>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are the stories we're following for you. israel forcing its opposition against iran's nuclear program and now wants to talk with the u.s. children struggling to survive syria's bloody civil war, but will they live long enough to survive the latest effort towards peace. and the winter storm headed towards the business corridor during thanksgiving.

>> israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said he's sending his national security adviser to washington to talk. it's after the deal reached with iran concerning it's nuclear program. many are skeptical that iran will abide by the deal struck in the wee hours in switzerland. lisa stark is in washington, lisa, this is one controversy that seems to know no party lines. >> reporter: absolutely. there are opponents on the republican and democratic side. del, this morning very strong language from hour majority eric cantor. he was speaking on cbs this morning. he called the deals dangerous and said it brings iran closer to almosting a nuclear power. and kevin mccarthy said this six months is just barely a beginning.

>> i would caution the president from overselling this deal. it is not a full dismantling of their program. that would be a historical deal. when you have friends and allies in region strongly opposed to it, i would caution it. >> reporter: here is maryland senator ben car done. >> the bottom line is we have to work with the international community. are we concerned that iran will circumvent this agreement? of course we are concerned about it. we'll make sure that that doesn't happen. >> reporter: and they're ready and eager to enpose tougher sanctions. >> it seems to be taking a page out of ronald reagan's test but verify. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry said we're going into this with our eyes wide open,

and president obama has indicated if iran does not live up to its part of the deal the u.s. can reimpose sanctions and even as he put it, ratchet up the pressure. there are decades of mistrust on both sides so this is not an easy way to head. del? >> thank you very much. iran's leader say they support the deal but what about the people? it seems that some iranians were hoping for more. we have reports from tehran. >> reporter: is it a good deal for a bad deal? it depends on who you speak to in iran. but most people agree any deal is worth it. it is what iranians wanted, the result to end decades of hostility and sanctions. it's shameful the u.s. claims to be concerned about. humans rights if a government is against another government why would they punish people for it. it's been 34 years. the. >> reporter: under the deal 35

plus 1 powers have agreed the purchase of iranian oil and assist iran in the humanitarian field including the importation of medicine. >> after lifting of sanctions people can buy things easier because the price also go down and people wouldn't be under pressure. for example, i have children abroad, i sent money to them. the price of u.s. currency has dropped. >> reporter: in total the deal will provide $7 billion in sanctions relief. but that's not much compared to what iran has lost under the current sanctions. at least $80 billion in oil revenues alone since the start of last year. >> if in the coming months of the united states tries to cheat iran or tries to twist the deal in a way which makes it hurtful for the iranians, then that could hurt the deal, definitely.

>> reporter: if pleasing iranians is a challenge, pleasing hard liners will be tougher. some believe negotiations won't happen at all. >> reporter: president is not the only one pleased with these stalks. the supreme leader is, too,ed a ththe eyealso it might be just e that is the only thing that can silence hard liners and give this deal a chance of succeeding. al jazeera, tehran. >> israel sending it's national security adviser to discuss the deal of iran. while calling the deal a historic mistake. >> reporter: at the end of the day, despite the receip rhetorig

out of israel, the bilateral relationship will survive, and the two will agree to disagree. the u.s. just made a deal that basically announce iran to be a nuclear threshold state. and if iran were to decide to make a nuclear weapon even after this deal, it would be only six to eight weeks. israel said that no deal is acceptable unless iran loses its capability to make nuclear weapons. whether or not that rhetoric will continue is all the long-term deal that the u.s. wants to take. the u.s. says it wants to take away it's nuclear capacity. until then, you'll see the rhetoric from benjamin netanyahu as we saw over the last two da days. >> israel has many friends and allies.

but it's my obligation to speak out clearly and openly and say so. it's my solemn responsibility to protect and defend the one and only jewish state. >> reporter: for netanyahu this is a personal thing. he truly believes that iran poses an existential threat, and he'll oppose this deal until he sees a long-term deal that will take away iran's capacity to make a nuclear weapon. before world war ii chamberlain made a deal with hitler, and he sees it that kind of deal. israel won't be happy until iran's capability of making a

weapon is truly taken away. >> picture right here showing pakistani officers holding up a model of the new set unmanned vehicle. it's not clear if the drones are armed. the death toll from typhoon haiyan with the latest figures coming in saying 5,235 people have been confirmed dead. 1,613 are still missing and close to 3.5 million people have been displaced by that storm. this is international aid continues to poor into the country. china now sending a team of countries and nurses to layte island. they set up a field hospital to treat the victims of the storms. and the hospital is expected to arrive today in the samara province.

we're looking at a major storm that could really hamper your travel plans. here is dave warren with the latest. >> reporter: yes, terms will hamper the >> this is eyes that has come down across texas and oklahoma. look at what it did there in texas. ten inches of snow coming down. where there wasn't snow coming down it was freezing. we have a number of accidents happening in texas and also in oklahoma city. that was amarillo. this is lubbock that had snow coming down. they're really taking precaution there is. the temperatures are down blow the freezing mark in little rock. this area of rain will slowly move east and then really develop and impact the travel. i'll have the latest with the thanksgiving forecast coming up. del. >> thank you very much. connecticut officials say they will release a report into

last december' sandy hook elementary school shooting. the shooting killed 20 children and six adults. >> reporter: every parents' nightmare. new town, connecticut, decembe december 14, almost one year ago. 20 children and six women were shot six days before christmas. the gunman killed his own mother in her bed before driving to the school. he carried with him a bush master 223 caliber rifle, two handguns and multiple rounds of ammunition. a second round was found in his car. the shootings shocked the nation. president obama made a tribute

two days later. >> can we honestly say we're doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm? >> it ignited a nationwide campaign for gun law reform on radio and tv. a bill was drafted and passed around the senate for a few weeks calling for a man on semiautomatic weapons. polls show public opinion in favor of gun law reform. >> today's summary will be released on the division of crime justice wins a website at 3:00 p.m. victim's families will be briefed on the report before it's made public but there will be no new photos or video. that's ban from public release under connecticut law. a small measure designed to protect the victims' families and the people of sandy hook as

they brace for the first anniversary of the day that forever changed their lives. john terrett, al jazeera. >> thousands of soldiers are coming back from war and looking for work. next on al jazeera america we'll show you how veterans are using special loans to start their own businesses. the world. >> the situation has intensified here at the border. >> start every morning, every day, 5am to 9 eastern with al jazeera america.

>> a breakthrough in syria's long and bloody war. the two sides are going to hold peace talks on january 22nd. james bays is at the united nations with developments. the talks leading up to the talks, the biggest question seems to involve who is going to show up? >> reporter: absolutely, and there is a big problem here. they've been trying to arrange the peace conference since may when they came up with the idea. they've had provisional dates

over and the opposition before said there were pre-conditions before they talk. so each time they've been unable to stage the talks. now they're trying to force their hand by publicly announce the day of january 22nd. it was announced by general secretary ban ki-moon. >> this is a mission of hope. we go with a clear understanding that the geneva conference with the aspirations of all the syrian people for freedom, dignity, and which guarantees safety and protection to all. >> reporter: well, that was about all he said. he didn't take any questions from reporters, and there are key questions still unanswered. who are going to be there from the international community because many say this conference won't really work if you don't have the presence of iran, which is syria's closest military ally

and has had, we believe, military advisers on the ground in syria and saudi arabia, the biggest supporter of the opposition. they're not answering that at this stage. >> and do they say if assad coming or going is still on the table? >> reporter: they're trying to have both sides arnold the table before discussing that. reliable sources told me when i was in geneva the last few days is to have a photo opportunity for at press, and then ambassador brahimi will get the delegation around the table. just syrians. he wants the talks to last under a month and he wants a total of nine people. >> peace in syria can't come soon enough for those who are

affected by the war. >> reporter: it's 1:00 on wednesday afternoon in a district of damascus. one of the local activists is asking a group of children what it's like living here? >> when we were at school piles of dead bodies were brought in every day. we used to see them being prepared for burial. >> reporter: as they continue to tell their story this happened. [ explosions ] a shell hits the area. it's a snapshot of what it's like on the ground. while political bickering has the luxury of time, many living here do not. almost half of syrians are now depend on foreign aid to survive. that's 9.3 million people. 6.5 million are displaced while

over 2 million have fled syria. many live in refugee camps in neighboring countries. 100,000 people have been killed and a new report by the oxford research group say 11,000 of those are children. but today these children have survived. al jazeera managed to track them down in the syrian capitol. >> we were riding our bikes when we saw the accident. he said, i want to film you. when we started filming the shell landed. we didn't get hurt. my mother started crying. >> my mother also cried. >> reporter: many ask the question if political pressure paved the way for a safety visit for chemical inspectors here, why can't the same be done for aid that the people desperately need. >> marshal law has been declared in thailand, protesters forcing

their way in the city's finance buildings today. this is the largest move since the protesting began three weeks ago. a gunman has been sighted on and near the campus. most have left the area for thanksgiving but those there are being asked to stay in shelter in place and we'll have more on the story as it becomes available. as the war in afghanistan winds down thousands of american soldiers are coming back home, and they're looking for work. many are taking advantage of low-interest loans to start their businesses. >> reporter: with just days left before the start of the holiday season employs at chocolate works in new york, are in high gear. melting, decorating and packing up goodies to send to customers all across the country. >> i worked since i was four

years old, and i have chocolate in my veins. >> reporter: joe took over the business from his father. a former broker. but he and his da da dad have something in common, they're both veterans. >> reporter: he spent two years in iraq during some of the bloodiest days in fighting. he always knew he wanted to take over the family business. but he didn't have the golden ticket. >> it cost abouts $300,000 to open up your business with the insurance and machinery, and getting everything going, but a lot of veterans don't have that saved. >> reporter: but he found "vet loan advantage." it offers commercial real estate long-term low-interest rates.

rates that most commercial banks can't compete with. more than 7,000 loans from give through veteran loan programs. the goal increase lending to veterans by 5% every single year for the next five years. leaving somleadership, understag self-discipline, adopting to changing circumstances very quickly. those are skills learned in the military, and they lead to success as a small business owner. >> reporter: the 20-year fixed rate low-interest loans provide the working capital that whaley said he couldn't have gotten at a bank. >> this machine that you're looking at now is a machine that the 50,000 loan that new york bbc got me for being a veteran.

>> what's more, vets tend to hire vets adding. much needed jobs to the economy. with their loan chocolate works has expanded to three stores with more opportunities. he plans to take another loan to keep expanding. now that's what i call success. >> it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in one part of the world. coming up in al jazeera america, the guinness book of records for the most lights.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are the day's top stories. returning to our breaking news out of connecticut. yale university asking anyone on campus to shelter in place. there is confirmed sighting of a

gunman on or near campus. most of the student body has left for thanksgiving but those who are still there are asked to stay in shelter in place. for the first time syrian government officials and opposition groups have agreed to sit down and talk peace. they're scheduled for early next year in geneva. mixed reaction on capitol hill members of congress are against that iran nuclear deal saying they want more sanctions against the country. and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said he's accepting his national security adviser to washington for talks. a story of more than just black and white. tonya mosley has the story. >> reporter: 27-year-old photographer is in downtown portland looking for something hard to find. >> here we go. >> reporter: black faces. >> i was wondering if i could take your picture.

please. >> reporter: the memphis, tennessee, native had no idea when she moved here three years ago that portland was ranked as the whitest major city in america with 76% of the population white, according to the seaso census bureau, own 7%e black. capturing the rare black faces part of a projects she calls the black portlanders. >> reporter: portland is white by design. it not only excluded blacks from moving here but wrote it's exclusion in its constitution. >> before the civil war oregonians adopted three different times exclusion laws that made it simply illegal for a black person to move to oreg oregon. >> reporter: the laws were repealed by the legacy lives on. >> the problem for

african-americans in oregon is that simply you don't have that culture context that you might find in other places in larger cities, for example. >> reporter: there are few obvious signs of black culture in portland. even in neighborhoods where blacks were forced to live during segregation. a policy known as red lining. where have they gone? many have moved to the issues replaced by white families looking for affordable housing in the city. stephen green grew up here. he owns a restaurant in an area years ago where blacks were refused loans to start businesses. he said there is fertile opportunity for blacks to live and thrive. >> if we see one black person, one. if we see another three, four. you know, and we keep adding on. i believe we're at now-- >> i have six.

dave has three. >> i'm a measly one and a half, two. we're not doing too well. >> reporter: all said they moved here in a heartbeat, the neighborhoods, the art scene and opportunity. it's what she sees in her photography collection, an opportunity to showcase the small but present black population and culture in portland. tonya mosley, al jazeera, portland, oregon. ♪ >> meteorologist: i'm dave warren, big troubles this holiday week as storms continue to impact travel along the east coast. in arkansas there is freezing rain coming down. the mix is registered as light rain and snow, and it could freeze on contact. here it's down below the freezing mark. here is how this storm will develop right to the forecast. monday, it's along the southeast. but as it begins to move north

as the low intensifies it could move into colder air. there is a mix tuesday morning and it could start as a mix up around i-95, washington, d.c. philadelphia, new york, but the storm will bring up warm air with it. it will quickly change to heavy rain and it will continue as snow across ohio, pennsylvania, and new york, and in that heavy rain continues tuesday and wednesday. this is a big travel day. a lot of delays despite the rain. four to six inches of snow tuesday night into wednesday. del? >> thank you very much. well, it feels like july down under, but it hasn't dampened the holiday spirit in australia. one family setting the "g" guinness world record of having 500,000 christmas lights attached to their house. can you imagine their power bill? they're lucky the local power company said it's going to help out. thanks for watching al jazeera

america. i'm del walters. check us out 24 hours a day on www.aljazeera.com. if you were holding outz. hope that bipartisanship still had aerolite to play, you can give up. today the democratic leader harry reid launched the so called nuclear option and removed the minorities ability to exercise what little power it had left, to block president obama's judicial nominees. frustrated with the g.o.p.'s long list of obstructive judges and agency heads, the move by the democrats upended 225 years of senate history,