Transcripts For MSNBCW Weekends With Alex Witt 20141130

Of planes coming in and out of new york right now. Aaa projects 46. 3 Million People traveled at least 15 miles from home this weekend, which is the highest number since 2007. Now, the weather could be a factor in some places. A snowfall in Northern Washington state has dropped as much as 3 inches of snow. Wnbc is going to give us the weeks forecast in a moment. But first, lets go to keith carson at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in atlanta. And with a good day to you, keith. How crowded is it . And are flights running on time . Reporter good day to you, as well. I feel confident hell deliver a strong forecast. Not a weak forecast. For sure. Reporter its not bad to be honest with you. Things are pretty quiet. When we started it was crazy in here, but now we have a little lull. This is the main check point. And if youve been to this airport in atlanta, which a lot of people have. Less than ten minutes is fantastic. That could make your day. A sunday in general busy, a day like today can be crazy. I want to take you on a quick tour. Ill show you where the security lines were. They dont put that tape there for their own health. They had people lined up back here. The Security Check point back there. All the way through the atrium. They had people snaking all the way through here. Past the elevator and around a restaurant, basically the lines started when you came in the door. So people were looking at really long delay times earlier, only through security. The actual flights themselves have been fine. Its just been a matter of how quickly you can get through security to your flight. Now is good. Probably going to see another pickup in activity by the afternoon. But as the weathers concerned, things are a lot better. Were dealing with the winter storm on wednesday. That was a big problem the eastern sea board. Its pretty quiet out there in the east, at least, few storms out west. No major hubs really impacted by the weather today. Any delays that we get are really going to be purely a volume thing. Theres a lot of volume to be had here. They estimate 500,000 people will come just through this airport from the wednesday when this holiday started through today. Its 500,000 through this airport, around 75,000 today. Weather cooperating. Its just like traffic, though. We can only forecast the part we know. The volume of it could be a totally different story. Alex, if youre anywhere in the atlanta area and youre looking to take a flight, i suggest you come now before things build back up. Im going to get right on that. Thank you very much, its good to see you. Lets go to keith in atlanta, hes got the forecast. Raphael, were going to see another arctic wave. Going to bring us that news . Its a strong forecast, alex. And we are seeing that cold front pushing through the northern plains. Look at the cold blast thats working to minneapolis now. Windchills at three below. Expecting between 25 and 40 below zero in portions of the midwest. Theres your arctic wave. Sliding in today, chicago its still mild, feels like 44 degrees and much milder across the northeast. Windchills in the 40s and 50s. Were dealing with one storm. This is our one area of concern in terms of weather and travel. San francisco, northern california, showers and even some heavy thunderstorms moving onshore now. And some rain also moving into the Los Angeles Area over the past few minutes. It stays wet out west, but, again, this rain is welcome. Even though it may interfere with holiday travel, they need the rain desperately in los angeles. That will continue over the next few days. Rain in the forecast today. Also on tuesday and maybe more rain on wednesday. Heavy rain, flooding concerns, yes. But, again, this is a welcome rain. Looking ahead to tomorrow now, look what happens in chicago. The cold blast arrives, 20s for your High Temperature there, dallas in the 70s today, down to the 40s tomorrow, and its still mild in the northeast. But that arctic wave eventually slides east day by day. By tuesday, its cold again in the northeast. Temperatures in the 30s in new york city. And the cold begins to gradually ease. This arctic wave not lasting too long. Thats the good news. Minneapolis back to a balmy 25 degrees by tuesday. Just a little short blast here for those of you. And lots of rain and mountain snows in california. Alex. I know you want to hear that. You made me happy saying that. Weve got the mountain snows in california. Thank you, im happy to have you here joining us. Well, the Ferguson Police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown has resigned. Darren wilson submitted his letter of resignation saturday. Said this morning that wilson was acting for the good of the community. Gotten information yesterday directly from the chief in ferguson that they had some information that suggested there were going to be acts taken against either members of the department or the department itself related to his continued employment. And when darrell was told that, he simply said thats enough and it was time to resign. Protesters outside the Ferguson Police station began singing hey hey goodbye as the news spread last night. Wilson has been the object of protests since the shooting in the grand jury decision last monday not to indict him. Some had this to say. It wouldnt be safe for him to stay. He didnt have no choice. The way i feel, he should be behind bars. The demonstrations last night were peaceful. Police reported two arrests overnight. Lets bring in wesly lawry, covering this story since august. Welcome to you. Whats the reaction been to wilsons resignation . Of course, i think a lot of people knew this was coming. This is certainly something in the works for a long time. In fact, i know for a fact, there were talks to have him resign prior to the grand jury decision being announced. But they fell through. And so this was something that everyone saw as a long time in the works. I think that people who are inclined to support officer wilson are dismayed or upset by this. An officer having his livelihood ruined. I think people who are more inclined to side with Michael Brown, they dont take much solace in this. They look at this as an officer on paid leave at this point for months who had more than 500,000 raised online. He had 600,000 given to him. While this is an inconvenience for him, hes probably doing all right financially. Silver lining there, sure. Wilson said in his resignation. Heres the quote, it is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. Will his resignation have some sort of impact on the communitys ability as he says to heal . Based on conversations ive been having the last 12 hours since this came out. I dont believe therell be any healing impact whatsoever. People knew this was coming. And, also, people see this as a much deeper issue than Darren Wilson and Michael Brown. Here in ferguson and greater st. Louis, racial tensions, the perception of racial tensions, issues with policing and how tickets are used on a relatively impoverished populist. They have very little to do with whether or not Darren Wilson is carrying a gun and a badge. Listen to what he said. I think there are many more resignations that need to happen in order for this community to begin healing. What kind of resignations . Who do you think should resign . Well, i think the Ferguson Police chief. I think its impossible for this community to move forward with him in the role. Wesly, do you get a sense there will be other resignations . You know, right now, i dont think its clear there will be other resignations. Again, i know there have been talks about the idea of other people, tom jackson, the Ferguson Police chief specifically talks about whether or not he would resign. They leaked out to the media. And my understanding is that kind of blew them up. They may not exist anymore. I think that theres certainly people who want to see more resignations. People float the idea of people all the way as high as governor jay nixon to john belmar, to ferguson pd chief. It seems right now its unlikely that anyone else is going to resign. Okay. Barring any resignations, what do you see as the likely next step for this community as a whole . I think were going to see some ongoing protests. I think thats going to keep happening. And the Ferguson Commission which is brought together meets for the first time on monday, i think tomorrow. Thats going to be the next step. This is a commission that has a very broad charge to deal with all the systemic issues, to find the deep societal issues that may have contributed to this. I think thats going to be, depending on this commission, there is some faith among the protesters as well as some of the other Community Leaders this might be something with some teeth that might be able to force some systemic change here. Given what youre saying, systemic change. How quickly might we see effective change . Well, we know the wheels of democracy move very, very slowly as the wheels of justice. I think that it could take time. And i think thats theres no Silver Bullet fix here. I think a lot of people are looking to, if only Darren Wilson resigns, this will solve all of the problems. If only he was indicted, this will solve all the problems. I think it having, you know, honest and deep conversations with people on the ground on both sides here, i think most people acknowledge this is these are problems or issues or frustrations, clashes that are decades in the making. And theyre not going to be fixed, you know, three days after the grand jury returns its decision. Wesly lowry, great conversation, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Thank you. Pope francis wraps up his threeday visit to turkey today. The pontiff asked for the blessing of patriotic bar thol mu. In an effort to heal a centurys old fracture between roman catholics and Orthodox Christians. A 22yearold woman shot by her exboyfriend in chicago died yesterday. She was working the black friday shift on her birthday when her ex walked into the store, shot her in the head and took his own life. He had threatened her and her family in recent weeks. Her sisters told reporters they had a Surprise Birthday Party planned for her when she wouldve returned home from work that night. In columbus, ohio, search and rescue teams are back out looking for that missing ohio football player. Observed a moment of silence before the michigan game for the senior lineman. He was last seen wednesday after sending his mother a text message apologizing for the effects concussions have had on him. A shocking conclusion in georgia this weekend to a missing child case. Police found a 13yearold boy friday night reported missing for about four years. Five suspects face prosecution, including the boys father and stepmother. Kerry sanders has been following this story. Kerry has more from jonesboro, georgia, for us. Hi, kerry. Alex, police today are investigating what they believe could be a custody dispute that led to a kidnapping four years ago. In this home behind me, they say they found a room with a false wall. And behind that wall, a 13yearold boy. It was an emotional reunion filled with tears and grateful prayers. A mother tightly hugging her n son, a 13yearold she has not seen in four years. Police say they were called to this house in jonesboro, georgia, late friday night for a welfare check on a child. When officers arrived, they say several people inside denied knowing anything but gave them permission to search. They didnt locate any child. So they left the premises. A couple hours later, around 2 00 in the morning, police got another call. This time, while they were still at the house. The boy called his mother to say he was being kept behind a false wall. From all indications, it appears the child was being hidden. The neighbor says her son was friends with the boy. If there was any issues, i honestly did not, he didnt show it. And maybe he was too scared to say anything, i dont know. Another neighbor says he never saw anything that was suspicious. Gosh, right up under our nose and we couldve done he was never in distress. We didnt think anything was wrong. The boys father gregory john and his stepmother samantha joy davis have been charged with obstruction, false imprisonment and cruelty to children. Even though this is sunday, the couple was taken to court today where they were officially told the charges they face. Alex . Thank you so much for that. As tensions flare between police and civilians across the country, a snapshot of basic humanity goes viral. Well hear from the Police Officer in this picture. [ kevin ] this is connolly, cameron, zach, and clementine. We have a serious hairball issue. We clean it up, turn around, and there it is again. Its scary. Little bit in my eye. [ michelle ] underneath the kitchen table, underneath my work desk, weve got enough to knit a sweater. [ doorbell rings ] zach, what is that . The swiffer sweeper. The swiffer dusters. Its some sort of magic cloth that sucks in all the dog hair. Its quick and easy. Pretty amazing that it picked it all up. I would totally take on another dog. [ kevin ] really . [ kevin ] really . vo rescued. Ed. Protected. Given new hope. During the subaru share the love event, subaru owners feel it, too. Because when you take home a new subaru, we donate 250 dollars to helping those in need. Well have given 50 Million Dollars over seven years. Love. Its what makes a subaru, a subaru. If he goes in and gives them all the evidence, its not as if hes putting in a posture to get an indictment. It appears he doesnt want an indictment. Thus, they dont indict. This grand jury looked at everything. They asked questions, they were engaged. I dont know how mr. Parks says we get in the head of the prosecutor by perhaps some means to sort of figure out that impliedly they didnt want an indictment. Those are the attorneys for the family of Michael Brown and officer Darren Wilson this morning on fox news sunday. They talked about the grand jurys decision and the accounts of what witnesses say happened when wilson fatally shot the unarmed teenager in august. Joining me now, the president and ceo of the National Urban league marc moreal. Glad to have you back. I wanted to ask you. You were here last week. I want to get your reaction to what happened with the grand jury coming in saying no indictment. We talked about that being a possibility. What was your reaction . It was expected. I dont think anyone was surprised from the very beginning. There wasnt a lot of confidence in robert mccullough. Certainly the way in which the grand jury process was managed leaves a lot to be desired. And its clear there was sufficient evidence to secure an indictment. Now, what shouldve happened . From the very beginning, the calls for a special prosecutor should have been heeded. So now, ive got some hope and some faith that the twin investigations being conducted by the department of justice and attorney general holder one as to the actions of Darren Wilson, the other a pattern in practice of investigation of the Ferguson Police department may yield some results. But dont you think the former of which you speak, that ones a challenge. You literally have to get inside the mind of Darren Wilson. The other, theres a pattern. Heres what ill say. Heres what ill share. In instances in the past whether its rodney king, the danzinger bridge case down in new orleans. All of those involve federal prosecutions after state prosecutions either were not successful or for which there was no indictment on early dismissal. So there is history. And i would suggest to people, why, yes, theres a bar, theres no doubt that an indictment is a possibility. And what we should do is respect that process Going Forward and allow it to play itself out while we deal with the long standing, longer term broader issues that this case has revealed. Okay. Darren wilson, the officer resigning last night from the force. Its never been the intent for there to be a resignation of officer wilson. Its always been justice for Michael Brown. I think in the large scale scheme of things, it does not secure justice for Michael Brown. And weve got to keep focus on that. Do you think there are others who will offer resignations as have been called for . You know, it remains to be seen. I know theres a lot of activism, our colleagues at the naacp have a march. March for justice. Called for major changes in the ferguson department. I would say this is also a time for there to be a new, if you will, new steps, new approaches, Police Reform and accountability. We need body cameras and National Accreditation. We need transparency. All these things are the topics that they are marching for on this journey for justice youre talking about. Yeah. But earlier today, we heard from former new york city mayor rudy giuliani. He was on fox news sunday. Heres what he had to say about the relationship with police and the black community. Lets roll some of that. There is more interaction and more unfair interreaction. But i think just as much if not more responsibility is on the black community to reduce the reason why the Police Officers are assigned in such large numbers to the black community. Its because blacks commit murder eight times more per capita than any other group in our society. What do you say to that . Well, you know, heres the point i think he misses. And i was on with him for a minute. One, yes, blacks killing blacks comprises about 90 of the murders on that side. Whites killing whites comprises 80 of the murders on that side, if you will. And i dont want anyone to think that Community Leaders, elected officials, ministers of civil rights leaders do not or have a tolerance of crime and violence in the community. No, not at all. But that begs the point. The point is, these incidents. Five big incidents. The young child in cleveland and the great grandmother out in los angeles raised large issues about whether there is accountability for Police Officers when they engage in misconduct. Thats the issue. This is something the president has talked about. Attorney general eric holder is heading tomorrow to have a discussion about that. I think what i expect to come from that is mayors, police chiefs, take up the ball of responsibility that theres going to be new discussion where it takes place. At the city level. At the town level, at the county level, between police and communities. But we need policy changes. We need a national antiracial profiling law. We need a National Accreditation system thats serious. We need body cams and dash cams. We need a standardized use of deadly force policy that gives citizens confidence. And also tells everyone where the line should be drawn. This is a time for a broader discussion about Police Community relations. Particularly the relationship between police and africanamerican communities and other communities of color. Marc moreal. Thank you so much. A look at americas ultra rich. Who are they . And which state has most of them . Its part of todays number ones and its up next. You know your dentures can move. Unlike natural teeth. Try new fixodent plus truefeel. This smooth formula helps keep dentures in place. Its free of flavors and colorants for a closer feeling to natural teeth. Fixodent. And forget it.  americans drink 48 billion thats enough plastic bottles to stretch around the earth 230 times. Each brita filter can replace 300 of those. Clean. Clear. Brita water. Nothing is better. A look at wealth and plenty of it. The most affluent of the 1 or where most of them live. New york citys capital of capital with more than 8,600 socalled ultra rich. Thats an increase of 8 in one year. California, meanwhile, leads all states with almost 13,500 super rich. And now to a cash cow. You burn with us the hunger games mocking jay part one looks like a sure bet to win at the box office. 123 million take last weekend was the biggest Opening Weekend last year. And hollywood needs tickets. Ticket sales down 4 a year ago, 5 less than 2012. Emerald city must be in that direction. I think. Correct. And the legends of oz hasnt helped. Its topped the list of the biggest turkeys over the last year in only 19 million in earnings. Sorry, dorothy. And those are your number ones. Right now, you can get a single line with 3 gigs for 65 a month. 3 gigs. Is that a lot . Thats about. 100 app downloads, 45 hours of streaming music, and 6 hours of video playing. singing and five golden rings ha, i see what you did. singing four calling birds. Three french hens. the guys starts to fizzle out two. Turtle. Doves. I really went for it there ya you did. You really, really did now get 3 gigs of data on one line for 65 a month. Switch to at t, buy a new smartphone and get 150 credit per line. Ring ring progresso i cant believe im eating bacon and rich creamy cheese before my sisters wedding well its only 100 calories, so youll be ready for that dress uhhuh. You dont love the dress . I love my sister. 40 flavors. 100 calories or less. Vicks nyquil severe. Helps relieve your ugliest, nastiest, roughest, toughest cold symptoms. Vicks nyquil severe. With maximum symptom fighting ingredients. Welcome back to weekends with alex witt. House republicans plan to meet to organize their response to president obamas immigration action. Reportedly on the table is a plan to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year for everything except the immigration action. In a new interview today, republican senatorelect tom cotton called for a different plan. Also passing a shortterm spending measure into the new year to let a new and accountable congress, not a lame duck congress. Youre against this idea . Ill consult with my colleagues in both the senate and the house to sign on an immediate path forward. Im reluctant to see the spending power the congress has under the constitution for 3 8 of the remainder of the obama presidency. Joining me now, a member of the armed services, transportation and agriculture committees joining me from california, his home state. Nice to see you. Good to be with you this morning. Lets talk about whether the democrats have any moves left that could avoid an impending budget battle over immigration. Well, i think really, this is going to be in the hands of the republicans. It has been for the last four years. The republicans clearly dominate the house of representatives and basically do what they want to do, and what theyve wanted to do is austerity and to do nothing on immigration. We now have a senate coming up that would be republican. Theyre going to decide how to do this. I hope they think about what is good for this country. We ought not play this budget cliff any longer. It is very, very disruptive to the economy, very disruptive. If you want to solve the immigration problem, for heaven sakes, dont cut off the money. That doesnt make any sense at all. We really need to do a comprehensive immigration bill, settle down, get this thing done. Everybody knows its broken. Stop the fussing and fuming and get on with doing what we ought to do, which is to legislate a decent balanced law. I think a lot of people are going to agree with you on that, sir. Lets switch gears. Is it wise in a time of expanding war to let your secretary of defense go without the immediate replacement standing next to him at the podium . Well, i dont quite understand what this is all about. I do know that hagel came in with the notion that we would be reducing and moving away from wars. And what really concerns me is that with his departure, are we headed into a new secretary of defense that is going to conduct a war for the next decade . Weve been at this now for more than 30 years. In afghanistan, we armed the we literally created the taliban to fight the soviets in afghanistan. And then they turned against us. We shouldnt have been surprised about that. But then we wound up with bin laden and afghanistan for more than a decade. And then iraq, and here we go again. We need to really rethink all that we have been doing here. It has not worked. 30 years of war, hasnt worked. Are we headed for another decade . It appears as though we may be. And this is what concerns me about the departure of hagel. And probably the top two contenders at that point. Both pulling their names out of the running. Both imminently qualified. What does that tell you . Well, it tells me that theres uncertainty. We certainly know that the definition of war is this nation going to fight a war . Its up to congress. And thus far, congress has abdicated its fundamental constitutional responsibility. We need a robust debate in congress and literally across america. Are we going to enter another decade of war . It appears as though we are without congress acquiescence or, i guess, standing aside. We really must debate this. And frankly, we need a different strategy. The strategy of trying to use hellfire missiles from drones hasnt worked. Its inflamed the situation. But we do have isil. We have to deal with it. Its not just our war, its a middle eastern war that involves all of the neighborhood. If they are not willing to carry the load, then we cannot do it. By ourselves. We need to protect ourselves to be sure. But that has our strategy has to change. I want a secretary of defense that is willing to look at a different strategy. All right. Going to switch gears here and talk about what the New York Times is reporting today, which is new details about the House Republicans lawsuit against obamacare. Its focused on the federal government reimbursing insurers for reduced payments. They say the white house needed an appropriation to do that. Which it never got. Combine this with the Supreme Court case. How secure do you see the law really being . Well, youve got really two Different Things here. One is obamacare, which a lot of people dont like. And the second is the Affordable Care act which has given them, everybody in the United States a very secure Health Insurance system. One in which there is no preexisting conditions. One in which your children can stay on your Health Insurance until theyre 26. One in which 10 million americans have Health Insurance, plus another 1 million, several million in the medicaid program. So when you look at it from that perspective. People dont want it to go away. Oh, no, we dont want obamacare. Well, im afraid that is the Affordable Care act. So i think the republicans here are on a very dangerous thin ice if they try to do away with the fundamental reforms that are in the Affordable Care act. They want to call it obamacare, which is a negative, but the Affordable Care act is a positive. So be very careful. Lawsuits, thats always appropriate to challenge the administrative action through the court of law. Thats how weve done it forever. Thats appropriate. Do i think they are correct . No. But im not surprised they would use a lawsuit. Coming from the house of representatives, i think is foolish. There are other places where this lawsuit should emanate. Congressman, quickly, i know novembers alzheimers month. Youre a cosponsor for the hope for alzheimers act. Can you tell me if passed what it would do immediately . Well, immediately, it basically is focused the attention of congress and hopefully the United States and the citizens here. This is a major, Major Health Issue for every family. And certainly for the baby boomers. Were going to see the cost of alzheimers going through the roof. It will bust the bank. It is the thing that will create the enormous deficit in the future. And its also the one Major Health Concern that is underfunded for research. The research on this is less than a less than 1 10 of what were spending today on cancer and Heart Disease and hiv aids. All of these things have research greater than alzheimers. Yet alzheimers is where the major expense is going to be and where every familys going to be affected. So were just asking right now, as we put together that appropriation that we discussed at the outset of this interview, add another 200 million to the alzheimers research. It can be used effectively right now. And we know that the breakthrough on this devastating illness is possible. Its possible. We can do what weve done with hiv aids. Weve seen Heart Disease and cancer deaths all declining as a result of the research at the American Public and other countries are spending on research. Lets do that. And thats something we can do in the next two weeks. Im sure families are sending up a cheer for your efforts. Anger, sadness, fear across the country, emotions ran pretty high last week in response to news out of ferguson, missouri. But it is the small act of compassion that went viral just a few days ago. During a demonstration in portland, oregon, tuesday. Sergeant brett barnam says he noticed the sign for free hugs and the officer obliged. It just happened to be captured one frame in time that the men and women of the Police Bureau and actually across the United States, they do good work like this every day, it just doesnt get captured. Theres been a lot of tears shed and its the humanity in us. And, you know, we just try and be good humans. Well, very good humans, indeed. Love that picture. Very powerful. Unfortunately, policeinvolved deaths have been more prominent in the headlines in recent months. The Michael Brown shooting was preceded by the choke hold of eric garner, and last week a 12yearold boy was shot for carrying a pellet gun. And shot apparently by accident in a darkened housing stairwell all triggering calls for change. Well, joining me right now, james peterson. And edward mammad, who spent 40 years in the department and serves as an expert on police procedures. And with a welcome, gentlemen, to both of you. James, to you, first. As late yesterday, Darren Wilson announcing hes resigning. He released a letter that reads in part, quote, it was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of Police Officers and the community are of the paramount importance to me. Its my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. Do you have any expectation for change . Or perhaps browns family as they take this in . I dont think his resignation is going to necessarily help the community heal. Certainly its not going to mean too much to the brown family. Theyre still in pain and anguish. Not just from the grand jury decision to not indict officer wilson, theyre still in pain and anguish from going through their first thanksgiving without mike brown being at that thanksgiving dinner table. I think the family is really looking for other ways of recourse and resolution for this issue. His resignation i dont think bears too much on what theyre thinking and feeling and have to endure at this particular moment. Im curious, when you look at these recent cases, do you think Better Police training might have had a different outcome . When you look at the officers involved, they were new to the job. Well, i must say that new york city, 40 years in the department has probably the b t best one of the best Training Programs in the country. So the shooting in brooklyn, i doubt if it had any problems with the training. The officer may have been scared or maybe he was negligent in what he did, but it has not been a result of training. He was walking in that stairwell with his gun drawn out of the holster, ready to go. Well, theres no problem with that because the use of a firearm is very discretionary. And the department has certain guidelines. You cant tell a cop not to have his weapon out when he or she believes theres danger. The thing is that you have to be very careful in how you deal with it. Now, the problem we have today is there was a changeover from revolvers to semiautomatic pistols. And the revolvers were not so easily discharged. But the semiautomatics are. What about a taser . Would that be as effective . No, theyre not practical in a situation like that. You need time to set it up. You have to see your target, first of all. He didnt know the kid was there. Yeah. James, recently did a study on federal data on Police Shootings which are notoriously underreported. They found that young black men are, ready for it, 21 times more likely to be shot dead by police than young white men. What does that do to the psyche in the community . An abiding mistrust of Law Enforcement, of the criminal Justice System. And hes right, theres officers of the law have to use their discretion. But, unfortunately, Police Officers just like the rest of us make decisions based upon their own experiences and their own biases. And when theyre making a decision about whether to use lethal force, or not, sometimes racial bias informs those decisions. Were talking about a different layer of training here where people can become more aware of what thee biases are, how they inform their decisions. Theres no quick fix. You can put cameras on every Police Officer, but thats not necessarily going to change in the ways in which biases inform the decisions they make. Im not trying to exonerate any of these officers, i think they have to be accountable for what theyve done. But the reality is now we are decades if not scores of years into this really deep distrust between poor communities and communities of color and Law Enforcement institutions that are charged with serving and protecting them. Something interesting, edward, the nypd has taken great strides. But that is not the case in ferguson, missouri. Do you think that is essential to proper Community Policing . Yes, i do. I feel that Police Departments should represent the community. The problem is getting the qualified people. Its, you know, the new york city Police Department has for years tried very hard to recruit people from minority groups. Hispanics, blacks, and its always been very difficult. And for some reason, maybe it was a cultural, they didnt want to take the job. Now, under commissioner kelly, that was greatly improved. We now have where the minorities were majorities. There were less white officers than there are hispanic and the black and other groups combined. So i believe that diversity in the Police Department is important. James, what about your thoughts on that. Its important, i think we have to realize the reason theres not a pipeline to police their own communities because of the deep seeded mistrust which has been boiling over for decades now. I think thats part of the pipeline issue. Lets be clear here. Just because the police force looks like the community is policing, doesnt mean well account for all the bias. Racial bias affects black folk and latino folk the same way it affects white folk. We need to talk about a more systemic issue in order to get to the core of some of these challenges, alex. And unfortunately, its a long haul process here. Theres no shortcuts. We have to begin the process now. Its a different layer of training. And in order to make it work. Impacts the pipeline issue, as well as the immediacy. Its a radical reordering of what policing is, though, and thats the only way forward. Thats the only way were going to see progress and stop seeing some of these sort of unjustified murders. Thank you so much. I appreciate the discussion. Thanks, alex. Christmas came a bit early for star wars fans this year. The seventh installation of the series is not out until next december. But the trailer is causing quite a stir. Thats ahead. It interesting, after all these years . She mixes it up. With nicen easy, you can shift a shade with confidence, and still look like your most amazing you. Go warmer, golder, stronger, even bolder. With our broadest spectrum of natural looking shades. You know what i love . Things never get boring. She always keeps me guessing. Go ahead, mix it up, spice it up, shift a shade with nicen easy. The movie is still a year away. But for star wars fanatics, this weekend was like a gift from the gods. The dark side. And the light. Lucas film released the first trailer for star wars the force awakens. The first new one in a decade. This trailers been viewed more than 28 million times since its release on friday. It has received both praise and criticism. Well, lets bring in the culture reporter for the New York Times. And can i just say, im glad to have you here, when i saw the millennium falcon, i was like it roars to life. Its kind of irresistible to watch it on your screen. Im getting misty eyed watching it on the monitor over there. Why do you think its generated this kind of response . Well, theres an intense feeling of nostalgia it awakens in people. And the classic trilogy of films that made zillions of dollars. And another round in the early 2000s that were not as widely embraced but also have a lot of fans. I think some of us want to reconnect with that experience. But also, look at whats out in the world right now news wise. Its not your fault. Youre right. Got to report it. Exactly. I think people are looking for inspiration and uplift. And were not really getting that from our Popular Culture right now. If you look at the hunger games, and that is about near future where everythings gone wrong. Star wars is sort of giving us this opportunity to think about, well, what about a world where, you know, things are a little bit more hopeful and theres opportunity. Yeah. Heres something you tweeted on friday. Im going to read it for folks. People are acting like this is the first star wars movie where light sabers come out of unexpected places. Theres been controversy with that cross kind of thing there at the end. People are saying its going to not work properly, you know, when wielded around. Might hurt the person the first thing you should apply to star wars a scientific analysis where in a universe where people can move things in their mind, lets talk about how the the jedi. I hope he has good wrist agilit agility. The appeal of this film, do you think its going to appeal to those that love the first three, the original set, those who love the next three or all . Well, i think theres certainly, you know, if one can judge from an 88second preview trailer, theres something about this esthetic that harkens back to the original movies where the special effects and Green Screen Technology developed. They had to do things more practically. Build physical sets and go to physical locations. And thats something we seem to see in the new trailer. Its harkening back to, lets build things, lets make it, not just shoot everything digitally. And thats part of the esthetic i think theyre trying to get across. We have 12 months to wait. I cant wait that long. Coming up, marijuana to some, merry wanna to others. Kicks off in colorado and shop owners are there hoping to bring in major cash. Thats ahead. You get used to food odors in your kitchen. You think it smells fine, but your guests think it smells like this. sound effects febreze air effects works instantly to eliminate odors youve gone noseblind to. It smells so much better so you and your guests can breathe happy. This is the equivalent of the and this is one soda a day over an average adult lifetime. But theres a better choice. Drink more brita water. Clean, refreshing, brita. New business owner, it would be one thing ive learned is my philosophy is real simple American Express open forum is an online community, that helps our members connect and share ideas to make Smart Business decisions. If you mess up, fess up. Be your partners best partner. We built it for our members, but its open for everyone. Theres not one way to do something. No details too small. American express open forum. This is what membership is. This is what membership does. Toothbrush. Sweater. Extra sweater. Headphones, sleeping mask. Oh, and this is the xfinity tv app. He can watch his dvrd shows from where ever he wants. Hey. Have fun, make some friends. Alright. Did i mention his neck pillow . sniffs pillow watch your personal dvr library where ever you go. With the x1 entertainment operating system. For regular business owners, the weekend after thanksgiving is the beginning of the Holiday Shopping season with retailers hoping to bring in big cash. But in colorado, some pot businesses are hoping to cash in, too. It started on friday with some du dubbing the day green friday. In fact, at one store where the cheapest ounce of marijuana is normally 250, this weekend it could be selling for as low as 50. Joining me now, ricardo, marijuana editor for the denver post. I have to say one thing, theres a marijuana editor for the denver post . What a sign of the times, right . Welcome to 2014 in colorado, alex. Got it. Okay. Lets talk about the pot sales. How have they been for businesses this weekend . You know, i think that pot shops did very well. And, you know, the pot shops celebrating black friday isnt something new. But they did it when we were medical only for the last couple of years. They would have Memorial Day Sales and black friday sales and st. Patricks day promotions. But now the Customer Base opened wide open when we went adult use at the beginning of the year. Certainly, this actually started on thursday with people camping out in the cold colorado winter in front of the shop so they can make sure they got one of those 50 ounces. Which means theres got to be a lot of demand. How are the pot dispensaries and growers keeping up with that . You know, the demand is real. Colorado at the same time is a mediumsized state. So i think theres enough grow operations and Cultivation Centers for them to keep up with the demand. We had rough issues with that in the first two weeks of sales. Nothing Like Washington states issues with pot shortages. But, yeah, weve kept up with it. At the same time, were at an alltime low in commercial real estate availability, especially in that warehouse sector. Because thats where all of these people are growing the marijuana. Oh, thats an interesting angle there. How is getting involved in the Holiday Shopping frenzy a real successful longterm Business Strategy . You know, theyre using it the same as any other store. Theyre hoping you come in and you wait in line for that cheap product, that dollar joint, that 5 gram or the 50 ounce and hope you like what you saw there. They hope that you see, you know, it was convenient to your work or to your home and youll be back. Theyre selling these in hopes youll be back just like best buy, just like walmart. Okay. Well, i hope you come back and talk with us. Thanks so much for your time. Thank you. And for more on how many are risking it all in the marijuana industry, watch the premiere of the pot barons of colorado. Coming up, what will soon become the worlds tallest roller coaster. That looks fun. How daunting is the skyscraper . Youre going to find out just ahead. Ed holiday excitement. At the volkswagen signthendrive event. Right now, for practically just your signature, you could drive home for the holidays in a new volkswagen. Like the sporty, advanced new jetta and the precisely engineered passat tdi. Ah, the gift of clean diesel. For the new volkswagen on your list this year, just about all you need, is a pen. Festive, isnt it . Hurry into the sign thendrive event and get a fivehundred dollar black friday bonus on select new volkswagen models. Black friday bonus offer ends december 1st. I will take beauty into my own hands where it belongs. Olay regenerist instantly changes the look of skin. It regenerates surface cells new skin is revealed in only 5 days without drastic measures. Stunningly youthful, awardwinning skin. Never settle for anything less. The regenerist collection, from the worlds number 1 olay, your best beautiful i found a better deal on prescriptions. We found lower copays. And a free wellness visit. New plan. Same doctor. Im happy. Its medicare open enrollment. Have you compared plans yet . Its easy at medicare. Gov. Or you can call 1800medicare. Medicare open enrollment. Youll never know unless you go. I did it. You can too. Go go wow go power. Oats go made from oats cheerios cheerios go, go, go go power oats go cheerios go power go. Power yayyyy Darren Wilson resigns. The officer explains in a letter why hes calling it quits. Will this change anything in ferguson . On the road again, the weather change travelers could face on their journey. Gop apology, a staffer for a republican congressman apologizes after lecturing the obama daughters about what not to wear. Plus never wanted to be in the games. I just wanted to save my sister. Then keep peeta alive. While mocking jay part one soars at the box office, more movies youll want to watch this Holiday Season. Hey there, everyone, welcome to weekends with alex witt. Heres whats happening right now. From the traffic on the roads to the crowds at the train stations and the airports. Millions are struggling to get home today after the thanksgiving holiday. Were going to give you a picture right now from flight radar 24. Com showing the number of planes in the air right now pretty congested in some areas along the eastern seaboard. Michael huterra says a holiday tradition makes things a little easier. Every year for holidays, the Defense Department releases a lot of air space to us. And that enables us to actually plan different highways in the sky. Also over the last year, weve been making a lot of investments and making the existing highways much more efficient. And thats a big thing. Aaa predicts more than 3 million flew to their destinations. Weather could certainly impact whether travel plans for holiday travelers. More on the long road home from Hartsfield Jackson airport. Hey, keith, whats the situation there . Reporter thanks, alex. Yeah, were here in atlanta, the Busiest Airport in the world on the busiest travel day of the year. What could go wrong . By the way, you may hear wednesday before thanksgiving thrown around a lot for the busiest travel day. Its only true for trains. As far as flights, this is your big ball game. Good news at the moment, wait times about 10 to 20 minutes. Youll take anything in yellow here in atlanta, you get back into some of this. You dont want any of this. You dont want the longer delays and, then, i dont know what that last one says. The black one cant be good. When you get back here, that cant be good. Regardless, things moving around at the moment. Therell be a little bit of a lull. Afternoon flights moving in. This wasnt always the case. Earlier today, what you see there in the taped lines, thats where they were diverting crowds to get through that Security Check point. Were going from the Security Check point, all the way back here, theyre funneling people through the atrium all the way through here is where they funnel the additional people. And then we had them come around a restaurant here. So its all about volume. Look, the weather, not really a factor. We were dealing with winter storm kato on wednesday. That was a big problem. The weather in the east, quiet, really all the way into the west coast is the best chance of seeing any weatherrelated delays. Your hubs from atlanta to new york, into chicago. Yeah, its cold in chicago, but were not going to have big issues as far as weather. Anything we have going on here in atlanta, much of the eastern seaboard is going to be all about volume that will continue to be a problem, of course, until tomorrow morning. Okay. Thanks so much. Ferguson, missouri, reacting to the resignation of Darren Wilson. Wilson said in a letter, hes acting in the communitys interest. Quote, ive been told that my continued employment could put the residents and Police Officers at risk which is a circumstance i cannot allow. Protesters outside the Ferguson Police station chanted as the news of wilsons resignation spread last night. Wilson has been the object of protests since the shooting. Told abc news today he didnt think wilsons grand jury testimony was credible. Remorseless, cold, and frankly a lot of his answers sounded like they were prepared for a lawyer. Marchers who started out in ferguson yesterday are expected to another 25 miles on theway to the Missouri State capitol. For more on the resignation of Darren Wilson and another highprofile grand jury case expected shortly here in new york. Were joined by miguel almaguer. Good afternoon, Darren Wilson avoided prosecution, hes now resigned. His resignation comes, too, as the grand jury gets set to hear its own high profile case. Darren wilson no longer a member of the Ferguson Police department. In a Resignation Letter released last night, wilson wrote i have been told my continued employment may put the residents and Police Officers of the city of ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that i cannot allow. It was my hope to continue in police work. But the safety of other Police Officers and the community are of paramount importance to me. Its my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. An attorney representing the family of Michael Brown, the teenager shot to death by wilson responded with a statement saying wilson, quote, made a personal decision that was in his best interest given the circumstances. Some local residents unimpressed. The way i feel, he should be behind bars. Wilsons resignation comes with a grand jury here in new york city deciding whether to indict a Police Officer for arresting a man using an apparent choke hold. Banned by nypd policy, a confrontation caught on tape. Im minding my business, officer. Im minding my business please just leave me alone when eric gardner was stopped by police on suspicion of selling untaxed cigarettes. Dont touch me his final moments, the 43yearolds last words i cant breathe. I cant breathe would become a rallying cry. We dont know what the outcome is, but were praying. Were still praying because through all this, we know god has the last word. The grand jurys decision here in new york is expected by the end of the month. But it could come as soon as any day. Alex . Thank you so much. I want to let all of you know weve been monitoring a News Conference by James Knowles of ferguson, missouri. He will not receive any severance pay as a result of his resignation from that police force. That is the big headline out of that News Conference. Well bring you more information from that as we get it. Meantime, strong words from pope francis as he wraps up his threeday visit to turkey today. This morning, he met with the spiritual leaders of the worlds Orthodox Christians and demanded an end to the persecution of religious minorities in both syria and iraq. Joining me now from istanbul for more on this historic trip. What did the pope say . Reporter well, alex, basically the pope dedicated the last day of his trip here to turkey to what he came here to do in the first place. That was to improve relations and solidify relations between the catholic and the orthodox churches here. And he did that this morning by signing a common declaration with the leader of the orthodox church. The first historic declaration in which both spiritual leaders called for unity between the two churches, well, theyve done that before, but this time pope francis has offered some unprecedented reassurances and guarantees saying that kind of unity will not require any of those churches to assimilate or submit to the other. Obviously, that was a show of respect for the orthodox churchs traditions. Now, they said that unity was necessary for them to jointly call for an end of conflict, of war, an end of poverty. But, especially for an end of the plight of persecution of christians, especially, of course, in the middle east. And thats why the pope before leaving for rome tonight, he went to visit a school where some young refugees were being cared for. And there he offered some words of comfort of hope and said he also announced the conditions in which some of the refugees are forced to live in saying that was intolerable. Now, hes just landed back in rome about 20 minutes ago where he will continue to work on the improving the relations between the catholic and the orthodox church. Continuing a process that may lead to reconciliation between two of the biggest churches in christianity almost 1,000 years after can you imagine, that would be incredible. Okay. Thank you so much. Appreciate that report from turkey. The incredible streak of luck underway for the state of florida. Were going to explain why today plays such a big role in it. And a sneak peek at what will soon be the worlds tallest roller coaster. Discover card. I just received a text from discover hq . Yep. We check every purchase, every day and alert you if anything looks suspicious. Nice. Im looking into some suspicious activity myself. 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Audi will cover your first months payment on select models at the season of audi sales event. Visit audioffers. Com today. Nearly quarter past the hour. Breaking news to report. Ferguson mayor James Knowles first comments since the resignation of officer Darren Wilson. Wilson will receive no severance nor other benefits. Hes also said that wilsons ties with the city are severed. Said the city would work to create a Scholarship Program for applicants in order to build a more diverse police force in ferguson, missouri. Joining me right now is a pastor and organizer working with ferguson action. And i want to ask you, sir. First of all, your reaction to that news. Overall, the resignation of Darren Wilson, the fact hes not getting any severance pay. And the fact theres going to be a scholarship now to try to diversify, better diversify the Ferguson Police department. Well, his resignation adds insult to injury to a beleaguered and traumatized community. He should have been fired and he should have stood trial for the criminal act of taking our sons life. Were not simply talking about a bad apple, but were talking about a rotten system that hyper polices black bodies in ferguson, but not only in ferguson, when we think about Eric Gardners last words, i cant breathe and this ends tods. When we think of a 12yearold playing with a toy gun. That our system of policing in this country is one that demonizes and polices and kills black bodies without punishment. Im a mother, and you think about a mother losing her chide, even from that simple basic perspective. But that which the mayor has said hes going to try to do. I mean, he wants to put a Scholarship Program to better diversify the Police Department. Many, sir, have said this is not something that can be fixed like that. This is systemic, as you have said. Is this at least a start . Well, i mean, it may be a start, but there is no finish until there is justice. Until the community throughout this nation is not subject to the arbitrary violence of policing and that until every other day in america, a mother is lighting a candle and laying teddy bears and writing a funeral program. We are clear that the grand jury did issue an indictment on monday. And that was an indictment of american democracy. And that this has resinated not only in america but throughout the world. London, paris and all throughout Eastern European countries that there have been protests in solidarity, raising the question on how people are policed and the ways in which the Justice System affords them no recourse. Reverend, lets together take a listen to mayor rudy giuliani. Of course, former mayor of new york city a little bit earlier today. Heres that. There is more interreaction and more unfair interreaction among Police Officers, white and black, in the black community. But i think just as much, if not more, responsibility is on the black community to reduce the reason why the Police Officers are assigned in such large numbers to the black community. Its because blacks commit murder eight times more per capita than any other group in our society. Reverend, do you think mayor Rudy Giulianis reasoning for heavy policing is legitimate . Well, having lived in new york city for almost a decade, i can say were clear that the numbers that have been released on stop and frisk, some 80 of those 600,000 have been stopped by the police, 80 of them have no reason for being stopped. Whereas, if theyre black or brown, whereas 80 of whites stopped had some form of contraband that led to arrest. And so the numbers are skewed, the facts are clear that it is part of a racist logic whereby black bodies should be subject to being criminalized and subject to policing in ways that the numbers do not bear that out. Reverend in an oped yesterday. Heres what you wrote. I want to read it in part for our viewers. If it werent for the bravery, courage, and tenacity of the ferguson community, this would have been just another of our babies shot and killed in the line of duty. So how impressed are you by the people of ferguson overall who have coped with the shooting of Michael Brown and all the events that followed . Well, for over its up to about 113 some odd days that young people, primarily black and poor for the most part with limited resources have kept alive. The second longest act of civil resistance since the montgomery busboy cot. They are a third of the way into the bus boycott. They have kept alive the noncivil disobedience tradition. That expanded american democracy and we should be celebrating that theyve been largely nonviolent. And i am proud to stand with them and to stand behind them because they are stretching the constitution to include themselves because every level of government has failed them and betrayed them and they continue to stay in the street with great dignity and great eloquence. Though rageful, it is nonetheless i can tell youre a preacher. Youre very powerful with your words, sir. Youre bringing up a good point about the civil rights movements. All of those marches. And theres one underway right now. The journey for justice, a sevenday march to the capital of missouri. And they have very specific goals that they want to see implemented. Is this a tactic that you see that will work to get change in america . Well, there are multiple factors taking place. Whether it be shutting down businesses, taking over highways, going to the department of justice. Because every facet of america is rendered guilty by the grand jurys nonindictment that all of us have to believe that children black childrens lives matter that black mothers tears matter and all of us are held culpable in the democracy. And the best of the democratic tradition, we all have to feel the pain and the experience of what it means to be a mother who is laying their child to rest too early because of arbitrary violence. So all of these tactics are very important to quickening the conscience of the nation. America has a choice. Will it be born again . Will it be a nation that lives out the true meaning of its creed. Will it be a nation where all lives matters . And right now while the grand jury has issued its indictment, the jury of morality is still out on american democracy. And these young people in the street are helping bring to bear that kind of witness. Ive got to find my way into your congregation and sit there one of these days. Ill be seeing you there if not beforehand. Thank you, sir. Bless you, dear sister. An apology to the obama daughters. What she said many say crossed the line. Also, one of Robin Williams last films is about to debut at the box offices. re coming. What do i do . You need to catch the 4 10 huh . The Equipment Tracking system will get you to the loading dock. There should be a truck leaving now. I got it. Now jump off the bridge. What . In 3. 2. 1. Are you kidding me . Go. Right on time. Right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. We call that predictable. Thrillingly predictable. Think the tree we carved our names in is still here . Probably dead. How much fun is this . What . What a beautiful sunset. If you like sunsets. Whether youre sweet or salty. Youll love Nature Valley sweet and salty bars. Right now, you can get a single line with 3 gigs for 65 a month. 3 gigs. Is that a lot . 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Americans drink 48 billion thats enough plastic bottles to stretch around the earth 230 times. Each brita filter can replace 300 of those. Clean. Clear. Brita water. Nothing is better. Ugh. Heartburn. Did someone say burn . Try alka seltzer reliefchews. They work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. Mmm. Amazing. Yeah, i get that a lot. Alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. Enjoy the relief. Its what you might expect. The mustsee movies in theaters this Holiday Season, including the latest installment of the hunger games. It made an estimated 82 million over the fiveday holiday weekend, 226 million in the u. S. In two weeks. I never wanted to be in the games. I just wanted to save my sister. And keep peeta alive. Its everything. Its the things we love most. That destroy us. I want everyone watching to lay down their weapons now. Youre alive. And there we go. Joining me now, Senior Editor of variety. Hey, my friend. Good to have you here. Thank you for having me. Lets talk about a couple of holiday movies that dont ring that spirit. The theory of everything. Thats been released by our sister company, universal, and also the imitation game. That is one about the code breaker who saved countless lives and probably shortened the end of world war ii. But i want to play a clip from the trailer of that latter one. Its pretty great. They are not going to help you if they do not like you. Have you decrypted a single german message . You will never understand the importance of what i am creating here. Our patience has expired. No if you fire him, youll have to fire me. Me, too. And me. Better bloody work. So these two films, how do you expect them to do at the box office . Are they released more in terms of garnering awards nominations . Both of them opened in limited release and doing well. But i think one of the narratives of this oscar season. The movies start coming out now, its going to be the battle of the british geniuses. The theory of everything, and benedi benedi Benedict Cummerbatch playing in the other movie. The subject matters are very different. Theyre both period pieces, the theory of everything is released by focus. And Harvey Weinstein was successful in the kings speech. I think both will continue to do well. Yeah. How about the star studded cast of into the woods. And that one, this is a dark tale on the take, rather, on the grimms fairy tales. Contrary to the lightness of the Holiday Season as we expect it. And then theres also unbroken. A phenomenal story of courage, resilience, directed by Angelina Jolie. How is that one supposed to do . So unbroken, no one cease seen it yet. Theyre going to start screening it next week. I think theres a lot of buzz, the early buzz has been very, very good. And Angelina Jolie could be the first actress to be nominated for an oscar and directing. No actress has been actors like robert redford. I think it has a lot of buzz and shes worked really hard on telling the story based on the 2010 nonfiction book. Into the woods is a lot of fun. And its a fun, its a fun sort of fractured fairy tale based on the musical. I was going to say, it was a great play. It was fun to see in the theater. Lets play a little clip since it hasnt been released. Heres that, everyone. This is your im now interred in a prisoner of war camp. I cant say this, says about america, its not true. Dont look at me. Its so powerful. It just looks incredibly powerful. What can i say . The other movie i want to talk to you about is one that might be a little bit hard for audiences to watch. It is the latest in the museum, night at the museum franchise, and its bittersweet because of the death of Robin Williams. Lets play a little clip from that trailer. Theodore roosevelt, president of the United States. I have no idea what that means. You are speaking with the pharaoh, kiss my staff. Is it okay if i dont . Sun goes down, tablet starts to glow and everything comes to life. Do you think its going to be hard for audiences to see Robin Williams . I think it might be a little bit hard. He rep rises the role. This is the last chance to see him on screen. I think people will see it as a final goodbye. And into the woods this could be her 19th oscar nomination. She keeps breaking it. She keeps breaking her own record. Come see us again. Thank you. More on the announcement a short time ago by the mayor of ferguson, missouri, about whether Darren Wilson will receive severance pay. Its coming your way next. Hey guys. Guys pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with cinnabon cinnamon, are an irresistable sunday morning idea. Nothing calls them to the table faster. 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Knowles said the city would work to create a Scholarship Program in order to build a more diverse police force. I want to bring in our panel to talk about this. Msnbc contributor and former Senior Adviser and msnbc contributor and executive editor at bluenationreview. Com. Welcome to you both. Jimmy, i brought you on to talk politics. I really value your opinions. So what is your reaction from the latest news from ferguson . The resignation of Darren Wilson. Also word, hes not going to get severance pay. Jimmy, youre first. I dont think when you murder an unarmed teenager, im not sure that you should get severance pay. I agree with the mayor on this. Lets be honest, Darren Wilsons life is for all intents and purposes ruined. So is Michael Browns family. Theyve lost their child. No one comes out a winner in this. But at the end of the day, Darren Wilsons going to have to figure out what his careers going to be. Is he going to be a Police Officer somewhere else . And so that its just the whole thing just makes me so sad. Theres no i dont see any Silver Lining out of any of this to be really honest. I hate to say that. Robert, whats your take . I think its appropriate. Look, taxpayer dollars are at stake here when it comes to Public Officials and first responders. Its totally responsible and totally appropriate for mr. Wilson to resign under these circumstances because a young mans life obviously was taken much too short. Thats number one. And also, number two, a severance package would be in bad taste and also would be inappropriate. And i think it was the right thing to do, both for officer wilson but also for the mayor of ferguson. Robert, do you think theres a Silver Lining at all potential that things will change . This will be a catalyst for change . You know, alex, we were talking about this over thanksgiving. Time and time again, we had this conversation about race. And every single time, we say its going to be different. We had this conversation about trayvon martin. We had this conversation about rodney king, this conversation about the, quote rutgers, new jersey. And every time we say this is going to be a catalyst for change and nothing happens. My hope is this is the last time we have this conversation and finally we have a National Conversation about race and about the sensitivities about young men that look like me that often times are mistaken for something completely different. Well hope. Amen to that, guys. I want to get to the politics. A republican congressional aide getting backlash following comments she made on facebook about president obamas daughters sasha and malia. In this post, she talks about their reactions on wednesday as their dad was pardoning the National Thanksgiving turkey. Writing, quote, i get youre both in those awful teen years, but youre a part of the first family, try showing a little class. She goes on to say, quote, act like being in the white house matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at the bar. Yeah, that Facebook Post has since been deleted. Robert, she has later apologized for these comments writing in part, quote, after many hours of prayer and talking to my parents and rereading my words online, i can see more clearly how hurtful my words were. I have to say it took many hours of prayer to come to that resolution . Should she be fired . Yes, in addition to the prayer, she should try to jump over the white house fence and get on her hands and knees and apologize to two teenagers. These are teenagers. Right. These are young individuals that are in the prime of their lives. And teenagers will look at their father or their mother and be like, oh, do i need to be here . Come on, mom, come on, dad. And theyre dressed like teenagers. Thats exactly what we want our first family to be. Being in the white house is really, really, really tough. And we expect the criticism of the president to a certain degree even the first lady. But the kids are off limits. And you go on down the history books, whether its the reagans or the bushes or the clintons, kids should be offlimits. They have every right to be teenagers because, guess what, theyre teenagers. Oh, please. If my kids, you know, if i had a dollar every time they rolled their eyes at me, i wouldnt have to work anymore. But why are these types of comments being made to the president s kids in the first place . Listen, you dont put Something Like that up unless you absolutely mean it. She meant it. And heres whats worse, her apology was all about her. She didnt apologize to the obamas or to sasha and malia. That apology was about her and her family. So how about the family she insulted . Im with robert on this. I hate to say it, it was it was a stupid thing to do, ive done stupid things, weve all done stupid things. I mean, to go after kids. These are yeah, okay. It infuriates me. I get it. Lets switch now to hillary clinton. This week, the Washington Post got a glimpse into the negotiations and items that the former secretary of state required. Heres what they found, the quote goes, the documents showed that clintons representatives at the agency exerted considerable control over her appearance and managed even the smallest details from requesting lemon wedges and water on stage to a computer scanner and the spread in the green room backstage. Does this, jimmy, help the republican narrative if she runs for president . Well, also represents me and i dont think theyve ever negotiated lemon wedges for me. I should contact them about this. It doesnt help, but listen, everybody, and by the way, the agency also represents a lot of republicans, as well. And the demands that are put out, or the requests, i should say, not demands are the same. And so this idea listen, does it give fodder if she runs for president . Absolutely. Theres a 30second ad waiting for that. But at the same time, these republicans running, as well, you know, they better be careful because a lot of them are senators and theyll live lovely charmed lives with drivers and security details, et cetera, et cetera, so thats a twoway street. Id be very careful on that one if i were republicans. What do you think . Will she have to answer for this . Heres my struggle. If youre a celebrity, whatever the case may be. You can ask for whatever you want. The issue really is two things. Number one, this is a public university. So youre talking about students who are struggling, literally struggling. To your point, i believe ucla did ask if there could be a negotiate. And guess what, the Clinton Administration the clinton folks said that is, this is our university. Reduced rate. So thats the hypocrisy i have here is that a potential president ial candidate or leader in our society is talking about the haves and have nots and the squeeze of the middle class. But shes not really championing the middle class when thus in the process shes and based in writing where shes going to a university. This is a public university. And asking for certain things like that. Its a bit hypocritical. Okay. Glad to see you both. Good to see you. See you soon. Thanks. The soon to be tallest roller coaster in the world. Were going to have more on the skyscraper when we return. My family, were close. Ay. Sometimes too close, which means were always getting into each others hair. Thats why we use head shoulders. Keeps us 100 flake free, and smells gorgeous. I use it. My whole world uses it. Head shoulders. Now smells better than ever. Today marks the end of hurricane season. That means the state of florida dodged another bullet in 2014. The state has had no hurricanes for nine straight years. In fact, the last hurricane to hit was wilma back in 2005. Were getting a glimpse of what will be the mother of all roller coasters. Its called the skyscraper and slated to open in 2017 in orlando. Its going to have cars of eight people. Theyre going to be more than 500 feet aboveground in some parts of that ride. Joining me now, joshua wollock. Joshua, okay. I cant wait. 2017, seriously . Lets get this thing going. I cant wait to get on it. Lets talk about the innovation of it. Why do you think it is important to build this now . International drive hi, alex, how are you . Great. To you, too. International drive in orlando has become attractions, mecca, night life and dining and entertainment district. Were building the tropical cafe in orlando, we own the one in south beach here. And we have decided to develop this incredible facility called sky plex which will feature the worlds tallest roller coaster and its reverberating around the world. Yeah, i can tell. Talk to me about this roller coaster, it looks incredible. Well, it is 570foot tower. Like having the eiffel tower in orlando and the track comes around, wraps around the tower itself up to approximately 500 feet in the air. Underneath the Observation Deck and restaurant and comes down in one of the most thrilling and exhilarating coasters ever built. Why does this one seem so innovative . Whats different about it . Well, actually, its very, very different. Its called a polar coaster. It only needs a small site to go straight up in the air and thats usually a roller coaster needs a big acreage. This is a completely vertical experience. Almost like a skyscraper in new york city. Oh, my gosh. Are you worried about the fear factor for people that some will go, yeah, this is way beyond what im going to concern myself with and try . Well, were hoping that the entire sky plex itself which is an indoor theme park 21st century arcade brings millions of people in orlando. We have currently 60 million visitors coming to orlando. And we hope to get several million of those a year coming to sky plex. Well have all kinds of things going on there inside of the facility. And people who want just the thrill of their lives and want to be on. And a world iconic attraction will take a shot of liquid courage if they need to and get on the skyscraper. I was going to say, its going to take Something Special to get me on that thing. 2017 youre saying . Yeah. 2017, its going to take two years to construct and were extremely excited to bring this thing to orlando. We love orlando. Its the greatest vacation yeah. And Convention Destination in the world. Hey. And this is where the worlds tallest roller coaster belongs. Well have a couple of places to visit. Good to see you. Good luck with everything. Thanks, alex. Have a great weekend. Tonight msnbc is premiering a new series. It is called pot barons of colorado. They risk it all to secure a foothold in the rapidly expanding world of legal recreational marion use. And as demand builds, a company Just Launched a first of its Kind Exchange in the weed industry. A wall street meets marijuana approach to the business. Msnbcs ronan farrow spoke with the company ceo. How fast do you think legalization will, in your view, go national. If you really just look at the past few years, the numbers are staggering why we came to market so quickly. Its really growing at a staggering pace. Were now well over 25 states with legalization on a medical level as well as on if you look at over five states in a recreational level. Its growing so quickly. The thing is, you need some type of a compliance of a framework for the regulatory agencies to be able to manage this growth at such a euphoric pace. And that is reflected in the hype surrounding this idea of yours. 20,000 seats on the exchange. Apparently youve already sold 2,400. Were you taken aback at the demand . Absolutely. And purely speaks for the marketplace needing Something Like this. If you look at washington state, some of the reasons weve built the product has already occurred. And none of us could anticipate it. Weve seen collusion. For day one versus making mistakes and having to build it out. And that was my colleague ronan farrow with steve yanich. And be sure to tune in tonight when msnbc premieres a new series pot barons of colorado. The future of afghanistan and whether were seeing a new surge from the taliban today. Ne with end rounded bristles so brushing doesnt scratch gums and angled perfectly, to remove 90 of plaque for a healthier smile. Trust the brand more dentists and hygienists use. Oralb. Celebrate whats new, the bigger, better menu at red lobster with more of what you love try our newest woodgrilled combination maine lobster, extra jumbo shrimp, and salmon so hurry in and sea food differently. Ring ring . Progresso its ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. Its our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. Apology accepted. Im watching you soup people. Make it progresso or make it yourself hit him with a hard count,ine. See if theyll tip their hand. The nfl trusts duracell quantum to their game day communication. Theyre blitzing up the gut get out of the pocket hut duracell quantum. Lasts up to 35 longer than the competition. New reaction to recent close calls between commercial drones and airplanes. The f. A. A. Says 25 incidents have been reported since june 1. This morning f. A. A. Administrator michael juerta reinforced the number one priority in drone use is safety. The thing we are most concerned about is to ensure that any aircraft in this system do not come into conflict, crash into one another. A bedrock principle of aviation is see and avoidment pilots take action to avoid one another. So its for that reason that we have a plan for a staged and thoughtful integration of Unmanned Aircraft where we look at lower risk uses first and then gradually work to others. Industries that are pushing for permission to use drones include farming, real estate and film. Today the police chief of kabul resigned after two week withes of bloodshed in the afghanistan capital with at least nine taliban attacks on government and international targets as the u. S. Quietly announced a new expanded role for troops after the draw down. The Afghanistan Government approves a status of agreement. Joining us is a correspondent and author of the secret sky, a novel of forbidden love in afghanistan. Welcome to you. I want to talk about the attacks in kabul. Well begin there and the Major Military bases, traditionally the fighting season would have ended by now, right . Does this look like the beginning of a real assaulten a post america presence afghanistan . It is the taliban i trying to show their presence. They want the afghanistan people to be scared. They want the afghanistan people to realize they are still there. They want the International Community to also be afraid. As you mentioned it is the end of the taliban fighting season. It should have been over by nowment its not to say its not ending at the moment. I did speak to afghanistan friends by telephone today to see what the feel is. Particularly in the capital of kabul where they have had 12 attacks in two weeks. The people i spoke to today say they are actually afraid of whats going to happen. They have been worried for a couple of years with the troop draw down, with the International Community leaving afghanistan. They feel they will be abandoned again and be left really in the hands of the taliban. I want to pick up on the last part here. Yesterday there was an attack on the foreign ngo compound. Three foreigners were killed there as well as one afghani. A british diplomatic convoy was attacked and three were killed. Do you think the community will pull out and what would that mean for the afghanistans . . It will be curious to see if they will pull out entirely. We have seen a large scale pull out by the International Community. The ngos, many of them pulled out or they have scaled down drastically. Really Even Television journalists have left the area. There are less American News networks in afghanistan. There are still print journalists there. They are scaling down as well. So the fear is they will be completely abandoned. But that being said, you know the nato Coalition Countries said they will not abandon afghanistan. What we are seeing from the u. S. Is although we are scaling down troop levels to around 10,000 by the end of the year and the start of the new year we might have 1,000 more than that. From what it seems to be with the new afghanistan president there will be a Good Relationship with the International Community. Hes already approved more of an effort by u. S. Forces in afghanistan beyond training and assisting. Whats interesting there, theres been talk for a while that the only way the government can hold onto power is if they bring in the taliban in come capacity. Is there a way to coit without returning to the dark ages of the late 1990s . A lot of afghanistan officials will tell you there is a way of doing that. Theres more factors. Its not as easy as just talking to the taliban. This isnt the taliban of the 1990s where you were talking to one leader, omar, who had control over the taliban. You have various groups with different leaders now. When you have a group many afghanistans say is funded and given weapons by a neighboring country which they primarily point the finger at pakistan. They say it is virtually impossible to allow them to come into the afghanistan fold. Beyond just the taliban and insurgents you have other government figures including Vice President s that are with the current president that arent trusted by other ethnic groups. It is a chaotic situation. But the afghanistan people are hoping and thats basically all they have now is hope that the International Community will keep them in their thoughts and try to help out. Last time they were ignored we saw what afghanistan became. We did. And we saw americas longest war basically. Thank you for your time. Thats a wrap. Just going to wave goodbye. Safe way home as you travel. The Equipment Tracking system will get you to the loading dock. There should be a truck leaving now. I got it. Now jump off the bridge. What . In 3. 2. 1. Are you kidding me . Go. 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Protests across the country following a grand jurys decision not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson in ferguson, missouri. A deep distrust exists between Law Enforcement and communities of color. Are we just as divided under americas first black president . Plus, are democrats turning on president obama . This week, a surprising attack from one of the leaders of the party. Democrats blew the opportunity the American People gave them. The republican revolution. We are heading to washington, and we are going to make them squeal