Out, and theyre looking at it very carefully. Very well aware that thats the primary question right now. Was this a hate crime or not . And its a question being asked domestically, a question being asked internationally. And they say theyre looking at it but they just dont know. What they are saying preliminarily is that they believe that this was sparked by a parking dispute here at the complex. The shooting occurred around the corner. The three students were shot over there. The man accused lives on this side. So this is the area. Theyre saying that right now it looks like it was a parking dispute. However, they say the chief is very carefully looking into the possibility that this was a hate crime. They have not ruled it out. They havent said thats what it was. Now, one of our producers who just walk the up here a moment ago tells me neighbors here are saying that the suspect, Craig Stephen hicks, was an angry man. He was known that way. He was confrontational and that he did that to everybody. And when asked if they thought that was based on his hatred of muslims or because of racism there were split feelings on that. Some said no they thought he was just mad at everybody and mad at the world and a very very angry guy. So that doesnt answer the question, but it just brings another factor into the equation, that he was a guy who seemed to have trouble. Again, according to the neighbors. Still being addressed right now by the police. Obviously still a lot of questions both there and around the country. Nbcs mark potter thanks for that update from the ground. Everybody at home, stay with us. We have a much closer look at these shootings and what might be mindbehind them in a few minutes. First, over in texas this morning, the trial kick kd off for the man accused of killing american sniper chris kyle as well as his friend chad littlefield. This is going to get a lot of attention, and its not just because of the movie, of course dramatizing the life of that navy s. E. A. L. Sniper chris kyle. Its also because of the claims being made by this suspects attorneys. Eddie ray routh is admitting he shot kyle and littlefield at that gun range two years ago, but his attorneys are saying hes not guilty by reason of insanity because hes suffering from posttraumatic stress. When he took their lives, he was in the grip of a psychosis. A psychosis so severe at that point in time that he did not know what he was doing was wrong. Mental illness does not take away your ability to know right from wrong. At the courthouse in stephenville, texas, nbcs charles hadlock. This is the only day, i understand, that cameras are going to be allowed into that courtroom. Weve heard the opening statements. What stands out so far . Well, a couple of things. Number one, the number of shots fired at the shooting range. Both kyle and littlefield were shot at least five times in the back and side and head by Eddie Ray Routh, who stole kyles weapon that was issued by the navy s. E. A. L. S. Took that and his pickup truck and got away. The other thing that stands out is that chris kyle and his best friend chad littlefield picked up Eddie Ray Routh in dallas and drove him to this shooting range to try to help him. Thats about a twohour drive. What did the two men talk about . What did the three of them talk about . And what did they think of Eddie Ray Routh . We didnt know anything until today. The defense brought up some evidence that was in chris kyles cell phone. It turns out that about an hour and a half into the drive, chris kyle picked up his cell phone, he was driving, and texted his friend sitting next to him in the front seat. He said quote, this dude is straight up nuts. And chad littlefield replied, hes right behind you, watch your six. Now, its interesting that that information was revealed by the defense because theyre trying to prove that he was nuts that he was insane at the time of the killing. They hope that the jury will believe that and find him not guilty by reason of instandanity. A lot of interesting new facts emergeing there. Thank you for following this. Later this afternoon, were also going to hear from president obama. Hes expected to speak from the white house. It should happen about 3 30 p. M. Eastern. Well be covering it here. This of course just hours after he sent a letter to Congress Asking for new war powers in the fight against isis. Hes formally requesting authorization for a threeyear military campaign involving limited ground operations search and rescue special ops, but ruling out, quote, enduring combat on the ground. This comes just a day after the confirmation that american aid worker Kayla Mueller was killed while being held by isis. At the white house is nbcs Kristen Welker. I gather the president also pointed out he feels he already has authorization, but this request for new authority seems to conflict with that. Thats right. The president and the white house argue he has authorization to go after isis under a 2001 authorization use of force, which gives the president the authority to go after al qaeda and its affiliates. The white house argues that isis is essentially an affiliate of al qaeda. But the president says he wants buyin from congress. In his letter to Congress Today he said this. Quote, although existing statutes provide me with the authority i need to take these actions, i have repeatedly expressed my commitment to working with the congress to pass a bipartisan authorization for the use of military force against isil. Of course, thats what this administration refers to as isis. Now, the president and white house have worked in close consultations with lawmakers on capitol hill as theyve hammered out the language of this aumf but i can tell you theres still some major sticking points, ronan. Among them the fact this aumf does not limit the president s authority in terms of geography. What does that mean . That means that essentially he can go after isis targets not only in iraq and syria but elsewhere. A lot of democrats would like to see this limited only to iraq and syria. During the press briefing just moments ago, josh ernest pushed back against that and said essentially the president cant be limited by geography in case they need to go after isis targets elsewhere. Also, that term you brought up ronan, in terms of Ground Troops. A lot of democrats would like this aumf to rule out using Ground Troops altogether. Of course the language as it stands says there can be no enduring offensive ground operation. So those are going to be two big sticking points. Im told that theres going to be a robust negotiation about this that could last for days if not months. Ronan . And im sure a very very intense discussion as to exactly what enduring will mean. Nbcs Kristen Welker at the white house. Thanks for that update. Again, the president expected to speak today at 3 30 p. M. Eastern. Well carry the remarks live. Again, this request from the president comes one day after the confirmation that isis hostage kayla mooulueller is dead. Her family spoke to the media in her hometown of prescott arizona, yesterday. She has a quiet, calming presence. She was a free spirit. Always standing up for those who were suffering and wanting to be their voice. Unimaginable grief. Joining me from arizona, nbcs joe fryer. Joe, what are you hearing there in kaylas hometown today . Well ronan, as you just heard, this has been very emotional for those who new Kayla Mueller well. You might be able to see the flags behind me here are at half staff. This is a county building but the governor has ordered all flags at state building at half staff in honor of Kayla Mueller. Also, were seeing more signs popping up around town that ask people to keep kaylas family and friends in their thoughts and prayers. When her name finally surfaced last friday, a lot of people here in her hometown were surprised to hear that someone from their town had been taken captive by isis. Now, a lot of people have been hit really hard by that letter which her family released yesterday. It was a letter handwritten by kayla. Little by little, paragraph by paragraph, and smuggled out by some of her cell mates. At the time it was written last spring, she said she was in Good Condition and being treated with respect. One quote from that which has hit a lot of people hard she told her parents, the thought of your pain is the source of my own. Simultaneously, the hope of our reunion is the source of my strength. She was dedicated to helping those in need especially syrian refugees. Ronan, that is how shes still being remembered in the wake of this devastating news about her death. Such a heartbreaking story for all of us around america and especially in that community. Nbcs joe fryer in arizona. Thanks for that. Overseas today, World Leaders are meeting in belarus. Theyre looking to negotiate a Peace Agreement finally for ukraine. In attendance at this meeting, the leaders of russia ukraine, france, and germany. This would involve a ceasefire and a demilitarized zone. The u. N. Estimates 5,400 people have already died in that conflict in ukraine. And some media news today. Nbc news announcing that Brian Williams has been suspended. Prompter, if you could catch up. We work for nbc, so we want to get it right. The suspension is effective immediately. Lester holt is going to continue to anchor nightly news. The nbc news president said while on nightly news on friday january 30 2015 brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the iraq war in 200 3. It then became clear that on other occasions, brian had done the same thing while telling that story in other venues. This was completely inappropriate for someone in brians position. This was a very hard decision. Certainly there will be those who disagree but we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action end quote. Another media story today, this one a little happier, you may have noticed some moping faces around the water cooler this morning. Of course, jon stewart announcing last night hes stepping down from the daily show last night after 16 years, saying this about what hes going to do next. I dont have any specific plans. Got a lot of ideas, got a lot of things in my head. Im going to have dinner on a school night with my family who i have heard from multiple sources are lovely people. Jon stewart, you are not allowed to have a life. How could you take yourself away from us . No word on exactly when his last day is going to be. We will be watching. And we want to know your thoughts on this departure in five words. Heres the hashtag. Were going to tell you our favorites later in todays show. Up next back to that horrifying news out of North Carolina. A country reeling at those three family members murdered. All of them muslim. Painful questions racing through this country now about whether this was a hate crime. Thats next. Theyre 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. Americans drink 48 billion bottles of water every year. 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. Know that chasing performance can mean lower returns and fewer choices in retirement. Know that proper allocation could help increase returns so you can enjoy that second home sooner. Know the right Financial Planning can help you save for college and retirement. Know where you stand with pnc total insight. A new investing and Banking Experience with personalized guidance and online tools. Visit a branch, call or go online today. Push your enterprise and you can move the world. But to get from the old way to the new youll need the right it infrastructure. From a partner who knows how to make your enterprise more agile, borderless and secure. Hp helps business move on all the possibilities of today. And stay ready for everything that is still to come. He whats that thing . I moved our old Security System out here to see if it could monitor the front yard. Why dont you switch to xfinity home . I get live video monitoring and 24 7 professional monitoring that i can arm and disarm from anywhere. Hear ye the awkward teenage one has arrived dont be old fashioned. Xfinity customers add xfinity home for 29. 95 a month for 12 months. Plus for a limited time, get a Free Security camera call 1800 xfinity or visit comcast. Com xfinityhome. This country is mourning today and asking tough questions after a shooting in North Carolina killed three members of a muslim family. Students and newlyweds, just married in december as well as her sister who was just 19 years old. She was studying at nc state. Craig stephen hicks, 46, has now been charged with firstdegree murder after turning himself in to police. Chapel hill police saying their preliminary investigation, though, points to a mundane motive, a fight over parking. But countrys largest Muslim Civil Rights Organization is calling on police to consider the possibility of a hate crime. The council on American Islamic relations saying this we urge state and federal Law Enforcement authorities to quickly address speculation of a bias motive in this case. Joining me now from that organization, zhara belu. Thank you for joining us on this sad day. I understand you also actually personally knew this family. What was your reaction when you heard this news . I know relatives of the family. Thank you so much for having me on to discuss this. Horrified. The idea that three people would be murdered, execution style, these three young people. Extraordinary students activists, volunteers. In their own home. Its frightening. I join the call of my organization and so many others to urge the Police Department to take this seriously and to investigate the very real possibility of a bias motive. What is your response to what the police have said so far . According to their preliminary investigation, its motivated by a parking dispute. I understand that people commit horrible crimes for so many different reasons, but here we have three very visible muslims. We have a horrific murder. Not just an ordinary dispute, a horrific murder. Then we have what we know about the alleged killers bias motivations, his facebook posting, his social media. Altogether, it raises everyones suspicions and concerns. So while parking may even be a surfacelevel dispute, we urge the Police Department to dig deeper and to really investigate these possibilities because people are afraid. And while we dont have all of the facts about this case yet, it is worth pointing out that its entirely possible with the definition under the law for something to be triggered by a parking dispute as you suggested, and still be a hate crime in terms of the broader motivation. We will see as the facts emerge. One interesting facet of how this is unfolding today, a lot of outrage on social media and a lot of it directed at the news media. In the eyes of a lot of people around the country, you know, news organizations like nbc, cnn, bbc, a lot of International News organizations failed to put the spotlight people wanted on this, especially in the immediate hours after the shootings. Whats your reaction to that . Do you think the media got this story wrong . I think the media is catching up. I think that there needs to be deeper conversations about the bias and prejudice that comes through in the media and from our elected officials quite often that leads us to situations like this. Its not very long ago, and its actually fairly frequent we talk about antimuslim prejudice coming through in mainstream media. So there are of course concerns about how we get here and then how the media is covering it. I definitely would say that the media is catching up. The fact that were having this conversation is evident that it is being covered. So really, i also want to make sure that we do focus on what incredible young people these were and making sure that narrative also comes through in the media. These were not just victims. They were incredible american young people. And College Students and this new relationship cut tragically short. It is a headline by any definition. Thank you so much for taking the time to discuss this on such a difficult day. I appreciate it and appreciate the work your organization does. Thank you. At any moment we have an update. President obamas expected to update the country on the fight against ebola. Take a look at this. Hes going to be speaking, as we said, any time now. You can see those reporters live gathered for his remarks. Some officials there in the room too. The Administration Says we have saved hundreds of thousands of lives in africa. Just a short time ago, the white house Ebola Response coordinator, ron klain, hes going to step down friday we learned, gave my colleague Andrea Mitchell a preview of what we can expect from this speech were waiting on. Ebola is like a forest fire. If even one ember is burning, the whole thing can reignite again. One point hes going to have today is that the mission of our troops is finished. Theyre going to come home but we have 10,000 civilian responders on the ground in west africa. We have to fight this disease all the way to zero to where theres no ebola left in west africa. We wont have success until we get there, and were not there yet. Again, that coordinator departing, and the president expected to speak any minute. Were going to keep an eye on those remarks and bring you any headlines that come out of them. Stay with us. Happier news ahead. The man who would be craig kiln born. Jon stewart stepping down. And of course social media going crazy over it. Thats next. This is the equivalent of the sugar in one regular soda. And this is one soda a day over an average adult lifetime. But theres a better choice. Drink more brita water. Clean, refreshing, brita. The bold nissan rogue, with intuitive allwheel drive. Because winter needs a hero. Now get 0 financing or up to 1,000 back on the 2015 nissan rogue. Nissan. Innovation that excites. In a race, its about getting to the finish line. In life, its how you get there that matters most. Like when i found out i had a blood clot in my leg. My doctor said that it could travel to my lungs and become an even bigger problem. So he talked to me about xarelto®. Xarelto® is the first oral prescription blood thinner proven to treat and help prevent dvt and pe that doesnt require regular blood monitoring or changes to your diet. For a prior dvt i took warfarin, which required routine blood testing and dietary restrictions. Not this time. While i was taking xarelto®, i still had to stop racing, but i didnt have to deal with that blood monitoring routine. Dont stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, unless your doctor tells you to. While taking xarelto®, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious bleeding, and in rare cases, may be fatal. Get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto® tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of dvt and pe, with no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. Treatment with xarelto® was the right move for me. Ask your doctor about xarelto® today. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ alex ] transamerica helped provide a lifetime of retirement income. So i can focus on what matters most. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. Transamerica. Expressions of grief over that chapel hill shooting of three Muslim Students are overtaking social media today. Just look at this. Its trending with almost 900,000 mentions so far today. We also thought wed bring you the other more upbeat stories storming social media right now. Unless you live under a rock, youve probably heard. Jon stewart leaving the anchor chair at the daily show, and literally right there leaving the office. Thats intrusive. This has led to mass calls for Craig Kilborn to reclaim the throne thats rightfully his, or not so much. Heres how the internet is actually reacting. Jon stewart and the daily show both racking up over 773,000 tweets since last night. Elizabeth warren making trouble. Washington is rigged for the big guys, she tweeted, and no person has more consistently called them out than jon stewart. And we always like to identify the trend thats about to hit. Well, according to the number crunching of our intrepid social media team and its captain, the big accelerating top wickic with a new mention every 26 seconds is jonstewartreplacements. Some of the big suggestions, tina fey amy poehler, and former United States secretary of transportation rey lahood. Okay. That may just be my suggestion. We asked you to send your thoughts on jon stewart. Do them in five words so we have a consistent trend here. You did not disappoint, my friends. First up from the ateam sort of. Diligent satirist who cares deeply. Next, fearless funny, farcical, flip, and forthright says kim. Extra points for alittle ration. And finally, last but not least, coming from our friend and devoted rfd fan lorry. Her words, jersey humor at its best. We like that one. Good work, everybody. Well keep bringing you those. Just ahead, the rebel yell heard all the way to the u. S. Supreme court. Alabama fighting back against gay marriage. Supreme court wiseman Pete Williams joins me as we hear from Supreme Court litigation icon, the doma slayer herself. Shes with me after these short messages. Huh, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Everybody knows that. Well, did you know pinocchio was a bad motivational speaker . I look around this room and i see nothing but untapped potential. You have potential. You have. Oh boy. Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Okay, you ready to go . I gotta go dad okay lets go go, go, go. Woah go right, go left, go left stop now go. shouting lets go i gotta go can i go . Yup you can go. beeping alert woah there you go way to go lets go buddy, lets go anncr the ford fusion. We go further, so you can. In our house, we do just about everything online. And our old internet just wasnt cutting it. So i switched us from uverse to xfinity. They have the fastest, most reliable internet. Which is perfect for me, because i think everything should just work. Works . Works. Works works . Works. Works. For a crowd this big your everyday dishes will only go so far. Literally. You had to go deep into the cupboard. Embarrassingly deep. Can this mismatched mess be conquered. By a little bit of dish liquid . It can if its dawn ultra. Its more concentrated. Just one bottle has the grease cleaning power of two bottles of this bargain brand. Heres to the overextended family gathering. Dawn, its amazing what a drop can do. A civil rights melee is playing out right now between federal judges and one defiant state, alabama. Right now judges in more than 40 alabama counties are refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Look at that map. Only the counties colored in green are issuing licenses to all couples right now. A federal judge has ruled that alabama denying licenses to those samesex couples is unconstitutional. And on monday even the Supreme Court of the United States turned down a request from state officials to stay that ruling. But that hasnt stopped alabamas chief justice, roy moore, from ordering probate judges to hold off. So whose order trumps whom . That should get settled tomorrow when a federal judge will hear arguments to decide whether resistant local probate judges must garage licenses to gay couples. Nbc justice correspondent Pete Williams has reported on civil rights issues for years. And Robbie Kaplan who we introduced as the doma slayer. Pete, explain the legal standards. Does the current federal ruling appear to compel these federal probate judges or just allow them to issue the marriage licenses . The latest wrinkle is there will be a hearing tomorrow on that very question. This is the summons thats been issued. Look closely at it. Its directed to one of the probate judges in mobile county. It says a lawsuit has been filed against you. So this is the latest tactic that the lawyers for the samesex couples are using to try to settle this question. Here is the legal point. The judge herself, who ordered the state to stop its ban on samesex marriage the judge herself said in a clarifying ruling, its true my ruling does not directly compel the probate judges to do anything. Theyre in the judicial branch. Her ruling was addressed to the executive branch specifically the attorney general. The point being, however, is that while ray moore, the alabama Supreme Court justice that youre looking at there, while hes told these probate judges they must obey the alabama constitution which bans samesex marriage those same judges take an oath to the federal constitution and you have a federal judge saying that the u. S. Constitution doesnt allow them to ban samesex marriage. So i think the hope is that if she rules against this judge, this probate judge, and orders him to start granting the marriage, it makes it clear he could be liable for court costs. The other judges will drop their opposition. One other thing here ronan, some of these other judges are probably opposed to this and dont want to do it but some say that theyre caught between these two directives and perhaps theyre looking to the federal court to solve this. So robbie youve argued before the current Supreme Court justices. How do you think theyre reading this situation . Are they watching this closely in anticipation of their own potential rulings . Its hard to imagine that they arent. After all, while its not the same we have some historic experience in our country with this kind of intransigence in terms of states being unwilling to comply with federal court orders. It of course happened during the civil rights movement. Again, its not the same. The jim crow south is the not the same. But its certainly, im sure in their heads. I cant imagine any one of the judges on the Supreme Court, even including Justice Thomas and Justice Scalia who dissented in the recent order, i cant think any of them think its okay for a state Court Official to say, im not going to comply with a federal court order, im not going to comply with the federal constitution. Weve learned our lessons on this. Im sure theyre all watching closely. It does seem to underscore the need for Supreme Court clarity here. I think it does. In a crazy kind of way, i think this is a good thing. I think it will be over soon so it will be a good thing. But i think it journdunderscores the need for federal, National Resolution of this issue. We dont live in a country where states can act on their own in basically open opposition to the federal government. The Supreme Court needs to step in. They will step in. And i think they fully understand that. So Robbie Roy Moore defended his decision in this way. Take a look at this. Did they stop with one man and one man or one woman and one woman . Or they go to multiple marriages or marriages between men and their daughters and women and their sons. The slippery slope argument. Weve seen this before in the courts. How have courts reacted to that thus far . At this point, courts are reacting by saying its silly. Theyre right. We have now with alabama 37 states that permit gay couples to marry. Im not aware of any ground swell movement in any one of those states of people who want to engage in incestuous marriages or polygamous marriages. Its just a red herring. Most federal judges in the last few years have realized that. Pete weve talked about this hearing tomorrow. If indeed they decide yes, you are compelled probate judges, to issue these samesex marriage licenses what kind of consequences could the judges that resist face . You mentioned paying legal fees potentially. Contempt of court also. You know they are judges. They do take an oath to uphold the constitution. It becomes considerably less theoretical if on one hand right now you have the atlanta constitution saying one thing, the federal judge says its another. If a federal judge directly orders a judge they must grant these marriage licenses its a lot less theoretical, a lot less ambiguous. Its worth pointing out n this state, these arent necessarily lawyers who are judges. Theyre publicly elected officials who could come from any background. Thats right. This is as they say, a ministerial act. This is not an act of judicial discretion here. People ask for the license, and they get it is the way its supposed to work. Its just an odd situation that in alabama what normally would be done by a county clerk is done by these probate judges. But as you say, they need not be lawyers. Robbie going back to the big picture, we know the Supreme Court is going to hear some Marriage Equality cases in april. President obama just talked about that. Take a listen to this. My sense is that the Supreme Court is about to make a shift, one that i welcome, which is to recognize that having hit a Critical Mass of states that have recognized samesex marriage that it doesnt make sense for us to now have this patchwork system and that its time to recognize that under the equal protection clause of the United States, samesex couples should have the same rights as anybody else. So robbie you and the Human Rights Campaign have teamed up to actually try to directly get the arguments of people who want to see more Marriage Equality in front of this court. Tell me about that. Yeah we are doing a briefly we have written a brief called the peoples brief, that really outlines exactly what you just heard the president talking about, this incredible sea change that this country has experienced in terms of the understanding of gay people and who they are and their human dignity. And it tries to explain that phenomenon in the context of the legal doctrine n the constitutional doctrine, and to give the court a way to put it in context and to reach the ruling im sure they will, that gay people have the same rights under the constitution as everyone else. Let me just point out something thats an amazing fact about whats going on in alabama right now. It turns out that the federal judge whos having this hearing tomorrow is actually the granddaughter of one of the judges who were known as the fifth circuit four who were the four judges who enforced desegregation in the south after brown and who personally faced incredible public criticism on a daily basis in order to make sure that the Supreme Courts rulings would be enforced. I think the historical resonance of that is incredible and im sure that federal judge is well aware of her grandfathers role. Potentially echoes of history here. We shall see. Big changes nationally ahead. Pete williams thank you so much. I want to get one of these monitors installed in my home so i have Pete Williams live all the time. What a treat that would be. Same here. Robbie kaplan always a pleasure. Were also following news internationally. The closing of the u. S. Embassy in yemen. We want to bring you an update on that. The Defense Department just confirming now some reports that the u. S. Marines departing yemen have turned over their small arms and vehicles to yemeni officials. The u. S. Britain, and france are all moving closer to closing embassies over security fears. Protesters are gathering in that capital as we mentioned. More and more unrest there. Before departing, marines destroyed some of their heavy arms and machine guns. Were going to be watching there. Weve also got a domestic update for you on another major story were following. Some troubleing news for the Veterans Affairs administration. Listen to this. The agency has now been added to the general accounting offices 2015 highrisk list. Thats the list of the most troubled federal agencies the ones that are most vulnerable to fraud, to waste, to abuse, mismanagement. The gao points out that over 100 of the recommendations for that agency havent been fully addressed, even after the last year of scandals. We have been working on several upcoming stories in collaboration with the nbc news Investigative Unit for our series inside the va. Youre not going to want to miss that. We have reports coming up involving the future of the agency and how it will interact with veterans moving forward. Big changes afoot. Watch for those in the coming weeks. And up next our tech story of the day. Bitcoin wants to go legit, but new yorks top prosecutor isnt so sure. Our ari mel burr is here with an exclusive interview next. Startupny. Its working for new york state. Already 55 companies are investing over 98 Million Dollars and creating over 2100 jobs. From long island to all across upstate new york, more businesses are coming to new york. They are paying no property taxes no corporate taxes no sales taxes. And with over 300 locations, and 3. 7 million square feet available, theres a place thats right for your business. See if startupny can work for you. Go to startup. Ny. Gov. At kraft we start with eggs oil, and our own crafted vinegar. All expertly blended to make our mayo. So you can take whatever youre making from good to amazing. Get inspired at kraftrecipes. Com [ male announcer ] you wouldnt ignore signs of damage in your home. Are you sure youre not ignoring them in your body . Even if youre treating your Crohns Disease or Ulcerative Colitis an occasional flare may be a sign of damaging inflammation. And if you ignore the signs, the more debilitating your symptoms could become. Learn more about the role damaging inflammation may be playing in your symptoms with the expert advice tool at crohnsandcolitis. Com. And then speak with your gastroenterologist. This is the equivalent of the sugar in one regular soda. And this is one soda a day over an average adult lifetime. But theres a better choice. Drink more brita water. Clean, refreshing, brita. The nissan rogue, with safety shield technologies. The only thing left to fear is your imagination. Now get 0 financing or up to 1,000 back on the 2015 nissan rogue. Nissan. Innovation that excites. Curling up in bed with a Favorite Book is nice. But i think women would rather curl up with their favorite man. But heres the thing about half of men over 40 have some degree of erectile dysfunction. Well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. And remember, you only take it when you need it. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Ask your doctor about viagra. Lawmakers in hong kong today are calling for a ban on something you might not expect. Bitcoin. More than 25 investors saying theyve been scammed by a company that deals in that currency. But back here in new york one city councilmember is lobbying for the opposite to get bitcoin accepted for things like parking tickets, city fees. Democrat mark levene says for young internet savvy people its become a currency of choice, and we should embrace that more. But what does new yorks top federal prosecutor think about this . Listen to what he told my colleague ari melber. The problem is theres lots of bad guys. So at the same time that you have people who, you know, care a lot about liberty and want to be able to use, you know, currency engage in transactions without people being able to see it, there are also people who want to tear buildings down and want to kill americans and put poison into peoples children and want to, you know, have weapons, sometimes weapons of mass destruction, and whats the way that theyre going to try to do that . Theyre going to try to do it through anonymous means also. So any time you develop something, its in the nature of human contact, i suppose, any time you have something that makes it easier to be anonymous, youre going to also attract lots and lots of people and maybe its the case a preponderance of people who are not doing it in good faith or good purpose but to harm other people. When youre going to harm other people and youre trying to do it through whatever means, its our job to protect the public against that. And were going to keep doing that no matter what the technology is. And ari melber is in the studio with us right now. Hes cohost of the cycle here on msnbc im also here with paul from the wall street journal. His book is out now. I commend it to all of you at home. Ari, im going to start with you. Incredible interview there. What stood out to you about his response on bitcoin specifically . This is a top federal prosecutor in new york. He patrols wall street. He patrols traditional currency. Now hes seized over 100,000 bitcoins in his prosecution of criminals. What you see there is the balance. He says privacy is okay. Anonymous currency is a big experiment, and its not his job to weigh in on that. But as a Law Enforcement officer, he finds that yes, when you can do things anonymously, the criminal element comes in. And this seems to be a continuing issue for bitcoin as a currency and as something that has its reputation still being defined. Paul is that consistent with your reporting . Does this currency seem to draw more crime just because of its qualities it has . I dont think it necessarily draws more crime than you would see in the real world, if you want to compare virtual and real world. I dont think it draws more crime, but it does draw crime. The problem is its something that was just invented about six years ago. There are no real regulations around it. Yes, youre going to have malefactors come in. The hong kong story youre talking about, that i called themselves an exchange called my coin. It wasnt clear if they operated as an exchange. Theyre probably operating as a ponzi scheme. Those things are going to happen. Youre going to have those things. And regulators here in new York Division of Financial Services every regulator, every level is going to have to figure out where they stand on this and how they can protect the populous. That makes total sense. Its forcing these divisione inginge inging these decisions. The silk road creator just arrested. That was a black Market Exchange entirely using bitcoin. Tell me, does barrara hope to move towards any new regulatory movements . Hes not going to be directlied in that but no doubt these prosecutions are looked at by regulators. Silk road he calls that basically an online criminal bazaar that was a source for, according to the indictments and now the conviction of someone from there, a place for Money Laundering and drug trafficking. If youre a bitcoin user guess what . People buy drugs with all sorts of things. They did it before theyll be doing it later. This idea that this virtual space that cyber crime and cyber hacking is something that people will not only increasingly move to, but if they think the risk of getting caught there is lower, you may also see more of it. So from a prosecutorial perspective, theres a real effort to put notice out that this is not a safe space and while it may be anonymous compared to normal currency, if its anonymous and youre trying to hide, they say with the fbi theyre going to find you. And paul youre going to be at an event tonight headlined by larry summers, major economist, about the future of finance. Im sure bitcoin is going to be a topic that comes up. Do you think bitcoin can go mainstream without losing some of the qualities that maybe attract black market use but also are beneficial . Yes, and the event at the museum of american finance, the whole topic is about bitcoin and the future of finance and how those who things can dove tail and work together. Its going to be very interesting. Lawrence summers, very big name hes going to be there. It can go mainstream. Its going to have to deal with all these issues. Its going to have to deal with how do we regulate this so it can provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The criminal element, you know, look, you talk about the silk road. Ask him how anonymous he thinks bitcoin is now. The slamdunk evidence on his case was when they got his laptop and the servers and traced every single transaction he had done. Right. Theres no place to hide. Right. So yes, theres a criminal element, but i dont think thats going look we talk about it in the media because its exciting. One thing is for sure were talking about this in a different and much more serious way. There are people who thought bitcoin would be a laughing stock. It is certainly not that. Well see how it changes marks as a whole. Thank you, both of you. Great voices on this. Catch more of ari on the cycle today at 3 00 p. M. Were also watching developing news at the white house. You can see right now the president speaking talking about the u. S. Fight against ebola. Hes expected to announce the withdrawal of u. S. Troops from west africa and the departure of ebola czar ron klain. Well bring you any headlines that come out of it. A lot of leaders from his Administration Former and current. Another Police Shooting of an unarmed man in new york city is up next. This time, the officer was indicted. Whats going through the mind of a Police Officer when using deadly force . Weve got an unexpected take. Stay with us. Push your enterprise and you can move the world. But to get from the old way to the new youll need the right it infrastructure. From a partner who knows how to make your enterprise more agile, borderless and secure. Hp helps business move on all the possibilities of today. And stay ready for everything that is still to come. Late yesterday a grand jury in new york indicted a rookie nypd Police Officer tor killing a unarmed man, akaei gurley who he shot in a Public Housing stairwell. The nypd said this is a tragic accident but some see it differently. One Community Activist from houston has led protests against police use of force around the country. But he recently did smls unexpected. He went through a Police Training exercise to get a different perspective. During four liveaction shooting scenarios he had to decide whether to shoot, use his taser or hold fire. With us now, quanellx. What is your reaction to the indictment in new york . I believe the grand jury did the right thing because the man in the stairwell was doing nothing and he was an innocent victim and the Police Officer overreacted and he should be responsible for the taking of that mans life. And did this experience of going through a Police Training exercise change your view of police and protesters . It gave me a much better understanding and understanding this. Every Community Needs a good Police Department and every Police Department needs a Good CommunityPolice Relationship with the community. What i learned was that it is very important that if you believe an officer is being disrespectful or handling you, do not try to litigate and debate the situation out there at the scene. There are afrs for you there are avenues for you to file complaints later, let us fight for you, but you have to comply. Even if you dont like what is happening out there, please comply it the officers commands, because it gives the opportunity to live another day and it can escalate so quickly. And important lifesaving advice there. And what went through your mind personally as you went through the splitsecond decisions the police have to make. Well what was in my mind should i use my taser or my gun and i would only pull my gun when someone was noncompliant. I never pulled my weapon when someone was noncompliant. But if a Police Officer is by themselves, it is easy to put their hand on their weapon if the person is being noncombative or noncompliant. And so if we are complaint plause be complaint because the officers become frightened and afraid themselves when there is a noncompliant party on the other end. If we could be more complaint then we can be more effective in how we deal with Police Officers. What we see seen in the circumstances where the Police Officers arent carrying tasers or they are bulky and heavy. Do you believe they are necessary for police. I believe tasers are necessary and no Police Officer or police chief would allow any Police Officer to say you dont need a taser. If you dont like it because of how it fits you, then find another job because that is nonpolice force. I chose to use my taser. But if you give the officer only the option to use a gun and not a taser, you get somebody set up to be killed who cant have their day in court. So lsh lets lets use the opportunity to use nonlethal methods. Thanks for getting that training and appreciate your time. Thank you for having me. That wraps up todays rf daily. Thank you for taking your time to join. The reid report is up next. Do not miss it. Shell be mad if you do. Know that proper allocation could help increase returns so you can enjoy that second home sooner. Know the right Financial Planning can help you save for college and retirement. Know where you stand with pnc total insight. A new investing and Banking Experience with personalized guidance and online tools. Visit a branch, call or go online today. Imagine if razors could move up and down, and all around. Hugging tight, swirling left and turning right. Behold, new venus swirl. The only razor with five contour blades and a flexiball. To contour to your tricky places, bones, bends and all. Smooth and steady, going this way and that. Bumps and grooves, curvy and flat. For skin as flawless as flawless can be. New venus swirl, try it and see. What . Yoplait fridge pack. Eight cups, endless snack possibilities. Available at walmart. Americans drink 48 billion bottles of water every year. 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. Music. The getaway vehicle for all the confidence you need. Td ameritrade. You got this. Hello, everyone im joy reid and we begin this the reid report with developing news out of washington. Just over an hour from now at 3 30 p. M. Eastern time the president will deliver a statement from the roosevelt room of the white house. Detailing a request to send to capitol hill today requesting war powers to degrade and defeat isis. Lawmakers did receive the president s draft authorization for use of military force one day after isis hostage and arizonanative Kayla Muellers death was confirmed. Kristin welker joins me live from the white house. Christen what are we what are we expecting to hear from the president today . We expect the president to map out his case for why hes asking for congressional approval to authorize force against isis. Congress has said all along they believe the president can campaign against isis but