>> welcome al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. here are the stories we're covering for you. reports of u.s. eavesdropping on its allies. deadly violence impacting the aid getting to syrians in need of relief. and saudi arabia against women driving comes to a head in that country. >> the renew the theory of u.s. spying around the wonder and at home. brazil began pushing the united nations to take action.

one of 21 countries seeking rules to reign in the kind of surveillance done by nsa and other government entities. protesters are staging an anti anti-espionage rally. there are a good amount of people behind you. what's going on there? >> reporter: well, there are probably is hundred people here at this point. organizers are hoping to get a thousand people to show up. they'll gather here, hear some speakers and then march from here to capitol hill where they'll present a petition of 580,000 signatures on the petitions. the petitions are asking for transparency. they want all the nsa programs that are operative. they want an end to mass surveillance, and they want the people who set up these programs to be held accountable. they'll present these petitions

to a member of congress. we expect to hear the first speaker to begin. we'll keep you posted. >> jeanne, thank you so much. europeans are not the only ones concerned about spying. kimberly halkett has that story. >> reporter: every day here in the suburbs outside of washington information gathered by 17 different intelligence agencies are collected, retained and analyzed. this is the national counterterrorism center where even americans not suspected of terrorism come under scrutiny. that's something that jasmine and isaac want stopped. so they're literally walking the halls of the u.s. congress meeting with any politician who will listen to their plea who will put in place laws to stop domestic spying.

>> work for the arab-american institute our community is constantly the community targeted by these post post-9/11 counterterrorism initiatives and efforts. >> they're literally vacuuming up everyone's information and combing through that. that is just really alarming and really contra-ducts fundamental principles of our constitution 123-4507 that information is not only being collected but it's also being stored sometimes for decades. according to a new report the fbi is able to keep the intelligence the longest. >> 20 or 30 years basically on the theory that it might be useful in the future. that information will only be gotten rid of if it's going to be of no use to the fbi or 16 other agencies that are in the american intelligence community. >> reporter: those agencies including the nsa and the u.s. counterterrorism center. they can search information about a person's phone use for

five years even if they have never been suspected of a crime. every months it's revealed the nsa super secret x key score tracks 41 billion communication on the internet. so much information is now being collected by the nsa that a massive new data center is under construction. when it opens next year it will hold 300,000 square meters of personal information. that kind of monitoring is a violation of civil liberties, yet it was approved for the government to continue it's "dragnet" surveillance. >> you don't feel as free to say what you think. even the most mundane phone conversation about what you're going to have for dinner tonight

or with your spouses with what your child is doing you're wondering if someone is listening to you. >> reporter: it appears they are just in case what is said now becomes useful later. kimberly halkett, al jazeera, washington. >> in syria at least i 100 peope were killed outside of a mosque friday. the attack happened while worshipers attended services. according to the united nations more 100,000 people have been killed in syria's war so far. the growing number of casualties the war has produced the unprecedented number of refugee who is are basic for the basics of life. here is their story. [ yelling ] >> reporter: syria civil war is creating a nation of refugees. trying to escape destruction,

around 5 million syrians are now refugees in their own country, many sheltering in empty buildings and schools. others are in more formal and basic camps all rely on outside help. but u.n. says increasing violence and bureaucracy has reduced deliveries to a trickle. a security council statement at the beginning of october urging humanitarian access has not made much difference i have expressed my deep disappoint to the council that the situation on the ground has not changed fundamentally as a result of the statement. we are doing everything that we can to look at ways in which operationalization of the statement would help us, but i need the political support of the security council members, but also other members of the

united nations to really make a difference. >> the security council resolution on syria's chemical weapons threatens consequences for non-compliance. but the syrian government and rebel groups have largely ignored the humanitarian appeal because it is non-binding. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: both sides are accused of daily indiscriminate attacks on schools, power plant, medical personnel, and no one is taking seriously obligation under international humanitarian law. bernard smith, al jazeera. >> this time last year new york was bracing for super storm sandy, the breakaway queens the hardest hit. many of their clinics still has not reopened.

>> so what else do we need to get started. >> reporter: dr. amber feather stone is stocking up on supplies. this health center will open in a week. it's routine procedure for doctors of the world, those who operate in war zones around the globe. but this is new york city in the area called the rock aways. >> even before the hurricane this was considered an under served area. doctors were not able to return, files were washed away, and they cannot provide the services that they were providing before. >> reporter: so much of the city has come back this area, 25 miles from the financial hub, is still struggling. >> reporter: it's home to 130,000 people, during the storm much of the area was flooded. electricity and public transportation was cut off. forcing many businesses like healthcare providers to shut down and some of the repairs are

still i don't kno ongoing. >> reporter: howard walked 26 blocks to visit the clinic. he lives with his mother. neither have insurance. healthcare providers are reluctant to set up here. >> those who are seniors, or about to be one there has been a rise of depression in this area, fear. am i going to have a heart attack, where do i go. >> reporter: before sandy financial problems in this district had already for the stated the shutdown of healthcare facilities. now there is only one full service hospital for the area's 15 neighborhoods. doctors of the world hope to be a second choice offering residents free primary carry with needed services. >> at the end of the day everyone is human. i think we're all same people with the same basic sets of needs. whether are not you're receiving healthcare because you're caught in a war zone or you're in an

under served community in the quote/unquote industrializes world, i don't think those needs change. >> reporter: people who live here have watched health options wash away, the clinic is a relief. >> the sandy hook elementary school is being torn down, the school where a gunman killed 20 children and six school staffe staffers. the community is committed to building a new school on the same land. india's new food army, cadets to bring in crops, and the controversia controversy in.

what happens when social media uncovers unheard, fascinating news stories? >> they share it on the stream. >> social media isn't an after-thought, it drives discussion across america. >> al jazeera america's social media community, on tv and online. >> this is your outlet for those conversations. >> post, upload and interact. >> every night share undiscovered stories. >> welcome back. today is national prescription drug take back day. it's sponsor by the drug

administration. it's an opportunity for people to bring in expired prescription medications. drug take back programs lower the chance that prescriptions will be abused. this is the last time ther therl be federal funding for this program. another agency helping the program is the federal drug association. joining us today to talk about this is arthur kaplan, at nyu. thank you for your time. >> thanthanks for having me. >> this is a major policy shift. the key points being your refills cannot be prescribed for as long a period of time as they have been, and to get refills for these painkillers specifically for things like

vicodin, you would have to go in personally to the pharmacy. your doctor cannot call it in. do you think this will make a dent in the abuse of drugs like this? >> it will help. we basically have an epidemic of misuse of prescription painkillers. as you said, it's killing more people than illegal drugs, and we've been fighting for ten years to try to get the fda to tighten up prescription. practices around vicodin. the battle are people who have legitimate pain and won't be able to get their medicine, but we're way tipped over in direction of those who misuse these drugs. this will help, it won't solve everything, but it's a good thing. >> there are groups like the ama, for example, who are not in favor. there are some doctors who think this is not the right move, why is that?

>> well, they've been battling for people with legitimate pain problems. these are prescription drugs. they have absolutely legitimate uses for people with all kinds of painic back pain, different types of pain. the american medical association is basically saying you can't make it harder because doctors under treat drugs. they're already nervous about prescribing pain medicines. they don't want to addict their patients, and i understand that, but the pendulum has swung to far toward abuse. i understand not making it too hard to get legitimate prescription, du, but it has swg to far. >> it's difficult to know whether or not a patient is telling the truth about how much pain they are in because pain is so subjective. >> mm-hmm, absolutely true,

richelle. you have a tough situation because people come in and say they have pain, and the doctor doesn't have any objective measure or test to see if they're telling the truth. what you got to do in trying to handle patient requests whether it's in the emergency room, people coming in and saying, i want this. you don't respond to requests for pain mecation. you try to figure out what is going on, and then figure out if pain is part of their complaint. a lot of folks show up and say i want pain meds. you can't respond to that. >> dr. kaplan, we appreciate your time today. we appreciate it. armed with a mission that no one goes hungry. a program in india that brings a military-style of bringing more to rice fields.

>> these cadets are getting ready to now the fields of the south indian state of kerela. armed with practical skills and technical know how they'll soon join their comrades in helping the local agriculture industry. this is kerela's push to sel self-sufficiency. >> we're highly disciplined, highly committed, and committed to hard work. >> reporter: new recruits spend 20 days learning about everything from fertilizer to seeds to planting seasons and machinery. since the first session in 2003 more than 3,500 cadets known to their communities as service providers have been through this training. over the past 40 years the state of kerela has seen a steady decline in the number of people

willing to work in the field. but the food security army is trying to lure people back to the land. it's mission is to start a national movement to make sure that all indians have enough food. one of the food security armies first officers, a widow with few options she devoted herself to the land. she now supervisors more than 40 service providers and runs a business worth $130,000. >> my income has quadrupled since i started doing this. my life has changed a lot. now i own one acre of land, and i also have savings. >> reporter: in the 1970s the state of kerela produced 1.5 million tons of rice. today it produces one-third of that. to farmers a shortage of labor has been a persistent problem.

>> compared to before production has increased many folds. other farmers have also started using this services and have gone back to the land. >> reporter: this grassroots initiative has captured the attention of the nation. and of the indian government looks to provide food for all of its citizens could help to turn policies into ground reality. al jazeera, kerela. >> saudi women are defying authorities by getting behind the wheel and demanding the right to drive. according to organizers 60 women took part in this protest today, and 17,000 people signed a petition calling for women to be allowed to drive. saudi authorities ranging from fines to prison time. the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving.

in thailand an advocacy group is trying to stop the selling of images of buddha. they say its insulting. we're in bangkok with the story. >> reporter: for visitors arriving in thailand it is a giant billboard that is difficult to miss and with a message to match. don't disrespect buddhism. paid for by knowing buddha, a group that campaigns against any offensive use of buddha's imagine. it says from the tops of french toilet seats to inappropriate advertisements and engines ploytation knowingly or unknowingly causes offense to buddhist worldwide. >> we want to bring awareness to this campaign. we believe we can make the world listen to us, and it is time to speak out. >> reporter: and if the offenders don't listen to petitions, their products are boycotted. with 95% of thailand's

population bees buddhist, the image of buddha is synonymous to thai culture. it presents campaigners with more than enough cases of apparent misuse. for devout buddhist, image misuf the buddhist image is offensive, the worst when it is tattooed on the human body. >> reporter: tattoo parlors gearing up for tourists who will want their trip etched on their body. >> i think the buttist image is more about art but it has to be placed in the appropriate location. if the tattoo is below the waistline no matter the religion we will refuse to do it.

>> reporter: but some say that is not enough. >> people use body to having sex. that is the worst obvious case. you should never at all it on to the body. >> reporter: so far the thai government has resisted calls to create legislation against the tattoo you, but there are concerns of how to implement such a law. >> they come in here to bangkok, the authorities arrest them, put them in jail, harass them, whatever. what are you going to do with this? it's going to be very serious. >> reporter: almost commutely buddhist but with a secular government, religious tolerance is one of thailand's greatest assets, a virtue worthy of buddha himself. al jazeera, bangkok. >> meteorologist: and we are still dealing with cool conditions over much of the

nation with the help of sunshine temperatures are finally able to make that move upwards. we're warming up just a tad bit over the southeast where we are high and dry. this is a disturbance over the southern plains where it is kicking up showers, and meanwhile into the northeast i'm watching light rain showers and windy conditions. we'll get to that in a moment. here is a close up view. high pressure will dominate throughout the afternoon. that will give way to mostly full sunshine, and slight warm up right now, though, we are still holding on to those low 40s around atlanta. we took the cave down to the 30s, so a little bit of a warm up. 60 degrees in new orleans, and 47 degrees in memphis. in the northeast temperatures are still in the 30s and 40s, and we were down to the freezing point watching out for the winds today. it will be breezy in our larger cities, inland winds are gusting, so we have wind

advisories in place just off of lake erie. watch out for very strong wind gusts to pick up throughout the day, and that's going to pick up moisture. we're going to see mainly light rain showers with a mix of rain and snow across areas of vermont. richelle, back to you. >> thank you. next on al jazeera america. [ yelling ] >> okay, taking customer satisfaction to a whole new level. paying for a session in the anger room. together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you.

>> a rally in washington, d.c. opposing government surveillance brought out hundreds. the march organized by stop watching. the death toll in that deadly bombing in syria friday is now to 100. a car exploded outside of a

mosque in damascus after friday prayers. women are defying saud saudi arabia authorities and getting behind the wheel risking stiff fines and prison time. saudi arabia is the only country that does not allow women to drive. going to the anger room. >> the guy busting up the room with a baseball bat fixes computers for a living. but on this day his life has taken a 180 from the stress of the job. >> you can't let the stress show, and things can get complicated so you have to be reserved and just kind of do your job. >> donna alexandria created the opportunity to create this mess. she said she grew up around lie venezuela on chicago's south side. she decided a as a teen she woud

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thing is great. >> especially people who have a tendency to be depressed or kind of a person who holds everything in, it could be a really good release for them. >> reporter: but melody brooks said some people should avoid it. >> those are going to be people who are already explosive with their anger, rageaholics, for those people it's just going to make it worse for them. >> we're not set up as a therapeutic or therapy center. we're mostly entertainment. but if people choose to use it as therapy, i mean, why not. >> reporter: donna said they would like to go national by franchising the anger room. she says there is enough interest. she knows there is enough anger. >> there you have it. thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. "inside story" is up next. and for updates throughout the day check out our website at www.aljazeera.com.