[ no audio ] the pentagon is raising the threat level at all military installations here in the united states. the worries over a potential isil attack. -- unemployment falls to its lowest level since he recession as more than 120,000 new jobs are recreated.

♪ this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris. the pentagon raised the threat level at military bases. jamie mcintyre is live for us at the pentagon. is the pentagon responding to a specific threat here? >> well no in raising the threat level from alpha, which is the lowest level to bah woe, which is a higher level of threat the pentagon says it is not reacting to any specific or identifiable threat. technically this order came from the commander in colorado who is responsible for protecting the home homeland, he looked around and sees what is going on in social media and decided it wasn't acceptable for military bases to

be at the lowest level. here is what he said, quote: and that's the point they are stressing here. no specific threat. no specific group, but just an increased amount of the kinds of things they can't keep track of on the internet. social media, people talking to each other, the rise of extremism in some places. they felt like this was a prudent step to take. >> so interesting, particularly in the context of texas and what texas -- that event was all about. so what thanks would all of this mean for military bases? >> well for most people military bases it's just going to be more hassle getting on to the base frankly. they will do 100% id checks. increased security.

following all of the security measures to a tee, which also means like in places here in washington traffic backups as people try to get on the base. >> yeah. >> but just to go through this there are basically four levels of threat. alpha was what we were at before. bravo means there is a more predictable threat. and that means nothing specific but just more predictable. charlie would be the next level. that would be that an attack is likely and then the highest threat level is an attack has either occurred or looks like it is imminent. so we are still in the lower range of the threat level, but it's definitely a call to commanders to be more vigilant. >> yeah makes sense. jamie thank you. the justice department is launching a new federal investigation into whether the baltimore police department violated the constitution and the community's civil rights.

attorney general lynch made the announcement a few hours ago. one week after six officers were charged in the death of freddie gray. lisa stark is live for us in washington. why did the justice department decide to take this particular step? >> well, you'll remember that loretta lynch visited baltimore earlier this week and she met with politicians and the police and she alleged that there is police misconduct. and there is an erosion of public trust in the police especially in the wake of freddie gray there, and she decided the best way to address that is to launch a pattern or practice investigation. >> today the department of justice is opening an investigation into whether the baltimore police department has engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the constitution or federal law. this investigation will begin immediately, and will focus on

allegations that baltimore police department officers use excessive force including deadly force, conduct unlawful searches seizures and arrests, and engage in discriminatory policing. >> reporter: now at the end of the investigation, the justice department -- >> our apologies. more with lisa maybe a little later on this evening as we get full details on what the attorney general has in mind. unemployment has hit its lowest level in seven years. new numbers show solid gains last month. a big turn around from where we stood in march that's for sure. patricia sabga is here with more on the employment picture. decent numbers huh? >> very decent numbers. and the economy cleared a major bar in april. the u.s. labor market bounced back adding 223,000 jobs. anything less than 200,000 would

have been anxiety producing after the march report. now the unemployment rate fixed down to 5.4%. that is the lowest reading since may 2008 and it ticked down for the right reasons, because the number of people working or actively looking for a job edged up slightly. 45,000 new construction jobs were created. 15,000 mining jobs were lost that is another sign of low oil prices. average hourly wage posted a modest $0.03 gain. that's roughly a 2% rise year-over-year, enough to keep heads above water but not the 3 3.5% rise that would really signal the economy was kicking into gear. >> after the march report are we out of the woods here? >> that is the question but

keep in mind this is our first look at the second quarter, and as you well know in the first quarter the economy basically stalled. so we were looking for evidence that maybe that was then this is now, but we really need to see another two three months of data. >> yeah, it's springtime. things will tick up. you have got to be optimistic about the economy. patricia good to see you. thank you. the economy was a major factor in the british election. david cameron won a clear majority of seats in the parliament. his opponents including the leader of the labor party are stepping down dana lewis is live for us in london. dana the polling had this being one of the tightest races in decades. in the end, not so much. >> yeah it's -- was really puzzling tony and it is puzzling today.

i have been talking to a lot of pundits about what happened and the preelection polls, you are talking 11 just in the last couple of weeks, all say the labor party and the conservatives were tied at about 1% difference. one had labor up another had though conservatives up the next time. and these exit polls came out last night, and the conservatives pushed way out in front of all of the other party, and nobody would accept it when it was announced last night, the labor party was saying it can't be true. and it just got worse as the night went on. but clearly david cameron, the prime minister was able to sell this idea that when he came to power, the treasury was empty after the financial crisis. they stabilized the country economically, and they warned voters, look if you change horses now, and you bring in the left wing the labor party, promising you all of these social programs they are going

to bankrupt the country again. it is not time for change. and people bought that. >> david cameron was all smiles this morning, but he has some challenges ahead, doesn't he? >> he has a lot of challenges ahead. by the way it's important for nato and america that he will come in and renew the try ant nuclear submarine program. he will probably leave after three years, but scotland the scottish national party scored huge last night. they are going to push for a referendum from the united kingdom. and tony cameron has promised a referendum on e.u. membership in the next two years, and that will be very controversial. >> wow. a lot going on. all right. dana lewis for us live in

london. thank you. as dana mentioned even though the conservatives won, the scottish national party was the biggest surprise in the election. barnaby phillips reports from glasgow. >> reporter: she is now the most powerful woman in british politics. she has lead the scottish national party to an astonishing victory all but sweeping the labor party out of scotland. >> it hasn't happened overnight, labor has been losing the trust of the people of scotland for many years and failed to heed repeated warnings but we're seeing scotland put its trust in this party and be a voice for more aggressive politics. >> reporter: a succession of

leading politicians lost their seats. for some in the party which has such deep roots in scotland there was gallows humor, but others must wonder what happened. >> it's not an easy one to explain. as far as i can make out, the scottish publish which for decades were happy to support a labor party that strongly opposed nationally. and independence, now believe that independence is the most important priority. >> reporter: so are we now bound to see another referendum on whether scotland should leave the united kingdom. >> i think it's highly likely and i think it probably became more likely as a result of today's general election. i don't think the appetite in the smp leadership is to have a referendum in the immediate future, but until they start to

see polls that puts them over 50%, i don't think they will want to risk a second defeat. >> reporter: david cameron will know he has to listen to the voices of the scottish nationalists after this result. he will have to accommodate their desire for more power. otherwise he runs the risk of going down in history as the last-ever prime minister of the united kingdom. the statutes here commemorate the heros of a shared british history. after this election england and scotland feel like two very different countries, heading in different directions. desperate, hungry risking it all the next part of the journey facing hundreds of migrants. also the desperate search for shelter in nepal after an earthquake and before monsoon season begins.

saudi arabia's foreign minister made an announcement in paris today at a meeting of gulf foreign ministers that included secretary of state john kerry. >> a ceasefire is not peace. ultimately the parties are going to have to find a way back to the table. and they are going to have to make tough choices about more than just a ceasefire because even the most durable of ceasefires is not a substitute for peace. >> the talks in paris focused on yemen and iran and were aimed at laying the ground work for a meeting with the gcc next week. italy has found a shipwreck with bodies still inside.

only 24 bodies have been recovered since the april 18th disaster that likely killed 900 people. thousands of migrants have made their way to italy on ships like that one. sheila macvicar has the story >> translator: i remember the first time i got [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: in sicily and even across the sea, migrants know this woman as the voice of the mediterranean. her phone number in their pockets as they begin that perilous crossing. their lifeline to the italian coast guard. >> translator: last august there were 17 boats at sea, and 8 were calling my mobile. 8 boats and each of them was calling 20 or 30 times until they were all rescued. >> reporter: in arabic speaking italian, born in morocco, this 26 year old dedicates her life

to helping the migrants. >> translator: it's not easy. many times i don't sleep for days. but it is something that i have to keep doing. i cannot stop. >> reporter: and she's there to greet them when they arrive at the local train station intercepting refugees before they are prayed upon again by human traffickers. >> reporter: each one of these refugees has paid thousands of dollars just to make it this far. the going rate is about $2,000 a head. regardless of age. and there are smugglers lurking here now. looking for refugee money.

the syrians including so many small children she has gathered at the train station were rescued the same day. as the deadliest shipwreck to date in the mediterranean. hundreds of migrants drowned. >> translator: what we are trying to do is give the help that public institutions are not providing all you need are your hands, feet and a cart. >> reporter: what she is doing is pushing the boundaries of the law. she has been investigated by the police accused of aiding and abetting illegal immigration. >> translator: they understanding i'm a human rights activist, not a human trafficker.

>> reporter: for would-be asylum seekers, the mediterranean crossing is just one stage of their journey. there's no question that crossing the mediterranean is the most perilous part of their trip, but by no means is that the end of the voyage for many especially the syrians, they want to get to northern europe where they have family and friends, and in order to do that they have to leave italy undocumented, without having their fingerprints taken. and that sets off a game of cat and mouse. >> you can watch the series premier of compass with sheila macvicar right here on al jazeera. traffic on a highway had completesly shut down for weeks presenting aid to getting in from nepal's northeast from

china. our correspondent reports on what people in nepal are doing to cope. >> reporter: right now, it's the essentials that are needed most. >> we started this because tents are really hard to get in kathmandu. >> reporter: with so many left homeless by the earthquake makeshift open air camps have sprung up throughout the capitol. people who's houses are still standing are often too afraid to return to them. shelter is a priority. >> we as a group decided to take the initiative to produce tents as much as you can, and to provide to the relief groups to distribute to the villages. >> reporter: with a shortage of tarp in nepal, these partners

had to get creative. this material is typically used for advertising signs. they are buying it on credit selling some of the finished tents at the price it costs to manufacture, and donating the rest. so you were saying that this is a temporary solution right. >> yes, it. >> reporter: that's because the tents will last only about 20 days which isn't even long enough to be of help during monsoon season which is rapidly approaching. still they have been able to produce more than 1300 tents. keeping dry is but one worry. killing germs quite another. >> the importance of hand sanitizers are in the places where water is rare. so we are providing hand sanitizer to places where there is less water so the water can be used for drinking purpose primarily. >> reporter: but far more difficult is getting it delivered to the hardest-hit

areas where there is a lack of adequate an facing. >> literally villages that have been leveled and on the ground level, we can just see the roof of the house, and open defecation is massively practiced, and people are not taking as good sanitation and hygiene practices. >> reporter: protection from the elements and prevention of diseases are important enough but of even more concern at the moment is nourishment. here members of this sikh community season have banded together to provide much-needed food. this is a huge collective effort. volunteers here tell us they are making enough food to feed thousands of people every day; that their teams are delivering this food and they are also giving food to the military to distribute. with nepal under such enormous strain, the pressure here won't

end any time soon. at a time like this when the flow of aid is clogged and the delivery of necessities is slow every little bit helps. and coming up next on al jazeera america, a form of bird flu hitting our nation's farms. health officials say the virus is out of control and only getting worse. ♪

>> compass with sheila macvicar >> compass will challenge the way you look at the world >> a different look at foreign affairs >> talking about big subjects >> first hand... >> telling human stories >> giving you a real look at the world today. desperate, hungry and risking it all... >> these people wanna get as far away as they can >> the migrant crisis sweeping europe, are governments turning their backs on those that need help the most? >> compass with sheila macvicar only on al jazeera america >> now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for survivors... >> the potential for energy

production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now the state of missouri has set up a call center to hear from woman who suspect that a hospital in st. louis stole their newborns. as diane eastabrook reports what happens to those children is even more difficult to prove since the hospital where it allegedly happened shut down 36 years ago. >> reporter: in the decades before it closed down this was a hospital that served mostly black women. this woman came here to deliver a baby girl in june of 1964.

but shortly after the baby was born, she was told it died. >> she came out. i seen her move. she cried. they held her up at the end of the bed -- i mean where -- you know, at the end of me so i could see her. i seen her, and then they took her over to the table and they started suctioning her out. and they wrapped her in the blanket and then they went out the door. >> reporter: stewart is searching for records that will prove that her daughter is still live. and she is convinced she is. diane eastabrook. >> we'll have more of dieian's interview with brenda tonight. officials in atlanta say four people have died after a small plane crashed on to a major highway. it happened around 2:00 am on intersite 85. no word on why the plane crashed

or who was on board. aen investigation is underway in texas after a train went off of the tracks about 60 miles north of dallas. officials say the train was carrying materials that were not hazardous. four rail employees were injured. and there is trouble at many of the nation's poultry farms. farms are being decimated by the worst bird flu outbreak to hit the united states. and the outbreak is only getting worse. >> reporter: across the american heartland one farm after another is going from lively to lifeless. in the past few weeks highly path generic avian influenza has spread to 18 of the american states. leaving one empty coupe after another along the rolling ribbons of midwestern roads. agricultural officials say the virus is out of control and it's

getting worse. >> unfortunately we're adding sites daily, it seems like. and now we're up to 34 sites that have been identified as being positive for the flu. so we haven't seen a stoppage yet. it's continuing to -- to get worse. >> reporter: farmers have quan teened their flocks and sanitized their vehicles. under u.s. government rules once one sick bird is found on a farm they all have to be destroyed. here in iowa that has had devastating results. a month ago there were 60 egg-laying hens, now there are 40 million. a third have been wiped out. this farmer noticed something was very wrong. >> i know what a healthy bird looks like and these looked a little bit sick. under the weather, a little bit of foaming from the mouth.

>> reporter: the virus has spread so quickly, it's too soon to say how many farmers might be driven out of business. >> it is emotional on top of the financial consequences. farmers spend their entire lives building up a business and to have it be wiped out in a matter of a couple of weeks is very significant. >> reporter: soaring temperatures help reduce the spread of the virus, but in this moderate spring many farmers wonder if the sun will come out before their eggs come. you see here this lifted a soldier 30 feet off of the ground. his rifle got caught in the fabric and that sent him spinning.

that's all of our time. thanks for joining us. the newstinues next live from london. ♪ good to have you company for this al jazeera news hour coming to you live from london with me david foster. these are some of the stories we're studying in detail. saudi arabia sets a date for a ceasefire in yemen, but only if houthi fighters observe it too. david cameron wins a second term as britain's prime minister but what does that mean for the countries relationship with europe? inside south africa's gang