voters in eastern ukraine head to the polls deciding whether they want to remain part of the country or become independent. tornados tear through missouri, toppling trees, damaging hundreds of homes. [ singing ] taking to the streets. cities across the country rally in support on the hundreds of school girls that kidnap in nigeria.

>> the st. louis rams select michael sam. and the n.f.l. score a touchdown by drafting the first openly gay player. good morning to you. welcome from al jazeera. live from new york city, i'm morgan radford. the vote in the east is called a step into the abyss. troops are standing guard outside more than 3,000 polling places in the russian city of donetsk. 70% of voters are expected to turn out for a vote that the u.s. and european union call illegitimate. it could throw the presidential election in jeopardy. >> the voters register is out of date. it seems abund and opportunity for electoral fraud. >> the man overseeing it says it's too late to stop the now. my class is to give every resident an opportunity to vote, and inform mass media and the

world community about it. the people of donetsk deal with it, i don't know. >> voters will be ask whether they accept the creation of the donetsk people's republic, a self-declared entity. talk of the crimean scenario hints at what mights follow. a vote in favour of the pro-russian people's republics. it's widely predicted. a know vote is upthinkable. >> you know, it's hard to say, i think no less than 70% will vote yes. >> away from the par cades, pro-russian sentiment is more nuance said. a poll found two-thirds of people disliked the authorities, but only 18% wanted the eastern region to ses seed to russia.

we approved of the referendum. what else did we do. we want peace and calm. we want to work as we did before. >> of course, if i go, i would vote no, because i find this referendum unacceptable. there are no observers, no control, no voters list. one can vote as many times as we want. it's not a referendum, it's a mess. a mess is what mario polled is. in the aftermath of friday's raid by ukranian security forces. seven were killed. they were the exact circumstances that are disputed. the aftermath is clear to see. people here were already hostile for the kiev government and now are seething with rage. on sunday that anger will be vented through the polls stations. >> ukraine is set to hold elections on may 25th.

the u.s. and germany and france up their sanctions in russia if the vote fails. >> remember to stay with al jazeera america for cover ig in a report from a polling station in donetsk. we turn to breaking news out of yemen where 14 have been killed at a suicide attack in the south-east of yemen. officials say the death toll is expected to rise because of the powerful nature of the bomb. we have a live report in a few moments. nigeria is stepping up the effort to find missing school girls, placing military troops along the border. soldiers have been diploid to areas close to chad, niger and cameroon. experts arrived saturday to help with the efforts. they joined british and american teams trying to rescue the girls. boko haram is ramping up its

attacks they blew up a bridge and many nigians criticised the government for being slow to respond. nijians pray the girl will be brought home. we go live outside a churn in abuja. there are reports that the girls may have been slt up into smaller -- split up into smaller groups. what are the teams doing to find them. >> well, the nigerian military has been tight about the nature of the rescue and search operations. they are not going to provide running commentating on the military operation. they have spent soldiers from two army divisions spreading across the area. it is a very vast area that i have travelled to nearby nigeria. it's bushy, remote, and is not an easy terrain in terms of

search and rescue. these fighters are from the arse. they know the push inside out. the number of goals is a large number and there have been reports that small groups from cameroon, chad and nijer. but the president goodluck jonathan believes that the girls are still within the borders. involved in the search are not just the sold earliers on the ground -- soldiers on the ground but the ij earian air force. a difficult search and rescue operation. we have seen, of course, the involvement of the international law enforcement experts from the united states and the u.k. >> you mentioned remote areas. how are people in abuja reacting. has it taken a toll on their daily lives? >> i am here in this church in

abuja, the holy catholic church. there are prayers for the missing girls. this urged all the congregations to do the same thing. you do get a sense of how far much this crisis has - the national crisis brought people together with nigeria's diverse faith. nigeria is split between muslims. and we are seeing prayers across the christian churches and the catholic church saying it's time to stop blame and accusations. an interesting prayer from the priest in the congregation, praying not just for the girls, but capture of boko haram fighters o see the light. those are the words used in borno, the predominant muslim state. they called for fully days. thank you so much for being with us this morning.

about 50 of the girls have escaped. some of them are speaking out about what happened on that day when boko haram entered the school. al jazeera's kaitlin mcgee shares their story. >> reporter: for these mothers, desperate to get the daughters back, the grief is matched by rising anger. they came together to press the government to find the 270 school girls snatched by boko haram and to hear some of the girls who managed to escape, revisit the ordeal. >> translation: when they came in, they asked us together, but they started acting more the location of the engine block. i told them we did not know. they threatened to kill us if they didn't tell them. >> another girl gave an emotional account of how they ran for their lives. >> when we got to the bush, they asked us to get out of the car.

i told them they were better to be killed. we got out of the car and started running. the family hoping to see their daughters return home, are calling for more government rehabilitation. this woman asked the crowd what they want. the course answered - please help us, we want our children found. the head, the largest block of countries describes it as barr barrack saying groups like boko haram disavow islamment for nearly a month the families have been left to wait with anguish. for now, with boko haram threatening to sell the girls into savoury, their desperation cannot be contained. boko haram has killed more than 1500 people so far this year alone. meanwhile here at home the outrage of the kidnappings is growing. >> millions of people are showing their support all across the country.

people chanting "every girl deserves a future", and "bring back our girls." they need to know the world is with them. >> we are not backing down. we are making our voices heard. >> president obama vowed the u.s. will do everything it can to help find those girls. a wall collapse at a recycling plant killed 18 in china. it is about 400 miles east of beijing. chinese officials say the up to has been dremped by heavy -- drenched by heavy rains and the wall fell on a house with 40 workers inside. three others were injured. >> a pair of tornados destroyed hundreds of home, one touching down near kansas city. tree toppled, cars flipped roofs blown off. in marchingal farms from flattened and powerlines toppled. no reports of injuries.

>> there's a threat of tornados and severe thunder storms. let's bring in meteorologist eboni deon. >> we are watching for active weather again, and we'll focus attention on the area shaded in red. now the storm prediction center issued a moderate risk of weather, a better chance of seeing tornado when we dealt with yesterday. as we go through the day to day, stretching to parts of the great lakes, we see the trech. by the time we head into monday, it will be in the middle of the country stretching from michigan, wisconsin, down to missouri and st. louis. looks like it will be a bit active, even early in the work week. we have a thunderstorm watch in the north central arse. i have been watching a line of storms lifting. you can see the line along i-80. expect heavy downpours with the

line. we could be dealing with wind gusts. looking at the set up for today, there's a potent spring storm system moving north wards. to the south, warm air. we have cold canadian air slipping southward to the mountainous areas of colorado, into utah, triggering snow showers. this morning, in the denver area, we are dealing with rain, but as temperatures fall throughout the day, getting into the low 30s, around the freezing point, we get the switch to snow. winter storm watch is now a winter storm warning and vz ris are -- advisories are into effect. bulk of snow 2-3 feet, in localized feet. in denver, around 6 inches of snow. university of richmond officials say two people who died in a hot air balloon accident were staff members from

the women's basketball team. authorities are searching for the third person, and it caught fire after crashing into a power loin. the national transportation safety board is investigating the accident. >> it's been a year since pakistan held democratic elections. to mark the days rallies are held across the country. chief of the pti party, imran khan, will address his supporters. we are joined live from the capital in islamabad. it's been a year since the election. why are some parties on the road protesting against the government? >> well indeed, the reason for that, they are saying, is because there were massive rigging at the elections. imran khan is going to be presenting a charter of demands at a large rally. thousands of his supporters are expected to arrive. although the rally was supposed to start in an hour's time, it

will be delayed because the crowds are arriving. however, imran khan says that he had gone to the judiciary. he wanted justice and said that the justice was not provided and there was rigging in that election, and, therefore, there was no other choice but to dom the street. he'll announce a country-wide protest, a movement, and that will be a challenge for the government. which just completed one year in power. >> you mentioned a list of demands. kahn was unsuccessful in his bid for prime minister. what is he trying to prove by holding the rally? >> what he wants is he wants to send a signal to the government that the election commission which oversees the elections has to be a neutral and impartial body and is eye cueing the outgoing chief justice of pakistan of colluding with the

ruling party to make them win the election. what he's asking for is a revamp of the election commission. the ruling party is accusing him of decrailing democracy. they say they have many challenges and to overcome them there has to be political harmony. the message from the government is that imran wants to strengthen democracy, making the elections more meaningful. cam article - thank you for being with us this morning. >> as the nation celebrates mother's day. one mum shares her story of loss. >> i want to know that he's fine, and he's not suffering - how she is a turned her pain into awareness. >> it really does worry us. but our hands are tied. plus a struggle to save.

why so many fall behind on retirement savings. what michael sam is saying and tweeting. true business-grade internet comes with secure wifi for your business. it also comes with public wifi for your customers. not so with internet from the phone company.

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good morning. welcome pack do al jazeera america. one mother shares her personal tragedy and how she uses her loss to enact change. first, temperatures with meteorologist eboni deon. >> we talked about the weather. a heatwave - passing the 90s, and tripple digit in the area. the heat expanding up the coast over the next few days. san francisco starting to feel the heat. as we get through the next couple of days, 73 degrees, enjoy it while you can. conditions for you, los angeles 81. mid 80s around phoenix. over the next few days, los angeles, we'll be closer to 90 degrees, hitting the mid 90s.

textures climbing. by thursday it will be close to the century mark. well above average and the north-east - a face warm wrap-up to the weekend. a beautiful mother's day, keeping us dry, a few spotty showers, and it looks like we'll see temperatures climbing to 80 degrees. 84-78 in pittsburgh. here is a look at the nation, keeping it cool across areas where we see snow. 39 degrees in denver. >> today marks the 100th anniversariy. today was marked to give mothers a day to mourn their sons. a mother is emerging as a gun control advocate after her son was shot and killed. a woman that said she will always be jordan's mum. >> it's too hard and too much, you know, effort for him to make up the bed every morning.

>> the quirks that mums know stick in the mind when a child is gone. lucy says her son jordan davis was meticulous about his appearance. he wanted everything to match, from his hat to his shoes. she says he didn't smile for the first six months of his life, but after he never stopped smiling until the day he was killed in 2012, after a dispute over loud music. >> but i know that he is fine. and i know that he's not suffering. >> lucy will always call hers jordan's mum. now there's an ache attached to that title, that will never subside. in february, a jury in jacksonville deadlocked on the first degree murder charge against the defendant in jordan's death, michael dunn. the state attorney plans to try him again. >> it's like a dark cloud over

our heads, something we thing about every day of our lives. >> since her son's death she as stepped into the spotlight and testified in the fall to a committee investigating the stand your ground laws, allowing people to defend themselves if they feel they are in danger, instead of running away. dunn says he feared for his life. during her testimony she disputed that. >> an angry man who owned a gun kept it close at hand and chose to demonstrate unbridled hatred one barmy evening for reasons i will never under. >> the laws empowered the belief and rage over my son's own life. his liberty and pursuit of happiness. the role is not something she envisioned. she can't imagine doing anything else. >> i feel a responsibility now

to protect others, to keep the very thing from happening to others. >> she said jordan is speaking through her, guiding her. >> everything i prayed for jordan over the year, all the application i wanted him to have, all the love i wanted him to have. everything i wanted to give him. god has gin him that tenfold. >>? jordan's room is a photo, taken for mother's day, long before the holiday became a painful reminder of a lose no mother should have to bear. >> president woodrow wilson set aside the second sunday of may to be the official mother's day holiday a boston marathon survivor crossed a new finish line. jeff lost his legs and yesterday he and the man that saved his life joined forces again - this time for commencement speech, telling graduates that life is

full of starting lines and heart break hills and you have to keep running forward. both were awarded with honorary degrees. americans are living longer than before. as life expect si goes up many struggle to save money. one-third of americans have left than $1,000 in savings. we have this report on why many have little tucked away. >> when karen workers it's as a volunteer. she retired a few years ago at age 52. after three decades as a county government worker. >> a main reason for taking the job was the excellent retirement that the country had. >> her 28-year-old daughter has a management job with a small company, but has not been able to start saving for retirement. >> does your company offer a retired plan? >> not at that time. >> did you ever work for a

company that offered a retirement plan? >> no, i haven't. >> nor man thafl of american workers -- half of american workers do not have a retirement plan. workers are more likely to start putting money away than those without company plans. >> people making between 30 and 50,000 dollars when they are covered by a man at work. 70% appellant. savings plans like 401 k, when they don't have access to a plan at work, less than 5% save on their own. >> conquer says having money deducted from her pay check was key. >> i did not get to factor that dollar amount in to my monthly budget. >> the retirement situation is especially dire for blacks and his panics. a recent report found those families have $30,000 socked away. compared to 120,000 for whites near retirement age.

>> let's do more to save for retirement. >> president obama highlighted the issue. through executive order created a new-type of retirement fun, called a my ra. >> businesses can voluntarily offer the programme at little or no cost to the company. money deducted from paychecks go into a government backed fund and workers can save with as little as $25. here is a low risk, low cost but also low balance alternative for folks that have not got started yet. >> sandra says between living expense and paying off student loans, saving for retirement is tough. >> it worries us. but our hands are tied. >> her mum supports new retirement plan options for young workers. >> this gives them the opportunity to start thinking about the future. >> and it's never too erty to do -- early to do that. >> only about two in 10

americans say they are confident they'll be able to retire comfortably. voters in eastern ukraine heading to the polls to decide if they'll stay part of the country oremain independent. next, an update on donetsk. plus, history made at the n.f.l. draft. >> the boomer generation down are more innovative and ready to experiment. we'll tell you how a group of real-life golden girls are teaming up to improve their golden years.

... the vote is called illegitimate. nigeria is placing troops along the border to find hundreds of kidnapped school girls. friends are joining to help with the effort, joining british and american teams trying to rescue them. a pair of tornados swept through missouri destroying hundreds of homes, toppling trees. there's a threat of more tornados coming today. we want to return to the breaking story where a dozen people have been killed in a suicide attack. we are joined from the capital with more on that attack. what can you tell us so far? >> security forces have told al jazeera that a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the horse of the military police in the capital of the province in eastern

yemen, killing 11 people, injuring seven. they expect the death toll to decline. there has been no claim of responsibility so far. this is an area where al qaeda has been active. it launched an attack in an oil tanker, killing tourists. offer the last few months it launched attacks against security forces and military barracks in that same area. here in the capital, early in the morning, gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near the presidential palace. police returned fire, killing four gunmen. there's a huge concern in the capital about the potential retall yachtry attacks by al qaeda as the army is stepping up its military offensive. >> reporting live from the

capital. thank you for being with us with the breaking news update. pro-russian separatists are pushing for ipp depends. the question is whether the vote could undermine the upcoming presidential election. al jazeera's paul brennan visited a polling station where many are eager to take part in the vote. >> school 95 in the eastern area of central donetsk has seen brisk business. we see the registrars behind me. people cueing up, showing the id, registering and shining. put in and put into the perspex box in the middle of the room. i haven't seen a single vote. every one has a fibbing in the box. the question is do they want self-rule for this region. now, although the international community insists the ballot is

illegal, the acting with president said the vote means the people are stepping into the abyss. it's not so easy to dismiss the sentiment. people want peace, stability with the government. they are not happy with that. although we dismiss the gunmen, the sentiment being expressed here is genuine and heart felt. i don't think it can be ignored. >> paul brennan reporting from donetsk. the results of the referendum are not expected until tuesday. joining us now to discuss what it could mean for the ukraine and at large. executive director of the american institute in ukraine. thank you for being with us. what are your thoughts on today's referendum? >> it's an important step. it's controversial. vladimir putin, the president of russia said he wanted this postponed. they are going ahead with it anyway. it's very controversial.

obviously the u.s. has indicated, and germany as well, that they regarded this as illegitimate. we have - there's problems here. but the one thing that can be said, as your correspondence pointed out. reporting from donetsk, is that the feeling here is genuine, you know, that will the vote be legitimate, in terms of the counting of it. we'll see. there are no international sort offers. so who do you rely on for an evaluation on whether the thing is conducted properly. on the other hand what the correspondent is saying is probably true. there's a lot of emotion and sentiment, a feeling that this can't go on. and i think a lot of people in the east, donetsk, when they here what the german chancellor says, the government in kiev is legitimate. >> and you put them in power.

it's an interesting point. >> you chase the government of viktor yanukovych out. ukranian forces, but with massive western support. >> absolutely. >> there were scheduled presidential elections for 2015. if you guys in the west wanted to help us get rid of viktor yanukovych, why not wait and let the democratic process work. >> interesting. >> so, you know, it's di, the whole thing. >> the question becomes, the factive president was willing to localize the power. eastern ukrainians were granted more control and minority rights to the ethnic russians, is that the solution. >> it's a huge part of the solution. when they go into the direction of moscow, they say we are not necessarily interested in the independence of this region, and then joining the russian federation the way crimea did. this is a different story, a much larger area. very expensive to do this. for russia to ab sorb this

pleas. there's a discrepancy for what russia pays for pensions for retirees and crimea. oil and gas, military pensions. oil and gas in the donetsk region has to be lowered. russia stand to lose a lot economically to ab sorb these places. the so-called acting president of ukraine is saying in the right direction - you want negotiation, you want to have a constitutional revision so there is deep autonomy for the renal jonls ons so -- regions so they are not under the thumb of kiev. so that the people living in the east feel at home with the ukranian republic. >> speaking of feeling at home. today's referendum. is that an indication of what is to come.

>> that is the whole - that is also a complicated matter. fch they vote for independence, they have said they will not participate in the may 25th presidential. that undermines the authority of whoever wins the election. if the east doesn't participate. who is he or she the president of. >> which is incred ubley important -- incredibly important. >> absolutely. if the referendum never happened, would the east have participated. there was a lot of resentment over the fact that the previous president, viktor yanukovych, who was president. was from the east and chased out of poir. it happened in -- power. it happened in 2004 with the orping resolution and 2014. so the message from the east is we are not wanted in ukraine, that the ukranian republic is for the west.

we elect a president, he's chased out. never happened to a we were candidate. >> interesting. >> i'm not putting a case for them. but this is worth thinking about. >> thank you anthony. and a bittersweet homecoming - hundreds of syrians return to the battered city of homs on saturday and were act get a first-hand glimpse of destruction caused by years of fighting. some residents were making plans to stay in their homes. fighting rages on in aleppo. residents have been without water for a book. rebels cut off supplies to government-held neighbourhoods. as hundreds of thousands flee the civil war they are taking refuge in jordan. the flow is forcing ayman to take a second look at security. we have this report. >> reporter: it's the second-largest refugee camp, home to 100,000 syrians. maintaining order is a matter of

national security for jordan. riots and clashes broke out. jordan doesn't see the camps closing soon. that's why a comprehensive security plan is seen as essential. tighter security means everything and everyone entering the camp gets thoroughly searched. the army found an intact, improvised ex-please you've device near the gate and that sounded alarm bells. >> what is going on inside syria, a lot of parties working there. a lot of parties trying to transfer the crisis to jordan, we know that some will enter jordan to make them for us. police patrols increased and a team of over 2,000 community personnel is needed to cover three shifts. higher sand barriers aimed to prevent refugees entering and leaving the camp. there's a hands-off approach.

community leaders are trained and paid to carry out internal policing and report threats. >> when there's a problem, we try to solve it ourselves, and not go to the security forces. if we can't, we have to tell them so the issue does not get bigger. since the beginning of the year the government used irish scans to document. >> reporter: so-called sleeper cells are believed to be quietly working on behalf of the syrian government, and are suspected of planning to create chaos and instability inside and outside refugee camps. >> refugees agreed there are syrian government loyalists living among them. >> they are infiltrators. the syrian government loyalists who want government turmoil. they are in the camp. many in the area. we used to live in the camp.

i moved. it's not just syrian government loyalists. refugee say groups established a foothold. a reason why jordan took the security of the camps seriously. jordanian officials opened another camp. it's official mexico legalized vigilantes to fight drug cartels. on saturday officials handed out pistols, rifles to 120 self-defence members in the western states. the men are part of a growing vigilante movement protecting the towns against the cartels. drug violence has been a big security challenge for mexico. thousands of troops have been deployed to help them restore peace. according to "new york times"

hundreds of migrants from central america have been stranded in mexico for weeks. activists say the train, nick naped the beast. it comes after lawsuits accused the freight trains of being compliffed. thousands ride the migrants trying to make it here to the united states. the migrants are vulnerable to criminal activity and corrupt police. a programme episode. the members are coming toot talking about experiences crossing the border. >> an historic day for the national football league as michael sam becomes the first openly gay player drafted. michael sam's pick shows the

n.f.l. broke the barrier. >> it was an historic emotional day. they made headlines for coming on if february. on the final day, in the final round of the draft. michael sam got the call. >> it was the 249th pick in the 2014th n.f.l. draft. michael sam - missouri with that michael's dream of getting drafted was a reality. he as overwhelmed with emotion. a touch yip moment for sam, surrounded by friends and family. he just wanted to be judged. the st. louis rams would give him the chance. there are some concerns that sam would not get drafted after a disappointing performance. make no mistake, the kid plays in college.

it's a high energy player. one thing that proscouts cannot measure a players' heard. the next step, the st. louis rams flying in to meet the media. it's time to go to work and learn the system and playbook to make the roster and become the first openly gay player in the n.f.l. after the pick sam tweeted a picture of himself saying: as the week went by, sam said he knew he'd find a home. >> i knew i would get picked. every team that passed me. ram's coach says he doesn't expect sam's pick to lead to interpretation in the locker room. 15 licences for same-sex couples were issued on saturday.

jennifer and her partner were the first to get their licence, the first gay couple to get married. >> it's been eventful. i'll still in shock by it. yes, first one in history. >> a judge overturned a ban on friday calling it unconstitutional. wedding bells ring out at same sex unions in maryland. these two were married in the first same-sex wedding held in the u.s. naval academy. the men were honoured to be the first to tie the knot at the naval academy. >> for me it's been breaking barriers. making it easier for those that come behind us. >> about 100 guests attended the ceremony. >> a texas police officer is out

of a job for fatally shooting a 93-year-old woman. the officer was fired after a vote on saturday. following the shooting death of pearly golden at her home near college station. investigators say officers responded to a 911 call when golden pulled out a gun. police say when she refused to drop the weapon, the officer fired three round and hit her twice. she died in hospital. the call-clear after a scare at the garden state plaza maul at 9:30. a car caught fire, causing smoke to enter the mall. panic ensued. shoppers thought they heard gun fire. some stars went into lockdown. there was no evidence of gun fire, no reports of injuries. the cause of that fire is believed to be electrical. many baby boomers are looking to lead a more independent life.

one group of ladies is doing that, banding together as room mates. >> reporter: a trio of women in pittsburg found an alternative to living alone. >> living in community beats living alone. >> when these ladies started their golden girl household they only saw group households on tv. the three friends were in their late 50s, travelled and thought about sharing a house some day when they were ordinarily. >> we have so many shared interests and life of this style preferences. it would be so economical, efficie efficient, fun. we said "why wait for retirement. why not now. >> they found a house, split the mortgage and mo moved in. >> it was unnatural to live with people that were not family

members. >> the women say they work harder to be consiter aid. shared household expenses mean more money for retirement and luxuries. >> it frees up time. you now share the chores, you share - you are paying for services that you used to do yourself. >> they helped each others through injuries, and there's someone to come home to. some have grandchildren and ex-husbands. as they got older these baby boomers found themselves independent and willing to try something new. >> the boomer generation down are more innovative willing to experiment with different live styles offering good pay back, value. >> nor than a third are hitting retirement age without a spouse. it's led to an increase in group houses. the pittsburgh golden girls got

so many questions that they wrote a book, sharing tips for success. >> we are different people. >> who a shared values, lifestyles and sense of responsibility. that's the core. >> the girls say they are having more fun together and better prepared for what is ahead. >> the retirement years are the last time you should think about living alone. in terms of safety, in terms of community and social connections. >> the women say more women should think about how they want to live in their golden years and find their own path. we take a look at growing number of americans taking on the role of caregiver. judy st. john hamilton looks after her elderly aunt, posing challenges. a new online guide is helping those caring for ageing relatives. we'll bring you that in the next

hour. >> a giant telescope to help astronomers uncover the secrets of the universe. taking a look at the new york city skyline. 69 degrees right now.

next, the giant telescope built to speed up space exploration. first a look at the wet weather across the country with meteorologist eboni deon. we are dealing with a potent storm system bringing rain and snow at the high elevations. we have some areas that are still giving us wintry weather, believe it or not. it's not unheard of, just a little unusual. it's may and here is the storm system across the four corners. it moved from the pacific

north-west and will make its way into the middle of the country. it happened. all the moist air is in place. we saw a lot of shower activity. take a look at how things quietened down along the east coastline. high pressure builds in off the south-east coast in eastern areas on the dry side today. most of the action will be settling in here across colorado or utah. we are sitting on the rain-snow line. it won't be too long that we'll see the switch-over from rain to snow. as far as thunderstorms, we have been watching a line. some of the storms processed warnings. at this time no warnings are in place. we have a severe thunderstorm watch that includes some areas across nebraska and kansas as well. we'll watch as we go through the day. demonstrators gathered on

the beaches of rio de janeiro lighting a fire for illegal marijuana. many smoked openly in front of police as they tout the medicinal benefits. the sale of pot is a punishable offense. it doesn't carry gaol time. it was held as a day of action calling for the decriminalization of marijuana. astronomers in chile discovered a 13 billion-year-old star, one of the oldest found. we look at the 127 tonne telescope that made it possible. >> reporter: to explore the cosmos you need to capture starlight. to do that you need a clean mirror. it's made from seven tonnes of glass, with a surface film of aluminium, a 10,000 nth of a millimetre thick. they will be overshadowed by what will be a powerful

telescope, built 250 metres higher up, over there. the pace of astronomical discovery depends on our ability to peer into the universe. here a mountain top has been blown apart and flattened in a quest to answer the pressing questions like the nature of dark number, and dark matter, the story of black holes, and how stars and galaxies evolve. >> this is how the giant majellan telescope will look, $1 billion of mirrors and cosmic engineering, producing images 10 times sharper than the famous hubble telescope, an incredible tool. >> the majellan telescope will open up the skies for us, and allow certainly myself to go after really faint stars and little dwarf galaxies swirling out and about the milky way which we have trouble observing.

>> down below they are hard at work. you need to be well fed if you spend the light turning star light into speck ra. they are set up to film the light from the galactic center of the milky way. it's fascinating to combine research and speck tro scopic. it gives us real information about the cosmic object. with the beautiful images that the same sky gives us. this is a fairly nearby gal oxy. fellow astronomer mark phillips is on the hunt for super-novemberi tracking been three or four billion years. >> we are able to see the super-nova, post galaxies the way it was back then, because it took the light three billion years to get here, and can measure the expansion of the universe at that point. it was discovered that the

expansion universities is accelerating now, instead of decelerating, which is what we expected. >> a few hours later more incredible pictures of our home galaxy. >> we have a nice movie clip of the rising milky way, especially the galactic center. the structure, and this is the spiral arm back lit by the big galactic center, where there's a lot of gas. it's very bright. that is what makes the milky way special in the semmes fear. another night's observations is over. bit by bit we build on our understanding of the universe and our place in it. at the end of our first hour here is what we are following for you - voters in eastern ukraine head to the polls to decide if two cities should remain part of the country or

declare independence. the referendum is illegitimate. two tornados tore a path of destruction across north missouri, damaging homes. the the first same sex marriage has been performed in arkansas. also - coming up in the next hour, the n.f.l. has its first openly gay player. did michael sam get drafted because of skills or sexual preferences. it's dubbed the baby race. why more parents are turning to sure gaits overseas when setting out to start a family. >> i'm tracking storms in the west. other areas are dealing with snow the al jazeera morning news continues. i'm morgan radford and i'll be back with you in 2.5 minutes.

an an a polls open for a crucial vote in ukraine, a vote that could further divide the county, a vote called illegitimate. more than two years of civil war - what the syrian city of homs looks like as refugees become residents again. >> you go there and you don't see your name on the voter list, you feel frustrated and helpless. polls closing in the largest

election. as voting comes to an end, tens of millions say they were shut out by mistake. plus, we have seen him skiing, riding a horse, and tracking tigers. this morning russia's president vladimir putin, like you have never seen him before. we are following breaking news out of yemen. at least 14 have been killed in a suicide attack on a military police station in the south-east of yemen. the death toll is expected to rise because of the powerful nature of the bomb, and we will continue to follow the developments on the story, and bring you the latest. you can check our website aljazeera.com. good morning to you, welcome back, live from new york city, i'm morgan radford. ukraine's acting president calling a vote in the east a step into the abyss. 3,000 polling places are open in russian leaning cities of

donetsk and lugansk. more than 70% of voters are expected to turn out to history in the making. the vote is called illegitimate, and it could create more unrest. we are joined by paul brennan, many are eager to vote, but is there widespread support for breaking off from kiev? >> reporter: it's a lot less clear-cut than that. even the yes-no vote suggests it's black and white, but it's not in this region. there are hard liners with the balaclava masks and ak-47s dominating the airwaves. the general pop uplation - few -- population - few support running into the open arms of russia. many are unhappy with the interim government in kiev. they remain proud ukrainians, despite the long-standing pro-russian sentiments. it's the government in kiev that

they are unhappy with, not the state that they are currently living in at the moment. paul, ukraine's president says he won't recognise the vote. how binding would the referendum be? >> it's not going to be binding at all. kiev won't recognise it. berlin, paris, washington won't recognise it. the only people that will recognise it is probably russia. vladimir putin did sort of distance himself from the vote a little bit by asking for it to be postponed. nevertheless, what we have to take account of is that, yes, the people here want to see change. they are unhappy with the relationship with the government in the center of this country. out here in the east, they have a different way of thinking, if you like. it's an industrial area. they have little in common with the government from kiev. they are not happy with how they

interact. what they want is a new way of working with kiev, which is what being expressed in the ballot box is. it may be illegitimate but it expresses a heart-felt desire for change, reform for how the east and the center of this country operates towards each other. >> paul, thank you for joining us this morning. nigeria is stepping up its effort to find the missing school girls. the country is placing military troops along the boarder. soldiers have been deployed to areas close to chad. french intelligence experts arrived in nigeria on friday to help with that effort. they have joined teams to rescue the girls. boko haram is ramping up its attacks. the group raided another town in the north-east and blew up a bridge. many nigerians criticised the government for being too slow to respond. the campaign known as bring back

our girls for hundreds of missing school girls is spreading across the world. >> many people are showing up their support across america. yesterday people chanted every girl deserves a future, and bring back our girls. >> they need to know the world is with them. >> we are not backing down. we are making our voices heard. >> president obama vowed the u.s. will do everything it can to help find them. an attack in iraq left 20 people dead. officials say militants in iraq launched an attack in a remote area in the north. a car bomb shook iraq's capital overnight. five were killed and 14 wounded. that blast destroyed a restaurant in a shiite neighbourhood in baghdad. >> a bittersweet home coming, hundreds of syrians returning to homs, and they were able to get

a first-hand glimpse of destruction caused by years of fighting. some made plans to stay in their homes. residents have been without water for a week now. rebels reportedly cut off supplies to government-held neighbourhoods. elections in the biggest democracy comes to a close. voter turn out has been high. millions were prevented from casting their ballot. we met some. >> three generations of the family talking about one thing - the elections. most were able to vote. raj couldn't. >> you have a lot of emotions when you discuss the politics in homs. at the end of the day you want to action on what you think. you want to work for a party with whom your ideology comes from. when the day comes, you don't see your name.

you feel frustrated. >> he voted ot previous elections, no one could tell him why he wasn't on the issue. many were eligible to vote, but couldn't. they include airline cabin crews in transit. indians working and travelling abroad. the government estimates that there were over 10 million indians working abroad. many low-paid migrants and can't afford to vote. then there are issues whose issue is not cost or distance. this woman had surgery, and she missed the chance to vote. >> if the government had, if i had the papers coming into my house, i would have voted. i would have. i don't know why the government hasn't throughout about it. only a few people can vote by mail, including security personnel, polling staff and diplomats abroad.

india's supreme court ordered the commission to look into the problem. >> the postal ballot has to be the exception. it should be available for people who, for a valid reason, not empathy, lethargy, they should not be the reasons. >> reporter: analysts predict india is heading for a coalition government. many millions could have an effect on the count. the election can be fixed by an election commission, in time for the next general election. >> more than 800 people voted in this election. results are expected on friday. a wall collapsed at a recycling plant. the accident happened on sunday. it's 400 miles east of beijing.

chinese officials say the town has been dremped by rain, and the wall fell on the house with as many as 40 workers instead. three others were injured. a pair of tornado destroyed hundreds of homes, and one touched down near kansas, blowing roofs from homes, toppling trees and flipping over cars. a second tornado was shut down. barns were flattened. there were no reports of injuries. a twister touched down. this one did not do any damage. it made for an amazing site in the skies. check it out. you can see the frontal cloud dissipate. and speaking of thin air, let's bring in the meteorologist eboni deon for a look at the forecast. >> we are going to see the

threat of tornados today. there were 11 reports yesterday, and the main core of the area is across iowa into nebraska, into kansas. that's where we are expecting to see the level chance of tornados, where the storm prediction center issued a risk. a slight look stretches from texas to michigan. we could see strong to severe storms, and widespread scattered rain showers. in the west we deal with snow and we'll see the wintry weather conditions taking shape. here across nebraska, and kansas. that is where we have severe thunderstorm watch. in effect until 10 central time. no warnings. but we have been watching a line of storms that lifted into this area, along portions of i80. as you follow it notice the blue shading - that's the snow. portions of i-80 have been closed due to the slick wintry

road conditions. keep it in mind for travel perhaps. it is not going to be the level day to travel. we go from the rain to the snow once the temperatures turn colder. >> here is the set up. there's a storm system lifting north. tapping into the gulf of mexico. severe weather on the front side of it. on the back - where we get cooler air that, is where we are expecting to see the snow showers. denver, you are included in that, you could end up with a few inches of snow, winter weather advisories, watchers, warnings in effect for that area, and we have advisories north across the northern iraqis. a widespread area across the west that we'll deal with conditions deteriorating. the highest elevations see anywhere from one up to 3 feet. it looks like the snow is picking up across utah. areas across colorado. light rain.

temperatures in the 40s. temperatures falling throughout the day. we are expected to see the snow. it will be all rain as we go across the east. that's what we'll watch for, the threat, and severe weather. >> thank you so much. the final day of the n.f.l. draft was an historic one. missouri defensive end michael sam became the first openly gay n.f.l. draft pick. >> with the 249th pick. michael sam. good for you. our own jessica taff is here with more on the landpark moment in sports. >> the rams selected sam in the 7th round of the draft. they didn't want to beef up the d line. they took a huge step forward. when he took the call, he was

open and honest. he shared the hopes and shared it with his boyfriend. he reached out to his family. he said thank you scrks he would use every ounce to achieve greatness. here is michael sam on the phone. >> i knew i would get picked somewhere. every team that passed me i thought how i will flatten their quarterback. a great moment for him and the st. louis rams happy to have him. >> why are the rams a good pick? >> they are in his open backyard. he played for missouri, he has a lot of family and is a local kid. with jeff fisher as the head coach - everyone said why, of course, wouldn't it be jeff fisher. he leads the league, making a step forked with.

and he said -- stepforward with. he wants a good player, and the fact that the rams were one of the first teams cleared when they were the l.a. rams to sign the first black player. they are used to making steps forward and things like this. >> you said he want a good player. was this political in any way? >> you can talk about that. certainly the n.f.l., like it or not, they knew this moment would happen. it seems had it been the rams, it is a good thing. it's one of those things where jeff fisher is a no-nonsense guy, and if you can play, you can play. sam was the scc player of the year. very good and will have to prove himself. making the team is not going to be the easiest thing. he didn't have a good combine. we'll see if he does it on the field. the government of argentina says poverty is on the decline. most citizens say otherwise.

>> translation: we are discriminated against because we live in the shapty town. why officials are backtracking. plus - a rare moment for north korea's reclusive leader. why he was seen stepping out with his wife. >> culture in the u.s. exploded. >> it started with the chroma. hybrids are becoming more than tasty treats. the big business of

a whole new look at russian president vladimir putin. he donned number 11 or an ice hockey championship. it was in the night hockey league, formed to give business many who work during the day a chaps to play at night. it was a double hat trick, scoring six goals, let's be reel, who will body check vladimir putin. welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm madored d ford. why argentina is back

tracking on a report saying poverty is on the decline. first, meteorologist eboni deon. it is chilly across the west. it's a line that the whole mass pores southward. textures dropping below average. along the west coast we have a ridge continuing to build here. temperatures will be climbing. i want to take you in for a closer look to the south-west. temperatures will feel deceent. 73 degrees, but before too long we'll hit the mid and upper 80s. 81 in l.a. 84 in phoenix and san diego. five-day forecast showing temperatures close to 90, getting into the lower mid 90s by thursday. it will be a hot one. as we look across the nation on this mother's day. lots of warm air in place. with that we pay a price, dealing with the threat of

showers, storms and weather. across the eastern u.s. temperatures rising 5 degrees above average, 78 in new york city. as we head out on monday, not too much of a difference. really, our pattern will hold. the school air sticks. a high of 40 degrees. by the time we hit monday. 76 degrees. finally, in tuesday, temperatures staying warm along the east and around d.c. up to 90 degrees. slightly cooler air. not bad for this time of year. we'll start to see the cooler air making its way back to the middle of the country. across the west temperatures rebound. only mid 50s.

and the heat building across the south-west. protestor flaring up in caracas despite attempts to crackdown on anti-government protests. hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police on the streets of venezuela on saturday and they want the government to release more than 200 people that were arrested last week in a raid. officials in argentina are backtracking on a government report saying that poverty is on the decline. there are questions raised about how the figures were calculated. >> reporter: when the arch tine government -- argentine government failed to public poverty figures, independent investigators were kick to fill the void. researchers at the catholic university published a report saying 25%, 10 million people,

are living below the poverty line. that figure is rising. 5.5% are suffering poverty. that is a rate that is falling. >> the work place is becoming more precarious. we are not talking unemployment. but those in le-paid work -- low-paid work, close to begging. if the quality improves, the households will not escape poverty. >> the government said it was re-assessing the way it was calculating poverty statistics. >> the last ones it published said less tan 5% of the -- than 5% of the population was living in poverty, and those figures dropped dramatically since it took power in 1973. >> this is a shanty town, still growing. established in the 1930s. this one seems likes it's here to stay, a prominent feature of

the landscape, hard to hide. much of the poverty is on the margin, out of site. which is why these representatives in venezuela have pitched their tent in the heart of the city, demanding the authorities fulfil promises. >> we are discriminated against because we live in the shanty town. kids can't get work because we live in the shanty town. we don't have the same rights in the capital. what we want is improvements to the shanty towns. we want is a dignified life in the neighbourhood. >> the movement for the elections is underway. >> it was given in argentina. increasing by how much. how it's measured.

how it's dealt with is more difficult to resolve. at the height of argentina's economic crisis in 2001 as many as 50% of people are living under the poverty level. 6 million jobs have been created. mexico legalized vigilantes. new pistols, rifles. to 120 self-defence people. thousands of federal troops have been deployed to restore peace. north korea stepping up threats to carry out a nuclear test. state of run released a media of kim jong un. north korean officials say the country is justified to use all

means to fight what it calls aggressive challenges by the u.s. and south korea. in march north korea fired hundreds of missiles over the sea border with the south a boston marathon running victim crossed a new finish line. he lost his legs, and yesterday he and the man who saved his life joined forces, but this time for a commencement speech. he told graduates that life is full of starting line and heart break hills, but you have to go forward. they were presented with honorary degrees from boston clem. >> powerplay, monica lewinski - all next in weekend politics. >> the last vibration. where shall we go to. not one, but two mid air emergencies in three days. what forced a pair of commercial flights to do a u-turn and head

back to the same airport.

good morning to you. welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm morgan radford and here are the top stories. more than 70% of voters in eastern ukraine are expected to head to the polls to divide if two russian-leaning cities should breakaway from the country. the unand the u.s. are calling it illegitimate. nigeria are plays troops along the border to try to find over 200 missing school girls. british and american teams are trying to help rescue them. a pair of tornados swept through missouri destroying homes and toppling trees, downing powerlines. there are a threat of more tornado coming today. >> the battle over the minimum

wage is still being fought at $8 an hour. many workers are struggling to make ends meet. as courtney kealy reports some are using their fate to get the government to act. [ chants ] . >> reporter: the marching workers chant their demands for a higher minimum wage. leaders joined the march, filing into the church this week for an interdenominational, interracial and international service. >> we the people of faith are here to stand in solidarity with low-wage workers and families. the two-hour programme was filled with testimonials. they have no respect for us, plain and simply. >> i want to say yes to fair wages for all workers and showing up for the change.

>> and songs >> ♪ how sweet the sound ....♪ . >> for nearly 1600 in attendance, you can ploj to join a fast food strike and take a bus to albany. the clear message that new york city has the greatest income in the nation. according to leaders. >> more than 3 million men and women are working but live in poverty because the state $8 minimum wage is too low, not enough. >> she says something noods to chang. >> amending legislation allows communities and towns to supplement the minimum wage by raising the local wage. 73% of new yorkers support the

measure. >> opponents say there are other ways to help the poor, raising wages will make it harder for businesses to hire low skilled workers. president obama called for a wage height making it clear that it would be the focus of his remaining time in office. some thought it was too late. >> people thought president obama would do something. but they see they'll have to make him do something. it's too late. his book is written, he's out the door. >> the movement continues on. >> let's march on. in the spirit of gees suss. let's -- jesus, let's march on. republicans in washington are trying to tighten their grip on the progress of picking a presidential candidate. the chairman made an effort to limit the number of debates in 2016. the g.o.p. passed a measure in

those entering debate not sanction the by the party. joining us for our weekend conversation is david jones and democratic strategist, former prime minister member under president clinton and boris yetsine. >> this move by the rnce sounds like an effort to limit the number of debates in 2016. is this true or false. >> it's true. it's a great idea. it's what we need as a party to debate process and the primary process. mitt romney, presumed nominee for a year. maybe longer. it's a great move by the republicans. it sets us up stronger. >> i totally agree with that, boris. i think we saw in 2012 that the

tea party tried to high jack the nomination process. inside the republican party, the primary season goes so long, there's to many debates that it really hurt mitt romney. made him run to the right. made him try to out-tea party the tea partiers. the republican party is afraid of people like ted cruz, and that is what the chairman of the rnc is trying to address here. it's the war inside the republican party. started by someone like ted cruise. >> do you believe there's a war inside the republican party. >> not at all. we are a large spectrum party. there are different sides. the tea party is one part of the spectrum. it will have to be listened to. but, this process, the way it will run. is important to lecking the right candidate. he'll have to play within the rules set by the rnc, which is

the right way to go. >> let's move to the committee on benghazi, the i think congressional investigation. >> the attack. frankly, why call for this, 20 months later? >> we don't have an answer. there's no clarity what happened there eight weeks before the 2012 election hold on september 11th, 2012. there's no answers given by the obama white house. it's clear that the white house dried to obfuscate on what happened. there's a needed follow up. this is it. >> what do you thip? >> the murder of ambassador sevens and three other brave americans in benghazi is a real tragedy, obviously. i think we can all agree on that. the way the republicans split sized this issue, af five or eight -- after five or eight investigations, 25,000 documents

have been turned over. they have created a part sap committee to -- partisan committee to investigate. it's a complete partisan hat job. the verdict is in. the republican fundraising arm is raising money off of benghazi. it is raising money. >> what do you mean by that? >> when the republican - when the democrats opposed creation of this committee because it was going to be a republican majority committee, the democrats opposed it. the n r.c.c., the fundraising arm put out an email attacking democrats. >> is that true, boris? >> there's nothing wrong with that. putting on that one. the verdict is in. i would love to here - if he

knows more than the rest of america, i would love to hear it, because it is not. if president obama and the white house turned over the information on what happened, and made it clear to the american people, make it would stop. with the committee being majority republican, that's because they are. >> what did he say? >> it's now almost two years since the horrible attacks, the tragic deaths of ambassador stevens. timing is tide to that. nothing to the future. >> morgan, i want to be clear. boris, did you say it's okay to fund raise off of benghazi. >> i said if democrats oppose the truth, it's okay to send an email letting them know that. >> mitt romney swung out at hillary clinton criticising her foreign policy record. >> i think it will raise a lot

of questions about her capacity to accomplish things of significance. >> mitt romney says he's not running for president. why go on the attack? >> he is part of the republican apparatus for republicans. he says he's not running. we'll see what happens. it's a long time until the election. what he says is right. clinton was mediocre secretary of state. there's no good record to speak of. that's all we can look to as he prepares a run for the white house. mitt romney has no problem saying that. >> let's put that into context. what mitt romney is attacking hillary clinton about is nigeria. and the response to the abduction of 287 young girls. mitt romney is attacking hillary clinton about the abduction of a tragic international situation where 287 young girls were ab ducted in nigeria. he is attacking her and somehow

blaming hillary clinton, who is championed women and girls her entire life, not as secretary of state, her entire life. it's a sad and unconscionable estimate by mitt romney, and he should retract it. >> i didn't hear that in the quote you asked about. what mitt romney is saying in the quote we heard is that hillary clinton does not have a strong record as secretary of state. her record as senator is mediocre, that's what shell run on -- she'll run on. >> i have to tell you, if you put the quote in context, the way it was said this past week, was about nigeria, okay. if you listen to the whole quote, it's about nigeria. we can't take a snippet and determine what he's talking about. he was talking about nigeria. >> and bringing hillary clinton's record into question. speaking of the clinton, a hot-button topic. monica lewinsky's tell-all. what do you make of the timing of this? is this about

derailing a 2016 campaign? >> i'd say - i had say, first off on that - voters will decide the election - boris know this - they are going vote on jobs, they'll vote on health care and the economy. they are not going to vote on a 19-year-old story and a partisan hack job from, you know, 1998. what this is about, okay, is throwing red meat to the republican base. >> you think it's throwing red meat to the base. boris, what do you think. she rites in this peace, "i'm determined to have a different ending to my story", is that the article. >> i can't get inside monica lewinsky's head. i think that people will vote on the awful record of the democrats in the white house, the awful record of the democrats on the hill. it will not be monica lewinsky. there's no proof that republicans staged this article by her.

someone who is a woman scorned, possibly, airing her feelings. she has the right as an american under the free speech to do that. i have no problem with her doing it, i don't think it's republicans putting her up to it. who knows. i want to go back to something you were talking about, nigeria. in a rare move, you saw the first lady deliver the presidential address in place of president obama, speaking out against the nigerian kidnapping. >> this unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education. >> not to mention she posted this photo on twitter. look, i think we can agree that the content of her message is sound. what do you make of the timing? do you think this kidnapping happened one year into the first term the first lady would have delivered the speech. is it appropriate that she, instead of the president, delivered a weekly address? >> it's mother's day, i don't have a problem.

i'm not a republican that will criticise everything that democrats do. it is awful what happened in nigeria, we want that to come to a resolution as quick as possible and good for the first lady. >> i agree with you, boris. it's mother's day, and i think that 287 young nigerian girls ab ducted. it's a tragedy no matter where it happened. i think michelle obama looked at this like a mother. it's mother's day, and can you imagine how the mothers in nigeria feel? it's an incredible tragedy. david jones democratic strategist and boris epstein here in new york city. thank you both for being was. >> thank you so much. >> university of richmond officials say two who died in a hot air balloon accident were staff members of the women's basketball team. authorities are searching for the third member, and the hot air balloon crashed after

hitting a power line. the national transportation safety board is investigating the accident. a study could leave a bad taste in your mouth. researchers at harvard link climate change to malnutrition and say that rising levels of carbon dioxide may decrease the nutritional value of the schools. the scientist studied 41 types of depraps and they found a drop in iron, and portions of rice and wheat. new york city has been a mecca for food lovers. a growing number of shops are selling specialty foods in the hope of attracting a cult following of foodies. >> reporter: the line forms early and goes around the block. hundreds of people waiting for a chaps to taste this... ..the flicky don out hybrid made its 36-year-old famous. >> we have a line up between 100

to 200 every morning. >> they make 350 per day and sell out before lump time. at $5 they are a sweet business. >> actually, we are in the process where we barely had enough money to buy food. i was lucky. >> he is one of the chefs cashing in on america's appetite for specialty cuisine, a changing market that vanessa wong watched. >> food culture in the u.s. exploded. interest in food among mellenials is high. not only are people interested in high manufacture quality, but are interested in learning about the food in general. >> it is ground zero for an old favourite. fans flock to taste the sauce. >> there's more that 2,000 restaurants in new york city. for restauranteurs that want to

the create the next food fad. there's stiff competition. >> this woman and her huhs land left wall street -- husband left wall street to give it a try. >> there's not a day that i'm not running around. you have to go all in. mini bagles took off big time. you don't have to spread anything. they have been embraced by foodies, like this couple. >> not everyone is willing to wait in the line. to say you waited and accomplished it. >> for chefs hard to hit the sweet spot - it tastes good too. it may taste good, but that is quite the punch at more that 500 calories and 35 grams of

fat. more parents are turning to sur gaits. the cost has some leaving the soil. it's been dubbed the baby chase. we talk to the author of the book. >> it's mother's day in mexico. these women are marching in the capital. they say they have nothing to celebrate because they are looking for their missing children. >> strong threats of tornados - i am monitoring the areas at risk. r

a u.s. airways flight taking off from laguardia forced to turn around after striking a

flock of birds. 100 were on born. the plane landed safely. this is the second bird strike in two days. families across the globe are celebrating mothers, for some mums in mexico it is a day of frustration and anger directed at the government. [ chants ] . >> reporter: where are our children demands this mum as she marriages in mexico city. -- marches in mexico city. many join her as a protest against the government for not doing enough to find their sons and daughters. sara's 31-year-old son disappeared. a successful chef and father, he planned to open a restaurant with his mother. after having dinner out, he never came home. >> translation: i didn't have anything to celebrate. i'm missing one of my kids. i miss him. i don't know where he is. authorities are not

investigating. [ chants ] . >> reporter: there are thousands of mothers throughout mexico searching for their disappeared children. the president promised that his government would help them find their loved ones. these women say they feel frustrated, angry and let down. >> more than 26,000 have gone missing in mexico since 2006. that is when the former government declared war on the drug cartel and violence exploded. after the president took office, he formed a special missing person's unit to vet the disappearances. it's been a year since the unit was created. sara is still waiting for help. investigators have not collected evidence, tracked down phone or email evidence or traced her son's bank accounts. every time a mass grave is

discovered, she calls the grandparentsic experts and gives -- experts and give details about her son. >> i'm the detective. i'm looking for him alive or dead. i don't want to give up hope. i have to consider he's dead. otherwise hits body may be in a mass grave turning to dust and i'll never find him. >> not enough cases have been solved and a database for the missing hasn't been created. the human rights group is committed but frustrated. >> it doesn't matter what we do, even if we kill ourselves, unless we find them alive the mothers will always feel we are not doing enough. >> her words may be defensive, but they are accurate. >> sara and the other mothers say all they know is their children were taken alive. and that is how they want them back. >> whether they are couples or

unless, gay or straight. more prospective parents are pursuing sur gassy. hiring a surrogate can cost 45,000. many american families are going overseas for cheaper alternatives. leslie is the author of "the baby chase", and profiles a couple who made their dreams come true by looking to india, where it costs less than $10,000 to hire a surrogate. leslie joins us, happy mother's day, thank you for joining us. >> thank you so much. >> so is sur gassy more popular today or are more people just open about it? >> it's both. sur gassy is growing in popularity as people seek more affordable alternatives outside the united states. sur gassy has been here since biblical times where men turned to a co-cub in if their wives

couldn't become pregnant. people are more open about it. >> interesting. it's an ancient solution. some religious groups say it's unethical saying it exploits poor women selling wombs for higher. what do you say? >> every major religion believes sure gassy and infertility treatments are playing good. infertility is a disease telling someone that they cannot have a baby because of their bodies abnormalities or because of their sexual preference is like saying to someone that they shouldn't treat it. it's a natural human desire to have a baby. sure gassy around the world is making people's fam lil dreams come true. as a mother i can't do anything except be enthusiastic. a fact that this is an option for more couples around the world. >> speaking of being around the world, what is the benefit of

going overseas to find the mother. >> the huge benefit is that it's more affordable. the couple had three babies for less than it would have cost to hire one surrogate in the united states. the laws vary stit by state and they can drive up the sur gassy costs to $100,000 or more. it's attractive for couples to go to another country to have a baby. >> you mentioned the couple you profiled. when i read your book, it seemed interesting. she had two reproductive organs, what was that like in having an intimate process, with intimate problems? >> most don't want to talk about their intimacy problems and shiring a surrogate. some -- hiring a surrogate. some don't tell their children. but this couple, a nurse and firefighter were open with me. the first time we talked, they

invited me to be in the delivery room in india. they are open about challenges they faced. rhonda has two vaginas and two uteruses. and germany needed a vasectomy reversed. they are hard core answers and questions. >> it seemed like adoption used to be the preferred choice. you point out that this is more difficult process these days. why is that process more difficult? >> it's become more expensive. almost as expensive as sur gassy in the united states to adopt an infant. that's what most people want. there are very few babies in the united states available for adoption. going internationally is difficult too. it's a terribling to have gone through for years and be judged about whether you can be an adoptive parent. it's invasive, expensive and a

roller-coaster. that's a reason why more and more people are turning to sur gassy, because you have a measure of control that you don't have with adoption. >> for those that choose sur gassy, it was interesting. in your book you say 15-20% of u.s. sur gaits are military wives. why do you think that is. >> i think it's app interesting question. the profile of sur gaits in the united states tends to be that they are women with some degree of college education, middle income - poor women do not make good sur gaits. have you to have been a mum to become a surrogate. military wives are attracted to doing it for the financial reasons, but bus they love being mums, and they want to give other people the gift of life. then the word of mouth is a very powerful within the surro gassy community. the military wives share with their friend, what they have

done, and show in real time that it is a wonderful process, not that they are selling their bodies or a baby. >> leslie morgan, author of "the baby chase", thank you again. one more check of the national forecast with meteorologist eboni deon. >> i have been watching a few storms across the upper midwest. looks like some are strong enough to prompt thunderstorm warnings. notice the eastern u.s. has started to clear out. it looks like a decent mother's day shaping up along the east coast. it's into our nation's heartland. this is the vocal point as we go through the day. watching some storms that have become strong over the last hour or so. we are watching our storms in the western u.s. we'll get on the back side of this storm, where the colder air is. temperatures will be dropping,

going from green to pink and blue. that's where we see the change over from rain to snow, and that will be happening around the denver area. going through the day, the area of low pressure sits and spins. it will be lifting up towards the north and east. on the warm side of the system. this is the area where we are dealing with rain and storms, across nebraska, where we see this cluster here prompting severe warnings. the cell is racing to the north-east around 50 miles per hour, outside of lincoln. within this area, do expect to get strong winds and maybe quarter size hail as well. to the north-east rain showers this morning and through the overnight hours. high pressure building in. clearing through the day, a nice day with the mix of cloud and sunshine. the overall picture - middle of the country with the rain. by the time we get into monday - severe weather, a slight risk stretching from michigan to

texas. >> thank you. >> coming up tomorrow - righting a wrong 70 years layered. harrison wilson was denied an education at the university of kentucky when he returned from world war ii. at the time the school did not accept blacks. now he's been given an honorary degree at the same time his grandson graduated. >> things have changed, but it's a good time to talk about the past because you can see the progress made. >> he's always inspired me. not everyone has the role model that that is gone so far. i was blessed to have that growing up. >> we'll bring you harrison's touching story on al jazeera america. that will do it for this edition. i'm morgan radford. stay tuned. have a great morning.

... this is al jazeera. hello. welcome to the newshour in doha with our top stories. did hefying kyiv, parts of eastern ukraine vote on a referendum of self-rule. >> more soldiers targeted as government continues their offensive against al-qaeda. reports that iraq's air force is using barrel bombs in the northern city of fallujah and mexico's missing children, why these mothers say t