check check >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz of new york. >> the united states and e.u. stand with the people of ukraine. >> secretary of state john kerry backs ukraine's protesters while russia accuses the west of undermining the government. gun battles in the streets of bangkok as thailand prepares for national elections. california takes steps as it

faces its worst drought in modern history. as the country kicks down the kick-off we look at who is really going to cash in on the super bowl. >> ukraine's protesters got a big endorsement from the united states. secretary of state john kerry met with opposition figures on the sideline of a munich conference. u.s. is considering sanctions. russia accused western powers of fanning the flames of unrelevant. there are still demands for the ukraine president to step down. jennifer glasse follows the developments. >> ukrainian opposition leaders meeting with secretary of state john kerry in munich got words of support. it's not clear what else. >> they are fighting for the right to associate with partners

to help them realise their aspirations. the united states and e.u. stand with the people of ukraine in that fight. >> despite a standoff, a sign there's room for manoeuvre, and opposition leader saying a political solution is on the tainable. >> the only chance to decrease the dictatorship powers of the president is to shift from presidential to parliamentary republic. in order to do this we need a comprehensive approach with western participants. >> one of viktor yanukovych's advisors agrees if means on intermediary. >> translation: who can the mediator be. someone acceptable to all sides. the usa and russia must stay out of it. >> in central kiev , the former lenin museum taken over by demonstrators is a dormitory, cafeteria and information center

for anti-government protesters. they say it's a matter of time, they are trying to wait them out. >> we need to change the government right now, or some time later. >> they are planning for later. they have started a library here, and hundreds of books poured in. >> this is the main road leading to parliament. the standover police continue on the barricades behind me. here protesters settled in for the long haul, building tents to keep them warm. it's unclear what the president or opposition leaders could say to them to make them leave. here the talks in munich could make them be far away. talks on the streets is they can wait the president out. >> months weeks, a year. no problem to me to stay here. >> the stalemate is in its third month, with no end in sight. >> the syrian peace talks will

resume in 10 days. as the two sides take a break, the civil war rages on. we have the latest. >> as diplomacy in geneva takes a break, the fighting in syria continues. this is aleppo on saturday. this is the suburb after hit with barrels filled with explosives and dropped from army helicopters. >> they dropped four or five barrels on us. i was in the house with my family. i'm back from the hospital. my mum is here, under the rubble, dead, in pieces. >> attacks intensified across the country. killing up to 60 people. government forces targeted strong holds. explosive barrels seemed to be the weapon of choice for the

army. a barrel fell in front of activists. eastern damascus got its share as well. in aleppo barrels fell on residential areas, causing death and destruction on a wide scale. >> air raids targeted the northern suburbs of hama, and the city of morik, causing civilians to flee from the town. the rebels say they have made gains on the grounds. >> in the golan heights the free syrian army says it advanced on government posts, expelling troops and gap cap -- capturing heavy weapons. >> with this vigil the al

qaeda-linked islamic state said it has taken hold of several checkpoints. after more than two years hit and run between the warring sites, it's clear there is no likely winner in this war. after the long days of talks in geneva, here in syria the sounds of war is still louder than the calls for peace. >> and one of the big issues at stake in geneva, reaching civilians trapped by the fighting. aid agencies evacuated hundreds from damascus, according to a palestine group aligned with the government. 15 residents in that area died of malnutrition. evacuees were taken to hospitals. >> california is turning off spigots across the state, causing the state water project to stop delivering water to millions of customers. regions will have to rely on

other sources of water, including local reservoirs. >> we have that story. >> the state of california is suffering through the worst drought in its recorded history. state officials are taking drastic measures to dole with it. for the first time the state water project decided to turp off the taps to -- turn off the taps to local districts. that means zero water supplies, leaving millions of urban residents in california and farmers to find another way to get their waters. many of those districts have reservoirs. farmers are looking for their own way to deal with the water situation. in los angeles, the metropolitan water district has enough in reserve to deal with it in the short term. they are not locking at mandatory restrictions yet. this is serious, because no one knows when the drought will end.

the government arrived all users to cut their water usage by 20%. what does it mean? hard to say. there are many ways to conserve water. he put up on his website various ways to cut back, you save gallons by taking shorter showers, brushing your teeth and turning off the faucet. using full loads in your washing machine. watering before 8am, saving many gallons. instead of hosing down the driveway, get a broom. these are things everyone can do. the question is whether anyone is listening. if there's no mandatory water restrictions, will people really sense the urgency of this. on a nice day in california, it's hard to imagine dire predictions coming up, but the truth is this is the worst drought we have seen in decades, if not history in california. the worst could be yet to come. >> a dry california.

the polls closed in new orleans. the mayor is up for re-election. his opponents say he has not done enough to stop crime and create jobs. council members are being chosen and for the first time in 40 years, a city coroner. the incumbent is 84 and is retiring. >> former chicago mayor richard daly is in intensive care. he felt disoriented on a flight from arizona. he was picked up by ambulance and taken to hospital where he's undergoing tests. >> good afternoon everybody, you have heard enough speeches. >> well, new jersey governor chris christie got a less than warm welcome at a super bowl event in times square. he was bombarded by boos. he spoke at a ceremony to hand over the super bowl to arizona.

that's after top aides were implicated in a 4-day traffic jams. investigators want to know if it was pore political payback. >> the super bowl brings in big bucks. what about the host city. still ahead, super bowl economics. that's next.

>> well, super bowl 48 is tomorrow at metlife stadium and many thought it would be the most expensive super bowl. the average price ranged from $500 to $2600. last year in new orleans they ranged from $650 to $1250. while the so-called seats were cheaper, the premium seats doubled. most of the tickets are resold for a lot more money. this year fewer are biting. the year tickets are a steal compared to other super bowls. as of this hour there's plenty of dick et cetera available online.

the average price is $2200 more than last year, but less than the big games in india and dallas, you cannot blame the weather. forecasters predicted cold temperatures. this is the first super bowl played outdoors, as the mercury rose, interest was stagnant. hotels do not see the rise in tenants. flights have been down. according to the irs the n.f.l. is listed as a nonprofit organization. we have more. >> 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 the national football league is a nonprofit organization under the u.s. tax code. >> it's hard to believe. i did not know that. >> considering how much money i

pay for tickets. i would think they were making a profit. >> the n.f.l. runs the most profitable sports league in the world, making $9 billion. it's classified as a trade association. the head office here on new york's pricey park avenue pays no taxes. >> everyone at headquarters was too busy to speak on camera, including the commissioner, who makes $30 million a year. a spokesperson told al jazeera in an email the league does not make money. the $9 billion a year is earnt by the 32 n.f.l. teams. the teams do pay tax on the revenues, including ticket sales, jerseys and the food and drink sold at games. >> there has been a huge amount of economic growth. >> sports economists victor matheson says the tax-free status benefits the teams. >> the primary goal of the

n.f.l. is not to make football better or more popular, they are trying to make money selling football. >> the tax free dollars helps the taxes. the team pays no property tax. >> it's a terrible deal for the taxpayers of new jersey. >> the local mayor says the benefits proxized by the n.f.l. is yet to materialize. >> it's as if the n.f.l. wants to make all this money, and don't want anyone else to make money on it. >> football brings a lot offen joyment to the plans -- of enjoyment so the fans. >> many say the organization exaggerates the benefits that super bowl brings to the host city. we have more. >> super bowl 48, in

february 2014 will be played in new york-new jersey. >> the super bowl host committee originally claimed it would cost $70 million to secure and clean up after the big game. security in new jersey alone will be on par with presidential inaugurations, meaning 4,000 people on the ground, that could cast millions. new jersey transit is expecting to spend 17.7 million. that's a fraction of their 1.94 billion operating budget. depending on who you talk to the game is a great thing or greatly overrated. >> somewhere between five and 10 people come to the region. for every person that has a ticket. >> brandy, a reporter for "the daily beast" says promises of a windful is channelling rated.

and it does not yet stay. >> the money comes into the marriott, and goes into corporations, not to the desk clerks, to the housekeeping staff or the local economy. >> a 2011 study from college of the holy cross found super bowls have only about a tenth of the financial impact that the boosters advertise. doug owns a restaurant near the stadium. >> it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. >> he is hosting the supertail gate with tickets costing $425 a pot. they are expecting $1,000 for the pregame party alone. >> financially it's off the charts. we'll never do a business like this, unless the super bowl comes back. >> indianapolis hosted in 2012. >> it was a hum win for the city

and the state. we had $242 million of outside spending occurring here, in terms of everything tied to the event. in terms of visitor spending, over the course of 10 case, when we opened in indiana, the direct visitor spend was $176 million. >> according to a report, indiana saw $24 million in tax revenue, and the city of indiana because of the super bowl. the game helped add 4700 jobs and 278 million to the city's gdp. >> of course, the super bowl is hosted by a larger city that doesn't need the publicity to draw tourists. what is the value of hosting the big game. the answer may be it depends. >> it's hard to estimate how much new yorkers who are staying home to avoid the crowds would be spending. it may be months before we know how big the game's economic

impact was. in the meantime the fans are here, the teams ready and the weather is cooperating. >> it's all lining up. robert body is in chicago, a professor of economic and businesses, and selena roberts a writer at "sports on earth", in connecticut. thank you for being with us. so we hearment reports that the super -- hear the reports that the super bowl generates hundreds of millions for the host city. is that not true. >> it's not true. the numbers are padded to use a possible phrase. when you consider why they may be padded you have to consider not only the spending that occurs as a consequence of people coming into the community but you have to consider people who are not coming into the community as a consequence of the event. don't count just those that might come to the game, but those that are not part of the

crowd. crowding out in substitution effects are part of what it is we ought to be counting if we come up with a precise economic impact estimate. >> do you feel like the super bowl's make money for the cities or they lose money? >> when you study, as we have, all the superbowls that occurred, if you think about what the n.f.l. tells us. $5 million to $6 million, we are fond of saying if you lose the decimal .1 place to the left, you are far more likely to come up with a reasonable and more precise measure of what the super bowl does. $5 million or $6 million in the u.s. >> a lot of people say in new york it seems like thousands of fans come for the game and all

the n.f.l. event in the city and come and be in new york for the super bowl, even if they don't have tickets. do you agree with the numbers? >> i think what you do is listen to people on the streets and talk to the hotel own exercise they say they have 65% occupancy now. that's what they have this time every year. some of the broadway theatre owners say they have plenty of tickets. there's a fear there's so many fans that the theatre goers don't go into the seats. it's sort of n.f.l. entitlement, where they come to town, part the sea, tell everyone how great it will be. and when everyone cleans up they release they are fleeced. >> super bowl held in the city, generally it does not see a lot of tourists, because it is so cold. the super bowl argues that this is bringing in tens of thousands

of people that otherwise would not have come. >> i don't think the numbers bear it out. i think the professor makes a good point, that what you see in the numbers is different to what the n.f.l. estimates. $500, $600 million. that's a lot. look at the numbers of hotels. you have tickets that are gettable. new york is an incredible dynamic play and is incredible and dynamic all year around. it doesn't need the super bowl to draw people here. february, it's a little slack, but the people that live here go out in the community and you wander how many are sitting home because they don't want to deal with the crowds. >> the n.f.l. is considered nonprofit and is tax exempt. plain why that is -- explain why that is. >> in the '60s, the n.f.l.

needed a boost, so they managed tax exchange like a trade business. the n.f.l. is not helping other small business, they are helping themselves. maybe back in the '60 it was a good idea, but that was back when it needed one. it doesn't need one now, as a $10 billion revenue generating sport. and certainly the league, which gets the tax exemption, they are the ones making the deals. they are the ones out there, making money for the n.f.l. it is a brand, not a trade. the senator would like to introduce a bill and get a bill classed taking away the tax exemption. there's a good momentum going behind that. >> one of the reasons that this needs to discussed has to do

with the fact that the n.f.l. passes benefits from the tax exemption on to the team. yes, while individual teams are taxed, they receive benefits as a consequence of the n.f.l.'s tax exemption. i think you have to consider the n.f.l. as a whole, and not consider the league somehow separate from the teams. they do represent the teams. >> the n.f.l. is a trade organise nation. it point out that it donates millions of dollars to charities. why should is not enjoy the tax status that many others enjoy? >> well, again, i think that when you consider what the purpose of the n.f.l. is, it's not an entity that exists to serve other interests in the community. the n.f.l. serves to enhance the interests of the individual teams. and so we are talking about a

profit-making entity. we are not talking about an entity that is in the business of enhancing life in the community. >> my last question to both of you - considering everything we have talked about, and i know the super bowl doesn't generate as much money, there's pride in the stay, name brands, it makes people happy in the cities. is it worth it for cities to pursue super bowls? >> no. this whole idea that somehow new york is a surprise city, and there's going to be an economic legacy that follows their hosting the super bowl is fanciful. why? most of the people that will come to the super bowl are well aware of cities like new york, are well aware of cities like london and paris. so new york is not going to get a boost immediately.

the numbers bear that out with regard to hotel occupancy and they are unlikely to get a bounce from this in the future. >> is that not a little harsh. they are making it sounds like the super bowl is a horrible thing. a lot of people enjoy them. they attract some tourists. it's a vanity purchase. if you are in a city pitching to get an n.f.l. dream scenario, it's a vanity project. it's there to make politicians feel good and show the base that they can making is big happen. new york doesn't need anything big to happen. what you might see, and there's a push for this is to have a rotation of cities, a miami, new orleans, arizona, those cities on a rotation. when the security stuff needs to happen, when you need to bring in extra sanitation and police, they are equipped and well we aresed on how to -- and well

versed on how to give a super bowl. >> well, the super bowl tomorrow, a lot of people celebrating and looking forward to it. thank you both for your time tonight. >> all righty. super bowl 48. rebecca, the weather is cooperating. people have something to look forward to with the super bowl coming. >> that's true. a lot of folks have been looking at the forecast changing. we went from seeing forecasts for snow and temperatures in the teens to pouring down rain, then to dry, and now the system, the weather system we have been watching is slowly but surely making its way to the east coast. you can see in the north-east that it is well north of morningstar mann. but when we talk about statistics, february 2nd. got the closest place. we have good weather records. newark, liberty, international

airport. the coldest it's been on february the 2nd is minus 2 degrees. that happened in 1961. we look at the highest amount of precip, 2.36 inches, happening in 1973, and we had the greatest snowfall at 3.26 inches. we are getting a forecast of snow. here is why. we have a storm system moving in. it's well north of manhattan. as we get into the temperatures, it's 40 in new york, 46 in washington d.c. we have mild air in the south, keeping us in the upper 40s on the super bowl sunday. keep in mined kick off comes after the high temperature hits. temperatures fall. the forecast for the precipitation is working through the day, south of morningstar mann. but by sunday night, and into monday morning we'll have areas

of developing snow. so a good idea, i think, to take from this is dress in layers, and be prepared for a little rain shower or the potential of snow in the night. >> it still may snow. thank you. still ahead - how a tiny bug in the south-east is blamed for a growing food allergy. and pro-choice women unite in europe to fight a law that will restrict abortions in spain.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz, with the top stories this half hour. for the first time in history california's drought is stopping delivering water to customers

and farms. they'll have to rely on local reservoirs and other sources for water. californian governor jerry brown asked residents to cut by on water use by 20%. >> no end to fighting inside syria. air raids and barrel attacks. a glimmer of hope. aid crews evacuated hundreds of residents near damascus. >> the united states assured opposition figures of ukraine of for. demonstrations continue in the country, protesters calling for the president to step down. >> we spoke with james from the american institute in ukraine and says all parties need to find a solution. >> ukraine needs a political compromise that can end the situation and needs the united states, europeans and the russians to help them. it doesn't help to say it's dem

oblige rahsy to -- democracy to remove a democratically elected president through street demonstrations. it would be a recipe for turmoil and lead to a dangerous precedent. it's a mistake. all sides need to take a step back, and try to find a negotiate solution, and try to paint this as the people against the regime in kind of an almost bol chevic depiction, i think, will exacerbate the tensions. >> asking ukraine to choose between europe and russia is unrealistic. >> three have been killed in a suicide attack near lebanon, near the syrian boarder. we have this report. sectarian violence is linked to syria's civil war. >> another car bomb hits a

lebanese town near the border of syria. a bomber blew himself up in a car. it happened near a petrol station, a school and a shia charity organization. it is a shi'a town close to homs. it's a route used by hezbollah to send fighters and advisor to aid bashar al-assad, a member of syria's alawite minority in a battle with sunni rebels. >> this is affecting all the lebanese citizens. today all the citizens are affected by the interference of hezbollah in syria. we have a direct effect on the security of the citizens. that's why we are asking to have hezbollah withdraw from the syrian fire. >> al-qaeda-affiliated rebel groups intensified their attacks on hezbollah for the role it's

playing in syria. since the beginning of the year hezbollah strongholds have come under four car bomb attacks, killing and injuring dozens. >> the time between each bombing is shrinking. it appears that hezbollah will not stop assisting hezbollah's government despite attacks on its areas and the fightest it's losing in the war next door. >> they'll continue to be in syria. what is taking place now has to do with the region. it doesn't stop at the boarder. this is a regional war that is taking place, and i think it's going to be more of the same. the lebanese army took additional measures by setting up checkpoints in an attempt to curb further attacks. these measures are not enough to stop them. >> in the latest sign that syria's war is spilling to len

none. strong holds have been targeted four times in january alone. lebanon is vulnerable to sectarian violence and the future looking bleak. >> the head of n.a.t.o. is confirming that there'll be no agreement between afghanistan and the united states before afghan elections in april. campaigning begins tomorrow. the u.s. press for a deal to keep the troops in afghanistan, after the formal combat mission ends this year. the n.a.t.o. chiefs says hamid karzai will likely leave the negotiations to a successor. it's seen as a test for security forces. >> two election workers were shot and killed in a western province. members of a campaign team for the former foreign minister. polls are open in thailand, hours before gunfights broke out in the streets of the capital. >> supporters of the government

fought with protesters. they are trying to disrupt elections by blocking polling stations. seven were hurt. wayne hay was in the middle of it all. >> this is exactly the sort of build-up to sunday's election that everyone in thailand had feared. these people moving down the road are anti-government protesters, and are coming from a central bank to join another anti-government protest at a government building a few metres down the road. also in the area is a pro-government group, and as these protesters have been moving down here there has been a lot of gun fire coming from somewhere, and explosions. there is little security. there are some soldiers unarmed and some police, but little security at the moment. the protesters moving down the road. this was an area of bangkok that the security forces, military and police warned could see violence on election day. we have not reached the day and a lot of gun fire and explosions

here. >> wayne hay in the middle of it. >> voters go to the polls in elsaefla door. it's expected to -- el salvador. it's expected to be hotly contested. we have this report from san sal have aedor >> in san sal have aedor the voters are cheering for change. the election is set to be a close race. at stake one of the two main nations. the two candidates offer different visions. the vice president for the past five years is no stranger to politics. he has pledged to extend welfare programs and create jobs. sanchez is facing a tough race from the former major of san sal

have aedor. his right wing party has promised to crackdown on gangs. in the streets of san valva door the voters will decide who wins the voters will decide who wins. . >> translation: i feel for my kids. many times they are forced to join the gangs or the criminal groups like drug traffickers. if they don't accept, they are forced into it. >> this is a deeply divided nation where middle class salvadorians live behind gated communities. all are united in the fear of violence. >> how to solve it is the basis of the election. some are taking on the gangs, others talk of military courts and using armed forces. for voters fed up with a fragile

truce between the gangs and living in fear, it's the one issue that may decide who is the country's next government. >> a truce between the gangs has been in place for two years. analysts say whoever wins will inherit a problem that will not easily be fixed. >> translation: the gangs are a serious issue that must be confronted. the country cannot wait. the people of el salvador is paying a price. this problem is worse. >> el salvador's brutal civil war leading to the deaths of 75,000 people ended in 1992. former president is being investigated for corruption, a move that will not inspire confidence. >> in spain, tens of thousands raised their voices in a protest to limit abortions.

a proposed law would allow abortions in the case of rape or if a woman's life was in danger, and they would have restrictions. it was approved by the get. nearly 80% of the population does not like it. >> this is a 30-year-old single mother of one child living in spain. she found out she was pregnant. her reaction... . translation: when i discovered i was pregnant i few what i wanted or what i didn't want. >> she spoke after having a procedure to terminate her pregnancy, something she's able to do under spanish law. that right is under threat. it's not rite that the government takes 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 giveno

cole gifts fear it will be a backward step. >> abortions are going down. we'll still have the same cases of abortions. what changes is if it's legal or illegal, or if you have safe abortions or not. >> the draft law radically restricts terms of abortion. if the law is passed women who have been raped or whose lives are in danger would qualify for a termination. they would need permission from two separate doctors to abort. >> a woman's right to choose whether or not she can have an abortion is at stake. the justice minister is arguing that it's about the rule of law. he's arguing that the current law is anti-constitutional. while changes may apiece the right wing, it's so controversial that members of the people's party are voicing their opposition to it.

>> proright activists have been campaigning for the law to go ahead. >> we'll do as much as we can. we'll keep on demonstrating, rallying, writing letters to the prime minister, being in the media, social net works to make sure the prime minister understands there's a number of spaniards who voted for him. >> the roman catholic church cast a shadow over such issues. polls showed most spaniards to be against changes to the law. after years of a law supporting a woman's right to choose, this will not be an easy issue to convince the country otherwise. >> others held demonstrations in support. thousands rallied near the

eiffel tower in paris. crowds marched on spain. protests were held in london, rome and brussels. >> wal-mart is closing a down quarter with an upbeat outlook for the future. a reduction in food stamp benefits has made a dent in the profits. a new president ceo, doug mcmillan, took the rinse, starting as an -- reins, starting as an hourly worker in 1984. being an insider gives mcmillan an edge. >> well, i think that they view that that has historically been successful for them. the prior ceos had a similar experience and track record. doug is knowledgeable of the company. sometimes when you get a ceo from the outside, they get a lot of time, one, two, three years, to get acquainted with the new company. the plus for this person is that he knows what doesn't work. can he bring change to move the

company forward. >> the new ceo comes in after wal-mart closed 50 stars in brazil and china. and after the retailer is set to lay off 2,000 employees. >> microsoft is likely to name sadia nadella to the top spot, to become only the third ceo. >> doctors are worried about a food allergy. they are seeing a spike in patients that become allergic to red meat. >> jonathan martin explains. >> for september norman, it came on fast and could have killed her. the allergic reaction startled her awake. >> i felt my lips and tongue swelling. i told my husband that something was wrong. i felt my blood pressure fall. >> what she didn't realise was she was having an allergic reaction to red meat brought on

by a tick bite she it. >> it's an uncommon food allergy. >> it led her to develop an alpha gal up meat allergy leading those that have eaten meat to develop allergic reactions to meat. >> when i eat meet i will go into anna fallantic shock. i have to walk around with an enny pin. >> researchers made the connection a few years ago. they found the allergy emerging in tennessee, north carolina and arkansas. in 20122,000 people were diagnosed. the rise was blamed on the

spread of the tick. >> this man is living with this meat allergy. an avid red meat lover, unable to eat meat he found a way to satisfy the craving. in emu. the meat is red but it is poultry. he quit his job to start an emu farm. >> i found emu as a red meat alternative. i was hooked on it. i couldn't find enough of it to buy. so kind up one thing led to another. we decided to jump into it. knowing that the number of people in this count who need it. >> there's no treatment for the allergy. if you were diagnosed, the only way to avoid an attack is to avoid products that contain meat by-product. including things that are not meat. researchers warn that the lone star ticket is now in the north-east, and the allergy

could take off there as well. >> in montana a roman catholic diocese is claiming bankruptcy because of paedophile compensation payments. the chapter 11 bankruptcy will help resolve abuse claims adding to over $15 million. >> still ahead - opening ceremonies of the winter olympics five days away. one of the members of the 1988 jamaican bobsleigh team is here. >> and a buzz kill - why the beer delivery drones have been grounded.

>> look at that, ushering in the chinese new year with a bang. day two, a sky full of fireworks, more than 300,000 gathered to take in the display and mark the year of the horse, symbolizing vitality. >> the super bowl is makeses headlines, but there's another big event, the winter olympics. >> since the winter olympics were held in 1924 norway has the most medals with 313, white the united states is in second place with 274. how will the upcoming games play

out. joining me in the studio team is a three-time jamaican bob sledding. how do warm countries like jamaica do the winter olympics. >> when i was growing up, the only thing i saw of the winter olympics is news claims. in the summer they show the games, but during the winter olympics - i think over the years things changed, especially with the advent of warm weather countries. in the winter olympics they are watching more of it. >> this was ground breaking in 19188. you set the tone. what other sports besides bob sledding do the people love to watch. >> the last olympic games we had a competitor in the skicross.

because of what we are fed skiing would be the next one. when we were competing as an athlete. what events were popular in the village. >> here is the thing. we are fans of each other. and so as you walk around the village, he is a figure skater or he is a skier. we go around and get a chance to meet each other. generally speaking that's the only time the olympics games has a boxer in the same place as a figure skater. >> were you shocked by some sports you had never heard of? >> yes, curl, the rock and a sweeping of the broom was interests to watch. >> curling is very popular in canada. some say the americans are lacking star power with the injury to lindsay von. who do you think will be the

american darling and on a bigger scale for the olympics. >> i have my eye on shaun white. if he wins, the snow boarder, he will take the show by storm. i think my friend steve, the defending olympic 4-man champion will do special things as well. >> what do you think will lo lo jones representing the united states. >> i'm excited to see lo lo and my friend on the team. they'll bring not just star power, but some sprinting speed as well. >> we have seen the movie "cool running", based on the jamaican bobsleigh team. how accurate is the movie? >> let me tell you what the facts are, there was a bobsleigh team from jamaica, we had problem obtaining funding.

we went to the olympics and crashed. that's it. the rest was made funny. >> in the remake of the movie who'd play you? >> it has to be a handsome guy. we'll have to have good screenings. >> thank you devon harris. what else can you tell us about your olympic experience in general. you are a 3-time olympian. >> people ask me, "which is your favourite olympics?" it's almost like saying which of your kids do you love the most. they are special for different reasons. it was the first time in calgary. ever since i studied french i wanted to go to france, and intoingano -- nagano because the japanese culture was different to the west.

>> quite the journey for you. thank you for joining us and providing perspective. the opening ceremonies for the winter olympics around the corner on february the 6th. >> maybe is a good idea to remake the movie. i'd do that. >> ice fishing is not an olympic sport. it is popular in the winter. some icefisherman in minnesota will face the hardship of not having their beer delivered by drone. the f.f.a. got wind of it and shut down the party. faa rules do not allow that. amazing stuff. beer delivered to you on your ice fishing trip. that's it for us. headlines are next.

>> you are watching al jazeera america, i'm jonathan betz with the headlines. serious peace talks on pause, no end to the fighting.

reports of airraids and barrel attacks, and a claimer of hope. hundreds of people evacuated near damascus. united states assured ukrainian protesters of their support. john kerry met with opposition supporters in munich. demonstrations conditioned with protesters calling for the president to stepdown. >> california's drought is forcing the state water project to stop delivering water to customers and farms. them have to rely on reservoirs and other sources. governor jerry brown asked for water use to be cut by 20%. >> new jersey governor chris christie got a less than warm welcome at a super bowl event. he was greeted with a chorus of boos. top aids were implicated in

creating a 4-day traffic jam last september. those are the headlines. i'm jonathan betz. i'll be back at 11:00 pm eastern. "america tonight" is next, and you can find us online. go to aljazeera.com. have a good night and weekend. >> good evening, you are watching "america tonight," the weekend edition. i'm joie chen. we begin with a storey that divided a community. a student body is