to which the words help and save the amazon have been created. we have more. on our website. the address to click on to is www.aljazeera.com. >> pleads guilty in the huge chemical spill in west virginia. it left hundreds of thousands without drinking water for days. more than 80 wildfires rage across the west. and the growing debate over birth right citizenship. why some places are refusing to give birth certificates to children born in the united states.

>> this is al jazeera america live in new york city. i'm tony harris. the last charge of a chemical spill in west virginia has pled guilty. robert ray is at the courthouse. >> it's been a year and a half in the making. since west virginia residents here in charleston, nine counts were effected by a chemical spill that went into the elk river. that caused by freedom industries here. five of the executives pled guilty already, and the last one, the main guy, gary southern, has pled guilty to charges. he'll plead guilty in september. they walked into the court a little earlier. >> are you the example of a greedy executive who doesn't care about people. >> sir, excuse us. >> even though the executives have already pled guilty and will face fines and potential jail time, many of the 300,000

people effected here a year and a half ago still want answers from government agencies. they wonder why they were sick. why the entire area smelled of lick russ and why still some are having nausea because of this chemical spill. a lot of questions still unanswered, and many people still want to push this issue for better regulations on the rivers here in west virginia. robert ray, al jazeera, charleston, west virginia. >> meanwhile the epa is opening a recovery center in durango to help residents deal with a toxic spill there. the boaters are back out on the water now that it is clear. for two weeks sludge from a former mining site turned the river orange, the river is now safe for recreation but people should avoid drinking the water. gusting dry winds are kicking up dozens of wildfires across the west, and cruz are struggling to keep up. and in washington state 200

active service members are fighting the wildfires. dozens of homes have been destroyed east of seattle. and entire towns have been forced to evacuate. >> the mastiff mobilization includes an aerial assault from firefighters. smoke jumpers leaping into rugged burning terrain in idaho while planes in oregon tackle dangerous flames. in california the fires are punishing. 300 homes are threatening santa margarita. resources are stretched nationwide as they fight blazes. but relief is on the way. soldiers from washington state have been called in to help. for some it's simply too late. what were once homes overlooking lake chelan are nothing more than ash and rubble. >> i didn't take any family pictures or anything like that. i did not think anything was

going to happen. >> it's not just homes that are gone. in chelan this is the heart of washington state's apple industry. one fruit-picking company said that it's losses could exceed $60 million. they're just hoping to salvage what is still hanging. >> we believe we'll have a plan where our growers fruit that is now hanging on the trees will not be impacted. >> while fire crews have made some progress against the fire here in chelan, washington, they're keeping a close eye on the weather. winds have been calming down, but we understand in the next 24 to 48 hours they may pick back up. >> cruz in alaska today are searching for the bodies of three men pleased to be killed in a landslide. three men, including a land marshal, were swept away on sitka on tuesday. it was one of several landslides that occurred after two inches of rain fell in 24 hours. police in thailand are saying

that the man who carried out a deadly attack may have had helped. the authorities released this sketch of the man just a few hours ago. they're offering a reward to anyone with information leading to his arrest. he is believed to be the same mancienne in this grainy video. scott haidler with more on this investigation. >> one of bangkok's busiest and still bustling areas less than 24 hours after a bombing. >> i use this route to commute to work every day. i don't know when it will be my turn, but i have no other choice. >> this is the man thai police are hunting for in connection with the shrine attack. his image has been shown on tv, and he's a constant figure on social media. police don't think that he acted alone. they're offering a $30,000 award for information leading to his

arrest. >> we want to know who they are, their identity, their nationality, but at the moment the pieces of the bomb are seemingly coming from our own country. >> he adds that the evidence could help them pinpoint where the bomb was made. at this stage of the investigation they're not ruling anything out. especially when it comes to the motivation behind the attacks. these bombings come just as tourism is rebounding here in thailand. and the arrival numbers of the all important chinese market doubled in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. the united nations tourism organization said that these were direct attacks on thais and this nation's economy that is so strongly connected to tourism. 10,000 additional secure forces have been deployed in bangkok. this has reassured some of the tourists. >> at first i was shocked to hear about the blast after

assessing the situation, i think bangkok might be safer after the bomb. >> as friends and relatives look at the list of dead and injured from monday's bombings, thailand's government admits it will have to work harder to prevent more attacks. scott haidler, al jazeera, bangkok. >> isil fighters have killed a respected scholar in sir. khalek assad was beheaded in palmyra. his body was then trapped to one of the roman columns. he had been in charge of the pal higpalmyra archeological site. to greece getting a $95 billion loan packager greece needs the money to make a debt repayment on thursday. on the candidates trail candidates have been buzzing this week. donald trump's proposal has sparked a major divide within his own party.

david shuster reports. >> i'm here to tell you why i'm running for president. >> on tuesday, floor senator marco rubio rained on the presidential parade on immigration reform. he said deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants is impractical. >> it does not sound like a plan that could pass. we need a thoughtful approach to the issue. >> to suggest that the discussion has not been serious is a shot at donald trump. >> over the weekend when he rolled over a policy paper for immigration, he made a statement on children born in the united states. >> you want to get rid of birth right citizenship. >> you have to, yes.

>> bobby jindal, a lower g.o.p. presidential candidate followed suit. quote, we need you and birth right s&p for illegal immigrants. the wisconsin governor scott walker, a top g.o.p. rival was asked if he greed. >> yes. >> we should end birth right citizenship. >> yes, it's about enforcing the laws in this country. >> but birth right citizenship in this country is the law. the amendment to the constitution says quote,: >> courts have ruled ruled that except for children of foreign dip ply mats stationed in the united states, anybody born on american soil is an u.s. citizen. and revising that would require changing the constitution. it would mean getting two-thirds approval in the house and senate, followed by ratification from 38 states.

as the "washington post" wrote on tuesday, quote, plans to undue something in the constitution is on the far extreme of near impossibility. not all republican candidates agree with trump's idea. on top of florida senator marco rubio, john kasich also believes that birth right citizenship should be left alone. >> let the people born here be citizens. i don't want to dwell there any more. >> but in this donald trump led republican primary something that may seen impossible does not mean that it is widely dismissed. trump's immigration plan also includes building a wall on the southwest boar border and having mexico pay for it. the mexican president said that mexico would never agree. the g.o.p. race for now is largely being driven by donald

trump. >> politico, the news site, has come up with a multi billion dollar price tag for donald trumps immigration plan. they asked six think tanks to crunch the numbers. the grand told is $166 billion. the biggest, $166 billion. the biggest cost would go towards trump mass deportation plan at the cost of $141 billion. the wall along the mexico border would be $5 billion. trump plans to compel mexico to pay for the wall. some counties are refusing to issue documents to babies to undocumented migrants. >> the child, now one, has been unable to get a birth certificate. her mother, juanna, asked us not

to use the family's last name or show their faces. juana is undocumented, that's the reason why her daughter has been denied her proof of birth. >> she should have the same rights as a while born to american parents, juana says. at the heart of the issue the state of texas is making it impossible for most undocumented parents to get a birth certificate by requiring i.d. documents they can't get. the state refuses to issue driver's licenses to the undocumented, and now it's no longer recognizing the government i.d. card issued by a foreign consulate also known as the con solar. >> what are these kids going to do. they're u.s. citizens without birth certificate, that's outrageous to me. >> lawsuit have been filed against the state of texas. the state said it has not accepted since 2008 because it

is an unsecure document. but in practice the policy was not strictly enforced until last summer when an unpres unprecedented number of undocumented people crossed into texas. >> the constitution says that anyone born in this country-- >> i don't have an interview. >> heidi zhou castro. the dream action coalition said that this creates security issues is simply wrong. >> it's an empty argument. it's an argument to exploit fears because the reality that many immigrants come here to work and provide a better life for their families. it's just donald trump and many people who are saying about national security are exploiting a fear. what better than now to actually enforce laws an, that's

national security. >> eliminating birth right would require change of the constitutional amendment. friends stand accused of being isil recruits. we'll speak who know a mississippi couple arrested for allegedly trying to join the group.

>> the food and drug administration has approved the first drug to boost the sex drive in women. some hail the approval as a victory for women's health. and others point out the side-effects. we spoke with an obyny doctor. while the side-effects may not seem different from other drugs, they're important to consider. >> side-effects obviously have to be considered when a new drug comes to market. while we're putting particular emphasis on the side-effects here i think it's a rhetorical question, but they're important and consumers need to know about them before they take the judge. >> the fda rejected the drug due to worries to side-effects. it will be on shelves next month. a mississippi couple stand accused of trying to travel to

syria to join isil. paul beben spoke to family and friends who say the allegations don't match the couple they knew. >> a small mississippi town. >> super smart, super intelligent, always very polite, insightful, thoughtful, not radical in any way. >> former students at mississippi state, a young couple planning to get married. federal prosecutors say they were ready to swear allegiance and join isil. they were arrested this month at a mississippi airport. according to a criminal complaint they were about to board a delta airlines flight bound for atlanta, amsterdam, and ultimately istanbul. prosecutors say undercover fbi agents posing as isil supporters on social media communicated with jalen young and mohammed decala throughout the spring and summer as the two looked for

travel tips and how to wage holy war. their questions sounded a little more naive about what they're getting into, but emphasized their commitment to the cause. would i be with people who speak english as well, later adding i'm willing to fight. i want to be taught what it really means to have that heart in battle. young told an fbi agent i'm skilled in math and chemical and worked in a lab here at college campus. we learn very fast and would love to help with giving medical aid. the family friend and lawyer said that relatives are in a state of disbelief. >> this is something that is like being hit between the eyes with a 2 x 4, a and your eyes are still bringing and your head still shaking, but the pain has not set in. young, a former cheerleader, graduated near the stop of her high school class.

her father is a police officer and u.s. military veteran who served in afghanistan. after arrested, the couple confessed they were on their way to syria. if convicted they could each face up to 20 years in prison. paul beben, al jazeera, new york. >> the first african-american to be elected to congress has died. he served 15 terms until he retired in 1999. stokes had several prominent--i think we have carl stokes and louis stokes in the same video. heading up a congressional committee that looked into the assassinations of reverend martin luther king. stokes was 90 years old and had been battling brain and lung cancer. ten years of recovery in new orleans, we hear from the mayor who says that some of the issues may take even longer to resolve.

>> a pitchman jared fog. was in court today. a prosecutor says he plans to bleed guilty to child pornography and sex acts. prosecutors say that fogel faces five years in prison and as much as 12 years as part of a plea

deal. >> jared fogel has been charged and admitted to participating in a five-year criminal scheme to exploit children. let's call this what this is. this is about using wealth, status and secrecy to illegally exploit children. >> well, the plead deal calls for fogel to pay restitution to victims. subway ended its relationship with fogel after raids on his home last month. in ferguson, missouri, where county officials have issued citations one year after the shooting death of michael brown, the councilor's office said that it reviewed 100 arrest cases previously rejected by prosecutors for criminal charge. this month marks ten years since hurricane katrina tore threw louisiana, and new orleans is

still struggle to go recover. new orleans' mayor said a lot of problems existed before the storm. >> ten years after katrina, many say that new orleans has come back and is resilient. >> i think it's a miracle. not only is the city of new orleans standing, but it's thriving. i think people have unreasonable expectations. they think they're going to walk into the land of oz where everything is perfect, and some how new orleans in ten years was going oh solve 40 or 50 years of problems that had been happening in major american cities across the country. i qualify it as basically saying we've completely turned yourself around. we're heading in the right direction. we've done the hard work of recreating the deep institutional challenges that we had in healthcare and education. now we've got to get about the work of making sure that nobody gets left behind. because you'll see pockets in a city that don't look great. >> speaking of those pockets, one of those communities that

people would mention would be the lower ninth ward, an area hard hit by the storm, mostly african-american community. many people we've spoken to say they feel we have not gotten the resources. we feel like we've been forgotten. do you think the city has placed enough focus on communities like the lower nine? >> well, it's not a surprise that people were who hurter more before the storm are hurting more after the storm. that's a principle in the united states. when it gets hot, the hot get hotter and where it's cold, the cold get colder. we've invested $500 million in the lower ninth ward. the lower ninth ward was a very difficult police before the storm hit it has a lot of challenges. but in my mind it's a very important part of the city. >> violent crime is the biggest issue facing nuclea face new orleans. many people would tell you the same. >> no question. >> and in recent years we've seen a drop in some violent crime.

the murder rates dropped, but this summer it started to spike up, a 30% spike according to some numbers we've seen. you've been there on the front lines creating initiatives and strategies in your time in office. has anything actually worked. >> i think a lot of things have worked. let's be really clear about this. violence in america is epidemic. in certain neighborhoods, in all cities. you see that with the news of baltimore. you see it in chicago. you see it in new york. let me hayes ton say this. you cannot police your way out of this problem. you really have got to get on the front end of this. our entire approach has been what we call for life. we have early interventions, very young getting into the schools, working with conflict resolution, making sure that you deal with the issues of jobs, making sure that you deal with job training and make sure that you work on inresearchment programs. then for the young men who are in the system. if they're in jail, make sure

they're trained well so the recidivism rate does not come high. and look them straight in the eye and say, if you continue to make bad choices there will be bad consequences, but if you make good choices we'll help you and we work with that and mental health. >> would you say it's better. >> some days yes, some days it's not. we've made marked progress in reducing the number of shootings and the number of crimes. three years in a row we reduced the murder rate. last year we got it to the lowest we were in 43 years. then in all over the place it spiked back up. i don't think any criminal scientist has to tell you exactly why that happened. what i can tell you is that that's evidence that we have not solved the whole problem. >> jonathan martin, al jazeera, new orleans. >> one of the biggest donations to an art school, just receiving an anonymous $25 million gift. the money will go towards campus

renovations, strengthening the school's endowment and strengthening scholarships. the college boasts walt disney among its notable alumni. almost all the students receive some sort of financial aid i we know reading to children is good, but a study in this month's pediatric join tells us why using mri to study brain activity in three to five years old among those who are read to often they found greater activity on the left side of the brain. this means that children are developing visual images when looking at picture books, and learning to listen better to stories. that helps their brains to develop. that is all of our time. thanks for being with us. i'm tony harris. we'll suic bag here. the news continues next live from london.

>> hello there, i'm felicity barr. this is the news hour live from london. coming up, three children are killed every day with many more injured. the young victims of the war in yemen. a soldier is killed by roadside bomb in turkey on a day of violence and political upheaval. thai police name the main suspect, but say he was not acting alone.