back, the better the game. >> okay. thanks. the show may be over but the conversation continues. you can also find us on twitter @ajconsiderthis. we'll see you next time. >> good evening everyone. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. change of course. the new twist in the search for flight 370. officials now strongly believe the disappearance of the jet was a deliberate act. and that someone on board shut off the monitoring system. 48 hours. until the crimea vote. will it leave ukraine? russian troops are on the border and washington washes of consequence he. we're on the ground -- and washington warns of

consequences. groundbreaking move from one of the largest college fraternities. we'll talk to the parents of students who died being hazed. plus casting a spell, california can farmers, turn to a bit of magic to find water dow. >> there are many theories on what might have happened to flight 370. while there is temptation to speculate it is far more important to find out the facts and that's what we're trying to do to the mystery in it's second week. richelle carey is leer with that. >> john, there is evidence to point that this may not have been an accident. someone may have deliberately flown the jet hundreds of miles off course.

satellites continued to pick up signals from that plane and it is believed the plane may have turned west towards the indian ocean. each day that ticks by becomes more critical. those black boxes only send out signals for 30 days. we're already a week into this. it's imperative to find out what happened. the u.s. destroyer and surveillance planes are joining efforts there. and that is a vast expanse of water to find the 239 people on board that plane. john. >> all right richelle, thanks so much. captain jim tillman joins us from phoenix. he's a former american airlines pilot. can captain, than -- captain, w. >> thank you. >> suggested the altitude of this flight went up to 45,000 feet, came down to 20,000 feet.

what do you make of that? >> i'm very suspicious of those altitude readouts, for one it also indicates they dropped some 40,000 feet in one minute. i don't think there's any way under the sun to make that airplane fly down at that kind of speed. i mean even if the airplane was in pieces and it fell, it wouldn't fell that fast. and if you took the nose down and used power, you couldn't bring it down that fast. >> let's talk about the transponder. how easy is it to turn off the transponder? and why would a pilot do it? >> it's easy to do, it's a switch in the cockpit. i can't imagine a pilot would do it, unless he is doing something, to hide the airplane. >> what about the devices to hide data to the airplane, how difficult is it to turn off those devices? >> it's a little more tricky,

there is a secondary circuit breaker called the e and e department, underneath the floorboards of the airplane. i think you have to go outside the cockpit, to find the right circuit breaker to do that. we make a terrible mistake sometimes in assuming that the people against us are not very bright or not well prepared or whatever else. that's a dumb thing to do because -- >> explain. >> because i've heard several accounts of this today where experts are saying yeah, a pilot wouldn't necessarily know where those circuit breakers were and how they work. that's baloney. i mean, you know, that depends on that pilot. he may fly a full career without ever knowing where those circuit breakers are. then again, there are pilots who

would find it their business to know where those circuit breakers are sitting. i don't put any credence in that but it would take a lot of work to get all those materials. >> within the last 24 hours there is been generally the focus of whether this is a deliberate act. do you think there's a remote possibility there's a electrical fire or do you think a deliberate act? >> i have been thinking a deliberate act for a long time. and i was reassured of these late indications, what the aircraft really did in terms of turning and climbing and descending. it would have to be done manually. >> spell that out for us. >> well you can't -- the auto pilot, and the systems won't make those decisions, not making those turns and changes and whatever else on its own. yes, you program it to do a lot of things. go from one way point to the next way point to the next way point you can do all of that but

the kinds of things that they saw as a result of their studies, no, i think that airplane was ploan by and. -- flown by hand and who knows whose hand? >> a hand that might not be a pilot, is that what you suggest? >> it may not be a pilot but certainly not a dummy. this is a person that knows a lot about flying and about that airplane, as well. so no, it -- again, underestimating the intelligence and experience and expertise of someone that's bent on doing harm is a mistake. >> all right, captain tillman, we really appreciate your interest in explaining all this. thank you very much. >> my pleasure. >> and now to the crisis in ukraine and the critical vote on sunday. people in crimea will decide whether to separate from ukraine and become russia. today, ukraine flexed its military might, not far from the russian border, tanks and

helicopters in eastern ukraine. ukraine has asked for u.s. military aid including arms and intel. nick schifrin reports. >> reporter: in the middle of the crimean capitol, a prayer calls the people whose a ancests first populated this peninsula 2500 years ago. tatars. ibrahim. >> praying to the almighty for the referendum not to happen. >> reporter: down the road is crimea's oldest synagogue. there were once 70,000 crimean jews. now there are no more than

15,000. rabbi misha is the youngest of his congregation. >> the result already known. >> last week, the swa swastika s painted on their door. >> i feel antisemitic pressure. >> recently credit filled with an x. that fills the population with dread. 70 years ago, as seen in this recent film, soviets marched tatars home. >> ibrahim was born in compile. he insists he won't be pushed out. >> god willing we will be masters of this land. >> that hope fueled the largest tatar rally since the russians arrived. but this is fair final show of

defiance. they've decided to boycott sunday's referendum that decides crimea's future. >> if we vote, it will be recognized as legal. >> rabbi feels the votes have already been decided. he and his wife have decided it's not safe in crimea. they are taking their two daughters and leaving. >> i'm leaving everything i have here. everything, people, property, car, dogs. >> steadfast in his mosque with his family, he admits his fear. >> we are as orphans. no one is remembering us. no one is standing on our behalf. >> these two faiths have always faced persecution. their faith is strong but in crimea they fear it's no longer welcome. nick schifrin al jazeera,

simferopol, ukraine. now the local government says if it wins tomorrow's referendum it will offer crimean tatars positions in the government. that is something tatars dismiss. john, they want nothing to do with the government they consider a threat and the vote they consider fake. >> can you give us a sense of how things have changed over the last couple of days? >> well, i think we are bracing for the kind of final push in the next 24 hours. earlier there week we saw huge rallies on both sides. that died down over the last couple of days and what we really got was a lot of intimidation. the pro-russian gangs, the pro-russian troops, the pro-russian activists kidnapped some troops, you'll see tomorrow

a lot of get out the vote efforts by pro-russian groups, you'll see a lot more intimidation going into sunday morning and then you will see the boycott, people who are opposing moving to russia disappear, moving off the streets. they are simply scared to be out there. they don't want to legitimize this be referendum. as we saw in the package. that suggests the vote will be even more lopsided and two, the voice with which this peninsula is speaking will almost be completely pro-russian and the west and back home in the u.s. will have to deal with the fact you'll get a vote that is so lopsided. >> nick schifrin keeping us up to sedate from the crimean capitol of simferopol. nick thank you. u.s. is still no closer to finding common ground with russia and attempt at achieving

a diplomatic solution, ended you without one. libby casey reports. >> lavrov said they were no closer to agreement. >> we have no shared vision of the situation with western countries. >> reporter: lavrov says sunday's vote in crimea about whether to split from ukraine is about self determination. >> we have already said we will express our opinion after the results. >> secretary of state john kerry says the vote carries no weight and is outside the ukraine constitution. >> neither we nor the other western states will recognize this referendum. >> are what happens next, push russia to not react to the crimean referendum with force.

>> what happened today, president putin unwilling to make any decisions regarding the next steps until the vote has been taken. that is a decision of enormous consequence with respect to the global community. >> president obama called for russian restraint. >> and a strong message to russia that it should not violate the integrity and the sovereignty of its neighbor. we continue to hope that there's a diplomatic solution to be found. but the united states and europe stand united not only in its message about ukrainian sovereignty but also that there will be consequences if, in fact, that sovereignty continues to be violated. >> the world is watching what it plans to do with its troops along the ukrainian border. minister lavrov seems to allay

some of the fears. >> translator: the russian. >> katy: do not are intend to invade. >> it's a show of solidarity and american concern for what happens next. libby casey al jazeera, washington. >> in ukraine the situation on the ground is tense. all sides say they want to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis but ukraine's military which is noticeably weaker than russia's is prepare for the worst. phil ittner has the story. >> posing for possible conflict with the why russians, but ukraine's military is a shadow of its former self. once one of the most powerful in

europe. the number is 90,000 down from 750,000 at the collapse of the soviet union. that is minuscule compared to what they face from russia. at a kiev conference of political industry consults, overwhelming the ukrainians. >> here on the borders of ukraine in the eastern part and northern and eastern part. russian troops in the quantity of 220,000 are deployed. and they are preparing for action. >> in a last-ditch effort to beef up defenses, the fledgling kiev government announced the immediate establishment of a force of 60,000 national guards at recruitment stations around the country. many ukrainians are answering the call to service because they know they stand near defenseless. and many more are highly

critical of those that put their country in this position. >> translator: we don't have an army as such. as far as i know the country does not have weapons. either out of order or too outdated. the authorities just do not care about security of ukraine. >> reporter: even ukraine's former nuclear arsenal is nothing more than a museum piece now. in 1994, a nonproliferation pact got rid of it. at a park in central kiev where retired weapons are on display, family came out to get over the fears of a possible war hanging over their immediate future or also, maybe just to bask in the sunshine of former military glory. there was a time when ukraine's military might was a real force to be reckoned with. but after cut backs and changes in geopolitics, that is now largely a thing of the past.

phil ittner, al jazeera, kiev. >> suffering in venezuela seems to be getting worse. reports today of intensive shelling, activists said there are as many as 40 rockets hit every few minutes and the removal of chemical weapons inside syria remains a credit issue. our why are security why are advisory, faiza patel, yiptd usd us from the credit removal. >> the most serious were to be are removed from the country by the end of last year. we're now in the middle of march and less than a third of these extra-dangerous chemical weapons

have been actually removed from syria. >> due security measures are that failed to allow removal of chemical weapons. now to the weather. it's been a season of extremes in many participants of the country and many more extremes to come. kevin corriveau is here. kevin. >> that's right, john, don't get your hopes up yet. lake superior is 93% covered with ice. actually four out of the five great lakes are 90% or higher cord with ice. we've had an extreme winter and the climate prediction center finally put together some are numbers, the ten coldest winters that we have seen that have been on record. on the flip side of that, california, arizona, alaska were part of the ten warmers winters.

because of a weather pattern all winter long that has not changed really, cold air from the north coming down to the gulf coast as well as dry warm air out here towards west. this jetstream only moved slightly all winter long. that's why we have been so cold across this area. now over the next calm of days, john unfortunately, what we are seeing is this storm coming into play by the end of the weekend. we are going to see snow pushing into parts of the ohio river valley. and as well as the east coast. >> coming up, matter of faith, parents search for their daughter who they believe was credit brain washed by a cult. and douzers.

>> a break away crifned cult. heidi zhou-castro reports. >> it seemed like 21-year-old katherine grove had it all. a christian family and a promising career in nursing. but eight months ago she disappeared from her northwest arkansas home. pathy and andy worried their daughter had been abducted. then five days later, katherine finally called from a town 380 miles away. >> she said hi mom, i'm with a group that's taking care of me, but i can't listen to you and dad anymore. i'm in wells, texas. >> they came looking for their daughter but found an even bigger mystery. she said she was with the church of wells.

her parents asked direction. they said oh, you're here for the cult. >> everyone else is condemned to hell. the groves knocked on the door of this house, owned by the church of wells. >> their first wells were, mr. and mrs. grove, we fear you're going to kidnap your daughter from us. >> the groves say when they finally saw katherine after four hours of pleading, she looked to have lost ten pounds. >> i couldn't help but ask, are you okay? do you have plenty to eat? and she didn't answer. she looked at the elders. >> katherine grove chose not to return home that day and she's remained in wells since. her parents believe the group use he sleep deprivation to brain wash members which the group's leaders deny. >> you're facing a lot of these accusations, you don't want to clear your flame?

>> the lord will justify me. >> are you keeping these people hostage? >> of course not. >> someone said they saw her last week. >> yes, she looked like she wanted to be here. i don't think they're holding her against her will. >> a church leader showed them what appeared to be a meat locker in the back of the group's grocery store. >> inside were like many heat lamps, and i don't know, 50 to 100 small fans. and i said, what on earth is this? he said, andy, with a big grin on his face, this is our prayer room. >> police and the fbi have received complaints against the church but say no current investigation exists. last november, a member of the church called to report katherine had run away. credit a search dog found her in

the woods carrying a backpack of clothes. then the last phone call from katherine. >> she said mom, katherine's dead. this is jesus, mom. >> the call left the groves chilled and wondering if this is a test of faith then what exactly happened to their daughter? heidi zhou-castro, al jazeera, wells, text. and we turn now to the record break drought in california. farmers who tried everything to bring in water, now they are using what some call strange magic. >> sharon hates it when people call her a a water witch, she's not a waw water witch. solis a dozer. >> you feel that energy it feels

like chills going through your body because you have got the electrons coming up so it makes like a chilling feeling. >> basically we want a well in this area right here. >> the hunt for water in drought stricken california has sent farmers looking underground. but that can cost $10,000. if you don't find water on your first or second or third try. dozers can help. these vines are dormant. that means they don't need any water. in a few months it will be summertime, will there be enough water for grapes to properly mature. some vintners have turned odozers. >> i haven't used one before, people have been using them for a long long time. between them and the experience of the driller makes our best

decision. >> hope takes a two pronged approach. her can tree branch and her metal rods, called her l rods. they has dozed this way successfully, for 30 years. >> where i indicated veins are crossing. >> people like sharon hope have simply developed a good sense for where to find water. >> they are students of geology. maybe a folk geology but nonetheless geology. and so they know where to look in terms of the greatest likelihood of striking water. >> california's department of water resources, along with the u.s. geologic society sais dozing has no base in science. >> this has seven gallons a minute. >> but sharon believes more research can be done. >> my grandfather dozed wells on

the coast. people are skeptical anything they haven't tried. >> dozers in the 19th century searched for gold in this state. the precious commodity today is water. melissa chan, credit credit al jazeera, california. >> coming up. new evidence what happened to the malaysia airlines yet after it was lost. >> and phil collins trying to turn around a team that hasn't won a title in 40 years. ♪

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>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler, we have a lot to cover this half hour. deadly rituals. a major fraternity puts a stop to its initiation rights. after one of the students die. patients of a student joins us.

helpless, family members of passengers from flight 370. dustin wright black. and his upcoming movie with j.j. abrams. richelle carey is here with the are headlines. >> despite hours of talks between the country's top diplomats in london today, washington has been trying to get russia to pull back from crimea. tomorrow marks the third anniversary since the start of the syrian conflict and the joint u.n. arab league envoy, lakhdar brahimi says the crisis will get worse. rising to 4 million by the end of the year. new signs that foul play may have played a role in the disappearance of malaysia aicials flight 370. al jazeera has learned, that someone may have deliberately

flown the plane hundreds of miles off course. this comes as the search area for the jet and the 239 people on board moves further west. john. >> yeah and we continue to follow it. jim paul is a former chairman of the national airline safety board and he told me what part of the plane investigators are focused on. >> it is apparently cockpit and everything going on in the cockpit. whether it was a criminal activity or some problems with a electrical fire or electrical interference that we haven't seen before. >> if sabotage was involved, what are the possible scenarios that investigators would be looking at? >> well given the world we live in now, investigators need olook at whether the plane was hijacked and is located somewhere. or whether there was another purpose in all the sequence of

events we're learning about. you know, we're very aware of cyber-warfare. we have seen cyber-warfare against major companies. you know, it's not out of the realm of possibility that cyber-warfare might be at the root of this investigation or this -- this event. but at this moment in time, everybody's an expert. nobody's an expert because we really don't know. >> is it possible if someone were able to hack into a system that it could -- the plane could actually be controlled from outside the aircraft? >> we've never seen that before. but right now, given the mystery and given the way information is being handled, i don't think our authorities, having the experience of 9/11 behind us,

can rule out anything. and that certainly would be one thing that one would have to consider and look at. because we are seeing these signals, these various signals that are very hard to decipher. >> how is it that we are so many days out and we are just beginning to learn information that may have been available for days? >> well, because we don't have a sophisticated independent investigative unit in malaysia. and under our ko rules no one's in charge of this investigation at the present moment. and we don't know what the self-interest of the malasian government, the malasian airline, the malasian civil aviation authority, how that may be playing into what information is being put out and when it's being put out. because there's no one in charge of the investigation.

>> do you know if malaysia can even handle this sort of investigation? >> while i watt at the ntsb the dominican republic and the egyptian government asked us to take over the investigation, because they don't have the competent people to do this for a livelihood to do the investigation. i doubt seriously if a country like malaysia is in a position to coordinate or handle an investigation like this. >> wouldn't the ntsb or the malaysia fbi would be asking, if the malasian government has whreld information? >> i would imagine, with the ntsb the faa or the cia or authorities from the united states are doing everything they can to get all the information available from the malasian authorities. because after all, we've got a

significant investment. we have our u.s. navy vessels, as a part of this search, and we're providing you know significant technical support to their investigation. so they should cooperate. credit whether they are, i don't know. are this latest new york times article certainly leaves open the question that someone is putting information out for their own purposes and not for the purposes of a transparent investigation. >> still an awful lot we don't know. i know you spent a lot of time in your life investigating accidents like this. jim hull, thanks a lot for joining us. >> thanks john. >> taking toll on the lives of credit families of the passengers. >> the lack of information is

too frustrating. seven days and still no direction of where the missing malaysia airlines flight is heading. the atmosphere is tense as relatives meet officials from the airline in beijing. but they don't find the answer he they're hoping for. >> translator: we have been stuck here too long. every day is a torture. i don't know how many more days we'll have to wait. i just want accurate information as soon as possible. >> in kuala lumpur, families have been put up in a hotel while they wait for news. volunteer caregivers have been assigned to credit ca give them. >> few of the family they think the changes are lo, they prepare to accept what be happen. >> reporter: across the country though, some still haven't given up hope.

placing their faith in higher powers. >> we just perform asolohaijet, for safety of the ms 370. so with the grace of allah, all the crews and passenger be found safe and in good health. >> so the search ends like all previous days, with insufficient information, and a belief that their loved ones will be found alive. >> sigma alpha epsilon, is changing a major change in its recruitment policy. one that could save lives. randall pirchston reports.

>> credit fueled by bing drinking. >> 551 highland. what's going on there? >> 18-year-old carson starky was a freshman in february 2008. >> he is not responsive to verbal or credit. >> okay how old -- >> starky was pledging sigma alpha epsilon. one of the nation's biggest universities. >> carson was given a fifth of rum to share with the boy next to him. there was a bottle or two of ever-clear that was passed around. >> his sae frat brothers watched it all. >> thought he was going limp. >> then i saw him sort of drulg out of his mouth and i knew he wasn't all right. i saw people pick him up and carry him out of the roar.

i don't think i'll ever forget that. >> someone drove him to the hospital. but instead of having him admitted they brought him back to the pledge party. >> we've seen people who puke, and then wake up in the morning and they're fine. we never think that you know this is going to kill someone. >> but carson starky died of alcohol poisoning. it is another blot on a century old are university campus. >> many death dedicateloyal brothers who do much to promote sae, give back to their communities and institutions and are leaders, athletes and scholars. however as an organization we have been plagued with too much bad behavior. >> so sae has announced it's eliminating pledge week, with a goal to putting an end to alcohol fueled hazing. >> i can't feel pulse. >> he's not breathing and

doesn't have a pulse? >> no. >> a policy that may save lives. 82% of deaths involved in hazing involve chronological alcohol. >> scott and julia starkey are the parents of randall. he died in 2008 after a fraternity hazing ritual. they have started the organization aware awake and alive. they join us from santa barbara, california. please, welcome. it's good to have you on the program. julia, let me just ask you first. what was your reaction to the decision by sae? >> hi john. honestly i was speechless. when i heard the news i started crying, for ten minutes i couldn't stop crying, i was -- i was happy. i was sad that you know, the reason that it came to be but i

was overjoyed. >> scott, what was your son like? was he someone who would party a lot? >> not at all, john. carson was very health-conscious. he was into all kinds of sports. he was -- he was a very unique person. he had an uncanny ability to sense the needs of other people, and at a young age the ability to act on that. and he was really known for helping people and it is very ironic that that's what caused his death is that other people didn't help him. >> what happens at hazings like this? >> you know, the night that carson died, he was being initiated. it was big brother night. he was told to be at one of the fraternity houses where they brought them all into a room and they gave them a bag of alcohol and he had a certain period of time that he had to drink the alcohol.

within 20 minutes he was unresponsive. they took him out of the room, they were going to at a take him to the hospital but abandoned the attempt because they were afraid. they left him on a mattress unattended, and that's where he died. >> there were a number of things that went on that night, hazing was a large component. we formed our organization because the last straw if you will that killed carson was the students around him didn't recognize the signs of alcohol poisoning and they were afraid to seek help for fear of getting themselves in trouble. we focused on the alcohol poisoning. >> i noticed one of the facts that your organization talks about, one in three college students is binge-drinking and one will die every 44 hours on average which is a remarkable statistic. what do you suggest julia to

parents who are sending their kids to college for the first time? >> i wish we had the opportunity to know what alcohol poisoning was, we talked to our kids about everything, we talked to them about drugs, we talked about not getting into a car with someone who had been drinking. we didn't know about alcohol poisoning. it's so important for us to get this message out to parents, to educators and to students. wish we had had that opportunity. we didn't know about. >> it is a silent epidemic. those statistics are on par with gun deaths and gun deaths are much more known than alcohol poisoning. >> we appreciate your loss and also your coming forward to talk to us. >> thanks very much. >> the white house is crack down

on for profit colleges. under the new rule schools would lose federal funding if more than 30% of former students default on their loans. if approved the regulations would take effect in twri 16. >> phil jackson is one of the most famous and successful coaches in professional sports. he created the dynasty and the bulls and now he's taking on the new york knicks. >> phil is a great basketball person, i got agreat deal of respect for fill. >> to those who have won championships with him. >> you know how i feel about phil, i have a grade relation with him.

>> jackson never missed the playoffs, ranks first all time in postseason wins and fifth in all time wins. jackson has had a conversation with a number of teams including the pistons and raptors. but jackson played most of his career, 10 seasons, with the new york knicks. the knicks are special to him. it's little surprise when the knicks best player revealed that he had heard jackson to the knicks was a done-deal. >> i'm pretty sure, i'm open to sitting down and having a conversation with him. at the end of the day, it's just -- i mean i'm just saying. >> building a competitive knicks team is just what jackson will be able to do.

it will be a tall being task for no one with big man experience. >> the only thing i know, when he was in l.a. but theern i don't know too much about him. >> missing the playoffs, ninth time in 14 as soon as. it won't have enough cab space to sign any major free agents until 2013. that means that jackson's first task is likely to be convincing anthony not to leave this season when he becomes a free agent. >> that's something i'll have to figure out at the end of the season to think about it, because than it, come about, we're looking at spending one career there. when that time comes, we'll discuss that.

>> running an nba basketball operations, a lot of people think he will be great. john henry smith, al jazeera. >> in our next segment, dustin lance black, on hollywood the moifd and the fight for gay rights. when he joins me next.

>> i'm meteorologist kevin corriveau. this weekend we'll see lots of changes across the central and eastern united states. let's put this into motion. we're going to watch first of all this area around arkansas. that's the beginning of our storm system, our newest one, that is going to bring some very wet weather and snowy weather across parts of ohio river valley and parts of new jersey and possibly here in new york. so it's going to be a messy situation, especially as we go from sunday afternoon into

monday afternoon. on saturday some is rain showers, the warmest temperatures we'll see are 57°, a little bit cooler on sunday but monday, mix of rain and snow probably most reply snow flurries passing through. temperatures not coming bark to average until we get to wednesday. other temperatures look like this on saturday. we will see a big warm appear, denver 62 on sunday and as we go towards monday, about 71. that's a look at your national weather, news is up next.

can. >> once and for all -- >> that is a scene from "milk." dustin wright black wrote the play. he was a are producer for "big love." gay rights kat activist dufner wrighlanceblack.

>> when i was a closeted kit in california, i had grown up in texas, i didn't know such a person could rise and actually take public office and be beloved by his people and you know so to me, great cnge had already happened for me. because of the story of milk. and it was really just about sharing that story to see if we could create that change for other people. and i hope that that's what's happened. and i do think that people listened to the message of milk when proposition 8 passed in california instead of just sort of taking it they rose up and people started to do what milk said which was to tell their personal stories and dispel the myths of these people, credit could be made for people like milk for the great progress that's happening. i benefited from it because now i live in a state that has

marriage equality. i live in a nation that is rapidly going towards marriage equality. and people actually take my meetings. which is a pretty good one. >> when you won the oscar you made an eloquent statement and let me just read a little bit. you were speaking really to gay kids. you said no matter what anyone tells you god does tel love youd very soon i promise you you will have equal rights across this great nation of ours. not yet though right? >> no, not yet. but that was shortly after i made that statement i got a lot of heat, i actually got a lot of heat from within the gay movement who said federal equality, it's too soon for that. you're going to create a backlash. but truly if you're a student of history, a student of civil rights struggles within the united states you know that that's the end game. you have to take the fight to the federal can government so

the wins don't just apply to people who live on the coast, but in texas where i grew up, kids in virginia and kids in the south who need to be protected and respected and the only way to do that is to take the case to the federal courts and demand this the laws apply to everyone. the foundation for equal rights, soon after i two on award. it is that federal fight that guarantees full equality for all. in the process of this country. >> the fight goes on. you grew up in a mormon family in texas. how did that impact your life? >> i was really different than everybody, for a long time. i was the gay mormon kid living in texas. i wasn't near most of my family in utah, i wasn't surrounded by other mormon kids, i knew what

it felt like, i was the gay kid in a military family. that made me feel differently. i got to say i learned empathy, to try to see situations through people's lives who are very different than me. understanding that difference isn't a bad thing, difference is what you say in california marketable, a unique perspective and in the end, i do hope that being so very different made me a better artist and a better communicator and care a little bit more from people. >> what was the reaction from more monmormons about big love ? >> as long as we were diligent about discerning from fundamentalist mormonism which was practices as polygamy, any

religion is uncomfortable when you start to dig into the pass, the mormon religion isn't that long ago. it is rather uncomfortable. i'm sure they weren't pleased. but it's my life, it's my heritage and it's something that i do the more we talk about something that's happening, that doesn't happen in less than any religion. >> i've got less than ominute. i need to talk to you about a minute i series you are working on called earthquake with j.j. abram. would you tell me about that? >> it was not a mini series, it is can have a movie. he got the call to be on star

wars, i'm really focusing on under the banner of heaven, the book by john krakhouer about mormon fundamentalism. >> dustin lance black, it's great to have you on the program. >> thank you. >> our picture of the day, the crisis of crimea, russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and secretary of state john kerry, can no meeting coming out of that meeting. on ukraine. our headlines are coming up next. >> al jazeera's investigative unit has tonight's exclusive report. >> stories that have impact... that make a difference... that open your world... >> this is what we do...

>> america tonight next only on al jazeera america

>> welcome to al jazeera america i'm richelle carey here are tonight's top stories. today marks one week since malaysia airlines flight 370 vanished from radar. new evidence suggests foul play

may have been to blame. someone may have flown the plane hundreds of miles off course. the 249 on board to the indianaian ocean. u.s. and russia no closer to an agreement, remaining at odds on the future of crimea about secretary of state john kerry was hoping to get russia to change direction before the referendum. in syria approximately 146,000 people have been killed. 2.5 million syrian refugees. and credit 2.5 million displaced. under new rules schools would lose federal funding if

more than 40% of students default on loans. boston beer company pulls its sponsorship for refusing to let gay veterans march. those are the headlines, also check out our website. >> on "america tonight": new clues as the hunt for flight 370 moves into its second week and the search enters a whole new ocean. also tonight: addicted in vermont, a new generation. our special series on how vermont's rampant addiction problem is risking the lives of its most vulnerable citizens even before they're born. >> drug sickness amplifies itself with symptoms, babies muscle tone gets stiff, rigid