that brings us to the end of this edition of inside story. thanks for being with us. in washington, i'm ray suarez. this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm thomas drayton. let's get you caught up on the top stories this hour. >> let me be very clear. i'm innocent of any involvement in any conspiracy to abduct, kill or bury mrs. jean mcconville. >> after four days of questioning sinn fein leader gerry adams is a free man. a nation on the brink of law. clashes in ukraine as the police station comes under siege. helping thousands of

survivors in afghanistan after a massive land slide buried an entire town. and saving the past for future generations. . good to have you with us. ireland sinn fein gerry adams was just released from a gaol a short time ago. he was arrested on wednesday, questioning him over the 1972 murder of a belfast mother of 10. he de nice involvement. >> allegations against me in the killing of jean mcconville is based almost exclusively on hearsay from unnamed interviewees. i reject all the allegations made against me in these

matters. >> al jazeera's tim friend joins us by phone from northern ireland. adams had the opportunity to dress the media a short time ago. what did he have to say? . >> reporter: he said there were dark forces at work that had no from in pass in northern ireland, and he called them the old guard. the tapes made were dubious, and the people that made recordings for the academic from the college, on the basis they wouldn't be used until after their death - subsequently they've been released under court order - a lot of those people had grudges against him and the peace process. he said his detention was mishandled and is angry that it

came at the time of election, when he felt he should have been on the campaign trail, campaigning for sinn fein. a file has been sent to the prosecutors - or it will be when the police have gone through hours of interrogation tapes - and if the prosecutor thinks there's a charge justified it's possible that gerry adams could face charms. >> police had a deadline charge or release by today. does his release raise doubts about the evidence? >> well, gerry adams, himself, at the press conference - i'm in the press conference room, it's breaking up - said if they had the evidence they would have charged me already. i think he regards himself as being under the threat of a charm, but i think he is of the view, and his supporters certainly are, that if the police had substantial evidence, they would have made their move already, and perhaps the fact

that it's now gone to a prosecutor to consider, or will end up on the posterior's desk implies that perhaps this is more nuanced and not as emphatic as some might have been led to believe. >> we'll see where the case goes. authorities will send a file of participation evidence to prosecutors. tim friend appreciate it. ed-maloney joins us, he founded an oral history of the troubles. the arrest and allegation is based on those tapes. good to have you with us and your rehabilitation to adams release? >> it's what i expected and have been saying since the outset of this business four days ago. the evidence in the tapes - and i don't know precisely what evidence they are talking about because i haven't been made privy as to which interviews were used in the interrogation

of mr adams. the oral history, they are what is called hearsay evidence. and these are recollections of event that happened over 40 years ago. can you remember what you were doing, what you said, who you met in december 1972. i can't. so a core would be very, very wary about using -- court would be wary about using such evidence unless there was fingerprint evidence or mr adams had confessed and owned up to doing this stuff. without that it will be difficult to sustain a charge. there's of course - and i think this is a reason why the case has been referred to the public prosecution service - there's a public interest in this. under british practice the government can intervene and say because of the effect this will have on important aspect of policy, we are recommending not to prosecute. in this case, of course, the

importance of gerry adams to the peace process, and should he go gaol it would be a big below and bring down the peace process. there are all these factors behind this. i'm not surprised. i was dubious about the entire exercise from the moment the subpoenas were served and wondered what the real motives of the plus were here. and it's ended up exactly as we predicted. >> once again, the police investigation was based on your reach. what were you hoping to accomplish with the research. >> it wasn't baste entirely on -- >> partially. >> partially, yes, because there was interviews with cbs news and newspapers in britain. what was your question again? >> what were you hoping to accomplish? >> this was a genuine academic exercise which was going to embrace all the parties to the conflict, including official

forces like the police and the army and protestant extremists and republican extremists and we wanted to interview as many as they could, befora died, because the conflict lasted for 3.5 decades before we started. to get the grass roots view of history, invariably history rip by leaders and winners. rarely is it written by those that take part, the foot soldiers. we wanted to do that. this will be a valuable archive. >> there are those saying this is bringing back a dark chapter in the past, it should be left alone, it's nothing more than political. >> that's happening without us. hardly a day goes buy without another story emerging about the northern ireland dark past, and who did what to whom, when, why. it's the inability of the parts to the conflict to agree on how

to deal with it, get rid of it that is stopping them moving to the future. the boston college is a simply tom, and we are not the only symptom. it's widespread. it was a lengthy conflict, affecting - you know, the equivalent death toll in the united states of america would have been something like 600,000 people. and you'd be calling that a major massive civil war - something like 600,000 people died in the american civil war. so this is a conflict that affected everyone - everyone knew someone who had been killed, injured or wounded. >> we'll have to leave it there. gerry adams has had been released from gaol, and we'll see what prosecutors do now with the evidence they received. >> ed-maloney, appreciate your time. >> no problem. some of the protesters taken into custody after clashes in

odessa in ukraine have been released. pro-russian activists stormed police headquarters demanding they be killed. arrests came after 40 were killed. the prime minister blamed the violence on corruption in the odessa police department and fired the police chief. jonah hull is in odessa with this report. chant chapt. >> reporter: to cries of our heroes, they emerged from the police station. protesters arrested for taking part in violence in odessa on friday night. for hours, as riot police locked on from -- looked on from behind their shield, the crowd shouted "freedom" demanding the release of those inside. some forced their way into a vehicle entrance. once inside they seemed to be on the brink of control.

and then from somewhere an apparent police decision to aqueous. >> reporter: the city in which great violence was done on sunday night and on the verge of happening again. it seems as if the police force, widely blamed for failing to step in and prevent the violence actively decided to stand back and do nothing in order to present it happening again. >> the crowd's anger was inspired by what many saw when they were allowed into the blackened remains of trade-union building. dozens of protesters labelled pro-russians died in a blaze, trapped in the building as so-called pro-ukraine crowds circled outside. >> translation: i'm going to seek revenge for my people, and every drop of blood of our victims. ukraine's interim prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk was

actually in odessa on sunday. he blamed russia for instigating the violence and vowed to root out corruption in the police force, that he said did nothing to stop it. >> in this section of the population, his words had little meaning. violence continued. we are joined by steven cone, professor emeritus. where do we go from here? >> war with russia, possibly. civil war in ukraine, which is presumably unfolding as you can see from the pictures, which might draw russia cruise the canadian border and n.a.t.o. across the western boarder. >> russia is amassing tens of thousands of troops. >> they've been there for a time. >> what is the major objective?

>> to keep ukraine from joining n.a.t.o., and keeping a large part of it with hundred of years of political association with russia. >> russia doesn't see the current government as legitimate. do you think there'll be elections? >> there's questionable whether there'll be elections. what kind of elections can you have with tanks, fighting. remember, those elections were for the presidency, not for parliament or a new constitution, which everyone agrees is necessary to keep ukraine together. on practical terms, may 25th is 2.5 weeks away. can you imagine elections held there? >> may 11th is a deadline for referendum of activists in donetsk. >> that's a local issue. it's not promoted by the kiev government or the united states. >> what will come out of that? >> we haven't seep the questions

on -- seen the questions on the ballot. it won't have force. it will give local authority to the people occupying the building. if you want a settlement and keep ukraine intact you need a national election. in the west, i mean. in east there's a still war. >> here we have president obama and german chancellor angela merkel talking about sanctions. do they mean anything? >> yes, they mean something. they'll hurt russia economically eventually. you have to bear in mind that for russia this is existential. this is not something about money, that if a trillion or million would buy off. there has to be a serious political negotiationment that's where merkel comes in to play. vladimir putin does not trust obama. obama does not like putin. putin trust merkel. obama is talking to her. the headline - she's unhappy about the tapping of her cell

phone by the united states. let's hope at the end of the day what they really talked about was getting the russians, americans, germans and ukrainians to a negotiating table. >> have western powers done enough in this situation? >> that depend, who began the crisis. if it began last year when ukraine refused to sign an agreement with europe. that gave the country an either or choice. why would you tell a country "you must choose between the two", and little reported, there was small print that essentially brought ukraine into n.a.t.o. through the back door. if you hadn't done that, you meaning the west, we wouldn't have gotten to this crisis what happened since, both sides escalated the crisis sh it --

the west and east. there's fighting in odessa. as long as the fighting continues, you are talking about civil war and possible war with russia. >> an impossible question to answer. when the dust settle, what does ukraine look like. >>. >> that wisdom prevails and you end up with a federated united ukraine. second possibility is civil war, all bets are off or a war between russia and the united states, and down the road two ukraines, eastern and southern ukraine drifting towards russia as one state. western ukraine towards europe. there are other divided countries. nobody wants to talk about it, but it's on the political agenda. >> difficult solution. we'll see the outcome. >> demand on what you want. >> stein cohen, prove so

emeritus of russian cities. in an attempt to end deadlock the iranian president hassan rouhani made a speech on tv. >> translation: confrontation with the world will not succeed. i said from the beginning that this government is on the path of interaction with the world, constructive interaction. when we say constructive interaction some say we are after compromise. >> hassan rouhani has been criticised for histone to the nuclear programme and the signing of a nuclear deal with world powers. afghanistan's president declared a day of mourning for those killed in the landslide. 2,000 are believed to be dead in the badakhshan. yesterday the search was called

off due to lack of equipment. we have more. >> reporter: this man tend to an injured boy. this child is one of the lucky ones to get prompt treatment. this clinic is one of several that have been set up near the disaster area. >> translation: we found on injured child trapped under the mud. he has injuries to his head and is undergoing treatment in the center. he has been provided with medication. >> many other were not so fortunate. when the lapped slide happened it entombed most of the village. estimates of the number killed vary. it's clear there has been a substantial loss of life. >> translation: after the landslide happened, i came here along with my friends to rescue relatives, we couldn't rescue them, a huge number of people have been killed. a number of others are trapped

under the mud. >> for many of the survivors, home is now an improvised tent. with thousands displaced by the disaster aid agencies say they have their work cut out. and there are fears that the hillside that fell on this community is so unstable it could happen again. in columbia authorities say there's no hope of finding survivors after an illegal goldmine collapsed. it's unclear how many were in the mine. there are reports saying rescue workers pulled out 10 bodies, but six more could be below. columbia is one of the top gold prusks and half the mine -- producers and half the mines are operated illegally. in china a bridge collapsed. 11 were dead. a stone bridge fell yesterday. the local government said they failed to get permission to

build the bridge, so residents did the work op their own. three responsible for the promote were arrested. a circus show gone wrong. nine ringley acro bats injured after a collapse. six are in critical condition, but are expected to survive. coming up on al jazeera america - the abduction of hundreds of young girls taken from their school and missing for weeks. what is being down and what are the chances they'll be rescued.

welcome back. californian poll terns took to the talk shows to weigh in on the rants by donald sterling, and the move to take the team from him. jessica taff has the story. los angeles mayor says he has spoken to donald sterling, encouraging the 80-year-old billionaire to apologise. he feels the owner will resist attempts to sell the team.

>> i don't believe that he thinks the league will impose the penalties they said they will. i spoke with him and urged him to apologise to my city and our city which he says he loves, and move towards transitioning a team and restoring a team with new jersey on its journey. >> kevin johnson has a unique perspective, reaching out to the all star, considering him a driving force behind the commissioner's decision not only to ban donald sterling, but hand him the stiffest penalty handed to an owner. >> commissioner donald sterling exceeded those expectations in 74 hours. no one decides things that quickly and he did it in a quick way. had he not come out as vonning, players were -- strong, players were determining what steps to take. he did it to the right reason. >> another former star came to the defense of the clippers' opener, for his right, not fuse.

la lakers superstar spoke out about the methods used to obtain the evidence saying:. >> the hall of famer believes the public should be outraged. he told abc that the n.b.a.'s move was needed, shedding light on an issue ignored in this country. >> more whites believe in ghosts than believe in racism. it's something that is still part of our culture. things have to change. >> the n.b.a. owners meet this week, preparing for a legal battle that can move from the basketball court to the courtroom. a memorial was held in germany for an exchange student killed. a 17-year-old was shot to death after the teen was caught in a

garage. german officials and the family criticised the u.s. over gun laws. hundreds of demonstrators rallied in north carolina to demand a change in immigration policy. [ chants ] . >> they called on the obama administration to curb its aggressive approach to deportation saying it devids families -- divides families, leaving children behind when one our two parents are deported. the president called for a review of deportation policies. in al jazeera's groundbreaking series "borderland", six americans are making a dangerous journey retracing the footsteps of migrants that died trying to get to the u.s. the series wraps up tonight with a look at how they fared into

the desert. >> two hours in the height. she is feeling the strain. >> it's tough, it's hot. i think i overpacked. i don't think people can do this for long. you have to be so careful. the rocks are slippery. there's no flat land. have you to be careful. you are watching the ground for snakes, and you have rocks and other critters. it's hard. you get hot. you have to put something to cover your arms. it's a lot to think about. >> come on any, the sunset is in a couple of hours. you don't want to get caught in the canyon. it's difficult to walk in the daylight. if we are caught in the dark, it will be really bad. we need to move out faster. >> i don't think i've been prepared at all for the crossing. we try to prepare, physically we try and prepare. nothing perhaps you for this.

we see backpacks and shirts, where people peeled it off. if you look at the different articles of clothing, no one is prepared for the journey. >> as you can see here, this is a good resting spot. you see all the bottles. it's a common-used area. it provides shade and cover during philadelphia flyers overs. >> this is a well-travelled area. the coyote have these parts ready. >> these routes have been in existence for a long time, they are owned by the cartel. they know how far to get, and you can see it's used a bit. >> you can catch the series finale is the nine eastern, 6:00 pacific. south africa at a

crossroads. what is at stake in the upcoming presidential elections. mystery and tragedy - the ascertain for hundreds of kidnapped school girls.

welcome back to al jazeera america. let's get you caught up with the top stories. activists stormed a police station in odessa, prompting activists to be released. 40 were killed after a fire broke out in a trade union building. sinn fein party leader gerry adams was released from gaol a short time ago. he was arrested on wednesday, questioning him over the 1972 murder of a belfast mother of 10. adams denies being involved in that murder. 4,000 afghan displaced by a deadly landslide are receiving aid. a mountain collapsed on friday

leaving parts of a town buried. only a few hundred bodies have been recovered out of the 2,000 believed buried if their homes. >> three weeks after school girls were abducted in nigeria, the country's president set up a committee to rescue them. ordering security to do everything possible to get them back. the people are increasingly angry. >> reporter: nige earians are at a church praying for the kidnapped girls to be found. there's pressure on the president goodluck jonathan. he's setting up a committee to look at how the abductions took place, and why the rescue efforts failed. some churchgoers are planning overnight vigils until the girls are found. >> i have children. i have daughters and a son. it's painful.

if i pud myself in the shoes of the parents, it's painful. . >> news of the abduction spread around the world. these protesters in washington d.c. accused the government of mishandling the rescue effort. >> the president of nigeria of the mighty of the country, he had financial resources and can make things happen if he wants to make things happen. there shouldn't be an excuse. >> people have been protesting in london. there's a global social media tribe under the hashtag "bring back our girls." >> reporter: we are urging the government to do more to find them. they are people's daughters, sisters. it's wrong. they need to be found and returned to their families. >> public anger is fuelled by the figures from different levels of government about how many girls have been affected.

the anger is as high as it is because schools have been attacked before. in february '59 students were killed by boko haram at a school nearby. despite billions spent on fighting the group. >> meanwhile the military insists there's an ongoing operation to free the girls, but will not give up details for what it calls security reasons. i asked when the presidential committee is expected to report back. despite the pressure, a presidential spokesperson would only say, "soon." . the secretary of state john kerry spoke out about the kidnappings and said the u.s. will assist nij in any way -- nigeria in anyway to find the missing girls. >> let me be clear, the kidnapping of hundreds of children by bokkar is unconscionable. we'll do everything possible to support the nigeria government, return the young women to their homes. joining me is the nigeria

researcher with human rights watch and joins us via skype from abuja. what do you make of president's efforts to form this committee to get the girls back? >> i think it's coming a little too late. it's more than three weeks after. the committee will be next week. it's coming because the people have been pressuring, going on the streets. there's no way it had to get to that point for the president of the united nation to step up and take action to rescue the girls. >> there's a lot of speculation on who to go after. we don't know the abductors are boko haram. this is a group yet to claim responsibility, which they often do. >> absolutely. it's not in all cases that boko haram would claim responsibility. at the end of - in the middle of march, after the attack on -

maybe two detentions, the boko haram leader did release a statement saying it was going to start abducting women and girls. and the girls that have escaped from the attack in the chibok school, some of them related saying when the group set fire on the building, there were shouts. the camp where the girls were taken to in the forest is also known to be occupied by boko haram. it's difficult to imagine that there'll be another group hiding out, alongside boko haram. >> and when you look at the moet i, there's speculation that the girls were sold into marges for as little as 12 usd. is this nothing more than sexual slavery? >> absolutely. these are teenage girls, many

less than 18 years old. they should be in school. they have been taken into slavery and camps of modest - moderate, and all of this should be a concern to the government of the nigeria, and to rescue the girl before now. i want to talk about the government shortly after the girls were abducted. why did the government lie. >> it's difficult to under the reason why. ultimately what the government and handlers sold -- told the media is they had a breakthrough. that meant that girls were rescued and people on the ground saw no sign of security forces on the trail of the abductors of

the girls. >> how are the families dealing with the tragedies, not knowing? >> devastating. the few that i've been able to speak to the media, the few aired - to air their thoughts and views online, those this had family members in abuja, it's been frustration and anger that there is no one to protect them. they have had to fire local hunters to help them to trace their daughters, and endangering their life and the life of their daughters, it ought not be so. >> what can the international community do? >> absolutely maintain the pressure, the obligation belongings to the government to search for and rescue the girls. without the pressure from the international media, the pressure on social media, the pressure from nigerians on the street, what little we have seen

would not have happened. we must maintain the pressure from all sides. >> you can understand the emotions involved. that was a representative from human rights watch. we appreciate you being with us. at least three are dead after two buses were attacked in the kenyan capital of nairobi. 60 others were wounded. they were driving down a highway when hit with explosives. it follows twin blasts in the southern city of mombassa. four died when a bomb was thrown at a bus station. similar violence has been blamed on the rebel group that operates. on friday the country's president in central african republic said he would renew talks with rebels. fighting has killed thousands. if negotiations don't succeed

the u.n. may follow through with reports of sanctions. south sudan's future is the focus of a week ahead section. courtney kealy is joining us with a preview. good to see you. >> you too. what we'll talk and look at is the recent crisis in south sudan. this is the world's newest nation. it's barely three years old. since december there has been massive blood-letting, a crisis more than 1 million people have been displaced in south sudan, and there's humanitarian crisis with two years of flooding. u.n. workers and world leaders are calling attention to the crisis. we'll look at it in depth on the humanitarian crisis as well as the continued bloodletting. >> as you mentioned over a million people have been displaced. they are trying to get food and water. it's been difficult to get the basics to the people.

>> and the u.n. can't move the basics to the people in the violent arse. we had the u.s. secretary of state in east africa talking to leaders, urging them to send an african peacekeeping, saying the forces should be deployed, up to 5,000 peacekeepers with the u.s., estimating that it needs to come if on the ground. the u.n. is saying they'll need to move in food and the world will have to pay interpretation to star vision. >> back in december both sides agreed to peace talks all of that coming up at 8:30 eastern. >> in south africa people are gearing up for elections on wans. jacob zuma and his a.n.c. party held a rally. despite allegations, he says

africa is better off than 20 years ago. >> we have worked together to build a new society based on the foundations of human rights, equality, justice, unity and reconciliation. we have worked together to build a south africa that truly belongs to all who live in it. >> the a.n.c. party has won every germ election by a landslide since south africa became a democracy, when nelson mandela became the first black president. the economic freedom fighters party held its open rally ahead of wednesday's elections. they are trying to capitalize on growing frustration with the a.n.c. this report on why the a.n.c. is losing support after 20 years in

power. >> this person and their cousin are excited about voting. >> i'll vote for the a.n.c. it founded a struggle and give us freedom. >> apartheid ended 20 years ago. the african ruling national congress has a lot of support, but people are not happy. recently $20 million was spent on upgrades to jacob zuma's home. >> that figure is a bitter pill to swallow for ourself, by the way, including the president, because it's clear somewhere along the line our own institutions which we have confidence in, they failed us somewhere along the line and we need to correct that. >> along with allegations of corruption, poor evers delivery, it could be a tough election. there has been some dignity for

many of those oppressed. >> the a.n.c. delivered for many people. it delivered more housing. water and electricity. those things are important because although the a.n.c. delivered the services, the services are under threat. so people who have access to water often get cut off. people who have access to trusty often get cut off. >> 76-year-old man says he's not voting. >> i didn't renew my membership. because i don't concur with what i see. it is for my own good and the future of my grandchildren that i must take a position which can be favourable for them in future. >> the ruling african national congress is expected to win the election. it must not only honour people but make a better life. secretary of state john

kerry is urging the democratic republic of congo's president to respect his country's constitution and not seek another term. he's asking joseph kabila to abide by a law forbidding him seeking a further term. john kerry says following the constitutional process is vital. the secretary amoupsed 30 million in aid to support elections. a tight race is expected in pan ana for elections. many spect it to be a tight race. the president is not eligible. one of his aides is on top of his party's ticket. if that aide wins, opponents believe democracy will be under threat. >> when we come back - thousands of costumed fans racing though the streets of argentina, one of a signs of a force of star wars

fans felt around the world. >> i see a certain gentleness in his face and a kindness in his eyes. helping the homeless by painting the homeless. one woman's mission to make a

difference. >> welcome back. may the forth be with you - that's what fans say as they celebrate star wars day. if you doubt the popularity, this was the scene in buenos aires, 4,000 men, women and children, most in costume, took part in a race. theatres are planning to show a marathon of all six movies until the seventh is released next year. joinings us to talk about the

stardom of star wars fans is bill wyman. i'm kind of bummed you are not in costume. >> sorry about that. >> it's all good. after all these years the force is going strong, what is keeping star wars so engaging. >> it's an interesting question. george lucas is a storyteller. he has shown it over the 30 or 40 years. there's something about his ability to combine classic science fiction with a bit of myth and art types that resonated in people. and there's a goofy ipp teg rity. for all the money he made, he could have made more. he has been concerned with keeping his universe logical. >> may the force be with you. it's a day for businesses to cash in. >> oh, boy. lucas's film has not put out a

namingor movie and -- major movie and makes $200 million a year, and from merchandise and not ipp clouding his special effect company. he's generating hundreds of millions in income. and for other people. >> it's a cash cow. 18 months ago was the shocker disney would buy lucas film from gorm lucas. how -- george lucas. how did the deal come about? >> it makes a bit of sense. disney brought pixar and marvel and lucas film, $15 billion in new franchises for disney. lucas saw that disney worked well with steve jobs and took care of pixar and let it, for all intents and purposes remain pixar, and he thought this could

be a safe home. he's nearly 70 years old, he's worth $5 billion and felt his legacy would be okay. >> he was concerned about the franchise. what about fans? are they concerned with what disney will do? >> yes, because you don't buy something for $4 billion and not do something with it. they are doing something next year. they have jj abrahams, the guy you go to to protect the franchises. he's a fan boy hero. we may see something half decent. on the other hand people have to realise that george lucas will not always be arrived or the people at the haffed of lucas film. they'll make as much money off the franchise. >> do you think it will change the franchise of star wars? >> i think it will, in the sense that the head of disney has an

obligation to maximise shareholder value. george luke a it's huhs company -- george lucas - it's his company. disney - they'll want to do more star wars and may go outside the par am trs. there'll be those violations. disney doesn't want to destroy the franchise. >> arts and culture contributor. next time costume my friend. >> i'll try. free health care for the homes, the mission of one clinic. one nurse wants to do more than provide support. tonya mosley takes a look at the portraits of promise. >> reporter: every city has bun, skid road, where the homeless call home.

it's pioneer square in seattle. the homeless roam the streets, their faces and stories overshadowing it. in the center a free medical clinic where the nurse offers a unique hearing. over conversation and a staff of a photo larson takes time to build a conversation with people others overlook. >> i sit and look to capture what i see in them every day much. >> what she captures is immortalized on canvas. she has been painting the homeless for 14 years, some hang in the clinic. hundreds have been sole. not for money. >> i don't sake money in exchange for the portrait. i take things we can use for people. maybe 1,000 pairs of socks or stocking caps. >> larson had been snapping

photos of gerard for years but couldn't capture that something she saw in him. on this day he sees the photo that will be turned into a portrait. he believes his new-found religion made the difference. >> i'm transformed. when god in seattles eyes and in maryland. she put it on canvas. she hiked the twupingle in my -- twinkle in my eye and the smile. >> i see a certain gentleness in his face and a kindness in his eyes. >> larson says there are not many hope endings here. the realities of homeless life are hard. one of the lastst subject reminds her of that. >> one of the men i'm painting now is larry. i have known him as lodge as i've been a nurse in seattle. a couple of weeks after i photographed him for his painting i discovered that he

had passed away. >> painting larry is an art. >> i feel it is a privilege to be part of their lives. just to try to make their day better. >> an acknowledgment of the humanity of everywhere and anyone ever touch by homeless n ness. >> a staggering number, one in three americans experience homelessness. coming up on al jazeera... [ singing ] ..the library of congress embarks on a difficult restoration project

psh

psh from the original olympic games to the n.b.a. games sporting events have a lopping history. perhaps this competition shouldn't be surprising. it is the med evil championships at belmont castle. people are there fighting with axe, swords and medieval armour. it's an annual opportunity for people that share an interest in medieval history to come together. we have been recording sound for hundred of years. a lot of that sound hasn't been

digitalized. alan is at a place they are trying to change that. [ singing ] the referee: it's a voice from the past saved for the future. the original dates bang to 1974. it's been dig tied and preserved for the fewered. -- for the future. >> you can see it's bare aloom jip um. this is an embossing process where you cut into the aluminum. it makes a shallow grove, making it difficult to play back. >> the whole operation is part of the u.s. library of congress's efforts to save the audio archives. it has given or collects tens of thousands of items and is trying to save them all. >> reporter: this is a small cross section of some things that have been donated. there are many format, challenges and range from famous

entertainers to voices from the u.s. supreme court. from around 150,000 items, 15,000 will be digitised. it's a tough decision about which goes first. >> this tube has a recording from 1896. do we want it. this is a campaign song for william mckinley. this is a 24 track, 2-inch anna long tape master. this is called a mother. from this you can make a metal stamper from which 78 discs were pressed. >> it will take several life times, but many believe it's worth it. >> we have this century's and last century's great voices recorded. the future will have a chance to hear them and discover them and learn more about us than we were able to learn about the generations before us. >> we have been recording sound

for more than 120 years. earlier works is in poor condition. that hasn't stopped the library. this machine scans the recording, putting them through a computer and plays the soupted. >> sound recording is a modern way of recording our history. there's something about the information that is carried in the human voice speaking. some of these things are spoken words. there's the chance that something wonderful will place dim itisation. for the moment it's the level way to preserve america's sound jewels. timely, one of the world's largest steal locomotives has been sitting in a museum and is hitting the road or the tracks. the train, big boy number 4014 is stopping on its way from california to wyoming where it will be destroyed.

it's run on liquid fuel, a process that should take about three to five years. that will do it for this hour. i'm thomas drayton in new york. "america tonight" is coming up next. thanks for watching. on "america tonight", the weekend edition, the up and down sides of a high plains boom down. in our exclusive investigation, what came to williston north dakota and the high price of that black gold. >> this, right here, is a huge area for prostitution. >> right here at wal-mart? >> wherever the money is and the men are. >> also tonight - a push from the top. the white h