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Take Two with A Martinez
Take Two

The Flashback: American hostages in Iraq and Syria, Ferguson protests, and Obama's wardrobe

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Islamic fighters from the al-Qaida group in the Levant, Al-Nusra Front, wave their movement's flag as they parade at the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp, south of Damascus.
Rami Al-Sayed/AFP/Getty Images
Islamic fighters from the al-Qaida group in the Levant, Al-Nusra Front, wave their movement's flag as they parade at the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp, south of Damascus. This week Shirley Sotloff, the mother of journalist Steve Sotloff, made a direct plea via video to the leader of the militant group calling itself the Islamic State, for her son's release. The group has taken control of crucial areas of Iraq and is also active in Syria.

Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post and James Rainey from the Los Angeles Times join the show to discuss the week that was in our weekly series - the Flashback.

Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post and James Rainey from the Los Angeles Times join the show to discuss the week that was in our weekly series - the Flashback.

American hostages and calls for U.S. action in Iraq

This week Shirley Sotloff, the mother of journalist Steve Sotloff, made a direct plea via video to the leader of the militant group calling itself the Islamic State, for her son's release. The group has taken control of crucial areas of Iraq and is also active in Syria.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers called for a broader debate about possible military action against ISIS, writing in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner that they "share concerns about the Islamic State’s (IS) brutal tactics and further destabilization of the region."

What comes next after the protests in Ferguson?

The week in Ferguson began with a funeral for teenager Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a white police officer earlier this month, prompting weeks of protests.

How did the incident become a national conversation about the relationship between police and residents? What was the media's role in framing how the story was viewed from outside Missouri?

President Obama's tan suit sets Twitter ablaze

Though plenty of topics were on the table at a recent press conference, the President's choice of attire seemed to, well, distract from the conversation at hand. Is it time for Fall fashion?

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