earlier this week was also historic, but this concert is less institutional, cuba is being embraced by a rock band that is a levelling legend. and you'll find more information on our website, aljazeera.com. explosions are heard during a police operation in brussels as officials confirm at least two americans are among those killed in tuesday east attacks. we are systematically eliminated isil's cabinet. >> u.s. special forces take out isil's second in command in syria. and a new law in north carolina that critics call the most an by lbgt legislation in the country. ♪

this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey. major raids in belgium today and numerous arrests by police. prosecutors say three people were detained in connection to the arrests of a french man in paris, suspected of platting a new attack. the family of two siblings from new york city, confirmed they died in the bombings. the dutch nationals were on the phone with a relative at the airport when the phone went dead. john kerry has been showing solidarity today. >> we will not be intimidated. we will not be deterred.

and we will come back with greater resolve, with greater strength, and we will not rest until we have eliminated your beliefs and cowardous from the face of this earth. >> paul brennan is live in brussels this morning. paul what is the latest on the raids? >> reporter: yes, even as john kerry was making that tour of the airport building, police operations were ongoing here in brussels. we had six arrests on thursday night. three people were released but three remain in custody as a result of those operations. and then more operations on friday morning here, brussels time, in which three people have been arrested. there were two armed operations, all of the cameras were at one operation where we know one man was wounded in the leg and taken into custody. there was another armed

operation in which another suspect was also wounded in the leg by armed police. that was in the forest district. so three more people taken into custody during the course of the day. and the french president has been saying that the intelligence forces cooperatively of belgium and france together are trying to dismantle what they describe as the terrorist cell responsible for the brussels attack and november's paris attacks. >> there is also more evidence of mistakes in the investigation that lead up to this attack -- these attacks, rather. what more can you tell us about this. >> reporter: yeah -- well, it has been far from smooth running quite frankly. there have been many criticisms of the fragmented way that police operate here in belgium. rivalries, they are getting over those problems now. but there was a revelation on friday morning from a town about

40 kilometers north of brussels where i'm standing where the police chief came out and admitted that there was evidence and information that may have lead police last december to the address where salah abdeslam one of the paris attackers had been hiding out. unfortunately, though, for unforeseen circumstances, that information was never input into the relevant database. so the opportunity, perhaps to arrest salah abdeslam way back in december was lost. he said it wasn't a deliberate mistake, but he apologized for it, and it is an indication of just some of the wrinkles that there have been in the police and intelligence operation thus far. >> paul, are things slowly trying to get back to normal when it comes to metro and the airport and things like that? what is the progression there? >> reporter: well, the airport is unlikely to reopen before

month -- monday i think at the earliest. the threat level as decreed by the government was reduced from the maximum which is 4, down to 3, that means security has been relaxed slightly. soldiers are still patrolling but not in helmets. the people are mingling, and you see here where an impromptu memorial has been established, people have moved on to a kind of stoic defiance, but certainly the pressure on the police and intelligence services to make sure that no such attacks can happen again is very real. >> pall thank you very much. a top isil leader has been killed. ash carter says the operation took out the man whom many are calling the group's second in

command. it happened tuesday near the iraqi city of mosul. the united states is not confirming the method of the attack. jamie what do we know? >> reporter: well, in the pentagon news conference, ash carter said the recent attacks in brussels underscore the need to defeat isil, hasten that defeat of isil wherever it exists in the world. he said the u.s. is systematically taking out isil's top leadership. and he announced today that the u.s. had killed the man reputed to be the number 2 in command in -- of isil. it appears that he might have been in syria when this raid took place. he is identified as hodgy iman, the finance minister, and the pentagon said he is also connected with financing and perhaps coordinating some of the external operations of isil as

well. it is the latest senior leader to be killed by the pentagon. the pentagon also confirmed that they believe the so-called minister of war of isil, a man known as omar the cheffen was also killed earlier. and another man was killed in a targeted operation as well. and while these leaders can just be replaced by somebody else, secretary carter insisted this these kinds of attrition of the senior leadership are going to have an effect. >> the attacks in belgium how are they effecting the pentagon's strategy against isil. >> reporter: well, as i said they want to accelerate the campaign. something that defense secretary carter refers to as the parent tumor of isil.

but carter also made the point when you get beyond iraq and syria, it is a largely a law enforcement operation, but the u.s. is looking at ways to accelerate the campaign. it was noted that u.s. marines who are stationed near a staging area south of mosul, were also now providing artillery fire to help iraqi forces on the ground. the joint chiefs chairman hinted that there may be an increased u.s. troop presence on the ground. he said recommendations for enhanced capabilities had gone to the white house and they were awaiting a decision on those recommendations. so the u.s. wants to accelerate the campaign, particularly in iraq, where they would like to see mosul be retaken from isil control, and they are working on proposals to do that. richelle. >> all right. jamie thank you so much.

the u.s. gdp increased at 1.4% in the fourth quarter. stifling fears of another recession. today's commerce department estimate shows the economy has slowed down a bit. but economists had expected a meager 7% growth. but with recent wage increases, and housing prices on the rise consumers seem to be more comfortable in the market. there is a bill that requires the mother to pay for the burial and cremation of her fetus, and bans selective abortions including those for disabilities like down's syndrome. those opposed to the law promise a legal challenge. a new law on the books in north carolina is being called discriminator to against gay, lesbian, and transgender people.

>> reporter: overnight protesters camped out in the street outside of the mansion of north carolina governor. it is the latest backlash over a new law that excludes gays, lesbians and transgender people. >> this legislation is literally the most anti-lgbt legislation in the country. >> reporter: also expressing outrage, corporate america. many of the largest employers have all denounced the law. the ncaa is monitoring the situation deciding whether or not it will still hold scheduled championship basketball games there. and the nba expressed concern about hosting the 2017 all-star game in charlotte. it's that city's orde that

inspired the new law. >> this bill is about protecting the families and children across north carolina. >> reporter: now all public institutions must insist that people use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. >> it is common sense that boys should go to the boys room, and girls should go to the girls room. >> reporter: the governor called the law an overreach, but lgbt advocates say the new rules put them at risk. >> he literally affirmed to our nation that north carolina is not a friendly place for lbgt people. >> it will not go back to the men's room. it is unsafe for me there. >> i think it's something we would worry more about when you get an organization like the nfl or nba or ncaa behind it.

it's much harder to coordinate individual businesses. the kentucky state house has passed a bill that would create a single marriage license form for both straight and gay couples. both proposals were in response to the controversy around kim davis. up next. the republican presidential candidates get personal. >> donald you are a snibabling coward. and the new warning over the long-term effects of marijuana.

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>> he received another bullet in the chest. >> former translators are not just refugees, they're veterans. >> "faultlines". >> what do we want? >> al jazeera america's hard-hitting... >> today the will be arrested. >> ground-breaking... >> they're firing canisters of gas at us. >> emmy award-winning, investigative series. the war of words between republican presidential candidates between donald trump and ted cruz are heating up.

cruz has told trump to leave his wife out of it, and the texas senator said that tweet went too far. >> it is not acceptable for a big, loud, new york bully, to attack my wife. donald you are a coward, and leave heidi the hell alone. >> reporter: the tension between the two candidates so serious, cruz is now refusing to say whether he would back the republicans if trump is the nominee. hawaii has 25, alaska has 16, washington state is one of the biggest contests left with 101 delegates at steak. hillary clinton has about a 300 delegate lead on bernie sanders. wisconsin holds its presidential primary on april 5th. and diane eastabrook reports,

the african american vote could be divisive. >> reporter: when it comes to campaigning for candidates. >> hi. >> hi. >> i'm out canvassing for bernie sanders. >> reporter: she has been doing it since she was seven. >> i have been campaigning over 35 years ago for jimmy carter's reelection. >> reporter: now a bernie sanders supporters she is trying to work her magic in milwaukee east african american neighborhoods. it's not going to be bernie? who is going to be? >> hilary. >> that sends chills down my spine. >> reporter: why are you supporting bernie in bernie speaks to my heart. it's time for economic justice. i am for economic justice, and that's what bernie speaks. >> reporter: with 96 delegates, wisconsin could be important to the sanders campaign, while hillary clinton lead sanders by nine points last november in a poll, sanders pulled ahead of

clinton slightly in the most cent poll. >> a win in wisconsin which stands alone between the earlier primaries and the later, gives him an opportunity to reemerge and show that he can win in a midwestern state. >> reporter: in populous democratic strong holds like milwaukee, african american voters could play a pivotal role, while blacks have backed clinton solidly in the south, sanders faired a bit better in rust belt straights like michigan. graduate student steven jansen says sanders connected with him on those very issues. >> in terms of finding jobs, it's something that is very difficult, especially with the shrinking economy, with less, i guess, revenue for cities to operate, there's less jobs available. >> reporter: but in this home, these voters say clinton has a

better track record with african americans. >> bernie sanders was the senator in vermont, and how many african americans was in vermont that he had to represent? >> reporter: at clinton's milwaukee campaign office, staff and volunteers are manning the phones, hoping a heavy voter turnout will favor clinton. >> we definitely need more people making phone calls. >> reporter: they also hope to reach voters before stephanie does. >> the presidential primary is april 5th. do you know about bernie? >> reporter: diane eastabrook, al jazeera, milwaukee. about 2 r50 people are now headed back to their homes in northwest minnesota after a train derailment. a tanker truck burst in to flames after colliding with a freight strain on thursday. officials say the cause is still under investigation. the department of education is allowing more students to wipe out their debts if they

attended corinthian colleges. students in 20 states would be eligible to have their loans forgiven. this week california's attorney general won a billion dollars judgment against the now bankrupt schools for defrauding students. this fall more than 10 states plan to vote on possibly legalizing marijuana. but a ground breaking study is raising questions about long-term pot use. jake ward has more. >> reporter: states are making long-term changes to marijuana laws without knowing much about the long-term effects of the drug. and that's just because the research has not been done. >> we know way less about marijuana than tobacco and alcohol. when a product a legal it's a lot easier to study. marijuana has always been a

struggle, because people don't want to say they are using it, because it is illegal. so we know far less than we should given how widely used it is. >> reporter: while researchers have been able to look at something like alcohol use and its relationships to violence and poverty, nobody has been able to do that with pot. but now a new study looks at marijuana use in people who have been tracked their entire lives. the group known as the dunn-eden cohort represents a special opportunity for researchers. >> people were born between april and march in that time period, and they were followed up every three to six years until they were age 38. we have information on them, their health status, their families, and we can look at magnitude of use and also duration of use and how that impacts later problems.

>> reporter: the study has bad news for heavy long-term users of marijuana. >> people who are cannabis dependant were just as likely to experience anti-social workplace behavior, relationship problems, and downward class mobility as people who were alcohol depend dan ant over many years, and they experienced more financial difficulties, such as trouble with debt and cash flow, food insecurity, compared to people who were alcohol dependant. >> reporter: before we think of how this might be relative to the united states, it's important to understand some limits. the study was roughly a thousand people, they all were white, and they were all in new zealand. but at a time when political and business momentum is gathering

around legal marijuana, the findings are an alarming reminder that the science may have been left behind. today is good friday, one of the holiest days on the christian calendar. processions are being held in jerusalem and many roman catholic communities. and last night pope francis washed the feet of refugees, some were moved to tears. the celebrations culminate of course with easter sunday. a cultural milestone for cuba. the rolling stones are ready to give thousands of cubans satisfaction.

>> [chanting] yes we can! >> an historic election. >> you and i, we're going to change this county, and we will change the world. >> monumental decisions. >> mr. president, there's a one and three chance of a second great depression. >> first-hand accounts from the people who were there. >> their opinion was shocking. >> the challenges. >> he said, "i am president of the united states and i can't

make anything happen." >> the realities. >> he stood up and said, "that's it, i'm finished." >> at 9:30 - "america tonight" - top investigative reporting, uncovering new perspectives. >> everything that's happening here is illegal. >> then at 10:00 - it's "reports from around the world". >> let's take a closer look. >> antonio mora gives you a global view. >> this is a human rights crisis. >> and at 11:00 - "news wrap-up". clear... concise... complete. the entertainment world and fans are remembering garry shandling this morning. he reportedly suffered a heart attack. he was best known for his series

the larry sanders show. shandling was an inspiration for a lot of documentary-style comedy shows you see today. we're getting an estimate on how much that oregon wildlife rej fuj standoff cost the government. it was at least $6 million. the compound is undergoing a giant spring cleaning with the use of industrial vacuums and cargo trailers filled with cleaning supplies. the seattle man who is refusing to go to court after he refused to come down out of a tree. he hunkered down in an 80-foot tall tree in downtown seattle for 25 hours, and pelted

passer passerbies. on thursday he refused to leave his jail cell for the bail hearing. another hearing is scheduled for today. another historic moment in cuba is happening today. for decades rock acts like the rolling stones were banned from the country. but now the band will play there for a free concert. >> reporter: until recently this was the closest that a legendary british rock star had ever come to cuba. now the countdown has started for what promises to be the most exciting concert in cuba's history. >> translator: when i was her age i dreamed of going to a concert like this, but it was never within our reach. >> translator: it is the first time we will see something like this, and maybe the last. we want to travel abroad to stheem.

>> reporter: the famous british rock band has brought in some 500 tons of equipment, and will be playing before an estimated crowd of hundreds of thousands. this will be the grand finale of the rolling stones latin america tour, but only here are they performing for free. ♪ >> hola cuba! >> reporter: the stones sent a message on youtube to the cuban people with mcjagger speaking in pretty good spanish, saying this was an historic concert, and he hopes the cuban people will see it that way too. but practically no one has seen the video, because internet access is so limited here. still it will be an extraordinary event in so many ways. >> translator: cuba is not on the circuit of major music tours, so you can imagine. also the stones span three generations of fans. >> reporter: it's also worth remembering for decades the beatles and rolling stones music

was banned by the communist government. participate barack obama's visit here earlier this week was also historic, but this concert is less institutional it. it indicates that culturally cuba is coming full circle. ever wonder what would happen if you did not return your movie rental? one man in north carolina is now in trouble with the law for forgetting to take back a vhs tape. he was pulled over for a broken taillight, and the officer told him he had an outstanding warrant for not returning a tape back in 2002. so what was the movie, the comedy freddy got fingered. he said he has no idea where the

tape is. thanks for watching. keep it here. the news continues next live from london. ♪ suspect is wounded and arrested in brussels in the latest of a series of raids in several countries. ♪ hello there, i'm felicity barr. you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up, a senior isil commander reported dead in a u.s. air strike as the group loses ground to the syrian army in palmyra. two prominent journalists go on trial in turkey. and ethiopia's