these epochs are changing. maybe not fast enough but, with car sharing, we're (at least) on the right road. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters, these are the stories we're following few. >> a few minutes ago, secretary shinseki offered me his own resignation. with considerable regret, i accepted. >> the president announcing a short while ago the resignation of embattled secretary of veteran affairs eric shinseki. >> an astounding bid to buy the l.a. clippers. >> it is a picture-perfect sea side town. like many places in the united states, the working class here

is finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. the tale of two towns. >> the more than 3 million people living in fear facing the devastating consequences if this dam collapses. >> eric shinseki, the embattled secretary of veterans affairs is out. he submitted his resignation this morning, the bat accepted it. he has been under fire following reports that at some v.a. centers the books were cooked and patients died wait forego care. we are in washington. no ordinary dismissal, this was a man who was a four star general who in the president's own words spoke with authority. >> it was clear from the president's announcement, a

surprise appearance in the white house press room that this is something the president did not want to do but it was too much of a disstacks in the president's own words. a series of events really picking up steam over the past 48 hours brought us to this moment today. the basic story started in phoenix at the v.a. facility, some 1700 individuals found to be waiting for care, not the two weeks as prescribed by the v.a., but much longer. the problem was the v.a. of the keeping them off the books, hiding i did. some 40 veterans died waiting for care. that launch add series of investigations, one by the inspector general within the v.a. itself and also by secretary shinseki and one of the president's top deputies who he dispatched to help. today, shinseki offered his apology to a group of veterans in a speech before coming to the white house. he then met with the president and rob nabors offered his

interim report. this is what he had to say. >> he's not adverse to admitting where there's a problem and going after it, but we occupy not just an environment that calls for management fixes, we've also got to deal with congress and you guys and i think it's rick's judgment that he could not carry out the next stages of reform without being a distraction himself. >> the president has named an interim leader of the v.a. p of course this is a position that has to be confirmed by the united states states senate. he's not nominated anybody. he's brought in an individual named sloan gibson, hips a graduate of west point, spent many years in the private sector in banking before joining the

v.a. in february of this year. meanwhile, shinseki had an opportunity to give an address this morning here in washington to a group advocating for rights of homeless veterans, and he simply said this: i will not defend what has happened in v.a. hospitals around the country, because it is indefensible. >> the president asked to explain the difference between accepting the resignation and not that of kathleen sebelius. >> i think the problem here as far as secretary shinseki is concerned and there is a double standard there, kathleen sebelius offered her resignation over the controversy over the launch of healthcare.gov. >> an increasing number of very key democrats, this simply wasn't a partisan issue where the white house could point to republicans playing partisan politics as they were on

obamacare. this was spreading into the upper echelons of the democratic party and congress, including tammy duck worth, a voice of credibility on veteran affairs. she served under shinseki at the department of veteran affairs, now a member of congress. she lost both legs in combat in iraq. this morning, she, too, called for the resignation of shinseki and after that chorus of voices both republican and democratic, not to mention the attention focused on the issue from the press not to mention many veterans whose care has gone wanting over the course of the last several years, then the time had come for eric shinseki to offer his resignation that was accepted by president obama. >> reaction to that resignation already coming in on capitol hill. here is part of a statement released by house minority leader nancy pelosi. she said the deporture will not solve theistickic challenges

within the v.a. and medical if a sits. it's um to all of us in congress and the administration to review the facts, fix the problems and ensure veterans receive the care they need when they need it. other members also reacting. >> general shinseki dedicated his life to our country and we thank him for his service. his resignation, though, does not absolve the president of his responsibility to step in and make things right for our veterans. business as usual cannot continue. as a first step, the senate should immediately take up the house path of v.a. management accountability act. until the penalty outlines a vision and effective plan for addressing the broad dysfunction at the v.a., today's announcement really changes nothing. >> we need lookeddership. we need a new team at the v.a. these problems have persisted

for far too long and those of us who have large veteran populations hear about it all the time. i had has veteran in my office this week that has been on the list since december of 2011 for a primary care appointment. totally unacceptable. it's time to do something about it. >> this has been an ongoing problem for a long time. it's looking for the care of the veterans themselves. i led the study back in 2011, same problems exist today. it's the structure of the system itself, and it's not just one person who's going to change it all, it's the overall foundation. >> they are reacting to the resignation of v.a. secretary eric shinseki, submitting his resignation this morning, the president telling reporters a little more than an hour ago that resignation was accepted. >> a 23-year-old under arrest charged with obstructing the investigation into the boston marathon bombing. he was indicted by a federal

grand jury today, said to be the friend of accused bombers. prosecutors say he talked to both men after the bombings but lied to police about doing so. he is charged with destroying, altering and falsifying records. he's accused of making a false statement in a terrorism investigation. he moved to the u.s. from doctor'sing stan four years ago. >> the nba banned donald sterling for life when a recording of a racist rant was made public. the offer for the team is $2 billion. >> russia is pulling its troops back from ukraineed borders, but

ukraine's military is pushing ahead. trying to starch out armed separatists in the east. leaders of the separatist movement acknowledge that some of their fighters are russian, holding if you know release for some killed in recent fighting in eastern ukraine. they say some of those bodies will be sent back to russia. >> syrians in a town in northwest fleeing en mass, worried about the polling stations there. many families are crossing into turkey. >> hundreds of syrians are on the move in the country's northwest. these families are from the city. they packed whatever they could take and left after rebels advised them to do so. the city is under the control of the government, but it is surrounded by rebel-controlled territory and it seems armed opposition fighters have made it their next target.

>> a statement was issued asking people in the city to leave before may 29. as you can see, hundreds of leaving to the countryside. >> the warning from the opposition came days before the government plans to hold a presidential election in areas under its control. >> people are scared after islamic committee told them to leave. they believe government areas will be targeted during the election day. polling stations may be hit by mortars and also the government's militia men will force people to vote, so the people fled. >> some of them are arriving in turkey, and many are too scared to speak on camera. >> there are those who said they left because they don't want to vote on election day. others are afraid that a rebel advance would unleash heavy bombardment by syrian government war planes. others explained many want to leave but can't, they are employees in state institutions

and need their paycheck. >> days ago, a region was captured on a major highway that the regime used. >> the regime is hitting back with the air force. people in the city are afraid they will be targeted if rebels advance. >> the regime has made battlefield gains in central syria but here in the north is contested territory. the rebels may not be able to win the war here, but their aim seems to be preventing voting. >> nigeria's government saying gunman from boko haram kidnapped and killed a muslim leader and two police officers today in the northeast borno state. yesterday, the group opened fire on a village, killing more than 30 people. >> one of the largest man made dams in the world is located on the river between zambia and

zimbabwe. there are reports that there is erosions that could lead to collapse. the problem would be devastating for millions. >> morning reveals the dam's huge size. it's one of the world's biggest. for more than half a century, its harnessed the river, generating hydroelectricity. its age is showing. the water gates are worn and below the surface, the wall cracked and needs to be fixed to avoid what would be a catastrophic collapse. three and a half million people live down river. people believe a river spirit is to blame. >> it's true the spirit is responsible for the cracks in the dam because it doesn't want anyone to tamper with the rivers. when the river is blocked, the

spirit becomes angry and will make problems for all of us. >> others don't believe that. his business depends on the constant flow of tourists. >> it's a great concern to us, because we are on the receiving end. we hope the government is doing everything possible. >> the governments insist they are, but they do need to raise $250 million before the complex repair work begins. >> take a look at the lake. it's held back by the dam which is about 24.5 meters thick. if we look down this side of the wall at the sheer drop, you get a sense of the volume of water held back by the dam and how catastrophic it would be if anything went wrong. >> the minister of energy says the threat isn't eminent but he's treating it as if it were, pushing the project through quickly. >> we want to start as soon as possible. we don't want to delay.

we know us procrastinating would be bad, so we move ahead. >> the power of the river demands respect whether you believe the crack it is in the dam can be blamed on an ancient river spirit or age alone. aljazeera, zambia. >> still ahead, money in america, the struggles of mid class america trying to keep up with the growing economy and going to prison because you owe money, the dark reality of what are called modern day debtor prisons. isons.

>> we want to talk about the haves and ever notes, money in america, there's a lot of it to go around but most stays in the hands of the wealthy. the average family taking in

$51,107 last year is down $83 from the year before and down more than $5,000 from 1999 when you adjust everything for inflation. despite that, the economy is growing, but most of that money, the money made is going to the very rich. since 2009, the income of the top 1% grew by 31.4%, for everyone else, your salary has basically moved. average americans are now finding it harder to achieve the american dream. >> downtown rhode island appears to be thriving, home to historic buildings, quaint boutiquion and fancy restaurants, but some residents here say this picture-perfect seaside town is becoming a community of extremities, those who can afford stately mansions and those who visit what was once a factory to get free food at the local food pantry. michelle has been looking for restaurant work for three

months. her husband, a construction worker is getting less work at lower pay. >> it seems every year, it's a little less, it's a little worse, winters seem a little longer. a lot of competition out there fighting for the same jobs. >> judy works two jobs, making under $12 an hour at each. >> the prices of everything's gone up. >> she got a raise of 10 cents an hour last year. sometimes she needs help to make ends meet. >> with a number of manufacturing, fishing and construction jobs shrinking here in recent years, many resorted to low wage jobs in the service industry, reflecting a national trend and trouble for the middle class. a recent study found that there are 2 million fewer jobs in well paying industries since the recession and 1.85 million more low wage ones. >> there's really a 1-2 punch, so job growth is disproportionately concentrated in low wage industries, but

wages have been stagnant over the post session recovery. >> this food bank provides free meals to food pantries over rhode island. the number of people they serve in the past five years has nearly doubled, that at a time when unemployment in the state has gone down. >> the food bank is taking part in the national study that will look at among other things how many people receiving assistance here are working full time. >> we know that it's over half. exactly how many is hard to tell. many are families with children, where the duties are working, but at low wage jobs, so they are not earning enough to be able to afford rent, utilities and food through the entire month. >> when working people struggle to make ends meet, the american middle class suffers. >> with less money to spend, debt becomes a major problem. according to the american civil

liberties union, one third of all americans are in jail for not paying debts ranging from court costs and fines to credit card fees. we have that story from georgia. >> after a minor driving violation, nicole thought she had paid her debt to society with $1,400 in fines, fees and hours of community service, but two years later, she's still paying $35 every month to a company called sentinel offender services. >> do they threaten you that you'd go to jail? >> oh, yeah, call me and threaten me that i'm going to go to jail, they'll take me back in front of the judge. they're real rude and disrespectful. >> the u.s. supreme court ruled that no one could be locked up just because they couldn't pay a fine but that ruling is routinely ignored by private probation companies which operate under contract to local governments. the companies don't charge the government, but do impose repeated fees on those low level

offenders who can't immediately pay their fines. by letting the contractors supervise probations, a court effectively gives them the power to declare someone who's behind in their payments subject to arrest. by some estimates, the contractors make an annual $40 million profit in georgia alone. according to a recent audit, the companies were found to have improperly extended the probation term obtained an arrest warrant or improperly allocated proceedingser payment to provider service fees instead of the court. >> people on a minor traffic stop or even license check point get hauled off to jail just so set necessarily can get its money. it's a total abuse of the process. >> kathleen spent 20 days in jail for a one hundred eighty-dollar debt to the

contractor. the company had her arrested four years after her original fine and restitution for drunken driving had been paid. >> sentinel reinstating my probation without a judge signature or anything, doing i did on their own so i would say they're doing it for profit. >> the company is appealing a local judge's decision for sentinel to repay hundreds of people. >> meanwhile, the probation company successfully lobbied georgia's ledge later to pass a law protecting their business. the governor vetoed the bill saying it would guaranteed the companies could of continued to keep their information confidential. >> this is hugely problem take and something that we hope the legislature will address in coming session. >> law enforcement agencies have their own complaint with the system. the companies are forcing too

many jail beds to be filled by people who are not criminals, winding up costing taxpayers for their room and board. augusta georgia. >> drones, military, police us them and amazon.com experiments with them. now one will be dropped into a hurricane. hurricane.

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built for business. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are your headlines. veterans afar secretary eric shinseki resigned, the president making the announcement. the president saying shinseki felt the focus should be on solving the problems at the v.a. and not him so he stepped down. >> a friend of the accused boston marathon bomber is under arrest charged with obstructing authorities in their investigation. he was indicted bay federal grand jury today, charged with falsifying records and lying to police. >> we have seen drones used for

just about everything these days, now scientists want to use drones to study the destructive force of a hurricane. researchers in florida want to unlock their secrets by dropping a drone into the eye of the storm. >> this is the view from the cockpit as an airplane flies into the wall of a hurricane. researchers want to improve tools they use to learn more about intensity as it barrels to shore. will it be category one or three. >> our ability to tell you what it will do at landfall as far as intensity, the strength of the winds is not that good. we're trying to get better, making strides. >> this drone is one of those strides, called the coyote. researchers hope they will be able to deploy one from an airplane and into the eye and wall of a hurricane. the coyote weighs seven pounds with a five-foot wing span.

the wings are designed to fly with the hurricane winds and withstand them. >> with a battery life of two hours, it will be able to fly as low as 100 feet measuring wind speed, temperature, humidity and pressure. once the battery dies, so, too, does the drone. it drops into the ocean. researchers at the atlantic ocean graphic and meteorological laboratory has received half a million dollars in federal fund to go operate five of the coyotes. at this point, it's an experimental tool to observe. >> this will give us a better representation of what actually is occurring so that we can warn the people that are in harm's way. >> if the drone proves successful, the hope is one day, they will be in dispensable to forecasting a hurricane. aljazeera america, miami. >> the atlantic hurricane season starts sunday but fortunately nothing like that yet.

>> it doesn't typically get going until august and september. it does happen in june, it can happen before june, we saw a storm in the pacific which weakened but tipically in the atlantic, storms develop around this inquire here, likely in the blue area, more likely the yellow, the water temperature climbs. that is where they typically develop in june and the tracks take them to the north and turn to the northeast. they could develop anywhere, but that's normally where they develop. water temperature on the surface up to 80 degrees, that's the number you see where storms start to develop. that temperature has to be at a department of 50 meters at least. the sea surface temperatures are at 80 degrees, you can see the warmer water coming in. that's why the season starts here in june, but really the storms don't typically increase in number until august and september. nothing happening here, but the satellite data showing that this is pretty clear but across the

southeast is this area of low pressure that just continues to give heavy rain over the same area, so flash flood watches are still in effect. we will continue to watch this area here over the next few days. the northern plains this weekend, a storm will develop there. warmer temperatures into the 60's, 70's and 80's. there's a likelihood of severe weather and flooding in this area as temperatures climb to 90 degrees. a lot of moisture gets pulled up to the dakotas and chicago and just south and east of this storm is where the likelihood of severe weather. temperatures will climb each day, but there is that threat for strong thunderstorms, severe storms and flooding with very heavy rain moving into minnesota by this weekend. watch this closely slowly pulling to the east. this is the area of concern this weekend. >> thank you very much. >> we want to thank each and every one of you for watching

aljazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. you can check us out 24 hours a day by going to aljazeera.com. that is where the news continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week non-stop. a. >> this is "techknow." a show about innovations that can change lives. we're going to explore the intersection of hardware and humanity and doing it in a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check out our team of hard core nerds. >> dr. crystal dilworth is a monthly ec lar neuroscientist. would you give kids marijuana if it could help them?