thrilling. >> reporter: this is djokovic's sixth final at flushing meadows and the second time he has been the u.s. open champion, richard par, al jazeera. there is more on all these stories on our website. go to al jazeera.com. >> residents try to escape a deadly, for the-moving fire in northern california. it has turned hundreds of homes into ashes. >> auto workers head back to the bargaining table today, the fight to redefine detroit for a new generation. >> austria and germany take new steps to control the flow of refugees crossing borders, but will the crisis spur action to end the war in syria.

>> this is aljazeera america, good morning, live from new york city, i'm randall pinkston. thousands of firefighters are battling two of california's fastest burning fires in decades. the valley and butte fires consumed 115,000-acres. that is roughly the size of new orleans. now officials confirm at least one person has been killed. more than 4,000 firefighters have been battling the butte fire which is 25% contained after five days. the valley fire close to napa is still raging. it began over the weekend. strong winds and hot weather be making it difficult to stop. melissa chan is live for us this morning in middletown, california, close to that valley fire. how much progress is being made fighting that blaze?

>> well, randall, the latest information that we have on this particular fire is it's 0% containment. that's the last figure we had. the valley fire has grown very quickly. in just the last 36 hours, it's gone to 50,000-acres and the deployment has been very fast in terms of the number of firefighters working on this. about 1,000 firefighters, that's a very fast deployment as far as wildfires in california are concerned. i'm standing in middletown. this was one of the main towns where the fire spread, you had mentioned the fast wind, 35-mile per hour winds whipped through this town. we are told by people who were here at that time that the fire spread through this town within 20 minutes. you can see the structure behind me completely destroyed, that's just one home of about 400 homes we understand in this area, in this town and in the area surrounding this town that has been completely destroyed.

again, i have to explain a little bit about middletown. it's early morning now. you'll see pockets of areas that are absolutely fine, the fire did not hit it. beer not entirely sure whether this was the work of firefighters or the capriciousness of the fire. people are saying it's unpredictable and that's why there's so much concern. there's been so many wildfires in the state. focusing on this one, because it's been unpredictable. >> where you are standing now appears to be a residential area. we ever seen businesses and homes turned to ashes. how are residents reacting? >> residents had to leave very quickly. this fire spread through middle found in 20 minutes. people left in a hurry. they are in evacuation centers, they have booked all the hotel rooms in and around this region and they are just waiting it

out. some officials said that they would let residents back in the next couple of days but there are a lot of people who don't know whether their homes are destroyed like the one right behind me, it's still smoldering or whether their home is fine. that's the tough thing for people here, waiting to find out what's actually happened to their homes. >> melissa chan reporting live in middletown, california this morning, thank you. >> california's four year drought has made fighting firefighters difficult, but crews may be getting some help. nicole mitchell, our meteorologist is going to tell us more about the weather. the fires have been in progress since late july. >> we've had a number of large fires through california and the west, all the way up into parts of washington, idaho, montana, but as we continue to look at some of these areas, what's going to improve is we've got oh flow. when that disturbance went through, a couple of drops with it, but more importantly, it shifted winds and is bringing in

more moisture from the direction of the water. our humidities having up. it is overnight period, humidity's always a little higher. from sacramento where we are now, during the day time, it had been 10% to 20% humid, now 30% to 40% humidity. that hems, giving more moisture. part of the reason the fire goes so fast is everything is tinder dry because of years of drought. temperatures have gone down. even over the last couple of days, into the hundreds, especially in the valley's. now more 70's and 80's, that is an improvement, it doesn't dry things out as quickly and it's of course a lot more comfortable for the firefighters that have to be out there in those elements. then this is our hope on the horizon. this is the next weather system, all the way off of alaska, this is more like what we would see typically into fall or winter. this is going to be coming down over the coastline the next couple of days.

a lot of hope on this one, it's going to change the pattern and bring in moisture. it's not just california, but all the way up through the northwest that we have these large fire incidences. these are the forecast as we get into the day on wednesday, we have to wait for the rain. northern parts of california get some of that, more moisture through the hole region. it is not out of the we will that of possibility higher parts of the sierra could get snow from this. that is really good news for the moisture. >> more than a year after the riots in ferguson, missouri, a state commission is expected to officially release its report on the state of racial inequality in the region. it was written by a panel of law enforcement, elected officials and protest leaders appointed after the death of michael brown. according to published reports, officials found black motorists in the st. louis area were 75% more likely to be pulled over for traffic stops than whites.

a special prosecutor for police involved killings is recommended, also consolidating municipal police departments and creating police review boards and increasing the minimum wage. >> the united auto workers and the big three automakers begin talks today over a new contract. the current agreement expires just before midnight. the union chose fiat chrysler as the target company in those talks and if negotiations nail, the industry could see its first major auto strike in 17 years. >> european ministers are holding an emergency meeting in brussels today on the refugee crise. a record 5800 refugees entered hungary in one day yesterday, as the country prepares to introduce tougher border measures. we're looking at live pictures in austria, austria deploying the army as part of a stronger border control measure. on the german-austrian border, there are traffic jams today after germany reintroduced new

checks to stem the continuing flow of refugees there. this morning, the german vice chancellor predicted that country could expect as many as a million migrants this year alone. there are also reports people from other middle east and north african countries are pretending to be syrian refugees to better their odds of getting asylum. >> the united nations has dispatched three special envoys to syria yet after all the killings there, after alleged war crimes and use of chemical weapons, the international body has yet to take a stand on syria's war. james bays has more from the united nations. >> even the man who heads the u.n. system, secretary ban ki-moon admits the organization has failed to tackle the situation in syria, one of the main reasons for a refugee crisis spreading well beyond the immediate region. >> the country is a colossal tragedy for syria and a shameful

symbol of international indecisions. historic judgment will be harsh. >> after more than four and a half years of conflict, the figures are shocking, as many as 250,000 people dead, 4 million refugees in the region and now thousands more flooding into europe. the u.n. continues to spend billions in its efforts to help syrians, but the fighting will not stop until there's a political solution. that brings us here to the u.n. security council. it has passed resolutions on syria. for example, on removing chemical weapons, and trying to ease the dire humanitarian situation, but if there's to be a political solution, there needs to be agreement on that here, too. >> for four and a half years, the central disagreement has been on the role of president assad and his inner circle. russia backed by china refuse to force him out of power.

others maintain he has no place in a new syria. one former british diplomat working as an advisor to the council, the so-called moderate opposition say it's possible the refugee crisis could break the deadlock. >> you are dealing with these kind of massive policy problems, it's not simple. frequently you can get into a mindset where it's all too complicate and difficult. where things change is in a situation like this, where suddenly. opinion shifts, suddenly the politics of all of this change ever so slightly and then there's an opening. it's at that point effective diplomats will step in and say here's an opportunity. >> a fresh round of diplomatic activity is underway. u.n. special envoy is again speaking to all sides about a possible political transition. finding a new creative solution to such a divisive issue is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. james bays, al jazeera at the

united nations. >> all this week, aljazeera america is taking a closer look at the desperate journeys of those migrants, the growing pressure on european countries and the search for solutions to the crisis. >> the taliban says it was behind a major prison break in afghanistan. more than 350 inmates escaped from the jail. officials say the taliban used a suicide bomber to break the prison walls. the attackers were apparently wearing army uniforms. four guards and three taliban fighters died in the assault. twenty of the most dangerous prisoners had just been transferred out of that prison a day earlier. >> getting back to school safely, a chicago program is helping students go to and from classes in one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. borhoods.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 7:44 eastern time. taking a look at some of the day's top stories. police are hunting and looking for the person who shot and killed a deputy on interstate 24. cameron ponder was conducting a traffic stop when the driver sped away, then firing several shots into his cruiser, hitting him several times. >> three teenagers facing charges in arizona for what police are calling copy cat attacks on interstate 10, using slingshots to launch rocks at cars. the teens do not appear to be connected to the shootings on

that expressway that damaged nearly a dozen cars and trucks. >> kentucky clerk kim davis is returning to work today, speaking right now. let's listen in. >> to fix my name on a certificate that authorizes marriage that conflicts with god's definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman vitals my deeply held religious convictions and conscience. for me, this would be an act of disobedience to my god. while there are many accommodations available a very simple accommodation i have proposed is to prove my name and title of clerk of brown county completely off the marriage licenses, these could be issued under another authority, including the commonwealth of tuck tug or the governor. if these needed to be recorded in the clerk's office like a vehicle registration, lean or judgment, that could be done. that doesn't raise a conflict of

conscience, because then we as clerks are not the authorizers of the license. because my pleas for a modest accommodation have been refused or not acted upon, i have been required to do that which my conscience for about bids. as a result, i have spent six days in jail, because i could not abandon my faith. i thank the lord i was released from jail last tuesday, but today as i return to work, my simple request for an accommodation has been unheard. whether i personally issue the license or whether one of my deputies issues it, the result is the same, the license is issued under the authority of kim davis, county clerk of brown county. besides my conscience, there is a real need for the legislature to address kentucky's marriage laws. the president of the senate stated himself and told the court has the marriage laws are shredded. the statute for about bids issuance of a marriage license to someone not expressly authorized by statute to receive one. even if the court strikes down a

law, it cannot create a new statute. that must be done by the legislature. to issue a license to a person that is not authorized to receive it, under the statute is a direct violation of law. this, too, needs to be addressed by the legislature. i'm here before you this morning with a seemingly impossible choice that i do not wish on any of my fellow americans, my conscience or my freedom. my conscience or my ability to serve the people that i love, obey god or a directive that forces me to disobey god, even when there are reasonable accommodations available. i have thought and prayed very hard about what to do. the decisions i have made in this case and the decisions i will continue to make in this case are mine and mine alone. i don't want to have this

conflict -- i don't want to be in the spotlight and i certainly don't want to be a whipping post. i am no hero. i'm just a person who's been transformed by the grace of god and who wants to work, be with my family. i just want to serve my neighbors quietly without violating my conscience. so this morning, i am forced to fashion a remedy that reconciles my conscience with judge bening's orders. effective immediately and until an accommodation is provided by those with the authority to provide it, any marriage license issued by my office will not be issued or authorized by me. i want the whole world to know, be no mistake about it, that if my deputy clerks, who do not have my authorization or the authority, they don't have my

authority to issue any license whatsoever. i love my deputy clerks and i hate that they have been caught in the middle. if any of them feel that they must issue an unauthorized license to avoid being thrown in jail, understand their tough choice and i will take no action against them, however, any unauthorized license that they issue will not have my name, title or my authority on it. instead, the license will state that they are issued pursuant to a federal court order. judge bening indicated last week that he was willing to accept altered marriage licenses, even though he was not certain of their validity. i, too, have great doubts whether the licenses issued under these conditions are even valid. this is why once again, i urge the governor, the legislature and the courts to intervene. they have the authorization and the authority to provide these types of accommodations and

there's no reason why they cannot do oh so. are we not a big enough, loving enough and toll rapt enough state to find a way to accommodate my deeply held religious convictions? my case may be the most visible right now, there are millions of other people in the private and public sector who face and are in the same position, and they also need reasonable accommodations. i urge everyone to remain civil and peaceful. i pray that our dialogue remains civil and respectful, because i love the lord, and i love all people. i harbor new ill will to anyone. i hate no one. because i have been transformed by the love and forgiveness of my lord jesus christ, i love every person. i love you -- i put my faith and my trust in god and god alone. thank you.

>> rowan county clerk kim davis saying she will continue to refuse to issue marriage license to say anyone until she receives what she calls an accommodation from state officials of kentucky. >> one week until pope francis begins his visit to the u.s. and one leading lawmaker saying the catholic leader is already facing security threats. the accident congressman michael mccall said he can't share details with the public but the chairman of the house homeland security committee says the government has already disrupted one threat and he says extra security measures, such as airport style screenings will be used at all of the pope's events. >> i was briefed by the secret service in a classified setting. the pope is a very -- and i'm catholic, by the way. he's a very passionate man, he likes to get out with the people and with that comes a large security risk. we are monitoring very closely threats against the pope as he comes into the united states.

we have disrupted one particular case in particular, but as that date approaches, i think we're all very -- be very vigilant to protect him as he comes into the united states. >> the pope will visit new york, washington, and philadelphia next week. new york is imposing a no fly zone and drone been a while he is in the city. pope francis is to meet with president obama, address congress, and speak to the united nations during his trip. >> living in chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods, children have help getting to class. the program help keeping them safe, next. safe, next.

>> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world. getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi on target weeknights 10:30p et >> the teacher strike in seattle

today has 53 students out of class again. both sides are talking through a mediator. >> schools in chicago, some students have trouble getting to school. budget problems are threatening a safety program to help them get to school. >> >> they are more secure now that they can walk and see us. >> each day, these kids walking through some of the toughest gang territories in the city. englewood is one of the most violent territories in chicago, the 17-point "million dollars aimed at protecting kids on their way to school is called safe passage and provides oversight to 75,000 students at 140 schools across the city. jackson is one of 1300 safety

workers who line the streets leading to the schools. they are charged with observing and reporting criminal or gang activity. they do not engage, but notify police. >> i'm glad to see it come back every year, honestly, and so if they can expend money and give us more to be here more, yes, they had expend more money. >> with the city facing a gaping budget hole, including a $500 million shortfall for c.p.s., some question whether the program is sustainable in the long run and whether or not this is the best way to spend money, given the financial crunch. >> safe passage has been in order, since then you haven't been seen kids getting hurt coming to school or going home from school. i think it's money well spent, although i think $17 million maybe too much, you know, they could use some of that money towards something else. >> after some 50 schools were closed and consolidated in 2013, the city ramped up the number of safe passage guards and routes, mostly on the south and west

sides. >> when kids go to school and come out of school, i want them thinking of their studies and not their safety. >> the district said safe passage as school has historically boosted attendance by 7%. while there are no official statistics on the success, the crime lab called the 2013-2014 school year the safest on record. >> if one parent complains about drug activity in an area, you are going to see the block full of police. they take it serious, too. >> for many, it is worth the cost. >> we do what we got to do to make sure our area is clear, so yeah, we watch. they call us nosey neighbors. >> al jazeera, chicago. >> thanks for joining us. stephanie sy back in two minute witness more aljazeera america morning news.

>> a state of emergency, one person is dead as fast moving wildfires force thousands of people to flee hundreds of homes and businesses are in ruins. >> european leaders hold talking about on the refugee crise. germany is instituting border controls as the nation prepares to take up to a million migrants. >> hundreds of inmates set free after the taliban storms a prison. the attackers wore military uniforms. >> i'm here before you this

morning with a seemingly impossible choice that i do not wish on any of my fellow americans, my conscience or my freedom. >> this happening moments ago, kentucky clerk kim davis returning to work with a major decision to make over issues marriage licenses. >> this is aljazeera america live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. thousands of firefighters this morning are confronting two of california's fastest burning fires in decades. the valley and butte fires have together consumed 115,000-acres, roughly the size of new orleans. now officials confirm at least one person has been killed. more than 4,000 firefighters have been battling the bout fire which is 25% contained.

the valley fire began away winds are fanning the flames. we have a report from the valley fire. tell us what is behind you and is that a scene you are seeing a lot? >> this rapid fire spreads through town with the winds. i don't know how clearly you can see, but this is just the foundation of the home. you can see what was once the kitchen. we see charred oven and stove and charred washer and dryer, as well. further behind me is a completely destroyed vehicle. we are seeing homes like this in middletown, but what is interesting is that parts of the town appeared fine. it looked like the fire did not get to it. we are not sure whether it was the work of firefighters or the

capriciousness of this fire. because of how quickly this fire spread and it is unusual for wildfires in california, firefighters in the state say that this is the state's top priority at the moment. all the houses, our neighbors houses, friends' houses are burning up. it's awful. >> residents meanwhile are fleeing for their lives. this is just the latest massive challenge after years of devastating drought conditions. the butte fire in the sierra nevada foothills burned 65,000-acres in five days. more than 4,000 firefighters are working to slow its progress. 2600 others have been deployed to the ruff fire further south. it's burned for six weeks, across 130,000-acres. >> since the drought is in its

fifth year, cal fire has been on the front lines literally 10 months out of the year and now we're heading into the september burn season. we'll be at it all the way in december, unless we get some significant rain. >> strong winds have complicated efforts to fight the flames from above. four members of a firefighter helicopter crew have been hospitalized with second degree burns. with resources at the breaking point, there is cautious hope, lower temperatures on sunday will hold. we talk about the drought on the wildfires. a team that has covered the drought over the last couple of years in california and as we were driving into middletown what struck me was just how brown the grass was from the drought. together with the heat, just terrible conditions in order to start a fire. >> melissa chan live in middletown, california, thank you. as melissa was saying, california is in the fourth year

of drought, making fighting fires extremely difficult. crews may finally be getting help. let's bring in meteorologist nicole mitchell. is rain a possibility? >> we had just a little bit, a couple drops made it to the ground. the pattern changed, that's the better news, more of an onshore flow now is bringing in moisture and higher humidity, plus it's dropped the temperatures. the humidity and the overnight when temperatures are cooler are always higher, anything from 51 in fresno to 77% in sacramento. sacramento, during that heat over the last week, humidity is only 10% to 20%, now it will be 30% to 40%. that helps, because things are tinder dry. even more moisture in the atmosphere and temperatures have gone down. those hundreds in the valleys, now more 80's, even 90's, but that's a huge improvement. the big thing we are watching is a system set to come on wednesday, bringing some actual moisture to the area, and

northward, because we have fires ranging all through the west, so this will be a help. >> nicole, when it comes to the humid in the air, it does help, obviously, but actual rain, i mean, what kind of difference would that make at this point to these firefighters? >> even a little bit, it would both help cool things down, but this next round of rain could bring snow pack, a little snow to the sierra. that would give you longer term rain if we could build snow for the ground moisture. >> thank you. >> european ministers are holding an emergency meeting on the refugee crisis. refugees are boarding buses for vienna after arriving from hungary. i apologize, we lost that live image. this is earlier, austria is now deploying the army to help control the influx of migrants. today's, germany's vice chancellor say they expect up to

1 million migrants to come there by the end of the year. that is 2,000 more than germany predicted just a week ago. in the face of that, germany reintroduced border controls, causing major traffic jams at the german, austrian border. we have more on the talks to solve the crisis from brussels. >> it is, in fact, this is one of the greatest crisis well that has faced the european union. it's extraordinary that they have survived the euro zone crisis, the greek debt crisis, and yet, this crisis over the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of refugees and other immigrants who have flooded into the european union over the past year has actually stretched, is really stretching the unity of the european union to its limit. when you think about the moods just a few weeks ago when that iconic photograph emerged of the 3-year-old syrian child that drowned, was washed up on a

beach in turkey, it seems that that mood is changing. with us aunt is actually in brussels today, visiting at a time that coincides with this important meeting of interior and justice ministers and she reminded europe of its dust to show compassion and humanity to tens of thousands of syrians who are still making that perilous journey. >> it's a heartbreaking, and again, to live for, to save alan and golub, a brother and rihanna, it is not to late to save a million of them. they need to help. >> well, as i said, europe really looking in disarray here, because after all, one of the key values of europe is this idea of freedom of movement and particularly in the area, 26 nations to which people are allowed to travel to move without actually showing any travel documents. enough the fact that germany

decided to reimpose those border checks, on the one hand, it's a logistical question. 63,000 asylum seekers arriving in september alone, that's more than the whole of 2014, but clearly it's not just a logistical measure, it's a political measure. germany is sending a warning here to the countries of eastern europe, if you want to continue freely moving through germany into western europe and this right of free movement which is really valued by poles, czechs, slovaks, countries of eastern europe, if you want the right to continue to move into western europe, we are going to insist that you also take on your responsibility with regard to sharing the burden of refugees. it's going to be a very difficult debate and people here are not optimistic that we're going to get an agreement at the end of the meeting. >> jacky rowland reporting there. also joining us from brussels

now, the ambassador who served at an ambassador to turkey, libya and syria. he is now a visiting scholar at carnegie europe. thank you for your time. what should the priority be right now for e.u. leaders there in brussels? is it stemming the steady stream of asylum seekers, is it twisting the arm of a country like hungary trying to block them? what do you think? >> we have two issues in one. one is the relocation issue. there, you have three different things, germany has the means, the money, the growth, the citizens confidence and it doesn't need -- power. second, you have the followers of germany from quite a difference, france, u.k. and others and third, you have the front, hungary, czech republic, denmark, so that is going to be

an ugly debate. it's not going to lead to agreement today. obviously it's going to take a few more weeks and go to heads of state in government. the second issue is much more important and urgent, and uncr underlined this and i would overemphasize it, is that you have to provide these migrants, these people hundreds of thousands of people on their way from turkey to europe, you have to provide them with safe corridor, safe transportation, transit camps, holding points, whatever you call them. right now, we can see that everyday, thousands of people are taking high risks on the sea between turkey and the greek islands, the first line of greek islands. this has to be solved. it is cooperation not just within the e.u. but between the e.u. and countries like macedonia and serbia. that is the urgent part of it.

>> so far as europe, germany has emerged as a humanitarian hero of sorts, but how much is its willingness to resettle hundreds of thousands of migrants and it publicizing that fact perhaps making the problem worse? is germany partially to blame for convincing more people to get on those rubber dingies and try to cross the mediterranean? >> well, there is a risk on that sort, of course, but the chancellor, i think has seized the conjunction of two factors. one is the shift in the public opinion in germany. there is genuine compassion. more compassion than probably in any other state, because they feel confident in their future, because there is growth, there is a budget surplus. second issue that germany has half a million job positions and field, so it needs immigration of one sort or the other, so they combine the two. the problem is they are

overwhelmed by the speed at which people are arriving. you can put a fence here or the army there, people running for their lives, they will get there anyway. >> i want to get back to turkey and the issue of compassion, because it was after the body of the 3-year-old washed up on a turkish beach a few weeks ago that the world really started paying attention to this crisis. should the countries closer to where the refugees coming from, syria, turkey has taken in two migrants. what about those other issues you talk about, safe transportation corridors, for one? >> well, it is true that turkey's been very generous initially. it is puzzling that four years ago, turkey refused international assistance, wanted to do it on its own. now, of course, turkey like many others, lebanon, even worse, jordan is a bit overwhelmed by that the numbers. in addition to which, anybody who is a syrian occurred on

turkish soil is terrified by what's happening between turkey and its own kurds, so they wanting to, but we should remember the numbers. you may have at the moment anywhere between the turkish border and hungary, 250,000, 300,000 people on the move, each of them paying 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 euros. this is anywhere between a billion dollars and half a billion dollars, so the amount of money is huge, and so far, we are not seeing the kind of emergency cooperation between turkey and the e.u. on this issue. we need to provide regular ferries to the greek islands, otherwise, of course traffickers who will continue to extract money from these desperate people, and they will keep drowning. >> ambassador, we certainly appreciate your perspective on the issue today. thank you. >> at least 34 people, including

15 babies and children drowned sunday when their boat capsized off a freak island. coast guard rescued certificate eight people from the overcrudded boat. it is the latest tragedy of asylum seekers dying at sea. more than 2500 are believed to have drowned so far this year. all this week, aljazeera america is taking a closer look at the desperate journeys of those migrants, the growing pressure on european countries and the search for solutions so r. to the crisis. >> australia has a new prime minister this morning. just moments ago, former communications minister malcolm turnbull won a vote to out of the tony abbot. he called out abbot's handling of the economy. a similar challenge was offered to abbot's leadership, a banker becomes australia's fifth prime minister in the last eight years. >> mexico's president is demanding answer as after egypt security forces shot and killed 12 people, including mexican

tourists and their tour guide. it happened sunday as the travelers drove through the city in egypt's western desert. egyptian officials say the convoy had wondered into a restrict area. ten more people were injured. the victims are still being identified. >> the taliban says it was behind a major prison break in afghanistan. 350 inmates escaped from the jail. officials say the taliban used a suicide bomber to break the prison walls. four guards and three taliban fighters died in the assault. jennifer glasse has more from cab bum. >> a coordinated taliban attack on the outskirts of gaza city started at 2:00 in the morning when the taliban detonated a car bomb and the assaulted the prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners, toll boon commanders, suicide bombers and other taliban fighters.

it heights how fragile security is across afghanistan that the taliban can carry out such a coordinated attack on a prison. there's been fighting in the south that continues. in the north and east, it's been a very, very brutal year for afghan security forces. nato puts the number of afghan police dead at 15,000 so far, that's an average of 22 afghan soldiers being killed a day across afghanistan, numbers that analysts here say are unsustainable. one of the big challenges for the new government, president ashraf ghani, it's the anniversary of its first year in power, it knows security is a key for afghanistan if it wants to move forward and get any stability here. >> one week until pope francis begins his visit to the u.s. in what one top official say top officials are facing security

threats. the their man of the homeland security committee said one threat has been thwarted. he said there will be extra security measures at all of the pope's events. >> kentucky clerk kim davis is pledging not to interfere with issuing marriage licenses, a live look now outside her office. excuse me, that is not a live look. davis read a tearful statement a short time ago, saying she was seeking accommodations for her religious beliefs. she said her name would not be on the licenses. >> i'm just a person whose been transformed by the grace of god and who wants to work, be with my family. i just want to serve my neighbors quietly without violating my conscience. so this morning, i am forced to fashion a remedy that rock sensiles my conscience with judge bening's orders. effect immediately and until an accommodation is provided by

those with the authority to provide it, any marriage license issued by my office will not be issued or authorized by me. >> in her absence, deputies have been giving couples the licenses. this morning, one deputy clerk said he will keep issuing marriage licenses, despite his boss's objections. >> call for change, the ferguson commission shines a light on a racially divided community but will the conclusions make a difference. >> teaching kids to code, the non-profit group giving minority teens a jump start in the competitive world of tech. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

and that's what we're doing at xfinity. we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around. >> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 8:21 eastern, taking a look at today's other headlines from around the nation. police in tuck tug are hunting for the person who shot and killed a deputy.

31-year-old joseph ponder was conducting a traffic stop when the driver sped away and fired several shots into ponder's cruiser, hitting him several times. >> summer gas prices were the lowest in more than a decade. a new report says the summer ended with prices down more than a dollar compared to just a year ago. the national average price for gas now stands at $2.33. >> more than a year after the riots in ferguson, missouri, a state commission is expected to release a report on the state of racial inequality in the region. it was written by law enforcement, elected finishes and protest leaders pointed after the death of mike brown. the commission found black motorists in the st. louis area were 75% more likely to go pulled over for traffic stops than whites. among recommendations, a special prosecutor for police involved killings, consolidating

municipal police departments, creating police review boards and increasing the minimum wage. >> president obama will travel to iowa to announce a new plan that helps college bound students needing financial aid. starting next school year, they will be able to apply for federal aid three months earlier, meaning students won't have to wait until their families file tales the next year. >> the seattle teachers strike enters its second week. students will be out of class again today. both sides are talking through a mediator. the district offered $62 million in raises and more special ed funding, but the teachers are asking for nearly triple that because of seattle's high cost of living. >> seattle is just one of the city's embraces a boom in high tech jobs, but the technology world has been criticized for not having enough women and minorities in its workforce. changing that could mean changing school curriculum. >> he's got a big mohawk and big

ideas. xavier is 17 years old and a senior at high school. i met up with him near the end of a summer internship at the posh offices. >> i thought teenagers slept all day. >> that's only on the weekends. >> this job is not about fetching coffee, it is not about sharpening pencils. >> i quickly found out that that's not what i'm doing at all and i'm part of the team and helping out, making tell plates and working on the network. i like the creative side of it where you have an idea and you can execute it as quickly as you come up with the idea. >> yes, when we're ready, we can go back in and have the database in and he'll get back up. >> a technical architect at microsoft, today, he's learning to create a complex website for

a growing business. xavier earned his internship through a non-profit organization called all star code. it immerses teens of color in an intensive summer program focusing on computer science classes. it also offers access to companies like microsoft. >> tell me why there is a need for a program likal star code. >> the technology sector is one of the fastest growing industries in the u.s. economy. however, blacking and latinos make up 10% have the sector. >> all star code believes part of the solution to changing that rate yo is getting students started early. >> i quickly found out that i was in love with tech an coding. >> microsoft also sees the need to reach students, one of the reasons it's teaming up with all star code. companies in silicon valley say they are working to hire more minorities. the other challenge is curriculum, many schools are not emphasizing classes in science,

technology, engineering and mathematics, also known at stem education. >> we refer to that here at microsoft as the opportunity divide. there is definitely a gap in skills and in education that we're hoping to bridge. >> a recent gallup study commissioned by google shows 67% of parents believe computer science should be required learning, but 75% of principals say their schools do not offer programming or coding classes. >> you think they teach enough computer science in schools? >> not really. >> do you think if more teenagers, more kids had the chance to take coding or computer science, do you think they'd actually like it? >> yeah, i think so. it's fun. >> technology is playing an increasingly large role in the u.s. economy. you don't have to look far for examples. facebook and uber quickly turned into multi-billion dollars companies, translate to go high paying jobs, but according to

the bureau of labor statistics, by 2020, about 1 million coding jobs will go unfilled. >> when you look at where is all of the innovation happening right now, it's happening within technology and software engineering. coding is a big part of that. >> through this opportunities, xavier has learned a lot about tech and himself. this school year, he's hoping to get a job teaching other kids to code. his mentors at all star code could not be happier. >> extremely proud, but also would speak to the quality of young men that we attract, right, so they want to pay it forward and teach other young men or young women about coding. >> his message to them is simple, but powerful. >> if you give 100% into what you want to do, then you're definitely going to do it, although it may take time, if you continue to just work at it, you're definitely going to get it. >> xavier's got it.

richelle care, al jazeera, new york. >> a war of words in the presidential race. republican front runners throwing jabs and trying to get the upper hand ahead of the next debate. >> preparing for a major earthquake in the pacific northwest, the new prediction that has a lot of residents on edge.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 8:30 eastern, taking a look at today's top stories. thousands of firefighters this morning are battling two of california's fastest spreading wildfires in decades. one person has been killed. the valley an butte fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and consumed more than 115,000-acres

of land. drought, winds and high temperatures are fanning the flames. >> germany has reintroduced controls on its border with austria, the measure is meant to slow the tide of refugees heading for germany. german officials demand more help from other nations. emergency talks on refugees happening today in brussels. >> kentucky clerk kim davis back at work pledging not to interfere with issuing marriage licenses. she read a statement saying she was seeking accommodations for her religious beliefs. she also said she doesn't want her name on the marriage licenses. >> a new poll out this morning has donald trump gaining ground in a hypothetical presidential matchup against hillary clinton. there is just a narrow gap between two right now. the washington post survey, 46% of voters would choose clinton compared to 43% for trump. trump tops today's poll, w. ben

carson in second. john terrett looks at what to expect in politics in the days ahead. >> later this week, the republican candidates will gather in california for the second major debate of the presidential campaign. by most accounts, donald trump stole the show at the last debate and his lead has grown since his performance. this time, his gop challengers are waiting until the debate to throw jabs at him. >> just because a lot of people like watching kim kardashian, we wouldn't put her in the white house, either. >> donald trump is an entertainer and i think i am a leader. >> carly fiorina spoke in new hampshire saturday, showing trump with a command are lead. trump continues to dominate polls in iowa, too, taking shots at brain surgeon ben carson second in polls there. he continued his attack today during an appearance on the sunday talk shows. >> i'm a deal maker.

i'll make great deals for this country. ben can't do that. he's a doctor, not a deal maker. >> core son responded by saying he's not too nice to be president. >> ben carses a very, very nice man, but we will -- this will not be a good situation because of the fact that he's not a dealer, he's not a negotiator. >> it's ridiculous to think that the only thing i can do is neurosurgery. i find it quite humorous when people say he's an idiot savant, only knows neurosurgery. they don't know what it takes to become a neurosurgerien. that's pretty idiotic itself. >>ment democrats first debate is a month away. hillary clinton visited the washington, d.c. church that her family attended when her husband was president. in recent weeks, her once

formidable lead over vermont senator bernie sanders has all but van issued. he says it's not hard to see why. >> the american people in my strong view are sick and tired of establishment politics, of establishment economics, and they want a candidate who is prepared to stand up to the big money interests, wall street, corporate america, that exerts so much power over our ladies and gentlemen lative life in washington. >> for hillary, that's one of her biggest achilles heels. as a former first lady, u.s. senator and secretary of state, she is the epitome of establishment. john terrett, al jazeera. >> republican contender scott walker is to unveil a plan today to eliminate unions for federal workers and institute right to work laws nationwide. he wants to shut down the national labor relations bored. the wisconsin governor spearheaded right to work laws in his state.

joining me now is a campaigns reporter for politico. good morning, good to see you. let's talk about these polls. >> good to be on. >> how concerned should hillary clinton and the democrats be about recent polls showing truck running neck and neck with her among all registered voters? >> they should be somewhat concerned, but also the heat of the campaign hasn't started yet. a lot changes once a campaign actually begins. the general election campaign is a very, very long way from beginning. >> that is true. >> there still hasn't been t.v. ads attacking donald trump for any number of things you can attack him over. thinking the nomination will be a cake walk, these numbers indicate that is not the case. >> although we are six months away even from the first primaries, hillary clinton has been falling unpopularity compared to bernie sanders. talk about how much steam sanders has, the new hampshire and iowa could win in those two

primary states compel him to the nomination. >> they could. one thing that's important to note about sort of sanders' rise and hillarys fall, it turns out it's mostly people liking sanders if you talk to democratic primary voters. it's not that theylike hillary clinton, they like sanders. sanders doesn't do as well with minority voters as clinton does. this is a reverse from 2008 where barack obama did well with minority voters and hillary clinton with working class white voters. states like south carolina, which votes third is a theoretical firewall for clinton. when you get into the bigger states with minority populations, florida, new york and california, all of which have a lot of sway ultimately in the democratic nominating process, theoretically, hillary should do much better there. >> the term that is clear when it comes to the polling at this point is between sanders and ben carson and donald trump, we are

talking about outsiders leading at this point. what does that mean for a potential candidate like vice president biden. >> it doesn't indicate that things are very good. biden is still an establishment politician. he manages to be not like other politicians in ways because of his earnestness and the way he approaches things. he can send off a different vibe than a hillary clinton or jeb bush. if you're joe biden and looking at your own sort of 30 years in the u.s. senate and then you're looking at who's leading these fields, you know, 30 years in the u.s. senate isn't the type of thing voters are currently looking for. >> i want to just talk about one issue that's come up, and that is tax policy. trump seems to be taking a more populace stance on taxes. could that make him more popular among independents and could that challenge the republican establishment? >> it's almost certainly a challenge to the republican establishment. the fact is trump, because of his wealth and celebrity doesn't

have to be responsive to sort of republican elites. he has to be responsible to primary voters and they have always been more open to the idea of raising taxes on the rich. once that gets to general election, i do think that is something that could appeal to some independents, particularly if he's somehow coupling that with middle class tax cuts, something like that. >> kevin, thank you. >> the united auto workers and the big three automakers beginning talks today over the new contract. the current agreement expires before midnight. the industry could see its first strike in 17 years if talks fail. we have more. >> these are brighter days for the motor city, detroit is out of bankruptcy as are chrysler and general motors. the city's rebuilding and selling more cars than it has in years. union auto workers now negotiating with general motors, fiat chrysler and ford want a piece of that prosperity. >> here in the united auto

worker headquarters where negotiations are taking place, they say some workers haven't seen a pay raise in the decade and the company has been profit annual for five years. it might be harder for them to argue that now isn't the time for a wage increase. >> the unions top priority is to dismiss a two teared wage system introduced when the companies faced bankruptcy. >> you have a guy working on this side of the car, making $28 an hour, you got the guy on the right side of the car performing the same task as his buddies making half. so, you know, that's something that is unacceptable. >> union officials acknowledge they have a problem. their numbers have shrunk from a peak of 1.5 million workers in 1979 to about 400,000 now. >> well, you know, powers in numbers, and when numbers go

down, your power go down. >> in a statement to al jazeera. ford said it wants a fair and competitive labor agreement that enables us to continue to provide jobs and investment and insurance a prosperous future for the companies and communities. analysts say the two teared systems will probably merge. >> what usually happens is they retire out all the people at the higher wage, they are able to buy down the people at the higher wage to a middle wage. they wait it out until everyone is retired and gone or they have a long grow-in for the entry level to reach the wage at the top tier of workers. >> how that issue is resolved could determine whether the automakers of detroit continue to compete with rifles around the globe or return to past practices that just a few years ago drove them to the verge of extinction. >> american airlines is investigating how an unified plane was sent over the pacific

ocean last month with passengers. the airlines let an airbus fly to hawaii. those planes are not certified for some types of long haul flights. staff didn't realize the error until after the plane had left los angeles and on its way to honolulu. it landed safely there. >> thai officials say a key suspect in the bombing last month fled to turkey. police believe the chinese national may have directed deadly attack that killed 20 people and injured 120 others. malaysian police have arrested three people, including a pakistani national suspected of playing a role in the bombing. >> scientists say it is not a matter of if but when a massive earthquake and tsunami will hit the pacific northwest. that has residents concerned, but are the predictions based in reality. we looked into that and what is being done to prevent disaster. >> the 2011 earthquake and

resulting tsunami swamped coastal communities, killing more than 15,000 and causing $300 billion in damage. in the world's most earthquake ready and tsunami aware country, japan. >> as big a disaster that was, that's what success looks like in an m9 earthquake. >> chris gold something else finger studies quakes, a major area of interest, the zone stretching up the northwest coast from northern california to vancouver island, about 80 miles offshore. >> the plate gets stuck, forces the plate to buckle like this, and every 300 to 500 years, it will let go like that and that's the earthquake and generates the tsunami. >> low lying coastal peninsulas, sandbars with towns and neighborhoods built on them dot this coastline.

like west port, washington, one of the most vulnerable towns, everybody here knows what's offshore and what could happen. >> fishing, fun at the beach, now it's a great place to be in the summertime here, but we hate to think that someday it might not be here. >> what's going to happen now will install the beams that go from tower to tower. >> a few miles away, a new elementary school is underren construction, but this is more than just a school. it's designed as a vertical evacuation site, the first of its kind on the continent, where one to 2,000 people could take temporary shelter and let tsunami purse pass under them. >> this is the school right here. >> other similar structures are under consideration up and down the coast where residents and visitors could have as little as 15 minutes between quake and tsunami.

>> you've got to get to high ground. if you're on street level, you're not going to make it. >> the emergency planner points to the challenges of evacuation. coastal highways are almost all two lane roads. in many cases, the only way in or out of northwest beach towns. a magnitude nine quake would almost certainly damage them beyond use. tsunami warning sirens evacuate them to neighborhoods, to the closest high ground and designated assembly areas. >> it's exploded. we're working, i want say around the clock, but we're really pushing. >> at american preparedness, swamped with orders and assembling emergency kits as fast as they can, this is all old news, including federal projections that 13,000 people could die on the coast and in the area's major cities far from the pacific. >> what are you going to do if you don't have an emergency preparedness kit. you can't knock on somebody's car window and say i'm too stupid to be prepared can be can

i have your food and water and whatever else you've got? >> evidence that something like this will happen in the future are from the past. >> this is from 1999. >> these are old friends. >> yeah, i know those cars better than my neighbors. >> reading sea floor core samples, quakes happen over and over. >> this is what we think is probably the biggest earthquake cascadeia has had. >> the most recent hit in 1700, how often, where and how power play are key questions, and of course. >> are we overdo? for the north part for seattle and vancouver, you would have to say no, because we're, you know, roughly 315 years into an average 500 year cycle, so you wouldn't say that is necessarily overdue. >> for the southern part that have fault. >> for the southern part, we're 250 years into a 40 year cycle. >> he sees a one in three chance

of a major wrist within 50 years, a one in 10 chance on the northern end and also urges disaster awareness and planning. so does the grace harbor county sheriff where west port is, with a reality check built in. >> man plans, god laughs, and, you know, we can only plan so much. we can only train so much. the only thing that we can do is try to be there as quickly as we can to assist the survivors. >> onshore, and underwater, pressure continues to build in the zone. al jazeera, west port, washington. >> authorities are on alert in southern japan this morning after the volcano reyou the reputed. there was little warning before it happened and hikers had to be evacuated in the base. no reports of injuries so far. several flights in the area had to be canceled. officials say there is no threat to a nearby nuclear power plant. >> time for a check on the

weather in the u.s., states bracing for hot and dry conditions in the west. >> we've had a little reversal of fortunes. last week we were talking about the coastlines and excessive heat. now it's the central portion of the country, while a lot of our coastline area has had at least a little cooling. it is this midsection of the country, places like denver looking at that 91 degrees today. this bubbles all the way up. we have a ridge of high pressure in place, allowing that warm air to funnel into the region, 90s through portions of south dakota, 80s in north dakota. we're a week away from the official start of fall. it's getting impressive to have these warmer temperatures this time of year. more tomorrow, dropping off a couple of degrees. i mentioned the coastlines, both today and tomorrow, a lot of the northwest in the 60's for example, that's good news, because there's a lot of fires in that portion of the country. for the east coast, temperatures nudge up a little more into the

day tomorrow. this morning, last night, cool enough to have windows open, so we are getting to that time of year. in terms of moisture across the country, not a lot going on. that last front that went through the east coast really cleared things out. spotty moisture around the rockies, but this looks more impressive than it really is. a pretty dry day across a lot of the country today. >> nicole mitchell, thank you. >> swiss and u.s. prosecutors will speak about allegations of corruption at soccer's world govern body fifa. attorney general loretta lynch is in zurich for the investigation. officials were arrested a part of an f.b.i. led investigation, facing charges of racketeering, wiretapping and money laundering. six are still fighting extradition to the u.s. >> djokovic celebrating after winning his second u.s. open title. he beat federer three sets to one after waiting through a

three hour rain delay. it was the 10th grand slam victory of his career and third of this year. the only one he didn't win in 2000 fib was the french open. >> funeral arrangements are pending for basketball hall of famer emotionally malone. he died this weekend at age as i could. malone played for the houston rockets and philadelphia 76ers during his 21 year career. he was also a three time m.v.p. and the first person to play for the nba out of high school. malone is considered one of the 50 best players in basketball history. >> a model of determination, ahead, we'll introduce you to the 9-year-old who is changing the face of beauty. >> miss georgia! >> victory and vindication, miss america's crown changes hands while the pageant makes amends with a former winner who was forced to give up hers.

>> business man bill browder.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. it is 851 eastern, taking a look at other global headlines. australia has a new prime minister this morning, former communications minister malcolm turnbull won a vote to out of the tony abbot pop he called out abbot's handling of the economy. he becomes the fifth prime minister in the last eight years. >> curfews are issue place in turkey after violent protests over the weekend left nine dead. two police officers were among those killed by kurdish rebels after a bombing at a checkpoint. >> israel police and muslim worshipers are clashing for the second day at one of islam's holiest site ahead of the jewish new year. police are trying to keep order and protect jewish worshipers. >> 100 women will walk 11 miles

to try to get the pope's attending opinion the women set off tomorrow at a detention center in pennsylvania. they plan to meet pope francis in d.c. when he arrives next week. the group wants the pope to address issues of migrant dignity and justice here in the u.s. they'll finish their walk with a prior vigil outside the white house. >> fashion week is underway in new york and among the models working the runway is australian mad line stuart, an 18-year-old with down syndrome. another 9-year-old is also trying to help change the face of advertising. >> she is working this runway like heidi klum. the 9-year-old who has down syndrome and three other disabled kids got print like stars, then joined a dozen other models to kick off the new clothing line recently at a miami gap store. >> using disabled kids as models wasn't the retailer's idea.

it was katey driscoll's, a suburban chicago mom, whose own 5-year-old daughter has down syndrome. >> my goal was to show gap corporate, as well as ellen degeneres exactly what is possible when models with disabilities are included alongside everyone else. >> a couple of years after grace was born, the mother of six said she noticed corporate america wasn't featuring kids like grace in advertisements. >> what is the mental they are communicating if they don't include these people? >> ultimately you are saying you don't matter to us and your money doesn't matter to us. >> she started the non-profit changing the case of beauty. she photographs grace and other disabled kids, then took to social media, encouraging tilingsers to use them as models. >> when you put them in front of a camera, how do they react? >> they come alive.

initially when you're working with kids, it takes time. they want trust from the photographer, but once they have that, you know, kids are kids, and they enjoy being in the spotlight. >> driscoll says her efforts started paying off this year, starting in january, more than 100 companies, including zulily agreed to use disabled models in a back to school campaign. >> others have been doing this for years. >> katy has made it important to call it out and i think that's her focus as a mother of a child with a disability, that's her right and that's her passion to call that out and we're totally onboard with that. >> market researchers say the disabled represent an emerging market like china. there are over a billion disabled viewers globally, 57 million live in the u.s. using some in ads just makes

good economic sense. >> some companies like target and nordstrom say they, too, have been quietly using disabled models for years. advertising executive susan cradle degrees, diversity in advertising can be good for business, but she says it has to be authentic. >> i just think that you really have to look at who you're casting and what story you're telling in the moment and about the brand. >> driscoll calls the gap event a huge accomplishment but says using disabled models in the fashion industry and in media should become the norm, not the exception. >> do we want more? absolutely. do we want bigger exposure? definitely. >> do you think you're going to get it? >> absolutely, i'm confident. >> driscoll says her campaign has to succeed because she thinks her daughter's future dependency on it. diane esterbrook, al jazeera, illinois. >> a new miss america is wearing the crown today.

>> miss georgia! >> betty cantrell won the contest last night. she is set to take a walk on the beach in the next hour. the 21-year-old gets a $50,000 scholarship, but one of the pageant judges was making headlines last night. former winner vanessa williams returned to the contest and three decades after she was forced to give up her crown because she posed nude, she received an apology. >> i want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the miss america you are and the miss america you always will be! >> according to miss america's current c.e.o., no one still in the organization forced williams to resign. that's it for us here in new york. i'm stephanie sy, thanks for watching, have a great morning.

>> saints and sinners. friends in holy places. >> this murder links the mafia and the church. >> tracking the mob from the dark shadows to the gates of the vatican. >> there's even a mobster who's managed to take the place of the priest. >> what happens when the church stands up to the mob? as the pope visits the u.s., we take a closer look at the pope and the mafia.

>> hello, welcome to the al jazeera news hour from doha. coming up in the next 60 minutes: >> european ministers hold emergency talks on the refugee crisis at germany will continue to impose border controls for weeks to come. >> i'm very humbled by the great on or and responsibility that is being given to me today. >> leadership shakeup, malcolm turn bull defeats tony