aljazeera.com/americatonight. talk to us are on twitter or facebook. come back, we'll have more of "america tonight" tomorrow. >> new moms forced to choose. >> the united states does lag behind other countries on this. >> now a revolution in workers' rights... >> my story is so many peoples' story. >> that could decide the election. >> it can be different. happy new year, this is al jazeera america, live from new york city, i'm jonathan betz. fire works. a massive blaze in a dubai skyscraper with tens of thousands nearby midwest floods - hundreds forced from their homes as rivers crest. tonight it is far from over. >> puerto rico is expect to pay back most, but not all of the

money due this week the big kousent down. we go live to times square where the spirit is high 2016 will second arrive in the united states. elsewhere around the world people mark the start of the new year with fireworks and celebrations. in dubai, it began with a towering inferno. at least 16 people have been reported hurt. authorities say the blaze at a lumpry skyscraper has been contained. it did not stop the city celebrating new year's. >> flames broke out in dubai 2 hours before 2016. it started outside the 20th floor of the bloc.

>> we waited for the fireworks to start, and near the hotel there was more like an orange light. we didn't care about it as much. it kept growing and growing. there was smoke. we recorded there was a fire. the 1,000 foot skyscraper. thousands ran as flames raged above them. then, before midnight explosions heard from the 63 story tower. the fireextinguishers prevented the flames spreading. >> the important thing they may have done was putting more water into it. it was protecting as best possible the spread of the fire from the outside to the inside. >> it is located near the

tallest building, and the dubai mall. >> the media conversations did it would give a speck abbing are tackular look. >> this was the second skyscraper in the past year. flames broke out last year in a building. no one was killed or injured. it did not stop dubai welcoming in 20 a 16, with a fire works and light display. hundreds of thousands watched. the skyscraper burned nearby let's bring in fire safety yist consultant, joining us via skype from los angeles. >> happy new year. how in this day and age, a modern skyscraper can camp on fire like that?

>> you have different building materials that should be processed through the local apartments. there should be processes of the materials in buildings, where they are tested. do you get the impression that is not happening here. >> looking at the fire and the one in february, happening at the torch. they are similar in nature. >> they had similar fires and spread to the base of the building, up to the top of the building. this one looks like it did the same thing. starting low at the bottom of the building, working up 30-40 floors, wherever it wound up. >> i think the assumption for a lot of people is the large, new, high-rises have sprinkler systems batoning down flames that pop up. >> i can't exprets enough the importance of sprinklers and

buildings. that was an important part of it. the concern is more of wrapping of the building, the insulation that was put on the buildings allowing for energy efficiency. there's an issue with the covering and surface, that it's questioned here. >> you do believe reports that there were systems in the high-rise. i'm certain that was the case. possibly fatalities. for having a building of this size, and the number of people injured, i think the sprinkler system was a major factor in saving the life and the property. at least the interior portions of the building. if you look at the pictures,

it's an incredible fire and surprising to a lot of people. gort nately that no one was seriously hurt. were you surprised as well >> sprinkler systems, knowing most of the buildings were built, are protected. it's really not at surprise the numbers injured. what is surprising is howing about materials are stored. it's something that needs to be revisited. >> have you noticed between united states and considering this is a global city, the differences? >> dubai, i believe, is advanced. it is surprising to me. being the united states, being

an enforcer for the last 17 years of my career, it's interesting that dubai skipped this step. i'm not sure, i can't say first hand what is going on. definitely it was a larger fire than it should have been with the codes and standards. >> a troubling scene in dubai on this new year's eve. >> well, police in munich say there is an imminent threat of an i.s.i.l. attack at a train station. in the main station they were shut. on facebook police wrote: according to information, the station will be cheesed. information was received that i.s.i.l. was behind the threat. >> reporter: five men were in

custody in belgium in connection with a plot to stage an attack. some have been linked to a terrorist group. one is suspected of supporting i.s.i.l. the plot prompting brussels to cancel its fire works show. >> a man in new york has been arrested. emanuel was hoping to prove his worth to i.s.i.l. prosecutors accused him of attacking a bar. city officials called off the celebrations. it was an fbi sting and paid informants were used. he had served five years in prison for rob which. security is tight where a million people are ready to ring in the new year. john terrett is among the throngs of people. >> evening, and welcome to times

squa square. the cross words of the world. however, security is a big issue, what with the attacks in paris, san bernardino and other weeks ago. people taking it seriously. there were 6,000 police officers on the streets. some have guns, radiation. there are 500 members of a core of police officers. they are here, they were formed only two months ago, and 400 rookies. they were on probation, and they are helping out of the there's 1,000 cameras. that's a security issue. we don't want to think about that or the fun that is happening at the biggest apart in the world.

and they are dressed in purple hats, balloons, and those that sponsored the event. and they have been entertained from entertainers, demi divado, a country star and the star yet to come is cary underwood. she'll by on the stage shortly, entertaining the crowd and the ball drop, in give or take 15 minutes from now. the news from times square is it's warm, everyone is having a great time. everyone feels safe and are looking forward to the ind of 2015 and a new start in 2016? >> thanks to you. >> see you at midnight. still ahead dash darn missouri battles wide-spread flooding, we speak to experts searching for answers.

>> on hard earned, what would you do? >> the army is the last resort, but i will do anything necessary for my family... >> when you're running out of choices... >> maybe i should become a nun... do nuns smoke? >> and your back's against the wall... >> i have a problem... i don't speak english... >> hard earned pride... hard earned respect... hard earned future... a real look at the american dream hard earned only on al jazeera america and welcome back to al jazeera america. a live look at times square. less than an hour away from the big countdown. thousands of people at new york city ready to ring in 2016

a different scene in dubai. investigators are searching for the cause of a massive new year's eve fire at a luxury skyscraper. 16 are said to have been high court, but the blaze did not stop the huge celebration. mohammed jamjoom joins us live from dubai, where it is daylight. bring us up with the latest. what is happening? >> well, we tried getting to the hotel in the last knew hours, but authorities are not letting anyone close to the hotel. we drove around the perimeter. we so still smoke emanating off the building. the blaze had been extinguished. we saw security i, balance and fire trucks next to the entrances of the hotel. we did not see revellers or res

gents, visitors at the hotel, outside the hotel where it vften completely evacuated. this is the last thing anyone would have expected. the address, hotel and residents, an upper scale property recollects aadjacent to the black. it's a place i have been to in dubai. covering new year's eve festivities, in which not just tourists will come to, but the elites of the emirates. renting out entire floors, suites of rooms so they can have balkanies, the massive extrav a gansas go off. what is interesting last night was as the flame enveloped the hotels. authorities decided to go ahead

with a 7 minute extrava glandsa that went off as speck. there was a lot of reaction. many there on the keen were surprised the fires works was on quouj. are 16 injured in the fire. one person suffered a heart attack. there was a stampede, people rushing out of the exit. daylight hilt in dubai. it looks as if there is some spoke around the building and address, it looked as sf the blaze would be extinguished. looking to see what caused the fire to be investigated. >> mohammed jamjoom live puerto rico is set to default on its debt.

robert ray has more from the people looking to washington to help. >> the i'lled's paradise of 3.5 mile broken ran out of time. ringing in the new year of faults. >> in a rare move, they spoke to al jazeera. >> we have been answering calls from congress. there are people that believe we are in front. not a bailout but the tools. for our problem. they have slashed health care.

let's go. outspoken, they said the puerto rico's government is mishandling the situation and the government doesn't grasp how bad the situation is. most will not be able to do outside. debt levels expanded. the poverty ring is a staggering 45%. last year alone, 80,000 left for the mainland u.s.:. >> no matter what sides of the aisle a politician is on, if you talk to them and ask what is the reason for the recession and debt. many will point to a 1996 act of

congress cutting carps tax incentives. by the time 2006 came along, most of the companies left the island. >> they are to blame for the economic crisis this person says the island cannot stop the crisis without help from congress. >> it's not surprising that the migration in puerto rico started in 2006. >> that's when cops that employed thousands, whose tax incident ifrs reason out. this is a distress call we just run out of cash. >> the governor says he has done all he can, and there are no more options.

>> many blame the way you have handled the matter. >> this is not political. they need to look at the numbers. >> dias has creditors, and are ready to start the law sued against puerto rico. trying to seize their. >> weir porta rykon. we want to look at it that way. as for congress, and a bath path towards economic structure. authorities can only pray. >> we move to missouri, where they are under water. a flood not seen in decades. more on that. >> this man told his rescuers that he and his dog spent the night on the roof.

whoever lives under the roof has no roof at all. home sweet home for the couple and their daughter e and another is a cramped hotel room. he never brought flood insurance, because he was told he doesn't need it. >> my neighbour said it didn't reach his house, and we were up. >> the river chased hundreds of the people from their homes and into hotels. >> cramped. you are used to a house by yourself. then you come to this room. >> the mera mack has been receded in some places and rising in others. the mcdonald's restaurant we saw partially submerged has disappeared.

it may not recede for 28 hours. 40 roads and two interstates are partially shut down. authorities tried throwing industrial sized sand backs to i 55, but the effort failed and they didn't bother on i 44 west of the city, which is swamped. >> it took four hours. >> the water started to come up. >> it was dreadful. it was tiring. >> both james and adam at least had beds. >> i feel bad for the people - god bless everyone that lost their home. >> others are wondering how they'll put their lives back together a harsh start to 2016 still ahead, political surprises of 2016, and a look at what to expect in the new year.

ground-breaking series, "edge of eighteen" marathon.

the 2016 presidential elections, several from ben carsan's team resigned. over a dispute of the strategy and direction. the communications director and deputy campaign manager stepped down. 20 staffers left of the team in a shake up before the iowa

caucus. >> 2015 was a remarkable year in the race to the white house. it turned expectations upside down. >> david shuster looks boack. >> in politics. conventional wisdom and political establishmented was crushed. >> not only did the billionaire developer defy expectations, the popularity seemed to grow. >> on undocumented immigrants. >> they are bringing drugs, crime. they are rapists, and some, i assume, are good peep. >> the former president, john mccain. >> i like people that were not captured. >> on stopping i.s.i.l. >> donald trump is calling for a

shut down, until the representatives figure out what the hell is going on? >> throughout the summer. rival candidates opened fire. >> he stopped being a jack as. >> 202, 228. >> and a republican that may have suffered. >> vump ridiculed bush as low energy any. polls indicate those in fifth place. trump tops the polls. the latest rivals. a man openly scorned by the congressional colleagues. >> crews is known for shutting down the government and for his

own over the top rhetoric. >> we will carpet bomb them into oblive yen in a democratic wake, it was supposed to be a cakewalk for clinton. in the string it was enjoyed for using a private email. >> did you wipe this? >> what, like with cloth or something, i don't know. >> people were captivated by outsider options. >> let's have the courage not to beat up on mexicans but to take on the billionaire class. >> this summer, sand, drew tens

of thousands, and speeches and late-night clips went viral. polls suggest things were seven. but far behind nationally. some democratic strategists say if sanders wins the first two contests, it will be 2008 all over again. when president obama defied expectations to beat hillary clinton and captured the nomination. the big question and democratic and republican race is whether the passion for outsiders will translate in the votes. in 2015, the political world was put on notice. 2016 will determine if it's year. >> what a year, that does it for us at this half hour. i'm jonathan betz, thank you for watching.

we'll leave you with a look at times square with millions of people are there to ring in the new year. see you there, happy new year. but for the youngest drivers the digital natives who had a cell known in their hand since they were little, it heightens the elevated dangers for them and other motorists on the road with them. driven to distraction - it's tonight's "inside story". welcome to "inside story", i'm ray suarez.