>> welcome to aljazeera america, i'm del walters, and these are the stories we're following for u syria meets the deadline for destroying it's chemical weapons. british intelligence with new allegations on the nsa and spying, and president obama trying to drum up some business for america. >> news today that syria has taken a major step forward toward eliminating it's chemical weapons stockpiles. organization for elimination of chemical weapons said that the country has destroyed the

equipment used to make those chemical weapons. it comes a day before the deadline approved last month. more istanbul. >> the ocw said this was the most challenging mission ever undertaken by the organization. it's inspectors went to 21 sites. the remaining two were not verified by the inspectors because of safety and security concerns. what they did however was remove some of those items at the sites to be verified and inspected at another location by ocw inspectors. now, syria has met two key deadlines, but the most important one is yet to come, and this involves the destruction of estimated 1,000 metric tons of chemical weapons stockpile.

the ocw needs to prav syria's plan for destruction f >> witnesses about the u.s. strategy in syria. ambassador robert ford has testified before the foreign relations committee talking about how best to support the syrian opposition, as an alternative to assad. the conflict will continue to drag on. >> the conflict in syria now is a grinding war of attrition. the regime is suffering serious manpower shortages. for that reach, it has brought in foreign fighters from hezbollah, and from iran and iraq. and meanwhile, the modern opposition that we support is fight on two fronts, both against a regime and against mill tant extremists directly linked to al qaeda in iraq. >> they say that the u.s. is mobilizing it's international

partners to give humanitarian aid and other stens to the syrian people city. >> new revelations about spying. and british counterparts say they're worried after he said they joined the nsa to spy on citizens. to connect google and yahoo and their centers around the world. what kind of backlash is the british counterpart worried about in the latest reports? >> >> well, they're worried primarily that there may be ill legality involved and breached privacy laws in europe. memos in which they said, if this gets out, we're going to shake public confidence, and there may be issues in regards

to the legality of what they're doing. of course, gchq is a huge operation. they work hand-in-hand with the nsa. and they're not bound by american laws nor british laws. and they played off of one other in terms of international monitoring. and it's also interesting to note here in europe that there is already a court case being put to the european human rights about this issue whether the intelligence agencies have broken the law. >> 1.5 million cameras located across london and every one is being watched all the time. are they concerned that they might not be able to withstand the type of scrutiny that the nsa has been dealing with in america? >> well, the gchq has got the support of the government. david cameron in recent days has

been very outspoken be both in condemnation of the leaks, but also through the intelligence community, only through the intelligence gathering. and in fact, the nsa that the attacks have been thwarted and people's safety has been secured. so the government is fully back being gchq. but there is very serious coming on ut from the public opinion, very concerned about what these intelligence organizations, not just the nsa but in britain, monitoring all of the phonecalls. >> thank you very much. and we should point out that aljazeera has exclusively obtained secret nsa documents how they used the september 11th attacks to defend the policies.

they are for officials to use, and it appears that they did just that. >> there has not been -- they didn't say they were going to just forgive this. >> live from washington, and randall, what's happening there right now? >> around the world, representatives of state and local governments, it's a new initiative launched by the u.s. department of commerce to try to attract more foreign investments in the u.s. and states and

regions. and it's being coordinated by the federal government. something that nations around the world have been doing a long time. but until now, most of the efforts to bring foreign investment into the u.s. has been handled on a state to state basis. president obama, for two years, has been working on a plan to get more coordination. go ahead. >> i was going to say on that point, clearly, the white house prefers to talk about this rather than the problems with the web seat. and some sceptics are going to say why is he focusing on jobs now? is it his attempt to wag the dog or change the topics in >> well, del, i'm sure that his critics would say that this has been in the planning for two years. you can't just go into three or four months, and get people who run wal-mart, but what the

business leaders are talking about. the u.s. really needs to focus on its instruct. therit's strength. there has been a lot of talk of what's wrong with the economy. spending $250 million in ten american universities to rebuild their chemistry departments. they're pointing out that there are 600,000 jobs going wanting right now in the country, jobs in technology and engineering and math, but they can't find people in america who can do them, so there needs to be more emphasis on getting americans ready for the jobs that are here to be had right now. >> randall, live in washington, and forgive me for the interruption. tomorrow could be a tough day for more than 23 million american households. those households rely on supplemental food aid, or what we refer to as food stamps, and

they're going to see their aid cut. tom akerman went to the fourth county in the u.s. to talk about what could follow >> reporter: for two hours each week, this food charity is the busiest place in kentucky. the lowest of anywhere in the u.s., and the food bank is especially crowded to the end of each month, as government aid money runs low. single mother, rose pryor, works 30 hours a week at a private charity to earn her benefits under the supplemental nutrition aid program. known as food stamps >> it's like assistance until i can get back to work and get a job and be financially independent again. >> rose is among the record 48 million americans who shop for groceries by presenting an

electronic benefits card. but she'll are to stretch it further when on average, it drops $1.40 per meal. that's less than a cup of coffee at starbucks. president obama's agenda of higher taxes on the rich and extended benefits for the needy would have a lot of appeal. once staunchly democratic, they gave mitt romney 70% of its vote last year. it has been voting for republicans since 1996. they include freida turner, a democrat who runs her own chart. and packs free lunches for hundreds of local school kids. she said the hunger here is genuine, but it's made worse by generations of reliance on welfare payments >> i'm talking about 45% of the people that don't work with their families. we have a lot of parents on drugs.

they get their ssi payments, and food stamps, and cash it in at the store. >> but cutting the food starches would hurt the truly needy, including seniors. >> some people think that everybody that draws food stamps are trying to live off the system, and they don't think about people like in my case that have to. >> the u.s. house of representatives has voted to cut billions in food stamps. and among those voting yes, most of america's congressmen who represent the hungriest. >> we'll be looking at the impact that cuts in food stamps will have on the overall economy. with ali belshi:. cory booker today on capitol hill. he's going to beer officially

sworn in as a u.s. senator. this will make cory booker the first african to represent new jersey in the senate. and for the third time since 2004, the boston red sox are yes, the 2013 world series champions. >> for 95 years, the red sox are world champions. >> the red sox winning the series in six games over the st. louis cardinals. and despite their winning, the red sox haven't clenched the world series at fenway since 1918. he reached base 19 times and 25 at-bats. the popular hot spot sauce, saracha, under fire. saying that the sauce does physical harm.

>> radioactive water reached the tank, all adding to the concerns about the tokyo power company to fix the thing. the secretary is due to vest the fukushima plant tomorrow fetch >> in college campuses, add alcohol and it's more complicated. how to avoid making pretty bad decisions >> it never occurred to laura dunn that a college party could be a dangerous place >> i was there with people

getting to know them and i got very very drunk, and it was about that time that two men from my team started paying more attention to me. >> laura was a student. and she and the two men left the fraternity to go to the next party >> they started walking me the wrong way. i said that's not the direction to the party. i had a few more shots. and they started walking me into an apartment >> alcohol is the fuel for sexual assaults, including rape. according to a study on alcoholism. >> it's almost like it wasn't happening to my body. and they were putting their hands up and -- i was putting my hands up and saying, no, i'm a virgin, please stop. >> laura dunn was a victim of not only rape, but of a campus culture that's unhealthy for women and men.

she studies students and sexuality. >> it's a good question. people have been having sex in college for a really long time. and add to that, this huge pressure to drink, and to overdrink. if you're really really drunk, you are incapacitated and that's rape >> laura struggled for a year, and then a professor in class talked about rape on campus. >> she said 10-20% of the victims report which means that 70 or 80% are silent. and i realized in the class, i was in the silent group. so the moment the class was up, i went across the street and reported very awkwardly that i was sexually assaulted >> the university of wisconsin said there's no way to determine what really happened since both parties were drinking >> when you grow up, they say they will protect you, but the reality is, people shrug, well,

you were drunk, what do you want us to do. >> laura's experience led her to her path in life. she's working to keep others safe. >> those men will never be held accountable. but i can help others. >> our colleagues at america tonight are investigating sex crimes on campus. you can see their final report in that special series tonight at 9:00 eastern time. taking a look at your money. investors are looking at yesterday's stock sell off on earning news, when the feds pull back on the stimulus program. the dow is upright now, about 3% for the month, but it's down 41 points for the day. mixed news about jobs.

weekly unemployment claims dropping by 10,000 in the past week. that's the third week of decline. in the past month, jobless claims were up 8,000. that puts them at their highest level since april. the full report was delayed by the government shutdown, and it comes out next friday. >> >> now might be a good time to buy a tv. sony having trouble selling them. they lost $200 million last quarter, much because of the weakness in its tv business. they're the first electronics to see their tvs hurt by smaller rivals city. >> the super bowl ads will be a theme of the past. they won't have the sex themed commercials. go daddy was unknown when it aired it's first racy spot. now reported to be $4 billion.

they will have commercials, just not the risque. >> hot spots. some of you might like it hot. but one brand in particular is too hot. it's so hot that it's making the air difficult to breathe. >> sarachi is a traditional vietnamese sauce. >> you want a little or a lot? >> i put a little for you. >> downwind from the factory that makes saracha. she said that the pepper fumes get into her house. >> mygize and nose and all the way down itches, and here. >> yolanda said the pepper smell ended her daughter's wedding shower >> 30 guests were affected?

>> yes, it was strong. they didn't know what was going on. we had to explain to them it was the chili factory >> saracha, the hot sauce. >> people in irwindale are fed up. >> it's a national story. the los angeles times featured it on its website. they make 200,000 bottles a day in its massive factory in irwindale, east of los angeles. this time of year, the trucks come into the plant carrying tons of fresh jalapeños. it has the same active ingredients as pepper spray, and here outside of the factory, you can smell it. the city refuses to fix the problem. and this week, the city sued, saying that the fumes caused physical harm to residents. the irwindale wants it smut down. >> are they more concerned with

making money than the public >> that's our impression, and it has been communicated to us through their actions or lack of actions, and we find it despicable. >> the company did not respond to our multiple requests for an interview. no one wants aracha sauce to go away. just it's odor. >> i love chili, i eat all kinds of chili. >> the city hopes that the court will make an immediate decision that will clear the air. irwindale, california >> i am objective, but that's good stuff. coming up on aljazeera america, soon it's going to be harder for young people to buy cigarettes.

>> welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters, and these are your headlines. syria has now met that deadline for chemical weapons

development. and the ocw said that the equipment has been reppedred inoperable >> >> president obama hosting a summit to create new jobs for america. he's trying to get business leaders from around the world to invest in the u.s. >> >> and british intelligence is worried about reports that the nsa spied on google and yahoo, and they're concerned about privacy invasion of u.s. citizens city. >> officials have announced new rules that allow passengers to use most portable electronic devices in flight. but don't expect to be chatting on your cellphone any time soon. the ban is still for text during the flights. soon buying cigarettes or tobacco is going to be harder in new york city. that's because the legal age to buy cigarettes is about to go up to 21, and that will make it the

toughest law in the country. >> reporter: cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, e cigarettes, will soon be off-limits until 21 to anyone in new york city. >> i'm a smoker and i think that might be a good idea. i started smoking young, and if i think if i started smoking at 21, i don't think i would have started >> because you have to be 21 to drink, and it's harming you as much as alcohol is, and if you're old enough and have sense to drink, you should be old enough to smoke. >> that's the thought, to delay or perhaps deter young people from picking up the habit. patient bloomberg said that he will sign the bill. he said: under bloomberg, new york has it taken a hard line against

tobacco, banning smoking in restaurants and bars and public beaches, and now the attention turns to young people. >> if we can prevent them from starting until 21, it could make a huge difference in our overall smoking rates >> still not everyone is convinced >> if somebody is going to smoke, they're going to smoke, no matter what. i mean drinking age is 21, and that doesn't stop people from drinking >> the 21 age will take affect 180 days after mayor bloomberg signs the bill into law. >> we're tracking severe weather across the southeast. there's the potential for some storms to begin to spin, and in fact, a few tornado warnings in moved through texas and now through louisiana. right now, the line moving through southwest louisiana, and we're seeing strong to severe

storms moving through the state. these have the potential to put down numerous tornadoes, and we're watching the line as it moves through the state. the watches and warnings, and the green area is flooding. along with the potential for severe weather, getting inches of rain coming down over the same area. 4-6 inches of rain has come down, because the front is the focus from the golf moisture from the south and the cold air in the north. it will continue moving through the southeast, dropping the temperatures, and rain in the same area. the next 12 hours, it will slowly move through ohio. and it's west of the corridor, but it will be moving through tonight. what to expect in atlanta, rain tonight and tomorrow as the storms move through. >> thank you very much. this next story might restore your faith in humanity.

a school bus driver was on his route through buffalo, new york. he saw a woman standing on an overpass, and the surveillance camera onboard captured what happened next. he called out and asked if she was okay. >> i said, do you want to come back to the right side of the guardrail? and that was the first time she spoke to me. and in a soft tone, she said, yes. so at that point, i helped her turn around and jump back over on the right side. >> martin waited with the woman until the police and a medical team arrived. when he got back on the bus, his students welcomed him with a warm round of applause. what makes this story so very very special. two things. one, he had the nerve and be courage to actually stop and do the right thing, but anybody that has been on a bus any time

soon, it ain't often that a bus driver sees applause. thank you for watching, and inside story is next. in the eye of a political storm. >> hello, i'm libby casey. what is usually secret is out in the open tonight, and the national security agency is on the defensive on multiple fronts. the nsa surveillance practices at home and abroad have been front page news afte after the le