fit the crime? >> had the person that murdered our daughter got the mandatory minimum, he wouldn't have been out. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america >> this is al jazeera america, live from new york city, i'm tony harris with a look at the top stories - it's primary day for six states. some candidates chosen for crucial races thailand's army imposes marshall law, but it is not a kaup the search for the missing school girls 10 million home owners under water - owing more on their homes than their worth.

got to tell you today is one of the biggest days of voting in the 2014 election cycles. voters heading to the polls to choose candidates with the races. david shuster joins us. >> this is the super-tuesday of the midterm congressional election, and the closely-watched action is on the republican side where the tea party is trying to drag the g.o.p. to the right and they are focussing on november electability. kentucky - mitch mcconnell faces a challenge from matthew bevan, a tea party candidate. mcconnell poured more than $10 million in the race to counter that he has not done enough to stop president obama spending. and bevan - false claims made

during the campaign. mcconnell expected to be the winner, facing alison brians, setting up a race, brians versus mcconnell. georgia - it features a tea party circular firing squad. it's crowded, nasty and conservative tea party is not expected in the top three. you need to finish in the top three. they are not expected to get in the top two. the lead candidates, david prid u, congressman jack kingston. the topics are experience and the economy. the republican winner faces democrat candidate michelle nunn in november, the daughter of georgia former senator sam nunn.

oregon - moderate monica wooeb e against jason. she favours abortion right. republican leaders in washington believe she could pose a challenge and put the seat in play held by democrat senator jeff americaly. to take on americaly she has to get past connor, and this is more of a challenge because monica reiby faced accusations from an ex-boyfriend accusing her of stalking and harassment. arkansas - mike prior and the republican senate candidate cotton will win the primary, setting up a battle between these two in november, one that could determine whether democrats maintain control of the senate or cede power to the g.o.p. prior is considered a

conservative democrat. that will hep in november. >> appreciate it, thank you. we'll continue to talk about this. to mike viqueira in washington. republicans are not the only ones kind of duking it out. what is the latest on the governor's race in pennsylvania. >> in pennsylvania, there's a congress woman allyson schwartz, from the swing district outside of philadelphia running against an upstart, tom wolf, and he appears to be on the winning end as far as the polls are considered going into this minisuper-tuesday. >> another for you. what is at stake more broadly. for the public and policies that could potentially impact all of us? >> that's a great question, tony. it's nothing short of control of the senate and the legacy of president obama in his second term. if republicans take control of the senate, and the smart money

from analysts is they have a better chance of doing it than not doing it, then the president's legacy is called into legacy, immigration, spending, raising the minimum age, the progression is gridlocked. >> this is shaping up to be a difficult day for tea party conservatives. has that movement peaked? >> you know, that's a great question too. it's a possibility. midterm elections are about the hard core base of the party. if they are going to lose across the board, and that appears what is talked about. is this the revenge of the g.o.p. establishment we are seeing here today. >> why might this be happening? any thoughts on that? >> there are two questions. everyone from todd aiken, remember that cycle in missouri, and christine "i'm not a witch"

o'donnell - that was in delaware. they want viable candidates and are voting in a pragmatic way. you have to say the money thrown in from establishment organizations like the chamber of commerce to counteract the organization, like the club for growth - that is having an impact. >> part of what i do is cast a line out, questioning the weight of this extreme and have you bring me back. if the center goes g.o.p. is gridlock until 2016 a given. >> it's not necessarily the case. it's the conventional wisdom. there's a school of thought that the president wants to compromise, and that is something that democrats are afraid of. 2015 is the window if the republic take control, for them to get anything done. after that it's subsumed by 2016 and the presidential election. on immigration - republicans

want it off the table. john boehner made noises towards compromise and minimum wage. republicans say they should allow that to be raised says mitt romney. there is hope if you advocate for minimum wage reform and immigration. >> thank you. for the first time in months the streets of thailand's capital was quiet. the country wrote to a state of marshall law. we have this response: . >> scott heidler has more from bangkok. >> reporter: as thais woke up tuesday heading to school and work, most found out that they now live under marshall law.

>> translation: in order to keep peace and order efficiently and bring peace back to the people of every group, i exercise the right under articles 2 and 4 of the marshall law act 1914 to invoke marshall law nationwide. >> reporter: several more announcements by the army were made as the day unfolded giving military commanders more power. soldiers took over government-run organization that usually maintains peace and security. >> translation: when the country is safe and peaceful no one will keep marshall law for long. the next step is to bring rive at parties to talk in peace. there can't be talks if there is no peace. if there are movements, provocation and instigation towards violence. >> cable and television stations with political ties were told to

stop broadcasting. dnn was one of them. >> translation: when i saw the soldiers, i'm a red shirt member, and we are democracy, we wanted to disobey them. this is the law. it's inevitable. we have to play bit the rules and be cautious. >> the anti-government protest leader announced his people will continue protesting peacefully. the army's presence is light. no one knows how long they'll stay in the streets for or if more troops will be called in. the army snisted this is not -- insisted this is not a coup, but a bid to prevent more violence. >> not a coup. we have a caretaker government. as long as they are in office and remains, it's not a coup. the authority shifts to the military. we don't have the administrative

center. going forward in the coming days, it depend what resolution the army has in mind. >> reporter: and the army commander is keeping his option open, saying marshall law will remain in place for as long as it takes. >> coming up a little later, 4:30, we'll look at the key players involved in this political crisis in thailand. libya's electoral commission announced a commission on june 25th as they struggle to maintain control of cities. lawmakers met in secret to consider a new prime minister. the move defies commands by renegade general khalifa haftar to disband. he launched a campaign he said is aimed at stability. n.a.t.o. says there's no sign that russian troops are leaving the ukranian border a day after vladimir putin ordered them to return to their home base. workers at a steel mill in

mariupol left their post to attend a rally against prorallying separatist. the plant is owned by ukraine's richest man. his country organised steel workers to patrol with police. separatists threatened to nationalize his incident. 42 killed in nigeria. the blaf ripped through -- blast rip throughed a bus term -- through a bus terminal and a market. amid a search for 300 school girls. boko haram says it kidnapped them. we have this report from north-eastern nigeria, victims of other boko haram attacks want justice. >> reporter: cut with a machete and left for dead, john peter lost his home, job and is partially paralyzed following an attack on his community in bono state last year. four of his children cannot attend school. he is one of hundreds of

thousands made homeless by violence in the north-east. people like him fear they may have been forgotten. >> all i want is food, shelter clothing for my children. fighting boko haram, and finding the missing girls is crucial. i hope the world does not forget us >> translation: i'm in a similar situation. they've been on the move for a year. they are living in this small community >> translation: they killed our neighbours and came after my husband. we fled. they attacked another community. we came here. we lost everything - our home, business, our security. >> safety is not guaranteed, since arriving fighters loyal to the group launched four attacks in the area. there are more than 100,000 living here, who had to leave their homes. the majority left to escape

violence about boko haram in borno and other places. hundreds are trying to rebuild their lives, but little work comes from government authorities. cash-strapped government authorities say it's a struggle to keep many in camps. most depend on the goodwill of those that live her. >> the rate of conassumption that the huge j -- consumption that the human needs is getting more and more. this is why we are seeing the resources enough. so far, well, at least government is doing it's level, it's utmost level. >> reporter: five years of violence changed hundreds of thousands of lives forever. with national and international attention focused on beating boko haram, they may be faced with a new wave of instability. a sheriff in orknown are

saying no -- oregon are saying no to keeping suspects in gaol longer despite requests from federal immigration. it comes after a ruling that could have an oregon county on the hook for damages after a custody enforcement. we are joined outside seattle, allen schauffler, tell us about the ice holes. >> reporter: yes, interesting stuff. it really didn't take long after the federal judge's ruling that you mentioned that people's rights were violated, their constitutional right and the counties honouring the ice detainers or hold requests could be liable for damages. didn't take long before sheriffs around the west changed their policy. after a domestic dispute daniel landed in this gaol. he and his wife say he was behind bars longer than he should was ice, immigration

customs and enforcement asked that he be held. he could have been out in a day. immigration put a hold on him, his situation changed. ice wanted the hold to despite if he was undocumented. he says he's here illegally. he's one of more than 17,000 holds or detainers the agency issues nationally, a number that dropped since late 2011. a federal judge in portland ruled if people break the lawyers, the holds break the fourth amendment covering illegal search and sees your. this professor teaches immigration law. >> if the country holds people in gaol as a result of ice holds they violate the constitution in doing so, and are on the hook for damages. >> reporter: the case that started it was filed and could cost that country a lot of money, sparking action across the state, with changes

spreading to all counties. >> we are not in the state of oregon honouring ice detainers. >> it's simply, said the sheriff association president - he took an oath to defend the constitution. >> we don't want to violate people's rights. we have taken action to not do that. >> an icespokesman says they'll ask for the holds, especially those involving serious crimes. >> here in washington and colorado, many counties are following oregon's lead. >> if oregon is doing it, colorado is doing it, washington state is doing it. it's likely this that trend will continue. >> daniel hernandez still faces deportation. his wife is skeptical about promises that minor offenders will not be targeted. >> the communities are afraid to ask the police for help because

we are afraid to, they take you to immigration. >> in this house, the trend in the west to put a stop to the extended detention is positive. so far at this point we don't have a final figure, the final determination, what it will be for damages from the original case. that will come at a later date. >> is this the first case like this, of its kind? >> reporter: not the first case. there was a similar one ta came out of pennsylvania that was ruled on this year. it didn't get the traction that this did just south of oregon. this one spread like a pebble in a pond, and we are seeing it spreading oregon, washington and other places in the west. >> allen schauffler in seattle coming up on al jazeera america - seven years after the housing bust and the new numbers are not good.

10 million americans under water on their homes. looking at the booming market of synthetic drugs - and market of synthetic drugs - and why the u.s. is leading the the performance review. market of synthetic drugs - and why the u.s. is leading the that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance

is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business built for business.

a michigan lawmakers delay a vote on bills giving detroit more money to help it emerge from bankruptcy. the head of the state committee says he wants them to review the bills. it would give them 195 to prevent steeper cuts in pensions and the sale of artwork. general motors announced four recalls affecting 2.5 million vehicles, in relation to seat belts, airbags. general motors recalled a record 13.6 million vehicles this year. disappointing earnings report from the detail sector september the markets down. it's steep, over a percentage point. a sobering report for home owners. real estate analyst zilo says

10 million u.s. households have underwater mortgages. it means the owners owe more than the house is worth. let's bring in rick newman - he's a columnist with yahoo finance. good to see you. i'm with so many americans - houses, underwater. if your house is underwater, seems your options are limited, right. is a short sale, banks kind of loathe to work with you or bring a bunch of money for the table for a conventional sale, and you don't want to walk away from your home, so your options are limited. >> that's the problem. your other option is don't sell the house. >> yes. >> that's where the rub comes in. we have been through several years where people who had to sell either haven't been able to pay their mortgage have gone through foreclosure, short sale or something like that. a lot of that worked itself off.

the problem now is we are trying to get back to a normal housing market which seems stalled. it looked good last year, home prices were coming up. there's a lot of activity that is stalled. zilo give us a glimpse into why this is happening. as you pointed out 20% of all homes are under water. there's 10 million, a total of 40% of home owners. the other group have a little equity, not enough to cover the costs if they were to sell their home. that's 40% of all homes not on the market because the sellers would lose money. if you wonder why first-time home buyers can't find affordable properties, that's a reason. these people who are under water - they are not able to move up into the next level of home, for example, and it really is stalling the market. >> if you can't buy that first home, if we talk about the lower

end of the spectrum, that has a knock-on effect. folks getting into the home for the first time, they have to kit out the home. they have to buy the appliances and everything else. >> absolutely. >> that's the knock-on effect of first-time buyers not getting into the marketplace. >> then they don't buy furniture, appliances. these are the things that make a contribution to the economy, which is why economists have been telling us that you can't have a robust recovery if the housing market is stalled. we need them to go hand in hand. the housing market can't get on its feet. >> is there a way to get more of these underwater mortgages, more of the homes off the market? >> no, i don't think there is. i mean, the government basically exhausted every effort to try to have some federal programme to

help home buyers and sellers. there's no appetite for that. there's a few programs, did a bit of good. we are in a position where we have to work our way out of this. it will take a long time. this is what happens with credit bubbles that burst, which is what we have. there's no quick fix, especially if there's no political appetite to do anything. we see the numbers get better, they are getting better. it's taking a long time. it's something that will be a baby step here, a baby step there. in five, seven, 10 years we may say we are out from under a cloud. >> it's what you get when you get a bubble, a credit bubble that burst, and what you get when you get a subprime mortgage feeding frenzy, which is what we saw in '04, "05 and "06. >> a lot went wrong at the same time. it's a mess.

>> rick newman, a columnist with yahoo finance joining us from new york. a united nations report warns of an unprecedented growth in the awes of synthetic -- use of synthetic drug such as methamphetamine, u.s. is on the front lines. kath turner reports from new york. >> reporter: this treat is known for its smoke shop, selling cigarettes, pipes and rolling paper. we sent in two al jazeera producers to see if they find something unlikely on display. k2, spice, molly, bath salts, sting u lands, hallucinogenics - popular with the party crowd, but not easy to find.

. >> reporter: two weeks ago drug enforcement launched major raids, 150 were arrested and $20 million in cash and assets was seized linked to the synthetic drugs market. they are up against an unfamiliar enemy. >> this is a new froont ear, a challenge we have not seen historically when it comes to overseas production of the designer synthetic drugs, and it's ever changing, making it difficult. >> up to 300 synthetic duration emerged, mainly in china. ingredients are often legal and unregulated. once made they are brought and sold via the internet. there's a huge increase in these drugs. west africa and the americas feed into asia. the u.n. report highlights a worrying problem, the growing

use of cocktails added to methamphetamine. if someone overdoses, medical staff don't know what they are dealing with and can't treat the patients. the d.e.a. says it's like playing russian roulette. there are no shortage of drug users willing to take the risk thailand's army chief says marshall law is not the start of coup. we'll look at the next step and the key players, and a group of retired n.f.l. players are suing. they say the league gave them risky pills and pain-killers to hide their pain and get them back on the field. that is next.

thailand's army chief says opposing marshall law is not a coup. they've had 7 month of unrest. the streets were quiet for the first time. marshall law was imposed to keep the peace between anti-government protesters and supporters. john terrett looks at the major players. >> yes. thailand's political crisis essentially is groups jockeying for position, as the haves from the cities, and the have not from the rural areas trying to gape the upper hand before the elderly copying dies. here are some of the key players at the moment. first one, 64-year-old thaksin shinawatra, he was found get your of corruption, won two

landslide victories in 2001 and 2005 by promising universal health care and credit programme for villages and a debt moratorium for farmers. in 2006 he was ousted by the military in a coup backed by the wealthier middle classes. this is where it's interesting. in 2011, 46-year-old yingluck shinawatra, the younger citiesster of thaksin -- sister of thaksin bail the prime minister. she studied at kentucky university. she maintained her brother's popular policies, such as the rice programme. she was removed by the constitution constitutional court for abuse of power. the interim prime minister may need every occupies of a compromise and public relation skills that he's known for. the 66-year-old has been among

the fringe, and earned the trust of the shinawatra family and their juggernaut movement that won every election for a decade. this is the commander in chief of the royal thai army, a royal ultra supporters, widely believed to have been in the inner circle of the military's top brass when it staged the coup in 2006 to off the thaksin shinawatra. many thing he has done it again, despite saying imposing marshall law is not the first step towards a coup. we'll see. finally, you ask, where is the king. he's here. will he intervene? unlikely. why? because although he's revered throughout thailand, he is old now. he probably doesn't really feel like stepping into politics at this stage of his life. at the top of this i told you the current turmoil is partly

positions for when he dies, not that anyone will tell you that. talking unfavourably about the copying in thailand is taboo... >> it will land you in prison for a long time. >> senn years. >> appreciate it. joining me from los angeles, thailand's former foreign minister and a professor of law and diplomacy at u.c.l.a. good to see you. do you believe - no, should we believe whether thailand's army when it says it's not staging a coup but restoring order. i'm kept cam. i watched what happened in egypt. i'm dubious. >> yes, i have watched what happened in egypt. legally, it is not a coup at this point in time. the constitution remains. the government remains in place. what we have experienced, i

think, is another opportunity to reset the country. the country was walking off the cliff so to speak and needs all the energy to reset. it's important for the military to come out being impark. >> why the military? aren't elections about a reset. if you want to reset a political structure, you hold elections. if you don't like the government, you vote it out. that's the reset, isn't it, not the military? >> that is correct. however, when there is that divided country that we have now. it requires certain things like to move us back from the brink. >> rite. >> what we need to do at this point is to have the military continue to be as impartial as

possible. we must not look back at this point, we must look forward. we have spent so much energy, the thais, hating one another, and trying to destroy one another. this is the last opportunity for thais to now work together. all that energy to rebuild the country. >> isn't the past prolog - isn't it back to the future again, 2006 there was a coup. we have this non-coup happening now. does it bother you that the caretaker government is holding a cabinet meeting at the time of this move by the army and seemingly was unaware of what was happening in the country? >> well, yes, it a concern, but the thing is that the crisis that we are experiencing requires that we should not go back to analyse who is at fault, who should have done what in the past at this point in time. this point in time we are at the cliff. so we have to move back.

and at this time the military needs to be very impartial. the demonstrators on both sides - the reds - red shirts are - have been told to not leave the area that they are in now, and the same plies for the other -- applies for the other side. we can continue to have the people exercise their right to freely express and demonstrated when they wish, but it should not be destructive. >> can i ask you a question before we run out of time. what is the shinawatra problem in thailand? i ask you because you were in the administration of thaksin. his sister, as everywhere knows, was bounded from power on may 7th. >> yes. >> there is strong support for the family, and yet we get 2006, may 7th, brother and sister forced from power. what is the shinawatra issue for

thailand? >> yes, there's a degree of misunderstanding, a degree of emotions. we have been a victim of - as a country we have been a victim of numerous hate campaigns. >> most by whom, who is responsible? >> the hate campaign, i would not want to place blame op one or the other. it was good for the military to be able to stop the broadcasting of tv stations that... >> you think that's a good move? you see it as a good move? >> to stop the broadcasting of the hate campaign. >> okay. >> so the partisan tv stations are off the air. that's good. there is that limit. they have to maintain the free and fair press. what i expect in the next few days is the senate to make a move in appointing a new prime minister.

>> good to talk to you. >> thank you. >> thailand's former foreign minister, and is now the professor of law and diplomacy at u.c.l.a. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. 20 killed in fighting between rebels and yemeni soldiers. houthi tribes me fighting the government trying to get them to withdraw from a province. fighting between the shias and houthis has been escalating for days. >> reporter: skirmishes started left yesterday between houthi supporters and tribesman north of the capital. the government says hutus are trying to implement a radical ideology, they are a threat to stability in the country. the government accused iran of providing substantial military

assistance to the hutus. a spokesperson, on the other hand, says the fight is not against the government, but against a military commander accused of having ties with radical sunni groups in the area. this attack, this escalation comes against the backdrop of a military offensive in the south of the country against al qaeda fighter. it shos the volatile -- shows the volatile situation, and the challenges that the government faces. al qaeda in the southed, separatist mofth in the south and -- movement in the south and hutus. >> crews in bosnia and serbia are cleaning up areas hit by flooding. >> more than people were killed. >> government workers are dis-ipp effecting areas. half a million have been forced

to flee their home. there are fears they'll be sick from capital nated water. joyce banda faced off against 12 challenges in malawi. she took power when the former president died of a heart attack and is credited with pulling the country from crisis. 40% of malawi budget comes from foreign donors. south sudan - the u.s. pledges to send $300 million to provide more than a million refugees with shelter and good. the government battled rebels. the cycle of violence is crippling the country. >> reporter: at this time of year people in south sudan are normally planting crops. mothers at this clinic came to get life-saving treatment for their malnourished babies. everyone ran from the fighting.

nearly a million have been lying in camps. many are short of food. this woman says she was worried her sop will die. he's improving. but she had to trade clothes for food. >> translation: in my up to people have started eating wild plants pause of the shortage of food. many are sick. people are dying. we are hoping the fighting stops so we can go home. >> medics working here say there are more malnourished people. >> we have quite some dinths of mal -- depth of malnutrition. if the childrenar malnourished, ner very vulnerable. >> those within the camp - everyone here fled malay cow, a town that changed hands between opposition rebels and forces. conditions in the camp are not good. shelters are built from plastic

sheeting. shelters are built into the one next to it. this boy says he sleeps inside with his two brothers, because there's not enough space with his parents. it must be uncomfortable and cold. the camp goes on and on. there's no way people can grow crops. everyone wants to go home and grow food, but they are not prepared to do that until they are confident that leaders are serious about stopping the fighting. >> since people can't plant, there'll be no harvest in september. food aid is crucial. the u.n.'s helping those it can reach. there's a serious risk of famine in the coming months. >> some people will die. the more the w.f.p. and humanitarian players can make a response at this type and in the months to come, the lower the number will be. the world food program needs half a billion to feed people, otherwise malnutrition will get

worse. thousands have been killed in the violencement without peace at home and help from outside, hunger could kill more. another ban on gay marriage is overturned. we are joined with that story and headlines making news across america. >> a federal judge in pennsylvania said the ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. the judge said it's time to toss out such laws into history. this is the fourth such ruling on a state ban in the past three weeks. similar decisions struck down bans in arkansas, idaho, and oregon. the state of a missouri death row inmate rests in the hand of a court. russell buck low's lawyers asked for a stay following a botched execution in oklahoma. the state will move forward with the death penalty unless a court says otherwise. he is set to be put to death

after midnight in austin texas - a driver that drove into a crowded street during the south by south-west festival. he faces murder charges. he was fleeing a sobriety check point, smashing through a barricade into a crowd of people. two were killed. another two died later. carson california could be the first city to criminalize bullying. the city council is expected to approve the awed nanses. children as young as five could be charged with a misdemeanour. minors and parents could face hundred in fines. a group of retired n.f.l. players filed a lawsuit against the league in california, saying it illegally gave them risky pain-killers that numbed their injuries and led to medical complications. the lawsuit claims the drugs were used to get players on the field for quickly, maximising profits.

the eight of named plaintiff said include richard department. playing for the chicago bars. he said he broke his fooment. he was -- foot. he was given pap killers, and -- payne kill exercise now he can't walk properly. >> we heard these claims, and now it's a lawsuit. still to come, an ohio elementary school on lockdown. the school is keeping it that way because of gun violence. parents say it's a prison. members of the european parliament trying to - what is going on. lobby for young voters by using

the publisher of the "new york times" is speaking out saying jill abramson was not fired as editor, executived tore

because she demanded a higher salary on an interview an "vanity fair"'s website. he says jill abramson was fired for driving a wedge within management. critics suggested that the "new york times" treated jill abramson unfairly because she is a woman. hundreds of student at an mmentry school -- elementary school in ohio have been on lock down. recess and playing outside has been banned because of gun violence. some parents do not support the decision saying it has turned into a prison. bisi onile-ere has the report. >> reporter: there was a passed meeting in lincoln heights as parent demanded that children be freed from lockdown and pleaded for the school doors to stay open. >> if you shut kun everything that is -- down everything pertaining to the kids, you are saying to those violent folk "you win, take over." >> citing an increase in

violence in the neighbourhood district officials imposed the lock down a week ago. every day nearly 200 students are kept indoors. there's no outdoor recess, no extracurricular activities. the board didn't make a decision on monday. for now, it remains open. but there are no certainties. >> i want to see the school open. i don't want a closed school. i want the community to step up and require all of us, the school district and the village and others to make a concerted effort to improve a community where all of us are safe in that situation. >> reporter: school officials say they were left with no choice but to enforce a mandatory lockdown after a pair of shootings near here. two were shot a block away two weeks ago. before that a bullet emptied a school bus, coming within inches of striking the bus driver in the head. district officials are taking steps to protect students and

staff. those in the xounty don't -- community don't dispute the fact that crime is an issue, but question whether lincoln heights elementary, predominantly african american, is singled out as a first step to closing it. >> i went here as a kid. there was the same crime as it is now. i don't know what the difference is now. >> reporter: the chief of police believes the district may be overreacting. >> this happened two weeks ago, it was not directly involving the school, but as results to the lock down, it's -- relates to the lock down, it's unwarranted. >> reporter: police stepped up patrols, with two weeks left in the school year, the lock down remains in effect. many worry that the sign to save lincoln heights elementary has just begun. coming up on al jazeera america - california's severe drought leading to water

rationing. how people are dealing with the shortage? it took 11 hours for a u.s. jury to convict a british cleric of terror related charges. the confriction and what it means. he's the subject of "inside story", here is ray suarez in washington. >> abu ham xied's trial was held in a court room blocks from where the trade center towers stood. his and other terror prosecutions were called successes. what is preventing the same legal course for co-conspire iters and others. we are live at the top of the hour. see you then.

since the start of the year california has been in a drought state of emergency, prompting officials in santa cruz to ration water, worried that the water will run out if it doesn't

limit water usages. and we report on how some are dealing with the shortage. >> reporter: blue skies in california, a welcome site, but a trigger for a stage 3 water shortage emergency for the city. >> people operate upped rationing. >> santa cruz is the first city to order water rationing during the drought. in customers use more than 7500 month, they'll be fined. nick patrols for offenders. what are you looking for? >> i'm looking for irrigation flowing into the streets. >> reporter: the average water bill is $40 a month. using more water carries a fine of $25, then up to $50. michelle cut back on her water usage. >> this was all grass. we changed it up to hard skate.

>> she expects her family will stay within the limit. >> i have to adjust not having the house water pressure. all my plants are suck u lants in the pots. i don't have a garden right now. >> sanda cruz is one of the most vulnerable cities to drought of the it relies on rain fall for its water. this creek, two riff and a reservoir are the only sources of water for 93,000 people. so most residents conserve without being told. >> cutting back on showers is the biggest thing that i know i can do. >> probably one of the lowest per cap it ause rates in santa crews. >> the water department offers water school, like traffic school, to get out of paying a fine op a first offense. attendees learn to conserve. >> this is recycle.

there's a well. it recycles, we have the sound of water. it's recycled. >> michelle needs no further instruction. >> i feel i have a responsibility to save water, and the yard looks just as amazing with the drought resistant plants. >> if the residents can't conserve enough for the city to feel secure, water managers say businesses are on the list for rationing. >> in california the central valley grows a quarter of food. a study from uc davis found 4 so acres of lapped will be damned because of a draught. it costs a billion and a half. and 14,500 jobs will be cut. there is little hope for a change in california's fortunes second. dave warren is here to explain.

>> the problem is the snow. it's melting quickly. there's little snow. the reservoir is half full. normally they go up as the snow melts, not this situation now. severe drought across the state - first time that happened, and it extend into nevada and the south-west. there's a little rain and snow, but not enough. we'll take a little. here is light rain and snow. winter weather advisory for the mound australians. reservoir levels at 50% of average. the state-wide snow pact. 1-3 inches is 4% of average. it melted with the warmer weather. of the reference voir is low, not much -- reservoir is low and there's not much snow left. new data came in - april, average textures cooler across the -- temperatures cooler across the plains.

it's tied for the warmest april. with el-nino, it could get warmer. elections from the european parliament start thursday, and politicians are trying out moves to woo voters. maria has that story. >> reporter: the european parliament wants young voters to head to the poll. members of the four major parties turned to wrap music to get the word out op issues relating from jobs to immigration. take a look. [ rapping ] >> reporter: you are looking at a rap battle. they translated their idea into rhymes, all freestyle. that is not all. parliament members came up with the following video posted on youtube. you'll recognise it. take a listen.

[ rap music ] >> go girl. >> they are dancing to "happy", it features parliament members and professional dancers. it's been seen 72,000 title. a video that was more viral is an ad the danish government posted showing a character, voteman. it included nudity. we cut that out. take a look. >> so if you are not going to vote, don't try to run, he will find you. and he will make you vote. >> reporter: and the video was criticised that the danish government took it down. >> okay. maria - appreciate it. good to see you. >> thank you. that is all of our time in

newshour. good to be with you. i'm tony harris in new york. inside is -- "inside story" is next. if you would like updates, head to the website aljazeera.com. >> when people used to be arrested and charged with serious crimes against the united states and it's people, the next stop used to be a courtroom in the united states. after this latest terror trial in new york ended in conviction, we asked, why are we trying terror suspects anywhere else? it's the "inside story."