[ speaking foreign language ] marching in step. shia groups show unity with the iraqi government. and a u.s. presbyterian church votes to take millions of dollars out of the israel because of the conflict with palestine. >> sounds to me like they are saying in one day all the things i learnt in buoy scouts, my

morals changed. a bond of brothers broken by a long-held tradition. skating by - what prompted thousands to grab their boards and glide through the city streets? good morning to you. welcome to al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm morgan radford. the turmoil in iraq prompted a schedule change for secretary of state john kerry. this as i.s.i.l. continues its bloody rampage. deadly clashes erupted in two cities overnight. in western iraq north of baghdad i.s.i.l. rebels killed 36 shia fighters, most supporting the ruling government, who asked for their help fighting the rebels. 34 were killed by i.s.i.l. fighters. they were one of the last

government-held crossings. meanwhile secretary of state john kerry heads to the middle east to discuss the rebel offensive. he will travel to europe, where he'll meet with gulf and nato leaders. there's a team of reporters tracking the situation from baghdad to washington d.c. let's begin with imran khan, where tenses of thousands are marching to show support for the iraqi government. >> clearly this is a show of strength by the southerists. they are ready to defend baghdad. these are designed to be peace plat oops, not to go on -- platoons, not to go on the offensive. take a look. i'm surrounded by armed men. these images will worrisome people, reminding them of the mahdi army and the days of sectarian violence in 2006, '07 and '08. muqtada al-sadr said this is not the mahdi army, but a peace

platoon designed to protect baghdad. >> that was imran khan reporting from iraq. we'll go back to baghdad in a moment. first to washington where lisa stark joins us live. lisa, several developments coming out this morning, including secretary of state john kerry's planned trip to the middle east. what can you tell us about that? >> well, the secretary of state john kerry is supposed to leave tomorrow on the diplomatic mission, making a number of stops in the middle east and europe. his first stop expected to be ayman, jordan, and heading to brussels and paris. that's for nato meetings there. now, his whole point, or one of the big points of the trip is to try to figure out how to bring stability back to iraq, and he is going to be pushing the u.s. agenda, pushing the u.s. position that we need a more inclusive government in iraq. when kerry gets to the second portion of his trip, he has another crisis, talking about

the crisis in ukraine. a busy schedule for the secretary of state. there is some talk that he may head to iraq. we don't know, the white house has not indicated whether it will be on this trip or a later time. but at some point the secretary of state may, in fact, head into that country. speaking of the white house, the first group of u.s. military advisors are expected to arrive in iraq today. what is first on the agenda once they get there? >> the white house indicated it will send up to 300 special forces troops into iraq. they are really there to put, in a sense, our eyes and ears there in iraq. they are there to advice and to assess what is going on with the ricky military. they are giving the u.s. a first-hand look on the ground of what is going on there. here is pentagon spokesman rear admiral john kirby. >> we are performing the missions at the request of the

iraqsy government. this is not an invasion, we are doing this at the request and in consultation with the iraqi government. we have not been presence in iraq in any mass since 2011. there's a lot to learn and gain here. that's the mission very have been assigned, that's what we are focussed on. >> there is a lot to learn. that's what they are trying to do, get a first-hand assessment. what they learn will partially determine what happens going forward with the u.s. response in iran. >> you mentioned going forward. what is interesting is that while all this is happening the obama administration tips to insist that american troops will not fight in iraq. is there a sense that things will change if things continue to get worse? >> it's always hard to say, of course, but the president has been adamant that there'll be no boots on the ground. and, of course, when he ran for

the presidency the first type, a key issue was he wanted to get the u.s. out of iraq. the american public has little stomach for going back in. members of congress feel the same. it would have to ben an extraordinary -- be an extraordinary circumstance before you see u.s. combat troops in iraq. lisa stark joins us from washington disx c. thank you for being with us. now the tone of violence affecting civilians as they go about their normal lives. >> this is a weekend ritual, a friday book mart. here you find text books, children's book, poetry. it's part of the culture held dear. this man has a library of 2,000 books. in these times they don't hold answers. >> i am an iraqi. i don't know what happened.

what's the problem, i don't know, iran, saudi arabia, hamas - i don't know. >> reporter: with a son in the u.s. he plans to join him, in tennessee. the street is the heart of traditional iraqi culture. abdul amir sells a cold drige made of cold lemons. he has seen war and revolution, but not a lot to show for it. >> i'm 75 years old. i have nothing. i'm not a government employee. i spent my life as a labourer and will die as a labourers. >> cafas look packed but they are more crowded. a lot of people are staying home, worried about a looming battle. this is a nation of survivors, surviving three wars in three decades. the street is blown up in a car bomb attack and rebuilt. the threats facing iraq are so complex a lot of people don't

know how the country will survive this crisis. people used to blament the united states. most believe the u.s. set the stage for this by toppling saddam hussein. a decade later they blamed their ob politicians. >> the politicians failed us and the government failed us. they are not working in a patriotic way to raise the country to be equal. >> with the cities falling to rebel fighters, many iraqis feel there's no space. this man is a scientist and writer. she says these days she is confused and afraid. >> i will not lie. i'm thinking of leaving the country. for a woman like me, who is educated. in charge of her own freedom. i love my freedom. >> here for a while people forget the threat of war.

but with a region in turmoil, they are not sure how long the street will be an owe asis of -- oasis of culture. we'll go live to baghdad later in the half our. three american soldiers were killed in afghanistan, dying with the i.e.d. exploding in the southern part of the country. the taliban claimed responsibility. they stepped up the offensive. there were one person dying in another explosion today in kabul. police say it was a suicide attack, targetting an afghan peace official who survived the blast. he is the second most senior figure on the peace council set up by the president to engage the taliban. a number of c.d.c. scientists exposed to anthrax may be higher than reported. as many as 86 people may have come in contact with the deadly bacteria, up from the estimate of 75. so far no illnesses have been

reported, and there are reports, however, that congress will hold hearings on the matter. to avoid condemrilent the c.d.c. -- conflict the c.d.c. turned the investigation over to the department of agriculture. a second wave of ebola has killed hundreds in west africa. the world health organisation says more than 330 died in guinea, sierra leone and liberia. doctors without borders say the outbreak is out of control, and there's no cure or vaccine for the virus. the latest is the deadliest since the first outbreak reported 40 years ago, when 280 people were killed in the democratic republic of congo. a new fight by the white house in the battle over ilimmigration the the aborigine rock illegal immigration. the obama administration is stepping up april gaines people crossing -- against people

crossing illegally. >> as the humanitarian crisis un folds the administration is making it clear children and families streaming to the united states at the border with mexico must turn back. if apprehended they'll be september back. the administration is trying to counteract the rumour that is drying many of these children and families to get into the united states. if they get here, there'll be an axe nesty, they'll say that it is not the case that they are emphasising. vice president vice president joe biden in guatemala with a sup it of leaders, sending the same message that if they come to the country there's no legal mechanism by which they can stay. the administration is sending millions to the same countries to assist in the repatriation of many that tried to come to the united states and are hard to turn away and do something about the violence afflicting the youth of many of the countries, honduras, guatemala and el

salvador. the funding include $40 million to reduce gang membership in guatemala. $75 million for outreach centers in el salvador, and $8.5 million to build outreach distress in honduras. trying to be as clear as possible was the white house spokesman josh ernst at a daily briefing on friday. >> we are working in a collaborative fashion to try to address the problem at its root. some is an informational campaign, and countering this intentional misinformation campaign that has been propagated by criminal syndicates. >> reporter: families that have have been apprehended can't be turned back. many are at deteping facility why is -- detention facilities at military bases 150 arriving on friday in oklahoma at fort

seal. lachlin air force base and ventura county naval base in southern california being used. al jazeera's mike viqueira in washington d c. more than 50,000 unaccompanied migrant kids have been detained in the past eight months, an almost 100% increase from the previous year. >> heavy storms wreak havoc across the midwest. causing flash flooding, creating mudslides, flash flooding and closed streets. four inches of rain fell across the city, the most in one day. a state of emergency was called in 35 counties. it's time for a check of the weather. what can those people in the midwest expect. not exactly a welcome they were hoping for. >> not at all. we'll see more rain, the threat of flooding will continue through the weekend. we are dealing with a threat of

strong to severe storms. areas across parts of the midwest. we have an area of disturbed weather off the coast rgs throwing in moisture and we'll watch for the stronger storms. looking offer the last seven days, the areas dealing with major flooding, we have seen 8-10 inches. this has been the westest month on record. we are expecting more rain. here is a look at the riff dealing with flooding occurring. and we have four games. it includes an sioux river. here is a look at all the areas that are deal with warnings, that will be in effect as we go through the day to day. the rain will continue. it's not going to be app all-out wash out of a day, but scattered showers and thunder storms a good bet. we have the clouds in face, hery

rain fall in an area shaded in red. it will continue as we head out on sunday as well. the rain not letting up. we'll see one, upwards of three inches of rain as we get into the next 72 hours, taking us into monday. it will be the first day of summer, great news across the northern hemisphere. we have been feeling hot. today is the day when the top of the earth tilts towards the sun, and we'll stay warm for the next couple of months. across the south-east it will be steamy. moisture, heat and humidity. high textures, but it will feel like -- temperatures, but it will feel like tripple digits. clean-up efforts are underway no colorado after an oil spill. a storage tank affected by flooding water dumped 7500 gallons of oil near windsor.

officials say drinking water appears to be unaffected, but it sustained vegetation. the fbi is investigating a laser incident at the los angeles airport. a pilot was visually impaired by a laser light when trying to land at l.a. x this week. the u.s. airways airbus was 9 thouds feet above the -- 9,000 feet above the ground when someonion a laser light into the cockpit. the fbi is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. last year there were over 4,000 lasers incidents. coming up the press be tearian church pulls its funds. we'll tell you about the vote that has them taking back their money from businesses in israel. speaking out against the mafia. pope francis on a mission to

pray for peace in a mafia stronghold. why a surge in counterfeit hearurements are costing tens of thousands of lives. >> i'm simon mcgregor-wood. scientists gather to celebrate against a rock face, changing the understanding of human history. presbyterian

good morning to you. welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm morgan radford. the presbyterian using its wallet to weigh in on the israeli-palestine crisis. first the temperatures across the country with meteorologist eboni deon. >> it will be a cool one across the north-east. other areas will be baking. it's here across the south-east where temperatures are starting off in the lower to mid 7 #s. in savannah, highs of 96. it will feel hotter. heat advisories in effect.

it will be a scorcher out there. keep it in mind. further inland as we head out across the lower mississippi valley. as we take a look elsewhere, denver, 108 in phoenix, a little cooler in the mid west. for the end of the weekend we keep the heat around. denver is not quite as hot. it looks like another day where temperatures will hit the low 90s. now to the top story, the turmoil in iraq. we are there covering all angles for us now. we saw your peace. it gave us a sense of how life changed for the average iraqis. is there a sense that american troops could bring stability to the region. >> it's a nice thought, but

probably not. it's the painful brief answer. this country is broken. the big news this morning is security sources. alcrime is said to have fallen to fighters from islamic state of iraq and levant. it is where u.s. marines were in 2004, 2005, and they painfully wrestled it from control of al qaeda. they appeared to regain control to the offshoot, but they have a border crossing. they have weapons back and forth from syria. the u.s. help that is ask, in the form of intel zens and air strikes. 300 personnel on the ground will be welcome. it will not be decisive, according to officials here. in addition we saw the show of support. is that likely to add fuel to a nasty conflict?

>> it absolutely is. the thing that really dragged the country into civil war a few years ago was when shia militias came out and started to fight with some of the sunni groups. it led to a civil war that some fear could be rising again. i spoke to some of those - the militia members from the army, after launching the parade that we saw in sadder city, and they plained they were putting on the uniforms it save iraq and it's the way they see it. every group wants to save iraq, but wants to save iraq for itself. so the increasing presence of militias is one of the factors that is leading to the fragmentation of this count riff. it's a worry -- country. it's a worrying sign to most people. we'll keep our eyes on the unfolding situation. we'll come back live to jane later in the hour. the israeli military is

launching air strikes in the gaza strip , the third day in a row. the crater was created by one of those attacksment check it out. the army is targetting hamas, and the tryings are in response -- strikes are in response to rocket attacks. six have been injured since the ai strikes began. israeli and american jewish groups are denounce k a measure by the u.s. presbyterian church. they voted to pull $70 million from three american companies working in israel. john hendren reports that the businesses are supporting an unjust occupation. >> the vote passes 69% to 49%. >> reporter: it was a vote heard halfway around the world in israel. the presbyterian church u.s.a. voted to divest from three american companies accused of profiting from israel's occupation of palestine land. the decision means the church will pull investments from

caterpillar, hewitt art packard and motorola from efforts to sustain israeli human rights abuses. it was a controversial move inside the church. >> it misses the mark in so gar as a solution. -- so far as a solution. it adds fuel to the extreme positions on either side. >> we need to divest because of investment that we were able to break the apartheid thing in south africa. and i think money talk, and i think that there are times when justice is going on, we need to divest the church, taking a moral stance to right injustice. the church's debate drew in jewish groups against divestment wearing love us, doin leave us. >> we need to meet people where they are, and not a place where we are demonizing them. others came in reading "another

jew for divestment", it's caused difficulties in our family, we like to say two jews, three opinions. that's true on every issue. >> in a statement caterpillar said:. >> reporter: hewlett packard said. . >> reporter: proponents say israel will be pressured to come to the table. the church reversed its position on gay marriage, voting to redefine marriage. it's a vote that needs to be radified by a majority of presbyterian churches, proving that this is not the staunchy american church of yesteryear. this is not the first time an american church used

divestment to protest israeli policies. the quakers and others sold stock in companies that do business with israel. last week the pension board of the united methodist church sold its stock due to contracts with israeli prisons. an outlandish bonish culture, is how some described the veteran affairs department. the agency paid $3 million in bonus to 300 executives. the agency says the bonuses are necessary to keep leaders making less that they would in the private sector. the bonus system fails veterans and needs to be overhauled. the u.s. army general who became the face of the military sexual assault problem has been demoted. jeffrey sinclair was forced to refire on friday -- retire tonne friday, two ranks lower than his position as a brigadier general.

that means he will not receive what he would have been entitled to taking on the italian mafia. pope francis heads to a strong hold despite the dakers, to -- dangers, to get people to turn from their wicked waves. the oranga tan's birth that may help doctors save the species.

welcome back, i'm morgan radford, these are the top stories. a powerful shiite group holding a show of power. tens of thousands marched in parades. they volunteered to help the iraqi army stop sunni rebels. the biggest ept held in sadder

city. over in detroit the presbyterian church voted to divest $70 million. including investments with katter pill a, hugh art packard and motor roller, in the israeli settle: those against the move say it will be seen as an attack on israel. it's been a heavy week of storms. rain created mudslides, and flash flooding across the region. more storms are expected to impact just this weekend. pope francis is taking one of the world's biggest criminal organizations by storm. he's in southern italy, where a 3-year-old was murdered by the mafia in january. he met with family members, telling them it must never happen again. he spoke with hundreds of

inmates and til friend is live -- tim friend is live for us. what is the pope's message to the mafia? >> well, it's a forceful one. he came following the death, the shooting to death of that 3-year-old boy in a mafia shoot-out. it shocked the nation. it's used to mafia crime, but i think this was one step four, and the pope obviously decided enough is enough. you can see behind me the pilgrims are gathering to hear mass in a couple of hours time. the pope will be making a speech. he has visited a prison where some relatives of the dead child, they are a mafia family, are being held, and he said the killing must stop and his warping to the mafia is you must stop, repent orened up in hell. that's how he put it. that's straightforward. what is interesting is on the other side of the coin the mafia

plays up its ties with the catholic church. will the pope's announcement make a difference? >> the mafia are always keen to boast about their ties with the church. it's in their interests to do so. sometimes it's justified. the mafia involvement here in italy is endemic. it's huge, especially in regions like this in the south. not just at the local level when it comes to plans positions, but also when it comes to buying influence in the church. the mafia bosses love to par i had themselves at the forefront of local saints days, friendships. that link is there. that's what makes it harder for the pope to tackle it. >> so speak frankly, in 1993, a priest spoke out against organised crime. after that he was assassinated

by the mafia. is pope francis putting his life at rick? >> -- at risk? >> well, that's a good question. i am sure it's one that occurred to many people. i think it would be a massive own goal for the mafia to attempt anything like that against the pope. they will not, i don't think, seriously countenance that. he is making a stand. and you are right to say that there has been retribution in the past. there have been bombings of churches in rome in the '90s, when people spoke out. so anyone who makes a stand over this, whether it be former victims, reformed criminals or a pope is going into dangerous territory. >> tim friend joining us live. thank you for peeping with us. the -- being with us this morning. the u.s. lost more than 400

military drones in major crashes sense the 9/11 attacks. each costing $11 million, questioning the safety of the aircraft. it blames mechanical break downs and bad weather. the investigation comes as the f.a.a.'s revelation. the first set of the sizors will arrive in iraq. as secretary of state john kerry is set to travel there. the state department says they'll ask in the middle east tomorrow, travelling to europe, discussing the crisis with govl and n.a.t.o. leaders. it comes as divisions within the iraqi government appears to have deepened. a powerful cleric pressures the shia led legs lace to create a more effective government. mike lyons is here to join us,

retired army major and senior fellow with the trueman project. secretary of state john kerry's trip, is it doomed. he's asking the iraqi government to create an inclusive paradig of power. how likely is it? >> he has to walk a thin line. he'll have to be persuasive, look over the horizon and get nouri al-maliki to understand that iraq is under an ex-so substantially -- existential threat. and if he doesn't do something, the country may be gone. i want to go to the notion of mistrust. "the wall street journal" said that president obama set up a secret plan to help the iraqi government to fight sunni extremists, and it fizzled partly because the u.s. didn't trust the iraqi government to keep the information out of the hands of the iranian government. how big a factor is trust in moving forward? >> it's a big factor.

we have not had that in the past. we had situations where we looked to the iraqi government to do certain things for us, to work situations inside of syria, and have not been able to trust the government. i think that going forward perhaps that's where they should start, say "look, let's be transparent and share the information going forward and not tal rate the leaks going out. the iranian government is something that the united states has to be careful of. it's an enemy of the united states, we can't flip a switch and say now they are on our side. >> you touched on something interesting. you noted the concept much transparency. let's go what the she item cleric had to say: does nouri al-maliki need to

step down. >> that may signal the beginning of the end, given the influence that the ayatollah has. he has to consider the forces. with secretary of state john kerry coming. he's watching the militias line up. he's at risk of losing the country. if he doesn't bring in sunnis, kurds and understand that i.s.i.s. is a threat to the united states, they could lose the whole thing. with all the forces at play, what about president obama's comments about finding a political solution. given all the force, is that likely. >> president obama is pained to talk about this. it's almost like he doesn't want to address it. very limited military situation, we have seen that. the air strikes called back. 300 advisors providing clarity. i think he wants to lead with the political situation. the worst thing is having air

strikes attacked sunnis and other arabs. that is the continued downward spiral. what about boots on the ground? he said there wouldn't be boots on the ground. do you get a sense it will change? >> we have seen this before, the 300 advisors could go to 1,000 advisors. boots on the ground means a no large conventional forces. the 300 sol yours will be in -- soldiers will be in harm's way. americans will be invested in the fight if they are killed or captured. >> we'll see how it plays out. thank you for being with us. retired army major and senior fellow with the truman national security project. there are several candidates emerging to replace nouri al-maliki as prime minister. let's look at three. they are shia and spent much of their life outside of iraq. they are familiar faces inside iraqi politics. one is akmed shalabi living in

the united states and u.k. for the most part. he's a math metition with a degree from m it and is controversial. the u.s. had a love-hate relationship, and he was a source before the war that saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction, which was false. he became part of iraq's new government and encouraged removing sunnis frommons. he's been accused of embezzling. and then another contender that lived in france. he failed by one vote in 2006 to become iraq's prime minister. he became vice president and was a moderate working well with the kurdish minority. he stepped down, angry at what he called a disfunctional deposit. then there's another candidate. a neurosurgeon spending decades living in exile in britain, he

narrowly escaped an axe attack in his bedroom in the '70s, likely an assassination attempt by saddam hussein. after his removal he became the prime minister. he was accused of corruption and simply being too harsh. some iraqis called him the saddam without a must ach. local media said at the time he shot insurgents in the head at a plegs. he denies that. his party won the most seats in 2010. he lost his job as prime minister thanks to nouri al-maliki. he might make a comeback, but it's unclear if they'll have enough support to topple the current leader. police in china shot dead 13 men after a bomb attack. the men drove a car into a police station and set off explosions. they are blaming the uyghur people pore in and other

attacks. last week chinese officials executed dozens of me for terrorist attack, accusing uyghur separatists of deadly bombing and knife attacks throughout china. ethnic uyghur leaders deny involved. the wogs estimates -- world health organisation estimates 10% of drugs sold worldwide are fake. the count fit drug -- counter fit cug during -- drug business is worth $175 million. >> reporter: last november this map god malaria and -- man got malaria and tif i had. the drugs he took were fake. he brought them at a pharmacist. >> i was very week. i had rabz in my nose -- reaction in my nose, boils. my legs - it was like my health

was getting deteriorated. the world health organisation says hundreds of thousands of people get sick in africa every year from accidentally taking fake drugs to treat illnesses. scientists at the anti-counterfeit drug agency do their best to get the fake drugs off the street, by testing what is on sale. consumers text them using a mobile phone, to check whether the drugs are authentic. they keep coming. >> sometimes alongside with the motor parts, motorcycle parts, sometimes they wrap them in clothing. and ship them like that. it's difficult to uncover them. the agency carries out raids like this in lagos. several were arrested for selling counterfeit drugs. the most common fake medicines

for malaria and tuberculosis. genuine med ips are more ex -- medicines are more expensive. many feel if it looks real, it may work. many fake drugs are sold to pharmacists who don't know they are fake. doctors say it's affecting relationships with apparent. >> a lot of time they come back and say "you treated me, i am not okay", they doubt your compete si, integrity as a clinician and makes you look like you don't know what you are doing. raids like this have helped to reduce drugs from in relation to malaria and tuberculosis. by 2012 the 60% tharm counterfeit fell -- that were counterfeit pel to 12%. it will take a wider effort to keep tem from getting into the country. scientists say counterfeit

drugs cost a fraction of the price, which is why many are dribbinged into -- tricked into buying them. orangutans are in danger of going ex-tink. we -- extinct. conservationists believe they have discovered the key to saving a vulnerable specie. >> reporter: maggie is a proud mum. an endangered assume art ran oranga tan she is protective of her baby boy and at 22 is getting the hang of motherhood. maggie runs here at this private shelter. her son is the first oranga tan in the world to be born using artificial insemination uch. >> the way that she cares for the baby is the way i felt when i took care of my children, how tender and gentle she is. they are so, so strong.

they'll clean every crevice in her baby's ear, and cradle and snuggle him. you can see the love there. you can't help but think "i have to save them." saving them has never been more urgent. scientists estimate oranga tans could be extinct in as few as 15 years if nothing is done to halt their habitat. >> there's not enough wild habitat to release them. if we can perfect this and work with people over there to collect genetic material and save it for the future, we may be able to save the species. >> marr chela and her team spent two years monitoring the cycle. fertility doctor, who treats humans stepped in to help. orang awe tans share 90% of d.n.a. with humans. >> apes, chim pans zees and oranga tans are similar to

humans. when i had the text that the baby was born, i was shellshocked. we were wait k, who knew what the due date was. i was happy, anxious and touched that i could participate. >> reporter: the team thops to help more than the orang u tans. the center has been open for five years. the center focussing on breeding the animal, promoting genetic diversity. but it is only part of the solution. >> preserving the wild places is the most important thing we can do. we must keep the balance of nature. what we do can compliment that effort. we are losing the war. we need to win some battles. this is one. >> a battle won here in a small way. there are now fewer than 50,000 orangutans across the

globe. speaking of animals the great white shark population is rebounding. they were a vulnerable species, but the numbers shot up 42% since 1997. scientists say the resurgents can be contributed to a federal law banning people from hunting great whites. even though the movie "jaws" gave the predators a bad wrap, only 13 died from unprovoked attacks in the last 100 years. an achievement overshadowed - bundle et cetera identical down to merit badges, and why a major difference is forcing one to quit the eagle scouts. the prehistoric art that rewrote history.

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so check this out. hundreds in the philippines are weaving through the streets on skate boards. those skaters are showing off tricks in celebration of go skateboarding day. those in manila hope to get the attention of local officials. they want the government to provide a skatepark to practice safely. welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york, i'm morgan radford. a controversial tradition forcing a twin brother out of the eagle scouts. first, a look at where rain will fau on the first day of -- fall on the first day of summer with meteorologist eboni deon. >> it will be wet in the north-west. we are dealing with a few showers and will do so through the day. a number of areas across minnesota, down to missouri, iowa and nebraska are dealing with flood warnings. here is a look at how things are shaping up. heavy rain this morning, waning,

but showers around. we could be dealing with thunder storms and an upper level lou bringing wet weather into texas. the buoy scouts of micro -- boy scouts under america is coming under criticism for the ban of gay adults. attorney general eric holder said it is perpetuating a worse stereotype. twin brothers, boy south in seattle -- boy scouts in seattle and putting them in dilemma. >> reporter: there's a bond all siblings have, and a bond of identical twins. >> we always have been together as twins. we don't know what it will be like to not. it has always been this way. >> reporter: born four minutes apart they have been side by side. as honour students, athletes... >> on my honour i'll do my best. >> reporter: and ooel scouts,

the highest rank been the boy scouts, a rang fewer than one in 10 achieve. the two are not exactly alike. august is straight, and liam is gay. he first told his family when he was 14 years old. iment i told them i needed to tell them something. they looked worried. when i told them, "mum, dad, i think i'm gay." they were like "oh, my god, we are so relieved. we thought you got in trouble with the police, or something like that.". >> reporter: the boy scouts were not accepting. the official policy, no gays allowed. >> it's been rough growing up in a cool organization, and at one point hearing that no, we don't want you. that's not cool. liam challenged the policy by sharing his story with the high school newspapers. >> he was willing to stand up in front of everyone, on page one and say "this is who i am, i

know the possible consequence, but in the is important to me.". >> . >> reporter: then in january the policy on gays changed. scouts under 18 can be openly gay. scout leaders cannot. the twins are now 18. which means august can continue on as a scout leader, but liam's scouting career is over. >> the membership standards for adults are different the the leadership role is a different role. >> sounds to me like they are saying that in one day all of the things i learnt in buoy scouts, my morals changed. >> the boy scouts declined our request for an interview. it said it does not ask leaders following the don't ask, don't tell. once embraced by the military. as the twin head to clem in the fall -- college in the fall, the

conflict remains. >> liam has been struggling with it. i also have been struggling with it. >> will the two continue to follow the oath from the scouts or move on from a beloved organization that may ultimately split them apart? 150 years ago it was a discovery that rewrote the history of human origins. a group of archeologists found a mammoth touching engraved with drawings. as simon mcgregor-wood describes it, it revolutionized the understanding of the human species. >> reporter: in 1864 this valley in france was the scene of a discovery. this week scientists gathered to commemorate it. an actor playing the part of the eminent french paleontologist at the heart of the drama. he found chards of mammoth

tusks. put together they made a whole. on it a drawing by human hands of a mammoth, a stunning revelation. it proved man and mammoth walked the earth at the same time. destroying contemporary theory. >> it's not a weapon, it's not a tool. it's an object for maybe decoration, maybe for religious reason. we don't know. it's not an object for a specific function. it's like a painting by a famous painter or something. it's really an object made by an artist. >> reporter: what happened here was a rare moment when science chanced upon a key helping to unlock understanding about early human de.. it was a tri -- development. it was a triumph of thought and inquiry over superstation. it proved beyond doubt that homosapiens, human being were holder than thought. the touching is 14,000 years

old. in the 19th century most led by the church thought the whole world was 6,000 years old, revolutionizing the study of evolution. >> you have an evolution of those people, et cetera, thousands and thousands of years ago before christ arrived, that changes the outlook and the church adopted it. it took a long time. >> reporter: at the nearby national museum of prehistory they hold 6 million individual finds detailing early human life. the touching stars in an exhibit to celebrate. it showed distant ancestors were older than what we thought and capable of symbolic expression, art, interpreting the world around them. they were, in every sense, truly human. over the years at the very same site scientists uncovered

woolly rhinos and wolverine. at the end of the first hour, here is what we are following. a somehow of support in sadder city for nouri al-maliki. shia groups marched. they volunteered to help the iraqi army stop sunni rebels. this presbyterian u.s.a. votes to divest $17 million from three companies in israel. it includes entertainment from caterpillar, hewett packard and motorola the pap visits the heard land -- pope visits the heart land of spain telling them to stand down. sharon tat, her life coming to an end at the hands of charles mason. we talk with her sister who

wrote a book "remembering sharon". >> summer is under way. how high temperatures will rise and how it will feel to go outside. i'm morgan radford, this is al jazeera america, and i'm back with you in 2.5 minutes scpen al jazeera america returns. - - >> ...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.

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. thousands taking to the streets of baghdad showing that they are standing by iraq's government as fighting continues outside the capital. cracking down on pro-russian separatists in ukraine. the u.s. issuing new sanctions on forces after the ukranian government orders a ceasefire. switching sides, a former police officer and drug enforcement agent gone from busting

narcotics rinks to projecting legal grow operations. the star of a big scran cut in her -- screen cut down in her prime. welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york city, i'm morgan radford. the first set of military advisors arrives in irans today. this comes as secretary of state john kerry makes an impromptu trip to the region, the state department says he is travelling to the middle east to consult with partners and allies about the crisis in iraq. he is set to arrive in ayman, scrordan, and -- jordan, and there's a possibility he'll stob in baghdad. he'll -- he'll stop in baghdad. he'll meet request n.a.t.o. officials. the powerful armed shia group holds what it calls a show of power. tens of thousands marched at military parades across the

country, volunteering to help the army stop sunni rebels. we have a team of reporters tracking the situation in iraq. lisa stark is in washington. we begin in baghdad. jane, we saw this show of support for the iraqi government by shia groups, is it likely to add fuel to a nasty conflict? >> you know, morgue jp, it will add fuel, but we shouldn't probably see the show of thousands of young men, tens of thousands in shia towns and cities as a show of support. it's part of the complicated politics that destabilized the country that this group is opposed to the irane government. it's under the leadership of muqtada al-sadr, the shia cleric who you might recall was actually sending his fighters out in the streets to fight u.s.

forces in najeth and other places in 2004. they are back saying they'll help to defend the country. it probably will complicate things, and could make it more dangerous. >> speaking of help, is there a sense that american troops could bring stability? >> in a sense, because we are not really talking about troops as in troops on the ground. we will not see the stability briefly won here when there was a surge, the military surge of american forces backed by american forces, able to beat back al qaeda and take territory. when they left al qaeda came back in. now we are deal with the offshoot of al qaeda, the islamic state of iraq and levant. the air strikes, targeted intelligence, 300 personnel special operations forces will

make a difference in being able to target specific individuals and cut their command and control lines, but we are not talking about numbers of troops or the weight of troops that would really make a huge impact in this fight. it's just so complicated and not just security wise, but politically. a complicated situation. jane in baghdad, thank you for being with us. moving on to al jazeera's lisa stark in washington d.c. secretary of state john kerry is heading to the middle east. what more can you tell us about that trip? >> well, kerry is headed on a diplomatic mission. he is heading to the middle east, as you said, to ayman jordan, off to brussels, and their action will be about ukraine and on to paris, meeting with golf allies. the president wants the secretary of state john kerry to try to shore up support for the u.s. position in iraq, which

essentially is an inclusive deposit. he wants to - he'll be talking to the allies, partners, about how the iraqis can create an inclusive deposit and how the allies can push that. he wants to talk about how to create stability in iraq. at the moment we don't know for sure when or if he'll go to baghdad, but there's indication that the secretary may end up going to iraq as well. that is not on the official agenda as of yet. >> speaking of the trip, the first group of u.s. military advisors is expected to arrive in iraq food. what is first on the agenda. >> the president will send up to 300 special forces troops, advisors, they'll be setting up two joint operation center with the iraqi military. one in baghdad, one in non-iraq to try to advise the military and to act as u.s. eyes and ears

in iraq, to try to assess what the situation is there, to help the u.s. determine how to move forward if at all - what action to take going forward. that was talked about at the pentagon. we had spokesman rear admiral john kirby. >> we are performing the missions at the request of the iraqi government. this is not an invasion. we are dining it at the request and -- doing it at the request and in consultation with the iraqi government. we have not been present in iraq with any mass since 2011. there's a lot to learn and gain. that's a mission assigned. that's what we are focussed on. now, u.s. is keeping an eye from the sky. they have manned and unmanned aircraft over the skies of iraq. they have moved more into the area and the pentagon saying they can do around the clock surveillance in the areas they are interested in.

now, it's trying to figure out what is going on there, and how the u.s. might be able to help moving forward. al jazeera's lisa stark joining us live from washington d.c. thank you so much. coming up in about 25 minutes we'll talk with the president of a nonprofit organization refugees international, discussing the numbers of people displaced by the violence in iraq. meanwhile that turmoil is sparking a debate about neighbouring syria. observers blooest the war there is -- believe the devastating war there is being ignored. as james bays reports the u.n. secretary is calling on an embargo. a truck bombing in hamas before down, in a conflict where the international community stopped counting the death toll long ago. the same moment from a different angle, an explosion that takes dozens of lives. ban ki-moon leaves some in the

international community lost interest in pursuing peace talks. in an unusually frank speech he gave his rehabilitation to the indifference of many countries, including members of the security council. >> i'm here to express my anger. and disappointment at the cold calculation that seems to be taking hold, that little can be done, except to arm the parties, and watch the conflict rage. >> reporter: in homs air strikes by bashar al-assad's forces. ban ki-moon condemned attacks like these, dropping barrels full of explosives and indiscriminate bombings by the opposition, he made the call. >> i urge the security council to impose arms. if divisions in the council continues to prevent such a step, i urge kontryes to do

so -- countries to do so individually. the secretary-general wrote a report to the security council about the situation in syria. al jazeera has a copy. it those 10.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, an increase of 17%. the secretary-general is speaking out at a time when syria's conflict is spreading beyond borders. efforts to get arms embargo seemed doomed. russia's ambassador says his country, the main weapons supplier will not change its policy. in a further escalation of tensions security officials say i.s.i.l. rebels killed an iraq-syrian border post, killing 30 iraqi troops. three american soldiers were killed in afghanistan when an i.e.d. exploded.

the taliban claimed responsibility. they have stepped up an offensive where one person died, today in cab outline. it was a suicide attack targetting an official who survived the blast. he is a senior figure on the peace coup. the israeli military launched air strikes in the gaza strip for the third day in a row. it create aid one of those attacks, and is targetting hamas. the strikes are in response to rocket attacks from palestine territory. six people have been injured since the strikes, but no death reported. the u.s. is imposing sanctions on separatists in eastern ukraine. they'll freeze assets of seven different rebel leaders. u.s. officials say they'll destabilize the region and accuses russia of providing the

weapons to the rebels. the separatists ever refusing to back down. >> reporter: the president's accuracy fire gives these fighters a choice to flee or step down. here they said they don't trust the promise of amnesty or safe passage. >> translation: all of it is a lie. he says one thing for the television. in real life they are firing. how can that be a ceasefire. >> reporter: they are relaxed and confident. i've been speaking to this man. he has two clips in the pistol and the last is for himself to make sure he is not captured from ukraine forces. >> translation: he makes a lot of declarations, delivers a lot of public statements. he does nothing. he has talked about peace plans, made statements about providing

humanitarian corridors. what we saw abutted with women and children under fire. the ukranian army has a significant plan b if the accuracy fire fails. on thursday ukrainian heavy artillery brought up 42 tonne howe wit zers, positioning them close to luhansk. the president outlined his proposals in a speech at a military camp. the term was uncompromising. >> translation: i am giving an order to all military units, all nard units, border guard and territorial defense units to cease fire, we hope it will be heard and supported by all sides of the conflict, all those holding weapons, and hope it will be used. crucial to the success of all of this is the response of russia, instead of supporting

the president's proposals, friday night the kremlin said this was not a peace offer but an ultimatum, enough to spark an and exodus. the promise of a ceasefire was not enough to stop them leaving. since russia annexed ukraine's peninsula in march, the u.s. imposed sanctions against 71 individuals and entities including russia. in kenya u.s. officials say they are evacuating staff from the embassy in nairobi. they say it's a caution to attack al-qaeda-linked al-shabab. the group is responsible for killing 64 people in just the past two days, and officials say the embassy will be open despite the evacuations. boko haram wreaks havoc on

residents in northern nigeria. military officials are turning to people for help. it might bet the last line of defense against a rebel threat. >> reporter: they are not well armed, they have little training, but this is a vigilante force that is growing in size and determination. to try to defend the capital of borno state against boko haram attacks. by night and day. tens of thousands of young men are at checkpoints or joining patrols and joint missions with the nigerian army. they are backed by borno state and provided with equipment. some are paid wages. >> we know every one of them. the moment we see them, we follow them. we are prepared for that. >> recruits are easy to find, like mohammed bukar, he joined after boko haram attacked his district. he lives in maiduguri, in a part

of the city where the young have little. it's in areas of abject poverty that boko haram thrived. this is a place where mohammed and many like him maintain a vigilance for anything suspicious. his family is traumatised by the attack in which boko haram shot dead seven people, including mohammed's father and three younger brothers. >> they tried to kill my grandfather, so they couldn't make it. they killed so many people in our area. with boko haram attacks increasing, the role of the vigilantes is not just concentrated on a high profile job. many members are tasking with intelligence duties, spying on people, and attacking attackers. >> this is a war. vigilantes are playing an important role. there's a siege-like mentality,

boko haram are commanding the ground outside the city, killing at will, wherever, whenever they want. not far away more than 4,000 that escaped from attacks seeking shelter wherever they can find it. among them is this man and his family. two weeks ago boko haram made him watch as they shot his 17-year-old son dead, along with 47 other people. >> translation: i saw it with my own eyes. i have to accept it as god's will. i'm helpless, i can't do anything. i don't have any way of fighting them. >> this vigilante force is razing alarms. these are desperate times. the vige lanties outnumber the soldiers, and unlike the army, they know their neighbourhoods well. more than 200 girls abducted by boko haram are still missing.

nigeria's military says they know where the girls are, but will not use force to retrieve them. clean up efforts are under way in colorado after an oil spill where a storage tank affected by flooding dumped 7500 gallons of oil near windsor. officials say drinking water appears to be unaffected by the spill, but it has stained vegetation. meanwhile heavy storms wreak havoc across the midwest where rain caused flash flooding in minnesota. 4 inches of rain fell across the city on thursday, the most in the city on one day. a state of emergency was called in 35 different counties. more rain is expected in the forecast for the midwest and other parts of countries. let's check with meteorologist eboni deon. >> it is a wet day, this is a

look at the rain. not just across minnesota, but down to iowa. eastern areas of nebraska, and south of dakota inundated with a lot of rain. 8-10 inches, we are expecting showers and storms to develop. some could be strong to severe. here sa look at the flood -- here is a look at flood warnings, including areas along the missouri river. get -- mississippi river. getting into lacrosse. flood warns there. it's on the quiet side. most of the heaviest rain wound down. there's a lot of cloud cough, plenty of moisture. as we go through the afternoon temperatures will heat up. we are dealing with the threat mainly as we go into the late part of the afternoon. showers and storms developing. on average we are expecting 1-3 inches of rain fall and it will fall over the same areas that are already saturated.

it includes soup bowls as you goat into iowa, and heavier -- as you get into iowa, and nef year into kansas. we start to see drying up to the west. high pressure on monday. looks like we'll see the rain winding down for a brief period. all right. thank you so much. the security nightmare for those charged with protecting the pope. the holy father travelling to a mafia strong hold on a mission with peace. a scene after a tractor trailer slams into arrest. what authorities say may have caused the accident. drone danger, hundreds of crashes by unmanned devices. and a report questioning how safe they are. - pash hey are. - pash

good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york city, i'm morgan radford. a new report raising security and safety concerns surrounding

drones. police in china shot dead 13 men after a bomb attack. authorities say the men drove a car into a police station and set off explosives. they are blaming the ethnic uyghurs, saying they are responsible for other attacks in the western part of the country. chinese officials executed dozens of men for terrorist attacks, and accused uyghur separatists of the deadly bomb and knife attacks on a railway station in china, ethnic uyghurs deny involvement. >> the u.s. lost 400 military zones in major crashes. each cost about $1 million. as jonathan betz shoes us, it's raising questions about how safely drones can fly. >> drones fly over war zones and american towns. many times the flights end like this. in 2004 a military zone recorded its own clash, after taking off

over iraq, an oil leak sparked a fire, breaking apart, crashing. soldiers recovered the engine and electronics. it blew up the rest. it's a routine repeated. "the washington post" uncovered records showing that 400 military zops crashed. both abroad and within the united states. almost half of the u.s. air forces drone fleet has been a major accident since 2001. they found problems with pilots. one crashed, not realising it was fellowing upside down. jones relied on the communication leak that was disconnected. >> what we found were the links were disconnected, the drones flew around, they crashed. and this four cases they took off and were never seen again. >> reporter: drones cost

$4 million. they had wing spans the size of a jets. they had several close calls. a major concern as the united states considers opening the skies for commercial drones. technology is tested at sites across the country. >> a lot is familiar with the amazon video. it didn't show how the amazon helicopter avoided colliding with dominos bringing you pizza. >> reporter: technology will need to improve. many drones could by flies by 2018. troubling seeing the military's crashes. >> look at the crashes that the military has, and they are good at flies these things, they have more experience, but they crash a lot. the military says that most flights go off smoothly and

accidents rates have gone down obvious the years. officials say that no one has been killed by a drone crash. let's look at the temperatures across the country today on this first day of summer with meteorologist deepwater horizon. i see you a hot-lana. >> it will life up to the name. temperatures in atlanta a good 5 degrees above average, and factor in the humidity, a lot of humidity, and it will feel sticky and hot as you step outside. the low 90s sticking around to monday. tuesday, falling back to mid and upper 80s. across the south-east, 91 around new orleans, 92. it will be a day when you want to find a place to stay cool, enjoy the airconditioning, find a cool place, have ice-cream. it will feel more like 105 to

110. we have heat advisories in place. it will also be a hot day in the nation's mid section in the mile-high city of denver. sounding off on the turmoil in iraq. why a veteran of u.s. operations says lawmakers are the ones to blame for the violence. and after nearly two decades working for the law, why one former officer has gone from busting drug dealers to protecting them. and the grizzly murder of one of hood's biggest stars. the sister of late actress sharon taitins us to discuss her rise on the big screen and the fateful night with the manson family.

>> i'm joie chen, i'm the host of america tonight, we're revolutionary because we're going back to doing best of storytelling. we have an ouportunity to really reach out and really talk to voices that we haven't heard before... i think al jazeera america is a watershed moment for american journalism good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. live from new york city, i'm morgan radford. the pope is travelling into the center of one of the world's biggest criminal organizations. how the death of a 3-year-old sparked his trip and messages he's bringing now. 70 years after dropping out of high school to serve the country, a world war ii vet dawns her cap and gown. check her out. first the top story secretary of state john kerry is

set to travel to the middle east this weekend. the state department says he's meeting with allies to discuss the rebel offensive in iraq, and travel to europe. the first set of u.s. military advisors arrive in iraq today. for some it's bringing back memories of the past two wars. al jazeera's lisa stark spoke to a retired army officer who said the current crisis didn't need to happen. >> reporter: running a boys' school outside philadelphia is a long way from serving in an iraq tank. for the 12 months john felt fighting there is never far from his mind. >> we ran into sniper attacks, more tar shells, basically shells and our young men started dying. >> reporter: that was in 2004, when the war was a lost cause.

the then lieutenant turned the tide. writing the insurgency manual. a strategy used in combination with a surge of troops and iraqi militias. we turned it around at a cost with the surge. now the images of i.s.i.l. and other rebel groups rolling into the cities are devastated. this is difficult, emotionally draining. i had a bunch of friends die to caes from insurgened places that fell. number of ark gal a 20 year army veteran believes the u.s. fumbled. by failing to leave thousands to help keep the peace, as it has in wars passed. >> we have troops stationed in korea, germany, scprapan, italy in the former yugoslavia.

when mebbing fights a war. it keeps troops there to keep the war from out. having paid the price in blood, we hold who we have taken. it's a political decision they hope will not be repeated. >> where i'll get mad is if we make the same mistake in afghanistan. if we pull all the troops out of afghanistan in a couple of years as we plan to do. the same thing will happen again. as for iraq, the move to send 300 special forces troops as advisors has support. he says that it may be too little, too late. >> this is a danger to the american people. it was preventible, predictable and hard to undo. the u.n. designated the refugee crisis in iraq, a level three. the highest assigned to a

humanitarian disasters, the same assigned to syria. according to aid groups, 1.3 million iraqis have been displaced since the insurgency began, on top of the 2.8 million displaced in the war. it means it joined 2.4 million refugees, making this one of the worst humanitarian crisis in the region. joining us now to discuss that is the president of the nonprofit organization refugees international, live in washington d.c. thank you for being with us. how does the refugee situation in iraq compare to the one that is happening in syria. >> well, there are two issues to consider. one is the sheer numbers, and since the current offensive some 500,000 displaced from mosul,

and more than half of that found refuge in kurdistan, where you had a quarter million syrians trying to survive. the kurdish iraqi government had been generous in letting the syrians come in initially, but the services had been drained. most of the refugees are not in camps, they life in host families or represent apartments or live in hotels. but it put strains on services. the huge influx is adding to the strap that was experienced by local -- strain that was experienced by local authorities. you mentioned the strain on health services. we saw a level three polio epidemic, why is the disease and infection a recurring problem in the camps? >> two factors - one, when people move in large numbers

they live in cramped conditions with poor access to good water, frail shelters and overcrowding. at the same time health services cannot operate as normal because the conflict reduces access to people that need to be immunized or reduces the possibility of people to reach health facilitiesies. all these conditions combined are a perfect storm where diseases will just spread out. it's not just polio, but risks of the spread of measles, cholera, the resurgence of disease that has been controlled in the past like some. and a complicated situation. they are trying to be on top of that in helping the authorities, but it is complex, and access is limiting the possibility of people to help to get the

results that they should expect. >> given all the limits to access, what exactly is your organization, refugees international, doing to combat what you called the perfect storm? >> well, we are an advocacy organization, we are do not deliver services. we initially went to iraqi kurdistan. we found that that - looking at the syrian crisis, we found that the funding of the organization trying to provide assistance and protection to syrian refugees in iraqi kurdistan was lower than what had been given for organizations working in jordan and lebanon. we pushed a lot for rectification for the balance. with some success. now we are about to go back to iraqi kurdistan and assess how the influx of iraqis have made

conditions more difficult and where we should push to get a better response. the u.n. and the government organizations that work there cap perform. at present the appeal of the u.n. for the refugees in iraqi kurdistan is funded at 18%. we are well passed time when you should be funded. the appeal for the iraqi displace has barely reached 10% of the needs. so it is very difficult. you need more resources to provide the services required. >> best of luck in finding the resources. thank you dr. president of the nonprofit organization refugees international. an outlandish bonus culture, that's what some lawmakers described the department of veterans' affairs to be. top v.a. officials testified telling congress that agency paid nearly $3 million in

bonuses to more than 300 executives. the agencies says they are necessary to keep leaders who make less than they would if in the private sector. the home secretary says v.a. failed veterans. the white house is stepping up efforts to detain and support illegal immigrants. the obama administration wants to add more judges near the border to streamline the court process. a major part of the plan is to make sure the people sent back can be reint grated into the society. the presbyterian church u.s.a. voted to divest $17 million from three american companies working in israel. the did i say meals that a church -- decision means that the church will put corrections from caterpillar, hugh ute

packard and motor roller saying: those against the move say it's an attack on israel. >> pran ace is taking one of the world's biggest criminal probleming pope francis is taking one of the biggest criminal organisings by storm. he's in calabria where a 3-year-old was murdered. the pond if spoke to inmates. -- pontiff spoke to inmates. tim for exampled is there. what -- friend is there. what is the pope's message to the mafia? > i think as you said in the introduction, he's take the the anti-mafia message into the heart of their territory showing that he is not afraid. i think he's hoping others will follow his lead.

priests, but also the local people who sometimes become embroiled in organised crime, whether they want to or not. i think that's the key to his message. it's the death, the tragic death of a young boy that proved a step too far for everyone here. people who are used to killings and all sorts of mayhem over the years, but i think that they believe and perhaps pope francis believes that the moment has come to stop it. what is interesting is that on the other side of the coup, the mafia plays up its ties to the catholic church. will the won't's announcement shame them into making a difference? well, toith that this is the -- i think that this is the idea well behind attempts to curve the activity, some

priests are embroiled in mafia activity. men today up and paid the price for stopping against the mavo. i think that it is an extremely risky situation. the mafia always like to parade what they claim are their links to the church. it gives them status, credibility and perhaps in their open minds reason to excuse their dreadful deeds. >> tim friend joining us live. >> back here in the united states one person is dead and four injured after a tract trailer crash understood a restaurant. the driver failed to make a turp causing this damage in a four-storey building. the driver is in custody and cooperating. police are trying to figure out if he was speeding. speaking of police, the mahmoud ahmadinejad trade has been at

odds. after several stakes of legalized pot, the officers that kept the drugs off the street are helping to protect them. >> how many cameras do you have here? >> we have hundreds. >> reporter: jake ryan guarding the goods, learn what he used in 17 years of law enforce. including undercover work with the royal canadian mounted police. >> my policing career has been spent investigating narcotics, including cannabis. this is a career change. he's protecting the pot, heading security for an enormous medical marijuana producer licensed by the canadian government. ryan shrucks off suggestions he's a traitor. >> it's described by a doctor, for the benefits of canadians health. it's a different transition. i'm fine. >> his boss sees the skill sets

and knowledge as a natural fit. >> we had a 2 month period with a former d ex a drove around california finding the best gep etics in cannabis groves. >> in six weeks i saw more grow operations than 15 i can't say. >> reporter: this is the agent. busting drug rings was has job for a decade. >> thee created it. >> an attorney, he works for a venture firm behind this business, navigating the changing legal landscape and feels a responsibility. >> to stand up this industry and make sure it's compliant, transparent, professional, well run. really, it's a mainstream product sought out by main extreme americans. >> reporter: the concept of pot as mainstream is hardly

universele a. >> i would -- universal. i would never make the jump. >> tom fought the drug trade, running a federal drug enforcement programme out of denver. how do you do that as a cop? you uphold your oath of office and just like that, you can turn on it. why could you do that? i don't know. >> reporter: both say that former colleagues are supportive, and expect to see more pot fighters becoming pot facilitators. there's also another state that legalized marijuana. new york's senate voting to allow medical pot, including edible forms. fran dresser known for the role on "the nanny." this woke on "talk to al jazeera," she shares her story with richelle carey of not only being a rape

survivor, but beating cancer. >> once i was diagnosed with cancer because i had been in extensive therapy as a result of the rape, and the series "the nanny", i reached - i wasn't totally happy with myself and my marriage. >> even with all that success. >> right, so i knew something was wrong, because i had, you know, i had reached my stride. i had a beautiful home. i had a husband that loved me. but something was wrong. and, you know when you scratch beneath the surface i - you know, i hadn't fully dealt with the pain i felt from the rape. i - i was already experiencing symptoms of gina cole onlyic

cancer but was undiagnosed. i was misdiagnosed. >> two years. >> two years and eight doctors. you can watch the conversation on "talk to al jazeera" at 5:00 pm eastern only on al jazeera america. it's one of the most well-known crimes in american history. the murder of sharon tat. four others by charles manson. her sister offered a look at the actresses late life with a new book. she joins us with the weekend conversation coming up next. ...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.

she dropped out of high school to serve her county, a world war ii veteran receives her high school diploma, rosa

lie said it took a lifetime to achieve and hopes others don't take it for granted. >> you have to get it out and push. no one will hand anything out to you. like i said, if anyone knows, i do. >> she does, she served in england, france and germany and received three bronze stars. her daughter says she is a hero in more ways than one. welcome back to al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm morgan radford. she's described as one of the most beautiful women of her generati generation sharon tait made a name starring in "valley of the dolls", and married roman polanski. the 26-year-old was 8 months pregnant when charles manson's followers murder her and four others at her los angeles home. deborah tait, sharon's sister

joins us. she wrote "sharon tait recollection." she joins us live from orange california. thank you for being with us. what made you write this book? why now? >> fashion and history are both secular about every 40 years or so. it seems like sharon's time came back around - the clothes, the fashion, the make-up, the hair. as well as a new group of taps that has e -- fans that has emerged. i thought it was necessary to write the book so they can get a feeling for who soron was -- sharon was, instead of going on what they could pull off the internet. >> what are some things people don't know about your sister?

>> she was magnificent. almost angelic. as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. she was very caring and nurturing. and philanthropic. she was a good person in every way. >> we see the pictures of her career and highlights. she was nominated for a golden globe for her performance in "the valley of the dolls", tell us more about her rise to stardom. >> it took pace over a 6-year period of time. there are representations in this book of her entire career. when i was doing the back, it was amazing to me, exactly how big the body of work was. over 230 magazine covers, six films. numerous fashion layouts inside magazines.

it was a phenomenal work ethic that she had. truly a gift, i think, that the youngsters need to be reaquainted with today. >> she had a dynamic personal life. she married roman polanski in 1978, he wrote the forward to your book. what was their relationship like? >> it was quite magical. sharon and roman were completely in love. they this extremely blessed careers at the time, and were as happy as happy could get. >> let's go back to the time in august 1967. your sister was 26 years old, eight months pregnant when killed by charles manson's followers. how did you and your family react and how did you cope in the aftermath? >> well, coping in the immediate

aftermath was almost impossible. my mother had a nervous breakdown, the family dynamics pretty much fell part. i took on a lot of duties and responsibilities regarding my younger sister. in the years to follow trauma psychology was born out of studying my family. that's a gift i'm proud to give. i still do counselling of victims of violent crimes to this day. wow. that's wonderful. you mention some of the duties and responsibilities. i understand you made it your mission to keep charles mitchell johnson and his -- manson and his followers in prison. how do you do that ? >> i attend parole hearings and am designed under megan's lot to

be a spokesperson for other victims, other murder cases in the state of california. >> best of luck to you on your book tour. joining us live from orange california. it's been a pleasure to spoke with you. >> thank you. now, let's get a look at where the wet weather will be across the u.s. on this first day of summer. eboni deon, tell us what we can expect. >> we'll have wet weather along the east, further south. also back into the middle of the country, across the mid west we are watching the area for scattered showers and storms, some of which could turn severe. today's threat would not only be heavy rainfall, but wind and hail. now it doesn't look too active. we are watching an area to the east of jacksonville. a disturbed area of weather.

it will push to the north-east with good news. showers and storms off the coast. as we go through the day, afternoon, early evening storms specked. that's what we are expecting. afternoon storms leading to stronger storm. in east malaysia the rainforest world music festival is under way, showcasing indigenous music from 200 musicians around the world. some of them are struggling to keep their traditions alive. >> reporter: against the backdrop of the mythical mountains of borneo indigenous musicians from around the world gather to celebrates their heritage. they say they are creating music that serves as a bridge to counter generations of listeningers. for this person reinventing the

tans traditions means finding a way to discover the identity of the people. >> this is my soul. it is important. i play traditional music. this is important. this is the base of the people, of the story of the people. >> reporter: the gathering is seen as one of the most successful in the world music festival. over 100 musicians are here to perform. they have long been neglected. for 17 years it's been held here for east malaysia. a local government says it not only increased tourism but can help rebuild identity. >> this is part of the journey for us, to make the people proud

of their own heritage. therefore for the state, whe have more than 28 ethnic tribes. because of modernization, organization, sometimes they tend to lose their history, their heritage. >> reporter: it may seem like another party. most of the musicians use instruments and language considered obsolete by some. they draw musical inspiration from nature. chile is breaking ground on a projected to review the largest telescope. that can be 200 feet wide and high. it's known as european large telescope tore e.

l t. construction is expected to be completed by 2024. stay tuned to al jazeera. thank you so much for joining us. i'm morgan radford. just ahead, the latest on the violence in iraq. secretary of state john kerry decision to travel to the middle east. meanwhile throughout the day you can go to the website aljazeera.com, or follow us on twitter. i'm back here starting at 7am bright and early. enjoy the rest of the day.

consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.

>> welcome to al jazeera. heeding the call to thousands of shia groups where they rally and have a show of force. a senior leader with muslim brotherhood. pope francis takes on italy mafia in one of their stho