>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris. here is a look at your top stories. the egyptian government labors muslim brotherhood as a terrorist organization. security in south sudan, a power struggle leads to brutal fighting in the african country. we hear from the first international journalist to reach a strategic city in that country. and it has been a bleak christmas for tens of thousands of people as people celebrate in the cold and dark.

>> egypt's muslim brotherhood is fighting back against the announcement that it is a terrorist organization, and saying it is false accusations and it will have no effect on its work. a suicide-bombing at a police station, we have more from cairo on the impact of th this. >> after a cabinet meeting to discuss the muslim brotherhood, it announced its decision. >> egypt's cabinet of ministers have resolved that muslim brotherhood will be declared a terrorist group and terrorist organization as defined under article 86 of the egyptian penal code with its legal ethics, namely first, enforcing all the penalties prescribed to any act of terrorism again any person taking part in the muslim

brotherhood activities or promoting those activities by word or action or any other form. >> yet a year and a half ago the muslim brotherhood's political leader mohammed morsi was inaugurated as egypt's first democratically elected president. it was a high point for the group and lasted barely a year. since then they have gathered under the anti-coup alliance. under a wide interpretation of the new decree, all these demonstrators would be recorded as supporters of terrorism. >> from the beginning of this military coup he has been calling anyone who is opposing him a terrorist or a terrorist--calling the muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization. this is not going to make any kind of difference. we are still protesting on the streets with the egyptian people to oppose this military coup and

get back to th. >> the bombing attack killed 16 people. although the muslim brotherhood condemned the bombing, the government accused the muslim brotherhood from being behind it, and declaring it to be a terrorist group will have a profound affect on egyptian politics. >> this can't lead to more democracy, it leads to more authoritarianism. and we're talking about a group with millions of supporters. >> reporter: many march misdemeanor solidarity. whatever the broad implications most people seem ready to ready to live with it for the stake of stability. >> it was the tale of two

messages. nsa whistle blower edward snowed enrecorde snowdon. >> reporter: edward snowden first wished britains a merry christmas and then transitioned into his main message of his address, privacy or the lack there have. he said that the late author george orwell had no idea what latest technology would allow government to snoop into people's private lives, and warned that a child being born today may live or her life never knowinknowing what personal pr is. >> the conversation today will determine the kind of trust we can place in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it.

together we can find a better balance. end mass surveillance and remind the government if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying. >> reporter: in contrast the queen gave her traditional christmas address, and she spoke for great period of time reflecting on the last year, 60 years since her core nation, and certainly a momentous year when it comes to the addition of the royal family. >> my own family is a little larger this christmas. as many of you may know the arrival of a baby gives everyone a chance to contemplate the future with renewed happiness and hope. >> reporter: during the address they also showed previously unseen footage of prince george from his christening earlier in the year. that was a particularly historic

moment because you get to see in one room four future monarchs. the queens address has been going on for roughly 80 years, and would have been watched by more people in u.k. live than edward snowden. but the potential is there for edward snowden to be grabbing the headlines tomorrow. >> for more on edward snowden's christmas message, let's bring in an analyst, you also have a radio show. >> the david pack ham show. >> i referred to edward snowden as a whistle blower. it must be said that the united states government does not see him as a whistle blower but as a traitor. what do you make about the

statement that a child born today will grow up with no consension onoconception of pri. >> i it will be a drastically different privacy than others have had growing up. privacy that you're in a room with no other person, no cameras are there and you're not posting on facebook. it's not talking on the phone and certainly not e-mailing people. >> had you ever thought as answering that question have you taken a moment about the extent to which there is some form of information sharing, some surveillance of our daily lives, you got a phone. folks know where you are, right? the extent to which our information, our whereabouts are available to, i don't know how vast. >> i think about it probably because i report on it a lot. a lot of my viewers e-mail me

and say they're shocked by this. if you've been paying attention to the patriot i don't car act,t '9, what you said this is something that people may not have thought of or whether he's a whistle blower or no, sir. with chelsea manning it was clear that specific statutes were exposed, and what she exposed was against the law. by statute this is broad constitutionality in the fourth amendment that is being discussed more. >> is this brave new world that we're in now, what do you think about the comments from the federal judge who recently took a look at this case and said there is--what is the line here, it's almost orwellian, the capabilities that the nsa now has at its disposal, and says the bulk collection of phone

records of americans was probably unconstitutional. >> well, it's orwellian or not just depends on reading the book and seeing if you see that in there. i think a lot of people do. constitutionality is something that the white house is hoping that he'll never get a chance to talk about. they're getting head an saying we're not sure he has the jurisdiction to make that call. >> we would expect that. >> yes, and when president obama asks specifically can you tell us one time when terror attack was thwart and he talks about 9/11 generally, that is a sign. >> what are viewers saying, are they comfortable about the amount of informatio informatio. >> many say they don't do fate book or twitter because you're on your phone. your location is there. they're not happy with it.

but that's a separate question of what was predictable based on what we saw after 9/11. i think this was predictable. if all of these things were made legal they're being used to some extent. >> do they want nsa capabilities skilled back? >> reporter: absolutely. i asked this earlier on my show. if you had evidence that this was effective would it change your view? >> that's a good question. >> because much of the problems with tsa is not that they really care about the porno pat downs, but they just don't think its effective. some said that they would be much more for it if it were effective. >> where is your show. >> david back man.co packman.co.

>> reporter: this is the little town that tradition has it jesus was born. they have 200,000 christians in the holy land, and this christmas is not all that merry. this christian palestinian family does not need reminding that they live in occupied bethlehem. all they need to do is look out the window. the israel walls surround their home on three sides. every time the mother, claire, walks out the front door this is her view. the wall is 30 feet tall. on this christmas morning her son did some last-minute decorating. they try to have a normal christmas but their thoughts are always on that wall. this wall is ten years old.

israel built it after the second palestinian up rising when in claire's neighborhood palestinian militants fought israeli soldiers. israel said since it built the law an it has been safer but it has brought incredible hardship. >> in her ground floor shop tourists ask about her life. she sells souvenirs. but since the real wall's construction the family's economic fortune plummeted, and this year christmas arrived with a huge disappointment. >> were you able to buy your children presents? >> no, no. i couldn't.

they were waiting for gifts, this morning, but i apologized for them. >> reporter: like so many here claire celebrates just living two miles from the spot tradition says jesus was born. she attends christmas parades and christmas morning mass. with local archbishop praise for peace. back at home that was the same message 16 of-year-old daniel sends to all those 16 american kids who are lucky enough today to open presents. >> to pray for peace. because there is no peace any more, i guess, here. so. >> reporter: on this day claire prays for the wall to come down. she prays for peace. even if it feels like it's a

long way off. >> in spite everything she has been through, in spite of everything she has seen, claire told me today that she's still hopeful for the future, because as she put it, her faith is still strong. al jazeera bethlehem. >> not everyone's christmas has been merry and bright. thousands are without heat and light after major ice storms, pulled down po power lines, utiy companies say they're on track to have the power back on tomorrow. as you can see from those pictures, kevin, the going is pretty slow for those utility workers. >> meteorologist: we're talking about some of the coldest temperatures we have seen in this area. and also we have a disturbance that is coming across the great lakes right now. that is going to put a crump in a locrimp ina lot of people's p. currently what we're seeing is

about 21 degrees in toronto. many of the people with power outages are in canada. parts of new england, massachusetts, all of these temperatures, boston at 21, and because of the winds it feels more like 7 degrees in toronto. you have a lot of people out there working on the power. remember, sunset for these in this area is 4:30. afternoon. not only is it cold, it's getting very dark. this is a big problem tomorrow morning, the lows are going to be substantially low as well. the good news is over the next few days we're going to be seeing these temperatures gradually start to creep back up. we do have more snow in the forecast, and that's the lake-effect snow right there across lake ontario, lake erie, eigh8 to 12 inches. we're going to be watching this area, and hopefully they'll get

a grip on the power and get that turned on before the next wave comes back in. >> thank you. president obama has more than three years left in the white house, but there is already a growing battle between chicago and hawai'i over which location would be the best place for the presidential library. with the president spending christmas vacation in hawai'i, it's stepping up it's game. what does that mean? jennifer london joins us from honolulu. good to see you. >> reporter: tony, nice to see you. i tell you, chicago may have been the birthplace for president obama's political career, but hawai'i was the birthplace of the president. and it's for that reason and many others that the aloha state said the presidential library should be built here. >> this is oahu's south shore with waikiki on one side and downtown on the other. it's a low key spot popular with locals but well off the beaten

path for tourists. a lofty plan is taking shape to change that and transform the seven acres of waterfront into something, well, presidential. >> these two lots here are possible sites for presidential center in honolulu. >> reporter: robert per kin son is professor of american studies at the university of hawai'i. he's spearheading the statewide effort to build the 44th presidential library here. >> obama in a way is the first global president. he has roots in hawai'i, kansas, kenya, and indonesia, and hawai'i is a cosmopolitan place, too, this is a great place to tell his international story. >> reporter: and while hawai'i can suffer from the stereotype of sun and sands and little substance, just the sheer number make it a great contender.

>> many come for mainly the natural features, the beauty, the ocean, but they often look for something educational and civic as well. >> reporter: hawai'i's vision for the presidential library is as big as the pacific ocean. maxine is an associate law professor at u of h. >> of course it will have a library and museum, that's standard, but there is a pallet that could enhance it with a policy institute and we could cultivate thinkers in innovative ways. >> reporter: presidential libraries are usually located in the commander in chief home state which has many looking to illinois, his political hometown of chicago, but his ties to the 50th state run deep.

>> he took his first breath here in hawai'i, so we think we have an unique perspective to offer in that regard. >> reporter: still the governor is quick to point out he doesn't view this as a competition with chicago. >> our principle object is not to compete but compliment the motivation in putting together a comprehensive library system, a series of components that will reflect the president's true legacy and history. >> reporter: the question of where that history will be housed won't be decided by committees icommittees in chicai or even politicos inside the beltway. it will ultimately be up to the president himself. chicago is also making a strong case to have the presidential library there saying chicago is, in fact, the home city of the obamas. his children were born there.

his political career was born there. the university of illinois at chicago has made it's official bid as well as the university of chicago, which of course does have strong ties academically to obama. he was teaching law there before he went into the senate. and tony so far no word from the president when he'll make a decision. >> the picture behind sue making a strong case for honolulu. thank you. it is called a miracle train. and it is helping to bring healthcare to thousands of people who need it the most. does big pharma impact the doctors in their decision to not offer alternatives to the pill here? >> i think that there is evidence that if you have interactions with pharmaceutical companies, it does impact -- and there's actually pretty good studies based -- that have looked at physician prescribing

patterns and interactions with big pharma. i think one of the luxuries i have is i'm in academic medicine, and we have a policy that we don't interact with pharmaceutical companies. so i hope that gives me a better perspective. and i think a lot of these doctors aren't having these conversations with their patients because i have countless patients who come to me and said they have never heard of iud's. so i think there is some impact of that. we know there's an impact of that. and it makes it challenging, you know, to -- to have a completely unbiased view even though we as doctors like to think we have an unbiased view, there has been evidence that shows that they do impact us in some ways.

so i think it's important for us to go out and educate our providers too. there is no one size fits all birth control, and there are a lot of options that work for women. >> we want to take a closer look, are there unique challenges facing women in minority communities when >> in south africa nery called the miracle trains. railroad cars filled with doctors, dentists and optometrists. they're traveling through rural areas weeks at a time through the poorest parts of the country. we caught up with one of the medical teams.

>> reporter: fear of the dentist is almost universal, especially if it's your first time. the 14-year-old may not be impressed but he's become the latest of 600000 south africans treated at this unique facility. this is the train called clean life. it has been going to impoveris impoverishes areas for 19 years. there is a carriage for cancer screening and psychology and funded by the company transnet. >> a lot of people rely on the services. a lot of people look for us, a lot of questions we question get is when is the train coming back which is a very common question. >> reporter: when they traveled for two hours to get here, she has cataracts that are affecting her site. if they went to a regular clinic they would refer her to one

further away. here the glasses are subsidized, at $3 a pair, and if she couldn't afford it, they would be free. >> i have a problem with my eyes, but now i can see far over there. even the ones that help me see close. i'll be able to read, write, and do my bead work again. i came a long way to be here. >> the demand so high staff work well into the night spending up to two weeks at a station before moving on. next transnet will have two health trains on the track so twice as many south africans been able to benefit from what has become known as the miracle train. $0.50 for painkillers, staff believe by offering patients the chance to pay what they can afford it as dignity to the

process. the train has lifted some of life's burdens. but now it's time to pack up and move on. a journey that started 19 years ago is still going. tonya page, al jazeera, south africa. >> in cuba many artists work to support to creativity, but there is one musician who managed to live a dream and is paying it forward. >> havana boasts hundreds of crumbling buildings slowly painstakingly being restored. he has taken this former power station and renovating it to house his dream, the factor of cuban art. >> it's a place that would allow cuban artists to enhance their work, to give it creative value. it's a place to display their art and live their lives.

>> reporter: in this particular corner of havana this power station is being renovated to create a showcase of the best of cuban art and culture. he found fame both at home and abroad but like most cuban artists he had to struggle to be heard. >> there are a lot of talented youngsters out there who simply have nowhere to perform. >> reporter: with his own money and support of the cuban authorities, the factory of cuban art will be home to music, photography, theater and art. >> there is a public hungry for culture who wants to zoo photography, music and classic art all in the same place. i remember when i went to school of the art the artists, musici musicians were all in the same

area wit with the same energy. >> reporter: the dream is slowly coming to fruition emergin emerm the ruins with its hope to allow cuban art to breathe and thrive, al jazeera, cuba. >> thousands are dead after ten days of fighting in south sudan. an exclusive report from a town along the front lines. plus corruption crisis. a corruption scandal. >> seventh marines. i wish family and friends in north pennsylvania happy holidays.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. tony harris with a look at your top stories. it has ban cold christmas. more than a half million people in u.s. and canada without power due to ice storms. edward snowden said if the government wants information asking is always cheaper than spying. it ayed on britain as an alternative to the country's christmas greeting from the queen. the government's decision to declare muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization is based

osaidto be based on pulse accu accusations. i'm told that the muslim brotherhood is not likely to go away any time soon. >> it has the political arm which is the freedom justice party and it has a huge network of social services, ngos and a whole apparatus of a social movement that has been around for decades, and it is not going to disappear overnight. just because of the legal designation. so, you know, that for me is the take away here. the government can label the muslim brotherhood in any number of ways, but it's going to be very difficult to uproot such a large organization overnight. >> more of my interview with "time" magazine coming up tonight. at 8:00 pacific.

now to sudan where the u.n. is doubling it's peacekeeping force to quiet the violence in the country. some of the fearest fighting is taking place in the city of bor. the government said that it took the town back from rebels on tuesday. al jazeera was first journalist to reach bor, and just a warning some of the images may be difficult to watch. >> reporter: collecting bodies is going to be a grim task. these men defected and joined the rebel. al jazeera cannot independently verify this. some of the bodies are beginning to decompose. officials say former vice president machar is now on the run with other rebels like peter cadet. >> they are moving together.

they collect all the cars, the cars of the government, the ng ngos, almost over small cars and trucks they moved with them. and they are moving with machar. >> reporter: machar denies the allegations of the government. in 1991 a power struggle di di "d destabilized the communit. into. >> people are taking advantage of the calm. they're going back to their houses to salvage whatever they can. even if it means walking by dead

bodies. >> reporter: the u.n. bases are packed with locals and foreigners who are not sure if it's safe to leave. >> we're just waiting. >> the bullets are coming down like rain. people raided houses and stole everything. the bank was looted, dead bodies all over the streets. >> reporter: more u.n. troops are coming to south sudan. people hope they arrive soon and that the violence ends. then the focus will be directed to the number of dead people on both sides. al jazeera, south sudan. >> a turkish prime minister is shaking up his cabinet after a corruption announcement. none of the ministers have been implicated and they all insist that their sons are innocent. we have more from istanbul.

>> reporter: turkish prime minister erdogan just announced he's changing ten of his ministers, almost half of his cabinet. first we have to say that rather than his usual defiant tone he was looking quite tired and at some point he had difficulty to talk. since the announcement of the corruption scandal there was huge pressure on him for the last eight days to change his ministers, which were related to the corruption scandal. with that move, erdogan is trying to ease the pressure, and he wants to give the image that he's going to up coming elections in 2014 with a fresh and clean government. we'll see how the corruption candlcanscandal will effect theg

elections. there is protesting on the street asking for prime minister ministerreprime ministererdogan. >> three separate bombings killing 37 people. most of the killings took lace outside of a catholic church right after mass. no one has taken responsibility for the attacks but catholics have been a target for al-qaeda militants. many have fled to kurdistan where there is a large catholic population. >> reporter: giving thanks in the kurdistan region of iraq, christians come together to celebrate the birth of jesus christ. they sing in the ancient language of assyria, something

that has not changed in 2,000 years. for this father, this was his first christmas day service since then. >> well for me, it's been overwhelming. it's been the first service i do for christmas since 28 years that i left my family. and it was undescribable, mostly. that's what i told the people, the congregation when i first started the speech and giving the direction to follow for the rest of the service. >> after the service its time to catch up with new friends and old. >> well, i was excited. i felt very well. i can see finally people from my church and from my nation coming here together. in the place we meet here. >> this celebrates more in celebrating the life of jesus christ. >> although this is a joyous

occasion, there is sadness for some. many of the christians here have had to move away from the danger of baghdad to the relative safety of the city. for them that's a big change. >> and it's not just the capitol of baghdad that christians have left. he moved his family from one of the worst hit cities. he is happy that they can practice their religion open by but is still wary of politics. >> it was so dangerous. there was no work. my children couldn't go to school. so i had to move here. in 2014 i hope there is peace for christians and for muslims. >> there is no accurate figures for how many christians have fled iraq for the kurdistan region. for those in iraq there is no chance of celebrating christmas

openly and safely. >> catholic leaders in u.s. say they're carrying out the pope's mission to help the poor. parishioners and priests say they all can see the difference that pope francis has brought to the church. >> the faithful arrived early this morning for christmas services at the holy cathedral. but cardinal francis george wouldn't alive for hours. he was presiding over the cook county jail for dozens of inmates. the pope has put a strong emphasis on the poor and homeless. >> love of the poor is in the gospel. god is love. god is charity. nothing new about that. >> and on christmas on chicago's south side the spirit of giving can be seen in an annual feast for the hungry where hundreds

showed up. parishioners say they welcome the pope. and his statements seem to be at odds with bishop george. >> the pope has his own style and that is important. this is a great grace for us now to have this style among us in the present holy father. >> reporter: but there are those who wonder if pope francis' new style could create a riff amongst chicago catholic. >> i think he needs to back off about same-sex marriage, which he has a tendency to get overboard about. >> others say talk of any split in the church is overblown. >> i don't recognize it. i think the pope is--has adopted the same views as the church has always had, but he is far more

gentle with the way that he delivers it. but he has not separated from church teaching whatsoever. >> but father michael flagg er calls the pope a breath of fresh air. >> i think the church is about to explode with a whole group of people who left the church. >> particularly the christian church and the catholic church had been so focused o on on two issues in the world, gay rights and abortion. i believe the pope is calling us to care about people again, to stop being judgmental, to be loving, to be caring, and to focus on the poor. >> reporter: here they've been putting on a huge christmas day feast for 20 years. and in the coming years all eyes will be on people like cardinal george to see how much direction from the pope they're willing or

resistant to take. >> the family of a california teenager in the middle of a legal battle brought christmas to her in the hospital. doctors say the 13-year-old is now brain dead. after complications from a tonsilectomy. her family has been fighting to keep her on life support. the court ruling said that the hospital could remove her from life support. there was deep disappointment under the tree after shipping problems with ups and fedex. ups said a shorter shipping period, bad weather and people buying online overloaded its system. company officials would not say how many packages would say how manwere delayedbut they said ths small, and they should arrive. had let's go to basketball.

there was controversy? >> reporter: controversy among the nets. the nba game the only one on tv. it's being broadcast in 215 countries in 47 different languages. the league tried to make a fashion statement by unveiling these short sleeve jerseys. what do you think? >> not so good. >> reporter: someone call joan rivers and the fashion police. the players are not happy about their new threads especially the king. lebron james said the new sleeves is going to mess up his shooters. i can't have my shooters out there worried about the sleeves and not shooting the ball. kevin garnett. is he wear his christmas pajamas or not. just nine wins and today they got absolutely worked by chicago bulls. now prior to the season this match up between chicago and brooklyn sounded so awesome but

their growth got injured again. the nets have stunk it up. the bulls went on a run in the third quarter. those new uniforms, tony, pick up game at the la fitness somewhere. chicago had gone ton to spank the nets 59-78. oklahoma city, a hurt today on the knicks. >> oh, my. >> yes, this game, they're showing off looking like tony back in the day with the alley-oop. an inside and out, and he was feeling it the game high 29 points. messed around and got a triple double. 13 boards as the thunder would go on to spank the knicks by 19 points. now kobe bryant and eggnog is a stablstaple on christmas day foe people.

kobe brought the mic. >> i don't think one thing had to do with the other. we evaluated it pretty extensively, and the fact of the matter is any of us can get hu hurt. to hear the comments and things like that, helps my focus more. it's really hard to watch because you want to be out there, and you want to be out there helping, and competing with the guys, and watching this is really tough part about this. >> kobe just wants to be healthy for christmas. what did you get for christmas? it's a wonderful time of the year, especially for kids and especially when the kiddies get what they want. >> oh my gosh! >> that is priceless.

this auburn fan must have been a good kid this year because he's going to see his auburn tigers in the national championship game in pasadena, california. his name is colin, and he was uber excited this morning because he saw two tickets to see auburn on january 6th at the rose bowl. that right there is priceless. that's what christmas is all about. >> then you get the knicks and the nets. >> kicking it up. >> ross, appreciate it. same-sex marriage could be heading back to the supreme court. utah officials say they will make an emergency appeal as early as tomorrow. it is the fourth time an appeal has been denied since the state's ban on gay marriage was overturned on friday. one of the largest birds in the world, the california condor has managed to survive many threats over the years.

a danger they still face is the lead the birds consume from carcasses of dead birds despite tough opposition cal's governor signed a ban of lead bullets. stephanie staten with more now from los angeles. >> reporter: in the mountains two hours north of los angeles the bitter creek wildlife refuge is home to the endangered california condor. thanks to aggressive wildlife protection programs like this the condor population has grown to more than 400 up from just 22 in 1987. but the birds remain under a constant threat. >> lead is the leading cause of death. it has killed 40% of the wild condors. >> reporter: lead from bullets used by hunters who shoot animals which later becomes a food source for the scavenger birds.

>> this the blood lead level is an indication if the bird has been exposed to lead. >> reporter: joseph brant oversees the refuge that cares for condors. >> two-thirds of the birds we have trapped recently have had high lead blood levels and needed treatment 2347 they go to treatment under the treatment of dr. curtis ang. >> they go through two chelation therapies, typically a five-day treatment. >> reporter: in october the zoo took in a record number of condors. 21 birds tested positive for toxic levels of lead. >> if they stopped taking them in and treating them for lead poisoning and providing additional food for them, that the condor would likely go instinct. >> reporter: kim delphino is the california director of defenders of wildlife. the agency cosponsored a bill to ban lead bullets in california.

governor jerry brown signed it into law despite opposition. >> i have to applaud the governor. i believe he was under a lot of pressure from the national rifle association and national shooting foundation, advocatin s for the gun industry. >> reporter: at a website it states, there is substantial evidence that the groups behind the proposed ban have based their claims on faulty scientific studies. dr. curtis agn has seen the damage from lead pointing firsthand. >> the bullet fragments into thousands of pieces. this bird comes along, eats its meat and then all of a sudden has lead toxicity. >> reporter: five birds are now healthy enough to be released with the hope that now with the ban on lead bullets will help the condor population soar to

greater heights. >> being ace. next up, the eyes through the eyes of one talented eight-year-old who got a starring role in a christmas classic, "the nutcracker."

>> i got to tell that you what happens in vegas does not always stay in vegas. a cab driver found a bag containing $300,000 in cash. the cab company rewarded gerard do ganboa with a steak dinner for two and $1,000. he was also named cab driver of the year. wow. wait a minute.

there is another line here. the owner of the cash is considering a substantial reward as well. okay. [♪ music ] >> being eight, it can offer an innocent and revealing perspective on the world. tonight in a first of a series of reports looking at the world through an eight-year-old's eyes we learn what it's like to live through the pressure of a performance in a pal lay. >> she's eight years old and just 4'5", so there aren't a lot of ballet roles for her out there. unless, of course, it's christmastime. this nutcracker performed by the pasadena dance theater was her first shot at dancing in a professional production. >> i'm in the scene where mother ginger comes out. she lifts up the dress and we

come out and dance all around her. >> reporter: let's back up a bit. it's four hours before curtain time and kendall is home getting ready for her debut. >> i feel nervous and excited at the same time. >> reporter: she started ballet lessons at age three following in the dance steps of her older sister. >> whenever i see her doing something, i want to do it, too. >> reporter: even sow kendall had to audition, and this dance company rarely accepts eight-year-olds, but sheriffs ss accepted, and she found a whole new set of role models. >> she was on point. >> reporter: on point and oh, those leaps. >> it just seems like you're flying when you jump up in the air like that. i always wanted to do that. and then the audience can see me do that, like floating in the air. >> reporter: it's now two hours until curtain time.

her hair is in braids, her ballet bag is in hand, and she's off to the theater. she and the other girls are herded backstage. >> how are you going to get three minutes out of this. >> reporter: on stage the nutcracker is in full swing. backstage the girls head to makeup where they're transformed into little french clowns. >> i can't see myself on stage looking like this. >> reporter: who wait, and it has given kendall a good stage of stage fright. >> i'm afraid i'm going to mess up. >> reporter: then suddenly intermission is over and she's rushed into wardrobe. kendall feels transformed. >> reporter: do you feel different like you're no longer kendall? >> yes, i feel like a professional ballet dancer. >> reporter: at last she's waiting in the wings to take

wings. the t-shir skirt is lowers overe girls for their entrance. for kendall this is the moment she has been waiting for. >> when mother ginger lifts up the skirt and the lights and the big audience out there, it's like, wow. >> reporter: wow, indeed. kendall has fallen under the spell of the music, the dance, the applause, and even as she takes her boug bow with the cast she's dreaming of the future. >> when i grow up in the nutcracker i want to be the role of clara. >> reporter: the lead role? >> yeah. >> reporter: 4'5", eight years old, and ready to fly. al jazeera, california. >> you go, kendall. good stuff. coming up at 8:00 eastern time an eight-year-old who found a way to turn kool-aid into christmas joy for homeless children. we leave you this hour with the museum at oxford museum,

actually the art work at the museum. [♪ music ] [♪ music ] >> you see, the art work only comes alive after everyone fleece. no power and cold temperatures. kevin is up next with today's forecast.

every sunday night join us for

>> well, earlier today in europe, especially in berlin they have a tradition that takes place every single year and it looks like this. it's just outside of berlin where the berlin seals, that's what the group is called, takes their yearly dip in one of these lakes. now it's one of those things where they bear the temperature right today it was a warm day. it was 45 degrees. but if you know berlin it can be much worse. i don't know how long they

stayed in here it is every year. they do it no matter how much ice is on the lake. here in the united states it has been much colder than it has been in berlin. temperatures have been quite cold. we all saw those temperatures across ontario. we saw the wave push through. what is going to be left behind is this right now. fargo at 14. tomorrow morning the temperatures are dipping back down to single digits right here. wind chills are going to feel below zero there. chicago, you're going to wake up to 14 degrees there. big problem towards california? we've been talking about the santa anna winds, we're looking at fire warnings in the area. we expect those temperatures to stay in place for at least the next several days. merry christmas, and that's a look at your national weather.

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at tonight's top stories. egypt has declared muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization some say it is based on false accusation. the more than half had a million people of the u.s. and canada are without heat and light tonight if you can imagine. major ice storms knocked out power days ago. utility companies say they're making progress but the nasty conditions are making repairs difficult. there is disappointment this christmas. after shipping