i'm here to take the fear out of finance. every night on my show i break down confusing financial speak and make it real. >> >> seeking a diplomatic solution - secretary of state john kerry is set to meet with his russian counterpart as crimeans prepare to vote on a highly debated referendum. expanding the search. crews looking at the indian ocean as they work to find out the mystery surrounding the disappearance of malaysia airlines flight 370. >> tougher gun laws in the wake of the sandy hook shooting. one wants to hit assault rifle

makers in their wallets. >> why some residents say a cult is moving into their town, and family members say their loved ones were prey. >> hi there. good to have with you us on al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton. >> the u.s. tonight is hoping for a diplomatic solution with russia over crimea. on thursday secretary of state john kerry warned of consequences if a resolution is not brokered before sunday's ses session vote. >> if there's no sign of a capacity to move forward and solve the issue, there'll be a series of steps op fond and year with respect to the options available to us. >> kerry is expected to meet with russia's foreign minister in london on friday.

>> we are three days away from the crimean controversial vote. the lead-up has produced anxious moments between pro-russian forces. journalists covering the stories face similar converdicts. >> a camera man runs at a fear for a life. down the road, deeply worried crimeans run a bank out of fear for fair their futures. in 72 hours they'll decide whether to join russia. the proportion extended from their savings their safety. a cameraman filmed violent tension in a place where there's supposed to be order. those are pro-russian militia. inside - ukrainian soldiers.

both sides used wooden weapons. then that's a revolver. around the side militia members who threatened a cameraman breached the walls. the cameraman takes off. for weeks pro-russians targeted, harassed, kidnapped journalists for exposing the russian occupation. this time the cameraman escapes and 44-year-old describes the incident as they drive away. but the militia captured a french cameraman who didn't make it over the wall. what she does is called a dangerous profession. >> translation: especially journalists who rite the truth and -- write the truth and try to tell the world what is happening. >> outside a bank hundreds tried

to withdraw their money, after hearing a rumour that crimean banks might be national. >> translation: there's a limit at other atms of $50. >> the banks imposes the limits, struggling to keep cash on hand. customers are seizing what little time is left before the referendum. >> translation: people are worrying more than they are supposed to worrying. i don't want to wait until tomorrow. >> here, after half an hour, the journalists presence is no longer welcome. but despite the risks zera vows to do her job. for her, it's more than a job, it's national duty. >> i never thought because of these conditions i would love ukraine more. this is my country, my motherland and i'm scared what they're doing to it. >> nobody knows if the fear or

loathing will end soon, or whether it's begun. >> nick schifrin reporting. sunday's vote can have an effect on crimea's utilities. the northern province provides electricity, fresh water and natural gas. they'll shut everything off if the referendum goes forward. >> friday marks a week since the boeing 777 disappeared. new developments give an indication of what may have what happened after contact was lost. >> with six days in and no sight of this aircraft, more questions than ever, and concerns about whether this could have been a deliberate act. there are so many strange things going on with the aircraft. the transponder stopped working. why was that. that sends information back about the location and altitude. after the plane dropped off raider, it appears there were singles coming from the plane,

possibly from devices monitoring the electronics and engines on the plane. they were apparently picked up by two satellites. if they were coming from the plane, it would indicate that the engines were turning, the aircraft in the air after it dropped off the satellite, the radar, i should say. that's a reason they are expanding the search out to the indian ocean. u.s. investigators looked at the pinging data and have taken a look and said it appears that the plane may have gone out west towards the indian ocean. the u.s. navy moving a droir in the area -- destroyer into the area. the uss kidd has moved to that area. a big mystery, and more questions than answers. >> lisa stark in washington. >> over in philadelphia, a u.s.

airways ship was forced to land after a plane blew a tyre through takeoff. cellphone video after a plane returned with 149 passengers on board. the landing gear collapsed and it skidded on to the runway. the faa is now investigating the incident. >> the justice department wants to reduce prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. attorney-general eric holter old told a u.s. sentencing commission that shorter sentences would be fair and only apply to some crimes. >> there are people, we must understand, who have to be prosecuted and deserve to go to gaol. there are ways in which we can maintained public safety and reduce the prison population, reduce the number of people we

are sentencing. >> the commission will vote on a proposal next month. if approved sentences will be shortened by a year. >> problems for general motors after a review of federal data. a private watchdog group found more than 300 died as a result of air bags that failed to deploy. a study examined cases where the air bags failed to act vit. gm is under pressure from lawmakers and regulators. so far the automaker recalled more than a million vehicles. >> i'm meteorologist kevin corriveau. we saw a bit of snow pushing across the great lakes. some of the highest totals that we did see were up in parts of vermont in new hampshire.

most of it has gone. we are picking up a little more snow. we don't expect to see too much. tomorrow's high is not too bad compared to what we saw yesterday for new york, philadelphia, at 54, and we'll see a nice day, rain shower activity, as we go towards the beginning of the week. there's a potential of light snow showers. rain showers pushing into parts of washington in oregon. they are going to be light. that will not be too much of a day killer for you. friday, a high of 57 degrees. the weekend is not looking too bad. forecasts on monday, with a high of 55 degrees. down to the south we have seen showers pushing out into parts of arizona as well as into parts

of utah. los angeles a high for you of 75 degrees, and temperatures really going to be rising with plenty of sunshine in the forecast. saturday at 83, sunday at 90. monday back down to 83. texas, clear for you over the next day. temperatures not too warm, dallas seeing 69. >> still ahead, keeping the pressure on over gun control. the steps a college is taking to put the squeeze on gun companies. >> more people displaced by the violence in darfur. what is behind the escalation. >> a series of deaths in venezuela. how neighbouring countries are intervening to end the blood

shed. psh

south by south-west music festival. a drunk driver was fleeing

officers when he crashed through barricades killing two, injuring three others. the 21-year-old is facing two counts of capital murder and 23 charges of assault with a vehicle. it's been more than a year now since elementary students were gunned down in a school. since then gun control legislation in congress has gone nowhere. a small college is the first school in a country to use pressure in the country. >> the shooting at sandy hook. gun control advocates marched, rallied and demanded stricter gun laws. >> that effort failed. now advocates are making their voices. through divestment campaigns. it's like having a boycott of an irresponsible industry. >> peter drier is an urban

policy professor at a college in los angeles. oxidantal is the first college in the nation to order its endowment to pull money out of investment into companies that made assault weapons. >> having colleges divest endowlets from weapons of mass destruction, gun lobbies, merchants of death is a way to move that further. >> oxidantal does not include all firearms. it targets weapons like this. the bush master semiautomatic weapon. >> the national rifle association declined an interview. last year large pension funds in california and new york began divesting from firearm companies, a strategy that

jennifer fiore says is working. >> about $171 million investment in the gun industry was divested over the last six months of action. >> divestment supporters liken it to campaigns in the 1980s, taking money out of south africa. linking the two is a stretch. >> it won't have the same level of impact as it did in south africa. apartheid was an issue that few americans were in favour of. you have a large portion of the american population. that own guns or wan the ability to own guns. a financial impact is likely to be limited. >> back on campus, peter drier knows it went dismantle the gun industry but hopes his college

sets an example for larger institutions to follow, rather than waiting for washington to take the lead >> to give you a better understanding of the size of the american gun industry - according to the national shooting sports foundation, it employs 100,000 people and had a 13.6 billion economic impact in 2011. >> to nigeria, at least 100 people have been killed in a series of attacks over land. the violence started tuesday evening and spread to four villages across the state. rival clans in that area fought or controls of farm land in grazing areas for cattle. united nations says escalating violence forced thousands from their homes. the conflict has displace the 2 million people. the latest violence is blamed on tribal war fair in competition.

a mediator has been in place for troops. in sav sea, oscar pistorius jurors were shape photos after he killed his girlfriend. the image showed a 9mm gun and a pistol on the floor of the bathroom. he faces a life sentence if convicted of murder. he shot her because he thought she was an intruder. >> in venezuela, the death toll is now 25. leader are holding on emergency meeting in chile, homing to retore peace. >> protests conditioned unabated in venezuela. prime ministers of the south american bloc held a meeting to help diffuse the crisis before it spirals out of control.

>> of course we want the region in peace. if there's a situation of crisis or conflict, as south american brothers we have to help. >> the bloc says it will send a commission to venezuela, no later than april 1st to promote a dialogue, to accompany, support and advise all sides in the conflict. >> we feel totally satisfied with the resolution and the battle undertaken. peace and stability in our country. >> in fact, it was venezuela that proposed the emergency meeting in the first place. >> venezuela's government may welcome the involvement. many opponents view the bloc with suspicion. they believe that with exceptions the nation seemed more interested in defending the institutional order, the fact that president nicolas maduro was elected, rather than

questioning the way they believe the government uses and abuses power. as the meeting ended foreign ministers did not shirk the issue. we proposed a way to build and recover peace. with respect to democratic freedom, human right and respect. so far the main opposition forces in venezuela refuse to negotiate with nicolas maduro, until imprisoned protesters and political leaders are released. >> the regional blocs effort to bring all sides to the table is a long shot. in a conflict taking more lives by the day, they at least offer a glimmer of hope. >> the u.s. has been watching the protests closely as well secretary of state john kerry called on nicolas maduro to end the "terror campaign against his

own people." >> still ahead - celebrating the pope's first memories on the job. memories people in his homeland are sharing with the person they called father. >> a new religious group and a community - why that say their community is under attack from a colt. >> and a look at a side of new york rarely seen, seven by locals. the secret side to the big apple.

>> welcome back. a retail group wants convenience stores to stop selling e-cigarettes to minors, and they should be treated like other products. there's no age restrictions on e-cigarettes.

>> pope francis was protected to rule the catholic church a year ago. he has been invited to address a meeting of congress. argentinians celebrated a famous sun. we have this report. >> a year ago, no one would a ploeffed it-- would have believ it. >> the surprise soon became a reality. if you think that the international media coverage of pope francis is comprehensive, you should see how it's followed in argentina. >> pope francis may be in rome, but the people of argentina have not forgotten, and they are showing his home town to the world. >> the tour starts at the confession box in this neighbourhood where he grew up, where in 1953 he decided to

enter the priesthood. his childhood home, schools he attended and the church where he preached are included. >> it's special to see the places where pope francis took care of the city of venezuela, and the poor. it's special to see that. >> the pope was met by this man when he was a young priest, travelling on the bus. . >> translation: the most beautiful thing that touched me was when he finished the mass, waited at the church store and took our hands. when he reached me, he asked me to pray for him. >> praise for his humble work, efforts to reform and battles to resist becoming a pop icon. >> translation: we have seen a

strong impact. the truth is that pope francis helped to change your the church's influence through his manners. that has captured many hearts. >> fath area bagolio may have left home, but his influence is having a profound effect in argentina, boosting church attendance and inspiring interest in a pope, full of surprises. >> as the church faces calls for social reform, pope francis will be watched for his views on divorce, homosexuality and contraception. >> it's a side new york city will never see. a secret society, clubs and restaurants so invisible long-term residents don't know they exist much. >> these were legal establishments. there's no address, signage, nothing to tell you where it is.

you have to know someone to find it. >> you can catch the special report, secret new york friday morning here on al jazeera america. now to wells texas. it is a city with fewer than 800 people. some residents say a group, called a cult, is taking over the town. over the last two years the church of wells has bought many homes and businesses in the small community, our correspondent takes us inside the group. >> it was new year's eve 2011. the night was dark. chris myers was worried about the rv that broke down in front of his house. i asked where they were headed, and they said here. the group was the beginning of the church of wells. the leaders travelled the country, recruiting members

through street preaching, before landing him. within days the group settled in wells, and have been systematically been buying house after house in the small community. it's gotten to the point where the towns people have spray-painted the doors to keep the group out. >> the church numbers around 100 members, owning the gas station and grocery store. >> jim maddox pastors a small church next it the properties and says the commonual style living earned it the reputation of being a cult. >> they began to tell everyone that they were going to hell, they were in the bondage of religion. >> according to the recorded sermon, the church believes salvation requires cutting ties with one's open family. patty and andy grove says their

daughter joined the group in july, and no longer speaks to them. when they tracked her down in wells she appeared to be brainwashed. >> she said, "mum, you make me smile, and i'm not supposed to smile. i'm supposed to be down." and i think that ripped my heart out. pastor maddox says the groves are one of many families from around the country that have come looking for loved ones. >> most all of these are intelligent. coming from family backgrounds. >> what would make someone like that break? >> weaken their body, weaken their mind. >> the fbi says the church of wales is on the agencies radar. >> local police are investigating the death of an infant. according to a statement from the father, he and other church

members didn't seek treatment for the baby because they believed she'd be resurrected. the grand jury decided not to press charges. >> that's not faith or godly. >> what was it. >> i would almost call it murder. >> we tracked down the church of wales reclusive leader. >> we want to let you guys explain the false assumptions. >> no. >> a church member who did not wish to be identified says the allegations against leaders are false. >> they make these people look like monsters, and they are not. they are regular people like you and i. >> they can come across as polite, but also the most judgmental and at times hostile people we have ever met. i hope they leaf. >> the church of wells is staying put, while distraught families search for answers.

>> a reminder to tune in friday morning an al jazeera america, and in part 2 of the series we follow the path of katherine groves as they try to convince their daughter to leave the church of wells. that'll do it for this edition. i'm thomas drayton in new york. thanks for watching. >> i'm lisa fletcher in you are in the "stream." chicago evicts thousands with a promise to deliver better, but what is in the future for the city desperate for rejuvenation? ♪ digital producer, co-host, wajahat ali is here bringing in of