>> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime. >> u.s. military have started flying armed drones over baghdad. the question is will president obama green light missile strikes. >> a fiery blast in india, more than a dozen killed when a gas pipeline explodes. several villages were evacuated. >> the disturbing new stayed on drinking in america, why too much challenge maybe ending lives at an alarming rate.

>> defying odds, team u.s.a. advances to the round of 16, despite a loss to germany. the top team they'll be facing next and the role american fans ever played in this world cup. >> good morning, and welcome to aljazeera. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walterser. u.s. drones patrolling the skies over baghdad. >> the armed drones will only fly reconnaissance missions, but strikes are not ruled out in iraq or syria. >> iraq's parliament is ready to put together the new government, but there are signs it may not include the country's prime minister al-malaki. >> some are questions his ability to assemble a unified government. >> iraqi's foreign minister al-malaki began with a visit by diplomats, this time from britain delivering the same message as the country fights

isil. >> we believe the single most important factor that will determine whether or not iraq overcomes the challenge is political unity. >> those sentiments were echoed by secretary of state john kerry in paris where he pet with american ally jordan, who's border this week was threatened by the sunni fighters. >> we want a government as rapidly as possible at a represents unity for the country. >> unity the u.s. feels will force sunni's to back the government. >> we also need to rush the formation of a national government, with new names and from all backgrounds, and not to be based on the usual sectarian quotas. >> a fellow shia is the latest to question whether malaki can bring unity to the deeply divided country. this week kurdish president blamed the iraqi prime minister for the crisis, and announced kurds should determine their

future, not baghdad. >> now, members of malaki's own coalition are publicly questions his ability to lead with at least four shia politicians stepping forward to replace him. malaki insists he's the one who can lead iraq out of the crisis. he faces a test tuesday when iraq's parliament is set to discuss the formation of a new government, a lengthy process that will decide whether malaki holds power. u.s. military advisors are on the ground in baghdad, as armed drones patrol the skies above, protecting those american troops against isil, but any decision to strike rests solely with president obama. >> we are in the capitol baghdad, let us start with this impending parliamentary vote next week. how much support has malaki lost and can he reverse that at this point? >> he's desperately trying. now that vote on when parliament

meets isn't going to be a vote that will determine the prime minister, it's a very long process. they'll be deciding on a speaker, then have 30 days to come up with a president, after that the prime minister. >> what else would it take for iraq's parliament to remove malaki if that's what was decided? >> >> like everything else here, all of that is happening behind doors. parliament will rubber stamp it, but what it takes for malaki's coalition partners is for them to stop fighting and agree among themselves who would be a better bet than malaki. that's been the stumbling block so far. >> libby casey is in washington now. tell us more about drone strikes which are really the most controversial tool in the u.s. weapons kit. >> let's be clear about a couple

of things. there have been manned and unmanned aerial flights taking place over iraq, manned means people in the planes, unhand means drones. u.s. official say this is for surveil purposes to gain in tell and give back to the iraqi forces battling isil. there are now armed predator drones overhead. that's significant because they are armed, and state department officials and pentagon officials have told "the new york times" that the purpose of that is for the protection of these u.s. military teams that are on the ground. this is different than air strikes and that is something still on the table, still in play, but u.s. officials say it has not happened yet. >> secretary of state john kerry meeting in paris yesterday trying to put together that unified front. what did they talk about? >> we hit air strikes again. the message he delivered is that the u.s. reserves the right to do that, that it is still on the table, although that decisions

have been made yet. he met with jordan, u.a.e. and saudi arabia and u.s. officials say none of those countries have committed to any military assistance at this point. secretary kerry meets with king abdullah in saw the rain today. another big message he is conveying is that we all have an interest in calming things down. >> yesterday, asking for half billion dollars to train and equip syrian rebels, what is the source behind this decision and is everybody in washington onboard? >> this gets back to a month ago when president obama laid out his foreign policy at a speech at west point including what he wants to see happening in the middle east. this is a half billion dollars the white house says would go to appropriately vetted elements of the moderate syrian opposition, go to defending syrians and trying to stabilize what's

happening in that country. there is certainly pushback from members of congress, who have concerns about how these moderate rebel forces would be vetted and how exactly the money would be accounted for. >> they want to make sure the weapons don't wind up in the wrong hands. our coverage of iraq continues at 7:30. we'll look at the growing humanitarian crisis there. we'll take you inside a refugee camp where thousands fled fearing for their lives. >> a gas pipeline explosion in india left at least 16 dead. the blast sparked several fires, forcing the evacuation of villages. the state owned pipeline exploded this morning, setting homes on fire. 15 were injured, including at least four critically. it took three hours to extinguish flames. it splice natural gas to fertilizer companies. >> a gas blowout in texas sent flames 100 feet in the air. crews set off the gas and the

fire burned itself out. no one was hurt. the power plant was damaged. >> today marks the ceasefire in on you crane. president poroshenko calling on russia to do more to stop fighting in the east. thousands have been crossing into russia to escape the violence. the team are four international observers is now free, held hostage for a month in eastern ukraine. we'll talk to our reporter on the ground as the ceasefire comes to an end in ukraine. >> israeli and palestinian forces on the manhunt for two men they believe kidnapped two teenagers. they are connected with hamas in the west bank. israel accused hamas of kidnapping them while they hiked home. it sparked a massive ground operation. israel detained 400 palestinians. >> president obama talking yesterday about the large number of undocumented central american

kids crossing into the u.s. alone. in an interview, the president called the situation a humanitarian crisis. he also had a message for parents who might consider sending their children to the u.s. >> that is our direct message to the families in central america, do not send your children to the borders. if they do make it, they'll get sent back, more importantly, they may not make it. >> that is the concern, the president saying the large influx of children coming to the u.s. alone reflects the desperate and violence -- desperation and violence that exists in some central american countries. >> former tennessee senator howard baker died yesterday. he served at majorly leader and chief of staff to ronald reagan and chaired the senate watergate committee. he was the one who asked that question what did the president know and when did he know it. he called watergate the greatest disillusionment of his political

career. >> unanimous decision from the supreme court on abortion clinics. >> what they had to say about buffer zones. >> dozens of people attending a religious celebration were hurt when the floor beneath them gave away, plunging them to the floor below. >> team u.s.a. wins even when it loses. i'll look back on the day that america advanced to the next round of the world cup. >> our big number of the day is $371,700,000. >> who made that much in a bankruptcy case involving american airlines.

>> the bankruptcy advices for american airlines are going to be collecting pretty big bucks. >> $371,700,000 is how much the major airline company could pay in fees to attorneys, financial advisers and consultants. >> it cost $75 million in fees, and will go to one law firm. five other firms will receive

about $26 million. >> on top of the fees, american airlines racked up $16 million in additional expenses. >> there are reports of another mass abduction in nigeria, the possible kidnapping in the northeastern part of the country. witnesses say gunman seized 60 women and girls and more than 30 males from villages. nearly 300 girls were kidnapped two months ago by boko haram. we are live in the capitol of nigeria. there is confusion about where this actually happened. what can you tell us? >> well, that's right. these abductions were reported over the last couple of days and the sources behind the story say that the abductions took place over a three to four day period in northeastern nigeria. they were reported to local

politicians and the media by a vigilante, a person who has been basically trying to fight boko haram along with other civilians in the area to keep communities safe. the claims by the vigilante, by local officials, who say that these abductions have taken place. now, the borno state governor has asked for an investigation to be launched into whether this information is accurate. what we understand is that the chief of police in the state is trying to put together some sort of investigation. that does fly in the face of what we're hearing from the central government here in the captain capitol that's principally responsible for security. they say they've received no reports of any abduction taking place. >> what is the central government doing to figure out whether these reports are true

or not? >> well, they do have various resources that they can mobilize to try to figure out what's going on. there's a large presence of soldiers in the military in the area who have been there for over a year now when a state of emergency was declared in the area, so the central government will be depending principally on the military to investigate these claims, along with the police in the area. what we understand or how it normally works is that there would be some kind of security personnel to go to the area, talk to locals, try to ascertain what happened, whether it happened, exactly how many people may have been taken. you to have bear in mind that these are extremely remote areas. there are almost no roads. it's actually very difficult for the security services, they say, to get in the heart of some of these stories that they hear and

reports they get from people like vigilant tees and like local community witnesses who say people are coming into the villages and taking people away. >> live in nigeria. >> we're going to talk about how these and snakes, people feel they're being attacked by supernatural forces. >> the flooded midwest can't get relief from the rain. >> we want to turn to our meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> it wasn't just the united states we were watching that wet weather very closely yesterday, because prior to the big u.s. soccer tournament, we were watching that very closely. there was heavy amounts of rain and that didn't keep people from reveling out here. singing in the rain. there's singing in the rain with people getting ready for the matches, but it's a very large

country. if you're familiar with brazil, it's just smaller than united states, so there's going to be rain at some point especially with matches all over the place. what we're looking at today is the northern tier of the country looking at rain, including the host city, some of those chances out there. back to the united states. we definitely had the wet weather through the midwest. unfortunately, even though a lot of rivers have crested, there is more rain on the way for the weekend. the moist flow in the gulf coast is one of our problems over the next couple of days. iowa and nebraska and up through the dakotas is what we're watching. it's been minnesota into iowa with all the river problems recently, so a lot of those rivers still in flood danger areas and then more of this as we get through the next couple of days, as more of that rain moves in. we're watching a lot of this flash flooding, unless you're around the rivers that have come out of their banks. the river flood warnings can last for days.

more widespread rain coming in, otherwise just slight risk for stronger storms through the course of the day today, but really it's the rain we're watching. >> on you crane coming full circle this morning. that that cries in the country that began last november when the former president backed away from the deal to strengthen ties to the european union, today leaders stepping forward and signing that association agreement. the pact includes free trade and political cooperation. moldova and george have a signing similar agreements this morning. that new agreement as the temporary ceasefire expired. we are in donetsk. what message did ukrainian president poroshenko have for moscow? >> he seems to be offering an off live branch at the moment, but things could deteriorate markedly in the coming hours. what president poroshenko isization in brussels is that he

does not think it is necessary for more sanctions. he talks tough and wants russia to pull back and stop sending military hardware and militia fighters if not actual official soldiers into ukraine to destabilize the situation on the side of the border. >> what is the situation now where you are with rewards to violence? is there any new fighting to report? >> there is separatist militia attacking forces, a tank base,

as well, we also had a national guard base loyal to kiev just on the outskirts of here and donetsk which was attacked by a force from the battalion wimp is a militia force loyal to the separatists. there is fighting continually ongoing. the ceasefire are essentially a nonsense, expected to last until 10:00 p.m. tonight officially. what happens after that is anybody's guess. >> thank you very much. international observers ever now been set free. >> the supreme court struck down a law creating buffer zones around abortion clinics. abortion providers argued they are meant to protect people entering the clinic. two staff members were shot at an abortion clinic in that

state. >> we will have people at our doorway, screaming at full volume, making it difficult for staffer to come in. >> some justice say this ruling doesn't go far enough to ensure freedom of speech for abortion opponents. the high court found president obama overstepped his presidential power, ruling mr. obama violated the constitution by going around the senate to make temporary appointments to the national labor relations board in 2012. he said the senate was still technically in session so the president could not use his resist power. >> a federal judge ruling in favor of colorado's new gun control laws requiring background checks for all gun sales and limit the size of magazines to 15 rounds or less. the lawsuit claimed those violated second amendment rights. the judge cited prefers supreme court decisions saying the right to bear arms does not guarantee the right to use any firearm one

chooses for self defense. >> depending on what you believe, there may or may not be life after death, but believe this, there is life after the group of death for u.s. soccer. >> we have more on how the americans lost thursday but kind of won, too, right? >> they kind of did, actually. you know, the national team is done with few said they could do, advancing in the world cup despite having to play the group of death, portugal, ghana and germany. >> after an american loss, america cheers. team u.s.a. loses 1-0 to germany but makes it to the round of 16 thanks to portugal's 2-1 win over ghana. >> it's huge for us getting out of this group that everybody said you have no chance. >> at the end of the day, we're

happy with the performance and to advance out of the group. we would like to have ended on a better note not losing. >> the team lost to germany. only strong defense kept the game close. some on the team later admitted that the u.s.'s need for just a draw kept the game close, too. >> it could have been a mind set of needing a die could have held us back. >> we knew if we weren't going to beat them, the best outcome could be a win in the world cup. >> despite outshooting them, germany managed just this 54t 54th tally, enough to beat a u.s.a. team that still managed to finish second in their group. >> important to be happy and proud of it, but now lets stay focused on what this is all about. >> fans gathered across the nation to watch the game and afterwards, they felt good.

>> feel great. i've never been this happy about a loss before. >> advancing from this group is a huge accomplishment. >> president obama watched aboard air force one and congratulated the team later. >> we've still got a chance to win the world cup, and we could not be prouder of them. >> team u.s.a. starts group of 16 play tuesday against undefeated belgium. >> a quick word about the other big world cup story, suarez is suspended nine games and four months for biting an opponent earlier this week, that means he is done at this year's world cup, though his people will play on this saturday. >> coming up, we'll talk to a guy who knows a thing or two, national hall of famer soccer player who played for two teams. it's amazing we got anything done yesterday, because

everything was watching the game. >> rivetted to the game. you can't knock american optimism. great. i still think we might win. >> we'll keep our fingers crossed. >> sunni rebels continuing to fight across iraq. >> could the country split into separate states? aljazeera goes inside the war zone with an exclusive report, talking to hundreds of thousands caught in the crossfire. >> i can walk in there with a crooked arm, i can show them where my ear was cut off and put back on. >> how a woman who survived the sex trade uses her personal story to help other victims of human trafficking reclaim their lives. >> boko haram's biggest threat? snakes and bees. one of the stories making headlines around the world.

>> this is the gateway to the west, the st. louis arch. what a glorious day in st. louis. good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy.

>> i'm del walterser. ahead, a study about the number of drinks you have to drink a week that will dramatically shorten your life. >> the u.s. makes it out of the group of death and moves on in the word cup. a former u.s.a. team number joins us to talk about how this world cup experience is different than previous attempts. >> we're going to talk to a man who used to be in charge of the drone program to talk about why he now fears it could be doing more harm than good. >> ukraine has signed off on a new economic agreement with the european union. president poroshenko said it's the most important day for ukraine since it gained independence from the soviet union, coming at a ceasefire with pretty sure accept expired. >> a natural gas pile line explosion in india leaving people dead, setting dozens of nearby homes on fire. 15 people were injured, at least four of them now said to be in

critical condition. >> iraq political support is waning for al-malaki, parliament ready to put together a new government. some question his ability to assemble a unified government. "the new york times" said armed drones are flying recontinents missions, providing protection to u.s. military advices on the ground. >> rebel fighters continue to tighten their grip on iraq. we have a report from northern iraq where 800,000 people are caught in the crossfire. difficulties tearing the country apart have permeated the refugee camps. >> we're driving along the highway out of mosul, that was recently overrun by isil. the iraqi government has begun a campaign of air strikes against rebel target inside mosul. hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the city, many to refugee camps in the

kurdish region. most camps, like the fighting itself are divided along ethnic and religious lines. >> we didn't bring clothes with us. our house burned and collapsed. i have nobody to support me. i am living just by got's mercy. the army and isil of fighting among them receivers and we are caught in the middle. >> >> this woman's home was destroyed a couple of days ago by drones and she has fled with her husband. small little beds here on the ground, the temperature in here must be about 110-115 degrees. >> i don't even have any money to go and rent a house with my husband. we would be better off dead. there is nothing for us. where are we supposed to go? >> an hour away at another camp, this one still under construction, mostly shiite ref

vees were arriving and carry a story about the fighters who had taken overhear city. >> it was horrible. there are bodies in the streets with their legs cut off. you couldn't save them. >> many of the men in this camp are iraqi army and police officers who proudly showed us their various i.d.'s and badges. isil has easily taken territory in iraq. police officers insist it's been complicated. >> we fought for five days and were able to hold them back. on the sixth day, the setback happened. they used a huge bomb to break through police lines and then our headquarters fell, and then the whole operation was over. >> we couldn't resist them. they had sophisticated weapons and lots of fighters. >> these men have good reason to

fear for their lives. isil posted various videos on line of sunni rebels chasing down people trying to flee the city, hitting their cars until they crash on the side of the road. they've carried out mass executions of iraqi military and police. >> what would have happened if isil found you? >> they will cut my head off and my family's heads. >> as we were leaving the camp, we got word that isil had attacked another town nearby. once again, sending residents fleeing for their lives. along the highway, we passed car after car packed with people and the few belongings they managed to gather in a panic. aljazeera, northern iraq. >> j.j. green is an aljazeera security contributor. we have a former baghdad bureau

chief in new york. there are calls for a parliamentary meeting july 1, but the question being asked everywhere is does al-malaki, the prime minister stay or does he go? >> if he stays, he won't be for long. the reason for that is there's a growing consensus amongst people in iraq, people in iran, people in other places, including the u.s. that recognize that his unwillingness to build a consensus or a unity government is rooted in more than just the inability to do it at this point, because it's too late to probably try to go out and build a kind of coalition needed to stop this movement. >> is that because he's been too stubborn to do so or he is just not an effective leader? >> that's it. he's not an effective leader. i've been told within the last few days that one of the key things that was going on when the bush administration left -- was leaving government were

tutoring sessions between al-malaki and former president bush, but when the obama administration took office and control of the government, al-malaki essentially of course pushed the u.s. out, and the u.s. took along with it any kind of tutoring or training that it could have given him that could have helped him become a better leader, but he's not a good leader. he may survive but not for long. >> tutoring sessions for the man now in charge of the country because what, his skills weren't that good? >> you know, i mean, that's not really something that i have a lot of eyes on. i know that when it comes to what malaki will be doing in the next week, it really depends on whether he's going to put his own sort of political ambitions ahead of the countries unity. even before all of this happened, in the leadup to the elections in april, the opponent and people running against him, not just within the shia

political community, but outside with the sunni's and kurds were saying he can't have a third term, so if the block does get the majority as it is likely to, they may accept making a deal with him to give him the majority if he does step aside. it's going to be a real test of his character and political will to see what he prioritizes. >> people fearing for their lives, fleeing to the north because of their religious affiliation. is it now the time that the world starts talking about dividing iraq into three separate regions? >> well, you know, the kurds in the north have been doing everything they can since they want to establish their own independent zone. they with this last crisis have managed to take kirkuk, which they've been wanting for decades and they claim as their own.

we can talk about partitions iraq and we can talk about the different areas, ultimately, the only place that would be a viable state of itself and have its own sustainable economy would be the north because the kurdish have been doing very well by themselves. >> so is it time? >> i'm sorry? is it time? >> is it time to separate the country? >> yes. >> i mean, we can talk about it, but it's not going to happen. there's too much involved. really, i know there's a lot of emphasis on the sectarian differences, but there are many iraqis who are in at her married and have relatives across the sects. >> is it time to divide the nations and if that happens, will it be seen as if that is some sort of capitulation on the part of washington. >> there's been a lot of talk in the back rooms and on the

sidelines about this possibly being the best of all worlds, considering the situation that exists in iraq at the moment, but it's not going to be if it does come to pass, an instantaneous or relatively quickly developing process. it's going to take a long, long time. the key thing here is will and skill. does al-malaki have the will to make sure iraq stays together and then does he have the skill to pull it off. those are the unanswered questions after all the years he's been in power there. >> coming up at 8:30, we'll talk about why the former head of the c.i.a. drone program says the drone may be creating more enemies for the u.s. >> she is free again, miriam

abraham, sentenced to death for renouncing islam was released from jail. she was first released on june 21 after her death sentence was released but rearrested for allegedly false filing i.d. documents. she is currently in the u.s. embassy with her family. her husband is an american citizen. >> a month long investigation has led to 275 arrests in california, targets child porn traders and sex tourists traveling abroad. the task forced used an internet sting operation with investigators posing on line at children offering to meet men in person for sex. >> a new program in houston is trying to help victims of human trafficking turn their lives around. a one time victim of sex trafficking has become a teacher dedicating her life to helping others who find themselves in similar situations.

>> it's not unusual for catherine griffin to get this kind of greeting when she comes to work at a jail in texas. twice a week, the women open up to her sharing stories of being tricked and then trapped in a life of sex trafficking. >> this man drove us and said hey, you want to make some money. i'm thinking well, i'm desperate, you know, i have nowhere else to go. he threatened to kill me if i ever left. >> the experiences are similar. lured into prostitution of young girls, but never allowed to keep the tens of thousands of dollars they made. there are tears as they recalled the beatings and sheer number of girls trapped with them. >> i have a lot of constant stabs and been shot. there was multiple girls, like they were different ages, like everything, different colored skin. some didn't speak english. >> they all agree being arrested

on charges unrelated to their trafficking was like being rescued. for the first time, they feel no shame, but only because of miss kathy. she was once a backup singer for some of the biggest names in show business, but she, too got trapped and trafficked herself. >> i've been there, done that, can show them where my ear was cut off and put back on. human trafficking and sex slavery does not necessarily mean everybody has been chained in a basement and fed dog food. they are invisible chains mentally. >> her special counseling program is the first of its kind in the united states. it's been in place for three years and it's working. she says dozens of women have passed through these cells and left with job skills, practical education and most importantly. >> i feel like i have a chance at life now. i'm finding out who i really am. what i really like. >> i know i was able to survive

that dark, deep hell to come back and help somebody else get the recipe to come out and look up and live. >> she says she's living proof there's life after being victimized by human trafficking. what's needed is love, support and a second chance. aljazeera, houston. >> catherine griffin calls her program we've been there, done that. she started working with victims of human trafficking 10 years ago and began teaching classes at harris county jail in 2012. >> giving i.d. cards to undocumented immigrants. i.d.'s will include name, photograph and date of birth. it will be the largest local i.d. program in the nation. the mayor will sign it into law. >> everything in moderation can lead to a longer life. this is especially true when it comes to alcohol. >> a new study finds drinking

excessively can put your life at risk. these numbers are new and cause for concern. we start with a staggering statistic. researchers say drinking too much alcohol accounts for one in 10 deaths among adults. the study by the c.d.c. found nearly 90,000 people die each year from excessive drinking, the deaths due to long issues from repeated alcohol use, breast cancer, live disease and hard decease, car crashes, alcohol poisoning and violence. more than half deaths are linked to binge drinking. what is excessive drinking? here's the answer. according to the c.d.c.'s recommend is as, starting with binge drinking, at an occasion like a party, for women, four or more glasses of wine is considered too much. men is five beers. again, we're talking in a single sitting here. looking longer term at someone considered a heavy drinker, for women, it's eight or more drinks a week. for men, it's 15 or more drinks

a week, which averages two drinks a day. here's a sobering statistic. of the thousands who die each year from excessive drinking, 70% were working aged duties, people 20-64 years old, who died before their time. coming up in our next hour, find out how many years excessive drinking can shave off your life. it is more than just a few. >> talk about sobering. thank you. >> dozens of people rushed to the hospital when the floor collapsed beneath them in tax. more than 125 people gathering for a religious event thursday at a home in the suburbs. authorities say the second floor pancaked the first floor garage. >> they ranged from minor cuts and scrapes to significant blunt trauma to anything that would be considered a collapse. they were on the second floor. when it gave way, they fell through. you're going to have fall

traumas. >> some men had to hold a beam up. officials are investigating the accident. >> let's look at other headlines making news around the world. for months, nigeria's army has been trying to flush out boko haram militants in hiding. it appears they're leaving voluntarily, at least some, being driven out of the forest by snakes and bees. these guys that are leaving the forests are not only being arrested, but saying they believe these are spiritual attacks resulting from the abduction of the school girls kidnapped two months ago. they say that the girls have somehow morphed into this spirit and become bees and snakes. >> they say they're giving up the location of some boko haram locations and weapons they might be using. >> we'll see if it leads to good. >> new york city big sodas are

here to say, the ban officially dead, killed by the state's highest court. one of the biggest controversies, the mayor had great intentions. he thought everybody was getting too fat because they were drinking too much sugary soda so wanted to ban the size. critics said you get rid of the big one, they buy two, so what really is the effect. >> they have kept in place transfats and other regulations, but the court felt this went too far. here is a beverage that might be hard to swallow for some people, time magazine said friends fine wine has in vented a coffee hybrid drinks. >> the world is now perfect. >> it comes i understand red and wide, espresso and card anyway coffee espresso. yum. >> no words. >> no words. >> team u.s.a. making it out of the group of death. >> defying all odds, they are heading to the round of 16.

>> it's huge, huge fours getting out of this group that number -- everybody said you have no chance. we took that chance and we move on and now we really want to prove a point. >> what a former world cup player and national soccer hall of famer says about the differences between this world cup and prefers ones for america. >> it is a super do thatter water slide 17 stories high. why today's big opening is being delayed. >> a flying insect that's having a hard time sniffing out its favorite flower. details ahead in our discovery of the day. >> you're looking live at the capitol building in washington, d.c., right now, a very, very humid 75 degrees there.

talk to al jazeera, tomorrow, 5 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

>> it is trial now for our discovery of the day. pollution makes it harder for people to breathe, but now there's research suggests it is effecting insects, as well. >> moths have a hard time sniffing out their favorite flowers when pollution is in the way. >> the research team flew moths into a wind tunnel where they could control what they're smelling. the findings are important, because they suman made smells could impact other pollenates bugs. they plan to study those insects next month. >> team u.s.a. lost against germany in the world cup but hung in to advance to the knockout round where they will face belgium, which has not lost a match so far in the tournament. national soccer hall of famer jeff agus played for the world

cup teams in 1998 and 2002, currently the director of competition with major league soccer. we have him with us this morning. you have played in two world cups yourself. what goes through your mind as a player when you first enter the pitch for your first world cup match? >> well, you're just waiting until the referee blows the whistle to kickoff, because it becomes normal. it's anxiousness, you're excited. this is the pinnacle of your career, so you just want it to start. >> people are noting differences between the interest in america this year for the world cup. is this a sport becoming more popular. >> absolutely. major league soccer now in its 20th year next year. we see this organic growth of the sport through the domestic league and international level. you're seeing a ton of people watch the game now.

>> let's get to yesterday's game. how do you think the u.s. played? >> well enough to get through. yesterday was ironic, because the loss actually felt like a win. in a game against portugal, the game felt like a loss but they're through the group of death. >> were there any standout players and looking ahead to belgium, what are the prospects for team u.s.a. >> belgium's one of the best teams in the world, they have players that are playing in the best big leagues in the world. we have players in major league soccer, it's going to be a very, very interesting game, but i think we have enough talent to win and move on. >> you do? >> i do. >> what are the next four days like going to be for the players, how do they prepare mentally and physically? >> the next day to day and a half, you're recuperating and regenerating and getting ready. all of the physical details have been taken care of, now it's

fine tuning, getting to know the team, trying to get a lot of information into a short amount of time. >> belgium beat the u.s. in a friendly recently, so they know this team. >> i don't really recall that result. they did, but friendly's are different from world cup matches. >> different lineups, too, right? >> different lineups, but the intensity and stakes are different. >> a lot of people have been calling group g. the group of death. it bears repeating why that was such a difficult group and how the u.s. did technically versus just having a lot of luck. >> absolutely. ghana was a team that had continually knocked out the united states in past world cups. germany is the second best team in the world right now, and portugal has rinaldo, the best player in the world. >> who scored that last minute goal to tie that game up. >> thankfully so.

it was a very, very difficult group. the u.s. has had to travel the most of any team. i think they traveled almost 9,000 miles, had to play in the amazon. >> lots of head winds for team u.s.a. if you're in a place where you can tell these guys what your best piece of advice is based on what you've seen, what would it be? >> enjoy it. enjoy it. there's so much pressure put own, step back and try to enjoy it at much as you can. >> pleasure having you here. >> thank you for having me. >> we'll have much more on the americans advancing, including a live report from sao paulo, brazil. >> another blow to atlantic city, the show boat hotel and casino closing after more than 27 years of operation, more than 2100 union workers expected to lose their jobs. that is the second casino in atlantic city to shut down this

year, another closing in january, costing 1600 jobs. another casino filed for bankruptcy just last week. >> in chicago, close to 1200 teachers and staff members were laid off. officials say cuts are because of declining enrollment and to help close the $1 billion budget gap. critics say the move hard hit especially minority areas. the teachers can reapply for vacancies in other schools. >> the government wants to reduce the height of new buildings near airports across the nation. aviation experts say reducing the size creates a safer flight path for planes h especially during takeoff. it is facing fire from real estate developers saying it will hurt property values and development. >> meteorologist nicole mitchell is back with a look at our weather. >> we're heading into the weekend and depending where you are, it's going to be very

pleasant or very wet. the midsection of the country we have moisture funneling in. this gets us through the weekend. the gulf coast texas to lose under that flow and into the midwest, ahead of another boundary where we've already been flooded out. you can see some of the core of this easily getting two to four more inches, but some isolated places will be even greater, so more flood concerns as we head into the weekend. through dakotas, nebraska, the flooding is going to be the bigger concern. the southern tier of the country, you can see rain in louisiana. we have the system going through cooler, billings on the backside of that is at 70 degrees. ahead of this, very humid, very warm and sticky, we'll see atlanta at 87 degrees, same thing for washington, d.c.,

already in the 70's this morning, making it easily into the 80's for the rest of the day. a closer look at areas seeing flooding coming up in a little bit. >> it is build as the world's tallest water slide. it was supposed to open today, but a kansas city water park said visitors will have to wait to ride the ride. it is 17 stories high. they have tested it for a month with sandbag, but a few times, it gets stuck, delaying the opening. >> we'd love to, yeah. >> it looks awesome. >> i ain't riding that thing! >> what drops? you're falling straight down! >> the park hopes to open the ride sunday. >> i do not do water slides or roller coasters. >> here is what we are following

this morning. those armed predator drones flying reconnaissance missions in baghdad. iraqi prime minister continues to lose support. >> ukraine signing an agreement with the european union, a ceasefire expiring. >> more than a dozen people killed in a gas line explosion in india. several villages were evacuated. >> we'll talk to the former director of the c.i.a.'s counter intelligence center. what he says about the drones. >> a very, very wild ride. we'll have more that that and some of the other videos captured by citizen journalists around the world. >> there is more aljazeera in just two minutes. we'll be right back, but first, a live look at amsterdam, where

it's about 69 degrees right now. holland one of the teams to beat in the world cup. it is 1:00 in the afternoon there. >> al jazeera america presents the system with joe berlinger >> new york city has stop and frisk >> some say these laws help serve and protect... >> we created the atmosphere that the policeman's the bad guy... >> others say these tactics are racist >> discrimination is wrong >> 99 percent of those arrested in drug free school zones... we're not near a school at all! >> are they working? >> this time i'm gonna fight it. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america

>> six months after marijuana leads in colorado, business seems to be going up in smoke. one dispensary owner discusses whether the boom is turning into

a bust. >> the nba selects isaiah austin. >> the nba makes the dreams of one prospect come true at the 2014 draft. how his career was sidelined by a rare genetic disorder. >> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. >> iraq on the brink of forming a new government. >> political support is waning for malaki as some question his ability to assemble a unified government. >> "the new york times" reporting that the u.s. has started flying armed drones over baghdad. the drones will conduct reconnaissance missions now but the obama administration has not yet ruled out drone strikes against isil fighters in iraq and syria. >> the u.s. has already been flying drone misses in iraq. what's the difference? >> we have been seeing according to pentagon officials both manned and unmanned aerial

flights, unhand of course, meaning drones. the ditch is now that "the new york times" is reporting that we are seeing armed predator drones over iraq. the unarmed drones can serve the purpose of reconnaissance, gaining information and in tell. the armed drones can do that and also protect the u.s. forces on the ground as part of this advance team. >> secretary of state john kerry met with middle east allies in paris yesterday. what did they talk about of significance? >> here we get into the question of air strikes. the u.s. officials say secretary kerry said the u.s. is reserving the right to do that, but that could still happen. he met with people from saudi arabia, jordan and u.a.e. and none of willing to commit to military action themselves. a big message the secretary of state was trying to get out to them as well as anyone listening is that there's a vested

interest by all countries in the region, as well as those outside, nato partners, as well, to stabilize things on the ground and help calm the situation down in iraq. >> libby, thank you. >> we are joined by phone from baghdad, jane, isil fighters are now threatening some of the refugee safe havens in the kurdish region. >> i just spoke to people there who say that for the first time really in the last 10 years, fighting has come closer and closer, just two miles away, i'm told, overnight fighting that included mortar shelling by isil fighters, and they're fighting the kurdish forces who moved in to secure these areas during the isil advance. these are ancient christian towns. there are monasteries there, a

bishop says he will stay. the rest of the people are fleeing, going further into kurdish territory for safety. >> beheadings and dismemberment reported. the british foreign minister meeting in iraq with the kurdish leader. >> the kurds are an integral part, because they remain pretty much the only security force intact and disciplined, and they control a large part of the country. they have a lot of demands. those demands are more likely to be met now. one of the areas disputed is the city of kirkuk. it's the heart of the oil fields and the kurds have all but said it is theirs. now they control it on the ground and yesterday, the kurdish president took a tour to reaffirm that they are not going to let kirkuk go. all of this hugely different

from three weeks ago. >> >> we're going to go back to baghdad and talk to jay and meet with citizens fighting isil. we'll talk to the former senate majority leader george mitchell weighing in on the conflict in iraq and what he believes needs to be done. >> president obama is looking to take action to deal with the war in syria, asking congress for $500 million to train and equip syrian rebels the white house says have been vetted to stabilize areas under opposition control and help defend syrian civilians. i want to go live to buy rat. the violence in syria has spilled over to neighboring countries like iraq, like lebanon. what kind of impact would this have in the region? >> you mean the funding for the moderate groups? >> yes. >> many people here are confused

on what is the actual purpose, especially that president obama just a few days ago said that he doesn't believe that there is a syrian moderate military force on the ground who can overthrow president assad. for a while, the u.s. was reluctant, fearing if they give lethal weapons to groups, they might fall in the wrong hands, hands like the isil, extremist groups. now with this assistance, many are asking are these moderate groups going to use its against president assad or against the extremist groups. the u.s. says for all these purposes, but realistically, they will to have choose. >> the white house says it will also prescreen the fighters which receive money, but are there concerns that the weapons could still fall into the wrong hands. we know in some cases, free syrian army guys ever defected to the more extreme groups. >> yes that is true and the

suctions of the isil groups, the extremist groups fighting in iraq have made are actually -- they work like a snowball, encouraging more fighters from different groups to join, because they look like the most efficient force and now more money is in their hands to pay these fighters more. at the same time, the u.s. had been training many groups throughout the past year, syrian opposition groups, but they are very relatively small. on the ground, they have not proved verproved efficient. >> coming up in 25 minute, we'll talk with the former director of the c.i.a.'s counter terrorism center who served as the head of the drone program and why he believes they may have been a mistake. >> the suspected leader of the benghazi embassy attack is going to arrive this weekend. he was captured earlier this month during a raid in the libyan capitol. he'll be charged with the murder

of u.s. am bass door chris stevens and three others. he will be charged with firearms violation for providing material support to terrorism. >> the president is talking about the large number of undocumented 13 coming in from central america who have been crossing the u.s. border alone. the president calls the situation a humanitarian crisis. he also has a message for the parents who might consider sending their children to the u.s. >> that is our direct message to the families in central america, do not send your children to the borders. if they do make it, they'll get sent back. more importantly, they may not make it. >> the president says the large in flux of children coming to the u.s. alone reflects the desperation and violence that is in some countries. >> the supreme court found president obama violated the constitution by going around the senate. they pointed to resist appointments in the national labor relations board.

the high court said the senate was technically still in session so the president could not use his resist power. the senate said he tried to circumvent them. >> a massachusetts law restricting protests near abortion clinics was struck down, the justice ruled the 35-foot butter zone violates the first amendment. some say this doesn't go far enough to ensure freedom of speech. abortion providers condemned the decision arguing the buffer is meant to protect people entering the clinic. the law was passed after two members were shot at an abortion clinic in massachusetts. >> a pipeline explosion in southern india left 15 dead and sparked fires. a 18 were injured and four victims in critical condition. the pipeline supplies natural gas to several fertilizer companies. we are in new delhi. what can you tell us about this

blast this morning? >> early hours of the morning, 370 miles from the state capitol, from what we understand from records on the ground, a potential natural gas pipeline leakage ins gated a fire that ripped through a village area there and caused quite a lot of damage in the area. as you mentioned, 15 people dead and at least more than a dozen injured at this stage. >> do we have an idea of how many people have been left homeless because of this explosion? that's a really good question. at this stage, i should mention quite a remote area, so news is trickling through of news on the ground. there's been damages to villages, homes and to the local area. it's unclear how many people have been directly affect in terms of being left homeless and property damage, so that will certainly come forward in the

coming hours and days, we would imagine, given the remoteness of this area. >> we understand the pipeline belongs to a state-owned company. have officials given any word about a possible cause for the explosion? >> that's really interesting. i've been in contact with the spokesperson for the company who owns these pipe lines. we should put into context here, it's india's biggest supplier running through 600 miles of pipe lines. investigations are in the very early stages. the chief minister of the state is calling for an official inquiry. no underlying cause yet, just exactly what caused this. however, the company saying at this point we're perhaps not looking at the cause, trying to deal with the operations on the ground and the relief effort there, from which we've said to you could be quite extensive given the kind of situation we're looking at. it is a regional segment of a much wider network.

>> reporting live from new delhi, thank you very much. >> crews in texas lad their hands full thursday with a gas line blowout near the town of east barnard, flames 100 feet into the air damage add power plant. one minor injury was reported. crews shut off the gas and the fire burned out. >> a judge ruling in favor of colorado gun control laws requiring background checks or all gun sales. they limit magazines to 15 rounds or less. a lawsuit claims that was a violation of the second amendment. the judge cited previous supreme court decisions saying the right to bear arms does not guarantee the right to use any firearm one chooses for self defense. >> parts of the u.s. dealing with plenty of rain and flooding in some cases are set for a soaking this weekend. >> we turn to our meteorologist nicole mitchell. nicole, wet again. >> yes. i'm from minnesota and really start to go feel the empathy

here. not only was it a cold and snow why winter, now we have the flooding. i'm thinking about going back next week, all that standing water is just going to be mosquito heaven. we've had day after day of the rain in the midwest. the rivers were coming together and flooding the major rivers out there, but we still have more today. you can see this line in the dakotas, heavier rain in pores of nebraska, and you see the light years greens, those are river flooding areas, the darker areas are flash flood areas. that is when the rain comes down quickly and you have brief flooding, usually less than six hours or so that you have to get through and it drains out. the river flooding can last for days, as those rivers come over their banks. that's what we've seen in parts of minnesota. with more rain on the way through the course of the weekend to add to that problem.

it's really not going to go down quickly because of the new rain. this is also our chance for a slight risk for strong storms. you can see that flow from the south. it's not just the midsection of the country that's been getting some of that. as we head southward, we've had a prettyient flow, anywhere from texas to louisiana, the entire gulf coast could see rain, but that's going to be our other area to watch for the heavy stuff. a lot of the rest of the country not looking too bad. >> mosquito heaven sounds like hell to me. >> i hope they don't carry me off while i'm there. >> new questions are raised about u.s.a.'s drone program. a report says they may be doing more harm than good. we'll talk to the former c.i.a. leader in charge of the program. >> one entrepreneur, the ingredients he has to create the next big eatery. >> there are bad drivers and

then there is no guy, the punishment that he got for his reckless roadway etiquette. that and other video from around the world.

>> time for a look at videos captured by citizen journalists around the world. this is an angry crowd in taiwan giving chinese officials a not so warm welcome to the country. the sides are holding meetings to improve thais but citizens chanted go back to china. >> being at the right place in the right time, a water spout off the coast of the netherlands. time laps video of the spout developing, several beaches evacuated just as a precaution. >> think you've seen bad drivers? check out this guy. police releasing this video. you see him swerving around, christian james clark caught on camera driving recklessly in the northern part of the country.

he has been banned from driving for a year. >> sometimes, we should perhaps just not blur the license plate. >> seriously. >> in just one moment, we'll talk about a plan to pick up the next big restaurant chain in america. >> first, you a crane signed off on a new economic agreement with the european union, a monday deadline for all sides to come to an agreement on a ceasefire in eastern ukraine. this new e.u. agreement is in place just as the temporary ceasefire expired. let's go to donetsk in the eastern part of ukraine. paul, what are we hearing today out of the e.u. exactly? >> well, only positive signs coming from brussels. there the e.u. leaders, all 28 met with the presidents of mole dove have a, georgia and ukraine to sign this new association

agreement opening up the european markets to those states. from the ukrainian point of view, it's the result of deep sacrifice not just in financial materials but also here in the terms of lives. we've had hundreds of people killed as a result of the split that was caused when the previous president refused to sign the association agreement. in the last sort of hour, what we're hearing is that a ceasefire agreement which had been in place for the last week will be extended by the ukrainian president in order to try to give a boost to hopes that find a peaceful solution to the violent conflict we've heard. he hasn't said it publicly yet. we're hearing it from sources reported on agencies so i put that caveat on the report at the moment. it's a positive sign, a glimmer of hope that we may be avoiding a all out conflict in the east. >> we haven't seen a complete ceasefire. what is the situation in

donetsk? >> it's very volatile. these ceasefires by the separatist militia and government are not in tune with each other. they've never really held. the army had always reserved the right to fire back if attacked by the separatists and so its ceasefire was of its own accord. the separatists announced a ceasefire, but then simply didn't take to it. they didn't abide by it. in the last 24 hours, we've seen separatists openly attacking national guard basis. we had reports that the separatist fighters attacked a tank base. they said they were in ceasefire, but frankly didn't abide by it. >> u.s. officials say they have doubts about claims that north korea has tested new missiles, coming after north korea state run media reported kim jong-un

watched precision missiles. the u.s. is watching north korea, trying to figure out what projectile was launched. >> in germany, the interior ministry won't renew a contract with verizon. that deals expires in 2015. it's because of concerns the carrier might have to hand over foreign data to the n.s.a. >> for the second time in as many months, the pentagon is shelling out big bucks to update the chopper fleet with a contract worth $28 billion to deliver 112 new helicopters. in may, the company won a $24 billion chopper deal. the connecticut based company was the only bidder. these will replace the blackhawks fleet and be built in connecticut. >> starting a restaurant always a big gamble. one in four won't make it a

year. one of america's most successful food entrepreneurs believes he has a recipe for success. >> those flames, that sizzle, this chicken dish could become an american staple on date night approximate all the stars align for the restaurant. >> i'd like to be in every city in america. that would be great for me. i'll bring in my touch of home. >> it is one of eight businesses currently part of the new development in dallas designed to nurture and grow restaurants. it's called trinity grove and is led by one of america's most successful food entrepreneurs. phil romano founded 20 national chain restaurants, mac macaroni grill and others. >> we are creating brands. >> he bets the perfect

laboratory is an underwise low income area in west dallas. in exchange for a 50% stake in their businesses, budding entrepreneurs get what he believes are profitable. marketing and space in restaurant row, a patio, seating for 200 and a half million dollars to cover the cost of design kitchen appliances, gear, training, liquor licenses, a $60,000 annual salary for the entrepreneur, and entertainment. >> participants put no money in. those 12 months provide an economic immediately to businesses within the incubator. three separate studies show more than a quarter of all restaurants fail within their first year. each restaurant has to bring in $1.5 million in annual sales and turn a profit or get kicked out. >> the big hit comes if this thing that got the potential to

become a national concept. >> a national franchise to would include music, drinks, a place within the ranks of america's 208,000 chain restaurants and a dream come true. >> aljazeera, dallas. >> participants guaranteed one year of operation in what is called the restauranting could you biter. >> you've got to be in vented in that business. >> taking a live look at boston, the sun shining on the charles river right in the center of your vein, you can see the gorgeous hancock building. >> what about the rest of us? lets find temperatures across the makes today. >> all of us kind of have our perfect idea of ideal weather. boston for me has it today, temperatures in the 60s this morning, highs in the mid 70, comfortable, sunshine, this weekend more into the 80's. >> a lot of 70's this morning on the backside of our last front,

you'll see more 50's and 60's as we start the day. really the eastern half of the country making it into the 80's of that northeast corridor, because we have a lot of moisture and the a southerly flow keeping things on the warm side. one place that's exceptionally warm and we expect this time of year, phoenix 103, albuquerque 102. be careful doing anything outdoors because of fire dangers. >> isil fighters setting their sites on baghdad, young men trying to defend iraq's capitol. >> hold off on that happy hour with your coworkers this afternoon. a new stayed says having a few too many drinks could have a deadly toll. >> is the business of legal marijuana in colorado losing its buzz? we'll talk to the owner of one place about whether he still feels he is riding high. >> a look at our images of the

day. america advancing to the knockout round, live to brazil for soccer action. action.

>> racing a red flag over the u.s. drone program. a former official overseeing the program discusses these concerns. >> a new study shows a lot of us maybe dying because we drink too much. a surprising number of years

alcohol could take off your life. we also want to tell you about this touching moment at last night's nba draft for a prospect who unfortunately won't get to play in the pros. >> political sport waning in iraq for prime minister malaki. some question his ability to assemble a unified coalition. meanwhile, isil rebels moving closer to baghdad. it's causing concern inside the capitol. >> around baghdad, there's a looming threat, but in the city, it's almost an ordinary evening. there are fewer visitors at baghdad's biggest shrine but the square is full of iraqis. here it's always part religious fervor, part celebration. these days, a call to arms. >> a rallying call in shia

islam. where is the isil? they're nothing. >> the ruling means that if 10,000 people will be killed, we will send 20,000. if 100,000 are killed, we will send a million. >> a shia minty from mosul, this man he was safe but then kurdish forces got drown into the fight. >> we supplied everything for our country. now, the man or the young people stay in the villages. they defend and the families, they left. >> a lot of the families here would have nowhere to go. >> the borders, the oil refineries, army base, they're all of strategic importance, but the prize in this battle is

baghdad. nowhere more so than here. this is the shrine, one of the holiest sites in the world or shia islam. people are willing to fight and die for it. >> in baghdad, tens of thousands of young men joined a new verse of the army, the militia loyal to the shia cleric that fought u.s. soldiers in 2004. >> we are passing through this current situation because of the betrayal of politicians and commanders. what is happening to our country especially in pose as you will immediate use realize we are capable of handling the responsibility and responding with strength. >> bus companies normally crowded leaving jordan and syria say it's now much more difficult to leave the country. >> there are only a few people traveling to jordan and no one's coming back. the traffic has almost stopped. >> there has been a flood of

iraqis from baghdad since 2003, but there are fewer and fewer places left to go. >> u.s. military advisors arrived two days ago to help iraqi forces dealing with isil. there are reports the u.s. is flying armed drone missions over baghdad. >> former senator george mitchell has been to the middle east serving as the u.s. envoy to the israels and palestinians under president obama. we asked if he believes what he is seeing on the ground in iraq began with the u.s. invasion. >> the notion that conflict began with the united states i think is plainly false, and cricketed now. we do have a problem. we should help, but ultimately, it is the people of iraq who will decide the future of iraq,

the people of syria who will decide the future of syria, egyptians will decide the future of egypt. we can help, we should encourage, we should insist, especially those and there are many who want more open, toll land regimes who want government that is provide the basic services that give people opportunity, jobs, schools, health care. that's what people want, and we can do what we can to help, but we can't do this as it is the responsibility of the united states to fix what's happening in iraq. the really tough part of democracy, which we are still struggling with is the greatest and the longest continuous democracy in history. the really tough part is how do you reconcile the two pillars of democracies, majority rules, but you protect minority rights. we have a tough time with it, and those countries have a tough time with it and you can see

what's happening in egypt now, in syria now and iraq now in that context. >> you can watch our full conversation with former senate majority leader tomorrow on talk to aljazeera at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. >> israeli forces on the hunt for those suspected of kidnapping two teens two weeks ago while they were hitchhiking home. the disappearance parked a massive ground operation. israel destained 400 palestinians. >> a new report from a washington think thank questions the american use of drone strikes over the last 10 years. >> the study offers a stern warning about the possible consequences of using drones against foreign targets, saying it could come back to haunt the u.s. >> the new report says armed drone strikes may be doing more harm than good. the report from the think tank

questions whether the drone strikes are truly reducing terrorism, and making the u.s. safer. >> the existence enables a temptation to use that whack a mole approach to terrorism where you feel this fantasy that you can just kill your way out of a very complex problem one bad guy at a time. >> rosa brooks was one of the co authors of the 81 page report. she says these targeted strikes can increase anti american sentiment and be a successful recruiting tool for groups that want to attack the u.s. >> anyone you kill, even if they're a bad guy have friends and family members. they have neighbors, people who will be upset if you do kill any civilians, all the more so. >> another key concern outlined in the support, the secrecy surrounding the drone program, making it difficult if not impossible to judge if the drone strikes are legal under domestic

and international law. the report said the united states should not conduct a long term killing pack based on secret rationales. >> we don't say how many strikes are carried out, we don't say their locations. until quite recently, the administration has said we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such program. you have what amounts to a 13 year long secret war, which has killed an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people. >> the obama administration has been grappling with the issues in this report, promising new guidelines for the drone strikes and more transparency in the program. >> possibly we must be more transparent about both the basis of our counter terrorism actions and the manner in which they are carried out. >> a white house spokesman said the administration would review the new report but pointed out the president has repeatedly

emphasized the quote "extraordinary care" taking care the actions meet all allows and are consistent with u.s. values and policies. the white house is confident it can be more open and still retain the ability to continue the drone strikes. aljazeera, washington. >> joining us now is robert, he oversaw the drone program from 2004 to 2006. he is a 27 year veteran of the v.i.a. and joins us this morning. do you agree with the findings of this panel? >> yes, i do. i think that this may be the very rare think tank report that actually gets attention and has a good effect on policy. >> you have spoken in the past about the unintended consequences of drone strikes. would you expand on your view of

why that is? >> well, yes. i think it's interesting that it's under the current administration that this program has expanded so much, and has given rise to some of the concerns that many of us have been talking about for quite some time. the authors of this report don't suggest and certainly i wouldn't, either, that we should stop making drone strikes altogether. the problem is that we have been so focused on one strike after another on the tactical use of this weapon that we've lost our way a bit strategically. when you take a couple of steps back, you begin to realize that maybe we've put ourselves in a place that we don't want to be. that doesn't mean that we should stop the strikes altogether. >> how active was the drone program during your tenure? >> it was much more limited, both geographically and in terms of the numbers of strikes. it really had to do with the

targets. in those days, we were focused on individuals who posed a counter terrorism threat as narrowly defined and proper so-called. what has happened in a number of different geographying witness yemen and pakistan, we've gone from the use of drones as a counter terrorism tool to counter insurgency, striking a much larger number of fighters who are drawn from not foreign foreigners, but from the local population taking place and that has had a greater effect as you can imagine. >> this may compel other countries perhaps with less well meaning intentions to do the same. how worried should americans be that u.s. enemies could do the exact same thing on u.s. soil and do we have counter measures for that? >> well, i don't think that there's so much worried about foreigners using these capabilities on u.s. soil.

that would amount to a military attack and we have capability to protect ourselves from that. it is a legal issue. how would we react if foreign leaders whom we don't trust and motives don't align with ours making strikes in any part of the world, the u.s. or elsewhere and saying trust us, what we're doing is in line with international law. they're saying if we don't trust this in others, we ought to not ask others to trust this in us and should be more transparent the in terms of the rationale used or strikes. >> do you have any regrets about this program, whether innocent people were killed, whether it has morphed into something that as the report says is a slippery slope, a pandora's box? >> no, i don't have personal concerns about this or personal regrets about this, but i think that we as a country really ought to take a very, very hard look at this. i think that here

understandably, the authors of this report say we ought to take a look at it, don't necessarily say what the results of that study ought to be. understandably so. it's very situationally dependent. the cost benefit analysis we would make in the pakistani areas might be different from yemen or somalia, but that said, i think we need to be willing to do that. what they don't say is in being more transparent with the rest of the world, that at the end of the day is going to impose greater discipline on us i think both in terms of the strategic impacts that you were talking about and in terms of the legal rationale that we impose on our receivers and that we would want others to impose on themselves,

as well. >> switching gears, alcohol in moderation is better for your health and lead to a longer life. a new study shows drinking too much can lead to death long before your time. >> this study says heavy drinking can take a really serious toll. >> that's right, stephanie. researchers found excessive alcohol use shortened life spans by 30 years. in fact, they say drinking too much alcohol accounts for one in 10 deaths among working aged duties. that's people 20-64 years old and 70% are men. the c.d.c. found 90,000 die each other over the course of the study from 2006 to 2010, deaths due to issues from repeated alcohol use, breast cancer, live disease and heart disease. they are caused by car crashes, alcohol poisoning and violence. more than half of those deaths were linked to binge drinking, so what is excessive drinking?

let's start with binge drinking. that's drinking on occasion like a party. for women, four or more glasses of wine is too much, for men, five or more beers in a sitting. people considered heavy drinkers consume eight or more drinks a week for women, for men, 15 or more drinks a week. doctors say with the c.d.c., anymore two drinks a day for men or one for women is cause for concern, even if that person is not considered an alcoholic. the lead researcher said excessive alcohol use is the leading cause of preventable deaths that kills americans in the prime of their lives. >> the leading cause. thank you. >> dozens of people rushed to the hospital when the floor collapsed beneath them in texas. more than 125 people gathered for a religious event at a home in houston. the second floor pancaked on to the first floor garage. >> they ranged from minor cuts and scrapes to significant blunt

trauma to anything that would be considered in a collapse. they were on the second floor. when it gave way, they fell through. you're going to have obvious fall traumas. >> officials are investigating what caused that accident. >> there is still hope for team u.s.a. american soccer stars faced off in the toughest portion of the world cup. the group of death, they passed it. even after a heartbreaking loss, they advanced. how was the american team able to get through? >> they were able to get through with injury gutty play throughout this soccer tournament. it's not so much who wins the last game as the americans now know, it's who played best over the course of the three games in the group stage. the americans did very well,

knocking off ghana. that heartbreaking loss to portugal, which was really the heartbreak for them and then losing to germany, it was still enough to get them through the knockout stage. they're going to face belgium. they are very good soccer team, so they're facing a big challenge there. the americans are breathing a big sigh of relief after they get through to the knockout stage. a big task, big accomplishment, considering italy, england are both, and spain, soccer powers have been knocked out. >> we had that 1-0 loss to germany. belgium is next. what do the experts say about team u.s.a.'s chances against belgium? >> anything's possible in this world cup. we're now in the knockout stage, so all it takes is one good game by the americans, a couple of goals, maybe one, a good defense and they could win. it's, or take all at this point.

the belgium team is very, very strong, americans are going to have their work cut out for them. if you look back, they beat began no and they almost, almost beat portugal, one of the top teams in the world. they feel very confident. >> i love your enthusiasm. what has been the biggest surprise of the tournament so far? >> two words, costa rica. they were not expected to do anything in this word cup. they actually won their group, now going through. they are not a world soccer power. the fact that they're getting through to the knockout stage is remarkable. they are undoubtedly the cinderella story of this tournament so far. >> live from brazil, thank you very much. >> tough assignment. >> honoring an nba hopeful sidelined by a rare genetic

disorder. >> the league gave a prospect his big shot at the big leagues in last night's draft. >> coveraging the numbers on the business of legal pot in colorado. we'll talk to the owner of one company about whether the move has been a boom or a bust. r..

>> it's insane... >> the borderland marathon only at al jazeera america >> you're looking live at sydney, australia, the opera house to the right-hand side of the screen. it is 11:00 right now down under. >> the next generation of space travel successfully completed its most challenging test, orion dropped from 35,000 feet with the help of three parachutes landed safely.

the test was a trial run before an orbital test in december. >> it can hold a crew of four, scheduled for its first official mission in 2020. it is partially reusable and can land in the ocean. there is talk someday about going mars. >> we're going to talk about colorado, the first state to legalize pot, all the money it was going to generate in tax revenues. we'll take a closer look six months later. >> a new u.n. report says more land was used to cultivate opium last year than ever before. the increase was fueled bay global increase in the heroin trade. for the third year in a row, afghanistan, the world's leader in opium production. much of the world's supply is smuggled through southern afghanistan. >> supporters of legalized marijuana in colorado promised big tax revenues from sales.

six months later, those predictions may be going up in smoke. >> at the cannabis business summit underway this week in denver, you'll find all kind of new way to say get high. >> i'll drink this and get a little buzz. >> and new ways to make money. >> we licensed this product. >> whoo, that i can smell. >> people are here from all around the country, taking in this showcase for the budding young marijuana industry. >> about 60% of our sales are raw cannabis flower. >> tim opened the doors on january 1. >> we had a three hour wait for the first two weeks just to get in the door. >> seven months later, business has slowed, and so has the tax revenue coming into the state. prior to approving legal pot, voters in colorado were told they would see plenty of green coming from the new industry. the state estimated taxes would bring in $67 million.

in march, think dropped to $54 million, now over $30 million, less than half the original forecast. >> when people made those projection, they had to make about a dozen assumptions as to what is the price of marv going to be, what is the supply going to be. >> they may have overlooked medical marijuana, taxed at 2.9% with a total of 28%. 113,000 people in the state have medical marv cards. >> can you believe that the numbers would be this off? >> smart colorado, a group that has fought the legalization of pot. >> we were promise that had marijuana would be tightly regulated. that the state and our schools would receive, you know, ile be a boon revenue wise and that would keep it out of the hands of our kids. >> up to $40 million was supposed to go to schools and drug education. opponents wonder if they'll hilt the mark. advocates hold out colorado as the marijuana business model for

the nation. >> i think there's 800 people at this conference that would tell you that they're coming to colorado because they want to be a part of history. >> a history that may change after state economists take a full assessment of a year's worth of numbers and see just how green this new industry really is. >> co owner of the colorado harvest company joins us now live from denver. what happened, tim? >> thanks, del, i appreciate you having me on this morning. actually, i think it's too early to make a decision about that. my companies have already collected and returned over $600,000 to the city of denver and the state of colorado in tax revenue, and that doesn't include the internal excise tax, 15% dedicated to the construction of new schools in colorado at the tune of $40 million. >> this was very controversial

when launched, still is. there are more studies indicate marijuana itself may be harmful. how did you get involved and how do you weigh that decision with what you're hearing coming out now? >> well, cannabis has been around for four to 5,000 years. i question how harmful it could possibly be in light of the comparisons of alcohol and tobacco, cannabis is relatively harmless. >> critics have been lining up, among them the pope. has that affected your business? >> no. i congratulate the pope. i think he's been a tremendous positive influence on an organization that desperately needed to positive role model, but it hasn't affected sales at the store at all. >> with sales dropping, since january when it was legalized in colorado, the numbers are not where they were. why do you think that is?

do you think it's just that the movement itself is losing steam, the novelty worn off? >> absolutely not. we see on average about 10,000 people a month through the stores, so at this point, over 600,000 people have been through my doors. it's not slowing down at all. i don't think there's any way that jeannie is going back in the bottle. >> what do you say to people who say i don't want it in my state or people who say i do want it in my state? >> well, this has been done in colorado through a democratic process, so i would anticipate that that model will continue, so if people don't want cannabis legalized in their state, they should not vote for it. >> thank you very much, tim. >> british music legend phil collins is remembering the alamo, collecting millions of dollars of ordered facts from the battle in san antonio.

he's donating his entire collection to the alamo, so others can enjoy it. a new building will be constructed to house the collection. some of the pieces going on display immediately. he gets a lifetime free admission to the alamo to visit his collection anytime he wants. >> if you wonder where he's been, he has arthritis in his hands and had to choose between holding his boys or playing the drums, so chose his kids. >> let's look at wet whether orr across the country. >> the northeast has cleared out nicely, most of the southwest is going to stay dry. then we have the midsection of the country, having a few more problems into thed midwest. not only did we have a very wet winter and snow melting, but wet recently and more of that. the rivers crested will be getting more. those reference receding will take some time because of this. so the south, widespread in bat.

the carolinas and into texas, kind of those places we're watching. through the weekend, those areas keeping the wet stuff. >> nicole mitchell, thank you. >> a canadian player has been the top pick in the nba draft, the cleveland calf clears picking kansas freshman andrew wiggins. he comes from ontario. sixty players are all living their nba dreams this morning after getting drafted last night. >> baylor won't get a chance to live his nba dream because of a genetic disorder. nba commissioner made sure he still got his moment in the spotlight. ceremoniously drafted into the nba twin the 15th and 16t 16th picks, standing ovation, austin become emotional. he called the moment a dream

come true. >> thanks for joining us this morning on aljazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm stephanie sy. the latest on the new agreement between on you crane and the e.u., plus we're keeping on iraq. >> back here monday morning at 7:00. >> see then police are having stones thrown at them by the protestors >> an unpopular uprising... >> these...violations were part of a systematic tactics by venezuelan security forces >> brutal government crack downs >> the amount of anger here, you can see tensions between the two sides... >> is venezuela on the brink? fault lines al jazeera america's >> ground breaking... >> we have to get out of here... award winning investigative documentary series venezuela divided on al jazeera america

hello, andle welcome. i'm steven kohl, and in the next 60 minutes, ukraine seals the deal with europe and it sparks a revolution in the country's continuing crisis. solid leadership in iraq could be a tipping point for the country's kurds. the u.s. president asked congress for half a billion dollars. a little love and a