respond, calling her an australian legend, and a blatant racist. frazier has since apologized for her comments. sarah coates al jazeera. i'll have the headlines in just a little while, but if you can't wait that long there's always the website, aljazeera.com. awaiting approval on the south carolina senate at this hour on taking down the confederate flag but will the state house follow suit. >> we're trying to finalize the agreement which is something that is sfil -- still possible. and an emergency meeting over greece. european leaders sit down with

the country's new finance minister trying to figure out how to keep greece in the euro zone. this is al jazeera live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. south carolina's senate is in pegs right now, and it is set to give final passage to a deal that would take the confederate flag off of the capitol building. in the end the senate overoverwhelmingly 37-3 to take down the flag. the house takes up the measure later this week. diane eastabrook is live in the capitol. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it could be a bit more contentious in the house,

stephanie. the house democrats just had a press conference a little while ago, asking members to follow the lead of the senate and pass this bill. there are amendments being proposed in the house bill that would replace the confederate flag with another potential confederate banner possibly an infantry flag. the house members are concerned that this bill could get tied up and we might not see something get passed this week. >> diane voting on whether to take the flag down happened weeks after nine people were murdered at ame church but some have been fighting to remove the flag for decades. what about the charleston massacre seemed to change people's minds? >> reporter: yes stephanie, you are right. it really brought the issue to light. this flag was put over the dome in 1962 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the civil war. but we have talked to

legislators, particularly senator katrina sheely whohold told us over the years she has been hearing from her constituents saying this is offensive to a lot of people here in south carolina. now this morning senator lee bright who is a republican in the senate he was one of the people yesterday who voted against taking the flag down. he has been saying he has been hearing from constituents saying they want the flag to remain up. >> especially because the pastor, who you know was killed in that shooting was also a long time state senator there in south carolina. diane are people who support taking the flag down are they satisfied with just that or are they pushing for more to be done at the legislative level to fight racism in south carolina?

>> reporter: i think everybody is concerned about that. you sort of hear it on the streets. this morning one of the house members said we're looking at the confederate flag not other monuments, but obviously the flag has opened up a dialogue here in south carolina. we have heard about some of these protests and incidents erupting in other cities like ferguson and baltimore, where race has become an issue, and i think we're starting to see that now here in south carolina as well. >> diane eastabrook reporting from columbia the capitol there. thank you. high-level negotiators will keep working to try to reach an agreement on iran's nuclear program. officials say they will stay at it even if some diplomats might leave the talks and then come back. >> we are interpreting in a [ inaudible ] way our deadline. which means we're taking the days we still need to finalize the agreement, which is something that is still

possible. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry and his team are under increasing pressure as they meet in vienna if a deal is not sent to congress by thursday the period in congress that they have to review the deal will double to 60 days. >> reporter: iranians are maintaining both at an official level and those people i'm speaking to that these deadlines are not their deadlines; that they want the best deal that they can get, and that includes the removal of sanctions. we talked very generally about sanctions, but there are very very different regimes of sanctions that have been imposed overtime. there are particular united nations sanctions having to do with non-nuclear weapons, convention weapons if you will and the u.s. sanctions, including the swift banking sanctions. that's a society of about 9,000

banks in almost every country in the world which allows for intercountry commerce through the system. iran was removed from the system in 2012 and those are the sanctions that really hurt them because iranian banks, businesses and people cannot move money electronically around the world, and that means that while there aren't sanctions on a lot of goods and services, people can't sell them to iran because they can't get paid. so that's one of the sets of sanctions they want removed. as we get closer to a deal one of the things that the iranians are talking about is the removal of the united nations sanctions on conventional weaponry. iran has not been able to buy, sell import or export conventional weaponry. and this is something that iran wants removed. apparently the russians and chinese are help that along,

because they are interested in selling iranians weaponry. the western powers seem far less interested and it does appear the republican-controlled congress may not approve a deal that has that kind of provision in it. so that's where we are right now. they could be moving on to issues that are further down the list, or it may mean that once again a deadline will be missed. now earlier i spoke to former under secretary of state nicklas burns. he was in charge of the iran file during the george w. bush administration and asked him about iran's regional influence and how the u.s. plans to deal with that in these negotiations. >> i think the first order of business is to try to get an agreement that will freeze the iranian nuclear program, fligs to that, of course the united nations has always opposed and will continue to oppose as secretary clinton said in her interview, iran's terrorist

activities. what is interesting about these negotiations is that they take place at the same time as iran is extending its influence in the middle east. that's a big problem for other countries and for the moderate palestinians. so it's in the american's interest to try to blunt that push for power, maintaining the u.n. arms embargoes from 2006 7, and 2010 it's very important. the u.s. is not supporting an extension of iranian influence. i think what we're trying to do however is resolve the most important problem first. an iran with nuclear weapons would be a complete game changer in the middle east. it would alter the power against the sunni arabs, the palestinians, as well as the united states and israel and

that's not in our interest. so i think president obama is right to go for a nuclear deal with iran if it can be achieved and then of course you deal with the other aspects of iranian power that are difficult, so you may see it may sound amom louse that we'll go for a deal and push back at the same time. burns also says stopping iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power is the most important national security effort of the u.s. in the middle east. the greek prime minister and foreign minister are back in brussels. john psaropoulos has the latest from athens. >> reporter: the banking crisis may simply alter events on the ground, no matter how well or badly the discussion is going in

brussels, the real economy is dying here. and the political uncertainty here has put a stop of any investment greek or overseas, and greeks are saying things can always got worse, and they have in the last weeks. banks have shut their doors. they have stopped financing businesses that had taken out loans. everything has come to a halt and the banks themselves are now in trouble. they are waiting for the healthier customers to pay in payroll, so they can take that cash and put it into atm's. the greeks have gone to brussels with a cross party mandate, which was negotiated here over a seven-hour conference yesterday and it empowers and encourages the prime minister to do four things. he is seeking an agreement, which of course finances his government through the next few years, at least two years. the imf thinks he needs

$50 billion for that alone. secondly, he wants this program to be socially fair he doesn't want to burden salaried employees and pensioners again, he wants a development program attached and debt restructuring discussed. that's a very difficult agenda for the europeans. it would be particularly generous on the german side to discuss that debt restructuring. defense secretary ash carter is on capitol hill defending the obama administration's strategy against isil. they are testifying before a senate committee. in his opening remarks, carter said the president's policy is the right one, and that isil will be defeated. >> we know from recent experience that success against isil requires local ground forces. and we know from the history of the region that putting troops on the ground as a substitute for local forces will not

produce enduring results. >> on monday the president received a briefing about the isil fight at the pentagon. he says it will take time to defeat the group. the coalition carried out 19 air strikes over the weekend and is now focused on taking out the leaders. new court documents that could support dozens of women who have accused bill cosby of assault. and now officers in chicago are using baseball to keep kids out of trouble.

vrng afterare after -- an undocumented migrant is set to appear in court today charged with murder. he admitted to shooting a 32 year old woman on a san francisco pier last week. >> did you shoot the lady down on pier 14? >> yes.

>> kate turned, said help me dad. >> reporter: sanchez is a repeat drug offender who has been deported five times. a sanctuary law prevented him from being held. he said he specifically came to san francisco because of the sanctuary policy. court documents show that bill cosby admitted to buying drugs to give to women he wanted to have sex with. john? >> the comedian has repeatedly denied any impropriety, but these admissions could bolster those occasions. court documents obtained show that in 2005 bill cosby admitted to obtaining quaaludes, and said

yes, he was using those for young women he wanted to have sex with. the documents also show cosby acknowledging giving drugs to multiple people. >> i have been in this business 52 years, and i will -- i have never seen anything like this. >> reporter: attorney gloria represents one of the cosby accusers. >> this is a very big deal because he has been trying to hide this truth from the public for many years. and so we're very gratified that the truth is out. >> reporter: former model aboverly johnson says she is not surpriseded. she told a story about her encounter that appears similar to the accounts levied by other women. >> i took a couple of sips of the cappuccino and from the first sip and then the second sip, i knew i had been drugged. >> reporter: cosby has never been charged with rape or sexual

abuse, and with some accusations going back four decades statutes of limit stations put many accusations beyond the reach of the courts but gloria hopes to use the admission in other cases going forward. >> we're going to be able to ask him about this in his deposition, there's no question about it. we can ask him about his admission. >> reporter: if you are wondering why it has taken ten years for this testimony to come out, cosby's lawyers have long objected to its release, saying it would embarrass their client. cosby wound up reaching a settlement in that earlier lawsuit, one brought by a woman alleging cosby had session wally abused her. dzhokher tsarnaev wants a new trial. his lawyers have filed papers ar arguing there wasn't enough

evidence. the mayor and police in chicago are defending their policies after another violent weekend. ten people were killed over the holiday, including a seven year old boy. the violence prompted the top police official to say the justice system is broken. but some in the city are trying to stop crime through community programs like baseball. >> just throw strikes all right? >> reporter: for chicago police officer eric olson, coaching baseball is one way he can step away from the street violence. >> i'm always a policeman, but i want to coach this baseball team this morning. >> reporter: it's in one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. but on this day along with about ten other officers he has traded in his weapon for a

whistle. >> a lot of times there will be conflicts based on gang lines or where someone may live. and this gives kids a chance to interact with other kids all over the community. >> reporter: about 100 kids are taking part in the league. but it's not just about baseball. it's about mentoring kids who need it the most. >> you did good. let's see a high five. hey, don't cry. there's no crying in baseball. >> reporter: while teaching them life skills like conflict resolution, along with teaching these youngsters about the basics of baseball organizers are hoping to build stronger relationships within the community that translates from here on the field to out there in the neighborhoods. this retired postal worker signed up her two grandsons to play in the league. she believes this could help build trust between communities of color and the police.

>> i think it's really good for the kids because you are getting so many mixed vibes about the police. some are good some are bad, but they are here to serve and protect, and we want our kids to understand that. >> reporter: for this boy, it's a bit less complicated. >> it's fun. they give me -- they give me how to play and give me how to learn new things. >> reporter: police say it's also a way to keep young people out of trouble and engaged during the summer when they are out of school. >> i can see easily our numbers increasing by 50%. now they are going to go back to school, what did you do this summer? i batted .322, and stole 20 bases. >> reporter: the behind the program is glen brooks, he is responsible for developing community policing strategies on the city's south side. >> we're trying to ensure that we're out in the community, and that's what we're hoping that the kids realize, that we're

here to make sure everyone is safe. >> reporter: for many of the kids, this is their first time playing the game. organizers say they want it to be fun, and hope it will redefine the police community relationship. >> they are having a ball out here with them. >> reporter: in a city where homicide statistics all too often dominate the headlines league organizers say they hope efforts like this can be a game changer. ashar qureshi, al jazeera, chicago. reaching a breaking point. california farmers desperate for any type of help in the midst of dealing with a four-year drought. and one person is dead after part of an ice cave collapses in washington state.

one person is dead and four people have been injured after an ice kaf partially collapsed in washington state. authorities say the person who died was trapped under debris. the caves are on a popular

hiking trail northeast of seattle. dozens of wildfires are burning right now across a big part of north america. the fires stretched from id id -- idaho, washington all the way to california. this idaho at least six homes were destroyed in a lake side community. and huge fires in british columbia and saskatchewan are affecting the air quality in minnesota. let's bring in nicole mitchell for more. what are the weather conditions that are ruling these fires? >> the biggest thing have been the high temperatures lately. i want to start off with a look at the radar, because there was a front that went through the midwest, and that -- usually

fronts clean out the air. this one states like wisconsin now have air-quality advisories. so from wisconsin all the way to washington state we're looking at that poor air quality. in washington state, oregon over 20 large fire incidents through this region. and these are the large fires out there. so because of the high temperatures, low humidity wind across the region the temperatures stay warm for the next couple of days well above average. seattle, temperatures normally in the 70s, 80s finally friday we get some relief. but you could see pop-ups and thunderstorms later in the day, sounds like good news but lightning could cause more fires. speaking of california's massive drought, it shows no signs of letting up and this

year it could cost the state upwards of $2.7 million. farmers are suffering and it's trickling down. the wood family has farmed this land for four generations, first growing cotton, these days garlic alfalfa and almonds on 1900 acres, half of which lies fallow this year because of the drought. >> i'm tired. i'm not 20 years anymore. and you wonder how long you can continue to expend that kind of energy and not get what you consider to be an appropriate return. >> reporter: for farms across the state, the fourth year of drought has become a make or break year. california produces half of the country's fruits and vegetables. one report estimates more than half a million acres will be left unplanted this year up 25%

from last year resulting in a loss of some 18,000 jobs and $2.7 billion for the state. mendoda, california. this time last year unemployment hit 40%, an already depressed town devastated by the impact. we spoke to one man who did not wish to be identified. >> translator: yes, there are a lot of people. one week they go to work and the next week they don't. it isn't the same as before when there was more work and it's because of the water situation. >> reporter: on mendoda's out skirts a shantytown of former farm hands. this man told us he makes tools to resell to get by. vince dimaggio was tasked with turning things around as the new

city manager. he celebrates the fact that unemployment has dropped to 27%. 20% or more is still a tremendous number. >> yeah it is. it is one out of five people but you have to realize that i think in almost every small city and town in this country that's isolated from a major urban center, they are never going to have unemployment of 5.5%. >> this whole area depends 90% on agriculture, about 90%, i think so. and -- i mean if there's no ag there's no life here pretty much. i have seen people i used to see getting up every day for work in food lines, so you know it's rough. >> reporter: part of the state's emergency drought relief includes more food assistance. the food bank used to take place once a month, now it happens almost every week. so here is what is really interesting about what is being handed out here. you have tomato sauce green

beans. these are things that are grown in california and farm workers pick them fresh, but now unemployed farm hands are in line because they need food and they are getting this food canned. this woman picked cantaloupes for decades. >> no water, no job. no job, no food. no water, no money. >> reporter: the irony of california's central valley, the bread basket of the nation and where some of the state's hungriest residents live hand in hand one has served the other for years. so much more painfully pronounced by this endless drought. militia chan al jazeera. scientists have designed a new way to clean up space debris inspired by the video game pakman. they plan to eat out of order satellites, their first target

is a four-inch square satellite. i'm stephanie sy. thanks for watching. ♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello, and welcome to the news hour i'm martine dennis in doha, and these are our top stories. more boughts over a rescue deal for greece as euro zone ministers meet in brussels. the banks are down to their last reserves of cash time is running out to save them from collapse. also ahead, world powers give themselves more time to try to strike a deal over iran's nuclear program. plus . . .