have these past two weeks? how long can we keep seeing this and will it be long enough to start seeing it better? monday is mike brown's funeral in st. louis. >> we"weekends with alex witt" starts now. weighing the options. how far will the u.s. go to stop isis after the brutal killing of an american? and is the group a direct threat to the u.s. today? two officers who pleased the streets during protests have now been suspended. we'll tell you why >> rapid paul's trip to central america. how might it fit with a possible white house round in 2016. i'll talk to someone who was there with them. explosion in the sky. a test flight goes wrong. we'll tell you what the company behind the rocket hopes to accomplish.

good morning, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt". alex is off today. i'm francis rivera. here's what's happening on this saturday morning. today in iraq, a call for unity from the white house. but on the ground, more bloodshed. writing in an op ed in the "washington post", vice president biden called on iraqis to rise above their sectarian differences and create an inclusive government and military that can destroy isis. but in baghdad, sunni lawmakers are walking away from talks to form a new government, blaming shiite militia men. there are now signs that the obama administration is not going to wait for iraq to get its house in order before going after isis wherever it may be. the "new york times" reports that administration officials are looking at air strikes against isis positions and leadership inside syria. even putting special operation forces on the ground in syria. white house deputy national

security adviser ben roads said yesterday the u.s. will not be restricted by borders. >> we heard the president say we will be relentless against isil and protect americans and see that justice is done with what we saw with the barbaric killing of jim foley. we are actively considering what's going to be necessary to deal with that threat. and we're not going to be restricted by borders. we've shown time and again that if there's a counter terrorism threat we will take action against that threat if necessary. >> what are the options out there? retired colonel jack jacobs and msnbc military analyst, thanks for being with us this saturday morning, colonel. >> good to be with you. >> the white house appears to be trickling out an argument for strikes inside syria. now, is that the right move? is that the most effective move? >> any opportunity we have to take out these people, we ought to jump on it. they are dangerous to us in the

interests of us and our allies. but the idea that we can occasionally drop a bomb on formations of isis soldiers, wherever they happen to be, that itself is not going to do the trick. what's really essential is that an effort be made to coordinate air strikes. by the way, air strikes inside syria with action on the ground. action on the ground in syria can only be accomplished by the syrian government. so far we show no inclination to ally ourselves with assad, which is something we have to do. >> speaking of boots on the ground, "new york times" reports special operations boots on the ground. we know americans have been there for that failed rescue attempt. >> what we'll have are special forces and special operations forces to conduct the kinds of missions that they have done inside afghanistan, for example.

and also inside iraq. and we will have to have them in syria if we do any accordance nation with the syrian army. but we will not have large quantities of american on the ground. we will coordinate air strikes to develop intelligence to coordinate air strikes. at the end of the day, intelligence will make all the difference. >> however long this ramping up, they have been in the works. the killing of james foley brought it to the forefront s. this the more robust language we're hearing from the white house and the military? >> there is always a tipping point. this is probably it. i think the administration has been desperately trying to avoid doing anything in the region, recognizing there's not a lot of public support among the american populous for boots on the ground.

but the rhetoric is heated up. as i said, there's always a tipping point. and whatever it is, there's going to have to be a concerted effort so that whatever we do will have effect. otherwise, we're not going to be doing anything except rhetoric. >> well, let's talk about this with ben rhodes. he was asked whether they were planning a 9/11 attack on the united states. he said not that the white house could see but, "they could pivot to attacks to the west." what would those look like? >> too horrible to contemplate. we have an open society. generally open borders. we have 320 million people. just about anything is possible. and that's the principal reason to be vigilant. not just overseas, but intelligence vigilance. developing intelligence in the united states to make sure anything that happens we nip it in the bud. >> a sobering threat.

colonel jack jacobs with us this morning. a calm weekend in ferguson, missouri with protesters gathering for a third night of peaceful protests. captain ron johnson said about 100 people marched last night without any major issues. >> we had to respond to fewer incidents tonight. there were no molotov cocktails tonight. no fires, no shootings. we did not seize a single handgun. >> michael brown was fatalitily shot by a police officer two weeks ago. just this week a grand jury began hearing evidence in the case. let's go to msnbc's richard louie. every time they have a briefing the tone changes. what more did the captain say? >> very good morning to you, francis. the number you might look at from what captain ron johnson said, zero.

no arrests overnight. the day before that, seven. the day before that, six. the day before that, 47. as we move past anger and violence, what's being laid on top of that is this issue of grieving. as they look to heal from this incident here in ferguson, missouri. what he also said last night, more eye-to-eye contact. more handshakes between officers and residents. as he has consistently said, listening to those overnight news briefings as you and i have at 1:00, 2:00 in the morning. he's focusing on community policing. that is the data he provides each and every morning, focusing on that development. so that is the arc we are seeing right now. >> resembles the ferguson it once was. >> right. >> what is going to be happening there this weekend? >> what we are focusing on today, francis, very important

high school football game not too far from here. they will be retiring a number. that's 14. why 14? that is the year that michael brown graduated from high school. and there's a subtext to this entire game. we'll be talking about that game a little bit later in the program with you with amanda, who wrote about that. another event, and they were passing around this flyer, the naacp. it discusses a 1:00 march. they say wear your sunglasses. justice is blind. they have some requests. among them, they would like officers to use body-worn cameras. we have been discussing that over recent days. we would also like to see a review of racially disproportionate policing. that's not event we will be seeing. tomorrow there is a peace fest. that's where you see two very important pairs of parents coming here. trayvon martin's parents as well as michael brown's parents, asking for a return to basics.

and monday is the memorial service for michael brown. all of those people will be watching in terms of are they moving to a point where perhaps we will be moving to understanding that the protests may not be what they want to do. >> certainly that is the case the last couple of days with that calm. despite that calm, are there concerns about other flash points? >> one flashpoint. this happened over the last day. a st. louis police officer. we're here in ferguson, missouri, obviously. but there was a video that was on that page where he was ranting against barack obama as undocumented, being from kenya. he also railed against supreme court justices as gay. he also made various comments about muslims. all of that coming out. he was one of the officers that was patrolling this area earlier in the week. so the concern was what was he saying? the police chief then relieved him.

he called these comments out of bounds and bizarre. in terms of other flash points, the issues of what will will happen with this grand jury as they are having the meetings this past week, what they decide in terms of an indictment or not. all of these people are watching. this calmness we are seeing could change very quickly. >> sure. >>. no doubt it will be the patience we have seen the past couple of days with the community. we'll check in with you later on. richard louie with msnbc. thank you. 500 people are expected to march. a police officer placed 43 eric garner in a choke hold last month. the staten island district attorney said he will present the case to the a grand jury. that is expected to happen next month. . and the world health organization said the ebola crisis could be worse than expected because of an invisible

caseload. new patients overwhelm treatment centers in the last two weeks in liberia. those patients had not been previously identified with aoe pwbow ebola. airline travel is about to get more expenses. american airlines will charge $150 extra each way for children between the ages of 5 and 14. they currently charge a fee ages 5 and 11. that change starts september 3rd. triple-digit heat expect in the south. the midwest could see more rain on the heels of severe is flooding in illinois and indiana. the weather channel's ray stagich is here. >> the heat in the southeast. first things first, the tropics will be a concern this time of

year. invest in the bahamas. not a tropical storm or depression but rain expected. as you can see, thunderstorms right now. although we don't have a named system yet, heavy rain still a threat. still potentially a threat for the east coast with dangerous rip currents as we get into the middle of the week. suggestion are that the main center should head out to sea. some of the models trying to bring it close to the southeast coast. we don't think we're completely out of the woods yet. it's an unlikely scenario. big storm in the eastern pacific. hurricane marie. that will be a category 4 storm. staying away from the coast of mexico and even parts of california through the next few days. we have high surf advisories up for another system that's actually impacting parts of the pacific. winds 45 miles per hour. high surf advisories in effect for parts of the beaches in

southern california. >> thank you very much. >> all right. >> still to come, how close might isis be to striking inside the united states? or can american officials stop the threat before it comes here? i'll talk to a member of the house intelligence committee when we come back. t's called an "all you can eat" buffet... and not a "have just a little" buffet. because what we all really want is more. that's why verizon is giving you even more. now, for a limited time, get more data! 1 gb of bonus data every month with every new smartphone or upgrade. our best ever pricing with the more everything plan and 50% off all new smartphones. like the htc one m8 for windows or android. built to inspire envy. come get your more with verizon. hey there, i just got my bill, and i see that it includes my fico® credit score. yup, you get it free each month to help you avoid surprises with your credit. good. i hate surprises. surprise! at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card and see your fico® credit score.

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is the united states expanding its mission against isis? president obama initially said it was a mission. but following the murder of james foley, the u.s. now appears to be looking towards isis's home base in syria. joining me is kristen welker who is traveling with the president in martha's vineyard. kristen, has this limited mission now reached a new stage? >> reporter: well, it could be reaching a new stage.

good morning, francis. that's because as international anger mounts against the death of james foley, they are weighing the possibility of expanding its military actions from iraq to neighboring syria. while the u.s. continues its sustained air campaign in iraq, the white house says the execution of james foley was a direct hit against america. >> that represents a terrorist attack against our country and against an american citizen. >> reporter: and the administration warns isis has grown stronger in recent months. now, u.s. officials are signaling they may expand the u.s. military campaign into syria where isis is also thriving. >> we're not going to be restricted by borders. we have shown time and again that if there is a counter terrorism threat we will take action if necessary. >> reporter: the pentagon has been drawing up plans for military option as the pressure mounts on the president. some are calling for air strikes in syria.

the military is also advocating more action. >> can they be defeated defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in syria, the answer is no. >> reporter: polls consistently show a majority of americans don't have the appetite to engage in foreign conflicts. still, some expects warn the isis headquarters in based is syria. and as long as that stands, the terrorist group will continue to grow. >> we may not be attacked today, tomorrow. but the threat is there in the future if they're not put in check. >> reporter: u.s. officials say they are reaching out to their european allies and partners in the region. in the "washington post" op ed, vice president biden says it is up to the coalition government. he said the global community has a role writing, "this is a fight that iraq, with the help from america and the world, can and must win. we all have a stake in

empowering mod rots in iraq to prevent the terrorist state from taking root in the middle east. fran i sis? >> thank you very much. the killing of american journalist james foley is raising questions about the uk being somewhat of a breeding ground for extremists. could that number be even higher? what kind of danger does this pose for americans in the west? >> there are serious worries about that, francis. they are narrowing down the list of suspects as they work to identify the masked men in the gruesome video. but the british voice on the tape highlights, again, as you say, there are many european nationals fighting with isis. people who could easily travel to the u.s. isis has many thousands of fighters. but british and american intelligence are focused on one man this weekend.

the masked jihadist who holds a knife in his left hand and has a british accent. james foley's killer. experts will be analyzing his voice for clue toss his identity. >> security services have databases of voices of people who they believe to be working in this sort of area. >> one british newspaper claims to know who he might be. lawmakers want to finally tackle so-called british jihadists. >> young men are told it is necessary to go fight in iraq and syria. >> reporter: more than 500 british citizens are estimated to have joined isis. many more from other parts of europe. recruitment that has caused soul searching in the uk. >> there is something wrong with our society. >> reporter: the vast majority

oppose isis, a message repeat at friday prayers. but isis videos reveal a succession of violence who have traveled to syria and iraq from the uk. >> the muslim community here needs to come out and in many ways rise up against these people. >> reporter: leaving uncomfortable questions for why they go and why british authorities seem unable to stop them. and there have been many attempts to stop the movement of young british muslims. the question is why has it not been effective enough to stop the killer of james foley apparently being a british extremist. >> thank you. does the execution of an american journalist change the way the u.s. handles the mission

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the targeted campaign against isis includes air strikes. but will it be enough, or is the u.s. on the the brink of another war in iraq? joining me now is congressman adam schiff. congressman, thank you for being with us this morning. >> you bet. >> as a member of the house intelligence committee here, in the years since 9/11, have you ever seen or sensed a greater threat to america's homeland than isis appears to be now? >> no. i really think this is the most significant threat we have had in years. because they hold territory. they're well founded, well organized. they are motivated to attack us. and you have these thousands of foreign fighters. many coming from europe. some coming from the united states who are becoming further radicalized and ultimately will come home, or try to come home. that's an enormous threat to us.

perhaps not in the immediate term in terms of the threat on the home land. but certainly in the midterm, if not sooner. yes. very significant threat. >> significant as well since we are talking about the killing of james foley at the hands of isis here. could the united states done even more to prevent it short of paying that $132 million ransom? >> i'm not sure we could have. we attempted a rescue, which unfortunately it looks like the hostages were moved before we got there. that's a risky endeavor in a country where we don't control the airspace, where we don't have a government that we can work with. i'm glad the president undertook it even though it was unsuccessful. we don't have a lot of options in terms of rescuing people in that euimpermissive government. we need the saudis to help dry up some of the international

funding of this group. we can help in a humanitarian way. we don't have the einfrastructue in syria and iraq. we have a well trained military and the kurds. we have intelligence, assets on the ground we can work with. we don't have that in syria. >> does that mean we should limb gnat the option ever in paying terrorists for hostages? should that be eliminated overall? >> well, i don't think we want to be in the business of funding people who are kidnapping our citizens. and that's a very painful decision to make. but i think it's the right policy call. if you start paying millions of dollars to these people you are effectively funding their terrorism. and it just doesn't work. it encourages them to kidnap more of your people. so it's very tough. i'm sure if it was one of my family members i would say pay the ransom. as a government i think it's the right policy. >> let's consider the family of james foley here.

do you think the killing of james foley might push the american public of the u.s. wanting greater action? and would you say if that were my son i would change it. >> it certainly brought home to americans seeing one of your citizens this way, what pure evil in car nate isil is. we don't want this act, as horrific as it was, to goat us into doing things that are counterproductive. it shouldn't deter us. the president is continue to go bomb targets in iraq. it shouldn't force us to reoccupy places that will just get more americans killed and won't have the effect we want. so there are things we can do and should do, but i don't think this changes the strategic nature of what we have to under take. >> considering the civilian casualties that could come into play as well.

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>> welcome back to "weekends with alex witt". i'm francis rivera. calm in ferguson, missouri after a night of peaceful protests. ron, good morning. tell us what is new after this controversy. >> well, first, francis, these are the streets where there has been so much violence. they were peaceful for the fourth consecutive night. this morning, you're right. two police officers were suspended by their departments because of offensive comments they allegedly made to the protests. that's happening as this community is trying to move past two very traumatic weeks. the mcclure north stars are determined to win under friday

night lights. a team from ferguson that struggled to practice. their season in doubt because of all the unrest. >> i'm hoping this is a first step back to normalcy. >> now in the aftermath of the protests, two st. louis police officers find themselves in trouble. st. louis county officer dan page for making comments in 2012 that appeared on youtube that his department found offensive. including apparently referring to his military service. >> i've killed a lot. and if i need to, i'll kill a whole lot more. >> the chief suspended the officer and apologized. in nearby glendale, math mu pappert is accused of making these on facebook. i'm sick of these protesters. you are a burden on society and blight on society. >> they were very shock to go us. we would have never thought one of our police officers would have made such posts.

>> earlier this week an officer was suspended after seen pointing a semiautomatic rifle at protesters. federal agents on a separate track looking into whether the teenager's civil rights were violated. it is still a battered town. the mag drag showing its scars. stores shut down. volunteers head up open air markets under a blistering sun. food, water, essential items. >> it's helpful that they bring this stuff here. >> it's crazy out there. >> it's way too crazy. i don't even want to leave. >> but some boared up businesses are come canning back to life. at this barbecue, they just moved the grill outside. >> we might be down, but we're not out. >> a town where there is a campaign to show the world there is more here than anger and rage. this morning police say they

made zero arrests. everyone knows these investigations will take time, many months. there are many challenges and emotional days ahead. especially this coming monday when the brown family lays their son to rest. >> ron allen in ferguson, missouri. thank you for that report. let me bring in criminal defense attorney and radio host and attorney. thank you both for being with us this morning. there are five key witnesses of the shooting who have come forward. they have been very verbal about what they say happened. you have been following the accounts closely. so what are the consistencies there because there seems to be a lot. but there are also some differences here. can you tell us more on what your thoughts are. >> sure. you have heard a lot of talk about the inconsistency about the eyewitness about the prosecution or the people who saw what happened to michael brown, supporting that the officer used excessive force. i have looked at all of them. the narrative has kind of been

they are conflicting. i don't really find that much conflict in them at all. i really feel what is consistent is that of the five, most say that -- i mean all of them say, you know, that if they were there at the beginning point, that the officer pulled up and he tried to open his door and it smacked up against michael brown. and then he reached up and grabbed his neck. and there was some sort of ensuing struggle between the two of them. that is very consistent. at some point a gunshot went off during that encounter. then they began to run, johnson and brown. then they consistently say there were shots, that michael brown was shot. and then turned facing backwards could be that one shot to the arm from the autopsy report. and then he turned around and the shots continued, which would be the other shots to the arm. and then he put his hands up to say i'm unarmed, please stop. at which point he was shot with the last two shots to the head,

the last one being the deadly one. so i really don't see that much consistency in the five eyewitnesses based on when they came into view of the incident. so, yes, there's a little bit of i'm not sure if i saw his hands up from the gentleman that was in the apartment complex. but that could just be a matter of when he came into view of michael brown. so i don't really see that much inconsistency. >> ohio critical is the role of the prosecutor in getting an indictment here? the prosecution to prove the officer should be indicted there. and how did that come into play? >> well, you know, the witness accounts are somewhat consistent. there is some inconsistencies there in terms of when he was shot and if he was shot in the front or the back. some witnesses say he was shot in the back as he was running away. i think, you know, these type witnesses absolutely be used at a grand jury. and what you need to do in front

of a grand jury is to say, listen, witness accounts can always be different. but where it counts, where it counts, where his hands were up and the officer was still firing, they are still consistent at that point. and that's the point that the prosecutor needs to make. during the struggle, whether or not there was a struggle in the vehicle, that certainly is relevant to the one shot that was made in the vehicle. but the death shot was made allegedly when his hands were up and he was surrendering. that's going to be the major thing that they need to prove in front of a grand jury. and i think that will be the crux of the argument. a lot of people may say a jacket was blue, the jacket was white. but the fact that someone did or didn't steal something, that's the important thing. not whether the jacket was blue or white. if you don't focus on the my unusual that and focus on whether this individual should have been shot or used deadly force against him, that's where the meat is going to be in the case. >> the grand jury has begun hearing evidence in this case.

but that process could take until october. let's focus on the community who has been wanting that turning point. are they going to have enough patience to wait before charges are filed against the police officer in wilson. your thoughts on that and what will it take for the community to come together? mo? >> this community is reeling with pain. the pain will get even greater on monday when the funeral happens. so i think that the violence has come to an end. but this community definitely needs some answers. definitely needs to feel that something is being done on the other side. so there can be an arrest at any time. the grand jury proceeding is much different than what the community is calling for, which is an arrest. all you need for an arrest is probable cause. you would think by now there would be probable cause enough with the autopsy results and the forensics to arrest officer wilson. but that hasn't happened yet. that would be a great first step. >> it would be. let's break down the grand jury. two african-american women, one

african-american man, three white women and six white men. bradford, very quickly break down the process and what are they tasked with doing? >> when you're in front of a grand jury, there is no defense. it is only the state putting on their evident on whether or not this crime was committed. so it generally a lot of people have a saying you can indict a ham sandwich. it's what a lot of state attorneys say. generally it's not a large burden to overcome to indict someone. in this case, just from the evidence i've seen -- again, i have only seen the evidence on tv and that nature. there may be more evidence. the responsibility of the state attorney is not just to put on the evidence that will hurt someone but put on a full picture. if they do put on a full picture it looks like there would be an indictment in this case. it really does. >> thank you so much for that perspective this morning. is the united states's

mission in iraq creeping towards syria? in a press conference this week, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff dempsey said there was no question where the threat needs to go if isis is going to be defeated. this is an organization that has an apocalyptic end of days strategic vision which will eventually have to be defeated. to your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in syria, the answer is no. >> thank you for being with this morning, michael. dempsey put it in no uncertain terms, that they cannot be defeated without going into syria. >> well, the administration has yet to articulate comprehensive

strategy to roll back isis and defeat it. what it has done so far is implemented a strategy in iraq to contain isis and prevent it from taking irbil. the administration has not spelled out its strategy yet but is talking as if it plans to strike in syria. >> in the uk this week, former head of the british army both called for an alignment with the assad government to go after isis. is there any chance of the u.s. teaming up with assad? >> no. and the reason is there's just so much documentary evidence that al assad is guilty of atrocities on a massive scale that it would be quite a reversal for the obama administration to line up with him. and pwepb rhodes, deputy national security adviser, has ruled that out.

>> much more robust and with much more fervor than we have seen before. that may have to do with the brutal execution of james foley. is there new intelligence about threats on the homeland? >> well, isis has grown over the last nine months. this group, which president obama once described as the junior varsity, is now looking much more like an nfl team. they have taken a bunch of northern and western iraq. they control eastern syria. and a lot of volunteers from western countries, jihadis from gone there. there is fear they could return to the united states or western europe and carry out attacks there. in my view, sit a serious threat and emerging threat. and one which is only growing stronger over time. and i think it's finally gotten to the point where i think the obama administration is prepared to take action. and the reason they're looking at syria is that's where the group is headquartered. >> and you look at the funding

backing them as well. you wrote this week one option for the pentagon is sending small teams of special operations forces to identify targets for air strikes. that was very successful. the first months in the war on afghanistan. do your sources say they want to proceed and go in? >> right now they have a limited air campaign, which is contained isis but hasn't defeated it or rolled it back. and if that was your goal and the administration hasn't articulated a goal. if the goal was to defeat it, you would have to have a sustained campaign and work with local forces on the ground, the kurds, iraqi military, and presumably armed and trained syrian moderate opposition. and the strategy will be more effective if you have small teams of u.s. special forces on the ground calling in the air strikes. it's not clear the white house is prepared to take that step because president obama has been reluctant to commit ground

troops. but if they wanted to make the strikes more effective from a military standpoint, it is certainly something you would have to consider. >> national security correspondent for the times, thank you. humanitarian work in guatemala. why is it more of app opportunity for him to help those in need? le into everything. she always mixed and matched, even in her laundry room. with downy unstopables for long lasting scents and infusions for softness, her mix was like a fine fragrance for her clothes. mmmmm. (discreet) i call it scent-cessorizing. transform your clothes, with mix, match, magic. downy infusions and unstopables. wash in the wow.

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this is what membership does. the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of jim foley by the terrorist group isil. to ferguson who is rightly hurting and looking for answers, let me call once again for us to seek some understanding rather than simply holler at each other. >> that was president obama taking time from his vacation to address isis and the situation in ferguson, missouri here at home. joining me now is washington bureau chief for the sun times

lynn sweet and congressional reporter ed o'keefe. thank you for being with us on a saturday. >> thank you, francis. >> lynn, how do you feel about the events playing out in ferguson? the president never made a visit. >> well, i think what the president said was on target. but what the president did in terms of the optics and especially in terms of the horrible beheading of james foley, the white house didn't understand that in this case going to the golf game afterwards wasn't a good choice of how to schedule the presidents day. i've never been a critic. usually he's always working. but in this case the white house was wrong in how they scheduled the president. because this was such a horrendous act by a terrorist group. in ferguson, i think the white house did a very -- did the right thing by sending attorney general eric holder there to try and send the message in a very

strong way that the administration is going to seriously look into the allegations of police abuse of power. >> back it was a terribly difficult dilemma because this time last year we were talking about this before we came on the air that the president was mulling whether or not to take military action in syria. here we are almost exactly a year later. he might have to go to congress again to ask for the possibility of some kind of military action in syria. it is incredibly complex. he is not a fan of the sort of open ended military commitments. he was frustrated having to go in and do what went on in iraq in recent weeks. the idea that there might now have to be a targeted campaign

against isis wherever it is is something they'll have to think about this next week. certainly there is justification in the death of foley and likely will hang most of the campaign on that. that is part of reason why this organization needs to be destroyed. >> let's switch gears a little bit here. i want to ask you about humanitarian terms in guatemala. you covered it for "the washington post." he was there to provide free eye care to the very poor but let's talk about the big picture here. is there a strategy to this? 2016, the first time anybody has done something like this. >> any time you take "the washington post" and "national review" and the good folks at meet the press into a third world country to provide free health care it is a sign you're thinking of things more seriously. clearly he is mulling a presidential campaign. he didn't deny interest when we asked him down there. this is a good excuse to distinguish himself from other career politicians thinking

about running for president, guys like chris christie, paul ryan, folks who spent most of their time in washington. he is trying to remind people i've been saving lives and helping people for several years before i got to washington. he thinks it could be a distinguishing characteristic that could help him out. >> thank you very much for your perspective. ferguson looks to football and its youth, next. my motheit's delicious. toffee in the world. so now we've turned her toffee into a business.

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the community is still standing. we'll be okay. >> we just want justice. people want to be heard. >> what's your hope for tonight? >> i hope for peace every night. another calm night in ferguson, missouri. richard, what's the scene like this morning? >> caller: hi. good to see you. we have a reporter here from msnbc.com. i was turning to her about this high school football game happening today and some of the significance. there is an underlayer to talk about. >> there is a huge racial tension here that's been bubbling under the surface for a lot of time. we've had some african-american

and latino students here who have been disproportionately affected by budget constraints. they were shipped out of the district and now are finally coming back out of a lot of tension in the community and royso this is their first home game, first time back to school. it's more than just ferguson but about coming together. >> there's also this issue when we look at the football game. we have a march today or the peace fests of tomorrow. the possibility of exhaling. as we exhale here in ferguson another layer being added on to that is perhaps healing, perhaps grieving on a greater level. >> yes. so finally people are able to just come together and able to really they have the funeral coming up and the football game so hopefully this is a prelude to some type of peace and rescue in the community. >> okay. we'll see what happens in the next few days. a lot of folks here looking at ferguson and these events and what it might mean to the

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