Transcripts For ALJAZAM Your World This Morning 20160329

On the mediterranean island nation of cyprus. That is where an airliner was forced to land after a man highjacked the plane. Welcome to your world this morning most of the 55 passengers on board have been released, but the hijacker and several others are still on board. Flight 181 was en route to cairo, and then diverted to cyprus. The incident is not terrorism related, it is personal. Our correspondent is in greece with the latest. Reporter we heard the egyptian minister not really divulge of information. He said 55 passengers were on board. He said seven people are still in that plane, four of them crew members, the pilot, copilot, stewardess, air marshall. We refused to disclose the identity of the hijacker earlier today. There were reports that the man behind the hijacking is an egyptian national. The egyptian minister refused to confirm if it is him. There are reports circulating that the man could be another. A lot of misinformation. The biggest question that the egyptian authorities did not answer is how did this happen. The president saying this is not related to terrorism. The man has personal motives. We heard the Foreign Ministry say he is not a terrorist, but an idiot, but at the end of the day he did not say how this man breached airline security, breached airport security. We know there was an air marshall on board and the pilot said that he was told by the hijacker that he would blow up the plane if he doesnt divert the flight. Something happened on that flight and we do not know what. Passengers have disembarked. People were allowed to leave that plane. Authorities are talking to them, speaking to them to get more information on what happened on board that flight our correspondent reporting with the latest there. Were joined by the editor in chief of Aviation Security International Joining us via skype from london. Thank you for your time. Based on what we know right now, what do you make of this incident . It is, of course, just based on what we know now, about it seems to be a fairly textbook hijack response where weve got one lone individual, who ask either a lone wolf terrorist or somebody with some form of psychological problem that has taken control of the aircraft. Its quite similar to the hijacking in october 2006 of a turkish plane, taken to italy when the hijacker claimed to have explosives but only had newspaper which was actually what he was claiming to be c4 explosives. A similar situation. Aircraft landed, negotiated release of passengers and eventually the hijacker gave himself up once he knew what was going to happen to him based on whether the authorities hasnt confirmed whether he has explosives, what does it say about this climate of multiple terrorist attacks already this year, what does it say about the ease of being able to hijack an airliner . It may seem relatively easy, but what weve done is weve seen the crew seemingly respond very professionally evaluate the risk and decide its better to land the aircraft. We actually have security situations on board aircrafts every day with unruly passengers and they have to divert as a result. We have to put it in context. Aviation is still the safest form of transport that it is. It is more dangerous to drive a car i will just have to interrupt you because we see a picture of passengers getting off this aeroplane with their luggage. What does that tell you about the situation and the fact that the authorities are saying it isnt terrorism. How does that affect the negotiations with the hijacker and the general response . It is always encouraging when you see people disembarking. Each of those passengers are going to be interviewed by the authorities to relate what their experience was and, of course, just to make sure that there isnt amongst their number anybody that is particularly sympathetic to the hijacker or the hijackers cause. To a certain extent after every hijack, everybody is treated as a possible hijacker, even if they just disembark the aircraft, but on this case based on what we know, it looks as if were dealing with a lone individual who wants to bring the situation to a safe conclusion asap the airline has had a bad track report. It was five months ago when the russian jet was shod down over the shot down over the sinai. When it comings to security and you look at the facts of this case, could this have happened anywhere or should we be looking at security in egypt this morning . If it turns out that this is an individual who was not armed, he did not actually carry was not wearing a suicide belt or vest, then to a certain extent it could happen anywhere in the world. This is why almost after every incident that ever happens, i feel a bit like a broken record because im always arguing for behavioural analysis. I think the best security measure that we can use at hair ports that would possibly help prevent a brusselsstyle attack, possibly prevent the type of incident weve seen today, address the threat posed by suicidal pilots, address the threat by 9 11 style hijacksers is to look at security worldwide ought to be focusing on passenger intent, passenger intent, air crew intentened this standardised approach we have where so much focus is looking for prohibited items. We need to know what is going on inside peoples minds and we should be reverse engineering the Airports Security system and apply custom style approach of screening people as they arrive at airports and, indeed, as they board airliners and ask everybody to be involved and identify discrepancys and anom lease in passenger behaviour thank you for that today marking one week since that Suicide Attack in brussels that killed 35 people. Crews running security tests in airport the brussels but still not open for passengers. Authorities are looking for the man in the hat. It is this person seen walking at the airport. They say they have released a man suspected of being one of the bombers. They say there is no evidence that he was connected to those tacks. Pakistan now rounding up 300 suspects in an explosion there on sunday. Since then the army watching raids on suspected militant hide outs in the eastern part of the country. A breakaway Pakistani Taliban group which supports i. S. I. L. Says it was responsible for that attack the f. B. I. Says it is now analysing the data inside appear iphone that belonged to a shooter last year. Investigators say they were able to unlock the phone after all without help from apple. The Justice Department is now dropping its case against the company. Al jazeeras jacob ward has more from san francisco. Reporter this is the end of a long and bitter court battle. Weve seen apple and the f. B. I. Posturing in public, but now suddenly the f. B. I. Says it doesnt need apples help. It has access episode the folk and therefore does not need the companys assistance. The idea here is probably a matter of having copied the contents of the phone, rewriting it back in, loading a saved video game when you get to a part that is too hard and you keep dying and you just reload that point. Its some sort of concept like that. To security analysts this is not good news. It is a sign that the government has, in fact, figured out how to do something apple was otherwise the only institution that could do. So the security vulnerability of that phone sort of is a it shakes peoples confidence in it in a way. Its important to understand that this is not the end of this court battle or of any court battle around this kind of issue. There are at least a half dozen other cases according to unsealed Court Documents in which the Justice Department is applying to apple for help in unlocking an iphone that is being used as evidence in a case of some sort, as an investigative avenue. So this phone was one of the last sort of vulnerable phones. It was put out and just released before appear emupgraded its phone. The phone that i carry and probably you carry ask vastly improved. Apple is going to need to the f. B. I. Or anyone else is going to need apple help to crack into another phone. Were going to see more court cases coming up in the future with this exact kind of argument and that is why appear emand the f. B. I. Have arced that law makers need to step in and figure out what rules we should love by live by apple stated were learning more about a man drawn at the u. S. Capital on monday. 66 year old larry dawson, was shot by police after pointing a weapon at officers. He is in the hospital this morning. Stable by Critical Condition, facing assault charges. Based on the initial investigation, we believe that this is an act of a Single Person who has frequented the capital grounds before and there is no reason to believe that this is anything more than a criminal act dawson is believed to be the same man who disrupted the House Chamber last fall. He previously wrote on his churchs website that he was leading a movement to urge congress to raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour workers are being told not to travel to North Carolina. A similar bill continued anti gay has now been vetoed in georgia. Reporter georgia is a welcoming state. It is full of loving, kind and generous people. That is what we should want. Reporter that is why georgia governor says he will veto a bill that would have allowed pastors to perform samesex marriages. It would have let faithbased group decline to serve or employ people in the Lbgt Community i dont think we have to discriminate anyone to protect the Faith Based Community in georgia. Reporter they say it is about religious freedom. It was defended reporter critics say it would have covered diskram nation. Business was threatened to be pulled from georgia. Film and tv production is a six billion dollar business in georgia where many movies are shot. Pressure from the bills critics and supporters had nothing to do with his decision they should know i do not respond very well to insults or to threats. Reporter also on monday a new lawsuit filed against the state of North Carolina over a law that treats lgbt people like second class citizens it has been a difficult week for people reporter the law bans people using bathrooms based on their gender identity. This university employee. Yes, im a transgender man, but i am a man. My family, my friends, my coworkers and many more in the state affirm my male identity. That is not something that can be stripped away by a bill such as this. What has been attacked is a basic right. A right to feel protected and safe were going to have him on the show later. The Justice Department ask resuming a Controversial Program that lets police keep cash and property theyve seized. The forfeiture ur program was suspended due to budget cuts. They are allowed to keep up to 80 of the items they seize. In ohio an escaped murderer is back in Police Custody after days on the run. The sheriffs say he broke out of brisbane during a storm on sunday and was gone before a bedtime inmate count. He is serving a life assistance for a 2002 murder. He would have been eligible for parole in 2020 parts in nevada could be seeing more snow. Dozens of accidents in parts of the city. More snow than the mountains. There were also about a dozen cancellations at the airport due to Poor Visibility it is almost april, but there are blaze ard warnings up in the west. Theres a storm system. Lets checkout whats happening. Reporter good morning. We have this potent system that is moving through the west. Here is the broader view of all of that. You can see that moisture just pluming in. If we look at the upper level, a trough has dug in through the west coast. These are the jet stream winds. They run at about 30,000 feet. Coming around this and then another branch south ward. That is creating wind healed of this system. We have the moisture, it funnels in the moisture to. We have the moisture and the high winds and that means we have the problem. So here is widespread, look at all the areas getting the snoe this morning, anywhere from a couple of portions in nevada all the way now to portions in the colora doshgs, and south ward. Widespread winter storm warnings and yes in wyoming. It is widespread through the region. This area could get a foot of snow. Watch the visibility. South of that you get into new mexico and texas, it could be a fire danger. Its starting to see warm moisture into the mid section by early tomorrow if not late tonight somewhere a ground hog is smiling. Thank you very much president obamas trip to cuba may not have mended all castro lashing out at the visit a battle that could the brakess on Ride Sharing Services in chicago. Former cuban president is lashing out at president obama in an andrea dion that was run by media he accused obama of sweet talking the cuban people during his visit last week. He also said the president ignored the accomplishments of cubans communist government. Reporter the letter entitled brother obama shouldnt really come as that much of a surprise. It is a true reflection of the divisions, the contradictions within the communist party between the old guard and those who want change who believe the country should open up more. They went over saying they dont need anything from the empire, the u. S. , we dont neat presents from the empire, but at the same time his brother has just last week thanked the president for having eased the u. S. Economic embargo to allow for more trade, more commerce, new exchange. There is a contradiction. What really this means is that he believes, like others on the island, that this new kinder gentler version of a u. S. Policy towards ewe what is an attempt to cuba is an attempt to undermine the state and the communist system. This might be the fact that the president didnt meet with obama when the u. S. President was there. He is the only president who has visited the island who hasnt paid his respects to the socalled leader of the revolution. That certainly must have bothered him that ask our correspondent reporting. The president s trip was the first visit as you heard by sitting president of cuba in nearly a century federal Officials Say more than 330 people have been detained by immigration officials. Some are teenagers. Our correspondent has the story of two teens caught in an immigration loophole. Reporter a special prayer for someone who cant be here. Her family holds hands hoping she will soon come home. We spoke with her from the Detention Center where she is being held. The 19yearold tells me she never imagined immigration officials would scoop her up one morning on the way for school. What have these weeks been like . Still hard. It is very hard. I want to be with my family reporter she is one of more than 300 individuals immigration and Customs Enforcement have targeted since january. They were unaccompanied children and are 18 or older and have pending deportation. We are in shock. Reporter her High School Friend recently travelled to washington to plead for the teenager. Lawyers and advocates say her previous lawyer never filed the proper petition for asylum before she turned 18. She is stuck in an immigration loophole. She is being grouped with others. Reporter his previous lawyer told him not to show up in court. He wasnt told to employ for asylum before his 18th birthday. It has been more than 40 days since he was brought to this Detention Center. Some 400 miles from where his teachers and school mates are pleading for his release. It is difficult staying here. Reporter its difficult . Difficult. Reporter like most unaccompanied minors from central america, he wants asylum, citing fear of returning to hondu remarks s because of organized Crime Reporter you would rather be detained here . I will stay here in detention. Reporter rather than go back to your country . No. I dont want to go to my country because i have big problems there because the people they will kill me reporter for these imdprants, proving asylum is their best shot at staying in the u. S. Of the 3600 requests filed in the last quarter of 23015, 40 were approved. The recent detentions are part of the broader efforts. Reporter he says he is speaking out for all the other young immigrants hoping to stay. They all should stay reporter this is the way she shares her voice, thanking those for prayers and offers to drive her family three hours to see her every sunday after service. Her mother says those are the toughest. Translation tears well up as she thinks about leaving her behind after each visit. Wishing she could bring her home they have filed for asylum and there is a stay on their cases theyre not cut and dry, depending on the individual judges and how they rule. What about legal representation for these young people. Who provides that . Many dont have legal representation and if they do, sometimes its not the right representation. They may not know all the ins and outs of the law. A lot of these are pro bono. Theyre just overwhelmed with these cases. Secretary johnson from the department of Homeland Security says they have requested some 17 million coming from the president s budget to try and help with representation were going to have more on this in the next hour. Thank you very much. Thank you straight ahead on this hour, the earthquake risk now as high in oklahoma as it is in california how human action is creating the danger for millions of americans a simple blood test to diagnose and treat concussions. Welcome back to your world this morning. Archeologists are trying to ascertain the damage to palmyra as you can see from these images, many relics have been destroyed. It could take up to five years to repair the damage, but about 80 of the old city is still intact meanwhile, the situation is becoming dire for thousands of civilians still trapped in the damascus suburb of derayaa. Much of the besieged city remains cut off from food and basic supplies. It is currently under the control of rebels fighting against rebel forces. Reporter the town of rapes and barrel bombs. It is one of the most devastated areas. It is 250,000 population have mostly moved away. Just days before the truce started last month, people who stayed behind have lived under this. And this. Leaving behind the town in ruins and largely destroyed. Translation civilians took a break. Bombardment has stopped. The regime used everything on us, barrels, rockets, everything. Reporter nothing it spared. Many mosques were hit or damaged. Athis Catholic Church there have no easter mass this year. The warshipers have gone worshippers have gone. Around 8500 people remain in this rebelheld town. They have been stuck here since 2012. Now they are hungry and desperate. The World Food Program says people were forced to eat grass, families endured days without a meal. This man is taking care of his plants. He may be forced to eat them. Translation the bleeding has stopped. We didnt get any aid. Each minute passes we lose time in the besieged areas and my charn are losing their childhood. Reporter children are losing their childhood. Reporter conditions here are bad. Translation its catastrophic. There is a shortage of everything, food, immediate in, milk. The ray medicine, milk. People are forced into submission using these tack petition. Reporter the tactics. Reporter theyre accusing the opposition to use starvation. The u. N. Is calling on the government to allow unrestricted access to about half a million syrians in besieged areas including here. Government has refused to give that permission. The u. N. Says preventing aid is a violation of international law. Back in deyayaa life under siege is hard, but it goes on even without food, medicine and do you, as always, thanks for being with us this morning. Good morning, del. Palmyra now under Syrian Government control, does it give the government more leverage in the upcoming peace talks. It certainly does. They are now able to plausibly paint themselves as part of the anti isil coalition. This certainly complicates the narrative and gives them more leverage as we move into the talks. When russia moved in, did the u. S. Acquiesce . Thats a complicated question. Yes, super powers have to acquiesce to other Nuclear Armed powers. Supporting states is easy, supporting rebels is harder. Yes, we did, but its a very complicate question. Many believe that russia was involved because it only wanted to prop up the regime of bashar al assad. With those gains on the ground and russia pulling out, what now are the chances to assad is going to go . I dont think assad is going to go anytime soon. There may be at the end of a process, if the russians help negotiate a way in which he can designate a successor and make himself into a person above the president , kind of like weve seen in burma. I suspect hes looking at that as a model, but hes not going to leave his seat anytime soon. But there were talks, there were calls for him to be facing war crime charges. Is there a chance that assad is going to walk out of this unscathed . There is a chance that that happens, del. How can that happen and what does that say about the resolve of the United States and others that said assad must go . Well, i think weve been mug would by reality. The fact is that assad is now backed by the number two power on the planet. Were not willing to contest them. We dont think that our equities in syria are worth getting into a really serious contest with russia and therefore the russians are going to keep him in power evidently. Lets talk the wider war in iraq and syria. The u. S. Saying isil is losing large chunks of territory and several members of the isil being killed. Is progress being made . Absolutely progress is being made. I just came back from baghdad. The mood is good. Calm. They dont think isil is going to be defeated tomorrow, but we now have the Syrian Army Pushing them from the southwest. We have the syrian kurds pushing from the northwest. We have the iraqi kurds pushing them from the northeast and the iraqi army coming from the southeast. Theyre con stricted on all sides and unable to reinforce the fronts because its constant pressure wherever they go. Everybody it is the problem isnt that they wont solve the problem militarily, the political situation is tenuous. How tenuous is the political situation . In both countries, it is very tenuous. There is a real political crisis going on in baghdad now with sitins inside the green zone. The Prime Minister under pressure, obviously the political situation in syria remains a mess. That is where the real effort needs to go. Getting rid of isil militarily has been difficult, but we seem to have our act together now. I think theyre on the defensive and should be defeated soon. Fixing the poll six in both countries so we dont see a repeat of this, a grandson of alqaeda retake areas and have another rebellion, thats where the real problem is. Several candidates on the campaign trail calling for more boots on the ground in iraq and syria. Do these gains were seeing negate the need for more u. S. Troops . I think so. As you pointed out, the real problem is the politics. Regret ply, putting u. S. Boots on the ground, combat troops in there, i think advisors, trainers, thats different, but combat troops so complicates the politics and makes it so hard that i dont see how we fix it. Doug, thank you very much. An update now to the breaking news weve been following right now egypt air flight 181 is still parked on an airport tarmac on the island of cypress. The plane was highjacked ours ago. Most of the passengers were released. The highjacker and several people are still believed to be onboard. I want to get the latest from zeina hodor live from greece. What else are you hearing . Like you mentioned, many of the passenger little on that plane were freed a few hours ago and about an hour ago, the egypt transport minister said four remained onboard, seven crew members. In the past few minutes, we saw four people disembark from that plane, which means the highjacker has three hostages inside. We do not know if they are members of the crew or they were the remaining passengers onboard. We now understand that the identity of the highjacker was a mistake. Earlier reports said his name was ibrahim, we do not know about him or know his profile. This man was making demands first for political asylum, second to talk to his exwife, who is a greek sip rate. Authorities are doing their best to try to bring an end to this incident, but it is still not over. Do we know more about the passengers that have been released, whats happening with them . The passengers, some will be taken back to egypt. The egyptian transport minister saying that theyre doing their best to provide these people with whatever they need. The biggest question that no one seems to give a definite answer is whether this highjacker actually has explosives onboard that aircraft. Authorities cant confirm, the egyptian authorities saying that they think he claims to have explosives but does not have explosive honest board. At the end of the day, egyptian is going to have to answer a lot of questions if this man managed to bring explosives on the plane. That means lax security at the airport or whether or not he is just bluffing. This man threatened to blow himself up if the plane was not diverted. A lot of conflicts stories at the moment. What we understand is most of the passengers have been freed and negotiations continuing. Was there an air marshal or other security onboard the plane at the time . It raises a lot of questions, how did this all happen. How did this highjacker manage to get in the cock pit, did he manage to get in the cockpit. If he didnt have explosives, then the question would be how wide did the commandos or police try to storm the aircraft. There are a lot of questions but the sip rate authorities refusing to divulge most details. Thank, zeina. Chicagos mayor rahm emanuel tapping a new leader to run that citys Embattled Police department. Emanuel naming Eddie Johnson as the superintendent. The department has been under scrutiny since the release of a video showing the shooting of teenager laquan mcdonald. Trust between the police and the people we serve, trust between the rank and file and the command stand. I know that the first trust has been broken too often, not just in chicago, but across america where Abusive Police practices have occurred. Now the mayor choosing johnson however three candidates, calling johnson a cops cop, uniquely qualified to rebuild morale in that department. Utah requires anesthesia if an abortion takes 20 weeks into a pregnancy. The governor signed the bill. Supporters say the law is designed to prevent the fetus from feeling pain. Some doctors say there is not evidence that happens and will increase health risks to women by giving them unnecessary sedation. Researchers promise results to diagnose concussions. The lead author saying concussion symptoms of sometimes subtle and dont show up for days. The blood checks for a specific protein when the brain is injured. It could reduce c. T. Scans. In 600 patients, it has been 97 accurate. Nhl officials admitting fighting in that sport could lead to concussions and long term issues, as well. The emails also say enforcers in the sport frequently use pills to ease their pain. The exchange is mostly from 2011 contradict what the league has said publicly that there is no link to hockey and plane damage. Hockey is known for stopping the game to allow the players to fight. Caught on video ranting against an uber driver. Your an uber driver, go drive you little [bleep] minimum wage [bleep] that student is being investigated. Its not the only place where uber drivers and Business Practices are being questioned. In toronto, this cab driver was so incensed by competition from uber, he clung to an uber drivers car. Cabbys have attacked uber drivers in paris and mexico city. Even here in chicago, uber driver perez, an immigrant from mexico city said she has felt the heat from cobbies. They throw a cup of coffee at my car, yelling at me. One of the guys told me go back to the kitchen. Being a taxi drivers, i think there are great drivers within the city of chicago, but we have a stigma. Cab driver certainly yo said since Ride Services arrived in chicago, the taxi business is losing this battle. If you work within the city of chicago, especially the north side, theres no more business. I would say that 60 , 65 of the business is gone. Now, a possible lifeline from Chicago City Council could also be a devastating blow to ride sharing companies. The council will vote next month on propose also that would require ride sharing drivers to have the same chauffeurs license requirement at 600 per license, and the same regulations on their vehicles that cab drivers face. If you come in with a Business Model where you say i dont have to follow regulations or rules, then youve got a better Business Model when it comes to profit. When it comes to public safety, the taxi industry, the limo drivers have a much better model and thats what were trying to get uber up to. None of these things leveling the Playing Field help taxcy. If you want to help the taxi, reduce the burdens that they have. A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune agreed that Ride Sharing Services dont need more regulations, instead that the tacki Industry Needs less, but the back and forth between the two sides habitter. Taxi drivers are livid over the revelation that ride sharing drivers owe the city of chicago 15 million in unpaid traffic fines. Uber said its getting on drivers to pay those bills quickly and expects to have them resolved within weeks. Taxi drivers also point to several reports of local uber drivers assaulting passengers. Uber it is if its background checks were any more stringent, many immigrant drivers would lose out. Uber argues that its brought rides to riders and work to drivers in these economically depressed west and south sides of the city, places where you just cant find a tacts r. Taxi. The taxi industry said its determination to help better serve those neighborhoods through incentives to drivers is part of the reason why the city council is leaning in favor of those proposals. Neither industry say a loss will put them out of business in chicago, but both sides are worried. With those regulations, its going to cut a lot of the money. Business is gone, and they did take the whole entire city. Al jazeera, chicago. Government scientists are now raising new concerns over the risk of earthquakes. There are fierce that the hunt for oil and natural gas may be making it worse. John henry smith has that. The u. S. Geological survey say the eastern and southern part of the bay area remain at high risk for an earthquake. The most likely candidate would be the hayward fault. Several states in the central part of the country are also at a significant risk. The newest earthquake hazard map for the first time points out the worries in colorado, oklahoma, texas, arkansas, new mexico and kansas. Oklahoma had more 3. 0 to 4. 0 earthquakes than california did last year. There was a 5. 1 quake in january. Everything was just coming off of the shelves. It was scary. While californias quakes are natural, these others are believed to be man made. The usgs said the national Gas Exploration process called hydraulic fracturing or fracking are to blame. Companies have been pumping water into the ground, all that waste water causes faults to slip. It just tends to push the sides of the fault apart. Oklahoma has seen a 600 increase in earthquake since the fracking boom began in 2009. According to the new maps, 7 million americans are at risk with oklahoma and texas in the greatest danger. So far, the earthquakes in those states havent led to any deaths, major injuries or Major Property damage, but scientists predict its only a matter of time before a bigger quake happens there. I think peoples lives and property is at stake. In a lot of ways, the legitimacy of government is at stake. Usually the usgs puts out a new earthquake man every six years but things are changing so frequently, the this map was put out four years early. It may have to start updating the map each year going forward. The lawmaker we heard from at the end of your piece said the legitimacy of government is at stake here. What is the government doing about this . The short answer, not a lot. Take oklahoma. Theyve come up with a plan to dial back the amount of water being pumped in by nearly 40 . The problem is the plan is voluntarily for the fracks companies and a lot of the companies have bought and are implementing well waste Water Monitoring equipment. The new madrid fault line the biggest in the station, all the way to the missouri valley, ok, john, thank you very much. The northeast is waking up to high winds and rain this morning. Nicole mitchell joins us now with more. Good morning, nicole. Good morning. Two systems with high winds, the one pulling out of the rockies, exceptionally high winds with that and in the northeast, the area was back behind the system. The rain would clear and winds crank up. Still exsteam snow. This will clear through the day. Still could go at high at 50 miles per hour. The other system, already by tomorrow and later today, this starts to pull more into the plains. This is the outlet for tomorrow. In the south, places recently flooded could be a problem. The system is going to be potent enough that the next couple of days, starting tomorrow, and then again as we get into thursday, a little bit more for the gulf coast, we are going to watch that Severe Weather risk. That could be a problem, including wind, hail, even isolated tornadoes. Up next, coral concerns. A plan to improve shipping could have catastrophic consequences. A Major Development in the breaking news we have been tracking. The person who highjacked the egypt flight has been arrested. Most of the passengers were released. Egyptian Officials Say this was not a terrorismrelated incident, and the motive was personal. Work is moving forward on a plan to expand shipping channels in port ever glade florida. That sits on a major coral reef and serious damage could be caused. Beneath south floridas waters, this scene horrifies divers. Rare coral so covered in dirt, it can be brushed away. For these reefs, burial means death. Much of it is caused by a massive construction project. When i learned about what happened in the port of miami, i was shocked and disgusted, and we just cant let the same thing happen here. Philippe cousteau is joining activists. Safeguards meant to protect the environment failed. Endangered coral reefs were lost, buried under sediment churned up by dredging. Now with that project done, the core plans to repeat the work at Port Everglades near 40 lauderdale. Clearly the plan in miami was broken. You cant assume that it makes sense to just repeat it up here. Its follies to the least. The 400 million project is needed so megacontainer ships can dock at one of americas busiest ports to increase business and protect jobs, defenders say. The two ports sit in the middle of the massive florida reef tract, 150 miles of rare coral hugging the coast. One of the Worlds Largest reef ecosystems and the only one of its kind in the continental u. S. A treasure, the core says, it is painstakingly trying to protect. Weve learned a lot with the project we have south of us in miami and miami harbor, weve been studying this 18 years and worked long and hard to develop a plan that balances economic development, also with protection of the environment. In miami, only a few hundred pieces of coral were moved. Now the core will spent million to say relocate by hand more than 11,000. Fiveacres of artificial reefs will be built. The crews will be more careful bridge r. Dredging. Rest assured that we are turning over every stone we can to find out any innovations and the best science out there to make the best decision for the environment. Environmentalists though want more assurances and studies before work begins next year to ensure a National Treasure will be protected and the lessons of the past have been learned. Jonathan betz, al jazeera, miami. Ahead in our next hour, a new law in North Carolina this critics say discriminates against lgbt people. Well talk to the lead plaintiff suing the state. Hundreds of teenagers here illegally detained by officials. Why they say the system is set up for them to fail. More of your world this morning including the highjacked airplane which is still in cypress, breaking news, the suspect has been arrested. Well have all the latest details coming up in just a couple of minutes. Al Jazeera America gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere. More on every screen. Digital, mobile, social. Visit aljazeera. Com. Follow ajam on twitter. And like alJazeera America on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. So you dont just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. Al Jazeera America. We are following breaking news at this hour opinion the pepper who highjacked that plane in the middle east with americans onboard is now under arrest. Cracking the code, the f. B. I. Unlocks the San Bernardinos iphone without apples help. The danger of man made earthquakes, the human actions putting millions of americans at risk. Again, were following breaking news. Authorities in cypress say the man who highjacked this egyptian jet has been arrested. Welcome to your world this morning, im stephanie sy. Im del walters. It was on the way from cairo to alexandria and was diverted to cypress. Officials say it was not terrorism related, it was personal. The highjacker claimed to be wearing a suicide belt and threatened to detonate it. It has not actually been confirmed whether he indeed had explosives. Reports suggest the highjacking could have been motivated by personal reasons tied to the highjackers exwife. 55 people onboard have been released. Cypress Officials Say the situation is over. Lets go to aviation analyst kale bailey joining us viaoscopy. The question asked is how did this happen, this was an airline that was supposed to have tightened its security. With making a threat of having a suicide vest or belt, anybody could do that. The fact is did he actually have the belt. I mean you can claim to have anything on an airplane, but the fact is did he really have that belt. What do you do in that instance. Getting a bomb onboard is one thing, faking a bomb is another. Anybody can do it anytime. As always, there is the fear of copy cats. What do you do especially on this flight where there was supposed to have been an air marshal to make sure this was really something real. On that plate, you have to assume that the bomb was real, from a pilots perspective. You dont know no its real. You have to assume its real. Terrorism and highjacks have changed since 9 11. Before 9 11, they would happen every once in a while and usually there would be a diverse. After 9 11, people associate highjackings with imminent death or the plane crashing into something, so this is very unique in that its almost like a traditional highjacking prior to 9 11 where the highjacker is actually making demands where as a pilot, you want to listen to the highjacker, you want to assess if there is eminent danger, if that bomb is going to detonate. If the highjacker is behaving rationally, you want to comply with the demands. We had an expert who understands the key to stopping these bombings not bombings, highjackings is profiling. More of a concern especially in third world countries such as egypt, theres kind of a lack of screening as far as the airport and airline employees go. Egypt does a fairly good job of passenger screening, but when it comes to employees, vendors, fuel trucks, caterers, security tends to be a little bit lax. The Egyptian Government hired a Consulting Company after the metro jet crash a few months ago to look at improving airport security. Kyle, this one ended without anybody dying, the person we understand as we just reported is under arrest, all of those onboard including little crew, inc. Released. Does that mean that it was a success or was it a failure because it happened . Well, it was a failure from a security perspective or security standpoint, but the fact that no passengers were injured is the ultimate goal, when all those passengers deplane without injury, thats a success. We could evaluate the security perspective of the incident afterwards but where we are right now, that is a success if all the passengers and crew were unharmed. Tom bailey, thank you very much, the person has has highjacked that plane that was on its way from alexandria to cairo has now been arrested. Kyle, thank you for being with us. All the passengers have been released, the incident ended without any problems other than the passengers were very, very inconvenienced. After a highly public legal batting, investigators were ununable to unlock the iphone of the San Bernardino shooters. The case is being dropped against apple. We have more from san francisco. This is the end of a long and bitter court battle. Over the last few weeks weve seen apple and the f. B. I. Posturing, filing hundreds of pages Court Documents. Now the f. B. I. Said it does not need apples help any longer, that it has hacked into saeed farooks iphone. Some say it was like resave ago loaded video game that is too hard, you just reload that point you want to be at, its some sort of concept like that. To security analysts, this is a sign that the government has in fact figured out how to do something that apple otherwise was supposedly the only institution that could do, so the security vulnerability of that season is it shakes peoples confidence. That said, its important to understand that this is not the end of this court battle or of any court battle around this kind of issue. There are at least a half dozen other cases according to unsealed Court Documents that the government is applying to apple for help in unlocking an ire phone that is being used in evidence in a case of some sort, its an investigative avenue, this phone was one of the last sort of vulnerable phones. It was put out and the software on it released just before apple had wildly recreated its security regime even if the company that created the product once its out in the wild. The phone that i carry, probably that you carry are vastly improved in terms of security. Apple is going to need to the f. B. I. Or anyone applying to apple for help with this is definitely going to need that companys help to break into any newer phone. Even though this court case has ended in this way, its undoubtedly the case that we are going to see more court cases coming up in the future with this exact argument and that is why apple and the f. B. I. Have argued that lawmakers need to step in and figure out what rules we should live by when it comes to the tension between privacy and security. Apple c. E. O. Tim cook released a statement saying pakistan detaining more than 200 suspects in connection to a suicide bomb be, that blast targeting christians on Easter Sunday in lahore. Raids were launched on hideouts in the eastern part of the country in response. A Taliban Group said it was responsible for that attack. Also today marking one week since that Suicide Attack in brussels that killed 35 people. Across today running security tests at the airport in brussels, belgium, but its still not open for passengers. Authorities are looking for the socalled man in the hat seen walking with two of the bombers before the blast. Theyve released a man suspected of being one of the airport bombers. Authorities now say there is no evidence that he was connected to those attacks. We are learning more this morning about the man who drew a gun on the u. S. Capitol monday. Police identified him at 66yearold larry dawson, a pastor from tennessee. He was shot by police after pointing a weapon at officers. Dawson is in the hospital in stable by Critical Condition facing assault charges. Based on the initial investigation, we believe that this is an act of the angle person who has frequent the capital grounds before and there is no reason to believe that this is anything more than a criminal act. Dawson is believed to be the same man who disrupt the House Chamber last fall. He previously wrote that he was leading a movement to urge congress to raise the federal minimum wage to 15 per hour. In ohio an escaped killer is back in Police Custody after breaking out of a prison sunday during a storm. He was gone before the bedtime inmate count. He would have been eligible for parole in 2020. Parts of nevada could see more snow today after getting buried under more than a foot, the spring storm left roads slick in reno monday, leading to dozens of accidents. Some parts of that city got more snow than the mountains. There were about a dozen cancellations at the airport due to Poor Visibility and blizzard warnings are up in the west as a storm system moves through. Lets bring in nicole mitchell. A potent system, definitely more winter like than spring like in a lot of cases. You can see this broad plume of moisture that we have. Taking a closer look at whats helping influence all of this is if you look at the upper levels or upper atmosphere, the jetstream has kind of carved out what we call a trough. That not only allows colder air to come in, but strong upper level winds combined with another finger of the jet heading to the south, thats creating high winds in front of this system, so its also helping to tap in the moisture in the area. Theres a lot going on. We have a lot of moisture to feed from, anywhere from nevada once again today, all the way into parts of montana, colorado, dealing with that, heavy amounts of snowfall be a and the high winds. So we get to somewhere like pores of wyoming. We do have the blizzard warning in fact not only could we see a foot of snow in that location, but could see winds blowing at 50 to 60 miles an hour, which means white out conditions and thats just one area, but with the blizzard warning, widespread winter storm warnings in effect for similar conditions. When this starts to pull out, initially its rain for the Northern Tier of the midwest, there might be snow mixing in, because cold air is going to pull in with all of this, and then ahead of it, we start to tap also a little gulf moisture as well and better chances for Severe Weather into tomorrow. As we look at temperatures, behind the system, much cooler so that chance for 64 degrees in denver will not be the same temperature into the day tomorrow, but all this warm air ahead of it is part of what helps fuel the severe risk, also. But we are still in march. Out like a lion. Nicole, thanks. Turning against his own party over religious liberty. Georgias governor rejects a about him that many say would have discriminated against the lgbt community. Teenagers being rounded up by immigration and what their family and friends are trying to do to get them released. Federal officials this morning saying more than 330 people have been detained by immigration agents over the last three months. Some of teenagers who came illegally. We have the story of two teens caught in an immigration loophole. At this georgia church, a special prayer for somebody who cant be here. Kimberly chavezs family hope she will soon come home. We spoke with her from the Detention Center where shes held. The 19yearold tells me she never imagined immigration officials would scoop her up one january morning on her way to school. What have these last few weeks been like . Very sad, its too hard for me to stay here because i want to go with my family, i really need my family. She is one of more than 300 individuals immigration and enforcement agents detained in january, arriving at unaccompanied children, now 18 or older and have no pending cases in court. We were shocked. No one could believe it. Her High School Friend recently traveled to washington to plead for the teenager. Lawyers advocates say her prefers lawyer never filed the proper petition for asylum before she turned 18 and now she is stuck in a complicated immigration loophole. She is groups together with other immigrations, she should be unaccompanied minor. She is trapped in a world. This 19yearolds lawyer told him he shouldnt show up in court. Its been more than 40 days since he was brought to this Detention Center, some 500 miles from durham, North Carolina, where his High School Teachers and classmates are pleading for his release. It is difficult down here. Difficult . Difficult, difficult. Like most unaccompanied minors from central america, acosta wants asylum. Youd rather be detained here than go to honduras . I stay here. In detention, id stay here. Rather than go back to your country. I dont want to go to my country, because i have big traumas, because people want to kill me. Proving asylum is their best shot at staying in the u. S. Of the 3600 asylum requests filed by minors in the last quarter of 2015, at least 40 were approved. The department of Homeland Security says the recent detentions she part of our broader and ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws in line with stated priorities. Acosta said he is speaking out for other young immigrants hoping to stay. This letter is the way chavez shares her voice, thanking parishioners for their prayers and driving her family three hours to see her after every sunday service. Her mother said those visits are the toughest. Tears swell up as she thinks about leaving her behind after each visit, wishing she could bring her home. The department of Homeland Security says it has requested 17 million also part of the president s budget to pay for representation for unaccompanied children. Many individuals cant afford lawyers or sometimes get bad advice and pro bono lawyers say they are overwhelmed with the amount of cases. In necessary, thank you very much. Lets go to jonathan ryan, the executive director of the refugee and immigrant center for education and legal services. He joins us via scape from san antonio. Thanks for being with us. Operation border guardian is what the Homeland Security is calling the raid. You maintain these kids were set up to fail. Why . In all reality, we who work on the border, who do the intakes, the triage work, really, legally speaking for these children know when they relocate to cities around the country, there is no legal safety net. Theres no protection, no Legal Defense for these young people, and our government knew very well when it decided to make this entire enterprise an enforcement directed enterprise, pouring millions of dollars into Detention Centers and Border Patrol, not really any money or attention was spent on protecting the rights of those refugee he is who were seeking our protection. Who does protect these children. They were teen angers when they came in, now 18, legally duties, so who protects them. Unfortunately, under our current immigration laws, an immigrant, even a refugee who arrived as a child and who may be killed if they returned to their home country has no right to an assigned counsel. Right now, theres a man in virginia who is charged with the benghazi terror attacks. We as a nation probably spend more money on the criminal defense of this one individual than on all of the refugees in our country combined. This is the government of barack obama, president barack obama, he is accused of having porous borders and not being tough on immigration. This does not sound like it is the case. No. Thats not quite true. In fact, many people refer to this president as the deporter in chief, he has deported more individuals from the United States than any other president in our history. The fact isis that we can refer to the figures published by the Border Patrol itself, and one would have to go back to 1973, the nixon administration, to find as few Border Apprehensions occurring in the u. S. Mexico border. The fact that there is some kind of invasion of people coming into our country is not true. It is a very convenient political straw man. This has been a Major Campaign issue, our nations porous borders, there is talk of building walls, talk of massive deportations. What exactly is the truth . The truth isis that the people who of traveling to our country, and who are seeking asylum in our borders are fleeing the most dangerous countries in our hemisphere. The murder capitals of our world, and much of the reason for the violence in these countries from which these people are fleeing is the drug trade that benefits the citizens of the United States. It is our money that is fueling the gang wars in central america, thats ruining the towns and the cities where these people live, and theyre coming to our border asking for our protection. All they are needing is yet another enforcement regime, people fleeing from crooked cops and military in their countries are just met by our military and these are supposedly the people that they are supposed toe explain their fear, the worst thing that ever happened to them and its not reasonable or rational. Are there personal stories behind the numbers, are they rapists and criminals as the public are being told or are they teenagers as we saw in in necessarys story . Its individuals like these who are the most likely to be victims of crime in our country. These are not rapists and murderers. As usual when people sit down and hear the individual stories of each person, they realize these are good people. These are just like our fore fathers, coming to hour countries, our shores seeking a better life, seeking survival. Jonathan, thank you very much. Thank you. Archeologists in syria today are trying to as the damage to the ancient city of palmyra. Syrian forces retook the city with the help of russian airstrikes sunday, isil forces destroyed a lot of the relics there. The countrys antiquities chief said it could take five years to repair the damage but 80 of the city is still intact. The situation is becoming dire for thousands still trapped in the damascus suburb of daraia. Mostly of the city is cut off from food and basic supplies. The town is under control of the rebels fighting government forces. Al jazeera has the details. The town of rapes and barrel bombs, it is one of syrias most devastated areas. Its population has mostly moved away. Days before the truce started last month, people who stayed behind have lived under this. [ explosions ] and this. Leaving behind the down in ruins and largely destroyed. Civilians took a break, bombardment has stopped, the regime used everything, barrels, rockets, everything. Many were hit or damaged. At this Catholic Church, there is no easter mass this year. The worshipers have gone. Around 8,500 people remain in this rebel held town. They have been stuck here since 2012. Now, they are hungry and desperate. The World Food Program says people were forced to eat grass. Families endured days without a meal. He is taking care of his plants. He may be forced to eat them. The bleeding has stopped. We didnt get aid. My children are losing their childhood. In neighboring turkey, this official says operations disastrous. Its catastrophic, theres a shortage of everything, food, medicine, milk, the regime wants to end the revolution in areas that surround damascus by forcing them into submission using these tactics. The Syrian Opposition accuses the government of using starvation as a weapon of submission. The u. N. Is calling on the civilian government to allow unrestricted access to about half a million syrians in besieged areas, include. So far, the government has refused that permission, the u. S. Said preventing aid is a violation have international law. Back in daraya, life under siege is hard, but it goes on even without food, medicine and milk. Al jazeera. Children always find a way to play. Yeah. The earthquake risk is now as high in oklahoma as it is in california. Well tell you how human action is creating the danger that threatens the lives of millions of americans. The legal tactic one big city is using to avoid paying out to police misconduct. [chanting] yes we can an historic election. You and i, were going to change this county, and we will change the world. Monumental decisions. Mr. President , theres a one and three chance of a second great depression. Firsthand accounts from the people who were there. Their opinion was shocking. The challenges. He said, i am president of the United States and i cant make anything happen. The realities. He stood up and said, thats it, im finished. An updo it breaking news, the man who allegedly highjacked and egypt air jet is in custody in cypress. It was on its way from cairo to alexandria, rather cairo to alexandria. It appears to have been some sort of personal dispute. Hours of negotiations, a seven hour standoff, the cypress authorities were involved in negotiations with this highjacker. He has been arrested. He is now in custody, but what we understand from cypress state television is that this man believed to surrender obey merging from the plane with his hands in the air. We need to ask did he really have explosives onboard, was he bluffing, did he leave the explosives inside the aircraft. Were the cypress authorities comfortable with the fact that they were sure that this man didnt have arms or explosives on him the way he emerged from the plane. The commandos did not storm the plane as far as we understand. A lot of questions, his motives are not clear. We dont know his motives. We heard reports earlier today from cypress authorities he was demanding political asylum and to speak to his exwife who is living in cypress. A lot of questions need to be answered, and the biggest question of all, were explosives on that plane. Outrage over a new law in North Carolina that Officials Say discriminate against lgbt people. A similar bill considered anti gay has been vetoed in georgia. Georgia is a welcoming state. It is full of loving, kind and generous people. That is what we should want. That isy the gone said he will veto a bill that would have allowed pastors to refuse to perform same sex marriages. It would let faith based groups decline to serve people in the lgbt community. I do not think that we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the Faith Based Community in georgia. The supporters say its about religious freedom. Big companies, including time warner and the envelope threatened to pull business from georgia. So did many hollywood stars and studios. Film and t. V. Production is a 6 billion business in georgia, where movies including captain America Civil War were shot. The govern says pressure he faced from the bills critics and supporters had nothing to do with his decision. Threshed know i do not responsibility very well to insults or to threats. Also on monday, a new lawsuit, filed against the state of North Carolina over a law that critics say treats lgbt people like second class citizens. This has been a difficult week for gay and trapped gender people of North Carolina. Transgender people would be barred from using bathroom based on their gender identity. Yes, im a transgender man, but i am a man. My family, my friends, my coworkers and many more in the state affirm my male identity. That cannot be stripped away from a bill like this. It is a right to feel protected and safe. Al jazeera. The person you just saw in that report joins us now. He is the lead plaintiff suing the state of North Carolina over this state law, hb2. He joins us from raleigh this morning. Joaquin, thank you for your time. When it comes to the bathroom section of the law, basically says your sex at birth must determine which public bathroom you can use. Explain how it feels when you walk into a ladies restroom when that doesnt fit what you believe is your gender. Its incredibly distressing. That is not where i belong. Its not where i feel comfortable. Its not comfortable for me or the other women. I have been using the mens room exclusively, because i am a male. It is incredibly anxiety provoking. Obviously this is about more than bathrooms for you. Yes, definitely. Its about dignity. Its about respecting us as other members of the state, as a big part of the community. The part of the law that bans cities from passing anti discrimination ordinances, the aclu says violates the 14t 14th amend, thats the legal argument. North Carolina Republicans issued a joint statement asking where in the constitution does it give a right for men to use womens bathrooms and locker rooms. What is your response from the legal perspective . You know, from the legal perspective, thats not sort of my skill set. I would more leave that to the lawyers, but it is in terms of, you know, we are granted certain basic rights and this is a part of our right is to be granted respect and dignity and this is directly attacking that. I was in a restaurant here in new york city the other day, and there was a sign saying something to the effect of we welcome transgender people, use whatever bathroom fits our gender identity. Have you seen that kind of embrace from local businesses there in North Carolina who may be dont agree with this law . I have. Ive seen it frequently, its being posted on facebook. Businesses being vocal about their support, about their disagreement with this bill. It sort of sends a message to the rest of the nation. They wants to this is not us, hash tag, we are not this, we wont stand for this, this was not made on our behalf. This is not representative of the state. Its been really wonderful to see the Community Support from the businesses around saying we respect you and your gender identity and so this is a welcoming space for you. Do you think ultimately beyond the lawsuit that you filed, this will come down to the power of the purse, the way it did in georgia and seeing that govern veto what lgbt rights advocates say is a discriminatory law. Do you think this law may be overturned by that fact in North Carolina . Unfortunately, it may be so. You know, money, you know, means power. You know, we would like for it to come down to, you know, congressman to recognize us as, you know, valuable citizens of the state, as residents, and, you know, change their idea of this bill, and the far reaching chris continual in aatory act is supports by saying we actually respect you. This is not what we had in mind when this bill was passed. We didnt realize how it does affect you and sort of would come around and say respecting you as residents of the state rather than this is motivated by the power of business. If you lose the lawsuit, if the law stays on the books, have you thought of moving out of the state . It could very well come down to that. I have family and friends in other states. I would hate to be pushed out of the state. If i move, i would like it to be on my own volition, my choice and for good reason, but this is my home and i dont want to feel forced to leave. This is a Big Community here. That would be affecting a large portion of the community and not the transgender community. Its about our allies, too, we have lots of support and that would affect lots of people, not just us being forced to move out of the state. Joaquin, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Thank you. The Justice Department is resuming a Controversial Program that lets police keep the cash and property it seized. The program was suspended because of budget cuts, lets Police Departments keep up to 80 of the assets they seize if there is no conviction. Opponents say the practice is a violation of due process. Chicagos mayor rahm emanuel tapping a new leader to run the citys Embattled Police department, naming Eddie Johnson, a 27 year veteran as the interim superintendent. That department has been under scrutiny since the video showing the shooting death of teenager laquan mcdonald. The new leader saying misconduct will not be tolerated. Trust between the police and the people we serve, trust between the rank and file and the command staff. I know that the first trust has been broken too often, not just in chicago, but across america where Abusive Police practices have occurred. The mayor picked johnson over three other candidates offered by the police board calling johnson a cops cop, uniquely qualified to rebuild morale in that democratic. Police reforms are underway in cleveland where the Department Paid 10 million to settle lawsuits. Critics say the cash strapped city is using a new tactic to avoid paying victims of police misconduct. America tonight reports. David wasnt able to cook lunch in his kitchen or enjoy a homemade sandwich. Instead, he was serving time in an ohio prison for a murder he says he didnt commit. It was hell. I went through pure hell in prison. He says he was an easy target for Cleveland Police detectives when in 1999, his neighbor and friend, Dorothy Brown was found beaten to death in their apartment complex. He was one of the last people to see her alive. Can you talk about why do you think they were so focused on you. They were top lays to get up off their butts and investigate to find the real killer that did this horrific crime. So they say well, were going to use you as a scapegoat. Ok, youre black, and we dont like gay people, so what the hell, we make that as well put it on you, ok . The police focused on ayres, ignoring evidence confirming his version of events, and using what a judge later found to be an unreliable jail informant to testify against him. Despite his proclaimed innocence, ayres was sentenced to life in prison without parole. How did you survive in there . Through a lot of prayer. Ayres served 11 years before the ohio insense project helped set him free but proving d. N. A. At the scene was not a match to his and that his rights had been violated during the investigation. He sued the detectives who filed the case against him and won 13. 2 million. But you havent seen a dime of it. Not yet. Ayres and his attorney, ruth brown, say hes now stuck in a scheme devised by the city to avoid paying up. After the judgment, the city of cleveland engaged in a tactic that to our knowledge is unprecedented across the country, and that is that they paid for the Police Officers to go through bankruptcy to try to duck their obligation to pay. According to brown, cities usually indemnify officers in civil cases. That means they pay the bill when a jury awards a financial judgment to someone. The Cleveland Police Union Contract even says the city must pay at least a Million Dollars of financial judgments against an officer, but brown said the city instead paid for the Police Officers to file for bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid paying a thing. In order to carry out this maneuver, the city of cleveland has to violate a lot of laws. Its clear that youre not allowed to spend taxpayer money on the personal bankruptcy of an employee. The city of cleveland would not speak to al jazeera, citing on going litigation. It has argued that the officers did not satisfactory the qualifications for indemnification. Al jazeera, cleveland. President obamas trip to cuba may not have mended all fences. Fidel castro now lashing out about the visit with harsh words for president obama. A simple blood test that could change the way doctors diagnose and treat concussions. Al Jazeera America. Former cuban president fidel castro is lashing out at president obama. In an op ed carried by cube that state run media, castro accused president obama of sweet talking the cube that people during his visit last week and said the president ignored the accomplishments of cubas government. Fidel castros letter entitled brother obama shouldnt come as that much of a surprise. It is a true reflection of the divisions, the contributions within the communist party between the old guard and those who want change, who believe the country need needs to open up more particularly economically. Fidel castro went over and over to say we dont need anything from the socalled empire, the word evil is sort of presumed. We dont need presents from the empire. His brother thanked president obama for having eased the u. S. Economic embargo as much as he can to allow for more trade, more commerce, more exchange between the United States and cuba. There is a contribution there, and what really this means, i think is that he believes like others on the island that this new, kinder, gentler version of u. S. Policy toward cuba is really an attempt to undermine the countrys one Party Political state and its communist system. Another reason of course, with this letter might be the fact that fidel castro didnt meet with president obama when the president was there. He is the only president who hasnt paid his respects to the socalled leader of revolution, so that certainly must have bothered him. The president s trip was the first visit by a sitting u. S. President to cuba in nearly a century. Utah is now out with its first of a kind restriction on abortions, requiring answer ane. Doctors say theres a health risk be to women. A as i am blood test can diagnose concussions. Symptoms are subtle and dont show up for days. Researchers say this test could reduce the use of c. T. Scans. 600 patients studied has been 97 accurate. Top nhl officials admitting fighting can lead to concussions and long term issues. This is in a Class Action Court case about those concussions. Enforcers frequently use pills to ease their pain. The league has said publicly that there is no link between hockey and brain damage. Hockey has been known to allow players to stop the game to fight. Government scientists are raising new concerns over the risk from earthquakes. There are increasing concerns that the hunt for oil and natural gas may be making it worst. Al jazeeras John Henry Smith has more. The u. S. Geological survey says that the eastern and southern parts of californias bay area remain at high risk for a major earthquake. The most likely candidate would be an earthquake on the hayward fault. Several states in the central part of the country are also at a significant risk. The newest earthquake hazard map for the first time points out the worries in colorado, oklahoma, texas, arkansas, new mexico, and kansas. Oklahoma had more 3. 0 to 4. 0 earthquakes than california did last year. There was a 5. 1 quake in january. Everything was just coming off of the shelves. It was scary. While californias quakes are natural, these others are believed to be man made. The usgs said the national Gas Exploration process called hydraulic fracturing or fracking are to blame. Companies have been pumping large amounts of water into the ground, all that waste water causes faults to slip. It just tends to push the sides of the fault apart. Oklahoma has seen a 600 increase in earthquakes since the fracking boom began in 2009. According to the new maps, 7 million americans are at risk with oklahoma and texas in the greatest danger. So far, the earthquakes in those states havent led to any deaths, major injuries or Major Property damage, but scientists predict its only a matter of time before a bigger quake happens there. I think peoples lives and property is at stake. In a lot of ways, the legitimacy of government is at stake. Usually the usgs puts out a new earthquake hazard map every six years but things are changing so frequently, this map was put out four years early. It may have to start updating the map each year going forward. Account the map lead to actually changing building codes the way we see in the state of california . Believe code changes can take up to 10 years to be really adopted by a community. The seismic level in these Central States are changing to frequently in alabama and ohio, for example, theyve seen a decrease in actual seismic activity, due to changes there, so the short answer, no, probably not. In the meantime, the lower price of oil has changed a lot of things in those states, as well. The northeast waking up to high winds and rain this morning. Nicole mitchell joins us with more. One system coming out of the rockies, high winds ahead of that. The system we watched clear most of the coastline yesterday still causing a few problems into northern pours of new england, but that one behind it was where the extreme pressure gradient, that thank in pressure that causes the winds to crank up has been occurring. Now northern parts of new england, especially northern maine dealing with snow. This continues to clear out. We will keep the wind gusts in up to 50 miles per hour, running 2030 miles per hour, but occasionally gusting that high from new york and massachusetts, watch for that during the afternoon hours. The system in the west continues to pull out. Were starting to get a couple showers into the midwest, nebraska now seeing this. This is tomorrows forecast, it taps gulf moisture. This has already had plenty of moisture to work with. These two things combined mean we have a snowy side and start to get into a stormy side, too. By thursday, this starts to approach the east coast a little bit more. What is that going to mean for the next couple of days . This snowstorm will cause all of those problems, even including the Severe Weather. By tomorrow, we have has risk as this pulse forward, warm enough air ahead of the system to cause that, cold enough on the backside that were seeing those areas that have the snow. Now, this shifts into the day on thursday, a little bit more towards the eastern side of the gulf coast, so a couple of days of Severe Weather. This will also be heavy rain for the gulf coast, a lot of areas picking up three to fiveinches. This has been a flooding area recently, so thats going to be causing a problem. Temperature contrast, 70s, widespread ahead of the system. Denver, in the 60s today, to the 40s tomorrow, as that front comes in, so it definitely does make a difference. Back to you guys. Nicole mitchell, thank you. Up next, coral concerns. How a plan to improve a shipping port could have catastrophic consequences. Al Jazeera America, proud to give voice to the voiceless. We are creating a class of adults exposed to mediocre education. Theres bad people out there in these sports. We call chicago chiraq because we have more killers than iraq. In order to save my children, i had to try to save everyone elses. I had to encourage them. To tell them, theres a better way. I have to do my one hundred percent best so i dont end up in a place like this again. You have kids here whove killed someone . Yes we do. My homie got shot five times. Have you ever seen anybody get shot . Highlighting threats to children around the world. Its very difficult for us. We dont have clothes, we dont have food. In terms of child labor, myanmar is ranked one of the worst in the world. Do you make anything that ends up in walmart . Yes. This is where a lot of americas clothes come from, and its a reality Many Companies dont want us to see. Shelee, how old are you . 12 years old. Shelee, do you go to school . I used to. The shells exploded right in the middle of the room. You have to remember that this was a school and the blackboard still has a lesson plan on it. This is imagery and scars impacting scores of children across gaza. Pernilla ironside and unicef sponsor therapy for children who have lost a parent or a home. 10 year old Ibrahim Nasser lost both. Thanks to the exercises, ibrahim can look forward. Can you tell me what you want to be when you grow up . A doctor. Why do you want to be a doctor . To heal the wounded. Al Jazeera America proud to tell your stories. Officials in alaska saying there is no. Threat from that active volcano in the state. It put up a huge ash plume into the sky forcing cancellations of airline flights. Work is now moving forward on a plan to expand shipping channels at Port Everglades, florida. That port sits in a rare coral reef and environmentalists worry the government could cause serious damage. Dont bets has more from miami. Beneath south floridas waters, this scene horrifies divers. Rare coral so covered in dirt, it can be brushed away. For these reefs, burial means death. Much of it is caused by a activists worry the government will soon repeat. When i learned about what happened in the port of miami, i was shocked and disgusted, and we just cant let the same thing happen here. Philippe cousteau is joining activists. Activists say safeguards meant to protect the environment failed. Endangered coral reefs were lost, buried under sediment churned up by dredging. Now with that project done, the core plans to repeat the work at Port Everglades near fort lauderdale. Clearly the plan in miami was broken. You cant assume that it makes sense to just repeat it up here. Its folly to say the least. The 400 million project is needed so megacontainer ships can dock at one of americas busiest ports to increase business and protect jobs, defenders say. The two ports sit in the middle of the massive florida reef tract, 150 miles of rare coral hugging the coast. One of the Worlds Largest reef ecosystems and the only one of its kind in the continental u. S. A treasure, the corps says, it is painstakingly trying to protect. Weve learned a lot with the project we have south of us in miami and miami harbor, weve been studying this for 18 years and worked long and hard to develop a plan that balances economic development, also with protection of the environment. In miami, only a few hundred pieces of coral were moved. Now the core will spend millions to relocate by hand more than 11,000. Fiveacres of artificial reefs will be built. The crews will be more careful dredging. Rest assured that we are turning over every stone we can to find out any innovations and the best science out there to make the best decision for the environment. Environmentalists though want more assurances and more studies before work begins next year to ensure a National Treasure will be protected and the lessons of the past have been learned. Jonathan betz, al jazeera, miami. You know that story and the story on fracking in oklahoma and texas shows how fragile the environment is and how little time we have to get it right for the next generation. I recently read that mans impact on the earth has been more destructive than the asteroid that led to the distinction of the dinosaurs. That is pretty striking, that fact. That is it for us in new york. Im stephanie sy. Im del walters, your world back tomorrow morning at 7 00 a. M. Until then, go out and have a great day. Well see you tomorrow morning. Hello and welcome to the news hour in doha with the top stories on al jazeera. Hostages flee an egyptian airplane and cypress brings a highjacking situation to a peaceful end. Pakistan said hundreds of people have been arrested following a security crackdown a the bombing of a park in lahore. The f. B. I. Says its retrieved data from the San Bernardino gunmans iphone despite