>> the military takes over thailand officially declaring a coup d'etat. >> the house passes a bill to curve n.s.a. spying on american citizens. some say the move doesn't go far enough. >> this one's closing, also this one right over here is closed. >> struggling american communities getting a helping hand from the peace corps. how that group is using skills acquired overseas to improve

lives at home. >> a dramatic catch caught on tape, a man grabs a baby falling from a window. good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. day two of military control in thailand, the general declare a coup. he says the military intervention is needed to stabilize the country. this is the 12th coup in thailand since the early 1930's. >> the ousted prime minister and her family were summoned to a meeting with military leaders in bangkok, arriving to crowds of protestors and supporters. the effort to out of the her started last fall. >> secretary of state john kerry calling that coup unjustified, demanding the government be restored immediately. we have the latest.

protestors left thursday night, most felt their goal of removing the current government had been reached. going to work at normal friday, she's relieved the army is in control. >> personally, i support coup day at a. if the army didn't do it, the country would turn into a real mess. >> this is one spot where it actually looks like a coup has taken place. >> one summoned to the talks, the former prime minister. this woman was outside the compound, showing her support.

>> because she is the only woman who was elected by the people, we want her to be the prime minister again and support her to fight for the people. >> the streets of bangkok appear to be normal, but with detentions, travel bans, control over the media and the constitution suspended, there is no question that the army is in control. military leaders have given no answers when the country will be once again ruled by civilians or returned to democracy. >> officials in australia which is closely connected to thailand are reviewing the relationship between the two countries, warning australian tourists to be wary of travel to thailand at this time. stay with aljazeera for coverage of the coup in thailand. coming, the countries military takeovers and what that means for the relations with the u.s. >> russia says it is going to pull back 100% of troops along

the ukraine border. the country's defense minister said that will happen within a few days. it's been a violent run up to ukraine's national elections set to take place sunday. an early morning attack in donetsk killed 40 soldiers, wounding others. ukraine's interim prime minister is calling for an emergency u.n. security council session, saying he has evidence of russian involvement in the violence. >> gunman opened fire on the indian consulate in afghanistan. the diplomatic staff escaped unharmed. the attackers were armed with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. two of the three gunman were killed by police. >> the united nations imposing sanctions against boko haram declaring the group a terrorist organization linked to al-qaeda. it con now freeze the assets and

force an arms embargo and close off all he avenues of funding. the group is caused of abducting 300 school girls. >> struggling to remain in business, he used to be one of the leading businessman in the northeast, but five years of violence nearly ended his business. half of his workers have now left. a state of emergency declared last year brought some stability. >> our business border partnerss the borders have stopped coming. >> another businessman sees the state of emergency as a

hindrance. >> the state of emergency has not stopped anything. the attacks intensified. i would like the government to send the troops. >> the nigerian president ordered a massive deployment of troops to the northeast. they were ordered to end the wave of violence by boko haram in the region. >> one year on, the fighters are bolder, the attacks deadlier. some want a state of emergency scrapped. >> others say that would be a mistake. >> the nature of the present state of emergency will not allow the military to win the war. we need a more comprehensive state of emergency. as i can put it roughly, the kind that was in place during the civil war. what we were fighting now is

worst than the nigerian civil war. >> for now, parliament approved a six month extension of emergency rule. nigerians wait to see if conditions will finally improve for them. >> former president bill clinton joining the vocal core russ of those speaking out against boko haram. eighty u.s. air force members in clad join 70 american groups sent to the nigerian capitol providing surveillance and intelligence to locate the missing girls. >> a mortar attack on a rally for bashar al assad happened in the southern city where the uprising against his regime girls began. an effort to bring suspected war

crimes before the international criminal court has failed, china and russia vetoing a resolution when 60 our countries have signed. it is the fourth time they have blocked action in syria. the i.c.c. sentenced a congolese militia leader to 12 years for his role in a massacre. he was found guilty of acquiring guns and machetes. the fighting escalated into an ethnic conflict, which left 50,000 people dead. he is only the second person to be convicted by the i.c.c. his was one of the longest running cases at the court. >> reform the government surveillance program, a bill that calls for the end of bulk collection data now headed to the senate. the passage of the legislation did not come easily. >> intense pressure from the

intelligence community resulted in tweaks to the bill that had privacy advocates pull their support in the 11th hour. this is the first piece of legislation that passed since edward snowden let americans know their government was spying on them. >> let me be clear. i wish this bill did more. >> a running theme on the house floor as lawmakers readied for a vote. last minute changes to the u.s.a. freedom act had those on both sides of the aisle calling the legislation watered down. from new jersey democratic. >> is it agency still allows the government to collect everything they want against americans. >> to my colleagues, i agree with you, don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good. >> i'm disappointed that this popular bipartisan bill has been so drastically weakened and i can no longer support it. >> the congressman representing

silicon valley voted against the bill saying internet companies like google and facebook flagged a potential loophole that could allow the government to look at americans web data. >> the bill is passed. >> despite the disappointment, the majority of lawmakers pushed the bill through because it ultimately ends the bulk collection of data. >> the united states of america will remain a nation who's government answers to the will of the people. >> while the idea that the legislation is diluted will likely come up in the senate, as well, john boehner urged lawmakers to send the bill to the president who promised to put an end to this practice. >> when you look at this n.s.a. reform bill, people are a lot more comfortable that the government is not storing all of its met at a data that we were. >> if this bill becomes law, the government will no longer be

able to store american's phone calls. instead, it man dates the phone companies to keep the records for a year and a half. now if the n.s.a. wants to collect them for security investigations, the agency would have to file a special judicial order to the secretive fisa court in order to get them. >> the president making cabinet moves, housing chief sean donovan is moving to head the office of management and budget replacing sylvia matthews burrell, nominated to replace kathleen sebelius. julian castro nominated as the next housing secretary, if approved will be the highest hispanic serving in the obama white house. >> tennessee is bringing back the electric chair. the republican governor signed it into law thursday. it allows the state to use the chair if lethal injection drugs are not available.

currently tennessee death inmates have a choice. the new law said the state can writ electric chair if lethal injection drugs can't be obtained. they have been in short supply since 2011 after the e.u. imposed an embargo on drugs used to tear out the death penalty. >> police say asidro garcia forced a young woman to marry him and have his child, using fake identities to highland her from her child. >> every couple going through a divers oftentimes say things that aren't threw. >> his lawyers say she followed him willingly and he treated her like a queen. he faces life in prison if

convicted. >> a decision stunned environmentalists and others critical of fracking. it uses chemicals in water to extract natural gas from shale. we look at the motive behind the decision. >> for an industry focused deep underground, concerns its burying information. tracking companies largely don't have to reveal the chemicals they use and north carolina is moving to make sharing that information illegal. >> just like on the side of a box of cereal, they tell you all the different ingredients that are in that cereal. this bill keeps the people from knowing what the chemicals in the fracking fluid are. >> to free trapped natural gas, drillers pump millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals deep under the surface. the mixtures are considered strayed secrets that supporters say should be fiercely protected. north carolina's proposal would make the act of leaking the

chemical list a misdemeanor. the goal is to protect an industry that provides jobs and generates millions. >> north carolina needs the jobs and america needs the energy. i'll add something to that. i'd certainly rather buy the energy from my fellow people in north carolina than some other country. >> fracking raises health and environmental concerns and faces increasing pressure for more openness. >> this law is unusual. >> several other states require companies to reveal their fracking secrets, and some companies do it voluntarily, making north carolina's proposal so surprising to some. >> to say that they can be trade secrets and that they like others could cause criminal penalties if they're misused, that seems quite aggressive. >> that's jonathan betz reporting. north carolina doesn't even allow fracking yet, but lawmakers pushing the legislation hoping it will make the state attractive to oil

companies, that bill now moving to the north carolina house. >> crews in arizona are still battling wildfires burning since tuesday. slide fire has destroyed thousands of acres. so far no homes have been damaged, but residents have been put on alert for possible evacuation. firefighters hope to get the upper hand today with calmer winds and rain in the forecast. the fire 5% contained is said to be man made. >> hail wreaked havoc. some of the haim the size of golf balls blanketing roads, pelting homes, cracking windshields and denting cars at part of an extreme weather system that included tornadoes. >> what a nice way to begin the holiday weekend and yes, we are looking at even more steer weather today. >> for more, lets bring in nicole mitchell. what's going on? >> it's been spotty where we've seen all of that weather.

people in the auto body shop love the hail. across the country, we have a boundary lane through the central portion of the united states and along that line we've seen the severe weather. it's had good sides. i'll get to that. >> in terms of the risk, biggest in the southeast right along to mexico-texas area. anywhere i have highlighted in green are areas we could get thunderstorms, which is the yellow as a slightly higher chance of severe weather. here's how all this shapes up, spotty into the northeast today, winds down tomorrow. we keep this moisture. we have the boundary that comes through the central u.s. and low pressure pulling out of the southwest, rain relief we said possibly for arizona and fire areas. this centers over texas over the next couple of days. it's not just today, it's a couple days of moisture that we could see in this region of the country, and then a little bit

spottier as we get into that northwest region of all of this. the reason this is good news for places like texas, already seeing the rain this morning up to parts of nebraska starting to see moisture, this is an area that has exceptional drought. that's the highest category of drought. in fact, a wider spread area of exceptional drought than even california, which we've been talking about so often in the drought conditions. with the rain, this portion of west texas is actually under some flood watch risks, so, you know, that's the down side of all of this. if you look at this red area in the extreme drought and that's where this is going to center the next couple of days, could be two or three inches, this is really, really needed rain. >> thank you. >> forecasters predict an emmean yo this year. we're going to take a closer look at what the weather event is. we'll talk about how it could affect rain from the west coast to hurricanes in the east.

>> china says it is under attack. >> there have been two deadly bombings rocking the same city in two weeks. we'll talk about the increasing violence in the region. >> when you don't have businesses that have jobs to keep people around, young people won't stay. >> how struggling american communities are turning to the peace corps to turn things around. >> a man catching a baby that fell from a second story window. we're going to talk about what led up to that fall. >> today's big number is $38.5 million. >> it's a piece of the kennedy family history that is on the auction block. we'll tell you how much it's worth.

>> it is the momentum mother yell day weekend. this is traffic coming into new york city. we want to show you a traffic camera from philadelphia. not so bad now. >> that's flowing. >> this is traffic flowing into philadelphia and also out of

philadelphia. maybe it's not a bad time to leave phillie. >> or take a train. >> john f kennedy's winter white house is up for sale. >> if you want to own this home, that's how much you'll have to shell out. >> the mansion was originally bought by his father in 1933. he paid $120,000 for the place. >> add in the price of inflation and then the kennedy name, the price has soared. in 1995, the home cold for $4.9 million. since then, the investment bank that bought it has put in $6 million in renovations. >> you get a piece of history, too, the kennedy's spent easter christmas for spring break. >> ocean front views, and it could be yours if the price is right. >> there is a push to bring the peace corps model back to

american soil to help struggling communities in the u.s. >> one man hopes to give a small town the jump start it needs. >> opportunity seems to be passing by durant illinois. business isn't exactly booming except at an ice cream shop. matt wolf wants to put durant on the road to prosperity. as a peace corps volunteer, he spent time in fiji. now he is one of the half dozen grad yet students tasked with turning around a small american town. he admits durant is going to be

a challenge. >> when you don't have businesses that keep jobs to keep people around, young people around going to stay. >> durant's fortunes began suffering, unemployment at 10%. >> he says when he was in the piece core, he had to accomplish a lot with little money. he's doing that here and says in fiji, he relies on volunteers. he's doing that in durant, as well. >> using his personal laptop, wolf is designing a website in hopes of attracting visitors to the community. visiting businesses, the aim is to drum up a grant program so the town can use the money to add an addition on to its already brink business. >> anything to help would be

great. >> rallies volunteers for movie night on the square this summer. >> the whole idea is getting more tight knit, people interacting. >> he is breathing new life into the village. >> he is really organizing us, helping us keep on task. >> four months into his 11 month internship, he asked himself every day if durant is worth saving. his answer is always yes. >> it is definitely worth working on and improving. you have people who want to see it improved. >> he wants to leave behind a legacy of opportunity in durant providing a brighter future for its youngest residents. >> that program at western illinois university was founded in 1994 and placed 60 former peace corps volunteers in communities around illinois. >> it is the holiday weekend. let's look at the temperatures

we expect across the nation today. >> definitely looking at the temperatures more closely, pools starting to open up or you might be hitting the lake over the weekend. that boundary that we're talking about through the midsection of the country, warmer on the south side of that as is usually the case. we have 70 degrees this morning in atlanta, 52 in minneapolis and with some more areas of rain coming in, we'll start to see 56 in seattle. that will be one of our kind of cool spots. more temperatures in the 60's, but warm air well into the

midwest. >> 14,000 pounds, hummus recalled because it could be contaminated with listeria, some of the products recalled include target, archer farms, trader joes and giant eagle. consumers urged not to eat the hummus. it can be returned and you will get all of your money back. >> a military coup in thailand. >> we'll talk about how the takeover could affect thailand relations with the u.s. >> fiat chrysler said not to buy the company's electric car. >> it means a lot to the american people, it means a lot to the families of the service members. the family members that are

buried here. >> placing the american flags at arlington national cemetery, it is a momentum mother yell day tradition for members of the army's old guard. we're going to talk about the soldier to the men and women they once served with. >> honoring service members, ship tours, rescue demonstrations and aerial shows all part of the fleet week events as we head into the memorial day weekend.

>> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm stephanie sy. how the weather event known as el nino could take the drought plagued west from one extreme to the other. >> the amazing baby catch making headlines around the world.

>> memorial day weekend usually brings higher gas prices. we'll tell you about the new reason behind this year's spike at the pump. >> let's check our top stories this morning. the thai army general saying he is now in control of that country. a day after declare a coup, he summoned the ousted prime minister to a meeting in bangkok. >> the u.n. has officially declared the nigerian rebel group boko haram a terrorist organization, imposing sanctions on the group that kidnapped hundreds of school girls. it can now freeze the assets and close off avenues of funding. >> north carolina senate passing a fracking bill banning anyone from disclosing chemicals used in the pros. environmentalists slam the idea. it is hoped jobs will be created

in the state. >> we explain who egypt's largest minority the christians are backing in the election. >> egypt has the largest christian community in the middle east, but in egypt they are a minority, outnumbered by muslims. christians are no more than 10% of the population. over the years, many in the community have done very well in business. still, they suffer from discrimination and attacks. that hasn't changed since the overthough of hosni mubarek in 2011. many christians were uneasy when mohamed morsi was elengthed president two years ago. christians were worried about the growing influence of the group and the protection of their rights. when morsi was overthrown, many christians were relieved.

their pope spoke supporting his down fall. all this was too much for some muslim brotherhood supporters. they blamed cops for conspiring to over throw president morsi. >> in cities across the country, enraged people targeted and burned churches. 37 were destroyed or badly damaged. there was a pattern where the police did very little to intervene, even though the writing was on the wall, it was clear that this kind of thing was at risk of happening. >> this is what was left after the church was set on fire last year. muslim brotherhood supporters were accused of attacking police stations and churches. an egyptian court sentenced more than 600 people to death for carrying out the violence. >> what's happened since the ouster of morsi has been many

supporters of the muslim brotherhood and islamists in general accuse the christians of having supported the military you backed ouster of morsi and they're continue to go support the military backed government of egypt. as the repression tightens against the muslim brotherhood and their suspected supporters, the animosity toward the christians has grown. >> after supporting the overthrow of mubarak and then morsi, it looks like the former head of the military assisi could be their preferred candidate for the next president. >> egyptian officials are saying they killed the leader of an

al-qaeda group in the sinai peninsula, the head of a group believed to be behind attacks in the region. the interim government blames the group for the deaths of 200 egyptian soldiers. >> the case against our three colleagues held in egypt has now adjourned again until june 1 this time. they have now been held inside an egyptian prison for 147 days. they're all falsely accused of conspiring with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. during their ninth court appearance yesterday, the court got to see the evidence the prosecution refused to disclose to the defense, including what a court reporter described as a clearly doctored image. >> a gifted egyptian teenager who came to the u.s. for a science fair said he's afraid to go back. he plans to seek asylum because

he feels threatened in his home country. in cairo, he was arrested for violating the country's laws against protesting. >> i am not safe. i will be arrested. i'll have a better education in the states. i can have human rights. >> we'll have more of his story, including how his invention to aid people with paralysis helped him come to the u.s. >> 31 killed in a terror attack in northwestern china. china's president vows those behind the attack will be severely punished. we have more on the deadly bombing and who the government believes is behind it. >> china feels its under attack especially here in the city. there have now been two deadly bombings in a little over three weeks. a dangerous trend is emerging. the attacks are now targeting

civilians. this latest incident bears all the haul marks of a coordinated suicide attack. two s.u.v.'s plowed into shoppers in a busy market before one exploded. eyewitness say that he heard 10 blasts. such in discontinual net violence was once rare in china, but no more. in march, 29 people were killed in a mass knife attack. two months later, a combined bomb and knife attack at a station left three dead. china has no doubt who is responsible for the attack, blaming separatists who want full independence from china. the president who was in this city just hours before the last attack has promised that those responsible for the latest one will be found and punished. >> it was the worst violence this city has seen since riots

five years ago. then as now, many resent the growing in flux of those they say are reroding their traditional culture. beijing said it is doing their best to improve people's lives, pointing to the billions of dollars spent on schools, hospitals and infrastructure. the fifth anniversary of the riots is just a few weeks away and the people of this city are on edge. >> at least 180 people have been killed in attacks across china over the past year. >> the general in control of thailand said he is restoring order to the country. he summoned the ousted prime minister and her family to a meeting with military leaders in bangkok. they arrived to crowds of protestors and supporters.

secretary of state john kerry said it is not justified and calling for the thai government to be reinstated. all of this is happening at the same time as jointly military drills are being held between the u.s. and thailand. what is at the root of this instability in thailand? >> this is a conflict that's been brewing and building since 2006 in a coup then. there are two versions of thailand's future and they're fighting over who will have political control in the next era of thai politics. >> thailand's military has long

intervened in the countries affairs. there have been 12 military coupes and seven failed military takeovers. there was the 2006 ouster of the prime minister. are we seeing thailand's military repeating mistakes of the past? >> if you're asking if this is somehow inevitable, i don't think it is. this is a failure of leadership on both sides and really an inability of the two sides to come together. the solution is a return to elections as secretary kerry said yesterday and a responsibility by both parties to set a vision for thailand that transcends the divisions. >> what are the prospects of elections under a military junta? >> the military hasn't made

clear what their plans are. the military government that seems to be coming into charge hasn't yet declared what it's intentions are. >> i'm curious what roam the king plays in all of this. >> the king is a revered figure in thai society. he is the century quell force in tie society. >> secretary of state john kerry

said: what do you believe is the appropriate u.s. response to this military take over? >> i thought the secretary's statement yesterday was spot-on. u.s. law requires that in situations where military governments remove democratically elected governments that most or many kinds of aid cease. in the 2006 coup, the u.s. stopped military assistance and assistance for military education and training, so i'd imagine a similar approach this time. it's really a step back. in 2003, president bush visited bangkok, and described and named thailand as a major non-nato ally of the united states. since 2006, the u.s. and thai governments have found it

increasingly difficult to find projects to work together on. >> thanks so much for joining us. >> let's look at stories making headlines around the world. we begin with the incredible catch, the video shows the moment a man caught a 1-year-old baby who fell in china. now the baby's mother actually walked away and then we see the baby, you see this catch, and what it was was that the baby was left unattended for a short period of time and then you see how they manage to save. >> a street vendor saw it happening and rushed over. >> an unusual request from the c.e.o. of chrysler urging people not to buy the company's electric car. the reason he says is he loses $14,000 for each car that he makes. they built those cars to comply with new environmental

regulations, but lose money. >> he said there's nothing wrong with the car. he doesn't want to lose baseline apparently it's a fuel efficient vehicle. >> the oldest american now 115 years of age. she hawks it all up to good, honest living. she goes to church on sunday. on her last birthday, she bowled all the way up to the age of 104. she likes to go fishing, still gets around with a walker. >> she eats fast food but she said the secret is being nice. >> there are few brands more american than harley davidson. we show a new line and the audience the bikes are targeting. >> >> an american icon has long

billed itself as synonymous with the open road. for generations, it has captured consumer imaginations with a brand so distinctive, they once tried to the sounds. >> chicks dig it. >> it wasn't always easy riding. bordering on bankruptcy in the 1980's, it took a hit during the financial crisis. the milwaukee-based company was forced to lean on a more than $300 million high interest loan from billionaire investor warren buffet. >> the company hit bottom if we go to the 2008 downturn. since then, sales have been bouncing back. >> despite the harsh winter,

u.s. sales jumped after the company cut production costs. the success story may be overseas where sales soared. >> harley davidson is known for building big, powerful bikes, but to win over new riders, the country is switching gears and may be looking to what consumers have long been accustomed to in europe and asia. >> they realize to get into the new generation, they were going to have to take down the size, take down the price point. >> the new line of street 500 and 750 bikes are smaller, lighter and more affordable and being shipped to new markets in spain and italy, as well as india where harley is building motorcycles from scratch in overseas factories. >> yet roughly two thirds of company revenue still comes from north america, where baby boomers have long driven up sales. the problem now is demographics.

baby boomers are a shrinking segment of the population. >> one of the big concerns investors have had is it is so big among the aging white male. as that group is aging, is there going to be demand as we kind of look forward. >> sails have steadily improved. up 6% last year compared to 2000 we ever, despite that recent surge, company sales in the u.s. are still low. that's led some investors to say not so fast in deciding whether haharley davidson is on the road to recovery. >> the california highway patrol is bringing back the fleet made famous in chips. it hasn't used them since 1997. >> what's in the long-range forecast could make matters worst, the extreme swing farmers

are bracing for. >> a new malaria vaccine. how children helped create it. >> he's a brave man, did a wonderful job and ultimately sacrificed everything for his country in the mission that he was pursuing. we miss him. >> honoring the nation's fallen troops this memorial day weekend. one soldier shares his tribute to the men and women who served our country. >> taking a live look in manhattan. fleet week celebration's underway. tal

urgency? only on al jazeera america >> american researchers creating a new malaria vaccine using proteins found in the blood of children who have a natural resistance to the disease. >> very effective against the

most lethal strains, this can be safe and effective in humans. the break through could lead to clinical trials. >> 200 million cases of the illness each year, more than 600,000 people, most young children, die a year. the disease seen mostly in africa and southeast asia. >> california formers have been dealing with difficult drought conditions for the past several years but could soon face a very different kind of problem, more rain than they need. predicting a return of the el nino weather pattern, it could be a case of be careful what you wish for. >> as california continues to bake in a record-breaking drought, farmers and growers who produce nearly half of the u.s. fruits and vegetables scan the skies for sign of rain. >> every day, almost every hour, every minute, i continually look

up in the sky. i want to see what the clouds are doing, i'm always looking to see what the trees doing with regard to wind like we have today. >> soon californians could get more rain than they bargained for. scientists say there's a better than 70% chance of a major wet weather phenomenon hitting the western u.s. late this year. it's called el nino. >> right now, saul the signs point toward an el nino event. it could be moderate or a very strong one. of course if it rains too much, floods can be a bad thing and landslides are bad and they can lead to loss of lives and destruction of property. >> it forms when a vast blob of heated water gathers in the pacific and moves across to the americas. this computer model shows the

last extreme el nino in 1997. the red color indicates the hotter than usual plume of water. when the warm water reaches the land mass, it causes downpours. >> millions of square feet of water, it's an amount of heat unfathomable to human civilization. >> the last caused 2,100 deaths and $33 billion of damage in north and south america. at this point for most californians, any rain at all would be a blessing. >> nor nature is our ultimate boss. i don't care what we do, you know, mechanically as human beings, mother nature is always there and she's always in control. we have to figure out whatever we can do to counter act what

she throws at us. >> scientists should know in a matter of weeks whether this year's el nino will be mild or a monster. aljazeera, los angeles. >> an el nino weather pattern could impact the hurricane season. forecasters released predictions of how active this year will be. we'll have more on that coming up in our next hour. >> all eyes right now on the next 72 hours. let's turn to our meteorologist nicole mitchell for your temperatures around the nation. good morning, nicole. >> good morning, a lot of people focus on that holiday weekend. we talked about this boundary lingering through the midsection of the country. along this, kind of that i-40 corridor, in that region from the mid atlantic into the central plains we are seeing chance for showers and thunderstorms so watch this. more low pressure reinforcing this area in the southern plains. that's going to be our wet spot.

texas could have flood concerns, but this is in an extreme drought situation, so the rain not the best for a holiday weekend, but it's really going to be beneficial out here. that's the forecast today. a lot of this doesn't move a lot over the course of the weekend. texas and oklahoma stays in risk for stronger thunderstorms and moisture and then spotty moisture going up to the midwest. i know the big area of green looks ominous, but it will be touch and go through these areas and some of the areas in the northeast clear as we get saturday into sunday and in sunday, a lot of these areas, including where our risk for stronger storms doesn't move too much. i want to mention holiday weekend for memorial day also about remembering those who have fallen for the ceremony at arlington on monday, sunny skies, comfortable temperatures, so really nice to see that. >> that's great, nicole mitchell, thank you. >> as you heard nicole mention this weekend, it honors the men and women in uniform who died

serving our country. the army's old guard places flags at the graves of the soldiers. the colonel is a member of the guard and tells us why it's an honor. >> it's a personal symbol to all the soldiers that i've deployed with throughout the last 25 years. i remember their service. i will generally do one row and i'll do the row that has one of my soldiers on it from my last deployment to afghanistan in it. >> he was very brave, and ultimately sacrificed everything for his country. we miss him. anyone who's been in longer is obviously going to have more to think about as they do this. the people it means the mostly for are the ones who have a friend buried here. you get a chance to spend time with the person that you knew at their grave and that's very important to i think anybody. >> it's a great thing to be

trusted with. it means a lot to the american people. it means a lot to the families of the service members and the family members buried here, over 430,000. i'm just thankful for all the soldiers that are out here. we've got 1700 people assigned to the regiment and we have the bulk of them in the cemetery to do this mission. we spend a day putting these in and will spend a day taking them out. it's to get ready for memorial day to remember their service and sacrifice and what they've done to build this nation. >> the army's old guard carrying on this annual tradition every year since 1948. >> a former marine and his bomb sniffing dog reunited. the two spent every day side by side on their 2010 tour of duty but when the sergeant headed home, thor, his dog stayed behind.

>> he was my best friend. i didn't go anywhere without him. when he had to leave him, i felt i abandoned him. >> it's time for the pup to retire and he is adopting him. >> the army general leading thailand's military coup summoned the ousted prime minister and her family to a meeting today in bangkok. >> the house passing a bill to curve n.s.a. spying. some lawmakers say it doesn't go far enough. >> severe weather slamming the country with hail from colorado to new york. more extreme weather on the way today. >> violent clashes between police and protestors in mexico. this time, it had nothing to do with politics or drug lords. >> a holy land discovery, the ruins of a synagog believed to be where jesus began his teachings. we take a closer look at the site that is going to be visited by the pope this weekend. >> we will be right back with more aljazeera america.

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> battling the elements, hail, wind and pounding rain, tornadoes touching down, an unsuspecting east coast. >> in the morning he went to university and in the afternoon worked as a taxi driver. the u.s. is killing our sons. >> the aftermath of american air strikes. aljazeera sitting down with families of civilians caught in the middle of u.s. drone strikes

overseas. >> boiling point, the geyser that sent dozens of bus travelers scrambling for cooler ground. >> he came to the u.s. from egypt for a science competition. why one of the brightest young stars in the world is now refusing to go back home. >> it was absolutely crazy. it sounded like thor was coming in, all of a sudden just the lights started going out, you know, glass was breaking, people running everywhere. we were trying to get people in the stores so they wouldn't be injured. >> one man's story of survival as a hail storm pounded pennsylvania. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. >> extreme weather leaving a trail of destruction. hail storms blanket colorado, illinois and delaware, damages homes and cars, even a u.s. airways flight forced to make an emergency landing after a hail

stone cracked the window shield. >> the east coast was battered by heavy rains, tornadoes reported. they could use a few powerful storms in the west where crews battle a wildfire burning since tuesday. >> as the so-called slide fire burns around them in northern arizona, all homes remain intact, but for how long. >> this is a big fire, a lot going on. >> the fires have swallowed thousands of acres and thousands of residents were given preevacuation orders. >> it's a little bit of a disturbing idea to think that your house might not be here when you return. >> over 800 firefighters are tackling the blazes as high speed winds continue to be the biggest threat fanning the flames. >> you're going to have that extreme fire behavior, high winds, high intensity fire that wants to move fast on you. >> winds have been fueling severe weather across the

country. for a third straight day, tornado sirens ran in parts of colorado and as storms flooded some in the state. hail fell in others, pelting every home on this block. >> it sounded like a train, just boom boom boom boom boom. >> for the east, hail the size of golf balls shattered windshields. >> i don't think i was ever more scared, i was like shaking with my face covered, because all the glass was coming through. >> in kentucky, heavy winds ripped through soft houses, uprooting trees and tornadoes touched down across the east coast from virginia to delaware and upstate new york. >> the extreme weather thursday coincided with a forecast on the upcoming hurricane season, predicted to be near or below normal. forecasters at the national ocean ike and atmospheric administration say an el nino weather pattern is expected to form in the pacific, which will suppress hurricane activity in the atlantic. >> el nino helps to reduce the

ability of the tropical storm systems coming off of africa to strengthen into tropical storms and hurricanes. >> up to six hurricanes are predicted this season following last year's number of two, the lowest since 1982. >> now for more, forecasters say the el nino weather pattern warms part of the pacific ocean every few years which could reduce the number and force of tropical storms. >> the cooler temperatures on the surface of the atlantic willower the probability of hurricanes forming. >> june 1 is the official start of hurricane season, and arthur has been announced as the first named storm of the year. >> nicole mitchell is the expert. what does this el nino system mean? >> it sounds like it can be confusing because we're talking about something in the pacific impacting the atlantic hurricane season. one thing that happens is these storms develop from the surface into the atmosphere and that pattern in the pacific could add

to wind shear in the atlantic. when storms hid the wind shear, they aren't able to develop. el nino has not started yet. there's always that chance it doesn't develop as expected and timing. i tell people to take these predictions with a grain of salt, but versus the average, looking at or below average for our number of tropical storms, hurricans and major hurricanes, the reason i say take this with a grain of salt, it just takes one storm hitting land. one storm that hit land was hurricane andrew, where as we've had years with a lot of storms but only minimal development. right now, very quiet but of course that season starts june 1. back to you. >> a day after declaring a military coup, a general is in control of thailand. he called a meeting with the

ousted prime minister and her family in bangkok. the coo is straining relations with the united states, secretary of state john kerry saying it is not justified, calling for the thai government to be reinstated. that seems unlikely. the emsays this coup was needed to restore order. do things seem more orderly to you in bangkok? >> let me describe the scene that is around me. i am behind a line of troops who have gathered here because a few hundred people gathered just down the road about 100 meters away in order to protest at the coop declared by the general at 5:00 yesterday, thursday afternoon. it looks like this situation

could build into a real schismish, a real test of exactly what you say, the military's wish to establish peace and order. this time, it is not a protest about the political situation. it is a protest -- rather, it is not a protest against the government, but against the coup that was supposed to resolve the situation. this was a decision that was never going to please everybody. what you're seeing now is the street level resistance. >> the united nations is impose be new sanctions

sanctions against woke key ram. >> a guide detailing how to guard against terror attack and how to respond if one occurs comes a day after 31 people were killed at a busy market in northwest china. we report on how the attack is impacting the community. >> china's state controlled media reports that five assailants were killed in thursday's attack. other controlled news outlets say up to four vehicles may have been involved and that the occupants may have escaped. all this is impossible to verify. the information flow in this part of the world is very tightly controlled. a number of foreign journalists were briefly detained this morning and soldiers tried to stop us filming. outwardly, the streets seem calm

but beneath the service is a lot of nervousness. china's government called this a very serious terrorist incident and certainly it bother all the hall marks of a coordinated suicide attack. it was a soft target, a morning market, ordinary shoppers going about their business. the state-controlled media is also reporting that many of the dead were elderly and that some of the injured include children. china's president promised to find those responsible and say they will be punished severely. >> at least 180 people have been killed in attacks across china over the past year. >> the fight over an ancient water spring turning into a massive confrontation between police and residents in a village in mexico. it is the latest in a series of protests over increasingly squares water in that city of 9 million people. the village has a natural spring

which people there take great pride in. residents believe the city wants to taking it and supply it to several urban developments in the area. authorities deny that, saying they are not trying to take the water out, they are trying to bring more water in for people who don't have service. >> congress is closer to shutting down part of the n.s.a. surveillance program, passing legislation ending bad luck data collection of citizen cell phone records. >> both sides of the aisle seem to have a tough time with the final draft of the bill. >> some say it was watered down due to intense purchase from the intelligence community. privacy advocates pulled support at the last minute. still, it passed with a clear majority. the bill ends of the government practice of gathering and storing information made on calls by millions of americans, leaving the records with telephone companies for a year and a half. if the n.s.a. wants them for a security investigation, it would

then file for a special order with the secret fisa court. the bill's final version does not include a public advocate on the court. >> it leaves open the possibility that ba bilk surveillance could still continue. i'm disappointed that this popular bipartisan bill has been so drastically weakened and con no longer support it. >> the bill doesn't go far enough. i agree, it doesn't. there is rarely a good argument against the bill to say it doesn't go far enough if it goes a long way to solving a real problem. >> some say internet companies flagged a potential loophole in the law that could allow the government to look at people's web data. if the legislation clears congress, the president is expected to sign it, which would make this the first law to go into effect since exn.s.a.

contractor edward snowden revealed to the american public that their government was spying on them. >> the president is making cabinet moves, donovan to the office of management and budget will replace sylvia matthews burrell, nominated to replace kathleen sebelius. the president is also expected to nominate san antonio's mayor as the next housing secretary. if confirmed, he would become the highest ranging hispanic official serving in the obama white house. a formal announcement is expected sometime today. >> saying he serves in the pleasure of the president, veterans affairs secretary has no plans to step down over scandals plaguing his agency. the retired general expects the administration to have a good read on the alleged misconduct by the end of may. a growing number of house departments and republicans are calling on him to resign.

house speaker john boehner said he is closer to asking him to resign but does not believe it will solve problems. >> the debate over u.s. drone strikes getting a push from the military, top officials calling for more transparency saying that would help counter criticisms of the program in the u.s. and a broad. yemen has been one of the main targets of american drone strikes. aljazeera speaking to some in yemen who lost loved ones in those strikes. >> this couple lost their son in a u.s. drone attack last year. this is their lawyer. he was travel, his cousin when a missile hit their car. four our passengers were also killed. this is the funeral for him and

his cousin. >> he was innocent. he was the family's breadwinner. in the morning, he went to university and in the afternoon worked as a taxi driver. the u.s. is killing our sons. >> an investigation by the minister of the interior vindicated the two. when the family went top court, the prosecutor refused to take on their case. their lawyer accuses the government of failing to act. demand for an end to aerial strikes by unmanned drones are growing across the country. an activist accuses the u.s. government of only making al-qaeda stronger. >> they make it stronger and they kill civilians. so far, they have proved themselves to be doing more harm than good in taking down --

>> this is another funeral. this time for the victims of a drone attack in the province. a dozen people were killed last december. their relatives insist they were all civilians. despite the growing anger, the government defends drones as a crucial tool in the fight against al-qaeda. >> the drone attacks are taken under the guidance of the government of yemen and its approval and therefore it's not an intrusion on the sovereignty of the country. these attacks are necessary in remote areas. there is always collateral damage even without drones. >> this man's brother was killed in the same drone strike. he holds the u.s. and yemenis

government responsible. he wants the skies to be free of drones. >> the u.s. may not stop its drone attacks in yemen as long as al-qaeda remains active. there's a certainly sentiment that because the government is desperate for military support in its fight against al-qaeda, it won't be able to call an end to the u.s. drone campaign. >> today marks one year since the president laid out america's policy concerning drones. >> the california man charged with kidnapping a 15-year-old girl and holding her captive for a decade say she is making it up. please say he forced the young woman to marry him and fathering his child. he is accused of hiding her from her family and authorities. his lawyer say that's not what happened. >> every couple going through divers may say things and oftentimes say things that simply aren't true. >> his lawyers say the teen who is now 25 years old followed garcia willingly and that he

treated her like a queen. garcia faces 19 years to life in prison if convicted. >> ladies and gentlemen, start your engines, it is the superbowl of road trips. >> 36 million americans will be hitting the highways this memorial day weekend to fill up. >> we're finally starting to see a balance where the u.s. is camping up to the rest of the world and paying what everybody else is. >> if you think increasing domestic oil production was going to bring down fume costs, think again. why the price at the pump is on the rise. >> if it's offending people, it's time to change it. >> a sore spot among native american for decades. the senate is now calling on the nfl to change the name of the washington redskins. >> it looks like a tsunami but it's actually a cloud. a natural phenomenon captured by our citizen journalists around the world.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. let's get a quick check of

videos from around the world. >> a shark swimming straight at him. the shark was after the mackerels he just speared. he was able to swim back to the boat. he was stoked to see the foot acknowledge. >> strong storms rolling through london causing a lightning strike. it was captured from two angles. >> an amazing weather phenomenon on lake michigan. a low lying fog began to form. take a look at this spectacular footage as the winds picked up and temperatures dropped, that looks straight out of that movie. >> looks like steven king the langoliers. >> either way, it looks

apocalyptic. >> why an increase in domestic oil production, you hear about us being the number one oil producer, is causing a strike at the gas pump. >> that fog looks like something out of pirates of the caribbean. that's when you get the sharp contrast between the lake water and water temperature and that fog is a cloud forming up on the lake level. lots of clouds carry rain today. we've got the boundary through the midsection of the country, more rain getting through the plains. the chance for storms and areas in yellow, slight risk, as well. we'll have warmer temperatures on the south side of that 80's and 90's north of that, 60's and 70's, so still pretty comfortable. we need to watch for the rain in the northeast start to go taper off saturday. more of this persist through the

weekend as we get to the southern plains. oklahoma, texas, western portions of the state under extreme drought conditions, so three or four inches over the course of the weekend could actually be very beneficial. so much coming in fast, we have flood concerns in those areas. >> it is a memorial day weekend. that means road trips for millions. >> a live look at the george washington bridge, the roads already jampacked. that is the inbound traffic. that might be one of the reasons. this is grant park in chicago. lakeshore drive, it is a balmy 59 degrees, nice in chicago. triple eight saying 36 million of you are going to hilt the roads driving somewhere this weekend, but say it's not going to be cheap. >> the national average for a gallon of gasoline sitting at $3.64 right now. according to triple-a. while higher demand for gas typically pushes prices up, there may be a new reason for

this year's price hike at the pump. we report. >> every year, it's the same story. >> gas prices are heading up again. >> gas prices are higher. >> gas prices are keeping back up. >> come spring, gas prices surge as consumer demand increases with the approach of the summer driving season. this year, rising prices are being driven by much more than just summer vacations. >> exporting more gasoline than in years and as a result we're seeing gas prices higher than most would expect. >> as america's energy boom takes hold, new pipe lines are delivering crude oil to refineries. with u.s. demands having slowed in recent years, refiners are now looking for thirsty new markets abroad where gasoline prices are often higher, and that's created more global competition for u.s. fuel. >> we're seeing developing

countries, places like chain in a and india using more petroleum products making gas prices higher here in the united states. >> despite a ban limiting u.s. crude sales over seas, petroleum exports have soared. investors are betting gas prices will stay high while supplies at home remain at their lowest levels in three years. >> surplus supply in the united states are shipped overseas because refiners make more money doing that. >> with increasing u.s. auto sales and reduced unemployment, a resurgent demand could push prices higher. >> they're out on the weekends, doing more shopping, more traveling, so there's definitely a correlation between more people working and more people driving. >> that can further drive up prices.

triple-a forecasts prices this summer. that's still well below prices in europe and france, the average price for a gallon is $7.90. in germany, it's $8.21. >> we're finally starting to see a balance here where u.s. is catching up to the rest of the world and paying what everybody else is. >> california drivers are paying the most in the states, averaging $4.15 a gallon. >> take a look at these amazing pictures, a hot water pipe ruptures in siberia, forcing a dozen passengers on this bus scrambling. part of the road caved in under the bus. seven were taken to the hospital suffering serious skin joins a new discovery in the holy land as the hope prepares for his historic visit. >> there's a group of people following rabbi jees. obviously you can say this is a beginning. >> a trip back to the time of

christ in what is called the birth place of christianty. >> we're all prejudiced in one way or the other. >> the outspoken owner of the dallas mavericks making controversial comments. >> greek voters are being offered choices of 46 different parties in these european elections. >> our images of the day. the military takeover in thailand shows the juxtaposition, smiling residents and tourists posing with soldiers as that country now deals with a military coup.

>> coming back with a live look at the west side of manhattan, a drab and dreary morning. one thing brightening up the streets of new york, sailors, fleet week underway. >> ahead in this next hour, honoring the life and legacy of harvey milk. >> he was one of the country's first openly gay lawmakers. not everyone is happy about the decision to put his likeness on a postage stamp. >> russia is now going to pull back 100% of its troops against the border with ukraine, sometime within the next few days. it has been a violent run up to elections taking place on sunday. an early morning attack killed 14 soldiers, injuring 30 others, the worst loss of life to government force to say date. >> he leaks fever taking over parts of the country, some support the businessman known as the chocolate king of you a

crane. some say he is the only politician that can he'll a deeply divided country. >> he needs her vote and the country probably does need something like a savior. he is far ahead in the polls, but still doing retail politics. >> promise to bring peace and modernization of the country and european associations. >> if elected, he won't be ukraine's first billionaire president, just the first who didn't become one while holding office. >> i know him from his own region where he made his foreign. he'll be a tough president and will unit ukraine if nobody gets in the way. >> his money comes from people's sweet tooth and chocolate and candy brand. he said he'll sell the company if elected, but not his t.v. channel. he said his coverage of the

protests saved the country. he'll stand for the demonstrators and standing between them and the police earned him the respect of many. in 2004, he helped lead the orange revolution, a people power fight against the attempt to steal the presidential election that year. he served at foreign and economy minister. >> this is about ukrainian future and people. >> he helped negotiate a key treaty to bring ukraine closer to europe, one guiding his platform now. >> i just want to have my country formed. i hate the idea to keep them in this ineffective economy, this unfair political system, this judicial system, this is the level of the corruption, i simply cannot accept that. european standard, value, problem for reform organization,

political organization is a form of guarantee, a form of motivation for ukrainian to reform their country. >> in the week before sunday's vote, he is polling so well, it looked like he might win more than half the vote, eliminating the need for a second round of voting. >> if elected, he will face giant challenges, a country fighting armed accept are activities in the east controlled by the kremlin, a country on international financial life support but also a country where a majority in east and west want peace, prosperity and politics free of corruption. >> if he gets more than 50% of sunday's vote, he will win outright and the country will avoid a second round of elections, something that has only happened once in ukraine's post soviet history. >> a second person has died from

injuries sustained from protests thursday. riot police fired tear gas to disperse protestors hurling molotov cook toils and stones. the turkish prime minister's decades long rule has come under pressure. tensions are high these days as the one year anniversary for those protests approaches. >> we are about to see the first european union election after the disastrous euro zone debt cries in 2009. the vote has been a model affair in the past, but this has the potential to shake things up. why some voters in greece say their disillusioned. >> you know a country has problems when even the rich aren't happy. >> the dealer speaks bitterly about the state's persecuting

the well off of a political culture discouraging those who have money from spending it. >> the great economy has become a zombie economy. we are trying to save it, we are getting better is not true. we have certain figures that are better, but they don't filter down to the average public. >> if the rich are disillusioned, so many others have more questions than answers. >> the issue in greece is for the young people to find a better future. we need to leave something good behind. >> these pensioners say old ways of thinking are causing problems for future generations. >> it's a problem that goes back many years. greece always survived on borrowed money. the greek economy has shrunk by 25% since the last european elections. parties from all sides have been

unable so inspire people of a vision of where this goes from here. the fragmentation of greek politics, on the left, the party which ruled greece for years has disappeared without tries. in these elections, voters will be offered a choice of no fewer than 46 different parties. >> an even shows how this plays out. in one square, the far right golden dawn holds a local rally. down the road, there's a brand new party called river, the debate conversational. the centrist party is populated by non-politicians. >> parties have to realize greek society demands solutions and grass roots involvement. the first thing parties also think about is what they need to do to get into government. this shouldn't be the way they look at it.

they should be finding answers. >> if there's anything good to be said about greece's troubles, it's that their people love talking politics. all the sharp politicians are claiming to be independent but all the new politics ever in common is that you won't get far if your link's to the past. >> greece is just one of the e.u. countries voting this weekend. since the last european elections in 2009, public confidence in the union has been faltering. according to a recent research poll, 71% think their voice doesn't count, 65% belief the e.u. doesn't understand the needs of citizens. 63% believe the e.u. is intrusive and 57% feel it is inefficient. to break down the elections and their impact, we are joined from boston this morning, professor, thanks for being with us. how high are the stakes for

europe especially if fringe groups gain more control? >> as your piece set out well, these elections are taking place against the backdrop of economic pain. greece is the most dramatic example of this, but this is a cries that has hit all of europe. we know that or we can predict that about 25% of the seats will go toward euro skeptic parties, a very large number. these are the big selections on earth outside india, so they clearly matter. one thing i would say is that while it seems likely that the you're yo skeptic parties are going to do particularly well, this is not really new. we've been seeing euro skeptic parties in many countedries in europe do well for 20 or 30 years. >> it's not just that they're euro skeptic.

there is anti euro sentiment. do you believe there is an an existential threat? >> those stakes were particularly dramatic two years ago, now, although i certainly wouldn't want to overstate the economic growth in europe, there are signs the economy is recovering, still bad for ordinary greeks and spaniards,

but there is a return to optimism. in some ways, the european union has despite tremendous economic and difficult problems held together, so these european elections will probably show strong support for anti e.u. parties. at the same time, weaver already seen signs in the netherlands that garrett builders who is anti e.u. is doing a lot less well than he expected. we should be looking at that. >> i want to talk about another issue, russia's actions in ukraine and the fact that there are some parties in the e.u. that actually support putin. how large is that issue of ukraine playing in these elections? >> you know, we have to remember that these turnout in these elections is going to be about 40% and that will probably be the lowest ever in european parliament elections. there's not a tremendous degree of enthusiasm for elections

across the board. you are right that parties of the far right and various countries in western europe and in hungary have been making -- have been lauding in some ways president putin. however, i don't see that as being a real long term issue for any of these parties. they are nationalists and their core issues have always been anti immigration, defense of welfare state benefits for native populations and anti european -- >> i'm sorry, we'll to have leave it there. professor, thanks so much. >> a teenager from egypt seeking asylum in the u.s. is among the brightest science students in the word here for the international in tell science fair. the 17-year-old says he fears for his future if he goes back

home. >> the 17-year-old is a young man without a country. he came to the u.s. to represent egypt in a prestigious science fair but dares not return home. >> what made you decide to stay here in the united states? >> ok. first, i will be arrested figure back to egypt. i will have better education in the states. i can have human rights. >> before attending the in tell international science and engineering fair in los angeles, he was arrested in cairo and charged with violating egypt's restrictive laws against protests. then, police accused the slight, skinny teenager of burning a police car. he says the charges are absurd. >> of course. how i can make that. it's crazy. >> the government in cairo did

allow him to travel to the science fair. then his parents urged him to stay in the u.s. >> they are sure i will be ok here. they know i will be safe here. >> he is supported by members of the egyptian american community and he plans to ask for political asylum. >> immigration attorney keith ayres said it is in no way unusual to be granted asylum. >> he has to prove that he has a well founded fear or reasonable fear that he's been harmed in the past or will in the future. he can bring up all the evidence that he needs to show that he has this fear of being persecuted based on his political opinion, but it's not necessary. his words alone can be the basis for a grant of political asylum. >> he was selected for the in tell science fair after he in vented a system that allows paralyzed people to operate a

computer key board with eye movements. he is determined to continue his education as a computer scientist. >> i want to go to the best universities. >> whether he gets into a top university will depend on many factors, including his grades and whether scholarship money is veil. it appears that egypt appears to have lost a bright and talented one person who could ever one day helped his country and its people. aljazeera, los angeles. >> egyptians head to the polls next week electing a new president. there are only two canned dates running, the former countries military head sisi is expected to win. >> mark cuban is apologizing to the family of trayvon mar pin when talking about his prejudice and how he believes everyone has some. the unarmed teenager was wearing

a hoodie when shot and killed by george zimmerman two years ago. >> we are a lot more vigilant in what we and a lot less tolerant of different views, and it's not necessarily easy for everybody to adopt, adapt or evolve. we're all prejudice in one way or the other. if i see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, i'm walking to the other side of the street. if on that side of the street there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face, white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere, i'm walking back to the other side of the street and the lift goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of. in my businesses, try not to be hip critical. i know i'm not perfect, that i live in a glass house and it's

not appropriate for me to throw teens. >> he said voting to expel donald sterling from the league might make him a hypocrite, because the owner of the dallas mavericks said he himself is a bigot. >> there is a new stamp out that honors harvey milk. gay rights activists see it as a victory, but some comp serve active critics say he was no role model. we look closer at the controversy. >> my name is harvey milk and i'm here to recruit you. >> for many americans, sean penn's portrayal of harvey milk was the first time they heard of the human rights leader. he was openly gay when he won a seat on the san francisco board of supervisors in 1977. the next year, a disgruntled colleague shot him to death. now the u.s. postal service is honoring him with a stumpage gave hope to the lbgt community.

>> i'm proud that this nation will honor the legacy of this brave and courageous man. >> a rare honor for new stamps. it comes after more than seven years of campaigns by his supporters. they say he was a visionary. >> because in his time, he not only was about gay civil rights, but also made outreach to seniors, people of color issues and the farm workers. >> some conservative groups say milk doesn't belong on a stamp, because he was gay and preyed an children. >> harvey milk was a very dishonorable man, a sexual anarchist with no sexual boundaries, a predator of teenage boys and boyish looking young men and he was a public liar. >> it saddens me that these if

natic right wing groups attack the reputation and the legacy of harvey milk that way and we should remember who's shoulders we stand on and one of those major icons is harvey milk. >> other gay figures appeared on u.s. stamps, like musician coal porter and play write tennessee williams. >> other stamps sparking controversy in the past, malcolm x because associated with violent protests, even mother theresa because she was not a u.s. citizen. >> pope francis heading to the holy land for an historic trip but with tense relations between israel and vatican, there are questions on how he will be received. >> a reporter for one of the on line catholic newspapers in america will discuss it.

>> symbolically it meant a lot. a piece of creation. >> we've taken the pieces of this wall and are going to put it in a cross, symbolic of the christian presence here for 2,000 years. >> muslims and views getting ready for a visit from pope francis, preparing gifts for the pontiff's first trip to the holy land. >> many believe christianty began at a site in the holy land. >> the pope will visit the place that can teach us a lot about unity. >> at the holy land, if you dig, you might just find jesus' footsteps. when they first dug here, they planned to build a new hotel. instead, they unearthed a

church. >> i can be part of something, of history. >> volunteers have come from all over the world to work here, bible country, where jesus is said to have inspired his first followers, is said to have healed the sick where he may have even walked on the water. on the shores of the sea of gallery lee, they discover where he may have first approached. >> what does it tell us 20 centuries later that we have so much in common. >> for years, the father didn't know the site's significance. >> we are walking on a first century street. >> they were pleased to discover a first century marketplace for the local fisherman. >> fish were sold in the markets in rome. >> they were shocked to discover jewish ritual baths, the best

kept in israel. >> this is the best level, the purest water. you can see the steps here. it's really beautiful. >> a few feet away, they found this design. >> this is a pattern that has has significance of eternal life. the fact of having mosaic in a first century synagog was unheard of until this. >> the benches for the faithful. >> you can imagine him sitting here or over here, why not? >> then this. >> wow. that's amazing. >> this was here for 2,000 years, nobody knew about it. i think this was found, this is contemporary to pompeii. >> they reads this is one of the oldest synagogs, the oldest menorah discovered in a religious structure. the other had grooves for a

torah. >> the teacher is opening his scroll and rolling out the spools here. >> that rabbi father kelly is talking about. >> there's a group of people following rabbi jees. you can say that this is the beginning. >> this isn't only about jesus, the hole site dedicated to the women described in jesus' life. this is magdala, mary magdalene's hometown. she is the first apostle. >> she wasn't the only woman supporting jees. in a newly built spiritual center is a rare church tribute to women. >> here we're in the atrium of the women of the new testament and this represents the women. this one column doesn't have a name. this is for all the women lieu throughout history have been the pillars in the transmission of

the faith. >> next door, the yet to be used chapel, as it was for the first christians, the faithful will pray on the sea shore and a mast will be their cross. >> forethomas reese is in washington, d.c. this morning, thanks for being with us. relations between israel and the vatican historically complex, how is the pope going to be received this time? >> well, i think it's going to have a very good reception both in jordan and israel and in palestine. i think the people are looking forward to his presence. i think there's hope that he might be able to get the diplomats back to work. the diplomats have given up on the peace process. there's hope that he might inspire people to give peace

another chance. >> let's look back in history at papal visits. he is not the first to visit israel since it became a state in 1948, there have been four papal visits, pope paul in 1964, pope john powell the second visited in 2000 and the last visit from pope benedict the xvi in 2009 and pope francis scheduled to start tomorrow. he said it is a strictly religious trip. how do you avoid politics where they have been intertwined? >> it's impossible, i think to separate religion and politics in the middle east. i think that what he wants to show is that religion can be a source of peace, a source of unity, not simply a source of division as it has been so often in so many places.

i think the very fact that he is coming to the middle east, traveling with a rabbi and a muslim leader who were god friends of his in argentina, this shows that he wants to show that people can be friends who are of different religions, that they can work together for peace and that they can work together with that great concern that he has for the poor. i think he's coming with a message, but always witnessing to that mental with his own life. >> also, is there anything about the pope's itinerary that is going to game him a glimpse as to what he can accomplish during this visit? >> i think a number of things. first, he wants to visit refugees. he wants to meet with the people who, as he refers to, the poor as marginalized, the people everybody forget that are suffering in the holy land. he wants to be there to

encourage christians, who have roots going back all the way to the apostles, as your video just showed. i think he also wants to reach out to jewish and muslim people to show that christians want to be at peace. they want to be a force for peace in the middle east. they want to bring people together rather than be divisive. >> father thomas reese, thanks for being with us this morning. >> coming up tomorrow on aljazeera america, you know those grueling endurance races, they've become widely popular in fitness. >> a lot of people are winding up inside the emergency room instead of crossing the finish line. that is tomorrow on aljazeera america and our morning news. >> thanks so much for joining us this morning on aljazeera america. >> more headlines are just two minutes away, including the coup

in thailand and the sentencing of a congress lease militia leader for war crimes a decade ago. >> we want to bring you with this beautiful picture of the bridge in st. louis, drivers hitting the road for the holiday. revealing, and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. abe foxman >> we'll fight for your right to be a bigot. if you are a bigot, you're gonna pay a price... >> holocaust survivor and head of the ant-defamation league. >> there's an awful lot of hatred floating out there... >> and ending discrimination >> ...as long as the children aren't educated, it's gonna maintain... >> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america ...

>> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first

choice for the news. sgrfrmi this is al jazeera. hello. welcome to the newshour life from doha. thailand's former prime minister is scheduled for meeting the junta following thursday's coup. >> attacks have killed more than 30 people. a former war lord from the democratic republic of congo is sentenced to 12 years in jail for the massacre of hundreds o