>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at today's top stories. ukraine gets ready for its first presidential election since it's president was ousted, and russia said it will respect the out come. and thailand's prime minister is under house arrest. and pope francis is about to embark to the holy land.

>> ukraine is preparing for its first presidential election since the protest that toppled former president victory yanukovych. russia president vladimir putin said russia will respect the out come of the election. as the vote nears violence is growing in eastern ukraine. al jazeera has more from doneskt. >> this under lies an exclusive situation in eastern ukraine. militia on militia, violence so-called anti-terrorist. the defense unit stands for an united ukraine, but like the pro

separatists they cover their faces, wear uniforms, and carry weapons. now people here are extremely worried about that. they say that whoever stands for what it's just another set of people with weapons on the streets. so far most of the fighting seems to happen outside of the towns and the big cities mainly at check points. but there is a real anxiety that that fighting could eventually inch closer to the city centers. people are also worried that in the next 48 hours there could be a further up tick in violence as the presiden presidential electn continue. they say they will not allow this to go on. anyone who took part in this vote was basically voting for another country since now done doneskt is now supposedly a

republic. >> in thailand president shinawatra is under house arrest. this course after months of protests we now go to reports. >> reporter: where is shinawatra. she reports to the new military government as ordered. a senior military official informed al jazeera that she had been detained but then allowed to stay at her home under military supervision. an army spokesman on the record only said she was being held but treated well pointing out that 150 personalities from both sides of the political divide were being detained. >> so that they can be more relaxed and be looked after very well. excellent treatment. woulit would not be very long. >> reporter: they decided that they could not agree on the plan

to end the political crisis, and that the military should take the place of the government. >> i can say that it's not easy for him to do this. and we go from then until now we can see that it's not quite ready as before. it's an unprepared coup that we just decide to do it. >> reporter: still a few hundred people did protest. this time against the coup d'etat. soldiers and protesters stood off for several hours. until then the military had been coconspicuous by their absence n the capitol. >> reporter: the protesters have already left. it's the start of the first weekend since marshal law was declared and the coup was launched. thailand's 67 million subjects may take the opportunity to express their concerns about the

future direction of the country. veronica pedroza, al jazeera, bangkok. >> they worn that they would block any social media websites that has content that incites violence or criticizes the military coup. a federal judge lifted an order that stopped military from force feeding a prisoner at the guantanamo prison. the detainees lawyers are challenging the move, claiming it is abusive. john terrett is here with both sides of the story. >> reporter: yes, and in a way this is a two-prong story. it was a year ago today that president obama revisited the issue of guantanamo making it a campaign issue in 2008. they went away from it because they could not close it because of congress. they came back with a major speech from the president. but there is a man who suffered and charges that he has been force fed, he does want to live.

he wants to go home and be with his family. but he does not want to be force fed through the nose. his attorneys say that is abuse. >> reporter: approved for transfer out of the naval base but still there held without charge. >> the frustration stems from the fact that the administration has authority to transfer the men that it has cleared for transfer. of the 154 men who remain, 77 of them have been approved to leave by every government agency within the state and detention. half the prison could be emptied now. >> reporter: that includes the hunger stricter cleared for uruguay. he now be force fed by his nose into his stomach. the he's refuse to go compromi compromise. >> these harsh force-feeding

measures are being used as a way of combating these men who are on hunger strike. because the prevailing mindset at guantanamo and within the department of defense anyone who is on a hunger strike is conducting what they call asymmetrical warfare. >> reporter: he is a 43-year-old syrian who was recommended for transfer back in 2010. as of right now he's being held without charge three months shy of 12 years. >> his hunger strike is a way for him to protest his continued detention at guantanamo bay. >> reporter: in the case of others cleared for transfer but still at gitmo the protesters blame the slow progress on the obama administration. >> his hunger strike is a way for him to protest his continued detention at guantanamo bay. frankly, the fact that the president promised one year ago that he would restart transfers

and reinvigorate the closure of guantanamo, and the fact that he's still there and still on hunger strike showing is the president's willingness to follow through on those promises. >> and this is not what we do in america. >> yes, thank you. secretary of state john kerry will testify in front of an economy looking into the attack in bengahzi, libya that killed four americans. >> reporter: you know, this is so interesting because there is a dilemma as americans try to press the administration, of course, it resulted in the death of four americans, including the ambassador, chris stevens. house speaker john boehner foreign an investigation committee and appointed a new chairman, and democrats went back and forth if they wanted to

even participate. but that has changed. democrats figured they need a seat at the table. there is going to be too many cameras, too much attention, and republicans are going to be focusing on hillary clinton and trying to knock her down a few pegs leading into 2016, where she is the presumptive frontrunner. but we have this other committee that existed headed by the californian from the san diego area, darrell issa, the oversight committee. what john kerry did was try the divide and conquer strategy saying look, we testify to one investigative committee or testify at this existing standing committee. choose one and by the way while you're at it attack away the subpoena that you ordered for my testimony. the up shot of it is secretary kerry will be testifying at the standing committee, chairman issa's committee, not the special committee, on june 12th talking about bengahzi. of course he wasn't even at the

state department at the time. he was still an united states senator. this is all part of the ongoing investigation. the ongoing effort. how many committees have been part of this, six by some counts, that have looked into these events. john kerry will be there jun june 12th front and center. >> mike viqueira for us. thank you. president obama announced some changes to his cabinet. he's nominating san antonio mayor julian castro to be his next secretary of housing and urban development. and the new budget director donovan would replace sylvia burwell. castro and donovan will need to be confirmed by the senate. there are new allegations of misconduct at a veteran's affairs medical facility. a whistle blower told a miami television that some patients at the miami medical center are dealing drugs while others are

physically abused. the administration covering up the problems. this comes amid allegations that patients at a number of v.a. hospitals died while waiting for treatment, and staff covered up the delays. tennessetennessee passed a w allowing execution of death row inmates if injection drugs are not available. >> we've been following this for a while. many states have been having problems getting the drugs they need for lethal injections. that's partly because pharmaceutical companies in europe are refusing to send drugs. most inmates who have died on death row have died by lethal injection. >> i have seen inmates who look up the whole time, never look

side to side. i've seen inmates who look at their family the entire team or try to look at the victims' family. >> but as states face shortages of the drugs they need they scramble for new sources and mixes. this, critics say, have led to botched executions like the death of clayton locket in oklahoma. tennessee's new law will allow electrocution of inmates. but there have been reports of setting inmates on fire with the smell of charred flesh going through the air. prisoners should have a choice of how they will die. >> they will decide how some inmates have electrocution, and it's not up to them. it's up to the warden at the prison. >> reporter: of the 32 states

that have capital punishment, all use lethal injection as a primary method. >> if an inmate is set for execution and the state makes that no drugs available determination, yes, then there will be quite a bit of litigation possibly going up to the u.s. supreme court. >> reporter: tennessee last executed an inmate in 2009. the next execution is set for october. tennessee officials say they're confident they'll get the drugs they need in time but they say the electric chair is operational. we reached out to tennessee governor as well as the main sponsors of the bill, but we could not get any response. >> appreciate it. coming up on al jazeera america. the first tropical storm of the season has formed. and harley davidson is known for big and powerful bikes. but now it hopes a new strategy to go smaller and cheaper will

help reduced and lagging sales.

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>> so the first tropical storm of the season is formed. amanda is on the coast of mexico and headed north. meteorologist dave warren is tracking this system for us. dave? >> meteorologist: yes, tropical storm today. intensified a bit. winds at 40 mph. we'll watch this closely. there is mexico. clutter of storms here. that's organized tropical storm spinning around there. and it will continue to intensify. the forecast looks like it could become a minimal hurricane and slowly return to the north. this is over the next five days. we'll certainly watch this. it will stay out over the ocean not really impacting land. another thing that is happening, the meter showers shaping up. it could be a big one with 200 meteors an hour. you need the rain over the southern plain. and it could be over the midwest, great lakes and up into canada. skies will be clear. clouds to the south and north

the details could be 200 meteors per hour. you want to look north between the north star and the big dipper. there is an app for that. >> there is an app for that? very good. all right, appreciate it. thank you. i'll need that. wall street ended the week on a positive note. good news from the housing market. checking the big board for you, 63 points on the day. nasdaq rose 31.5 points. and s&p close above 1900. new parties have emerged across the continent, nowhere is that trend more pronounced than in greece which is struggling to get out from a mountain of debt. al jazeera's lawrence lee reports from athens. >> you know the country has a problem when even the rich aren't happy in this luxury car dealership is not having a good

time at all. >> this is something that has been here for the past 90 years. >> george speaks bitterly about the state persecuting the well off and a political culture that discourages those who still have money from spending it. >> they're trying to say we're getting better, which is not true. we have certain figures that are better, but these figures don't filter down to the average public. >> and 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 enabled to inspire people with a vision of where greece goes from here. the consequence of all this has been the fragmentation of greek politics particularly on the left. the party which ruled greece for years and years has disappeared without trace. in these elections greek voters will be offered a choice with no fewer than 46 different parties. >> an even around athens it those show politics plays out. in one square the far right golden dawn holds a rally. they're at nearly 10%. down the road there is a brand new party, the setting is ancient greek, the debate is conversational and entirely of non-politicians. at three months old they have 7% of the vote. >> parties have to realize greek

society demands involvement. what they need to do to get into government. this shouldn't be the way to look at it. they should be finding answers. >> if there is anything good to be said about greece's troubles, people still love talking politics as always. but all the sharp politicians claiming to be independent nowadays with all the new politics have in common you won't get far if you're linked to the past. lawrence lee, al jazeera, athens. >> suzuki is recalling 200,000 cars in the united states. vehicles made by, wait for it, general motors have a significant defect. their steering columns overheat and catch fire. from 2004 to 2008, and republican knee models from 2005 to 2008. this is g.m.'s 29th recall this year. motorcycle company harley davidson is an american

iconic brand. for more than a hundreds years it has cultivated a rebel outlaw image but lately sales have been lagging, slumping. the company is changing how it does business. we have more with more, david, you had an opportunity to take a look at some of the new bikes? >> reporter: i did, this weekend is a big weekend for harley. harley story really is one of redemption. what we've seen now is that the company was against the ropes in the financial crisis but since then sales have steadily climbed. first order earnings from good but stellar in europe and asia. to do that they had to make changes to their game plan. >> harley davidson. an american icon has long billed itself and say anonymous with the open road. it captured consumer imaginations with a brand so distinctive they tried to trademark the sound of its bikes' exhaust.

that familiar rumble led to a rebel image outlined in "the wild one" and eas "easy rider." >> the best part of all, chicks dig it. >> but it wasn't always easy riding, bordering on bankruptcy, they took another crisis. they were forced to leave on $300 million high interest loan from warren buffet. >> the company hit bottom if we go back to the 2008-2009 down turn. since then sales have been bouncing back. >> despite the harsh winter u.s. sales jumped 3% after the company cut production cost. but overseas first quarter sales sailed in asia, and latin america, more than 8% in europe.

>> harley davidson is known for building big powerful bikes like this one. but to win over new riders the company is switching gears and may be looking at something that consumers have long been accustomed to in europe and asia. >> to get into the new generation they would have to take down the size. take down the price point. >> the new 500 and 750 bikes are shaller, lighter and more affordable, and they're being shipped to new markets in spain and italy and india where they're building motorcycles from scratch in overseas factories. yet, roughly two-thirds of companies 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. >> the biggest concern about harley it is so big among the ages while male, and as that group is getting older, gosh, is

there going to be demand as we look forward? >> sales have steadily improved up 6% last year compared to 2012. but despite that recent surge company sales in the u.s. are still low. that led some investigators to say not so fast in deciding whether harley davidson is truly on the road to recovery. >> tony, the question is how do you marry that joy law, that big outlaw brand. >> which many really like. >> with these new bikes they're trying to sell in europe. >> little dinky bikes, come on. >> it goes against the big bike persona they're trying to sell overseas. >> the question is will the chicks like the small dinky little things. appreciate it. thank you. >> thank you. >> for years states have been offering tax breaks to film studios trying to attraction several productions and all the money that goes with them. in some places those incentives are really paying off. we go to new orleans which is

becoming known as the hollywood of the south. >> the garden district is already a famous neighborhood, but now it's getting even more attention. film crews are becoming an increasingly common sight. features formerly produced in california have moved south. it's down to an incentive program offered to production companies with big tax breaks, and it's worked. louisiana is now the top location for blockbuster movies, and that represents a major change in the movie business. >> last year louisiana made more than $1 billion from the film industry. but this is more than cold hard cash as the industry has matured it has led to job opportunities and that established businesses run by local people. it's estimated that the film industry has created 14,000 permanent jobs, a number equal to the state's seafood industry. when the tax incentives were

launched 12 years ago few had any idea that they would be so successful. >> there are businesses that started here to service the louisiana film industry and now servicing georgia and canada and new york and even china. >> reporter: one of those businesses belongs to new orleans' local andre champagne. he started his hollywood trucks company with a handful of vehicles. now he has a fleet of more than 300 and says his success is down to incentives to hiring locals. >> the industry effects so many job titles and positions. >> louisiana's new found fame as a hollywood of the south is also seen skilled workers move together state from the industry's more traditional locations. for many it's a change they don't regret. >> the work will come and get you. you don't have to find the work. you know, here you can really be a big fish in a small pond.

in los angeles, i don't care who you are, you're very small fish in a very big pond. >> the next time you buy a ticket to watch the latest blockbuster, chances are it was made in the hollywood of the south. [ explosion. ] >> new orleans, louisiana. >> pope francis is headed to the holy land accompanied by a rabbi and a an imam. and the league may not have to force donald sterling to sell his team after all. he may doing it willingly.

>> pope francis is about to embark on a trip to the holy land. the head of the catholic church said its strictly a religious trip, but he will be walking a

fine line during his three-day tour. he's said to meet leaders in jordan and palestinian territories. it will mark a rare union catholic and orthodox churches. we have more now from rome. >> reporter: waving the vatican goodbye before his trip to the holy land. pope francis embarks to jordan, palestinian territories and israel. the first between heads of the catholic and orthodox churches in nine centuries. >> on saturday i will go to the holy land, the land of jesus. it will be a strictly religious visit. firstly, to meet with my brother, bartholomew i to mark.

they will is really beautiful. the second reason is to pray for peace in that land that suffers greatly. i ask you to pray for my visit. >> the trip is officially a pilgrimage. but in a land with religious and political divisions every step will be watched closely by israelis and palestinians alike. one of them wil be a leader sine 1972. he is one of millions who are not allowed to return home. >> the pope doesn't have an army, but he has an exceptional moral and political influence, so every word he says will count and will be listened to but the world's leaders. we have a lot of hope for this gift the trip is marked with controversy before it's even started. the visit by the pope who will visit the state of palestinian, a he reignition of the 2012

palestiniareignition that has r. >> the pope also made concessions to israel. >> for the first time the pope will lay a wreath on the founder of zionism. it's an innovative gesture that not many heads of states make. i hope this is a step forward between israel and the vatican. >> reporter: in the leads leading up to the trips, pope francis has once again refused to travel in a bulletproof car. yet another indication his truth in inter faith dialogue is stronger than his fear of religious hatred. al jazeera, roam. >> for the first time ever leaders of other faiths have joining the papal de delegation.

with him abraham skorka, rabbi from buenos aires, an. kevin, thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> the pope said this is not a political trip but a religious trip. >> it's a micro pilgrimage. >> in this region? every step that this pope takes will be viewed by some through a political lens, correct? >> it's a religious trip, and i'm not going to argue with him. no matter what he does in jerusalem, bethlehem, jordan, a lot of people are going to be watching, and a lot of people are going to be criticizing, it's already starting. settler movements, who are not happening that he's going to

bethlehem, and the palestinians are not happy about him going to hertzel's burial site. >> exactly. do you expect the hope to make an additional statement on a palestinian state or palestinian statehood? >> i would say this. i don't think there is a written statement anywhere where he's going to make a dramatic statement of recognition. >> symbolic gestures? >> with this hope it's hard to say what will happen. he's demonstrated quite a degree of comfortableness with working off script wherever he goes. his handlers will be doing their best to make sure that he walks the thin line between offending palestinians or spending the israelis. put this guy walks by the holy spirit.

>> do you expect some reference to process. >> like many catholic leaders around the world, he'll probably ask palestinians and israelis to go at it one more time. he'll probably offer his prayers in support of that. there is not much that the holy father can do to force negotiations and compose between these two parties. the church has recognized the state to do of palestinian people as it has been recognized by the united nations. it has endorsed a two-state solution and further supports negotiations. >> you have to give us the backdrop. it comes in honor of a significant anniversary. >> this is the 50th anniversary of pope paul and patriot athen athenagores. >> i tried, but failed. >> that is the first meeting between the eastern and western branches of christianity in something like a thousand years. that started the ball rolling. there has been many discussions

since then. documents signed and the pope and patriarch bartholomew will continue to meet. >> how significant is this? >> it's part of the significant process between restoration and reunification between the branches of the christian churches. they were both--i'm not sure that they're viewing a mass together but there will be a service of the holy sepulcher. and they'll be joined by five churches all together. it will be a demonstration of an ecumenical outreach. >> the declining numbers of christians in the region, will this visit by the pope perhaps bolster those numbers? >> it would be a vote of moral boost for the christians who remain. the pope is recognizing their plight and is coming to support them.

the numbers are not good. in the entire middle east the entire number has declined. and the christian population has really been decimated. in the west bank itself, young christian arabs don't see a great future there, if they can, they're leaving. this is a big crisis for the church. they describe it as the living stones, the testament that goes all the way back to the original church. to lose that community, something will be lost. >> kevin, good to have you on the program. kevin clarke, enjoy the holiday weekend. >> you, too. >> on the eve of the pope's trip the u.n. delivered bad news. church leaders must imply with the u.n. treaty banning all torture. it said sex crimes can be considered a form of torture. the finding could bring a slew of new lawsuit and criminal charge for past abuse cases.

people in the balkans regions have started to return home to assess the damage. the the danger does not pass some of the 20,000 landmines that have been left by the bosnian war now dots the land. >> they move easily. mining experts fear that's exactly what happened when torrents of water flewed through here. >> we need a different way of approaching these minds. this is a completely new situation for us. >> the mines left 100,000 people dead. 250,000 people have been killed by landmines since the conflict ended. people here are very aware of

landmines. the village is surrounded by three large minefields. what they worry about now is that the water has pushed the mines to the heart of their community. when the dirty water poured through the village, it was up to his chin. now the water is gone he's too scared to walk in his garden. >> it's much more dangerous than it was. it's very hard because we don't know what was in the floodwater. we don't know whether there is a mine there or not. >> 120,000 unexploded devices still dot the land in bosnia. it's only now that the waters receding that remapping the area can begin. the loose mines can create an international problem as they carry down stream. they could travel throughout southeast europe. mindemine something a long and

dangerous process. it's expected to cost $400 million, but it's expected to rise. the economic impacts of these floods will be felt for years to come. >> the head of the africato mal. dozens were killed in gun battles. they launched a defense last weekend to drive them out of the north but it failed. in china a court has sentenced a millionaire to death in leading a gang that killed it's rivals. the former industrialist had ties to organized crime and members of the communist party. he and his brother made more than $6 billion from their criminal activities. and the u.n.'s nuclear watchdog

agencies say that they have cut stock pile more than 60%. report from the atomic energy agency said iran is cooperating into an investigation into its bomb-making capabilities. it's following agreements signed last november. ithe u.s. reduced sanctions in exchange for reduced atomic programs. we have roxana saberi with headlines across the u.s. >> lawsuit challenging states bans on same-sex marriage. their action left north dakota, the only state with an you will challenged ban. it's already legal in 19 states and the distric district of col. a water boil warning after testing of e. coli bacteria in oregon. residents are urged to boil

water for at least a minute before using it to drink or brush their teeth or cook their food. e. coli may hav beef may han sent to at least 10 states. the number could go higher as cases are discovered in other states. the faa is investigating a close call over houston texas. two united airlines planes came within a mile of each other and 400 feet apart in altitude. both had just taken off. the incident happened earlier this month. and finally many consider him the best american soccer player ever, but landon donovan is not going to the world cup in brazil. he was cut despite the fact donovan is team's all time leading scorer. the coach said it was one of the toughest decisions he's ever made. donovan said on his facebook

page he's very disappointed. he has played in three previous world cups. he's 32 years old. the average age of a player is 27. >> okay, that's old? 32? quite a surprising move. >> i think so. >> meteorologist: he has been the face of american soccer, but the head coach admitted that donovan has lost a step. >> he's tough. >> reporter: that's why he gets paid the big bucks. >> let's see how he does. >> reporter: time will only tell. >> roxana, thank you. thank you. ross is here with new developments in the case of los angeles clippers owner donald sterling. boy this has been a hot topic. he has been banned from the nba for life for racial comments, but his wife may be a different story. ross is here, is this sell going to happen?

>> reporter: it's a surprising development. donald sterling has agreed to allow his wife to sell the clippers. sterling had hired a lawyer to keep the team within the family, and so did his wife shelly. the nba came out with this statement. saying we continue with the process set forth in the nba constitution regarding termination of the current ownership interest in the los angeles clippers and we're proceeding toward a hearing on in matter on june 3rd. the league formerly filed charge to terminate the ownership of the team for his racist comments. the other voters could vote him out which would require a 75% vote to terminate his ownership. donald sterling has until tuesday to respond to those charges. this potential sale of the clippers could bring an end to the scandal. the nba has to formalize a binding agreement with the sterilings in terms of selling

the team. the sterlings could back out of the sale if they feel they're not getting the fair market value of the team. donald sterling bought the team for $12 million back in 1981, and forbes valued it the team . and it could be worth more. >> magic johnson, oprah winfrey is interested. stay tune. this could be a delay tactic. a lot of people think this will drag out in the courts. this is surprising because it comes to a quick end. >> if this does go through it would save the owners from having to cast a tough vote. >> it's one of those things that donald sterling, maybe he realizes this and he didn't wa

wanting to through the legal process and legal fees. >> good to see you. thanks, ross. coming up on al jazeera america. a couple accused of killing a family seven years ago. but they never faced trial. a look at the stand still costing the county millions of dollars.

>> it's insane... >> the borderland memorial day marathon only at al jazeera america >> the capital murder face washington state could have traumatic effects on further death penalty case. it begins with a couple accused of killing a family seven years ago. but their trial has not started yesterday. allen schauffler with more on this, ala allen? >> reporter: michelle anderson

and her boyfriend joseph mcenroe face possible death sentences for shooting anderson's parents, brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephew. killing the older couple, hiding the bodies and then waiting for the young family to arrive for a holiday dinner and shooting all of them. five-year-old olivia and three-year-old nathan last. >> how do you do that? a small tiny blue-eyed baby boy in diapers. this is sick. >> reporter: pam lost her daughter and two grandchildren that night. she estimates she has watched more than 100 pretrial hearings. no jury has been seated yet. she calls it all a circus. >> is justice being served? >> reporter: no, no, absolutely not. we're exactly the same place that we were in october of 2008 when they decided on the death penalty. >> court appointed attorney

katie ross, a veteran of capitol cases represents joe mcenroe. she said they're doing what they're supposed to do, trying to save their clients lives. >> we have to get the experts that are necessary. we have to bring the motions that are necessary. a minimum of two attorneys. >> reporter: so far the defense has spent more than $6 million of county money. prosecutors estimate their spending at $1 million. also county money. ross and other opponents of the death penalty say it is ineffective, expensive, and the cost should be a consideration in sentencing. >> public officials should always have money on their mind. that's what i think thin think a taxpayer. >> reporter: each decision taking months. now justices are again considering several issues including a rare request from prosecutors to have the judge replaced. law professor ann murphy calls

the political maneuvering unprecedented. >> you're talking about executing someone in the name of the state. so they should be concerned about that. are we going to see more of this? i have no doubt, absolutely. >> reporter: for pam, her granddaughter's school work provides memories but little comfort as she seeks resolution that is years away. >> they need to come down on the defense and say enough is enough. we've waited a long time for this trial and we need to have it. let's get the show on the road. >> reporter: now joe mcenroe has offered to plead guilty to a slightly different charge if the death penalty is taken off the table. the county prosecutor who chose not to contribute to this news story shows no signs of taking that deal. the supreme court ruling on this latest batch of issues may not come until fall.

>> allen schauffler for us in seattle. age organization pushing for gun reform found efforts to stop the mentally ill from buying firearms is working. the number of mental records collected from states has tripled but there is still a patchwork of gun control walls. this weekend's episode of al jazeera's newest series the system explores the consequences of america's gun laws. >> it's crazy. no matter what happens, if you fire a gun, 20 years. it doesn't matter. why. >> in 200953-year-old orville lee wollard was convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm in the state of florida. he claimed that he was firing a warning shot against his daughter's girlfriend who threaten the family with violence. >> she gets her father and says, the young man is attacking sar

sarah. my husband, he's holding the pistol down at the floor. he says to him. you have four seconds to leave this house. instead of leaving the house the young man decides to come forward. >> i firmly believe had i not done what i did that day my daughter would be dead. >> i can tell you that back in the day in florida we were having a lot of problems. people were robbing, stealing, shooting. so crime was out of control. inmates were serving about a third of their sentence. >> reporter: critics point out that mandatory minimum trap people like wollard in the system. but what happens when no mandatory minimums are enforced. the murder of an honor student captured national attention and inspired a mandatory minimum gun bill in chicago.

>> she was shot and killed while hanging out with friends at a park. kenneth williams has been charged with her murder. >> to bury your child is so ha hard. >> the person that murdered our daughter, he was out already on a gun charge. and had he been there, had he got the mandatory minimum he wouldn't have been out. so our daughter would still be alive today. >> you can watch the entire episode of the system this sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern that's 6:00 p.m. pacific right here. a family hiding in a church afraid to be sent back to the country they fled, we will meet them and find out why they're having such a difficult time getting refugee status. as we told you, president obam,n

"inside story." >> modest improvement in the housing market. the mayor has helped san anton antonio, but fixing the country is really big job. we'll talk about that on inside story at the top of the hour. stay with us.

>> every saturday join us for exclusive, 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 >> an ungearan roma family has been hiding in a church for two years. now a movement in canada is urging the government to grant them residency. we have their story. >> this is home. joseph faced violence in his native country of hungary.

>> you know, governments say hungary is a safe country. but i know when hungary has a big problem. >> what's that? >> that's me. >> daughter lulu is six. she can't leave the room. her mother said living in three rooms is depressing but important to stay in canada. >> not easy but important. three years now, two years and eight months. >> they've asked a court to review their case because of alleged malpractice by their lawyer. that could take years and with the removal order hanging over them, they live in legal limbo of sanctuary. the church has asked us not to

identify it, but it's in a neighborhood like this one that a roma family in hungary is us s fighting deportation. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands have sought asylum in canada over the years. from european union countries like hungary, canada's immigration department say cases are still considered on their merits but there is no tolerance for bogus claims. that leaves legitimate roma refugees with nowhere to go. >> the general attitude of the government is we want the kind of immigrants and newcomers that suit our image of who should be coming to this country, and roma are not part of that. >> a musician, a talented chef, joseph wants to open a restaurant with live music some day. for now he and his family are

with the outcome of slow, complicated legal process that could send him back to the homeland he need five years ago. tornado. >> that is all of our time with this news hour. inside story is next on al jazeera america. >> president obama has a new job for his housing secretary so he's tapping san antonio mayor for secretary of housing and urban development. what will be in his inbox when he comes to washington? that's the inside story. you you