>> good evening, i'm antonio mora. this is al jazeera america. a no-go after years of review president obama has decided to kill the xp pipeline once an for all. credibility concerns as ben carson gains in the polls, new concerns that he play have made up part of his public life story. a new challenge, the three democratic presidential candidates are put to a test in an interview-style forum hoping to gain ground with southern

voters. and heightened security the u.s. puts new safety measures in place for flights to the fleer easneareast after the wake of th of the russian jet in egypt. president obama has rejected a canadian company's application to build the keystone xp pipeline. he says it would undercut efforts to reach a global deal on climate change but the fight over the controversial project is far from over. libby casey reports from washington. >> antonio a decision on the keystone pipeline has been expected before president obama leaves office in january of 2017. but the timing of today's ruling was certainly significant. president obama justified his decision to deny transcanada to build the keystone xp pipeline by saying it would not serve the

national interest. >> the pipeline would not make a long term meaningful contribution to our economy. >> the president says the keystone is not the answer. transcanada had hoped to connect the oil fields of alberta canada to nebraska. but a big factor in the president's decision, concerns about the environment. >> america is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action whether it comes to climate changes and frankly approving this relationship proe undercut that relationship. >> the latest in an effort to show the president hopes to leave a pro-environment legacy. the battle over the 1200 mile pipeline has become a symbol for environmentalists and pro-development advocates.

>> now for years the keystone pipeline has occupied what i frankly consider an over-inflated role in our political discourse. it became a symbol too often used as a campaign cudgel by both parties rather than a serious policy matter. >> reporter: but republicans fought back on social media criticizing the administration's decision. from presidential candidates like jeb bush who tweeted that the rejection of the pipeline is, quote, a self inflicted attack on the u.s. economy and jobs. so congressional leaders, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell saying the fight is not over and republicans have no intent to give up on job creation. transcanada would have to reapply the breathe life back into the project. but democratic presidential candidates are against it including hillary clinton who for months wouldn't comment pointing to her role in the

vetting process as secretary of state. the obama administration decision comes right after canada's election of a new prime minister, liberal leader justin trudeau released his statement that he was disappointed but both leaders have pledged to work together. antonio just this week transcanada tried to make the decision on hold pointing to nebraska wretio wrestling with e decisions over the route the line would take. but the request also seemed aimed at trying wait things out until a new administration took control of the white house. well the state department rejected that delay request and today transcanada's president said the decision was based on misplaced symbolism and that rhetoric had won out over reason. antonio. >> libby casey in washington. thanks.

just as be ben carson's campaign has picked up steam his back-story appears to be unraffling at least a bit. a new quin quinnipiac poll, shoe raised $20 million in the third quarter, far more than this is rivals. as david schuster reports carson is on defense about his personal story. >> who would like to be first? >> reporter: under fire ben carson is defending an essentially part of his inspirational life story. coogd taccording to his 1985 ste in the 1969 he joined william weswestmoreland.

he was thrilled to get an offer from west point. west point however says it has no record of carson ever applying or being accepted. late friday carson personally addressed the controversy. >> it didn't go to the extent they were very impressed what i had done. i had become the city executive officer in less time than anybody else had ever done that and they were saying you would be a tremendous addition to the military. and we can get you into west point with a full scholarship. >> reporter: not seeking admission is very different though from receiving a full scholarship. furthermore the issue of a full scholarship is misleading because at west point tuition and board are free. the revelation is not the first to cast doubt on carson's accuracy. he has repeatedly spoken about redemption by mentioning violent episodes in his youth. >> of course many people know the story when i was 14t 14 and

tried stab someone. >> several of carson's family and friends question those reports. >> a bunch ever lies. attempting to say i'm lying about my history i think is pathetic. basically what the media does is they try get you distracted by all of this stuff so that you don't talk about the things that are important. >> carson began his preliminary rise two years ago at a prayer breakfast by using startling language to hammer president obama's health care reform law. >> you know obamacare is really, i think, the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery. >> since then, he has compared abortion rights to slavery, he has attacked the idea of a muslim president -- >> i would not advocate that we put a muslim in charge of this nation. >> and he has said the holocaust

happened because nazis took guns away from jewish people. >> i think that a likelihood of hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed. >> ful plosions had made wild claims about plosions or history. but being inconsistent about your own history could make voters uncomfortable especially in a candidate who in recent polls led the republican field on issues of integrity and honesty. david schuster, al jazeera. >> tonight, three democratic candidates got to spend time with voters, during msnbc's political forum. political commentator rachel madow sat down with them, including difficulty in capturing southern votes and she asked bernie sanders what he

thought about passing voter i.d. laws in several states. >> it has never occurred to me as a candidate to figure out how to deny people the vote if they could vote against me. we have a real crisis in this country and we have got to pass legislation, that would work, maybe even oconstitutional amendment that says everybody in america who is 18 years of age or older is registered to vote, end of discussion. and what republicans are doing is so unamerican it is so outrageous, that it is literal beyond belief. they are political cowards and if they can't face a tree election they should get -- a free election they should get another job. >> bill snrierd joins us from sm washington. any political take aways? >> hillary clinton was very personable in this forum.

told many person stories about meet -- many personal stories about meeting with the mothers of victims. bernie sanders was strong, he seemed much -- he didn't seem like he was ranting as much as he does when he's standing in front of a podium and was much more approachable. i think each candidate was able to get his or her point across very effectively in this format. >> sanders and especially o'malley need to make some inroads because clinton is stretching her lead, do you they they did? >> i think sanders impressed with his willingness to fight. hillary clinton had the reputation of a fighter in 2008, that's still with her but bernie sanders is also a very tough fighter. i think it's going to be a difficult choice for a lot of democrats. i think they both though came up with the theory that hasn't really held water in this

country. that the hidden ploornlg majorif voters, who if they really knew they're interest would turn out. something republicans and conservatives used to say. it's never really worked out that way. >> were there any significant policy points made? >> well i think the best effort to explain a policy was bernie sanders when he talked about his erratic mixed record on gun control he defended hisms by saying thalims byhimself becausd credibility with gun owners, rarely considered as someone 0 could bring republicans and democrats together. have. >> what about these issues about ben carson, how damaging would this be to him? >> i fear they are very damaging because his life story, is the basis of his appeal.

he has a very compelling life story and no one would deny that. he came from terrible poverty, he managed to achieve much on his own becoming an accomplished physician. if he was embellishing his life story, he claims he was not embellishing. he claims he got a scholarship to west point, nobody gets a slarp to wesscholarship to west. it's free. >> he was fairly confrontational and uncharacteristically u unfavorable to media. >> when you are confronted you blame the media and he says the press is out to get him. this is an unfavorable view, i believe. i remember the jeremiah wright

episode. >> does he have a point that there is a double standard, that president obama wasn't vetted as toughly during his campaign, despite jeremiah wright. you know president obama also wrote a book where there were composite characters and people under other names. it didn't seem to be quite as big a deal. >> all that was brought out and even i think there was an episode where he acknowledged using drugs in his youth. that was brought out but that wasn't quite as damaging about the idea that he was actually offered a scholarship to west point, obama's life story was of course at the core of his candidacy as well but i don't think what he was alleged to have done even his relationship with jeremiah wright which he explained in a very eloquent speech about race, i don't think any of that is as damaging as what has been alleged about becomes.

>> bill snriert good to hav sche you with us. strong job growth in october, businesses added 271,000 jobs the best month in almost a year. the unemployment rate dipped to 5% the lowest in seven and a half years. the numbers boost chances that the federal reserve will raise rates in december. influenc new evidence points to the possibility of a bomb on board russian plane in egypt. and myanmar is getting ready for an election. decades to go before it is truly tree. tree.

>> the dhoamed department of hod security is increasing security

tonight, the flight voice recorder is heard the sound of an explosion. even russia is taking unprecedented steps to restrict flights. >> reporter: after the u.s. and u.k. shared intelligence with russia, russian cancelled its anywhere in egypt. at the same time, french television quoting european investigators reported the plane's cockpit voice recorder captured the sound of an explosion that was not consistent with an accident. in his most recent comment on the crash president obama told a radio interviewer there was a possibility there was a bomb on board but the white house is still not saying what u.s. intelligence agencies have learned. >> at this point the united states has not made our own

determination about the cause of the incident. however we can't rule anything out including the possibility of terrorist involvement. >> reporter: the u.s. is joining other countries in taking steps to beef up aviation security. the kinds of actions that would normally follow an attack as opposed to an accident. but the homeland security secretary jeh johnson ordered interim precautionary enhancements that would add an additional layer of security to international air travel. the measures include expanded security screening of items put on commercial jets, airport assessments and offers of security for certain airports. the u.s. is also offered to help with the sophisticated analysis that would be required to confirm the cause of the crash. but so far has been spurned by egypt and russia. >> i know that we have offered assistance i'm not aware of any acceptance of it. >> russia says flatly it doesn't need the help.

>> translator: i can say with all assurance if there are traces of explosives it will be found. >> reporter: meanwhile pentagon sources say while ssian targets in syria have put more i.s.i.s. targets in its cross hairs, as they move against two i.s.i.l. held areas, raisan el abud and palmyra. both operations began before the russian metro jet crashed. jamie mcintire, al jazeera the pentagon. >> rescue crews are searching for survivors through debris water and mud flooded the rod of bento rodriguez destroying more than 200 homes. residents say no alarms sounded to warn them of the dam breaks. the iron site is owned by

the world's largest mining company, bhp billeton. citizens in myanmar, votes could finally put a democratic government in power after a generation of control by military leaders. al jazeera's scott heidler has more from yangon. >> with campaigning coming the a halt myanmar is now hours away from heading to the vote, a historic vote the whole world is watching. over the past two months, most of the cities have seen extensive voting. something the 50 million people here have not witnessed in a quarter of a century. especially the national league for democracy the party of the nobel laureate aung san suu kyi. the party boycott of the 2010 election a year before the

transition to the current somewhat civilian government. but daw tontanu did participate as a founding member of the democracy party, one of 90 parties participating in this party's elections. her father was the first democratically elected prime minister removed by a military coup in 1962. >> for nearly 50 years we were under the military rule. so now within five years, within five months we wanted to have changes, not soft changes we wanted to see. but as for my father as he was a seasoned politician, he might not have this kind of frustration. >> she feels the nation needs to channel some of her father's patience. as the ruling party wraps up its campaigning, this is their last rally some feel that the dispiets despite predictions of a big win for the opposition and

aung san suu kyi this is just the process to full democracy, that process is far away. and they also think this election is neither free more fair. >> this is an important step on the road to democracy for myanmar but only a small first step. even if opposition parties were to win 100% of the seats elected that are available to them, the military has the constitution in place that is stacked in their favor. >> reporter: and that includes barring aung san suu kyi from becoming president and giving the military the power to appoint 25% of the parliament. with so many factors and possibilities at play an in uncharted territory exact predictions of myanmar's political future is probably as accurate as the famous yangong fortune tellers.

scott heidler, yangon. s. >> the system that helps tens of thousands begin a new life every year. and the symbol of independence gets an important global designation.

>> just minutes ago, louisiana state police announced an arrest in the shooting of a boy. officials did not disclose the evidence they have gathered but the evidence is heartbreaking. >> i can tell you as a father, it was one of the most disturbing things, i would love to share some of that with you, i simply can not and won't do

that tonight but as a father much less as the head of the louisiana state police extremely disturbing and it is partly why we're here tonight. >> authorities first said the officers opened fire while attempting to serve a warrant to the child's father but investigators have said they found in evidence that there was an outstanding warrant. critics have said the united states is not accepting enough syrian refugees but history shows that the united states has taken in half refugees. melissa chan reports. >> she welcomes her, most of all, mother to america. the journey for these refugees that fled democratic republic of con goazcongo.

>> they are so happy to be in america. they have been waiting so long, five years,. >> reporter: at the airport the new arrivals meet not only family members but new case manager who will help them in the next days and weeks start their new lives in albuquerque. first with some starter money but also everything from applying for social security numbers, registering for school or taking a crash course in english. >> i think the first week for example you start to feel the shock. they realize that they're really here. >> refugees often show up at the airport with flog so ahead of their arrival, beatrice helps. their placement program is

winding down and they feel pressure to find work. >> i have business degree and management degree. but i cannot speak in sikh language russian and turkish, but unfortunately i can't find job as i want. >> you might think new york city, chicago or leangs would be better places for strangers in a strange land to move for. those are cultural metropolises. not all of them can move to a big city. many refugees head to medium size cities, including nashville, boise, cities that are not too big, or too small. >> people know about each other, care about each other, there is affordable housing, the schools are welcoming and refugees find cities like that very comfortable.

glrs keeps trying. meeting with his career counselor, working on his resume. determined that his degrees might matter if not immediately then down the line. but for latest arrivals who have not had the opportunity to think that far ahead in the future they are just glad to be alive. >> translator: the fact that i am here is because of the grace of god. he decided i will not die in the congo, that i will come to america. >> reporter: nephews, nieces, mothers and daughters reunited in a most unlikely place but one of promise, safety and security. melissa chan, al jazeera, albuquerque, new mexico. the city of brotherly love has a new title, philadelphia, named as a world heritage site, birth place of democracy in the united states and its impact on

lawmakers around the world. i'm antonio mora. for the latest news you can head over to aljazeera.com. swrawrdray suarez is up next wih "inside story." have a great weekend. >> it wasn't what you'd call a big election day. a governor's race, a ballot measures, a handful of elections but overall not a bad night for the republican party. forecast for a tuft 2016 for the gop. thinking too soon, or is the electorate such an odd animal that it can't tell you much about a election year? a dress rehearsal for 2016.