the structure >> tech know, every saturday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america. >> this is al jazeera america line from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at today's top stories. was it an act of revenge? new clashes between israelis and palestinians after a palestinian teenager is murdered. iraq's prime minister warns that an offensive in iraq and syria is a threat to the entire region, that no neighboring country is safe. and protesters in a small town blocked a bus full of undocumented migrants, telling them to go home, but the fight

isn't over yet. >> it was a violent day in the middle east. [ explosions ] >> dozens of people were injured in fighting between palestinian and israeli police in east jerusalem. the violence began after a 17-year-old palestinian boy was murdered. his family suspects he was killed in an act of revenge after the deaths of three israeli teens in the west bank. >> reporter: palestinians who live in east jerusalem took their anger to the street. they had just learned about the murder of a 17-year-old boy, his family accuses jewish settlers of killing him. >> reporter: between 3:30 and

4:30 a.m. mohammed was walking to the mosque. a car stop and men came out. they forced him inside and drove off. >> reporter: israeli border police tried to curb the angry rioters. dozens of people were injured. the killing happened less than two days after the bodies of three jewish is it settlers were found. the palestinian officials argue that the israelis are responsible for the latest round of violence. >> the israeli politician create destructive atmosphere and we'll go to all means to protect our rights and our people. >> reporter: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu called the murder as a rep reprehensible crime, and he called on all sides not to take the law into their own hands.

people here are worried that this already serious situation may escalate. it's now up to israeli and palestinian leaders to insure that that doesn't happen. >> palestinians and gaza are also reacting to the teenager's death. right now there are anti-israel protests in gaza city, and nick schifrin is there. >> reporter: this is downtown gaza city, and there are 2,000 to 3,000 hamas supporters who have come out with two messages. one of defiance. there have been dozens of israeli airstrikes around gaza, and these people are here to show that they're not scared to come out. it's also a show of solidarity with palestinians who are protesting in east jerusalem after the death of that 17-year-old. right now these people are very calm. there have been a lot of messages of defiance by hamas, officials from the stage asking

for everyone's support. now at the same time this has been happening there has been violence from the border. only a couple of miles that way. there has been 15 or 18 rockets depending on who you ask flown from gaza into israel. according to the israeli army almost all of those have fallen in empty fields. there is a bit of an understanding between hamas and israel, that so long as the rockets and missiles don't hit people or towns, but it's feared if those rockets hit any towns then the situation could escalate. >> the white house condemned the killing of the palestinian teenager as a despicable act and urges leaders to prevent the violence from escalating. >> the white house condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of the palestinian teenager. we send our condolences to his family and palestinian people. we call on the government of people and the palestinian authority to take all necessary

steps to prevent an atmosphere of revenge and retribution. >> prime minister nouri al-maliki said that the there is a threat to the entire middle east. secretary of state john kerry met with kurdish leaders in washington. mike viqueira with us from the white house. mike, what would it take for the administration to send the airstrikes that the iraqi government has been asking for. >> reporter: it's been more clear in the last few weeks and even the last few days that president obama is loathed to get the u.s. military involved in there is no resolution in baghdad among the iraqis there in the government. nouri al-maliki, of course, there was the election in april. they met yesterday. it resolved in acrimony. now they're trying to form a government. now the u.s. government is loathed to get involved unless they can pull a rabbit out of

their habit hat, and it is clear at this point they're not able to do that. until there is unity with iraqis, it is very unlikely that these airstrikes would go forward. the question i pose today to the spokesman today, even if baghdad were to fall, and remember the pentagon said that the isil forces are pressing from the north and the west, would the united states still stand by that? here's what he had to say. >> the vulnerability of one particular city in iraq is one that is difficult for me to assess. but suffice it to say the reason why i called it an existential threat is not just the security situation on the ground but because of the broader conflict that is being played out here. that what isil was doing is that they are perpetrating terrible acts of violence, and they're also trying to play upon the old sectarian divisions in an effort

to pull the country apart. >> the existential threat to iraq is not just the isil militant forces pressing towards baghdad, but also the division within iraq. >> mike, officials from the president o were active today. >> reporter: president obama made a call to king abdullah and talked about the need for unity among the iraqis, to join together and to fight the isil. secretary kerry kerry met with h officials in northern iraq urging them to stay part of the government now. fresh calls for the kurds to separate once and for all from the rest of iraq. there was also a call from vice president biden calling a power broker within the baghdad political world, the former speaker of the iraqi parliament, trying to get him to do what he can to get those forces, those

desperate forces to come together in unity in government. >> this is not a secular government batting extremists. many ethnic sunnies feel marginalized, we have more. >> reporter: he says he is a target because he is a sunni, and those from anbar feel particularly betrayed by prime minister nouri al-maliki. this former officer once served in saddam hue taken's army. he said the sunni rebellion will not end until their rights are restored. >> we would continue the war unless violence weakness. we're willing to deal with shia leaders but maliki must leave

power. we've been humiliated enough. >> reporter: they viewed the demonstrations that had spread to other sunni areas as a threat. the government responded with force and said it was fighting militant groups. the province has been a battleground since the start of this year. armed groups pushed the iraqi army out of sunni heartland in early june, but many say the rebellion started in anbar. 300,000 people were displaced by the conflict there. >> reporter: many of them stay in motels, it has been six months and families say they have spent most of their savings and they will have no choice until they leave anbar. the men here don't want to reveal their identities because they were serving in the iraqi

police force. >> most of the sunnies who joined the army and police for a salary, they weren't loyal to the government. they laid down their arms when the government attacked the people. but they were then threatened by armed men for collaborating with the state. >> reporter: there was a time when anbar cooperated with the government to rid their province of al-qaeda fighters. years later they say they regret ever trusting maliki. they say the government didn't stop targeting them and their leadership. today's "fault lines" are not new. and this family like many iraqis fear, reconciliation may be too late. al jazeera. >> hundreds of tons of chemical weapons from syria are now one step closer to being destroyed. today crews report in southern italy move cargo containers so the u.s. ship cape ray.

jacob ward has a look at how this process actually works. >> reporter: moving things around at sea is incredibly complicated. the average containership can carry 400 tons of cargo and the cape ray is only carrying 600 tons of chemical weapon agents. so it's a small load, but it's the ocean that creates chaos. any where from 200 to 600 container fall overboard in rough seas. so going out to see with cargoes as dangerous as in is a sobering one. they'll take on chemicals including sulfur mustard and df, a precursor agent for sarin, and nerve agents. there are two ways to destroyed chemical weapons. most common is using fire. a contained pressurized unit has

to heat the chemicals to extreme temperatures. and the ash is locked away as hazardous waste. but the cape ray is equipped with what are called hydrolysis unit. it remains hazardous but they can't be used to make weapons. the cape ray has two portal hydrolysis units on board. they were success tomorrow designed just for this purpose by the two top institutions in the country when it comes to horrible chemicals. it will take those hydrolysis units 60 days to process the chemicals. it wilit's a really scary process, and for whoever it is out there assigned to handle this stuff while the sea moves

beneath them, this is a beginning of a very tense couple of months. >> the libya man charged with the attacks on u.s. consulate will remain in jail. has he's attorney argued that prosecutors have not provided evidence that he was involved in the attack, but a federal judge denied his release. in murrieta, california, there are plans to discuss illegal immigrants. have you seen pro tesser protesters where you are today.

what should we expect from this down hall meeting? >> in the last 35 to 45 minutes we have seen a small group of protesters arriving outside the processing facility here. they're carrying an american flag, but for the most part they're being pretty quiet in keeping to themselves. but their message is quite clear. they're taking a "not in my backyard" stand against the federal government's plan to bring undocumented detainees to this processing center in their town. this is a town of 100,000 people, and many of the residents are making it clear that they are not in support of this plan. the town hall meeting is scheduled to happen later tonight at the high school. we expect to hear from federal immigration officials. some of the questions we expect to be talked about are what is the plan to house, clothe and feed the detainees, and what are

the plans for medical treatment if the detainees require it. i spoke to a mayor today, he said that this facility is not large enough to accommodate the number of detainees that the federal government plans to bring here for processing. this morning i had a chance to go to a local donut shop in the hold historic part of town, and i met a group of old timers, as they call themselves. they meet at this donut shop every morning. they're very well informed on what's going on and they also have very strong opinions. they told me that they want to make one thing clear. they are not protesting against the migrants. they're protesting against what they say is a failed policy on the part of the government. >> so jennifer a quick question, the original plan was that these buses would be the first of many coming to the town over the next few weeks. is that still the plan? >> reporter: well, tony, i'm smiling right now because that's

the question that everybody is asking today, including the town's mayor. >> as far as we know, murrieta is still a destination point for the immigrants. we have no plan. homeland security has never given us one bit of information. all of our information has been coming from the local office on a last-minute's notice. >> reporter: originally, the plan was to prepare for busloads to arrive every 72 hours. the next busload scheduled to arrive july 4th, is that still going to happen? we don't know. custom and border patrol is not talking. and the mayor has not been given any information either. >> live from murrieta, california. the controversy comes two base after president obama announced he would by pass congress to tackle immigration reform. did he so after house speaker john boehner said that lawmakers

would not vote on a an immigration bill this year. take a moment and talk about the significance of latino in. u.s. politics. >> they're looking at the pictures of immigrants being denied, and they comprise 17% of the u.s. population, but many latinos, though, are too young to vote and are not citizens so hispanic make up 11% of the eligible voting population. but there is a huge effort to get more eligible hispanic voters registered. that's why you hear so many republicans talking about the republican party facing a huge challenge in 2014 and 2016 if the republican party is not seen

by latino voters as supportive of immigration reform. keep in mind in 2012 hispanic voters went to democrats three out of every four. three out of every four. on the slip side hispanic are concentrated in large states including california, florida and texas, that means the hispanic political power is diluted elsewhere. if you look at the battleground states where thanksgiving could determine the control of the senate. anti-immigration candidates in particular states and districts can afford to anger latino voters, play up to the tea party, and they don't have to worry so much about significant election coming. >> you're suggesting standing against immigration reform might be a winning strategy in some districts in the country? >> particularly some conservative districts and some very conservative states. again there is a certain danger that the republicans have in

this. never mind that they're not going to take up immigration reform. latino groups are futurated that the house won't take up something that the senate has already passed. it's the law of the united states that you can't turn these buses around and send them across the border. everyone is entitled to immigration hearings. so the politics gets a little tough because they say, hey, we support the law, and you have to support the law in terms of how you spend them back. >> thank you. foreign ministers from russia, ukraine, germany and france agreed on cease-fire in ukraine. nick schifrin is there with more on today's meeting. >> reporter: before the talks german diplomats were playing down hopes saying that they should not expect any significant steps, and then came a surprise, the foreign

ministers involves in the talks from ukraine, russia, germany and france said that there would be three-way negotiations before saturday involving the armed fighters in the east of the country who are pro russian or anti-kiev, and this is something new. it remains to be seen whether or not these fighters would be willing to engage in the talks, whether russia really speaks for them or any other country because they've been invited to participate in discussions before, and declined the invitation. that said, sanctions are still on the table. and russia appears to be giving in to some western pressure. offering ukrainian border guards and the organization for security and corporation in europe the opportunity to come to the russian side of the border to make sure that men and material are not coming through. they said wednesday level three sanctions definitely was

something that the european union was considering, and they would target th the energy sector. >> we have weather, that's next. and nasa's mission to monitor carbon dioxide levels.

>> well, watches and warnings are now in place as tropical storm arthur continues to strengthen. arthur is the first named storm of the season, and it comes as americans get ready to go to the beach for the independence holiday. >> meteorologist: it looks really to be the same track that we saw yesterday at this time. let's take a look at the satellite. you notice how it's developing here with the circulation there.

winds are 70 mile-per-hour. that's less than a hurricane. we need 74-miles an hour to make this a hurricane. the storm is making it's way towards the north. we do have warnings and watches along the coast from sout south carolina, north carolina, and most of north carolina is dealing with hurricane warnings. the reason being it's going to be north carolin north carolina that the storm is going to be closest to. you can see right now a storm is going to be tracking very close. we think that's going to happen friday morning at 2:00 a.m. the but the storm is moving quite quickly. from 2:00 a.m. on friday to 2:00 p.m. on friday afternoon notice how quickly that storm moves out of there. so we're going to get a lot of wind. we'll get a lot of storm search with this storm but for most

people traveling down to this area i think their vacations will be salvaged. >> thank you. nasa launched it's first spacecraft to monitor carbon dioxide. as you know it's the culprit of global warming. >> carbon dioxide is an integral part of the atmosphere. it's levels have truck waite wait--fluctuated over the past, but over the last 200 years it has increased steadily. the last time we saw today's levels, 400 parts per million were 15 million years ago. the cardon di dioxide is

disappearing somewhere. it's going into the ocean, and it's going into the bio sphere, forests, trees and grass lands, somewhere, but we don't know where. >> reporter: to help answer that question nasa has launched its observatory. it will provide 100 times more data than currently label j you can imagine the sun shining and back up to our instrument. that's the light that we receive to make these instruments. we split that into a thousand small fractions of a wavelength of light in three different bands to see the unique fingerprint of the absorption of carbon dioxide. >> reporter: it will provide

around 100 times more data than currently exists. and it's hoped this will give us a better insight into both human and natural sources of the gas. also about where and how it's observed, an important unsolved part of the climate change puzzle. >> target is asking customers to leave their guns at home. the company issued a statement saying it wants to promote a safe environment. the request applies to every customer even those living in states with conceal and carry laws. target has faced increasing pressure from moms demand acti action. and they've asked target to ban shoppers from carrying weapons inside stores. coming up, four teenagers murdered in the middle east. we'll hear about the cycle of violence and revenge. also why a team of filmmakers and explorers spent a month unde underwater.

that's next.

>> returning to our top story there were fierce clashes in east jerusalem after a palestinian teen was abducted and killed. dozens of people were hurt in fighting between angry palestinians and israeli forces. palestinians accuse israelis of killing the 17-year-old in revenge for the deaths of three israeli teens whose bodies were found in the west bank on monday. earlier i spoke with a former spokesperson for the palestinian liberation organization. i asked her for her thoughts on all the violence that has occurred since the three israeli teens were kidnapped. >> the biggest problem right now there is no one protecting the palestinians. israelis go through city by city, destroying houses,

rampaging, conducting mass arrests of palestinians, killing over 11 palestinians including children, and throughout this period no one has said to israel that what they're doing is illegal. my fear is that israel has been give the green light by the international community. unless a red light is shown in the form of sanctions or some other form we'll continue to see this spiral out of control. >> you mentioned sanctions. are there any other options and how palatable of an option are sanctions at this point? >> they are most definitely an option. we have to keep in mind that this is not happening as a political context, which is the 47-year denial of freedom to the palestinians. there have been numerous u.n. security council resolutions against israel but the problem is there has never been any teeth in any of those

resolutions. i think that the united states can and should be doing more to put pressure on israel. >> that was diana buttu, a former spokesperson for the palestinian liberation organization. west africa is seeing it's worst outbreak of ebola since 1976. the outbreak began in ginea, and since has spread to liberia and sierra leone. >> officials are disposing of what they call bush meat, fruit bats, monkeys, rats. they feel that it could be effecting everybody who eat it, but not everyone agrees. and the distrust is widespread.

>> if we can't sell our meat our families are going to go hungry. we want our bush meat back. >> the center for disease control and prevention say that the outbreak is the most serious they have ever faced. >> what has happened over the past few months the infection has spread to multiple areas throughout all three countries and there is sustained transmission. >> reporter: they don't have specimen from this particular outbreak but they are studying the fruit bat which they believe is the host of fever-based diseases, cdc has been going to africa. people who chase down and

identify patients. >> we know what controls these outbreaks. active identification of patients. getting them into proper treatment as soon as possible. and importantly following up with all the people they've had contact with, to monitor for symptoms to determine if they will become ill. >> they're urging drastic action and the cdc say a massive effort of multiple people on the grouped is required in each of the infected areas to identify the infected and slow down the spread of the ebola virus in which there is no vaccine and no cure. >> hundreds of thousands had gathered for the city's biggest

pro-democracy rally. the organizers were accused of obstructing police. under the current system china will have to approve of any candidates in the position. in austria, a new round of talks began with six new world powers. the negotiations ended with little progress. the u.s. is leading attempts to make significant cuts to that program. iran said they won't accept excessive demands. and in indonesia human rights activists have filed a lawsuit against the election commission for allowing a former general to run in the upcoming presidential election. the nominee is suspected of taking part in abductions 17 years ago. >> he has a growing chance of becoming the next president.

he portrays himself as a strong leader, but his candidacy is being disputed. he is accused of being behind kidnappings in 1998. her father is one of 13 people not seen since. she reads a poem for him. >> how can a person who is supposed to be held atible for crime against humanity. >> the national commission for human rights said that it has evidence that he is responsible for the kidnapping. but the case has yet to be brought to court.

the honorary officer's council fired him from military in 1998. some members of the council say he was not put it on trial in the military court because he was the president's son-in-law. the second in command said that he is unsuitable to run for presidency. >> what if he becomes the president? all the people he doesn't like will be be kidnapped and disappear. if you ask me if it is dangerous for this country if he becomes president, i don't know. but based on my logic and experience i can see his behavior back then, and it has not changed. >> human rights activities say he should not be allowed to run for president, but he has denied his role in the kidnappings, and his popularity is increasing. when asked about the allegatio allegations, he refuses to

answer. >> we're working hard. we're working hard. >> what is your comment about allegations against new 1998? >> okay, huh? >> there are many formal generals. >> the human rights allegations don't seem to affect his popularity. for many people it's considered a thing of the past. but for the victims and their families it's something that they carry with them every day. al jazeera, jakarta. >> a texas man pleaded guilty today to giving material support for acts of jihad. maria ines ferre has that story and other headlines making news across america. >> reporter: tony, the 23-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison. prosecutors say he admitted he wanted to engage in violent jihad. they said he used an internet

chat room to recruit people to joint in the fighting. no sentence date has been set yet. the missouri governor sign vetoed a bill requiring a 72 hour waiting before an abortion. hundreds of people have evacuated their homes in nap is a county, california. a wildfire grew to 32 hundreds acres. five structures have been destroyed and another 400 are threatened. under 31 days fabien

cousteau came out of a lab with flip flops and a beach towel. >> this has been successful on many levels. s been an extraordinarily difficult endeavor. now we have another chapter to tackle. but at the end of the day i feel it was extraordinarily successful. >> they spent the last month 63 feet below the ocean surface. they were studying the effects of climate change and pollution on a coral reef off the coast of florida. the crews started decompression yesterday. one south dakota town is up for sale. it's called swett, and it's located in a prairie with a population of two, that's right, two. it's too small for a post office but six acres of land includes a bar, a garage that serves as a

tire shot and a house. it's selling for $399, and back in the day the town had 40 residents in the 30 30's and 40's. >> s well, tt, south dakota, that is a place where you could do a little dinosaur bone hunting. that could bring in some money. >> reporter: $399,000. you have that kind of money. >> we'll hear from tim howard about the future and show you the hilarious hashtag he stars in. >> it's insane...

>> the borderland marathon only at al jazeera america

>> i got to tell you brazil has been heavily criticized for up rooting thousands of people from poor neighborhoods in the run up to the world cup. some who were living on state-owned land were relocated while others were left homeless. we have more from rio. >> reporter: rio de janeiro's revamped stadium is a worthy venue for the millions watching the world cup. what most people don't see is what is left of the area, once a poor neighborhood of 700 families just across the train tracks from the stadium. it was demolished by city officials supposedly to make way for shops, restaurant, and parking for the world cup. it's where we met this woman a year ago shortly before she was evicted from her home. number 403 on the demolition list. they just see us as numbers, she

told me. as an eyesore. with the world cup on the way, we went to look for her in the housing complex where she was forced to move. it looks new and modern but she is not happy. >> city hall did not educate people about their obligations. they just threw everyone together here. i pay my condominium fees but others do, so my water and electricity is cut. that didn't happen before. >> the new apartment is smaller, and worse yet, she doesn't own it. >> i am furious. before i owned my home. now in ten years if i pay monthly quotas, i may. but in the meantime i can sel i can't sell it or move anywhere else, or i lose everything. >> but at least she has a home.

unlike this man and his wife. he shows us his pay slips to prove that he is no vagabond. just someone who cannot afford to pay rent on his wage. >> what do i think of the world cup? honestly it's an embarrassment in brazil because there are so many people with desperate needs. this is so a select few can make money while the middle and lower classes look on helpslessly. >> as for the shops and parking lots that were supposed to be built here there is nothing but the rat and ira rubbish infested remains. >> the world cup dreams for the u.s. is over. but it did not go down without a fight. and the country is talking about

a few new soccer heroes. >> reporter: two in particular out of the whole team. two really--i suppose three. because the manager, he stands up. >> he gets pretty high marks. >> reporter: i think so, and he has a contract through the next world. >> that had to be there. >> reporter: there were two players who were absolutely outstanding, and we'll meet both of them right now. >> reporter: team u.s. may have lost the match to belgium, but one player is a hero. he had 16 stunning saves. yes, he let two slip by but he is a national hero. >> we played four phenomenal games, and last night everybody gave everything they have, and sometimes you don't win, but

we're proud of ourselves. >> he singl single-handedly almost broke twitter with millions of tweets around the world about him in the game. and i. >> it was an awesome moment for me to play in the world cup. the goal is to get to the next round. we didn't make it. i was sad about that. >> he was caught live on the tony harris show yesterday afternoon. the crowd going wild at a watch party in new york. that goal must have offered some relief for the head coach, who took a lot of heat for putting green and other youngsters into the 2014 squad. >> that's normal at successor. i just give my best on the field today, and i scored a goal. i'm very happy about it.

>> feeling the love from the fans in the stands and back home is what world cup soccer is all about. >> we were motivated by that. we were inspired. it gave us hope and recognition that we were doing it for more than ourselves, and it was special. >> americans bought more world cup tickets than any other nation besides the host, brazil, but does it herald a bright future for the game here at home between now and the next tournament in russia in 2018? >> it really says a lot about where soccer has come in our country. it's exciting to see what the future holds. this is still a very young and exciting team with a lot to offer. >> with a lot to offer as has tim howard. and go tim howard. now today some scallawag posted on wikipedia, take a look at this. >> you scallawag.

>> that is a picture of tim howard for department of defense. someone changed it. a here we now have a picture of you with chuck hagel. saying congratulations, well done. and a side note not often the united states is in the footnote, but the presidents will called tim howard. >> he did? >> and also the team captain dempsey saying well done on the way you deported yourself representing the country. >> well, it was always going to be a challenge to, a, get out of the group of death, and they did that just fine. >> they could have won yesterday. they did very well holding belgium off for a full 19

minutes. >> thank you. now tim howard kicked off this hilarious hashtag all over the place today. maria is back with that. >> reporter: if tim howard was able to make an amazing 16 saves, what else can he save? fans came up with a hashtag for his awesome performance #things that tim howard could save. things like this, luke skywalker from darth vader. and jaws trying to attack this woman here. and he was able to save muffasa from the lyon king, and here is tim howard saving the day. and he can even save the entire world and planet earth. now redit found his high school

picture. and tim howard tweeted this out today. i'm proud to suit up with every one of these guys. it's a tremendous honor to represent this country and a ride i'll never forget. thanks for joining and many fans on twitter said, no, thank you, tim howard. >> can you--i know you're probably in contact with him on twitter because you're used to being on social media. can you accepted him a twitter or it was do you call it, a tweet? can you sav--can he save us from a world of kardashians? >> i'll ask him. >> thank you. 50 years ago today president lyndon johnson signed the civil

right act into law. and then there is "real money with ali velshi." >> if you can swing a hammer, there might be a boss out there looking to hire you. i'm breaking down the number news on jobs in america. and why cutting edge companies say hiring people with autism can be key to innovation and good for business at the same time? all that and more on "real money."

>> al jazeera america presents the system with joe berlinger >> i think the prosecutor has the greatest power of anyone anybody in our society >> lawyers are entrusted to seek the truth... >> i did't shoot anybody, i don't have anything to do with nothin' >> but some don't play by the rules >> the way the courts have treated him, made me sick >> and it's society that pays the price >> prosecutors have unique power to take away your

personal liberties >> i just want justice... >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america >> it has been exactly 50 years since president lyndon johnson signed the civil rights act into law. it made it illegal to discriminate based on sex, race, religion. >> today eleanor norton is a long time member of congress representing washington, d.c. but half a century ago she was a civil rights activist helping to organize the march on washington and registered black voters in

mississippi, bushing for equality. then came the signing of the civil rights act in 1964. >> this was a monumental year. >> how much of a difference did the civil rights act make? >> oh, boy, it made a profound difference. to see us move from an extraordinary hostility to having for now the first african-american president in office. that is a period of great change. >> reporter: as barriers came down black americans made progress. in 1964 about a quarter of blacks over age 25 had graduated from high school. now it's 85%.

college completion rose from 4% to 21%. and median family income jumped by 63%. still by any measure a quality gap remains. americans have higher graduation rates, lower poverty rates and higher incomes. >> the metrics of opportunity can be discouraging when you think about what it means to achieve equal opportunity in american life. >> for wade henderson who leads the leading civil rights organization. the battle is to insure what was once gained is not lost. she's writing a key section overturned by the u.s. supreme court last year. >> we see laws deliberately enacted to inhibit the right to vote. there's no question that there are some who want to turn back

the clock. >> clearly america will never return to the nation it was 50 years ago. but it is still struggling to fulfill the promise that so many fought for. >> deon butler grew up in a time of segregation. she is a native of new orleans with family roots that date back to the 1700s. she took time to reflect back on how the civil rights act affected her life. >> it was at the forefront. many people don't know the history of the move, and it is very rick and it is very old. this is where the slaves got off the ship. this is a the place where the slaves were sold. i was 19 years old when the civil rights' act was side in

19634 n. it was frightening and encouraging at the same time because it seemed like this was a big thing that was happening that was going to change my life and the lives of people that i knew. woolworth lunch counter was not a place where i was allowed to sit. but after the signing of 1964 i didn't have to go up to the mezzanine. we could sit at the counter. i remember this picture of the first registered african-american child in an all-white school. there was a mob of people protesting. many of them had dragged their children out of school. they did not want their children to sit in the same classroom as an african-american child. i look at that picture today, and as an adult inspiring.

i think most adults should have more. this is tony harris. thanks for being with us. if you have any questions about any of the stories we've covered during this news hour head over to www.aljazeera.com. "real money with ali velshi" is next. . >> bosses in america are hiring like we haven't seen in months. what's interesting isn't so much the kinds of jobs being filled but the types of companies. and america caught off guard by the recent up rising in iraq. i'll tell you why we could have seen this coming about a hundred years ago. and parents, kids living at home may be able to afford to move out soon. i'm ali velshi,