>> in canada, owning a gun is a privilege, not a guaranteed right... does this make their country safer than ours? 5 days: guns around the world a primetime news special series only on al jazeera america >> it political situation cannot be stablized with al-malaki remaining because he has alienated so much of the sunni population. >> battling back rebels at the iraq's largest oil refinery. >> homes leveled in south dakota, trapping people in the rubble as national guard are called to help with the cleanup.

>> it's not tradition. i ask what tradition? the tradition of racism? >> the washington redskins trip to federal trademark protections because of the controversy surround in the team's name promises to fight to protect millions of dollars and profits. >> a subdued ceremony, spain divided over whether to abolish the monarchy. >> good morning, welcome to to you. >> iraqi officials staving off an assault on the oil refinery today. >> isil attacked the plant wednesday. workers were evacuated while government forces battled the rebels. >> congress will keep them informed on iraq but not seek their approval to act. washington's cooperation could come at the expense of iraqi

prime minister al-malaki now under fire on several fronts. randall pinkston joining us live from washington. where does prime minister malaki stand with the u.s. government? >> some congressional leaders, including senate democratic dyan feinstein are calling for al-malaki to step aside. the obama administration has not yet gone that far, but president obama has made clear that in order for al-malaki to receive assistance in the u.s., he must change the way he governs. >> president obama held a closed door meeting with congressional leaders, updating them on his plans for iraq. in a statement, the white house said the president reviewed u.s. efforts to respond to the threat from isil by urging iraq's leaders to set aside sectarian agendas and come together with the sense of national unity. doubts over that unity being achieved say some in washington won't come quickly as long as

al-malaki remains in power. >> the political situation cannot be stablized, in my view, with malaki remaining because he has alienated so much of the sunni population. >> it is a sentiment ecod all week, wean from president obama's former secretary of state. >> i don't think malaki is the person to lead iraq. >> and current members of the administration, who are voicing their criticism of malaki's shiite government commitment to mend ties with sunnis. >> this current government has never fulfilled commitments it made to bring a unit government together. >> u.s. diplomats met with the prime minister to support reconciliation with all factions in iraq and tell him that pop intends to link any u.s. military assistance to a unity government. vice president joe biden underscored u.s. told art in iraq with phone calls to sunni and occurred issue leaders,

including malaki whom he encouraged to govern in a different manner. >> he turned out to be a pro shiite leader, marginal liesing the kurds and sunnies. that really was a recipe for disaster. >> an appearance with leaders did little to convince the obama administration that malaki is committed to political unity. wednesday, press secretary james carney said the prime minister's policies contributed to the situation and the crisis. when asked about malaki's future, no ringing endorsement. >> the iraqi people will have to decide the makeup of the next coalition government and who is the prime minister. >> for now, u.s. officials say all options are on the table, but the president has not yet made a decision on how best to assist iraq. the record that was jay carney's last white house conference. >> randall pinkston beginning

our coverage from washington, d.c. this morning, thank you very much. >> the u.s. designated the refugee cries in iraq a level three, the highest level assigned to a humanitarian disaster by the agency. the group is struggle to provide basic needs for the 1.5 million displaced iraq keys. iraq already had a level three polio epidemic and the situation in syria is also a level three, making for three humanitarian disasters in that region. coming up, a live report on the ground in the region where the largest number of refugees are, plus options for replacing the prime minister. >> south dakota cleaning up after a very powerful tornado hit overnight. >> authorities say the twister went through leaving behind damage, a dozen homes and certainly businesses were destroyed. some were trapped, one injured,

at least 100 national guard members have been deployed to help with the cleanup. we will have more on the continued threat of severe weather. >> today, house republicans will vote on a replacement from major leader eric cantor stepping down after his primary loss in virginia. kevin mccarthy is the strong favorite to replace him. if he becomes major city leader. three others will compete to take over as majority whip. >> g.m.c. marry barra testifying before the house oversight committee about ignition switch problems blamed for 13 deaths. we are in detroit live this

morning. what did barra say to the committee this time? >> she really went into detail about the company's missteps. >> she said some employees turned their back and ignored it. she described the culture at that time and said it was dysfunctional. she said the company is doing whatever it can to make sure something like this does not happen again. >> since she last appeared before the committee, g.m. released that internal report about the company's response to the ignition switch problems. did that play any role in wednesday's testimony? >> it played a huge role initially when she faced lawmakers on capitol hill. she did it alone, this time with former u.s. attorney antoine

delook could say. he led the investigation. we heard about how this was allowed to happen and linger for over 10 years. at times, lawmakers appeared to be frustrated, and many of them questioned g.m.'s commitment to safety. >> why the foot dragging? is this typical of g.m.'s investigations into a product concern and how do you intend to change this? >> we already with the way we're working through recalls today, we changed that pros. we're going to do what's right for our customers and we're demonstrating it today. >> g.m. c.e.o. mary barra definitely in the hot seat. when it comes to the issues the automakers is facing, it's safe to say it is just the beginning. >> there is now a federal investigation that is underway. what are we hearing about that? >> well, one thing we did hear yesterday is that the national

highway traffic safety administration, a watchdog group, they're not exactly off the hook. they conducted their own investigation, which led to a $35 million fine for general motors, but one lawmaker made it very clear that the delayed recall is the fault of both g.m. and nhtsa. >> a hybrid pension plan for employees in detroit, the overhaul was negotiated with retirees and unions. it will affect current and new employees under the retirement system and police and fire retirement system beginning july 1. all employees will contribute 4% of their weekly based salary. police and firefighters will contribute 6% of their pay toward the cost of benefits. all police and firefighters will contribute 8%.

>> a third convict died by lethal injection within 24 hours. he was executed wednesday night, given a death sentence for the 1985 murders of his wife suzanne and their 5-year-old son. the supreme court rejected a last minute appeal, it was argued that he wasn't capable of understanding his death sentence. >> my family can finally rest, you know. my grandmother and my grandfather can finally have some peace, knowing that this is all done, finally taken care of. >> the execution took 11 minutes. at the time of the 1985 murders, henry had been out on parole after pleading no contest in the 1976 fatal stabbing of his common law wife. >> an yea 9-year-old philadelphia man may be extradited to germany for nazi

era crimes, his case currently heard in federal court. he admits he was stationed at auschwitz but said his duties were guarding the perimeter. he said he never killed anyone. he was arrested on a german warrant. >> they were watching this on the screens in the newsroom. a new king ascends to the throne in spain. [ applause ] crown prince felipe pay was handed over power in front of parliament this morning. the royal family hopes to make in roads with a population struggling with recession and high unemployment. you are looking live at pictures of the festivities to continue this hour with the new king and queen greeting the guests.

we have more. bring us up to date. >> the father handing over the red sash, which represents the highest rank in the military. the king is commander-in-chief. king felipe promised to faithfully fulfill his duties and uphold and protect the constitution and rights of the citizens of spain. then he gave a rather stirring speech. what was interesting about the speech, talking to members of the government and his own family was that it struck a real note of humility. he talked about the need for the monarchy to move closer to the people, understand the people better, gain their respect and carry out his duties honestly

and with transpatterns. that was a very clear reference to the kind of scandal and financial improprieties that hs jen gulfed the royal family recently and brought i will repute upon the house. he is obviously very keen to try to sort that out, repair the damage, regain the trust of the people. >> safe to say hundreds, not thousands lining the streets to watch the procession. some are calling for the end of the man oshie. could this change help the family's appeal across spain? >> well, i think that's certainly the hope, and of course, only time will tell. a number of factors play into that, the idea that not everybody in spain turned out or in madrid turned out to see this royal recession. there is a deep financial cries here. people are disillusioned of this

level of official life, pomp and vendor, thinking it's too excessive. the man arcky has nearly 50% ratings, felipe more than 70% personal popularity ratings. the hope is he can restore the popularity of the monarchy, the trust and respect of the people. if anybody can do it, the thinking is that he can. >> thank you very much. the queen is spain's first commoner to take the post. before marrying him, she was a television reporter here in the u.s., working for a rifle network. >> is there hope? [ laughter ] >> should the washington redskins change a team name? a ruling by the u.s. patent office is turning up the heat on the team's owner to do just that. >> will it be enough to force snyder to actually change the name? we have the very latest. >> his position seemed pretty hardened on this issue. there have been numerous

protests over the years since the nfl team in washington decided to call itself the redskins, a term many consider to be a racial slur against native americans. with this latest move from the u.s. patent and trademark office, the protests have become louder than ever. >> after 81 years of being one of the nfl's most iconic symbols, the red skin name and logo is under attack like never before. a federal trademark board ruled to cancel the six federal trademark protections for the team, saying it is a racial slur, in blatant violation of the prohibition against racist trade marks. >> basic civil respect and moral decency tell us we should change this name. >> president obama and 50 u.s. senators have voiced support for changing the red skin name.

>> as i understand the law, presiding officer once used the name, there i see no protection for it. >> the franchise will appeal the ruling. the last time the trademark office voided the team's protections was 1992. that appeals process came out in the redskins' favor after seven years. while this appeals process plays out, the team has full use of its trademark protections. the team's trademark attorneys said we are confident we will prevail again. >> the owner said he will never change the name. opinion was mixed in this d.c. area sports bar. >> the man has a right to run the team and the title was inherited. >> i identify the team as the redskins, however, this is a change that i think that really needs to be made.

>> the writing is on the wall. it's on the wall in giant, blinking neon lights. the name will change and justice will be done. >> well, this is the jersey of redskins quarterback robert griffin iii. certainly loss of trademark protections could hurt others from selling and profiting from these jersey sales. the fact that the nfl puts all merchandise revenue in a pot to be shared amongst all teams would limit the direct impact of a trademark loss on the redskins bottom line. >> they say when the advertisers start pulling out, that's when snyder might be forced to change his mind. >> since all this money does go into a pot, i think maybe the hope is some of the other nfl owners might put pressure on daniel snyder. that hasn't happened yet. >> profiles in courage just yet. we'll talk about legal issues involving this ruling and the redskins merchandise and how it could affect the bottom line.

>> first we'll talk about tornadoes that have hit the midwest this weekend. there could be more on the way. >> meteorologist nicole mitchell is here with all of that. good morning. >> good morning. it's still that boundary we've been talking about for a couple of days. you can pick this out anywhere from the dakotas stretching south toward the great lake and midwest region. all along that as that has been oscillating back and forth it is producing severe weather. you can see the core in south dakota, almost 30 reports of tornadoes, at least one with a multiple vortice again. it's hard to put it down depending where that front decide to say lay for the course of the day. with another system pushing out of the rockies along that corridor, that could be another firing line for us and then all the way to the mid atlantic, possibly there, too with the other boundary we've been seeing.

heavy rain associated with this in the same places that we've already had it. numerous places under flood concerns and over just the next 24 hours, we could see one to three inches right around iowa, but the next couple of days, that's still going to be a big problem for us. back to you. >> we are not out of the woods yet. >> the search to find three missing israeli teenagers in the west bank continues. >> i'm still in shock. it headlights me again and again and again, like it's unbelievable. >> we'll have the latest on the rescue efforts and growing resistance the soldiers are encountering. >> this disturbing video captures the moment an officer shot and killed a suspect while handcuffed. >> amazon hope to go set the world of smart phones on fire, so to speak. the new phone believes it can knock the iphone from its long reign at number one. >> $1.7 billion is our big

number of the day. >> what it has to do with the trademark ruling against the washington redskins. on redskins.

>> a ruling by a federal trademark war could take a bite out of one football team's bottom line. that's the subject of today's big number, $1.7 billion. that's how much the washington redskins are worth as of last august. that money coming from ticket sails, air rights and the multi-billion dollars sports industry of merchandising. the team vows to fight the ruling, saying it will take away trademark protections and say it's going to battle back. the pat tent board ruling the name is disparaging to native americans. it means that $1.7 billion line could take a hit. a founding partner at romano law, dominic romano joins us. based on this court ruling, could we see these type of jerseys disappear? >> not in the short term, but in the not too distant future, that is a very distinct possibility.

it's the economic impact that this could ever on the team. even if the decision -- when the decision, if the decision is affirmed on appeal, this will significantly restrict the club to he be force its trademark. >> what does that say about the team's owner, that this is a economic decision viewed by most as opposed to a moral decision as the trade board said this name is disparaging? >> racial designation on the base of skin color is disparaging to a significant portion of the native american population. that's what the appeals board said and noted a significant dropoff in the use of the r. word to refer to native americans since the 1960's. they said that the trademark registration issued in 1967 should never have been issued in the first place. >> dannel snyder said we have

been here before and the current claim is identical to the evidence a federal judge decided was insufficient more than 10 years ago. we expect the same ultimate outcome here. once again, they are arguing with what seems to be a growing tide of sentiment that this name is indeed racist. >> potentially wishful thinking. they are putting on a brave face here. the previous case was overturned on appeal on a technicality. the plaintiffs waited too long, the court said before bringing a decision after reaching the age of majority which was the key point there. they don't have that in this case on appeal. the tide is shifting. fifty u.s. senators, the president of the united states coming out and saying -- >> what about the players? i see on the back of the jersey rg3, making millions of dollars. we celebrate jacki robinson for crossing the color barrier of baseball. >> right. >> don't the washington redskins players have a stake in this,

too and perhaps should say we're not going to wear the jersey or play the game with this jersey on? >> you would think at a certain point that people, the players, not just u.s. senators, not just the president, but certain players, maybe even not on that team will start to speak up. >> but not now. >> the tide is turning. not yet, but perhaps soon. >> dominic romano, sports attorney, as always a frequent guest here, thanks for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >> shelly sterling is worried her husband will threaten witnesses in their impending case. she will ask a judge for sterling not to threaten his wife said legal team and doctors, whose witnesses doctors determined the former clippers co owner was mentally incapacitated. she wants the right to sell the clippers for $2 billion. that trial is scheduled for next month. >> amazon is joining the competitive smart phone market.

the on line retailer unveiled a fire phone. it has innovative 3-d displace. users can scroll and browse by just tilting the phone. it's linked up directly to the amazon warehouse, which the retailer hopes will make digital purchases easier. >> they gain a lot of market penetration against apple and google and samsung. this is going to be something that could potentially help their e commerce engine and business. >> the fire phone is only available to at&t customers. it will be released july 25. >> i can't wait to see june it's a great name. >> and 3-d, kind of cool. let's look at temperatures across the nation today. >> nicole mitchell has been monitoring that for us. >> we are watching a front pulling out of the rockies. that moving through higher elevations, parts of montana giving a little snow. it's not going to bring that to the central plains, but you can see the dividing line and temperatures already this

morning, rapid city at 52, omaha at 78. ahead of that line, still quite warm, a lot of 90's today. the northeast a little cooler, though, back to you. >> there are reports out that the white house wants iraqi foreign minister al-malaki out. >> we'll look at the turmoil in that country and whether political ching is enough to end it. >> we take it every time. you never know when you have to get behind a heavy piece of armor. >> police getting heavy equipment, some saying it could make a bad situation worse. >> how a woman's u tube video helped save her life. what someone noticed, as we take a look at headlines around the world. world.

>> you are looking live now at the iconic pepsi cola sign along the east river, the waterfront billboard going up in 1936 has become a symbol of the area's

industrial past. that plant used to sit in front of it. it's been gone since 1999. >> ahead in this next half hour, what can be down make the iraqi government more in cluesive. >> there has been a spike in whooping cough. what parents can do if the current vaccine doesn't work. >> why consumers are paying the price for a company using a uniform banana. >> a twister touching down yesterday, destroying houses and businesses. talk about officials say the warning system allowed for everyone to get to shelter in time. >> today is the day house republicans name a replacement for outgoing majority leader eric cantor. kevin mccarthy is the front return. cantor is stepping down after a primary loss to a tea party

candidate. >> in spain, the prince is crowned the new king after the and occasion of his father. >> turning to iraq, secretary of state john kerry saying the focus is on helping the people there as forces battle for control of the country, a group marching on wednesday, thousands caught in the crossfire, continue to go flee cities citi. >> kurdistan.

>> >> the u.s. reportedly wants primprime minister al-malaki to. the united emirates said we will help stabilize the situation if he is gone. jim, what do you think about these developments now that the tide has turned to say maybe the situation is not manageable with al-malaki, how would they get rid of him? >> he certainly doesn't want to go and he seems in a bit of irony here helped create a situation that has led to crisis and then used the crisis in order to try to consolidate his power. they've just had an election, so how do you reverse a actual democratic or semiautomatic

election -- >> it wasn't a democratically held election, but very, very soon there's another vote coming up in parliament. could the tide turn there? >> it's possible. the question is who has juice on the ground politically to help make that happen. i'm happy to see that we are having this conversation about al-malaki's future. it's a homegrown problem. it's not a military problem, although it is now. the way he's governed, he played the sectarian card. i wish we talked about this six months ago. at some point he has to go and the iraqis have a do it themselves. >> do you think the tide has turned for al-malaki to go. >> i don't. talking to iraqis, the irony of helping them get rid of their democratically elected leader is

ironic. if he well and faithfully represents the state of his constituents, the 50 to 60% of the shia areas in iraq, lost in all that is that he actually represents the most moderate party and least iranian influenced party. that doesn't mean another figure couldn't come out of his coalition, but the idea that bringing in someone from the very iranian influenced party is going to help, i don't think makes sense. >> doug is saying he is the best person right now out of not a lot of options. you're saying he should go. if he does, what? >> the point is the policy he's implemented, long credit sides bit u.s. and outside observers for ruling on the sectarian

card. look at that awkward press conference where you had a sunni representatives that didn't talk to each other. the u.s. is pressing him to be more inclusive with the kurds and soon niece. switching switching people and having the same policies isn't going to change anything. >> do you think military options should be off the table? >> i don't. i think we have two different problems here. they're closely interrelated. the isis problem is real. if it happens someplace other than iraq, the u.s. has a nothing interest in doing something about isis. it is intertwined with the

politics, but the isis problem is something we need to deal with. take care of isis first and then focus on the iraqi politics. >> the battle on the ground in iraq continues, especially right now in the kurdistan areas that are seeing an in pluck of refugees. why has this city been so vital for people trying to escape the conflict there? >> the north of the country and the kurdish regions are the only safe places and a place where there's no sectarianism, the only place these refugees could come to. it's also a place where all the minorities could come to.

even if they wanted to go to the rest of the country, the whole road from mosul to baghdad is involved in fights and violence, so really, this is the only way out for these people. >> why hasn't isil attacked erbo. >> isil is concentrating on baghdad, prime minister malaki and security forces. i was speaking yesterday to christians displaced from mosul telling us that they had no threat either from isil. >> thank you very much. >> coming up, we'll have live team coverage from iraq and washington, d.c. >> the search for those missing israeli teens rocking the west

bank, israeli and palestinian forces clashing in the streets. we have more on how the missing teens have captivated the region. >> people in the town pray for the safe return of a local teenager. the 16-year-old went missing last thursday, along with two other israeli teenagers while hitchhiking home from a religious school in the occupied west bank. israeli accuses hamas of taking them. there has been no break through for almost a week now. his aunt told aljazeera the family is devastated. >> we are all in shock. i'm still in shock. it hits me again and again and again, like it's unbelievable, a kid coming back from school and he's gone. it's like unbelievable, the cruelty. i'm still in shock over and over again. >> it's not just in small

communities like this where people are waiting anxiously to hear news of the missing teenagers, but across the entire nation, everyone is gripped by this story. >> israeli t.v. channels have been camped out for days with around the clock coverage of the story. hitchhiking is a common part of israeli life, especially near illegal settlements in the west bank. soldiers are now near common hitchhiking spots. people here are not afraid. >> there is nothing to be afraid of. if there is bombing on a bus, does that mean we shouldn't catch buses? it's the same for me, this is our lifestyle. >> an intense search is underway across the west bank by the israeli army with hundreds of hamas activityists arrested. no group has yet claimed responsibility. strehls it has prevented dozens of attempts to kidnap israelis in the west bank in the past

year. few seem willing to give up catching a ride with strangers. aljazeera, israel. >> coming up, we're going to dig deeper into how the search for these missing teens is affecting the israeli-palestinian conflict. jane ferguson is going to join us live from ramallah. >> he covered a live grenade with his body to save his cam address. later today, president obama will present corporal kyle carpenter with the medal of honor. in 2010, he risked his life to protect a fellow marine by throwing his body on the grenade. he lost his right eye and most of his teeth, but said he did what he was trained to do, protect marines at all costs. >> a detroit teenager is pleading guilty to assault charges for punch ago driver who accidentally hit a 10-year-old boy with his truck. the suspect is being tried in juvenile court. prosecutors say he threw the

first punch in that mob attack that left a man in the hospital for six weeks. the teen will spend the next months in a juvenile detention facility. a judge will decide if he is tree to go home. >> a surveillance video shows a texas police officer pulling out his taser after fatally shooting a handcuffed prisoner at a jail in el paso. the texas attorney general's office ordered the tape to be released following a request by the el paso times. a grand jury decided not a indict the officer in the shooting. he was arrested on assault charges after allegedly attacking an off duty police officer and hospital staff. >> those huge bomb deflecting vehicles the military used in iraq and afghanistan could soon be rolling down a street near you. they are mine resistant and protected vehicles. this stay they are weapons of war. we talked to a swat team leader

in indiana. he said it provides much-needed protection in a gun prone society. >> the doors are several inches thick and it comes with an internal backup lock. >> the officer is like a kid with a new toy, showing off the latest crime fighting tool. i didn't have to ask twice for a ride in it. >> it's an attention getter, that's for about. little kids love it. >> he heads a swat team comprised of 10 police departments in northwest indiana. the team got this mine resistant ambush protected vehicle last fall through a government program that gives away used military equipment to police departments. >> we take it with us every time, because you never know when you're going to get behind a heavy piece of armor. >> his team has used it many

times. >> barricaded gunman, someone inside a house that we need to get to that wasn't going to come out without a fight, we used it when we made an arrest and search warrant on a meth lab. >> at 55,000 pounds, just seeing it approach is intimidating. wiley said that's one of the big benefits of having this vehicle. >> ruffle 600 u.s. communities have them. one was used in oregon to respond to a school shooting. another was used in l.a. during a standoff with a gunman, but critics including the american civil liberties union question whether a weapon of war belongs in most towns. >> we don't wage war on our populace in the united states. >> samuel lyles is a former cop and marine who teaches at purdue university. he said it could diffuse a hostile situation or make it worse. >> you bring a large tank-like

vehicle into the environment, it can cat lies a population to attack that vehicle, cat lies a population to get them to go after the operators of the vehicle before and after they would use it, before they can get in the vehicle, we'll attack them so they can't use it. >> wiley says at a time when gun violence is rattling communities, it provides safety. >> if you didn't have this, what kind of protection would you have? >> just the vests we're wearing. looking at statistics, we have found that the number of violent incidents has been on the increase, as well as the number of calls that we go on. >> still, communities that get them may to have wait if that safety comes at a cost. aljazeera, merrillville, indiana. >> the number of law enforcement agencies lining up to get military equipment has increased steadily since 2009. >> let's look at other headlines making news around the world.

>> if you're having a stroke, the first thing you're probably thinking is somebody get me help. well, 49-year-old stacy jepas said i'm going to record this with my smart phone, so there is video of her having a stroke. droopy side of her mouth, she can't do this. she had symptoms before and the doctors said it was proof. she took this video to show i am having symptoms of a stroke. >> in the u.s., there is banning of creationism now. it applies to all schools that receive public funding under a new set of agreements, there are similar situations taking place in the united states where two states right now are saying that they, too, want to ban the use of creationism at scientific fact. >> i'm going to use a term some

might find offensive, pro fee wife. the idea that you'll see a man very successful, but average looking with a stunning wife. yes, of course they're going to show donald trump and his model wife. scientists have found that perhaps that is actually a myth and what's at play is people are maybe selling the women short. they'll look at them and assume this is all about their looks, but in real life, if you get past the celebrity couples, in real life, you'll see couples that are evenly matched and the woman in the relationship has a great relationship, as well. >> by the way, 29 years, i'm just saying. >> avoiding a heart attack could be in your genes. a common link for people with headlighty hearts. using the research to help fight heart disease. >> putting many children at risk, whooping cough is back with a vengeance, one state is

suffering more than the rest. >> remnants of on ancient roman village turning up. where it was unearthed, next.

>> time now for our discovery of the day. archeologists believe they've uncovered austria's roman military camp east of vienna with the border of slovakia, considered to be a historic site. >> science activities used radar technology to scan and use 3-d maps in the area. they believe it revealed the camp used as far back at 6a.d. >> up next, the next epidemic of

whooping cough seems to be uncontrollable. >> first let's check in for a look at the wet weather across the country today. >> it's those same old places we've been seeing through the week. looking across the country, we have one boundary across the northern tear. that's been in place and another system is pulling more out of the rockies. that's what giving us more of the north-south banding, as well. this is our fire line for severe weather, more likely into the midsection of the country. we've had problems with that over the last couple of days, watch for that. bigger cities like new york city, light rain, keep the umbrella handy. definitely through the midwest. we've had heavy rain create flooding concerns and more is on the way, so watch for that in additional to possible severe weather. back to you. >> nicole, thank you very much. >> scientists pinpointed a gene that protects against heart

attacks. two independent studies this week discovered people with a gene that lowers triglyceride levels. scientists hope this will help create a drug to prevent cardiovascular diaz. heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the u.s. >> whooping cough has an outbreak. >> the director of the california health democratic said this is an epidemic. there has been 800 cases of whooping cough reported in just the past two weeks with the highest infection rates near san francisco. so far this year, california has almost 3500 that cases, which is almost a thousand more than the total cases reported for all of last year. whooping cough, also known as

pertusis causes coughing making breathing difficult. infants are the most susceptible to severe disease. immunizations for babies and pregnant women, and also duties who are around young children often, like siblings, parents and grandparents is encouraged. >> california is not the only state dealing with the disease. it's experiencing an outbreak in pence, seeing as many in the first half of this year than they normally see for the whole year. health care professionals are concerned the current vaccine used may be ineffective against this particular strain. >> another concern there. >> joining us to discuss this epidemic is the assistance professor of epidemiology at

columbia university. vaccinations urged for pregnant women and infants. she said that the vaccine may not work. if it doesn't work, why? >> it's the best tool we have at this point and reformulating vaccines takes quite a long time in terms of thinking about what strains we have been seeing and incorporating them into a vaccine. >> there are a lot of parents now afraid of vaccinations and vaccines, they hear it doesn't work and you're saying it's the best we have. why? why take it? >> we have to think about what it doesn't work actually means. if it doesn't work means it won't full stop prevent the disease in every person, no vaccine works that way, but it willower the risk here in california in the past and future. in that respect, it is the best public health -- >> it's better than nothing. >> way better than nothing. the other point this is. given the fact that we're in the center of an epidemic,

vaccinating in terms he terms of thinking about a risk benefit, the risk is substantially higher not vaccinating. it's the right decision to vaccinate. >> we are referring to this as an epidemic. in 2009, there were 9,000 cases, 10 infant deaths halfway through this year, 3500 cases. what makes this now the epidemic that you mention? >> technically, we define an epidemic as when diseases occur more commonly than we expect. when it's happening at this rate, it's a full blown epidemic. the question is what's causing it. weaver seen an uptake where we haven't seen as many disease occurrences. we see an uptake particularly in california. that suggests to us that the anti vaccine movement is actually increasing the rate of -- >> if i don't live in california which we talked about, i don't live in tennessee, should i get a vaccination or does location

have more to do with this than we think? >> location plays a role, although it's not very differ to foresee a future where people travel. the risk of this epidemic taking hold in other contexts is still pretty high. it's important among children but also among duties, who's immunizations have waned over time to see if it's time for a booster. >> there are a lot of parents now that are afraid of vaccinations. is the and thety vaccination move across the country fueling these new epidemics that we're seeing? >> it's pretty clear that's the case. we've seen an uptake in whooping cough and measles and preventable diseases in california and new york. it would suggest to us that this movement is gaining ground and causing a lot of these base line epidemics. it's clear that this anti vaccine movement is part of this. >> thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> the number of people with

asthma has hit the lowest level in decade. this could be a statistical blip. the numbers went down by more than a full percentage over the last year. currently, about 7.5% of americans say they have asthma. doctors don't know what causes the disorder, but say air pollutants can trigger it. >> the world's fastest wooden roller coaster is making its debut. it opens today at six flags great america outside chicago. some adrenaline seekers got a sneak peek before today. that is unbelievable. you know how fast that goes? faster than the speed limit, up to 72 hours. it plunges riders down 180 feet at a near vertical angel. >> no! >> wednesday saw the end of a soccer dynasty. spain the defending champions were eliminated after losing 2-0

to chile, second straight loss after being embarrassed by the netherlands last week five goals to one. it's one of the greatest teams of this generation. they have dominated international soccer since 2008. they won two european championships and the world cup in 2010. >> that's why they like the world cup. it's unpredictable. >> here are stories we're following. secretary of state john kerry saying all options are on the table rewarding iraq and iraqi forces are battling isil fighters for control of the countries largest oil refinery. >> south dakota hit by a tornado overnight. several homes and businesses were destroyed. >> there is a new king in spain, prince felipe has been sworn in to succeed his father, juan carlos. >> scientists are fight to go save the banana as its future

looks rotten. the steps they're taking to make sure a fungus doesn't wipe out that fruit. >> the aljazeera morning news continues. we're back in just two minutes. keep it here. should juvenile killers serve life without parole? >> the didn't even ask for the money they just shot him. >> horrendous crimes committed by kids. >> i think that at sixteen it's a little too early to write him off for life. >> should they be locked away for good? >> he had a tough upbringing but he still had to have known right from wrong.

>> on tech know. >> that is immense... >> there a misunderstood... ...vital part of the ecosystem >> ...is a tiger shark... ...first one of the expodition >> can they be saved? >> sharks don't eat people...

>> tech know, every saturday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america. >> nothing is off the tail. all opposites are still available to the president. >> secretary of state john kerry making the case about iraq as the iraqi troops continue to battle rebel forces. >> immigration officials showing off unaccompanied minors. >> i'm excited to tell you that the answer is yes. >> amazon c.e.o. lighting a fire under the top players in the

smart phone wars, unveiling his company's new mobile device. >> you may think magic is make belief, but this little bean has scientists saying there is weight loss. >> the battle fought in iraq on two fronts. >> they staved off an assault, isil fighters attacked a plant on wednesday, government forces fought them off, killing 40 rebels. >> the president telling congress he will keep them informed about iraq but not seek their approval to act. secretary of state john kerry stating that all options are still on the table, although he shot down rumors that the u.s. might align with iran. >> our coverage begins with

randall pinkston in washington. randall. >> good morning, rochelle. we are hearing from secretary of state john kerry who appeared on number, saying that the u.s. might be sharing information with iran about the spread of the insurgency knew sweeping iraq, but that america does not intend to work together with iran to address the crisis, kerry saying that information sharing is intended to help both sides avoid making mistakes. kerry also underscored the administration's continuing insistence that in order for malaki to receive assistance, he must change the way he does business. >> what the united states is doing is about iraq, it is not about malaki, and nothing that the president decides to do is going to be focused specifically on prime minister malaki, it is focused on the people of iraq. >> so far, no announcement from the white house about the

decision the president is making on the use of military force. force. >> members of congress weighed in yesterday. >> that happened in conjunction with a senate hearing. chuck hagel made an appearance there, along with the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. during that appearance about the budget, most of the questions were about iraq and specifically about malaki. we had democrats and republicans saying that it was time for malaki to step aside, that any kind of offer of u.s. assistance should be done in conjunction with him agreeing to some political accommodation with his foes. here is senator john mccain. >> the military situation has to be scalized, but the political situation cannot be stablized, in my view, with malaki remaining, because he has

alienated so much of the sunni population. >> u.s. military leaders say they are standing by for orders, that assets are in place should the government decide to use them. >> coming up, we're going to go live to iraq for the latest developments on the ground. >> the crisis in ukraine, the u.n. designated the refugee cries in iraq a level three, the highest level assigned to a humanitarian disaster by the agency. the group is struggling just to provide basic needs for the 1.5 million displaced iraq keys. officials saying there was already a level three polio epidemic and syria also at level three, making for three humanitarian crises in the region. >> a few thousand more troops moved into ukraine's borders this morning, asking the nam community to intervene.

vice president biden vowed to enact further sanctions against russia if moscow vows to stop sectarian violence in eastern ukraine. >> eric cantor is stepping down after last week's primary loss in virginia. the current majority whip is a strong favorite to replace him. republican of idaho is running against him. if mccarthy becomes majority leader, there's a three way race to replace him. >> federal authorities want to raise the gas tax by 12 cents. right now, it's 18.4 cents a gallon, diesel higher at 24.4. it would be the first federal increase since 1993 and provide money to help fund transportation process. >> two men in tax arrested on charges they supported

terrorism, facing up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. khan is excused are recruiting people to support terrorist activities. he planned to travel toll syria to help fighters there. >> a man was arraigned wednesday in arizona for his role in the 2010 shooting near the u.s. mexico border. he pleaded not guilty to the first murder charge that left an agent dead. that exposed the fast and furious allegations, tracking guns being sold. >> the president described the surge of children trying to come into the country alone as a humanitarian crisis that is urgent. in arizona, a facility has been

criticized for its living conditions. >> pictures from a media tour of a u.s. youth detention centered showed the sleeping conditions for children, given showers, clean clothes and recreation. wednesday media tour showed a center less crowded than before. it contrasted with exclusive pictures aljazeera obtained just last week of the same detention center in arizona. still, the center had the feeling of a prison with kids held behind chain linked fences and razor wire. officials couldn't tell us how many are housed here or how long they'll stay. they refused all requests for television interviews. these youth are part of a record wave of unaccompanied minors arriving on the u.s. border. 50,000 have arrived since october, mainly from central america. that number could reach 60,000 or 90,000 by year's end. the in flux has brent a dilemma.

worder agents aren't accustomed to providing care but are trying to do it in the most diggified way possible. >> border agents are stretched thin. >> our main concern as an agency, you're removing agents from the field to take care of this area we're making sure is not more porous. we work in arizona, people are apprehended in texas, arizona is responsible for the 60% of the drugs in the entire country. >> there's no sign of the wave slowing down anytime soon. every day, hundreds more arrival after a treacherous journey from central america through mexico. some are reunited with family members in the u.s. others don't know where their journey ends. >> customs can deport minors

from country without borders with the u.s. they are allowed to stay while being reviewed. that that process can take months or years. >> governor bobby jindal wants to get rid of common core learning standards. he issued an executive order to state education officials to put together a new set of standards for louisiana students to be approved during the next legislative session. >> at some point, you have to say enough is enough. this is where we draw the line in louisiana. >> he said he sees the program as a federal takeover of education, even though the federal government had no official role in it. he faces opposition from education officials who want to keep common core in place. >> the city of detroit moving forward with a hype before i had pension plan. the emergency manager said the overhaul was negotiated with the city's retirees and unions, affecting new employees under the general retirement system and firefighters under the system. all current employees will contribute 4% of weekly pretax

based salary. police and fire firefighters will contribute 6%. all police and fire members hired after june 30 will contribute 8%. >> g.m. ceo mary barra testified about the company's slow response for ignition problems. she was grilled with the switches which led to a recall of millions of vehicles. what does she have to say about the way g.m. handled the situation? those problems have been linked to at least 13 deaths. >> g.m. ceo mary barra talked about the missteps and failing customers. even after realizeing there were problems, many employees decided to simply turn their back and ignore and not take action. barra described to lawmakers that within the company back

then, there was this culture of dysfunction. she said as of now, the company is taking measures to ensure nothing like this happens again. >> our responsibility is to set a new norm and a new industry standard on safety and quality. i ai have told our employees its not enough to fix the problem. we will create a new standard and we will create a new norm. >> the hearing lasted for about three hours, and just from the looks of that hearing, i can tell that there is some lawmakers who simply walked away frustrated. >> let's talk more about that. the last hearing, the last time she testified was extremely contentious. what was the tone of wednesday's hearing? >> you know, like the initial hearing, this had the tone, it was very, very harsh. lawmakers had some very strong opinions about how general motors handled the situation,

and how it could have done better. at times, there are some lawmakers who appeared to be frustrated about answers they were getting from ms. barra and they really at one point question whether the automakers is really going to have a sincere commitment to safety. >> they set the tone, and shaped the attitudes of the employees. they are also responsible for putting in place systems to foster transparency and enis that your safety issues are taken seriously. those systems failed at g.m. >> so far, g.m. have paid a fine. they're facing a number of lawsuits, and it sounds like the road ahead will be a long one. >> the investigations continue. thank you very much. >> we turn back to the battle in iraq this morning. all eyes are on a battle for the

countries largest oil refinery that will affect your costs at the purpose, by the way. there has been a turn of events at that refinery today. tell us what's happening. >> >> just moments ago, the government announced that the iraqi army was in full control of that refinery. there's been a standoff for the past few days. it appears that the army was on the defensive and now it appears since this morning it carried out some offensive operations. now the question is for how long will it hold it. it's very difficult for the government to send any kind of rein percentment, any kind of supplies to that area, simply because all around it, there is no more iraqi army present. it's all in the hands of the sunni rebels and isil.

we have to see what's going to happen next. in all that territory, according to our sources, at least 300,000 between all the iraqi security forces and military have pulled out. they have lost a lot of equipment that fell into the hands of the army -- of the sunni rebels, they have lost airports, bases, really, how long will that army be able to hold the refinery will be something that we'll have to follow up on. i'm sure that probably in the next few hours, sunni rebels will carry out a counter offensive. >> reporting live this morning. the government has said that they have controlled that refinery before, that not necessarily the case. >> south dakota cleaning up after a very powerful tornado overnight. the twister tore through the heart of westing to know springs, leaving behind severe damage. nearly a dozen homes and several businesses were destroyed. some found themselves trapped in

the rebel, one person injured. 100 national guard members now deployed to help with the clean up. >> that is the latest in a string of severe weather that's been popping up all week in the midwest. >> we turn to our meteorologist nicole mitchell. good morning. >> good morning. the video you showed was one of the twisters from yesterday. there were 20 different reports, most centered around south dakota. sunday, we only had seven severe reports total, including wind, hail and tornadoes. that day didn't have any tornadoes to report, but every day since then, we've had to 2300 reports and 20-30 reports of tornadoes specifically each day. it's been a very active week. this boundary through the northern tier of the country is what has been firing that off day after day. we have something pulling out of the rack keys that a north-south oriented line with a cold front coming through could be another firing spot today. here's a look at storm damage

yesterday. yesterday with just over 20 tornado reports was actually our lowest day since sunday, and still, very, very significant. don't want to underestimate that. we also had a lot of wind reports as we got south of the great lakes. it's been a problem with this line. the biggest left from the midwest through the southern plains, place like texas is more associated with the new frontal boundary, the cold front versus the stationery front, our firing line for the last couple days. because we still do have the other boundary, we've had heavy rain along that line. all the greens you see here, minnesota and iowa, those already have flood concerns, look at how much more is on the way. we're going to see two or three inches over the next couple of days, back to you guys. >> thank you. >> shelly sterling is worried that her estranged husband donald could threaten witnesses in that case coming up.

her attorney will ask sterling not to intimidate or harass his wife's legal team or his doctors. the clippers owner was determined to be mentally incapacitated. shelly sterling wants to sell the clippers for $2 billion. the trial is scheduled for next month. >> to another professional sports team in controversy, should the washington redskins change the team's name. the heat is turned up on the owner to do that. >> will that be enough to force daniel snyder to change his mind? john henry smith joins us with that. >> so far, daniel snyders position is fairly hardened. after being one of the most iconic symbols in the nfl, the washington redskins name and logo is under attack, the federal trademark board canceled

the trademark protection. various indian nations have long protested the red skin name. president obama and 50 u.s. senators joined in that chorus. the redskins franchise says it will appeal the ruling. the last time the trademark office voided the protections was 1992. that appeals process came out in the team's favor after 17 years. this appeals process plays out, the team has full use of its trademark protections. in a statement, the trademark attorney said we are confidence we will prevail once again. >> wishful thinking. they are putting on a brave face here. the previous case was overturned on appeal on a technicality, the issue of laches, the plaintiff waited to long for bringing a

decision, which was the key point there. they don't have that luxury in this case. >> of course the redskins make a lot of money from jersey sales as does the nfl. the team owner said he has no intention of ever changing his team's name. >> the players have an obligation here to step up and perhaps do something, he said not only players on the redskins team, but other teams. >> to a certain degree, you've got so many players on the team, for example santana moss said it was a sad day that this ruling is made. you get them on the same page to do that might be difficult. >> the supreme court will rule whether upstart arrow can continue to broadcast for free. if it prevails, it could impact the nfl television business, which charges billions of

dollars to company to say air the games. it would allow the bypass of those prod casters. a lot of people paying attention to that. >> amazon tossing its hat into the smart phone ring. what the on line retail giant is offering up with a new device to steal some of the fire from apple and samsung. >> hillary clinton keeping speculation over a presidential run boiling with her book tour. the ripple effect a female president could have on politics. >> the ducks are on the move, thousands of them swarming the streets and other videos captured by our citizen journalists.

>> time now for a look at video captured around the globe. chilean stagger fans getting into the spirit of the world cup ahead of the team's win against spain. the sea of fans and their red jerseys gathered outside the stadium. >> some fans got a little too

excited, captured breaking down a barrier separating fans from the press area. >> we have to protect the press. >> yes. >> one artist using his skills to send a message as part of the global summit to end sexual violence. the british government posting this time laps video of a mural the artist did near their embassy in bolivia. i'll let it play out. >> check this out. del's favorite video of the morning. thousands of ducks blocking traffic in thailand. it just showed waves and waves coming. the drivers stopped. >> why did the ducks across the street? >> to get to the other side. >> in an already crowded smart phone field, amazon thinks it has what it takes to stand out, coming out with a new mobile device to challenge apple and

samsung. we have more from the unveiling. >> i'm excited to tell you that the answer is yes. >> yes to finally entering the competitive mobile phone market. amazon founder and c.e.o. presenting the fire phone in a gushing several congrats la atory rollout. >> it's elegant and refined, uses premium materials. rubberized frame, glass on both sides. >> some of the bells and whistles, free unlimited photo storage in the amazon cloud, a system of four sensors, allowing screen navigation with the tilt of a hand, and 3-d imaging. the fire fly feature which identifies songs, movies and more than 100 million objects, many available for purchase on amazon. on line tech editor todd bishop said the company is making a strategic bet. >> whether or not they gain a lot of market penetration againstal pell and google and samsung, this is going to be

something that could potentially help their he commerce engine and business. >> bishop said time and the market will tell whether the phone goes beyond the gimmick stage and is embraced by consumers. it's not low priced as many analysts predicted, $199 plus two years of at&t service, the fire phone has been in development for four years. >> for the longest time, the smart phone segment has been very well served by other players. once we got to the point where we in vented the new 3-d view and auto scrolling and fire fly, we realized we were on to a recipe that was very different. >> with 250 million current customers, it has a new user base to target first time buyers. >> how can you get it? it will be available exclusively from at&t july 25.

>> you were talking about whether or not it should be able to take a picture of a dress. >> getting to the red planet in 10-12 years, a california based company unveiled a spacecraft it hopes will carry nasa astronauts to the international space station since nasa dropped its own program. it handles cargo deliveries. >> he's a big thinker. >> temperatures across the country today, anymore mitch has that for us. >> it would be awesome if you could take a picture of someone's outfit and find out where to buy it, someone wearing a cute sun dress. >> just saying. >> all the women would like that app, i think. >> that he didn't 76 degrees. our big contrast with the midsection of the country.

rapid certify to omaha, you can see the differentiation in the temperatures. still a lot of 90's through the mid atlantic. we are on the backside of a front now in the northeast, cooling temperatures down 10 degrees, a little bit more comfortable out there. back to you guys. >> thank you, nicole. >> clashes erupting in the west bank after that search for the three missing israel teens leads to raised. the escalating tensions between palestinians and israelis as forces try to figure out where the boys are. >> a handcuffed inmate shot by a police officer. what the disturbing video reveals. >> dr. oz looking for the right treatment to fix his image after accused of promoting health products that don't live up to the hype. >> we're going to talk about what it takes for him to bounce back. >> one marine set to receive the nation's highest honor, the courage he showed on the battlefield to earn the medal of honor. >> last night's no-hitter by

l.a. dodger clayton kershaw, throwing 15 strikeouts helping his team shut out colorado. only one batter got on base as a result of a throwing error by the shortstop.

>> you're looking live across the east river from manhattan in queens. that is the pepsi sign. the company once had a bottling plant. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> ahead in our next hour is the race towards the mid terms picking up speed, women are looking to a. voice on capitol hill. we will discuss whether 2014 will abgood year for women in politics. >> scientists are raising to save the common banana as a fungus attacks it, making sure the yellow tree isn't wiped out. >> texas at the center of a controversy. newly released vote showed an el

paso police officer shooting and killing an inmate who was handcuffed. we have more and a warning, this video is graphic. >> it's a brief moment, an officer fires one shot at a handcuffed prisoner struggling on the ground. police say the story begins long before. police released a surveillance video showing what happens when a body builder was killed. he had been arrested for assault and soon after, began resisting officers. they're seen dragging him through the yale. he starts struggling outside. guards try to hold him down, but he kicks a understand turns repeatedly. as they scuffle, the officer reaches for his stun gun, but quickly pulls out his pistol. three seconds later, he fires one shot, hitting the man in the shoulder. >> it's certainly no accident officer floors pulled his gun,

but the actual discharge of the weapon was a very unfortunate accident. >> his attorney said the gun went off when a guard fell into the officer. he said the body builder's strength concerned the two law officers and stun guns failed to subdue the inmate five times that day. >> if he had gotten his covers in front of him, he could have used those cuffs to strangle either the civilian contractor or officer flores or someone else if he'd got be away. >> blood pores from the man. the officer performs c.p.r., but he soon die is. the death ignited anger along the border city. he was a competitive body builder, well known in some gyms. the autopsy showed he had steroids and stimulants in his system and acting erratically. supporters find his death difficult to understand, wondering how much a threat a

man could pose handcuffed. jonathan betz, aljazeera, new york. >> the el paso police department also opening and investigation. the officer involved, officer jose flores now on leave following that shooting. >> an 89-year-old philadelphia man may be extradited to germany for nazi war crimes, his case currently being heard in a federal court. he is accused of killing thousand of jewish people. he admits he was stationed at auschwitz but said his duties were guarding the perimeter. he was arrested at his home tuesday on a german warrant. >> creationism now banned in public schools in the united kingdom. the government reds a new set of guidelines requiring students be taught the theory of evolution and only other scientific facts. the move comes after a long campaign by secularists. they have the ok for all schools in the u.k. to ban teaching. religious schools can teach

crazyism. >> thousands of people in pakistan fleeing homes. the all the way is targets taliban who use a base as a home. >> they left on foot when no help arrived as bombs fell around them. these are residents trying to reach safety. pakistan's fill marry will continue in my the last fighter is flushed out. >> the family south ref final in the school. he is worried about those left behind and angry at the lack of preparation. >> there's no food. the government didn't make plans. we've been suffering for months, our houses bombed, in sent people of dying. we have nothing. >> almost everyone we spoke to who came to the town shared similar sentiments. some have come to the adjoining area after going through multiple check points and

searches. tribal areas and the management authorities are making arrangements for those displaced. >> 30,000 people are believed to have left only on wednesday when curfew conditions were allowed. we cannot enter, but people are allowed to leave. >> hundred was trucks were allowed to go in to get those stuck inside. those who came out say the government's claims of providing free transportation were just that. the government will provide every destitute family several dollars a month as many ever south shelter with relatives. it isn't convincing those made homeless. >> this is cruel and unjust. i'm an elder of the area. if they want to target foreign fighters, we would have gone with them. they should have come to us before sending jets to bomb us. >> the military said it's killed more than 200 fighters, mostly foreigners, media have not been given access to the area.

those coming out say thousands who cannot afford transport remain trapped between the taliban and the army. >> pakistan announce that had new offensive on sunday. troops have circled the area as fighter jets found northern villages and suspected taliban heightouts. >> fighting broke out during an israeli military raid, forces looking for three teenagers missing for a week. hundred was palestinians flooded the streets throwing explosives and rocks at the soldiers. since the search operation began, 3,000 palestinians have been arrested. we are live with more. any break through's yet, does the israel government have any idea where these teenagers are? >> it doesn't seem that they do. it's been a week today since

these israeli teenagers went missing in the occupied west bank. there have been intensive raised and military operations across the whole of the west bank, focused on the city of hebron in the south of the west bank. that's a city close to where the three went missing. this includes house raised, a lot of arrests, over 300 people arrested since the three teenagers went missing last thursday. a lot of those arrested, really the vast majority of hamas. that is who the israeli prime minister holds responsible for the missing teenagers. so far, no one claimed responsibility. no one has come forward with demands. there are no specific clues about where they are. >> israeli continues to accuse hamas of this. where does that lead palestinian politics, specifically this new

unity government formed a month ago with pass at a and hamas coming together. that where do things stand with that? >> the unity government was always going to face major challenges, rival factions that came together for a unity government, but israeli criticized it heavily. they never wanted this to happen, because they view hamas as a terrorist organization. they were never in favor of this. this throws them into something of a crisis. ma'am mass have not yet claimed responsibility for these kidnappings. >> thank you so much this morning. >> a mediocre lodge for hillary clinton's memoir, her book about her years as secretary of state. book scan tracking book sales said she sold ate 5,000 copies.

clinton received $14 million up front for that book. while many are wanting and waiting to see if hillary clinton will make another run for the white house, we take a look at the senate. there are 20 women currently running for the u.s. senate, 11 democrats and nine republicans. of the 34 states with senate race, a little less than half have potential female candidates, including four running as incumbents and four for open seats, eight running as challengers. the professor of campaign management at n.y.u. joins us. are we looking at the year of the woman in politics. >> >> it is. it is an overused phrase, but at that point, what we were looking at was the sheer number of women in the senate, now we're looking at the role they can play shaping the partisan makeup of

the senate and future of the -- >> on that note, one of the things a lot of people seem to be pointing at is while this is stalemate in congress an capitol hill, the women on both sides of the aisle seem to get things done. they meet privately and discuss what they're going to do. >> they absolutely do. women are smarter, better, right, right? [ laughter ] >> i'm an impartial journalist. i will let you continue. >> it's absolutely true. there is a sense that congress has had a really difficult time, and that's an understatement, getting things done. people are looking for fresh, new voices. much of that is coming from the statehouses, from the lower levels of the political rung and many of the new fresh voices women. we see them in governor's, holding the governor ship -- >> and the majority of voters are women. >> the majority of voters are women. we still number wise are not near where we need to be. with 20 women in the senate, we are only 20% of the senate and

well over half the population. we still have a ways to go. yet, people looking for something new in the senate and house, something that works, and actually can function are turning to women as potential new voices. >> let's talk about hillary clinton and she hasn't announced that the polls say if she ran, she would win with 66% of the vote. i want to go back to 2008 when barack obama was elected. part of the movement, part of that surge in popularity was the fact that the anyways was poised to select its first black president. hillary clinton if she ran could become the first female president. how much which that role will surge, women say finally play in a presidential election? >> i think it will play a big role. this is a race for the middle, for independence. you're going to find women independents who normally wouldn't move over to the democratic side who will say look it, it is time for a woman. >> are you saying a woman will

vote for a woman just because she's a woman. >> not just because. i don't think you'll see many republican women crossing the line or democrats. in the middle, where we're fighting for that 20%, 20% vote for republican and democratic regardless of who's running, it's that middle they're fighting for. in the middle, to your point, i think you will see women citing we're going to give this woman a shot. it's time that we elect a woman. we're well behind the rest of the world and our failure to have a woman executive in history. >> does it make a difference whether the politician is male or female? >> it makes a different. gender plays a role. you see women, we saw this in the park that city mayoral race. women get hit on different things than men and vice versa. gender plays a role. more of the voting public is women. many issues people care about deal with women's issues and we're looking for new and fresh

voices out there. women may really give people, voters, something to look at and be excited about. for hillary clinton, the danger's going to be being tied to hen, her husband and barack obama. >> as always, thanks for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >> so far, brazil's world cup has been a hit after months of concern the country wouldn't be ready, fans turned out in droves. there is plenty to do in brazil, even if you don't have tickets to a game. >> it's an invasion, world cup fans from 32 countries outnumbering brazilians in rio de janeiro. on this day, chile and spain faced each other. >> there's just so much going on. i've never been anywhere quite so international, where you've got to so many different nations from all over the word all mitching together. >> down the street, we join a

group watching the australian nexter hands match. it's critical tort aussies. >> you got to believe. >> their good luck charm wasn't enough to keep australia in the tournament. from algeria to japan, fans have come from every continent. by far, the largest numbers from neighboring argentina and chile. many driving here in camper vans like this one, where five sleep at a time after driving 5,000 kilometers to get here. >> from here, we drive to sao paulo for the game against the netherlands. >> while they wait for their next match, they practice their favorite sport on the beach where tens of thousands watch the world cup because most tickets have run out.

>> authorities are cracking down on tickets sold on the black market, 20 times their price. two british citizens have been arrested, accused of running an illegal black market scam from a posh hotel. >> with or without a ticket, the fans' enthusiasm is insatiable. >> many left their jobs and girlfriends to come and enjoy the world cup. >> enjoy it they have, even those whose teams will be going home early. aljazeera, rio de janeiro. >> u.s. fans have bought the most tickets to games, second only to the host country, brazil. >> lieu see ya seems to be have gone a tough time. >> tough assignment. >> dr. oz getting a tough talking to in washington. >> will he bounce back from accusations are misleading

viewers over weight loss. >> the president preparing to bestow the nation's highest honor to a marine who put his life on the line in combat. >> the didn't even ask for the money they just shot him. >> horrendous crimes committed by kids. >> i think that at sixteen it's a little too early to write him off for life. >> should they be locked away for good? >> he had a tough upbringing but he still had to have known right from wrong.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. just ahead, scientists are trying to prevent a disease from wiping out the banana. >> senators scolding dr. oz for pitching diet products they say offer false weight loss claims. >> he is toning down his language on the show. dr. oz says he can be a little over the top. i say this is for the sake of the show? >> that's right. he says it's an effort to engage viewers, but realizes now he may have gone too far. after that grilling on capitol hill, he is second guessing every word he says on the show. >> today's show is a real eye

opener. >> dr. oz has the eyes and ears of millions of americans who tune in to his nationally syndicated show. when he says things like this. >> this little bean has scientists saying they found a magic weight loss cure. >> it's no wonder sails for green coffee beans skyrocketed, after oz promoted them, including bogus brands making false claims. this week in front of a congressional hearing, senators took dr. oz to task, saying his overly passionate language contributes to the overall problem. >> no one's telling you not to use passion, but passion in connection with the word miracle, pill and weight loss is a recipe for disaster in this environment in terms of the people who are looking for an easy fix. >> the t.v. host said he's a victim, because on line entrepreneurs are pitching products using quotes from him as endorsements without his approval. >> i should have been savvy enough to say to myself, that i

should just say here are the companies i trust, just buy their product, they're not going to scam you or make illegal claims. >> the doctor wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. he is always insisted his intentions are good but realizes that's not good enough. >> weight loss is big business in the u.s. americans spend $40 billion per year on diet programs and products. there were roughly 7.6 million incidents of weight loss fraud in 2011. dietary suppplements don't need f.d.a. approval. there is no guarantee the products are safe or effective. joining us to discuss this is the chief creative officer in brand development. dr. oz is a highly rewarded cardio thoracic surgeon. he admitted that he represented weight loss products that he doesn't know whether or not they

work. this is exactly what he said: >> what effect has what happened with him on capitol hill this week going to have on his credibility? >> i think it's put a serious dent in his credibility. the doctor now is a lot more than a doctor. he's really a brand. he's a media empire in a sense. if you take a look at where he's spending his time, i have to think most is on his program and his media. with power comes responsibility, and so, he really does need to be a lot more rigorous about the therapies that he talks about to those millions of viewers, and how he frames them and the language that he uses. >> why would he take such a risk going down this path with these products? >> you have to look at how he's talking about them.

he's very careful not to ever promote a particular brand. in fact, if you go on his facebook page, he will say look, if you see a picture of me on an advertisement for one of these product, don't buy it. >> which has happened. he said he's been the victim of that. did he open himself up to that, though? >> well, he is kind of a victim and he has pursued some of those char la tans. he can't control what others do. i needs to be more rigorous about the language he uses and what he talks about. >> should he not go down the path anymore with these particular products? >> it's part of his whole thing. i mean, he's an interesting guy. >> very. >> one generation ago, his family was in a tiny village in the middle of turkey. one of the things that he wants to do is demisstyify medicine.

he should not walk away from that what he is about. he needs to be more thoughtful about what it is that he talks about and the language that he uses. that's really brand management. it's sort of promise what it is that i'm offering, purpose, what am i doing, what's my mission, and then behavior, how am i going about the things that i do and then what we call voice, what's the language that i use. that's where he's broken down, invoice and the rigor that he applies to the products he chooses to talk about. >> we'll have to see if going forward, he makes adjustments. >> he has to. >> he has to. howard belk, specializing in brand management, thank you so much. >> happy to be here. >> bananas under threat from a

fungus affecting trade in indonesia and malaysia. scientists are trying to make sure the entire industry isn't wiped out. >> a single variety doesn't bruise and looks good on supermarket shelves, but vulnerable to t.v.4. in the 1950's, a similar disease destroyed the industry, which was based on a single variety. here in belgium, they're trying to make sure it never happens again. the professor is in charge of the world banana collection. he safeguards 1400 varieties, spotting ones that can resist disease. it's a banana database to guarantee stocks for the future. >> next step is that when we are able to find resistance, we also now develop technology for breeding, so we are able to cross bananas and develop new ones. >> the scientists argue that

they're guiding principle is preserving the bio divers city of the worlds bananas and all these consumer pressure to have perfectly formed bananas on our she was is a really bad thing and makes economies dependent on bananas especially vulnerable to disease. >> tr4 enters the roots and chokes it. it stays in the soil for 30 years. it spread to mozambique. in the greenhouse, it was wiped out during the last outbreak. it won't be as bad this time. some bananas prove resistant, but relying on so-called monocultures is asking for trouble. >> everybody uses the word sustainability. sustainability is in fact diversity, different crops, different varieties, and if do you that, then you also create

in the soil diversity witch plays a developmental roll in the variety of crops. >> little known varieties taste better and have greater nutritional value. it would be better for us, as well. >> there are about 1,000 varieties of bananas, the most popular the cavendish, usually the one you see in the super markets. >> let's look at wet weather that we can expect across the country today. high, nicole. >> it's in some of those same places. we have problems getting out the door in the midsection of the country. we have one system pulling out of the rockies and that stationery boundary that's been causing problems for days, kind of where all that is intersecting. we have heavy rain that is going to be part of the firing line from the midwest to north texas for possible strong storms today. some of the rain moving through

the northeast. as i said, the big hush is in the midwest where we already have flooding concerns because it's been day after day of this rain. >> nicole, thank you so much. >> he used his body to cover a live grenade trying to save his comrades. now he's set to receive the nation's highest honor. a corps really a lost his right eye and most of his teeth. congrats to you. >> tomorrow morning on aljazeera america, it's been two months since hundreds of school girls were kidnapped in nigeria. last month, parents and the international community cheered when the u.s. offered to help find them. >> it's been a month and u.s. efforts come up short. tomorrow morning, we're going to update you on the rescue operation. >> thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> straight ahead, we're going to talk about the battle over iraq's largest oil refinery as

the government battles the rebels. >> have a great day. e a great day.