welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. it is inauguration for new jersey governor chris christie as questions continue to rise about the number of scandals. on the hunt for a suspected terrorist known as the black widow who may be plotting attacks on the olympics. >> we're going to go there and try to minimize the suffering of the syrian people. >> reporter: heading to geneva the key players hoping to reach

common ground. and take two, a snow storm slowing down the midwest and the northeast. ♪ a short while ago, new jersey governor chris christie taking the oath of office being sworn in for a second term. his nomination being overshadowed by several scandals. the potential presidential candidate using today's speech to put all of that behind him, he hopes. john terrett is here to talk about more of the woes on the christie administration. >> the speech hasn't happened yet, del, but i have seen a copy. there is no mention anywhere of the scandals. it's all talking about what the people of new jersey part and bipartisanism. but he really does clearly still have its eye on 2016, because he

is talking about the need to basically do away with the attitude in washington which is where he says they put people in a box and they don't like the word compromise. they think that that is a dirty word. governor christie is actually speaking, i think at the moment as you can see, and that speech is based on his landslide victory. he is trying to look forward and move on, but -- >> he is trying to change the focus. now all of these allegations that continue to pile up, what is the latest? >> the latest comes from karl lewis, who said he called him up saying don't bother running for the senate in jersey. on top of the bridge, on top of the jersey city mayor, and the hoeb oaken mayor who came and said money from sandy, according

to her the lieutenant governor was saying if you don't support a building project that christie likes in hoboken then you won't get as much money. the lieutenant governor vehemently denies that. but there is a pattern building up. and the problem is at the moment chris christie is even today the man thought most likely to defeat hillary clinton in a straight fight in 2016 for the white house. now he already has enough people in his party who don't particularly like him, they despise his bipartisan style. >> and even the weather plaguing him. >> i know when you are down -- when you are down you are down, and you know this, because here is a man who these scandals are piling up against him -- i would not write this man off just yet, but the scandals are piling up, and now

after politicians taking pops at him for weeks, the weather has had a go, because he planned a lavish party on ellis island, and it has had to be canceled because of deep snow here. the food is being given away, and there will be a lot of it, you know that, to food pantries. >> if he says anything that varies from the text that he has already released we will bring that to you as the information comes in. delegates are gathering in swizerland for peace talks on syria's civil war. those talks are set to go on as planned, but iranian officials say the un's move was a mistake. >> translator: we are disappointed about two things, one that mr. ban ki-moon

withdrew his invitation. >> i have a kind of mixed feelings. we are going to go there and we will try to minimize the suffering of the syrian people. this is the most important thing i think to do. and for the latest on those peace talks we go to james bayes. >> reporter: in the coming hours important preliminary meetings before the full sessions get underway. ban ki-moon un secretary general will be meeting with john kerry and also with his russian counterpart, sergei lavrov. final preparations before the mantra meeting. let me explain what that is. that is an international gathering, more than 40 nations, of course not iron because their invitation was withdrawn, and they are trying to get everybody

on the same page saying we support this peace process, negotiations, the idea of a france situational government to take over the running of syria. then those negotiations start here in the building behind him in the un headquarters here in geneva. they start on friday, around the table, two syrian delegations, one representing the syrian government one representing the syrian opposition. the problem is this, they are supposed to come with a transitional government with members of both sides which would have full executive powers. the problem is that on the assad side they say that go must be lead by president assad, and have his key lieutenants, his key security commanders in that government. on the other side, the opposition side, they say that transitional government must not have president assad involved and none of those around him. that's the key stumbling point

and that's what they are going to be working on in the coming days, possibly the coming weeks that these negotiations roll on for. there is a new report out that suggests the assad regime was involved in the systemic killing of thousands of syrian dee containees, tens of thousands of photographs were smuggled out of the count twri by a defector. some of these images are very disturbing. tim friend reports. >> reporter: the photographs are graphic and alarming. most of the victims are young men. many emaciated blood stained and showing signs of torture, some have no eyes and others may have been strangled or electrocuted. experts say this is on a far larger scale than anything else that has emerged during the 34-month conflict. one of the leading lawyers said it amounted to industrial-scale

killing. >> it's the harrowing pictures of starving bodies. they were reminiscent of pictures once coming out of auschwitz of the second world war. and they have been tortured as well. eyes had been gouged out and strangulation was common. the source was a defected man who smuggled the images out on memory sticks. at one point he was photographing 50 bodies aday. the 31-page report was commissioned by a leading laugh acting for qatar which has demanded president assad's

prosecution. the report authors say they are confident of their source. the inquiry team says there was clear evidence capable of being believed of systemic torture and killing of detained persons. it could support findings of crimes against humanity and could also support findings of war crimes against the current syrian regime. but any action at the international criminal court would face many hurdles. tim friend, al jazeera. officials in russia are concerned about a serious security threat as the rush -- russia gears up for the olympic games. it is a woman they are calling the black window. this follows the release of a videotape threatening more attacks from two suicide bombers. allan schauffler reports.

police are looking for female suicide bombers have released information by one in particular. she is from dagestan, 23 years old, and linked to caucuses 'em rate. the group has taunted russian authorities. a poster with her image has now been handed out to hotel employees and also posted at the airport. it has been sent as well by russian federal security to enforcement agencies in and around sochi. the u.s. olympic committee is saying they are working with the state department and local russian law enforcement doing what they can to ensure the safety of americans traveling to the games. security documents say she is the widow of another member of the caucuses emrate who was

killed. a police wanted poster say she may have arrived in sochi as long as ten days ago. 40,000 police are now deployed in the area. meanwhile the pentagon says if the russians need additional security and americans need evacuation help they will have two naval ships on stand by in the black sea. for the latest we turn to phil ittner live in london. phil at this point it has to be down to the decision, do i stay or do i go? >> yeah, that's right, del. this is a difficult place to get to regardless because of the visa restrictions going into russia, of course with all of the security concerns many people are considering whether or not to go. sochi itself is a high-security zone right now. vladimir putin says he has put

up a ring of steel around that area. the city itself is said to be quite secure at least with a high level of increased security, but the region remains very volatile. >> it appears all of this talk is taking its toll already on the olympics. iment am hearing reports that hotels have yet to sell out and there are tickets still available. >> certainly that could come in to the factor that it is very difficult to get to sochi. but the problem with the winter olympics in russia, and this is something that many critics have been saying for quite sometime is that russia remains very dangerous in that region. there's a lot of problems in the caucuses region, and there was a lot of concern that this would be happening. now that president putin has shined the spotlight on russia and sochi on general, there are

others that will try to capitalize on that spotlight to get attention to their cause. but nevertheless, russia was very adamant about trying to get the winter olympics, and they have are done so, now it's a matter of whether or not the games come off peacefully. >> what is your perspective from where you are sitting. london has already hosted these games. what are people saying about risking their lives that actually just wind up being games. >> that's right. when the london games happened there were a number of different concerns. in the end they had to actually pull in the army. but that was more a matter with contracting and financial issues. in russia you have serious instability. there are social issues in that region. so is it worth it going to the olympics because of this risk?

certainly the russians say it is safe secure and they want this to come off well. >> phil ittner thank you very much. phil ittner joining us from london. another round of bone-chilling cold and snow set to arrive today. millions of people are said to be effected by the severe weather. thomas drayton reports. >> reporter: two weeks after dangerously cold temperatures gripped the entire nation a new wave of arctic air is making a come back. temperatures will plummet to below zero in at least 11 states starting today through friday. and with that cold scenes like this will surely play out again. that includes airline delays and cancellations like the ones that left thousands stranded for days the first time around. the effects of the cold blast are already being felt. this train in wisconsin hauling

coal derailed. the frigid temperatures blamed for cracks in the crook. in this pileup, ice blamed for the wrecks that sent four to the hospital. forecasters say this cold snap won't be as brutal as the one earlier this month, but in chicago are counting down the days to spring. >> it has been something else this year. >> the snow in my face has been a little too much. >> reporter: but for now it's all about preparation. from north carolina to connecticut roads are being treated for snow and ice. in virginia crews are readying snowplows in trucks, shoppers on new york's long island where they are expected to be hit with at least a foot of snow are snapping up salt and snowblowers. >> i'm really not looking forward to the cold and the

snow, and i have to go back to work, so i really don't like driving in it ether. >> thomas drayton, al jazeera. the federal government announced its offices in washington will be closed. non-emergency personnel are being granted excused absences. we turn now to jalelah ahmed who has been tracking the storm all morning. is it living up to all of the hype and expectation? >> absolutely. yesterday we expected the storm to be very dangerous, and today as we watch the area of low-pressure to continue to track up the east coast we're looking at a lot of problems, especially on the roadways. right now the heaviest of the snow falling across pennsylvania on in to portions of connecticut. we're going to continue to deal with that through the day. the snow continuing to push along i-80 back towards philadelphia, newark, delaware, and newark, new jersey where flights are delayed up to two

and a half hours right now. up towards boston on i-95 territory, if you are on the roadways again, use precaution. temperatures will fall quite a bit, 19 in new york city. to the west of this storm, the winds are gusting up to 31 miles per hour in indianapolis. so blowing drifting snow and diminished visibility a problem out there. a propane shortage really having an effect on thousands of people across the country. they use it to heat their homes. there's no shortage of fuels suppliers are behind in getting deliveries to a lot of states. rez -- residents are being asked to cut down on their usage. coming up, neil young still

fighting the establishment. >> we will thank the first nations, for stopping this, if they are able to stop it. >> we'll tell you about his crusade across canada. plus a teacher strike that shut down thousands of universities in nigeria is finally over. >> everyday... at the us - mexican border, someone dies... >> two hours in, we come up on a body >> now, in a breakthough television event, al jazeera america takes you beyond the debate. experience first hand the tragic journey of these migrants. >> a lot of people don't have a clue what goes on when you live near the border. >> six strangers with different points of view... >> i don't believe in borders... >> our government is alowing an invasion... >> get to experience illegal immigration. up close and personal...

>> it's very overwhelming to see this many people that have perished... >> a lot of families that don't know where their babies went... >> i wanna make sure her life, it's remembered... >> what happens when lost lives are re-lived? >> the only way to find out is to see it yourselves... >> on... the borderland... only on al jazeer america >> hey guys wanna come to the united states?

welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at our top stories. the start to the shortened trading week on the blue chips. the dow dun 117 points. investors are concerned about corporate earnings reports. openinger is men -- opening ceremonies are getting underway in switzerland.

and a reminder our ali velshi is in davos, talking to a lot of those world leaders. you can see his report throughout the day and on his show, "real money" that airs at 7:00. professor ises at 60 government-run universities are back to work in nigeria. >> reporter: victor was supposed to graduate with a degree in physics at the start of last year, but now he won't be able to graduate until july. he is worried that the delay will effect his ability to find a job. >> after graduation, i am not going to start the job immediately. because by now i am not supposed to be here. and i'm supposed to be doing so

many things with this period. >> reporter: many other students are worried too. tens of thousands of students were affected by the strike that lead to the closure of more than 60 government-run universities, but now the federal government has agreed to pay $9.3 billion owed in this allowances, pensions, funding, and research and development programs. everyone now just wanted to graduate and start looking for work. the union representing the striking lecturers, say it was the only way to compel the government to pay the money. >> there are business projects that should be implements, like the laboratories, the lecture halls, if these things were provided definitely we would be singing a new song. we won't have crowded

classrooms, or empty laboratories, laboratories stay for four years without any consumables. >> reporter: the government paid start of the funds before the strike started but said it was concerned about the funds. the billions of dollars owed to universities like this and their staff will be paid out by the federal government over the next couple of years, but if anything goes wrong with the bill, the strike would be back on. students are opening that won't be the case. 40% of nigerians are unemployed and the competition to find jobs is fierce, so these students just need to get out there and start oop plying. coming up on al jazeera america, it is neil young very the canadian government. the rock legend on a crusade is asking his fans for help. plus these incredible images

coming from inside an avalanche in colorado. those stories and much much more when al jazeera america returns. >> the strength of our future relies on education. >> it's a parental right to say this is the way i'm gonna homeschool my child. >> home schooling, or no schooling, part of our weekl long, in depth series. america tonight only on al jazeera america

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are your headlines at this hour. word leaders including ban ki moon are starting to arrive in switzerland for a conference on syria. in the midst of a tough political battle, new jersey's governor, chris christie sworn in now for a second term. the inauguration, though, being overshadowed by several scandals. neil young is on a crusade across canada. taking his message on the road and raising thousands of dollars for those wholy there. but as daniel lack reports, the oil and gas industry is not listening. ♪ >> reporter: not what you would

usually hear at a neil young event, the sacred songs. he has made common cause with the community which says damage to the oil sands is damaging their health and lives. >> we made a deal with these people. we are breaking our promise. we are killing these people. the blood of these people will be on modern canada's hands. >> reporter: here is what he is talking about. the huge open pit mines. the first nation has filed a legal challenge to a plan to nearly double the size of an existing mine, even though the first nation gets jobs and royalties from such projects the chief says enough is enough. >> in the last 40 years the development that occurred on the

tar sands region has gone out of proportion. it is at a rate right now where your government fails to recognize the fact that we have a problem. >> canada's government says the rock star is wrong. that the mine in northern alberta is good for every canadian. it says it works closely with first nations all across the country. >> our industry is proud of the positive relationships we have with canada's aboriginal people. first nations are neighbors, collaborators, business partners, and i would represent in many cases friends. ♪ >> all of the shows were sold out. the tour passed its fund-raising goals. whatever industry and government might say that will enbolden the

activists. ♪ well heavy snow is coming down right now across the east coast right across i-80 in pennsylvania, a slow go. no change in the pattern across the country. we continue to deal with alberta clippers tracking across the midwest. and out west dry dry dry, they need the rain, but not a cloud this the sky out there. but as i said, again, going to be another dry day. again, temperatures are well above where they should be at this time of the year in los angeles at 78. back to you del. >> jalelah thank you very much. incredible images from an

avalanche in colorado. one of the skiers caused the avalanche. it was a medium-sized avalanche. he was lucky to escape. thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. "the stream" is next.