oil prices and western sanctions over the conflict in ukraine. a quick reminder you can keep up to date with the news on the website. new and improved. the address - aljazeera.com emergency meeting - european leaders try to figure out what to do about thousands of migrants risking their lives to flee to safer shores. deaths and violence over jobs. south africans taking to the streets calling for an end to xenophobic attacks. david petraeus set to be sentenced. we'll tell you why he'll face a

light punishment. good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. thank you for joining us. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city. migrants arrive in southern europe. more than 1,000 come into the port in the past 24 hours alone. they are coming in overcrowded and unsafe boats. european leaders are holding an emergency meeting to find a solution. the italian prime minister matteo renzi is asking for help from the e.u. >> we are getting off an italian customs boat. 220 people from sub-saharan africa, but women and some pregnant amongst them. we watched them taking obvious

the boat into processing centers throughout the past hour. this is the context and the reason why there is an e.u. emergency summit. 1,000 arrivals in the italian port in the last 24 hours, and a couple of days ago the u.n.h.c.r. said there has been 13,500 arrivals in the past week. in the mediterranean, the weather is warmer seas calmer so there's inspection that the flow of humanity across the mediterranean will increase, if anything, in the weeks and months to come. . >> barnaby phillips in catania you italy. in malta, a service for two dozen killed in the shipwreck off the italy. 800 migrants from north africa died when the boat capsized. >> we are learning about a boat that capsized off the libyan

coast. 315 of the passengers were from eritrea. most thought to have drowned when a ship went down. this report on why a growing number escaped their homeland hoping to find freedom and opportunity. >> the u.n. says more than 3,000 eritreans fled this year making them the second largest migrant groups to land there after syrians. many others died before they make it. >> condolences to those focted by the tragediment eritrea has been robbed of its youth and bright young people. >> reporter: many eritreans leave to avoid doing military service or work for the government at low pay indefinitely. they made it to a migrant camp in france after deserting the army and said he served

eight years. >> >> reporter: human rights advocates list other reasons, including a lack of jobs and a repressive government in the world, led by the president. he's been in office since 1993. >> the government curtailed most freedoms. this week the committee to protect journalists ranged it the most censored country in the world. it defended its record in the report, saying: it sites the resilience of the eritrian economy and prevailing peace and stability. the numbers tell a different story. the u.n. says during the first 10 months of last year 37,000

eritreans applied for asylum. that's almost tripled the number from the same period the year before. others escaped to israel and other countries, sometimes they are turned away. >> : >> reporter: the e.u. is responding to the crisis offering aid to eritrea. activists say the west should do more. they should put pressure on the government to change its ways and allow the democratic transfer to go ahead, and these people will have a life in eritrea. >> right now in south africa thousands are taking part in an anti-xenophobia march,

protesting violence that killed seven, displacing thousands. they hope to send a message that such violence will not be tolerated. charles stratford is there. >> it's a variety of civil society groups here. they are calling for one thing. everyone says no to xenophobia. i spoke to a man that described south africa assist being the same thing. the violent attacks seen in recent weeks is in no way representative of south africa. a keen push to make that mempize clear. there's a variety of civil society groups. people supporting h.i.v. unions here. there's a number of people and a big campaign that the government is pushing forward.

the government is happening out a flyer, phone if you can see it. issued by the south african government. radio campaigns, messages calling for a stop to the violence, anti-xenophobic messages made. charles stratford reporting from johannesburg. the congress is expected to confirm loretta lynch. republican leaders delayed the vote to handle the human trafficking bill first. once confirmed loretta lynch will replace attorney general eric holder. today general david petreaus will final out his punishment for leaking classified documents, given to his biographer and mistress. we have more on why despite the breach he's liking to face a

light sentence. >> reporter: when he was unanimously confirmed as the director of the c.i.a., david petraeus was applauded for his military pedigree as the top u.s. general in iraq and afghanistan. >> i don't believe that i have ever quite encountered a military leader or civilian leader for that matter, with the combination of charisma and intellect that general petraeus possesses but fast-forward 14 months and the most respected general was forced to resign, accused of sharing top secret documents. they were shared with his mistress. she had been writing a biography about david petreaus. they became romantically involved. when she felt threatened by another female jill kelly, she began sending emails. they discovered evidence of the affair with the germ when it was

unearthed. according to court documents, david petreaus is accused of sharing eight of his personal black books. recording his time in afghanistan. the highly confidential material is said to accuse the identities of covert intelligence officers, war strategy and notes from high level meetings. petraeus will plead guilty to unauthorised removal of material on thursday. it carries up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. it's gaol time. . >> it's unlikely he'll do gaol time. >> he belongs to a caste that is powerful, protected by powerful interests, essentially. petraeus ingratiated himself with the people who are not just supporting america's wars abroad. also with those in positions of power.

that's why unlike edward snowden in exile for exposing mass programs in the u.s., or chelsea manning in gaol for leaking diplomatic cables to wikileaks. petraeus is expected to pay a probation, a third of what he collects for making a single speech to the 2016 presidential campaign is about to get a dramatic makeover. setting off alarm bells across the political spectrum jed bush's supporters found a way to create a blank check of sorts for their g.o.p. candidate. david shuster has more. >> reporter: in the complex and often controversial world of presidential campaign financing, jed bush is sailing into unprecedented and unchartered workers. his right to life super-pact that can raise money will take

responsibility for nearly all television acting for the g.o.p. candidate. >> it's critical to change the direction our country is heading. we must... >> jed bush's own campaign, facing limits and must operate separately from the pact will oversee less expansive duties, including the schedule and travel. public watch dogs called it outrageous. >> individuals coming in with hundreds of millions an individual or corporation could fit the bit for a campaign and make a difference. have a determinative effect. >> jub and supporters are trying to leverage a pair of supreme court rulings from five years ago. the justice in a case known as citizens united upheld limits to a candidate, and they can raise only 2700 per donor for the

primary, and 2700 but there's no limits on individual corporations or group donations to super pacts. leaning on a super pability could gi -- pact could give jed bush a vantage. >> i don't see a carnation. >> a small group of supporters could pay now for most of the work needed to sustain him deep into the primaries. in the past candidates like mitt romney had to rely on a strong ♪ ♪ in ohio and -- strong finish in ohio and new hampshire. the main limitations is they are not allowed to coordinate actions. the risk is his super-pact will not have access to the candidate or senior candidate. that may not be a problem.

supporters expect mike murphy to run the pack a veteran campaign strategist. >> we have to modernize conservitiesle. ... he is jed bush's trusted political confidante. if a donor or a group of donors doesn't want murphy or right to rise to list them. there is an alternative. rites to life and other pacts can establish other donors where they are never reveal. >> the right to rise can list their doper as a right to rise nonprofit. who it is coming from - we will have no idea. jed bush's supporters say the design of the strategy is fluid. given that mr bush has not announced his 2016 presidential campaign. all the major candidates whether they formal acor are getting

ready to announce have established super-pact. jed bush is convinced that donors with no restraints are the best path for him for victory. coming up days of protest in baltimore, and a demand for answer, why the police union is speaking out in the death of freddy gray defending the officers involved. >> after spending years behind bars for rape. four women look to clear their names. the testimony could be decided by women.

good morning to you. welcome back to al jazeera america it is 7:46 eastern. we'll take a look at the top stories. washington says russia is building up its air defense system inside eastern ukraine. the state department calls it the biggest military boost since last summer. there has been enewed fighting since a ceasefire. talk about out of service. a government report released shows the alarm on former president bush's home was not working for more than a year. the secret service bought a replace. . but waited 1 is months to in -- 11 months to install it. the family of michael brown

is set to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the town of mississippi today. he was shot by a white police officer. and his death ignited months of protests speaking of protests they are expected to continue in baltimore over the death of freddy gray. many are angry over what they believe is the use of excessive force. police defended the officer's actions during the arrest. jonathan betz found it highlights difficulties. >> star brown is proud of her daughter. the day she found out she was pregnant was one of the first days. >> when you are a first hand victim of police brutality, you are on edge. >> in 2009 brown stood on her porch when a fight broke out. for some reason officers focussed on her, pulling her down the silence, slamming her

into the ground much her pregnancy was not affected. she was left bloody and bruised. >> it's more difficult when i see it happen more often. >> she sued. the city settled the case, admitted no wrongdoing and paid her $125,000. more that $6 million has been used to settle cases of wrongful arrest. tensions are high long before anger swept the city. the 25-year-old suffered a spinal cord injury whilst in police custody and tide a week after his arrest. >> the family is not in an houry, but they want to know now. it will result in people being good to each other again.

>> the mayor and police chief were making changes, such as rolling out the body cams and promised full transparency in the investigation. >> we know we can't bring mr gray back but his family deserves answers, and the community. that's what i want to provide. star brown is wary of police a fear that her daughter shares. >> i can't teach her to look at the police as a form of protection. it's pretty sad, it's disheartening. it makes you not believe, in the system. baltimore's mayor promised reforms, saying she understands more needs to be done to repair relations between the community and the police. four texas women trying to clear their names after spending two decades behind bars on sexual assault charges. the san antonio 4 say the

charges were fabricated by a man rejected by one of the women. here is what one accuser told the judge. >> he starts telling us that this is how she touched you. this happened, this happened. she did this. we were coached. >> the women have since been freed, but not cleared. heidi zhou-castro takes a look at the road to justice for the san antonio four. >> reporter: it's been almost a year and a half since the san antonio four reunited. they have been separated and behind bars for nearly two

decades. >> i'm a grandma baby. >> i had a chance to re-establish relationships with my kids. i spent a lot of time with my grand baby and niece. >> sometimes i have to sit back when we are joking or playing. i cannot believe that we are out here again together you know. >> though freed, they have not been cleared. >> does it feel real to you yet? >> no i don't think it will until the exoneration. elizabeth ramirez, christy mayhew cresonda and anna were convicted of a horror crime. ramirezes two nieces claimed the women raped them while worshipping the devil. they were lies after the girl's

father was rejected. >> the crime never occurred. >> the women say the state targeted them for being lesbians. they were convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. >> i thought how can you go to prison for something that never happened. >> but i didn't. >> in 2010, more than a decade into the imprisonment. one of the victims recanted and a doctor saying there were signs of physical abuse withdraw her testimony, citing advances leading her to doubt previous conclusions. >> they took many years of our lives, accusing us of something we weren't. it was harsh. we want that name that label taken from us. they shared jobs. >> i get off of six. come home get ready and do

shopping. >> sounds great. >> the future depends on whether the texas court of criminal appeals will agree to overturn their convictions. the hearing will lead them closer to the goal. >> we want to be clear that we are innocent and for them to believe it and justice prevail. >> are you afraid that may not happen? a little bit i am yes. because of how i now know the justice system. it has its faults a federal judge approved a settlement overhead trauma in the n.f.l. thousands of former players fired a lawsuit, accusing the lead of hiding concussions. it called for $5 million and

plies to any player before july of last year and the families. remember we brought you the list of countries cleanest states. now see which states were at the bottom. nicole mitchell counts down the dirtiest states in the u.s. stay tuned. tuned.

in the past 24 hours, a volcano in southern chile erupted twice. more than 1,000 were forced to leave the area. it was the first in more than 40 years. in celebration of earth day we showed you some of the greenest states. hawaii was number five, nevada new hamp share, maine and vermont. today be look at the worst of the work. let's bring in nicole mitchell.

i have guessing. >> everyone was guessing. a lot got it right. the same group put together another group. illinois of all the states uses the greatest amount of energy and unfortunately only 2% of this is from renewable resources, that get a boost, and have a good score. next mississippi, toxic waste, 33rd. missouri doesn't rank superlow but they are lou statistically. that puts them on the list. the best score, 16th best in air particles, that's not high ranking for 27 categories. kentucky is the next state. cold carbon not print. they also perform low consistently in a lot of

categories including 43rd worse for releasing cancer causing chemicals. texas comes in at number sex, and toxic waste. the hazardous waste three times the next closest state. other problems worse for toxic exposure 47 for toxic chemicals, and 47 for cancer causing chemicals released. finally number 6 is pennsylvania coal steel, natural gas, particulates in the air and toxic exposure ranked low in the state. coming up, they were the top 10 through six. we'll get one through five, and maybe you can figure out where one of those were. we'll take you to one of the most polluted areas. >> i'm guessing virginia may be on the list. >> you could be right.

>> thank you for joining us. randall pinkston is back with you in 2 minutes with more on al jazeera america you can follow us online at aljazeera.com, or twitter at a.j.a.m., i'm morgan radford, think you for joining us.

>> sunday. >> we're pioneers. >> the head of america's space agency charles bolden. >> we take science fiction and turn it into science fact. >> addressing nasa's critics. >> we are the best nation in the

world when it comes to exploration. >> and mankind's next giant leap. >> we can become multi-planet species. >> every sunday night... >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping... inspiring... entertaining. "talk to al jazeera". sunday, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. leaders hold an emergency meeting to figure out what to do about thousands crossing the mediterranean to reach at safer shores. hundreds in baltimore rally to protest the death of an unarmed man in police custody. a multi billion deal to pay retired n.f.l. players for brain damage suffered in the game.

and thousands forced to flee after a volcano burst to life after laying dormant for nearly a century this is al jazeera america, live from new york city, i'm randall pinkston good morning. a micro crisis grose in southern europe, more than 1,000 making their way to italian ports in the last 24 hours. they come often in overcrowded and unsafe boats. european leaders will hold a meeting, seeking a solution to the crisis. italian prime minister matteo renzi says he needs more help from the e.u. we start with laurence lee in brussel for the emergency e.u. meeting. will the e.u. leaders gi italy the help it's asking for?

>> it's inconceivable that they will not do anything to stop people dying in the sea. it's the best part of 2000. and they've got to do something about that. at the moment it looks like events are out of their control, and they are not in control of events. the big question is what the overall strategy is, what what appears to be the case what it isn't is what the u.n. and refugee groups want is for better asylum systems for refugees to come to europe. instead, what appears to be the main thought backhand the meeting is to make it difficult for refugees to get on the boats in the first place, so rather than a big search and rescue operation, what they are talking about is mill pterising their -- mill pterising their response putting warships there, blowing up boats, to stop people getting on the boats in the first place,

it's brutal and hard faced. it looks like what europe is using, an opportunity to make it harder for people to get out of africa and into europe. a question before we go to catania. earlier, the foreign ministers voted on a 10-point plan. will the european leaders take action to put the plan into in effect? >> yes, i think very much. this is an extension of what happened in luxembourg earlier in the week. the question raised at that it what could have been down to try to settle more refugees and migrants inside europe and a plan was mooted to parcel up people across the 28 members of the european union, there's no chance of that happening. all of these european countries

have different policies. germany took tens of thousands of syrians, great britain - 150 only. there is little appetite among wealthier countries to take a lot of migrants in, and that's because of public attitudes here. they want to make it more difficult for people to get mere. >> let's down to barnaby phillips in catania, some italians saying they will not take migrants in. how is italy handling the situation. we understand more that is arrived this morning. do we know where they came from? >> some 220 migrants arrived in catania port behind me this morning. that's right. they came from sub-saharan african counties in two boasts off the libyan coast and

thankfully rescued safely at sea. the vast majority were young men, also some women. as to how italy is coping it's struggling. according to the united nations high commission for refugees 13,500 were picked up at sea. many centers were full to overcrowding. there were delays. that process can go on for well over a year. it's a strain for italy. that is why the italian prime minister put such urgency and effort into today's summit. don't forget of course that italy is a country with enormous economical difficulties over the past few years, a hay level of unemployment particularly in the south. many ist at yaing who you -- italians you speak to cyst illians say there's no jobs for

us let alone those turning up in their hundreds every day on the shore. >> at this point, and laurence lee addressed this - i wonder if you here anything where you are on effort to clampdown on illegal smugglers? >> yes. we know that in the draft proposals that the european leaders are looking at is exactly that. an idea to destroy - identify and destroy boats used by smugglers at source before they approached european waters. if you do that at source. it's interesting. the implication of that is that you are doing that, say, in libyan ports. 90% of boats come from libya. it will be interesting to see how bold adventurous european leaders are if they advocate

using military force out at sea or on the showers of the state. >> thank you barnaby phillips in callania italy saudi-led air strikes continue in yemen despite an announcement that it would end. the new attacks are in response to houthi fighters pushing into the country's south. the united nations is calling for an end to the violence. >> i hope that phase will lead to an end of all fighting. in yemen. in fact this morning when i read that report that fighting was resumed, i was very much concerned about that. i sincerely hope that there will be an end of fighting as soon as possible. our correspondent is on the suede-yemeni border. is there an indication about when the latest round of strikes

will end? >> no, not until - according to the saudis not until the houthis stop trying to move to new territory, trying to take new places and attack the loyalists of the legitimate president abd-rabbu mansour hadi. this is the second day of strikes against the positions of the houthis in aden and also in the province of ibrahim hassan tali al asiri. three strikes there, several strikes near aden and in every case it was when the houthis tried to push ahead, moved to new locations and take new territory in fact, what we have is a declaration of an end to the air campaign. that's moot now. that's gone by the boards. you are back at full-scale war. >> sorry, repeat the question please. the end of the air campaign

announced by saudi arabia is no longer in effect. we are back at full-scale battle? saudi arabia says there's no need to return to the first full phase. they are in control of the air space above yemen, and their troops are along the border with yemen, 1800km, and this is a better situation than before, when this were fears that the open sea borders would allow iran to channel weapons to the houthis, they thing they can maintain a low intensity but continuous campaign phase two of the war, approximately they make sure the houthis are back to the original places maintaining or ensuring that it

expands their influence inside yemen. >> thank you a big anti-xenophobia march is going on in south africa. thousands walking the streets of san jose to protest violence against migrants. seven died. thousands displaced by the anti-migrant protest which began in durban. the people's march is trying to send a message that xenophobic protests will not be tolerated. >> more than 30 ethiopia christians were murdered. thousands took to the streets in protest. government officials say it will bring back citizens that want o return to ethiopia here at home the family of the michael brown, the young black man fatally shot which a white police officer, plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

attorneys top to prove that officer darren wilson did not need to use his weapon against brown, who was unarmed. officer wilson did not place criminal charges. brown's death ignited mons of protest in missouri and around the country protests in baltimore over the death of freddy gray. there has been protests for many days, angry at the use of ex-seesive force. gray died the baltimore union is defending officers connected to the case. >> my understanding is every officer involved cooperated from the beginning. three out of four volunteered to give statements. a lot of time they are running from call to call to call they can't do the positive interaction with the citizens of baltimore, we need to improve on that the justice department launched a civil rights

investigation. jonathan betz reports that baltimore's police department is no stranger to accusations of so far as. star brown is wary of police, a fear that her daughter shares. >> star brown is proud of her daughter. the day she found out she was pregnant was one of the first days. >> when you are a first hand victim of police brutality, you are on edge. >> in 2009 brown stood on her porch when a fight broke out. for some reason officers focussed on her, pulling her down the silence, slamming her into the ground much her pregnancy was not affected. she was left bloody and bruised. >> it's more difficult when i see it happen more often. >> she sued. the city settled the case, admitted no wrongdoing and paid her $125,000. a baltimore "sun" investigation

found the city had paid more that $6 million has been used to settle cases of wrongful arrest. . >> it's getting out of hand they need to do something. tensions are high long before anger swept the city. the 25-year-old suffered a spinal cord injury whilst in police custody and died a week after his arrest. >> the family is not in an hurry, but they want to know now. . >> the grey's lawyer want to an investigation. it will result in people being good to each other again. >> the mayor and police chief were making changes, such as rolling out the body cams, and promised full transparency in the investigation. >> we know we can't bring mr gray back, but his family deserves answers, and the community deserves answers. that's what i want to provide. star brown is wary of police, a fear that her daughter shares. >> i can't teach her to look at the police as a form of protection.

it's pretty sad, it's disheartening. it makes you not believe, in the system. baltimore's mayor promised reforms, saying she understands more needs to be done to repair relations between the community and the police. well this is day 3 of the penalty phase in the trial of boston marathon bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev. prosecutors plan to call victims and family members to the stand. yesterday jurors heard from the brother of shaun collier, the m.i.t. police campus officer killed. a federal judge approved what is expected to become a billion dollar settlement between the national football league and thousands of retired players, after accusations by players that the league has been covering up the long-term danger of blows to the head and the concussions that follow.

john henry smith is here. wasn't that case settled? >> your memory does not fail you, in august 2013 the league reached at the time a $765 million settlement with retired players. out of concern that it was not enough to take care of 20,000 retired players, the judge told the attorneys involved to do better. here is what they came up with. >> reporter: a billion dollars over an estimated 65 years. that's how long it's estimated it could take the n.f.l. to pay back. the settlement was reached between the league and former players in a class action lawsuit. on average, each player gets

about $15. but it could reach as high as $5 billion for players diagnosed with alzhiemer's or lou gehrig's disease. the families of those that die from brain trauma will be eligible for a higher pay out. $10 million has been set aside for education about concussions. the pay outs for those that left before july last year. two players opted out, so they can pursue damages on their own if they wish. among them the the family of junior sao. researchers found his brain was racked by a concussion related disease. it's a fate chris bor lan tried to avoid. >> i am not going to commit the prime of my life that could be detrimental to my health. >> reporter: as part of the

settlement the link between football and chronic brain injuries. the n.f.l. welcomed the decision, and in a statement said: . >> former defense if back said: payments will not be made until all appeals are heard so it may be months or years before the n.f.l. pays on this settlement. >> critics point to the fact that $1 billion over 65 years spare change for a league that had revenues of $10 billion. the n.f.l. could have used the deep pockets to conduct a

vigorous and lengthy defense. former player and lou gehrig disease sufferer said many players are running out of time and need the money now on the agenda united nations opens a debate on countering violent extremism and promoting peace. jordan will chair the event. a major disruption to trains is expected in germany. 20,000 drivers on strike for the sixth time this year demanding a pay hike and fewer hours. >> president obama welcomes super bowl champions, the new england patriots to the white house counting the cost of corruption. brazil's state-owned oil giant reeling in the wake of bribes and the scandal putting pressure on the company's president. >> i don't like to use the word diversity, it's what you strive for in the '70s.

>> more of our conversation with john ridley, oscar-winning screenwriter. he shares his story and why he does not consider himself a success.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm randall pinkston. it's coming up on 8:21 eastern. looking at the top stories - a government report released today shows the alarm on former president h.w. bush's home was not working for more than a year. the secret service got a replacement but waited 11 months to install it for unknown reasons. the man that shot president regan and his press secretary has called for release. he spents half his days at home with his mother john hinkley is asking for more privileges, including liking full-time outside -- living full-time outside the hospital. >> guinea confirms nine new

cases of ebola, in the north, far from liberia on the money break, brazil's state-controlled oil giant petrogas is revealing how much it is writing off to losses tide to a scandal. patricia joins us. not good news for petrogas. >> they are trying to draw a line under it. they put a price tag on it. 2.1 billion, that's the price it's slapping on a corruption scandal. prosecutors have been investigating allegations that suppliers overcharged the giants for contrast and kicked back some of those ill-gotten gains.

the political fallout was on display in march, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest corruption and demand the impeachment of dilma rousseff and chaired the petrogas's board most of the time the bribes took place, she has been exonerated. but dozens of top politicians are under investigation, and the scantedal hit brazil's construction and oil sectors, dragging on the economy, expected to fall into recession. >> is it enough to turn the page. what about the declining price of i will. problem on problem. >> it is a problem. what the executives are trying to do. new management is in charge. they are trying to draw a line under the scandal they have. they have a long way to go. one thing to keep in mind is of all the major oil concerns,

petrogas now has to try to pay back the debt and in a time of very low oil prices. thank you. now to the tech beat this morning - an astronaut who became a rock star. chris hadfield is on earth, after serving as the commander of the international space station, his videos got him worldwide attention, and now he's planning on album. we have the story. >> four, three, two, one, lift off. tom, chris making their wi to the international space station. >> reporter: the international space station has been a paragon of scientific mystery, until a man brought it down to earth. chris hadfield, former commander of the international space station spent 166 days in space. but he didn't spend time just

doing experiments. he turned the space station into something cool. he recorded videos that went crazy viral, and bringing space into america's living rooms. not your usual astronaut. >> vegetables are important to your health. today i chose tried spinach. stick in the straw, fix it up. hot. i have a nice wet tooth brush. when you do the ringing off the towel. my mind was broken, i showed it to everyone. >> it's prookay ty. if you grab a glass of water and i tip it over everyone assumes what will happen if something unexpected happens, if the water supt spill out or it floats in my hand is startling. the beauty of being startled it changes your thought and perspectives. >> reporter: it's the little

things that hadfield highlights perfectly. take getting ready to sleep. >> in my supercomfy russian full-length pyjamas. when it's bedtime you turn off the light, and float into your sleeping bag. we sleep in a sleep stakes like a phone booth. you close the doors and relax every muscle. it goes to a natural state like an infant. it is the most blissful comfortable sleep you could ever imagine. >> research opportunities aboard the space passion are out of this world. commander hadfield learnt as much as possible during time on the ifs. >> one more day. >> los angeles, i'm phil torrers for al jazeera for more science and information stories, tune in to

techknow at 6:30 p.m. eastern clearing the log jam. the senate is poised to vote on confirmation. learning the true worth and why it stands in danger of collapse. collapse.

welcome back to al jazeera america i'm randall pinkston. it's 8:29 eastern time taking a look at the top stories. european leaders hold an emergency meeting in brussels in a few hours on the growing refugee crisis in the mediterranean sea. more than 1,000 refugees landed in the past 24 hours alone. the prime minister is calling on european countries to help shoulder the burden. >> [ chanting ] more protests expected in baltimore today. over the death of freddy gray. wednesday marks the fourth day of protests by people angry over

what they believe was the use of excessive force during their arrests. gray died a week later. the baltimore police union defends the officers connected to the case. a federal judge approved a settlement to resolve a lawsuit between the n.f.l. and thousands of former players. the agreement will span the next 65 years and cost at least $900 million. >> the u.s. senate is expected to confirm loretta lynch as u.s. attorney-general five months after the government nominated her. they delayed the result in order to handle the trafficking bill. once confirmed loretta lynch will replace attorney general eric holder. let's bring in our legal analyst. a lot of bad bloodstains between attorney general eric holder and congress. to what extent will it spillover

to the newest attorney-general. >> it didn't have to. but this delay, one of the longest history will create bad bloodstains. this is a delay that equals more time spent in waiting to confirm her than the last seven attorney-generals combined. waiting 166 days by my count to be confirmed. it goes back to the regan administration. we have not had to wait for a confirmation this long since then. so i think they have created a situation that didn't have to be bad. i think she'll go in and try to create a good relationship with members on the hill both parties. that's a key thing for any attorney-general to do. they laid pore ground work for the relationship. >> she has the experience of having been u.s. attorney twice. >> yes, she's been confirmed twice before. and twice before by republicans

and democrats. >> yes. >> when is the last time we had a u.s. attorney that had been an attorney. >> never, she is qualified, and republicans that say they will not vote for her is not challenging informations. the concern is whether shell support president obama on policies that republicans disagree are. principally the immigration issue, and whether he should use any authority on matters they feel is congressional. no one challenges her qualifications. as you point out she's been confirmed before she has prosecuted in a bipartisan or nonpartisan manner all kinds of cases, including terrorism, civil rights cases, and matters related to political corrosion that she has been celebrated for. >> do you think there'll be an appreciable change in policy and trust in the way it operates

under her leadership. >> they ask do the times make the man or the man makes the times. in this case the woman. given what has happened in our nation she'll have to continue to focus on relationships between law enforcement and counties of color, and more so than did attorney general eric holder. and patriot act is coming up for reauthorization. she'll have to take a large look at that. in her term, her last two years in office. >> not much time to bring on new initiatives. she'll have to shift her focus given the time in which she'll leave the department. this will be a case of the times making the woman. >> what lessons can she learn from attorney general eric holder's experience. >> there are difficult things for the attorney-general to deal with this is the hardest job in the administration i have said. the lesson not just from

attorney general eric holder, but all attorney-general's past. it is that this is not a possession that serves the president, the attorney-general works for the poem. this person serves us. the people of the united states. that's what makes it so difficult. you are an independent agent. you don't work for the president, you work for the united states of america. you have to uphold the constitution it can be difficult when it's at odds with your president and administration. >> thank you jamie floyd, al jazeera legal analyst. >> today david petreaus will find out his punishment for leaking classified document. the retired general and former head of the c.i.a. is accused of giving classified information to his biographer and mystery he is

likely to face a light sentence. >> reporter: when he was unanimously confirmed as the director of the c.i.a., david petraeus was applauded for his military pedigree as the top u.s. general in iraq and afghanistan. >> i don't believe that i have ever quite encountered a military leader or civilian leader for that matter, with the combination of charisma and intellect that general petraeus possesses but fast-forward 14 months and the most respected general was forced to resign, accused of sharing top secret documents. they were shared with his mistress pauler broadwell. she had been writing a biography about david petreaus. they became romantically involved. when she felt threatened by another female firend of petreaus, jill kelly, she began sending emails. they discovered evidence of the

affair with the germ when it was unearthed. according to court documents, david petreaus is accused of sharing with broadwell eight of his personal black books. recording his time in afghanistan. the highly confidential material is said to include the identities of covert intelligence officers, war strategy and notes from high level security meetings. petraeus will plead guilty to unauthorised removal of classified material on thursday. it carries up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. >> it's unlikely he'll do gaol time. >> he belongs to a caste that is powerful, protected by powerful interests, essentially. petraeus ingratiated himself with the people who are not just supporting america's wars abroad. also with those in positions of power. that's why unlike edward snowden

in exile for exposing mass nsa programs in the u.s., or chelsea manning in gaol for leaking diplomatic cables to wikileaks. petraeus is expected to pay a probation, a third of what he collects for making a single speech, $40,000. we could see another face in the race for president. "the wall street journal" says carley will announce he will run on may 4th. the former hewlett packard chief never held public office. she was a nominee in 2010, but lost to the incumbent. >> she'll we an entertaining figure of the debate. she sh as a woman can play gender politics with hillary clinton. and go after helicopter in ways that may seem unseemly if not

true. it will be interesting whether she has success. she's about as big a long shot as there is right now. >> according to the journal. she'll hold her campaign on hold and have a conference call. chile's volcano erupted twice in the past 48 hours, after being dormant for years. we have more. >> reporter: a reminder of the earth's fury. as the volcano roared into life sending ash into the sky. . >> this time laps video showing the first eruption in 48 years. >> translation: at the beginning it was small. later the cloud grew, it was huge, and i got scared. >> reporter: chile issued a red alert, closing schools and airports, and ordering anyone nearby to leave quickly.

>> translation: we are going increase the evacuation zone from 10 to 20 kilometres and are asking anyone nearby to leave the area and take precautionary measures for safety. >> reporter: that caused crowds to flee. crowds queued for the petrol pumps. >> translation: it was impressive to see a mushroom cloud with the immense force of the volcano and see the ash. at that point there was a lot of panic, a lot of chaos, people going to supermarkets, everyone looking for water. >> it is considered one of the most dangerous of chile's 90 active volcanos. there has been no lava yet, authorities are watching this closely. well it's time to dish a little dirt. we are counting down the least green states translated

dirtiest in the country. we bought you the bottom five, illinois number 10, missouri kentucky texas and pennsylvania according to 24/7 wall street, the group. now it's time for the top five. let's bring in nicole mitchell. >> a lot of people guessed this. the floor crew - most guessed new jersey. number 5, not number one. one of the things that saved new jersey, they score well in alternative policy but they have not translated into much result. the garden state ranks almost at the bottom of air particle and ozone pollution and doesn't have much alternative energy this place. louisiana is next on the list and is 46. it rated horriblery in water pollution, and bottom five for a toxin, total water pollution, and chemicals that cause birth

defects. west jirge is the next on -- virgin is the next one on there. it ranks in the bottom. alternative energy policy air pollution, water pollution, and has a large carbon footprint. number two, indiana. the main source of power is coal. in fact based on generated power, their gibson generating station is the largest coal power plant in all of north america. the third largest in the world, and they tie from the least amount of alternative energy and who do they tie with? >> number one on the list. >> in addition to that they rank fifth in consumption. not much of this is alternative energy they have a horrible carbon footprint, toxic exposure. and different chemicals, and

toxic waste that has not been cleaned up. a suburb of detroit has been dubbed the dirtiest zipcode in michigan five power plants and factories. people liking there are suffering the effects. more of that. >> reporter: river rouge - environmentalists call it the most polluted zip code in michigan. it was located outside of detroit, home to several heavy power plants and refineries. and is home so some of the highest asthma rates. it was a story we reported when hundreds packed a town hall meeting with concerns about the air they breathe. we caught up with elizabeth milton an asthma educator who believes she's on the front line of a health crisis. >> is there a link between the air quality, plants and illness that they see. >> absolutely.

it will affect and cause asthma. we know that. we travel with milton as she met up with a client. tonight you see how she's helping him coat. the state missed a deadline at the environmental protection agency. tonight we'll explain what that means for residents in river rouge. >> you can watch b.c.'s small report at 8:00 eastern tonight in today's science beat a study reveals the staggering value of the ocean's resources. the world's wildlife fund compares the riches to that of the economies. it measured food and jobs to be worth about $2.5 trillion a year ranking 7th in the world's fop 10 economies after -- top 10 economies after the u.s., china, france u.s. and u.k.

nick clark has more. >> reporter: oceans cover for that two-thirds of our planet. crucial in the cycle of life. on the shores of the gulf, a research team from the environmental study center, on its way to study the world's ocean mangroves. the salt marshes here providing an eco system adapted to extreme conditions, and home to animals. they are capable of storing up to eight times more co2 than tropical forests. it's important to understand how they work. >> we are looking at the capability of the manning groves to score nutrients, coip and the support given to local fisheries, and species diversity in the gulf. >> and the bottom line is fragile ecosystems are fundamental to the general state of health of the world's oceans. mangroves are being ripped up

and destroyed along the coastlines all over the world. the rate of loss is more than three times that of deforestation on land. as far as oceans were concerned, it doesn't end there. according to a worldwide fund for nature report, the entire resort is in danger of failing. the ocean change faster than any other point, with intense pressure from pollution and acidification and over-fishing. it is staggering. eco systems they can recover, and if you don't reach a turning point. we are at risk in the next 20 years or so, that if this continues, actually the ocean will not be able to recover for hundreds of years. for generations to come.

>> the message is we are running down ocean assets and pushing marine economies into the red. by couching the ocean's flagging health the reports authors hope they are speaking a language the world decision makers may understand race in hollywood. still to come - more of the conversation with director novelist and oscar winner john ridley. plus - youtube marks a major milestone. we'll look back at how it started in some of the most popular videos of the past decade. decade.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm randall pinkston. it's about 8:48 eastern. taking a look at the top stories. aid groups call the humanitarian situation in yemen catastrophic. as the saudi arabia led coalition continuation bombings continue despite an announced it had ended the family of michael brown set to file a wrongful death lawsuit against ferguson,

missouri. he was fatally shot by a whit police officer, prompting protest the f.c.c. will put an order to put a $48 million order into the hands of a gauge. that move means the f.c.c. doesn't think the deal is in the public's interest the first project at its time take inmates and train them to be computer programmers, and do it with no access to the internet because it's against prison policy. jacob ward went behind bars for the story. >> reporter: this is home to some of the most violent criminals in the united states. san quentin holds serial killers, drug traffickers and 737 people sentenced to death. to get inside i signed a form that says if i'm taken hostage i will not rescue me.

i gave up the cell phone. i got see something amazing. it's graduation day for a small group of prisoners, trying to join the technological resolution. the men serving 16 years for assault. >> and now return to a brand new world. a world full of apps and iphones and i don't know. >> perry, and 15 graduates is part of a first of its kind programme for the last mile. they learnt to make websites. there's one problem. >> this is a typical coding work station. but here is the thing. it's not connected to the internet. you are not allowed to have the internet. the guys are learning about, studying and coding something they will never see while in the

penal system. occasionally they'll get instruction by a video conference. the programme's founders create a simulated internet with the help of a studio. >> we created, along with our partner in this, a programme that is self-contained and simulates a live experience downloading to a lot of guys to have somewhat of an experience that we update. >> reporter: when he gets out, he's ready to see the real thing. >> i feel i wasted so much of my time. i want to have maybe a real cup of coffee and a big mac. i want to start working. i heard about the job opportunities, and i believe at that stage 56, as long as i can code i'll be employable. >> reporter: harry will not be released until 2021. all but a few will be inside that long. the california prison industry

authority providing basic manufacturing and services at $1 per hour per prisoner plans to hire the coders out at the price of $41 or more. prisoners could make sites and software lucrative products the way they used to make licence plates. a few graduates put the skills to use outside. after 19 years behind bars could he begin a new life. >> i have an entrepreneurial spirit, just used it in the wrong way. i stole drugs, money. i have a solid work ethic, it's something people should report. >> why should be get the specialised education? >> his new boss said hiring him has changed perspective on the idea of prison. >> in tech aids to come

society -- decades to come society will look back saying what were they thinking. it's a bad system. if teaching them to code we give half coming out of prison a better opportunity to stay out of prison it's great for society. >> reporter: for harry, it's a chance to be part of a new industry, even if like now, it's behind bars. in today's digital beat - some of you may not remember the internet before youtube. it was 10 years ago this month that the revolutionary website was founded. you could not anticipate the significance by the first video. >> here we are. one of orphans. hoping that these guys have a really really long... >> we have the story behind the website's success over the past

decade. >> it's a place where videos go viral. [ ♪ music ♪ ] >>reporter: breakout stars are gosh. -- born. and where virtually any footage has a home. from the serious to the most amusing. the company bought by google in 2006 for it 1.65 billion in stocks has become a staple of pop culture worldwide, and is growing. >> back in the asian countries... >> youtube has more than a billion users and 300 hours of videos are uploaded every minute. [ ♪♪ ] >> reporter: the most popular is

psi's gang um style. in just a decade youtube has become synonymous with online video. and to think it all started with 18 seconds of elephants. google is launching a cell phone service they say will provide a better wireless experience at lower prices. it's called project fi and can cost as little as $30 a month, depending on sales data useable to culture beat - john ridley is a play wright director and oscar writer of "12 years a slave" and is looking at a new programme. john terrett talked into his time in hollywood, and how it ties into "12 years a slave" and his new show. >> the morning after the academy awards i met with an actress,

felicity hoffmann. we had conversations about the show, things we wanted to do. i was on a plane, i was down to austin texas where we film did the last week of prep and we shot about six days lair. it was from a night i never expect it would have happened was like a dream, and the next day i was working on something that was a dream and of itself a show but i never thought i would have an opportunity to do. you want an academy award for "12 years a slave," but the talk was what didn't make it or get nominated. talking about lines that people don't see. this again, is a discussion of hollywood, and it's about race, about roles and writers, and about directors and producers. what is the problem with hollywood. >> i think that the larger issue is not the things in front of us but the opportunities -

women as directors are never given enough opportunities, that's the problem. the make-up of the rooms, it's not reflective. i don't like to use diversity, it's something we strived for in the '70s. we are living in a different reality. there's a problem in hollywood that that reality is not in place in so many places or departments before we get to the end of the year and start handing out rewards or who should be recognised. i have an opinion, some of the films were phenomenal. there was room for one or two more or one or two performers i held in high hard. i know the performers and directors don't do it for the reward themselves. >> terrific to met you. thank you for stopping by. >> that's it for us in new york. doha is next. i'm randall pinkston thanks for

watching. announcer: this is al jazeera. welcome to the newshour, i'm richelle carey in toe nails ha. -- in doha. saying goodbye to victims. emergency meeting on the crisis in the mediterranean. >> i'm laurence lee in brussels. e.u. leaders look to be using the crisis as an opportunity to make it more difficult for refugees to come to europe jets launch new air strikes in yemen.