to improve. there's no way to say somehow they are worse now than they were 10 years ago, 20 years ago, or 50 years ago. >> president obama opens up about ferguson, missouri, as that city awaits a grand jury decision. what's taking so long? the passing of a unique figure on the american political landscape, the rise and fall, and rise. a look back. buffalo melt, the struggle that is going on right now in that city to save homes and businesses. you're going to hear some of their stories. and "snl's" take on a saturday morning staple from years ago. you're going to see what really happens to that bill on capitol hill. hey there, everyone, it's high noon in the east, 9:00 a.m. out west. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." new anticipation today. two protesters were arrested last night for unlawful

assembly. and sources tell nbc news, the grand jury investigating the shooting death of michael brown by officer darren wilson will reconvene monday. yesterday, police put up barricades where that grand jury sits. residents in the area are voicing concern about not knowing what's going to happen next. >> i know -- not knowing what's going to happen after the verdict comes. it's just scary situation. >> my colleague, craig melvin on the ground in ferguson this afternoon. and craig, with a welcome to you. do you get a sense from residents they're becoming more concerned the longer it takes for this grand jury to make a decision. >> yeah. that's exactly the sense you get, alex. everyone's anxious. folks who live in the area, law enforcement, everyone's anxious. and it does not help that, you know, every day there's some sort of rumor that, okay, this is going to be the day. oh, you know, i heard from this guy, this is going to be the day. the fact of the matter is, at

this point, all we know is that come tomorrow, that 12-member grand jury is going to reconv e reconvene. we do not know they're going to actually vote tomorrow. and if they do vote, we don't know whether there's going to be announcement tomorrow. they could still very well continue to review evidence, pore over testimony. you know, one of the things that i think a lot of folks are probably forgotten about this grand jury. these folks aren't sequestered. they meet when their schedule allows. initially bob mccullough the prosecutor said he expected an announcement some time between mid to late november. their term has been extended until january. so this idea that you've got these jurors sitting around a table every day for hours on d end, that does not appear to be the case. i spent some time yesterday talking to captain ron johnson. during the unrest in the wake of the michael brown shooting. he was the guy that was brought

in to help ease the tensions, to help bridge the gap between the protesters and police this time around he is part of a unified command. but he is still very much the face of the law enforcement response should there be one. i spent some time with him last night. and i asked him a little bit about what you can expect once the grand jury finally announces a decision. here's what he told him. >> i expect whatever that decision is, we'll have people to take the streets and voice their opinions. but -- >> silently? >> i don't think it's going to be what people expect it to be and what some people may want it to be. i think the character of this community will come out. >> and here's why captain johnson says over the past few months, law enforcement has spent a great deal of time meeting with protesters. a lot of the protests that are planned have supposedly been

organized for some time. law enforcement has met with these protesters, at least half dozen times, we're told. so much so, in fact, a few days ago, they released a so called rules of engagement. you know, they promised not to use excessive force. they promised to make valuing human life the number one priority for both sides. would not rule out using tear gas or rubber bullets should the situation warrant. >> good conversation they have with them. i'm glad he senses at this point that things will stay in control. i mean, that's the message i got from what he was telling you and we can hope that will be the case. >> yes. >> okay, craig, thank you so much. well, president obama's weighing in today on the fallout from the ferguson shooting saying more than ever the relationship between minorities and the police needs to get stronger. >> in the end, what i've

confidence in is if we do a better job of training our law enforcement to be sensitive to the concerns of minority communities, then over time, trust can be built. in part because minority communities are typically subject to more crime. they need law enforcement more than anybody. >> let's get right to nbc white house correspondent kristen welker. good day to you. ferguson was a big part of the president's interview today. what more did we learn about how he and the administration are preparing for this grand jury decision? >> well, alex, good afternoon. president obama saying he and the top officials have been in contact with state officials in missouri. president obama calling governor jay nixon to make sure that they have a plan in place to deal with whatever the reaction is to the grand jury's decision. and the message that we're hearing coming from this administration. from the president, from attorney general eric holder is that they are urgenti iurging c peaceful response, and those comments echo what we're hearing

from the brown family itself. michael brown's father saying he doesn't want his son's death to be in vain. he doesn't want people to perpetuate this tragedy with more violence. now, president obama has been very measured in his comments. some activists have wanted him to be stronger, to have an opinion about what happened. but, remember, the justice department is investigating this. so the president i anticipate is going to withhold any type of judgment until there is an actual grand jury decision that comes down. instead, president obama saying alex, quote, now is the time for healing. now is the time for peace. interestingly, though, he didn't rule out a visit to ferguson. so that's something that we'll be watching for after that grand jury decision comes down, alex. >> yeah, that would be very interesting. what about the reaction, his reaction to the executive order on immigration. what do you have to say about that? >> well, as you know, republicans infuriated by the president's announcement last week that he was going to act unilaterally on immigration reform. we heard a lot of that on the sunday shows.

senator ted cruz today saying that the president had overstepped his authority. he is calling on the senate to block his nominations as a way to check his balance of power. president obama defending his decision, and specifically answering questions about some of the statements he has made in the past in which he says he doesn't think he has the authority to act unilaterally. take a listen to what he told george stephanopoulos today. >> if you look, george, i often times was asked, can you halt deportations. and i said, no, i can't do that. george, what is absolutely true is that we couldn't solve the entire problem and still can't solve the entire problem. but what we can do is to prioritize felons, criminals, recent arrivals. folks coming right at the border. >> so, alex, the question is, what happens next? some republicans are calling for a government shutdown, some are saying they want to impeach the president. i've been talking to leadership

aides throughout the week and say neither of the options are viable. you might see republicans try to reverse the president's actions legislatively or they might even sue president obama. he thinks that republicans should pass their own legislation to deal with immigration reform. this is tricky politically for republicans because, of course, they now own congress. so there are also concerns about getting bogged down in this immigration fight at the cost of not getting other things done, like tax reform and passing some trade bills they'd like to get through. alex. >> kristen welker, thank you much from the white house. other republicans weighing in on immigration reform. lindsay graham had tough words for his own party. >> shame on us as republicans. shame on us as republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that is national security, cultural and economic.

>> while president obama hit on a number of topics in his interview, he also talked about 2016 and his support for hillary clinton should she decide to run. >> i am very interested in making sure that i've got a democratic successor. so i'm going to do everything i can, obviously, to make sure that whoever the nominee is successful. if she decides to run, i think she will be a formidable candidate. i think she'd be a great president. >> other news now. 45 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide bombing in eastern afghanistan today. officials there say the attack happened during an interdistrict volleyball tournament attended by a large crowd when the bomber detonated his explosives. talks are intensifying in vienna as monday's deadline looms for a nuclear deal. secretary of state john kerry warned of serious gaps in the negotiations. the u.s. wants to impose long-term limits on iran's nuclear capabilities, iran wants sanctions against it lifted right away. to japan, where 39 people

were injured in dozens of home destroyed after a 6.7 earthquake. that quake struck late saturday night. it happened at the site of the winter olympics. and officials say there is no possibility of a tsunami since that quake occurred inland. and in sydney, australia, a newborn baby was found in an 8-foot drain early this morning. cyclists on a nearby bike track say they heard crying and rescued the baby boy still wrapped in a hospital blanket. that baby believed to be just two or three days old is being treated for dehydration. police are now questioning a 20-year-old woman who has been identified as the boy's mother. new today, the university of virginia's taking action after shocking allegations of rape on campus. they came to light in an article in "rolling stone" and now the school has suspended all fraternity and related activities for the rest of the year as it investigates. gabe gutierrez has more.

>> reporter: this morning, the university of virginia is shaken. students demanding the school address sexual assault on campus. >> not doing enough, really. they hired a couple of new investigators. it's not enough. >> uva's president is suspending all fraternities and related social activities for the rest of the year following a detailed article published this past week in "rolling stone" magazine. in a written statement she said the wrongs are appalling and have caused all of us to re-examine our responsibility to this community. the report describes several claims of assault, including the brutal gang rape of a first year student at a frat house in 2012. >> i think that when i first read the article, i was simply sick to my stomach. >> the university is now asking charlottesville police to investigate. >> the administration has been passive and it's been disappointing. >> the article went on to claim that victims are reluctant to report rapes, afraid they'll

become social outcasts and that the school keeps allegations quiet to preserve the reputation for perspective students. a charge the school's president denies. nationwide, the greek system is already in the spotlight. earlier this month, west virginia university suspended its fraternities and sororities after a male freshman died at a frat house. uva officials plan to meet this week to discuss their policies regarding sexual assault. >> we're going to get to the bottom of whatever this is and we're going to make this a better place. >> while student protests aim to bring a hidden problem into the light. >> people now have hope. people believe that we might change something. >> gabe gutierrez, nbc news. the unique political oddessy of marion berry. nderman group i. nderman group i. getting in a groove. growth is gratifying. goal is to grow. gotta get greater growth. i just talked to ups. they got expert advise, special discounts, new technologies.

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in washington, d.c., it is the passing of an era. former four-term mayor marion berry has died. he was 78 years old, died after midnight in d.c. berry was dubbed mayor for life early in his career, but received worldwide attention after he was caught in a washington hotel room in 1990 lighting a crack pipe in the company of a much younger woman. vincent gray saying in part, quote, marion was not just a colleague, but a friend whom i shared fond moments about governing the city. and joining me now the president and ceo of the national urban league. and marc, i'm glad to have you here. i love talking with you about anything. but talk to me about your relationship with marion berry. you guys were pretty close. >> well, marion and my father were actually contemporaries. they were in marion's early days as mayor, my father was also mayor of new orleans. they shared and represented this generation of mayors and politicians that had come up

through civil rights. so they had paid dues, they add earned their stripes. and it's -- that's one of the reasons why marion berry is so special and so remembered and so beloved by so many washingtonians because of his career before he was elected mayor. and, of course, i would say a couple of things. he was a champion of the disadvantaged and the dispossessed. and i, indeed, think that when the government in effect set him up in 1990, they in effect created a backlash that helped him. i really truly believe get re-elected again in 1994. >> because nobody saw that one coming. >> and it's what the government did, notwithstanding the fact that he had his personal demons and his personal challenges. people in washington in his base support believe the government stepped beyond what was reasonable in setting him up or

entrapping him in that washington hotel room. and that's got to be said in terms of many people saying, well, how could he have come back because of that. >> and you have to also give him credit. he must have had some sort of characteristics within himself to survive that. i mean, you can say he's a survivor. but talk about the man you knew from that perspective. because not a lot of people would come back from that. >> you have to understand, marion berry's from mississippi, worked his way up and through, almost got his ph.d. in chemistry. marion berry was a highly intelligent, well-educated man who became, if you will, the first home rule mayor of washington. washington's prior mayor had been appointed before he was elected. to a great extent, historically, he was the first mayor, if you will, an independent washington, d.c. government. >> okay. let's switch gears and talk about ferguson. we're waiting for the grand jury decision to come down on that. what do you expect?

>> well, this is whattic. obviously the expectation for many is there would not be an indictment. what i would say to people, do not second guess the process before the process is complete. because there are other possibilities of indictments, certainly, on charges of first-degree murder and perhaps lesser included charges. but then i want to emphasize this, alex, there is an effort, a well-organized effort in ferguson and around the country to engage in peaceful, nonviolent protests. there's an organized effort to do that. and so, obviously, there's talk of instigators, detractors, those that may want it to be other than a peaceful protest. but i also believe that we need to understand that this is about michael brown. but this is also, i think, creating an awakening around broader issues of police accountability, and issues of

economic opportunity for young people in this nation. so we must, as a nation, confront and deal with those two long standing problems. and no matter what this grand jury does, those long standing issues are going to remain, i think at the top of the agenda. >> also this morning on abc, the preponderate talked about his own pesrsonal reflections on al of this. >> as an african-american male, there have been times where i experienced discrimination as a young man. it's been a while since it happened. and, you know, i think that folks on the other side of it might not understand why their concerns are mistrust. when people start seeing these incidences, then they start saying, maybe we understand what we're talking about. >> what kind of impact does that have? that's the president of the united states -- >> it's good he's done it. i think what it can help the nation do and understand is how this problem has seared so many. and how until we get past it,

beyond it, we can't be the nation we want to be. >> give me a big picture perspective. what does it say about race and policing here in this country? and how far the u.s. needs to go? >> i think what it says, there are so many parts of this nation where the relationship between the police and the citizens that the nation -- that those departments police is not what it indeed ought to be. and that race remains an enduring factor in this country and we've got to work to get past it. what i would hope this is going to do is help us confront the idea that because you talk about police accountability doesn't mean you're indicting all police everywhere. i know from my own experiences that most police officers work hard and do the right thing. but that -- that's number -- that number that may step beyond the pail creates a bad name and

bad word. and i think the need for systematic reform. and it is that type of reform that the national urban league i want to work on, systematic reform with respect to police accountability and this need for jobs and economic opportunity. >> what is your message to the citizens of ferguson if there is no indictment, marc? >> let us protest, express ourselves, do it in a peaceful fashion. not only in ferguson, not only in st. louis, but around the nation. i think we have a tradition in this nation of nonviolent, peaceful protests consistent with the first amendment. and i think people should be encouraged to express their point of view whatever it may be with respect to the decision of this grand jury. but let us also not look at this as just a passing news story. this has got to -- if you will, engender us to deal with the long standing problems of police accountability and economic opportunity. >> okay. hey, marc, i'm glad you're here. and also you brought your son

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welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." a new round of winter weather. climbs temperatures and rain could turn snow into flood waters as it melts across western new york. kristen dahlgren with more. hi, kristen. >> reporter: hi there, alex.

take a look at what they're still dealing with here, roof collapses. and you might think that a warm-up would sound like some relief. but if you think about all of that snow, like a sponge is going to be absorbing the rain we're expecting later on today, just getting heavier and heavier. we could see more roof collapses, and there are also, now, flood warnings around this area. >> reporter: in east seneca, new york, there is no sigh of relief. >> can you tow me out for assistance? >> there's no time. days after the massive early season snowstorm, roofs are caving under the weight. >> 20 years gone in four days. >> trace george already lost one of his industrial workshops. the second is on the verge of collapse. >> we've been working our butts off to keeping the snow away from the building so that when the flooding comes, it's away from the building. so we have flooding, but we didn't even realize up above how much stress is going to be on the roof.

>> residents across the area are in a desperate fight to clear the heavy snow before it's too late. >> i'm worried about the weight on this roof. there's not much pitch. and there's cracks in the ceiling already. >> in some places, they're still on their own. several neighborhoods remain buried. reinforcements are arriving. the fdny among those pitching in to make sure snow bound residents are safe. >> how do you make it out? everything okay? >> everything's fine. >> did you get your medication? >> i did. >> the snow is no longer the only worry. rain and melting could mean disastrous flooding. the battle continues. >> making sure the sewers are clean, trying to get the snow out of the street. >> already storm weary residents now bracing for round two. >> let's put it in a little bit of perspective for you. i'm about 5'8", you can see this pile behind me. well, maybe 4 1/2 feet. but take a look back there. all of that snow has to go somewhere. and the governor says they are getting ready for this flooding.

there's expected to be more rain later on today. so 425 pumps and generators being brought into the area. 51 boats in case there have to be any type of water rescues. three helicopters to check things out from above. and almost 200,000 sandbags being moved into the area, alex, to help get people ready. >> heck of a plan there. let's hope it works. thank you so much, kristen. let's go back to ferguson now where that community remains on edge. nbc news has learned the grand jury investigating brown's death will reconvene tomorrow. and joining me now, msnbc legal analyst and host of judge faith, faith jenkins. and a good day to you. i'm curious, behind the scenes, folks have to be really nervous, why do you think it's taking so long? >> i don't think it's taking that long given the amount of information this grand jury was providing from the very beginning. this has been a very different

grand jury. i heard someone say yesterday they're operating like a super grand jury. because of the number of witnesses that have testified before the grand jury. the number of hours of testimony, the volume of information. and if they've only been deliberating a day, these grand jurors aren't sequestered. they know it's a high-profile case and this case means a lot. and a lot of people are watching. they're taking it very seriously. doesn't surprise me at all that it would take them a couple more days to go through the evidence and try to come up with a decision. >> talk about the challenges, though, if these folks are not sequestered, they're very much aware all eyes on ferguson. >> they are. >> they know what could happen, what the potential is. how much do you think that weighs on them? >> i think it weighs on them and they know the seriousness of this case and people, and the seriousness of the impact of this case to people in the community and the eyes of the world are really watching. most high profile cases, you think jurors are not sequestered. so in a lot of cases, this is something that lawyers have to deal with. it's an issue.

but for the most part. jurors take their job seriously and they know how to look at the evidence, evaluate the evidence and make a decision accordingly. they're only making a decision on probable cause. they're looking at the evidence, and the question they have to ask themselves, is there probable cause that a crime was committed. did darren wilson commit that crime? and then the third question they look at, was it justified? was this a justifiable shooting. then and only then if they answer that question, go the crimes they're considering. >> so you heard me say that nbc news has found out they will be reconvening tomorrow. what does that look like? are they all gathering in a room and continue talking? >> it's much like the jury deliberation process. only nine of them need to vote for an indictment. an indictment to go forward. they're going to come back in. unlike the jury trial process, they can ask for additional evidence. they can call witnesses back in. they can ask for additional

testimony. it's a very active process for these jurors when they're discussing it and trying to decide how they're going to vote one away or the other. >> i'm curious, how much is their decision on whether or not to indict darren wilson. how much is that based on fact or interpretation? i mean -- >> of the law? >> yeah. >> well, they're supposed to listen to -- this is what's so different about this grand jury and what concerned me. it was the volume of evidence they were given without -- without having lawyers in there to argue and analyze that evidence. they're not legal experts. >> right. >> the lawyers are the experts. and that's why in a trial process when you have so much conflicting testimony, you have lawyers in there arguing and analyzing that testimony for the jurors because they're not legal experts. so now you have these jurors coming in with this volume of evidence, it's going to be challenging for them. it's one of the ways. it's why prosecutors when we go into grand juries, we try to keep it very lean. and we try to present a minimum

amount of evidence to them to come up with a decision because we don't want to confuse them. a trial's a different process. >> i'm glad you're here to break this down. thank you for the conversation. >> thank you. >> on the heels of that. let's bring in karen bass. she represents parts of los angeles. always great to have you on the broadcast, ma'am, and i want to ask you how concerned you are about the grand jury decision. >> thanks for having me on. my biggest concern is it's taking so long. i wish they would come to the decision and make it public so we can move on. all of this just heightens the anxiety. we had a press conference yesterday because we want to essentially communicate a message of calm. but the -- the fact that they take so long really contributes to the level of anxiety. >> look, there are people who have compared the potential reaction to a nonindictment to the rodney king riots in l.a. i lived there in 1992, i remember them well. the protests are planned across this country once a decision is

made. officials are obviously working to keep the peace here. how do you do that? and can you blame the citizens for being angry? is part of coming to a greater peace in this country understanding that anger? >> i absolutely agree with you. and i don't blame the citizens of ferguson at all for their anger because things have been mismanaged from the moment one until right now. and so, i think that the message of calm, community leaders going out and talking to people, i think all of that is very important. but one of the things i'm concerned about in my own city as well as in ferguson, people coming from outside of the area who, perhaps, have other agendas. and i think it's very important that we watch for that. and if that happens, they become isolated from people that live in the neighborhoods. >> all right, ma'am, switch gears and talk about afghanistan and the president extending the role of the u.s. troops, which could include combat roles beyond this year. why is it so tough for the u.s. to get out of this war?

>> well, you know, i think it's similar to iraq. but what i believe is happening in afghanistan is given the change in leadership away from karzai, i think there's an entirely new leadership there. and i know that they have asked for u.s. support. i'm glad that the number of troops will not increase. but i'm sorry that the situation is happening because i definitely want to see us be out of afghanistan completely. >> yeah, and does that sorrow extend to frustration to a degree. perhaps for the president, given he was so determined to leave the two wars behind. >> i have no doubt that he is extremely frustrated. you have a situation in afghanistan similar to iraq that you want to leave but you need their militaries and governance to stand on their own. and i think that's one of the big difficulties. but, of course, what happened in iraq with isil, there's concern about the taliban in afghanistan. >> sure. >> let's talk about finally what happened with the president this morning. the executive order on immigration a hot topic on all

the sunday talk shows. here's what senator ted cruz said on fox news sunday. let's take a listen. >> what the president announced this week is a wholesale refusal to follow our immigration laws, to enforce our immigration laws. number one, for 4 to 5 million people here illegally, he's promising to print up and give work authorizations. essentially gotten in the job of counterfeiting immigration papers because there's no legal authority to do what he's doing. >> so the legal point he brings up there, does he have a point? >> now he's counterfeiting. i don't believe ted cruz has a point at all. i believe the president acted completely within his authority. i was happy to see him do so. and at the end of the day, if the senate wants anything different done, if the republicans want something done, the president said it well, pass a bill. this is temporary, if they want to undo it in a week, they can undo it in a week by passing comprehensive immigration reform. so the ball is in their court.

>> all right. well, my hometown democratic congresswom congresswoman, thanks very much. ahead in office politics, norm orenstein. mmm. look out. now there's even more of the amazing cinnamon taste you love on cinnamon toast crunch. crave those crazy squares even more. new nestlé© toll houser for crave those crazy squares even more. delightfulls morsels. in honor of our 75th anniversary, we're bringing you nestlé© toll house chocolate filled with caramel, peanut butter, cherry and mint. so peanut butter up some blondies and brownies. caramel-ify those chocolate chip cookies. and give that thing a hint-y of something cherry or minty! it's time to bake the world a better place with new nestlé© toll house delightfulls. bake some love™ nestlé©. good food, good life.

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i can't believe i'm eating bacon and rich creamy cheese before my sister's wedding well it's only 100 calories, so you'll be ready for that dress uh-huh... you don't love the dress? i love my sister... 40 flavors. 100 calories or less. they see you. a russian website has been discovered streaming live footage from thousands of private of web cams around the globe. and nothing is off limits. even baby monitors have been hacked and uploaded to the site where anyone with a log-in can watch what's going on inside your home. the website, which we won't name for security reasons says they're on a mission to raise awareness about internet privacy. they want consumers to know the risks of not challenging the default passwords on their computers and web cams. in today's office politics, my conversation with american enterprise institute resident scholar norm orenstein. the first poll conducted was for comedy central.

burr first, i asked norm about the expected fallout on capitol hill following the executive action on immigration. >> i think you're going to see an explosion of anger from republicans and conservatives. we already know that many in the mainstream media, the "washington post" editorial page and some of the news reports will say, well, president obama just slapped their hands asides and he's inflamed things. i actually wrote a few weeks ago that i thought what the president ought to do is do his executive order, but delay its implementation for a month or two to give them one last chance. of course, what we know is for the last four years, the house republicans have made it clear they're going to do nothing on immigration. so, he didn't have a whole lot of choice if any action were going to take place. >> what about the affordable care act, in this latest

business with jonathan gruber. how much does image affect policy? >> well, we know that what the jonathan gruber stuff has done is to give more traction to those who want to eliminate the law entirely, basically saying, see, it was illegitimate to begin with. we also have to fear that with the supreme court poised to take up and then in the spring rule on this case that's now called king versus matthews. there are other cases that have rendered their way through. that one line in the law that seems to suggest that subsidies for insurance can't go to those who get their insurance on the federal exchange. other parts of the law say something completely different. but that may blow up the law. the court alone could do that. if it does, by the way, which would be certainly on a 5-4 vote

you're going to get the supreme court right in the middle of this partisan tribal warfare. and its legitimacy will be questioned and we'll have a lot of turmoil out there. >> your book back in 2012. the title, it's even worse than it looks. that was then, this is now. first of all, what were you referring to then? and is it even worse now? >> politics is not easy. but this is worse. it never looks good. this is worse because it not only looks worse than usual, the name calling, but the outcomes are worse. and what happens now is when you can enact policy, half the country sees it as illegitimate. if i were redoing the book, i might have to title it "run for your lives." >> you're a funny guy. and this is evidence a photo in your office that looks like looking like axle rose. >> it was 1992, comedy central,

at the time, was a fledgling network did its first extended coverage of politics. we called it indecision '92. al franken was the anchor. and i ended up as his sidekick analyst and the first pollster on comedy central. but we did a poll. and so to get young people to respond to a poll, i dressed up like axel rose to ask the question why don't you vote? and the responses were interesting. 47% said it sucks, 33% said it blows. and the rest said something that's unprintable on a regular network. and that was one of my experiences of pollster. as you can imagine, i no longer do many polls. >> and i have no words, except thank you, norm orenstein. u.s. troops will extend their mission in afghanistan. coming up, a retired army

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afghanistan's parliament today took the first step in authorizing an extended mission for u.s. and nato combat troops there. the bbc reports the deal passed by that country's lower house would permit about 12,000 troops to operate in afghanistan in 2015. the upper house still has to ratify that agreement. but the move comes after reports that president obama will extend the role of u.s. troops well into the next year. so for more on what that means for u.s. troops on the ground, let's bring in daniel balger. the author of "why we lost" an account of the iraq and afghanistan wars. general, thank you very much for being here, sir. first question to you, what do you make of the president's decision to extend the combat roles into 2015? and are you surprised he's doing it? >> well, alex, i'm not surprised, but i'm actually somewhat gratified to see it. it shows that president obama and the military have learned from what happened in iraq.

the threat of isis and they were obviously worried about the taliban having a similar uprising. so this is a good step forward to support the afghan government and to follow on what the president's done in iraq, which is to say, let the local people take the lead and fight these insurgents and we'll help them with limited support. it's a reasonable step. >> i want to ask you about the title of your book, which is rather unequivocal. it's "why we lost." is that it? is there no salvaging anything from these two wars. >> well, alex, what we lost was the counter insurgency campaign the u.s.-led counter insurgency campaigns in both countries, in iraq in 2011, afghanistan as it wraps up this year. you're absolutely right. the goal now is, where do we go next? can something good come out of it? can a measure come out of it that will help our country and that will help the afghans? absolutely. i think that's what you're seeing as a step forward. the key thing, though, is

looking back at what happened in the past in these wars, why it happened, and then what do we do to fix it? and i think we're seeing a step forward here that indicates as we've seen in iraq, we do have a different approach going into the future. >> but based on your on the ground experience, sir, when you look at both of these places, is it better to stay involved or just pull out entirely from both countries? >> well, you always have to have the option to pull out entirely. i think that always has to be put on the table and discussed. i think in this case, a limited involvement probably makes sense for the near term, but the most important thing, alex, is we've got to have a public discussion and debate. and that includes figuring out what we did for the last ten plus years and then what do the american people through their elected representatives want the government to do. the president has the constitutional authorities as commander in chief. no doubt. and the congress can approve that through funding. we need to have a public discussion rather than commit ourselves year by year. that's not a good approach. >> is there a strategy that you think the u.s. is not

implementing right now that you think would work? >> well, the strategy that's going to work over there is the one we have now gotten into in both countries. and that's really put the local people in the lead. it is their country. the afghans' country and multiple ethnic and religious groups. same for iraq, the local people have to sort things out and we have to determine if we want to support them and how much. our support must be limited. >> look, isis has greatly complicated matters. we've seen what happened in iraq as the u.s. troops pulled back there. isis moves in, chaos reigns supreme. do you think that's served as a cautionary tale? >> yes. i do believe that, alex. and i know there's pretty good evidence that the military brought in that kind of advice, as well. our intel services, you know. we are learning things. we didn't get it right in iraq and afghanistan in the major campaigns that are just concluding. but there is a chance, as you said, to do better in these

follow-on efforts. and i think that's important not only for our security, prevention of terrorism in the homeland like 9/11, but also for the countries that we've been working in that our great men and women have sacrificed so much to help. >> all right. daniel bolger, thank you very much for your time and insights. a group of chinese investors are buying up a whole lot of property in detroit. why? i'll tell you ahead. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on. quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable.

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focus on ferguson. the watching, the waiting and the worrying. we'll take you to the front line of the potential flash point. mayor for life. remembering the rise and fall and rise of a d.c. icon. >> look, as a result of the president's actions, more felons will be deported. >> we should use the constitutional checks and balances we have to rein in the executive. >> it's not only legal for the president to take executive action, it's common. >> sunday showdown. the topic blazing through the talk show circuit, dividing the capital and the nation.

the kpuexcusers, the women accusing bill cosby of sexual assault. how do they know the comedian? and buying up detroit, from the downtown to the down and out dilapidated. what's driving the motor city land grab? hey there, everyone, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." a bit past 1:00 p.m. in the east. we have this breaking news to report from st. louis county. the administrator there has distributed a press release that says the grand jury judge has not agreed to release grand jury evidence to the public in the event of a no true bill vote in the darren wilson case. let's go right to msnbc's tremain lee in ferguson. can you give me the essence of what this means? >> reporter: well, this would be a big breach of trust.

the little bit of trust that the community may have had that the prosecutor's office was working in good faith. prosecutor bob mccullough said if darren wilson is not indicted, he would release to the public every shred of evidence that the grand jury saw over the past few months. now, if that does not happen, folks that already been thinking this was not a transparent investigation, that it was not a -- that bob mccullough could not properly prosecute this. this will be a huge blow in this community. emotions are intense and churning as we wait for this announcement. this is going to deliver a big blow in the community. >> was this expected? >> reporter: no, it wasn't expected. earlier on, bob mccullough said he would do this. and it seemed the judge would agree. he'll present the notion to the judge. and it is rare. grand jury testimony is often kept secret. the evidence often never gets out of that grand jury room. and so he was trying to -- well, he said he was trying to make

sure that everyone understood exactly what was going on every step along the way. so this is definitely a kind of turn and about face from what we heard earlier. >> i heard also from you earlier the word anxiously to describe how things are going there. still the case? >> anxious, concerned. but the longer this thing kind of drags out, the more concerned folks are becoming. again, on all sides, no one wants or necessarily expects violence. now that everyone's preparing for the worst case scenario, emotions are running high. now, yesterday, michael brown sr., the father of michael brown jr. went out to the apartments where his son was killed to try to heal some of those wounds still fresh in that community and trying to help them move forward. he was handing out turkeys and bags of food. i think we have some footage of that from yesterday. >> all right. can we take a look at that. our director can roll that? you know what, we don't have it

right now scheduled for this hour. but i'm glad you at least bro t brought that up and we can put it up later in the broadcast. thank you. on the heels of our conversation, we'll bring in anthony gray to talk about things. it's nice to see you again, sir. >> likewise, alex. >> and he was just referencing michael brown's father in ferguson yesterday, thanking the residents for their support. can you tell me how the family's dealing with this wait for the decision? >> that was an example of how the father's dealing with it. he wanted to get in and release some of his tension by going to what we want to call ground zero and spreading some kind of love to other families. i guess that was his form of kind of dealing with it. the mom, i guess she has a kind of a different view at this point not itching to get out there in the public view, at least at this point, and kind of just taking things as they come. you've got two different expressions of what's going on

right now for them mentally and psychological psychologically. >> yeah. and the family's call for calm in the community, is that message getting out? >> you know, alex, i'm really not sure. i'm hopeful that it is. i do see interviews and comments that come on the heels of speaking out and asking for calm, asking for peace. and then you see comments where you just know that based on the comments, they didn't hear the plea. at least the impression you get from the comments. i don't know if it's reaching all the way down to the grass roots level, or not. but all we can do is consistently give that message, make that message and hopefully it'll permeate and catch hold to all of those listening. >> what's your reaction to the possibility of a no true bill vote there. and we're just getting word that the evidence that would lead up to that would not be released to the public? what do you think of that? >> i find that to be very interesting. i don't want to get myself in a situation where i'm criticizing

a judge's order or decision. i've stayed away from that. i do think it's interesting from a community standpoint of being a member of the community. you know, as a member of the public. you know, we've been prepped for the expectation that we'll get a chance to see all of the evidence. so i think from that standpoint, it was a big letdown to the community. but beyond that, all i could just say is i find it very interesting. >> yeah. the grand jury as you know has been in session since august 20th. and rudy giuliani this morning, along with you, you were on "meet the press," and he was critical of the system. let's listen to what he had to say. >> okay. >> this grand jury is under incredible pressure. >> right. >> incredible pressure to indict. i feel sorry for these people because they know if they walk out of that grand jury room and have not indicted, they may have created a massive riot in their city and maybe throughout the united states. to me, that kind of pressure is

completely inconsistent with the american criminal justice system. >> so the undue pressure on this grand jury. it comes in part. some people don't know, they are not sequestered. they're able to read, watch television, see exactly what's expected. hear about the concerns within the community of ferguson right now. how much does that put pressure on them when they're trying to render their decision? >> right. and i will say to you, alex, i think the pressure's both ways. this notion that things are so lopsidedly presented from individuals to me is just disingenuous. i think if you look at what is happening in the community by and large across the region, there's almost a 50/50 divide. and so pressure coming from both sides. and to suggest there's only pressure to indict in the face in all of the pressure there is to not indict, i think it's disingenuous. to the discourse about what the grand jury is feeling right now and what they have to consider in terms of evidence. it's unfair, i don't see it like

that. i think they've got pressure both ways. whatever they decide, they decide. and i think they should be moved by the evidence and not by community sentiments for the most part because they're not going to satisfy both sides at the same time. it's not going to happen. >> anthony, if there's no indict, what kind of legal recourse is available to the brown family? >> well, you know, we still are waiting to see what the federal is going to do on a federal investigation. we're still waiting for the outcome of that. that's still a potential and still up in the air. there's also potential civil litigation that has nothing to do with criminal liability at all, that's also still on the table. we're considering those things and running it through our legal matrix. and we'll decide which way we go after some of the dust has settled. >> you getting any sleep at night? i've got to tell you, waiting for this thing to come down. >> you were up all day and all night yourself. >> i've had a couple of late nights, too. okay, well, i'm glad to see you.

>> likewise. >> thanks so much. bust of luck. >> thank you. we advise all of you to stay with msnbc as we await the grand jury's decision. let's turn now to another top story on "abc's this week." president obama defending himself on his decision to issue an executive order, when he was asked what changed from his previous stances. >> if you look -- i often times was asked, can you halt deportations? and i said, no, i can't do that. george, what is absolutely true is that we couldn't solve the entire problem and still can't solve the entire problem. but what we can do is to prioritize felons, criminals, recent arrivals, folks who are coming right at the border. >> joining me now, nbc news white house correspondent kristen welker. we have republicans who have certainly been hitting him, using his own words against him. how is the white house dealing with this backlash? >> well, the white house is

making two arguments. one, they say the president has authority to do this. that is something that republicans are looking into whether they can challenge. but the president is also making a political argument here. he says, look, a bipartisan bill passed in the senate to reform the nation's broken immigration system, that bill stalled in the house. the house hasn't acted on this. so the president saying he is acting because the republicans haven't. this is a fulfillment of a campaign promise president obama made back in 2008. republicans in finfuriated by this action. they say the president's overstepped his bounds, abusing his power. today, on the morning talk shows, we heard a number of options that republicans are looking into to counterthe president's actions. ted cruz saying the senate should block his nominations moving forward. jeff flake on meet the press saying the president should pass

legislation. i've been talking to sources on capitol hill who say the likely scenario is potentially legislative action that might get carried out to try to block the president or to reverse his actions or possibly suing him. but this is going to be a big battle moving forward. >> it sure is. thank you much from the white house. >> thanks. the buffalo area is preparing for flooding as temperatures rise. it is a desperate mission to clear roofs and the snow and get rid of it before it turns into dangerous waters. kristen dahlgren has been tracking the story for us and more from new york. hi, kristen. >> hi there, alex, let's start with what they're dealing with the snow. take a look and see just one section of that roof remaining. the snow has been so heavy, and it's going to get worse. if you think about the snow, all of this snow, like a sponge filling up with water as it melts, we get rain later on today. it gets heavier and heavier. even more roof collapses. we've also got those flood

warnings in effect for the area. so as our crews drove around yesterday, they saw people desperately trying to clear off their roofs. also, clean off drain areas to make sure it has some place to go. they are really worried about flooding as we go through the day today and into tomorrow. governor cuomo says he's moving assets into this area to help prepare. about 425 pumps and generators moving into the area. 51 boats and crews going to be here, as well, in case they have to do any type of water rescues. three helicopters will be positioned here to check things out from above so they can get the lay of the land, and then almost 200,000 sandbags are being moved into this area, distributed so that people can get those and try to protect their homes and any vulnerable areas, alex. >> all right, kristen dahlgren, thank you for that. let's go now to the death of

former washington, d.c. mayor marion berry. served four terms as mayor of washington, d.c. he died at 78. president obama released the statement moments ago and reads in part, quote, through a storied at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless washingtonians and michelle and i extend our deepest sympathies. chanel jones has this report. >> reporter: one of the most charismatic politicians in our nation's history. >> it would be a government both confident and compassionate. >> so popular, one newspaper called him mayor for life. but despite his accomplishments, he may be remembered most for the night he was arrested in a downtown washington hotel room smoking a crack pipe with a woman who was not his wife. he said he'd been set up. but despite sending six months in federal prison, he returned

to politics. he was elected to city council and later as mayor one more time. local residents loved him, seeing him as a champion for the poor. but controversy was never far away. in 2006, berry received probation for failing to file tax returns, also sin recent ye suffered from numerous health problems. remained a beloved figure to the end in washington, d.c. this morning, the current mayor calling him a true statesman. >> there is no word on a cause of death just yet. he is survived by his wife and one son. it's a shocking expose and perhaps the most detailed accounts from bill cosby's accusers. how did the "post" gain confidence of the women? i have plenty of questions for the writer of that piece joining us next. getting in a groove. growth is gratifying. goal is to grow. gotta get greater growth. i just talked to ups.

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welcome back, everyone. we're going to go back to ferguson, missouri, and bring in trymain lee. in the interim, i spoke with anthony gray, the family attorney. and i think it's important to bring your package to our viewers and let them know what michael brown's father has gone to do. a family that suffered so much. and yet, they're trying to continue to reach out to the community to appeal for calm, to appeal for understanding. so, talk to me about what happened yesterday. >> so, yesterday, as this whole community is still kind of gripped in anxiety, michael brown sr. went to the apartments where his son was killed to try to give back to this community that had given so much to him. he walked around, walked door to door with bags of food and a turkey. and so, if we go through that package right now, it's an interesting moment to see the community rally around this man the way they did.

>> it was -- >> with thanksgiving days away, grand jury still deciding whether to indict the police officer that killed his son, mike brown sr. headed back to the street where his son died more than 100 days ago. he said he wanted to give back to the community that supported his family when they needed it most. >> people looked out for my son. by putting it on social media, to expose what's happening over here here in this community. so i'm giving back to the people that's in the community. >> thanks again. appreciate what you're doing for the community. >> thanksgiving turkeys and bags of food from a family still grieving to a community that's also struggling to recover. some call it ground zero for the movement that spread beyond ferguson. but for many along this narrow strip where wilted flowers and deflated balloons mark the spot where brown's body once lay, this is a neighborhood --

>> i can't sleep because i don't know what's going on outside, i don't know what's going on. it's really hard. and it's -- the stress level is beyond the scales. >> no one knows when or how the grand jury will decide, but the stress of uncertainty is weighing heavily on many in this neighborhood. >> as the day approaches, is it getting harder? >> yes, it is. really hard. with the community. >> for michael brown sr., each handshake, each hug and turkey given away is a step toward hope and healing. >> my son making a change. excuse me. >> as you see, this is still a community gripped in this tension. and i know the powers that be and many protesters hope the release of all of the evidence from the grand jury if there was not indictment to help us dissuade some of the tension. >> you know, profound statement from that man. he wants his son to make a

difference. and i applaud that. okay. thanks so much. new sexual assault allegations this weekend against comedian bill cosby and a new response from his camp. 23 women have made allegations, rather, against cosby, 15 of them publicly. not all of the claims, we should say were rape. one woman told the "today" show he tried to drug her in 1992 but wasn't successful. >> we were still talking about my acting skills, my opportunities, and, actually, when i went into his suite, he wanted ma eed me to demonstrate abilities. he said act intoxicated. i did. i hadn't been raped, he didn't physically hurt me. he took my hand and put it where it shouldn't have been. he did try to get on top of me, but i -- i was able to push him off and he actually kind of fell on to the floor. >> well, bill cosby's attorney

responded in a statement writing, friday night to this latest claim saying, quote, over and over again, we refuted these new unsubstantiated stories with documentary evidence only to have a new uncorroborated story crop up out of the woodwork. when will it end? it's long past time for the media vilification of mr. cosby to stop. well, an examination of the allegations for today's "washington post." and paul joins me right now. with a welcome to you, paul, i want to make it clear, bill cosby's not been charged with a crime. he's denied allegations in the past. what did you learn from them? >> well, we learned there was a consistent pattern to these allegations. there was always a mentoring relationship established. there was a luring to a private location. a drug slip to the -- to the allege victim. and then, the physical assault occurred, allegedly. >> and these passengers you

write occur with remarkable consistency? >> that is correct. these stories line up very consistently across decades. if you look, starting in the 1960s going through 2004, they're very, very consistent. now, that doesn't mean they're true. but women from all parts of the country at various times over a 40-year period all tell the same basic story. >> when you talk about various parts of the country, is that why the locales of these alleged incidents really span from the expected to the unexpected. can you explain that? >> well, there's hotel rooms. there are studio bungalows. there are apartments, there are homes all of these locations. but in each case, they were -- in between bill cosby and his alleged victim. there were no witnesses. there was no one besides the accused and the accuser. but there were a whole bunch of different locales.

>> and the time frame for these alleged acts occurred over how long a period of time? >> well, 1969, there's some allegation of it happening earlier, but we spoke with joan, starting in 1969, in 19 -- excuse me, in 2004, andrea constant, a college administrator alleged that cosby assaulted her. she filed a civil lawsuit in 2005. so clearly, 1969 to 2005, quite a long period. >> absolutely. how did the "washington post" gain the confidence of these women? and, if you were speaking to them, did you speak with them directly? and what was your personal take? >> well, my personal take was that in my case, i spoke with -- that a lot of time had passed. the incident still stuck with her. it was seared into her consciousness. there was no escaping it for the

rest of her life. these women feel very aggrieved. they feel ashamed on some level. and they are in some sense relieved to be able to speak out now. >> why now? why all these accusations coming out. is it perhaps one starts and there's a strength in numbers feeling? or something like that? >> i think that's absolutely right. i think the context is it's not just me standing alone. it's me and these other women who are telling the same stories. strength in numbers. you know, to be a victim of a crime like this is humiliating and you feel shame and you feel like no one's going to believe you. and that was also very consistent in each of these stories that these women felt no one would believe me. i'm nobody. he's bill cosby. and i think now they feel empowered by the strength in numbers. >> here's something you wrote

about in the article. here's the quote. the allegations represent a stunning reshaping of cosby's legacy. cosby built his family on a family-friendly comedic persona. he's been honored with a presidential medal of freedom. how is this going to reshape his legacy? >> well, i think you can't look at him the same way again. whether these allegations or true, or not, and that still remains to be proven. but nonetheless, these allegations are there. and you can't see bill cosby as the affable dad, the wise patriarch of the family, the guy from the bill cosby show in the same way again. and i don't think anybody can look at him in that way, the way we looked at tiger woods before the whole tiger woods story broke. it just -- it has changed our perception entirely. >> yeah. in your article, you speak with a close friend of bill cosby's

who told you, quote, what you're hearing is clearly not the entire truth and how much of it is true, you have no idea. >> well, i would say with all due respect, he has no idea. and these women tell their stories. there isn't a whole lot of reason to doubt them. there is some. again, they're allegations, not stone cold fact. but, you know, you now have a situation where it's he said and she said many, many times more. so that does create at lot of smoke. i'm not saying there's fire, but there's a lot of smoke. >> anyone looking for money? >> no one has actually asked for money except for andrea constant who filed a lawsuit back in 2005. she was looking for a settlement of that lawsuit. she had taken her claims to the police, the statute of limitations had not expired, but

the evidence was so weak, she decided to go to civil court and file a lawsuit. and there were demands for some reparation and some settlement. >> okay. from "washington post," thank you so much. >> thank you, alex. they're flush with cash. the haves of the world are getting rich like never before. detroit may be bankrupt, that's not stopping chinese investors from buying properties all around motown. what's that all about? [ male announcer ] some come here to build something smarter. ♪ some come here to build something stronger.

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peter harvey. guys, i'm glad to have you both here. it's quiet a time right now. peter, i'm going to reach out to you first here. we may not learn the evidence in the case if there is no indictment going forward. how does that strike you? >> no, it is as it should be. there are grand jury secrecy rules that cover state proceedings and federal proceedings. so, for example, prosecution can't disclose what it presented to the grand jury. grand jurors can't tell you what they heard. a witness can come out of the grand jury and say here's what i know, what i testified to. but they can't really release the exhibits shown to the grand jury because it's protected by secrecy rules. now, if there's an indictment, this material will be revealed to the defense in discovery proceedings in the criminal case. and then it'll be revealed to the public. >> okay. but, jeff, if officer wilson is not indicted on these charges, wouldn't at least knowing the reasoning behind that. wouldn't that help to decrease

any potential reaction within the community that could be inflammatory? >> i think it would. but i think what's important to note is that the county prosecutor already indicated weeks ago that all the information would eventually be public if there were no indictment. so if, as you say, peter, there is a standard, and i believe you're right, that there is, that there's typically secrecy in these cases. it was a huge mistake for the county prosecutor to come out and say that because there's already so little trust in him based on a lot of things in his history. i think he's eroded that even further. >> there's a way he can do it. he can release the documents themselves. but he can't say here's exhibit one, two, three, through ten that we show to the grand jury. he can release the documents and say all of this was part of my presentation. but he can't show you the physical exhibits. >> give me a sense, peter, what do you think the documents are like this grand jury is looking at? you advise your clients all the time. what do they see in front of

him? >> well, they witness testimony. he will put in all of the witnesses the prosecution thinks the grand jury could hear. number two, is you're going to put in tapes of conversations that took place between the police officers, between and among themselves and others. >> okay. jeff, this death is hardly the first shooting by a police officer of an unarmed black youth, shall we say. we had shawn bell, a terrible case in 2006. why do you think this case in particular, though, has sparked such fierce outcry globally? >> well, i think there's a unique history in st. louis and in missouri. i write a little bit about this in my book. but missouri was a slave state, but it wasn't part of the confederacy. so it didn't rebel. the states that rebelled were then, you know, there was reconstruction. and so they really had to come to grips with the -- with slavery and everything awful that had happened before that. so in states like mississippi and louisiana, you had black united states senators and governors in 1870.

but the few states that were border states that were slave states but did not actually rebel against the union never had to grapple with that. and so, they never kind of faced a lot of the inequities of the slavery and the brutality of slavery head on. that showed over the next century when instead of really coming to grips with a lot of the, what was out there. they sort of brushed a lot under the rug. and that's unfortunately, been a tradition in st. louis. >> so you're saying this is really something that has been a fermenting under the surface. >> a lot of people i talked to in north st. louis, north st. louis county. i saw this as a state senator there. they're only surprised it took this long. >> it's interesting. the concern i have is the pressure for this grand jury. i mean, as we've said, they're not sequestered, peter, that means they're watching television, reading accounts. they know what's out there. they know what may be coming. is it fair to put this kind of pressure on these people? >> yes. because it's our system. we want 12 grand jurors as is

the practice in missouri. they're impanelled by the presiding circuit court. we want members of the community to preside over cases like this. and what the community should understand is this is their role, but it isn't over. whether or not they vote an indictment, it isn't over. the federal authorities could come in and present it to a federal grand jury. and the federal government could present it this officer as violating civil rights if the federal government doesn't agree with the process that is taking place in the state. by the way, he could -- this officer could face two different indictments. because they're separate sovereigns. >> right. jeff, i know you grew up in the suburbs, right, there in st. louis. >> right. >> when you look at this community, your home community, what do you think needs to be done to move it forward so there's a reconciliation of all the cultures and the people and socioeconomic differences. what can be done?

>> there's a lot of things that need to be done. one of the first things that needs to be done is removing the sense that a lot of african-americans in particular have. they're almost living under siege with the frequency with which they're pulled over and harassed by police. one of the reasons at the root of that problem is because there are 90 little municipalities within st. louis county. they're so small. some of them only -- one only has 14 people. but 63 of those 90 have their own police forces. and what that means, in order to support a whole public safety apparatus with police and fire, it means these budgets are constantly stressed. and they're really making their budget in some cases, 20, 30, 40, 50% of a town's budget is funded through traffic stops. as long as that's the case, a lot of young african-american males are going to continue to feel harassed. we've got to have some type of municipal consolidation. and we've also got to have educational equity. right now, several of the school districts in north st. louis county have lost their state accreditation or are in danger

of doing so. until you fix that system, you won't fix the inner generational inequity. >> i say it starts with education. be sure to stay with msnbc for the developments from ferguson as we await the grand jury's decision. dad, i know i haven't said this often enough, but thank you. thank you mom for protecting my future. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance could be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. there are more reasons than ever why now is the best time to be on verizon. one: verizon's the largest, most reliable 4g lte network in the country. that's right america.

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tweeted clean air, no pollution, democracy. what are you waiting for? is that what this is all about? is it a migration to the u.s. or a business investment? >> there's a lot of things going on here. people love bargains and the chinese, of course, are no exceptions. but one of the other things, of course, is that in china, the high price of homes has become a political issue. so detroit became a symbol. it was a way to talk about things you could not really talk about in china. and that's why you had a national conversation on twitter or their version of twitter. and it sort of echoed throughout the country. >> so what are they going to do with all of this property? why are they buying it up? >> that's a great question. because, yeah, sure you can buy a home for $39. and, indeed, some chinese investors bought 30 homes at a time, others were going to real estate brokers and saying i want to buy 200 of them. but really, all they're going to do is sit and hold them. the one thing that's going to really be good, though, there was a shanghai company that bought two iconic buildings downtown detroit, $13.6 million.

which is the cost of an apartment. they're going to put a lot of money into revitalizing those buildings. that's going to be very, very important for the ultimate future of detroit. >> beyond business, though, gordon, do you think there is a prospect of a large number of chinese moving to detroit and calling it home? >> i think so. you're seeing a loss of confidence of the chinese in their own country. a barclay's survey reported that 47% of china's wealthy plan to leave their country within fife yea five years. we're seeing a lot of money come out of china in new york, vancouver, los angeles, sydney. everywhere. and so detroit is just one place where they will go to. they will put a lot of money into detroit and they will move there. >> add new york to the list, as well. it's my understanding, he's doing his part to foster this relationship with china. he's been lobbying for a lot of immigration visas, like 50,000 special ones to entice visitors to get here.

>> right. and then the deal announced for ten-year visas for chinese and for americans that reciprocal deal that president obama announced in beijing last week, that's going to help. that is going to create the impression that it's easy to come to the united states and so people will actually do that. and i think that we're going to see is a wave of chinese coming into detroit. and it's going to be great. it'll revitalize buildings, bring a whole new wave of residents to detroit and vastly improve the quality of takeout in detroit. i think that's a real win for detroit and for everybody else. >> listen, there's nothing better than great chinese takeout. you never know, you might be right. thank you so much for talking with us. i appreciate it. >> thank you. the immigration debate heats up on the sunday talk shows with a vocal republican ripping his own party and a long time democrat disagreeing with the president. but the voice of a struggling immigrant mother may have the greatest impact and that's next. you could drive home for the holidays in a new volkswagen. like the sporty, advanced new jetta

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i think the president didn't take this action before the election respecting the will --

>> do you think it was the right call? >> no. i think he should have done it. >> okay. >> i think it would have increased turnout in colorado. >> that was former new mexico gov author bill richardson on "meet the press" weighing in on the executive order on immigration. we give you a look at capitol hill. all morning lawmakers and washington insiders weighed in. among them fired up republican senator ted cruz appearing on fox news sunday. >> it is a stunning and sad display of a president declining to honor his constitutional obligation to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. he acknowledged 22 times in the last five years he said over and over again he had no constitutional authority to do this until suddenly he decided it would be politically beneficial to do so. >> cruz says he's calling for the incoming majority leader to make sure no judicial nominees are approved for two years unless the president drops the

order. joining me now, fellow from the center for politics at the university of texas at austin. good day to you. you heard what the senator had to say there. what's your response? >> i'm not surprised, alex. the thing that surprised me, and i'm supportive of what governor richardson said. you know, he said, i told you so to the president. if he would have come out, the president would have come out before the election and supported the coverage of un documented persons we would have seen increased turn out. we get it. he would have baited republicans into going into extreme rhetoric, especially the notion of shutting down the government which we know american voters don't like and that would have helped the democratic cause. from the beginning i knew when he decided not to do it before the election it would hurt the democrats rather than help him. >> mm-hmm. we spoke with a woman on air who

will be directly impacted by the action. that's maru pando. she's lived in the states for 22 years now. she has a daughter and a job. her life is about to change. take a listen to this. >> people have no idea what it is to live every day of your life afraid that at some point you will be away from your child. we are going to benefit. she's not going to be worried anymore that every day i go to work or travel she has to know where i am. we create a routine where we text each other at least eight times a day because we need to know where each of us are. >> as real people come out of the shadows is it harder for republicans to wage a campaign against the president or fight the tide of immigration reform? >> absolutely. one word. it's humanzation. we are seeing the human face of undocumented immigrants. we have families that are

potentially torn apart and about a third of latinos in this country have a close friend or family member that is undocumented. in the orders going forward the emphasis is onle family. the president said in his speech it's about getting rid of felons, not tearing apart families. getting rid of criminals, not children. this is a core family value, a core american value. if we can keep putting it forward and showing the human face and get away from the ugly ted cruz rhetoric we are going to see the american public rally around this sentiment. >> unexpected comments from lindsey graham who slammed his own party. here 's that. >> shame on us as republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that's national security, cultural and economic. i'm disappointed in my party. are we still the party of self-deportation? is it the position of the

republican party that the 11 million must be driven out? >> does that surprise you from a south carolina republican? >> it doesn't, alex. lindsey graham was one of the republican senators who co-authored the gang of 8 senate bill 744 which was the comprehensive immigration bill. he worked tirelessly along with a number of democrats to put forward a solution to our broken immigration system. then the house of representatives did nothing. in the words of hillary clinton they and indicated responsibility. i'm not surprised. i applaud him for going forward and trying to motivate his party to do something. >> do you think the republican party is at the risk of losing a generation of immigrants, latino voterers? >> i do. i absolutely do. they are at a fork in the road. i see flirtation with jeb bush kasich, saying they need to moderate back to the george w.

bush years. what will happen, we'll see if they will modded rate. >> we'll see with your help. victoria soto, thank you very much. that's a wrap. up next, "meet the press." happy thanksgiving to all. a1c d. so imagine, what if there was a new class of medicine that works differently to lower blood sugar? imagine, loving your numbers. introducing once-daily invokana®. it's the first of a new kind of prescription medicine that's used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. invokana® is a once-daily pill that works around the clock to help lower a1c. here's how: the kidneys allow sugar to be absorbed back into the body. invokana® reduces the amount of sugar allowed back in, and sends some sugar out through the process of urination. and while it's not for weight loss, it may help you lose some weight. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause some people to have loss

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♪so good ♪like your pony ♪so good ♪ride the pony the sentra, with bose audio and nissanconnect technology. spread your joy. nissan. innovation that excites. [singing] ♪mony mony this sunday, tension in america on two fronts, race and immigration. in ferguson, missouri, ground zero for racial tensions. >> once you push so far, what do you do? you fight back. >> the governor preemptively prepares for a state of emergency. >> and an officer awaits the decision of whether or not he is going to be indicted for the murder of an unarmed teenager. and damaging the presidency. >> he did it himself. >> and unveiling a sweeping executive a action to give 5 million immigrants the right to stay and work legally in this co