hello, everybody, this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm david shuster. just ahead, ferguson is on edge again after another black man gets shot by police. summer of the gun, an in-depth report on the surge in violence, and what communities are trying to do to stop it. millions of gallons of sludge have leaked into a colorado river, turning it

yellow and threatening the water supply. and another drone just entered restricted air space. plus, indigo girls, the due you is going strong and speaking out about their music and their message. ♪ we begin this hour in st. louis county, missouri, where a state of emergency is now in effect. the declaration allows the police chief to take control of emergency management in and around ferguson where protesters have been marking the one-year killing of michael brown. last night there were several shootings in ferguson, and today little more 60 people were

arrested. diane eastabrook has the latest. >> reporter: hi, david that protest was part of a day of civil disobedience around ferguson, but many used it as an opportunity to criticize the way police handled the violence lap -- last night. protesters descended on the federal courthouse here. chanting and then climbing over police barriers. when they refused to leave, police handcuffed dozens of demonstrators and lead them away. as much as the doj is naming that we have real issues with policing and race baiting in our community, there has been no action to solve that, to heal that, to fix that among our police community. >> gunfire.

>> reporter: a series of shootings sunday night sparked the outrage in one the police krit -- critically injured this 18-year-old. some protesters accuse police of being too aggressive in their response. >> there were two to one police with their full riot gear. >> right. >> reporter: u.s. attorney general criticized the shootings monday. >> i strongly condemn the violence that was perpetrated against the community, including the police officers, in ferguson last evening. [ applause ] >> not only does violence obscure any message of peaceful protest, it places the community

as well as the officers who are speaking to protect it, in harm's way. >> reporter: tracy backman is on the state appointed commission to reform ferguson, she doesn't think the shootings represent a setback. >> i'm choosing to look at this is that it was 20 minutes in a two-day weekend, you know? and so just being prayerful that everyone comes out of this safe, and without harm, and everyone feels heard. >> reporter: now the governor released this statement today. he says those who terrorize communities with gunfire and commit gun violence against police officers are criminals, and the acts must not be allowed to silence the voices of peace and progress. joining me now is a ferguson resident and a volunteer at community activist here, these

shootings last night have to be a big disappointment to you today. >> they are a slight disappointment. i think overall, we have had a really good list -- or groups of people doing positive things in the community, and i really was disappointed to see that happen, because i didn't want that to overshadow everything that has taken place across st. louis to address these issues. >> is this a black eye for ferguson, do you think? >> i think as a whole many community groups, just -- such as i have to say an organization called one ferguson, along with -- i just -- a lot of leaders really are just working towards bringing positive change to the community for everyone. and that means that after last night there's more work to do. so that brings hope, and we hope to bring outreach to everyone in our community.

>> thanks. and hopefully it will be a peaceful night here in ferguson. >> thank you both. linda is racial justice and civil rights activist. and she has been deeply involved in the black lives matter movement. linda what do you make of the tennings in ferguson the last 24 hours? in >> i mean it's absolutely outrageous, the way that the task force knowing the arrests that have been made by department of homeland security, this is how we're treating ordinary citizens continues to fight against what i consider the police state. and for someone who has been to ferguson, and seen the artillery that these members of law enforcement came out in the provocation, i also don't take anything they say seriously, or believe any of the details that come out of the police side. >> even though the guy that was shot last night had a record and

had been arrested ten times and wasn't exactly a nice guy. >> i don't think people deserve public execution. there is something in this country called due process. i think because of the lack of trust between communities of color and law enforcement, i don't think people believe the accounts of the police department. >> how did you get involved in the black lives matter movement? because a lot of people will say there is a contrast going on? >> absolutely. i'm an arab american. muslim community. my community has been targeted by all levels of law enforcement. and it was a very natural position for me to join forces with black activists to say we are not for a police state. we need police reform, and we need to ensure that we live in a country where black lives matter, and when black lives

matter, my life and my community will matter. >> what has been the reaction to you? >> the black community -- and i'm so honored to be lead by black women. when they see me they embrace me as an ally, someone who has that back who takes guidance and leadership from the black leaders, leading this movement. and i have been welcomed and i'm willing to risk it all. >> when you look at the case of michael brown or you see the incident from last night, does it make you more pessimistic or optimistic, that at least since certain has these cameras now, police are being held more accountable. >> there has been more protests in the past year than we have ever seen in this country. young people that they say we don't care, but this is unck people movement, and we're out here. latinos, jews.

it's a multi-racial movement out here, and i'm very optimistic, and if i wasn't optimistic i wouldn't be doing this work. >> how do you see this playing out even in the next couple of years? >> oh, i mean we're already seeing the 2016 elections coming jup yoshgs you want to be the president, twrou met wither be talking about racial justice, and i'm seeing young people changing the narrative of this country, and saying we have no loyaltive to political parties. i'm very optimistic about the role of young people in making a change and i'm very honored to be part of that movement. >> linda thanks for coming in. >> thanks for having me. in turkey a day of violence has left nine people dead and one of the targets in the string of attacks was the u.s. console late in istanbul. two women opened fire at though

consula consulate. although nobody was killed. the spasm of violence followed a recent crackdown on isil and kurdish rebels. >> reporter: chased down to a back street, a woman who had earlier opened fire on a u.s. consulate refuses to surrender. i did it for my party, she shouts, before being shot and wounded. her party is the extreme left-wing and an my american, dhkpc. a second attacker escaped from the area. the dhkpc in 2013 said it was decide a suicide bomb attack in the capitol. they said have now said they are behind this attack. >> i saw this woman returning, and the police shouting stop.

then someone through a chair from their balcony. >> reporter: earlier a bomb detonated on the eastern edge. an attacker was killed. several police officers and civilians were wounded. as bomb squad teams searched the scene, two attackers opened fire on them. two were killed. and there has been further violence in southeastern turkey. four police officers were killed and a soldier was killed when a rocket was fired on a helicopter. attacks blamed on the separatists, pkk. in the last three weeks the turkish military has carried out air strikes on the pkk and isil. and security forces have arrested hundreds of people suspected of being members of banned organization. the turkish government says it faces security threats on a

series of fronts not just from isil. bernard smith, al jazeera. two bombs went off today in eastern iraq, killing nearly 60 people, and injuring 100. they came in the province just north of baghdad. officials say a car bomb exploded in a marketplace. another blast went off just east of the city. isil is claiming responsibility for both attacks. one month ago isil carried out a similar bombing in a nearby town and killed over 100 people. president obama continues to ramp up his campaign to urge congress to approve of the nuclear deal with iran. >> this deal does not count on our fundamental relationship with iran changing. it's not based on trust. it's not based on a warming of

relations. it's based on hard cold logic and our ability to verify that iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon. having said that, it is possible that as a consequence of this engagement, as a consequence of iran being able to recognize that what is happening in syria, for example, is leading to extremism that threatens their own state, and not just the united states. >> today 29 leading american scientists including six nobel lori at its send president obama a letter approving of the agreement. hillary clinton inveiled a new proposal aimed at making college more affordable.

it wouldn't require students to obtain traditional loans. john trert reports. >> if you work hard, you can get ahead. >> reporter: hillary clinton in new hampshire with a plan designed to make voters sit up and listen. she is propose $350 billion of new federal spending to help pay for a college, and no need for lean, or if you are saddled with one, a chance to refinance. >> if you can refinance a car or home line, you should be able to refinance your student loan too. >> reporter: states would get $175 billion over 10 years, that's 17 billion a year. and they would agree to stop educationary costs, increase cuts overtime. >> that money is out there and available for states, and when

the state meets the criteria, they get the $17 billion. and that money would go straight towards the schools. >> reporter: clinton's plan doesn't go as far as bernie sanders goes. he plans to make college not just debt free, but tuition free. >> i think her plan is more realistic. bernie is asking for totally tuition-free education. >> reporter: clinton's plan would be paid for by putting a cap on certain tax deductions. the issue of student debt is a growing problem that many economists think is crimping the u.s. economic recovery. latest fig yoors show $1.2 trillion is owed in student debt. 40 million owe student debt. and 11.1% of it is delink

-- delinquent. the clinton campaign released a video, showing real life examples of students burden by debt. hilton smith says clinton's plan is bold. >> it wouldn't work for some people who need to use their summers earnings to pay for their own living experiences, right? that they aren't able to use that money to put towards tuition, which is what the plan expects. so there's some share of people who would maybe either have to still take out some debt or the parents have to kick in maybe more than they could. >> reporter: another hurdle, getting all of this through the congress once the election is over. clinton is not the only democratic presidential candidate who has been generating headlines today. bernie sanders in the midst of a

tour. and last night officials said that 20,000 people packed the facility to hear sanders speak. and another 8,000 philled up overthrow outside. >> you are not going to continue to get huge tax breaks when children in america go hungry. >> sanders drew about 15,000 people in a campaign in seattle. the final statistics are now in from that republican primary debate. the nielsen company says 24 million viewers watched part of the debate. post debate polls show that donald trump is still in front up 2 points since the debate, behind him is center ted cruz,

ben carson is third, mark rubio, and carly fur reno are tried for fourth. after words donald trump complained that he got the only tough questions, particularly from megyn kelly. >> i think i don't get treated well by fox, and that's all right. because look what happens. i have double-digit leads in every poll. georgia just came out, i'm at 34. so maybe i should leave it the way it is. she asked me really inappropriate questions. she should really be apologizing to me. >> an historian joins me from washington. speaking to a number of women, they seem to agree with donald

trump that perhaps megyn kelly is not the one that should be asking for questions. what do you make of his relationship with women particularly right now. >> you have to be very careful about antagonizing 53% of the electorate right now. and all of the pundits have said he is a flash in the pan. but the pundits are always wrong. these are the same folks that said romney was going to win in 2012. trump is not a flash in the pan for a couple of reasons. number one the voters are looking for authenticity. they are looking for the candidate for the rough edges. at one time that was the appeal of chris christie. secondly, no one in the field has stepped up to capture the

imagination of the american public. look at what has happened to jeb bush. he has dropped like a rock. and instead, more radical candidates, like carson and cruise steam be moving to the front. so if i had to pick one candidate who is most likely to get the republican nomination, that would be donald trump. >> and this fight with fox news, a lot of conservatives believe stood up for the establish inspect this debate. do you see any historical analogies, perhaps jesse ventura or ross perreault, and that was a general election, but where do you see this historically? >> i have a better one for you. berry goldwater in 1964.

he was a very conservative republican, considered far too right-wing to get the no, ma'am makes -- nomination. like donald trump he was accused of saying outrageous things. and yet there were people who would walk through walls for barry goldwater, and the beat the establishment candidate of his time, governor nelson rockefeller or new york who like jeb bush or scott walker, had a certain appeal, but nobody, but nobody was willing to walk through brick walls for nelson rockefeller and nobody is going to walk through rick walls for jeb bush. >> a lot of people would walk through brick walls for bernie

sanders. and what does that mean? >> we're in an anti establishment mood, because the government isn't addressing our problems. we have a largely paralyzed government here in washington. and that is why you see bernie sanders getting such large and enthusiastic crowds, because he is says a lot of what people want to hear. but hillary clinton still has a commanding lead in the poll, and while he has a lot of enthusiasm, i think when people get into the polling booth they are going to think, you know, i may love you bernie, but you can't win, so i'm going to vote for hill -- hilary. up next we'll tell you about a huge spill of wastewater in colorado. and if you would like to buy the

world a coke, the company is trying to argue you won't make the world fat.

there is an environmental disaster unfolding right now in the southwest. residents are expressing outrage about how it happened and demanding answers about long-term health impacts. jonathan we could be feeling the fallout from this for years to come. >> yeah, this is a big mess. the toxic plume now extends to utah. more than 100 miles of rocky mountain water. the source of the spill still has not been plugged and the blame is falling squarely on the epa. seeing yellow, a growing d&asker that is shutting off a natural treasure and poisoning some people's wells. >> i am here on my property, and i cannot shower. i cannot cook. i cannot do anything with the water from think water well. we came out here together and looked at the river and cried.

>> reporter: 3 million gallons of toxic plug. three times more than first thought. >> it -- you can't even describe it. >> reporter: created accidentally by the people responsible for guarding natural resources. the epa was trying to plug an leak in an abandoned gold mine, instead crews disturbed loose rock in the fine, releasing the contaminated water. as of monday morning it was still gushing more than a 550 ga gals -- gallons a minute. >> we disjudge judged. >> reporter: the accident happened here silverton, california. now the popular summer

destination of lake powell is starting to see the sludge. and there are fears the spill will find up in the grand canyon. >> it's scary. i mean it's dangerous. >> reporter: at its peak the epa said the water had more than 300 times the normal level of arsenic. officials say drinking water across the region is safe at least for now. >> it's like when i flew over the fires and you see something that your mind isn't ready or adjusted to see >> operator: the epa says the plume will eventually dissipate. >> this is my sanctuary, my place of peace. my first concern is the next generation, and what they are walking into.

>> reporter: there isn't been any reports of large numbers of fish or animals dying, but it is likely that heavy metals are likely to have settled in the area. >> jonathan thank you. just ahead the summer of the gun. our in depth look of deadly violence across the united states. and two close for comfort, more commercial pilots are reporting drones near their flight path. how big is the threat? we'll take a closer look. this base >> what's happing on u.s. bases? >> the tax payer directly pays the human trafficker >> fault lines, al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> today they will be arrested... >> ground breaking... they're firing canisters of gas at us... emmy award winning investigative series... fault lines america's war workers only on al jazeera america

loel, everybody, this al jazeera america, lye from new york city. i'm david shuster. after another deadly weekend in chicago, victim's families are fed up. also the battle in baltimore, the place known as

charm city is facing a surge in murders. we'll bring you reports from the streets. plus, sugar coating. coca-cola is teaming up with scientists to promote an alternative message about fighting obesity, critics are telling consumers not to swallow it. and the indigo girls. >> amy writes hers and i write mine and then we bring them together. >> they talk about why they are closer to fine than ever. in chicago residents of the windy city are reeling from another violent weekend. authorities say starting friday night two people were killed and 43 more were injured. that pushes this year's shooting

totals about 1700. at least 281 people have been killed in 2015, and that is more than this time last year. jennifer london reports on an initial that appears to be working in some of the roughest neighborhoods in los angeles. >> reporter: a hot summer night. it's national night out when people from the neighborhood mingle with police officers and community leaders in the most dangerous place in l.a. these are l.a.'s meanest streets, streets with notorious nicknames like death ally. >> no cheating. no crying. >> reporter: this woman grew up here. when she was 17 her boyfriend was shot and killed in the cross fire of gang shooting.

she was six months pregnant with their daughter. now a mother of four. >> it saddens me because they are not free. i don't permit them to go outside and walk up and down the street. when he wants to play he plays on his bike in the paved backyard or the air condition of the house. >> reporter: here gang activity and violence are a way of life. still there has been a spike in shootings this summer with 11 in just one weekend. anthony died that weekend. he was sitting in his car at a stop sign saturday afternoon when another car pulled up a alongside and a gunman opened fire. he was 47. shot police say after words were exchanged at a gang members funeral earlier that day. >> it was a murder. this is a gang-infested neighborhood. people die all the time.

>> reporter: robert was his friend. they used to roam the streets as members of the crips. >> hate between rival gangs has spread so phenomenonly over the last eight years, it's crazy. why? nobody -- i don't have that answer. >> reporter: they were trying to find their own answers. the two former gang members were working as intervention specialists, sending time in one of 32 parks the city keeps open late in the summer. >> we tried to give them another angle, by is to be a productive citizen by getting an education. >> reporter: this man is an author and political an cyst. >> when you look at any urban area, you still see the same

problem, high unemployment, joblessness, and i think a second thing, i think, i think fuels that is the alienation. >> reporter: the unemployment rate here for young black men is at least twice what it is for whites. >> young people feel no sense of identity, self respect, or feeling that there is anything or anyone that cares about them. >> do you think people don't care? >> i think it's that they don't know what to do. >> reporter: about 300 people attending his funeral. his family asked us not to film any reminders of his old life in the gang, but instead asked that he emphasized that we focus on the work he did to help the kids. >> if we don't do this work, we are going to lose our kids.

>> it's going to take all of us to stop it. and i mean gang members, former gang members, mothers, fathers, uncles, cousin. >> reporter: moms like this, statistically south l.a. is safer than it was when she was growing up, but that's little comfort to her. >> it's about the same thing. same hearing of gun violence and gangsters and things of that sort. it looks the same to me. >> reporter: jennifer london, al jazeera, south l.a. crime statistics are only part of what is going on in the streets of our cities. adam may went to baltimore for a look beyond the numbers. >> reporter: his name was kevin jones 22 years old, number 123 on baltimore's growing murder

list for this year. another statistic, another homicide, another father's son. this man carries no pictures of his boy, just a high school diploma. >> reporter: why are you carrying this around? >> it's the only thing i got right now. >> reporter: just before dawn, kevin jones was walking to his job as a guard. she was shot dead in the parking lot. what did he do to make you proud of him? >> walk across the stage. >> were you there when it happened? >> no i was incarcerated. he -- he started coming to see me when i first went to prison, and he was -- he couldn't even walk. >> reporter: yes, he was largely

absent from his son's childhood, serving time in prison for murder. but even with his father locked up, and his mother out of the picture, kevin jones found a way to beat the odds. he graduated high school. worked full-time for two years, and applied to community college. >> we talked about being an engineer. just a lot of stuff, electronics. >> reporter: what was that like to hear that? >> it was -- for me it was positive, and, you know, and when he said that, i looked at him, i said that's what is up, man, you know, that is what is happen? >> reporter: so far the city of baltimore has seen more bloodshed than it has in the last 40 years. 45 homicides in july alone. the violence started to climb in april after riots protesting the

death of feddy gray. >> reporter: what do we do to stop this? >> that's a question mark that a lot of people have to learn. what can we do? because right now people is getting murdered senseless like my friend -- his father -- that was his only son, and he is grieving right now. i have two kids on my own, i can't imagine losing one of them. >> reporter: baltimore has long struggled with violence. murders here peaked at 300 in the 1990s. finding kevin joan's killer may be difficult. why was devin an unlikely victim in this city? >> he was different. he knew what was around him, but he wasn't trying to take part in that. and that made him stronger, because it's so easy to get

caught up. when you see -- when you know it is there, and stand firm on what you believe in, and just be a living example, it's hard to see somebody get lost because of the chaos going on around them. and if we had more people like ken that thought the same way, maybe it would be less chaos. >> reporter: do you think you will ever make sense of it? >> no, you ain't going to make sense of that. because they shot him multiple times. i don't know if he was out in the street going places every night, doing this, doing that. maybe i can understand the lure about who he is or how he liked to hang out in the street. but he wasn't doing none of that, man. he stayed in the house, man, and watched the animal channel and l channel and beep bloc [ censor bleep ], i mean this wasn't for him man.

chicago has also been hit hard by gun violence. this woman's son was shot and silled -- killed nine years ago. ashar qureshi has the details. >> they are going to bring hot dogs. >> reporter: like countless others pam is part of a sorority. her son was shot by an unknown gunman nine years ago. >> i wonder what would he look like, what would he sound like? would i be a grand mother? would he be married? >> reporter: the shooting same just after 7:00 p.m. terrell was unloading guns for a

rehearsal. for bosley she lost more than her son. >> we shared the music, and f m and -- from that day on my music stopped. >> reporter: she has found strength in encouraging communities to respond. for the last six years the anti-violence association that carries terrell's name has sponsored this basketball tournament. but beyond that, she says more must be done to control the flow of guns to the streets. bosley and a group of attorneys and activists are suing three gun shops. >> if they are coming from their villages you should take care of that. >> reporter: the lawsuit calls for the villages to mandate employee background checks,

implement anti-theft measures. >> we think that everybody owes it to the people of chicago, particularly the african american population that is the disproportionate victim of gun violence in america, to try to stop it. and to make sure that the flow of illegal guns isn't killing people. >> reporter: one shop is responsible for more than half of the guns recovered. >> we have been asking them forever to be more responsible. and they just ignore us, because it's a money issue, and the villages have left them alone because it is revenue. >> reporter: one village said:

bosley says it is time to go after the sources of guns before more mothers have to bury their children. >> i talk to him all the time. i think about him all day long. it hurts, because no mother should ever bury a child. it's a horrible feeling. it's something no mother should ever have to go through. the u.s. navy says it will now begin posting armed military guards outside of his reserve centers. this is after a gunman attacked a reserve center in chattanooga, tennessee. the death toll from an outbreak of legionnaires' disease now standings at 12 in new york city. victims became ill after

inhaling mist from water continues the bacteria which causes the disease. it is expected five controlling water towers are the source of the outbreak. coca-cola is giving millions of dollars of dollars to scientists who argue that americans should get more exercise and focus less on cutting calories. critics say coke is trying to deflect attention from the role that sugary drinks play in diabetes and weight-related issues. japanese officials shut down all of their nuclear reactors after a tsunami caused a radioactive breakdown. the restarting of one reactor is the first attempt to reboot the

nuclear industry. despite stricter safety rules, polls show a majority of peep oppose the restarting of the facility. hundreds are protesting the restart of the plant. in the next hour the rising cost of electricity in japan, causing utility bills to sore and pressure in the government to turn nuclear power back on. up next, the indigo girls on 30 years of vocal harmonies and on their new album. ♪

federal aviation administration study shows that our nation's air traffic controllers are not getting enough sleep. the 2011 study obtained by the associated press found that the schedules lead to chronic fag

teague. at least two in ten controllers in the previous year has committed a significant error. the average amount of sleep for controllers was less than six hours a night. there has been another drone siting. at newark liberty airport, four flights reported seeing drones nearby. none of the pilots were forced to make evasive maneuvers. in the last two weeks several drone sitings have been reporteded about laguardia and kennedy airports. kyle what is the biggest danger? is it the drone getting sucked into the engine? >> any part of the airport. there is no testing on the airplanes if this was ingested into the engine there could be engine failure or serious damage. >> what if the drone mak

makes -- contact with the front of the aircraft of the wind shield. >> it would probably crack the wind shield, one plus side with the drones. typically there is is one drone in the sky in the vicinity, whereas we have heard of a flock of birds. in this instance i don't think it is as serious as a flock of birds because there is only one drone. >> but with a flock of birds a lot of airports have different maneuvers they do to keep the birds away. it seems like eventually a drone is going to hit a commercial jet liner. >> sure, it's going to happen sooner or later. four alone this weekend and in previous weekends in this area. it is going to happen sooner or

later. >> and there has been no testing about what will happen. >> all of the testing is done with birds. and these drones are hard not soft like birds, so nobody actually knows what will happen. >> now a lot of people may think it's hard to imagine a jet aircraft flying 200 miles an hour can spot a drone. how does that happen? and they must not have a lot of time to react? >> the jets typically are going at a much slower approach speed on lower altitude. typically the airplanes on departure or approach, and the pilots will spot them. typically there's usually no evasive maneuvers that are required. >> are you hearing more complains from pilots or fears, or are they noting this is what we're going to have to deal with now. >> basically they are just noting it. i don't think it's as serious as it's being hyped-up about in the

immediate combra. >> one of the things that a lot of people think is fairly serious this faa report that found that controllers are only getting six hours a sleep a night. as a pilot, you are relying on these guys, and maybe they are not getting enough sleep, what is your reaction to that? >> the report is disturbing to make your viewers -- to make them feel at ease, the airplane really -- when you are inside an airplane, there are also kinds of systems to tell you what is around there. and literally if you get too close to another airplane, it will tell you to descend or climb, or turn left. the pilots know how to deal with it, and the airplanes are equipped. >> plenty of redundancies. >> exactly. >> kyle bailey a pilot and aviation analyst.

thank you for coming on. two russian cosmonauts spent hours walking in space doing repairs on the international space station. and notice the station, crew members tested space-grown lettuce for the first time. the seeds were planted in a grease house about a month ago. the indigo girls on the charts. they have been making music together since they were ten years old, and today they are still going strong after the release of their latest album. my colleague caught up with them. >> amy writes hers, and i write mine, and we come together and arrange them. ♪ how long 'til my soul gets to right ♪ >> reporter: the origin of your name, indigo girls?

>> it just came from tremendous dictionary? >> you were flipping through the pages? >> yeah. >> whatever i was 19. >> but it wasn't a color theme or -- >> it doesn't mean anything to us. [ laughter ] ♪ >> one of your causes has been lbgt, lesbian and gay rights for years now, you were, quote, out, before out was a word in common usage. [ laughter ] >> and so i imagine that this recent same-sex marriage evolution -- i see the smile on your face. >> yes, we never thought that would l-- happen. we are from georgia, and we thought it would never come to georgia, but now it is federal.

>> when your families discovered you were lesbians, how diz that work in the context of them teaching you to be part of a community even in a community that might not have been as accepting of your status. >> my biggest fear was i was going to cause problems in the family. but both my parents were very accepting. plus they already know. my mom made me easter pants when i was four years old. i didn't want a dress, i wanted pants. ♪ >> tell us about the backlash that you experienced in the '90s or '80s even -- >> from coming out? >> uh-huh. >> my parents were pretty conservative. so it was a long road. i grew up in the church, three days a week church. and both of my sisters are gay as well. three gay girls in one family,

and a straight brother. >> in the south. >> in the south. and my parents though -- incredible. my dad has passed away. my mom is incredible. she wrestled with her faith, and came around and is the great champion of lesbians and gays now. >> but what about the wider world. you had shows that were canceled? >> we were going to do a few shows in high schools. this is in the '90s. and we played at one, and they -- they actually blamed it on sen soreship saying that one of the songs had a curse word in it. but it was about us being gay. >> you start out -- i'm gathering that you weren't really focused on trying to make a lot of money. you were just focused on making your art. >> that's right. >> yeah, we were kids. >> at what point did you realize, we have to make a

living and feed our families? >> yesterday. [ laughter ] ♪ hide yourself on me >> would you say that your revenues come mostly from live performances -- >> uh-huh. >> yeah, that's the only way we can make a living. we don't sell that many records, and we haven't gotten a royalty check in a million years. >> the thing is even in the old days when you were selling a lot of records, we were still that kind of band that made a living on the road. >> uh-huh. >> it's just that way for us. ♪ >> thank you so much for sharing your latest project with us on al jazeera america, and good luck on the road. >> thank you, randall. >> thanks for having us. this is great. >> all right. indy go girl's new record is on sale now. that is our news for this hour.

i'm david. the news continues next with randall pinkston. we'll have the latest on the violence in turkey today. thanks for watching. ♪

>> hate for america. >> we're working with turkish authorities as they investigate this. >> an anti-american group attacks the u.s. consulate in istanbul. a day after hundreds of u.s. forces arrive in the country. going nuclear. japan is set to restart a nuclear reactor at the sendai nuclear plant for the first time since the fukushima disaster. ch