i'm with martin cruz smith. and his wife emily. tell me about the inspiration for the victim in the latest novel, tatiana? >> there was a dominant figure in political reportage up to about six years ago, in the form of anna plutkovska. she was known for her commitment to the truth. >> and she was murdered in 2006. >> and murdered in 2006. and still a dominant figure in terms of how much you're willing to commit to of yourself to tell the truth. she told the truth about the children in beslan, she did so at the war in chechnya. and in other instances where she knew that she was putting herself in harm's way. and accepted the fact that she would probably die, pursuing the truth. >> your work is full of mortal challenges to your characters. terrible things befall them. they are constantly dealing with taisterrible injury and challen. and the rest of it in light of what you invented for your novels did it change your perception of that stuff, experiencing it yourself? >> wanted to experience that sometime back i created a hazard for my

it was a wonderful moment. >> you are watching "talk to al jazeera" with martin cruz smith and his wife. back with more in a moment. part of our week long, in depth series. america tonight only on al jazeera america >> you're watching talk to al jazeera. martin smith, who's written a new novel, while on parkinson's. you were on a cocktail of medications. were they effective at first? >> i don't think they were particularly effective. and i certainly would have preferred to have just taken pills instead of having an operation on my brain. and another fact, this has had an effect on short term memory. so if occasionally i will blank out when you've asked a question, you're waiting for me to come to an answer, i'm sorting through empty file cards. there were words on all those file cards, on those index cards. i can't find the word for index or file or card. >> it must be maddening. >> it is very mad nipping. i'm not coming up with the first word, the usual word you use for that, the usual phrase, i'll have to create another phrase. which no one ever used before so i occasionally it is a h

to be a writer. >> for 18 years novelist martin cruz smith did had a secret.ease was attacking his brain, affecting his writing. >> i have wires in my head. >> with his wife emily and technology

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >>> high and dry, the wildfire in glendora,cal is still burning. it covers a little more than 1800 acres northeast of los angeles. fire fighters have managed to stop the flames but there is little they or anyone else can do about the historic drought that left the state parched. the governor declared a drought emergency that allows the state to seek federal aid and eases rules about pumping water from one part of the state to another. one place that needs the help is napa valley, the heart of california's wine country and that is where our melissa chan is standing by live. melissa, how are those vineyards affected by this drought? >> jonathan, that is a good question. there is a little bit of good news in the sense that the vines are in what they call a dormant stage which means they don't need that much water, but you are watching the situation very closely. we are about halfway through the usual rainy season so there is still hope but we are here at isley vineyard. we had a chance to speak to the owner,

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> next we consider sacrifice and whether saving some members of endangered species is worth others. africa's black rhino population, less than 5,000 in the world today. the largest number remain in any mi ni nimibia, a very unlikely source a group of hinters in texas who say they want to help the black rhino by killing one. >> this weekend, the dallas safari club, allows the hunt of an aging male african black rhino, unable to mate. >> we'll be able to give a lot money back that's going to be able to expand the black rhino population in africa. >> this is the first one available for purchase outside the african country. it's expected to raise up to a quarter of a million dollars, up all to go to nimibia to help thwart poaching efforts. the auction has been approved by the convention of international trade in endangered species. still, it doesn't set well with some animal rights advocacy. >> it's a hunt that is immoral. a black rhino on the verge of extinction. one member slaughtered for a trophy is one too many.

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> th welcome back to inside story. i'm ray suarez. we're talking about >> th welcome back to inside story. i'm ray suarez. we're talking about the president's ability to make nominations when the senate is at recess. in the nlrb and many other departments were of longstanding but unable to either get a hearing or unable to pass the relevant committee. the question is had the advice and consent power been used to make the nlrb non-functioning as an agency of government? >> i think that was the plan. there was, the nlrb, the supreme court previously held unless the agency has a quorum, three members, they're not able to junction, and they dip below that. they are not able to decide matters properly before them. and notwithstanding that the senate was refusing to take nominees before them. this was a case of holding up nominees was very much by design, intended to slow or halt functioning of the agency. >> and it was defeated because ultimately the president did nominate and the senate confirmed the full ros

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> ♪ ♪ >> hey guys welcomek to techknow, i'm phil torrez. i'm with the guys. but i don't know if you agree with me but when you put that technology in the classroom they're putting up the shield. if somebody is in there with the gun they should get out of there. >> that's true. even in the cia we are trained to get off the x, get out of the dangerous situation. not necessarily to try to defend ourselves. this is kind of using a very old technology to address an issue that it's very pai paramount inr society, how do we protect our kids, how do we prevent another tragedy like at newtown. let's take a look. sadly, plas --mass shoot beings seem to be part of the american landscape. i set out to protect the most vulnerable, our children. back at hard wire, i asked for my personal training session of how to use a white board as a shield. >> it's designed to close the gap. good. >> can i give it a try? >> absolutely. >> i'm going to ask you not to come full speed, it's very hard. >> shut the door. position themselves

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america this is al jazeera ♪ello and welcome to the news hour, i'm live in doha and the top stories on al jazeera, the u.s. and russia needs to decide whether i ran will attend talks on how to end the syria conflict and live in paris and tehran and live in bank cock where the prime minister invited protesters who wander out to talk. and could a

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. for months we have been covering the u.s. surveillance program. before the snowden leaks, public scrutiny. al jazeera rob reynolds takes us straight to the data center in utah. >> reporter: if you've ever wondered where the national security agency stores all that data it collects, well, you're looking at it. this is the utah data center in bluffdale, a 92,000 square meter complex completed last september, at a cost of $1.5 billion. writer james banford has studied the nsa for decades. >> it's designed to hold a tremendous amount of nsa's intercepted information. the phone calls, the e-mail, the metadata, everything it collects it needs a place to store it and that's what bluffdale is for. you could sort of think of it as nsa's external hard drive. >> reporter: the nsa declined a request for an interview but in bluffdale, population about 8,000, most people don't have any qualms about their neighbor, the spy agency. >> it's

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> a jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of every hour >> here are the headlines at this hour breaking news... sports... business... weather... live news...every hour, on the hour only on al jazeera america >> my family here in south dakota has lost family in the welfare system. the story hits close to home. >> lag lala lakota. this land was home to a rich culture. it has also seen some of the darkest parts of native american history. in the 1800s the government began sending native children from across the country to bordering schools. sometimes using armed police to remove them from their families . >> native american children were stripped of their culture and identity. many suffered abuse in the schools. the assimilation policies continued. and in the 19 50's came the indian adoption project. native children were taken by social workers and missionaries and placed in white homes. by the time icwa was passed more than 25% of native children had been remove remo

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america the. >> controversial nsa spying program that collects millions of american phone records will be limited. that's the commitment president obama made on friday. we have more from washington. >> reporter: the extent of the spying carried out by the united states while hugely controversial overseas only a handful of the usual protesters showed up demanding changes. the president took to the stage and promised to change very little. when it comes to spying outside of the u.s.-allied leaders can be assured that the u.s. won't listen to their phone calls any more. but their people, every text, e-mail, video that they send, that will be stored, just not for as long. and that should not bother most people in the world. >> the bottom line people around the world regardless of nationality, we take their privacy concerns in account. >> for americans there are few changes. the fbi wants to attack my car credit card company and ask about everything i've bought they may have to tell me about that, but if they want to s

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> hello and welcome. i'm phil torres here to talk about innovations that can change lives. hardware and humanity and we're doing it in a unique way. a show of science by scientists. dr. shini somara shini somara is a mechanical engineer. as scientists test new building tines can they survive the most powerful twisters on the plane planets? kosta grammatis, feeding a hungry planet. he's touring the farm going inside one of america's busiest

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> they have threatened our lives, our families' lives, i don't think anyone should be subjected to these e-mails and threats. >> the club has alerted the fbi. samuel said this is probably just a distraction. >> the message is the life of the endangered species is on the line. >> so what is the future? president of the humane seat of the united states join us tonight. i assume its no stretch to assume that your organization would be opposed to this. tell us why? >> well, joie there are many rare species in the world, and the black rhino is one of the rarest. because of poaching and habitat loss we should do everything we possibly can to protect them. the idea of linking a trophy hunting exercise to conservation may make sense to folks who are involved in trophy hunting, but >> next we consider sacrifice and whether saving some members of endangered species is worth others. africa's >> thwelcome back to inside sto. i'm ray suarez. we're talking about the president's ability to make nominations when the senate

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> a jazeera americas the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of every hour >> here are the headlines at this hour breaking news... sports... business... weather... live news...every hour, on the hour only on al jazeera america >>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i am morgan radford live from new york city. now to the latest on the chemical spill in west virginia. residents gathered at the state capitol yesterday protesting the lack of answers over a chemical spill that contaminated water for over 300,000 people just last week. officials say the water is now safe. people say it still stinks. our robert ray is on the scene in charleston. robert, officials say the water is safe. what exactly are residents still concerned about? >> reporter: good morning, morgan. we are here in one of the local restaurants here, just about a half a mile from the state capitol, and indeed, people are complaining about the smell in the air, sort of a cough-drop or a licorice smell in some parts of charle

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> start with one issue. ♪ducation... ♪ ♪ >>> let's talk tinseltown. hollywood buzzing about the oscar nominations announced on thursday. nine movies in the running for best picture including american hustle. 12 years a slave and gravity. movies are a big deal to the american economy. in 2011 arts and culture generated $504 billion. or 3.2% of gross domestic product. gdp. given those numbers, it's no wonder that some states are competing hard for lure tv and film production from hollywood. one way of doing that is to offer tax cred and it's other financial incentives. it's a controversial practice that crit i critics say gives y away to production companies that don't create permanent job. missouri let their contract expire, north carolina where the hung irrelevant games is shot is debating whether do eliminate credits next year. but louisiana is fighting hard and gives a 30% tax credit for all production expenditure in the state. a spoke with a business owner capitalizing on that. the owner of an entertainm

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> a jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of every hour >> here are the headlines at this hour breaking news... sports... business... weather... live news...every hour, on the hour only on al jazeera america >> i'm phil torres, coming up this week on techknow... >> a mystery, deep in the heart of the rain forrest >> we haven't seen something actually build them... >> it's been really frustrating >> it's a spidery clue that has our team of scientests stumped... join our journey to peru... then, it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, >> that's good.... >> but it's not... the foamy inovation that's making hardcore meat eaters happy. >> techknow on al jazeera america real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> welcome back, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. two muslim men have been lynched for killings in bangui for

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> th welcome back to inside story. i'm ray suarez. we're talking about judge in the central african republic sectarian violence has cild at least 12 -- killed at least 1200 people. our correspondent barnaby phillips reports from the village of zaray some starting to return home. >> people have fled, houses burnt down. these villages have suffered attack after attack. but in this settlement near the town of bosangura hundreds of people arrive out of the bush for a visit from a u.n. official. they were hanging on his every word. >> we want to hear about your need. >> he was shown all that's left of the health center. everything taken by the seleka militia. these people don't have a government that can help them. any assistance has to come from outside. >> the institutions of the state here don't exist. there's no health infrastructure, no schooling infrastructure. they really have to step up in an unprecedented way, to respond to what is an unprecedented situation. it's so long now that this country, the pe

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> a taliban suicide bomber attacked a popular restaurant in kabul afghanistan yesterday. four u.n. workers were among the 16 people who were killed. jane ferguson has the story. >> three attackers targeted the restaurant at close to 7:30 on a friday night when it was likely to be at its busiest. first was wearing a suicide vest which he detonated at the door of the restaurant. allowing the other two to enter with automatic weapons, opening fire on diners. it is unclear if many of the diners even managed to escape. we just returned from the area where they were still taking bodies away. now this restaurant was extremely popular with diplomats, u.n. staff and high ranking afghan officials because it was considered to be one of the few safe restaurants in the city. it had reinforced steel doors, a lot of security there and it's also in the

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america hitting their target.ard just a short time ago ♪ >> the strength of our future relies on education. >> we are creating a class of adults exposed to mediocre education. >> stealing education, part of our week long, in depth series. america tonight only on al jazeera america real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> every sunday night aljazeera america presents gripping films from the worlds top documetary directors. >> everybody's different here... >> for students at the esteemed international high school at lafayette everyday is a fight to suceeed >> it was my dream to get a high school diploma >> but a failing grade can mean loosing it all... >> i don't know how my life would look, if i would get deported... >> will they make it in america? >> i have a chance... >> i learn america ♪ watching the news hour and let's recap the headlines on al jazeera now, two muslim men ha

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america he's been vice president for almost a year and belongs to one >> an ohio execution has raised new questions on whether untried drug cocktails used in lethal injections are causing unacceptable suffering. chemical compounds that have been used for lethal injections have become scarce in many states since european companies stopped selling them for that purpose. a pregnant 22-year-old woman named joyce stewart. state executives used a drif tifs that had never been used before. ohio prison supervisor gary johnson said he didn't believe, described the scene. >> he gasped deeply kind of a rattling guttural sound there was a snorting through his nose. couple times he definitely appeared to be choking. i'd never seen anything that lasted so long and the shuddering gasping was so pronounced. >> for more i'm joined from cleveland by john paul ryan, the mcguire family attorney, and also part of the ohio association of criminal lawyers. and dr. bruce bailey, associate adjunct instructor at the state police academy and a

. >> for almost two decades best-selling author martin cruz smith kept a secret. the mystery novelist talks about the technology that helped him write despite fighting parkinson's disease. >> what are you able to do or not do? >> you can do anything. >> why is that? >> because i have the electrodes that run through the - into my brain. it's deep brain stimulation. >> so you have had a surgical procedure in which they implanted this devicism yes. >> tell me the difference between who i see in front of me and who i saw before. looking at you i'm not sure what i would detect. >> because i would be fighting that. that is more than just fighting. because of tremor all the time you are conscious of it, trying to control it, and it wears you down. you know. i can move and do things. i can - about 100% of who i was. >> best-selling author martin crews smith talks about his parkinson's disease. you can see his interview at the top of the hour. >> finally - 400 pounds of dynamite and it did the job. that's what it did for officials to demolish an apartment building, there i

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america one of the great things about working at al jazeera is the amount of space you have to do the kind of stories that take a long time to cover. to have the complete editorial freedom to tell these stories and do so with the adequate resources is amazing. >> embattled new jersey governor, cress chris, returned to the spotlight on tuesday afternoon to deliver his state of the state speech, under a dark cloud of suspicion. he took the washington bridge scandal head on. and he's trying to stop the controversy. but the democrats have the pedal to the metal. investigating last fall's lane closures at the country's busiest bridge, and his political aids as political retaliation. >> the mistakes were clearly made. and as a result, we let down the people we're entrusted to serve. we'll cooperate with all appropriate inquiries to make sure that this breech of trust does not happen again. >> governor christie's state of the state address lasted 45 minutes. the first two minutes devoted to the bridge scandal and he talked

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> bankruptcy judge in has denied the city's proposal to pay back some of the bad debt. the judge struck down the deal and saying that the city had to stop making poor financial decisions. the and employees could gain because the banks are not paying the debt. there you go. >> a new york based website is saying it is changing the word one click at a time. it is called avase, that means voice in a number of languages. we visited the headquarters in new york city and what did you find. >> i have to tell you, it is meaning voice in persian. it is a growing power for social online activism. the orbing organizers saying they are organize around the world to get the companies to change. >> that is the idea behind the social activism website and claiming 32 million followers, the aim is to save the world through technology. starting in this manhattan office. >> the power of one person is unlimited when you have the power to connect to other people. the world really is what we shape it and make it to be, it is ours

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> i'm phil torres, coming up this week on techknow... >> a mystery, deep in the heart of the rain forrest >> we haven't seen something actually build them... >> it's been really frustrating >> it's a spidery clue that has our team of scientests stumped... join our journey to peru... then, it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, >> that's good.... >> but it's not... the foamy inovation that's making hardcore meat eaters happy. >> techknow on al jazeera america >> the story of immigration is one that resonates with almost all of us. children grow up listening to parents and grandparents telling us about the struggles endured as they come to a new land. for young immigrants pressures are different as they adapt to american customers. here is a documentary "i learn america." >> i am brandon garcia. i've been in the united states for four years and come from guatemala. my dad says i'm going to the united states. he was coming here halfway, mexico, and was killed. when i was two and a half years old my mum decid

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> i'm phil torres, coming up this week on techknow... >> a mystery, deep in the heart of the rain forrest >> we haven't seen something actually build them... >> it's been really frustrating >> it's a spidery clue that has our team of scientests stumped... join our journey to peru... then, it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, >> that's good.... >> but it's not... the foamy inovation that's making hardcore meat eaters happy. >> techknow on al jazeera america >> when i came to america, my first goal was to see my mother . but after 10 years, it's like totally different for 10 years she don't know me. it was kinds of like putting two persons in the room and kind of to meet each other . >> my mom started telling me that she's your sister. this is your brother, here is your dad. i only wanted to be me and my mom. it was so confusing that took a really long time. still going on. i mean, i don't really know my mom real well. >> the documentary is "i learn america." and for more on this, we turn to the prints pa

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> i want to make sure students have what it takes to succeed beyond high school. >> the president and first lady encouraged more kids to go to college. yet, a university degree remains out of reach for some americans. >> schooling in this country has come a long way. in 1970 only a quarter of americans had completed post high school education. by 2007, that number had jumped to nearly two-thirds. but the u.s. wasn't the only country sending kids off to college. in recent years the number of americans attaining four year degrees has stalled. look at this, 12th overall, and in danger of slipping further. meanwhile, the share of jobs that require some kind of college education has doubled in the past 40 years. according to a study done by georgetown university, 63% of all jobs will require more than a high school education by the year 2018. the need for a college degree will be especially important in the northeast. getting anne education doesn't just help you get a job, but more money. those with a four year

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> th welcome back toay suarez. we're talking about there will be no government shut down, congressional leaders have struck a compromise agreement allocating more than $1 trillion to fund the government. security is tight around polling places in egypt as voters decide whether to adopt a new constitution. supporters of ousted president mohamed morsi are calling for egyptians to boycott the referendum. a human blockade in bangkok brings thailand's capitol the to a stand still and unhappy with the country's president have shut down the government. >> why? >> not yet, wh. >> reporter: and 30 million words, an unique program aimed

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> today's data dive challenges the conventional wisdom that teen pregnancy is on the rise and mtv deserves some of the blame. it is found the reality show 16 and pregnant and spin off teen mom had a sizeable impact on the declining teen birth rate. researchers looked at google searches and tweets as the show aired along with birth rates for girls 15-19. they claim the shows and their cautionary tales were contributing to a 5.7% drop in teen pregnancy in the year and a half after 16 and pregnant debut the in 2009. more than seven out of 10 teens have watched the show, and the research says that's led them to search for the term birth control on line. there's room for skepticism about the impact. the teen pregnancy rate had been on the way down for more than two decades. in 2012, less than 30 out of 1,000 teen u.s. girls gave birth. that's a 52% trop from 1991 when nearly 62 out of 1,000 teens got pregnant. the impact of the mtv shows also hit after the financial collapse, which had already sent underage p

sabathia, joining likes of new york jets quarterback geno smith and giants wide receiver victor cruzports agency. the 33-year-old has three years left, three years left on his contract, what does that make me, will be represented by the group both on and off the field. lori: in other sports news, mystery around 49ers coach jim harbaugh pants is solved. the khaki loving coach's wife called into san francisco radio station to make clear she has nothing to do with his love for pleated khakis which she buys at walmart for, eight bucks. so much for the nfl money. even better the 49ers are selling a pair of game-worn pants, no thanks. but they will cost you a little more. $500 for pleated khakis? and dirty pleated khakis? oh. ashley: come on, you know you're going to bid. lori: kidding me? from the man who said i wouldn't be buried in pleated khakis. ashley: i really wouldn't. i will stand by that statement. >>> let's leave the khakis alone. one. fastest growing furniture companies in the country. started with an 18-year-old and a bean bag. lori: this is called love sack. i love saying lov

smith goes to washington, that there are senators rallying on the floor as a matter of principle, you know, senator cruz'sreading dr. seuss's green eggs and ham. but turn on c-span2, and you're more likely to see an empty chamber. they're not debating. >> i want to jump in there because there are many cases where the courts will say, look, if it's a political dispute, we're not going to solve that. no matter where you stand on this issue, couldn't you make the argument that this is up for the senate to figure out? >> the senate has been making that argument, but what's interesting, if you look at supreme court case law, they have ruled multiple times in at least four cases while the senate and house can adopt their own rules, and they can call this filibuster rule a rule of debate, even though we know it's a minority veto, the supreme court has said you can adoct your own rules, you can't adopt unconstitutional rules. it is the duty of our courts to say what the law is and define exactly how broad is the senate's rule-making power. could they pass a rule that requires 99 votes to pass legislation? what ab

smith. we'll show you the damage coming up. >> near record warmth means beach weather continues in the bay area for today. we're talking about the 70s out in santa cruz, but all good things must come to an end. major cooling headed our way. your full forecast in a few moments. >> anthony slaughter here. things looking good now, however, we are starting to see the traffic pick up. a full report coming up. >> and taking a live look outside this morning over san jose, you can see a nice start there. we get things rolling at 5:30 on this thursday, january 2, this is "today in the bay." >>> good morning to you. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm scott mcgrew. laura garcia-cannons that morning off. breaking news in san jose. east san jose, police investigating a deadly shooting. it is the city's first homicide of the new year. it happened hours ago near 33rd and east san antonio street, that's just north of the highway 101 and 680 interchange. bob redell is live at the scene with an update to the investigation. good morning, bob. >> reporter: good morning. in the past 30 minutes the homicide detective with san jose police have arrived and f

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> this is al jazeera america, i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at the top stories at this hour. >> in california two former fullerton police officers have been acquitted in the death of a mentally ill homeless man. kelly thomas died five days after a videotaped struggle with officers. >> chris christie facing more questions. federal officers looking to see if he misused hurricane sandy money on an ad that featured his family. chris christie will give a state address tuesday afternoon. >> west virginia's governor said tap water is safe

. >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream. >> the birth rate in the u.s. the birth rate for u.s. teens has declined dramatically since the peak in 1991 and a low in 2012 according to the c.d.c., the bureau says an unusual force behind the birth ray and the show 16 and pregnant and the spin off series "teen mom" 61 teens gave birth by the time 16 and pregnant aired in 2009 the rate went 39 out of every one thousand and then it's 29 out of 1,000 in 2012 and believe 16 and pregnant would have contributed in some measure to this resent