people needs in kentucky. >> communities trying to cope. what does the future hold? >> the economy, the struggling coal industry and healthcare are all impacting their vote. >> "america votes 2014 / fed up in kentucky". all this week. only on al jazeera america. >> deadly clashes on the streets of turkey, kurds calling on the government to keep kobane from fueling isil in syria as president obama heads to the pentagon to talk about what's next. >> critical condition, the man with ebola in dallas fighting for his life. the c.d.c. announces a potential plan to stop the virus from landing on american soil again. >> you say somebody's not going to hurt you, people are getting

shot by the police. >> tasered in front of his family, how a traffic stop turned into allegations of excessive force. officersness they did nothing wrong. >> i will die upstairs in my bedroom, that i share with my husband, with my mother and my husband by my side. >> can you imagine picking the day you're going to die? one woman's struggle to end her life on her own terms. >> good morning. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm morgan radford. today, president obama heads to the pentagon to meet with top military commanders. >> the strategy session comes at u.s. led airstrikes pound isil targets near kobane as isil tries to take over that town along the border with turkey he. >> turkey's president said the town is close to falling into isil's hands. kurds and turkey took to the street demanding more action from the turkish government.

at least a dozen people were killed in clashes across the country. joining us this morning from washington, d.c. is lisa stark. what is the white house saying about cocaine? >> the white house is saying that the president is very concerned about the safety of the individuals in that town, which has clearly been besieged for weeks now. they are saying they are keeping a close watch on the situation. they have stepped up the u.s. airstrikes. >> kurds who have been under attack for three weeks along the turkish border cheering u.s. led airstrikes against isil fighters advancing toward kobane and syria. those five strikes are the most carried out near the town since the terror group began its offensive, but those attacks

have done little to blunt isil the advances. president obama's top military advisor revealed the town may not last long. >> i am fearful that kobane will fall. we have been striking when we can. isil's a learning enemy and they know how to maneuver and how to use populations and concealment, so when we get a target, we'll take it. >> should kobane fight to isil fighters who have conducted mass executions and beheadings? >> i have no doubt that isil will conduct the same kind of horrific atrocities if they have the opportunity to do so. >> turkey's president despite having the most powerful army in the region said the west must do more before his country enters the fight against isil. he wants moderate syrian rebels armed with more powerful weapons and a no fly zone created over portions of northern syria.

>> this problem cannot be solved via airstrikes without cooperating with those fighting on the ground. >> turkish tanks sit on the border, facing kobane where a few thousand kurdish fighters have managed to hold off isil. isil fighters remain vigilant seen here in the open and launching attacks from a hill facing the town, a town that has seen more than 200,000 residents flee to turkey and prompting the united nations to say the world must act now. >> the international community needs to defend them. the international community cannot sustain another city falling under isis. >> the u.s. is certainly hope that go neighboring turkey would jump into this militarily, but so far, that country reluctant to do so for its own internal political reasons. >> today, the president will visit the pentagon. what can we expect from the top

military commanders? >> he'll get a briefing from his top military commanders, they'll talk about the isil airstrikes, they'll talk about how well the campaign is going and what more needs to be done. there are reports that he'll get an update on military efforts against ebola, as well. >> lisa, thanks. >> we are joined from kobane by a journalist. thank you for your time. describe what you are seeing and hearing around you. can you hear me, sir? >> i am hearing you. yes. >> tell me what you are seeing and hearing around you. >> you know, the clashes are

still ongoing for the 24t 24th day, you know, tanks and heavy artillery used against civilians. just the war, they are at the risk of mercenaries. isis just attacked kobane. at this moment i'm talking, the clashes are severe. the clashes are still ongoing.

there are attacks on isis locations. kobane needs more airstrikes to be effective and pushback -- >> turkey's president is saying that the town is close to falling. do you have that impression, that isil has really gained the upper hand in the last two days? >> you know, of course, any support -- fall and be controlled -- isis control. the turkish authorities are not cooperating with the -- yesterday, they -- many injured people -- turkish authorities

present that they are fighting terrific, but that is not true. turkish authorities just are collaborating with isis web they are supporting them logistically. >> that's quite a claim. i know it takes a lot of courage to stay on the ground there reporting. thanks for joining us with an on the ground look there. >> u.s. officials are asking for help identifying a north american man believed to be a member of isil. the f.b.i. released a video showing him boasting of isil's accomplishments all while making captives dig their own graves. >> we are here with the story.

john, good morning. what is the f.b.i. hoping can come from this? >> the bulk of isil is made up of disinfected members of the iraqi army, particularly sunni. thousands of people around the world, including some americans and now the f.b.i. hopes someone can identify the man in this chilling video. it's part of their efforts to track down westerners who have joined or possibly are plan to go join isil. the video's on the f.b.i. website now, only a snippet of the longer version. the feds hope someone recognize this man's voice or body movements. he's either canadian or american. on the video, the masked man is clearly heard speaking in english, good english, not broken english. the video was shot in the town of raqqa. putting it out there shows the

desires of officials desire to stop people from leavinging this country to join them. a man from chicago has been charged and faces 15 years in jail. the united states is concerned about slick videos put on line. they are preying on young westerners, luring them to join isil. officials are concerned those who join isil could return to the u.s. possibly with plans of carrying out an attack an homeland soil. >> the syrian army has regained control of a strategic area near damascus, coming under large scale attacks from opposition fires in september. the government says rebels hoped to use that town to stage attacks on damascus. we'll have a live update from baghdad and speak with retired army major mike lyons.

we will discuss how the apache helicopter is being used to attack isil. >> we are just learning this morning that a medical official with the u.n. mission in lie about her he i can't has tested positive for ebola. he is the second person from that team to contract the virus and the first one died. meanwhile, in dallas, doctors say the first man diagnosed with ebola here in the u.s. is still in critical condition. thomas eric duncan is receiving an experimental drug to treat the virus. the same drug is being given to an american cameraman who contracted ebola in liberia. c.d.c. officials are closer to tightening airport screening. we are in dallas this morning. how soon before we see this screening go into effect? >> an announcement will be coming this week with regard to those tightening screenings at airports in the united states. here in dallas, as doctors treat

this in effect, public health officials are focused on preventing the spread of the virus. >> the c.d.c. is working on tighter screening measures in airports after president obama called ebola a national security priority. health officials say that could mean c.d.c. personnel at j.f.k. in new york, newark, chicago and dull less in washington, d.c. this could include asking passengers where they have been and taking their temperature. >> we anticipate announcing new measures in the upcoming days. what we can do working with the department of home land security is identify people who arrive by indirect flights and identify the airports to which they arrive. >> to control ebola, it must be contained in west africa. more than 4,000 u.s. troops headed to the region. >> the military focus is on providing logistics, training and engineering support. >> in texas, thomas eric duncan is struggling to survive.

his mother, joined by civil rights leader jesse jackson is asking for compassion. >> he didn't know that he was sick. >> the c.d.c. continues to monitor the 48 people who came into contact with duncan. >> none of them are sick or has a fever. we'll watch that closely. >> the hospital who sent duncan home after he sought treatment is under scrutiny. at a hearing before a texas senate committee, officials say hospitals have learned from the mistake. >> nothing will compare with the height enenned awareness of hospitals all over the nation with what has taken place in dallas, now finally folks think that could happen to me. >> a cameraman is being treated with the same drug as duncan is being treated. >> he said to me i'm going to get through this. >> back here in dallas, doctors say duncan's condition with

regard to liver function which had declined over the weekend has improved, but that could fluctuate over the next few days. his family did visit him again yesterday with the reverend jesse jackson but found it do distressing to see him in the situation he's in now, so a difficult situation for that family. >> i can only imagine. we understand that dr. kent brantley has decided to donate his blood to the nebraska patient. do doctors believe this offers hope? >> that's what they say. he was contacted after his blood was found to be a match. the idea is by in fusing his blood, the antibodies that were already created in his body when he was fighting off that virus could kick off the immune system and help him fight off this virus. >> this is the second time that dr. brantley has donated his blood. thank you. >> stephanie, some same sex

couples today will be able to get marriage licenses in two more states, nevada and colorado. officials in both states say they'll abide by court rulings throwing out gay marriage bans. tuesday, an appeals court overturned the bans in nevada and idaho. idaho's attorney general is still evaluating whether to appeal to the supreme court. >> police in one boston suburb are hunting for a man they say breaks into people's homes, watches them sleep and then just runs away. victims say they've spotted him hovering over their bed. he apologizes when they wake up and then just leaves. >> police need to find him before his crimes escalate. >> we don't know what the next step is going to be. why is he there? is he trying to summon courage to do something else? we're trying to get to the bottom to identify the individual before somebody gets hurt. >> police are not sure if that man is mentally ill or if he has criminal intentions. >> very odd.

>> a violent police standoff in chicago ended with a person dead and chicago police captain in the hospital. police haven't identified the captain or the person killed. they say the officer was shot in the head and chest approximate and will survive. they took daniel brown into custody. he is wanted fo for a shooting n indiana. >> a police department is being sued over a traffic stop that ended with a passenger getting tasered. >> we have more. we've seen the dramatic video of this incident. >> the video certainly is dramatic. the routine traffic stop ended with hammond police smashing the car window and tasering jamal jones. the video was taken by a teenager from the back seat. >> did you do that? i'm not in operation of this vehicle. >> are you going to open the door? >> why are you say nobody is going to hurt you? people are getting shot by the police. [ screaming ]

>> they were stopped for not wearing seatbelts. a 7-year-old and 14-year-old were in the back seat. the 14-year-old shot the cell phone video. >> i felt like my civil rights were just thrown out the window, along with my body. >> hammond police say he reversed to get out of the car. they say he had no i.d., refused to write down his personal information and officers feared for their lives when his hand fell behind the center console. police say they were acting in accordance with indiana law. he has filed a federal lawsuit alleging excessive force, false arrest and battery. >> thanks so much. >> john, stephanie, the family of a man who died in a confrontation with new york city police is plan to go sue over his death. the family says police violated eric garner's rights. he he died right there of an apparent chokehold while police are detaining him last july.

the family is seeking $75 million in damages. >> well, kenya's president has now made his first appearance before the international criminal court in the hague. hehe hague. he faces charges he organized massacres after the countries disputed elections seven years ago. he's the first sitting president to appear at the court. aljazeera is live outside the court in the hague. how is the hearing progressing today? >> well, stephanie, some indication, behind me, he is in the process of leaving the believe. that is the crowd use that behind my right shoulder. the hearing, the status hearing as it's called has concluded. he is free to go. it was never a trial, it was a hearing to see whether there was evidence for a trial and whether a trial date could be set. the prosecution that accuses him

on five counts of organizing this terrible post election violence in 2007 asserts that it has some evidence but not enough to make the case stand up. it accuses the government of kenya, and the president of kenya of withholding evidence, namely things like mobile phone records and his bank statement and his tax returns. the prosecution argues with those, it would have the evidence it needs to prosecute the case. on wednesday here in the hague, it asked the judges for what's called an indefinite adjournment of the case, keeping it open until such time as the kenyan government might decide to start cooperating. >> prehe assuming he does not comply with that request for evidence, what happens next? >> that is the $64,000 question. the judges have retired to consider the request for the

prosecution. the defense, of course, all along has denied that their man has anything to do with these terrible crimes, and it's simply a question of them not being able to come up with the evidence and they want the case thrown out. it will be bad news for him if the judges agree to this permanent state of adjournment if you like. it would mean the case is hanging over him for an indefinite period of time. it has been a number of years since this case was first brought against him. you have to ask if the kenyan government hasn't cooperated thus far, why should it suddenly decide to sometime in the future. it's a difficult one for the judges to consider. at stake, of course, the highest profile accused at this court is considered so far and i'll have to say, something of the credibility of the court at stake in this, as well. >> live for us at the hague, simon, thank you. >> kurds in turkey take to the street in protest.

they are angry with their government, accusing it of not doing enough to fight isil in syria. we are live in baghdad as isil says it has taken down another iraqi helicopter. >> parents worry about sending kids to school as the enterovirus spreads. the doctors say the real concern is a virus far more common. >> you are looking live, that's a live picture, a lunar spectacle at down, the blood moon hangs high in the sky. what's making the lunar surface turn red. >> that's today's big number, why a shoemaker may cash in when his stock goes on sale. stay tuned.

>> today's big number is $1,100,000,000. that's the potential market value for shoemaker jimmy choo. >> the company has enough initial investors to launch its i.p.o., planning to sell 25% of the country raising two yea

$1 million. >> the company has 120 stores nationwide and plans to open 15 more next year. >> isil fighters downed a helicopter belonging to the iraqi military. near one of iraq's biggest oil refineries. what more do we know about this latest attack? all i can tell you is the iraqi sources confirmed it was shot down. in the area, it is home to one of iraq's largest oil refineries. it's part in control of isil and part in control of the iraqi army. there's been fierce clashes to take the refinery from isil fighters. the town is nearby, a command and control for isil fighters, operating that town since the

offensive began in june. they've taken iraqi army equipment, likely to be in this case the air defense systems they took from the iraqi army. this is the second helicopter shot down in 10 days. this is a big blow for the iraqis. they are trying to mount an offensive, take back the oil refinery, a great source of revenue for isil fighters. once they try and get that back from them, it will hurt is i'll and the isil fighters hanging on to it desperately, but it is iraqi army equipment being used against the iraqi army. >> are the coalition airstrikes in iraq making a difference? >> they are making a difference. what they're doing is cutting off the supply lines between syria, where isil have bases, and iraq, where they also ever bases. recently in the last 24 hours,

coalition strikes hilt the outskirts of mouse sell, killing at least 25 isil fighters there. there's increasing criticism of these airstrikes now, saying they are useful, but not doing enough. they're not doing enough in syria and iraq. most iraqis wonder quite what the value of these airstrikes are unless they can try to get these large number of troops. that needs american and coalition help. >> live for us with the latest in baghdad, thank you. >> retired army major mike lyons joins us here. always a pleasure to have you with us. >> good morning. >> isil is in kobane now.

what do they have to gain in kobane and can they sustain it. >> it's one thing to take a town, another to hold it. they won't be able to reinforce the airstrikes, will be able to keep out other in is your generalities to come in and reinforce them. there could be a problem if they take the town. >> our reporter issue baghdad said even though the airstrikes are making a difference, they need ground troops to hold that territory. do these airstrikes make a difference in the long game? >> the united states would say yes. it's taking out their strategic assets, the refineries, taking out the capabilities to wage war. it's hard to see that in the short term especially when they're not holding the towns. it's one thing to take them back, another to hold them. that's a training issue and equipment issue, a confidence issue and right now they're still inside iraq. >> if those airstrikes aren't

enough, which is what turkey has said, where are the ground troops? >> the coalition has not advanced to discussing that. there's the iraqi theater and syrian sheet e. thief got to be separated almost. inside iraq is only going to be security forces. i don't think iraq will allow other troops. >> in kobane, the u.s. was quick to send support to the kurds when mows cull in iraq is under siege. where is the u.s. now? >> it's all about not having troops on the ground. without anybody there to spot, secure, get an assessment, we're not going to do more. >> why don't they arm the syrian kurds? >> logistics. they'd have to come through turkey. from their perspective, it's wise to have the kurds being weakened, isil weakened. they still could come in, the question is when. >> thank you so much. >> kurds in turkey are demanding

their government do more to protect kobane and they took to the streets overnight. >> as you can see, there were clashes incurreddish provinces nationwide. at least a dozen people were killed as police battled protestors. demonstrators burned cars and tires while police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protestors. >> a heart-breaking decision for a woman facing her own mortality. >> i plan to be surrounded by my immediate family, mother, husband, stepfather. >> the right to die. a young mother moves to a new state that will allow her are to pick the day she takes her own life. >> an emergency training is underway for american health workers about handling ebola right here in the u.s. >> lost in translaying. what was meant to be an inspirational message doesn't quite read right.

that's one of the stories caught in our global net.

>> that is not photo shop. you are looking live at the so-called blood moon, more on the lunar eclipse in just a few minutes. >> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. ahead, a terminally ill woman's fight to take her own life with dignity. >> thousands of wal-mart employees are about to lose health benefits. why the store says it has to cut costs. >> in our next hour, people have been signing up for covering under the affordable care act and they may not even realize it. the impact that's having on a key senate race. >> first a look at our top stories this morning. isil has downed an iraqi military helicopter, killing two pilots. this as forces move closer to taking the town on syria's border with turkey. president obama heads to the pentagon today for meetings over next steps. >> u.s. officials say another medical officer tested positive

for ebola in liberia. it's the second member of the mission to contract the virus, the first died. >> kenya's president is in the hague this morning, facing charges of crimes against humanity, the first sitting president to appear before the international criminal court. he's accused of ordering mass killings after the countries disputed elections seven years ago. >> a young woman from california moved to oregon for one reason, to die with dignity. >> oregon is one of five states in the country that allows terminally ill patients the right to die. before this california woman ends her life, she is pushing for change on this issue. >> this is definitely a tough story. britney maynard is 29 years old with an aggressive form of brain cancer killing her quickly. she wants to die on her own

terms, which is why she moved to a state that would grant her that right. she is telling her story of life and death in hopes it will help push the death with dignity movement across the nation. >> on november 1, 2014, britney maynard will end her life. >> i plan to be surrounded by my immediate family. >> doctors found a malignant brain tumor earlier this year. at 29 years old, she was given six months to live. she researched treatment options and found motor patients experience extreme pain in their dying days. she reversed to die like that. without many options in california, she moved to her family to oregon where the law allows death with dignity. after finding new doctors, she has found a medication that will end her life peacefully and painlessless whenever she wants. >> it's in a safe spot and there when i need it.

>> for her mother, find herring daughter had cancer was hard enough. >> your brain will do strange things to you when you don't want to believe something at that you come up with fairytales. >> she has traveled the globe. her mother does not share the same adventurous spirit, she promised she will see the world after her daughter passes. anything for her one and only child. >> i'm going to go on a traveling adventure, and i am kind of scared to go to match tt she said she'll meet me there, so i'll go. >> her husband, dan is behind her decision. >> it provides a lot of relief and comfort that that option is

there if and when we decide or she decides that, you know, it's time. >> that time she has already decided comes in just a few weeks. >> i will die upstairs in my bedroom that i share with my husband, with my mother and my husband by my side and pass peacefully with some music i like in the background. >> the reason she chose november 1 is because her husband's births day is october 30. they plan a trip to the grand canyon, because she's never been there. >> i hope she makes it there. she worked with a non-profit to put that video out. that organization is behind ballot initiatives in other states. >> that's right. she is trying to push this movement forward. that organization is called compassion and choices. right now, they currently have campaigns in california, which is her home state, colorado, connecticut, massachusetts and

new jersey. >> tough story, thank you. >> the c.d.c. is training health care workers on handling ebola. a fema site looks like a scene out of west africa where nurses, doctors and other health care workers are learning to stay safe. we are down in alabama and we'll return in a moment. >> spain's government is facing heavy criticism after nurse was diagnosed with ebola there. the hospital on tuesday say they have not received proper training or equipment to handle an ebola case. thee more people have now been quarantined after contact with that infected nurse. dozens more are being monitored. we're going to a doctor in just a moment for more on that.

>> you can always follow us on twitter and on our website at aljazeera.com. >> florida has its very first case of enterovirus. the dangerous illness now reported across the country. a 10-year-old girl is recovering, but the cases have cold and flu-like symptoms. a 4-year-old from new jersey died after contracting it. >> for the family, everything changed september 24. their 4-year-old son eli went to bed with pink eye. >> he was put to bed by his mom and never woke up. >> his death was linked to enterovirus d68. the illness infected 600 people in 44 states and d.c., almost all of them are children. the c.d.c. said kids and teens are at greater risk since most haven't build up immunity through prefers expose tour the

virus. duties can get it, but are unlikely to show serious symptoms. for kids with asthma or other respiratory problems, the virus can make breathing more difficult. that has many parents worrying about sending kids to school, sings the virus spreads through coughs, sneezes and surfaces touched by people with the virus. doctors say the flu is a greater threat, sending 20,000 people to hospitals each year. for some kids, the enterovirus won't involve in much more than a cough and runny nose. >> we are all at risk, every single one of us and many of us will get it and experience it as a cold. >> the virus is common this time of year. there are more than 100 different kinds. the u.s. is seeing far more cases of the d68 strain than usual. >> we haven't seen this virus crop up in decades. now it's come back in a very virulent form.

it's been overcrowding emergency democrats and overcrowding i.c.u.'s and now it has taken the life of a young child in new jersey. >> the c.d.c. is working through a backlog in the case. while authorities expect the number to increase, they say that doesn't necessarily mean the situation is getting worse. >> right now, there are four other cases currently being investigated. the c.d.c. is training health care workers on how to handle ebola. a famous it ain alabama looks like a scene out of west africa where holt care workers learning to stay safe. we are live in alabama. robert, good morning to you. you got inside and got a look at this training firsthand. what struck you most about how that training is being conducted? >> good morning, morgan. this is a department of homeland security complex where various trainings of different sorts

occur year round. right now as you say, this is some very intense ebola training for health workers in america. what struck me most is the tedious nature of what it takes to take care of someone with the ebola infection. the various processes and steps it takes to keep themselves safe so the ebola infection does not get into their bloodstream and bodily fluids don't touch them. a really amazing situation. in fact, one of the people we talked to yesterday, i went to shake her hand, extended my hand. she said you know, i can't shake your hand. we're in such role playing right now, that because when we get over to west africa, we're not touching anyone, just in case. let's watch a little bit of what occurred yesterday, if we could. >> looks very difficult. is it? >> you have to have a certain amount of balance, and a certain amount of dexterity and patience. there's no rushing. >> there's no time for place to

screw this up, is there? >> no. we are operating under the no errors mentality. >> we're going to have a lot more from this training facility in the 8:00 hour, so stand by and watch that, but amazing work going on here to stop the spread of the ebola infection in west africa as all the people here that we talk to yesterday are going to head over there in the next month. >> a lot of protocol down there. joining us from alabama, robert thanks for being with us. >> a doctor is with us and is an infectious disease specialist. thank you for joining us. this spanish case that really raised a lot of questions about how much we really know about how ebola is spread. has it caused experts like to you reexamine how it spread? >> well, i still don't -- i want to be clear about this. there is still no evidence that ebola is airborne.

however, there's something specific about this strain that might be more transmissible because it is higher rates in the body, that is a possibility. >> there is as different from being airborne from saying if i sneeze on you or cough on you or spit own, you can get ebola. that's not the same thing at airborne, correct? >> when we talk about airborne, there is no direct fluids on anybody else. if you were to sneeze on me, then i could become in effected. those are different situations. >> i think people are confused at this point. is part of the confusion becoming because health officials haven't defined what close contact is? >> i think that is part of the problem. again, close contact would require direct contact, person to person, or contact with a

bodily fluid. just sitting in the same room, for example if you were to go to a doctor's office and sit in the waiting room and somebody with ebola sitting in the room with you, sharing the air is not going to transmit. that's different than the measles, where you can can get measles transmission in that way. >> the doctor who got expose said in liberia thought he got it because he was washing a car that may have contaminated a person. where's the close contact there? >> that would probably be a splash injury, he was trying the car, would have splashed himself with the contaminated body fluids as a result of that. >> i think for a long time or several weeks, people have been saying it is hard to get ebola. would you still say that this morning? >> i think it still is. part of this is the context that you're describing this. when we look at measles, h.i.v.,

ebola, to what degree is this transmissible, the contact you need to get ebola still much more significant than getting something like measles for the flu. >> in the u.s., we have more support for isolation quarantine, we should mention, as well. doctor, thank you for your insights this morning. >> wal-mart is going to cut health insurance for 30,000 of its employees. starting january 1, the retail giant will stop offering covering from employees who work less than 30 hours per week. the company says that will help cut costs and tarts and home depot have made similar movers. >> a lawsuit was filed on tuesday against the f.b.i. and justice department. twitter says it has a first amendment right to speak out about the scope of a probe of data requests from the public. >> let's look at other stories

caught in our global net. the first one pretty dark, london place say there is a rise in child abuse there linked to the belief in witchcraft. the guardian said one case involved a 15-year-old who was tortured and drowned because a relative believed he was a witch. there have been 27 of these allegations in that area. >> that's tripled in the last three years. we're talking about putting kids aggressively underwater and raping them, scary things going on. >> being owe bees actually has the same impact as not having an undergraduate degree when it comes to job success. obese men earn 16% less than peers at a normal weight. that's interesting and struck me is that the researchers don't think it's discrimination. they think it's no one cognitive

factors. >> they compared brothers so they were able to take out the socioeconomic factors they say is linked to obesity. >> lost in translation. imagine carving the wrong thing into stone. a library in new jersey features a stone engraving in latin. you put the latin in there, guys? we second guess all that's not supposed to say. officials thought if he were engraving the phrase we check everything twice. >> talk about irony. i guess they need to check everything three times. >> it's one of the crown jewels of the american military. >> apache gun ships now in batting against isil in iraq. we'll talk to a retired army lt. col. who commanded an apache in

iraq. >> how a fan may have interfered on the nfl field and bragged about it on line. >> that need for a morning cup of joe could be in your genes. what your body has to do with coffee cravings were you ever today's discoveries. >> the economy, the struggling coal industry and healthcare are all impacting their vote. >> "america votes 2014 / fed up in kentucky". all this week. only on al jazeera america.

>> in the last few days, the u.s. military escalated its offensive against isil fighters in iraq by using apache attack helicopters. they are used in fallujah because of their ability to fly low and hit targets with precision, but they may be more vulnerable to attack. isil fighters took down an iraqi

helicopter, killing both pilots. retired army lt. colonel christopher walak joins us. what can apaches bring to the fight against isil? >> they bring several capabilities. they can get up close and personal with their enemy, unlike jet aircraft, who often fly at 10,000 feet. there's a number of capabilities that they bring. they bring area weapons, precision guided munitions. they are able to directly interface with the ground commander, in this case, the iraqi security forces with advisors from coalition forces, so they do very well interfacing in that aspect and they're very lethal and effective in what they do. they have a greater standoff -- go ahead.

>> can't they fly as low as 500 feet? and what risks does that present to american pilots? >> we use a number of different tactics, techniques and procedures. we can get as low as 50 feet off the deck where we could go at a higher altitude, it depends on the threat we're facing, the air defense threat, the ground threat, and any other dynamics that come into play when you're looking at that. we don't reveal specifically what we use, but we use a combination and every time they go out, they try to outsmart who they're facing, because obviously like general martin dempsey said in the past several days, the enemy is a thinking enemy, so we're always adapting our tactics to them, not to give away a specific tactic. >> you mentioned that these apache's would communicate with iraqi forces on the ground. are they going to be as

effective without more u.s. ground forces guiding them to their targets? >> when we had a similar situation in 2006, we had a similar mission working directly with the i.s.f., an american or a coalition force element was embedded with that i.s.f. element. that's our link to talking to the iraqi forces. we found a lot of times is the english, the tactics, techniques and procedures that the iraqi forces used or how they'll react in any one particular situation is very uncertain. our link was talking to that advisor on the ground. >> you were the commander of two apache pilots that were hurt in a video released to wikileaks, firing on civilians, including two journal i have thes. what did that incident tell you

about the apache's reliability in contact. >> on a good day, combat is full of chaos, uncertainty and there is a lot of ambiguity, that's on a good day working with a ground element you are familiar with. when you work with an element that you haven't worked before and thrown into a very chaotic situation where the intelligence is very limited, what this tells us is that sometimes bad things happen in war, unfortunate things in war and obviously we improve our tactics and techniques every time we conduct a mission, but chaos does happen, our pilots follow the rules of engagement. they did the best they could under the circumstances, and i don't know that anything could have been done to prevent what had happened on that particular day in 2007, but even when we know the area, we know the people on the ground, it is a surreal situation. there's a lot of chaos, so

things don't always go according to plan. >> does the use of apache helicopters equate to having combat boots on the ground in iraq? >> i would say absolutely it does, because somebody has to refuel those helicopters, rearm them, somebody has to bring in the logistics, somebody has to command and control those apache helicopters and somebody has to go in and unfortunately if an aircraft does go down, an infantry quick reaction force has to go in and extract and secure the area with a follow on unit that is more armored heavy heck niced has to go in and secure that. there's no doubt in my mind that when you put apache helicopters in a specific area, that is boots on the ground. >> sir, your expertise certainly

appreciated. >> first there was spy gate in new england, bounty gate in new orleans and now laser gate in detroit. the buffalo bills say a fan pointed a laser directly at their players in the game against the detroit lions, used to distract the kicker and quarterback. >> we reported it and nfl security did a good job, but he was all fired up. >> he explained of a green light in his eyes. >> or to know complained and a fan bragged about it later. nfl lacers hav stadiumses have d lasers since 1998. >> the total eclipse happened just before sunrise today. the moon disappeared and then was glowing orange in a rare

alignment with the earth and sun. >> you watched the eclipse overnight. >> we had a look at it live pictures coming in. it is ending now. if you get up early enough, you can still see it. it goes through phases where the moon passes the earth's shadow. as the air goes through the atmosphere, a lot of these colors in the visible light are absorbed. it happened early this morning. it really is start to go come out of that eclipse now. you can start to see it in the west coast and out of the pacific, but this is what it looked like as that earth passes through the shadow, first you see it go dark and then it takes on that reddish color, so certainly a rare occurrence. you can also see it two more times next april and september. >> look at that. >> marking our calendars, thanks so much. >> it's time for one of today's discoveries. how our d.n.a. affects our thirst for that morning cup of joe. >> i've got that d.n.a.

researchers at harvard found eight genes directly tied to how our bodies digest coffee. the genes link to ma tab lights in caffeine affecting our sugar levels and brains. >> the discovery provides insight on why some people drink one cup and feel alert and some feel jittery after a few sips. i think that's me. >> people professing to be antiobamacare signing up anyway, the difference a word can make and its impact on the upcoming elections. >> the one time multi-billionaire who spent a decade in a russian prison explains why he thinks president vladimir putin has left his country vulnerable. >> we're back with you in two minutes. we leave with you another live look at the blood moon. more on the lunar eclipse in just a few minutes. .

>> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news.

>> president obama heading to the pentagon for a strategy briefing from military commanders on the war being waged against isil. >> as the fight rages on near the syrian border, deadly clashes erupting between kurdish protestors and police. citizens demand their government take action. >> a u.n. official is diagnosed

with ebola as the condition of the man diagnosed with the virus in dallas improves. >> being shot by the police. [ screaming ] >> >> more accusations of excessive force by police, officers taser a man in front of his wife and kids during a traffic stop in indiana. the police are being sued. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> today, president obama will discuss the u.s. strategy for fighting isil when he meets with top u.s. military commanders at the pentagon. u.s. airstrikes have been targeting isil conditions outside kobane in syria. despite efforts, turkey's president warns kobane is about to fall to isil. >> the pressure is growing on turkey to join the fight. nationwide demonstrations overnight pushing for turkish troops to do more. 12 protestors were killed in

those clashes. lisa stark is in washington. why has the fight for kobane taken on such significance? >> >> the town is right on the turkish border, strategically located. isil could solidify it's position taking the town. they're a minority population, just the kind of folks president obama has said the battle is there to protect. that's why the u.s. is there. even despite there and despite the stepped up adjustment airstrikes, the pentagon's top military advisor in an interview admitted the town may not last long. >> i am fearful that kobane will fall. we have been striking when we can. isils a learning enemy and now how to maneuver and use populations and concealment. when we get a target, we'll take

it. >> they will, in fact take a target when they get it. the problem is that some say the fact that despite the airstrikes, isil has been able to continue to advance, shows in fact the limits of the u.s. strategy against isil. stephanie. >> so could today's pentagon session result in big changes to the u.s. military strategy in iraq and syria? >> >> he will get a briefing. the president at the pentagon today about how the military strategy is working. the president has repeatedly said that we will carry out airstrikes in iraq and syria but there will be no ground troops. he's indicated the u.s. is in it for the long haul, this will not be a short campaign. as isil makes gains, the chorus is growing louder for the u.s. to take another look at what needs to be done in the region. >> lisa, thank you. >> in iraq, isil fighters have sean a downed military

helicopter near one of iraq's oil facilities. >> wednesday morning in turkey, on the other side of the border in syria and kobane, syrian kurdish fighterrers tell aljazeera that they have managed to push isil fighters back towards the town boundary, boundaries that were approached on monday night by isil fighters. the syrian kurds have seen increased airstrikes from the united states, destroying and damaging some isil positions. the isil fighters are facing really fierce resistance from the kurds. these are determined and motivated fighters, much of the other parts of syria and indeed iraq, where isil has swept through before have been poorly defended, defended by soldiers or fighters with little motivation. kobane is different. the syrian kurdish fighters in

kobane want more weapons and to allow the facilitation of turkish kurdish fighters and other kurds to go through and help the defense of kobane. at the moment, turkey is stopping kurds going into syria, so for the moment, the reliance of those syrian occurred issue fighters is on u.s. airstrikes to keep those lines and defend their town. >> almost 200,000 people have fled kobane, as well as surrounding villages since the fighting began. >> back in the u.s., the f.b.i. is asking the public for help identifying the man with a north american accent believed to be a member of isil. >> they released a video showing the man bragging about isil's accomplishments while he says captives are digging their own graves. why has the f.b.i. decided to release this video? >> the bulk of these are hard core army members, but they are

augustment by thousands of people around the world including from this country. the f.b.i. is worried about people here that go over there and hope somebody can identify this man in this chilling video, part of the efforts to track down westerners fighting or hoping to fight for isil. the feds hope somebody will recognize him from his voice or body movement. on the video, he is heard speaking very strong english but is not the only one. the f.b.i.'s radar also turned up a 19-year-old in chicago, arrested trying to leave, charged with supporting a terrorist organization and looking at 15 years in prison potentially. >> four men were arrested in an anti terror sting in london. they may have foiled a plat to attack britain that was in the early stages of planning. authorities are very concerned about those who join isil returning to their home countries, like britain or the united states with a possibility of plans to carry out some sort of attack here. there's another group we should

think about, as well, the family of people who turned up over there. they go, thinking they're doing gods work, people shocked that their loved ones have been brainwashed in this way. >> there's clearly a concern about retaliation among brits and the u.s. >> the u.n. confirms that a second medical official in liberia tested positive for ebola. the first one died. right here in the u.s., officials are tightening airport security. dr. kent brantley is dough he nateing blood to a freelance cameraman being treated in nebraska after contracting the virus in liberia. doctors in dallas say ebola patient thomas eric duncan is still in critical condition. we are live in dallas. family members gave an update last night on duncan, but are those treatments, including that

dialysis really working? >> family members seem to think that things are getting better. the hospital says that duncan remains in critical, but stable condition. he continues to receive that experimental drug. easy also on kidney dialysis. his liver function has improved. he has seen improvement with blood pressure normalizing. his heart rate is normal and fever down, as well as diarrhea having slowed. that's something that the director of the c.d.c. referred to as optimistic results here. >> we know how to stop ebola. that's what's happening in dallas today. that's what's begin to go occur in parts of west africa. the signs of progress are there, but it is going to be a long, hard fight. >> it is a critical time right here in dallas, as doctors

continue to monitor 48 people identified who may have had contact with duncan for symptoms of ebola. we're in that stage, that eight to 10 day period on average when those symptoms emerge. doctors haven't seen symptoms in these 48 people. again, this incubation period is for 21 days. we have a few days before they're out of the woods. >> as doctor keep an eye on that incubation period, how does the c.d.c. plan to assist with airport screenings and how soon? >> the doctor said to expect an announcement this week. we understand that c.d.c. personnel maybe deployed to four or more airports in the united states to conduct questions, questionnaires, asking people where they've been, taking temperatures and basically stepping up efforts to identify anybody that may have been in an area or come in contact with anybody that may have been exposed to ebola. >> let's talk about survivors.

why has dr. kent brantley decided to donate his blood to a cameraman in nebraska? >> doctors in nebraska after they identified that dr. brantley was a blood type match to the patient, decided that they should probably take some of his blood and infuse that, because the antibodies could jump start the immune process, the defense that would fight off the virus in the ebola that's in his streams right now. that's an experimental thing that goes along with investigatal medicine they are use to go treat patients. >> the director of the c.d.c. reminding americans that ebola is the enemy, and not the people who have it. >> meanwhile, spain is monitoring four more people who came in contact with a nurse who has ebola. the nurse treated two priests who had the virus at a hospital there and fellow workers took to the streets in protest.

they say they have not received proper training or equipment to handle the virus. >> an armed standoff in chicago left one suspect dead, another under arrest. the police captain is in the hospital. it all began tuesday when police tried to arrest a man wanted for three shootings in indiana. when officers arrived, well, somebody started shooting at them from an apartment window. a veteran police captain was struck in the head and in the shoulder, but he is expected to survive. >> the family of a man who died in a confrontation with new york city police is plan to go sue over his death. the family says police violated eric garner's rights. he died of an apparent chokehold while police were detaining him last july. the family is seeking $75 million in damages. >> controversy in hammond, indiana after a routine traffic stop goes awry. >> a family is suing the police department. >> the family captured the incident in a now public video. it has become the latest in a string of videos nationwide,

drawing questions about police behavior. we have more. >> officers in hammond, indiana just outside of chicago stopped a mother driving her boyfriend and two children for a minor traffic violation. as this latest video shows, there was nothing minor about what happened next. >> september 24, lisa was driving her boyfriend jamal jones and her two children to see jones' dying mother when police pulled her over for not wearing a seatbelt. >> i feel my life is in danger. >> after complying with the police request for i.d., police asked jones for his i.d. as he reached for a backpack in the back seat, police drew weapons and asked jones to step out of the car. she called 911. >> how do you say somebody is not going to hurt you? people are getting shot by the police. [ screaming ] >> police tasered jones and removed him from the car. the couple has filed a federal

lawsuit against the hammond police, claiming that officers used excessive force. >> then the officers proceed to escalate this incident beyond what is any reasonable person or officer should do. >> it felt like it was nothing but gang bangers around me. >> i felt my civil rights were thrown out of the window, along with my body. >> in a statement, the police lieutenant said fearing the occupants may have had a weapon and seeing the occupant repeatedly reach toward the rear seat of the vehicle, they broke the window and the passenger removed. in general, police officers are allowed to ask passengers inside of a stopped vehicle for identification and request that they exit. >> legal experts say that is true, however, experts also say those stopped by police ever the right to ask for the presence of a supervisor, as jones indeed did. >> i'm asking for an officer.

i don't know what's going on. >> a south carolina officer shoots an unarmed driver in the hip after the driver reached into his car for his i.d. last week, police tasered this 61-year-old tallahassee woman in the back. in ferguson, missouri, cell phone video videoed the moments after police shot michael brown. >> officers all around this country understand that you cannot engage in this type of conduct and terrorize american families, including small children. >> two of the officers involved had been sued before following allegations of excessive force. legal experts advice that you comply if a police officer asks to you get out of your car. >> certainly interesting, this issue of residents taking surveillance into their own

hands. >> no word on what caused a big train derailment on canada tuesday. it led to a fire and then this aftermath. no one on the crew was injured, but 50 people in a small town nearby were forced to flee from their homes. >> a deadly air tanker crash near yosemite national park. the pilot was killed. sixty homes had to be evacuated because of the fire. >> the remnants of tropical storm simon may be causing some pretty serious problems today. >> let's bring in meteorologist nicole mitchell. welcome back. >> after military duty, this is one of the systems being watched by hurricane hunters. this is a remnant, moved inland, brought that moisture. already seeing heavy rain in places like arizona. this will continue to funnel into the southwest over the course of the day today. as i mentioned, we've seen this

scenario before where it's brought heavy rain in and then we get the flash flooding, gullies especially washing out. tomorrow, the moisture continues to move interior along with a frontal boundary that's going to be in place, triggering a firing line for some of that heavy rain. that's going to be our concern. today, the core of the heavy rain, two or three inches in parts of central arizona. if you get under a heavier downpour, that flash flooding is a possibility. tomorrow, states such as missouri could see heavy thunderstorms embedded in all that have. that remnant front still causing showers in places like north georgia already today, so a couple things going on. >> the c.d.c. bracing to prepare worker to say get the upper hand on the global ebola outbreak. we are live in alabama with an up-close look at the training facility, giving them the skills to fight the virus. >> one of russia's most famous

political dissidents takes aim at russian president vladimir putin. >> doing a little repair work in the depths of space. that video and others captured by citizen journalists around the world.

>> time now for the videos captured by citizen journalists around the world. fire crews in ohio battling a massive blaze that engulfed seven buildings and a warehouse complex and that thick smoke could be seen 10 miles away. no one was hurt in the fire. >> twin explosions rocking a french cultural center in gaza city. officials say no one was in the building at the time and most of the dodge was in the restaurant. >> astronauts aboard the international space station doing handiwork outside the facility. they were outside for over six hours locating a failed cooling pump and installing backup power for the international space

station's rail transport system. >> another medical official with the u.n. mission in liberia tested positive for ebola. the first person from that team who got the virus died. meanwhile in dallas, doctors say the first patient diagnosed with ebola in the u.s. remains in critical condition. thomas eric duncan is getting an experimental drug to treat the virus. the same is being given to a cameraman who contracted ebola in liberia. in atlanta, the c.d.c. is training health care workers to fight ebola. how extensive is the training? >> very extensive. there are 40 health care workers that will be on site here in the next few hours at the homeland security complex here. they are putting on suits, protective suits. this is their last day of training. they are heading over to west africa in the next month. we spent the day yesterday with

them. let's have a look. >> this may look like a clinic in west africa, with health workers dressed in full body protective suits, but it's not. this is aniston, alabama and some of the most important training in the fight against ebola is occurring right here. >> you spray the outside and then one option would be to tie it holding both ends and wrapping it around. >> we do realize c.d.c. realizes there's a critical needle for health care workers to go to west africa and take care of patients there in ebola treatment units. >> that's why at this department of homeland security campus they are training licensed clinical health care workers to provide safe care for patients and themselves in the hot zones. one of them is dr. marshall, who

lives in liberia. >> it's very bad. it's very bad. monrovia is a very congested city, and we have about probably 1.5 million people. if someone gets infected, it's very easy to spread it. >> people literally dying on the streets, as we see in some of the pictures, or is that exaggerated? >> well, i think yes, there are some. i think we have exaggerated a little bit here. for instance, a patient may not get to the hospital or clinic until it's late. by the time he gets there, to take him out of whatever transport brought him and bring him to the hospital, he's dead before he even gets inside. >> dr. marshall wants to get more train to go protect herself before returning home to liberia next month, and safety is a universal concern among health workers. >> i think everyone and myself included has some low level anxiety. >> i don't think it's going to -- >> dr. marshall hopes this is a wake up call for west africa,

and that after ebola is contained, the world will help strengthen an already fragile society so that an epidemic of this level never happens again. >> i asked the centers for disease control and prevention yesterday if they expected to be in a situation like this where they're doing training sessions for health care workers. they said when this actually took flight back in marsh, the ebola infection said no, this is not a prediction they expected. this training course just came about about 30 days ago when the infections started to spike even more and international aid workers and the c.d.c. and other health groups were appalled at what was occurring over there. >> i have spoken to doctors that want to go over there. is the training only intending for those wanting to work in west africa? >> right now, yes. we did ask the question yelled

as to whether or not they are going to expand training for people has perhaps need to go into airports in the u.s. or into hospitals and give more improved training. that is on the table, it is an open option now. >> robert, thank you. >> dr. jerry brown is a surgeon and medical director for the treatment unit in liberia. doctor, good morning to you. we know that you are on the front lines of this epidemic every single day and earlier told us that anyone who does this work needs to make up their mind to go into the war zone without any military. why are you fighting ebola? >> good morning, nice talking to you today.

whenever you attempt to go -- >> you say that you have to go prepare -- >> hello? >> yes, we hear you. you say that you have to go prepare. no members of your staff have gotten infected. how are you able to manage that? how did you all protect each other as a group? >> one of the things we do as a group, we tend to watch one another. with guidelines, no one person is allowed to enter the unit at any time. drop the john set of getting dressed to getting into the unit, you keep an eye on one another and while in the unit, continue to keep an eye on one

another. >> keeping on eye on one another. dr. jerry brown, thanks for joining us live this morning. >> kenya's president went before the international criminal court this morning, facing charges he committed crimes against humanity. he is the first sitting president to appear before the court while still in office. he is accused of ordering mass killings after the countries disputed elections seven years ago. >> a new typhoon is gaining strength in the pacific and nicole mitchell has more on that. what can we expect? >> estimated winds to 170 miles per hour, hurricane katrina was

150. this is a major system out here. it could gain just a little bit more strength. it's in a favorable territory to do that, but these things kind of max out. they can't get that long strength for a long period of time. i said estimated. in our side of the world, we actually do the reconnaissance, fly planes in there. here, we don't have that. they use satellite to see how high the system is, look at how symmetrical. this is a perfect system. there is a glitch. you can see how well defined this is. it's still in favorable territory, warm waters, possible wind environment. it will head into cooler waters. probably a lower level typhoon by the time it makes landfall but could do so into japan later this weekend. >> taking a live look this morning at the turkey-syria border. you can see a bloom of smoke there, intense fighting reported in the town of kobane.

kurdish forces there are trying to keep kobane from falling into isil control. >> the former e.u. ambassador to turkey will be joining us to discuss the significance of that city and what happens if it falls into isil hands. >> kentucky says success of rolling out the affordable care act help people getting onboard despite being against the program. >> a mystery over the whereabouts of north korea's leader. where is he and why does he he seem to be in hiding? this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news.

>> you're taking a live look at the turkey-syria border this morning where the fighting continues as isil forces try to seize kobane. so far, kurdish forces are fending them off. welcome to al jazeera america. thanks for joining us this morning. ahead in our next half hour, real money's sits down with a prefers russian prisoner talking about the russian president. >> a look at this morning's top

stories, u.n. officials say another medical officer has tested positive for ebola in liberia, the second member of the mission to contract the virus and the first patient died. the c.d.c. is closer to frightening airport screenings to keep ebola from spreading. >> the f.b.i. is asking the public to help in the hunt for identifying a man shown in isil videos. he speaks with a north american accent and is believed to be a member of isil. u.s. officials released a video showing the man bragging about the group's accomplishments. >> isil has do you understand an iraqi military helicopter killing two pilots as forces move closer to taking the town of kobane on syria's border with turkey. president obama heads to the pentagon today for a strategy session. >> kurds and turkey are demanding their government do more to protect kobane. they took to the streets overnight. we have the latest on that. this is all stemming from

turkey's lack of help for kurds in that key town. >> that's exactly right. thousands of kurds are marching out of frustration, flat out furious with turnish officials failing to fight against isil. 18 people were killed as riot police wrangled with protestors. some launched fireworks at the officers. the response from police, water cannons and tear gas and now we're hearing instead of using rubber bullets, officers were firing live bullets at the crowd. while the u.s. and coalition partners carried out more airstrikes today, the kurds demonstrating are consulting for the government to send military support to kobane. even though turkey's president said isil fighters could capture the key town, the military has done nothing yet. we're going to dig deeper into that now with the u.n. ambassador to turkey previously.

he joins us from brussels this morning. thank you so much for being with us. the isil fight is in turkey's back yard and yet it's been hesitant to get into the fight. why is that the case? >> very simple, the p.y.d., the kurdish fighters in syria are seen by the turkish government as the syrian branch of the p.k.k., the p.k.k. has been fighting an insurgency for 30 years, 40,000 dead. it's obviously a difficult situation for turkey. at the same time, turkey has accepted scores of syrian kurdish refugees, 180,000 in the last two weeks or so, so it's a fairly complex situation. >> how do you think turkey views the kurds that are going over to fight isil in syria? is it sort of a double-edged sword in the turkish government's view? >> first of all, they're trying

to prevent turkish kurds to join the syrian kurds. also, they have said no to the other syrian kurds to go through turkish territory to join and defend kobane. at the same time, you have to see that kobane is a very, very tiny spot on the map. what isis is trying to do in my view is to secure a continuous border with turkey, and that leaves the political issue much more to the west and east, very big stretches of land. if isis was going to attack these places, that would be an entirely different ballgame. at the moment, what we have is essentially a humanitarian emergency in kobane. >> the turkish implied last

month that isil exchange prisoners to get its hostages back. do you think there's back room dealing between turkey and isil that is keeping turkey out of the fight? >> first of all, the general narrative is isis is something that is viewed quite positively, i'm not talking of the massacres, but the anti i am perillist narrative, the anti american crusaders and what else i also viewed positively by a number of conservatives in turkey. of course, that has been changing quite a lot with the recent massacres. that's one thing. the other thing is that isis is putting pressure on the border, because they need to keep that border open. this is the only outlet to the outside world, this is where they recruit, get supplies, smuggle their oil. the turkish government doesn't

like these discords, but but is happening. this is the main issue between turkey and its western partners right now. >> former u.n. ambassador to turkey and scholar from europe, thank you. >> >> russia's richest man fell afoul of president vladimir putin and spent 10 years in jail so putin released him and now he is relaunching his efforts to bring democracy to russia. real money had the chance to meet him and speak with him during a recent trip to the u.s. >> i doubt that anybody in the west today underestimates putin. i think that if anything, he is being overestimated, because he's being compared to the current leaders of their countries, and none of these leaders have lately manifested

any brilliant strategic thinking. >> what do you see as more dangerous for russia, putin staying in power for 10 or more years or putin falling from power and there's no credible leader to take his place? >> >> i feel he that the situation when putin leaves power and he will at some point leave power, is going to be not without danger for russia. we are seeing in the past year that putin is making a large number of mistakes, which makes a crisis in russia unavoidable. what we can and must do in a situation like this is to put together a team that would help make such a transition as smooth as possible. >> do you think the kremlin is

scared of you? >> i think that in releasing me from jail, putin deemed me not a danger to him. there are other people who think otherwise, and in today's kremlin policy, vis a vis myself, we see both of these lines. >> do you think putin has reassessed, though, given all the events that have transpired since you've been released? >> it may be that at some point he may regret that i'm now outside his immediate control, but on the other hand, i also hope that one day, he will realize that an independent opposition is a good thing for the country. >> what should the west be more concerned about, a crisis outside of russia, russian aggression, or a crisis inside russia? >> you can see that these two are totally interconnected,

putin's aggression outside of russia creates a situation in russia where the national show of any of thes are on the rise, seeing the rise, putin attempts to take over their agenda for himself by means of external aggression. i think we have stepped on to a path of no return. as a result of taking this path, the regime in russia will be destroyed. what sorts of losses this will bring to russia and to the whole world is something we have all yet to see. >> patty, thanks for being with us. we should remind viewers that he was released before the winter olympics.

my question is how much influence does he still have on russians? >> he was an oligarch and they are a very hated class in russia. you have to combine that with the fact that putin's approval ratings are off the charts, 86% and holding steady, despite the economic pain of sanctions. russia's economy started tanking even before the crisis in ukraine erupted, but putin has basically appropriated that agenda of the chauvinists, who are becoming more and more powerful, stolen their funder with these more aggressive moves in ukraine. >> there's still this question of legitimacy. do you get into that in your interview? >> absolutely. we do get into why should reform-minded russians listen to an exoligarch. in the second part of the interview, don't forget, he has

lost his fortune, 10 years of his life, he lost time with his children, his family, and we're going to ask him how much more he is willing to lose. >> joining us live in our studio, thank you. you can see part two on "real money -- tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern. >> twitter is suing the federal government for the right to tell users about government surveillance. a lawsuit was filed tuesday against the f.b.i. and the justice department. twitter says it has a first amendment right to speak about the scope of the probe. federal laws prohibit twitter and other companies from revealing data requests to the public. >> nevada and colorado are joining the ranks of states where same-sex couples can marry. firms decided not to appeal courts rulings flowing outs gay marriage bans. an appeals court overturned the bans in nevada and idaho. idaho's attorney general is

deciding whether to appeal to the supreme court. >> wal-mart employees will be without health n. employees who work less than 30 hours a week will no longer have benefits. they say that will help cut the company's rising health care costs. it will raise health care premiums for employees in 2015. >> the senate race in kentucky could hang on the state's rollout of the affordable care act. it's seen some of the most sign ups to date. despite that, poles showed most people in kentucky don't like obamacare. residents had interesting thoughts about health care in kentucky. >> that's right. kentucky of all the states has had the second best rollout of the health care allow. more than half a million people have gotten covering. despite that, people in tuck tug are not happy with obamacare because of the president it's named after. >> frank dixon is 52, but his

body damaged from decades working as a mechanic in the mining industry. >> you look like you're in pain. >> i'm all right. >> is that your back? >> yeah. >> what does it feel like? >> it hurts. [ laughter ] >> there's days i can't hardly get up. >> like so many others in eastern kentucky mining, dixon lost his job in 2012, making $90,000 a year. >> since your position has been eliminated. >> what's it like now? >> i'm kind of ashamed to say it, i'm on $300 a month food stamps. >> losing work meant losing health covering. for years, he and his son were uninsured, then the affordable care act started. dixon signed up and qualified for a medicaid plan. here, obama care goes by connect. that's k.y. for kentucky. >> do you like obamacare?

>> ooh. i don't ever an answer to that. some things are left unsaid. >> i do recall at least one patient who said i don't want it even if it is free, because he didn't like president obama. >> this doctor works in kentucky treating 70 patients a day. they come from all over coal country. more people are able to pay for their care with connect and more patients are seeing a doctor for the first time in years. >> do you remember your patients understand what connect is versus obamacare? >> they may not. i think some of them are just happy to have insurance and however they got it, you know, they're happy about it. they don't look at the politics. >> the term obamacare is poison

in kentucky. a poll conducted in may found 57% dislike obamacare, but when asked about connect, only 22% disapprove. frank dixon said insurance bureaucracy is holding up back surgery and politicians don't listen. >> i would like for him to come down here, the president and sit down and talk to me like we're talking. i wouldn't be smart alec or hateful, and just listen. >> it's a feeling he and other kentucky voters will take to the ballot box in four weeks deciding a tight senate race between mitch mcconnell and grymes. views will help shape who wins and kentucky voters may not be able to get past the nickname obamacare. >> it is an issue democratics grappling with in tight races

across the country. how do you promote the successes of a a law people in red states just don't want to like? >> how have the senate candidates mcconnell and grymes been using obamacare in their campaigning? >> mitch mcconnell has pledged to repeal obamacare and tear it out root and branch. there's a problem. what about all the people in kentucky who like the health insurance thief been able to get through connect, wimp is the same thing as obamacare. mcconnell said they can keep it, but he can't explain how. this is an opening for grymes to make waves and support the law. some democrats say she has shied away from it, afraid of bringing the baggage of president obama along, but they say it may be worth the risk to promote connect because at the end of the day, it may be about people happy to have health insurance. this is one of the issues we heard about from folks we recently visited, kentucky, we're talking about the state

all week. tonight, we'll look at all the outside money that's pouring into this race, including dark money coming from secret, deep-pocketed donors. >> thank you so much. again, be sure to tune in for libby's next report on the kentucky campaign. that outside money flowing in is tonight in our america votes 2014 segment. >> for the third time this year, the international monetary fund is lowering it's global outlook. it's only expecting 3.3% growth in 2014 and 3.8% growth next year. both projections are down from its july forecast and the agency said an unseen recovery are affecting that growth. >> kim jong-un's disappearance leaves the world guessing. >> he hasn't been seen in more

than a month. the guessing games that is sparking until the country. >> a bloody good time for sky watchers, as the moon takes on a different look, thanks to a lunar eclipse. >> check that out. it's time for our big quote. >> one former white house official weighing in on the global fight against isil saying the burdens of leadership of sometimes heavy, but there is no one else who can take up that mantel. know, it hurts everything. >> some say it's time for a change. >> mitch has been in there so long. >> while others want to stay the course. >> all the way mitch! you know exactly what these people needs in kentucky. >> communities trying to cope. what does the future hold? >> the economy, the struggling coal industry and healthcare are all impacting their vote. >> "america votes 2014 / fed up in kentucky". all this week. only on al jazeera america.

>> who said "the burdens of leadership of sometimes heavy, but we know that there is no one else who can take up that mantel? >> it is from condoleezza rice speaking to cadets earlier this

week about america's role in fighting terrorism. >> an apology from the captain of the south korean terry that killed 16 people that he is among crew members accused of abandoning the ferry after telling passengers to stay put. most victims were school aged children. >> the north korean's kim jong-un has been absent for weeks. speculation is that he may be sick or may even have been deposed. a professor of public and international affairs at the university of georgia and director for the study of global

issues joins us from athens, georgia. professor, how unusual do you think it is to see a north korean leader absent for this length of time? >> no, this is not very unusual at all, because his grandfather more than once was absent for long periods of time, leading to all kinds of speculations, only to see him reemerge, and that happened to his son, as well. a few weeks, kim jong-un has not been seen in public. i think what is happening is he decided or rather the party decided to hide him, so to speak, from public lime light, because he has a severely limping situation and physical discomfort, and last time, maybe five, six weeks ago, we saw him

limping quite vividly and because of that, the party decided, i'm pretty sure, that it's not good idea to show him in that physical condition. >> the timing seems to some career watchers to be somewhat suspicious. usually around this time of year, as you know, north korea holds these annual huge festivities. they were canceled. do you think that is a coincidence? >> i think that why it's canceled, leads to another round of speculations, but all indications are that things seem to be in typically normal situations, three north korean top aides of kim jong-un were sent to south korea last week and carried on pretty substantive discussions with

long term commitment. that could not have happened without the endorsement and encouragement by kim jong-un. i think kim jong-un is politically healthy, physically, may not be, but i think it's a matter of time, weeks, not months, he will resurface, so just further speculation at this point is unwarranted. >> yeah, and as always, we are all reading the tea leaves when it comes to that reclusive country. professor, thank you for your time. >> two americans and a german are the winners of this year's nobel prize in chemistry. they all did groundbreaking work with micro scopes, proving that you can take a very close look at molecules like this one far closer than scientists ever

thought possible. >> check this out, a clumsy cat burglar had a hard time breaking into a home in washington state last month. watch this. the woman spent nearly two hours trying to get inside that house and then finally headed for the roof where she was spotted through a window by a woman who lives in that house. her screams scared the burglar who fell off the roof. look, she takes off. that's a 15-foot drop. she ran off after she hit the ground. >> for the first time in the history of health magazine, a reared is gracing the cover. an iraq war vet lost part of his arm and leg after an explosion battled depression and alcoholism until a wake up call one day to turn his life around. he is now running marathons and look how fit he is. >> look at him go. >> catch ago beautiful sight in the sky this morning, there's the blood moon. a total lunar eclipse happened

around sunrise. if you pressed the snooze button, the next blood moon takes place april 4. >> let's check in with nicole mitchell who has more. >> if you missed it, unfortunately, it's over for now. if you're wondering about the blood part of it, the coloring, if you remember back to science class, color is actually, you know, just different elements of light, so the red is lower frequencies that come into the atmosphere. now, not everyone saw it. you can see clear spots in the midwest through the south into the northeast, still a lot of rain that is moving out especially in new england from that last system, but cloud cover limited that area. the next system we're really watching, this is the remnant moisture from simon, that tropical storm now pushing into places like arizona. we're getting that moisture and that is going to be a concern for the next couple of days. >> in terms of temperature, behind that lost front, places

like chicago, 64 and i've been in the south over the course of the weekend. the 70's have been replaced like 80's, so the warm stuff is back there. >> thanks so much, nicole. >> tomorrow morning on aljazeera america, the mid term elections drawing close, fast. we'll have details of some of the top issues impacting races around the country. we'll look at senate contests in kentucky and how big money outside the state could drive voters to the polls. >> coming up in two minutes from doha, the latest on the fight for kobane in syria and the calls for more action from turkey and the coalition to stop isil. first, here's one more look at the amazing blood moon, our images of the day come from scotland. >> beautiful. have a great morning. we'll see you right back here tomorrow at 7:00 a.m.

>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello and welcome to the news hour, live from doha, i have your stop stories this hour. more heavy fighting around the town of kobani, and syrian kurds continue to battle isil forces. kenyan's president appears at the international criminal court to deny charges of crimes against humanity. and the day the moon turned red,