>> part of our month long look at working in america. "hard earned".

... all of our allies are behind us. next time you do an overreaction it's 5 and 10 years time when the american allies say we don't support this. you have to - this is the election where you see the candidate stand up and say here is what america stands for, here is how to lead. america is the biggest economy in the world. we have options. you are the president of the group. it's a risk research group, people paying you for your advice and looking to see what happens. indispensable america, independent america cannot co-exist. they are separate choices. in the choose your own adventure, what do you think is the right choice. >> i say that i think if you force me to make a decision and

i think all three can work independent america, i say, the reason i say that is it's not because of what i want i do not see the leaders that are coming up, in 2016. willing and capable to provide them disappointly. i would love for them to prove me wrong. this book is a change. >> america believes it's an exceptional nation. the military power of the united states. america's power to cloouns the rest of the world may be waiting. we debate whether the u.s. is a superpower in decline. >> with everything you stand for. there's an element that united states lost the moral argument which is which it shouldn't be the superpower or is not. when we look at abu graib and

the rendition, and the salt pit, the drone strikes, is that at the heart of it losing moral authority. >> it is close to the heart of it if you talk about a super-power in guantanamo. it set up a worldwide story, that maintains facilities today. outsourcing some of that horrible actions to other countries as we did during the war in iraq was one of the places we sent people. you are arguably not talking about a superpower but a frustrated nation. that plus ky wright and our next

guest talking about disabled veterans on sunday next - rebuilding a new orleans school where it shouldn't be on top of an old toxic dump. >> it should be a crime. for us to put generations of children at risk to these toxins, and we know they are there. >> see how parents try to stop it, in 2 minutes.

in louisiana, frustrations have to contend with crumbling schools in need of funding and repairs, it may surprise you to learn that a school that is rebuilt would cause controversy, that is what is happening with booker t high school in new orleans. it was severely damaged by hurricane katrina in 2005. 10 years later parents are outraged by plans to rebuild the

school over a former toxic site. parent don't want the school to go to school where arsenic will pollute the ground below it. >> reporter: behind the footprint of the superdome two being remain. the site is up surrounded by a locked fence. >> now, controversy. already plans to rebuild the school here on what tests the past three years reveal is toxic soil. it's bizarre, amazing frustrating. >> it was built in 1942 on land that until the 1930s, had been used as a giant landfill known as the silver city dump. >> tests from firms hired by

school officials found there are dangerous levels of arsenic and ink. that is where the samples were taken. louisiana representative a booker t graduate was stunned to learn the recovery oversees most schools was planning to rebuild the school after removing some soil. >> it should be a crime to put schools there, when we know the toxic matters are there. >> reporter: there's no law on building schools on a land fix or known toxic site. toxins at the school site including lead for example, were found 24 times higher than e.p.a. standards for playgrounds. the school district plans to remove the top three feet of contaminated soil.

then install a barrier and lay down 6 feet of clean soil. >> this is not a risk elimination plan it's risk reduction plan. >> they are familiar with soil and the school distribute's plan will eliminate rivals. >> i have 14 grandchildren. they have no reservations tending at school. the site for the school is identified rebuilding at the old location is maintaining the school's legacy serving as a popular meeting space for new orleans's black community in the '60s. >> if you move it they'll loss the identity. opponents say there'll be 12 feet of contaminated soil in the ground. new orleans is blow sea level and the lapped is shifting.

>> it's a matter of time before the man made barrier of new soil placed on toxic soil will fail. >> al jazeera reached out to the school district asking why it chose to rebuild. emails and calls were not returned. the state department of environmental quality responded by saying: jacob ward joined me from the crowds of booker t in new orleans. the law-makers bill would block schools being on sites where there's toxic waste underneath is that likely to pass the legislature. >> well there seems to be overwhelming support on a state level. the bill was introduced a couple

of weeks ago, passed in the senate. now at this point again. the state lawmakers seem to be supporting this. there's at least one site identified that's not on contaminated land. why is there resistance to rebuilding the school on another site. that's the question to ask the superintendent of schools. as you heard it's our legacy an important place in the community, and during the david segregation, it was one of the few places for african-american parent to come and have conferences. the feeling is let's rebuild on the site. let's keep the legacy here. but the argument is it could be moved elsewhere. >> jacob ward for us in new

orleans. >> fresh food and air collide in america's biggest city. after the break i'll tell you why some new york residents are victims of environmental racism. racism.

>> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live... some people call

environmental injustice - others say it amounts to environmental racism. whatever you call it low income minority communities are waging fights over the air they breath are saying they are subjected to more pollute ants in their neighbourhoods than white residents in wealthy parts of town one of the latest battles is in new york city. activists are giving a gear to the idea of moving a business into their neighbourhood, saying not in my backyard. mary snow has the report. >> the greatest benefit of buying direct to farmers is having a hand on the volume control. >> online direct touts fresh food it delivers to home. the new york grocer moves its operations some applaud gen pits. actor michael johnson sees pressure. >> it's like the next assault or

another assault on this neighbourhood. johnson has led protest and a legal bottle to block fresh direct moving to the south bronx. the company estimates there'll be more than 600 truck tricks per day in and out of its new hub. the way johnson sees it it will worsen bad air quality in a poor neighbourhood surrounded by highways industries and assault, and scenes like this are not uncommon. this woman is tested for asthma which has the highest rates in the states. fresh direct prevailed on legal challenges and is building new headquarters. the state and city providing more than 100 in incentives not to leave new york. jobs are staying put, more will

be added in the bron g. >> new york city would have lost almost 300,000. currently out of those 300,000, over 600 of those are people from the bronx. >> what about the jobs it's bringing? >> only communities that have to balance jobs with our health. we know we can't breath we can't work. >> fresh direct declined a request for an interview. in a statement said that trucks would represent tiny fraction of the traffic that is here and it says it's developing solutions. >> that has not satisfied critics. >> doctors are monitoring the health effects of air pollution in the bronx and disparities in the air that you breathe. >> our research shows if you live near a truck route you have

a higher risk of developing asthma than if you live in a nicer neighbourhood in the bronx. >> reporter: it's not just new york air quality was studied from coast to coast, finding airways not equal. it looked at nitrogen dioxide, industrial sites, and found nitrogen dioxide concentrations are 38 prz higher. >> it is an environmental justice issue, the fact that on average, people who are on low income breathe more in even today is an environmental justice issue, and it's why the doctor an activist is not enough to help the asthma patients. he sees businesses like fresh direct as a dipping point. >> there's a -- tipping point. there's a perception that the communities will not fight back.

what south bronx says . it came as a surprise. >> where does the legal battle stand. >> it came to court. they are trying to make the argument that it is not benefitting the public. the fight is taking place, many were there. is there a way to quantify any improving air quality is going to do to residents. >> we talked to researchers at the university of minnesota, and they estimate that there would be 7,000 fewer deaths from heart disease. >> wow. >> if there was air quality among whites and minorities.

>> this is not the thing that will cause air equality because there are a lot of others out there. >> exactly. >> thank you mary snow. that is the show thank you for joining us have a great weekend. removing a major obstacle. the white house takes cuba off the list of state sponsors for terror. the two countries closer to diplomacy. record breaking rain fall with more on the way. >> i've never seen so much rain in my life. >> rescues over towns evacuated as rivers continue to rise. >> details in the federal indictment of former