is a commercial aspect to the project hand it has to pay for itself eventually but in the meantime humanitarian groups stand to benefit from the technology wayne at christ church. of course you can always keep up to date with all the news on our website, al jazeera.com. >> flooding across oklahoma and texas leave thousands homeless. the record rainfall is not letting up. >> hands up, don't shoot. >> packets that mid rest amid protests in cleveland after a judge aquits a police officer for shooting two unarmed black people. >> the blame over the fall of

ramadi a joel very questions iraqi soldiers' will a fight. >> good morning live from new york city. several people are still missing, more than 2,000 spent the night in shelters in the south central u.s. after deadly flooding. the severe weather is not taking a break this memorial day holiday. two were killed, including a firefighter swept away by the waters while trying to rescue people. in texas the belong co river southwest of austin rose 26 feet in just one hour. one person was killed in nearby san marcos. both texas towns lost hundreds of homes. a curfew was in effect last night near the river. it crested at 41 feet, more than

three times the flood stage destroying a bridge and buckling roads. three people are missing and feared dead in the river. >> they've lost everything, their cars, furniture everything. it's just amazing. i can't even begin to let it all sink in. i don't think i want to know just yet. >> texas officials warn the flooding could last for weeks. rainfall topped 20-inches in may so so far expected to climb higher today. >> it houston the severe weather spawned a tornado. an apartment complex lost its roof from the sf1 twister. winds topped 100 miles per hour. two people in the building were injured. the entire complex has been condemned. the cost for the hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed will be millions of dollars. >> a group of protestors will be arraigned in cleveland today

arrested while demonstrating over the acquittal of a police officer. michael brelow was acquitted in the deaths. protestors filled the streets throughout the weekend. >> we are out here protesting. you don't think we're still mad as hell? >> one day after a police officer is acquitted in the deaths, a small group of protestors hit the streets on the city's east side. >> we want the world to know that we're watching hell in cleveland with our police department. they are shooting our brothers and some sillssters down like dogs. >> this was the scene on saturday night. peaceful demonstration downtown became intense after dark. >> we're just standing here. >> some protestors became confrontational, even combative. in all over 70 people were arrested. >> we only moved in to make

arrests when things got rye lent and protestors refused to disperse. >> sunday morning the governor of ohio praised the protests. >> the verdict is the verdict john. what i will say is that i think the people of cleveland handled this, they should be proud of themselves and we should look at cleveland as a model. >> former football player leads the alliance. >> cleveland has rebounded from some very tough times to be a city on the rise. >> when saturday's verdict came down he called on his violence interruptors, 75 men and women on the streets again. >> we have to do something about this. there has to be change. if there is not change, there is going to be more problems going forward. >> from ferguson to baltimore the inning verdict arrives at a time when tensions are high and

some black communities across the u.s. in cleveland a community continues to wait on the outcome of the investigation into the death of tamir rice. he was playing with a toy gun when shot and killed about i a white police officer. >> if tamir rice, that 12-year-old, if justice is served the same way it was served with melissa and timothy. [ screams ] that's all i can tell you. you can take that as you want. >> state and city leaders focus on pushing for peace. >> no justice no peace! >> as protestors continue to plead for change. bisi onile-ere, al jazeera cleveland, ohio. >> a man hunt is on in new orleans for the suspect in the murder of a police officer. the 45-year-old worked for the city's housing authority. officials have not identified him but say he was found shot inside his marked police vehicle

sunday morning. he was working overtime at a housing construction site when he was killed. he called the shooting a vile and cowardly act. >> the n.s.a. is winding down its phone collection program. the patriot act expires in one week and the senate blocked efforts to extend it. mike huckabee voiced his opposition to the program. >> i think the constitution already provides what we should do. if you have probable cause that chris is acting in no they far russ action, you get a warrant and then listen in on the calls because the other branch of government is constitutionally required to be part of that process. you don't give unlimited resources, unlimited power. >> senators return to washington sunday to discuss the issue and possibly vote. an appeals court ruled last month that the n.s.a. had no

authority to collect bulk phone records. >> it's unusual for a cabinet official to publicly criticize an american ally, but the iraqi army's failure to fight isil set off a blast from defense secretary ash carter, despite u.s. air support rack's army lost ground. he said the takeover of ramadi under scores the lack of will to fight. they withdrew quickly despite outnumbering isil. >> they withdrew from the site, and that says, to me and i think to most of us that we have an issue with the will of the iraqis to fight isil and defend themselves. now, we can give them training. we can give them equipment. we obviously can't give them the will to fight. >> let's go live to baghdad.

how has the iraqi government responded to defense secretary carter's statements? >> unofficially they are angry saying his comments were unhelpful and actually damaging to the u.s.-iraqi relationship. they've been complaining to the u.s. for a very long time, even before the fall of mosul that there were isil fighters present within iraq and need the weaponry. they'd been promised aircraft that hasn't been delivered and without that said isil would pose a threat and that's what we've seen. we've seen them take over huge swaths of territory. the iraqis say it's incredibly unhelpful and point to the fact that the administration's policy on iraq maybe in disarray, do they know what they're doing which is what one military

source said to me. >> what does the iraqi government say about the obvious, one of the problems which is that the iraqi army refers to say fight fading away against an inferior force. what kind of explanation are they giving for that action? >> you refuse to fight refuse to fight refuse to fight is very strong term and certainly not the kind of language we're seeing or hearing here in iraq. you have to understand that when isil attack any kind of position, they are very, very brutal. it's be killed or run. those are the choices they have. in a year, they won't be able to mount that fight. are they scared? i've spoken to the iraqi soldiers on the ground, yes they are scared, but also willing to take the fight to the isil fighters and they've done that in kirkuk and tikrit,

ramadi, anbar province has always been a very big problem with a number of issues that the iraqi forces need to deal with. it is a very big issue. is there a will to fight? there is. do they have the equipment to fight? that's another question. >> how secure is baghdad from isil any chance of isil moving toward the capitol? >> the iraqis are securing baghdad, gearing up for this very large scale fight against isil force to say retake ramadi, so there are a number of things going on. it will take a joint effort between the iraqi forces and shia militias but for now baghdad is secure. >> thank you. >> a syrian human rights group said isil killed hundreds of civilians in palmyra taking over the city last week. the observatory for human rights

said isil fighters beheaded residents. syrian state t.v. reports isil killed at least 400 people. >> nepal is marking one month since the devastating earthquake. nearly 9,000 died in the quake and after shocks. hundreds of families she still living in open camps and temporary shelters, their homes so badly damaged there is fear they could collapse. many schools remain closed, aid agencies say there is a desperate need for help especially for children. >> iranian american journalist goes on trial this week in tehran. the bureau chief has spent 300 days behind bars, accused of spying for the u.s., but much about the case against him remains a mystery. lisa stark reports. >> iranian american jason will stand trial this week. the washington post reporter will go before the revolutionary court, which hears iran's most

sensitive cases. according to his lawyer, whom he did not get to choose, the 38-year-old faces charges of espionage and three other serious crimes, including collaborating with hostile governments. those charges were not made known until last month the first time every met with counsel since his arrest last july. his lawyer said the evidence in the case file does not justify the charges. the indictment says he wrote to president obama. >> they would look at it and say just based on pure logic that they would let him go. he loves iran, said great things about the country always and there's no way he was doing anything to hurt the country. >> he is held in northern tehran. his family have had no contact with him although his brother and mother have been actively campaigning for his release. >> allow our family to be reunited and my fears for their safety to curbside.

>> it's still unclear whether this week's proceedings against the reporter and two others, including his wife, who is also a journalist will be open to the public. the washington post has tried to obtain visas so a senior editor could attended the trial to no avail. the joshry assigned a judge to the case who is widely known for his harsh sentences for political prisoners. the e.u. has sanctioned him for alleged human rights abuses. >> the basis for this is that from the beginning since jason was arrested, they have spoken about his case and he is being trapped by the iranian intelligence because they do not favor those who are pro iran-u.s. relations. just as he has covered like iranians love baseball or iranians love cheeseburgers. >> republican senators marco rubio and mark kirk are calling for the white house to tie any

deal on iran's nuclear program with the release of americans jim prisoned in iran. it's unknown whether those cases have been mentioned in the on going talks. president obama has weighed in. >> for nine months, jason has been in prison in tehran for nothing more than writing about the hopes and fears of the iranian people. we will not rest until we bring him home to his family safe and sound. >> his family says he has been held longer than any prefers western journalist in iran. if not vindicated at the trial he faces 10-20 more years in prison. >> lisa stark, al jazeera washington. >> in today's digit albeit, one of the stories making news on aljazeera.com is about a famous place of worship in spain. the mosque is now a catholic church and activists say the local archdiocese is trying to rewrite its history.

only catholic worship is allowed inside, even though part of the building has been a mosque since the eighth century. more than 1.5 million visit the site every year, including muslims. for more, go to aljazeera.com. >> detaining families trying to illegally cross the border. we'll hear from a woman held as she sought asylum, the awful conditions she says her family faced.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 7:47, eastern time, taking a look now at today's top stories. former israel prime minister has another prison sentence. olmert received eight months for unlawfully accepting money from a u.s. supporter. that sentence is on top of a six year prison term imposed last year in a separate case. he remains free until appeals are completed. >> greece warns it has no money to make its next payment to the international monetary fund. $1.8 billion is due in june. officials in athens are negotiating with european creditors ant i.m.f. leaders rejected the idea to skip the next payment from hard line jeers malaysian authorities discovered more than 100 grave

sites and other evidence of human trafficking. the discovery near thailand including pens that were likely used as cages. dozens of suspected smugglers were arrested. >> the nation is pausing to remember those who gave the unit mat sacrifice for their country. the president will stop by arlington national cemetery today and lay a wreath at the tomb of unknowns. at 3:00 p.m. everyone in america is asked to pause to remember those killed in war. on this memorial day some vietnam veterans are battling the u.s. government. they say they suffer the effects of agent orange, a chemical used to kill forests. the department of veteran affairs insist they don't qualify for benefits. john terrett has more. >> good morning. we're in manchester, connecticut at the home of paul, a blah water vet. he served with the u.s. navy off the coastal waters of vietnam during the vietnam war and since

he has gotten older developed a number of illnesses but the veterans association says he is not eligible for benefits. paul is fighting them as you might imagine. what are the illnesses that you relate directly to exposure to agent orange, defoalant sprayed in the junk unless. >> diabetes, neuropathy in my feet and hands which is nerve damage and a little over 18 months ago had my prostate removed due to an aggressive form of prostate cancer. >> the doctors don't link these illnesses necessarily to agent orange but paul does and his colleagues do and they're fighting the v.a. to get the right to get help for their various illnesses.

>> you can see the report at 8:00 p.m. eastern. >> a federal judge is giving the justice democratic two more weeks to figure out the future of the so-called family detention center. they house migrants who cross the border seeking asylum. those centers have already been ruled illegal for detaining women and children. >> this is a nightmare for me. i just want to leave this nightmare. shrouded in darkness to protect her i had tie christina is like thousands of others who fled central america. leaving home in honduras was a life or death decision for her. >> i left honduras after my sister's death. gang members were threatening me with death. i had to decide to save my life. >> she is afraid of those gangs.

she took one son but left the other behind. >> do you miss your son? >> she hoped for a better, safer life for her and her son in the united states. they were bussed to a detention center. >> they tied my feet, hands and waist. my son asked me mommy what is happening. i didn't know how to answer him. >> they have been living in a detention center in pennsylvania a place she calls a prison. >> in reality, it is a prison, it is a jail. it was so bad for us all living in this place all of the mothers living there, we would cry every day. unit mali, my son stopped eating and so did i for a while. >> these are some of the conditions christina and other residents reported, saying the guards measure women by isolating them in rooms with their children. medical care is inadequate. they say the food is inedible and there's little to do other than cleaning bathrooms for $1 a day. >> right now this center in pennsylvania and two more in

texas are on the chopping block in the midst of a lawsuit against the federal government. a federal judge has found the conditions inside these detention centers do not meet the standards for holding migrant children. ice insist this is the best way to keep the families together, warning if they shut down, many mothers could be forced apart from their children. >> the government is saying that we'll find if we have to let the children out we'll do that, but whole keep the parents locked up to make sure that they show up to court and to deter other families from trying to flee for their lives and come to the u.s. >> christina's lawyer said that approach could force hundreds of migrant children into the american foster care system. christina agrees. >> it would be the most horrible thing. the children are already suffering so much. >> last week, the government released christina and her son from the center without giving any reason.

she was stunned. >> three days after i got out i pinched my arm wondering if it was a dream if it was real. i thought i'd never get out. >> while released, she was not free, carrying with her a physical reminder of her arduous journey toward the dream. >> it hurts heavy uncomfortable and whenever the battery is low it beeps and i get scared that the police are coming for me. >> it's trust straight, when i haven't killed anyone, i haven't robbed anyone. >> you didn't commit a crime but crossing the border the way that you did with your son is illegal. >> to me, criminals are people who kill other people. i haven't done anything to anyone. the only thing i did was save my life. this is not a crime. >> al jazeera. >> schools of making changes in the name of healthy eating.

we'll visit a school going completely vegetarian. >> what's being done to protect liberties in texas? >> i'm just a citizen trying to get some justice for an old man... >> an america tonight investigation only on al jazeera america

>> the food served in school cafeterias has more fresh fruits whole gains few fried options, but two new york elementary schools are taking healthy eating to a new level. they are the first to go all vegetarian. kristin visited one school to see how the children are responding. >> the kids at public school 244 in queens are like most. ask them their favorite school subject. >> recess. >> recess! >> ask their favorite foods. >> cauliflower. >> lettuce and apple. >> wait, what was that? >> i like the lettuce. lettuce and apple. >> that's right no chicken nuggets or french fries here. the hot lunch menu includes

pesto chick peace and pumpkin ravioli. the kids seem to like it. >> i thought healthy food didn't taste good. >> tastes really good. >> that is thanks in part to the principal, who has made healthy lifestyle choices a theme throughout the school curriculum and with the backing of parents eliminated meat from the menu. >> it was one day a week plant based, two days a week, three days a week, trying out men none items, asking kids what they like. the current menu that we have is a completely plant based menu is the healthiest options available within the system. >> a healthy diets has benefits for growing minds and bodies. the principal said there's a palpable difference in the classroom here since switching to a plant-based menu. >> that includes kids with more energy and focus and better attendance. the new menu doesn't cost more than the old one.

the school got help. in manhattan where general tarian has gone gourmet amy is raising money to teach schools to make the switch. >> this is a good thing that we feel are very wonderful about -- >> she's with the new york coalition for healthy schools. >> since all schools must serve fruits vegetables and whole free agent then the protein component of the meal is where there is the room for improvement. >> she said it's a great way to fight childhood obesity. >> it makes you stronger. >> now that this school paved the way other schools are following in their footsteps. al jazeera queens, new york. >> an exciting come from behind victory at the indy 500. pablo montoya was rear ended earlier in the race and charged

his way back to win. he first won 15 years ago he then switched to formula one and nascar before returning to indy. thanks for joining us. i'm randall pinkston, stephanie sy is back in two minutes with more al jazeera morning news.

>> more than 100 migrant graves discovered in malaysia, the grim cost of human trafficking in southeast asia. >> three dead, several missing and hundreds of homes destroyed after flash floods hit texas and oklahoma. the forecast calls for more rain. >> iraq fires back at defense secretary ash carter, after every says iraqi forces lacked the will to fight isil.

>> this is aljazeera america live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. in the latest evidence of the toll of human trafficking a grim discovery in malaysia, authorities have found more than 100 graves believed to be those of migrants. they were discovered on sunday near the border with thailand. also found pens that were likely used as cages. more than 3,000 people seeking asylum are believed to have made the journey in just the past few weeks. erika wood has the latest. >> police suspect people were held captive by traffickers who would try to extort ransom money from marry families. children's is to, cage to say hold prisoners and bullet casings have been discovered. the camps are now abandoned but police have found mass graves nearby. >> we have discovered 139 which we believe to be graves. we don't know what underneath.

we also discovered one highly decomposed body, and we will also bring that down. we will conduct postmortem on the remains we found to get to the cause of death. >> the graves were discovered sunday on the border with thailand. around 28 abandoned camps were found along a 50-kilometer stretch of the border. many of the camp occupants are thought to have come from myanmar and bangladesh. more than 3,600 migrants from those countries have traveled by boat to indonesia malaysia and thailand in the past two weeks alone. thousands more thought to be trapped at sea. most are thought to be rohingya, trying to escape persecution. they resort to paying people smugglers to get them to other countries to find work. if they don't go by sea many

try land borders. the jungle between malaysia and thailand are known to be used by people smugglers and traffickers. similar camps and more graves were found on the thai side of the border. >> the only thing that is surprising about this is that the malaysian government didn't find these camps earlier. we've known that there's been these camps on both sides of the border. now malaysia really has to investigate what was happening there, whether there was official complicity involved in the running of these camps by local officials or others and investigate and prosecute everybody who is involved in them. >> human rights watch also says there needs to be international pressure put on the myanmar government to stop the persecution of the rohingya people. until they feel safe to say it's feared many more will perish at camps and in the sea. >> flash flood watches are up in

the southwest after destructive rain led to three deaths. several more are missing this morning. we have this report. >> from the accident to oklahoma thousands are reeling from record rainfall and destruction. the flooding wiped away roads bridges and hundreds of homes. >> i'm standing in about eight inches of water in my living room. >> in houston overturned trucks and demolished apartment buildings, the work of e.f.1 tornado caused damage. >> they lost everything, cars, furniture, everything, and it's amazing. i can't even begin to let it all sink in. i don't think i want to know just yet. >> officials warned the flooding could last for weeks. >> no way out no way to go anywhere no way for anybody to get in here and help. >> rainfall totals topped 28-inch bees in may so far and

expected to climb higher before the holiday is over. al jazeera. >> a man hunt is on in new orleans for the suspect in the murder of a police officer. the 45-year-old officer worked for the city's housing authority. officials have not identified him, but say he was found shot inside his marked police vehicle sunday morning. he was working overtime at a housing construction site when he was killed. the mayor called the shooting a vile and cowardly act. >> a group of protestors would be arraigned today in cleveland. they were arrested while demonstrating over the acquittal of a police officer. michael brelow was acquitted in the deaths. protestors filled the streets all weekend. >> we are out here protesting. you don't think we're still mad as hell? >> one day after a police officer is acquitted in the deaths, a small group of protestors hit the streets on the city's east side. >> we want the world to know

that we're catching hell in cleveland with our police department. they are shooting our brothers and some sisters down like dogs. >> this was the scene on saturday night. peaceful demonstration downtown became intense after dark. >> we're just standing here. >> some protestors became confrontational, even combative. in all, over 70 people were arrested. >> we only moved in to make arrests when things got violent and protestors refused to disperse. >> sunday morning, the governor of ohio praised the protests. >> the verdict is the verdict, john. what i will say is that i think the people of cleveland handled this, they should be so proud of themselves and we should look at cleveland as a model. >> former football player leads the alliance. >> cleveland has rebounded from some very tough times to be a

city on the rise. >> when saturday's verdict came down, he called on his violence interruptors, 75 men and women who will be on the streets again. >> we have to do something about this. there has to be change. if there is not change, there is going to be more problems going forward. >> from ferguson to baltimore, the not guilty verdict arrives at a time when tensions are high and some black communities across the u.s. in cleveland, a community continues to wait on the outcome of the investigation into the death of tamir rice. the 12 year old playing with a toy gun when shot and killed by a white police officer. >> if tamir rice, that

12-year-old, if justice is served the same way it was served with melissa and timothy. [ screams ] that's all i can tell you. you can take that as you want. >> state and city leaders focus on pushing for peace. >> no justice, no peace! >> as protestors continue to plead for change. bisi onile-ere, al jazeera cleveland, ohio. >> a syrian human rights group said isil has killed hundreds of civilians in palmyra. they took over the city last week. the syrian observatory for human rights said isil beheaded residents. isil killed at least 400 people according to syrian t.v. >> defense secretary ash carter is lashing out against iraqi forces for withdrawing from isil. >> they withdrew from the site, and that says to me and i think to most of us that we have an issue with the will of the iraqis to fight isil and defend

themselves. we can give them training, we can give them equipment we obviously captain give them the will to fight. >> we are live in baghdad this morning. as you just heard defense secretary carter say the iraqis lack a will to fight to beat isil. the iranians say the u.s. lacks the will to beat isil. what's been the iraqi reaction and what are the facts? >> it's disappointing that's been the major reaction and one of anger as well in baghdad. they are saying that we were warning the americans the rocki's, about isil since before the fall of mosul just under a year ago saying we need a speeding of the delivery of the arms the americans promised us, otherwise isil were going to become a problem. they say the americans haven't delivered the f16's promised, the fighters that they would be able to deliver a decisive blow

to isil when they were a low number in iraq. it points to a fractured relationship between the iraqis and u.s. the j embassy here is making efforts to try to get everybody on the same page, but it is very disappointing. the iranians have reacted, also a newspaper very close to the head of the force who is here sometimes in iraq and very involved in the fight here with the shia militias saying not only do the u.s. lack the will to fight but allowed extremists to march into ramadi. >> there's discussion whether the u.s. needs to alter its strategy on isil, some calling for more u.s. troops on the ground. how does baghdad feel about that? >> baghdad's always had a very strong position on u.s. boots here on the ground in iraq. it's simply a no go. whether that changes as a result

of what's going in in fact on the ground, we don't know. we know that having that, having those u.s. troops on the ground will be very worries to ordinary iraqis who will see it as a reoccupation of iraq by american forces. senator john mccain has spoken b. sending troops back into iraq. that makes troops nervous. they would like the ability to fight isil themselves, that's a step-up in training be and arms delivery and clearly those f16 that the iraqi's bought and paid for and haven't been delivered for two years. >> the u.s. is talking about giving these antitank we haves to the iraqi forces. what do we know about the weapons falling into the hands of isil? >> every time they take over a city that has u.s. equipped

troops those troops leave the equipment behind. if you luke into the back story a humvee armed vehicle is very difficult to maintain, so the isil don't have the facility to be able to maintain and run those vehicles. what they use them for to devastating effect is a one off suicide car bomb. they did this in ramadi, setting off 16 car bombs allowed them to enter the city. these anti tank weapons that the americans are promising the iraqi's will be very, very useful but do isil have the skills to use them? these do require a certain level of training, so there is a worry that they might fall into hands and weaponry clearly has fallen into isil hands but do they have the ability to use and maintain them is the real question. >> reporting from baghdad for us, thank you. >> leading republicans are criticizing president obama's strategy for fighting isil, including arizona senator john

mccain who claims the coalition airstrikes have been almost entirely ineffective in stopping the group. >> there is no strategy. anybody that says that there is, i'd like to hear what it is, because it certainly isn't apparent now and right now, we are seeing those horrible reports in palmyra they're executing people and leaving their bodies in the streets. >> mccain said the winner in this conflict is iran. he said shia militias are the only forces making gains against isil putting iranian supporters in parts of four countries in the middle east. >> thousands of activists in burundi vow to intensify protests against the government. this wrongs mourned a murdered opposition leader at his funeral sunday. the killing happened a day after a grenade attack on a busy market. three died and dozens were injured in that attack. protests have been going on for weeks against the president's

bid to seek a third consecutive term. >> the latest talks organized by the u.n. to end the conflict in yemen have been postponed. there's been no explanation yet for why. the conference was scheduled to begin thursday in geneva, and as diplomacy was delayed on the ground rebel fighters were making gains. we have this report. >> the fighting in yemen takes a new turn. houthi fighters recapture areas in taiz. a full takeover of taiz means the houthis can send more fighters and weapons to seize the southern cities of shabwa and aden. >> they remain outgunned by their rivals. as the fighting continues millions of yemenis suffer. there are shortages in drinking water, food and medicine. very few people leave their houses because of the intense

shelling. >> in terms of what's happening in taiz, those responsible are those who don't like the city and don't belong to it. >> hopes were pinned on diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting in yemen but the peace talks that were due to happen this week are now reported to have been postponed. the president of yemen, adou rabbo mansour haded said that no government representatives would attend unless the houthis disband. the u.n. resolution calls on the houthis to pull out of areas they control and hand over weapons to the government. the houthis insist that they have the backing of millions of people. >> al jazeera. >> on the agenda today egypt will decide whether to approve a death sentence against deposed president mohamed morsi he and 130 others were accused of taking part in a jail break during the arab springen 2011. >> pilots and flight attendants

in italy want better job protections. there is a one day strike that is being called disrespectful of passengers. >> president obama will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. an honor guard that kept watch at that site for more than 70 years. >> a milestone between the united states and cuba. the obama administration set to take the country off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. could a history of mistrust get in the way of normalizing relations. >> an urgent morning about a new street drug. some users call it $5 insanity.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. activists of call an election in spain a victory for the left. the ruling party took a battering in local and regional contests. the foreign minister was punished for spending cuts and string of election scandals. national elections are in november. >> greece has no money to pay the international monetary fund.

officials are negotiating with that leaders have ejected the idea from some hardliners to skip the next payment. >> four people detained along with a washington, d.c. mansion murder suspect have been reds. police didn't identify the four or say how long they were detained. three members of a family and their housekeeper were killed and their mansion set on fire. darrin wint was arrested and charged. the. >> the white house is expected to release cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism on the list since 1982. once removed only sudan iran and syria remain. taking cuba off the list was the key to talks going on for more than six months. there's to deal to reopen embassies in both nations. it's a process that may take sometime given the long history

of mistrust. >> the news has been greeted with cheers in both countries. >> i think this would be really good. each party would set their conditions and this injection of capitol is something great. >> not all americans welcome the change. >> would we accept an embassy in cuba where we are not allowed to meet with activists on the island. >> marco rubio said cuba has not made it for the crimes against its people. for some, it's hard to forget cuba was at the center of what the world has ever come to global nuclear war. at the helm at the time, fidel castro. he emerged as cues prime minister in 1959 after a revolution that toppled the government of bautista. after castro nationalized all

businesses the j closed its embassy in havana and imposed a crippling trade embargo. the u.s. attempted to overthrow castro in the failed invasion known as the bay of pigs. castro survived and found an ally in a country the united states viewed as enemy number one, the soviet union. a u.s. spay plane found spy plains. the cuban shore is only 90 miles away from the southern most tip of florida. >> within the past week, unmistakable evidence established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. the purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the western hemisphere. >> october 22, president john f.

kennedy gave the nation terrifying news. the u.s. was on the brink of nuclear attack because of cube you be ba's relationship with the soviet union. >> it shall be the policy of this nation to reward any nuclear missile launched from cuba against any nation in the western hemisphere as an attack by the soviet union on the united states requiring a full retaliatory response upon the soviet union. >> cindy placed a ring of ships around cuba, trying to prevent soviet premier from shipping in more supplies to his cuban allies. for four daunting days, the u.s. and soviet union stared each other down. act 26, khrushchev agreed to dismantle the sites. >> u.s. planes and ships have counted 42 rockets on russian bound ships.

>> the immediate fear of war may have lifted, but the trade embargo remained. in 1996, cuba shot down two u.s. aircraft operated by miami based cuban exiles. the u.s. made the embargo stronger by passing an act which penalized foreign country that is did business in cuba. cuba felt the economic strain. in 2006, fidel castro's health began to fail. he handed over power to his brother. things took a dramatic turn in 2012 when cuba suggested it was ready to negotiate with the united states. soon after, president obama began lifting parts of the trade embargo. >> the most significant changes in our policy in more than 50 years, we will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests and instead, we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. >> and historic talks began

between the country. in april, president obama announced he intended to remove cuba from the terror watch list, a crucial step in normalizing diplomatic ties. the country is expect to be off the list in a few days, but some stumbling blocks remain. cuba hasn't assured america that diplomatics will be able to travel freely on the island and speak to whom they please. cuba has not agreed that shipments to the american compound will not be tampered with and the people visiting the embassy would not face harassment from people guarding it. >> i share the concerns of dissidents there and human rights activists that this is still a regime that represses its people. >> despite the remaining disagreements, the two countries seem poised for an historic

reunion. john terrett, al jazeera. >> police in fort lawsuiter detail are investigating whether a new designer drug was a factor in a deadly hostage situation. officers say they were forced last week to shoot and kill a man holding a woman captive. he may have been under the influence of a powerful new street drug called flaca. >> on patrol in south florida and within minutes the calls come in. users high on flaca a new designer drug and a new challenge for law enforcement officers like broward county sergeant. >> i've never seen something hit the streets so wicked and so rapid in my life. >> the drug is dubbed $5

insanity. cheap, its effects are intense. [ screaming ] >> and can lead to horrifying hallucinations pair know i can't for users and nightmare for police. >> it's difficult. we're all on a learning curve. traditional police tactics just don't work. >> flaca is the latest in synthetic drugs, like bath salts, but can be smoked, ingested snorted or swallowed partly driving its spread to ohio, the accident r. texas and tennessee. south florida appears to be the epicenter. from zero cases in 2010 to now hundreds a year. >> there's no comparison. i've never had anything else like that. >> stephanie hamilton new generality long struggled with addiction, but says she was terrified by what one hit of flaca did. >> i was scared, scared to death. i just took off running not

knowing where i was going. >> what did you think was happening to you? >> i really thought i was being chased. i thought that they were after me with guns and i wound up jumping off of a bridge into the inner coastal. >> you jumped off a bridge? >> yes. yes. it makes you that crazy. it makes you literally insane. >> that's how powerful that drug is. >> that's how powerful it is. it's so scary. >> police say dealers in the u.s. are buying it on line in bulk from china and pakistan. >> this is like combating facebook. it's on the internet. anybody can order it. >> up to 10 patients a day come into the e.r. the big worry is that teenagers young duties are trying it unwittingly, not knowing what can happen to their heart and their brain. >> people like ryan cycles

worry. >> this drug is going to have random people getting killed for no reason. that's what the hallucinations lead to. anything they can think becomes reality. >> it's been one month since the in a pal earthquake. we'll take you there. >> remembering the math genius that inspired the movie "a beautiful mind." >> today the nation remembers men and women who died serving in the military.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 8:30 eastern, be taking a look a little today's top stories. forecasters warn there could be more severe flooding in the south. three died after heavy rain fell in the accident and oklahoma.

three people are still feared missing. the river near austin crested three times above flood stage. hundreds of homes are destroyed. >> malaysian authorities discovered more than 100 grave sites and other evidence of human trafficking. the discovery near the border with thailand included pens likely used as human cages. >> dozens of suspected smugglers were arrested. >> heavy fighting in yemen hours after officials said a u.n. peace talk have been pushed back. government officials say until the houthis withdraw and recognize the president's authority, talks will be postponed indefinitely. >> nepal is struggling to rebuild one month after a devastating earthquake. thousands of people are still homeless. monsoon rains will begin soon, raising fears of landslides. >> a month on from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the city acknowledge entire

country and the evidence of what happened is still every to be seen around kathmandu tens of villages, as well, as people try and maintain daily life. people moved out of homes they have worried about after repeated aftershocks most notably on may 12, 7.3 after shack which people refer to here as the second quake. the government here has come under substantial criticism from the international community and from people here of nepal, as well about the kind of coordination that was on after the kind of response, the pace of that response. i put some of those points to the information minister. he said that help was on its way, that within days, people around nepal every part of nepal, they would be getting money to start building proper temporary shelters, which they need in time for the monsoon season that they'd be getting core gated iron sheets to help with that, as well. i think they would be ready

within a month which is when the worst of the monsoon season gets underway in this country. there is skepticism about that because of the lack of coordinated response in the days after, also skepticism from the international community about preexisting problems, poor governments, corruption as this government tries to get $2 billion in aid money for long term reconstruction. just a month before this disaster the british parliamentary committee which oversees international aid was saying that they should consider cutting aid to the poor because of these problems, so a lot of challenges for this government to meet. as well as that is education in some areas 90% have schools are destroyed. the educational infrastructure could take years to rebuild. they try to do the best as they can a month on from what was the biggest natural disaster ever to hit this country. >> the government said all schools in nepal should resume

classes at the end of this month, but some schools and students are nowhere near ready. we have more. >> nepal's district has a picture-perfect landscape. or at least it did before the earthquake. nothing has been spared. homes, hotels, and schools. this one housed more than 100 primary students from the area. before the may 12 after shock damaged these buildings this school was already in need of money for a new boundary wall, equipment and furniture. so the head teacher isn't sure of when, or if the government will come through with the money to rebuild the place from scratch. >> the monsoon rains are coming next month. then no one can do anything. the international community will have to keep pushing the government to make sure they use the money to rebuild schools. >> given the lack of government

funding before the quake he's not counting on it. the education ministry says they are already working on a plan. >> some schools will need to be resigned while others moved to safer spots. it's hard to say but it will cost tens of millions of dollars to rebuild all the damaged schools. >> getting the schools ready even temporary once is one thing, but preparing students to come back is different. most of dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and are too busy to focus on school. >> up the road, no 18-year-old left his school in cat man did you after the quake. may's after shock destroyed his home and the books he brought to study for exams. >> since the after shock i haven't been able to concentrate on my studies. the tremors keep happening. there is no time to study even if i wanted to. >> some schools are ready to reopen but the books and uniforms of some students are

buried under the rubble of their homes. without them, they can't attend classes, and they don't believe that's fair. >> i have dreams like anyone else to study and take care of my family, but once my school opens, i won't be able to go. it's not a good feeling but there's nothing i can do. >> life has never been easy here. today is another day to day struggle for most people, and now, the worry of their children's future, their education, will be marked by the earthquake too. >> al jazeera nepal. >> former israeli foreign minister olmert has been asks sentenced to eight months in prison for accepting money from a u.s. supporter. that sentence is on top of a six year term imposed in a separate case. he remains free until appeals are cheated. >> iranian american journalist goes on trial this week in iran. the washington post bureau chief in tehran spent more than 300 days behind bars, accused of

spying for the u.s. much of the case against him remains a mystery. >> iranian american jason will stand trial this week. the washington post reporter will go before the revolutionary court, which hears iran's most sensitive cases. according to his lawyer, whom he did not get to choose, the 38-year-old faces charges of espionage and three other serious crimes, including collaborating with hostile governments. those charges were not made known until last month, the first time he met with counsel since his arrest last july. his lawyer said the evidence in the case filed does not justify the charges. the indictment says he wrote to president obama. >> they would look at it and say just based on pure logic, that they would let him go. he loves iran, said great things about the country always and there's no way he was doing anything to hurt the country. >> he is held in northern tehran.

his family have had no contact with him, although his brother and mother have been actively campaigning for his release. >> allow our family to be reunited and my fears for their safety to subside. >> it's still unclear whether this week's proceedings against the reporter and two others, including his wife, who is also a journalist, will be open to the public. the washington post has tried to obtain visas so a senior editor could attended the trial to no avail. the judiciary assigned a judge to the case, he is widely known for his harsh sentences for political prisoners. the e.u. has sanctioned him for alleged human rights abuses. >> the basis for this is that from the beginning, since jason was arrested, they have spoken about his case and he is being trapped by the iranian intelligence, because they do not favor those who are pro

iran-u.s. relations. jason has covered like iranians love baseball or iranians love cheeseburgers. >> republican senators marco rubio and mark kirk are calling for the white house to tie any deal on iran's nuclear program with the release of americans imprisoned in iran. it's unknown whether those cases have been mentioned in the on going talks. president obama has weighed in. >> for nine months, jason has been in prison in tehran for nothing more than writing about the hopes and fears of the iranian people. we will not rest until we bring him home to his family safe and sound. >> his family says he has been held longer than any prefers previous western journalist in iran. if not vindicated at the trial he faces 10-20 more years in prison. >> lisa stark, al jazeera, washington.

>> the f.b.i. keeps statistics on police officers killed on the job, but it is impossible to know about civilians killed by the police. now as jacob word reports some are digging through the data. >> every weekend journalism students meet to crunch data drawn from police reports from around the country. he is the founder of fate allen counters.org and he is using old school journalism to figure out how many people are killed by police each year in this country. there is no agency that comprehensive traction the number of people who die in police custody. >> so these are all the records that came from our public records request in texas. >> the federal government tracks anything that matters anything. the number of shoes sold, you know rainfall in death valley. the fact that they weren't collecting this information

suggests that it just didn't matter. >> zeke edwards of the american civil liberties union also thinks this lack of data about police killings is unsettling. >> we need this data not only to know what police did this year, but last year and the year before and what are the trends, are they shooting more people. are they disproportionately african-americans, are the rates growing? >> back in 2000, congress passed the death in custody reporting act, which required states to report any person who dice while in police custody but the law which expired in 2006 had no teeth and 16 states and the district of columbia opted not to fully participate. the department of justice said it's only been able to identify only about half of all arrest homicides. the true number of those killed by police maybe as high as 928. using police reports media

accounts and other research methods that positively identified 1,192 lives lost at the lands of police in 2014, 28% higher than the official estimates. >> those in favor say aye. >> a new law took effect in 2014. >> failure to report the death of a prisoner in police custody. >> really? >> for now brian burkhart plans to keep his dining room table stacked with boxes of police reports. >> most people think human life matters more than just about anything you can be concerned with. for our government not to care enough to track who its killing and why it's killing them is incomprehensible. >> jacob ward, al jazeera, san francisco. >> general motors could facing more than $1 billion fine over ignition switch defects. the company has recalled more

than 2 million cars, ant justice department is considering whether to seek criminal charges. the defects are linked to more than 100 deaths. >> more than 52 million americans invest their retirement savings in 401k plans. the scout is weighing in on what employers have to do to protect that money. we have more. >> at the heart of the case before the supreme court high fees tacked on to 401k plans that eat into retirement savings, employees at edison international argue the company invested in mutual funds with excessive fees when lower cost options were available. the high court ruled employers have a duty to monitor those fees and economist monique morsi said it sheds light on a larger problem. >> the employer is the one who chooses the investment options answered sets up the plan, but the fees are paid by the employees. that creates an inherent either tension or conflict of interest. >> those fees can make a sizeable dent.

let's say you have a $100,000 investment. with a .25 investment fee it will grow to $200,000 over 10 years. with a 1% annual fee that investment would be $30,000 less over the same time span. >> all services have costs. even those related to investments through your retirement plan. >> the department of labor has made a push to educate consumers following a 2012 rule requires financial institutions to disclose fees and expenses in retirement savings plans. still, nine in 10 americans severely underestimate their fore01k fees, that's according to a nerd wallet survey. even if they did know about the fees employees don't have the power to change their companies 401k investment and the supreme court's ruling some say can force employers that pay more attention to what they're offering workers. >> if they're not getting a nudge to look at it, they're

happy to leave things aalone. up until now the fiduciary duty has been loosely interpreted. >> while the ruling may provide more protection for investors it could open the door to more lawsuits encouraging smaller companies to stop offering 401k's. marry snow, al jazeera. >> the comedy world is remembering actress and company meetian ann meara. she is known as one half of the comedy team with her husband. she's the mother of actor and director ben stiller. she was nominated for four emmies. >> john nash was the subject of the film beautiful mind. >> david john nash.

your contributions to theory. >> he is rewarded as one of the greatest mathematician of the 20th century. he earned the nobel prize for his work on gain theory, a mathematical approach to decisions in competitive situations. >> it wasn't until the release of the film a beautiful mind that his life and work became known outside of academic circles. nash seen here on set with his wife alicia and actor russell crowe had struggled for years with schizophrenia. crow said he was stunned by the death of nash and his wife in a car crash. >> an amazing partnership he wrote, beautiful minds beautiful hearts. he talked about the film back in

2009. >> i don't reward it as giving accurate information about me as a particular person. i think maybe it's very helpful in relations in mental illness. it illustrates a case of mental illness and how there might be favorable outcome over a period of time. >> john nash was 86. >> kristin, al jazeera, new york. >> on the healthbeat this morning, a new warning over skin cancer. british reservers say up to a quarter of the average middle age person's skin cells are on the road to cancer. they found mutations linked to cancer in over every one centimeter of skin. researchers say to protect your skin when you're young.

>> exploring difficult terrain many get into trouble. one new zealand company aims to save lives with pioneering technology. >> using cameras on so-called unmanned drones is not new but honing them for search and rescue is. in christchurch, a two man company is leading the way. >> the whole mandate has basically been on a humanitarian side for saving lives and once you get involved in an organization like that, you can't exactly step away from it. >> it's a joint venture with the coast guard a volunteer organization. testing has shown how the planes fitted with cameras and technology provide a valuable eye in the sky all controlled using a phone or tablet. >> get to the area, stop it and go back. i can send it off in a direction they feel needs to be investigated or 50 meters up behind the bolt. >> the price for the small

models will be around $5,000. larger drones are being definitely and that will be able to stay in the air for up to 10 hours and carry rescue equipment. >> with more than 15,000 kilometers of coastline and isolated mountain ranges, new zealand's rugged beauty is a magnet for those who love the outdoors. every day, there is a chance that something could go wrong. when it does, search and rescue workers face huge challenges. >> the coast guard's already used a drone to search for someone lost in the mountains last year. ultimately they may vastly reduce the use of conventional aircraft saving money and improving safety. >> at the moment, we send crews into harm's way regularly. if we can eliminate the risk of crew members up in the sky doing a search by sending a u.a.v. up, that's gold mohamed morsi book. >> the developers are working with the red cross. one use is so search for 60s in

disaster zones. the technology is being developed in christchurch, still struggling to rebuild after a large earthquake four years ago. there's a commercial aspect and it has to pay for itself eventually. in the mean tile, it's humanitarian groups that stand to benefit from the technology. >> straight ahead on aljazeera america. >> welcome to the captain joseph house. i have a story on one woman's vision and a community project to help american gold star families. >> on this last monday of may have the country honors men and women who died serving in the military. it is memorial day.

>> president obama is giving special attention to those who gave their lives in afghanistan. the president said this is the first memorial day sips the u.s. combat mission in afghanistan came to an end. >> a mother in washington state is creating a sanctuary in honor of her fallen son. we have more on her ambitious around heartfelt project. >> a single mom only child. they used to talk about what would happen if either died. >> that i was expected to carry on that i would not curl up and die, also, that that would be to him, that he had died in vain,

so please, mom grieve for me, be sad and miss me, but don't give up on living. i've done this so that you can live. >> army green beret captain joseph schultz was killed on patrol in afghanistan. may 29, 2011. >> he led from the front. the humvee he was in exploded. he wouldn't have his team go anywhere he wouldn't go. that meant going first. by our tradition, he would have already been buried before the sun went down. >>ish tradition. >> wait to go receive her son's remains and before burial at arlington national cemetery, an idea began to take shape. >> i could create a place for families to come in a very small, intimate way of being with other families who had also

lost and share and live as close as you could in a family unit, family way for a couple of days to meet and know and build some bonds. we came up the old service stairwell. you can see the main entrance down here. >> what she used to run as a bed and breakfast is becoming a non-profit sanctuary for families who have lost immediate family members in combat. with rooms in the house named after soldiers targeted in the same attack that killed her son. >> one room is for aaron, one for marty and then the third room is to honor the living soldier, the green beret gene brackson. >> this place was 4,000 square feet of plaster. everything we had to take out for code is out of here now. >> you didn't have nid idea what you were getting into. >> actually, no, i didn't, but

getsy's very persuasive. >> how many people were in this week? >> the project has stretched past two years with lots more work to do before the house is ready for its first visiting family. >> she's driven, with an inner voice and inner passion that i don't think you find in very many people, ever in life. >> betsy says the community effort has been remarkable. >> they have so much love and compassion and caring, even -- they don't even know the families are going to be coming here. >> her concept is to host three families at a time here for week long visits, free of charge, airfare included. she figures it could cost nearly a million dollars a year to run the program. >> we need time, we need energy, we need dollars, of course. >> the house still needs plumbing wiring, drywalling in every room. there's an ambitious landscaping plans, like all the plans

donated by local professionals. there's always that voice in betsy's head. >> i'm sure somehow some way he knows. i know if he was here to tell me he'd say i believe in what you're doing mom and i believe you'll get it done. >> all this proof this mother has kept her promise to her son to keep on living. >> every man and woman who goes through war knows they may be giving up their life for someone else's life to live and carry on the livelihood that we have, our freedoms that we have here. >> just one of many surviving family members remembering their lost loved ones today. thanks for watching. we leave you with a live look at arlington national cemetery. the president will lay a wreath in a few hours to honor those who have died serving in this

countries military. ilitary. >> we're going to the bottom of the sea. >> deep submergence vehicles. >> three zero three six. >> ocean experts have made some miraculous discoveries. >> octopus everywhere. >> but are the most important discoveries yet to come. >> implications for energy and also for climate change. >> techknow's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> "techknow", where technology meets humanity. tonight, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

>> trafficked labor on the front lines? >> they're things, they're commodities... >> we go undercover... >> it isn't easy to talk at this base >> what's happing on u.s. bases? >> the tax payer directly pays the human trafficker >> fault lines al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> today they will be arrested... >> ground breaking... they're firing canisters of gas at us... emmy award winning investigative series... fault lines america's war workers only on al jazeera america

>> this is al jazeera. >> welcome to the news hour from doha. here's what's coming up over the next 60 minutes. >> a tunisia soldier opens fire and kills a colonel and six others before being shot dead. >> we have discovered 139 which we believe to be graves. >> malaysian police discover human remains in jungle camps used by human traffickers. isil sets fire to parts of iraq's