hello, welcome. this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm thomas drayton. let's get you caught up on the top stories. the freedom of sergeant bowe bergdahl. >> you are free. i'm see you soon. >> the family speaks out after the release of their son, five years after being a prisoner in afghanistan. who are the men released in exchange? we hear from one of their american lawyers.

questions are being raised in washington about the deal and its implications. good to have you with us. right now bowe bergdahl is at a u.s. army hospital in a germany, in a statement they said: officials say they are sensitive to what bowe bergdahl has been through and will proceed with his reintegration at a pace in which he is comfortable. the hospital says there's no determined amount of time for reintegration. we heard from the sergeant's mother and father. the news conference was held in boise idaho near their home town. allen schauffler is there with

details of what they had to say. it was an emotional press conference. >> absolutely. a lot of tears that we saw in the meeting room at the headquarters of idaho national guard. bob and jenny bergdahl taking on opportunity to address the press, supporters from the motorcycle club in the area, and here is jenny bergdahl in tears, talking directly to her son bowe. >> five years is a seemingly endless long time. but you made it. i imagine you are more patient and compassionate than ever. you are free. i will see you soon my beloved son. i love you, bowe. >> again, jenny bergdahl speaking through tears and

directly to their son. both feeling that some time soon he'll be shown the press conferencement they spoke for 20 minutes, emphasising similar things - we love you, we're proud of you, you have tremendous support at home and around the country and acknowledging the difficult road that lies ahead for bowe bergdahl, and urging him to trust the people he's dealing with now, the doctors, military members that will help him with the first phase of recovery. bob bergdahl talked about his love for a tough resourceful and how he was willing to reach across the sectarian lines and help the afghan people. >> i'm so proud of your patience and perseverance and your cultural ability to adapt, your

language skills, your desire and your action to serve this country in a very difficult, long war. but most of all, i'm proud of how much you wanted to help the afghan people and what you were willing to do to go that length. >> reporter: bob bergdahl speaking to his son bowe saying it really isn't an end point for them, the family, in a way, it's the beginning. bob bergdahl said, "we are on a missi mission", essentially it starts today. they are aware of the time ahead and for their son to take his

time with reintegration into society. a lot of support in his home town hayley, and the p.o.w., mia motorcycle clubs loosely affiliated together, turning out in support of bowe bergdahl. we talked to a senior advisor about the support shown here in idaho. thousands and thousands of motorcycle motorcycles. it would not surprise me. we hope that maybe bowe will be there. it would be nice. i wanted to meet the man. >> reporter: lance talking about the big event planned for june. hopefully it will be a welcome

home rally. there'll be thousands of folks from the motorcycle clubs around the country there for that, a month from now. exactly a month from now, june 28th and hayley, idaho. quite a day, quite a press conference, and the bergdahls asking the press and public to butt out and leave them alone, they want to spend their time and energy getting their son back home into american society in as healthy a way as they can do it. >> you understand why. we should mention the five taliban detainees released in exchange for freedom, arriving in qatar. they include a founding member of the taliban, a former head of army and deputy intelligence official. the deal was brokered by the qatari government, assuring that national security was not at riskment we have this report. >> reporter: the taliban leaders

are in doha, in a prisoner swap orchestrated by qatar. the matter was humanitarian, but the foreign minister stopped short on the role that qatar played. >> translation: i thank the negotiation delegation adopting best practices, and excuse me for not disclosing detail, but when qatar takes the role of intermediary, it plays role on a humanitarian basis. the release of the leaders who spent 12 years in guantanamo bay, was in exchange for bowe bergdahl, who spent five years in captivity in afghanistan. u.s. president obama said national security would be guarded. >> we worked for several years to achieve the goal. this week i personally thanked

the emire of qatar to get this done. we are exchanging five prisoners from guantanamo bay to qatar. they assured us they'll put in place measures to protect our national security. >> some have denounced their releaseful u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel said the pentagon acted quickly to save bowe bergdahl. >> whether that could lead to possible new breakthroughs with the taliban, i don't know. hopefully it might. but we pursued this effort specifically to get sergeant bowe bergdahl back. >> reporter: the deal could signal a softening in the taliban's hard-line position and pave the way for talks in

afghanistan. we don't know at this stage whether the five taliban leaders will be placed under restrictions. the prisoner swap has been a crucial demand for the taliban to launch talks on afghan reconsideration. i do want to mention that al jazeera america's parent company is based in qatar and financed in part by the country's government. the release of the last american prisoner of war in the afghan conflict is receiving praise and criticism. there's criticism from afghanistan. randall pinkston joins us. what reaction are we hearing? >> in afghanistan, the foreign minister calls the transfer of the detainees from guantanamo bay to afghanistan is saying it's illegal and they should have been september ho-- sent

home. and the most criticism comes from back home where some members of congress say the president could have broken the law the deal has been tanged with criticism, to release five taliban leaders in commaping for bowe bergdahl -- exchange for bowe bergdahl. >> i think the big issue is what will happen to these five prisoners. >> reporter: former pow john mccain thinks that they pose a threat. >> it's disturbing that the individuals will have the ability to re-enter the fight. they are big, high-level people, possibly responsible for the deaths of thousands. house intelligence member mike roberts worries about a dangerous precedent. >> we have a price. it puts our shoulders at risk with a notion if i can get one,

i can get five released. >> reporter: rogers and others accused the white house of breaking the law, failing to notify 30 days. >> the reason congress is involved by law, statute, authority in the decisions prior to the notification, it has to be to keep congress informed, number one, and the reason is you don't want to talk to each other about something as sensitive as this. >> en route, defense secretary chuck hagel says the deal was necessary. he was in failing health. negotiations by the emir of qatar required quick action. >> this was an operation, as everyone recognises, that had to be very closely held. only very, very few people knew about this operation.

we did not want to the jeopardise any leaks. we couldn't afford any leaks anywhere. >> national security advisor susan rice said justice department lawyers concluded that the rescue was an urgent matter. >> we had reason to be concerned that this was urgent and acute situation, that his life could have been at risk. we did not have 30 days to wait. had we waited and lost him, i don't think anyone would have forgiven the government. >> reporter: white said the focus and well being is on bowe bergdahl. no one crisises freedom, but spent questions about the obama administration's actions. >> randall pinkston in washington. i'll give you a closer background to the five taliban leaders. one had close ties to osama bin

laden. >> reporter: the five former top taliban leaders in u.s. custody for over a decade will not return to afghanistan, according to u.s. officials. instead the exchange deal requires them to remain in qatar for at least a year. a 2008 pentagon dossier reported ta all posed a threat to the u.s. and its allies if released. none of the me have been gip a trial. khairullah khairkhwa, the most senior of the five was part of the original taliban in the mid '90s, and would be held in high record. as a former minister, he reportedly had direct tying to osama bin laden. mohammad fazl is a well-known name amoping the early tal -- among the early taliban, he is was not one of the original but rose up. a former taliban deputy defense commander he's alleged to have committed war crimes, including

excusing civilians. abdul haq wasiq worked with al qaeda to train fighters as the deputy minister of intelligence. he was handed to the u.s. by the current afghan government in a siting operation in 2001, after turning himself in. mullah norullah noori is described in u.s. military files as one of the most significant taliban leaders detained, who served as a senior military demander against the u.s. and its allies. when taken into custody he held an administrative position as the head of the northern zone, and was a governor for the taliban. >> mohammed nabi was an operator of a talibani cell that attacked coalition and u.s. forces and smuggled fighters and weapons, in the east. coming up at the half hour, we'll talk to u.s.-based attorney about the man and the

case against him. to talk more on the political and diplomatic situations we are joined by retired brigadier general mark kimmitt, former secretary of defense on middle east policy under the bush and obama administration. great to have you with us. >> sure. >> we heard from both sides of the aisle. some republican lawmakers saying they are pleased with bowe bergdahl's release, but are trouble with how this came about. what do you make of those comments. >> we have to recognise that it is a good day that bowe bergdahl is back. there's questions about whether this sets a new precedent for potentially an enemy understanding that you capture an american soldier and rather than kill them you exchange them for five high profile detainees. that is what is troubling congressman. >> do you think that will occur?

>> i don't agree, we have done this a number of times before. we did this with the host iments in the " -- hostages in the '80s. we saw the return of the pilot of black hawk down returned with somal somalia. it's not knew, hopefully it will be done on a rare basis. >> the five prisoners are expected to be under supervision of the qatari prisoners. now the afghan government is calling qatari for a transfer of what they call an illegal transfer. has this ruffled the feathers of an afghan government. >> certainly they would have wanted to have been involved in a deal with the taliban. they have been left to the side. it sounds like they are trying to get themselves reinserted into the opera house.

>> does it soften the hard line on the taliban. >> i don't think so. anyone that suggests this is a yater opening to piece -- greater opening to peace and reck reconciliation the taliban see the american leaving, and are hoping to take over, and i think we are starting to see a slow slide of the central government's authority and the strengthening of the taliban, which may be what we see more and more in the future. >> we mentioned a deal by the qatari government assuring that the u.s. national security is not at risk. are you satisfied with that? >> we had american troops in doha. we have the largest base in the middle east inside of qatar. the qataris, for the most part, have been good to their word. i'm les concerned -- less coninspectored about the one-year probationary period and more concerned about the details of the deal of what happens to them after the first year.

>> what about the - i don't want to say the allegations - that bowe bergdahl wasn't where he was supposed to be when captured by the taliban. >> that'll have to be investigated after bowe bergdahl gets back to the united states. clearly there are allegations that good american soldiers died in the process of trying to find him. if it turns out he deserted his post and went over to the side of the enemy for whatever purpose, and good american soldiers died in the process, it's not something that should be left to the side, and should be considered. the question about when that should come about - should it be done immediately or after bowe bergdahl has a chance to get back to the united states, and acclimated before charge are investigated against him. retired brigadier general kimmitt. thank you for your time. bowe bergdahl was the last of a number of p.o.w.s held overseas.

five civilians at least are detained by hostile governments. alan gross has been held in cuba. kenneth bae spent the last year and a half in north korea. three u.s. citizens are detained in iran. one since 2012. a former marine has been detained for five years, and college professor. we'll have more on bowe bergdahl's release coming up in a moment. also ahead here on al jazeera america - an election in syria. sudan perhaps to free a pregnant woman sentenced to die for marrying a christian and... >> these are the most beautiful people. a trip to edison washington. a town with an artistic assistancibility.

welcome back. the rebellion against syrian president bashar al-assad started three years ago. the fighting is as furious now as it's ever been. this week rebels blew up a

tunnel packed with explosives and released a video online, and claimed to have killed 20 government fighters. in spite of or because of the conflict presidential elections will be held on tuesday. president bashar al-assad is expected to defeat his challenges. the u.s. and potential leaders are calling it a sham. syrians who sought safety outside the country have a vested interest in the outcome of this election. jonah hull reports from london. >> reporter: london's shep erts bush is a long way from syria, among the ex-pats enjoying a brunch, many with family at home, the war is felt and the coming election feels a long way from peace. what do you believe is the future for your country. >> ensure everything is good in the future. the syrian government and bashar

al-assad... . >> reporter: if this happiness in your country, will you and your family go home? >> yes, why not. it's my country, and i love it. >> it's no challenge, it's no chance for any other to be the president of syria. >> reporter: this man didn't want to be identified. on his phone he keeps pictures of his family in syria. >> i have a picture of my father, he is 70 years old. my nephews and niece. >> reporter: you don't want to show a picture. >> because any picture shape, they will follow who are they, any relation, and they'll be hurt. >> reporter: do you, as a syrian living abroad in britain, have a wider assistance of what is going on in syria? >> it's like a game between

great countries - u.s., iran, russia. let's say it's enhanced from britain. >> reporter: if there is support for the government among the sir yaps abroad. it's -- syrians abroad, it's well hidden. >> i don't know what to describe. it's a joke. election. i want bashar al-assad first to control the country and stop the killers from his side. to charge them for what he did. bashar al-assad should be charged for using chemicals, destroying the country and killing people. this week's election is not the solution many hope for. in ukraine the organization for security and cooperation in europe is in talks with separatists to release two of its monitoring teams. a team of four has been held since monday. another group was taken thursday. the o.s.c.e. began to monitor

the situation at the request of russia and ukraine. >> a christian sudanese woman may be released soon after being in prison for rejecting islam. her family is waiting for her freedom to be official. >> reporter: her plight captured the attention of the world. this 27-year-old sued fees woman meriam ibrahim sentenced to death for apostasy. it caused on outcry. brought up as a christian, despite having a muslim for a father. she told the court she was brought up as a christian. the court said she should have been brought up a muslim. she was sentenced to 100 lashes. all this while heavily pregnant. her husband was given access to see the child and a 20-month-old

son. >> translation: the decision the court is basically wrong. it is an oppressive sentence against an ordinary human, it's not legal. if we read the details of decision, it lacks wisdom. >> reporter: the international outcry and the campaign to free her has perhaps taken the sudanese government by surprise. the announcement of her release is a relief for her family. it is dependent on a court order. >> this is a statement, a political statement and is not bending on the judiciary of sudan. it's the body who has to determine miriam's situation. >> reporter: there's a long history of christianity. many stay miriam's case highlights how the deposit should do more to protect others. sergeant bowe bergdahl is

coming home. he was freed in exchange for five senior taliban leaders, held at guantanamo bay. next we talk to an attorney who represents one of them. later, the next generation of spacecraft. a look at the dragons 2 capsule and its role in the future of space travel. sh

>> misbehaving children locked up doing time while they should be in school. >> they have to prepare for jail >> throwing away our future >> we're using the same failed policies in districts throughout the country

>> are we failing our kids? fault lines al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> they're locking the doors... >> ground breaking... >> we have to get out of here... >> truth seeking... award winning investigative documentary series fault lines the school to prison pipeline only on al jazeera america welcome back to al jazeera america. let's get you caught up on the top stories. army sergeant bowe bergdahl is at you u.s. army hospital in sworn germany undergoing medical treatment. the 28-year-old is the only prisoner of war in afghanistan. he was released on saturday in exchange for five taliban detainees who have been held in guantanamo bay. the parents of bowe bergdahl spoke in boz idaho -- boise idaho, addressing everyone and thanking everywhere who helped to bring him back bowe bergdahl was captured in 2009, about

two months after arriving in afghanistan. five detainees released in the swap are in qatar undergoing medical examinations, facing a one-year ban travelling outside of qatar. afghanistan says the transfer was ing and they should have been -- was illegal and they should been sent back to afghanistan. joining me is mr goldsmith, a lawyer for one of the detainees. i imagine this is a surprise. how did you find out your client was released? >> i found out through the news media. i received a call from an a.p. reporter, with whom i'd dealt with in the past who told me my client was among those release. >> and your reaction? >> i was very happy. it was a long time coming. my client has been incarcerated without any charms brought against him -- charges brought

against him for a dozen years. never accused of lifting a finger against americans, never charged with a violation of the laws of war. it was reprehensible that he was held to so long. >> prior to the prisoner exchange, you felt that the withdrawal of troops in afghanistan would have prevented an opportunity to argue your case. >> we do, based on the rules of war. if our troops are withdrawn, upped the international law of war, there would be no justification keeping in custody prisoners from the war. >> the swap, offer the last 24 hours -- over the last 24 hours, the swaps has tan on a soars undertop, critics like john mccain saying the prisoners are a danger. >> i can only speak about my

cloipt. he's not a -- client. he's not a danger to anyone. i'm somewhat constrained about what i can say because the evidence in the case is classified. what i'm saying is not classified, but when the government makes allegations or officials in the government makes big allegations of terrorism, we are powerless to respond with details because of the nature of the evidence processed. having said that, the unclassified evidence in his case included a letter from the african high peace council asking for his return because he was viewed as a moderate person, skilled in mediating conflicts among groups. that was supplemented by the president, hamid karzai, who endorsed the idea that he be released. we presented evidence from a gentleman who, as director of

the center for peace studies in afghanistan, who was familiar, and concurred that he was a moderate person presenting no danger and wanted in afghanistan to assist in the peace pros so the idea that we were returning a terrorist is absurd. >> mr goldsmith, have you spoken with your client. >> i have not. >> are you satisfied with the conditions of his release. >> well, the government has, to this day, not told us what the conditions are. the government did not inform us that he was being released. so i don't know specifically what those conditions are. i know that they are found be better than the conditions under which he's been held in guantanamo bay. >> we understand that he's under a one-year travel ban, is that correct. >> i read that in the media. that's all i have in the way of knowledge. >> they are expected to be under close supervision of the qatari

authorities, now we hear that the afghan authority is calling it an illegal transfer. is that what you feel - how do you react to that? >> well, i don't know whether it's an illegal transfer or not. it's well within the power of the executive who detained the men to begin with, to decide when and under what conditions to release them. i don't know that it's an illegal transfer to send them to an intermediate country with a view to repatriating them. having said that the afghan government asked for his release since 2006 because we have documentation of that. so i don't know their attitude other than what you told me about the transfer to qatar. >> frank goldsmith, attorney for one of the five detainees, khairullah khairkhwa. appreciate your time. we do want to mention that al

jazeera america's parent company is located in qatar and financed in part by the government. a french citizen was detained in marr say. he was carrying a recording when arrested, after arriving from bruceless. three were -- bres else, three were -- brussels. three were killed. the suspect was carrying two guns, one similar to the weapons used in the shooting. he's being held by authorities. three of our al jazeera colleagues were in court in cairo, peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been imprisoned in egypt for 156 days, accused of conspiring with muslim brotherhood. jazz rr rejects the -- al jazeera represents the charges. nicole johnson has more on the hearing. >> reporter: as the defendants stood in the caged dock, the lawyers had their first chance to properly challenge the

evidence of prosecution witnesses. they cross-examined three members of a technical committee appointed by the court to cess video material. -- so assess video material. under questioning one admitted he was with police officers when they arrested peter greste and mohamed fadel fahmy, leading the lawyer to question how he could be described as an independent witness. another member of the it can call panel was challenged to identify a single report edited to show the muslim brotherhood in a positive light. i replied "i can't remember." the lawyers pointed to the fact that written statements by prosecution witnesses were identical - word for word. but their submission in court contradicted them. this court case is part of the broad media crackdown in egypt. >> they shut down tv satisfaction, raided offices of media outlets, detained more than 65 journalists, and in

addition they prosecuted and persecuted a lot of activists who want to defend them. >> this is the funeral of reporter shot in the back of the head while covering a protest in march. egypt's minister of interior agreed to provide 100 bullet-proof vests, covering violent demonstrations. gaoled media workers included freelance photographer. he has been in toura prison sneps august last -- since august last year and has not been charged. former head of the military was set to one the presidential election. >> abdul fatah al-sisi will have a lot of difficulty with the international community, getting aid, investment and having legitimacy to say that he is running the country towards

democratic government. unless he releases all the journalists behind bars, and prosecute those responsible on killing journalists. now that he is about to be president, abdul fatah al-sisi will have the power to deal with the media any way he wants. at least 12 people are dead after another bomb blast in nigeria. this latest attack happened in muby in the north-west. an explosion ripped through a building, packed with people watching sock are. no group has -- sock are. no group has -- soccer, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. >> the first day of june and there's thunder storms and heavily rain rolling through the upper midwest. it's primarily in nebraska, up into iowa that we have stronger storms, and temperatures warming up along the line of the

difference of temperatures. you can see the warm temperatures centre chicago to "88. minnesota is one area that has been getting a lot of rain fall so much that we have got plenty of flood watches and warnings to tell you about. looking at the satellite and radar, you can see the storms and it's stretching up into wisconsin. that's another spot where there are concerns about flooding. the rain amounts for fargo - 0.04 of an inch. you can see by the intensity of the dark green colour, that's where the heavy rain is fauing. it's been -- falling. it's been a foggy stretch of weather. here is where the thunderstorm watches are in effect, stretching to kansas. the storms impacting the area, and the rain coming down heavy. we'll expect one to three inches of ran fall to move through. by the time we get to tomorrow, the rain is moving off to the

east, and we'll have a lot of heavy rain coming down around the great lakes. here we are moving into the warm stretch of weather. summer solstice doesn't start until june 21st, but we are moving no a warmer stretch of weather. we'll have a meteorological summer june to september. and we have heat advisories to tell you about. expect the parts of the south-west to have tripple digit heat, especially concern about lower portion of arizona. showers and storms continue for the south-east. things are changing, getting warmer and warmer as the days get longer. >> it's only spring. >> yes. president obama is about to issue string ept emission -- strippingent emission rules. the environmental protection agency wants to reduce the

carbon dioxide emissions by 30%. the agency is expected to propose the changes tomorrow. the roll is in relation to power plants and is based on 2005 levels. >> it's been a busy fire season in the west. authorities are cracking down on the use of explosive targets, popular with recreational target shooters. as hooul jim huli plains, they are a threat. . >> reporter: the targets add a new dimension to shooting. as the youtube videos show. they explode when hit, some sending debris in all directions. >> it's a danger. >> chris is with the united states forestry service in colorado. this video, produced by the service shows how easily the targets can start a fire. >> sat one on a bail of hay.

when it wept off, it started a fire within a few seconds. >> results like this are costly. >> in the last couple of years, as the exploding targets became popular, we saw 16 fires, $33 million in suppression costs. >> the fires occurred from the u.s. - california, utah, pepsi centre. in colorado -- peninsula. in colorado they are linked to six fears. an exploding target was responsible for this fire, destroying more than 1,000 acres of lapped. the tarts are not -- land. the targets are not igto sell. they -- illegal to sell. they cost about $5 a shot. they can be used at private clubs or millions of acres of private land and could spark fires in brush and timber. >> i used these on a personal basis. >> reporter: this sportsman

knows the thrill it offers when the chemicals are mixed together. >> there's an oxidizer and catalyst. >> ignited by a high-speed bullet. the weapons safety instructor knows the dangers. >> folks use these and put them into metal or class containers, so there are fragments that can hurt people. >> that hazard led to the target being banned at public and private shooting centers, like this outside of denver. the forest service is considering a permanent ban, meaning impinge caught using an explosive target could face a fine of up to $5,000, and six months in jail. coming up next - we take a ride on a dragon. a new spaceship that will take astronauts into space and maybe

beyond.

we're here in the vortex. saturday, 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. welcome back. we have a glimpse at a future space travel as spacex founder reveals the dragons 2 spacecraft. [ cheering and applause ] there it is.

if all goes well, it will be the first commercially designed and operated vehicle to take humans into spas the new spaceship is an upgrade of the dragons, which will now be used to ferry supplies. the dragons 2 is a capable design. it will carry seven people into earth, possibility to the moon, mars or other destinations. it's built in thrusters allow it to touch down on lapped. there are other manned spacecraft and development, including the ori job, it can -- o-ryan, its first flight is december, with a manned flight planned the. the orion and the dragons built on the apollo spacecraft flown in 1957. that took 3-man tom c of

american avt crews of astro nights to the spaes station. joining us is paul to talk to us. this is exciting news for space exploration. how soap could be -- soon could we see the dragds 2 -- dragons 2 lift off. >> it will be a few years. it's moving along. there's testing to be done. i think we are in good shape. >> take us through the process. how were the dragons who operate. >> well, it would be launched on top of a falcon rocket, which is a tradingal way of -- traditional way of launching people into space. it has a built-in escape system, the same rockets used for landing. it could dock autonomously or with the human pilot. it could go on beyond orbit to

an asteroid to the moon or other point. the interesting thing to me is the way it would come back and land on the rocket plume. if you look at 1950s science fecked movies -- fiction movies, that's the way it landed. the reality is that they never were able to make it work. they are proposing to have the capsule come back that way. you mention flights to the international space station, what else is it capable of? certainly encouraging news for n.a.s.a. >> yes, it is. it gives us a robustness. if that and the orion is implemented apt the same time there's a fall back. we anticipate using the russian soy use. that's going well. having a multiple choices of ways to get too and from the space station is a good thing.

and virgin galactic - others have been working towards creating a space tourism industry. jirgein gal abbing -- virgin galactic getting permission to launch from the site. how soon? >> the virgin galactic does not achieve orbital velocities. some will. i'm thinking of the dream chaser, a winged vehicle, landing on a runway, and it will have orbital capability, bringing tour of the into space, possibly to the space station as well. there are a number of plans on the drawing board. some at a medium stage of do. . there's a lot of activity going on now. we mentioned this is encouraging for n.a.s.a., back to the dragons ii. n.a.s.a. would be less reliant on russia.

>> that's correct. as i mentioned, the cooperation with russia is going well, we are still using russian engines, for example, the atlas v launch vehicle. everyone that i talked to says that that relationship is continuing. but it's still a problem - any time you rely on a single launch vehicle or a single capsule you really should worry is a little bit in case something goes wrong. >> what is n. what do you foresee with space exploration. >> well, you know, the traditional view of space is you go into low earth orbit or to the moon. i think now we have a variety of other targets. i mentioned this thing called an legrang, point, a blahs where the gravity of othered, the sun and -- earth, the sun and moon balance each other. if you put something there, it

will stale with a little use of food. the james webb scope is going it a ley grange point. you could have an interesting space station built there as a stepping stone for the planet. we could go to the moon for mars. perhaps landing there. we could rankeda view with an avter roid. we have seen movies about asteroids colliding with earth. we could get data about that, the real thing. these are things that the dragons vehicle will give it that capability. >> thank you for joining us. appreciate your time. >> you are welcome. >> well, let's talk about sri lanka. it is struggling to stop the illegal elephant trade. dozens of baby elephants are kidd naps. environmentalists -- kidnapped every year. we report on how sri lankan

culture is partially to blame for the problem. >> a getle giant -- gentle giant. a familiar sight in this village. her openers have a permit and licence -- owners have an appointment and a licence, a must for keeping animals in sri lanka. they play a role, especially in temple pageants. with the numbers in captivity defined lipping, some owners -- dwindling, some owners want a way to replace them. there's a shortage of domesticated elephants. those that onned them for yearn -- owned them for generations are without animals. >> reporter: this group of owners marched to the wildlife department. >> elephants have been part of tradition for centuries. replacing animals like this is difficult. they want authorities to give them a solution.

environmentalists warn that taming wild elephants is a make. they say allowing it would encourage racket ears to encourage it at will. activists show me licences that have been forged to obtain baby elephants. this footage show a calf tied in the jungle. abandoned when villages heard it cries. this mother had gunshot injuries, dying a few days after the footage was recorded. her calf could not be found. environmentalists say the scale of elephant poaching is worrying. 40% of domestic elephants are believed to be illegally extracted. >> some of the good mothers, who reproduce disappear from the wild pop u laxgs. >> reporter: the magestic creatures are used in a number

of areas - tourism. advertising and other ventures. activists amoney is the reason. >> it's a profit. if you have three emfantastic, it's better than -- elephants, it's better than a c.e.o. >> reporter: in many cases the captured elephants are mistreated and teethered to tightly they are bruised. the government is determined to address the problem. >> translation: it is not easy to stop this because there's a powerful network behind it. elephants are kept by temples, shrips and powerful people -- shrines and powerful people. we are determined to find a solution. still ahead - a lesson from artists on dealing with adversity. >> if you can't find a job, make a job. >> we'll show you how the

residents of a north-west town are making more than a living.

the starving artist. it's a cliche, a reality in cities across the u.s. some are moving out of cultural centers and into the country to cope. >> reporter: as the sun rises edison washington comes to life. 75 miles north of societile with a grand total of -- seattle. with a grand total of 279 people it doesn't have a police department or mayor or a traffic light. what it has is artists, and a lot of them. >> everywhere wins here. they are the most loving people you met. >> mandy turner moved from colorado a year ago. >> this is a sculpt our that i did out of belts and drift wood. a whom to where we live. >> reporter: turner is doing

this without breaking the bank. the studio rent, $600 a month - half of that of colorado. >> reporter: many have moved from found in search of a community that is affordable. >> if you can't find a job, make a job. that's what we did. >> that's what charles and his spouse did, opening tweets cafe. tourists line up for heaping plates of food served with artistic flare. they open two cafes and a calorie. that was never possible when they lived in seattle. >> in a small place like this you have a greater obligation, i think, and a duty to be creating positive space. especially if you choose to do business here. >> reporter: it's a place where artists can make a living. the buildings are zoned where artists can live, work and sell their art.

there's four gal rirks and a store -- galleries and a store dedicated to selling local art. the baht are system is alive -- barter system is alive and well. artists trading art and services for food and rent. some believe the artists turned this old logging town back to life. >> it has art, it has got food. it's got everything that you don't thing a small town should have suddenly happiness here. >> reporter: turner says edison is not perfect, but it beats the city. >> my family doesn't have to worry. people are watching out. when the world is hard, you go firming, be with the fish. >> reporter: dispelling the notion of the starving artist - creating art and community in america. that'll do it for this hour. i'm thomas drayton in new york. ""america tonight" weekend is

coming up next. for updates around the world we invite you to head to aljazeera.com. on "america tonight", the weekend edition - an exclusive insiders look into medical care in arizona's prison system. shocking allegations of neglect by prison health workers that left inmates at risk. >> when i wept back to his -- went back to his sell, i could smell blood before i wept into the room. when i turned on the light it looked like someone had been murdered. more on "crime and