n or wealth. a reminder you can keep up with the stories you're seeing today, throughout the day so visit our website. aljazera.com the u.s. plans to send hundreds more military trainers to iraq for the fight against isil one year after the group took control of iraq's second largest city no sign of two escaped prisoners in new york. now the focus is the area around the prison and anger in los angeles after an independent commission finds a police officer was justified in shooting an unarmed, mentally ill black man.

this is al jazeera america live from new york city. one year after isil took control of iraq's second largest city, the obama administration is sending in hundreds of additional american military trainers. it will also reportedly start up a new training site for iraqi troops in anbar province. it will increase training sites in iraq from four to five. patty, there are some 3,000 american troops already there in iraq as trainers and advisors. why is there a push for more now and does this represent a change in strategy? >>reporter: not necessarily. we don't know that yet. let me explain that. the president has complained saying they are not training the iraqi forces fast enough and he's put the blame on the iraqi government saying that we have the capacity to train more.

they're just not getting us the recruits. so this is showing the president thinks they need more trainers on the ground but what's important is where the training is. that's another location in anbar province seeming to indicate they're going to try to target sunni soldiers. so here's the big question and why i say we don't know if this is a change in strategy. the president has resisted all calls from people from sunni tribes, some here in the united states to directly arm and train the sunnis. he's insisted it has to go through the iraqi government to maintain that unity. so the question is not is this just more trainers going. the question really is are they going to directly work with the sunnis and try and cut out basically the shia-led government. that remains to be seen. we hope to have more press calls today and get that answered. >> what kind of training to iraqis get from the u.s.? >> we know this from our days as military reporters but u.s. soldiers do a bit more training

than what we're seeing in iraq. they get at least 14 weeks of training and not just individual basic training but working in teams. that's a very important component. the iraqi troops are getting about six weeks, only the most basic training. the president has said that the troops that they've trained, they are very effective but they have not provided any proof. they can't point to any battle or territory that's been held by these recruits and i think that's important to point out. >> and one of the concerns among republicans in congress is that the air strikes that the u.s. has been doing are not necessarily hitting the needed targets. spotters on the ground is that going to be a possibility? is that even on the table for the white house? >> i don't think it's on the table right now. of course they're always going to be reconsidering and looking at the plan and seeing how it takes shape. this is special forces who literally point a laser at a building with the intelligence they know who they're targeting

and it makes those air strikes effective. it's a crucial component to have the military will tell you if you're trying to root out isil out of ramadi or mosul. but the president has not wanted to take that step because it poses incredible risk. imagine if a special forces soldier was captured by isil. >> my old colleague from norfolk, virginia good to see you. last june isil swept through western iraq and took a third of the country including mosul within days. by december the armed group lost territory in syria but expanded its influence on its way towards baghdad. by march, isil reversed those losses and as of last month, the group was in control of the strategic cities of ramadi and

fallujah. >>reporter: it's where the battle with isil is really being fought here in iraq. now, the reasons for that are many fold. you have a number of shia militias and iraqi security forces who are taking towns and villages and roads for this assault on ramadi. also you have isil who control two of the largest border crossings with syria and they can reinforce and bring in troops there. also geographically the iraqis don't have control of the supply lines between baghdad and mosul and you need that supply line if you're going to try and take mosul. because there are a number of fights along the way where they're fighting in the south. mosul has not been forgotten. there are plans. the air strikes only really go so far. they're great at cutting off supply lines and in open territory. but in urban areas with large

amounts of civilians, they are not that useful. what iraqis are saying is that they would like -- this isn't an official government position but certainly something the iraqis are beginning to float in baghdad and in d.c. as well and d.c. is talk about this as well -- the idea of embedding special forces, green berets with the front line fighting troops. they can call in air strikes much more effectively. that will be a game changer. that close air support means they can go in quicker to places and relieve isil positions. >> and again, that is not being currently discussed at the white house. some 2 million people are still believed to be living in mosul under the rule of isil. the humanitarian situation there and in much of anbar province is said to be bleak. the chief humanitarian official from the u.n. warned that millions are in need of aid in iraq. meanwhile, a deadly spiral of

sectarian violence in iraq has been reported. >>reporter: the people who are most after risk all the minorities people critical of isis. so now what remains in mosul is a beleaguered population somlearly don't want to be there but left too late and now they can't get out anymore. and others who are just trying to grit their teeth and bear it and hope that this will end sometime soon. the problem is much larger than mosul. the problem is millions of people across iraq have been displaced. many of them i would say most with no prospect of going home any time soon we've seen virtually all the territory there is being recaptured from isis by mostly shia militias with a little help from government forces because really

government forces are now so weak and the shia militia is so powerful. >> rivera says in addition to sectarian tensions corruption and abuse of power by some of the iraqi army and police have left many iraqis feeling powerless. new developments today in the search for two convicted killers who escaped from a prison in northern new york. search teams are scourering the area around the clinton correctional facility. >> police say there's no specific tip leading them to the prison area. they're just retracing their steps as part of the investigation. this is a day after an extensive search in a small town south of the prison and so far no signs of the convicts. >>reporter: combing through fields checking every building by foot and helicopter, police descended on rural new york in the manhunt for two convicted killers. they followed a tip from

residents who saw two men walking in a rainstorm 40 miles from where they escaped a maximum security prison. but on the fifth day of the search, there's concern david sweat and richard madam speaker could become more dangerous. >> their level of desperateness will increase each day. >>reporter: back in the prison investigators are trying to figure out who may have helped with the elaborate escape. they've been questioning outside contractors and employees including joyce mitchell a prison worker. she checked herself into a hospital the same day the inmates escaped. speaking to nbc news her son defended his mother. >> she definitely wouldn't have an affair against my father. and definitely wouldn't with an inmate. there's no truth to that. >>reporter: law enforcement say the two men had a spot on the prison's honor block allowing them to visit each other and

keep civilian clothing. prison uniforms were found in a pipe and as days go by more and more resources have joined the search including federal agents, customs and border control. >> they do not want that trail to run cold. thank you. the ntsb says the engineer operating the amtrak train that crashed last month was not using his cellphone. eight people were killed in that derailment in philadelphia. dozens were injured. >> the rail safety efforts have not worked. today, a senate transportation committee is holding a hearing on the crash. amtrak and federal officials are looking into safety recommendations. the federal railroad administration recommends all trains include automatic braking to prevent speeding a ruling in the killing of a

mentally ill unarmed black man in los angeles. the officer who fired on ford was justified in doing so. john henry smith has the story. >>reporter: we are officially asking that you reject the recommendations made by chief beck and the inspector general. we believe those recommendations are out of line and to this day there's been no justification posed to the community on why mr. ford was even stopped to begin with. >>reporter: the la board of police commissioners listen to the voices of those demanding justice justice justice justice for ezell ford. last august he was shot after wrestling with a police officer. >> regarding the use of force or firing of the weapon the police commission unanimously found that the use of force by one

police officer was administrative disapproval. >>reporter: talking about the actions of the officer who initiated the stop. the report said the deficient tactics used by officer a and the subject that led to the president subsequent altercation rendered the use of deadly force unreasonable and out of policy. regarding officer a's partner, the commission ruled that while he should not have drawn his gun when first approaching ford, he was within policy in shooting once ford and officer a began fighting. >> we think it's an insult to our intelligence to see that the office everies are saying that it was in policy. >>reporter: ford was shot just two days after the shooting of michael brown in ferguson a fact clearly on the mind of the mayor as he reacted to the commission's report. >> his death took place inside a context. he's not just a statistic. he was part of a national

conversation. and a city wide one as well. >>reporter: the commission's decision is not legally binding. the district attorney's office will continue conducting its own investigation and ultimately make a final determination on whether or not to file charges. and the police union writes we are extremely disappointed in the findings. we believe the commission's decision was irresponsible and reckless and was solely made to avoid civil unrest. we're expecting to hear more today about a texas police officer who resigned after his response at a pool party went viral. his attorney will speak to the media this afternoon. he was in texas and is shown in this video putting his knee into this girl's back and then pulling his gun on other teens. the police chief condemned his behavior. >> he has resigned from the

mckinny police department. as the chief of police i want to say to our community that the actions of the officer as seen on the video of the disturbance at the community pool are indefensible. our policies our training our practice do not support his actions. he came into the call out of control. and as the video shows, was out of control during the incident. >> he is a former texas state trooper. he will keep his pension and benefits but could face criminal charges the pope has approved a tribunal to hear child sex abuse cases. no bishop has ever been removed for covering up for guilty priests but in april the pope accepted a resignation of bishop robert finn in missouri. he's suspected of covering up

for a child abuser. patty, how is the kremlin framing this trip especially given putin's snub at the g20 this week >> they want to show that it doesn't matter that he wasn't invited and what better way to do that than to travel to the heart of europe to see one of the most influential leaders in the world. the crisis in ukraine will likely be on the agenda. the pope has called for both sides to respect the cease fire but the pontiff has not taken sides. putin and the pope are also expected the plight of christian communities in the northeast. this trip was playing well back in russia. >> putin already got a tremendous amount of -- he

essentially canceled out the fact that he was cut out of g-7 because it's just a club. who cares. but now he's meeting with the pope and they're deciding the world's fate. that's what's more important >> this trip is an opportunity for putin to show case his christian credentials, the corner stone of his power. he has seized upon that to position himself as a defender of traditional christian values. for example, by championing antigay laws in russia. he's also playing the christian card on the global stage casting himself as a defender of christian communities in the middle east who are under attack by isil and other groups. so does this role resonate beyond russia? >> it does and also throughout europe with the far right groups in europe. because in europe most leaders,

they don't want their christian credentials. this is a secular society. they keep separation of church and state. but here you have putin donning that mantle of christianty. a panel of experts backs a new drug to fight cholesterol. and the obama administration talks up the affordable care act defending healthcare subsidies as the supreme court considers throwing them out. throwing them out.

welcome back. al jazeera america. it is 10:49 eastern. taking a look at today's top stories. two months after a germanwings plane crashed into the french alps the remains of victims are finally beginning to be sent home. 44 caskets arrived in germany last night. relatives will get to see the remains today. the return of the

bodies was delayed due to paperwork in france. 150 people died on the jet three jurors in the colorado shooting trial have been dismissed over concerns they discussed media coverage in the case. 21 jurors and alternates remain in the case. james holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2012 shooting in the movie theater in colorado. san francisco law makers have passed a measure to ban sodas on public property. the industry says both moves are aimed at reducing customer choices. a group of experts has recommended the fda approve a powerful new drug to protect against heart attacks and strokes. it would be the first in a new major class of drugs to reduce cholesterol. the first drug was recommended and today they take a look at

another drug? >> right. the first drug was approved by the advisory panel yesterday. today the advisory panel will vote on another version of the new class of drugs and send it on to the fda for final approval. some cardiologists are calling it a possible break through for test mated 73 million americans with high ldl cholesterol. >>reporter: for decades, the traditional treatment for high cholesterol is statens such as lip lipitor. now they're looking at inhibiters which make it easier for the liver to remove harmful ldl cholesterol from the blood. it's not a pill but an injection. some call this a potentially new frontier in fending off heart

disease. >> this new class of drugs has moved from the scientific bench to the bed side very quickly because these drugs are able to lower ldl by 50 to 70% and they do so in virtually everybody and they do so with minimal side effects. >>reporter: he is involved in the clinical trials and says the inhibiters could help people who can't get their bad cholesterol levels low enough. >> think of this as a new tool that lets us treat people who are very difficult to treat now. >>reporter: and they are especially important for patients who have -- significantly increases the risk of heart disease because it causes an extreme spike in ldl levels. the new medications are being developed now. >> so i guess the next question if they are approved is what

about cost? >> it will be rather expensive. the exact cost is not fixed but some providers are estimating that it could be as much as $10,000 a year per patient for as long as the patient lives. so if the drugs are approved, that's about $10 million, the cost could be as much as $100 billion a year nationwide. not much compared to costs for cancer but still a lot more expensive than statens which are now available as generics and cost about $250 a year. fda is scheduled to make a final decision this summer congressional republicans taking aim at the affordable care act today. the head of the department of health and human services is testifying before the house ways and means committee. one topic is subsidies under review. >> what about people losing their coverage? is the president going to

dictate to us how to fix this flawed law or is the president, the administration going to work with us to give families greater freedom in choosing healthcare that works best for them. >> the secretary testified that the obama administration is dedicated to ensuring every american receives coverage. the supreme court is expected to rule on the case by the end of the month abortion rights groups vowing to go to the supreme court after an appeals panel upheld a texas law they say limit abortion access. it lays out requirements for clinics and doctors including requiring admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. the court said those rules do not put an unconstitutional burden on women seeking abortions. groups say it will force all but eight clinics in texas to close >> a plan to stop migrants from illegally crossing the border. one farmer takes steps to secure his land but many say what he's

doing is too extreme.

american dream... >> this definitely gave me an opportunity to grow up... >> you just don't give up... >> hard earned reunion only on al jazeera america this time last year more than 100,000 undocumented

migrants crossed the border between mexico and the u.s. for many of them the journey requires passing through private property and now one texas rancher has come up with a new solution to protect his land from unwanted visitors. >>reporter: located 70 miles north of the u.s.-mexico border mike vicker's ranch is prime real estate for those trying to avoid border control. as migrants go around it to keep from getting caught they walk through private property like his leaving trash, clothing and property damage in their wake. he's taken what some call extreme measures to protect his property. >> there's people who say you're the only rancher here who has an electric electric fence like this and they call it inhumane.

>> i probably am but it works. it's been here a long time. some of the people that do not have it can't even run cattle on their property like i was telling you because their fences are being destroyed. >>reporter: i understand if it's a gang member but what if the next person to be shocked is a mother or young child? >> well i'm going to tell you right now that is probably not going to happen. they're going to dig under. . >>reporter: he also leads operations with like minded friends from across the state.

fifa is holding a meeting next month to choose a new date for presidential elections. the bidding process has been delayed for the 2026 world cup as it deals with the corruption investigation the cavaliers are now up 2-1 over the golden state warriors but one of their stars was sent to the hospital in the process. he suffered severe cramps after the game. he had a big one delivering offense and defense to help deliver the 96-91 victory. an update on his condition is expected today. lebron james also scoring big with 40 points and 12 rebounds. game four is thursday in cleveland. thanks for watching. the news continues next live from doha. have a good morning.

this is al sharpton allen. welcome to the news-hour come up in the next 60 minutes one year since the capture of the iraqi city of mosul we report on what live is like unisil control is this the most disfurptional peace keeping force, it's under scrutiny at the security council. south korea ignores the world health organization