... we pray the grace we have bestowed. from popes to saints, john paul ii and john xxiii join an elite group as the vatican make history. >> day two of a visit to malaysia, the first american president to visit the country in half a century. calling it quits - south korea's prime minister resigns over scathing criticism on how

the government handled the ferry accident. out of bounds - an investigation into the owner of the l.a. clippers caught on tape makeses racist remarks: >> good morning to you. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live in new york. it's an event unlike any other in the history of the catholic church. two popes entered saint hood today. a short time ago pope francis bestarted the title to john paul ii and john xxiii. they were connonized under the gaze of a billion catholic around the world and at vatican square.

nick schifrin joins us from there. what makes today's event unlike any other, and so unique? >> let go through the first time in the it 2000 year history of the catholic church that we have two popes canonized together. the first time in history that we have two living popes having a mass, celebrating a mass in st. peter's square, pope francis and pope benedict, pope until he resigned. this was an historic day. another first, according to the interior ministry. there was some million catholics here around the square watching the event throughout the city. there was one big screen tv, a large crowd ever to undergo a pilgrimage to get to that spot and see this ept. a real sense from those

faithful, a positive momentum, saying thanks of celebrating two of the 20th centuries popes and a sense from church officials of positive momentum, more and more people getting involved in the church, thanks to the ser mopies and the pop u latteries of the popes. >> you mentioned popular momentum and positive sentiments. the decision to canonize the two popes raised eyebrows, what was that debate all about? >> basically this is pope francis and his predecessor pope benedict cutting the red tape. this is the fastest connonisation in the church's modern history. only nine years, like the blink of an eye in the church's history, rushed through because of john paul ii's popularity. when he died, and when he died

nine years ago people said [ speaking foreign language ] become saint now, or saint hood now. that process was moved forward. and john xxiiird someone identified with, seen as a moderate and a liberal, someone that brought the church into the 20th century. he says "do you know what, we can skip the requirement that's been there for centuries of a second miracle. it is not required. let's connonize the two popes together." clearly franities continued canonizing more people. trying to bring more saints into the church and reach out the different aspects of the church. >> nick schifrin - how is this event - you mentioned how he fled the ceremony. the current pope francis - he made groundbreaking decisions which you talked about.

how is today's ept pushing the vision -- event pushing the vision of the catholic church forward? >> right before pope francis started the ceremony he took a breath, a pause. it was like he realised how historic - what he had done was going to be for the church. historically these two folks have been seen on opposite sides. spectrum. john xxiii. john paul ii seen by many as a conservative. people talking about his family values, as we would call them back home. a sense against apportion, against gays. trying to be a conservative member of the church. pope francis says wait, let not think about that, let's think about what john xxiii did.

john paul ii continued john xxiii's message, saying that the two of them cooperated with the holy spirit in renewing and updating the church. that is pope francis's message. a sense of unity, both sides of the church coming together moving it to the 21st century. >> thank you nick schifrin live from vatican city. we'll look at the connonisation and what it means, later in the hour. leaders in the u.s. and malaysia meat as president obama conditions a week-long tour of asia. the first visit by an american president since l.b.j. visited. president obama discussed the missing malaysian airliner, among other issues including human rights. we go live to kuala lumpur. good morning to you. why has it been so long since a u.s. president has been to malaysia. >> it's an excellent question.

u.s.-malaysia relations were not near the top of the agenda. one of the more interesting, ironic parts of the visit is it was supposed to be shorter, by six months. president obama put off a visit to malaysia because of the government shutdown. he had to survey home and wrangle with republicans. why is the white house trying to emphasise the relationship. the pivot or rebalance to asia, malaysia, the president pushing the trade pack, the trans-pacific partnership. malaysia is in on those relations. significantly, the rising power and influence in china. economic and militarily. the president insisting that he's not trying to contain china, but maintain and form closer ties with many of the countries in this region. it was interesting. the president comes to malaysia, there's a lot of pomp and

ceremony. there's a pal over the country as the airliner is still missing. what was very interesting is president obama took the opportunity to defend prime minister naj eeb. there is criticism that the government was inept and not sharing a lot of information with the public. here is a bit of what of the president had to say. >> i can't speak for all the countries in the region, but i can say that the united states and other partners have found the malaysian government eager for assistance. have been fully forthcoming with us in terms of the information that they have. and this is a joint effort. it's not easy. >> so that was a big public boost from president obama to president najib razak. >> you talk about a boost and

forming tie, but malaysia's human rights is front and center. how is the country responding to the international concerns? >> they are responding defensively insisting did prime minister najib razak when confronted about the human rights record, is not what it could be, he insisted he pushed through reforms since taking office in 2009. here again president obama defended prime minister najib razak. part of the issue was there was an opposition leader anwar ibrahim, arrested twice. many observers believe the charges were trumped up. president obama declined to meet with the individual and president obama was asked about that. he said he doesn't meet with opposition leaders. he's sending national security advisor susan rice to meet with mr anwar on monday.

>> mike viqueira, live from kuala lumpur. thank you for joining us. pro-russian separatists in eastern ukraine are holding owners hostage. they are hoping to secure the release and the leader of the rebels said he would consider a prisoner swap meaning he would let them go if they release observers they are holding, we have the latest on the prisoners of war. >> it is becoming complicated. the mayor is feeling very emboldened and empowered by it, declaring that the o.s.c.e. team was considered as prisoners of war, even though it wasn't clear whether they decided that europe was an enemy. they were not allowed in his territory and accused them of being spies, here to give information to the enemies of

his town. now, there's a lot of pressure on him from all sides. we understand that the o.s.c.e. are talking to all sides. and moscow put its weight on it. sergei lavrov said he will do what he can. this happened because of the anti-terror operation that was launched against the town of slovyansk, and never kicked off. it was a complicated situation. from what we understand, the major is under a lot of pressure to release the o.s.c.e. delegation, at least the foreigners. >> president obama said that russia has not lifted a finger to help. economic sanctions should be enough to start a deescalation. south korean prime minister chung hong-won is standing down,

taking responsibility for the ferry disaster. the president has accepted the resignation. anger at the government response to the disaster led to the resignati resignation. >> reporter: 11 days, days marked by grief, anger and recrim nation. the prime minister decided to take the fall. >> translation: the right thing to do is take responsibility and resign. on behalf of the government i apologise for many problems, from the prevention of the accident to the early hand lipping of the disaster. >> on the day after it went down south korea's president chut chunk in charge of the effort. supervising the multi-agency response and put him in the firing line. at one point when parents of missing children threw a water bottle and scuffled with him. and again when he stopped the car leaving the island of jindo.

relatives were furious about the delays. hope of survivors remained, about the lack of and contradictory nature of information from officials. >> there's a wider sense of anger and shame in this country as more emerges about the safety violations leading to the loss of many children's lives. broader questions are being asked about corrupt practices and lax regulations as a whole. against the background president park geun-hye pre-empted a trial by calling the actions of the crew tantamount to murder and called for a civil servant who forfeited responsibilities or involved in illegalities to be held accountable. the outgoing prime minister went further. >> translation: through the accident i felt there's so many varieties of irregularities that continued in every corner of our society and practices that have gone wrong. i hope the deep-rooted evils get corrected this time, and this accident never happens again.

>> an apology to the relatives of those killed, and a challenge to the president and former colleagues in government to engage in far-reaching reform. >> more than 200 homes destroyed after a series of tornado touched down in north carolina. rain and hail pelted eastern counties when six tornados struck the area friday night. one was the first of the season, with speeds clocking in at 150 miles per hour. 2500 hom 2500 homes are without electricity. crews worked to clear downed trees and power lines. owners started the clean-up and 16 sent to the hospital. arkansas, louisiana and texas are at risk with 32 million americans in the danger zone. good sunday morning to you

i'm meteorologist eboni deon. watching low pressure heading into the middle of the country, to the north and west of texas. it will rotate and a lot of moisture is heading northward. some are firing. we are watching kansas into oklahoma, and arkansas and mississippi, where there's severe thunderstorm warnings in place at the time. i'll show you those later in the show. for now, here is the area at risk as we go through the day. it's this area here, where we could see the best chance of tornados, through the afternoon and evening hours. no warnings in place. there's severe thunderstorm warnings around jackson mississippi, heading to the line of kansas. stretching east as we get into the day on monday. we'll watch across the lower mississippi valley, further into the ohio valley. you'll need to keep on guard in the areas.

back to you. >> the owner of the los angeles clippers is under fire for making racist comments been minorities. john henry smith brings the details. >> the website released audio recordings of a man they allege to be clippers owner donald stirling. he wan be heard squalling what it is believed to be his girlfriend for associating with blacks. he had posted a picture of her and johnson posing together on the instagram page. here is a sample lipping of the recordings courtesy of tmz. appear >> n.b.a. commissioner adam silver has been on the job for

three months and this is the first crisis with calls from inside and out of the league to suspend donald stirling as clippers owner. here is what he had to say about that saturday evening. >> donald stirling should be afforded due process as any player or executive in the league would be. it would be, you know, unwise of me, and improper, frankly to express a view as to what the ultimate outcome of an investigation would take us through. >> he went on to say stirling would not answered a clippers play off in oakland california. and said: . >> magic johnson was mentioned and responded with a series of tweets including:. >> the long time los angeles was

not done. he went on to tweet: >> when asked clippers coach doc rivers had these comments. >> this is a situation where we are trying to go after something important for us, something we have dreamed about all our child hoods. and donald or anyone else had nothing to do with the dream, and we are not going to let anything get in the way of the dreams. as far as the comments, you know, we are not happy with any of them. we'll let the due process get a hand out. that situation will be dealt with later. >> obviously coach rivers is african american, as are 12 of his 14 players. the comment played could indicate the team is not inclined to boycott a game, despite multiple reports stating that the players are angry. stirl and the clippers put out a statement in which he does not

confirm or deny being a man speaking in the recording. the statement indicates that the views expressed in the recordings do not express stirling's feelings about people of colour. that was al jazeera's john henry smith reporting. stirling owned the clippers since 1981, making him the longest-running owner. president obama was asked about the stirling controversy and said despite the n.b.a.'s lopping history with blank players and fans the country wrestles with racism. >> when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance you don't have to do anything, just let them talk. that's what happened here. i have confidence in the n.b.a. commissioner, adam silver, a good man, will address this. >> more of the president's rehabilitation at eight. >> a growing outbreak of a deadly virus. medical officials racing to

contain the spread of mers, for which there's no vaccine. >> students get rid of text books, and they go digital. 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

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>> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. modern textbooks could be aening of the past, first the weather. warming up across the south. wr starting off the -- we are starting off the day with mid 70s. as we head into the afternoon the bulk. heat will be confined to southern plains where temperatures could reach record highs. that's an area where we'll see high temperatures in the mid 90s. the record is 96 degrees. we could hit that. on monday the mid 90s sticking around. thunder storms, but the bulk of that rain will be further east of the san antonio area. the conditions fuelling the fire danger in the area, and cooling off as we get into the work

week. later in the week temperatures back to normal with highs in the "8 0s. >> a deadly virus claiming two more lies in saudi arabia. a man died in re-abb and another in jetta. they reported nine cases of the mers virus. the outbreak may be spreading to egypt. rrgets there's no vaccine against it. it has killed more than 40% of people that contracted it. mers or the middle east respiratory syndrome. detected in 2012, it can cause coughing, feemp and num own -- fever and pneumonia and related to the sars virus. it has spread to egypt. >> translation: the patient arrived from saudi arabia with corona disease. he underwept analysis and the infection confirmedment the important thing it to check the

spread of the virus and take the medication. >> mers killed 93 people and infected hundreds more. the worst affected country has been saudi arabia. where 313 people have contracted the virus. it spread to 13 other countries around the world. but most infections occurred in and around the arabian peninsula. >> what we know at the moment is identical virus has been found in camels, suggesting that there is a transmission from the camel to humans, and that's why we see the virus in the middle east. >> the possibility of france mission from this type of camel is significant as the virus has been common in the animal for the past 20 years. two of the recent infections have been of separate individuals from different company, who travel to saudi arabia, and drank camel milk while on farms there. one of the victims died from the

illness. >> the world health organisation says urgent investigation is needed to understand the france mission pattern of the virus. >> a school in upstate new york is switching from textbooks to tech book. introducing a digital library using state of the art technology. that is changing not just how student learn, but what they learn. >> reporter: the method for solving a loggar ith mick equation has not changed. how students learn the lesson has. >> turn to 453. you should see the richter scale here. >> instead of thumbing through a text book to the appropriate page, they turp on the laptops -- turn on the laptops and tablets. they have one portal for the books. all of this private school textbook is digital and online.

the bonus of tutorials and videos. >> they can see the videos and homework help sessions. they access the supplements which are now at your finger tips. they don't have to search for them. every student must bear the cost of purchasing a computer. the cost of books going down from 600 a year. for the school it meant investing a million dollars, a cost that is hard are for public school systems to handle. it has an old-fashioned library, but fewer are going home with the students. technology is changing not only the way students access information and teachers teach, but what they teach. >> with so many facts at student's finger tips, students can focus on analysing information and creative thinking. the challenge is about helping kids become excellent thinkers,

systems analyst. being able to access information and figure out what it means, and how they can use it to make positive change for themselves and the world. >> look up all the information that we have. >> the school blocks the intranet so students will not be tempted by social media. for the tech savvy generation, it's a natural transition. >> everything is more organised, all the textbooks are in one library and one tablet. >> forgetting your book is no longer an excuse for not getting things done. >> the homework is online. the only excuse is i didn't do it. >> at the end of the day, fewer books make for a lighter back pack, with all the information needed a click away. protecting citizens when you can barely protect yourself.

coming up, al jazeera gets rare access to the police force in karachi, a look at the dangers they face on the job. freedom day in south africa. the country celebrates 20 years of democracy after apartheid.

>> good morning. welcome back to al jazeera. i'm morgan radford. these are the top stories - president obama continues a week-long tour of asia, the first visit by an american president in half a century. president obama and the malaysian prime minister discuss the missing malaysian jetliner and human rights concerns. n.b.a. fans calling fowl on the owner of the l.a. clippers, aledly of donald stirling making

racial remarks to his girl. stirling is suspended. he won't be at the clippers play off game tonight. >> from popes to saint - two giants, pope john paul ii and john paul xxiii entered sainthood. millions of pilgrims gathered in st. peter's square. for that, with us is the chair of theology at fordham university. thank you for being was. >> thank you for having me back. >> let's jump into this. why is this so historic? >> the catholic church connonized 80 popes, never two on the same day. >> why now? >> these are giant popes of the 20th assistantury. john xxiii conveeped the vatican council, changing catholicism. the mass set in english. the priest facing the people, and openness to other religion.

john paul ii was the second-lodgest pope playing a role in bringing down communism. these are two different figures. and it says something about the current pope, pope francis, that he wants to honour both on the same day. >> what message is he trying to send. >> absolutely. >> the message is these are all catholics. this is not just the liberal pope, the conservative pope. both are to be regarded as saints, and in a sense making their respective devotas and followers come to the square on the same day and do homage to both of the men, it's an important political statement. >> not everyone is excited. let's talk about john paul. some say this is too hasty, nine years after his death. why is that considered too hasty. >> it's five minutes in catholic church time, an institution that runs over 2,000 years. oftentimes people had to wait a

century or two centuries to be conconized. there were people at john paul's funeral saying "make him a saint." >> why was it fast-tracked. >> the pope, pope benedict. was a collaborator, a close friend and recognised the significant influence that john paul had in the countries he visited. benedict moved john paul's case forward. pope francis made another exception to make his case move forward faster. maybe we are seeing the vatican speeding up. >> nine years, a blink of the eye. >> got it. >> some say john paul was too slow to grasp the seriousnessness of a sexual abuse claim. is that affecting the legacy? >> it's part of the debate. when historians look back, i think it will be - there'll be lights and shadows, and one of the biggest will be that john

paul ii believes so much in the catholic priesthood, i don't think imaginatively he was able to get his head into recognising what was happening. and we don't know how much he was told. i think there's a lot of unaped questions that historians will have to ask. >> given all the unanswered question, will that affect the way the vatican handles claims in the future? >> i don't think so. in the catholic church once you make a saint, that person is a saint. i don't know. i think we'll have to see a lot about what happens to catholicism in general over the next couple of decades. will more be like john paul the 2nd. >> let's talk about john xxiii. we understand the need for the second miracle was waved. what defines a miracle and why was it waved. >> there is committees making these decisions, there are

doctors, scientists involved. one of the greatest miracles, maybe not supernatural, but john xxiii surprised everyone and created a space for new modern catholicism, most know it today as theirs. that, of itself, in an institution that goes on may be the greatest miracle of all. >> and a big deal on a day hike today. thank you for joining us. in pakistan the police are underfunded and don't have the money for the protective gear that they need to fight criminals. it is hard to protect civilians when they can hardly protect themselves. [ siren ] . >> reporter: a team of police makes its way through karachi's

neighbourhood, on a targeted operation, al jazeera has been given access. an informant alerted them to this address. they approach carefully. once inside they find who they are looking for. these men allegedly belong to a well-known criminal gang. in all six people are arrested. and they discovered arms and narcotic in their possession. the mission is considered a major success. not only for the arrest, but because officers face little resistance and not a shot was fired. this is the assistant superintendent of police. he says far too often his me are caught in dangerous situations, without the right equipment. >> we are facing shortage of protective gear. we lack bulletproof jackets and helmets. what i am wearing is not up to the mark. >> karachi is pakistan's largest and volatile city.

for years criminal gangs have been waging a deadly turf war fought along ethnic lines. the taliban and other groups have grown in influence across the city, and sectarian attacks are on the rise. caught in the middle are the police, underfunded and poorly equipped. the dangers of the jobs cost lives. so far this year 50 officers had been killed. we find it difficult to talk about his younger brother. his brother was a police officer. he was shot dead in january whilst on patrol. >> my brother loved working for the police. more needs to be done to protect officers, it's a dangerous job. they need better equipment to keep them safe. they have ordered safety gear for the miss, but haven't said when it will be issued. violence rises, officers will

likely lose their lives trying to protect it. >> a second round of voing will take place for afghanistan's election. no candidate was able to get 50% of the vote. preliminary results show the foreign minister with 45% of the votes. a former economist, ashraf ghani, has 42%. several million went to the polls in afghanistan to choose a successor for hamid karzai. this will be the first democratic transfer of power. >> the run-up to iraq's parliamentary election conditions to be violent. 15 were killed on saturday in baghdad, a day after a deadly attack. 36 people were killed at an election campaign rally. voting begins on wednesday. there'll be no security presence in the country. the last troops pulled out of iraq in 2011.

tonight we'll talk about the challenges facing iraq as voters cast their ballot. join us for an indepth look at the election sunday night 8:30 eastern. >> the meeting of the annual isle association is under way in indiana. its leader gave a rally cry in support of gun rites. >> the people of the n.r.a. represent the very best of america's character and the best of america's strength. we tell the truth about what we believe. and we stand up for the values that we hold dear and our hearts. we are, and throughout history, we have always been the good guys. >> gun control advocates held their own event where survivors and parents protested lax laws involving background checks. immigration continues to be a

contentious issue in the united states. this weekend on al jazeera america we continue our series "borderland", following a group of migrants fleeing central america, including a mother travelling with her 9-year-old daughter. here is a preview of the episode. >> it's dawn and our six will join 500 other migrants boarding the death trend. statistics strounding it are harrowing. 80%ful migrants will be assaulted. 60% of women will be raped. 40% reaching their destination, it is estimated that 500,000 people will risk their lives on this journey. >> i'm nervous to ride the train, definitely. hectic. i'm excited.

we have to do it. >> safety for everyone. >> i have ridden in a lot of tractors, motorcycles, but never a train. >> i have never felt such anxie anxiety. >> i'm looking around. nobody looks scared. everyone seems like - jop, they are ready. it's like do you know what you are walking into. >> i think it's what they are walking out of. trying to see so much hope. they are not afraid. what they are running from is scarier. >> this is [ bleep ] crazy. >> it is crazy. >> [ bleep ]. >> imagine [ bleep ] their life to be willing to do this though. that is the thing. where they are.

they feel that it's worth their life. that's what they see. it's better to die trying to have a better life than stay there and possibly die. that's what this is. for them, it's hope. >> on the route migrants are at rick of being raided by police or kidnapped by criminal gangs. as the train leaves, the group starts to discover how uncomfortable the jorny will

be -- journey will be. . >> being up here, i will never complaint about transportation as long as it has a seat. my back hurts. you have to be careful about how far you move and don't move. i think on the train there's anywhere from 300 to 500 on top of the train. they are not inside. they are pemped on top of the train -- perched on top of the train. it is not safe. it moves back and forth. you need to hang on. . to see the rest of the episode join us at 9 o'clock eastern. 6:00 pm pacific here on aljazeera.com. today sav caps are marking 20 years since the end of apartheid, the first democratic election when all races could vote, back in 1994, when the country elected its first black

leader. 20 years later the change is slow, more can be done. we are joined live from johannesburg. how is the country celebrating. especially as it prepares for the new elections coming up. >> reporter: right now young people are lining up behind me. they are going to a freedom day concert. in terms of the elections people are looking ahead with anticipation, waiting to see which way people vote. south africans are celebrating the good things achieved since the end of apartheid and a lot of challenges that lie ahead. >> photographs of family bring back fond memories. violet gets annoyed. she voted for freedom in the first democratic elections in 1994. she feels young people these days don't understand what it was like lying under apartheid. >> i told them they are stupid. i meant to tell them they are

fools. we live - we used to live like dogs. >> violet calls the apartheid years the dark days. some that spoke out against the government were arrested, disappeared or were kill. 20 years later the ruling party, the african national congress is credited with ending oppression. the 23-year-old learnt about apartheid in school and word of mouth. she knows that she probably wouldn't do the job because of the colour of her skin. she's grateful. like young south africans, she feels democracy should be more than freedom. >> a lot of issues come up with regards to the calibre of leadership in the country. this is riddled with a lot of corruption, you know, leaders that have, in a sense, forgotten people. himmons of people are -- millions of people are jobless, one in every four. there's government failure to

address poverty and growing inequality. >> we have a different kind of apartheid, a class apartheid, benefitting those that benefited under apartheid but with a layer of the black middle craft blasted on to those who benefit benefited. that has to change. this man has down well. >> to have basic needs, it's good today. >> millions more across the country say they are waiting for the basics of water and electricity along with affordable housing. >> let's talk now to a young south african here at the freedom day concert. what do young people, what do you think about south africa 20 years on?

>> south africa, i think it's a colourful country. i think it's mar diverse now, more integrated and more free for everyone to live in. >> you will be voting for the first time. 19 years old. and the first time on 7 may. what will you vote for when you cast the ballot. >> most importantly i will be voting for my freedom as a person, a young person. i think it's important for young people in south africa to be free, and to do what they are capable of doing. >> it's a lot of challenges, inequality, poverty and people angry at the slow pace of delivery, what do you say about that? >> it's a work if progress. it will not come overnight. it will come gradually and with different people getting into government. contributing certain things to our poverty struggles and whatnot that will fix that as time goes. >> thank you very much. >> thank you.

>> that's one of the many voices at the concert. some complain that the ruling party is not doing enough. given the changes that a.n.c. has gone through, they have inherited a mess. black people have been marginalized - no water, electricity or basic services and there has been improvement. millions are waiting to get the basic services, they are frustrated. >> briefly before we go, this is usually a day of celebration, is there any sadness since it is the first freedom day that nelson mandela at been deceased. >> that is one thing we are hearing a lot. lo lot of people saying it's the first freedom day celebrations. people are sad and optimistic and hope that the country move forward. they know the country will move

forward. it's not just about one man, but about nelson mandela. they are optimistic that the future is bright, despite the challenges they face at the moment. >> harra, thank you for being with us this morning. talk about a balancing act - waiters making a mad dash to the finish line in a famous race in argentina. this is more than just a running race.

. good morning and welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. let's go to eboni deon. meteorologist. >> i've been watching the threat of severe weather, but it is bringing snow to the mountainous

areas of colorado. aspen and snow. winter storm warnings through this eaching. in advance of that there's warm moist air in place, erupting. severe thunderstorm watch across kansas and oklahoma until noon with a few thunderstorm warnings in place. >> thank you so much. it's been nearly 60 years since the first solar power cell was invented. compared to sort countries the u.s. hasn't maximised its participation. we look at the challenges and the promises of harnessing the sun. >> reporter: another solar panel goes up on a roof top in los angeles. l.a. is the number one city for producing solar energy. officials want 20% of the electricity to come from the sun by 2020, and california is committed to having a million sol or rooftops -- solar rooftops by 2016.

solar power is, at last, taking off, said the head of europe's solar energy research institute. >> solar number is in a good state. cost incomes are down so much that it is xtive, and it is -- competitive and below household electricity rate. >> the sun is the principle source of energy for life on earth for 3.5 billion years. it was only 60 years ago that people figured out how to turp sunlight into electricity. in the tones of the 1950 news reel bell labs announce the a photo mow sayic cell. >> men have harnessed the sun with the bell battery. here is one mounted in a protective case. >> the renewables 100 policy institutes throughsolar power a 60th birthday party. >> this is commemorating a big breakthrough in the history of

technology, it's a cornerstone of what will help us move forward to a safer, cleaner secure world. >> 90-year-old physicist was the last living member of a team that achieved solar energy breakthrough. >> it's amazing what happened. in the beginning it was difficult. you have to educate the pub lible, what can it do. nobody hard about the device. >> the power of the sun, together with wind and other renewable sources may be the key to controlling climate change caused by industrialisation. xt parties say solar power development must be speeded up. >> for 10% solar coverage, we need 10,000 gigabytes. at the moment we are installing 50 gigabytes per year. >> indeed, man has at last dipped his hand into the sun and drawn down a spark to warm the hearts of men. >> solar number is grown up.

it's still got a long way to go. >> germany ranks number one for using the most solar energy, and the u.s. number four. a waiter needs good coordinationing speed and buenos aires puts its waiters to the test. daniel schweimler reports on the art of waiting tables. >> reporter: efficiency, poise and grace are three of the virtuous required. they were all on display at the 10th annual race for waiters and waite reses in the heart of buenos aires. >> dante is a previous winner, with more than 30 years in the job, he knows what is required. >> translation: a good waiter must be friendly, respond rapidly and treat the customers as well as possible, always with a smile they are the main

characteristics of a good waiter. >> he's worked at the bar in the legal district serving lawyers and judges for two decades, a profession he loves, because he numbers dealing with the public. an often mallined profession. some practice it with a certain alt of style -- amount of style and pan ash. nowhere is the art of waiting a table better preserved than here in buenos aires. the waiters here at the iconic cafe, as in all the major establishments work their way up the career ladder to washing glasses to timely, when ready, serving the customers. it's a story that goes way back, with a celebration of pride in their profession. >> translation: it's a tradition. buenos aires has been a hospitable city, with more than 10,000 hotels, restaurants and

bars, a profession that we are proud of. >> this race is for the waiters and this for the waite reses. 1,600 metres to the government palace and back. balancing two bottles and a full glass on a trade. the winner is not just the fastest, but the competitor with the most balance. that is service. >> daniel schweimler, al jazeera, buenos aires. at the end of the first hour here is what we are following: pope john the 2nd and john xxiiird are saints. day five of president obama's asian tour. he held a conference with the malaysian prime minister. he raised the right of the improving human rights in malaysia. and la clippers owner

overheard making remarks to his girl. i'm morgan radford and i'm back in 2 minutes.

looking live at vatican city, where two icons will be known as saints. >> the united states continues to wrestle with the legacy of race. that's the president responding to racist comments allegedly made by l.a. clippers. what donald stirling is accused of saying about black people.

>> the pastor with a plan to help young men climb the corporate ladder. >> they jump off from the boat, hit the ribs, you know, they are dangerous. and brought here on purpose in the 1970s. today we are getting rid of an invasive species by putting them to good use. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. an unprecedented event where two popes are elevated to saint hood, happening on the same day. the first in the 2000 year history, one witnessed by a billion catholics from around the world. many gathered in st. peter's square. it's where we find our correspondent nick schifrin. a lot of people witnessing history. what are you hearing from the pilgrims about what it meant for them to be there?

>> i think every single person here says they are here in part to witness history and celebrate two popes. i'm here to show you the newspaper from the rome bishop's office. this is saint hood, a sense of unity, a sense that pope francis is trying to create a message of unity, many connecting with john paul. a level of conservatism. a connection with young people, many citing his trips abroad through many years in the papacy and changes to the search the the second vatican council coming in and changes to the church, bringing it in to the 20th century. everyone saying they are celebrating the two men, what they are doing, and how different they are today, because of what they did. >> we know it's not just about the two men.

it's called the day of four popes. >> it was a celebration of popes, two popes becoming saints and two popes co-celebrating mass. pope francis leading the mass, but next to him was pope benedict, who until last year he advocated an unprecedented moment. a message of unity. when pope benedict retired, he said he would disappear from the public life and didn't want anyone to think there were two popes. pope francis coaxed him out of the retirement, the home, a home that pope benedict promised to keep. he's becoming more public, and today the most public day. pope francis coaxing him out there trying to send a message

that we are all unified. speaking of the public, let's speak about the public messaging. they were different popes, pope john paul ii was loved and john xxiii was the icon of catholic liberals. is there a greater message that the counter pope is trying to send by canonizing them both on this day? >> yes, absolutely. and the traditional read of these men are that. they are john xxiii opening the door to modernization to changes in the church and john paul ii tried to close that. john xxiii liberalized the church, celebrating mass in their own language, encouraged to deal with other reliage ons, celebrate with other christian faiths. not popular among the

conservative catholics. the sensis is that john paul ii tried to pull back, francis says no, that is not the case. both men were united in a legacy of reform. >> this is the image of the church, which the second vatican council sent before us, on the 23rd, and john paul ii cooperated with the holy spirit in renewing and updating the church, in keeping with her pristine features. those features which the saints gave her thought the centuries. let us not forget it's the saints that give direction and growth to the church. tying them together. pope francis is close to john xxiiird, and perhaps the notion is like john xxiiird, bringing a church into 20th century, pope francis bringing the church into the 23rd century. >> live from vatican city.

thank you for being with us. >> the question is what do american catholics think of today's event. >> john, we understand that pope john paul - he had a long history with the united states, head of the catholic church. tell us about that. he did. he came here in 1995 with president boipt to preside ever evening prayers and came to the united states on seven occasions if you include a layover, and travelled to all the cities. americans adore him. he's the pope associated with ending communism and travelled widely. the man met more people on the planet than any other person in, well the history of the world of catholics have been prepared for the day for a long time.

posters, flyers, banners. when they come to maths this morning, all over the countries, they'll be given a flyer showing a picture of the sf john xxiiird, and st. john paul the second. what about the sexual abuse controversy. not everyone is celebrating saint hood today. >> no, no, no, the controversy is very real and members of snap, the survivors organization, some of them are very angry indeed with the fat can, and feel that their views are overlooked and ignored and say the man was in charge of the vatican for 27 years. during the time the scandal which began and spread around the world happened and they accused john paul of covering up and doing nothing to help the

victims, when you are elevated it began on now how you ran the business, but how you lied your life. the catholic church feels and my feeling is that most in america feels he deserves his elevation, but there is anger among a certain number of catholics in america that this is happening at all. there's another issue that is controversial. it's the cost of this. you saw the incredible ceremony, costing millions. believe it or not many catholic churches do not get much money, they rely on the plate being handed around. if a church is in a wealthy area, it makes a lot of money. we have been to a church in harlem, which is struggling a little bit in these tough economic times. nonetheless, as you see, the pastor is full of optimism for the future. take a look.

>> reporter: saint cecilia's church in spanish harlem has a history of welcoming newcomers, dating back to 1897 when immigrants first built the church. latin and south americans, ecuadorians and mexicans fill the pews. father peter emigrated from east africa. since he arrived the parish has grown to 400 families in four years. what they lack in numbers and income they make up in generosity of spirit. >> we are all poor, we all struggling. we are trying financially to survive. but let us see how we can gi to the church. how we can have thousands of people. >> st. cecilias races its money and has hep from the arch diocese to pay for heat and insurance.

they are on the way to pay for a new roof. 6% of the catholic budget supports its par eshes. koosheding to a 20 -- according to a 2012 report. father peter reaches out to the community and brings more catholics through the doors, saying he has nothing but admiration and excitement. so the costly canonization of not one, but two popes. it gives us a connection, that it was more intimate. >> people fear the word of god in their language. they celebrate the mass the way it is more comfortable. it boosted the church in a big way. john paul the 2nd people saw hum and dutched him. >> -- and touched him.

>> despite criticism that john paul ignored the child abuse scandal. father says it's about credibility. > it's believing what we preach and say. walk the walk, not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. >> reporter: catholics will begin to arrive for their first service of the day in newark. we'll talk to them, bring you their views on canonization at 11 o'clock. >> thank you john for joining us this morning. >> south korea's prime minister is stepping down over his handling of a deadly ferry disaster. chung hong-won was put in charge of recovery a day after the ferry sank. the government faced criticism for what families of victims say was a botched effort to rescue hundreds of people stuck on the

boat and crucial moments after it took on water. >> translation: the right thing for me to do is take responsibility and resign as a person in charge. cabinet. on behalf of the cabinet i apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident. >> the prime minister will remain in office until the rescue a complete. 187 are dead, many students and teachers from a high school on a field trip. >> president obama met with his malaysian counter part on a third leg of a tour. not all were on board with closer ties. [ chants ] . >> dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the american embassy, protesting the visit and the france pass itching --

trans-pacific partnership agreement that has been made with malaysia and 10 other countries. >> the ttpa agreement - the first thing is they want help. all the capitalists company from america. >> this is the first visit by an american president since lbg visited five decades ago. we have more from kuala lumpur. >> after weeks of criticism and suspicion that he and his government have not shared all they know. the prime minister najib razak had a public boost from president obama. >> the united states and other partners have found the malaysian government eager for assistance. have been fully forthcoming with us in terms of information that they have. >> najib razak's government is under fire for human rights

weapon, with charges of systematic abuse and targetting of gays. mr obama defended najib razak and defended najib razak. >> the fact that i haven't met with is not indicative of our lack of concern. there's a lot of people i don't meet with. and opposition leaders that i don't meed with. >> president obama will send susan rice to meet with anwar. najib razak insists he has pushed through reform. >> you should not underestimate or diminish what we have done. >> as throughout the trip, the crisis in ukraine hung over the president's stop. the u.s. and allies threatened sanctions on broad sectors of the economy. some are baulking. some say the u.s. will not go it alone. >> we'll be in a stronger

position to deter mr vladimir putin, when he sees that the world is unified, rather than this is a u.s. russian conflict. >> president obama's next stop, the philippines, where the u.s. agreed to increase troop presence. new video uploaded to the internet is believed to show rebels in syria attacking government targets. [ speaking foreign language ] >> this clip is said be the battle ground city of aleppo. opposition forces destroying a cement factory. another video shows the government approaching a rebel position. seconds later it's hit by more tar.

al jazeera cannot independently verify the authenticity of the videos. the death toll is put at 153,000 in three years. >> when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't have to do anything, you let them talk. that's what happened here. i have confidence that the n.b.a. commissioner adam silva will address this. >> a fan responding to racist comments from the l.a. clippers owner. jessica taff is here to explain. what is going on? >> when the president is compelled to weigh in all the way from malaysia regarding the n.b.a. there's an issue. the statements were in relation to an issue extending beyond the basketball court. the league and the commissioner is going to handle the audio

released by tmz which has the clippers opener squalling the girlfriend after posting a picture of themselves. here is a portion of the recording. >> they had accomplished a lot. if you wanted to broadcast that you are associating with black people. you have to. >> . >> he doesn't have to worry about magic johnson coming to games, he tweeted neither he nor his wife would attend and if the audio is stirling, what adam silva does next in his first major decision since taking over as administrator will be monumental decision. he addressed the media calling it ex-tense ist and disturbing and recognised the legal ramifications of reacting too

soon. >> donald stirling should be afforded due process like any player. it would be unwise of me and improper to express a view as to the unemployment outcome of an investigation. >> stirling never confirmed nor denied that his voice is on the audio release, but agreed that he would not attend the game. rules may be broad. the league is considering sanctions and would act quickly and expect a decision in a few days. as for the clippers in the wake of stirling's rand. he said he was not surprised by the comments of the opener with a history of racism. rivers met with the team, but said rather than boycott playing.

the team will take the course. >> this is a situation where we are going after something important, that we dreamed about. they had nothing to do with the dream, we are not going to let anything get in the way of the dreams. >> asked whether it was tough to coach for an owner like stirling. he said today it is. >> indiana pacer david west pleaded "sterling articulated plantation politics, make money off the bucks, lay with the women, no association good or booed." lebron james said if it's true, the commissioner has to make a stand. for stirling, the audio is an attempt to get even. she's named as a defendant in a lawsuit claiming he embezzled a million dollars from the

family. the story will keep going and we'll learn what is going on. i listened to 10 minutes. it was wild. if it turns out to be true, what does it mean for someone in a position of power, making statements like that in a league that is more than 70% black. >> you can't have a person in power like that. whether they proit or not or prove ta -- prove it or not, or that it is his voice. they have to deal with laws, tampering. they mate not be able to use it in court. what the league has to do is the fact they can go on - they can go on and talk about whether or not they can get him to basically step down. there's no way in a league like this no one will want to play for your franchise. look at the tweets players have sent out. it's a lose/lose if they have him as president. >> if the players boycott, will the fans follow. >> the players said they won't.

this is where adam silva - his first-time speaking of something of this nature, the fact that players said they will not. have they got a guy like doc rivers, they said the biggest way to take a stand is coming together. not as black me, but as men. they need to come together, stay strong. others talk about if you take a stand and boycott. everyone has to. fans have to got go to games, players can't go, can't just be the clippers, but the league. that is how you take a stopped, not just the one team. they are punishing by chents of their open -- comments of their own. >> jessica taff, thank you for being with us. they are making the grade but not getting jobs. >> we'll do all we can to make sure they have cash in the pocket. >> we'll tell you about a pastor's plan to put young men to work with the promise of a better tomorrow. it could be the end of the line

for the personal computer. a shocking statement from the vice president of microsoft. . check that out - the world cup of pole dancing. apparently it's not just for women.

you are getting a live look at the vatican, were not one, but two former popes have been elevated to saint hood. it's been a few days since the ink dried on a multibillion tech deal that saw microsoft buying nokia. the company that built its business is announcing the death of a personal computer. according to the new vice president of microsoft advances will make the device a thing of the past. what is next for microsoft. experts say whatever the company decides, it will have little to do with a traditional pc. about two out of every five black teenagers are unemployed and that's twice the rate of white teens. a pastor in dallas is trying to change that, by helping boys get

paid internships. it's an effort that caught the attention of president obama. . >> reporter: his weekends look like week nights. rarely does cory smith get a break from the books. >> i'm in history, english, spanish four, a.p. physics. >> unfortunately good grades and tough classes have not helped the high school junior land a job. >> takes forever to get feedback. nothing came back. >> it's hard for young blacks like cory to find work. according to the bureau of labour statistics unemployment amongst black teenagers runs at 36%. that's twice the rate for white teens. so smith has turned to a new programme called thrive. it helps african american teenagers in dallas find, and pay for internships. >> it hooks up an effort so that

young brothers in the streets are working in the corporate streets. >> fredrik is the force behind thrive. 100 young men will be placed for six weeks over the summer to learn about careers they are shadowing. we have to make sure they have cash in the pocket. employers agreed to not only put the teens to work, but serve as mentors. president obama recognised pastor haines. >> i was in a photo line out, freddy haines, a great pastor from the state of texas, he told me this summer they'll hire 100 young men, pay them $10.10, maybe $10.50. >> as for smith and others that apply, if place the, they'll see what they can do in corporate

settings, they'll see who they become as they connect with mentors, and i pray to god that is what will happen, that they will start dreaming large so that one day they will be in charge. >> i was hoping to get involved with that and hook for maybe someone that can give me a little more knowledge in what i want to do with my future, when i get out of high school. >> 100 internships are available, it could grow if more companies decide to come on board. coming up, a triple threat in washington. three female senators who may be power players in the race for the white house. could they make a bid for the obviously office or team up with hillary for an all-female ticket. weekend politics is next. >> it has more bound. but it's really good. people need to try it. so it's not the tastiest

fish in the sea. eating it may save the rest of america's marine life.

> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. coming up, catching and eating carp. first, a trio of women that could be in the race for president. there's 23 senators, 16 are diplomats, including elizabeth warren, amy of minnesota, and kirsten gillibrand of new york. any won could be a candidate for the white house. there's take of them being running mates for hillary clinton. that's first up for weekend politics joining me is republican strategist gordon. aid to the jonathan cainer campaign, and doug who is a democratic strategist.

thank you for joining us. >> good morning. >> let's jump into it. california senator diane wine stin doesn't think it's a good idea to an a two-woman ticket. is she wise or short sited. we had tickets with two men, two southerners, like 1992. what do you think? >> it's possible to have two women, it's a question of where they are coming from. elizabeth warren is far to the left. hillary clinton is the presidential nominee. she bikes elizabeth warren and cuts off a slew of folks, backing the candidate. it's a question of the ideology than a question of whether it's a man or a woman. what do you think. >> i couldn't disagree more. i can't think of two stronger people on one democratic ticket. mrs. clinton is widely

recognised all over the world. she's dynamic. people yearn for the clinton economy, and senator warren appeals to those voters voting for president obama in the 2008 primary. what we are locking at is a united ticket at a time when the republican party there's a civil war going on. i'm for a 2-woman ticket, at least in the democratic side. i think it will really activate women voters. it's a win k ticket. >> if you were on the democrat side, it could be a 2-woman ticket. it may not matter what party it's from. we are talking about elizabeth warren. she did not miles per hour words when asked by c b is. if she was running. let's go. >> i'm not running for president. you can ask it lots of different

ways. there you go. >> you can ask a lot of different ways. she is not playing games. if she changes her mind, could she be the next president obama. >> that would be a negative for the democrats. he has a low rating. he's not popular or used across the states during the midterms. if she was the next barack obama that would be a negative for the dments. having someone with little experience, governing experience is a disaster in the presidency. >> she has an incredible populous message, waiting tables, married at 19 and has public appeal. do you agree? >> she says she's not running, so she's not running for president. everyone in the democratic party is excited at the prospect that hillary clinton is going to be the nominee of the democratic party. look, we had failed economic

policies, two failed push economies. any day of the week i'll put the economies up against the clinton economy, and that is what people remember about the clinton years, is everybody was doing well. >> it wasn't about the clinton years, it was about elizabeth warren. hillary clinton has not said she is running. joe biden is not excited about hillary clinton being the nominee. he wants to be the next president of the united states. others in the democrat field as well. there's republican party out there who has a strong candidate. >> let's not forget. dough raised an interesting point, talking about the push and clinton economies. speaking of bush and clintons, jed bush gave a clear indication that he is considering running for president in 2016. if he does, what hurdles will he

have to climb to win the faces of the american people. will his last name hurt or help him. >> it will not hurt of the the approval rate of george w. bush is over 50%. it's higher than president obama. the only hurdle to clear is in the presumery for the republicans, that's notersiously a tough primary. jed bush is a contender, something that the republicans should take a long look at as a potential presidential candidate. he has a great history. his name will help him. >> the hurdles are not small. jed bush is a 2-term governor with a record. fortunately his record does not sync with the far right voter of the republican party, he's not with them on immigration, or common core, and he worked for tannant health care where he

made $2 million, and the health care company, that supported the affordable care act - i don't know how jed bush gets through a republican primary, reconciling his record with the view points of the far right in his party. >> that's an unfair characterisation of the process for the republicans. since we nominated george w. bush. and jonathan cainer. if any candidate is far right. you would be wrong. >> speaking of the far right - sorry, go ahead. >> everyone knows that jed bush relates more to his father's brand of the republican party. the moderate republican party as opposed to his brother. so that's - that profile will hurt him. >> you look at mitt romney. republicans nominate candidates

appealing to the spectrum. >> i want to stop you. you said the entire political spectrum and not the far right. let's move on. cliven bundy was on his way to folk hero status. he was becoming the face of the tea party until this. let's take a listen. >> they abort their young children, they put their young me in gaol because they never learnt how to pick cotton. and i often wondered are they better off as slaves. >> that's hard to watch. talking about black people there. now, all his republican supporters are running away. how big a problem is this for the g.o.p. which are fighting off perceptions of tough race relations. >> it may be a problem for ted cruz or rand palm, but not for jed bush or chris christie, who represent more of the central

part and can unite the republican party behind them. maybe for some folks it's a problem, but not the main candidates. >> you have guys like rick santorum who are going to beat up on anybody coming from the moderate side of the republican party. as we see in the u.s. congress, it's the tea party, the right wing that is holding up progress in this country, and they are going to hold the republican party primary process hostage. >> speaking of holding hostage. we saw the first black rnc chair saying look, the republican party has no wriggle room for these - he called it a level of stupidity and ignorance. do you think your party is held to a higher standard? >> to a degree yes, and it's based on some things that happened in the past. i disagree about the tea party holding up progress. a lot is due to the president

being able to work. john boehner is not a member. it's a small bloc. they cause problems for themselves, they do not cause problems for the larger republican party. >> you mentioned john boehner. attorney general eric holder announced barack obama's initiative to granting clem epsy to nonviolent drug offenders. the house says president obama is misusing his power and congress, not the president should determine the length of those sentences final question - true or false. >> it's true to a degree. there's a constitutional issue. president obama, over six years in the white house has not found away to work with republicans on the hull. something heard of - president obama has not chosen a way to

find a pathway to capitol hill, and that is a cause for issues like this. >> what do you think? >> well, i think that we see it now with the case of imgrace. the tea party will not allow the speaker of the house to run the house of representatives. and john boehner is completely held captive by the right wing of his party. it may not be the whole republican party, but is the largest part of the republican party, and the strongest part. until the republican party finds a way to control the winning of their party, they'll have a devicive presidential primary. rm got flow the party, we canned igfor that rick santorum hurt them. >> whether they are the loudest or the quoit. al jazeera will watch the event. both joining me live this

morning. >> right now, breaking news out of ukraine. a meeting is underway to negotiate the release of european inspectors. the group is held by pro-russian sprutists. the leader has gone into a meeting with a team set to broker the release. earlier they said they would only do so if kiev set free pro-russian prisoners. we'll monitor that situation throughout the day. now we are joined by eboni deon, meteorologist, who joins us for a look at the forecast. >> we are zoning in across the southern plains as we go into the next 24-46 hours, we are dealing with an area of low pressure. it's tapping into moisture and storms have been erupting through oklahoma, into kansas and mississippi. storms are racing off to the north and north-east.

they are not going to last that long in the areas where we have the severe thunderstorm warnings out. needless to say we are seeing the storms erupting around little rock and right around oklahoma to the north of you, where the warnings are in place. the thunderstorm watch - be on guard for the active weather we'll see throughout the day. behind us, the dry windy air is moving in, creating high fire danger. the threat includes st. louis and kansas city, moving eastward as we head into the day on monday. >> states across the country are trying to solve a fishy problem, the invasive asian carp is known tore high jumping circles that can be a danger to voters. they are gobbling up other fish and taking over waterways. fisheries are taking inventive measures to cull the carp.

>> reporter: what to do you do when an invasive species overcomes the waterways. for two rivers it is earn millions for sending them back to kyna and credit with -- to china, and credit with culling the fish. >> last year we market to the u.s. we will cut down the numbers. >> the massive asian carp arrived in kentucky in the 1970s, and '80s to cal algae in ponds. floods overwhelmed the ponds, carrying the fish into waterways including the mississippi river. the herba vors are bounding out of the lakes and rivers. breaking butler's ribs. >> they are dangerous. he took over the small likes and

refuge. too big, boney and foreign, earning $0.10 a pound. with the ever present carp catching on. george uses a bow and arrow. karp is a dirty word. in europe and asia it's a delicacy. people don't know over here. they are used to the big macks and french fries and don't want to explore other opportunities. >> for most fish, there are limited seasons when you can reel them in. there's nothing fishing wildlife officials would like better than to deplete the stocks of asian carp so you can reel them in year round. >> we are trying to feed and employ people in a community that needs employment. >> it does have more bones than other species, but it's good people need to try it. with the first of the invasive

critters appearing. no one is worried about overfishing asian karp. except two rivers fisherman. >> speaking of pom, when you speak of poll dancing you probably thing of strip clubs. it may be where it started in the '90s. more than 150 dancers are flipping. spinning and climbing up the polls. dancers are judged on the difficulty and artistic performance the winner getting $5,000. >> the supreme court wrangling with the issue of affirmative action, what it needs for minorities and college administrations - whether it's a step forward or background in the fight for economy.

good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. it could be the beginning of affirmative action, the supreme court voting 6-2 upholing michigan using race. several other states have bans. the court ruling may lead others to follow suit. we have more. >> reporter: the supreme court ruling comes eight years after michigan voters banned affirmative action in colleges amending proposal number 2:. >> since then the number and percentage of african-americans at the university of michigan dropped from about 7% in the fall of 2006 to just about 4% last fall. the perm of hispanics enrolling

is the same. >> the university says it encourages minorities to apply. it's trying to recruit the minorities. critics have already come up with plans to put constitutional amendments on the pallet. >> let's look at the history of affirmative action and the supreme court. the issue was put on the map in 1978, that's when the university of california versus boqqi saying it could not have a quota system, but race could be considered for a diverse student body. 11 years ago there was bolinger and rutter. and that is when the court ruled affirmative action could be used if ways was a factor in emissions. if race boosted capses, it would be considered unconstitutional.

fast-forwarding to last year, affirmative action made headlines and it heard the case of abgale fisher. denied administration to the university of texas. the supreme court threw it back to the lower court saying it should be the ones to decide. here is the ruling that came down showing that universityies can show preference, but stayed cleanse can consider race. joining us is the university of law. and haly potter. >> kevin and hali, what do you think. what does that mean for the future of college emissions. >> i want to correct a little bit. the 2014 case doesn't only say it's a direct ruling but the court is saying that the states

can have a ban that is voted on by the majority. >> so they decide. >> the state has the power to decide. in his opinion, justice kennedy is saying this is not a case about race or affirmative action, it's about a state's rights issue. that's how you see it. from a political and policy perspective, what you see is another step making it more difficult for colleagues to use race-based admissions. we saw the preferences could be legally vulnerable, because the state vote on the issue is allowed, there's a political vulnerability. opinion polls show that many americans are against race-base preferences. >> i know you have done research showing what happens when you take race out of the equation. what did you find. >> the good news is there's a lot of strategies based on

socioeconomic trat any. not only economic diversity. but racial and ethnic diversity. the programme depends on howl they are implemented. >> it struggled. they could be doing more. a model they want to follow is the university of boulder. developing a soeshia economic plan looking at different factors. not just income, but education levels, what was the high school like, what resources were available. consider all of that and then measure achievement based on comparing them to students of similar backgrounds. how do we consider that student's credentials, considering the soeshia economic obstacles. when you make class or focus, when you take race out of the equation, do you achieve the

diversity that american schools want or should achieve. >> it shouldn't be one thing or the other. it's a combination of considerations of background which could include race, something that people are born into. also, a class which people are born into, but in a different way. then... >> in a less obvious way. >> because then if we are only considering socioeconomic status, this is presupposing that diversity will come back when we have considerations of poor people, saying that all blacks, all hispanic people, all native american people are poor. we have a diversity from middle class black kids. memory groups that are not normally considered when we think this is what we need to achieve a diverse institution, and this is how children can have - i was reading your writings, there is a massive importance of diversity, it's

not just what you learn about in class, but who you are around, who you associate with, and they encounter a difference, which is important to learning about the world. >> it takes on performance, i want to talk about some groups when you think of disadvantaged populations. socioeconomic obstacles are seven times greater. looking at the control room, a study in 2010 found being poor translated to scoring 399 lower on the s.a.t.s, than rich kids. being black translated to 56 points lower than white kids. what does this decision, from the supreme court, mean for poor white students? >> i think the positive thing is that hopefully we are seeing universities and americans shifting their view and thinking about life experience and how race and ethnicity is part of that, soeshia economic factor is

huge. it's a win in terms of being able to increase representation of students of all baghts that really have faced socioeconomic obstacles. it's a lot of overlap between race and socioeconomic status, there are some things, there are strong correlations based on racial discriminations showing up. not just income, but if you look at wealth for black and hispanic families and white families, there's a huge gap. if we are able to account for those we'll get that. >> we saw some of that correlation, in 2004 they said "let's focus on class", the number of black students wept up. it raises the question of what is the difference when we talk about public and private universities, how does it play out? >> you can have an incredible

difference in understanding of diversity. i'm thinking of my own personal experience. i went to a private undergraduate and a large public, the university of mish gan for graduate school and the meaning of diversity was different. i think that in a private university you would have an experience of diversity, and you went to harvard where there'll be - there's massive racial difference, but then, you know, there's kids from greenwich, and from other areas, and you'll have a racial diversity, not so much an economic diversity. >> that racial diversity is different. >> interim minority groups are seeing that. >> i found within the state institution, it was more of what i called a vertical diversity. where there was a lot more economic difference between the students. if you draw on a population

within the state, you have kids saying my teaching classes, dad is an auto worker in michigan. i'm from a farm in the peninsula or this type of background, and i found that a completely different and ipp vigorating way of encountering experiences in a way i never have before. it's orinitial, and it's been i'm different to you are, what can i have to teach you. >> how do we come out of this check bomb diversity where we say i'm black, i check the bomb. i'm diverse, i bring something knew to the institution. if it's more than that, briefly, before we go, what do we do to get to the root of that issue. >> when we think about merritt. think about raw academic qualifications, but what have students overcome to get to that side. when we tiping about diverse -- think about diversity, how can we have enough for the groups to

feel deported. and there's a variety. >> thank you so much for joining us, waking up sunday to be with us. that will do it for this edition of al jazeera.

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