a professor at the university of havana's architecture school. >> translator: havana looks the same as years ago. grand plans to modernize were abandoned and not saving the city from becoming another impersonal cosmopolitan city of glass. >> the flip side is with even limited funds for basic maintenance much of havana's city is crumbling including the fabulous homes and capital and the havana yacht club. in the '80s the city was designated as a world heritage site. but the challenge is massive. something that is evident almost everywhere you look, beautifully restored structures next to condemned ones. >> this city is falling to pieces, every day buildings are collapsing. to see the irreparable loss of history because it's now financially impossible to save it's heartbreaking. >> in many cases painstakingly difficult work is stunning, but in many others, beautification is only skin deep. facade beautification hides flaws within. concerns are havana may go from not having enough money to too much, too fast. >> translator: on one hand, money from abroad is extremely valuable to save this

good-bye from havana.g feeling, chinese market go down 8% with ripple effects across asia. ♪ hello, this is al jazeera live from doha, also ahead on the progr program, as europe's refugee crisis grows germany and france prepare to discuss options. pressure mounts on guatemala president to resign over corruption allegations and he says he is not going

a professor at the university of havana's architecture school. >> translator: havana looks the same as. grand plans to modernize were abandoned and not saving the city from becoming another impersonal cosmopolitan city of glass. >> limited funds for even basic maintenance much of havana's city is crumbling including the capital and the havana yacht club. in the '80s the city was designated as a world heritage site. but massive almost everywhere you look, beautifully restored structures next to condemned ones. >> this city is falling to pieces, every day buildings are collapsing. it's now financially possible to save it's heartbreaking. >> in many cases painstakingly difficult work is stunning, but beautification in some cases is only skin deep. facade beautification hides flaws within. havana may go from not having enough money to too much, too fast. >> on one hand money from abroad is extremely valuable to save this city but there's also the risk of huge uncontrolled investments and we could lose havana. it's a great risk. >> i've heard they gave the chinese and some other people come

embassy in havana. cuban dissidents have fought for decades for the very democratic principles president obama claims to be advancing through these concessions. their exclusion from this event has insured it will be little more than a propaganda rally for the castro regime. >> now, congresswoman, the secretary told me, secretary kerry, that of course, and you just referenced it, there will be an opportunity to meet with some dissidents behind closed doors afterwards. let me, if i could, deal with the bigger picture, which is this. the united states has diplomatic relations with china, not exactly the poster child for democracy. it has relationships with vietnam, where more than 50,000 americans lost their lives. it has diplomatic relations with countries that are never going to get the seal of approval of being good democracies, and yet, why and why only should the united states not have relations with cuba? >> well, look, i am not here to apologize for china or vietnam. i vote against them each and eve

melissa chan, al jazeera, havana. intertoday's ceremonial flag raising drew a anchor us of opposition. marco rubio, the cuban american says president obama is restoring diplomatic relations with the country. >> in america we celebrate a proud antigovernment opposition, every value our nation holds dear, the in the eyes of barack obama and hillary clinton his form he secretary of state, had cuban people are suffering because not enough american tourists are visiting that state, but in truth it's a tyrannical dictatorship. >> urged the u.s. to maintain its tough policy towards cuba but for some the renewed operations offer a renewed relation with their home land. rob reynolds has more. >> small groups of cuban american protesters gathered on this street corner the symbolic heart of the little havana neighborhood. they held signs denouncing president obama as a traitor and saying he caved in to the castro brothers. there were scattered clarks as welclashes, aswell as protesterh each other. nobody was badly hurt or taken

you know, we get this picture of havana in the u.s. which is this old street and old havana city. this is a grand city. and it's still -- you can still see the grandeur. so it's an honor to be here. it's a privilege to see our flag going up. and i just hope we keep going, that we don't stop this process. >> your own views have changed. even as we've talked over the last few months, we talked last year and we talked in panama when the president met with president castro. what do you now see as the possibilities despite all the problems, despite the human rights abuses and all of the criticism of both u.s. policy for not recognizing the dissidents strongly enough today in a position of honor here at the opening as well as, of course, the castro regime. >> i think this is a government-to-government official meeting. and my understanding is secretary kerry is going to meet with some dissidents today. change is going to happen gradually. but what people need to understand is that cuba is changing. whether they agree with it or not, cuba is changing. and we need to change with it. raul

embassy in havana?was a bit upset because the embassy did not invite any dissidents or human rights defenders to the act, it was just representatives of the dictatorship and lobbyists and folks who want to do business with the regime and the u.s., who took part in the event. i believe an opportunity was missed. >> what do you believe the opportunity now an embassy to embassy, diplomatic relationship, the u.s. has more leverage with the cubans to make the are lives of the dissidents better? >> first of all, they are less better off. to get this formally an embassy required a number of concessions on the part of the united states. the castro regime didn't feel pressured to have diplomatic relations but the president did because on december 17th he announced the intention of normalizing relations. conditions, take them off the list of state sponsored terrorists, even though they were smuggling in 2013 and just caught with weapons in columbia in 2015. they were asking for the report on human trafficking wat

let's begin in havana. about the talk reaction right now in havana to this day of the u.s. embassy raising the u.s. flag over the embassy for the first time in more than half a century. >> amy, they keep are having me. it is great to be once more with democracy now! i think how we are looking at it is trying to get an answer to the question is, what kind of change this represents. is this only a change of tactics to can it does to continue to try to overthrow the cuban government by different means? the roberta flack "killing me softly with your song." on the other hand, we are seeing an important change of strategy by which the u.s. now is saying, ok, there is a legitimate government in cuba, everybody in the world has no more relation with cuba, we should go for that because that is how we best serve american interests in cuba in terms of trade and changes and even the interest of the cuban-american community. and saying the american government by sending mr. kerry to cuba, he is an important political figure, to raise the flag, i think they are pointing in a second direc

>>> tonight, live from havana. historic change as the u.s. flag rises over the american embassy for the first time in over half a century. a day many thought they'd never live to see. >>> also, could a surprise challenger shake up the race for president? as party jitters grow over hillary clinton, speculation now swirling around names like biden and gore. >>> found alive. a young firefighter pulled from the rubble after that devastating blast in china. >>> chemical weapons. the frightening new turn in the fight against isis. u.s. officials believe terrorists are now unleashing deadly agents. >>> and bracing for impact. after that unsettling news about a godzilla el nino whipping up monster storms, new concerns about exactly what's to come. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." reporting tonight from havana. >>> good evening. we're coming to you this evening from the charming and historic habana vieja plaza de san francisco de asis in havana just across from the harbor. cuba is a country ph

havana just across from the harbor. cuba is a country physically less than 100 miles from american soil but it feels a lot closer socially and politically tonight and that provoked some tearful and joyous reactions today among many cubans. for the first time in 54 years the american flag was hoisted above the united states embassy here. the ceremonial reopening of the embassy led by secretary of state john kerry marks the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the to two countries while ending years of hostility. there was no question the day was historic. the debate continues at home, however, over whether it sets the right tone. leading our coverage is nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: on a day when symbols matter, the stars and stripes raised over the u.s. embassy in havana, ending a feud that began more than a half century ago. >> this is truly a memorable occasion. a day for pushing aside old barriers old barriers and exploring new possibilities. >> reporter: the last time an american secretary of state

ambassador left havana.dent eisenhower were then decided he had no choice but to shut the embassy down. most of the u.s. staff departed quickly, but a few stayed behind to hand the keys over to our swiss colleagues who would serve diligently and honorably as our protecting power for more than 50 years. i just met with foreign minister and we are grateful to switzerland always for service in their house. [applause] among those remaining at the embassy were three marine guards, larry morris, mike east and james tracy. as they stepped outside, they were confronted by a large crowd standing between them and the flat full. tensions were high. no one felt safe, but the marines had a mission to accomplish is slowly the crowd just parted in front of them if they made their way to the flood toll, lowered old glory, folded it and return to the building. larry, mike and jim had done their jobs, but they also made a bold promise that one day they would return to havana and raise the flag again. [applause] at the time, n

i am jake tapper live in havana cuba. island guantanamo, and the pentagon is saw sesing facilities in the u.s. that could potentially house the detainees currently behind bars in gitmo. we are told the defense department is currently evaluating the u.s. disciplinary barics in kansas and in charleston south carolina. 116 gitmo detainees are still locked up at the detention facility. >>> breaking news just in to cnn. u.s. military and intelligence officials confirming isis terrorists used a chemical weapon in an attack carried out in syria. this comes on the heels of another investigation in what officials describe as credible claims that isis used the same weaponized gas on kurdish troops in northern iraq, and both incidents raising serious concerns the terrorists group could use those weapons in a mass casualty attack. barbara, if confirmed do u.s. officials have any sense of where they may have obtained these weapons? >> this is one of the many questions that the u.s. right now is scrambling to answer. the patients came

from havana.you can see the podium is set. they're all ready for the flag raising as they begin to set the stage for the arrival of secretary kerry tomorrow. he will participate as the flag is raised for the first time over the embassy since 1961. we will be there live for a very special edition tomorrow of "andrea mitchell reports." >>> but first, football fans of all stripes agree on this, these courtroom sketches of tom brady at a hearing on deflategate in federal court do not flatter the star quarterback. the sketches of brady quickly went viral using some very clever comparisons to drive home the point. see for yourself. here he is, a dead ringer for e. te and photo shopped so the famous michael jackson video "thriller." separated at birth, tom brady and lurch adams. the sketch artist, jane rosenberg, has apologized to the super bowl mvp. >> when i'm under such pressure i tend to just grab on to certain lines and i don't flatter people. so i have to apologize to tom brady and all his fans if

and an american embassy in havana this morning.brennan is in cuba. >>> plus, low fat or low carbs? which diet is better when it comes to losing weight? >>> an rupert friend and zachary quint oh join us in the studio. that's the "cbs morning news." i'm anne-marie green. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> from the cbs broadcast center in philadelphia. this is cbs-3 "eyewitness news". >>> today is expected to be another beautiful day. but get ready for another heatwave. katie has the details about when we can expect that hot and humid temperature to move back in. >> we're getting more information about security parameters for the papal visit. which roads will be blocked from traffic and the areas you'll need additional screening just to walk through. >> starting today the stars and stripes will fly once again, in cuba. the us embassy opens in half anarchs not just special event for the united state. why it is historic day for secretary of state john kerry as well. >>> good morning, made i

intersection in havana got the state department and cuban government on board. >> while they have the launch of start hive ups with little more than way identify connection, would cubans jump hurdles with mentor opportunities? >> grand central tech provides mentor ship. the company takes food data and personalizes it for consume hers. >> i personally looked abroad and did internships when i was younger. i'm very happy to give somebody else a similar experience. >> for some interns like this one studying telecommunications in havana, the technology alone at gtc is something to marvel at. >> you have all the right equipment here. we're equipmentless in havana, so i would love to see all and learn and try to make pass to people in havana and cuba. >> others like gabrielle hope the experience will prepare her to one day run a businesses of her own. >> maybe all start a new company and if it happens to me, i'll be ready. >> the students hope to take what they've learned here and foster internships in cue weather. >> will this internship here continue? >> yes miles hopes to continue to brin

old cars in the historic section of havana. but it would take more than a flag waving and a visit to heal these political wounds. kerry is being criticized today for not inviting cuban political dissidents to the embassy ceremony. instead he met them privately at the u.s. diplomatic residence. why not have them come there and you know, participate in the flag raising? >> well, they're going to participate, andrea. i don't buy the notion that there's a distinction. that was a government to government event. but we're meeting with them. i'm here for whatever number of hours and during that time we have invited a large group to come and partake and meet. and plus i'm meeting with a whole cross-section of civil society from cuba. so i just don't accept that. >> reporter: despite unresolved issues the younger generations in havana have new hope today. alicia echevarria is an actress and recent university graduate. >> it's very good to be part of this process. everything is changing and you're part of that. it's great. >> reporter: i

and an american embassy in havana this morning.brennan is in cuba. >>> plus, low fat or low carbs? which diet is better when it comes to losing weight? >>> finally today is the 70th anniversary of vday. this famous picture of a sailor kissing a nurse during a celebration in times square. that's the "cbs morning news." i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ,,,, >>> let's take a live look at the golden gate bridge. traffic is moving pretty smoothly at 4:30. >> imagine that. >> thank you for starting your friday here with us. >> a blessed event. we love our friday. >> i'm mac. >> hi, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. it is august 14. the last day of the workweek. we love it. seems like a friday. right, roberta? >> oh, my gosh. seems like a monday. i had 30-minute delays just trying to get on 580/680 this morning. and -- >> you got your mic on. >> hoping your morning commute will be a lot better. heading out the door we have areas of very dense fog along the coast and into the bay. in fact we're picking up heavy condensation all the way

let's go live to antonio mora live in havana. americans and cubans thought they wouldn't live to see diplomatic relations restored between the u.s. and cuba. is there a sense of excitement and anticipation on the streets of havana? >> a lot of both, libby. people here on the island are overwhelmingly in favour of improved relations with the united states. even though the cold war ended 20 years ago, the cold war between the u.s. and cuba continued for 54 years plus. people here are excited. the acrimony lasted longer than most americans who are alive today have been around. >> fidel castro triumphantly entered havana days after the cuban dictator, an ally of the united states, fled the country in the early hours of knew year's day 1959. four days later, he visited the u.s. looking for help. he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers and met with senators and vice president richard nixon, but his anti-american, pro-soviet rhetoric was on display, praising russian leader. >> he is good friend. you leave us we sell petrole

flag is raised at the embassy in havana. but there's still a long way to go before economic relations are normalized. >>> all american. why our market monitor is investing in companies that do most of their business right here in the usa. all that and more tonight on "nightly business report" for friday, august 14th. good evening, everyone. welcome. i'm tyler mathisen. sue herera has the evening off. well, this august week was anything but a summer snoozer. over the past few days we learned that the world's largest economy, ours, remains resilient. so far from firing on all cylinders. manufacturing is improving. in the face of a strong dollar and falling oil prices. the consumer is spending, the job market is strengthening and the stock market rebounded. after china devalued the currency earlier this week and all week long. today, we got additional information on the state of the economy bringing investor attention back to good old fashioned fundamentals. it's a familiar story, but it paints a muddled picture. on the bright

here in havana just across from the harbor. cuba is a country physically less than 100 miles from american soil but it feels a lot closer socially and politically tonight. and that provoked some tearful and joyous reaction from many cubans. for the first time in 54 years the american flag was hoisted above the united states embassy here. the ceremonial reopening of the embassy led by secretary of state john kerry marks the re-establishment of diplomatic relationships between the two countries while ending years of hostility. there was no question the day was historic. the debate continues at home, however, over whether it sets the right tone. leading our coverage is andrea mitchell. >> reporter: on a day when symbols matter the stars and stripes raised over the u.s. embassy in havana ending a feud that began more than a half century ago. >> this is truly a memorable occasion. a day for pushing aside old barriers and exploring new possibilities. >> reporter: the last time an american secretary of state came to cuba franklin roos

lisa. >> antonio mora, reporting from havana. long frozen relationship between the u.s. and cuba cannot be thawed by opening an embassy or raising a flag. the u.s. embargo is still in place and there's the outpost guantanamo bay, and there are hurdles for diplomats and negotiators to work out. are the people ready for the changes ahead, and what would it take for cuban americans to want to go back, our first guest is armando mower noaa. moreno. why did you leave cuba? >> thank you for having me here. i left cuba 15 years ago, i first went to europe to spain and i left the country because i was not comfortable and i was not feeling really well in a society where my rights were not respected and i left the country also because economic reasons you know like many people and many cubans who have left the country. >> right. would you ever go back as a resident of cuba? >> well, i haven't been in cuba for more than ten years now. and i don't think it's the right time for me to go back to cuba. i don't feel so excited about all the chan

so this is the night club, havana's night club here. get the sense that people come down here to really relax. for the serious note, cubans make about $20 a month and that's just too little to afford the restaurants in other parts of the city. they come down here to relax and enjoy the breeze. microfinance allowed under new u.s. regulations is starting to pump cash into a cash strapped economy. money isn't always the prime concern. so just off the malacon is this park that is sort of euphemistically called a park of death or life and it's named that because all these people here are waiting to get into the embassy. and the hope is that now that we have some improved relations between cuba and the united states, this process will get a little bit faster. because some of these people have been waiting for years just to get processed to wait for their family. >> yoanni says he is waiting to get his visa approved to see his father in miami. >> from today it's been three years, i don't know what it's going to be like under the new law. >> fo

embassy in havana it is happening live right now and havana cuba but to go to the shot that we have been waiting for this and we're waiting to see him, and raise the flag of the first time in 54 years and he is going to be accompanied by the u.s. marines four regiments of the flag down in 1961. >>mark: dish like in the contra costa sheriff's department and deputy drowning trying to save someone. will t: it is a very tough morning for the offices here they're not going on camera because it is to heartbroken over what happened because of the flag or behind me the staff

and one day out from havana, a hurricane struck. when that happened, there were 28 ships in the fleet. by the end of it, seven ships were sunk. the other fleet was scattered. some of them made it back to havana, but with the seven ships that sank, there was a massive loss of life and a massive loss of treasure. it was a real blow to spain and her economy. the loss of the treasure galleon from 1622 was never really forgotten. the spanish searched for many years for these ships. the stories persisted in various documents through time. in the 1960's, a man named mel fisher who was working on the east coast of florida, looking for a shipwreck that had sunk in 1750, he heard about this rack that had gone down somewhere in the florida keys back in 1622. he decided he was going to look for it. his whole family was involved in this venture, his wife and children, and he had a crew as well. they all moved down here to the florida keys. first they began the search in the upper keys because they thought the historic documents pointed to it bei

flag above the embassy in havana. kerry said, it's time to put past in the past. >> too many days of sacrifice and sorrow, too many decades of suspicious and fear. that is why i am heartened by the many on both sides of the streets, who, whether because of family ties or a simple desire to replace anger with something more productive have endorsed this search for a better path. we have begun to move down that path without any illusions of how difficult it may be but we are each confident in our intentions, confident in the contacts that we have made and pleased with the friendships that we have begun to forge. and we are certain that the time is now to reach out to one another last two peoples who are no longer enemies or rivals but neighbors. time to unfurl our flags. raise them up and let them know that the that we wish each other well. >> this morning's ceremony belonged with a poem written by richard blanco. his family left cuba right before he was born in 1968. >> both our countries who believed that not even the

. >> havana homecoming. antonio mora returns to his birthplace, cuba, to witness an historic turning point for the nation >>> i'm libby casey in for antonio mora. we begin with the fall out from a spill in the south-west. the navaho nation says it plans to sue the e.p.a., claiming millions of gallons will impact residents of the tribe oh live along the river. and they have been warned not to sign the e.p.a. compensation form, fearing they'll be forced to wave legal and financial rites. e.p.a. met with the navaho nation behind closed doors. allen schauffler is there with more >>> e.p.a. administrator geena putting a happy face on the meeting with navaho leaders, calling them partners in the process, and navaho nation move forward. partners that know they are likely to be opponents in court. right now, the concern is over water. its quality and availability. >> e.p.a. administrator continues her visit to the region eight days after the mine still contaminated, the enimas, she toured fart of the reservation wit

embassy in havana. something that hasn't happened in 54 years.cold war era thaw between the two countries. although it marked a major milestone the diplomatic move doesn't come without controversy. marco rubio criticized the deal during a foreign policy address this morning. >> the deal with cuba threatens america's moral standing in our helms steer and around the world. it brings legitimacy to a state sponsor of terror and further empowers an ally of china and russia that sits just 90 miles from our shores. >> former florida governor jeb bush run for president said this, secretary of state john kerry's visit to havana is a birthday present for fidel castro. a symbol of the obama administration's acquiescence to his ruthless legacy. john kerry seen walking away from a conference praised this new era. >> we are each confident in our intentions, confident in the contacts that we have made and pleased with the friendships that we have begun to forge. and we certain that the time is now to reach out to one another as two peoples who are no longer ene

embassy in havana.he headline -- kerry strikes delicate balance in havana trip for embassy flag raising. remarking --ry secretary kerry remarking that lifting the embargo would require congressional action. from havana, earlier today, this is half an hour. >> ladies and gentlemen, the secretary of state accompanied by the shards the fair -- charÉe of the united states embassy of havana and the assistant secretary of state. [applause] >> please be seated. good morning. it is my great honor to welcome everyone to the embassy of the united states in havana. [applause] [speaking spanish] thank you, secretary kerry, coast guard commandant, assistant secretary jacobson, and all other executive ranch officials, as well as members of congress for being here today. i would like to welcome the and ial cuban delegation would like to give special recognition to the marine detachment to the embassy of havana, 1961. [applause] and marine security detachment to the embassy of havana, 2015. [applause] you worked very h

what a day in havana.ing the comments from the secretary of state and the flag raising ceremony in cuba. we'll take you there in a moment. ♪ no student's ever been the king of the campus on day one. but you're armed with a roomy new jansport backpack, a powerful new dell 2-in-1 laptop, and durable new stellar notebooks, so you're walking the halls with varsity level swagger. that's what we call that new gear feeling. you left this on the bus... get it at the place with the experts to get you the right gear. office depot officemax. gear up for school. gear up for great. >> john kerry speaking at the u.s. embassy in cuba. it is reopening for the first time in over 50 years. same marines who took the flag down in '61 are symbolically going to raise the flag again. you can see the crowds. we are covering it and we'll take it live as soon as he begins to address the crowd. >> alibaba's executive chairman might have just bought the world's second most expensive home. jack ma paid $1.5 billimillion home. the home

in the background was not really havana but a billboard kind of picture of havana that made it look as if we were there. so it was fake footage but it was a war film nonetheless. extraordinarily popular, the kind of thing that people put their nickels in to watch and they watched it over and over and over again. american war films have always been a little bit of please and a little bit of teach. propaganda is the teach side. remember mary pop kinds said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. well, there are movies that have a great kind of propaganda feel. you can think of the green berets with john wayne. it really was john wayne's propaganda take on what the vietnam war was. it wasn't the war itself. then we get movies like then we get the film, "saving private ryan." you might say it has propaganda effects but it's mostly a movie about war and about the experience, about the feel of war, the image of war. accuracy in film making is a style. it's an option. what you can do when you make a film, and all of the directors understood this, is that you can make a film that gets

and we don't have that in havana. i would love to see it all and learn and try to make it faster in havana. >> others hope the experience will prepare her to one day one a business of her own. >> we could all maybe get a chance to start a new company. and if it happens to me i'll be ready. >> the students hope to take what they learned here and create a similar program that sponsors entrepreneurship in cuba. >> and will the program here continue? >> yes, the investor that started this all hopes to continue to bring students here, they have to commit to go back to havana, and they have to get them developing. >> it's the beginning seeds. >> when i got to grand central tech, what do you think they were doing? they were at youtube. even with the high speed enter, that's what teenagers what to do. >>> that's the show for today, i'm becky quick. thank you for joining me. next week, why your next omelet could cost you more. the worries about bird flu could >> right now on nbc 10 news today, a triple shooting caught on camer

we went to the port of havana.hey are rebuilding some of the terminals and moving some of the trade ships over to another port which is away from the port of havana, potentially hoping for an increase in tourists. there's still a long way to go. not just with the port, but also with hotels, with internet, cell phone connections. that still leaves a lot to be desired if cuba were to get a lot more tourists. >> definitely can hear something going on behind you there. >> reporter: that's right. those are workers getting ready for tomorrow's event. they've been at it all day. the stage is set. >> weather looks beautiful for that. tomorrow for all of you, make sure to watch andrea mitchel reports live from havana. she joins secretary john kerry for his historic trip to cuba. >>> straight ahead, what it's like to sevrve on one of the mot dangerous police forces in america. >>> and donald trump raises an eye broad on isis. the news and the politics. we are back in three. age defy from clairol the secret? superior gray cov

embassy in havana? coming up a look at the differences that remain during the two countries. >>> also ahead, a look at what happens to commercial airliners when they retire from service? >>> pet picks nine. you can send in your pets and let's take a look at who we have. >> pug lee. >> and here we have a picture from shane of moses. moses looks like he might be scowling a little bit. >> if i sit i sit. the kitty inside the tire. pet pix nine is where to send them. >>> welcome back. time to see what's been trending online. >> so you may be a fan of taco bell but probably don't love it as much as this missouri high schooler. when she took her senior portrait. she went to taco bell. there's a photo. taco bell said senior picture gold. >>> hundreds of you commented on a barber in iowa who gave out free back to school haircuts. the only condition -- kids had to read a book while getting a trim. >>> and meet corduroy born in 1989. he's the oldest cat at 26 years old. make sure to like the page and get them in

lucia newman, al jazeera, havana. >> new talks have begun to close the u.s.son at guantanamo bay in cuba. u.s. defense department says it is evaluating new sites in the u.s. to house detainees. the pentagon is looking at facilities in kansas city and south carolina. >>> thousands of iraqis have marched through baghdad to back reforms announced by prime minister haider al-abadi, coming in response to weeks of political corruption and u unsatisfactory public services. mohammed jamjoom has the story. going i'm left with no other options but go out and fight corruption. >> reporter: the medical student and activist like so many other members of his generation says he tired of feeling despair and decided to do something about it. >> reporter: we created groups to help our friends and families because they are all in need of important services that aren't being provided. the most basic ones are electricity, clean water, and jobs. >> reporter: now he meets regularly with a growing group of like minded activists discussing and debating strategy they use every tool at

embassy in havana. our latin american editor lucia newman has more. >> it took more than half ocentury but the three former u.s. marines who 54 years ago took down the american flag to close down the u.s. embassy in havana lived to see it restored to the flag pole. a ceremony as moving as it was historic. >> for more than half a century u.s. cuban relations have been suspended in the amber of cold war politics. >> reporter: outside the gates, hundreds watched the ceremony. like catalonia. i felt so much emotion it did not fit inside me. i give thanks that i'm here to see this. the first secretary of state to visit cuba since 1945 spoke in english and spanish. john kerry acknowledged the differences that continue to separate the u.s. and communist cuba, especially issues of democracy and human rights. >> it will be equally unrealistic to expect normalizing relations to have in a short term a transformational impact. after all cuba's future is for cubans to shape. >> at a joint news conference, cuba's for

embassy grounds in havana. he spoke in the native language, telling cubans that the roads to full reconciliation certainly remains long. he said they should not fear but great things are expected on this path to reestablishing diplomatic ties and working things out. john kerry even going so far to quote the revolutionary poets, .uban revolutionary poets lots of symbols and bilingual speeches in the presence of those symbolic marines there, who were the ones who had taken the american flag down over half a century ago. the american anthem played after the cuban anthem. i'll let was not quite enough to silence some of the -- all of that was not quite enough to silence some of the fierce waged on thisg ceremony. are still somere major stumbling blocks. the u.s. embargo remains in place. that will have to be lifted at the hands of congress. the biggest controversy surrounded the absence of dissidents. john kerry insisted his stuff was to meet with them later in the day but there was not -- his staff was to meet wit

embassy in havana.uman dissidents have fought for decades for the very democratic principles president obama claims to be advancing through these concessions. their exclusion from this event has ensured it will be little more than a propaganda rally for the castro regime. >> the administration acknowledges there is still a lot of work to be done. officials vow to keep pressing cuba on human rights and it will still be up to congress to lift the trade embargo between both nations. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from havana, and gabe, how much do those major issues that still exist, how much did that hover over this ceremony today? >> reporter: hi, tamron, good morning. there are still deep differences, as you mentioned. secretary kerry alluded to some of those during his speech, but as he mentioned, this was something unthinkable several years ago. fidel castro had referred to this building in years past as a nest of spies, and now you can see the u.s. flag is flying here for the first time in 54 years, s

lucia newman, al jazeera, be havana. >> joining me is jason marzack. thank you for joining me this evening. these claims go back decades and have been accruing interest alt this time. how clear are they about receiving compensation? >> these are pretty gigantic claims dating back to the he 1960s. the 6,000 properties that were seized amount to $1.8 billion. with interest over the last 50 some odd years this has to be around a $7 billion claim. some of these claims are by the companies but a lot of these claims are individual claims whose house he, property were confiscate id by the government the in the early years of revolution and subsequent they fled to the united states. >> is there more focus on the personal claims which carry a lot of weight on a deeply personal level versus the corporate claims, one being focused on more than the other? >> yeah, i mean i think that the person -- there is more weight on the personal claims at this point, partly because the corporations that have claims you know exxon before it was exxon mobil has a claim, there i

embassy in havana. we will bring you the >>> we have breaking news in the district. police just announced they made an arrest in a staffing on a busy street corner on monday. eric smith from suitland was killed -- or died after he was attacked at h and 8th streets in northeast. that's along the busy h street corridor. passengers on a bus who witnessed that attack, they tried to save smith. we will have more on this arrest and the pleas from police and the shooting on july 4th. that's coming up later at this hour. back to you. >>> okay. we need to -- >> virginia has some pretty big fairs but none bigger than the one that storm team4 meteorologist amelia segal finds herself at this afternoon. >> on a perfect friday afternoon. amelia? >> reporter: oh, it is nice out here, pat. it's hot, but it's summer. the humidity is low. and that's what's so great about today's weather. we are out here with the storm team 4 by 4. temperature on the truck, 88 degrees. we have been here about an hour and kind of held stea