the website aljazeera.com/consider-this or facebook or google+ and on twitter. see you next time. >> good morning and welcome to al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm morgan radford. here are the stories we're following just for you. >> the pope is on a mission. and he has a direct message for the mafia.

>> in iraq the rebels advanced towards baghdad as military advisers touched down. the country's biggest refinery has now fallen to members of the islamic state in iraq and the levant. they have also taken control of a border post near syria. we have reports from baghdad. >> reporter: major news is far from baghdad but hugely mourn. o important. sources say the islamic state in iraq and the levant, the al-qaeda off shoot has taken control of the border crossing. this is significant because this means that fighters cannot only go back and forth between syria and iraq, they can actually bring in weapons, something that everybody has feared. early on in this war they were

fighting al-qaeda there and managed to win it back, well, it's gone back again as have a lot of cities and towns in central and northern iraq. here in baghdad primaries nouri al-maliki is under intense pressure to reach out to political rivals and form a government that deals with this crisis. there has not been that kind of government. the law of the leaders don't talk to each other. the u.s. is putting pressure on him as are his own partners. tens of thousands of young men marched in sadr city in baghdad, and other places and in the shia south. in a show of support of their leader and message that they're able to go out in the streets and fight for the country. >> one of the biggest demonstrations in sadr city. >> clearly this is a show of

strength. what they want to say is that they're ready to defend baghdad. these are designed to be peace platoons. they're not designed to go on the offensive. i'm surrounded by heavily armed men. these image also worrisome people. a reminder of the army on the days of sectarian violence i in 2006, 2007, and 2008. they have said that this is not the army but a peace platoon designed to protect baghdad. >> the first of 300 u.s. military advisers are landing in iraq and secretary of state john kerry is not far behind. he's head there had tomorrow, and we're joined live now from washington, d.c. lisa, good morning to you. what are these u.s. advisers going to be doing exactly? >> reporter: well, the u.s. advisers will be forming some joint operations centers, morgan, with the iraqi military.

they'll have a center in baghdad and one in northern iraq. they're there to advise the iraqi military but also as our eyes and ears on the ground try to assess the situation and see what the u.s. might have to do going forward. that's the main reason they're there. they are advisers, they're not combat troops. as for secretary kerry we don't know if he's going to iraq. there is talk that he may. we do know he's going jordan, and one the key things he'll talk about there is the situation in iraq as the u.s. pushes, pushes for a more inclusive government. president obama has made it clear that he thinks there is a political solution, not a military one to what is going on in iraq, and he has made it clear that he does not intend to put u.s. combat troops on the ground there. >> lisa, you mentioned assessing the situation. the iraq war took a toll on iraq

forces. what are we hearing? >> they fought for a decade nearly. there were 1 million u.s. troops that fought in iraq 4500 nearly were killed, tens of thousands were injured. as you can imagine the veterans who are watching what is unfolding there are very disillusioned. i spoke to one former army officer who said who was going on in iraq is a bitter pill to swallow. >> running a boy's school outside of philadelphia is a long way of serving in an army tank battalion in iraq. but the 12th month that john spent fighting there is never far from his mind. >> we ran explosive devices, sniper attacks, mortar shells, our base camp being she would, and our young men started dying. >> that was in 2004 when the war seemed a lost cause but nagl

along with general david petraeus helped to turn the tide writing the insurgency man yell a strategy used with troops and iraqi militias. >> we turned it around at enormous cost. >> so now the images of isil and other rebel groups rolling into iraqi cities at lightening speed are devastating. >> this is hugely difficult, very emotionally draining. i had a bunch of friends die in places--die to siege from insurgents the place that has now fall on it insurgents. >> nagl, a 22 year-army veteran believes the u.s. fumbled at the goal line by failing to help the troops keep the peace. >> we still have troops stationed in korea, germany, japan, in italy, and the former

yugoslavia so that when america fights a war it keeps troops there to keep the war from breaking out again. we hold what we've taken. >> reporter: it's a political decision nagl hopes won't be repeated. >> if we make the same mistake in afghanistan. sure as shooting if we pull all of our troops out of afghanistan in a couple of years and we're currently planning to do the same thing will happen again. >> reporter: as for iraq, president obama's move to send 300 special troops as advisers has nagl's support, but this could be too little too late. >> this was preventionible, predictable and it will be damn hard to undo. >> reporter: nagl said there is plenty of blame to go around for the mistakes made from the iraqi government to the presidential administration.

he said as for what is going on there now, he said this is not what we fought and died for. very, very tough for the vets and their families. >> absolutely. lisa stark live from washington, d.c. thanks so much. dozens of women and children are calling a texas bus stop home. the women are undocumented migrants from central america who were detained by border patrol officers. there is no room for them, so they're being allowed to stay in the u.s. just in until their cases are heard. with no place else to go they have been staying at the bus stop. steps have been taken to help those women and thousands coming in from mexico, including uncompanied children most from central america. >> the administration is making it clear that those children and families that are streaming to the united states at the border

with mexico must turn back if they are apprehended they will be sent back. the administration is trying to counter act the rumor that is evidently driving many of these children and families to try to get into the united states, and that is if they get here they will be an amnesty. they will be able to say that is not the case they're emphasiz emphasizing. president obama joe biden with a summit of leaders in these countries trying to send the same message if they come to this country there is no legal mechanism by which they can stay. in the meantime the administration is spending millions of dollars for some of those very same country to assist in the repatriatation with many of those who are trying to come to the united states, who are being turned away, and to do something about the violence that is afflicting the youth of many of these countries in guatemala and el salvador. the funding includes $40 million to reduce gang membership, $25 million to build youth out

reach centers in el salvadore el salvador, and 18.5 million for honduras. >> what we're also doing is working in collaborative fashion to address the problem at its root. some that have is informational campaign and countering this intention misinformation campaign that's been promulgat ed by criminal syndicates. >> they cannot be tushed back. many are at detention facilities at military bases. 150 arriving just on friday in oklahoma. several military bases bees

used. >> breaking news in southeast asia where a soldier is on the run after shooting five comrades dead and wounding five more. it happened just of the zone and details about that incident remain sketchy. but the gunman is said to be a sergeant and is believed to have fled into the mountains near the scene of that shooting. the egyptian court has confirmed death sentences against the leader of the muslim brotherhood and 182 of its supporters. the defendants were charged over violence that erupted in a southern egyptian town last july. this decision comes two weeks after aalcicy was made president. this is the latest in the crac crackdowns of the group. in ukraine dozen russian separatists are taking an oath

of allegiance to the denetsk republic. but the self appointed governor said that cease-fire never happened. >> there is no cease-fire in slovy aans. there is shooting all the time it is just fake. >> just hours after the cease-fire was called separatists attacked the ukrainian post along the border. the holy father is trave ling to mafia territory all on an mission of peace. andment health and guns. the last installment of our series "guns around the world."

>> israeli and american jewish groups are denouncing a measure by the u.s. presbyterian church. the church vowed to pulled $17 million from three american companies that are working in israel. >> the vote passes by 51% to 49%. >> reporter: it was a vote fo heard halfway around the world from israel. the decision means the church will pull its investments from caterpillar, hulet packer and motorola. it was a controversial move inside the church. >> really, misses the mark in so far as a solution. it really just adds fuel to the

strained condition of either side. >> it was because of investment that we were able to break the apar apartheid in south africa, and i think money talks, and i think there are times when justices are going on. >> the church's debate also drew in outside groups. >> we need to meet people where they are and not come in and demonize them if we're partners for peace. >> you know, there are difficulties within my own family. we jews like to say, two jews, three opinions. that's certainly true. >> in a statement caterpillar said we believe it's appropriate for such a resolution will be reached villa diplomatic

channels. hewlett-packard said respecting human rights is a core value, and is embedded in the way we do business. >> reporter: a day earlier the church reversed its position on gay marriage vote to go redefine marriage and allow ministers to perform same-sex marriage. a vote that still needs to be ratified by the majority of presbyterian churches proving this is not the presbyterian church of yesterdayer year. >> pope francis condemning mob violence after comforting the father of a three-year-old boy who was killed in a mafia ambush. he went to the strongholds of one of italy's crime groups. >> the pope has taken his message into the eart the heart of mafia territory and has visited a prison here where

members of organized crime gangs are being held. he has told them to repent. repent or in his words they will go to hell. those are very strong words from the pope. he hopes it marks a turning point because it was not so long ago here that a three-year-old was killed in a shootout, a mafia shoot out and i think everyone senses it was a moment too far. perhaps the pope also feels that this is the right time to come down here to southern italy, and to press the point. he's going to be giving a mass here shortly and we think he may have more to say about this ain't mafi anti-mafia edge. >> it appears americans may be buying fewer guns. smith and wesson project their

sales to be down. there were high sales due to gun control talks. >> stop this madness. we don't have to live like this. >> after losing his son in a rampage in may, richard martinez added his voice to a long litany of american anguish over gun violence. >> too many have died. we should say to ourselves not one more. >> in the vast majority of other western industrialized countries the response is not only to improve mental healthcare but to dramatically tighten gun laws for everyone. consider these two cases both involving mentally disturbed

gunmen. scotland, 1996, the killing of 16 school children and they are teacher spurs a radical overall of british gun laws including a ban on almost all private firearms. since then th united kingdom homicide rates have declined. just 12 the conservative government announces measures including a 28-day waiting period, a ban on semiautomatic weapons and massive buy back program. lawmakers say it worked gun deaths plummeted and mass shootings stopped completely. >> we didn't have in the decade afterwards. but we're seeing big falls in gun homicide and big falls in

gun suicide. >> in aurora, colorado, new town, connecticut, and countless other tragedies gun laws have remained largely unchanged while everyone agrees the u.s. mental health system needs improvement most mental health specialists say the real solution is limiting access to guns. a date about database of mass killing going back to weapons. as you scroll through the database red means auto or semiautomatic weapons. >> it's not difficult at all for an inexperienced person to do with a semiautomatic weapon. he said that mentally ill people are not the problem.

but guns are plentiful and easy to get. >> these young people who suddenly become violent in response to some humiliation or whatever, they can easily go in, smile, an and they have no record. the gun dealer does this little perfunctory check and they can get it done. >> that's what eliott rodger did in santa barbara. buying three guns in two shops. >> it's such a tragedy that so many lives are cut short due to gun violence. the dirty harry fantasy is just that. the typical use of a gun is not someone defending themselves against a an aggressor, but a depressed middle aged person taking their lives, violence, fights between teenagers on

estate night which is settled with shooting rather than with fists. >> reporter: paul bee on.

>> orangutans are in danger of going extinct. some scientists say they won't be around for the next ten years. but they've discovered just the key to save them. >> maggie is a proud new mom. she's protective of her baby boy and at 22 just getting the hang of motherhood. her baby represent a major break through in saving her species. the first orangutan in the world using artificial insemination. >> the way she cares for this baby, it can't help but bring me back to the way i was taking care of my children. how gentle she is. she will clean every little crevice of her baby's here,

cradle him and you can see the love there. you have to save them. >> saving them has never been more urgent. orangutans could be extinct in as few as 15 years. >> there is not just enough wild habitat to release them. if we can work with people over there and collect genetic material and save it for the future we may be able to save the species. >> they spent two years monitoring her natural cycle. and a fertility doctor who usually treats humans stepped in to help. >> humans and/or range tangs are similar to humans, when we were able to have this baby be born i was shocked no one knew when her

due date was. >> the team hopes to have just the orangutan. >> they will promote genetic diversity in the wild but this is only part of the solution. >> preserving our wild places is the most important thing we can do to save our planet. we must save the balance of nature. we're losing that war. we really are. we need to win some battles, and this is one of the battles. >> a battle that is being won here in a very small way. al jazeera, green initial, connecticut. >> we certainly hope you are enjoying today because it is officially summer. summer celebration by visiting stonehenge mountain in england, and thousands gathered to see the sun rise through the

stones. and it always draws crowds and it's predicted that stonehenge was built between 3,000 and 1500 bc but it's purpose remains unclear. what is not unclear is the weather forecast for today. let's bring in eboni deon who is here to tell us what to expect on the first day of summer. >> many will feel that summer heat. that's for sure. >> the sun will start to shift a little further south, and as it does we start to get into the fall months, but for now it is summer. it is the peak. but as we go through june and july, sun's angle will get less intense. the temperatures will start to gradually pool as we approach the fall months. right now the heat is on and we're feeling it. it's 67 in chicago but it will be a warm day already steaming

up for 86 in miami. and as we across the southeast we'll expect highs to top out in the lower to mid 90s. in savannah the heat index is 96 degrees. the heat and humidity will be dangerously hot in a few locations. keep cool today. stay inside and enjoy the ac. and find a pool to cool off in. in the midwest there is rainfall. as you get into the afternoon and this evening more rain to come. some of those storms could touch

there late in the day. >> thanks so much for watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. stay tune. because "inside story" is coming up next. for news and updates you can always go to www.aljazeera.com. >> a new partnership between coffee giant, starbucks, and arizona state university, has offered thousands of workers making cappuccinos and lattes their own higher end. that's "inside story." >> hello, i'm ray suarez. all of the big-think discussions