? >> this is al jazeera america. i am thomas drayden in new york. let's get you caught up on the top stories at this hour. taking charge, the new president of ukraine is sworn in and promises to stand up to russia. in egypt, a new president gets ready to take the oath of office as the government furthers it's crackdown on the muslim brotherhood. >> she touched me. she touched all of you. she touched people all across the globe. >> a memorial service celebrates the life of poet, artist and activist maya angelou. >> hey.

hey. >> thousands of protesters take to the streets of the spanish capital to demand the end of a monarchy. >> good to have you with us. we begin tonight in ukraine where a new president is taking the helm amid an ongoing conflict that shows no signs of abating. today, p petro poroshenko struc a did he have find tone. vice president joe biden was there. he promised $60 million to ukraine in neighboring countries. tensions with the east are still high. today, an official in the self-declared republic of donetsk was shot dead. more from kiev. >> reporter: he may have the red carpet, but petro poroshenko has a mountain to climb if he is to save ukraine from conflict and

economic ruin. at his inauguration, the international community was there to show sport. for an elected leader at last in ukraine after months of uncertainty. president poroshenko promised to take the fight to the east and to shane over scrim. >> who comes with a sword will fall from the sword. >> citizenship of ukraine will never enjoy the beauty of peace unless we settle down our relations with russia. russia occupy crimea which was, is, will be ukrainian as well. >> on europe, he said, this time, there will be no turning back. >> what exactly do we have to do to live free lives? free and prosperous lives?

all of this is enshrined in the agreement on political association and free trade zone with the european union. >> many of you along with myself were part of a team putting the document together. now, our job is to make it a reality. >> president poroshenko pledged economic reform, power and parliament elections. >> this is the parliament that invested presidential powers in petro poroshenko today. this is the parliament that stripped those powers from victor yanukovych after the revolution. this is the parliament that president poroshenko now wants dissolved so that he can have new deputies to press forward with the reforms he says ukraine so desperately needs. >> these are the men he now

commands: >> a solution to the violence in the east of the country may ultimately lie with russia. talks are expected. there is hope that diplomacy, that this country is virtually at war. it's new commander in chief now has to choose which path to tread. robin forestier-walker, kiev. >> since poroshenko was he elected on may 25th, fighting has been on the rise. there is no sign the resistance will end any time soon. kim vinnell reports from donetsk. >> reporter: people are divided over whether petro poroshenko can create change in the east. many people have for a long time felt alienated by kiev. the donetsk people's republic says it's already an independent country and the chairman of the republic is dismiss being poroshenko's offer to hold local elections in the region. >> translator: they couldn't even arrange presidential elections here there were no

elections of poroshenko. what local elections are we talking about? yet again, he is throwing around words and making promises he can't keep. this is populism. >> the donetsk's people's repuckblic is in talks about becoming part of the russian federation. he says he is continuing to ask russia for a peacekeeping force to come across the border. he says the fight in the east will continue until ukrainian troops withdraw. >> kim vinnell reporting. earlier, i spoke with nina kruscheva at a news school here in new york. she said the new president must explain how he proposes to deal with the crisis in the east. >> the first order of business would be to provide a roadmap how to survive the crisis. we haven't seen that world map. hopefully within the first week he will explain how he is going to deal with it. yesterday, he already med with vladimir putin for a brief time.

>> was a good step forward because it is very important to have russia on his side if he does want to solve the problem. so we, those of us who observe ukraine and russia are hopeful at the most. >> she said the u.s. can play a long term role in ukraine by pushing for more diplomacy with russia and not less. >> a deadly day in iraq as a rash of car bombs explode around baghdad. police and hospital officials say at least eight people were killed and at least five car bombs mostly in shiia districts. in one, they claim billiards were targeted. dozens of students near ramadi. three police officers at the university gates were killed students reported seeing armed men dressed in black running across campus. militants held police at bay in a 7 hour standoff. the students were freed when the militants retreated in egypt, death sentences for 10 men charged as a result of pro-morsi

protests, all members of the outlawed muslim brotherhood, charged with inciting violence and blocking a road. none have been arrested. they are believed to be in hiding. reporters without borders is asking egypt's president to free access journalists who have been held for 161 days. at a hearing on thursday, prosecutors demanded they face maximum penalties up to 15 years in prison. another al jazeera correspondent, abdullah el shamy has been held without charge since august. the request came from a letter to president el sisi. he won 96% of the vote in egypt's election. he is coming under fire for his crack down on freedom of expression. today, a new decree in egypt bans unauthorized preachers from giving sermons and teaching in acelam in public places.

>> michelle obama and p bill clinton had movingtributes at a memorial service in wake forest in north carolina where she taught for over 30 years. robert ray has the story. >> if you know spirit, then you know she is here. didn't i tell you i wouldn't hold you down? >> an he emotional and private celebration of the life of maya angelou in winston salem north carolina attended by hundreds. >> the loss of feel, i cannot describe. she was my spiritual queen mother. and everything that that word implies. >> angelou passed away at the age of 86 on may 28th. known for her command of words, a poet, novelist, dancer, actor, teacher, civil rights act visit and inspiration to millions across the globe, the memorial services was a trip through her

influential and diverse life. michelle obama gave the eulogy. >> words so powerful they carried a little black girl from the south side of chicago all the way to the white house. [applause.]. >> born into poverty and segregation, her life included writing poetry by age 9, giving birth as a sing mother by 17 and becoming san francisco's 1 black female street car conductor. she worked with malcolm x, martin luther king, jr. and nelson mandela. >> she had the voice of god. he decided he wanted it back. >> president clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his first inauguration in 1993. now considered one of the most famous of all times. >> she called our attention to the fact that things that really matters, dignity, work, love and kindness are things we can all

share and don't cost anything. >> in perhaps her most famous book published in 1970, "i know why the caged bird sings" angelou publically detailed the hardships of her childhood. >> for the first time reading a story by someone who was like me. i was that girl who loved to read. i was that girl who was raised by my southern grandmother. >> the pioneering work helped give black women writers a litary voice and became required reading in american classrooms. >> she was the original. she was the master. for at a time when there were such stifling constraints on how black women could exist in the world, she sur rene lee disregarded all of the rules. >> angelou served on two presidential committees, was awarded the presidential medal of arts in 2000, the lincoln medal in 2008 and 2011. the president medal of freedom, the country's highest civilian

honor was awarded by president barack obama is named after her. ♪ a life celebrated with joy by family and friends, an american icon is put to final rest. a legacy that will live on for eternity. robert ray, al jazeera. >> remembering a legend, maya angelou. it's graduation season. thousands are about to enter the reeled world. many are saddled with debt. pompom used his weekly address to urge congress to tackle the growing problem of student debt. the president is supporting a bill that would help graduates help refinance their loans the senate is debating next week. it calls for eliminating tax loopholes for millionaires. thousands are calling for a referendum on the future of the monarchy after king juan carlos decided to step down in favor of his son, philippe. it has led many to question the

entire system. from madrid: >> reporter: they are calling for change. a word you here a lot on the streets of spain these days. this is a movement born out of frustration with a political system, corruption, and unemployment. spep's royal family once so popular is viewed by some as part of the problem. >> we are -- we can't decide with a we want to be. we don't want a king. >> the cunning's son and successor principle philippe wasn't involved in the scandal that grant husband father. the monarchy is trying to change. it's promised om the tom royals will have access to special privilegeses. those supporting the monayy have held their own smaller rallies.

they say a president can't unite spain like a king. >> for the socialists, for the populists, you know, he has spoken, you know, presidents all over the world. no matter their ideology. the president of the republic might have issues. >> the royal family is also an international brand. it promotes trade and attracts tourits from the spanish-speaking world. >> we were a colony of spain. so, for us, the story of us is really close with spain. >> the mood in spain has changed. many families were torn apart by the financial crisis. and some of the movements now calling for referendum did well in the recent european elections. >> many expect their popularity to grow as spain prepares for elections next year.

but for now, these alternative movements have no real pour in parliament and the senate where success law is expected to pass easily. in a few weeks, this man, prince philippe will be crowned king. a ays, madrid. >> coming up on al jazeera, colorado is leading the way on carbon emissions restrictions. how the president is using the state as a models for his national plan. plus, guns in texas, why open carry supporters say the state's laws are too restrictive.

horse racing fans are bracing for what could be the first triple crown win in nearly four decades. all eyes are on california

chrome after his preakness and kentucky derby victories. the triple crown is elusive because the bell montgomery is a tougher test than the other two. jessica taff explains. >> to the right. a firm takes command. >> over 100 years of thoroughbred racing, only 11 can say they have won the american triple crown. none since the high times of the '70s when secretariat, seattle slew and ample did. some come up short at belmont park. the challenge has always been the distance. the belmont stakes is a full quarter mile longer than the kentucky derby. >> coupled with a grouping schedule that requires three races over three distances in just five weeks makes this one of the most elusive prizes in sports. for most of today's elite athletes and, yes, they are that, the belmont's mile and a

half test will be the longest any of the horses have ever raced. the question, though, remains: why have so few horses been able to tackle the belmont's distance after proving they can cruise through in the shorter races? john kegay solved that. for the last triple crown in 36 years. >> is this a race that's like asking, maybe, a sprinter to run a marathon because it's so long? >> they don't train for a mile and a half. only one time. >> it's a sport where man and beast must work together, one where anything could go wrong. his triple was nearly over before it started. . >> for those who can defy the odds, it will give them racing

immortality. >> got to be good, low key. a lot of sirs. >> could you feel the weight of the moment then? >> i knew. >> no one is so confid he want after the first two jewels except for california chrome's camp. his non-traditional breeding has the nation hoping he delivers another surprise at the bell hospital perhaps trifal crown no longer fits the modern thoroughbred's abilities but it's equally possible he will conquer the demons that have that you wanted his predecess s predecessors. >> that was our jessica taff. we will find out shortly. celebrations of d day's 70th anniversary continue today in the french hamlet. u.s. secretary of state john kerry laid a wreath. three soldiers died liberating the town. >> in normandy crowds gathered to celebrate operation overllord. french and british planes took part in a spectacular air show

over one of five lapping zones on d the day. joining me for more is john mcmannis, a professor of u.s. military history at the university of science and technology, the author of two books on d day, the americans at d day, the american experience at the normandy invasion and the americans at normandy the summer of 1944, the american war from the beaches. mr. mcmannis, good to have you with us? >> thanks for having me. >> we talk about d day, ju june 6th, 1944. this was a major turning point of world war ii. >> yeah. you know, i almost see it as a pivot point that you would have some real turning point battles earlier in the war and that at this stage, this is german's last chance to win the war or, you know, come to some sort of favorable conclusion and when the invasion succeeds and when the allies are able to take normandy over the course of that summer, it really is the pivot point that leads to the beginning of the end for nazi german. >> this was unlike any other invasion.

156,000 allied troops, 6,000 sea vessels? >> it was an enormous invasion. the largest one that they had in the european theatre. it might have been eclipsed by the subsequent invasion of okinawaa toward the end of world war ii with shear numbers of people involved and ships and whatever. i don't think there is any disputing that as far as the consequences, what was at stake, that this is probably the most significant invasion in human history. >> a lot of people talked about d day as a u.s. invasion, en in germany, the perception is the perception that d day was an american show. it was an allied effort. if anything, britain took the lead? >> it was definitely a coalition show. the united states action britain, canada, the french were involved. there were servicemen from 13 different nations involved in the normandy invasion. i think, though, in the larger sense of what's going to follow beyond d day, it's going to be an american dominated campaign,

about two-thirds american manpower, about two-thirds material power. though d day doesn't quite conform to that particular ratio, it is a harbinger of what's going to come at least from an american point of view. >> when we talk about world war ii, at the beginning of world war ii were germans simply better trained than their al lirnlingd counterparts? >> better prepared, better trained, better armed initially. when germany invades policy land in 1939, there is plenties,y of valor but they don't have the weaponry or the numbers to stave off the massive german army at that point. germany is probably better prepared to fight the war initially. it did not necessarily have the sustaining power to take on ultimately what is a pretty formidable coalition, u.s., soviet union and other powers. >> at the end of world war ii, the united states had the best armed services in the world. north earn france was a showcase. >> most definitely. north he weearn france is a sth

what kind of military the u.s. will have, powerful air force, massive sea forces and a ground army the likes of which, you know, the world had seldom seen. so the combination was quite formidable in addition to american economic power, the foundation of this whole thing, the united states army is in normandy just beginning a process that continues to this day, the major american military presence in europe. >> those who for the and lost their lives, i spoke to a d day veteran said i don't want this to be forgotten. do you think that is happening >> the last couple of days show us that there is not. there are major commenrations, tremendous coverage. i think if you were to ask the average person positive knows anything about world war ii, at least in the west was to name one battle t probably would be the normandy invasion. one of the things that was gratifying to me in my research for a new book on the big red one first infantry division atom had a beach is how many people

knew about that and how much the story resonates 70 years later. >> is there anything that you learned in your own research? >> most definitely. one of the things i learned, one of the tragic sides of d day, the planners did not earmark enough medical evacuation for the wounded, particularly at omaha beach. and this is going to be responsible for form many lives being lost. this is the exception rather than the rule in world war ii. the u.s. armed forces in world war ii were very good about taking care of their wounded, the medical care was outstanding. omaha beach is kind of a rare exception to that. and unfortunately, you know, we lose lives because of it. >> sure. our final moments, what are the lasting lessons from d day? >> the lasting lesson, i think, is that could alition warfare is winning warfare, that it's possible to take on very formidable enemies on their own turf when they have been prepared for many years as the germans were at normandy and to still win and that political

cohesion can lead to good results for american arms in particular, but in the end, no matter how much stuff you have and no matter how good the planning is, it comes down to just the average sold and what he or she can do. and i think normandy proves that. from an american point of view, normandy is sort of the beginning of this kind of military and comic and political super power that comes out of world war ii. >> john mcmanus, professor u.s. military professor of u.s. science and technology and author of two books on d day. good to have you with us? >> thank you for having me. >> gun rights activists aren't hiding demands. supporters of open carry laws are out in full force at the state gop convention. john henry has this story from fort worth. >>. >> reporter: pliyn gail believes the answer to gun violence is more guns. >> if somebody sees a pistol on my hip, they are not going to do

anything to begin with. we think instead of reacting to crime, it's better to just present it to begin with. >> in bestros and bars across the u.s., americans are carrying guns and unnerving their neighbors. >> here in texas, guns are just part of the cowboy culture but even here, for some, carrying them openly in restaurants and bars is still a little too much. >> even at the state republican convention in pistol packing texas: >> me, personally, to walk into a place, i guess, and just see, you know several people with their guns out would be a little intimidating and, you know, the first question that kind of would go through my mind is: are they the good guys or bad guys? >> open carrying has become so popular, some restaurants have asked their customers to leave their weapons at home, everyone the national rifle association called open carry texas counterproductive and weird. the nra later apologized.

open carry advocates have a texas sized complaint. >> if i was to open carry my handgun i would be considered a felon. >> you've got a holster there? >> a holster. as you can see, it's empty. >> 44 of the 50 u.s. states allow americans to carry handguns openly somehow texas, which allows gun owners to carry concealed hand guns and rifles and shot guns openly is not one of them. there is an exception. texas says this is a firearm. this civil war era pistol is not. so many open carriers are carrying replicas of old school black powder revolvers as they try to change the law. >> when i enter a gun-free zone, i don't feel safe. i feel safer when i am carrying a firearm because it gives me the ability to protect my life and my family's life. >> so the only -- the only solution to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> as the movement gains momentum, the open carry texans

have a good shot at liberalizing the state's gun laws more than ever. john hendron, al jazeera, fort worth, texas. >> earlier this week, the obama administration revealed strict new environmental standards for coal burning power plants. colorado is ahead of the curve on track to exceed the requirements. other states are turning to them for help. jim hhuli reports. >> reporter: the cherokee generate ug station north of denver has been burning coal to make power since the 1940s. but soon, the coal will go. >> the big thing right now for this facility is it started out as a coal-burning facility for units. within the next several years it will be on completely cleburning natural gas which helps air quality. >> the $530 million transformation by excel energy is part of colorado's clean air, clean jobs initiative. >> that is an intentional effort

to the retire some of our coal units and replace them with natural gas so we are not losing capacity but we are decarbonizing the economy. >> clean air, clean jobs is a sweeping, $1 billion plan approved by colorado lawmakers four years ago. the initiative was cited in the epa's reports out lining the new standards as an example for other states. >> i think the state of colorado is making the right bet on energy for a long time now. >> former colorado govern bill ritter is the head of the center for the new energy economy. >> we were the first state in the country that put a renewable energy standard in place at the ballot box. >> those standards and a healthy mix of wind and solar power will help colorado reduce the carbon emissions by 30% by 2020. 10 years before the epa mandates. >> but all of this will cover the cost and this plant in colorado springs is a prime example of the price that rate payers may have to shoulder. >> the city-owned coal plant was

heavily damaged by fire in april. it's now shut down. converting it to gas when it returns to service in a few months has been deemed far too expensive. >> we would have to dig a high-pressure, high capacity line and put it in there and the cost of that is just not economically feasible? >> excel energy, colorado's largest utility says its customers will pay two % more on that monthly bills over the next 10 years to cover the cost of converting its plants. a price the company believes is worth the cost as it moves away from coal to a cleaner energy future. jim huli, al jazeera, denver. >> deadly flooding across afghanistan today, coming up next on al jazeera america, the remote villages hit hard by this disaster. plus another terrible consequence of the civil war in syria, how a deadly disease wiped out in most countries is making a comeback there.

welcome back to al jazeera america. here are the top stories we are following. in ukraine a new president has been sworn in. he has promised to take a tough stand. vice president biden was at the ceremony. he promised $60 million in new aid to ukraine, moldova and georgia. several car bombs exploded around baghdad. police and hospital officials say at least eight people were killed. in one bombing young people claim billiards were targeted. hours later, militants took students hostage in anbar province. it ended after a seven-hour stand-off. politicians were among hundreds who remembered maya angelou. former president bill clinton talked about angelou's life as a single mother, civil rights leader and accomplished writer. she died last week at the age of 86. >> in afghanistan, dozens of people have been killed by flooding. it's the latest in series of

deadly flash floods that have hit the remote northern area of the country. so far 74 bodies have been recovered, thousands have been forced from their homes. more from afghanistan. >> trying to salvage what's left: these people's homes were badly damaged in flash floods after days of heavy rains. this district in northern bavan province is the worst affected area. the government as well as international aid agencies have struggled to get to the remote region. most of the vouching roads and bridges have been washed away. >> so far, the reports we have show 74 people have been killed and their bodies have been handed over to their families. the search operation is continuing. hundreds of houses have been completely destroyed. >> residents who have lost loved ones have begun burying bodies wherever they can find dry ground. all too often, it's the most vulnerable who suffered the worst. these people were given first aid after their house collapsed on them. the government minister

surveying the area has promised to air lift them to a nearby hospital. many say they don't just want aid. they want their houses to be rebuilt. >> i want president karzai to know we don't just want food from his government. we want a house to live in. as citizens we deserve this. don't just feed us for a few days and forget about us. give us homes. >> reporter: given the scale of the disaster, cha has already badly affected at least four villages, it's unlikely that will happen any time soon. >> floods and landslides are common this time of year in afghanistan. but 2014 will be remembered as being particularly bad. over the past several months, thousands of people have been displaced and hundreds have lost their lives in natural disasters. racing pointed questions about the government ability to take care of those most at risk. al jazeera, kabul. >> the syrian government has called european criticism of the presidential election a

violation of national sovereignty. the leader of the lebanese group, hezbollah praised the win and said any talks on syria's future must include bashar al-assad. >> any political solution begins and ends with president dr. bashar al-assad. >> that's what the election says the there is an elected president with a new mandate of seven years elected by millions. anyone who wants to reach a political solution has to talk with him to negotiate with him to discuss with him and reach a solution with him. >> he denies accusations he forced citizens to take part in the vote. neil three million syrians have fled to neighboring countries to esc ate fighting in their country. as you are about to see here, more than a million are in lebanon, turkey and jordan are next on the list of largest ref only e populations. many have fled to iraq and egypt. i spoke earlier to tamara alrafy

at human rights watch. i asked her where we should go from here with syria's president bashar al-assad. >> reporter: >> it's difficult to tell where we go from here when half of the country did not go to the elections to start with. but when you have nine million people who are displaced who fled their homes, over 2 million of them in neighboring countries with uncertain futures and no prospect for a political solution looming ahead of these people and looming ahead of the politicians all together, when you have aerial bombardment continuing, the use of barrel bombs continuing on civilians but when you have increased abuses, increased violations by certain armed opposition groups, so the scenario is getting more and more complex. >> is assad stronger than he was two years ago? >> it's difficult to tell. you have a country that's almost divided. you have a government that has consolidated power over some cities while continuing to use abusive power. >> you have backing from russia

and iran? >> of course you do have that. you have the political backing mostly ciat the security counci vetoing any resolution including on the international criminal court for example. but you have the rest of the country that is in turmoil with different armed groups all saying they are the opposition and some of them involving various serious violations of human rights the fighting in syria is taking a toll on children. a disease eradicated in neighboring did you want trees is making a comeback. a report on insurge he knew in polio. >> mohammed is just 13 years old. polio has taken away his ability to walk. life's not easy. his family tries hard to keep mohammed smiling and moving. >> there is no need for him to feel disabled. it's like his brothers and sisters. they are equal. he helps us at home washing and cleaning and everything.

he also plays and enjoys his time with his father. >> the family lives in a syrian city of aleppo, racked by fighting between the anti-government opinion zils and government forces. because of the war, the spread of polio has increased. at least 90 cases since may, last year. and without medical centers, the prognosis is not hopeful. for polio sufferers, nor for the disabled. one place that helps is this school. it's a special school set up to help the growing number of syria's mentally and physically disabled. >> we are trying our best to provide them with modern educational tools. we achieve some success. some other times we fail. we are trying to get these children back to normal life once again. . >> thousands of syrians have died during the war, but there are millions more including these children who despite the smalls are left to suffer the consequences of conflict.

al jazeera. for more on the war in syria, we invite you to join us again at 8:00 p.m. when we will take a deeper look at the conflict at 5:00 pacific. dozens of people are dead. the attack took place in the eastern province of south kiwu this morning. a regional government blames a dispute over cattle for the carnage. some claim officials knew armed militias were near the village and did nothing to stop it. south african president is hospitalized. he was admitted for tests according to a statement from his. the 72-year-old leader will take a few days off from public appearances. the statement read the president is in need of rest following a demanding election and transition program to the new administration. zuma was re-elected last month by more than 62% of the vote. >> mega churches are on the rise in ghana. not all are houses of worship. police there are clamping down on pastors promising miracles

they can't deliver in ex change for money. traveling to kwamasi to visit one pour lar new church. the international min st striand 36-year-old super star bishop daniel obinin. he is known as the miracle worker. many say this is why. it takes just one of his blessings to be healed of disease or chase away problems. plenty of people belief in him like mary del rio because he is having difficulty getting pregnant? >> he is amazing. he has helped so many people across the country. i really believe in his power. >> sermons are on the internet and relaid across the country. the staff, including a full-time band works for him. >> if you help a person, someone will help you. meaning i believe if i heel people action they will help me and my staff. >> he is being prosecuted for

aggravated violence. after he assaulted a radio journalist questioning his ability to perform miracles and his lavish lifestyle: he normally asks his followers to make doane assess for miracles but in this service, he unexpectedly offers free consultations, perhaps because i am filming. >> this service has been going on for more than seven hours. people here tell me they won't leave this church until the preacher has left. >> that's not going to happen until night fall. the men are deeply relimmous. preachers have enormous amounts of power, influence and money. >> too much so, say the police, who are clamping down on fake preachers duping people for money. >> it's big business. we have been arresting them almost on a weekly basis. people who call themselves pastors, we treat them as individuals who have committed a crime. >> if found guilty, preachers face up to 10 years in prison.

despite allegations made against him, obinim is not worried. his church is thriving. his followers believe this in itself is a miracle. nicholas hawk, kumasi, ghana. >> going to check on your forecast. rebecca stevenson joining us. i can tell you are tracking severe weather? >> rain and a lot of lightning. yesterday, it was arkansas complaining about how cloudy it was and so humid and we had a lot of flooding in parts of arkansas as well. but now, the flood risk, the hail risk, lightning, and en tornado risk is focusing in parts of the central midwest. in fact, the radar would show you that from that damage you can see in arkansas, we are starting to get those kind of damage reports coming in for parts of tennessee and even missouri. so, a we watch the storm system cross the central area of low pressure moving into illinois, that brings you a tornado watch, and that's going to continue throughout tonight.

otherwise, we can see the concern for tornado warning is stretching down into kentucky and into tennessee. so this could bring a lot of problems here, especially in the way of storm reports showing us we have had toranados reported all the way over from new mexico and the storm system has been tracking in across the midwest with a lot of reports of wind and hail. now, around the globe, we also have some thunderstorms thunderstorm concerns and intie, southern turkey, a lot of rainfall here, about an inch to an inch and a half of rain fell in a very short period of time. definitely less than 12 hours. and you can see in southern turkey, there is a lot of problems here this picture shows just one of many of cars that were sunk, and we had a lot of problems with folks in that area dealing with that flooding and even over into the u.k., we had problems with thunderstorms and, in fact, earlier in the day, the queen was looking up to the sky because you had a risk of thunderstorms at the derby. well, thank goodness those

thunderstorms rolling out. a lot of us are going to be seeing them come back tomorrow in the september tral u.s., texas over to oklahoma and back into arkansas. you don't need any more rain there. but it will be there and it will be heavy at times as the storm system moves eastward. >> will start to include parts of the east coast as well where temperatures today are in the 80s. with the humidity coming in, it will feel hotter all the way up the east coast. so, right now, we are seeing temperatures triple digit for the southwest. >> that's where it's very, very dry, but boy, we've got a stretch of weather still coming. >> that humidity makes a big difference. rebecca stevenson action thank you. get a load of this number here. it really is staggering, more than one million students are homeless in america, but one los angeles teen isn't letting homelessness hold her back. as jennifer london reports, she's aced her classes and sees education as her ticket to a brighter future. >> for the past six months, this small room shared by two families has been the closest thing to a home 17-year-old

jamira has ever known. before moving to this temporary shelter in south los angeles, jamira spent a few months on skid row at a homeless shelter? >> sometimes you have to feel like you can't stand and you want to keep going. >> when she was 12, her family left peru and illegally crossed the border in arizona. she has been homeless ever since. >> i guess i think everything that has happened is my fault. sometimes, i say, if my mom would never have had me, none of this would be happening. >> you are blaming yourself? >> i just want to give my mom everything that she give me because i don't know. my mom is like she is the om thing i have. if something happens to her, i have nothing. i will be like worse than homeless. i will have nothing.

>> and yet, by all appearances, the 17-year-old has everything going for her. she gets straight a's, she volunteers after school. she dreams of becoming a doctor or maybe even a singer. ♪ you believe you can fly. ♪. >> but staying in school hasn't been easy. jamira carries her burden alone. none of her friends know she is homeless. >> why is it so important for you to keep that a secret? >> i don't want them to judge me. >> you don't want them to judge you? and do you think they would? >> i don't know. i am scared. i am scared of failing. i am scared of being judged. >> jamira's deeply held secret is shared by thousands throughout l a. unified, there are roughly 14,000 homeless students. >> our kids come to school not knowing where they are going to sleep that night, when they are going to see their family again, maybe haven't slept, maybe haven't eaten. >> anna quin tearo is one of 7

counselors in the homeless education program, which focuses on getting students basic necessities. >> we can provide backpacks, school supplies, hygiene items. we are able to provide clothing assistance. >> those basics are a lifeline for jamira and so is this place: school on wheels, a nonprofit that tutors and mentors more than 56,000 homeless students throughout southern california. >> for the most part, you can see their self esteem go up, their self confidence rise. >> here, i feel safe because they protect the kids. they protect us. they take care of us, and then they treat us like we are all family. >> on this day, a surprise: >> who signed up for college? who got accepted into college? and do you guys know who that is? >> yes. . >> and as a reward for your -- from your school on wheels, we have a thousand dollars school on scholarship for you to go to college. >> despite what life has put the

in front of her, despite not always knowing where she will sleep, jamira does know her education will be her ticket to getting off of the vetoes for good. jennifer london, al jazeera, los angeles. >> we are happy to say jamira graduated with a 3.8 gpa and if that's not good enough, sheets earned several scholarships to attend a college in florida. she has a bright future. next on al jazeera america, comedian tracy morgan in critical condition after a deadly car crash. what police believe caused the wreck. in saving del cal coral off of the coast of miami, the project that's underway to find the reef a new home. to say i saw him do it,

that is the best evidence. >> and sometimes sometimes they don't >> no one is listening to us... george is innocent... >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america

the night's events, a smarter start to your day. mornings on al jazeera america >> a drunk driver involved in the crash that left one person dead and comedian tracy morgan in critical condition is under

arrest. the accident happened overnight on the new jersey turnpike. the truck driven by kevin roper slammed into the limo bus. he has been charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of aas a result by oughto. casey kason's health continues to decline. the host of americ"american top" has been incritical condition. he suffers from louie bonnie dementia which has no cure. the port of miami is one of the busiest in the country but delicate coral offshore is at risk of being destroyed. as al jazeera's natasha gname reports efforts are underway to save it. >> believe it or not, this colorful thriving coral reef is living in the water of the main shipping champ of the port of miami. >> it's beautiful and exciting

and sad a little bit because you know they are all going to be gone. >> beginning on saturday, the army corps of engineers is dredging. it will destroy the cocoral you neither. they have trans planted the coral north of the channel. they will be out of the path of cargo and cruise ships. the effort was mandated by the state of florida. but marine biologist andrew baker says there is still such a large number of coral reefs at risk. >> we've got one of the largest urban populations in the world next to a coral reef eco system. and these corals are very value a.m., some of the few left that we have in florida and i think unfortunately, the economic concerns are going to win once again. >> for almost two weeks, the university of miami professor and his students have been diving for coral despite days of bad weather and poor have youibility, they have retrieved about 1200.

researchers thought they had until mid july to keep diving. the state, who issued the permit to drive, says the date was always subject to change given the dredging project. the state can't afford to give the divers extensions. each day of delay would cost taxpayers $100,000. >> it is a missed opportunity in that, you know, wend have gotten more. we could have saved more and, you know, we could have had years and years worth of research coral did at our disposal. >> the coral did are now sitting in these pools. baker and his team hope to study them and learn more about how coral reefs can survive in inhospitable environments such as the water of a shipping channel. >> if we are trying to save florida's reefs and the few corals we have left are the most adaptable, tough resistant corals, these are what we should protect because they might represent the future for coral reefs in florida. >> an army corps says the colonies will grow back as they

did after the last dreaming project in 1991. baker says that logic is faulty. when mother nature is showing us all around the world that it doesn't always bounce back. natasha gname, miami. >> ahead on al jazeera america, less than a week away from kickoff from the world cup, there are big problems in brazil. we will tell you about the transit strike and clashdz with police in one of the host cities. n the d day veteran who wantederred away from his nursing home arrives back safely after a surprise trip to france.

the world cup is about to g getway. less than a week before the first match, transit workers in sao paolo are on strike. it's prompted several violent picture line battles with police. more from sao paolo. >> we spoke to some leaders of the union that represents some of the metro workers and they say they are hoping to strike some sort of agreement with the mediator as early as sunday. now, the metro workers want a 12% raise. the state government is only offering 8%. they are hoping they can find

some sort of middle ground that can end this strike. a lot of the damage has been done. thursday and friday, the strike caused absolute transit chaos here in a city of sao paolo. it caused over 250 kilometers of traffic back-ups as people scrambled to catch buses and get in cars to try to get to work and school and places of business. peach are watching this closely because the vast majority of tourists going to world cup stadium here in sao paolo will do so via metro or train. if this dairies over into next week and especially on thursday when the opening match is expected to be played here in sao paolo, it will cause an absolute traffic nightmare here in sao paolo trying to get fans to the stadium. that would be simply a disaster for fifa and for the brazilian government. >> tomorrow, we take an in-depth look at the world cup: the

controversy surrounding the event and soccer's governing body. join us sunday 8:30 eastern. a world war ii veteran pulls off the great escape. bernard jordan returned to his nursing home in southern england after staging his stealth mission to normandy. he had been reported missing since thursday night. the royal army officer ran away to france to celebrate the 70th d day with fellow world war ii veterans. >> how is it to be back? >> marvelous. absolutely marvelous. yeah. it's a smashing country. >> it was described as the great he can ape. >> yes. >> how was it for you. >> yes. yes. >> okay. ? >> it's even better as it gets on. >> the spritely 89-year-old told the reporters he is ready to face music for his actions. hopes were high for a triple crown winner after nearly 4

decades. we will update you on california chrome and his success. actually, he did not win. all eyes were on california chrome but in the end, he failed to capture the criminal crown. more from belmont stakes. thomas drayden in new york. thanks for watching. >> we're here at the darrington unit, which is a maximum security prison on the outskirts of texas. >> jimarquez holland is 20 years old. he's been imprisoned here for three years. >> to me, i feel like what i was doing was petty. petty crimes - i never thought in a million years that i would be 17 and in prison. never thought.