good evening, i'm antonio mora, this is al jazeera america, a new case of the zika virus in the united states, but the transmission came from sex, not a mosquito. also... >> i am morally obligated to use every bit of the power and authority my office has to make flint's water safe. >> the mayor of flint michigan on the water crisis. now the fbi is investigating the case as a criminal matter

a blizzard blast in severe storms, a look at the dangerous weather from the central plains to the deep outh. >> i'm so thrilled that i'm coming to new hampshire. >> what we saw last night was the old regan coalition coming back together. >> campaigning in new hampshire. the next test for dehli candidates we begin with a change to the way of the zika virus has been transmitted in the united states. the disease was contracted by sexual conduct, demonstrate mosquito bite. this american did not travel to a country where it's present. >> so far zika spread mostly through mosquito bites.

transition through sexual contact could be alarming. >> reporter: the vast majority of zika infections were through mosquito bites, but last seat it was said: state health officials were cautious saying transition by sex was likely, but not definite. in 2008, a researcher that caught the virus by gathering mosquitos passed the infection. injections are mild. deaths rare. scientists looking at a lioning between the virus and birth defects. they can't say whether the virus caused an increase. the president vowed her governmented will do everything it can to battle the virus.

>> my entire government is working on fighting. there'll be no lack of funding to turn around the epidemic and handle it in an efficient manner. >> the world health organisation said that the virus could infect 4 million people in the mercosurs, on -- in the americas. on tuesday, the w.h.o. announced the launch of a global response unit. >> to have a tenfold increase in numbers and the potential for spread. not just across latin america but africa and asia. we believe it's a matter of public health concern and constitutes an international emergency. >> reporter: also, a project announced to develop a vaccine, the w.h.o. is focussing on

controlling the spread of mosquitos, because a vaccine may not be ready for a long time. >> at the minimum, we are talking years, not months, we have to be cautious about a vaccine. >> more than 30 u.s. residents have been diagnosed with zika the district attorney in los angeles county filed the first criminal charges over a gas leak. it's for the leak in the porta ranch area. and they include failure to report the leak. 80,000 metric tonnes of methane leaked, forcing thousands from their home. aum attempts to stop the leak have failed. the water crisis in flint michigan - an unknown number of children have been poisoned. the fbi reports on the criminal

investigation. >> reporter: at the house of prayer church in flint michigan, hundreds gathered for a gospel service, trying to uplift everyone's spirits, and they'll have thousands of cases of water to choose from. they tell us that the folks feel railroaded. they are not the only ones looking for answers. >> several federal agencies, including the environmental protection agency, the u.s. postal service and prosecutors in michigan, the fbi says the focus will be on whether anyone violated federal law. tuesday, flint's mayor called for the remove of all pipes. we want to the start with the highest kids homes of kids under

six. this must happen immediately. i'm morally obligated to use every bit of power and authority my office has to make flint's water safe and the city successful for the people that live and work here. under a state-appointed manager. it used populated water to lead to corrosion and supply lines. tuesday, the top environmental official made their first trip to flint. promising to dedicate all forces. called sobering. >> we are not going to solve the problem overnight. we are here for the long hall. they acknowledged that they'll

call for an investigation into the e.p.a. response. >> mccarthy made it clear that controls were added to the water, after it led to the crisis. we are here because a state-appointed emergency manager made the decision that the city of flint would stop purchasing printed water and purchase untreated water, and not treat that water. all to save money. >> you heard her say that former manager darnell - he is refusing to testify in hearings that start tomorrow, looking into the crisis. democrats are trying to force the governor to compel him to testify. >> severe weather is hitting the united states.

more than 10,000 losing power in nebraska. the more immediate threat may be to the south. officials say several tornados were seen in alabama. we are seeing some reports of damage. >> that's right. we'll see the problem all night long. the threat will continue. i'll show you what is happening here. you notice the area of low pressure. that is where we have the blizzard conditions to the south and the weather. we'll take you down here. i want to show you thunder storms, how they developed over the last eight hours, across the region, and now we are seeing more of a line, well connected. i want to show you all the damage. in lauderdale. where one of the tornadoes game. extensive damage, across the eastern parts of mississippi, as

well as - just across the border, parts of alabama. >> we don't have warnings. many are under tornado watch that will continue through the evenings. i want to show you what they look like here. down here for parts of alabama and mississippi, and all the storms. and we are dealing with a lot of blizzards. the blizzard warnings will not end until 3 o'clock in the morning for the dehli candidates it's on in new hampshire. the candidates in the political world have to digest the results. lisa stark reports from new hampshire. >> reporter: the candidate descended on new hampshire. donald trump rapped up a loud,

boisterous and enthusiastic reality here. he is looking for the first victory. he's not the only one in the final push to be the first in the nation primary. >> whipping up support in the next context. >> i am so thrilled that i'm coming to new hampshire after winning iowa. >> reporter: it was a squeaker of a win, but the campaign will take it. hillary clinton told supporters they'll need to work hard as she battles bernie sanders, who has a considerable lead in the poles. as clinton courts voters here, she is looking ahead. >> new hampshire has to decide who can go toe to toe with the republicans to make sure they don't wreck us again. >> sanders from vermont is well-known and well liked in new

hampshire. >> last neegight we began the political revolution not just in iowa, but all over the country. >> reporter: polls are likely to tighten. the number one supporter told al jazeera, she has work cut out for her. >> i think she'll win if she has a good debate and we have enough time. what we saw last night was the old regan coalition coming back together. >> on the republican side, while kid cruz has a win, adding another may not be easy. >> he'll have more of a challenge, more libertarian. a lot less socially and religiously conservative. >> it's more establishment candidates such as marco rubio, who could pull out another

surprise showing in new hampshire. >> i can take our message to those that have not voted before. >> he's squaring off against three governors who spent more time here. >> as more donald trump, he has a wide lead. what now, after iowa. >> do we think air will go out of his balloon. >> that's the concern. second or third-placed finish, other candidates will be emboldened to go after him more aggressively. >> from both sides, the next week is critical. some candidates weeded out. others propelled forward. donald trump told supporters it's okay if he finishes in second place. but he is looking for a victory here, as are the other

candidates, stumping hard in this state. >> lisa stark in new hampshire. today republicans in the house tried to do away with the affordable care act. as expected, the measure failed to gain support of two-thirds of the house, the final tally was 241 in favour of the override. still ahead. defense secretary ash carter declared all military rolls will be open to women. the fight in congress, and what two officials said. and video showing how devastating the syrian civil war has become.

>> from rural midwest to war-torn mideast. she went for the money and found a greater calling... that could cost her everything. >> this is one of the most important sites in the century. >> proudest moment in my life. syria's army is mounting an offensive cutting off opposition supply lines to the northern city of aleppo, rebels described the push backed by the air strikes as the most intense yet. the targeted area is used by the rebels to bring in supplies by turkey. the offensive came as the u.s.

struggles to get most sides to the peace talks. >> homes were once the third-largest city in a thriving industrial center. in 2011 it was known as the capital of the revolution, and became the scene of the heaviest battles. after five years of conflict, homs was reduced to rubble. a deal was made to allow the last of the forces to leave the city in december. today the senate arms committee made a decision to allow women to fight in combat unit. >> reporter: the question of whether women can serve on the lines or commandos was settled last year, when all military jobs were ruled open to qualified women.

judging by the spirited debate, that question is anything but settled much of the more than two hours of senate testimony concerned the marine corp controversial experiment, in which mixed gender units were found to be less proficient at basic tasks than mail unit. ray mavis came under fire from armed services committee chairman for dismissing the results without observing the training first hand. >> saying with a straight face that the claim was flawed. >> mavis argued that it was not a true test, because the troops had to pass a minimum test to take past. >> no one had to meet a standard. there were no standard in there.

>> women's advocates say the experiment was a thinly disguisedway to justify excludeing them. >> the design of the research was flewed. the female marines were screened for the basics, for competing in large part with mail marines who had years of experience, and training in combat positions. >> but critics of the gender integration plan accused the pentagon of being too quick to dismiss physical differences between men and women, a difference conceding by the top general who admitted that in combat, size matters. >> being big, strong, having a body mass gives an advantage. >> there was broad agreement that standard must never be known.

the promise will be kept in the face of political pressure for women in the military. >> it's hard to imagine down the road five years from now, 10 years from now. if we don't have successful graduations, it's hard to imagine that the conversation won't take a different tone and i don't see we can guarantee in the future that the standards will not be diminished. >> the last thing in the world that a woman needs is to join a unit with everyone looking over their shoulder saying you are not the same as we are. i don't think anyone here thinks that standards should be lowered. >> military services have orders in relation to opening jobs to women. it all comes down to the standard, as the navy secretary

put it. just as there's no good argument for lowering standard, there's no good argument for preventing someone that meets the standards from serving. >> during the senate hearing, two top officials suggested that american women should be required to register for the draft. when questioned. the army chief of staff general mark milli, and marine commandant said they'd support the move. senator mccaskill favors women registering for the draft. >> i'm joined by an air force veteran that served in combat in 1990s, and is the cofounder of the national women's veterans speakers' bureau. and joins us from california. is making women regs officer for the draft a logical extension of a decision last year that women

should be allowed to serve in combat roles? >> absolutely, what is more logical. the only reason we weren't allowed or required before was because of the execution it follows lift the the exclusion opens it up. >> in the ented is it symbolic. if there was a series of wars or smaller wars seeing no one has been drafted since 1993. >> it's symbolic. do you think we might be more thoughtful about using the armed forces. it's all good. leading to talk about who is serving. >> let's go to the hypothetical.

a craft is re-instated and some day we go to war. is there support for women that are not volunteers. what are we talking abouting women have been in combat for decades. we were there when people thought we weren't there. it's about recognition of the fact. you were volunteers. absolutely. what we are talking about is comfort level with the fact that we were there. that's part it of. the recognition that we have done it. we of course the question. do you know what i'm thinking about. there was a sergeant in my unit. in survival school. he stood up during a dehli

commissioner visit. and he said to the commissioner, in asking the question, about why women should not - about women not being in combat. what he's saying is that women's lives are more important and my life as a man is more expendable. what are we saying when we say to the girls you don't need to do it. it's hypocritical, yet we say you are aimable for the combat roles. >> final question. what was the reaction to the marine cause study that mixed units did not perform as well. >> i'm trying hard not to eye roll. what do you expect from a service that's resisting. it's crazy. the senator sitting left of senator mccaskill. he quoted the survey. it was a quote about the reason

that they have no experience, serving with women in the units. i went what. it's an idea that we have to make men comfortable before women can be in the unit. i don't think we can do it. the longer we go, letting men think, the longer we are not having the most qualified people there. we have the most qualified people in the combat role. we kept a lot of people out. >> good to have your insights tonight. thank you. >> bill cosby's lawyers are trying to get a sexual assault case thrown out. emails give a sense. and what a c.e.o. was thinking

when he raised the price of a life-saving drug 50 fold.

tv icon bill cosby appeared in court, trying to get the sexual assault case against him dismissed. also appearing in court.

the federal prosecutor who decided not to charge cosby. former district attorney bruce said he thought cosby inappropriately touched andrea, but thought there was not enough credible and admissible evidence to prosecute. and viewed the decision as binding on the successors. >> an oversight committee will hold hearings on a price hike. in an email investigators released today, scredly wrote: last fall his company raised the price of infectious disease made sayings from $13 to $757. later he was arrested on unrelated securities fraud charges. i'm antonio mora, thank you for joining us. for the latest news head to

aljazeera.com. ray suarez is next with "inside story". have a great night. night. >> the iowa caucuses are a bit like a kindergarten soccer tournament, everybody is a winner. each party's process resulted in surprises and a relaunch heading to the new hampshire primary. but last night's big winners are undoubtedly ted cruz, and bernie sanders two guys talking to and about very different americas. bernie, ted, and the road ahead. it's the "inside story."