i'm alex witt. we're giving you a look at things on the ground in boston and from the air as there are two tremendous rallies scheduled. they are going to meet in the boston commons and that is when police have some concern about what could happen next. speaking of you next, those of you tuning in to watch "velshi & ruhle," we're going to stay with our breaking news and it will be rescheduled at another time. let's bring in jim cavanaugh right now, msnbc analyst.

stay with alex witt for the latest in this breaking news story. >> all right, joy reid, thank you very much for the handoff, i appreciate it. welcome everybody, i'm alex w t witt. it is noon on the east coast, 9:00 a.m. out west but look at what we are seeing right now. joy and her team have been covering this. we have maya rodriguez who's making her way to a phone to speak with us. she's been right in the middle of this as well. this is hot and heavy activity that's been going on since last night. to give you a little bit of background, it was originally a rally that was organized to protest the removal of a robert e. lee statue from emancipation park. that is the park to which protesters were scheduled to march. however, with this kind of disruption what has happened is you have the charlottesville city police as well as the virginia state police all saying this now constitutes unlawful assembly. that is what has been declared at this charlottesville rally, so consequently the rally we presume has been officially cancelled. what we're told is that those who were making their way to e

>> good morning everyone i'm alex witt here at msnbc headquarters in new york. here's what's happening we have new details and reaction today to the white nationalist rally which turned deadly in charlottesville, virginia. crowds stood in solitary with the victims of the violence that broke out. the justice department have opened a civil rights investigation in the attack. five people injured in the car attack remain in criminal condition. jeff sessions put out a statement, when such actions arise from bigotry and hatred, they cannot be tolerated. >> 20-year-old james alex fields jr. is charged with that car crash. let's go to nbc's mia rodriguer. good morning to you. what's going on? >> reporter: it is much quieter this morning a stark different to the violence we saw yesterday. things were quiet overnight as well according to authorities. we want to warn you now some of the images you're about to see may be disturbing. a day of demonstration turns violent then deadly. a car plowing into a crowd of people protesting the unite the right rally. the chaotic scene

. >>> welcome back, everyone, i'm am exwi alex witt. here's what we're monitoring for you. it's all about hurricane harvey, which is wreaking havoc in texas, though it has now weakened to a category 1 storm. however, it is still threatening to bring catastrophic flooding. rainfall in some areas already totals more than 20 inches and that could double by wednesday. among the cities hardest hit, rockport, texas. this video here showing some of the trail of wreckage that storm is leaving behind. this as the city of victoria is added to the list of cities in the region that are now under a water boil notice. while the number of people facing power outages is now topping 300,000. nbc's katie beck is in victoria. katie is joining me by phone right now. katie, talk about the damage you're seeing from the hurricane where you are. >> reporter: hey, alex. damage here structurally is pretty minimal. but the flooding is going to be extensive here. it's creeping closer and closer to the edge of the road. if this continues roads will be submerged. seeing a lot of downed power lines which

i'm alex witt. we're giving you a look at things on the ground in boston and from the air as there are two tremendous rallies scheduled. they are going to meet in the boston commons and that is when police have some concern about what could happen next. speaking of you next, those of you tuning in to watch "velshi & ruhle," we're going to stay with our breaking news and it will be rescheduled at another time. let's bring in jim cavanaugh right now, msnbc analyst. jim, you were with me last weekend as we talked based on your background and your work with police and profiling and all of that. we talked about what happened in charlottesville and while there were police on the scene there, let's put it this way to put it mildly, their efficacy was pretty poor until it was too late. it would seem like boston has taken a cue from that and said we are not going to let that happen here. we keep hearing about 500 police officers there, and everyone with whom i've spoken this last half hour has said it seems

at half past the hour, i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters. "velshi & ruhle" will air later on this afternoon. we are staying on the air with this breaking news from charlottesville, virginia, as you're seeing a profound police presence. it is stronger than what we have been able to capture with our cameras since earlier in this day when things got very heated as a result of a rally that was supported by white nationalists, white supremacists, members of the kkk all trying to march to emancipation park where their noon rally which has now been cancelled due to unlawful assembly rulings, they were protesting the removal of the robert e. lee statue there. there were all sorts of people coming out in force as well supporting anti-fascism and that is when things got very heated. this is the virginia state police. we've seen the charlottesville police and to a degree the university of virginia campus police. we know one of those officers was injured earlier today and it's not hard to see why. some of the pictures we have been able to show you, you

i'm alex witt thanks for watching.'ll cede the next couple of hours to ali velshi, he picks up our coverage of hurricane harvey with the rising flood watters. see you back here at noon eastern. during our made to move 2017 clearance event, you can do endless online research. or, you can take advantage of our best offer ever on an xt5. don't wait. our 2017 models will be moving fast. you can drive a car... or you can drive a cadillac. come in now before the end of our made to move 2017 clearance event and leave with the perfect cadillac xt5 for your next adventure. choose a low mileage lease on this xt5 for around $339 per month. can make anyone slow downt and pull up a seat to the table. that's why she takes the time to season her turkey to perfection, and make stuffing from scratch. so that you can spend time on what really matters. marie callender's. it's time to savor. and when youod sugar is a replace one meal... choices. ...or snack a day with glucerna... ...made with carbsteady... ...to help minimize blood sugar

i'm alex witt.n boston and from the air as there are two tremendous rallies scheduled. they are going to meet in the boston commons and that is when police have some concern about what could happen next. speaking of you next, those of you tuning in to watch "velshi & ruhle," we're going to stay with our breaking news and it will be rescheduled at another time. let's bring in jim cavanaugh right now, msnbc analyst. jim, you were with me last weekend as we talked based on your background and your work with police and profiling and all of that. we talked about what happened in charlottesville and while there were police on the scene there, let's put it this way to put it mildly, their efficacy was pretty poor until it was too late. it would seem like boston has taken a cue from that and said we are not goi

i'm alex witt here at headquarters in new york.hite nationalists are expected to gather for a unite the right rally in virginia. you're looking at video at an event where counterprotesters showed up. >> we have skirmishes between unite the right and counterprotesters. this is emancipation park. it used to be called robert e. lee park. his statue is still in there. it's part of the public debate about what to do with confederate monuments. violence erupting overnight at the university of virginia as far right protesters faced off with counterprotesters, the white nationalists swinging tiki torches, tensions running high over the planned removal of a confederate federal statues. it could be the largest gathering of the alt-right, kkk in decades. >> a big part it have is going to be free speech at this point because of the case but it's also going to be preservation of the monument and the right for white people to be able to investigate for their own interest just like any other group is able to do free of stigma. >> thousands of peo

i'm alex witt. here's what is happening. response backlash.ew reaction today to the deadly violence in virginia and direct and broad criticism from the president's own party to the words he used and did not use. >> he missed an dunt to be very explicit here. >> meanwhile, a short time ago, a new statement from the white house with distinctly different wording than what the president said yesterday but the new tone was not reflected everywhere. >> what they found when they showed up were groups from outside that showed up on both sides looking for trouble, dressed in riot gear and prepared for violence. >> at least one of the president's key advisers is still blaming both sides. new reaction to that next. >>> plus, i'll talk to the man who shot this video. he talks about the nightmare scenario that unfolded in front of his eyes and whether he feared for his own life, all next on "msnbc live." >>> but new developments out of charlottesville, which is still recovering from the violence of yesterday's deadly white nationalist rally. streets have b

i'm alex witt, 9:00 in the east, 6:00 in the west. a brand-new poll this morning shows where president trump's job approval stands in the wake of protests. the nbc/marist poll shows president trump less than 40% in michigan, pennsylvania and wisconsin. these states helped him get elected. this is after the charolettesville protests and the president's reaction to it. a group of yale classmates for steve mnuchin criticized him from not separating from president trump. in a statement last newt, mnuchin said, while i find it ha hard to believe i should have to defend myself on this or the president, i feel compelled to let you know that the president in no way, shape or form believes that neo-nazi and other hate groups who endorse violence are equivalent to groups that demonstrate to peaceful lawful ways. >>> there's a person in charge who's had the same ideas, same goals and same philosophy for 30 years. the departure of steve bannon is an important measure but also something that is not a finite decision because that doesn't fundamenta

i'm alex witt here at msnbc headquarters in new york. tropical storm harvey drenching texas with heavy downpours after making landfall last night as a category 4 hurricane. >> they got calls for help. there is no way their officers can be out in this. >> we just got word it's a category 4 hurricane. i hope and pray that people evacuate. >> some buildings have been obliterated. >> there's very little they could do to respond to the fires when they're also dealing with a hurricane. >> rising water levels already setting off flooding concerns, and so far at least one person has died, 12 to 14 people are hurt in rockport, more than 300,000 people are now without power. and this is just day one of a very slow-moving storm. it is expected to last at least four days as harvey parks itself right above a large portion of the lone star state. >> our primary concern remains dramatic flooding. our biggest concern is the possibility of between 20 and 30 more inches of rain in areas ranging from corpus christi over to houston. >> all right. joining me

i'm alex witt. happening now.st against right wing groups that is expected to draw nearly 20,000 people. prepz have been underway all morning. garrett is in boston with us. what is expected there today? what are you seeing so far? >> reporter: good morning. we've got two separate events that will eventually be one event this afternoon. there was events senged on boston common. a free speech rally put together by some of these right wing groups. this is something they've been working on for weeks but in the wake for charlottesville it started to get more attention and they've been building up opposing effort has been built up to do a counterprotest and that's the event that could draw 20, 30,000 people depending on how many people who have suppress expressed interest. a lot of these folks are starting to draw in here. they'll eventually march across boston and both of these rallies will be in the same place. i want to bring in one of the organizers of the counterprotest. tell me what you expect to see out here from

i'm alex witt here at nbc world headquarters in new york. tomorrow is day 200 of the trump administration. new developments and reaction overnight as the u.n. imposes sweeping sanctions with two key countries siding with the u.s. on this move. >> these sanctions will cut deep and in doing so will give the north korean leadership a taste of the deprivation they have chosen to inflict on the north korean people. >> but do they go far enough? and the big question can the sanctions bring north korea's nuclear ambitions to a halt. >>> a new message, the president with a new tweet about the attorney general. why it appears to take on a different tone than other recent ones. reaction next on msnbc live. >>> we begin with politics. the white house shutting down a new report claiming vice president mike pence is part of what appears to be a republican shadow campaign for 2020. his press secretary tweeted calling the claims ridiculous fake news and nothing more than wishful thinking by "new york times." a white house spokeswoman fired a warning shot i

i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters. there are more than 500 police officers also on the streets. they are there to keep the peace. they're going to make sure that we don't see the kind of violence this week that we saw last week in charlottesville. let's go back to nbc's garrett haake. he is with the counterprotesting marchers. they are making their way to the boston common. garrett, if you can hear me, i see you can. let's talk about the security, the atmosphere right there right now and i know you've got some folks you want to talk to. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, alex. so we're kind of at another one of those spots that has turned into a choke point here. the vast majority of the 10,000 to 20,000 people of this march have gotten within a few blocks of the commons and that's where the security picks up. the back half of the march has been going in fits and starts here. as the security gets a little bit tighter and as that big crowd starts to flatten out around the edges of the commons where the security is and whe

. ♪ >>> good day, everyone, i'm alex witt here in new york, where it's just a bit past 1:00 in the east9:00 a.m. out west, and on this day, 199 of the trump administration, here's what's happening. we begin with a live picture of the white house, where officials, including vice president pence, are pushing back on a "new york times" article claiming he is part of what appears to be a republican shadow campaign for 2020. about an hour ago pence released a statement saying in part whatever fake news may come our way, our entire team will continue to focus all our efforts to advance the president's agenda and see him re-elected in 2020. any suggestion otherwise is both laughable and absurd. a white house spokeswoman, lindsey walters, fired a warning shot in her statement to "the times" saying the president is as strong as he's ever been in iowa and every potentially ambitious republican knows that. meanwhile, jeff flake is urging his party to learn from mistakes it made in 2016. here's what he told my colleague chuck todd this morning. >> my concern is, is that populism is a sugar high and

i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters. just a bit past 1:00 here in the east, 10:00 a.m. out west. we've been covering this breaking news for you all day. this is from charlottesville, virginia. you've seen video from early, just a couple of hours ago where it is clearly very, very tense. a state of emergency has been declared in that city after this violence broke out. it was at a rally held by white nationalists. counterprotesters showed up in large numbers. it happened as they were making their way to emancipation park where a noon eastern rally was planned. it was scheduled to protest the removal of a statue of the general robert e. lee. obviously tensions rose dramatically as these two groups faced off amid very mild police presence at the time. we saw water bottles flying back and forth, police were using tear gas to try to break up this crowd. baseball bats, sticks. we saw people struck. you just saw it right there for yourself, there have been injuries. we don't know the extent of the injuries. we know at least one police officer for the university of virginia inj

>> good morning, everyone, i'm alex witt here. at the half hour, here's what we are watching for you. we begin with breaking news, new reaction from north korea amid rising tensions with its neighbors and the u.s. the associated press citing state-run news in north korea saying the trump administration quote had better talk and act properly if it did not want the american empire to meet its tragic doom. this statement comes after president trump said he is taking steps to reassure south korea and japan. here's what he told reporters at his new jersey golf resort last night. >> they probably feel as reassured as they can feel. certainly they feel more reassured with me than other presidents from the past because nobody has really done their job they are supposed to be doing, that's why we're at this horrible situation right now. and it is a very bad situation. it's a very dangerous situation and it will not continue. that i can tell you. so i think south korea is very happy and you don't mention japan, but i think japan is very hap

i'm alex witt. at the top of the hour "a.m. learns there are multiple grand juries working on the russia investigation. join the panel to look at what we can expect next. hmm. i can't decide if this place is swag or bling. it's pretzels. word. ladies, you know when you switch, you get my bomb-diggity discounts automatically. ♪ no duh, right? [ chuckles ] sir, you forgot -- keep it. you're gonna need it when i make it precipitate. what, what? what? what, what? and when youod sugar is a replace one meal... choices. ...or snack a day with glucerna... ...made with carbsteady... ...to help minimize blood sugar spikes... ...you can really feel it. now with 30% less carbs and sugars. glucerna. take 5, guys. tired of your bladder always cutting into your day? you may have overactive bladder, or oab. that's it! we really need to get with the program and see the doctor. take charge and ask your doctor about myrbetriq (mirabegron) for oab symptoms of urgency, frequency and leakage. it's the first and only oab treatment in its class. myrbe

i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters in new york at precisely the half hour. here's what we're monitoring for you. any moment now texas governor greg abbott is expected to hold a press conference on the destruction brought by hurricane harvey so far and all of the relief efforts set into motion. we'll bring that to you live when it gets under way. this hurricane is now a category 1 storm, but the worst could still be ahead as the threat of devastating flooding becomes all the more likely. some new reports say that the storm's slow-moving speed means the areas in its path could see historic levels of rainfall and flooding. here's a look at some of the wreckage harvey has already left behind in the city of rockport. the mayor there says the devastation in that city is widespread. >>> well, houston is about 40 miles inland from the coast and we are seeing evidence of pretty significant damage in that area. in fact we are hearing the word "catastrophic" being used to describe widespread devastation. joining me now, fema administrator william "brock" long. thank yo

i'm alex witt in new york. here's what's happening right now.ll be homeward bound in the wake of what many call the president's worst week. questions abound about the direction of the trump administration and the competency of the president. >> there's an issue with the president's capability. there's some attribute of his character that makes him seemingly incapable of introspection and a broad understanding of what the country really needs. >> frankly, if john kelly, my friend john kelly or my friend jim mattis came to me and said

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> good morning, everyone, i'm alex witt here. hour, here's what we are watching for you. we begin with breaking news, new reaction from north korea amid rising tensions with its neighbors and the u.s. the associated press citing state-run news in north korea saying the trump administration quote had better talk and act properly if it did not want the american empire to meet its tragic doom. this statement comes after presidum

i'm alex witt at msnbc world headquarters in new york.precisely the half hour, here is what we're watching for you. >> thousands of counterprotesters are expected to show up today at a right wing free speech rally in boston where several white nationalists have been invited to speak. more on that in just a moment. >>> a total of six police officers have been shot overnight in florida and pennsylvania. one officer in kissimmee was killed, another wounded when they were shot while investigating possible drug activity. three suspects are now in custody while police are still searching for a fourth suspect. >>> president trump already tweeted that his thoughts and

good morning to all of you, i'm alex witt at msnbc world headquarters in new york with the latest on all these dramatic weather events overnight in texas. we also have three breaking headlines to share this morning as thement faces his first big test dealing with the growing weather disaster. late friday the white house announced a presidential pardon for sheriff joe arpaio. also the president has made the ban on transgender troops official, signing an order that directs the pentagon to move forward on the ban. it remains unclear what happens to transgender personnel who are currently serving in the military. >>> also late on friday, the ousting of sebastian gorka. the white house says gorka is no longer with the administration. more on all those developments later this hour. of course, this hour beginning with the top news of hurricane harvey at this hour. more than 213,000 people are without power. harvey is tearing through texas and the gulf coast, just downgraded to a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 miles an hour. storm surges of more than six feet in some areas,

i'm alex witt at msnbc world headquarters in new york. at precisely the half hour, here is what we're watching for you. >> thousands of counterprotesters are expected to show up today at a right wing free speech rally in boston where several white nationalists have been invited to speak. more on that in just a moment. >>> a total of six police officers have been shot overnight in florida and pennsylvania. one officer in kissimmee was killed, another wounded when they were shot while investigating possible drug activity. three suspects are now in custody while police are still searching for a fourth suspect. >>> president trump already tweeted that his thoughts and prayers are with the kissimmee police force and their loved ones. we are with you. in jacksonville, florida, two police officers were shot and wounded before they shot and killed a suspect. in pittsburgh a shootout left two state troopers wounded and a robbery suspect dead. >>> happening right now, increased police presence in boston as right wing groups and counterprotesters ar

i'm alex witt at msnbc world headquarters. hurricane harvey has weakened to a category 1, but the biggest danger may still lie ahead. forecasters predicting up to three feet of rain in some places. we have the latest for you here. covering hurricane harvey, a lot of indications out of washington for you. the president signed a disaster declaration for texas as hurricane harvey loomed offshore, but also announced a controversial pardon. nbc's kelly o'donnell is standing by at the white house with more on this. kelly, good saturday morning to you. tell us more. >> reporter: -- political news to talk about as well. first on the hurricane, the president is already tweeting the day about the coordinated response between federal, state and local officials, praising fema, talking about the fact that he's closely monitoring all this. there isn't much the president can do at this stage, but he has signed a declaration. he says that unleashes federal help. the president plans to travel to texas sometime next week according to white hous

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i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters in new york. it's high noon in the east, 9:00 a.m. out west and a 198 of the trump administration and we begin with politics and the white house trying to push back on reports that h.r. mcmaster's job as national security adviser is in jeopardy, this amid calls from right wing critics to fire him. late last night the white house released a statement from the president which says "general mcmaster and i are working very well together. he is a good man and very pro-israel. i'm grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country." here is what one of president trump's supporters told us on the political consequences of mcmaster keeping his job. >> you look at where the base is at. it's more behind bannon's approach to the world and mcmaster is really again that more traditional neocon approach. we are all for a strong national defense. we are all for america taking its role on the international stage and saying that our interests must be accommodated. we are not for nation building. >> and one of the points of contention in the

good day to all of you, i'm alex witt here in new york at msnbc world headquarters. it is high noon in the east, it's 9:00 a.m. out west, 11:00 a.m. in texas. here's what's happening, hurricane harvey is still pounding parts of central and southeast texas with heavy rain and winds, with the full damage yet to be seen. but this is the scene just a short time ago in victoria. the mayor of rockport is already saying that the storm has brought widespread devastation with some buildings, including schools and homes damaged or completely destroyed. and then moments ago on fox news, texas governor greg abbott spoke relief efforts in the state, he spoke about that. here's a clip from those remarks. >> the way that the president authorized my disaster declaration has already triggered the involvement of fema. what that will do is to help our fellow texans rebuild more swiftly. >> now the hurricane is a category 1. it has winds of about 75 miles an hour with the threat of major flooding looming in many areas. the national hurricane center is warning that catastrophic and life-

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. >>> good day to all of you, i'm alex witt at msnbc headquarters in new york. it's high noon in the east, 9:00 a.m. out west and 11:00 a.m. in texas with breaking news at this hour about the catastrophic flooding in houston neighborhoods, is families on city streets fleeing the rising water. thousands leaving everything behind. this scene just a short time ago. >> we just prayed a lot and we praised god and we were rescued so we're very thankful. >> meanwhile, stranded motorists in the heart of the city needed rescue. these scenes playing out right now. we'll bring you a live report. but the storm isn't over. remnants of hurricane harvey, now a tropical storm, stalling above the lone star state. how long will it last? at the white house new fallout from president trump's pre-hurricane moves, including word from a key republican party leader taking a stand against him. plus -- >> i don't believe anyone doubts the american people's values or the commitment of the american government or the government's agencies to advancing those values and defending those values

♪taking care of business >> good morning everyone i'm alex witt here at msnbc headquarters in new yorkwe have new details and reaction today to the white nationalist rally which turned deadly in charlottesville, virginia. crowds stood in solitary with the victims of the violence that broke out. the justice department have opened a civil rights investigation in the attack. five people injured in the car attack remain in criminal condition. jeff sessns

i'm alex witt here at msnbc headquarters in new york.orm harvey drenching texas with heavy downpours after making landfall last night as a category 4 hurricane. >> they got calls for help. there is no way their officers can be out in this. >> we just got word it's a category 4 hurricane. i hope and pray that people evacuate. >> some buildings have been

i'm alex witt here at nbc world headquarters in new york.he trump administration. new developments and reaction overnight as the u.n. imposes sweeping sanctions with two key countries siding with the u.s. on this move. >> these sanctions will cut deep and in doing so will give the north korean leadership a taste of the deprivation they have chosen to inflict on the north korean people. >> but do they go far enough? and the big question can the sanctions bring north kore

i'm alex witt in new york. here's what's happening right now. in just hour, the president will be homeward bound in the wake of what many call the president's worst week. questions abound about the direction of the trump administration and the competency of the president. >> there's an issue with the president's capability. there's some attribute of his character that makes him seemingly incapable of introspection and a broad understanding of what the country really needs. >> frankly, if john kelly, my friend john kelly or my friend jim mattis came to me and said i'm thinking about resigning from this white house, i'd say, absolutely not. you have to stay. >> ahead, tremors, troubling and turmoil. the trump white house in these dog days of summer. also told, in the widening barcelona terror probe, a potential key face and key place as the investigation intensifies. plus, he made us smile and examine our conscience. remembering the legendary comedian and civil rights icon, the immortal dick gregory. >>> we begin with new reaction from senator tim

. >> here you go, everyone, hello, i'm alex witt at msnbc headquarters in new york. it is high noon in houston. we have all this breaking news in texas at this hour. taking a look at the catastrophic flooding in houston. the emergency responders have been answering callings for water rescues around the clock. houston mayor sylvester turner announced late this morning the city has received more than 2,000 calls from people who have needed help since last night. he's now opening the george r. brown convention center for people in need of shelter. meanwhile, tropical storm harvey is not letting up. with rainfall nearing historic levels as the national weather service warns that the situation is expected to worsen. flash flood emergencies are in effect for multiple counties across southeast texas as the storm threatens to dump up to another seven inches of rain per hour but the devastation extends well beyond houston. much of rock port was demolished when it was hit with the full force of the storm. once again, we are waiting for the texas governor to hold that news conf

i'm alex witt here. here's what we're monitoring for you.he situation in houston which is dire as emergency responders are overwhelmed with calls for water rescues. more than 1,000 rescues happening there overnight. jacob rascon is in houston. >> i know you had to move locations because people were flooded where you were. talk about what you're seeing in particular the prospect of people having to get on to their roofs just to let rescuers know that they need help. >> reporter: we are headed, in fact, too a neighborhood where people need to be rescued. we tried to get there this morning. it was so dark and there was so much flooding we just for an hour we tried to get out of the houston area and could not find a way that it's so far, it's easier right now in the day light and we found a freeway where so far there isn't any flooding. we have only heard about all of these things earlier at like 1:00 in the morning we were out and i was talking to people as it was starting to flood. it rose so fast. we went back to the hotel for an hour or so,

. ♪ >>> good day, everyone, i'm alex witt here in new york, where it's just a bit past 1:00 in the easton this day, 199 of the trump administration, here's what's happening. we begin with a live picture of the white house, where officials, including vice pr

i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters in new york. it's high noon in the east, 9:00 a.m.administration and we begin with politics and the white house trying to push back on reports that h.r. mcmaster's job as national security adviser is in jeopardy, this amid calls from right wing critics to fire him. late last night the white house released a statement from the president which says "general mcmaster and i are working very well together. he is a good man and very pro-israel. i'm grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country."

stay with alex witt for the latest in this breaking news story. >> all right, joy reid, thank you veryciate it. welcome

i'm alex witt. here's what is happening. response backlash.he deadly violence in virginia and direct and broad criticism from the president's own party to the words he used and did not use. >> he missed an dunt to be very explicit here. >> meanwhile, a short time ago,

our breaking news coverage of hurricane harvey does continue with my great friend, alex witt.ll stay with you through this story. you're watching msnbc. ♪ we're drowning in information. where, in all of this, is the stuff that matters? the stakes are so high, your finances, your future. how do you solve this? you don't. you partner with a firm that advises governments and the fortune 500, and, can deliver insight person to person, on what matters to you. morgan stanley. >>> it came ashore as a category 4 but now a weaker hurricane harvey is hovering over texas, and the hits from this storm keep on coming. >> just reading the new update in from the national hurricane center. we did officially just get our landfall. >> we have been here quite a while. the eye is right over us. >> that storm surge is pushing water from the bay this way. >> look at this oak tree which literally has split here, falling two directions, going onto the roof of this house. the winds at times have been gusting to 110 miles an hour. >> i still can't believe how bad it still is here. >> plus a day of majo

now i'll hand it off to alex witt. >> thank you so much, joy reid.uple of hours. we take you right now to the heart of boston. that is one big march. they had expected thousands. they didn't know how many thousands. 15,000 was a preliminary estimate. now they're pushing the number 20,000 people all hoping to convene there in a peaceful demonstration. they are protesting there at the boston commons area. it was the so-called free speech rally. the organizers say they want to highlight the importance of the threats to free speech. counterprotesters are saying they reject the positions of the far right activists. there you see my colleague, nbc's garrett haak, he's in boston with more of this. garrett, i know you've been speaking with counterprotesters this morning. what are you hearing? >> reporter: hey, alex. yeah, we're r

lauren johnson is at special victims june witt more on what happened, lauren? >> reporter: good morning alexike. investigators are now looking for a cross dressing suspect, from south philadelphia, and who they say committed the crime yesterday. he was targeting teenagers, a 13 year-old boy to be specific he was at or around smith playground in south fail near 24th and snider. i man driving a black ford explorer with tinted windows pulled up. something caught his attention man was dressed in a black dress brown wig and pink lipstick. man asked the go get inside the car. boy refused. car sped off goinge on snider. news spread quickly. parents in the very happy. >> i don't think any age is too early to start, when they are able to comprehend, some talks should begin a lot of them are touchy subjects but it is better to have them informed then something happen >> i was telling him because i don't like to leave him certain places. dad, can i go? no, you stay with me at all times. >> just keep an eye on your kid because there are crazy people out here. >> reporter: police are urging parents to co

witt our sports guys next. >>> everybody in the pool, later. alex and i went to the top of an apartment building here in philadelphia called the gramry to watch the eclipse. >> yes. >> our treasury secretary, who has been in the news because of his wife the other day. >> comments she made on instagram. >> secretary mnuchin, he met up with mitch mcconnell, and they watched the solar eclipse , do you know where? are these two stiff dudes or what? they are on top of fort knocks and as lauren simoneti, is what housed in fort knocks it is one of the biggest stacks of gold. >> 200 million-dollar of gold. >> gold bars. >> yes. >> yeah. >> where did you watch. >> they were really there. >> i was sitting in a studio when i looked outside. >> that sounds lovely. >> that is nothing. >> so they were at fort knocks >> what they were doing there. >> this is what you need to know. so -- steve man knew chicago billion air treasury secretary steve man knew chicago is married to lewis linton, on social media can get new trouble of her coming off a government jet deck