>> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america >> u.s. airstrikes help three iraqi towns. president obama criticized over his handling of the threat. >> a pool party for members of a libyan militia, celebrating the seizure of a u.s. compound in tripoli. the state department insist it is still secure.

>> palestinians say there is as danger to long term peace. >> outrage in hong kong, lawmakers shout shame as a community leader after china rejects open nominations for the election. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm libby casey. a town in iraq is waking up free from the islamic state group. amerly had been under siege. >> major allies overseas, including prime minister david cameron are debating the next steps in going after the i.s. group. >> phil ittner is live in london. the u.s. is claiming victory in the battle for amerly, but the president facing criticism from senators for his strategy in iraq and syria.

what are they saying? >> well, del, there's been heavy criticism of president obama in the pace and decisiveness of actions in regard to the >> this had become a siege. they were surrounded by islamic

state fighters. >> u.s. planes along with the british, french and australians had been dropping humanitarian aid to the community. in washington, president obama still coming under fire for his comments about how he plans to deal with the islamic state in syria, indicating that his approach is to go slow. >> we don't have a strategy yet. >> a full blown strategy would be recognizing that we are now facing the largest, most powerful, wealthiest terrorist organization in history, and it's going to require some very strong measures to defeat them. >> the white house says the pentagon is working on a plan. >> we can't wait forever. the longer we do wait, the stronger isis becomes and america and britain become at risk. >> president obama is taking heat from members of his own party, senator dianne feinstein of california saying that the islamic state is a vicious movement. >> i've learned one thing about this president, and that is he's

very cautious. maybe in this instance, too cautious. >> now, del, this has been a major issue within europe, particularly because they're so close to the region. it's a very short flight from southern turkey back to the major part of the european union. european leaders are keeping a very close eye on this and are deeply concerned. >> david cameron set to announce measures to keep britain safe from the islamic state group. have we learned any of the details yet? >> we've heard a little bit about what david com ran may be proposing. he did address the nation last week when the terror threat was raised to severe. we know that there's a possibility of removing passports for those british nationals who go to the region and fight. there's also discussion of limiting their movement within the u.k. if they return, but all of this is having to be addressed under the rule of law

and how this fits within the british justice system, we expect he will be talking to the house of commons on their first day returning after summer break and do expect a major address from the prime minister. >> germany getting involved on a military level, as well. what are they doing in iraq? >> german officials have announced that they will start to be sending some high-tech weapons to those kurdish militias, the peshmerga, including anti tank weapons. germany has heretofore been a little reluctant. they have their own nationals there in the region. that is one thing many europeans are keeping an eye on. they are concerned if they take a most of active combat role, it may innocentivize them to come back and take revenge.

>> we have more from baghdad. >> they've been able to make gains, breaking the siege of that town that had been surrounded by islamic state fighters for more than two months because shia militias, including some who fought u.s. troops in the streets here just a few years ago backed by u.s. airstrikes, international participation and air drops, the iraqi army in a rare victory, a much-needed victory as well as peshmerga, kurdish force says. the fight was quite ferocious and isn't over yet. iraqi security forces say they killed 24 islamic state group fighters, including eight chechens. they are known for expertise at snipers and are still trying to

clear explosives from that area. it is entering territory the u.s. hasn't been in before. iraqi security forces say they will push on and chase those islamic state group fighters further into tikrit. that's the next big stages ground. the question is, republican, will tikrit, a strong hold of the islamic state, former sadaam loyalists and firmly held by the islamic state group, will that actually be another battleground that involves shia militias? if it does, that gets trickier and potentially more volatile. >> more than 1400 iraqis were killed in fighting during the month of august. >> we're going to talk to retired army major mike lyons about the next step in the fight against the islamic state group. >> new video shows militia members in control of an abandoned u.s. compound in tripoli. there they were, jumping go the

pool from the balcony weeks after embassy staff were pulled because of fighting nearby. a senior state department official says at this point, we believe the embassy compound itself remains secure, but we continue to monitor the situation on the ground, which remains very fluid. the primary reason for the united states temporarily relocating our personnel was the on going fighting between militias occurring very close to our compound. >> there are a new round of talks on easing the crisis in ukraine underway, negotiations set to take place today. russians foreign minister sergey lavrov calling for a ceasefire but says ukrainian troops must rekeyed before a dea deal can be reached. >> russia will do everything it depends on us to move toward a feesful resolution in ukraine that takes into account the interest of all regions and political powers without exceptions.

>> meanwhile, a second convoy of russian aid trucks are preparing to drive to donetsk. kiev won't let the trucks cross the border unless the red cross inspects the trucks. >> hemping back to safety, like if the white flag of capitulation, these trucks are the remnants are a force of several hundred men which are caught and shelled continually. fortunes on the battlefield have dramatically changed in the past days. >> there's no way separatists can come back for themselves. we have reinforced with tanks and artillery from russia, they would never have had their suction. the russian invasion has been going on for sometime already. another area last week the ukrainian army held sway. now the militia are back in charge here and we saw two units of separate fighters fighting in

town. >> fighting wasn't heavy. in most cases, they left without fight. now we are pushing in all directions, we are trying hard. >> huddled in the back of an ambulance, we saw three captured ukrainian con scripts berated. they asked that we don't show their faces and described being under artillery attack. 80% of the battalion died in the first eight minutes. my friends were torn apart in front of my eyes. >> 200 meters down the road behind me, we've seen two tanks in the control of the donetsk people's republic and a large number of fighters there, too. they're not friendly towards us, we've had to retreat, but it seems there is no sign of the ukrainian army in this part of the country. >> the town's militia later caught up with us and forced us to delete our vote of the tanks. one fighter admitted he was from moscow. >> what you are fighting for? what motivates you?

>> for the russian revolution, for the right to the way they live, the language they speak and the way they see their history. >> by it is the civilians who suffer. the young and the elderly in particular. >> there's no power, there's no gas. we don't have anything. they promised to switch them back on tomorrow. our condition here is really bad. >> families hide in their cellars, in the basements of this stone mason's, a woman sleeps among the gravestones. it is a grim existence. with the fighting intense filing, it is only getting worse. >> coming up, we'll talk to anthony salvia about the fighting and russian president vladimir putin comments about statehood. >> israel has seized 1,000 acres of land in the west bank. >> it is worried it will derail

the peace process. >> we have the latest. could this in flame tensions in the area. >> this is of all the issues one of the most incredibly sensitive and palestinians that are not this could make things much worse. they say this is the largest land group in 30 years. settlements built on palestinian land are illegal under international law. it's one of the core issues between the israelis and palestinians and they struggle to find peace. israel argues this land appropriation as it calls it is not building new settlements, but adding to existing neighborhoods. the land includes five palestinian neighborhoods near bethlehem. residents living in the area didn't see it coming. >> we were surprised in the early hours this morning, when the israeli civil administration and the israel military gave warning and put signs in many areas. to the northern, southern and western ways of the village,

declaring for the benefit of the expansion of three settlements that surround the village. >> the move comes at a tricky time in the peace negotiations and just days after the gaza ceasefire was agreed upon. israeli radio says the government may be expanding settlements in response to the kidnapping and killing of three jewish teenagers in june. that was one of the issues that sparked the recent gaza war. palestinian homeowners now have 45 days to appeal israel's plans. in the past, palestinians say their objections have been ignored or denied and as we said, the u.s. government is calling the move counter productive. >> safe to say not what the region needs at this time. >> not helpful, i think is the view of many commentators. >> police in ferguson, missouri are now wearing body cameras. nearly a month after the controversial shooting of michael brown. the department received about 50 devices. officers started donning them

during protests on saturday. the cameras attach to their uniforms and record video and audio. more than 152,000 people have signed an on line petition for police nationwide to wear cameras. >> a st. louis county police officer suspended for a racist on line rant has retired. officer dan page worked the streets of ferguson and was a 35 year veteran of the department. he's accused of making comments about the president, the supreme court, muslims and others in a 2012 you tube clip. page was suspended last week and is expected to receive full retirement benefits. >> three are recovering this morning after struck by lightning at a new york city beach. reports say both men and a boy were hit at orchard beach sunday, the heavy rains delaying play at the u.s. open tennis tournament, as well. also shutting down the electric zoo music festival. >> flooding rains aren't just a problem for the northeast this weekend. >> we are joined with all the storms and the damage that they

have left behind. i was at home last night and the clouds opened up. >> came in quick. these storms rolled through quickly. there was wind damage and hail reported with them and also flooding. this is across the entire east coast. we had strong storms coming through new england, now heavy rain across the southeast leads to flooding. video showing flooding across the southeast, a lot of rain coming in from the gulf of mexico. rain can't drain that quickly, we are seeing flooding, rains and a lot of damage with these storms. storms have calmed down a bit, but still muggy. there is a storm over the great lakes pulling up a lot of that moisture and the front here is the focus for more severe weather today. you'll see the temperatures dropping as the front moves through. out ahead, the area is moving just a bit. there's cooler weather coming in across the northwest, but heat is continuing to build hot and humid weather here across the southeast. these are the storms predicted.

it's along this line here as the front moves through from west to east. right now, the radar is tracking these storms flaring up. that was yesterday, but again, the threat for strong storms today exists. there could be wind damage and more haim as this line of severe weather moves through. that is the one stormy part of the country we're catching today. that will slowly push east, but out ahead of it, you can feel the mugginess in the area. >> i'm not ready for summer to be over. >> it's not over yet. >> outrage in hong kong after chinese officials decide against a free election. >> now activists and protestors threatening to shut the city down. >> i'm john henry smith. a 9-year-old dice in a sand collapse on the beach. this is not the first time this has happened this summer. i'll be back to tell you more. >> san francisco 49er ray mcdonald arrested, charged with

assaulting his pregnant fiancee just days after the nfl promised harsher punishment for domestic violence. >> the big number today is $1,100,000,000. >> why the aftermath of the financial meltdown is leading to another major bank deal.

>> today's big number is $1,100,000,000. >> that is the price tag for the largest and latest bank takeover in spain. barclay's is selling off its operation. >> the deal includes 270 branches in spain and half a million clients. it had been spain's largest foreign owned bank but has been slimming down after losing billions on loans. >> a federal judge would have forced all five abortion clinics in louisiana to shut down. it was supposed to take effect today, requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting practices within

40 miles. only one has such privileges. >> a typical day at the beach ends in tragedy. the latest victim is a 9-year-old or gone girl who died while playing in a hole she dug in the sand. >> the hole collapsed, trapping here. horrified on lookers rushed to the scene to save her. we ever the details. >> as you all know, kids of all ages like to dig in the sand when they go to the beach, but it's increasingly clear digging too deep can be very dangerous. >> we heard screaming coming from the beach. at first, we thought it was just kids, but it was like streaming and streaming and streaming. >> a day of fun at this lincoln city, or gone beach turned deadly as emergency crews raced to rescue isabel franks. she and her siblings had been dig ago more than three-foot deep hole. the girl sad down in the hole to see how deep it really was only to have the sand cave in on her.

>> the people were digging and digging and digging. it looked like the sand kept collapsing. >> little isabel was unresponsive. she would later die at a local hospital. >> when it's a call like this, that turns out to be a fatality, it's very hard on the responders and community. this has happened before, but it's a pretty rare event. >> a man died in a six-foot hole on a north carolina beach in june, a 26-year-old man in northern california died when a 10-foot sand pit collapsed on him in july. according to a harvard medical school study, there were 52 documented victims of sand collapses on american beaches between 1997 and 2007. 31 of those victims died. according to the mayo clinic, dry sands weighs 100 pounds per square foot, wet sand 120 pounds

per square foot. in a report, it writes: >> mourners laid memorials in the now filled hole that claimed the life of the 9-year-old, as a family, and as witnesses deal with what's happened. >> fire officials strongly cautioned beach visitors to respect the dangers of digging large holes in the sand and be sure to fill them in when you're done with them. as of now, no national standards currently exist restricting the depth of holes dug on the beach. >> rescue workers are searching through the rubble after a deadly building collapse in paris. the apartment building exploded sunday morning after what was believed to be a gas leak. seven people are now dead, dozens of others injured, one

person is still trapped inside. >> pro democracy activists are taking to the streets of hong kong after the chinese government ruled out free elections. crowds disrupt add parliamentary meeting today and police had to break up the protestors with pepper spray. as we report, their angered that beijing will only how hand picked candidates on the ballot in 2016. >> today so far on monday, the day after from that announcement, the senior chinese official here in town to handle this from beijing's point of view, he had a speech on the other side of town earlier today, was actually heckled by people in the crowd there, quickly ushered out of that auditorium. he is going to be meeting with some of the administration here in hong kong in these buildings behind me, the executive of hong kong, his office is behind me. now around the city block, there

are these corrals for pro democracy protestors when they come. over my other shoulder, those are pro beijing protestors who have been here for a couple of hours. this is the scene where we saw thousands of pro democracy protestors come out in front of these government offices last night, sunday night, but today, it was a protest that heckling, if you will, earlier in the morning. we haven't seen them show up just yet. there is something, occupy central is the lead organization within this pro democracy movement here in honk con congress and they were almost immediately after the announcement getting people out here. what they said, it is not going to be a fact of tens of thousands of people coming all of a sudden coming down here and shutting down this part of the city, but what they say it's going to be a sustained, long-term civil diseobedience until they get what they want, universal suffering, one person,

one vote. the crux is that there will be one person, one vote, but those people on the ballot are going to be hand picked by beijing. that's the main problem they have and they say this is going to be sustained. they say ultimately, they might set up a parallel government. that's way down the line, sustained, long term civil dice obedience. >> honk canning became a chinese territory, at that time beijing promised autonomy for the region. >> in new york, a death of a mother to be and her bun born child are investigated. witnesses reported multiple gunshots and she was found in her car. >> comedian joan rivers now starting to be brought out of her medically induced coma. the family is keeping its fingers crossed. she has been hospitalized since last thursday when she was undergoing a medical procedure.

>> celebrities were victims of an on line hacker with nude photos posted of them. they appeared on websites and sparked a backlash from some of the vehicle ritz. it was called a violation of privacy and said the police have been contacted. other celebrities exposed include rihanna and winona ryder. >> let's get a quick check of your labor day forecast right now. >> dave. >> liberty forecast, either hot and muggy or getting cooler. storms in between. we have a line of strong storms approaching from the northern plains and pushing through the midwest. now, there was severe weather with this yesterday. look at these temperature differences. right now 70's in st. louis, 68 in people and 58 in fargo. there's the cool air approaching. it's moved across the. >> i northwest but right here is the line, the focus of severe storms. muggy today, the possibility of

strong storms. nice and comfortable by the end of the weekend here, long weekend. 83 in kansas city today, 93 in tulsa, heating up across the southeast, highs into the low to mid 90's. it feels a lot warmer than that when you factor in the humidity. heat and humidity are here and we've got the storms as the cooler weather moves in, so watching this closely. >> thank you. >> russia's foreign minister calling for an immediate ceasefire in ukraine. >> he blaming kiev, saying ukrainian forces need to be pulled back. world leaders threaten action if russia doesn't back down, but are the sanctions against moscow working? >> in new york, we'll be asking whether authorities here are doing enough to help the humanitarian crisis in air i can't. >> how the closure of boats

affect the gambling industry. g industry.

>> you are looking live at the light house in sandy hook, new jersey, yes, it is labor day monday, september 1, many of you enjoying a well deserved day off. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> ahead in this half hour, there are protestors in place in pakistan and they have taken a deadly turn. thousands are calling for the foreign minister to step down. >> in the nation's capitol, libraries opening their arms to the homeless, a plan to help the down on their luck get back on their feet. why not everyone is onboard with the idea. >> ahead, an unauthorized tweet from rick perries official account. why it had the texas governor scrambling to take it down. >> first a look at hour top stories. u.s. airstrikes have helped end the islamic state group's black

cade of an iraqi town. amerly had been under siege for months. many in the town have died of starvation. >> the u.s. said the embass is secure despite this video. embassy staff were evacuated in july amid intense fighting in tripoli. >> negotiations today between russian and ukrainian officials. russian's foreign minister said talks should focus on a truce and that ukrainian forces need to retreat. this comes at russia prepares to send a second convoy of aid to donetsk. >> the president says the sanctions against russia are working. first of all, are they and second of all, is that enough? >> it depends. certainly if the purpose of the sanctions is to get the russians

to change course, it's not clear that they're working. they were initially introduced on the heels of the crimea operation and it was intended to sort of give putin an insentive to back down. that hasn't happened. >> the sanctions appear to be working, but russia does not appear to be doing anything. does the united and nato appear to have the need for boots on the ground in ukraine. >> i'd be extremely surprised if they did that. that would be a major major major situation having major forces involved confronting head on a nuclear power. it's never happened before in history. >> you think they should arm ukraine more with military assistance. >> i think the best thing to do if you want to have any hope of this country hanging together as a coherent state, as the ukrainian republic, you have to

do a ceasefire, you need -- >> why would vladimir putin negotiate when it appears that momentum is on his side? >> because i think his aim all along has not been the breakup of ukraine. i think what he wants to do is keep it together as a state. he has to do it in such a manner that the interests of the russian speaking ethnic population of eastern ukraine is protected. right now, we have right along has been kiev pushing for a military victory in the east, there's been a reversal of fortunes, now things going in the russian's direction. by the same token, the only solution that this, if this place is ever to have the hope of people living together peacefully is a negotiated settlement. >> what about the call for statehood? >> when putin used the phrase state hood, that's the first time he used that phrase, that's

a ratcheting up of the rhetoric. i think putin would settle for autonomy for the region, something not agreed to at this point. better autonomy within the republic than state hood. it's part of a complex game they are playing. putin on every level of rhetoric, operations on the ground, on every level, russia is playing a complex and fairly sophisticated game here. >> international game of chess. >> the coast guard is searching for a kurdish oil tanker off the coast. it is loaded with disputed oil. the ship had been in limbo for about a month in a dispute over

who has the right to sell oil from iraqi's kurdish region. >> the syrian army saying it made advances sunday in damascus, killing a number of opposition fighters there. syria said kuwait tee fighters are among the dead. the fighting spilling over, battling for control near a town of the israel border. >> there are more than 3 million refugees from the war in syria, but very few are here in the u.s. >> despite the white house administration plans to ease restrictions, those syrians who have come here are unsure of asylum. >> safe, secure and thousands of kilometers away from the civil war in syria, life for this family seems bright. they arrived in the u.s. over a year ago hope to go claim asylum but now face delays and uncertainty.

calls to the asylum office appear to be calling on deaf ears. nobody helps us. no helps syria. i think we're coming to a -- future, i don't know what's coming. >> do you have any hope at all? >> i don't have any hope at all. i don't have nothing. >> their hometown has been destroyed. he'll never return. they are here complicated by strict security procedures in weeding out terrorists. >> until now, we don't have work permits, we don't have insurance. ply son, he's until now, he didn't go to school. all this, i feel worried. >> this is the large evident

asylum office in the northeast in the united states, but despite the fact that the u.s. has given more financial aid to syria than anyone else and has the largest resettlement program, only 121 syrians have been offered a new home here. something critics say is wolfely inadequate. >> ref jeers pouring into neighboring country the. more than 6 million are displaced. it is a serious issue. >> immigration lawyers say that's why many of his clients need help now. >> most of them it's a life or death situation for them. if this operation is delayed, they may lose their family. >> the u.s. state department is expecting to receive more cases in the following months and are committed to help the people of syria. for now, all the family can do

is wait. like many syrians, their immediate fate remains unclear. >> u.n. officials call the refugee accuses in syria the biggest humanitarian emergency of other era. >> nearly half of the people have been forced to abandon their homes. >> new clashes this morning in islamabad, where protestors and police are facing off not far from the prime minister's residence. state television says its building was attacked and it was knocked off the air. the protestors want the prime minister to resign. is accused of rigging the last election. three people were killed and 500 hurt in the last two days. >> a bank robber is believed to have struck again. these images were taken in 2012 when he held up a string of banks in california, idaho and washington state. the f.b.i. thinks he may be tied to a heist in nebraska. he is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.

>> we want to make everybody aware of how violent this individual is. he's not afraid to pull the trigger. he's already shot a police officer, so anybody who gives him any resistance, he's not afraid to act. >> $100,000 reward is being offered for his arrest. >> take a look at this. a truck accident in rhode island, some people got a little richer because of it, the armored truck overturned, spilling sacks of money on to the highway. the driver lost control and flipped over and that has been the crash. >> atlantic city is shutting down the show boat on sunday. 1500 employees are out of worked. it's owned by caesars who closed the casino to limit the competition. others will close in the next weeks. >> for many homeless americans,

libraries have become a safe haven. now the libraries are taking steps to help some of their most loyal customers. >> the sun isn't up yet, but david is. he has been homeless in washington, d.c. for nearly seven years. last night, like most, he slept outside. >> it was ok. there was no rain, it was dry. that kept away the insects. >> he is a self described computer whiz who lost his job and then his home. >> there are no jobs. >> with affordable housing scarce, there's been a spike in the number of homeless, churches, food pantry be, the city are all scrambling to meet demand. so is a place that might surprise you. >> at the public libraries main branch, homeless individuals rush in when the doors open. some are dropped off by a shuttle bus from the homeless

shelters. once inside, they log on to computers to job hunt or check email. they meet friends or just read, protected from the elements. >> the director of the d.c. public library says for too long, libraries have done too little for this population, on that tenor motor loyal customers. this system has joined a growing trend, and hired its first social worker. >> for many years, we would sort of open our doors and say ok, we've done our job, because we're providing them a warm place to go if they've got no place else to be. >> now social worker will help provide information on homeless services, and will sensitize staff. >> when someone's sleeping outside and they come in, and they're tired and cranky, but they might still want to connect with their friends and loved ones on facebook, or email. >> but for some, the homeless customers make the library a

less welcoming place. >> i try to exercise patience and just focus on what i'm doing and leave as soon as possible. >> the head of the downtown business district worries the library is just an easy fix for the city. >> the library's being called upon to be a day time shelter for homeless. >> rick believes the downtown area is targeted for these dropoffs. >> a neighborhood with a lot of residents would never put up with this. >> while governments, residents and local businesses argue over the role of the libraries, david is just glad they're here. >> having a place like this, where things are controlled, it's a god send. >> so he will be back, every day he can. lisa stark, aljazeera, washington. >> social workers to help the homeless have been added to libraries in san francisco, sacramento, and salt lake city. >> former nascar champion tony stewart was back on track for

the first time since he hilt and killed driver kevinward, jr. last month. he ended 41 after crashing twice. his spokesman said the driver won't give up on racing. >> this is what he's done since he was eight years old. this is his family. he's 43 years old. he's not married, doesn't have kids, racing is who he is, and it's what he knows. >> he must win next week's race at richmond to make the chase for the cup, nascar's version of the playoffs. >> in san francisco, 49er ray mcdonald said the truth is going to come out. he was arrested on domestic violence charges, accused of getting into a fight with his pregnant fiancee. under the new rules, he could face a six-game suspension. >> openly gay nfl player michael sam may have reached the end of his pro career. the defensive end cleared waivers on sunday, a day after the rams cut him from their

roster, this just four months after he went public with his sexual orientation and was drafted. no team has yet signed sam. coming up, we'll speak with a former sports agent about his future. >> let's look at other stories around the world this morning. a controversial mascot off the sidelines at a california high school near palm springs, pulling the arab from the lineup. the name will stay for the school's team, not surprisingly, the mascot introduced in the 1920's was found to be offensive by a lot of people. the current mascot was unveiled in the 1980's. a lot of civil rights activists upset. >> a voluntary court network of every day people was apparently ready to help defend alaska from invasion. this is the height of the cold war in the 1950's. regular people, bush pilots,

fishermen were engaged in getting ready to help -- >> -- surprised that you saw this revelation? >> only surprised because it showed the degree of the fear of russia at the time, but not surprised that alaskans would be so survival oriented. they were instructed to find their way to food and structures if an invasion happened. >> thousands around the world, this boy is eight years old, bottling cancer. facebook users in canada, will not don, and denmark all lighting candles. the family says they were blown away by all the attention that he has received. >> president obama still working out a strategy to deal with the islamic state in syria. some in capitol hill are saying it is time to take action. >> we'll ask former army major general mike lyons what he

thinks the president should do. >> an out of this world light show, court see of the sun. the details are straight ahead in our discovery of the day. >> you could call it pachyderm polo, playing the sport of kings on elephants instead of horses.

>> two more u.s. airstrikes have been carried out against the islamic state group in northern iraq. >> one attack near amerly damaged a tank and was part of an effort to free the town from certifieders. >> thousands have been trapped there poor months with little food or water. we are live in geneva where the humanitarian rights council is holding a special meeting about the crisis. what was discussed at the

meeting this morning? >> this is an emergency session. it has now broken for lunch. >> we heard from the deputy high commissioner. she said there were targeted killings, away duckies, slavery, sexual and physical abuse, and people directly targeted because of their religious or ethnic background. we heard from the iraqi minister of humanitarian rights, sake the islamic state was making a direct threat against the state hood of iraq and spreading a tsunami of hate. he also said that this was not an iraqi phenomenon, this was a transnational phenomenon. >> the united nations estimates that more than a million people have been displaced in iraq,

saying that thousands are constantly targeted by the islamic state group. what's being done to help them? >> >> the figures range from 1.4 to 1.6-mile people that have left because of the fighting. there are tens of thousands of refugees that had to leave syria, the problem now in iraq is huge. there are aid agencies working to help those people. the u.n. have a team on the ground. there have been sanctions placed on some individuals, as well, to try to stop any kind of funding of the islamic state, but here in geneva, what they're hoping to do is pass the revolution, wimp would mean that a u.n. team would go in on the ground to try to investigate exactly what's been happening there. >> emma hayward live for us in geneva switzerland. >> mike lyons joins us now.

thank you for being here. the airstrikes louped the iraqi troops to retake the town of amerly. how does that fit into defending u.s. assets in iraq. >> it doesn't in fact. this is the first example of mission creep that has come into the situation. in this particular situation, amerly doesn't have american interests to protect, nor infrastructure to protect. the administration is going to have to explain to the american public why they in gauge in this flight. >> we get communication daily about the airstrikes and what they're hitting, tanks and convoys. what does that do in the big picture of battling the islamic state, said to be a mighty and fierce force? we're hitting small targets. >> this is probably part of the underlying strategy to the u.s. would want to taking. at some point, if you take away the enemies ability to wage war,

it affects the security forces. some could be american made equipment, but that's a pretty important job i think the american air force is doing. >> getting back to the mission and mission creep, the president's getting criticism for not having a strategy especially in syria. is that just inside the beltway political criticism for do you have concerns there isn't an overall strategy? >> most of us in the military feel the strategy is not well defined. the ways and ends and means to get things done. it looks like the strategy is just to get isis after iraq. looks like the focus is going to be iraq, but the tactical missions of bombing over the cities does not define a strategy. >> do you see a long-term goal. >> right now, it's going to be take isis, get them out of iraq, restore that border, then think about how do you go into syria, what military or army does that on the ground, all the things

that impact that situation are going to be very important. >> the islamic state group is using social media, slick video production. where does cyber warfare come in or using an on line presence by the u.s. intelligence and others to combat that? >> that's a great point. i think that's part of a bigger strategy. if we want to go after isis, we have to attack their capability to get the message out. i think somebody in the pentagon has been tasked by that, figure out a way to shut down that communication. that would be an important aspect of the future, cyber warfare is to come, this would be just the beginning of what that could look like. >> part of the justification to be in iraq is concern over what the islamic state could do in western countries, the u.k. and u.s. do you see that as a big concern now, islamic state fighters turning to the west? >> not right now.

right now, after this last mission in amerly, i wouldn't be surprised if they retreated back into syria a little bit. norfolk cuss is survival inside iraq. >> do you see the white house as helping or hurting the focus of the military? >> the military is still trying to get to the president's courses of action. it's not every day you see a president say i don't have a strategy. from a perspective of inside the building, getting courses of action for the president to choose from is what they're doing. i think they're working overtime to give him better courses of action. >> thank you so much. >> coming up, we'll have the latest on the fight against the islamic state, including new international steps proposed this morning to keel deal with the group. >> today marks the 75t 75th anniversary of the start of world war ii. it was in 1939 that a german battle ship opened fire on

polish troops and that started nazi germany's invasion of poland. 45 million people died in world war ii. the president's of germany and poland holding a special ceremony today, the candle at graves of soldiers who lost their lives. >> time now for our discovery of the day. dozens of solar flares were detected, powerful bursts of radiation. the earth's atmosphere protects us, but when strong enough, affect g.p.s. and cell phone signals. >> let's get another check of your weather for labor day. >> looks pretty good, feeling like summer across parts of the country. here to the south and east is this line of weather. we have the heat and humid building up. this is the divider between that heat and humidity and the cooler, drier air approaches for the north. we will see strong storms developing, possibly even severe storms right through this line. yesterday, that area was here, today, that stormy weather is

pushing off to the southeast. now the temperatures will begin to climb ahead of that, it's hot and humid, behind it, once these storms clear out, temperatures are getting cooler and it will feel more comfortable by the end of the weekend. >> first day of september, dave warren, thank you very much. >> just in case a run in the park is not challenging enough for you, del, there's the second annual strong man race in germany. competitors had a jump, swim and run through 11 different obstacles, car tires, hey bails and mud pits. this year's winner won last year, as well. >> take a cab. ♪ ♪ >> this is my type of festival, mariachis, crowds lining the streets to see them sing and dance. it is the large evident celebration of music anywhere in the world. >> a super sides version of the

sport of kings. apollo is usually played on horseback. this competition over the weekend in bangkok used elephants. the goal was to raise money for a number of charities benefiting elephants. the annual event now in its 16th year is expected to raise more than $1 million. >> i know you did the iditarod, but have you ever been on top of an elephant. >> i have. >> they have those little spiny hairs that make it nearly impossible to ride. >> graceful animals. >> the u.s. embassy in libya is secure. >> this video of libyan militia men having a pool party there tells a very different story. >> this is a story that outraged a lot of people, a mother standing accused of killing her severely disabled daughter. she may be entitled to the child's million dollars trust fund, even if she is found convicted. >> we are back in two minutes with more from aljazeera america. >> we leave you with a live look

at miami beach. mi beach. >> fault lines labor day marathon the true cost of cheap labor >> nothing can be worse than this people burnt to ash... >> horrendous conditions... traffic labor on us bases... management stealing wages... exploited children put to work... >> how many of you get up at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning to go out to the fields? don't miss our award winning series fault lines labor day marathon only on al jazeera america

al jazeera america presents, edge of eighteen >> my heart is racing so fast >> standing at a crossroads... am standing at a crossroads...

>> a city under siege, freed from the islamic state group, how american forces helped liberate thousands of rack keys and why the president is still on the hot seat. >> at sea, you are between the walls of death. when you touch land, you feel that you have returned to life. >> risking their lives to find a better life. why thousands are making a deadly voyage from north africa to europe. one nation struggled to handle more than 100,000 refugees. >> a 5-year-old sparking an

international manhunt. why his parents took him out of the hospital against doctor's orders. >> the major city that may be home to america's worst drivers. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm libby casey. after months under siege, an iraqi town now freed from the islamic state group. >> u.s. airstrikes help to go deliver amerli. >> today, key u.s. allies are considering what to do next in the fight, while president obama is taking heat at home over his strategy in iraq and syria. >> let's go live to phil ittner in london. while the u.s. can celebrate this latest victory in iraq, that hadn't eased the pressure on president obama to come up with a clear strategy against the islamic state group, so what are his critic saying? >> critics are basically saying he doesn't decisive enough, there isn't enough action taken. it's not just domestic criticism

that is aimed at washington. we are hearing on this side of the atlantic many voices within europe also saying that there needs to be more action taken against the islamic state. many european nations are worried, because they have fighters in that part of the world, their own nationals have gone there. it's right on their doorstep and there's concern fighters may come back and seek revenge top for now, many europeans hope that american combat missions will be enough. >> u.s. airstrikes helped iraqi forces break the siege on the small town of amerli, about 100 miles north of baghdad. the islamic state had surrounded the town for months, leaving thousands stranded. >> this had become an 80 day siege. they were sounded by islamic state fighters without foot. many died of starvation.

>> u.s. planes along with the french and australians are dropping humanitarian aid to the community. in washington, the situation with islamic state fighters in syria is taking center stage. republicans have been slamming the president ever since he said. >> we don't have a strategy yet. >> now a high-ranking member of his own party is speaking out. >> it's very, very serious, and we have to have a strategy to deal with it in syria, and in iraq in this new caliphate and to prevent that caliphate from expanding. >> many foreign fighters have joined the islamic state in syria, including 100 americans. lawmakers worry these fighters could return to the u.s. >> we have to defight isis, not contain, not stop, but defeat isis, because they are a direct threat over time to the united states of america. >> the president indicated that his approach is to go slow, while the pentagon works on a plan. his critics urge him to consider military action.

>> the president wants to tell you what he won't do, he is having a hard time putting the coalition together for what they will do. you are not going to humanitarian aid isis out of iraq and syria. it's going to take more than that. >> europeans are looking at a variety of answers for possible solutions, efforts to deal with this new threat. not just military efforts, but they are saying here in europe that they're deeply concerned, because it's just so close. >> phil, we're hearing that germany is getting ready to provide military assistance in iraq, as well. what is the german government doing? >> well, dell, we are hope to go hear from chancellor angela merkel eminently, she may be speaking now addressing the german parliament explaining why they took the decision to send some $100 million worth of combat gear to kurdish militias, this peshmerga in the region.

that will provide 4,000 fighters. they will be sending anti tank weapons and sophisticated rifles and grenade to say help support. there's very little appetite for direct european military action in the region. >> on friday, the u.k. raising its threat level to severe where you are in london. what can we expect when those new security measures are announced there? >> they did raise the security threat on friday. that is before parliament came back to work after their summer break. this is their first day. it is expected prime minister cameron will explain the british government's reaction to the islamic state. we expect that in four hours' time. it is expected that one possible action will be taking passports from those british nationals who go to the region to fight. >> phil ittner, live in london this morning, phil, thank you very much. >> iraqi forces suffered a major blow sunday after a deadly

suicide bombing. the driver rammed into a check point inry maddy. 37 people were killed, including 22 security personnel. it is 70 miles west of baghdad and that's where we are joined live. thank you for being with us. tell us more about the fight in the north. the military is making gains? >> it is, absolutely. these are very rare gains by an iraqi military that essentially melted away when mosul and other parts of the north fell to the islamic state fighters. they've managed to break the seeming of amerli where towns people held or islamic state group fighters for almost three months now. then they moved on to another islamic state group strong hold, but that fight isn't over. they are dismantling explosives, clearing towns and officials expect that to take another two to three days before those forces move on. >> it involves a coalition of

the u.s., iraqi and other forces. how is the international community helping in the fight? >> well, they're as we heard sending weapons in, particularly weapons that iraqi forces and particularly curtish forces don't have. they're ill equipped to deal with the islamic state group. we keep seeing releases from the u.s. central command saying it has destroyed two tanks and thee humvees in the latest airstrikes. a lot of that armored equipment is u.s. that was seized by islamic state fighters. that's been a problem, since they are much better equipped. the main thing for the united states is this is now a multi-national effort. the french, british, australians, canadian and a growing list of countries are onboard, which certainly reduces the political risk for the u.s., as well as other things. >> live in baghdad, thank you. >> a libyan militia group has

taken control of a deserted u.s. compound in tripoli. the state department insists the embassy in secure. the american staff moved out weeks ago because of the escalating violence. >> these are libyan militia members who have taken over a u.s. embassy residential compound vacant since july when all embassy staff were pulled out of the country due to security concerns. it's been in control of the compound for more than a week. >> we found it an important place. when we were chasing them, there were small fires and damage. some of our fighters secured this place and we preserved it at much as we could. >> the united nations is warning of a full blown civil war in libya where more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence. >> weapons inflamed by

airstrikes continued almost uninterrupted in tripoli, benghazi and other parts of the country. in tripoli, we have seen an unprecedented movement of population, an attempt to escape the fighting. >> the dawn of libya operation group has some public back. friday, thousands of supporters took to the streets of capitol. these pictures also tell the story of the increasingly complicated politics. libya has two warring parliaments, but no government. the elected parliament convenes over .500 miles from the capitol because of security concerns, the previous hanging on in tripoli, electing a new prime minister and charging him with the creation of a so-called salvation government. the prime in tripoli is supported by these fighters and has asked diplomats to return. easy promised to provide security, but so far, there have been no takers. >> this latest breach coming two years after ambassador chris

stevens and three other americans were killed in that attack on the consulate in benghazi, libya. >> the latest talks on the crisis in ukraine taking place today. russian foreign minister is calling on both sides to seek an immediate ceasefire. hes ukrainian troops must retreat before any peaceful deal can be reached. >> russia will do everything that depends on us to help move towards a political peaceful resolution in ukraine that takes into account the interests of all regions and political powers without exceptions. >> a second convoy of russian aid trucks are preparing to drive to donetsk seven kiev won't let the convoy cross the border unless the goods are checked by the red cross. >> >> israel has seized land in the west bank. >> it is the largest land group in 30 jurors. how are sufficient officials reacting?

>> the united states urges israel to stop building those settlements, washington says it's counter productive and could derail the struggling peace process. israel argues it's not building new settlements, only add to go existing once. the land includes a palestinian settlement near bethlehem. >> the expansion of settlement by the israel government is significant. we don't remember such a big announcements in the last one or two decades, this is a stab in the back of the people and the palestinian authority. >> the settlements are built on palestinian land and are illegal under international law. tensions are already high in the region between palestinians and israelis and many concerned this could make things much worse. the gaza war truce was only agreed upon six days ago. the settlement move will hurt moderate palestinians politically.

>> instead of strengthening the palestinian authority as well as showing its other side -- expanding activity and destroying chance for renegotiation with the palestinian authority. >> the government may be expanding the settlement as a response to the kidnapping of three teenagers that sparked the conflict. diplomatic action is called for against israel. >> i just knew right away the way that it sounded that it had gone down. >> it was really low and it just went -- it started sputtering, and then no sound. >> witnesses are describing a small plane crash that killed five. it happened sunday not far frommer re, colorado airport.

ntsb investigators are trying to figure out what caused the crash. it's unclear if that plane was taking off or landing when it went down. >> flights are back at kansas city after a bomb threat there. authorities say it was a hoax. a man said he put a bomb inside the parking lot of terminal b. he's now in custody. travelers were evacuated for two hours. one flight was can cred, several others delayed. >> a new york woman is accused of killing her disabled daughter. she could stand to inherit her child's trust fund even if she's found guilty. nicole and her husband are charged with next homicide and child endangerment. the money is $1 million and winnings from a lawsuit after birth complications. the money doesn't kick in unless the perpetrator is convicted of intentional murder. >> panic after a new york city beach after lightning strikes two people.

all of said to be recovering. the storm shut down the electric zoo music festival, as well. >> new york wasn't the only city hit hard by a rash of wild weather. >> our meteorologist has been tracking all the storms that ripped through this region, as well as others. >> a lot of people dealing with this severe weather this long weekend. there was more to come today. that's the one thing we are keeping a close eye on. there is a risk for more severe storms. had severe weather there yesterday and this is what it looked like, coming through parts of iowa, bright lights in the sky there, a bright show with strong storms. they had wind damage and hail. the reports coming in yesterday, likely we'll see that again today as this area of severe weather moves through. that was a light show yesterday. it's pushing through parts of the midwest through the great lakes and really around ohio and illinois, indiana, that could be the place for the active weather today, along with parts of the southeast, because the heat and

humidity is there. it's all with this storm, pushing this front through. this is the focus for the severe weather that will slide east. behind it, it is cooler and drier, ahead of it, muggy. this is the entire east up to new england. feeling like summer for the first day of september. we are not quite done yet. >> thank you very much. >> the first openly gay player in the nfl may be seeing the end of his pro career. michael sam cleared waivers sunday after the rams cut him. no team signed him yet. four months ago, he went public with his solve a orientation and drafted in the last round of the nfl draft. coming up, we'll talk about his future with a sports agent. we'll talk about the nfl's new domestic abuse policy after the first player to face it, ray mcdonald, just arrested over the weekend. >> deposition exhibit denied in china. the controversial decision that

sparked outrage in hong kong. why activists are threatening to bring the bustling metropolis to a standstill. >> water logged, fallout from four inches of rain in less than 24 hours. >> the japanese government warning of a shortage of toilet paper. why residents are being told stock up. >> fire down below, just one of the videos captured by hour citizen journalists around the globe.

sweater, extra sweater oh and this is the xfinity tv go app. he can watch live tv from over 50 channels and xfinity on demand movies and shows wherever he wants. have fun, make some friends. alright? did i mention his neck pillow? (blowing) ♪ sweater, extra sweater oh and this is the xfinity tv go app. he can watch live tv from over 50 channels and xfinity on demand movies and shows wherever he wants. have fun, make some friends. alright? did i mention his neck pillow?

(blowing) ♪ >> earth, wind and fire captured by our citizen journalists around the world. it sparked activity at a nearby volcano. >> there was this wild washout in new york city, a storm system bringing an end to the electric zoo music festival there. it was canceled last year after two people overdosed on drugs.

>> from china. these pictures of protestors in beijing scuffling with police as a leading chinese official was set to discuss the controversial ruling on elections in hong kong. voters were promised a democratic pros when the island was handed over to china because in 1997. the rule means only candidates hand picked by beijing can run. >> pro democracy activists taking to the street, crowds disrupting a meeting of parliament and police responding with pepper spray, protestors say they have no plans of backing down. >> the chinese official came to hong kong to explain what the new reforms will mean to the city. the pro democracy groups wanted him to listen to why they were rejecting him, a move that earned them rejection from the venue. it is a taste of the direct

action which is to come. >> we will do it in a peaceful and orderly way, and do it with dignity and determination. >> outside, the shouts from the pro democracy protestors were often drowned out by a larger counter demonstration of pro beijing supporters. >> what they want is a kind of democracy we just can't have. these people are just scum and running dogs. >> others were distinctly camera shy. even scuffling with news media as they left and seemed to be organized. many reversed to say if they were from hong kong or mainland china or say anything at all. >> do you know why you are here today? >> what is clear is they are out in numbers. >> with both sides so deeply entrenched, hong kong is in for an autumn of discontent.

demonstrations will be matched protest for protest by groups loyal to beijing. >> activists say they were promised autonomy and threaten to shut the city down if the government doesn't relent. >> police in spain arrested a couple after they removed their very sick child from a u.k. hospital against doctors' orders. >> that young boy suffers brian cancer. the parents want what is best for their son. we have the very latest. >> the father of the boy put a video on you tube, saying authorities have it all wrong. the dad says he wants a different type of tumor treatment for his son. that's why he took him out of the hospital to another country. >> making no apologies. >> i would much sooner be standing here facing criticism for being proactive than for doing nothing and then

potentially having to explain why a child lost his life. >> a search for a young boy with brain cancer taken from a u.s. hospital against doctor's advice. the 5-year-old and his parents were found here as a hostel in spain after staff tipped off the authorities. >> i saw the news and the reason why they were looking for them. the urgency because of the health of the child, so as soon as i saw them, i called my boss and we got in touch with the police. >> the child was transferred to a local hospital, his parents taken away in handcuffs. it all began when brett king and his wife pulled their son, who has a severe brain tumor out of the south hampton hospital. in this video posted on you tube, king defended his actions. >> we wanted our son to have proton beam treatments, which they don't do in h.s., they're building a unit in manchester, but they aren't going to be

ready for a couple of years. we wanted to see if we could go to america, switzerland or another country to get proton beam. >> they have not been charged. they are waiting to be extradited back to the u.k. >> here's an important wrinkle. the parents are both jehovah's witnesses and some fear they were refusing medical treatment based on religious beliefs. >> torrential rains and flooding stranding drivers in sweden, getting four inches of rain in 24 hours. flooding blocked underpasses and major highways. hundred ofs of homes were left without electricity. >> in the midwest, they are saying that looks like here, the midwest dealing with a lot of flooding on its own. >> not just sweden or the midwest, but other parts of the midwest dealing with flooding. we have more of the weather. >> we are looking at a lot of severe weather across the

country and it is with this front that is approaching no the northwest to the southeast. out ahead, you have the heat and humidity building up, the front comes through triggering these thunderstorms. that's what we had happening yesterday, damage coming in, videos from around the areas in iowa showing wind damage and hail reports, so a lot of damage came through as these storms rolled through. that is the big problem, because that will continue again today. here's an impressive line have thunderstorms, the green tint indicates hail. you often see that with thunderstorms. there's wind damage, reports coming in from that area, wimp would now be shifted to the east today. a risk for severe storms is issued there for parts of the midwest. just ahead of this front, now the heat and humidity have been building up and that's what's fueling those thunderstorms. much of the southeast dealing with the who is in the mid 90's with very high humidity. you can see the heat here, just ahead of it, cooler and drier air comes in.

we will see relief from the heat when these storms clear out. >> dave warren, thanks. we'll need a bigger boat if these storms continue. >> uber offered helicopter rides from l.a. to malibu. travelers indulged in wine, cheese and a safari tour and scenic views of the city. the cost, $1,500. >> the japanese government warning of a possible toilet paper shortage and urges citizens to stock up. officials say more than 40% of japan's supply comes from part of the country at high risk for earth quakes. they say if a big one strikes, the country could face a shortage for more than a month. japan marks its annual disaster prevention day. >> nothing sparks a shortage like a warning for a shortage. >> labor day means barbeques and back to school. >> for politicians, the start of

a three month battle for their jobs, the power struggle taking place in congress and what's at stake in the mid terms. >> texas governor rick perry forced to retract a tweet. the photo he blames on a rogue twitter user. >> it's a labor day tradition, this year getting a make over. why the end of an era for a major telethon could be the signal of a new beginning for fundraising from coast-to-coast. >> a look now at our images of the day, a new record set over the weekend in spain, 352 kite surfers became the largest group ever to sale together at one time, breaking the previous world record. what happened at the annual international pro kite tour competition. competition.

>> al jazeera america presents a self portrait of generation now... >> so many of my friends is pregnant... >> i feel so utterly alone... >> you need to get your life together >> i'm gonna do whatever needs to be done... >> ya boy is working on becoming a millionaire... >> an intimate look at what our kids are facing in school and beyond 15 stories, 1 incredible journey >> in this envelope is my life right now... >> edge of eighteen only on al jazeera america

>> this is spartansburg, south carolina. it is a beautiful morning there on this labor day weekend wimp is coming to a close for the people down there. >> straight ahead, a flood of migrants pouring into europe from north africa. why they're making the deadly journey. >> mascot mayhem, a school forced to change its image and the new character that looks an awful lot like the old one. >> first a look at our top stories this morning. a blockade is over in a northern iraqi town. u.s. airstrikes helped forces free amerli from the islamic state group. many residents in the town died of starvation. >> new questions about u.s. security in libya after this video showed a u.s. residential compound. they are seen celebrating and

jumping into a pool. >> russian and ukrainian officials are meeting today for negotiation to say end fighting in ukraine. russia's foreign minister said ukrainian forces need to retreat. kiev is rejecting that. this comes as russia prepares to send a second convoy of aid to rebel-held donetsk. >> labor day weekend marks the traditional start of the fall campaign mistaken. we are taking a closer look at the mid term elections. let's start with the is that the. republicans need six seats to take control. if they do, the president would face a unified congress and get chance of getting anything done in its final two years in office. there are 36 senate offices in 32 states this year. some of the key races include kentucky, georgia, arkansas, north carolina and louisiana that bat parties claim are

crucial to their chances. we look at some of the big issues. >> nearly a year ago after the october 2013 shutdown, the republican party brand was in trouble. this summer, the tide has been turning and now in an effort to regain control of the senate, the republican national committee announced late this week it would throw an additional $8 million into hotly contested senate races. this is on top of hundreds of millions of dollars already pouring in from conservative groups including one funded by the billionaire koch brothers. >> i grew up kass straighting hogs on an iowa form. when i get to washington, i'll know how to cut pork. >> one of the surprises is now ahead of a democratic his party has been counting on. >> in louisiana, bill cassidy is

looking to run. a senator owns a what million dollars house in washington. in order to satisfactory louisiana residency requirements, she lists a home her parents have been living in. >> in arkansas, incumbent democratic senator mark prior appears to be slipping in reelection efforts for mark cotton. >> senator prior, tell him to stop parodying obama. >> poles show mr. obama's approval rating at 42%. in north carolina, democratic incumbent senator is in the race of her life, dead even against republican challenger, speaker of the north carolina house. spending in this race thanks largely to outside groups is on track to reach $100 million and that would be a senate record. >> there's nothing moderate

about hagan's spending priorities. she's voted for trillions in wasteful spending and debt. >> both parties believe any coming white house action on immigration reform could dominate the fall campaigns. the president threatened to use executive authority to grant work permits to millions of illegal immigrants in the united states for more than a decade. >> it continues to be my belief if i can't see congressional action, that i need to do at least what i can in order to make the system work better. >> rupp lawmakers may respond by not approving government funding bills, which would cause another government shutdown. this one only weeks before voters go to the polls. another issue looming over the mid terms is the debate over obamacare. three of the five states where republicans leading democratic incumbents have reversed to launch medicare expansion. the white house said that refusal to participate has left

an estimated 41,400 people uninsured. recent poms suggest obamacare is generally more unpopular than ever. >> a professor of campaign management at new york university joins us. president obama promised that he would move on immigration reform by summer's end, but now we're getting signals from the white house that he may wait. how much is he thinking about mid term elections? >> that is the number one thing on his mind. he's got a huge problem on his hands. if he acts before the mid term, many democrats, incumbents who are running in tougher southern states feel that's going to hurt them. it's going to energy the republican base to vote and they could lose the senate or certainly their seats because of it. he absolutely has that to contend with. he has the promise that he made in june, and there are real

human beings on the end of this, 12 million undocumented workers. if he waits until november, 69,000 people will likely be deported. it is a tough call for him to make. it looks now like he may delay or he can choose a middle ground and take a small step before the election and move toward a larger immigration reform via executive action post election. it is not an easy position for him to be in. >> meetings at the white house, they are saying they want changes now regardless of the mid terms. what will be the fallout among the president's supporters if he doesn't act soon? >> there is going to be fallout. he's trying to talk to advocates and saying it is more important that we try to maintain the majority in the senate. they agree. they want democratic to say maintain the majority in the senate, but this is an issue they care deeply about. he's got to really weigh these two things. long term, will it hurt him? probably not, because he'll

definitely ask by december or early next year if he doesn't act by the mid term. long material, it won't hurt him. these are constituents who really supported president obama based on this promise. the thing that i just keep going back to is why he made the promise in june. he knew the political reality of this and i this i that was a big mistake on the part of the white house. >> if you're an advisor to the president, what are you weighing right now and why did he make that pledge? >> the pledge i cannot explain. easy had a habit of this where he makes a promise and then backs off from it. at this point, he's got to explain his decision honestly if he decides to a delay. otherwise, we'll see him take a middle road, talk about limited actions, limited executive action on immigration reform before the election and then post he'll do a broader sweep. you know, the promise itself is very, very troubling. he knew the political receipts going into the mid term, very tough to do immigration reform

even ve. >> executive action before the mid term and to promise that at the expense of the democrats out there, it's really hard to understand why he would have done that. >> going halfway could in flame people's passions. >> you don't want to get those republicans out there to vote more than they're already going to get out there. you look at polls and republicans are very energized on this issue, even more so in these polls than people on the other side. that's a real concern for democrats. >> thank you so much. >> while we're on the subject of politics, another ooms for rick perry. someone sent out this joke from the official twitter account, mocking the attorney who led to his recent indictment. >> the memo put the face on ads for beer. moments later, it was deleted. perry then post add tweet that went out:

>> etirement for a suspended st. louis police officer. dan page, a 35 year veteran of the department is accused of making comments about the president, the supreme court and others. he was suspended last week and expected to receive full benefits. >> in islamabad, new violent clashes there this morning, protestors tried to reach the prime minister's residence. they want him to resign. state television saying the building was attacked and knocked off the air for a while. more than 500 people have been hurt and three killed over the last two days. >> italy is battling an in flux of migrants coming from north africa. thousands of people are crossing the mediterranean. yesterday, a boat carrying at least 100 migrants capsized before they could finish the dangerous route. officials in sicily remain on

high alert. >> they were rescued about 220 kilometers southeast of sicily. some too frail to take their first steps on to italian soil, others traumatized. about 250 asylum seekers who sailed from the coast of egypt were rescued before being hand understand over to italian coastal guards. the vessel carrying them was on the verge of sinking. >> they calm it the migration of death. the smuggler treats us badly. the trip took 13 days instead of five. they won't move until the boat is full. we didn't have food. we were given a few sips of dirty water in the morning and that's it. >> each paid an average of $2,500 for the trip. some got a cheaper raid but had to sit below deck in the hold near the engines with no ventilation. italian authorities say many die on such journeys, asphyxiated by

the fumes. >> these are fishing boats, designed for at most 20 people. imagine the dangers with hundreds of migrants stacked onboard for several days, stills in rough seas. in fact, this one sap sized, 50 drowned and some bodies were never found. >> the boats are rusty with poor engines. often they don't have a navigation system or safety vests. italian police detained the crew after asking the migrants to identify them. they face 10 years in prison. >> they're all young, 18-25 years old, seven in total, one was organizing the passengers, one at the engines, one was the captain. each had a specific role. >> the punishment is not enough for what he calls human smugglers. he says he still has to come to terms with what he went through. >> they have no principles, no problem throwing us off board.

it's all about dollars. it's a very strange feeling. at sea, you are between the walls of death. when you touch land, you feel that you have returned to life. >> united nations agency for refugees says that so far this year, more than 2,000 people have been lost at sea. since italy began a search and rescue operation, many lives have been saved, but every day, thousands more set off from north africa on the same trip with dreams of a better life, taking the same risks, a journey might end up at the bottom of the mediterranean sea. >> we are live on the island of sicily. despite the dangers, people keep making this journey. why is that? >> simply because they don't have any other choice. people are fleeing war and poverty. some told us with he went to several embassies to try to get a visa and fly over.

they were not granted visas, so their only hope is to really brave that mediterranean sea, hope for the best and arrive here, because a lot of them have a chance to then being granted the status of asylum, so they are waiting for that here now. >> oftentimes the boat are heading to italy. how is italy handling the crisis? >> they are overwhelmed. i mean, just later today on mainland italy, there's another arrival of more than 1,000 migrants. tomorrow morning, there's another 300 that are arriving here in sicily. the problem is not the issue of rescuing them at sea, the problem is what you do with them once they arrive on land. there are no more holding centers, reception areas for these people, and then there's also the cost have it. so far, italy pays about $12 million a month for this operation, and cannot handle it

alone anymore. >> will other countries stepping in to help with this influx? are they helping italy? >> italy has been saying for a while this is a european issue and not its own. finally, its words were heeded by the european community. they are setting up something basically, the european countries dealing with the issue. several countries will offer ships, some planes and share the financial burden that has been so costly for italy so far. that should start in november. >> live in sicily, thank you. >> a labor day tradition very different this year. the muscular dystrophy association taking to the air for donations, but it wasn't the same.

>> not so long ago, it was a tradition that marked the end of summer for millions of americans. the muscular dystrophy associations labor day weekend telethon, hosted by jerry lewis. in the 1970's, it ran for more than 21 hours, often on several channels at once and reached 85 million viewers. the extraordinary efforts of its host on year for nearly the entire show and celebrity guests played a huge part in its success. >> there's almost that kind of prereality t.v. voyeur look to it of how long are they going to make it and are they just going to collapse, because this has been going on continuously for so many hours. >> part of the power of the telethon was that viewers could see the tote board's tally and the impact their donations were having. charity fundraising has changed, but most of the psychology

remains the same. >> there's something that gives validity to people, they feel part of something biller than themselves. >> according to the national center for cartable statistics, there are more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations registered in america. individuals donate more than $220 billion annually. celebrities still play a big part, but today, it is only one off events like the fundraising spectacular for the vicks of 9/11, thation tsunami or haitian earthquake that command attention. most fundraising remains labor intensive, dependent on mail order campaigns and sponsor ships. >> the face-to-face asking and asking people for significant gifts is something that still makes people uncomfortable but is still the most effect geneva donors pledged an amount and mailed in a check. that doesn't always happen. charities had to account the

attrition rate. it is easier to collect money for pledges but more and more worthy causing are competing for charitable donations. still, this labor day weekend, the m.d.a. will be on t.v. asking for support the way it has every year for nearly half a century. >> last night's broadcast, just two hours, but they did manage to raise more than $52 million for the muscular dystrophy association he. >> the nfl overhauled its policy for domestic abuse. >> at the venice film festival, there is a very public fight here this year over what it is that makes film israeli or

palestinian.

>> a warm welcome for former nascar champion tony stewart sunday. it was his first nascar race since he struck and killed kearn ward, jr. last month. he hit the wall twice in atlanta and finished 42nd. >> the nfl's new policy on domestic violence is about to be tested after the arrest of ray mcdonald, accused of getting into an argument with his pregnant fiancee. he insists the truth will come out. >> i can't say too much right now, but the truth will come out. >> he was reds on $25,000 bail. the san francisco 49er's say they were aware of his arrest and take matters like that

seriously. a professor of sports business in new york university joins us. let's talk about it. just last week, the nfl adopting a new policy on domestic violence. a first offense now comes with a six game suspensions, banned for life on a second offense, but can appeal after a year. the new rules apply to all nfl employees, not just the players. you maintain in his case, he could see more than a six month or rather six game suspension. >> he could. one of the exacerbating factors the commissioner wrote about is that he would take more harshly actions against pregnant women or others. >> it's believed that his fiancee -- >> is pregnant. >> will the league wait until the investigation is over or will they act quickly? >> that's the key question. i think the commissioner has to get into the facts of this and find out exactly how bad this appears to be. if there is a real situation

where there has been serious violence, he can suspend kind of proactively, saying he's a danger to the team and the employment community. otherwise, if he chooses to wait, that would probably be the easier circumstance for everyone. >> could the league actually come under fire if it just hits him with a six game suspension? >> it could and from both sides, one that it wasn't hard enough and two that it was done before the judicial process worked through this. >> michael sam, the first openly gay nfl player drafted with the st. louis rams, they cut him. can he be picked up? >> he can be picked up today by the rams for their practice squad. that's probably the best scenario for sam. he is free to sign as a practice squad player anywhere else. >> this was a football decision, mike fit in very, very well, he was fun to be around, he was a good teammate. there was no issue there.

again, as i said earlier, i was pulling for him and it didn't work out. it just didn't work out. >> he had a pretty good preseason, managing to sack a lot of quarterbacks, so what happened. >> really, it was just a numbers game for him. the rams were already deep at defensive end where he plays and he was beaten out by a rookie free agent, westbrook in the process. an injury to the starter for the rams could bring him back to the practice squad or roster for injuries around the league. >> i want to look at whether michael sam tweeted, he said the most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy. this is a lesson i've always known, the journey continues. is he going to get picked up off waivers? >> i think he will get picked up by a team for its practice squad. he showed he belongs. it's a question right now of numbers for him.

>> a controversial high school mascot in california has been retired. it's called the arab and has been the symbol for the high school near palm springs since the 1920's. the district refused to change the nickname but is working with civil rights groups on a redesign of the logo. >> the conflict between israel and the palestinians is playing out behind the scenes at the venice film festival. one of the movies has been classified as a palestinian film, israel insists the movie is really theirs. >> what makes a movie israeli? the answer is enveloping this one. it is set in ramallah with a palestinian past about palestinian life from a palestinian director, but israel is claiming ownership. the whole thing is making people

very upset. the israeli government is furious that the director has listed this film as palestinian here. israeli gave her hundreds of thousands of dollars toward the cost of making it. the economy minister is saying it is unfair and unacceptable. the culture minister is using words like serious, cynical misrepresentation and the israeli film fund is shouting fraud. those are strong words. this is not just a battle of dialogue anymore. this is a battle that could be heading for the courts, because the israel government is very clear on this, it wants its money back. >> it's our basic rights, yeah? for me, films not belong to funds or country, it's belong to the artist. >> the movie tells the tale of three unmarried christians, lobbed away in their villa.

it talks about more than the obvious subject of occupation. it's the drama about the film, not in it that is getting most attention here in venice. >> there is nothing in my contract mention that had if i take money from israel i need to present my film as israeli film. >> you won't give that money back? >> of course not. never, ever. it's my right. i fight in my film for three things, for my own identity as palestinian, i fight for my rights as a palestinian for basic rights and a fight for the freedom of art. >> this is a conflict that has lasted many years. hers is a conflict that could last many months. this is a movie caught in a metaphorical crossfire. the fight bit is getting fiercer by the day. aljazeera, at the venice film festival.

>> the film received more than $400,000 from the israel public fund. >> let's get another check of our forecast with dave warren. >> there's a big difference in temperatures between the southeast and northwest. the front in between is the focus for severe weather. hot and very humid across the southeast, as this front moves through. we will see severe storms followed by cooler and dryer air. you might feel a change through the midwest here today as that continues to push to the southeast. 72 in chicago, memphis 76, cooler behind the front here. that will clear, move through, bringing in cooler air, areas that had the severe weather yesterday are cooler today. just south of that, we'll see the heat building, the humidity is high and can't rule out another thunderstorm. >> doesn't seem summer is over yet. thank you so much. >> if you thought drivers in your city were bad, a new report shows boston is home to the worst drivers in the u.s.

reports look at big cities ranking with car crashes. >> bostons get in accidents once every 4.4 years. >> in washington, d.c., every five years. baltimore, nearly 5.5 years. >> where can you find the safest drivers? in phoenix, drivers go 9.5 years without a crash and san diego and chicago, about eight years. >> new york came in at 155 out of 200, and 200 is the worst. houston's not much better at number 158, and things aren't looking good for your morning commute in los angeles, drivers ranking at 188. >> tomorrow morning on aljazeera america, it is the beginning of the end for a once great resort city. >> another atlantic city casino set to close its doors. three will be gone in the next two weeks. what it means for the future of gambling in the garden state and could it impact other casinos

nationwide. that's it for us here in new york. >> in two minutes, headlines --

>> welcome to the news hour. live from our global news center in doha. i'm jane dutton. these are the stories we'll be covering. militia battle for control of the country. and an investigation into treason into two anti-government protests. month protests in