>> thanks to our two guests. next time, we'll see you online. >> hello, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz in new york. john siegenthaler is off tonight. health care challenges. the new year brings new controversy as insurance coverage for millions of americans kicks in. blizzard warnings, first big snow storm of the year, heavy snow, bitter cold and blinding winds. crowds for cannabis. and dreams come through, the view and the dream of the 125th rows parade -- rose parad.

i.t. includes a same sex marriage. >> happy new year to you. today obamacare officially kicked in for millions of americans. hours before it went into effect though more changes. this time from a woman whom the president put on the supreme court. >> hours before she rang in the new year, a last-minute surprise from sonia soto mayor. just before celebrating in new york the supreme court justice blocked a key part of the president's health care law. ruling religious groups should not be required to offer birth control. soto mayor granted a decision came before hours before the health care law came into effect. cover millions who were previous

uninsured. >> anything to help my family out that's what we're going odo. >> the administration hopes 7 million will join by march 31st when open enrollment ends. >> a lot of people go at it as if they don't care. nothing going to happen to me. then you need it and you panic. >> controversy continues to block the law. sticker shock is frustrating many. >> how does the average person works 40 to 50 hours a week, how do we live? >> you don't make that much money to begin with and the prescriptions are going to kill me. >> for now, the government is trying to process all the applications that flooded healthcare.gov. republicans promise the fight is not over. >> obamacare is a reality, unfortunately it is a failed program that is taking a less than perfect fromming health care system from the standpoint of cost and make it worst.

so the damage that obamacare is about to the done, and on january 1st, 2nd akd third will have to be dealt with as any other reform. >> deferring to the department of justice on litigation matters but the administration is still confident that the affordable care act will still provide any objections to coverage. following on developments out of the health care policy. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for being with us. >> let's talk about the ruling, how big of a setback? >> the law does provide significant leeway for religious groups to get exemptions from the excessiv contraceptive mand. >> is it not a valid mandate from these religious groups?

>> absolutely. it's going to continue to be challenged. the administration will fight that challenge. my best guess is justice soto mayor, i'm not sure why she issued this before the new year, maybe by seeming bipartisan. >> why such an issue, especially if it's such a controversial point? >> it's a big selling point. if you can court a lot of women in their mid 20s who might already be leaning to the left, this is great. it may tell you you're being overcharged by contra; advertises. >> to the laws to the rules, pretty much everyone involved in this do you think this will work

well? >> absolutely not. >> it's not working, okay. >> we don't know actually how many of those two million have made their first payment, we don't know how many will actually make their first pairmt by january 10th. they're going to be surprised by tight networks, their prescriptions are not going to be on the formularies. >> go further with that. what do you think patients are actually going to seek? >> they're going to go, visit their doctor and they're going to find their doctor isn't covered by their insurer. they will be liable for the cost because it is out of network. >> for those who have signed up for affordable care act, we don't know the demographics. men, women, old people young people why does that matter? >> it's important to have a balanced risk pool, you want as many healthy people, to set off sick people. more and more sick people join and younger people leave the

market. you want to make sure there are enough healthy people there, to see flood in and bottom sister the market. >> is there any indication that is actually happening? >> we have no idea. the only numbers we have seen is from california, that's from the first two months of the law and those numbers will were not good. young people were enrolling at a younger rate. older people were disproportionately enrolling. >> we have heard representative ryan come out with an alternatively idea. how much will get traction? >> we hope that's a repeal or replace doesn't work, repealing gets us back to the status quo, the status quo was a terrible, terrible status quo, we don't want to go back to that. the repeal and replayers, you want to keep the exchanges. the exchanges are fundamentally a conservative concept.

so my hope is that paul ryan when he releases his reform he builds on the exchanges, deregulates them, gives more leeway to insurers. >> being yevgeni fa beingsman. thanks for coming in. >> my pleasure. >> the biggest snow storm is headed for the east. prompting some massachusetts districts to already start closing schools. some other areas of the country are already getting snow. in mac as much as six inches have fallen. warning for another four inches. south bend, indiana, heavy snows there, winter wealth advisories remain in effect until thursday. kevin corriveau is here. not just a lot of snow, we're also talking very cold temperatures. >> that's right. first of all, it is all of the systems that is causing problems

in chicago, milwaukee. that is one storm, that is one we're worrying about. if that wasn't enough we have down here in the gulf of mexico, another area of low pressure, that's going to move up the east coast. when these collide tomorrow, that is when we expect to see the worst of the storm. we are also seeing snow across connecticut, pennsylvania. and this is what it looks like in terms of all the warnings. is first of all, the dark blue is winter storm warnings, that means a storm is approaching within the next 24 to 48 hours. but belong island, blizzard warnings into effect, southern and northern states are going to be a problem if you are traveling into new york, a lot of people are thinking they are going to need to stay in the city if they are working. the problem is the amount of snow we are going obe seeing on thursday, it is going to be increasing as the day goes on panned as you see the dark he blues here indicate anywhere

between 12 and 16 inches of snow, really by midnight tomorrow night. so that is going to be a big major problem there. four to eight inches in new jersey, two to eight inches towards parts of pennsylvania. that's not all of it because after midnight is still going to continue at least until noontime. we could see two to eight inches add onto those totals, by the time this plays out on friday. jonathan. >> thanks kevin. a new era has occurred in new york city. bill de blasio was sworn in. as ray lynn johnson reports, he has promised to fight for income equality and social justice. >> for the first time in 20 years a democrat is now mayor of new york city. with fanfare, pomp and circumstance, bill de blasio

was sworn in as the 109th mayor of the largest city in the country in a ceremony that was presided over by a former president. >> we are called to put an end to economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love. >> de blasio ran on a platform of the tale of two cities. but can he succeed? >> the platforms that mayor de blasio did, what i think he needs to do is continue to think boldly while at the same time finding some short term victories. >> to improve education de blasio sis he wants to improve education, build more affordable housing he wants to take $1 million from the city's pension funds. all of these proposals have been

met by opposition from a variety of groups, yet supporters say deblasio will be able to work across the aisle to accomplish some things. >> there may be some big picture progressive items he may be able to make traction on, being able to support young folks and having a quality education, there are other areas where we will see a lot of negotiation by the mayor to get things done. >> voters say they want change, but in the end, it won't be solely up to the new mayor to implement it. he'll have to turn to the state government in albany to get much of what he wants done. ray lynn johnson al jazeera. >> and detroit officially welcomed its new mayor. already has his administration in place. says he's getting right to work in the bankrupt city, duggan has work under the emergency

manager. arrived in ethiopia for peace talks. fighting continued in bor, considered a gateway city to the city of juba. al jazeera am mohamed ato has more. >> fighting is going on on three different fronts here in south sudan. in the small town of parea, some of the most productive oil fields here in south sudan, fighting broke out after the rebels attacked government positions. we are also aware that the town of mayome, a small town 60 kilometers away from the capital of unity state, now advancing on bentiu. outside bor government forces have been taken out of the town on tuesday, what they're saying is that was a tactical retreat,

and they're waiting for government based forces to reach them before they go back and take back the town of bore. we saw government soldiers being dispatched from juba all the way to those different front lines and the government is saying they will continue fighting the rebels until a cease fire is scheduled to start in addis ababa, ethiopia. getting out of harm's way and taking a group of orphans. but the group doesn't have the right papers. >> they went to south sudan to help others but now they are the ones who need help. kim campbell and her husband and others have been taking care of orphans in south sudan. parents killed by conflict or illness. their camp is only two miles

from the u.n. camp but heavy fighting made it difficult to get to the camp. >> we tried to leave the compound once, whether they were firing to scare us or fighting and firing at others, we were headed in their direction and missiles flew over our heads so it took two attempts to get to the u.n. base. >> if they leave, what happens to the orphans? american officials have told the campbells, it's up to the u.n. to decide who awards the elevation flight. >> i think they're trying. they're all aware we are here. we were put on an elevation list so they are doing -- evacuation list, they are doing what they can do, i understand they have procedures but i understand in a time of war somebody could do something. if you want to protect children this isn't the place to do it.

>> and the campbell family works with a charlotte based organization, keeping hope alive. >> we spoke to joan and she is brad campbell's mother. >> i've talked to brad often, sometimes two and three times in a day since all this started. but their spirits are up. they're feeling hopeful. but they're also struggling with not enough food, not enough water. not enough good sanitation. he explained to me earlier today, how this got to be so out of control. when they showed up at the u.n. base camp. in malakal, there were about 6,000 people. and once they got most of the people in, they decided they had room for everybody so they had provisions for 6,000 people. and by the next day there were between 20 and 30,000 people

there. and they don't have enough provisions for that many people. >> joan campbell says the missionaries have no idea when they may be able to come home. they says -- she says they're monitoring the volatile situation and hope to be coming home soon. killed by an explosion at his home today. the blast was triggered when he opened the door to a safe at his home in prague. a police spokesperson says the explosion may have been part of a security system. palestinian foreign ministry says it's sending a team to help investigate. secretary of state john kerry is expected to arrive in jerusalem tomorrow. kerry is expected to meet with israel prime minister benjamin netanyahu for most of the day tomorrow. the hospital treating former

israeli prime minister israel peron is in a life threatening stairt. the 85-year-old is in a coma since having a stroke in 2006. he became israel's 11th prime minister in 2001. former first lady barbara bush spent this day in a houston hospital. former president bill clinton and president obama sent her good well wishes. former first lady barbara bush was admitfor treatment on a respiratory issue. she has already received visits from her husband and family, and is sechg excellent care. hundreds chasing that rocky mountain high. plus the bulls were running through wall street in 2013. coming up what investors can expect in the new year.

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. >> this sunday... >> scholars and writers, policy makers and cultural icons >> don't miss the best of "talk to al jazeera" revealing... >> he said he was gonna fight for the public option, he didn't do it... >> personal.... >> from the time i was about nine, i knew i was different in ways other than just my face... >> shocking... >> being babtist...they always talk about don't judge other people.. but they judge everybody... >> the conversations people are talking about >> forget the democrat party and forget the reublican party, they're all one party... >> talk to al jazeea on al jazeera america

>> we drove gay hours from saskatchewan and it is awesome. >> today is the first day you can legally buy marijuana in colorado. the first state in the u.s. to allow it. paul beban reports. >> hundreds have come through the 3d cannabis officer. to purchase legal weed. a big historic day, of course for the entire state, a massive economic windfall underway and an historic cultural shift in colorado. >> i'm standing in the snow outside, that's how important it is for me.

>> i've been waiting 42 years for this day. >> earlier on, it was a media madhouse. propot activists held a press conference to mark a beginning of a new age. >> it is a watershed moment as we end marijuana prohibition in our country and move into a more sensible era. >> today in colorado we shift marijuana from the underground into the regulated market. >> finally at 8:00 a.m., the first customer in that regulated market, sean azaridi, an ex-marine, who served two tours in iraq, spent years to ease post-traumatic stress. he bought buba koosh and cannabis laced truffles.

after azaridi i.t. was nonstop. -- it was nonstop. by noon the wait was four hours and the atms were running dry as they came from near and far. store owner tony fox was thrilled but says it's about more than the money. >> it is a business but it's a very passionate social justice issue as well. it's very personal for many of these people in line as well as myself. >> nothing has changed other than about 10,000 people are not going to be arrested simply for possessing mpossessing marijuanl be sold by tightly controlled businesses steph the underground market. >> buying weed will look a lot like business as usual, authorities hope. >> day one of legal weed here in colorado seems to be going off without a hitch. officials say they haven't had a problem. we have actually seen a couple

of police drive by here, state marijuana enforcement officials come through here, they seem to be satisfied with the way everything is going here. this is being watched very closely not only here in the state but across the country. a lot of other states interested in the huge revenue windfall this is supposed to generate for colorado. giving a new are meaning to rocky mountain high. >> are already owns 58.5% of chrysler shares, the remaining is held by united auto workers fund. fiat will pay $300 million into the fund and chrysler will pay $700 million into the fund.

the do you finished the year up 26.5%. s&p 500 up nearly 30%. as patricia sabga reports: >> the bulls plowed through significant obstacles in 2013. overcoming sluggish economic growth and government shutdown. >> if your money was in stocks you were pretty happy in 2013. >> but will the continue in 2014? >> there was nothing in the wake that would drive the market down. >> one thing fueling can break, the housing recovery. housing prices rose 11% across the country, that makes consumers feel richer and new construction this year is expected to exceed 1 million units for the first time since the housing bubble burst and that means jobs. >> every construction job leads to three other jobs. that is a multiple and we see a

million new jobs coming out of a surge in housing. >> an improving jobs market is one reason the federal reserve has decide he to start reigning in its credit -- reining in its market. now economists say investors will really have to focus on fnlt. >> firms are actually going to have to credit start innovating, investing in r&d, investing in its employees and start growing with new products, new services. >> and with corporations issuing profit warnings at a record rate, investors indeed may be more discerning in 2013. >> patricia sabga, ldgesdz new a new york. >> several trips to get the peangz despite being stuck since christmas eve, the passengers say they have decided to keep

their spirits high. bad weather and unusually thick ice has trapped the ship for close to a week. north korea is showing off a new ski resort. the project is ongoing for months. kim john u.n. has already played a credit visit to it. >> the ski resort is really wonderful. i have been to international competitions and this is as high as a level foster ski slopes for international competition. no difference. >> opened despite controversy over switzerland's refusal to export ski lifts. north korea managed to get two of them though. swimmers braved cold temperatures for traditional activity and jumped into the north sea. the water barely reached 40 degrees. more than 4,000 people braved

icy swims in the netherlands. how one organization is helping service members use their combat skills in disaster zones. the god particle in robots in the sky? just some of the discoveries made in 2013. still ahead, what scientists are working on for this year.

>> and welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz with the top stories this half hour. mac and south bend, indiana are already getting a taste of what's to come in the northeast, the first winter storm of 2014 is headed east and blizzard warnings are posted. a foot or more of snow is set to hit parts of new england, new york and new jersey by friday. first legal marijuana sales for resident use. residents can buy up to an ounce of pot and they were lining up to do so today. out of state visitors can buy a

quarter-ounce in colorado. the affordable care act officially took place today, despite a late night ruling by sonia soto mayor. live from hon lew lu, jennifer glasse. >> yont, long before massachusetts or the affordable care act or obamacare, as it's called, the small island state of hawaii enacted a law to provide near universal health care coverage for its residents. 40 years later it has helped turn the aloha state into the health state. inside eden and love, a small boutique in honolulu, customers are looking for deals. >> good morning, thank you for call eden and love.

>> but folks who work here actually may have the best deal of all. shop owner bryson dang offers health care benefits to his employees, all of his employees, including five who only work part time. >> for us, it's built into our business model where we are able to supply part time workers its medical. >> hawaii's health care law has been on the books since 1974. infinitesimal in fact, the aloha state is the first in the nation to set health care standards for workers. benefits valerie has been benefiting for a long time. she's always had health insurance. >> hawaii health care label requirements is one of the reasons our quality of life is so high here. you don't have bankruptcies because of medical bills. >> even so koenig decided to

enroll in obamacare through hawaii's state exchange because she's hoping to save money. >> so i am going down here to one of the most expensive plans. >> and that would be a platinum plan it looks like. >> it is really -- it's a really good plan. my co-pays go from $20 per visit down to $10. and i'm covered from head to toe. (laughing). >> so far only a little more than 2,000 people have enrolled through hawaii's health connector. one reason, technical glitches on the website. the other according to hawaii's governor neil a abercrombie, people don't need it. >> about 15 pages a lot of that is describing what we intend to do. it's easy. you provide health care for people.

we cover any-plus percent of everybody. if you are working you're covered. >> dean newberg, from the university of hawaii at manoa, isays that the reason they're covered: >> the insurance coverage is are essentially a duopoly. >> despite what's been hailed as a success story, hawaii's health insurance model was 97 duplicated because the state is viewed as a vacation land not a template for policy. >> hawaii's still in many people's eyes a romantic vision, it's not real. >> and 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 hawaii. since the law was enacted,

hawaii has maintained an assured population of well over 90%. jonathan. >> thank you jennifer. vladimir putin talked to city leaders about tightening security. a day after he pledged to defeat terrorism in his new year's address. killed 34 people and hurt more than 100. three bombs exploded within aan hour today in somalia killing at least 11. the explosions occurred at a heavily fortified portion of mogadishu one of the explosion appeared to be a are suicide bombing. in southwest pakistan, a car bomb killed at least two people and injured 17 more. the target attacked a bus, detonated by a person sitting inside.

shiites are a frequent target for sectarian violence. it is day four after officials arrested a group of al jazeera journalists. mohamed f fahmy has an injured hand. 6,000 people, since then aid has poured into that country. as part of veterans voices our closer look at american veterans we've been following, one organization that's creating a new model for disaster relief, team rubicon is a nonprofit made of military veterans and first responders from search and rescue to surgical support they have helped in nearly 20 major

disaster. e.lena duffy is with us. >> thanks for having me jonathan. >> tell me about your work. >> well, as you mentioned, team rubicon is a veteran service organization that does disaster relief and response. and we went out there to set up a medical team, what we call d-mat team so that we could help with some of the massive injuries that occurred after the typhoon. >> and what kind of damage, what kind of injuries were you seeing? >> well, we saw all kinds of damage. i was out there, with a small team of about 18 of us, that saw the immediate response which was mostly demolished homes. you're seeing these injuries that 48 to 72 hours afterwards were -- we were still looking at amputation, we're looking at major wounds from flying sheet metal. >> i think what's interesting

about this is you are unlike other aid groups because it's made up largely of veterans from recent wars. how did those skills help especially in situations like what you saw in the philippines? >> well, a lot of it is our response. we can respond quickly. we aring an organization we is so used to moving into areas where we may not have a lot of support, we may not have a lot of access to some of the basic needs, and we will adapt and overcome and make it work. >> and part of it is also kind of therapeutic from what i understand for the veterans. >> extremely therapeutic for the veterans. it gives us a way to continue our service to help the communities that are most affectand most in need of our help and gives us the way to bond back together and form that camaraderie and move forward with our lives in the civilian sector. >> but is it not also difficult for those men and women who have been so much in battle to be

exposed to and put in situation where they're seeing and trying to help so much suffering? >> it can be. it can be very difficult but a lot of it is that support. a lot of it is the way that we are able to then turn to each other and we're in a comfortable environment, a way that we are -- something that we are more used to. >> so i'm curious to know since you guys have seen so much have been to several major disasters what were you most surprised by and struck by in the philippines? >> i think the magnitude of the disaster was something that we could not have prepared for. it was more spread out, it was more -- it was more diversified. we were seeing injuries. we were seeing homes devastated. it was just -- i mean can you see the pictures. it's just phenomenal. >> and i'm getting the impression that government and aid groups are getting a handle over this disaster or is there still such an incredible need there? >> there is still an incredible

need. you still have thousands upon thousands displaced. you have so many injuries, still almost 2,000 missing but the organizations are getting themselves together. they're getting themselves organized and under both international and local organizations. >> so do you guys have any plans to go back? >> we are looking at potentially going back, but a lot of our work there has to bridge that gap between the -- between the initial response and the follow-on organizations such as relief international who replaced us there. a lot of that initial work has been done. so -- and we've got so many other things that need our attention. >> yeah, i understand. and it's such a great-o. where you use veteran skills for good use and helping in humanitarian disasters. elena. thank you for your help there. >> thank you.

>> ing pope francis, expected to shaking things up in the new year by dealing with corruption in the vatican bank and the church's ongoing sexual abuse problem. all righty, turning now to sports it's a big week for college football. half a dozen bowl games are being played today but one college player got ross's attention. >> the are term student athlete, some athletes are one and done, others leave before graduation, hoping to cash in on the big time paycheck. michael eaves found out, penn state football player, taking the term attitude athlete oa whole new level. >> at 6'3", 300 pounds, penn state offensive lineman john ersha would seem more jock than scholar. he carries a 4.0 gpa while

working towards his second master's degree in mathematics. he teaches a class at penn state called integral vector calculus. and he picked up top awards, given to the top student athlete in college football as well as the william b. campbell trophy, otherwise known as the academic heisman. >> i look like a football player. i'm a little wide, but people are surprised to know that i'm a math major and i'm equally competitive at both. i try excel in both the classroom and the football field and i just have a drive to be the best at what ido. >> and while ershell loves both, mathematics is the true love. >> the beauty of it, there's a explanation for everything,

rigorous proof. ant some of the proofs i see day in and day out. some of the most beautiful things. >> day in and day out, we talk about the athletes who are good students, using information and then execute. is that really true and is there really a help from one -- from using the classroom aspect on the football field? >> there's definitely a carry-over, especially for offensive linemen. i think having to go to the line, looking at what the defense is showing, you make calls, make adjustments, it's nice when you have intelligent offensive linemen but that definitely helps me. >> but how much his academic abilities, is still determined. as ershell is only thought 13th best guard and 238th best prospect overall by crks sports. >> i intend to train for the nfl

combine. i feel that anyone who truly loves something wants to do it at the highest level, and afterwards how many ever years my career may be i intend to get my ph.d. in math. >> positive speacts of the penn state -- aspects of the penn state football scandal, which resulted in the assistant coach going to prison and the firing of joe paterno, but the crippling sanctions of a 15 year sanction and a bowl abandon for the lions. >> i'm proud to represent my university as best i can. it's a university that has done a lot for me. giving me the ability to be on a full academic scholarship, and i'm currently working on my second master's, i just take it as a responsibility i have to my

university for all they've done for me. and i do it with pride. >> he's very thankful and his parents should be very proud of raising john ershell, he is a pretty bright young man. maybe doctor ershell some day. >> thanks ross. what social media site has been compromised plus: >> mandatory tipping at your favorite restaurant may soon be off the table thanks to a complicated irs ruling affecting the service industry across the nation. >> 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

are. >> down towards the southeast, that's the one that's going to energize storm number 1 and really bring quite a bit of snow to parts of the northeast. now right now we're seeing a lot of that snow coming into parts of new york, pennsylvania and just parts of new jersey right now, connecticut is also seeing it. tomorrow is a completely different story. it's going to get worse before it gets better. we expect to see a lot of snow across the region particularly in parts of massachusetts where we could see 12 to 16 inches of snow before thursday is over with. here in new york it could be four to eight. new jersey of course getting some more but we are looking at blizzard warnings in effect for parts of long island which means

we're looking at a potential of six inches of snow or more. by the time we get to friday, things get better, heavy snow on thursday, problems at logan airport of course, saturday is going to be a sunny day, that's going to be your own soinl day. high of about 19°. tbl

to. >> snap chat, reports of 4 million user names and partial phone numbers were posted. things situation has been

suspended, are suggest snap chat to suspend its activity. 2014, jacob ward rounds up the greatest discoveries of 2013 and looks to the future as well. >> this year scientists finally found the higgs boson, the theories they've been relying on all the time are largely correct to that's good. 13 sent and unprecedented number of objects into orbit and brought a unprecedented number. 3d map of our surroundings but even if we never launched another thing into space astronomers still have which beamed back information on earth like planets elsewhere in the

heavens until it died this year. meanwhile, delivering things to low earth orbit is about to become a private industry in 2014, as taking over supply lines for nasa. billiobillionaire richard brans. we just found a dry lake bed that might have once supported life. india's probes due to reach mars in 2014, and china has its rover on the moon in the moment. a country that only launched its first manned rocket ten years ago. google's lead with some version of a self-driven car this year. audi, nissan, announced their

faif years ago that went pretty well. the end of 2014 basic manuel also by that time, the faa is supposed to have figured out what rules apply to private drones like the delivery versions that showed off this year. we should probably figure out those rules pretty quickly seeing that the air force managed to build a version this year that touched down on an aircraft carrier this year. jacob ward, al jazeera. >> bold new world. some restaurants are dropping the idea of automatic gratuity. tanya moseley explains, for those workers who live off tips. >> 43-year-old michelle pearson

has been a waitress since she was 14. tips from customers make the job worthwhile. >> it has been a very great profession for me in many ways. >> up until now serving staff like pearson were paid all their tips at the end of a shift. it would then be the employee's responsibility to report those tips to their employer, so taxes could be taken out. but an internal revenues service ruling now gives a more accurate report on how much is being tipped and how much to tax. it also means that some employees will not see their tips until the reporting period which is often two weeks. >> without our tips that is how we pay our bills, so we're used

to having them on a daily basis. >> some employers say the new tips calculation is complicated. they are working for ways around it. doing away with mandatory tipping altogether, instead offering a suggested amount on the bill. >> the taking mandatory tipping off the table. >> you want to simplify it and do the best you can and make tips available to the certainers and make money available. >> according the one analyst this may see drops by 90% of all restaurants. >> morales and pierson agree. >> it should be a choice as to what you want to tip a person. >> by doing away with mandatory tipping they're giving large groups of diners the choice to

tanya moseley, al jazeera, seattle. >> helping cholesterol is not only good for your heart, it could help your brain. researchessers at university of california at davis, those with high levels of good cholesterol and low levels of bad cles stroll had fewer brain plaques. linked to alzheimer's disease. just like the raised risk for heart attacks. the rose parade in pasadena was extra-special for one couple. they tied the knot along the parade route but not everyone was cheering the same-sex ceremony.

>> every sunday night, al jazeera america presents...

>> porgers of thing tournament of roses parade have been getting calls from people upset by the, the first of its kind. >> the rose parade floats are designed to defy the imagination, designers do what will they think of next? the fantastical floats, causes sometimes ideas. the ideas behind the aids health

care foundation float is love. love between two people of the same sex. and today couple aubrey lutz and danny leclaire of los angeles were married on top of the float. are. >> for us it's really standing up there and getting the message across that let people love who they want to love. be free in that. find freedom in that. >> the rose parade, a symbol of traditional america with its flowers and beauty queens, hosted a gay wedding. lutz and leclaire had been together inform 12 years but they were invited 50 aids foundation to make their maition a statement. >> that anyone who wants to get married should.

>> one of the things i got early on is when it's your truth, when it's something that works for you authentically, it actually, that fear goes away. >> we're standing up there giving hope and. >> word of the impending wedding, sparked talk on the internet. and boycott the 2014 rose parade. do not watch. among the posted comments, absolutely disgusting, if you don't speak out they'll think they can get away with this. the parade organizers were not deterred and neither were lutz and leclaire. we're not deluded in thinking that a supreme court ruling is going ocome with a provision from those who didn't credit condone same sex marriage. >> the honeymoon has to wait until next month.

brian rooney, al jazeera, los angeles. >> the historic journey recreated. immediately eddie hoffman jr, flew a replica of the same plain. two trips a day with one passenger to global industry carrying more than 3 billion people a year. lost bags and long lines included. coming up, the antarctic mission to rescue dozens of people stuck on the ice. we'll have the very latest. that's al jazeera america, thanks for watching. happy new year. stay tuned for tonight's top stories coming up after this quick break.

welcome to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz with tonight's top stories. the northeast is preparing for the first snow storm of 2014, forecasters say it should begin snowing in new york tonight and move into new england. as much as a foot or more of snow could fall. temperatures will end up around zero°. the president's health care law hit a last minute snag. justice soto mayor, white house has until friday to respond. lines have been very long in colorado today, now that the state's become the first to male