn. james lipton and larry king,
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thank you for your memories and sharing with us. >> thanks. >> coming up, while the white house focuses its efforts overseas are there are new developments in the u.s., damien cave joins me just ahead. so factors like diet can negatively impact good bacteria? even if you're healthy and active. phillips digestive health support is a duo-probiotic that helps supplement good bacteria found in two parts of your digestive tract. i'm doubly impressed! phillips' digestive health. a daily probiotic. that, my friends, is everything. and with the quicksilver card from capital one,
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congress may be on break but that doesn't mean lawmakers aren't still fighting over immigration. i'll talk with the "new york times" damian cave coming up next. (announcer) there's good more... honey, look at all these smart rewards points verizon just gave me. ooh, you got a buddy. i'm like a statue. i just signed up and, boom, all these points. ...and there's not-so-good more. you're a big guy... huh. oh no. get the good more with verizon smart rewards and rack up points to use towards the things you really want. now get 50% off all new smartphones.
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president obama's executive action on immigration could come at any time in the next few weeks and while congress may be out of session, it does not mean the two sides aren't still squaring off over the crisis at the southern border. the latest fight concerns legal representation. late sunday house republican appropriators denied a justice department request for $4 million to help hire attorneys of the unaccompanied child migrants, more than 40% of children are processed without
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counsel, a number likely to rise with the continuing influx. the number of unaccompanied minors dropped sharply in july, the flow has not stopped and isn't likely too as long as violence continues unabated in their countries of origin. in deed those fleeing are taking refuge not just in the united states but wherever they can. since 2008 asylum applications to neighboring countries of mexico, nicaragua and belize have risen 712%. joining me now is damian cave. thanks for joining me. let's talk about what is happening in the northern triangle countries. i was shocked to know the asylum applications are up 700%. in terms of the violence we're seeing in these countries, is anything being done in the government -- by the governments
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themselves? >> for a long time these countries, the governments have been very, very weak. this is -- these are places where vigilanties run free in a lot of part of guatemala and gangs are taking over entire neighborhoods and you have a state that is very weak and unable to do much about it. this is going on for a very long time. there isn't so much happening. this is a place where it's a state of nature for a lot of people. >> what about the contention, the mexican government crackdown on drug gangs eased violence in mexico but shifted the trafficking business to those northern triangle countries and fueled the growth of violent gangs. do you have that's an accurate assessment? >> it's clear part of what is driving this is not just violence but the economics of migration. i just got from highland of guatemala, you hear smugglers on the radio advertising and coming into these towns from other parts of guatemala to say, you want another life in the united
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states, come with me. there is an economic component to this. the people that i heard talking were saying these are people from their own countries recruiting them. do they have connections to mexican cartel networks? probably. at the end of the day this is a business, hundreds and millions of dollars that are paid overall to get people to the united states. there's an incentive to make money, especially in countries where there's very little opportunity. >> it shocks me the coyotes would be advertising on the radio. we know the administration and state department have taken out ads on the air waves discouraging people to come over saying your sons and daughters will die on passage and will not be able to stay here. anecdotally from your reporting, is that having an effect? >> there is a message getting back to these remote communities, it's not as much of a sure thing as they thought it was at the beginning of the summer. in may or june there was a sense of fever pitch of everyone going. now a lot of people i run into say what do you think? is it possible?
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what's the rules? not a lot of understanding of how my indicated immigration law works but there seems to be more doubt. >> what are the executive actions looming? is news of that as expectation of that making its way to central america to these communities thee receiptically would be em boldened to get across the border. >> they have one question, can i get across or not? based on their neighbors and friends and what they heard from somebody else. i talked to a teacher, said two of my fifth graders left and haven't come back. i guess they can stay. this is the level of conversation happening. not something specific to policy. no one mentions the specifics of what's being discussed in washington. it's a simple equation, can i go or not? >> it terms of what the u.s. should be doing in terms of resource, there's debate whether the money goes where it needs
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to. what is your opinion on that subject as congress and white house debate the numbers? >> i mean, the united states tends to throw money at problems a lot but these are longstanding deeply engrained problems in these countries and it's going to take a lot of time. to some degree it's about cutting off the money. these families are finding loans to pay to make this journey. no one talked about what's the financing system and how do you cut that off. there's other ways that washington tends tore simple minded in how it looks at these things. for a lot of people they are hope rging for a more sophisticated conversation. >> washington sim ple minded and outdated? i cannot imagine. >> surprisediing indeed. >> thank you for your time and thoughts. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. the ed show is coming up next. good evening, americans, welcome to "the ed show."
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i'm michael eric dyson. let's get to the show. ♪ >> that was my first born son. >> their baby was executed in broad daylight. >> these black kids here in st. louis and i'm sure all around the world, they might as well walk around with a target on their back. >> you're not god. you don't decide when you're going to take somebody from her. >> i want to assure you this is a very complicated investigation as it should be. >> we need justice for our son. we need justice for our son. >> a man lost his life. there's a police officer involved in this. and we need to make sure that this investigation