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tv   News  Al Jazeera  November 21, 2013 12:00pm-12:31pm EST

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welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. could it be the death of the filibuster? it has been around for two centuries and now democrats say they want to change the rules. the family of an 85-year-old american veteran says he was pulled off of a plane in north korea and is being held against his will. and a volcanic eruption creates an island in japan. ♪ we begin on capital hill
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where there is renewed talk o triggers the so-called nuclear option. harry reid now moving to change filibuster rules. democrats want their revised to get several of president obama's judicial contaminations moving forward. >> dell, republicans block these nominations, and democrats are furious. they say they are non-controversial amroi non-controversial -- appointments. take a listen to senator reid. >> during this congress, the 113th congress, the united states has wasted an unprecedented amount of time on procedural hurdles and partisan
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obstruction. as a result, the work of this country goes undone. congress should be passing legislation that strengthens our economy, protects american families. instead we're burning wasted hours and wasted days between filibusters. >> so the nuclear option means it would take the simple majority to overcome this filibuster threat. you think about senator rand paul doing a marathon talk session on the senate floor. often it is just the threat of a filibuster that holds up something. this is getting a bit of a derisive response from republican, both because they thought senator reid has been bluffing, but also because they say he is trying to change the conversation from healthcare to this. >> in other words they believe one set of rules should apply to
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them, to them, and another set to everybody else. he may have just as well have said if you like the rules of the senate, you can keep them? [ laughter ] >> huh? >> dell, of course that a reference to president obama talking about your health care, if you like your plan, you can keep it. you heard laughter in the chamber, that is because the senate is packed today. everyone is around, because this is a big moment. >> libby it begs then the question is this a case of wag the dog? we are talking about the nuclear option, not the affordable care act, and do the republicans have a fight here? >> house speaker john boehner says he thinks this is just a distraction point. but democrats say the
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republicans have held up crucial appointments. this specifically targets judicial nominees and executive branch nominees excluding the supreme court. they say we just want to get these people in place, and if you are president obama you need a full team so you should be given an opportunity to get the people you nominated in place, get a simple up or down vote and move on. these are significant judicial appointments and as senator reid brought up today, it's not just them, it's the executive appointments as well. people like secretary hagel his nomination was held up for a month, and he is even a republican. they say enough is enough. >> libby casey thank you very much. the son of an 85-year-old
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korean war veteran says his father is being held in north korea. he went there as a visitor, and his son says he was detained when he tried too leave the country. neither the state department nor the government of north korea has confirmed the report. but melissa chan is going to give us some perspective on the situation. isn't north korea on the u.s. state department list of countries to avoid for u.s. citizens? >> the state department can only advise americans not to go to certain countries, in this case north korea, but mr. newman had the freedom to go there if we wanted if granted a visa. he went via a beijing-based tour company. you can tell imagine that before they bring any tourist into north korea, because this is
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quite a type of specific adventure traveling, that they would warn people what to do and what not to do, and one thing they make very clear is you have to listen to your north korean guide. that was the experience we had ourselves. they tell you what to do and where to go, and you are not supposed to step out of the hotel room. >> so melissa what kind of recourse does the family have? >> unfortunately the family will have to wait and depend on the state department. this is something the north koreans will try to use to their advantage, perhaps to get food aid or some sort of concession from the united states. >> and the north koreans also holding another american in custody. kenneth bae sentenced to 15 years in prison last year. what is his status? do we know? >> it looks like his status is going to be those 15 years in
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prison. the state department has done everything they can so far. perhaps he'll be able to leave in the future, but the north koreans will want concessions from the united states. >> melissa thank you very much. joining us is mark kimmitt, is this man being used by north korea as a pawn? >> well, it certainly is the case that there doesn't appear to be any reason they should be holding him, either for espionage or crimes inside the country, so one is drawn to that conclusion. >> are you concerned that right before he was detained he talked to military officials about his possible involvement in the korean war? >> i -- i would be. like my father who is a veteran of the korean war. they were serving their country. they were not doing this on their own. he was serving as an officer
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during the war, but nonetheless there is no reason why a former soldier doing his duty to his country, should somehow have that taken out in revenge 60-plus years later. >> is there a difference between the two countries beyond what we already know. in this country it is common for veterans to talk about what they did or did not do in war. in north korea those wounds are still very fresh. did that open an old fisher that didn't need to be open? >> the real question is north korea exploiting that for purposes of holding him so he can be used as a pawn in a larger game that they are playing. >> are we as the american public -- should we be getting used to the saber rattles? after all we were on the brink of war and then we had the
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dennis rodman visit. should we be getting used to this? >> well, unfortunately we still have an american being kept and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but the reasonableness on both sides of the table will be the right way forward. there is no reason for saber rattles, quiet diplomacy is what is going to solve this situation and hopefully get mr. newman home to his family as soon as possible. >> mark, thank you very much. now to geneva where negotiates from six world leaders, including the u.s. are back in negotiations today. phil ittner gins us live from
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geneva. phil, where are we today? >> well, dell, there have been a lot of meetings behind closed doors, but as you mention, we do hear there is a draft resolution that is being fine tuned. primarily today the center point of the talks have been around the eu meeting with the irani iranian -- delegation. but we did hear there has been some progress. >> it is not your classic bilateral, it was a real meaningful substantial negotiation, trying to drill down into the details and try to narrow the differences that still existed after the last round. >> so it is also interesting to know we did get a message from the u.s. delegation, they said
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there has been no bilateral meeting between the u.s. and iran today. very interesting. it is possible they have been in those meetings with the eu, but no one on one talks today. dell. >> phil, thank you very much. ♪ >> i'm dave warren. we're talk about a volcanic eruption happening off of the coast of japan. this is an image but there is dramatic video. you can see that below the water this volcano is erupting and actually forming an island. sometimes these islands stick around, other times they disappear. it has not happened since the '70s, and japan said they
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welcome some new land. this is forming along this ring of fire. this is the pacific plate, the philippine plate, and they interact together. you get these volcanos forming and the actual spot is right there. this is tokyo, and this is where this is happening. a look at your national forecast coming up. >> dave warren thank you very much. up next there could be a game changer betweening the security agreement between the u.s. and afghanistan. mike? >> president obama says there is a deal after the combat troops leave at the end of next year, but hamid karzai says not so fast. and tomorrow will be the 50th anniversary of the assassination of john f. kennedy. >> peace is a process, a way of
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solving problems. with such a peace there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are were families and nations. world peace like community peace requires that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement, and history teaches us that 'em thatty between nations as between individuals do not last forever. however fixed our likes and dislikes may seem, the time of tide and events will often bring surprising changes in the relations between nations and neighbors, so let us persevere, peace need not be impractical. education... gun control...
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the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america
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the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream.
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welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. there could be a game changer concerning the security agreement between the u.s. and afghanistan. it involves the issue of trust, the afghan president indicating he does not trust the u.s. that while being so tainted president obama has sent a letter to president karzai. mike there were concerns that karzai wanted a letter of apology. >> well, there are a number of issues on the table, as though united states tries to negotiation operations, participate has said time and time again that he is going to end the longest war in american history. there will be a residual force who remain in afghanistan. will they have immunity in afghan courts? but perhaps the touchiest issue
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are nighttime raids into the homes of afghan people. obviously it has happened time and time again over the course of the last several years. a very touchy subject with afghans as those forces hunt out taliban fighters. hamid convened a national council of elders to talk about the agreement on the table, an agreement that president obama says is waiting to be signed, but not so fast says hamid karzai. >> my trust with america is not good. i have argued with them regarding the security of our people, and they have made propaganda against me. >> you mentioned the letter that president obama sent, and karzai cited that letter several times. the president trying to nullify and satisfy some of those concerns. we'll read a little bit of it
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here . . . so what is on the table here? as i mentioned combat forces are supposed to be ending their operations in afghanistan. that is the promise long held by the president at the end of next year, but we're talking about up to 15,000 american troops remaining in afghanistan for quite sometime after that, dell. >> mike, thank you very much. ♪ here are today's business headlines. we are oh so close, positive news on the economy sending
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stocks higher. right now just 11 points away from dow 16,000, that puts the blue chips above the record closing price set on monday. helping to lift that market, some surprising numbers on the jobs front. and soon taxpayers won't have a steak in general motors. by the end of the year it will sell its shares of the company. taxpayers will wind up getting back about $40 billion. if you are doing the math, that means the taxpayers lost $10 billion on that investment. >> consumer reports says the model s with tesla is number one
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and had the highest score in years. in other news representative trey radel of florida is taking a leave of absence. he expressed regret last night during a news conference. he bought cocaine from an undercover officer in d.c. last month. a judge sentencing him to one-year probation on that charge. which is a misdemeanor. >> i am sorry. i have no excuse for what i have done. and i'm not going to sit here and try to make any excuses for what i have done. >> radel says he will donate his salary to charity while undergoing treatment for addiction. a $16 million lottery ticket in florida has yet to be claimed and is set to expire today. it could be the largest
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unclaimed jackpot in florida in some ten years. a massive cargo plane landed another the wrong airport in kansas last night. the faa is investigating. a group of three women are the first to finish an intense marine corps program in north carolina. it gets them ready for war. the pilot course was designed to see if women could serve in infantry units. if marines let the women in, the women won't go to an infantry unit just yet. they will start in non-combat jobs. up next on al jazeera america, it is one of the most treasured and visited sites in washington, the eternal flame, the final resting place of jfk.
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welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are today's headlines. a showdown today in the senate. democrats are pushing to change filibuster rules that have been used to block presidential nominations. democrats say republicans are using the long speeches to obstruct things. afghan president karzai says he doesn't trust the u.s. and they don't trust him. but he does support an agreement that would allow american forces to remain in his country until 2024. in geneva word leaders are meeting to try to reach an agreement on iran's nuclear program. tomorrow will mark 50 years since president john f. kennedy was assassinated in dallas. decades later there are new
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stories emerging about what happened before and after his death. mike viqueira has one on how kennedy became to be buried at arlington national cemetery. the eternal flame draws visitors from around the world, but it was supposed to burn in boston. some in the kennedy family wanted jfk laid at rest at his home in massachusetts. paul fuqua was a part-time tour guide at arlington house. it sits atop a hill overlooking the cemetery. one day paul fuqua had an unexpected visitor. >> it was late afternoon early evening, and cars pulled up, and a gentlemen with head phones said the president is here.
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he said he and his friend were just driving around town looking at the city and looked up here, and he had never been here, so they thought they would come up here. and then we came out here and the city is incredible. >> the words kennedy spoke next would loom large. >> we paused a little bit longer, and he said this is so lovely, i could stay here forever. >> a friend with the president that day remembered those words. he told the family the story. soon paul fuqua has more vip visitors to scout it out. >> robert kennedy asked if that could be done? could that be a grave cite? and secretary mcnamara said yes, he could convert it to that use instantly. and so that was it. ♪ >> the day came.
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kings, queens, and leaders from around the world, joining the grieving widow, jacky kennedy. full honors for the commander in chief. ♪ >> that's me. >> okay. >> but not all the military that day was american. two irishman found themselves at arlington. >> it doesn't seem like 50 years ago. >> straight from dublin, members of a drill team. they had impressed jfk during his visit to ire lacklanireland. >> we were very much in awe over this man. >> once home the president often spoke of them to jacky.
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when the time came, she came for them. >> the stunning message was get your act in order as quickly as possible, get your gear together, we're going to the kennedy funeral in the morning. >> once in position, they were anxious, astonished to find themselves literally at grave side. >> what if something goes wrong. and your minds would wander and then you would have to get back and say to yourself, you're here to do a job, simply do the job and get on with it. >> 50 years later, and it still is something i will never ever forget. >> both playing an unexpected role in playing the president to rest. mike viqueira, al jazeera, washington. i'm meteorologist dave warren.
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there's nothing to stop this cold air coming in from the north. you can see the line, a little darker shade, that's the cold air pushing in from the north. rain changing to snow in colorado and eventually start to see some rain fall into that cold air, and it could freeze before it hits the ground and may not be snow. and it will continue overnight tonight and by tomorrow morning, could be waking up to a slippery roadway here. temperatures are still slowly dropping. it has not quite dropped yet in kansas or oklahoma but it will, and there is that mix across dallas. saturday 45 degrees, clearing out and a little warmer on sunday. >> dave, thank you very much. and thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. "the stream" is next. and we are oh so close again on
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the dow. up 89 points, just a tick shy of dow 16,000. ♪

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