reacting plant before the existing one fails and issues before the supreme court that could be decided in the coming days. among them same-sex marriage and religious freedom in our regular segment "the week ahead". it is sunday but we are going to show you live images coming from capitol hill. these are showing how important the debate is that is taking place in the chambers of the united states senate. it involves keeping you safe versus protecting your privacy, it's not clear at this hour how it will end. the senate will let the patriot act expire at midnight and is debating the freedom act which contains many of the acts it contained. libby casey is following from washington. what is happening now. that appeared to be senator ron white speaking. >> the senators in this rare sunday session have come back early because of a looming deadline at midnight when the patriot act expires, something we never thought we'd get to. >> what they have done is brought a bill to the floor, the freedom act, and opened debate. they needed 60 votes, they got 77. they were able to clear that. we have seen a battle in the past couple of weeks among the republican ranks. mitch mcconnell, the top republican wanted an extension of the patriot act. together he pretty much gave up on that plan realising that he didn't have support. and a man in particular stood in his way, fellow republican and kentuckian rand paul. he wants to see all of this go away. but the freedom act would do a key thing. it would end the collection of american song records. we are not talking about the content of your calls, but it is who you call when you call them and privacy experts say it reveals a lot about people. the freedom act puts an end to that part of what the patriot act has been doing. here is how rand paul talked about the freedom act on the floor tonight. >> tonight begins the process of ending bulk collection. the bill will ultimately pass. we always look for silver linings. i think the bill may be replacing a bulk collection with another. the government after the bill passes will no longer collect your phone records. my concern is that the phone companies may do the same thing. >> that's because the phone companies keep that data. and basically the government would have to go to them with specific warrants for individuals. the freedom act extends other parts of the patriot abbing including wire tapping and elements that law enforcements say can track lone-wolf subjects. >> as we watch the debate. the question has to be asked does the midnight deadline still matter? >> it does. the government warned that the patriot act has to wind down at midnight. if the senate goes forward with the freedom act, they probably will not vote until tuesday morning. that indeed is a lapse. so we'll see a lapse in parts of patriot act, and the sun set of that bulk telephone data cloection. we have been getting warnings from the government. president obama among them. we heard from c.i.a. director john brennanon "face the nation." >> i think it is watched what is happening, whether or not it's disclosures of classified information or changes in the law and policies they are looking at seams to operate within. >> that is the warning that we are hearing from authorities like the c.i.a. director. we'll be happy that the freedom act look like it can move forward. there's overall concern about this gap. something that really could have been avoided if the senate could have come to agreement in this process. they pushed it up to the deadline. something congress is famous for. what is different - descension among the republicans ranks, they couldn't do it on a fast enough timeline. >> lots of coffee libby casey. thank you very much. >> secretary of state john kerry forced to cut short a european trip because of a bicingle injury he's recuperating at a hospital. he is expected to fly to boston where he sees his own doctors. the top diplomat breaking a leg while riding his bike on sunday. he was in geneva for talks on iran. will the rain stop falling in texas. officials warp it's too soon to issue an all clear of many going home to find dangerous waters exist still. it could take days if not weeks for the floodwaters to leave. jonathan martin in rosenberg texas. officials lifting the order a few hours ago. >> that's right. we talked to police a short time ago. they told us that the worst appears to be over and with the order lifted people in this community can return to their homes. obviously that may be a bit tough for people that live in the area this street. the water is high, considering all the rain that has fallen in the area, the epic fall many consider this to be minor compared to what could have been. during this time yesterday, when we talked to you, remember the rain was coming down so hard. many were concerned. that's why everyone left the area. people allowed to come back to the community. we spent time along the bayou in houston, which is near doesn't houston, it was significantly damaged and impacted earlier in the week. a lot of people had 2-3 feet of water. a lot of people told us they are fortunate, they are glad to have a day of sunshine there's no rain in the area. people said we are able to dry out. clean up and assess the damage. it's good news for people in the future. there's no rain in the forecast. no significant rain. >> as you know each though the rains stopped the waters upstream flow downwards. so how concerned are officials that the flood seemed to be receding could be rising later on. >> they are still closely watching the river. that has been the river to watch. that is where a lot of water is coming from. that river, which is not far from here is 20 feet above the flood stage. crew and officials are watching it. it's expected to rise 6 inches overnight and crest tomorrow. but again, as i say because there's no significant rain fall expected in the next couple of days they are not overly concerned that it causes damn. >> jonathan martin live in rosenberg texas. the u.s. and coalition partners attack islamic state partners with a series of air strikes, more than a dozen areas have been targeted. the air strikes come as i.s.i.l. fighters launch suicide attacks on soldiers. as imran khan reports, 20 were killed when i.s.i.l. car bombers struck headquarters near fallujah. with all of the attacks across anbar province what we see is i.s.i.l. using car bombs to devastating effect. the iraqi security forces have a problem. analysts say that the security forces don't have the recognisance and intelligence to stop the suicide bombs in advance. some of the weaponry they are using is ineffective to reinforce car bombs. what they are doing is they are splitting iraqi forces in half and are able to attack military bases as well as civilian targets and military targets. also what we are seeing is shelling of the air base which is where the majority of the iraqi security forces and shia militias are based. that's where they are reinforcing troops. that is not to say iraqi security forces haven't had successes, taking over towns and villages and using it as staging posts after they clear them of i.s.i.l. fighters for this push into ramadi. and are attacking the outskirts of ramadi from the north, south and the east in order to cut off i.s.i.l. supply lines. it looks like we have seen an escalation in the violence in the last 24 hours. >> in syria, forces reporting they have captured a strategic town. we go to aleppo an important road between two opposition strongholds and threatens a supply line. 16 people were reported to have been killed in government shelling in the northern city of idlib. in nearby syria, 25 civilians are reported to have died in an explosion in hospital. a gas cannister catching fire. for u.n. vaccination clinic. observers say the toll could top 90. the 4-year war in syria killed more than 200,000 people according to the u.n. 10 million others are going hungry. the security situation making it hard to get food and aid to them. as caroline malone reports, there's a programme helping syrians help themselves. >> the urban farm is helping to provide food for a few of the many hungry people in syria. it was set up in an opposition held part of aleppo. around 30 families get a regular supply of eggs. others have an option of buying into a cooperative making a living off the farm. >> the aim of the project is to achieve food security for aleppo, a means of protection if a blockade is imposed on the liberated areas. >> reporter: it is funded by the koran foundation a us u.s.-based chart i, finding an effective way to help syrians. >> it creates food security for syrians, the food security and also general life security for the people that we serve. and that is why we are so passionate about giving the short aid. >> people without food in war zones are vulnerable not only to malnutrition, but exploitation. >> northwestern memorial hospital hands out food for (nont -- al nusra front hands out food to people. because of war, many areas are inactionable to the world food program. the world food program can't get into parts of eastern and western gutah. it is only able to reach some people. hama idlib and aleppo. some are so desperate to find food they resort to eating whatever is visible. like in the refugee camp a place blocked off from supplies and aid. in syria we see two types of tactics using food as a weapon of war. the first is parties are confiscating food production and distribution services. farms and markets. the second is that they are impeding access to humanitarian aid. >> formers in aleppo with the help of donors created something more sustainable. there are 4,000 people that need food in this neighbourhood alone. with this pont a growing number of people know where their next few meals are coming from. >> officials are holding peace talks with the fighters and they are meeting in oman according to the government which is operating in exile out of saudi arabia. houthi rebels are holding at least four american citizens captive. the state department says it's doing everything it can to get them out, but will not identify who they are. they are believed to be in yemen's capital city which saw an attack from the air. >> a last-minute deal will keep five leaders in guantanamo bay. they were part of a swap to free american bow bergdahl. measures were set to expire monday. qatari officials agreed to a temporary extension at the request of the u.s. earlier we spoke to doug ollie vant from the new american foundation, and asked how much of a security threat these men posed. >> either you know the people were not that senior anyway they are mid level and have been out of the game for over a decade, so hutch harm can you do. on the other hand i talked to someone i trust who scribed it as the afghanistan national security council, that we were going to send them back. it's hard to determine the facts. whether they are senior figures plugging back in and giving capability or whether they are a bunch of retirees going and sitting and drawing pensions in afghanistan. >> the ban will stay in place while discussions between the u.s. qatar and afghanistan finance for a longer term -- continue for a longer term. next an airline passenger say she was denied an unopened can of soda because she's a muslim. rehabilitation from the airline -- reaction from the airline. criticism for the post for the canonization of a latin american. why some say this priest is not a same time. [baseball crowd noise] ♪ ♪ [x1 chime] ♪ ♪ [crowd cheers] oh! i can't believe it! [cheering] hi, grandma! ♪ a woman recognised by the white house last year as a leading muslim female in the united states now accusing united airlines of discrimination in an incident that has gone viral. she is a muslim chapel at north western university in chicago. she asked for an unopen can of coke for high genic reasons. she was not given one. the man sitting next to her was given an unopened can of beer. she was told it could be used as a weaponment a fellow passenger cursed her out saying she'd use the can as a weapon. we reached out to shuttle america and didn't get a response. the united airlines issued a response saying: joining us from washington d.c., in your opinion, is this a misunderstanding about a can of coke or do you mooef you were distrim mated against because of your beliefs. >> thank you for something me on your show. i sincerely believe that what happened to me was a very unfortunate cirque of discriminatory before occurring in this country on a daily basis to millions of minorities. >> i want to make sure you had your side of the story correct. you were told you weren't given the can of diet coke because it could be used as a weapon. tell us exactly what they said. >> so i was travelling on the united states. i'm a premier status member i travel often. i have many times received an unopen can of beverage before. i was on the flight to - i was on my way to a conference for kids for peace, promoting meaningful and just dialogue between israeli and palestinian youth. when i was on the flight i requested the flight attendant, when she asked what i'd like to drink, i requested a can of soda, a diet can or coke. she bought me an open can. so i requested for hygienic reasons, as you mentioned, an unopened can, and she said "well, this has not been consumed yet by anyone", ids "i understand that but i would prefer an unopened can for hygienic reasons" she said "it's against our policy to give people unopened beverages." so then she asked the man what he would like and he you know he requested a beer. and she brought him a closed can of beer. and at that point i looked over at his, you know tray table and said "that's strange, she basically give you a closed beverage but refused to give me one" he shrugged his shoulder and said "i don't know why she did that itself." . when she came back i asked her why and she said - she looked at it and grabbed it and she opened it she put it and said you know "you would use it as a weapon", she was basically trying to say i would use a can of soda as a weapon. >> you said the other passenger attacked you and concurred with the flight attendant. after she said "you would use it as a weapon", a man across from me on the other side said "you muslims shut the f up", i was just in shock. i leaned over and he said you know you would use it as a weapon, shut the f up. >> at that point i was in tears, i could not believe what happened. and, you know i just - i was hoping that the flight attendant would - i was hoping that she's already involved in the whole process, would say something to maybe say, well let's be respectful, but she did not. at the end of the flight... >> you said that she was in tears as well. you were crying she was crying the flight attendant told you she had a bad day. >> at the end of the flight i approached you know the flight attendant and i tried to explain to her and said look this is not about a can of coke, and this is not about going after you or your job, i respect you, i want you to know that you made this airplane an unsafe for me by targetting me as a muslim woman, and telling everywhere on the flight that could hear you to say something like i would use a can of coke as a weapon how do you think it makes me feel, we are 30,000 feet above the ground and you target me because of way i look. she apologised and i said you created a space where a man was able to say bigoted things towards me and you didn't intervene. she acknowledged what he said was wrong, she was sorry for what happened. the pilot apologised and said he does not know what it may feel like to live as a minority in the country and walked me to the service desk where i filed an official report. now, what is unfortunate is i was hoping that united airline would use it as a teaching moment and recognise discrimination and bigotry when it happens and acknowledge it and recognise that it's wrong. we have many other circumstances in this country where the african american brothers and sisters are in a lot of pain and suffering. i think united could have used this as an opportunity to recognise discrimination when it happened. and really you know use corrective opportunities. let me ask the question that has to be asked. does it mean that you are going to sue unit airlines because of the way you were treated? >> honestly at this point, i'm exploring all options where this kind of humiliation does not continue to happen to minorities in this country. >> thank you very much for being with us tonight. concealed weapons will be allowed on some university of texas campuses. texas legislators passing the measure this weekend, allowing licensed gun owners to carry handguns at state school. the bill goes to the governor who is likely to sign it into law. most college kids will not be able to do so. the minimum age for a gun licence is 21. the bill provide for an exception. >> a vatican decision is parking on uproar in california pope francis announcing plans to declare a missionary a saint. that is not sitting well with some native americans, saying the missionary is more sinner than saint. melissa chan explains. >> reporter: the vatican and the new era under the leadership of pope francis. one of his missions bringing the church closer to the people. part of that strategy the canonization of serra. >> he means for the pope here is an eadvantagea lieser that he hopes we can all be putting our lives on the line to profess the good news. >> father serra brought christianity to california shores setting up missions along the coast. spreading the gospel in the spanish empire. 200-300 years later many are active. >> the missions established were beautiful places. but for some native americans, these were prisons, forced to work in the fields forced to stay in the mission, and were forced into christianity. >> the mission settlements wiped out local populations whether by disease or the barrel of a gun. best estimates say 100,000 indians died in the decades following the establishes of the missions. sara's impending canonization is an affront. >> no one talks about serra in the positive. >> reporter: they are tribes downsized as a result of european arrival across the continent. gatherings like this allow the indians to celebrate and clipping to what is left of their culture, to many spanish rule destroyed them in california. >> for us it's different. we look at it as our people who were devastated. it affects our culture, our livelihood. >> it's a symbol of oppression a symbol of failed attempt to assimilate other cultures into a dominant culture, this being the ooup een culture -- european culture. >> by choice or force, 5,000 indians were baptized. he may have had the best of intentions. today he would see little gratitude expressed here. mission delores, the 7th of the 21 missions in the state, and where andrew galvin a descendant of the indians worked as curator. he is calling us to be stants. his is the minority voice among the indians. >> i believe he was one who protected my ancestors. my ancestors were here at mission san francisco, that he championed protecting my ancestors. >> as a native american and knowing the history of native americans in the missions how do you reconcile that with your support for the sainthood of father serra. >> i believe he is a very very holily person who lived in a very very difficult situation. >> reporter: vincent medina disagrees. it's a bit of a family feud he's galvin's cousin. >> andy is my cousin and i love him. canonizing the missions in general, it's canonizing for me what i see as a horrible place of colonisation, where there's suffering, pain degradation, death, diseases and what i see as being cultural genocide. >> criticism of the pope's decision prompted a response from the church. the arch diocese published the following: the statement goes on to say: >> the two sides clearly looked at serra through different lenses. the mission at carmel is where serra was based, and where he is buried. >> do you think eventually some native americans will at least understand the catholic church's point of view? >> again, we hope for moderation. again, you have to balance that. there's other cultures involved. many are thrilled over the canonization. this will be a latin american saint of the united states. >> pope francis declared this year a year of eadvantagea liesation. one of the men who brought for better or worst, christ to the new world. next in the week ahead big cases pending as the supreme court enters the final month of its term. there are cases that could define the court. welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. this is a look at the top stories. at midnight the war would expire along with provisions to allow the n.s.a. to spy on you, lawmakers are debating a bill. these are live images coming from capitol hill. >> the u.s. started peace talks in the arab nation of omar the rebels are holding four americans hostage, they are believed to be in the capital city. the rain stopped in texas and officials lifted evacuation orders but many are going home to find the waters are dangerously high. it could take days if not weeks for the waters to recede. >> the first week of june means all eyes are on the supreme court in washington. june is the final month of the court's term. in tonight's look at "the week ahead", we look at the decisions that could be handed down in the coming days in same-sex marriage affordable care act and religious freedom. some have been pending for months a sign of a supreme court split. stork has more. >> the u.s. supreme court will issue several long-awaited and historic rulings during the month of june before the summer recess begins. perhaps the most controversial, oburger fell versus hodgers, which tests the 14th amendment protection clause requires states to allow same-sex marriage and whether states have to recognise same sex marriage lawfully performed out of state. >> the issue, of course is not whether there should be same-sex marriage but who should decide the point. >> 37 states in the district of columbia allow same-sex couples to marry. >> ohio michigan and kentucky argue that it should be determined by the state. a new gallop poll suggests many favour same-sex marriage. the opinion is split often along party lines. republican presidential candidate stated that marriage should be between a man and a woman. the second most anticipated decision is king versus ber well a huge blow to president obama's affordable care act. the law, as written, offers subsidies to people who need help paying for coverage and requires them to buy it through an exchange established by the state. the problem is only 14 states set up their open exchanges, four plaintiffs recruited by a libertarian think tank sued on the tech quality. blaming subsidies in 36 states are il. supporters of the law say it's crystal clear. >> this is not ambiguous, it's a provision that everyone understood at the time to provide subsidies to federal and state stages. subsidies hang in the balance. >> employ of the retailer admits to not hiring samantha elof because she assumed she was a muslim, and would want to wear a headscarf. the company has a no head ware policy. the company claims it did not know of her religion and never is specified she was a muslim and the company did not ask. >> now they claim she didn't know she was religious. but the company shouldn't have to wear a sign. >> the supreme court will decide on gloucester versus crose. after botched execution, lawyers for three condemned men argue that a drug cocktail including midazolam violates a ban on cruel and unusual punishment. >> the first drug will not prevent a prisoner feeling pain and suffering from a drug. conservatives say death penalty opponents pressured pharmaceutical companies not to provide the drug. >> partitioners are attacking the death penalty more so than the use of med asso lamb. >> decisions on these and other cases are highly anticipated and it could define the legacy of the chief justice john roberts who led the court for 10 years now a civil rights and criminal defense attorney and jacinta king is a contributor. mr singh, i begin with you, let's talk about gay marriage. nationwide the tide is moving in favour of saermg as you know the court doesn't move that way. >> there's a number of cases. recent pronouncements on the case united states versus windsor, which dealt with the federal defense of marriage. it will be destructive in this case. there are other cases about marriage itself loving versus virgin where the court recognises protection rights. and that may play a prominent role in determining whether that right applies to same sex marriage. >> this case will be decided the same way. courts have to protect the minority, and in this case it is vocal in the sense that 37 states have now passed same-sex marriage laws and the other minority is the christian community in the united states, which was once the majority. which majority does the supreme court factor in in making its decision. >> when it comes to issues of constitutional rites. spelled out in amendments of the constitution. these gave individuals who tried to get married, claim they had a fundamental constitutional right, the right to marriage and the supreme court has gone a long time saying that marriage is a fundamental right, and americans are saying it's available to us as well. >> christian americans opposed to this issue says that it is an issue of religious freedom. with these individuals trying to get married, they are saying the state itself has an obligation. it can't do it it anybody, it has to do it to everyone. many have objection to gay marriage on a religious basis, is something that may have to be dealt with later, assuming the case comes out and the supreme court grants gay marriage as to the state, the plaintiffs are saying you have an obligation to provide this to everybody if you are going to provide it to anybody. >> mr singh, what happens if the court strikes down the laws allowing gay marriage will all of those people be unwed. >> there's no prospect that the supreme court will help but there's a pros possibility that if the supreme court says the equal protection clause doesn't require recognition, judicial decisions that came out that way will be revisited. there's some press departments from the ninth circuit appeals saying once a marriage has been fully performed, it's unconstitutional to break it apart. that was in the first round of same-sex marriages. the result in those cases where gay marriage is legalized by judicial decision. it probably would not ultimately wiped up dissolve. this issue is not going anywhere. rick santor up announcing that he was running for president had this to say. take a listen. >> we have an obligation and a right and a free society to push back and get our congress and the american public to overturn. >> that being said with the candidates opposed to the issue of gay marriage is there a showdown brewing, and i'll start with you, regardless of what the court decides. >> i think there's a lot of rhetoric about an issue like this. about whether we'll follow the supreme court. in these cases in the '50s, and '60s there was a backlash. people will end following it. we could move to amend the constitution if he can get the president on board to do. i believe people will follow the dictates if there's a clear and definitive statement. >> mr singh, some say it's the rowed v wade of this generation regardless of which way it is decided for years to come. do you conquer. >> no absolutely not. i think the issue will be decided. i think - as i said before most are predicting that the court will say there's an actually protection right and basically in a couple of years we will not talk about this any more until in connection with the republican primary, you have not heard republicans talking about this. congressional election gs this will be an issue that will get resolved and no one will talk about it in five years. issue number two king versus bedroom well beater known as obama care. isn't it where they decide depend on what it is or the area of the law that drives people like myself crazy. there are million of people whose lives hang in the balance over the worlding of the act. >> yes, that's correct. the ultimate outcome of the case turns on a relatively technical issue of statutory interpretation. everyone agrees that congress meant to extend subsidies to everyone. it's not clear whether what congress enacted accomplished that goal. i think what it will come down to is whether five justs are willing to say there's a reading of the text. what do you grey. it's clear. there was a "new york times" article. most of those drafting this none of them from a republican to democrat to house senate said that the idea of subsidies would not be available for people on either change. i think it is a stretch to read the language so narrowly. >> if it's a stretch, why is it before the supreme court. if everybody agrees that that isn't what the language was suppose to to be why is it before the supreme court. >> politics. if this was a garden variety statute, i don't believe you would have gotten this deeply into the change established by the state. it would have been read in the concept of the larger anguish, and it's clear. >> on that note. how is it in washington where you are right now, that as much attention can be paid to a single lar law, but the wording get lost. >> it's important to note it's a big statute, depending what you are looking at you are looking at 900 plus pages, and the place where it's botched is in a corner of the statute, not in the statute that case who gets subsidies, but a technical formula creating how much of a subsidy you get. you multiply the two together. and they found a way to make a variable come out to zero when you ult reply to zero, it's an issue if it wasn't on anyone's radar, it's the thing that could easily happen during the process of statutory passing. it's what could happen when a complex law is passed with little precedent for it. eeoc versus abercrombie and fitch. a head scarf employee a 17-year-old girl applies for a job. because she wore a head scarf she claims religious discrimination. abercrombie says she didn't know she was a muslim. >> i think ultimately that is what the issue in the case will be. when we heard the oral arguments in the case the sproout - the government takes the position that employers have to enchoir and make sure they are extending proper accommodations the employer takes the position - no no employees have to put us on notion we don't want the awkward conversations about whether someone is religious or not. justices are probably on the government side of the question. justice oleto posed a question that may resign the case he said why can't this happen why kapt the employer say we have a no beards policy do you have a problem. the employee can answer and the dialogue won't be that awkward, you identified the issue, i think it will be resolved. >> i ask you the question this way. in this case this is a rather sensitive area cropping up in the united states and france that say women cannot wear a full pushinga. it's the tip of an iceberg and lawsuits. >> i think the issue is who's got the policy and who will raise the issue. >> it's fraught with possibilities. >> you might have to state my religious beliefs. >> you, as the employee should you say i'm a muslim i'm wearing a hijab. and a lot of employees would feel uncomfortable. employers are saying "i don't want to be accused of discrimination. >> last case we'll look at is gossip and groves lethal ibb jection. this says involves the issue of cruel and unusual punishment. the odd twist about this is it's being debated because pharmaceutical companies opposed to the death penalty made getting the cocktail of drugs that made the death penalty seem more humane impossible to get. more inhumane depths this is an unusual interpretation of the law leading to a new interpretation of the law. >> you have two different perspectives. the petitioner brought a narrow issue, does the first drug render someone unconscious that the next two drugs are not painful. that there's not cruel and unusual. and the more conservative justices support the death penalty. is this a backward doorway of eliminating the death penalty. they say the death penalty opponents made getting the drugs making this go easily and painlessly impossible. i don't think it's true. the european union prevented pharmaceutical companies from providing drugs because in the european union they do not allow the death penalty nor the companies to provide material that will participate in a death. >> mr singh, i will give you the last word. >> i think the issue has been identified and the characterisation that a small band in america has accomplished this guerilla war against the use of lethal injection drugs. it's fanciful around the rest of the world from the pope to pharmaceutical companies. they are staunch opposition. that has made getting the drugs harder and more complicated. it remains to be seen to what the supreme court will do recognising it and saying states can use whatever drugs they can get. there's a concern that the latter is the most likely result. >> an attorney at goldstein, and a contributor, and curt a civil rights and civil defense attorney thank you for being with us tonight and let's take a look at other event coming up in "the week ahead". in ond, the house transportation committee holds a hearing on the amtrak accident in philadelphia. it killed eight and injured 200 others last month. amtrak announcing that it plans to install cameras in all automotives. and ranging of the largest corps. it was taught by wal-mart exxon and mobile electric. saturday the g7 summit. issues include the global economy and security development policies. next - radiation treatment. the critical effort to seal the chernobyl power plant. the money seems to be running out. .. >> al jazeera america it's been 29 years since the worst nuclear disaster. the chernobyl nuclear plant is still a danger to the environment. the project could run out of money. >> reporter: looming above a town why no one lives, an arch-like structure dominates the sca line. it's meant to offer hope in the wake of nuclear tragedy left by its noor neighbour, reactor number four. it is heralded as a feat of engineer aring, it's missed several deadlines and not finished. you have to walk a good distance back to take in the enormity. it's the biggest moveable structure. it will be moved on rails to encase reactor number four. the question is when that will happen. completion is not the only issue, a massive funding shortfall hindered progress. it's hardly surprising with it being colossal with it being a complex challenge. >> we have a huge amount of redactive waste removed from the site. it's very dangerous. the danger doesn't end because there's no guarantee that the sar cough gas will keep dining its job much scientists monitoring safety are worried. >> the longer the sar cough gas exists the higher the chance it will collapse. the lifetime was meant to be 25 years that has passed. engineers can't guarantee stability any more. >> it's likely anyone duetting the urgency of this situation would change the view with a walk around the nearby town. this used to be a school in one of many areas evacuated. like the rest of the town it's abandoned. 50,000 lived here now it's the center of a nuclear excleegs zone. it happened in a few minutes. one explosion, and three decades as one of the world's most contaminated places. there isn't an end in site. no one sure how many lives were taken. more than 4,000 documented cases of terminal illness, thousands more suspected. it's a town frozen in time. where an amuse park was about to open. no one got to use it. 29 years on it's spring. taking over trees looking like the only living things. there's stillness and silence. the death toll from the staggering heatwave in india stands at more than 2200. officials launching a programme to educate people on how to survive home temperatures. most killed were poor. terms door are coming down they are 110 degrees farenheit. there's a shortage of water and medical supply and is the worst heatwave to hit in 17 years, it's in its sixth week. >> officials in beijing announcing a ban on smoking in restaurants. officers in public areas, businesses that fail to comply will be fined. anyone that breaks the law will be publicly shamed on a website. advocates have been pushing for restrictions, it's the world's largest tobacco consumer. this week the environmental protection agency is proposing new regulations to reduce enations. "new york times" saying it would require an increase to the economy by 2027 as compared to 2010. they average 5-6 miles a gallon. the plan is to raise it to 9 miles a gallon. emissions can vary depending on the load. doris hart dies she overcame a bone infection in her leg to become an accomplished tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s. take a look at her. she won 35 grand slam titles in 1951 she pulled off one of the greatest feats in tennis history. she won three finals in one day at wimbledon. singles - doubles and mixed doubles. doris hart was 89. when they dressed in all right. thank you for joining us. i'm del walters in new york. i'm back with another hour of nows at 11:00p.m. pacific. "faultlines" is next. next. >> on al jazeera america >> a team of scientists are taking their inspiration from nature. >> technology...it's a vital part of who we are >>they had some dynamic fire behavior... >> and what we do.... >> transcranial direct stimulation... don't try this at home! >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie... what can you tell me about my future? >> ...can effect and surprise us... >> sharks like affection >> tech know where technology meets humanity... only on al jazeera america >> it's christmas eve and u.s. soldiers are preparing for their last month in afghanistan. about 40,000 are still here. by the end of the year there