failure. >> reporter: complicit politicians are part of the problem is clear, less clear if that will change soon. and before you go let's just remind you where you can go if you want to each updated with the news around the clock. aljazeera.com. you can see our front page there with all of the news. crews race to protect california's coastline after an oil compels the -- governor to declare a state of emergency. and isil takes control of an ancient strategic town in syria, and now the u.s. is willing to send iraq more weapons to stop the group's advance. ♪

this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. a state of emergency is in effect along parts of the southern california coastline right now. crews are combing beaches and scooping up crude after a major oil spill as much as 105,000 gallons of oil leaked out of a pipeline. 6,000 gallons have been removed, but beaches have been shut down as investigators assess the impact. >> reporter: officials estimate after the online pipeline ruptured, over 100,000 gallons of oil leaked out, and 21,000 gallons reached the pacific ocean. cleanup is already underway. with environmental workers struggling to contain the mess as ships try to corral the two slicks. it's unclear how long the cleanup will take or how much it

will cost. >> we have our response crews out combing the beaches, looking for affected wildlife. >> reporter: the california department of fish and wildlife does not have a count of how many have been effected. the department suspended fishing and shell fishing along the coastline and is also trying to protect the nesting sites of two endangered shore bird species. >> i mean it's terrible. this is some of the most pristine coastline we have in the county and to see it covered in crude oil is terrible. it's really sad. >> reporter: popular camp grounds at two state parks west of santa barbara will be closed over memorial day weekend. federal firm if i recall -- officials are investigating the leak but the pipe will need to be excavated to find the cause of the rup sure. it was thoroughly tested two

years ago and underwent similar testing two weeks ago, but those results haven't been analyzed. the california governor declared a state of emergency in santa barbara county part of the emergency proximation read: the chief executive of the company that runs the pipeline apologized while visiting the scene of the spill on wednesday. >> we deeply regret that this incident has occurred at all. we apologize for the damage that it has done to the wildlife and to the environment, and we're very sorry for the disruption and inconvenience that is caused on the citizens and the visitors to this area. >> the accident occurred along the same stretch of coastline that was covered in a massive oil spill in 1969.

that spill is still the largest in california east history and helped launch the country's environmental movement. this accident will probably lead to closer scrutiny of pipelines nationwide. isil is inching closer to syria's capitol damascus. overnight it took control of palmyra. there are worries it may destroy priceless artifacts there. isil has now taken over mayor parts of iraq and syria. over the weekend it took ramadi in iraq and that mean the group controls most of iraq's strategic anbar province as well as major roads leading west and north. alan fisher is live in washington. there are more dolls now i understand for troops on the ground. is that going to happen? >> these calls are becoming mainly from the republican side. we have rich perry, the former

governor of texas, and senator lindsay graham who is saying that up to 10,000 soldiers are needed on the ground. but the reality is unless the situation deteriorated really quickly and really massively, then barack obama, the white house are not considering troops on the ground. in that point emphasized by susan rice in a newspaper interview published, in which she says that is just not something they are willing to do at this stage. they think this is a war that will be fought by the iraqis themselves. they will give them support, training and weapons, but they will not put boots on the ground to fight this battle for them. >> the u.s.-lead coalition strikes have been going on for nine months now. there is criticism of president obama's strategy in light of this. are they highlights some of the previous concerns? >> of course the whole aim was

to retake mosul, and the idea was there would be a program, a plan to go into mosul, but if you lose anbar, then you lose access to mosul, and so this has been a huge setback for that idea. there has been criticism particularly of josh earnst who is the white house spokesman who said the loss of ramadi has to be seen in the longer term that of course there will be setbacks as this battle continues, but we shouldn't be running around with our air on fire. john mccain says thousands are out of their homes, hundreds have been killed where is the humanity? we really need to reexamine the u.s. policy as far as iraq is concerned. iraqi prime minister is in moscow today for a meeting with russian president vladimir putin. patricia sabga joins us now. what do both sides hope to get

from this meeting. >> reporter: abadi is looking for additional arms to fight isil. iraq already buys hefty amount of weapons from russia. and middle eastern countries don't like to be solely dependant on one supplier. but the united states is watching very, very closely. it helps to take stock of both country's relationship with iran. shia iran is arguably the major power broker in iraq. militias are stepping in to fight isil after iraqi army abandoned the area. the militias are mostly shia and the area is mostly sunni.

as for russia's relationship with iran well, there the kremlin's perspective tehran is a natural and even welcome ally. russia is looking for a stable government to cozy up to. moscow sees arms sales as a big part of that and lifted its supply to tehran less than two weeks after a framework agreement was struck over iran's nuclear program. now to bring this courtship analogy few circle but deeping ties with iraq russia is deeping them with iran. >> thank you. new talks to restore diplomatic ties between the u.s. and cuba. the discussions are focused on reopening embassies. one state department official says the two sides are closer than they have ever been now that president obama has moved to take the nation off of the

list of state sponsors of terrorism. raul castro says he expects an exchange of ambassadors by thinged of the year. the decision is already having a big effect on the tourism business. airlines are adding direct flights between the two countries and american tourists are already flocking there. ♪ >> reporter: for cubans and u.s. citizens alike, there is little doubt tourism would benefit from normalized relations. heavy restrictions make it difficult for people to visit. >> the history here is unbelievable. >> reporter: cuba has lock been a destination for travelers from europe and canada and international tourism here is big business. a select few u.s. tourism companies are licensed to operate here. >> for us in the industry it's

a phenomenal destination. it's like an answer to prayer for the real traveler the person who longs to discover places in the world that are different and unique. >> reporter: these people have been giving tours in this classic car for the last year. >> i think it's a going to be good. we are only 90 miles from the united states and we receive very quickly a lot of tourism people here and i think it's going to be a success. >> reporter: tonight we'll have more on how cubans are preparing for a potential tourist influx from the u.s. and some of the hurdles still left to tackle. and you can watch usher's full report tonight at 8:00 eastern. thank you so much for your time.

so today's talks are the fourth around. where do the discussions stand at this point? any remaining obstacles. >> it's a process. this is going to go on for a while. as far as i understand it at this point, they have taken significant steps discuss some of the most important issues of concern to both countries. but in terms of the diplomatic relations in establishing diplomatic relations, which essentially means recognizing ambassadors and agencies i think we're at the point where that's likely going to happen. >> how much does it matter that cuba next week will likely no longer be on the u.s. state department's list of state sponsors of terrorism? >> it's significant for the united states and more importantly for cuba because it has been something that has affected them for decades. politically and economically. and -- and every bilateral

conversation that the cubans have had with the united states as far as i can tell especially when i was there, it was most definitely one of the most urgent things on the list of things they wanted resolved. >> several senators in the u.s. has criticized these talks as giving away too much. i want to play a sound bit. >> this is a one-sided -- i don't know what we have gotten in this return. we have gotten nothing in return. but the cuckoobans have gotten plenty in return. and if that is our way of negotiating we have a real problem on our hands. >> what can washington seek as far as democratic reform as far as human rights when it comes to these talks with cuba? >> again, it's a process, this bilateral relationship has been frozen for decades. the goal is to create a scenario

whereby you have sufficient contact between americans and cubans and normal cubans whereby cubans will be able to look at the united states as a country where there is certain democratic foundation and liberty and other things that are common in the modern world, especially in -- in democratic societies. so the best way to do that is to have the most normal type of contact between citizens of both countries, that is at the basis of this -- this new engagement with cuba. >> so when it comes to the talks themselves, you don't think the u.s. is going to use any leverage, they won't use leverage to try to get any real reform? >> i can tell you certainly in every conversation bilaterally with the cuban government, the united states, knowing the folks who are involved in the negotiations right now, will

continuously engage cuba to do more. to be more open. to be more democratic to have greater liberties and freedoms for normal people, and that is always at the table in every conversation, and it is essentially easier and more productive, we think to get those result if you have a conversation with the other country as opposed to imposing very, very difficult and hard measures that many times result in that country, in that government reacting reacting -- overreacting and doing almost the opposite of what you intend them to do. >> american tourists are already flocking there. air b&b is there, there is direct roots to cuba. how will this help the tourism industry? >> well you can't travel to cuba for tourism. but there are other forms of

travel that is now -- not regulated. meaning, you can travel within the new regulations of the treasury department, and so those folks who are traveling to cuba are technically supposed to be going there for a certain purpose, education, culture, and the like. i think these types of contacts and exchanges will again, create an atmosphere where cubans normal citizens in cuba will be able to understand that the world has moved on that the united states is a friend of the cuban people and there's a lot we can learn from each other, but in the context of democracy and new form and the modern world's understanding of liberty, cuba needs to move forward in that regard. >> thank you so much for your incites on this. >> my pleasure. mcdonald's workers are back on the streets demanding better wages ahead of today's shareholder meeting.

they are marching for a second day out of the company's headquarters. they want a $15 an hour minimum wage at all stores. a new report out this morning shows income inequality has grown around the globe. the u.s. is a prime example. average income of the top 1% is 19 times higher than the bottom 10%. the oecd says on average the richest 10% earn 9.6 times more than the poorest. that's the average. mexico is one of the few developed countries where the rate is higher than ours. the richest there earn 30 times more than the poor. tensions are rising in the south china sea.

the u.s. flew a spy plane over some islands. the chinese navy ordered the craft to get out. ireland prepares to vote in a referendum on same-sex unions. the woman who launched the referendum next.

♪ welcome back to al jazeera america. it is 10:49 eastern, taking a look at today's top stories. at least 15 people have been killed in major flooding in china. flood waters have risen above six feet in some areas. the rain has impacted more than a million people. the pilot who landed a copter outside of the capitol last month is facing his prison

sentence. and [ inaudible ] since north dakota in 1973. nebraska's governor has promised a veto but legislators say they have enough votes to override it. ireland tomorrow comes the first country ever to hold a nationwide referendum on same-sex marriages. while we wait for the supreme court to rule here ireland could make history. the outcome could be surprising for a conservative catholic nation. >> mom, come on. it's a time. on friday voters will decide whether to amend their constitution to legalize gay marriage. >> did you vote in >> of course i voted. >> reporter: gay rights supporters said that would gave second quarter couples broader

legal protection. polls suggest a majority of voters support the measure. but they are facing opposition. >> you should be able to have reservations without being called a homophobe. >> as people of faith, we believe the union of a man and woman in marriage open to the procreation of children is a gift from god who created us male and female. >> reporter: ireland has seen a shift over gay rights in the last 30 years, and the church is not the political power that it once was. ireland decriminalized homosexuality in 1993 and began allowing civil partnerships four years ago. those unions unlike marriages are not protected in the irish constitution. we spoke earlier with irish senator who spearheaded the campaign, and she is the first

openly lesbian member of the legislation. she says the vote is personal to her. >> we believe marriage matters, matters,lymatters, family matters, so if more people can marry, that's got to be good for irish society. >> a day before this vote senator, what is your sense of how it's going to go and is it keeping you up at night? >> i didn't sleep much last night, actually. it is an ex an extraordinary moment. our prime minister and deputy prime minister both heads of political parties who are there gathering with those who fought so far on the yes campaign for our final gathering, sharing with each other, how do we think it's going? we feel quietly confident now that it's actually going to

pass, and even even though the polls have started to narrow never once has it gone below 60%, and the irish people who are compassionate and fair and generous will actually say yes, and we will become the first country in the world to do it that way. >> it seems like this is personal for you? >> it's personal. it's personal ann louise and i we got supporters working with us and then it has just blossomed into the civil rights movement of this decade in ireland. >> she says she is confident irish voters will turn out in favor of second quarter

marriage. saying good-bye, david letterman signs off after more than three decades on late night tv.

♪

the girl scouts of america says it will welcome transgendered members. that has actually been the girl scouts policy for several years, however, conservative groups have called on the organization recently to change the rules. the group issued a statement that reads in part: ray rice may soon again be playing in the nfl. a judge dismissed a felony aggravated assault charges after he cpleted prrial counseling. the baltimore ravens terminated rice's contract and the nfl suspended him indefinitely. rice called the incident the biggest mistake of his life. a 2013 investigation found the child protection agency in georgia ignored child abuse

claims. some even died. >> reporter: the child welfare system across the country is in desperate need of funds and more workers, and a lot of times foster kids slip through the cracks, and bad things happen. but one example here in the state of georgia, this girl who is now nine years old, a horrible thing, when she was eight months she was beaten so severely by her mother and her mother's boyfriend that she lost the ability to use her legs. but today she is with a loving mother and happy family. it's no secret that georgia's child welfare system has been an absolute mess. but now there is a new director. he was adopted as a kid, so he understands the system and he thinks he can make it the best in the world in the years to come. in the current fiscal year we have added 278 caseworkers. that's in excess of 10% of the

original amount that we had. and so that's made a huge difference, the morale is up the case loads are down and that makes us be able to do better assessments for families and to provide better -- better work. >> but the fact is there is a lot of work to be done when he took office there was over 4,000 investigations open and 4,000 kids waiting to see what their future is. but as time moves forward, there is a new law that has been signed so that bobby has a direct line to him as he pushes this agency forward, and hopes for new better days. and you can see robert's full report tonight at 8:00 eastern. a sophisticated cyber attack on a major insurance company has compromised the information of 1.1 million people. they say the attack happened last week. it says attackers got access to names, birth dates, email

addresses, and insurance id numbers. the company is the third insurer this year to reveal a breach. late night tv has said good-bye to a legend. david letterman signed off last night after 33 years. the late show episode was filled with special appearances from celebrities to his family. >> your extensive plastic surgery was a necessity, and a mistake. [ laughter ] >> thank you for being my family. i love you both and really nothing else matters, does it? [ applause ] >> letterman is the longest-serving late night talk show host in u.s. history. he was also the first comedian to go back on air after september 11th. steven colbert takes over the

hosting in september. thank for watching. i'm stephanie sy. the news continues next live from doha. ♪ this is al jazeera. ♪ welcome to the news hour. i'm in doha. the world's heritage at risk of destruction. isil fighters enter the ancient ruins of palmyra. thousands of refugees from burr burr -- burundi are in tanzania. fears for wildlife in california as over 400,000