♪ . >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john in new york, here are the top stories. after months of frustration, can so called nuclear option. that allows lawmakers end filibusters with a simple majority. republicans have been using the former rule that required 50 results to hold up judicial nominations. afghanistan's president says he does not trust the united states. he spoke as afghan leaders consider add proposed security packet, with the u.s. if the deal is reached thousands of u.s. troops can remain in afghanistan after 2014. and the pilot who landed a boeing dream liner at

the wrong kansas airport, says he was confused. the huge plane arrived at its original destination today. an air force base in wichita, last night the pilot mistakenly landed on a shorter tarmac nine miles away, no passengers were onboard. those are the headlines at this hour, america tonight is up next, i'll see you back here at 11:00 eastern time, 8:00 pacific, and remember you can all get the latest news on aljazeera.com. only america tonight, dieing to quit. a man leads police on a high speed chase. >> a woman gets locked up in a psychiatric ward. >> i started walking around the house, scheming, yelling.

>> both blame the stop smoking drug chantax. our investigation reveals an alarming number of dangerous side effects. also tonight, demanding diversity, the cries for balance and equality on campus. >> and going nuclear. in a historic move, the democrats change the way the senate does business, saying enough is enough. >> we are bringing wastes hours and days between filibusters. >> and now they want to blow up the rules because republicans are following a precedent they set. >> today's pattern it just isn't normal. >> .

>> good evening everyone, and thank you for joining us. joey chen is on assignment, i'm adam may. tonight we start with an investigation, today is the great american smoke out. the american cancer society's annual event urging smokers to quit. despite the well documented risks everything from cans tore hart disease, one in five americans still smokes. hundreds of thousands of americans have turned to a pill. called chantax. some successfully quit, but others have died. we obtained these documents, that reveal hundreds of chan tax users have committed suicide. in huntsville alabama, james pleads guilty to a burglary, a felony, and received a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. prosecutors say after being fired from his job, the truck driver broke into this warehouse at

night, armed with a rifle, and then fled police. >> it's adam may how are you. in an interview from jail, he tells us he was delusional, suffering from the side effects of chan tax. a drug designed to help people quit smoking. i just snapped. got up on a forecast lift with a weapon, in just a daze. and to this very day, i have no idea what i was doing in the building. hundreds of miles away. >> dina hurst and her self-described perfect life, as a wife, mother, businesswoman, came unhinged.

after she started taking chan ticks. i threatened to jump out of a moving car, and then the police came, and the paramedics, and they had to tie me up. put restraints on me. >> hurst wound up in this hospital. five days in a locked psychiatric ward. the experience prompted hurst to start a blog about chantix. where according to comments posted on her site, it could have been a lot worse. this one was just posted august 31st. i lost my best friend and father to my children. he was taken chantix. he had become very angry. he hung himself in front of me. i could not save him. >> according to u.s. food and drug administration documents obtained by america tonight, under the freedom of information act, 544

suicide have been reported to the fd auction as adverse events. associated with chantix in the last five years. pga documents also show 1,869 attempted suicides. associated with chantix. we should point out these adverse event reports don't prove chantix cause canned people takin takinge drug to become suicidal, or have any other side effect for that matter. chantix is decided to help people quit smoking, by partially blocking the nicotine receptor in the brain, reducerring the urge to smoke. about one in five is able to quit, under ideal conditions during clinical trials. that's slightly better than counseling or nicotine replacement therapy, and twice as effective as a placebo. but some users have reported anger, depression, hallucinations, and other serious side effects.

dr. michael segal has studies tobacco in smoking for 25 years. >> we know that chantix has effects on the neuroow transmitters in the brain. seso it is not surprising that a drug like chantix could have effects on personality, and could lead to depression, and suicide. >> in 26, chantix users began reporting troubling side effects almost immediately. some of the cases are bizarre, others are down right himming. a 24-year-old woman woke up her sleeping boyfriend, and started beating him because he looked too peaceful. a 42-year-old man walked up to a stranger in a bowling alley and

suddenly punched him. and another man, choked his wife, then hung himself. thomas moore a senior researcher with the institute for safe medication practices, studying these and other violent acts reportedly limpinged to chantix. he was also a consultant to lawyers suing the drugs manufacturer, pfizer over those side effects. >> these cases had three striking characteristics. first, the violence was absolutely unpredictable and senseless. second, the victim was just anybody who happened to be nearby. it could have been a fiance, it could have been a police. and thirdly, these people had no previous history of violence, and were unlikely prospects for a violent act. >> how did chantix rate? >> it was by far the worst. it had 18 times more reports than were

expected and many more than any other drug. there were serious psychiatric side effects. there were side effects that made it unsafe for pilots and people in critical occupations because there were seizures, blackouts, temporary behindness, blurry vision. >> the institute for safe practices publish add report saying that it had immediate safety concerns. among persons operating trains buss and other vehicles. that reported prompted the ffa and defense partner to ban chantix use among pilots and air traffic controllers. the federal agency that governs truckers the federal motor carrier administration, said chantix may adversely effect the drive's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.

and the department of transportation, sent a me mow warning of the potential threat to public safety caused by the antismoking drug. moore thinks those restrictions don't go far enough. >> people who carry weapons for a living, such as police officers, military, and others, should not take a drug which is now well documented the cause uncontrollable rage. >> an analysis of controlled clinical trials found no more violence among chantix treated patients than in placebo treated patients. even sew, in 2009. two fda required what is known as a black box warning label. the most serious warning possible alerting possible users and their doctors that chantix has

been associated with reports of changing in behavior, such as hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions. dr. michael sieg dwell says it's unrealistic to ask doctors to be on the look out for attempted suicide. i would argue if death is a side effect that you are warning about. because is black box warning says look out for suicide, the patient may commit suicide. if that's what the side effect is then the warning is ineffective. there's no point to having it, because if the patient commits death and the physician monitors for it and finds out the patient dies, you can't do anything. tina hurst says she has no doubt it was blamed to blame for her break down. >> any other changes in your life in the weeks or months leading up to this? >> no other medications. >> no changes in your

diet. >> no. >> any hardship at home. >> no. >> job problems. >> no. >> how convince redirect examination you that the drug is what caused this break down. >> without a doubt. i went off the deep end. it changed my mind, it childrenned my brain that -- it changes the chemical in my brain, and it caused this. absolutely. i am absolutely positive that it was the chantix. pfizer recently paid close to $300 million to settle most of the 2700 lawsuits filed against the company over chantix suicides. and other serious side effects. >> at the same time, the company has also stepped up its doing of the drug. the federal judge overseeing the lawsuit says the fda black box warning is sufficient

warning of the drugs potential risks, making future litigation unlikely. doctors sagle says the fda should pull chantix from the market. >> if they seriously think that the risk of suicide is high enough, and that it warrant as black box warning about suicide, then i think they have no choice but to take the drug off the market. because a black box warning for suicide is not an effective deterrent. pfizer declined to sit down with us. pfizer says doctors have written more than 9 million prescriptions for chantix in the united states. worldwide sales of the drug, to date, top $4 billion. >> they need to take chantix off the market. they need to take it off the market. >> tina hurst says her life is finally back to normal. she turned down a settlement offer from

pfizer. so she could keep speaking out against chantix. >> very fortunate that i am okay, and that i'm living a great life right now, and it is behind me. it could have turned out much differently, i could have been like many of the other people, that have taken chantix and killed themselves. or hurt somebody else. >> james may hall wishes everything had turned out differently. >> i have never been in trouble in my life. i have had two speeding tickets in my entire life, i am just an average joe. a blue collar worker. pay my taxes never hurt anybody. in just one week, in one week, a change of personality, lost my job. it just ruins everything. >> now facing nine more months behind bars, hard time he blames on chantix. >> once again tonight, we reached out to a representative from pfizer we asked him to appear on this program,

and respond to that email. two fda told chantix from the market, that federal agency has asked pfizer to investigate the reports of violence by users and report back. that report does not due until the year 2017. still to come here on america tonight, the dark net, the digital master mind of a notorious underground web side now detained what that means for the community he created, that's up next.

says went by the namement dread pirate rogers. his mother at court for the hearing described the judge's decision as heartbreaking. the family has offered to put up $1 million their home and life savings for his relief. >> the judge denied him bail, saying there was evidence he tried to have as many six people killed for their knowledge of the silk road business. he also described him a flight risk, saying he could have access to millions of dollars worth of the digital currency bit coin. >> prosecutors say he had tried to obtain fake identification documents and was considering becoming a citizen of a caribbean country before his arrest. they described him as a danger to society. his attorney suspects the government may be relying on --

>> there's a lot of gaps in the government information gathering, and probe to see how that occurred and whether it was lawful or not. >> the government has admitted using information gathered by the nsa in two domestic terrorism trials but not the al brick case. >> it is countrying for privacy advocates because it really makes it much harder to understand how the government is obtaining its evidence in a criminal case. and on that basis to challenge the source ofage investigation. >> even as he awaits trial, a website going by silk road 2.0, with a dread pirate roberts still at the helm is back online, and doing business in drugs. >> that was al jazeera reporting, now some light on the dark net, documentary filling maker who is making on a project called deep web. joins us live here from new york, first off, i'd like -- to know what you think about this whole issue, how do you think that they caught ross al

brick to begin with. >> well, just judging from the information that's out there, for anybody, he -- it's -- if you are using the deep web to remain anonymous, any moment of which you step out from being anonymous you can expose yourself, and he had according to documentation has entered a forum using a more public email address, looking for coding advice. for the silk road, this is all conjecture, but this is what is out there. and that they connected those dots to that person on that forum, using looking for that coding which they then found built into the code of the silk road. >> etch using the deep web, is it possible to have anonymity on the bear senate these days? >> it is possible. the encryption systems the technology is extremely robust, and

difficult to crack. it's technology that has been created many decades ago that are at the foundation of the web. i mean the thing we have to remember is that the deep web is not some nefarious thing. it is just a term that accounts for 96 of what is actually on the web. is anonymous or private. >> so there is a lot of illegal activity that has been linked to the deep web, is there anything positive out there. >> well, yeah, i think it is extremely dangerous to suddenly just say because somebody was allegedly running the service, on the deep web that the deep web is nefarious. it just refers to what -- it is like saying if you drive down the street that anybody who is behind a closed door in a house is selling drugs. it makes little sense. so i think it is a slippery slope to demonizing the idea of privacy. >> so what is interesting

about the deep web? what is something about it that viewers don't know? i think what is interesting about it, there is an internet that is growing up alongside the what we view as the conventional internet. the web, more accurately. and there are a lot of people who would like to be able to move freely around privately just like you move around your house privately. without being fully exposed. that doesn't mean you are doing wrong, it means you want to be anonymous. that means -- there are uses journalists uses it, the government uses it, there are citizens of states that rely on the deep web to communicate freely and not have their communications intercepted by store tin regimes that could hurt them. i would also just say, that i think it is a

basic human right to be anonymous and private. >> and there is an interesting sub culture there, is bit coin an example of that? >> yeah, i wouldn't call him a sub culture, i think bit coin is a very legitimate cyber currency. it is used primarily almost fundamentally for legitimate uses. many many businesses use it just like one would use papal, and it is a more secure form than many other forms. so again, i would be weary of demonizing all of these new technologies just because there are ways of using them for emily sit means. >> certainly is interesting though. bit coin i would think most people have used but there is a very small group of people that use it. and praise it. alex winter joining us tonight, thank you so much. >> coming up next, taking a stand for campus

diversity. >> it's evidence that our only purpose here is to improve your winning percentage. >> boosted by some staigering statistics. why they are demanding change on campus. and that california school is not alone. ruling days of grid lock president obama support as historic move here on capitol hill. >> congress believe as i belief nah enough is enough. that enough is enough.

>> now a snapshot of stories making headlines. when its pilot landed at the wrong airport in kansas, with the runway of just over 6,000 feet. jumbo jet carrying parts. boeing dream liner fleet was supposed to land at

the witch da base. it eventually took off again and landed eight miles away. now a alabama. after the parole board granted far donees to three black men, convicted by an all white jury, nine black men were accused of raping two wyatt women on a train. five of them were joan turfed and one receive add pardon before his death. back in 1976. three white san jose state university students are facing hate crime charges. they allegedly bullied their african-american roommate for three months trying to clamp his neck with a bicycle lock. they also decorated his room with nazi and con federal symbols. about race and higher education. led by students in michigan and california.

a twitter campaign we the black student union at the university of michigan with the #bbum, which stands for being black at the university of michigan went viral this year, as students and alumni shares their experiences at one of the top schools. the tweets cover life in the class and on campus. that twitter campaign followed another online credit teak that also went viral, here is a video that was shot by a group of students about the dwindling number of black males at prestigious institutions. >> and we have more national championships than we do black male freshman, the evidence the only purpose here is to improve your winning percentage. just as long a the number on the back of their jersey doesn't fade, and you tell me, i should be proud to be a bruin. >> but according to professor sander 3.3% is far too many black kids on his perfectly paved

roads that are tar too many black kids. this school is not diverse, just because you put it on a pamphlet. who publicly opposing affirmative action. thek that can marry our fraction look more than just a second hand on a clock. it's all talk. >> we have a great panel on this issue tonight, joining me to discuss diversity at public universities. a student, at the university of michigan, who helped start that #trend, and also features in the black bruins video is mike, a student at ucla. thank you so much for joining us. tyrell, i want to start out with you. your # has gotten so much traction. it is unbelieve.

>> you know, i didn't think that it would blow up. >> i guess the idea behind it, we wanted to address the tense racial climate. and wanted to give black students a platform to voice their experiences get their voices out, and get their voices heard, and listened to. >> mike, i want to ask you, tyler brings up the tense racial climate there, what about out in california? yeah. at the university of california los angeles is very very similar. there are not too many black faces and we often feel isolated. do you feel that that lack of diversity is the root cause? that is certainly something that you bring up, the facts and figures in that video.

>> yeah the lack of diversity is something that contributes to it. when you look at a lecture hall of 200 people, and there -- and you are the only one that looks like you, it becomes very difficult to function, because often times you get looks people assume certain things about your character, or where you are from, and there's a lot of societal pressure. so tyrell at your school, the number of black and hispanic students has dropped by a third from 2003, but as we heard it was pointed out at the ucla video, the pamphlets they are always this picture of diversity, looks like a bennieton add. >> absolutely is not the reality. yes, from 2006 to 2012, the black male -- or the black population at the university of michigan dropped almost 30%, and so -- yeah, that's where we are getting out with

this campaign. for a school that valued diversity so much, that says they value it, we don't see it on campus. so what tweets have you gotten that you think are the most interesting? >> a few that said that it is not enough just to bring blacks students or any minority students here. you have to nurture these students you have to give them the safe places so they can grow, and i think that's a big thing with the university of michigan. you need no nurture these students and support them. and i think that's the biggest thing we are getting at. >> would you agree with that? >> i definitely agree. which this bill has provided for us here is a platform to bring up that issue.

the lack of black males on campus, and the lack of diversity in general. for methods of outreach that will increase the number of students applying increase the number of students getting in, and ultimately increase the number graduating as well. >> you brought up an interring point, and you yourself said people assume you are an athlete. >> yeah. often times -- that's one thing we as black males as ucla and i am dwelling with tyrell at michigan as well, shares is that once you step foot on campus, you always get the question of what sport do you play, or are you an athlete. >> so gentlemen, either one of you chime in here, what needs to be done in order to make colleges a more diverse place? isn't that part of the higher learning experience. you go there learn a lot, but you are also supposed to learn a lot in the community. from people that may not

be from that area you grew up in i think a big thing is universities need to poster interaction of different cultures. what i see a lot with the university of michigan is the black students hanging with the black students. the latinos hanging with latinos. there's really not a cross cultural conversations happening, and i think they need to poster that, especially before -- before they bring more students here, they need to make sure that they are supporting the students they have here. final thoughts from you. >> i think it is a very committed issue that involved k through 12, and involves the university as well. w the university needs to do is to outreach and once they get on campus,

and then to help provide a better campus environment as far as teaching. other groups. that's mike over at ucla, and tyrell collier with the interesting #, if you haven't checked it out yet, i encouraging you to do so. thank you for joining us tonight. >> thank you. >> well, from the blocking of presidential nominees to the fight over the affordable care act, the senate voted to use the so called nuclear option to weaken the power of the filibuster. before the vote both parties pointed the fingers, they blamed each oh for this on going grid lock. democratic senator majority leader said that too much time has been wasted by filibustering. senate minority leader, republican mitch mcconnell said they are just doing what the

democrats started doing years ago. during the congress, the idea has wasted a huge amount of time on obstruction. as a result, the would recollect of this country goes undone. congress should have passing legislation that protects american families. instead we are burning wasting hours and days. is serial filibustering was filibustered by senate democrats a record seven times. serve times. and now they want to blow up the rules because republicans are following a precedent that they themselves set and i might add we're following that in a much more modest way than democrats

did. >> al jazeera white house correspondent with us now live to talk about the ramifications of this vote. what does this really mean. >> well, first of all, it means the president is suddenly free to have his judicial nominations his cabinet nominations, his executive branch nominations pretty much sail through with 55 democrats holding the significant majority, what does it mean after 2014 when republicans stand an even money chance, well nare mains to be seen. i think we can bet that the republicans won't go wac to the other way. but three judicial nominations for the d.c. court of appeals obviously a very influential bench, right next to this bidle, on the foot of capitol hill, has been rejected by senate had been filibustered. and i think a lot of republicans have said that the if the is

sinking in the polls and they are looking for something else. judicial nominations is a great way to get your base reinvigorated. so there's a lot going on here. >> and there are certainly are people pointing that out. did the president do that to steer the conversation away? >> people can draw their own conclusions i think. this is a little bit unexpected. and all of a sudden the flags come out, and the podium gets changed and adorned with the seal and there's the president, here is what he said in reaction to today's vote. today's pattern of obstruction isn't normal. a deliberate effort to obstruct everything, just to refight the results of an elect is not normal. and for the sake of future generations we can't let it become normal. my nominees have waited

nearly two and a half times long tore receive yes or no votes than those of president bush. >> and the ones that do get a envelop generally are confirmed with little of no dissent. >> so does this mean that things will get done? >> it is a solution of part of the grid lock. nominees executive branch nominees are going to sail through in theory. in neary, they have some tricks up their sleeve to come in on the weekends if he really wants to be a hardliner. the big question for those of us at roll call, is will the domes with tempted to take this the next step, and to make it about lemn sleighs as well. there is no reason not to believe that they will if they are tempted to do so. this is an arguably the biggest change in the senate rules in 40 jeers.

they took nit a matter of minutes, why not go after legislation as well, the answer probably is because they would rue the day. more than they rued the day of doing this. >> so is the balance of father really hanging out there? it could swing either way. >> it wow say 50/50. i think the real question of course, is 2016, and these guys are senators they are already thinking about 2016. if the republicans take the white house, and they take the senate, then they would really go to town. the filibuster was just not that big of a deal, and then everyone started to use it, why did that happen. it has been going on since you can draw back to the end of the cold war, when it started to be heightened. i think when you get wac

to the question of lemn sleighs, there's the assault weapons ban, a lot of people were surprised by that, gun control everything from that to the farm bill is stalled. i tend to think that this was more as i mentioned something to stoke up the political base in a down time. coming from democrats and they don't want this to spread over into the regular legislative calendar. you can look at any number of historical around see dents going back 100 years. but it really has dramatically increased over the last several years. >> what do you think of that? >> i think probably right. probably harry reed will resist the temptation to go down the rout, for one thing, to be honest, there isn't much legislation to fight over. i think the farm bill will probably get done, i think there will be an extremely modest almost uno tisble arrangement on the budget that will hardly be worth one side or the other.

and were you know it it is super tuesday, and not much after that. >> there was a real problem with judgeships under this administration, and trying to get people on the bench. >> there was. i think both sides have statistics to marshal. they say half of all the executive branch and judicial branch filibusters that have ever happened have happened under president obama. that's not really a rebuttable position, the other side has other numbers to come up with. but that's a pretty good number, and pretty unimpeachable. the republicans argument on these d.c. circuit judges. is pretty thin argument, which there's not enough work for these people to do. so it is a numbers game, i don't think the public will care about this too much. i think they accept, maybe, i think reid is

banking that it will auguster to the argument that at least the democrats are trying to make the place function, and the public is clammoring for funning. >> with the approval rating so bad, really can't get any worse right now, could you guys? >> i think narcotic of this is where you stand is where you sit on this. and because event leader of congress their views flip flop. >> white house correspondent, joining us and also david hawkings the senior editor over at roll call, still ahead, a catholic elected to the white house. they said it would never happen, how jfk's catholic identity shaped his legacy, that discussion coming up next.

compensation but you don't even have to explain why? >> well thats exactly what i said. >> we question authority. >> so you said we could get access... >> that's enough! >> ... and those affected. >> investigative journalism at it's toughest.

also the senate quos nuclear with a dramatic move by democrats. will it further poison politics. plus is the safety of our arsenal threatens because the guys with their finger on the button are burned out.

50 years ago, president john if kennedy and jacqueline kennedy left on a fateful trip to texas. they visited san antonio, fort worth, before heading to dallas. in the year since his assassination, volumes have been written his legacy poured over, and debated. but one thing is for certain, president kennedy changed the role of catholicism. he was the first catholic elected president. sat down with cardinal theodore mccarrick to discuss his legacy, and the evolution of catholicism over the last 50 years. what was it like to have a man who is a catholic as a potential president? >> well, it was an interesting moment in the

history of our country. now days when we look back at it it doesn't seem odd at all. but in those days, we knew that we could have catholics in the cabinet, and then we knew we could have senators and governors. i think a lot of us said this would never happen. >> why did it seem so impossible. >> we could look back at my family could look back at the days when on the posters outside of the employment bureaus that words catholics need not apply. it was still around in people's memory. i think even as i was growing up, this is something that we began to feel was unfair. and so we saw in john kennedy an opportunity to

prove that we are great citizens, but also to people who had the karim. >> he gave that extraordinary speech in houston. he had to stand there and say i believe in the separation of church and state. >> i remember it happening and i remember some of the church people saying he may have gone too far. he played down the relationship that a religious man should have to his religious principles. but i think he wanted to make it very clear that they weren't elected a man -- they weren't voting for a man because he was catholic, and not voting against him because he is a catholic, but because he is a serve kind of american. who believed in a certain kind of principles. >> how did you come to know the kennedys. >> we had become

friendses by arguing not by anything else. but he was an interesting man, who stood what he stood for, and loved the poor. and loved the downtrodden and those who are persecuted or disnated against. that was something he could not abide. and so those are things in the catholic church, hopefully we work for. and certainly -- making so it clear that's what we work for. >> precisely, what do you think of the challenge that pope francis is presenting the american catholic church? well, it's not just the american catholic church, it is catholics all over the world who are listening to this extraordinary pope. i think he -- he challenges us in a very special way.

because he challenges us with the words of the gospel. someone who is willing to work for the poor, willing to take those people on the periphery and to bring them into the center. to let them know they are loved. to let them know we are in salt darety for them. to the philippines just last week to put ourselves insolidarity with those who have no house, those who have no job. those who have no hope. they have an opportunity to celebrate some quietly with a group of people, but also with a wrath err large crowd, right in the central area where it is struck most severely. >> i don't think there's a church in that whole lady which still has a roof on it. and this was the cathedral.

it was just finished. they were going to have it re -- the rededicated towards the end of the month, well, the lordad a different idea, and it has lost two-thirds of his roof. and the people were -- it was raining a bit. it was filled with people who had been hurt. people who had been troubled. mothers who had lost their children, even the water smashing them out of their arms. they say there are half a million people without children, extraordinary scene. >> in the west, immediately the concern is why has god done this to us.

and there they give god a break, because they have a deep faith there. they are willing to say, way must pray, we must love god and not lose our faith, not lose our hope in god. >> thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you for giving me the opportunity. god bless you. stay with al jazeera america for continuing coverage of the anniversary of the assassination of john f kennedy. jfk 50 years later. well, looking ahead here on america tonight, documented beautiful dying cultures in far awaylands. is the further you go away from the development, the safer you are. they all have it anyway. they have their house, their food, you don't have anything for them. so it is about how you can -- you literally go on to your knees and you

beg them, in a way of you put them on a pedestal, and you say until you can't hear yourself any more you are beautiful. you beautiful, you are beautiful, you are important. and eventually people feel that. >> a rare connection to the world's dying tribes, british photographer takes us on his journey to fantastic report airing friday right here on america tonight. still to come, next here tonight, saving your daily glass of vitamin c, from a mean green disease that's hitting orange groves. that's up next.

>> audiences are intelligent and they know that their

think of this in the morning when you pour your next glass of orange juice. it is because of something calling greening that is destroying america's citrus crop. the story of scientists in a race against time. >> only juice, we

americans love it, we drink more it of than anywhere else. but there's a deadly disease ravaging the trees. owner juice, harvested and freshly squeezed in america, may be come a thing of the past. >> growers call the disease citrus greening because it leaves the green half green, misshapenned. for decades no one knew the cause. but there was a prime insect for transmitting it. a tiny insect that feeds on the leaves. it wasn't until 1971, that researchers proved that it was a bacteria that thrived in the bug that cause it is disease. >> when he feeds on that dish shoe, or that young growth, then he transmitted that bacteria from there it's trouble. we have already ticked these trees once.

look at it, and you can see that a lot of wasted energy comes. that fruit will never make it to market. >> travis told me 100% of his groves are now infected. >> is this something that worried you daily? >> daily. at night, there's probably a spot in my bed where it's worn pretty good from just sleepless nights. a plant pathologies looking to eradicate the deadly bacteria. >> the plant can die in five years. >> five to seven years. in the lab, they put seedlings in a growth chamber, and crank up the heat for three to seven days. >> this is three months after the treatment, and all you see is the seed plant. >> so they are essentially cured from the disease? >> yes, it is essentially cured.

his colleague, is tackling the problem from the other side. killing themselves. >> hunter has create add solution designed to stop the critical life functions. >> we see the first mortality in day three. you have 80% by day five or eight. and by the end of the study we will have 90 to 100% mortality. >> from there any econtrol level ramifications of using this tech kneeling? >> even if you war to eat it, you can eat all your want, because in your stomach the as its break it down. plus you would have no effect because you don't have the again nettic sequence. >> hunter starting field trials this coming spring, and hopes his research will lead to a commercially available spray, in the meantime, citrus growers are taking it one season at a time. >> i can't ensyringes florida womb oranges. we have to find a solution, and we will. >> well, you can see more

of the orange plate on techno. that's sunday at 7:30 p.m. eastern right here on al jazeera america. and that's it for us here on america tonight, joey chen will be back here hosting tomorrow night, remember, if you would like to comment on any of the stories you have seen here tonight, just log on to our website aljazeera.com,/america tonight. you can also join the conversation on twitter or our facebook page. on behalf of all of us here at america tonight, thank you so much for watch having a good night, everyone, and joey chen will be back again tomorrow night.

conversation def sir conversation def sir >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. here are the top stories. on capitol hill a new way of doing business. senate democrats passed a rule that can stop fila busters with a sump majority. it's a nuclear option. republicans call the move devastating. >> thousands of u.s. troops could stay in afghanistan for the next decade if afghan leaders agree to a security pact with the united states. afghan's president said he will not sign the deal until after next year's elections. >> a record-breaking day on wall street. the do you soaring