nization. kevin baron, editor of "defense one. that is our show for today. i'm ali velshi, thank you for joining us. the fall of ramadi i.s.i.l. flags fly over another major iraqi city, why the u.s. says the setback will not change its strategy in the region demilitarizing police. president obama pushes back against giving military weapons to u.s. law enforcement. >> texas on alert. nearly 200 bikers are under arrest after rival gangs shoot up a restaurant killing nine

and off the grid. >> i have the right to stand on the planet and have a drink of water and breathe the air without owing someone locals call it the last free place to live in marc. why some worry the -- in america, why some worry this abandoned military base will not be free for much longer good evening, i'm antonio mora this is al jazeera america the u.s. vows iraqi troops backed by coalition airpower will retake ramadi. i.s.i.l. recaptures a pivotle city. the defeat has some questioning the u.s. disprat any for defeating i.s.i.l. jamie mcintyre has more from the pentagon pentagon video posted on social media showed black i.s.i.l. flags flying over ramadi. the republican chairman was quick to declare the lose of the

capital of anbar province, the result of a flawed strategy. >> the fall of ramadi it's huge. >> a statement was issued calling the defeat: administration officials, including secretary of state john kerry speaking in seoul insisted that ramadi would be retaken. >> it's possible to have the attack we saw in ramadi. i'm confident in the days ahead that that will be reversed. >> that is small comfort to 25,000 refugees who fled the fighting in ramadi and packed the road to baghdad amid reports that i.s.i.l. fighters were executing i.s.i.l. sympathizers.

the government argues there's no reason to change u.s. strategy, which is to pound i.s.i.l. from the air, and relying on u.s.-trained forces to do the dirty, dangerous close combat on the ground a spokesman argued this was not a case where poorly motivated troops cut and ran. noting that i.s.i.l. surrounded ramadi and iraqi forces fought to the end. >> in this case it appears that the i.s.i.l. forces had the upper hand and it was time for iraqi forces to reposition. the coalition conducted air strikes in and around ramadi, like had one on i.s.i.l. folders. ate were carried out in the last day as the city was falling. pentagon officials say: the u.s. says it trained 11,000

troops with another 3,000 in the pipeline, it's unknown how many were involved in ramadi and the combat capability remains in question. several thousand shi'a militia men moved to a military base. the questions surrounding the fall of ramadi were many. are the iraqi forces the equal of i.s.i.l. fighters. if iraq can't hold ramadi how can it liberate the biggest prize of mosul down the road and the big question will the u.s. have to rethink the opposition for putting boots on the ground. jamie mcintyre at the pentagon, thanks. the white house says it will no longer allow police departments to buy military-style equipment from the federal government. the issue came to a head after police rolled out armoured

vehicles during the ferguson riot. mike viqueira is our senior white house correspondent. >> good evening. there's images from ferguson, missouri, and voting as the president travelled to nursy. those are military vehicles police clad in cam flim military-style camouflage and body armour from a programme giving defense department equipment to local law enforcement, a programme many feel has become counterproductive because it provokes people on the street instead of putting down the unrest it was designed to do. 4.3 billion has been transferred since the programme began in 1997. in the last near alone half a billion was sent to police departments around the country. today the president following the recommendations of the task force that was put together in the wake of ferguson banned many

of those its for transfer including grenade launchers, armoured vehicles moving on tracks, camouflage uniforms and bayonets, the president and the white house putting together a list. if the law enforcement agencies want the equipment, they'll have to have tighter controls and an explanation of why it's needed including air planes i'm nots and drones humvees and 5- tonne trucks, as well as riot gear. one thing the whou wants to hand out is body cameras. the administration in the process of allocating 75 million for that purpose, and are asking congress to do more. the president in camden held up as a model of community policing and reform. here is more of what he had to say. >> when communities are not vibe ranked, where people don't feel a sense of hope and opportunity,

then a lot of times that can fuel crime and can fuel unrelevant. we have seen in baltimore, ferguson and new york and there's cause from a basic lack of opportunity to some groups unfairly targeted by their police forces. >> camden known as a violent city about three years ago they disbanded the city police force, bought in the county police force, and that is what the president was touting in new jersey thanks. >> police in waco texas remain in a heightened state of alert. a wild shoot out left nine bikers dead. 170 have been arrested as jonathan betz reports, they are facing murder related charges. >> reporter: local authorities say they have never seen

anything like it - a shoot-out in a suburban shopping center from police to rival gangs much. >> i saw pistol cases, knives clubs, pools of blood. probably one of the most violent crime scenes i've seen in 35 years. >> reporter: when the gun fire settled, nine lives were lost. police say the fight began before noon in a bathroom in waco texas. it spread to the parking lot, where police, who had been warned were standing by in case of trouble. >> we had wounded inside. people stabbed. we had people shot and we had people beat. >> reporter: police say officers and gang members were firing as restaurant workers and families having lunch, feet away ran for cover. >> so i crawled back towards the area where a lot of waitresses and people were there. it was scary, we didn't know if

someone was coming back. people outside had guns. >> reporter: the only victims were gang members. the violence blamed on a turf despite between two rival gangs, the kocaks and the band-eidos. >> word spread. >> a bunch of dead bodies and people arrested. okay. i started to look at the phone, getting texts from my friends. >> reporter: the department of justice said there are more than 300 outlaw motorcycle gangs in the united states. the band-eidios is the second largest behind the hells angels with up to 2500 members in 14 countries, the feds called them a growing threat involved in the drug trade. >> the officers' rehabilitations and actions to a hostile deadly situation saved our citizens lives yesterday afternoon. >> the texas alcoholic beverage situation suspended licences

while investigating. the restaurant revoked the licence of operator saying they ignored warnings from police. >> thank you jonathan betz the fbi examined the windshield of the amtrak locomotive that derailed in philadelphia. the n.t.s.b. says there's no evidence that the windshield was damaged by a bullet. but the agency kapt rule out some other object struck the train. amtrak resumed services between new york and philly this morning six months ago voters in denton texas voted on a referendum banning fracking. today the state government made sure bans will not happen in denton or anywhere else in texas. >> you cannot shop these people. they have more money, time lawyers. you just don't amount to anything. >> the prediction of the long-time denton resident made

after the north texas community voted to ban fracking within city limits has come true. >> fracking is legal in denton effective immediately, now that texas government signed a law locking efforts to regulate oil and gas production. the measure sailed through texas's republican control, and says a municipality must not enact: the law allows cities to regulate fire and emergency. traffic, lights and noise as it relates to fracking. in denton where three wells exist for every square mile of land opponents say texes sided with big oil at the cost of health. there's too many of us in our 30s getting cancer. too many animals, that are

young, getting cancer at the same time as these wells. >> reporter: the oil and gas industry is applauding the new law. an industry group sued denton within hours of the fracking bans passage. >> we have been using hydraulic fracking to recover oil and gas for more than 60 years. there's no evidence of rising morbidity, higher mortality rates than anywhere else. >> despite statements like that and promises that fracking is good for the local economy, three out of five denton voters voted to ban fracking. most of the mineral wealth belongings to out of towners. denton residents have to live with fracking behind hospitals, next to parks and steps from the backyard. >> i may be an old silly lady. this is it scary to go to bed knowing there's a gas rig on fire in my backyard.

i guess i can go to bed and know that if it explodes i'll never feel anything. denton is the first city to ban fracking, looks to be also the last rates have been higher among whites than blacks. the trend has reversed in a specific age group. children between 5 and 11 years old. researchers say the suicide rate among black children doubled from 1.3 in kids to about 2.5. since the 1990s, the rate for white kids fell to less than one child per million. it's not clear what is behind the trend. supreme court justice ruth

bader ofishted a marriage before a same-sex marriage of the the supreme court is considering whether same-sex marriage is constitutional 35 years ago today mt st. helen's erupted. devastating hundreds of square miles. ahead - life has returned to the region and the challenges remaining. >> and european countries planning to use their navy's to stop the flow of migrants across the mediterranean.

the european union agreed to use military force to slow the flood of migrant crossing the mediterranean. the plan calls for boats to be seized or destroyed by e.u. naval forces. cooperation with libya is considered vital. neither of the two rival governments there agreed to the plan thousands of macedonians held a rally to show support for the country's prime minister. they waved macedonian flags and played songs outside the

parliament in the capital. it comes a day after a huge demonstration by the opposition. demanding the prime minister resign 35 years ago today the most destructive volcanic eruption in u.s. history happened in washington state. the mt st. helen's disaster killed 57 and wiped out the forest and wildlife. john terrett joins us. this eruption was devastating, it was not an understatement. >> no understatement. i was living in england when it dominated the headlines forever. here is why - 1300 feet blown off the top of mt st. hlens. it's a stand memory for most people. not locals. they witnessed house-sized boulders falling from the sky and thought the world was coming to an end. >> this morning things were calm over mt st. helen's volcano. the sun cracked the horizon,

various wildlife were spotted in the cracks of the radar. a giant slice was missing from the side wall, blown to smithereens 35 years ago today. for two months back then. mt st. helens was rumbling, then at 8:32am what sounded like a sonic boomerang throughout the pacific north-west. the mountain blew sideways. mt st. helen scientist back in 2010 on the anniversary recalled the moment the mountain blew its top. >> superheated groundwater and gases flashed out in a side way motion, and ultimately killing trees up to 17 miles north-west of the volcano. >> reporter: they remembered it happened quickly. >> in about 3 minutes time, 200 square miles of forest was

toppled, scorches or killed in a standing position and took 57 lives in a matter of minutes. >> ice melted rivers clogged. buildings, bridges overwhelmed. schools and air parts shut down. as far as the eye could see, day turned to night. president carter stopped by to witness the devastation of 200 square miles of forest. >> some said it looked like a moonscape. i bet the moon looked like a gulf course compared to what happened up there. >> today mother nature worked her magic. it's not the same as what they were. >> you can walk from meadow into the shady forest developing on the remnants of what happened on the inside of the val cane scro. there are pond in between them with recovering forests, ducks, elk, geese, all kinds of small

song birds in the trees. >> amazing stuff. mt st. helen's continued erupting until 1986, six years at first and then it slowed down. over the years a lava dome grew 920 feet high and today, the vol sanio is mon -- volcano is monitored by the u.s. geological survey. >> it's an incredible story. we'll talk more about that with pat, a professor-emeritus and expert on volcanos. good to see you again. we monitor the volcano, what is the likelihood that it will blow again in the next decade or two? >> the next decade or two probably not, but monitoring now, we are able to sense, seismically sense when magna is charging or loading into the

volcano. we have a waive called harmonic tremors. we have some idea that, shall we say, the mountain is recharging reloading, getting ready to explode. that was a lesson learnt about volcanos from what happened at mt st. helens. >> yes, indeed. it was a game changer for us. for one thing, the first time we had a volcanic eruption photographed in split-second photography, you can see the sequence of events. that is a good learning experience. remember in 1991, in the philippines. some of the lessons we learnt from st. helens we evacuated - we in the global sense, tens of thousands of people, a few days before the eruption. that is some of the lessons learnt from the mt st. helen's eruption. >> as we saw, the destruction after the eruption was immense,

as a moonscape was described for miles and miles. if you looked at that and the pictures we showed, it would seem impossible to recover. it seems that nature seems to have healed it within 35 years. >> isn't it amazing what mother nature does. think of to this way, when the eruption comes up. fresh new material. in effect, it's like i'm going to overstate it like fertiliser, brand new material for plants to grow in, seeds fall, the rain fall is the same as before as the new plants grow, the animals migrate in, and relatively speaking i'm a geologist, we speak in geological time. in a short amount of time mother nature heals the wounds and we are back where we were. >> you mentioned animals, thousands of beg game animals died.

this recovery really was nature by itself. >> indeed it was. the devastation was so huge and overwhelming the cost for us to do it would have been prohibitive. it couldn't be done. it shows the power of mother nature she takes care of the large areas. we can't be impatient. 35 years is not that long of a time when you consider the fact that the volcano is, you know 200,000 years old. >> you think human activity could make it worse? >> human activity... >> to make the area recover. >> it's - let me put to this way, switch the topic. remember the valdez oil tanker that crashed putting oil over alaska. i'm not trying to whitewash the incident, but a lot of harm done was people coming in with chemical and detergents trying to clean it up. hydrocarbons, oil is organic, food. if you do anything at all, put

in loads and loads of bacteria to gobble up the oil eat it and clean it up. but not snaptly, it's a matter of -- significantly, it's a matter of give mother nature time and they'll be cleaned up fascinating story. good to have you back with us. see you again soon, i hope. >> thank you a group of squatters determined to live off the grid. >> i have the right to stand on the planet and have a drink of water and breath the air without owing somebody why the residents of an unusual community are split about who might own the land they live on and president obama gets his own twitter account and gets into a clever exchange with a

is there such a thing as a sure thing in business? some say buy gold. others say buy soybeans. i say, buy comcast business internet. unlike internet providers that slow down when traffic picks up, you get speed you can rely on. it's a safe bet. like a gold-plated soybean. reliably fast internet starts at $69.95 a month. comcast business. built for business.

predecessor. for the last 50 years squatter lived rent free on a former military base known as slab city located in south-east california. some residents are talking about buying the property so they can keep living off the grid. >> reporter: 140 miles east of san diego, in the middle of the desert there's a place you will not find on any map. >> slab city is the only place i know of where i personally can come and stand on the planet

without owing, paying offending... >> william and hundreds of others who laid claim to this stretch of dry land called slab city the last free place in america. >> i think i have the right to stand on the planet and have a drink of water and breathe the air without owing someone. >> reporter: he moved here 16 years ago. in some ways slab city is like a refugee camp for others that hit bottom. others came to escape the confines of society. here they don't pay taxes or represent. they are squatters on state-owned land shunning the outside world. >> there's a reference about the outside world being the beast. >> lynn bright moved to slab city from canada. >> all of the people who are on the grid or connected to electricity and power and water - all of the services that you get in civilisation versus

this which is - there's nothing here the 600 plus acres used to be camp doesn't lap, a military training base when the marines left they took everything except for the concrete slabs. after, the squatters, calling themselves slabbers arrived and slaved. >> now it's free for all anarchy. >> reporter: today it is 300 people hiving in tends, r.v.s and mobile homes. a lawless outpost that works. there's trouble, a group of slabbers a group is worried the state of california might sell the land and their way of life. if the slabbers are landowners can you stay off the grid and maintain it the way it is now? >> i think we could, we could be a beacon for other communities to do the same thing. >> reporter: not all the agree.

gary brown is part of a group saying buying the land is a bad idea. >> it goes against the philosophy. a lot of people self-profess to get away from society. why would you want to own the property and be subject to state county regulations. >> the state commity tells al jazeera it's not looking to sell the land but is open to offers. what is clear, the growing feud turning slabber against slabber is proving to be a steep price to play to live in the last free place in america a little cyber history. when president obama sent out a tweet it said: his handle is@potus which stands for president of the

yats. it prompted a ply from bill clinton: the response: that stands for first lady of the united states. i'm antonio mora, thank you for joining us have a great night. when the great recession struck in 2007 and 2008 it had a devastating impact on the economy. millions of families are making less money now than there were then and millions of others scraping by in permanently low-paying jobs. did too many jobs fail to pay a living wage. it's