>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. the sales begin. recreational marijuana use is now legal in colorado, and people are lining up to buy it. the affordable care act coverage begins for 2 million americans. >> i think they're trying. they're all aware that we're here. we were put on an evacuation list. >> american missionaries caught up in the crisis in south sudan. they want to come home but fear for the orphans they might have to leave behind.

>> colorado's new recreation marijuana law going into affect today. anyone over the answer of 21 can smoke and buy pot over th over e counter in licensed stores. it applies to those who live in colorado and those who visit the state. >> we're here at the 3d cannabis center, and right here people are making the first legal purchases of recreational purchases of marijuana. maybe in the world. just a few hours ago sales of legal recreationa recreational a started i. the line has been out the door and across the parking lot all morning long. these numbers tell the story. this is going to be a huge economic windfall for the state of colorado. sales are expected to go between $400 million to $600 million

in 2014. a lot of that will go forwards education in the state. this is really sort of an national experiment states looking very closely to see how this plays out. there are still some no, nos, you can't transport it out of colorado legal. you can't take it to the airport, and you can't smoke in public. there are gray areas about how these places are going to process their money. a lot of banks don't want to work with this and get involved with some of the tricky federal laws. a lot of gray areas, a lot of questions to work out. as far as the first day of sales business certainly booming here on green wednesday in volleyball. >> the president's new healthcare law facing last-minute legal challenge from the woman he placed on the supreme court. justice sonia sotomayor blocking the position that requires healthcare providessers to provide contraceptives. her order is in response to nuns in colorado who says the mandate violates their beliefs.

the white house has until friday to respond but that change will not stop coverage for millions of americans who signed up. in hawai'i, healthcare for the majority of the population, it's nothing new. jennifer london is in honolulu. >> reporter: well, del, when most people think of hawai'i they think of sun, sand, suffer, it's not th the aloha state witt good reason. take a closer look. perhaps hawai'i should be known as the health state. >> reporter: inside eden and love a small boutique in honolulu customers are looking for deals. [ phone ringing ] >> good morning, thank you for calling. >> reporter: those who work here might actually have the best deal of all. >> we have clothing lines, we have jewelry. >> reporter: shop owner offers healthcare benefits to his employees. all of his 12 employees. including five who only work part time. >> for us it helps our business

model where we've been able to supply par part time workers who work 21 hours medical. >> reporter: he is not a saint. he's just following hawai'i's healthcare law that has been on the books since 1974. the aloha state was the first in the nation to set minimum standards for healthcare benefits for workers. benefits hawai'i residents valerie has been benefiting from for a long time. she's always had health insurance. >> hawai'i's healthcare requirements is one of the reasons our quality of life is so high here. you don't have bankruptcies because of medical bills. >> reporter: even so, she decided to enroll in obamacare through hawai'i's state exchange because she's hoping to save money. >> so i am going right down here to one of the most expensive plans. >> and that would be a platinum

plan. >> it is really--it's a really good plan. my co-pays go from $20 per visit down to so dollars, and i'm covered from head to toe. >> reporter: so far only a little more than 2,000 people have enrolled through hawai'i's health connector. one reason, technical glitches on the website. the other according to hawai'i's governor, neil abercrombie, most don't need it. they're already covered under the state healthcare law. >> the entire thing is 15 pages, and a lot of this is describing what we intend to do. it's easy. you provide healthcare for people. we cover 90 plu 90%-plus of evee covered. >> reporter: another reason why hawai'i's healthcare law has worked is because consumers on the island have limited insurance choices.

>> the insurance marketplace is two of them. they have about 80% of the insurance marketplace. that's unique. >> reporter: still despite what has been hailed as a success story governor abercrombie said hawai'i's insurance model was never duplicated because the state is viewed as a vacation land, not a template for policy. >> hawai'i in many people's eyes is still a romantic vision, it's not real. >> reporter: while that may be true, for employees at eden and love, having health insurance is not a romantic vision. it's just a way of life here in hawai'i. over the course of hawai'i's healthcare law enacted in 1974, the state has maintained an insured population well over 90%. still the state is continually trying to reach those that are hard to reach, those that slip through the cracks, the homeless, immigrant and young

people who think they don't need insurance. while hawai'i has been happy to say yes, it has been a success story, yet they still know that there is work to be done. >> jennifer, thank you very much. no. south sudan rebel and government oh negotiates are in ethiopia beginning talks to ending the fighting there. the forces hope to recapture the city of bor. >> fighting is going on at least three different fronts here in south sudan. in this small town, most of the most productive oil fields, fighting broke out after rebels attacked government positions. we're also aware that the town 60 kilometers away from the capitol o, that town was taken y government forces, and now they're advancing. now outside government forces

that have been taken out of the town on tuesday, what they're say something that that was a tactical retreat, and they're waiting for government reinforcements to reach them before they go back and take the town of bor. we saw government soldiers, and the government said they'll continue fighting the rebels until a cease-fire is achieved in talks that are planned to start in ethiopia on thursday. >> meanwhile you just saw them a moment ago. american missionaries trying to find a way out of south sudan. the americans can leave but the orphans lack the proper paperwork to get out. >> they went to south sudan to help others, but now they are the one who is need a hand. kim campbell, her husband and two daughters have been taking care of south sudanese orphans

for nearly two years. the missionaries are originally from nebraska, and the children are orphans with whose parents have been killed. the heavy fighting made it difficult to get to the camp. >> we tried to leave the compound once, and whether they were firing to scare us or they were firing at us, or they were firing at other soldiers, there was gunfire going off, missiles flew over our head and we ran back to the compound. it took two attempts to make it to the u.n. base. >> now that they made it the base, a heartbreaking dilemma. if they leave what happens to the orphans? it's up to the u.n. as to who awards the evacuation flight. >> they're trying. they're all aware that we're here. we were put on an evacuation list. they're doing what they can do. i understand that they have

procedures, but i would think in a time of war somebody could do something. if we're trying to protect children this isn't the place to do it. >> the campbell family working with the charlotte based organization keeping hope alive. a deep the al jazeera--a team ofal jazeera reporters have been detained where my profile political prisoners are kept. al jazeera continues to demand that the journalisists be relead immediately. russian president vladimir putin visiting volgograd's victims of suicide-bombings. >> reporter: he vowed to, quote,

annihilate terrorists in his new year's eve address. the bombings have so far claimed the lives of 34 people. dozens of others were wounded in the attack, many of who remain in hospital. since the bombing the city is still under lockdown with police and pai paramilitary troops. so far no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the bombings have demonstrated how vulnerable public transport ahead of the games. >> the crimes committed here does not need further comment. >> reporter: volgograd may be 700 kilometers away from the olympic venue it is a transport hop for the northern caucasus. a region that experiences regular attacks. president putin has placed huge

importance on the games in sochi the challenge for him will be to keep the violence from sochi. >> former first lady barbara bush spending the day in hospital with a mild case of pneumonia. former first lady barbara bush was admitted to the hospital for respiratory reasons. and she's receiving fantastic care. the plans to get all chose chemical weapons out of syria has hit a roadblock. the details straight ahead. >> and something we take for granted. a century ago when the first paying passenger took a trip on an airplane. up next how a pilot these days

is marking that occasion. >> only on al jazeera america. many worry that the gains made in education will not stick in the future. aljazeera's jane ferguson takes us to a school in kandahar city that was long considered a success and is now facing closure. >> it's a place offering more than these girls know, a quality education in real tangible skills, a path away from positivity and early marriage and towards university and

a career. since 2002, the modern stud has been teaching women languages, like management and computer skills. that they are skills that speak of ambition which in the heart of tallle ban country is remarkable. >> we are a unique school, preparing women to go to jobs. our school is preparing women to go to universities. >> an exclusive "america tonight" investigative series >> we traveled here to japan to find out what's really happening at fukushima daiich >> three years after the nucular disaster, the hidden truth about the ongoing cleanup efforts and how the fallout could effect the safety of americans >> are dangerous amounts of radioactive water, leaking into the pacific eververyday? >> join america tonight's michael okwu for an exclusive four part series, as we return to fukushima

only on al jazeera america >> syria missing that deadline to get rid of its first batch of chemical weapons siting security concerns in weather. meanwhile the use of conventional weapons has not stopped. bernard smith has more. >> this blast was caused by a barrel packed with explosives dropped by a syrian air force aircraft. the target is a damascus suburb. forces loyal to president bashar al-assad have been intensifying their attacks on rebel-controlled areas across syria. but the ships that were supposed to have taken those chemical

weapons out of syria are returning to support empty. the combination of bad weather and security on the ground means taking chemical weapons out of syria has not been met. >> everything that syria needs to complete the process of removing and transporting the chemicals out of syria, all has been provided and delivered. now it's a matter of getting the train rolling. we understand that a number of factors which have led authorities unable to meet the 31st of december deadline. >> reporter: the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons said it's still on track for the december 30th deadline. the syrian government is responsible for removing, packing and transporting the chemical weapons to latakia

support. earlier this month assad's army took control of the area, but it's still vulnerable to rebel attack. but it's convention weapons that is causing death and destruction. this is a hospital in sout soutn syria on new year's eve. 42,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict began. >> new york mayor bill deblasio being sworn in, receiving the oath from former president bill clinton surrounded by family and friends and using a bible owned by franklin roosevelt he promised to fight for social justice. in sharp contrast, detroit's

mayor du duggen was sworn in,. 100 years ago the first commercial flight taking place in america, and recreating that historic flight, no frills and all. we're in st. petersburg, florida. where did the flight go today? >> reporter: well, that flight left here in st. petersburg and they make the 25-mile journey just across the bay to tampa the exact same flight route taking place here 100 years ago to commemorate the first commercial airline flight setting the aviation industry into motion. we had a chance to speak to that pilot just as he was making his way to get on the boat to paddle

out to the airplane or aircraft, here's what he had to say about today's flight. >> what does this mean? 100 years? >> i'm happy to be just a small part of it. stay tuned. >> reporter: that was pilot eddie hoffman. he said he was a small part of it, actually a large part of today's event commemorating 100 years of commercial air flight, and did he make that 28-mile flight, it only take 28 minutes. a hundred years ago that was revolutionary because the only way they could travel was by ferry boat or train, which took hours. >> i saw this plane, a and trust me he didn't have to pay for luggage, but describe what else we know about this flight 100 years ago today. >> reporter: well, it's quite interesting to look at the dinners in aviation. the plane we saw take off today was similar to what was flown in 1914. an replica of the plane was not

able to take the flight today. it wasn't quite ready, but we're talking no overhead baggage. no extra seat belts. large enough for the pilot and passenger completely open air. today's flight would have meant that someone was in rain and wind. just the passenger and the pilot. a hundred years ago that pilot flew the mayor of st. petersburg for the very first flight across the bay. >> why did this do it, and how much was it. i know it was an interest price. >> the ticket a hundred years ago $400. and the mayor bought that ticket in a raffle. normal passengers would pay $5 for a trip on that plane. they wanted to let people know that the first commercial airline flight took place here

in st. petersburg, and the idea was to bring more tourists in the area to go between st. petersburg and tampa. the vision paid off because we now know how large and global the aviation industry is. >> we're live from st. petersburg, florida. and legroom still was a problem back then. updates on today's biggest top stories and the hits and misses from the world of technology stay with us. the stream is uniquely interactive television. we depend on you, >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> the stream. weeknights 7:30 et / 4:30 pt on al jazeera america and join the conversation online @ajamstream.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are your headlines at this hour. marijuana sales are brisk in colorado today. the state becoming the first to allow businesses to sell pot for recreational use. anyone over the age of 21 can spoke and buy pot from a licensed store. the affordable care act

covers people who purchased insurance before december 24th. in south sudan in the city of bor rebels captured that city yesterday. pope francis delivered his message. he called upon people to set aside their differences and for enemies to recognize that they are brothers. tens of thousands jamming st. peter's square january 1st is the day that the church usually devotes to promoting peace around the world. 2013 was a banner year in breakthroughs in technology. some of the world's intriguing inventions could impact societies for years to come. we take a closer look. >> reporter: 2013 was a mix of goofy inventions and transformative discoveries. in personal technology shrinking electronics gave rise to what the industry calls wearable

computer. but while glass sounded like a good idea it seems to just freak out our friends and it made sergei brin look scary. at least this year you won't have to turn them off on the plane. the new faa rules allow you to keep your tablets on during flight. in 2014 the companies' fans will be looking for the rumored apple television set or iwatch. why wait for a company to make these things for you when you can print them out for yourself. the 3d printers fell to the $1,000 mark. revelations of the nsa monitoring millions of unwitting

americans has destroyed the notion of password protection and digital privacy. in 2014 companies will be proving to us that their products will put our text and e-mails out of the government's reach. but th the great area of greatet achievement was in medicine. using the body's own immune system to fight cancer, a very promising first step. a technique called crisper allows for genetic micro surgery turning on and off the genes that lead or prevent certainly afflictions. scientists may have figured out how to clone human stem cells which could create an endless supply of these miracle cells for research. what really got attention was the brain. deep brain stimulation a method of feeding electrical current into our heads has eased the symptoms of park wi parkinson'sd they believe they'll be able to

treat post traumatic stress. in switzerland throwing $1.6 billion to build the first complete simulation of the human brain, and scientists have discovered what sleep is for. it clears toxins out of the brain that build up over the course of the day. that kiss coverry could lead to a better night's rest for everyone. >> and spirits are still relatively high on board the russian research vessel that has been trapped since christmas day. some of the passengers had an upbeat message. >> we're just about to ente enter 2014, and here is the expedition. [ singing ] >> after three failed attempts they will now be evacuated villa

helicopter. >> meteorologist: watching two sides of a storm system coming together to bring heavy snow into parts of the northeast. but right now it's all snow showers coming in across the midwest. this is sinking south and pushing a lit further east. while we don't have any activity right now around the st. louis area could watch for conditions to go down hill before the day is done. snow will move into your area. here is the rainy side of the story. most of the rain across the deep south has been on the lighter side but all of that moisture will be lifting northward up and down the east coast line. we'll be dealing with rain, and then eventually the snow. the snow has been the predominant feature. it's been very persistent in chicago where we could end up with three to six inches of snowfall. right around the great lakes is where we expect to see the heaviest of the snow. even around st. louis overnight tonight and into the day

thursday three to five inches for you. speaking of digging out we have to prepare for the snow system in the northeast. we're not talking about a few inches of snow. some areas including boston could see upwards of a foot of snowfall before it's all said and done. the main timing will be thursday into friday. here's what we're dealing with now. we have winter storm watches into parts of vermont and new hampshire. but we've seen our watch being upgraded to a winter storm warning. we're certainly watching out for that. as this all lifts up to the east coast line we're deal with the air mass coming in place. we're going to see snow showers overspreading a region that will leave us at least a foot of snow. temperatures will turn colder, and we could see temperatures much colder than what we've seen as of late with highs only in the teens. >> thank you very much. and thank you for watching

al jazeera america. i'm del walters. "techknow" is nec next. happy new year. scientists. let's check out our team of hard-core nerds. tonight she's on the front lines of a devastating wildfire as a drone takes command of the skies over yosemite. crystal is a molecular neuroscience. she goes to the streets of seattle and santa cruz for a look at how science might stop crime before it happens. lindsay is an ex-cia operator.