this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i am tony harris with a look at today's top stories: contraceptives, healthcare and the supreme court. the latest challenge for the affordable care act. also, what a u.s. withdrawal might mean for the people of afghanistan: a big, ugly winter storm is affecting holiday travelers. when the skies clear, get ready for the celestial show of the decade. the latest dispute over the president's healthcare law is going to the supreme court. justices today say they will

hear two cases targeting birth control coverage. two companies want to deny their employees the right to contraception. they are arguing their right to the exercise a religious objection. the two businesses bringing the suits, the arts and crafts chain, hobby lobby and conestoga woods. >> let's talk about hobby loby, an arts and craft chain started in oklahoma city. now with 500 stores, 13,000 full-time employees. the 10th circuit court of appeals rules hobby lobby should be exempt from the affordable care act. hobby lobby claims the aca requirement violates the company's religious principles because the owners believe some forms of birth control are ta tantamount to abortion but they have none with dye programs and birth control pills.

t one issue is rather for profit operations have the right to religious freedom like an individual does under the first amendment. hobby lobby's owners say they should be protected as their company operates in a manner consistent with biblical principles, for example, their stores are closed on sundays. they buy ads inviting people to know jesus as lord and safe yearnior. the lawyer safor hobby lobby sa it's ant important fight for ream lun religious freedom. cecile richards, the president of planned parenthood says if they rule in favor of the corporations, the ruling will open the door to businesses denying coverage based upon their owner's personal beliefs, denying coverage for treatments like vaccines, surgeries, blood trans trans fusions or mental healthcare. constitutional law expert katherine frankie says the case

has implications far beyond the affordable care act. >> for-profit companies are asserting a right to religious liberty when their owners are the ones who possession that right. but they are using the right to religious liberty as a way to carve out non-compliance with civil rights that are well established under the constitution or are well established as public norms against discrimination. >> hobby lobby's case is one of at least 40 lawsuits filed in federal court challenging birth control coverage benefits mandated in the affordable care act. tony? >> all right. this is going to be an important case to follow in the months ahead. we will get a decision probably in june, i believe, from the supreme court. randall, appreciate it. thank you. now, for a reaction from the white house, return to white house correspondent mike viqueira. mike, i understand the administration randall alluded to was quick to rerelies lease a statement on this? >> the president continued his travels on the west coast, on his way back to washington now.

as this news broke that the supreme court had indeed greed to take up this case, the white house issued a statement. first of all, they point out the fact that earlier in the spring, the white house asked the supreme court to the consider this case because they believe that they are on firm ground. but here in part is how the statement reads: the healthcare law puts women and families in control of their healthcare by covering vital preventive care like cancer screenings and birth control free of charge. it goes on. we believe this requirement is lawfully and essential to women's health and are confident the supreme court will agree. the administration also pointing out they have already insured through rule making through the affordable care act that no religious institutions would be forced to cover contraceptive coverage. tony? >> mike, let's do this. let's turn to afghanistan. we are going to dive into this pretty deeply in a few moments here it looks like a deal to finalize that long-term security agreement between the u.s. and afghanistan you can answer i don't know when it is now.

what's happening? >> reporter: it was in limbo, a top administration official, the national security advisor, susan rice, went to afghanistan. they said it was a lock planned trip but comes at a crucial time. the security agreement, what will american forces look like? how many will there be? what will their mission be after the combat role is over as the president promised at the end of 2014. the president said there was an agreement the council of elders that was convened by hamid karzai over the weekend agreed, instructed president karzai to sign it but not so fast says karzai. he has a few problems, he says, afganis in gaunt gaunuantgaubt should be released. nighttime raids, he wants more ex plicit language in the agreement. the problem is the united states says this is it. this is what was agreed to. take it or leave it. we need to have it done now. susan rice after that despiting

meeting with karzi spoke with afghan television. >> if the agreement isn't signed promptly, what i said to the president is we would have no choice. we would be compelled by necessity, not by our preference to have to plan for the prospect we will not be able to keep our troops here because they will not be invited because the bsa will not have been. then the nature of our 3i7 and the investments we have made will be more difficult to sustain. >> essentially what we have now, tony, is a high-stakes game of chicken. it pivots on this key question: who wants american troops more to remain in afghanistan after 2014? the karzai government or the united states government? who stands to lose the most if th they are not there. >> mike, appreciate it. mike viqueira, at the whitehouse for us. if the afghan security packet isn't signed. chair at this funded by international donors are in jeopardy. that could mean really an about-face for the children who

have recently been able to go back to school. jane ferguson reports now from kabul >> reporter: amanula and his little brother, elham used to spend all day picking rubbish off of the street to sell for a few dollars. now, they go to school courtesy of a local charity, ashiana which helps children working on the streets catch up on studies and get back into the state educational system. >> i was collecting paper and the head of the school came to me. he asked me if i wanted to go to school, and i said, yes. >> chair at this funded by international donors are ang issue. a dispute between the americans and hamid karzai threat ends to jeopardize foreign donations if he doesn't sign a security packet with the u.s. soon. on monday, heated discussions between karzai and obama's national security advisor susan rice went nowhere. those running social projects

hearsay donor fatigue is already beginning to set in. the organization behind amanula and his brother's school used to run this shelter for street children. it shut its doors in march as money from abroadened. the organization searched for a proper school. >> those who are who are supposed to integrate next year to the school, those children. >> for several years, this facility gave street kids in kabul somewhere safe to sleep until they could have more long-term arrangements. it's empty. the charity that runs it said it ran out of funding for this project. this is indicative of many charity projects across the country struggle to go survive. some see karzai refusal to sign as a risky move, that perhaps

the u.s. is bluffing on its threats to cut aid. >> reporter: they believe the americans want to come here come hell or high water. they think they are in a strong bargaining position. that seems to be the view from the palace. >> it's a different view from the classroom. the children continue to enjoy themselves, unaware of the political crisis and how it could end what little they have. jane ferguson, al jazeera, kabul. >> happy to welcome jennifer glass who covers afghanistan for al jazeera. she is with us tonight. jennifer, how long has this agreement been in the works? it's months, isn't it? close to a year? maybe even a bit longer than? >> a bit longer than a year. the americans wanted a deal by the end of october. very complex negotiations. american officials told me repeatedly they thought they

were close a few weeks ago. >> was there a deal, or was there not a deal? the afghan president presents it to the loya jirga and now, there are new demands. can you explain what is going on here? >> i don't know if anyone can explain what's going on, tony. a draft deal was presented to the loya juryiirga last week, es hand picked by the government, approved by president karzai's government. he said what they said, he would abide by. john kerry came to kabul in october, a 24-marathon session about this security agreement, and he had hoped that president karzai would sign it then. there wasn't an agreement. there are some difficulties about the agreement. karzai said i want this grand meeting of elders to approve it. >> they did? >> they said among a number of

relationships they said they would like president karzai to sign it within the next month. >> what's going on here? i know it's difficult to read the mind of hamid zkarzai. he has been a thorn in the side of the united states. what's the card he is playing? what is he thinking about? his future? his legacy? he can't run for president again. his term is up in april. he has done this brinksmanship before, taken things to the edge before and gotten concessions out of the united states and other negotiating partners in the past. many people think he is going very, very far now. the fact that susan rice sits down across from him and says, we will consider pulling all of the troops out. if we don't have a deal by the end of this year, if this deal is not signed immediately, then

we have to consider a zero troop option. >> i have asked this a number of time for you in afghanistan and me in doha. what would afghan status look like, your best stimulation from yo your time on the ground there without u.s. troops after 2014. >> there is a lot of concern about that. a lot of people think that theferencely army isn't quite ready for prime time. they have real problems, not good at logistics, still problems with intelligence, still rely a lot on the united states for those kind of things as well as learning to get the until stuff together. >> a civil war? >> i don't know anyone knows about a civil war. unrest. the countryside is still very insecure. i think there is concern about what would happened. >> where does the taliban factor into this? >> the taliban have at first tried to negotiate and then said

they wouldn't negotiate. they have always been opposed to foreign forces. >> wanted no part of this agreement? >> wanted no part of this agreement. that's right. they are saying if the agreement goes forward, they will continue fighting, that they have no reason to continue with any sort of piece talks or any sort of piece negotiations. so the taliban always unhappy that foreign forces would be there and were looking forward to the fact that in 2014, foreign forces might leave. after gans are divided on this. some after gans believe if american forces leave, then there will be less trouble because that's who the taliban are attacking and the civilian casualties are collateral damage. and other afghans believe without the support of american forces, things will just get worse. >> does this get done, this deal in your estimation? your question -- your guess is as good as mine. >> jennifer, good to sue you t thank you. good to have you here. millions of people travel over the thanksgiving. probably you or someone in your family but winter weather could make it really tough for them to get to their destinations. the store has dumped several

inches of snow in parts of the west and will likely do the same in the northeast snow and rain have led to a lot of accidents. the storm has led to flight delays, cautionlations at airports across the nation. 7 here now for a look at the storm, its path, its potential impact. kevin? >> tony, a lot of people are on the roads now. they waited until tuesday afternoon. they got out of work and now they thought they would get a jump start on it. unfortunately, there are a lot of places that are seeing some really bad weather the southeast, an area, a nor'easter going to move up to the northeast, but tornado watches are now in effect for parts of florida, georgia coast, south carolina coast. this really affecting the i-95 corridor so that is a imagimajo problem, you are probably in your car. >> that's situation that the thunderstorms are making their way over here toward the east. also, we are watching what is

happening on i-81 here across parts of virginia, down across north carolina, very rainy conditions. visibility coming down. some rain showers are getting littles harder over the next couple of hours you have here toward north and pennsylvania, i-80, i-81, we have a lot of mixed precipitation here, snow mixed, sleet and rain across the area, a little bit further to the south, it is rain so a lot of problems, and tomorrow, airpor airports, boston, laguardia, we figured that. rain and wind. toward the west, pittsburgh is going to be the snow that's going to be a problem. when you have snow, you have to deal with de-icing the for atlanta, mostly in the morning. back to you. >> the latest chapter of bad news for barnes & noble. and there is good news from the

housing market. >> how you can track the progress of a comet that is hurdling toward the sun. >> that's next on al jazeera america.

president obama was in california today. he gave a speech at dreamworks studios in glendale. he reviewed his comic plan and the affordable care act and called it an engine of the

economy. >> entertainment is one of america's biggest exports. every day you sell a product that's made in america to the rest of the world, every time somebody buys movie tickets or dvds or distribution rights to a film, some of that money goes back to the local economy right here. >> well, the president said the entertainment industry is also an important tool of u.s. diplomacy. exporting american values of tolerance and diversity to audience around the world. the treasury department announced a push to change campaign financing rules under the proposed changes the irs would limit the political spending of some nonprofit groups. political non-profit groups are one of the fastest growing sources of campaign cash. it's believe to be the first book ever printed in the u.s., even before there was the united states. in less than an hour, history lovers will have the chance to buy the bach the bay psalm book it is said to be one of the

great artifacts of american history. it's expected to sit a record fetching between 50 and $30 million. the holiday shopping season is here. and already, retailers are trimming profit forecasts. among them >> barnes and new orleanss. it's shares took a real tumble in midday training. john terri joins us now with more on this story. john? >> thank you very much, tony. barnes and noble is the last nationwide mega bookstore that we have left. now, it saw profits spike up between july and september of this year, but it wasn't all good news because retail revenue declined by 7.5% and there is more bad news. there was a 4.6% dip in revenue at barnes & noble stars either on or near college campuses, even sales of their popular nook e reader were down more than 30%, much more than wall street had been expecting. it is ereaders like the nook that are the chief reason that barnes & noble is even with us

on main street today and how it out lasted the now defunct nationwide bookstore called "borders" which you may remember closed about two years ago. amazon.com is the reason we are having these wars in the book industry right now. and it's, to be hon event with you more like dickins, a tale of two cities than shakespeare's mid summernight's dream. they eat into the profits by offering deep discounts and cash in on the skyrocketing popularity of the e-readers including its own, and there it is, kindle fire. now, it's kind of hard to feel too sorry for barnes & noble because they are the ones who helped to push many of those mom and pop bookstores out of business in the '80s and early 2000s. new data from the american association of publishers show the overall book market in the united states was down by 6% this year.

there may be some pilgrim's progress for bookstore fans out there because many people would rather roam misty stacks than shop olbermann. the "new york times" said mom and pop booksellers say they are thriving, those who have managed to keep going in the country, and that is in marked contrast to their bigger rival. >> you put your writer's hat on for that one. didn't you? yes, you did, john terri. appreciate it? >> thank you. >> thank you, sir. signs of strength in the housing recovery according to new numbers out today. can't get to ali velshi fast enough for this one, the host of "real money." ali, what positives are you seeing? >> well, again, it's a continuation of something we have seen for a while. home prices gained a whopping 13.3% compared to where they were in september, 22012. so this is the september to september number. >> that's according to that big survey that comes out, the s & p k schiller home price index.

the last time we saw gains like this -- hope you are sitting down for this -- was february, 2006, back when the housing bubble was about to burst. i don't think that means it's about to burst, but that's a big gain. a separate report now today put out by the government shows permit today build new homes rose by 6.2% in october. >> that's the biggest jump, again, five and a half years, tony, so, you know, some people call that a bubble, but for some people, that means they are getting out from being buried under foreclosures, getting the money back that they need. so i like to look at it that way. >> any other nuggets, surprises in the figures today? >> yeah. it's annub day where you get two big housing reports. >> yeah. >> on the same day. there is an interesting nugget from the october report i want to point out. housing permits to build multi-family structures. >> that's generally speaking, apartment buildings, holding five units or more were up 24% in october compared to the same time last year. >> that's almost three times the gains that were seen for the

permits to build single-family homes. i don't know what that means exactly but that's a very bull issue sign. i am not sure why we are being -- getting more permits for multi-family homes than single family homes. these nuggets come out somewhere later on. a few months later, i will hear something and say, that's what that was. >> yeah, i can't . yeah. >> 2006, 2008, it's just going to take awhile to work all the of this through? >> a lot of damage done. it will take awhile. one has to worry when you see jumps like this. remember, people saying my god, the housing market is on fire. i've got to get in. remember these things go up and come down. >> ali, can't wait to see the show tonight, 7:00 p.m. on al jazeera america, "real money" with ali velshi? >> space lovers will be casting their eyes -- what is that spinning? they are hoping for a glimpse of a comeit eyeson.

it formed more than 4 billion years ago. is that it up there?ison. it formed more than 4 billion years ago. is that it up there? comeit watt watch. >> ison has been traveling 45 and a half million years. astron members and amateurs have been following this, from the astrofifter the fisicist lab, ts put up on flickr. he is in new mexico and mike hankey actually an amateur photographer. he loves to photograph space, and he took a picture of this. so, what is inside this comit? it's made of ice and rock and other compounds. the nucleus is about four miles across, so think of it as the size of a small mountain.

and this is a path that it's taking. this is from solar system scope.com. you can see here, you have the earth right here. you've got venus here, mars here, the sun right here and right here is where comit ison is. so it's been coming down this pa path. right? this is in october, and in november, you could see it with a telescope. and then around november 16th, right about here, you could see it with the naked eye. then it came. it's coming right around here it's going to be about 600,000 miles away from the sun on thanksgiving day. if it makes it around safely, it's going to come up this way, and you will be able to see it in the northern hemisphere around december 6th for a couple of weeks, you will be able to see it before sunset and after. excuse me. after sunset and before sunrise. now, there is a 40 to 60% chance that the comet will make it around the sun safely. take a listen.

>> it could be tough enough to survive the passage of "the sun" and be a fairly bright naked eye object in the sky in the first week of december or the sun could actually pull it apart. and so it has several chunks rounding the sun and putting on a great show and again, in early december, if the comet is weak, it could break up into a cloud of dust and be a complete dust. >> the reason why scientists are so interested in this comet is because they will find out more of what it's made from and more about our solar system four billion years ago. and tony, there is going to be a google hangout for nasa.gov on thursday because they are looking at this closely. >> i have a guest on this tomorrow on the program. i am going to need a couple of minutes with you. you said you can explain everything you just showed to the audience? >> i know. >> appreciate it, aness thank

you of. thank you. ? >> you are welcome. this is bizarre. michael eaves is here withp man pacquio, despite a huge payday following his win over brandon rios, he says he is having issues keeping his promise to help typhoon victims because his bank accounts have been frozen by philippine revenue authorities who claim pacqhioh owed $50,000 in back taxes. he has borrowed money, he says, to purchase relief supplies and he will continue to do so. in the n.f.l., michael crabtree who tore his right akelly's tendon in may will make his season debut for the 49ers this weekend when they host the st. louis rams. the 26-year-old receiver posted career highs last season with 85

catches for 1100 yards and nine touchdowns. philadelphia eagles chip kelly named nick bowls the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season instead of michael vick who struggled with injuries. he has thrown 16 touchdowns this season without an interception. sports headlines for this hour, more n.f.l. news coming up later. >> michael, thank you. it is a mess out there for travelers. coming up next, we will update you on the big storm that's really wreaking havoc along the eastern seaboard. >> support and care for people living with hiv has come a long way. but not for everyone. i am kelmeny duchar dt. i will tell you why on al jazeera america.

welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories: a sloppy winter storm is making a mess much the thanksgiving get-away. there have been right? delays and cancellations at airports

across the country today. it is not much better on the roads where snow and rain is slowing traffic. the supreme court will be hearing arguments on another participated of the affordable care act. the justices will decide if employers who oppose birth control for religious reasons should be forced to provide coverage for it. new demands from afghan president hamid karzai. he said today before he signs a key security agreement, he wants afghan prisoners free from guantanamo bay and he wants the u.s. to help initiate afghan talks with the taliban, something the u.s. has said it cannot do. turning to iran, lawmakers wary of halting the nuclear program are speaking out against the plan t they say congress could legislate new sanctions if iran doesn't yield more ground. john kerry appeals to congress today. >> now, let me tell you what this first step does not do. some people are putting

misinformation out on it. i want it to be clear. it does not lift the current architecture of our sanctions our sanctions are banking and oil sanctions. all of the corps sanctions on financial services remain firmly in place. we do this in exchange for iran keeping its ends of the agreement. they will get a small amount of additional money which is totally reversible if we need to, if they don't keep their word. >> joining me to discuss this is michael grim. congressman, it's good to have you on the program. i know you have some strong feelings about this. why are you opposed to the p5 plus 1 deal with iran? >> first and foremost because there is really no upside here for the united states. the iranian regime is going to keep its 19,000 centrifuges. it's going to continues to

enrich uranium. and, first and before we even get there, i can't sit down and make a deal with a country that is still holding two, possibly three americans. if they want to show good faith and they want to earn our trust so to speak, they can begin before negotiations by sending home the two americans they have and possibly the third which we believe is under iranian control but we don't have proof of that. >> congressman, let's put the hostages, that issue aside for just a moment. >> sure. >> where in the deal do you read this will let the iraniances enrich uranium? >> it specifically says they can continue to enrich uranium up to 5% with the caveat that they have to take whatever is above 5%, which we believe they have 20% enriched uranium that must be diluted but they will keep their ability to enrich uranium up to 5%.

that to me is ridiculous. the fact that they have uranium enriched to 20% is proof that they have been lying to us the whole time, that this was never a peaceful program designed for energy because you would never go above 5% if you were just designing it for energy. >> got you. so iran agrees to neutralize it's stockpile of 20% enrichment, no new 7 triv fuse but you are right, they get to keep what they have? >> 90,000. >> right. in the deal, iran agrees not to commission the iraq chefwater facility that could be another route to a bomb. iran is allowing, as to my reading, daily ieda access to gos sensitive facilities. why is that not a very strong first step? >> well, again, that would be if there was more to this. in other words, if they were saying they were going break down all of their centrifuges

and stop their program, maybe that would be a step forward for me but i don't think a country that first of all, sponsors terror is completely i know tolerant. one of the americans that's held captive is a christian pastor that was i am principled simply because he was helping christian churches. this is not a state that can be trusted. if they want to build trust, they have to relinqui relink wi program. you can't reward them by keeping the 19,000 centrifuges hoping we will be able to inspect every one they tell us about. >> would you agree that's one of the items for debate when we are talking about the next phase of negotiations, the next step, the more comprehensive approach, maybe the issue of centrifuges is on the table there? >> i think you don't start off in a weak position.

the united states should start from a position of strength. the idea we can have a nuclear iran is not good for the region. it's not good for the united states. it's not good for anyone. i think most rational people realize that, that this is a terror-sponsoring nation that has had an illegal program for a long time >> what it is likely to gain under your scenario, in terms of improving its economy, you think it will not live up to the terms of this agreement? >> i do not. i think iran has been a master at being deceitful and stall tactics. this is what iran does. nothing has changed in iran. because we have a new president that the could be thepproval in sheep's clothes, the mullas still run iran. the reason they were enriching obviously wasn't injury. why would they suddenly change their mind? the truth -- excuse me. >> take your time? >> the truth is that the sanctions were working. they were one step away from

turning up these sanctions that could affect the elite. >> that's the problem that we have had is that it hasn't really strangled the elite, the higher arkansas e of this r -- hieracchy. >> you think there was a better deal in this first step? what there should have been a comprehensive deal, no initial step, no second step? >> absolutely. >> okay. >> i don't think that we can negotiate with a tear sponsoring nation that is i am prisoning christians because they are helping christian churches. that speaks volumes of who they are and what they are about. and they can't be trusted unfortunately. we have seen that with the 20% uranium they already have. the other thing is a loop hole here it will open up precious metals, gold, silver. >> yes. >> we know they have bartered for their centrifuges and nuclear parts before this using precious metals. >> that's another huge loop hole. when you took in 4 billion, 7 billion, it's probably more like 20 billion. that relieves the pressure that we have had on the upper level,

you know, the higher arkansthe hierachy. >> you believe iran would have given in to the p5 plus 1 if the sanctions had continued without any room for negotiations? >> no. >> you think it would have broken the regime? >> no. well, i don't think you can break. the next round would have pushed them the wall? >> okay. >> do we destroy the entire economy for decades to come or do we negotiate, really negotiate, meaning give up our sentrifuges, uranium that we have? i think that would have been tough but realistic. >> congressman grimm preven your time. an update on the weather now. kevin is here. >> tony, depending upon where you are, here in new york, it feels cold with the rain. >> that's not the coldest place.

we are looking at in that 19 degrees in minneapolis. as the storm makes its way up the coast, we will see a lot of weather. we have severe weather toward the south, rain, mix and snow all the way up. but take a look at the temperatures tomorrow here across the eastern seaboard. new york, 60 degrees. enjoy is it. >> that's the only day you are going to get once the system goes through, all of these colder temperatures will make their way out here towards i think can a. dropping by 20 to 25 drivers degrees by the time you get to friday. back to you. >> air travel can be a headache in bad weather. if the storm impacts one airport, you know it can impact dozens. this is the misery map on flightaware.com t shows which airport in the country has the most delays at any given time. right now, the charlotte douglas international airport in north carolina. robert ray is in atlanta. that's the busiest airport in the united states t many say in the world.

hartsfield jackson international airport and robert, how are travelers dealing with the storm where you are? it looks like it's rain. we know the flames can take off and land in rain. >> tony, you got it. you pegged it. they have been landing here all day, they have been taking off here all day. a stream, a steady flow of people have been coming into the busiest airport in the world. the airport actually predicts that 3.3% will be the uptick compared to last year as far as travelers coming in to this airport, about 1.8 million people. it's quite a bit. could that because of the thanksgiving day andh hannukah? it's a sign? the rain is continuing to come down. temperatures have spiked a littles here follow-up walk inside, which is different than a little bit earlier today, you look up on the board, there actually are delays now. we talked to a few passengers in the past hour with mixed reaction. here is what they had to say.

>> four hours, very frustrate. >> last time, it was bumpy but nothing bad. >> okay. >> we have had way worse. >> i know it was busy, but, you know, it's ridiculous. some of the delays and cancellations, it's sort of a trickle effect here in atlanta. things seem to be good taking off and landing. planes coming in from some other areas of the northeast like la guardia, according to the faa website, the flight tracker website is experiencing pretty significant delays as of now. overnight here in atlanta, we are expecting temperatures to drop and perhaps a sprinkle of snow. for kids, that will be welcome. >> it's rain. we don't want it to change into snow. rain in atlanta can cause major problems. robert ray for us. appreciate it. thank you, sir. pope francis made a big

announcement calling capitalismtericapitalis capitalism tierney and he said power needs to move away from the vatican. it says the church should focus more on poverty. the pope calls on global leaders to address education and healthcare and writes christians should embrace muslims with affection and respect. some disconcerting news tonight: young people are the fast heft growing group contracting hiv and the centers for disease control says more than half don't know they have it. >> grab real ortiz was 22 years old when he found out he was hiv-positive. he is a patient at the adolescent aids clinic in new york where they provide tests, treatment and outreach. is part of an age group between 13 and 24 that represents more than a quarter of new hiv infections. >> when i was young, we never

got the education we needed in school for hiv or stds or anything of the sort. and when i came to the doctors, i -- they never believed they did any testing for me. they would ask you if you were sexually active. stuff like that but they never administered like std tests or h.i.v. testing. >> doctor donna if you haderman who sees patients at the clinic says doctors don't provide routine testing. and that is the biggest problem contributing to a rise in hiv cases among adolescents? >> you can still come in, be diagnosed with clamidia and not be offered an h.i.v. test because the doctor or the system is not prepared to go that extra mil miles. i have to say even here in the bronx where we have been in the center of this epidemic, it's not uniform that every young people who comes into care for sexual health will get offered an h.i.v. test. >> she said a lack of confidential resources and lack

of education contributes to this. >> it's not just an american problem. it's global. the world health organization estimates that more than 2 million young people between the age of 10 and 19 are living with hiv because many don't get the support and resources they need, aids-related deaths in this group have increased by 50%. >> fuderman said it's not teenagers who are to blame. adults aren't getting the message to them. >> i always say, you know, there is no person on the planet that doesn't know what coca-cola is, yet coke is always refreshing its advertising campaign to either maintain or increase their market share. well, we have a problem that's much more complicated, yet we are doing virtually nothing to give young people the message that this is real in their lives. >> more than 1.1 million americans over the age of 13 have the virus that causes aids. experts say we need innovative ways to reach them kelmeny

dukehardt, al jazeera, new york. >> joining me to discuss increasing hiv awareness for teenagers is dr. john chivikek, executive director of teen aids peer corp. more than a quarter of young peek get hiv each year. that's stunning to me. think about that for a second. but you say the cd c estimates are wrong. how so? >> i think they are completely under reported. i think the government has failed this campaign. 20 years ago at harvard, i predicted there was going to be a coming wave. it's here now. we are the first group, actually, tony, that's taking to the streets. we are going on the streets and testing kids publicly on street corners, at skateboard parks, at basketball courts and what i am finding is kids are actually eager to get tested.

>> really? >> in front of friends and people. this is what adults don't understand. they think the stigma is so bad that kids aren't going to be interested but we are finding, we have done it now in five states, and i am trying to get people around the country to do this public testing. >> so the stigma is there. there is no doubt about the fact that there has got to be some stigma attached to this, but you think that there was a way around that and that is -- and that is to get more young people being tested in groups? >> yes. i do. i really think that. what i found is that young people will do things with their peers. they will do things among their groups, their cohorts. what they don't want to do is most young people do not want to go to the hospital, do not want to go to the clinic. >> yeah. >> to guest tested. they don't like the white lab coats. they don't like blood and needles. we do oral swap testing, 20 minutes. they get their answers. we are doing another big test on world aids day in a few days down here. and it's been controversial but

the kids love it. >> what do you think of the education program such that it is in the united states at this time? >> you are talking to a person who is very frustrated with what's going on. schools have cut all of their programs for budget-cut reasons and everything. there is a lot of politics here allotted of parents don't want to be con fronted with maybe theirtinal age son or daughter in high school could be exposed to hiv-aids. we are going to start to say it's here. it's a problem. what are we going to do about it instead of just saying, well, you know -- >> i think it's shocking. i think it's shocking. so is this a fact, the rise of hiv in teens is surpassing the rate in adults? it's starting to now. it's crossed over. >> wow? >> the original stereo taps of gays, africans, drug addicts,

that's passe now. what i am finding is about 80% of teen transmission is now heterosexual, which even the government will not admit to. i am talking to young people. the ones i see testing positive are getting it heterosexually. there are still about 10, 12% that's homosexual. >> right. >> and 5% other. but most is heterosexual now and that's what we have to focus on. >> doctor keep up the work. boy, you will need help. these numbers are startling. >> can you tell i am passionate about this? >> sounds like we need it in droves. the executive director of teen aids peer corps. protests against in thailand. the story and the rest of the headlines making news. aness. >> protesters in thailand are stepping up their campaign to oust their prime ministers. demonstrators defied a curfew and other measures and stormed

more ministries. protest leaders are urging leaders to set up more block aids of government buildings across country. france is responding to go calls for a larger force to help curve the violence in the central african republic. the defense ministers says 1,000 french troops will join an african union force already in the nation. the move comes a day after the u.n. warned of mass atrocities and a possible civil war. the central african republic has been in turmoil since march when rebels ousted the president. dramatic images from the u.s. coast guards show 100 people clinging to the hull of a capsized boat. the rescue operation is still underway. the overloaded sail boat was carrying hayesian immigrants. it's feared as many as 30 people have drowned. at least 110 people have been rescued. the 40-foot boat ran aground off of the coast of the bahamas. it's not something you see often, a sinkhole intel owed a pond in bosnia.

the large hole is where the pond used to be. swall owed a pond in bosnia. the large hole is where the pond used to be. villagers have theories about what happened. some say the pond disappeared because its owner died recently. one geology said it's justnate, tony. >> maybe it's ison. no. that can't be. aness, thank you. ? >> thank you. >> still ahead, he was an inspiration when he took the mound and he is still inspiring others to this date. jim abbott's story next in sports.

>> cleats get caught up on the day? sports of. michael eaves is here. >> the buildup to this weekend's huge clash against the new orleans saints, the conference-leading seahawks will be short-handed in the secondary. the n.f.l. suspending walter thurman for the team's next four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

he started three games this season including last week against the minnesota vikings when he returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, he is eligible to come back the week before the seahawks finale but in the meantime his suspension released leaves a hole in the secondary, brandon browner missing because of a groin nefrnlth. jim abbott spent tens years as a baseball as jessica reports, abbott considers giving back to be his greatest achievement in life. >> when jim abbott pitched a know-hit -- no-hitter in 1993, he did more than cement himself in baseball history. the yankees pitcher who was born without his right hand became an inspiration for those who thought having a disability meant they couldn't go after their dreams. >> i don't know if i could really truly put into words all that baseball has meant to me on a number of different levels. i think it provides a wonderful message to people.

at a time doesn't matter how you do it. it matters if you can do it. >> now 20 years later, joe rogers, a senior hockey player at notre dame looks back on that no-hitter and the message. like abbot, rogers was born without the use of his right hand and when rogers met his idol, there was an instant connection. >> when i was 16 years old, i was invited to an awards banquet he was receiving a lifetime achievement wal-mart. it was crazy to see my idol stand there in front of my eyes. i went up and shook his hand and talked with him for a while. it seemed like i was the om person in the room even though we were surrounded by lots of other people. >> even though it's presented certain challenges in my life, maybe there is, you know, some good that can come from it. and more often than not, it's been the stories of meeting young people like joe and other people around the country who said if you can play baseball, i can be an ice hockey goally. >> that's in what joe rogers

did. he played hockey. not once did his parents tell him he couldn't play because of his disability. in fact, they pushed him to play the support that was in his family's blood. >> my dad played, my uncles played, my grandpa coached. my great grandpa used to have -- used to have the river in the backyard plowed off so that his kids and grandkids could play. >> i was just under two years old when i put on my first pair of skates. i could hardly walk and i was out there on the ice, learning to skate. >> while his idol, jim abbott had to overcome the challenges of fielding. rogers had to get cooperative and find ways to hold a hockey stick and secure a glove. when wrapping it in tape wasn't enough, he found a way to customize his own after beforing a goalie. >> tell me how this glove differs. >> so basically, on the inside here, i've got a couple of extra straps placed in and some extra padding underneath to thicken it up so my hand has more pressure on it.

basically, i slide my hand in, crank down this strap here this one here and then, the rest is the same as any other glove. i've got a lot of surprised cases at the end of games, going through handshake and they ne even realized who they were playing against. >> for joe rogers, being able to see someone like him as a kid play professional baseball showed him if you dream big, anything is possible. now, he is trying to pay that message forward to young hockey players. >> do you feel like you are the jim abbott of hockey now a little bit for some of these kids, too? >> that's the way, david. >> i like to take this situation i am with and hopefully i can help someone along the way. >> watch your answer he will when you challenge out. >> jim was great to me. i definitely want to pass that along to anyone. >> good job, anthony >> reporter: it's been seven years since their first meeting. now, it's jim abbot who is impressed by what joe rogers has been able to accomplish. >> when i heard he was an ice

hockey goalie, that is obviously something you think would take two hands and a lot of dexterity. and i was just amazed by it. he just has a kind heart and a real giving person, and it's been nice to see everything that he has done. >> whether rogers ever makes it to the pro did like abbott doesn't matter. he's proof it's not the destination. it's the journey, and his is one that will continue long after his days in the ice are over when a young athlete pays his message forward. in south bend, indiana, jessica taff, al jazeera. >> so often in sports we see inspirational stories like that. it's great that those guys could connect. again, pay it forward. >> pay it forward. all right, michael. thank you? >> uh-huh. >> an update on the big storm sweeping through the east coast is coming up next.

>> and now a techknow minute...

hello again. techknow minute... i am trying to hide the bad weather in back of me so you can focus on the west coast just for a minute. the weather out here, actually the central to the west coast is going to be beautiful tomorrow. so if we were just only talking about that area, no problem in terms of driving, flying, but unfortunately, we have to deal with this, and of course, you know, the domino affect will affect flights from the east coast to the west coast. >> that's what we are looking at right now. let's take a look at what we expect to see in terms of snow and rain tomorrow where it's going to be. you can see that down towards carolinas and along the coastal regi region, that's where the rain will be. the area of low pressure is going to be tracking right about

here anything to the northwest will tend to be snow. anything to the southeast will tend to be rain. snow values in this region, we are talking in some locations actually, especially combined with the lake effect, will be eight, 10 inches, we thing. the worst part in terms of driving, we think it's going to be in pennsylvania. as you can see, as we go towards the north, all the way up to maine, along the i-95 corridor, that is going to be rainy conditions. if you are going to be driving, get out there a couple of hours early and take your time on the roads. up to the north, talking about buffalo down towards eerie, it is going to be snow. this is where we think the delays -- not delays but difficult traffic on the roads will be. i-95 from maine to 345er8d rain. combination of snow on i-80. have a great evening.

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york. i'm tony harris with a look at top stories. holiday travel is off to a rough start as parts of the country battle severe wintery weather. snow, sleet, heavy rain is moving towards the east tonight after causing some major highways to grind to a halt. more than 800 flights have been delayed and a dozen canceled. the supreme court will hear another case involving president obama's healthcare law. owners who oppose birth control on religious grounds. >>