♪ long time passes ♪ where have all the flowers gone ♪ >> the deep south in a deep freeze. highways jammed and people stranded for hours as a small amount of snow and ice creates problems >> president obama talking tough in the state of union address, telling congress if they can't do the job, he'll do it without them. >> an historically tense relationship between the u.s. and iran taking on a new tone. president obama addressing how he'll make sure the countries continue to make diplomatic progress. >> i think it's because we have more young people. i don't know if it's true, but that's the feel i get.

it feels more private. >> a part of the u.s. that the rest of the country can learn from, a look at what it keeping the economy booming in the north-west. hi there, good to have you with us here on al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton. president obama is pledging to make 2014 a year of action. the president pitched a new agenda during his state of union address. he promised to modify the tax code, spend more to rebuild roads and bridges. the president urged a divided congress to work together and is willing to get things done through executive orders. patty culhane has more on monday's speech. >> mr speaker, the president of the united states. [ cheering and applause ] >> tens of millions of americans

spent their evening watching the u.s. president out line his priority. the family who for three decades called this country home had to wait 48 minutes to hear what they care about, their former homeland, syria. this is all he had to say. >> american diplomacy, backed by the threat of force is why syria's chemical weapons are being eliminated. we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the syrian people scerfe. a future free of dictatorship. >> it's disappointing. i feel like it's more of the same, and syrians feel as though they have been abandoned. an important foreign policy issue was iran. >> if john f. kennedy and ronald reagan could negotiate with the soviet union, surely a strong

and confident merc cap negotiate. >> she warned the congress to the to impose sanctions on iran while they try to negotiate. it was a threat a sponsor of the bill seemed to brush off. >> we don't believe there'll be new sanctions while iran is in compliance, and our legislation would provide for that. >> despite the applause, the president is in for a big fight with his own political party. on his domestic agenda the president called for higher wages. he called for those things every year, and every year the congression ignored him. >> once the camera light fades from the state of union and the politicians head back, it's unlikely that most, if not all of the president's agenda will make it through congress. >> as patty culhane mentioned

the president stressing the ongoing diplomacy in the middle east is important for u.s. safety. he was tough on the issue of iran and the progress his administration made there. >> a chance to sunk seed. if iran's leaders do not seize this opportunity i'll be the first to call for more sanctions and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure iran does not build a nuclear weapon. if iran's leaders seize the chaps, and we'll know soon enough, then iran could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations and we will have resolved a leading security challenge of our time without the risks of war. >> nick schifrin takes a closer look at the temporary deal with iran and the future prospects of a long-term deal. >> after decades of iranian hatred and american finger pointing the u.s. and iran are

tentatively shaking hands. in geneva, an historic deal limiting iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. an american that one deal could lead to others. >> if iran is willing to walk through the door of opportunity that is presented to them, then i have no doubt that it can open up extraordinary opportunities for iran and their people. >> from iran, last week a similar offer of reconciliation. >> translation: no country can solve its problems on its own while disregarding others. no business can achieve sustainable growth. >> now the hard part begins, the u.s. wants to make a long-term deal, requiring iran to dismantle nuclear infrastructure. it's refused so far. >> they prepare to stop making

center fumes. that remains to be seen. >> both sides are under political pressure. barack obama from congress men that want more sanctions, hassan rouhani from conservatives that want no concessions much the opening for diplomatic agreement is small. the stakes are high. >> if you superimposed a failed iran negotiation on a failed syrian negotiation, then that would suggest ignited sectarian strife throughout the region. i think there is some very serious downsides to a failed negotiation. >> so barack obama will continue the negotiations. he must make it work before the diplomatic window shuts, and the two sides return to mutual distrust. >> nick schifrin reporting. the next round of talks will be

in mid february in new york. >> president obama also spoke of the evolving situation in the fight against al qaeda. as for afghanistan, the president says the u.s. mission there will be over by the end of the year. although he expects the afghan government to sign off on a security agreement that will keep a small number of u.s. forces in the country. >> while our relationship with afghanistan has changed, one thing will not. our resolve, that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country. >> the president's state of union speech talked up obamacare, encouraging more to sign up. he urged republicans to give up attempts to repeal the health care law. >> now, i do not expect to convince my republican friends on the merits of this law of. but, i know that the american people are not interested in refighting old battles.

so, again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, increase choice, tell america what you would do differently. let's see if the numbers add up. let's not have another 40 something votes to repeal a law that is helping millions of americans like amanda. >> we'll have more of the president's state of union address throughout the morning, including our morning edition starting at 6am eastern. >> a victory for anti-government protesters, the prime minister resigned after parliament repealed anti-protest laws. the moves are seen as major concessions to opposition leaders after two months of unrest, after ukraine's president announced closer ties to russia. >> one image that caught our eye during the state of union didn't happen during the speech. as the agenda was set inside,

outside snow fell on capitol hill. the snow in washington was part of a system that went south on tuesday. it's the worst winter weather to hit the south. snow was snarling traffic, causing flight cancellations at the airport. robert ray took a drive around atlanta. >> the city of atlanta is paralysed, grid locks on the roads and interstate. sheets of ice have taken over as the big winter storm that hit the south on tuesday has blanketed and hit ataturk airport very hard. i have been in the car driving at a snail's pace for the past six hours. i've gone about 14 hours as many vehicles are pushed up the hills here in ataturk airport, many schoolkids today are stuck in the schools as of tonight because a lot of their parents are trying to get to those schools. schools were not cancelled in

atlanta. nothing was shut down even though people knew about the storm. i'm going to stop the car and get out. take a look. this is a massive semitruck trying to make its way up the hill, not with a lot of success, as you can see. there are shelters that have opened in and around the area. you can see the sheets of ice on the road and in particular this is a very dangerous situation as the salt trucks cannot make it through the areas because of the gridlock traffic the let me get into the vehicle, it is so loud out here. tomorrow the schools are closed, the government is closed. there are no restaurant open here in atlanta tonight. everything has gone into a shutdown mode. hotels within 50 miles are booked up, and so a lot of people that were trying, perhaps thinking about getting a hotel can't because there's nowhere to

stay. >> robert ray trying to get through the snow and highs in atlanta. still ahead - president obama talking about the economic recovery during the state of union. a look at the role the housing market played in the recovery and who is driving the market. desperate measures in need of quick cash. a loan program through the work place and why it may not be the best

>> welcome back, during his state of union address president obama promised to combat economic inequality, trumpeting the rebound economy saying 2014 could be better for the country. >> the lowest unemployment rate in over five years, a rebounding housing market, a manufacturing sector that is adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s, more oil produced at home than

we buy from the rest of the world, the first time that's happened in nearly 20 years. our deficits cut by more than half. and for the first time - for the first time in over a decade business leaders around the world declared that china is no longer the world's number one place to invest. america is. >> and nowhere was investment more robust than in housing. the recovery in that sector was one of the strongest aspects of the economy in 2013. as diane eastabrook reports much of the growth is spurred by home growers. it's hard to find a house in a white-hot real estate market. homes this man likes don't fit the $300,000 budget. >> many of the homes he can

afford he doesn't like. >> i never like a bedroom on the first floor. >> you have two here. >> it's kind of sad when you walk into a place and there's holes in the ceilings and the floors are wonky. >> eager buyers are jumpstarting the u.s. housing market. existing home sales topped 5 million last year, up 9% from the previous year. at the same time inventories at the end of the year dropped by about the same percentage because of fewer foreclosures and short sales. strong demands and tight supplies are lighting a fire under prices. through october, hard-hit markets like los angeles, las vegas and mitchell sanchez saw prices top 20%. chicago, and dallas posted strong increases. >> home prices are below the prerecession budget. higher prices could shut some

participation buyers out of the market. >> the price increases are much faster than people's income growth. prices are rising at double digit rate of appreciation. income is rising barely 1-2% a year. buyers that find homes they cannot afford have higher interest rates. these are the lending rules passed last year, going in effect a couple of weeks ago, putting an end to low-documentation loans that were risky, requiring consumers have income to pay off their mortems. >> mortgage companies say the rules cut the risk of default, but add to the cost of a mortgage. >> across the industry it's at 25 basis points or a quarter percent to the rate. >> in the face of higher home prices real estate agent says his business is booming. >> the amount of buyers is staggering how many people are

out there looking to purchase. >> that is putting pressure on some, to find a home fast. >> the president spoke about trying to reverse trends in the job market. >> as allen schauffler reports, the pacific north-west is one part of the north-west where the economy appears to be improving. >> it's a little tough to generalise but around the pacific north-west you'll find more optimism than pessimism. the job prospects are good with numbers at the national average or better in some cases. construction, things are looking pretty good. home buying is looking positive, and international trade, if it remains strong will have a positive impact in the region. in the seattle area, the heavy waits, costcos, star bucks are

driving things. >> our economy does better than other parts of the nation. personally, my family is doing well. i feel blessed. >> it's because we have young people. i don't know if that's true. that's the feel i get. >> i don't think they really - a lot of people realise how fast it can get bad if just few companies leave. >> now, some things to look for that could spoil the party in 2014 - china and international trade. if their economy slows and it has an impacts on commerce, that could have a bad effect on companies from oregon to alaska. the $15 minimum wage, that's is a battle fronts. if the seahawks lose a super bowl. that could have an effect on the sales and the foam rubber fingers. overall the economic outlook

pretty positive here. >> we'll see if they take it on sunday. allen schauffler in seattle. >> there's an increase for timber produced in the north-west. some are hiring back experienced loggers who left the business during the economic downturn. >> chances are you have heard of pay day loans, they come with a high fee and default rates. the problem is the people that need them the most have trouble paying them off on times. a growing number of companies are trying to change that, offering workers a new loan. >> last november melissa jones, a single mother of three boys moved her boys from kentucky to tennessee, to accept a job as account manager at medal focus. the move hit financially at the wrong time of the year. there was not a lot of time to save in preparation for christmas. >> after starting her position,

melissa learnt her new employer offered a benefit called workplace loans. >> i offered $700, they took is out of my payroll. >> hundreds of large and small employers like melissa's offer workplace loans. the contract with the half dozen lenders who provide the program. they are offered to $100,000 workers. >> industry watchers say it could grow to more than 10 millionism. >> it's more important for them to come to work and not worry about getting their car fixed or making a doctor's payment. proponents say it's a funding option for low and middle income americans. 30% of u.s. households go outside the banking systems for loans. >> it's individuals increasingly who are in the income ranges of $50,000 annual income or above. >> here is how it works. you fill out an application

online, share how long you worked, your salary, information about your credit history. the lender verifies your employment, checks your credit history to check how much you can afford to pay. loan sizes range. most like melissa's are in the $700 range. once the size and rate it determined you get the money, usually within a day or two of applying. repayment, september up with the human resource department is deducted from the pay check. all of loops are credit building, meaning we report the positive payment history to help people repair credit. >> critics say buyer be ware. annual percentage rates are 36 to 100%. below borrowers can get into

trouble. it quickly becomes a burden that people kant carry. that it gets you into a dent trap that you can't get out of. >> most important to people like melissa it provided short of term relief. >> they didn't make me feel like i was a poor person that needed to borrow money. i didn't feel that way at all. that meant a lot to me. >> stacy tisdale reporting. it's estimated a third of american workers are going through some kind of financial distress. the number of air force service members implicated in a cheating service has doubled. 30 more airmen have been suspended for reportedly sharing questions on tests. the officers had been taken off miss ill launch duty. all work at maelstrom air force base. >> a florida school was plagued by allegations of abuse.

researchers found the remains of 55 people buried on the grounds. we are in tampa where they are trying to figure out who they belonged to and how they died. >> when the school closed in 2011, the property was put up for sale, families came forward demanding answers about long deceased loved ones. >> for 73 years this family wondered howe their brother died. at 14 her brother george ran off to fulfil his dreams. he ended up at the state-run school for boys in the florida panhandle town of marianna. a near later the school sent a letter saying george's body was found under a house. a witness told her family that he may have been shot. >> my brother was running across the pasture, there were three

deputies from school shooting at him. you have to draw your own conclusions. >> they are one of 11 families looking for answers about their loved ones that attended the school for boys. a team of anthropologists and ashingiologists have been excavating the camp pus. using radar and dogs they found the graves of 50 people. 24 of those bodies had never been documented in school records. >> this project has always been about fulfilling a fundamental human right for families who, like all of us, have a right to know what happened to their loved one and are entitled bury their manner in a way that is proper. >> the sheriff's department is asking for the public's help. they released the name of 14 boys. they are hoping their surviving relatives will come forward so

they can identify the remains, they are using artefacts found in the grave such as a mash ble in a boy's pocket. to help narrow the date of the boys' death. many questions have been unearthed, such as who, when and how the boys died. they are important adding to the records of the florida, as they are brining peace to families. >> it's the answer to many years of prayers. >> they are awaiting d.n.a. results to find out if they match remains discovered. they hope to bury george next to his mother and father. >> an analysis of the remains is under way. the team will return to the school to look for additional bodies. >> the school opened in 1900 and closed in 2011. after the first graves were uncovered, students have come

forward with tails of beatings and child abuse. >> two colorado canna lop farmers have been sentenced for a role in a lift earia outbreak. eric and ryan jenson what sentenced to five years probation and 6 months home detention. 33 were killed in a listeria outbrakes. melons were contaminated by dirty water and old processing equipment. president obama extending a hand to congress to accomplish his agenda. we show how a law-maker is on the receiving end of every state of union. >> the publication reserved for rock stars that's showcasing the pontiff.

>> welcome back the state of union offers on opportunity for

members of congress to shake hands with the president. the chances is slim to none. there's one congress maup that has done it year after year. elliott ankle devised a handshake plan and tells how he managed to save his spot. inhefloor, and i stake out my seat, and i - session doesn't begin until later. i make my phone calls, we set up appointments to meet people in the capital. instead of meeting in my office i go to the phone. i read newspapers, and do the same things i would be doing, except instead of doing them in the office i do it on the house floor. >> this will be congressman ankle's 26th state of the union from the aisle seat. >> "rolling stone" magazine which features rock musicians or movie stars, check out the

latest cover. the pontiff is a familiar surveys on u.s. magazine covers. last month pope francis appeared on time magazine as man of the year. that's if for this newshour, i'm thomas drayton from new york. of books challenged or banned is on the rise much we look at why, and the intersection with community values. clr >> our digital producer is bringing in all your live feedback. all of us at one point or another read a contrsi