of the island's past for future generations. caroline malone al jazeera. and a quick reminder you can always find out much more on most of our stories on our website, that's what the page looks like at the moment. the address to click on to is aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. the nation on high alert, a warning from homeland security and the fbi this holiday weekend. cutting a deal with iran talks intensify in vienna as the deadline for a nuclear agreement looms. [ explosion ] pollution in the sky, fireworks are a 4th of july favorite, of course but that is not all that fills the air. ♪

this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm erika pitzi. nearly 42 million americans are hitting the road today, heading to celebrate independence day. but as people gather law enforcement is on heightened alert. john henry smith has more on the precautions authorities are taking this holiday weekend. >> reporter: first it's important point out that homeland security is not saying they know of any specific threats set for this weekend in the united states still, in advance of the holiday weekend, the department of homeland security has sect out an alert to police across the country, and they in turn are responding by ramping up their preparations. tourists are already out in force, getting an early start enjoying this 4th of july weekend. also out in force, police. security bulletins issued by the department of homeland security and the fbi, 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 again, that is not driven by a particular threat as much as the unfolding world events. >> reporter: last week's attacks are just the latest world events that have security experts concerned about isil and so-called loan wolves drawing inspiration from the group. in that threat has caused the u.s. air base in england to cancel its july 4th celebrations and in this climate a mistaken report of a shooter sparked a massive response at the washington naval yard. at the nearby washington mall law enforcement is preparing for an influx of tens of thousands this holiday weekend.

new york officials say they have set up a special command center and have put heavily armed units on patrol on the ground in the water, and in the skies. for their part civilians are well aware what could happen on 4th of july weekend too. >> reporter: you have always got it in the back of your mind that something can happen. >> am i going to hide in my house and lock my doors and pull down my shades? no, because life is worth living. >> reporter: security experts also caution that the 4th of july holiday coincides this year with ramadan. isil has called for an expanded campaign of violence during the muslim holy month. that was john henry smith reporting. the state department also conducted a security review at its post overseas and calls that routine before any major holiday. the obama administration says it dealt a significant blow to isil. the pentagon confirmed the

coalition air strike last month in syria, killed a key leader and recruiters of foreign fighters. he was known as the emir of suicide bombers. his death comes just a few weeks after the cia announced a drone strike killed al-qaeda's second in command. there is still 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 and former deputy director of the pentagon's joint staff says there are viable alternatives. >> we can put more ground troops in, but special operations forces, not standard ground troops, and you're looking at the pentagon trying to move in that direction with the lilly pad strategy that general dempsey articulated a little

while ago, but 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 clear right now. this week marks one year since isil claimed it created a so-called caliphate. now to egypt where egyptian air strikes targeted isil-linked fighters in the sinai peninsula. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: this is the view of egypt's north sinai from the gaza strip. black smoke can be seen rise going the sky after a series of egyptian military air strikes. the action followed one of the biggest attacks against its forces in modern history. the islamic state of iraq and the levant egypt affiliate, sinai province claimed

responsibility for the coordinated assault, which killed civilians and military personnel. this is a resident of rafa on the gaza side of the border. he says egypt's response to wednesday' violence was intense. >> translator: it has been terrifying for our. our children couldn't sleep because there were so many loud blasts at night. >> reporter: 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 snie an accusation that hamas denies. >> i think this is part of the israel propaganda to deceive the war, but i think they understand the fact very well that there is no comparison, and there is no connection between hamas and isil.

>> by presenting hamas as isis by presenting islamic fundamentalism jihadism as one ideology it's easier to persuade the world. >> reporter: hamas, which controls the gaza strip and is an offshoot of the muslim brotherhood and is banned in egypt has been battling isil affiliates in recent months. one group say it was responsible for a series of attacks. hamas responded with a major crackdown and arrested dozens of people. which could explain that isil said it would topple the group. whatever the case hamas finds itself increasingly under pressure to deal with a growing isil threat. in northeastern nigeria, the

latest boko haram raids have killed nearly 250 people most of them including women and children were in borno state. eyewitnesss say gunmen raided homes, and stormed mosques after prayers were finished. the attacks come during the muslim holy month of ramadan. diplomats expect to work around the clock this weekend to finalize a deal on iran's nuclear program. the head of the u.n.'s nuclear watchdog agency says there are still unresolved questions about teheran's nuclear stockpile. james bayes has the latest. >> reporter: we understand there was one meeting with the lead u.s. negotiator, the lead e.u. negotiator, and two deputy foreign ministers of iran that went on until 3:00 a.m. some of the foreign ministers who were here on thursday have

left european fundamentals and [ inaudible ] fundamentals, but the words of the french foreign minister as we left i think is significant. he said he will be back on sunday evening. and what we're hearing is that it's likely the foreign ministers from the p5-plus-1, the six countries negotiating with iran will probably stay here from sunday working through, trying to get a deal. remember the interim deal has already been extended. extended only until tuesday, so time here is running out. certainly european diplomats, say they don't see any prospect for negotiation beyond tuesday. we really are in the final part of this very long process of negotiation to try to find a final deal a deal for ten years first, and then the period beyond ten years to deal with iran and making sure on behalf of the p5-plus-1, their aim, that iran has only a civilian nuclear program.

james bayes for us in vienna there. despite the announcement that a u.s. embassy will open in cuba later this month, it may take some time before a u.s. ambassador is formally approved. mitch mcconnell says the republican majority is unlikely to confirm to the job. he said cuba has a quo, thuggish regime. mcconnell also said the senate will resist lifting the trade embargo against cuba. that's not stopping flights to the island though. starting today it will be easier to get there from the u.s. jet blue will launch its first flights from new york to havana. however, you still have to buy tickets through a charter company. it took months of negotiations to restore ties between the u.s. and cuba. part of that included the release of a cuban spy who was serving two life terms in the u.s.

lucia newman shows us how he played a key role in the thaw. >> reporter: this man seems an unlikely central character in a drama that changed diplomatic history. cuban intelligence officer had been sentenced by a miami court to two life terms. the last thing he expected was to suddenly arrive home a hero's welcome. >> i learned about it in december 16th the day before. >> reporter: he had 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, so cubans were dumbfounded when they saw that she was nine month's pregnant when her husband arrived. >> translator: i had frozen by eggs anticipating that when the

time came it might be too late. >> reporter: her name means july, was born shortly after her father returns to cuba six months ago. she was conceived as a diplomatic gesture of goodwill. the u.s. government had allowed mrs. hernandez to undergo fertilization treatment in panama with her husband's sperm flown? from prison in california. a small part of top secret negotiations. >> i have instructed secretary kerry to immediately begin discussions with cuba to reestablish diplomatic relations that have been received since january of 1961. >> reporter: two years earlier both governments started exploratory talks. the freedom of the intelligence officers, and an american contractor imprisoned in cuba had suddenly become key to ending decades of hostilities

between both nations. >> for us it was such big news personally, that we -- not even realized the consequence. >> reporter: hernandez's release has outraged many in florida's exile community, but at home he's being 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. >> reporter: a country that is ending the half a century old cold war with its northern neighbor. a landmark decision which all three inadvertently played a role. lucia, newman al jazeera,

havana. up next a drastic jump in the number of u.s. prisoners over the age of 50. >> it is no place to be especially 57 years old. >> reporter: growing old with a prison record and what happens when they get out. plus a new development in greece this morning, as voters prepare to make a major decision about their financial future. stay with us.

four kentucky couples are suing a county clerk who refused to issue them marriage licenses. two of the couples are gay, and the other two are straight. the clerk says her christian beliefs prevent her from issuing licenses to gay couples, so she says she will not give them to anyone. in tennessee all of the staff at one county clerk's office has resigned saying they also cannot comply with the supreme court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. also in tennessee officials near knoxville are putting plans in

place to lift evacuation orders near the site of a train derailment. the train was carrying a toxic chemical when it ran off of the tracks and caught fire. dozens are being treated for exposure to toxic fumes. now to greece where the prime minister went on national television today to urge his people to vote no in sunday's referendum. the ballot is all ready for voters, and a top greek court last hour rejected a call to cancel the ref referendum. a no vote would mean a rejection for proposals for more austerity. rallies have been taking place in support of and against the procedures. the prime minister says a no vote would give him a mandate to negotiate better terms. >> reporter: it would be best if

the sirens of danger and catastrophe are silenced. when people take their future into their own hands, they have nothing to fear. let us go to the polls calmly and make our decision weighing the arguments. >> thousands of people who support a no vote have rathered outside that country's parliament building. john psaropoulos has more. aren't we have had dire warnings from creditors and other government leaders in europe saying that a no vote means greece ultimately has no place in the euro zone but it's clear that not everyone here is taking those warnings very seriously. about four-fifths of greeks are polling as wanting to say in the euro zone. about three-fifths of them are saying a no vote will seriously endanger that status. and yet two out of five are willing to vote no.

so why is that the case? i think there's an indication in the fact that half of all greeks uphold a saying that even a no vote won't make any serious impact to soften their creditor's stance towards them. i think what this vote is really about for the no camp is preserving syriza in power, because they sense the creditors are trying to manipulate the greek political process, and to establish greek sovereignty and to tell other european powers who are greece's creditors, that they need to have more of a say in the bailout process, that they cannot be cornered the way they are being. i think that's what this is about, sovereignty rather than wealth. some hope today in the fight against aids and it comes from cuba. the world health organization

says cuba is the first country in the world to eliminate hiv transmission from a mother to her baby. >> reporter: the break through comes after five years of an effort to stop transfer of hiv from a mother to her baby. they started an ambitious program in several countries including cuba. babies can get infected with hiv at birth or through breastfeeding if the mother is infected. but if the mother gets hiv drugs before and after giving burt and if the newborn is given those drugs the risk falls to less than 1%. doctors this cuba required every hiv positive woman to deliver their babies through c-section.

three years into this program, only two babies were born with hiv in cuba. that's enough to meet the w.h.o. definition of elimination, reducing transmission to such a low level that it's no longer a public health concern. >> they say a key element really is education. a woman needs to be aware of what hiv is what the warning signs are, so she can get tested early and start treatment immediately. america's prisons are dealing with a major issue. more and more inmates are over 50 years old. that means increased healthcare and other costs for the states and when the prisoners get out they have an especially tough road ahead. >> reporter: jeffery washington has been in and out of the criminal justice system for the past 24 years. one of a fast-growing group behind bars. older prisoners. in just a few days he's getting

out. >> and the last thing i want to do is come back in here in orange. >> reporter: there are about 250,000 prisoners over 50 in the u.s. thanks to stricter laws and mandatory minimums many have been in prison for a long time. when they are released the world they are entering is vastly different than the world they left. jeffery is in a block known as the re-entry pod the first of its kind in the country. it helps inmates re-enter the real world. >> repeat offenders is not something that you sort of are able to stop overnight. it requires attention. >> reporter: san francisco sheriff's office helped launch the program. he says at the time the u.s. criminal justice system lacked a mechanism to prepare for re-entry. >> we need to start working with seniors, because it's a growing

population. >> reporter: what specifically do seniors face when they are released that perhaps younger men and women do not. >> arthritis, diabetes their own -- just overall general health. >> reporter: where do you think you would be in this day, if you weren't housed in a pod where you were getting these kind of services? >> i might be getting ready to go back to crime. >> reporter: really? you say that without pouzing. >> it's true. it's either change for the better or find myself back here in orange. and it is no place to be. especially 57 years old. fireworks may not be the only thing filling the skies this weekend. pollution from the amazing light show. that's coming um next.

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. that is the highest annual rate in 80 years. north carolina is adding extra beach patrol this weekend and encouraging visitors to stay in shallow waters. more now from phil torres. >> sharks are nice and the world doesn't know this. >> reporter: jim loves sharks and he wants you to love them too. that's one of the reasons he became a pioneer in cage-free shark diving. >> it's up to those of us that have that ability to really know what is going on to project them they way they need to be projected, so we can protect what we love. >> reporter: what myths are you trying to dispel. >> i wish we would put a stop to the monster shark thing. almost every animal in the planet attack and kill more

people than sharks. in florida we have dozen fatalities from vending machines, but we don't have vending machine week. >> reporter: he shot most of the video you see here. you were bitten a couple of years ago by a shark. are you concerned for your safety? >> no, that happened while i was tending to the bait, so i had hundreds of pounds of bait in my hands in right seas. it bit me in my right arm and released me. the only way they are going to bite someone is a case of mistaken identity. >> he just coughed up a turtle beak. [ laughter ] >> oh my god! >> you guys check this out! >> that was techno's phil torres reporting. you can see more at 4:30 eastern

right here on al jazeera america. it's hard to imagine a 4th of july weekend without fireworks, but those booms would be polluting the air you breathe. >> americans for the most part love our fireworks, so this does not last long enough to cause wide-spread health concerns but it makes sense how it happens. as they explode they release tiny particles, small enough to get into a person's respiratory track. noaa has over 300 cites across the country, and over ten years they monitored this, noticing a spike on the 4th of july. this is small pollutants like dust and dirt. they go up 42% the evening of the 4th of july the worst time being from 9:00 to 10:00. we have over 14,000 displays, some of the worst cities are

cities like los angeles chicago, seattle bigger cities with more displays obviously you see more of this. how does this tend out? the yellow line is our baseline pollution. on the night of 4th of july, peaks at 9:00 to 10:00 and gets back normal around noon the next day. really this is for people that have respiratory problems or heart problems. the farther away you get from the fireworks the better the air quality will be and especially stay up wind. as for the rest of us enjoy those displays i would say just don't sit down wind right in the thick of it. back to you. thanks for joining us. i'm erika pitzi, the news continues next live from london. and for the latest headlines you can go to our website at aljazeera.com. have a good weekend.

♪ supporters of prime minister tsipras rally in athens ahead of sunday's bailout referendum. he says a no vote is a vote against blackmail. ♪ hello there, i'm felicity barr and this is al jazeera live there london. also coming up. protests in the egyptian capitol mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of president morsi. boko haram is blamed after more than 140 people are killed in attacks in nigeria.