>> the bottom line is that people around the world, regardless of their nationality, should know that the united states is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten the national security. >> president obama limits spying by the n.s.a., but critics say it doesn't go nearly far enough. targeted by the sal ban a suicide bomb erts kills 21 people. in a state of emergency in california as water gets dangerously low. >> plus the panda plush. why one piece of china's political diplomacy isn't quite as black and white as it seems.

>> good morning to you, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. >> the controversial spying program that collect millions of american phone records will be limited. that's a commitment president obama made on friday. the proposed reforms do not put an end to mass spying but provide more oversight. they assure allies that they will not monitor phone calls. there's no guarantees that they'll be implemented. patty culhane explains. >> the extent of the spying carried out by the united states, hugely controversial overseas. beside president obama's speech only a handful of the usual protesters showed up to demand changes. the president took to the stage,

promising to change little. when it comes to spying outside the u.s. allied leaders can by assured they will not listen to the phone call. every text, call and video chat will be stored. the u.s. president says that shouldn't bother most people in the world. >> the bottom line is that people around the world. regardless of their nationality should know that the united states is not spying on ordinary people that don't threaten our national security. we take their privacy concerns into account. >> for americans there are few changes. if the fbi wants to contact their credit card company, they may have to tell me they have done that. >> when it comes to cell phones, they have to store the data. if they want to search the records, they'll have to ask a court, a court this didn't

reject one request in 2012. it's not enough. >> he didn't embrace the recommendations that his group made. he took a narrow tact. >> already the criticism the president sounded a defensive top. >> no one expect china to have an open debate, or russia to take privacy concerns of citizens in other places into account. the debate is not over. congress has to approve the changes and may go further than the president. and the supreme court has to decide if the domestic spying is constitutional. as evidence by the size and scale of the process, they are not facing public pressure to change the decision. >> glenn greenwald, the journalist to whom edward snowden reached out to is criticising obama's reforms, wondering why americans are not

asking the important question about the n.s.a. >> everybody's meta data, whether in the hands of the n.s.a. or phone companies. why are the records of who we talk to, who we email, why does it need to be preserved if we have done nothing wrong. there's no reason to keep it. only people that have done things that are wrong should terrorist attacks be monitored in a healthy and democratic system. >> there are more revelations to come. david shuster looks back over the n.s.a. beginning with one man and millions. >> he's one of the most famous government whistleblowers, yet

edward snowden began his leaks months ago. >> the national security agency had been collecting phone records of verizon customers. "the washington post," following links revealed details of an internet civilance program. nine companies, including google, facebook and apple gave the data to the n.s.a. >> you can't have 100% security and then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience. >> a few days later edward snowden took to the u.s. and identified himself as a contractor fuelling the public debate. i sit in my desk, certainly had of the authorities to wire tap everyone. if you are not doing everything wrong, you are watched and

recorded. the storage capability of the fik tips are clear. >> the revelations kept coming. the gchq intercepted world leaders at a loint summit meeting. a guardian story reported the gchc worked to attract data around the globe. the washington post reported that the agency broke its on rules 2700 times. president obama announced a re view but insisted edward snowden was no patriot. >> edward snowden can come here, appear before the court with a lawyer, and make his case. >> the yafth for the barack obama administration continues.

in october a german newspaper reported that u.s. intelligence agencies lisped to cell phone calls. then "the washington post" reported the n.s.a. tapped into the main communication link. the scory underscored the n.s.a.'s ability to spy. at the end of the year edward snowden told "the washington post" he had won, because as mean leaks fuelled a vigorous debate. >> meanwhile, edward snowden remains in russia on a grant of temporary asylum. he was charged with violating the act so can't face clemency if he returns. >> president obama approved a $1.1 trillion bill funding

government departments. now, congress faces the challenge of whether to raise the federal debt ceiling. >> at least 21 are dead after a taliban strike in afghanistan. a suicide bomber and gunman targeted a restaurant in kabul. it's one of the deadliest attacks in that area since 2001. four united nations workers were among those killed and jane ferguson reports from kabul as a warning, the video might be disturbing. >> even by the standard of afghanistan's war, this was a brutal attack. diners, gunned down in a restaurant. al jazeera obtained video showing the aftermath. many died trying to hide under the tables.

the country's top security apparatus showed up quickly from special forces to intelligence agencies. it was too late. the attackers was inside. the three attackers targeted the restaurant which was behind me, 40 feet down the street. one was a suicide bomber. he detonated explosives, blowing out the doors, allowing the other two to enter, killing and shooting the diners inside. this is the diplomatic area in the heart of kabul, considered by many to be safe, as was the restaurant. >> the blast could be heard across the city, drawing residents from their homes n >> translation: it was powerful and shook the area. after that there was intense gun fire. >> the restaurant was popular with high-ranking officials and

restauranters. >> we condemn the display and called for violence in the locations to end immediately. it's considered by the u.n. to be a gross violation of hulan tarian law. >> among the dead were foreigners and afghans. bodies were taken away into the night. this was meant to be the most secure area. >> translation: right after the explosion spoke and dust covered the restaurant. i ran away, jumped inside a house and ran further. one pommer blew himself up, at the gapt. a few others were chuting inside the restaurant. >> the taliban claimed responsibility and promised more attacks to come. >> that was al jazeera's jane ferguson reporting from kaboom. meantime president hamid karzai

is still debating whether he will allow u.s. troops to stay in afghanistan to maintain stability in the nation, still recovering from years of conflict. >> spiratual leaders death in india sparked a stampede. 18 people died. 50 injured in mooum by. tens of thousands came to the financial capital to mourn the lose. the stampede began when the gates from closed the crowd pushed forward. many were crushed at the gate. they were largely outnumbered. californian government declared a drought memory si over fears the sit may face the driest year in history. it's not just california. federal officials have designated some states as emergency areas. brown is asking residents to

reduce water consumption by 20%. we have more on the conditions in florida. >> good morning to you. i am here at the command post of the colby fire. this fire has been burning for a couple of days now. it is 30% contained, more than 1800 acres burned. you can see thick smoke and ash in the air. the fire, of course, is a consequence of the persistent drought here in california. the other concern is the impact on california's 44 billion agriculture industry. >> today i'm declaring a drought emergency in the state of california. the governor of the state jerry brown made the announcement after pressure from people. the emergency declaration means california can apply for relief aid from the federal government.

>> the news couldn't come disoon enough for farmer paul, who has been struggling to feed his cattle on this farm. >> if we don't get rain in 30 days, we'll be in dire strai straits. we are faced with no feed, and cows that need feed. >> california's agricultural industry is worth 40 billion. it produces a large percentage of fresh fruit and vegetables. officials say the future is threatened by the catastrophic conditions. residents say rain fall is at low levels, including this one, at 40% of its full capacity. it creates flexibility to manage what water resource we'd have left in the reservoirs, and how much might be available at the

end of the rain fall year. >> inevitably brush fires capitaliz capitalized. fires like this are not normally a threat. not helping matters are high winds and a high pressure front. that's what has been blocking the storms from moving through the high into california to bring us rainfall. before it dissipates we are stuck in the same batterb. >> it's expected to continue until the end of the month. paul hopes that the official declaration of a drought will allow him to save his herd. >> you know the animals, you raised them. you have no choice, but to let them go. >> unless it begins to rain, and that is not likely any time soon. >> live at the command post we are expecting an update this

morning. as the dry conditions continue, the concern is not about this fire, but more wild fires. >> thank you stephanie stanton nor joining us. how long will it be before california sees relief. nicole mitchell joins us with more >> not any time in the future. last year we had one of our record driest years. those records going back ta the 1800s, and that has already added to the drought conditions. every week the monitors come out and the area expands. it's a loft of the west chance, california in the core of extreme conditions. what we have in place is high pressure. that's scooting any storm that could come on shore and bring poist mur. instead it's deflected like a shield, pushing it to the north.

we are not getting the moisture in. here is a closer look at how it works. the high pressure is keeping the area not only dry, but warm. a lot of sunshine, the flow on the south side of the high that kicks up the wings that spreads the fire, and the dry air, the high temperatures and the wind drying out vegetation, making us more susceptible for fires to move quickly along. temperatures quite warm. 10-20 degrees above average. great if you are heading to the beach. here is a look at the seera snow. this is normally triple the size. we are below the snow pack. another concern is the snow pack being low, that's the water we'd use in agricultural season. we'll be low this year. i don't want to focus on california, this is as yes head

into washington, oregon. look how much the snowfall is less than this time last year. big problems in the west coast. >> and the company behind that chemical spill in west virginia filed for bankruptcy. freedom industries is facing several lawsuits for the chemicals that leaked into the river. hundreds of thousands can't use their drinking water and the department of environmental protection says regardless of the bankruptcy status, they'll need to clean up their mess. >> trying to brip bring -- bring an end to the conflict in syria voting on whether to end the peace talks. journalists in the philippines fear for their lives. >> and in new york - why moonshine is makin

conclude >> good morning to you and welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city.

a lack of freedom of the press in the philippines as journalists fear for their lives. first a look at what temperatures will see across the nation with nicole mitchell. >> it's comfortable on the east coast. you feel the cold air in the south. while the west stayed warm, we have clipper after clipper in the north. some of that spilled cool air to the south. atlanta 27, versus new york at 37. when you have a warning it's starting warmer in new york. there's definitely been cold air on the move. you can see it in the pattern. the cold air for today, closer to the great lakes, definitely the warm air to the west coast coast with the pattern that you see. los angeles above average at 83 we were talking about. a little below o average in minneapolis. as we get into tomorrow temperatures will go up.

next week, monday, tuesday, back around zero. there'll be another shot of cold air. start bracing yourself now. >> less than a week before critical peace talks members of syrian opposition are torn about whether or not to attend. al jazeera's correspondent is live in istanbul with the meetings. what is the international community doing to get the syrian opposition to come to geneva? >> well, the world is pretty united, even if the syrian opposition at the moment is not. the peace talks need to happen. there has been tremendous diplomatic pressure from all sorts of ambassadorial elements on the sideline of the meetings. they have been talking to the delegates in meetings outside the formal meeting, trying to explain that the meeting has to happen.

it's not the pd of a process and doesn't define the shape that peace talks will take. at some points there has to be a negotiated process, and it needs to begin. this is what the international community is telling the delegates. you are saying the meeting has to happen, what are the consequences if the coalition doesn't agree? >> well, about the only concern sis on the international front is there is no military solution. that is something that the actors inside of syria will say themselves. there are some people on the ground. they believe they can fight it to a finish. the largest casualties of the conflict in syria. both the ones enduring and the ones fleeing to neighbouring countries living in difficult decisions. some kind of a dialogue to

establish the rules under which syria can be governed. if the syrian wellition sunday send a team to the meeting in geneva, the views that are represented, that those opposed to the regime are not represented when the dialogue kicks off. that would be, in the view of the committee something that would let down the syrian people, a dialogue achieved or a compromise worked on to stop the fighting. >> what is the timetable for this. do we have any idea yet? >> the timetable for this meeting. to everywhere's relief the meeting is formally started. the meeting was supposed to start yesterday. it didn't. people talked around the edges, a group of 44 what withdrew from the meeting proceedings, because

they are not happy about the preconditions on the road into a geneva meeting. there was work to bring them back into the fold. the meeting today formally begun, and at some stage we are hoping there'll be a vote an geneva. in the background going on at the moment there's another meeting with the armed groups inside syria, those are the people that would implement a deal on the ground. the people outside have limited power inside to change what is going on there. that group needs to be onside. what that group thinks and says. and the advice it gives to its representatives is part of the input. i wash you this could drag on for more than another day. >> anita live from istanbul. thank you for joining us. >> violence on the streets of egypt ahead of a referendum. four have died as supporters of

mohamed morsi, as they clash with security troops. the results of the vote on a new constitution will be announced and is part of the transition plan by an army backed government. the muslim brotherhood urged supporters to boycott. 37% of resident voters participated. >> three al jazeera journalists are detained in equipment. producers mohamed fadel fahmy, baher mohamed, and correspondent peter greste have been held since december 29th, accused of spreading lies and joining a terrorist group. al jazeera demand their release and denies the allegations. two other journalists from our sister channel has been in prison for five months, a cameraman and a reporter. >> the philippines is one of the dangerous countries for journalists. deadly attacks killed 12. we spoke with a radio reporter

who is going on air after receiving death threats. >> this is what life is like every day. he hosts a daily radio show in a troubled area of the southern philippines. >> good morning. >> he says there have been seven attempts on his life over the past few years much >> translation: once i received a letter with a bullet inside an envelope. i was told if i don't stop my commentaries they'll put me in my place. it's hard to be a broadcaster. if you don't know how to carry the issue, you'll get into serious trouble. >> the hard-hitting show attacks those in power. he considers himself lucky to be alive. >> when the president took office in 2010. he vowed to solve a long-standing problem. three years on 22 journalists

have been killed. not a single conviction has been made since. many others played the ultimate price. 29 journalists died in the massacre in 2009. it is considered a single deadly attack on journalists during peacetime. according to human rights watch. despite the philippines decision, journalists continue to be killed because of a failing justice system and a lack of political desire. >> one word impunity. no one is being punished or brought to justice. people are confident about committing crimes because they know they can get away with it. >> with no assurance from his government. gary and his wife are forced to make sure they can protect themselves. arming themselves may be more dangerous, he says, but he doesn't want his name added to

the long list of those who did not survive. >> the wife of a prominent indian minister has died days after reportedly tweeting that her husband was cheating on her. the body of the woman was found in a new delhi hotel room. earlier in week media reports said she tweeted that her husband tweeted with a journalist. then later they said they were happily married and the tweets were unauthorised. the cause of death is not yet known. >> one of last fru ninjas died. he fought for the jap means imperial army. he was one of a number of specially trained japanese troops who dismissed the news that the war ended as enemy propaganda.

he emerged from the judgele in 1974 and re asame lated into jam -- reasimulated into japanese society. new details about the threats of data and how thieves carved a path into the customers >> and 30 million words. a unique program pushing parents to talk more to their kids to increase their vocabulary and chances of rising out of posterity.

>> welcome back, i'm morgan radford, these are the top stories. president obama announced several reforms to the security

agencies electronic program. the n.s.a. will continue to collect phone records, but the government will not keep it. so far it's not clear who will. a suicide bombing in afghanistan killed 21 people, including four united nations workers. the taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. >> jerry brown declared several statements a state of memoriy over the drought. >> pope benedict defroct nearly 400 priests, removed for sexual abuse cases against children. the document was to help the holy seer defend itself. >> the whole hi seer delineated policies and procedures designed to eliminate a bus and

collaborate with authorities, fighting against the crime. the holly seer committed to listen carefully to victims of abuse and address the impact such situations have on survivors of abuse and other families. >> archbishop thomasy said there is no excuse for sexual child abuse and the catholic church will recommend any recommendations for stopping child sexual abuse. pope francis set up a new panel on child molestation and would act on any finding. >> when target was hacked they were not aware until the secret service thst them. >> it's looking like target and nooemans are not the only

retailers. law enforcement and visa has been alerted. six u.s. merch ants that have not been named. the firm says it's the same software used to steel millions of customers information from target. >> atm, cash, that's it. i mean, i can't do it no other way. >> you have a check card but you wouldn't swipe it at a store. >> no, i don't trust it. people can walk by, scan it and get information. i don't do it any more. >> eyesight partners said it started to notice malicious software codes last summer. the company explained malware expects point of sale term unanimous. it sends out the stolen information and deletes the files. the firm won't say if the software affected target's nooemans or other retailers. the department of homeland security said they are looking

to characterise a new identified malware associated with point of sale data breach investigations. they put out a report to retailers on how to better defend themselves. the ceo expects more attacks. suggesting copycats will use similar software to steal from customers. >> let's take a look at other cyber attacks from last year. the federal reserve's internal reserves was hacked. hackers got hold of 160,000 social security numbers at the washington state court's office. a million users were compromised. the two biggest cyber attacks was 50 million users breached at note-taking website ever note. hackers sold information for

50 million users. >> one of the key players lane closure scandal is willing to talk, only if granted immunity. former aid to goughor chris christie helped to carry out the closure and will help if given ipp unity. he handed over an email. 17 people and three government agencies have been subpoenaed. >> a state judge struck down part of a voter id law ruling that it is unconstitutional, making it hard for people to exercise their right to vote, and the 2012 law does not prevent voter fraud much the attorney general is waiting on

the government's office to decide whether to file an appeal. uganda's president refused to sign a bill punishing homosexuals with life imprisonment. in a letter to parliament he called homosexuals abnormal. the bill would have made it a crime not to report gay people and discussing homosexuality would be imprisoned. >> russia warns of spreading gay propaganda. vladimir putin said homosexuals have nothing to fear if they attend the games but called on them to leave our children alone. russia passed a law of expressing gay propaganda to children. >> this panda begongs to china and is as much a tour

attraction. china has been giving pandas as a way of rewarding other countries. >> to the visitors at washington national zoo this panda club is precious. bit four her owner. the chinese government the rare animal is a crucial tool of diplomatic engagement. the hope is that that love for pandas translates to positive tuds towards china. >> modern panda diplomacy started in the mid 1960s, as china gived bears to the soviet union and north korea. richard nixon became the first president to visit china. maotse itself tung gave the first to the u.s. the u.s. spends millions leasing the pandas from china.

beijing must use the money to develop panda conservation and breeding programs. each so experts say the chinese are sending pandas to countries giving it the natural resources and technology to grow the economy. coincidentally or not. france and others reached key energy deals. on the flip side on ongoing ter terrorial spat in the south china sea held up plans to send pandas to a sue. taiwanees officials resisted using the bears because of a dispute over the country's status. >> there's a suggestion that china uses panda diplomacy as a reward for good behaviour. this is perfectly natural. i don't see this as maliciousous, it's the way countries react. >> critics attacked panda

diplomacy because of too much money spent on one endangered species. it's teaching a growing china the merits of growing conreservation. getting the chinese to think about conservation is a huge import. they are the biggest country in the world. we need them as part of the team. the program has been great. >> with so many factors at play, china adds reliance on panda diplomacy is likely to continue to the delight of zoo visitors around the world. >> leasing a panda costs about $1 million a year, and china leases them for 10 years at a time with the option to renew. >> a medical expert told a commission looking into the shooting at sandy hook elementary school.

there was revelations that and am lanza was diagnosed with autism. lanza killed 20 children and six teachers in a shooting rampage at sandy hook in december of 2012. >> another school shooting in philadelphia left two injured. it's unclear whether the shooting, which took place in a high school gym, was accidental or whether it was intentional. one young man turned himself in. police are looking for another. the gun used has not been recovered. one stupid has been released, and the other is in stable condition. >> och a child success falls along social economic lines. one program in chicago is trying to give lower income families a chance at a better education. diane eastabrook reports. >> anisha is putting 4-year-old daughter alannah to the test.

>> how many crackers are there? >> one, two, three, four. >> the 25-year-old single mum learnt how to improve her daughter's voke abbulary through a pilot program calls 30 million words. the name comes from the word gap that researchers say exists between higher income kids that interact with the parents and lower income kids that sometimes don't. >> the program helps the kids improve the voke abbulary. a device like a pedometer measures the number of words. newell was astonished by the progress. >> about the fifth or six weeks my daughter called something iedic u louse it was like who are you talking to. >> a paediatric surgeon specialising in implants developed 30 million words after

noticing some low income patients didn't progress as well as others following surgery. >> i realised the difference in patients was nothing to do with hearing loss but the language environment they were being exposed to. that fell along socioeconomic line. >> the project is based on research conducted back in the mid 1990s, by two university of kansas child psychologists, finding that 3-year-olds that interacted with parents and were exposed to more words, were better prepared for kindergarten. >> a direct correlation was made between parent-child sfr action. >> she increased her numbers. went down a little, went up a little, but doubled where she started. a strong vocabulary is no guarantee kids will succeed. newell things it will give

alannah an advantage, as well as her little brother. >> can you touch it? >> diane eastabrook, al jazeera. >> a goal of 30 million words is to have a population-wide effect. and for parents to understand vocabulary is important before baby talks back. >> we are down to the n.f.l.'s time four. the first sunday is an old-school match-up between tom brady and the patriots and peyton manning. 90 other players will suit up on championship game. the big-name quarter backs are where it's at, so says football analyst charean williams. >> it's the quarterback match up. we have to appreciate how good it is, one. greatest quarterback rivalries, they've

met three times in the post season, and it's been seven years. they are late in their careers. it will be the last time in the post season. we have to enjoy it for what it is. the second time won't be the last time see see them lock horns. they split the first two match-ups, shaheen williams talks about who she things has the edge in game 3. >> seattle has to have the advantage at home. if you look at what san francisco has done they've been successful away from home. undefeated in the post season, not counting the super bowl. he's been good on the road. except in seattle. four interceptions, one touchdown. outscored 71. seattle has the upper hand being at home. russell roberts struggle the over the past two games.

lowest passing model. >> the game starts sunday 3:00 pm with the broncos hosting the patriots. the game followed by the 49ers seahawks grudge map. both gales this weekend. with the star-studded line-up, they are not supposed to have 3-game losing tracks. it's a spot they found themselves in in filly. spencer hobbs was not match for a 6 foot eight lebron james determined to put it to bed. he had help why chris bosch who led all scorers. >> the top two taxes in the west battled it, bliziers and spurs. popovich ejected in the third. 29 points, good enough to lead

but not good enough to win. aldridge at 26 points from 13 rebounds. blazers beating the spurs 109 to is00. >> that's a look at sports for this hour. >> thank you john henry smith. >> tonight you may think of prohibition bootleggers mixing up bath tub liquor. moonshining is alive and well in brooklyn new york. >> it's been the subject of poetry and prohibics - whiskey ♪ of all the crimes that ever have been ♪ ♪ selling whiskey is the greatest sin >> from 1933 selling whiskey was illegal. moonshiners and bootleggers thrived. colin is one modern distiller bringing a piece of that history back to brooklyn.

>> people have a perception much moonshining where i grew up. if you look at the history, it happened in urban areas in philadelphia. some of the corn and bali was spurned to make whiskey here. to make the stuff at home. >> whiskey is american, going back to the first still. all the way through the british colonial area, the civil war and the prohibition. >> in almost all 50 states. a craft movement that is taking off, with 400 small distil ris open. >> prohibition ended 80 years ago. whiskey distilling didn't come back until 2010. new laws let mum and pum sell to customers, and made the industry boom. >> sara and her husband ran the house in brisbane.

they made the history and sell out of their tasting room. >> we bump it over into the still, where the magic happens, and it comes out here as spirits. that's the malt whiskey. >> they are one of 11 distil ris popping up in new york city. >> i had to explain the picture to people. "yes, my husband makes it, i sell it. we distil ourselves." now people are aware of if. >> distillers say it's the same local and organic food movement attracting people back. >> as a way to connect with people and reinforce the relationship that the distillers have, it was a way for farmers to convert their crop into something they could sell easily. that's why whiskey up until the 1900s was the primary american drink. >> an american drink that is making a comeback - one batch at

a time. >> the word moonshine is believed to have come from the secretive way in which smugglers had to work by moonlight. >> from the holy book to hollywood. why the biblical movies are making their way to screen. >> are you the son of

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. in just a moment we'll tell you about the growing popularity of biblical films. first a look at where the snow and the rain may tall across the country with meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we are seeing a few places with problems, and a couple of blizzard conditions. we talked about the west coast coast and how everything is circumstance lipping around -- circling around the area, too dry. it's a different pattern from the midwest to the great likes.

clipper after clipper. snow in iowa to mostly light snow headed through the east coast. it will move quickly. high winds will blow it around in the midwest, causing problems, back to you. >> brazil's iconic statue is missing a piece of his finger. take a look at this. the 125 foot statue which sits on top of a mountain overlooking rio de janeiro is struck by lightening in storms. the arch diocese says it chipped its thumb. the 83-year-old statue will be repaired. >> it's the best seller of all time, the bible. the stories lasted through the ages, and hollywood is bringing the holy book to theatres. hoping to cash in on u.s. evangelicals. she showed the films gracing the

big screen. >> jesus heels the sick, and walks an water in an upcoming hollywood epic "son of god." >> are you the sun of god? >> i am. >> it's one of is a slew of major movies in the works with big directors and stars based on the bible. >> there's a few bible ennics in 2014. we have noah, which is a big budget retelling of the famous noah story, and "exodus", ridley scott's take on motorcyclize, and that is carrying christian bale. that hasn't been served in the past decade. this year studios are reaching out to that audience. also in the pipe line mary, "mother of christ", starring

odaya rush. next "mows es", not biblical "heaven is for reel" is based on a best-selling book. it's about a pasta's 4-year-old son. all of this is less about pye oty and more in line with hollywood's worship of mammon. >> it's about money. hollywood realised the christian audience is a big audience. there's 91 million evangelicals. it represents a sizeable market. >> it doesn't go for the usual hollywood formula, special effects and violence. hollywood is known for using dramatic licence. and sometimes taking liberties. when you are dealing with what many believe is the holy

scriptor it could be a bad idea. people get upset any time a true story changed or twisted. i think that would be magnified with the bible. so many people are passionate about the stories. it is tied to faith and rely imon, which is a ball game. >> still to be revealed, whether studio states in evangelical audience resulted in ticket sales or unleashed the fifth horseman, the box office flop. >> movies based on current best sellers, the studios will not have to pay copyright or licensing fees. speaking of movies, say farewell to films stock. paramount pictures to stop releasing movies on film, starting with oscar nominated "wolf of wall street", its

movies are being delivered digitally. it's lower cost and allows cinemas to film more 3d films. >> president obama limits how the n.s.a. spies on americans, but some critics say the changes do not go far enough. the taliban targets a restaurant in afghanistan, killing 21 in a neighbour hood home to many embassies. californian governor jerry brown declares a state of emergency. meteorologist nicole mitchell in an unusual weather pattern. i'll have the national forecast. >> thank you for watching, i'm mo

>> cyber insecurity. president obama proposes sweeping changes to the n.s.a. surveillance programs. some say it doesn't go nearly far enough. dry and dangerous. state of emergency in california where drought conditions threaten to leave more wildfires. >> i spent the whole might around the toilet. >> sick at sea. dozens of passengers on board a carnival cruise suffer with a virus. >> and syrian weapons to pass through this port on the way to being destroyed.

>> president obama announced several reforms to the national security agency's electronic surveillance programs. the n.s.a. will continue to correct millions of phone records, but the government will not keep that information. as of yet, it's unclear who will. in his address president obama laid out the reason behind his proposal for more oversight at the n.s.a. >> the power of technology means there's fewer and fewer technical restraints on what we can do. that places a special obligation on us to ask tough questions about what we should do >> despite the proposed reforms some critics say president obama should do more to rein in the n.s.a. program. he didn't go car enough or embrace the recommendations that the review group made. he took a narrow tact. >> there's no guarantee that president obama's reforms will be put in place as congress must

give its approval. >> the president said the n.s.a. will stop spying on leaders. revelations that the n.s.a. will do that soured relations with several countries. phil itner has more from london on the international rehabilitation. >> reaction in europe to president obama's n.s.a. speech ranged from cautious but mild approval to outright skepticism. on the website of the british paper that broke the edward snowden leaks, the comments were negative, few believing change will come, if it does, it will not apply to europeans, just minister. all along it's been a major issue, that mass surveillance of u.s. citizens and allies shows a double standard. often violates stringent laws on privacy established at the court of human rights.

jim kel ot runs an advocacy group saying non-americans are furious at the perceived bias against them. while they say they are american citizen, they have the right to privacy. they don't believe it's true for europeans or people outside there at all. >> despite the leaks being published in the u.k., the debate has been mild, because the british version of the n.s.a., the government communication headquarters works in conjunction with washington. sharing the very same data that is mined by america. where today's speech may find greater attention is in germany, where the tapping of the phone infewer rated the country. angela merkel's country people

think the changes do not go far enough. >> despite calming speech and eliminating anger. the damage is great. it will take significant action to restore the faith of europeans, who question america's friendship. >> phil itner's al jazeera america. >> president obama signed a 1.1 trillion film. every government agency has been fund the. it scales back funding cuts, known as the sequester, known as major programs. congress raises the change of whether to raise the debt ceiling. >> another school, two students shot at a high school. two boys in custody, and now are searching for another. authorities don't believe the shooting was an accident or intentional.

it's the second school shooting. a 7th grader opened fire, wounding two classmates. things are getting worse for the west virginia company that leaked chemicals into the river. freedom industries is filing for bankruptcy and is facing several lawsuits for contaminating the water near charleston. hundreds of thousands of residents can't use the drinking water. regardless of a bankruptcy status, they need to clean up the mess. >> a massive blaze near los angeles burns for a third inform straight day. conditions are improving. slower wints allow others to return. more than 18 houns acres are scorched and five homes have been destroyed by a fire started by campers. >> the fire is fuelled by dry whether in california. governor jerry brown declared

each emergency as his state faced a driest season on record. >> the governor is asking people to reduce water consumption. what are some of the ways residents can do that. some of this is commonsense, the government asking people to reduce consumption. for some it means taking a quicker shower. also using energy efficient appliance, sinks, toilets, washing machines, and when it comes to gardening or watering the lawn, cutting back on that, maybe not watering at all. switching out the grass for drought-resistant shrubs, things like that. all of these together can make a difference and help the swaghts, conserve what little water there is in southern california. >> california is a key

agricultural state. how are farmers going to cope with this? >> well, as you might imagine, the situation is getting very desperate for a lot of farmers. i went to a farm in santa basha. i spoke to the farmer there. he's in dire straits. critically low level. so there's not a lot of water reserve. the one farmer i talked to had a cattle heard of 80 cattle and is having to buy typhoon haiyan, costing 250 a day just to feed the cattle it has. it's a sad situation. some of the cattle are thin. the former is doing the best that he can do get buy to weather the storm. california leads the nation in agriculture production. in 2012 according to the department of agriculture the 80,000 farms and ranchers

received 44.7 billion in revenue. california produces things for the country. fruit -- >> stephanie, are you with us? looks like we lost her. stephanie stanton reporting live from los angeles. stephy mentioned the weather is having a big impact on businesses. we paid a visit to a town to see how they are dealing with a drought. >> in the city of willets in the heart of farm country the drought said impact can be felt over town. >> i may have to shut down totally. >> he manages the car wash. >> we pray for rain. >> officials say they only have 100 days water before they'll be forced to find alternative sources. it's one of the first communities to mandate water

conservation. they have stretching their supply for a year. they declared the water drought in willetts and required residents to preserve water consungs. >> normally there would be water 12 feet deep. people hope with the rape-ey season halfway through. water levels can go up. for now it's at 16%. the reservoir collects rain water. if it runs dry he can tap into wells. >> in 1985 it was the driest year on record. we are an inch below that total. >> businesses are under orders to cut back water uses. at lumberjacks, they are giving smaller water glasses and cutting back in the kitchen. >> residents have been a response to everything that is going on in the town.

the cuts have been tremendous, as far as restaurant and whole town. >> the governor asked citizens and businesses to cut back voluntarily. the easiest solution is rain. >> for more on the morning national forecast. let's bring in the meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we are not expecting changes in the pattern bringing us that neathed right. that's a problem because this is the time of year where it's untypical to see a pattern like this. the high pressure blocking everything. usually this is the time of year where we see the systems in february. january number two, and instead we have been dry as a bone. a lot of places have not seen rain since the start of the year. because last year was a record

dry year, the area of drought keeps expanding. it's not just california, other parts of the west are dealing with this as well. the whole pattern are skirting up the coastline instead of on the coastline because of high pressure in place. the pat rn will stay for the next week and couple of months. it should be the wet season of the the other problem contributed to wind that fuelled the fires. it subsided a little bringing the fire danger down. there's well above average temperatures driving out the vegetation. once there's a wint pattern, fire danger is in the future. >> this is small compared to last year. it's well below average. we have a rough year ahead. >> sick at sea.

more than 60 passengers on a cruise thip. cruise line officials believe he's got a virus. >> spent the whole night on the toilet. >> we popped medication and made sure we were more cautious. >> the ship returned to miami, and the cruise liner offered passengers an opportunity to schedule the trip because of the outbreak. >> we learn why a south-west airline flight landed at the wrong airport. the pilot and copilot was confused bit the bright lights. the small airport was in bran ston, the original destination, they landed at the wrong airport. which is seven miles away. safety concerns over syria's chemical weapons. far away a port where they'll beprosed before being destroyed. >> the country where the daily

read may disappear, and this has nothing to go with a shop in sales. target was the tip of the icebergful we'll tell you about other major companies

>> good morning to you. welcome back to al jazeera america. the ink is about to run dry for a newspaper in a south american country. not because of financial trouble. first a look at the weather with nicole mitchell. >> we are not doing too badly. in the east coast, you running over so degrees warler than atlanta. they probably don't appreciate me mentioning that. there is warm air on the west coast, cooler air sinking in around the great lakes. on the day to day, here is what

we are expecting. running low. above observing on the west coast. good news if you are heading to the beach. below average on the great lakes. a surge of warmer weather on the central plains. i'll leap frog ahead as we get to tuesday. watch how the temperatures go down. minneapolis may not get above zero. cold air is sinking. places like atlanta, 40 degrees. keep the big thick coats. >> a spiritual leader's death sparks a stampede. 80 died. 50 were injured in mumbai. tens of thousands came to the capital to warn the lose of the

102-year-old muslim leader. it began when the gates to the leader's house were closed. the crowd pushed forward, crushing people at the gate, with no way to escape. police were outnumbered. >> the taliban is warning of more suicide attacks. 21 were killed. a gunman struck a popular restaurant in kabul. four united nations workers were among those killed. it's one of the most deadliest attacks. violence in egypt ahead of a referendum. four died. result of a vote on a new constitution will be announced. part of the transition plan by an army backed government. the muslim brotherhood urged supporters to boycott the vote. 37% of voters participated.

meanwhile three al jazeera journalists continued to be detained in egypt. mohamed fadel fahmy, baher mohamed, and correspondent greste have been held since december 29th. they are accused of spreading lies harmful to state security and joining a terrorist group. al jazeera denies the allegations and demands their release. two other journalists from our sister channels have been imprisoned for five months, abdullah al-shami is a reporter and mohammed badr is a cameraman. >> there's not enough paper to brint them. we report that unless the press find a solution, they could be out of circulation as early as next month. >> reading the newspaper is a morning ritual for hundreds of millions of people around the world. in venezuela the source of information is threatened by a shortage of printing paper. >> the storage is now empty.

we are left with what you see here. these will last for a month. >> the editor-in-chief, like other businesses, blame the strict currency controls. newspaper is difficult to import. after waiting months some editors say the shortage amounts to an attack on the freedom of speech. >> it's a chance to blackout the newspapers. why, because the only way we can have the newspaper is by official authorisation of imports. so it somes. in an attempt to stay in business, it cut its circulation and is recycling left over paper. the situation is worse. papers outside the capital, some

of which are running short or closed down. >> translation: i'm receiving fewer copies. on some days i don't receive newspapers. it affects business. without newspapers, what will we try to become. >> a member of the national assembly denied that the government was responsible. >> if there are difficulties, it's because we are waming an economic war against the government. media companies are part of it. printing papers are a priority. i can tell you no newspaper has shut down in venezuela, and no one will have to. >> many fear that unless a solution is found the last

shipment can be only weeks away. >> new revelations about the target security breach, according to a report by the new york times? a. a group of hackers from eastern europe were behind the cyber attack during the holiday season. they moved data systems affecting 40 million customers. it's just one example of a threat. they find new ways to investigate the networks. >> cyber security firm intel crawler says it alerted law enforce. and visa about other breaches. six u.s. march ants that have not been named. the firm says it's the same type of software used to teel millions of customers information from target. >> atm, cash, that's it.

i can't do it no other way. >> you have a check card, but you wouldn't swipe it at aor. >> i don't trust it. i don't carry it. people can walk by, scan it and get your information. i don't do that any more. >> a cyber security firm, eyesight partners said it noticed malicious software codes on the black market. it explains the malware aspects point of sail term false, dened out information and deletes files. they won't say if it affected others. cyber security firms are looking to: >> they put out a report to retailers on how to better defend themselves. the ceo of the cyber security firm expects more attacks to be launched on retailers,

suggesting copy cats will use similar and easy to find software to steel from customers. >> another threat to internet connected refrigerator. spam mails were sent to internet-connected appliances. >> rio de janeiro's city says 125 foot statue which you see there sits atop a mountain. it's often struck by lightening, but the lightening bolt chipped the finger off the right hand. repairs will be carried out. >> speaking of art, a museum in portland aragorn is showing off a work of art fetches the highest price paid at auctions. questions about the owner who chose to remain anonymous brings attention to the 3-piece

painting. >> francis bacon's bleak unset lipping study of friend and fellow painter is a trip tick, separate pieces that bruce says were designed to be viewed as one. a 3-part pointing that unfolds the figure in space. so it becomes a series of baffles if you will. that show us different sides. >> a portrait of two people subject and artist who roam london in the decades after world war ii. >> they argue about art, gamble, they club, coppicerate about failed love lives and come back to the essential connection, which is in the paintings. >> a simple back drop. a geometric cage, a shadow shifting freud. it is hoped they'll see their own relationships and loved ones in the work. >> it's a rare opportunity for

viewing. it had few public showings and was broken up. different pieces held in private elections. it had drifted and been out. single panel, but not the whole thing. then it disappeared again until it appeared at auction. a month later it was here. abruptly on display as part of a master works series. personal connections and back-channel chat landed it. >> i put out feelers and had a phone call. suddenly it was the painting, it was available for the master works program. >> it created a buzz because of the price tag and the mystery owner. >> do you have any idea who it is. >> no clue. >> it could be chinese. i heard someone in california, >> and now the mystery may be solved. widespread published reports named eline winn as the owner of

the paintings ngs the cofounder of winn resorts. there has been no confirmation winn is not talking. the question lingers $142 plus. who owns it. >> no one knows, just the curator. a question with no answer. perhaps lucien freud knows, but he is not talking either. >> three studies of lucien freud are unknown until the end of march. >> predicting an earthquake. >> earthquake. >> the thing people don't like about earthquakes is when it shakes, you have no idea what is going to come. >> how new technology can warn you what one is coming. love him or hate him.

the university's john halitarian is a successful coach. we meet the man behind the myth on his own court.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. om-morgan radford, live from -- i'm morgan radford live from new york city. these are the top stories. >> calvia's residents urged to reduce water consumption. governor jerry brown declared a state of emergency on friday. the company behind the chemical spill in wige west virginia

filed for bankruptcy. >> president obama said in a speech on friday that the way the national security agency collects data from american phone calls will change. he refused to get rid of the program. here is an excerpt from a speech. >> what i did not do is stop the programs. not only because i felt that they made us more secure, but also because nothing in that initial review, and nothing that i have learnt since indicated that our intelligence community sought to violate the law or is cavalier about the civil liberties of their fellow civilians. >> the director for human rights watch is with us now. critics of the president's speech say he didn't go far.

in fact the president of the aclu is: >> so did the president pass the buck in. >> well, in a way he did, yes. he let congress tackle some of the more difficult issues, but he made the decision not to order an end to the book collection. that's a real disappointment. the government has yet to explain how this makes people more secure. there has not been terrorist plots foiled. you can assume that the people who would best targets would de legitimatery monitored. you don't need to collect metadata all over the world. i think one thing that was not

mentioned is that this is not just about u.s. citizens, and the records of who you called when. it's also about people all over the world. the content of their communications can be collected. it's often fudged in the discussion with these issues. we are talking about a serious violation of privacy rights. >> the president has to in some way balance security with privacy. do you think that it's unreasonable for people to give you an amount of their personal privacy for national securesy. >> i don't think it's a balancing issue, they need to explain if you intrude on privacy rights or freedom of expression, you need to have a good reason to do so, and show that you are doing your best to limit the intrusion. they haven't explained why it's necessary. they are saying take us at our word that it is. >> americans need to give a

little more attention to it. >> americans are very concerned about it. you see a lot of people upset about the fact that all their regards, phone calls and emails are being kept. i think people are less familiar with the whole - the global aspect of it, the content issue, and you could say, well, we are only going to focus on collecting information that is important to national security. they have not limited it to that. they are looking at anything that is remotely relevant to foreign intelligence, which is a broad category. >> you mentioned the global impact. so we understand that german chancellor angela merkel cancelled her trip. now he is expected to come soon. do you think that president obama can mend the rift which a lot of international leaders are feeling. >> the only way to address it is to show that you are serious about reining in the successors.

certainly it's good that the president said people overseas have the same privacy rights as people in the u.s. but he hasn't taken the next step which is to say "here is what i'll do to respect the rights', he announced limitations on how information may be used, but didn't say he'd limit that information. that's what people overseas are upset about. that's how it's affecting government issues. maybe we need to move things to other country, and it will have an impact on freedom. the u.s. has, for years, been a leader, been talking about the need to protect the internet from censorship. assuring it was a new space, it was losing credibility. it has lost its credibility.

>> how much was the changes that the president announced have to do with a 30-year-old guy named edward snowden. >> everything. if edward snowden had not revealed the extent of the programs we wouldn't have the conversation. the president announced they wouldn't be welcome to the debate. unfortunately u.s. law does not provide adequate avenues for national security whistleblowers to report what they are seeing that is troubling to make sure change happens. it's very, very difficult to change from within. i think there's an enormous public interest in what was disclosed, and that should be something that people would take into account in these

discussions. >> deputy director for human rights watch. >> 20 years ago the u.s. was jolted by a deadly quake. if 50,000 were killed in the northbridge quake. a lot has changed. >> when the earthquake hit at 4:31, we were sound asleep. the thing that woke me up was my wife screaming. the volume of the earthquake was horrendous. then it stopped. it was like there was a death silence for about a second, and then you could hear everyone screaming in the complex. >> 20 years ago robyn dunn woke up in the enwhich center. his 3-storey building pap caked on top of him. the fire department drove past us thinking this building is a

2-storey building. the building shifted eight feet and dropped 10. they tied bed sheets together. i climbed down. i had neighbour i helped to get down. >> d, nn was a gas technician, he turned off the gas main. he tried to help other residents. >> i found an elderly neighbour, she was in bed with half a building on top of her. >> she was one of 16 who died 57 were killed. the victims had no warning. two decades later. >> we dodged a bullet in the north bridge earthquake. >> thomas heaton says there is a system that could give californians a heads up before the shaking starts. the system would send an alert

to the smartphone, showing where the quake began. >> the thing people don't like about aerth quakes is when it shakes, you have no idea where it will come. most of the times it will say, "relax, innocently it", >> a similar system is working in japan. here in california it's a prototype. heaton has an idea of why it was not in use. >> if washington d.c. was destroyed by an earthquake, we'd have had a system. >> heaton and others will define a system that could give californians what they never had before, time to prepare. >> it's the ability to turp science into something that is useful to everybody else. >> a warning system today that would give me a 45 second head start as it were, would be

beneficial. >> an understatement from a survivor of a deadly earthquake. >> geologists didn't know a fault line ran under north bridge. that's why calvan governor gerry brown is proposing a budget increase to find outline the fault lines. >> turning to sports this morning. university of kentucky basketball coach is one of the most polarizing coaches in sport. those not familiar with him or his resume have an opinion. >> michael eaves visited the lexington campus to find out it perception is reality. at a school, kentucky head coach

john is revered in the blues grass and for good reason. in the four-plus seasons he's been at the help the wildcats won for than 80% of their games, including the 2012 national championships. for many outside the program. he represents everything that is wrong with college basketball. armed with gift of the gab, he portrayed as a coach exploiting the talent of young men for his gain, without regard to his future. it was once said: >> he was referring to the university of massachusetts and the university of memities of a final four when caliperry was

the coach. he was exonerated of wrongdoing in both investigations. a track regard yahoo! sport columnist called egomen. >> st: >> so who is john caliperry. it's a question he is tired of debating. >> whatever their opinion of me, i agree. i agree. makes no bearing on me. the reason is my for example is on the kids. sf i worry about what is said in the seats, i would be with the people. i don't worry about that. if they want to say i'm this and that. i agree. can we get on to important things. if you are a coach that everybody likes, you are probability not really have been an impact that you want to have, not only on the kid, on the program or the game. >> critics and supporters agree on one thing. caliperri mastered recruitment

of one and down players. he has seen seven players selected in the top 10, all of which are fresh men. >> it's crazier than ever. one and done. i have to leave in six months. we don't recruit on that. i tell kids "you need to stay two years, maybe more", if something happiness after one, you know i'm not holding you back. i'm not holding you back because it's about you and your family, but don't think it's that way. this is about us developing young people to reach their dreams and challenge them to understand money has wings and fame is fleeting. what do you want to do. what impact do you want to have. what is your purpose going to be, not just to play basketball. what do you want your legacy to be? that this guy was about his players. everywhere he wept, his team's play hard, care about one

another. they love each other. kids became educated. grew as a person, and many, many of them went on to become professional players and million airs. what does that mean. a lot of families who were dernational poverty. how about families of the 80 or 90 kids. i'm getting 75% where were a first college graduate. that ends. i love winning games. when it's all said and done and i'm laying there, do you think i am going to put wings on my tomb stop. it's not going to be on there. >> key west, key largo and key deer, a rare species living on three of the florida kees. the first lady growing older graceful gracefully.

michelle obama letting the world know she's turping older grace fully. >> and a look at a documenty about the arab spring, a film maker capturing it

>> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. a u.s. cargo ship is slated to leave for the mediterranean sea to help destroy chemical weapons of syria. a port in italy is the transfer site, a decision met with protest and fear. >> it's business as usual at this biggest port in italy. is this the calm before the storm? this is where the first batch of chemical weapons seized from syria will be shipped before being destroyed out at sea. the port specialises in

transshipment, the loading of cargo from one ship to another. the containers of chemical weapons will be loaded on to trailers, and driven on to the american cargo ship docked nearby, so it can be taken to the open seas. >> despite reassurances that the operation is risk free, the open mayor says nearby residents are panicking. people here are worried and angry and will not be told what is going on, or what is inside the containers. how they'll be moved. is there a plan to protect the population. no, there is not. for the workers, they are used to the procedure, but say they are worried about handling chemical weapons. >> i hope it doesn't come here, we don't know what we are dealing with. i hope those that carry it

handle it. >> we are supposed to move the cargo from ship to ship. >> the exact time of the ship arrival is shrouded in secrecy. >> in the meantime, the port will get ready for the arriving. most dangerous cargo in the world. >> the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons has pushed back a deadline to destroy syria's chemical stockpile from march to june. >> a look at precipitation. meteorologist nicole mitchell is here with more. >> we have areas of snow. there's warm weather to the west coast where we'd love moisture, but we will not get a drop. we've been active in the nowhere tear. you can see a clipper in the mid west. we had another before that, so the east coast is getting under

that. let's take a choser look at the areas out here. most of this is predominantly like. what is moving through the east coast - you are looking at it one to three inches. you get back behind all of this and see an impressive band of snow, minnesota, into iowa and more of that on the way. a corridor through the dakotas, through the northern midwest seeing through to six inches, one to three inches, watch for that. it's not a big concern in the region as the fact that we have seen with the new clipper high winds. rapid city and the 60 miles per hour. what that does, with small amounts of snow it whips it around. we could see white-out conditions in portions of the mid west. that is why we have the winter weather advisories, from the dakotas, through ohio and where we seat the red in portions of

south dakota. i don't think it will be sustained to make blizzard cried earia. that is a concern. here is how it wraps up. we'll have more cold air behind that. speaking of cold air, that's the pattern we have. the cold stuff near the great lakes. warm ridge of high pressure over the west coast. i want to reiterate we'll get enough surges of cold air and a bigger cold blast by tuesday and later in the week. this is starting tuesday, that we could have negative temperatures. people will have to team all the extra warm weather gear handy. >> visitors travel to florida to visit the florida key, the snorkelling and the key west. there is another attraction that may not be as well-known.

>> with delicate features and no keer of humans, the key deer named for its miniature size is the smallest subspecies of the virginia white-tailed deer. >> they look like a little pors lain doll of a white-tailed deer. >> key deer are found only in florida on three island. lower keys. their entire habitat 100,000 achers of the national key deer refuge. >> the animals are protected as federally endangered. >> nancy oversees the refuge and says 800 key deer remain. signage and flashing lights alert motorists they are travelling through the refuge. last year's key deer mortality rate 159 deaths with 129 of those from automobile strikes. biologists say they deal with disease, limited food sources

habitat lose and climate change issues such as a rise in sea level. >> we see a shift into mangrove areas. it's not a bad thing. but they'll have to evolve as that changes. >> wildlife ecology, dwayne specialises in white-tail. and is assisting biologists in florida to determine how to address a paradox of the populati population. >> they are an endangered species, there's only hundreds left. but they are abundant in that there's 800 or so in a series of 12 miles. >> a series of public metres is under way with local home owners, businesses, biologists

and others. they'll spend time developing a needs and wants of the community and managing the deer. meetings will be held in february and march, an overview report by june, out lining a community vision that could determine the future of the key deer. >> there are 133 endangered or threatened species in florida. >> say farewell to films. paramount pictures the first major studio in the u.s. starting with the oscar nom gated "wolf of wall street" all the movies are being released dim ittally. an allows theatres to screen 3d films, and is cheaper. >> when you think of fishing you

think sol -- sol attitude. not so much in south korea. many line up. harry fawcett has the story. >> it's become a winter tradition. january is ice fishing season. not just for a few hardy enthuse yasts. tens of thousands come with a fishing some time to a frozen stretch of river. >> it's fun. this is my third year here. sometimes we come twice a year. the whole family. there's the fun of eating. >> the common factor is the need for patients. rewarded with the arrival of the fish truck. each day three to eight tonnes of fish are added to the river of the when fishermen get there,

it's about being in the right place at the rite time. >> this is my first time. vi three of them. there are, you know. >> of course, if that's not enough of a challenge, you can try this. i can tell you it's cold enough with this, let alone dressed like these dies. >> the object is to catch the fish by hand. success means a wet fish means one down the front of your t-shirt. after the catching comes the eating. the fish can be consumed roasted, raw or wriggling. it's a boon for the town, a festival in the 12th year becoming important to its economy. >> this year around 1.4 million people are expected to come. each tourist will spend $50 million. we are talking 60 million for the economy. >> crowded, far from natural but

fun. for many it's a great way to brighten up a bone-chilling season. >> organizers say more than a million people may attend the festival before it's said and done. >> a milestone birthday for the first lady. barack obama turned into and showed off a new aarp gart. she was excited to join the president in the 50-plus club. the celebration is dubbed snacks and dancing and dessert. it will last from 9:00 pm until midnight. oprah winfrey, taylor swift and be -- be-beyonce on the list. >> now for the headlines - the taliban targets a restaurant in

afghanistan, killing 21. in an area of kabul home to embassies and consulates. >> governor jerry brown declares a state of emergency. >> i'm meteorologist nicole mitchell - a cold blast for the west. >> and in the next hour a look at an amazing documentary about the arab spring - a film maker capturing it all from inside tahrir square as

>> the bottom line is that people around the world, regardless of their nationality, should know that the united states is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten our national security. >> president obama limits spying by the n.s.a., critics say it doesn't go nearly far enough. >> one was at the gate. two others shot at people inside the restaurant. >> ambushed at the dinner table. a rising american death toll from an attack on a busy restaurant. >> she revealed her husbands extramarital affair on twitter. hours later she was found dead.

>> one woman's journey around the globe to find a mother and father she has never even met. good morning to you, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. >> the controversial n.s.a. spying program that collects millions of american phone records will be limited - at least that's the commitment that president obama made on friday. they don't put an end to spying but it is an oversight. >> there's no guarantee they'll be instituted as a divide and congress must approve them. patty culhane explains. >> the extent of the spying carried out by the united states is controversial.

beside president obama's speech, only a handful of protesters chod changes. the president took to the stage and promised to say little. when it comes to spying outside of the u.s., allied leaders assured the u.s. will not listen to their phone calls. every text, call, email and video chat will be stored. just for not as lopping. thest president says it shouldn't bother most people in the world. >> the bottom line is people around the world regardless of nationality should know that the united states is not spying on ordinary people that don't threaten our peace. >> for americans there's a few changes. the fbi, if they want to contact my credit card company, they may have to tell me. when it comes to cell phone record, they'll store the data but keep it outside the

government. if they search the weapons, they'll have to ask a court, a court that didn't reject a request in 2012. for most outside, it's not enough. he didn't go far enough or embrace the recommendations that his review group made. >> before the criticism, the president sounded a defensive tone. >> no one expects china to have an open debate about surveillance programs, or russia to take privacy concerns of citizens in other places into account. >> the debate is not over. congress has to approve changes and may go further than the president and the supreme court has to decide if domestic spying is constitutional. as evidenced by the sides and scale of the protests, to far they are facing much public pressure to change his decision.

>> glenn greenwald, a journalist who edward snowden reached out to is grit sizing barack obama's reforms and wonders why americans are not asking apparent questions. >> the real question that not enough are asking is why should the u.s. government keep everyone's metadata, whether in the hands of the n.s.a. or the phone companies. why does the records of everywhere we talk to, who calls us, how long we speak, who we enmail, why does it have to be preserved? there's no reason that it be required to be set. only the people who have done something along should be monitored for surveillance. >> it doesn't stop there. greenwald says there's more revelations to come. david shuster looks back at the controversy that began with one man and millions of top secret documents. >> he is one of the famous

government whistleblowers in decades, yet edward snowden, a specialist, employee and contractor began his leaks seven months ago. on june 5th glenn greenwald reported that the nas had collected phone records of verzon officers. the next day "the washington post" revealed an internet surveillance program. nine companies had been gip the n.s. n.s.a. action to all data. president obama said the maths was simple. >> you can't have 100% security and then have 100% privacy and zero ipp convenience. >> edward snowden identified himself as the former n.s.a. contractor fuelling the public debate. >> i sit at my desk had the

authorities to wire tap anyone. even if you are not doing anything wrong, you are watched and recorded. >> and added that everything can be held indefinitely. >> the storage capabilities of the system increases. >> the revelations kept coming. the guardian reported that the gch request intercepted communications of world leaders at a london summit meeting in 2009. another reported that the gchq worked with the n.s.a. to attract data. and they were helping to pay for it. the washington reported that an internal auto show, the agency broke its own privacy rules 27 times. it was insisted that edward snowden was not a patriot. >> edward snowden has been charged with three felons. he can come here, appear before

the court with a lawyer, and make his case. >> the embarrassments for the obama administration continues. in october a german newspaper reported that edward snowden documents appeared to indicate that u.s. intelligence agencies had been listening to cell phone calls of german chancellor angela merkel. "the washington post" reported the n.s.a. tapped into data links for yahoo and google, underscoring spying on powerhouses without their knowledge. at the end of the year edward snowden told "the washington post" that he had won because a public debate had ensued. >> meanwhile edward snowden remains in russia on a grant of temporary asylum. he has been charged with violating the espionage act, meaning he can't be granted clemency if he returns to pace

trial. >> president obama signs a $1.1 trillion spending bill. it scales back automatic spending cuts which hit government programs last year. now congress faces a challenge of whether to raise the debt ceiling. a spiritual leader's death in italy sparked a stampede. 18 died and 50 injured in mumbai. tens of thousands came to the financial capital to mourn the loss of the 102-year-old leader. the stampede began when the gates to his house were closed. many pushed forward and many were crushed at the gates with no way to escape. police were largely outnumbered by the turn occupant. >> the wife of a prime minister incident indian minister died, days after tweeting that her husband was tweeting on her. her body was found in a hotel

room on friday. she tweeted that her husband was sleeping with a pakistani journalist. in a statement released thursday the couple said they were happily married and called the tweets unauthorised. police cannot confirm the cause of death until a most motor 'em commission can be conducted -- more tem. >> there has been a deadly attack in kaboom. four united nations workers were among those killed in a restaurant. jane ferguson reports from kaboom. and a warning - this video might be disturbing. >> even by it standards of afghanistan's war, this was a brutal attack. diners gunned down in a restaurant. al jazeera obtained video showing the aftermath. many seemed to have died trying to hide under tables.

the country's top security showed up quickly from special forces to intelligence agents. it was too late. attackers were inside. three attackers targeted the restaurant, which is behind me here, by 40 feet down this street. one of them was a suicide bomber. he detonated his explosives, blowing off the doors, allowing the other two to enter and killing and shooting the diners inside the restaurant. this area is the diplomatic area in the heart of kaboom, considered by many to be relatively safe, as was the restaurant. the blast could be heard across the city, throwing residents from their homes. >> it was ver powerful and shook the area. after that there was intense gunfire. we were very frightened. >> the restaurant was popular with high-ranking afghan officials and westerners.

>> a statement has been issued. and has called for violence involving targetting of civil was, to end immediately. these have been considered by the u.n. to be a gross violation of humanitarian law. >> among the dead afghans. bodies were taken away late into the night. it was meant to be a secure area. a diplomatic zone flanked by police checkpoints. >> after the explosion smoke and dust covered the restaurant. i ran away. one blew himself up. and two others were shooting inside the restaurant. the taliban claimed responsibility and promised more attacks to come. >> that was al jazeera's jane ferguson reporting from kabul. president hamid karzai is still

debating if he will allow u.s. troops to stay in afghanistan to help maintain stability why in a nation recovering from years of conflict. >> a californian brush fire burning for a third straight day, forcing hundreds to evacuate. goughor jerry brown issued a state of emergency. it's not just california. 11 different states have been declared national disaster areas. stapt is live from outside los angeles. -- stephanie stanton is live outside los angeles. >> let's give you an update on the colby fire. it's mainly contained. most of the evacuations in the area have been lifted. we are expecting an update on the fire. the fires in california are not

the on concern brought on by the drought. officials are concerned on the passengers impact to california's $44 billion agricultural industry. >> today i am declaring is drought memory si in the state of california. >> the governor made the announcement. after farmers struggled to cope with the drought. they can ply for relief aid. it couldn't come soon enough for farmer paul, struggling to feed his cattle on this farm outside santa basha. >> if we don't get rain in a 30 day or so window we'll be in dire straits. we are faced with no feed and cows need feed. >> california's agricultural

industry is words $40 billion. officials say the future of the industry has been threatened by catastrophic conditions. residents are at historically low levels, including this one, santa basha county including this. >> it creates flexibility for us to manage the - what water resource we have left in our reservoirs and how much might be available at the end of the rainfall year. >> inevitably brush fires capitalised on the conditions. fires like this are not normally a threat to home owners. not helping matters are my winds. >> that is what has been blocking the storms from moving through the high. until that dissipates or moves

to the east, we are stuck in the same pattern. >> that pattern is expected to continue until the end of the month. it's hoped that a dollars of drought will buy time to save the herd. >> you have animals you know by name. you have no choice, you have to let them go >> unless it rains, and it doesn't appear likely soon. >> back here live at the command post. the fire called the colby fire is 30% contained. it the winds have been calm. fire fighters have been working the front line. we expect the numbers to increase. fires just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to concern about the drought in california. >> stephanie stanton joining us live from los angeles. thank you for being was this

morning. >> i'm meteorologist nicole mitchell. hope you are off to a great saturday morning. we'll expand on what stephanie was telling us. here is a visual look. california is under a severe portion of the drought. we have drought conditions up and down the east coast, through the mountain regions. we'll see problems. this is the time of year where we should be seeing the rain. january, february, march - it's the rainy seep, not the fire season for california, but due to the rig. she how the clouds head to the north, not hitting the coastline. there's a rig of high pressure, serving as a shield, moving everything off the coast, keeping it coming in. the rotation around the high on the south side of this brought

in santa ana wins. winds have diminished, reducing the fire risk. we are seeing the temperatures running 10-20 degrees above average. what that does and the low humidities do is it dries it out. the next time the pattern sets up we'll have fire risks up here. here is los angeles, if you are on vacation, this is beautiful. if you are a farmer looking at that you'll be concerned. impacts for a look at the see era snow pack. ski resorts are having a lot of problems. >> egyptians demanding democracy after protests in cairo. every person was shot at, tear gas. that was part of making the film. >> a new documentary takes us

inside tahrir square. >> russian president vladimir putin says gay people have nothing to fear if they attend the olympics in socchi, he had a warning >> a decades-old tradition met with opposition, why citizens are trying to d

you >> good morning and welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. in a moment the quest for democracy in egypt. first the temperatures across the country with meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we had decent news for the weekend which is that temperatures were running average, maybe a little above. you'd like that on the weekend. you'd rather have cooperative weather. we have the cool air in the mid west and cool air southward into the 20s. that's why you see in atlanta cooler than new york.

that's in that side of the trade off. the ridge of high pressure in the west keeping things warn. on the other side is a trough. bringing system after system of the clippers, keeping things around the great lakes on the cooler side. not too unusual for january. there'll be enough cool air under the pattern by the time we get to tuesday, wednesday, thursday, gold stuff coming into the forecast. >> violence on the streets of egypt ahead of a controversial referendum. >> four died as supportsers of ousted president mohamed morsi clashed with trops. the results of a vote will be announced later today, and it's part of a transition plan by the army-backed government of the the muslim brotherhood urged supporters to boycott the vote. 37% of registered voters participated. >> meanwhile three of al jazeera's journalists were detained in egypt.

mohamed fadel fahmy, baher mohamed, and correspondent gret have been held there tins disease 29th. they are accused of spreading lies harmful to state security. al jazeera denies the allegations and demands their release. two other journalists have been imprisoned there for five months, abdullah al-shami is a reporter and mohammed badr is a cameraman. >> as people await elections, hollywood have an oscar nomination for "square" and we talk about what the film is about with the director. . >> i have a stake of what happened in egypt.

my family is in egypt. i hope the director of "the square. what i found was a magical atmosphere, of people for the first time feeling like they had a hand in challenging the future. and i met everyone who worked on the film in independence square. it was a collaboration. i met a street poet, and the very wise kid who just - i fell in love with immediately. i knew that i wanted him to lead us through the story. >> every person on the team was shot at, tear gas. that was part of making the film. >> i'm not going to vote while my friend are killed in the

strots. i have friends who lost their eyes, in hospital in serious condition. i know people who have died. >> there was uniification and then people started to splint are. >> i think that a major problem was the order of things. there should never have been elections of a parliament until a constitution was written. >> it will take a long time for things to change and develop. there are people who are on the ground. revolting when their rights are trampled upon. >> what is needed is the sport,

international support, local support of people continuing to push the system. >> there's a change this conscious innocence. what does that mean. that anningibly means a constitution representing all people. >> the director of independence square, it's the first film distributed by netflix to earn an oscar nomination. >> uganda's president refused to sign a bill punished homosexuals with life imprison. he called homosexuals abnormal, in an alert to parliament and said they could be rescued. the bill made it a crime not to report gay people and not to report them would be punishable

with imprisonment. the parliament can pass the measure with a 2: 1 vote. >> russia warns of spreading gay propaganda at the olympic games. he says homosexuals have nothing to fear if they choose to taped the games. he called on them to leave children alone. russia past a law about expression of gay rights views to minors. >> for two months yingluck shinawatra has been demanded to be set down. it hasn't 1207d national armed forces day from going forward. >> it's a show piece. every year on armed forces day, the armed forces of thailand come out and give a demonstration of a traction of what they can do. this is an army that is 7,090

strong, mostly reservists. it doesn't explain the influence that the military has on thai society and politics. there has been 18 military take overs in the last 81 years of thai history. there is increasing at this point speculation that the military will have to intervene once again in politics it. as we stand here looking at the armed forces parading, in bangkok there are sights blocking the smooth running of the city, and increasing incidences of violence. just on friday night a grenade was thrown in one area. several were injured, one died on saturday morning. >> that was al jazeera's veronica pedrosa reporting from bangkok. >> sea sick. a cruise ship returned to port

with unhappy passengers. plus the west virginia company at the center of a chemical spill filed for bankruptcy. and she was adopted and brought to the u.s. as a baby. now one woman's quest to find her biological

s >> welcome back. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. these are the top stories. president obama announced several reforms to the national security agency's electronic surveillance programs. they'll continue to collect millions of phone record. the government will not keep that information. it's not clear who will. phone companies are rejected the suggestion. a suicide bombing at a cafe in

kabul kills 21 people. among the dead four united nations workers and two u.s. citizens. the taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. california's governor declared a drought emergency. the designation qualified california for federal aid as they head into the driest year on record. the company behind the chemical spill in west virginia filed for bankruptcy. freedom industries is facing several lawsuits for the chemicals that leaked into the river. hundreds of thousands of residents can't use drinking water and the department of environmental protection says regardless the company will need to clean up their mess. >> according to filings, assets and liabilities were between $1 million and $10 million.

they owe $2.4 to the irs, $3.6 million to creditors, and there's about 200 of then. $90,000 in property taxes to the country. there's over two dozen class action lawsuits that will be halted because of the filing of the bankruptcy today. court filings show that on december 31st of 2013 kem string holdings took 100% of the company. freedom is seeking permission to borrow $5 million to continue operations during the bankruptcy proceedings. a spokesperson declined to comment but said the company is trying to remedy the situation. doctors here, according to the c d.c. are advising pregnant women to not touch the water. some of the doctors are saying children under five may want to not touch the water or bathe in it because

of problems is that could arise. they don't feel there's another data or testing. >> robert ray reporting from charleston. it may take days to flush out hundreds of miles of water pipes. >> dozens of cruise ship passengers find themselves sick at sea. 60 people were sickened by a stom abbing virus. -- stomach virus. >> the whole fight on the toilet. >> we were on medication. we'll make sure we are more cautious. >> the ship returned to miami, where it was scrubbed and diseneffected. the royal caribbean is offering passengers an opportunity to reschedule their trip because of the outbreak. >> another school shooting in

philadelphia. two student were injured. it's unclear whether the shooting was accidental or intentional. a young man turned himself in. police are looking for another. the gun used was not recovered and an injured student was released from the hospital. the other was in stable condition. >> there's no data lipping -- linking autism and violent before. it comes after revelations that shooter adam lanza was diagnosed with autism. adam lanza killed 20 children and six teachers in a shooting rampage in december 2012. >> a key player in the george washington bridge closure scandal is willing to talk, but on the if grand immunity. warren weinstein heaped to carry

out the closures and says he'll share information if he does not face prosecution. warren weinstein appeared before a state panel handing over the email saying it was time for traffic problems in fort lee. it's believes it the done because the democratic may junior refused to indoors chris christie. people and agencies have been subpoenaed. >> a pennsylvania judge said voters should not need to show photo id, striking down voter id law ruling that it is unconstitutional and makes it hard for people to exercise a rite to vote. the 2012 law does not present fraud. this case is expected to move to the state's supreme court. and the pennsylvania attorney is waiting to see if an appeal will be file. >> target was unaware it was

hacked until notified by the secret service. a group of hackers from eastern europe were behind the holiday season signer attack. experts mooed through undetected, affecting 40 million customers before the company was notified of the breach. >> the target and neiman marcus breaches were a new threat. hackers found new ways to attack networks. >> looks like target and neiman are not the only firstly targeted. at least six breach es from u.s. merchants that have not been named. it's the same software used to steel millions. >> atm, cash, that's it. i can't do it no other way.

>> you have a card, but you wouldn't swipe it at a store. >> no, i don't carry it, because people can scan it and get your information. i don't do it any more. >> a cyber security firm, eyesight partners started to notice malicious software codes on the black mark. it explains malware affects point of sale terminals send out the stolen information and deletes the files. the firm won't say that the software affected target, neiman's or other retailers. homeland security your is working with the firm saying they are looking to quote new identified malware associated with point of seam data breach. they put out a report to retailers on how to defend themselves. meantime the ceo of the cyber security firm expects more attacks to be launched on

retailers, suggesting copy cats will use similar software to steel from customers. >> another threat, your internet connected refrigerator, malicious spam and emails. >> the federal reserve said internal website was hacked. hackers got a hold of 160,000 social security numbers and 100 million driver's licence numbers. a million users were compromised at a management platform. 50 million users breached at ever note. hackers sold information on living social. >> now, it's hard to believe,

but in three weeks pipers and catchers will report to spring training. a major league pitcher spent his off season teaching the game to kids. >> it started three years ago when i took a trip to new zealand with my wife. it was a trip we wanted to go on. there was a day in the itinerary that was left open. i told my wife it would be great to gave back in the way of teaching kids or getting together and meeting some young baseball kids in new zealand. major league baseball saw that, and this past year contacted me about going south africa. it took three years, but we got south africa and made a difference there. >> what was the most surprising aspect of your trip to south africa? >> it's so fun to travel abroad and meet different cultures and see how they do things.

it's fun to interact with different cultures and kids. >> baseball is not the sport it is in america or other countries around the world. what level of talent do you see. >> not the talent we see in the united states. >> soccer is the biggest sport as it is in the world. we see in part of the western part of the continent that youngsters are turned away interest soccer and turned to bavening ball in the hope of getting scholarships, could you see the kids down the line could turn to baseball as a way to get to a better life and earn an education in america. >> it's major league baseball's plan. we are trying to grow it internationally. >> you are also in south africa around the time of the passing

of nelson mandela from a personal stand point. what was that like? >> i got there the first day. my wife and i flew in and the following day he passed. even though we had never been there we could tell that something in the airways different. people were trying to get to his house to lay roses and flowers, and the police blocked off. >> it was a big deal. everyone i talked do had something to say, and it was positive stuff. >> thank you for sharing part of your experience going to south africa. best of luck in the future. thank you. appreciate it. >> a young woman embarked on what might be the most important journey of her life. adopted as a child. she left california for south korea in search of her birth parents. she started a video blog, and her adopted mother is

accompanying her. fawn and her mother, andy, the director of community programs to the university of california, and in sacramento her father, a marriage and family therapist. let's jump into it. what made you decide to embark on the journey. >> i think there has been - it's been a long time, and i just felt a sense of aloneness and emptiness and it took a long time for me to dig seep and figure out what was going on and i had to turn inward and i taught that it was a very important thing for me to come to korea and take action and find my birth mother. >> what set the light bulb off. did you wake up and say, "i want to know biologically where i

came from." what was the catalyst? >> it was difficultily over t - definitely over time, progressed over time. four years ago i had questions, and i think it - really, my brother is in korea right now. we had a place to stay, so everything just sort of fell into place. it was the perfect time to come >> mum, i see you sitting there. i know you have been doing a lot of heavy lifting. how did you feel as a mother when fawn said she wanted to find her birth parents? >> it was like, "whoah", okay. and after i absorbed that i thought she needs to do this, i know she need to do this.

my husband and i said what can we do to help support making that happen, and off we wept. here we are. i will say fawn did a lot of heavy lifting. i was there to be supportive. she set up the appointments, made the contact with the adoption agencies. i'm a support system. she is taking action which i so admire. >> speaking of support, dad you are in sacramento. you are not only a family therapist but fundamental in fawn's decision to go. what has been your role in all of this? >> well, i think that the most important hart of my role is to be supportive of foun, to listen to her desire and back her up. >> were you nervous when she said show wanted to find her

birth parents. >> i was worried for her. parents want to protect they are children. i worried about the disappointment if she couldn't find her birth mother or gather. >> foun, how are you prepared if you don't find your birth mother, or your reaction, or her reaction if you find her? >> managing my expectations is important. there's no way i can fully prepare for any situation. i'm doing the best i can. i'm lucky to have my parents and brother. without them i couldn't do this, be here in korea and on the

journey. >> let's talk about the details. what information do you have so far? >> i'll answer that, i sit in on the meetings. we met with a social worker and the first step that they do is try to track down a current address. they sent out - i don't know if they go to the police or whatever to get the informationful that went out last monday, the day that we met, we are witti waiting to ge fawn is waiting to get that information. they'll go to stage two, which is sending a telegram to let her birth mother know that someone is looking for her. >> thank you so much for joining

us from korea and sacramento california. good luck to all of you. >> renewable energy leaving an eyesore in the south. how the demand for grooep power in europe is taking a toll on the environment here at home.

you >> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city. trees are disappearing in one u.s. state so europe can go green. first, let's get a look at the snow and rain, and where it may fall with meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we are starting to see serious conditions develop in one area that we are getting know, the north of the country. we had clipper after clipper going through. as it happened a lot of times the snow has not been heavy. but, we definitely had some areas where we see higher wind

at. it's been occurring in portions of the mid west. we are going to continue to see that conditions see cars in the ditch, semii's jack-knifed and minnesota and ws was -- which is are seeing that. driving is difficult. you want to be very careful in this region. >> louisville is the largest wetland. cypress and hard wood trees are a refuge for wildlife. environmentalists are sounding the alarm over european corporations using the louisville forest for profit. a digital producer, peter is here to join us. he filed a story online. why is this basin so important in. >> well, it's a beautiful area

in louisville. it has all kind of wildlife from different birds and alligators, and really it acts as a barrier for a lot of cities in louisville, when there's a storm surge. >> biomass energy, why does it play an important role. >> it's burning organic matter from crops to trees to create energy. it's big in europe. they are turning to wind and solar. and biomass. it's easier to convert a coal plant to a biomass plant. unfortunately in europe there aren't many forests, so they turn to the south-east of the united states to plant frees.

into there's no other places they can go. why louisville, for example. >> the south has a lot of trees and it's warm. they can keep cutting year round, unlike eastern europe which has a lot but it's harder to process. there's lax rules on what you can do. if you own a parcel of land, if you want to cut drop trees, you can do that. >> what exactly is at stake her, why are environmentalists upset. ? >> they are upset for two reasons, one, because the forests are disappearing. the other reason is a lot of people, including scientists say biomass may not be carbon neutral. once you cut a tree, it may

regrow, taking 20 or 50 years. you lose a lot of carbon to the atmosphere. a scientist told me to think of the science as a leaky bucket. if you put a bunch of holes in carbon can leak through. >> what surprised you most when you covered the story. >> how lax the regulations are. there's no one to present you doing what you want, as long as you open the land. there really aren't state or federal agencies that bother you. as long as you don't need to build a big road, there's nothing you really have to - there's no permit or anyone you have to go through. >> is it likely that the upset by environmentalists will change all that? >> they are looking to europe because they believe they can convince regulators there to change the definition of green energy and the way they define

how biomass is green. they don't see how they can get others to change. >> thank you so much for being with us this morning. >> a giant panda cub is making a public debut at a zoo in washington. it belongs to china. she's as much a tourist attraction as a symbol of diplomacy. china has been leasing pandas for decades as a which to kelent with other countries. >> this is pressure treasure. to the vis force at washington national zoo the panda club is pressurous. for the openers. the chinese government, the rare animal is a tall of diplomatic engagement. >> the soft-power hope is the love for panned areas will

translate to more positive attitudes towards china. >> panda diplomacy started in the '60, as china gifted bears to the soviet union and korea. the u.s. was given two pannediers after a visit. nixon's wife pat gets a look at the bears. the u.s. and others spend millions leasing the pandas. because of international treaties on endangered spees. >> it must be used to develop panda conservation and breeding programs. experts say the chinese are sending pannedsas to countries used to grow its economy. >> france, australia, and canada reached key energy deals and are putting pandas on display.

on the flipside, a territorial spat in the south china sea held up a move to send pandas. and taiwan resisted the bears because of a long-running dispute. >> there are suggestions that china uses panda dip loam as si as a reward. it's natural, not malicious. it's the way countries act. >> crit icts attacked panda diplomacy because too much money is spend on one endangerered species. scientists say it helps china the merits of conservation. getting the chinas interested in conservation is of huge import. they are the biggest population in the world. >> it's been great in fostering that relationship.

>> with so many factors at play. panda diplomacy is likely to continue. >> now, look at this. brazil's iconic statue chris the redeemer is missing a piece of his finger. the statue sits on a mountain overlooking rio de janeiro. it is often struck by lightening. it will be repaired. >> that'll do for this edition of al jazeera america. another news update after the short brea