♪ on "america tonight," stepping it up, new clashes raise the anti-for ukraine, russia, and the people caught in the middle. >> on my way to college i see tanks. is it scary? of course it is. >> reporter: and more signals the u.s. is ready to take a stronger hand in resolving the crisis. also tonight the fight against frac-ing, fearing health risks, ground contamination, and falling property values, communities rise up to challenge natural gas drillers, now ruling. >> i pleaded with them to help

us; that we were all sick, and no one from this company would even call me back. and batter up, keeping america's youngest athletes running, and headed toward a home run on the diamond and in the game of life. ♪ and good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. for every bit to tamp down what looks like a growing crisis in the ukraine, the pressure seem only to ramp up with new explosions and tensions bursting forth. among the latest actions the united states has -- says russian fighter jets flew into ukrainian air space. and the ukrainian government

continues to press its forces on pro-russian separatists who have taken over buildings and areas of easter earn ukraine. a military helicopter up in smoke. theater get of a rocket fired by pro-russian separatists. another grenade thrown from passing car left seven people injured. casualties of the growing conflict between ukrainian forces and armed militias that has sparked an international crisis about ukraine. security forces friday pushed ahead with their operation in the east to route activists from occupied buildings and check points. in a divided region, authorities have their work cut out. ukraine's anti-terrorist center said the agency was struggling with many officers being either

sympathetic to or directly cooperating with russian special forces. but a bigger worry just across eastern ukraine's border, massive military buildup, involving tens of thousands of russian troops less than a mile from ukrainian territory. moscow has said that if ethnic russians are attacked it reserves the right to take action. hoda abdel hamid on friday toured the area with ukrainian border guards. >> reporter: russia is on this side, and there were troop movements not far from her. exercises. >> they say the russians have moved closer, but there is nothing they can do for now except to monitor in the sky. residents here feel at home in both ukraine and russia, but the military build uphas many nervous. >> translator: my sister lives

in russia with her two children. i always go to visit them. on my way to college i see tanks. it is scary? of course it is. >> ukrainians loyal to kiev say they are training to prevent a russian invasion. >> translator: we want to save our families and our cities, and if not us, who will do this? >> as the conflict between security forces and separatists intensify so too does that on the international stage. during a stop on his asia tour friday, president obama again throwing down the gauntlet t russian russi russian leader vladimir putin. >> he has to make a decision is he willing to see the russian

economy that was already weakened, weakened further >> that followed a call with counterparts of allies nations. standard & poor's downgrading russia's credit rating to bbbb, to bbbb-minus. >> if sanctions increase, then further deterioration of the external profile might also be evidenced in the next 24 months. >> u.s. leaders have underscored diplomacy first, some sanctions, but steered away from suggestionsover any lethal military force. as clashes grow, could that now be in the offering? the senior national security

fellow at the new america foundation joins us again this evening. doug talk to us a little bit about what the indications are from the u.s. military? what sort of presence is already in place? >> what has been sent over so far is a squad rant of fighters to poland. that's a good signal. but on the ground side all we have sent are a few companies of paratroopers, about 80 to 100 soldiers in each of these countries. so not much of a signal, a very, very small show of force that may backfire. >> well this is a certain, of course, and what the president is signalling, he says additional sanctions are ready to go, whatever that means. >> exactly. it's not clear what we can do in terms of more sanctions with russia, because we don't have the europeans on board.

they are so much more financially intertwined than we are, and that would really impose hardship on themselves. >> what about additional military presence around ukraine? >> probably not in ukraine, things are too chaotic and in flux for us to do anything more than send non-lethal aid. what we could do is on the periphery, particularly in the places where we have treaty obligations. we have obligations to defend nato countries by treaty. so perhaps sending an armor brigade to poland. we don't want to go too far. we don't want to disincentivize them from taking care of their own security. this should be a wake-up call

for the countries on the border of russia that they need to wake up and invest in their own security. >> and with respect to ukraine itself it is still a complex and very fluid situation. >> it's very fluid. we seem to have both, honest to god ukrainian citizens who are rising up in the east in ukraine but they are aided and abetted we are almost certain by russian operatives. the ukrainian army is trying to push them back, but that's difficult because they don't have a legitimate government. >> so even if we were to offer military aid, if the u.s. is to offer more lethal aid to ukraine this is not something that would necessarily be well received.

>> well, were we to get out in front of the new government offer them say troops, and then come the 25th the new government says we don't really want u.s. presence here, that would put us in a very bad place. >> thank you for being here. when we return a road to getting around the rules, faced with tougher anti-abortion restrictions, texas women head consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.

>> we pray for the children in the womb >> a divisive issue >> god is life , so it's his to take >> see a 10 year old girl who's pregnant, and you tell me that's what god wants... >> a controversial law >> where were you when the babies lives were being saved? >> are women in texas

paying the price? >> who's benefiting from restricting access to safe abortions? >> fault lines... al jazeera america's hard hitting... ground breaking... truth seeking... breakthrough investigative documentary series access restricted only on al jazeera america ♪ the fight over abortion has always been a contentious one, but over the past several years it has become particularly difficult in texas. now the front line in the abortion debate with increasingly tough anti-abortion laws in the state. by september only a handful of clinics will be left. texas averages about 70,000 abortion a year. and as

"faultlines" reporter reports, texas women are in a desperate search for options. >> reporter: it's friday afternoon in the rio grand valley in texas. >> abortion is one of the most common medical proceedses around the world. >> reporter: two friends are reading a manual about how to give yourself an abortion. >> you are how pregnant? >> like seven weeks. >> okay. that's good. >> reporter: here what they are illegal. >> ultimately the number one thing has to be your choice and you need to be sure you want. >> i'm sure. >> this 23-year-old melissa is going to take a drug that is

normally used to treat ulcers. >> put them under your tongue. >> it does say on the box not to use while pregnant. >> yes. >> by the time she is done, me she will have swallowed 12 pills. >> when she we do this? >> whenever you are ready. >> reporter: the rate of self induced abortions in texas is twice as high as the rest of the united states. why. >> keep checking the time, 30 minutes, and then you can start. whole women's health in a city

in the lower rio grand valley on the southern-most tip of texas. a few months ago melissa could have come to this clinic, but it has been shut down and isn't allowed to provide abortions anymore. last november a law went into effect that made it harder for doctors perform abortions. under the new legislation, doctors need an official affiliation with a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic. but in this conservative region, none of the hospitals are willing to do that. it's just one of a number of laws that have swept texas and other states which have made abortion more difficult to obtain. the supreme court made abortion a constitutional right in 1973 in a landmark case called roe v. wade that began in texas.

>> in the last two years there has been more restrictions passed against reproductive justice than in the 30 years prior to that. and we have bared a lot of the brunt of it here in texas. >> even though they have won, anti-abortion activists continue to protest in front of whole women's health marching from church on a saturday morning despite the cold and rain. >> we pray for the least among us, the children in the womb, protect them from the violence of abortion. we pray for those that are scheduled to die today. >> helping a person to end the life of their child is not helping a person. we are here to ask the lord to give everyone who is considering an abortion hope. >> do you think women have a right to choose? >> no, because they already -- they made a choice. now take the consequences that there is a life. that's what they have a life to choose to say yes or no. if you say yes, suffer the

consequences as they think. it's not a con sequence to us, but they think it is. nobody has the right to kill. >> there is still a stigma around having an abortion in texas whether it's because of cultural attitudes or religious beliefs it's unusual for people to talk about it here. >> if i were to have a baby i'm going to do it right and have all of the resources i can. basically i'm just very poor. >> did you ever think it would be so difficult to get an abortion in the u.s.? >> no, texas is huge, you know, three or four or five clings here is going to be many hour's drive for a lot of people, app i have texas at my disposal or mexico, because there's nothing closer or in between. >> it's just a half hour's drive

for melissa to get to mexico where she brought the drug. we wanted to see what her journey looked like. so we headed there with a local health activist. here? >> maybe 15 or 20 minutes away. >> it's really close. are there several groups you work with down here? >> no, there -- there are no groups. people do things like individually, but there's no like organized movement. hard. >> yeah, it is, because you want to do stuff -- and -- like last year there was a lot of momentum and then it just kind of dives off until the next, you know, horrible thing happens. >> within 20 minutes we crossed into a small border town. >> this entire street is full of pharmacies. here. >> this is why a lot of people come here? so buy cheap drugs.

>> it was really easy to get it. just $31. >> hi, do you have mizoprostel? how much is it? >> $187. >> you don't have a cheaper kind? >> the generic? >> yeah, don't need -- don't need the brand name. i can't believe how easy it is to get the drug here. this guy charged me $45. >> as she notes texas legislative actions mean significant challenges for women seeking abortion severalses. elizabeth joining us, and the point that texas is a particular situation because of its speed, but not alone. >> right, i mean we are seeing these kinds of restrictions become law across the country. places like arizona, indiana, north carolina, oklahoma,

kansas, they are all places where we're seeing restrictions become law and access is being closed off. >> so texas we understand, short distance away, women going across the border, but what is happening in other places? >> in other places it is harder and harder to get abortion services. in arizona nearly ten clinics have closed in the last five years. so you have to get to an urban center like tucson. in ohio clinics have closed around toledo. some women are going to detroit. so we're seeing women travel and crossing state lines if not international borders. >> and using a drug like this, this is the most likely use of this drug? >> well, this drug -- >> often used. >> is being used for abortions. oftentimes, though, when women are crossing state lines they are going to another clinic, because they can find a clinic

in another state, but it's a lot of time, effort and energy involved in accessing services. >> and this kind of a drug, hard to say, this is a kind of drug that people may be familiar with [ inaudible ]? >> they may be familiar with it, because it was developed in ulcer care, but contraindicated for pregnancy. so you should nthd use it while you are pregnant because it ends a pregnancy. and women figured this out, and now there are women who are using it. this is not an ideal situation. but we are seeing women in very desperate situations. >> and they could present serious risks. >> yes. and you can see the rest of the

fault lions report this saturday. and borderland follows ordinary americans as they confront the issues of immigration. ♪ >> in recent years there has been a dramatic surge in the number of children attempting to cross the border. in 2012 over 25,000 unattended children were apprehended. the majority came america. >> how old are you, william? how old? are you headed to the united states? and where are you from? el salvador. >> what is it like in el salvador? what it is like to live there?

>> do the gangs stop you from going to school? oh, really? who is all in the u.s., your mother and father? and when was the last time you seen your mother? six years. did your mother make this same trek? did she tell you anything about the trip?

>> for william this is the lesser of two evils, he can stay at home and be in a gang and killed there, or coming on this jurn journey at least he has a chance to be reunited with his mother and be in a safer environment. neither someone a choice that i would have ever liked to have to make. and the kid is really strong. >> part of the reason that we have been here is we've been following this story of a boy about your age. i kind of thought was going to tell the story about omar, and as soon as i brought it up, you could see the fear in his eyes. he knew what i was going to tell him, and i couldn't bare to tell him.

so be -- be very careful. very careful, okay? i could see omar standing right there, and getting ready to board the train. >> brave kid. >> want to see more? the next gripping episode of borderland sunday at 9:00 eastern on al jazeera america. when we return, tapped out, a fuel fight draining away another natural resource, communities challenges risks to their health, property values and water. >> our friends on the ranch right out here, their wells are all gone. our friends out here on the ranch their wells are now gone. >> and why natural gas fracing is now under threat from lawsuits. also ahead, a soft landing, and why it's a really big deal for those who want to lift off

space. ♪ >> the debate that divides america, unites the critics, a reason to watch al jazeera america the standout television event borderland, is gritty honesty. >> a lot of people don't have a clue what goes on down here, the only way to find out, is to 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 well it's official...

xfinity watchathon week was the biggest week in television history. but just when you thought it was over... what now? with xfinity on demand you can always watch the latest episodes of tv's hottest shows. good news. like hannibal... chicago fire.... ...and bates motel. the day after they air. xfinity on demand. all the latest episodes. all included with your service.

it's like hi-fiving your eyeballs. xfinity...the future of awesome. >> on al jazeera america when science intersects with hope. >> i'm hoping to give someone a prosthetic arm for under $1000 >> inovation finds oppurtunity >> a large earthquake would be an inconvenience rather than a disaster... >> and hardware meets humanity >> this is some of the best driving i've ever done >> eventhough i can't see... >> techknow our experts take you beyond the lab >> we're here in the vortex... >> and explore the technology changing our world. only on al jazeera america and now a look at stories making headlines on "america tonight." more than two dozen people killed at a campaign rally in bagdad.

thousands of supporters of a shiite group gathered when an explosion happened. this burst of violence has iraqis head to the polls next week. some of the most talked about republican politics are at the nra convention. and a vote, but no results. northwestern university football players cast ballots on a vote to form a union, but the ballots won't be open for month until the national union relations board rules on a case. a ground breaking legal decision is adding new pressure to the natural gas business is happening in a

number of areas around the country. bob and lisa par are among the 15 million americans who live near frac-ing wells. their home sits on the bar ket shale near dallas. they said it gave them rushes, nausea, blurred vision, so bad that they ended up moving into his office just to get away from home. this is the first case to win a jury verdict. lisa par joins us now. appreciate you being with us. can i ask first how your health is now? >> right now it's a lot better, because we're under a lot of treatments, and we do treatments at home as well. >> i see. this has been a long process, and this isn't even over yet at this point, but in the process, what has been most difficult?

>> fighting with this company. they have been impossible to deal with. my neighbor sent them numerous letters, i have called them, i have personally talked to the workers on the site and begged and pleaded with them to help us; that we were all sick, and no one from this company would even call me back. as matter of fact they cursed me, they threw dirt on me, they spit on me. with. >> so workers actually spit on you and cursed at you? >> they spit at me and cursed me, yes. >> now about what about people in your community, do they understand what you did and why? >> oh, yes, we have the support of the entire community. >> and this has been a real drain for you and your family if you have to give up your home this has got to be tough. >> it has been quite emotional, a long road.

>> why did you decide to take this kind of action? was there another way to go? >> after i begged and pleaded and they wouldn't even pick up their phone when i called them. they sent me to their pr firm, they wouldn't call me back, i had no other choice. >> is this a situation -- we pointed out that millions of people live around frac-ing situations around the united states, is this something that you see that will be happening more? >> yes, i do. that's a yes and no question. yes, i think more people can be more aware of it. some of the companies do it right. you know, we're not anti-frac-ing, anti-drilling. anti-production. just keep it in the pipes. doesn't it make more sense? you make more profit if you keep it in the pipes, and you don't make people sick. be responsible and respectful for your neighbors when you are

that close of proximity to their homes. >> thank you for your incite. and there's more to the story of shale and the impact of fracing in texas a few hours away in the town of barnhart. the water started to disappear after frac-ing equipment started rolling in a few years ago. some of the community are tapping in to other ground wealth others find themselves being tapped out. shell s sheila macvicar says there is more to it. >> reporter: keith has been mixing wells in this part of west texas for more than 30 years. these days business is almost too good and not in a good way. >> we're as busy as we want to be, i can say that. we could stay running all day and all night if we wanted to. >> reporter: water wells all over the county are trying up. >> i

have seen some of the real shallow water, i have seen it go, but never any as deep as some of these. they are 600 feet and they are bone dry. some of it has to go through draught but not all of it. today they are shutting down a dead well that used to water cattle >> all of the shallow water in this country is pretty well gone thanks to all of the drilling. >> the frac-ing boom has arrived in west texas, and is changing everything in life in a huge swath of land called the permian basin. it's one of the largest oil and gas producing regions ever discovered in the u.s. with some 82,000 active wells, but most of its richls are only available through frac-ing. >> frac-ing uses a lot more water than

conventional drilling. conventional drilling, they would have a cert call hole and use maybe 100,000 gallons. in frac-ing they are drilling down, putting in a horizontal well and use a lot of water to hydraulically frac the rock. you are talking 3 to 6 million gallons per well. >> reporter: now the frac-ing boom is pushing some towns over the edge. once a sleepy intersection with a population of 82 barnhart, texas is now teaming with trucks and new people, all to service the oil fields. at least count 300 trucks run through barnhart every hour. >> take them around up here, show them the progress. >> yes. >> reporter: beverly and her

husband settled in barnhart 35 years ago. >> everything that you see my husband built. >> wow. >> i want to show you what used to be our well. you can tell we haven't been in here lately. all of this money is down the tubes. >> you don't think it will ever come back? >> i don't think it will ever come back. >> reporter: and her own well went dry, beverly borrowed $1,500 from the bank, and paid well. >> the month i got that paid off at the bank, i got up and i turned the water on, and that's when i went oh, my god, the town is out of water. >> reporter: the town well had run dry. for three days last june residents had to truck in water for drinking and basic needs. >> our friends on the ranch right out here, their wells are all gone. our frengsd out here on the

ranch, their wells are now gone. >> reporter: in texas ground water is governed by the rule of capture. if you own the land, you own everything beneath it. residents say that even as their own domestic wells go dry, some of their neighbors are cashing in and selling fresh water. vendors are pumping from deeper wells, dotting the country with newly dug pits like this one, all for frac-ing. >> what do you say to your water? >> oh -- >> you can't say nothing. it's legal. >> it's legal. >> beverly and allen say without water they might be forced to sell up. >> it's very heart breaking. you have done the best you knew how and it wasn't enough. >> this man came to barnhart for the work, now ten times aday he fills up his truck with 5,000 gallons of fresh water and halls it to the frac-ing wells.

>> we try to do the west we can. especially with the water being really low. they rount of water quickly. down. >> reporter: we're here on the western edge of barnhart, we came up here to talk to people who were selling fresh water for frac-ing. but the subject is so sensitive nah that no one will agree to speak with us. there is another catch, water used in fracing is so contaminated that it can never be used again for any purpose without an expensive cleanup. the gas companies have built a massive new contaminated storage facility right in town. beverly took us to see it. what is going to happen when all of these trucks start coming in? >> we'll have lights and a small city. it will be constant trucks 24-7. all day, all night. moving in, moving out, and

waiting. they will be all up this road, dump. >> we are a town that greed destroyed. greed on the part of the oil companies coming in here, but worse than that, it was the people that lived here that embraced that greed. >> reporter: john is a local rancher and vice president of the barnhart water board. >> our infrastructure has been overtaxed, overburdened. we can't meet the demand that the influx of oil people have put on all of this. water, housing, electrical to a lesser degree. >> so the whole infrastructure -- >> everything -- >> everything. >> every aspect of it. >> reporter: you have a situation where you have that salt water -- >> well, it's a an injection facility. the tanks that are there are to hold it until such time as it is pumped down to whatever depth it's going to. >> but that means trucks?

>> lots and lotsover trucks. they are projecting between 200 to 400 daily. >> a day? >> yes. >> what about the people who live there? >> they are a non-entity. oil companies don't care. we have fought each of these salt water injection wells, have gone to austin, and -- to no satisfaction. we're not going to -- oil companies have a lot deeper pockets than the residents of barnhart do. >> reporter: oil companies have successfully fought up sf demands for water testing by they drill. i sat down with debra hastings of the oil and gas association. >> the oil and gas

industry paid year. >> there was a bill that would have widen the requirement for permits for drilling for water use. why was that law not a good idea? >> the process that we have right now is working, and so we believe that it wasn't broken. >> but why if other large users including municipalities and big agriculture have to get permits, why should oil and gas be exempt? >> the timing is the most important part of the permitting process. we want to ensure that when we have a rig available that we can use it. >> frac-ing companies can frac with brakish water or recycled water, but since it has to be treated it costs more. the oil and gsa industry maintains it is only using 1% of the water in

texas. not too long ago, john nanny ran hundreds of head of cattle on his leased ranch. but then the water ran out, and he is down to a couple dozen. >> reporter: the texas oil and gsa industry says the industry uses only 1% of water. >> this is probably true. but there are 254 counties in this stated. and what is that percentage in the 25 counties it has impacted mostly by that. >> do you think they know? >> oh, i'm sure they do. if you are sitting there with [ inaudible ] on average you feel pretty good, right? water will be the limiting factor in this oil boom. when water gets tapped the oil boom is going to dry up, but of course this country without worstless. >> reporter: sheila macvicar, al jazeera.

looking ahead on our gold. >> wherever you have lots of men and lots of money, you are going trafficking. >> the money, sex and violence, it's all happening in north dakota. it's all thanks to america's oil boom. christof putzel kicks off a new series, dirty power, monday on "america tonight." and coming up next on our program, the world's fair. 50 years later, but it like just yesterday. the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto

do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream.

>> our current system has gone very far awry... >> there's huge pressure on the police to arrest and find somebody guilty >> i think the system is going to fail a lot of other people. >> you convicted the wrong person >> i find that extraordinarily disappointing... >> to keep me from going to jail, i needed to cooperate. >> the evidence was inaccurate >> they still refuse the dna >> somebody can push you in a death chamber >> it's not a joke >> award winning producer and director joe berlinger exposes the truth. from the inside... >> a justice system rum by human beings, can run off the rails. >> some say there's justice for all, but they're not in the system.. >> it shouldn't be easy to just lock somebody up and throw away the key >> ...nightmarish alternative

reality, sometimes you can't win... >> an original investigative series. al jazeera america presents the system with joe beringer only on al jazeera america you are looking at an engineering feet, a recent test of the space reusable rocket, the very first rocket ever to make a soft landing. now the ceo has announced another milestone for his reusable rocket. in may the soft landing in the an atlantic. >> that's a really huge milestone for space xand certainly for the space industry.

no one has ever soft landed a liquid rocket boost stage before, and i think this bodes very well for achieving reusable [ inaudible ]. if we can recover the stage intact and relaunch it, the potential is there for a truly revolutionary impact in space transport. >> although the soft landing did go as planned, the recovery proved more difficult. heavy sees damaged it. reusable rockets be make space flight much cheaper. it says it will take a couple of months to refurbish the falcon 9 for another flight. from somewhere out there, to down here, where it's a small, small world. 50 years ago, the new york worlds fair opened. 50 million people came to the world's fair over the two years

it was open. al jazeera's calen ford helps us to remember. >> some places make you happy just to be in them. >> reporter: the year was 1964, the beatles had the number one song in america. but the hottest ticket in the country was to the new york world's fair. a celebration of technology, and global culture. >> it was beautiful. i came several times. the last times, actually -- >> reporter: among the first in line was this woman. as a 9 year old girl she attended the first new york's world fair in 1939 and she was eager to relive the magic. >> it showed me there is a big world out there different than i lived in. >> reporter: the fair's biggest attraction gave

fair-goers a glimpse into the future. some of the products debuted here didn't quite take off. like the jet pack or the underwatunde underwater colonies. 50 years later the exhibit is a modern ruin. known as the tent of tomorrow, it represents a vision of the future where there would be peace through understanding, a message that resinates at the height of the civil rights movement. historian and tour guide richard post has made the fair his passion. >> it was a pivotal time, and the world's fair was old school already by the time it opened, but it is -- the last look of that innocent 50s, we're on top of the world mentality. 64 as we look back, was nothing like the world's fair. >> reporter: for many children

like jim brown who came to the fair 16 times, he looks at his own future. >> it inspired me to do a lot of the things i do today. all of the kinds of things you see as a world's fair is kind of what i went off and did out there most of my life. i particularly liked all of the industrial pavilions and the optimism of the future, thinking bright. >> reporter: jim and other volunteers got to see that dream realized this week when the new york state pavilion once again opened its doors to thousands of people. time. >> the world's fair events to me my childhood, an optimistic world that seemed to end in 1964. it was dinosaurs and astronauts, and science, and chemicals, and fireworks, and everything a 10-year-old boy would want.

>> it started as a grassroots thing, and it seems like it now movement. >> reporter: the project raised more than $4,000 to repaint it, but the city estimates it will cost more than $41 million to restore the tent of tomorrow. still that is money well spent for those who spent their lives remembering when the world came to queens. >> today our work is basically to have people squint their eyes and like imagine the way it was or the way possibly it will be. >> just imagine. and before we end this hour, a

♪ and finally tonight, remember third grade it's often a critical year when learning to read becomes reading to learn.

we found a school in southwest washington, d.c., this story. >> ready? there you go. >> 8-year-old sha nay williams. >> go, run! run! run! >> reporter: just 4 feet tall and 60 pounds dripping less is something less than a powerhouse slugger. >> awesome! great job! great swing! >> it may seem hard to believe, but despite many strikes against her, she is a game changer. living proof that sport can change the ambitions, the dream of a girl born on the tough side of the river. >> like if you play baseball you could get stronger. if you play football, you could get stronger. if you played basketball, you could get stronger, i think and you can get taller. >>

her school is in washington's an cost teeia neighborhood. >> if you travel through washington and cross one of the bridges in the southeast it in many ways doesn't resemble the rest of the city. we are in or close to one of the tracks of most violent crimes in the city. >> navigating a high crime, high poverty, highly transient neighborhood and school gone, doesn't leave a lot of room for sports to flourish, especially for girl. enter home run baseball cam where play ball is more than just a springtime expression. in many public schools, pe is not required, home run invited

in by the principal uses its own resources and coaches to teach baseball to third graders for one period during the week and on saturdays and offers extra help with schoolwork, baseball is the lure. >> what is the baseline for all of our kids to have in school, so school makes much more sense for them. and the things that children learn through sports are the things we need them to know. what is discipline? how do you become self-motivated? how do you form a team? and i think often our girls get left behind in that. >> i practiced a lot. >> at home? >> yeah, i always play ever day. >> very good. it shows. >> home run coach knows something about practicing. the former professional volleyball player sends a lot of her saturdays encouraging a new generation of athletes play ball.

her focus? the girls. >> yes! run! run! >> those little girls to them you are a rock star. [ laughter ] >> these girls want to become, you know, great people like lawyers, doctors, or architects. a lot of them love sports, but they don't feel like they are going to be able to go to the next level. there's not any positive role models or positive feedback. >> while girls in much of america may be crowding the playing fields in neighborhoods like this one, girls receive little guidance towards becoming athletes. boys are expected to excel in sports. >> in a community like this, for third grade girls, title 9 has no effect on them. the tide has not reached them. >> title 9 is supposed to be the great equallizer. >> it is supposed to be. >> is it? >> not yet. they give equal opportunity for

male sports as female sports and it is not seen across the board. >> do people forget that title 9 applies before the college level? >> i don't think they get that. they put the emphasis more on colleges, but they don't know somewhere. >> by the time these girls get to middle and upper schools, it's tauven too late for them to learn to compete. >> a lot of the sports programs are cut. and we had this compete narrowing of the school day to focus on reading and writing. you can't learn baseball skills in high school. >> the third grade teacher say theres is an irony when sports are ignored in today's test-heavy atmosphere. there are so many instances in tests where there is a baseball analogy, and a lot of the kids i have taught in this part of the city, they have no basis.

three strikes you are out. it lacks a lot of understanding of a lot of literature. >> a sportsman will often give the other team a chance to get back in the match. it's about having resilience, having self confidence. i expect everybody to be here. >> it's part of an effort to give kids like shanay a tangible sports experience. >> what is going to happen to a girl like her? >> she has a number of hurdles coming at her, and we're going to tell her you can do it, and you can achieve, but we have to be eyes wide open of what the real challenges are. >> good hustle. good hustle. >> that's a tall order for a tennis ball and a plastic bat, but giving these girls a chance to play ball may make all the difference.

>> that's essence of teaching and coaching. you will have to ask those girls in 25 years what happened back there? >> girls and boys can do the same thing. i was proud, because i hit a lot of home runs, and everybody was cheering for me. except the other team. >> what are you going to be when you grow up? >> i want to play basketball, because if i coach baseball, i will get to college faster. that's what i think. >> home run! >> they are indeed a home run. that's it for us on ex-"americ"america tonight." good night. ♪ >> as america strives for energy independence... >> we can't do it on just solar panels or some wind turbines... >> we look to alternatives >> you are sitting on top of a time bomb >> and the familiar... >> it's amazing what oil can do for ya...black gold >> and what are the human costs of the new energy boom?

>> lots of men, and lots of money, your going to find prostitution >> people are just dropping like flies... >> we're paid with our lives... >> dirty power an america tonight special series only on al jazeera america the cdc blocked by congress from even studying gun violence. we're joined by a congress woman and nra member who was a top doctor at the cdc. also a man supposed to be making history on everest left mourning a friend after the deadly avalanche. plus russian forces allegedly kidnap seven international observers in ukraine. and has the u.s. become an