be awarding the medal of honor to the first living service members from the wars in afghanistan and iraq. i'm tamron hall. the "news nation" is following developments at the white house happening now. president obama is preparing to award the nation's highest military decoration to 26-year-old staff sergeant salvador giunta. his squad was split in two during an ambush back in 2007. while describing the attack he said he saw more bullets than stars that night, and despite the heavy fire, he was able to pull a fellow soldier back to cover and rescue another who was being dragged away by members of the taliban. norah o'donnell joins me now. norah, we often hear proud to be an american. and this is one of those moments where you see someone like salvador giunta and it does make you so proud. >> that's right. he is an american hero, although he is a very modest one who does not think he is deserving of this medal of honor, which as

you know is the most prestigious honor that the military can bestow of one of its own. that's why president obama, the commander in chief gives this honor to staff sergeant giunta. the key date, october 25th, 2007, in afghanistan. known as the valley of death. a place that soldier who is have served there call it hell on earth. trying to defend against taliban insurgents, and if you know the story about what happened to staff sergeant giunta's platoon, you know it was a difficult one, and that's why the president is going to award him this medal of honor for extreme bravery. let's listen here. >> okay, norah, we're going to bring in jack jacobs. he's here with us now. he's a medal of honor recipient, a great man all around, and you wrote about honoring this hero. you said one morning a little

more than 40 years ago four of us marched with the president from the oval office into the blinding sunshine, and then you carry us to the story of the day you were honored with the medal of honor. >> the most striking thing about the whole ceremony is it happened to be outside, and it was a beautiful day. the security was very much different then than it is today. they opened up the gates to the white house grounds, and anybody who wanted to could come and watch the ceremony. there were thousands of people as far as you can see. today they're going to hold it in the east room of the white house. they won't hold it outside because of security. and all the medals of honor that have been awarded in recent memory have been in the east room. >> salvador giunta spoke with brian williams in an interview proceeding this ceremony. i want to play what he said and what he thinks of this occasion. >> there's no way i can wear the medal of honor for myself. i can't. it's too big for me. i can't bear that myself.

it's not for me. if i'm going to be the one that's up there and gets it, but by no means is that mine. i'm just the one there at that time. it's for all these people, from iraq and afghanistan. all these unsung heros. >> and his remarks remind us of what you wrote. we wear the honor less for ourselves than those who can't. >> if you talk to any medal of honor recipient, he'll tell you the same thing. he doesn't wear it for himself. he wears it for those who can't, those who didn't come back. many more people were also valorous on the field of battle. >> he was 25 when this incident happened. he's 27 now. >> he seems really young to me. >> but you were 23. >> i was 23 at the time. my father served in the second world war. he was 26. they called him the old man. >> we are watching now. let's toss to this even happening now.

president obama is about to approach. let's watch this moment in our history. >> let us pray. all mighty and merciful god in whom we place our trust. we invite your holy presence as we gather as a nation to honor the extraordinary actions above and beyond the call of duty render by staff sergeant salvador giunta. an american soldier, patriot and hero. our hearts resonate with the theme of heros prove in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life may our remembrance of sal's combat actions three years ago in afghanistan inspire all americans with great pride and humility that we have selfless warriors like sal living among us today. as we hear the account of his

heroic actions on 25 october 2007, may we also remember that all of our armed forces and those who stand in war today. through az courageous actions against the enemy and his devotion to save a fellow comrade, may we recommit ourselves to selfless service. calls forged among soldiers during combat to inspire renewed unity in our own land, especially during times of crisis and conflict. as we celebrate this special day with sal's wife jen, his parents, his brother mario, his sister katie, may we remember all military families who await the safe return home of their loved ones, and finally as we pause to rib the many freedoms we enjoy as a nation, let us never to give thanks more than we do right now to those especially who played the glorious liberty with which we enjoyed to the very blood, sweat and tears. this we pray. in your holy name. amen.

>> good afternoon, everybody. please be seated. on behalf of michelle and myself, welcome to the white house. and thank you, chaplain carver for that beautiful invocation. of all the the privileges that come with serving as president of the united states, i have none greater than serving as commander in chief of the finest military that the world has ever known. and of all the military decorations that a president and a nation can bestow, there is none higher than the medal of honor. now today is particularly special. since the end of the vietnam war the medal of honor has been awarded nine times for -- we we

unable to present this declaration to the recipients themselves because each gave his life, his last full measure of devotion for our country. indeed as president i have presented the medal of honor three times, and each time to the families of a fallen hero. today, therefore, marks the first time in nearly 40 years that the recipient of the medal of honor for an ongoing conflict has been able to come to the white house and accept this recognition in person. it is my privilege to present our nation's highest military decoration, the medal of honor to a soldier as humble as he is heroic, staff sergeant giunta.

now i'm going to go off script here for a second, and say i really like this guy. [ applause ] i i think anybody -- we all just get a sense of people. and who they are. and when you neat sal and you meet his family, you are just absolutely convinced that this is what america is all about. and it just makes you proud. and so this is a joyous occasion for me, something that i have been looking forward to. and the medal of honor reflects the gratitude of an entire nation, so we are also joined by several members of congress, including both senators and

several representatives from staff sergeant giunta's home state of iowa. we are also joined by leaders from across my administration and the department of defense, including the secretary of defense, robert gates, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral mike mullen, where is mike? army secretary and chief of staff george casey. we are esly honored to be joined by staff sergeant giunta's fellow soldiers. his teammates second of the 503rd of the 173rd airborne brigade and several members of the rarest fraternities that now welcomes it into its ranks, the medal of honor society. please give them a big round of applau

applause. [ applause ] >> we also welcome the friends and family who made staff sergeant giunta into the man that he is, including his lovely wife jenny and his parents steven and rosemary, as well as his siblings who are here. it was his mother who apparently taught him as a small boy in small town iowa how to remove the screen from his bedroom window in case of fire. what she didn't know is by teaching sal to jump from his bedroom and sneaking off in the dead of night, she was unleashing a future paratrooper, who would one day fight this the rugged mountains of afghanistan 7,000 miles away.

during the first of his two tours of duty in afghanistan, staff sergeant giunta was forced early onto come to terms with the loss of comrades and friends. his team leader said you got to try to do everything you can when it's your time to do it. you just got to do everything you can when it's your time to do it. salvador giunta's time came on october 25th, 2007. he was a specialist then, just 22 years old. sal his platoon were several days into a mission in the most dangerous valley in northeast afghanistan. light was enough to travel by without using the night vision goggles. with heavy gear on their backs

and air support overhead, they made their way down a rocky ridge crest among a range so steep that sliding was easier than walking. they hadn't travel ad quarter mile before the silence was shattered. it was an ambush so close that the cracks of the guns and the wiz of the bullets were simultaneous. tracer fire hammered the ridge at hundreds of rounds per minute. more sal said later, than the stars in the sky. the apache gun ships above saw it all but couldn't engage with the enemy so close to our soldiers. the next platoon heard the shooting, but were too far away to join the fight in time. and the two lead men were hit by enemy fire and knocked down insta instantly. when the third was struck in the helmet and fell to the ground, sal charged headlong into the wall of bullets to pull him to

safety behind what little cover there was. as he did, sal was hit twice. one round slamming into his body armor, the other shattering a weapon slung across his back. they were pinned down and two wounded americans still lay up ahead, so sal and his comrades regrouped and counter attacked. they threw grenades, using the explosions as cover to run forward, shooting at the flashes still erupting from the trees. then they did it again. and again. throwing grenades, charging ahead. finally, they reached one of their men. he had been shot twice in the leg, but he had kept returning fire until his gun jammed. as another soldier tended to his wounds, sal sprinted ahead, at every step meeting relentless enemy fire with his own. he krepsed the hill alone with no cover but the dust kicked up

by the storm of bullets still biting into the ground. there he saw sa chilling sight, the silhouette ls s of two insurgents carrying the other soldier away, who happened to be one of sal's best friends. he never broke stride. he leapt forwards, he took aim, he killed one of the insurgents, and wounded the other, who ran off. sal found his friend alive, but badly wounded. sal had saved him from the enemy. now he had to try to save his life. even as bullets impacted all around him, sal dragged his friend by the vest and dragged him to cover. for half an hour he worked to stop the bleeding and helped his friend breathe until the medevac arrived. with the battle over, first platoon picked up their gear and resumed their march through the valley. they continued their mission.

it had been as intense and violent a fire fight as any soldier will experience. by the time it was finished, every member of first platoon had shrapnel or a bullet hole in their gear. five were wounded, and two gave their lives. sal's friend, sergeant joshua c. brennan, and the platoon medic, specialist mendosa. the parents of joshua and hugo are here today. and i know that there are no words that even three years later can ease the ache in your hearts or repay the debt that america owes to you, but on behalf of a grateful nation, let me express profound thanks to your son's service and their sacrifice, and could the parents of joshua and hugo please stand briefly. [ applause ]

[ applause ] now, i already mentioned i like this guy, sal. and as i found out myself when i first spoke with him on the phone, and when we met in the oval office today, he is low key guy, a humble guy, and he doesn't seek the limelight, and he'll tell you that he didn't do anything special, that he was just doing his job. that any of his brothers in the unit would do the same thing. in fact, he just lived up to what his team leader instructed

him to do years before. you do everything you can. staff sergeant giunta repeatedly and without hesitation, you charged forward through extreme enemy fire, embodying the warrior ethos that says i will never leave a fallen comrade. your actions disrupted a devastating ambush before it could claim more lives. your courage prevented the capture of an american soldier, and brought that soldier back to his family. you may believe that you don't deserve this honor, but it was your fellow soldiers who recommended you for it. in fact, your commander specifically said in his recommendation that you lived up to the standards of the most decorated american soldier of world war ii, audi murphy, who famously repelled an overwhelming enemy attack by himself for one simple reason, they were killing my friends.

that's why sal giunta risked his life for his fellow soldiers. because they would risk their lives for him. that's what fueled his bravery. not just the urgent impulse to have their backs, but the absolute confidence that they had his. one of them, sal has said, of these young men that he was with, he said, they are just as much of me as i am. they are just as much of me as i am. # so i would ask sal's team, all of battle company who were with him that day to please stand and be recognized as well. [ applause ]

[ applause ] >> gentlemen, thank you for your service. we're all in your debt, and i'm proud to be your commander in chief. please be seated. these are the soldiers of our armed forces. highly trained, battle hardened, each with specialized roles and responsibilities, but all with one thing in common, they volunteered. in an era when it's never been more tempting to chase personal ambition or narrow self interest, they chose the opposite. they felt a tug. they answered a call.

they said i'll go. and for the better part of a decade they have endured tour after tour in difficult places. they have protected us from danger. they have given others the opportunity to earn a better and more secure life. they are the courageous men and women serving in afghanistan even as we speak. they keep clear focus on their mission. to deny safe haven for terrorists who would attack our country, to break the back of the taliban insurgency, to build the afghan's capacity to defend themselves. they possess the steely solve to see their mission through. they are made of the same strong stuff as the troops in this room, and i am absolutely confident that they will continue to succeed in the missions that we give them in afghanistan and beyond. after all, our brave servicemen and women and their families have done everything they've been asked to do.

they have been everything that we've asked them to be. if i am a hero, sal has said, then every man who stands around me, every woman in the military, every person who defends this country is. and he's right. this medal today is a testament to his uncommon valor, but also to the parents and the community that raised him. the military that trained him. and all the men and women who served by his side. all of them deserve our enduring thanks and gratitude. they represent a small fraction of the american population, but they and the families who await their safe return carry far more than their fair share of our burden. they fight half way around the globe, but they do it in hopes that our children and our

grandchildren won't have to. they are the very best part of us. they are our friends, our family, our neighbors, our classmates, our coworkers. they are why our banner still waves, our founding principles still shine, and our country, the united states of america still stands as a force for good all over the world. so, please join me in welcoming staff sergeant salvatore a. giunta for the reading of the citation. >> the president of the united states of america authorized by active congress march 3rd, 1863 has awarded in the name of congress the medal of honor to

then specialist salvatore a. giunta, the united states army. specialist giunta distinguished himself by galantry and the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty with an armed enemy in afghanistan on october 25th, 2007. while conducting patrol his team leader with company b., second battalion airborne, specialist giunta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. while under heavy enemy fire, specialist giunta spang towards cover and engaged the enemy. seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing he had been injured, he raced towards his squad leader helping to deliver aid. fire struck his body armor and

his secondary weapon. without regard, specialist giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers separated from the squad, specialist giunta and his team encounterred a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. upon reaching the wounded soldiers, specialist giunta realized another soldier was separated. he then advanced forward on his own initiative. as he crested the top of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an american soldier. he immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. upon reaching the wounded soldier, he gaj to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. his courageness under extreme

enemy fire was integral to his platoon's ability to recover a fellow american soldier from the enemy. specialist salvatore a. giunta's selflessness above the call of duty are in keeping the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, company b., second battalion airborne, 503rd infantry and the united states army. [ applause ]

[ applause ] >> let us pray. great and loving god as we conclude this ceremony, keep us mindful of your call to each of us to devote ourselves, even our very lives on behalf of others. may staff sergeant sal giunta's courageous actions kpaj and

inspire all of us to do the same for our fellow citizens for generations to come. please give sal and jen great wisdom and strengthen their new responsibilities and roles that lie before them. may they continue to meet them all with dignity, honor, courage and mu millty, may your devine faith and wisdom rest on our president and all the national leaders they strive together to lead and serve our great country. god bless the members of our armed services and glod bless america, we pray in your holy name, amen. >> thank you so much, everybody. let's give sal one last big round of applause. # [ applause ] >> receiving the action he so

deserves, president obama awarding the medal of honor to staff sergeant salvatore giunta. only 25 years old. here with me still, also a medal of honor recipient. you wrote when you received the medal of honor there are 400. now there are 87. >> i remember recipients from the boxer rebellion. jimmy dolittle, all gone now. the next oldest recipient from sergeant giunta is more than twice his age. >> how do you think he feels at this moment here? with the wars and iraq and afghanistan, both controversial wars. great debates still continue on whether we should have boots on the ground. we dochl they are fighting for

us. this is an example. he lost his comrades. he lost family members, essentially, on the battlefield. >> everybody in combat loses family members and loses friends. it's interesting that there's a real dichotomy. on one hand we're talking politics, fighting wars, do we or don't we fight the war. do we withdraw? do we send more guys in there? those things are not at the top of the list of things that are important to people on the the ground. we fight to defend the country, and our troops are fighting to accomplish the mission when most of all they fight for each other. >> we emphasize he's the first living recipient of the modedalf honor since vietnam. he honored three already. how big is this moment that this young man we are able to see him living, breathing and hear his story and see and witness him receive this honor? >> he's the embodiment of the a

valor of the men and women out there today fighting for all of usful he himself is going to be a bit overwhelmed for a while. it's a difficult thing to wear, because you're not wearing it for yourself. you're wearing it for all those who can't. >> really quickly, you have something in your pocket. have to let the audience see this. >> i have mine in my pocket. >> he has in his pocket -- >> i brought it today. >> in his pocket his medal of honor. we deserved. we'll be right back with more news here on "news nation." diarrhea and constipation. ...and? it helped balance her colon. oh, now that's the best part. i love your work. [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. i love your work. having the right real estate agent on your side is more important than ever. at remax.com, you can find the experts you need, whether you're trying to sell of hoping to buy. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today.

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about you. let's start with the obvious. william, where did you propose? when, how, and kate, what did you say? >> it was about three weeks ago in kenya. we had a little private time away together with some friends, and i just decided that it was the right time really. we've been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn't a massively big sur prize, but i took her up somewhere nice in kenya and proposed. >> it was have romantic. there's a true romantic in there. >> and you said yes, obviously. >> of course, yes. >> and you knew you were going to do this from day one of the whole day? >> i had been planning it for a while. but as ever guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. so i was planning it and it felt really right in africa. it was beautiful at the time. i wanted to share my romantic side. >> kate, you've been on hold for a while. did you see this coming? was he getting nervous?

>> no, not at all. because we were out there with friends and things, so i really didn't expect it at all. i thought he might have sort of maybe thought about it, but no. it was a total shock when it came. and very excited. >> did you get the ring? >> yeah, i had been carrying it around with me in my rock sack for three weeks before that. i did not let it go. i knew if it disappeared i would be in a lot of trouble. i planned it. it went fine. you hear horror stories about proposing. but it went really, really well. i was very pleased she said yes. >> and it's a family ring. >> it's a family ring, yes. it's my mother's engagement ring, so i thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not around to share, so this is my way of keeping her sort of close to it all. >> i guess we better have a look at it. what kind of ring is it? >> i'm not an expert at all. i'm informed it's a sapphire and diamonds. i'm sure everyone recognizes it

from previous times. >> it's beautiful. >> you're going to be envy of many. >> well, i just hope i look after it. >> if she loses it she's in big trouble. >> it had to be said, you both look incredibly happy and relaxed. >> we are. we are. we're like sort of ducks. we're sort of very very calm under the surface but feet going under the water. we've been talking about it for a long time. for us it's a real relief and it's nice to be able to tell everybody. it's been difficult keeping it to ourselves for a few weeks for reasons we had to. and it's really nice to chat with everyone. >> and you obviously have kept it a secret. what did you say? what zid your respective parents said when you told them? >> i was attorney between asking kate's dad first and the realization that he may say no. so i managed to speak to mike, sort of soon after it happened

really, and then it sort of happened from there. >> kate, what did your mom say? >> well, i think, as any mother would be, she was absolutely over the moon. and had quite an awkward situation because i knew, and i knew that william had asked my father, but i didn't know if my mother knew. i came back from scotland, and my mother didn't make it clear to me whether she knew or not. so both of us were there sort of looking at each other and feeling quite awkward about it. it was amazing to tell her. and obviously she was very happy for us. >> one thing that's been clear for ha long time is you very evidently have a close-knit family, and family is very important to me. >> yes, it's very important to me. and i hope we'll be able to have a happy family ourselves. they been great over the years

helping me with difficult times. we see a lot of each other, and, you know, they're very, very dear to me. >> people are bound to ask, you know, it's a bit of an obvious question but, children. do you want lots of children? >> i think we'll take it one step at a time. we'll get over the marriage thing first and then maybe look at the kids. obviously we want a family. we'll have to start thinking about that. >> going back to the start, because people will be very curious about the totality of your relationship. when did you first set eyes on each other, and what did you think? >> well, it's a long time ago now. but we met at the university of st. andrews. we were friends for over a year first, and it just sort of blossomed from then on. we just spent more time with each other, had a good giggle, had lots of fun. she has a nice sense of humor,

which helps me because i have a dry sense of humor. so it's fun. we had a good laugh. >> kate, what did you think of william? he's clearly not quite the same as meeting your average, you know, maybe it was. i don't know. what was your first impression? >> i went bright red, feeling very shy about meeting you, and actually william wasn't there for quite a bit of the time. initially he wasn't there. so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other. but we did become close friends from quite early on. >> there's a story that you had a picture of him as your wall as a child. >> he wishes. no. i had the levis guy on my wall. not a picture of william, sorry. >> it was me in levis, obviously. >> so you ended up sort of in

the same flat. if you don't mind me asking before you were going out? >> no, we had been together as friends. we lived with others as well. and it just sort of blossomed from there really. we just saw more of each other and hung out a bit more. >> a you're obviously going to enter this family the most famous royal family in the world. william's mother was this massive iconic figure. is it worrying? is it intimidating? do you think about that a lot, both of you, you particularly kate? >> well, obviously, i would love to have met her. and -- and she's obviously, she's an inspirational woman to look up to. obviously, to this day and going forward and things -- you know, it's a wonderful family.

they have achieved a lot and very inspirational. yeah, i do. >> it's about carving your own future. no one is trying to fill my mother's shoes. it's about making your own future and destiny. kate will do a very good job of that. >> this is a life in the public domain. you agree you can't escape. you both know that. you know it better than kate does. you're very protective of her. >> massively so. her and her family. i want to make sure they have the best guidance and chance to see what life is like in the family. it's almost why i have been waiting this long. i wanted to give her a chance to see and to back out if she needed to. i'm trying to learn from lessons in the past. and i just wanted to give her the best chance to settle in and

see what happens on the other side. >> and i'm also glad that i've had the time to sort of grow and understand myself more as well. so hopefully, hopefully we did a good job. >> there you have it. the first interview since announcing their engagement. prince william and his long time girlfriend, now fiancee kate middleton. a two-year investigation of congressman charlie rangel coming to an end. the veteran democrat is found guilty of breaking ethics rules. plus criticism surrounding facebook founder's donation to newark schools. [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16.

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congressman charlie rangel will face. just this morning he was convicted by a house ethics panel of 11 of the 13 ethics violations he was accused of. they include financial and fund raising misconduct. luke russert joins us from capitol hill. what is the range of punishment rangel is facing? >> reporter: after a two-year investigation after the possible wrong doings of charlie rangel, it only took a few hours by his house colleagues that serve on the house ethics committee. it will now go to a sanctions hearing where the committee that tried him will make a recommendation o the ethics committee of what his punishment will be. the ethics committee will take a vote on that. they will put it to a full house if they deem it should. the worst thing that could happen is expulsion. if that would occur, two-thirds of the house would have to agree. there could be a reprimand, or he could be told to pay a fine.

there could be instructions for him to write a letter admitting he was wrong. it will be interesting to see, tamron, what punishment they will give and whether or not they will make the house go to a full vote. the original committee that investigating him recommended a reprimand for mr. rangel. the last one happened in 1997 by a man by the name of newt gingrich, who got in trouble for using government sources for the college class that he was teaching back then. it remains to be seen what exactly will happen with rangel. a decision in terms of punishment could happen by the end of the week. that was the original goal of the committee to adjourn this coming friday. they're moving at a very fast pace with the house ethics committee. but he'll get a punishment soon. >> and no official comment from charlie rangel today. >> not at all. ea had no comment for reporters, and we don't expect to hear anything from him in the next few days. >> luke, thank you, greatly. and the day before thanksgiving is already a nightmare for travelers. there's a massive effort under

way that could make the situation worse. grass roots group are appalled by the new x-ray machines and pat down procedures now in place at most of the nation's airports. they are setting up a series of protests. james babb is cofounder of we won't fly. he joins me now from pennsylvania. thanks for joining me, james. >> thank you. >> so you have people terrified who plan to travel the day before thanksgiving. as i set it up. it's already a nightmare. you and other lgs could make it worse. is it worst it to, i guess, protest in this manner? >> well, we won't fly is a glass roots response to the new invasive procedures that the tsa is imposing on travelers. those are including virtual strip searches, radiation, and you may opt out, but they will suggest you to an intimate groping. this is totally outrageous.

so what we're encouraging passengers to do is to opt out. as part of national opt out day november 24th. passengers are encouraged to opt out of the groping and the radiation. if you can possible avoid it, find another means of transportation, avoid the airport, avoid the airlines. let the airlines know that we're not going to be abused for the privilege of purchasing their services. >> you're saying in advance make your decision. you're not saying go to the airport and create chaos and make long lines longer, right? >> well, the best choice is not put your family at risk of sexual assault or radiation. if you must travel, we're asking passengers -- >> hang on. you said sexual assault. so you believe these pat downs are equal to sexual assault, is that what you're say sng. >> absolutely. you can read the tsa manuals.

they're instructed to put hands between legs, make contact with testicles and feel around breasts. in other circumstance this would clearly be sexual assault. as a dad, the thought of this happening the to my own family is completely outrageous. >> here's the difference is you do have the option of you point out, as opting out of this. you don't have to fly. sexual assault is not an option. so the comparison may strike some as a little extreme to get your point across what about the overall safety. the most immediate is the christmas day attempted bombing. the goal is to make all of us safer. what about those who say, listen, i get your point. i get that you are concerned. in the end it's about safety, making sure that you are cleared and the person sitting next to you are cleared to be on the flight for all of our safety.

>> unfortunately it has nothing to do with security. it's all about security theater. the soon to be new chairman of the transportation and infrastructure sub committee is calling it theater. many experts are saying this has nothing to do with keeping us safe. it may not have even done anything to prevent the underwear bomber. it may not detected that. many airports around the world have tested this and rejected the technology, including israel, who has real threats. italy is rejecting it. there's a million ways to make security better. >> it's an ongoing conversation, as you point out. we'll continue to have it. thank you for your time. "you just beat the widow-maker." i was put on an aspirin, and it's part of my regimen now. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. go see your doctor now.

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time for today's news nation gut check. it's been six weeks since

facebook founder mark zuckerberg announced a $100 million donation to reform schools in newark, new jersey. there's already an agreement about how the money should be spent. $1 million is supposed to go towards asking 90,000 residents for suggestions on how to improve the schools. i'm joined by chairman of the new jersey state assembly education committee and someone upset that a million dollars could be going to basically a questionnaire, right? >> correct. it consistents of five simple questions. it's very basic simple questions. >> and you believe this is not necessary? >> i can give you the outcome of the survey before it's conducted. obviously parents do have an important input. the nature of the school building helped. it's a regrettable way to start off something with such hope. >> have you been vocal in your opposition? have you gone to the mayor and others to express your concern about the way money is being

spent? >> it just hit the press at the end of last week. i'm not certain what the mayor's reaction to this would be. >> what are you doing to take this to the next level to get the word out? >> well, the sad aspect of it is the money has virtually already been spent. about half has been spent on salaries and also on advertising campaigns. so, sadly it appears the horse may have left the barn, but we better make sure that the remaining horses stay in the barn. >> this is an interesting part of the debate. patrick, thank you for coming on and saying at least your side of it. what does your gut tell you. should newark spend $1 million of the facebook donation that would ask parents what they think of the situation? go to newsnation.msnbc.com to cast your vote. i'm tamron hall. thanks so much for joining us. cenk uygur picks up the coverage after a quick break. commission-s with a difference-- commission-s more choice.

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