on al jazeera america check check >> into welcome to al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm jonathan betz. a brutal cold is spreading through the midwest bringing textures many have never -- temperatures many have never seen. fighting in iraq as government forces retake key areas held by rebels. >> it's the end of an overa in the ever glades, saying good by to tradition. >> and we look back on the life of a rock and roll pioneer. >> there is a bitter cold blast

gripping a large portion of the midwest. the deep freeze is producing dangerously low temperatures not seen in years. that as many are dealing with the first major snow storm. temperatures fell to 40 below zero in some parts of minnesota, and the freeze expected to last until tuesday. windchill could drive the cold down to 60 below zero. >> we are joined from detroit. i understand by tuesday the texture will be a balmy 1 degree degree. >> that's right. it's 28 degrees. it will seem like a warm day in a couple of day, when the temperatures here are expected to go below zero. in other parts of the mid-western plain states and the north-east, temperatures could reach a record low with windchill and 50 to 70 below zero. it's not just a record-low cold

spell, it's dangerously cold, increasing the chance that people can get frost bite or hypothermia. that's sub-arctic temperatures. this is called an arctic vortex, where the cold arctic air on the north pole is pushed down across the northern part of the united states. temperatures should be below freezing as far south as the gulf states, louisville, mississippi, georgia. >> what are people doing get ready for the cold snaps in detroit? a lot of people assume that destroyed is used to really cold weather. >> detroiters and michiganers are used to cold weather. people are doing what they'd normally do in advance of a snow storm, when they expect to be cooped up, going out shopping, buying milk and eggs, so you don't have to make the trips

during the worst of it. it's true throughout the northern states as people prepare to face this incredible cold snap. >> okay. david hawkins live in detroit, which is bracing for cold temperatures. thank you, david. >> the rest of the region, let's turn to kevin corriveau. this is affecting a lot of people. >> where detroit is they are not into it yet. temperatures will drop. it's up here towards north dakota, south dakota where we see the worst of it. wind chill warnings are in effect for the area, extended area. we are talking about seven states, and that means dangerous conditions. wind chill - let me explain it a little bit. it doesn't affect cars or homes, it affects skin or animals, something that is warm-blooded. the wind pulls the heat off that

area. we are dealing with temperatures in fargo at 1, minnesota at 15. detroit now is at 28 degrees. now, let's look at windchills. currently windchills are about minus 40 degrees in fargo. that is probably the worse that we are seeing. let's put this in motion for the next 24 hours, and this is what it looks like hour by hour. notice, particularly up here, towards parts of minnesota, minus 58, minus 6 is, minus 64 is the coldest this it got. that was about sunday at about three to four in the after noon. that is when the winds pick up. for many places chicago will feel like minus 23. rapid city will feel like minus 48 degrees. this is a big problem. snow is a big problem across the ohio river valley, where you see the band of purple. that's an area we expect to see

between 4-6 inches. where the cold is, there's no snow. normally when it is that cold, it tends not to snow. here is the frontal boundary. anything to the north-west is the coldest. as we go towards monday the cold settles in and pushes the snow over here. now, look at minnesota 5-day forecast. minus 11, minus 6, 2. not until thursday do be get back to normal, a balmy high of 14. >> and that's back to normal. thinks. the north-east digs out, many rely on salt to melt the ice. tonnes of it are thrown on sidewalks and streets. it damages pavement and the environment. we have more on new alternatives that can melt away some of those problems. >> traditional ways of solving the problem of slick surfaces include chemical deires, sand

and salt, the same salt on the dinner table, and there's a reason it's the most popular agent against ice. it works. salt lowers water's freezing point. the more salt you add the lower the freezing point goes. salt is corrosive and makes pavements crumble, so there are other ideas on how to get out of the winter mess. in wisconsin, they are turping to -- turning to cheese. >> wisconsin produces cheese. one of the by-products is brine, salt and water. it melts ice from freezing tonne roadways. >> from salty to sweet. illinois have turned to molasses. >> it sounds crazy, but the molasses is not poured on to the road. they take the desugared juice and mix it with salt. the combination of the salt and the molasses causes it to stick to the road and melt the ice. >> beet juice is another

alinterpretive, helping to prevent snow -- alternative, helping to prevent snow binding to the pavement. not only is it costly, but it washes off the roads into waterways. pick your poich, sticky molasses -- poison - sticky molasses footprints or snow that smells like cheese? >> iraq's prime minister pledges to gain control of the ramadi and fallujah area. the group is spilling over from where it operates in syria. al jazeera's imran khan has the latest. >> fighters from the al qaeda-linked state in the levant claim they have taken over the main highway into the town of fallujah. a man shouts god is great as they look at a burnt out vehicle, claimed to be from the iraq army.

they say they sent reinforcements from syria to iraq to battle the tribal forces. >> after four days of fighting the front line moved to the outskirts of fallujah. tribal leaders have not allowed iraqi fighters to enter the town saying they should head operations. it's a sign how little they trust prime minister benyamin netanyahu. he is not backing down. he scribed the operation as vital to iraq. >> translation: there's nothing left in that sovereignty. we have to unite to fight for the ones destroying our country, standing by our security forces and make sure we proceed in a political process they want destroyed. >> the sunni tribal leaders in ramadi, the town in anbar province, routed the fighters and in combination with the police force secured the city. fallujah is tense.

sunni target leaders say they have been harassed, targeted and arrested for years, and call for a reform of a paramilitary it force after al qaeda was defeated. with little trust on either side, the baghdad government and the sunni groups in anbar are at a stalemate. >> and joining us to talk about this is christopher hill, the former u.s. ambassador to iraq. thank you for being with us today. >> pleasure. >> let's start with the al qaeda militan militants. how much of a threat do they pose to the central government. >> i think they pose a threat. anbar government has been the toughest proposition. the government in baghdad has a light footprint. it's been turned over to tribal leaders, and the various - i don't want to use the term militias, but the sons of iraq, the satwa movement where the

people maintain security, but with the uptick in sort of extremist or islamist sunni violence, there's a nasty struggle going on between those tribal leaders and the al qaeda affiliated elements, and it's not a pretty picture, but from the point of view of the tribal leaders, they can not be turning to the government in baghdad because that would be - that would worsen their condition. so it's a tough sunni on sunni problem. let alone the problem with the government. >> how do you see this developing. do you think the iraqi government is capable of regaining control of fallujah and ramadi, or might it grow there. >> the government in baghdad has to gain control. they have to do it through a mechanism that involves the tribal leaders. that means they'll have to let the tribal leaders be in the lead and there'll be

negotiation. but i think they absolutely have to take control. they kept allow this al-qaeda affiliate to grow in strength. that causes problems in sunni relations which are at the breaking point, especially since the syrian crisis has gone on for years without any mitigation. >> ambassador, as you know, and many people across the country are familiar, because so many american lives were lost at anbar province. now that we see al qaeda gain control, is this in any way raising a concern that the sacrifice, that the work done by the americans might be lost. >> there's a great deal of concern that the uptick in al qaeda presence there undermines the gains that were made. certainly the u.s. played an important role. first of all in helping the tribal leaders manage the effort

against these hardened al qaeda types, and in the absence of u.s. troops, and the turn over of that function, essential in the form of payments to these movements, it's clearly problematic for baghdad. this is really a tough one. i think it's difficult for the americans to look on at this. but i can assure you there's no stomach for going back in. >> no stomach for going in without question. that cannot be an option. >> that's correct. there has been an effort to help the baghdad government more with more equipment. but as you know, even in the united states, there's not a warm feeling towards the baghdad government under prime minister nouri al-maliki. certainly there has been a lot of criticism of him. i would argue regardless of his faults, and he has many of them, that this is not a matter of

what he has done. this is a matter of violence, spilling over, met asitiesizing from syria. if you want to start getting iraq right, you need to start dealing with the problem in syria, and there has been little effort at it to date. >> what needs to happen, since, as you point out, this is part of a larger regional government involving syria. what does the government need to do. >> understanding that as a wider problem. and secondly what arrangements can be made for the future. people are fighting to a stalemate in syria, because they don't trust what the future will look lick. russia, the united states, other countries need to come up with a plan. i like what was done in bosnia. there was a plan elaborated, what a post conflict bosnia

would look like. as of now, there's no concept of what a most conflict syria will look like, except a kind of winner take all. i don't think there's any winner in this. i don't think there's a side capable of liquidating the other side. >> if you think we solved the crisis in syria, that will have a major effect on what is happening in iraq. >> there's no question. that will have a major effect. it will allow ongoing syrian/iraqi relations to grow. it will improve boarder security, which is a big element. iraq needs to find a way that it can exist as a multisectarian state. there has to be outreach to the sunni community. i would viz or take the position that what we are seeing today is not because the sunnis failed to

get the sport position or element in the government, and therefore there has been violence for shia civilians, it goes to a proceed based problem that needs to be addressed in syria, and the whole ar on world needs to address the conflict. >> it doesn't mean it needs to be put away for good, but can go back to how it's been in the past. >> chris fer hill, former ambassador for iraq. thank you for your time. >> al qaeda said it is responsible for a massive bombing in beirut days ago. it's the second attack in a week, and the latest in a string of bombings connected to the war in syria. we have more from beirut. >> this man survived thursday's blast. the bomb went off a few metres were his shop in beirut's southern suburbs. this shia area, heavily

populated with hezbollah supporters has been targeted over recent months. for mohammed, it targeted lebanon's unity. >> in principal the shia are not targeted. there was an attack against sunnis in tripoli. this is the work of extremists trig to create sectarian strife. >> some believe it was in retaliation of fighting. hezbollah's opponents here believe the lebanese shia-armed group should withdraw its forces from syria, to spare lebanon. hezbollah supporters disagree. >> if hezbollah didn't fight in syria, the extremists would have come here, and we would have seen 10 car bombs a day. already terrorists have come to lebanon. >> the war in circumstancia spread. the battlefield is here too. long existing political and

sectarian tensions are getting worse. lebanon's civility is at risk. >> the lack of national unity and political consensus made lebanon a battle ground. it is part of a proxy war, some say, that engulfed the middle east. >> what is happening is a result of saudi arabia iranian rivalry. the rivalry makes lebanon open to terrorism. >> the frequency of attacks like these raised concerns. this one was in a shi'a district. last week's attacks was in a sunni area. regardless of the neighbour hood civilians are getting killed in conflicts were borders are blurred. >> also lebanon, the leader of an al-qaeda-linked group died in hospital. lebanese security forces say

al-majid went into kidney failure during treatment. he is from saudi arabia, and was on the country's wanted terror of the list. his group was behind the bombing of an embassy that killed 23. >> when we return - stuck in antarctica. now the rescuers need rescuing. we'll tell you who is now coming to help. >> keeping an eye on prosperity for world landmarks. a high-tech method for preservation.

>> former first lady barbara bush has been released from the hospital. doctors say she's doing well. houston methodist hospital discharged her this morning. she was suffering pneumonia. mrs. bush thanked them and said she couldn't wait to get home to her husband and dogs. >> the chinese icebreaker that helped to save 52 passengers is now stranded in the ice.

dominic kane has more. >> it's helicopter had been vital and collecting the passengers from the russian vessel "akademik shokalskiy," and ferrying them to a ship, taking them to safety. 52 journalists, researchers and tourists were airlifted across the thick sea ice. as an icebreaker. "xue long" is used to severe conditions. its voyage to the south pole is to resupply the chinese antarctica station. the "xue long" is china's only active icebreaking vessel. the problem now is that the sea ice is constantly shifting. meaning that what may be a safe position one day is not the next. >> the captain made it clear that the current situation is manageable, and that his crew does not need any assistance.

he hopes the ship can free itself from the ice in the very near future. >> and some encouraging news for the stranded vessels. the u.s. coast guard announced it's sending a ship. the "polar store" is the only active icebreaker in the fleet. >> 14 are dead after a building collapse in southern india. it happened at a construction site. rescuers are trying to reach a dozen more in the rubble. 22 have been pulled from the debris. contractors at the building site at the cause of the collapse is not yet known. >> russia's president appears to be putting a best face forward. >> vladimir putin said he would crackdown on protests, but says people will be allowed to rally and march, if they are not directly connected to the games and local security approves. >> he toured facilities in

sochi. he suspected a high-speed railway station and watched a rehearsal. aircraft giant boeing reviewed a contract propose am. the deal between the two sides will keep construction of the jetliner in washington state. the governor hailed yesterday's vote. in return there'll be cuts to pension and health care benefits, a compromise that fractured the union. aerospace company is the biggest employer in the state with 80,000 jobs. >> it's a race against time for lawmakers in germany. they want to ban drugs that invaded the drug scene. backyard chemists are selling them online and get this - it's legal. >> nick spicer has more. >> for many wanting to rave all night in a nightclub a chemical boost is hard to resist. in fact, an estimated one new drug a month is released on the global market, too fast for

police to catch up. dealers admit it's getting out of hand. >> translation: there are new drugs emerging. people are creative. it has taken on perverse dimensions. it's unhealthy for mind and body. >> getting legally high is as easy as going online to order up the offerings of chemists working in china and india. chemicals contained will be close in the molecular structure to an ildrug. this, for example, an a dose of ls z or z with the same effects as the hall usino gen in most countries. users say they can be safer than illegal drugs, because they are pure, not cut with caffeine or rat poison. >> if someone takes a step into a bar, it's a disaster. people will die. that's what's. drugs have a stigma attached to

them. those dealing them don't know the pharmaceutical profile, so they can't advise you. >> the european union is trying to cut the time it takes to ban new drugs from two years to 10 months. the market is growing rapidly. in germany alone it's estimated that over 120 new drugs have emerged in the past eight years. that's some 400,000 people have taken them. >> everybody keeps digital backups of important documents, or they are supposed to. a company is creating scanned backups of monuments. we look at new preservation technology. >> from the leaning tower of pizza to the mian pyramids and mt rushmore in america. a nonprofit company in the san francisco bay area is doing big things. mapping out the world's cultural landmarks using high-tech 3d

imaging. >> the core of the mission is to document the sites before they are lost, so we have an ever-lasting record of them. >> justin barten oversees the project, using this 3d scanner to record images of sites. the technology is so precise it can duplicate an image in as little as 3 minutes. the founder came up with the idea of digitally storing sites after the taliban's structures of the buddhists in afghanistan. scientists are concerned about documenting monuments in syria and egypt, due to political and social unrest in the countries. art historians say the technology is invaluable. >> at a time when we have natural disasters increasing in frequencies, and we have wars and transformations going on. to have the cultural heritage

preserved is essential. >> in california, there are 21 missions from the spanish colonial era. five have been marked, including the oldest building here in san francisco. the company was started in 2003, and so far scientists mapped 100 landmarks, including the sydney opera house and mt rushmore, proving to be a difficult assignment. we had to design a rig that could lower the scanner over the faces, and basically we had to lower the scanner into position, you know, up in the eye, under the nose, under the chip, so we used a rope team to lower the machines down. >> now they are embarking on an ambishous plan, mapping 400 important historical sites within the next five years. >> it's hard to save the world. i think it's something that we are trying do do. at the least is trying to save the world's history. >> saving the ancient, using the

modern. when we come back a look at a problem that's keeping homes from getting power during a snow storm. plus... >> an air boat ride through the swamps is synonymous through the florida everglades, but it is phasing out. we'll tell you why.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at the top stories this half hour. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry is back in jerusalem after meeting with the palestine president. kerry says there's progress, but a ways to go to establish a framework for peace talks. he's scheduled to go to jordan and saudi arabia to discuss an israeli palestine peace. the iraqi government lost control of the western city of fallujah in the anbar province. al qaeda-linked fighters are here celebrating a highway they took over. >> iraqi armed forces have been rushed in.

sunni groups are hesitant to allow them in. >> arctic area creates a storm of cold. they are bracing for their most chilling weather in decades. >> when there's a storm you hear about power lines and outages. it begs a question - why not put all the nation's powerlines below ground. we explain why. >> strong winds, freezing temperatures and ice. thunder storms and tornados. no matter the season, severe weather wreaks havoc on power lines and patience. matt, who lives in a suburb outside of detroit dealt with his fair share of power outages. >> i did have a couple maybe two years ago. we were dark maybe a day or two. >> hundreds of thousands are affected by power outages, according to a study i edison

electric institute. 59% of the power lines are above ground, and 31% below. it begs the question - why aren't all power lines underground. >> judy with the michigan public service commission has heard that more than once. >> you have to weigh the costs and the benefits. >> as a regulatory agency for public energy, it looked at upgrading a few years ago. it will cost more than $1 million per mile. the average home owners would have to pay thousands more per ear. >> occasionally we hear from a city regarding the issue. when they realise residential folks will bear the cost of it, they lose interest because people can't afford it. >> while the frequency of power outages increase with

underground lines, it will paying three to four days longer to restore them when damaged. >> an underground system needs to be replaced every five years. overhead systems last longer. when it comes to cost over saving, in most cases saving wins. at least until the next storm blows in. >> in los angeles, the oh, so familiar plastic bag at supermarkets and other stores is a thing of the past. brian rooney tells us why. >> disposable shopping bags are everywhere in los angeles. in fence, the trees, the weeds. they are in the gutter waiting to be washed down the storm drain to the ocean. that is why this city banned them. it's been the law a few days. they knew it was coming. >> for a long time i'd bring them, leaving them in the trunk of the car.

i'd forget. now it's become a habit. i'm grateful for that. >> i think it's a great thing. we should conserve. >> the ban applies to all groceries, markets and stores that sell perishable foods. if you come without a bag, you can get a paper one. it will cost you a dime. >> there are some exceptions. you can get your chinese take out in a plastic bag, and the mum and pop groceries have until june to comply. it was a one-sided argument in june when the council passed the law. >> they become trash, clog our gutters, pollute the river and trash beaches. >> if you want to see a fish destroyed, she what plastic does to a -- go see what plastic does to a fish, to the food chain and life itself. >> now about 90 city and county governments banned or limited plastic grocery bags.

a prime mover is the environmental group heal the bay in santa monica. >> i think it will have impacts larger than globally. we'll see momentum on the issue of plastic pollution, and it's consequences statewide nationally and internationally. as we see simply changes like bringing a reasonable bag can make a difference. >> getting shoppers in the habit is the big trip. >> they gave me a free bag. a nice bag. >> but you didn't bring it today. >> i didn't bring it here. it's in my car though. >> change is in the bag, but not quite yet. >> no more paper or plastic, i

guess. air boats in everglades parks days are numbers, we have that story. >> those who live her in florida ever glades say it takes a special kind of person to live

the man into india technology is

critical. >> it's an exhibition of braille. part of the braille day celebrations at this institute for the blind in new delhi. braille is celebrated on more than one day each year. this man has been living at the institute for the last five months. he was born blind. he is not here to learn braille. he did that when he was six years old. he did that when he learnt professional courses. >> i'm learning priogramming. c plus plus, java script. it's all here. >> with braille typing, transcription and india's largest printing press, it's an impressive learning and teaching system designed around braille. >> with 60 to 70% of blipd

people in india living in rural areas, there's challenges to bring the resources to them. >> our workers will go into the country side, approaching visually impaired persons, at their own doorsteps, and providing the necessary services to them. >> but learning braille in nonurban areas without the proper resources is harder. some believe a modern solution is needed. >> in the 90 years that braille has been around and spread throughout the world and can be found in public places like restaurants and elevators. with technological advances some wonder at the need for braille. >> new programs and mobile apps can repeat what has been typed into the keyboard. some say the costs keep much of that technology out of the reach of the blind people in the developing world. >> it will recognise that they

are not competitors for braille, but only intended to supplement what is available in the braille system. >> the advantages of braille is i can read fast. i get to know the spellition and punctuation. i wouldn't know if the computer reads them out. >> technology is advancing. braille is progressing as well. helping people live normal and modern lives. >> modern braille. interesting. still ahead - their music touched millions. ♪ gotta go home >> a look at the life of phil everley of everley brothers, and how he helped to shape rock and role. and... >> i'm john henry smith live in philadelphia, i'll have a

preview of a frigid wild car game between the saints and the eagles.

>> michael is here with sports. i can't believe the n.f.l. teams are playing this weekend. >> and college. we usually associate football with fall, the winter months provide the most meaningful games for the n.f.l. and college, and that's what we have going on this weekend. >> we have you covered on both fronts. we start with john henry smith with a wildcard game between the

eagles and saints, and a third challenger - mother nature. >> i'm lucky to be here for this game. there has been much or more focus on the weather reports ahead of this game as there has been on the injury reports. the temperature is supposed to be in the 15-20 degree range at kick-off between the saints and the eagles, a factor looming large for a pass-oriented dome team. in the sean peyton, drew breeze area, the saints are 1 and 4. it's interesting to note that the saints practised it inside of their climate change control practice facility and louisville, while the eagles practised outside here in frigid philadelphia. we'll see if the practice makes perfect for the eagles as they advance in the play-offs. two other weather factors play into the saints favour. there's a zero percent chance of

rain. the wind will be moderate in the three to 5 miles per hour. the same times should have an easier time. the saints are 29 and one when they don't turn the ball over. >> the saints could come in with a better record, but filly gets home field advantage. how valuable could home field advantage be in the match up? >> certainly the saints have not been a good road team. historically in the play offs they are 0 and 5. this season they lost five of their eight road games, and what has to be most troubling is they scored half as many points on the road as at home. 35 for a game at home, 17 on the road. the eagles would seem to have an advantage on the home front it evening.

>> john henry smith live. the other game is underway indoors in minneapolis. >> the bow bow championship series. we go to our correspondent. from florida state and number two auburn, it's been a long time since either played a game. >> that was the big talk. both had 29 days since they last played. that's the big question. in the championship game last year, the companies were hammered by alabama. they were sluggish, flat. this time around both coaches are making everything as normal as possible. >> this team has been focused every game, whether alabama or a 1 axe a team. they -- 1 aa team, they found a way to get better. they went about their business just like every other week.

we tried to get the 'em back. blue colour, hard-nosed edge and players responded. >> the leadership of the team. everyone asks why the team is focused. if the leadership of the team does not reinforce what you believe as a coach, it doesn't get anywhere. there's a tremendous group of seniors that come to work and believe in everything we say and are fun to coach. >> as you can see both teams are having fun. they are relaxed, anticipating monday night's match up. the time off benefitted both staff. they had more chance to gain plan. you have to think it's an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball in a hope to stop auburn. florida state, the seminoles favoured by nine points. >> the weather is favoured. >> if they win, they'll have the

eighth consecutive championship. >> again, n.f.l. and college gains huge weekends. if you are at home, pull out the big screen tvs. you want to be in front of them. >> thank you michael. >> cuba is eliminating restrictions on car ownership, no longer requiring citizens to get special permission to buy cars. the changes give cubans sticker shock. a price on one of last year's cars posted on a havana dealership topped $230,000. a lot of money for a car there. >> one of the original and iconic voices in rock music has fallen silent. phil everley one of the two of the legendary everley brothers died at the age of 74. their tight harmonies influenced early musicians, including beetles and bob dylan. >> two brothers, two voices,

always in perfect harmon ni ♪ dream, dream, dream ♪ dream >> older brother don provided the low melody. phil the high notes ♪ only trouble is, gee whizz ♪ i'm dreaming my life away >> but their soaring voices and country rusk roots, the siblings ushered in the era of rock'n'roll. starting with the first hit "bye, bye love" ♪ bye, bye love ♪ bye, bye happiness ♪ hello lonely had beens ♪ i think i'm going cry >> the everley brothers put 19 top 40 hits on the charts between 1957 and 1962 ♪ wake up little suzie ♪ wake up >> familiar themes of love and

angst resonated ♪ when i feel blue ♪ and i need you ♪ in the night ♪ and i need you to hold me tight ♪ >> as singer paul simon wrote in "rolling stones" they had an impact. it cast a shadow on many after them. the beatles described themselves as the english ef lerly, and bob dylan said rock owed them everything. >> the brothers had a major falling out in 1973, but came together for reunions ♪ never leave me lonely >> as phil battled lung disease, his family said he never lost his angelic voice.

>> and joining us to talk about phil everley, the everley brothers and their place in the music history is anthony de-kurtis from "rolling stone" magazine. where is their place in music history? >> it's at the height of the pan thion of rock'n'roll artists. it was that original generation in the late 50s, early '60s that defined rock'n'roll, and they were inducted into the rock'n'roll hall of fame. they were up there with elvis presley. >> how so? >> they came out of the country, they are from kentucky. they were that - if you think of rock'n'roll as being an amalgam of country music and blues. the everley brothers brought the country elements. when you hear the voices, there's a tradition of harmony, and they brought it into rock'n'roll. the voices are identifiable.

at the same time there was a driving rhythm guitar that dealt with don everley's contribution. that gave it a rock'n'roll sound. >> they weren't necessarily rock stars when they started, they were country stars. and they transitioned to rock'n'roll. >> that line blurred around that time. they had a whole string of hits. obviously they were young, good looking guys with tremendous follow, and it - for a while they owned the top 20. i mean, they were having hit singles. >> hit after hit after hit. >> and having a huge influence on music and artists that followed them. >> certainly. like the beatle, and the holly, and simon&gar funkle are dramatically influenced. this year billy joe armstrong from green day attempteded up with nora jones and made an

album called "for everley", the everley brothers songs. >> is that formal for modern artists to do that or is it an indication of how special their music is? >> a little bit of both. a lot of contemporary artists are interested in the music that they are part of. how distinctive the everley brothers are. if you listen to billy armstrong and nora jones. it sounds lining the everley brothers. they are not trying to subvert the everley brothers, they are paying tribute. >> they peaked in the '60s, with popularity, and became out of step with the times. >> there was a sense in which, you know, when - strangely, a lot of groups that they profoundly influenced, like the beatles, began to take center stage. the everley brothers, you know, were american and part of an earlier think. rock music is about fads in a lot of way.

people were swept up. they had a bit of a tough time for a little while. certainly their personality complex. you know, after their initial success, like a lot of brothers, simon and garfunkel themselves, they never got along well. >> they had a famous split in 1973. >> and they came together again. very interestingly, in 2003, simon&garfunkel bought them out on tour. it was funny. the everley brothers had been a profound influence. none of the four zis - simon and garfunkel had their problems. to see them on stage, simon and garfunkel refused to have them open. they thought, "we are not following the everley brothers. they are our icons. >> they came out, performed, and it was quite moving to see them together. it was a real high point in the latter part of the everley brothers's career.

>> an icon to the music community. phil everley died at the age of 74. anthony de-curtis with "rolling stone" magazine. thank you for your time. >> and when we come back kevin tells us more about the deep freeze hitting the nation.

>> there's no doubt that we have a lot of weather to talk about. earlier we talked about cold temperatures and windchills across the northern plains. now i'll take you to the north-east because we have had a lot of snow in that area just in the last couple of days. in the last couple of days eastern massachusetts received up to about 2 feet of snow. actually 23.5 inches was recorded. that was in box ford massachusetts. temperature wise we are below freezing. snow is not melting in this area. across new york city, this is what the taxis had to deal with. a lot of roads are not ploughed. they are slushy. there was sunshine, it got

slushier. as it gets tolder the slush will be harder to deal with. new york city is at 25 degrees. boston and philadelphia is the same. washington is slightly above freezing. windchill is not a factor too much in new england as it was in the north central part of the united states. the winds are not too strong compared to the blizzard. 21 degrees is what it feels like. the problem that is coming is we have freezing rain advisories that are in effect. this goes into sunday evening and this will cause a problem across virginia and central sections of new york. the other big problem is snow does not melt until we get to sunday. 42 degrees. as we go to monday morning. the snow will turn to frozen ice. be careful on the roads.

>> you're watching al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm jonathan betz with today's headlines. >> dangerous and historically cold temperatures flowing into the northern united states from canada, following the big storm claiming 16 lives over the last couple of days. >> the iraqi army said it shelled the city of fallujah overnight. the government is trying to take full control of the city. u.s. secretary of state john kerry is back in jerz after a meeting with the palestine -- jerusalem after a meeting with the palestine presidents. there's progress. he will further promote israeli-palestine