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tv   America Tonight  Al Jazeera  February 9, 2014 5:00pm-6:01pm EST

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♪ i tell you something >> it was 50 years ago the beatles made their first television debut on the "the ed sullivan show," and broke a record of 73 million viewers. >> those are the headlines. "america tonight" weekend is next. i'll be back in an hour with more news. >> good evening. you're watching moot "america tonight." the weekend edition. it's a series of dotted linings, the extension to the keystone pipeline is something of a line in the sand. it would ease the flow of waters
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from the canadian tar sands to the u.s. coast. the pim line had a -- pipeline had a boost when a report was released about its environmental impact. "america tonight"'s sara hoy found the debate is not about future risks, but the damage already done. >> i lost my sister in 2003. she was 17. my mother was 50. we lost her in 2009. my grandmother we lost in 2010. >> cause of the death - cancer. is there a history of cancer in your family? >> no. these three losses were a shock to the family. we have a history of high blood pressure, but not like that, no.
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>> troy was brorn and raised in -- born and raised in texas. the sleepy city is surrounded by a large concentration of oil refineries in america. in the city by the sea pipelines defined the sky line, complete with smoke and suf fur tinged our -- sulphur tinged air. here oil is converted into gasoline and other items. residents say living here is making them sick. >> this person grew up across from refinery plants. when you think about that, your sisters and mother and grandmother. in your heart of hearts, do you think it's connected?
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>> i think so. i feel like a lot of people in port arthur, including family members i loved, it's something to do with the refine rice in the area. a lot of people walk around sick, or don't know they are sick. they don't know, because we exposed to the chemicals. >> according to the texas department of health, the cancer rate is higher than in the rest of the state. almost 8% higher for men and 6% for women. there's no way to know for sure if the family members decide as a result of pollution. he didn't need to see evidence. hardest. >> the image, her mouth was open, her eyes wide open.
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they were giving her charges to her chest. it was a surreal feeling. the cancer took over. to loose my mother, sister and grandmother messed me up. >> we are exposed to emissions chemicals. >> this activist returned to his home town of port arthur a decade ago to help the community, which is steeped in toxic fumes. >> i remember we used to smell the sulphur, the rotten edge odours. norm. >> kellie is an advocate for the communicate yip. >> we have a disprop people. too many people are dying.
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we have a number of kids with respiratory problems. bronchitis asthma. >> all five of shan'tel's problems. >> the kids have bronchitis and allergies. the doctors say it's because we are chose to the refinery, two maybe three blocks. when they release stuff we are more exposed to it. they have to take medications. here? >> i was born and raised here. i'm sorry for my kids. they have to take medication because of the refinery, maybe in the end i will move. >> are you used to the smells and sounds of the refinery?
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>> honestly, yes. if they release something, i'll go in the house and close the door. >> last year this facilities doubled its production of oil to 600 barrels, making it the largest efinery in the united states. when kelly returned to ports arthur he started his organization. he lobbied the environmental protection agency and got their attention. port arthur was on r on the watch list for ub safe levels of benzene, a carcinogen. the epa responded to concerns and selected the community as a community in need of help. >> there's a problem. we are one of 10 communities selected as an epa showcase community project in 2010.
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>> the epa invested 100,000 in a partnership with the community. >> we are disproportionate abombarded by the toxic waste. and insirnerrate facilities. we were being disproportionately dumped on and attacked by the toxic pills. >> kelly joined forces with an environment enny deemiologist to study the expects on resist dents. there was a higher level of asthma, it's difficult to prove it's related to the environment. concern. >> it is possible that every in the complex can be in compliance with
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the emissions. if you live in the midst of that it may not be safe. >> oil was discovered in texas arthur. >> the petrochemical industry is what built texas, which is why it's the powerhouse economically that it is. it is rooted in this industry in this reege on. -- region >> by 1923, port arthur was bus lipping. the people that made their money no longer live there. >> what is different is the old money here at the time in the "20s, proctor street was movie theatres and department bores and exepsive hotels. now, because of technology many of the people that worked in the
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high positions in the petroleum industry bone have to live here to do their jobs. down down port arthur is a coast of itself. unemployment is 16%. twice the national average. the signses of economic depression are everywhere. saving. >> port arthur is not a bad place to grow up and live. i love port arthur. i want people to know that this is the community it is a small town that you can raise your family in. at the same time the oil surrounded. >> we contact two of the largest
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refineries. neither would agree to an on-camera industry but we got a statement saying in part: >> the statement went on to say: >> the epa's interveption spurred by vct -- intervention spurred by activists like kelly made a difference. data indicated air quality meets their standards. several million was invested, including building a health center for area residents. >> i'm hopeful through the coordination, the new communication linked between us, i'm hopeful that can be used to
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where we can agree to a plan to help better protect this community. >> port arthur has a long way to go. kelly says strong measures needs to be taken. he is staying put. >> i say to a person telling me to move, "when do we stop moving and stop and turn and fight." the industries are cping up over the country, over the world. we say do your job, do it responsibility. >> when we return, there's much more to it. a haitian teacher and why his school inspired an uncommon act of the generosity by an "america tonight" viewer.
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>> every sunday night, join us for exclusive, revealing and surprising talks, with the most interesting people of our time. >> i've always been a huge fan of space >> the world's not enough for you... >> he's creating an environment where the greatest minds... >> i don't care where you went to school, what you've ever done before... >> ...can invent , profit, and change the world. prizes could spur innovation in extrodanary ways... >> ex prize founder, peter diamandis talk to al jazeea on al jazeera america
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this is the 900 page document we call obama care. it could change costs coverage and pretty much all of health care in america. well, my show sorts this all out. in fact, my staff has read the entire thing. which is probably more then most members of congress can claim. we'll separate politics from policy and just prescribe the facts.
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>> a surprising and happy ending in a series on haiti and the recovery from the 2010 earthquake. commercial copt -- correspondent soledad o'brien reports on a teacher who lost his school. the original story. >> aid agencies say 300,000 in part-au-prince live in deplorable conditions. families crammed into shelters wood. this is camp 54. it's in a middle class suburb. there's 5,000 people living on the streets here. the camp is run by a
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teacher. >> with hep from his mother he managed to build a school for 700 children. his school survived the aftermath. >> we were forced to leave to turp the schoolyard into a parking lot. >> a u.n. agency rend the property from mckenzie -- rented the property from mckenzie's landlord. it is now a parking lot. now mckenzie tapes students? -- teaches students in a makeshift classroom, virtually across the road from his old school. >> how does it feel? . >> translation: i try to avoid deeply.
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>> i know what you are saying. feels tierible. >> make me pain in my heart. >> it's hurtful. >> yes. >> mckenzie said he needed 9,000 u.s., to build a new school, the 9,000 of billions pledged to nongovernmental organization. >> here is the follow up. a viewer from kansas conducted us but did not want to leave his name. he is what he wrote: is there a way i want help the school with new construction. i'm ready to pay the full amount. the
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donor is from kansas. he had savings of $21,000, and september $10,000 of it to mckenzie for the school. >> the sochi winter olympics is under way and the issue of gay rights. russian legislation passed for anyone that promotes non-traditional sexual relations in front of minors. "america tonight" gets an indepth look through the eyes of two russian champions. >> i'm 30 years old and live in moscow for 30 years. i'm president of russian l.g.b.t. skater.
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>> in 2010 i one a medal and became a gay activist. 87% of russian population is hating of gay people. it's not their fault. government forms the negative attitudes. they will continue the level of homophobia in russia. >> i am a speed skating champion in 2006. >> a gold medal winner worries that activists are rushing things. >> translation: other societies went through the same staples, they didn't receive equality in a day. russia is clumsy, it has always been like a bear. >> i am a day teacher at the high
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school. after coming out the administration of school didn't fire me. to fire a teach is a difficult. but, of course, they were not happy that i'm gay activist. if i lose my job, i have a feeling i will never find another one. no one wants a teacher who is gay activist. they have three teachers in orientation. >> it takes time for the people to get used to this because there were no homosexuals, no people who require special care. none existed in the soviet union. a person with autism or cerebral person can now come out to the spreet. people are used to the fact that, "yes, they are near us, they are part, they go to the same schools", this needs to be done quietly.
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>> as a schoolboy i was not out. i was terrified because school mates felt i was gay. >> translation: we have to be careful about the topic and not impose it on society. we have to prepare society for such things. a child needs to decide for himself. maybe he can be corrected. if the child has a propensity towards homosexuality they can reverse that. >> not long ago we had negative case, we had a venue for a football turn. they called us and said they couldn't give us the sport venue because we were a gay community.
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we had a call from the government, the moscow sport branch. we would never give them the venue. >> we need to calm down and take the issue slowly. to be gay athlete is safe when you are not out. if you are out, problems can begin. this is the first requirement we have to provide to our participants, other no one come to the competition. >> translation: and you know they can be aggressive. every day i get letters wishing me i have gay children. how do you think a person is supposed to feel
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about the community. >> now it is a moment to draw attention to the problem, when all international community is watching us. we have to remember the experience of china when all jail. >> my thing is to speak out in front of world mass media and tell only good stories. that i'm gay or lesbian, i'm healthy, i'm successful. i have a job or profession. i have a man or woman who love me. i'm the same as you are, guys. >> every sunday night, al jazeera america presents... award winning films
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telling stories... >> she doesn't wanna come as someone who was manipulative. >> revealing secrets... >> information became our most powerful weapon... >> taking chances... >> everyone that was involved in the clandestant movement, had a code name. >> each week, a new eye opening experience. >> now they're going to go to jail... >> al jazeera america presents... remarkable documentaries real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.
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>> no doubt about it, innovation changes our lives. opening doors ... opening possibilities. taking the impossible from lab ... to life. on techknow, our scientists bring you a sneak-peak of the future, and take you behind the scenes at our evolving world. techknow - ideas, invention, life. on al jazeera america >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news.
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the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream. >> in the heath care landscape amounts are poured into some disease, but with rare diseases research is minimal. adam may brings us a story of a young girl with an uncommon disease, but unbreakable spirit.
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>> on a cold rainy day in baltimore. hannah brammer and her mother make a trip they have made hundreds of times. another visit to the doctor for another broken bone. i met hannah in 2006. i neatured here in a report about the rare disease osteogenesis imperfecta. it's more commonly called brittle bones. the first time we met you were, like, six. anna is now 13 years owl with a vibrant spirit. happena's condition has not gotten better, suffering 126 bop fractures from things as such as bumping foo a wall or rolling over in bed. on this day she's getting a check on her broken arm. osteogenesis imperfecta is rare.
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it's also called oi. affecting between 25 to 50,000 americans, with various degrees of severity. serious. >> do you think your body is used to the pain? >> no. >> sometimes they hurt. can you describe what the pain is like when it's bad? >> on a scale of one to 10 it was off the scale. like 40. >> this doctor is one of the top paediatric specialists and showed us how the disease ravaged hannah's body. here in happena's leg the knee is here, this is the middle of the tibia fractures healed here. my whole career i try to
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straighten crooked bones. it's frustrating that hannah we have not been successful. it's the bone disease that defeats us. frustrating. >> what is it about hannah that you find special. >> hannah has a bright spirit. ? if any one of awes was in her black of us was in her situation, we would be negative. she is bright, cheery, accepts her fate and moves on. >> the outside world can be a scary place for hannah, a crack in the sidewalk or a bump in the crowd can lead to a break. >> hannah finds safety at home in her bright pink bedroom and takes classes online.
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she was bullied at school and it was tool dangerous. >> when i opened my locker door i didn't see it, mum saw it. a girl was about to hit me on the back of the head. >> it was a catastrophe waiting to happen. i was not going to have my daughter hospitalized and have the school system say, "sorry." >> you are a fighter, you'll fight for the girl. >> i have to. look at her. she deserves every chance at happy innocence. >> hannah brammer raised hannah by herself. >> when you think back to delivering her and holding her for the first time. what was that like? >> no one asked me that.
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they didn't allow me to hold her. they didn't think she'd make it. >> hannah and her mum spend most of their time in the condominium. it's outfitted with small ramps. >> ikm up here and brush my teeth. >> or climb into a lift bed and look out the window. >> you have a great shoe. >> sometimes i wake up but don't leave the bed for two hours. >> hannah's friend is katy, from bones. >> do you have eyeliner or mascara on. >> no. >> i can see it. >> they chat online every
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day. >> their discussions are typical of teepage girls. >> when i was teenage, i like boys. and make up and girly things. >> what are your dreams. >> to be a model in a fashion designer. or be a dancer. >> hannah is not just a fan of be , she's a friend. the singer became aware of hannah, met her and featured hannah in a music video. >> that's you. sis. >> it's fun to see you in the video. >> be brought some tapes to the disease. it's largely unknown and ignored in the scientific community.
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tracy hart runs the oi foundation, with a small $2 million operating budget. >> what are the challenges that lay ahead in. research. >> every year hundreds of families request help. resources are stretched thin. >> we have to say no a lot. we would love to raise millions and put it into the community and programs. someone said i don't have a ramp to get out of my sauce. >> despite opt mess every day challenges. some people stare at me and some say baby.
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and mum has to tell them i'm a teenager. it's wearird. can't they see i'm not one. >> after the exchange the cheerful hannah asked us to stop the interview. >> you are tearing up a little bit, mum. >> i don't want... >> you don't want to talk. >> no. >> all right. >> i love you darling. her mother says it's one of the first times she's seen her daughter cry about oment i. >> what did you make of that? >> she's a teenager, understanding more, and maybe she realises she is different. perhaps now she releases more of her limitations.
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>> how is this disease going to affect hannah's life span. we don't know what the true life expectation si will be. she has a severe form. literally her skeleton is not body. >> i pray every day and night. i want the manifestation of her illness to take place. that would be my heaven on earth. to see her run into my arms. >> run. >> and give hannah a strong hug cruelly denied by the disease. >> still to come - spiritual spirit. beer may by brothers.
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we take you inside an abby turned brewery, consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the government shutdown. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what. >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> we've heard you talk about the history of suicide in your family. >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but, what about buying shares in a professional athlete? al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to
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live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it. while you were asleep news was happening. >> here are the stories we're following. >> find out what happened and what to expect. >> international outrage. >> a day of political posturing. >> every morning from 5 to 9 am al jazeera america brings you more us and global news than any
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other american news channel. >> tell us exactly what is behind this story. >> from more sources around the world. >> the situation has intensified here at the border. >> start every morning, every day 5am to 9 eastern. >> with al jazeera america. al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news.
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>> welcome back. st. joseph's abby in massachusetts is the spiritual home for a group of monks called trappists. they are a rome jp catholic order that goes back sementuries. they -- rath licks order that goes back centuries. they lead a secluded life. they have to survive. the only way they can survive is by making money made from product made from their open hands. last month they opened a brewery. we are the first news scenes. >> it's about hope, the future in and to give us a new beginning.
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it's about survival of the community here. >> solitude is a precious thing. it helps me pay attention, stay alive and attention to the mystery and goodness that i'm seeking. for me the learning curve was about 100%. my background was pottery. the brother with the ideas brought me in. trappist monk is one who belongs to a worldwide religious order. it tries to follow a primitive met asitiesism. we gather together to pray. and private prayer in solitude
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and dwelling with the word of god. that's a big part. >> this is all bottled. the first batch was released and sold out. that's good and challenging. because we feed to get more beer out to the public >> in our monastery we have 63 members. it's a slice of life. in the united states there are totals of 17 mon aft ris. we have monks and nuns and probably 165 monest ris in the world and several thousand members including the male and
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female branch of the order. we put the neck labels on. we are getting close to running at speed. we are five weeks into commissioning this and try to make it work. our goal is to be self-supportive. when we came to spencer we inherited a dairy form. when it was no longer available we discovered we were good at it. we are preparing the shaping carton one by one. >> we put a lot of cartons together by hand. the machines do it out snow
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matticly -- automatically. expenses outran the income. ourselves. >> with had to find a capacity to live in this mornestry. where the whole generation spent their lives building. and there is a hum community of people around us. when the idea first came up. the younger monks thought it would be more interesting than making japs and preserves. the older monks were cautious. we didn't know how it worked or how it would fit into
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culture. when it was time to vote results were 85-87%. >> here is another machine that the monks like. this is a packer. when the carton comes down, put the 24 bottles in. many of us spent year putting six cartons of jelly in the cartons. we are the first american trappist brewery in our order outside of europe. >> it has a golden center. there a taste that communicates body and whole someness and has a clean finish. >> when someone is a monk, they are making a life-long commitment meaning they stay in
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the monastery they enter until they die. we have two eventses date someone makes final vows, and cemetery. >> you give yourself totally to it. >> earlier we were looking for funding. we were asked why to do it. we said survival. most people that do it to survive have a greater percentage of success. >> i think about the future. i know it will be different to how it it is today. this all goes together. the future will be different.
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it's very important. >> that's it for "america tonight." if you would like to comment, log on to the website. please join the conversation. we'll have more "america tonight" tomorrow. >>
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>> this is al jazeera america, i'm jonathan betz, live in new york. >> bad beef. millions of pounds of meat recalled. sick animals slaughtered and never inspected. >> the planning of an attack in kabul. >> aid workers pushed to extend the cease fire. >> why

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