>> yeah, we're coming back. whoo. >> mike. >> i learned that 100 years ago, a guy by the name of henry ford showed how people could buy a car, affordable cars. that continues. i also learned, again, that the arsenal of democracy helped america win world war ii and when detroit prospers, america prospers. >> i learned for the first time in my lifetime, white or black, there is hope in this city again, real hope. >> hope for the city again. all right. by the way, graduation day. congratulations, guys. amazing. amazing. we love it. we're so proud of you. >> if it's way too early, what time is it? >> if it's way too early, it's morning. time for "the daily rundown" today with peter alexander. good-bye from detroit, heart of rock and roll.

as president obama consults with top commanders and iran's president weighs in on action against isis, state department spokesman marie har will be here as congress gets set to help syrian rebels. also this morning, hillary clinton in d.c. to headline an event on women and the economy. what can she say that can convince some progressives? plus, less than an hour from now, ukraine's president, pourchenko, will address a meeting of congress. good morning, i'm peter alexander. it is thursday, september 18th, 2014. we begin with isis. it has already cleared the house and could clear the senate by the end of this day. that's despite public and political skepticism about whether the plan to use syrian rebels and iraqi forces to do the fighting could blow up in our face. and if that happens, there's concern that the next step would

be to send american troops into combat. on tuesday, joint chiefs chairman martin dempsey said he would recommend troops if necessary, but at central command headquarters yesterday, president obama shut that down. >> american forces that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. they will support iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists. as your commander in chief, i will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in iraq. >> not only dupz the president say he won't send troops, iraq's new prime minister says he won't accept them. >> there's no question that we will ask or allow for foreign folks to be stationed on iraqi land. that's out of the question. out of consultation. out of discussion.

>> authorize that would arm and train rebels easily passed the house. the vote there, 273-156. it was bipartisan with 159 republicans and 114 democrats in favor. the senate is slated to vote on it today. at least one senator, west virginia democrat joe manchin, says he will not support it. >> i just do not believe that arming the syrian opposition forces is the correct approach. because i can foresee a senate debate a few years from now, not that far off, i can see this coming. about how to defeat the next group of islamic terrorists that we helped to train and install. >> in the meanmeantime, top secy officials stress the threat posed to the u.s. there's a competition of sorts going on between al qaeda and isis. >> these groups are in competition with one another for attention, for fund-raising, for recruitment. and one way to compete is to

show that you're the biggest and baddest group out there. >> the logic of it is compelling. you're not going to be the leader in the global jihad without striking america. >> johnson and kome join officials to meet with president obama wednesday afternoon. following that meeting, the white house announced the president will chair a u.n. security council summit on foreign threats next week. secretary of state kerry was being grilled about u.s. strategy by senate lawmakers. he tried repeatedly to ease fears that weapons sent would end up in the hands of our enemies. >> by and large, we found that vetting to be pretty effective. our guys have been doing it for about 20 years now, for better or worse, and they've gotten pretty good at it. >> under fire from senators who felt he was not giving them

enough information about the strategy they will be asked to vote on. >> we're not going to get stuck in the situation when we have the authority of not exercising our authorize to do what we believe we need to do to protect the country. so we're asking you to do it. >> you're asking us to do it but you're not giving any details because you don't have them. >> senator, i'm not going to share them in public here today. >> in a classified setting -- >> i'm confident there will be so many classified briefings that you'll be tired of them. >> joining me now is state department spokesman marie har. you heard kerry didn't reveal as much about the details of this strategy as some of the senators wanted to hear, promising some briefings. shouldn't those briefings take place before the senate takes a vote? >> well, they've been taking place for weeks now. the president has met with enins of congress. secretary kerry spend a number of hours up there yesterday. we'll be up there again today.

as will secretary hagel. in constant communication to give them information about the strategy. >> give us a better understanding. president obama keeps saying he will not send combat troops to iraq. does the same apply to syria? >> it does. you heard him talk about this yesterday when he visited central command to speak directly to open troops. the answer here is not in syria. >> could there be officials to select the targets you're looking for before? you probably need american eyeballs there as well. >> there are a lot of ways to get information about what's happening on the ground. the president has been clear that he's not hesitant to use any tool of american power to find isil where it's located and to take it out. you saw that when he ordered the special operations raid into syria to try and rescue the hostages. >> as for the syrian rebels we

want to work with, how can you be sure the folks you're training and supplying arms to are ultimately not going to end up getting into the hands of the folks that are fighting us? this has happened before. >> that's right, and that's why we vet everyone we provide -- >> how do we do that, vet these guys? >> it's a complicated process. that's why it's taken longer. particularly on the hill, scream about arming the opposition in syria, taken a little longer than i think they would have liked. because we vet people. because we want to make sure the assistance we give doesn't fall into the wrong hands. there's always a rink there, but we think the benefits to be gained by helping to build this force of the moderate opposition in syria outweighs that risk. >> how much confidence do we have that the allies on the ground are going to show up and be able to hold this fight? >> each country in the region will make their own decisions about how they contribute.

>> i think it's going to be their troops eventually. >> we'll see what it looks like on the grounds. the iraqi security forces, the kurdish forces and the moderate opposition in syria. that's ultimately who we thing has to be the fighting force on the ground. that we, support in different ways, but that's really the force on the ground. >> iranian president rouhani who spoke about the new international coalition the u.s. is putting together. here's the sound bite. >> translator: it is ridiculous there are people who created these terrorist groups and have been financing these terrorist groups and in this coalition there are people who are supporting them politically and they are equipping them with weapons. >> can we say that he's incorrect? >> well, i'm not exactly sure what he's referring to in that clip. what i will say is the countries we're working with in the region understand the threat isil poses not just to iraq, to syria, but

to them as well. that's why you heard them say they are willing to contribute. >> we also heard rouhani questioning whether america is afraid of sacrifice. i just want to get a sense, in his words, americans were afraid of losing soldiers in this fight. >> to be clear, we are taking direct military action right now against isil in iraq. we think that's the best way to assist the iraqi forces, the kurdish forces. if we're talking about the moderate opposition, with action in syria. because ultimately, there's not an american military solution alone. >> how long should americans be prepared to be fighting isis? >> you've heard the president say this is going to be a long fight. if you look in the past how we've worked to destroy, degrade, terrorist groups, it takes some time. first, you push them back from territory. you cut off their funding. you cut off their foreign

fighters. >> we're fighting those guys 10, 12, 13 years after 9/11. >> if you look at the group, because sustained efforts by this administration, their leadership is gone. their capabilities have been weakened. they can't launch the kind of attack we saw on 9/11. that's how you degrade terrorist groups capability. >> marie harf, thank you. we turn to another story making headlines. some dangerous weather out west. tous of firefighters are struggling to contain a dozen wildfires in northern california. the worst among them is the king fire. it's now grown to roughly 28,000 acres. it continues to spread northwest of sacramento forcing more evacuations and threatening more than 2,000 homes. that as air and ground resources continue to be challenged by what is significantly difficult terrain to fight fires. meantime, the west is also facing that severe storm once known as hurricane odile which

battered the baja california peninsula on sunday and monday and now has parts of the southwest under water. they're dealing with record breaking rain and flash flooding. odile hit el paso, texas, particularly hard. nearly 50 rescues and other emergencies were reported. thousands still without power. clearly, this one is not over yet. nbc's dylan dreyer is live for us. you can see all that water behind you. >> good morning, yes, you can see this water just rushing here. this is the negalas wash, steering water in the direction they want it to go, as opposed to traveling along the roadways. this is originally originating from mexico. it's the combination of the water coming down from the mountains along with several inches of rain this area has

seen. nugalas picked up 2 1/2 inches of rain yesterday alone. but southern arizona has seen closer to 5 inches. so we did have flash flood warnings and flood watches in effect for this region, but now things are starting to improve. the heaviest of the rain is gone from arizona, but it's starting to move in to new mexico. southeastern new mexico seeing heavy rain. the panhandle of texas. so where these heavier downpours set up, they train over the same area for an extended period of time. all of that water has nowhere to go. so that's why we end up with the flash flooding. that could be a part into parts of the south as we go into the weekend. peter. >> big mess across that region, thanks very much. coming up, the arizona cardinals jonathan dwyer just leaving jail this morning. he is the latest player arrested. the list of nfl troubles grows even longer. we will have the latest on the league's vortex of violence. plus, a vote centuries in the making under way in scotland.

when all is said and done there, will the scots break away from the throne? we're live in edinburgh next. ukraine's president poroshenko getting set to address congress. hillary clinton speaking about women and the economy, in d.c. much more on the impact of both events coming up on "tdr." nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. really? alka-seltzer plus night rushes relief to eight symptoms of a full blown cold including your stuffy nose. (breath of relief) oh, what a relief it is. thanks. anytime. lots of them, right? but when you try to get one by using your travel rewards card miles... those seats mysteriously vanish. why? all the flights you want are blacked out. or they hit you up for some outrageous number of miles. switch to the venture card from capital one. with venture, use your miles on any airline, any flight, any time. no blackout dates.

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we're back. you're watching "the daily rundown" right here on msnbc. we turn to historic news overseas where as we speak voting is now under way in scotland. as that country decides to whether or not to break away from the uk and become an independent nation. the referendum is expected to come down to the wire with

recent polls suggesting the outcome simply too close to call. more than 4 million scots registered to vote today. that is over 97% of scotland's eligible voting population. some experts believe voter turnout could end up higher than 85%. will scotland break its 307-year bond with the uk? nbc's kelly could bia. what a heck of an assignment in a beautiful place, but history may be made today as well. >> that's so true. they've been talking about it all day today. it's in the headlines as well. this one from the scotsman, day of destiny, with a picture of a voting booth there in edinburgh. on the scottish sun, yes or no, the blank page, scotland starts with a blank page. 4 plus million voters.

16-year-olds and 17-year-olds voting for the first time. we spoke to some of them yesterday. very knowledgeable about the debate. and split down the middle just like the rest of the country. half yes, half no. some are still making up their minds. one young woman said she thought shes with a yes vote. she's now switched over to a no vote with concerns about national security and not having the strength of the military behind an independent scotland. so you can see how the polls would not be very good predictors of the outcome of this election. some 500,000 people undecided as they walk into the voting booth today. and, peter, we could know a result by 1:00 your time tomorrow morning. >> all right, kelly, we'll be keeping a close eye on that. we will be watching. thank you very much. turning back here to home. news that we've been talking about all week and frankly beyond. the nfl kibs often another game

tonight. and the league tries to manage this major crisis crushing its $1 billion brand. yet another arrest is offering a new face in the league's domestic violence scandal. within the last hour, the arizona cardinal s jonathan dwyr posted a $25,000 bond. dwyer now arrested and charged with aggravateled assault after two fights at his home in july. the alleged victim, dwyer's 18-month-old son and the child's mother. >> he took a shoe and threw it at their 18-month-old child. >> reporter: authorities say woman denied dwyer was home but officers later learned he'd been hiding in the bathroom and even threat bed to harm himself. >> the suspect's threat of committing suicide in an attempt to keep her from calling the police. >> reporter: police say the woman had fractured bones and after another fight dwyer threw her cell phone out a window

before she left arizona, finally contacting authorities last week. dwyer denies allegations but the cardinals wasted no time releasing this statement, pulling him from all team activities. the carolina panthers announced the pro bowl, greg hardy is taking a voluntary leave with pay. $772,000 a week. >> our overriding goal has always been to do the right thing. >> across the league, team officials are struggling to do the right thing. right thing keeps changing by the day. monday, the vikings brought back adrian peterson who's fighting a felony charge after using a stick to discipline his 4-year-old son. >> we're trying to do the right thing. >> wednesday, they shipped him out. >> the main thing is we constantly strive as an organization to do the right thing. >> and not making a public appearance in more than a week, nfl commissioner roger goodell just 18 months ago considered the most powerful man in sports. >> goodell has made himself the face of the nfl and he's now

investible. that's part of the big problem now with this going on. he's just not there. >> that was from "the washington post." the league said dwyer's case will be reviewed under the league's personnel conduct policy which could result in a six-game suspension. dwyer's teammates are going to face off against the san francisco 49ers and ray mcdonald, he, too, recently arrested for domestic violence as well. still an active member of that team's roster. up next, hillary clinton reaching out to women. details on the event today that could reveal her strategy for winning a critical voting bloc. first, here's today's trivia question. name the world's two newest independent countries. two newest independent countries. the first person to tweet the correct answer@peter alexander or @daily rundown gets a on air shoutout. if i can impart one lesson to a

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this morning, hillary clinton brings her pitch to progressives to washington. she is speaking at a roundtable on women's economic security hosted by the center for american progress. as even some left leaning voices say clinton needs to come up with a clear vision to run on. her appeal to voters, women voters specifically, has become a stand-in for 2016 message. >> women hold the majority of the minimum wage jobs in this country. moms contributing to their family families economic well being. sometimes they're single moms trying to give the kids the support they need. clinton allies are laying the groundwork for that campaign. ready for hillary is sending staffers to help on the ground efforts in almost every key senate race.

they're headed to iowa, new hampshire, south carolina and nevada where there is no senate race on the ballot. and the early nominating states pro clinton groups are mobilizing to shield clinton from any benghazi fallout. joining me is the president of the center for american progress and former policy director for clinton's '08 campaign. thank you for your time. >> great to be on with you. >> how long can she run without formally announcing? well, today is actually about a series issues that are really important to women. paid leaves, sick days. 62% of minimum wage workers are women. we have hillary there because she has a long history from

fighting for fmla a few decades ago to minimum wage, to talking about universal child care, universal pre-k, et cetera. so, you know, we have secretary of state clinton. we have jigillibrand, pelosi. a slew who have focused on these issues. >> even senator harkin acknowledged last weekend he and other progressives have, in his language, real questions about where clinton stands on these issues. so how can clinton change the minds of this specific group of democrats? >> i worked for hillary for a long time in her past -- when she was running for president. she was one of the strongest candidates. has talked about regulating

delive trivative derivatives, wall street's power in 2007/2008. the more progressives and all americans are going to recognize that to grow the economy for everyone, hillary has a long record on those issues and i'm sure they'll be assured. >> there's not just the issues of the economy but also that clinton will be too hawkish on foreign policy. clinton aides ha s havs have sa believes the president hasn't acted strongly enough. >> on syria right now, on these issues, i'm sure, very aligned with the president. i think she had a different position a few years ago.

everyone knew there's been articles. but look the democratic party has always had debates on foreign policy and that's healthy. i think the truth is if you look at polls today, liberal democrats, moderate democrats, centrist democrats, they have strong support for hillary clinton because she has a long record on these issues. >> thank you very much. >> great to see you. >> coming up, new polls in key senate races now closer than ever. the top spokesman for the two parties on what will make or break a republican wave this november. and later, ukrainian president petro poroshenko is ready to ask for america's help in the fight against russian rebels. we're just minutes away from a big address to congress in his visit to the white house. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality

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turning now to the 2014 battle for the senate. in iowa, democrats. showing bruce braley down. a fox poll has that race tied. in colorado, republican corey gardner has his first lead since july. polls have tightened in new hampshire where christie campaigned for scott brown, that was tuesday. here's the thing, republicans don't need to win toss-up races in montana, colorado or michigan. the party has to carry three states and win four out of the three red states, avoid being dragged down by a tough environment. the dnc is reaching out to voters who may make a difference in the southern states with a

radio ad. in north carolina, things are looking up for senator hagan. in alaska, senator mark beggive. a new ad suggests he's faking. >> i'm corey davis. as a four-time x games medalist, i know something about snow machines. that's why i had a good laugh when i saw mark begich pretending to ride one. >> real-life snowball fight in alaska. and a hit on the senator today, starring her grandmother, telling the story of her grandfather's stroke. in georgia as well, a fight has broken out. after former president george h.w. bush endorsed purdue monday.

his son who chairs the bush family's points of light foundation that michelle nun used to lead slammed purdue for runni running ads. on wednesday, purdue doubled down, going up with a new ad. why do republicans care so much? what's the matter with texas? because greg ormans, independent candidacy there, could throw a wrench in. while deciding the name has to remain on the ballot. so why does it matter? here's why. in a new fox poll, when taylor is is included, republican senator roberts narrowly has a win. if you take taylor out of the mix, roberts loses to orman. joining me now, dnc communications director mo leethy and rnc communications director shawn spicer.

thanks for being with us. do the democrats back independent greg orman? >> look, it's really a fascinating race. what's happening in kansas altogether is fascinating. where you've got two very, very competitive races where in both the governor's race and the senate race where the republican incumbents are tanking. the republican brand is starting to tank in kansas. >> the question is, though, do you support orman? >> i think this race is still very fluid. one thing we're seeing is that we along with a lot of people in kansas are committed to seeing some sort of change there in the united states senate and seeing some change in leadership coming out -- that we're not seeing coming out of pat roberts. >> shawn, i pose to you, are you worried that the attacks from pat roberts make it more likely that orman could caucus with the dnls s democrats if he wins? >> there's no question he will caucus with the democrats if he

wins. the reason that they did what they did in kansas is because their candidate who is the democrat that they put forward could win. so it is trying to figure out anything. he's done a great job in his three terms there -- >> he's losing the head-to-head battle. >> what's that? >> he's losing the head to head. >> i will put everything i have that on election night roberts heads back to a fourth term. >> i want to see how much you have. very generous of you. this question to each of you, quickly, mo, give us a sense, what does success in senate races look like for democrats? then shawn, the same question. >> i think it looks good we're going to hold the senate. i think an overwhelming majority of our democratic senators are going to return. harry reid will -- >> that's easy to say, but how are you going to do that right now? there's not the same enthusiasm. it's easy to say, i'm confident we're going to hold on. how does that happen? >> we have to continue to make a clear choice for voters about the difference between the

democratic candidates and the republican candidates. we're actually there fighting to help increase opportunity for people in the middle class and you've got mitch mcconnell saying if he becomes majority leader and republicans take control, we're going to see more of the same gridlock that led us to a -- >> shawn, success for you? >> it's not just in the senate, we're winning all around the country. but the key in the senate, as you pointed out in the map, we've got three we feel good about, another four where we think we feel really good about. then it expands to oregon, michigan, virginia, new hampshire, minnesota, iowa, colorado, corey gardner. our map keeps getting bigger and bigger. when you look at the governor's races, you look at states like rhode island where he is tied there. where baker's beating coakley in massachusetts. we are expanding the map in governor's races, state legislative races -- i will

guarantee you this -- >> in maine, in florida -- >> at the end of the day, it's election night where the scorecard matters. the democrats talked about the fact they would campaign on obamacare in 2014. don't think any of those predictions are going to come true at all. on election night, it's going to be republicans, they're going to be talking -- >> that's not true -- >> i hear you guys bickering. 53% of voters tell us that washington will stay the same no matter which one of your sides wins this election. so i guess, mo, what proof is there that if democrats hold the senate they will be able to break washington's dysfunction? >> well, look at the agendas. things that will expand economic opportunity like student loans, like reducing the pay gap. they're talking about issues like benghazi still.

they're talking about repealing the affordable care act. they're talking about suing the president of the united states. they're talking about another government shutdown. that's the difference. >> shawn what would republican control of the senate look like? >> el wiwell, republican contro the senate would look like this -- right now, we only control one-half of congress. we've put over 300 bills on reid's desk. things like regulatory reform. all of those things will start to move forward. weem get people back to work. two years of more democrat control is going to look like more dysfunction, more reid stop things, more obamacare, more things they did when they controlled all branches of got which is what people are -- >> -- an all-time low -- >> since my time's limited, a new question. there's a new story in politico, griping about the leadership of dnc chair debbie wasserman schultz. does she intend to serve as

chair through 2016? >> she's the chair of the dnc through 2016. we've got a great relationship with the white house. she's going to be appearing on stage tomorrow with vice president biden, president obama -- >> you read the article -- >> is there no fact to that article? >> look, washington -- you got all sorts of articles that come out of washington. debbie wasserman schultz has been a tireless advocate. the same is true today. we're moving things forward. we're part of a great team along with our counterparts in the white house, to make great gains -- >> peter, if i can just say, i never a degree with her on anything but she serves -- as a party chairman, she's a working moth, she's out there in congress. what they are doing, throwing her under the bus, if they don't like the job she's doing, they should ask her to step down but treating her this way is not something that should be done. >> i have a feeling we'll be doing this again before november. thank you so much. coming up, ukrainian president

poroshenko ready to make his pitch for more u.s. assistance in the fight against russian rebels. details on his big address before congress. in just minutes. first, the white house soup of the day. turkey chili. we'll be right back. this is kat. setting up the perfect wedding day begins with arthritis pain and two pills. afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns... that's two more pills. the evening's event brings laughter, joy, and more pain... when jamie says... what's that like six pills today? yeah... i can take 2 aleve for all day relief. really, and... and that's it. this is kathleen... for my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. get all day arthritis pain relief with an easy-open cap. ♪ ♪

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we know we're not the center of your life, but we'll do our best to help you connect to what is. turning now to a story that is very personal for me. it's about my little sister rebecca. as you may have heard, when she was only 13, becky was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder. it's called usher syndrome type 3. this is a cruel disorder that causes you to go blind and deaf. rebecca is my best friend and i'm so proud to tell you about her today. her world is rapidly changing but she keeps looking straight ahead. this is my sister rebecca. she's 35 now and the most impressive person i know. >> faster. >> reporter: looking at her, you'd have no idea she has a disability.

can you see my hands right here? >> yes. >> reporter: can you see my hands right here? >> no. >> reporter: becky is fearless. a tornado of energy. she's an extreme athlete, leaving the rest of us in her dust. >> pick up your speed. >> reporter: with her hearing almost gone, last year becky received a cochlear implant, a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound. only becky passes the time before major surgery like this. a year and a half later, becky hears much better, but her vision is limited to this. like she's looking through a straw and that window is closing. still, my sister remains upbeat and undeterred. >> nice to have you here. >> thank you for having me. >> we usually do this in shorts and a t-shirt at home but we're doing this on television. you look very nice today. >> thank you. >> i want to get a sense from you of what you miss the most. what are the things right now

that you miss that other people likely take for granted? >> well, i used to really miss driving. moving to new york city made that a lot easier. i think one of the things i really miss is just sort of the simple pleasures of being able to whisper. >> you don't hear it? >> no. sort of lost on me so to speak. but not even -- just because there's something very sort of unique and easy and quick and intimate about being able to just whisper to someone. to hear that and to pass it on to someone. so i miss that. but it's hard to think about the things that i miss as much as i'm thinking about the things that i'm so grateful to still have. >> i want to ask you about that specifically. the group is called not fade away, a memoir of senses lost and found. i think people are most struck, i'm most struck, the people that see you are say they're struck by all the things you appreciate. what is it you have found? >> sure. you know, i think one of the

things i've found is we hear this from people i think who experience any type of terminal illness or debilitating condition. that you fellel a tremendous see of gratitude. how can you not? for me, for instance, i've told you and others that i was told that by the time i was 30, i would be completely blind. i'm 35 now. i have 10 degrees of vision. a normally sighted person sees 180 degrees. to be able to have 10 degrees when i was told i would be losing it, i would have lost it five years ago, is tremendous. to be able to see what i see is so fortunate. >> you were just in d.c. with me and ali and our daughter ava a little bit -- not too many days back. when you're with ava, i always think about, i want these images to become indell jiable.

these things will always be locked in ur you mind. i pray you will never lose your vision. do you think about that when you experience things? do you try to capture images? >> of course but, you know, one of the things i also focus on now is i focus on what ava smells like. i focus on what she feels like, you know, how wonderful it feels to, you know, even squeeze her chubby little thighs and be able to feed her a bottle and feel, you know, the softness of her baby hair. and those are the kinds of things that i remember, those tactile memories. as much as the visual memories. because those are things that are such important parts of us too. we remember things not just from what we see and hear but what they smell like, what they feel. my sense of touch and smell are very much a part of my sensory memories as well. >> give us a sense -- i'm so proud talking to you now. it's hard to believe, this book came out four days ago. i know how hard this process was and how many late nights there were and how stressed out about it you were. so i've said it to you privately

but the privilege to say it to you publicly, i love you so much, i cannot believe you did it as well as you did. you inspire, impress me every day. one thing that you've one thing that you have now learned to help embrace a wider community is that you're a member of the deaf community still. you became fluent in sign. why was that so important to you? >> when i learned i was going deaf and i found out at the university of michigan that i had usher syndrome, go blue, when i learned i had usher syndrome, i learned it was important for me to understand what life would be like for me as a hearing person and as a deaf person. i felt like i lived between both worlds. and it is so wonderful to not feel like i am in between these two worlds but a part of both.

i remember for the first book signing we had the other night how wonderful it was to have both people from the hearing world and from the deaf community all in one place together. i felt like i had all parts of me in one place. to have an interpreter there, it just really felt so all encompassing. i was just really delighted. >> that's my sister rebecca. her book is called "not fade away." it is available in bookstores and online now. if you get it, tweet me a picture holding that book. i want to show rebecca how many people support her and are inspired. trivia time, kosovo and south sudan, your answers, two newest independent countries in the world. today's winner, shawn smith. we are right back. y feast broth. they're irresistabowl... completely unbelievabowl... totally delectabowl. real silky smooth or creamy broths. everything she's been waiting for. carefully crafted with real seafood,

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live pictures of the house floor where the ukrainian president will address a joint meeting of congress in a few minutes. joining me, steve clemens,

washington editor at large. tee it up for us. why is this important, what are we going to here? >> he is going to say no nation paid a higher price than ukraine in becoming european. he ratified a pact. he made a deal for eastern ukrainian territory to essentially become more autonomous. he is going to tell congress we need aid, support, dollars, and need weapons to basically hold off russia. it is a tough sell. >> what's the u.s. prepared to do for him? >> not a lot. what the united states has been doing, we sanctioned russia, sent strong signals, speed bumps to stop further aggression. most of what they're focusing on are nato members, the balantics.

i think president obama doesn't want to see among many things he has a military to military escalation between u.s. weapon systems that go into ukraine and what russia further deploys. >> steve, thanks. that does it for this edition of "the daily rundown." jose diaz-balart will be live in pennsylvania where a state trooper is laid to rest after an awful killing. and there's a manhunt now for the killer that's intensifying. she inspires you.

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first pictures of a storm system expected to deluge the desert. flash flood warnings across five states. we go live to the storm zone. and this video just into the newsroom. another nfl player facing domestic assault charges, walking out of jail after posting bond as the nfl takes yet another hit on this thursday, the 18th of september. good morning, i am jose diaz-balart. developing right now, ukrainian president poroshenko is about to speak at a rare joint meeting of congress. there you see the images, he is making a case for more aid for his country. poroshenko is seeking more military assistance to help battle russian backed rebels that have taken over parts of eastern ukraine. so far, the u.s. provided about $60 million in