>> on "america tonight": an exclusive look at a life-changing surgery. jennifer gesen spent a lifetime becoming more and more isolated. suffering an acute disorder that makes it impossible for her to give even her own mother a hug. >> she'd be crying. i'd be crying. if i touched her, she'd freak. for years. >> "america tonight" correspondent adam may on a pioneering technique bringing hope to millions suffering severe psychiatric disorders.

>> the patients that are enrolled in these studies are really the worst of the worst, so these are patients that have tried everything and have failed. >> could we be witnessing the moment that changes jennifer's life? also ahead in this hour. gettingetting grilled. hillary clinton, at the biggest event anyone who wants to be present two years from now, does she or doesn't she, by traveling to iowa over the weekend, will the state that tripped her up in 2008 lift her up in 2016? and a coastal connection. natives. >> do you think they could make a conscious choice that they know? >> they do america a consciou conscious -- they do make a conscious choice to seek out to people. >> those who want to touch them and those who want to protect them.

there's a new controversy, how much is being done to save these gentle giants. and good evening, thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. we begin with an exclusive look at a groundbreaking surgery that could one day be a game changer for millions of americans who suffer severe psychiatric illnesses. used for patients that affect motor skillets diseases like parkinson's. but moving deeply into the brain carol carefully stimulating stimulating it. could be life-altering. the mayo clinic in minnesota where "america tonight"

correspondent adam may gained access to a patient, what she was experiencing and it begins with her experiences and as it's an ordinary life. >> jennifer gesen is about to undergo a radical surgery, deep braim stimulationbrain stimulat. she hopes it will cure a mental condition that has taken control of her life. jennifer has severe obsessive compulsive disorder. it first surfaced when she was a young girl. >> i'm going to go to the zoo but nothing's going to be, i'm going to be him. >> growing up in suburban chicago jennifer says her mind was overwhelmed by numbers. she

counted unusual objects. and repeated behaviors. >> i had this thing where if i saw like a had stone in a book or passed one, i had to count them. and on a certain number and also i had to open and close things multiple times to make sure just -- to end on a good number or just until it feels right. >> by the age of 8, jennifer was in therapy and prescribed medication. but throughout her childhood the condition got worse. her ocd is now so bad, is he says it's a living -- she says it's a living nightmare. at the age of 24 she constantly thinks about death and germs. >> why are you wearing gloves? >> because i don't want to touch anything that i don't have to. and there are some things i feel are so contaminated that even if i wash my hands afterwards

that's not good enough. off. >> when you say contaminated what do you mean by that? >> there are certain things in my mind that make other things dirty like funeral homes are contaminated so if i go by a contaminated. >> do you feel that your upbringing had anything to do with your ocd? >> when i was in second grade, my mom got really sick. and she almost died. and so therapists in the past have said you know it could -- my obsession with funeral homes and stuff could have to do with her being -- her almost dying. >> this is jennifer's one safe spot per her bedroom. >> i kind of live in this room. >> she keeps her food here to avoid contamination. her laundry room is full of gloves.

>> i have to wash that one. >> she wears these gloves 24-seven. >> that's coming, that was her first friend. >> jennifer's mother julie remembers the brighter days, when her daughter would play outside with friends, unafraid of contamination. >> have fun. >> julie says she's tried everything to stop her daughter's downward spiral. >> how hard is this to see as a mom? >> oh, it's horrible. not just -- i mean her whole family is affected but to see her go throughout this, there were years when she couldn't -- i couldn't kiss her, i couldn't hug her. even now i'm lucky if i get a little kiss in here and there. but i mean she'd be crying, i'd be crying and if i touched her, she'd freak. >> a mother can't hug her own daughter. >> for years. >> we saw jennifer's ocd firsthand when she showed us

some glass art she made on a recent family vacation. >> i do like fused glass, one of the things that i like to do. and i like -- >> can i touch it? >> yeah, actually never mind, no. you can't touch it. >> okay sorry. >> that's okay. >> how tired are you with dealing with this? >> i mean it's almost like i really -- i don't really remember what happiness is like. i don't remember what it's like to be normal and do normal things. >> what do you want? like when you say normal things what do you want to be able to do? >> doing normal things are like being able to shower in your house, to not wear gloves and do 100 things that everyone else takes for granted and thinks are so easy. >> jennifer has been searching for a cure for years. her journey has now led her to the mayo clinic if rochester, minnesota. deep brain stimulation for

psychiatric disorders. >> the patients that are enrolled in these studies are really the worst of the worst so these are patients who have tried everything and have failed. >> dr. kendall lee has been performing surgery for movement disorders foryears. >> what is deep brain stimulation? >> where surgeons are able to implant electrodes into the brain and treat parkinson's disease and tourette's syndrome and or the things. >> like orchestra violinist roger fresct. >> you could only notice his trem when he played the vie --

tremor when he played his violin. >> he implanted the electrodes in his brain to be precisely on target. when the electrodes were turned on his tremor vanished and he was able to play. >> what was that like to light that up in the or? >> it was amazing. when this particular gentleman was a concert master, he had the get the music he perfect. we got that perfect note that he wanted so that was very exciting. >> that was very cool. >> really exciting, very cool. >> dr. lee will now perform a similar surgery on jennifer. he says it's her last hope for a better life. >> when we return, adam may's exclusive look at deep brain stimulation, how

it could change the thoughts moods and obsessions of someone like jennifer. >> don't do that. >> later on in the hour, stopping the i.s.i.l. fighters. the u.s. outreach in the region hits a stumbling block. can washington build a coalition that will stop i.s.i.l. or are the region's >> on tech know, fire, devastating and out of control >> what's at stake here? >> there's approximately 360 homes... >> but now experts say they can predict how a blaze might spread >> this has been in a fire, now we gotta get the data out of it >> playing with fire... >> you guys are working just to save lives... >> i hope so... >> tech know every saturday go where science meets humanity >> sharks like affection >> spot on... >> don't try this at home... >> tech know, only on al jazeera america

>> the stream >> your digital community >> you pick the hot topics and express your thoughts the stream, it's your chance to join the conversation only on al jazeera america >> now following up on the "america tonight" exclusive. before the break we brought you the story of jennifer gesen, a young woman suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. her case is considered so severe, she is considered the worst of the worst. "america tonight's" adam may takes us inside the operating room with an exclusive look of the surgery. >> it's the morning of surgery for

ocd patient jennifer gesen. >> cu describe how you feel -- cu describe hocan you describe ? >> like a person this morning, you just want to get it there right now. >> it's finally time for jennifer to head into the operating room. >> all right my dear here we go. we're going to introduce you to the surgical pool waiting for you. >> hundreds of these deep brain stimulations have been performed here at the mayo clinic, usually for persons with parkinson's or tremors. now doctors have been performing those for people with psychological disorders. jennifer is fitted with a head brace. her skull must remain completely still during the entire procedure. >> how are you

doing ? we're almost done. >> dr. lee prepares for surgery as jennifer understand goes a series of high resolution mris. these are crucial to avoid hemorrhaging. later on when dr. lee will place electrodes millimeters in diameter deep inside her brain. >> it's like gaining x ray vision. we can sort of look right through the brain and avoid where the blood vessels are. >> reporter: inside the operating room the procedure gets underway. >> we're going to hear a little bit of noise, drilling sound but this should not hurt. so this is the x ray. now we have both electrodes in. >> reporter: at jennifer's side is mayo cling psychiatrist dr. osama abosaud. he controls the electrodes on a hand held device. jennifer's emotions quickly change as the electrodes change.

she is awake and alert describing how she feels. >> it's horrible. i know i'm laughing but -- >> you feel horrible? >> yes. >> reporter: within minutes the horrible feelings go away as the doctor continues to adjust the voltage of the electrodes inside her brain. this is the result. >> i can't -- i don't know, i'm smiling. i don't know why. >> what is that like for her? to go through those highs and lows so quickly in such a manic way? >> it's dramatic. and i would assume that it's very uncomfortable to feel that you're not in control of your own mind. and someone else can take control of your mind. through a device. >> reporter: jennifer's ocd is so severe she insisted on keeping on the gloves she wears everywhere even inside the operating room. but the gloves also provide a

unique way for the doctors to measure whether the electrodes are targeting the ride areas to eliminate her ocd. >> are you able to take your glove off? >> i could take them off but i wouldn't want to touch you. >> a different contact in the brain at a different voltage and dramatically. >> if you take my gloves i would start crying. don't do that. >> you wouldn't expect someone to turn off a switch saying, i don't have ocd, i'm cure. a little bit different, therapy comes, until you feel ok, now function. >> the highs and lows are emotional for jennifer. but minutes later -- >> this feels bad? how does it feel bad? >> it makes me very depressed.

i want to crawl up in a ball and die. >> is there an unlimited realm as to what we can be looking at? >> i think what this means is dbs is modifying the brain circuitry. any function the rain does we have the opportunity to potentially modify that function to improve human health. >> reporter: so with the electrodes emplanted, the surgery moves into its next phase. jennifer will be sedated. and a battery pack will be implanted into her chest and then she's off to the recovery room. >> jennifer, hi, good morning. >> reporter: the morning after surgery and jennifer is doing quite well. doctors have now closed the two holes in her skull and the electrodes are permanently implanted inside her brain. they're connected via wires to a battery. but for now, the device has been switched off. jennifer is part of a clinical trial. half the ocd patients in the

trial will have the devices eventually turned on. while the other half will receive what doctors call placebos. >> what do you remember of the surgery? >> all of it. >> you remember all of it? tell me about the laughing and i.t? >> i don't know. it was like all of a sudden i couldn't help it. my mind was thinking of something that i didn't have any idea. >> you were changing the buttons and moving her mind. >> yes. while that's a very powerful tool and it makes you feel very worried, it makes you wonder, where is the science going to take us? >> what does it feel like when your emotions were on a high during that? >> well, i didn't want them to adjust it after that. i'm like if i'm -- i don't want that to go away. it made it harder when it got bad because i just had such a positive experience. that it was really difficult to

accept that now it was not just normal but worse than normal. so -- >> reporter: doctors here say about two-thirds of ocd patients who are enrolled in these clinical studies have seen their ocd symptoms reduced by half. dr. lee is excited about the possibility of using deep brain stimulation for a host ever psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia, even addiction. why are you so excited about this? >> i'm excited because this changes lives. if you look at jennifer this is a very, very difficult situation. not only for her but for her family as well. and so to be able to modify that, and give her hope, real hope, this is amazing and it is very exciting. >> reporter: jennifer says she doesn't remember the last time she felt as happy as she did inside the operating room. >> it's been a long time since i've felt like there was hope and that there was a chance that

i could, you know, push the ocd away and do the things i want to do life. >> reporter: when jennifer goes back to the mayo clinic doctors could switch her device back on. until then it's a waiting game to find out if and whether her surgery was a success. >> "america tonight's" adam may now follows up on his study. he joins us from atlanta and adam we are all looking at this as such a remarkable surgery. we'd like to know what's going on with jennifer. judge jennifer is doing well recovering from -- her surgery. she is very, very excited to get this device turned open. unfortunately she won't know exactly when that's going to happen. she does have a follow-up appointment at the mayo clinic in a couple of days. it's possible they can turn on the device then or it's possible

she'll be part of the placebo group. jennifer said she had never felt that happy at least in recent memory. she could not remember the emotional changes she went through just feeling so uplifted. her ocd joie is so severe it's triggering some pretty serious depression. >> there's been weeks since the surgery took place. is there a sense her daily life is significantly changed, marginally changed or is it going to take a longer time for this treatment? >> we don't know, it is not turned on. after the trials are over a few months down the road from that even if she is part of the placebo group then her device will be turned on for sure at that time after those trials are done and she's very anxious to find out what the results will be. >> when you listen to the doctors talking about the procedure, you're not in control of your own mind.

it must be a very disturbing feeling. >> jennifer said that it was quite strange but she was also oddly comfortable with it. dr. abelsad, he raised a really interesting point. we don't know where the science is going to take us. i thought it very interesting when they were talking about the mris of her brain sitting there with the doctors. they didn't know exactly what partly of the brain ha they were trying to hit or how this works yet. they are still learning as they go look. >> that raises some ethical questions doesn't it adam? >> yes both dr. lee and dr. abelsad said this raises ethical questions. you needs to make sure this is done in an appropriate manner. if this is in the wrong hands, you do have someone holding a device able to manipulate someone's emotions. >> it is quite remarkable and we're going to follow up on that story and hope to hear from her

again by the end of the year, adam, right? >> yes, we'll keep in touch with jennifer and she's very excited to share the rest of her story with the viewers. >> adam may, thank you so much. a look at washington's bid to build a coalition against the i.s.i.l. fighters. later here, feeling heat will she or won't she be a presidential contender. hillary clinton makes a prime campaign stop but reminds iowa she's not a candidate, yet. get the back story from an iowa insider, when we rush. >> a new episode of the ground breaking series, edge of eighteen growing up fast... >> my quest is to find me, and me is not here... >> fighting for a better future >> if you gonna go to college, you gonna end up dead on the streets... >> life changing moments >> i had never been bullied,

everyone hates me... >> from oscar winning director, alex gibney, a hard hitting look at the real issues facing american teens. the incredible journey continues... on the edge of eighteen only on all jazeera america

>> now a snapshot of stories making head lines on "america

tonight." embattled running back from the baltimore ravens, ray rice, the nfl and the baltimore ravens deny seeing video of the incident until last monday. in baja mexico the cleanup is underway in cabo san lucas. roared in after hurricane odile. 110 mile-an-hour winds. the storm has weakened, the southeastern part of the united states is expected to see flash flooding tomorrow. nearly 50 years after their acts of valor, vietnam war veterans were honored at the white house today. president obama presented the medal of honor to bennie adkins and donald

sloat, sloat was killed in action while shielding shielding soldiers from an exploding grenade in 1970. the islamic state of iraq and the levant. as 30 nations pledged the paris to take any means necessary in the battle to destroy i.s.i.l. the sunni militant group has taken over large parts of northern iraq and syria. the coalition is now considered to be coming together but there are some key omissions and questions about who should carry out most of the burden . another grim message from i.s.i.l. to the west delivered again with an innocent victim. this time a 44-year-old father, david haines. delivered by the executioner with the british accent. the murders of who american journalists.

the outrage this time game from the british prime minister david cameron battling back if social media with the promise that britain would hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes. under pressure to take a stronger hand after the death of a briton, air strikes against i.s.i.l. fighters. >> we haven't made a decision yet about how we will best contribute to the coalition effort against i.s.i.l. but i have said this morning in the meeting that britain is clear that it will play a leading role in this coalition. >> while the white house insists it's drawing together a stronger and broader team to fight against i.s.i.l. >> there is a clear coalition -- indication that this coalition is growing nicely. >> to target i.s.i.l. with wider air strikes.

>> we have countries in this region countries generosity of this region i in addition to the united states, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance in actual strikes if that is what it requires. >> more and more there is evidence the united states sees this as a far reaching threat. with the obama administration launching a new program aimed at keeping americans from being tempted to join up with i.s.i.l. >> these programs will bring together community representatives, public safety officials, religious leaders and the united states attorneys, to improve local engagement. to counter a violent extremism and ultimately to build a broad network of community safe. >> aal jazeera's deployment editor james bays joins us from the united nations. james, we spend time to focus on the united states question and the coalition together, but the action shifts to you at the

united nations. >> absolutely. i think when you look at the coalition you need to look at it very closely because yes there is a very broad coalition of countries that say that they are opposed to i.s.i.l. but then you look how many are actually prepared to join the u.s. with military action that's a small number. as you say in the coming days they're going to try take it down the u.n. track. we're going to have a number of important meetings taking place at the united nations. on friday john kerry secretary of state will actually preside over the u.n. security council. and an important player in all this iran will be here at the united nations, and the nuclear talks are taking place in the new york. but they're going to be talking about the threat from i.s.i.l. too. countries that don't normally talk about foreign policy issues much like united states and iran will be talking at that time about i.s.i.l. and then next week is when all world leaders

gather in new york for u.n. general assembly, another meeting of the u.n. security council this time presided by president obama. and that will focus on one part of the problem, the problem of foreign fighters and trying to persuade all the countries of the world the put in legislation to make it illegal for fighters to fight for iraq and syria. >> we've talked quite pooh bit about the unlikely alliances that are being formed here. it's not one for all and all for one in all areas. >> no absolutely, there are other key countries in this that have concerns. you had a meeting taking place in paris, the french were involved in getting countries to talk about i.s.i.l. go back ten days and say what francois hollande said, he said we support the effort to destroy i.s.i.l. but everything must be done with international --

within international law. some echoes perhaps ithink of what the u.s. did -- i think of what the u.s. did in 2003 when of course france and the u.s. argument. >> al jazeera's dploiments editor james -- diplomatic editor james bays, we thank you for being with us. monsoons are certainly not uncommon but this year year's uncharacteristic rains, in india and kashmir. hundreds of people are still stranded. armies on both sides are ramping up relief efforts but locals say the help is too little, too late. >> reporter: just a few weeks ago this was the kashmir valley, some call it paradise on earth but now some are calling it hell.

massive flooding has left most of the biggest city, srina gar, submerged under water. homes and buildings have collapsed nearly 500 people have died in the region. we spoke to one survivor who said she and her family were trapped in their home for four days before help arrived. >> people believe they were not given enough warning, that they are not being helped out. that they're not getting the relief and the rescue that they deserve and that they need to survive. >> reporter: the tragedy has been compounded by kashmir's vulnerable geopolitical position. with a state of 1 million people, the state has been a long disputed territory between india and pakistan. tension surrounding indian rule in pakistan, has simmered for

many dates. many say these have hin terred hindered relief efforts. >> they are sending money to england so that the relief can be produced here and then. >> the two nation's armies that have been fighting a low level on and off war against each other for decades are now fighting the disaster. the efforts have led to the rescue of more than 270,000 people so far. >> translator: i had gone there for some work. floodwater had reached up to the second floor. we were sitting on the roof. a helicopter air lifted us and brought us here. we got food and water. everything has submerged. only water is visible. nothing else. the army, they helped us a lot. we got food and water in time. >> reporter: but many locals are angry how long it took for relief effort to get underway. >> i'm just 18 and i'm very proud to say i have been

rescuing a 40-year-old guy and a pregnant woman from the houses, for the past few days. no rescue have come out from the india indian government. >> they just save their own these army. >> the full extent of the damage is still unknown. said tabir says more help is needed. >> life has stopped here. people have absolutely nothing to live for. they have lost everything that belongs to them. we need to start from the very basic things and then keep rebuilding these things. >> sarah hoye al jazeera. >> joining us with a personal view of this tragedy is dr. faisil said. he helped rescue dozens of people. just back in the states. doctor you had gone back to your home country to attend a happy event, a wedding but you became

caught up in all this. cu talk about the magnitude of rains -- can you talk about the magnitude of rains and flooding? >> yes, i had gone to attend a wedding but unfortunately i was caught up in this huge tragedy that took place in the valley. the people of kashmir and the valley have never seen anything like this. and of this extent, ever. the last i think the last recorded flooding was more than 100 years ago of this magnitude. and i don't think the destruction was as extensive as it is now. the whole topography -- >> dr. said we have a number of pictures of this area and i understand that you were actually close to some of these areas around the bridge and the stadium. cu tal can you talk about the pictures here?

>> the flood was like flash flooding. there was no prior warning given to the locals so they could evacuate or go to safer ground. and as you know some of the people living in these areas tell us, that the water rose to about 15 to 20 feet, in just 15 to 20 minutes. so it was just like a flood of water that came in. and they really had no chance and no time to get evacuated. and i don't think the administration did a good job in warning the people to go to safer places. >> now i understand that you tried to call for help but when you couldn't get it you actually had to come up with your own device to help people to rescue people there. what did you do? >> yes. unfortunately there was just one army board that was catering for the whole area of

jawardnagar and jarawajab. to help the people stranded on the third floor of this house they were not able to go there and they were busy taking care of other people. so out of desperation we had to make this makeshift raft which comprised of two barrels which was joined together by some fencing, the wooden fencing planks. and it was just unimaginable. you know, and very dangerous i think. >> and remarkable -- >> if somebody would have fallen in there. >> we are glad you could have saved so many people. dr. faisil said. thank you very much. we understand there are still thousands of people who are trapped and we'll continue to watch over the story. thanks so much. and in drought stricken california wildfire season is in

full swing, more than 6,000 firefighters are battling fires throughout the state. 11 major wildfires raging around california. the fire near yosemite has destroyed more than 21 structures and forced more than a thousand people to flee. blackened more than 320 acres and only 20% contained. east of sacramento a 4,000 acre wildfire has forced over a thousand people to evacuate. that fire is 10% contained. jerry brown, the governor has received a fema grant that will cover 75% of the firefighting costs. hillary clinton and the 2016 presidential aspirations. >> it is true i'm thinking about

it but for today that is not why i am here. i'm here for steak. >> we'll here from an iowa insider on what her trip to the hawkeye state might signal to democrats there and across the nation. and a look to tomorrow on "america tonight." >> from the beginning, i was -- i was very patient. i didn't make any kind of determination. i even told the newspaper. i need to wait to see how this investigation develops. and i was expecting it to go down like the united states air force inspector general and the way they conduct their mishap investigations. >> and how did it go down? >> it was a sham. >> one of the theories, you thought the officer might have gotten the gun looked on this broken mirror here? >> correspondent christof putzel on policing the police, tomorrow on "america tonight."

>> consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the growing

controversy. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> why did so many of these people choose to risk their lives? >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> people are dying because of this policy... >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but what is the administration doing behind the scenes? >> real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america this," we'll see you then. >> speculation surrounding hillary clinton's presidential aspirations is at an all time high again after this weekend when the buzz surrounding her possible candidacy in 2016 got louder. hillary and bill clinton returned to iowa, the state where her presidential campaign fell apart six years ago. for retiring senator tom harkin's steak fry, at senator

harkin's steak fry, the meat gets grilled and the real political feast. >> i'm back. >> back for the first time since her humbling 2008 caucus, to beat back barack obama. blamed her failure in not putting in enough time with those critical iowa voters. >> it really matters whether you go to the caucuses thursday night. because the entire country is going to be watching. >> on this return trip clinton suddenly signaled she had learned her lesson fueling more speculation about 2016. throughout her visit she was coy but still uncommitted. >> and then of course there's that other thing. it is true, i am thinking about it. >> thinking but not willing to give away her answer just yet. >> but for today, that is not why i'm here

. i'm here to the steak. >> from the county fair on, iowa is a must-stop for any presidential wannabe. >> people always ask, why is iowa so important. iowa is not first in the nation because it's important. it's important because it is first in the nation. >> but it was clinton who fell short not first with iowa democrats in the first in the nation caucus or even second. remember she came third in 2008 behind braw barack obama and jon edwards. >> iowans will pick the next president and i'm excited and energized by that. >> this weekend, clinton looked energized by the start of a barbecue that could be the end of something here. >> jason, give us a back story on this. how did it go, how was the crowd? >> you know the crowd really received her very well.

there were 10,000 people there. a lot of them, several thousand, probably were hillary clinton supporters. many were bussed in by the independent group ready for hillary that's been in the state organizing trying to get people excited about her campaign or her potential candidacy already. so it was a positive crowd for her. >> you made sort of a freudian slip here jason. i think everybody is nearly looking at this as a done deal, all done but the shouting right? >> i think so. the trip back to iowa was a very strong signal that she's extremely serious about this. and you know she said herself, she did everything but address it head on and she said i'm thinking about it. she -- yeah. >> okay. so this is the famed steak fry in which there is steak but it's not fried. senator tom harkins has long been seen as something of a king maker among democrats within the state.

there was an indication that she was trying to play this for like this is still his event. >> absolutely. this was really kind of the perfect event for her to come back to iowa to come back to the place where she lost so badly in the 2008 caucuses because she could say this is all about celebrating tom harkin, former colleague in the senate, history with the clintons going back decades. it was really easy to sort of divert the attention to honoring him and electing 2014 democrats. >> and did you have the sense that there was forgiveness for what happened in 2008 for her lack of attention there? >> forgiveness on her part or on the part of iowa? >> on the part of iowa. is iowa ready to forget 2008 and move back? >> sure, i think so. you know if she does run, if she does come back to iowa and on a caulked campaign there's going to be -- caucus campaign there's going to be expectations that

she gets out there on a one on one basis and retail based that iowans expect on a one on one basis. >> jason thank you. >> thank you joie. >> one of our most beloved inflatives, the man manatee. why conservationists are worried >> weekday mornings on al jazeera america >> we do have breaking news this morning... >> start your day with in depth coverage from around the world. first hand reporting from across the country and real news keeping you up to date. the big stories of the day, from around the world... >> these people need help, this is were the worst of the attack took place... >> and throughout the morning, get a global perspective on the news... >> the life of doha... >> this is the international news hour... >> an informed look on the night's events, a smarter start to your day. mornings on al jazeera america

>> finally from us tonight, the endangered florida manatee. in some ways

it's a conservation success story. there were estimated to be less than 400 remaining in the 1940s. now with protection in place, there are thousands of sea cows, swimming in florida again. but conservationists say the efforts are for nought. how many of the permits are affecting the water animal. as "america tonight's" sheila macvicar discovered. these lovable creatures may also be too popular for their own good . >> it's a very small area. you are talking two acres in three sister springs and about seven acres right here. you can see some manatee activity behind the boats back there on the surface. very likely a mating herd. >> a mating herd? it's just past dawn on king's

bay, on the west coast of florida. ivan, a fish and wildlife ranger knows every inch of this water. >> where they can easily come back. >> right now the bay is serene, mostly empty of people but filled with an exceedingly rare and endangered slice of wildlife. >> manatees, are curious, the way their brain is wired. >> they make a conscious choice that they know? >> they do make a conscious choice to interact with people. yes, they know. >> reporter: it's that promise of interaction that by noon produces a gridlock. the bay affiliates one tour boats kayakers and swimmers. more than 250,000 a year flock to this small bay. it's about half a square mile. >> most of the people that live here in king's bay they're not liking the fact that there's no

limits, no thresholds, no carrying capacity saying how many visitors at one time can come to the bay. but most people in town are happy because it's the economy of this town -- >> money money money. >> i.t. depends on manatee -- it depends on manatee tourism. >> king's bay is one of the only places you can swim with and even touch a group of manatees. providing warm water all around, heated to a pleasant 72°. manatees need that warmth to 75 winter cold. it's critical manatee habitat. >> we have fat healthy happy manatees here. >> tom is a manatee guide. >> we have 4 to 600 manatees winter here in a good winter. >> that is a lot. >> that is a appropriate. >> crystal river is one of a thousand places to see before

you die, in the new york best seller of the same name. manatees are the life blood of that place. a passionate debate between environmentalistists, local business owners and residents. >> what do tourists get off swimming with manatees, what's that all about? >> john audubon, famous conservationist, you only protect what you love and you only love what you know. once you come face to face and touch something it's somewhat real to us. >> the swim with manatees attraction is his livelihood. >> manatees will behave much more like cats and not so much like dogs. >> we call them gentle giants. they are so engaging and so curious and they move in slow motion when they're looking at you and there's a connection

when you look in their eyes. >> everyday he takes visitors underwater and often swimmers will pet or touch the manatees which is legal here. some conservationists want the tour boats eliminated because they believe that snorkelers and animals. at the very least, some insist touching should be banned. tour boat operators argue that it's the experience that turn tourists to manatee activists. >> being able to touch something that to me has been so elusive. >> being out there was so different than anything i've ever done. like they're so big. and they're right there. and you know you get to reach out and touch them and they're not going to do anything. >> manatees do have roped off sanctuaries in king's bay that they can escape to when the overcrowding becomes too much. they are offlimits to tourists but we

see, they sometimes go there anyway. >> ma'am, you are not supposed to be in that area. it says closed area. >> tracy colson is an environmentalist that leads tours of the bay. what was it like out there this morning? >> crazy. too many people. too many boats. very few manatees except the ones in the sanctuary. they know where to go when it gets crowded. >> colson has seen manatees chased, calves chased from mothers and more. >> i've seen people stand on them, climb on their backs to ride, grab on their flippers try to hug them from behind, blocking them from surfacing to breathe, just about everything you can think of. >> crystal river's ecotourism provides at least a thousand jobs and tens of millions of dollars of revenue for gift shops dive tours and hotels.

it really is the only game in town. so where do you draw the line? >> i think that people should not touch the animals or attempt to. i think that's where a lot of the harassment and the disturbance of the animals occurs. >> no one has explained to me what i do with my passenger when the animal comes over and starts engaging. do i back you up, do i put you back on the boat? so for me the no-touch is sort of code for the activists who want to shut us down. you get the passenger out of the situation like that you've destroyed a third of our customer base? i don't know if a industry can 75 that takes a -- survive with a 30% hit. >> it's packed with manatees and tourists. so with alt these people in here can these

animals really rest? >> yes, some of them are very resilient and tolerant recreation activities by humans. some are intolerant. the sanctuaries that are closed off, off limits to people. >> we went for a swim, manatees all around. we drifted gently taking great care not to touch them. even those that approached us. some were inquisitive. some nibled on toes and some just swam on by. >> i can't think of another wildlife species where you can interact. you don't necessarily want to interact with the elephant or the lion or whatever. >> then again a lion is not going to crawl up into your jeep or look you in the face or roll over and show you his belly either. >> the u.s. fish and wildlife service wants to address the overcrowding but jurisdiction is divided.

for now, tourists will flock to crystal river, the town needs to stay economically afloat and for now, the touching will continue. >> because people think that the value is not just in the interaction with the animal but in the touching. >> unfortunately that's what most people want to do when they go to sea world and swim with dolphins or need the dolphins and they think it's no different. this is a ji ginormous difference. >> sheila macvicar, crystal river, florida. >> that is it for us on "america tonight." remember if you would like to comment on any of our stories, cu log on to aljazeera.com/americatonight. good night. we'll have more of "america tonight," tomorrow.

world leaders unite against i.s.i.l. in paris as british intelligence say they have identified the masked man in the beheading videos. the growing controversy facing the n.f.l. and the calls for the commissioner to go. i'm antonio mora, and welcome to "consider this". those stories and more ahead. >> there's a clear indication that this coalition is coming together nicely. >> as the strategy intensifies we are ready to take whatever steps are ce