for us. a foreign policy triple threat for president obama. trouble looming for the president in some of the world's most dangerous places. this is special report. good evening and welcome to washington i'm bret baier. the u.s. says it will not do for iraq what iraq must do for itself against isis terrorists. the white house is signaling new involvement in ukraine and china is warning the president against what it calls provocations and

ins gagss regarded disputed territory. that's where we start tonight with jennifer griffin. >> with more evidence that china is building a military base in the middle of the south china sea on a chain of manmade islands 800 miles off its coast new reports from australia suggest that the chinese have moved weapons on to the contested islands. just a week ago, the chinese military issued a veiled threat to a u.s. navy p-8 poseidon surveillance plane that flew toward the spratly chain. >> please go away quickly. >> reporter: the u.s. defense secretary en route to a security conference in asia signaled a tougher u.s. stance. >> the united states will fly,

sail and operate wrafr international law allows. as we do all around the world. >> reporter: a view echoed by the u.s. admiral who drew attention to china's construction of what he called the great wall of sand. >> there is no shortage of challenges that confront us. china's preposterous claims to and land reclamations in the south china sea. >> translator: every is fully aware of the reason which is some countries play up tensions and tarnish the image of china for self serving interests. >> reporter: on tuesday, china held a ground breaking ceremony for two lighthouses on the islands. they have added 1500 acres to the chain by dredging deep harbors and runways that can handle heavy planes. china released a white paper on

its defense strategy this week. quote, the traditional mentality that land outweighs sea must be abandoned. one-third of the world's shipping commerce must pass through these waters which are also rich in oil and gas. >> these are important areas in the south china sea where you have 5 huh 3 trillion dollars of commerce goes over that water each year. it's more important than the sue ez and panama canals combined. >> reporter: the pentagon is skeptical. they are not research stations. >> jennifer griffin, thank you. the president's top spokesman made it clear today the u.s. will train and equip iraqi forces against isis terrorists but the u.s. will not fight them for iraq. josh earnest today talking about boundaries. >> our strategy is to support the iraqi security forces.

the united states is prepared to train them, to equip them and to back them on the battlefield with coalition air power. the united states will not be responsible for securing the security situation inside iraq. >> and ash carter says he asked his visors for options to bolster iraqi forces. carter said over the weekend that iraqis lack the will to fight isis militants. salad her putin is not happy with the u.s. about a number of things and the feeling is mutual. kevin cork tell us us more. >> reporter: from arming syria from its annexation of crimea to separatest rebels in ukraine. the frosty relationship plunged to cold car depths when joe biden suggested that the time

may be right to do more than just complain. >> much of the debate in washington is focused on whether to provide additional defensive weapons to ukraine. that is a debate worth having. >> reporter: the pentagon continues to pour nonlethal resources into ukraine. 200 million in equipment and training so far including humvee radar, night vision equipment and more. and the announcement of 18 million brought the total to $61 million in humanitarian aid. >> we regret that russia is taking this course because when might becomes right, the consequences are grave. >> reporter: the remarks underscore growing concerns that russia already ruling from u.s. sanctions is spiraling out of control, threatening nato allies and destabilizing europe. at the center of it all is vladimir putin who has made no secret of his an moss for washington.

when attorney general loretta lynch announced sweeping justice department indictments against fifa officials putin criticized the u.s. >> if some event that happened it happened not in the united states territory and the u.s. has nothing to do with that. this is an attempt to extend its jurisdiction to the other states. >> the focus deals in large degree with an organization concacaf which is headquartersed in the united states. >> reporter: further complicating the relationship, the iran nuclear talks. just a bit more on putin's fifa reaction. will stevens tweeted the word russia does not appear in the d.o.j. press release issued yesterday.

we cannot confirm if while he made that tweet about putin, a certain carly simon song was playing in the background. in baltimore, they are dealing with an epidemic of serious violence over the death of a black man in police custody. there are questions tonight about whether the police officers under fire are doing all they can. >> reporter: across baltimore, the police tape of yet another murder is a daily occurrence. more than three dozen people so far this month. many more s and wounded. >> afghanistan. >> reporter: at the burned out cvs that was ground zero for the riots, things have largely returned to normal. on an afternoon, a lot of folks hanging around on the streets. we're told most don't have jobs. what is missing from the picture is the police who residents say haven't shown up in a while and

the numbers say aren't doing the same job they used to. for first two weeks of may, arrests are down 50% over the same time last year. and the very folks who stood here and protests the police say they need them back. >> you got good guys. you have bad cops and lazy cops but all get a paycheck from the city of baltimore. they should be earning it. >> reporter: in a statement by their union today police say they are under siege in every quarter. they are more afraid of going to jail for doing their jobs probably than of getting shot on duty. rank and file officers are most angry with baltimore state attorney and baltimore's mare. mayor who sources say ordered police to stand down and let rioters loot during last month's unrest. >> how is it this is the deadliest month in 15 years and

a failure of your policies? >> there are a lot of reasons why we are having a surge in violence. >> because the police are doing less? >> as i said before there are a lot of reasons why. >> is that one of them? >> we're examining all -- >> arrests are down 50%. >> reporter: civil rights activists say that the situation will only get worse. >> these are just one shot and firing match away from explosion. we should not with that close to the edge. i think the focus is on police and containment but not enough on development. >> the city authorized $20 million for police overtime during the riots. but the true cost may be much higher. in baltimore, fox news. how tight is the republican presidential race? five are tied at the top in the latest poll. first here are some of the fox

affiliates around the country. in houston, the rain has let bull pen you the damage is done. and more rain is on the way. this week's storms and floods have left at least 21 dead in texas and oklahoma and ten missing. residents of several hundred homes southwest of houston have been asked to voluntarily evacuate. fox 25 in boston where rimment thats of a record-setting winter around. a snow mound massachusetts been reduced to a three story pile of junk and dirt encased in solid ice. and this is a live look at orlando from fox 35 the big story tonight, a private pilot spending the night in jail after trying to fly while intoxicated. he veered his plane off the

runway hitting a satellite dish. no one was hurt. that is a live look outside the

a line in the sand for hillary clinton from big labor. and a new entrant and evidence of how close the republican presidential race has become. we have fox team coverage tonight. and henry with the clinton campaign but it's we start off with carl cameron with a new name and a new poll and a g.o.p. contest that could not be tighter. >> it is crowded. today there is a new one, a three-term governor of new york george pataki has been out of politics for a while and is a long shot. >> i announce i'm a candidate for the president of the united

states. >> he calls himself a solutions guy and touting his role in new york's recovery after the september 11th attacks. >> we need to appeal to the republican base but to independents to conservative democrats, to minority groups and young voters. >> reporter: the poll shows five rivals tied. nine others resident in the poll make a diverse and wide open field. donald trump has been saying an announcement is coming. he may hit the trail in new hampshire. two of the polls 1 percenters including rick perry plan to launch their campaigns next week. on the day after rick santorum launched his second run, neither has measurable support. when matched up against clinton,

rand paul and rubio fare best. >> only two republicans and i was one of them beat hillary clinton in a nationwide poll. so people need to ask themselves who can win in the fall? and i can win in the fall but not giving up one ounce of what we believe in. >> scott walker fighting back against the west's attempt to his signing of a bill in 2013 requiring women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion. >> we require that whoever is doing the procedure has to provide access to an ultrasound. if someone has access to seeing that information if they can look at it if they so choose chances are they are going to pick life. those in the left are afraid of people having information.

>> jeb bush has far outfund raised the rest of the field and it is not discouraging his potential rivals. they are all expected to enter the race in june or july. the biggest block of voters 20%, undecided. >> but they're not afraid of jeb bush and all the money. >> is it going to go late. it was supposed to be shortened. now republicans see this could go very long and be pretty tough. >> you can see governor pataki's contender series interview with me. we added additional clips that did not air. you can get there from the home page. the head of the country's biggest labor union is calling out hillary clinton over president obama's fast track trade legislation. he wants her to make a decision soon about where she stands. ed henry is covering the clinton campaign in brooklyn tonight.

>> reporter: a warning shot from the left for hillary clinton as the top union boss says she will face harsh political consequences unless she comes out against the trade deal. >> it will effect whether people vote for her. >> reporter: afl-cio president suggests that unions could hold back an endorsement or offer a week nod. >> it will be tougher to get them to do work. >> reporter: that despite clinton working to keep the left happy. flip-flopping on issues like same-sex marriage and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and trying to win over african-american voters in south carolina by doubling down on the president. >> i went to work for him because he and i shared many of the same positions about what should be done in the next presidency. >> there could be danger in teeing up a third obama term though there is good news for

clinton in a new poll. she is beating any republican contender with 60% of voters believing she has strong leadership quality. >> standing up for you, making a difference for you. >> reporter: the voters may not buy talk of her being a middle class champion amid pricey speaking fees. the poll found voters divided 48% to 47% on whether she cares about their needs and problems. 53% say she's not honest and trust worthy as new details spill out about the clinton foundation. sydney blumenthal raked in $10,000 a month doling out advice to clinton. clinton just had a briefing for reporters here. they say that is it a play book of attacking the clintons that will backfire with swing voters

and they feel good about the early stages and see no permanent damage from the clinton foundation stories. but it will be a dog fight in the general election. >> thank you, ed. former house speaker dennis hastert has been indicted on banking charges and making a false statement to the fbi. the republican from illinois was the largest serving gop house speaker in history working the gavel from 1999 to 2007. no response from him yet. still ahead, will pope francis play a role in the 2016 presidential race here in the u.s.? that story coming up. first is president obama trying to take a big gulp of

what many lawmakers see as obama administration's power grab involves something you probably take for granted every day. now more on how the epa wants more control of your water. >> there is nowhere for it to run out. >> under new rules defining the clean water act this may represent a navigable river. and anything he does on his farm could require a federal permit. >> if they take jurisdiction like that it is like the whole ranch, all the problem, if you want to dig a post hole or anything they could say a in how or what you do. >> reporter: that's why they are opposing the latest rule.

>> we have tried very hard and will try to continue to clear up misconceptions of the rule and misimpressions about any idea that is beyond the historical jurisdiction. >> originally intended to stop pollution in rivers and streams, over the years the epa expanded the rules to protect wetlands waters adjacent to wetlands drain age basin and roadside ditches. the rule includes not just dry tributaries but areas of 100 feet where water flows once a year or less. >> you need 375 pages to describe water. >> reporter: the epa wants to regulate land use not just water quality. the president the 1972 clean water act covers 88 pages. today the rules and regulations stretch 2,200 pages under

scoring the fear it's how the epa and allies will use the rules to control projects they oppose that have little or nothing to do with clean water. >> thank you. popular beaches along seven miles of southern california shoreline are off limits to surfers and swimmers as scientists try to figure out the source of a tar-like substance coming to shore. public health officials have told residents to avoid contact with the water there or any material that washes up in that area. americans sign contracts to buy homes at the fastest pace in nine years in april but it's the dow lost 37 today. the nasdaq fell 9. labor leaders say everyone should earn a higher minimum wage expect for those who work in their own labor unions.

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and now some fresh pickings from the political grapevine. a bait and switch on the west coast. los angeles labor leaders helped push a minimum wage hike through the city council. but the federation of labor wants all companies with unionized workers to be exempt

from the mandate. with the collective bargaining agreement the business owner and the employees negotiate a agreement that works for both of them. some people have an issue with the hypocrisy. the chamber of commerce says that it could pressure companies to unionize to dodge the rate hike. the rhetoric of helping the working poor is a cover of organized labor. a federal reminder of the federal government just because pot is legal where you live does not mean government workers are allowed to smoke it. marijuana is legal in a number of states and in washington, d.c. but federal law on marijuana remains unchanged. drug involvement can raise questions about an individual's reliability, judgment or trust worthiness or ability to comply with rules and regulations. individual conduct will be

looked at on a case by case basis. the investigation into global soccer and a glimpse into the excess of fifa leaders. chuck blazer was key to the massive and just revealed corruption probe into the soccer organization. the "new york daily news" outlined his life of wealth including a $6,000 a month apartment just for his cats. and the crimes of not paying income taxes, coordinating bribes and take kick backs. blazer turned informant in 2011 but pleaded guilty to a number of thrownfelonies. back to politics now. and how much influence a global leader will have on 2016. now more on republican politics and the pope. ♪

>> reporter: in more than two years, pope francis has emerged as an activist who grants ministries to the poor but it's the 78-year-old has declared climate change to be mostly man's doing. >> i think we use too much of mother nature. >> he has encouraged his flock to eshoe large families. >> some think that to be good catholics we have to be like rabbits. no we need responsible parenthood. >> and he has spoken about gay people in a way that some has chosen to construe as an acceptance of same-sex marriage. the pope has recognized palestinian statehood and restore ties with cuba.

for the 2016 gop contenders some of whom are catholic and used to more conservative views from the vatican, the pope's pronouncements have evoked some concern. >> the pope is a shepherd of a faith. he is not a political figure. >> reporter: ted cruz said he is not charged with protecting u.s. national security interests. responding most sharply is rick santorum who bristled at the rabbits comment. it's sometimes difficult to listen to the pope and some of the things he says off the cuff and this is one of them adding the pope is the leader of the catholic church. when he speaks as the leader of the church i'll pay attention. when he speaks in interviews he is giving his opinions and how much weight the voters adhere to the edicts is a key question.

>> there is some evidence that suggests that what popes say outside of matters of faith really have relatively little impact even on catholics. it may cause uncomfortable moments on the campaign trail but its impact on the actual vote is limited. >> polling shows that the most religious catholics are most apt to vote republican. but race is a factor as 59% of white catholics voted for mitt romney in 2012 while 75% of latino catholics chose president obama. china warns the u.s. to mind its own business. is that a taste of bad things to come. we'll ask the pa

the united states will fly, sail and operate wherever

international law allows, as we do all around the world. finally, with its actions in the south china sea, china is out of step with both international norms that underscore the asia pacific security architecture and the regional consensus in favor of a noncoercive approach to this and other long-standing disputes. >> we urge the united states to think carefully before taking actions and stop all provocative words and actions so that it can truly play a constructive role for peace and stability in the region. >> tension is building between the u.s. and china. this time over a series of man-made islands about 800 miles off the coast of china in the south china sea. and there you see them. the strange of islands built up in recent months in just this week two lighthouses on these new islands. they had a ceremony in which

they celebrated these lighthouses. there is evidence there are military bases being built on these islands. it's a problem for the u.s. because a third of all the world's commerce goes through this areas. let's bring in the panel. charles. >> the chinese aren't reckless like the russians and putin. what they are doing is creating a territory in the middle of the sea that doesn't belong to them and on waters that is claimed by many of the neighbors in the region. but they are doing it because they sense they can probe the united states under this administration because it has shown that it doesn't stand up. it makes a red line with syria and backs down. it tells the russian there will be terrible consequences if you make trouble in eastern ukraine. the russians do all of that and what happens just a week ago?

our secretary of state bends a knee in sochi on a trip to see a czar putin in which we say if you don't do any further aggression we will relax sanctions. a reversal of the policy we had had up until now. they see all that and think they can challenge. i don't think we are near any conflict but the chinese are building their defenses. 10% increase every year for the last 20 years while we are shrinking ours. and their objective is to deny us access to the pacific rim waters we have dominated since the second world war. that is aggressive but they will do it slowly over time. >> they are talking about the air rights over these areas in the south china sea. and you know controlling that even for u.s. aircraft. >> the proclamation in the state press in chinese telling the

people the government that war is inevitable and that they are shifting their military focus from defense to offense is not subtle and i think charles is right. that is probably their ultimate goal and like putin they will creep and inch their way there. they are doing this obviously the intimidate and project power. but it's -- it's probably because of a weak asian pivot that they were able to plan this and execute it and it's very shrewd. what is interesting is i thought carter's remarks were strong. we have heard from vice president biden. we are running air surveillance and reacting somewhat. but strong words about remaining the principle security power for decades to come. but it's not clear what the u.s. will do to slow or stop it. that's really what the chinese are banking on. >> here is president obama back in april talking about some of these tensions. >> i don't want to minimize

though the fact that there are some real tensions that have arisen with china around its approach to maritime issues and its claims. and we've said to china what we would say to any country in that circumstance that's the wrong way to go about it. and we will continue to work with all countries in the region starting with our treaty allies to make sure that basic international norms continue to be observed. >> all this as charles mentioned, steve, is double digit defense spending increases, a focus on the sea, not the land. and it seems like it's catching a lot of people's attention. >> they are expanding where they can. china has islands a thousand miles off the coast. what they are doing is build bridges to those lands to expand their military reach.

the obama administration has given people a green light to do this. in that they are doing it in a more sophisticated way than vladimir putin and rush. and to be fair to the chinese a lot of what they have done to this point has been with disputed islands with many claimants. what makes this different in particular these were philippine controlled islands and they are doing something that violates the u.n. law of the sea treaty. and that seems to be an escalation to me. and the second point, the chinese foreign ministry admitting they are doing this for defense and military purposes. for a while there was a pretense they were doing marine research now they are basically owning this saying we want to expand our reach. it's dangerous and if you are chinese you have to be look at washington saying that president

obama is in office for 20 months, we have to do what we can do while we can. >> there is a lot of commerce that goes through there. we are not even talking about taiwan yet and what china may have on the horizon in regards to taiwan. >> the chinese have not acted like the russians in ukraine. if they had wanted years ago, even going to the eisenhower administration they could have attacked and probably would have succeeded on the ground but cause a war with the united states because of our guarantee. they are very careful about that. and i believe they think they will absorb taiwan like hong kong. what they have explicitly said in the paper release on tuesday is they are not -- their navy is not for the defense of the coast as it used to be it is for the seizure and projection of their power on to the seas.

since america has controlled them since the second world war it means denying us access and control of the seas. what can we do? we can start by stopping to shrink our navy into disappearance. the chinese are constructing building, developing missiles, anti-ship and aircraft carriers and we are shrinking our forces every year. what reagan did with the build up had a huge effect on deterring the russians. we should at least stopping the shrinking of our forces. >> you mentioned the administration's pivot to asia. the reset with russia and the pivot to asia. it doesn't seem like -- china holds a lot of u.s. debt and plays an integral role in north korea and taming down that country and its ambitions. but it doesn't seem like it is

acting like a pivoted nation. >> it is opening up numerous significant economic opportunities with our allies that we're not involved in. it's not a part of tpp. we obviously skirmish with the chinese constantly over iran. this is an accomplishment what we're talking about tonight for the chinese. i didn't say what we with do but what will they do? if steve is right they have 20 months to do whatever they want to do. >> charles is right. there is zero chance that president obama is going to reverse himself and engage in defense build up. that is scary when you look at what the united states is doing five ten, 20 years down the road to push this back. >> next up, big labor calls out hillary clinton and new developments in the clinton campaign.

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>> hillary clinton can be for the trade agreement. she can be against the trade agreement. i am, warren and many of us are. but i just don't know how you don't have an opinion on this enormously important issue. >> independent socialist senator bernie sanders now running for the democratic nomination. calling out hillary clinton. and he is not alone. you have richard trump can dca president of the alc-cio could hold back endorsement and weak nod and not get liberals fired up for this nomination if she decides to come out for the trade deal that president obama is pushing. so we are back with the

panel. a.b.? what about this and, you know, we heard from hillary clinton on all sides but not a definitive yes or no. >> well, my favorite response of hers is when she says that she needs to see what's in it because as a former member of the obama accommodation, married to a former president a former secretary of state who was a student of this deal, and someone that the obama administration is desperately hoping will support this deal, she has access to what's in it. i can tell you she doesn't have to go to the secret room in the capital that's behind several locked doors like members do to find out what's in it. so she is pretending she cannot obtain this information and make up a decision. what's interesting about what's going on is unlike these other issues, where she wants to hide, the keystone pipeline, which labor supports, and the administration opposes she has never said anything about the keystone pipeline. on the deal with iran, which she is dodging an answer on,

she is now under pressure in this what was to be the cake walk primary from big labor and they're saying, i mean, it would be one thing for bernie sanders to say it, she will ignore him but for trumka to come out and say we need an answer now, this is actually a problem for her. i bet she actually probably ends up flipping on it if she feels the heat. i don't see her coming out saying i'm going to help my friend president obama pass this deal. >> everything we are hearing about this in democratic circles is that she probably is going to come out steve against this deal. >> she would be better off doing it now so she has time to actually explain herself than waiting and building this pressure. i think a.b. is right. i think she will come out opposed to it but the real problem for her is not that just she was a member of the obama administration and knows what's in the deal. this was a centerpiece of the pivot to asia. she was secretary of state. this is what she was doing for all those years that she was flying around the world. and she is going to have to flip flop on something that

is the core of her legacy as secretary of state. it's raw naked politics and it's bad and i think she is going to do it anyway. >> charles she is in south carolina yesterday. and she says i went to work for president obama because he and i share many of the same positions about what should be done in the next presidency. this is maybe not one of them. >> well, that's kind of a weird statement. particularly because she is wayward on something that is so important to the president. this is going to be the one area where he is going to leave a legacy in foreign affairs and i think will stand up and the tpp because it will help to strengthen our relations. speaking about china it will be essential to strengthening our relation with our allies in the region. if we reject it, it will be a disaster. they will all have to gravitate into china's orbit. it's rather amusing. steve is right. this is her legacy. it tells you the tpp and china that she has no legacy as secretary of state. i mean, if that's it, where

essentially it was the beginning of a trade treaty where she said it was the gold standard but it means so little to her that she now says i have no idea what's in it, i don't know how i'm going to end up, tells you what the four years were spent doing and amounts to essentially zero in terms of accomplishment. >> quickly a.b., poll for honest and trustworthy would you say trustworthy or not. yes 43%. upside down. i don't think this is a problem for her on the primary. she wins the general election and if she loses the general election come back to this. she will make it there make it to the final two. >> that's that is it for the panel. see how the media is covering spring allergies.

finally tonight, grab your tissues. this allergy season is expected to be the worst yet. in fact, some of the media seem to think the pollen level could be a national emergency. >> allergy experts this morning are warning of a pollen tsunami. a pollen tsunami is sweeping across most of america right now. >> pollen tsunami suddenly hitting very hard. >> pollen tsunami sounds like we made it up. >> no? no no, pollen tsunami definitely sounds like a real scientific term. i feel like last year they

gave allergy season a different disaster movie name. >> we are done and done with that polar vortex for this year but what about the pollen vortex. >> what now some are now calling the pollen vortex that's launching an assault. >> yes yes. pollen vortex or as it is sometimes referred to a garden. [ laughter ] >> vortex, tsunami tissues. thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. that's it for this "special report." fair balanced and unafraid. greta goes "on the record" right now. ♪ >> it is friday may 29 td.th29th. another muhammad car tunetoon

contest. >> we have to hold the cartoon contest to be able to show the true colors of islam. >> why organizers are staging the anti islam rally and the safety concerns already mounting. >> worse than we thought. what the pentagon revealed about the anthrax scare and the worry the deadly samples could have been shipped with every day packages packages. >> planning a trip this summer? why you might want to budget more money. >> "fox & friends first" starts right now. >> good morning to you and your family. it is friday. >>zs")k5jáát to "fox & friends first". i am ainsley earhardt. >> i am heather childers. thank you for starting your day and ending your week with us. police on edge ahead of a draw muhammad contest today in phoenix. >> an anti islamic rally outside of a mosque where two gunmen

attackd in gar p land texas worshipped. good morning patricia. >> this event is being organized by john ritz hymer a former marine who says free speech in america is under attack in islam. he vows it will be peaceful but is urging people who are attending those bringing guns in case it is violent. it won't be guns like we saw in waco texas. today's rally comes less than a month after the attacks in garlington, texas. they tried to ambush people inside but were killed by police outside. the attack struck a nerve. >> i appreciate the mosque came out and con temmed gunmen. people call them extremists it is a muslim following the book as it is written. he was seen wearing a