see it yourselves. >> taking viewers beyond the debate. >> don't miss al jazeera america's critically acclaimed series borderland on al jazeera america also available on demand >> >> this is al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at the top stories. the supreme court deals a big blow to an action on college campuses. another battle that could affect how you watch tv and pay for it. also... >> we call on russia to stop supporting men hiding behind maskses in unmarked uniforms, sewing unrest in eastern ukraine. harsh words for russia and a

helping hand for ukraine, in dealing with the aftermath of the mud implied. president obama to tour the disaster area. >> a busy day at the supreme court as the justices issued a ruling in one major and heard arguments in another. a high court blow to affirmative action. judges upheld michigan's ban on admissions. an impact across the country. libby casey is there for us: what did the justices decide, what was the justification? >> it went back to 2006 when voters in michigan banned racial preference through the polls. admissions offices at colleges and university, publicly funded

ones could not consider race, ethnicity and gender, and give people a preference based on those items. a lower court overturned this, saying it was discriminatory. but the supreme court today went over that and reversed it. on a vote of 6-2, the majority said that the michigan law gan stand. a justice recued herself, she was solicitor-general when the case was before the local courts. the one that wrote the majority opinion, judge anthony kennedy - he's one to watch. he's a swing vote. he sided with the conservative justices and wrote in the majority opinion, "this is not about how the debate over racial preferences should be resolved, it's about who should and may resolve them. the judges said it's about voters writes giving an indication of what they want. the constitution dunn have anything in it -- doesn't have

anything in it with the authority to overturn the law. two justices dissented. sodermayor read her opinion from the bench, which is when they have a strong feeling about the decision in the case. she said "this initiative puts a burden on minorities that other applicants do not face." >> so this case focussed on michigan. what is the broader impact for the rest of the nation? >> it's not like this strikes down affirmative action across the country >> right. >> there are seven states that don't allow for affirmative action or preference based on race. it gives those states more security in their laws. 42 allow for affirmative action, allowing citizens group to ban affirmative action. we look at states that have

moved forward. michigan, and california is one of the biggest that doesn't allow for any sort of preference. in those states, the enrolment of african-americans and his panics dropped at elite schools, medical schools and law schools. it's having an impact in some states. >> libby casey in washington. good to see you. later in the programme we'll look at how the rules affected enrolment as libby mentioned. we'll talk to someone who says forget using race, we should be talking about class based affirmative action. the supreme court heard arguments in a case about how we watch television, involving a copyright dispute between the major networks and an internet start up. networks watching programs live on computers and mobile devices. lisa stark is in washington. this is one of a series of legal

battles ariole is facing. what are the sides arguing. >> this is a big battle before the supreme court. ariole allows people to watch tv over a network, representing a tiny antenna. the broadcaster is saying "you're not paying for this, violating copyright laws, it's illegal." that is the argument. here is what they said. >> we conveyed to them our relatively straightforward position which is that a service cannot provide live tv over the internet to thousands of paying strangers without engaging in a public performance. it really is as simple as that, and the statute protects public performance right at issue, and arioles services violate public

performance. >> public performance is key, it triggers the copyright provisions. they are arguing they are allowing individuals in the privacy of their home a way to access broadcast symbols. here is what they said. >> cautiously optimistic based on the way the hearing wept that the court understood that when a person watching broadcast television in his or her home is engaging in a private performance, and not a public performance that would implicate the copyright act. >> this is clearly a closely watched case. the networks, cable companies, the satellite companies, the interaet providers and the consumers have a stake in the outcome of the case. >> this is a biggie. >> what was the reaction like from the justices? >> they seemed mixed. on one hand chief justice robert seemed to indicate that maybe

area was trying to sir cum vept the copyright laws. justice brier was worried how to write an opinion if fond against ariole, worried that it could stifle cloud computing that etch is depending -- everyone depending on. he was worried how an opinion could be written and not impact the internet issues as a whole. >> thank you lisa stark. vice president joe biden is on his way back to the u.s. from kiev. he is the highest-level official to visit the country, he urged russia to stop supporting the mask gunmen who seized government buildings in the east of the country. barnaby phillips is in kiev. >> vice president joe biden was warmly received in kiev. any government in a desperate situation as ukraine's would be grateful for america's backing.

both the vice president and ukraine's acting prime minister had tough words for russia. >> no nation. no nation has the right to simply grab land from another nation. no nation has that right. and we will never recognise russia's illegal occupation of crimea and neither will the world. >> translation: russia should stick to its international commitment and obligations. we demand that russia fulfils its international obligation and not behave like gangsters in the modern century. >> the minister are wanting support, helping ukraine reduce dependence on russian gas. that will take time. that is something the deposit in kiev -- government in kiev does not have. >> in kiev's independence square, the crowds have gone.

roads are blocked, the mood is defiant as if there's unfinished business. last week's geneva's agreement said the illegal occupation of all public spaces in ukraine should end. the russians argue it should apply in kiev as in the east. here in independence square, they say that their country is under attack from russia. and that these barricades and the occupation should continue because the future is still so uncertain. >> thank you for your strong support. >> joe biden has encouraged the ukrainian government with his strong language, but he returns home to washington, leaving the ukrainians to try to deal with the powerful neighbour to the east. >> the pentagon announced 150 u.s. troops are heading to poland to take part in military exercises aimed at bolstering u.s. allies in eastern europe.

rosalind jordan is in washington with this. what more do we know about the announcement? >> these are paratroopers from the 133rd airbrorn based in italy. they'll go to poland for a month-long rotation of on-the-ground infantry exercise. they are not the only paratroopers being deployed. 450 other paratroopers from the 173rd will be headed to lithuania, latvia and estonia. all four countries have one thing in common - they have a border with russia. what the u.s. is arguing is that this is a part of its obligation to these countries, since they are members of n.a.t.o., to help these countries haens their defence -- enhance their defense capability and reassure them that the u.s. will stand by them should anything untoward happen. >> russia's aggression in

ukraine has renewed our resolve to strengthen defense plans and capabilities, and demonstrate commitment and reinforcing our native allies in central and eastern europe. a company-sized contingent of paratroops from the 173rd ipp fantry combat team, airborne, based in vin when za italy will arrive in poland to begin exercises with polish troops. >> that is rear-admiral john kirby, the pentagon spokesman. the first deployment will go to poland. they'll be there on wednesday. the other 450 paratroopers should be in the baltic state by the end of the weekend. >> rosalind jordan for us in washington. appreciate it. one month after a huge mudslide devastated a small town in washington state, president obama is getting a first-hand look at the damage and the

clean-up efforts. at least 41 were killed in dozens of home buried. two people are missing. allen schauffler is in arlington washington. good to see you. who is mr obama meeting in washington? >> tony, we expect that within a couple of hours time he'll meet with residents and first responders in the river squally here. people that live in the town of oso, the town hit so hard. he'll meet with the families of victims, and some folks working on the mud slide. he landed in everett, south-west of here, 40 minutes ago. we expect choppers to go overhead so the president can get a tour of what is happening. all the folks understand that at some point it will be time to focus forward and deal with the chaeption ahead -- challenges

ahead. with the president visiting, it underscores that this happened a month ago, and the time to look at the future is year. >> marla lives on the edge of the slide, leaving her home undamaged but her world torn apart. >> it will never be the same. i have to accept that. everybody is trying to move forward. it will be different. everything changed. landscaping is changed. there's friends we won't see. >> a 1-lain access road has been built across a corner of her property and will be improved. pilot cars will escort cars one way on trips around the slide, for commuters cut off. >> it will be months before it can be cleared. >> the only through road in the slide area, a 2-lane state highway is mostly buried, the extent of the damage unknown. the state transportation department hopes the fix will be measured in months.

there's no time line to reopen the road. >> the river has changed course, geology has changed much there's a lot to take into consideration before we have a solution. >> the river, dammed by the slide, working through the mile or so of mud or debris. former fish biologist bill mcmillan, says the river will bounce back naturally. >> if that area is probably wisely left alone, over the long term, it could provide some very important and good fish habitat. >> but evidence of the human tragedy is everywhere. yellow ribbon lines bridges and fences. the riges above the valley are dotted by heavily logged areas. some point to clear cutting and rain as contributing factors. one logging contract has been suspended. others will be reviewed for

landslide risk. through it all marta facebooked 10-12 hours a day, sharing pictures and notices of memorial services and fundraisers. >> thank you so much is what i always say. because i do appreciate all the different benefits that are going on. >> like others in the valley, she'll try to balance what was lost and what's ahead. >> we keep on going. there'll always be memorials - probably once a year. we keep on going the best we can. >> keep on going, that's the word. this is a big deal, a presidential visit. it's never happen. we have families that kept kids out of school. that's shiane, canvas and hayley - cupcake the dog. never had a president in oso washington. it's a big deal. after so much death, all the searching for survivors, victims and answers to have a president

visit is going to be a boost for the spirits of the people in this community. >> allen schauffler in oso, washington. >> the death toll in the south korea ferry disaster rose to more than 200. rescue teams have a task of returning bodies to the families op somehow. harry fawcett with more. report rrp they want to take their children home to give them a funeral. still they have to wait and watch as each newly discovered body is up on the whiteboard. descriptions, clothing and features. more than 100 and counting. at sea the huge operation is classified as a rescue effort, goes on. diving crews feeling their way through the ship, to get to the areas where most of the trapped passengers remains. >> it throws up questions about safety standards.

the government on tuesday instructed all companies to carry out safety checks adding that inspectors could turp up unannounced. a company classified as excellent, they were not subject to inspection. they had to submit documents. the excellent company seems to spend little on training staff. >> translation: according to the annual report for last year it spent $500 on staff training. looking at that, we can say they didn't spend money on education, including crew member safety training. >> in ansan, the home town of the students, the families of the survivors said the investigation could wait, and called on the media to report more accurately and less invasi invasionive -- invasionively. >> translation: understand the anguished hearts of parents who want to go into the water to

search for their children themselves. >> among the body brought ashore on tuesday, that of kim. on saturday her mother told al jazeera that her fate was in god's hands. her father, sustaining himself by challenging authorities spoke of his guilt for not telling her to get off the ship. theest now they can -- at least now they can take their daughter home. others are waiting, a week on. . hillary clinton hasn't said whether she'll run for president. pollsters are showing some problems for her potential campaign. that is next in politics. also, our series on high-frequency trading. ali velshi shows us how a difference of a few mill seconds can mean hundreds of millions in profits or losses.

>> in today's power politics the national spotlight focuses on hillary clinton as a 2016

presidential candidate. the poll numbers are not going in the directors her supporters would like. david shuster is here with more. >> for more than a year former secretary of state hillary clinton has been in the 2016 presidential contest without being officially in, having the effect of freezing the democratic race, deterring democrats from entering it and protecting clinton from an attack she would have faced if she declared her tendency. things are trickier, clinton's next memoirs is in the works. her poll numbers are dropping. the latest surname from anderson's roberts shows her rating dropped to 49%, 45% unfavourable. this is the lowest favouritibility number for clinton in six years, the first time below 50 in the approval raying sips 2008. during the democratic primary,

her favourable, unfavourable split then was 47 to 46. a spokesman wouldn't extent and clinton said she has not made up her mind on a 2016 candidacy. for a candidate the first test of voter support comes in the nomination department starting with the caucus. many tried to pander for formers, declaring support for biofuel. that may be more difficult. a new study paid for by the federal government includes that corn-based biofuels are worse for the environment than gasoline. the analysis published in the issue of journal nature climate change claims that ethanol leads to a 7% increase in greenhouse gas emissions. >> if you or your organization want to lie about a political candidate in ohio, it could get you gaol time. the law was reviewed in a case from the united states supreme court.

former ohio congressman complained about an anti-apportion group that wanted to put up a billboard about him. the message would be a lie punishable by the law. the group decided not to erect the billboard, the legal issue continued. the supreme court is expected to decide how far a state like ohio can go in deciding what is false speech in a political campaign. >> john boehner, from ohio, and another long-serving office shoulder facing a republican primary tea party challenger. jd winterup does not stand a chance. against john boehner, it's worth a look, especially if you are familiar with some commercials. >> you make a great team. it's been a great way. your erectile dysfunction can be a problem. sometimes when a politician has been in d c too long, it gets to

his head. used in some doses, winter-up in congress could solve the problem. >> he does not stand much of a chance. i'm not sure that that ad will help him. i suppose he gets points for creativity, maybe. >> what is happening to our political process? yesterday there was a guy in an ad talking about mitch mcconnell as a duck. >> maybe it's the primaries bringing out creativity. >> thank you. this week, "real money" with ali velshi has a series on high frequency trading. you will not belief the amount of money traders spend to shave a few milliseconds off trading times. as ali reports, if you are first in line to trade, you could make millions. [ ♪ music ] >> reporter: back in the 1920s, you'd have to wait 20 minutes at

a ticker tape to see the latest information about a stock. now trading information is almost instantaneous - travelling at nearly the speed of light. in fact, it's so fast only the fastest computers can keep up with the pace. this is the... >> hang on. my apologies. it froze. i can't explain it beyond that. more of ali's reporting on high-frequency trading this week as "real money" expands to an hour of coverage, monday to friday, 7:00pm eastern, 4:00 pm n west, here an al jazeera america. >> more on today's supreme court decision on affirmative action in colleges. we look at a different brand of affirmative action tested by some schools dash based on class, not race. >> we have seen in our towns what is horrible and beyond description.

hundreds slaughtered in south sudan. the united nations blame rebels for the disturbing ethnic violence, something the rebels deny.

>> the supreme court ruling today that voters can decide that race should not play a role in college admissions could have huge repercussions. eight states banned affirmative action, and others may follow. roxanne has more. >> the supreme court ruled that mich gan can ban affirmative action in its public universities. that ban and similar bans in other states have been controversial. supporters say racial minorities should not get preferential treatment. opponents say it hurts diversity at some universities.

>> reporter: the supreme court ruling comes eight years after michigan voters banned affirmative action in colleges. the past proposal to amend the state constitution to say: >> since then the number and percentage of african men's at university of michigan dropped from 7% to 4% last fall. the percentage of hispanic americans has stayed the same. the university says it's encouraging minority students to apply. michigan state, which saw similar trends, told us it's trying to recruit minorities outside the state. critics of racial preferences in states like ohio, missouri and utah came up with plans to put amendments on the ballot. >> california passed a ban on affirmative action in 1996. after that public schools saw a

drop in afghanistan can- -- african-american enrolment. hispanic is up, because america has a larger hispanic population. new programs are being created to replace race-based affirmative action, giving administration preference to low-income students. joining me to discuss this is hally porter, associated with the century foundation, focussing on public policy solutions for education inequality. that's a mouthful. good to have you on the programme. those who wonder about states - let's be frank about this, with large white populations, voting in ways that might disadvantage minorities, what do you think of this line and the dissent from justice soweder mayor that outchecks democratically approved legislation that can oppress minority groups.

what are your thoughts? >> what we have seen in the states that pass bans, luckily most universities put a focus on finding ways to promote diversity. in an ideal world universities would have race as a tool and other forms of diversity to look at, i think it is possible for universities once race is off the table to look at socioeconomic. >> they found another way. in light of the decision - let's figure this out. can universities maintain racial differsity while deememphasising race in the admissions process? >> yes. there are a couple of ways universities can focus on maintaining diversity. one is to broaden the idea of diversity and think about socioeconomic factors. universities can thing about what that means - giving a leg up to students.

providing ways to support the students, making an increased commitment to financial aid policies, making sure that low income students decide to enrol after they are admitted and are successful once they are enrolling and graduate from the institution. >> that may be a way of getting around the moves to ban affirmative action. i wonder - do universities and colleges reason want to do the deeper dive necessary when devising the schemes, in the positive sense of the word. do they want to go down this road. the question ultimately becomes will class-based admission policies necessarily mean less smart students, and poorer students in these schools? and how does the ivory power feel about that. >> that's a great question. the pit call challenge is important. there are two approaches

thinking about the reasons why university are going out and pursuing this. one is that universities, private universities are getting public subsidies. there's an important case that there's a duty to the public. and then in terms of thinking about our economic competitiveness as a county, as a whole, as universities think about what it means to position the nation and the workforce, we can't leave behind most of the country. we move towards a minority nation. it's important that universities figure out a way to include everyone as part of the plan. >> you know some of the schools - i think the university of colorado, in boulder, has implemented such a programme. i think there are other universities doing the same. what do we think of the approach. is it too early to gauge results at this point? >> boulder is a great example

with strong results. they have a normal race-based affirmative action. they have implemented a socioaffirmative plan. it looks at two factors, looking at a disadvantage index and overachievement. they are looking at factors of a family's socioeconomic status and parent income and seeing how do the students achieve relative to students of the same background and created more economic diversity and racial diversity using the socioeconomic plan than under the race-based affirmative action. it's been successful and a model that other schools will do well to follow. >> thank you hally, from the central foundation, focussing on public policy solutions in education. thank you. recent violence in south sudan drove thousands of

civilians to seek safety with u.n. troops, fighting between the s.p.l.a. and the government broke out. since then the united nations have been protecting 75,000 in bentiu. 22,000 fled to u.n. protection, most in of the last three weeksment it began when rebels allegedly killed hundreds of residents based on ethnicity. we have this story and a warning that images in the report are disturbing. >> reporter: the things seen along the road between the airport and the mosque from horrific. there's no preparation for what was to come. there were so many dead bodies that construction equipment was used to move them. outside the gates of the mosque there was another pile of bodies, dragged or killed together. the stench of death was overwhelming. even for the rebel soldiers standing guard. >> according to the government of south sudan, the presence of rebels in the up to is an

indication of responsibility for the massacre. >> the rebels are not committed, as you can see what they have done in bept u. they vial -- bentiu. they violated the agreements in which hostilities must come to an end. >> bentiu, like other towns, changed hands since fighting between government soldiers and rebel groups. in bentiu people from darfur are believed to have been targeted for a specific reason - because rebels from sudan are believed to be fighting alongside the south sudanese army of the president. >> what we have seen is disgraceful. it's horrible and beyond description. snow the u.n. accused the >> the u.n. accused rebel forces of killing forces based on ethnicity. a charge denied. >> no, i don't have this. i don't have that report.

we don't kill those in the mosque. i think who are those people - i don't know. we don't know. we do not enter the mosque. >> as the conflict continues, the level of violence escalates, with traditional places of sanctuary coming under attack. in north korea there are fears that pyongyang is going run a fourth atomic test, re-ignoiting tensions with the reclusive country. south korea says it detected tests. some say it is a hoax, meant to stir up trouble. in nigeria there's confusion about the number of teenage school girls abducted last week. parents say more students are taken than committed. the mij military -- nigeria military says 126 girls were

taken. no one claimed responsibility, some believe it's boko haram. they are in a drive to pose harsh islamic law. in syria, a task force says it removed and destroyed 88% of the country's chemical weapons, there's allegations that an industrial chemical was used to attack civilians in hamas. damascus denies the charge. the u.s. is investigating. hoda abdel-hamid reports from neighbouring turkey. >> reporter: they have problems breathing. they cough, vomit. doctors that the people are victims of chlorine gas bombs. this is a hospital in a town in the northern countryside of hama. act visits say syrian government helicopter have been dropping bombs containing the gas. hundreds of people have been treated over the past two weeks. >> here alone there has been six attacks involving the use of

chlorine gas when the bombs are dropped the smell of chlorine spreads across the up to. critical cases are sent to turkey. three have died. this is not the first time toxic chemicals were accused. the united nations says sarin gas was used killing hundreds. the u.n. inquiry did not say who used them. an international deal to destroying chemical weapon stockpiles has been reached. the united states is trying to determine the facts around the facts. >> we have indications of the use of a toxic industrial chemical, probably chlorine in syria this month, in the opposition dominated village. we are examining allegations that the government was responsible. we take all allegations on the use of chemicals in combat seriously. >> people targeted are saying it's not enough. they want the attacks to stop.

>> they are using it as a field for experiment. they want to see how effective touring gases to force people to flee. many have left the town. >> this is not the on area where chlorine-related incidents happened, reported over recent weeks. the frequency of the attacks is increasing. >> chlorine is not listed as a banned chemical agent. it's not allowed to be used as a weapon of law. >> civilians have been the victim of the attack. chlorine bombs are dropped on populated areas, not far from the front lines. >> you'll hear noises. i don't think a country or the international community will act on this now. you got that sense from the white house statement. they want to wait until the last bit of weapons is destroyed and they'll take on another issue as a separate investigation. >> people feel that the government is banking on international silence as it continues to clear the towns in its push to retake territory.

>> on the trial of al jazeera's detained journalists in cairo has been adjourned until may 3rd. >> mohamed fadel fahmy, peter greste, and baher mohamed are falsely accused of providing a platform for the outloud muslim brotherhood. they have been behind bars for 115 days. shorm , the fourth -- abdullah al-shami, the fourth journalist in detention has been held without trial since last august. al jazeera rejects charges. the californian danger who survived inside a wheel well hopped on the wrong plane. we have that story, and other headlines from around america today. yes, the 15-year-old was hoping to rift his mother -- visit his mother in africa. he didn't realise the plane he snuck on to was headed to maui. he was unhappy living with his father and stepmum. he survived inside the wheel

well, he was unconscious during the flight. airline personnel spotted him walking on a ramp. >> in phoenix arizona an oil tanker explosion injured two, they suffered burns on the body. a 40,000 gallon tanker exploded more than 100 firefighters fought the blaze. >> police expect to press charges against a hospital patient for selling heroin. she was at the hospital. staff were suspicious when too many people walked in and out of her room. a confidential informant bout the drug last friday. >> in providence, rhode island, a man used a potato to try to rob two businesses. he reportedly used it to simulate a knun. a con -- gun. a convenience store manager chased him off with a baseball bat. he stole $20 from a decoy cash

register. he said "give me the money", with a potato. >> appreciate it. thank you. earlier in the programme we started ali velshi's story about high frequency trading, right, and the piece kind of froze in the computer - you know, the high tech thing that goes haywire. we'll try again. ali velshi takes a closer look at technology that could mean millions in profit. [ ♪ music ] >> reporter: back in the 1920s you'd have to wait about 20 minutes at a ticker tape to see the latest information about a stock. now trading information is almost instantaneous, travelling at nearly the speed of light. in fact, it's so fast only the fastest computers can keep up with the ways. this is the trading floor of the new york stock exchange. it's almost an anachronism. humans are not needed. the vast majority of stock are

not traded here. to begin to understand how the stock market really works, you need to go across the hudson river to new jersey. now the markets are almost completely computerized. data networks and server farms at five sites in new jersey are where the trades actually happen. i'm in new jersey, 30 miles from manhattan. this high-security building behind me is the new york stock exchanges's data center, it's here, not the floor of the new york stock exchange where almost all the trades take place. if you are a high-speed trailer and looking for a fraction of a second advantage, you have to be as physically close to the server farm as you can be. it's called colocation. you pay to have your server in that building. on the biggest players do that. >> the short distance matters, peach if it's a few -- even if it's a few seat. having a connection a

millisecond faster tan the competition could mean an extra $100 million an i don't remember. the east to -- a year. the quest to trim a millisecond, and een there's talk of scrughting a -- constructing a laser technique across the atlanta. >> it's a success of 30 blimps, geostationary at 70,000 feet, talking to one another over this same laser technology, connecting new york to london. it would do it in 30 milliseconds versus 60. the price tag - $500 million. >> all right. you can see more of ali's reporting on high frequency trading this week as "real money" expands to a full hour,

here on al jazeera america. next - urban farming. it is a growing business taking agriculture to new heights. >> behind me are the central valley fields of california. i'll explain how field from these fields produces power for 500 homes, in a moment.

>> got to tell you, over the span of 44 years earth day has gone from being a senator's dream to a day of action. this year is green city theme. nearly 30% of new energy came from solar power in the united states, now a technology out of california could make american cities more efficient. jacob ward is in davis, california, talking to us about

a system that produces clean, renewable power. jake. >> that's right. this is a beautiful place i'm at. in the distance, behind me, is the hills that begin napper, and between them and us is the central valley. it's one of the most agriculturally productive parts of the united states. as of today a new system will allow scraps from that food to power 500 homes, thanks to these biodigestors. i have a lot of cool things i could have showed up. i decided to get you up close and personal to a clean form of fuel. >> it was a little water melon, lasagna, bananas. it's token garbage. what sets the system apart is that this doesn't have to be mixed with water. it can go right. >> the digester in solid form, get spun from a little while in this system, and get slowly pulled into the chambers here,

which collect methane gas. eventually the garbage that is loaded into here will put out about 12,000 ilo watt hours of -- kilowatt hours of power. in a community like davis, it's perfect as a closed system. that's what sets this apart, is that in 10 days it produces enough power for 500 homes, when a landfill requires months to put out that much methane. >> this technology is scrined for -- signed for solid waste treatment without adding water. if diming ests mike -- digests microbes. it's more efficient and lower cost. >> reporter: from where the garbage is shovelled in there, it moves into this tank. mib robes eat away at it in a process that doesn't use oxy gep, which is why it's called

ano robic. it gives off methane in this tapping. normally it would escape into the atmosphere. over the course of 10 days it gives off enough methane gas to power 500 homes. imagine 500 homes giving off solid feud waste, it goes into the system and enough comes back. it's a closed loop. >> when uc davis started the study, they found to build a 25 tonne per day capacity digesters, it would cost $24 million. this facility, using technology, we were able to build a 50 tonne her day facility for under 9 million. >> i love the story, this technology. i'm thinking about the implications in a place like

gafrica. what is the long-term potential of this technology? how much power could it provide? >> that's right. it's really the - the only doinside is it smells funky. it looks beautiful, the smell is over-powering. aside from that it's unbelievable. right now people use anaerobic digestion to deal with sewerage. the newtown creek biodigestor processes sewerage. this is the first time it is producing power in an efficient way. i think there'll be more to cox. >> jacob ward in davis, california. good to see you. farms are popping up right now on roof tops and warehouses across the country. you may be aware of this. not only is it a growing business but is delivering fresh food to your grocery storm. we visit a roof-top farm in new york city. >> we have bok choy growing

there. >> lettuce and tomatoes are not the only thing growing at gotham greens. the business is expanding. >> building a facility on a roof top has a change. >> the cofounder claims to have the only two commercial roof top greenhouses in the country and are in the process of building more. >> investors were intrigued by the idea, in part due to the friend of locally grown food, sustainably grown food. we raised over $15 million. >> this is about as local as it gets. a second gath am greens greenhouse built on top of a supermarket. the main advantage to growing produce is the shortened supply chain. >> gotham specialises in perishable vegetables and herbs shipped from far away. here they sell it downstairs and

throughout the region, reducing the energy used to transport the produce, and the cost. >> many stores in new york get produce from california, all the way in the west coast. it's a week old by the time it hits store shelves. not here. >> it's a motel that appears to -- model that appears to gain on interest and investors. >> bright farms is another company financing urban farms close to grocery stores that want to sell products. >> we say we are going to grow produce on a commercial scale level locally or regionally. that means it will be fresher, tastier, safer, more attractive. supermarkets love the idea. so, too, does government, providing grant money for gath am greens and other farms. >> they don't just produce food, they stem stormwater run-off, providing greenery for neighbourhoods, and are places where people can learn to farm

and get job skills. they really are beneficial in a lot of ways. >> experts caution. the business model is new and untested. as long as the demand for local food conditions, urban farmers expect profits to keep growing. >> coming up, spoofs on the presidential election take off on twitter.

>> the united states calls the elections in syria a parody of democracy, bashar al-assad is seeking a third 7-year term, the country is mired in civil war. opponents are poking fun at the bashar al-assad campaign in social media. >> campaign signs are starting to pop up in syria. signs like this saying: >> or this one - it's a

billboard: >> but those opposed to bashar al-assad are sending out parody ads and slogans like that that says: >> take a look at this one - it says: >> and it shows bashar al-assad with a moustache, a hat, a beard, and sun glasses - all the same person. let me switch back to my graph. this is a cartoon that has been sent out, that says: >> take a look at this... . >> what is that. >> this says - asaad campaign slogans:

>> yes. over 100,000 dead in that civil war. ridiculous. thank you. nobel laureate gabriel garcia marquez left behind a book that he chose not to print whilst alive. his family has not decided whether to allow the book to come out posthumously. the author died last thursday. powdered alcohol will go on sale. not so fast. the alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau told the associated process that it took back approval of palcohol - it was issued in error. there was a problem with how much powder was in the bag. the maybers plan to resubmit with new labelling. that's all we have time for in this newshour.

if you would like more on these stories, go to the website aljazeera.com. i'm tony harris in new york. "inside story" is next on al jazeera america. >> a guy who has been grazing his cattle on federally owned land. he doesn't want to pay for that privilege. cliven bundy said the government has no business owning that land in the first place. this is inside story. >> hello, i'm ray ray.