hi, everyone. this is al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler. devastation, searching for survivors. [ sirens blaring ] recovering the dead, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocks afghanistan and pakistan. under fire. >> some places because those lines are arcing away from each other, we have a crisis of violent crime in some of our major cities. >> the fbi director says violent

crime may be up because of criticism of police. what is the evidence does us? cancer causing, the world health organization warning about bacon and processed meat. tonight a closer look at the link and health inequality. plus we talk to the founder of the fewgies, how the grammy winner returned to his native haiti and helped elect a new president. ♪ and we begin with the most powerful earthquake to hit south asia in a decade. a 7.5 tremendousor that hit afghanistan and pakistan, killing at least 338 people. the u.s. says it is ready to provide help. the quake which was north of afghanistan was felt as far away

as india. richelle carey reports. >> reporter: in kabul the earthquake struck during the afghan news broadcast, forcing the anchor to flee. outside ambulances raced through the city streets. while residents carry the injured into crowded hospitals. inside chaos. and a heart breaking scene as this man carried the body of a young student, one of 12 girls killed when their school collapsed, some reportedly died during a stampede as the children tried to get out of the shaking building. >> translator: this is the strongest earthquake which has happened in our country in recent years in afghanistan, including the stern of -- center of the country. >> reporter: monday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake spread beyond afghanistan into pakistan. where hundreds are reported dead.

buildings and homes hundreds of miles from the quake's epicenter were reduced to rubble. scores of injured and dead arrived at the hospital by car or taxi. >> translator: the numbers may increase as the situation looks very bad. we declare emergency here in the hospital. we have enough doctors and are doing our best to treat the affected people. >> reporter: in india, after shocks swayed buildings in new delhi. >> translator: it has kept everything at a stand still, so everything has been disturbed. the traffic system, people here were terrified because of the earthquake. >> reporter: in washington the obama administration stayed it stood ready to help. >> thes a a substantial usaid presence in both of these countries, and there are a number of pre-positioned

emergency shelter and relief supply kits in warehouses throughout afghanistan. >> reporter: the full extent of the damage will take some time to be known. rescue operations are still being mounted in remote areas. richelle carey, al jazeera. new developments tonight in the dispute over waters in the south china sea. the u.s. plans to challenge china east territorial claim to the area. al jazeera has confirmed the pentagon plans to send a u.s. navy destroyer to the region. it's a move china has repeatedly warned against. jamie mcintyre is at the pentagon. >> reporter: for months the u.s. has said it's not going to recognize china's claim to territorial waters in the south china see -- sea, and the authorize ration has been given for the guided missile cruiser to conduct what the pentagon

calls a freedom of navigation mission within the territorial waters claimed by china in the south china sea. these are around what the pentagon says are man-made islands, reefs that china has built up by pouring sand on them and put landing strips and other infrastructure. china says these islands have been there forever, and they have a right to them. when the chinese president xi made a visit to washington last month both presidents made their position clear. >> we had candid discussions on the east china seas. >> translator: islands in the south china sea since ancient times are the rightful property

of china. >> reporter: this mission, which the pentagon says is to challenge what it calls excessive maritime rights is not aimed particularly at china. last year the u.s. military conducted these kinds of missions against the territorial claims of 19 different countries, but they say there is a principle here that these international waters need to stay free for transit and they are going to exercise that right. and the u.s. has already flown a plane over these islands. in that case the chinese warned the u.s. plane to steer away. they were warnings the u.s. ignored. john. >> so other than the principle what is the strategy here. >> reporter: to exercise the rights by simply steering a ship within those 12-mile limit to demonstrate that the u.s. is not going to recognize that.

the question is will china take any sort of confrontational action. if the past is a guide, we'll hear angry words and warnings from the chinese military, and the u.s. will ignore those, and the u.s. and china will continue to disagreement over whether china has any right to these waters around these reefs. now to the refugee crisis in europe. the numbers are staggering, 60,000 people tried to enter slovenia just this past week. the government has sent armed forces to the border. now more than a dozen european leaders have finally unveiled a plan. paul brennan has more. >> reporter: from high above the fields a river of humanity. a drone captures the overwhelming scope of the refugee crisis. thousands of men, women, and children walk through a vast countryside streaming from one

camp to another. this extraordinary footage is from near the border of croatia and slovenia, the pictures are powerful, and the numbers keep climbing. more than 43 million people around the world are displaced, the most in decades. millions are from war-torn syria, flooding into europe. some are met with open arms. many are not. and we have seen the images. of children crawling under fences. of police turning water cannons on migrants, of guards tossing food to the desperate, and the body of a young boy cradled on the seashore. this weekend european leaders agreed on a 17-point plan toed a dress the refugee influx. it calls for larger centers providing better shelter, stepping up efforts to reduce

trafficking and smuggling. it is a promise for now, nothing more. the world can only hope it will be fulfilled. video has surfaced of a dramatic rescue off of the coast of turkey. they spotted a life jacket after a refugee boat capsized. wrapped inside an 18 month old baby. he was rushed to the hospital is has now been reunited with his family. the israeli military says it has hit targets inside gaza after gunmen fired rockets into southern israel. in hebron, palestinian officials say a man was shot and killed during clashes with israeli forces. the new violence comes with a new round of diplomacy. >> reporter: over the weekend the secretary of state john

kerry met with palestinian president abbas, and after that meeting, he called on leaders to lead. he said that the measures must be taken to try to tamp down the violence, the cycle of violence that has been escalating over the last few weeks, but the statement we have heard tonight here in brussels from president abbas there was no indication that he was going to make a call for the end to the violence. he was blaming it very much on the israelis, and the key issue that he raised was not only the fact there was no political horizon, no hope for the youth and the new generation of palestinians. he was saying that the israelis have changed the status quo on the nobel sanctuary, the temple mount, the al-aqsa mosque, this is the third most holy shrine in islam, and the most holy shrine for the jewish religion as well.

and he said there were incursions the israelis were lying, that was i think referring to increased activity by jewish religious leaders and their wish to get into the compound to have prayers at what is their holiest site. he was claiming that on the cycle of violence that we're seeing. he didn't make any call for tamping down that violence, and that i think is exactly what we didn't expect, because john kerry, the u.s. secretary of state was asking leaders on both sides to try to get this violence to end. we didn't hear that from president abbas tonight. crime rates in many u.s. cities have spiked in recent months. now fbi director james comey is weighing in on a possible cause. he says the criticism that followed a series of police shootings over the last year

they have had a chilling effect on law enforcement. >> reporter: his comments have ignited a controversy. he says the recent increase in crime nationwide may in part be because police officers are under increased scrutiny. >> black rights matter! >> reporter: and he also points a finger at the national debate over the black lives matter movement. >> each time something interprets this as anti-law enforcement one line moves away. and each time within interprets hashtag police lives matter, the other line moves away. and maybe that's why we have a crisis of violent crime in some of our major cities in this country. >> reporter: he talked about the so-called ferguson effect, the idea that police across the country have pulled back, slowed down law enforcement. in response to the protests over

the shooting of michael brown. comy said he couldn't be sure that was happening, but he said it was common sense. amnesty international director reacted, saying: the obama administration appears to agree. white house spokesman josh earnest dismissed the fbi director's theory. >> the available evidence at this point does not support the notion that law enforcement officers around the country are shying away from fulfilling their responsibilities. >> reporter: this was the second time in a week that comey spoke about the concern that police officers are under the microscope. >> in many other cities, we're seeing an explosion of senseless

violence. we must stair at this problem, to big your out why it's happening and what we can do about it. >> reporter: critics point out an essential irony, if there is a ferguson effect, then it suggests that law enforcement actually relies on questionable or abusive practices. >> i'm joined by president of the associated licensed detectives of new york state. good to see you again, gill. >> thank you. >> what is your reaction? >> some of it that is his opinion. he talks to police chiefs all over the country -- >> not very scientific. >> it isn't, because he is really generalizing, and i think a lot of police chiefs they hear that their police officers are not, you know, doing their jobs as they should be, i think they have a negative reaction to that, so i think that in a sense he is toned through like baltimore is concerned when all of the rioted happens, maybe the

police backed off a little bit, but i don't think that's across the united states i don't think that's the case. >> this is such a hot topic without the evidence you sort of wonder why the fbi director would step into it. on the one hand you could t-off police on both sides. >> yeah, for fbi to say that -- and he's talking to police chiefs and making those statements, i think he'll probably get a little backlash from saying these things. so i think he has to be really careful, the fbi is a lot different than the patrol officer on the street. >> talk about why that is different, and why the fbi stepping into a local policing matter? >> i don't know if he is stepping in it. i think he is giving an overall opinion on what is happening with the police. but everybody has a right to

demonstrate against police brutality, but when it comes to these demonstrations hating the police and going after them, i think it perpetuates the killing of police officers in the sense where you have these people that are mentally ill who will see this, and to make a name for themselves they will shoot police officers. >> but do protests cause police officers to get killed? >> there's a possibility. there were two officers in new york city that got assassinated. i think he listened to the demonstrations, and he wanted to kill himself, and he decided to go to new york city. >> there's no way to know why a crazy person kills somebody is there? >> you don't know, however, through the experience i'm talking about, and how the climate is today with all of this anti-police stuff it breeds that kind of hatred.

>> do you think every day officer on the street is really being effected by these protests in the way they do their job? >> no, definitely not. >> you are saying they do their job no matter what even if they are being criticized. >> even if they are being criticized, they will do their job. however, i think it has a lot to do with their backing up either the police commissioner or the mayor of the town, if they back them up. if they don't here in new york they had a problem where they subsided a little bit as far as taking police action. that's all be taken care of. >> give me a sense of where you think -- is this any different than it was when you were in the new york city police department as far as the clash between african americans and new york police. >> there's no difference. it fact it was worse then. new york city the crime rate was

ten times what it is today, but now because of social media across the country, this comes out -- these individual incidents. because police have hundreds of thousands of these interactions today across america. if there is police brutality, let's stop that. >> right. gill, it's good to see you. >> thanks for having me. the woman accused in this weekend's fatal crash at oklahoma state university has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. prosecutors say they believe she drove her car into a homecoming parade on purpose. four people killed nearly 50 others injured. she is being feld on four preliminary counts of second degree murder. up next, ben carson rising. he is leading the polls in iowa, making controversial remarks

along the way. ♪

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my company's entire network went down, and i was home in bed, unaware. but that would never happen. comcast business monitors my company's network 24 hours a day and calls and e-mails me if something, like this scary storm, takes it offline. so i can rest easy. what. you don't have a desk bed? don't be left in the dark. get proactive alerts 24/7. comcast business. built for business. there is a new republican front runner iowa. ben carson has overtaken donald trump. the iowa caucus, just three month's away. the latest polls might say as much as they do about trump as they do about carson. david shuster reports. >> we are a long cry away from what we were supposed to be. >> reporter: he is soft-spoken

and seems low-energy, but growing up in detroit he was not always so calm. >> as a teenager i would go after people with rocks and bricks, and baseball bats and hammers, and people know the story of when i was 14 and tried to stab someone. and, you know, fortunately, you know, my life has been changed, and i'm a very different person now. >> reporter: now that young man went to yale and became a gifted neurosurgeon, is a leading republican presidential candidate, and in iowa, the latest poll suggests carson leads donald trump. a 10-point jump in just 10 months. another poll suggests he is ahead 28% to 20. and in that survey, 84% said they had a favorable opinion of carson with just 10% unfavorable. >> it really shows the power of social media and word of mouth,

because as you know, you know, a lot of media has it in for me, but, you know, if people listen to them, you know, i would be polling at less than zero. >> reporter: he is known for a blunt style and a strong anti-government conservatism. >> i have a strong desire to get rid of programs that create dependency in able-bodied people. >> reporter: and he is a master of attack lines. he began has rise two years ago at a prayer breakfast by hammering the president's reform law. since then he added this. >> obamacare is really, i think the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery. >> reporter: this weekend carson compared abortion rights to slavery and said he would outlaw the procedure even in cases of

rape and incest. >> during slavery a lot of slave owners felt they had the right to do anything they wanted to that slave. and what if the abolishist had said i don't believe in slavery, but you guys do whatever you want to do. where would we be? >> reporter: his rhetoric has caught fire with christian evangelicals. and like donald trump carson is a political outsider. he has never held elected office. >> neither one of us, probably is going to be somebody who is going to be man ajdz by handlers, because that's not who we are. >> reporter: carson is now filling the airwaves in iowa and new hampshire with television ads. >> washington is broken. the political class broke it. together we can drain the swamp and protect our children's future. >> reporter: and it all adds up to momentum, and while iowa is

different the contents that follow, a win in the state can catapult a candidate into the nomination. >> republican strategy george watkins joins us from philadelphia tonight. joe, is this about religion, and ben carson's appeal to evangelicals and christian conservatives in iowa. >> it's about the fact that he comes across as a very honest person who happens also to be born again, and that really is striking a note with voters in iowa. he is an outsider. he is new to the process. he hasn't been doing this for a long time. but he has been successful as a doctor, and people respect him

for his intellect. >> this is a caucus, though. isn't this also about the fact that this is a caucus? >> of course. and for a caucus you have to have a ground game, and he clearly is doing that. you have to have people working with you to win in the iowa caucus, and it's so important, because it can catapult you to a victory in new hampshire, which is so important. and i don't know whether he has as much money as some of the other candidates. you have some candidates who have amassed a sizable sum of money, but if you win in iowa and new hampshire that gives you a real boost. >> we talked several weeks ago about whether donald trump could get the nomination.

would ben carson get the nomination? >> he could. just think about it, a few months ago, john, john siegenthaler was catapulted to second place in the iowa polls, and then he was leading for a long time, and now he is back in second place, and ben carson is leading in iowa. if you look back to the last cycle around this time, i think herman cain was leading in iowa. and then rick santorum ended up tying or slightly edging out mitt romney to win the iowa caucuses. >> based on that, we know that it doesn't necessarily -- winning that, doesn't necessarily mean you win the nomination. >> that's exactly right. mike huckabee won in 2008, and santorium, many believe won in 2012, neither ended up be ing the nominee.

george hw bush didn't win iowa. >> it does help though, and if he wins it, clearly he will be able to raise some money. >> donald trump's attempt to appeal to ordinary americans may have taken a hit today. the republican presidential candidate talked about getting a start in real estate. he told voters that his father helped out with a small loan. >> it has not been easy for me. and i started off in brooklyn, my father gave me a small loan of a million dollars, i came into manhattan and i had to pay him back with interest, but i came into manhattan and started buying up properties. >> after that trump conceded that most people would not consider a million dollars a small amount. but he said it is not much compared to what he has built. coming up next, bacon, hot dogs, the reported link between

processed meat and cancer. plus -- ♪ a rock musician who speaks out against racism, but he can't trademark his brand's name, because the government says it is racist.

>> 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

hi everyone. this is al jazeera america, i'm john siegenthaler. health warning, linking processed meat and cancer, what it might also say about income inequality. song of protest, why this rock band is challenging the u.s. government. >> in the name of fighting against racism, they are denying me rights based on my race, and that seems incredibly unjust. plus sweet mickey, how a former singer became president of haiti. >> you need someone that can inspire the people. >> reporter: hear from the american rapper who helped put him in office. ♪ the world health organization says eating processed meats can cause cancer, that includes things like hot dogs and sausages and cold cuts.

dietary staples for many around the world. wayne haye has more. >> reporter: for some people the perception of meat may have changed forever, that's because the international agency for research on cancer, has classified processed meat as a cancer-causing substance. it says if you eat 50 grams of processed meat a day, it increase the chances of you developing cancer of the colon by 20%. in countries like thailand, it's a concerning development. >> in the morning we have to hurry to go to somewhere, so parents like tend to like buy something easy for children to eat. so this might be the cause of like they eat sausage or processed meat every day. >> reporter: processed meat is

preserved by adding chemicals or salt or smoking it. it's now placed here among a list of things that are definitely carcinogenics. and red meat including beef, lamb, and pork is in the next list of things that probably cause cancer. before the official announcement, the meat industry in the u.s. spoke out to try to discredit the findings. >> it's their job to find cancer hazards, but the body of scientific evidence shows that red and processed meat can be part of a healthy, balanced diet. >> reporter: this is not the first time that certain types of meat have been linked to cancer, but consumption of meat is increasing around the world. it went up by -- 25% in the ten

years since 2003. this report doesn't focus on any other lifestyle choices that people who eat a lot of meat might also be making. the classifications help governments around the world find ways of making their populations healthier. controversial as it is, this report will give them plenty to consider. another potential health threat in indonesia, forest fires have spread a thick poisonous haze. >> reporter: millions of indonesians across large parts of the country have been forced to breathe toxic smoke for nearly five months now because of fires continually burning in large plantations. the smoke contains dangerous chemicals. in just one week four babies

died after having difficulties breathing. one of them was this 15 month old who had been a happy, healthy baby. her parents are angry at farmers who continue to burn vegetation. >> translator: those who burn are not using their brain. otherwise they would think about the impact on other people and they would know it would create this haze. >> reporter: scientists have clal rated that this year's fires are emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than across the entire united states every day. patients in this hospital are suffering from a four-fold increase in respiratory diseases. >> translator: it's not enough to just wait for the rain to come. there should be more sense of emergency. >> reporter: there is anger

among the millions who have been forced to breathe poisonous air for four months now. those in the affected areas say their plight is being ignored. after losing her baby sister, this 13 year old is afraid of the smoke haze. she won't take her mask off. >> translator: those who burn have to be brought to justice and punished as severely as possible. we have rule of law in this country, although i have little faith in our system, it's the only thing i can hang on to. >> reporter: police have named 17 companies suspected of causing the fires. they have lost their licenses, but environmental groups say they are a small part of a much larger problem. with fire still spreading out of control, this girl's family hope that others will be spared

losing a loved one because of this man made disaster. now to a disturbing scene in a south carolina school classroom. >> give me your hands. >> the video appears to show a school resources officer slamming a female student to the ground then tossing her to the front of the room. officials say the spring valley high school student was being disruptive, refusing to leave the classroom. the school district says it has banned the officer and the sheriff's department is investigating. the video was posted by another student. one person still missing tonight after a boat capsized off of the coast of british columbia. at least five people were killed when the whale-watching group sank on sunday.

local officials say the sea conditions were calm at the time. an investigation into the cause is underway. >> it will be, you know, days, weeks, if not months to really understand what has happened. this is a very small coastal community, we have a strong maritime and sea-going community, so people are very aware that the ocean is unpredictable at times and we do live on a very rugged coast. rp >> the company that owns the boat says it is cooperating with investigators. the benefits of wind power are well documents. now the fastest growing energy source in the nation, but it kills thousands of birds every year. tom akerman has more. >> reporter: just east of san francisco, the open landscape is dominated by more than 5,000

wind turbines, it's also a prime habitat. the golden eagle, a bird so valued that u.s. law punishes anyone who disturbed them with heavy fines and even prison. yet in just this area last year. at least 2,000 golden eagles and other protected raptors were killed by turbine blades. >> one clear evidence is the feathers. >> reporter: when the first turbines were erected here in the 1980s, no one realized the deadly toll they would take. the u.s. government has granted short-term permits to allow a small number of accidental killings. but a court recently rejected a 30-your permit. as older models are mothballed and dismantled companies are working on newer versions that

are bigger and safer. hundreds of old turbines will be produced producing twice as much energy. the new tourers stand tall enough for the birds to avoid their blades as they swoop down on their pray. >> studies though the death rates have been lowered substantially. whether they have been lowered enough to where they are at the point of population stability, for instance, for golden eagles, we don't really know yet. another alternative is a turbine housed inside a metal shroud that could further reduce the risk to birds. and then there are small-scale wind turbines attached to tethers that carry the converted wind power to the ground. >> they are generating energy flying this kite in a circle. >> reporter: the tethers may pose an added risk to birds who

already die in the millions along their migration path from north to south america. a kentucky same-sex couple who sue county clerk kim davis have died the knot. they celebrated their wedding with 125 friends and family members saturday. davis was sentenced to jail for five days for contempt. the couple got their license while she was in jail. unfortunate of mississippi has removed the state flag from its campus. the student government voted to take down the flag because it concludes the confederate battle symbol. now to the crisis in syria,

and russia's growing role both inside the country and outside. antonio mora is here with that. >> the kremlin has been talking to the u.s., to saudi arabia, and even to syria's opposition leaders. that combined with its continued air strikes show how invested russia is in the outcome. earlier i spoke with normer nato secretary general about what russia's roles in syria and the conflict in eastern ukraine reveal about moscow's worldwide intentions. >> i see all of this as part of a bigger russian master plan to restore what they consider russian greatness to make sure that russia plays a role on the international scene and in the near neighborhood, it is the aspiration of the russian

leadership to reestablish a sphere of russian influence. >> he also spoke about the problems russia is creating in syria, and how he believes the only way to beat isil in the region is with cam bat troops not just air power. and we'll talk about who's troops he is suggesting should be fighting the battle coming up next, how a former singer became president of haiti and how a former rapper helped him do it.

now to a rock band in a battle of war over words with the u.s. government. they say they are trying to spark an uncomfortable conversation about race and racism. the government says they have gone too far. a warning this report contains language that some may find offensive. >> reporter: a museum dedicated to japanese american history. an unusual place, perhaps for rock and roll. >> we're going to roll again, guys. >> reporter: but the music video

being shot here is about being asian in america. the band, the self proclaimed first all asian american rock dance band who call themselves -- >> the slants. >> the slants playing what they call chinatown rock and emgracing what could be seen as a racial slur. >> we can either choose to perpetuate negative conversations of a world or we can reclaim it and develop something that is a positive association instead. >> reporter: it has been controversial. when we asked a museum board member if she could comment on the band's name, we got this -- >> we have to consult our non-profit lawyer to see. because there are certain things that could jeopardize our non-profit status. it is very sensitive. >> reporter: task and crew working on the video shoot shrug

it off. >> i don't think anything of it. >> this was used to hurt us at one time, now it doesn't. because we're owning it, and we're going to take all of the sting out of it. >> reporter: the name has landed the band in court. where they are wanting to patent the name. >> they are basically saying if people see our website and it says the slants and then they see a picture with asians in it, they think people will automatically assume the racial slur. >> reporter: the trademark office's appeal board says it doesn't comment on cases, but he shows us the trademark office has approved hundreds of other requests using the same word.

>> they can register the name as long as they are not asians. they are denying me rights based on my race. and that seems incredibly unjust. >> reporter: he has taken his cause public, giving talks about racism, appearing at colleges, high schools, even law schools, 40 to 50 speaking engagements a year. >> they would call me a gook and jap, and at one point i just snapped and i was like i'm a chink get it right. >> reporter: he connects by talking about bullying, about his music and his mission to change one of the meanings of one word. >> we each asians and even though sometimes we don't have slanted eyes, we accept that it's a part of us. >> reporter: and however the trademark fight goes on, he points to some changes since the

band first took the stage. >> whenever you google slant or slants, the top hits were all at a white supremacist website, and now it's to a rock and roll band that proudly displays its heritage. and that is super cool. >> reporter: they can't legally own, it but they can still use the name and continue to be the slants. haiti is still counting the votes from yesterday's presidential election, and with 54 candidates it may take some time. the current leader is the focus of a new documentary called sweet mickey for president. it tells the story about how he went from making music to political king maker. >> they lost everything.

they lost everything. so i was like -- you know, we need a drastic change. an outsider, if you will. someone that the people can trust. you need someone who can inspire the people. ♪ what a man, what a man, what a might i will good man, say it again now ♪ >> i called up my friend, and we started to talk. >> we are joined by the producer, and ben patterson directed the documentary. gentlemen welcome. good to see you. >> thanks for having us. >> what did you see in sweet mickey that others didn't? >> i saw a very popular musician that the people in haiti had such an infinity for. and he was able to inspire them. i thought maybe we could change

the political landscape, which he did with his election he kind of like did it. >> why did you get involved in this? >> as a haitian american, born in america, having so much success, i felt like i had to give back to my people after the earthquake, use my platform, if you will, to help and give back. as a global citizen to be honest with you. >> ben as an outsider what surprised you the most about this election. >> when prize reached out to me and dropped this guy's name, and said he was going to convince him to run for the presidency of haiti. i thought it was interesting that he was getting involved. so i googled him and all i could find was this guy dressed in diapers and drag. and i called him and i said i must have got this wrong, and it fact it was, and i became completely fascinated in seeing where the story would go.

>> you had dabbled in politics that s that fair? >> not really -- >> i mean, you supported president obama. >> yeah, obviously. >> and you have spoken on the road for him, but what was it after the earthquake that you said i got to do something here? >> i think it was the comment that the president at that time made when a reporter asked him where are you going to stay and he said i don't know. and as a leader if you don't know where you are going to say, imagine how the people, how they feel. and that's what encouraged me to go do something. >> martelly faced allegations of corruption. and there have been protests calling for him to design, how do you think he has done. >> he wasn't winstonchurchhill, but he did the best he could, you know? >> what do you think his campaign represented for

haitians. >> i think it was simply about hope, you know, like, you know, these musicians brought music at a time when, you know, there was a lot of hopelessness, you know? and haitians are incredibly resilient, but they knew sweet mickey and the others as these musicians, and that brought the potential of a better future. >> white cliff shawn ran who was in the fujis. were you surprised he decided to get in the race? >> i was shocked. he had the right to. but i went with michel martelly. >> that must have been tough, right? you were in the fujis together. >> it was extremely tough. but i really believed that

michel martelly was the best candidate. >> what were the moments that stood out for you in this documentary and the election? >> i mean for me it was just such a profound experience to be at these rallies and see, you know, the people at haiti -- >> had you spent a lot of time in hey -- haiti? >> no, i had never been until i started shooting this film. >> he is an honorary haitian. [ laughter ]. >> what strikes you about that country? >> it has such an incredible beauty in not only the beauty of the island, but the price -- pride of the people. >> how do you think elect is going to come out? >> i hope who the people voted

for actually ends up being the president. that was the whole purpose. >> and five years after the quake how is haiti doing? >> slow, but the best is still around the corner. that's the best thing about haitians we always believe the best is still around the corner for us. >> what is your impression on how haiti is doing after this quake? >> i think there is a lot of disappointments. when michel martelly won, we were like, man, we hope he is winston churchhill. but it takes some time. and hopefully the systems of governance there will become stronger and -- all i know is this, that the haitians will keep fighting. >> it's called "sweet mickey for president." thank you both for joining us. >> thanks for having us. >> that's our news. thanks for watching.

i'm john siegenthaler. the news continues next with antonio mora. don't go away. ♪