progress in stopping theel elephants from disappearing in decades. >> you can see the full program at 2230 greenwich meantime on al jazeera. and you can catch up with all the day's news on the website. aljazeera.com. ♪ republican contenders pile on the insults against donald trump, but this morning the g.o.p. front runner is not the candidate being talked about the most. general motors reaches a settlement over the ignition switch problem. and riot police deployed in croatia, as thousands of refugees cross the border from

hungary. this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. republican presidential candidates this morning are assessing the impact of their performances at wednesday night's debate. the top 11 squared off on issues, but it was clear from the start front runner donald trump was the big target. david shuster has the highlights and low lights of the debate. >> reporter: at the reagan library, the republicans mentioned the former president more than a dozen times. >> ronald reagan knew how to go big and bold -- >> i'm on the reagan side of this -- >> i think i actually flew on this plane with ronald reagan when i was a congressman. >> reporter: the political world, though, is far different than 30 years ago. and this group hit hard. >> first of all rand paul

shouldn shouldn't even be on this stage. >> reporter: they tak taken -- tangled from the start. >> his visceral attack of people's appearance. that happened in junior high. are we not tall above that? >> i never attacked him on his looks, and believe me there is plenty of subject matter right there. >> jeb bush tried to hit trumps ties to democrats. >> you got hillary clinton to go to your wedding. maybe it works for hillary clinton -- >> excuse me, jeff -- i was a businessman, i got along with clinton. that was my job. >> the simple fact -- >> one second. >> more energy tonight, i like that. >> reporter: trump and carly fiorina argued over their business records. >> why should we trust to you

manage the finances of this country any differently than you managed your businesses. >> we don't want to hear about your businesses. you know who is not successful, the middle class in this country who is getting plowed over by barack obama and hillary clinton. carly fiorina was asked if she believed trump was talking about her persona when he talked about her face keeping her from being elected. >> i think women all over this country knew exactly what mr. trump was referring to. >> reporter: a few candidates went out of their way to avoid clashes. >> if the united nations

military should -- if you are not putting men and woman in a position where they can win. >> reporter: mike huckabee painted a grim picture of the iran nuclear deal. towards the end the debate veered into lighter territory. >> 40 years ago i smoked marijuana, and i admit it. i'm sure other people may have done it and may not want to say it in front of 40 million people. >> reporter: they were asked what code name they would want from the secret service. >> ever-ready. it's very high energy, donald. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> mr. trump? >> humble. [ laughter ] >> david shuster, al jazeera. stocks are down slightly this morning as investors cautiously wait to hear the federal reserves decision on interest rates. the fed has been debating

whether to hike rates for the first time in nine years. i spoke with a con trib biting editor and banker, he argued raising interest rates will benefit the average american. >> people on fixed income and savers are getting decimated by the fed's policy, because the return they get, mine is like 6 basis points, that's nothing. who benefits? people who make money from money. the fed works for wall street. zero interest policy benefits wall street and the people who make money from money. >> but as patricia sabga explains not everyone agrees that the time is right for a rate tyke. >> the last time the federal reserve raised interest rates was back in 2006, but after the great recession hit the feds slashed rates to near zero to

encourage people to spend money and other things to kick start economic growth and create jobs. and it has worked to do a degree. the economy is growing, slowly but steadily, while the unemployment rate has plummeted to 5.1%. but that takes care of only one of the fed's objectives. the fed also has ensure price and financial stability. and this is where economists disagree on the timing of the next rate hike. inflation has been running well below the fed's 2% target for over three years and the situation has grown worse as oil prices have dropped and the dollar has strengthened. some reason that a tighter labor market will force wages up as employer bid for the best workers. they all thes believe the impact of low oil prices and a strong dollar will eventually ease up. but others think it is a mistake

to raise u.s. interest rates especially when the global economy is weakening, because higher rates here will pull more money out of emerging economies into the u.s., turbo charging an already strong dollar which is making u.s. goods more expensive to buy overseas. as for prices it's low inflation tips into deflation it will encourage consumers to sit on their cash instead of spending it, grinding economic activity to a halt. japan raised rates and choked off a budding economy, plunging the country back into a trap of weak growth and falling prices. so what is a fed official to do? >> well, all they can do is weigh the evidence and hope they make the right move at the right time. now the fed is expected to put out its decision around 2:00 pm eastern today. in a little over an hour the

justice department is expected to detail a settlement with general motors over deadly ignition switch problems. >> reporter: laura christian had hoped season at general motors would be held criminally responsible for dhaet of her daughter. she died in a 2005 crash causeded by the ignition switch shifting out of the run position, disabling her power steering and air bags while the car was rolling. the company new about the problem for more than a decade before instituting a retall. it admits the problem lead to at least 124 deaths and hundreds of injuries, but by settling with the government no one at gm or

anywhere else is expected to face charges. the company itself will be criminally charged with covering up the ignition flaw, and the company will have to pay a nearly $1 billion fine. that's less than the $1.2 million toyota had to pay in march of 2014 for the sudden and in some cases fatal acceleration of its cars. >> we have apologized, but that is just one step in the journey to resolve this. >> reporter: since the ceo took over in 2013, gmrshgz has agreed to compensate victims or their families at looets $1 million each. the company has always paid a $35 million fine to the national highway traffic safety administration, and fired or disciplined 20 employees as a result of an internal investigation. >> everyone who was engaged on the ignition switch issue had the responsibility to fix it, no one took responsibility.

>> reporter: john henry smith, al jazeera. cleanup is underway in chile where residents are still feeling after shocks from a powerful earthquake. it hit off of the coast of northern chile last night. at least ten people were killed. the quake caused homes to collapse and some sue mawny waves flooded some towns. refugees demand more help on their desperate journey across europe. the latest target croatia, where refugees are trying to get through the border.

>> 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.

back to our top story, last night's republican presidential debate. foreign policy was a big part of it, and it is also high on the minds of republican voters. we are joined via skype this morning by coreen. let's get into some of the highlights with this sound bite from carly fiorina. >> russia is a bad actor, but vladimir putin is someone we should not talk to, because the only way he will stop is to sense strength and resolve on the other side. >> was that part of a theme of

disengagement? >> there was a split between the candidates on stage. there is definitely -- half of them basically did advocate this, be tougher, put more money into the military, be colder when we'll dealing with people who are not our allies, and she did make the biggest dinger on that when she talked about not even speaking to putin anymore. there were a number that advocated a different position, but they were drowned out, because the stronger voices on stage really pushed into this. the rand pauls and john kasiches, and even donald trump a little bit was trying to pull back from that. >> yeah, let's listen to a little bit of what trump said. he has what you might call an ut orthodox strategy to the war in syria. >> syria is a mess. look at what is going on with isis. we're fighting isis, isis wants

to fight syria, why are we fighting isis in syria? let them fight each other and pick up the remnants. >> is anyone saying what trump is saying is a serious option? >> if you kept listening he also said he would do a better job at running the world because everybody would like him a lot, including putin and everybody else. i don't think people are looking for hard cracking foreign policies from trump. he revealed that he didn't know that much. and he stuck to his guns on that. there was a moment when he was asked to defend that position, and he said i'll get the team together when i'm president and i'll know what i need to know then, and i'll degait what i don't. >> let's listen to what jeb bush said. >> your brother and your brother's administration gave us barack obama because it was such

a disaster those last three months that abraham lyndon couldn't have been elected. >> you know what, as it relates to my brother, there's one thing i know for sure. he kept us safe. >> what footing is jeb on when it comes to foreign policy in the middle east when some say that his brother's actions lead to the rise of isil. >> yeah. it's hard for jeb bush to distance himself from his brother and his father, the last two republican presidents, because he assembled a foreign policy team that selects a lot from the people that worked for them. and he is going to try to take this role throughout the campaign of not necessarily sticking to everything that his brother did but sort of defending him as well. so you have got this situation where a few people came to bush's defense, and said that was a good thing that happened

and obama screwed everything up. and a few people said no, bush really screwed things up. >> from the "washington post." i apologize if you are hearing that fire drill go off behind me, but you stuck to your points and i appreciate your incites on this morning. thank you. a new warning over the antidepressant paxil. rech issers -- researchers say it is dangerous for teenagers. a top border crackdown in hungary is forcing thousands of refugees to travel elsewhere, and now croatia is bearing the brunt of the crisis. 6500 people have traveled by bus there in the last 24 hours.

the country says it will welcome refugees and provide safe passage to the capitol, but they are warning they don't have anymore room. e.u. ministers will meet next wednesday to try to help countries experiencing this flow of refugees. here in the u.s., there is also a debate over undocumented migrants. many take drastic steps to stay in this country, including claiming sanctuary. but has jennifer london reports it is no longer a sure fire way to keep from being deported. >> reporter: in a small room, this woman waits and counts the days she has been living here. >> translator: almost 400 days. >> reporter: last august, with deportation orders in hand she walked through the doors of south side presbyterian church

eaching sanctuary. she brought one small suitcase thinking she would be back home in a few weeks. two weeks turned into 13 months and counting. >> the decision to enter sanctuary is our last resort to fight our case. >> reporter: if she leaves even to steal a few minutes with her family, she could be detained. it would take less than an hour to send her south across the border, so she hides in plane sight, missing birthdays and baseball games with her boys. >> translator: we always shared very much like a family. we used to do everything close together. and they do come here, but i'm not there for each of those activities anymore. >> it is a cruel moment, many families are being attorney apart. >> reporter: why should she be allowed to stay here? >> she came in with a visitor's

visa. now she overstayed the time she was admitted for. but i guess my -- my thinking is, is through her sweat equity, she has earned a place in america. she is a little league mom. she drives kids to games. she works in the snack bar. she is active in her church. she is active in her kids' schools. >> reporter: she is one of 12 people who have sought sanctuary putting their faith in a higher power and this policy memory, saying deportation orders will not be carried out at sensitive locations such as schools and churches. rosa has become sort of a local hero here in tucson. in neighborhoods across the city you'll find signs like this, we standing with rosa. there are 9,000 of them. supporters are organizing rallies, sending letters to the whites and trying to use the power of social media.

but still, she waits, something francisco perez cordova knows all about. he spent three months living in sanctuary at this church in tucson. we first met him last october. his case was ultimately dismissed last december and he has been reunited with his wife and five children. >> i feel like a real person. like -- like a regular person. >> [ inaudible ] my partner there, because we got married because we love each other and we decide to be a partner for life, so when i was by myself, no one was with me. >> why perez cordova's case has been resolved and rosa's remains in legal limbo is unclear. her attorney says president obama's executive action on immigration only goes so far,

and she's not opt missionic washington will find a workable solution. >> i don't think we will ever come up with a statutory scheme that makes sense of migration. the idea that we have nation state borders that we want to enforce with walls and military intervention solutions and that kind of thing is really sort of an archaic idea. >> reporter: there are people that will hear your story and they will say you should be deported back to mexico. you don't belong here, and you don't have a right to stay here. what do you say to those people? >> translator: we ask to be given an opportunity to stay in the u.s. we came to the u.s. to work. we have made our life here. we have never committed any crime. >> reporter: how long are you willing to stay here? how long are you willing to hide out in this church? >> translator: i have faith, and i hope it will not be very long. i want to continue this fight for my children. even if it were one more year or

two years. live day by day, and that's how i make it easier for myself. >> reporter: for now rosa finds support and solace in nightly prayer vigils, and praise for the day she can stop counting. >> our special coverage of the refugee crisis continues throughout the week, and join us this sunday when i host a separate report. it airs at 9:00 pm eastern, 6:00 pm pacific. just ahead the show of support for the texas teen handcuffed for making a clock. now he has been invited to stay at the white house.

>> farm workers striking in mexico...

a teen in texas is thanking his supporters after police dropped charges against him for bringing a homemade clock to school. >> thank you so all of my sup pores on twitter, facebook, all social media. i would have never gotten this far if it wasn't for you guys. >> he says he brought in the invention to impress teachers and classmates, and instead this happened. the 14 year old was cuffed, arrested, suspended. he says he now plans to transfer schools. >> i hope that we can take a

lesson from this, you know, rush to judgment from this overreaction to show respect to young talent and not to prejudge them because of their faith, but look at their faith, look at their contribution and see them as a bright young future. >> president obama even tweeted his support, he invited the teen to bring his invention to the white house for an event next month. there is growing concern about the world's threatened ocean. it is warned that humans are plundering the sea and many creatures have died an at alarming rate. >> reporter: the world wildlife fund says the world's oceans have lost more than 50% of their vertebrae populations over the past four decades, half of the fish, mammals, birds, and reptiles that depend on the

oceans are gone. some fish species have declined by almost 75%. the organization tracked thousands of marine animal populations around the globe since 1970. it says the decline is more serious than previously thought. not only are the vertebrates disappearing, but their habitats are being destroyed and degraded. the report shows half of the world's corral reefs and half all of all sea grasses have been destroyed. over 25% of all marine species live in corral reefs, yet they cover less than .1% of the ocean. >> we can see in the distance there, the industrialal development. >> reporter: the world wildlife fund says humanity is collectively mismanaging the oceans to the brink of collapse.

the report says the biggest drivers of the decline are human actions, including overpopulation. the global population is expected to grow by another 2 billion to reach 9.6 billion by -- 2050, a 300% increase in ship traffic over the past two decades, 14 to $35 billion in subsidies that encourage overfishing, and global warming. the organization estimates that at current rates corral reefs could disappear entirely by 2050 because of warmer, more acidic water. richelle carey, al jazeera. thanks for watching. i'm stephanie sy. the news continues next live from doha. ♪

>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello, and welcome to the al jazeera news hour. i'm martine dennis in doha, with the word's top news stories coming up in the next 60 minutes. riot police are deployed in croatia as thousands of refugees travel across the border from hungary. a coup in burr key nassau fa as gunfire is heard in the capitol. as the military claims that it