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tv   News  Al Jazeera  January 7, 2014 12:00pm-12:31pm EST

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i challenge any lawmaker to live without an income. that's what katherine said. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> it's hard. so when we have got the mom of two of our troops, who is working hard out there, but is having to wear a coat inside the house, we got a problem. and it's one that can be fixed. and katherine is not alone. evelyn smith who is watching today from her home in california wrote me about her hunt for a new job. since she was laid off 13 months ago, she has sent out hundreds of resumes, she has volunteered. she has done seasonal work. she has been taking online courses to learn new skills. without unemployment insurance, though, she won't be able to pay for her car or cell phone which
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makes the job hunt that much harder. and evelyn wrote to me and said i wanted nothing more than to find a new full-time job and i have dedicated every day to that mission. i'm asking you to advocate for me and the millions like me who need our extended benefits to make ends meet. so i -- i just want everybody to understand, this is not an abinstruction. these are your neighbors, your friends, family members, it could at some point be any of us. that's why we set up a system of unemployment insurance. the notion was everybody is making a contribution because you don't know when the business cycle or an economic crisis might make any of us vulnerable. and this insurance helps keep food on the table while dad is
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sending out resumes. it helps mom pay the rent while she is learning new skills to get that new job. it provides that extra bit of security so that losing your job doesn't mean you have to lose your house, where everything you worked so hard to build for years. we make this promise to our fellow americans who are working hard to get back on their feet, because when times get tough, we are not a people who say you're on your own, we're people who believe we're in it all together, and we no there but for the grace of god go i. [ applause ] >> so -- so that's the values case for this. that's the moral case for this. but there's an economic case for it as well. independent economists have shown that extending emergency unemployment insurance actually creates new jobs, and helps the
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economy. when folks like katherine have a little more to spend, to turn up the heat in our house, or buy a few extra groceries that means more spending with businesses in her local community, which in turn may inspire that business to hire one more person, maybe katherine. that's why both parties have put partisan ship and adeology aside to offer security for job seekers with no strings attached, regardless of who was in the white house, it has been done on whether democrats or republicans controlled congress, and by the way it has been done multiple times when the unemployment rate was significantly lower than it is today. and what is important to keep in mind also is that the recovery
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in a big country like the united states is going to be somewhat uneven, so there are some states that have a 2.5 unemployment rate, and then there are someplaces that may still have a 7, 8, 9% unemployment rate. the people living in those respective states may be working equally hard to find a job, but it is going to be harder in some places than others. two weeks ago congress went home for the holidays and let this lifeline expire for 1.3 million americans. if this doesn't get fixed it will hurt about 14 million americans over the course of this year. 5 million workers along with 9 million of their family members, their spouses, their kids. now i have heard the argument that says extending unemployment
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insurance will hurt the unemployed because it zaps their desire to get a new job. i want -- i want to go at this for a second. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> i -- you know, i . . . that really sells the american people short. i meet a lot of people as president of the united states. and as candidate for president of the united states, and as a u.s. senator, and a state senator, i have met a lot of people. and i can't -- i can't name a time where i met an american who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job. [ applause ] >> the long-term unemployed are
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not lazy. they are not lacking in motivation. they are coping with the aftermath of the worst economic crisis in generations. in some cases they may have a skills mismatch. right? they may have been doing a certain job for 20 years, suddenly they lose that job. they may be an older worker. they may have to get retrained. it's hard. sometimes employers will discriminate if you have been out of work for a while. they decide well, we're not sure we want to hire you. we would rather hire somebody who is still working right now. so it's hard out there. there are a lot of our friends and neighbors who have lost their jobs, and they are working their tails off every single day to find a new job. now as the job market keeps
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getting better, more and more of these folks will find work, but in the meantime the insurance keeps them from falling off of a cliff. it makes sure they can pay their car note to go to that interview. it makes sure they can pay their cell phone bill so if somebody calls back for an interview, they can answer it, and katherine explained this. katherine in the letter that she wrote to me, said that -- do folks really think that cutting this benefit will make someone hire me? that's not how employers are thinking. so letting unemployment insurance expire for millions of americans is wrong. congress should make things right. i'm very appreciative that they are on their way to doing just that, thanks to the bipartisan work of two senators, a democrat
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from rhode island, senator reid, and a conservative republican from nevada, senator heller, and despite their differences, they worked on a plan to extent the benefits at least for three months while we figure out a longer-term solution. and a bipartisan group of senators allowed this to move forward in the process. the senate is a complicated case, so just because they agreed on this vote, all they have agreed to so far is that we agreed to have a vote on it, they haven't actually passed it. so we need to get this through without obstruction or delay, and we need the house to vote for it as well. [ applause ] >> and that's -- that's the bottom line. voting for unemployment
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insurance help people and creates jobs, and voting against it does not. congress should pass this bipartisan plan right away, and i will sign it right away, and more than 1 million americans across the country will feel a little hope right away. and hope is contagious. [ applause ] >>, you know, when -- when katherine has a little bit more confidence about her situation, when she finds a job she is going to be ail to help somebody down the line maybe who is also down on their luck. when congress passes a bipartisan effort starting right at the beginning of the new year, who knows, we might actually get some things done this year. [ laughter ] >> so after all of the hard work and sacrifice of the past five years to recover and rebuild from the crisis, what i think
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the american people are really looking for in 2014 is just a little bit of stability. let's just do the common sense thing. let's do what is right. we're going to have to -- we're going to have to see action, though, on the part of congress, and i'll -- i'll be willing to work with them every step of the way. action to help our businesses create more of the good jobs that a growing middle class requires, action to restore economic mobility, action to open more doors of opportunity for everybody that is willing to work hard and walk through those doors. you know, when i was listening to katherine, i was just so struck by her strength and dignity, and i think people when they bump into some tough times, like katherine, they are not looking for pity. they just want a shot.
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[ applause ] >> and they just want to feel as if . . . [ applause ] >> they just want to feel as if, you know what, as -- as a part of this country, as a part of their communities, that if misfortune strikes, all of the things that they have done in the past, all of the hard work they have done raising children and paying taxes and working hard, that that counts for something. and that folks aren't suddenly just going to dismiss their concerns, but they are going to rally behind them. that's not too much to ask. that's who we are as americans. that's what built this country. [ applause ] >> that's what i want to promote. so thank you very much, everybody. let's get to work, and let's get this done. i appreciate it.
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[ applause ] >> you have been listening to president obama addressing those in the east room of the white house flanked by many of those who right now find themselves needing unemployment benefits. the president urging congress to pass legislation that would extend these unemployment benefits for 1.3 millions. they expired right at the heart of the holidays. before the president spoke he was preceded by katherine hackett a woman who said, quote, job loss is devastating. listen to her as she is far more eloquent than i am. >> i am not just sitting home enjoying the real life. my cuts include heating my house to 58 degrees, wearing a hat and a coat to stay warmer because oil is expensive. i have lost weight food because is extensive. >> hackett going on to say she lives in those conditions and
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she is also the mother of two sons who have served her country proudly. mike viqueira at the white house. >> long-term unemployment insurance according to the president puts food on the table and keeps them from falling off of the cliff. ms. hackett providing a real world example to rebut the argument that the president took on very explicitly and forcefully that unemployment insurance zaps motivation. the notion that unemployment insurance is glorified welfare by another name and something they don't want to be involved in. this is the idealogical divide, that if this short-term extension of long-term benefits is to go forth, this is the hurdle it is going to have to
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cross. john boehner leaving a glimmer of hope that he would put it on the floor, but as libby casey cut it, the $6.5 billion of offsetting the costs will have to be paid for one way or another. the president making the delineation between a moral case and economic case, sowing them all together and pushing for the extension of unemployment benefits. the moral case that folks down on their luck need this. it is vital to their well-being and vital to the economy. his president now pushing for this extension of long-term benefits, dell. >> mike viqueira at the white house. libby casey on capitol hill. mike stand by. libby the president pushing back that public assistance is somewhat a crutch for those who may not want to get a job. >> that's right. a criticism that has been lobbed. this is something that is just
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dealing with a symptom, not a problem. the president pushing back on that, and making the case that in his perspective americans want to be out working, and taking pride in the ownership of doing a good job in a place of work, and he emphasized that people have to be actively looking for work, and we heard that from ms. hackett herself. the flip side of the coin, you might receive the benefits but you have to prove you are looking for a work. who are these people? these are people that have been out of work for 27 weeks and more, a half of year dell. so this allows them to keep looking for a job. and the president with all of those faces around him cheering him on when he talked about how much they wanted to find a job. >> thank both of you.
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12:15 east coast time. the president speaking for approximately 25 minutes. when we come back, we'll talk about what a lot of you are talking about, that being that it is very, very cold outside. we'll talk about what is driving these cold temperatures. 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 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
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the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money.
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>> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream. welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. as the president was speaking we received word that the first batch of syria's chemical weapons is now out of that country. that is a week later than initially planned. the chemical weapons were loaded on board a danish ship. who was involved in this particular effort? >> many countries were involved. the syrian government, the russians, u.s., fenway, norway,
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and danish. the syrian government was responsible for packing and safely transporting these chemical weapons to the port. the u.s. provided a loading and transporting and decontamination equipment, as well as in the later stage they will provide a ship that will neutralize these chemical weapons. it's a big joint effort because it's a difficult and challenging task eliminating syria's chemical weapons in a country that is going through very severe civil war. >> and that civil war still rages on, but with regard to the chemical weapons what happens next? >> well, for example, today it was a small number of containers that were transported and first loaded on to that danish ship. the ship went into international waters. the first step is going to
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verify the amount of chemical toxics that were loaded. >> ruhla thank you very much. now back to the deep freeze that is spreading across the country, now effecting 187 million americans in 26 states, many of them experiencing record-low temperatures usually found in the north and south poles, they take your breath away to say the least. dave it is chilly out. >> you are right. the south pole was colder than it was here in new york, just about 10 or 15 degrees, though. so we are close. this polar vortex spins up here over the great lakes, the core of that cold air is over the northeast. temperatures still below zero
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now. not quite as cold as it was yesterday, so it is starting to moderate just a bit. high-pressure to the south, and that wind in between, creating wind chill from 20 to 30 below at least. so be prepared if you have to go outside. here are the wind chills, close to 40 below, but the temperatures tomorrow morning not nearly as cold. >> dave warren thank you very much. diane eastabrook is in suburban chicago not only cold but also very, very dangerous. >> reporter: that's right, dell, it is very dangerous if you are standing out here and not covered up you could get frostbite or hypothermia within 10 minutes. we have been checking at the
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hospitals and so for there have been about 20 weather-related injuries 7 or 8 are due to frostbite or hypothermia. the rest are slips and falls. this shelter had 1, 080 people inside last night, and that is a record for them, and that's good news. one of the things we're concerned about later is traffic. people getting in traffic accidents. dell? >> diane eastabrook thank you very much. joining us from maywood, illinois where it is very, very cold. the windy city saying they are hoping they don't live up to their name today. still ahead, the first u.s. city to ban frac-ing. plus an incredible story of an man who spent nearly three
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days floating on a log stranded in this the middle of the ocean.
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welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are your headlines at this hour. tougher security measures in place for the month leading up to the olympics in sochi. visitors and drivers must have special passes just if they want to get around. a democratic push to extent unemployment benefits moving forward in the senate this morning. long-term job less benefits expiring for millions of americans last month. six senate republicans joining with democrats to back that bill. the overall vote 60-37. and record-cold temperatures affecting millions of americans today, the severe weather delaying trains and flights up and down the eastern seaboard
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and across the us. elsewhere as the debate over frac-ing picks up speed one city already making up its mind. we'll tell you why pittsburgh is now against frac-ing. >> reporter: for environmentalists this is an abomination, partially concealed by a shady grove. the tanks and pipes defrac the marcelous shale. a drilling bonanza is underon this slab of rock that contains vast stores of natural gas. however, there is a hollow amid the multiplying frac-ing wells, the city of pittsburgh. here frac-ing is banned, and in 2011, the city passed its toxic trespass ordinance that asserted there was sufficient evidence that the democrats used in frac-ing are harmful, and the corporations and local and national government will be held
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liable for chemicals and chemical come pounds found to be trespassing on the bodies of drenthz -- residents or the ecosystems. doug shields introduced that system because there seemed no way to stand up to the lobbying cash of the oil companies. >> now i know what it is like to be a resource country. >> reporter: but frac-ing chemicals don't respect city ordinances. the frac-ing surrounding the city is changing the composition of the al-guinea river that supplies pittsburgh with its drinking water. so will the city sue? >> we get sue every day. we get sued when people walk up the steps and trip when it rains. >> reporter: will is now a bill
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that introduces a moratorium on the frac-ing. >> the majority of the senate republicans, house republicans, the governor, our own lock stock and barrel buy though marcelous shell industry, and they are not about protecting the interests. >> reporter: part of the ban was over outrage on leasing of cemetery lands. but that hasn't stopped the municipalities from collecting their drilling royalties. and state officials in pennsylvania say they have now examined 100 cases involving problems with frac-ing. now to this story, the story of a taiwan man swept out to sea has a happy ending. he was on a fishing trip when a big wave hit and he was thrown into the ocean.
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he found a log drifting and held on for three days before being rescued. and the dangerous arctic weather sweeping across the nation, dave warren joins us with an update. >> yes, today is the coldest with these temperatures down below zero still in chicago, minneapolis, teens in washington, d.c. new york at 7. set a record this morning. another problem is the cold air over the great lakes. the water that is not [ technical difficulties ] >> dell. >> daye, thank you very much. and thank you for watching this
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extended edition of al jazeera america. "the stream" is next. and check us out 24 hours aday, at aljazeera.com. hi i'm lisa fletcher, and you are in "the stream." was the time fit the crime when it comes to drugs? we look at changing policies versus sentencing realities. ♪ digital producer, wajahat ali is here, bringing in all of your feedback during the show. when we talk about policies there is always confuse between the difference between decriminalization and legalness, so i'm tapping into your formal

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