typhoon haiyan claimed thousands of lives in the philippines, there are fears unsanitary conditions could lead to disease and more deaths. >> pressure is mounting on the white house to protect americans dropped by health care plans, as new members show a fraction of those eligible to sign for obamacare have done so >> cracking down on the illegal sale of ivory in america - what is being done to stop illegal sales of elephants. >> putting a face to a familiar voice in tennessee. a radio broadcaster who has been on the air for more than

70 years. >> the body count is rising as desperate typhoon survivors cling to hope of aid and rescue. good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. the death toll is above 2300 the the union warns it will spike. the red cross is preparing to send 1500 body bags to the region. the first mass burial took place outside tacloban without ceremony. >> 40,000 people in tacloban got water, rice, canned goods and victims. each ration is enough to feed a family for 2-3 days. another shipment is expected

today. the u.s.s. "george washington" is arriving today, carrying 5,000 sailors to aid in the rescue and relief efforts of the the arriving of the aircraft carrier will trip the the number of helicopters. they'll help to deliver hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. >> in a town in northern cebu one person was killed in the storm. it suffered significant damage. officials say requests for aid have gone unanswered. al jazeera's correspondent is on the island in northern cebu with this report. >> many people survived in this part of the philippines, there's a lot of destruction. houses are damaged and the focus of aid or operation is not this area. there's hardly any attention. they are begging the international community and the government of philippines to send aid to this area. send tents, sleeping bags and

blankets and food, water, medication - anything they can miss. >> mayor ricky ramirez making grisry rounds. in darkness devastation is visible. 10,000 families are homeless. the mayor hands out blankets more for comfort than anything else. >> we cannot sleep at night. we are guarding our baby. there's a lot of mosquito and the rains. >> the people of madeline were prepared when typhoon haiyan hit. now they feel they are punished for their alertness. >> i think it would also be unfair just because there are a lot of deaths that occurred in tacloban, that focus should be

on tacloban, not northern cebu, which, as you can see, whatever the conditions are in tacloban, it's the same here. >> the mayor decided to take matters into his own hands by sending people to look for food and water. a woman managed to obtain a truck with supplies. volunteers spend most of the nights dividing them into packages so everyone gets a share. others try to get sleep. their stomachs are empty. these are long nights for the people here in madeline. they are trying to sleep in makeshift shelters. knowing they have lost their homes it's difficult. there is light, in the city hall, the only place with electricity, they line up to charge their mobile phones, there's a sense of togetherness,

people of madeline are happy to be alive. >> everyone is a victim. the filipino sense of humour also. it feels like it's one big party, if you see - it's like we are all having a picnic here. >> but despite the optimism of the people of madeline the mayor hopes the suffering will be taken seriously. >> china is adding more than 1.5 million to the philippines relief effort after its first offer sparked outrage. the response to the disaster was $100,000. the nation with the second biggest economy was said to give more. china is in a dispute with the philippines over islands in the south china sea. international aid is reaching the philippines from all over the world. the air force plans to ship the goods quickly. craig leeson is in cebu where

the airport is used as a hub for relief efforts. >> the cogs of the international relief efforts are turning at the philippines airport base in cebu. as you can see behind me the airfield is to capacity with aircraft that arrived around the world with the international effort. we have three c1-30 hercules bringing food, water and medical kits for the philippines government to distribute. spain is here. they are coordinating medical help, as well as food and much-needed water. the europeans have just arrived. their civil protection out fit arrived as a forward scout to assess what is needed as they bring in supplies. all of those supplies are being based here at the airfield, and you can see most of that here. we have rice, water and energy

bars. they will be taken down. the idea now is to move as much of this as they can, to tacloban, where it's most needed on leyte province. >> craig leeson for us in cebu. >> philippine authorities are under pressure to speed up relief to survivors. 12% of the population is affected. many say they have not received help. u.n. humanitarian chief valerie amos said aid has faced challenges and admits responses are slow. i do fell we have let people down because we have not been able to get in quickly. at the same time i see and was able to see that our operations are scaling up. >> she said the u.n. is working hand in hand with the government and hopes the delivery of the aid will improve in the next

48 hours. >> joining us via skype, a speaks woman for the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, ms phegan joins us. we know aid arrived, we have seen it at the airports. the question is distribution. a correspondent reported that fuel for the trucks was a problem. i know you were in tacloban recently. did you hear similar frustrations. >> i was part of that frustration. i arrived yesterday with the secretary-general valerie amos. our car went out and in to tacloban to speak with people and meet with the ministers. but the car i was to travel in had no fuel, and i couldn't make it outside the airport. i travelled - i didn't travel i walked around the airport speaking to people there. >> i guess the question is how do we get more trucks there on

the ground. >> the u.s. are planning on putting in bladders at the airport, filling them with fuel. there was a lot of looting in tacloban, and part of what was looted was, indeed fuel, and food. this is one of the many - there's no power there, no telephone lines. they are all still covered in debris. it's not just one problem, it's a mixture of everything, the whole thing together. >> speaking of looting. we heard reports of lawlessness and unrest. did you get a sense of how widespread that is when you were in tacloban. >> i didn't because i hadn't travelled outside the airport. i don't think it's totally lawless. the military are there, and they are trying to contain it. i don't think it's out of chr e control, it's far from it. as the aid gets out, it will calm down. people are angry about this, not

receiving it. as i said, a mixture of all factors brought the situation up to boil. >> spokeswoman for the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. we know you are busy, we'll let you go, thanks for your time. >> another top story, four m marines making a safety sweep were killed in camp pendleton. erica has the details. >> the marines did range maintenance, doing anything from cutting the grass and removing artillery. there was not an exercise under way at the time of the accident. military officials say the marines killed were not new recruits, they were based at camp pendleton, but they would not reveal identities until families are notified. investigators are looking into what happened. this is not the first deadly

incident. four marines killed on wednesday make 11 deaths in two years. in january a marine died during driving training in 2011 of an amphibious vehicle that sank to the bottom of a water basin. two navy divers died when a truck rolled over. september 2, 0112, marines died in a helicopter crash and in december a marine died in a car accident in another exercise and in february a camp pendleton died in a skydiving exercise at a nearby airport. the commanding general of the base called the incident a tragic accident, pledging full support for the military family. >> the union representing u.s. capital police officers wants congress to investigate the deadly shooting at the washington navy yard.

a tactical police team was heading to the base while aaron alexize fired at workers. a supervisor call them away. the order was reasonable because the team was needed at the capital to record against threats there. 12 were killed during the shooting. two secret service agents responsible for guarding the president have been reassigned amid accusations of sexual misconduct. an agent was a senior supervisor on the detail. an internal review is looking into the allegations. a year ago some were implicated into a profit tuition scandal. the secret service named a female director. the cold snap that's been gripping the country is easing up. nicole is here to explain it. you may not think that. some places are brisk in part. after the front came through there was high pressure. behind high pressure you have

the clockwise flow so the wind are coming out of the south to the midwest. with high pressure you have clear sky, more of a change which is the day to night temperatures. dropping textures a little more significantly. this is today, into the day tomorrow. the high pressure u slides off, moving into a position with the east coast where we see the warm flow in this direction. the east coast will get under the benefit of a little bit of a warm-up. that'll be nice for the south. here is what that does for the temperatures. a lot up the east coast. cold in place, cooler than you expected at this time of year. milder tomorrow. a couple of '60s mixing in. i want to mention there's a front behind it. you can see the cool air spreading through portions of the midwest. if you wonder what the winter will look like, it came out from noah, looking at parts of

southern plains above average parts of new england above average. the rest of it typical for winter. people are complaining about the cold, maybe it gives you hope. >> medical insurance sign ups in the months after the affordable care act health exchanges were launched reached a fifth of the administration's objections. congress wants to know what went wrong. >> they are not the numbers the obama administration hoped for. the just obvious 106,000 americans signed up for health plans, 75% through the state of this run websites. a quarter, fewer than 27,000 used the federal exchange. house speaker john boehner called the law a rolling calamity that must be scrapped. the administration faced tough questions were republicans about the bungled roll out.

>> this was a monumental mistake to go live and effectively explode on the launch pad. >> on the other side of the aisle democrats say republicans want nothing more than to dismantle the affordable care act known as obamacare. >> nobody in the country believes that republicans want to fix the website. >> caught in the crossfire two technology officials, questioned about why after years of work and rhundreds of millions, the website was not tested. >> it was designed, implemented and testified. >> todd park, the u.s. chief technolo technolo technology officer the white house insisted he was too busy to come to capitol hill.

>> healthcare.gov can handle 20 to 25,000 users, half of where it should be another key concern security. will personal information be safe. there's been one unsuccessful cyber attack on the fight. >> would you put your information in there? >> i would have to see what the security testing and assessment has been since then before i was comfortable. i haven't seen it. >> so the answer is not yet - yes. >> up in the air - what to do about millions of americans getting notices that their health care plans have been cancelled and they must reenroll in new coverage. the white house is promising a fix for that as well. >> the house is set to address this issue on friday. a vote is scheduled on a republican sponsored bill

letting insurers offer those not allowed under the plan. >> the democrats will go to the white house to find out how and when healthcare.gov will be fixed. administration got an earful in a meeting with house democrats. tempers flared as lawmakers explained the mistakes could hurt their chances in mid term elections. the house will not negotiate on the immigration reform bill passed by the senate. the bill will tighten borders, following a path for citizenship. john boehner says he believes it's important to pass immigration reform, but says the rest of the house session will focus on the budget and health care. union workers reject a contract offer from boeing. why that decision could change the airplane giant's century-long relationship with washington state.

thousands much elfantastic are killed for their trunks. steps taken to crackdown on ivory poachers. he's been welcomed into homes across tennessee. we'll listen in on america's oldst radio dj. looking live now at the new york city sky line this thursday morning.

good mornings welcome back, straight ahead a closer look at the illegal ivory trade in america and what is done to stop is it. first a look at temperatures across the nation. metrologist nicole mitchell is back. >> we are off to a brisk start for the south where a front came through, we are seeing cold temperatures, today under clear skies, a chilly start. look at the contrasts. go from birmingham to atlanta. if you were to drive here to miami at 71 degrees, which is doable in a day, you'd see the temperature dropping along the

way. it's a 40 degree change from one state to the other. as we get to northern parts of florida, the panhandle, some of the temperatures around freezing - that's why we have the freezing advisories, and finally into the after noon temperatures will moderate over the next few days. more on the precipitation coming up. >> boeing says it may have to build an airliner outside washington state after machinists rejected is contract offer. >> the jet maker says it contract would mean secure jobs in exchange for concessions. more than two-thirds of the union members voted against it. the workers said the proposal would have raised health care costs and gutted their pensions. >> we have a heck of an infrastructure and a skilled workforce. it's ridiculous to move. they are trying to shake us down. >> what is the message from the vote? >> we are not stupid. >> the company now says it will look outside its long-time base

in the north-west to build the 777x >> here is what is it making business news. stocks mark in record territory. futures are higher, signalling the balls are ready to run again. thanks to macy's there's renewed optimism that holiday shopping may not be as lacklustre as predicted. the dow is at a high. the s&p 500 at 1782. it set 34 records this year. the nasdaq at 39.65. overseas - european stocks higher - traders reacting to remarks from federal reserve nominee janet yellen suggesting she'd keep the stimulus program in place for now. >> it's a busy day on the

earnings calendar. retailers getting a lot of attention. particularly walmart. they were looking to see if walmart will be as confident as macy's. an analyst says walmart is doing what it can to ensure a green christmas. >> they'll put more items than they ever have. the online sales are starting earlier. they are not taking risks. the shopper has shown in the last two months that the shopper wants bargains, and doesn't have money to waste. >> the shopping season is a make or break time for retailers. it can account for 40% of revenues. other retailers, coles and nordstrum. >> the record run in stocks gave a lift to 401 kment savers. the average balance is over 84,000. the increase is due to the large stock market. workers earn increasing

contributions to their plans. fewer homes are being repossessed, but not because home owners keep their homes. reality tracks say investors are buying distressed properties when they are put up for auction. it's cheaper to buy a home at auction than when it hits the market. foreclosures are down as the housing market recovers. the u.s. is taking a strong stance against poaching. the fish and wildlife service will crush six tonneses of ivory seized bit government. tens of thousands of elephants are killed for ivory turfingses. that's 96 elephants. in 1980 there were more than a million elephants in africa. today there are only about 400,000. poaching has grown worse in the last decade. elephants could be extinct by

2025. al jazeera's correspondent explains what is being done about it if you are in the u.s. >> activists in the united states are working to curb the trade in ivory. >> i think there's a sense of pourlessness around the world because this is unprecedented, this slaughter. >> they need to ban it, the sale of it. >> completely. >> completely ban the sale. >> they want the u.s. to pass restrictions going behind an international ban on ivory trading that has been in effect since 1989, under the convention some ivory trade is legal. these activists contend if all ivory trade is illegal and businesses and consumers stop demanding ivory the poachers can't make money and the trade will slow down. as long as people can buy it

there'll be a loophole that they'll get ivory from the black market. so you have to take that loophole away. >> the united states has the second-largest market for worked ivory, and new york has become a gateway city for the growing trade. >> in 2011 authorities arrested a philadelphia gallery owner trying to smuggle elephant ivory from africa to jfk airport. it's one of many occasions that happens often. >> in hundreds of warehouses like this, shipments are inspected to make sure ivory is not imported illegally. under the current ban art dealers and others can't import ivory coming from elephants killed since 1989. the u.s. fish and lifestyle service makes the determination. >> if the agency reviews a

shipment imported with ivory and there's permits with it. if the information on the permit is not identical to the information that we are able to drive from the piece, it will be essentially a red flag. >> this is a document saying you are allowed to import this item. >> in this case is does. >> this is a legal sports trophy and legally imported into the united states. >> they have passed the inspection. >> that's right. >> not all ivory comes from elephants. inspectors at the fisher ris and wildlife service say an important part of the process has to do with identifying the type of ivory. >> there are cross-hatching lines that are being looked for. we are looking at textures, weights - to identify that as an african or asian elephant versus

any other type of animal for plastic-type item. >> michael is an attorney representing gallery owners and buyers that don't want to see restrictions. he argues a ban means a bigger black market and less control. >> that is an extreme thing to do. those sellers should not sell that can be legally bought and sold because others follow the rules. enforce it against those other people. >> that's what activists and other organizations are trying to do. so the next generation won't be left to see elements in history books. >> and we will have more on the global ivory trade at 8am ooerp. desperately needed help is poring into the philippines. how you can find out if your

money is reaching victims. we head to iraq for the observance of ashura. and trouble for the mayor of toronto - why calls for him to step down is getting louder. >> and a highs -- a highsan drovy candidate making news. >> and the sun rises over new york city.

. welcome back. there are a number of islands in the philippines difficult to reach in normal circumstances. now that typhoon haiyan has swept through it's tougher to reach victims in these remote

locations. the crisis in a city to the west shows how complex the relief effort is, there is a city receiving aid, but there's no way for survivors to access it. we have the details. >> it is gridlocked here. the aid is gridlocked. there's plenty of aid here - none of it is getting to the people who need it. the u.n. are office for coordinating humanitarian chief baroness valerie amos pleaded with the mayor of tacloban to try to break the gridlock. there's no fuel for trucks to distribute the aid. there's nowhere for the aid - nowhere from it to be distributed. it's not going anywhere. at the same time aid workers - international aid workers are flooding the area. the mayor asked his citizens to flee the city because it cannot cope with this number of people. this is a moment of intense

frustration, and it is extremely interesting to see how it's going to be broken with this clash of interest and agendas between the local politics, community, people who are starving, literally, and the international kind of aid effort. >> continuing frustrations in the typhoon zone. that was veronica pedrosa reporting. >> millions of americans are opening their wallets to help the philippine typhoon victims, knowing where to send money is an issue. jonathan betz has this report. >> an a fundraiser the money in this bar was flowing as well as the drinks the the owner is from the philippines and lost his new york apartment to superstorm sandy. >> i have been homeless a year ago. i exactly know how it feels.

>> finding donors was not a problem, but they struggled with where to send the money. >> you want to make sure it will be good use. >> ultimately he chose the red cross. donations swell and few are as generous as americans. they spent more than a billion to help haiti after the earthquake. hopefully it will help the people that need help. will it happen. >> they took in less mun ni than they spent. >> charity navigator helps people weed out good non-profits from the bag. >> the public is concerned about people making too much money, and there are cases we have seen where it seems that the organization is more focussed on lining the pockets of the leadership than doing a public good. his group's website lists charities promising to use the

money for the victims. >> use your head. a bit of data can help you navigate without groups. american red cross and doctors without border rank highly. >> having unrestricted funds allows us to be responsive to crises like the philippines, pakistan. >> the philippines poses its own challenges. it's long been plagued with corruption, causing smaller groups to change the way they help. >> chris selected supplies in 2009 after a typhoon hit manila. the shipping container of relief never got beyond the ports. the relief goods are stuck there. they charge us with fines we are not able to pay. it's stuck in the pork. >> her group, a filipino grass roots alliance sends money to

troops on the ground. >> every penny is going to the relief efforts and the victims. >> she says it was a hard lesson, learning who to trust when you were focussed on helping. >> besides charity nv gator there are other websites that rank nonprofit organization, charity watch and guide star. a 16-year-old is under arrest after three students were shot near a pittsburg high school. mr willett is charged as an adult with four counts of homicide. the three victims were ambushed by a shooter, coming out of nearby woods. the shootings may be linked to a drug-related robbery. none of the wound are life threatening. >> a death row inmate is given a chance to donate organs, 40-year-old ronald phillips was scheduled to die and asked to

give his organs to his sick mother and sister. he was turned down. ohio's mother delayed the execution so it could be reconsidered. phillips was sentenced to death for raping and killing a toddler. >> president obama's choice to lead the federal reserve will be reason capitol hill. she'll have to balance inflation against the fed's efforts to create jobs. in her prepared testimony she said this: >> we have more on one of the world's important jobs. >> liberalism in the united states greeted the nomination of janet yellan with relief. the traditional dlama is to balance (bloc dilemma is to

balance increasing demand and balancing employment. since the obama administration has been unable to to create many of his own proposals, the fed is the basis of policy. the economic policy of janet yellan will be crucial. those that studied under the statement provers at yale university say it depends how far she adheres to what they were taught. >> the education she and i shared in the 1970, emphasised importance of dealing with unemployment and the government should fake -- take a leading role. she has backpedalled but it is within her. that that was a foregone conclusion. >> as a key economic advisor to president clinton she was a supporter. financial

deregulation contributing to the economic crash. >> she's more open-minded economist than the sorts we see at the feds. in this sense, we have concerns, yes, but who else have we got who would be better. >> that's a problem for those that argue the depths of the u.s. economic crisis requires bolder solutions than those offered. >> there's nothing in mrs yellan's history to suggest radical departure that the situation needs, or that the federal reserve and the administration have so far been unwilling to entertain. if the confirmation hearings are smoothy, yellen will be a powerful banger. >> ben bernanke's term ends in february. >> the deposit is getting close to balancing its books the

deficit was 24% lower, and over $94 billion, that's the difference between tax revenues and spending. spending cuts, strong economy and the shutdown. new figures don't ease the pressure on congress, they face a deadline a month from now to agree on a plan to keep the government running. >> dozens died in violence across iraq. the mayor of fal uja. three roadside bombs exploded near shiite pilgrims and eight killed by a suicide bomber at a police checkpoint outside tech reet. suicide bombs in two other cities left 25 shi'as dead. all this violence is taking place while shia muslims are observing ashura, marking the death of hussein, grandson of the prom prove et mohammed.

now to imran khan who was there. we have seen violence around the country - a lot of it - over the last 24 hours. what is the situation where you are? . well, there's an incredibly intense and massive security operation that is taking place across iraq in major city, and here in karbala. what that means is some of the smaller cities, rural towns have been attacked. that's where we have seen much of the violence. let me show you, this is the holy city. i'll show you the amount of people. the iraqie authorities say there are 4.5 million people and securing this is one of the biggest operations the iraqi army has mounted in 10 years. 35,000 troops are on the treats. this area is ringed by checkpoints. helicopters are flying above them in the air.

you may be able to hear them. it's a huge operation for this many people. it's important for iraqi prime minister that this goes peacefully that there isn't a violent incident. he's about to arrive, to make sure - to oversee operations. it has been peaceful. that is not the case for the rest of iraq. >> help us to understand why the violence during this particular holiday, suicide attacks on shia pilgrims - is it something that happens every year during ashura? >> they happen every year during ashura and across the county. they are targeted mainly against the shia processions. it's partly because of the situation in syria, and the spill. centuries in you ask some. it's the conflict between shias and sunnis.

the main reason a lot of these attacks take place is to keep the sectarian pot boiling. if you listening to the statements from al qaeda and its afilliates, they want it boiling. look around you. that doesn't mean anything. these people are here to show their love. nothing will stop them from being here. >> imran khan reporting from karbala. >> a push for diplomacy on iran. the vice president is urging lawmakers to give more time. joe biden made his plea to the democratic congressional leadership. john kerry urged the senate banking committee to hold off on sanctions against iran. >> hour hope is know new sanctions about le -- will be put in faith, because if they are it will be viewed as bad

faith, it will destroy the ability to get agreement and may set us back in dialogue that has taken 30 years to agree. we are asking congress to give dip lolomacy a chance to work. >> the u.s. and major powers are willing to lift sanctions if iran freezes part of the his nuclear program. john kerry says he'll ask congress for new sanctions if an agreement is not reach next week. >> toronto mayor bob ford admitted to buying drugs whilst in offers. it's the first time he admitted to paying for drugs. he admitted no smoking crack the campaign. a council motion urging him to take a leave of absips passed by a large margin. >> i'm not an alcohol. i'm not a drug addict.

have a drunk and taken trucks. yes i have. i'm not leaving, i'll attend every council, every meeting, ever executive meeting. i have not missed a day and a one of the best attendance records. i'm not going anywhere. >> the council vote as symbolic, it cannot force the mayor out of office unless convicted of a crime. a college football star is making headlines for the wrong reasons. >> a heisman trophy jamesin winston is being investigated for sexual assault. the university sch his attorney confirmed that tallahassee were looking into an alleged sought that took place last december. the suspect listed on the police report is described at 5'9 or

5'11. >> our correspondent spoke and gave us hor intake. >> it's a year old. i don't know why it's popping up now. it teems like the tallahassee police department - seems like it has something and passed it on to a special victim's university of the florida state is it standing by its quarterba quarterback, saying they think he did nothing wrong, or they thought the case was closed because it is a year old. i don't know what to make of this. there's got to be smoke here to have this case reopened. >> in baseball the dodgers have one of the best if not the best picture. clayton kershaw. that's why there's talk of a $300 million deal to keep im in la he was named the nl american

league cy young award award winner, and he's 25. let that marinate. he scores a 16-9 record. and his average lowest era in 13 years. over the american league - no surprise. the tigers matt scherzer won the award. the 29-year-old fireballer posteds is 21-3 record. second in the lead for strike outs. and the naming of the most valuable player, here are the candidates. cabrera a favourite. looking at back to back mvp awards. >> andrew mc-tkatcher had a series and the pirates made their first play-off in 20 years. mexico in desperation mode - it's their last chance to qualify for the cup. the last time mexico did not

qualify our stephanie sye played the saxophone in middle school and was in the jazz band. the year 1990. mexico took care of business. the two teams play next week. mexico is in a great position. right. time for the bouncing ball. blake griffin, he has done something ridiculous. his toughness was questioned by a former team-mate saying he was too mice. we had fireworks between the cliffords and thunder. serge hammerses griffin, let the game begin. matt barnes was ejected for jumping in. griffin kept his cool, he's a nice guy. later he dished out the pain attacking the rack for 22 points, >> in the studio brotherly love.

76ers hosted the houston rockets. you have a problem. jeremy lim was going off. insanity fuelling it. he had a career best nine three pointers. scoring a game-high 34. down the stretch houston had issues on defense. spencer hough cleaning up the mess. 76ers rallying. the cliffers are monitoring the off the the field issues for mark olif. >> always finding a way to embarrass me. thank you. >> coming up - a small-town radio dj with a very fig following. >> you have lost it. >> in chattanooga, his familiar voice is music to people's ears. we'll dial up the country's oldest radio broadcaster. >> a quiet day out here oather

than the cold air. we'll tell you where we are getting a little of that rain.

welcome back to al jazeera. ahead a record-breaking wol , wor hol, a ghost town for sale. but first the resip tags. nicole mitchell is back. >> it's a quiet day. we had the cold air. we'll talk about that. in terms of precipitation - there's a disturbance in the midwest, creating rain. we are looking at a couple of spots, including a ban from south dakota moving into neb rahs ka. all the reports i looked up are right wait. for the north-west a couple of showers. more into the day tomorrow. remember tomorrow especially you'll need the rain jacket.

more on the cold air in a few minutes. >> listeners say his voice is filled with sun shine, he's the oldest radio host and he's at the microphone in his 90, we spoke with the legend in chattanooga. >> i'm looking out my window and i see nothing but a beautiful morning in chattanooga. >> at 91 years old luther masingill is the oldest broadcaster in the united states. his career spans more than seven decades. he still types his scripts on a royal typewriter. >> did you think back then that you would still be sitting in a radio booth today? >> this many years later, no, i did not. >> he's known for his lost pet announcements. thousands of grief-stricken chattanooga called luther masingill looking for missing

members of their family. >> you were keeping a dog for a friend out of town and you lost it. >> james howard has been luther's cohost for 20 years. he was born at the height of the luther's influence, and like most in chattanooga james has his own luther story. >> i was nine years old. it was my responsibility to feed my dog andy. one day i went to feed andy, and he wasn't there. i'll never forget. mum looked at me and said, "james, i'm going to call luther and he'll help us find andy." >> and you get andy back. >> yes. >> we found a person that never listened to the show. >> you heard about "tack about you." >> i really don't know, i don't listen to the radio. i'm sorry. >> mary and luther got married

in 1957. they live in the same house they moved into 60 years ago. >> two kids later. two grand kids. still in love. >> yes, i wouldn't trade him for anything. >> i wouldn't trade you for anything either. >> come on. >> honey. >> luther was wamed into t-- welcomed into the national hall of fame and chattanooga gave him his own honour. >> what is it like driving past this sign? >> it's a good feeling, they spelt the name righted. >> howard wrote a back about him "my life with luther." >> if you dreamed of owning a small town, there's one that

could be yours. seneca, from $290,000. it can be reached on narrow dirt roads. it was founded in a gold rush and featured a dance hall. the current owners lifted it on craig's list. all that is left - three cabins and a bar. an andy warhol painting fetches a record price, "silver car crash" fetched $195 million, it's the highest price ever for a work by warhol. for a check of the news making inside at this hour. >> good morning, at the end of our first hour, here is what we are following. new efforts are underway to help the victims in the philippines. u.s.s. "george washington" is expected to arrive with troops and supplies. the white house is pressured to do something about hundreds of

thousands of americans dropped by health injurers >> four marines were killed at camp pendleton while clearing an artillery range. >> we'll take you to an unusual travelling church where the parishioners and preachers don't believe in god. >> in sport. former nfl player whose career was put in jeopardy because of hazing gives us his take on team-mate rickie incognito. >> and a cold start in parts of the country, a warm up by the weekend. i'll have the forecast. >> thomas and i with you in two minutes. al jazeera america will be right back.

to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

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>> the situation is dismal. people are extremely vulnerable and in desperate need of help. >> that says it all, a bleak assessment from the united states about the philippines as the uss george washington arrives with relief support. >> i expect an announcement from him sooner than later on options that we can take. >> administrative or legislative, pressure is mounting on president obama from democrats to fix the broken health care sign up system. >> making progress, janet yellen says the u.s. economy is significantly stronger since the financial collapse, as she takes her first step toward taking

over the federal reserve. >> oh, snap! the $3 billion offer that was turned down. why the messaging service snap chat said no to an all cash acquisition from facebook. >> good morning. good to have you with us on this thursday and welcome to aljazeera america. i'm thomas drayton. >> i'm stephanie sy. the relief effort i have the philippines is picking up today. >> the uss george washington will provide massive air support, tripling the number of available helicopters. they will deliver hundreds of thousands of gallons of water every day. >> in addition to the arrival of

that ship, the past 24 hours has seen some progress in relief efforts. on wednesday, 49,000 people in tacloban finally received water, as well as rice, canned goods and busy cuts. the u.n. says it's enough to feed a family for two to three days, but more is needed as soon as possible. >> the situation is dismal. those able to leave have done so. many more are trying, and we saw thousands of people at the airport. people are extremely vulnerable and in desperate need of help. >> the body count is still rising. officials today said the death toll climbed above 2300. the u.n. warns that number will spike once rescue workers reach remote areas. >> the red cross is preparing to send 1500 more body bags to accommodate the rise in body counts. >> military officials say aid is arriving in the philippines on an unprecedented scale.

as aljazeera explains, rescue workers are going to need every bit of it. >> nearly a week after typhoon haiyan left parts of the philippines in shambles, panic has set in for those desperate for food, shelter, water and medicine. >> there is no hope. we have to get out of this place. >> an unprecedented international aid effort here has been underway with doctors working non-stop to treat the injured and sick under the harshest of conditions. >> the ground floor was flooded, so we had to bring the patients on the second floor, but the roof are all destroyed. for the next week, we are expecting an influx of patients with diarrhea, pneumonia. >> more help is coming. the aircraft carrier, the uss george washington has arrived, carrying helicopters and planes. it's able to produce more than

400,000 gallons of fresh water every day. >> we need help very badly. >> as crowds inundate the airport in tacloban waiting for any kind of assistance, rows of the dead continue to lion the street. anger and frustration over the slow arrival of aid boiled over wednesday at survivors panicked over shortages and some dug up underground water pipes. while there is no shortage of relief pouring in or workers to distribute it, accessing the areas has been a logistical challenge. the main challenge, impassable roads. >> that will not be enough. >> on wednesday, many desperate for food raided rice stockpiles in a government warehouse causing a wall to collapse. authorities said eight people were killed, crushed to death by the collapse, adding to a death

count which has already passed 2,000. aljazeera. >> the u.s. is not alone in providing aid to the philippines, japan, great britain and belgium are providing addition military support as well as doctors. >> there is desperation in a city hit by the typhoon. many are turning to extreme measures. aid workers fear for their lives. we report on the insecurity and lawlessness in tacloban. >> it's been six days. many survivors here still haven't seen any relief going their way. now, even though that might seem to be their main concern, they are saying there is something that takes precedence over that now. they fear for their lives again, but not from marry nature, because there's nothing they can do to prevent anything that mother nature has to bring to them from happening, but from armed groups that seem to be taking control of the city streets when night falls. these reported armed groups are breaking into homes, going into

evacuation centers, any makeshift shelters that they think they can take things from, food, water. the reports here is if they try to stop them or protect their few belongings, these people will try to kill them. nobody knows who they are. there are rumors here that there are communist rebel factions in the area. they have been known to only bush relief convoys headed to the town. also, many inmates who were in the city's prisons have managed to escape during the storm. now, some of those are believed to have survived. they say many of those actually survived and are behind now the recent crime wave that has been sweeping the city, particularly at nightfall. residents here say that is what they most fear now. they hope the government can help them. it's bad enough that they're feeling unhelped in terms of basic goods provided, but now fear no one is protecting their lives. >> reporting from tacloban.

more than 160 prisoners have escaped from jails during the storm and that is adding to the danger. unicef estimates 100,000 people under the age of five and 60,000 pregnant or nursing mothers were displaced by haiyan. joining us now to discuss these most vulnerable victims is kept page, the senior communications officer with unicef. what is the hold up to getting aid to these people? >> well, there's a number of factors that have contributed to that. there's certainly the difficult access in the first few days, debris blocking roads, bad weather, and just the logistics operation that's needed to transport goods over long

distances. we supply goods by truck that have to be put on ferries and then trucked again and so these are some of the challenges that we've all been facing. the u.n. ngo's have been doing everything they can to get aid in, and we're doing the best we can. we know aid needs to reach people, especially children. our emphasis right now is on clean water, food, basic medicines and sap talking about. these are really key, life-saving interventions that benefit not just children but all the affected people. >> looking ahead, mr. page, we've heard reports of children that have been separated from their parents that during the storm. how are your efforts going to

reunite families? has that begun? >> we are doing rapid assessments of that situation with government counter parts, the department of social welfare on the ground. we have some reports of children who have been separated. thankfully, we also have reports that some of those children have already been reunited with their families, which is great news. our concern, of course, is that no child should be separated from his parents, and we are starting a family tracing, family reunification program. we hope to be introducing something called rapid ftr, which allows people to text information about a child that maybe separated from their parents, so that information can be collected very rapidly and it's a free service. we're working on that. our concern, also, is that there are many areas where we haven't

had reports on what's happening there, so we're concerned about the children not just in tacloban, but in other areas. >> i imagine it's a daunting task. we wish you and your colleagues luck. communications officer with unicef joining us from manila. >> the obama administration will face tough questions about the affordable care act from its own party. a meeting is called about the troubled rollout. democrats have been telling the white house that they fear voter back lash in the 2014 that mid term elections. aids say democrats are increasingly anxious to see improvements in the federal websites. >> that meeting came just as the white house revealed how many people have signed up for medical policies on line, the numbers not what they'd hoped for. in the first month since they came on line, the white house projected 500,000 would have signed up for coverage. the actual numbers are much lower. when you add up all the new enrollments, it comes out to

just over 106,000. of those, more than 79,000 people went to their state sites to enroll. healthcare.gov had 26,000 sign ups. >> the cancellation of insurance plans will be taken up. a vote will be taken approximate an up or down vote is expected to let people keep their insurance policies. the white house opposes the bill. >> the white house might accept a bill proposed requiring insurers to keep offering plans that were in effect this year. >> the president has instructed his team to come up with options for him to review, and you can expect a decision from him and announcement from him sooner rather than later on options that we can take to address the problem that we've been

discussing here with rewards to those individuals who have had their individual insurance plans canceled because of the transition to the affordable care act marketplaces. >> at least five democratic senators are backing that measure. >> the administration faced tough questions again wednesday from republicans about the troubled rollout. two key administration technology officials were questioned about why, why after years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars the website wasn't tested completely before it went live. they say round the clock efforts are underway to get it up to speed. >> president obama will likely face questions about the affordable care act today on a scheduled trip to cleveland. the trip is meant to promote improvements in the economy, but ohio governor john kasich is one of the few republican governors to take advantage of the medicaid expansion to reach more low income americans. >> two secret service agents responsible for protection

president obama are under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct. one agent was involved in an incident at a luxury hotel near the white house. in a separate probe, investigators discovered sexually suggestive emails from an agent to a female subordinate. both have been removed from the president's detail. last year, the agency came under the spotlight after 13 agents were cade in a prostitution scandal in columbia. secret service named its first female director seven months ago. >> house speaker john boehner said the house will not negotiate on the immigration reform bill passed by the senate. the bill would tighten borders and provide a path to citizenship for america's 11 million undocumented immigrants. boehner believes it is important to pass immigration reform but says the rest of this house session will focus on the budget and health care. >> the cold that has an icy grip won't be sticking around. let's bring in meteorologist

nicole mitchell. i hope you have warmer temperatures this morning. >> depends where you are, but definitely a lot of areas seeing improvement today. as we head out, we've had temperatures warm up in portions of the midwest, so back in the 40's and 50's with high pressure overplace over the east coast. as that slides off, the wind flow will shift around that, bringing more warmer air, already to the east coast today, but more tomorrow. that pattern as it flies off, bringing warmer air. over the next couple days, we'll see temperatures continue to rebound toward the midsection of the country. east coast temperatures hitting 50's today. tomorrow, we'll see a couple more 60's across the region. the midwest, we've had more 40's and 50's. we'll eventually have a front start to come in for the weekend. that's another shot of that colder air.

you can see that shifting saturday. heading southward, it's going to be some big improvements, starting off below phrasing this morning in atlanta, 50's, 60's, by the time we get later into the weekend into the 70's, so a lot of people are not enjoying those morning temperatures out there right now. a lot of them are hovering around greasing. i'll have a closer look at those temperatures and where you have the freeze warning coming up. >> the u.s. military is investigating the deaths of four marines this morning killed while clearing an artillery range. it happened wednesday at camp pendleton, california 40 miles north of san diego. the marines were performing maintenance on a training range. there was no firing underway when the incident took place. >> the union representing u.s. capitol police officers want congress to oh investigate the deadly shooting at the washington navy yard. a tactical team was heading to the base while he was firing at workers there.

a supervisor called them away, an internal review found the order was reasonable, because the team was needed at the capitol to guard against potential threats there. 12 were killed during the shooting. >> a death row inmate is getting a second chance to donate his organs to his family members. 40-year-old ronald phillips was scheduled to die beneathal injection today in ohio. he asked to give his organs to his sycamore and sister. he was turned down, but ohio's governor delayed the execution to the wish could be reconsidered. he was sentenced to death for rapings and killing a toddler. >> president obama's pick for the federal reserve set for a grilling on capitol hill today. >> janet yellen goes to her confirmation hearing. >> the affect it could have on you. >> 2013 proving to be a hot one, a record-setting year for temperatures and the impacts on

planet earth. >> $3 billion. this is what that much money looks like, folks. it's what one social network turned down from facebook. why they're holding out. power

of the people until we restore

>> good morning on this thursday, one more day, and welcome back to aljazeera america. >> up next, bowing is readying the world's biggest airliner, that ahead. >> let's check the temperatures and what we can expect across the nation today. meteorologist nicole mitchell, we are hoping for a warm up. >> i want to give you an outlook for the winter. this is what they call the meteorological winter, which is december, january, february, versus the official start on the solstice. it looks like parts of the south could be above average and possibly into new england and the rest of the country looking at the long term patterns, pretty typical. people in the south are saying bring that warm air now, because

it's been brutally cold. a lot of temperatures around that freezing mark and freezing warnings up for today. there will be a slow warm up, so there's some hope in sight. back to you guys. >> nicole, thank you. this could be one of the warmest years on record. more greenhouse gases have meant warmer temperatures and extreme weather. that's according to the world meteorological organization. this year is on track to be the seventh warmest ever recorded. the report comes as world leaders from 200 countries are meeting to confront global warming and reduce greenhouse gases. >> bowing may have to build its newest airliner outside washington state after machinists rejected a contract offer. the jet maker said the contract would mean secure you jobs in exchange for concessions. more than two thirds of union members voted against it. the proposal would have raised

health care costs and gutted their pensions. >> we have a heck of an infrastructure here and great skilled workforce. it's ridiculous to try and move. they're justify trying to shake us down. >> what's the message from this vote tonight? >> we're not stupid. >> the company now says it will look outside its long time base in the northwest to build a 777x, the world's biggest twin engine eight liner. >> the photo sharing app snap chat has turned down this big buyout. facebook offered three blunt to buy the start up but the companies 23-year-old c.e.o. said no thanks. he said he's not interested in selling, citing the growing demand for his app, sending pictures and videos that self destruct. last year, facebook snapped up infra gram for $1 billion. >> you walk away from $3 billion. >> president obama's choice to lead the federal reserve will be on capitol hill in a few hours.

janet yellen will be questioned by the nat banking committee. we have more on one of the world's most important jobs. >> the nomination was reached with relief. she is seen as more scholar than wall street insider. the traditional dilemma is balancing increasing demands for goods and services and creating employment against inflation. since the obama administration has been unable to enact many of its open proposals, the fed has become the basis of u.s. economic policy. the economic philosophy of janet yellen will be crucial. >> those who studied under the same professors at yale in the early 1970's says that depends on however she still adheres to what she was taught. >> certainly the education that she and i shared back in the 1970's was an education that

emphasized the importance of dealing with unemployment and that the government should take a leading role. she has back pedaled from that sort of position, but it is in her, it's the way we were all trained in those days, when that was a nor gone conclusion that all intelligent economists believed. >> as a key economic advisor to president clinton she supported the financial deregulation that contributed to the economic crash. >> i think she's a much more open mind the economist than the sorts we kiply see at the fed, so in that sense have concerns, yes, but who else could we get there that would be better? >> that's a problem for those who argue that the depth of the economic crisis require bolder solutions than those offered. for example, the fed and government could team up to push for a federal jobs program. >> there's nothing in her history to suggest the kinds of radical departure that the situation needs but that the federal reserve and the

administration have so far been unwilling to entertain. >> if the confirmation hearings go smoothly she will become the world's most powerful central banker in 2014. aljazeera, washington. >> ben bernanke said term will end in january. >> time for a look at business headlines. we have breaking news from key retailers. it's not what they want to hear heading into the shopping season. wal-mart reports sales fell .3 in the third quarter. it's outlook says the global economy could hurt sales in the coming quarters. following yesterday's upbeat macy's outlook, expectations were high for the holiday season. that might now be in doubt. >> the last four years have shown us that the consumer wants to spend, but it's easily frightened back into his or her

corner. we are two weeks away from black friday, people seem to be in the mood to shop, but you never know, anything can frighten them. >> adding to holiday worries, kohl's saying sales fell 1.3%. >> futures mixed, the dow jones industrial average is at an all time high, 15,821. the a and p at 17,082. it set 34 all-time highs this year. the nasdaq at 139,065. overseas, european stocks are hire, traders reacting to the nomination of janet yellen, suggesting she will keep the feds stimulus program in place if confirmed. asian stocks posting strong contains, the nikkei raising more than 2%. >> if you're looking for a a car, you may want to consider a used one.

edmunds.com reports used car prices at a four year low and may go lower. the price drop is being caused by increasing purchases of new cars and dealers trying to sell an abundance of previously leased vehicles. >> fewer homes are being repossessed by banks, but it's not because homeowners are suddenly able to keep their homes. investors are buying up distressed properties. it's cheaper to buy a home at auction than when it hits the market. flips are down nationally. >> supplies are slowly starting to make their way into the philippines. >> despite the help, many are still without the aid that they need. >> we're going to talk with a senior vice president of emergency response with americare about what they're doing to get supplies into the country. >> the white house are within striking distance of a deal with iran. the tough sell the

administration still faces. >> one of the most notorious mob abuses set to learn his fate. the families face the convicted killer before sentencing. >> the miami dolphins scandal has many wondering what goes on inside the locker room. we'll hear in just a bit. and you'll get... the inside story theses are strait forward conversations, no agenda, just hard hitting debate on the issues that matter to you ray suarez hosts inside story only on al jazeera america

(vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. (vo) we pursue that story beyond

the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capitol. (vo) we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. (vo) and follow it no matter where it leads, all the way to you. al jazeera america. take a new look at news. >> you're looking at a live shot of the new york city skyline on a gorgeous chilly november morning. welcome back to aljazeera make. >> it is good to have you with us. we've been talking all morning long about the lack of aid in the philippines, the basics, food and water. aid is slowly starting to arrive in the philippines, but they also need medical care and supplies. a lot of hospitals were wiped out. in just a moment, we'll be joined by the senior vice president of emergency response with americare.

>> secretary of state john kerry and vice president joe biden trying to convince congress to give more oh time before they levee new sanctions to iran. we'll talk about that coming up. >> it's going to be a tough sell. >> you go to church why, to celebrate? >> god. >> one church is gaining attention because its followers don't believe god. we'll give you an insight into their beliefs coming up. >> relief aid is slowly trickling in to survivors of typhoon haiyan in the philippines, but a shortage of medicine is forcing some doctors to become creative during the crisis. we have more from the hard-hit city of tacloban. >> there are so many casualties here, the main hospital has no time to deal with the dead. some patients are outside, while tired doctors and nurses take a rare break in the fresh air.

most have been working long hours since the typhoon struck. it's extremely hot. there's no electricity. >> the ground floor was flooded, so we had to bring the present patients on the second floor, but the roofs are all destroyed. when it rains, it leaks, but it's the only available space to keep the patients dry and safe. >> a small donated generator powers one light bulb in the operating theater which needs cleaning. more drugs are also needed to treat the injuries suffered during and since the typhoon. despite the many challenges, the hospital hasn't stopped taking patients. >> all things considered, this small hospital is coping remarkably well, but the concern is that the health situation could be about to get a lot worse. >> in many areas, a clean up is far from beginning.

debris lines the streets and in some cases, the only place for a wash is the water in the harbor, which is now more included than ever. hadding to that problem, bodies floating in the ocean. survivors aren't getting the basic needs to stay healthy, like food and water. >> for the next week, we're expecting an in flux of patients with diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia. >> with the pain and misery, though, there are good stories, babies born in the aftermath are crammed into the hospital's chapel, which is being transformed into a nursery. exhausted mothers and fathers reflect on their ordeal of living through the storm. >> we are happy to be alive, because the water came so -- >> but survive they did and a few days later, their baby was

born. aljazeera, tacloban. >> disease will spread for lack of medicine. officials blame the shortages on the looting. >> groups are working to get supplies to the victims in the philippines. with us this morning, indicate sears, senior vice president of emergency response americares. we're starting strom scratch. hospitals and medical facilities were wiped out. >> exactly. the medical facilities are in the zone that's been hit themselves, lost their capacity, and it's a time of even greater need, so there's double importance of getting the medicines in, supplies that they need. >> and talking about those supplies, americares has hat a response, enough arriving today for 20,000 victims.

what's in the industries? >> we have emergency moduals ready to go. they have acute medicines, so wound care, pain medicine, antibiotics for immediate needs. then there are some of the chronic meds that people need for cardiovascular issues, diabetes, that sort of thing, that you know the population that's displaced from their homes are going to need. >> without this, we could see infections, illnesses from the water. there's such desperation, they're drinking water they shouldn't be. we could see further deaths here. >> absolutely. there's an immediate need for care and then the on going issues. we have to take care of the water borne issues. you're going to have diarrhea and pneumonia. the sooner people get treatment, the better you'll be prepared so things don't continue and worsen in the population. >> you have crews on the ground in manila as well.

what are they telling you? >> they're telling you of the utter destruction, the various entities, u.n. and military bringing together plans and facilities so we can understand where the medicines are needed and what medicines are needed. >> are you having difficulty getting to those who need the mid 16 the most? >> we're having no difficulty finding people who need help. we are helping people north of tacloban. certainly there are difficulties, roads blocked, airports closed in reaching everybody, but there are many people in need being helped already. >> where are you getting the supplies and how are you able to bring them in? >> americares is a 30-year-old charity where we see donated no medicines and supplies from the pharmaceutical companies plus our key purchases. we have them en route to the philippines. we had supplies there already, because we've been working there for 30 years, so there's a whole

supply chain of medicines in the philippines already, going down to cemar. >> i imagine that has helped greatly in this effort. you've been there since 1985, helped with 150 medical facilities. >> absolutely. our partners on the ground have contacts to the communities, so they are able to immediately understand the needs. we've already shipped 1,000 survival kids their medicines and over-the-counter kinds of things that people can take immediately and take home and help themselves immediately, and then we're shipping critical medicines to medical facilities. a military hospital is handling a great overflow of refugees, we are providing medicines to them so they can help the population. >> will you be able to meet the overall needs? >> we will be able to provide a great amount of need. we are working in consultation of course with all the other parties.

the best way to help is to provide some resources so we can do shipping, we can do purchases so that we can meet immediate needs, targeted needs on the ground. >> you have a agree deal of work ahead of you, certainly appreciate your time and efforts. >> thank you very much. >> the senior vice president of emergency management in response to americares, indicate sears. >> james whitey bulger will be sentenced today. we report from boston on the families given the final chance to address the man who killed their loved ones. >> the family members of many victims waited decades to face him in court today. most of them were the children of his victims and they talked about what life had been like for them growing up years and not having a father. one woman talked about how she was waiting for her father to come and take her out for dinner the night that he was killed, and he never showed up. she was never able to see him

again. they were waiting for some sort of closure and they got it in a sorts today, although they were looking forward to having bulger say something to them in court, hoping he would make a statement, offer an apology or some sort of an explanation. he decided to say nothing. he sat in court all day, not looking at any of the victims' families. doodled on a piece of paper. when asked later when his attorney was asked later why bulger decided not to say anything in court, here's what he had to say. >> from his perspective, he did not receive a fair trial, because he was not able to put forward everything that he could have told he about the corruption and about the immunity agreement he had reached with the federal prosecutor. the trial became a sham in his mind as a result. he did not want to validate the trial by participating directly

or indirectly through us in the sentencing process. >> now, the sentencing will continue tomorrow. buller is expected to be served with a sentence of life plus five years in prison. >> that was dyan ester brook reporting from boston. >> dozens have died at shia muslims celebrate. three road side bombs exploded, killing eight people. eight people were killed by a suicide bomber at a police check point and suicide bomb attacks today in two other iraqi cities left 25 dead. >> the obama administration say an agreement over iran's nuclear program is within reach. in closed door mings wednesday, the vice president and secretary

of state asked for more time to negotiate, making his plea to the democratic congressional leadership. john kerry urged the senate banking committee to hold off on imposing new sanctions. >> our hope is now that no new sanctions would be put in place for the simple reason that if they are, it could be viewed as bad faith by the people we are negotiating with. it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement, and it could actually wind upsetting us back in dialogue that's taken 30 years to be able to achieve. we're asking the congress to give thety lopez they sought a chance to succeed.

mr. kerry said some parties within the iran nuclear negotiation would bolt if the u.s. congress passes new sanctions now. my question, is kerry facing a tougher battle at home than in geneva? >> secretary of state kerry is facing a two prong battle. these negotiations have achieved more progress in the span of 30 hours than in 30 years. he has to convince congress of that. i worked on many sanctions bills when i was in the congress, as well. congress tends to want to support sanctions, because it wants to see action. secretary kerry has to explain why those actions have led to this point and why the balance now is working. >> you write in the you having to know post, unfortunately some idealogues are seeking to torpedo a deal toroth chet up

the stakes which could drive us into another american war in the middle east. who are they and how much are they influenced by squeal no. >> we are seeing many come out of the wood work right now as the contours of a practical deal are becoming parent. in a negotiation, not everybody gets everything they want. the american goal and western goal its to restrain iran's nuclear prom so that they never get a bomb, but that means that it will be painful to compromise for many western countries that iran may indeed have a peaceful nuclear program. if we don't get that agreement, the alternatives are not clear, likely on a further path towards war. the countries that are slowing the process need to really look in the mirror and make sure that that's truly the decision they want to avoid. >> in your mind, what does a solid deal, an enforceable deal

with iran look like? >> a solid deal would require iran to get rid of the enricheddure 18 numb at 20% that it currently has andreas stein itself to a peaceful nuclear are program that would be verifiable. it would require on-site inspections at a very robust pace. the international atomic agency would have to step up. that needs to happen. there is a comprehensive agreement that's going to need to be negotiated ensuring to the west through physical limitations that iran cannot get the bomb. that should be the goal. >> last week, iran did strike a deal to have inspections on two of the more sensitive sites on issue. what happens if a deal is not reached? >> the alternatives are stark. we're going to return back to a

period where there was a lot of bitter public debates and squabbles about what the relationship would be like, and no clarity about how to resolve this issue. what we will know is that iran will continue to enrich uranium, advance its nuclear program. they may not see a way out. the goal is to get iran to see a way out from the sanctions and get our objective received. if they don't, it's likely they'll advance the program to a point where we may have to decide whether or not to take military action, which is not something the american people support you. >> all right, director of policy and government affairs joining us from d.c., thank you. >> my pleasure. >> ross shimabuku joining us now. >> a who is tran trophy contender off the field is being investigated for sexual assault.

the university and his attorney confirm that tallahassee police looking into an alleged assault. although the suspect listed on the police report is described at 5'9" and 5'11". winston stands at 6'4". he has yet to be interviewed by police and not named in the report. florida state is ranked number two in the country you with a perfect 9-2 record heading into syracuse saturday. >> we've heard from richie incognito but not jonathan martin. we spoke to incognitos former teammate who's involved in the nasty hazing scandal in 1998 when he was a rookie for the saints. >> well, at that time, there was a, you know, when you're young and coming in the league, there's a lot of things that the so-called rite of passage or hazing. they'll sing a fight song, carry

pads, things that are basic. at this level, they have been a tradition that the saints have done for quite some time. for rookies, they woke us up at 1:00 in the morning. at the end of training camp, you celebrate your break in camp. the third floor of the dorm was the rookie section and guys had been drinking a lot and cell braying. they pulled you out of your room late and if you didn't want to go on the gauntlet, they found a way to get you out, trashed your room, opened the doors, threw water, whatever they could to get you out. then lined the hallways about a six-foot wide hallway and each guy took a shot at you as you ran down this so-called gaunt le. they actually put a pillowcase on your head and each guy just got the ever living stuff beat out of them. at the end of it there was one of the players had been collecting coins all day and what he did was he whacked you somewhere on your body upside with a sack full of coins.

at that point, when i had gone through and maybe third or fourth through, got hit as i was spinning down right across the head and hit me on the sigh sock, i lost vision in my eye, partial detached retina, fractured nose, and one of those situations where you'd like to forget about it. at the time, it was kind of the norm. i wasn't just hurt the most. we had guys that went through a window, slit his artery open, broke knees, it was a pretty violent episode of so-called hazing. >> you were a pretty big guy when you played, 6'5", 270 pounds. why didn't you just punch a guy in the face and say i'm not doing this or go to your coach and say i don't want to go down this thing. >> you've got to think about this, michael. when you're an athlete, you trust your teammates as your leaders. we're not stupid guys. these are our supposedly our friends, sometimes friends do dumb stuff, but at this point, i

was looking to be accepted into this locker room, being initiated into this organization. they were paying me revenue to play this game. i wanted to be accepted into this group. you do what you do. if your teammates are part of approximate this, maybe i thought at the time this is what it is, this is what the nfl is supposed to be like, did i like it? no. second off, there were quite a few guys, and i have a philosophy that i treat people how i wanted to be treated and i didn't want to stoop to the level and get it done and move on with my career. >> ken legal land shedding light on what goes inside the locker room. still waiting to hear prom jonathan martin and get the whole take. >> i can't wait to hear from hill. thanks, ross. >> the comeback, new york's world trade center is open for business. >> the tower is once again a part of the big apple skyline. >> the milestone the structure is helping to mark for that site. >> do you have $225,000 to

spare? >> no! >> i know you have it somewhere, stephanie. >> how you could be the proud new owner of an entire tone that's up for sale. >> we are a congregation that celebrates being alive! >> spreading the good word without god. the church created by two atheists is gaining quite a following.

>> audiences are intelligent and they know that their

>> welcome back. the morning just getting started on this chilly day in new york. you're looking live at times square. can you believe just over a little a month now, we'll be celebrating in that square another new year. >> i don't believe there's already traffic at this hour. welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm thomas drayton. it is a church without the religion, bringing together people who don't believe in god. it's facing criticism from some religious leaders. >> let's get a look at potential

precipitation across the nation today. nicole mitchell is back. >> most of you can lighten the load without having an umbrella or rain jacket along with, just a couple spots with wet weather. the moisture in florida is diminishing. the lake effect we had yesterday, that spigot has turned off. we're going to continue to see across the region that we're going to have rain in parts of the midwest, but otherwise, we're going to continue to see some areas like south dakota and nebraska with some rain and then more pushing on to the west coast, so that's going to be our next area to kind of focus our eyes on in the next days. >> nicole, thank you. if you've ever dreamed of owning a small town, there's one that could be yours for $225,000. the town of seneca is tucked away in the sierra nevada of northern cool california. it can be reached on narrow dirt roads. it once featured a dance haul and post office.

the current owners listed the town on craigslist. all that's left on the 10-acre plot, three cabins and a bar with a liquor license. >> somebody will buy it. >> a movement of atheists has grown into a non-church starting in a london pub and spreading to major cities around the world. as we report, its founders won't be thanking god for their success. >> hello! >> sander son jones and pippa evans, two comics from london are on a world tour in the u.s. >> it was in vented for people you don't know. >> they're not just here to spread laughter. they're here they say to change the world. >> we had like to make the world as good as it can be. >> welcome to the world's fastest growing atheist megachurch. jones and evans call it sunday assembly. >> we are a congregation at a celebrates being alive. >> the first sunday assembly was

held in north london in 2012. >> we thought a few people would like it and it turns out that there are millions of people across the world. >> fast forward 11 months and the comic preaching duo have turned to crowd funding to raise money and now are racing through 40 cities in north carolina america and australia launching local chapters for thousands of godless fearing people. it hosted its first assembly sunday service. >> we take all the best bits of church and get rid of the god bits. >> by best bits, evans means creating a community with a focus on good and gratitude. >> we know that when people sing together, dance together, laugh together, it's a wonderful experience and shouldn't be monopolized by religion. >> singing, dancing, donating and of course the founder

himself, if you think jones looks familiar. he admits, he's heard plenty of of jesus jokes but said he had the beard first, not before jesus, but before sunday assembly. >> that is just his face. >> the movement comes at a time when 20% of americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase of 15% in the last five years. >> i think those people need community supporters as much as anybody else. >> father james said by picking and choosing the best bits from church, sunday assembly followers might end up with all flash and no substance. >> if they by their own choice automatically exclude any possibility of something beyond just forming community, i think that they're probably missing out on that something profound. >> back at sunday service, it's clear jones and evans know how to get the party started.

whether they know how to launch a lasting movement ultimately depends on non-believers choosing to believe. jennifer london, aljazeera, los angeles. >> the sunday assembly service is open to everyone regardless of their religious beliefs. all services are free and run by volunteers on a not for profit basis. >> the first tower in the world trade center complex is now officially open for business. four world trade center includes new office space, spans near the freedom tower and faces the 9/11 reflective pool. new york's port authority will move into the building in 2014. what a moment. >> at the end of our second hour, del walters joins us now with a look at what we're following. >> the huge international relief effort for the philippines are slowly starting to turn, the uss george washington expected to arrive with troops and supplies.

>> the white house is being pressured to do something about the hundred was thousands of americans dropped by their insurance providers. >> four marines were killed at california's camp pendleton, clearing a range where artillery is used. ross shimabuku has more. >> in sports, the baseball award season is in full swing and a big one-handed out yesterday. we'll tell you who won the cy young award and a look ahead to the m.v.p. candidates. >> warm air is finally returning to the south and east coast. i'll tell what you that means for the weekend. >> nicole, ross, thank you. the aljazeera morning news continues, del walters back in two and a half minutes. >> have a great morning.

>> typhoon haiyan shamed thousands of lives in the philippines, now there are fears unsanitary conditions could lead to disease and more deaths. pressure on the white house to help americans dropped by their health care plans. this as new numbers show only a traction of those who could signed up for obamacare. >> millions garbage in iraq to commemorate a solemn muslim occurrence marred by violence. >> we have six tons of ivory we'll crush. wee seized it over 25 years. >> what the sufficient plans to do today with its huge stockpile

of illegal ivory. >> the death toll is rising in the philippines as survivors wait for rescue or aid. i'm dell walter, welcome to aljazeera america. rescuers will reach more remote areas. the red cross plans to send in 1500 more body bags, but there are some signs of hope. on wednesday, 49,000 people in tacloban got water, rice, and biscuits. that is enough a feed a family of two for three days, and another shipment is on its way. the uss george washington has arrived. the ship's 5,000 sailors will help relief efforts and rescue

efforts underway. that triples the u.s. presence in the philippines and the number of helicopters. they will deliver hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. we have more. >> panic has set in. an unprecedented international aid effort has been underway with doctors working non-stop to treat the injured and sick under the harshest of conditions. >> the ground floor was flooded. we had to bring the present patients on the second floor, but the roof are all destroyed. for the next week,er expecting in flux of patients with diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia. >> more help is coming. the aircraft carrier uss george

washington has arrived. it's able to produce more than 400,000s of gallons of fresh water every day. >> we need help. we need help very badly. >> as crowds inundate the airport waiting for any kind of assistance for food and medicine, rows of the dead continue to lion the street. anger and frustration over the slow arrival of aid boiled over wednesday as survivors panicked over shortages and some dug up underground water pipes collecting what little water they could. while there is no shortage of relief pouring in or workers to distribute it, accessing the hard hit areas has been a logistical challenge, the main culprit, impassable roads. >> we have more coming in. even that will not be enough. >> on wednesday, many did he say prefor food raided rice stockpiles in a government warehouse, causing a wall to

collapse. authorities said eight people were killed, crushed to death by the collapse, adding to a death count which has already passed 2000. >> china is increasing its contribution to the aid effort, donating $1.6 million now, up from a modest $100,000 pledge. state-run global times criticized the government for donating so little. newspapers pointed that china's rocky relationship with the philippines over a territorial dispute, saying the world's second largest economy could do more. the aid reaching day by day, a plan to ship the goods quickly to the hard-hit areas. we have more where the airport is being used as a hub for those efforts. >> the cogs of the international relief effort are well and truly beginning to turn here at the philippines airport base in cebu. as you can see behind me, the air field is absolute to

capacity with aircraft that have arrived from around the worlded with that international effort. we have 3c130 hercules from indonesia bringing food, water, and medical kits for the philippines government so distribute on its own when it gets to tacloban. spain is here, as well. they are coordinating their medical help, as well as food and much-needed water, and the europeans have just arrived. their protection outfit has arrived as a forward scout for what exactly is needed as they bring in supplies. all supplies are being based right here at the air field, most of that is right here, rice, water, and energy bars, which will be taken down. the idea now is to move as much of this as they possibly can to tacloban where it's most needed. >> that is aljazeera's craig

craig leeson. 12% have the population's been affected. many haven't received any help. valerie amos head of the u.n. humanitarian efforts say there are challenges and admits response has been slow. >> i do feel that we have let people down, because we have not been able to get in more quickly, but at the same time, i can see and i was able to see yesterday that our operations are scaling up significantly. >> she also says the u.n. is working hand-in-hand with the government, and partner organizations. she hopes the delivery of aid will improve over the next 48 hours. >> four marines were killed in southern california, clearing a range where artillery is used when something went terribly wrong. we have more with all the

details. erika. >> military officials say the marines were doing range maintenance, including cutting the grass to removingar tilly. camp pendleton is a huge installation just 40 miles north of san diego. the base is so big, it takes up 17 miles of california coastline and covers 125,000 acres. it has 2,626 buildings, 500 miles of roads, and multiple massive training areas. the marines died on the range used for live fire training, but there was not an exercise underway at the time. this is not the first deadly incident at camp pendleton. the four soldiers killed yesterday makes 11 deaths in the past two years. in january of 2011, a marine died during driving training. in march of the same year, two navy sailors died when a water truck rolled over. then in september, two marines

died in a helicopter crash. the following career, another soldier killed in a car accident during an exercise and earlier this career, a camp pendleton-based marine died in a sky diving exercise at a nearby airport. the commanding general of the base called yesterday's incident a tragic accident, pledging full support for the military families. del. >> >> erika, thank you very much. >> the union representing u.s. capitol police wants congress to investigate a deadly shooting at the washington navy yard. a capitol police tactical team was headed to the base while aaron alexis was firing at the workers inside. a supervisor told them not to go, called them away. an internal review finds that the order was reasonable because the team was needed at the capitol to guard against potential threats. that is where 12 people were killed. >> two secret service agents guarding president obama have been resigned.

one was involved in an incident at a hotel, another sending sexual suggestive emails. last year, 13 officers were indicated in a prostitution school dan. the service naming its first female director seven months ago. >> the cold snap gripping the country has eased up. nicole mitchell explains why we maybe getting warmer. >> the same cold front that moved through brought an area of high pressure behind it. with that, we had what started off as a a cold flow as that has moved across the country. you have clockwise circulation around high pressure. it was originally helping to bring northern air, now on the backside more southern air for places like the midwest. this is going to be on the move. even more of that flow impacting the east coast. we've had more sunshine in the meantime, helping warm some of those temperatures. so today, the midwest not doing

too bad, more temperatures in the 40's and 50's after some of those 20's earlier in the week. up and down the east coast, already 50's. as i said, even warmer air tomorrow, so you see a couple more 60's in that forecast. i do want to point out, though, we are going to see as the south tarts to recover, as well. already by the time we get into this weekend, the next weather system will be coming in, so you'll see cooler air intrude in portions of the northern plains. now, if you want a little glimpse at the weekend, we'll put out that forecast, as well. it looks like the south, looking at those long term trends, a little more likely to be on the warm side as is the northeast, looks like the rest of the country, pretty much around average, which for winter means cold. del. >> nicole mitchell, thank you very much. now that the numbers of out who signed up for health insurance, congress wants to know what went wrong with the rollout of the affordable care act. lisa stark has more. >> they are certainly not the numbers the obama administration

had hoped for, just over 106,000 americans have signed up for health plans under the affordable care act and 75% did so through the state-run websites, only quarter fewer than 27,000, used the federal exchange. house speaker john boehner called the law a "rolling calamity" that must be scrapped. the administration faced tough questions from republicans about the bungled rollout. >> this was a monumental mistake to go live and effectively explode on the launch pad. >> republicans want nothing more than to dismantle the affordable care act, known as obamacare. >> nobody in this country believe that is republicans want to fix the website. >> caught in the crossfire, two key administration technology officials, who were that repeatedly questioned about why after years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars the

website was not completely tested before it went live. >> it was designed, implemented and tested to be secure. >> testifying under subpoena, todd park, the u.s. chief technology officer, the white house had insisted he was too busy trying to fix the website to come to capitol hill. park said round the clock efforts are underway. >> we have much work still to do but are making progress at a growing rate. >> as of now, park said healthcare.gov can handle 20,000 to 25 users at one time. another key, security. will personal information be saved. there has been one unsuccessful cyber attack on oh the site. >> would you put your information in there? >> i would have to see what the security testing and assessment has been since then before i was comfortable. i haven't seen it yet, so we're

going to look at it. >> the answer is not yes, yes. >> also up in the air, what to do about the millions of americans getting notices that their health care plans have been canceled and they must have reenroll in new coverage. the white house promises a fix for that, as well. lisa stark, aljazeera, capitol hill. >> the house is set to address the issue on friday, a vote scheduled on a bill that would let insurance keep selling plans that don't meet the standards of the new law. >> union workers are rejecting a major contract offer from bowing. why that decision could change the long relationship it has with the state of washington. >> president obama's approval rating, his lowest of. what's behind the sinking poll numbers and how they could change the rest of his time in office. >> banned for decades by zambrano hussein, now millions of muslims are back in iraq.

why this solemn occasion has been marked by violence. >> in times square, chilly, but not too cold today. warmer temperatures are on the way.

>> good morning. welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. straight ahead, most americans aren't too happy with president obama. he has the low effort approval rating of his presidency. we'll look at behind his sinking numbers. first, let's find out about the sinking numbers on your thermometer. we turn to nicole mitchell. >> i was about to say the same thing, speaking of sinking, we have the cold air the last couple of days. thirty's and 40's is a prettyient pattern. los angeles and phoenix in the 60's, we have had warm air in the southwest. atlanta to miami, about a 10 hour drive. if you were to do that this morning, your thermometer in your car would be ticking warmer the whole way, a 40-degree

temperature change, just over that distance, that's the difference between the cold side of the front and the warm side of the front. it also means that areas in the south are still under a freeze warning, or freeze watches as we get out this morning. while have more on where there's rain coming up in and get built. >> bowing may have to build its newest airliner outside washington state after machinists rejected a contract offer. bowing saying the contract would mean secure jobs. more than two thirds of the union voted against it, saying the proposal would raise health care costs and gutted their pensions. >> we have a heck of an infrastructure and great skilled workforce. they are trying to shake us down. >> what's the message from this vote tonight. >> we're not stupid. >> bowing know says it will look outside its long time base to

build its largest between engine airliner. >> discourage s were higher. >> the shopper doesn't have many to waste. >> adding to concerns, polls now saying its third quarter sales fell 1.5%. >> after a daybreaks, stocks returning to their record territory wednesday, but at this hour, the futures of mixed.

the dow jones industrial average is at an all time high, 15,821. the s&p at record levels, 17,082. the nasdaq at 39,065. overseas, european stocks are higher, traders reacting to the fed reserve nominee, suggesting she will keep the stimulus program in place if confirmed. >> asian markets also happy to hear from ms. yellen, posting strong gains with the nikkei rising more than 2%. >> fidelity says the average balance in 401k plans is a record high. that increase is due largely in part to big gains in stocks, but says workers also increasing contributions to their plans, as well. >> if you're looking for a car,

you might want to consider a used one, car prices have reached four year lows and may go lower. the price is due to rising new car sales and dealers trying to sell cars that had been leads. >> the shutdown and disastrous rollout of healthcare.gov have the president losing support. 39% of american voters now approve of his job performance. according to two major public opinion polls, that is his lowest rating ever in the presidency. mark rome is a professor of policy in georgetown university and bernard whitman was a polester for president bill clinton. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> the president's approval rating the lowest ever. what is going on? >> i don't think there's any doubt that the president is suffering prom the bumbling rollout of obamacare.

it's unfortunate that his signature domestic initiative was rolled out so ineffectively. he is only a year into his second term. he has a lot of time to turn this around. the affordable care act was always an act that was going to have to be changed, evolved and optimized and the rollout if better americans would have been more receptive. 85 million people have taken advantage of preventative care. 103 million people don't have annual caps or lifetime caps. 13 million people with preexisting conditions can get health insurance and 100,000 people who didn't have insurance before now do, just from this last month, well below the goals. this law will be optimized, changed, improved. it is not going to be overturned. >> do you concur? >> presidential popularity always drops in the second term and should be because of nsa violations of our privacy, the government shutdown and the

catastrophic rollout of the obamacare. the president's wounds are serious, not fatal. the obamacare law will not be changed in a substantial way. it will continue to rollout and we hope improve over time. >> i want to ask the question this way, a month ago, we were talking about the government shutdown. they were basically selling singing the end of the republican party, now we're talking about the debacle, the rollout of obamacare and now saying the president's approval ratings are lower than have before. is anyone outside of washington listening? >> yeah, i think a lot of people are just frustrated. this proves the point that a day in politics can be a lifetime. anybody that counts the republicans out because of a shutdown or oh counts the democrats chances in 2014 or 2016 out because of obamacare have to remember things change very, very quickly. it is incumbent upon the

president to fix the law, the website, putting changes so the people who are lose i can their health care plans end up being able to keep them. i think that's critical. i think you see a number of democratic senators and tough reelection fights pushing on the president to do just that. i think the law will be fixed and i think over time, over the course of 2014, as more people take advantage of the law and people forget about the terrible rollout, the president and the democratic party will be in a much better position. i think the challenge is going to be for the republicans to offer a real alternative, because frankly, it's quite clear to everyone that the republicans have no interest in helping to improve the affordable care act and ultimately you're just without a real plan. >> i want to get mr. rome in. there's an old saying that when somebody else is deciding, they want to shoot themselves in the foot, don't grab the gun. do you agree? >> the rub party is down, not out. if a candidate like christie

obtains the maim president obama procedures of ethnicity votes and female votes in new jersey, the republicans will win in 2016. don't count them out. the obamacare can improve in its ability to serve public needs. i think it will do so and be less of an issue in 2016 than today. >> this is former president clinton saying what has generate add lot of controversy, talking about that presidential promise that if you like your insurance, keep it. take a listen. >> i personally believe even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made and let them keep what they've got. >> why did he say that no. >> clinton probably that 15 purposes for saying that, distance himself from the obama administration to give his wife hillary a way out, perhaps to

drag ted cruz into this debate. he has purposes. i think that statement was misguided. congress is not going to be able to change the allow in a way that allows people to keep their previous policies. it's not going to happen. it's a good personal staple, but not feasible. >> i think the president clinton is very smart, doesn't say things off the cuff. i believe he believes that to be true. he recognizes that his wife's political ambitions are going to rest on how people people about the democrats and president obama not today, but at the end of the president's term in three years. i think that clinton was right. we've got to fix that. it was a fundamental promise that obama made to the american people. in order for hillary clinton to achieve electoral success, the american people have to people at least reasonably good about the affordable care act.

we thank both of you for joining us. >> house speaker john boehner saying the immigration reform bill will not be debated on. it would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. speaker boehner saying he believes it is important he to pass immigration reform, but says the rest of this house session will focus on the budget in health care. >> president obama's choice to head the federal reserve is on the capitol hill hot seat. why the tea party may try to block janet yellens confirmation. >> we go to iraq for the annual observance of muslims taking part in a solemn ceremony that was prohibited for decades. >> a warehouse overflowing with ivory will be emptied today.

consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the government shutdown. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what. >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> we've heard you talk about the history of suicide in your family. >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but, what about buying shares in a professional athlete?

>> start with one issue education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax cuts... the economy... iran... healthcare... it goes on and on... ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story theses are strait forward conversations, no agenda, just hard hitting debate on the issues that matter to you

ray suarez hosts inside story only on al jazeera america >> there are a number of islands in the philippines hard to reach even under normal circumstances. after haiyan, it's tougher now to reach some of those victims. the crisis in one city west of tacloban shows how complex that relief effort is. the city receiving aid, but there's no way for survivors to get it. aljazeera has more details. >> it is grid lock here. the aid is grid locked here. there is plenty of aid, here, none of it is getting to the people who need it. the u.n. office for coordinating humanitarian aid's chief has

actually pleaded with the mayor of tacloban to try and break this grid lock. the thing is, that there's no fuel for trucks to distribute the aid. there's nowhere for the aid to be distributed, so it's not going anywhere. at the same time, aid workers, international aid workers are flooding the air. the mayor has asked that his citizens earlier on that today just to flee the city, because the city cannot cope with this number of people. this is a moment of intense frustration and extremely interesting to see how it's going to be broken with this kind of clash of interests and agendas between the local politics, local communities, people who are starving, literally, and the international kind of aid effort. >> that is aljazeera's veronica pedrosa. >> president obama's nomination

for the fed will face tough conventions from the nat banking committee. we have more. >> there is no question janet yellen what the economic chops to lead the federal reserve. ben bernankes successor will inherit a task of the unwinding of the stimulus program without upsetting the financial markets. >> nobody's expecting a radical departure in terms of the policy direction. she's been an engineer of current policies, most likely pledge to keep them in place as she heads into the office. >> perhaps just at challenging as dealing with the stimulus will be getting the central bank governors to appear more unified. in the past, she has said one of the best ways to stimulate the economy is better communication with the public, but the stimulus has deeply divided the central bank. under bernanke, fed policy makers have not been afraid to go public with dissent. >> you have all these voices from all across the fed system

expressing different views. there's been a lot of confusion in the markets. that's one of the down sides of better than bernankes consensus driven approach. >> yellen may have a difficult time to get other officials to tow the company line, putting her own communication skills to the test. >> two fed presidents that have been opposed from the very beginning will become voting members next year. so you're going to face a lot more dissent. >> no one has enjoyed the feds cheap money policy more than wall street. stocks have surged thanks to the bond buying spree, but investors anticipate an end to the party soon. many say what they want as a parting gift is traps pattern and conviction from yellen. >> as meetings progress and as we see her dissemination of data and how she treats the public and answers questions, that is where the market is going to respond. >> in return, she would take over the reigns of the fed when bernanke steps down and she may

soon find that her political skills will be just as important as her economic skills. >> libby casey is on capitol hill. wall street seemed to like janet gellen yesterday. what about the senate bank committee? >> we've gotten a sense of how she will start her remarks. she will talk about stay the course. she's been part of the current trajectory, a big supporter of ben bernankes 10 year in the direction that he's taken. we'll hear from her that she believes more should be done and can be done at the federal reserve helping the job situation, the economy overall. she'll talk about how even though it's been a tough six years economically, she believes the fed's efforts have helped. there l. be two messages there. even though we've seen a glimpse of her opening remarks, what's often interesting is what senators come back at her with and how the exchanges go once they start asking questions. >> they don't call it the hot seat of capitol hill for inning. what do we expect pressure on?

>> democrats will be talking to her about big banks and reigning in some of the big financial behe moths of today. there are so many aspects of dodd frank that haven't kicked in. they will talk about reigning in the big banks. as we mentioned, ben bernanke steps down in just a couple of months' time in january. we'll see her get through the banking committee today. we expect her name to go forward to the full senate and then we'll see about passage before that big body. >> fascinating that nobody is talking about the fact in a janet yellen will be the first woman to head the fed. >> that was the big headline, when her name was initially floated and when the pot mom anywayed her.

we may hear comments today from members of the banking committee applauding her and talking about how she's really breaking ground, but they're going to be talk about her policies, belief and trying to get a sense of what she would do, because right now, it's all business. >> joining us live on capitol hill, thank you very much. >> now to the affordable care act. only 106,000 people signing up for coverage under that act as of october. thousands of getting cancellation notices from insurance companies, being told their plans don't meet minimum standards set by that new law. we are going help sort this out. 106,000 signing up, not exactly the number the administration was looking for. >> well, that's true. it is a major disappointment that so few signed up. if we look at the bigger picture, you can see that 1.5

holy people over october submitted applications for coverage. we know from the case of massachusetts, which launched a health insurance exchange several years ago, it took most people an average of 18 different touches before they made up their minds about which plan to buy, so judging from that, if those 1.5 million people signaled that they were going to buy coverage, we can expect that they'll be doing things like calling their friends, doing a little bit more analysis objec on websites and assuming we can work out the glitches, those people will sign up. >> so you fit into the camp that says the glass is half full. the administration saying that those people being dropped and they total also in the million wide receivers they have substandard policies. if i'm one of those people holding that policy, tell me what's substandard about what i

bought. >> if you look at the what is required under health insurance going forward and by the way, this apply to say all health insurance, not just the covering that people will buy on insurance exchanges, you have to now have coverage in 10 essential areas. that includes, for example, prescription drugs, requirement now that those have to be covered, preventive screening, so mammograms, colonoscopies, quit smoking patrols, you don't have to pay out of pocket, a co pay to get those things. emergency services, and for the first time ever in this country, we will now require health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance abuse. >> if i'm a 40-year-old guy or a 26-year-old guy, i don't particularly want to pay for a mammogram and i'm not worried about a colonoscopy, so should i

have to pay? >> you're going to need a colonoscopy eventually. the hope is that you live to age 50, right, you want to be on a track to be healthy. if you're convinced you're going to be 26 forever, that makes sense you would never want to buy these things. health insurance works best when the cost of a few people being sick are spread across the whole of the population. since none of us knows exactly whether we're going to get sick or not, this is essentially a group compact, and we do this all the time in employer-based insurance. this is how insurance operates for the vast majority of americans. what we're only doing with this affordable care act is extending that principle to the people who used to be subjected to preexisting condition restrictions and all kinds of other in equities in the individual insurance market. >> a lot of people who buy those individual policies don't look at the details of what's

covered. they pay attention only to the bottom line and really, little less. are they being protected by this new law or being punished? >> well, you can ask them. most people, it's true, don't read the 30 page or so certificate of insurance that comes with their coverage that sells out all their benefits. if they look closely, they would see details like annual limits on payouts, for example, a lot of these bare bones policies that are now going by the board, limited payout to $2,000 a year. that's less than the cost of most colonoscopies. essentially, you could blow through your benefits easily. lifetime limits were limited to $250,000 a year. if you have cancer, forget it. you blow past those limits in no time. if people look at the details and see what's covered, they will see that the coverage now that is mandatory in the affordable care act really is legitimate currently in a way that it was not the case with a

lot of the policies that are now going away. >> susan, thank you very much. >> on friday, the house is scheduled to vote on a bill addressing the policy cancellation issue. the republican-sponsored bill will let people keep their current plans if they want to. an up or down vote is scheduled. the white house opposing that bill. >> violence has marred the observance of ashoura, marking the death of iman whose seen, the grandson of muhammed. many have gathered to celebrate. we go live to iraq and violence around the country, what is the situation right now where you are? >> what has happened is the major cities of iraq have been secured by the security forces

in the iraqi army. the bombers have gone off to more rural targets where they've attacks processions leading to 54 people being killed and 114 injured in four different attacks that we know about so far. that's really the pattern of attacks that we've seen. i'm here in the holy city. you can see the commemoration here is winding up, coming to an end here. about 4.5 million people have been through this place in the last few days and the security operation has been absolutely huge. let's take a look. >> for over 1300 years, shia muslims have gathered at this sideline on this die known as ashoura, they commemorate the death of the grandson of the prophet muhammed. mourners will bray late into the night and reenact the battle in

the streets of the city. >> we are defying any terrorists and come here because love of iman hussein runs in my blood. >> he brought the message that islam is peace and that's why i come here. >> according to iraqi authorities, around 3.5 million people will come from all over the world. it's a real community atmosphere, and food and drinks are free. zambrano hussein banned the ceremony when he ruled. for 20 years, they would worship in secret. in 2003, after sadaam, the ceremony once again occurred publicly, but it's been far from peaceful. every year, armed groups have monumented attacks here and across iraq and every year, the security presence gets bigger. >> security is a massive operation.

35,000 troops have been deployed on to the streets and check points ring this entire area. this is the biggest operation that the iraqi army have mounted in nearly 10 years. >> it's up to this man to direct the operation and make sure things pass without incident. >> i'm confident that this period will pass without incident. we have mounted a sophisticated operation with several agencies and we have brought in intelligence gathering and extra troops. this is all to counter any attack by al-qaeda and its affiliates. >> despite that confidence, things are worsening here in iraq. already, there have been suicide and car bomb attacks across the country. this has been the bloodiest year for the country since 2008. this year, 7,000 people have died. while they mourn for iman hussein who fell 1300 years ago, they also mourn for those who have fallen more recently.

>> that's right. the fact that ashoura has passed without incident will be a huge relief to the prime minister. he staked his reputation on making sure that the bigger city is of this country were safe. that has meant the smaller towns, rural areas have seen violence. we have as we said earlier seen nearly 54 people day and 115 people injured in small attacks across iraq. >> thank you very much. a major militant group is not leave i go syria anytime soon. hezbollah has beenifying alongside bashar al asses in civil war. speaking to thousands of people on the holy day of ashoura, the forces are dominated by an off

shoot of ashoura. >> >> they are alive but not much more. a hole in the ground is home for these syrians displaced by the war. >> what kind of life is this? can this really be called living, to live in a cave? >> the family took refuge here. their few belongings make it somewhat tolerable. there are many caves in the country side in northwestern syria. at first, they were used as temporary bomb shelters, but now have become permanent residence for people displaced within syria. >> we've been taking shelter in this cave for a year. i'm responsible for seven people, and i'm just a widow.

you can see what it's like. >> fighting insects and illnesses and the humid conditions are some of the challenges. above all is the challenge of finding enough food to eat, and holed up, these little ones read books from a school they can no longer attend. with the war pushing them underground, refugees are left living in what seems like the prehistoric past. >> russian president putin called syrian president bashar al assad, two leaders speaking about the geneva conference aimed at ending that civil war and the massive humanitarian crisis. >> ross shimabuku with sports, a college football player in trouble with the law. >> james whitman has been sparkling on the field, off field investigated for sexual assault. the university and his attorney confirm that tallahassee police

were looking into an alleged assault that took place last december. the suspect listed on the police report is described at 5'9" and 5'11". winston stands at 6'4". he has yet to be interviewed by police and not named in the report. florida state is ranked number two into the country. we recently spoke to michael eaves to get her take on the investigation. >> it's a year old. i don't know why it's popping up now. it seems the tallahassee police department has something and passed it on to a special victims unit. the state's attorney is involved. florida state is standing by its quarterback, saying that they think he did nothing wrong and his attorney thinks he did nothing wrong. they thought the case was closed. it is almost a year old. i don't know what to make of this. there's got to be no smoke here

to have this case reopened. >> the best pitch in all of baseball, clayton kershaw. there's talk of a $300 million deal to keep him in l.a. the 25-year-old continues to prove his worth, named your n.l. cy young awar award winner, his second and he's only 25. the southpaw led the league in strikeouts sporting a 16-9 record. e.r.a.s the lowest in 13 years. over in the american league, no surprise here, the tigers scherzer won the award. the 29-year-old posted a 21-3 record, second in the league in strikeouts. the postseason award show continues today with the naming of the most valuable player. in the american league, the tigers miguel cabrera looking to win back-to-back m.v.p. awards. in the national league, the pirates andrew mccutchen had a

monster season and definitely is the 80 especially since he led the pirates into their first playoff appearance in 20 years. >> some sad news in the nfl, former raiders tight end christensen passed away after a liver transplant surgery. he led the league in receptions in 1983 and 1986, setting the record for catches in a season by a tight end in the process. christensen has been suffering from liver disease and other illnesses. todd christianson was 59 years old. >> the last chance to qualify for the world cup for mexico is a huge deal. the last time they did not qualify, 1990. mexico took care of business as they dominated 5-1. these two teams will play neck week and mexico is in great position. the team that scores the most

goals in the two games will advance to a 2014 world cup in brazil. mexico looking good. the game is next wednesday in new zealand. >> pins and needles in mexico for that game. they were very concerned. >> a valuable stockpile of ivory will be destroyed. the message the government is sending to elephant poachers by crushing six tons of confiscated tusks. >> it might be brisk out there, but you're at least dealing with dry skies for most of the country. i'll show you the couple of troubled spots. >> live in times square, where it is chilly outside. people are bundling up, going to work and getting ready for that all-important holiday shopping season.

>> audiences are intelligent and they know that their

>> we are getting breaking news. we've learned that george washington strike group aircraft carrier arrived on its mission of relief. it includes 21 helicopters which will be instrumental in getting aid to hard-hit areas.

the arrival increases the number of forces in that region to nearly 1,000 from america. >> we are looking at a massive stockpile of pricey ivory set to be destroyed. first we want to find out if it is going to rain where you are. we turn to nicole mitchell. >> if you have an air flight or taking a road trip, this is not bad weather. we've seen far worse recently. we have a couple of disturbance areas, midwest, northwest. most of the eastern half of the country is dry now after that front went through. the couple areas that we have, enough of a disturbance in the midwest, a couple of light showers, minnesota through nebraska. i've looked up reports this morning. most of this is light rain. a lot of places, if you even see something, it would be very small amounts if not trace amounts. we have the next system pushing into the northwest, a little more rain expected to really, but today, you can watch for light rain and some areas of snow in those higher elevations, but really, it's just the

temperatures, they'll be on the rise toward the weekend and everyone loves to hear that, including you, dell. >> i love it indeed. this year could be one of the warmest on record, greenhouse gases meaning warm temps. leaders are meeting to confront global warming and reduce greenhouse gases. they hope to have a deal in place by 2015. >> u.s. fish and wildlife service will destroy 16 tons of ivory. this is the first time a collection of its size has been destroyed in the u.s. as part of an effort to end the $10 billion a year black market ivory trade. aljazeera explains. >> this is the national wildlife collection. >> we have here six tons of

ivory that we're going to crush. it represents the six tons of ivory that we seized over 25 years from our criminal investigations. >> all of this from the massive elephant trunks to these trinkets carved from illegal ivory is destined to be destroyed. >> this is very intricate and quite the artwork. >> it represents at the very least one dead elephant. >> wild after visits say tens of thousands of elephants were approached for their ivory. >> it's sort of like drug dealing. he instead of cocaine, ivory horn is the substance now illegally smug would into the country. >> not only the tusks and trinket, but in this container, you have thousands and thousands of ivory bracelets and necklaces, one ton of ivory from one seizure. >> the illegal trade remains a major threat to the world's elephant population. the size of herds declined in

the 1970's and 1980's. experts fear young elephants are now being killed. >> what we see now is smaller and smaller tusks. these are large ones here. toward the end, we have what really look like youngsters teeth. that is shocking, showing us that ivory is trading at such a high value on the black market now that they will move small pieces of ivory. >> the fish and wildlife service wants to send a message to poachers around the world. >> by principle and policy, the united states fish and wildlife service doesn't sell or put a value on a dangered or he therenned species. because there is illegal ivory, we're not going to sell it. >> some pieces of cultural and historical significance have been saved and some pieces of the crushed ivory will be used

to build a memorial to the slaughtered elephants. aljazeera, denver, colorado. >> conservationists say poaching has grown worse over the last decade, saying elephants could be exsting by 2025. >> there has been a volcano eruption in indonesia, sending ash spewing four miles into the air. it came back to life in 2010. aljazeera continues in just two and a half minutes. that's when we'll have your news headlines. check us out 24 hours a day at aljazeera.com. this is a look at the capitol building in washington.

>> only on al jazeera america. determining using some sort of subjective interpretation of their policy as to whether or not your particular report was actually abusive, because if it doesn't contain language that specifically threatens you directly or is targeted towards you specifically, they may not consider it abuse. they may consider it offensive. and in that case they just recommend that you block that person. >> i don't want to minimise this, because i mean, there's

some really horrible things that are on line, and it's not - it's not just twitter, what has happened through social media and the anonymity of the net is that you see websites, hate-filled websites targetting all sorts of groups, popping up. there has been a huge number of those that exist as well. (vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. (vo) we pursue that story beyond the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capitol. (vo) we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. (vo) and follow it no matter where it leads, all the way to you. al jazeera america. take a new look at news.