>> hello, i'm stephanie sy. it's friday, august 23rd, and these are some of the stories we're following at this hour. dealing with the situation in syria, the u.s. state department picking a wait-and-see approach, but france is calling for the use of force if there is proof that chemical weapons were used. a massive filed fire is very close to one of the nation's popular national parks. the fire at yosemite in california has tripled in size. san diego's mayor may resign today after reportedly cutting a deal with the city over sexual harassment allegations. 17 women have come forward accusing filner of behaving

badly. now some businesses are coming under scrutiny with how they treat their interns. [♪ music ] >> growing international outrage over the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria now reports not only were hundreds of people killed, but a number of emergency responders who treated the victims also died. the suspected attack happened in a suburb of damascus. here's what we know right now. president obama is directing the u.s. intelligence community to quickly gather information about the use of chemical weapons in syria. the u.s. state department said despite syrian claims the state department does not have the means of chemical warfare,

syrian government is denying the charge. >> reporter: images of syrian civilians dead and wounded from alleged chemical attacks are bringing new call for military intervention. in france the foreign minister said the international community must respond with force. >> france's position is that there must be a reaction. what does that mean, a reaction? not sending troops on the ground, but a reaction, not only of course of international condemnation, but a reaction that could take the shape of the use of force. >> reporter: but in the u.s. view is less decisive. >> we're still focused on nailing down the facts the intel community is focused on that, the administration is focused on that. if these reports are true it would be an outrageous use of of the weapons by the regime. >> reporter: it's a view not seen by most in the congress.

senator john mccain wants limited strikes. mccain said, if we continue to sit by passively while assad continues to use chemical weapons against his own people we only encourage brutal behavior of other governments. today president obama was talking about education, not syria, only reporting through his secretary that the u.s. is appalled of the reports of wide scale killings. >> u.n. general secretary ban ki-moon is giving investigators authority to investigate the site. former egyptian president hahosni mubarak has been releasd to house arrest.

mubarak is still going to face trial for ordering the killing of protesters during the mass demonstration two years ago. tensions are high on the israel-lebanon border. israeli warplanes fired on an area south of beirut. they say it was retaliation for rockets that were fired across the border into northern israel. no one was hurt in either attack. the air raid on beirut is the first stuff strikes since 2006 war between israel and lebanon's militant group hezbollah. the wildfire near yosemite park has nearly tripled in size. the approaching fire now covers 84 square miles and is estimated to be just 2% contained. melissa chan is near yosemite with more. >> reporter: well, earlier on thursday governor brown declared this a state of emergency, and what that means is they'll be

able to cut through the bureaucratic red tape, get resources here faster, and frankly the firefighters here need all the help they can get. what is called the rim fire tripled in size in less than 24 hours. at one point licking close to the incident command center up in the mountains. the base wher for firefighters d other teams. >> it's not burning into yosemite park yet but it is moving east to the bark. yosemite is an iconic national park, s the fire team here is doing their utmost to keep it out of the park. >> reporter: for now yosemite remains open. but only a small part of fire has been contained. >> reporter: the fire jumped the highway we took earlier. this is a remote and mountainous part of california, and one of many wildfires happening simultaneously across the western united states. this week the federal government

announced a pl 5 situation, preparedness level 5, the highest on the scale, something not seen since 2008. it means that resources are stretched. teams move from fire to fire, hopscotching across states, many firefighters working 24 hour shifts. despite the size of this fire there's been minimal loss to property so far. a few buildings destroyed early on but none damaged in the last couple of days. >> so we're a strike team from sacramento, and we're assigned structure protection in the pine mountain lake area. there are a number of homes that have residents in them, and we're going through the area, checking it out. >> at least every decade we have a major fire up in this area. and i've been through several and been evacuated, and we did all right before. the pine mountain lake here, there are so many houses and so many trees all one small area

that if it got in here, you know, i'm afraid that would be it. >> reporter: more help continues to arrive, but it's one tough battle, and no one knows how long the fight will take before the flames subside. >> reporter: well, we've been talking about mandatory evacuations and the possibility of that. that started happening around thursday afternoon. police going to some residents and asking them to leave, very emotional, of course, peek are leaving not knowing if they are house will be standing when they come back. a few structures were destroyed on the opening day of the fire on saturday, but in the last couple of days no structures have been destroyed. the firefighters working very hard to protect these homes. >> all right, melissa chan, thank you. san diego's embattled mayor bob filner could step down today. he has reportedly agreed to resign in order to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

filner's lawyers confirming that a settlement has been reached but declined to provide details of the terms. 17 women have accused the former congressman of inappropriate behavior. attorney gloria allred is representing one of the alleged victims. >> i would like to see a resignation without conditions and without the taxpayers being forced to make a gift of public funds to him in order for him to resign. >> stephanie staten is live from san diego, and she has more on these recent developments. what mor council meets for close session if they approve the resolution. with that resolution could come some kind of financial payoff. that as we heard earlier when

gloria allred held a press conference in san diego, that does not sit well with her because she believes, as you may have heard her state the taxpayers should not have to pay for b may be on the way out. >> i understand the taxpayer may be on the hook for legal fees, but let's talk about what happens to the city of san dieg. stephanie stanton, thank you,

stephanie. >> challenging the voter i.d. law in texas, eric holder says the law violates the voter right act. he said it was adopted expres expresscilexpresslyto make it dr minority and non-english speaking voters to vote. nadal hassan passed on his final chance to address the jury. he could get the death penalty for shooting and killing 13 fellow soldiers in 2009. the soldier accused of killing afghan civilians is on trial, sergeant robert bales gave his apology. >> i wish i could take it back,

said sergeant bales. i wish i could take it back, but i can't. speaking in a low halting voice bales apologized to the families of the afghan civilians that he murderedded, and said that he disgraced his own family. his voice wavered when he spoke. what i did was an act of cowardice behind a mask of bravado. he's accused of killing 16 afghan civilians during a nighttime shooting spree in march of 2012. he does not face the death penalty for those crimes, and is trying to avoid life in prison without the possibility of parole. bales did not describe his actions in detail. he said he had asked himself why he killed, but said he couldn't find a reason. under military trial rules the prosecution was not permitted to cross-examination bales. >> reporter: bales described

mounting rage anger that grew in combat. three tours in iraq and a final tour in afghanistan. he said during home leave he drank heavily and would get furiously angry during routine household chores like washing dishes. >> i think he passed on the sense of frustration that multiple deployed soldiers have when they're just dealing with things that are normal--a normal stress-inducing incident, and everything gets completely out of proportion. >> reporter: bales said he was in a constant state of fear and vigilance while on combat deployment. on a night massacre in kandahar province. he said he had taken steroids, drank alcohol and took sleeping pills. several soldiers testified about scenes of death and dismemberment that bales had witnessed in combat. they will present closing

arguments in the case on friday. >> mexican police have pulled seven bodies from a mass grave found on the eastern outskirts of mexican city. authorities will do dna test to determine if the bodies are those of is it people who vanished from a mexican city bar back in may. so far no motive for the apparent kidnapping has been reported. well, president obama wants to make college more affordable. we'll take a look at the highlights of his plan and get reaction from students. plus is it possible to work yourself to death? the latest on a bank intern who died after three days straight on the job. >> meteorologist: well, it is the end of the week. a lot of people are looking forward to what the weekend has in store for them. we'll look at the details on that when we return right after this. this is the 900-page document we call obamacare. it could change costs, coverage, and pretty much all of healthcare in america.

my show sorts this all out. in fact, my staff has read the entire thing. which is probably more than what most members of congress can claim. we'll separate politics from policy, and just prescribe the facts.

[[voiceover]] every day, events sweep across our country. and with them, a storm of views. how can you fully understand the impact unless you've heard angles you hadn't considered? antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. mission. >> there's more to america, more stories, more voices, more points of view. now there's are news channel

with more of what americans want to know. >> i'm ali velshi and this is "real money." this is "america tonight." sglovrjs our -- >> our news coverage reveal more of america's stories. >> president obama has unveiled a new plan to help cut the cost of college. he wants to use a rating system that judges schools on their affordable. colleges are kept tall abou skee plan and are worried it will cost their institutions millions of dollars. >> obama: i believe we should rate colleges, are they helping students to succeed?

[applause] and on outcomes on their value to students and parents, so that means metrics like how much debt does the average student leave with? how easy is it to pay off? how many students graduate on time? how well do those graduates do in the workforce? because the answers will help parents and students figure out how much value a college truly offers. >> it's not only the cost of college opportunities have to worry about. there are fees for tuition, books, room and board as well. as diane easter brook reports those costs are forcing some students to either rethink their college plans or take on enormous debt. >> reporter: high school senior josh is wading through college brochures with his dad. but the actor is setting his sights on one school. >> yale, and that's why i'm pursuing that. >> reporter: they have been stashing money away for josh's

education since he was a baby but it won't come close to the $60,000 annual tuition and fees. >> it's ridiculous that it's gone up to that point. it makes it very difficult for the middle class and lower class to get a good strong college education. >> reporter: they are not alone. it effects people who are going to less-expensive state schools. >> reporter: those higher cost versus been driven in part by lower investment returns on endowments and a shortfall in state tax revenues. >> reporter: more than two-thirds college students applied for some form of financial aid last year. the financial aid director at the university of chicago are concerned about the debt that students are shouldering. >> we tell students only borrow what you need. if you can get a job to pay for t we highly recommend that.

>> reporter: they help match students with schools they can afford. many students are opting for community colleges first. >> all your credits will transfer. >> reporter: josh is considering scholarships before heading back to school. he hopes to find a way to finance his ivy league dream without bankrupting his parents. >> regulators say they will meet with key market players after thursday's shut down of the nasdaq. trading stopped for three hours and 11 minutes. the nasdaq is blaming the outage on computer connectivity issues. banks are under scrutiny for how they treat interns. morris earhart was an intern in london. he reportedly worked eight all nighters in two weeks. a bank of america subpoenas man said the bank was waiting for the facts about his death before deciding to review their

internship program. >> reporter: the warning signs were there, but the 21-year-old, it was too late. he was at near the end of his internship when he died at this home. he had just worked for 72 hours when he collapsed in the shower. his profile on a social media website since shut down had revealed an ambitious streak, a fresh to outrun the competition. he was described as greatness, qualities that might have pushed him beyond expectation in the cutthroat world of finance. >> they are so keen to get a job with these organizations, and they push themselves and push themselves, and then in the end they push themselves over the edge. it's up to the leader of the team to see what's happening, and even if these individuals keep volunteering for work which

some of them will do to turn around and say no, you've done enough. you need to go and have some rest. >> reporter: an internship at a high profile company is seen as a valuable recruitment tool applying pressure on the interns to excel. they work punishing schedules in the banking industry, offering a jumps of what is to come if they get employment. the long hours have started to come under scrutiny. one banker who didn't want to be identified revealed some of the side effects suffered by those working in these institutions. >> i worked next to one person who got bells palsy and another person went deaf in one ear. that was stress related. there was one person who worked three all nighters in a row and then walked out and got hit by a bus because they were so dazed.

it didn't surprise me in the least. an accident waiting to happen. >> reporter: just how much is too much for ambitious interns desperate to shine? al jazeera, london. >> meteorologist: well, hello again we're looking at friday morning on east coast still thursday night on the west coast but we're going to take a look at what you can expect in your weekend forecast. first of all up here towards the northeast, on thursday a lot of showers pushed through new york. the showers have moved out. there is still some stray showers in the region, so on friday morning you'll probably see some clouds as you wake up and on your commute there. as we take a look at what is going to be happening with temperatures today, well for new york 86 degrees there. up towards boston, a little cooler and in philadelphia we expect to see 86 as your high. take a look at your forecast for

new york as we go through the weekend, and on saturday those temperatures are dropping down to 80. it's going to be quite beautiful. a sunny day at 81 degrees. on sundaonsunday, and on tuesda, 85 degrees there. rainy conditions on friday morning here along the gulf coast states especially in florida. these showers have not really moved too much. so the accumulations are building up. if you travel in the morning you're going to be careful because some of this water will be accumulated especially in those low water crossings. that could cause problems on your drive there. we saw some delays earlier. we don't expect to see those delays to be too much of a problem. light to moderate showers all the way up the middle coastal regions and highs today looked like this lappet, 88 degrees. birmingham, 90 for you, and shreveport, 96 degrees there. atlanta, we're expecting to see thunderstorms all through the

weekend. and the temperature on sunday of 82. >> thank you. in florida sinkholes are known for swallowing upland but this one swallowed up a lake. people who lived near the five acre pond said the water looked low on tuesday, but late afternoon it was draining into the sinkhole. the pond was eight feet deep in some spots, and now it's barely there. so far no homes have been evacuated. well, when you think of fine wines countries like franker france and italy come to mind. but another european country is looking to get in on the action. we'll tell you about the unlikely entry into the wine war.

>> winemakers in europe may have a new competitor, a surprising one. great britain's wine industry is apparently booming and it's looking to make even a bigger splash. we report from one vineyard in southern england. >> reporter: the u.k. is known for many things buckingham palace, the beatles, westminst westminster. but wine? really? >> yes, really. we make a fantastic wine in this country. >> reporter: he swapped the corporate life to the quiet life, less gold rush and more grape rush. >> sparkling wine has been winning top awards internationally for the last couple of years and the reason is because the quality is fantastic. >> reporter: look around and you can see the level of investment,

lots of new equipment, and lots of opportunities to convince connoisseurs that british is best. conditions for growing grapes right now is special. the country has just gone through a mini heatwave. what everybody here is aware of is just how unpredictable the british weather is. just look at last summer if you could call it a summer. it rained, it was cool and miserable, and the yield as a result was horrendous. 2013 clearly got off to a better start, but the u.k.'s wine industry is tiny compared to others. neighboring france has 110,000 vineyards and 27,000 wineries. more history, more experience for the u.k. that means there is still a lot to learn. >> we've been going for 60 years. they've been growing grapes in some parts of the world for thousands of years. so we don't have the experience.

we don't have the perfect answer to how to get good commercial yield. >> reporter: the rest of the wine making world is not likely to be too concerned about a tiny competitor. for now u.k.'s winemakers will celebrate small successes and large ambitions. >> wine sales in the u.k. have spiked 10% this year. check out what happened at a crowded beach in russia. a russian military landing craft arriving out of nowhere. officials say it was on a regular drill on tuesday and the beach was supposed to be empty because it's military property clearly it is not empty. no one was hurt. but they do have a great story to tell. and some great video i might add. that will do it for this addition of al jazeera news. i'm stephanie sy. thanks so much for watching. up next real money with ali

velshi.