... welcome to al jazeera america. i am richelle kecarey. syria meets a crucial deadline. a new report says the u.s. has been spy okay germany's chancellor angela merkel for more than a decade. after hurricane sandy, a year later, facing issues with assistance. syria has met a crucial deadline for the removal of its chemical weapons stock piles. they filed details of its poison

gaps and nerve agent program and an initial plan to destroy them. the declaration was in line with its international agreement led by the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons. the organization hopes to eliminate all of syria's chemical weapons by mid 2014 >> reporter: syria is reportedly meeting an ambitious deadline set by the organization for the w whohibition to destroy lethal stockpiles by next year. syria handed over the details of its poison gas and nerve agent program thursday ahead of its october 27th deadline. opcw is not releasing what their report says but it did say the syrian government disclosed 23 chemical weapons sites. the head of the opcw u.n. team said last week that the country has so far been cooperative. >> we have had very good meetings with the syrian government at most senior levels there is strong corporation,

with the secretary general and director general of op cd and opcw have confirmed and we build on this because we have one shared goal which is elimination of the program, which is of benefit to all and particularly the syrian people. >> syria is believed to possess around 1,000 metric tons of chemical weapons including mustard gas and saron. they continue today deny any involvement in the august 21st chemical weaponstac that killed 1,400 people there. under threat of u.s. military, russia, an ally brokered a deal with the united states for syria to destroy its chemical stockpiles. this process is complicated and has not been decided how or where syria's chemical weapons will be dismantled. the next step comes november 1st when syria is scheduled to dis mantles production and mixing facilities.

kilmeni duke hart. >> syrians are finding ways to treat people. volunteers are using the debris of the war to depend sait for the lack of medical equipment. jamal al shal reports. >> necessity really is the mother of invention. arguably, this couldn't be more true for syrians living under a government imposed siege in damascus. here, they have taken it upon themselves to manufacture prosthetic limbs but with a twist. parts of these are made from remnants of the very things used to kill and maim. metal from blown up cars is molded together to help the disabled. it has the same function, forced to make do with what we have because a siege isn't letting anything in. one of those people who is life

has been all about wrecked by his war. his left leg was blown off. thanks to the imagination and generosity, he has a homemade prosthesis free of charge. i could barely hobble from place to place. now the volunteers here have made me a replacement leg. i don't need a stick at all. >> prior to the war, those volunteering had different professions. mechanics carp enters and blacksmith did. as the war has united millions of syrians through suffering, the people have joined together in efforts to help each other. a roadside bomb hit a bus in afghanistan today killing 18 people returning from a wedding celebration. the bombing happened in the eastern district of andar near the border of pakistan. 14 women a and child.

two critically. roadside bombs. at least 56 people are dead after a wave of bombings in two iraq cities today. bombers struck shites in the northern city. 10 car bombs came out around baghdad killing 42 people and injuring dozens more. the bombings raised this month's death toll to 545. the surge in sectarian violence says more than 5,000 people across iraq. germany is responding to claims the nsa spy odd german chancellor angela merkel. they are sending senior intelligence officials to washington. they claim leaked naa documents show they have been tracking merkel's phone since 2002. >> that's before she became chancellor. this morning, congress and peter king defended the surveillance saying they keep everyone safe. >> the reality is the nsa has saved thousands of lives not

just in the united states but also in france and germany and throughout europe. the french wants to talk. they carried out spying operations against the united states but the government and industry as far as germany that's where the hamburg flack began which led to 9-11. they have had dealings with iran and iraq, north korea, the french and germans, other european countries. we are not doing this for the fun of it. >> protesters took to the streets just outside the capital saturday to demand congress investigate the nsa and jean meserv was there >> reporter: in washington, hundreds gathered to protest the national security agency's surveillance program. the man who made them public was called a hero. edward snowden is in russia but sent a statement. >> it's about power, control and trust in government.

about whether you have a voice in our democracy or decisions are made for you rather than with you. the protesters met with the government. you have been and said you have been listening to us so now hear this. >> it may be because we don't know what is going on. it bothers me because every time you send a tweet or an e-mail or take a picture or do anything that involved any kind of data, phone calling, anything, you don't know that that information is being out somewhere. i think that's wrong. >> i think people have a right to privacy? >> i am here because i support the constitutional -- the constructiontution view that we should have -- we should secure from unreasonable search and seizure >> reporter: the demonstrators delivered to congress a petition with more than half a million signatures urging that domestic surveillance be stopped. >> it is time to roll back the surveillance state. it is time to restore the fourth amendment. it is time to repeal the patriot

act. >> some speakers here acknowledge that many americans are appear agent etic about nsa surveillance and bringing about change will not be easy. jean in e meserve. >> countries will send a resolution to the unitedation and expected to be one of the strongest condemn nations of u.s. sush vail answer today. >> a shift in strategy by the white house concerning middle east policy. susan rice tells the "new york times," president obama wants to take a more moderate approach to the region. here is her quote: we can't just be consumed 24/7 by one region. important as it is, he thought it was a good time to step back and and reassess and a very critical and no-holds-bar way how we concede the region. there is a world out there. we have interests and opportunities in that whole world. the new approach by the white house is a dramatic departure from the policies adopted by the bush administration. price says the president wants

to spoke to us on broader agendas. vladimir putin is trying to rekindle ties with egypt as they try to take advantage on a rift. he is planning a visit to the country in heptose of gaping access to egypt's mediterranean port. >> the u.s. could spawn billions of dollars in afghanistan once the troops withdraw. the washington says the troops that protect projects there will no longer bearound and it will make it harder to keep tabs on construction work. that includes 15 current projects already bank rolled. $230 million being spent on a highway, a $75 million installation of a new turbine at a dam, another 60 to $80 million a on army posts for the afghan army. officials say they will have to turn to private contractors and that will add another

$200 million to the growing afghan budget. health and human services, kathleen sebelius, will answer questions that rolled out with the launch of the affordable care act. system glitches are blamed for low enrollment in the health insurance exchanges. in mississippip mississippi, only a few dozen people have signed upstate wide. stephanie boswell was there to find out why. chris miller is a chef in picune mississippi. he says for the last year and a half, he hasn't been able to afford insurance. >> i worry about that every day because all it takes is one accident and then you could be, you know, 20 to $100,000 in debt or more than that. you just never know. miller says he and his wife are searching for healthcare. they couldn't get on the

healthcare site. >> in jacksboro, chris page and his customer terri harper say they have insurance but both plan to look at their options under the aca. >> i may get better coverage for the same amount that i am paying because i just got the minimum level coverage. so i can at least pay out something that would cover me if something was to happen to me. >> neither paige nor har per have gone online. >> no. they say when you try to log in, there was something wrong with why you couldn't sign up. had some computer glitches. >> mississippi is the only state that applied to run its only healthcare exchange and was rejected. the federal government turned it down because of concerns the state wouldn't provide enough support for it. that leaves people here trying to use the troubled federal exchange. in mississippi's insurance commissioner says as of october 21st, only 35 people had signed up. healthcare advocates are playing catch-up. >> a lot of the add voc casey

groups, a lot of the provider groups did a lot of work preparing for a mississippi-based exchange. so we have been behind. we have been behind other states in trying to get the word out about the exchange. >> jarvis dorge is training to be a federally funded navigator, a person who helps people deal with the new healthcare marketplace. >> our focus will be in enrolling mississippians so they can get insurance and the tax creditses they are eligible for. >> that may be easier said than done because many don't have internet access or computers including according to the department, mississippi is the third unhealthiest in the station. they received $1 million in federal aid to publicize the plan. neighboring arkansas received 24 million. >> the university of mississippi medical center got most of that money: $800,000. it's navigators have helped

almost 4,000 patients. cover mississippi.org which got less money is mapping out a statewide outreach referred to bring computers to the people. >> there is definitely a need for more funding in mississippi. we are a state where you are going to go out and knock on doors to help people enroll in these plans and actually walk people through the process. >> chris miller says he may take another look at the new healthcare exchanges. but will wait until the federal website is more reliable. helping hands rebuilding, now they are in need of their own a cystance. plus, businessestisesing criminals: no guns allowed.

>> every sunday night al jazeera america presents... gripping films from the worlds top documentary directors tonight, a sherrif who implements the law... >> we investigated, arrested and detained 33,000 illegal aliens... >> the young girl who sufferes from it... >> i never thought this would happen to my parents... >> one issue, different sides, yet they remain two americans. premiers tonight, 9 eastern up next, hundreds of businesses in seattle are declaring themselves gun-free zones and posting signs that is a no firearms welcome.

tanya has more. >> 5 points has been here for years. every famous musician in seattle has been kicked out. >> seattle's 5point cafe. >> i don't think people need to carry guns to get a hamburger. >> at the urging of seattle's mayor helped recruit other seattle businesses to declare themselves beggun-free zones as well. >> if a lot of private businesses get together and ban guns, it makes carrying guns kind of an unfriendly thing in seattle and changes the conversation around gun ownership. >> this week, another business joint that conversation. the 100th since august. it doesn't take much to do it. sign up online and display a sticker. these businesses are taking action because the city hasn't been able to. >> for years, the city of seattle tried to ban guns in public places like this park. but the washington state courts

ruled that cities have no authority to regulate guns. >> but private businesses can regulate. they can tell people to wear shoes and shirts and they can tell them to leave their guns elsewhere. >> we think the gun-free zone concept is kind of stupid. >> alan got lieb founded the second amendment foundation in 197 for. his group is collecting signatures to fight stricter campaign sales. as for gun-free zones, he says there are thousands of businesses in seattle, and having a 100 sign up isn't much to brag about. >> you don't stop crimes from happening. they don't make people safer. it's private property. if a person wants to go do it and alienate gun owners who might go there to shop or spend money, that's their privilege to do so. >> back at the 5point, owner dave meiner. it says he hasn't lost bids but he has seen threats of boycotts and bad reviews. for him, declaring his business gun free is a statement worth making.

>> it is a symbolic thing for sure. i mean, we don't think that by declaring gun-free zones, we are going to do that alone is going to end gun violence. but i think it is a symbolic thing and in a political battle, symbolism has an effect and it's important. >> the anti-gun violence group washington cease fire is coordinating this campaign. it's leaders say groups in other parts of the country have approached them to see how to get similar programs up and running. tanya moseley, al jazeera, seattle. >> ceases fire is planning a day of rememberance, a rally in seattle. families will plan to remember those who lost lives to gun violence. >> police are purchasie questioning -- questioning the folks they believe stabbed children 1 on 59 years old and the children's mother has and the police have not revealed

whether he is related to the victims. the all clear has been given for students at the university of indian. police ordered students to stay where they were saturday night after a 4:00 a.m. brawl on campuses. someone pulled a knife in that fight. one man was injured. police do have a suspect in custody. what i could become the 50th state to the extend marriage rights to gay couples. they will meet to debate a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. he says the session will start monday and he signed a same-sex civil unions bo low and has been an advocate of gay marriage ever since. >> one year ago today, the east coast was bracing for what would be sandy super storm. some businesses and homes have been repaired. the communities have tried to rebuild themselves. it was a shadow group of workers who have done a lion's share of clean-up. ta. >> luciano alfredo has worked

construction on staten eye lapped. they took to the streets to do what they do best. together with other undoubted immigrants, they formed a volunteer clean-up brig grade. >> right after sandy, thousands of day laborsers who lived in the same neighborhoods were before they went into the neighborhood. they worked for free. the people were grateful and very happy that we were there working. when they didn't know who we were. we just came up and started helping without being asked to. we felt compelled to do it. >> it's not the first time undocumented immigrants have been on the front line. >> one quarter of the workers who helped rebuild new orleans

after hurricane katrina were undocumented immigrants according to a university of calf berkeley study. they say the reconstruction after hurricane sandy is no different. >> in katrina, they came after the hurricane but in new york, we have tens of thousands of undocumented worker who were actually directly affected, themselves by the hurricane. so they are helping others who can every day the rebuilding processes but they could not every day rebuilding their own. >> without federal assistance, maybe rely on assistance like this for help rebuilding themselves and safety equipment and training. >> we didn't know anything about safety in the beginning. we didn't even have gloves. now we are going to osha classes to learn about safety, to clean mold and be prepared. >> day labors say their communities have changed. >> people looked at us differently after the help we

offered them. the americans who once looked at us suspiciously in the street now when we see them, they say hi to us. >> that's when we realized what changed after hurricane sandy. >> the irony is that while the politicians discuss the the future of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country, those undocumented immigrants are defining the future of many neighborhoods. this is a case of sandy, of new orleans, day labor who rebuild that. day labor brought back the sense of community. >> communities these i am grants say are stronger than ever. kaelynn ford, al jazeera, new york. >> i am meteorologist stephanie deon we are enjoying a warm-up. yesterday temperatures stayed below average. we are getting a little bit closer to where we should see our numbers for the afternoon

around 70 degrees degrees for your high in atlanta. 79 in houston. unfortunately here, the clouds are holding numbers down just slightly below average but still warmer than what we have seen out in the 53 in chicago, mid 50s in minneapolis and mississippi what we are finding notice enter mountain west around billings montana, but colder air will be in place by the time we head into monday. here across the southeast, high temperatures from 3 upwards to 10, 11 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago. so we are sitting in 64 degrees now in birmingham at 71 in new orleans. seeing low 70s and expecting those 80s to show up around much of florida. rain and thunderstorms started off around houston. now that rain is on the move, moving into the lower mississippi valley around the dealt a. it looks like scattered rain showers, a clap of thunder but no widespread storms as we head into the afternoon. it's quite elsewhere across the east with the exception of a few spotty showers across mistaken.

we have a ridge of high pressure in places but it's starting to break down and we are watching a storm system starting to take shape they're cloos much of northern areas of idaho into montan a as we get on into the late part of the evening. we will deal with snow, severe windy conditions, winds could gust upwards to 35 miles per hour or greater once we get the snow mixed in. that means reduced visibilities overnight into monday is when conditions will go downhill when as that winter storm systems moves in. >> eboni, thank you. still ahead on al jazeera america, a glimpse into the big apple's past, scientists recreate new york city.

♪ the syrian government files details of its poison gas and nerve agent program and an initial plan to destroy them. it was in line with an

international agreement led by the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons. >> a staunch ally demanding answers. germany sends senior intelligence officials to washington this week after reports the nsa has been spying on angela merkel for a decade. more than 50 people are dead, more than 100 injured in a string of car bombings across iraq's capital city. the shiia tained, archeologists combing through construction sides are defining a trove of realics if the from the city's past. a look at the treasures being pounds. >> a part of everyday life, road blocks but several blocks, the past and present have collided. over the last few years, maintenance with heavy machinery has been periodically interrupted to make way for more delicate work. >> working toward the east river, we knew there was a possibility of the findings some

artifac artifacts. >> that's why we hired a team to assist us to work with us. >> a top team of archeologists has been called in to help preserve an era long gone. >> they have been wiping the dirt off of thousands of realics buricked several meters below the city. some dating back 250 years. >> we are getting a sense of how new york city was developed, how the city was built, how people were living in the 18th, 19th century, how some things are very similar, they stay the same and, also, how things have changed throughout time. >> each piece is carefully cleaned, packaged and labeled using books, photographs and other historical references, alyssa and her team have been able to identify most of their findings. >> this is a broken ends of a wig curler. >> establish how they were used long before electricity and other moved earn conveniences. >> the things women do to look prettyy. >> and men. >> the more intriguing items, a tooth brush with bald bristels

and a syringe made of bone. >> new york city was senterred around the ports and docs and expanded to outer neighborhoods. >> that's explains why so many historical items have been found in such a small, concentrated area. >> alyssa and her team have been sharing discoveries with younger generations. >> we can make history become more alive with the objects people were using in day-to-day life as opposed to facts and figures and names of famous people in a textbook. >> they are hoping the collection of artifacts will be made into a historical exhibit. >> this part of manhattan has been a mix of the old and the new because historic buildings alongside shiny high-rises. over the last 10 years, people have slowly been moving back to the neighborhoods, a reminder of how life used to be a few feet below. cath turner, al jazeera, new york. >> history there. thank you for watching al jazeera america. i am richelle carry. "listening post" is up in connection. get updates on our website throughout the day at

aljazeera.com. thank you for your time.