can a a subconscious. mind? a knack for predicting the future. reflexes faster than the speed of thought. can a business have a spirit? can a business have a soul? can a business be...alive? with battleground iowa. presidential hopefuls hitting the state and bringing their message. but do voters like what they see? you'll hear from them. new evacuations and a higher death toll following china's massive chemical blast. food banks struggling to meet the demand. why this is happening despite a falling unemployment rate. and it's one of the strangest

sights of the week. how millions of little balls are helping fight california's drought. hey there, everyone, high noon in the east, 9:00 ann west. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." we're waiting for hillary clinton to speak at the state fair in des moines's not the only attraction with donald trump expected to arrive an hour from now by helicopter. joining me now from the fair is msnbc's jane tim. jane, welcome to you. so we have hillary clinton, we have donald trump, we have a big old chopper, we have the butter cow. who do you think these key voters are most looking forward to seeing? >> knowing iowa, i'm going say it's trump coming in in a helicopter that may or may not be gold plated inside and we hear he's going to offer kids some rides. he tweeted this that a few hours ago saying he was on his way, very excited and looking forward to giving kids rides.

not sure if it's logistically going to happen but he's going to try. thousands of people are here engaging in the fried foods, fried oreos and hoping they can get a sight of the donald. >> i can imagine. it's interesting we have both the donald, hillary clinton, two major headliners not taking to the soap box. >> yes. both of them declined to do that. the "des moines register" sponsors that actual box as we talked about earlier. candidates get up and talk on it. today it's santorum and lincoln chafee, lesser known candidates. instead, they'll try and do a meet and greet which is a little bit less political but maybe a time for them to show their personal side. that's important to iowa voters to see them have a pork chop, flip it on the grill and engage in sort sort of humanizing here at the fair. >> did you try the fried peanut butter and jelly? >> not yet, but it's right next to me. i'll let you know how it is.

>> okay, can't wait for that. thank you so much, jane. msnbc political reporter kasie hunt is right there in the middle of it all at the fair chasing down the candidates, something she does everyday. kasie -- weld we'll get back to kasie hunt in just a minute. meantime, to nevada, that's where scott walker and four other candidates are campaigning today. two hours from now they'll attend the inaugural bask fque in gardnerville an hour or so south of reno. that's where shaquille brewster is joining me now. shaquille with a welcome to you. why do you think it was so important for these particular candidates to be at this particular event. >> well, let's start off by where we are. we're in nevada. the third primary contest that is going to play out in the

republican race. it has the largest latino population of any of the early states. it's important if the a candidate wants to sustain momentum after iowa and new hampshire. so here basque fry is held in gardnerville. there's lots of food here. about 100 people are expected to attend -- hundreds of people expected to attend. lots of tables and food. this is not a fund-raiser. it's more of an opportunity for the candidates to meet the people of nevada. behind me, the candidates will be speaking, we have cruz, walker, ben carson, carly fiorina and george pataki. they'll speak to folks, mingle and head to iowa. walker is heading to iowa for monday. crews will be there later at the state fair where kasie hunt is. >> i'm curious, shaquille, who do you think they are most excited to flare? do you get any sense of that? >> i can tell you there's a lot

of -- you see to my left there's a ben carson tent, to my right there's scott walker signs, lots of them. we don't know who's the favorite yet. they're still setting up, the event starts in two hours so people aren't here yet, i haven't been able to talk to anyone on the ground yet but there are people expected to come, people are excited about the event as you come through, there's plenty of signs pointing people this way. so we'll find out. >> okay, we have people there in gardnerville engaged in politics, thank you very much. let's go back to the iowa state fair where kasie hunt is in the middle of it all. tell me what you are seeing kase see and who is there. >> well, when you land your helicopter in the middle of the fair, it's difficult to top. donald trump is not doing the traditional swing through the fare, he won't stop at the soap

box. so while he'll look for cameras nearby, he won't put himself in a position where he could be confronted with difficult questions from iowa voters. hillary clinton's doing the same thing. she's about to stop and talk to reporters on her way into the fair after attending a big democratic fund-raiser in clear lake late last night where she gave a pretty impassioned speech focused a lot of women. she says if she's going to be accused of playing the gender card, being all in for equal pay than to deal her in. but she's also dealing with those questions about her e-mail server and she folded that into her stump speech talking about how she turned her server over to the justice department but that she wasn't going to get down in the mud and a lot of this criticism was all about politics. >> so kasie, look, you're at a fair, i'm not sure this is the perfect venue to get into detail about policy wonk and have the candidates talk about potential details they would be offering.

i'm curious, how big is this fair? can you see how that will logistically happen. >> alex, it's a permanent fairground that exists all year round. there's a giant concourse to my left where people are hawking all sorts of goods from hot tubs to different types of rooms, there's obviously fried food all over the place. trump's helicopter is not going to land on the fair concourse where all these people that you see walking behind me are. he's going to land on a field that's about a mile and a half away but adjacent to the fair. that's where they're talking about giving helicopter rides to kids. so at this point we're anticipating. he's landed already at the des moines international airport not that far from here in his trump-'m blatrump trump-emblazoned jet.

he'll land on the field amid what's expected to be a crush of reporters. he told us he's going to get off the helicopter and answer questions right away. there's still a question if that's where he'll be offering children those helicopter rides and we anticipate he will hop into a golf cart and drive back the mile or so into the fairgrounds and see the butter cow. we're trying to decide if there will be a mop around the golf cart to the point that it will crawl here or be a speed takeoff but it's going to be something that frankly as i was wracking my brain to think of anything like this before, i remember when sarah palin was here in 2011 and the crush of both reporters and supporters of hers got so intense her aides were concerned about her safety and they started to turn her around. so i mean, i'm not sure exactly the level of spectacle we're going to see but that's the only thing that i can think of at the moment. and that's for a state fair whose motto is "nothing compares." >> you heightened my expectation. i forgot about that sarah palin

spectacle. kasie hunt, thank you so much. >> it should be a fun day. see you later. also later this hour, you'll hear how hillary clinton. the senator tom harkin of iowa has received her. they'll follow them or, you know, am being told we're going to stay with this. lett's hear what we have to say. >> i was telling hillary we had grandparents camp once this summer. i took a trip to see where she was born and raised, many i grandmother was an immigrant and i got to thinking, this time i'm spending with their grand kids, what about their future will be like. are they going to have opportunities like i had? well, you know, let's face it,

they'll be okay. my grand kids and hillary's granddaughter charlotte, they're going to be okay. their parents are college graduates, grandparents. but what about the kids like i was when my mother was an immigrant and my father had a sixth grade education? what about those kids? are they going to have the same kind of opportunities that i and my family had when i grew up? i've been thinking a lot about that. that's why i'm endorsing hillary clinton for president of the united states. i've known her for almost 25 years as first lady and then we served together on the same committee in the senate for several years. the committee on health, education, labor and pensions. it was once described as senator inouye the committee that defines america.

and i saw then senator clinton away from cameras working in committees, subcommittees, always in there fighting. fighting for kids, fighting for families, working hard to make sure that those kids i just described, the kids of our new immigrants, the kids of families that don't have much, that they, too, will have a good future. fighting for universal kindergarten, for example, early education for our kids. working to make -- fighting for making sure families had good paying jobs. making sure we had pay equity for women to give young women the assurance that when they go to school and they learn that they, too, can be a part of our economic structure in america: and so the more i thought about this i thought, you know, i'd like to think that hillary and i have the same kind of values.

the values of opportunity, of making sure that families -- that everyone in america has the opportunity for a good-paying job, including, i might add, people with disabilities, to make sure that they have those opportunities also. she has the experience. i'm telling you, i've watched her work in the senate. i know how she can reach across the aisle and work with republicans. i saw her do that. to get things done in the senate. we need more of that in washington. not this bitter fighting back and forth but, yeah, we have our differences. i dare say senator clinton at that time had differences, as i did, with some of my republican colleagues, but we worked together and we got things done. good legislation through. so i see that ability that she has and lastly she's a fighter. she's a fighter for our families, for our kids to make sure that we have a good future

for those other tom harkins out there running around whose parents don't have very much but who have dreams and who want to be a part of america. and america's future. so that's why i'm supporting hillary clinton for president. she has the experience, she has the values, she knows how to fight and she knows how to work with other people to get the job done. and that's what we need in the white house for the next eight years and i'm proud to reintroduce again to all of you my great friend of almost 25 years, my former colleague, a great secretary of state and the next president of the united states, hillary rodham clinton.

[ applause ] >> well, i'm deeply honored to have tom's support and his endorsement. there isn't anybody that has fought harder and more successfully for people who deserve a champion than tom harkin. i not only believe his years of service on behalf of iowa and our country made life better for many millions and millions and millions of our fellow citizens particularly, but not only people with disabilities but that his continuing influence about how we do need to work together, how we need to stand up and fight together, how we can get things done together really does set the challenge before us very clearly. so, tom, you and ruth have been great friends and i'm so

appreciative of the years we had as colleagues and under your leadership on the health committee and in other areas of our mutual concern in the senate that it's a special moment here at the fair to receive your personal endorsement. i look forward to working with you not only during the campaign but i hope to call upon you for counsel, advice and maybe get you back into the arena from time to time. thank you very, very much, tom. we'll be happy to take some questions. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ]

>> my support for hillary for president has nothing to do with other people, it has to do with what i think we need in a future president. we've come to a terrible recession, we're making some progress, there's no doubt about that. but we need to continue that progress and we need someone in the white house with the depth of experience not only here working in america for our future but globally. you know, america is still our preeminent world power. we don't want to give that up. we don't want to give up our leadership in the orld world on many thing, human rights, disability rights, freedom and democracy. hillary is well respected. i can tell you this, jennifer, from having traveled around the world myself. she is well respected in countries all around the globe. and this again is something that we need in the white house. to continue to keep our status in the world community. so it has nothing to do with

other people. it has to do with who i think will be best in the white house for the next eight years for our future here as i mentioned, for our kids and families but also for the place of america in the world of community. >> hi, jeff. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> well, jeff, i think first i've said in the past that i used a single account for convenience. obviously these years later it doesn't look so convenient.

but the facts are the same as they have been from the very beginning of these questions being raised and most importantly i never sent classified material on my e-mail and i never received any that was marked classified. so i'm going to let whatever this inquiry is go forward and we'll await the outcome of it. the state department has confirmed what i just said to you. but i do think that if you look at the republicans in congress, the ones running for president, there is an unfortunate tendency to try to make partisan a tragedy in benghazi which i just fundamentally disagree with. i don't think it's right and i will not participate in it.

so we'll see how this all plays out but it's not anything people talk to me about as i travel around the country. it is never raised in my town halls. it's never raised in my other meetings with people. i think what people are interested in is what senator harkin just said, who will get the cost of college down and refinance people's student debt? who will open up the work force to women, to people with disabilities so they can make their contribution and be treated fairly and so much more and that's what i talk about on the campaign trail. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> no, it's not. i think that this is the usual partisanization --chy may ha wh have just made up a word -- of anything that goes on and i've been at this for a really long time and i think people in iowa, just like people across the

country, are going to want to vote for somebody that they believe will deliver results for them and i think that i've got a strong case to make on that as tom just said. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] could you repeat that? >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> timing? john abo i don't know about timing. as i said, i've been on a lot of trips with my grand kids this summer and i've spent the entire month of july working on the 25th anniversary of the

americans with disabilities act in which we've had a lot of great events surrounding that. so that occupied a lot of my time. so what better time than iowa state fair time? >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> no, we're fully cooperating with that. but i'm saying the way it's being used certainly is. and the state department has confirmed that i do not send nor receive material marked classified. this is not about me. they have also confirmed that and -- >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> well, but you know, that is something that they will have to determine and i think there are disputes going on among agencies about what shoulda coulda woulda been done back four, five, six

years ago. that is something for them to work out. i am repeating the facts and the facts are i do not send nor did i receive material marked classified. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> well, i have stated i find it somewhat curious that jeb bush is doubling down on defending his brother's actions in iraq. but if he's going to do that, he should present the entire picture and the entire picture, as you know, includes the agreement that george w. bush made with the maliki government in iraq that set the end of 2011 as the date to withdraw american

troops. that was done under george w. bush and i can only wonder whether he just either did not know that or thought that other people would not be reminded of that. so it is for him to make whatever case he wishes on behalf of his own campaign. but be there's clearly a very direct line between the agreement george w. bush signed and the efforts that the obama administration made -- of which i was a part -- to persuade the maliki government to permit continuing american support for the iraqi army to make sure that the investment in its training would pay off. and maliki did not want a continuing american presence. now, i think that what is being done with respect to isis is

very significant in terms of the support that the united states is now providing to the iraqi army to retrain because of what maliki did to really start to erode its abilities, to support the kurds to try to get the sunnis back into the fight against isis. but this has to be an iraqi-led mission and like anybody who has followed the horrific, barbaric behavior of isis, i am very committed to supporting the efforts within the region to try to take on the threat that they pose to everyone but particularly is to women and especially to women of certain religious backgrounds.

and it's an area that is so deeply distress iing to read abt what's going on there. so i think we have to do more and i hope we will do more to try to get the whole region together to drive isis out of the territory that they occupy to rescue the people that they have enslaved predominantly women. but i think that president obama is doing what he can to bring that about. no, no, this gentleman was called up. sorry. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] should i answer that seriously or not? i don't know. as i watch this republican field

they're just floundering all over the place. all of them trying to appeal to a narrower and narrower section of the republican party. i don't think that's healthy for the republican party and i don't think it's healthy for our country, either. it tends to be more divisive. it tends to separate people out from one another so i hope that more moderate voices will come to the forefront in these republican primaries. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> i'm just having a good time. we're only four months into this. i feel very positive ant the organization we're building in iowa and across the country,

particularly in the early states. and it's most ly for me a continuing conversation with the american people and i'm enjoying it, getting a lot out of it, learning a lot about it. i'll give you a quick example of why i find this so personally rewarding. yesterday in dubuque a woman said she was there because the hall of fame dinner i talked about mental health. the reason i talked about mental health is because when i came to iowa four months ago people talked to me about mental health. so i want to have this continuing conversation about what's on the minds of iowans and americans and i will fight as hard as i can to earn every vote here and across the country. >> let me also say as a long time iowa politician, statewide for so many years i'm going to be frank, i never said this to

hillary before and i didn't endorse anyone in '08 but i watched the campaigns and i thought certain mistakes were made and i observed that. i've looked at the clinton campaign in iowa this year and hillary is doing everything right. the organization is strong. the issues she's touching on are reaching people in the state of iowa a much better and more personally involved if i might say this campaign this year than it was in 2008 and i've often said hillary is such a wonderful person. she just needs to come out and meet ie waps and the rest will fall into place and that's what she'sing down this year and that's why i believe in the caucuses hillary is going to come out way on top. >> thank you! thank you! thank you!

>> there you see a very warm embrace and clearly evidence of a strong friendship there between senator tom harkin of iowa who just retired after five terms in the senate and a popular figure throughout iowa and he is endorsing, as he did not do, in the last go round. he is endorsing senator hillary clinton as president of the united states and her candidacy. she did tick one question of note, very topical about e-mails. she was asked what -- we couldn't hear the question but she was asked why she used her private e-mail and he she said it was convenient and reiterated what she had said all along, that she did not send any e-mails with classified information. as congress gets ready to return from break, what's next with the iran deal? i'm talking with democratic congressman jim hymes and a member of the intelligence committee next. when something works,

people stick with it. more people stick with humana medicare advantage. because we stick with them. humana medicare advantage. the plan people stick with. (vo) what'scorn? dog food's first ingredient? wheat? in new purina one true instinct grain free, real chicken is always #1. no corn, wheat or soy. support your active dog's whole body health with purina one. at ally bank no branches equalsit's a fact.. kind of like mute buttons equal danger. ...that sound good? not being on this phone call sounds good. it's not muted. was that you jason? it was geoffrey! it was jason. it could've been brenda.

welcome back to weekends with alex witt. as congress gets closer to returning to session, it's still a horse race to see if opponents of the iran nuclear deal have enough support to override

president obama. now the presidential candidates have been weighing in from the campaign trail. >> this agreement combined with strong enforcement and deterrence is the only way to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. there's simply know viable alternati alternative. >> my stance is the iranian deal is a bad deal. no deal would be better than the deal presented to congress and i hope congress with a two-thirds majority kills it. >> joining me now is jim hymes, a member of the intelligence committee. thank you for waiting through hillary clinton and jim harkin. >> no worried, i'll always creed to t -- crede to the butter cow and deep fried or owes. >> you're a better man than me. so it was claimed there's still a real possibility that the opposition could get enough

democratic votes to override president obama's veto. how close do you see it right no now. >> i think it remains unlikely congress will override a veto. in the united states senate you've had one democratic senator oppose the deal in the house you've had ten. for an override you need 18 or 19 and in the house you'd need something like 45. so you're still a long way from the numbers that suggest you would override a veto. now by the way, there's -- a lot could happen in the next 30 or so days but as people have gotten familiar, nobody's thrilled with the deal as no one is ever thrilled by any international agreement. people are understanding that saying no is a very, very risky proposition. is. >> but there's times that things can happen beyond that. by the time the deal is finalize it had president's days in office will be numbered.

do you expect iran to fully comply when the next american president might try to say, hey, this deal is off and laurj a new campaign against iran? >> the republicans are saying if they become president they won't abide by the agreement. that's utter fantasy. they need to say it but the idea, let's imagine that two years from now iran is in full compliance with, you know, is not guaranteed, i happen to believe is the more likely course but not guaranteed, they're in full compliance, you've got all sorts of european and chinese and american companies doing business and suddenly an american president will say two years later "sorry, the game is off, the united states will impose sanctions" while iran has a history of having complied? the probability is close to zer zero. >> what about democrats? will they face the wrath of the white house when they're up for reelection next year? also senator chuck schumer is expected to take the helm of the democratic party in the senate.

could the fact he's come out in opposition, cothat you would be a problem for him? >> you know, we've been out of washington, at least on the house side, for a couple of weeks. i will tell you this. this is one of those votes people understand, a, is the classic vote of conscience where you hope people pull politics out of it. that's not necessarily what's happening but i think people understand this is a matter that touches on huge strategic national security issues sand it's not a no brainer anybody who says it is you should stop listening to them because it's a very difficult calculation with lots of risks both ways and truth be told i think the white house and leadership on the democratic side understands that and are treating this issue accordingly. look, remember it was not that long ago that we were assured that there were weapons of mass destruction in iraq and if people didn't do the right thing and go in and authorize military action in iraq all hell would break lose.

that turned out not to be the case d. experience turned out to be bad and a lot of people -- not everybody -- in washington have learned that on these issues you handle them with care. >> i want to ask you about the claims that isis used chemical weapons in an attack on kurdish forces. have you seen, sir, any intelligence confirming this report and would that change anything for u.s. strategy? >> i have not seen any such evidence this event occurred after the house left on recess. from my standpoint, if it were true and there is evidence to suggest that it is, although it's not conclusive, it would not surprise me one iota. isis has shown over the years that they will do literally anything to attract attention and instill fear. so gosh we'll learn yet again that this is an appalling group of people that we need to be focused with our allies in eliminating. >> okay.

i want to ask you about the connecticut state supreme court ruling. i spoke with cynthia hawke rand who was the sister of jennifer hawke-pettitte who was killed in the heinous crime in the state of ctonnecticut. she was murdered, her two daughters murdered, husband beaten up but he survived. i want you to listen to what she said about how she felt these two men were no longer on death row. >> well beat my brother-in-law repeatedly in the head with a bat while holding a gun to him hoping he would die. they rape mid-sister and 11-year-old nurse, they strangled my sister and doused the girls with gasoline and lit them on fire while they're still alive. as the police are waiting outside. that's extremely cruel and unusual and, no, living in prison with computers, television, books, educational classes, workout facilities,

three meals a day, heat, air, medical dental, eye care and their needs being met doesn't bring me solace or satisfaction of any kind. i wish it did. >> when she told me that earlier, i couldn't say anything more. i was done. what do you say to someone suffering like that that points out these are the conditions these two murdering thugs are going to live under. >> well, of course, when you're talking to the survivors, the family members of victims of these heinous crimes, you've got to give them an awful lot of deference. heaven forbid most of us would ever have to go through something like what those family members did. >> so you accept their points of view with great humility. the reality is people who find themselves on death row have done things that literally make your blood boil and this is why we have a conversation and have had an interesting conversation in connecticut.

remember, this legislature voted to eliminate the death penalty some time ago. the supreme court decision just says that for those 11 people who are on death row today they will not be executed. so connecticut has over the years, despite the horror of the cheshire situation, joined a variety of other states in saying, hey, this is a flawed practice and through the legislature the people of connecticut spoke and said we won't do it anymore. and this reflects a personal journey of my own. i understand the rage and desire for retribution people have. i feel it. if it happened to my family member i'd probably want to kill the assailant myself. but of course we are a society of laws and migrating to what most people would consider a slightly more humane and less arbitra arbitrary penal code and probably over time likely to use the death penalty in this country less than we did in the past. >> as always, good to talk with you, representative jim hymes, thanks so much. >> thank you, alex.

unemployment numbers are improving. the same cannot be said for hunger and poverty rates. how america's food banks are being affected.

boy: once upon a time, there was a nice house that lived with a family. one day, it started to rain and rain. water got inside and ruined everybody's everythings. the house thought she let the family down. but the family just didn't think a flood could ever happen. the reality is, floods do happen. protect what matters. get flood insurance. call the number on your screen to learn more. it's the brand more doctorsose recommend for minor arthritis pain. plus, just two aleve can last all day. you'd need 6 tylenol arthritis to do that. aleve. all day strong. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around, barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪

[ female announcer ] fiber one. breaking news at this hour. the federal aviation administration is writing flight delays along the northeast corridor so the faa says it's experiencing some sort of a computer outage. this at the washington center in virginia. in fact, you can see evidence of this e. see that gap on the map? pretty much dead center of your screen. this is an area over leesberg, v. -- leesburg, virginia, which sees far fewer planes than you would normally see and you see the space cleared out there. it's affected flights from airports in new york to washington and american airlines is confirming its flights have been impacted. american airlines has notified its customers so again if you're experiencing flight delays or expecting to go pick up people or take off yourself, check that

out. meantime developing in a busy political afternoon in iowa, bernie sanders speaking at a town meeting in boon, iowa. he's expected to get on the soap box at the iowa state fair in des moines this afternoon. hillary clinton at the state fair this hour. we just listened to her about 15, 20 minutes ago. she is not going to get on that official soap box sponsored by the "des moines register." she is, however, meeting with to ten s -- potential voters instead. donald trump is visiting the state fairgrounds, is expected to speak to reporters later today trump's campaign says he will visit the fair's most popular butter cow. so let's go to danny freeman at the state fairgrounds in des moines. danny, i caught you earlier today on another show and you were eating fried peanut butter and jelly. you seem to be standing and you're okay. what is the atmosphere like there today?

>> brimming with excitement. it's a beautiful at the iowa state fairgrounds in des moines and best of all there are three notable presidential candidates the crowds are expected to see. you mentioned them, former secretary of state hillary clinton, donald trump, of course, and senator from vermont bernie sanders. hillary clinton just spoke as you had in your show to a mainly a gaggle of media on the outskirts of the fair and people are wondering where they can see her and she began walking along the fairgrounds and then donald trump, we're awaiting his arrival by helicopter outside of the fairgrounds in a few moment moments. >> that should be exciting stuff. how about the people with whom you've spoken. what are they saying about that? the tenor of things and what they expect from the fair today? >> i think those three candidates the r the ones they are most excited to hear from. they want to hear from donald trump and see donald trump in person and see hillary clinton. i spoke to one person who maybe

if they don't want to vote for her they still want to see her. take a look. >> we come to the fair every year and i enjoy it. today is a special day because we'll see bernie again. i've seen him give a lot of ral leesz and i'm here to support him. >> i'd like to see hillary clinton but we're having trouble finding where she's going to be and what time. somebody said at the agriculture building but we've been following her for years and i would like to have a woman president. >> well, trump's the one i'd like to hear but i'd like to see clinton, although i won't vote for her. it's interesting to see how they present themselves. >> as you can see, people are looking around for those candidates today and they are exciting to see them because that's one of the main reasons. besides the fried pb & j, you come to the iowa state fair to see who you believe will be the next president of the united states. >> that's what it's about today. exciting for those. as for that fried pb & j, i'm dumbfounded. with but we'll leave at that, danny freeman, thank you so much. >> thank you, alex.

while hillary clinton is in iowa, the controversy over how the secretary of state's e-mail was handed down hasn't died down. we heard a question offered by somebody when she took to the podium. the fbi has taken possession of her e-mail server on wednesday and last night at the iowa democratic wing ding dinner mrs. clinton made light of the issue. >> you may have seen that i recently launched a snapchat account. [ cheers and applause ] i love it. i love it. those messages disappear all by themselves. [ laughter ] >> a different tone when she took a more serious question about the controversy while standing in front of the podium at the state fair. let's listen to how she answered. >> i used a single account for convenience obviously these years later it doesn't look so convenient. but, the facts are the same as they have been have from the very beginning of these these

questions being raised. and most importantly i never sent classified material on my e-mail and i never received any that was marked classified. >> let's bring in "washington post" reporter tom hamburger and, tom, with a welcome to you. you've been covering the clinton e-mail saga. how important do you think tone is? something different from last night as to what was she was addressing to the crowd at the fair. >> well, last night -- secretary clinton did indeed make a joke about how much she enjoys snapchat because the messages disappear. there was a knowing laugh from the audience because weather her message, those she's labelled private, is a big question, the fbi is looking into that now as they examine the security of information that was for a time on the clintons' private server. >> why is the fbi just now taking her e-mail server?

>> in part because there was a delay in sort of realizing that classified information was, in fact, moving on the server. you may remember hillary clinton strongly denied any classified information moved across her server. that there were classified messages kept entirely to a separate state department system. the since then an inspector general has sent a referral to the u.s. justice department informing them classified information did indeed show up on the clinton servers now that mrs. clinton says they were not authored by mrs. clinton but the justice department has been informed that classified messages, those that are considered inappropriate for use were in fact on that server and may have been compromised. >> there's new concern from mrs.

clinton's campaign team. what is creating the new air of anxiety? >> i think one of the things that's happens is that the investigation has become more intense. the fbi has picked up thumb drive servers from mrs. clinton's attorney and in addition picked up the actual server that was in the clinton's home in chap what kfrom n chapp. so suddenly it's more serious. the clinton campaign folks we talked to said they remain confident that mrs. clinton did not do anything improper herself but as attention to this increases and there is a certain drip, drip, drip quality of it, yes the campaign is getting concerned, clearly getting worried. there are a series of messages that have gob out to donors and other supporters are describing what's going on. so the campaign is concerned and that's clear that would happen any time you have the fbi

connected with a candidate even if as is the case now there is not an indication that the fbi is looking at criminal activity. >> but mrs. clinton has said, look, i've met my responsibility, did not send e-mails or receive them through the private service that was classified at the time that maybe is a pivotal point there. is there anything throughout that contradicts her account thus far? >> well, there is a contradiction which her political opponents will highlight and have highlighted and that is that she originally said flatly no classified material was sent or received by a server that i was using. now the campaign has in fact walked that back and mrs. clinton is saying something slightly different, that is she did not author any messages that were classified and nothing crossed her server that was so labelled as classified at the time. what we know is those statements

stand in some contrast with the inspector general's report that whether labelled classified or not, material that is considered classified did move across that private server and breached the intelligence requirements of the state department and federal agencies. >> lots more to go on this story so we'll speak with you again, hamid karz tom hamburger at the "washington post," thank so much. the high demands at food pantries despite the lower unemployment rate. we'll have that next. it's quite alright... you know what? we want to make a deal with you. we're twins, so could you give us two for the price of one? come on, give us a deal. look at how old i am. do you come here often? he works here, terry! you work here, right? yes... ok let's get to the point. we're going to take the deal. get a $1000 volkswagen reward card on select 2015 jetta models. or lease a 2015 jetta s for $139 a month after a $1000 volkswagen bonus. does all greek yogurt have to be thick? does it all have to be the same?

not with new light and fluffy yoplait greek 100 whips! let's whip up the rules of greek! no sixth grader's ever sat with but your jansport backpack is permission to park it wherever you please. hey. that's that new gear feeling. this week, filler paper and folders just one cent. office depot officemax. gear up for school. gear up for great. why should over two hundred years of citi history matter to you?

well, because it tells us something powerful about progress: that whether times are good or bad, innovators with great ideas will continue to drive the world forward. as log as they have someone to believe in them. for more than two centuries we've helped progress makers turn their ideas into reality. and the next great idea could be yours.

the u.s. unemployment rate is at its lowest level in seven years, but a new report from the associated press finds little evidence on the impact of hunger and poverty. u.s. food banks expect to give away four billion pounds of food this year, more than twice the amount provided by ten years ago. joining me now is the author of "hand to mouth, living in bootstrap america." it's great to see you again, linda. i want to ask you why the recovering economy is not being felt by the americans who are forced to use food banks?

>> because the recovering economy isn't paying the americans who are forced to use food banks, which is to say if you have a job that stayed at the same rate of pay for five years but food keeps getting more expensive, you can afford less of it, regardless of whether or not you're in work. >> you're talking about people doing the minimum wage jobs, many of which you've had to hold over the years. >> there's been some minimum wage in my past, yes. it's not just minimum wage, though, it's people getting paid $8, $9 an hour, people getting paid well above the minimum wage and isn't close enough to pay your bills on. where do you go in food banks are the easiest place to go to feed your children and so we're seeing increased demand. what shocks me is that it's shocking to anybody else. >> you talk about the children, obviously food banks are pivotal for so many every year. how does food insecurity affect kids in particular and their development? >> way more than we have time to get into. suffice to say there should never be a point at which a

parent is worried about the impact of food and security on their child in america. that's the discussion we need to be having. it's not necessarily what are the chemical things. it's bad. they do less well in school. people can't concentrate. plus it just sucks to be hungry all the time. especially as a kid. we need to be doing better than that. the way we do that is by paying people enough that they can afford food and we don't have to have the discussion to begin with. >> well, i know the discussion is short but you still brought it. thank you so much. i appreciate it. >> appreciate you. >> more on presidential hopefuls in iowa, including donald trump. do voters like what they're hearing? ♪ in the nation, we know how you feel about your car. so when coverage really counts, you can count on nationwide. ♪ love because what's precious to you is precious to us. ♪ love is strange just another way we put members first. join the nation. ♪ baby...

♪ nationwide is on your side

i know, mommy, but it's time to let the new kitchen get some sleep. ♪ if you want beautiful results, you know where to go. angie's list. everyone can shop for services from highly rated companies, even without a membership. but as a member, you can save more. and you get exclusive access to ratings and reviews. angie's list is there... for all your projects - big and small. pretty! come see what the new angie's list can do for you. welcome to fort green sheets. welcome to castle bravestorm. it's full of cool stuff, like... my trusty bow. and free of stuff i don't like. we only eat chex cereal. no artificial flavors, and it's gluten-free.

mom, brian threw a ball in the house! all's fair in presidential politics. the candidates hit the stump at the hawkeye state proving ground. but how are they trying to score political points? >> that's why they call me mr. wonderful, because every deal that comes out of my lips is wonderful. >> from one reality tv star to another, shark tank's kevin

o'leary talks trump. can skills in politics work in business? and what's bothering michael sam so much that he's leaving football for now? good day to all of you. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." just about a half hour or so ago hillary clinton spoke with the press at the iowa state fair where she took a shot at republican contender jeb bush and his stance on the iraq war. >> i find it somewhat curious that jeb push is doubling down on defending his brother's actions in iraq. but if he's going to do that, he should present the entire picture and the entire picture, as you know, includes the agreement that george w. bush made with the maliki government in iraq that set the end of 2011 as the date to withdraw american

troops. that was done under george w. bush. and i can only wonder whether he just either did not know that or thought that other people would not be reminded of that. >> well, the big attractions are far from over. donald trump is due to arrive any minute now -- by helicopter, naturally. joining me from the fair, kasie hunt once again. kasie, i know you were listening to secretary clinton taking a few questions. anything stand out to you that you heard? >> well, alex, as you just played, she was talking about iraq and that's a question jeb with bush got on the soap box here yesterday and took questions from voters and gave a speech at the traditional soap box. but hillary clinton won't be doing that so she did take questions from the press but she won't be in an unpredictable situation with voters, although she's we're told looking at the famous butter cow. what's ever shadowed this is

hillary's e-mails which she was also asked about. >> i think there are disputes going on among agencies about what shoulda coulda woulda been done back four years, five, six years ago. that is something for them to work out. i am repeating the facts and the facts are i do not send nor did i receive material marked "classified." >> so she's, of course, referring to this difference between the state department and the intelligence agencies about how this information was classified and she's folded lines about her e-mails and server into her stump speech. she mentioned it at the wing ding fund-raiser where she spoke last night saying she was being as transparent as possible. that she's turned her server over, although she didn't do that freely. it's taken quite some time to get to that point. she painted that as complete transparency and said she won't get in the mud on the politics

of this. she suggested this is politically motivated and not about her i mails but going after her. so we'll see if that argument plays out but for now she's struggling to make her way through the mob of reporters to talk to voters at the fair, alex. >> i mentioned is we were talking about the mob that may be surrounding donald trump, fans and the like, people who want to see him, the spectacle of donald trump. she has secret service that travels with her. i know bernie sanders is going to be arriving but isn't he likely to be the guy just sauntering through the crowd with not a lot of security with him? >> that's what we expect to be the case at this point, alex, i mean, the security does vary, obviously. she has secret service protection so we had to be and withed before going into the press pool. it's a challenge for her in a situation like this that some of the other candidates don't to deal with. donald trump has his own security entourage, you'll see the same faces over and over

standing behind him. they will be a present here as well but there's typically not as many of them as they are security around hillary clinton and you're right, at this point we've not seen bernie sanders arrive with a security entourage. but those situations are tough. jeb bush has hired a private security firm to do security but he has only one or two people around him trying to make sure there are safety precautions taken. it's a very unpredictable environment but it's easier for these candidates if they're able to step into the crowd and interact with people in a normal way. it is a discrank hillary clinton has to deal with. >> kasie hunt as always. good to see you. >> thanks, alex. let's get a bit more analysis. we bring in today's political only, anna palmer, washington correspondent for politico and erin mcpike, a political journalist. good to see you both. erin, i'll reach out to you first. let's listen to how hillary

clinton described her campaign outreach in iowa. >> i'm just having a good time. we're only four months into this. i feel very positive about the organization we're building in iowa and across the country. particularly in the early states. it's mostly for me a continuing conversation with the american people. >> so you heard kasie say she's checking out the butter cow. wrapped up the meet and greet but she won't speak on the soap box. what do you make of that? >> as we've talked about before. the clinton campaign is absolutely running a rose garden strategy, she doesn't want to be heckled. jeb bush was heckled and mitt romney was heckled very famously four years ago and that is a moment that could go badly for hillary clinton she doesn't campaign as well in some of these unpredictable unscripted moments and she can shut down a reporter really well so shell

take questions from reporters here and there al show she doesn't do it frequently but she doesn't want to be heckled. she has to get herself in more of those situations. >> anna, she took a more serious tone when speaking with reporters about the e-mail controversy. however let's listen to how she handled the issue last night at that wing ding dinner. >> you may have seen that i recently launched a snapchat account. [ cheers and applause ] i love it, i love it. those messages disappear all by themselves. [ cheers and applause ] and you know what? it's not about e-mails or servers, either. it's about politics. >> weigh in if you think that was the right way to go. humor has its place but considering how serious it's getting with the justice department and fbi, appropriate? >> i think in that environment, she's making light,ing this something dogging her on the

campaign trail. in the official capacity with her attorneys working with the justice department. what will be interesting here is she started to pivot in her comments to the press saying this isn't about me, this is about the state department, the fbi coulda shoulda woulda is her term. so she's trying to shift the blame that this is something that the agencies are looking at versus her having an e-mail server being the problem. >> okay, erin, i want to talk about bernie sanders with you. later on he will be on the soap box and he came in second place among iowa voters in that recent poll. there's the increased talk about vice president joe biden potentially joining the race. do you think the clinton campaign is worried and should it be about either candidate? >> i think the clinton campaign is not worried about bernie sanders. should they be? a little bit. obviously if he's creeping up on her in iowa and overtakinger

will in new hampshire -- in one poll -- it's clear there is a potential opening for another candidate and that could be joe biden. i know there's been chatter about al gore. i've talked to his loyalists and they think that's funny and that al gore is certainly not going to leave his comfortable life and wade back into this again but joe biden could and he could at this point in time with all the vulnerabilities that clinton is showing right now be a threat to her. i don't think bernie sanders has the organization that's going to carry him over the clinton team in iowa, new hampshire, or anywhere else at the end of the day. but somebody could and the clinton campaign should be worried and they should be working harder to get out those votes. >> anna, very quickly. donald trump arriving by helicopter. your thoughts? does this play well outside of iowa. >> i think donald trump will run the campaign he wants to run and certainly him flying coach isn't going to change anything about what his persona is, how he

comes off. when you talk to people, voters out there they like that he is a straight shooter and says what he thinks and is exactly what washington needs in this kind of dysfunctional era. >> anna palmer and erin mcpike, ladies, good to see you both. we'll have you back again. the republican party is setting its sights on nevada. two hours or so from now governor scott walker and four other candidates will attend basque fry south of rena. it's hosted by the attorney general there, he's the grandson as a former senator and is seen as the rising star in the republican party. we have breaking news to share at this hour. the federal aviation administration is reporting flight delays along the northeast corridor. the faa said it's experiencing a computer outage at its washington center and you can see a gap right there dead center of your screen over the area of leesburg, virginia. that is where flights in terms

of the computer outage are not being monitored there. the outage has affected flights from airports in new york, washington, you have delays of two hours being reported in baltimore. southwest has now joined with american airlines as confirming their flights have been affected. michael sam, the first openly gay player drafted by the nfl, is stepping away from the game to focus on his health. nbc's gatt t nbc's gadi schwartz has that story. >> michael sam! >> reporter: in college, michael sam rumbled with confidence, fast and powerful. he made history as the first openly gay player drafted into the nfl. >> the st. louis rams select michael sam, defensive end, missouri. >> he stunned the football world as he celebrated with a kiss. suddenly the defenseive end was pushed into the spotlight, accepting the arthur ashe award for courage in 2014, the same award caitlyn jenner received this year.

but after being cut by the st. louis rams and disappointment in the canadian football league -- >> one of the challenges for michael sam -- >> friday night michael sam pulled back tweeting: "the last 12 months have been very difficult for me to the point where i became concerned for my mental health. because of this i am going to step away from the game at this time." online, many responded with the same hate sam has faced for years. dr. chris donahue says "an athlete is expected to perform under pressure." >> it takes all your mental health to feel solid and secure and be focused. >> but sam's concerns over his own mental health show he could be facing something more dangerous. >> society is being him down. >> in his tweet he says he hopes toing back on the field soon but experts say that will be tough. >> it's unfortunate but i think in order for it to stake and in order for it to work the next openly gay player will have to be a superstar. >> reporter: but among his supporters, sam's courage and love of football has already

changed the game. gadi schwartz, nbc news. the ripple effect of that mine spill in the west is heading for the nation's capital. that's next.

we want to update you on the massive blast in the chinese port in tianjin. chinese state media is reporting the death toll is up to 104. officials continue to scour the warehouse district for survivors more than two days after the series of explosions rocked the facility which scores dangerous chemicals. hundreds were forced to evacuate the area surrounding the explosion amid fears of chemical contamination. sfw there to colorado where officials say rivers tainted by last week's massive spill from an abandoned gold mine are recovering but the political fallout is far from over.

critics of carbon regulations are using the disaster to skewer the epa, that's the federal agency which actually caused the breach and members of congress say they are planning hearings when they are back from august rece recess. joining me now is the host of green house on shift by msnbc. tony, the president has made climate change and protecting the environment a major part of his presidency. thaw will this spill affect his legacy with environmental policy. >> he would very much like to be the environmental president. he's going to alaska to make a point about climate change and the tool he's used to enact policies that will reduce emissions is the epa. the environmental protection agency. they caused the spill and now the republicans can point to them and they're incompetent, arrogant, they didn't tell people how much they spilled or how safe or not safe it would be. they can say we don't want to give them funding, we want to take the teeth out of this attack dog and that could hurt president obama as he rounds out his legacy here. >> i want to get your reaction to the "new york times" op-ed

saying beyond this disaster lies a national problem "there are 500,000 of these abandoned and unreclaimed mines scattered about the country. according to the epa, the drainage has contaminated roughly 40% of the head quarter areas in western watersheds in other words, there are many similar disasters waiting to happen." what's your reaction? >> it's accurate. the epa said it would cost $50 billion to clean up these problem mines and by the way they're already leeching into rivers. there's a great moment last week when governor hickenlooper drank from the animus river to make a point about how clean it was. even before the spill people weren't recommending you drink from it because the mine was already belching toxins into it. the stakes are big. if the epa can't get support to clean this stuff up it's a ticking time bomb for another one to blow up. >> you mentioned governor hickenlooper, he drank the water with but said "nobody else do this." it was like really?

>> he must have gotten back in his car and and aide whispered and said "it's not that safe to drink." >> maybe one sip and that's all. how about the several gop presidential candidates who came out blasting the epa, including donald trump, who called it as he might do a disgraceful mistake and marco rubio saying it shows how incompetent the agency is, you think this is going to be a leading topic in the presidential campaign? >> if i was working in the epa's press department i would be slapping my forehead as soon as i heard donald trump and marco rubio make those comments because every candidate on the republican side will get this question. but it's also democrats who oppose epa intervention in these minings situations. harry reid for years because nevada is a huge mining state said we won't want heavy regulation, we want the industry to boom. not in this way. >> good point. thank you so much. >> thanks for having me. you can catch "greenhouse" thursdays at noon eastern at theshift.msnbc.com.

we are keeping our eye on the hawkeye straate where donal trump has promised to give free rides on his helicopter. stay with us. ♪ [music] defiance is in our bones. new citracal pearls. delicious berries and cream. soft, chewable, calcium plus vitamin d. only from citracal.

you stay up. you listen. you laugh. you worry. you do whatever it takes to take care of your family. and when it's time to plan for your family's future, we're here for you. we're legalzoom, and for over 10 years we've helped families just like yours with wills and living trusts. so when you're ready, start with us. doing the right thing has never been easier. legalzoom. legal help is here.

no sixth grader's ever sat with but your jansport backpack is permission to park it wherever you please. hey. that's that new gear feeling.

a. as promised, donald trump has made it to the iowa fate stair grounds. let's hear what he has to say. >> nobody has more experience. it's interesting. nobody has more experience dealing with politicians than i do. i've been dealing with them all my life. whether it's big new york city zoning deal which is, by the way, are probably tougher than most of the things i'll deal with with foreign countries. i built a city on the west side of manhattan. talk about getting zoning. getting zoned for trump tower 68 stories on 57th and 5th. i've been dealing with politicians all my life. they're fine. they're wonderful. they're all talk, no action. they're selling this country down the towns and they're easy

to deal with. >> reporter: zoning laws in new york are more difficult -- >> reporter: why don't you think voters care about policy? >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> i don't do that because that paper was, in my opinion, not relevant to me. just not relevant. but i -- and i notice a number of other people aren't speaking there. >> reporter: mr. trump, four years ago -- >> yes, i'm taking questions right now! am i going to take questions -- she just asked -- she just asked am i going to take questions from reporters. am what am i doing? am i taking questions from reporters? they'll tell you i'm taking question t. by the way, unlike hillary. this is unlike hillary, do we aey from? go ahead. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] >> i hadn't heard that. well, i guess that's a compliment in many ways. okay. >> reporter: [ inaudible question ] my concern is enforcing the laws that we already have.

>> you are going to love me in terms of immigration and illegal immigration. we're building a wall. nobody is going through my wall. trump builds wall, i build walls. we're building a wall. it's going to be strong, it will be solid, policed. somebody said they can tunnel under. that's true but with x-ray equipment they can't. you just have to fly a drone over it. they can see that immediately. nobody can go under. nobody's going over it. we'll have a big door for people to come in legally. we'll have a big beautiful door for people to come in legally. i want people to come into the country but they have to come in legally. you'll be very happy with me. >> reporter: would a president trump be the same as candidate trump with foreign leaders? can you imagine yourself -- >> i think even better. >> reporter: telling the ayatollah to jump in a lake? >> i've had great relationships over the years. i've had great relationships with people over the years, i think even better.

i'm doing well, i'm leading in every poll. the little ones, the big ones. i'm leading -- so importantly to me i'm leading in iowa. because when people look at scott walker, his state as a $2.2 billion deficit. he thought -- he was telling people his growth is terrible in terms of the state. and there's tremendous dissension all over the state. but they said they were going to have a big surplus of a billion dollars. well the billion dollar surplus is a $2.2 billion deficit and nobody was willing to say it but me. and i don't want to say it. i would not have said it until he attacked me then i said thank you very much. then i said it. >> reporter: i'm talking about dealing with foreign leaders. >> i'll get along great with foreign leaders. i get along great with them right now. i'm all over the world. i'm building in china. all over the world. i get along great. i will have great -- why? do you think they're getting along good right now? putin can't stand obama. nobody -- who likes obama? i'm talking worldwide.

he's not getting along with anybody and i've said it. hillary clinton was the single worst secretary of state in the history of this country. the world collapsed around us while she was secretary of state. now in my opinion, kerry might be worse. because he's making a deal with iran that is so bad and so dangerous and so incompetent and stupid that it will have grave consequences. >> reporter: what would you do on day one to stop the iranians from getting a nuclear weapon? >> well, you have to be very forceful. very, very forceful. let me just tell you this -- nor can israel. israel was sold out by kerry and obama. you can not let iran have a nuclear weapon. you can't have it. when they march down the streets saying "death to israel, death to the united states." it will not happen. it will not happen, believe me.

>> reporter: mr. trump, you're self-funding your own campaign as a businessman. have you set a budget for this endeavor? >> it's irrelevant. i make $400 million a year so what difference does it make? what i want to do is i want to make the country great. that's all i want to do. my business has been so successful, my children are my executives and they'll run that easily. i won't even care about it. any sole focus will be taking that brain that built a great business with some of the great assets of the world. turn bury in scotland, doral in miami, i have some of the greatest assets in the world. best locations in manhattan. trump tower, 57th and 5th. that's what i do. whatever it is, whatever kind of a brain that is will be used to making our country rich again. trade deal, great trade deals and then making it great. we can't make it great unless we make it rich. we have to bring back the money.

we're a getter nation. we owe $19 trillion. so my whole focus will be this country and making it great. >> reporter: are you going to spend a billion dollars on the election? >> how much? >> reporter: a billion. >> if i had to, yeah. >> reporter: do you think a woman who's been raped. [ inaudible question ] >> yes, i do. >> someone who's the victim of -- >> yes, i do. i have the exceptions and i've been open about that. >> reporter: what's the biggest challenge your campaign makes into the fall and have you made any mistakes so far? >> i don't think i have. everybody time somebody says i made a mistake i do the polls and my numbers go up. look, when i said mexico is sending, i was talking about illegal immigration. the people understood it even though the press didn't want them to. my numbers went up. when i talked about john mccain i was saying how bad he's treated the veterans. because veterans are treated badly. then they do a poll, who do you like better, john mccain or trump, to the veterans, and i swamp him in the l tos. the veterans like me better because they know i'll take care

of them. after 30 years he hasn't taken care of them. and this last thing with fox, i love roger ailes but ask roger ailes who won. i don't think i've made any mistakes. i'm sure i will at some point but so far you would have to say it hasn't worked out badly, right? huh? he's a reporter, he doesn't want to give me an answer. >> reporter: the first lady is -- they're not doing that that to any other candidate. >> i haven't heard that. did you run a profile? she's fantastic. >> what are you going to do differently for this country? >> almost everything. >> reporter: three things. >> you want to know? what things will i do different? almost everything. everything we do is wrong. the military, we're not taking care of the military. not taking care of our vets. we're not taking care of our country, not taking care of our finances. we're not taking care of our trade deals. when was the last time you saw

this country have a victory? we don't have victories. we don't have victories against china in trade. china just devalued their currency. that's the sucking sound. you know what that is? that means jobs and money coming out of our country. what they did with that devaluation, the biggest in two decades, they're killing us. they won't be doing it when i'm watching. i think our people have no idea. do you abee with me? does everybody agree with me? [ cheers and applause ] they're smart, let's give them a helicopter ride. come on, who's going first? where are your parents? >> all right. well donald trump making a lot of promises in that speech but we will say he did make a promise earlier that he would give kids rides on his helicopter. we weren't sure how that would happen but it looks like he's

making good. he said a lot of things, not a lot of details. we learned how he felt about zoning laws being more difficult than dealing with foreign companies and we learned about the location of his trump towers but we don't have details on how he would accomplish all he says he will do. there will be plenty of time to pin him down on more details on his plans, no doubt. we are expecting to touch base with kasie hunt at the iowa state fair. we'll talk with kasie in just a few minutes and we'll see any more news on those cute little helicopter rides free to the kids. we'll take a short break and be right back.

progressive insurance here, and i'm a box who thrives on the unexpected. ha-ha! shall we dine? [ chuckle ] you wouldn't expect an insurance company to show you their rates and their competitors' rates, but that's precisely what we do. going up! nope, coming down. and if you switch to progressive today, you could save an average of over 500 bucks. stop it. so call me today at the number below. or is it above? dismount! oh, and he sticks the landing! thover 65 million years ago.rth like our van. yeah. we need to sell it. hi. need an appraisal? yeah. we do. vo: when selling your car, start with a written offer,

no strings attached. carmax. start here. gotta study those tripadvisor reviews carefully. and now, the tripadvisor you have always trusted for reviews now checks over 200 websites to find the best price. book! book! book! book! ♪ over 200 sites checked to find the best price. so don't just visit tripadvisor, book! at tripadvisor. does all greek yogurt have to be thick? does it all have to be the same? not with new light and fluffy yoplait greek 100 whips! let's whip up the rules of greek! at ally bank no branches equals great rates. it's a fact. kind of like shopping hungry equals overshopping.

(vo)cars for crash survival,ning subaru has developed our most revolutionary feature yet. a car that can see trouble... ...and stop itself to avoid it. when the insurance institute for highway safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. not honda. not ford or any other brand. subaru eyesight. an extra set of eyes, every time you drive. there you see donald trump in his red hat there that says "make america great again" and he is right outside of his helicopter. he promised to give some rides to the kids. we'll see if any adults get on board as well but we know msnbc's kasie hunt is right there adjacent to the helicopter. she was standing next to donald trump as he was delivering his

comments a couple moments ago. what did you take from that, kasie? anything of significance to what he said? any details that he laid out? >> hi, alex, he didn't get into specifics, he was pressed on whether he would release a tax plan -- >> unfortunately we just lost kasie. that's unfort part in. we'll get back to kasie if we can because we want to see if the helicopter takes off with those kids. now, with all the buzz surrounding donald trump's popularity, there's speculation about how his business savvy will transfer to the white house. he certainly know where he stands on immigration and other issues like health care. we're learning about the people he wants in his cabinet. let's listen to that. >> >> look, i don't want to use names. i could say jack welch would be great, carl and and carl type, henry, warren buffett said the nicest things about me the other day, i have great respect for

warren buffett but he said "trump is here to say." >> got some economic giants in that mix. donald trump inherited his father's real estate'm fire the early '70s. he has become a billionaire through his own ventures and the ownership of the miss usa and miss universe pageants. his immigration comments cost him partnerships with nbc universal as well as macy's but he has a long list of previous business failures as well. joining me on the phone is kevin o'leary, co-host of shark tank and cnbc contributor. kevin is chairman of o'leary financial group and was just appointed to serve as a celebrity host for this year's miss america competition. kevin, you're on the phone but we are also keeping an eye on the trump helicopter. we have the trump logo, the name emblazoned front and center what else do you with donald trump, right? kevin? we don't kevin on the phone

right now kasie, how many kids piled in were you able to see? >> alex, as you can see they're starting up the helicopter which is why we had to move fast because the blades were spinning. it's probably difficult for you to hear me right now. there's the first round of kids in the helicopter. another round going shortly after they land so we're going to have to -- maybe we'll talk to a few of them after they get off. trump took a number of questions from reporters. he didn't get too far into policy specifics on things like taxes. he answered a question i asked about abortion he says he supports exceptions for rape and insist. that's become an issue in the republican presidential primary and is an issue especially here in iowa. so we're dealing with the back draft of this helicopter. i'm going to kick it back to you

guys. thanks a lot. >> kasie hunt, not much more to say, the pictures are telling the words right now. the first round of kids are up and running. i'm sure it will be the ride of a lifetime. kasie, we'll check in again. let's get back with kevin o'leary. he's on the phone. we didn't get you hooked up properly. kevin, i'm curious what you think about trump's business savvy, how it applies to politics, how well the skills would transfer should he become president. what do you think? >> well, he does have a track record on wall street of getting things done. he's a ferocious negotiator. he's been through very difficult trials and tribulations in terms of debt over the years. he's gone through bankruptcy, come out of them. so people in the investment community knows him as someone who drives forward and negotiates deals. how easily that translates into a political platform we're all going to learn because every election cycle is unique and

this is unique in two ways. it's starting remarkably early for the republicans. to get this much press and media in debate, for example, because of what trump's brought to the table in terms of just, i guess you'd call it showmanship is remarkable. because the constituency isn't ready to be looking at which leader yet. it's too early. we're in the middle of the summer doldrums yet this is prime time news which is unique for this cycle. secondly super pac money is huge in both parties now and so we all know -- we'll know trump is real when other candidates start aiming their financial cannons at him which hasn't happened yet. most of them are thinking he's just going to go away. >> to your point right there, kevin. hi does not seem to take criticism well. i think that's even an understatement. as a businessman one would think he'd have to be more thick skinned. what do you make of that type of temperament and how that plays in the election.

do you think he may become his own worst enemy? >> one thing about trump that people have negotiated with him and know his team, he doesn't change and so this isn't an act. this is this isn't some different person. so i doubt that's going to -- one or two things is going to occur. he'll just burn out with this platform and people won't take him seriously, which is what every other candidate thinks l happen. the polls say another story. what he's tapped into and those of us investors on wall street realize this, the general constituency -- all parties, for that matter, are pretty frustrated with the political process at this point from both sides. this has been a very, very tough nine years and that anger and frustration of low growth economy, lack of jobs, new cohorts of young people coming in, trump has tapped into that emotionened i think what will happen is other candidates in

both parties will let him run longer, probably let this go through september, october time frame. if it doesn't, they'll have to modify their message to try to solve for things he's bringing fore front. stories about jobs, people care about jobs and growth. regardless of politics you have to like that. i think that's what's different. this is incredibly unique. you and i are talking about that in august. this is unprecedented. >> it sure. is i'm constantly pinching myself and saying is this really happening at this point? you make a very good point with that. i will also say that thanks to donald trump that is why fox got 24 million viewers far debate. here we are in the summer doldrums. donald trump made the point it would be two million without him. do you agree? >> those numbers with television executives prior to this debate they've stunned the industry.

i can tell you that with certainty because i've talked to producers. stunned, unbelievable. thi thinking that, to get those numbers at this time of the year, again, unprecedented so i think the real test will be when will the other candidates turn their financial cannons at trump? they don't want to spend a single dime fighting him. they want him to just go away. they may happen, it may not. but you'll know it's real when you start to see major constituency dollars being spent to fight trump. that's when this thing gets really interesting. if that happens in the september/october time frame, that's what i watch as an investor. that's when i say who's going to make it and who isn't? and this amount of super pac money, again is unprecedented. this is going to be the most expensive election in american history. >> all right, kevin o'leary, great to talk with you.

i'm sure we'll have reason to talk with you again. thanks so much for your time and it's a good time to remind you on tomorrow's "meet the press," this will not be the live picture because donald trump will be in studio speaking directly with chuck todd on "meet the press" face to face. check your local listings for the time it airs in your city. members of the black lives matter movement are making themselves known to presidential candidates to both parties. protesters confronted republican candidate jeb bush during a campaign appearance in nevada yesterday and hillary clinton after a speech in claremont, new hampshire, tuesday met privately with protesters. let's bring in the professor of pan african studies at california state university in los angeles and an organizer for black lives matter which grew out of the acquittal of george zimmerman and the shooting death of trayvon martin. this movement has gained numbers and strength after last august's shooting death of michael brown in ferguson, missouri. great to have you back.

thank you for joining me, mel lena. another week, more disruptions by protesters at the campaign rallies. how effective do you think this tactic has been in getting candidates to recognize the needs of african-americans in this country? >> i think this tactic is a really necessary tactic and it's one of many tactic wes utilize. disrupting spaces that refuse to acknowledge the sanctity of black life, disrupting spaces that refuse to uplift and center the role that the state is playing in oppressing black people is necessary. that said, that's not the only thing we're doing. we're organizing, we are building, envisioning and developing our own visions of what it is we want to have happen in this world. we know this has also been a week marked by state-sanctioned violence right here in los angeles. a woman was just gunned down in the community and so we're doing work around that as well. so we are disrupting candidates and trying to elevate issues are

matters of life and death for us. mel lena, this is going to have to be very short but i want to ask you specifically about dr. ben carson. he's the only african-american in the race for president. he said in new york wednesday that black lives matter advocates are pointing fingers and creating strife. he also said in his opinion the movement should concentrate more on family and faith. what's your reaction? >> well i think that ben carson, that's a very narrow view of what's happening in black america and hopefully he'll become enlightened and gain a broader view and understand the real oppression and repression that we're facing as black folks. black lives matter is not creating strife. we are fighting back against the strife and salt that will is constant in our communities and i think what we're seeing is black people refusing to live under these conditions anymore and recognizing that we have to

stand up and demand something better. >> all right, melina abdullah, good to see you last weekend. sorry about the brevity of this conversation. we'll have you back. thanks so much. >> thank you. she's engaged in an international custody battle over her children. why does this former "gossip girl" star believe the american courts just don't care? that's next. quicker smarter earlier fresher harder and yeah, even on sundays. if that's not what you think of when you think of the united states postal service, watch us deliver.

because 100% whole grain oats are incredibly good for you. because they're heart healthy because they're good for kids.

and granddads and everyone else in the family. everything we do is because of what really matters most. the goodness of oats and the people we love. some neighbors are energy saving superstars. how do you become a superstar? with pg&e's free online home energy checkup. in just under 5 minutes you can see how you use energy and get quick and easy tips on how to keep your monthly bill down and your energy savings up. don't let your neighbor enjoy all the savings. take the free home energy checkup. honey, we need a new refrigerator. visit pge.com/checkup and get started today.

less than an hour from now thousands are expected to attend the chattanooga memorial event. it is set to honor those who died in attack on july 16th. joe biden and ash carter will be attending. it is a day before the one month anniversary of the attacks when a lone gunman opened fire on two military sites in chattanooga, killi killing marines. >> investigators don't know why a tree limb broke but weather

was not a factor. investigators are reminding campers to check out thur surroundings even in designated campsites. >> and a 66-year-old man is recovering after fighting off a black bear. he was able to drive himself to the hospital using survival skills he gained in the marines and with help of his dog bengie. >> he distracted the bear long enough so i could stand up and get out of there. so he was the hero. he saved me. >> the man was able to leave the hospital in a few hours after being admitted. let's go to an overseas custody battle catching attention. a new york judge ordering actress kelly rutherford to send her kids back to her ex-husband back to europe. after refusing to return the kids back to their mother in monaco last week, prompting him

to accuse her of child abduction. they are caught up in a bitter custody battle since the divorce in 2008. caina kennedy is covering this. dana joins us now from paris. so welcome to you, dana. what is the status of the case and why is it confusing because it is hard to understand why the kids live in monaco? >> reporter: it is completely confusing. and the whole situation dates back to a 2012 los angeles court ruling in which the judge decided the kids needs to be in monaco in the south of france with their father who is a german national because his visa was revoked and not allowed back in the country. but this particular order is contingent on him appealing the visa or trying to get another one. what i found that is very odd about this case, alex, there is no hard evidence that has been shown to me that daniel gurrish

cannot enter the u.s. there is not even hard evidence his visa was revoked. it is possible it was. but he is not talking and neither are his lawyers. and it makes it tough for reporters covering the case because we are shamed online from being fed information from kelly rutherford's camp but we can't get anything from her ex-husband. and i've reviewed 100 court documents ant the more i like into this case and this guy the more i go down a rabbit hole, inconsistencies, being nice about it, shell companies, nothing is what it seems with this guy. >> so look, we know who kelly rutherford is, she is out there and an actress. we don't know who daniel gir sh is. he is a businessman and ex-husband. what do you know about him? >> the fact that we don't know much about him plays in his

favor. the headline is poor kelly rutherford, that nut job actress who tried to get her kids kidnapped and keep them away from her ex-husband. this mysterious businessman, he is notorious in german, and people there say, quote, according to media accounts, he destroyed some people's lives by suing them over trademark litigation. a lot of small businessmen have told me they were sued for 25,000 euros and 10,000 euros there. so when i look into this, and the court documents about how exactly he entered the u.s. which was on a work visa, alex, which is given only to people who have literally what homeland security calls extraordinary talent, nothing adds up, because he is really an internet businessman. not that i've been able to find out exactly what he does for a living and exactly if he's ever really drawn a salary anywhere.

i'm being deliberately vague in a way because it is difficult to go on the record and say anything completely clear because everything about him is so unclear. an outside investigator in the case and there is one actually, he said it is trying to grab hold of water with this guy. very, very hard to figure it out. >> interesting. dana, i have 30 seconds to finish this. do you think it is likely kelly rutherford will get her kids back to the u.s. for more than just somers and holidays? >> i absolutely don't know. right now, he's winning the media campaign. it is almost like it is the reverse of gone girl. it is kind of like gone boy. and again, i would like to talk to him and hear his side but he is like the amy dunn in this saga, he is like gone boy. >> and this whole story this week, is that the cover. >> barring anything else, it should be a fantastic cover story in people and many other

outlets. >> i know you are contributing to that. dana kennedy, thank you so much. that is a wrap up with "weekends with alex witt." coming up next, "caught on camera." have a great weekend. see you tomorrow. you laugh. you worry. you do whatever it takes to take care of your family. and when it's time to plan for your family's future, we're here for you. we're legalzoom, and for over 10 years we've helped families just like yours with wills and living trusts. so when you're ready, start with us. doing the right thing has never been easier. legalzoom. legal help is here. pubut to get from theand yoold way to the new,d. you'll need the right it infrastructure. from a partner who knows how to make your enterprise more agile, borderless and secure.

hp helps business move on all the possibilities of today. and stay ready for everything that is still to come. if an electric toothbrush was going to clean better than a manual. he said sure... but don't get just any one. get one inspired by dentists. with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head cups your teeth to break up plaque, and rotates to sweep it away. and oral-b delivers a clinically proven superior clean vs. sonicare diamond clean. my mouth feels super clean. oral-b. know you're getting a superior clean. i'm never going back to a manual brush.

i can offer you no interest sittifor 24 months.oday thanks to the tools and help at experian.com, i know i have an 812 fico score, so i definitely qualify. so what else can you give me? same day delivery.

the ottoman? thank you. fico scores are used in 90% of credit decisions. so get your credit swagger on. go to experian.com, become a member of experian credit tracker, and take charge of your score. security cameras roll as innocent bus passengers dodge a barrage of bullets. >> these people are absolutely terrified. it's just utter panic. an airborne race car flies directly at a cameraman. >> this went from really cool to this sucks, like bam! >> you okay, girl? a pilot runs out of fuel and crash lands in the pacific. >> at those speeds, it's like hitting a brick wall. powerful tornadoes. >> it's throwing 18-wheelers. this is something i have never seen before. >> target a small town. >> oh, my gosh, dude! it's headed right toward us. >> devastating everythin