about el chapo's escape but there's plenty of material for both and a quick reminder, keep up to date with all the news on the website. there it is on the screens, the address aljazeera.com. moousz mousse on moot"america tonight", a combination plate, a community faces questions of identity, and the puzzle over where in the world loyalties lie. >> do you identify yourself as jewish or iranian first? >> that's a good question. >> "america tonight"s michael oku in the largest community of jewish iranians. and reflections on ferguson - one year later. the man at the center of the controversy, and why he stayed out of it.

. >> as the mayor. outside. >> i didn't go down to the middle of tear gas and grenades going on. >> "america tonight"s lori jane gliha, with the surprising views of ferguson's mayor, a year after the flashpoint thank you for joining us. i'm joie chen. the cameras and headlines moved on. nearly a year after a community of st. louis, ferguson, missouri, exploded into a flash point of a national conversation on race and justice. ignited by the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer, the community is checked by conflict. the leadership changed. but the mayor insists facing a "america tonight"s lori jane gliha returned to ferguson to

hear his candid and sometimes surprising views. >> reporter: august 2014. ferguson, missouri. chan chant >> reporter: the death of michael brown sparked days of protest as the city erupted with frustration over city officials and police. nights of rioting led the government to bring in the state police and guards. proests received international intention. the mayor admits he didn't go himself. >> i wasn't there. i don't trust our watch on tv. to be frank, i lived here. for all that happened, i grew up two blocks away. the way that it was portrayed on tv made it look like the gaza

strip. we know that it was one block, one and a half blocks of streets, and i have people that come here from all over the world to visit the community. i show them around. they are astounded by what a beautiful community they see, as opposed to what they watch on i don't know. i mean, i wasn't there. >> as a mayor. you never set foot outside. >> i didn't go down in the middle of tear gas and grenades going off. the flash bang going off. >> federal investigators review the response. tactics and weaponry came under fire for doing more harm than good. do you think it was appropriate. i was in, there was tear gas, flash bangs. happened.

i can tell you that. >> law enforcement said on many occasions there was gunfire, they were understand fire. it... >> let me say this. i don't make - this is the essence of someone that makes decisions. you should not make the decisions. i wasn't there. until i find out more information, i can give you an answer on that. >> in the aftermath of the protest, the department of justice accused the city of praying on its black citizens. the police chief resigned. so did the city manager, but not the mayor. you are kind of the last man standing from where we were a year ago. why do you think that is? >> that's a good question, you know, if they wanted a check in the police department and city hall. we had people ask wouldn't that mean you too. at the ends of the day someone

has to be here to make sure the will of the people happens. i'm the elected representative of the people. if they want to remove me from office, they have an opportunity to remove me. >> at any time since august 9th do you cross your mind that you would consider resigning. >> you always say if you are here for the good of the people, people. would that be for the good of the people to leave. >> i weighed that many atimes. never because we felt this was too much or would be beneficial to me or the community. >> i continued to be supportive. as long as i get that from people over the country. and people in my community, i could continue in this job. >> there's no doubt it's a big job. there were patterns of

unconstitutional policing and racial bias in the city. until you read that report, and saw it pointed out. do you think that you recognise that that was happening. >> i don't think i recognise the extent in which all this was happening, at least in our department. i think i recognised clearly that this was happening, you know, in the region, across the country. but obviously looking at specifically our department and how the actions of the city or the department had to support impacts, a lot of us don't recognise what that was. >> noels disagrees with some of the reports key findings, but is trying to change things. >> instead of going back and rehashing whether or not a statistic was used to characterise something fairly or

unfairly, or whether there was another side to a story one thing is if there was an issue, perceived or real and follow up on that. >> when you say perceived or real, do you suggest that what was written in the d.o.j. report not real. i didn't say that. that. >> there has been court cases adjudicated through lawsuits and apartments and officers found to have no fault. the d.o.j. doesn't characterise it that way. the important part is what do we see in our community that needs to be addressed. what do people think or feel. how are they treated. treated. all of that is important. >> the mayor says the resignations made it difficult for the city to move forward. one of the things frustrated is throughout all of this people say if darren wilson resigns,

we'd be happy. if the chief resigns, we'd be happy. it's always one more. we are focused on how to change the policies, and the former chief would have done that, you know, him stepping down has not - it's not made those groups happy. without staff, and both our police department and city hall. it's made making changes for difficult. it's made clear that much of the community when this whole thing started, did not have a lot of trust in the police department. didn't have a lot of trust in police officials and leaders. restored. >> there's a segment of the community that did not have a good relationship with city hall or the police department or people that have not been gotten too. i wouldn't say that that bridge - that gap is in the bridge yet. i think people recognise that

there's a lot of work to do. i think people recognise we are moving in the right direction. i hope we'll look back and see all of the things that the city does and has improved upon, things that we in the city of ferguson are leading the way. these pictures that people continue to put on tv. of outrage and frustration and violence, and clashes between protesters and police, these are not what has defined the city of ferguson or st. louis before august 9th, 2014. and they shouldn't in the future. what we hope that will define both ferguson and the region in the future is the benefits that come out of the unfortunate event of last year "america tonight"s lori jane gliha joins us from ferguson. we are days away from the death.

there must be a sense, anxiety about what is going to happen at that anniversary. >> you are right, everyone is very aware of this anniversary. no one knows what to expect. i talked to a business owner, a die that owns the strip mall. between his businesses that he owned he was hit four times, he has a security guard and is nervous about what might happen. peaceful. >> mayor knowles is a surprising figure in his openness and candor in talking to you again. do you have the sense that given what he said, he has the support of people in his community? >> he definitely feels he has support. there's a recall effort against him.

there's a group of people active on the street. they needed to gather 18-00 for the effort to go through. >> they handed in a stack of petitions. some were invalidated. fell 27 short, and now there is a lawsuit that's been filed to get the recall pushed authored. the major is unphased by that, saying he will not leave office until it's pushed out. you have been in ferguson so many times, do you have sense of change that has happened or if any change has taken place? visually there's physical changes. you see people out and about. up and down there are businesses that are shut down. some are boarded up.

we'll do reporting on the ground. we'll look at the police department and getting a sense of whether they feel they are doing anything better. a few people say they have noticed some differences. there are less tickets. this is a long work in progress, and we'll continue that reporting and hopefully everyone stays with us because we'll have a lot of new information from the people on the ground. missouri. >> next. new york's controversial move to stop and frisk. is it coming to a halt. >> later, the family dinner. the nuclear deal with iran, and why it's raising questions for a southern california community, jewish and persian, what do they thing about the deal? >> i'm looking in your face and eyes. my father is in iran, i would not change my opinion.

i will not sacrifices mankind for my family kind. >> hot on "america tonight"s website - victims of domestic violently, and why the fear of losing their homes keeps many women calling for help. at aljazeera.com/americatonight.

our past ford segment focuses on a police practice so controversial, it's known as stop and frisk, intended to be a quick check to identify hidden weapons or cavl panned. communities of colour say it targeted many, and unfairly at that. in new york. "america tonight" - with a man who stood up to the n.y.p.d., for a halt to stop and cisk. >> when i'm outside,

i'm standing on the street. on one hand, it's another day, but i feel like no, man, i'm teaching. i'm like a professional. it's a lunchbreak. a guy can't work. >> this man was on his lunchbreak when stopped by new york city police officers in 2006. he was teaching second grade in la bronx and left the store when the officers stopped him. >> my story is no different to any other young man's story. stop and frisk, a controversial tack bike where police stop and question people on the street and search them. he says the officers claim he was coming from a drug area and wanted to know if he was carrying anything illegal. he said it's not uncommon to be stopped. he has been stopping since 13.

it becomes a normalized part of your life. you expected for it to happen. clarkson was one of several plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit for stop and frisk. by law, an officer can stop someone if there's a suspicion that a person will engage in a crime. place can stop anyone they believe is armed and dangerous. the new york city police department can take 533,000 stop and frisks in 2012. with blacks and latinos, making up 34% of the stops. stop and frisk have a lasting communities. >> it can by stigmatizing for young men of colour. the message is sent that you are viewed as a criminal by law enforce:

they view you as a criminal not because of what you are doing. the lawsuit argued the stop and frisk. it constituted racial profiling. after a 9 week trial, a judge agreed. former mayor appealed the decision. this is the thing that everyone in our community nose, what a judge has to say. that it's unconstitutional. the newly elected mayor, bill de blasio campaigned on the promise to reform stop and frisk, including his son. >> there are hundreds that have never experienced stop and frisk, joanne and i talk to our son. parents all over the country are having this talk. bill de blasio announced plans to drop the city's appeal of the stop and frisk ruling.

>> to have the city of new york, the government recognise what folks have for years felt, admit that it's wrong and that it is a big deal. ricardo clark was empowered. for him the victory is bittersweet. it's a new day for new york. i want her to walk in the city of new york, without feeling like he's a veillon or a really. >> fast-forward to new york now. the city reports a substantial drop in stop and frisk, but the new numbers are under scrutiny, and there is confusion, officers are uncertain by what is an illegal

stop, and some are conducting stops without all. >> next an unlikely combination iranian and jewish. the community considers the new nuclear deal and what it means for loved ones back home. >> is it money for noing. wednesday night. the golden state government and what taxpayers are getting for their money. >> you would thing it would be better spent not on holding >> i'll have two or three puffs and i'll already have a nicotine buzz. >> a popular smoking alternative. >> we have to learn have to learn more about electronic cigarettes. >> but could vaping be just as dangerous? >> what are you really taking in? >> we don't know what chemicals are in these things. >> techknow's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> i'm standing in a tropical windstorm.

>> can affect and surprise us. >> wow, some of these are amazing. >> techknow - where technology meets humanity. >>

. >> a campaign is under way. president obama putting the pressure on congress to back a nuclear deal a day after the security council signed off of what many of you as an historic move in the world community, there's strong opposition too. israel and others view the deal as a mistake and threat to the security of the jewish state. "america tonight"s michael oku found a community that could find its loyalties tested from jewish and persians.

residents call this stretch pico robinson, home to markets and cafes of the kind you may find in downtown "trainwreck" much it's a sanctuary to iranian jews. an estimated 50,000, where we broke bread with this man. coming. >> an iranian born lawyer, activist and president of what he calls the largest orthodox synagogue in the country, delighted in navigating through the tadek. >> it's a blend of food. >> looks delicious. >> a crispy concoction of shopped herbs, beans and stew. >> we do weddings over this. there's a

limit country part. >> let me ask you a question. i heard iranian friends refer it themselves as perchance. >> referring to it as iran or persian doesn't make a difference. >> it's after the hostage situation in iran. since 1979, some people wanted to disassociate themselves from being iranian. >> it's insisted no such case a naturalized citizen is proud to call himself an iranian, identifying more as an iranian than a jew. >> do you know how much they have to pay to eat this in iran. the concept that people in iran go months upon months without rice. because the prices are high.

prostitution. >> you think he may support the deal between u.s. and rain, a deal lifting sanctions and ease that suffering. disaster. >> the regime in iran has a free hand, billions of dollars at disposal to cause arm, bombs. >> do you have loved ones, relatives in iran. >> you don't thing lives will be better. >> none whatsoever. >> i do not believe that the billions who stream into iran will help my brothers in iran. i'm looking in your face and eyes. if my wife, kids, father was in iran, i would not change my opinion. i would not sacrifice mankind for my family time. there's no logic behind it.

>> do you mean to tell me i, for one, should choose the comfort of my family in iran... >> reporter: he may identify more as an iranian than a jew. in the end his religious faith and mistrust of the regime makes him worried. >> in what ways are iranian jews here in the united states sensitive about this deal? be. >> i think the iranian jews are sensitive because they have family and loved ones in israel. they have their cousins, son, and daughter in israel. there's one jewish state on this planet. >> and you think the deal has made it much more easy for the israel? >> yes. >> back in the '60s, dozens of iranians came to los angeles for

the whether. after the 79 revolution, tens of thousands followed. there has been a steady stream since. a few tables over we approached a group of young men. with a show of hands how many of you are iranian. you were all iranian. how many were born in iran? how many were jewish. so you are all three iranian jews. do you identify yourself as jewish first or iranian first? >> that's a good question. i never thought about that. when people ask me who i am, i'm jewish. how about yourself. >> i'm not really religious. in this part of town, whether they identify as jewish, iranian or both, plenty have watched the anxiety.

>> i'm happy about the deal. but in the long run i don't know how it could happen. here the world's crisis will not be solved until lunchtime is over. nor will everyone agree. >> this is a meal for a man that weigh said a few hundred pounds more than i do. >> tomorrow again. >> that's "america tonight". tell us what you think. at aljazeera.com/americatonight. talk to us on twitter or facebook and come back. we'll have more of "america tonight" tonight or >> government committees. >> they're spending money, they're not saving it. >> costing millions and getting nothing. >> it's a bogus sham. >> america tonight investigates. money for nothing. >> they've gotten away with it for years.