check check >> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm jonathan betz with a look at today's top stories. secretary of state john kerry encourages a fight for democracy while meeting with leaders of the ukraine opposition. >> elections in thailand - violent clashes. >> n.f.l.'s biggest game of the year kicks off tomorrow. we look inside a league that makes $9 billion and pays no taxes. >> and an eruption in indonesia - several killed as a volcano unleashes lava and

deadly clouds of gas. >> ukraine's protesters received validation today. they sat side by side with western powers pledging support. john kerry says the u.s. backs what he calls their fight for democracy. you are looking at live pictures of independence square in the capital. protesters have been rallying for more than two months. tens of thousands of ukrainians have been demonstrating across the country. the battle putting russia and u.s. on opposing sides. jennifer glasse joins us with more. john kerry met with the opposition. did they get what they want? >> well, i think they got some words. they got a lot of support. it was important as they met with the u.s. secretary of state, a big boost. it shows supporters in ukraine, that they do have backing from

big-time international documents, but i think they would like to see more concrete support, and they really kind of need the help. one of the opposition leaders, vitaly klitschko, the former heavy wait boxer, places the blame in ukraine firmly on the shoulders of the president. >> just one person who is responsible for all this, who can stop the escalation, the person, president of ukraine. he has absolute power in his hands. he have absolute responsibility for everything that happens also. >> and the opposition are calling on president viktor yanukovych to call early elections or step down. he has shown no indication that he's going to do that. things are really at an impasse, a conflict, tens of thousands of demonstrators, the government showing no inclinations, it wants to make concessions and

everyone wonders what could happen. >> it got kerry's endorsement basically - is there a clear way forward now? >> well, you know, i think we'll get a sense tomorrow on independence square. there's a big rally. opposition leaders will be back from munich, bringing back the messages, any concrete they might have gotten. we haven't heard of any concrete. we'll see how many people come out on the square. it's the first bike demonstration in independence square two weeks ago. that's when it turned violent and when negotiations began. when we see the support, the reaction of the people, and what their plans are we'll get a sense of where this goes next. an uncertain situation in ukraine tonight. the opposition facing off against the government still, and, of course, everybody concerned about what russia might do, russia complaining about the united states and european involvement, so, really, anything could happen.

>> okay. we'll see what happens. >> ira glass -- jennifer glasse live in ukraine. >> let's talk more about this with our guest. how productive was it for secretary kerry to meet with the ukrainian opposition? >> i don't think it was, or not to meet and side with them in this stand off and say this is a fight for democracy. what ukraine needs is a political compromise that can end the confrontation and they need the united states and europeans to help. it doesn't help to say it's democracy to remove a democratically elected president through street confrontations, which would be a recipe for turmoil, leading to a dangerous press dent. i think this is a mistake.

i think that all sides need to take a step back and try to find a negotiated solution, and paint this as the people against the regime in a bol chevic depiction only exacerbating the tensions. >> the fact that the united states is thinking about sanctions, what do you think of that? >> i don't think it will help. some visas have been revoked against some unnamed officials. seems the europeans are less willing to impose sanctions. but, you know, this relates to what mr vitaly klitschko said in the lead-up piece that the responsibility for the violence is in president viktor yanukovych's hands. certainly there's a problem with violence and excessive force coming from the government side. there are violent people, extreme people with the street

protest that are committing acts that if they were committed in washington would land you in gaol and subject you to rough treatments. >> also, the news that came out this week, in the fact that activists, opposition leaders have been tortured - is that not the right approach from the united states to urge a change in leadership, in the president until administration there. >> no, i don't think having a regime change will occur. i think the international community and all ukrainians should agree on is find out who is responsible for these things and prosecute them even as excess among protesters that violate civilized norms or legal standards. >> you study the region and are familiar with what is happening. what is the way out? what is a reasonable expectation here. >> a reasonable expectation has a couple of elements. one is a notion that ukraine

must choose between europe and russia, is unrealistic. ukraine cannot do that. it is a diverse, divided country, different definitions about what ukraine is, and force them to choose will tear the country apart. the other, as i say, they need to find a compromise political solution, that reserves order and restore peace in the country. there's a political deal that needs to be reached and the outside power should be helping them do that. >> i'll push them further on that. what do you think the political solution looks like. what does a compromise look lick. >> the president had offered the prime ministership to one of the opposition leaders that was turned down. mr vitaly klitschko who met with mr kerry is another mentioned as a prime minister. there's talk of reverting to a government based on the 2004 constitution, which was more of a mixed presidential

parliamentary system instead of the current presidential system. maybe there could be an agreement on new elections. a number of things could be put on the table, but they need to back away from violent confrontation. >> the american institute in ukraine. thank you for you time today. >> gun fights broke out a day before thailand's general election as anti-protesters tried to stop the distribution of ballots. we have more from bangkok. >> this is the build up to sunday's election that everybody in thailand had feared. these people have moved down the road are anti-government protesters, coming from a central bank cock stage to join -- bangkok stage to join another group down the road. in the area is a pro-government group, as the protesters move down, there has been gun fire coming from somewhere and

explosions. there's little security. some soldiers are unarmed and police. very little security at the moment. the protesters moving down the road. this was an area of bank cock that the security forces - military and police, warned could see violence on election day. we haven't reached a day and a lot of gun fire and explosions here. >> wayne hay in a tense bangkok. >> one of the leaders in thailand is telling his followers not to vote. demonstrators say the election is not enough. they want the upelected council to be installed. veronica pedrosa has more about the vote and what it means for its people. >> hours before snapelections are held in thailand polling stations like this one have been set up across the country. noticeboards have gone up to show people who the various candidates are. there are lists of registered voters and party lists as well.

49 million people across thailand are registered to vote. this will be interesting to see how many are actually able to vote because of the threat by anti-government protesters that have been escalating for months to obstruct the election process. the police have already said that they expect voting to go smoothly in the north and north-east central parts of thailand, but bangkok and the south may see real problems. >> this is an election that is not so much about which party wins the most votes. it's clear to everyone that the party that is currently running the government, led by prime minister - caretaker prime minister yingluck shinawatra is the most popular party. they won elections handily the last few ballots. what it's more about is how many

thai people make a point of exercising their right to vote. and, therefore, the election is more of a litmus test of the ordinary thai persons aspirations for a truly electoral democracy. >> veronica pedrosa on a big day in thailand. >> moving to the syrian peace talks. they'll resume in 10 days. the violence wears on as the two sides pause. we have the latest. >> as diplomacy in geneva takes a break, the fighting in syria continues. this is aleppo on saturday. a suburb after being hit with barrels filled with explosives, dropped from a syrian army helicopter. >> translation: they dropped four or five barrels on us. i was in my house with my family.

i'm back from the family. my mum is under the rubble - dead, in pieces >> attacks intensified across the country, killing 60 people on friday. government forces targeted opposition strongholds in several areas. explosive barrels seem to be the weapon of choice by the syria army. a barrel fell in front of activists. eastern damascus got its shares as well. barrels fell on residential areas, causing death and destruction on a large scale. >> air raids targeted the northern suburbs of hama and hit other cities, causing civilians to flee. the rebels, for their part, say they have made gains on the

ground in several areas. in the golan height they have advanced, expelling assad troops and capturing weaponry. tanks were used to stop government forces going into areas. the al qaeda-linked state of levant says it has taken several army checkpoints out of aleppo. after years of fighting, it's clear there is no likely winner. after the long days of talks in geneva, the sound of war is louder than the calls for peace. >> a suicide car bomb has killed four people, happening along the lebanese syrian boarder. it's one of a series of attacks linked to rebels.

this is the fourth attack this year. >> police are on the lookout for a spike in sexual trafficking ahead of the super bowl. the concern may be unfounded. the global alliance against trafficking and women says there's no evidence linking big event to a rise in trafficking crimes. more often it happens out of site. >> each morning 19-year-old karen looks in the mirror next to her bed. >> translation: i say i am strong and will not allow someone to put me down >> finding the courages to face herself is not easy. karen is a survivor of sex trafficking karen was raped as many as 25 times a day by different men, sold into prostitution by her boyfriend.

>> translation: he took me to mexico city where girls stand on the sidewalks and i had to prostitute myself. >> after six months of being raped and beaten karen escaped. today she lives in this safe house in tijuana, mexico. >> little by little i'm trying to forget the nightmares and everything i went through. i'm trying to forget. >> so are the seven other girls who live here, all underage. some abused since the age of two. after being rescued the girls are placed in the care of alma tucker, a san diego resident who crosses the border to run the safe house with other volunteers. >> one of the things we are doing is providing basic needs. we have a school right here in the facility. but also some of the volunteers gym zumba classes, self-defence.

they are learning english. >> sex trafficking is a crime that is underreported and oftentimes happens in the hope. here in tijuana's red light district, this is where supply meets demand. on the streets women and girls are bought and sold into prostitution every day. >> exact numbers are hard to come by. it is estimated there are tens of thousands of victims in the country. alma tucker's safe house is one of two such places in all of mexico. >> a lot of people see what we do. they don't want to hear about it. it's hard to hear. one girl is sexually abused 25 times a day, and everything is taken away from them - their childhood, peace, dreams. then when they are here, we focus on the person, and see how we can bring up those dreams again. >> since being rescued 19-year-old karen is remembering her dreams, and what is feels

like to laugh and to believe in something again. her future. >> in spain the abortion debate is back. the government announced plans to roll back a law allowing women to determinate their pregnancy in the first 14 weeks. >> this is a 30-year-old until mother of one child living in spain. she recently found out she was pregnant. her reaction... . >> translation: when i discovered i was pregnant i knew what i didn't want. >> she spoke to us after she had a procedure to terminate her pregnancy, something that she is able to do under spanish law. that right is now under threat. >> translation: it's not right that the government take the decision for us. we are not talking about a car or short-term job. it's something that affects your life. >> spain's association of

ginoocologists say it's a backward step for women. >> abortions are going down. it will still have the same case of abortions. what changes is in it's legal or illegal, is if you are have safe abortions or not. >> the draft rule radically restricts current terms for abortion. if passed women who have been raped or in danger would qualify for a termination. even then they would need permission from two doctors to abort. the justice minister is arguing it's about the rule of law. he's arguing that the current law is anti-constitutional. while the changes may apiece the right wing, rulers of the people's party are voicing

opposition to it. >> some are divided. pro-life activists have been campaigning for the law to go ahead. >> we'll do as much as we can. bell demonstrate, rallying, writing letters to the prime minister, being in the media, social networks to make sure that the prime minister understands that there is a majority of spaniards who voted for him and want him to fulfil his commitment. >> spain is a secular country, the roman church casts a shadow. the majority of the european parliament condemned the move. after years of a law supporting a women's right to choose, this will not be an easy issue to convince the country otherwise.

>> still to come how a bug is blamed for a food allergy. >> the league that created super bowl earns $9 billion a year - so why doesn't it pay taxes?

>> former chicago major richard daly is in intensive care. he was feel disoriented on a flight from arizona. an ambulance picked him up from the chicago airport and took him to the north-western hospital. he's undergoing tests. >> this flu season mostly spared those most vowel nerable to it -- vulnerable to it - the old and young. it is taking a toll on healthy adults. >> mary already got her flu shot for the year. when she found out a relative in his 40s is in hospital with the flu, on a respirator, she got a

pneumonia shot. >> he looked healthy a week ago. >> how bad is it this year? >> worse than years past. >> this doctor of rush university medical center says the hospital saw double the number of flu cases compared with the average year. illinois is one of 39 states where the centres for disease control is labelling the outbreak as widespread. it's not just the higher number of cases, this strain of flu, the h1 n 1 is hitting patients hard. the number needing to go on a ventilator is twice the number of last year. older people may have built you have a tolerance to h1 n 1 after outbreaks in "77 and "79. >> the million dollar question that the center for disease control is looking at, they have not noticed changes to the virus

itself. >> the good news is before this year's flu season started researchers developed a flu vaccine tackling the h1n1 virus. this week the c d.c. upgraded the flu upgrade to widespread in new jersey. a lot of people in close quarters at the super bowl doesn't help. there's no way to predict whether the virus will get worse this year or any year. >> a concern that we fear is the mutating virus or the virus though changes to become more vir lent. >> for the first time ever flue shots were mandatory for some employees. >> there are things we can do to prevent the flu - happened

washing. coughs and sneezes. >> i have little ones at home, a son who is six and a daughter who is four. we deal with different customers, and money is dirty. i don't want to take anything home. >> in some cases the flue can progress to pneumonia. while those shots are not recommended, mary doesn't want to leave things up to fate. >> i intend to be around for a while. >> and doctors across the southern u.s. are worried about a potentially severe new food allergy. jonathan martin reports they have seen a spike in patients allergic to meat. >> for september norman, it came on fast, and could have killed her. the allergic reaction startled her awake at three in the morning. >> i could feel my lips and tong swelling. i told my husband that something was wrong. >> what she didn't realise was

she was having an allergic reaction to red meet, brought on by a tick bite she had weeks before. >> it's among the food allergies, particularly in the south-east. the bite let her to develop a metal ergey, which can -- meet allergy, which can cause healthy adults develop a reaction, ranging from hives to respiratory arrest it death. >> when i eat meet i'll go into anna fall abbing tick shock. if i do not have an enny pen, which i have to walk around with, i will dive. >> university researchers made the connection a few years ago. the alphagal allergy emerged in tennessee, virgin , north carolina and arkansas. 2012 people were diagnosed.

it was blamed on the tick and blood tests providing detection. this man is living with this allergy, a red meat lover, unable to eat meat he satisfies his claiming in emu. it's red but it poulty. he started an emu form. >> i found emu as an awesome healthy tasty meat. i was hooked on it. i couldn't find enough of it to buy. one thing lead to another. we thought we night start an emu farm. >> there's no treatment for this allergy. if you are diagnosed, the only way to avoid an attack is to avoid products which contains meat by-products, containing many things that are not meat,

from the flue vaccine. >> the lone star ticket is the in north-east. the allergy could take off there as well. >> there's a lot more ahead on al jazeera america, including a deadly volcanic eruption shocking parts of indonesia. and the painful process of returning to north korea - one man's journey to reunite with his family.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. here are the top stories. >> new jersey governor chris christie made the rounds for the super bowl but steered clear of the bridge gait scandal. information suggests he knew will plans leading to the closure of the george washington bridge, allegedly to punish a town that did not support him. >> a gun battle ahead of elections in thailand. demonstrators have been fighting with the government for months.

they are telling followers not to vote. >> protesters in ukraine met as tens of thousands protested in the streets. secretary of state john kerry supports their fight for democracy. >> the united states is backing plans for political freedom. russia accused the west of having double standard and condemning violent protests. >> it's a long way from the barricades of kiev, but ukraine is dominating the gathering of the great and good in munich. it's at the center of a strategic struggle. these figures are here to ask for support, amid fears that authorities are about to crackdown. >> we expect support for ukraine, support for democratic moments. everyone wants to see ukraine as

modern european country. it's the main goal. so many people now, especially in the ukraine does not see us as european country. they have another way. hundreds of thousands of demonstrations, almost three months demonstrating for european unions. >> it's clear where u.s. sympathies lie. >> the vast majority of ukrainians want to live freely in a safe and prosperous country, and they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realise their aspirations and they have decided that that means their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerce said. >> no prizes for guessing he means ukraine having the right to forge closer ties with europe and be free of russian dom face.

russia's prime minister is here to protect his influence of what he regards has his sphere of influence. he accuses the e.u. of stirring up trouble. trance. >> translation: why don't we condemn those that seize buildings, who fight the police. >> the crisis is causing tensions between russia and europe, the latter backed by the u.s. it's reminisce able to of the bad old days. cold war. the language used here is doing little to calm the tensions. >> four teenagers on vacation are among 14 dead after a volcano erupted in indonesia. they were sightseeing on sin wr when this flared up, spewing lava and ash.

the death toll could rise on mount sinabung. >> brazil is turning to private firms to run its prison. they have some of the violent and obvious crowded gaols. al jazeera got a first-hand look inside one of them. some of the images are disturbing. >> a disturbing glimpse into this prison. this video, smuggled out earlier this month, is horrific proof of violence that prisoners inflict upon each other. the images that follow are too gruesome to put on air, prisoners mutilated - three beheaded with their heads on their stomachs for all to see. the fallout put pressure on brazil's government to build new, modern and less crowded prisons, like the one here. >> we are allowed a limited look inside what is brazil's first ppp, a private, public

partnership, a prison operated as a joint have notture between the government and private sector. this is a 5-star accommodation. this is the only prisoner we are allowed to speak to. they run the storeroom running uniforms and hygiene kits. >> they have psychologists. they have a lot of thing that help prisoners re-enter society. there's no comparison. this prison unit is one of a kind. >> the food is adequate and is distributed to each in individual disposable containers. we were not allowed to view the cells. there are only four prisoners per cell. one per bed - a novelty where in some prisons they house four times what they should. >> translation: we only receive

prisoners that are sentenced. each prisoner has to have a spot so there's no overcrowding. >> we are told the penitentiary only accepts prisoners who are willing to study and work for three-quarters of the minimum wage, both of which shaves time off their sentences. policing is the state's responsibility. the private company running the project is in charge of living conditions, education and security, which is state of the art. >> this bench is a metal detector, a scan that can protect metal introduced into the body. all of this is expensive and some question why the private sector should be allowed to make a profit with public funds. >> why does the government allow this. the government of the state is tied to the private sector, which finances its campaigns. brazil streets prisoners as

merchandise and prisons as an industry. >> whatever the motive the critics concede the first private prison is setting a standard in brazil's penal system, protecting and punishing the prisoners in its care. >> and joining us for more on the conditions is stephanie moore, from human rights watch. how did it get to the situation? why did brazil's prisons deteriorate so badly? >> brazil's prisons deteariated for many years. human rights watch documented unsanitary conditions, and terrible extreme overcrowding in many states, most recently san paulo, rio and others. many reasons explain the current situation. clearly the number of arrests

every day throughout brazil out pace the state's ability to build enough facilities. but there's also a very serious problem with regards to arbitrary rests, and the lack of legal representation for persons arrested to make sure that their due process rights are respected. and ultimately, that those convicted fulfil their sentences and are immediately released. we have visited prisons where people have been maintained - detained far beyond what they should have in their sentences. >> on the conditions themselves, we saw the video of three decapitated bodies. do you get the impression that the tide is turning, the video and other abuses might have been a wake-up call for the government. >> we certainly hope so.

i mean, a video as grizzly as that, which shows the absolute absence of order and rule of law within a state institution should be a wake up call. now, there has been wake up calls in the past. the case of the decap tagss is not isolated. >> it's happened before. >> there were 60 deaths in that state. >> we are running out of time, but do you get the impression that this irritates and bothers a lot of people in brazil. is there a lot of sympathy outside the prison community for the suspected criminals? >> unfortunately not. i think most people were absolutely shocked to see that video, but there isn't enough pressure from the public for gorst to implement a consistent, coherent policy to deal with

overcrowding and violence within the prison system. >> so have you got the impression that brazil is reaching out to other countries, to come up with solutions. >> absolutely. brazil is increasingly less insular, and realises that we need to look for successful models. you were looking at private-public examples of institutions. at this point there's an acknowledgment that something has to change and all possibilityies must be considered. >> thank you for your time today. >> thank you. >> leaving north korea may be a dream for many who live there. now we have a story of a man who left, but wants to go back. he's not alone. harry fawcett has more from seoul. >> lunar new year in seoul and families flock to a village for fup and games in the winter sun.

>> for this man it brings painful thoughts of a mother and sister he left behind in north korea. >> translation: there isn't one moment over the last 12 years that i felt happiness during the holiday season. >> he has taken a step of publicly declare his intention to go back to the north. not a secret redefection, he wants both governments to agree to his return. >> translation: if i go silently south koreans would see me as an illegal reconnector. and i want to express my thoughts frankly to local and foreign media first. >> he says his stance is political, designed to draw attention towards the antagonise of the two governments that keeps their nations guided and admits to financial struggles during 12 years in the south. >> north korean defectors are marginalised.

life can be difficult and lonely. there can be a surge in numbers going home. there have been reports of coercion in some of these returns, and the authorities in pyongyang milk them for the most propaganda they can. >> this man was an official in the government overseen kim jong un's uncle. what about the risk? >> translation: he could maximise my use for political propaganda or use me and separate me from society. the reason i made the decision is someone has to pay the price in blood for ending the chronic antag jobbism between the two countries. >> the chances of him being given to return to pyongyang, where families celebrate the lunar new year is slim. his willingness to make the journey is testament to the

personnel costs borne by many -- personal costs borne by many on in idea: iccal. >> protesters spoke against russia's policies on homosexuality. india is another country taking heat, suspended for corruption, and can't compete. al jazeera's correspondent has more on an indian athlete who is going to the games impair. >> it's fast, it's dangerous and many say it's completely addictive. it's the speed and fear that keeps this man on the lug track. here in the french alps he trains for the games in sochi, his fifth olympics. back home in is his only way of training, racing through the himma layas, dodging cars, a

lorry and other hazards typical to the region. >> we don't have a luge track. we modified the sleds with wheelts and go down the roads. the exposure brought donors helping to pay for his trip. he can reach speeds of up to 150 k/hr. trying to negotiate the icy track is not his only challenge. the indian olympic committee has been suspended from the ioc because of corruption, meaning he cannot compete for india in sochi. >> there's no greater feel. it's a dampener for us. at the same time we have had a lot of support from people back home. they told us no matter what, whether the flag is there or not, ner supporting us -- they are supporting us. i feel the same way. >> india can't return to the ioc until new members have been elected. so he must compete as an independent athlete.

grassroots support is strong. huddled in a garage with one-time coach, the two work on the home-made sled built from scratch. they have gone from competing against each other to working together. he cannot afford to pay on as a trainer, but the bond is a special one. >> i train to be coach of shiva, so i was coach and friend. it's interesting. you can be more close, understand more each other. it's very great experience. >> the u.s. luge team offered to train shiva in the days leading to the olympics. he's hoping to race into the top 20. if not for his country, then for himself. >> well, the super bowl is tomorrow. the n.f.l.'s biggest day. why does the league that earns over $9 billion not pay any taxes. and a rare coin made from alumen

um decades ago is fetching up to $500 million at auction.

o >> ross is here with sport. finally the super bowl. timely. we've been talking about it for months. >> it will be must see tv. it's predicted it will break the record of 111 million viewers set in 2012 for super bowl 46. the reason - the two teams, the brojos and the sea houcks -- broncos and the seahawks. and because of the weather. john henry smith is there. what are the teams doing preparing

for kick-off? >> the broncos switched hotels. cutting themselves off a little more, getting focused for game time. both had walk-throughs over on the field in metlife stadium. family was present for both of those events. i can't imagine they'll see much of their family from here on out. you talk to players earlier in the week-about what they'd do the night before. pretty much a lot of players said, "you know what, we'll tell family and friends for the next 24 hours, from here until game time, don't call us, we'll call you, we are about focussing on super bowl 48." >> everyone is expecting nasty weather for this super bowl. it seems like mother nature is cooperating. i think there's sun shine behind you. >> well, here is what you need to know about this, all right. previously this week it's been a

three long-johned type of situation. i only have one pair of long johns on today. it's nice out here. the national weather service says for game time sunday they expect temperatures to be in the 40 degree range, which would not make this the coldest super bowl in the history of super bowls. you talk about the other elements. the wind is not supposed to be brisk. there's only a 30% chance of rain or snow. these reports of some sort of weather armageddon for super bowl 48 seem to be exaggerated. >> you have been out at met life stadium all week. anything catch your attention out there? >> quite a few things, actually. number one, we have been serenaded the last couple of nights by bruno mars going through his paces, getting ready. he sounds like he's in rare form. i expect him to put on one heck of a show.

talk about being out here, we have been out and about in new york city. one of the things that struck me. i know fans from both teams are here. the seahawks fans, i see a lot more of them. in fact, not only do i see more of them on the streets walking around, but they had a number 12 banner. seahawks colours flying over met life stadium. number 12 signifying the 12th man, something he refer to themselves as on game day. >> interesting. john henry smith reporting from metlife stadium. another interesting fact is the commissioner, roger gaddel said he'll be outside. >> he won't be in a suite. what was the point of that, he can be in a suite, he's a rich man. >> he wants to be with the people. it will be cold. he may have an answer for that. >> no weather arma get job. >> i agree, the forecast was

accurate. it will be nice out there for the game. i'll tell you why. there's a front pushing through to the east. they'll receive snow, even freezing rain across i-80. but this front. unlike the others we had to deal with is going to take a north-easterly track. we are going to get some of the cloud cover across new york. you can see it there. there has been breaks of cloud and sunshine. that's the reason in the live shot you saw a bit of sunshine. tomorrow a different story. the front pushing to the east. take a look. there's a mild surge of area. temperatures close to 51 degrees for the day time high on sunday. so a spectacular weather day. certainly i can't say east rutherford. game time around 6:30. i anticipate temperatures to fall. cloudy skies. it helps to inflate the area. it will feel good out there for the players and everyone

attending the game as well. we somewhere a major weather story. that's where the front extends back to, around the chicago area. we had slight cancellations and that's due to the fact that the snow is coming down at about an inch per hour. i want folks to be careful for the snow and ice. in detroit we'll have snow throughout the night. in the south-west it's chilly. temperatures around 35 degrees. look at the sat nav. an area of low pressure bringing much-needed rain. >> form's big game caps an each in which n.f.l. teams took in there 9 billion. the league pays no taxes. it's classified as a nonprofit. >> super bowl celebrations are underway in new york.

this year's host city. with so much glitz and glamor many fans are surprised to learn that the national football league is a nonprofit organization under the u.s. tax code. >> that's hard to believe. i did not know that. >> considering how much i pay for ticket, i would think they were making a profit. >> the number of fl runs the most -- n.f.l. runs the most profitable sports league, making $9 billion a year. it's classified as a trade association, meaning the head office on park avenue pays no taxes. everyone was too busy, including the commissioner who makes $30 million a year. a spokesperson told al jazeera: >> and the teams do pay tax on

their revenues, including ticket sales, jersies, and the food and drink sold at games. >> we had a huge amount of economic growth over the last 40 years. >> sports economists victor matheson says the tax-free status benefits the team. >> the goal of the n.f.l. is not to make football popular, they are trying to make money. >> tax-free dollars can be used to finance stadium construction. this year's super bowl can be held at the only stadium in the country, the team pays no property tax. >> it's a terrible deal for the taxpayers. >> the economic benefits have yet to materialize. it's as if the n.f.l. wants to make all this money and doesn't want anyone else to make money on it. >> matheson agrees. >> if you look at dollars and

cents, there's almost no credible evidence that professional sports bring significant economic benefits to the cities that host them. >> of course, football brings a lot of enjoyment to the fans. they may not realise how much they are paying for it. >> very interesting there. well, a penny is usually worth a penny. a rare aluminum penny is expected to get upwards of half a million. the coin was part of a 1974 experiments by the mint, testing materials to save money on the $0.01 piece. hybrid gains didn't make it into circulation. stay tuned for top stories on al jazeera.

>> you are watching al jazeera live from new york. i'm jonathan betz with the headlines. protest leaders in ukraine are meeting with western powers.

many are demonstrating in the streets. john kerry says the u.s. supports the fight for democracy. >> a chaotic day in bangkok. three hurt when gunfire was exchanged ahead of a vote tomorrow. >> 14 people are dead after being engulfed in volcanic ash. the volcano three lava and rock for three miles. the volcano is erupting. officials warn the death cole could rise. >> new jersey governor chris christie made the rounds for the super bowl but steered clear of the bridge-gate scandal. information suggests he knew about plans to close lanes to punish a town that did not support him. >> california is turning off the dpiing et to --s spiggett to

towns across the state, not delivering water to local reggons, downs will have to rely on local reservoirs. >> those are the head lines. for updates all day long, go to aljazeera.com. the lives of poor people. pete seger sang about all that this this believe deeply in the power of art to change the world. seegers' work and whether that spirit survivors today is the inside story.