what had been neglected and the project grew into much more and part of saving the island's past for future generations. carolyn on al jazeera. more on the stories we have been telling you about if you head over to our web page and al jazeera.com is the address. >> the anyways on high alert a warning from homeland security and the f.b.i. this holiday weekend. talks intensifying in vienna as the deadline for an iran nuclear deal looms. around the clock negotiations are planned for the weekend. >> fireworks are a fourth of july favorite, but that's not all that fills the air. the pollution from the amazing

light show. >> this is aljazeera america live from new york city. i'm erica pitzi. 42 million americans of hitting the road today heading to independence day celebrations. gathering for cookouts and fireworks, federal law enforcement is on high alert. we have more. this is going to be a big weekend, but people need to keep their guard up. >> that is right. in advance of the holiday weekend, the department of homeland security sent a bulletin to police departments across the country and they ramped up security this holiday weekend. >> happy fourth of july. >> tourists are already out in force gerting an early start enjoying this fourth of july weekend. out in force police, security bulletins issued by the department of homeland security and the f.b.i. warn of heightened potential for terror

attacks over the holiday period. >> this may be potentially the most complex counter terrorism overlay for this event ever. that is not driven by any information or particular threat as much as by the unfold be world events. >> last week's attacks in france tunisia and woo indicate with the latest world events that have court experts concerned about isil and so-called lone wolves drawing inspiration from the group. that threat has already caused the u.s. air base in england to cancel its july 4 celebrations and in this climate, a mistaken report of an active shooter parked a massive response thursday at the washington navy yard. >> we take every event here in washington very serious and our posture is high for every event and will be for july 4th. >> new york officials say they've set up a special command

center and put heavily armed units on patrol on the ground, in the water and in the skies. for their part, civilians are well aware of what could happen on fourth of july weekend too. >> it's always in the back of your mind. you get on a plane no matter what you do today you've got it in the back of your mind that something could happen. >> am i going to hide in my house and lock my doors and pull downey shades? no, because life is worth living. >> home land security warns that the fourth of july holiday coincides this year with ramadan. isil called for an expanded campaign of violence during the muslim holy month. >> the obama administration has announced what it calls a significant blow against isil. the pentagon said a coalition air strike last month killed a key leader and recruiter of foreign fighters. he was northern as the emir of suicide bombers. his death comes after a drone

strike killed al-qaeda's second in command. >> the battle against isil is playing out in egypt this morning. egyptian airstrikes targeted isil linked fighters across sinai region. the gaza stritch is right next to the sinai peninsula. in another effort to expand its reach, isil is threatening to move into that area, as well. we have this report. >> this is the view of egypt's north sinai from the gaza strip black smoke can be seen rising into the sky after a series of egyptian military air strikes. the action follows an attack against one of the biggest forces against its forces in modern history. it claimed responsibility for the assault. a resident of rafah on the gaza side of the border says egypt's response to wednesday's violence was intense.

>> it's been terrifying for us. we heard so many explosions. our children couldn't sleep because there were so many loud blasts at night. we pray for the safety of egypt. >> less than 24 hours before the coordinated attack on the egyptian sinai israel's intelligence minister accused hamas of being affiliated with fighters operating in the egyptian sinai an accusation hamas denies. >> this is part of the propaganda to feed the war. there is no comparison and no connection between hamas and us. >> the view some israeli security analysts don't entirely disagree with. >> by presenting hamas as isis, by presenting islamic if you didn't mental. >> haddism as one ideologies, it's easier to present hamas as

an absolute evil. >> hamas which controls the gaza strip an off shoot of the muslim brotherhood band in egypt has been fighting with isil affiliates in recent months. one group claims tie to say isil said it was responsible for a series of bomb attacks across gaza on buildings and unpopulated areas. hamas arrest dozens of people, which could explain why earlier this week, isil warned it would topple those for not being religious enough. hamas finds its increasingly under pressure to deal with a growing isil threat. al jazeera rafah, at the gaza egypt border. >> in northeastern nigeria the latest boko haram raised killed nearly 250 people. nearly 150 of them were in borno state. eyewitnesses say gunmen raided homes and stormed mosques after prayers were finished. the attacks come during ramadan.

the dead include women and children. >> diplomatics expect to work around the clock this weekend to finalize a deal limiting iran's nuclear program. the original deadline passed four days ago. now negotiators hope to finalize talks by this tuesday. ette head of the u.n.'s nuclear watchdog agency said there are still unanswered questions about iran's nuclear stockpile. james bays is live in vienna where negotiators are trying to hammer out a deal. james, what's the latest there? juror good morning opinion it's been a long night for some of the negotiators including one of the lead u.s. negotiators wendy sherman. they met until 3:00 a.m. trying to hammer out the details in this agreement. here on thursday, we had most of the european foreign ministers as well as the chinese foreign

minister. they've now left, but here in vienna the u.s. delegation, e.u. delegation and the iranians continue to work on all of the details of this. remember that this is the eighth day that secretary of state john kerry has been here in vienna, putting aside all his other work. the same goes for the iranian foreign minister. there are still stiction points. this is a deal if they get it that is going to govern the relationship of iran and its nuclear activities, first for a 10 year period, then a period beyond that. it needs to be a legally binding agreement, a lot of deals have to be absolutely water title. >> what do you believe is the biggest sticking point here? >> well, i think there have been two for sometime. one is that issue of the iaea inspections. that's the part of the u.n. that does nuclear inspections. that's why there was that visit

to tehran j ended by the chief. iaea. where will they be allowed to go if there is a deal to make sure iran is complying military sites, what notice will they give. the other issue is sanctions. iran wants this deal because it wants sanctions lifted to help its economy. how is that lifting going to happen because the international negotiators say yes, we'll lift sanctions but only once you prove that you are fully complying with the deal, so that convince sequencing is another sticking point. >> the head. iaea said both sides now understand each other better. does that mean they are getting closer to a deal, you think? >> he says they understand each other better, but there is still more work to be done. that's why these meetings continue. the hotel behind me was once an austrian palace, now a luxury

hotel and is overtaken by experts working on different parts of this deal, going through it line by line, not just the sticking points, but all the stuff they've agreed has to be written down. there have to be definitions of all the terms because what they don't want is a deal to be done here in the coming days and then some awful misunderstanding down the line about exactly what was said so they want something that everyone agrees on what exactly has been agreed. >> all right, james bays live for yours in vienna this morning, thank you. >> the referendum that could change the course of the greek economy is just two days away. up next, a report from athens where voters are preparing to make a major decision about their financial future. >> 70 years after thousands of americans were killed at pearl harbor there's a fight over the victims' remains. stay with us.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it's 7:42 eastern time, taking a look at today's top headlines. tracks that host nascar races are now asking fans to refrain from displaying the confederate flag. the daytona international

speedway will offer an american flag for every confederate flag turned in this weekend. many organizations have stopped showing the flag after the killing of nine people in a church in charleston, south carolina. >> a string of shark attacks along the east coast have officials warning swimmers to be extra cautious. there have been at least seven attacks in recent weeks in the atlantic ocean. north carolina willed a extra beach patrol rangers this weekend. officials strongly encourage visitors to stay in shallow waters. >> hispanic leaders say republicans need to condemn donald trump for his comments about mexicans. so far trump has refused to apologize for saying some mexican immigrants are rapists and drug dealers. several candidates have said trump's comments are wrong and inappropriate. >> smoke stopped rising from a derailed train in tennessee but dozens of people are recovering in a hospital this morning. health officials say they may be suffering the effects of

potentially toxic smoke. 5,000 residents had to be evacuated when the train came off the tracks and caught fire near knoxville. many are in shelters. no word on when they'll return home. the environmental protection agency is testing soil and water samples from the area. the cause of the crash is underinvestigation. >> in our next hour, we'll speak with transportation reporter about the derailment and what it can mean for cargo trains nationwide. >> more than 70 years after the attack on pearl harbor, there is a fight over the remains of americans who lost their lives. the pentagon is exhuming some unidentified bodies and some families want to know who they are through d.n.a. testing. >> in this spot where you see this battle ship, the uss oklahoma was hit by three torpedoes dropped by planes. the whole thing went over, with over 400 trapped inside. they were inside water tight

compartments. they've been buttons it up in response to the general alarm. as they went over, they were trapped. in some cases it took a couple of days to die. these were young men some 15 and 16 who lied to get into the service. the question now is how many of them are buried in the right place, have they been identified, have their remains been connected to the memorial that bears their names. families are pushing for the navy to d.n.a. test those who died in this spot and find out who they are and make sure their bodies have been restored to their families. so should the men who died here where the missouri is now on the uss oklahoma, should they be sort of brought out, you know quarterback exhumed to be identified cataloged? maybe the families do have that right. it's a real question. i don't know how i feel about it but we'll explore it in a piece you can see later tonight. i hope you'll join us.

>> you can watch the full report tonight at 8:00 eastern. >> rallies planned in greece ahead of a referendum that could decide the country's financial future. it asks the greek people to decide whether to accept a european debt deal through european union officials saying the offer it refers to isn't on the table anymore. the prime minister is urging greeks to vote no, saying it would give him a mandate to negotiate better terms with creditors. more from athens. >> there are no two polls out showing that the vote here is still too close to call. the greek university conducted a poll for bloomberg suggesting that 43% of greeks would vote no, where as 42 and a half% would vote yes. that margin of half a percentage point is of course within the margin of error. this is by no means a decisive figure. a major national daily produced

its own poll saying the yes camp would have the slight lead. those figures are within the margin of error of such polls usually about three personal points. what's interesting about the second one is that three quarters of greeks want greece to remain within the euro, but 60% of them say that a no vote would probably endang their status within the euro zone. fully half of them, 50-51% don't believe even a no vote would do anything to change traitor's tuesday in negotiations. despite the apparent futility of a no vote and the fact that it endangers greece's remaining in the euro zone which a majority want still fully one half of people who intend to vote intend to vote no and it's still far too close to call. >> john joins us live from athens now.

good morning to you john. how much of this referendum is about the greek leadership here? i mean, if the people vote yes to cutting creditors, do you think the prime minister tsipras will step down? >> i do think this poll is governed largely by domestic politics. it's clear from speaking to people that the yes camp is the camp who wants syriza to go. they brought negotiations to an all time low and they think these people are dangerous and needing to. they think some people have a hidden agenda to take greece out of the european union. now that these numbers are so close, it may not be such a decisive defeat for mr. tsipras that he gets the yes vote after all, because if you have one or two points dividing the two camps, it is hardly a censure

for the government. the result is greeks will be divided on monday and society will go forward with great difficulty. >> all right. live for us in athens, keeping an eye on this for us, thank you. >> a teenager's life can be difficult enough but tougher for transgender children. up next, meet 13-year-old zoey, born a buy living life as a girl. the air pollution danger from fireworks. how much they impact the air you breathe. that's next. stay with us.

>> the solar impulse two has flown the longest non-stop flight by a solar powered plane

it left japan monday bound for hawaii. the flight across the pacific is the longest leg of an around the world journey. it's due to land in honolulu in a few hours. >> a russian supply ship on its way to the international space station, lifting off this morning from kazakhstan is due to arrive sunday. two earlier attempts to send cargo to the i.s.s. have failed. >> women who nerve in the navy and marine corps are getting more time for maternity leave 18 weeks of timeoff during the first year of their child's life. the navy is the first branch of the military to provide more than the current six weeks of leave. >> now to the story of a teenager dealing with her gender identity. at age 13, zoey mcgregor is transitioning from male to female three years before the nationally accepted standard. we have more on what she is

going through as she enters her teenage years. >> when it comes to identity, not a lot has changed for 13-year-old zoey. she loves playing the drums and listening to music and still identifies as a girl, even though she was born a boy. >> for me, it's just a realization that your mind and your body don't match. >> zoey began expressing herself as a girl at age six changed her name from ian as nine, a decision she describes as a no-brainer. >> because this is not a choice for you on whether to be a boy or girl. >> it's not a choice. i mean, if you're making a choice to be different gender, than you're not really trans. >> there is one thing that has changed. for the last year and a half, zoey has been on puberty blockers medicine implanted in

her arm that suppresses the development of an adam's apple facial hair and prevents voice changes. in the next few months, zoey with the blessing of her mother will begin hormone sex therapy estrogen which will give her a more feminine appearance. >> for motor people, i mean, puberty happens. there's no choice they're making. it just happens so why shouldn't it just happen for me. >> the argument is you're just 13, how do you know what you want in life? how would you know who you are yet. >> how would i know what i want if i'm 20 something. why is that different? >> what are your anxieties about taking the hormones? >> she needs to give up her fertility, which is a big thing for a mom to consider. >> there is no law prohibiting minors from cross hormone

therapy. many doctors refers to do it and many insurers refuse into it before 18 or 21 years of age. the endocrine society devoted to reserve on hormones says hormone treatments in adolescents can be effective starting at age 16. it is currently revisiting its recommendations. >> i think the decision is so much an individual person decision. i really don't think it makes sense to have an arbitrary age when people are so unique and their paths so different. >> zoey said she's never been bullied and has the full support of her parents but she knows others struggle. according to the washington state youth suicide prevention program, more than 50% of transgender youth will have mailed at least one suicide attempt by their 20th 20th birthday. >> i don't know if it will improve my life buff at least i'll be going through the parts

of female puberty that i can so that will be pretty great. >> zoeys focus is less than what will happen on the months to come and more on right now like spending a week with others living similar experiences at the queer rock camp. here campers choose the pro now they prefer. often it's he, sometimes it's they. for zoey, she says it has and will continue to be she. al jazeera seattle. >> it's hard to imagine a fourth of july weekend without fireworks, but those bright booms could be polluting the air you breathe. let's bring in nicole mitchell now with this morning's environmental impact. really? >> first of all to calm any fears, this isn't going to shut down the fireworks. the annual places shut down this year are places where it's just too dry but there is a high level of pollution coming out of

these, and so the beautiful sight unleash tiny particles, so think of a typical human hair. they are about one 30th the diameter of that. that can travel the digestive track and get into the lungs. that is 42% higher during the fireworks. it's worst from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. the level is brought back down to normal about noon on july 5, the day after. through the country there's about 14,000 different displays. now, how did we figure this out? nooa has sights across the country that track this and doing 300 sights over 10 years notice this spike coming off. while it might sound frightening, most health experts say it's such a short period of time that it's really just more something to be aware of unless you're a group at risk.

if you have respiratory problems or heart problems, those are the groups that they really want to say you know maybe find a bluff somewhere and look at it from a distance. upwind is better. for the average person going to see their fireworks display don't sit exactly down wind where the display is coming. they will keep going but it's interesting to see that significant spike during the fireworks. >> up wind, that's the bottom who in leer. nicole mitchell, thank you so much. >> it will be easier starting today to travel to cuba. jet blue starts flying direct flights from j.p.k. airports in new york to havana, the first carrier to run a direct flight from new york to cuba. you still have to buy tickets through a carter company. >> rafael nadal was knocked out of the women bell don tournament by dennis brown a player ranked 102nd. nadal is ranked 10th in the

world. they say it was a painfully embarrassing day for the former champion. this is the fourth championship he didn't even make it to the championships. that's it for us. stephanie sy is back in two minutes.

>> security stepped up around the nation as americans head into the fourth of july holiday. greeks taking sides ahead of an unprecedented vote whether to accept the bailout deal, the government is pushing for a no. >> american kids turning into human smugglers. this middle school, ripe recruiting grounds. ♪ >> a is for audio.

long time cast member leaves sesame street after more than four decades in the neighborhood. today marks the start of the fourth of july weekend. it will be a holiday on heightened alert. as millions hilt the roads enjoying cookouts and fireworks the government issued a warning to law enforcement agencies around the country to be vigilant of possible threats. we have the latest. what is law enforcement saying? >> home land security is saying they know of no specific threat this weekend in the u.s. still in advance of the holiday weekend, the department of homeland security sent that alert to police across the country and they in turn of ramping up their preparations. >> happy fourth of july!

>> fourists are getting an early start and enjoying this fourth of july weekend. also out in force police. security bulletins issued by the department of homeland security and f.b.i. warn of possible holiday attacks. >> this may be the most complex counter terrorism overlay for this fourth of july ever. that is not driven by any information or particular threat as much as by the unfolding world events. >> last week's attacks in france, tunisia and woo indicate with the latest world events that have court experts concerned about isil and so-called lone wolves drawing inspiration from the group. that threat has already caused the u.s. air base in england to cancel its july 4 celebrations and in this climate, a mistaken report of an active shooter sparked a massive response thursday at the washington navy yard. >> we take every event here in

washington very serious and our posture remains extremely high for all events and will be for july 4th. >> new york officials say they've set up a special command center and put heavily armed units on patrol on the ground, in the water and in the skies. for their part, civilians are well aware of what could happen on fourth of july weekend, too. >> it's always in the back of your mind. let's face it, you get on a plane, no matter what you do today, you've got it in the back of your mind that something could happen. >> am i going to hide in my house and lock my doors and pull down my shades? no, because life is worth living. >> security experts have taken note that the fourth of july coincides with ramadan. >> the obama administration announces what it calls a

significant blow against isil, saying a coalition air strike last month killed a key leader and recruiter of foreign fighters. the emir of suicide bombers's death comes just a few weeks after a drone strike killed al-qaeda's second in command. despite these gains, there is criticism that the u.s. strategy to fight isil is not a strong one. president obama insists u.s. combat troops will not be part of the program. >> a retired air force colonel says there are viable alternatives. >> one of the ways to do this is putting more ground troops in, but special operations forces, not standard ground troops. in essence you're looking at the pentagon trying to move in that direction with the lily pad strategy that general dempsey the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff articulated a little while. that has to be coupled with a

clear commitment to get things done in terms of isis, fighting against them in a way that makes it very clear that we're doing that and we're not making that message very clear right now. >> this week marks one year since isil claims it created a so called caliphate in parts of iraq and syria. >> boko haram killed 250 people in nigeria, 150 of them in born nor state. gunmen raided homes and stormed mosques after prayers were finished killing women and children. the attacks come during the holy month of ramadan. >> rallies are planned in greece ahead of a referendum that could city the country's financial future. rallies got out of handled in athens yesterday. police used tear gas to disperse crowds. polls today showed greeks are evenly divided on the referendum, the ballot is ready for voters asking the greek people whether to accept a

european debt deal. the european union says the offer it refers to isn't on the table anymore. alexis tsipras spoke to the people about their choice. >> if the yes vote wins, the banks will open with a deal that won't be viable. if that is the decision of the greek people from fear or pressure or choice, we will respect it. if the no vote wins, and the no is stronger, the very next day i will be in brussels and a deal will be signed. >> we have more from athens. >> there are two new polls out today showing the vote is still too close to call. a greek university conducted a poll for bloomberg suggesting 43% of greeks would vote no, whereas 42 1/2% would vote yes. that margin of half a percentage point is within the margin of error. this is by no means a decisive figure. >> a daily produced a poll showing that the yes camp would

have a slight lead at 41 and a half% versus 40.2% for the no camp, those figures within the margin of errors, about three percentage points. three quarters of greeks want greece to remain within the euro but 60% of them say that a no vote would probably endanger that status within the euro zone. fully half of them, 50% to 51% don't believe even a no vote would do anything to change creditors' tuesday in the negotiations. despite the futility of a no vote and the fact that it endangers greece's remaining in the euro zone which a majority want, still fully one half of people who intend to vote in tend to vote no and it's still far to close to call. >> reporting from athens. >> despite the announcement that a u.s. embassy will open in cuba

later this month it may take time before a u.n. ambassador is approved. the republican majority is unlikely to confirm anyone to the job. he called cuba a thuggish regime. mcconnell also said the senate will resist lifting the trade embargo against cuba. it took months of negotiation to say restore ties, including the release of a cuban spy serving two life terms in the u.s. we show how he played a key role in the thaw between washington and havana. >> the man you see arriving in havana seems an unlikely central character in a drama that changed diplomatic history. cuban intelligence officer hernandez had been sentenced by a miami court to two life terms. the last thing he expected was to suddenly arrive home to a hero's welcome. >> i learned about it in

december 16, the day before. hernandez spent the last 16 years in u.s. maximum security prisons, a cuban spy implicated in the killings of four american pilots shot down by cuban fighter jets. his wife had repeatedly been denied a visa to travel to california to visit him in prison. cubans were dumb founded when they saw that she was nine months pregnant when her husband arrived. >> i had frozen my eggs in anticipation when the time came, it might be too late. >> his name means jewel born shortly after her father's return to cuba six months ago. what no one new was she was conceived as a diplomatic gesture of good will. the u.s. government allowed her to undergo fertilization treatment in panama with her husband's sperm flown in from prison in california, a small

part of top secret negotiations leading to a startling announcement. >> i've instructed secretary kerry to immediately begin discussion with cuba to reestablish diplomatic relations severed since january of 1961. >> two years earlier both governments had begun exploratory talks. cuba demanded the release of its agents as a condition for moving forward. the freedom of the cuban intelligence officers and america contractor imprisoned in cuba alan gross. >> for us, it was big news, personally, that we not even realize the consequence that it might have. >> hernandez's release has outraged many in florida's exile community. at home, he's treated as a hero, still loyal to his government, even after spending 16 years in prison. >> i see myself trying to

recover the time with my family, my little girl and my wife and the rest of my family, and i see myself serving my country which is my only goal, my only dream. >> a country that is ending the half a century old cold war with its northern neighbor, a landmark decision, in which the couple and their daughter played a role. >> the worst offshore oil spill in u.s. history resulted in the biggest environmental settlement in u.s. history. b.p. he agreed to a tentative $18.7 billion settlement with five gulf states and the federal government. we have more. >> five years after the worst oil spill in u.s. history b.p. is hoping to end a lengthy court fight over environmental and economic damage caused by the deep water horizon explosion in

2010. the country agreed to a $18.7 billion settlement. >> they're just wanting to move on and put this behind them. i think it's probably their goal. >> under the arrangement louisiana gets what we need, which is coastal restoration and commensurate compensation. >> louisiana's attorney general called the move amazing and historic, five gulf states, mississippi, alabama florida texas and louisiana will receive payouts, mainly going toward gulf restoration. >> the direct impacts to the ecosystem and environment louisiana bother the brunt of that. >> the settlement which has to be approved by a judge includes more than $7 billion to researses, $5 billion for violating the clean air act. in the past, b.p. had argued it

should not have to pay the maximum penalties because it had already spent billions on response cleanups and settlements. eric smith says it's in beep's best interest to settle now and pay for the fines over an 18 year period instead of waiting for a judge to impose the fines. >> b.p.'s standpoint, it's a lot easier to take out a billion dollars or so a year than $18 billion in one year, or $42 billion, if you were to take the maximum it could have been. >> b.p.'s chairman released a statement saying in part with this agreement we provide a path to closure for b.p. and the gulf provides clarity on costs and creates certainty of payment for all parties involved. >> i think that b.p. got a pretty good deal in this, yeah. >> some say b.p. should pay more

but now is best for the affected region so states can finally begin restoration work. >> if the money starts coming out that we can use to restore our coast that's less damage that we have to repair in the future, so money now is worth more than money in 10 years after a big long legal battle. >> jonathan martin, al jazeera new orleans. >> san francisco is running short on affordable housing. when treasure island opened years ago offering inexpensive homes with sweeping views of the city many jumped at the chance to move there. now they say their health is paying the price. >> part of the long term plan to ease san francisco's housing shortage involves new units on lands that used to belong to the navy. cleanup is underway to make sure any dangerous elements or chemicals are removed. some blame their health troubles on exposure to these hazardous materials.

>> people who moved into my community and have been here 10-25 years we've discovered that their children, all of a sudden now they're having asthma, they're having -- developing skin rash that is they never had dryness of the scalp and skin, it's irritating when you scratch it and that stuff. >> radio where do you think all of that is coming from? >> i believe it is coming from here. >> the dust is blowing the chemicals are in the dirt and people are breathing this. it's what kills you and causes you greatest harm is not what you see it's the inavailable dust that you can't see. that will kill you. >> the city says the sites are safe. >> the navy has measures that they take within their work sites to control dust, to -- and monitor dust, they are monitoring equipment around the perimeter of the work sites to make sure they are containing any concerns within the areas.

>> i'll take a look at how the neighbors feel about the cleanup and future plans for this property once the cleanup is complete. al jazeera, san francisco. >> you can see lisa's full report tonight at 8:00. >> thousands of people are still out of their homes this morning after a train carrying toxic chemicals derails in tennessee. we look at the broader issue of why these accidents are happening in the first place. >> seeing by hearing. the app that's helping blind hikers navigate.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. >> hispanic leaders say republicans need to condemn donald trump for his comments about mexicans. he refused to apologize for saying mexican immigrants are rapists and drug dealers. jeb bush and chris christie have said his comments are wrong and inappropriate. >> it becomes easier to travel to cuba, flights from j.f.k. airport to havana. jet blue is running a direct

flight from new york city to cuba. >> a merger involving two health insurance companies aetna plans to buy human in a for $37 billion if it passes approval. the combined company will be the nation's second largest with more than 33 million customers. >> new fallout in the battle over the confederate flag. nascar is asking fans not to display it at races. a u.s. cable television network dropped reruns of the show "the dukes of hazard." some are crying foul. >> when it is race day for nascar, all eyes are usually on the checkered flag, but these days, the focus is on the confederate flag, which has long been a common sight in the vast crowds of nascar fans. pictures of the suspect in the south carolina church massacre have sparked a firestorm of debate over the flag, and on

thursday nascar's major tracks issued a statement asking fans to please not display it. we are asking our fans and partners to join us in a renewed effort to create an all inclusive even more welcoming atmosphere for all who attend our events. this will include the request to refrain from displaying the confederate flag. it's the latest sign of a flag falling out of favor. t.v. land dropped reruns of the dukes of hazard after warners brothers decided to stop allowing manufacturers to license product that is feature the shows iconic 1969 dodge charger, the general lee. walmart, sears ebay and amazon stopped selling confederate flag merchandise. >> it's time to remove the flag from the capital grounds. >> the governor wants it off statehouse grounds.

it has its defenders. ben played cooter on dukes of hazard and is a former congressman. >> they're trying to divide us and tear us apart about a symbol that's an honored national symbol. it's our right to say what we think. >> last week, nascar reiterated that the flag is bobbed from official use at its events, but getting fan to say voluntarily take it down might be tough. nascar and its southern heritage of tightly interwoven. what is now an offensive symbol to many has been along for the ride. on sunday, there is a nascar race in daytona the first in the south since the attacks in charleston. the daytona international speedway is holding a flag exchange where fans can trade any flag for an american one. back to you. >> paul beban, thank you. >> dozens of people are still recovering in a tennessee hospital this morning after a reason to derailment and fire

spewed toxic smoke into the air. the smoke has stopped but a two-mile evacuation zone remains in effect. more than 5,000 residents were told to leave their homes when that train came off the tracks in a town 20 miles from knoxville. many are in shelters and not sure when they can return home. once the fire is out investigators will try to determine the cause of the derailment. the train was carrying hazardous materials. i want to get into this a bit more with matthew joining us now. what are the common causes of these accidents usually? >> what generally is the cause is poor track maintenance. if the track is damaged the train hits a bad patch and derails. in this case, the tennessee accident far less spectacular derailment than we saw in february in west virginia, similar part of the country

where a whole bunch of train cars carrying crude oil went off and there was spectacular fireballs. in this case there was only one car on fire but it has prompted the evacuation of 5,000 people in this area. >> this train that caught fire in tennessee was carrying a chemical. it not only leaks but the county mayor there said the fumes that come from burning that could contain cyanide. how does this kind of thing still happen in the most developed country on the planet? >> one of the reasons it happens is because you can't move this stuff around on the highways, so it's too hazardous. we have to move it around on the freight rail network and c.s.x. operating the train kind of specializes in this stuff. they're really good as moving highly explosive -- >> are they really good at it? because the west virginia oil

spill which you just referred to is also run by c.s.x. are they really good at it if these accidents keep happening? >> they are pretty good at it. the interesting thing to note here is that the freight rail network in the u.s. is actually in spectacular shape. we've had an alarming number of accidents, recently kind of a pileup of these things, excuse the pun please. the issue is that we're moving around a lot of toxic substances on the rail network because we can't on the freight network and have the additional layering in of this crude oil coming down from the dakotas dangerous highly flam able and volatile. it's unclear whether the train cars they are moving it around -- >> just to clarify what you just said the freight rail network in this country is enviable, i understand, the passenger rail network and the passenger rails are been an issue. are you saying that they are moving freight on the passenger rails and that that's the issue? >> no, that's not the case as

all. passenger rail trains really use the freight network. the freight network since the 1980's the freight rail industry has put half a trillion dollars into improving the rail system or tracks. they've done a wonderful job of distinguishing themselves from rail network anywhere else in the world. the freight network in the united states is absolutely fantastic in tremendous shape. the issue is that they're moving around this highly toxic substances, because they can't do it on the highways. the highways are in such terrible shape that the rail networks are the obvious choice now. the rail networks, rail industry benefited enormously from the lack of infrastructure development and improvement on the highway side. there's interesting contribution here between passenger rail accidents of which there have been several. the passenger rail network is not being invested in, not in good shape but the freight network in terrific shape.

we still have had rather spectacular accidents over the last year and a half and there have been other accidents c.s.x. has been involved in several. >> you started out by saying it's track maintenance. where are we as as far as federal regulations and enforcement when it comes to track maintenance and rail car maintenance? >> at the moment, it is unclear whether the tanker trucks, tanker cars moving around highly flammable and toxic substances are up to the task. there is more an issue from the oil binged moved from the dakota's to the revert of the country. these kind of things get moved around all the time. it appears that we had here was maybe a bat piece of track, one car caught on fire created a very toxic situation and they had to evacuate the whole area for obvious reasons. that's the issue in this case. it's really more of a concern on the passenger side, because we're thought seeing the

investment there. the freight rail network is actually, they believe they've done a wonderful job. they think they've done a great job of putting a lot of money into the system. >> i imagine the 30,000 people that live in tennessee, 5,000 of which are evacuated don't think they're doing such a great job. we'll have to leave it there. thank you for your insights on this. >> investigators don't know what caused an explosion at a chemical plant in south korea. initial indications suggest the explosion happened while workers were trying to fix the facility. two people are unaccounted for. >> human smuggling along the mexican border. >> you're never going to forget that. nine people that he killed, it's hard to forget. >> how mexican cartels are recruiting american teenagers and why it's difficult for the border patrol to stop it. >> a record number of shark

attacks along the east coast. we look at the science on why it's happening.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 8:29 eastern. taking a local today's top stories. police on high alert around the country this fourth of july weekend. security bulletins issued di the department of homeland security and f.b.i. warn of the heightened potential for affection but believes nothing is imminent. the homeland secretary said to be vigilant and prepared. >> the pentagon said an isil leader was killed last month. he was one of the main recruiters of foreign fighters. >> allies are planned in greece ahead of a referendum that could decide the country's financial future. polls show greeks are evenly divided over whether to accept a european bailout plan. the europeans say the plan is no longer on the table.

>> police yesterday used tear gas to disperse a rally outside the e.u. believe. >> diplomats expect to finalize a deal limiting iran's nuclear program. the deadline passed four days ago. negotiators hope to finish talks this tuesday. the head of the u.n.'s nuclear watchdog agency said there are still unresolved questions about tehran's nuclear stockpile. >> there are still unresolved questions about the deal. on thursday, we had foreign ministers, european foreign ministers and the chinese foreign minister here in vienna. they've all now left. i think the words of the french foreign minister when he left

gives us an idea of the next stage. he said he will be back along with colleagues on sunday here in vienna to see where things are for what we believe may well be the final stage of negotiation. the interim deem has only been extended to the seventh itch is tuesday, we believe it's likely that when foreign minister's arrive sunday, they are staying for negotiations, which are likely i suspect to go on pretty much around the clock. remember though, that some stay here and continue their work. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry and his iranian counterpart now about to start their eighth day of meetings here. i can tell you as well as them, there are lots of other officials from all of the countries involved meeting from very early in the morning sometimes until 1:00 a.m. trying to get this deal done before the deadline. but still sticking points to work through. remember, this is going to be a legal text, so there are lawyers looking at it to make sure it's

legally water tight. >> james bays reporting from vienna. >> another democratic is now in the presidential race. former senator jim webb launched his campaign on his website. he is a former secretary of the navy and assistant secretary of defense. he said he'll fight for criminal justice reform, education and economic fairness. he joins four our big named democrats in the race, hillary clinton, bernie sanders martin owe mali and lincoln chafee. >> growing backlash against donald trump over recent comments about mexicans. >> they're not sending their best. they're bringing drugs they're bringing crime they're rapists. >> more businesses are now severing ties with the billionaire. joe watkins is a rep strategist

and former aid to former president hw bush. good to see you. >> good to be with you too stephanie. >> is he the voice of the republican party today or is he on outlier? >> it's early on in the campaign. at the end of the day you've got to look at where he stands in the polls. he's a serious player now. he's number two in the national polls. looking at social media now he leads by far in social media. everybody, including hillary clinton, donald trump is first in social media. a lot of americans are watching what he's saying and listening to what he's saying. certainly on the republican side of the aisle he's got a strong base of followers to be hanging in there at number two. >> how do you explain that, joe? >> in a crowded field where you have 13 or four announced candidates, maybe more to come, you don't need that big a percentage to be a leader. if you get 10 wears perfect

leers, 12% 15%, you are right away going to be one of the leaders. he has managed with those controversial comments to lock into a solid percentage of primary voters. he's doing very, very well early on in the primary sweepstakes. >> hispanics most of them mexican make up the largest minority in this country and voted overwhelmingly for obama over romney in 2012. how does this affect the presidential elections being played up hugely in spanish language press in this country? >> i think it really matters who the nominee ends up being for the republicans. if jeb bush ends up being the nominee for the presidency, i think there's a great chance to get a lot of latino voters to vote with republicans. jeb's wife is born in mexico. he speaks flew you didn't spanish. he has a track record as the

former governor of florida and is somebody reaching out right now to hispanic voters. you've got other candidates reaching out to hispanic voters. marco rubio ted cruz have hispanic backgrounds running for the presidency. one candidate that is donald trump doesn't speak for everybody. if jeb bush issues the nominee that will really -- we'll probably see a good percentage of hispanic voters go with him. >> you have some senators calling donald trump terrific. are you surprised by the lack of comments from the other candidates? >> it's early in the process. what matters now you're nothing if you don't win the nomination. right now they're jockeying for position to win the nomination. what donald trump has been able to do is get the attention of the press.

he is right now controlling everything in the press that you read is about him right now. if you're a candidate in a crowded political primary for the presidency, that's where you want to be. you want people reading about you, talking about you asking about you. you want to be the central focus. donald trump is dominating the news media right now. >> republican strategist joe watkins, good to see you have a great holiday. >> thanks so much. >> one major issue for many latino voters is immigration. despite security along the border, human smuggling is still taking place. one american tried his hand at smuggling and wound up killing the nine people he was transporting. >> junior shared a trailer with his mother, stepfather and his 10 brothers and sisters this

impoverished border community is like many that dot the texas side of the rio grande, a haven for organized crime. the promise of $500 turned rodriguez, age 15, into a human smuggler. >> they were pressed up together. >> like some on the ground. >> yeah, some on the ground. most of them were on the floor. >> on a dark night in 2012, two months before middle school graduation junior picked up 16 undocumented immigrants from a stash house just north of the border a human smuggling ring recruited the quiet american eighth grader that drive them deeper into the country. despite having no experience behind the wheel junior said yes to the $500. >> i just wanted to help them out and so i could get --

>> you thought you could just drive them, no one would realize that you were doing. >> uh-huh. >> the swerving van made it less than two miles before it was spotted by border patrol. an agent signaled for him to stop and the teen panicked, flooring the gas. he lost control on this frontage road, rolling the van and killing nine passengers. junior escaped uninjured. >> did you look back to see what happened to your passengers? >> not really. >> why not? >> i was scared. i was scared. i just -- i just ran. >> two days later junior was arrested. he's now serving 20 years for manslaughter. the gavety of texas loud him to be tried and convicted as an adult. police say he leaves behind many fierce from the same poor communities, young teens who believe their juvenile status will shield them from trouble. >> human smuggling organizations know we don't have the

facilities to put these juveniles in and know they are going to end up in prison. what they're doing is recruiting the juveniles to do the dirty work for them. kids are coming to school and they're wanting to recruit other kids to join their gangs and telling them look, we promise you're going to have money you're going to have drugs you're going to have sex. >> police redoubled their efforts to combat gang activity in schools. cartels have stepped up their pressure on kids. police report heavy recruitment activity since the border surge. they say they fear that more kids are now being lured into the human smuggling trade. heidi zhou castro, al jazeera mission, texas. >> health officials say the death of a woman from measles was preventable several months ago but predictable because of falling vaccination rates. the woman had an undetected case likely picked up because of a compromised immune system. officials say this reinforces

why vaccinations are so important. >> decisions by a relative few can have a grave disservice and harmful effect on others, because with vaccines, we have to rely on a majority of the people accepting the vaccine and undertaking its use not only for their own protection, but for the protection of others. >> doctors say people who are unable to get vaccines for medical reasons are helped by those who do get them. the measles outbreak affected 150 people and was linked to disney land. >> on today's healthbeat, there is hope this morning for stopping the transfer of h.i.v. and it comes from cuba. the world health organization it is cuba is the first country in the world to eliminate h.i.v. transmission from a mother to her baby. we are joined with details now. this is a major win isn't it, i mean the fight against h.i.v. >> absolutely. this is huge.

the world health organization calls it one of the greatest public health achievements possible, and an important step toward an aids-free generation. >> cuba's break through comes after five years of efforts to stop h.i.v. transmission from a mother to her baby. in 2010, the world headlight organization and the pan american health organization started an ambitious program in several countries including cuba. it involved ensuring the best prenatal care, syphilis testing for women and their partners and early h.i.v. treatment for women who tested positive. babies can get infected at birth or by breastfeeding. if the mother gets h.i.v. drugs before and after giving birth and if the newborn is given those drugs the risk falls to less than 1%. doctors in cuba followed those steps. they also required every h.i.v. infected woman to deliver their babies through c. section. they immediately gave newborns a

breast milk substitute. just three years into this rigorous program only two babies were born with h.i.v. in cuba. that's enough to meet the w.h.o.'s definition of elimination. reducing transmission to such a low level it's no longer a public health concern. >> the w.h.o. says a key element here really is education. a woman needs to be aware of what h.i.v. is, what the warning signs are to get tested early and start that treatment immediately. >> nearly 1.5 million women with h.i.v. become pregnant every year. are other countries following cuba's lead? >> there are at least 30 other countries, including the u.s. and canada that may be close to reaching the same percentages. they have to go through this same sort of verification process that cuba did with the w.h.o. >> thank you. >> a string of shark attacks along the east coast have officials warning swimmers to be extra cautious. there have been seven attacks in just the past three weeks and that is the highest annual rate

in 80 years. north carolina is adding extra beach patrol rangers this weekend, and encouraging visitors to stay in shallow waters. one man said sharks are misunderstood. >> sharks are nice. the world doesn't know this. >> jim abernathy loves sharks. he wants you to love them, too. that's one of the reasons he became a pioneer in cage-free shark diving, offering people the chance to encounter them up close in the water. >> it's up to those that have the ability to really know what's going on to project them the way they need to be projected so we can protect what we love, because we only protect what we love. >> what myths are you trying to dispel. >> i wish we could put a stop to the monster shark thing. almost every animal on the planet attacks and kills more people than sharks. dogs in america bite somebody every 40 seconds and kill 1600

people a year. in florida, we have a dozen fatality from vending machines, but we don't have vending machine week. >> he shot most of the underwater video you see here. >> you were bitten a couple of years ago by a shark. are you ever concerned about your safety? >> no, not at all. the shark that actually bit me happened while i was tending to the bait, so id hundreds of pounds of bait in my hands in rough seas. it bit me in the right arm and released me. this further proved that toe in a sharks don't eat people. the only way they are going to bite someone is a sways of mistaken identity. >> he just coughed up a turtle beak. >> oh, my gosh, check this out! >> fill torres reporting there. you can see more at 4:00 p.m. eastern right here on aljazeera america. >> it is hard to imagine a

fourth of july weekend without fireworks, but those boomings could be polluting the air you breathe. nicole mitchell is here with this morning's the july 4th july 4th themed environmental impact. >> this isn't going to cancel the displays americans seem to love so much. it makes sense when it goes up, something is going to happen. it releases pine participation into the air that can travel into a person's respiratory tract. nooa monitored the air quality over 10 years showing that 42% higher pollutants on the fourth of july. the worst time period is 9:00 to 10:00. there's about 14,000 you displays throughout the country. check out in the west, because of drought conditions, some of canceled. it goes back to normal by noon

the next day. if you're sensitive those are the times of day you have to watch for. that's really all it is, kind of knowing if you're a sensitive person have piss purratory or heart problems you need to be aware the farther away you are the better the air quality gets and staying up wind has better air quality, as well. for the rest of us that don't have those problems, don't stay down wind right in the thick of it. >> it's basically like inhaling gunpowder. >> pretty much not good. >> nicole mitchell, thank you. >> on the science beat this morning with solar powered airplane has broken a world record. the solar impulse two has now made the largest -- longest non-stop solo flight by a solar powered plane, in the air more than 76 hours. it left japan monday bound for hawaii. the flight across the pacific is the longest leg of the global journey. it's due to land in honolulu in a few hours. >> a russian supply ship is on its way to the international

space station due to arrive sunday. two earlier attempt to say send cargo to the i.s.s. failed. >> on the tech beat, a new app may help the blind explore the outdoors. developers in france are using on it using signals from space and son soars to give directions. enthusiasts got a chance to try it out. >> i've never done anything like this. it's a completely different experience than just hill walking, and it's really -- the sensations are amazing. >> the technology is essential an enhanced g.p.s. other apps provide tools, as well including helping count money. >> sesame street says goodbye to one of its longest iconic cast members. he's the man behind some of the most spectacular fireworks shows in the world. he talks with al jazeera about his preparations for the fourth of july.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. a third person has now been diagnosed with ebola in liberia two months after the nation was

declared free of the disease. the two are connected to a 17-year-old who died sunday. 11,000 people died in the west african outbreak last year. >> tightened security today isil has made threats at a bahrain is next on its list for attack. the warning comes after isil claims responsibility for an attack in neighboring kuwait. 27 were killed in that incident, targeting a shia mosque. >> malaysia promises to prosecute whoever brought down malaysia last year, it crashed into rebel held territory in eastern ukraine. separatists deny they shot it down. all onboard died. >> on the culture beat, this weekend, one of the biggest fire work shows will happen in new york city. the man behind the macy's annual spectacular, gary souza spoke to john siegenthaler. >> early early days, it was a

highway flare that you would pull up in front of a carnival, light the fireworks off and go home. weaver gone into electronic, where put electronic igniter in, use a battery and you have to touch something to make it work. now we have computers. the macy's show has 10 computers that will fire 54,000 aerial shells this year. >> is that what you're talking about? >> this is an aerial shell replica of something we'll use in the show. it's the song "in the mood." we'll have a moon and a heart to put people in the mood as we set up for the finale. >> that's the way you would see it in the show? >> that's the way it's going to look like in the sky. >> what happens is when you're manufacturing this, they have to place these stars just in this

pattern inside the casing, so when it goes up into the sky and blows apart and lights all the effects, it will light in that shape. >> how do you top each year, the last year's fireworks? >> well, that's always a challenge, especially after last year and working with macy's and putting together the brooklyn bridge fire work display. it's the most amazing show i've ever been involved in. we did the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge and connecting both sides of the coast now doing the brooklyn bridge, so this year, we were thinking about how do we top that. we have five different barges and two different locations. >> all of it's coordinated by computers. >> all synchronized to a musical score we've worked with. the united states air force orchestra has provided the music and boy it's really great. >> as you know, there's a lot of discussion about who does the biggest and the best fireworks display in the united states on

the fourth of july. i am from the new york area. for the last 15 years but my hometown in nashville tennessee arched they want to build the biggest fireworks display on the fourth of july ever. >> i know the company that does the show and they do a heck of a job. >> any way to beat yours? >> it's not about how many you have, it's how well you do it. >> the americans and things everybody does really makes and shows bravery from our past to our present and gloria he gloria estefan recorded a song just for this show.

it has a passionate feel to it. >> a lot of people, it's an emotional event to watch the fireworks on the fourth of july. what do you take away? do you still get tingles when you watch a show like this or so involved it's hard to do it. >> it is what inspires mer. i think when you look around while doing a show like this and you see the little children and you see the military and you see grandpas with little granddaughters on their shoulders waiving a flag and just being mesmerized at what they see in the sky to me. that's what makes me want to get up and do this again. >> good luck on the big display on the fourth of july. >> thank you very much. >> millions of americans have grown up with her loved her and learned from her. after four decades teaching children maria from sesame street is leaving the neighborhood. >> sunny day sweeping the

clouds away. >> the days will be a little less sunny on sesame street now that maria is leaving. after 44 years of stories and songs, sonia mandano is retiring. >> she looks beautiful. >> she joined the cast in 1971 at age 22 and grew up on the show getting married and having a baby. she broke barriers as the first latina with a major role on national t.v. >> we knew that we were on to something really magnificent because we were this multi-racial cast. >> she taught vocabulary words in english and spanish and helped understand good times and

bat like the special end sewed after the 9/11 attacks. >> stay low and go. >>ual the way, she was a gentle voice of reason. in confirming her retirement, sesame workshop said she will always be a part of the fabric of our neighborhood. during her 44 year career as maria, she was a role model for young girls and women for generations. >> hey what's that for? >> i'm just happy that you came, mommy. >> honey me, too. >> so this morning's letter is g. for gracias maria. >> she served as a writer for the show, sharing in 15 emmy awards. the announcement led to an outpouring of sadness and gratitude for her contribution to so many of us growing up. >> that's it for us here in new york. thanks for watching.

>> you have kids here who've killed someone? >> award winning journalist soledad o'brien takes us inside the violent world of kids behind bars. will a new experimental program be their last chance? >> i have to do my 100 percent best so i don't end up in a place like this again.

>> welcome to the news hour from doha. coming up in the next our: >> boko haram kills more than 100 people in multiple attacks in northeast nigeria. >> yes or no, rallies expected in the greek capital in the last day of campaining for a vote on a bailout deal. >> the u.s. and the u.n. called for a humanitarian truce