follow our expert contributors on twitter, facebook, google plus and more. >> good afternoon to you and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city. here are the stories we're following for you right now. egypt in turmoil. another wave of bombing target cairo. plus you're looking at live pictures from a very tense stand off in kiev as growing unrest grows in ukraine. ththere are concessions but the protesters say this is a till lit to late.

>> meeting face to face with the opposition for the very first time. >> we start this hour with a breaking news report. word of a shooting at the columbia mall in baltimore. one person shot and they're now warning people to stay away from the mall. we'll bring you more on the story as it develops. meanwhile it's the third anniversary of the egyptian revolution that toppled the government of hosni mubarak, and the streets of egypt are now volatile. two divided exploded in cairo. a car bomb has gone off in the city of suez. seven people have been killed

mike hanna take a look back at egypt's very rocky history. >> it's another round referendum on another constitution. egyptians again going to the polls in a democratic process that has been overshadowed by political division and violence. three years since the popular revolution that brought down hosni mubarak, but peace by the people is still to be realized. it's a promise that briefly shunned as people voted on what was recorded as egypt's first democratic election bringing to power what for decades had been an outlawed organization, the muslim brotherhood. their dominance cemented a few months later. >> no constitution. no authority. none can be above this will, the will of you. your will. you are the source of the powers, the nation is the source

of the power. the nation is the one to decide, and the nation is to give, appoint and hire. the nation is the one to fire. >> reporter: a fleeting display of christian unity as they came together to urge the government to seed power. it was proved to be an illusion. the largely secular opposition insist tent that the muslim brotherhood was pressing it's own religious agenda in the new constitution it proposed. once again rival groups took to the streets as opposition intensified in the weak of mohammed morsi that as many critics were intended to cement the power of the organization at the expense of the people. rapidly escalating violence the military emerged from the sidelines dissolving the government and arresting

mohammed morsi and insisting that it was taken in consultation with moderate forces. >> the will of the egyptian people alone is what governs us. we expect it, we protect it, with all activities, fairness, honor, and without deceit. >> sentiments echoed, the military put in power. >> the train of justice and reconciliation will include all egyptians regardless of their backgrounds. we have invited all institutions of the state to work together to achieve peace for all egyptians. >> but attempts from forcebly crushed. the muslim brotherhood a banned organization again, the interim government insists that real

democracy can only be secured in a secure environment and what critics contend, backed by some of egypt ease citizens. just under 20 million of whom voted in favor of a new constitution. both the interim government interprets as an endorsement. but no guarantees that the military will yet again to its barracks. mike hanna, al jazeera. >> today marks the 28th day of imprisonment for three of our ankle colleagues in egypt. peter greste and mohamed fahmy and badir mohammed are being held without charge. peter greste sent the following

>> yet al jazeera caught up with senator john mccain in geneva. he spoke about the detention of our colleagues. >> i think it's a clear violation not only of their human rights, but any aspect of human of the press. al jazeera has been chronicling events in egypt probably more intensively than any other world network. and for the egyptian government

to keep them in prison i think is another indicator that this military government and it's really that's what it is, is not keeping with the standards of international behavior that we would expect. >> now on to another tumultuous region, the ukraine where the protest is over. opposition leaders are meeting with the president for the second time this week. demonstrations started two months ago have now spread to the capitol to across half the country. jennifer glass has been following the story in kiev. this story has been changing hour by hour. but how tense is it right now? >> it's very tense here in ukraine. just a few blocks as the police are in a tense stand off with protesters as they have been in the last few days.

the last few hours rocks have been exchanged, jot the violent protesters seen earlier in the week. one of the opposition leaders went on is it today to directly appeal to prosecutors to the court and to the security forces to stay calm. >> don't execute crime orders. don't make unfair and illegal decisions. don't take part of opposite investigation of citize againsts of ukraine. those who have honor, please defend today. >> appealing to the security forces because there is a lot of concern of what might happen next here as they negotiate peace with the president. >> the president said he'll make reforms. for example he said he would be willing to shuffle things around. right now do they have any leverage?

>> well, you know, the opposition has leverage. they have thousands of people not just on the treat in kiev but 12 of the country's 27eling. he said he would consider restructuring his government. he said he would consider resending the laws that limit freedom of speech here. the new offense today is carrying tires around in your car because that's contributing to a protest movement that carries very heavy jail terms. activitiests who have. arrested have been charged. some of them getting two months in jail. the negotiator trying support the tuesday.

>> they show no mercy. even the bed ridden are wheeled out under arrest. one of the walking wounded happened cuffed to an officer said he was beaten by the riot police. then he's led away. the doctors are asked how often this is happening. they say no comment. >> we had up to one of the wards where the police are standing guard. >> we're waiting to arrest them. >> what are they under arrest for? >> no answer. >> according to witnesses dozens of people have been taken from hospital in this way over the last five days. one man brought his friend to hospital for treatment when a gang of men turned up. >> several people came to the room where he was.

the doctor looked at him, at his eyes, they took my legs, arms, and brought me to minivan. >> they were police? >> they were not police. they didn't say anything. they just talking to each other, like take this, take that. >> yuri's body was found days later in a forest. it showed signs of torture. he had frozen to death. they think he was taken by militia, who the police are allowing to terrorist th terrore protesters in they're calling the police to leave their post and join the protesters. in two areas outside of the capitol they've heeded that call and they have begun to resign.

>> each of the police officers have just resigned. the crowd shouts glory, they said on friday that all the police were now with the people. >> the police must move to help the people. i'm glad that it turned out this way. the people pushed them to make this decision, and they took it aside. if only they could do the same thing in kiev. >> there is no sign of that happening with beatings, arresarrests. the battle lines are still drawn. >> ending syria's civil war are now under way in switzerland. negotiators from the assad regime will meet face to face. al jazeera's nick schifrin is at the site of those talks in

geneva. >> the two sides are very par apart on the major issue that is dominating that conference which is the face of bashar al-assad. instead they're trying to focus for some of the smaller issues that the two sides might be able to agree with. they're focusing on prisoner exchanges. and especially humanitarian tore doors. there are many places inside syria where the topalation simply doesn't have water. doesn't have food. doesn't have the basic necessities of life. earlier we heard that the coalition spokesman talk about places where simply food and water needed to get in. >> people are eating grass and eating a lot of things, animals like cats and dogs. that is not acceptable today. the regime has to allow people to have food. we cannot use starvation as a web in this struggle. that is unacceptable today. >> the coalition wants to start the corridors in a city that had

about a million people living in it before the war started. now just a few thousand families. a city ravaged by this war. for the last eight to nine months the opposition has been besieged by the government and has not allowed food and water in. they focus to alleviate some of that suffering. >> that was nick schifrin from geneva. the case of the pregnant woman who was declared brain dead in late november has been kept on life support against her and her family's wishes. the state judge ordered stopping all life-safing members by 5:00 p.m. monday leaving time for an appeal. >> reporter: erik munoz say he and his wife made it clear to each other that neither wanted to be kept alive by machines. friday a district judge sided

with munoz. march lease munoz, the mother of a 16-month-old son was 14 weeks pregnant with her second child when her husband found her unconscious in her apartment, the doctors believe she suffered from a pulmonary embowlism. she has been on life support ever since. the hospital argued texas law won't allow it since munoz is pregnant. law states that life supporting treatment may not be withdrawn from a patient. about but it also states that if the woman is brain dead. >> this is the decision we sought. there is nothing happy about

today. it's a sad situation all the around. >> we believe that erik munoz can now move forward with the process of burying his wife. >> so sad compounded but maurice menu yes,' liberty being stopped bstopped. >> we don't want to add to the baby's anguish but be a very respectful. we want to remind peep that th y

have seen mrlese munoz medical fire and say she is brain dead. the hospital said it's trying to protect the life of an unborn child. >> coming up, what is bit coin and how exactly do you use it? we will go live inside the north amercian bit coin conference in miami beach when al jazeera america returns.

of the state back in october. in november the drought did increase as we went to december, not too much of a change but unfortunately as we went towards january, the drought has really increased in this area. and of course we're looking at a situation here that they haven't seen in many, many, many years. now up here towards the northeast, we're looking at snow that's coming into the picture across the great lakes. what's going to be happening, snow across much of the region. in new york we're going to see only a dusting but north we will have more. news up next.

>> good afternoon to you and welcome back to al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm morgan radford. from overstock.com to las vegas casinos bit coin is gaining traction right here in the u.s. right here the north amercian bit coin conference opened in

miami beach where 500 people were the bit coin curren curren. is this something that will make its way into the mainstream? >> there are a lot of men here. it has the feel of a tech start up. a lot of people wearing jeans and flip flops. bit coin is a long way from becoming mainstream, but that's what people are pre-victorying. customers can pay for a glass of wine with the currency bit coin. in a restaurant in miami the owner said his restaurant is the first in the west just to accept that. >> it will be in its infancy.

>> if people will follow the money people will see how there are increased profits. bit coin is like cash, meaning that a customer cannot run up a $500 tab, and then call their credit card company and complain about the food and stop payment. how does bit coin effect the son assumer. bit pay exists to make it easier for businesses to accept bit coin. >> with bit coin you won't be the victim of identity theft. >> there seems to be a growing global way of acceptance. right now there are 12 million pit point and it means there is

bit tony used throughout the world. one of the organizers of miami international bit coin to the skeptic who call this a bubble and call it a ponzi scheme. they said bit coin will be that transformative. >> it's a piece of government wear that runs in millions of clamps the ato shut it down on the internet. >> it's all about geography. in latin america where many people don't have access to bank accounts they may be able to use bit coin to exchange money. all they need is a smart phone. >> last year one bit coin was

worth $13. today, morgan, it is worth 800. >> oh, right, natasha, live from miami beach. thank you for being with us. and breaking news, three people are confirmed dead after a shooting at a mall in baltimore. this word comes from the howard county police. witnesses report hearing multiple shots at the mall's food court. we'll update you with the information as we get it. the best surfs, with what mep call the olympics call sheriffing.

in the village the deputy mayor remembers him and wond

>> welcome back to al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm morgan radford, and here are today's headphones. two new explosions were set off in cairo where police say a bomb was thrown at the wall of the

police institute. seven people have within killed iall throughout the country. it comes on the anniversary of the revolution that ended hosni mubarak's 30-year rain. syria's government and opposition leaders sat across the table in geneva for the very first time since the war began three years ago. >> meteorologist: well, if you're waking up across the midwest it is a chilly morning to say the least. the wind are blowing around 30 mph in chicago and the temperature currently at 17 degrees as we push on later in the day. temperatures will plummet. we have an alberta clipper tracking in from the north, and it's bringing the cold air with it. it feels like minus 5 in chicago

right now, and temperatures will continue to plummet. we see the snow pushing through ohio into western portions of pennsylvania, and the snow is going to be heavy later on in the day we could see anywhere from three to six inches of know. the snow making it's way towards the east coast. we'll see a coating to an inch but i'm telling you it will be chilly as we track through the next couple of days. but tuesday into wednesday temperatures are going to plummet. back to you, morgan. >> thank you very much. they wait a lifetime to ride these waves. sometimes they're more than 40 feet tall. the surfers come to the northern california coast and then they ride what they call the best surfing on the planet. >> they say it's the mt. everest for surfers and a select few of the bravest congregate at

mavericks. hawai'i may be the obvious destination for surfers, but it's the coast of california that coast some of the biggest, dangerous and potentially lethal waves. surfers ride down 40-foot walls of water as high as four story buildings. the waves crash so powerful that they even show up on earthquake seasoner ersensors in the san fy area. >> we are taking a huge risk with our lives, but the guys who do this really, really enjoy it. we're out there a lot. we feel really comfortable. >> you never know who rises up when everything is hitting the fan. that's something that is special about the big wave surfing, it's part of your dna whether you love it or not. >> it's the feeling you get from it. the things that almost kill you make you feel alive. >> reporter: at sunrise with

little ceremony the best of the best push off to the sound of fury. epic waves sometimes as much as two miles out the in open sea discovered known 1975. during the competition the beach is closed to spectators for safety. fans watch onshore, the closest they can get to mavericks. >> it's really unusual to have a surfing event where you can't see it from shore, so they set up this whole festival atmosphere and experience with the jumbotron. it's really unique in all surf contests. >> it's absolutely amazing. it's incredible. they say it's the olympic of surfing, it's so true. >> it's great to watch, and it's great for participants. they say they come to move rick not to ride the wave but to survive it.

melissa chan at half moon bay, california. >> thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. for news updates all throughout the day including breaking news, head on over to www.aljazeera.com. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher and you're in "the stream." america's greece, $87 billion in debt of the what went wrong in and is federal bailout the answer? >> our producer, raja is here, and raj, a lot of people are surprised about this enormous