>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris. the white house is expected to release a report of nsa surveillance reforms a month early. an apprising announcement from the fed and stocks soaring to record heights. and art work from the bankruptcy of detroit will add up to 867. million dollars by christie's auction house. >> demanding changes to the

electronic surveillance program, now the white house is ready to reveal what those changes revelation. this was appointed in the height of the controversy to look at the changes made by the intelligence community as they go forward in an era of new technology when all that me mett

that is at any moment. >> mike viqueira, i have one line from the report, and trust

me, i'm going to release you so you can do what it is that you do so well, which is to sort through it. but this is from reuters. the panel is recommending that new tests be conducted before surveillance foreign leaders. new tests there can be any surveillance of foreign leaders. new dribs. there were dribs and drabs to come, but i'm curious to know about the timing of the releasee

this report to the advisory committee. jay carney spoke to that earlier today. >> while we intended to release the report in january given inaccurate reports in the press about the report's contento draw their own conclusions. >> i'll give it back to you. >> terrific, terrific. we spoke with glen greenwald who spoke on the reports. >> they use terrorism as a jus justification about doing anything. if you look at the document

written there is very little evidence that supports the claim that these are about stopping terrorism. they seem far more about accumulation of power. much of the reporting we have done is about spying on targets that have nothing to do with terrorism. whether it's the brazilian oil giant, conferences for negotiating economic accords or energy companies in europe and asia, clearly economic spying or targeting world leaders of democratically elected allies will brazil, mexico and germany, which has nothing to do with terrorism either. if you look at how the nsa is collecting data they're collecting billions and billions with a "b," of e-mail and telephone calls. and if you talk to surveillance experts, when the government is

collecting that amount of data, it makes it much harder to find the people who are engaged in terrorism. >> let's talk about business news. a huge rally with stocks getting a big boost after the federal reserve's surprise announcement to dial back the stimulus announcement i.check the big bo. look at these numbers. there go, 292, the dow rising, 292 points. close to 300 points, and close at another all-time high. patricia is here for what the fed move really means. i couldn't see the numbers. the numbers are huge, right? >> the numbers are good. >> that's a big run up. >> it's a very good game. >> wait a minute. initially when the news broke

there was a sell off of stocks and then there was a big ground once everybody read through the announcement. >> but you have to keep in mind as well that the markets were anticipating this move and it was largely priced into stocks as well. everyone saw this coming but the timing of stay's announcement caught everybody by surprise. it was thought that ben bernanke would leave it to his successor, which in all likelihood will be janet yellen, but he laid out his vision of how it would unfold. next month it will reign in bond purchases by $10 million. bernanke indicated if the economy continues to show resilience the entire program could be wound up by the end of next year. >> the steps that we take will be data dependent. if we're making progress in terms of inflation and continued job gains, and i imagine there will be measured reduction that would take us to late in the

year, not necessarily by the middle of the year. >> now there have been countless arguments for and against the stimulus. proponent say the evidence shows that it has been working with the falling unemployment rate down to 7% and there is no sign of inflation. why start wrapping things up now? opponents argue that the fed has to start pulling back sometime, and unwinding the program would be more difficult the longer it goes on. and they say the budget deal in washington is brightening the outlook for the economy. how will it effect the average american? mortgage rates will grind higher. >> i would not be surprised to see rates going back up just enough to cause issues for the first-time home buyer and those who are sensitive to the monthly payment. >> reporter: the feeling feelint the recovery, new home

construction soared the most since 1990. >> patricia, a couple of questions i want to ask you, this is a very orderly way to manage this tapering, isn't it? i think a number of people thought, and we may even have discussed it that it was a cold turkey thing, it would just end, right? but if you look at how it's going to happen, this is a very orderly process of tapering. >> no one was really expecting the cold turkey because that would be extremely disruptive. what the fed is indicating it's going to do is unwind slowly, but they'll have to measure how the markets react. the last thing they want to do is derail the economic recovery. as you saw with the stock market, this has been priced in. they want to move ahead, and no doubt stock investors were heartened that they will keep rates very low. >> terrific. let's look at that number again

look at that rally. and we'll have what that means to you right here on al jazeera america. the senate is about to vote on the budget deal, it is one of the last pieces of business they plan to take care of before the christmas recess. while reducing the deficit o 10 trillion-dollar over the next ten years. how soon could this bill be--thr

steeper airline tickets to pay for security fees. also federal workers will contribute more to their pension plan, to come the new

year. >> i think there are lots of other ways that we can find budgetary savings rather than cutting benefits for men and women who have served our nation in uniform. the good news is that this provision does not go into affect for another two saying, let's get this done. she wants to see it fixed now. >> those who have had a medical retirement, we've talked about them. we've seen those who have sacrificed so much for our country and are getting a cut to their cost of living increase on their retirement, this was some how a technical glitch or something. if it's a technical glitch that we know is there, why are we goingibby, thank you.

libby casey on capitol hill. libby, thanks. detroit is trying to get out from under billions of dollars of debt. you know that story. one idea is selling works of art owned by the city. we're finding out how much that is worth and the city may not have onile-ere, christie's

auction house be fair game in te industry, there are those in the art world who say it shouldn't be this way. the detroit institute of arts is considered one of the top museums of the country. it's a cultural gem in a city gone bankrupt. now a collection of masterpieces long held in trust for generations to come faces an uncertain future. christie's estimate of city owned art work which amounts to 5% of the museum's total collection is worth $450 million to $870 million.

$18 billion in the red. a federal bankruptcy judge ruled nothing is off the table. pensions and retiree healthcare shoulcould be cut. and art could be sold to the highest bidder to fix its finances. >> some think selling the city's art work is unethical. he said art is sold to buy more art, never to help settle city correct. >> it was the government's job to ensure that it would be held off limits, but they didn't do their job. they assumed this would be a non-starter, and they were wrong. >> reporter: nearly 3,000 pieces are potentially up for sale including works by van gogh. >> it's not going to be an open door are art work is simply going to flow out. i think it's going to be very cautious on the part of the

court, and on the part of the mediator appointed by judge rhodes to ensure that it is not unfairly disadvantaged. >> reporter: in a city that has endured so much loss, the reality that it will be forced to sell off part of its historical heritage is painful. >> you should never take any form of the me sum away from the people who live in the city and suburbs that it's in. that's not right. >> it's here for the people to enjoy, that's what i feel like the art was created for, for people t coming weeks, that is n

the dia will learn what it stands to lose. >> is selling the art the only way it can be u the art work as well. >> bisi onile-ere for us in detroit. president obama is sending a message to russia about its treatment to guys and lesbians,

billie jean king will go to the opening ceremonies. and cahow will be at the closing ceremonies. the president will not be at the games. targeting military crimes with a new type of secret informants. hundreds of selfy portraits getting a gallery treatment. the new twist on shopper habits.

(vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents.

(vo) we pursue that story beyond the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capitol. (vo) we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. (vo) and follow it no matter where it leads, all the way to you. al jazeera america. take a new look at news. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story next only on al jazeera america >> one of the last lawsuit stemming from the 9/11 attacks just settled. american airlines will pay cantor fitzgerald.

the company claimed the airline was negligent in identifying the hijackers. a federal jury finding kurt mix guilty of obstructing justice to hamper federal investigators. he was one of four bp employees charged with the spill. his sentence hearing will be next. retailers say there is no need to worry, natasha has the story from miami beach. >> reporter: as you hunt for the right gift or bargain this holiday season you might not be aware that retailers are watching you from high above. stores are now using

sophisticated technology to track shoppers. it might be beneficial to relaters, but what about you. each leaving a digital footprint and often they don't even know it. that's like gold to retailers who mine the information to improve their bottom line. it doesn't bother me at all if they use it to enter merchandise the store, then i think they should. >> the more we do the more privacy is taken away from you. >> this device is a camera and computer. retailers like victoria secret, the gap and express mound th moe equipment above their door. watch a manufacturer of the product this smart device is noting we walk in a group, whether we're adults or children based on our height, and recording how long we stay at a

prominent display. >> how many people come in to media store, and how much do i do in sales. the second is relative to merchandising. where do people go, where do they stop, where do they dwell. >> reporter: information gathered can trim the time customers wait in line. this smart device is still in the testing phase can also track shoppers villa their smart phones. if it's turned on they will automatically record their i.d. and store it. >> no one wants to be tracked. for the retailers to help themselves to consumer cell phone it's going to leave a bad taste in the consumer's mind. >> reporter: it has prompted senator charles schumer and the think tank "future of privacy forum" to work out an arrangement in tech companies. they must post signs in stores

alerting shoppers they're being tracked and provide instructions of how to op out. this is only the first step in cope with this evolving technology. but shoppers may have adopted to leaving their digital trail behind not only online but brick and mortar stores. >> big brother is out there, people have come to terms with that and it's only getting bigger. >> reporter: if you think you're only being tracked in the u.s. think again. more that 50,000 stores across the globe including germany, france and russia, and they're not the only ones creating this technology. >> california is suffering through its dryest period on record. hard hit by drought the state's farmers are preparing for a tough winter and a tougher spring. lisa bernard has more. >> they're really ugly but they taste fabulous. >> reporter: nigel has been selling his vegetables at the

bustling san francisco farmers' market for 20 years. he and the other farmers are scrambling to keep the shelves stocked. the national weather service said this could be the dryest calendar year in california since 1949. california gets 20 inches of rain a year, but so far only 6 inches have fallen. walker's 105-acre farm in the sacramento valley is thus thirs. >> if i don't irrigate it, then i won't have a crop to sell in march. >> reporter: so he has to irrigate. the sprinklers are running around the clock and walker said its costing him hundreds of dollars a day in gas, electricity and payroll. >> but it's money. i mean, it's time. you know, we have one guy moving

sprinklers every day all day. >> reporter: he said he lost $25,000 in the last few months, and there is no way to project what the next few months will bring. the state department of water resource drought manager said she's holding drought preparedness classes around the state. instead of winter and spring brings a repeat of the rain shortage of the last two years. >> we have lots of tools. we have to work to apply them when things turn dry. >> reporter: not only has it been unusually dry it's been ununusually cold and cold weather has hurt the citrus farmers. >> one of our best fruits all year, killer, they're the best. we think we lost 75% to 80% of them. >> reporter: the farmers make the point during the winter much of the nation's produce comes from california. so the dry cold weather is

affecting the whole country. the national weather service said california is significantly dryer than any of the other states right now. a rare december wildfire raging around the big sur area is further evidence of the unusual dry spell. nigel walker said after decades in farming he has learned to diversify. he has crops that will survive the dry spell, but he checks the forecast every day hoping for rain. >> to get these to germinate well we have to apply water. >> reporter: there is no substitute for heavy rain. that nationally helps his crops grow and keeps his customers coming back for fruits and vegetables. al jazeera, dixon, california. >> a first time for commuters in this state paying a different toll as your traffic pattern changes. really? and violence in central

african republic with a new peacekeeping force. night with the combatants in their training base.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories. the white house has released a report on reforms to the nsa data collection system revealed this hour. the report calls for more oversight but not ending the controversial program. the federal reserve began pulling back on its monitory stimulus however it will keep interest rates near zero for a longer period of time than first announced. andand the president indicated e will sign it. sexual sought is one of the

most fought over issues in the senate right now. 2500 cases were reported last year alone and the new budget has a two-dozen rules changes. but for those who experienced harassment more will need to be done. >> i think it's a combination of both. i think the law will get us started in the right direction but there is definitely an underlying culture that will have to be changed as well. i mean, one law is not going to be the band aid for everything, but it's certainly--its accountability to those who abuse their powers. >> elisha morrow had a superior officer harass her during her time as a cadet in the coast guard. new rules, but some say that that is not enough and the military should not be part of solving the problem.

a program that turns cadets into undercover informants. we now have that report. >> reporter: it was adam doritos lifelong dream to be an elite officer inspired to join the military at age 12. >> when 9/11 happened and you could see it the twin towers burning from my hometown. it took just a couple of years to join the military. >> reporter: in his junior year he was caught on a dating website discussing sex with a minor he thought was of legal age. facing demerit, dorito agreed to join ojoin on a deal. yougo undercover and your demert goes away.

to catch fellow cadets in the act he posed as a woman on craigslist. one cadet advertised for a hot sexy chica who knows how to get sexy and dirty. >> we will not lie, steal, che cheat. the air force said it has no choice but to ask cadets to spy on each other. >> at the same time they're saying always be honest. always be forthright. they're using a program that says lie to everybody. trick your colleagues. >> reporter: colorado springs gazette reporter dave phillips abortion the story o--broke thee cadet informant program.

consisting of people who provide vital information used to initiate or resolve criminal investigations. on tuesday michelle johnson told al jazeera america she intends to eliminate the need for cadet informants. as for adam dorito, his website never went away. it did come up when he got in trouble during frat frattization during his senior year. >> wanting to serve, doing what i needed to serve and then not being able to serve. >> reporter: he has never been charged with a crime. carol mckinley, al jazeera america colorado strings. >> a delegation of east african

leaders will make sure that crimes against civilians do not go unpunished. thousands of people have taken refugee fighting between christians and muslims have spread to other parts of the country. another peacekeeping force will move through the country to try to stop the violence from spreading further. >> reporter: another african peacekeeping force in the making. dress rehearsals for a ceremony on thursday that ushers in another acronym for a country on the brink of more killing amounting to genocide. they will double the number in the coming weeks to 6,000. with the political build up, more pressure is coming down o n

their president. >> we have discussed the transition to really insist on what need to be done to prevent furs crimes. in other words, it is critical that the message comes forward to prevent any more persecution. >> reporter: it's cold that boulder military action is needes a attacks continue. the challenges for the replacement are profound. it isn't about peacekeeping. it's about enforcing some sort of calm and to have any hope of doing that the new force needs to be fast, efficient and well

equipped. they believe it will work. >> we only intervene in very specific locations depending on the threat. where they will be able to go everywhere and diminish the risk. >> reporter: but action is needed soon if the fears of the minority muslim people don't spill over into retaliation. the french want to start disarming both sides but it's too tense right now and sources have told al jazeera that more firepower is needed first. andrew simmons, al jazeera. >> in south sudan 19,000 people have killed as the fights has spread. thousands fled their homes when violence broke out three days ago. the president kiir denies the charge but the deeply divided country threatens to fall apart. some

aqewe. he is the director at amnesty international. thank you for your time. i need you to sort this out for me. what are you hearing about the fighting in south sudan? who is fighting attempted coup. as you know about a week ago he dismissed a number--almost his entire cabinet including machar, the deputy vice president. that set off those larry to macah and those loyal to president kiir. and it seems that they have been

fighting for position, trying to take over military logistical supplies, larger number being since monday. >> so i have a bunch of issues i want to gety've been able to recruit their soldiers. >> as you know, a history of civil war in the country before south sudan's independence. could we see another civil war breaking out? is it starting to take shape in

south sudan? do you have concerns about that? >> i think everyone who worked on the peace accords and trying to restore human rights and respect of law in sudan which involves succes, and security ne restored. >> any civil war to the north, it's not an ideal situation. >> if there is a discorruption of oil production in the south where the oil is located and the

refineries are in the north, one >> adote. director at amnesty international. thank you. we're learning more how the u.n. chemical weapons watchdog, they say the most toxic material will be destroyed on board an american ship. however, the nobel peace prize winning group said it will be taken from ground from 12

storage sites to a stirra syria. that could lead to delays. >> reporter: the target was to remove syria's most toxic chemicals out of the country by december 31st, but it seems there is going to be a month's delay, and the reason is the very volatile security situation on the ground in addition to the weather what is going on is attempts to rid syria of its chemical weapons in the middle of a serious civil war. the security situation is never guaranteed. the major highways in syria are changing hands scantly between the government forces and the opposition, and the weather. there has been a snowstorm, a very strong one that has added more hurdles tha officials say they're ambitious and still

confident that they'll be able to remove these toxic chemicals very shortly very soon according to a detailed plan that they have in place. >> egypt's public prosecutor is charger ousted president mohamed morsi of conspiring maindoors in the country. he's accused of making deals with groups like hezbollah and hamas to plan attacks in the sinai. this is the latest in a string of accusations against the former president. morsi was removed from power in a military coup sparking mass protests. help after typhoon haiyan. david shuster can more. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry is traveling through the typhoon ravaged philippines and he just announced $25 million in u.s. aid. he spoke with storm survivors,

and toured the cities devastated by the wind and storm surges. he said he had never seen devastation at this skill. typhoon haiyan killed 6,000 people and destroyed more and a million homes. and the total u.s. assistance passage to $86 million. today the prime minister of pakistan honored an military alliance with china by climbing in the cockpit of a fighter jet. yes, that i he is screwing in tl bolt there. it was in collaboration of china. he is touring the base that houses the aircraft and said this opens up a new chapter of friendship between the two countries. back here in the united states there was a dramatic scene in new york city because of a fire in the bronx.

two infant twins were tossed to people. they were not injured. three people suffered smoke inhalation injuries. anfinal surge of interest pushed the jackpot t. lottery officials say two winning tickets were sold. one at a gateway newsstand in atlanta, georgia. the other ticket was sold at jenny's gift and kids wear in san jose, california. the winners can shoes $218 million each over time or $170 million cash right now. finally for all of white house are afraid of heights. in france the highest mountain in europe, yes, that is a glass

box that has been added to the side of the summit observatory. people wearing slippers own their shoes without leaving a smudge can now step out and look down. how far down? 18,000 feet. the structure can with stand winds of $124 million. i'm not sure how they came up with that figure but 124 mph. >> let's not try it and say we did, okay? can we agree on that? >> someone is planning the next bungee jump. >> that kills me. i hate sitting in traffic? who doesn't. dallas is giving you a chance to buy your way out. at normal times toll roads will cost you $0.15. but during rush hour the cost jumps to $0.95. >> reporter: the second most

connected highway in texas. 270,000 drivers a day use the stretch that was originally built for 180,000 cars. a five-year project is under way to relief congestion. how? by allowing drivers to pay more to drive in less traffic. how does it work? next to the free highway lanes there are toll lanes and the price goes up and down with the traffic. check it out between noon between-noon-3:00 on tuesday, the traffic was moderate. the price, $0.35 to drive here. at 6:30, the highway is more congested, and the cost to get into the toll lanes, $0.65. >> how is it going to save us time and the cost benefit of the time that it saves us and what it's going to cost. >> at the end of the day it's all about making sure that traffic moves, there is not congestion. economic development continues to grow in north texas. >> reporter: a salesman who is on the road constantly he thinks

the new toll lanes are great. >> i've experienced driving in a situation like that in seattle, and i've seen it work pretty good to control the traffic. >> dependent on where i needed to be, i would definitely take advantage of it. >> reporter: critics call the new toll lanes lexus lanes suggesting it's lanes for rich people who don't want to sit in traffic. >> it's go to help spread traffic out and keep it moving more. >> reporter: the money from the tolls goes back to keeping these pay and drive lanes open. >> the very first dollars that come off those toll roads goes immediately to operations. >> reporter: then it goes to paying off construction loans. if traffic is slow at 35 mph then you get your money back.

but the hope is to keep traffic zipping along at 50 mph. a speed some commuters may think is well worth the price whatever it is at the time. >> ahead on al jazeera america. the game plan to defend president obama 48 from severe weather in february. and art exists that have gone viral. there she is with more. >> reporter: thanks to selfies, i'll have more coming up. >> al jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of every hour. >> here are the headlines at this hour. >> only on al jazeera america.

>> i'm not sure what i'm looking at, but it's kind of cool. an art exhibit in new york is attracting people a thousand people a day. we have more for us.

>> reporter: tony, they're called the infinity rooms. they're done by the japanese artist right here. and people are going down to this gallery down in chelsea, and they're taking selfies, and then they post them online. you can find a lot of them on instagram. the gallery said it has absolutely exploded thanks to social media. we went down there to see for ourselves what this was all about. and look at this. this is the line just to get in. three hours just to enter one of these exhibits for 45 seconds. the galley said it's receiving a couple of thousand people per day. we went inside for. >> but this is what people wait hours to do. 75 led, led lights with meyers and a light sequence of 45 seconds. >> and there is a second room you can go into. it's called love is calling, and

the line is much shorter for that one because they take you in in small groups. people there take selfies as well. i caved in. i'll show you m my selfy. >> isn't she cute. pinpinch those cheeks. you're not embarrassed that you did it. >> yeah, did i it. >> you totally did it embrace the moment. that's cool stuff ines thank you. >> super bowl xlviii is still weeks away but the potential for snow in the northeast has a lot of people worried. there is an answer if it snows in new jersey they'll just melt it. was it a dry run. >> reporter: it was sort of a dry one. it was a wet dry run. basically super bowl fans all

around the country. this is the first super bowl ever my goodness me what wil wil happen if it snows. it will be canceled. well, they hit back and said don't mess with us, the rest of the country. there is going to be a super bowl whether it snows or not. >> we do get an awful lot of the white stuff in new jersey i, and here's the problem. metlife stadium has no roof. which means that there is a chance that fans could be freezing in the stands or worse, game could be postponed. but wait, this is new york and new jersey. the first time two states have hosted together, and this part of the world they're made of stern stuff. >> a snowstorm could hit any time but it does not mean that people should not be able to

move around or football not be able to play. >> reporter: he said the key is to have resources in place and clear the snow officially. >> this is what they're worried about, a giant pile of snow on top of the 30-yard line. it's not just here, it's the many roads around because this will be known as the first ever mass transit super bowl. 820 vehicles like these will be on stand by to clear the roads within a 30-mile radius to the stadium. they'll have access to 60,000 tons of salt. no sooner was the news conference over that metlife stadium became like the hot springs of iceland. mother nature, you stand no chance. 600 tons of snow every hour can be dispatched by this bad boy, and they have more than 30 of them.

the man who runs metlife stadium said he never missed a match because of weather and he doesn't intend to start now. >> we're ready for everything. if you have tickets we'll greet you with smiles on our faces and take you to your seats. >> hand warmers. >> hand warmers, tissues, my nose has been dripping since we've been out here in the cold. >> a little too much information, but you get the idea. it's to keep the super bowl from becoming a snowball. >> reporter: this is snow joke, ladies and gentlemen. >> they had to do this because-- >> reporter: push back. >> a lot of push back. if you listen to talk radio, any of the sports channels, the nfl getting hammered for putting the super bowl in a cold-weather city. >> it happened in chicago a couple of years ago, but there was a roof, so that's okay but this is the first time that they're going to hold it outside

in the winter city. they're determined to make sure that whatever happens it will be held on time. but no grilling in the parking lot. >> no tailgating. >> no tailgating. >> no tailgating? >> well, they stopped that after 9/11, so it's no big deal, but people will need to warm up, and they won't be by having a hamburger. >> meteorologist dave warren is back with a look at your national forecast. this is al jazeera america.tñ

>> this is al jazeera america live in new york city. i'm tony harris with a look not, libby out, 64-36, and the senate a very judicious body even though 64 does not seem like a huge number it exceeded the margin that was needed. all the democrats voting yes, that was a victory for senator patty murray one of the two architects on this bill.