>> seeing red, the gop announced set to take control of the senate for the first time in eight years. a few big races across the country are still up for grabs. >> for president obama, it could mean an uphill battle for the rest of his term. how the new normal in washington could change his agenda. >> in jerusalem, a truck driver rapidly his truck into pedestrians and was shot at a

holy site. >> new allegations are human rights abuses by isil. the unlikely source coming to the group's aid as it tries to take control of kobane. >> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm stephanie sy. this morning, republicans are making plans for the next few years while the white house is pledging to compromise after a night that can only be called a rout, the gop picking up enough seats to seize control of the senate. now they'll set the washington agenda for the final two years of the obama presidency. >> those results mean harry reid is out as senate majority reared, mitch mcconnell now poised to replace him. republicans expanding their hold on the house now enjoying their largest majority there since the great depression. we have team coverage with reporters around the country and arched the world. >> let's begin in washington. lisa, good morning. this was a huge night for the republicans. >> absolutely.

the democrats took a drubbing and woke up to a very different political landscape this morning. we are expect to go hear from president obama. he will hold a news conference and we'll hear about his take on what happened at the ballot box. >> the balance of power in washington has shifted. it now favors republicans, who will control the house and the senate. >> tonight, they said we can have real change in washington, real change. >> leading the rupp rout mitch mcconnell. he easily beat democratic allison grymes, who stumbled late in the campaign. it was eye was not republican

joannie aernst coming from behind. >> i'm the next united states senator from north carolina. >> it sealed the democrats' fate. >> somehow i think senator reid's going to have a different office assignment come february. >> mark udall losing to congressman gardner. in arkansas with how about that win? tom cotton denied mark pryor a third term in the senate. >> i think it was a win that we all hoped for and maybe expected, but perhaps a little earlier and big are than one would have expected. >> democrats were able to stop the bleeding in several states. in new hampshire, incumbent shaheen put away scott brown. in virginia, mark warner is

locked in a dead heat with gillespie who can demand a recount. >> three term send foremary landrieu will face bill cassidy he again on december 6th. >> we have the race that we want and bill cassidy, you can not run. you cannot hide anymore. this race is starting tonight! >> that race already off and running. now president obama will actually -- has already reached out to a number of the winners of last night's election and he will meet with the current leaders in congress at the white house on friday, so both sides starting to get in place and move ahead. >> this was obviously a major blow to the democrats. where does the democratic party go from here, lisa? >> there will be a lot of soul

searching and they'll look ahead to the next election, the presidential election in two years and try to keep the emphasis on the issues they think matters to their voters, immigration, women's issues and the middle class. >> the pressure now shifts to the republican party, now that they have the wins. what should we expect from them over the next two years? >> mitch mcconnell famously said during the president's first term that his whole goal was to deny the president a second term. has he to stop being a naysayer and show his party can move forward on issues they think are important to their voters, so we'll have to see if they can get what has turned out to be a do nothing congress, if they can turn the next congress into something where they can work with the president and get some legislation passed. >> thank you. >> let's go to libby casey in louisville, kentucky where mitch mcconnell is still celebrating his victory over allison grymes.

some thought he wouldn't make it out of the primary. >> he showed the political mastery that has gotten him into a leadership position. he was able to send off a challenge from the right flank by pointing his opponent as a political novice, then turned his attention to president obama, whose name may not have been on the ballot, but made it all about him. he said a vote for mcconnell was a vote against the white house. >> it was about a government that people no longer trust to carry out its most basic duties, to keep them safe, protect the border, provide dignified and quality care for our veterans. a government that can't be trusted to do the basic things because it's too busy focusing on things it shouldn't focus on at all.

>> when i talked to voters yesterday, they were excited about not just sending mcconnell back to washington to fight president obama, but also the potential to send him back at majority leader. they were looking forward to seeing a person from kentucky rise to that position for the first time in six decades. >> what about allison grimes. why did she not connect with kentucky voters? >> her initial message didn't stick. she had a hard time carving out her own identity and couldn't prove to voters that taking down measure mcconnell was worth sending someone new, half his age to washington. last night, she did message to keep working for the issues that she was most passionate about on the campaign trail.

>> my hope is that the message was sent to congress, we need to work to close the gender pay gap and bring good paying jobs back to the commonwealth of kentucky. >> mark warner is clinging to a tiny lead over ed gillespie. >> let's go to randall pinkston who is live in new orleans. how difficult is the road ahead

for senator landrieu? >> senator landrieu has faced runoffs before, probably no one as challenging as coming up. a lot of republican voters who had allowed her to be elected to three terms of office this time did not vote for her. still, she sounded confident, saying she now has the race she wants, referring of course to rung against bill cassidy, challenging him to six debates. cassidy meanwhile is going to stick with the script that got him where he is. >> if you want a senator that helps you, not barack obama, i look forward to getting your vote on december 5. >> that is cassidy referring to the fact that landrieu support's

president obama's policies. that was the campaign ad that became his mantra tort entire race and is likely to be so going forward. no response from cassidy on landrieu's challenge to him of having six debates. >> louisiana's most expensive race costing $40 million will now, i imagine cost even more with weeks of mud slinging ahead. >> certainly there will be more funds expended. how much more we can't say. a lot of this is so-called dark money, outside dollars from packs and other political organizations that don't have to report in my the election is over. here's another point. we're likely to see certainly ramped up spending by landrieu, because she has to convince voters who voted against her to come and vote for her in the december runoff. >> runoff elections are difficult to predict. can you explain why?

>> d.c. of turnout, usually runoffs have fewer voters than the prior elections. it's difficult to say what's going to happen here. the tea party candidate colonel rob mannis picked up 200,000 votes yesterday. those voters voted against landrieu. we'll see if they vote for her in december. >> live in new orleans, thank you. >> let's go live to des moines, iowa. republican joannie earns is the new senator. >> she was able to fend off the attacks from her democratic

opponent she also was able to connect with the people and come off as someone they could relate to. that was really one of the things that played a major part in this campaign. early on, there was that viral ad campaign in which she said that she grew up as an iowa farm girl who kass traded hogs and was able to cut the pork, something she made reference to in her acceptance speech last night. >> thanks to all of you. we are head to go washington and we are going to make them zeal. >> she was a decorated combat veteran. the polls showed that they were in a dead heat but in the end, she came out in front. >> she also campaigned against

the affordable care act, obamacare with the new republican majority in the senate, could we see a breakdown of that law? >> that's right. she made no sort of -- she didn't disguise how she felt about obamacare. prior to this, she voted in a survey to nullify obamacare. that's not possible under state law, but it's not unlikely that she will join the republicans when they look to fight off obamacare, try to repeal that law, so something she'll be looking into doing. >> we'll talk to political reporter about the role that money played in the election. >> overseas, the presidents of ghana, nigeria and senegal are in burkina faso this morning hoping to pressure the military to give up power. the u.n. and african union have threatened sanctions if

civilians aren't put back in charge in two weeks. at the capital, we have a live reporter. >> the three men in the building behind me, i can tell you it's tense inside there. not just the meeting going on, but outside, as well, because you have opposition leaders who are here and they are angry. they are saying they've been patient, if it takes too long to remove the colonel, they are threatens protest if that happens. basically people are waiting for some kind of information. not much is coming out at the moment. we expect the three presidents to put pressure on the colonel, make him step down willingly. if not -- >> ok, i apologize for that. we have clearly lost -- not that easy to get a shot, but she was able to give us the latest on the meetings. >> we have breaking news out of israel. a truck rapidly into pedestrians

in west jerusalem. police shot and killed the palestinian behind the wheel. there are reports that two policemen were run over in east jerusalem, all coming hours after tensions broke out at the mosque once again. we have more. >> what israel police are describing as a hit-and-run terror attack, a man driving a vehicle drove into a group of people waiting at a light rail stop in jerusalem. we understand that a number of people were injured, one seriously. we also know from police that the driver of the car tried to flee the scene, and he was then shot dead. this follows a similar incident over a week ago in which two people were killed after a palestinian man drove his car into a group of people, also at a light rail station not far

from this one. one of the dead was a three-month-old baby girl. now in the backdrop of all of this are increasing tensions right across occupied east jerusalem, but more specifically at the mosque compound. just this morning, wednesday morning, there is a very serious confrontation between israeli police and palestinian protestors after a group of far right jewish activists tried to access the compound. we've seen a number of different confrontations like this in recent days and weeks. all of this underscores the serious tension and unpredictable situation right across jerusalem. >> tensions have been high at temple mount since a far right rabbi was shot nearby last week. >> to the night against isil, a new report said the group tortured after kidnapping several teenage boys and still hold more children near kobane.

ethnic kurds are helping isil in kobane. officials say they're teaching the fighters the local terrain and language. new zealand says it will step up efforts to stop its citizens from joining isil. the prime minister said military involvement is off the table. >> new photographs of north korean leader kim jong-un have been published showing him at a meeting with military commanders. he's been keeping a low profile, last photographed in october seen using a cane. he recently had an ankle operation to remove a sift. >> for more on your national forecast this morning, the day after the big election, we turn to nicole mitchell. >> a lot of places the weather cooperated. it's been a rainy rut. this is portion of texas where heavy rain has been moving through and not moving out quickly. we are going to continue to see that flood concern. you don't have to be a

meteorologist to pick out this front through the country. you can see the rain much more widespread everyone part because of gulf moisture. what was a hurricane, now a tropical depression is helping funnel extra moisture. most of this is gulf moisture, but this will enhance it. bright greens show the moisture in the atmosphere. that's a water vapor image. here's a look at the radar, widespread rain, spots up toward the great lakes but more widespread in texas today, not moving very quickly. this is going to continue to be a flood concern. >> northern parts of the state under exceptional drought, the highest level, but watching south central texas in terms of flooding. the next system, a clipper in the midwest, not bringing in as much rain, but cooler air, as well. i'll have more in a bit. >> if you were watching last night, that was my co anchor

stephanie sy doing double duty. she's back and we'll talk about overwhelming support for raising the minimum wage. >> yes, i'm still here. voters had their say over that issue and recreational marijuana use. we'll take a look at the initiative on the ballots nationwide. >> confusing i.d. laws and malfunctioning voter machines. >> 43 students miss forego more than a month in mexico, a mayor and his wife questioned after being implicated. >> virginia set a record at the polls.

>> today's big number 2,700,000 people, voters who cast blots tuesday in virginia. >> they were deciding a highly contested senate race, still too close to call. some voters reported issues with

touch screen voting machines and had to comply with a new i.d. law. >> record turnout in wisconsin, as well. officials saying that 2.5 million people came out to vote, 56% of those eligible to cast their blots. >> voters not only decided on the person they wanted to represent them, but voted on important ballot measures. >> including raising the minimum wage and leading marijuana in some states. some of the initiatives passed by wide margins. some did not. >> let's start with the one that voters easily passed, raising the minimum wage. we've got south dakota, nebraska red leaning states and the measures passed by 60%. this means the minimum wage, roughly $6 to $7 an hour in those states will rise nearly $2 over the next couple years. the federal minimum wage currently stands at $7.25.

gun control, voters in alabama and washington passed their gun-related niche i was. in alabama, 75% of voters approved an amendment that says any restriction on a citizen's right to bear arms would be subject to strict scrutiny. washington's ballot measure passed with 60%. now let's talk about legalizing marijuana. washington, d.c., florida and alaska taking up that issue. you can see the medical marijuana measure failed in florida, coming three-point shy of the 60% required to pass it, but oregon and alaska joined washington and colorado, the only states in the country to allow pot for personal use and for retail. as for d.c., voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana by nearly 70%, but it's a unique situation there.

since it's technically a district, not a state, congress actually has the authority to overrule d.c. laws and there are already report that is some lawmakers vowing to do just that. >> joining us to talk about the most experiencive mid term ever, senior reporter at the center for public integrity is in washington this morning. david, good morning to you. at nearly $4 billion spent nationwide, this was the most expensive. was cash the king maker last night? >> cash helped republicans in a major way. what we had in a lot of key races, including key senate races that helped give republicans the senate ultimately controlled the senate, you saw money playing a massive role because the candidates themselves weren't raising at much money in their own campaigns as the democratic candidates were raising. you had all these outside groups coming in, super pacs,

non-profit organizations that have the ability to raise effectively unlimited amounts of money for candidates, spending significant amounts for the republicans. now, it was happening on the democratic side, too, make no mistake, but when you add it all up and many of these races, the republicans were getting the lion's share of the cash, it definitely helped them at the ballot box. >> the most expensive race was in north carolina, where incumbent senator kay hagan lost. when you look at that specific case, what can we learn of the influence of outside spending in these specific races? >> kay hagan had a huge advantage, almost a two-dollar and five cents to every

one dollar. >> a proxy of outside groups came in to level the playing field. they did a remarkable job, convinced voters that tom tillis was the candidate for them. tom tillis' allies really used barack obama as the alts malt boogie man to come in and say kay hagan, if you vote for her, that's a vote for barack obama and he is not very popular anywhere right now. >> would you expect the phenomenon of dark money to repeat itself in the 2016 elections? >> in 2014, we saw sort of the fool flourishing of so-called

dark money, money spent by organizations that don't have to disclose who their donors are. some organizations do, others don't. it's a very quirky election law that we have in the country now but there's no signs of it changing going into 2016. the big presidential election year, unless there's some major court cases or congress suddenly gets religion to changing money in politics. expect a whole lot more of the same and also, too, outside groups playing a primary role even in these elections. in many of these key senate races, in dozens of other races all across the country, outside groups, when you add up all the money that they spent together, they they didn't more than the candidates themselves. in a way, you have the candidates playing almost second fiddle to these outside groups in their own races for better or worse. >> great point. dave, thank you. >> the job pace $174,000 a year in the house.

>> elections felt beyond the beltway. >> could affect the mideast policy and even the battle in iraq and syria. we have international reaction from london and istanbul. >> the president is being called everything from a lame duck to toxic. a look at how the u.s. elections are playing out in newspapers around the world. >> a desperate search for a woman seen on camera being abducted, the new clues police are following this morning. >> minnesota vikings running back adrian peterson avoiding jail time in his child abuse case. why his playing on the field is in limbo even though the court case is over.

>> the election not just affecting washington. republicans picking up at least

three governorships nationwide. pat quinn in illinois has yet to concede. in maryland, hogan beating brown. republican charlie baker beating coaly in massachusetts. the governor's race in alaska, colorado and connecticut all right now still too close to call. a very close race in vermont means the legislate is going to be picking that state's next governor. >> several republican governors, one in georgia, what are his plans for the future? >> good morning. nathan deal fought hard against jason carter, the grandson of jimmy carter, former president, but nathan deal came out on top last night. his plans and what he's been running on is prison reform in the state of georgia and also

the unemployment numbers here, the highest in the country at 7.9%. he claims he's going to create more jobs and get that number down. last night, at the college hall of fame here in downtown atlanta, here's what he had to say. >> we will continue to make georgia the best place in the country for every possible thing you can imagine, jobs, environment, family life, best place to live. we have it all going for us and we're going to keep it moving in that direction. >> he's going to try to move the state forward and lower that unemployment number, 7.9, almost two percentage points higher than any other national average in the entire country, any other state, so big problems with the middle class and blue collar jobs right now. we'll see what he can do. >> the real issue is for folks in georgia. let's talk about the governor's races in wisconsin.

scott walker, another incumbent wins, former governor rick scott, another incumbent pulse off a victory. both faced big challenges from democrats. >> absolutely. scott walker in wisconsin, you know, really, really going at it hard, a potential presidential candidate, and he went on the platform of no more big government. he's actually run for governor three of the past four years. remember, he was a lot of issues there with the unions in the state and so he comes out ahead, a record number of voters for mid term showing up in wisconsin, clearly they made their voice heard. in florida, another big time race, rick scott challenging former governor charlie crist, who was a republican at one point where he was governor, then went independent and then ran as a democratic, clearly florida saying you know what, no more charlie crist, we like rick scott. >> the other surprise, really,

was that in the blue states, democrats were not able to pull it off. i'm talking about massachusetts and illinois, republicans will be replacing democrats governors in those two states. >> exactly. illinois, massachusetts, a very democratic states. if we look at illinois, pat quinn, the democratic governor who just lost, he hasn't actually conceded yet. if you go on his website, they are still not saying that we're done here, typical illinois politics. in massachusetts, the first republican governor to come into office now, mitt romney ran that state just about 10 years ago. unbelievable, the gop out with their bats last night swinging and taking a lot of heads off the democratic party. >> that is a graphic image, but adequate. robert ray for us in atlanta, thank you so much.

[ laughter ] >> caught in our global net, in london, republican storm to victory as toxic obama pushed in med terms, says the president has to face a hostile congress for the next two years of his office. that might be the understatement. >> over to israel national news, it says lame duck obama, worst situation since eisenhower. we should point out that president obama himself speaking to a hartford radio station and tuesday made that same comparison. it was 1958. you'll remember that year, of course, del. >> it was a great year. >> democrats took what was then the new state of alaska. >> don't get me started on the lincoln election. >> fears of decades long russian sanction laws.

with republicans in charge, it would be hard to repeal. there have been three rounds of sanctions 11 vied against russia since it annexed crimea. the republican majority will make those almost impossible to overturn. >> i don't know if there's a clear by partisan divide on that. >> in london, you just heard very harsh reaction for president obama in the international press today. is this going to affect his standing among the g7? >> i don't think so. certainly calling him toxic is not something you will hear in the european union right now. his star is fading and fading fast and there is concern about that. don't forget the european countries in economic doldrums, having a lot of difficulty look to america as the country that is going to lead the way in term of economic recovery and they see the hazard of more political

deadlock, because there's already been a lot as something that is not positive right now in that conversation. but of course, the marketses and the economists have taken a lot of that into account already because they've seen it at work in america for sometime. with foreign affairs, they understand the decisions are taken in the oval office, not by congress or largely taken by senate, they expect president obama will continue on the foreign affairs side on the way he has in terms of negotiations with israel, on palestinian, on settlement expansion, or in ukraine. probably the more interesting interpretation and the unknown is how president putin of russia sees a weaker, so-called weaker american president. will he try to capitalize on this and push further into ukraine and test nato, and that

may be dangerous many think now. it would be a miscalculation because president obama is still the commander-in-chief. of course the republicans and democrats have not differed substantially on what action had to be taken with russia. >> if putin pushes back, are there concerns on the russian front for the future of sanctions with the republican house and senate? it's a very interesting conversation right now, because the republicans want to enact some sanctions into law as they did with a bill in the 1970's called the jackson vanek bill set up when the satisfactory jet union was restricting the movements of jews in the soviet union when they were trying to leave. all this is done by presidential executive order, the three phases of sanctions. the important thing is they could be removed by the president within a matter of months. if suddenly you have the republican dominated houses

enact legislation, it could be and the concern is that those sanctions could stay in place for decades. they would be very hard to remove after that. >> dana lewis from london, thanks very much. >> let's cross to istanbul now. how could the gop win impact middle east policy? >> there's a sense among residents and leaders of the middle east that the president dictates foreign policy. there may be a sense in the region that president obama's strength is decreasing and that may lead leaders to hedge their bets, basically wait him out so that they can get to his successor in a couple of years. that may be especially true of israel prime minister benjamin netanyahu. also syria and syria's neighbors, here in turkey and iran, very much looking at the outcome of the congressional

race, given that the nuclear talks have a deadline of three weeks from now. >> turkey has been very public with frustration particularly with the fight against isil. what are people telling you in light of these election results? >> it's not only turkey, it's syria itself, the u.s. allies on the ground inside of syria, who the u.s. needs to fight isil. there is a lot of criticism of president obama's syria's strategy, the training program, $500 ear marked for training and weapons, the opposition, the u.s. allies inside syria say it's not big enough, fast enough and a lot of criticism of u.s. airstrikes, focusing on the wrong priorities. we talk about kobane, a small town next to the turkish border, over 200 airstrikes there, but only 10 or 12 airstrikes in the headquarters of all of these syrian opposition groups, aleppo and in those places, opposition

groups are having a very tough time against the syrian government and al-qaeda. they say if you don't help us more, we are getting overrun by al-qaeda, the syrian regime, how do you expect us to defeat isil. >> the nuclear deal with iran is one of obama's top foreign policy priorities, how will that be affected? >> absolutely one of obama's top priorities. this may be the place where the mid term elections may have the biggest effect. in three weeks, the u.s. will try to make a historic deal with iran. if the congress feels the u.s. has given too much away, they can try and pull it back a little bit, increase sanctions, which would anger iran, making it more difficult to pass that deal in iran or somehow try to control the deal. they can't kill the deal, but it will be very difficult this they

try and criticize that deal for it to go through, not only here in the u.s. congress, but within iran. >> nick schiffron reporting from istanbul, nick, thank you. >> let's go to mike lyons now. the hawks controlling both the congress and is not, how does that affect boots on the ground against isil? >> the day after election day, we can start talking more foreign policy. it's important to get talk about it. we're almost sleep walking into this very serious military situation at this point. >> it is really different to be a republican candidate and criticize the president for not putting u.s. boots on the ground against isil and be an actual elected lawmaker and decide to do that, right? >> right, stephanie. you look at the other side of it as the president wants to go slow both in iraq and syria at

this point. the republicans want to move forward, go faster especially inside syria. that means war powers act. we'll see if they put their money where their mouth is. >> john mccain very hawkish on the war. how does he use the bully pulpit to change the landscape in iraq and syria? >> i think he'll try to support the president with funding. that's the key right now. the president is going to keep everybody at arm's length, move at his pace and his agenda. i'm not sure it's in line with what the gop wants to do. you'll see them fund things, having everything laid out for the president to react. the question is whether he'll do it or not. >> would you expect changes in funding for defense and to end sequestration and those cuts? >> i think quest reaction off the table first would be something that i know the pentagon is looking at now. the army in particular, the cuts they've had to make have been

brutal. they've got to do something to go back to the citizens inside the military to make sure that we're not going to unfund that requirement. >> according to iraq and kurdish officials, kurdish rebels are now helping members of isil in the battle for kobane. how is that going to effect the battle? >> it's so difficult to figure out what side anything's on. the situation inside syria is so important with rewards to this debate of whether we get involved or not. there's a civil war taking place. these are tribes that have been warring each other for years and for us to say we are going to put troops there has to have a solid debate before hand. >> thank you. our currently of america votes continues in just a few minutes. we'll speak with attorney wendy patrick about the legal challenges that could follow the election. let's look at other stories making news now. a federal grand jury indicted a taliban fighter from russia.

eric olin is the first foreign detainee to be brought from afghanistan to the u.s. for trial. he faces charges including trying to murder a u.s. citizen in afghanistan. hhe will be arraigned friday. >> tens of thousands of people on the streets in mexico calling for answers about the disappearance of 43 college students. police are questioning the mayor of iguala and his wife in connection with that. protestors vow not to leave the streets for two more days. >> the united nations is examining egypt's human rights record. the u.s. and other nations say many arrested have been denied fair trials. three aljazeera journalists have enough been jailed in egypt for 312 days. two producer and one correspondent were convicted of spreading false news. an egyptian court will be convened in january to consider their appeal.

aljazeera continues to demand their immediate release. >> australia joining the fight against ebola in west africa. primy abbot calls it an emergeny within the crisis. cases of malaria and typhoid are going untreated because hospitals are too full or clouds. >> a desperate plea from the family of a missing philadelphia woman. her terrifying abduction caught on video. >> there are no images of the kidnapping suspect and the kidnapee. >> that's right. this story's made all the more remarkable because of the covering that we have. it's very clear. often it is not clear, but on this occasion, you can see everything. police releasing new video, 22-year-old being snatched off the street.

new pictures of the suspect use be her a.t.m. card. this is a different angel than yesterday, shows her walking down the sidewalk with her abductor following close behind. she approaches, she backs away and he grabs her before they both move out of sight. investigators released photos from a bank in aberdeen maryland and a video from a nearby convenience store. the suspect used the woman's debit card less than nine hours after she vanished. witnesses heard her screaming for help before she was thrown into the back seat of a car. now her family is making an emotional appeal for her safe return. >> please let her go. just please, give her back. give her back. >> her phone and glasses were found at the scene and now a nearly $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading

to her whereabouts. the family is really doing everything they can, including putting posters up all over the city to get her back. >> we are learning more about what a survivalist did on the run in pennsylvania. police say eric frein admitted to going on line and that means he may have been keeping track of efforts to find him. he was arrested thursday after seven weeks on the run. authorities say he only but should two state troopers, killing one. >> nfl star adrian peterson avoids jail time for beating his son. >> the big question is will the decision clear the way for his return to the football field. good morning. >> adrian peterson appeared in a texas courtroom. the judge ruled he could serve two years probation instead of jail time. peterson will have to pay court

costs plus a $4,000 fine. he'll also have to take parenting classes and serve 80 hours of community service, half of which will include a public service announcement production. peterson spoke about moving on. >> i truly, you know, regret this incident. i stand here and i take full responsibility for my actions. i love my son more than any one of you can even imagine, and i'm looking forward to and i'm anxious to continue my relationship with my child. i'm just glad this is over. i can put this behind me, and me and my family can begin to move forward. >> the nfl will review the matter and make a determination about his return to the vikings. no word on when that will take place. >> the conversation continues. thank you very much.

>> it wouldn't be an election without reports of some problems at the polls. >> those reports are coming in from across the country. even a sitting governor said he was delayed from casting his ballot. >> tough new voter i.d. laws in effect in many states. we'll take a closer look at the risk of voter fraud and did results impact voting nationwide. >> fighting asthma in kids is one of today's discoveries.

>> in connecticut, a judge ordered two polling stations to stay open late. voters in hardford were turned away. 12 polling stations were affected. the governor had to wait a half hour to vote. malloy declared victory in the

race. his opponent has refused to concede. >> this video was posted to you tube showing people struggling with touch screen voting machines. it kept bouncing to his opponent's name. >> good morning opinion have you gone to sleep yet? voter fraud a hot button issue. always we talk about this, but how difficult is it actually to prove? >> that's a great question. a lot of the states have provisions where they allow for counting and recounting certain types of ballots if there is evidence of voter fraud. the word everyday is exactly what you say, very difficult in some states to prove that it actually made a difference. what does evidence mean? is evidence the fact that as he mentioned, can you imagine the horror, you try to vote for

yours and watch yourself vote for your opponent? things like that happen, so documentation is necessary in order to justify asking for a recount in those states. >> there's documentation and then there is change. is there an example that you know of that there was a race that was reversed because of irregularities? >> there have been several examples from different states where it was found that if it had been done properly, if people had not been permitted to vote that were eligible it would have gone to the opponent. those examples are few and far between and that is often used as an argument that there isn't enough voter fraud to justify measures being implemented across the nation. with he mentioned some of them already, making sure you show identification, you can prove your citizenship, what documents do you need to bring to be eligible in the first place. those are the two arguments.

there is voter fraud, it is real and has resulted in some of the elections going to the wrong person, but it's such a rarity that that occurs and doesn't justify the measures we're seeking to implement. >> i want to talk about another race. this is very, very close. talk about potential legal challenges. could web seeing a recount in virginia? >> we're going to have to look at how significant the disparity is once the votes are in and if there is reason to justify a recount. that's one thing that makes calling in individual states tricky. each state haverings of what we need to prove, we being the voters or the candidate to justify a recount. this is a significant issue. many people don't realize that there are some states where people other than the candidate can actually ask for a recount and be successful. then of course, states differ as to who pace for the recount, who can monitor the recount, who can

oversee it and what kind of ballots, digital machines? early votes? there's quite a variety state to state. i would always advice anybody and look at your particular state's rules to see if you can justify doing the recount. >> a very patriotic attorney joining us this morning, wendy, thank you very much. >> voters have approved the first set da tax, charged and extra penny an ounce for all sugary drinks. the beverage industry is spending more than $2 million to defeat the measure. the tax goes into effect in january. it doesn't apply to diet sodas. across the bay, san francisco rejected a similar tax last night. >> let's get another look at your forecast with nicole mitchell. good morning, again, nicole. >> heavy rain in texas, kentucky and tennessee start to go get

some, as well. this is the next one, pretty easy to pick that out in the northern plains and on satellite, that big cloud of moisture out there. what we're going to see is a clipper, moving through quickly. there has been snow, place like north moving fast, not a lot of accumulation. this makes its way with chances for moisture into the east coast tomorrow. in addition to that, the other system kind of redeveloping all that off the coastline for friday, could bring some more wet weather. >> nicole, thank you very much. >> it is time for one of today's discoveries. a surprising new way to treat childhood asthma. surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids can help symptoms. >> the surgery could cut the need for inhalers and anti-inflammatory medications. >> republicans riding a wave of victory from the senate to the statehouse. >> we'll talk to a top party official about what those big

gains mean for the grand old party. >> a lot of women heading to washington. we'll take a look at the major milestone for women at the polls. >> we are back in two minutes with more. th more. >> the death toll could be much higher than anyone known. >> posing as a buyer... >> ...people ready then... >> mr. president >> who should answer for those people >> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime.

one year ago america tonight brought you the story that shocked the nation sex crimes on campus: >> i remember waking up and he was trying to have sex me... >> now we return has anything changed? >> his continued presence on the campus put the entire community at risk

>> for the better... >> i was arrested for another false charge that she had made up... >> america tonight's special report sex crimes on campus: one year later on al jazeera america

>> demanding justice, crowds gather in mexico city seeking answers next with the disappearance of 43 college students. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. it is a new morning in washington and a start of a new era for president obama, facing a republican controlled house and senate. >> the six seats necessary to take the majority, harry reid is out as majority leader, senator mcconnell set to replace him. >> we have team covering this morning with reporters around the country and around the world, but we're going to begin in washington with mike hanna. good morning. >> the man who's likely to be the new senate majority leader,

mitch mcconnell celebrates his win in kentucky, one far easier than predicted and set the tone for a night of sweeping republican gains in both houses of congress. >> tomorrow, the papers will say i won this race. but the truth is, the truth is, tonight we begin another one, one that's far more important than mine and that's a race to turn this country around. >> there will be a runoff in louisiana and at least one democratic senator that will live to fight another day. >> louisiana's worth fighting for. join me, let's get some revert tonight and hit the campaign trail in the morning. god bless you all! thank you! >> the republicans increased their majority in the house of representatives and took a

number of governorships away from the democrats, including president obama's home state of illinois. the president could struggle to implement domestic and foreign policy in the place of both houses controlled by the opposition. >> i think we're going to see a much more aggressive foreign policy from the united states, much less foreign aid. i think the president's going a lot less room to negotiate with the iran nuclear deal, less room to negotiate when it comes to ecrane and the u.s. peace process, negotiations with palestinian and israel are going to get much more hawkish. obama's going to be very constrained. he wants to make promises to the world, but is going to have to get approval from a congress that doesn't want to work with him. >> president obama has invited leadiers from both parties to discuss the way forward in the light of the new political reality. emboldened by their emphatic victory, the new lords on the hill are more likely to demand

presidential compromise than seek it. mike hanna, aljazeera, capitol hill. >> lisa stark joins us now. good morning. the white house is calling for bipartisan ship this morning, but with republicans brimming with confidence after the victory, is that likely? >> they are indeed. republicans calling for bipartisanship. mitch mcconnell said the two parties have an obligation to work together in areas they can agree. harry reid has said the message is clear that they want the republicans and democrats to work together. the bottom line is the two have major policy differences, the two parties. on top of that, the republicans do not have a filibuster-proof majority in the senate and the president of course has his veto pen at the ready, so there's plenty of room for continued gridlock as we go forward. >> great point. unfortunately, probably true. how much of an impact will this defeat have on the democrats?

>> well, certainly they are licking their wounds this morning, trying to figure out what went wrong. at the white house, the president has made it clear he will continue to use his executive authority where he can and where he feels it's necessary, such as immigration and the democrats are really going to keep a sharp focus on the issues they think will help them going forward. not just immigration, but women's issues, as well, and those bread and butter economic issues, such as the minimum wage. stephanie, we're hearing this morning that before the next congress takes over, that the democrats in the senate hope to push forward a number of the presidents nominees. >> lisa stark for us in washington, thank you. >> let's go to libby casey in louisville, kentucky where mitch mcconnell was celebrating his victory last night and it was a big one. he is likely to become the next senate majority leader. good morning. >> good morning, del, this is the gop's version of hope and

change. to that end, we're getting a first glimpse this morning at time magazine's upcoming cover. it's a riff on the poster of hope, you remember that, it was the icon of president obama's 2008 campaign. now it's twisted a little bit for the republicans. it's a little ironic, because mitch mcconnell is not an element of change in washington. his opponent alison grimes tried to make that something to run against, but kentucky voters wanted the seniority and consistency. mitch mccann necessarily made his pitch that he will be a thorn in the side against president obama. take a listen. >> for too long, this administration has tried to tell the american people what's good for them, and then blame somebody else when their policies didn't work out. tonight, they said we can have real change in washington, real change.

that's just what i intend to deliver. >> we will hear from senator mcconnell here in louisville this afternoon ahead of president obama's address to the press and he's going to be talking about the assumption that he will become the majority leader, of course, it has to get decided by the republican party in the senate, but it is looking quite likely. >> mitch mcconnell is a washington insider, he has been a force in washington for quite some time, but a lot of americans don't know him that well. what will they learn about mitch mcconnell in the upcoming months? >> he's been in office five terms, 30 years, and yes, he is he the consummate washington insider. his wife served at labor secretary under president george w. bush. mitch mcconnell has been known as a deal maker, rising in power to become the top republican in the senate. in recent years, he he's pulled back from deem making as the

republican party has had to accommodate the tea party and to the right. in the past year, he's been coming back to that deal making stance. he was a key part of ending the government shut down a year ago. we'll watch to see if he's going to broker deals or if he'll be pushing the republican agenda forward in a way that doesn't include the democrats. we'll see. >> and which side of the republican party controls congress. libby, thank you very much. >> let's go to robert ray from atlanta. a big night for republicans in governor's races across the country, including there in georgia where you are, good morning. >> in georgia, just 24 hours ago, people in this state thought the governor's race could go into a runoff but that's not at all what happened and across the country, the same thing, not at all what happened as the gop is alive and well this morning and the democrats are seeing red.

>> the campaign is over. >> in florida, republican governor rick scott will hold on to his job and serve four more years. >> florida is on a mission to keep growing and to become the very best place in the world. >> scott defeated former governor charlie crist, a republican turned independent turned democratic in a bitter battle that cost more than $80 million. >> losing is not fun, but what is most important is that we come together as a state. >> in georgia, another ruth governor captured another term. >> we will continue to make georgia the best place in the country for every possible thing you can imagine, jobs, environment, family life. >> a deal defeated georgia state senator jason carter. carter is the grandson of former president jimmy carter. >> i love you, too.

>> democratic and political newcomer will be the next governor. tom car bet is the first to lose in four decades. >> i thanked him for a well fought fight, congratulate him on his victory. >> in wisconsin, another win for an incumbent republican governor, scott walker has been reelected, defeating democratic challenger mary burke. >> i believed if we got a positive message out that in the end, people in the state wanted to be for something, not against something and look what happened tonight. >> in massachusetts, republican charlie baker he is claiming victory in a close race over democratic attorney general martha coakley. >> she wants to wait until the morning to see the final results. hey, that's fine.

that's fine. in politics, in elections, every vo iteouelections, every vote counts. >> this morning, in connecticut, governor dan malloy is saying that he's claiming victory, but his opponent still has not conceded. also in colorado, that race way too close to call this morning between democratic governor and republican challenger. >> another high profile democratic, governor pat quinn also is not conceding defeat to his republican challenger in illinois. what's happening there? >> president obama's home state and governor pat quinn saying that he is not going to concede until all the votes are in, but not atypical of illinois politics, hard-nosed, hard-head politicians in the state of illinois in a very democratic state that has chosen to go gop

this time around this mid term election in 2014. >> robert, thank you. >> we are hearing right now that senator mitch mcconnell is schedule would to speak this afternoon at 2:00. president obama is also expect to do so after that and when that happens, we will bring that to you live. >> in just a few minutes, we'll take a close look at the international reaction to this big republican win. >> we're following breaking news from israel. a truck mowed down pedestrians in west jerusalem. at least 10 people have been injured, one said to be in critical condition. police shot and killed the suspected palestinian who was driving coming hours after clashes broke out at the mosque once again. we are live in jerusalem. it has been a tense day. what more can you tell us about this car attack? >> good morning, del. a very tense day here in

jerusalem, and the scene of carnage after a palestinian man drove his car into a group of people waiting at a light rail station in west jerusalem. the incident is being described by israeli police as a hit-and-run terror attack. the driver of this car a of the driving into these people left his car and then started attacking people with a metal rod, and that is when he was shot dead by police. this incident follows a similar incident not even two weeks ago in which another palestinian man drove into a group of people also at a light rail station, two people were killed in that incident, including a three-month-old baby girl. >> also the mosque has been a flash point for quite some time. what led to today's clashes?

>> only a few hours before this incident, there was a bitter scene at the mosque compound when palestinian protestors and israeli police clashed with each other violently. a number of protestors were taken to hospital with injuries after stun grenades and tear goes was used by israeli police. the reason this latest confrontation took place is because a group of far right jewish activists came to the mosque to try to enter the mosque. the reason for that is because a week ago today, one of their leaders, the rabbi who was an american-israeli was shot and injured by a palestinian man. they wanted to go to the mosque to show solidarity, but also to enter that mosque, they weren't allowed to. again, the situation there remains tense, however the mosque is now currently open. >> thank you. >> british military officers will soon return to baghdad and serve as advisors to the iraq

army. prime minister david cameron insists there will be no british troops fighting on the ground. today a new report said isil kidnapped and tortured dozens of teenage boys. human rights says isil is holding other children abducted near kobane. >> students in mexico are planning a nationwide strike, demanding justice in the whereabouts of those missing 43 college students. >> a fugitive mayor was arrested in the disappearance of those students. we have more on the case. >> captured, mexico's most wanted couple, a former mayor and his wife. both are suspected of having links to a drug gang and master minding an attack that killed six people and left 43 university students missing. federal police arrested the couple in a small amount in mexico city during a predawn raid on tuesday. it was a much-needed break for the federal government. police are still looking for the

students, more than a month after they disappeared in the state of guerrero. >> the investigations continue to advance and i hope he that in the next few days, we can give you more substantial information. >> the mayor and his wife ruled a town of iguala with an iron fist. the government claims the couple was working hand-in-hand with the drug gang, turned the local police into their own private army. this resident who was afraid to show her face said that people were scared to even go outside and many people left their towns because gangs came. the news of the arrest gives this man hope. his grandson is one of the 43 missing students. >> we know the cops took our kids, so the mayor has to know what happened. his arrest makes us feel more confident that we'll find the truth. >> dozens of mass graves have been uncovered in recent weeks near where the attack occurred.

so far, the remains of at least 38 people have been discovered, but not yet identified as the missing students. >> these arrests are a victory for the federal government, but that doesn't mean that the pressure will end. on wednesday, tens of thousands of people throughout the country plan to protest and demand justice and answer to say where those 43 missing students are. aljazeera, mexico city. >> at least 56 others have been taken into custody in connection with that case. >> parts of the southern plains are getting a heavy dose of rain today and the potential for flooding. >> for more on the rains in the plains, we turn to our meteorologist. >> all the way from a little hit and miss on the northeast coast extending into texas. texas is the crux of all of this because of where the front is, we've been getting gulf moisture. watch this tap go to the pacific

side, so enhancement of that is the remnants of what was a hurricane, now a tropical depression adding to moisture, mostly gulf coast moisture but when you get the 1-2 punch with all the moisture sources, look how widespread texas is seeing this. this has been over the last couple days. still heavy rain, because of all of that, saturating everything, we have flash flood watches especially for the southern portions of the state but still today into tomorrow, could see an additional two to four inches, a lot of the state is under drought conditions, but this much, especially when you get into this, that's why we're looking into flood concern, mostly beneficial rain. >> iowa is just one state republicans gained in the senate. >> joni ernst taking over the seat. >> she will be joining quite a few women when she gets to

capitol hill. for the first time ever, there will be 100 women in congress. >> man or woman, the voters have spoken. in january, everything changes. we'll talk about whether this new class of lawmakers can get anything done in washington.

>> a huge election night win for republicans in iowa. joni ernst will replace tom harkin in the senate. her victory wasn't always assured. days before the election, polls showed her neck and neck with the challenger. we are liv live in des moines wh democrats losing the senate seat, what does this portend for 2016? >> democrats admit that a loss here in iowa was critical. iowa serves as a litmus test for candidates testing the waters as they look ahead to 2016, and here in iowa, it has been very busy. >> since october 1, a slew of

potential presidential hope was have made their way through the hawk eye state. >> they all come in, make friends here in the state, gives iowans a chance to size up the candidates and decide who they like. >> president bill clinton and secretary of state hillary clinton attended tom harkin's annual steak fry. both stumped for candidate bruce bailey. it was her first trip back to the state in six years. >> these people come in and hope they can help their candidate and if they do and even if the candidate doesn't win, they've still done favors so if they have an interest in the 2016 presidential nomination process, then they can come back and call in some of those favors. >> recent polls of the 2016 matchups indicate democratic hillary clinton would beat all of the likely republican challengers but a des moines

poll found one who could edge out clinton, mitt romney. he made it clear he doesn't plan on running again. at this stage, it is more about name recognition. >> the key is going to be hillary clinton, but on the other hand, that seemed to be the case in 2007, looking toward 2008 and this little known person by the name of barack obama came out of nowhere and did a better job of the grassroots organizing in iowa. if he hadn't won iowa, he wouldn't have been the nominee. >> political analysts say a candidate doesn't have to win the iowa caucus, but it will go a long way determining who will be the 45th president of the united states. >> while it may seem like we just got through mid terms, today marks the official start of the 2016 campaign election. it may seem too early and it is probably for declarations, we

may see something happening as we get through the holidays into january, but people are looking to 2016 with an on line countdown and we are 732 days, nine hours away from the polls closing then. >> i was wondering about that. earns's win, what does this mean more obamacare? >> people have signed up and paid for insurance under the affordable care act so while the republicans have said it's something they want to take up in this next congress, it's also something that maybe a sticky situation, because they do have a lot of people who have signed up and whether or not they want to alienate those people taking advantage of that is something that could be critical in the next election, as well. >> thank you.

>> let's go to our political analyst night, she was up all night. >> you look no worse for wear. >> i want to ask you this question. we keep talking about the republican victory. which republican party won last night, the conservative wing or the tea party? >> i do think that the republicans did a better job this time around really in the primary season, which is key for them, getting more moderate candidates out. if you look across the country, probably the most kind of right wing, the one people were initially concerned about was joni ernst. >> is the tea party dead? >> no, but i do think republicans, the republican party learned their lesson, saying we have to get candidates out there who can win. a loss like 2012 affected the party and they learned the lesson. >> what does last night pour

tend for 2016. [ laughter ] >> of course you have the clintons campaigning all over the place especially for alison grimes. is this negative for the democrats? >> it's the double sided links for the continue tons. alison grimes, they are very close to her father and she lost fairly substantially. they also had success in new hampshire, so it was a mixed bag from that. to the clintons' credit, they may be able to make something positive out of this, because a lot of people are saying if the republicans take the senate, it is better for a democratic presidential candidate and easier to run, because they can make the case do you really want one party, republicans still very unpopular, do you really want them to run the entire government. it could help them. >> their number one priority was

getting i did of obama care, but as the campaign waned, obamacare disappeared from the lexicon. is it still on the table? >> mcconnell said we want to get rid of obamacare and keep kentucky's health care system. they're one on the same thing. that shows what the republicans have been doing. they want to get rid of obama more than obamacare. they may tweak it, but obamacare is here to stay. >> scott walker, the governor won in wisconsin, john kasich won in ohio. are we going to start to see president obama tell she will republican candidates? >> jeb bush, a lot of potential contenders will come out because time is running short. i know it's just the day after the election day, but 2016 has

officially started. >> we are talking about 2016 already. >> yes, we are, del. >> jeannie will be back with us at 9:00. >> republicans taking control of the senate now in charge of both houses of congress for the first time in eight years. we're talking with the press secretary for the republican national committee. the road ahead for the gop. >> we're gauging the global reaction to the mid terms. nick schiffron is live in istanbul for us and dana lewis is going to be joining us live from london about results playing out around the world. >> burkina faso's army handing over power to a civilian leader, a live report from the ground.

>> bying homes by the landlords. monitory value. >> they're being taken advantage the crisis continues. >> ground breaking... >> they're firing canisters >> ... emmy award winning investigative series. landlords. lords. >> only on al jazeera america. >> adrian peterson making a deal over his child abuse case. we will break it down and explain how he might avoid jail time. >> the search in philadelphia for a woman who was abducted.

>> back to our top story today, the republican rout in the mid term elections overnight, the gop grabbing major wins, picking up enough seats to take control of the senate and house of representatives. they are poised to have their largest majority since the great depression. president obama will talk about the results later today in a news conference. >> the senate race in louisiana will take at least another month. incumbent senator mary alone drew is heading for a rungoff. nobody got 50% of the vote, so it's a few more weeks of campaigning in what has been louisiana's most expensive race ever. $40 million has been spent so far, that number is sure to go up. are the attack ads back on the air this morning? >> i haven't seen any, because i was trying to get some sleep before i came out. >> understood. >> i would not be surprised if

they are. this is a mid term election that has turned the old rule about all politics being local upside down. instead of focusing on local issues, the national republican strategy was to tie democratic candidates to president obama, who was not on the ballot, but it worked. senator landrieu, three terms in the senate, is sticking with her strategy. >> the question facing us tonight, the voters in louisiana will be a very simple one. which candidate that the proven record of standing up, fighting, and delivering for our state? >> instead of the senator who supports barack obama 97% of the time, you are going to have a senator who supports you 100% of the time. >> congressman is going to stick

to the strategy that worked for him in what is likely to abbruising runoff against senator landrieu come december. keep in mind cassidy's voters if they stay together, landrieu will have a very difficult time pulling this one out. >> looking at those vote counts, manis, who is the tea party backed candidate got a substantial chunk of the vote. it appears senator landrieu has the fight of her life ahead of her. are there early predictions? voters can change their mind. we have the old rule about run out of elections being different because turnouts are different. some people may decide to vote in the runoff who did not vote yesterday. we'll see. that usually doesn't happen. in these kind of campaigns, republicans tend to be a little more committed than democrats, so it's a tough row to hoe if we

can use a southern expression. >> it is one of the few democratic seats left in the deep south. thank you. >> the press secretary for the republican national committee joins us from washing washington d.c. this morning. >> it feels good, we're tired. also election days of full of nerves and we didn't know exactly how well we were going to do. it was an earlier night than we thought. we knew races like colorado, north carolina, a lot faster than we thought we would, there's still more work to be done. louisiana is now going to a runoff and that is very disappointing a mary landrieu. her strategy was winning outright yesterday and it did not happen and didn't happen by a long shot.

>> what's on the agenda now that wasn't before? >> on the agenda as far as holding republicans in the senate? >> legislation. >> senator mcconnell talked about how we're going to start sending legislation, pieces of legislation that had already been drafted by the house and waiting in the senate for harry reid's attention but because of his obstructive ways and not wanting to send things to the president, things hadn't been getting done. you're going to see a lot of jobs bills and conversation about how to get this economy back on track. >> i want to ask you a question and it's a tough one. when president obama won, mitch mcconnell, then the minority leader said his number one priority was to make barack obama a one term president. is this the case of what's good for the goose is good ford gander? >> well, you know, i think that there's a lot that's been

happening over the last couple of years and part of this is the way that the president has been working with republicans, and frankly all of congress. you have people in his own party who have shaken their head, wondering out loud in the press why isn't this president working with congress. he has a go it alone approach on a lot of things. we as a party need to start moving forward. >> what would you say -- >> sorry go ahead. >> the news conference said that his number one priority is to make mitch mcconnell a one term senate majority leader. >> i think the voters were pretty clear last night that they were voting against the do nothing ways of washington, and washington gridlock. i think everyone, republican and democratic needs to take that to heart. there are a lot of things we can work with as president on, a lot of things that frankly passed the house on a buy partisan base that can go into the senate and go to the president's desk.

i think that would be very good for this country and good for both parties if we were to start taking a look at where there's common ground and where we can make up ground on the economy and health care. that's what americans voted for last night. >> which republican party won last night, was it the conservative wing or the tea party wing? i actually disagree with that question. we are one party. there are a lot of different leaders in our party, which i think is a very good thing for us. it's a big conversation. we're going to continue having it. i think that the republican party won because we came to the table and said the last six years under president obama, the democratic party policies is not what americans want right now. they want change and they don't want obstruction in the senate. they want to see things start moving forward and we want to see things get accomplished. that's the party that won last night. >> are you confident now that mitch mcconnell will be a agent

of change? >> i take him at his word. i think he has laid out a vision and that is part of the reason he was successful in kentucky against alison grimes. i think it's going to be a very exciting time in washington, a very exciting time for americans. >> the press secretary for the republican national committee, thanks for being with us and yes you can get some sleep now. we reached out to the democratic national committee to speak with us. they initially agreed then canceled. >> the mid term elections have worked a milestone for women in politics. democratic alma adams of north carolina becoming the 100th female member of congress, that's the highest in history. >> let's bring in erica pitzi now. there are some firsts, as well. >> starting with the republican who won a pivotal senate rice in

iowa, joni ernst, the first woman to represent the state on capitol hill. another first woman in senator state history coming out of west virginia, republican shelly capitate has represented the state since 2001. also the first woman elected to the seat is also the first democratic to lead rhode island in 20 years. there are more women to mention who are also making national history. in utah, the first african-american republican woman elected to congress, and in new york, the youngest woman ever elected to the house or senate at 30 years old. while this is the first time in history, the number of women in congress hit triple digits, it may be kemp rather.

we've got a key race up in the area, mary landrieu trying to hold her seat in louisiana. there are technically 20 women in the senate and 80 in the house. >> and there is -- go ahead. >> it's interesting, because many of the high profile women that won last night are conservative. >> absolutely. i only mentioned one democratic. >> there is as belief that the women will govern better, they get along better, make control pro mices better than the men. >> voting issues reported in a few states last night. in connecticut, two polling stations were ordered to stay open. the governor's campaign argued voters had been turned away. the governor had to wait more than half an hour to vote. malloy declared victory in the race. his republican challenger tom foley has refused to concede. >> verge congressman scott regal posting this video to you tube, showing touch screen voting

machines in virginia beach. the x. kept bouncing to his opponent's name. similar complaints were find across the state. >> let's bring in nick schiffron in istanbul. this election could have a tremendous impact on the president's foreign policy agenda. >> people here in turkey, inside syria, neighboring country in fact, all of the countries in this region, especially where the adjustment is at war, iraq and syria looking at results from last night. let's look at syria, a lot of criticism of the u.s. policy by the u.s.'s own allies inside syria, the so-called moderate rebels, the syrian opposition fighting isil on the front line on the u.s.'s behalf say that the strategy simply isn't working. there's not enough training. it's not happening fast enough and airstrikes are hitting the wrong target.

these rebels are asking the u.s. to coordinate on the ground with them and prevent the syrian regime and al-qaeda linked group al-nusra from over running bases. these are u.s. allies begging for help and some hope that some of the republicans who are more hawkish on syria for example, senator john mccain, who will be the chairman of the armed services committee, they hope that he pushes the white house forward to increase the size and speed of that training mission. >> the turkish penalty has shown his frustration in the fight against isil. is that expected to change now? >> no, i think he will continue his criticism, which really echos that of the syrian opposition. there needs to be mother focus on aleppo, that is really the symbolic base for the u.s. allies inside syria. just to give you a sense of

perspective here, there have been 12 or 13 airstrikes helping the rebels against isil in aleppo, a town called kobane which we've talked about on the syrian border which no one had heard of before the adjustment started bombing it, more than 200 strikes. while the u.s. launched 200 strikes in a month, the syrian regime launched 400 strikes in about two weeks on aleppo. that's why the syrian rebel groups are saying that the u.s. priorities aren't right, they he need to focus on the syrian regime help these groups fight isil and the syrian regime and they are very, very worried about that. they do not want to get into the syrian war deeper than they already are. >> how will a republican-controlled senate affect the potential nuclear deal with iran, one of president obama's top foreign policy priorities? >> this is the real key.

there's a deadline in three weeks that the u.s. will try and make an historic deal with raven over its nuclear program. if the senate feels john kerry is leaving those negotiations has given away too much. if they people that the deal is a bad one, then they will try and restrain it, whether passing more sanctions that will give iran pause before they pass any kind of deal or somehow try and conditionsure the president. there is actually bipartisan support and they will not stop president obama from making that.

>> will this election affect president obama's relation with the e.u.? >> certainly there is a feeling that you're talking about a weaker president for the united states in europe, that his star has been affected and just faded a lot faster. they see these elections probably producing more political deadlock and that's not a very positive thing as far as the europeans go in the chances for economic recovery and quick economic recovery which they need desperately. on the foreign affairs side, they feel president obama looks a little weaker today, but everyone knows here that in the end, it is the oval office, the commander-in-chief, the president who decides the american action on these issues, such as settlement expansion into the west bank by the israelis or as nick was talking

about, the problems in syria and iraq or whether it be on the russian front with ukraine and that hasn't changed. it may be that president obama tries to leave his mark in his next two years in office not domestically because that's where he's handcuffed many ways now but on the national scene and foreign affairs. >> on the issue that does affect the e.u., are there concerns about what happens on gas emissions. >> i think there is mourning taking place in certain circles. think tanks believe with the strength in congress and senate on the republican side, that really president obama despite the fact that he was speaking as late as september about this is one of the most important things that he will do as president for the future of the children of the united states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the whole issue of greenhouse gases, that in factual, he simply will not be able to do that with legislation

and he is not going to get that through the republican dominated houses now. >> thank you very much. >> voters in oregon and alaska have said yes to legalizing marijuana for recreational use. in d.c., congress can overrule the vote. recreational marijuana is legal in colorado and washington. in florida, it fell short of approving medical marijuana. >> a tax to reduce soda consumption and raise revenue, the beverage industry spending more than $2 million to defeat the measure. it does not apply to diet sodas, san francisco rejecting a similar soda tax last night. our coverage of the mid term election results continues. we are going to go longer. jeannie zano will join us and

michael shure will be with us to talk about the results. >> burkina faso's military meeting with leaders to transfer power to civilian rule. we are in the capitol. have we heard anything coming out of today's meeting there? >> the meeting is still takes place in the building behind me and i can tell you it's tense. opposition leaders are in there walking up and down saying they're running out of patience. they can't the colonel to step down as soon as possible. they warn if he doesn't, they will take to the streets. the africans gave him two weeks to hand over power to a civilian government. opposition is saying that they'll wait for the deadline to come, if he's still in office, they will protest and bring the city to a standstill. the meeting will be very long,

getting the take on the events there. after that will be a press conference and only then will we know what was discussed in that meeting and what is the way forward. >> burkina faso has long been an ally of the u.s., so should we expect washington to have a hand in this new government? >> definitely, the u.s. is keen on watching the developments here. the u.s. has had close ties to burkina faso, one of the few countries in north africa that it has very good ties with. it has military and intelligence operations here that it uses in the fight against terrorism in the region, as well. throughout negotiations, we've had american diplomats who have been in the talks, as well, giving information, helping with the negotiation process, so yes, the u.s. is very keenly watching developments in burkina faso. >> thank you very much. >> more mystery surrounding the

kidnapping and disappearance of a philadelphia woman. >> the abduction was all caught on tape. >> football star adrian peterson reaching a deal in his child abuse case. we have details. >> it is time now for our big quote. >> conversation this morning about the road ahead for compromise in washington. one lawmaker is celebrating a big win saying just because we have a two party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict. >> the man behind that quote is next.

saturday at 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

>> just because we have a two party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict. who said it? >> senator mitch mcconnell said it in his victory speech after

defeating alison grimes. >> the family of a missing philadelphia woman making a plea for her safe return this morning. the 22-year-old was abducted late sunday. the terrifying ordeal is captured on surveillance video. >> we have new images of both the kidnapping and suspect. >> photographic images, as well. good morning, police released this video of the 22-year-old being snatched off the street in philadelphia, and new pictures this morning of the suspect using her a.t.m. card. this is a different angel than we showed you yesterday, showing her walking down the sidewalk with her abductor following close behind. as he approaches, she backs away, then he grabs her before they move out of site of the camera. now investigators also released photos from a bank in aberdeen maryland and video from a nearby convenience store. philadelphia police say the suspect used the woman's debit card less than nine hours after she vanished. witnesses say they heard her screaming for help before she

was thrown into the back seat of a car. now her father, her dad is begging for her safe return. >> just get in contact with me and my family, again, not pressing charges or anything like that. all we want back is our daughter. >> her phone and glasses were found at the scene of her abduction, a nearly $50,000 reward is now offered for information that leads to her whereabouts. nothing worse than a missing daughter or son, family doing everything it can. >> terrible indeed, thank you very much. >> a taliban fighter from russia has been indicted in the united states, eric hamad al. >> n faces charges including attempting to murder an american citizen in afghanistan. he was brought to the u.s. for trial and set to be arraigned friday. >> police in pennsylvania say a survivalist may have been keeping tabs on the effort to find him, finding his laptop. he admitted to using the

computer to get on line and check out his own profile. he was arrested thursday after seven weeks on the run. authorities say he ambushed two state troopers, killing one. >> a texas judge accepted a plea deal from suspended nfl star adrian peterson that will keep the vikings running back out of jail. >> he had faced reckless assault charges for disciplining his 4-year-old son with a free branch. we have more. the question asked is will he soon wind up on the playing field? >> let's get right to that. in a statement, the nfl said it will review the matter and make a determination about peterson's return to the vikings. this in the wake of the judge accepting peterson's no contest plea to misdemeanor reckless assault. while there's no guarantee the league will let peterson return to the vikings, it should be noted that coats owner jim irsay only served a six game suspension for his misdemeanor d.w.i. conviction. peterson has already been held out of eight games. peterson's just happy this is

all over. >> i love my son more than any one of you can even imagine, and i'm looking forward to, i'm anxious to continue my relationship with my child. i'm just glad this is over, i can put this behind me, and me and my family can begin to move forward. >> peterson will to have serve two years probation during which he'll have to pay court costs plus a $4,000 fine, take parenting classes and serve 80 hours of community service. >> adrian peterson was just one of a handful of nfl players to face charges about being abusive. another, ray rice is scheduled to testify at a hearing today, appealing his nfl suspension. also testifying is nfl commissioner roger goodell. >> continues to be under a lot of pressure, thank you. >> thursday's nfl game going to be an emotional one for the cincinnati bengals plier. devin still was going to go to

the game, leah, though, his daughter still has cancer. she underwent storing remove a tumor. the andersons are going to present a check to cincinnati's children's hospital for more than a million dollars, money raised from sails of his jersey. >> let's get another quick check of the forecast with nicole mitchell. >> we have one system stretching from the great lakes through texas, another clipper bringing snow to north dakota. you can see the moisture on the satellite image. today and tomorrow, these are quick moving, these clippers, so it will move through the great lakes, better chances for rain into the east coast versus the front today with this tomorrow. all that have redevelops off the coastline, a combination of the two, so could be a wet day in new england with cooler air behind it. enjoy up and down the coastline, the 70's and 60's, because there's 50's and 40's behind it.

>> weather gets back to normal, enjoy it while you can. >> mitch mcconnell poised to lead the senate, meaning big changes for president obama's agenda.

a shift in the balance of power, republicans taking control of the senate for the first time in nearly a decade. we're live with reaction from coast to coast and around the world. >> the g.o.p. victory, likely to make mitch mcconnell with his agenda for the republican-controlled congress. and how the outcome with change the agenda for the commander in chief. >> the political landscape looks a whole