good morning, everyone i'm tamron hall. this is "newsnation." major terror raids through europe overnight. a number of suspects have been taken into custody, many with suspected ties to isis. in france those taken into custody include 12 people with possible connections to the gunman in last week's attacks in paris. another 13 arrested in belgium, following yesterday's raid and a shootout with heavily armed terror suspects in a small town near the german border. two suspects were killed another arrested. authorities say some of the suspects were just back from fighting in syria. at a news conference today, belgian authorities say the investigation started several weeks ago before the attacks in paris. and for now there's no link between the two. they said they acted because a big attack was imminent.

>> all i can confirm there were plans to assassinate policemen in the street or at the police buildings. especially because we thought that the threats for terrorist attack were very imminent. >> days hours? >> could have been hours and certainly no more than a day or a few days. >> and this morning in paris, secretary of state john kerry met with the french president. he placed a wreath at the super market where four jewish hostages were killed. he did the same at "charlie hebdo" where 12 staffers were killed. >> today i just really wanted to come here and share a hug with all of paris, all of france. i wanted to express to you

personally the sheer horror and revulsion that all americans felt for the cowardly and despicable act, the assault on innocent lives and on fundamental values. and back in the states president obama and british prime minister david cameron are meeting at the white house with counter terrorism expected to be the top of their agenda. after their talks, the two leaders will hold a news conference. that's scheduled for 12:20 eastern time. more on today's major developments from nbc's bill neely in belgium. >> reporter: arrests in three european countries, germany, france and belgium. let's just separate the strands out for you. in paris overnight 12 arrests of people believed to be connected to last week's massacre. men who may have helped or supplied three gunmen. here in belgium last night on that street two men were

killed. the story is this that police have been tracking the men here ever since they returned from fighting in syria. police say they were tapping the men's phones and yesterday at some point they decided that these men were about to launch an imminent attack. so they went in last night, attacked the men where they were on that street. there were shots and explosions. the police say the men fired first. two were killed one was arrested. afterwards in a search the police find four assault rifles explosives handguns and they find police uniforms and police radios leading them to believe and i suppose wire taps will have contributed to this they believe that the men were about to launch an imminent attack on the police themselves so they pre-empted it. this is a small town in belgium.

just shows that here in the heartland of europe there's a battle against islamic radicals. belgium has a particular problem. more people have gone from this country per head of population to fight in syria than from any other european country. and it is believed about 100 people have returned from syria or iraq here in belgium. this country with a particular problem. but here another terror plot say police has been foiled. >> that was bill neely. joining me sbash affairs, former senior british officer and defense minister adviser, and nbc news terrorism analyst, evan kohlmann. evan, talk about some of the things reported by bill neely. the number that have gone on to fight or be trained in syria and are now back believed to be back in that country. >> it is in the hundreds an outsized number for such a small country. especially when you look at the

details of what's come up here it is quite interesting because there's talk of them targeting the police and of course back a few months ago, september of 2014 the senior spokesman of isis issued a statement, ordering their followers to carry out attacks on police on intelligence agents on other law enforcement bodies in western countries. so one of the questions is is this them rallying to that call. >> also talk about the weapons pipeline here. i read a report yesterday about some of the weapons coming in from northern africa the access that the individuals have and the arsenal they were prepared to use. authorities say it was all imminent. >> there are a number of locations, not just north africa. the balkans, a number based in france have gotten an arsenal of weapons, going to the balkans. you can get this stuff on the black market not difficult to find. europe being the way it is

there's no border control. it is fairly easy to bring things across borders. don't have to worry about sea port checks. >> when you look at the details coming in that this group, this terror cell was already under observation before paris, when the news broke yesterday, people instantly thought there must be a tie in. so far there's no link between what happened last night in belgium and what happened in paris last week. >> yeah. i mean there's no link as far as we know but if you just lay the context, what bill and evan talked about who look at the population of america, 330 million people and it is around 100 jihadists we know traveled to syria. france, 66 million, 1200 jihadists. belgium, 11 million out, 350 jihadists. you look at the ratio, there's a melting point in belgium that's a problem. they're trying to address it through various new laws. france tried to address it through a new law entered or put in place in november which develops on the hate speech

aspect. what they've done is effectively grouped hate speak within the spoken word and on the internet. if someone is proven guilty to have spoken hate speech, verbally they could potentially face fine of up to five years, $90,000. >> we have already seen one arrest in paris. >> exactly. on the internet seven years and $120,000. the key bit or hard bit is defining when you can arrest someone. how do you prove someone said something verbally without recording it. then the logistics aspects. how much prison space is there to start sort of convicting potential criminals who said this hate speech or posted it on the internet. can the prison system and judicial system cope with that. there's a lot of spin offs to all of the laws and problems we're seeing it is not just about terror raids, it is about all of the components that surround it. >> this raid at least information we get regarding belgium, this was not about speech or dialogue on the internet, this according to authorities was an imminent

attack, perhaps focused on police. they have police uniforms in there. this exceeds any of some of those laws that you've just talked about. >> it is. and post "charlie hebdo," what we're seeing now is these forces taking a more proactive posture. "charlie hebdo" was reactive when the kouachi brothers committed the attack and police force goes into action. going to take a more proactive stance now, the logistical man power and resource side it is a greater thing to try and achieve. that's what we are seeing at the moment. they don't want another "charlie hebdo" to happen. the problem is when they get in there and arrest the people, they have to make sure they've not enough evidence when it comes to convicting in the court of law. if they pounce too early and don't have enough, these people are back on the streets again. >> incredible development overnight. three different countries, a number of arrests, more than two dozen. likely will hear more at the news conference with david cameron and president obama. meanwhile, all of this comes at the same time we are learning

that 400 u.s. troops are about to head to the middle east to begin training syrian rebels in the fight against isis. they confirm training will be in saudi arabia, qatar and turkey in march and april. the goal is to train, equip and arm 5400 fighters by end of the year who will take on isis in syria and ultimately fight against the assad regime. back at home a developing story out of minnesota. the archdiocese of st. paul mississippi, filed for bankruptcy. they tried to get as many resources to victims of clergy abuse. they report two dozen lawsuits have been filed, but those suits will be put on hold while the bankruptcy case is pending. this is the 12th american diocese to seek protection in the midst of these claims. mitt romney will speak at the gop winter meeting, trying

to rally skeptical party leaders who want to keep him out of the running. new reaction to conservative ben cars on's controversial comments where he appears to compare isis fighters to american revolution nararies. and arizona becomes the first state requiring high school students to pass a civics test before graduating. now it could become the law in several more states. and duke university backing down days after the university said it would allow the muslim call to prayer from its iconic chapel tower. duke reverses its course. what's behind it and do you agree with it. and join the conversation online, find the team at "newsnation," facebook twitter and on instagram. we will be right back. ♪ is it the insightful strategies and analytical capabilities that make edward jones one of the biggest

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welcome back. another come back attempt from two time presidential candidate mitt romney and what some say could be his last chance to win over the party leaders, including if he plans on moving ahead to 2016. the former governor is slated to speak tonight at the republican national committee annual meeting in san diego. it will be mr. romney's first public comments since signaling interest in a third run at the white house. according to a report in politico, many committee members are deeply skeptical of romney 2016 making the speech a crucial opportunity to change their minds. also at the winter meeting, tea party favorite ben carson made headlines when he seemingly compared isis to heroes of the american revolution. he says like isis founding fathers were willing to die for what they believed in. he also said isis has the,

quote, wrong fully os fee, and dissuaded that he was likening them to the terror group. and joanie earns of iowa who said she would make washington ski is going to do the response to the state of the union. casey hunt is at the rnc winter meeting in california. let's start with mitt romney. no doubt he has seen the headlines, heard some within his own party who say there needs to be new energy and they're not interested in romney 3.0. >> reporter: yeah, a lot of people i talked to in the halls of the winter rnc meeting are having trouble wrapping their heads around another romney presidential bid. there's a core group of loyalists, family people making phone calls on his behalf the last week since this news sort of first broke. then there's a slightly larger

circle of people that say you know what this is my guy. if he runs i'm definitely in. mike levitt who was going to be his chief of staff in the white house, tell "the washington post" of course there will be criticism. the issue is the next group out, which is much bigger and so far has been more vocal, people who admire romney who say we would have been better off if he was elected in 2012 but an emphasis on but, do we want him to run again. those people are starting to speak up and saying you know what we have a great field of candidates to choose from people like scott walker and senator marco rubio, rick perry, you can go far down the list of potential candidates before people start to say we really think mitt romney should be our guy. >> let's talk about ben carson someone who hasn't said if he wants to run or not. his supporters see him as their guy to run. what exactly did he say, kasi

erksekasie, and how is he explaining it. >> reporter: he did discuss the american revolution how at that point americans were willing to die for their cause, and that's why ultimately americans were able to defeat the british and create the country. then he went on to say that isis is willing to die for the cause they have, although he did as you pointed out say their i did logically wrong. he went on to say the press would criticize him for it but said it is ridiculous. in the bottom half of his speech, he ticked through what has been for him a series of remarks that has created some krerz. he called the va scandal a gift from god, some interpreted saying he was glad some veterans died and he dismissed that. not necessarily the message you want to bring in to a gathering like this. carson is someone with a lot of support from grass roots, he is polling fairly well but this is

a little bit of a tough crowd for him, the establishment group. >> let's look at the response expected from joanie ernst, new senator, past response bobby jindal, paul ryan and last was kathy mcmorris rogers. what are expectations from joanie? >> reporter: as you know this slot has something of a curse associated with it. this is when marco rubio drank that water, was sort of ridiculed afterwards. obviously bach mcdonnell hasn't had a trajectory the last few years people want to emulate. republican leaders embrace her as a new face for the republican party, and she will be getting attention as the primary unfolds. almost all potential candidates went in to help campaign for her, they'll be fighting over her endorsement. we will see how she does tuesday. >> thank you very much. kasie hunt live in california. thanks. up next a florida family

outraged after discovering a local police department used mug shots of a relative and other real people as target practice. >> she said oh, my god, they used you as target practice. the picture has bullet holes, one in my forehead and my eye. i was speechless. >> despite the anger, department says use of the mug shots will continue. southwest airlines faces a record time for keeping passengers stuck on the ground for hours. one of the stories we thought you should know. here is what's happening today, friday, january 16th. christopher cornell, a man accused of planning to bomb the capitol due in court this afternoon. his father claims his son was coerced by an fbi informant. and today, supreme court justices decide if they will take up a case on michigan's banned same-sex marriage. and noah and nasa call 2014

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we'll pay for a car that's a model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles than your old one. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. we are following developing news at the white house. this is video of president obama with british prime minister david cameron. president obama and cameron will join together for a joint news conference after noon today, 12:20 eastern time. of course this comes after a series of anti-terrorism raids in three different european countries and with secretary of state john kerry on the ground in paris. we will certainly bring you that joint news conference as soon as it begins. the state of arizona has become the first in the nation to pass a law requiring high school students to pass a civics

exam before graduating but the questions are being raised about really the impact the effect here. under the law which would start the class of 2017 high school seniors will have to correctly answer at least 60% of the test in order to graduate. the exam's 100 questions relating to u.s. history and government will essentially be the same exam immigrants take when applying for citizenship. as "time" magazine points out, critics question whether the test, which relies on member riization is the best way to engage students in civics education. the house and senate moved swiftly to pass that backed by the arizona foss institute which set a goal of having all 50 states adopt by 2017. north dakota house approved the same measure yesterday. 15 other states expected to consider it. joining me steve farley who voted against the bill. thank you for joining me sir. >> thanks for having me tamron. >> why did you vote against this bill? >> let me give you a little bit

of background on where we're coming from. outgoing governor brewer and current legislative majority spent the last few years enacting massive corporate tax give aways which left us with a $500 million deficit this current fiscal year and a billion dollars next year. to pay for that they ended up shorting schools for inflation funds, which voters said they had to pay. that means our schools are suffering. my own daughter's high school tucson high 10% of classrooms are shut because of hazardous conditions and they can't afford to fix them and put kids in them. class sizes are 35 to 37. don't have enough textbooks. computers are 12 years old, and there are teachers with master's degrees still making $37,000 a year, same thing they were hired with seven years ago. there are a lot of emergencies here in arizona. job stagnation no economic

growth. this particular bill was passed as an emergency. and it doesn't appear to be an emergency to me. we suspended all of the rules, we got it through in a day, which is unheard of. governor doosy demanded this be the first bill on his desk. >> let me get to you, i deeply appreciate the issues you layout as relates to the state, what do you believe is the agenda if this was rushed through over some of those issues you see are far more pressing. what are you implying and what are you saying? >> it appears to me this is smoke and mirrors to cover the true crises that the governor and legislative majority don't want to deal with. insulting to civics teachers who are teaching deeper concepts behind civics. they could motivate kids to be more involved to replace those teachers with a basic test that asks how many stars are in the flag, and basically say we fixed education which some of the majority has said.

it is a terrible bill. it is a good purpose, but done really badly. we do want to engage people in the system but there are so many other things to work on here in arizona. and what's ironic is this is a federal test with federal control and i hear that that's what they think common core is and they hate it. >> you believe by i ammplement ammplementing a civics test asking basic questions, this is attempt to get rid of teachers? connect the dots as you see them here. >> it seems to be implicating our dedicated teachers under terrible conditions in schools with problems with the schools. our problems with schools are coming from lack of funding by the legislature and governor not from dedication of teachers. our civics teachers are doing amazing things to help our kids learn in terrible conditions. then to say that we are going to

solve the whole problem by simply asking kids who the first president of the united states was, and making that a graduation requirement, is whitewashing the entire problem with the education system. >> what about those that say listen you have to take a test after math when i was in school you had history and took a test to see how much you knew and with so much going on political dialogue what does it hurt to have students be able to answer questions that you would assume they learned in one of their classes but perhaps not. what's the difference in asking an algebra question versus asking the question what is the supreme law of the land to a high school student before they graduate. >> well if the questions were that deep i would agree with it. and we already have tests coming out of ap history classes, basic history classes, fourth grade, eighth grade classes, the curriculum is full of these tests that test real concepts not just a few talking points

which seemed to be what the test is. >> that question that we asked, that was a sample question from the actual immigration test which is what this organization that put together this test claims it will be pulling from. it is an interesting debate. i appreciate you joining us today. thank you so much for your time. >> thanks for having me. appreciate it. >> absolutely. in less than an hour president obama and british prime minister david cameron have a news conference at the white house, this as officials in europe step up terror raids. how could renewed terrorism raids increase. the pope makes his strongest statement against same-sex marriages. one of the things we thought you should know. an american woman volunteers to help the people of haiti and changes lives of young children along with her own. how her story of pain how losing her husband at a very young age turned into an incredible born in the usa that we want to share with you today.

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it's not muted. was that you jason? it was geoffrey! it was jason. it could've been brenda. time now for the "newsnation" political post script. this week the race for 2016 started to heat up. at least one -- on the republican side with some names hinting they may be willing to throw their names in the ring as soon as possible. also heating up the fight over immigration, a political battle now tied up with a crucial funding bill for department of homeland security. and from the white house, an admission that a mistake was made in not sending a top official to france for last weekend's solidarity march. >> the american people stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies in france. we agreed we should have sent someone with a higher profile. >> we are a nation beset by anxiety. i heard it from farmers in kansas and from teachers in

colorado. i felt it from veterans in maine and from workers in arkansas. >> i'm a great admirer of mitt romney. i think he is viable and a very outstanding person. >> i think he's had his chance i think it is time for some fresh blood. >> it is a very open process. may the best person win. >> the key now is for us to work as a team. >> to pass a homeland security bill, but the republicans still say no. >> our goal is to fund the department of homeland security. our second goal is to stop the president executive overreach. >> joining me live, nbc news senior political editor mark murray. we know that president obama and prime minister cameron are now meeting, going to hold a news conference at 12:20 eastern time. this as terror raids continue at least now in three different european countries. >> you know tamron that's

right. goes to the question of 2016 if the current united states economy continues at its trajectory where you could concede to unemployment rate around 4% by 2015 2016 by the time of the next presidential election, when the economy is good, that normally means foreign policy and social issues dominate a presidential election. we saw that in the 2004 election between george w. bush and john kerry, and it would end up completely resetting a lot of the current conventional wisdom about the race as well as some of the candidates too. >> as we mentioned, 12:20 eastern time we will hear from mr. obama, president obama and david cameron. we will carry that live. up next a police department using actual mug shots for target practice. a florida man is outraged, many others wonder how this could happen. what the department is saying in defense of the practice, why it plans to continue it.

and boxing legend muhammad ali rushed to the hospital second time in a month. and a special honor for a muslim immigrant that saved six people during paris terror siege at the supermarket. one of the things we thought you should know. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ stouffer's mac and cheese with real aged cheddar now in a convenient cup. new stouffer's mac cups. made for you to love.

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♪searching with devotion♪ ♪for a snack that isn't lame♪ ♪but this...♪ ♪takes my breath away♪ sunday dinners at my house... it's a full day for me, and i love it. but when i started having back pain my sister had to come help. i don't like asking for help. i took tylenol but i had to take six pills to get through the day.

so my daughter brought over some aleve. it's just two pills, all day! and now, i'm back! aleve. two pills. all day strong, all day long. and now introducing aleve pm for a better am. welcome back. a florida man and his family are outraged finding out his picture was used by police officers as target practice at a local shooting range. the image one of several mug shots used by north miami beach police. willard sheperd from wtvj has the story. >> i was like why is my brother being used for target practice. >> reporter: it was here on the medley range when the targets were used in training for north miami beach police department snipers. shooting range records show that after the police left florida national guard came in.

that's when the guardsmen saw what police had left behind. >> they were all black males. >> reporter: among the photos her brother woody's mugshot, taken 15 years ago. >> there were like gunshots there, and like i cried a couple of times. >> she said oh, my god, they used you as target practice. the picture has bullet holes, one in my forehead and one in my eye. i was speechless. >> reporter: he did four years in prison after being involved in a drag race in 2000 that left two people dead. >> now i'm being used as a target and i'm not even living life according to how they portrayed me as. i am a father i am a husband, i am a career man. i work a 9:00 to 5:00. >> reporter: north miami beach police chief defends the department's use of actual photographs, saying the technique is widely used and the pictures are vital to facial recognition drills. >> our policies were not

violated. there is no discipline that's forthcoming from individuals regarding this. >> reporter: the chief says the fact that targets were all african-american did not mean there was any racial profiling. >> we utilize an array of pictures, we will have six pictures of people that look very similar. we have an array for black males, we have an array of white and hispanic males. >> reporter: however, he says he is disturbed by use of this particular photo. >> what we are very very concerned about is the event that occurred here because it happened to be someone that was arrested by this agency. that individual would be somebody that would be on the streets of north miami beach. >> reporter: we spoke with federal and state law enforcement agencies and five separate police departments here in south florida who have s.w.a.t. and sniper teams. each told us that they only use targets coming from a commercial vendor and never fire at photos of real human beings ever.

alex vasquez is a retired fbi agent. >> use of those targets doesn't seem correct. police have different options for targets. i think the police have to be extra careful and sensitive to some issues that might be raised. >> reporter: they contacted an attorney, endel brown, who finds use of human images for target practice extremely disturbing. >> this can create a very dangerous situation, and it has been engrained in your subconscious. what does that mean when someone comes across woody or another person on the street and the way their decision-making process on using deadly force or not. >> automatically in his mind he is going to think target target, target. >> they see them as criminals before they get a chance to say i surrender. >> the north miami beach police chief says they will resume use of targets after they expand the number of images in inventory.

also says officers will not use any booking photos from suspects they arrested and that he will direct his officers to remove targets after they use the shooting range. oklahoma carried out the first execution under a new policy. that tops our look at stories around the "newsnation." charles warner was put to death last night, eight months after a botched execution triggered an investigation that overhauled the procedure. he had been scheduled to die in april, convicted of killing an 11 month old baby girl in 1997 ap reports warner said quote, my body is on fire after the first drug was driven. his attorneys asked the supreme court to delay the execution but denied the stay. boxing legend muhammad ali is back in the hospital expected to go home sometime today. he was hospitalized earlier this week for follow-up care for urinary tract infection. he was treated for that previously. he is battling parkinson's disease, turned 73 saturday. the number of measles cases connected to california's

disneyland continues to grow. 39 cases in four states have been confirmed, and more are expected. disney says it is working with local health authorities to provide any assistance. time now for born in the usa, a popular segment, highlighting american business success stories. 15 years ago, margaret was heartbroken, grieving over the unexpected death of her husband. so she went to haiti to volunteer, hoping it would ease her crushing grief. instead, it changed her life. after being inspired by a man trying to feed the hungry children in his community, she helped launch a food program feeding 500 kids one meal per week. now her what if foundation provides funding for 6,000 meals a week. margaret joins us now. thank you so much for your time. congratulations on all of the success. >> thank you, tamron. >> we met, had the pleasure of meeting at an event where i presented you with an award. when they rolled this video describing what you had been

through, there was not a dry eye in that room. in this segment, we often highlight businesses people who had an idea and turned it into business for profit for themselves. yours as i mention came out of grief. when you went to haiti that first time what did you want to accomplish? was it for your heart? what was the motivation? >> well the trip was called a reverse mission. so i was told that going to haiti and being with the haitian people that their lives would transform me that they -- and their strength and courage and who they were their faith, that that would have profound impact on people visiting so it was reversed. and that's exactly what happened. my heart was broken open and their faith and courage and their vision for a food program that i heard just spoke to me and i wanted to respond. >> as you walk through the streets in the first visit, can you describe to me what that was like? what did you see firsthand?

>> there was deep widespread poverty for miles and miles. i kept noticing the children in particular having a young son of my own who were hungry and parents working and everybody working hard incredible entrepreneurial spirit but on the edge trying to find that money to pay for that meal for that day. so a depth of poverty i had not witnessed before and it was stunning and shocking to me that that was happening so close to the united states just an hour and a half flight away. >> i know you believe small steps at a time lead to lasting change. you just passed the $5 million mark in money raised. you've got scholarships after school programs 6,000 meals a week at a time when most people are worried about how they're going to make ends meet not comparing to what happens in haiti, but when it is time to perhaps donate and give how have you been able to convince

those that could easily look at their own situation at home and say i need to put this money in my own savings to give to this larger cause? >> there's a wonderful haitian proverb, and it means many hands make the load lighter. so for the what if foundation we've all come together many hands, all sizes, every gift matters. 65 cents pays for one meal. food is purchased at the farmers market in port-au-prince so it helps the farmers. so a small amount makes a difference. another saying that means little by little we will arrive. so we believe in the small steps, every donation people sharing from their hearts, coming together in solidarity with our haitian partners in haiti that run the program so beautifully. we believe that every meal every scholarship matters and that it is important to take action. so that's what we are doing at the what if foundation. >> you're an inspiration.

this program certainly inspired those in the audience when we met. it is a pleasure to see you again and wish you the best of luck. there's a new school in the works that will have its own kitchen and cafeteria. more things to come as you pointed out because of many hands who have come together. thank you, margaret. >> thank you, tamron. up next our "newsnation" gut check. duke university backs down from plans to hold a weekly muslim call to prayer from its iconic chapel tower. that was supposed to actually start today. should the school stand its ground and stand by the original decision? it is our gut check. ♪ ♪ with the incredible fuel efficiency of 38 mpg highway...

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[ hoof beats ] i wish... please, please, please, please, please. [ male announcer ] the wish we wish above all...is health. so we quit selling cigarettes in our cvs pharmacies. expanded minuteclinic for walk-in medical care. and created programs that encourage people to take their medications regularly. introducing cvs health. a new purpose. a new promise... to help all those wishes come true. cvs health. because health is everything. there's a lot going on this morning. the shop attendant who helped save customers lives inside the kosher supermarket in paris last week is being awarded for his bravery. a muslim from mali will be given french citizenship.

he hid more than a dozen customers inside the store's freezer and turned off the power and snuck out to get help as coulibaly open fire. southwest airlines was hit with a record $1.6 million fine for leaving passengers on the tarmac for hours during a bad storm last january at midway airport. federal regulators say the airline failed to clear planes off the runway in a timely fashion. we've been teasing thissal all hour. earlier this week duke announced it would allow the atraditional three minute chant to start the weekly prayer service held in the church basement for several years. muslim students represent 14,000 students. reaction from some was harsh. evangelists, son of billy graham

posted that donors should withhold support from duke. yesterday duke announced it was going back on the decision saying the school got hundreds of e-mails and calls unlike any other conversation duke has had in years. a spokesperson said it was clear that what was conceived as an effort to unify was not having the intended effect. the council on american islamic relations released a statement, we appreciate the fact that the broadcast of the call to prayer from such a prominent location was designed to be a display of religious diversity and inclusion. it's unfortunate a prestigeious bowed to intimidation by anti-muslim bigots. should duke stand by the way decision? go to newsnation.msnbc.com. a bill requiring schools to teach a three week class on the

second amendment using material developed or recommends by the nra. we asked if you agreed with such a class? 80% said no you don't. 20% said yes. a new report finds that for first time at least 50 years, a majority of u.s. public school students are from low income families or in most cases living in poverty. according to the southern education foundation 51% are living at or near the poverty line. it is just another stark example that poverty remains a serious problem in this country and that's exactly what business and civic leaders along with heads of state are hoping to tackle as they meet in atlanta this week for the hope global forum. jermaine lee joins me now. msnbc is a proud media sponsor. we both know there are many organizations that meet throughout the country year long addressing these problems. i think people or ten want to

know, will these ideas be implemented? >> reporter: 2700 people registered for the hope global forum, many of them as we speak down stairs in working groups trying to outline and reimagine expanding access to free enterprise, not just globally but here in this country. given the numbers, the stark reality of so many poor children and families trying to figure out how do you open the flood gates and get multimillion dollar business men together in one room to foster the kind of en ingenuity that fostered companies like apple. the thing we want to do even for wealthy people it's for your own sake. we can bolster the access for opportunities for low income people you're helping yourself stay wealthy and raise credit scores of families living in poverty, access to bank loans and credit lines.

we talk about where the rubber meets the road and find meaningful ways to change america and change communities and families. >> we cannot wait to see what comes out of the forum. many great minds there hopefully producing great ideas. that does it for this edition of "news nation." have a great weekend. up next "andrea mitchell reports."

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anti-terror teams thursday take down what they say could have been a paris style attack. >> there are plans to assassinate policemen in the street or at the police buildings. special relationship right now president obama and british prime minister david cameron are meeting at the white house in a few moments they'll be answering questions at the news conference. >> you guys will have all kinds of chance to ask questions later. and you've got a friend. back in paris secretary of state john kerry lays wreaths at the offices of quts charlie heb do lilie heb dough and at the supermarket. and attempting to meet up for the notable absence of u.s. officials sunday he also brings a friend along to