he will not comment on a department of justice investigation or on a decision that the department of bout how to proceed, if to proceed. >> he said that we're a nation of laws. does he feel the florida stand your ground law should change? >> i mean, this is a state law that you're referring to. and again, within the context of this case, i just don't have any comment from the president to provide to you. that's something, again, that would be more appropriately re -- answered by the department of justice. >> finally, is there any concern about what kind of message the verdict sends? >> i think the president's statement reflects his views about the verdict, about the tragic loss of trayvon martin for his family, his community and for the country. the fact that his loss reflecs s symbolized the loss we see daily in this country of young people to gun violence. and, you know, that's why i think the president's statement contained within it the elements that i described. >> jay, should the martin family be encouraged to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit rather than wait for a decision by th

paul and the department of justice. in this deal the department of justice cut with the city of st. paul, the department agreed not to join to false claim cases in exchange for the city of st. paul withdrawing its case before the supreme court in a case called gallagher. mr. perez' actions in this case are extremely troubling for a number of reasons. at this point no one disputes the fact that mr. perez actually orchestrated this entire arrangement. he manipulated the supreme court docket so that his favorite legal theory called disparate impact theory would evade review by this high court. in the process mr. perez left a whistleblower twisting in the wind. those are the facts. even mr. perez does not dispute them. the fact that mr. perez struck a deal that potentially squandered up to 200 million taxpayer dollars in order to preserve a disparate impact theory that he favored is of course extremely troubling in and of itself but in addition, in addition to that underlying quid pro quo the evidence on that -- undercover to my investigation revealed mr. perez sought to cover up the fac

is the next step that texas will challenge the justice department once the justice department does somethingnd we're going to be back in court and requests for injunctions and this is going to go back and go all the way up again? >> absolutely. in fact there is already a lawsuit pending in texas over the redistricting and the justice department is now joining this. this is a group of latino legislators an civil rights groups saying look at what happened in texas. texas got extra seats in congress because of the latino population increase but there's no more latino members of congress so that can't be fair. justice department is now joining that lawsuit. it will probably be a separate case over voter i.d.s. >> one of the other things i heard on rachel maddow's show the other day -- not sure exactly which city -- i think it was houston but i'll have to check that out -- that the way the voting precincts are arranged, you have ten times as many registrants in minority districts as do you in white neighborhoods so there are longer lines and it is harder to get through the process, but there are

justice department to take. you know, the federal hate crimes statute named for matthew shepard and james byrd, it is not a dead letter. it gets used all the time. last month a seattle man pled guilty to a federal hate crime under the act. he pled guilty for assaulting a sikh taxi driver, prosecuted by a federal prosecutor. guilty plea in that case. on the same day the fbi made that announcement, they announced a federal hate crimes indictment under the matthew shepard and james byrd act, for two people who attacked a gay couple on the street in hillsborough, oregon. four people in kentucky sentenced to 8 to 30 years in prison for luring a gay man into their vehicle, driving him to a remote location and beating him nearly to death before he escaped. brought as a federal prosecution under the hate crimes prevention act. nobody knows that the justice department is going to bring a federal prosecution in this case, too. really nobody knows. there aren't good educated guesses out there. anybody who says they know wh

to think that the justice department can come in and cross this much higher threshold, i think would at van jones has to say. go ahead. >> well, look, i think we need to let the process go forward. there is, i think, a basis for continuing an inquiry here. it does seem that there was a pattern and practice on the part of mr. zimmerman of focusing in on minority kids when he began to become this neighborhood watch hero, possibly in his own mind. that pattern and practice could be the basis for real concern here. i do want to say this. you know, the president of the united states has gotten a lot of criticism for the statement that he made about if this young man -- if he had had a son, he would look like that young man. i think the criticism has really been unfair. i do think that in that moment, you had a need for him to make a human connection across the board with all americans. it's almost become the point where if this president acknowledges his racial or ethnic background in any way, he is criticized. i don't think that's right. if you look at what he actually did -- just to comp

white house is maintaining that the president is keeping his hands off of the case at the department of justiceor i should say, the investigation at the department of justice into whether federal charges should be brought against george zimmerman. as you know, the white house is not by law supposed to interfere over there. but jay carney said the white house does not feel pressure. they are letting their facts decide what will happen. and he's letting the president's remarks stand for themselves. you really wouldn't elaborate on what we've already heard the president say which was in the past if he had a son, he would look like trayvon. and then go on to repeat what the president put out in a statement over the weekend saying this was a tragic loss for the nation. a tough time for the nation. but this is a nation of laws and a call for calm and peace. and also calls for an opportunity to look ahead to push for more tougher gun laws essentially. i think you'll hear a similar message when the attorney general speaks shortly. he's going to talk about the pain in the nation that the tragedy has eli

news 4's chris gordon is outside the department of justice now with more. chris? >> reporter: well, this is the focus of that inquiry, the demonstration as you see right here on pennsylvania avenue at ninth at northwest washington across from the department of justice, they're trying to get motorists to honk their horns, saying justice for trayvon or we need justice. the question is will the department of justice file charges, federal charges. we looked at local cases in recent history that doj got involved in or declined to as a hint of how they may handle george zimmerman. >> this is the beginning of a movement for justice and to teach the justice department all about justice. >> reporter: the national black church initiative, a coalition of 34,000 churches nationwide, organized this demonstration asking the justice department to indict george zimmerman for violating trayvon martin's civil rights. >> this was definitely racial profiling in its worse degree. here's a man who has appointed himself to take a life. he appointed himself god that night. >> reporter: th

the justice department breeds new life into the voting rights law. the n.s.a. leaker tries to get out of the moscow airport, and anthony weiner says, oops, i did it again. i'm pete williams in for gwen ifill on "washington week." >> i say to these members of congress, you can't just be against something. you got to be for something. pete: the president draws battle lines against republicans and they push back. >> the speedster bounds to be all sizzle. at some point campaign season has to end and the working with others season has to begin. pete: but are both sides forgetting that americans are fed up with washington? the attorney general flexes his muscles on voting rights. >> even as congress considers updates to the voting rights act in light of the court's ruling, we plan in, the meantime, to fully utilize the law's remaining sections to make sure the voting rights of all american citizens are protected. pete: a new chapter in the saga of edward snowden. >> he's not a dissident or a human rights activist. mr. snowden alkt to be returned to the united states

on the "newshour" tonight, the justice department move comes after the supreme court threw out part of the voting rights act. we examine the legal battle ahead. >> brown: then, a major hedge fund has been charged with securities fraud and insider trading. hari sreenivasan explores the indictment and the effort to root out financial crimes. >> woodruff: some of california's most dangerous felons are on a hunger strike after being held in isolation for years. we go inside the prison to see what conditions are like for the inmates and their guards. >> i believe that certain people should be isolated. but without no sunlight, going years with no sunlight, it would be nice to look out a window and see the outside. that would be nice. >> woodruff: officials in pyongyang unveiled a new cemetery for korean war veterans, the first of several ceremonies for the 60th anniversary of the end of the conflict. we get a rare report from inside north korea. >> woodruff: and the conversation about race continues after the zimmerman verdict and president obama's personal reflections. we have our own roun

someone's son who was trying to get home. >> the attorney for the family one seat the -- want the department of justiceo investigate the case. what is ahead for the department of justice? >> it will be tough, in the previous cases they have had in the south, they have all run -- they have always had a series of statements made by the perpetrator. all expressing racist comments and a racist attitude. george zimmerman only on the occasions of the incident did he lose to the fact that this was race. he has got no history. >> if he has no history of racism how is this a race case? >> we don't know if he is a racist. >> it would have been out there, you know that. >> you have got to be clear, the justice department stopped its prosecution to await the trial. now they will do their investigation. >> there is a good chance they won't come up with a bang bang. >> i trust the justice department. >> will we slowly see the air go out of the tie or if something does not happen. >> i think that fire has already deflated am i don't think you have organizations every day continuing the dialogue. the justice departmen

there's so much talk about the justice department. in fact, we're going to talk with hakeem jeffries and gregory meeks, members of congress who are calling for action. you heard in that sound clip there, the question is whether or not george zimmerman targeted trayvon martin because of his race. that is something, as lisa bloom pointed out, that even the prosecution didn't have a great follow up with while we were watching many days of this trial. >> i will tell you having been involved in and sent a number of cases to the justice department, i know it's a real challenge. the justice department likes cases that have huge impact. if you boil that down to the single case here, it will be difficult for them to conclude that it was based upon race, number one, and then number two, that he had the specific intent to kill him because of race. because of the factual circumstances that we have in this case, they would need more evidence, it seems to me, than what the prosecution had in this case. and they have to deal with that in the context

it was hard to figure out how likely it might be that the justice department would try to bring that. meanwhile, today, the attorney general today bluntly and without euphemism going right after the state of florida saying its laws contribute to more violence than they prevent. listen to how the attorney general made his case. listen to that. >> it's time to question with laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sew dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods. these laws try to fix something that was never broken. there has always been a legal defense for using deadly force if, and the if is important, if no safe retreat is available. but we must examine laws that take this further by eliminating the common sense and age-old requirement that people who feel threatened have a duty to retreat outside their home if they can do so safely. by allowing and, perhaps, encouraging violent situations to escalate in public, such laws undermine public safety. the list of resulting tragedies is long, and unfortunately, has victimized too many who are innocent. it is our collective

last year. >> the department of political justice. >> why does it seem the department of justice ismarching orders from the new black panther party? >> i mean, this is like a -- >> ridiculous. >> -- effort to discredit the justice department while there are those that would appeal to the justice department to execute what is fair. and as i just named, have done before under other administrations. >> well, and, hey, as you know, and they know it too, these are career attorneys. these are attorneys that are probably there under the bush administration. who knows what administration. >> right. >> and this is not where -- and you know eric holder like i know eric holder. eric holder is not some dictator. as a matter of fact, a lot of times when we try to have discussions with him, what do you plan to do, look, he has to put all these attorneys together. >> right, and they have to come up with a decision. so fox is disingenuous. >> you've been a long time. >> thank you. >> and say yes and no in a lot of situations. >> absolutely. what they're doing is that they're playing to an audience

at this stage and let the justice department's investigation take hold. the justice department has tremendous investigative resources and probably go beyond what the sanford police and the local prosecutor may have been done in ferreting out information. let's remember there is a long pattern of 911 calls. the statements by george zimmerman that demonstrate a predisposition, and let us remember that it was george zimmerman who was the aggressor, who was, in effect, the stalker of trayvon martin, an unarmed teen in this case. we feel this investigation should go forth and these civil rights laws and hate crime laws were designed exactly for this purpose. >> here is what a member of the defense team said on saturday night. or early sunday morning. >> i think that things would have been different if george zimmerman was black for this reason. he never would have been charged with a crime. what happened was this became a focus for a civil rights event. >> what is your reaction? >> he is absolutely wrong and we all know perhaps the opposite would have been tru

the justice department opened an investigation on the case over a year ago. attorney general eric holder acknowledged today at that event that the investigation is still ongoing. >> i want to assure you the department will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law. we are committed to standing with the people of sanford, with the individuals and family affected by this incident and by our state and local partners to alleviate tensions, address community concerns and to promote healing. >> but how realistic is it that zimmerman would face federal charges after being acquitted? let's bring in our legal panel. sunny hostin is a cnn legal analyst and linda kenney baden. discussion of these federal chashlgs have typically been applied to public pliies like the police officers in the rodney king case. can you walk us through this high bar? what would be needed? is this really credible? >> it is a high bar. i do, jake, think that it's a possibility. i think it's credible and we do know the justice department has a parallel investigatio

the last state or the only state that the justice department takes a good hard look at. north carolina being the next state. holder spoke to a crowd of more than a 1,000. no one in the crowd of the expecting that announcement. holder indicating he would use other parts of the vote rights act to bring lawsuits and take other legal action against states that the justice department feels are disproportionately or disenfranchising disproportionately minority voters. here's a little bit else of what he said. take a listen. >> as these and many other cases demonstrate, as too many voters have seen firsthand and as every member of the supreme court acknowledged in the shelby decision in the words of the chief justice, i quote again voting discrimination still exists. no one doubts that, unquote. now although mandated by the constitution, vote rights are not always guaranteed in practice without robust enforcement. that's why despite the court's decision, i believe we must regard this setback not as a defeat, but as a historic opportunity for congress to restore and even to stre

were the justice department is looking into kernel civil rights charges. it is expected to be hot not just for today but the rest of the week. the baltimore health department has placed the city under a code red heat alert. what is being done to ensure everyone's safety. we will have details straight ahead at rex how would you like to learn tae kwon do by one of the certified masters in the world? there is a chance of a lifetime for nearly 200 children in baltimore. children enrolled in the classrooms are able to learn football, basketball, tae kwon do from former top athletes at syracuse diversity. tore are a variety of ways learn and have fun doing it. >> they also learn about being healthy, they are learning about anti-bullying. y are having a good time. >> the work to inspire young also the youth of element center is a focus. just as the heat starts to take hold, kids have new -- a new place to take refuge from the sun. this is a series of community centers opening up, part of the $19 million effort to read that program. this used to be a historic pavil

first, the justice department's investigation. the department has now announced it's reopening its federal review of the case, an investigation we called for last year. this is not new. as to determine whether trayvon martin's civil rights were violated. this review has support from key members of congress. after the jury's verdict, senator barbara boxer wrote, quote, i don't think this should be the last word. i fully agree with the decision of the justice department to review the facts of this case. and today three congressmen here in new york also announced their support of that review. last year i also called on the justice department to look into whether stand your ground gun laws violates civil rights all across this country. a broad review of these new laws are in order, and we must keep pressing for them. today the new york daily news featured a hooded sweatshirt on its cover with the names of black men killed in decades past, men like medgar evers, emmett till, and now trayvon martin. this continue injustice is why people

justice was not found here? the fact this child was killed and the fact this person has walked and then that the department of justice doesn't feel that they have a case or they do and then they lose. >> well, first of all, a total different body in sean bell. because in sean bell, two of the officers that were tried were black. secondly you were not dealing with questioning why the officers approached sean bell approached on race. there was no legal or any other reason that zimmerman should have approached trayvon martin according to transcript. in fact, he was told don't follow him. so he's a much different -- the other thing is unlike a lot of coverage that a lot of media and we have been doing, the family had made the request in the beginning for the justice department. i was there in the meeting when the broad civil rights issues was raised. this is not a new question. there is new petitions, new drive. the request was made and the justice department said we will suspend our inquiry until after the trial. so i think that a lot of people are trying to act like this started now because of the verdict. this is bein

you look at the department of justice, it is really the department of selective and social justice.his is the most dangerous thing of all, justice is supposed to be blind. but this administration only looks at it with a left eye clearly. >> you know, how, do you think he's serious? is the follow- up question about pursuing this case? it has worked its way in the court system which was the reason they stepped aside after beginning the investigation and letting its way working through the system. dow see them pursuing this as a civil right's case? >> they have a pr campaign and strategy to pander to the trayvon martin supporters, and the lobby. after the ncaa a noupsed, there they were. and christian adam and andrew mccarty on the show, talked about the fbi looked into this case and found no grounds to charge george zimmerman with any kinds of civil right's violation. but for the narrative and optices they have to feed the public perception that george zimmerman is a racist devil when this is ridiculous. and winding back to the discussion of hollywood, there is a pop culture incentive

>> that's a question that the department of justice will answer and the department of justice appropriately handles these investigations, reviews the evidence, and makes determinations about the next step. that's not something that we do from here. >> that was our own ed henry at the white house asking that question and is here with more. >> good to see you. the question is that jay carney wants to push this off to the justice department saying that's the proper place to deal witness if. but the president certainly weighed in on this last year did not he was tate to comment on the trayvon martin case, saying that if he had a son, he would look like trayvon martin. that certainly appeared to be getting involved in this case if you will. jay carney today saying that was just the president reflecting on it personally and he was not directing the justice department to intervene or get involved. the point now is, that the attorney general, eric holder, is under intense pressure to intervene. you have seen these protests around the country. over the verdict that's past weekend. you have also seen

the justice department tried to blunt the decision. take a listen. >> identify already directed the department of civil rights division to shift resources to the enforcement of a number of federal voting laws that are not affected by the supreme court's decision including the remaining provisions of the voting rights act prohibiting voting discrimination based on race, color or language. today i am announcing that the justice department will ask a federal court in texas to subject the state of texas to a pre-clearance regime similar to the one require by spk -- section 5 of the voting reits act. you heard what eric holder said just moments ago. is this process we'll see going forward. what's your reaction? >> i think eric holder has tapped into the mood right now particularly after the george zimmerman verdict, he understands that it's going to be very important to in the whole race conversation this summer to look very carefully at how the supreme court decision on the voting rights is going to trickle down and be interpreted by the g

the justice department shares your concern. share your concern. >> joining me now for our daily fix, nbc news justice correspondent pete williams. and chris cillizza, managing editor of postpolitics.com. pete, first to you. pressure now on the justice department. how do they handle this if they were to decide that they don't have a legal avenue to pursue here? >> it will be a while before they reach any decisions at all. they will be very serious about how they investigate it, andrea. the problem though is, as both your previous guests have noted, the law. the best fit, if the government was going to try bring charges here, is the 2009 hate crimes law. but what it says is that the person was assaulted, or in this case killed, because of the actual or perceived race or color of the victim. in other words, based on former officials i've talked to from the civil rights decision, which would be where this decision would be made, it is not enough for the government here to show that george zimmerman followed trayvon martin because he

the justice department is investigating. eric holder addressed it earlier. >> i believe that this tragedy provides another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly about the complicated and emotionally charged issues that this case has raised. we must not, as we have too often in the past, let this opportunity pass. we are resolved, as you are, to combat violence involving or directed at young people to prevent future tragedies and to deal with the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs, and stereotypes that serve as the basis for these two common incidents. >> some people might be confused as to what this trial that everybody has been watching for weeks has ended but now the justice department is going to take another look for possible additional violations. you and bob are having a moment. >> he is looking at me really weird like he is going to bite me or do something. not only that, to distract me today which going to be impossible. he used some kind of smelly aromatherapy, odor coming from him. just so you know. that

this video just in shows the gathering outside the justice department in northwest washington around noon today. people holding signs urging justice for trayvon. >> this afternoon we're learning vigils are being planned for this saturday in 100 cities nationwide. nbc's jay gray joins us live from sanford, florida, with more on nation's mood this afternoon. jay? >> reporter: hi there, jim, pat, good to talk to you. thousands across the country continue to respond to the verdict and the message they believe it sends while here in the place where it all happened, the community came together today to send its own message. >> no justice! >> reporter: like they have in so many cities since the verdict, people gathered today in sanford. citizens and city leaders filled the pughs at a local church. >> everyone is watching what we do. we have been the most peaceful people around the world. >> marches and rallies across the country have remained peaceful, though overnight on the west coast there were a couple arrests and property damage. >> this whole system wants you to feel like traf be was

corey, you got this article up today on the root saying it could be very hard for the justice departmento bring charges. here is a quote from the article. if the state of florida's prosecution of george zimmerman was an uphill battle, any department of justice effort to prove that he violated trayvon martin's civil rights would face the legal equivalent of mt. everest. why? >> well, craig, proving a federal civil rights crime is one of the most difficult things for any prosecutor to do. it requires the federal government to meet the highest rules, the most strict rules of evidence but also the highest standards of proof in american law. specifically, they have to prove that george zimmerman had racist thoughts in mind at the moment either leading up to the shooting or right when he pulled the trigger. it's not enough to establish that he may have racially profiled trayvon martin and not enough to establish that he followed trayvon martin. they have to prove that he was harboring racial thoughts and he was motivated by racial bias when he pulled that trigger. really, these kinds of cases

what eric holder, the attorney general and the justice department is doing is a reaction to a supreme court ruling last month in shelby county v. holder from alabama, and the supreme court invalidated a critical section of the 1965 voting rights act, the land marks voting rights act, and what they did, basically, is throw out of the part of the voting rights act, section 4, that determined which states in the country with a history of discrimination had to be granted justice department or court approval before they made any changes in the voting laws. that's called preclearance. it affected southern states like alabama, mississippi, south carolina, virginia, also arizona, alaska, and the largest state that was covered under this was texas. when the supreme court had its ruling last month, they said congress can fix this. congress can come up with a new formula based on current da to to term what states had to get the preapproval for changes in their voting laws. what eric holder did yesterday is he, you know, he said, we want congress to do this. we want them to make this change, but

coming up, the justice department is opening a hate crime case in the trayvon martin case. let's see how the prospects look. where the feds and the federal government and the prosecution in the justice department can actually bring a case and will they. politics will play a part in this. you'll have to wonder about eric holder and what he wants to do. this is "hardball," the place for politics. >> this case has never been about race nor has it ever been about the right to bear arms. not in the sense of proving this as a criminal case. but trayvon martin was profiled. there is no doubt that he was profiled to be a criminal. and if race was one of the aspects in george zimmerman's mind, then we believe we put out the proof necessary to show that zimmerman did profile trayvon martin. hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo. you want to see something cool? snapshot, from progressive. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switch. unless you're scared. i'm n

the justice department stopped its investigation to await the prosecution. the justice department will exhaustively do their investigation. >> there is a good chance they won't come up with anything outside of it. >> i trust the justice department. if they don't, you will know that they were not able to prove it. >> if they don't have something, will they slowly see the air go out of this tire? >> i think that except for the demonstrations, that tire is already awaiting inflative purposes based on the evidence to come. i don't think you have organizations like the naacp everyday continuing the dialogue. they have registered with the justice d. the justice department has said we are going to investigate and we are investigating. await the report. >> and what do you think happens? politically? not so much the report! the justice department wants nothing better than to be able to go after zimmerman. and after the state of florida. i think, what, however, based on evidence as we know it today, you are going to get recommendations about gun control rather than pr

the federal government, the justice department, suspended an investigation. they did not end it. >> that was my colleague, the reverend al sharpton, commenting on the contention of george zimmerman's defense attorney, mark o'mara. zimmerman would not see another day in court. joining me now, congressman hakeem jeffries, from new york. with me, michael eric dyson, maya wiley and melissa harris perry. you did a press event to talk about what possible investigation might be pursued at the federal level. what avenueses of redress are there for people that feel that justice was not done in that courtroom or even if the verdict was right and proper based on the evidence that jury saw, that the larger sense that something wrong here that should be held to account has gone unaddressed? >> congressman rangel, congressman meeks, members of the new york delegation, one wanted to support the continuation of the justice department investigation as it relates to the civil rights violations that we believe took place in the killing of trayvon martin. we also wanted to make

trayvon martin's parents are considering a wrongful death suit and the justice department is looking ghts. athena jones joins us from washington. what do you hear about the situation? >> the department of justice has been conducting its own parallel investigation into this case with the help of the fbi and florida officials and that investigation is ongoing. what isn't clear yet is whether they'll have the evidence to bring federal charges in this case. there's a very, very high bar they have to meet. they have to prove that george zimmerman acted out of a sense of racial hatred when he shot trayvon martin. that's evidence we haven't seen presented. it's a very high bar and depends on what you ask if the justice department ends up bringing charges. we could hear from attorney general eric holder today. he speaks before a group of sorority sisters here. >> trayvon martin's parents were not in the courtroom when the not guilty verdict was handed down but their lawyer says they're devastated and publicly expressing their shock and outrage. george howell is live in sanford, florida, with