>> on "america tonight" sex crime on campus, when the victim is only a child. hundreds of rapes and sexual violence at high schools, even middle schools and the shocking response. >> she went to the band teacher on the day it happened. there was semen on her shirt, told him, i have been raped and he said, go confront your attacker. >> our lori jane gliha, sex crimes on high school campus and what's been done to stop it. also, more women move in on capitol hill.

but is 100 really a sign of progress and how will the next class in congress change the picture and policies in america? and this: the bottom drops out as more cities see record cold and the only blanket is more inches of snow. brace yourself. it's only november november . >> and good evening, thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. imagine the fear of a sexual assault survivor, a very young one. the national conversation about sex crimes has now reached fever pitch on college campuses. "america tonight" finds another wave of sex assaults is flying under the radar, at high

schools, even middle schools. a majority do not report their rapes and neither do we find many of their schools. "america tonight's" lori jane gliha william a young woman who did and her school's shocking response. >> rachel carries her rubik's cube almost everywhere she goes. it's her security blanket. >> now it's in line i feel so much better. >> rachel has been doing this for four years, in the small town of henderson, texas. >> inside that building that's where you were raped? >> right. >> another student, a football player and a fellow band member, lured her into the band room where she says he raiche raped . >> it was strictly force, almost the whole entire time. immediately after i was raped i went straight to the bathroom. and i was scared.

i >> i just remember surely feeling like i died. you do, you die right at that point. >> rachel's mom colleen chevalier says her high school was totally unprepared. >> she went to the band teacher on the day it happened. there was semen on her shirt. told him, i have been raped and he said go confront your attacker. >> reporter: it wasn't until rachel reported the rape to another teacher two days later that school administrators turned the case over to police who concluded within 24 hours that rachel's sexual encounter was consensual. >> the minute someone suggested you had consensual sex on campus -- >> i was pissed. i knew it wasn't consense yum.

i kne -- consensual. this wasn't something you wanted to do or it was hard. >> one of the officials didn't believe her daughter was she dent cry during her interview. >> well she didn't cry so obviously it's consensual. i just -- i didn't know what to say, what do you say to that? i looked at my husband and i said i thought i had gone back 100 years. >> in public high school for 2009-2010 school year the latest year that figures are available, there are 4200 reported incidents of sexual assault or 6,000 rapes or reported rapes on school grounds. because rapes are underreported, those rts accurate figures. >> i think secondary schools are

about ten years behind colleges campuses. >> col bis bruno is with victim rights center. >> what's being forgotten is the younger students that are on campus at secondary schools, and that's really problematiccatic. problematic. you are talking about the rest of a victim's life. i think from society we get a sense of disbelief that this can happen to a 12-year-old or a 13-year-old, wow, that can't be true. but each of these administrators and each of these teachers, they seize what's going on in their schools -- they see what's going on in their schools and they're turning a blind eye about it, not doing enough about it when it happens and the problem is escalating. >> the nurse examined rachel. but there wasn't enough to prove rape. rachel showed us the medical

records. >> it shows there were las lacerations and notes i was bleeding in certain spots. i still don't understand why they didn't want to pursue it why didn't they investigate it more or why they didn't at least try. they didn't try at all. >> henderson high school administrators did not conduct their own investigation, instead taking their lead from the police that the sex was consensual. then in a move that shocked rachel and her family the school decided to punish her for public lewdness and forced her to attend this alternative school aalong with her accused attacker. >> were you punished for having being assaulted? >> i would have to wait with him unsupervised, that was the most difficult part of the day. >> rachel said the boy bragged about what happened, and she was teased by the other kids. >> i felt like i wanted to

physically attack them. >> reporter: rachel's mother tried to transfer her to another school. she was told that any transfer would be blocked because rachel was being disciplined. >> there's the most horrible thing you could tell the mother, that i'm sorry you have to go to school with him. >> colleen went to the aclu for help. she told them what he henderson high school was doing was illegal. >> no student can have an opportunity to learn if they feel they're being assaulted. >> title 9 requires that schools investigate assaults, schools must protect not punish or retaliate against students. the federal government is now investigating 23 public school districts for mishandling cases like rachel's.

>> one thing about rachel's case unfortunately is common is in terms of a school's total mishandling and misunderstanding of a sexual assault report. and that they took the trouble to punish her after the assault. >> pushing henderson high school in a different direction when it found the school had violated title 9, it drew up a 13 point plan, paying for counseling sessions. colby bruno says high schools have a lot of catching up to do and need to put trained people and procedures in place so teachers and students knows what to do. >> go to this person if you have a problem. like. this is what it means to have consent and this is what rape and sexual assault look like. and so i think the amount of education that secondary schools

have to do for their students, as well as their administrators, have to increase tenfold. >> we asked henderson high school administrators to talk on camera about why they handled rachel's case this way they did. they declined, offered a written statement that said they have since revised their title 9 procedures, and they're committed to providing a safe environment for all students. >> would you like an apology? >> no. because i don't feel it would be genuine. >> what would you say with the school officials if you could sit down with them now about everything you went through? >> i would like for them to keep the policies that have been changed through my assault, through the aclu and the office of civil rights. >> it has been four years. but the assault has left its mark on rachel. anxiety and anger that she's still coping with in her own way. >> sometimes this takes me a second.

this part's a little difficult for me. >> nice. >> i feel better. >> high five! >> reporter: today rachel is moving on. she's married now and preparing for her next challenge. she and her husband are expecting a baby girl. >> this curricula i christmas ie a very special one. we're excited to invite our first baby into our house. >> i just had a few more -- >> to prepare her to be someone to love herself, to love other people, to make her own decisions. and to be brought into a world that it feels kind of like justice, maybe. >> she hopes telling her story will bring high school rape out into the open so that other girls, even her own daughter, some day, won't ever have to face what she did. >> "america tonight's" lori jane gliha joins us here. so after everything else that

this young woman went through you found that the justice system failed rachel again. >> it's really weird. she can't even access her own police report. >> that doesn't make any sense. >> it's weird, i had originally tried to get the police report through a public records request, they sent me a letter denying it saying juvenile records should be confidential. but victims of sexual assaults are entitled to have any evidence that's been collected in their case which would be a police report. i asked rachel, she tried again, she asked for it, she went through a process, she went through several voice mails, she received a request. she received an identically letter as i received, saying juvenile records are to be protected. >> but she's the juvenile.

>> it's contradictory, texas law saying juvenile records should be kept confidential. but we will follow up to see what she's entitled to. what did the police uncover? what they did directly impacted what happened to her in school. >> just a quick note here. she says she has forgiven, ready to move on with her life, big moment in her life but she doesn't have bitterness towards the system? >> she has a big life, she has a new husband, the first time he had we took her back to the school. she had anxiety and glad she went, and she was focusing on that and she was glad she went and hope that schools of the future do what's right. >> "america tonight's" lori jane gliha. thank you so much.

i talk with katherine lehman. she says this investigation forced the school to change. >> we went to the school, said that can't happen. the student said we restored her faith in humanity. but what i saw happen to her, shakes my faith in humanity. there is not a school in the nation that should say this young girl was responsible for rape. they have undergone training, changed their policies, i'm very pleased this won't happen again but i cannot believe she would have to have the experience she had in the first place, then retraumatized when the school didn't supportdi't support her. >> she says they are investigating hundreds of complaints of the high school and middle school level, but not kind of attention that the sexual assault cases at the time college level has.

lehman says. >> you came in with a pretty stern warning to the universities if they were not found in compliance with title 9 you would see that their federal funds went away. >> and to be clear that stern warning applies to universities as well as k-12 school districts. >> those universities is been public for some time. have you taken funds from any schools because of a title 9 complaint yet? >> happily we haven't been able to withhold funds from a title 9 school because it is important for our students to be able to benefit from the funds, but it's important that every campus respects student rights, but when it comes time when a campus withdraws their

wriets. >> number of title 9 complaints has tripled. there are open investigations now at 86 schools. and while survivors continue to demand faster action, and firmer enforcement by the federal government, lehman says sees of progress. >> we have seen a rea mushroom. we will there be to support them i'm enormously pleased that people believe us, and a key component to earning trust can be, should be to getting schools to come into compliedge compliance quickly. >> that is the threat you hold over universities that you would take their funds. >> absolutely. any university or school district around the country that doesn't satisfy their completely

obligations, our ultimate penalty is that we wil will withhold federal funds and we will impose that. >> "america tonight," sex crimes on campus special report, a look at what has changed in the 12 months since we first brought you coverage of this special issue. sex crimes on campus, our special report on saturday. next report, women in power. the next class on capitol hill, said to include more women than ever before but how much of a landmark is it really. later this hour, if you haven't felt it already, cold, record levels, and early snow, just how far south can it go?

>> an all new airplane in a once in a generation achievement of human ingenuity. >> three years late... fleet grounding... fires on the airplane... >> they're short changing the engineering process... >> from engineering to the factory floor... al jazeera investigates broken dreams: the boing 787 only on al jazera america >> protestors are gathering... >> there's an air of tension right now... >> the crowd chanting for democracy... >> this is another significant development... >> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live...

real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> that's selma adams taking her oath of office. marking the first time in history that 100 women are serving in congress. also one of african american women serving on the hill. that doesn't make

up equal representation. women make up 50% of the population but only one fifth congress . libby casey reporting. >> what a night! we did it! >> and our problems aren't just going to go away on their own. but we can overcome them. >> it's been almost 100 years, 1917, to be precise, since the election of the first congresswoman, jeanette rankin, from montana. she says, i might be the first woman in congress but i won't be the last. but it has been a relative trickle. >> the vestiges of the all male club that still exists here. recently, it was no women's bathroom off the house floor. we've been changing that for decades now, and although progress has been slow, i think

sometimes you know, the change doesn't happen quickly enough as it should. >> congress turns over every two years, name plates come down, there are new faces in these halls but this is historic. even though four out of five congress persons are men, there is a sense on the hill that things are changing. >> my mother worked hard. she cleaned other people's houses so i didn't have to. she taught me an invaluable lesson. to keep a tidy house so i'm going to washington to clean people's house. >> when the dust set settles on the final, there will be more. alma adams is number 100. >> well, it means an awful lot. i mean it shows that women can make a mark, that is numb 1. but it's historic. -- that's number one.

but it's historic . and it comes with a lot of responsibility to advocate for the needs of women and children. and workers and families. >> the newly minted congresswoman says she feels a responsibility to advocate for women and families and that that focus is a win for everyone. >> i think all issues are women's issues, whether we are taking finance, who's unemployed? most of the people unemployed especially in misdistrict are women. most people without health shurnt in minsurance in my diste women. people rely on us. we are head of households, making less than a man because of our gender, doing the same work, i never figured that out. we work together, we can accomplish things for families. when we accomplish things for families as i said everybody wins.

>> newly elected congressman mike bishop agrees. >> i hope that we have the same desires for leadership and in kentucky it's consistent with what all of us should campaign on better economy less government and hopefully, forward progress. >> today he and the other men and women who are members-elect are checking in. like a capitol hill roll call on the first day of school. they will be sworn in, in january. but today belongs to this long term educator, turned politician. she wasn't born into wealth and serving her community felt it was a challenge she should to meet. >> it shouldn't be just rich folks who have a business at home and somebody else is running it. because we do -- we had there a part time legislature. you worked full time if you did the work right. but the point is, average people can't do this and average people should be able to do this. >> reporter: and the

congresswoman isn't afraid to flaunt her femininity. >> so this is hat and this is how old? >> this is about 25 years old. >> she has 900 of them and says she has worn every one. >> this is an oscar de la renta by the way. >> although there is an 1837 ban to wearing hats inside, this is like the british parliament. >> the woman says it's what's under the hat that counts. >> i'm trying to remember the great african american who said, it might have been shirley chisholm who said. we pay the rent. >> there's still a large underrepresentation. i look forward to the day when it's not an anomaly that women have finally reached 100 in their numbers up here. >> reporter: while the capital

gets a bit of an update outside, congress has plenty of work to do inside as well. >> al jazeera correspondent libby casey joins us from capitol hill. we think of 100 being a big round number. how significant has this been though? >> it's been a slow build. there are only 20 women senators, now 80 voting members of the house. fraught with discord, you recall last year the way we finally fit out of the shutdown is a group of women senators got together and brought a proposal to the group. alma adams voters have been without representation for ten months. the republican governor there put off a special election so she was voted both for this lame duck session and for the next congressional term. imagine not having a

representative for ten months here in congress, joie. >> that's a significant loss for the people of the community. let's talk about alma adams and what she represents in the hill. hers isn't necessarily an obviously path to leadership in the government. >> absolutely. she told us about growing up and having to be educated and work. alma started working as a seam stres seamstress at the age of 14. she had the experience of working hard and having that instilled in her. the respect of people having to just have a job to get by. getting an education for someone who doesn't just want to work, life.

that is something she's going to prioritize. >> al jazeera's libby casey on capitol hill for us, thanks. how much of a success is that 100? kelly ditmer, thanks so much for being with us. could this be seen as a real milestone? 100? >> 100 is a marker, it lets us know how far we've come. unfortunately, it is not a huge milestone because we're only coming up from 99. so that increase of one is a little less significant than i think we sometimes make it out so 100 is also out of 535. which is far underrepresented or underrepresentation of women in congress. >> right. and to the point of what difference it makes. i mean does it matter, will it change and has it changed the presence of women, where has it changed the conversation, where has it changed the legislation, policy, what changes when more

women go to capitol hill? >> women's bring different perspective and style in governing. we saw it last year when women's worked across the aisle, to end the shutdown. women are willing to talk to each other, they go into office to get things done. >> there is a lot of war on women, war for women, democrat, republican, how is the women's vote going to impact this? there was a lot of this emphasis on the notion that there was women's issues that reproductive rights principally would be a women's issue, does that change with women on the hill? >> prioritizing to women children and families. but we do know that women are

making a difference on a host of other things including the economy, not just reproductive issues but issues like economics, jobs, national security, a range of issues. so i think it's a little bit of both, right? women are making a difference on these issues and the issues that may matter specifically to women, but they also are having a voice and a different voice and different perspective on issues that are really the most important issues facing the whole country. >> kelly ditmer from the center for american women and politics ad at rutgers. thank you. thank you. >> away from american politics, it's gotten cold outside, very cold and very suddenlily. suddenly. what's next? and a warm embrace on a cold night. >> this is a fancy one. i'm not letting anybody take it from you. >> there's more to it.

we return to one of our favorite stories of detroit helping its own both to keep warm and to create new opportunity. that's coming up. >> game of thrones when it came out, didn't hit any best sellers lists... >> the worlds, the magic and the fascination of george r.r. martin >> i'm writing the equivalent of a medieval world war ii... >> how his imagination keeps millions of devoted fans always wanting more >> it's nice to be doing something everybody is so aware of... >> every saturday, join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time... talk to al jazeera, only on al jazeera america

real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> now, a snapshot of stories making headlines on "america

tonight." nailgt accuse -- nato accuses russia of sending more tanks and troops into ukraine. that could set offcourse a shaky seefers. two window washers stranded 69 floors up the side of the one world trade center have been rescued. they got stuck after a cable came loose on a scaffold. two dangled for an hour until firefighters broke a window and pulled them inside. weather computers, in late september were hacked by chinese. now all systems are back online just in time as forecasters predict more record lows as that arctic blast continues across the country.

it's colder in denver than in iceland. 8 degrees high and low of 2. the mile high city hasn't had a time like this in years. first time since the 1930s had more than three feet of snow buried michigan's upper peninsula. rebecca stephenson, with a lew look at how far and how low. rebecca. >> as we look at the temperatures, 40° below average for parts of wyoming into colorado. and as we move further into the midwest, you can see temperatures 20° below average as this cold air mass is settling in and going to stay with us for some time. as we get to the next would days, this cool air, cold air moving to the east, slowly easing its way to the east coast. so it won't be quite the blast with the wind for places on the east coast. but as the wind dies down and

skies clear, we have got freeze warnings going out in the south, across texas, including dallas, temperatures into the mid 20s, for several hours early thursday morning. this will include even parts of alabama into louisiana and just the very northern, northwest portion of florida, too. this is where temperatures will be dropping down into the upper 20s, to low 30s. a little bit more mild as you get closer to the warm water of the gulf of mexico. nonetheless, it's going to be a cold night overall, especially near the canadian border where the high temperature's just lucky to get into the teens, adding the wind, making the wind chill feel a lot colder. wind chill makes it feel like 24 in colorado where around denver we had half an inch of snow on the parks. but all eyes on the blizzard warnings going out for the columbia river gorge which will

affect the eastern portion of portland, oregon. back to you. thank you rebecca. the bitter cold can be truly dictat dangerous for the homeless. in the motor city, here is chris bury. >> do you know how to do that? okay, all right. >> reporter: on a bitterly cold night in detroit church volunteers rick and chris are on a mission. the temperature is only 20°. the biting wind makes it feel like 5 below zero. >> thank you all, god bless you. >> the men are driving through detroit looking through those most vulnerable on a brutal winter night, the homeless. piled in the back of their truck are heavy-duty coats that double as sleeping bags. these hand sewn coats are made

just a few miles away, on a night like this they can keep someone from freezing to death. rick approaches a man sleeping on the sidewalk. >> you got have sleeping bags in there. you know how to work them? there is a fancy one, not going to let anybody take it from you. it's got velcro down the middle. >> these coats are functional, not fashionable. they are specifically designed for the dispossessed and destitute. >> like someone giving you a big hug. >> like a big bear on you. >> caroline gun says the coat was the only thing that was keeping her in a shelter and away from home. >> that coat was everything. i'm not saying that, that is the honest to god thing, that's a good coat. >> she is one of 15 seam stresses, the ladies, called so

by veronica scott. she sat down with us and told us how the idea grew out of a college project. but the coats alone weren't enough to make the kind of difference she had in mind. >> a coat on its own is not going to change anything. but if i go in and hire the people that are in the shelters that would be possibly an the receiving one of these, testifying just giving them the coat, then hiker them. >> the potential employees, all single moms, all living in shelters, all desperate for work. one of the newest hires at the time was tia sames, a 21-year-old mother of two. she had been living in a shelter, separated from her children and desperate to reunite with them. >> when i walked in here all i thought was about my kids, i'm going to have a job and help me get back my kids. that had me

excited. >> last year tia had no sewing experience. now she is one of the top sewers on the team. >> i could not believe, i saw the details that i did. i think that was really exciting and it warms my heart to see the people who needed a coat, get a coat sewn by me. >> on days like this only 9° outside teen ceo hits the streets to even the ceo hits the trees . finds homeless roaming the streets. >> the coats are big. designed that way. allowing for layers of clothing or possessions, backpacks, in this case, to fit underneath and providing protection even against temperatures so low, it's unsafe to be outside for long periods of time.

>> but you can still velcro it over the backpack. >> thank you. >> stay warm, man! >> with the weather we've experienced and seeing the people in the conditions they're in because of this weather, this is a huge part of what we're doing. we have even stronger dedication to making these coats the best we can make them. >> the coat is water resistant, and closes with velcro, since buttons fall off and zippers jam. big name companies called general motors and the clothing giant car heart donate much the material. between the outside shell and the interior since laition that can keep someone alive in the -- since laition that ca is

since laition. is ask insulation. >> in its first year veronica says the empowerment plan produced 25 coats. the following year it made nearly a thousand. veronica is planning to expand the warehouse and hire more seam stresses. >> we provide work for 25 people whose livelihood depends on this. >> daunting perhaps but veronica is determined. so are the 25 seam stresses who methodolog methodically hemstitch. >> i love coming to work and i love getting paid of course.

but just to know that this coat is helping someone, it's like i know how it feels to have nothing at all. when you have nothing, the smallest thing can mean the world to you. me making the coat is contributing to people feeling that way. >> stay warm, man. >> chris bur bur y, al jazeera. detroit. >> when we return, a red hot candidacy. why does it matter to the u.s? later this hour, somewhere out there. a dirty rock, some sharp outcroppings, and an out of this

world mission that could teach us about our universe's beginnings.

>> consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the growing controversy. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> why did so many of these people choose to risk their lives? >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> people are dying because of this policy... >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but what is the administration doing behind the scenes? >> real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america >> they call it africa's joint. big news from nigeria. the nigerian president goodluck jonathan has big ambitions. he has said that he will run in next year's general election.

how this election could impact the united states. it was an announcement nigerians. were expecting. >> of reception to present myself. >> reporter: at a political rally at the capital on tuesday, president goodluck jonathan tolls the people he will run in next year's presidential elections. africa's most populace nation, not because of its growing wealth as an oil producing country, back in april there was outrage of the kidnapping of nearly 300 school girls. >> we have to deal with the rave of insurgency. >> president goodluck jonathan promised

to fight boko haram. president obama's relationship with nigeria has focused primarily on strengthening trade ties. amidst a turn by africa towards china. nigeria is a strong ally, but that alliance has been strained by the united states refusal to sell lethal weapons to nigeria. this week's nigeria's ambassador to washington told the council on foreign relations that we are not satisfied with the scope of the united states's support of terrorists. it is how they have gone about it seems to be the one thing that undermines jonathan' jonathan's chances of being reelected. >> it is very, very difficult to unseat incumbents. about 80% of them get a second term. you have the opposition united if they can find a common voice

and if they can find a common purpose. they can push this all the way to the wire. there is a real chance that we could see a runoff and that would be uncharted territory for nigeria. >> reporter: this campaign slogan is nigeria first. he promises better infrastructure, high er jonathan has to tackle oil theft, constant power outages, corruption and a desire by nigerians for more transparency. >> whoever runs for the opposition will probably run on the platform of anticorruption and stronger security. >> from humble beginnings, the son of a canoe maker, from the southern part of the country, where biblical names are common, his signature hat and traditional dress, he was vice president in 2010 when the

then-president became too ill to govern. he was elected to the office in 2011. he describes his politics as moderate. he has foster outlawed same sex relationships. if he can't win the war against boko haram that alone could cost him this election. sheila macvicar, al jazeera. >> elmira woods is an expert on africa relation he. to help us understand the circumstances in africa and particularly this nigeria. what americans have heard most over the year is boko haram and to have a president that has seen this crisis unfold before him and has seemingly not been able to do anything about it, under what circumstances could he stand for election again? >> i think there's a sense that nigeria is africa's largest economy, there is a lot at stake particularly oil and the riches

of the land. and i think that there's a sense that goodluck jonathan has come into office after his predecessor died and 2015 is his turn to have a full tenure, a full term in office. and i think there's a sense that he and his supporters think that they have quite a strong chance of winning. >> it is almost hard to comprehend how wealthy, how powerful, nigeria has become africa's giant. >> it has become africa's giant, there is a lot at stake and the question will be to what extent can these issues, issues of food on the table for the majority of the workers whether those in the oil sectors, those on whose land the oil lies, who really are living in conditions worse than their grandparents in some communities were before oil was even found, to what extent can the needs of those communities be actually met through an

electoral process and beyond an electoral process as well. >> and one other thought about the relationship between the united states and nigeria, as the u.s. looks at international causes and opportunities for terrorism, nigeria with all of its wealth still has a very difficult problem, and particularly in the northern part of the nation. >> you have to understand the northern part of the country has been an area since the colonial period that has been neglected, an area underdeveloped, very poor infrastructure. so primarily it has been an area clamoring for basic services right? >> and where terrorist groups always get their opportunity, right? >> it isn't through the beryl of barrel of the gun that this will be understood, through human education, access to health, putting food on the table, meeting all these climate change challenges. these are the challenges of our time both for goodluck jonathan

and for those wanting to take over in the political process in nigeria and really for the world. >> elmira woods, thank you. >> thank you. >> ahead in our final something our final frontier first. >> could it that be the origin of life did not evolve here but was brought here by such comet. >> the space mission of all time, next. >> scared as hell... >> as us combat missions end in afghanistan >> they're going to make plans for an attack. >> the only thing i know is, that they say they're not going to withdraw. >> get a first hand look at what life is really like under the taliban. >> we're going to be taken >> it's so seldom you get the access to the other side >> fault lines, al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> today they will be arrested... >> ground breaking... they're firing canisters of gas at us... emmy award winning investigative series... special episode on the front lines with the taliban on al jazeera america

>> devastating climates... >> if we don't get rain we'll be in dire straits... >> scientists fighting back... >> we've created groundhog day here... >> hi-tech led farming... >> we always get perfect plants everyday... >> feeding the world... >> this opens up whole new possibilities... >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can effect and surprise us... >> don't try this at home... >> tech know, where technology meets humanity only on al jazeera america

al jazeera america gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere. more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> and finally for us, a big day for man kind and indeed all the universe. after ten years making a trek 6.4 billion kilometers into very deep space scientists managed to land a spacecraft on a comet. that's not easy.

since the comet is moving at 34,000 miles per hour, it was awfully tough to find a landing spot there. al jazeera's tare ek bazely. >> reporter: a triumph 20 ten years in the making. confirms the first ever landing of a spacecraft on a comet. >> okay, so we're there, he is talking to us. first thing he told us was the harpoons have been fired, rewound and the landing gear has been moved night so they are sitting inside. >> later it is revealed the harpoons used to affix it to the comet had failed to deploy. >> you can figure out on command, first, the status, how the land is there.

you don't want to fire them in the wrong moment. >> the release of the filet lander came after a ten year six billion mile pursuit of the come us. a feat described as ridiculously difficult. the comet orbit orient i don't remembe comet orbits the sun every six years. traveling in space at over 65,000 kilometers an hour. quite a feat to catch something like this but since august roast rosetta's been orbiting, and trying to figure out where to make a landing on the probe. the comet has very little gravity. that means landing and keeping a

probe on its surface requires special technology. >> there is a risk that the fillet lander will bounce back. to damping that landing with legs that have shock absorbers. then instantly as it makes touchdown deploy and harpoon with a tether that is going to be like a anchor, to make sure the craft remains attached to the comet. >> the arrival of the craft on the surface of the comet is a hung relief. huge relief. they're not sure they could have it do the sampling like they hoped it would. the lander has ten scientific instruments on board and there is hopes it will be able to examine the surface of the comet as it

travels close to the sun. >> we have to land, next year we will be seeing gas and other materials at much higher rate. >> the mission team is examining thing data from the lander. hopeful sending data back to earth. scientists are hopeful that this will give us clues into the origin of the solar system and lives on earth. tarek bazely, al jazeera, germany. >> they look like they've gotten what sounds like a message from it. listen . >> what is it, a welcome song? the comet is said to be making these sounds through oscillations in the magnetic field in its environment.

the human ear cannot detect the sound but scientists turned up the frequency for this, uncovering mysteries held deep in space. that's it. next the fight against i.s.i.l. al jazeera's nick schifrin, gives us insight, that's tomorrow on "america tonight." and remember if you would like to comment on any stories you have seen tonight, log on to aljazeera.com/americatonight. good night, we'll have more of "america tonight," tomorrow.

>> major russian military action in ukraine. is the u.s. powerless to stop it? now, the u.s. is ebola-free, did the u.s. overreact? and history is made in space. i'm antonio mora, this is "consider this." those stories and others ahead. >> russian tanks are rolling -- >> into neighboring ukraine. >> forces that are capable of being nuclear. >> this is our new cold war. >> it is a good feeling to hug a hero. >> dr. craig spencer, ebola free. >>