for the first time in 20 years, the u.s. welcomes a canadian prime minister for a state visit. >> i would not support children, i do not want to deport family members either. immigration takes center stage at last night's m democratic debate in miami. ♪

this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey. canadian prime minister justin trudeau is in washington for historic talks with president obama. they talked about bilateral ties, trade, new travel rules, and climate. >> canada is joining us in our aggressive goal to bring down methane emissions in the oil and gas sectors in both of our countries, and we're going to move swiftly to establish comprehensive standards to meet that goal. we're also going to work together to phase down hfc's. >> mike viqueira is at the white house. mike, tell us more about what topped the agenda today. >> reporter: perhaps fitting that on march 10th, where it's 82 degrees in washington, d.c.

that global warming and climate change would be the focus, and that center was a centerpiece of what these two governments would like us to talk about. both countries, the united states and canada, very acutely aware of the effects that climate change is having, particularly in the arctic. there is also a plan on the table to ease cross-border commerce. ease bottlenecks between the united states and canada, $2 billion a day plus every single days crossing the border, and they want to streamline that process. but there's no question that american politics is casting a shadow over this state visit, and it is the first state visit full of all of the pomp and ceremony meant to illustrate the closeness of these two countries. the first visit in 19 years. earlier today there was an arrival ceremony on the south

lawn. the prime minister showing up while arriving just outside washington last night with his family. this leader who just look office last november. and such a break from his predecessor, stephen harper, but it was politics, the american press at this press conference, asking about the state of the primaries, and asking him if somehow he is to blame for the tone of politics and the rise of donald trump. let's listen. >> the tone of that politics, which i certainly have not contributed to. i have not -- you know, i don't think that i was the one to prompt questions about my birth certificate, for example. i don't remember saying, hey, why don't you ask me about that. [ laughter ] >> why don't you, you know, question whether i'm american

or -- or whether i'm loyal, or whether i have america's best interests at heart? those aren't things that were prompted by any actions of mine. and so what you are seeing within the republican party is -- is to some degree all of those effort over a course of ti time creating an environment where somebody like a donald trump can thrive. >> reporter: and aside from the tone of the politics, the nuts and bolts is effecting even the proposal to deruse emissions in north america. for the president to push that forward here in the united states, he has got to go through a process, a rule-making process through the epa, a comment period, that's very unlikely to happen before the president leaves office next january, so another reason why

this upcoming presidential election is casting a shadow over everything that is happening at the white house over the course of the next several months, richelle. >> mike viqueira thank you. with less than a week to go before florida democrats vote, a new poll shows hillary clinton with a sizable lead. she has a nearly 2-1 margin over bernie sanders. they also surveyed voters in ohio and found clinton in the lead there. sanders hopes his message will resinate with disadvantaged votered in the buck eye state just as it did in michigan. jonathan betz joins us. jonathan, immigration was a major issue. tell us more. >> reporter: yeah, richelle some would argue it was the issue of the debate last night. there are back-to-back debates in miami this week.

immigration a huge concern for many people in florida, and bernie sanders arrived here in florida last night. very much energized by his big win earlier this week in michigan. secretary hillary clinton and senator bernie sanders faced off in this their eighth debate in miami. >> i will not deport children. i would not deport children. i do not want to deport family members either. i want to prioritize who would be deported, violent criminals, people planning terrorist attacks, anybody who threatens us. >> happen to agree with president obama on many, many issues. i think he has done a great job as president of the united states, he is wrong on this issue of deportation. i disagree with him on that. so no, i will not deport children from the united states.

>> reporter: secretary clinton was pressed on the issue of trust several times. >> i am not a natural politician, so i have a view that i just have to do the best i can, get the results i can. make a difference in people's lives. >> reporter: and she again had to explain her email controversy, and why she decided to use a private server. >> there was no permission to be asked. it had been done by my predecessors. >> if you get indicted will you drop out? >> or for goodness -- i'm not even going to answer that. >> secretary clinton, is donald trump a racist? [ laughter ] >> i'm going to follow my friend senator sander's model here.

if i'm unfortunate enough to be the democratic nominee, there will be a lot of time to talk about him. i called him out when he was calling mexicans rapists. >> i think that the american people are never going to elect a president who insults mexicans, who insults muslims, who insults women. >> reporter: but an issue that struck a chord for florida residents was cuba. president obama is headed there in two weeks. >> the cuban people deserve to have their human rights respected and upheld. they deserve to be able to move toward democracy where they pick their own leaders. [ applause ] >> look, i understand that not everybody in florida or in the united states will agree with me. but i think we have got to end the embargo. >> reporter: sanders were held to task for supporting fidel castro back in the '80s.

>> the key issue here was whether the united states should go around overthrowing small latin america countries -- >> you didn't answer the question. >> it was a mistake. >> reporter: both candidates look ahead to next tuesday east contest in five states. and early voting has already begun for that big contest on tuesday here in florida. this was the eighth and what could be the final democratic debate this year. another one has not been scheduled. so now attention is turning to republicans. >> all right. let me ask you one final question, jonathan, what do the polls say about where the democrats stand right now in florida? >> hillary clinton has persistently and consistently lead by pretty big margins here in florida. there was a poll released yesterday ahead of last night's debate that showed her with a 30 percentage point lead. it is a huge difference. bernie sanders has a lot of

ground to cover if he is going to catch up, so without question, heading into tuesday east primary, hillary clinton has a big advantage. the polls in florida have trump holding a strong lead with -- double-digit lead there. that threatens to humiliate marco rubio because this is his home state. stephanie sy has more. >> reporter: it has been a rough week for donald trump's rivals and republican leaders trying to change the trajectory of tonight's debate. >> we're going to win so much. we're going to win win win. we're going to win with our military, with [ inaudible ] with everything. we're going to win so much, and you are going to say, mr. if the, we're winning too much. it's too much. >> reporter: texas senator ted

cruz is trying to broaden his appeal to evangelicals. on wednesday he got a hug and endorsement from carly fiorina. >> we need a real conservative who will provide real conservative solutions in people's lives; that is the only way we beat donald trump, and that is the only way we are going to beat hillary clinton, and ted is the man to do it. >> reporter: the campaign focus now shifts to a group of delegate-rich stakes voting on march 15th. one of those is florida. marco rubio's home state. he is trailing trump in virtually all florida polls. but the senator remains bullish on his chances. >> i will be on that ballot on tuesday. i will campaign as long and as hard as it takes. we are going to the white house! we are going to win this nomination! [ cheers ] >> reporter: and an msnbc townhall on wednesday, he says he regrets his personal attacks on trump. >> yeah, in terms of personal stuff, that's not something i'm

entirely proud of. my kids were embarrassed by it. >> reporter: donors are expressing concerns about rubio's fate in florida, and major funders of his campaign are meeting in miami today. up next the battle to fill the vacant supreme court seat. and more concerns about lead in drinking water. this time in a new jersey school district. details ahead. >> not everybody is asking the questions you're asking me today. >> we give you more perspectives >> the separatists took control a few days ago.

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german authorities say they have files continuing personal data on members of isil. today's announcement after britain sky news reported it obtained 22,000 isil fighters. it includes their telephone numbers and the names of people who sponsor and recruit fighters. the senate judiciary committee conducting a full blown debate on whether to hold hearings when president obama picks the supreme court nominee. libby casey is live for us in washington. so libby what do the lawmakers have to say? >> reporter: richelle this is a meeting of the jude ashary committee, the body that would be responsible for holding hearings, but republicans are saying they don't want to do that, and they have not changed their position in the last couple of weeks, so they used

this opportunity today to emphasize their position that no nominee should come up for a vetting until a new president is sworn in. >> we're not going to drop any nominee into an election called ron. and i'm not going to let it happen to the good people of ohio. >> reporter: that's chuck grassley from iowa. democrats say that the nominee should get a vetting process, even if they are not confirmed, they should at least have hearings, and we heard diane feinstein point out that there have been 14 justices confirmed in presidential election years. >> so i am appealing to the better angels of your nature. when there is a nominee, do as we have done in the past. give the nominee careful consideration. meet with the nominee.

ask the nominee questions. hold a hearing, and then hold a vote, both here and on the floor. vote no if you want. but let's have the fair process that is our tradition. that's our job, and we should do it. >> reporter: senator feinstein says that in 100 years, no nominee has been denied at least a looking into. democrats and republicans totally divided on this issue, richelle. >> the president actually spoke about this, this morning. what did he have to say? >> reporter: yeah, he is siding with democrats, no surprise there. the president urging republicans to take a look at whichever person he nominates. >> i'm confident that whoever i select, among fair-minded people will be viewed as an eminently qualified person, and it will be

up to senate republicans to decide whether they want to follow the constitution. >> reporter: now the white house is saying that the president is making progress in considering potential nominees and some news outlets here in washington are reporting that the interview process has already begun, so we could see a name any day, richelle. don't expect it today, because the canadian's prime minister visit is really the news, but as early as next week we could see a name. >> who are some of the candidates? >> reporter: it is important to note who is not in the running. attorney general loretta lynch said she does not want to be considered. but a judge on the u.s. court of appeals, and jane kelly from iowa, that's where the republican committee chairman chuck grassley is from.

another name, ms. jackson, if confirmed she would be the first african american woman to sit on the supreme court. >> libby thank you. another city is dealing with contaminated water. dozens of schools in newark, new jersey have turned off the taps because of lead. but city officials insist this is not another flint. >> reporter: it was the report of gray water last thursday that made them move up the annual test to check for lead. those tests found a problem with drinking water in 30 city schools. one school had readings 30 times the epa standards. while the city says they don't believe the contamination poses any sere ousz health risks, officials have shut off fountains in all 30 schools, and provided bottled water while they investigate the source of

the lead. >> we have a difficult needle to thread here, because in an abundance of caution, we are going the extra mile. >> reporter: parents say the schools didn't act fast enough. they got the test results back monday, yet did not let parents know or shut down the water until tuesday. the superintendent blamed logistical issues. but parents disagree. >> i feel like we should have gotten a letter on that day. >> they should have told us in the beginning. >> you look at the news and listen to flint and you think it's someplace else, and then you hear something like that going on in your own neighborhood, and obviously you are concerned. >> reporter: officials say the problem likely originates in the pipes of these school buildings, and there is no problem with newark's water supply. but the mayor says he understands the concern. >> we don't want to diminish the

seriousness of what is happening here. flint, michigan is going to stop billing its residents for water, at least for now. the city is trying to decide how to hand out $30 million in credits from the state. flint's mayor says the city needs to figure out how to apply those credits. michigan approved the money last week. it is designed to reduce the burden on residents who paid for tainted water for years. officials are trying to figure out how a four year old got ahold of a gun and shot his mother. >> how is the firearm secured? where was it carried in the vehicle? and exactly how did the young boy come to be in possession of the firearm. >> the boy is now living with

relatives. rating humans like a restaurant or hotel, up next the people app is making some people very nervous. ♪

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brain defects. >> vaccine development is still at early stages, and we are still a few months away from entering early human clinical trials. it is therefore possible that vaccines may come late for the current latin america outbreak, but the development of the vaccine remains an imperative, and in particular vaccines for women of child-bearing age. >> meanwhile, world health organization says that spraying against dengue fever have not been effective. the head of volkswagen here in the united states is out. his departure comes nearly six months after volkswagen admitted installing software that allowed it to cheat on diesel emissions tests. close to 600,000 cars in the u.s. are effected.

recall this morning involves pistachios. the cdc is advising people not to eat pistachios produced by wonderful pistachios. casing have been reported in several states. the controversial new people app, it is now up and running. it allows users to give ratings to others, but it's critics warn that people could soon become a platform for online bullying or cyber revenge. the concept here is pretty straightforward, users of the people app can rate other users in personal, professional, and romantic categories. the makers of the app which went live on march 7th, write that it's purpose is to provide a

preference check for people around us. >> if there was an app that was like yelp for people what do you think about that. >> reporter: review people, he is a jerk, but she is really cool? it didn't seem to fit. since then the company has the changed the app's features, so it theoretically avoids being an arena of anonymous criticism. >> you are not anonymous on our app. you cannot have your profile started by anybody else. you have 100% op-in ability, and we really want to make sure you have full control over what goes live on our app. >> so what is wrong with that? reviews are one of the great inventions of the internetage. the information age has made it possible to read up on almost anyone or anything before having a personal encounter.

and as long as people don't hide behind a sue -- sew doemin what is the big deal in there is a whole world of dating apps out there. and here is how one app builder described it to us. >> the chemistry is ago that is very subjective. it's very personal. somebody who is great for you, may not be -- not so great for somebody else. so i think just the concept of reviewing people is just not appropriate. >> reporter: here is where people has really crossed the line. they say you can't publish a negative review of someone who is not on the app, the company has said it is considering a so-called truth license in which paying users could access unpublished negative reviews.

and the terms and conditions give the app irrevocable ownership of anything written on the platform. this is sums up who you are, and it does so in permanent ink. >> jake ward reporting there. people is available to download for free for iphones and ipads. there is anger today at three american zoos. they flew a group of elephants out of africa despite a legal challenge of the transfer. zoo officials say drought conditions jeopardized theel font -- elephant's health. the elephants will be sent to zoos in texas, kansas, and nebraska. thank you for joining us.

i'm richelle carey that's all for now from here. but the news is next live from london. ♪ >> hello, this is the news hour live. coming up in the next 60 minutes. more lives lost in europe's refugee crisis, a baby is among five people drowned trying to reach agrees. israeli security forces accused of shooting a palestinian murder suspect dead as he was already on the drowned. german investigators uncovered documents to contain the personal information of thousands of isil fighters.