>> they're more focused on getting jobs than our education. ahere are today's top stories. a deluge of rain causes widespread flooding in south carolina and the forecast say it could get worse, much worse. >> police have not been able to get ahold -- if he had not been able to get ahold of 13 guns, it would not have happened. >> the father of the gunman in oregon speaks out. and a new term for the

supreme court. on the agenda, cases ranging from abortion to voting rights. >> and shooting the rapids in west virginia. along one of the most exciting rivers in the world but only for a brief window of time. for the first time, we're hearing from the father of the gunman who killed nine people last week in umpqua community college in oregon. ian mercer is blaming lax gun laws for the tragedy. meanwhile, the community turns to the church for healing. many of the victims remembered at church services throughout the region on sunday.

>>reporter: outside at businesses in roseburg. >> god's was the first heart to break. >>reporter: and inside places of worship, a community is coming together to support each other in one of their darkest hours. words of comfort to church goers. >> someone hell bent on killing others is going to look for way to do that. i for one, as a follower of jesus, i dare say why should we make these malevolent schemes easier with easy access to firearms? we can do better.

for god's sake, we must do better. >> as the community grieves, the father of the shooter is speaking out publicly about the weapons his son had in his possession echoing support for uncreased gun control. >> i'm not trying to say gun control is to blame for what happened but if chris had not been able to get ahold of 13 guns, it would not have happen. >> the family i don't believe should be held responsible. it's just as shocking to them as it is for everybody else. >>reporter: sarah cobb heard the bullets last thursday morning as she sat in the classroom next door. she says she's not sure when or if she will return to school. >> i don't think the school should be opening quite that soon. it's still very hard for a lot of us. i don't think snyder is going to be the same place. >>reporter: those grieving thursday's mass shooting include local media.

the publisher of the roseburg beacon witnessed the bodies of the nine victims being dropped off here at the airport by military transport to be transferred to the medical examiner. >> two military helicopters landing, a great number of state police and then the off loads of victims' bodies. it was -- >> he was overcome with emotion and referred to the victims as our kids. chris minz, a student who survived the shooting is being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. hail as a hero, he sent a mess able from his hospital bed. >> hello, everyone. i'm doing well, and i'm overwhelmed by the support that i've gotten from everyone. i just want to wish all the other families a safe and speedy recovery and i will be talking to you guys soon.

flash flooding and endless rain is hitting city as cross south carolina. officials say it's the worst they've -- >>reporter: this is some of the strongest rain we've experienced in the past two days that we've been here in charleston but the whole state is under such a horrible situation right now. there are interstates that are completely shut down. there are roads that have actually collapsed. there's been swift water boat rescues. even a cemetery has not been spared here. just north of here some are completely under water. tomorrow schools likely closed as the governor has asked for

that. dams have broken. three people have lost their lives in this storm. the governor spoke to the citizens of the the state. >> we have not seen this level of rain in the low country in a thousand years. that's how big this is. that's how south carolina -- what south carolina is dealing with right now. some people have been going out

when they should not be doing so. this is a very dangerous situation. >> there are literally thousands of rescue workers trying to help out. tell us how those efforts are going. >> there are people caught in their homes. there are people who have been caught in their cars. swift water boat rescues by the national guard and fire department and police have been going on all day today especially in columbia, south carolina. very lard hit area. low ground area. they've been dumped on. even a helicopter went up today for air rescues. there is very, very serious. people displaced are being taken to red cross shelters around the state. we talked to someone from the red cross earlier today. >> from what i've heard, this is historical. people who have been here flu -- through hugo say this is

more water and flooding than hugo. the only thing missing is the wind. >> we don't have wind but we have rain. this is about what a hurricane looks like if you take away the wind. this is a pretty serious, dire situation here in south carolina and schools will likely be shut tomorrow and they're hoping for sun on tuesday so they can assess all this damage that's occurring. fema is on the ground but they will not be able to tell exactly what the situation is until the rain stops. that could take weeks and months to assess all this damage here in this great state of south carolina. >> it is a dire situation. officials are warning people to stay inside because of so many awful things that can happen. drowning obviously being the most obviously. but they're also concerned about contaminated water. >>reporter: big time. you think about especially where we are right now in charleston, this town is 300 years old. modern sewers don't really

compos here. they've tried updating as best they can but it's old. you can imagine the sewers bubbling up with raw sewage, bacteria and what not moving through the streets here. we're protected with the rubber boats and panted but anyone else, they may run into a bad situation with bacteria and other things floating in the water. they're very and concerned about that through the state. >> all right. robert, thank you. coast guard officials today confirm rescuers have found several objects from a lost ship. the u.s. cargo ship the oltharo has been missing since thursday during hurricane joaquin. 33 people, many americans, were aboard the ship when it went missing. air force and navy officials are helping with the rescue

operation. >> this has been a week that i have not had situations like this in my career very often. it's still continuing. let's look at what's happening here. joaquin making its way up to bermuda. it was in the bah mamas for four days. they're now getting images of what the baja mas are looking like. let's -- some people stay communities are obliterated in that area. much-needed help is on the way. the club med there, completely gone at the moment.

? kevin thank you very much. flash flooding has killed at least 16 people in the french riviera this weekend. more than six and a half inches of rain fell in two hours around caans saturday night. the rainfall brought a car and train traffic to a stand still on sunday. officials say at least three people were missing, the president of france is promising to help victims with government assistance.

the battle for syria as russian jets conduct air strikes. the political situation is shifting and after a wave of deadly violence, access to jerusalem's old stay to palestinians has been shut down.

doctors without borders responded angrily today to claims by afghan officials that its hospital in kunduz was a taliban target. 22 people died when the hospital was bombed in a suspected u.s. air strike this weekend. the afghan government said today that the hospital was targeted because the taliban was using it for military purposes. doctors without borders has denied that claim and said it implies that u.s. and fact-finding arm began forces are targeting the faunal with no regard for collateral damage.

the u.s. is promising a full investigation bashar al assad said said the campaign by russia in his country must succeed. >> it has to succeed or else we're facing the destruction of the entire region. not just one or two countries. our countries with vision and experience, we'll face terrorism, all these countries if we unite military, intelligence, and security wise as well as other means to fight terrorism, i think that this coalition's chances of success are high and not low. >> the statement came during an interview with an iranian television program. russia launched its campaign in syria last wednesday. but syrian rebel leaders tell al jazeera that russia is not targeting isil. >>reporter: what russia's involvement means for the direction of syria's war, nobody knows.

but why now? that's something a senior office ne'er the free syrian army says he knows for sure. >> russian interference in syria is a sign that assad's army is collapsing. in 2013, hezbollah's leader said we joined the war because the free syrian army is getting close to damascus. then in 2014 shiite mri thats ended because hezbollah could not protect the regime. we have russia. he show us some of the locations hit and says the islamic state of iraq and the levant has no presence here. he left aleppo ten days ago where he's in charge of the brigade protecting the government. >> russia considers anyone fighting the regime as their enemy. they did not come here to fight isil. they're bombing civilians and the free syrian army.

>> russia says it has targeted isil. we speak to a spokesman for one of the groups fighting in an area also hit by russia, idlip. >> the people are scared. when the regime bombs, they can shelter underground but russian bombs are stronger. >> this war is now into its fifth year with

turkey and now on europe as a result of this massive flow of refuge refugees. so it is really an international urgent priority to try to resolve the crisis of syria. now, we don't have a long term direct interest in syria the way the russians appear to be asserting it or the iranians apparently obviously through the years. that's not us. we want a stable, unified, secular syria where all minorities can be protected. where people can pursue their lives without oppression and int int int interference. that's what we want in syria. what the russians want we don't know but what the russians have

done is insert themselves directly into a civil and sectarian strife and i think that's very, very dangerous. >> has the russian action in recent days done anything to actually crystallize the u.s. position on assad? >> there is no convey for assad to be part of the long term future of syria because his own actions have made him unacceptable to the millions upon millions of syrians who have been affected by his choices. when 12 million syrians are wandering around displaced people, when people are being driven out of the country by his barrel bombs, torture, gassings, his army. >> there are syrian rebels fighting against assad and isis who have at least claimed they have come under russian attacks in recent days. is there anything whosoever in

which the u.s. would intervene militarily to protect those rebels? >> the president is look at all optionings right now and we've made it very clear to russia to not attack the legitimate opposition. they have said they understand. what we're looking for is not a military victory. what we're trying to do is have a legitimate transition now in order to save syria and to have a unified, secular, whole syria going forward. >> mr. secretary, thank you very much. >> my pleasure. thank you so much. >> thank you. joining us now is the former director of the cia islam strategic analysis center. i'm not sure if you were able to listen to some of that interview there but he said he he bes that russia understands that the does not want them attacking the

legitimate opposition to al assad. do you buy that? >> well, first, thank you for having me. yes, i did listen to the interview. the bigger question is whether bashar al assad should have any role in either the talks as some have claimed they are interested in or the future of assad. the fact is that russia is playing a much bigger game than the opposition. it is really trying to insert itself in the

bashar al assad contributed to the rise of terrorism including

isil, including daish in syria. were he interested in the welfare of the syrian people or the syrian state, he should have

resigned. we're five years in. it remains to see how this will play out. thank you for the conversation. appreciate it. >> a series of attacks on

palestinians against israelis has led the government to restrict access to jerusalem's old city. mike hannah explains the conflict seems to be spreading. >>reporter: the old city was in a virtual state of lockdown. for palestinians that wished to enter that is. police blocking all access gates. the security measures followed two separate night attacks overnight. two israelis killed in the first and one likely injured in the second. in each incident, the palestinian attackers, both 19, were shot dead. tour tourists continue to be allowed into the old city slowly filing through the police lines while palestinian after palestinian is being turned away. israeli citizens are as usual allowed unfetterred access but

the only palestinians benjamin netanyahu is coming under intense domestic pressure to take even stronger measures against the palestinians. even members of his own government are saying not enough is being done to combat what they call palestinian terror. throughout the day, it became increasingly clear that far from being confined to jerusalem, the

conflict was spreading throughout all occupied territory abortion, voting rights, and affirmative action, just a short list of issues the new term of the supreme court will address starting tomorrow.

monday begins a new term for the u.s. supreme court. birth control, abortion, race are some of the cases on the docket this term. lisa stark has a preview. >>reporter: last term was a block buster from the decision up holding a key part of the affordable care act to the ruling on same-sex marriage. this term's cases may not be

quite so high profile but will still have a profound

they often support millions of dollars. >> the supreme court is considering a question that has to do very much with hardworking americans' continued ability to come together through unions to advocate for better working conditions and better wages. the roberts court has been staunchly probusiness.

the justices will also take up death penalty issues but nothing that gets at the heart of capital punishment. and on the issue of abortion, the court is likely to hear arguments on a texas law that puts restrictions on clinics requiring them to be set up like surgical centers and to use doctors who can admit patients to nearby hospitals. if upheld, the regulations could force most clinics to close. >> pro choice supporters are incredibly nervous at the prospect of this supreme court because they know the supreme court has signalled to the state they're going adopt more

restrictions. >> he believes in the fact that if the people speak you should listen to them but he also believes that until the people speak, the court should not act. >> he says that commitment to democracy where legislatures make the law explains why roberters voted with liberals on the affordable care act and conservatives against same-sex marriage. >> in the affordable care act he's saying democracy acted. congress passed the law. if there's a drafting mistake, i'll help fix it. on the other hand when he gets to same-sex marriage marriage, he says i can't find anything in

the constitution about marriage, gender, and sex, so i would like to let the legislatures fix it. it's the same guy saying the same thing in both cases only it's against the background of facts and law. time after time he's delivered the goods for the conservatives. for more proof of robert's conservative leaning, you only need to compare his decisions against one of the most conservative members on the bench, anthony scalia. a former attorney for the aclu says the chief justices -- justice is also guided by

another core principle. his belief in fair enterprise. if had you to ask what is his political philosophy, it's not necessarily republican or democrat. it's what is wanted. he spent his entire private career defending. you show him a regulation and he'll show you a way to knock it down. >> he's managed to reach consensus for often than his previous counterpart. the court's divisions are deep. in the past year, more than a quarter of the decisions were on five to four splits.

turning now from washington to talk about the new year for the justice is amy howell. 48 plus cases on the docket. very busy. lots of major cases. we just picked a few to talk about. the affordable care out. it is generally the law of the land. there's a few things that still have to be decided particularly how it relates to birth control. tell us more about that. >> sure. so the affordable care act requires employers to provide their female employees with health insurance that includes access to certain forms of birth control. a little over a year ago in the hobby lobby case the supreme court held that a large cooperation that's owned by a religiously devote family does not have to comply with that

mandate if they object to birth

control. her argument is that she was the victim of racial discrimination because she said other less qualified students who were minorities did get in. the first time it was at the supreme court after many months, the court issued a 13-page opinion that sent the case back to a lower court and said you need to take a tougher look and make sure the use of race is necessary and there's no other way to have a diverse student body. it's something that the supreme court in 2003 in its decision said colleges could do. you could use race as one factor to advance your compelling interest in having a diverse student body. but the question that fischer is making is that the university of texas at austin by vir which you of the top 10% -- virtue of the top 10% already has a diverse student body and you don't need

to consider race at all. so the question now is what is supreme court is going to do with it right now. issue a relatively narrow decision saying this particular practice by the university of texas is unconstitutional, a ruling that would not necessarily go to other uses of affirmative action or something broader. we'll find that out probably at the end of june. >> we do have an election coming up soon. we also have an aging court coming up. if you had to read the tea leaves, what can you expect to change in the supreme court in the next few years? >> sure. this is going to be a really important election for the supreme court as they say for every election. the way things have gone in ways of presidents and retirements, basically the past two presidents have appointed two

justices and more or less fulfilled the same

>> don't the kids call ruth bader ginsburg the notorious rbg? >> they do. on twitter recently, they were handing out temporary tattoos with her likeness. >> she does have a sense of humor. we really appreciate the conversation. a big term starting tomorrow and i'm sure we'll be calling on you again. thank you for your time and the information. utah congressman jason chafitz today joined the race to replaceout going john boehner.

coming up we're looking at candidates for that role. hillary clinton was the guest of honor on last night's premier of saturday night live. on the show she took time to poke fun at herself and some of her rivals. >> bar tender, keep them coming. >>reporter: hillary clinton helped kick off the 41st season of saturday night live by spoofing herself. >> i'm hillary clinton. >> great name. >> all anyone wants to talk about is donald trump. >> donald trump? isn't he the one that's, like, oh, you're all losers? >>reporter: and now a message from the trumps.

he was also lampooned. >> clearly i don't hate immigrants. >>reporter: at this point in the election cycle, politics are not just the butt of late night jokes, they're the special guests too. here's jeb bush with jimmy fallon a day after announcing his run. >> jeb finally made up his mind and quit beating around the bush. >> jeb really wants to get in the white house. >>reporter: an appearance gives those running for high office a chance to appeal to younger voters. i believe in democracy.

>> please don't boo him. he's my guest. a huge gathering of whale sharks returning once again to the gulf and marine biologists want to know why.

order. it is not that complicated. the math is the math. what i've encouraged is that we get started on that work immediately. we push through over the next

croatia says more than 2,000 refugees have entered the country through syria this weekend. >> there is no humanity. people are hopeless. there is nothing to eat. people are hungry. people are starving. it is crazy there. >> it's the last stop for many before they board buses to the border with hungary. officials appear to be quickly sending them to hungary hope fading in guatemala where a mud slide buried a village on thursday killing at least 96 people. survivors and responders have been working to clear the enormous mound of earth. some believe this disaster could have been diverted. in 2008, authorities warned local government that the area was a risk zone and nobody

should live there. >> the plan right now is to get our equipment ready and get this satellite tag ready. we really want to know where the females are going because we really don't know where they give birth. hopefully the tags here can tell us more about where the females go. >> from the surface, it's impressive. from below, it's just astonishing. the sharks come here mouths agay sucking in invisible eggs. the question is what draws them?

>> we think that the secret to this place is the currents. cyclonic current. it sucks the water up. maybe also the flat forms. >> the platforms have turned into artificial reefs. they're still collects around

the platforms. we still have four females that are tagged. it's going to be real exciting to see what they do next. hopefully go on a long journey reveal where they actually give birth to their young. >> it is an unlikely sight in the heart of an oil and gas field. soon the whale sharks will disappear for the winter to return next april. the natural wonder that only goes to demonstrate how important it is to look after the oceans of the world. coming up next, the river rapids in west virginia. for six weeks every fall it's the place the most experienced rafters flock to. to be settled with a fist fight. where maybe intervention programs, mentorship and things like that can work.

>> rapids are ranked based on their difficulty. one the easiest, 5, the most difficult. here there are 14 class 4 rapids and six class 5s including this one called pillow rock. there's a sheer droppoff.

they say it's the ten most exhilarating seconds of white water rafting in north america. in the last ten years, 14 people have died but some were without a guide. there have been no fatalities the past two seasons.

something to see there. the news continues now with the very dry adam may. >> thank you very dry. this is al jazeera america. here's a look at tonight's top stories. record rainfall, the carolinas under water. the lengths to keep everyone safe and how much more is expected. >> the father of the oregon gunman is now speaking out. and the u.s. roll in afghanistan under the spotlight after an accidental bombing by american war planes. house republicans