welcome to al jazeera america, i'm del walters. these are the stories we are following for you. this only serves to increase tension in the region. >> the u.s. condemns china's claim of a defense zone in the islands around japan. winter weather could make thanksgiving getting away dangerous. by plane, train, or automobile, millions of americans were traveling for

thanksgiving and hanukkah, and for some that major storm is helping to make that trip just a little longer than planned. dave warren has more on the storm's track, diane joining live from chicago. and randall pinkston is at laguardia international airport. randall what is the board saying? >> well, so far a lot better than expected. there are only five airports with significant delay problems, meaning delays of more than 45 minutes. that's right here in new york, philadelphia, and inexplicably fort lauderdale, florida. everyone else is looking okay. this is what it looked like on tuesday in the south, and this is what it longs like today in the northeast. the storm system that started in

california canceled hundreds of flights as it moved across the country, and while there have been some disruptions today, it has definitely not been as severe as anticipated. >> this morning we had a little bit of a lull in the weather, but the forecasters are telling us that the wind and rain is supposed to pick up again in the afternoon. so-so far we dodged a bullet. >> reporter: a system of going through security has eased long lines. >> those people eligible for tsa fast track can keep shoe their shoes, belts, and light outer wear on, as well as keep their computers in their bags. >> i don't think it is going to be too bad. the flight is three hours, and so far so good. >> i'm feeling optimistic. i have got everything i need in

my carry on, and have warned my family that they may need to hold off picking me up. >> reporter: with the majority of people jumping in this their cars tomorrow, it's fewer than last year, meaning the skies and roads will be less congested. that and the weather break is something millions of americans can be thankful for as they begin their thanks give ing holiday. normally you have 1.8 million people traveling by air, but today, 2.4 million. so while we don't see a lot of crowds here in american airlines terminal, good luck elsewhere. randall thank you very much. diane smooth sailing on the

express say so far? >> yeah, it is. it is bitter cold, but it's a sunny day. despite the bad weather that we're seeing out east and a little bit today, we're not hearing reports of any major problems on highways. the one spot that may be a little bit hairy is in north carolina. i spoke to the department of transportation there, and they are saying there is slick highways, so if you are traveling in north carolina you may want to take care there. about 39 million americans are going to be hitting the highways over the thanks giving holiday within, and it's a little bit less expensive this year to travel than it was last year, gas prices on average about $3.27 a gallon. last year about $3.43 a gallon.

the one thing you mighting want to keep in mind is a lot of state police are stepping up patrols over the next few days, so take care when you are driving. dell? >> diane thank you very much. if you were planning to take to the skies this holiday season, the orange dots represent flights that are taking off and landing as we speak. so if you are getting ready to fly, it would be a good thing to check ahead dave warren have we now seen the worst of this storm? >> we are seeing the worst now. if you don't like the cold weather ready for that. a lot of warm air has moved up

with this storm. and that will combine, really intensify, that's where you get the wind and cold air, but right now it is just rain, even some severe storms in the northeast. there is that cold air coming in from the west. as the cold air moves in, it brings dry air as well. severe thunderstorms across the northeast, flooding problem in new england. there is the winter weather advisory, and light snow expected. temperatures have warmed along the coast there is the cold air. the low clouds and rain, arrival delays. you may be delayed moving in not moving out. d.c. and boston are okay. the wind and the cold area, i'll like at that when i come back. >> thank you very much. china and japan are battles

over an area of islands. we go to mike viqueira at the house for more. how serious is this and why is the u.s. getting involved? >> it is quite serious. there is flying big lumbering-year-old b52s through an enormous rival nation, china. these are islands south of the japanese island of okinawa. and these are islands that have always been claimed by japan and always in dispute. but the united states recognizes japanese claims to these islands. and the chinese said that any aircraft that fly around these islands will have to identify

themselves, well, the american military immediately in a place important disregard for their claim flew the planes through there and were not in communication with the chinese whatsoever. the u.s. has been in contact with their japanese counterparts, chuck hagel in particular. it calls the chinese move destabilizing, and dell, it's important to recognize what is at steak here. with the united states and japan, dating back to world war ii, the united states have always depended on the japanese to demend the islands. the japanese call their own forces the self-defense forces. there is some 20, 25,000 troops

based in japan. >> mike viqueira thank you very much. that iranian nuclear deal is bringing new attention to some high profile prisoners in north korea. levinson who was 65 was detained during a business trip. a former marine has been held for more than a year. he is accused of being a cia spy. and an 85-year-old korean war vet was detained last month. authorities picked him up as he was about to leave that country on board a plane. and kenneth bae has been held since 2012. protesters in bangkok say they want thailand's prime minister to step down. protests in thailands capitol now running for four straight

days. veronica has more from bangkok. >> reporter: i would say it is not tense. it is rather festive and rather loud. there is whistleblower ls hand slappers aplenty. there has been clear instructions from the leaders that there are not to be any weapons for or by the protesters. having said that, and given the history of protests here in thailand, anything can happen. they have security guards dressed in black who are not slow to react if they see threats. they are very careful to protect the leader who has been issued an arrest warrant because of his activities over the past few days. saturday is the deadline for

the healthcare.gov website to be up and running without problems. black friday will be a day of protest at some wal-marts around the country. union and other supporters plan to march outside several stores demanding higher made. wal-mart says very few employees will be taking part. up next on al jazeera america, active volcanos in indonesia, how it is changing the lives of people in villages who are now being kept from their homes. tennessee is deadly when it comes to texting and driving. we'll show you what they are doing to get people to put down their cell phones. >> probably five to ten years from now, it will be against the law to have an electronic device in your hands and drive.

>> 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.

>> evey weeknight on al jazeera america change the way you look at news tune into live news at 8 and 11 >> i'm john seigenthaler and here's a look at the headlines.. >> infomation changes by the hour here... >> our team of award winning journalists brings you up to the minute coverage of today's events... then, at 9 and midnight. america tonight goes deeper with groundbreaking investigative coverage of the nation's top stories... >> a fresh take on the stories that connect to you... >> live news at 8 and 11 eastern followed by america tonight on al jazeera america there's more to it.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. taking a look at today's top business stories, wall street could be seeing new all-time highs before investors head away for the thanksgiving holiday and hanukkah. the dow up 18 points. if it finishes higher today that would be the 44th record close this year. stocks are higher because of encouraging news on the jobs front. unemployment claims falling again last week. a judge giving the okay for the merger of the world's largest airlines. critics say the merger will cost you, the consumer more. another milestone for bitcoin, breaking the thousand

dollars barrier today. it crossed 900 just last week. a year ago, you could get one for just 13 real dollars. more pressure on the housing market mortgage rates are rising again. the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 4.29%. that is up from 4.22% last week. mortgage rates have been rising above 4% since the end of june. as everyone prepares to hit the road for the holidays, here is an important piece of information texting while driving could be more dangerous than you think. u.s. drivers who are testing are four times more likely to crash. and 60% say they use a cell phone while they drive. the state with the highest death rate linked to texting is tennessee. jonathan martin is there. . >> reporter: it is meant to grab your attention.

new message boards reminding drivers that nearly 900 people have been killed on tennessee roadways so far this year. this colonel is with the tennessee highway patrol. he says distracted driving specifically texting behind the wheel is behind many of these deadly crashes. >> it has definitely gotten worse. i would say it's the number one traffic safety issue in the country. >> reporter: in the four years since the tennessee law went into effect, highway deaths have not gone down. 2012 saw one of the state's highest fatality rates ever, with 1,019 people killed. violators right now only face a $50 fine. >> i would like a stronger law that we could easily enforce. i think in the future, probably five to ten years from now, it will be against the law to have an electronic device in your

hands and drive. >> reporter: a safety council report details how bad the problem has become. 7% of all fatal crashes were caused by texting or talking on the phone in 2010. that number jumped to 10% a year later. the national average during that period is a little more than 1%. many states appear to be underreporting data. because texting and driving laws can be tough to enforce. law enforcement officials are using a variety of strategies to try to combat the problem. tennessee state troopers have swapped squad is cars for 18-wheelers. >> i'm told that the text was i'm on my way. >> reporter: and the state is partnering with several national campaigns, using these sobering psa's to highlight the dangers of texting and driving. and several lawmakers are promising to push for a hef thinker fine.

>> i know if i get a $250 fine every time i was texting and driving, i would probably stop the first time i got caught. >> they are getting ready to up the anti-and put cops every certain miles to enforce the laws. >> reporter: state leaders believe the problem will likely get worse, leaving tennessee and other states looking for new and more aggressive approaches to keep numbers like these from climbing. jonathan martin, al jazeera, nashville states across the country are taking active steps to prevent texting and driving accidents. that is how bad the situation is. security forces in egypt are cracking down on activists who took to the streets defying the new protest law. the law makes it illegal to

demonstrate without a permit. security forces firing tear gas and water cannons. some arrested include high profile activists. iran and cur-- turkey are calling for a ceasefire in syria. foreign ministers from both countries made that announcement in tehran. peace talks as we mentioned are scheduled to take place in geneva on january 22nd. as many as 20,000 indonesians have been fleeing the area nearing a volcano after more than 20 eruptions. steph has more. >> reporter: harmless for four centuries, it is now showing its dangerous side. the volcano has been erupting

nearly non-stop for the past two months. govpt authorities have ordered villages to evacuate homes within 5 kilometers of the volcano, but this is what we found inside the evacuation zone. >> translator: we don't want to be in the evacuation centers. there are too many people there. if the mountain gets dangerous, we'll leave, if not, we'll stay. >> translator: when we force them to leave they refuse. so we try to force them, but they don't want to leave. what can we do? the >> after laying dormant for 400 years the mountain is clearly awake. villages closest to the volcano were evacuated more than one

month ago. many people wonder if they can ever return. people have found shelter in churches, mosques, and community centers, but wish to go home as soon as possible. >> translator: i want to go back home. if i stay here, i'll be sick. i want to go to my village. it is very cold here at night and very crowded. it's very difficult to wash ourselves. >> reporter: with crops being ruined by volcanic ash, most villages here hope the mountain will calm down soon. up next, loui vuitton handbag taken to a new level. that story and more when al jazeera america returns.

power of the people until we restore

welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm del walters. here are a look at today's top stories making headlines. it is the most traveled day of the year, millions of americans en route to celebrate thanksgiving and hanukkah, but a storm could make their journey longer than expected. an accident at a world cup construction site in brazil leaving three people dead, it happened where openinger is mennys for the games will be held. the accident threatens the december deadline set by the international soccer governing body. the obama administration says vice president joe biden will discuss the defensive zone claimed by china.

a loui vuitton giant suitcase has been set up in a square. looking for a special dress this holiday season? you might have to big deep. one of princess di's favorite gowns is hitting the auction block on saturday. it's a size 10 by the way, and was a perfect fit for di. the gown is expected to fetch anywhere from 81 to $130,000. historians call it the fair that changed america. now there's a new exhibit dedicated to an event that many there say allowed the city to be reborn. jo johnhas more. >> reporter: they called it the white city. 20 years after a great fire raped the windy city, erasing much of its landscape.

the world's fair put chicago on the international map. now an exhibit in the city's field museum is celebrating its arrival on the boerld stage. >> i think it was the moment that chicago became a world class city. the potential was there, the wealth was there, the city was there, but until the 1893 world's fair there wasn't a coming together of all of those factors, and focused on the really assertion of chicago as a world's city. >> reporter: the dream city built was an ak -- architectural marvel. >> the first year something like 17 were killed. and later there were the fires. >> reporter: this one was industrial and enormously successful. drawing 27 million visitors.

chicago's world's fair was always improbably big, whole villages from across the globe and their inhabitants were shipped to the city. the emblem became this massive wheel. >> people came here at the fair to look at the future. >> reporter: it was short lived, a white city, built on a swamp, torn down as soon as the fair ended. the world's fair remaid chicago, but 120 years later it is hard to find a lasting remnant. this is one of the few. it's now chicago's few seem of science and industry, but then it was a palace of fine arts. they needed one permanent structure to safeguard the masterpieces of the day. what was left behind was this, the cultural artifacts and fossils used to create the museum now reliving the landmark

fair. ♪ i'm dave warren. we're seeing a little break here across the northeast between one area of rain and the next. those two will combine, intensify and that's where we'll get the wind and cold air. the temperature is still well above freezing. but there is some cold air moving in. creating light snow, and then there's that cold wind. you can see that along the great lakes. two areas of low-pressure, two areas of rain, they will combine and intensify, and that brings in the cold air. here by 4:00 maybe briefly ending as snow along 95, the temperatures will be about freezing, so not many problems on the main roadways, there's that area of snow moving through new york and new england, but it is drying out. lake effect snow now as the cold

wind sets up. the wind will be the big story here over the next 24 hours once the rain and snow clear out. thursday morning, low-pressure, with the lines close together indicates a big difference in pressure. that's where you get the gusty wind, and we could easelly see wind gusts cloeps to 50 miles an hour. by tomorrow morning, 29 in philadelphia and new york, 27 in washington, d.c., barely warming up throughout the morning, but when you factor in in the wind, you get a temperature that feels like the teens and 20s to start the day tomorrow. dell? >> dave warren thank you very much. it is time for the annual presidential turkey pardon, but this year president obama says he is going to pardon twoing birds, but only one can be the national thanksgiving turkey, and you get to vote. thanks for watching al jazeera

america. i'm del walters "the stream" is next. and take a look at this, those are plains in the air. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you're in "the stream." if you buy avocados, chances are our supporting a mexican drug cartel. how one of america's favorite fruits is green gold for organized crime. our digital producer, raj is here, and nobody wants to support a criminal exercise, but most of the avocados we buy from mexico do just that. >> people love their guacamole.