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tv   America Tonight  Al Jazeera  March 9, 2014 5:00pm-6:01pm EDT

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on the iranian government. the secretary of state john kerry said in a statement: the united states is committed to the safe return of robert levinson to his family. >> "america tonight" weekend starts now, that's it for al jazeera america. you can always find us on aljazeera.com. ♪ music ] >> and good evening. thanks for joining us. you're watching "america tonight - the weekend edition", i'm joie chen. we begin in the san francisco bay area, exploring a place called home. the mission is home base for a lot of tech workers shuttling
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too and from silicon valley. landlords are pulling out the welcome mat, long termed residents are priced out of their neighbourhoods, and it's a precautionary tail for the rest of the company. we have more on the battle by the bay. >> it's a fight for the sole of san francisco. these protesters target google buses. the large shuttles ferrying tens of thousands of tech workers to silicon valley. this is the third protest, the first along the tech corridor. organizers tell us they are about to save a massive disturbance. protesters say the 1400 buses that rumble through the city park illegal lie at public bus stops and are turning
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san francisco into an overpriced bedroom community forcing out long-term residents. the tech industry needs to do more to stop the placement. >> we met nice employees of google, standing on the shuttle. obviously they worked hard to get to where they are. >> what do plight. >> we are hoping to engage the workers. maybe they don't understand what is happening in the city that they are living in, working in. >> i'm part of the problem. >> this man works at google. helping to design the self-driving car. you consider yourself a problem. >> yes, i have a nice apartment in the city for high rent that afford. >> the tech boom boosted the
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economy, helping to lower the unemployment rate from 8% two years ago to just above 5% today. it has pushed housing costs sky high. the average apartment rental is 3400 a month. the highest in the country. and in areas within walking distance of those tech shuttles, rent rose 20% faster in other parts of the city. according to recent berkly study. the majority of the shuttles leaves from the mission. in recent years it's the playground of tech workers and ground zero of the housing wars. >> tourists from around the world walk the areas narrow allies to tell stories like this, telling the story of a neighbourhood in flux.
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>> this white here. >> this was done in 1996. >> the neighbourhood's colourful appeal can be contributed to this man. he founded this year in the 1970s. it was central to the local art scene. he showed frida kolar's work after the museum of modern art told him it is was not interested. profession. >> but now, after 35 years. he is being forced out of his home. the timing is painful. his partner is battling cancer. two days before christmas his landlord delivered a red and green card saying he had to bake a buyer. >> did you see it coming? >>
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i had a feeling. because of what was happening around the neighbourhood. >> others getting evicted. >> i had a feeling but i thought we'd catch a break, we'd been there so long. >> his lapped lord used the -- landlord used the ellis act, allowing owners to take a building off if they plan to develop it into a single home . ellis act evisions jumped 107%. >> have you seeing anything close to what you were paying? >> not in san francisco. it doesn't exist. >> what does that mean? >> you cannot mag how depressing spinding hours going through craig's list. it feels heavy. what can i say.
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it's one of those things that is painful. i love the mission. it's ironic that this guy is being pushed out of this build. >> city supervisor david campos represents the mission district and introduced legislation to kerb ellis act evictions and cracked down on landlords. here? >> it's an amazing city. in some respects we are victims of our own success. i think that there have been abuses in terms of the real estate market and speculators are taking advantage of some of the loopholes in the state law. the signs of a changing san francisco are everywhere. paula who owns this shop, where
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we met supervisor campos says many long-time customers are priced out of the city. >> all my friends - they are homeless, stealing to be homeless or on their way. >> in fact, paula, herself, is being evicted from her home, a few blocks away. she hasn't found anything affordable in san francisco, so may have to leave her 17-year-old business and go back to chile. >> being able to keep this goings depend on living in the mission industry. >> some in the tech industry are una poll gettic. >> it's an important part of the threatened. >> tom perkins, founder of silicon valley cliner perkins wrote a latter in the "wall street journal" comparing the
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protesters to nazis, and aboll guised on bloomberg tv, but not his message. >> silicon valley is creating close to a million jobs. we still are doing it. it's absurd to demonize the rich for being rich and doing what the rich do, which is get richer by creating others. >> and the city is doing its best to keep the companies here. two years ago it offered twitter a 22 million tax break to stay. >> we are in front of the so-called twitter building. >> mayor edward lee showed off the results, meeting weekly with tech companies and has a interests.
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>> people stop blaming tech companies, they want to be part of the solution. >> do we want the occupation? >> housing protests are regular event in the mission. >> people are concerned that away. >> mission representative campos says the city needs to build afford ag housing -- affordable housing and fast. they built 16 unit and got 2800 applicants. he showed us a new development. >> this land will begin by the city so we can develop affordable housing. >> how many units like that does a neighbourhood like this need? >> it's many more. that's the challenge. >> in san francisco, you can't raise the rent because there's a new occupant.
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>> david, a real estate lawyer, runs seminars to teach property owners about their rights. the real problem is antiquated laws, and point to a 1979 law signed by diane fienstein capping the amount landlords can raise rent each year. >> so we have a duplex and we have one person and a one-bed room apartment. the individual may pay $400 a month. when the other duplex is vacant, a new individual will move in, maybe paying $3,000, for the same configuration. the question fundamentally "is that fair?", but many residents say absent affordable housing they need protection against evictions. they want to put it to voters. across the city they are packing meetings like this, hoping to
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election. >> outlaw or regulate rent. >> a long-time friend. >> any ballot measure will likely be too late for this man. he'll fight to stay in the neighbourhood he has. >> if i have to leave san francisco, i'll leave with my head held high. >> "america tonight"'s michael okay u tell us us that in response to criticism google will donate almost $7 million to the city to low-income children can ride for free on city buses for the next two years. the anti-tech protest continues in san francisco, and spreads up the coast to seattle. >> the the netherlands is a densely populated country. the dutch are known for making good use of their space. ahead - find out how they are putting
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homes on >> al jazeera america presents extrodanary documentaries. colin comes from a long line of ferrymen. >> you're a riverman from start to finish... >> now he leaves home to see what life is like on the waters of bangladesh. >> it's absolutely filthy... >> he learns how difficult working ther can be. >> how do you say..."get out the way"? >> shoro >> can this brittish man find common ground with his local host? >> "must really take it out of mr. loteef"... >> toughest place to be a ferryman on al jazeera america
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>> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about
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their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. 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? real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america [ ♪ music ] >> before the break we brought you a story about the housing wars under way in san francisco, and the fight between the have, and the have notes. in the netherlands the dutch have a housing crisis of their own, caused by having not enough
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land. as "america tonight"'s lori jane gliha discovered sometimes the best solutions come from thinking outside of the box. >> this is the heaviest item, made of stone. >> from the basement of her home, this woman explains that her house was built around her bath tub. >> there is the water there. >> yes, i see people swimming or with a canoe here. >> all it takes is a peek out of the bathroom window to understand why the weightie fixture makes her house tilt a little to one side. her house floats on water. >> sometimes it shakes. sometimes it shakes not like this, but do this, because it can move no further. sometimes it can be funny. this is the kitchen. obviously.
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>> do you ever get dizzy. i see the water going like this. >> no, not really. not at all. i like the water. and this is the dining room. here we have the family in the evening most of the time. in the summer we open the windows and barbecue and the them. >> the home is one of 75 similar structures built along a series of artificial islands outside the center of the netherlands capital city. it's a kind of floating village that may be a model for low-laying communities threatened by volatile weather, storm surges or rising sea levels. amsterdam is packed with people. it's one of the most densely populated places in the world. 60% of the population lives
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below sea level. space is scarce. more than 10 years ago a group of architects and engineers began to brainstorm to utilize what was around them. this? >> this promote was a challenge. i was curious how to do that. >> marlice was the architect that disuned the community of floating houses. prices started around $460,000, and go up to $780,000. builders constructed the houses on land. first pouring a concrete block as the base of each structure to lower the home's center of gravity. since a tug boat would transport the homes, developers had to make them narrow enough to squeeze through a passage way. >> they go through the lock. this is the last tiny bit when
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they go to the side. the lock is 7 metres wide, and the widest house is 6 metres 50. >> once the individual homes made it through the canal lock. construction crew us connected some in groups to increase stability. they are loosely anchored in polls. >> the rings can go up and down. it can move 60 centimetres. >> the houses raise and fall as well. the design has been an inspiration to the other countries. making a neighbourhood like this work requires creative thinking. >> you have to think about where you park the car. where do you make storage. in holland we have bikes.
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you see people putting their like on the jetty. it's also an urban question, so plan. >> this is the top floor of your lights? >> yes, this is always a little house. this? >> it's three floors. >> and on the bottom floor is -- room. >> one of the chngs of a floating -- chance of a floating house is child proofing. this woman has a young daughter. >> it worries me when she goes outside. we have to be careful. she can't go outside by her own. >> despite her concerns, her partner says it feels like a vacation home.
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>> you live on the water. it's - you can swim here. the other thing i love about houses like the windows, it's like a glass on both sides, and even when it's not nice weather it looks spectacular. another pokes downside. if too many people are in the house, it starts to sink. leo remembers a party when more than 80 people were at his house. you have to tell people stay on this side and that side. you have to be conscious of how much weight is in your house. did you notice that? >> people could see the houses were deeper in the water and was a bit more shaky than usual. >> they are both excited about growing their family, anxious to see which other waterside communities may hop on board. >> "america tonight"'s lori jane gliha bringing us that report
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from the netherlands. when we return. facing an age-old parent's dilemma - how to help your kid grow up. with a twist - when the child is autistic. >> the number one question is what will happen to my children or child after my husband and i die, and along with that is what will happen to them as an adult. >> autism, independence and the mother that helps others learn >> 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 -
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ideas, invention, life. on al jazeera america ♪
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what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together the fastest internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system.
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it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up. ♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. go. [ ♪ music ] >> shocking statistic on an important health story. one out of 88 american children has been diagnosed with autism. the numbers have almost doubled since the year 2000. that's tough enough. a bigger challenge is looming for the families of children with the developmental disorder. half a million adults will be living with autism in the next decade, adults that will need
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support, services and understanding. "america tonight"'s chris burea with a story of one man and his mother for learning to let go. >> thanks for letting us come to your apartment. >> you're welcome. >> looks like a nice place. >> it is >> 40-year-old brandon is showing us his small but cosy apartment filled with family possessions. >> this is my stereo and entertainment center. here. >> yes. >> nice. >> my chair and bed, my light and my computer table. >> nice. this is your office almost. >> yes, my office with my ipad. >> a favourite gis mow is the bright red button, familiar from a tv commercial. he says it brightens his mood. >> that was easy. >> that was easy.
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>> then i have this thing that makes me feel better too. >> so if you feel a little blue or something you go to one of these things. >> if i feel blue or out of it and feel like getting happier, i do that. >> he was so tiny. as my grandmother says, he was like a little chicken. >> things have not been easy. as a newborn he was tiny, barely 5 pound. from the time he was a toddler his mother knew he was not developing like other children. >> i noticed his speech or lack of it. words came out jumbled, mixed up. i thought when he was 2.5 it would be good to put him in preschool, nursery school. the teacher said "he won't play
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with anybody, he plays on the side by him and does one thing over and over again", by the time brandon was nine, he was having seizures. a doctor urged his mother to keep it secret. brandon continued to struggle in school. socially he was awkward, an easy target for bullies. >> i put him into the public school - another mistake. i mainstreamed him, didn't tell anyone what was wrong and he was beat up every day, almost every single day. >> beat up. >> physically, emotionally. his shoes were taken off his feet on hot black tar, outside in the schoolyard. >> bullying. >> bullying. >> as brandon got older the bullying got worse. >> he wanted to play basketball like the other kids. he would play, but eye-hand
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coordination was so poor that he had slow movement and therefore couldn't make a basket, couldn't catch the ball and the kids were smart. they'd throw it at his face and he couldn't stop it in time. times. >> even then brandon was dying obvioused only with epilepsy. not -- diagnosed only with epilepsy. not until years later after a friend gave autism. >> i read the book. every box was brandon. can't make friends, communication, difficulty. >> all the attributes of an autistic person. >> every one. i remember being so relieved, and yet saddened time. >> for parents of autistic children support from public
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education typically ends after high school. most states stop special education at age 18. a few, including california provide support until age 22. own. >> what is it like for parents of autistic children when the ends? >> parents are scared to death. the number one question is what will happen to my children or my child after my husband and i die. and along comes with that is - well, what will happen to them as an adult. >> she was able to help brandon find this apartment in a government subsidised housing complex. it's tiny, less than 400 square feet, but brandon scan live her independently. he's been on his own for 16 years. >> i like it a lot. i can come and go as a please.
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i don't have to worry about - i feel happier. you don't have to worry about someone checking up on you, you are your own man. >> exactly. every so often mum checks on me on the phone, whenever, when she comes out here. i call her, let her know what is going on. stuff like that. going. >> keep going. >> fewer than one in 10 autistic adults hold a full-time job. brandon is unable to work. his epileptic seizures are severe. he spends his days walking the streets of santa monica. >> what is it called? >> it's the promenade. a lot of people here. independent. >> exactly.
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there's everything for me to do. >> sometimes brandon runs errand jeweller. >> it's a beautiful day. you look good. all fresh. >> all fresh and dressed up for having fun. >> he likes to fist with the paramedics who rushed him to the seizures. >> then there's the old one. 1952. >> wow. yes. that one is kind of cool. >> over lunch brandon tells me he feels safe and secure. down. like? >> the neighbourhood is nice unless you have to be careful at certain teems of the day or -- times of the day or night. >> you have to be careful. >> just a little bit. sometimes at night time it gets a little -- >> rough? >> yes.
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when it's overwhelming with things, i go home in relax. sometimes you get overloaded with poem ute here too. >> in calf where brandon lives, more than 70,000 individuals have been diagnosed with autism. the number of cases has exploded by more than 80%, that means a tidal wave of autistic adults are on the way. nearly half a million over the next 10 years. brandon's mother is on a mission to help other parents help their independence. >> i have an admiration for those of you. >> at a conference in orlando more than 1,000 parents and professionals showed up to hear her key note speech. >> a lot of us become stuck like glue. how could we be anything else.
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we co-gent. we a -- codependent. we allow our children to go and grow. they have a better life now, than when we are gone. >> now amalia star made a career of counselling parents of autistic children who are entering adulthood. >> they'll get there when they get there. it will be perfect timing for them. maybe not for us, but them. >> molly is laying the ground work so her 19-year-old son james can live and thrive on his own. >> what is your biggest concern about him leaving your home? >> the biggest concern - one of them is he'd have something to do, like have a job. but safety. because james is - he's naive and trusting. we need to work with teaching him about what is safe and not
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safe, where to go. when we as parents understand that our children live 75% of our lifetime as adults, and much of their time is without us, our job, whether they are 2 or undiagnosed, our job is to help the children reach maximum independence. the next job after that is learn the art of letting go. >> sometimes i play the cd, it doesn't work. >> for amalia letting go is not easy. month. >> it's time for a new one, like the other stuff. >> that's a good thing to put on your list. >> brandon, too, has advice for others dealing with autism. >> what do you say to other autistic adults who are worried about leaving mum and dad and going off on their own. what do you tell them? >> i tell them "look at me and
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what i have done, and you can do it too." brandon hopes to join his mother, spreading the gospel of independence to other families. >> look at what is going now. >> yes. >> they represent the leading edge of a giant wave. a new generation of autistic men and women, confronting the challenge of leaving childhood behind and succeeding as adults. >> just think about the tremendous changes a young adult with autism faces. is a job possible? independent living, a place of their own - many communities are more effective in dealing with the challenges facing autistic children, better education opportunities. experts warn the opportunities come to a halt when an artistic person reaches the age of majority. most communities, there's almost no support.
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this week i spoke with dr james connell from the av autism institute. he said the transition phase needs more research and innovation. >> the support available now is extremely limited. i think it begins with the education system, beginning with the transition services at age 14, and thinking about career development and post secondary education, and something important. self-advocacy, how to advocate for your rights, and those programs. and evidence-based programs beginning in the system are absent. there's no, you know, set of models or group of programs proven to be effective for teaching the skills and the transitioning into adulthood, preparing young adults for entering the social sphere with
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the rest of us. >> when we return - the long walk of bernie from beat cop in times square to oval office council to federal inmate, and how prison changed his view of how america delivers justice. >> twenty five years ago, pan am flight 103 exploded in the skys above lockerbie. only one man was convicted of the attack >> the major difficulty for the prosecution, that there was no evidence... >> now a three year al jazeera investigation, reveals a very different story about who was responsible >> they refuse to look into this... >> so many people at such a high level had a stake in al megrahi's guilt. lockerbie: what really happened? on al jazeera america >> as tensions rise in ukraine al jazeera america is there >> this could quickly spiral into a very precarious situation >> breaking down the facts...
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>> the u.s, annouced that it was sending six f-15 fighter jets >> with reporters on the ground >> russia is putting it's full weight behind these men >> bringing you expert analysis >> russia has committed an act of aggression >> keeping you informed... >> president obama raised yje stakes today... >> no visible sign of progress... >> special coverage continues... right here on al jazeera america your global news leader
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>> 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. >> i thought that she was my property, and i could do as i please. >> abusive men... >> this is completely unregulated.. >> easy access to guns... >> there's somewhere around 1600 women being held every year
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>> a deadly combination... >> death could have been prevented... >> her and a hundred more women... >> it hurts to the core >> faultlines al jazeera america's hard hitting... ground breaking... truth seeking... >> they don't wanna see what's really going on >> break though investigative documentary series death in plain sight only on al jazeera america [ ♪ music ] >> as communities coast to coast look to liberalize marijuana laws, a top cop of the toughest police department in the country is opposed to legalizing pot. that is one of the few ways former n.y.p.d. commissioner bernard's look at time and punishment didn't change your during his time in prison. he was a go-to voice on how to nab and lock-up criminals until he became one.
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now on the outside, the ever-outspoken carrick sat down with me in times square and delivered surprising thoughts about what he thinks has gone wrong with america's system of crime and punishment. >> was a foot cop on 42nd street. i walked the post up here, right here. >> you were a real beat cop. >> very much a beat cop. >> from the streets of new york city, to a bid for the highest security job in the country. bernie carrick has been there. >> they are morons. brash. >> i've proceed much done it an all. and bold enough to tell you no one has a resume like his. >> i'm the former police commissioner of the city of new york. i've been a cop, been in the military and been a correction officer and a ward om. i was the interim minister of iraq. i've been a surrogate on the
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national security of the united states. i ran rikers island, took over the n.y.p.d. and nominated with one of the highest positions in security and american government. and i have also been to prison. >> there's more to the early part of his narrative. the son of two addicts, his mother a murdered prostitute. carrick could have gone down a dark path. >> i was abandoned when i was three. my moth ir was murdered when i was nine. i was a high school drop out in the 11th grade. one day i was standing in the oval office. >> he's asking if you would like a job. >> he asked if i would like a job and he wanted me for that job. sometimes i think that is ipp sane given -- insane given where i came from. >> carrick knows it's the last
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two turns in his story that may overshadow the others. >> everywhere has skeletons in your closet. what happens when you become the target of the political arena in a circumstance like this, it can be quite devastating. >> devastating is something carrick knows well. on september 11th he was new york's top cop. he helped then mayor rudy giuliani lead the police and firefighters out of the rubble. after a tour of duty helping iraq set up security forces, by 2006 carrick's glowing reputation put him eye on the radar of a national establish the. george bush handpicked him for homeland security she have. >> bernie carrick is one of the most accomplished law enforcement leaders in america.
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>> the president wanted you. >> i believe right fully so. i think i could have done a great job. i know i could have done a great job. my background in history speaks for itself. >> carrick worried about the strain on his family. in the end of the lure of the call was too much to resist. >> thank you mr president. >> if you look at somebody else who is super qualified, super qualified to serve their country at the top levels, what would you advise them? >> don't do it. >> almost as quickly as he was anointed, carrick's star was slammed to earth hard. nailed on allegations he hired a nanny with phoney documents, and tarred with whispered allegations of ties to shady contractors, and organised crime. carrick was forced to withdraw his nomination a week after the president named him.
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>> i don't think i was naive. i think you understand the scrutiny but you don't focus on the scrutiny, but the process and you have a job do. >> the high fly's moment didn't stop there. the former top cop copped pleas, eight felony tax and false statement charges, including lying to the white house. he was sentenced to a minimum security prison in cumberland, maryland. you may call it a country club. go live there. cils. >> doesn't make a difference. don't tell me it's some luxurious country club. it's not. it's prison. whether it's a minimum security camp or a supermax, the only
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difference is the looks. after 36 months as an inmate, his view changed. he's convinced the wrong people are getting sent to prison. >> i think we put way too many people in prison for things that they don't necessarily need prison for. when you put someone in prison because he was a commercial fisherman and caught too many fish, or because someone enhanced their income on a mortgage application to buy their first home... >> you met those people. >> i met those people. i also met young black and hispanic men out of urban america sentenced to 10 years and 15 and 20 years for first-time nonviolent drug offenses. 10 years for a kid that sells or buys or possesses 5 grams of cocaine. 5 grams is the weight of three sugar packets from dunking donuts.
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you're putting a kid in prison for 10 years. if we continue to incarcerate black men at the same rate we have in the last 30 years, 30 years from now 75% of every black man in this country will be incarcerated. is is that what we want, what we want the system created for. it's broken, it has to be fixed. in the federal system, you get caught smoking a cigarette outside the facility, you could wind up in solitary for 90 days. 90 days. >> is that productive? >> no, it's not productive. sol tare is a mental torture. the longer you are there, the worse it gets. i've been in solitary confinement. i know. >> carrick admits he was only in solidary for a short time, for a transfer. the experience made its mark. >> because it is...
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>> it's mentally abusive. you hall usinate, talk to yourself. it breaks down the mental psyche. it's inhumin in many ways. >> it was for you? >> it was difficult. carrick is frustrated with those who equate law and order with "lock them up and throw away the key." >> the american people believe, as i have and always did, that we pay tax dollars to punish, incarcerate and rehabilitate those that we punish. the people. >> none of us changes carrick's view of law enforcements. police officers need tools like policy. >> i think stop and frisk is an
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excellent fool for the police department to address crime, violent crime. >> but it can't be abused. >> it has got to be monitored. transparent. >> i'm different in the way i see criminal justice. but i believe that law and order should stand. i believe in all that stuff. >> in the city where he made his mark salvaging good in the face of evil, bernie carrick doesn't like to look back. he hasn't been to the freedom tower site. rising from the rubble where one world trade center stood. instead he moves easily through the bustle of his old beat and thinks about how much the city has cheapianged. can you imagine
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how much times square has changed. >> i love it. i was a part of the rena seconds. >> carrick has changed too. 80 pounds lighter. the trademark moustache has gone. he has times to talk about the overhaul he thinks the system need. now he's not sure anyone wants to listen. >> what is bernie carrick's next act? >> today i'm a convicted felon. there's not many second chances for convicted felons. i don't know what the next act is. i can't say, i don't know. >> ben ji carrick tells me he's been looking hard for a job, but so far no luck. he's focussed on his next book. >> a look ahead at stories coming up, the heroin habit in a place you would not expect. >> people here don't make enough
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money to get buy. they'll bet rid of food cards, they'll go without food, steal from friends and family just to get one more. >> as soon as that one is over, you're thinking about how to get more, and what tomorrow will bring. no matter what recollects 24/7. you are plotting in your head how to get the next high. >> it's an every day struggle, every second struggle. >> heroin in of all places vermont. the government made it the only singular issue. but why, and how did heroin become a big problem. what does it say about the spread of snack in suburb jp and rural america. adam may begins reports - addicted in vermont. ahead in the final thoughts. a toast to a young man who rose
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above all his challenges. define success at a high point. the rocky mountains. from south-east d.c. to the five diamonds of aspen slopes, a new >> every sunday night al jazeera america brings you controversial... >> both parties are owned by the corporations. >> ..entertaining >> it's fun to play with ideas. >> ...thought provoking >> get your damn education. >> ...surprising >> oh, absolutely! >> ...exclusive one-on-one interviews with the most interesting people of our time. >> you're listening because you want to see what's going to happen. >> i want to know what works what do you know works? >> conversations you won't find anywhere else. >> talk to al jazeera. >> only on al jazeera america. >> oh my!
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♪ music ] >> finally from us tonight a story about exceeding expectations and doing the unexpected. sometimes that means taking on a challenge no one in your community imagines exists. we meet a young man with a taste for the finest in life, and the expertees too help others enjoy it. from aspen colorado. story. >> this 29-year-old is not a typical ski bum. when not on the slopes date day. >> this is my cubicle. >> filled with wine. >> yes. >> carson mccoy is hard at work as a new and young sommelier. >> this is a nice old bottle. >> master som, the highest level.
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211 in the world have ever achieved it. in fact, carlton is one of only two african-americans with the impressive title. forbes magazine included him in the top 30 in the food category. >> i'm fortunate and blessed to have the foresight to tik advantage of it. >> it's a long way from the washington d.c. neighbour hood. >> couldn't be more different. it's a tough place, ridden with poverty, crime and drugs. many friends were killed and shut down. i was robbed at gun point. >> his grandmother was his life raft. in the middle of the see of chaos and violence. my mum passed away when i was two. i was left with my grandmother,
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and my dad was addicted to drugs, and lived that life. it was my grandmother or foster home. >> carlton's grandmother taught him to took. his skills, like coaching eggs. caught the eye of a culinary program. he excelled in culinary school and became interested in the art of wine. he works as a master som of five diamond establishment in aspen. he turned down the job at a posh resort restaurant. never did he think a guy could this. >> you walk on the street. you never have to worry about being robbed. i don't lock my door. it's a lifestyle. everything i do pretty much is surrounded by wine making. studying wine. hanging out with someone talking about wine. >> volumes of knowledge.
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>> enjoy it. it's like remembering your child's name. it means that much to you. >> no matter how many children you have. >> you have the brady bump. >> this passion for wine is contagious and he's generous with the knowledge. >> you guys know we have a theme depending on what we need to work on. we need to work on being instinctual. we never want to deal with the world of instingt. we have to follow the grid. you have to be selfless, take yourself out of the situation. >> that's how we reached the mountain top. >> for me sheble is the purest wine. life. >> if i had gone the other way, i may have been dead.
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i have made the right decision at the right time and let everything else - fate take over. >> fate helped along by hard work and a gift that only a handful of people in the world are blessed with, and a determination not to be defined by the place he came from. >> we are all equal. every time a black person does something good, you break down the barrier. >> looks like he's going uphill from here. that's it for us here on "america tonight". if you would like to comment on any stories you've seen with us tonight. log on to the website aljazeera.com/americatonight. you can meet the team, get sneak previews and tell us what you would like to see. you can join the conversation on twitter or facebook. goodnight. we'll have more of "america
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tonight" tomorrow. i'm jonathan betz, live in new york. >> rival rallies raise tensions between protesters in ukraine - each pushing for a different future. >> lost at sea. search planes may have spotted debris from a missing malaysian airliner. >> the family of a former c.i.a. contractor marks theth

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