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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder listens as Steve Dettlebach, U.S. attorney general for the Northern District of Ohio, speaks to reporters at a press conference on Dec. 4, 2014 in Cleveland. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images) | Angelo Merendino via Getty Images

Attorney General Eric Holder, who in the past has spoken frankly about racial inequalities in the U.S. criminal justice system, will revisit the subject Thursday during an interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid.

In a taped segment that will air on "The Reid Report" Thursday afternoon, Holder and Reid met at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, to discuss the fraught relationship between American law enforcement and many people and communities of color -- an issue that has received national attention this year with the police killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, among other unarmed black males.

"I certainly think that we have to build up a better relationship between young people, people of color and people in law enforcement," Holder told Reid. "There is distrust that exists on both sides. There's misunderstanding that exists on both sides."

Reid cited the case of Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old West African immigrant shot and killed by four NYPD officers in 1999. Diallo was unarmed when he died.

Diallo's death touched off a national uproar, and on Thursday, Reid and Holder noted that things hardly seem to have progressed in the 15 years since.

"What does it say that we essentially are in the same exact place now, so many years later?" asked Reid.

"It means that we, as a nation, have failed," Holder replied. "It's as simple as that. We have failed."

Holder acknowledged that proper training is required among law enforcement officers, and added that there are many other areas in need of improvement.

"One of the things I think we need to do is do a better job of just collecting statistics," Holder said. "We don't necessarily have the basis now to look at this country as a whole and understand how big the problem is. It's one of the things our Bureau of Justice Statistics is trying to come up with, a way in which we start to gather this kind of information. And that'll give us a much better way in which we can get a handle on this problem."

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WASHINGTON: The top Democrat on the powerful US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has asked Sony Pictures Entertainment to hand over details of what he describes as the "devastating cyberattack" recently suffered by the Hollywood studio.

In a letter sent to Sony on Tuesday, Elijah Cummings, the committee's ranking minority member, said Sony's "knowledge, information and experience" would help Congress as it examines federal cybersecurity laws and considers whether they need to be tightened to protect government and consumer data.

The FBI has said the cyberattack was connected to the North Korean government, which was upset by Sony's plan this month to release " The Interview," a comic movie in which two Americans are recruited to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Last week, Sony canceled the film over security concerns but later said it was still looking for ways to release it. On Monday, Representative Brad Sherman invited the studio to screen it at the US Capitol.

In his letter, Cummings asked Sony to turn over information including detailed descriptions of all data breaches the company has suffered in the past year; the rough number of current and former employees and customers affected by the breaches; and the manner in which victims were notified.

He also sought findings from any related forensic investigations or analyses, as well as assessments as to "why the breaches went undetected for the length of time they did."

Cummings asked for a description of any improvements to data protection mechanisms it has implemented since the breach, a description of the procedures that govern the company's relationships with third-party vendors and service providers, and any recommendations on how to improve cybersecurity laws or law enforcement.

He also requested a briefing by Jan. 19 from Sony's chief information security officer or similar top IT executive.

In his letter, he cited reports indicating that in addition to deploying destructive malware, the hackers stole sensitive information, including unreleased films and the personal information of more than 47,000 current and former employees, including social security numbers and healthcare records.

Sherman, also a Democrat, wrote Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton to say that a screening would demonstrate free speech.

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Top congressional Democrat Elijah Cummings asks Sony Pictures Entertainment for hack details

The top Democrat on the powerful US House Oversight and Government Reform Committeehas asked Sony Pictures Entertainment to hand over details ofwhat he describes as the "devastating cyberattack" recently suffered by the Hollywood studio.

In a letter sent to Sony on Tuesday, Elijah Cummings, thecommittee's ranking minority member, said Sony's "knowledge,information and experience" would help Congress as it examinesfederal cybersecurity laws and considers whether they need to betightened to protect government and consumer data.

The FBI has said the cyberattack was connected to the NorthKorean government, which was upset by Sony's plan this month torelease "The Interview," a comic movie in which two Americansare recruited to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Last week, Sony cancelled the film over security concerns butlater said it was still looking for ways to release it. OnMonday, Representative Brad Sherman invited the studio to screenit at the U.S. Capitol.

In his letter, Cummings asked Sony to turn over informationincluding detailed descriptions of all data breaches the companyhas suffered in the past year; the rough number of current andformer employees and customers affected by the breaches; and themanner in which victims were notified.

He also sought findings from any related forensicinvestigations or analyses, as well as assessments as to "whythe breaches went undetected for the length of time they did." Cummings asked for a description of any improvements to dataprotection mechanisms it has implemented since the breach, adescription of the procedures that govern the company'srelationships with third-party vendors and service providers,and any recommendations on how to improve cybersecurity laws orlaw enforcement.

He also requested a briefing by Jan. 19 from Sony's chiefinformation security officer or similar top IT executive.

In his letter, he cited reports indicating that in additionto deploying destructive malware, the hackers stole sensitiveinformation, including unreleased films and the personalinformation of more than 47,000 current and former employees, including social security numbers and healthcare records.

Sherman, also a Democrat, wrote Sony Pictures CEO MichaelLynton to say that a screening would demonstrate free speech."Everyone is talking about 'The Interview,'" he said. "Ithink it's important for Congress to know, and see, what we aretalking about ... Good or bad, Americans should not be deprivedof the opportunity to see this movie."

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Sony Hack: Top Congressional Democrat asks studio for hack details

Gerald Steinberg: Will Republican Congress Clash with Obama Over Israel

By: IBA News VOD

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Gerald Steinberg: Will Republican Congress Clash with Obama Over Israel - Video

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday he opposed U.S. President Barack Obama's plans to normalize relations with Cuba, and spoke of steps lawmakers might take to rein in the new policy.

Interviewed by Reuters, McConnell also said that he and the president, a Democrat, had discussed possible major tax reform legislation and that any effort should not focus on the country's biggest corporations alone, but also include help for small businesses.

On another international matter McConnell, who takes over in January as Senate majority leader, said North Korea's computer hacking of Sony Corp was more serious than an act of vandalism, taking issue with a characterization Obama had used to describe the cyberattack. McConnell declined to spell out steps he thought the United States should take in response.

"This is a serous threat to the United States," he said.

Speaking by telephone from his home state of Kentucky, McConnell said he agreed with the Senate's most outspoken critics of Obama's new Cuba policy, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, "that it was a mistake."

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Republican leader opposes Obama on Cuba