>> welcome to al jazeera. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. lawmakers are going to back to work with each side refusing to budge on the government shutdown. the secretary of state praising the syrian president. and the new series of attacks in egypt following another bloody and violent weekend there. >> just about an hour from now the house will reconvene but nothing is expected to change. the federal government is still at a shotdown and another fiscal

issue is looming large, that being the debt ceiling. stocks are losing ground once again. the dow jones industrial average is down 80 points. investors are worried that house speaker john boehner has called to raise the nation's debt limit. reports that congress has just now ten days to act. >> reporter: time is running out at midnight october 17th. the united states will reach it's borrowing limit. for the first time the nation will default. as the government shutdown ent enters day seven, with no compromise in sight, john boehner is not budging. >> there is no way when we're not going pass when the votes are not in the house to pass the clean--

>> we're not going down that path. >> treasury secretary john lew said washington is playing with fire. >> the can economy is coming back. they don't need politics in washington to bring the economy down. >> reporter: the treasury department warns the default would be unprecedented and has the potential to be catastroph catastrophic, saying credit could freeze, the value of the there are to plummet and the negative spillovers could reverberate around the world. but ted cruz seen as the driving force behind the shutdown is urging the government in the house to use the looming debt ceiling as a bargainen chip. >> it is the lest leverage to reigning in the executive. >> president obama is confident that this they will keep the

government from going over the edge. >> there are enough votes in the house of representatives to make sure that the government reopens today. the only thing preventing that from happen something speak be boehner calling the vote. >> reporter: there is one bright spot in the political stalemate. today is the first day back to work for up to 350,000 furloughed defense department employees. the pentagon is ordering them in saying the u.s. military can't function without them. also on saturday the house voted in favor of back pay for all furloughed federal workers which they'll get once the stand off ends. al jazeera america. >> libby case is live on capitol hill. libby, any sign that they are moving towards a solution or are they still stuck in finger-pointing mode? >> reporter: we're just not seeing any progress even though a new week has begun here on capitol hill. the latest is the round of back and forth from the offices of senator harry reid, the head of the senate, the top democrat,

and house speaker john boehner, top republican in that body, the man who rules over the house. they're throwing a tit for tat back and forth with senator reed talking about how it's john baner who needs to get this vote into the house. speaker boehner's office said that they don't think this is this is speaker boehner's fault at all. they're saying a clean debt limit vote, the vote over the debt limit, they don't think it will just pass the senate. a lot of finger pointing and we're not seeing productive movement at this point. >> we heard speaker boehner say on sunday morning talk shows that they just don't have the votes. has there been reaction from the white house? >> reporter: absolutely. the white house said they do not believe that in the least. they do believe there are enough votes if speaker boehner would

allow for a vote without any strings attached, de funding of obamacare or any hitches. they think it would pass with enough republicans jumping on board, but it's speaker boehner who holds the power in choosing whether a vote goes forth. don't watch for it any time soon because all sides feel they need to get something out of this process. it would weaken speaker bane for let a vote go forth, let the democrats have their way. >> let me see if this makes sense on the common sense meter. the obamacare or affordable care act is still being funded. 350,000 furloughed workers sent back to work. they're getting paid. some are going to be getting back pay. is any of this making any sense? >> reporter: here's a couple of key things to remember about the furloughed workers. yes, we're seeing the department of defensivelian workers head back to the job but there are so many other furloughed workers who are not coming back to work. even though congress is moving

forward in trying to get them back pay that won't likely kick in until they're back on the job and it's all dealt with. it's still a painful moment for workers who have looming car payments and mortgage payments. it's not just the typical picture that you have in your head of federal workers, but scientists and people who have years of work who are waiting and biding their time. it doesn't make a lot of sense. it doesn't make a lot of sense to those watching. >> it only makes sense when you explain it, libby casey, thank you very much. not long ago you may recall that secretary of state john kerry and president bashar al-assad were at odds and were on the brink of war. now kerry is praising assad for cooperating with those involved

with chemical weapons arsenal destruction. >> witwithin the week being past that some chemical weapons were destroyed, and they're complying as they're supposed to. we hope that continues. i'm not going to vouch today for what happens months down the road but it's a good beginning, and we should welcome a good beginning. >> secretary kerry also saying both the u.s. and russia support the idea of a syrian peace conference come november. we're joined live from ba beiru. did anyone expect the assad regime to act so quickly? >> reporter: well, at the end of the day the chemical weapons deal was beneficial for the

regime. at the end of the day they bought time. and a new lease of life really was given to the syrian president bashar al-assad. now the syrian government will be a negotiating partner in an international peace conference. one way or another they're actually talking with the syrian government, the international community. we can't forget that russia through its support behind the deal and was instrumental in keeping the regime in power, and so yes people were expecting the syrian government to do this. getting rid of its chemical weapons it's not going to change the military balance on the ground. when you talk about the civilian war in syria, the chemical weapons were going to be used as a deterrent against israel, against the united states. the they still have the military balance on the ground. it didn't lose much and it has bought time and assad has talked

about re-election in the middle of next year. >> zeina over the weekend assad giving an interview saying he made mistakes but he is not the monster that the world paints him as. what has been the reaction there to him speak so openly? >> reporter: well, most syrians will tell you it's too little, too late. the conflict is almost in its third year. they do not really have any faith in the syrian president. they want him to leave. this is what they continue to say. they do not want him to be spatter of any future, political settlement in syria. so especially those who have lost loved ones in the war, those who have suffered, they say that this is a betrayal, really, to think about sitting on the negotiating table while assad remains in power. who is going to represent the opposition, and what are they going to agree to because the main political opposition is now saying if they agree on a

transitional government with full executive powers, they'll attend geneva. but those on the ground say assad should leave power before they even think of the negotiating table. >> is there a concern that the world seems to be forgetting that this has been a very lie vent and bloody civil war with hundreds of thousands of people affected? >> reporter: well definitely at the end of the day we're hearing about airstrikes, and they're continuing on the ground. yes, syria has agreed to strap its chemical weapon arsenal but it's continuing to use conventional wars. it's not just the war but the economic condition in the country. the government said there will be a hike in gasoline prices. what does this mean? transportation costs are increased. costs of food increases. people are no longer able to make ends meet and they feel the international community was just working for its own

international interests, ie getting ready of chemical weapons for its ally, israel. and not getting the violence to stop. >> thank you very much. there is outrage in labia after special forces went no and kidnapped an al-qaeda leader. highways been on the fbi's most wanted list for over a decade. it is believed he planned the 1998 embassy bombings in africa. >> reporter: this is where his family where they captured him. they found him when he returned from mosque on saturday morning. masked men came out of the car, but one wasn't masked, and one was adjusting their mask when they came out.

by features they were obviously libyan. they were all armed with silenced weapons. they told him to get in the car, closed the door and drove off. they bloke the window on my husband's car and it seems as if he they drug him. >> reporter: he has been wanted for 15 years by the fbi. but angered libyan government wants to know more about his whereabouts. secretary of state joh john kery said it was a legal operation. >> he was a legal target under the authorization of the use of military force passed in september 2001. >> reporter: he is inspected of attacks in kenya and tanzania in 1998. in which more than 200 people were killed. he returned to libya after the fall of moammar qaddafi. and his family said he deserves

to be tried at home. >> this is the work of piracy of foreign troops on libyan land to kidnap my brother. they're supposed to produce legal documents to the libyan government and he should be tried here. >> reporter: instead, he now reportedly being reported to be interrogated on an u.s. naval ship. >> navy seals tried unsufficiently to capture the leader of al-shabab which says it is behind the deadly mall attack in kenya. that raid happening south of mogadishu. a helicopter dropped of off the seals. they engaged in gunfire but the raid did not complete its target. our tornado watch has been issued in new york, new jersey,

and other parts of the east. >> meteorologist: the line is moving from west to east from new york to pennsylvania. you see the level here. that is the strongest storms right now. there is severe thunderstorm warnings with these storms, no tornado warnings issued at this time but that could certainly change over the next few hours. we're watching this line move from west to east. these are the warnings, they'll break south of williamsport and moving from central to northern pennsylvania, and there in new york. the storms push to the east. that red area is a tornado watch as in effect until 5:00. the storms will push from west to east and heavy storms from central pennsylvania and to the east. there is damaging wind and rotations down from new york to pennsylvania into maryland. we'll have the latest update with the national forecast

coming up later. >> thank you very much. funerals in egypt today. protesters are saying good buy to some of those killed in another weekend of violent clashes in that country.

[[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. consider this. unconventional wisdom. >> opposing rallies marking the 40th anniversary of egypt's war with israel turned deadly across that country. 53 people were killed, and another 260 others injured street violence stretched into late sunday night. funerals were held for four of those who were victims. drivdrive by shootings killed sx egyptian soldiers. we're joined by our correspondent in cairo, who we do not name for security regions. how are things now? is there calm on the streets? >> reporter: del, yes, it's a lot quieter after the violence of friday. but the protesters who led those

marchs on friday. they call themselves the anti-coup alliance against the rule of egypt, they're saying that they'll start ratcheting up their protests. they're telling there will be more protests over the coming days. we're expecting to see more on the streets in the next few days. but quiet today so far. >> now is there a sense if the anti-coup alliance takes to the streets that the military led government will fight back with force? >> reporter: well, over the past few months there have been nightly protests. not just in cairo but elsewhere, made up of individual protesters made up of a few hundred people. and those protesters have been allowed to carry on peacefully. they've been allowed to march peacefully. the difference was that the protesters that tried to get to the iconic square the center of

the revolution of 2011. the military did not want them to get there. as they try to get there, and they say they'll try to do that again then the military will fight back as they have done on friday with tear gas and firing rounds into the air to square people off. >> are those anticipate coup demonstrations, are they getting better, or are they starting to shrink? >> i think on friday we had 3,000 in one march that i witnessed. that's the largest march that has been in cairo since the crackdown in protesters in august. they've got a lot of people out on friday. but it's nothing like the tens of thousands of people who came out in july. >> and we have lost our reporter in cairo, who we could not name for security reasons. when afghan president karzai

first came to power he promised to rebuild the country's education system which had been destroyed by the taliban. since that day it has changed for the better but there is still oh room for improvement. >> it's teacher appreciation day. there were a million afghan children in school, mostly boys. this year there are 10.5 million afghans in school. 41% of them are girls. >> so if you want to make your country, for that you need to go to university, especially girls

because the girls make them half the society. >> reporter: under the taliban that half of society was hidden away and denied an education. for six years the gates of this school were closed to girls. they came back in big numbers even though there weren't enough classrooms for all 3,700 of them. english teacher was one of the first girls through the gates. painted flowers on the wall chart the school's progress from no graduates 12 years ago to more than 200 this year. not all schools are as successful. >> in some schools they don't have any facilities, for example, they don't have teacher, building, and security in the country side. >> reporter: the united nations say only half of schools have buildings and fewer than a third of teachers have official qualifications. still this teacher who taught

during the time of the taliban said things are better now. hhe said three-quarters of the students left school then because of the emphasis on religion but now the rick klum m that it's ever been. now there is not enough money to put grass on its playing field, but they're glad to be here. >> three american scientists win the noble prize. details are straight ahead. on inside story, we bring together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you.

on august 20th,

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are your headlines. six egyptian soldiers were killed outside of cairo in a massive car bombing near sinai. at least three people were killed there. about an hour from now little less, in fact, the house of representatives goes back to work. stand off over the government shutdown still remaining with

lawmakers refusing to negotiate. secretary of state john kerry is praising syrian president, pleased with syria's compliance with chemical weapons inspectors. record rainfall hitting washington state and causing major flooding, in all but a few areas the rain had almost no affect because cities in tacoma are experiment ing with a permeable pavement that absorbs the flooding. >> reporter: the torrent in tacoma, washington, two inches of rain in 24 hours. the northwest worst september downpour on record. nearby on this suburban street into is a street of asphalt pavement. >> there is no water on the street. before we would have our shoes

soaking wet jut going out of our cars to the front doors. this street doesn't have anything on it when it rains. >> it's part of a pilot program to showcase natural storm water management and minimize run off. it let's rainwater flow threw and into the ground rather than going into storm drains. these rain gardens manage any overflow. >> well, it solves the water issue. they don't have to deal with standing water all the time but it's a bigger issue. it will go all over the state of washington and maybe all over the country. our population is going to continue to increase, so we have to be able to handle the water. >> reporter: chemical laden run off can affect wildlife. jennifer mcentire is examining our first managings the run off.

>> that run off is very toxic. >> reporter: they join regional neighbors in tacoma and seattle to seek environmental friendly solutions to manage run off. porous paving and rain gardens may be part of the fix to keep waters clean and safe. al jazeera, seattle. >> meteorologist: i'm meteorologist dave warren. we're looking at storms with tornado watches until 5:00. this is the line moving through pennsylvania, new york, and they get scattered isolated storms. they are still strong and even severe down through virginia and maryland. watching until 5:00 these are warnings damaging winds as the

storms move through in one solid line that will move west to east. over the last 12 hours it has steadily moved through pennsylvania and pushing through new jersey and new york later this afternoon. the next few hours it will get stormy with gusting wind and damaging wind and heavy rain. the next 24 hours this line is through pennsylvania and new york. it moves through quickly. it's not staying in the same area but it will be moving through with damaging winds and hail. it looks like the forecast in new york, there is that rainstorm today, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, dry and much cooler. this is a cold front coming through, so it drops the temperatures, dries out the air and just a bit breezy. that's the only weather across the country here. it's quiet across the central portion of the country. out west still dry looking for any type of rain there in the southwest not getting it. the fire danger continues. 50s in denver. 73 in phoenix. the warmest air ahead of that

front 70s as the storm moves through. out west the fire danger continues and no rain forecast. in the next 24 hours it will be dry, so we need rain in the southwestern portion of the country where dry air continues there. >> three american scientists have received one of the world's most prestigious honors. for groundbreaking work on cells. the trio all working at u.s. universities that award was unveiled in sweden and is the first of a week of nobel prize announcements. cars of the future are hitting the road in australia. solar powered cars are meeting for the solar challenge. cars must get 90% of their energy from the sun. thanks for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters. "inside story" is next.

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