Transcripts For MSNBC News Nation 20130823

13 membof the family members, e one of them representing the 13 People Killed in that rampage, will be allowed to speak to the panel. The government will also have some expert witnesses. The most important point is that prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty. The other option is life in prison. We do not know in nidal hasan will make a statement. He has that right. He has not said whether hell have any witnesses. He has said in the past that, and indeed he admitted in court that he was the gunman. He said he switched sides to protect islam. He has said outside of court that he shot soldiers to protect taliban leaders overseas. So he will have a chance to explain himself before the panel, if he chooses to do so. Well find out monday, perhaps monday, if he does that. If he does get the death penalty, legal experts say it will be quite some time before he would actually face execution because of the automatic appeal that would follow. Again, to repeat, nidal hasan has been found guilty of all charges, a unanimous verdict reached by a u. S. Army panel. 13 charges of premeditated murder, 32 counts of premeditated attempted murder. Mara . Mark potter live in ft. Hood, texas. Thanks so much. The news nation is also following president obama, who just wrapped up a town hall meeting at Binghamton University in new york. Now he heads to scranton, pennsylvania, the final stop of his twoday bus tour centered on his new proposals for Cutting College costs. The president also remains focused on other issues, including the crisis in syria. Heres what he told cnn in his first comments since an alleged chemical attack on wednesday. What weve seen indicates this is clearly a big event of grave concern. That starts getting to some Core National interests that the United States has, both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region. This is something that is going to require americas attention and hopefully the entire international communitys attention. In egypt today supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi took to the streets in defiance of orders by egyptian authorities to end their protest. Meantime, in his interview with cnn, president obama also addressed the possibility of cuts off u. S. Aid. The aid itself may not reverse what the interim government does, but i think what most americans would say is that we have to be very careful about being seen as aiding and abetting actions that we think run contrary to our values and ideals. What were doing right now is doing a full evaluation of the u. S. egyptian relationship. Nbcs Ayman Mohyeldin joins us live from cairo. Ayman, good afternoon, or good evening for your. We know the protesters took to the streets today. Have we seen any clashes . Reporter well, the numbers today and the protests today in general were a big test for the Muslim Brotherhood. Obviously in the last couple of weeks the Senior Leadership of that organization has come under a lot of pressure, some of them have been arrested, others are on the run. Some of its midlevel ranking members. So today was a major test for them. Its safe to say they did not bring out the kinds of numbers that they normally would have in recent years. But there were nonetheless some clashes, particularly in the city of tanta. There they clashed with local residents and police. According to local security forces, one protester was killed and 25 were injured. In places like cairo and some of the others, there have not been large numbers or large accounts of violence or disruptions according to security sources weve been speaking to. So it is to some extent a day that did not show the kind of numbers that the Muslim Brotherhood has been known to bring out in the past. Ayman, thursday, former president Hosni Mubarak was released from prison. What has the response been there to that development . Well, among some of the revolutionary youth groups that were involved in the 2011 revolution, there has been strong condemnation for the release of the former president. In fact, they had organized protests today, but those were subsequently canceled because of security reasons. For the most part, Egyptian Society has been somewhat indifferent about the release of the president. In fact, even state media here did not spend a lot of time on it. Neither did private media. A lot of concern, though, about his release, meaning the return of perhaps the regime he once oversaw here. A lot of concern that some of the remnants of his regime are still very active in egyptian politics behind the scenes and among the security services. Nonetheless, for the most part, the egyptian street has not reacted with rigor to it the return of the president like they did in 2011 when they demanded he be arrested in the first place. And turning quickly to syria, there are reports of new fighting today in the same suburbs of damascus where the opposition claims that more than 1,000 people were killed in a series of chemical weapons attacks on wednesday. What can you tell us about that . Reporter well, indeed Syrian Rebels say their offensive continues in various parts. They are citing they are making gains despite some of the setbacks from the chemical weapons and particularly from the regimes ability to fight back or at least continue to fight. Theres no doubt that Syrian Rebels are saying that what happened over the course of the last several days was a weapons attack, a chemical weapons attack. Obviously the evidence on that still remains somewhat inconclusive from an International Perspective despite the fact that key u. S. Allies and u. N. Members like the United Kingdom are coming out more definitively saying it was a chemical weapons attack by the regime. Nonetheless, on the ground the fighting around damascus continues. The Syrian Rebels say they have been undeterred by the chemical weapons attack they alleged was used. All right. Ayman mohyeldin live in cairo. Thanks so much for that. Now for more on the situation in both syria and egypt, lets bring in Time Magazine reporter zeke miller. Yesterday top officials from the pentagon, the department of defense and a number of intelligence agencies met at the white house for a number of hours to try to consider their best response to whats happening in syria. What do you think the most viable military and nonmilitary options are in this case . Certainly the white house and administration has repeatedly, even today, ruled out boots on the ground in syria. Theyve already questioned the efficacy of a nofly zone. That significantly limits their options in any event. Youre reduced to Strategic Air strikes. Theres reports that there was bombing in it tthe same area wh the potential chemical weapons attack occurred on wednesday. The white house is calling this a mass casualty event. Clearly from the video on the ground, that should sort of lead to some action. Its not clear, though. Theyve tied their own hands here, it seems. We all know that the president last year said that no, im sorry. It was a couple months ago. Said that the use of chemical weapons would be a game changer. There was evidence in jung that chemical weapons had been used, and the white house virtually did nothing about it. Many are arguing that that inaction then emboldened assad to escalate things and launch this potential chemical attack on his own people. At what point does the white houses inaction on this make us complicit to whats happening . The question of complicit, its hard to argue that the white house is in any way condoning this by not acting and is allowing it to continue. Theyre taking steps to, you know now reports coming out that the United States is arming the syrian opposition, even some elements of which arent particularly friendly to the United States. The government is dealing with some unsavory characters to achieve an end they believe is very important. The question is there are steps they can be doing that theyre not taking, whether it be air strikes, whether it be stepping up that military with heavier weapons and the like. The white house has said that wont make a difference. If there are 1,000 people being killed in a chemical attack, its hard to see this president who in libya made the same justification of humanitarian concerns, the need for a nofly zone for air strikes there and also special operations, you know, working on ground through the cia and the like. Its very hard for them to for those statements to be true. And i want to turn quickly to egypt. I want to read something that the l. A. Times had to say about the situation happening there. They write, mubaraks courtordered release from prison thursday in effect capped the end of egypts brief experiment with democracy and return to military rule. Do you think the country is better off now than they were before . Has any measurable progress been made . Certainly its you know, were not taking a step backward now to the return of the mubarak regime. You know, hes still going to be out of power. Elements of his regime are still there. Thats sort of, you know he had a firm control over the military, and the military only left him when mubaraks control was already fraying. So its not theres still some its better than it could be, which i think is the best way to put it. It certainly could get a lot worse if the military even further lost control. Certainly the military is engaging in some very questionable actions right now. Thats something the country is going to have to deal with to come back to reform some sort of civil society. Right now it definitely could be worse. Mubarak is being released back out into the hoopen. Hes going to be under house arrest. Given the recent events, it could definitely get worse. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Developing news from san diego. Mayor bob filner is expected to resign at a closeddoor City Council Meeting that gets underway in just a few hours. More on what this could mean for that Sexual Harassment lawsuit against him. Plus, the weeklong celebration marking 50 years since dr. King led the historic march on washington. But 50 years later is dr. Kings dream being realized . I think equality is the ability of the individual and inner society to achieve respect and dignity and all of the other things that any individual in that society would achieve without the barriers of laws standing before them saying you cannot go here, you cannot do this, and without customary barriers. [ woman ] ring. Ring. Progresso. I just served my motherinlaw your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much. I told her it was homemade. Everyone tells a little white lie now and then. But now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] shes right behind me isnt she . [ male announcer ] progresso. You gotta taste this soup. Nocharge scheduled maintenance. Check. And heres the kicker. 0 apr for 60 months. And who got it . This guy. And who got it . This guy. And who got it . This guy. Thats right. [ male announcer ] its the car you wont stop talking about. Ever. Hurry in to the volkswagen best. Thing. Ever. Event. And get 0 apr for 60 months, now until september 3rd. Thats the power of german engineering. And get 0 apr for 60 months, now until september 3rd. Stubborn love by the lumineers did you i did. Email . So what did you think of the house . Did you see the School Ratings . Oh, youre right. Hey babe, i got to go. Bye daddy have a good day at school, ok . But what about when my parents visit . Ok. I just love this one. And its next to a park. I love it. I love it too. Heres our new house. Daddy youre not just looking for a house. Youre looking for a place for your life to happen. Are you flo . Yes. Is this the thing you gave my husband . Well, yeah, yes. The name your price tool. You tell us the price you want to pay, and we give you a range of options to choose from. Careful, though that kind of power can go to your head. That explains a lot. Yo, buddy i got this. Gimme one, gimme one, gimme one the power of the name your price tool. Only from progressive. I think that we must face the fact that in reality you cannot have economic and political equality without having some form of social equality. I think this is inevitable. And i dont think our society will rise to its full maturity until we come to see that men are made to live together as brothers. That was reverend Martin Luther king jr. Appearing on meet the press just three days before he would deliver his i have a dream speech during the march on washington for jobs and freedom. This sunday, meet the press will reair the entire august 25th, 1963, edition featuring dr. King. As we approach that anniversary, the 50th of the march on washington, events are being held throughout the nations capital. Were also looking back at dr. Kings legacy. Part of it can be found in cities throughout the nation where streets bear his name. Sadly, many of the streets are in the worst part of town. I took a closer look at what its like to live on mlk street. For years melvin whites postal route took him along st. Louiss dr. Martin luther king drive, a street that hardly lives up to the dream. Crime, poverty, prostitution, drugs. The sixmile stretch has one of the citys highest crime rates, over the years driving away businesses we had everything. Now its just deteriorating. And visitors. People are afraid to come on Martin Luther king street because of the danger. Just months after dr. Kings 1968 assassination, a Movement Began to honor his legacy with streets bearing his name. Today, more than 900 roads in 40 states and washington, d. C. Are named after king, but it can be a dubious honor. Many of the streets are in poor communities. Violence and crime so common theyve become a stereotype. If youre on Martin Luther king boulevard, theres some violence going down. Im lost, im on Martin Luther king. Run white isnt running from the stigma. Hes determined to change it. His nonprofit, beloved streets of america, wants to revitalize mlk streets around the country, starting with st. Louis. Right now its a vacant lot. Soon to be transformed into a park. This will be the symbol of greater things to come. Some mlk streets like new yorks mlk boulevard in harlem are in thriving commercial areas in historic neighborhoods, but elsewhere getting a prime location can be an uphill battle. Many have faced resistance and can be relegated to obscure parts of the city. Derek alderman from the university of tennessee has been studying mlk streets for 15 years. This isnt really just about king. This is about bringing visibility to africanamericans, their historical importance and a more broader general way. It goes to the heart of whose histories matter in america. I have a dream today. One of the dr. Kings dream was, quote, the creation of the beloved community, a community that for many centers around his legacy. You have to look at these streets as beloved communities and main streets within peoples lives. Its about the whole country getting behind an effort and making this a reality and bringing back dr. Kings legacy like its supposed to be represented as. A nation of many mlk streets all leading to the same dream. Joining me now, National Action Network President and host of msnbcs politics nation, reverend al sharpton and joy reed. Rev, i want to start with you. Its been 50 years since the i have a dream speech. In what ways has that dream been rae realized and in what ways has it not . In some ways, clearly weve seen great progress. You could attribute a lot of that to dr. Kings work and the work of those in the 60s. The fact that we now sit in a nation with a black president and a black attorney general and black ceos of major corporations and the cultural figures that set the trends. You know, there was a time that elvis was a big star and james brown was the black star. Now the black stars are the stars. Theyre elvis and james brown. So in the curl churl arena and Oprah Winfrey in the television world. Youve seen a lot of breakthroughs. But when you look in mass, you do not see the differences that we used to have reconciled yet. Blacks are still doubly unemployed to whites as they were 50 years ago. Blacks still are incarcerated more at the same averages they were 50 years ago, charged with the same crime. We still are fighting state laws that in many ways deny federal civil rights laws. Stand your ground, for example, in florida. And well be talking about this at the march tomorrow. Stand your ground is a state law that has nullified the federal civil right for Trayvon Martin to walk home and not have anyone interrupt that. So i think that there is a long way to go in terms of our economic standing, in terms of the masses. I think theres a long way to go in terms of our dealing with those state laws that try to undermine it. The most egregious is that we are now even seeing a regression in our voting rights. When we look at the Supreme Court taking out section four, we look at North Carolina and texas and other states trying to come with Voter Suppression schemes, we are not only going not moving forward in some areas, we are threatened with going backwards. This is the first time in 48 years that we dont have preclearance in the Justice Department before districts or states with histories of discrimination can do anything. That has never happened before. That alone is a reason for this march tomorrow. And joy, you hear some of the Economic Indicators that rev speaks about, about not having made progress in the last five decades. It really is quite shocking. I want to read you some other numbers. A recent poll found that 54 of adults think people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. When you break it down by race, it looks very different. 59 of whites agree with that statement. Only 19 of africanamericans agree. What do those numbers tell you . I think there is a growing disparity on issues of race. Its been particularly acute since Barack Obamas election. Sort of the irony, i guess, of having this first black president is it is both a sign of progress, and it seems to be the thing that kind of kicked open the doors to the really uglier side of the racial conversation. Blacks and whites do not perceive the country the same way. They dont perceive progress the same way and dont even perceive Race Relations the same way. Theres this growing gap. I think it is not all africanamericans or all white americans who have this sort of disagreement. But the most acute and loudest voices. I think its partly a political conversation because barack obama is a democrat, because hes perceived as also liberal. Its ignited really something ugly. But in a way, i think that had to happen. I think having an africanamerican elected to the white house was going to create some racial tumult. Because we didnt have truth and reconciliation like they did in south africa, we have to go through this ugly period to get to a coherent conversation where were all on the same page. Reverend sharpton, one of the ongoing battles for civil rights around the country is the right for samesex marriage. What do you think dr. Kings position would be on that issue . I dont know that anyone could predict what he would think on any given issue. Certainly martin iii and others have stated theirs. I think there are those of us that are out now in the front of civil Rights Groups and movements who have said you cannot have segregated civil rights movements. You have to be for everyones civil rights or youre for no ones. People have the right to do whatever they want to do, even if you disagree with it. To say that someone has a right does not mean you have to give consent. I tell that to preachers all the time. But it means that they have a right to disagree with you. I think that whether its the lgbt community, whether its women, whether its immigration, we must consistently fight for peoples rights, and they will be among the speakers tomorrow. Thank you both so much for your time. Reverend sharpton mentioned the events taking place tomorrow. Be sure to catch a special edition of politics nation tonight at 6 00 p. M. Eastern. Also be sure to tune into msnbc tomorrow for full coverage of the anniversary march. We want to hear how you are advancing the dream. Share your photo with us on twitter and instagram using advancingthedream. [ male announcer ] running out of steam . Now you can give yourself a kick in the rear v8 vfusion plus energy. Natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. Need a little kick . Ooh couldve had a v8. In the juice aisle. Theres a new way to fight litter box odor. Need a little kick . Ooh introducing tidy cats with glade tough odor solutions. Two trusted names, one amazing product. Fearly 2,000 firefighters are struggling to contain the fastmoving wildfire burning Near Yosemite National Park and threatening about 2500 homes. The fire grew overnight and has already consumed more than 63,000 acres. Its now crept into a remote section of the National Park. The flames are only about 5 contained. It is very intense fire. With a wind shift or increase, youre going to see fire activity increase. California governor jerry brown has declared a state of emergency. Its the latest in a string of major wildfires to sweep the country in recent weeks and comes as Officials Say the cost of fires this year alone has already topped more than 1 billion. Nbcs Miguel Almaguer has more from california. Reporter mara, this fire has now consumed more than 105,000 acres. The governor has declared a state of emergency as it moves closer to Yosemite National park. It is the top priority fire in the country. Some 2,000 firefighters are now on the ground. They are working the fire lines 24 hours a day, but they are losing the battle for containment. Containment yesterday was close to 5 . It has now shrunk to about 2 as this place continues to expand in size, continues to make runs into the forest. Crews are going to have to deal with scorching temperatures and gusting winds. Yosemite National Park is about 14 miles away from where we are. The park is open. Skies are clear. As you can see here, the choking smoke is moving in that direction. Firefighters say they believe they can stop the flames from reaching the park, but they certainly will have a Monumental Task on their hands. Mara . All right. Miguel almaguer live at yosemite. Still ahead, senator tom coburn the latest republican lawmaker to entertain the thought of impeaching president obama. He says hes the president s friend, but is he really more of a foe . Barack obama is a personal friend of mine. He became my friend in the senate. Plus, the news nation political postscript. Senator ted cruz made headlines this week when he announced plans to renounce his canadian citizenship. Now hes back on the road sparking more 2016 speculation. Well get the first read. [ whispering ] uh i had a nightmare the house caught fire and we were out on the streets. [ whispering ] shhh. Its only a dream. And we have Home Insurance. But if we made a claim, our rate would go up. [ whispering ] shhh. You did it right. You have allstate claim rate guard so your rates wont go up just because of a claim. [ whispering ] are we still in a dream . No, youre in an allstate commercial. So get allstate Home Insurance with claim rate guard. [ whispering ] goodnight. There are so many people in our bedroom. [ dennis ] talk to an allstate agent. [ doorbell rings ]. And let the good life in. Developing news out of san diego where in just hours, embattled mayor bob filner is expected to officially resign. The mayor has been facing growing demands to step down in the wake of a string of Sexual Harassment allegation. Nbcs joe fryer has the latest from san diego. Joe, good afternoon. What can you tell us about go ahead, im sorry. We have a delay. Reporter thats okay. Were just 90 minutes away from the start of this allimportant City Council Meeting. At the beginning of the meet, the city council will actually have a public hearing, an opportunity for taxpayers to sound off on some of the possibilities. Then the city council is going to go into a private, closeddoor meeting. During that time, they will discuss this tentative deal that was reached earlier this week. All signs indicate that bob filners resignation is part of that tentative deal. But the question is, what might filner get in return for that . Will it involve any help with his legal fees and legal settlements in the future . How will the city council react to that, and how would the public feel about that . The city council will discuss this and vote on it in private, then come out afterward to detail what was actually in the deal and what actions they took. There are reports that bob filner has already signed his resignation, but its contingent on what action the City Council Takes today. Mara . All right, joe fryer live from san diego. Well be keeping an eye on that story. Thanks so much for that. Well, he calls president obama his friend, but now republican senator tom coburn of oklahoma has joined a handful of other republicans warning that impeachment is a possibility. Senator coburn spoke at a town hall meeting in oklahoma. I dont have the legal background to know if that rises to high crimes and misdemeanors, but i think theyre getting close. Barack obama is a personal friend of mine. He became my friend in the senate. But that does not mean i agree in any way with what hes doing or how hes doing it. I, quite frankly, think hes in a difficult position hes put himself in. If it continues, i think were going to have another constitutional crisis in our country in terms of the presidency. Without using any specifics, senator coburn cited, quote, intended violation of the law by the Obama Administration as well as general competence of some of his appointees. Meanwhile, at a town hall in his district this week, Kerry Bentivolio said, if i could write that bill, it would be a dream come true. Well, joining me live for more on all this is the National Political correspondent for politico. James, thanks so much for being here this afternoon. Good to be with you, mara. Lets start with senator coburn. When Time Magazine made coburn one of this years 100 most influential people, president obama was part of the writeup praising the senator. Why is he raising this flag . Is this just a dog whistle for the base . It is a dog whistle for the base. As they say, if you want a friend in washington, get a dog. The friendships, especially across the aisle, arent very deep in a lot of cases. Coburns not running for reelection. He is a senator from one of the most conservative states. He built a reputation over the last decade as one of the more conservative members of the senate. The town hall, if you listen to the whole tape, it really does sound just like he was sort of musing, thinking aloud about some of these things. It really is amazing how at this stage in everyones presidency now the country is so polarized. We remember it in 2005, 2006 with george w. Bush and now with obama. Youre going to have partisans who call for impeachment. I think thats just where we are now as a country. And, you know, youll remember during the height of the frenzy about the whole birther movement, donald trump said he had sent investigators to hawaii. He says youll never believe what theyre finding. Theyre finding this incredible stuff, without giving any actual information. So in terms of what they could specifically be talking about when theyre talking about impeachable offenses, something that would rise to the level of high crimes, what specific instances might they be referring to . Yeah, i mean, president obama has not committed a clear impeachable offense. Like i said, this is just what youre going to get every presidency now. You know, coburn, you mentioned, cited incompetence. Incompetence is not cause for impeachment. Most americans dont think that the Obama Administration is incompetent. So this is just something that theres not, you know, a clear bill of goods against obama. Theres not specific things that hes done. Obviously, theres an element of the conservative base that continues to feel that the president is not legitimate. I think that most Washington Republicans have moved on. Now, even ted cruz have said there arent the votes in the senate to convict president obama. So whats the end game here . What is the point of bringing this up through multiple people, multiple locations, multiple occasions . I dont think theres a big kind of conspiracy on the right to float this idea. I think it makes the basic it shows the activists that they also think obama is a really bad president. This isnt going to go anywhere. The House Republican leadership has zero appetite to move this direction. Theyre focused on the real fights coming up this fall on the debt ceiling. All right. Thanks so much for being here this afternoon. Thanks. Now we turn to to breaking news on another military trial. A jury has decided that the soldier who bleed guilty to killing 16 afghan civilians last year will spend life in prison without a chance at parole. Jim, what can you tell me about this verdict . Well, this was Staff Sergeant robert bales, involving in one of the most horrific incidents involving the u. S. Military in the entire afghanistan war. A year ago he left his base in southern afghanistan in the middle of the night, went to two separate villages and opened fire on civilians, killing 16 afghans, including women and children. While he attempted a defense at traumatic brain injury, he was on steroids, alcohol, none of that stood the test of the court. Actually, bales, in a plea bargain, accepted life without parole instead of a possible death sentence. In his own apology to the american people, to the court, certainly to the afghan people, he had no earthly reason for doing what he did, mara. Such a terrible crime. Jim, thanks so much. Now for the news nation political postscript. It was a week dominated by heavy criticism of the president s Foreign Policy from the crisis in egypt to the red line over chemical weapons use in syria. Ted cruz made headline when is he signaled his president ial ambitions by giving up his canadian citizenship. Heres a look back at the week in politics. Egypts future is really damned. I make that point clear. Its to the just about the aid. Its about the relationship. Were the strongest nation on earth. For us to sit by and watch this happen ises a violation of everything that we stood for. Providing foreign assistance is not like a spigot. You dont turn it off and on or turn it up or down like a faucet. When the president of the United States says that if the use of these weapons, it would be a quote, red line and a game changer, he now sees that as a green light. There are a range of things weve done already. In terms of additional assistance that could be provided, i certainly wouldnt rule that out. Joining me now, domenico montanaro. I just want to touch on what we saw in that piece, which is the issues in egypt and syria and the United States involvement in those conflicts. You know, it seems that their influence has been limited lately on a global stage, whether its russia ignoring the president s request on edward snowden, whether its egypts military ignoring the request for restraint, and now syria not only seemingly ignoring cautions about using chemical weapons, but if its true they used them in june and then again now, seemingly escalating this. How much influence does the United States have on the world stage . Americans have been scarred by a decade of war. Really, were looking at polling that doesnt show a lot of support for wanting to get involved in a conflict in syria. Ve very, very small numbers of americans that want to get involved in a place like syria. It puts the president in a difficult situation. Even though he mentioned this red line comment, hes going to have to now figure out what to do, whether or not they, you know, put in a nofly zone or wind up bombing military targets. The problem is they dont know what they would be getting from that, even if they were to overthrow the assad regime as it is. The president has no good options on this. Lets turn now to domestic politics. Plenty of speculation about ted cruzs ambitions for 2016. Today hell be in New Hampshire. If he does run, given his politics, do you think he moves the entire gop field to the right . Well, look, theres always this divide in the gop between iowa and New Hampshire. This is like what we see every time. The ted cruzs, the rick santorums, theyre going to vie for an iowa. You know, Chris Christie and the rest, theyre going to try to go for a New Hampshire. Its this establishment versus more conservative wing of the republican party. Ted cruz, hes very well liked among evangelicals, very well liked among tea party supporters, but hes in New Hampshire today. Its a different animal altogether. Its certainly not iowa. Its certainly not texas, where hes from. All right, domenico. Thanks so much for your time. Thank you. Still ahead, the 51st state . A push to form the state of Northern Colorado is now picking up steam. Its just one of the things we thought you should know. And hash tag better batman than ben affleck. News of the superheros new role takes the internet by storm, but is it really that bad . Its our news nation gut check. Lets head to the one place with the flooring we want, the knowhow we need, and low prices that wont trample our budget. Then lets do some simple placing, locking. And admiring. A betterlooking floor is just a few steps away. And. Theyre affordable steps. More saving. More doing. Thats the power of the home depot. Saratoga hickory laminate is a special buy. Just 99 cents a square foot. That your mouth is under attack, from food particles and bacteria. Try fixodent. It helps create a food seal defense for a clean mouth and kills bacteria for fresh breath. Fixodent, and forget it. A man who doesnt stand still. But jim has afib, Atrial Fibrillation an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. That puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. For years, jims medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. But now, with onceaday xarelto®, jims on the move. Jims doctor recommended xarelto®. Like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afibrelated stroke risk. But xarelto® is the first and only onceaday prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. That doesnt require routine blood monitoring. So jims not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. Not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. Xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. Plus, with no known dietary restrictions, jim can eat the Healthy Foods he likes. Do not stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. Get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. You may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. Talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you have abnormal bleeding. Xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. You are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto® and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. Jim changed his routine. Ask your doctor about xarelto®. Once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring no known dietary restrictions. For more information and savings options, call 1888xarelto or visit goxarelto. Com. Because all these whole grains arent healthy unless you actually eat them multigrain cheerios. Also available in delicious peanut butter. Healthy never tasted so sweet. A man and woman in las vegas are facing multiple charges in what authorities are describing as a domestic terror plot to torture and kill Police Officers. The roommates, 42yearold david allen and 67yearold Devin Campbell newman were arrested at their home yesterday. Their alleged plot was part of a plan to attract attention to their socalled sovereign citizens antiauthority movement. What are we learning about this plot . The police in las vegas have had these two under surveillance since april. They planned to follow a policeman around, some random policeman in las vegas. When the officer went to make a traffic stop, they would grab the officer, take him away, put them, quote unquote, on trial and execute them for having no legal authority. Its not clear either of these two had any weapons. The Police Report goes into great detail about all the preparation they made, practicing to do this, talking about it, making videos that they would release after they did it. They even told some undercover officers after the first time they did it theyd probably have to keep doing it until one of them was killed. Police say they were members of the sovereign citizens movement. Now, weve known about this movement for several years. The fbi, the southern poverty law center, estimate that the group probably has about 100,000 followers around the country, almost all of whom are nonviolent. They believe, for example, you dont have to pay taxes, have a drivers license, you dont need a license tag for your car, that the local government has no authority over you. They oftentimes paper county clerks with paper they think is legitimate. Some of them think the federal government sets up a trust account for you when youre born and you can ask for the money. Some of them do turn violent. There have been episodes in the past in which followers of the Sovereign Citizen Movement have killed Police Officers and traffic stops tend to be the most dangerous times. All right, Pete Williams live in d. C. Thanks so much. You bet. Still ahead, the woman who talked down the gunman who walked into a Georgia Elementary School armed with an ak47 gets a call from the president. Thats just one of the things we thought you should know. And be sure to like the news nation on facebook. Were at facebook. Com newsnation. Hey linda what are you guys doing . Having some fiber with new phillips fiber good gummies. Theyre fruity delicious just two gummies have 4 grams of fiber to help support regularity i want some. [ woman ] hop on over [ marge ] fiber the fun way, from phillips. Good and close. [ woman ] hop on over discover the new way to help keep teeth clean and breath fresh. New beneful healthy smile food and snacks. Hell love the crunch of the healthy smile kibbles. Youll love how they help clean. With soft, meaty centers, and teeth cleaning texture healthy smile snacks help keep a shine on his smile. Its dental that tastes so good. New beneful healthy smile food and snacks. Join the news nation on twitter. Find us newsnation. Well, theres a lot going on today. Heres some things we thought you should know. President obama called to thank antoinette tuff, who talked the shooter down in georgia. Tuff said receiving the call from the president was, quote, awesome. The white house will hold a closeddoor round table. Among the topics to be discussed, hiva. I. D. S. , domestic and sbe mat partner violence, Mental Health and bullying. And six counties in northeastern colorado have now opted to put an initiative on their november ballots, asking residents if they want to secede from colorado to create a 51st say t state. The counties are largely rural and republican. The vote is regarded as largely symbolic. Those are the things we just thought you should know. Time for the news nation gut check. Actor and director ben affleck has been cast at batman in the upcoming sequel to the superman movie. In the film, the two super famous superheroes will face off against each other. The announcement has unleashed a ton of negative reaction on social media, like this tweet. Others have come to afflecks defense, including mayor and Senate Candidate cory booker, who tweeted this. Senate or not, this comic book fan is very excited. So far, there are more haters than not. The betterbatmanthanbenaffleck has been trending all day on twitter with suggestions of who would have made a better batman. Either way, fans will have a lot of time to debate this issue. The movie hasnt been named yet, and it wont be in theaters until the summer of 2015. Do you agree with the decision to cast ben affleck at bat man . Go to facebook. Com newsnation to vote. Lets take a look at what the news nation is saying about yesterdays gut check. In the wake of the School Shooting in georgia, we asked, should teachers have special Crisis Management training . 96 of you said yes. 4 said no. And before we go, we have to show you the first picture of baby kimye. That would be little kim and kanyes north west. Kris jenner tweeted this picture today. She is, indeed, adorable. No word yet on when north will drop her first single. That does it for this edition of news nation. Im Mara Schiavocampo in for tamron hall. See you back here on monday. The cycle is up next. [ whispering ] uh i had a nightmare the house caught fire and we were out on the streets. [ whispering ] shhh. Its only a dream. And we have Home Insurance. But if we made a claim, our rate would go up. [ whispering ] shhh. You did it right. You have allstate claim rate guard so your rates wont go up just because of a claim. [ whispering ] are we still in a dream . No, youre in an allstate commercial. So get allstate Home Insurance with claim rate guard. [ whispering ] goodnight. There are so many people in our bedroom. [ dennis ] talk to an allstate agent. [ doorbell rings ]. And let the good life in. Honey, we need to talk. We do . I took the trash out. I know. And thank you so much for that. I think we should get a Medicare Supplement insurance plan. Right now . [ male announcer ] whether youre new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80 of your part b medical expenses. Its up to you to pay the difference. So think about an aarp Medicare Supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare Insurance Company. Like all standardized Medicare Supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesnt pay. I did a little research. With a Medicare Supplement plan, youll be able to stay with your doctor. Oh, you know, i love that guy. Mmhmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. And there are no networks. Is this a onesizefitsall kind of thing . No. There are lots of plan options. It all depends on what we need and how much we want to spend. [ male announcer ] call now to request your free decision guide. It could help you find an aarp Medicare Supplement plan thats right for you. What happens when we travel . The plans go with us. Anywhere in the country. I like that. You know what else . Unitedhealthcare Insurance Company has years and years of experience. What do you say . Im in. [ male announcer ] join the millions already enrolled in the only Medicare Supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. Remember, all Medicare Supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesnt pay and could really save you in outofpocket medical costs. Youll be able to choose your own doctor or hospital as long as they accept medicare patients. And with these plans, there could be low or no copays. You do your pushups today . Prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] dont wait. Call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp Medicare Supplement plan to go the distance with you. Go long. Help keep teeth clean and breath play close. Fresh and close. With beneful healthy smile food. With special crunchy kibbles and great taste. Its a happy way to a healthy smile. New beneful healthy smile food and snacks president obama is on his way to scranton, pennsylvania, right now, home, of course, to the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company from the office. Hes there to talk about some very real problems with the economy. Next hours event will mark the president s fourth campaignstyle speech in two days. He spoke to a packed town hall in new york earlier this afternoon. Without buttering you up, i love nurses. Doma is gone. Dont ask, dont tell is gone. But more importantly, peoples hearts and minds have changed. Heres a general rule in the president ial town hall. If you want to get called on, wear the president s face on your shirt. Bottom line is, we need to stop taking the same business as usual approach when it