be online. ♪ welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we are following for you. as germany tries to broker peace in ukraine, six ukrainian troops are killed in an am beneficiary. and the battle to contain wildfires in texas and new mexico. firefighters tackle the blaze from the air and the ground. ♪

more violent clashes today in ukraine. this time near the eastern region of crema tosk. germany's foreign minister is now in kiev. the eastern regions of both breaking away on sunday. meanwhile life is difficult for the citizens of crimea. >> reporter: a slightly chaotic scene leer. they are registering so they can get access to their savings. like many this woman has a account with a ukrainian bank. ukraine kran banks closed suddenly on the orders of the kiev government. >> translator: i was receiving social payments. i left the money there so it

could earn interest. now i would like to get it back. but even if i travel to ukraine, i'm not sure i could get it back. >> reporter: now some offices are being used by a russian fund that will compensate people up to $20,000. these people have been queueing for more than two hours at the fun. but believe it or not, they are the lucky ones. many like this crowd over here still have to get a date and time when they can go in, and sometimes down the line they will be told where they can go to access their money. the crisis is also hitting businessmen like this man. with their accounts frozen they have had to layoff staff and close their office. >> you can't buy stuff because -- for your living. you can't go to a shop. you can't buy gas, you can't do anything anymore. because at the moment the small

money which you have under your mattress is finished. >> reporter: even for people who's accounts weren't frozen getting money out means long queues at banks or cash machines. >> translator: ukrainian bank stopped working here. we should open accounts with though russian banks. >> moscow has always stepped in to help people with pension. >> translator: in april russia raised by pension by 25%. in may i'm getting an extra 25% too. so i'm happy. >> reporter: but even she has to pay her bills, and many people are having to do this at places like this not at bank. we used to stand in horrible queues for hours during soviet times she reminds them. and many crimeans believe these

inconveniences are a price worth ways. >> elections in ukraine are now scheduled for may 25th. tomorrow marking an ominous anniversary in nigeria, nearly 300 schoolgirls stolen from their school as they slept. the white house saying the u.s. contingent is now 30. fbi agents and people from defense and state. rosiland jordan has more. >> supposedly the commanding general of afraicom that is concerned with security issues in africa. the general is said to be there. we're still trying to get independent confirmation. but if it's true that general rodriguez is on the ground, that is a sign of how seriously the u.s. is taking this effort.

it is of course on top of the 30 or so personnel not just from the u.s. military, but from the state department, from usaid, from the fbi, from intelligence agencies as they try to provide assistance in figuring out where these girls are and how to rescue them. the u.s. has already been involved in a number of joint training exercises, with the nigerian military before this kidnapping happened 30 days ago. because the u.s. has been trying to help the military expand and improve its capacity. of course the nigerian government is a bit leery of giving too much power or authority to the military because of nigeria's past in dealing with military [ inaudible ] that were in charge of the country. but that said, the nigerian's do

welcome the u.s.'s assistance, but they have been very, very clear that they will only ask for the assistance when they decide they are ready. there was a lot of back and forth about whether the nigerians had even wanted to bring in this advisory team from the united states, and they didn't really want to talk about that, but it is clear that goodluck jonathan has to be mindful of how this plays domestically. he has already been criticized for reacting quite slowly to the kidnapping of these schoolgirls. the un secretary general baunkying moon, announcing the resignation of lack tar brahimi. his resignation coming largely out of frustration as bashar al-assad ignored the efforts for peace talks and then scheduled lek sh lek -- elections again f

june. >> the question is how many more will have to die. the syria we have loved and admired. >> the resignation takes effect may 31st. at least 31 minors are dead trapped in a mine inside turkey. authorities say an explosion caused a fire and collapse at the mine. there are conflicting reports on the number of casualties. more on this story as it becomes available. and there has been another confirmed case of mers, this one in florida. it loves a 44 year old man who was always a health care worker from saudi arabia. it has sickened close to 500 people around the world, most in the middle east. 144 have died.

workers at the hospital in orlando are being tested and put on leave. >> in our hospital we identified a total of 15, 18 members that were exposed. as i said all of these team members were notified. they have been asked to stay off work for 14 days. and they have been asked to check their temperature twice a day and to monitor for any symptoms such as a fever, chills, muscle aches, cough for sore throat. they are still fighting two massive wildfires out west, one in texas the other in new mexico. nearly 100 homes have been destroyed. at least 3,000 acres now burning in new mexico. john henry smith has our story. >> reporter: the texas forrest service dropped its containment estimate from 75 to 65%. one hutchison county official said it looks like a war zone.

>> my home and the home next to mine was the only one standing in our block. >> reporter: so far an estimated 700 people have had to take shelter. air tankers and firefighters from 26 counties are working up to 30-hour shifts to put out the blaze before anyone else has to evacuate. >> the may shift later so be prepared to evacuate. >> reporter: the a last estimate out of silver sill, new mexico is zero percent of that fire has been contained. the fire is moving east away from silver city. as we head into warmer weather, drought conditions have communities on edge about wildfires from the southwest to the west. where later this week, some

southern californians will deal with high winds and temperatures in the triple digits. they are not expecting a bad wildfire season in colorado, but the govern a taking a better safe than sorry approach. >> it's important to sign these three bills to make sure that we further secure our ability to fight fires, to get to fires sooner. >> reporter: despite all of the property that has been lost or is being threatened by the texas and new mexico wildfires, as of tuesday morning, there had been no reports of loss of life. john henry smith, al jazeera. now until that cool weather rives the hot dry weather playing a part in both of those fires. >> yeah, we need some cool air to come in and drop the temperatures a bit. but it is also very dry area. that's a problem. the wind has picked up in east texas. west texas, new mexico, even the

southwest it is dry. here is this weather pattern. that cooler air is coming in from the north. now you have high-pressure building in. right over the southwest. and when you get high-pressure building in there, that's where you have this problem. that wind really picks up east of the rockies, and especially southern california here. the santa ana winds really starting to pick up. wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour. the wind will die down in texas and new mexico and pick up across the southwest. thissel waits this risk for the rapid fire growth. and the risk goes throughout the day today and tomorrow. and temperatures are expected to climb 100 degrees. >> dave warren thank you very much. there has been a string of car bombings in iraq today. the blasts targeting mostly

shiite areas. imran khan has our story. >> reporter: after a period of relative calm, once again, bagdad burns. the iraqi government had ordered a massive security operation for the april 30th election, but as that wound down, the attacks go on. in total seven car bombs exploded within hours of each other. bagdad operation commanding, the force responsible for securing the city was quick to blame flighter involved with [ inaudible ]. the effects are always the same. people once again angry and frustrated. >> translator: so many explosions took place. we don't know why such bombings are taking place. >> reporter: as the cars are removed, it's a reminder that these bombs are set to go off in busy marketplaces.

the ifo did issue a statement again on monday threat enning attacks. one of the worse attacks was at this car repair shop. a man drove his car, had a word with the mechanic, and said can you take a look at my car, i'm going to grab some lunch and i'll be back. workers have cleaned up the neighborhood. it's a sign of how common place these attacks are. what is more difficult to do is clear up the fear that these attacks cause. imran khan, al jazeera, bagdad. late today the president will once again present the nation's highest military honor. kyle white set to receive the medal of honor at the white house. white helped with the evacuation of several wounded soldiers

during a 2007 taliban ambush. al jazeera will be covering today's ceremony. and coming up on al jazeera america, scientists say the antarctic is melting. and the drought, so bad in parts of brazil, they can't even afford to waste a single drop of water. ♪

we're following breaking news coming out of baltimore. that is wmar tv, a person there has barricaded himself inside the station. the station located in the northern part of baltimore. the man went inside the station after he rammed the building with a dump truck. there is a school towards the left of your screen that has also been evacuated, a small catholic church. the school is on lockdown. two mine yours are head after a coal mining accident in

west virginia. that happened last night in a mine in boone county. the two minors were trapped after what is called a ground failure. federal and state officials say the fine has a history of safety violations. there is a new scientific study out, and it is not good. glaciers in the antarctic is melting past the point of no return. gerald tan has more. >> reporter: for years we have been warned, the mighty frozen continent is melting. and now two studies paint a sobering picture of what is being described as a reversible thaw. a glacier has started to retreat. the reason say the researchers

is global warming. the glaciers sit on the continental shelf below sea level. the ices have thinned from beneath, and as it felts the ice retreat into the sea. the six glaciers in question hold enough ice to raise mobile sea levels by [ inaudible ] meters. >> we're talking about 10 to 15 feet. this will affect millions if not billions of people around the coastline throughout the world. >> reporter: and it's areas such as these that are most threatened. every year people in small eye lands in the pacific see their land gradually disappearing. the fear is that one day all of it will be underwater. most scientists agree a rise in

ocean levels is inevitable. but they are urging people and governments to do as much as possible to slow down the process. gerald tan, al jazeera. >> meanwhile there is a different type of environmental crisis unfolding in brazil. they are coping with a drought that is so severe, every drop of water is priceless. >> reporter: in this home they don't waste one drop of water. no water is allowed to go down the drain. all water is reused in any way possible. >> translator: if it's dirty water, we use it to water the plants. if it's soapy water to clean clothes, we reuse it to clean the floors. >> reporter: for now she at least has water to save, but maybe not for long. this is sao paulo's main water

reservoir or what is left of it. in the past couple of years, this area has received only about a quarter of the average rainfall but demand for water has gone up, and this is the result. this time last year, this reservoir was at 62% capacity. exacterly one year later, it is at 9.8% capacity the lowest this recorded history. the visual effects are pretty obvious, but the long-term effects could be quite dramatic. experts say even if rainfall picks up again, which is not guaranteed. it could take anywhere from five to 20 years for this reservoir to recover. the state water agency is now drawing on what they call a dead water supply, a last resort ground reserve that is estimated to last a few months. such extreme measures are necessary because the reservoir is one of the key sources of

water for busy sao paulo, south america's largest city with 11 million people. the governor says it is unlikely there will be water rashing this year. a claim some find irresponsible. >> translator: we need to declare water rationing right now. it's necessary so the little water we have can be used in a sustainable way. >> reporter: at the reservoir the day after we filmed here, the water levels dropped to below 8% capacity. a water level crisis that is quickly going from bad to worse. and for more on the environmental concerns around the globe and how they affect just about every one of us go to aljazeera.com, click on our website at the environment section at the top and you'll find the stories. again, that is aljazeera.com. and coming up on al jazeera america, the ship that

christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, one of them may have been found. >> i'm in portland, oregon with my new friends for what their parents pay for child care they could be sending them to college. that story is just ahead. ♪

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are your headlines at this hour. six ukrainian soldiers have been killed eight others wounded near kreamatorsk. the defense minister saying the socialeds were attacked by separatists there. the u.s. now stepping up efforts to find those missing nigerian schoolgirls. military teams are now on the ground and in the air helping with the search and rescue. u.s. surveillance plains are sharing images with the nigerian

government. nearly 100 homes have been destroyed in the texas panhandle, at least 3,000 acres still burning in new mexico. and the weather in a word has been hot and dry in those parts of the country and they are watching the skies. >> yeah, and now the wind is picking up as well. the wind really starting to increase over texas and new mexico, now beginning to move towards southern california. so the wind a big factor here. very low relatively humidity and heat is climbing. red flag warnings in effect around san francisco. but this is just the start of an extended period of heat here, and close to 100 wednesday and thursday. wind could be gusting 30, or 40 miles an hour, maybe closer to 50 in the mountains. flooding rains in east texas. this is a front which is pushing east. you'll notice the temperatures

ahead of the front climbing in to the upper 80s. now it's not the entire east coast that is dealing with this warmup, some cooler air approach theres the northeast. there are a few light rain showers in the east. and close to 85 in washington, d.c. >> as my daughter used to say things have been turned upside down. >> a little bit of everything. child care in many cases costs more than college. and nowhere is that more ef denth -- evident than the state of oregon and allen schauffler reports. >> reporter: meet mia, toby, and their little sister. they are brought, energetic, adorable and expensive. about $1,500 a month for child, $18,000 a year for three days a week. the parents work four days a

week each. >> if we were to pay full-time, we shouldn't be working. we would -- it would cost the same amount as our mortgage does. >> reporter: according to a recent report, oregon is the most expensive state in the country for child care followed by new york and minnesota. in oregon the average cost of infant day care for one is more than $13,000 a year. yearly tuition and fees at state universities run just under $7,000. >> it's not an oregon alone. we're just more dramatic. but -- but it would be a mistake to think this is an oregon phenomenon. >> reporter: dr. bobby webber has studied family dynamics for years. she says finding affordable quality child care is a constant scramble.

>> this isn't a land of equal opportunity if by age five your trajectory is already set. and the evidence is if you come to kindergarten not ready, you don't catch up. >> reporter: some say the government needs to do more. >> our public education system is paid for by taxpayers, and we have done very little to look at how we can help pay for child care through our tax dollars. >> reporter: at this child care center, the boss doesn't like the college comparison, citing different funding sources, regulatory requirements, and costs. >> no. no. no one is getting rich here. we go month -- year to year on just making our budget. >> reporter: back home bill and rafaela don't like the comparison either. >> we're still dealing with our

own college costs. >> reporter: and college savings for the kids? that will have to wait until the day care bills are done. >> reporter: remember the nina, the penta, the santa marina? experts say they are now found the santa maria. it is now stuck on a reef off of the coast of haiti where chris columbus said it ran aground about 500 years ago. underwater explorers working with the haitian government to protect the site. there is a ground stop at chicago's o'hara and midway airports after a fire in el again. again, a ground stop at chicago's o'hara and midway airport, so if you plan on flying in and out of those regions phone ahead, and if you have a connector, you would be

advised to phone ahead as well. thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. 101 east is next. and you can check us out 24 hours aday by going to our website. >> for more than a decade, the world has witnessed seemingly endless violence in afghanistan. many tell me the daily reports of the attacks, and the daily killings have ceased to hold much meaning. but for those living in this land, torn apart by war, there's no more important of a time than now. after years of trying to drive back the taliban, most of the nato and u.s. troops are leaving, having reported here since the september 11th attacks on new york, the fate of the people have come to weigh heavily on me. that's why i returned, to a