tv News Al Jazeera September 16, 2015 7:00pm-8:01pm EDT
7:00 pm
a foreign refuge to go home to ruins. i hope that you're ready for a much longer war, but on an even more difficult peace. i'm ray suarez and that's "inside story." >> this is aljazeera america. live from new york city. i'm tony harris. violence at the hungarian border escalates. as riot police use teargas on refugees relying to break through from serbia. >> i've never heard testimony like this. never. >> tensions on capitol hill as lawmakers question the progress that's claimed against isil. >> it looks like a bomb. >> a gifted student takes a
7:01 pm
homemade clock to school and ends up arrested. why president obama and others are coming to the muslim teen's defense. >> and we begin our special coverage this week of the refugee crisis, stretching from the middle east to europe. today, desperation and frustration on the hungary/serbia border turned to violence. hung aryan police tired teargas and water cannons at hundreds of people who tried to rush a border post. hungary said that their actions were justified because they were throwing stones and other items. 20 refugees were detained and 20 police officers were injured in the violence.
7:02 pm
hungary's president condemned the brutal treatment by the police. refugees are turning to a new route through croatia. hungary said that it will build a fence over sections of its border with croatia. and we have more on today's clashes. >> as tempers flared and fires ignited, hungary's riot police stood firm. unwavering in the hardline they promised to take. water cannons may have pushed these refugees back into serbia, but they failed to extinguish their anger. >> most of the crowd is disperse odd the front line with the standoff. and the riot police are on the other side of the fence, but there of been men coming up in the last minutes urging the young men protesting in the last hour to please move back to let cooler heads prevail so in this situation calms down.
7:03 pm
the mood changed moment to moment, with defiance. when the gates opened, hundreds of refugees began streaming in. thank you, they cheered in unison. but they were met with not welcome, but rather force. parents were as stunned as their children. the young just as affected as the old. kids cried from both the teargas and the trauma they had experienced. she never imagined that she would see her eight-year-old daughter beaten by the police. >> they hit her with a baton on her head. they hit her, the hungarian police. we came death in syria, and look what happened to us here. >> he thought that he was finally preand clear to cross out of serbia, and it was the first he felt happy in days.
7:04 pm
we fell when running and they hit us and kicked us. i got hit in the eye here and also here and here. my legs and hands are injured. >> while bus rides to croatia were offered, many were too scared to venture off. after a day like today was uncertain, and several dared not move. under the cover of darkness, it was harder to see the wounds, but the pain was no less severe. on the serbian/hungarian border. >> a spokesman for hungary's prime minister told aljazeera that the police responded appropriately. >> this was a violent crowd of illegal migrants. and trying to break through the police border. we had made a gate that had been blown away by them. so in no way is it acceptable. these people are not innocent people, these people are in no
7:05 pm
way -- these are criminals at the moment. and the hungarian police -- >> officials say that the people who tried to rush past the border presented a real danger to his country. as tensions also boiled over on the greek island of les lezbos today, they used shields. the refugees must go through registration before they can be taken to increases a main land. our coverage at the bottom of the hour, i'm speak to an official. and the obama administration is pondering how to respond to russia's proposal for military be talks. moscow's idea of military to military talks, but that russia must evaluate it's support for
7:06 pm
the syrian regime. >> i spoke to prime minister laz ross for the third time in less than a week. and i made it clear that russia's support him risks the conflict. and our shared goal of fighting extremism if we don't remain focused on finding the political solution. >> kerry did not discuss russia's proposal, but he did say that the russian and u.s. aircraft not coming into contact with each other. isil operations in iraq and syria, defended his strategy before a highly sceptical armed services committee. jamie mcintyre is here, and what is the pentagon saying about the announcingment of
7:07 pm
slow and it steady progress. >> while the military emphasizes patience, the congress is losing patience with the line, saying that isil is losing ground and it's going to take time, and any u.s. robust presence on the ground, in that's what the pentagon is selling, congress is not buying. >> i've been a member of this committee for nearly 30 years, and i've never heard testimony like this, never. >> the armed services committee hearing began on a contention note and went down from there. in the hot seat, general and christine warman with policy. among the questions, what is the u.s. doing to stop the flood of refugees leaving syria and europe? why not a safe zone in northern syria? >> it's always in our best interest to help protect
7:08 pm
civilians. but again, i would not recommend a buffer zone at this point in time. >> so everything is really going well? >> no, sir, that's not -- >> the general's overall argument that progress is being made in iraq and syria, despite what he called slow mob. at the contact tall level, was met with derision, especially when the general was forced to admit that of the 54 u.s. trained syrian rebels, only a handful are still on the battlefield. >> can you tell us what the total number of trained fighters remains? >> it's a small number. the ones that are in the fight is -- we're talking four or five. >> four or five fighters, after $40 million that was supposed to train more than 5,000. but it's really good training, says the pentagon and another 120 are in the pipeline. >> the forces that we are training, while right now are
7:09 pm
small in number, and clearly are not going to reach the numbers that we had planned for, are nevertheless getting terrific training and really good equipment. and as such will be force multipliers. >> they found that argument laughable. >> as i see it right now, the four or five u.s. trained fighters, let's not kid ourselves, that's a joke. >> we have to acknowledge this is a total failure. it's just a failure. i wish it weren't so, but that's the fact. and it's time, way pastime to react to that failure. >> general austin again urged patience. >> we said at the outset that the military campaign to counter isil will take time. >> but congress is losing patience, and many called for al assad more directly. shooting down his planes, establishing a safe zone, and putting u.s. special forces on the ground to help the anti-assad and anti-isil
7:10 pm
forces. >> and tony, over at the republican debate tonight, that's exactly the argument that senator lindsey graham is making, and he says that the united states needs to send 20,000 troops into syria and iraq to confront isil directly, and put together a coalition of countries in the region in order to confront isil on the ground. and that's something that the obama administration has steadfastly refused to consider. >> jamie mcintyre with us at the pentagon! >> the butte wildfire burning near sacramento, california, has claimed it's first fatality. a body was found inside of a burned-out house. and progress with the veal fire, which has burned through 70,000 acres. 37% containment has been reported and that fire has claimed one life. the lake county sheriff's department has said that four people are missing in the fire and more victims could be found
7:11 pm
in the coming days. the death toll stands at 178 after flood flooding monday night in utah near the arizona boarder. 12boarder 12 of the victims were women and children. the families had packed into suvs to look at the floodwaters, and the vehicles were concept away by the waters. the other six victims were visitors at zion national park. and kevin, why did utah get hit so hard? it was not that much rain. >> it was just a little over 2 inches of rain, and that's what they reported. but it's the geography and how it gets funneled into the area. went to take you back and show you the radar from monday evening. you can see hilldale right here, and we had thunderstorms pushing through. we put this into motion, and we had several rounds of thunderstorms going through that particular area. but like i told tony, it's a combination of the geography across southern parts of utah
7:12 pm
where any rain gets funneled into a very small area, and of course 2 inches can go to 5 feet of floodwater in a very short time across many of these particular valleys. they are now dry, and we're talking about rain to the north as well as to the west. and we're looking at rain over parts of the fire area, over the valley fire, and that has been helping, and also bringing that relative humidity up across the region. unfortunately, over the next couple of days, the temperature across that area is going to be going up. as you can see from thursday to friday, we're looking at a rise in temperature across the region. and across the valley fire, though we're 30% contained right now, we're going to be watching that area very carefully, tony, because the temperatures are going back into the high 90s. >> that's not helpful. appreciate it. thank you. the second round of the republican primary debates underway right now. the 11 candidates with the highest poll numbers will take the stage in less than 20
7:13 pm
minutes organization, while the four lowest contenders are performing right now. michael shore is in simi valley, california, where the candidates have gathered. so michael, what should we actually watch for in the prime time debate in 20 minutes or so? >> well, the first debate, tony, if it gives you any indication of what to watch for, look to the very center of the stage because that's where the targets are right now. you'll hear a lot talk about ronald reagan, being that we're at his shining city on the hill, but they're going to be aiming straight for donald trump and hopefully be able it stay out of his way. that's what the handlers hope for, but all eyes again will be on donald trump. one month after an explosive first debate, the gop contenders are ready for round two. at a cnn debate in california.
7:14 pm
>> somebody will attack. iran, down 2%. rand will be nasty. >> they have zeroed in on trump, who transitioned from a phenomenon into a formidable be candidate >> the thing, donald donald, donald trump and donald trump. and the biggest difference is every single republican candidate not only has to take him seriously, but donald trump is the focal point. >> since the last debate, trump has stuck to his combative style, and despite attacking megyn kelly and forcing jorge out of an event, he's not the only one. the national poll shows that trump is increasing his lead, but ben carson is surging, up to 23% since august.
7:15 pm
carson took heat better questioning the black lives matter movement but since then, he has spent time in ferguson, missouri. >> people say that he's an idiot. and he only knows how to be a neuro surgeon. >> carly fiorina, who debuted in the first debate with the second tier candidates will fake the main stage monday night, proving that she deserves first tier billing. trump is ready to take on both carson and fiorina. >> i like carly and i like ben, and i like many of the people that i'm running against. i mean many of these people are terrific people, but nobody is going to be able to do the job that i'm going to do. nobody. they won't, they won't. >> other candidates haven't fared so well.
7:16 pm
rick perry suspended his, marco rubio's has stalled. and mike huckabee is down in the polls, and john kasich is struggling, but still looking to move forward. >> i don't pay of attention to the polls. i would rather be up than down, but it's a marathon and not a sprint. >> but you joined the marathon a little late. and that's pretty good progress. >> again, i am able to tell people we're doing pretty well. and they sell, we're doing well in new hampshire. but things go up and down, and right now, they're up, and that's better than being down. >> we'll take that. >> jeb bush, once considered a frontrunner, is struggling to light a fire under his cam pape. wednesday's debate will be a big one for him. >> jeb bush needs a moment. jeb bush needs to be able to transcend donald trump. or he needs to show in some way, some form or fashion that he is not only a viable
7:17 pm
alternative to donald trump, but somebody who is an attractive alternative to donald trump. >> for now, donald trump remains a frontrunner, and we're likely to see a debate centered on the man who holds center stage. >> tony, that's what they're dealing with. ten people on that stage, along with donald trump, will be looking to figure out a way to get him off of his game, to find a little break in what he has proven, thus far, to be, which is a stealth candidate. >> here's where we get really policies tonight. michael shure. toxic river, from this summer's mine'sville, they say that the water is not safe for their crops, and jimmy carter. how the 39th president is staying active in the community
7:20 pm
7:21 pm
capitol hill, epa administrator, gina mccarthy defended her response to it. >> we work with the states, and in this case, we were in a remote area, and we know we got ahold of our state partners immediately. and those partners went down and notified the national response center, and it triggered all of the appropriate notifications. >> the disaster affected waterways in colorado, utah and new mexico. and the epa said that the water quality has returned to pre-spill levels. the navajo nation also took a pretty big hit from the gold king mine spill. they rely on the river for their drinking water and livestock, but despite the assurances, many nava hose are avoiding the water and putting their livelihood at risk. >> there's nothing growing over there, nothing. >> navajos grow corn and
7:22 pm
cantaloupe. but when the toxic still made its way to the nearby san juan river, they closed their irrigation canals and stopped watering their crops. >> as you can see, i had a hayfield over here, and i lost all of hay on that side. that's just bare dirt now. >> now, instead of using river water, he uses water from his tap, in addition to water delivered by a local agency. >> carrying a bucket of water, maybe two. all the way down, and this is the only way that i was irrigating. >> tell us why you're not using the water. >> the reason, it's contaminated. and i don't want none of that contaminated water to be coming into hi field. because if it comes into my
7:23 pm
field and gets onto these crops, what's it going to do? >> this canal should be full of water, bringing much-needed irrigation water to farmers on the navajo nation, but however, the same farmers would rather lose crops than use the river water that they say is kama nateed. >> emotionally, it hurts, what happened to our water. because we're going to have to galley with it. deal with it, and we as nav hose,, we can't sell our lapped and move onto another country. there's no such thing for us. >> according to the epa, the water is safe, and some communities have resumed using it. >> the navajo nation is going by what the government is giving them. the information that they're getting from the government. but i don't trust the
7:24 pm
government at this point. >> they said that they would sue the government. and so far, they have not released the results. scott is working with the navajo citizens to conduct their own test. >> how does this different from what the epa does? >> it's over time, and identifying chemicals that that he don't look for. >> they use sponge like substances to soak up what's in the river. he said that the epa's method of taking a split second water sample isn't fair. >> in fairness to the epa, 99% are people that want to do the right thing, and they will tell you off the record that this gets into the responsible parties and the lobbying influence, and they're told to look the other way. >> the epa declined our
7:25 pm
request for an interview, but told us that they will continue to share their results as they become available. >> meanwhile, they watch their crops die as the lands dry up. >> if you love your land, you'll do anything for it, and protect it. and that's where my husband and i are. we want to protect our land and grow food. we want to have the organic food. we don't want to go to the store and have to buy whatever is over there. >> aljazeera, on the navajo nation. >> a former president to jimmy carter continues to be courageous in the face of his cancer diagnoses. he has just had the second of four planned treatments to fight the disease, and robert ray is in atlanta with more. >> reporter: it has been just over a month since jimmy carter announced that cancer in his liver had spread to his brain.
7:26 pm
on tuesday night, carter and his wife, rosalind, spoke at the carter center in atlanta. >> in spite of all that has gone on, it has been wonderful just to know that we have that kind of support. >> president carter is almost 91 years old and the cancer treatments have forced him to cancel his busy travel schedule, but it has not stopped the outspoken nobel peace prize winner so alter his opinions on international affairs. >> i would like to say to the united states people, forcefully and dealing with isis, i would not publicly favor sending ground troops n. but i think that we could have better surveillance on our bombing and better analysis of what's going on there. >> 150 miles south of atlanta is the small town of plains.
7:27 pm
carter's home his entire life. >> by the way, i have four treatments of what they call immunotherapy. it doesn't directly attack the cancer. cancer that's in my body. >> those treatments have also not stopped carter from teaching sunday school every weekend in plains. >> president carter has meant everything to the town of plains. >> take this lesson today, and use it in your everyday life. >> long time friend, jen williams, helps the carters with the sunday lens. >> when he told the world that he had cancer, the people that came to ask us how he felt, i said, well, it's a very sad day in plains. but our faith is strong.
7:28 pm
>> jimmy carter's kindness to his hometown can be felt in every block of plains, but the people are worried. >> everybody was trying right now to come up with something that the people will still come to plains. but it may not be. they come because of him. and that's what we're worried about. and i was worried about my restaurant, and i don't know how it will survive without president carter. >> i don't know if i can visualize what it will be like when he's never going to speak again, or never give me a hug or a kiss, or ask about my children or grandchildren, or myself or my husband, so i cherish every moment that we have with him. >> and you must go in with a pure heart. >> as president jimmy carter
7:29 pm
stares down cancer, plains finds a path through his teachings to the 39th president. >> up next on the program, the refugee crisis boiling over, violent clashes at border crossings. what the u.s. can do to ease the pressure on europe, and with the cost of crude and oil prices, the debate over america's export.
7:32 pm
>> i have to tell you, it was a chaotic day on the border between serbia and hungary. hungarian police fired water cannons and teargas, and refugees were injured. and hungary said that it's response was justified because the refugees were throwing stones and other items. speaking in washington, serbia's prime minister said that europe needs to come together to find a solution. >> we need a comprehensive solution that will be accepted by all eu and non-eu countries,
7:33 pm
otherwise, we'll face a humanitarian disaster. not only humanitarian, but political disaster. >> hungarian violence, the two countries have had a fairly close relationship. joining us from washington d.c., a couple of things, i'm probably going to argue a couple of sides of the story with you, so please be patient with me. as the refugee crisis grinds on here, i'm surprised that they're not doing more to settle the refugees in the country. where do you come down on that particular piece of criticism? >> well, i think things should change indeed. and right now, the numbers announced is not high, but i would like to go back to how the whole crisis, until 2013,
7:34 pm
most of the refugees that i spoke to in turkey, jordan and lebanon, were saying we want to go back to syria. peace will come back at some point and we want to go back. the idea was to not move on, but to go back to their home and villages and traditions. and since then, i think two things have happened. one, the conflict in syria becomes more and more violent at this time. and two, the warm welcome they received in turkey and lebanon and jordan is sort of drying up, because these countries have not received the assistance that they really need. so now is time, yes, to reit will settle more people and offer an orderly way to decongest the countries around syria, avoiding people going into boats and give them a chance for a legal and orderly manner. >> so i want to get back to the idea of doing more to organize this, but america for
7:35 pm
a moment, it seems to me that those who are criticizing the american response, if they want a better response to this crisis, it might help to have a vote on the president's nominee to run the lead agency, i think her name is jail smith, is that a fair critique? >> well, yes. certainly. i mean, it's very important. the agency, which is very important for american foreign policy. her nomination was made in april. and she has not been confirmed as of yet. this is far too much time in a period where the world is having far too many problems, and the movement of refugees toward europe, it's not the crisis in europe, which the europeans should address, but we have to see how we can stem that flow, and stemming the flow means providing a much better response than we have to date with refugees in jordan and turkey and lebanon.
7:36 pm
>> so here's another argument that's put forward, not just by vladimir putin, but certainly by the u.s. president, that the u.s. policy in iraq, first of all, providing recruits for isis, and abusing the resolution in libya without a viable leadership team to replace gadhafi, and then putting down the demand that assad had to go with no real way to make that happen, that those u.s. actions in the region have led to the refugee crisis, and that because of that, the u.s. needs to do more to solve the problem. what are your thoughts on that? >> well, you've brought lots of elements in that. i think in libya, the u.s. was not alone, there was a coalition, and it went beyond the security council resolution, but initially, it was endorsed by all of the countries, and the u.s. was
7:37 pm
leading if a the back, but they had very strong allies in europe, so to put the blame on the u.s. goes too far. what we have is a global crisis. half of the population of syria is displaced, the neighboring countries are bursting at the seam. and even in arab countries, it compels all of us do a much more. first on much more aggressive policier towards seeking peace in syria. it's true that the administration policy toward syria has been ebbing in and out over the past few years, and so that should be strengthened, and certainly now is the time to move forward. and two, to address the humanitarian cost of that war that does not stop, in a much more determined manner. and the u.s. is a leader in the world, in addressing all of these crisis, and it should step up its response right now.
7:38 pm
>> michelle, thank you for your time. michelle is the president of refugees international, and joining us from washington d.c. thank you for your time. >> thank you very much. on sunday, we would invite you to join us here at aljazeera america for our special report, desperate journeys, a global crisis, and it airs at 9 p.m. eastern. a tsunami watch has been issued for hawaii following a major earthquake off of the coast of chile. it hit just about half an hour ago off the coast. it was a nag attitude 8-point 3. so that's sizeable. buildings suede in santiago 50 miles away, and aftershocks continue. the federal reserve is expected to make a long-awaited announcement tomorrow about interest rates. officials met today to it
7:39 pm
discuss whether or not to raise rates for the first time in nine years, but as patricia explains, not everyone agrees that the time is right for a rate hike. >> the last time the federal reserve raised interest rates was back in 2006. but after the great recession hits, they slashed rates to near zero to encourage people to spend money and entice them to buy houses and kick-start economic growth to create jobs. and it has worked to a agree. the economy is growing, slowly but steadily, while the unemployment rate has plummeted to 5.1%. but that takes care of only one the fed's objectives. by law, they have to ensure price and financial stability and this is where the economists agree on the timing of the rate hike. inflation has been running well below the tart for over three years, and the situation grows
7:40 pm
worse as the oil prices drop and strengthens against other currencies. higher labor market will force the wages up as. and they hope that the oil prices and the strong dollar will ease up. but others say that it's a mistake to raise u.s. interest rates, especially when the global economy is weakening, because the higher rates here will pull even more money out of emerging economies, and the u.s., is turbo charging the dollar, which makes it didn't to buy u.s. goods overseas. that cuts into corporate profits and could curb job creation. to deflation, it would encourage consumers to sit on their cash instead of spending it, grinding economic growth it a halt. choking off a budding recovery there, plunging the country back into a trap of weak growth
7:41 pm
and falling prices. while in 2011, the european central bank hiked rates and sent prices tumbling. what are the officials to do? all they can do is make the right moves at the right time. >> now to the price of oil. it shot up and traded today, but oil prices still remain relatively low, and that has lawmakers renewing calls to lift export ban since 1973, and i think that we saw this coming. ali velshi has it. >> reporter: up, and 240 a barrel, 4715 a barrel. we never say closing because oil never stops trading unlike stocks. prices moved up on inventory, but oil prices are a 60% drop from where oil was in june of 2014. and that's basically because the market is flooded with oil. now, the international agency
7:42 pm
forecasts that the u.s. is going to cut production in 2016, and the output will drop by 9% next year, and that's because america, if you're fracking, you need it to be 45 or higher to make it worthwhile. and 47 bucks, it doesn't pay. goldman sachs say that there's so much out there that it will drop to $20 a barrel. they don't make this up. it's good news if you're a consumer, great news for winter, but it's already having an impact on the jobs in the oil industry. the jobs report in august showed that there were 1100 jobs lost in extraction this year, and an additional 270,000 jobs lost in the support industries. prospects are not looking great either. big oil companies are cutting their budgets, so bottom line, we wait today out, and these
7:43 pm
companies regular saying they don't think that the price is going to jump by $10 or more any time soon, so they're pulling people out. >> gotcha. and lawmakers announced removing the oil export ban, and what would that mean for the oil industry. >> it depends on who you ask, but since 1973, since the oil embargo, the nixon administration said that you can't export oil from america. the point was to be energy independent. and the bottom line, the house republicans announced plans to lift the export oil ban, and they said that lifting the crude oil doesn't make sense. there's not enough demand in the united states, the point is exporting the crude oil, and democrats say that if you do that, it's going to make gas prices higher for americans. but here's what the department of energy says, it says if you do not allow the export of oil, and you do not allow it to come up to a level that's sustainable, you're going to
7:44 pm
see these closures and these layoffs, and american production dropping, and productioning dropping means prices likely going up. so it is saying that you want to export the oil so the american companies can stay in business. >> what's on the line tonight? >> we're looking into the refugee crisis, and talking one-on-one with a family that crossed borders, and sweden, we're hearing hearing from those in the united states who want to bring their loved ones in. >> you can watch ali velshi on target, 7:30 pacific time on aljazeera america. still ahead on the program, a revolutionary pope. from marriage to evolution. how he stands on social issues, and how he'll be received in the united states, and landing a muslim teenager in jail, and the outpouring of support he's getting on the internet.
7:47 pm
7:48 pm
so it was really sad that she took the wrong impression of it, and i got arrested for it later that day. >> school officials thought that akmad mohamed's clock might have been an explosive device. he was handcuffed and taken to a detention center where he was fingerprinted and had mugshots taken, and now akmad is getting support from the white house. the president sent out this message on twitter. cool clock, akmad, you want to bring it to the white house in we should inspire more kids like you in science, and that's what makes america great. he met with reporters today. and after the case was dropped, his father said that he's grateful for ther support that he's receiving from around the country. >> it's touching the heart, and that is america. [ unintelligible ]. >> akmad said in the future,
7:49 pm
he hopes to attend m.i.t., but for now, he'll go to another high school. >> coming up at 8:00, the refugee crisis across europe, the brutality, the confusion, and the search for a new home away from the war. we're on the ground with the very latest, and i'll talk with a human rights lawyer about the mistreatment refugees are living through every single day. lobbying congress, comedian, jon stewart, the former daley show host was there today, but not there for a laugh, but for fund being. his message to politicians about 9/11 responders, and also tonight, ending your life with someone else's help. california could be the fifth state to authors medical aid in dying. some legislators have already passed the bill. the heated debate over
7:50 pm
so-called death with dignity. and both sides and a governor who has not made a decision. and plus, david gregory, the former moderator of meet the press. talking to him about his faith and how it's the biggest focus of his new book. >> the biggest journey of my life. it's a centerpiece of who i am and who i hope to become. i have never experienced anything impactful personally, as deep thing faith. and the relationship with god. and the reward that comes from feeling grounded in faith. >> a new chapter in his life, very interesting interview, and we'll have those stories and more in just a few minutes, tony. >> adam may, thank you. pope francis is not one to back away from controversy. his recent comments on abortion and divorce and evolution have shaken up the catholic church. here's jonathan betz. >> reporter: it's one the
7:51 pm
world's oldest faiths, with the leader pushing new boundaries on controversial topics, from gays to abortions. pope francis stunned the world when he declared the upcoming year a year of mercy, when priests can forgive women who have terminated pregnancies. he wrote, the forgiveness of god cannot be reprehensive. and the many women scared by the agonizing decision. but abortion is a sin according to roman catholic teaching. subject to automatic excommunication. and the pope is welcoming divorce as back into the church. >> they're not at all excommunicated and they should not be treated as such. they still belong to the church. >> then there was the moment he was asked about gay priests.
7:52 pm
his words heard around the world. >> if someone is gay and seeks god, who am i to judge? shocking to many catholics, and widely viewed as an indication of a softer stand to the church's tradition of homosexuality and the church even weighed in on climate change. in a 180 page letter, he appeared to criticize capitalism, writing, our politics are subject to technology and finance, and there are too many special interests and economic interests that easily end up trumping the common good, and manipulating so their own plans last name be affected. >> on other topics, the pope, who has a degree in chemistry, has worked to bridge the gap between fact and faith. >> god is not a magician, he said. evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation. because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve. but there was one topic some
7:53 pm
wish that he would be more forceful on. sexual abuse in the church. survivors advocate that they want pope francis to stop defending lawsuits against priests, and end the secrecy with those who have been punished. pope francis has quickly removed guilty clergy members, and he publicly questioned victims at the vatican. but it left activists disappointed. >> what we heard in the hearing is defensive obstruction. we saw denial, and we saw disrespect for the sir viewers in the room, and really, the holy sea was also acted offended that it was being questioned about sexual violence. >> but porters say that pope francis has shown himself to be very responsive on many issues. a shepherd, they say, preaching a softer, and more inclusive message. jonathan betz, aljazeera. >> joining us now to discuss
7:54 pm
the upcoming papal visit to the united states, the chair in physiology, patrick hornbeck, good to see you. how long has the pope been pope now? 2 and a half years. >> 2013. >> what has it been like to do what you do at your university and have this pope? this particular pope with this personality? >> you know, tony, it has been an incredible journey, most people, when jorge stepped out in 2013, most people had no idea who he was and the sorts of changes that he would bring, and the change in tone that he would bring to the catholic church. so it has been a real ride. and so this visit to dc and philadelphia and new york, it's like the world series. >> it is, right? >> absolutely. >> is it really his goal to liberalize? i keep hearing the labels?
7:55 pm
>> as americans, we're used to thinking about the difference between our left and our right. and pope francis' agenda cuts across those. so he's going to come to congress next week, and he'll be the first hope to address t. and republicans are not going to be happy about what he says about immigration, and democrat -- and his agenda doesn't line up with what we think about traditional american politics. >> i have to ask you. have you been surprised -- you mentioned a couple of items that he has taken on, have you been surprised at his willingness to take on issues like same-sex marriage, divorce? what has surprised you. >> one of the biggest things about the pope, he's a member of the jesuit order. >> tell me why that's important. >> the founder of the jesuits said that he wanted to hear when people disagreed with him. so it has been a big piece of how the jesuits have been in
7:56 pm
the order in the world. and they are required to say when they disagree. so catholicism, you think of people marching in lockstep and agreeing with the party line, and this pope, there's a senate on the family coming up in a couple of weeks, and he said i want to hear the disagreement and see where the different points of view are, and that makes people nervous. >> conservatives, i read this, and i don't know how it is, but it's good to have you here, and we can talk about it. there's something of a conservative revolt going on now. and is there anything to that? >> yeah, i think there are conservative bishops and cardinals and commentators who are much more vocal in criticizing his agenda than liberal ones were about criticizing the agenda of conservative popes. >> is that because he's moving too fast? >> for many people, catholicism means a lack of change, and
7:57 pm
staying true to what they think to be unchanging realities which have been around for centuries. and i can tell you as a historian, the church has changed in many ways, who is ordained and the doctrines and so forth so the notion of change is scary. >> style and substance. how much real substance in terms of changing to doctrine, and how has the pope been changing. >> there are some changes that could be made. i don't think that we'll see a bunch of significant changes with this pope in the actual teaching, but we'll see a different light on how the teaching is implemented. he talked about annulments this week, and he didn't say how the catholics can divorce, but he did say, here's a way out. >> oh, boy, patrick, good to have you on. and you'll be with us. that's all of our time for this
7:58 pm
news hour, and thanks for being with us. i'm tony harris in new york. adam may will be back in a couple of minutes, and see you back here. finance. >> could actor daniel craig be the latest super pac scam victim? an ali velshi, on target, special investigation. >> as the global refugee crisis intensifies... >> they have travelled for weeks, sometimes months. >> and the e.u. struggles to cope... >> we don't know, they stop us here. >> what's being done while lives hang in the balance? >> we need help now.
8:00 pm
104 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
Al Jazeera America Television Archive The Chin Grimes TV News Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on