until next time, woj an waj andl see you online. wel jazeera america. these are the stories we are following for you. the president set to commemorate the anniversary of the civil rights act. >> i was just standing there, and everything just went like i didn't even know what was going on. >> one student describing the scene of that stabbing spree at a pittsburgh area high school. and why things may not be so green this time around at the nation's premier golf tournament.

the civil rights act changed the country in a way that few laws ever could. with a stroke of a pen, banned discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and national origin. we want to take you live right now to the misdemeanorble library in austin texas, the president there will be speaking in just a few moments. but mike right now, the white house with more on how the president is marking the anniversary. set the scene for us. >> in some of our lifetimes that jim crow laws were still in effect, there were zillion separate facilities. bathroom facilities. cafeteria counters and the 1964 civil rights act, fist proposed by john f kennedy taken up by lindon banes johnson passed 50 years ago, this june. that is why president

obama, president carter, clinton, both president bushes have been in attendance there in austin texas to commemorate this landmark legislation, and also we might add, to sort of rehabilitate the image of lindon banes johnson, of course known as the master of the senate, thrust into the presidency, used all of his wiles that he learned why the majority leader, to get not only the civil rights act passed the voter rights act, medicare, medicaid passed under his watch, and yet his tenure, his leggingsy has been weighed down over the course of these years by the vietnam war in his responsibility there for escalating it. but now, we have president obama obviously the residents here obvious to many the first african-american president obviously a beneficiary in a direct way of that landmark legislation in 1964, will be speaking to the assembly. they have already heard from president clinton, carter, to speak in just a few minutes. >> we see the president and first lady ascending

the stairs. as they make their way in. that the nation was also divided between lines of north and south, but they managed to get something done. >> right, and we were talking about that. as long as the nixon to china moment. but here we have a son of the out, and ljb from the hill country, as it is known around austin texas where we see these pictures. lgb, the southern senator bringing this civil rights legislation, pushing it through the congress, yes. he had soup mare jordys in both the house and the senate, but things were much different back then, in a number of ways. fist of all, southern democrat as legacy of this nation's past, were very conservative. particularly on social issues and particularly on the civil rights bill. filibuster joined by many southern democrats, strom thurmond the longest recorded filibuster around the civil rights act. a democratic line of the

senate in later years also joining there, and yet lgb got it done, and in many ways he has suffer frommed the comparison over the course of his first term, struggled though he may have done, to get the healthcare bill pass add lot of people thought he should be doing more con joeling more back scratching and favor trading and all the things that went into politics in the 60's. it just so happens those are the things that president obama ran against in 2008. you look at fit a wider perspective, and nobody wants to go back to those times for obvious reason, well, for a number of reasons. obviously the social policies and laws.

gar more poor, far more smoke filled back rooms and so it is unfair to make that comparison between president obama and lgb. never the less, that is part of the mission here today, to talk about all that he accomplished and a great democratic president, in the estimation of the speakers that we have already heard from. marking this ceremony. >> mike, thank you very much. taking a look back, some believe that the nation has taken a step backwards. several states restricting laws on when, how, and whether you can vote. that story from wisconsin. >> protestors congregate in wisconsin's capital at lunchtime each weekday blasting the policies of governor scott walker. more restrictive voting laws. >> two weeks ago, you can wayer signed legislation banning early voting on weekdays after 7:00 a.m.

the law comes on the heels of a voter i.d. law passed a few years ago, and now being challenged in state and federal courts. supporters say they make the laws more uniform and eliminate fraud. says they really just make it harder to vote. it is rolling back a right which has been granted to the state of wisconsin. >> 15 states have passed laws making it harder to vote by requiring identification, and limiting early voting. five states have made it easier by expanding early voting and four states have implemented measures that do a combination of both. historically wisconsin has been one of the more progressive states.

they claim requiring identification, and reducing hours make it difficult for working class minorities who tend to favor democrats to vote. like her mother who counted on weekend voting. >> if you are in a presidential cycle it may be a long line. so we didn't want to take that chance to have her the senator agreed to an interview with us about the more restrictive early voting law he sponsored but backed out and wouldn't talk to us when we stopped by his office. the new laws are designed to protect eligible voters and the voting process. >> that's what administrators are trying to do in ways that are

appropriate to their own jurisdiction, with the history that they confront in that jurisdiction. >> wisconsin voters cement divided on more restrictive voting while more than two-thirds of those polled say they favor more early voting hours. roughly the same number said they also favored i.d.ed to vote. >> in madison, a liberal city that is long embraced dissent, voter rights could continue to be a battle cry echoing through the capitol for months and possibly years to come. the investigate began to exam -- 23 people have died in just five years from officer involved shootings. investigators speaking today and outlining their findings. >> we did determine there is reasonable cause to

believe that the albuquerque police department engaging in a pattern or practice of excessive force. including the use of unreasonable deadly force. >> the death of a homeless man in march sparked several protests against the department. the 16-year-old accused of a stabbing spree has now been charges as an adult. alex a sophomore at franklin regional high school has been charged with stabbing 21 classmates and a security guard. he faces four counts of attempted homicide, and 21 counts of aggravated assault. police saying they are still trying to find out a motive. the fbi is now searching his home. one of the victims described what happened. >> it was all kind of like a blur. i remember messing around with gracie, and bunching her out of the way, because i goof off a little bit in the morning. and hits me in the back, and that was when everything just went -- into straight chaos.

>> the lawyer spoke earlier about his client's state of mind. >> he is confused. scared. depressed. over the next few days we will try to figure out what happened here. >> florida police are still searching for the man accused of a hit and run in orlando, the suspect is 28-year-old, police say he rear ended another car which then jumped a curb and hit the day care center. a four-year-old girl was killed, 14 others mostly children were injured. witnesses say he fled the scene, they believe that he is since rented another vehicle. in eastern ukraine, the tables now turning against the authorities who not long ago were protestors themselves. demonstrations say that they want to join russia just like crimea, for days they have been occupying buildings some of them rigging bombs.

from inside their barricaded empire, prodecember tors keep watch, as reenforcement arrives. this they say is their domain, an independent republic representing the people. quickly refused by those at the top, that say they would rather face the use of force. >> we are living from one statement to the next, what can we do, we aren't ready to step aside, and is the people here are not ready either. >> the offer came from interim president, speaking in parliament, he said of protestors if may lead buildings in east, they won't face prosecution, and as part of the deal, they could gain more control. >> including the creation

of executive authority. we are ready to take that path, so the regions will be responsible for the situation in the country, and not just refer who a going on in kiev. >> but protestors say it is the authorities in kiev, who should be listening to their demands and not the other way around. >> they say they have no plans to evacuate the building. >> despite the declaration, they are already a republic, protestors now say they want a referendum on the issue to prove they have the people's support. interim president amnesty they say is meaningless. >> snow, we don't trust him, he is just creating a reason to push us out of here.

>> he is a liar. people don't trust him, and don't want him to be the acting president of this country. it is an illegal authority. >> i am an ordinary person protecting my home, we are not standing anywhere with any weapons and everybody is claiming they are russians. but here we are people. kiev accuses russia of orchestrating unrest in the east. regardless of where the paid have been sent in or not, time is running out for authorities. how much they are willing to compromise the determining factor, whether these trenches will turn into a battlefield. al jazeera. we want to take you live back now to the library, this of course, congressman john lewis made famous when he was marching alongside the dr. reverend king in the south. >> when people say -- i

said come and walk in my shoes. and i will show you change. [applause] when president barack obama walked through the doors of the white house, he ushered in a time of great hope. sol lemn prayers, and deep aspiration. as a nation, we thought we could embrace the vision president johnson had for all of us. to live the idea of freedom and eliminate injustice from our country. we use the liberty we gains from johnson's legacy to elect a man with courage, and tenacity to do all he could, to make our society a better place.

and move up closer to the beloved community. >> i know this man. this president. barack obama. you see the progress remains as a nation. that he understand there's much more work to do, to redeem the soul of america. and as president, he has set his shoulders to bring about meaningful change in america, by ending two wars and passing comprehensive healthcare reform. that is set. my dear friends it is my great honor and pleasure, to present our friend, our president, president barack obama and the first lady.

thank you, thank you so much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. please, have a seat. thank you. thank you very much. please. what a singular honor it is for me to be here today. i want to thank first and foremost the johnson

family. for giving us this opportunity and the graceness with which michelle and i have been received. we came down a little bit late because we were upstairs looking at some of the exhibits and some of the private offices, that were used by president johnson, and ms. johnson. and michelle was of particular interest of a recording in which lady bird is credit teaking president johnson's performance. and she said come, come, you need to listen to this. and she pressed the button, and nodded her head. some things do not change. even 50 years later. it's all members of congress, the warriors for justice. the elected officials,

and community leaders, who are here today. i want to thank you. four days into his sudden presidency, on the night before he would address a joint session of the congress in which he once serves. lindon johnson sat around a table with his closest advisors preparing his remarks to a shatters and grieving nation. he wanted to call on senators and representatives, to pass a civil rights bill. the most sweeping since reconstruction. most of his staff counseled him against it. they said it was hopeless.

that it would anger. that it risks derailing the rest of his agenda. and one particular bold aid said he did not believe that a president should spend his time and power on loss causes however worthy they may be. to which he said president johnson replied "then what the hell is the presidency for." [applause] it's not to fight for causes you believe in. today as we commemorate for the 50th anniversary of the civil rights act. we honor the men and women who made it possible. some of them are here

today. is julian. we recall the countless unheralded americans. students and housekeepers whose names are etched not on monuments but in the hearts of their loved ones. and in the fabric of the country that they helped to change. but we also gather here to recall one giant man's remarkable efforts. to make real the promise of our family. we hold these truths to be self-evidence. that all men, are created

equal. those of us who have had the singular privilege to hold the office of the presidency, know well that progress in this country can be hard and it can be slow. frustrated and sometimes you are sometime mid. the office humbles you. uh yo are reminded daily that you are but a relay swimmer in history. bound by decisions that came before. those that will follow to fully vindicate your vision. but the presidency also afford as unique opportunity to bend those currents. by shaping our loss. and by shaping our debates.

by working within the confines of the world as it is, but also by reimagining the world as it should be. this was president johnson's jean use. as a master of politics, and legislative process. he grasped like few others a power of government to bring about change. lgb was nothing if not a realist, he was well aware that the law alone isn't enough to change hearts and minds. a full century after lincoln's time he said until justice is blind to color, until education is aware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skin, emancipation will be a proclamation, but not a factor.

he understood laws couldn't accomplish everything, but he also knew that only the law could anchor change. and set hearts and minds on a different course. and a lot of americans needed the laws most basic protections at that time. as dr. king said at the time, it may be true that the law can't make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me and i think that's pretty important. passing laws is wha lbj now hue to do. no one knew politics and no one loved letting more than president johnson. he was charming when he

needed to be, ruthless when required. he could wear you down with logic, and argument, and he could horse trade, and he could flatter. you come with me on this bill, he would reportedly tell a key leader from my home state during the fight for the civil rights bill. and 200 years from now school children will know only two names. abraham lincoln and everett durtson. and he knew that senators would believe things like that. [applause] president johnson likes power.

he likes the feel of it, the wielding of it, but that hunger was harnessed and redeemed by a deeper understanding of the human condition. by a sympathy for the underdog. for the downtrodden p for the outcast. and there was a sympathy rooted in his own experience. as a young boy growing up, in the texas hill country, johnson knew what being poor felt like. poverty was so common he would later say, we didn't even know it had a name. the family home didn't have electricity or indoor plumbing. everybody worked hard including the children.

president johnson has known the metallic taste of hunger. the feel of a mother's callused hands. his cousin remember swelters days spent on her hands and knees in the cotton fields with lindon whispering beside her, boy, there's got to be a better way to make a living than this. there has to be a better way. it wasn't until years later when he was teaching in a mexican school, in a tiny town in texas that he came to understand how much worst the persistent pain of poverty could be for other races. in the jim crow south. often sometimes his students would show up to class hungry.

and when he would visit their homes he would meet fathers who were paid slave wages. those children were taught, he would later say that the end of leaf is in a beet row, a spinach field, or a cotton patch. deprivation, these were not distracts to lindon banes johnson. he knew that poverty and injustice are as inseparable as opportunity and justice are joined. so that was in him. from an early age. now like any of us he was not a perfect man. his experiences in rule texas may have stretched him moral imagination,

but he was ambitious. very ambitious. a young man in a hurry to plot his own escape from poverty. and to chart his own political career. and that meant not challenging convention. during his first 20 years he opposed every civil rights bill that came up for a vote. once called the push a farce and a shame. he was chosen as a vice presidential nominee in part because of his affinity with an ability to deliver that southern white vote. is that the beginning of the kennedy administration he share ised with with president kennedy a caution towards racial controversial. but marchers kept marching. four little girls were killed in a church.

bloody sunday happened. the winds of change blew. i picture him standing there taking up the entire doorframe. looking out over the south lawn. he asked what the true purpose of his office was for, what was the end point of his ambitions. he would reach back in his own memory. and he would remember his own experience with want. and he knew that he had a unique capacity as the

most powerful write politician from the south to not merely challenge the convention, that had crushed the dreams of so many, but to ultimately dismantle for good the structures of legal segregation. he is the only guy who could do it. aven avenue -- he knew there could be a cost. famously saying the democratic party may have lost the south for a generation. that's what his presidency was for. that's where he meets his moment. and possessed with an iron will, poes