>> a rare winter storm brings the south to a standstill. in one city local leaders are coming upped fire akust of -- under fire accused of not doing enough to keep people out of harm's way. >> a verdict in the amanda knox case in italy. she won't be in court to hear it. >> an embattled leader takes

time off. >> they are working to make ends meet and it's not working. >> the real-life impact of cutting food stamps. how people in food banks could feel the pinch. >> the impact of a crippling winter storm is felt across the southern u.s. a slight warm up could help the region thaw out. the storm is blamed on several deaths from texas to the carolinas, striking part of the country not used to dealing with snow and ice, and thousands were stranded in cars, at work, in schools. >> i'm stephanie sy. welcome to al jazeera america. >> atlanta is one of the hardest

hit areas. good morning. what are things like there right now. >> it's cold, in the teens. we are expecting a warm up to melt some of the ice. most of the roads are clear now. we are seeing some sheets of black ice. so officials warn people to stay off the interstates and the highways here today. the schools are still closed. government is closed and the finger pointing seems to be starting here in atlanta as to how it's possible that only a few inches can cause such deprid lock and panic in the past 48 hours. >> atlanta paralyzed by a few inches of snow that turned quickly into dangerous ice. >> the ice on the road. people were trying to drive up and down the road. they couldn't make it. >> over a million commuters and

schoolchildren trying to go simultaneously on tuesday as the storm bore down. the result a region-wide traffic jam. many driving, if you can call it that, for over 16 hours, marking their progress in inches. many forced to leave their vehicles and walk to makeshift shelters. i didn't have my car. i pulled over, started hyperventilating and thought i would have to tough it out. >> she did, through the night, until her son reached her in the morning. >> i'm glad she's okay. it will be a trek getting home. at least we are together. >> others slept in store aisles and restaurants. on vens, the state's leaders faced questions over a decision to send worksers home. >> the national weather service had a modelling showing the city

of atlanta would not be the primary area where a storm would hit. >> i understand people were frustrated with angry. >> 50 million across the south were impact by the weather which shut down several state. >> in chattanooga dozens left their cars in a parking lot, giving up on a slick road. an 80 wheeler on its side. is a truck jack-knifed on a bridge, shutting it down for 24 hours. hundreds of accidents and abandoned cars. in the middle - grace elizabeth was born on the side of the road when her mum could not make it to the hospital. for thousands that leapt overnight, these lucky kids caught the last bus home. >> i was superscared. i was if i don't get home to my

parents i'm going to freak out. >> this morning people are wondering how come the roads weren't pretreated in advance of all this. perhaps if that were done, then maybe people would have been able to get home faster and the ice would not have taken over the streets. many asking why was school not cancelled on tuesday. the county and metro counties had schools cancelled because of low temperatures, not even precipitation. if the forecast models were iffy, an inch, three inches, why wouldn't you take the precaution. that's the n sensis with res gents. when you have kids you don't want them stranded on buses or in schools.

answers need to be taken into account by officials. that's what residents are calling for. a lot of people are looking it pick up cars of hundred of vehicles, thousands stranded. >> so the clean-up continues. >> many meteorologist had forecast that atlanta would be hit by the storm, including ours. nicole mitchell joins us now. i know that relief is on the way for the frozen south and the drought plagued west. >> to speak to your point this was forecast. they showed the government and said this was forecast. don't blame us. this was not a forecasting problem. we knew that was coming other places appropriately shut down and relieved themselves of problems that happened in

atlanta. the same storm is in florida, causiing rain because it's not cold enough to get the rain. rain for florida, a little nuisance if you are having a vacation. temperatures above freezing. 39 for atlanta, and 42 for confirm. a little allows things to melt. with the refreezing and possible black ice. we want to get to the west coast. areas getting relieved. we have been dry in in portion of the country. getting a weather system here, this should be the wet season. a lot of places have been bop dry instead of getting the rain. not only for the north-west, but now into northern and starting to creep to central portions of the california. it's a big deal. some of the higher elevations,

high whipped, snow up to six inches, but the snow back is so dry and so far down. look at this year versus last year. we really need the moisture. >> thank you. >> ukraine's government offers another olive bramp. anti-government protesters are not accepting it. ukraine's parliament is offering amnesty to arrested protesters, but there's a catch. anti-government protesters must agree to clear public areas within 15 days. opposition leaders call the tradeoff upanticipatable. >> if people get the -- unacceptable. if people get the feeling that we restored constitutional law and order, violence in ukraine - this could somehow calm down the situation in ukraine. if no, another surge of

violence. >> in another develop, russian president vladimir putin says his country would wait until ukraine formed a new government before relieving the $15 billion aid package they agreed to last month. ukraine expected a $2 billion pay out tomorrow. our jennifer glasse joins us from the capital city kiev. good morning. we have breaking news regarding the ukrainian president viktor yanukovych. >> that's right. stephanie, in a surprise move the president's office announced that president viktor yanukovych is on sick leave, that he is suffering from a respiratory problem and a high fever, and would not be working for the foreseeable future. opposition supporters say that's why we don't trust the president. he can't sign legislation and under the law he is not label for anything that happens because he is on sick leave. the opposition very unhappy

about this. as unhappy as they were about the amnesty law pushed through parliament that says they must leave government buildings with respect 15 days. there are more than 100 protesters in detention tore gaol for protesting against the government. we are much further apart than we were earlier in the week, when we thought there were concessions happening. president viktor yanukovych in an extraordinary measure pushed the vote. when it went through, others shouted, "shame." >> viktor yanukovych under pressure from moscow as well. how is the ukrainian government reacting to the news that russia is suspending the multibillion aid package? that's right. this is not good news for

ukraine, it's beleaguered economy needed the package. if you count the gas concessions. it was russia's way of exerting pressure. they are allow to review that deal. vladimir putin said we made the deal with the former prime minister. it puts ukraine's economy under pressure, and russia increased the pressure. they reimposed trade sanctions at the borders, sanctions at the borders, slowing down trades. 70% of the trade goes to russia, exerting its influence here, and some opposition people saying president viktor yanukovych went on vacation to wait until after the sochi winter olympics before making a mill. >> jennifer glasse for us with

developments. >> anti-government protesters in thailand are holding another rally in the hopes of derailing the elections on sunday. opposition leaders called on people that disagreed to join in the mamp. they will not block polling stations. >> a small step forward in the syrian peace talks. the assad government agreed to discuss a transitional government, but say that will happen only if the opposition agrees to stop fighting. the opposition is demanding humanitarian aid be delivered. the lead u.n. negotiator says there has been no significant process at the talks which end tomorrow. >> the syrian government has been accused of demolishing thousands of homes in towns and cities. images from a new report

suggests neighbourhoods have been destroyed. this is the suburb of damascus, it has been fought over by the government and the rebels repeatedly. like much of syria it presents a picture of the bombed out buildings and rubble-strewn roads. rebels stuing that the destruction of property is not an accident of war. human rights watch compied a report claiming that the government has been demolishing dozens of houses here, and in hama. the report uses the satellite to show how extensive the damage it. this is the district of hama seen in september 2012, this is the same place one month later. this is part of the capital close to the military airport seen in february of last year. move forward to july, and the contrast is it clear.

human rights watch says it has spoken to the owners of some of the properties who confirm the demolitions. >> the group alleges that the government has systematically targeted residential buildings in areas which support the opposition. the government says the demolitions are merely part of approved urban planning. >> i do not think that this is urban plan. it's mass destruction of civilian neighbourhoods. what the report points out is that this urban planning is strategically done in areas where the free syrian army had strong presence and was hunkered down and difficult to dry out. the authors of the report say there's no evidence of such demolitions taking police in arse that support the government -- areas that support the government. the u.n. says 6.5 million people have been displaced inside

syria, and 2.5 million refugees left the country since the war began. >> an estimated 130,000 people have been killed since the fighting broke out there three years ago and millions more have been forced from their homes. a group of fighters in syria tied to al qaeda is training fighters around the world for attack. that's according to james clapper. he told congress the war-torn nation is a magnet for extremists. >> concern for extremists attracted to syria, engaged in combat, get training and we are seeing now appearance of training complexes and syria to train people to go back to their countries, and of course conduct more terrorist acts. >> james clapper says the syrian military group known as the al nusra front with ties to al

qaeda may be the most serious threat to attack u.s. interest. >> for the third time in seven years an italian court will render a verdict against amappa aamanda knox. she and her boyfriend were aaccused of killing a house mate. she spent four years in gaol. then her conviction was reversed. it's not clear if she will be extradited if found guilty. >> herbert smalls was found guilty, he shot and killed jewellery store owner during a 1991 robbery. his lawyers asked the high court to halt his execution because the state would not reveal the source of the drug used in the lethal injection process. the drug may have been stanted

because it was -- tainted because it was stored at room temperature. >> a summit signed in cuba. cuba have been criticised for one-party systems. the u.s. was not invited to the summit but it was a hot topic for the surveillance operations. >> translation: if spying is needed for the international community security, i propose that we all spy on obama and his government and the world will be safe. >> this organization was created as an alternative to what they called washington-dominated groups. costa ricco host the next summit. >> passengers return from a cruise ship where hundreds got sick. >> for the first 14 hours of it was bad. >> what the cruise line is doing to make is safe for the next

voyage. >> vigilante groups going head to head with mexico's drug cartels. >> plus a musical heist involving a rare incident that could be worth millions. >> i'm mark morgan, for weeks there has been much g nashing of teeth about the weather for the superbomb, now players and how they cope with issues from mother

good morning and welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy, straight ahead we'll hear from passengers on board the cruise ship where hundreds got sick. first a look at temperatures across the nation. nicole mitchell is back. >> good morning, we are seeing the freezing stuff through the south, places like birmingham, atlanta. look at the contrast in florida, orlando 45, 60 south florida. you can see the cold air keeping the snow and ice in place. look at minneapolis, the

temperatures falling with the next front. watch for that, you can see it into the teens. overall the south, the north-east warmer. cooler air with the next system to the west coast. i want to watch the south. we melt some today overnight below freezing. watch for more black eyes as all that refreezes freezing temperatures in florida have volunteers searching for pelicans that are not used to cold weather. a bird rescue group suffer from frost bite on the web beaks and feet. they have not seen that many pelicans in 20 years. a mass if clean-up is under way. 600 people became violently ill on the "explorer of the seas", forcing the ship to cut its ship short. it returned to port on wednesday, passengers and crews suffered from the neurovirus.

our correspondent is in new jersey. this ship headed back out to sea? >> that's exactly right. which is why royal caribbean says it has workers cleaning the ship from top to bottom. they cleaned before the ship docked. the reason this very same shape that carries hundreds of passengers will be going back out again tomorrow. >> workers are cleaning feverishly to remove traces of the illness that sickened hundreds of passengers. the c d.c. said passengers suffered vomiting and diarrhoea. some waited six hours to get into the infirmary. >> half the boat couldn't get into the health facility because too many were sick. a lot of people guarantee eened

themselves. >> the first 14 hours of it was really, really bad. you never felt better for four days. . >> the ship docked in new jersey after the cruise was cut short by two days. one person was taken off the ship on a stretcher. the company is offering 50% of a current cruise and 50 off a future. the next cruise is on schedule to leave in 24 hours. >> it is fully san itized before the next guests get on the the methods that have been successful in controlling the virus. >> nearly 600 of the 3,000 passengers got ill along with 50 crew members. despite a sickening experience at sea, some are praising the crew. >> we feared there would be a riotous activity, but the crew

handled it so well. they sat down, had sessions where they listened to people's complaints. the captain listened to people threatening his life. he was so good about it. >> i apologise, we lost erica pitzi live remote there. let's head to sport. it's the big game this weekend. the broncos versus the seahawks. mark morgan is here with more. good morning. >> good morning. the teams are focussing on the task at hand now that they are in the new york-new jersey area. with the hoopla surrounding the arrival and the circus day in the rear view mirror, they now settle down it preparations. the seahawks had a 90 minute indoor practice at the new york giant facility and opened the doors to let in the cool air simulating the temperatures. the broncos put in their paces

outside at the new york jets facility in new jersey. the coach called his team weather proof. al jazeera's john henry smith tells us how the players hope to cope with weather issues. >> new jersey's center we are at. very cosy. it's not going to be so cosy sunday at super bowl 48 outdoors at met life stadium. the temperature in the low 30s and windchill in the low 20s. talking to the players, they say, "mother nature, bring it on." >> we know what it will be. precipitation, cold, we are used to that playing in seattle. we are tired of hearing about it, the best team that plays focused, the less turp overs will win. >> we are not worried about the weather. we have seen the weather change from snow, sunny, rain,

everything. i think the defense is weather proof and the team is weather proof. we are doing out to play football. >> we play in the elements, rain, snow, wind, cold weather. we are going to make sure we are prepared for anything, and it doesn't matter what the weather is, we have an opportunity to play for a world championship. >> the seahawks and the bropingos with indoor practice facilities. only one will have an indoor facility that is heated. >> turning to the n.b.a. in mimie, the thunder made-- miami, the thunder made a statement against lebron james. they were trailing and then stormed back. lebron james had 34, but it was not enough. durant 33 for okay. his 12th straight game with 30

or more, the longest streak since "03, oklahoma city winning nine in a row >> arizona escaped with a wild road win at stand ford. nick johnson had a go-ahead three. johnson 16 points for the wildcats. the cardinal with a couple of attempts to tie, can't get them to fall. 60-57 win gave 21-straight victories. the wildcats one of three major unbeatenens. the new york rangers may want to play the games outside. for the second time in four games, the blue shirts, as part of the stadium series beat the new jersey on sunday and face the islanders wednesday night. this game was tight and the airwa airways crisp with game-time temperatures in the 20s.

he scored the tie-breaking goal 4.5 minutes into the third period. the rangers 3 and 0 when plays outdoors. that's a look at the sport. >> when snow and ice crippled roads, facebook helped the stranded get rescued. one woman that needed help and the good samar tins shared her story next. >> we can't make up for that. >> how food blankets struggle to help hungry families. as the clock clicks down to the super bowl. new york and new jersey gear up. while they are selling big -- paying big bucks for the ads that run during the big game.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy, these are the top stories. ukraine's president says he's taking sick leaf, the surprising announcement after amnesty was granted to protesters, but only if anti-government demonstrate juniors agreed to leave government buildings, they rejected the offer. >> opposition leaders in thailand are urging protesters it hit the streets and shut the roads in bangkok. >> atlanta's mayor is cyst ciffed about how he handled the storm. millions tried to get home at the same time as schoolchildren. >> because so many were stranded many turned to social media to ask for help. two snowed out atlanta pages were created on facebook. 55,000 joined, asking for rides,

food and shelter. rosalind clarke, who is diabetic, was stranded at a medical center. a college student came to the rescue after hearing about her plight by social media. >> robin and her good samar tin joins us by skype. let's start with you. how and where did you get stranded and for how long? stranded for 15 hours. i was dropped off there. so at some point they turned you out. they were there for many hours. we had to close. weren't you waiting outside for some time. >> yes, i was waiting there for five hours until they switched security into the new shift, and i had no one to pick me up and come and get me. >> so that in and of itself is

worrying. behind that you are diabetic, did the cold cause you difficulties. >> yes, it caused me dist -- difficulties, i didn't take my insulin, my sugar was low and i had no fall. for more than 15 hours, i wasn't feeling good at all. >> you were in a desperate situation, ryan, how did you hear about ms clarke's story and connect with her. >> i heard about the snowed out atlanta group. i went on and looked at ones in my area. and i stumbled upon close family of rosalinds posting for help. i called them and wanted to see what i could do. >> so you went and picked her up. >> i did. >> what is it you say when you

saw ryan? >> what did he say? >> like he said a relative called me and told me that someone is going to be on their way. she gave me his number, texted to me and i called him and he said he'll be there in seconds. and he sure was, and i was so relieved and happy and i was concerned about the person coming for me, because i didn't want them to break down, because we'd be snowed in. i felt so blessed, you know, that someone came for me when i was cut done, i called the red cross, they turned me down. the police said they couldn't get me. being there for five hours, nothing to eat and didn't know the side of up to, i had no help, i have trouble with my leg, i can't work. i feel blessed and thankful that he came for me. i really did.

>> ryan, how was the drive back home. i imagine it was rough. >> the roads weren't too bad. we - it was nice to get to know her. because it was the interstate and most were told to stay off. it was clear sailing. those. >> i was stuck on the interstate. her husband helped me, we were able to get out of it. a very nice lady. >> you're clearly a nice guy. >> ryan and rosalind. glad to see you are warm and inside. thank you for joining us. >> new details surfacing. >> police say the gunman spoke about killing people, and apologised to his family, saying he was sorry what he was

planning to do. he shot and killed two in the columbia town center mall. >> san francisco say the girl thrown from the airlines died before being run over by a fire truck. she died when she hit the ground, the claim based on reports from the transportation safety board. the city did not conduct an autopsy or consult with medical experts. >> cincinnati police say they did not do enough to help a woman raped by a cap driver. >> the alleged rape victim said she was treated like a criminal and the police took her to gaol rather than hospital. a spokeswoman for the police conceded they could have been more sensitive. >> the level of care and concern, expectation of our officers that we would like to see conveyed to the public.

>> in the video from the police car. they try to take the woman to the hospital. she became aggressive and attempted to take a swing at the fer. vigilantes in mexico have been trying to win the confidence of people and the government. the self-defence groups that work to fight drug lords won the approval of the federal government. as dave mercer reports more communities are welcoming the armed guards. >> asking for support. indigenous leader speaks with his community about why they should work together with an armed vigilante group. a few days ago the same men confronted the groups. >> translation: we were worried about what would happen when the self-defence groups came. we saw that many weren't from the community. we changed our lives after speaking with the leader, whom

we know and trust. institute tired of kidnappings and extortions, vige lanty groups have sprung up to fight the knights templar. the government tried to reign them in, but changed tactics this week, choosing to integrate the groups into a world defense core. >> this is one of the first times the vigilante groups work together with the police to bring together their message of security, it's a new strategy, one they hope will pay off. >> vigilante leaders say the partnership is working. they have moved into 10 new communities. >> we have won people's confidence by showing them that they are honest working people and see the results in other towns where people have risen up.

>> analysts say one of the biggest challenges -- challenges now is how to put many under control. >> translation: the legalization process is delicate. they could commit crimes and become corrupted. it couldn't be worse than what we have witnessed. >> they now see the vim lanties as bringing -- vigilantes as bringing prosperity. peace, it seems, may come from the barrel of a gun. >> there are an estimated 20,000 men serving in vigilante groups across mexico. russian ofucials are questioning two men in connection with the suicide bombings. 33 were killed and 100 more injured in the two explosions. in recent weeks russia cracked down on groups suspected of plotting to attack the sochi

winter olympics. joining us by phone, reporter peter sharp. what can you tell us? >> well, good news for the russian authorities, this is the one woke to go before the sochi winter olympics open. the first athletes arriving and they'll be able to tell them that they made a break through in the investigations into the two horrific bombings. they now know the identity of the two suicide bombers, but more importantly they have in custody two accomplices. these are men who are charged with transporting the bombers from dagestan, which is a region about a thousandkm south, up to the city for the two attacks on the 29th and the 30th. you remember they attacked a train station and trolley bus. more than 30 were killed. with the accomplices in custody, it's hoped they'll track down what they believe is a safe house in the dagestan, in the

v volgograd, where they were supplied and logistics are handed out to enable them to carry out the attacks. pretty good timing for the russians, with a week until the olympics open. >> peter sharp reporting on two suspects that have been arrested. >> thank you. >> a new york congress moun is apologising for flattening a reporter on capitol hill, grim where are was interviewed by scottish criminal case review commission. he asked grim about an investigation into his campaign finances. he threatened to bract the reporter in half and throw him off a balcony. he issued app apology.

>> i called and he anticipated my apoll any. >> grim was considered a rising star. he's under investigation for questionable fundraising practices. >> emails may show a length between hurricane sandy and development projects in new jersey. mayor dawn zimmer called on chris christie to helper. according to the emails the first topic n o the agenda was a discussion of flood control centres at the rockefeller complex. the development sent executives, lobbyists and an engineer to the meeting. >> the justice department is investigating the target data breach. hackers stole information from 40,000 customers. the names and treaaddresses of

70 million more were stolen. the senate may vote on the farm bill that calls for cuts to the face's food stamp program. the 100 billion bill which has been stalled for two years has passed the house, slashing $8 billion to the nutrition assistance program. al jazeera takes a look at how the cuts can hurt needy people, and food banks ta served them. >> brooklyn's suburb may seem an unlikely place for the farm bill to affect. it's a concern more melanie whose food pantry feeds 20,000 a month. >> i'm looking at what else can i do. >> she's worried about the farm bill's plan to cut $8 billion in food stamps or snap, the

sublemental nutrition program. it there drive more to pantries or soup kitchens. we can hardly afford to take care of the famize that are coming. families felt the strain when congress cut by $5 billion some programs. >> winson is worried. her husband's salary does not stretch far enough and depend on food stamps and lean on the pantry where she works. >> people have a lot of children. they are not sitting at home, they are working, trying to make ends meet. dismoo the debate is over government spending. cuts are smaller than originally proposed. it does not ease the worry for a

pantry stepping up past purchases for food. >> we are not here to be the front line, we are hear too assist people whose foot stamps are faltering, people that need a bit of help. if the government is going to go out of the business helping to give people food, we can't make up for that. >> the snap program provision assistance to one in seven americans. in dz if yous on wall street investors are seeking safer ground. disappointing earners reports jitters, pushing stocks lower. futures are higher. the dow is at: y >> in asia stocks lower: european stocks are negative. >> later this morning the

government will release weekly jobless claims and report on the fourth quarter grosses domestic product. the fed point to strengthening economy as it trims its stimulus. >> google is selling the motorola smartphone business to lenova. google brought motor rolo for more than $12 billion. google is keeping billions worth of patent. google will release the latest earnings reports. >> last earnings google blew out and they had an upside stock pop, over 1,000, they grew exhibits then. the street -- they grew since then. the group things they have its mo joe and will deliver. >> super bowl commercials are widely anticipated on sunday. advertises pay millions for each

30 second spot. we report this year's ad line up will be bolder and costlier. and will include several political adds. >> that is an m&m twerking, and one. many cold commercials you'll see during super bowl 48. companies paying $4 million for a 30 second ad. the price of a national super bowl commercial increased 70 prz since 2004. according to advertising research. this is a volkswagen marketing executive. at 60 seconds, the company's ad is twice as long. >> i don't look at it as a single opportunity. we know they live on forever, on the internet, on youtube. >> the top five all-time big super bowl advertisers are: >> in the last decade these and

others pushed ad spending to more than $2 million. companies are trying to inspire stockholders, intimidate competitors by playing a role in the country. i'm in new york city's times square it's been transformed into super bowl boulevard. >> professor john carols said the adds are like political campaign for companies. it starts before the cam page. >> it's an escalating war of entertainment and production values, there's less and less of the original intention of advertising, which is to sell product. >> actual political organisations are taking queues from fortune 500 companies. they'll air ads in local market. public records show michigan governor rick schneider is

spending $400,000 on an ad. the conservative action committee is raising money for commercials thanking ted cruz. >> there are candidates running in the local breaks, before and after the super bowl. >> political adds are likely to pop up in colorado, florida, io weigh, new hampshire, north carolina, ohio and west virginia. it could be a bunch of body builders running through the streets for go daddy and the twerking m&m. >> a handful of companies are expected to sponsor super bowl ads for the first time. they are typically bombed, because they are trying to get bang for the buck. >> a major study says children

overweight in kinder garter could end up obese in high school. the study observed more than 7,000 children and tracked body weight from kindergarten to eightsed grade. >> a priceless violin stolen at gunpoint. why investigators believe the thieves were going after the instrument. a sky diver knocked unconscious mid free fall. how he was rescued in the air, with thousands of seconds to spare. >> in time for the morning commute, a problem in the mid west. i'll have your forecast. >> here is a look at the sun riding over metlife stadium, rutherford new jersey where the super bowl is being played in three days.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. just ahead the search for a 300-year-old violin stolen from a musician at gunpoint. first a look at where the snow and the rain may fall. meteorologist nicole mitchell is here. >> i hope everyone is off to a nice thursday. one system through the south into florida. new moisture for the west coast. what we'll get to is the mid west. because of snow, a winter storm warning, through minister are and wisconsin in time for the commute. that's what you hate out here. the moisture moving through the plains. waking up to some in the dakotas, but over the twin cities, we are looking at 5-6 inches, and clearing out. this will be around the morning commute, making it rough. otherwise still some of that rain in florida and needed moisture to the west coast.

we'll talk about that in a few minutes. >> thank you. >> a warming trend in the polar ice caps is posing a problem for penn gins, a growing number of chicks are dying in argentina. shifts in the climate are making it difficult for them to keep their body temperatures in check. they are vulnerable to rain storms and heatwaves. 40% died from starvation. melting sea ice sent the bird beyond their natural habitat to search for food. >> police say a master musician was robbed of a violin that was not his. it's used in concert hauls and it's anyone's guess who has it. >> it is considered a holy grail in the music world. a rare perfect and nearly priceless stradavarius violin. and tonight one of the these precious hand-crafted instruments is missing.

stolen in a brazen armed robbery in milwaukee. >> it's important to note that this vinylin is very valuable, but very valuable to a very small population. this is not something that can be easily sold for even a fraction of its monetary value. >> the police believe the thief was after the specific instrument. the 300-year-old stradavarius was violently taken from a concert master. the suspect attacking him with a stun gun before fleeing in a mini van. the concert master is recovering. an fbi art crimes team is on the place. interpol has been notified. there are an estimated 650 stradavarius violins in the world. many are in museums or in

collections. some played by the greatest musicians. the stolen stradavarius made in 1715 in italy and is said to have a distinct pattern on its back. it was sold in auction in 2006 for $3.5 million. [ ♪ music ] >> it is now believed to be worth more. [ ♪ music ] >> that was richelle carey reporting. the fbi says there are roughly 30 violins of this caliber that have been stolen. >> a skydiver saved by quick thinking friends. a newly released video shows the scare, 12,000 feet above ground. it's from james lee's helmet cam. that was when ones of his fellow sky dive's legs hit him in the head. he was knocked out. friend grabbed him, deploying his shoot. he has no memory of the

accident. >> del walters joins us with a look at the stories for the next hour. >> the south thawing out from the storm. seven dead and stranding hundreds on the roads, school and work. the mayor of atlanta criticised for how he handled the storm preparations and warnings. >> the syrian government to agree to a transition government in the opposition agrees to stop fighting. >> a missouri innate executed after a final appeal was denied about the injection drug. >> some states are using drugs to carry out the executions and why some say they violate a prisoners constitutional rights. >> al jazeera takes you inside an overcrowded prison to show you conditions that inmates have to live with and what human rights groups are doing to stop that. >> i'm meteorologist nicole mitchell, from temperature

relief in the south to rain relief in the west. i'll have your national forecast. >> al jazeera continues. dell and i will be back with you in two minutes.

>> breaking the ice, after thousands of people were stranded on highways and schools and work, officials are questioned about their decisions before the storm. >> deadlock in ukraine, the embattled president takes a sick leave while the on that oh significance rejects a parliament demand. >> russia suspends a financial bailout. >> google hangs up its mobile technology deal with motorola. now china comes calling. could beigen profit from that hang up.

>> there's a need to close the jail to deactivate it. >> a look at someone healthy living conditions inside one of the countries most dangerous prisons. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america, i'm del walters. >> i'm stephanie sy. the impact of a winder storm is being felt across the united states from texas to the carolinas. the storm is blamed for seven deaths in georgia and alabama. >> it struck a part of the country not used to dealing with snow and ice leaving thousands stranded. state and local officials are asked about the decisions they made as the ice and snow fell upon the city. robert gray is in atlanta. what are things like this morning? >> good morning, del, things are improving here. the roads are getting back to

normal, though there are sheets of black ice in certain places. schools are closed, government is still closed here today, officials saying don't go out on the roads until we see a thaw. temperatures are in single digits in the outer areas of atlanta, teens here. people are asking question how could atlanta have such a break june atlanta, paralyzed by only a few inches of snow that turned quickly into dangerous ice. >> people were trying to drive up and down the roads still and couldn't make it. tires were losing traction. >> over a million commuters and school children all trying to go home nearly simultaneously tuesday as the storm bother down. the result, a colossal region wide traffic jam, many people driving, if you can calm it that, for over 16 hours, marking their progress in inches. some stranded overnight, forced to leave their vehicles and walk to makeshift shelters in

freezing temperatures. >> i didn't have control of my car any longer, so i just pulled over. i started hyper ventilating and i thought i just have to tough it out. >> she did tough it out throughout the night until her son was able to reach her in the morning. >> i'm glad she's ok. it's going to be a trek getting back home but at least we're together. >> others september in store aisle and restaurants. wednesday, the state's top leaders faced questions over their decisions to send workers home early and let school out brought metro atlanta to a standstill. >> the weather service had their modeling showing that the city of atlanta would not be the primary area where the storm would hit. >> i understand that people are frustrated and angry. we made a mistake by not staggering when people should leave. >> atlanta wasn't the only hard-hit place. 50 million people cross the south were impacted by the weather which virtually shut down self states. >> not something we see very often.

>> in tennessee, dozens left their cars in a parking lot, giving up on the roads and walking home. in jackson, mississippi, an 18 wheeler on its side. in alabama, a truck jack-knifed on a bridge shutting it down for 24 hours, hundreds of accidents and abandoned cars. in the middle of all that highway havoc, little grace elizabeth was born on the side of the road when her mom could not make it to the hospital in time. for thousands of students who slept overnight in their schools, because roads were impassable. these lucky kids caught the last bus home. >> i was super scared. i was like if i don't get home to my parents, i'm going to freak out. >> so del, here's the thing. talent, about over 6 million people metro made up of about 150 cities and towns, each with their own leaders making their own decisions, but most of the finger pointing is on the governor and mayor here in

atlanta. reed in press conferences said that the schools, the fact they stayed open, that wasn't his call, he says. he has also said that the cleaning of the freeways was the georgia department of transportation and the state's call. that wasn't his decision on that, either. so residents are asking the question to the mayor of attempt, what was your decision process here? what are you in charge of in situations like this? the governor coming out and saying that he thought that the forecasters box this, that they had it wrong, when in fact, the forecasters were pretty accurate. so, a lot of questions here still, people trying to get back to their lives in order, retrieving their cars from interstates and highways today, and perhaps the city will get into some more functioning this weekend at temps actually believe it or not will get up into the 60's. >> robert, thank you very much with that a good thing that little girl didn't freak out. >> apparently some of those kids

had never spent a night away from home, they were five years old. some relief is on the way for residents in the south. for more, let's bring in nicole mitchell. >> the temperatures are finally going out or going up over the next couple of days, because that will allow us to melt off some of this. the same frontal boundary still brought in the cold air and we're seeing rain today in central texas or central florida, we're dealing with that. you can see the clear skies behind all of that. temperatures drop way down, and they're in the teens, even a couple single digits this morning. well, up through the day under the sunshine, we'll get above freezing in a lot of cases but drop down again overnight. do wind chill pour melting today, that will improve things, but refreezing overnight causing problems tomorrow morning. we have been phenomenally dry up and down the west coast. we are finally getting a system

in. this is really beneficial, not just the rain toward the coastline, but the snow areas that are going to see this, parts of the olympics or sierra. look at this as we look through washington, oregon, last year, how white spread those dark colors of. look the this year, showing how dry it's been, hurting the snow industry and that what gives us our water sources into the spring. the sierra in similar conditions. today, about six-inches of snow and high winds, so that will make those roads treacherous. >> anti-government protestors in thailand saying today they will hold rallies today and for the next few days in the hopes of derailing sunday's election. opposition leaders calling on people who disagree with the election to join in the march. protestors say they will not

physically drop polling stations as they did during advanced polling last week. demonstrators hope to overthough the government as more than 10,000 troops are expected to be on those streets sunday. >> ukraine's unrest is bordering on the brink of civil war. anti-government protests have turned violent, starting when ukraine announced it was not signing a deal with the e.u. in december, russia offers a $15 billion aid package to the struggling nation. a month later, ukraine's parliament passes laws restricting the right to protest. after those laws were passed, two protestors were killed in kiev by police, sparking protest across many cities. wednesday, ukraines parliament passes an amnesty law for detained protestors followed by russia's backing off its initial plan to release that aid to ukraine. our jennifer glass joins us how to from the capitol city of kiev, good morning.

this political clash has really ba aloned since it started and today we got news an the ukrainian president. >> that's right, stephanie, the president in a surprise move, his office announced he is now on sick leave, suffering from a respiratory illness and high five and will be doing no business for the foreseeable future. that's a surprise move. it closes out the two pieces of legislation passed this week, first a law that revoked a previous law that made -- that criminalized freedom of screech and expression that caused outrage here, caused protests to go violent in which several protestors were killed and brought protestors out across the down theory. we're not sure whether he signed that bill passed by parliament. it may not be law, so those laws may not officially be repealed

and that may be the case with abamnesty bill passed last night. the opposition was unhappy with that law yesterday. the opposition are concerned that the move by the president to go on sick leave may signal something a little more 16 officers to come. >> how is the ukrainian government reacting to the news about suspension of this aid package? >> it is very bad news for the ukrainian government. it's a $15 billion aid package, $3 billion has already been dispersed, that allowed ukraine to actually pull out its budget this year, to make a budget this year, ukraine with an $11 billion deficit. they were expecting the next pat of that loan to come through this week. prime minister putin said that it willing not go through for now. it's on hold because he made that deal with the previous prime minister of ukraine who has resigned and until there is a new government, he wants to

wait and see what's going to happen, protect russia's financial interests, so to speak. it puts more pressure on ukraine, and increased pressure, as well, not just the loan on hold, but also at the borders, russians custom agents are imposing new rules again. they did that before this happened to try to pressure the deal to be accepted in the first place. it puts more and more pressure on an already beleaguured economy and government under pressure. >> german chancellor weighed in on you a crane. what did angela merkel have to say? >> she encouraged the eight craneian president, encouraging the government to try to find a way forward, to try and listen to the rifl rightful voices of e protestors and called president putin to try to help avoid

crisis. it's not the first time we've seen leaders try to pressure the kay craneian president, vice president biden has called. he is pulling out today. >> a group of fighters in syria tied to al-qaeda blamed for an attack. congress is told the war torn nation is now fertile for extremists. >> tremendous concern here for these extremists who are attracted to syria, engaging

combat, get training and now we're seeing training complexes in syria to go back to their countries and conduct more terrorist acts. >> a serious militant group with tie to say al-qaeda maybe the most serious threat to attack u.s. into peace talks taking place in geneva today. the lead negotiator saying there has been no toying progress at those talks that end tomorrow. both sides have agreed to discuss a transition in power and a pledge to get humanitarian aids into homes has yet to become a reality. two days of talks remaining actually less than that. any chance of a breakthrough? >> dell, in a word, no, u.s. officials say that shouldn't come as a surprise, we should all be patient. these are two sides that have been fighting for three years, one of the worst humanitarian

crises since world war ii. approximate everyone says be patient. at least they are talking, at the least they are on the same side and at least both sides are terribly saying that they want to talk about political transition. the only problem is the government said it first wants to end terrorism in their words and end the fighting inside syria. that's not going to happen anytime soon. the opposition is saying it's being 2-faced, even though it's willing to talk about transition. while the two sides are talking past each other here, we're seeing horrible signs that the continuing violence and suffering inside of syria. the refugee camp in damascus, 85 people have died of starvation and illness. just this morning, we're seeing scenes of the u.n. delivering 900 food parcels in there, huge crowds trying to get food, desperate to get food, but that is nowhere near what that camp

needs. on the other side, the violence is continuing. in aleppo, the government is bombing neighborhoods and areas that are either controlled by the opposition or that have supported the opposition. these are barrel bombs, bombs rolled out of the back of helicopters. they are completely in discontinual net, kill everyone in their path and destroy everything in their path. the violence is only getting worse, the suffering is only getting worse, as well. >> if the first romed o round os comes up short, what can we expect if there is a second round? >> not much. again, for the second round, third round, we will be talking about these round of talks for a year. that's what u.s. officials warn. they say that's ok. throughout these talks, they hope for small steps of progress, perhaps local piece

deals, humanitarian corridors into homes, into that refugee camp, little steps towards peace. no one expects any big break through or these talks to produce anything certainly in the next day or two, or next week or month. >> nick, thank you very much. >> tehran gets an olive branch from the swiss government. wednesday, switzerland agreed to lift partial economic sanctions on iran following partial developments in its nuclear deal. the swiss general counsel said its following the lead of the european union to suspend sanctions on the regime. the u.s. has also eased sanctions on tehran. >> here of today's headlines around the world. ohio's incumbent governor won't have a challenger from the tea party. youngstown native donald allen deciding not to run. the tea party has been a threat

to gop candidates around the country. >> scarlett johansson is stepping down as ambassador because of her involvement with the israeli company soda stream. the actress has a fundamental difference of opinion with oxfam international. >> always good to see hollywood get involved in something. >> american airlines offering veteran flight attendants $40,000 buyouts. jobs are tough. >> they are. we'll see. >> the execution of an inmate has questions raised over the lethal drug cocktail used to kill him. >> some are criticizing the method. >> google making a big belt on

motorola. >> $250 million, our big number of the day, represents a big problem facing school children around the world. see that is that (a), it's a great outlet for the guys and

>> 250 million churn are illiterate. >> the organization released the report, saying primary children are unable to read, write or do basic math. >> it could cost countries around the world this number each and every year. >> the execution of a death row inmate in missouri raising questions over the drugs used in the process. we'll look at alternatives some states are now looking at. >> first, lets look at temperatures across the nation today. meteorologist nicole mitchell is back. >> it's another cold day for the south, you can really see the dividing line in central florida where we can from single digits

to the 40's and even 60's once we get past that front. temperatures dropped down, everything all the snow and ice over the last couple days has stayed in place. today, as we get through the rest of the day, we also have temperatures that will be falling through the day. already minneapolis starting to see that trend into the teens this afternoon. temperatures have cooled on the west coast with all of that moisture coming in. that's really beneficial news. we do get above freezing not south today, then drop down below again. melting might lead to slick spots tomorrow morning on the roads. >> san francisco officials now saying that girl thrown was killed before being run over by the firetruck. the 16-year-old died when she hit the ground. that claim is based on reports from the ntsb. the city did not conduct away autopsies or cult medical experts. >> for the third time in seven

years, an italian court will render a verdict against amanda knox. the student and her boyfriend were accused of killing their roommate in 2007. knox spent four years behind bars before an appeals court reversed her conviction. knox will not be in court for today's sered. she returned to seattle. it's not clear if the u.s. would extradite knox if the court finds her guilty. >> herbert smalls has been put to death, executed by lethal injection wednesday night. the legal challenges involved the drug used to put him to death. >> herbert smalls is the sixth man executed this month by lethal injection. the legal appeals over the composition ultimately failed. >> kentucky's three drug protocol was ruled to not amount

to cruel and unusual punishment. with pharmaceutical companies refusing to allow their drugs to be used in lethal injections, states are looking for alternatives. >> dennis mcguire was executed using drugs that hadn't been tried before. it took 26 minutes for him to die after witnesses say he appeared to choke and convulse. his family is suing, calling it torture. >> are these inmates entitled to the a pain-free death no. >> the constitution does not guarantee he that, but the pain may be so protracted it would cross the line and we would say our evolving sense of decency would include that type of infliction of capital punishment. >> some states are looking to other methods. missouri state representative rick bratten introduced legislation adding a firing

squad to carry out executions. >> these cold blooded murderers turn that into the victims here. they're not the victims, they're paying the price for a crime committed against an innocent person. this is putting a rest a horrible situation. >> of the 32 states that currently have capitol punishment, all use lethal injection as their primary method. eight states could allow death by execution, three by gas chamber, three by hanging and two by firing squad. in 2010, ronnie lee gardner was executed by firing squad. >> attaching electrodes to their hands and firing 2,000 volts, thinking is humane i think is a stretch. firing squad, i think these things depend on whether they go

as planned. the problem with lethal injections is they're not going as planned. >> legal experts say regardless of the method, each has had problems and has been challenged. it is a debate straddling the fine line of what is considered cruel and unusual and what is considered just. >> smalls' lawyers trying to get the pharmacy identified. >> a massive clean up is underway on a royal caribbean could see ship. more than 600 people became silently ill on the explorer of the sea, forcing the trip to be cult short. the ship returned to new jersey on wednesday. passengers and crees suffering from the suspected narrow are virus. >> target say it knows how hackers gained personal information from customer accounts. on wednesday target saying a stolen eventual door identification was used to hack the system.

they didn't identify the vendor involved. on tuesday, the senate squooshy committed will be briefed. lawmakers were told those responsible will be found. >> disappointing earnings from big company and iters about the currency crisis in emerging markets pushing stocks lower. futures are higher right now. here is where we stand this morning: in asia, shed in 2%, european stocks necessarily active at this hour. >> the government set to release the weekly jobless claims that will report on the nation's fourth quarter gross domestic product predicting solid economic growth. the fed is pointing to the strengthening economy as it

continues to trim that stimulus program. >> google is selling the motorola smart phone business to lenovo. it bought motorola for $12 billion. google is keeping billions of dollars worth of patents. >> google, because it's a very wealthy company has lots of really smart people, has a tendency to go off in a lot of difference directions, just looking at potential markets, doing experiments seeing what will happen. in some cases, those things will be fruitful, other cases, they won't. >> google will release its latest earning reports. >> when we come back, reaching and agreement in the civil war in syria. >> the government and opposition have come to terms on a document that could set up a possible transition. >> what that could mean for

efforts to get president assad to step down from power. >> a proposal also on the table in ukraine to potentially end protests there. how it affects russia. >> we'll tell you about this prison plagued by dangerous conditions for the inmates. officials say they can't make it safe. >> coming unin sports: >> these guys have more courage in the top half of their pinky fingers than nfl mayors have in their whole boiled. >> some of our nation's veterans get a boost from former nfl players. >> you're taking a live look right now at the sunrising over met life stadium in east rutherford, new jersey where the superbowl will be played in three days. >> pretty picture.

al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america

>> good morning,. >> russia dealing a blow to the ukrainian government announcing the suspension of that aid package. we'll look at what's behind that move. >> a visit to a place some call hell on earth, a prison in brazil. we're going to take you inside that notorious facility. >> also straight ahead, the syrian government accused of demolishing thousands of homes in towns and cities across the country, images showing some neighborhoods have been completely destroyed. >> this is the suburbs of damascus. it has been fought over by the government and rebels repeatedly in the last few years. like much of syria, it presents a picture of bombed out buildings and rubble-strewn roads. new evidence suggests the destruction of property here is not an accident of war. human rights watch has compiled

a report that claims the government has been demolishing thousands of houses here and other parts of damascus and another city. the report uses these slight images to show how extensive the damage is. this is the district in hama seen in september, 2012. this is the same place one month later. this is part of the capital close to the military airport, seen in february of last year. move forward to july, and the contrast is clear. human rights watch says it has spoken to the owners of some of the properties who confirm the demolitions. the group alleges that the government has systematically targeted residential buildings in areas which support the opposition. the government says the demolitions are merely part of approved urban planning. >> i this is mass destruction of

civilian neighborhoods. what the report points out is that this is strategically done in areas where it was difficult to drive the opposition out. >> there is no evidence of demolition in areas that generally support the government. the u.n. says that 6.5 million people have been displaced inside syria and that almost 2.5 million refugees have left the country sips the war began. >> an estimated 130,000 people have been killed in fighting since it broke out thee years ago, millions forced follow their homes. wednesday, that was glimmer of hope in switzerland, syrian government and opposition agreeing to use the geneva one

come to to move forward. good morning, professor. >> good morning to you. >> assad saying he won't step down so when we talk about a glimmer of hope, are we looking at a glimmer or fool's gold? >> i don't think there's any hope, because assad has no intentions whatsoever to step down, and to begin this whole process by suggesting transitional government, i think it's the wrong start. you are not going to get transitional government at this juncture. >> you don't see assad sitting down and ruling with the people that are trying to kill him and all the members. >> that's not going to happen. that won't happen. my feeling is they should be talking at the minimum now for a ceasefire. you have to begin with ceasefire in order to allow aid, food, medicine to be given to those

who are starving to death. >> why would assad agree to a ceasefire when he's winning the ground game? >> he's winning, and exactly because of that, i think transitional government is out of the question. to be able to change the dynamic, you have to change the conditions on the ground. that is not happening. united states and russia in particular are to be focusing on how we can change the conditions on the ground so that assad will be under tremendous pressure to change direction. that is not happening. >> a famous american general once said you win a war by killing more of them than they kill of you. is that what's going on in syria right now? >> right now assad feels he can win this. he has to come to the conclusion that he cannot win, to do so, we have to -- the danger that some of these weapons may fall into the wrong hands but that's a risk we have to take. >> syria is a threat for other reasons, as well.

the director of national intelligence said this bro congress yesterday. take a listen. >> syria has become a huge magnet for extremists. first those groups who are engaged in syria itself, some 1600 different groups, we estimate somewhere in the neighborhood of between 75,000 and 110,000 of which about 26,000 we grade as extremists. >> what do you make of those comments? >> well, he's correct, but we should definitely ask the question why this came about. this came about, i think because a, the united states, president obama refused to interfere early on. we have been saying this, this is not hindsight, that is necessary to do something about that crisis, going back two years, two and a half years when nothing was done. obviously, al-qaeda and others see a vacuum and they are more than happy to come and fill it. this is what is going to happen

and that is why to talk in terms of transitional government or to think in terms of the representative of the current trouble are going to be able to influence is no going to happen. >> you think geneva is nothing more than window dressing. >> even more than that, basically they are talking about talking and nothing substantial is going to come out of these meetings unless you take drastic action on the ground. >> thanks for being with us this morning. >> thank you, my job new details are emerging about last week's shooting at a maryland mall. police say the gunman wrote about killing people in a personal diary. he also apologized to his family, saying he was sorry for what he was planning to do. he shot and killed two people inside the columbia town center mall last weekend before he took his own life. >> 88-year-old william dresser

faces murder charges after shooting his wife inside a nevada hospital. they were married 63 years. he told police he shot his wife because she was miserable, begging to die. she died heart from the gunshot wound. investigators say the apparent murder-suicide was foiled when the gun malfunctioned. >> brazil hat largest prison population in latin america. the number of people behind bars has doubled with more than half a million people inside the system. the most famous prison is overcrowded. it is filthy. as we report, things are not likely to change anytime soon. >> it's one of the largest and best known prisons in brazil or all the wrong reasons. with the capacity for 2,069 inmates, the central prison today has more than twice that number. in a country full of prisons with terrible conditions, welcome to one of the worst.

inmates make a signal with their hands which means overcrowding, closed towels and sheets hang out the window. inside the massive prison complex, inmates are stuck wherever there is room. this cell should hold four people. at night, it often sleeps as many as 10. prison officials prevented us from interviewing in mates, all of whom were removed from the cell blocks that we visited. this is a shower. it is shared by hundred was inmates. cables are stitched together for electricity. if there is fire, there is little help. >> this is the kitchen where some of of the in mates in this wing of the prison cook. as you can see, it's just filthy, dirty and worse, there's flies everywhere, there's mosquitoes and cockroaches and above here is where some raw sewage comes in from the cells above and goes out to the main patio.

>> in one of the prison yards, the infrastructure's in total clams. in the past three years, 15 inmates have died from drug overdose or other health related problems. local judges and public defenders took the case to at the human rights court to the organization of american states which asked the brazilian government to take immediate measures to improve the conditions crew there's a need to completely close the jail, to deactivate it. there's no financially viable reforms that can be done to make it suitable for the number of inmates it has. >> the state superintendent of the prison system admits the situation is in his words not ideal but says three new prisons are in the process of being built. >> i can't improve the conditions in the jail without taking those prisoners out there. the conditions and overcrowding are interrelated, but building new prisons is not something i can do from one day to the next.

>> outside the prison gates, family members of inmates bring sacks of supplies because of shortages created by overcrowding, food and even toilet paper are essential. >> if i bring toilet paper, my 19-year-old son will be able to clean himself. if i bring soap, he can take a shower. >> mothers who describe the jail as in their words hell after seeing inside, that it's description few here account argue with. aljazeera, brazil. >> the prison population the fourth largest in the world. human activists say the biggest reason for the overcrowding, delays in the garble system. >> russian officials identified suicide bombers they say are responsible for the two deadly attacks in the city of value go grad. the men are us spected of smuggling the bombers into

thety. >> ukraine's government offers anotherral live branch but anti-government protestors aren't accepting it. >> ukraines parliament is offering amnesty to protestors but say they must agree to cheer public areas within 15 days. opposition leaders call the tradeoff unacceptable. >> if people get the feeling that we will restore the constitutional law and order in the country and we decreed the power of the president and rebalance the power in ukraine, this could even somehow calm down the situation in ukraine. if no, another surge of violence. >> in another development, russian development said his country would wait until ukraine formed a new government before

releasing the $15 billion aid package agreed to last month. ukraine was expecting another $2 billion palm tomorrow. joining us is a journalist and blocker who covers cultural affairs for the moscow times. he joins us from there this morning. how is the ukraine story being covered by the russian media? >> there's basically two ways, it's being covered in a very negative fashion by the state-controlled media, and it's being covered much more openly by basically a single television station called rain. you can get all kinds of different points of view depending what you're watching. there aren't many outlets giving a clear picture of what's

happening. it's a very, very negative picture. >> how do most russians feel about events in ukraine? i know that you cover culture and some celebrities in russia have come out either for arrogance the protestors in ukraine. >> it's definitely true that there are a wide range of opinions, of course. in russia, the attachment to the state is very strong. this is something that goes back hundreds of years. people see themselves in connection with the state. it's not just a matter of the way it was in the soviet period. it was that way in the 19t 19th century and before, so you often have people who in the west would be much more liberal and much more willing to criticize the government. in russia, you often have people kind of clinging to the government, because that's what they see at their identity. however, having said that, there

is increasing numbers, there are increasing numbers of cultural lead earls who are speaking out against what is happening i in ukraine, gems the way the russian government is dealing with it and the way the media is covering it. there is a split. i don't want anybody to think this is a simple cut and dried thing where everybody thinks the same. that's not the case, of course, but an awful lot of people are coming out and speaking out against what is happening in ukraine. >> one of your colleagues wrote an opinion piece that the kremlin has a "blind spot" when it comes to ukraine. is there a. sense that putin should just cut ukraine free? >> hard to make a splat

statement on that. >> the blind spot is a good way to put it. the blind spot is also a very much general russian blind spot. russians in large numbers tend to look at ukrainians as their younger brothers, the guys that they can kind of look down on and take care of. it's been this way for hundreds of years. the ukrainian that language used to be called little russian language and ukraine used to be called little russia. these are very deep seated attitudes, so yes, indeed, there is a blind spot coming out of moscow and out of russia in general. i do think that things have happened in ukraine over the

last 10 years that have changed the country beyond the recognition of most russians. >> john freedman, journalist and blogger who covers cultural affairs for the moscow times, thank you for joining us. >> it's hard sometimes to think about the superbowl, which is why the story mark has is so important. a lot of players are using the big game as a platform to help others. >> that is true. this is a story we wanted to pass along. sports and charity have long gone hand-in-hand. since the first gulf war, athletic events have served at high profile forums to show support for our military. that a few form he nfl players are helping some of our nation's biggest heroes. >> it's the big game before the big game superbowl sunday. the wounded warrior took some nfl legends and nine first responders in new jersey,

benefiting the wounded warrior project. this game, very competitive. >> the wounded warrior football team has meant a lot for me. it got me back in physical condition to come out and may with these high level athletes. >> dan enjoys these games and he is a true hero, earning the purple heart the award. >> 9/11, i was actually swearing in in pennsylvania to join the marine corps. april went to four, 2004, i was severely injured in afghanistan due to an i.e.d. explosion, losing lie leg below the know. >> it makes me feel very small. ine in awe of the sacrifices that they've made and courage that they have. these guys have more courage in the top half of their pinky finger than nfl players in their whole boiled. >> i was injured thanksgiving, 2004, i was blown up. it's been a rough journey. i didn't see it coming. i was prepared to die or come

back. >> retired from the marine corps in 2005, in total endured 23 surgeries, and b.j. admits the journey back into a normal life wasn't easy. >> you didn't think about everything in between. it's been a little bit of a rough journey, but i've gotten life back together with help from organizations, like the fund. >> some of our servicemen and women serving now that got injured, what is your best advice? >> reach out for help and accept it. it's hard to do i. we're prideful, we're taught to adapt and overcome, but, you know, this is serious. it's better to ask for help early and receive it and work through it than let it build up and become like that piece of sand in your you shoe that turns into a huge blister. >> you have three kids. what do you hope to teach them? >> live a good life and live courageous. sometimes people throw courage

around. it's not just about running to the front lines with a gun to protect your country. it's not bullying in school, voting, paying attention to the political land scape, and doing your civic duty. i just want to teach them to live right and do what's right for everybody else. >> great advice from b.j. the team would go on to beat the nfl alumni once again 35-17, extending their winning streak to a perfect 3-0. >> one other note concerning the project, gary allen is currently in the pros of running 500 miles from bar harbor maine to met life tom to raise money for the charity he began running on last friday. great to see that, too. >> the big apple gets ready for the big grime we're going to tell you how new york has been transformed, times square

especially getting ready for the big game. >> every sunday night aljazeera america presents eye opening documentaries. they are impartial... >> if you wanted to be a good journalist in iraq, you have to risk your life... >> they observe. and report... >> kidnapping is a very real problem... >> journalists on the front line >> sometimes that means risking death >> getting the story, no matter what it takes >> that's what the forth estate is all about... that's why i'm risking my life... >> killing the messenger on al jazeera america

al jazeera america gives you the total news exper

>> good morning, to aljazeera america. >> the superbowl is almost here. we'll show you how new york city is celebrating. >> first, where it is going to rain and snow. >> we've got a couple problem spots this morning. still rain in parts of florida and we have that much-needed moisture from the western tier of the country making the roads a little slow. the midwest, we probably have one of our worst commutes this morning right around the twin cities. you can see the winter storm warnings and advisories up. outside of that, we have areas

of high wind dakota through minnesota. with all that have going on, the snow is reducing visibility significantly in some cases, minneapolis right now, we could get up to a half foot of snow. this will move quickly, visibility down to the a half mile, couple maces down to a couple hundred feet. take it slow heading out spoken. >> the superbowl will take place in new jersey, but new york city is hosting the biggest superbowl-related event. we have the story from superbowl boulevard. >> broadway, the theaters, the star names in lights, the makeup, all that's given way to a faint whiff of locker room and cheap after shave. from now until saturday, broadway's been transformed into superbowl boulevard. >> superbowl xlv, right? >> no, 48. >> anyone who's anyone in the world of football is here.

fox sports has a stand, so does espn, even the local station from seattle has shown up and they're missing the party big time back home. >> every window has a 12 flag in it or a poster. people are honking at each other, strangers hugging in the seats. we haven't seen anything like it in a long time. >> security's tight, of the if you see something, say something kind, but the fans are having a ball. [ laughter ] >> these two make a 700-mile trip every week just to support the seahawks back home. >> february 50 miles every game. >> coming to new york, that's nothing, right? >> right, a lot easier than driving 12 hours in one day. >> give us the seahawks chant. [ chancing ] >> the broncos aren't being outdone. they love new york, too. >> it's great. we don't know when this will ever happen again.

it's great, look, everybody's having a good time, the streets are packed. >> the big attraction is this, the one chance you'll probably ever get to to bog began down broadway. >> it was great, awesome. >> normally this goes from saturday to saturday, but they couldn't seal broadway and limit the cross streets that long, so this year its from now until saturday. >> all this is taking place around broadway in manhattan, the game itself takes place in new jersey. new jersey is very keen we make that clear. >> if you're coming to town for the big game, stop by mid town for a few thrills. be prepared for long lines and a word or two from the locals, who will want to engage you in conversation about the game. >> superbowl!

yeah, yeah, yeah! >> i did try to warn you. aljazeera, narc. >> 169 million people are expected to watch the superbowl. the game will be brought cast in 180 countries and in more than 30 languages. del has a look at what we're following this morning. >> can't get that image of john out of my mind. the south now thawing out from the storm that left seven dead, hundreds left stranded on the roads or at school, the mayor of atlanta now being criticized for how he handled the storm. >> a glimmer of hope from syria, in gentlemen they've is a talking about a transitional government. it says it will do so only if the opposition agrees to stop fighting. >> an appeal concerning a drug to execute an inmate.

>> we'll talk about the rebirth of the steel city. >> i'll have your national forecast. >> the morning news continues. del's back with you in two minutes. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> i was super scared. i was like if i don't get home to my parents, i'm going to freak out. >> serious questions about georgia's handling of this week's snowstorm after thousands of kids left stranded at school or on buses and drivers left ditching their cars on the highways. >> a presidential sick leave, ukraine's embattled leaders take time off as protestors push for him to step aside. >> waiting for the verdict in

the retrial of amanda knox. >> passengers who found themselves sick onboard a royal caribbean cruise line now back on solid ground and sharing their stories. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. we are following breaking news coming out of kentucky. officials saying that nine people are dead from a house fire and we're told almost all of them are children. it happened aren't 2:00 a.m. in a small town 130 miles southwest of louisville. fire officials say eight children, one adult all killed in that fire. two other people were injured and airlifted to a hospital in nashville, tennessee. we'll bring you more details on

this tragedy as they become available. >> our other top story across the south from texas to the carolina, the impact of that winter storm still being felt this morning but a slight warm up this morning could thaw things out. that storm blamed on seven deaths, the city of atlanta hard-hit. thousands of people were left stranded inside their cars at work and schools. now state and local officials facing tougher questions about their responsibilities to the storm. robert, what is the situation there this morning? i hope it is better. >> good morning, del, i would say it is better. you can see the roads behind me, that is a major interstate here that goes through atlanta, usually that is packed on a morning like this, wall to wall traffic, but you can see that there's not many people out on the roads. schools are still closed here today, the government is still shut down, many businesses telling their employees to not go to work or work from home. the roads are pretty much clear

all in all. there are shpatches of black ice, as we had a very deep freeze again overnight, still voluntary cold right now in single digits and surrounding areas, in the teens where i am now. getting back to normal as many are retrieving their cars from the interstates today. >> the mayor or local official down there, hotlanta. >> they will answer whether or not they should have closed the schools, whose responsibility is it, all the different finger pointing starting to happen now. the governor trying to deflect some of that. here's what he had to say in a

press conference. >> we all have some lessons we need to learn here from this. i think we all will take that away. whether or not the declaration would have changed the circumstances is a question i don't know the total answer to. we will talk with other democrats such as local school superintendents as to whether or not they would have made a determination on their part had a declaration been issued earlier. >> so, del, you can hear the governor trying to sort of, i guess make face for the situation now. also, the mayor of atlanta really on the hot spot as residents a lot of them pointing the finger at him saying what is the deal, why didn't you listen to forecasters, you closed school down three weeks ago because of cold temperatures, why not this team, the mayor coming back saying that he has no control over the schools,

whether or not they get closed. the roads and the highways, that's gdot's responsibility, georgia department of transportation. it's leaving people scratching their his saying mr. mayor, what is your responsibility, though he did overnight tell one of the local radio stations that in the future at least while he's mayor, expect the city to go into sort of a total shutdown if there is even the chance of a winter weather or perhaps severe weather that hits atlanta. del. >> robert ray in atlanta, thank you very much. nicole mitchell, you lived down south, within that buy this weekend, they may be back out in their shorts. >> yes, because temperatures will go back up. without the snow removal equipment and stuff that you really need, the takes the thaw to get rid of all of this. we definitely, i was there in january of 2011 when there was

an ice storm and it cripple would the city similarly. they tried to finger the forecasters for this one, but we have been predicting this all week. >> temperatures dropped overnight but rebound during the day, so today, we will finally get above freezing, that will melt some of this off and allow you to start cheering the path. residual puddles could create black ice spots. the midwest i'll talk about later this hour. moisture coming into the west coast, and that is so beneficial for this region of the country, we've had drought up and down the coastline, exceptional drought in parts of california. we see rain to snow in the higher elevations. this is last year at this time, the snow pack. this year, we've been bone dry,

the time of year we should be getting the snow. went are warnings today, mess on the road, but it's really needed snow and rain. back to you. >> new this morning, russian officials say they have now identified those suicide bombers who were spent for those two deadly attacks in the city of volgorad. they have accomplished two accomplices accused of smuggling the bombers into the city. three thee people were killed, more than 100 injured. those arrests coming just eight days before the winter olympic games set to kick off in sochi, russia. >> ukrainian president has taken sick leave. a spokesman said he suffers from high fever and respiratory illness.

protestors won't agree to the parliament afghanistan amnesty if they clear government buildings. >> i've spoken to the opposition protestors this morning. they say it is a sign of weakness, but also a sign of the president's dangerous unpredictability. while he's on sick leave, he's not legally liable for anything that goes on in the country. they're worried that could be a national that something more sinister is happening. the president did not sign the repeal of those draconian laws that made many aspects of public demonstration, of public speech illegal, so technically, those laws are still in effect. he also did not sign the amnesty law that forces people out of parliament, so another uncertain situation here in ukraine. i think the uncertainty is what makes it so dangerous. people just don't know he what to expect. protestors are very worried about this new development,

because with no president to sign laws, things are very much in limbo. >> how is the ukrainian government reacting to news that russia has now decided to suspend that aid package, $18 billion in aid? >> that is very serious news for the government who has a big deficit, that $15 billion aid package allowed ukraine to pass its budget this year. they were expecting the second part of that loan, they'd gotten $3 billion, expecting $2 billion to be dispersed this week. it has been put on hold by vladimir putin, waiting to see what hams with the government. it's russia's way of exerting pressure here. putin said that he signed this deal with the previous prime minute at her who has of course resigned. he wants to see what the new government will look like and what its stance is, but really, it is russia's way of putting pressure on ukraine. it was unhappy with a pro western stance, it put a lot of

pressure on ukraine to not sign a european union agreement, that's what started this whole problem in the first place. we see this terrible divide. russia increasing pressure to not only have they halted that aid program, but on the borders, we're seeing the custom sanctions reimposed, putting pressure on the ukrainian government. 70% of industrial exports go to russia, so still a very tense situation here. we thought this was concessions happening this week, but now seem to be back to square one. >> jennifer, thank you very much. >> an italian court set to announce a third verdict today for amanda knox, accused of killing her roommate. she is on trial along with her former italian boyfriend, both pleading not guilty, knox is not in court, she's in seattle, afraid to go back to italy that she spent four years behind bars before the court reversed her conviction in 2011. if the court convicts her again,

she could appeal at least one more time. >> there is little progress coming out of geneva today where peace talks between the syrian government and opposition leaders continue. the lead u.n. negotiator saying no big resolutions have come from the meeting which end tomorrow. both sides agreed to discuss a transition to power and a pledge to get humanitarian aid into homes but that has yet to become a reality. nick shiffrin is in geneva. any chance of a breakthrough? >> there really is no chance, in part because the two sides are speaking past each other. the opposition wants to talking about a political transition, humanitarian access, the government about terrorism. the u.s. is talking about terrorism, as well. we heard from james clapper, the director of national intelligence yesterday, describing syria as a magnet for

terrorists. we looked at this issue of foreign fighters to see how they're spreading not only in syria, but in syria's neighbors. >> in this turkish market right next to the clocks, you can buy fabric for your very own syrian rebel uniform. inside one of dozens of similar shops, military vests are $30 and there's a matching set of dagger and holder. there on the wall behind the nervous owner, a flag declaring allegiance to fighters linked to al-qaeda. inside syria, those fighters release propaganda videos flying the same flag. they're the most lethal, and successful of all the armed groups they're popular. in turkey, this man said they aren't corrupt compared to the moderate opposition. >> the islamic tate fights the robbers and thieves, he says. that's why the syrian people

support them. >> the islamic state isn't only fighting assad, also u.s. backed opposition fighters for control of the countryside and border crossings. >> the fight isn't only inside syria, it's also here at the bored are and control over all these supplies that are going into syria. it's extremely volatile fighting. until recently, this area was controlled by fighters the u.s. considered moderate but two weeks ago taken over by radical fighters. >> in geneva, assad's negotiators say those radicals means the government needs to stay in power to fight terrorism. >> the issue is to stop terrorism. >> the opposition says that's an excuse, arguing asses brutality opened the door for terrorists and syria's future is neither asses nor the radicals. >> this is a third option.

>> he was one of the first officers to defect from the syrian army. he argues without more american weapons, the rebels can't defeat assad or the radicals. >> the united states of america, he says, has let us down. so those radicals aren't going anywhere which means in geneva, the two sides will continue to disagree and in syria, the death toll will continue to mount. >> there is still so much violence, but a lot of tension here. let me just show you behind me. there was a big scrum right now just behind me, this is a woman who says that her son was killed by the regime in syria. she confronted the government just now, a lot of screaming, tension, the government defends themselves saying that he was inside of syria illegally.

we see this mother crying. it's really heartbreaking to see these scenes and just shows how much tension there is here, because yes, in two days, these talks will end, and there's a real hope that there's some beginning of a discussion, but as we discussed no real hope for a breakthrough and this tension here is much worse inside syria and the people here have to go back to syria, both sides and that war continues unabated. >> nick, thank you very much. >> anti-government protestors in thailand say they will hold rallies today and for the next few days, all in homes of derailing sunday's parliamentary elections. opposition leaders calling on others to join in the march. the protestors say though this time they won't physically block the polling stayings as they did during advanced voting last week. demonstrators are hoping to overthrow the government. more than 10,000 troops are expected to be on those streets sunday. >> hundreds of across ship passengers back on solid ground

after falling sick onvasion. what royal caribbean is offering that may not make them feel better. >> some call it mercy, others murder. lawmakers set to vote on a bill allowing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. >> we have companies. tens of thousands of people that didn't exist 30 years ago when we began. >> also how this city in america turned its economy around rebuilding from near ruin. >> you are looking live at met life stadium in new jersey. they are getting ready to host the superbowl and it will probably be warm enough to do so this sunday.

struggling to feel safe at work. >> south africa's economy was

>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. that we'll tell you a story of ruin to rebuilding, one city's economic recovery a model for other cities to follow. first, much-needed snow and rain in the west. nicole mitchell is here with that. >> temperatures are cooperating. we are going to see what is

lingering in the south with temperatures still in the single digits and teens this morning, getting up over today, that will help. the rain in the west has dropped temperatures in this section of the country. we're going from the 20's in minnesota this morning into the teens this afternoon with that next system coming through. these are these above-freezing temperatures, atlanta toward fort's, 50's and 60's for the weekend. anything that melts today, if there's lingering water on the road, we do drop back below freezing overnight, that could lend to other areas of black ice. those temperatures warm nicely, even more into the day tomorrow. back to you. >> herbert smalls was executed last night after the supreme court denied his final appeal. the inmate shot and killed a jewelry store owner in 1991, his lawyers asking the high court to block the execution, arguing the state would not release the source of the drug to kill him.

that drug may have been tainted because it was stored at room temperature. >> a massive choneup on a cruise ship, more than 600 people becoming ill, forcing their trip to be cut short. it returned to new jersey wednesday. all of those believed that they were sickened by a norovirus. i understand this trip is headed back out to sea. >> it is, del, royal caribbean has workers cloning this massive ship from top to bottom. they started cleaning before they docked the ship. it will be going right back out to sea tomorrow. >> workers are cleaning to remove any remaining traces of the illness that sickened hundreds of passengers. the cdc said passengers suffered

vomiting and diarrhea consistent with the norovirus. some waited six hours to get into the infirmary. >> half the boat couldn't get into the medical units. there were too many people sick. you couldn't get into the health facilities. a lot of people self quarantined. >> it was violent for about 24 hours. the first 12-14 hours of it was really, really bad and then, but you never felt better for four days. >> the ship docked in new jersey after the 10 day cruise was cut short by two days. one person was taken off the ship on a stretcher an attorney away by ambulance. the company is offering compensation, 50% off the current cruise and another 50% off a future cruise. as far as this ship goes, the next cruise is still on schedule to leave in 24 hours. >> it is fully sanitized before our next guests get on on friday. the methods that have been so effective in controlling this

virus once we understood it was happening. >> nearly 600 of the 3,000 passengers got ill, along with 50 crew members. despite a sickening experience at sea, some passengers are praising the crew. >> i mean we really fear that there would be some kind of activity, but the cruise line handled it so well. they had sessions where they listened to people's complaints. the captain listened to people threaten his life, and he was so good about it. >> it has not been confirmed that it was the norovirus, but this has been the culprit on cruise liners before, because it is highly contagious. you can catch this virus by coming into contact with the infected person or by touching a contaminated surface or eating or drinking contaminated food or water. >> i have a lot of people right now probably wondering how can

you disin effect a huge ship with such dishe effectant and you're only looking for such a little, tiny virus. >> it really seems incredulous. look at this thing, it's massive. it really is a serious feat. you're talking about 15 passenger decks, 1400 elevators, three swimming pools, they've got a mini golf on this ship, they also have, you know, an ice skating rink, so this thing really is a huge ship, so it almost seems like something that would be impossible to take on, but royal caribbean is insisting they are going to be ready to ship out tomorrow. >> erika, thank you very much. >> president obama is traveling across the country today, pushing his agenda that he laid out during his state of the union address, first up rusing income inequality, wanting to increase the national minimum wage saying it would be good for

work e and their bosses. >> if i pay my workers a good wage, they can buy my product, i make more cars, ultimately i'll make more money. >> the president promising to sign an executive order if congress does not raise the minimum wage. at a steel plant in pennsylvania, the president announced a new retirement plan. he did so in a city proud of its come back. >> alicia is among a number of entrepreneurs launching start ups in pits power. >> it is an interesting city. it was never on my list of maces that i dreamed i would live in. >> but it's here in a region known as the nation's rust belt where this 42-year-old wife and mother is trying to make her dream a reality. in 2012, she started a company called truly accomplished. it's a web-based operation that helps people organize their lives and their businesses.

>> if you have a good idea that can be proven in the midwest, and in pittsburgh especially, you can usually be very successful in every other market. >> it wasn't always this way. thirty years ago, pittsburgh was at its worst as the city lost most of its steel, the economy here collapsed. over 100,000 jobs were lost. a quarter mill people moved out. >> it was really a steel depression in the early 1980's, and pittsburgh had a long road to come back. >> bill flanagan heads the city's leading community development organization. he says after the economic bust, reinvention was key in moving pittsburgh forward. health care, education, technology, and financial services fuel the economy here now. >> now we've got hundred was companies employing tens of thousands of people that didn't even exist 30 years ago when we began. >> however, with unemployment

hovering just above 6%, a regional economist at the university of pittsburgh says there's still a lot of work to do. >> i think the challenges remain in some of the core mill towns in the region, certainly the places where steel was, the valley and communities have not been able to move past the worst of the job loss. >> in light of that, bill flanagan says the focus now is to educate, train and attract enough people to meet the demand of that jobs that entrepreneurs like alicia have to offer. >> the cool thing about being part of an entrepreneur community is when you do something great, what's exciting is that other people come to support you and am might have it. >> which can lead to more opportunities, and more economic growth. >> the president's visit to the pittsburgh area gave him the opportunity to drive home the message that he brought forth during his state of the union

address. there will be more tops to come. aljazeera. >> the president plan to say visit wisconsin and tennessee. google is selling its motorola smart phone business for almost $4 billion. it bought it for $12 billion. google will be keeping billions of dollars of patents. one analyst said google will just shrug off the purchase. >> google has lots of really smart people, has a tendency to go off in a lot of different directions, just looking at potential markets, doing experiments and seeing what will happen. in when cases, those things will be fruitful and in other cases, they won't. >> after the close, google will release it's latest earnings report as will amazon. >> disappointing earnings from big companies pushed stocks

down. futures are higher right now. >> in asia, stocks following the lead of u.s. markets the. >> the government set to release the weekly jobless claims predicting solid economic growth. the fed is pointing to the strengthening economy as it pulse back economic relief. >> a controversial move that will make assisted suicide legal. where it's happening and why some say it allows terminally ill patients to die with dignity. >> president obama taking the

diplomatic route with iran that could affect major politics in the region. >> the superbowl count continues. a who can a the a seattle sea hawks player that has overcome adversity and become a you tube sensation along the way.

>> welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the top stories we're following this hour. we have anup date on that deadly fire in kentucky, officials saying nine were killed, most children. that fire breaking out early this morning 130 miles southwest of louisville. eight children, one adult among the dead, two other people had to be airlifted to a hospital in nashville. 11 people were living inside that house. >> atlanta mayor taking heat for

the way he handled that storm that brought snow and ice to oh the deep south. thousands were left stuck on roads, more than a million commuters and school children trying to get home at the same time after that tomorrow. >> ukraine's president taking sick leave, the surprising that announcement made after the country's parliament granting amnesty if demonstrators agree to leave government buildings and they have rejected that offer. >> an 88-year-old man accused of killing his 86-year-old wife in the hospital in nevada. the couple were married for 63 years. he add miss he shot her, but did so because she was paralyzed, miserable and begging him to let her die. he also tried to take his own life, but the gun malfunctioned. >> quebec could become one of the few maces that would allow doctors to help terminally ill patients die. as we report, it's called dying with dignity, but not everyone is in favor of the idea.

>> i'm not afraid of dying. i could make that addition tomorrow. >> one of his country's top microbiologists donald lowe died after this video was shot. it was a may to allow terminally ill people like him to choose whether to ask their doctors to help them kill themselves. >> in canada, it's legal and it will be a long time where we accept dying with dignity. >> miss wife maureen was with him when he died. >> if you're in that situation, you should be allowed to die a peaceful death of your own time and choosing. we very much believe that you should be well enough to do this on your own. >> so euthanasia's illegal in canada, but in quebec, they're trying to change that with a new bill that allows some terminally

ill people to choose to end their lives. >> the dying with dignity bill was introduced with cross party support. the minister behind it has spent years campaigning for such a law. >> i felt it was our responsibility to attack this issue, to really look at all that was involved at the kind of life, of course, concerning possible medical aid in dying, but also concerning the best health care you can provide to people at the end of their life. >> poms show three quarters of people in quebec favor the bill. a mall number of doctors agree that prolonged suffering at the end of a patient's life should not be the only option before them. >> i always question the fact that as doctor, we have a lot of power in our technology and all that, and we bring people to a certain point, and then after that when we don't have anything

to do, we just leave them alone. >> there is opposition not least from the roman catholic church which has long opposed any form of euthanasia. some doctors expressed unease. that this specialist said her job is to help patients live, not-day. >> this is not good for medicine, not good for patients. this is something that is being imposed on us by the politicians. they want to redefine our profession and institutionalize in quebec killing patients and calling it health care. >> the federal government staunch get against quebec's move. the bill might just become law sometime in 2014. >> danes supreme court will hear a case on assisted suicide. >> tehran getting annal live branch from the swiss government relieving sanctions against

iran. financial agreements are temporary, but could become permanent if iran agrees to curb its nuclear program for good. >> turkey's prime minute at her wrapping up a two day visit to tehran, traveling to strengthen ties between the two long time rivals who are divided over the conflict in syria and egypt. good morning, mr. ambassador. >> good morning, thanks for having me. >> a u.s. you government official recently traveling to the region warning that iran is not yet open for business. how concerned is the u.s. about turkey extending the olive branch to tehran. >> at this moment, we see nothing new that would challenge the sanctions. turkey and iran have been rivals for sometime, major disagreements over syria and particularly iraq. they are voluntary chose trading

partners, turkey he getting 20% of its gas and oil from iran, and iran is turkey's third largest market. with the advent of a more moderate president, rouhani in iran and first step agreement with the international community on the nuclear account, turkey is simply trying to cover its bets by improving relationles somewhat. this is not a bad thing, necessarily, it will work against our fear that the region could fall into a sunni, shia divide, but needs to be watched. >> turkey and the u.s. have had a long relationship, allies at the end of the cold war. in the 1990's, turkey remained close to the u.s. after the september 11 attacks and president obama visited back in 2009. when you were there, what was the nature of the relationship between the u.s. and turkey and has it gotten worse? >> it has its ups and downs, but

almost impossible to do a competent middle east policy without turkey. we now have american and other nato patriot batteries protecting turkey's health with spillover from syria and agreed to put nato radar protecting from rocket attacks in the future. relations remain close and good. we do have disagreements on a few things, but they're managed. >> that is for now. if turkey and iran move choser together, how do you think they're going to feel about that strategic relationship with the united states? >> well, iran knows that turkey is a nato member, that turkey that very important releases with the united states, with europe, with whom iran has a customs union. again, there are limits. turkey wants cheaper gas. the price they pay is higher

than what they pay a an azerbai. >> with what about the turkish-iranian relationship, however back does that go? >> it goes back thousands of years, from the 15th, 16t 16th century to the modern era. the dynasty fought numerous wars along the borders basically iraq and eastern turkey. they have had a long, long relationship, at times turbulent, at times fairly peaceful. these are rifles for leadership in the middle east and that will not change. >> is naive for americans to believe that somehow turkey and iran should remain far apart as the u.s. and iran move closer together? >> it's in the interest of the united states and the whole world that iran become

integrated more into the international community. if better relations with turkey can lead to iran doing so, then we all benefit. >> thank you for being with us this morning. that is ambassador james jeffrey. >> we have an update now on michael schumaker injured last month skiing in the french alps. the seven time champion is now being brought out of his coma. he was badly injured when he struck his head skiing. he has had two surgeries to remove blood clots on his brain and recently upgraded to stable condition from critical. doctors credit his helmet with saving his life. >> we are fast approaching superbowl weekend, w we have a preview of the big game in the big apple, or new jersey. >> make sure you say the game is in new jersey. with two weeks between the games, these two are ready to

get back at it how to. with media day behind them, the teams got down to business and began their superbowl week preparations in earnest wednesday. the seahawks held a 90 minute practice at the new york giants facility in the shadow of met life stadium, but opened several doors to let the cold air in to simulate somewhat what the temperatures would be expected to be during the game, hikely the 30's. the broncos put in their paces outside in the new york jets facility. denver ran through about a 90 minute workout, as well and broncos quarterback peyton manning looking for his second superbowl title continues to bepressioned about his legacy. >> i think it's healthy to take some time to reflect and smell the roses and you know, this legacy question that keeps popping up, i guess i had a little more time to think about i. if i had my choice, what my legacy would be would be that i played my butt off for every

team that i ever played on, that i was a really good teammate and that i did everything i could to win. if that, whatever happens along in that time is fine with me, but those are things that i care about. >> seattle running back marshawn lynch did not speak to the media throughout the regular season and chatted for just over six minutes during media day. to keep from being fined by the nfl, he made himself available yesterday for about seven minutes. teammate michael robinson stepped in to help. >> how does marshawn feel about this? >> he hasn't talked to you guys for most of his life. he just wants to play ball. >> michael, how would you define? >> it's a lifestyle, boss. >> michael, how does marshall feel? >> he loves before the game, boss. >> is there some kind of soberological aspect?

>> now many nfl players who make it to the superbowl have become obstacles along the way, but derrick coleman is unique, legally deaf and wears two hearing aids. he is the only deaf player in the nfl. seattle head coach pete carrol said his hearing impairment has never hindered his play on the field. the battery featured him in an ad this month. >> i was picked on and picked last and now i'm here with a lot of fans in the nfl cheering me on and i can hear them all. >> i can hear the quarterback, i can actually hear it, but when it gets loud or a lot of background noise, the hearing aid is an amplifier or microphone, so you hear everything. that's when i go into my lip

reading phase. i just, the quarterback knows to look at me whenever he's saying something important or if he turned around in the middle of the huddle. >> you just saw a little bit of that commercial. that spot has been viewed more than 12 million times on you tube. that's a wrap in sports. >> i have seen that spot. it is absolutely incredible. >> it is terrific, right? >> the superbowl more than just a game, it is also about all of those ads, advertisers shelling out millions to get their message outs. this year, however, you might see something different. we report. >> that's an m&m working in one of the many bold commercials you will see in superbowl forth eight. companies are paying $4 million for each 30 second ad. the price of a commercial has increased 70% since 2004. a volkswagen marketing executive, at 60 seconds, the

company's ad is twice as long as most. >> i don't look at it as one single opportunity, let's calculate the return. we know that they live on forever on the internet, on you tube. >> the top five biggest superbowl advertisers are anheuser-busch, hyundai, pepsico pushing ad spending to more than two monday. >> companies are trying to inspire stockholders and intimidate competitors by playing a role in the biggest party in the country. i'm in new york city's times square, transformed into superbowl boulevard. the ads do get strange, like this one featuring david beckham running around nearly naked. john carrol said these ads are like mythical cam pages for companies that start via social immediated i can't. >> it becomes this escalating

war of entertainment and production values and less and less of the original intention of advertising, which is actually to sell product. >> actually political organizations are taking cues from fortune 500 companies and jumping on the superbowl bandwagon. elected officials and super pacs will air ads in local markets on game that's. public records show michigan governor rick snyder is spending $400,000 on one ad and the committee airing commercials thanking ted cruz for attacking obamacare. >> there are candidates running right the before and of a the superbowl. >> colorado, florida, iowa, nevada, new hampshire, north carolina, ohio and virginia will be mixed into spectacles like laurence fishburne, or body builders running through the

streets for go daddy. of course there's that working m&m. >> the number of americans filing new claims for unemployment rising more than expected last week, initial claims rising by 19,000, the government says, though, the economy continues to grow, the gross domestic product rising. rising exports an household spending behind. >> taking a step back in time, we go inside an old movie house, now a fading petition of afghanistan history. >> this scare in the air for a group that of offends sky diving caught on camera. how quick action saved the life of one of them knocked unconscious.

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>> we have an update on that deadly fire in kentucky. a number of people have been killed, many of them children, that fire breaking out this morning 130 miles southwest of louisville. 11 people lived inside the house. we are joined by phone with a spokesperson for the kentucky state police, handling the investigation. we were told nine people died, but that may not be the case. can you update us on the numbers that you are receiving at this time? >> there were a total of 11 people in the house, two parents, and then their nine children. out of those 11, two have flown to the medical center for treatment, leaving us with nine

we believe inside the residence. at the present time we do ever six confirmed dead and we are looking for the other three victims. >> a tragic fire, can up tell us anything about how it may have started and i guess the question at this time of queer, was weather a factor no. >> weather might have been a factor, the temperatures were extremely cold last night and early this morning. it does not appear suspicious in nature, however, it's too early to tell or pinpoint what the actual cause of the fire was. our investigators at this time are looking for the remaining victims and also sifting through the residence to determine what caused the fire. >> those two people taken to the hospital, were they children or were they adults and what do we know about their condition. >> well, we just try to check on their condition, and we were unable to get an update. we do know one was an adult, however we don't know whether that was a male or female.

one was a child. >> thanks for bringing us up to date. another reminder this time of year, always check your space heaters to make sure not only do they keep you warm but also keep you safe. let's turn to nicole mitchell to find out whether or not we're going to see any break in the weather. >> that's a good reminder. sometimes if the heat isn't quite doing its job or if it's out, people will use space heaters. you need to be careful, never use the oven to try and heat your house. you just need to be careful out there. we have more cold air, because the same system that is bringing the snow to parts of the midwest has already been dropping temperatures for places like minnesota. tomorrow morning, we're going to have temperatures and wind chills running possibly 20 below zero. already, we're seeing snow. some maces isolated, getting

six-inches of snow and with the winds, visibility is way down. this is spreading into wisconsin. we have storm advisories and warnings across the region. the west coast, it will cause some problems. if you haven't had ryan in a while on the road, there can be oil build-up, so even a little rain can make it slick. this is really needed moisture in the part of the country that has drought up and down the coastline. we have rain through central california through washington and for higher elevations, it is snow. that will help with the snow pack and moisture issues. i want to pension just a little rain this morning in parts of florida. >> they'll take the rain, but not the ice. >> decades of war in afghanistan changing the way people go about their daily lives. kabul movie theater once the

place to be. they're now losing their luster. we have the story from kabul. >> time almost stands still here. at the park cinema, they show old hollywood movies, using antique tools of the trade. the cinema long outdates its workers. technology and a rapidly changing society has kill would the buzz around watching films on the big screen. it wasn't just modernity killing cinema-going in afghanistan. decades of war destroyed a culture of communal socializing, pushing people back into their homes and into a mindset that still remains. generations of afghans used to come here to watch movies, the theater itself has hardly changed in 50 years, but the current generation are less keen to come here to watch films and end up playing to an empty

house. >> muhammed remembers how up market the mace once was. >> this cinema, i remember, it was very deluxe and limited. people would come with their families here. this was hardly a free seat. everything was perfect, carpet, curtains, there was lighting on the stairs. it was full of men and women. >> while the rest rushed to modernize, the park cinema stayed locked in its past. few investors wanted to throw their money into something now so unpopular. it remains open simply because the government covers its most basic costs. now a crumbling attribute to a culture lost. >> movies in afghanistan were banned under the taliban from

1996-2001. >> a sky diver most 12,000 feet above the ground in that video is from the helmet cam p.m. you can see the camera shake. one of his fellow sky divers, his leg hit him in the head. he was knocked out, unable to open his parachewed. his friends grabbed him and deployed the chute. he has absolutely no memory of what happened. we'll keep it rolling. just take a look. i'm del walters, more news in two and a half minutes.

for america. >> outrage in atlanta over a frigid response to a snow storm. >> should college football players unionize. i'm antonio mora, welcome to "consider this". here is more of what is ahead. >> he was a former u.s. soldier, accused of spying. >> they have. >> judgments. >> against. >> one way for iranians to demonstrate they s