a strong possibility, that when he poisoned him he did so under the direction of the fsb the got service. >> the report says these former agents and desmit tri-coughton poisoned him with radio active 210. that this london hotel. it also says this was their second murder attempt. speaking in russia, he calls the al faces nonsenses. >> everything that's being said by the british media is a lie. outrageous lie, and i can't find any other word to tribe it. >> alexander's wife and son say they are happy with the findings, they are urging the government to punish russia with sanctions. >> i am calling immediately for the exclusion from the

u.k. of all russian intelligence, operatives. i am also calling for the position of targeted economy sanctions. and advance against named individuals. and mr. putin. >> summons to the foreign office, the russian ambassador moscow says the findings are baseless. we consider the case, and the way that it was disposed after provocation. the british government now says it will freeze the assets of those suspected of the killing. >> the former russian agent had defected to the west becoming a british citizen. apparently by his former colleagues. the new report suggests there

was personal antagonism, dating back to the 1990's. they had made repeated personal attacks accusing him of pedophilia. >> the public inquiry has no legal basis although it can influence what they decide to take next. a full blown row is the last thing the government wants. leave barker, al jazeera. >> more on how russia is responding to the report, and what it can mean for relations between the two countries. >> well, the foreign min industry is saying that this is going to have some sort of impact on the by lateral relations between the united kingdom and russia. an unnamed source was also speaking in the media earlier on in the day, saying something very similar. so the russians are basically warning that the britts that this is not going to go unanswered in some way.

as to whether there will be accommodation as to what this inquiry has pointed to the two men at the heart of this, andre and desmit tri, going to face any kind of prosecution, well i can't say there's any chance of that happening. for one thing, he is a member of the russian parliament, so he is essentially immune from prosecution, and the russians have specifically said there is going to be no extradition, and no internal prosecution. >> now to iraq, and the search for three mens ab ducted in baghdad. they suspect the three powerful shia militias were involved.

at least three people were killed and there are reports that others are being held hostage. >> you can't see the beach because it is dark but you can hear the gunfire. >> a wetting ceremony and a graduation dinner were underway when armed fighters rammed a car. a spokes man says special forces have been sent in to help. >> so far what we know is the workers in the restaurant, the people that were attending the party and also the wedding al-shabaab which operates in somalia and neighboring countries has claimed responsibility. >> last friday fighters from

the group attacked an african military base in southwest somalia. the government hasn't confirmed that figure. in april last year, al-shabaab fighters killed 147 people in an attack on university college in kenya. and in september 2013, fighters from the group stormed the west gate shopping mall killing 67 people. >> somalia has been devastated by decades of civil unrest. four years ago, the government pushed them out of major cities burr attacks like this show they have much more to do. >> a former u.s. marine held in an iranian prison for 4 1/2 years is finally home tonight, amir arrived in flint michigan earlier today, he was released from custody

saturday along with four other americans. he was visiting relatives in 2011 when he was arrested and charged wees peaian knowledge. stocked finishes higher today, the dough climbed almost 116 points. crude open -- closed up more than 4% wednesday. today's rise followed rallies in the european markets and after the central european bank hinted at new pack kangs in march. so where is all the oil coming from? >> yes, the answer is saudi arabia. which is plagued the oil card before in the 70's when supplies were with held, now it is a different game, crude is quite literally flooding the market.

the saudis strive to maintain their share by knocking others off the board all together. >> the biggest release in three months but crude has still not found it's floor, the problem is the world is awash with oil. china, a key consumeser going flu a slow down and needs far less oil nan been anticipated. add to that the recovery here at home, the u.s. needs less too despite the lowest prices in more than a decade. and then there's said arabia, riyadh is playing a game of double jeopardy. first up they want to damage the chances of the new oil producer whose are making america the biggest oil producener the world. second many believe the saudis want to damage iran's

chances of turning a fast buck, once their oil starting flowing again, now that sanctioned have been lifted following the recent arms deal. and in particular iran and iraq. so they have opened as a why to control the market share, but to prevent some of their rivals in the gulf from producing more oil. >> and the studies can afford to keep it up, but that's not true of other members like nigeria for example, which is key to have a meeting of the cartel in order to cut production. the fourth quarter earnings season could play a big part in driving oil prices and stock prices in the short term, long term, it is still anybody's guess. >> and john the longer this goes on, the longer the chances $10-barrel, which is

extraordinary, you can't believe it, again, to reiterate great for you and me as drivers but way too low to make drilling worthwhile for major oil producing countries. and the fear is we will get major corporate bankruptcies. >> john, thank you very much. millions of people along the east coast are preparing for what could be the piggest snow storms in years. people across the region are going to stores to stock up on essential items including food shovels and salt. there was huge crowds in some places today. >> everybody is panicking now. >> i don't know where everybody is doing to get sod at. >> more than two feet of sal can play in d.c., virginia, maryland, pennsylvania, they have declared states of emergency. the nation's capitol is expected to be hit hard, and if last night is any

indication, the next few days will be tough, and an inch of snow was enough to cause a chaotic commute for hundreds of thousands of people, mike reports from washington even washington mayor had to admit. a pathetic performance. >> we are very sorry for inadequate response. we believe that we did not provide add kate resources at a time when it can make a difference in last evenings commute. >> d.c. drivers are infaunas for losing their cool with the first site of snow. the result, a new literal meaning to washington grid lock. slipping. sliding. standing stock still for hours on the capitol belt way. commutes that normally last an hour, taking as long as seven. even president obama motorcade felt the effect of the mix.

what we experienced from this snow event, was nowhere near what the forecast had been for weather in maryland. >> officials across the region vow next time, will be different. and may will soon have a chance to prove it. what is coming next can be a storm for the ages. friday into saturday, one foot, two feet, as much as 30 s expected. from kentucky and ohio, into the carolinas and up into new england. the storm is packing high winds with much of maryland didn'tc. and northern virginia under a blizzard warning. we are seeing everything line-up, for a major storm system and effecting at least 50 million people with heavy snow, and cold temperatures and very strong winds. k are dangerous situations if in fact they develope. >> millioning could be snowed in, and worse, lose electricity to heat their homes.

there is even the threat of roofs collapsing. >> the thing that has us worried is just the depth of the snow, and the potential for wet snow. the hoarding instinct is kicking in. >> with long lines as people in the path of the storm prepare to hunker down, leaving shelves buries. >> we have been moving a lot of ice melt, a lot of snow shovels sleds. >> states of emergency have been declared in maryland, d.c., virginia and pennsylvania. political leaders are trying to get out front of the storm mindful neff a lot riding on public safety it could take days or up to a week for them to dig out all local roads. i ask misdemeanorrers to be prepared, and to be patient. in the days ahead. >> with talk of a historic

storm, millions in the nation's most densely populated region are bracing for the worst. al jazeera, washington. >> a so called king tide is hitting san francisco, with water expected to rise a foot higher than usual. any more and the airport runways homes and businesses could be flooded. science and technology correspondent explains. this is san francisco's waterfront, and this is up here one of many that is inundated today by sea water. we are in the middle of a king tide, and basically, you know how tides work, the sun and the moon basically pull on our oceans they yank on them by their gravitational pull, every so often you get what is call add spring tide.

the high tide is about a poof and a half higher than it is, you combine that with the effects of the weather patterns and we are looking at another effect. between three and four-mile five feet of sea level rise. this is something we will see in the united states and articled the world by the year 2100. now this doesn't effect supervisor, four out of ten americans live in a coastal county. which means the lives of tens of million are going to be effected, their drinking water, their structure, the homes they live in, all those things will be washed will be inundated by water. the same we we see it sloshing up and down here today. this is interesting to take a look at the effects of a day

like today, and understand how they will cope with years of that, by the end of this century. >> that's jake ward reporting the oklahoma cop convicted of raping several women, learned his punishment, and lgbt rights in louisiana, the new governors promise to protect gay state workers and why critics say the protections are not necessary. but now what little i have has to completely go towards water. >> only on al jazeera america.

food former police officer was sentenced to 263 years from prison. he was convicted last month

on rape and sexual assault charges. he committed his crimes while on duty. lady joe castro is in oklahoma city, heidi? >> there was a murmur from the courtroom, followed by tears of joy and relief. >> stop the serial rapist with a badge whenever everybody else heads out. >> former oklahoma city police officer will spend the rest of his life in prison for assaulterring at least eight women. all african-american, where he patrolled. >> i like to say thank god for those that do believe in us no matter how powerful he was, and how vulnerable we were, he had no power to do what was done to us. >> a jury convicted him on 18

charges. he assaulted the 58-year-old grandmother and day care workner the back of his squad car. >> whatever happened to you, no matter who it is, don't let them get away with it, it isn't right. police officer with a badge, wrong is wrong. >> the previous victims have histories of drug abuse or prostitution, the officer targeted them, believing no one would take their word over his. but she had no criminal history, she reported the attack, breaking the case. >> a lot of people are calling you a hero, i don't. i just did what i had to do. >> meanwhile, the oklahoma city police department has tried to make amends through firing him and aggressively investigating the case.

s? a terrible case, we can't go back and change the past. >> and overalling the system that allowed him to search through have been unanswered. >> i don't trust any of them right now. >> can you say today with 100% certainty, that there are no other officers committing these crimes on your force? >> we have no reason to believe that there are. is and if there's ever an allegation, we will do so. >> with his 263 year sentence, he will never again patrol these streets put in these allies the shadows

still loom. >> now, again, daniel is off to serve his 263 year sentence in prim. the judge today ruled against a motion by the defense team for a new trial, he himself did not speak, one of which said that since she was his half, she felt like she is dying on the inside. >> heidi, thank you very much. oregon's governor says she is frustrated with the federal response to an armed protest in her state. in protest a federal control of public lands governor kate brown says it has cost oregon taxpayers nearly half a million dollars. she has asked federal officials to reimburse the state, and says she wants the occupation to end now. also, in oregon, an effort by the logging industry environmentalists and the government to makes the industry more sustainable and

it appears to be working. allen shoff her reports. >> hardy county was once a thriving timber area. in the 70's it had the highest per capital income in oregon. but government regulations proud logging almost to a halt. closing local mills driving the timber industry and jobs out of the county. doug used to work in the now closed mill, he is now the control technician there is so much resistence to logging any more, watching movies you ever seen a good logger? kids watch movies and people that are logging are terrible. shay destroy the land, they kill everything. >> he says he is frustrated with the way federal lands are managed. saying current practices aren't just bad for the timber industry, they are bad for everyone.

they have overgrown with brush. you used to be able to put a fire out if it was bad, now 100,000 acres almost is normal. >> he is also frustrated with the tactics of environmentalists. >> it is their way of the highway. just up the road they think they may have an answer, trying to find ways to meet the forests needs, tonight we will introduce you to the people behind the blue mountain forest partners, how they are looking to shape locally, and possibly revive the area's logging path. al jazeera, in the national forest. >> and coming up next on the broadcast, flint michigan water crisis, what emails to and from the governors office reveal, and how critical decisions were made. and forced to relocate, the story of one california family, who has left their home to escape a dangerous

gas leak. written everyday. it's not always pretty, but it's real... and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight.

a proposed press release acknowledging the public's concern. western a proven frac record, there's still remains lingering uncertainty about the quality of the water is to reassure the residents an expert verified the water being put out meets all of our standards and flint water is safe to drink. but soon after the switch, residents begin complaining about the smelly brown water coming out of their taps. in october, 2014, in a brief to the governor, the michigan department of environmental quality blames the weather for the water troubles. warm weather conditions are not only more conducive to bacterial growth, but also degrade the waters residual, more quickly. >> the real responsibilities

rests with the county, city, and the local water authority. much more adds that state health officials are concerned the issue could become a political football. but since the issue here is the health of citizens and their children, we are taking a proactive approach. governor snider requests daily updates. after news reports about walter filters being distributed. i had questioned last night. on october 182,015th, the environmental quality acknowledging the water testing should have been done from the beginning. they believe they were constrained by 26-month tests i believe now we made a mistake. one of the last emails dated december 29th, 2015, from the independent task force created by the governor,

suggests where the blame really lies. we believe the primary responsibility rests with environmental quality. in his state of the state address, 20 months after the crisis began, governor snider apologizes. >> to you the people of flint, i say tonight, as i have before, i am sorry and i will fix it. we will bring you a special report, crisis in flint, a water emergency tomorrow night at 7:30 eastern time. the detroit teachers union speaking out against a proposed injunction, to stop so called sick outs. teachers have been calling out sick to protest what they call deplorable working conditions. 88 schools were closed yesterday. the detroit public schools have asked for a conjunction to prevent the protests.

they say they have done nothing wrong, jennifer london has more. >> many are calling this an invisible disaster, because it isn't what you can see that continues to impact people throughout the valley. >> sam and adam were supposed to be signing loan documents to buy the home of their dreams in california. instead, they are packing and moving 30 minutes away. >> it is very difficult. when your three-year-old says mommy i want to go home, every day, it is hard. >> the family joins 12,000 other people forced to flee their homes to escape methane gas that's been leaking into

the air since late october. >> our 13-year-old daughter, she has been sick as well, missed school, and it was horrible cough. >> infrom red cameras capture the plume, but don't be fooled by what you can't see. enough gas has been leaking from so call gases canyon storage facility to fill the empire state building every day. and if you get close enough to the leak, you can hear it with no safety valve, the only way to stop sit to drill a relief well, and that's taking months. they took a tour of the facility this week, part of a show and tell highlighting the progress the gas company says it is making. but it also shows something else. >> they were trying to

extract oil in the 1950's, now in 2016, so call gas relies on that old pipe does not do the testing that says there would be anomalies in the pipe. does know replace, and the regulators give their blessing, gee, what could go wrong? >> are you saying the regulators have been negligence? >> i would say the regulators have accepted a very low standard of safety, and so call has only matched that low standard. yes, they have been negligent. >> so call gas has repeatedly said including in an interview last week, there is no basis for claims of negligence. we operate with safety, and we see to all the regulations and we are in total compliance. >> as we move forward,

working very closely to set up a frame work on where do we go from here. >> what is clear, communities have been displaced, two schools have been closed, and local businesses say they are struggling because customers have moved away. >> obviously, there's plenty of blame to go around from the largest natural gas leak in history. >> and what do you plan to do? what do you personally plan to do? >> right now we are trying to push so call and push the agencies get relief from people and businesses from the small business administration, there's a long list. but it has to end with having regulations of natural gas al jazeera wanted to speak with the agency but we were told they would not participate in an on camera interview.

instead we received an email. such as inspectioning and testing but nose regulations are pending review, and won't take effect until february that's not good enough. >> i don't trust anything they say, can they guarantee that nothing has happened to our kids breathing this stuff for months and months? >> i'd like to get that in writing. >> with no immediate relief in site, residents say they are not only sick, they are tired of waiting. and they are taking their calls to shutter the entire storage facility all the way to washington.

the gas leak has gotten the attention of at least one presidential. calling the leak a climate disaster. he also called on the environmental protection agency to expedite it's investigation into the leak this as the company is facing legal action george at least 25 lawsuits have been filing seeking damages. >> that'ses jennifer london reporting. with the iowa caucuses less than two weeks away, candidate ted cruz is taking some heat from some gop heavy weights. former kansas center says the g. o.p. would surf cataclysmic losses. doll described cruz as an extremist who is not well liked in congress.

republican jack kingston, served 22 years in the house of representatives, he is in washington tonight, congressman, if cruz is an extremist that is not well liked in washington what does that make donald trump? >> i think a lot of this is rhetoric. trump seemed to be more solidified in the first place slot as a lot of the standards are saying good things about him, bob doll, for example, says trump is a guy you can work with. eric eriksson did, so a lot of people are edging their bet on donald trump, now, but you know a rhetorical candidate, very hard to junk been free things for

everybody, going to clamp down on evil cooperations some of it is silly, but it is part of the campaign landscape, i think that the reality is that prison has come to washington, d.c., he shook up the status quo, he just would not let go on became care. what they have traditionally done is speak their piece, and then go along with their own thing. they want action, so i think a lot of people fear cruz because they can't control him. >> a few weeks ago he was leading in iowa and now a new poll released today shows that trump's lead is growing and marco rubio at 14%, other republicans in single digits we are fold that ted cruz was ahead, because he led we van jell calls, but his ethanol,

is that the big issue that really mattered? i think eethanol is a big factor in iowa. what i know is that as a member of congress, there are those from mid western states who support the ethanol program, but most people know to create a dollars worth of ethanol costs you $1.50. it has always won in politics but not on substance, and yet every republican that runs for president has to start off in iowa, and if you are going to be part of the conversation there, you have to be pro ethanol. and so what cruz has injected is some honesty, saying it is time to question this program. the governors own son, as i understand it is a lobbyist, for the ethanol industry. and i think if you peel back the onion, you will find others may have a monetary

incentive to support the ethanol program. put i also think that cruz was hurt in the debate. i think it is something that he will gain back, but the other factor is rubio, stands to gain by wounded ted cruz. >> really? >> well, voters who pick cruz for number one, have rubio 44% of them, rubio is their number two choice. i have problem with these polls now he is way out of the running. let me ask you about the republican party, what is the discussion going on in washington where you are today, within the republican party, i mean is donald trump

assumed to be the choice? of the republican party? >> i don't think so. i think people are mindful we may have a brokered convention. eh new hampshire and south carolina, these are very small voters i think it is like 65,000 who will be voting. >> but if trump wins those three -- what if he wins those three, what does that mane? >> he is going to have strong momentum, and a lot of people that like to be on the winning side, the money will follow that winner. but the s.e.c. primary, that doesn't just include the south, i believe massachusets is as well, it is sort of a colorado is in it, it is a mixture of state. mississippi is not in it, but for some reason we are calling it the s.e.c. primary, very evangelical. very pro gun, that's where cruz is going to do really well, and so i think it is just going to go down to the

wire. i wanted to make this point. in iowa right now, jeb bush and marco rubio, between the two of them have spent something like $90 million in attack ads mostly aimed at ted cruz. the same situation with romney just buying ad after ad against him, so naturally your numbers fall. whether they say on the bottom or not, i don't know. but it is still very very dynamic, politician are bell weathers, they are not necessarily leaders, but that's why so few people have endorsed a candidate right now. in washington, d.c. because they are hearing from their own constituents and they are all over the map. >> one of the most interesting races i have and it will be interesting to see how it goes down to the wire. good to see you. >> take care. >> republican presidential candidate carlie fiorina is

being accused of ambushing a field trip from some iowa preschoolers. the children were visiting a botanical garden. she reportedly directed the group of about 15 children toward the stage, which features a banner showing an unborn fetus. some of the parents are saying it was done without their consent. now to louisiana, where the new democratic governor is trying to protect gay people from discrimination in the workplace. not everyone agreed. jonathon martin reports. >> it is still legal to fire someone because of sexual orientation, only a few communities in the case have nondiscrimination policies. >> people should not lose their liely hoods because of who they are, we just have to treat people fairly. >> who are guy, lesbian, or transgender from

discrimination. >> unfortunately, discrimination does occur. we also know that having nondiscrimination laws for race, and sex, and religion, doesn't mean that it does not occur. a similar policy has been in place two years ago. for the past eight years republican decided not to offer the protection calls it unnecessary. some groups agree. >> it is very difficult to protect against or guard against discrimination that you cannot legally define. >> many oppose to the new plan argue there's no proof discrimination has been an issue here in louisiana, and they say adding special protections can lead to a flood of lawsuits. >> the threat that you are fired because you are incompetent, or tardy, and now you identify with one of these categories provides immunity.

>> or at least, you can't fire me, i am protected. >> the governor hasn't said when he will sign the order. it would no not apply to private businesses, many advocates hope louisiana will eventually do what 21 others have done, and adopt nondiscrimination laws that apply to all companies. jonathon martin, al jazeera, new orleans. coming up ex, uh new worries about the zych cavirus already linked to a stunning rise in birth defects.

new fears tonight about a mosquito born virus linked to brain damage of new importants in latin america. today brazilian president visited a country hit hard by the zika virus. 49 invitation pants have died from the condition. the virus is spread to nearly 20 countries in the western hemisphere, several cases have appeared in the united states, and tonight brazillian doctors say the virus can be responsible for temporarily paralyzing hundreds of patients. he is in pittsburgh tonight, doctor, what is the virus? >> the zika virus is a mosquito born infection, that for the majority of people

doesn't really cause much of a problem, what we are finding now in this outbreak that's been occurring in brazil, there are certain populations namely pregnant women, who can really have severe complications from the virus. what happens with pregnant women, is they have a fetus that is developing within them, and this virus can propertiedly cross the blah sen that and infect the p twoing fetus, and cause the brain development and head development to be abnormal, so that some of them are born with ab normally small heads which can lead to develop mental delays and it can be a devastating condition. >> oh than spraying for mosquitoes how do you stop a virus like this? >> there isn't anything to do to stop it other than to avoided the mosquito. there is novak seen and no treatment. this wasn't considered a major health priority, because in every prior

outbreak we have never seen these type of complications and it is a mild illness. over than these cases that are rare. and then go after the most toe itself, using -- getting rid of standing water, thinking about how we will reduce the vector populations. >> and what do you think about the cdc travel warning? >> it is a good measure to take. right now we have a lot of people traveling, it is a major destination, and there are women that are pregnant that may be going there, and this is a very worry some. and it make as lot of sense to warrant pregnant women and give guidance in the united states, and how to advice women about the risk. the metous remains developing normally and no danger to it, so this is a very understandable position that they have taken and i agree

with it. >> proteching people that are traveling there, but it strikes me what do you do for the people that live there. you expect them to just pick up and leave? >> how can they protect themselves? >> well, so the people ha live in the areas that is going to fall on like what you mentioned before, controlling the mosquito specieses and these people have been dealing with this for quite a while. it is the same mosquito that spreads diseases like dengue fever. the same mosquito, so we know how to take care of this, it is basically eradicated from many different areas of the world, it has creeped back in as vector control has gotten more laxed. so that's where this needs to be, and teaching people how to avoided mosquitoes as best they can, in the meantime working on a vaccine as well. >> good to see you, thank you

for your insight, we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. >> coming up next, my conversation with singer songwriter joan after this.

singer song write fresh the u.k. to gain international success. four decades later she is still going strong. i asked her where the passion

for her music comes from. >> i always thought i was born to it. the things that started me off is my mother bought me a piano, she thought it was a great piece of furniture, and literally as soon as it arrived i started my songs. i would just put my hands on the keys, whatever came out sounded nice, i would keep that, my lyrics to that, and that's how it was. >> big success in 1976. with the album, how did that change your life? >> yes, it has changed my life, but i don't think it has changed me. i think that's quite important. the way i am is the way i have always been. but in terms of having more yes.

i meet incredible people, that without this profession i would never have met. i have been to places that again that without this profession i would never have gotten to. but as a person, i am pretty much as i have always known me. >> what kind of music do you listen to? >> i am a writer and i have eclectic tastes. you name it i will listen to it, if i think it is good. having said that, i don't actually own a lot of music. i don't sit down and play a lot of music. i have a big record collection, my record collection is probably about that big, really small. and even at that point, most of sit because somebody has given it to me. as an artist what's the process of creating a song? >> the first thing you need to do is having something inspire you to write that song. >> your inspiration? >> that comes from just being here. really.

once you have that, just seeing people. you can say something. do you write it down? >> sometimes. i don't write everything down. everything i think of, but at some point when i am writing things do seem to come back. so i feel as though i can get away with not writing everything down. he brought a big box, and it was full of all these things that he had written down. and i was wondering how much of that he actually used or will use. at the time of writing the song, i would december he would come one new stuff. and maybe take a line for something.

do you have favorite songs of your own? >> why wouldn't i, that's the song. so i love to sing it, i am never tire of singing it. >> did you he it would be a hit? >> i didn't know this kind of a hit. many years later. i did say to the record company that that's the song that i wanted to be the single, and then they said to me remember you asked for it. >> how many days are you traveling and performing? >> well, i think today concert would be 215

concerts. >> how do you make that connection with the fans for the people in the audience? >> well, i -- sometimes people say to me, when we saw you earlier on, you didn't talk to the audience, but that's not true. >> if you want to sing along, feel free. >> i did talk to the audience, and i did make jokes with the audience, but i didn't talk as much as i am now. and the running back i am talking now much more, is this is the last time i will do a major tour. not the last time i will tour but as extensively and i thought it would be nice to talk more to people. probably the last time i get to certain places. >> is it scary? >> still. >> a little bit, because you don't know just because people turn up, it doesn't mean they will enjoy it.

they may or may not enjoy it. >> well, we have enjoyed it for a long time, and we will for many many years in the future. >> great to see you, thank you. alley is next. i'm david shuster in for ali velshi - on target man versus machine, how a need for speed turns america's stock market upside down. and meet the computers that can make hundreds of million in milliseconds for investors in the stock market the past