>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton. here are the stories we're following at this hour. >> this administration has been almost absent when it comes to discussing and working out our differences. >> i say to my republican friends in the house, to the tea party. >> the back and forth goes been at the capitol but the shutdown conditions. tornadoes damaging homes and structures. and rallying for reform. rallies in 150 cities today calling for a change in policy.

>> happy to have you with us. the government shutdown goes on. lawmakers appear to be making little if any progress. the standoff is now in its fifth day. in an interview the president said the republicans are too insistent on getting what they want. >> we can vote to open the government today. we know there are enough members of the house of the representatives, democrats and republicans, who are prepared to vote. >> the president was supposed to be in the summit in asia but the shutdown forced him to cancel the trip. randall pinkston on what is happening, or should we say what

is not happening. >> reporter: i think you're right, thomas, in what is not happening. the chamber was convened to vote on legislation guaranteeing that federal furlough workers would be getting back pay when the shutdown ends. and something that we usually don't see on capitol hill, a near unanimous bipartisan vote of that measure. of course the other problem, the shutdown remains and we heard the difference of opinion between the democrats and republicans. first let's listen to republican eric don'ericeric cantor seems e unwilling to sit down and work out our differences. we have a majority leader who seems unwilling to sit down and

work out our differences. it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: that's the republican perspective, it's the democrats fault because they refuse to negotiate. the democrats held a news conference where they went over their side of events. let's now listen to the minority whip and house of representatives. >> we're now in the fifth days as the leader has said, of a shoutdown. we've voted to pay the employees as we should have. the american public want their government open. >> reporter: and the debate continues in the senate. both sides continuing to say that they're willing to talk but both sides have conditions. that's where we stand. >> the back and forth continues. and we have another contentious debate raising the debt ceiling

hower. how is the deadline weighing on lawmakers. >> reporter: the shutdown of the government affects americans but if the government default on its debt that could effect world markets. at this point people are not thinking that this could happen but we don't see any signs of progress right now. >> certainly more to come, randall pinkston, thank you. the healthcare website at the heart of the healthcare exchanges is coming down repairs. the response george whimme overe web. the site will be taken down at 1:00 a.m. eastern each nigh nigt each weekend for a couple of hours. tornado tears through the midwest causing millions of dollars in damage.

four homes are destroyed there. blizzarded dropped 33 inches of snow in the great plains. and it's a state of emergency along the gulf coast as tropical storm karen approaches. one in two evacuation orders listen as tropical storm karen weakens. we have a lot to talk about, eboni. >> meteorologist: it has weakened significantly but we are going to see lifting northward as it does it's going to bring plenty of rainfall here along the gulf coast and we're going to see that rain in louisiana and back in the panhandle of florida. localized areas could see six inches of rain and as it weakens it will be a rainmaker with some wind and impact will lesso lesss we expect landfall around louisiana late tonight and early

on sunday morning. nothing too significant there outside of the heavy rainfall. and very localized amounts. we've been watching this big storm system along the midwest. we've had frozen precipitation and snow and mixed bag of precipe we see winding down in the dakotas. it's mostly rain but it's coming from this frontal boundary stretching from the lakes in the midwest. the tornado threat is to not widespread but not a concern. as far as temperatures we'll feel that significant cooldown from 20 to 30 degrees cooler at this time across some areas including omaha and kansas city. we'll see that moving indianapolis into chicago.

>> eboni, thank you. we want to talk more about tropical storm karen. we're in louisiana with more on tropical storm karen, and the encouraging news, if you will, jonathan, they just lifted the evacuation order where you are. what's going on now? >> reporter: that's right, thomas. five minutes ago 1:00 eastern, where we are right now in louisiana, they lifted that mandatory evacuation. now it's voluntary. we expect soon to have more people coming into the community. more of thee boaters coming back to their boats. people were ordered to leave by 6:00 last night but based on the latest forecast from the national weather service people are coming back in large part because as we heard the storm is weakening quite a bit. so at this point people are going to be coming back, but we have to remember, thomas, this is an extreme coastal community. people have dealt with serious storms and recently isaac just a year and a half ago. they know how unpredictable the storms can be. some people are deciding to stay here even though this is a

tropical storm, a weak one as it seems so far and other people are not taking any chances and they're staying away from this area. really it's a wait and see game for a lot of people including some of the officials. >> it's the low lying areas that are of greatest concerns. it's also a slower moving system with the potential for flooding. >> reporter: that's right, and that's what is concerning. state officials will keep all hands on deck for the next 24 hours just to be safe. at this point while they are allowing people to come back into this area, a voluntary evacuation the state emergency. management, they're saying they're working around the clock until we're sure we'r we are ths not going to pose a huge threat. >> jonathan, thank you. supporters for a comprehensive immigration reform are holding rallies in 154 cities across the u.s. they want congress to pass the

immigration bill. the rallies directed at house republicans who refused to put the bill o on the calendar for a vote ending obama from deportations. joining us live in new york, we've seen the rally in chicago, what is the scene like there in brooklyn? >> reporter: you'll have to forgive me, thomas, if i'm having a hard time hearing. this is a rowdy crowd behind me. hundreds have literally shown up in brooklyn to fight for immigration reform, and who better to talk about that, i'll bring in felix guzman. tell me, how many years did you come to the united states? how long have you been here? and tell me about your citizenship status. >> we came to new york, and

we're here because we want to send the message to president obama, and we want immigration reform for everyone. this week my brother went to the white house, and he was arrested in front of the white house, so we want to tell them we don't want this. we want to keep families together. we don't want to abuse more child. this is what happens mentally. >> reporter: what's it like for you living here illegally? how can you describe that? >> i left my family in mexico. for 13 years i have not seen my grandmother, my family. i cannot go on vacation. my son ask if i can take him out. i can't take him out because of citizenship. i can't take him where he wants to go.

>> reporter: it seems very emotional. tell me about that. >> today we want to keep on fighting. we want to keep it on the road. we want immigration reform now because if not today we have to wait a long time. we really need it. >> reporter: absolutely. thank you, thank you very much, felix, for sharing your thoughts with us. this group has been chanting, yes we can. and these protested rallies are expected to continue. >> that's an emotional debate. a military rain blamed for the attack on the shopping mall in nairobi. and why the battle over a landfill is about more than trash.

>> obama administration officials said they need to enrol 2.7 u.s. redents between the ages of 18 and 35 in exchange plans to balance risks and hold down costs. will they enrol come 1 october - should they pay the face. >> joining me now is jen mishory, deputy director of young invincibles, she's in washington d.c. and yevgeniy feyman, a research assistant at the manhattan institute. thank you for being with us.

i want to start with you yevgeniy feyman. the young people are crucial to the success of obamacare. >> absolutely. they'll balance out the risk pool, they'll keep premiums that need the insurance, and the administration is reaching out to them. >> jen, the young invincibles are in the 18-34 group. [[voiceover]] from al jazeera media network comes a new voice of journalism in the u.s. >>the delta is a microcosm of america. [[voiceover]] we tell the human story, from around the block, across the country, with more points of view. >>if joe can't find work, his family will go from living in a motel to living in their car. [[voiceover]] connected, inspired, bold. >>about a thousand protestors have occupied ...

>> welcome back. military forces have carried out a strike against a al-shabab militant base. british and turkish forces were behind the raid. the turkish foreign ministry has denied turkish involvement in the raid. we have this report from mogadishu. >> reporter: we understand that a group of special forces attacked a house on the beach that was apparently full of al-shabab fighters. according to security that we've been speaking to, it was american special forces that had intelligence that was saying high value targets of al-shabab and other leaders were in the holy spirit at the time. they say the attack was

successful, although they say that a leader escaped unharmed. it went on for than hour and a half. al-shabab insist it was british and turkish involved in the operation. we can't say who was behind it until we get official confirmation, but this seems to be a way of targeting al-shabab commanders, but that they, too, are vulnerable and they can be attacked as remote and apparently as secure. what happens next? the areas around al-shabab are all controlled by the troops that are here. but their offensive against the group has stalled for the most part year and a half, and now people are asking plenty of

questions of if it is possible to attack. >> thank you. newly released security camera footage shows four young men ambling around with ak-47 rivals in ahead. it con from a addict earlier statement that claimed 10 to 15 attackers were involved in the september 21st attack. the militant group al-shabab claimed responsibility for the assault that left 67 people dead. bad weather has brought rescued efforts to a halt in lampedusu. at least 111 african asylum

seekers have been confirmed dead and more are missing. 155 people survived, and italian divers hope to resume the search for more victims of the ship shipwreck. the israeli army has shut down a landfill. the move has many palestinians debating the reason for the closure. >> reporter: it's not a place of beauty but it's been quietly performing a necessary function for the past 35 years. disposing of millions of tons of garbage from this part of the region of the occupied west bank. israeli army closed it down, saying the site was a health risk. this unexpected concern aboutty israeli authorities over the environment health of the people on the west bank mask as very

different motive, and it's all to do with this legal jewish settlement up on the hill. this is built on palestinian land in 1971. it's a small settlement, but here at the municipality officials believe they have got big territorial ambitious ambit. >> i think they closed it down to expand the settlement. we have an environmental report that said the dump site does not pose an environmental hazard at all. >> reporter: the garbage trucks still rumble through, but in the absence of a permanent disposal site the waste is dumped on private land which raises environmental and health concerns. >> it was horrible. the city was on the verge of an environmental catastrophe. people would burn their waste.

it was not bearable to walk in the city. >> reporter: israeli civil authorities issued this statement. due to the environmental damage caused to the aquifier and the air, to close the landfill operating in the area. >> reporter: and with the municipal dump now closed many fear the expansion of the settlement on the hill will soon begin, taking more of their land. >> the red cross is stepping in to help hundreds of victims of super storm sandy. until today new york city had been paying for people to stay in hotels. it cost more than $250 a night. the program ended after fema funding dried up this week. so red cross said it is willing to spend $1 million to extend

those hotel stays. adding insult to injuries, first floods and now a government shutdown. cog's national parks are hurting for business. together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you. millions who need assistance now. we appreciate you spending time with us tonight. up next is the golden age of hollywood going golden but elsewhere. why l.a.'s mayor has declared a state of emergency for the entertainment industry there. next. what happens when social media

>> welcome back. let's get you caught up on some of the top stories we're following at this hour. the midwest was hit bay string. of tornadoes. 15 people were injured by storms blowing from iowa to nebraska. reform demonstrations are taking place across the country. demonstrators want undocumented tto have a pathway to citizenship. colorado's just picking up the pieces after being hit by the worst flood in decades. they are now feeling the pinch of the government shutdown with the closing of the rocky mountain national park.

>> reporter: 1700 miles from washington herds of elk come down from the high medals roll through front yards and stop traffic. it's a majestic photo op. this fall main street is practically desserted. site seers down to a trickle. that's because right around the corner the gates to the national park are locked. this is what the government shutdown looks like 8,000 feet above sea level. >> i don't think i'll be back to colorado to tell the truth. my one chance to be here, this is what i'm going see. >> reporter: thanks to gridlock in washington thousands of tourists are making a u-turn out of town. >> reporter: tina owns mountain shadows resort. she said this time of year she would usually be full, 16 guests. >> how many are here? >> three. >> reporter: this has all the

makings of a manmade economic disaster because it comes hard on the heels of a natural disaster. just as the park is just recovering from last month's crippling floods. >> we had two to four feet of water running down the street. we thought we lost the infrastructure under the street. >> reporter: the town actually looks great although signs of the devastation do linger. but what is harder to see is the economic damage. >> it's 15 feet higher. >> reporter: gary and his son sandbagged the family's fishing shop, successfully keeping the big thompson river out. the timing of the shutdown could not be worse. >> we're about 70% to 75% down from this time of year? fall is our profit time. you pay for everything with the summer. >> reporter: the floods washed out the two minarets into estes park into the east.

now that the park is closed to the west there is only one long winding way in from the south. with winter coming and no signs from washington, estes park is running out o. >> no park, no people. >> it's in washington. people in washington don't find a way to work together i don't know what will become of this country. >> reporter: that's the question on every's mind. will washington get its act together before it's too late? >> it's a similar story at yosemite park. last month's rim fire hit the area hard. >> let's face it. i mean, this is a great place. i love this place. my guests love this place.

but they really come here to see yosemite. i just make it easy for them, and i make them happy. but without yosemite i don't have a business, no. this is all built upon that park. we did the letter to the editor. we've asked people to call our house rep. we've asked people online to sign. we've asked the county to put out messages to d.c. to tell them what is happening here. we're going to a demonstration on park line. it's not just me. there are a lot of people in this community that's upset. >> because of the government shutdown it's estimated the national park services losing $30 million a day in entrance fees and other revenues across the country.

>> meteorologist: and we are following a number of weather stories again as we head out on this saturday. we have the rain and snow which is now starting to wind down. and severe storms along the cold front that stretches across the great lengths. rain already starting to pick up. we're not seeing a lot of heavy downpours. that will be a concern as we go through the day. mainly in portions of michigan where we need the rain here across the southwest where it is dry. so much so that there are red flag warnings up around the los angeles area. combine that with the heat we're feeling, and we're going to see the fire threat staying around the weekend. l.a. ventura county and through the evening hours, something to watch out for. in the 90s we get cooler in the four corners, but in southern california we could use the moisture. we'll see rain blunge the gulf f

coast thanks to karen. it will weaken as it goes towards the north and some of that moisture will make its way inland areas of alabama as well as georgia. we're expecting to see amounts anywhere from upwards of six inches. that six-inch rain amount is local here and into the panhandle of florida. we will get the rain as well as winds. here is a look where we could see some of that rainfall. we're going to see an inch or two well inland of southern georgia. it's active weather there as we continue to watch karen. further south it will tart to make its way into nebraska and severe storms into illinois and indiana. >> eboni, thank you. while the olympic flame begins its journey from athens, greece,

to sochi, russia, it was accompanied with controversy. riots begins russia's anti-gay, quote, propaganda. down under a grand fireworks dispray went off. about 1.4 million people came out to watch the lie sho light w including britain's prince harry. he was welcomed with a 100 gun salute. thank you tothank you for watchm thomas drayton. for more information on al jazeera head to www.aljazeera.com. this is a look in mississippi. calm, but we're watching for

more from tropical storm karen with updates throughout the day. thank you for joining us.