so that has to be understood by readers. >> khaled hosseini thank you for talking to al jazeera. >> thank you. >> this is al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm michael yves with a look at today's top stories. israel's army calls up 40,000 troops as it launches deadly new airstrikes against gaza. president obama asked for $4 billion to deal with minors illegally crossing the southern border. and the stone center brazil, germany dominating on a path to a potential world cup championship.

>> the israeli government today authorized the army to call up an additional 40,000 reservists on top of the 1500 reservists mobilized. at least 16 people were killed. 8 were civilians, including four children. and more than 100 people have been injured. the airstrikes are part of what could become a long-term offensive. fighting has increased over the past few hours. nicnick schifrin has the latest. >> reporter: right behind me is gaza. over the last few hours we've heard a huge barrage of rockets leaving da gaza and for the first time won of them fired at 150 miles north of here.

the r-160 rockets that is crossing a red line for israel. we've seen rockets that leads to a fire in tel aviv. those were intercepted by an anti-missile system. we saw panicked residents running to shelters, hiding in stairwells. the signers were going on for quite a long time. there is a state of emergency in tel aviv, and in jerusalem they have opened up all of the bomb shelters. what we see here is not only the rockets but the activate fighting. and at a time about an hour ago or so we were on this border looking out over gaza and about 20 seconds we saw and heard 17 or 18 israeli strikes. and if you live to both sides speaking right now you can tell they're extremely far apart.

>> after the kidnapping and murder of three israeli murders, israel has decided hamas is at fault, and not only will it punish hamas but all the palestinian people. >> we're trying to calm the situation. hamas decided to attack us. we have our backs to the corne corners. >> reporter: you really feel this war here on the ground through three events we witnessed in the past couple of hours. one, there was infiltration, just behind me by sea they tried to get in here. they were shot by israeli soldiers. in gaza, a few hours ago we saw this horrific scene a drone attacked a house. the israeli army said it was a member of hamas, but the images show the devastation happening in gaza. six dead in that one house, and at least one of them were

children. i spent some time as the rockets were coming in with 13-year-old tammy. you can see how scared she is when the first rocket booms right near where we were doing the interview. she looks up. it causes a fire. she seems extremely frightened. the two sides are far apart on the ground right now. there is increasing levels of hostility, of anger, and also fear. >> nick schifrin reporting from southern israel. killing 16 people rand dozen, and dozens more injured. we have reports from gaza. >> through the night and into the day by the dozens israeli airstrikes rain down on the gaza strip. they left a handful dead, a dozen injured and a general sense of chaos.

score upon score striking deep in israeli territory. up to 50 kilometers away. israel targeted hamas buildings and people's homes. this is what is left after an israeli airstrike. we're told the owner of this home is suspected of launching attacks. he got a call saying to evacuate the home. there was a warning racket, and then a fighter jet dropped a bomb here. the result? complete devastation. one of 20 forced to leave. >> it's unbelievable. god should punish the israelis. what can i say? we can replace the money, thank god. >> reporter: as the plumes of moto smoke dot the skyline, the operation called protective edge will last more than days.

those along the gaza strip issued their own warning. >> if they want war, the resistence is ready to fight. >> reporter: they have tested the unity government of hamas and the palestinian authority not ready to say it fully backs the onslaught. >> i cannot say this. but what i can say they deny, and they will stand seriously with the situation and they're not happy. >> as palestinian leaders struggle for agreement, the palestinian rocket assault on southern israel and the shower from israeli bombs in the guys goes on. al jazeera, gaza. >> president obama said peace is possible in this crisis. the president wrote, quote,

peace is necessary because it's the only way to insure a secure and democratic future for the jewish state of israel. reaching a peace agreement with the palestinians would help to turn the tide of international sentiment and side line violent extremists, further bolstering israel security. president obama also dealing with what he calls a humanitarian crisis here at home. a surge of unaccompanied minors coming to the u.s. from central america. today he asked congress for more than $3.5 billion to tackle the problem. libby casey is live in washington, d.c. what exactly does the president claim to do with this money? >> reporter: michael, these are the emergency appropriations to deal with more than 52,000 children who cross the border alone and have been detained since just october. tens of thousands more families that have also come over. it's what members of congress are also calling a humanitarian crisis. let's break down the numbers. more than 879 million to detain

and remove adult who is are caught crossing the border and prosecute those adults. 3 paying agents for over time and security work and $1.8 billion to care for the children who are unaccompanied ranging from their medical needs to housing them. now white house spokesman josh earnest said that they're looking to give the department of homeland security more authority to send back children to central american countries. >> we're seeing the congressional authorization for the secretary of homeland security to exercise greater discretion as he implements that law. what we're seeking is an end result that allows for the more efficient application and enforcement of that law that essentially means those individual that don't have a legal basis for remaining in this country are returned to their home country. >> the white house is warning if

it doesn't get this billions of dollars in emergency funds, that border agents will be doing child care, and they won't be able to send back people to their home countries, creating more of a crisis on the border. >> of course, the president travels through second tomorrow. originally there was no plans to meet with any of the officials there about the crisis at the border, but now that's changed. what can you tell us about the meeting that is now scheduled to take place? >> this was built as a fundraising trip. the president will hold a meeting in dallas and talk with faith leaders, and he'll also talk with local officials and governor rick perry, the governor of texas. the republican who has been very critical of president obama. initially the white house had invited governor perry to do an air force one photo op. but the governor said no. now they're talking about issues. the president is getting flack

say going to you're going to be down by the borde down to texas, go to the border. >> i hope the president rescars. >> at this point no plans to go to the white house. many say of the president's top deputies are going down there. they're very attentive to what is happening, but that won't stop the political back and forth from going on as the president heads to texas. >> libby casey reporting live from the white house. coming up in a few minutes in al jazeera america we'll speak with a border patrol agency about what the proposal could mean for him and his colleagues. in iraq tonight, new admission from the government that is it has lost control of the former chemical weapons facility. the facility north of baghdad was seized by rebel fighters on june 11th. the ambassador said that iraq is no longer able to fulfill international obligation to

destroy chemicals that were kept in two bunkers there. a new parliament meeting set for this weekend but many are not optimistic sunday's session will end with a new government. >> the political stalemate continues in iraq. the parliament session scheduled didn't happen. they've recycled it for the 13th. all they've got to do is simple technical procedure to choose a speaker of the house. that then triggered. a constitutional process, and that will be the election of a new prime minister. it's a simple technical thing. it's politically charged. no one can agree on who the prime minister should be, the speaker of the house. they've postponed this to the 13th. lots of negotiations, lots of talking. but it seems that the division is not just olympic but almost sectarian. the shia parties close to nouri

al-maliki say he is the one to lead iraq out of this crisis. the sunni say the crisis is partly his fault. he was the one who did not reach out to the sumis in the first place. that's what made them angry and led to the current impasse that we have here. the kurds say pretty much the same thing but now they're talking about. independence. they're saying, a, he doesn't respect our rights, and b, there is a strangle hold. it seems likely when there is a meeting on the 13th they won't get another agreement, and it will be postponed yet again. no one here in iraq is hopeful that they'll come to any kind of agreement much less choose a speaker of the house. >> several children were among the victims of a suicide-bombing in afghanistan today. officials say the bomb went off in a clinic 40 miles north of kabul.

many were killed. the taliban claimed responsibility. and the election crisis intensifies. the u.s. is threating to withdraw financial report. one candidate refuses to accept preliminary election results. >> several thousand of abdullah abdullah supporters came to protest the election result. they tore down a photo of the outgoing president hamid karzai and replaced it with abdullah abdullah with the slogan the people's president. abdullah said removing karzai's picture upset him, it shows disrespect for the presidency. >> we have won the word of the people of afghanistan. that is over.

that will not be changed. >> reporter: the crowd wanted to declare a parallel government. abdullah asked for a few days. he's expecting a visit from u.s. secretary of state john kerry on friday to help address allegations of vote rigging. >> the views that president obama exchanged was the path of the last 30 years and what can we do to facilitate the gains. >> reporter: abdullah wants 11,000 ballot boxes reexamined. his opponent said the demand is unprecedented but will abide by a recount. >> we are asking the complaints commission to unilaterally accept our recommendation to pay the most intensive audit. >> ashraf ghani said abdullah's

team is changing the rules. jennifer class, al jazeera, can pool. >> in somali today, al-shabaab fighters attack the compound. five fighters were killed. and officials say that th the somali president was not in the compound at the same time. >> legalization of pot going on sale today. and the effects of marijuana on human bodies. do you remember these guys? called sleeping at a baseball game. why he's suing over all the comments of his snoozing.

consider this on al jazeera america

>> washington is now the second state to allow the sale of

marijuana for recreational use. dispensaries opened their doors today after voters voted to legalize the drug a year and a half ago. but the supplies are tight. we're live in seattle, and alan, i know you're at one of those 24 licensed stores now. has business been pretty brisk today? >> brisk is a pretty good word for it. 24 stores are able to sell legalized marijuana. but only seven are open. this is the only one in seattle open for business. they've been open since noon. a crowd started gathering here yesterday. it grew overnight and this morning. people waiting here in line about two and a half to three hours long to get in and get their chance to buy their first

opportunity to legally purchase recreational marijuana in the state of washington. supplies are tight. prices are higher than you might expect. growers have not brought in their first big props. a lot of store owners have not gotten the licensing and inspection and permitting they need before they can open many of them. many have not made the contracts they need to make with growers and processers so they can get product to put in the display shelves and sell. those supply issues are expected to ease in coming months. everyone here is ecstatic for what people are calling a historic day in the city of seattle in the state of washington. >> we talked about the shortage, and it was expected to be in short supply. you mentioned maybe a couple of months before they get to a point where more product is available. i wonder how the businesses plan to deal with that shortage in the interim, and what about the

consumers? they've been waiting for this day for a long time. some people may be disappointed that they have to wait longer. >> they have to wait a long time and they may be disappointed. as for the businesses and state regulators, everyone involved said this is going to be a bumpy ride. it's built from scratch. there is nothing else like it in the world, and it will take some time to work out the kinks the choke points and supply chain are just some of the problems people are working on. customers may have to wait a little bit. this store probably will sell out tomorrow. they said they're going to take it on a day by day basis. let's bring in some of those customers, ryan and sam. first of all, show me what you bought today, and tell me what it is. >> i have two grams. >> now the opal, i've heard a lot about if. was there some word on the

street? >> i'm not sure. it's the first i heard from it. >> you flew up here from palo alto, california. >> absolutely. >> this is legit, legal in washington state. we're ready to go. >> hold up again, what do you have? >> they availabled it sweet lafayette. there are a variety of strains out there. i'm going to try this one today and see how it goes. >> how was the morning. was it a good day? >> yes, it was. a lot of conversation with people who are here for the same reason, here to enjoy the day and see the novelty of it and see how it works out. >> these folks have been waiting two and a half to three hours. michael, back to you. >> no seattle is it a huge sports town, and you said opening day. and they looked like fans of a sporting event. live in seattle, thank you. other states legalizing

marijuana don't have much data to look at jay cab ward explai explains. >> reporter: it's very difficult to study marijuana in the united states. early indication about the drug suggest there are a handful of harmful effects. there is the potential of addiction, which seems to be far less than other legal drugs but still a significant issue that needs to be studied. there is a sense if children are exposed to marijuana it can have cognitive affects on their development. and then how much marijuana is too much to consume and then drive a car. all of that is very, very preliminary and that's because it's just very, very hard to study marijuana. in order to study marijuana as a federally funded researcher you have to get special permission from federal agencies like the

dea and national institute on drug abuse. you have to bring it to your lab and give it to patients in a clinical trial. it's so hard to do that up until ten years ago there were only nine trials. and while people are taking a great interest in marijuana and seeking to study it, it has not gotten any easier to do so. you would think state law in colorado and washington would make those two centers of research, but that's not the case. marijuana is still considered scheduled one under federal law. it is harder to study than heroin, cocaine, any scheduled one drug. there will be research done on the long-term effects, what it does to people with an

adiagnostictive morbiditan addictive morbidity. >> david shuster is in for ali velshi on "real money." why did cleveland win out? >> reporter: it has to do with political money. cleveland was able to convince that people who pledged money who put up $68 million that they were good for their pledges. when the republican national committee looked at the finals for the bids from cleveland, dallas and kansas city, cleveland was far out ahead, far more reliable on the sort of folks they had involved. the other part about it is somewhat political. kansas city was ruled out

because a lot of reference were fearful that there wouldn't be enough hotel rooms to accommodate. and then the summertime heat. a lot of people are concerned about what dallas is like in the middle of summertime, and not to mention the fact that texas is moving to the right, and the tea party was a backdrop as something that they wanted to portray as their national convention in 2014. >> cleveland itself, not just republicans but all the citizens in northeast ohio, what could the city get in return for hos hosting this convention? >> the expectation is that the economic impact for having all of those tens of thousands of journalists and all those who attend it will be upwards of $200 million in local revenue that businesses will be able to get simply because of the convention. when you look up the investment

the city rolls out okay, we'll give you $68 million to host this thing they can expect to make a profit as far as the economic impact. democrats have been considering cleveland. cleveland had been very aggressive to get them to consider for the city. in each of the last five elections to the extent that you could reach out in 2016 in ohio, it makes good politics for your presidential campaign. >> absolutely. ohio very key state in the last several elections. david, what else do you have coming up in real money? >> we're going to be talking about credit cards and why some banks and other lenders are giving those credit cards to riskier borrowers. this move to give cards to subprime bor borrowers comes after laws that made it harder

tand had been denied a card before. all that on "real money." >> the popular mobile car service.uber has agreed to limit its pricing nationwide. it reached a deal in the state of new york. uber has been controversial in some cases charging three times the normal fee for busy time periods. now they'll limit prices during emergencies and natural disasters. president obama has officially asked congress for $3.5 million to deal with the influx of migrant children. we'll talk to the border patrol agent about where that money will go and whether money will help. cage's drought is so severe that it's even killing off plants in the desert. that's coming up next on

al jazeera america.

>> president obama asked congress for $3.7 billion to deal with the surge in unaccompanied minors from central america. now the white house said the money will be used to care for the immigrants, boost capacity of immigrants courts. boehner said he wants the national guard to be used to provide humanitarian support. with us is dave pacheko, a spokesman for the national border parole. >> thank you. >> you and your colleagues have been on the border control for a long time. >> i've been following the agencies from texas, and i know they're very, very busy. and so they're doing duty within

the processing area, with the children. also being out in the field and running after the criminals that are now there. those are recent there. they're organize as many hours that they can. that's taxing after a highly especially day after day at all hours, and things are going all the time at race, race, race. finally there is a breaking point sometimes that dr. so you're aair president obama' presidenyour are aware of president obama's funding for border patrol issues. is it enough? >> i don't, it's not enough. we need to be fully funded. what i mean by that, border patrol agents need to be able to work up to 25% of their auo so deal with these specific issues. i'm talking about everybody on

the border. not just those in section. you know we have border control pay reform act on the floor right now ready to go, but if they could fund us fully right that would help out in the medium time now. people from across the nation would come across america. they have things in there for deterrents. you could have the cameras, the drones. you. >> let's say that congress agrees to the proposal as is, no additional funding speaker boehner has asked for and you seem to suggest as well. if you get just $364 million what will your and your colleagues do with the funds that you do see. >> we'll work more over time a

and, you know, that needs to be measured. it needs to be looked at carefully. and also we need to make sure that they are taken care of today on the border. you know, the funding that is there right now. it looks more to me like baseball sitting. >> what is your opinion on piquer main crew should be called into hope? >> well, we had national guard on the border before. we had a couple of problems with the natural guard. i can see how they'll take care of areas where there is no enforcement, and they're doing things that are on the ground and enforcement because we have illegal immigrants coming across the border, and they were turning themselves over to national guard, but national guard does not have the authority to make those arrests.

>> they don't have the authority to make those arrests. thank you for coming in. >> thank you, i appreciate it. >> starting with the 2016 election voters will have to show photo i.d.s at the polls, and same day registration will no longer be allowed. three voter right's groups will temporary including hundreds of thousands of voting and some say that the law disproportionately effect the elderly and the poor. it's estimated 7,000 have joined the hard line opposition. foreign fighters should be prevented from joining the conflict. syria has been torn apart by the three-year war. the u.n. says there is

2.9 million. >> at the edge of the lebano of the lebanonees of the beirut. the fasting month of ramadan is here, but many are struggling to survive the harsh reality. ramadan is a month for those who have to share with knows who have not. most don't have much. this syrian refugee found a job selling vegetables. one kilogram of zucchini sells here for $0.50, but most people can't afford. >> people ask me for a half kilo, a few opinions.

>> ramadan's dessert. and she won't be sitting at the table when it's time to eat. she has to be at work. it's difficult for everybody. not just me. this is the state of affairs here. >> but this year especially the 64-year-old, a lebanese who has been living in the camp for the past 25 years. but this is one of the worst years, he says. very few people can afford to buy any of the hot meals he and his wife prepare. >> you will only find tragedies here. we miss the old days as difficult as they were. >> nearby a charity offers free meals for those who are desperate, and there are so many of them. families flock to this place more than an hour before it's time to break the fast.

they are hot, thirsty, hungry and anxiously waiting for someone to put food on their plate. the menu is basic, a salad with rice topped with chicken pieces may not be enough to satisfy the hunger, but enough to eyes it. her husband is too proud to come. he said home. but she has swallow her pride and came so her three children can eat something, she told me. to cope with all the needs families can come every other day here so more people can benefit. a child throws a tan rum when his family is told it's not their day. as another child gets a chance to have a meal. tomorrow is another day. >> in india federal investigators plan to exhume the bodies of two teenage whose were raped and hanged two weeks ago. the center bureau of

investigation, which is india's c.i.a. it wants to look at several unanswered questions. five men have been arrested in connection with the attacks. at least 17 people were injured when an important made landfall. 17,000 people were told to evacuate. the typhoon is weakening, bu. in italy the sicilian mafia is making life difficult for farmers working on prized farmland. local farmers have started their own cooperatives to reclaim the area. but the five i can't i mafia is not giving up so easily. >> workers on the farm tend the land. here they grow olives, oranges, and other crops. it's a typical sicilian summer

day. but the farm itself is not typical. for until a few years ago this was owned by the mafia. now it's run legally by a cooperative overseen. >> initially people are suspicious of working with us in this confiscated land. they were afraid of what could happen to them and their families. then finally they realized its reality and the community mobilized. >> reporter: the law that allows this farm to operate was passed nearly 20 years ago. since then thousands of properties have been seized and reallocated for lawful use. cooperatives like here are about reclaiming individual farms from the mafia. but there are other people on this island who want to reclaim the whole of sicily from its influence. >> reporter: young people like this young man who owns a farm.

in june of last year the local mafia asked him for protection money. he refused. their response was violent. >> i found my sheep shot dead and one of them had been decapitated and his head put in front of my house. that is a clear sign of mafia intimidation. >> but was not intimidated. instead, he and his friends formed a network of young farmers determined to resist the mafia. from this very bad thing happened to me that has ban very good outcome. there have been many arrests, and where i was once alone now we are a network of 20 farmers whoseter ar whose name is terra forte. strong land. >> chicago's death toll over the holiday weekend has gone up.

maria ines ferre has more on that and from around america. >> reporter: another person was pronounced dead following last weekend's violence. 25-year-old willie allen was one of 50 people shot over the fourth of july weekend. 15 of those people died. amusement parks are keeping an eye on safety after a rollercoaster derailed last night. a branch fell on a truck at a park. it caused the cart to derail. four people were injured. two of them were taken to a nearby hospital. a mother is accused of leaving her baby at a new york city subway station. the 23-year-old was tracked down after someone recognized her from photos. they showed a photo of a woman pushing a child through the turnstile. she got into a train but left the baby stroller on the flat

form. facebook has quietly taken down photos of the teenager next to animals she has hunted. jones and her supporters claim hunt something a form of conservation. facebook said that it removed the reported content that promote poaching of endangered species. in new york the cameras caught him sleeping and now he's suing. the camera caught him sleeping during a yankees red sox game. commentators went on to mock him. >> that's not the place to sleep. how comfortable is that? probably won't have any neck problems tomorrow. >> that guy to his left is his buddy? who is letting him sleep. >> maybe that's his buddy and he likes him better when he's

asleep. >> footage was seen on the internet the next day. >> he's one of thousands people who have been asleep at a slam and being seen on tv. >> oh, yes. >> it happens all the time. thank you. >> thanks. >> scientists have been raising the alarm on climate change, but as the globe warms up even the hottest parts of the planet are suffering. we take a look at california's joshua tree national park in california. >> reporter: drive through joshua tree national park, some 140 miles northeast from los angeles. >> ththey look like they're reaching out to heaven. >> the park is very unique.

it's very beautiful. >> but the very nature of what makes the park unique and beautiful is fighting for survival. these wonderfully weird dr. us dr. seuss-like trees are the reason why hundreds of people come here. but scientists fear that trees will go from looking like this to looking like this. and then what will that leave the park? if it's namesake is gone. >> wildlife biologists is taking me to a team of researchers exacting plants, rocks, and the study of including the severe drought. there is already evidence that the desert, in fact, can get too hot and too dry. look at the park's lower elevation and you'll see hundreds of dead and dying trees

literaling the landscape. >> the bad news is we could lose as many a trees. >> when the drought hits these, they are the first to go, it's the little guys that we're concerned about for reproduction purposes. >> he said if the joshua trees disappear the park will loose more than just its name. >> we'll lose the yucca most, scots' orals and lots of species. >> there is some hope of survival. where more water can be found the team finds young, healthy trees. >> this is going to be a refuge from climate change and we're seeing lots. >> just as the joshua trees have long pointed up to the sky, that's the direction visitors

may have to go to see these iconic symbols of the western desert. jennifer london, al jazeera, joshua tree national park, california. >> if about still had the home field advantage in the world cup, it didn't matter today. huge win, i mean huge win by germany. and how about this video of a two-year-old boy walking for the first time. you can understand why it's become an online sensation. and we'll tell you more about this young man. that's coming up later.

america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now >> today's highly anticipated world cup match up between brazil and germany was one for the ages, but not for the reason

that most people expect. jennifer taff to tell us what went wrong for brazil. >> what went right for brazil? >> seem big nothing. >> none would have predicted this for sure. brazil never lost a competitive match on their home field, and when they did, they went big. americans say they don't like soccer because there is no scoring, and well folks, this is football and there was scoring at a rapid-fire pace. one of those goals was a record setter scoring in the 23-minute. let's take a close look. rubbing assault in the bound of the brazilian. at the top now of the list of top goal scores, and rubbing

salt in the wound that's because ronaldo, the legend, and gerald molar had in 13 games 14 for the germans. this was just an unbelievable game that just nobody would have expected. >> so brazil was a little shorthanded, okay, but how was germany age to completely annihilate them? >> if you watch their passing was unbelievable, and at one point they were scoring at will. it looked like anybody was going to take it. brazil had a jv out there because everybody had the ball and it seems to get contagious. once you start scoring you knock the sails out of the other team, they were able to do whatever they wanted in this game. >> brazil is a proud soccer country to say the least. that may an huge understatement. what does this loss mean for the team, the fans, the people of the country just hanging out?

>> first and foremost if you see some of the reaction we saw, obviously lots of tears going on. i don't know if it was rain or tears from all the brazilian fans. >> a lot of turmoil. >> one thing they were thinking would save that is if brazil would come home with the world cup. they get completely dismantled, completely embarrassed, and now of course they have the olympics coming up. how they're going to salvage that, that will be interesting. >> i saw fans in sao paulo burning the flag of brazil. the american national team you got to feel better about your yourself because americans lost to germany 2-1, whereas brazil lost by a big number. >> they'll take on the netherlands and argentina, we'll

see who takes this game. >> records after records in this game. jessica staff, thank you very much. >> tens of thousands of dollars rolling in for the guy who asked for 10 bucks on kick starter to make a potato salad. >> coming up on real money, why so-called risky borrowers are finding it easier to get their hands on credit cards, and why baby boomers are writing the check for the rent instead of the mortgage. we have more on "real money."

>> a two-year-old with a prosthetic leg walking for the first time is inspiring people all over the world today. maria ines ferre is back with the video. and i can see why this video went viral. >> life has not been easy for the family from new york.

two-year-old caden was born with a rare condition. his left leg and right foot were amputated in january. now listen to the three simple words he said when he took his first steps with the walker. >> i got it. >> i got it. >> i got it. >> wow. >> i got it, i got it, i got it. the video has been shared thousands of times over the past few days, but it really went viral when quarterback michael vick shared it on his facebook page and said with god all it possible. she has donations for medical expenses and $10,000 has been brought in just today. now the family told us that they're thrilled that caden is encouraging and inspiring so many people. >> hopefully more people will be inspired to give caden more money and hope they get to that

$50,000. >> they need $50,000. >> thanks. >> thank you. >> speaking of raising money for a completely different reason, he roge originally asked for $10 for his idea of making potato salad, but the ohio man has raised $44,000. his middle name is danger. and he now has to find a way to spend all the cash. you have to spend it on potato salad. john terrett is here. you talked to him today. >> he came in to our studios very graciously. he came in from ohio. this is a story of a man with a plan. a website that has recently changed its rules and might now be regretting doing that. we'll have to see. time will tell, and a recipe for success or disaster, depending if you're the man or the websi website. >> zach danger brown needed $10 for july the fourth potato salad. he went online.

>> i turned to crowd funding for the way people do. i'm risk adverse. >> he started his hot potato idea, well, cold, actually. zach's counter hit $20,000. >> what? >> yes, zach's potato plan was a smash. now he's in the eye of publicity. everyone wants to hear his story. we invited him into our studios. >> i like potatoes. it was can i make a potato salad? i never made potato salad before. i figured i would lean on the internet to get some early funding to make my own potato salad. >> kick starter set up to help creative types fund pet projec projects. claims the amount donated so far has reached $1.2 billion.

anhow is it that kick starter, which is funded so many serious business projects is now funding potato salad? experts say the site has changed it's eligibility requirements. >> one of the most respected crowd funding on the internet changes its restrictions you'll see a flood of humorous projects. i don't think he was trying to embarrass the site, but in effect that's what it has done. and kick starter has been heavily criticized. >> with tens of thousands of dollars the kick starter rules state it must be spent on potato salad. what is zach going to do? >> our goal is to do the most goal with this opportunity. i think ideally what we would do is throw a huge benefit party or concert in columbus, ohio, and

invite the entire internet. >> they came to new york. it was a lovely, sunny day. in the time i've known zach, four hours now, he has lost $20,000. >> how so? >> i wrote him on twitter, and it turns out apparently with this website, they can withdraw that $1,000. his total goes up and down. it's currently around $44,000, but it was around $63,000 earlier today. >> people watching saying, oh, i don't want to give him that money. >> yes, getting cold feet, cold potato salad. the author of this bid claims to not like potato salad and prefers coleslaw, so far this gentleman has $23. >> this will do it for this edition of al jazeera.

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