... facility >> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. here are today's top stories: the man thought to be leading the rebellion in iraq appears on videotape. a victory for the ukraine government driving separatists from one eastern city. berlin demands answers as a german is accused of spying for the united states. a shocking confrontation on a california freeway captured on tape.

in iraq, the leader of the islamic state has reportedly made his first on-camera appearance, giving a speech at friday prayers in mosul. iraq's government is calling the video a farce and imran khan has more in baghdad. >> if it is confirmed, it sends out a strong message. the first message it sends out is that the i.s. will say, the cal i have is able travel within his own territories and not get harassed and not get hit by the security forces. he is clearly come from syria, across the border into northwestern iraq and and in a public place. >>, in itself, is a very big message. what did he actually say in his friday clip? it's consistent with what we have heard before from the

audiotapes. once again he says to muslims, please come to the islamic kalif. it's our duty to win jihad. we are the only people who can bring peace to the islamic world. is this the abu bakr al bad dadi? semi official account says yes, it is him. others said it is something called al yemeni. we sent him there to gauge public reaction to whether -- to how they would react if he came and gave a sermon. it's an intelligence exercise for them. once again, we can't confirm any of this. i am just error what we know so far, also what we know is when he was delivering his friday klapba, the mobile telephone service was cut off by the

islamic state. >> suggests a security precaution that normally is laid on for very important people. those are the things that we know. how will we be able to confirm that this, indeed was abu bak abu bakr al baghdadi. he was in custody and he was in jail by the american. the americans, they know him quite well. they will have interviewed him. they will have intear gated him. they will have several pictures of them. they have only ever released one picture of him. but some sort of facial recognition software will be able to identify whether it's him or not, whether the americans indeed will actually do that is a whole other question all together. so what we really know is that the islamic state social media accounts are spupushing this heavily. they are saying this is a ab bakr al bagdahidi. we can travel anywhere we like. >> that's one that people will be listening to here. >> imran khan reporting there.

to discuss these latest developments in the iraqi crisis, our guest is e bra heb al marashi in san morningos where he researches modern iraqi history. he joins us live via skype from rome. we appreciate your time. let's talk about this time, how significant is it? it seems i.s. is trying to wage not only a war on the battlefield but a pr battle? >> it's significant because up until this point, it was believed he was kong find or staying in his secure area in syria. so, it's not only to show that he now can move and show himself allegedly in the greatest conquest of i.s. but in mosul. it'sa the first time we have had a video of him showing himself in person, calling on muslims to rally behind the newly created

islamic state. >> lawsuits talk more about what i.s. has been able to accomplish. you talked about mosul, the progress that they are making. there are now calls from washington that say that there is no way that iraq can get these cities back, this territory back without some outside help. what are your thoughts on that? >> taking a city like mosul back is going to be difficult because this is going to require street to street, very close quarter, urban warfare that's going to involve civilian casualties. it's the iraq government and the ir iraq, if they are already unpopular with the citizens of mosul. taking that city back in an urban assault is going to make them that much more unpopular, never mind the fact it's just very difficult to do militarily but even with outside help, then again, you have the problem of popularity. the u.s. has not only said it's not going to committee boots on

the ground. if it were to do so even with air support, that would also make it seem like the u.s. is taking sides in what the citizens of mosul perceive as a sectarian conflict. >> so, professor, what is the situation in iraq if, in fact, the country gives up these territories? how can a country move forward and exist that way? >> i am not sure whether they will give up the territory. the central government in iraq might be pursuing two strategies. one is hoping that isis -- or sorry, now the leaders of the islamic state, will eventually clash with the iraqi tribes or, let's say, other groups as happened with al-qaeda and iraq in 2008. maybe waiting and hoping for an internal conflict.

the other option might be to you to kind of put out feelers to those iraqi groups. let's say the iraqi tribes, some iraqi arab sunni politicians who might be willing to negotiates since they are semi politicians and their tribes are in a stronger bargaining position. it doesn't seem like a full-frontal military assault is going to be a viable political option or a military option in the near future. >> okay. ibrahim al marashi, thank you for the joining us from rome. the islamic state is making advances in syria as well. the head of the free syrian army warning of disaster. in control of all of the major oil and gas fields. >> means the group has oil assets which could produce 3500 barrels a day. some estimate it controls a massive expensive land about 5 times the size of lebanon. barely bombs killed civilians in the country's south as i.s.

forces descend upon al eppo. palestin-8 you officials say mohammed khadair had burns over 90% of his family. his family believes he was killed as 7ing for the murder of three israeli teens last month. >> reporter: outside the family house, the street looks like a battleground. three days of debris. nobody is cleaning. nobody is expecting the kong conflict to stop. symbols of iraq study groupi authority like a tram station burned, or in the case after traffic light, ripped down. just a few feet away, hussein abu khadair says he has a hole in his heart. >> each time i see his photo, i cry over him. our life is gone. he devastated us. god will settle this. 24 hours ago, he watched

israelis hand over his son's mohammed's body. his grief has been public. his son's death has ignited palestinian anger in a neighborhood that's usually calm. through this ancient city, they carry the 17-year-old's body wrapped in symbols of palestinian nationalism. one said this wasn't a funeral. it was a wedding attended by thousands for a martyr. immediately afterward, the grief and fury erupted. these are not routine clashes. this is you believe a main thoroughfare through jerusalem. this is a middle class palestinian neighborhood. israeli police say they are actively trying to find mohammed's killers, hoping to quell the anger. >> we are hoping things will calm down. obviously the main focus which will have an effect on the ground level is the investigation into the teenag teenager's death, which is continuing. >> reporter: but the anger is still burning. in bethlehem, malstenian protesters through malatov

cocktails at israeli soldiers who fired back with rubber bullets. this isn't about the ab duction and murder of palestinian teenagers. it's about two sides who is fundamental divisions seem to be growing. nick schifrin, al jazeera, jerusalem. >> officials in jerusalem confirm the american cousin of mohammed abu khadair is in jail. the 15-year-old was arrested during the funeral for his cousin. his family says he was badly beaten by israeli police on thursday. he is a u.s. citizen and a high school sophomore in tampa, florida. he was visited by a member of the u.s. kong sulat today and is due in court on sunday. today, the pakistani military began a ground assault on thetab thetable. the capital is considered a stronghold. the government offensive is part of an aerial operation that gun last mott month. the military said it found underground tunnels and bomb

making factories. 400,000 have fled that area. fire has been set to around 200 oil takers outside of kabul today, trucks supplying fuel to nato forces. it frequently targets trucks for nato troops. >> asharaf beganni is ruling out a coalition with his oppose, abdull abdullah-abdullah t in response to allegations, the independent election commission is recounting balance from over 1900 polling stations. the results are expected on monday. the civil war in syria, the insurgency in iraq, clashes in israel and the palestinian territories. the list of places torn apart by violence in the middle east, it is wrong but the roots of much of the region's addition could not go about about 100 years. patricia sabga explains.

>> as allied and axis powers battled, diplomats mark sites and picot agreed to carve the ottoman empire. a deal that conflicted with british promises to other regional stake holders and which didn't wash with either side when the war ended. >> by the time they got to paris in the peace negotiations, the british and the french particularly took a light at what syke s & p icot had done and were hor firedfied. the british did not want the fresh to control the villiot of mosul which has been in the news recently. >> the british wanted an iron grip over lands leading to the persian gulf, a kruegers -- crucial byway. with covers drained by -- coffers, they couldn't protect

it. then colonial secretary, winston churchill headed to cairo and hammered out a deal that kept lebanon and syria under fresh rule and palestine as a british protectorat. trans jordan became a semi autonomous region ruled by abdullah seen here with t e. lawrence known better as lawrence of arab i can't. the greatest experiment involved mosul, baghdad and basra. they were corralled by britain into a new country, iraq, ruled by abdullah's brother, king feisal. >> he would rule for them, do the british bidding in iraq and, as a result, they would save themselves considerable expense of declaring iraq or messpotamia a full-blown protect offerate of the british empire. >> iraq served britain's economics but the country made little sense with the various

groups hemmed within its borders who have chafed under baghdad's centralized rule. >> the map continued to evolve through the 20th century. as for iraq, it's monarchy was over thrown by a military coup on july 14th, 1958, setting the stage for saddam hussein to seize power until he was ousted by the united states in 2003. ethnic and sectarian tensions in iraq flared in the years that followed creating an opening for sunni insurgents of the islamic state to gain a foothold in iraq where they hope to undo the borders laid down nearly 100 years ago. patricia sabga, al jazeera. one change is that independent kurdistan, a topic for a deeper look coming up at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 5:00 p.m. central. crain's government has -- ukraine's government has

overpowered rebels forcing them to flee. this exclusive footage shows the retreat of the separate separatists to dondon. hundreds are busing back-up. that fighters have controlled the area since april. the kiev government says by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, all of the fighters must lay down their weapons. joining us onset is amy knight, a russian historian and an author of many books on the soviet union. they have regained control of slovyansk. is this a turning point? >> i think it's a very important step for the kiev government but we have to remember that the rebels still hole two key cities, dondon and they have vowed to fight to the death. i think it's definitely a very positive sign for president poroshenko and for the kiev government, but things could change. >> let's talk about how things

have changed under poroshenko. it seems that the ukrainian army is gaining ground. what's different under him? >> well, i think he's just shown, first of all, he has quite a broad mandate, and he was democratically elected. he is very, very wealthy, and has a lot of very wealthy friends and i think that probably, part of the military's increased success now is due to some of that wealth from the oligarch. >> in recent days, he has come under pressure not to extend the temporary ceasefire. vladimir punishment wants it. what do you think will happen there? >> this is why the retaking of slovyansk is so important, because what mr. punishment wanted to do and he -- mr. puentein wanted to do and he allied himself with germany and france was to force this

ceasefire on kiev where the rebels would actually be kind of almost treated as equals. they were going to be part of the negotiation. i think this now changes that balance, and i think poroshenko is not going to accept the terms that moscow would like kiev to accept. >> let's talk more about vladimir putin. his rhetoric seems to be changing. are his game plan or goals changing? what are they? >> mr. putin is back and forth a lot. and it's interesting bluecause e rebels have complained that the russians haven't begin them enough military support which is why the city of slovyansk fell. but on the other hand, russia is still sending all sorts of rebel fighters under the guise of humanitarian aid and they are inciting a lot of unrest. so, i think mr. putin has a dual strategy. he doesn't want to go too far because he's very worried about the possibility of a third round

of economic sanctions imposed by the west. and the sanctions are already hurting -- >> the sanctions are working? >> i think they are already causing a lot of economic pain. >> okay. so 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, there is supposed to be a ceasefire. all eyes on that. thank youammy smith? >> thank you. >> still ahead on al jazeera america, a shocking video and the investigation of the california highway patrol officer caught on tape beating a woman. >> it was so awesome. i could go on it again. >> head today summer camp, we will introduce you to one camper. all of the kids have one thing in common.

. >> california highway patrol is investigating a cell phone video posted on youtube filmed by a passing driver. you can see the video shows a highway patrol officer hitting a pinned down woman on the side of a freeway in los angeles. another man identified as an off-duty officer appears to be helping the officer subdue and handcuff the woman.

the barefoot woman was walking on the freeway. the california highway will carry out a thorough investigation. in the meantime, the officer has been placed on administrative leave. four children are dead after a fire destroyed eight homes in philadelphia's southwest side. early reports say over 40 people are now homeless. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. a new spy scandal is creating strains between germany and the u.s. germans are upset the u.s. listened in on angela merkel's phone calls. now a german intelligence officer suspected of passing sensitive information to u.s. acts. they have demanded an explanation from the u.s. ambassador. >> reporter: this parliamentary committee was investigating u.s. spy okay germany. now, it appears it may, itself, have been spied on. a 30-year-old employee of german intelligence agency is reported to have been an american double agent, accused of stealing

documents and passing them to washington. >> this is a very serious incident. >> that's why the federal state prosecutor has become involved. es espy onnage isn't something that we treat lightly. it is a matter for the federal state prosecutor and the investigating crem office now and it's in very good hands. >> the suspect was originally arrested on suspicion of spying for russia. he told interrogators he was working for the u.s. the white house has refused to comment on this but german politicians outraged. >> if these spying allegations are confirmed, it would be an outrageous attack on the freedom of our parliament and against our democratic institutions overall. there is no justification for this whatsoever. >> should these allegations prove true, it would be a vertible scandal. parliaments control intelligence services.

so we hope for a quick clarification and, if necessary, severe legal consequences. >> this is just the latest and it puts the u.s./german ties under further strains. edward snow den revealed washington was spying on the ally. this includes mass surveillance of german citizens including monitoring chancellor merkel's mobile phone. in an effort to create a new situation, washington refused to rule out spying on the allies. aftered leaks, president barack obama ordered a complete review of spying on its allies. now, with these new revelations, the implications could reach beyond washington and berlin. >> the spiritual leader of the egyptian muslim brotherhood was sentenced to life in prison saturday. he was 1 of 37 given a life sentence for inviting violence and attacking security forces. he has been sentenced to death

in two other cases part of a crack down on the opposition. one of the world's youngest democracies is about to have a presidential election. indonesia could see as many as 190 million citizens vote on wednesday. the last day of campaigning is tomorrow. the race has been marred by personal attacks that would rival any election in the united states. the latest from west java. >> on campaign trail, he is seen as a man of the people. his popularity went up in the last two years due to his personal touch. but during this presidential campaign, the governor has been struggling. something that's been blamed on the lack of organization and a smear campaign against him. in the world's largest muslim company said he is actually a chinese christian. the election commission banned

the tab blood, the damage was done. >> issues have comenated this to the point now he has to prove he is a real muslim? >> when i go to the people, when i am campaign, i explain about the issue. so, after that, i am sure that people know that i am a muslim. >> uh-huh. so, it's not because he has a better campaign? >> no. >> the other candidate, former general came under fire when a singer used a nazi uniform from a campaign song. he said this was just a fashion statement. >> you talk about a black campaign, we also had our portion of black campaign that aims to us. >> like? >> for example, probo is going

to kill joko widodo and there is a picture of widodo depicted as hitler. >> his campaign has shown again how indianesian elections are about personalities rather than policies. issues like poverty, lack of infrastructure and religious intolerance have hardly been arrested. ♪. >> to most indianesians, the choice between the two is the choice between a firm president with links to the past or a new leader with a different style. on july 9, 147 million voters will decide who will run the world's third largest democracy. al jazeera, west java. coming up on al jazeera america, how has an easily preventable disease become a nightmare for health officials around the globe? >> bombarded by, you know, t.v.

ads and radio. everybody is talking about it. >> world cup overload. what do you do if you live in a soccer crazed country but you actually hate the game?

welcome to al jazeera america. in iraq, the leader of the islamic state has reportedly made his first public appearance. they say it shows abu bakr al baghdadi. clashes overnight between palestinian youth and israeli soldiers after the funeral of a palestinian teenager, thousands attended. officials summoned the u.s. ambassador on friday after a man was arrested on suspicion of spying. he is reportedly a german intelligence officer suspected of passing sensitive information to u.s. agents since 2012.

there are only two states where a jury doesn't need a nsnapple decision to convict someone. t >> i have been home several years now. i don't take nothing for granted. >> glen davis spent 15 years imprisoned in louisiana for second degree murder, a crime he didn't committee. >> when a verdict came back and they said "guilty," instantly, i went numb. >> in 1993, he was convicted based upon the testimony of a man who claimed to be an eyewitness. 10 jurors pounds him guilty. two, not guilty. in louisiana, it was enough to send him away for life with no chance of parole. >> you see, reasonable doubt. somebody have doubt in there. those two people that said that i was not guilty, they had doubt about the whole case. >> louisiana and oregon are the only states where juries don't have to reach unanimous

verdicts, even in cases that can carry a life sentence. 10 or 11 guilty votes -- not 12 -- can lead to a conviction. since the late '70s, louisiana has led the nation in incarceration rates and wrongful convictions. >> it dates back to a state constitutional con convention more than 100 years ago. steven singer said at the time some law makers were trying to undo reforms put in place to protect blacks after the civil war. >> the idea being if there were three minorities or less on the jury, if they came to a different verdict, the majority could ignore those jurors. >> the u.s. supreme court upheld unanimous verdicts but it was a split decision. in the past 10 years, more than a dozen petitions have gone before the supreme court seeking to have the law overturned. so far, the high court hasn't taken up the issue. in louisiana, the state said its jury law isn't aimed at suppressing the rights of minorities.

a louisiana prosecute said the 6th amendment provides for a right to a trial by jury. the 10th amendment reserved to the states the authority to define that right. >> no. i wouldn't say that i am better. >> glen davis said his case is a perfect example of why the system is flawed. his conviction was overturned in 2007 after the new orleans innocence project, a nonprofit law office found the state had hidden evidence, including information that discredited the eyewitness and point to another suspect. >> i feel like louisiana should get on board with the rest of the country and oregon as well. >> after years of trying, those challenging the law see a change, at least any time soon unlikely. jonathan martin, al jazeera, new orleans. >> for more on the criminal justice system, watch "the system" with joe berlinger sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern. health officials are warning thousands of visitors were around the world traveling to ohio for a festival this weekend about potential exposure to misdeals. more than 300 amish residents

have come down with the disease after a member of the group traveled to the philippines. they were giving out free vaccinations toss about 20,000 people expected to attend this amish event. >> reporter: the horse and buggy, a common site on the roads of central ohio, home of the largest amish community in the world. devout christian descendants of swiss and german immigrants. they avoid modern convenience as well as routine visits to doctors. but that's changed since a group of amish relief volunteers returned from the ty off and on-stricken philippines where measles has claimed 70 lives this year. what the unvaccinated men brought back has become the most serious outbreak of the disease in the u.s. since 1994. the most vulnerable, infants and small children. >> almost all states, including ohio, allow children in public schools to be exempt from immunization if their parents hold religious or other strong

objections. >> the amish have grounded their resistance to vaccines in faith, saying that trust in god provides enough protection. but several thousand of them have shown up at special clinics set up to handle the new demand for the vaccine which also innoc lates against mumps and rubella. yet the local health commissioner said he is hearing more amish citing the claims of the antivaccine movement. those campaigners argue vaccines are linked to autism, leukemia and other disorders. >> the work of many that i think have since been discredited regarding the link between autism and the meisels vaccine certainly has been, you know, heard by the amish community, and they have been concerned about that, as well. . >> the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention says at least 90% of a population should be vaccinated in order to provide it with what's called herd immunity. >> those susceptible people are protected because they are surrounded by immune people and

break that chain so that person to person to person transmission doesn't find them. >> so local health authorities find this outbreak will pur the amish the higher their vaccination rate, the better their protection, millersburg ohio. >> we will look at meisels at 6:00 p.m. eastern. okay. it's called the world cup, but many in brazil think of it as their cup. the country has won it five times. more than any other nation. rio dejaniero, atop sugar loaf mountains. during brazil 2 to 1 win, no one seemed distracted by the view of one of the 7 wonders of the world. it continues to catch on with americans. in some countries, soccer has

been treated like a religion, not a game. he went to find out what it's like to find the people who could care less about this game. >> when argentina plays a match in the world cup, the nation pays attention. the crowds gathered in parks and plazas and in bars and restaurants, anywhere they can find a t.v. screen. schools and offices close. the streets are deserted. as the tournament progresses, the intensity only increases. everything is blue and white. well, maybe not quite everything. >> we have heard rumors that there are some argentines, a rare now, for whom the world cup is no big deal. we are going to find one and question him. well, they are not here. as and we won't find them here, either. here is one.

fabio martinez is a writer and translator trying to stave off world cup fever. >> trying to be away from it, it's hardly possible. you are bombarded by t.v. ads and the radio. you start getting interested even if you are not fully interest interested. >> reporter: what's it like growing up in a country where ball especially among men is ole often the only topic of conversation. >> as a child, if you didn't like soccer, you would be called names, excluded. it's hard to find your way through it and pretend to be a normal child. it seems you have some kind of disease. >> then there are those for whom the world cup is an opportunity, an opportunity to do things unhindered by the crowds? >> it's good, actually, because i get to do all of the shopping i need and i get to go. there is nobody there, no lines, no waiting. so, that's really good about the world cup. >> now, i love football, especially the world cup.

i must admit i find it hard to understand those who resist the joys of the beautiful game, especially here in argentina where evidence of that passion is everywhere you look. and it seems that looking back at us everywhere we go. daniel schweimler, buenos arrestarresires. in the >> we are still tracking rainfall from what used to be hurricane arthur. it is now post-tropical storm arthur tracking over maine, bringing rainfall toward nova scotia. we will see this move toward labrador. we are tracking rainfall and wind, gusty around boston. wind gusts up to 30 miles an hour for boston, even up into parts of maine and drying out from much of the area from parts of southern main across vermont, new hampshire. a relief to get the rain and gusty winds out of the picture. a little breezy in spots.

over all, it's good to see that the rain has been diminishing. rain totals for boston incidentalsly are a little over an inch and a half here in the last 24 hours ending at 4:00 o'clock. and portland, maine, almost two inches of rainfall in 24 hours. again, the wind gusty at times, not nearly as strong as they were. martha's vineyard and nantucket had wind gusts anywhere from 56 to 70 miles an hour for that storm moving through. and we've got that knew record rainfall from the day yesterday coming in for boston and providence and, also, islip new york had a record rein total, not quite an inch. >> didn't break the record that was set in 2007. a little driver for islip. soggy day at providence, almost three inches of rain for you. temperatures now are starting to crank up. we are going to see some triple didn't heat in phoenix where you are at 99. as we look at the temperatures along the east coast >> comfortable today, a lot less humidity. we are going to expect humidity

to come back. we have a day to enjoy the dryer, cooler weather. we are watching for a severe storm potential, it will be near minnesota and north dakota and it starts to dry and those storms will track over the great lakes. so there will ab risk of severe storms moving across the great lakes eventually tracking back over the northeast and bringing in quite a bit of humidity as well. >> all right, rebecca, thank you. summer camp, a rite of package for many kids. tradition ally it's a place where kids love skills. one camp in western michigan is doing that for an exceptional group. >> reporter: most kids heading to catmp for the first time, looking forward to new adventures. >> i want to do the squirt gun fight. >> a little index. >> i am excited about being,

like, away from my brother. >> but being away from home like a lot of other activities has been out of the question. for as long as he can remember, garrett's life has revolved around doctors' visits and a daily regimen of medicine to treat con general tam kidney disease. when he was 8, he received a kidney from his father. >> he had to take medication three to four times a day. he always had to get hooked up to his pump at night. so, he never spent the night at a friend's house. he will say my friends can do that but i just can't do that. it's very heart breaking for my husband and i to hear that. but now, garrett is headed to sleep-away camp for an entire week. >> there we go. >> in the woods north of ann harb harbor, michigan, kids who have had organ transplant are invited. >> are you sure? >> doug armstrong spent 13 years as the director of clen calory search is the camp's co-founder. >> they have been in a very

dependent situation with their health conditions, relying on their families, relying on the medical system and the physicians taking care of them. so an opportunity to really be a kid only happens at camp. >> in the 12 account season, it is operated by the nonprofit north star reach and is affiliated with 13 children's hospitals. everyone attends for free. >> all right! >> the all-volunteer medical staff and counselors organize each child's medications for the week. >> there are a few kids in addition to water replacement, they get two feedings of formula. >> the ratio of staff to campers is almost one to one in a place where meals are often served with a handful of pills. but part of what makes camp michitanki so extraordinary is how ordinary it is? >> we talk about having spectacularly average experiences, trying to do typical things and so when they go back to school, they say i went to camp and they can say, i did, too.

>> it's pretty happy, you know, kind of like seeing kids who know what it's like going through what i have gone through. >> it was so awesome. i could just go on it again. >> a chance to try new things, experience new highs or just enjoy being a kid. holly, michigan. >> that kid has amazing energy. up next, there weren't enough words to describe it. the pundits calling their comedy pythonesque. they drove their fans crazy. >> who tests it? the fda? >> no. >> he doesn't go whacko on it, so. >> dope for your dog? why some pet owners are willing to give it a try. .

tonight, 7 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

now, for something completely different: who is the funniest comedy troop of all time? >> a question that will probably start a lot of arguments but one likely candidate would be monty pathon. the five surviving members of the group reunited. if you are not shoe what the fuss is about, morgan radford explains. >> monty python's flying circus. if you think it looks absurd now, imagine what viewers must have thought in october, 1969 when it first ran on the bbc. the five english members of the group, john, michael, eric,

graham and terri first worked together as writers for david frost in the mid-'60s. american an mater terri gilliam completed the equation. >> i put on women clothing and hang around in bars. ♪. >> over the courts of 45 episodes, python established itself as england's premier comedy troop. movies followed? >> if you do not agree to my commands, then i shall... >>. >> 1975's monty python and the holy grail became a cult classic. "meaning of life" was the last full-blown python project. he dived in 1999 t surviving members have teamed up for many reunions including "a fish called wanda" morgan radford,aj. >> for more now on the enduring

python legacy, we turn to bill wyman who joins us live from phoenix. you have this big smile because you are so excited to talk about monty python. they were a huge, huge hit in britain in the '70s. a little bit more of a cult thing, though, here in the u.s. talk about how that happened. >> well, it was really interesting, and we have to remember that the evolution of british comedy is so different from the evolution of american comedy. there was a lot of pointed opera british satire in the '60s, the week that was that john cleese was a veteran of. monty python took that a little further and pointed attacks on the establishment, particularly the religious establishment. oddly enough, they came over to america almost by chance in to public television on pbs and over here, we didn't quite get a lot of the jokes, but it wasn't quite as counter cultural and i grew up in the sub your honor in the early '70s and we found it a

bonding experience with our parents. it didn't have that counter cultural take over here boy, it hit within a thunder clap. within a few years, they were stars. >> can you talk once americans did start to get it, can you talk a little bit more about what their influence has been on american comedy? >> it's kind of interesting. some people say that saturday night live, for example, is highly influenced by monty python. you can see a little of it but there is an an arkansasism. they went to most camebridge and oxford and came from high professionalism, the bbc. i actually don't see too much, you know, absolutely influence. he way they are beloved sur passes about anything else in american comedy. >> "the meaning of life," and then they split. they continued to have so much success together and apart, what

does that say about how tremendously talented and unique these guys are? ses ter the beatles of comedy. people forget in america, they don't know john cleese's show was called faulty towers and ran for a year or two in england. >> that's considered to be the greatest british comedy of all time, more than monty python and spama lot, his broadway take on monty python is one of the biggest muse calendars, won the tony for best musical. >> it seems it has become a brand. has it not? >> it kind of has. i mean almost despite themselves. >> it sold out in a matter of seconds practically? >> the first show did. we are talking 10 shows at a 15 seat arena which shows you how big their legacy is over there.

you have to give them credit for not having milked this as much as they could have. they are saying the last of these 10 shows is actually going to be their last live appearance. it should be broadcast around the world, and i don't know about in the u.s., but i think we should be able to see it here on t.v. pretty soon. >> that would be quiet a treat. wouldn't it? art and culture, bill wyman. >> thanks richelle. >> still ahead, celebrating a treasurer with photographs. you are watching al jazeera america.

>> on tech know, an amazing new species is discovered... >> kind of like we're watching little architects in action >> one of natures mysteries solved... >> i don't think it's a spider or mite >> in the amazon rainforest >> we're gonna try to get one in the act of actually making 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. beautiful, isn't it? one of the country's most spectacular natural wonders. perhaps none more than the photographs who tried to capture excellence. the photographs who have made yose yosemite their muse. >> they come from across the

country and around the world to take in this iconic view. unmistakeably yosemite. so many people have taken photos at yosemite, millions over the years. but what is it that makes some photographers shine above the rest? we start at the very beginning and his name is carlton watkins. >> his first trip was in 1861. he wasn't the first photographer to enter yosemite. but certainly, his work set a certain standard for how to photograph it. >> carlton watkins images made their way to washington, d.c. to president abraham lincoln who passed the grant that turned yosimete into the first protected land? >> 1863ish, '4ish, images the of the of the civil war battlesfields and of yosemite,

but if he made it famous in america, it took another artist more than half a century later to elevate yosemite to heights, ansell adams. >> it's very dramatic, but it's not necessarily what you would see if you looked at that image. and answer ansel would say that's important. i am giving you what i want you to see, not what you will see in nature. . >> ansil adams and his intense black and whites. >> and he used this instrument and other things to increase light in one area or decrease it in another area to make the photograph much more dramatic. >> his son, michael adams, was actually born in yosemite. >> we took pack trips into the ba back country using burros to carry the cameras and food and beds in yosism mite. >> no other artist will be so

inextri trickbly tied to yosemite. as the park set blades its birthday one shows there may be more variations on a theme. it's taken from the same spot where ansil adams had stood decades earlier. >> it is like a yardstick against which you measure yourself and you try to do some things that he hasn't done. >> qtylung means there will always be something to discover here and this place will remain for photographers generations to come in inspiration so long as you are willing to get off of the beaten track and explore. melissa chan, al jazeera, yosemite national park, california. >> for people, medical marijuana is legal in 22 states and the d.c. for animals, there are no rules or regulations. as alan shovel shoveller says,

there is a? >> puppy pot. i don't know that to be a trademarkable name or not but sounds good. >> it sounds good but isn't quite accurate. two years ago, gadbsby tore a tendon. his human, roger, decided against surgery and turned to hemp-based capsules. >> it helps. it doesn't seem to have any side he was. it works for me. >> the capsules weren't provided by a vet or bought in a store. roger ordered them online from cannapet. >> do you know what's in those? >> for the most part, bail medical marijuana. they have taken the thc out. >> who tests it? >> i don't know. >> the fda doesn't test it. >> no. but he doesn't go whacko on it, so... >> the wen sight for the medical cannabism s made from hemp includes testimonials from pet owners and has a long list of it claimed health benefits. thc, the psycho active i ne

ingredient that can get you high can be dangerous in high doses for dogs and cats. the manufacturers of these products say they are miniscule amounts within federal guidelines for industrial hemp. at the bottom of every page in these websites, you will find a disclaimer. >> these statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. these products and statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. medical cannabis for pits is unregulated and not well research. cannapet calls its products safe, legal, and all natural. >> natural does not equate with harmless. there are plenty of natural substances that are dangerous. >> dr. leslie covar is skeptable about hemp-based products. she wants to see a lot more serious research. >> there has been no controlled studies using these products in companion animals. >> how many different products do you have? >> one.

>> dr. sarah brandon is a practicing vet who also manufactures andsells hemp-based supplemental via her website, canna come pannion which includes that familiar fda disclaimer. she wants to see more research admitting most success stories are anecdotal. >> you sold a thousand capsules today? >> just today. yeah. >> is thbusiness is good? >> business is good. >> for pet owners buying into the idea. >> whatever wags the tail, proven or unproven, tested or untested drives the dollars. alan schoffler, seattle. >> i am richelle carey. ta "talk to al jazeera america" is next. for news and updates around the world go to our website, aljazeera.com. now, we will leave you with live pictures from the fan zone in rio de janiero. of course, world cup. what else? keep it here.

. >> pain and suffering is central to human experience. >> his brother and his sister torn apart when their afghan father allows a wealthier family to adopt the young girl. >> the idea for the book really came about from a story about the very painful and difficult acts of sacrifice. >> the son of a diplomat