joining us is richard wright, director of unrwa, its mission to help people in jordan, israel israel, west bank. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> everyone have described conditions as abysmal. how far behind is gaza's recovery from what you expected six months on? >> well, i think the situation now is certainly worse than it was before the war. there's no doubt about that. and i mean the big problem now to be perfectly honest is the fact that, you know, we have been unable for the last three weeks to get any assistance to beleaguered palestine refugee population, what we call transitional shelter assistance, cash payments for refugees to begin repair of their homes. >> you've been unable to do that because you've run out of money? >> we've run out of money. so basically within this total requirement of about $5.4 billion which was pledged in cairo, at the beginning of october, our part of it is around $720 million. we have had pledges of about $135 million so we're missing or if you like what we haven't received is $585 million wii is about 85%. >> and why not? >> well becau

my name is alexis thomas and i'm in the ninth grade and attend richard wright public charter school. shout out to 40. my question is if you could or had an option, what would you like to do outside of being a united states senator and why. >> thank you, ma'am. what would i do if i wasn't doing this. i think the honest answer is i would become like an evangelist. i like to preach a little bit here. i said... my momma wanted a preacher and she got a politician. let us pray. so one of the things i do enjoy doing, every month i speak at a different school in south carolina because i believe that is the greatest impact i can have, is speaking to the next generation. and that really speaks to my own heart. so if i could do anything in the world, besides this let me speak to the voters i have some voters from south carolina, i'm not looking for a new job sir, ma'am. if i could do anything else, i would be a speaker. would you go -- i would go around and speak to schools and nations about a hope and opportunity and how hope is faith and opportunity really has a lot to do with a powerful educ

. >> you know, both chavez and richard wright are here and if i miss any other schools, i'll meet you afterwards, but your, -- this is not a day off for you either. you're here to learn how to make it possible for your brothers and sisters and cousins and them as a group, to get off wait list and get into good schools. so many of you have watched your family and friends who didn't have access to the same quality, loving relationship you have with your educators, you've watched their lives crumble in just your short lives and you're seeing them fall down even worse and that's not cool. so, i talk to you like i do my own kids and let you know that on the one hand, you are special. but don't ever think that you are so special that you're different than them. they deserve what you have. and you do not have the right to sit still or to be silent as they suffer. so, you have to fight for a school choice. you don't have an option. since it's been given to you, since you are partaking in it, you have a moral obligation to fight to ensure that for every seat that one of you is in, that you get

[applause] >> chavez and richard wright are here and if i've missed anyone i will meet you after wordsyou are here how to learn to make it possible for your brother's ancestors and cousins to get off waiting list to get into good schools. so many of you have watched your family and friends who didn't have access as you did with your educators you see them fall down even worse and that is not cool. talking to you like my own that on the one hand you are special but don't thank you were so special that you were different. they deserve what you have and you do not have the rights to sit still or be silent as they suffer. you have to fight to expand school choice for you don't have an option. since it has been given to you and you partaking have a moral obligation to fight the for every seat every one of you is you get 10 more kids behind you. as far as i am concerned if you got into the party and you didn't pay you had to go hold the door for your brother's. [laughter] >> and shot up to the archbishop and another catholic school? thanks for being here today. i don't have to lay down the m

i have seen too many beautiful children like those here from richard wright and chavez who, if you had the opportunity to talk to, they would tell you the struggles. they are at good schools, choice schools and their lives are being changed every single day. we continue tonight to pour good children into bad schools. that is not the biggest challenge for us. it is our advocates who are week and unwilling to fight. they're too apologetic. they have an issue with called a failed school a failed school. if we don't hold our allies accountable, we will not be able to get out of the hole that is dug for us. i'm sorry, you have me warmed up, brother. >> that was the intention. >> sister mary please pray for me. that's why they sat me next to her so she can put her hand on me. >> so, you're part of the catholic school sector, why shouldn't we just have one sector, why should we have competition as a bad thing? or is it a good thing? >> i don't know if this is on -- yes, thank you. i think charters have paised the way for options for parents that are very important. in the catholic community w

to make more opportunities available for families. [ applause ] >> you know, both chavez and richard wright are here. and if i miss any other schools, i'll meet you afterwards. but your -- this is not a day off for you either. you're here to learn how to make it possible for your brothers and sisters and cousins and them as a group to get off waiting lists and to get into good schools. so many of you have watched your family and friends who didn't have access to the same quality loving relationship that you have with your educators, you've watched their lives crumble in just your short lives. and you're seeing them fall down even worse. and that's not cool. so i talk to you like i do my own kids and let you know that that on the one hand you are special. but don't ever think that you're so special that you're different than them. they deserve what you have. and you do not have the right to sit stillar to be silent as they suffer. so you have to fight to expand school choice. you don't have an option. since it's been given to you. since you are partaking in it you have a moral obligation to

i'm jade yates ambassador jade yates from richard wright public charter school for journalism, media arts. will everybody please stand for the pledge. >>> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> yeah, good morning. >> thank you very much, jade. you did a great job. i'm certainly very excited about the issue of school choice, and i look around the audience and i see so many fantastic young folks in the audience and i'll tell you that today is about you. the truth of the matter is that all the things that we will discuss today will be about making sure that the future is bright for you. i'm a big believer that if we are to succeed as a nation, it will happen because we empower the next generation. and i believe that school choice provides us an avenue to make sure that each and every student has an amazing future because you have the access to a quality education. now i'm a southern boy from south carolina. and when we say some things we like to hear ame

richard. >> interestingly, on tuesday williams former boss at nbc universal bob wright defended williams byointing to his favorable coverage of the military saying -- your response to this? >> well, in the corridors of power am a being a suck up to the u.s. military is a high praise and qualification and in fact, those journalists who have challenged the escalation, the automatic support for whatever the president wants in terms of going to war, those folks hit a glass ceiling pretty quickly within the media establishment. >> i also want to ask about the recent conviction of jeffrey sterling, the former cia officer who leaked classified information about a secret operation to disrupt iran's nuclear program to journalist james risen of "the new york times." you are in the courtroom for the trial. can you talk about the significance of the case? >> extremely important case, very underreported by the news media. tremendous selective prosecution against one of the only african-american case officers in the cia, some of the coup with your channels as a whistleblower to the senate intelligence co