another high profile setback for the affordable care act. online enrolment for small businesses delayed for a year. >> you have to work, but that's the day that you're supposed to be with your family. >> to work or not to work. that is the question. the thanksgiving debate as some stores open up before black friday. >> a thanksgiving day parade tradition is up in the air. why high winds my ground macey's balloons. >> and the problem with a popular potato snack.

>> welcome to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy. thank you for joining us this thanksgiving morning. it is gold, 31 degrees. that won't stop 3 million people from lining the route of the macies thanksgiving day parade. the big question is will the balloons fly in 3 hours from now. if it's too windy they may be grounded. as soon as the turkey dinner is done, a lot of americans will start a new thanksgiving tradition - shopping. we'll look at the debate over stores opening up. we'll show you how to use technology. we begin with a black eye for the affordable care act. a majorment of obamacare is blaed by a year. the online system to buy medical

insurance is not ready. we have the reason explained, to do with the federal plagued website healthcare.gov. >> in a pre-thanksgiving announcement the white house issued a statement saying small businesses would not be able to register employees on healthcare.gov until november next year. administration officials are focussing on fixing the website. acknowledging that it simply cannot afford the resources needed to help small businesses navigate the site. it's the third delay for small businesses. they were told they could enrol on october 31st. then pushed to november. they were told it would take in effect in january 2015. republicans pounced. house speaker john boehner issued a statement reading: >> the white house announced

small businesses could purchase the insurance the old fashion way - through agents and brokers, a small business health options programs. >> you need to talk to your agents and figure it out. it's daunting and insulting and at to uncertainty that's a problem in this sector. some democrats, many up for re-election and taking the heat for the failures had a tough time defending the setback. disappointment - we'll have to get past it. the overall project is too big. not so for the parlour steak house who says he's lost confidence in the president and the website. >> it's a disaster. very confusing. it's scaring individuals and companies. >> meanwhile a deadline looms. saturday is the day president obama promises to have the website functional for a vast

majority of americans. >> the white house says that by saturday the site will be able to handle 50,000 users at once with 80% efficiency. >> a state senator who might have placed a recall didn't wait to be voted out. she was one of three departments targeted by act visits after fighting four tough gun control laws. the other two democrats were recalled and replaced by republicans. >> every year stores are starting the holiday season earlier. retailers can open their doors only because workers give up spending the day with family. al jazeera's correspondent has the story. >> a proud and loving father of two girls. ty looks forward to the holiday. >> it's one of my favourite

holidays. i meet with my family, aunts, mum, father, uncles, cows jips, nieces. we all eat and fall asleep. and we eat some more. >> this year he's thankful because pc richard and son is closed. proud of that fact the company is airing a commercial. >> at pc richmond and son we believe thanksgiving should be spent at home. 33 million are expected to hit the stores on the holiday. that's why macey says it's opening its doors for the first time ever, even as floats parade down fifth avenue. trisha will be working her first thanksgiving. >> it's not forced labour, it's our choice. >> some feel forced to work. they took to facebook urging people to avoid shopping.

michelle said she quit her job saying the shopping thing has gone too far. >> kmart here is not new to the line-up of retailers open for the holiday. this year their stores will be hope for 48 straight hours between thanksgiving thursday and black friday. it will take a lot of workers to keep thing up and running. employers say they are going what they can to make it worth it. most retailers pay time and a halfful walmart is boosting employee discount from 20 to 25% and providing a full thifg -- thanksgiving meal to all three workers. >> if they are giving a ridge men like that, you can't beat that. free money and food. >> brian williams will not get the food at his job. he'll make more money on thighi thanksgiving.

>> i'm getting holiday prize. >> ty says you can't put a price tag on family time. >> i can't imagine my faming somewhere and i can't be there because i have to work. you have to work. but that's a day that you are supposed to be with your family. >> with this one waiting for daddy at home. who can blame him. >> shopping on thanksgiving isn't available to everyone. laws in rowed island, massachusetts and others banned the stores from opening on the holiday. joining us with more on the beginning of the holiday shopping season. kilmeny duchardt. you are at kmart. they are open on thanksgiving. 6am. anyone shopping. >> believe it or not, yes. there are people shopping. about a dozen shoppers just went

in because kmart opened at 6am this year - yes, these retailers are opening earlier and earlier every year. one woman that i spoke to in the front of the line said that what brought her in was the android 7 tab the, which was going for $40. kmart gave that door buster. she's doing holiday shopping as we speak. >> are shoppers getting the best deals if they shop at 6 become. are they better off waiting until black friday or until today? >> well, what some retailers are going is they are staggering the sales to bring customers into the store multiple times, increase the foot traffic which is what they really want, and prevent the mad dashes that we have seen in the past that can be fatal. but it's also a tactic on the

retailers part. some customers come in, thinking they'll get something for the sale price. they buy it at full price and come back into the store to return it or get the sale price, which then, once again, brings customers back into the story is what retailers want. >> they are savvy shoppers. >> there has been a lot of talk about the fact that there's one week left of shopping between thanksgiving and christmas, which is why kmart is opening today on thanksgiving. it has been controversial, hasn't it. >> there's no doubt about it. every year these retailers are opening earlier and earlier. this year it is more important than ever for some of the retailers to open their doors to she increase their revenues. we know from last year retailers that opened their doors early on thanksgiving saw higher profits. of course, the earlier that

these stores open, the more backlash from the pub who think that the victims that are - that the employees, sorry, are the ones that are the victims in all of this. you have seen dozens of online petitions by some of these labour groups to boycott the stores open early and save thanksgiving , and let the employees go home with their families. retailers are aware of that. that is why they are offering some of them are offering additional holiday may. walmart was, i think, giving an extra day's pay to some workers, and they are trying to make the break room more of a home environment by having thanksgiving food items and relaxing the dress code. there's no doubt about it, it's controversial. >> at least there are some perks, kilmeny duchardt tracking

early early holiday shopping for us. >> the manager of a pizza hut says he's out of a job because he wouldn't force employees to work on thanksgiving. tony roar says the owners of the store ordered him to open on the holiday. he said he was fired. the owners say he quit. the outlet is not owned by pizza hut chain, and pizza hut said decisions about whether to open or closed are made by the franchise owners. a survey suggests people think stores should be closed on thanksgiving. >> organizers of macy's parade are checking the skies the decision whether the balloons will be allowed it blowing in the wind. john terrett is live on the upper wet westside of manhattan. that's snoopy, a favourite. how is it looking out there? >> well, it's a bit touch and

go. we had terrible weather last night. i was here, it was driving rain. it went over, like they forecast. then the temperatures dropped. we are freezing now. the problem is the wind. i know i'm great to look at, i know. >> you are. >> i know you want to see the balloons. i'll step outside. you look at the balloons and i'll tell you what happened. >> the problem is that's snoopy with woodstock on top. when the wind blows, woodstock rocks and rolls. there are rules saying if the winds are more than 23 miles per hour sustained or gusting at more than 34 miles per hour, the big bad boys can't go up. that's the problem. the takeaway has to be that there'll be a mayesies thanksgiving parade come what may. there are about almost 40 smaller balloons, lots of other attractions. the big question, the character balloons, will they fly. we don't know. mayesies and the police will not make that decision before the

off, which is 9am eastern time. >> i understand you have been talking to the balloon ranglers, the people that hold on and anchor the balloon. what is it like to hold on to one of those balloons, especially if there is a little bit of wind? >> the wind died down. i think it's forecast to be close to the edge when the parade starts. that's the problem. i've been talking to our own tammy bloom. >> tammy's out there. >> she's a producer. she's been doing this 3-4 years. it's a bucket list job. something she wants to do. she's in charge of the big giant spongebob balloon, it's behind snoopy. tammy says there are 90 - i can't believe this, but it's true - there are 90 in control of the balloon. there's a pilot who says where to pull on each rope and when to

pull. there are balloon captains in charge of the groups. tammy says the balloon is heavy, and you feel it move when you hang on to the paddle attached to your rope. mayor michael bloomberg said there was seven points along the route. if the wind gets up they'll raise the ball loans or lower them or pull them off to one side. i can't wait to talk to tammy and find out what happened. >> we'll continue to check in with you for an update on the wind. john terrett reporting from the upper west side in manhattan. >> the wintry storm that blasted across the country made it a rough ride for holiday travellers. it didn't cause the gridlock many feared. busy airports and highways stayed open. only minor delays were reported. before it reached the east coast

it was blamed for 14 deaths, most in traffic accidents. let's find out if the weather will cooperate. metrologist nicole mitchell has the forecast. >> i have been getting a lot of questions about the winds. i was talking about the macey's parade and how the wind will play a factor. right now, somewhere like laguardia has winds gusting. central park wind at 8, gusting to 23. so that is within parameters. the winds are dying. we may squeak out the balloons. there's a reason the rules are in place. there has been big debacling. a couple of years ago in 2005, m and ms hit a couple of sisters. resume or they got m&ms for life out of that. the low pressure causing the rain moved to the north. there's a pressure gradient

behind that, creating the wind. as the low pressure moves out the winds are slowly diminishing. we have some of the winds in parameters in the central park area, and because they are slowly lessoning, we might be able to get the balloon off the ground. we are keeping our fingers crossed for this. as we continue we had the rain moving out quickly becauseful same wind pattern. we had areas, snow, they we will be dealing with. the bands are lined up in the same direction as the wound pattern is flowing. the rest of the country, if you head out, this is a day a lot of people take the short strips to get the holiday meals, most of those by car will go smoothly. >> thank you nicole mitchell. >> vice president joe biden is planning a trip to china - the

goal to ease tensions between that country and japan. the zone in the east china sea is above a group of islands by china and japan. the u.s. became involved when a pair of american bombers flew through the air space. craig leeson joins us from hong kong. why is china's newly defined airzone raising concerns? well, china decided to extend the air zone unilaterally, coming as a surprise to japan... > okay. it looks like we are having problems with our live shot. i apologise for that. that was craig leeson in hong kong. the u.s. is proposing a solution to a thorny problem. how to dispose of syria's chemical weapons. the stockpile could be taken

aboard a government-owned ship in the mediterranean. it would sidestep security complications. the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons would have to sign off on the idea. >> a deadly accident stalls construction at a world cup site in brazil. a crane collapsed wednesday at a stadium in sao paulo, killing two workers. the site will be closed for three days to honour the victim. it is one of many sites needing to be ready for june. construction delays and cost-over runs. brazil will host the olympics in 2016. this is the third major accident at a world cup stadium in brazil in the past two years. in may a roof collapsed during a construction at the arena in valva door. in march a worker decide after falling from a structure.

last june a worker died after fouling 100 feet from a stadium in the capital. >> the terrifying power of a tornado. video of a twister tearing apart a school. >> barring an hunters -- barring an hunters here for a black friday sale. and the big kanish crisis, why it's hard to find. >> hello, wishing a warm holiday wishes and merry christmas from afghanistan, special love to my husband tim and son joseph.

are

>> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy. coming up - clashes in kiev, fierce processes over ukraine's dilemma, whether to tilt towards russiaar the west. let's look at the temperatures,

nicole mitchell is back >> good morning. i hope everyone is off to a great holidays. a lot of temperatures in the midwest will be in the 20s. behind the last system houston at 32, atlanta 23. atlanta after everything moved out. rain, skies cleared, temperatures below average. as we head up the east coast temperatures in the 30s not unusual. we were in the 50s and '60s, the same system shoving warm air along the coastline. that's a drop. new york city will run in the 50s and '60s. now right around freezing, a 32 degree drop yesterday. for theiest of the day temperatures getting into the 40s and parts of plain. the warm spot out to the south-west with even 70 degree temperatures, if you cut in that direction. most of the precipitation has moved out. more on that coming up in a few minutes. >> thank you.

video from a central indiana school shows the destructive power of a tornado. security camera footage was released, showing the twitter terring through south-western middle school. you can see ceiling tiles and debris crashing to the floor. gym windows blown out. the tornado hit two weeks ago on a sunday, so no one, thankfully, was inside. country officials have not decided whether to rebuild or te mollish. >> a political mattery in pakistan says it unmasked a top american spyment spy. the group hands him charged. >> the navy is confronting a corruption case. the "new york times" says a contract with a shipping services firm was suspended because of overcharges. it's the second suspension since september. in the previous case the owner

of the navy's primary shipping supplier is charged with bribery. three navy officials are charged. >> former prime minister silvio berlusconi was voted out of parliament on wednesday. the media mogul has been a dominance force for two decades. his conviction on charges led to a senate vote. other charges are being faced. the expulsion means he has lost immunity given to senators. >> tens of thousands chonted in kiev to protest talks with the european union. it's the biggest antigovernment movement since the orange revolution. our correspondent is in kiev. >> you might think this was a russian dance. it was originating in ukraine.

>> it's a useful way to get the blood moving after a sub zero night camped out on independence square. this woman is taking part in the demonstrations because she believes an important decision on europe should not be made by a handful of people. >> translation: i'm a huge optimist and romantic. i'm 95% sure president viktor yanukovych will not sign the agreement. there is still host. i'll stay for the remaining 5%. >> the day started with the national anthem. ukraine has not died yet. nor glory nor freedom they sang. this is a veteran protesters, 73 and a great grandfather. he took part in the orange

revolution, and credit the spirit with helping him five three cardiac arrests. it hasn't dimmed his appetite or determination to see his country move to europe. >> i think the youth of our country achieves inspiration. we don't expect help. our president is a cunning man. >> a strong-armed tactic used to keep ukraine out of the european union. the focus will move to the summit in lithuania were the president of ukraine has explaining to do to his counterparts. the demonstrations here will continue even when he returns. the organizers predict a big turn-out this weekend. >> the protestors are demanding the release of the gaoled opposition leader. her imprisonment is believed to

an an opposition to a deal. >> we'll look at items on congress's agenda and whether the divided legislature can get anything done this year. >> plus making their presence felt. protesters in thailand keeping up the pressure. why they are calling for the nation's leader to step aside. why the sales may not be as good as they used to be. >> i'm mark morgan, a thanksgiving tradition in sport. >> i'm from afghanistan. i wish my wife a merry christmas and happy holidays in denver colorado.

. welcome back to al jazeera america. this thanksgiving morning.

i'm stephanie sy, and these are the top stories: it's not known whether the giant balloons will fly during the macy's parade thanksgiving day. they haven't been left out of the parade since 1971. vice president joe biden is heading to china in the midst of territorial tensions between china and japan. they both claim islands in the east china sea. appearance with the federal healthcare website are causing a delay for the affordable care act. small businesses will have to wait a year before signing up employees online. >> congress passed 52 laws since january. critics call it a do-nothing session of congress. americans are giving congress its lowest approval rating ever - 9%. joining us to discuss this is tom dorney, strategist and advisor to george pataki. happy thanksgiving. thank you for coming in.

other sections of congress passed more than 100 bills by the time the thanksgiving recess comes up. is this a sign that this congress has been unproductive. >> it's a sign the government is ineffective. the problem that we are almost acting - our federal government is almost acting like a 3-year-old is the attention span comes and goes. they can't stay focused. only a month ago there was a crisis in syria. i was commenting to someone recently that once the government shutdown happened the civil war in syria ended. we have not heard about the syrian civil war. >> there's no follow up. >> how do you change that? >> look, the long-term answer is we need this in this country. if the american people want to elect someone they should have the right.

the problem is every elected official has an eye on the next election. it's what can i say, what can i do for my small constituency and placate the group. >> as opposed to thinking longer term. >> and thinking about, "i'm here to serve the american team, i'm leaving in four years, six years" imgratery reform got off to a phenomenal start and goes away. >> not addressed before the end of the year. >> tax reform. >> the farm bill. >> all the issues we talk about. then we become sin abbingle. obamacare, a disaster. you think about ineffective government. forget how you feel about the affordable care act. the fact we can't get a website up and running in three years. what does that say about the government. >> the flipside is the republicans in government tried to repeal obamacare 42 times

instead of focussing on other issues. >> that's why i'm not here to say whether you like or don't like obamacare. i'm talking about creating a website. there's no working together. in the old days, as i go back and looked at it, there were disagreements. >> absolutely. >> there was a feeling at the end of the vote that we need to work together. i did not vote for president obama. however, that night he is my president. move forward, we'll have our disagreements, but the country needs to figure out a path of immigration reform - tax changes in the tax law >> medicare. >> medicare, social security, all the big issues. when we can't do the small stuff it really, on this thanksgiving day, we live in the greatest country in the world. we should figure out how to work together. >> by the end of the year, in a month and a half. there are unfinished issues -

medical reimbursements. do you think congress will address these things or there'll be temporary stop gap measures. >> you'll see the temporary stop gap measures. we'll bump up against the debt ceiling without a fiscal plan. it's almost you have to lock them in the room. nothing gets down. the american people at some point. there needs to be an uprising. >> the ballot box is there.. >> what you have is inherent re-election because of the perks of the office. you are raising money in a daily basis. $10,000 a day. that's what they raise, the average person cannot compete with that. >> that's another issue, thank you for coming in. >> happy thanksgiving. >> you too. >> an outbreak of violence in

the central african republic. it's called the forgotten crisis. the secretary-general says the area is descending into chaos. officials fear fighting between the ruling muslim minority and christian majority could become a genocide. numbers killed are not known. rural areas are too dangerous to enter. a million fled their homes. france pledged to send troops. >> 14 egyptian women are headed to prison for supporting the president. they were given 11-year sentences. among them seven minors, who will go to a prison for juveniles. the women passed out fliers and formed a human chain during a rally for president mohamed morsi. they were convicted under a new ban on demonstrating without government permission. >> protesters in thailand's capital are defiant, ignoring a vote of confidence and demanding a government shutdown.

wayne hay reports from bangkok where the prime minister is begging the protesters to stop. >> security has been weak throughout the process. at the ministry of defense, military and police were well prepared. day by day the protesters made their presence felt at government ministries. when they arrived at defense headquarters they told those inside they were armed with trademark whistles and flowers. the goal to force the government out and introduce political reform. >> translation: we will not let this corrupt system hurt our country. if you ask me how long we can do this, we'll continue until the people get their victory. >> this was a symbolic visit. an attempt to show force. the target of the protesters anger survived a vote of no confidence. the result was never in double. prime minister yingluck shinawatra's party and

coalition partners have a majority. there was speculation that the prime minister would resolve parliament and call an election, knowing she what her party would likely win again. she's ruled that out and has to look at other ways to end the protests. >> the prime minister has repeatedly made pleas for talks. >> no matter what we do, we do not know the solution to what the protesters want, and what the approaches might be. if we have a chance to talk to discuss, please call off the protests for the country's peace and for the thai people's happiness. i'm begging you, the protesters, this doesn't make the situation better. >> the protest leaders have so far refused to agree to meet government representatives. the prime minister's best option is wait and hope the rallies lose momentum.

>> more than 100,000 people rallied sunday against the government. officials say the crowds dwindled, a coalition of migrant workers in florida is chaining up the fast food industry and grocery chains. our correspondent reports. >> the tomato workers back-breaking day begins in the dark. they arrive in a parking lot. it's florida's tomato county in the south-western part of the state. they wait for run-down school buses to take them to the farms. once there they earn $0.50 for each bucket of potatos on top of minimum wage. until a decade ago farmers exploited them, and not just financially. >> abusive. verbal abuse. situations. >> translation: i saw how supervisors would mistreat

women. >> here in the field tommato vines were not the only thing taking routes. 20 years ago farm workers formed a coalition. initially the workers lobbied bosses on the farms for better wages and working conditions. they took demands to the top of the supply chains when they didn't get anywhere. they call it the fair-food campaigns. boycotts and protests convinced 11 companies, including mcdonald's and whole foods to sign on. they pay farmers an additional $0.01 per pound. the the farmers only work with farmers providing the code. since 2010 an additional $11 million has gone into the pockets of 30,000 tommato workers. the ciw is targetting wennedies. it refused our request for a

chent. wennedies told them because of high standard it pays a premium to its suppliers. we spoke to customers outside the miami location. >> it's not wendy's responsibility, it's where they are employed. >> wendy's would have to think about what is the image they want to spread to the public. >> the ciw is patient. it took a 4-year long boycott for tacobell to sign on. >> a new era is here. for the first time in the agricultural industry things are changing. the coalition of workers said it's reversed decades of declining wages in the tommato injury. >> some walmart workers are planning more demonstrations on friday to protest low wages.

a merger to form a big airline is on course. a bankruptcy court clearing the way. a settlement approved. a consumer group was ruled against. the merger takes effect next month, giving four airlines control over 80%. u.s. market. >> spending by shoppers on the day after thanksgiving is a traditional indicator of how retailers will fare during the holidays. new factors are diminishing the importance of black friday. we explain why. >> americans are expected to spend roughly 602 billion this holiday season according to the retail federation. a good chuping, 11% or $65 billion, is expected to change hands on black friday. these two are imaginicians, they

know the value of a dollar and its worth. >> i let you run around shop to shop. it's a nice experience. for retailers, the day after thanksgiving is a strong indicator of sales. conventional wisdom has it. black friday sales have to be strong. trends suggest that thinking may no longer hold true. black friday is important. becoming, frankly, a little let important. >> take walmart. it started its holiday prohm eggses on november 1st. -- prohm eggses on 1st. consumers are planning to spend less on gifts. >> shopper tract predicts fewer people will visit stores. >> experts say consumer behaviour and technology are forcing retailers to change

marketing and strategies to spread the gains across more days, not just black friday. if we look at the christmas cycle we have black friday recollects small businesses saturday. now we have celebration thursday. everyone is opening thursday. the list of stores opened on thanksgiving includes kmart and target. best buy, toys r up. all trying to lure people away from thanksgiving dinner. >> we know the sales on thursday are at the expense of black friday and the seat and sunday. sales are weakening black friday's power. shopdot.org expects sales to rise between 13 and 15% to as much as $82 billion. >> a lot of deals online, i shop online. experts say a better predictor is the entire week of

thanksgiving , not just black friday. retailers know it. that means you are likely to get deals on gifts without staying up all night. >> amazon shares reach a high wednesday. investors are banking on a strong showing. mark morgan is here with sports and a homecoming for the n.b.a.'s best player. >> there's no argument for where he is, but when lebron james left cleveland, it's emotional. it's interesting how this evolved. this time it was a bit different. back in december of 2010 when lebron james returned to cleveland, he was greeted with scorn and derision, cascading down. but last night king james returned to his former stomping ground and was not met with the anger of three years ago. the decision hurting in cleveland, but a subdisud atmosphere. james and his team-mates on a

role. lebron james set the tone. he outscored them by himself. he had eight rebounds and assists. miami, led by seven at the half, and control for the rest of the game. miami improves to 12 and 3 on the season with eight straight winds. >> two of the elite conference men - the spurs riding an 11-game streak. russell west brook with a steel. kevin durant. west brook 2-16. dewar want with two game-high 24. 13 boards, reggie jackson huge off the bench, supporting durant. thunder 94-98 improving to 7-0 at home. >> thanksgiving day on that day the detroit lions hosted the chicago bears. the lions are a mainstay on

turkey day. for sports fans today tied for the nfc north league the lions hosted the packers in a game with major play-off imreply cases john henry smith reports. >> the lions have not run on turkey day tins 2003. the lions are favourites tins 2000 thanks to the call or bone injury that mike mccarthy says will keep erin rogers out of a fourth straight start. >> it's a medical decision. he is not ready. >> with the packers winless, coach mccarthy is replacing quarterback sw signed veteran matt flynn, a guy that lit up the lions for 400 yards passing and six scores during a first stint. >> i think we are so much further ahead. you go back, scotsman prepared before the game. he is getting the full reps this

week. in a limited fashion. we are on a 4-day week. as far as going into the game i felt it was better. >> despite being the only nfc team, the lions come in with a grip on first place after losing two in a row. >> they haven't gotten it done and taken advantage of the rest of the subdivision. in the past four games, minus 12 and turn over - that is why they are where they are. matthew stafford has not played well. the lions were called dirt bags because of the past after the whistle shenanigans. one more drama for a game that has plent yip. >> it's an thanksgiving , how much bigger can you make it. there'll be great energy. this is the second time around m both teems need the game. it's a contest that i know we are looking forward to.

>> john henry smith, thank you. a 3-game slate in the nfl. we begin with packers and lions and conclude in baltimore, ravens and steelers. >> vaccinations prevent more than 100 million cases of containous disease since 1934. u.s. disease reports compared before and after vaccinations. there were sharp decreases. >> u.s. health officials say unprotected sex among gay men is increasing sharply. the center for disease control said risky sexual behaviour is up 9% in the last two years. a third of the men surveyed had not been tested for hiv. those aware of their condition

were likely to use protection. >> smoking in public places being banned. it's illegal to smoke in work place, restaurants or park in the five bur ogs, the east cigarettes are battery powered and produce less smoke. the city council is thinking about regulating them. >> a favourite nosh in short supply, what is behind the kinnish shortish and why the potato treat may be back. >> today is a big travel day as people head over the river into the woods to get the turkey. i'll tell you where we have trouble sports. >> i'm sergeant schultz out of ford kentucky. i wish mum, dad, wife merry christmas. i'll be home to see you soon.

>> i'm staff sergeant, employed in afghanistan. i want to say hello to my friends and family back in kansas. happy holidays, love you all. see you soon.

>> great to see some of our troops. welcome back to al jazeera america. knishes are well-known to new yorkers, if you don't know what they are, we'll tell you and why they are in smart supply, first the weather. wednesday gets a big deal being made about being a busy travel day. today is a day that a lot of people are travelling, the shorter trips to get the holiday meal and go shopping. look at the cooperative weather across the country. looking good. we have had dry skies in the midwest and a lot of the west coast for much of the week, and continuing to see that over the next couple of days. the one area where we have trouble spots, syracuse, rochester, because of wind pattern and gusty into the north-east puts the main moisture as highs move out. now we'll stay dry for the east

coast. hopefully the return home if you come back from the holiday weekend. it's looking better. >> there's a shortage of a special kind of food. thanksgiving and hanukah coinsided. a jewish delicacy and not available to mark the demonstration. we investigate the short in of knishes. >> we have suffered shortages around here in the pa.. >> september 24th, when the largest knish producer lost its key machine. >> it has created a shortage of this square, fried version of the pottato delicacy. >> there's a sure-fire way of causing a media fire. ordered by the dozen and sold in street carts, delhis and grocery store of the square knish is

unavailable. can i get a knish? >> no. >> i have never eaten a knish. i enlisted laura silver, a writer and historian who studied it. >> you think of ancestors, people that struggled looking to make a living. it has all the history. >> it features a filling, usually mash potatos. a fire at a factory caused the shortage. >> the machinery responsible for making the square knishes was destroyed. the firefighters did what they had to do, but the water damage rendered the machine unusable. >> the owners have been apologetic to knish lovers. the shortage means customers are

having to find alternative. bidding on ebay or opting for less popular round knishes. >> these are better. i like the doughiness. when i had the square, as a kid, they came in little wax bags. you used to buy them on the beach. >> i visited the lower east side. it is a knish shop selling round kinnishes for a century. >> to the owner a square fried knish is not a true kinnish. >> a knish must be round and big. if you haven't had your knish you haven't had run. >> i never was able to taste a square knish. i devoured round ones. with it, a piece of new york and jewish history. >> when will you give people back their kin ishes? >> we think in the last week of november, and worst case scenario the first week of

december which coynesides with hanukah. that's the hope. >> just a few of the types of knishes you can find in new york. sweet potato, mush really, jalepeno and cheese. >> the hanukah began with the lighting of the national menorah at the white house. the u.s. air force band demonstrated. >> affordable care act glitches means small businesses won't be able to sign up online until next year. insurance coverage for those businesses will not begin until 2015. >> the u.s. offers to destroy some. syria's weapons, destroyed on a ship in international waters was no country is allowing them to be destroyed on their soil.

>> the fate of the balloons on the macy's parade is uncertainty. winds could ground them for the second time in the parade's history. >> thursday is shopping day for shopping marts. >> lebron james returns to cleveland for the fifth time since taking his talents to south beach. how was he received? that's in sport. >> winds could impact the big parade. i'll have the big forecast. >> al jazeera continues. thomas and i are back with you in 2.5 minutes. stay with us.

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>> good morning. welcome to aljazeera america. happy thanksgiving, everyone. good to of you with us. >> a tradition is threatened this morning by that storm system. >> in two hours, the macy's thank giving day parade will be underway. it is too windy, the balloons may be grounded for the first time in more than 40 years. >> as soon as the turkey dinner is done, lots of americans will start a relatively new thanksgiving tradition, shopping. some are crying foul about the black friday being bumped into the holiday. >> we begin with another black eye for the affordable care act. a major element of obamacare is

delayed by a year. the on line system for small businesses to buy medical insurance for the workers isn't ready. the reason for the delay has to do with a problem-plagued federal website healthcare.gov. >> the white house issued a statement saying small businesses would not be able to register their employees on healthcare.gov until november of next year. administration officials are focused on fixing the website so it will work for individuals trying to purchase insurance, acknowledging that it cannot afford to help the small businesses navigate the site. it was supposed to rollout november 1. now coverage for small businesses that sign up next november would take effect in january of 2015. republicans quickly pounced on the news. house speaker john boehner issued a statement in part reading the president bit off

more than he could chew about this health care law and small businesses are now forced to bear the consequences. the white house announced small businesses could still purchase the businesses the old fashioned way through agents or brokers. >> you need to talk to your agent and figure it out and that's daunting and insulting. it adds to a sense of uncertainty that's already a problem in this sector. >> some democrats up for election had a tough time defending the late evident setback. >> >> disappointment. we'll just have to get past it. >> michael glick, owner of the parlor steakhouse says he has lost confidence in the president and the website. >> the law itself and the implementation is a disaster, and very confusing, scaring individuals and companies. >> meanwhile, a new deadline

looms. saturday, the president promised to have the website fully functional for what he calls a vast majority of americans. >> the white house says by saturday the site will be able to handle 50,000 users at once with 80% efficiency. >> the u.s. is prosing a solution to a contentious issue, how to dispose of syria's chemical weapons. the stockpile could be taken aboard a government owned ship in the mediterranean and destroyed. u.s. war ships would provide security for that ship. the plan would side step the security operations of a land operation. an international watchdog agency responsible for removing the weapons must sign off on that idea. >> syria is hailing iran's nuclear agreement. president bashar al assad called his iranian counterpart to congratulate him, saying the deal clears the way for developing countries to peacefully create nuclear energy.

>> iran says inspectors may visit one of its nuclear facilities. the u.n. atomic agency said iranian officials invited them. it calls for work at that facility to be stopped. there was concern that the reactor would be used as a source of plutonium which could lead to developing a nuclear bomb. >> a political party led by contradict star unmasked a top american spy on wednesday. four american drone strikes happened in the country. this is the third time a c.i.a. station chief has been ousted in pakistan in the last three years. >> vice president joe biden is hoping to ease tensions between china and japan on a planned visit to the region next week. china declared sunday that its air defense zone covers a spaed

area in the east china sea. the zone is above a group of islands claimed by both china and japan. the u.s. became involved when a pair of american bombers flew through the air space two days ago. craig leeson reports on how neighboring countries are responding. >> military posted two aircraft as well, saying it went ok. there was no response from china. i guess they're happy that they've proofen their point. south korea likewise had a chance to put their grievances personally to china, meeting with their counterpart in seual today. it's tit or tat at this moment and who knows where it's going

to end. >> the wintery tomorrow that battered the nation this week made it a rough ride for some thanksgiving travelers. it didn't cause the all-out gridlock many feared, though. only minor flight delays were reported in new york and philadelphia. the storm was blamed for 14 detectives, most in traffic accidents. >> the effects of the storm are still felt. the high winds in new york city may force the grounding of those macy's thanksgiving day balloons. we are still awaiting word on that. we are joined live on the west side of manhattan where the parade will start in about two hours. good morning to you, john. >> the winds here at the moment, seven, gusting a 18. that's good, because earlier it was eight gusting to 23 and

that's not quite so good. at laguardia now, it's gusting to 27. there's a law here that says if the wind is faster than 23 miles an hour constantly or gusting above 34, these big boys behind me captain fly. let me step out of the shot for a second and show you what we've got here. over there is the number one giant balloon in today's parade. that is of course snoopy and up there is woodstock and woodstock really rock and rolls when the wind blows. that's the problem. the mayor is optimistic these big floats will actually fly today. there are seven areas they monitor the winds. they can pull them up, pull them down or pull them aside if the winds get too bad. at the moment, people are fairly optimistic that we will get these balloons up in the air. you're looking i think at a giant turkey at the moment,

which of course has a smile on his face because he's not going to be eaten today. >> he's one of the lucky ones. even if the big balloons don't fly, we're all hoping they will, the parade and tradition will go object, right? >> the tradition, that's the takeaway, actually, because macy is very keen to point out even if the big balloons don't fly, there are still all the entertainment that you see around me to go along the route, ending up at macy's. this parade started back in in that 24. there are, i think something like 11 marching bands, 1600 cheerleaders and majorettes. there's about 900 clowns, all of whom have been to the maizy's clown university. of course, there are hopefully the 16 balloons. there's at least 30 odd other smaller balloons and lots of entertainment. the weather is now ok. it's just a question of whether

the winds can stay low. we're all keeping our fingers crossed, macy's and the police make is that decision just before the parade is off. >> the balloon wranglers have a tough job. john, thank you. >> let's find out if the weather's going to cooperate. >> i have a good feeling about this. nicole, meteorologist nicole mitchell, should i have a good feeling? >> overall the trend as expected this morning have been the winds, although gusty have been diminishing. there's reasons we have rules on a the winds because we've had dramatic scenes in previous years, for example, this, the cat in the hat, back in 1997, barney, the dinosaur whipping around, one woman said it looked like barney was trying to attack me. they had to put barney and the pitching panther down, deflate

them. the cat in the hat caused injuries. one year sonic hit a light post and caused injuries. just a couple of years ago, the m&m's hit a couple of sisters. that i heard that they get free m&m's for life. >> laguardia is more exposed and what's happening is the low pressure that caused us all the problems, as that moves out, the pressure gradient, the dramatic pressure change funnels the wind. as the low moves out and that pressure change lotsens up, that's why we've seen winds slowly diminishing and culling into range where we could be able to have the balloons. that's why i'm optimistic. all of that is being watched very closely. as that moves out, it is clearing a lot of other weather across the country. for holiday trips, it's looking good for today, a big difference from yesterday. >> black friday has been shifted

back by many stores to today. joining us now with more on the rush of shoppers for holiday deals, aljazeera's kilmeny. good morning, it is open at 7:00 a.m. is anyone actually shopping? >> yes. the store's been open for a little over an hour here, and there, believe it or not, were about a dozen shoppers that were ready to go in when the doors opened at 6:00. certainly they're here to get some of these door-busting deals that k-mart is afghanistan very, very early. the first woman i spoke with in the line said she was here to do her holiday christmas shopping at discount prices, she wanted to get her hands on the android tap let which is $40. it's not stopping anybody. not a huge crowd, but people are getting an early start to their

black friday. >> i see some shoppers there behind you. are they getting the deals they shopped for or are they better off waiting until tomorrow, black friday? >> that's a great question, stephanie. what retailers are doing is they're staggering their sales for a couple of reasons. one is safe, trying to prevent those stampedes from what we've seen in the past that have sometimes even been tatal. the second reason is they're trying to increase foot traffic and bring customers back into the store more than once. it's also a tactic on the part of the retailers to have those customers come in looking for that bargain price, and maybe it's not on sale yet. customers end up purchasing the item at full price, coming back to return it, get the sale price, match it and once again, what are they doing no bringing customers back into the store. >> that is some strategic

shopping. tracking all the early holiday shopping for us, thanks. >> a colorado lawmaker steps aside to take a stand. >> her vote on gun control led to her resignation. >> a growing problem involving the world's food supply, over fishing depleting the oceans. >> why the lower prices for cranberries are actually a problem for some. >> currently deployed in afghanistan, i'd like to send a shoutout to my family and friends in louisville, kentucky. i miss and love you.

>> good morning. welcome back to aljazeera america. >> happy thanksgiving. up next, the battle is brewing over renting out a room or apartment instead of going to a hotel. it's becoming more profitable and lawmakers are looking to crack down on it. >> meteorologist nicole mitchell

is here. >> temperatures on the cool side, so many 20's out here. atlanta is on the chilly side. that's after that low pressure went through and then the clouds cleared out after night. the temperatures can really drop. i also want to add with the wind in the northeast, some wind chills are in the single digits, so places like toronto feels like if you have the skin exposed with, six degrees. in the midwest, temperatures in the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's in the south. it's cool in the south. if you're active in the weather, it can kick your metabolism. if you're like me and you've already been hitting the holiday treats, that can help. >> during the holidays, travelers prefer repeating a house or apartment instead of a hotel. some lawmakers are trying to regulate it. we have more.

>> australia, and then this is a great little story. >> dave can tell you a little bit about each person that has stayed at his brooklyn apartment. he repeats out one of his bedrooms for $75 a night through short term rental sites. >> if you wanted to stay in a hotel, that's a different experience. staying in someone's home let's you know what it's really like to love in the city. >> travelers type in the number of guests and location, 34,000 cities to choose from. in new york city alone, the site has more than 29,000 listings. prices range from as low as $20 a night for a shared room in queens to more than a thousand for an entire loft in trendy soho. the site handles the exchange and takes a cut of the site. >> does it supplement your in come no. >> it's most of my income. >> some have made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and

oftentimes, they're breaking the law. new york for bids most rentals for less than 30 days unless the host is in the unit at the time. the new york attorney general is demanding user names be handed over from the last three years. >> this is so critical to this fight. >> hundreds met with the site to discuss the challenges ahead. >> it's most important to protect our users and hosts. there is a fight about whether we're going to turn over the users to the government of new york and we're not. >> it's only targeted the 15,000 people they say are essentially running illegal hotels and dodging hotel taxes. air b.&b offered to collect the 15% tax, but by law is not allowed to. the meeting was a rare chance to hear renters talk about what many see as a private matter. >> do your neighbors say anything to you?

>> no, because i don't say anything to my neighbors about what they do in their house. what i do in my home is my business. >> does anyone complain? >> no one says anything. >> that's not always the case. some neighbors don't appreciate the steady flow of strangers. one building owner went so far as hiring a private detective and setting up hidden cameras. he caught a tenant renting her one bedroom for more than 200 a night. the proof was enough to convict her. >> it's a liability issue for a landlord, that a.m. liable if anything happens to one of these illegal tenants. third, i'm responsible for the safety and quiet enjoyment of the tenants in my building and i can't do that with short lease-short term stays. >> each side has a take in the fight and will likely set precedent for the rest of the country. >> a colorado stout senator

resigned from office rather than face a recall election. she was one of three departments targeted by activists after voting for the gun control law expanding background checks and limiting the size of magazines. the other two democrats were recalled and replaced by republicans. >> a missing new jersey boy was found safe in ohio. he disappeared from his home a week ago. the owner of a cleveland hotel recognized the boy trying to check in and called police. >> the start of the holiday season means lots of grocery shopping and big meals, but worth pausing to think about where all that food comes from. despite global efforts, over fishing is happening. the population of cod, swordfish and other fishes have fallen. scientists warn that fishes are

being haul the from the ocean faster than they can reproduce. >> the start of the dungeonex-ss crab season runs through next summer, but most of the haul sells in the first month, demand out pacing supply. >> eating sustainably is at the heart of the business here. >> in an effort to maintain crab populations, a new california law this year limits the number of traps each fishing boat may set, giving the species a chance to mature and restock. restaurant owner worries about assumptions that fishing is a limitless resource. he's helped to develop one of the more sustainable farms

around. he's now producing 200,000 pounds a year and hopes to convince more farm to say try it. >> the oceans are in trouble. there's no question about that. there are huge corporations that are stockpiling tuna right now in glass freezers and putting it away for the day that there are no tuna. >> mark is running what he calls from dock to door model connecting to fisherman on line. >> eat lower on the food khan, so lower fish or species tend to be lower in contaminants and much more sustainable. these are all great choices. >> in oceans so vast that billions of hungry people have depleted fish stock sweeping up everything in their path, leaving dead zones behind. >> i put two kids on this planet. i to have leave it better than i found it. the oceans are our life, oxygen,

food. without them, we're not here. >> the good news for shell fish lovers, crabs and lobsters from u.s. fisheries remain in good shape. at least here, the new law to limit traps will curb the annual scramble for dungeoness, a reminder we can act now you to save the seas. >> scientists say pollutants are hurting fish populations, saying d.d.t., pesticides and other chemicals may have lowered the fertility of females and slowed growth rates in young fish. >> on wall street, investors go into the holiday with thanks for yet another record-breaking day. the dow jones closed above 16,000 again wednesday. investors were encouraged by a report showing a drop unclaims for unemployment benefits. it's the doe's record 44t

44th close this year. the s and p. future hundred closed at an all time high. >> a merger to form the world's biggest airline is back on course with, clearing the way for a deal between american airlines and sufficient airways. the judge approved the anti trust suit and ruled against a group that wanted to postpone the deal. the merger takes effect next month giving four airlines control over the u.s. market. >> there are more cranberry options on the table this year. cranberry farmers harvested a huge crop, driving down prices. what is good for shoppers can be bad for growers. we report from the cranberry bogs along the washington state coast. >> a sparkling fall day perfect for harvest. normally dry bogs are flooded, the berry shaking off submerged vines, and pushed into a loading machine. most will be processed, dried or mixed into sauce, juice and

other products. in a continuing trend, there are too many about herries and the prices the farmers can demand are dropping. >> it costses 30 cents a pound. if you're getting 10 cents a pound, you can hang on for a while, but it depends how many bills and how long you've been doing it. >> it's a half billion dollars a year industry across north america. ocean spray handles two thirds of the countries can buries should be ok. prices are prearranged and payment spread over time. smaller, independent farmers could take a holiday hit. >> they're struggling, trying to find alternatives. there's only so many niches out there. >> here's one niche, pure, unfiltered juice from washington's only pure organic cranberry operation. >> it is pretty. it's good. >> this is tiny starvasion alley

farms, three years in business. >> we are the farmers. we produce our juice, do our own distribution, sales and marketing. >> part of the young couple's survival strategy in an industry under pressure is a narrow target market. they sell to bars and restaurants. for the tart, unsweetened juice is mixed into high end cocktails. they hope to expand carefully and plan to stay out of the cranberry mainstream. >> people really want local fruit. there's tons of cranberries produced here. conventional organic people are excited to have fruit grown near where they are. >> for growers unable to find a niche or buyers overseas, 2013 could be a bitter harvest. >> the small family farmers, five, 10, 30, 40 acres that are sort of the salt of the earth on these rural communities, and there's hundreds of them out there are going to be hurt with a lot. >> the shakeout might last self

years and farmers in oregon and massachusetts could be particularly hard-hi. aljazeera on washington's long beach peninsula. >> in an effort to boost business, cranberry companies are looking to europe and asia for opportunities to expand. >> i love cranberry juice muscles, so i'm definitely doing my share. >> look at the recipes and start baking away. >> the at your keys aren't even out of the oven, but the stores, they are already open. >> retailers are buffing up their black friday deals to today. >> why consumers could hit the worldwide weapon to get those deals. >> a deadly accident, raising questions about the readiness for the world cup. >> family, turkey, all the trimmings and the cowboys, dallas at home for its annual thanksgiving day clash. that a closer look, coming up in sports. >> hi, i'm staff sergeant amber

wilson in afghanistan. i wanted to wish my family and friends back home the happy holidays and give a special shout out to my students.

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

>> there's no status quo, just >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. the bottom line. >> but, what about buying shares >> but, what about buying shares in a professional athlete? in a professional athlete? >> you're looking at a live shot of new york city. that's the starting macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> good to have you with us. certainly plenty to be thankful for on this day, the right to shop for a lot of people even

before the holiday gets underway. retailers are opening those doors to get the hungry customers in. >> they're doing it early this year, opening on thanksgiving day. as the critical shopping season gets underway, are consumers ready to open their wallets? that's one of the main questions we're going to be talk about with one market strategists. >> there's six less shopping days this year. that's why they're opening on thanksgiving. what would thanks giving be without a little football, right? mark morgan will join us with a preview of the gridiron. >> speaking of sports, questions being raised about brazil and its readiness to host the world cup in 2014 after a deadly accident at one of the stadiums that will be used for the games. they are having a real issue getting stadiums on line. there's anger among brazilians about all the money being poured into those stadiums. >> we'll have those stories unjust a moment.

first, forget black friday, many retailers decided to open today. for many shoppers, the real action is on cyber monday. aljazeera reports. >> black friday gets all the attention, but more many retailers, cyber monday is just as important. >> my guess is we're going to go just short of $3 billion this year object cyber monday. >> this year, brick and mortar retailers are offering big door specials. analysts don't expect consumers busting down doors to get them. last year, americans spent nearly $2 billion on cyber monday which has seen doubled sales physician every year since 2010. >> retailers recognize that consumers have a great deal of technology in their hand, so they can shop whether at work, through the internet, they can shop at home. >> it's not just happening on desktop consumers. on the go consumers are

harnessing mobile devices and retailers are spending big money building apps. >> what they are doing now is because of in taint gratification and technology, they're offering consumers text messaging coupons going into the store. >> the last few months have been brutal for retailers targeting cost conscious customers. all are he can specking leaner sales as cautious consumers hold tightly to their money. retailers are offering free shipping as a lure. >> a lot of strength really does come from on line chan else, especially with mobile toting consumers now walking around stores and trying to figure out the best deals on lines and in stores simultaneously. >> many expect to do shopping on line this season, up from 30% last year. a challenge for retailers now is to keep those customers happy by

making sure their orders ship in time for the big day. aljazeera, new york. >> financial experts say that clothing is best to buy on cyber monday but appliances and electronics better on black friday. >> kevin kerr is the senior market strategist at king's group is here to talk about all this holiday shopping. happy thanks giving to you and thanks gore being with us this morning. in the rush to start the holiday season, is thanksgiving becoming the new black friday? >> happy thanksgiving, stephanie. we're looking at now thursday, black thursday, i guess. it seems that some stores now, even k-mart is going to be open from this morning early on all the way through black friday i think until 11:00. we're seeing a real shift with some retailers opening on thursday to meet the bottom

line. this year is a little different, weaver got one week less between thanksgiving and christmas for shopping, so retailers are scrambling to make up the money. >> that's true. this year is different. what other trends might we see this thanks giving weekend that are different from years past? >> we're seeing increases, you know, year over year here on on line shopping. i personally spent probably 95% of my money on line purchasing gifts this year and i think a lot of americans are doing that. we're seeing huge increases in that and consumers looking for better deals are able to do it faster on line than the brick and mortar stores. we're also seeing -- sorry. >> go ahead. >> we're also seeing because of the weather system we had that a lot of people are staying in and ordering on line rather than heading to stores. that is a factor that's going to hurt the retailers. >> we've seen that switch into the cyber monday shopping. meanwhile, consumer confidence did rise last week, but it's

still below the average year to date. what are consumers more focused on? >> we've been through the real wringer here with the government shut down, the furloughs impacting jobs across the board. it wasn't just government employees. consumers are till stinging from that. that's in focus again, because we're going to have to go through that again in january and february possibly. consumers are looking for the best deals, because they're a little afraid. we've had tepid job growth. i think the numbers of exaggerated. people are concerned about their job an income growing is not there yet. >> consumers confidence are being taken quite seriously. the markets had a very strong year, this a record year, up 27% year to date. the dow jones having a up 23 percent. how will the market perform at the end of the year no what's your prediction? >> there's no doubt the stock

market's been on fire. one of the thank concerns us is a lot of this buying going on has been on margin. more borrowing to drive this market higher is not going to sustain it. we need long term job growth. this makes us a little nervous up here. we could see a significant correction. once we get through the holiday season into the first quarter of 2014 and once again face this fiscal cliff and possible furloughs again from the government, we could have a whole 'nother story here. while that's making people feel better now, it comes with a big word of caution. >> that is an important point, whether wall street reflects the reality that we are actually seeing in the fundamental economy. mr. kevin kerr, thanks so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> thailand prime minister provides a vote of confidence, but protestors are defiant,

demanding a government shutdown. the prime minister is begging the protestors to stop. we are joined live from bangkok. what's next for the protestors now that the prime minister survived the no confidence vote? >> they're not entirely disheartened. protestors say they will continue occupying government buildings that they are occupying until they achieve they are objective of toppingle this government. it's already affecting the day to day running of government. we're standing in one of the offices of the government complex now. inside those buildings, there are several offices including the election commission. we've been told that 70% of the

staff are on leave. the protestors are clearly attempting to force some o sortf reaction to the government. they cut power to the main police headquarters earlier on thursday, but the government has not reacted. the police have in fact sought an arrest warrant for the top protest leader. they obtained that several days ago, but he's been allowed to march on the street without police attempting to detain him. that perhaps in an indication of how keep the authorities are to avoid confrontation that could turn violent, bearing in mind that the last time street protests this big happened in thailand was in 2010 and that ended after the government ordered the army to move in, and that had a very violent ending with more than 90 killed in the bloody crack down. >> i know they're trying to avoid confrontation here, but what option does the government have to stop the protests?

>> initially, it was thought that she may decide to dissolve parliament and hold early elections, but she ruled that out early thursday, saying she would not be going down that route. the next option for the government is perhaps to wait that out in the hopes that the protests will lose steam. the government said that the king's birthday is coming up. he's a highly revered figure and protestors may clear the streets out of respect for the monarach. >> thank you. >> more clashes today in ukraine's capital city. ten thes of thousands of demonstrators in key ever kiev t talks with the european union, they're walking on government officials to sign the trade pact and back away from relations with russia. it's the biggest anti-government

movement in 14 years. >> seven minors will go to a prison for juveniles. the women formed a human chain earlier this month during a rally for mohamed morsi. they were convicted under a new law that bans demonstrations wow government permission. >> police in iraq found the bodies of 13 men killed execution style. some of the bodies were dumped in farm lands. the bodies were often left in remote areas during the height of sectarian vials in 2006 and 2007. 15 iraq keys were killed across the country this week. >> a deadly accident in brazil is casting a shadow over next year's world cup. two construction workers were killed. aljazeera has the story. >> workers are under pressure to get world cup stadium finished on deadline. this is just the latest in a

number of accidents and the most serious. it's dominating local t.v. coverage and from the air it's easier to understand what happened. a crane involved in lifting part of the roof has collapsed, crushing in to the roof of the stand. >> we were leaving for lunch. i heard a loud noise and looked back. i saw a piece of the crane. it was a huge noise. my coworkers working close to the incident said that even the ground shook. >> that machine was moving slowly and made a harsh movement which made the piece start os lawsuiting. it hit the corner of the stadium, pushing the arm down. >> this stadium in sao paulo was due to be completed by the 30 first. the world cup organizer said in a statement:

>> there have been huge protests across brazil to host the world cup. millions have taken to the streets to express anger. there have been growing concerns about working conditions not just in brazil but at the site of the 2022 world cup in kass tar. it will be closed in are tribute to the dead, but local prosecutors may decide to close it down for 30 days to investigate the deaths of workers. at the moment, no one is talking about moving the opening game away from here. alan fisher, aljazeera. >> this is the third major accident at a world cup stadium in brazil in the past two years.

in may, a roof collapsed during the construction at the arena. in march, a worker died from falling from an elevated structure at the arena. last june, a worker died after falling 100 feet at a stadium. >> a homecoming for the nba's best player. >> that's right, thomas. it wasn't the red carpet, but has i am moved. remember in december of 2010, lebron james was treated like a villain after bolting for miami. booed ander. >>ed relentlessly by the crowd, it was clear that fans felt jilted and let lebron know it. last night, his return was not met with the anger of three years ago. the decision still hurts in cleveland, but a more subdued atmosphere. james and his teammates on a roll. he led all scorers with 28,

outscored the cavs starters by himself. miami led by seven at the half and stayed in control for the rest of the game. miami improved to 12-3 with its eight straight wins. >> two of the western conference elite met. the thunder held san antonio to are 9% shoot i can. the steal ahead to durant. durant had a game high 24. that reggie jackson, huge off the bench, supporting durant with 23. the thunder win 94-88 and improve to 7-0 at home. >> week 12 of the nfl season and in what has become a dallas tradition, the cowboys will host a thanksgiving day game. fighting for a playoff spot, they are looking to improve to

5-1 at home this season. john henry smith has more. >> the up and down cowboys come into turkey day on a high note having secured a sweep over the division rival giants to inch their way back into first place. according to quarterback tony romo, the cowboys coaching staff last week had an eye on thursdays opponent, the raiders. >> you got to start the short week and feel comfortable coming in here monday. i don't like coming in, you know, and not having a real good bead on what they want to do. we had a jump start on that. the coaches have stepped down a little bit before, so that was really important. >> the 6-5 cowboys, losers of two of their last three thanksgiving games will look to keep their hold on an n.f.c. playoff spot, playing a raiders team who have the worst record at 4-february. >> it looks good that they can beat the raiders. everybody expects them to do that. they've got to stop the run

without sean lee out there at the middle linebacker position. the giants ran for 200 yards against them and the raiders will play hard. >> also returning from injury after three games will be detail back mcfadden. he lost his starting job to his replacement. >> both of them will play and get their opportunities. you can't deny the fact that jennings led the entire nfl and continued to get carries, his touches and will still do that. >> cowboys got a much-needed win over the new york giants and are sitting pretty in the division, considering their record is 4-0. if they want out of that .500 drought that they've been in, they've got to win this game. john henry smith, aljazeera. >> thank you so much. a three day slate in the nfl day

begins with packers and lions and concludes with the ravens hosting the steelers. >> awhite house tradition getting a new twist this year. >> who made the cut as americans turkey gets poreddenned. >> at your keys, 219 million of them. it's the big day today and we're talking about how you're playing a part in that figure. >> i just wanted to wish my friends and family back in san antonio a merry christmas and happy new year. see you guys soon.

>> and now a techknow minute... >> and now a techknow minute...

>> taking a look at our number of the day. the turkey is the staple today, but americans consume 219,000 at your keys every year. >> 46 million of them end up at thanksgiving dinner. 16 pounds is the average weight.

>> welcome back. good to have you with us. >> hanukkah is also falling unusually early today. the combination with thanksgiving is creating a new holiday. >> it is a special holiday. let's look at who's going to see the rain and snow this holiday. meteorologist nicole mitchell, good morning. >> we talked so much about the air travel on wednesday. today is actually a big travel day for those drives, the short drives to get your holiday dinner with relatives or may be shopping. barely any precipitation. we have a little disturbance moving michigan, indiana, and then right where we have the winds in the northeast, we have some lingering areas of lake effect in some of the normal culprit areas like syracuse, see hing snow today and tonight. the big system that moved off and cooperative weather. we'll talk about winds coming up and what it means for the parade today. back to you guys. >> this thanksgiving., jews are

celebrating honda at the same time. some are calling it thanksgivingka. >> they have something what to sing about.

>> thanksgivukkah has created new customs, rye pumpkin pie. >> it is a symbol of thanksgivukkah, this once in a lifetime event. it was created by a 9-year-old. >> he and his family made the first using a 3-d printer, they have sold thousands. not everybody appreciates the holiday matchup. >> i don't love the term thanksgivukkah. it makes it'm one holiday when each have their own unique importance. i'm really excited that we're celebrating hanukkah on

thanksgiving. >> it's a once in a lifetime experience. >> definitely an exciting time for american jews, because we get to celebrate bat our heritage in the best way possible. my family is going to eat tons of food and come together especially specifically for this double whammy of holidays. >> a holiday many here are eager to celebrate, even once in thousands of years. >> this is the first time since 1888 that hanukkah and thanksgiving of coincided on the same year. >> a special pardon for two turkeys this year. popcorn technically took the top spot and crowned the national thanksgiving turkey, but the president decided caramel deserved a chance, as well. >> generally speaking, thanksgiving is a bad day to be

a turkey, especially at a house with two dogs, so i salute our two guests of honor, caramel and popcorn for their bravery. >> the at your keys will be on display through january 6. >> can we talk about how cute sasha's sweater was? >> here's a look at what we're following this morning. >> stephanie, it was cute. >> the latest glitch with the affordable care act affecting small business. owners won't be able to sign up on line for a year. >> the u.s. is offering to destroy syria's chemical weapons on a ship in international waters, because no countries will allow them on their own soil. >> waiting to hear whether giant balloons are going to fly in the macy's thanksgiving day parade. after the turkey comes the

shopping. many are looking to snatch up black friday bar against, by passing the way of traditional stores. how apps are helping users navigate discounts without the crowds. >> lebron james returned to cleveland for the fifth time since he took his talents to south beach. how was king james received? that story in sports. >> many americans will hit the roads today between holiday meals and shopping. i'll tell you how the weather is looking as you head over the river and through the woods. >> have a great thanksgiving. >> i wanted to send my family in south carolina a happy and special holidays. love you all and see you all soon.

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

this, because i mean, there's some really horrible things that some really horrible things that are on are on line, and it's not - it's line, and it's not - it's not just twitter, what has not just twitter, what has happened through social media happened through social media and the anonymity of the net is and the anonymity of the net is that you see websites, that you see websites, hate-filled websites hate-filled websites targetting targetting all sorts of groups, popping up. all sorts of groups, popping up. there has been a huge number of there has been a huge number of those that exist as well. those that exist as well. >> start with one issue >> start with one issue education... education... gun control... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... job creation... climate change... climate change... tax policy... tax policy... the economy... the economy... iran... iran... healthcare... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the ad guests on all sides of the debate. debate. >> this is a right we >> this is a right we should all have... should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something >> there's something seriously wrong... seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the and a host willing to ask the tough questions tough questions >> how do you explain it >> how do you explain it to yourself? to yourself? and you'll get... and you'll get... the inside story the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america only on al jazeera america

>> to work or not to work. that is the question, the great thanksgiving day debate as some stores open before black friday. >> up, up and away, the beloved balloons will be flying high at the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> hunting for holiday bar against, there's an app for that. how high tech schools can save you money. >> celebrating the holiday onboard the international space station.

>>, to aljazeera marrying. i'm del walters. thanks for joining us. it is cold right now in new york city, about 31 degrees now. that's not going to stop 3 million people from lining the route of the macy's thanksgiving day parade, set to step off in about an hour. the big question all morning has been will those massive balloons fly. we have just received official word that they will. we have a live report in just a few moments. first, lots of americans are already taking part in a relatively new thanksgiving tradition, shopping. you're looking live at a picture in new york city where some stores have been open now for hours. none of those stores could do without their workers who give up their days with their families to work. we have their story. >> a proud and loving father of two girls, ty looks forward to this holiday. >> thanksgiving's one of my favorite holidays, you know, i

meet up with my family and my aunt, my mom, my father, my uncles, cousins and nieces, everybody and we all eat and then fall asleep and we eat some more. [ laughter ] >> this year, he is particularly thankful, because the new york retailer he works for is closed for thanksgiving. proud of that fact, the company is airing a commercial. >> at p.c. richmond witness we believe thanksgiving should be spent at home. >> 33 million people are expected to hit the stores on the holiday, which is my macy's department store is opening its doors for first time ever. trisha will be working her first thanksgiving. >> it's our choice. >> some workers feel forced to work and urged shoppers to boycott shopping on thanksgiving day. the page has more than 5,000 likes. michelle in pennsylvania posted that she quit her retail management job, saying this whole shopping thing has gone

way too far. >> k-mart here is not new to the lineup of retailers open for the holiday, but this year, its stores are going to be open for 48 straight hours between thanksgiving thursday and black friday. that's going to take a lot of workers to keep things up and running. employers are doing what they can to make the work worth it. for starters, most retailers pay time and a half. wal-mart is boosting it's employee discounts from 20% to 25% and providing a full thanksgiving meal to all three shifts of workers. >> they're giving them a wreckment like that, then you can't beat that. you can't beat free money plus free food. >> brian williams will not get the free food at his security job but will be making more money. >> i'm getting holiday pay. that's more money for me and my family to do things. >> ty said you can not put a price tag on family time. >> i could not even imagine my

family being somewhere and i can't be there because i have to work. yeah, i have to work, but that's a day that you're supposed to be with your family. >> with this little one waiting for daddy at home. >> ♪ ♪ >> who can blame him? >> aljazeera, new york. >> >> shopping on thanksgiving isn't for everyone. many states ban stores from opening on the holiday. aljazeera us at a k-mart. they've been open since 6:00 this morning. is anybody there? >> we've only seen a few people here and there. the first shopper in line we did speak to was here to get a door busting deals, the android seven

tablet offered at $40. she was certainly trying to check off some of those holiday items for her christmas list, shopping for friends and family. you are seeing some of those early holiday shoppers, not a lot down here, maybe they're up at the parade. good news, the balloons going to be flying today. >> are shoppers actually getting the best deals shopping today or would they just be better off eating the turkey and waiting until black friday? >> that definitely depends on who you ask. retail force are staggering their deals, and that's doing two things. first of all, staggering the deals prevents those stampede that is we've seen in the past that have even sometimes been fatal, but what it's also doing is it's keeping shoppers coming into the store and filtering in and coming back for differently

bargains. it's also a retail tackic to get customers to come in for an item that they think is on sale. they come in. it might still be full price. they decide to buy it anyway. they come back to return it or to get that comped sales price and once again, what they're doing, they're bringing those customers back into the store. very clever. >> the manager of a pizza hut out of a job said he wouldn't force his employees to work on thanksgiving. he said the owners of the store in elkhart, indiana told him to open on thanksgiving. he said he was fired. the owner said he quit. the outlet isn't owned by the national restaurant chain. pizza hut says decisions whether to open or close are made by franchise owners. 60% of americans think the store should be closed on thanksgiving. >> the wait is now over, the

giant balloons are going to be flying during the macy's thanksgiving day parade in about an hour. strong winds in new york city threatened to ground them but they have been given the all-clear. we are live on the west side where the parade starts in just about an hour. is that snoopy over you hovering over your head? >> it certainly is, del. this is the hot news. we've just heard in the last 30 seconds or so official confirmation from amy, the director of the parade, i'll just stand aside and you can see behind me, the balloons are going to fly. there was just a great big cheer went up now. this is great timing. wonderful luck. look at this. here comes snoopy, the lead giant balloon. on top is woodstock. he's been rocking and rolling around all day and all night in the winds here. now those winds have died down. you are witnessing what we thought might not happen.

the first of the 16 it. >> balloons are coming out of central park west and 77t 77th street. this is a very, very food sign. the problem was that the wind was forecast to be gusting beyond 23 miles an hour constant, 34 miles an hour gusting, but in the end, they died down, and now you're witnessing the 87th macy's thanksgiving day parade tarting to get underway. they're moving the balloons out now and everyone here is very happy, del. >> john, i never thought i'd see you and a giant snoopy balloon in the same frame, but i've got to say i like it. even the handlers really enjoy today. >> seriously, there was a lot of people very concerned. let me step aside and let's look at the bloops while i tell you about this. there are about 8,000 volunteers

who turn out every year, very early in the morning. there are today around 900 clowns here who all attended the maizy's clown university. there are, i think it's something like 11 marching bands taking part, and about 1600 cheerleaders and majorettes, so it's a very, very big deal and people would have been very disappointed if they couldn't see what you're now looking at. of course, the parade would have gone ahead. there are something like 36 smaller balloons here that would have flown, and i think that probably those giant pumpkins fit into that category. it's the big carriage of balloons that everybody loves that make the parade every year. unfortunately, del, the new 50-foot giant floating del walters will not be taking part this year. it's been banned at too scary for the kids. >> thank you very much. from snoopy now to sonic the hedgehog over your head, quite a

picture. >> that wintery storm that blasted the country made it rough going for holiday travelers but didn't cause the gridlock a lot of people worried about, the biggest airport saying highways and airports were open wednesday. only minor flight delays reported, but before that storm did reach the east coast, it it was blamed for 14 deaths, most of them in traffic accidents. >> will the weather cooperate today no it is cold outside. here's nicole mitchell with your national forecast this morning. >> that storm has cleared well out. we were worried about the winds behind that, which are still gusting. it's good that a lot of this is in the cover of new york and manhattan itself. you get out to laguardia and those winds are till a little gustier. that's why we were watching to closely to today. when you look to the past, we've had previous incidents with

balloons and high winds. this is the look, the cat in the hat knocked over a lamppost. they had to deplate barney. one person said it looked like he was attacking the crowd. barney was put down because of that. another year, sonic also hit a lamppost that caused injuries. it has been dramatic having those balloons. that's why we watched things so carefully this morning. it has been good that this was a fast mover. we talked about delays yesterday. with the warm air with it and it moving fast, it stayed mostly rain in some of our busiest hubs, versus snow interior and moving past the pressure grading on the backside, that pressure change i go what causes the gusty winds. as that has moved out, the winds have lessened. when we've watched the winds this morning, talking the parades, they've local ticked down as that low pressure continues to move off, replaced by high pressure. that means we're going to have

although cool, sunny skies. a lot of people are traveling back to sunday, meaning the weather is going to be much more cooperative. the rest of the country, this is a big day for the road trips, the shorter trips to get your dinner. it's going to be very cooperative, mid part of the country, lots of dry skies out here. dell. >> thanksgiving is a tale that's been passed on for years. a lot of people think of it as the celebration of the native americans and neighbors. a day of thanks was first proclaimed by congress in 1777 to celebrate a revolutionary war victory over the british. joke washington declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer in honor of the new cops substitution. in the heart of the civil war, abraham lincoln asked the nation to celebrate triumph in battle. it became an official holiday

when f.d.r. signed it into law in an effort to length then the christmas shopping season. >> another black eye for the affordable care act. a major part is delayed by a year. the on line testimony for small businesses to buy medical insurance for workers isn't ready. the reason is problems with healthcare.gov. >> small businesses will not be able to register employees on healthcare.gov until november of next year. administration officials say they are focusing on fixing the website to it will work for individuals trying to purchase insurance, acknowledging that it simply could not afford the resources needed to help small businesses navigate the site. it's the third delay for small businesses, which were told they could first enroll act one. that date was pushed to november 30. now coverage for those small businesses that sign up next november would take if he can in

january, 2015. republicans pounced on the news, house speaker issuing a statement saying the president bit off more than he could chew with this health care law and small businesses are suffering the consequences. the white house said small businesses can pressure through agents or brokers by way of a program. >> you need to talk to your agent and figure it out. that's daunting, insulting and adds to a sense of uncertainty that's already a problem. >> some democrats, many up for reelection and taking the heat for the chronic failures of the website had a tough time defending the latest setback. >> disappointment. we'll just have to get past it, because the overall project is just too important to allow ourselves to be discouraged. >> not so for michael glick, owner of the parlor steakhouse in new york who says he has lost confidence in the president and the website.

>> as the law itself and implementation, it's a disaster and very confusing. it's scaring individuals and companies. >> meanwhile, a new deadline looms. saturday is the day president obama promised to have the website fully functional for what he calls a vast majority of americans. >> the white house says by saturday, the site will be ready, able to handle 50,000 users at once with 80% if i see. >> a colorado state senator resigned from office rather than face a recall election. she is stepping down, one of three democrats targeted by activists after voting for the state's new gun control laws. it limits the size of ammunition magazines. the other two democrats were recalled and both replaced by republicans. >> vice president joe biden is planning a trip to china hoping to ease tensions between china and japan. china declared that its air

defense zone is over the disputed areas in the east china sea above islands claimed by china and japan. bombers flew through the area. since then, china appears to be backtracking. >> the identification of the zone is the exercise of the right of self defense. it targets no particular country. we hope that relevant countries need not be alarmed, panic or take it permanently. >> under those islands the sea bed has rich reserves of oil and gas that both china and japan claim. >> the u.s. is proposing a solution to disposing of syria's chemical weapons. it could be taken aboard a government owned ship in the mediterranean and destroyed,

side stepping land operations. >> an alleged c.i.a. agent has been exposed in pakistan. he was unmarked on wednesday. a group said he should be tried for murder for those american drone strikes in the country. the c.i.a. declined to confirm the agent's name. it is the third time a c.i.a. agent chief has been exposed in the last three jeers. >> a contract with a shipping firm has been suspended because of over charges. it is the second time since september. in the prior case, the owner of the navy's primary supplier was charged with bribery. thee he navy officials face charges of bribery and conspiracy. >> protestors in bangkok are defiant, ignoring a volt of

confidence given to the prime minister and demanding a government shutdown. we report from bangkok. >> the protestors have come here to the police headquarters because they say the police should be standing by the people of thigh land and not only representing the interests of a government that the protestors say is a corrupt one. highlighting what has increasingly become a far asiccal situation, they were able to cut the electricity to the headquarters of the police without anyone trying to top them and without anyone being arrested. such is the concern within the government that if they try a heavy-handed approach with the protestors that it could pack a wider conflict and make this situation much worse. >> the government hope protestors will clear the streets before the king's birthday in early december. >> more clashes today in ukraine's capitol. note. ♪ >> tens of thousands of

demonstrators protesting suspension of talks with the european union. they've been chanting pro european slogans a you will day, calling on government officials to sign a trade pact and back away from relations are russia. it is the largest anti-government demonstration in 14 years. >> four women are heading to prison for supporting the ousted president. among them, seven minors will go to a prison for juveniles. the women passed out flyers and formed human chains during a protest earlier this momentum for a rally for mohamed morsi, the ousted president. they were convicted under a new law banning demonstrating without government permission. >> it is the end of an era in italy. prime minister was voted out of parliament. he has been the dominant force in the country for two decades. his conviction on tax fraud charges leading to the senate vote. he faces other charges.

his expulsion means he loses the immunity given to senators. >> the terrifying power of a tornado caught on camera. dramatic video of a twister tearing apart a school. >> a smelly situation threatening one of the world's most beautiful lakes. >> harnessing the power of the internet to get blockbuster bar against on black friday. aa live look at macy's thanksgiving day parade. you can see the giant bloops are up in the air. they are flying today. >> hello, i wish a warm holiday wishes and merry christmas from afghanistan. special love to my husband, tim, and son, joseph.

power power of the people until we restore of the people until we restore our freedo

>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. we're going to take you to guatemala where one of the world's most beautiful lakes is threaded by a man made problem. >> first, the rain seems to have

been replaced by the cold. for the forecast, we turn to nicole mitchell. >> it is a little bit cool in some cases, 20's in the northern midwest and 20's in the south after that system went through. that's where it's on the cool side or below average. these are some of the coldest temperatures of the season, below freezing. it's frost advisories out here and tonight, as well. this is an area of the country where some of the pipe's around inflated, so you have to watch for freezing concerns. >> into the northeast, we had warm air with that system yesterday. this morning, those temperatures have changed dramatically into the 30's, so you really felt that temperature contrast. for the rest of the day, anything from 20's and 30's northward to 40's and 50's sawedward and warm air in the southwest. we're running cool, but there's always a silver lining. if you plan on wearing the stretchy pants for thanksgiving,

if you get outside in the cooler weather, you burn a little more calories when it's cool outside. >> you do not want to see me in stretchy pants, nicole. thank you very much. >> video from central indiana showing schools how powerful tornadoes can be. security camera footage was released on wednesday. it shows a twister tearing through southwestern middle school in lafayette. you can see the ceiling tiles crashing to the floor, windows blown out. the tornado hit two weeks ago on a sunday, so no one was inside. the county hasn't decided whether to rebuild the school or simply tear it down. >> a shadow over the upcoming world cup in brazil. a stadium construction site killed three workers. that stadium is one of a dozen ready for the 2014 soccer tournament in june. preparations are slowed by protests, construction delays and cost overruns.

it is also hosting the olympics in 2016. >> this is the third major accident at a world cup stadium in brass still in the past two years. in may, a roof collapsed during construction. in march, a worker died after falling from an elevated structure. last june, a worker died after falling 100 feet. >> pollution is changing the way of life in good malla. it attracted tourist dollars and provided fish for an entire region. now its days could be numbered. >> ever since he can remember, mr. hernandez has been fishing in these waters. he could support his family using a hook, line and bait. that was back when fish were plentiful before changes to the ecology saw his catch getting small are and smaller.

>> this is the size of the fish we catch these days. it's hard to sell this small. normally people buy fish that weigh half a pound. they don't want one that doesn't have any meat on it. >> they are on the front line of a crisis threatening one of the world's most beautiful lakes. for decades, raw sewage and agriculture runoff have emptied into the lake. finally in 2009, the lake struck back. a type of algae transformed the once crystalline waters into a foul smelling soup. tourism plummeted and the government swept in to stop the pollution. four years later, scientists say the contamination has only gotten worse. levels of bacteria are increasing and biologists fear they could mutate and become

toxic. bad noose for the hundreds of thousands that live around the lake. >> we have no sewage treatment from santiago. all the nutrients come out directly into the lake. sanity i can't go is a town that gets 100% of its drinking water out of the lake. they do color nate it, but there's always the potential for problems. >> stopping the flow of raw sewage is the only way to save the lake. with more than $100 million ear marked for water and sanitation projects here, money is not the issue. >> the technology to solve the problems is here. what's missing? the awareness of the population and political decisions to put the resources that are already here to work in order to make the transformation. >> authorities plan to have seven fully functioning wave treatment plants in place by 2016, a step in the right direction and one mr. hernandez hopes will help save his lake.

aljazeera, guatemala. >> the lake is the deepest lake in central america. >> it is a modern day case of david versus goliath, a small group of farm workers taking on some of the biggest companies in the world. >> one big city looking to snuff out electronic cigarettes. why you some lawmakers say they should be banned in. >> don't go holiday shopping just yet. we have new apps that can save you time and even a little houston. >> i'm mark morgan. a thanksgiving tradition is revived in detroit as the lions host the packers. a preview ahead in sports. >> you've never seen so many happy grownups in your life, happy to see sonic the hedgehog flying. there were threats the balloons would be grounded, but an hour ago, they said up up and away. we'll be right back. >> hello, wishing my wife happy

holidays down in denver, colorado. >> only on al jazeera america. >> only on al jazeera america. >> oh my! >> oh my!

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>> until about a decade ago, workers say farmers exploited them and not just financially. >> abusive. >> i saw directly how supervisors would speak and mistreat women as if they were trash. >> here in the fields, tomato joins weren't the only thing

taking root. the c.i.w. was folder. initially, the workers lobbied bossion on the farms for better working conditions and wages. they took their demands to the top of the fly chains, fast food restaurants and grocery stores, calling it the fair food campaign. their protests have convinced 11 companies, including mcdonald's and whole foods to sign on. these companies now pay farmers an additional 1 cent per pound of tomatoes. the companies will only work with companies who abide by a code of conduct protecting workers. the real game changer was when farmers joined the fair food program in 2010. an additional $11 million a year have gone into the pocket of tomato workers. now wendy's is targeted. they refused to comment. they were told because of its high standards, it already pace a premium to tomato suppliers.

we spoke to customers. >> it's not wendy's responsibilities for the workers and their environment, it's where they're employed. >> wendy's would have to think about what is the image they want to spread to the public. >> the c.i.w. is patient. it took a four year long boycott for taco bell to sign on to the fair food program. migrant workers say a new era is here. >> for the first time in the agriculture industry, things are changing. >> the coalition has already reversed decades of declining wages in the tomato industry. >> some wal-mart workers are planning demonstrations on friday to protest their low wages. >> scientists say vaccination have prevented more than 1 million serious cases of con to my knowledgous diseases.

reports are compared before and after vaccines became available saw sharp key linessen polio, measles and whooping cough. >> health officials say unprotected sex in gay men is increasing. risky behavior is up 9%. a third of the men surveyed hasn't been testified within the last year. >> new york city may expand it's smoking ban in public places to include e cigarettes. they are battery poured and produce less smoke than regular cigarettes. the city council is thinking about regulating them so kids won't be smoking as socially acceptable. >> spending by shoppers on line

is lessening the effect of black friday. >> americans are expected to spend roughly $602 billion this holiday season. a good chunk of that money, nearly 11% or more than $65 billion is expected to change hands on black friday alone. >> do you have money to burn? >> they know the value of a dollar and its worth on black friday. >> shopping is a nice experience. >> the day after thanksgiving has historically been a strong indicator for overall sales. convention wisdom that it in order to have a good season, black friday sales have to be strong. that thinking may no longer hold true. >> black friday as a point of

significance is important but becoming frankly a little less important. >> wal-mart started its holiday promotions on november 1. retailers are going to agree lengths to make up for weak demand by cautious shoppers who may be worried about jobs or no longer earning as much as they once did. a recent gallup poll shows consumers are planning on spend in less money this year. >> fewer people will visit stores in november and december. >> evolving consumer behavior and technology are forcing retailers to change that strategies to spread the gain across more days, not just black friday. >> if we look at the christmas cycle, we have essentially black friday, small, saturday. now we're having celebration thursday, which is everyone's opening on thursday. >> the list of stores opening include k-mart, toys are us,

besty, old navy and others trying to lure people away from thanksgiving dinner with deeply discounted goods. >> they are at the expense of black friday and subsequent saturday and sunday. >> on line sales are weakening black friday's power as a key indicator. on line holiday sales are expected to rise between 13% and 15% over last year to at much as $82 billion. >> a lot of deals on line. i do shop on line. >>ings experts say a better predictor is the entire week of thanks giving, not just black friday and retailers know it. that means you are likely to get deals and holiday gifts without staying up all night and waiting through long lines. aljazeera. >> shares of amazon reached record highs. >> there are ways to save money and time, some suggest clicking

on an app. a model and owner of the money saving blog, the frugal model is in miami this morning. ashley, drop the newspaper ad and click on the app. what are the advantage and disadvantages? >> i don't know about you, but i am not spending my thanksgiving standing in line, camping outside a wal-mart or pushing by crazy customers to get a deal on a t.v. you can stay at home from the comfort of your couch in your food coma in your snuggie. there are thousands of deals including major retailers, so you can have all on your phone. you can create lists. the nice thing about this app, it sends you notifications on new deals. you don't have to miss anything. another is scott wallet, a specific black friday app. you can shop direct from the app, which is great on this one,

so actually get cash back, as well. wal-mart can give you money back if area a fat wallet member. you can share the teal via text or email with your friends. shop advisor is a great app, keeping an eye on owl of your favorite projects and let's you know when they're likely to have the best price. pretty much, they advise you also to let you know the history of the prices and when they're going to be at the best price. >> as i see those scenes behind you in miami, i think i'd want to get out and shop. up here in the north where it is colder, how is social media taking advantage of the on-line shopping season? >> it makes it easier. most people are already on facebook and twitter. now you can follow your favorite stores on facebook, like their pages on facebook and follow them on twitter. a lot of the times, the major retailers are giving you details in your feed to stay on top of everything.

a couple i like are@amazon deals. they have usually provided the best prices and release new details every 10 minutes. @black friday is another one. also, you can hash tag the products, as well. >> for those of us always on our phones, can an app simplify our lives in other ways than simply saving money? >> another great app that i found is giftster. you can specify what you was that and your friends can specify their wants, the colors, sizes, what they want for

christmas. you can mark it at purchased when you purchase for someone and that person doesn't know. now you can have all your gifts without having to worry about people. >> what if i'm shopping and want to use my app to save money and find the best deal. what do i do? >> there's a couple comparison apps, you can scan the bar code. red laser is one, you scan it and it lets you know where the best prices are local in your area or on line. amazon price checker is another great one that allows to you scan or take a picture and it lets you know if it's cheaper on amazon. >> thank you for joining us. she is with the frugalmodel.com. >> renting a room out of your

home or or your home or apartment is becoming a business. >> australia. >> dave can tell you a little bit about each person that has stayed at his brooklyn apartment over the last three years. he rents out one of his bedrooms for $75 a night through short term rental sites. >> if you wanted to stay in a hotel, that's a whole different expense. staying in someone's home lets you know what it's really like to live in this city. >> travelers type in the number of guests and location, 34,000 city to say choose from. the site has more than 29,000 listings. prices range from as low as $20 a night for a shared room in queens to more than a thousand for an entire loft in soho. the host can accept or reject a request. the site takes a cut of the action. >> does it supplement your income? >> it's most of my income.

>> some new yorkers have made a business of you the, in rare cases making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. new york forbids most rentals for shorter than 30 days unless the host is there at the time. they are demanding the site turn over the names of repeaters for the last three years. the challengers were discussed. >> it's important to protect our users and hosts. this is a fight whether we're going to ton over the users to the government of new york and we're not. >> the government say they are targeting the people running illegal hotels and dodging taxes. air b. and b. offered to collect the tax, but by law is not allowed to. the meeting was a rare chance to hear renters talk openly about

what many see as a private matter. >> do your neighbors say anything to you? >> no, because i don't say anything to my neighbors about what they do in their house. that what i do in my home is my business. >> nobody complains? >> no one says anything. >> that's not always the case. some neighbors don't appreciate the steady flow of strangers. one building owner went so far as hiring a private detective and setting up hidden cameras. he caught a tenant renting her one bedroom for more than $200 a night. the proof was enough to evict here. >> it's illegal. there's a liability issue for landlord, that i'm liable if anything happens to one of these illegal tenants. third, i'm responsible for the safety and quiet enjoyment of the tenants in my building and i can't do that with short lease, short term stays. >> each side has a stake in the fight and how it plays out in new york will likely set

precedent for the rest of the country. >> the popularity of the site skyrocketing, the company founder saying more than 150,000 people put up each night around the world. >> a homecoming for one of the nba's best players. >> this time, it was different, remember, back in december of 2010, when lebron james returned to cleveland after leaving for the heat, the boos cascaded down in quicken loans arena. last night, his return was not met with the anger of three years ago. the decision likely still hurts in cleveland, but a more subdued atmosphere chilling this time around. james and his teammates on a roll. two of 28 there. he scout scored the cavs starters by himself. he had eight rebounds and eight assists and three steals. miami led by seven at the half, controlled the began for the

rest of the contest, 98-84 is your final. miami improves with its eighth straight win. >> the spurs riding an 11 game-winning streak, the thunder held the spurs to 39% shooting. westbrook struggled from the field. his teammates picked him up. durant had a game high 23 points, grabbed 13 boards, as well. reggie jackson huge, supporting durant with 23. the thunder win it 94-88 improving to 7-0 at home. >> thanksgiving day, 1934. the detroit lions hosted the bears in an annual event. the bears won that 19-16 and went on to a 13-0 season. since then, the lions have become a mainstay on turkey day. this afternoon, the lions host the green bay packers in a game with major playoff implications. john henry smith reports.

>> the lions haven't won on turkey day since 2003 beat up the packers. this year, they are fade for the first time since 2000, thanks mostly to the collarbone injury that will keep aaron rodgers out of his fourth straight start. >> this is a medical decision, and he's not quite ready. >> with the packers winless since rodgers went down, he is being replaced with newly signed veteran mat glynn, formerly playing for green bay. >> going into this game, i feel a lot better. >> despite being the only n.f.c. team to start one quarterback

this season, the lions come in after losing two in a row. >> they haven't taken advantage of the rest of the division really having quarterback problems. in the past four games, they are minus 12 in turnover ratio which is why they are where they are. matthew stafford has not played well. >> the lions called "dirt bags" for their after the whistle blows antics. >> this is our second time around. both teams need the game, so it's a contest that i know we're definitely looking forward to. >> john henry smith, aljazeera. >> john henry, thanks so much. a three day slate in the nfl today. we begin with packers lions and conclude in baltimore with the ravens hosting the steelers. that is your sports for this

hour. >> they are very far from home, but even the astronauts are celebrating the holiday. the big meal served in the international space station and the key food that will be missing. >> you might have to dig deeper for a thanksgiving favorite. why the pecan pie is going truly the roof with prices. >> travel day as people get to the holiday gatherings, i'll give you a forecast hopefully you can be thankful for. >> you are looking live at scene in philadelphia where they are getting ready for their thanksgiving day parade. it is the old have in the nation. >> i'd like to wish my mom, dad, baby sister brooklyn and my wife jennifer a very merry christmas and i'll be home to see you soon.

>> and now, a techknow minute... >> and now, a techknow minute...

>> i'm staff sergeant currently employed in afghanistan. i want to say hello to my friends and family back in kansas. happy holidays, love you all and see you soon. >> welcome back to aljazeera

america. just ahead, we're going to tell you about a thanksgiving meal being served in space at the international space station. first lets look at weather with nicole mitchell. >> we have great news. the weather today is so much more cooperative than yesterday. we still do have a lot of people on the roads for thanksgiving as you get to different holiday meals or get in shopping early. >> midsection of the country all the way to the west coast, pretty much dry skies and sunshine, a few areas of clouds. it is a quiet forecast other than some cool air. as we continue off and take the closer look at where we do have a little moisture, a band of know running through places like michigan this morning. the main storm system cleared out but behind it with the winds, we have areas that will see lake effects, those typical culprits like rochester. as the system diminished, it also has been diminishing the wind and that cooperated with us for the parade. as you can see, most of this

clearing out, which means even the east coast will stay predominantly dry, a little cool southward. i want to wish you a happy thanksgiving and the same to you, del. >> today is the first day of hanukkah. in washington, the eight day jewish holiday began with the lighting of the me norah a menoe white house. >> feast, friends and family are how a lot of american families are celebrating today. america's astronauts are preparing a unique meal. >> 260 miles above the earth with plans for a thanksgiving dinner. >> if we can't be at home with our families during the holidays, this is the next best place that any of us would like to do. >> the crew members will celebrate thanksgiving in the

international space station. the menu is a bit more predictable, turkey with most of the trimmings, corn bread dressing and cranberries. no grave in space. >> unfortunately, it is thanksgiving without gravy. >> a food science active for nasa said thermal stablized yams, turkey and green beans. >> anything they have to add water to, we call that a rehydratable. that's the same process that your canned products in your pantry have gone through except we do ours in a pouch instead of in a metal can in order to save weight and volume. >> the product which we end up eating is wonderful, just like grandma used to rehydrate. >> if you're not sold on the idea of dehydrated food, think

of the other perks. no long lines at the supermarket or carrying heavy grocery bags. in space, who needs a shopping cart when you have a spacecraft? >> we might be bringing up food that our colleagues won't be eating for a year, but we'll bring it up. we grab one of the cargo vehicles. we're unpacking a lot of food and bringing it onboard. >> there is still a lot of meaning to having a meal miles away from home. >> this is what we're trained for and where we want to be. opportunities to fly in space are rare. we have to take advantage of them whenever they occur. >> from the international space station, we wish everything a happy thanksgiving. >>, in space, no one can hear you scream. this is the 13th year that americans have been in on or about biorbit inthanksgiving. >> bake are ar are yous and restaurants aren't going to are

treats with pecans this thanksgiving. heavy rain hampere hampered pol. china loves pekans, that country going nuts for pecans. >> have a safe and happy thanksgiving and hanukkah. we're back with more news in two and a half minutes. remember, the balloons are flying right now in new york city. that is sonic the hedgehog taking to the air and lots of smiles. this is philadelphia where they are kicking off the nation's oldest parade.

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