man. he has never given me any reason not to trust him

scrutiny. her parents say she has been passing herself off as black even though she's not. this is aljazeera america live from new york city. i'm david schuster. a huge legislative priority for president obama has turned into a nail-biting vote on capitol hill. the u.s. house of representatives is voting on what you see is a measure that could lead to the biggest trade deal in u.s. history. known as trade promotion authority, it would give the president more power to pass landmark trade agreements, including the transatlantic partnership. the bill, with republican support so far has already passed the u.s. senate, and today president obama made an

unusual trip to capitol hill to try to build up support for members of his own party. mr. obama said that the deal would help the u.s. economy but many democrats have expressed doubt. libby casey is following from washington, and what's the latest? >> big news out of capitol hill. nancy pelosi, hop democrat in the house said after minutes ago that she will not be supporting the two key pieces of legislation that president obama wants to pass today. there's a lot of talk about the transatlantic partnership this deal with asia, and the house is not voting on that today. it's looming in the future, but as you said, they're voting on giving the president fast track on trade deals but right now something to help workers who have been displaced, who have lost their jobs because of globalization. this is something that has been around for decades and democrats have hugely supported

it trade adjustment assistance, and in a surprise move leader pelosi came on the floor after minutes ago and said that she won't support this because she doesn't support the whole bill. >> if the bill, the fast track bill is stopped they will take up the vote because they said they would not but they have changed. they will take up the vote but it doesn't go anyplace. it's stuck in the station. >> pelosi said she wants to slow down this process and have a chance to introduce more amendments, but that announcement was a big signal to a lot of democrats because pelosi is directly pushing back against this plea that president obama is making, democrats support this legislation, and because she's going her own way it gives a lot of democrats permission to do the same, david. >> that's huge, and as we look at the vote now republicans 55

in support and 56 against and what sort of margin is the president giving for republicans for nancy pelosi and those against? >> republicans are supporting on fast track but they feel they could let this distance to workers go away. the problem is they are locked together as leader pelosi said. so what the republicans are saying do i need to vote a democratic priority because i want to see a fast track trade go through? and we heard from speaker boehner earlier on the floor. let's listen to the speaker. >> we're allowing, and frankly essentially inviting china to go onsetting the rules of the world economy. and what that does is keep our workers and our products on the sideline. >> speaker boehner is saying that he wants to make sure fast track authority is given because a lot of republics

david, believe that they will actually get a say in trade deals if they get this fast track authority because the senate has to go back to congress for an up or down vote. and it will give the united states more power on the world stage because it will show a more unified white house and congress and a lot of republicans like speaker boehner say that we need to push this through david. >> libby for those watching, 117 against and 89 in support. and the key number here is 218. >> that's right. >> and libby, i want to know if you can give us a sense of the anxiety and the democrats and the white house may have. it looks like it's going to be close, and it will be a huge setback for the president if he loses this. >> absolutely, it's a domino effect, and president obama wants to see the trade bill with asia as part of his legacy in his last year in office.

so he's very keen to move forward on the asia trade deal. he has not just gone to capitol hill today. but he also made a surprise appearance last night at the congressional softball game at the national stadium where the democrats played the republics and he was there to watch a little bit of the game, but clearly to try to win over some democrats that have been on the fence. also the white house has been sending a lot of key staffers up to capitol hill to make the case on this. a lot of the message has been even if you don't support us on the fast tracking, at least vote for the worker's assistance, the taa. don't try to scuttle all of this and vote against something that you normally support. but when leader pelosi came on the floor a little while ago and said that she's not even going to vote for worker assistance, that was a big deal.

could republics vote on the fast tracking even if the bill goes down? they could but it will drag out the process. democrats are playing hardball here to figure out if they can get more of what they want in this legislation david. >> libby with the democrats trying to get more, what's the possibility that if in fact this goes down and the president loses and he doesn't get this particular bill passed, despite all of the lobbying what's the next step for the democrats in the white house? do they change it and hope that the president takes it up at the end? or is this it in. it's a question this everying is.

they can put in this legislation that the republicans wouldn't be turned off by. so they will try to find that sweet spot. but you know, there are not that many weeks left in the summer. but the house and the net are gone for just about all of the august. so the clock is ticking here to get this worked out over the next couple of weeks so the president can move forward negotiating the transpacific partnership. the timing is crucial the white house says, so they're watching today's vote closely. the unique vote by president obama going to capitol hill, it may not seem like a huge deal as we watch this, a trip down pennsylvania avenue, but it's very symbolic. he doesn't do that kind of outreach trying to get very personal outreach, and it shows

how important it is at this moment david. >> a case of strange bed fellows here supporting the president on this. and what's the relationship like right now between the republican leadership and president obama if they both look up this vote and say okay we haven't put enough in here to attract democrats the sweeteners, the house leadership that will be going along with to try to support to bring this up again? >> with the leadership and the house and the senate and ranks praising president obama in the last weeks, this is a rare circumstance but he's on our team on this one. and we do see common ground here. remembers at this point they si we're coming with today's vote with the numbers we need. if we can't get this passed it's a fail by democrats. if they can use this as ammo

now, but the question is, are they more interested in moving forward and get the legislation passed or do they want to use it as a political punching bag? if they want to to go forward they will have to go back to the drawing board and work with the white house to try to cajole more democrats to get onboard. we can't not point out that the relationship between the democrats and the house have been strained on this. and we have seen fiery rhetoric criticizing president obama for not being tough enough on the trade issues and trying to make sure that there are worker protections in place. but when the president went into the closed door meeting with democrats today, he was greeted with some warmth, even though there's tension between particular representatives and the white house staff. they are trying to show that democrats, even as it's a moment of dissension, and it's

playing to presidential politics. we'll have to see how the presidential candidates feel about this. >> hilliary clinton hasn't been willing to take a position, and she got hammered by bernie sanders yesterday for not taking a position. it takes a couple of minutes for those who have not voted it takes awhile for it to catch up. the nays are at 215. and three out of every four democrats are voting against the president on this, and there it goes. the nays have enough to defeat this measure so in running up the score of what the final score is going to be. but this is a major legislative setback for president obama major embarrassment given as libby pointed out. that he went to the congressional softball game last night to lobby democrats there, and he was at the house trying to lure democrats and

got a positive reception, but three out of every four are voting against him on this particular legislation. so this is a stunning rebuke of the president that we're looking at now. >> will the republicans go ahead and still have a vote on the fast track authority? these two pieces of legislation are linked, the senate passed as part of one package and the net said that they wouldn't do one without the other. but they might take a vote anyway. we'll see in a couple of moments what they decide to do. the irony of the democrats defeating a hallmark issue of theirs the assistance to workers is a big deal. but we have to be clear. the reason why leader pelosi and others won't vote for it, they see it tied together with the fast track and trade deals that are not tenable. they hurt workers rights and hurt the environment. there was talk about factories

shutting down, and this being cold comfort. assistance but not have workers lose their jobs in the first place, and we don't have to worry about such a robust assistance package. >> from capitol hill, this vote is not going to be close. a large stunning rebuke to president obama. a close vote. the house has decided not to support legislation to give the president authority to negotiate trade deals. and as libby pointed out, this is not the transpacific partnership for democrats but it's a piece of this that could slow the entire effort by the white house down. so as you see the house with at least 271 votes against is voting against what the president and top republicans wanted. this is a big defeat for president obama on his ability to negotiate trade deals. there will be reaction from the white house and the senate, and it forces the white house to

try to go back to the drawing board to figure out what to put in to attract more of the 133 democrats who have voted against this, and have sunk this legislation that the president described as a priority. we'll keep you posted on the reaction to this vote through the day. we move on to louisiana the last of the three anggiola three prisoners is now walking three. extending the order to keep woodfox behind bars, the judge ordered him released, saying that there was no evidence of his guilt. he has long maintained his innocence, and two of his convictions were overturned. investigators trying to find two escaped convicts in northern new york may have help. local newspapers reporting that the woman a aiding the men admitted to her role and is working with the police. >> the albany times union

reported that prison employee, joyce mitchell, admitted to the police that she provided the convicts with smuggled power tools and helped with their escape from the correct al facility. and she failed to show up after initially agreeing to be the getaway driver. and the police believe that that has led the two men to fend their themselves on foot. in an area less than five miles from the prison where the officials shut down roads and a school. one mom in the town of katieville said that whether the schools reopened or not she's deciding to play it safe with her three girls. >> i'm keeping them here until it's settled or has wound down some. >> a helicopter continuously circled the area thursday, on the ground the police stopped vehicles and searched them on route three.

many brought food to the officers. >> the people have been great. very welcoming and patient and we hope in very short order we'll have these guys in custody, and life can return to normal. >> the search dogs picked up the scent of the two men and led the police to a wooded area where the men may have camped out, leaving food rampers and imprints in the grass and they believe that the two men stopped by a gas station a mile from the prison. one local issued a warning to the prisoners if they're still in the area. >> i would bet that 90% of the people in this area own weapons, and they are loaded. >> john henry smith aljazeera. >> a race over identity is heating up on twitter and facebook today after reports that prominent civil rights activist in washington state falsely portrayed herself being

black. stephanie sy has more. >> reporter: part of the branch of the naacp often leading rallies for racial equality. in march she spoke out against hate mail that she received. >> it's not just something targeting me. it's starting the larger black community. >> but her credibility is now in question, with family members saying that she has been living a lie for nearly a decade. she provided these pictures to the media confirming what public reports already show. she's white. and her mother told a local paper that it's disturbing that she has become so dishonest. the hate crimes that she has reported over the year, she described several of them in detail but didn't know what to say when asked point-blank about her race. >> are you african-american? >> i don't understand the question. i can tell you that yes that's

my dad and he was unable to come in january. >> are your parents are they are they white? >> some are tweeting, will her salary rise from 65 to 75 cents on the white man's pay now that she's white? and only a white person could get this much attention for being black. some tweeting, she was born in the wrong body, let's shower her with awards and magazine covers. and her ancestry is czech german, and traces of native american as well. in her recent job application she identified herself as part african-american. >> police say they found little evidence of racial harassment that she claimed over the years. and in a statement today the naacp said that they respect

her privacy and said, racial identity is not a qualifying criteria to be part of the organization's leadership. coming up on aljazeera aljazeera america.

>> presidential politics is gone. iowa straw poll has been canceled. the state republican leaders made that decision in a unanimous vote, stepping back from a unanimous vote in january to continue the poll, it happens in the summertime usually. but valuable in predicting whether republicans will fair in iowa, and if it's worthwhile for candidates, in terms of time and money. parts of west virginia are facing an economic future without coal mining. it's being phased out and he this say tourism may be the

answer but the energy industry may have other plans. >> it took place out here on these railroad tracks. >> it's known as the deadliest gunfight in american history. in 1920, gunmen hired by a local coal mining continue exchanged gunfire with miners. it became the pivotal moments in the fight to unize appalachia's miners. they're trying to establish a museum for the history. but also has the future in mind. >> and there was no plan for life in these coal fields beyond coal. >> coal mining is being phased out across west virginia because of its devastating effects on the climate. trillions of dollars of col were mined. and yet the state has historically been among the

poorest in the nation. as dangerous as they were, there were at least jobs. some counties fellow that tourism could help to reverse the job and population lost. and others are looking at organic agriculture. >> we looked a long time ago to at least nurture our tourism industry and many of these folks may have the ability to move here. >> tourism was boosted when the boy scouts of america chose fayette county. but the problem is that those with coal links have other plans for west virginia and others are incensed. >> you know what? we have been here for seven years, and don't you think that i deserve a little more than 2 minutes? >> just as the staff tries to attract tourists, they're trying to eject toxic waste from elsewhere in the state to other areas here.

the fracking gas wells are booming, and so is the expert of their toxic radioactive waste water. the mining companies are afraid that contracts are trade secrets, and there's nothing governing the characteristics of fracking waste water. >> they're not that particular, for any radioactive issues. >> for local residents, this is a continuation of west virginia's sacrificial role. >> we're the sacrificial lamb. we have the toxins, and the money. >> but people are fighting back against west virginia's traditional power breakers, but there's a feeling that they're on their own as they make preparations for a future without coal. they're an expendable resource. aljazeera, west virginia. >> images of the great migration in a time when millions of african-americans

made their way from the south to the north. that's ahead.

>> the great migration 6 million african-americans went from the south to the

north. >> 6 million african-americans who moved from the rural south to the urban west in the years before world war i until things began to improve because of the civil rights movement. >>allyshe's a curator at the museum of modern art and the theme is the great migration, the main series a series much 60 panels each with a caption by the late great painter jacob lawrence. >> and that story of how you leave home is very much an american story. you have pictures that are simple and great tenderness and intimacy, and then you also have scenes of hard-hitting address to issues of racial violence and racial injustice. >> lawrence's epoch series is

one of the first attempts to tell the story of the mass movement. as millions move to cities like chicago, pittsburgh and new york. they transformed more than demographics. along the way they brought the music, food, politics and speech that would forever change the culture of their new homes. >> this is also a period in the south when segregation and racial terror here in the united states pushed a number of black people out of their communities, displaced them, because they no longer wanted to live under the daily fear of racial violence. >> the exhibition was created in collaboration with the sham berg center. >> it's people doing for themselves what immigrant groups had done for generations and generations before. which was to vote with their feet. and make a new life for themselves. >> this work is almost 75 years

old and it speaks as if it could be speaking to us today. >> those issues, lab and educational opportunity of social justice and racial justice are very much still with us, and unfortunately are as relevant to young people with the millennial who have participated in sitins and dieins and as relevant to us today as they were in 1941. >> finally a reminder of our top story. president had three major priorities for this string. the first the trade authority and second, making sure that the supreme court doesn't mess with the affordable care act and third a deal with iran. it's a huge setback for the president on capitol hill. the house has decided not to approach something that scaled through the senate, and that's to give the president the authority to northbound trade deals. we'll have this story later

this afternoon on aljazeera america.