the surface. so you are getting icing happens here. so we'll continue to watch this and how it drops throughout the weekend. del? >> dave thank you very much. "the stream" is next, but we'll be right back as soon as we hear from john kerry. >> 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 all of your live feedback throughout the show. we are talked about a lot of cities in crisis on this show, but it is never in a vacuum, a lot of cities are experiencing

country. >> yeah, chicago is really experiencing it. it has a trickle-down effect that affects the entire neighborhood. mia tweets in . . . and as you can see lisa this is effecting all communities. >> it is. chicago promised new homes and a new life for many of the city's public housing drenthzs. but nearly 15 years later, nearly 40,000 families are still on the wait list for

permanent homes. and many buildings just sit empty waiting to be torn down or rehabilitat rehabilitated. >> i have been on a waiting list since 2008. i'm a certified nursing assistant. i was working, but i'm currently not working now, and i'm still on the waiting list, waiting for low income housing. and it has been a bit of a struggle. >> why? that's the question everybody been asking, are you holding units that could be lived in literally? we have 140 buildings in each unit, and over half is vacant in each building. why? and why aren't you leasing? >> the city tore down all 82 of chicago's crime-ridden high-rise projects creating a chronic shortage of affordable housing, and doubt as to whether the city will fulfill its promise to the people.

meanwhile it is moving ahead with the plan to create mixed income neighborhoods. so what does the future look like? joining us from chicago,co founder of the anti-eviction campaign. a bankruptcy and foreclosure attorney working to keep people in the chicago area in their homes.

>> it's contrary to the constitution of ukraine, contrary to international law. it's in violation of that law, and we believe it is illegitimate. neither we nor the international community will recognize the results of this referendum. and we also remain deeply concerned about the large deployments of russian forces in crimea, and along the eastern border with russia. as well as the continuing provocations and some of the hooliganism of the young people who have been attracted across the border and come into these as well as some of the who live there. i was clear with foreign minister lavrov that the president has made it clear there will be consequences if russia does not find a way to

change coarse. we don't say that as a threat, we say that as a direct consequence of the choices that russia may or may not choose to make here. if russia does establish facts on the ground that increase tensions or that threaten the ukrainian people, then obviously that will beg an even greater response, and there will be costs. president obama and i could not be more convinced that there is a better way for russia to pursue legitimate interests in ukraine. we believe it is not insignificant that we acknowledge there are legitimate interests. historical, cultural, current, strategic, these are real interests. and i thoi all of us who are joined together in the eu and extended contact group

understand those interests and are prepared to respect them. but that requires also that russia would respect the multi-lateral structure that has guided our actions since world war ii, and the need for all of us to try to resolve this challenge and to meet those interests through the international, multi-lateral, legal norms which should guide all of our behavior. foreign minister lavrov and i talked about that, and we talked about the other options that are available, options of dialogue, options of various contact meetings that could take place, options of international legal remedy, options of point -- joint multi-lateral efforts that would protect minorities, un options, many

options for the ways in which any challenges to the safety or security or rights of people could be addressed. we are certainly prepared to join in an effort to protect those rights whether they be the rights of ukrainians living in the west, ukrainians living in the east, somebody of russian language and russian decent who might feel threatened, all minorities, all people should be protected. foreign minister lavrov and i agreed that we are going to stay in touch in the next days on ukraine as well as on the other issues of concern which we are working on, syria, iran, and -- and other challenges of mutual concern. before i close, i just want to reiterate what president obama said in the oval office on wednesday when he visited with

ukrainian prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk. the united states standings with the people of ukraine in their desire to make their own choices about their future. and to be able to live their lives in a unified peaceful stable and democratic ukraine. the president said clearly that is our only interest. that is what drive us, not a larger strategy, nothing with respect to russia directly. we are interested in the people of ukraine having the opportunity to have their country's sovereignty and territorial integrity respected as we would ask that to happen for any country. so i will be briefing prime minister yatsenyuk shortly as well as all of our colleagues and counterparts as soon as i leave here i will engage in

those briefings, and i look forward to taking a couple of questions. >> first question sfr michael gordon of the "new york times." >> reporter: mr. secretary, as you noted russian troops are carrying out an extensive military exercise in ukraine, and the russian foreign ministry said today that the kremlin reserves the right to protect what it calls compatriot's lives in ukraine. did you obtain a clear assurance that russia would not use these forces to intervene in eastern ukraine as they have in crimea? what did they say is the purpose of this exercise, and has russia abided be its obligations to provide osce nations about the

types of exercises, the size involved, and the purpose of the exercise? >> let me answer the second part of the question first. i don't know whether or not they have made that notification. i have been wrapped up in these talks and other talks. so i'm not aware of that. but i can tell you indeed we talked about these exercises, and we talked about the level of troops that are deployed, where they are deployed, what the purpose is, and i raised very clearly the increased anxiety that is created within ukraine as a consequence of this, and we talked about one of the proposals that we made -- i'm not going to go into all of them -- but one of the proposals we made discussed the possibility of drawing all forces back, reducing these tensions, returning to barracks,

have a freeze on those kinds of deployments, while the diplomacy is working. i think foreign minister lavrov is going to report that proposal back to president putin, as he will all of the proposals that we put on the table this afternoon. he is going to fly back, have that discussion with him, so the president will be -- president putin of all of the options that we have offered, but that was certainly one of the principle areas of discussion is this increased tension created by these additional deployments in crimea as well as along the border of the east, and the need to try to reduce that kind of tension. and -- and it's our hope that -- and that -- that they will take those necessary steps. with respect to assurances, it's my understanding this afternoon that foreign minister lavrov

gave assurances publicly with respect to their intent, but, you know, i think all of us would like to see actions, not words that support the notion that people are moving in the option direction, and in fact diminishing their presence, and i think right now in this particular climate, we really need to hear a more declarative policy in order to make clear where russia is proceeding with respect to these troops and these exercises. >> [ inaudible ]? >> reporter: thank you. mr. secretary, you said last week that crimea is ukraine. foreign minister lavrov just told reporters that crimea is more important to russia than faulkland is to russia.

[ inaudible ] and if not -- or even if so, why wouldn't greater ah tawny -- why would it not set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the nation in terms of appeasing russia. >> the issue of additional autonomy for crimea has been on the table prior to russia making these moves. so that's really a decision for the ukrainian government to make, number one, number two in his visit to washington, prime minister yatsenyuk made it very clear they are prepared to provi provide additional autonomy. and they in fact i think see it as strengthening.

but we don't know what president putin is going to decide. what was made clear today in the context of president putin being unwilling to make any decisions until the vote has been taken. he has said once that vote is taken, he will make a decision with respect to what will happen, and i would say to him today as i said to foreign minister lavrov, that is a decision of enormous consequence with respect to the global community. we believe that a decision to move forward by russia to ratify that vote officially would in fact be a back door annexation of crimea, and against international law, and frankly fly in the face of every

legitimate effort to try to reach out to russia and others to say there is a different way proceed to protect the interests of crimeans, to protect russia's interests, and respect the integrity and sovereignty of ukraine. we hope president putin will recognize that none of what we're saying is meant as a threat. it's not meant as a -- you know, in a personal way. it is meant as a matter of respect for the international multi-lateral structure that we have lived by since world war ii, and for the standards of behavior about annexation, about su -- succession, and about how countries come about it.

under the constitution of ukraine, the ukrainian legislature of kiev would have to vote on the su session of any region of ukraine. that hasn't happened here. that's why this runs against the constitution of ukraine. so we very much hope that president putin will hear that we're not trying to challenge russia's rights or interests. it's interest in protecting its people, it's port agreement, none of those things are being threatened here. they can all be respected even as the integrity of ukraine is respected, and we would hope that president putin would see that there is a better way to

address those concerns that he has that are legitimate, and we hope he will make that decision. he has decided not to make any other decision until that vote takes place on sunday. >> final question from joe [ inaudible ] >> reporter: thank you. sergey lavrov said that there is no meeting of the minds. and russia will respect the vote in crimea. do you believe that in fact diplomacy is failing here? and they are going to go ahead with as you termed a back door annexation of crimea.

and what gives you confidence that sanctions will in any way change president putin's mind? thank you. >> well, i suspect the market in -- in russia, in moscow can be significantly affected by these choices. it already is being effected, and if there are going to be sanctions i believe that will have an impact. but the reality is president putin saying he will respect the vote offers in many options as to how he chooses to respect the vote. if the people of crimea vote overwhelmingly as one suspects they will to affiliate or be associated with russia, i think we'll respect the vote by making sure their autonomy is

increased, without necessarily having made a decision to annex. so until that decision is made, i'm not going to interpret what it may or may not mean. i think it's more important for president putin to understand that we are prepared to respect his interests and rights, and that they can be fully respected, and that he can actually have -- you know, have a claim to have served his purpose of protecting the people that he is interested in protecting by augmenting their rights and by asserting his prerogatives at the end of this effort. so there are other options, and that's what we're continually trying to say, and until he has made his decision, those options are still on the table and alive, and we hope he'll make darnth -- a different set of choices. what was other part --

>> reporter: [ inaudible ]? >> with respect to the president and european community and everybody has said if the referendum takes place there will be some sanctions. if there's greater diplomatic opportunity that can be pursued and that is in fact on the table, then i'm confident whatever the response is would be calibrated accordingly. but if on the other hand, a decision is made that's negative and/or flies in the face of the rationale that the eu and others have put on the table, that will obviously demand some further response, which i'm confident both the eu and the united states will produce. it is not our preference. it is not where we want to go. it is not what we are choosing

as a first choice. but if the wrong choices are made, then there will be no choice but to respond appropriately because of the gravity of this breach of international standard, beach of international law, and challenge, frankly to the global standard by which nations have been called on to try to behave, and we believe that the consequences are consequences that could be felt in many other parts of the world. there are many places where people might take the wrong lesson from that. and i think many people are concerned about that. thank you all very, very much. >> that is u.s. secretary of state john kerry addressing reporters in london after a six-hour meeting with sergei lavrov concerning the crisis in ukraine, making it very clear that the russians have indicated they will not do anything until

after sunday's vote takes place in crimea. crimea already insiding it wants to be part of russia. dana it appears both sides have dug in and have not changed their chance one iota. >> del, i would completely agree with you. it appears to be a stalemate and one that appears to be deteriorating. there were detailed discussions with foreign minister sergei lavrov today. he said president putin will not discussion any options at all until the referendum takes place on the weekend. secretary of state kerry saying

they hope they will take a different decision. but we have already heard in a separate news conference with sergei lavrov that they continue to respect the will of the people of crimea and will recognize that referendum to join russia. the referendum will take place, and then the eu and united states will be in the position of waiting to see what russia will do. will they recognize the joining of crimea to russia, and then you will have these threats that have been put forward by the european union and united states to impose economic sanctions in terms of freezing bank accounts and travel bans on officials del. >> dana thank you very much. jennifer glasse is in the region that will decide on sunday to beak away from ukraine. you heard the secretary of

state. your reaction. >> del, no matter what secretary kerry says here, the officials have made it very clear, they plan to have this referendum on sunday. they have the new crimea prime minister appointed just a few weeks ago, talking about what is going to happen after the referendum. they believe it is already complete. crimea has a majority ethnic russian population. the russian flags are flying over many state buildings here. people in the streets are flying the russian flags. and there are posters around the city calling on people to come home. many people here believe this is going to correct a mistake made 60 years ago when crimea was given to ukraine. and all of secretary kerry's talk about annexation, the crimean officials think that that has all gone away.

earlier this week they passed a referendum here that says -- they passed a resolution that says after the referendum, if the people vote to become independent, then crimea will declare independence. and then as a independent sovereign nation it will ask russia to make it part of the russian federation. >> jennifer glasse for us live. thank you very much. we have heard from president obama and the russian foreign minist minister. we will have more of thatment doing up shortly. and right now, wall street watching very closely the developments in ukraine and so are we.

welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. that meeting with the secretary of state and foreign minister lasted six hours, but failed to get russia to standing down in crimea. and obstacles getting aid into drought-stricken areas of pakistan. so far, dozens there have died. ♪ >> that last ditch diplomatic eh forth to end