amassing in the heart of the city in the middle of the workday there, all after chicago mayor rahm emanuel gave a press conference this morning and he apologized for the investigation into the shooting death of 17-year-old lequan mcdonald. he spoke again this afternoon directly addressing those protesters. he said basically, i own it, this happened on my watch. he said chicago needs a, quote, painful and honest reckoning. we have reporters on the ground in chicago. are we going to marty savidge? marty, what are you seeing? reporter: well, machine machi michigan avenue by millennial park, this is a protest that began around the noon hour. it is all sparked as a result of the ongoing investigations and accusations of police violence. but this one specifically was talking about demanding that the mayor resign, rahm emanuel.
all the pomp but none of the pressure. want to know the best job in the country? we ll have one comedian s take. good morning, everyone. i m randi kaye. thank you for starting your morning with us. we begin in syria where rebels are braces for what could be a final showdown with the government military. the government troops are advancing on the city of aleppo. warplanes and tanks have been pounding the commercial hub relentlessly. opposition fighters say they have surrounded aleppo s highest point, where regime forces are already holed up. senior international correspondent ben wideman is in syria. reporter: clearly, the syrians far outgun the rebels. and the concern is that we are really on the verge of a major government counteroffensive to win back control of aleppo, syria s biggest city, and its commercial hub. of course the concern among syrian officials in damascus is that if aleppo falls, that s really the end of the game the fighting is forcing a surprise move