>> hello and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey live from new york city. here are some of the stories that we're following for you. looking at the security measures in the navy yard shooting, under review how to prevent another tragedy. the russian government claims to have evidence that rebels used chemical weapons in syria, and they plan to share it with the public. now after the flooding rains in colorado, the daunting task of moving forward. >> the defense department is promising to, quote, review everything in the wake of the shooting at the washington navy

yard. former navy reservist aaron alexis had clearness to work on navy bases despite behavior. >> review critical access procedures. the highest responsibility these leaders have is to take care of their people. our people deserve safe and secure workplaces. wherever they are. >> randall pinkston is live in washington with the latest developments. randall? >> richelle, the commander of the washington navy yard said they're taking steps to reopen the facility to employees who have not been allowed in after monday's shooting. however, building 197, the navy sea systems command, that will

remain closed as authorities continue to collect evidence. today for the first time we have reaction from the mother of aaron alexis. she apologized to the families of the murder victims. >> my son alexis has murdered 12 people and wounded several others. his actions have had a profound and everlasting effect on families of victims. i don't know why he did what he did. aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone. for that i am glad. to families of the victims i am so very sorry that this has happened. my heart is broken. >> president obama will be attending a memorial service to honor the innocent victims. it will take place this weekend

as the president shares in the nation's grief. >> randall pinkston, randall, before i let you go, can we talk about what secretary hagel talked about. there will be multiple reviews to make sure nothing like this happens again. there will be reviews from the department of defense. one from the navy and completely independent review as well. >> as well as the office of opm, office of professional management, will be undertaking a review. what we have learned even though he was a contractor, an employee of a subcontractor with the navy, at first people thought it was the subcontractor doing the screening, but we've learned that all the screening is done by the government, and they have to pass adjustment on subcontractors before they are

allowed to receive the kind of clearances that aaron alexis received. with all the warning signs with what appear to be warning signs, the shooting in seattle, the shooting in texas. how did this guy get secret clearance to work at any facility let alone to enter one with a weapon. >> randall pinkston. thank you so much. we'll find out more about aaron alexis. >> many victims of monday's attacks spent years and some decades serving their country. michael arnold originally from michigan was a 19 year majo navy

veteran. his wife said he was a wonderful husband, wonderful father. richard worked as a security officer. and vishnu pandit worked as an engineer. >> i know for my son it will take years to come to turns with it. kenneth proctor, a father of two, worked as a foreman, and chicago native, kathy gaarde worked as an analyst. mary knight of virginia was killed so were gerald read and frank kohler and sylvia frasier who worked for four years at naval sea system command.

>> people will remember dad just because of the incredible dad and incredible man that he was. >> our heart goes out to folks. we'll go back to the base when it opens again, and do what we do to the best of our ability. >> flags will fly half mast until friday. >> a train cloudied in ottawa today. it hit the bus ripping off the front end. one witness said it crashed into the guardrail of the train. crews are trying to stop a pickup truck from falling off a bridge in new jersey. it was towing a camper this morning, flipped over and broke apart. luckily no one was hurt.

crews are trying to tow the truck off the bridge. in colorado, towns have been cut off because of all the rain. death toll dropped from eight to six but there are many still unaccounted for. more than 1500 homes destroyed. residents were evacuated last week are now returning to their homes. we're live in colorado with the latethelatest. >> reporter: right now we're east hills of the rocky mountains. they are checking people's i.d.s and passes as they go back into the town of lymes today. some of the people lived in how soon. but not everyone. some people cannot go back just yet. that area has been wiped out, and 1500 people all together,

they had to stay with friends, family, hotels, argument apartmr the last week or so. those living in the downtown section will be allowing to back tomorrow but they'll have to have a special pass to do just that. they've been told they cannot use the water coming out of the tap unless they boil it. they will not be able to flush their toils as well simply because the suers, the infrastructure of the entire town wiped out with so many bridges and sadly so many homes. i want to show you this. this is the golden ticket for some of the workers and those living in lio lyons today. they have to show their i.d. prove that they live up there. people must have this before they can go back. that's what everyone is checking for today. >> we're allowed to get a pass where we can come and go once a day, which is great because my father left before all this

happened, and he's coming back today. and i was trying to figure out how to get him in because people that don't have--they're not allowing anyone in. >> reporter: in you don't have this, it's a no-go for you in the town of lions and many towns that have been wiped out in colorado. >> flood something a huge problem in mexico. and its bracing for more rain. more than 50 people have died. flooding and mudslides cut off acapulco, stranding hundreds of tourists. >> reporter: at least a dozen people were buried under this mountain of mud. just one of the many landslides in mexico after a rare combination of storms lashed

from two coasts. rescue workers who were trying to clean up the previous landslide from struck away. >> the volunteers were cleaning the highway when there was little mud, and they were dragged by the mudslide. >> reporter: streets turned into rivers as two-thirds of the country tries to recover from the worst storm season it has seen in decades. more than a million people have been affected by heavy rains, flash floods and storming rivers. aid agencies and the government are struggling to provide for tens of thousands of people in emergency shelters. >> the federal government is making it's best effort to have an adequate resources to help those who have been affected. >> reporter: in the resort city of acapulco jetskis hav had to e used to save those stranded.

and zip lines have been used to get people to safety. >> we're desperate because we don't have our city or jobs. our time at the hotel is up. we'll see how they support us. >> many are trapped when the storms hit and many had to be taken to the capital in military planes. there are some instances of looting. some said they had to steal food because they had nothing to eat for days. the forecast of rain for the coming days and warnings of flash floods for houses of people. may be some time yet before they can think of returning to a normal life. >> another weather system is moving in on mexico. it could impact the flooding that is occurring there. >> meteorologist: you can tell it's the heart of the tropical

season because we've had storm after storm. as we look at the slight, satel, thithis has died out. but at the same time we had manuel which grazed the mountains and caused the rains. because manuel did not go inla inland, it was able to go back out to the water, get that circulation going and redevelop into a tropical storm. as it does that, rain for parts of the western coast line but eventually it will curve in the peninsula, and into cabo san lucas. there is a closer look at

emmanuel. this iemmanuel--manuel. here we have a tropical system out there, but regardless this looks like it will pull in, and close enough that the moisture could reach the areas that are already flooded. after that it's a little uncertain where the traction would be because of the different winds in the area, but this is something that we'll have to watch carefully over the next couple of days. the rest of the gulf and caribbean is quiet out there. >> it's decision day for the federal reserve. and high profile seizure of the new york city highrise. the government goes after the secret owner of the building on manhattan's fifth avenue.

on august 20th, al jazeera america introduced a new voice in journalism. >> good evening everyone, welcome to al jazeera. >> usa today says: >> ...writes the columbia journalism review. and the daily beast says: >> quality journalists once again on the air is a beautiful thing to behold. >> al jazeera america, there's more to it.

>> welcome back. a hear something under way in the house focusing on last year's attack on u.s. consulate in libya. they say state department officials were let off the hook. three people including ambassador chris stevens were killed in the attack last year. the key witness will be under secretary for management, patrick kennedy. when it comes to the fight of the debt limit and deficit president obama is placing the blame squarely on congress, specifically those in the house. >> the problem that we have, again, that same faction in congress is no longer talking about the deficits when it comes to resolving the budget.

initially this was an argument about how much we spend on discretionary spending, defense, you can sit across the table and negotiate numbers. that no longer the argument. what we have now is an ideological fight that has been mounted in the house of representatives that says we're not going to pass a budget and we will threaten a government shutdown unless we repeal the affordable care act. >> later today we may find out when the federal reserve plans to scale back $85 billion a month effort to prime america's economic engine. what impact could it have on you? >> reporter: roughly 3 trillion-dollar and counting. that's how much the federal reserves has pumped into the economy since the financial

crisis truck in 2008. the feds keep borrowing costs down. in june fed chairman ben bernanke said they may take the foot off the gas. >> we'll ease the pressure on the accelerator by reducing the purchase. >> wall street did not like the prospect with the dow tanking 200 points on the announcement. affects were felt on main street with mortgage rates jumping more than a point since may. and according to the fed reign in its bond buying rates could climb a half percentage point higher. >> this is very significant for the average consumer, because the average consumer is going to

finance their mortgage or refinance their mortgage. >> they expect the feds to reduce first bond buying to $10,000 a month. how drawn out will this be? >> i see the tapering process could take years, not months. >> how quickly the fed winds down will depend on how quickly the economy reacts. with tepid job growth, the fed will have a tough balancing act ahead. >> is we'll have the latest on al jazeera america. the government could take ownership of a piece of new york real state because it's owners may have ties to iran. the government can seize a 36 story building in manhattan. they claim the partner the owned

with partners from iran.

>> dry weather helps crews in california recover after a week of torrential rain. nearly 600 people are still unaccounted. defense department promised top to bottom security review after monday's shooting at the navy yard in washington. the suspected gunman was clear to work at military bases despite a history of behavior suggesting mental illness. we look at the issue of gun control and mental health. a report that follows revelations that the navy yard shooter was struggling with serious mental health issues. >> reporter: aaron alexis was in rhode island on business in august when he called miss to say that he was hearing voices through the walls of his hotel and he was being followed. and some were sending vibrations

through his body using a microwave incident. one security expert said menta mentally ill people not getting the services they need is recipe for disaster. >> but alexis was still given security clearance at a naval complex, and he was able to buy guns which he used in the shooting just days before the attack. he sought out mental health just last month. officials say they'll be revie reviewing alexis in the revelation of his mental issues. >> we'll see if there is anything that we missed that we need to have addressed a little differently. >> reporter: he passed the background check more than five

years ago, a clearance that lasts for ten years. another recent background check in june found only minor traffic violations. >> and its like dr. jekyll mr. hyde. who was this guy? the guy that i knew was so honorable. >> reporter: friends of aaron alexis were shocked by the shooting. his family said that alexis was suffering from ptsd. he was also arrested twice in the last ten years on gun-related charges. but they were eventually dropped. the contractor who hired alexis said the government should have made his previous record known saying if they knew then what they know now they they have would have hired him. al jazeera. >> a major coffee chain is caught in the middle of the gun control debate. starbucks is asking customers to leave its guns at home. but the company insists it is

not an outright ban. they refer to local laws of some states that allow weapons to be brought into stores. >> meteorologist: i'm meteorologist nicole mitchell, and for many of you you're enjoying a lovely midday to the week. you'll be sneaking out of work a little early, but a lot of sunshine out there, that is for sure. here is the big picture across the country. you know, you can see a lot of midsection dry. also dry, it's nice to see this most of colorado has been a few showers earlier this morning. right now not a lot making it to the ground. good for the cleanup efforts there after the flooding and waters to continue receding. one area that we do have. we have a disturbance in the country where there are showers and storms with it. yesterday we saw wind reports, hail reports, and today kind of the same slot. anywhere, especially from utah up to montana or the dakotas

could see isolated strong storms. watch for wind and hail reports. the temperature contract, where this has gone through, you've seen the temperatures drop. ahead of this we have a southerly flow funneling that heat into the midwest. look at the 60s versus the 80s, we'll zoom in on that, in billings at 64. interior somewhere in missoula in the 50s. and then on the warm side of this, 82 bismarck at almost 90. that's in september. we've been very warm once again. the morning temperatures are impressive. minneapolis starting the day at 71. that's a warmer start to the day than atlanta. speaking of the south, that's one area where we could see a few more showers today. places like florida, a little bit of an unsettled there as we

continue especially in the afternoon hours. you might see showers and storms and then especially in texas, south texas more likely to see some of that moisture. you can see that. but a lot of this will remain light and hit and miss depending if you're some of the people that fall under those thunderstorms. the rest of the south stay predominantly dry. >> nicole. thank you. illinois pension program is billions of dollars in debt but fixing the problem could force the state to break a problems to millions of retirees. >> meteorologist: judy is looking forward to retirement. but the pension she was promised by the state of illinois could be skimpier than expected. >> are you mad? >> i'm very upset because i don't feel that the teachers at fault. >> it falls squarely on the state while illinois public

employees regularly contribute up to 9% of their salaries towards their pensions, the state has not made regular contributions for decades. result illinois ranks at the top of underfunded public pensions in the u.s. last spring the illinois legislature tried to solve the problem but then adjourned without fixing it. that prompted pat quinn to withhold paychecks and create a committee to find a plan to plug the hole. >> i know we're moving slowly. but we are moving ahead, and reaching some agreements and making compromises. >> reporter: among the possible compromises are cuts in health insurance benefits and cost of living increases to future retirees. but an union representing state workers say those options are unconstitutional. >> there are a number of court cases that have tested the language, and so far any attempt to cut those benefits are

unsufficiently. >> reporter: illinois' image is getting bruised. >> the government has made met with ceos of major companies saying if the state does not get it's financial house in order and address the pension crisis they will no longer invest in our state. >> reporter: while some rely on the prospect of getting back pay, judy said at a the cut to her retirement could alter her retirement plans. >> we may not be able to afford the things that i planned to do. >> reporter: it may be something she'll have to accept. >> thank you for watching al jazeera. i'm richelle carey. remember, you can get the latest at www.aljazeera.com.

thanks for your time. hello and welcome. i'm phil torres to talk about innovations that can change lives. we're going to explore hardware and humanity in a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check out our team of hard-core nerds. tonight she's on the front lines of a devastating wildfire as a drone takes command of the skies over yosemite. crystal is a molecular neuroscience. she goes to the streets of seattle and santa cruz for a look at how science might stop crime before it happens. lindsay is an ex-cia operator.