>> this is al jazeera america america. with a look at today's top stories. president obama signed the landmark farm bill into law, but not everyone is convinced that it will boost the economy. the big monthly jobs report shows growth despite unemployment rate. >> why the retired police officer who pulled the trigger said it was in self defense. the olympics opening ceremony

kicks off but not without some controversy. >> president obama has signed the farm bill into law. it is one of the biggest pieces of legislation congress has passed in recent years. it contains $8.6 billion in cuts to the food stamp program. the congressional budget office said those cuts will effect 850,000 households in 15 states, and washington, d.c. thit comes giving recipients heating assistance in order to receive higher benefits. the legislation does more than help farmers. bisi onile-ere is at a food bank in detroit, michigan, and michigan is one of the states that will receive less assistance under this bill. do the people at the food bank

know how this will impact them? >> reporter: well, tony, i can tell you we're at a food bank on detroit's east side. it's one of the largest food banks in this area that serve over $1 million people every year. a few months ago the food stamp program in michigan and across the country received a hit. now with this farm bill in place there is a big concern that they will see more people seeking their services more than ever before. just to put it into perspective, i spoke with a woman who receives food stamps once a month. once a month she receives $200. with this farm bill in place she risks losing half of her benefits. >> wow, that's a lot. is the food bank--folks there, are they angry? disappointed that the president has moved ahead and signed this piece of legislation into law? >> you know, there's not so much anger here. disappointment.

through this bill the food banks will receive $200 million in funding but they're saying thanks, but that's not going to help with the added demand. it's not going to be enough. >> bisi, the food bank, will it have to cut back on its operation, or will it be able to get that money from other sources? >> that's what they're looking at right now. i spoke with someone with the national council of food banks here in michigan, they say they plan to move full steam ahead but they're going to focus on fundraising goals, lean more on their vendors and other members of the community to step up and help those in need. >> bisi onile-ere in michigan, we appreciate it. despite the success of the farm bill and passage last month, the days of republicans and democrats getting along may be over. we look at some major pieces of legislation that are still waiting for action. >> reporter: after passing the farm and budget bills in

congress other big issues appear to have stalled in washington. issues that affect millions of people in the u.s. and threaten the economic well-being of the country abroad. first, immigration. after signalingly he would seek immigration reform this year house speaker john boehner is retreating a bit. >> i never under estimated the difficulty in moving forward this year. >> reporter: in the biggest obstacle to that goal says boehner is the president. >> listen, there is widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. >> reporter: that charge is rejected by the white house. >> the president has an exceptional record of improving border security on his watch. there are more c.b. agents on the border now than ever. >> reporter: the president's promise during the state of the union address to act alone when congress want.

>> wherever and whenever i can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more american families, that's what i'm going to do. >> he's talking about his phone and his pen. and he's feeding more distrust about whether he's committed to the rule of law. >> reporter: as for extending jobless benefits to the 1.7 million who lost them in december. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: republicans shot down the latest proposal by democrats who are vowing to keep up the fight. >> we all sport this on this side of the aisle 3. then there is the debt ceiling that runs out of money at the end of the month. republicans say there is time for a deal but the white house wants action now. >> we're not going to pay ransom in return for congress to fulfilling this basic responsibility. >> reporter: an old battle waged again with another washington deadlock and deadline. tom dredan, al jazeera.

>> in wall street, a disappointing reaction to jobs report, which we'll talk about in a moment here, the dow actually jumping. patricia, you'll have to explain this. 165 points. some investors shrugging off the numbers, blaming the weather. president obama looked at the bright side during his appearance in michigan. >> obama: our unemployment rate is at its lowest it's been since i was first elected. companies across the country say they intend to hire even more folks in the months ahead. that will be a breakthrough year for america. >> patricia is with us now. how bad are these numbers? >> these numbers were abysmal. >> what were the numbers last month. last month, it was 74,000, and adjusted to 75,000. what were those numbers?

>> they were totally wretched, and that was a very, very low bar to be measured against. let's go over the numbers and see how they weighed in. the economy added 113,000 jobs, the unemployment rate came in and the labor force came in at 63%. it fell wildly short of expectation. >> what was the expectation? >> around the 180,000 mark. again, wildly short of expectation. and the really disturbing thing here, tony, is that the market is a very way to go, years to go, in fact. >> so we've got two disappointing reports in a row. it wasn't that long ago that this economy was adding jobs at 200,000 jobs. >> yes, exactly. that's what made it so disappointing. last year in october and

november, we had 200,000 jobs, and november, 215,000 jobs, that fed the expectation but the economy was really beginning to surge forward. then disappointing december numbers and now a second consecutive months of disappointing numbers. if there was one bright spot of this report. of the few jobs, many of them were quality jobs for a change. we added 21,000 manufacturing jobs and 48,000 construction jobs. those are the jobs that we want to see, they are the multiplier effect, those are good middle class jobs that create other jobs. we just want to see more of them. >> the president just said, you just heard him, companies are essentially telling him we're going to be adding jobs in the months to come, this could be a break-out year for employment. dubai that? do you see that trendline? >> a lot of companies, at the end of last year a lot of

companies were hopeful, consumers were going to open their wallets and we were going to get an up tick in consumer spending, two-thirds of economic growth in this country. but what these numbers show is that the recovery is not---it's not as robust as everybody thought. >> it's not. it's a zig zag pattern. >> that's the uncertainty. businesses don't like to expand if they don't know that the customers and sales are going to be there. >> why don't we get a triple digit gain on a day we're considering a bad jobs report. what is that? are they linked? are they tied? we see all the time of stocks moving one way or another based on a report here and a report there. >> people interpret the numbers in different ways. o it was the weather. it was the weather that led to a bad jobs report. you also have to keep in mind as well that the dow has had a big pull back in january. it had a rough month.

>> and it was on the dip a little bit. >> it's not necessarily the case that the market that wall street reflects the conditions on main street. that's not always the case. you have to keep that in mind. also the market has had a big pullback and some people will look for that silver lining or that excuse and say it was the weather. >> not a jobless recovery, but there are jobs being added. it's really sluggish. what gets this--this economy going, generating the kind of jobs where we're starting to see something a little more robust than this number? >> consumer spending. consumers have to feel that they have enough money in their pocket to go out there and buy things. and so of course, huge arguments on how we do that. democrats want to see more stimulus. they want to see more infrastructure projects. but then there are a lot of people who disagree with that strategy. >> government spending. we need private sector. we need more private sector in this game, in job creation,

don't we? >> certainty is a big thing that helps. having certainty in knowing that things are going to be steadily improving. what this number does it gives us pause. it gives us pause. >> yeah, it does. patricia, good to see you. good stuff. retired police officer charged with killing a man in a florida movie theater said he was scared and shot in self defense, that was according to a recorded interview. 70-year-old reeves is charged with second-degree murder for killing 43-year-old chad olsen. they were arguing over texting when the shooting took place. give us more of the background on this case? >> well, this was a dispute that escalated. as you said the 71-year-old defendant curtis reeves was upset because 43-year-old chad olsen was texting during the

previews of a matinee. he was texting the babysitter of his two-year-old daughter. olsen did not have a weapon. police say reaves did not have any injuries. but some how things escalated, and reeves said that olsen began spewing profanity at him, stood up in his share, and quote/unquote came at him 37 so much so that olsen's wife put her hand on his chest to hold olsen back. reeves doesn't know what olsen said but threatened him and threw a cell phone at his head. that's when he pulled a pistol out of his pocket. >> if i had to do it over again it never would have happened, i would have moved, but you don't get do-overs. >> so what made you shoot him? >> well, i guess he scared the hell out of me. i thought the guy was fictioning to beat the [bleep] out of me.

i don't know how he would to say that. >> he never told you that? >> he said something that led me to believe. then when the guy comes at you with the aggravated position, the contorted face, the bleep stuff like that, i don't think i've ever had anybody get in my face like that, and it scared the crap out of me. >> olsen's widow was shot in the hand with the same bullet that killed her husband. >> natasha, what is the defense here? it sounds like self defense but we're talking about florida here, so are we talking about stand your ground again? >> reporter: you bet. closing arguments are happening right now, and the attorney said this is a clear case of testify defense, his client had already been assaulted, and of course he cited stand your ground multiple times. >> what movie were these people there to see in the theater?

>> there were there to see a matinee of a combat movie called "loan survivor." about a team of navy seals who go into afghanistan to sapture an al-qaeda leader. both of the men in this situation are navy vets. >> both are former military. i got to tell you there were scary movemen moments on the sas the olympic opening ceremonies. a man tried to hijack a plane in istanbul and take it to sochi. the passengers were evacuated without any problems. meanwhile, we can't show you video from the opening ceremonies because the rights belong to nbc but david shuster is here with his unique still photo summary of the day. i can't wait for this. >> reporter: tony, there was no terror attack given the security concerns and precautions, i

suppose we should start there. spoiler alert, viewers if you don't want to know anything regarding the opening ceremony until it airs on american television tonight, you should leave the room. a few mall functions. snowflakes emergeds to transform into the olympic rings except one refused to open. there's the sochi mascot, yes, that is a bear, a robotic blinking and disturbing bear, and here is a real life stray dog. it wandered into the sochi stadium triumphant. run, boris, run! austria had its own embarrassment this evening. one of its athletes distracted by a phone, scary bear or stray dog took a tumble. we go to the productionment the

russians pay tribute to their great culture and music, thin. in sochi tonight the fear was free. no opening ceremony would be complete without fireworks. and these fireworks were spectacular. they were magnificent. and in case anybody forgot the colors of the russian flag the ceremony featured a magnificent light d display with them. and here's what the stars were wearing, here's a closer look. you'll see stars on their outfits. you don't like it, complain to ralph lauren. they bought the rights to dress the team even in quilts. let the games begin. >> are you going to be doing that for us next week as well? >> reporter: sure. >> the music? or does nbc own the music as

well. >> reporter: no, we can hum it, but we'll come up with something. >> david, appreciate it, coming up on al jazeera america. prosecutors grilled former new orleans mayor as he insists he didn't take any bribes. and of and just as the northeast begins to clean up another storm heading our way.

>> defense secretary chuck hagel said he's determined to end the scandals in the middle. restoring the pentagon's ethics standards. hagel is creating a new position, senior ethics officer who will answer directly to him. the answer was prompted with recent allegations of drug abuse and cheating on work-related tests. fire work between ray nagin and prosecution on his second day on the stand. he's accused of accepting bribes. ben joins us from new orleans, ben, tell us more about with what happened in court today.

>> reporter: tony, the best way to put it, it was a very feisty day in court today as prosecutors continue to cross-examine mayor nagin as he's on the stand taking his own defense. he was indicted including charges that he was taking bribes and kickback schemes in return for giving lucrative city contracts to businesses. this was right after hurricane katrina and federal dollars were flowing in at his discretion to give that out. prosecutors have taken guilty pleas or convicted six other people involved in this case. those six people testified over the past eight days using the same evidence that found them guilty and in jail against nagin, saying they did do it. they did offer bribes. an interesting thing today and prosecutors were at the end of

getting testimony and sort of grilling him, restaurant seat receipts. taking his wife to a valentine's dinner and for his children, saying he used the city credit card. painting him he's willing to do those kinds of things and the broad reaching corruption he's charged. >> how long before this case goes to the jury? >> reporter: the trial is over right now. the closing arguments will start monday morning and it will go to the jury after that. >> ben, thank you. a fight for water is pitting state against state. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear a case that has texas and new mexico fighting over a precious resource that is disappearing. the area has been in drought for our years forcing farmers to

take desperate measures to survive. heidi zhou castro has more. >> reporter: water in the desert, and it's vanishing. the land was lush and green when efrons father started the ranch here. now it's a wasteland. two-thirds of de delgado's farms useless, and the scene like this, what does this do to you? >> it hurts. it hurts. >> reporter: delgado farm against 100% of its irrigation water from here, the rio grand, which in normal years would be above my head. now it's just a trickle, and

delgado says that nature is only partly to blame. the explanation can be found 100 miles up stream in new mexico. farmers here also depend on the rio grand but they have a distinct advantage. d the drought third generation new mexicoen farmer kent holbrook bumps the water to irrigate his pecan trees. >> these are pumped. these get nothing but pumped water. >> reporter: but hydrogeologists say these new mexicoen wells are drying out the aquifer under the river grand causing the riverbed to soak up water from the up stream reservoir. most of this reservoir water was intended for farmers in texas,

but a study in the irrigation district found 40% is reaching the state line. the district said new mexicoen farmers along the rio grand pumped out 78 billion gallons of we will water last year. >> i really hope that they understand that we're here. we need the water. >> reporter: holbrook defends his wells. without them he would lose his farm, too. >> we got water rights. when we bought the farm we bought the water rights. >> no you don't have the right just because it's your land, to dig as many wells as you want and dry up the water for the rest of the farmers down stream. >> reporter: texas is suing new mexico, citing the violation of a 76-year-old water sharing agreement between the two states. they say it doesn't cover private wells, and holbrook agrees. >> texas, they've been after our

water for 30 years. >> reporter: but as the worst drought in the region's history continues even the wells in new mexico are going dry. and in texas the desert is reclaiming delgado farms. >> have you accepted those very realistic likelihood that you could lose this farm? >> no, definitely not. no, no. no, we're attached. >> reporter: but unless more water flows from the river or falls from the sky the loss of a way of life is on the horizon. heidi zhou castro, al jazeera, texas. >> more than 300,000 homes and businesses still don't have electricity today two days after an ice and snowstorm downed trees and power lines. most of those outages are in the philadelphia area and the trouble is not over yet. there is another storm on the

way. meteorologist dave warren is here. he's tracking that for us. good to see you. >> meteorologist: yes, the latest information, if you wait it out, it looks like it passes by to the south. that's okay there. that's the good news. the storm now brings a lot of moyes to where we need it, which is california. the pattern changing a little bit. this is great news because it brings a lot of rain and snow in northern california causing problems in washington and oregon, but now a lot of that snow is bringing it down to areas that need it. san francisco, rain a welcomed sign. it's dry in the midwest but very cold. that bitter cold arctic care moved in, and you don't want to talk about a storm when you see scenes like this. lines are down and the ice storm caused a lot of problems there, and the storm will develop across the southeast saturday morning. but look at where it intensifies. a lot of rain in north carolina and virginia. the snow up to delaware and

virginia and it looks to be passing by just to the south. that's saturday. the first of two storms. the next might bring just a little light snow to the area monday morning. so watch that monday morning commute with light snow. >> all right, david, appreciate it. have a good weekend. rand coming up, convoys preparing to bring food and medicine into homes, but will the cease-fire hold? and we talked to ringo p starr 50 years to the date that 9 beatles landed here for the very first time to this reaction. [ screaming ]

al jazeera america gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere. more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories. a disappointing january jobs report shows 113,000 jobs

created in january. but the unemployment rate did go down 6.6%, that's the lowest level since october 2008. on a tape played in court today curtis reeves said that he was scared and shot in self defense. he and the other man were arguing over text messaging during previews befor when the shooting happened. four of the life olympic rings actually opened. russian president vladimir putin said--let's go ahead. convoys are preparing to bring food and medicine and other aid into the besieged syrian city. dozens of women, children, and elderly people had to leave the city. the evacuation is part of a deal

that also included a thre threey cease-fire. we have more on today's events. >> reporter: these are some of the most war-weary residents of homs. they've been trapped in the rebel-held city without regular access to food or medicine and have come under daily shelling. it's part of the surprise deal brokered between the government and opposition by the united nations. you according to state tv they have been used as human shields by terrorists. many of its neighborhoods fell under rebel control. but under the past year the

government steadily recaptured most of them leaving a pocket of rebel-held territory in the city's historic center. they have used similar siege tactics holding strategic areas in other parts of the country but the plight of residents trapped in the hold city of homs is thought to be so bad it was included in the agenda of last week's long island awaited peace talks in switzerland between the government and opposition. it broke out without hope for agreement for access to relief supplies. the move to allow people to evacuate and confirm that they will join new peace talks next week. >> let's talk about how relief agencies are rushing to help evacuees. thanks for coming back in.

>> thank you for having me. >> start with us here by describing the latest information you're getting from teams on the ground there. >> reporter: we have 83 people have come out apparently mostly elderly men. they're telling absolutely harrowing stories. one of the elderly men said his wife passed away last week. he thinks she was so malnourished. he has only five spoonfuls of wheat in the last week alone. people are totally malnourished. you can look at their images. we gave them ready-to-eat meals. they're making sure that they get food and medical care. those are the two things that they most wanted. >> we've described the scene and

the situation in the city of homs. i'm wondering is the situation as bad as advertised or is it even worse? >> to me some of the images look like, you know, pictures that we saw at the end of world war ii in europe. >> yes, i saw that report. >> and it's just heartbreaking to see how skinny people are, an how desperate they are. the issue is this: this is--the old city of homs is just a small part. there are a quarter million people in other parts of syria that are totally under siege and haven't gotten anything. there was this agreement that we were able to get people out, that you know hopefully on saturday and food other supplies would go in, but there are many other areas, you know, the fighting really has to stop. what we're seeing from the u.n. we need to have access everywhere all the time. there are many places, hundreds of thousands of people in areas where we can only go in sporadically. >> this program has to--first of

all, the cease-fire has to hold. how concerned are you about this deal holding so that the work that you're doing in this limited area continues? >> yes, i mean, we're optimists. otherwise you can't do this work. but we're also realists. we hope that this will happen tomorrow. we're ready. >> and describe tomorrow. tomorrow is an important day. >> tomorrow the eight convoys from the u.n. are supposed to go in. we have food in there ready-to-eat food. this is for the children. this will feed a kid for a week. it's ready to go in. it's medical supplies, blankets, other things. the food is enough for two and a half thousand people for a month. we're hoping the cease-fire will last longer but we have to be careful. it's up for the parties on the ground. the government and armed groups, it's good there was a deal but it has to last and it has to

hold. >> there was the additional pressure to make this work. if you can make this deal work does it then have a chance of becoming the model that is extended to other areas of the country fingers crossed, right? >> that would be the help. whether that happens, we'll just have to see. for us as an aid organization, we stay as neutral players here. we help those in dire need. we're really desperately furibunding. we need $2 billion for syria and the refugee operation. $2 billion. >> has it been pledged? >> yes, we're in talks, and of course there was the big kuwait conference, and we're hoping that something will be coming soon. we've had talks with the big donors, but it's crucially important-- >> they need to live up to the pledge. >> they need to live up to the

pledge, and we need $270 million before the end of march. >> let's hope that the deal holds, tomorrow is a good day, and hopefully more people will come out of the cit city of homd you can move into other parts of the country. bettina great to have you back on the program. >> thank you. >> president obama signed the farm bill into latte. the 1 trillion-dollar legislation cut food stamps for hundreds of thousands of families, but the president says it still protects vulnerable americans. >> the truth is a lot of folks go through tough times at some point in their lives. that doesn't mean that they should go hungry. not in a country like america.

that's what this farm bill does. >> the new legislation includes the farming community in washington, louisiana, report joins us from a soybean farm there. >> reporter: farms all over the country, small farms will benefit from this new farm bill signed in today by president obama. and did you not that the state of louisiana has a $29 billion ex-potteexport agriculture indu. pretty big. big business down here in louisiana. you can see some of the cattle behind me. i'm on a locally owned father and son farm here right now here in washington. tony harris in new york meets tony harris here in washington, louisiana. thithis is for real, tony.

this is a big deal for you guys. >> it sure is. >> how is it going to effect what you do and your family? >> listen, i mentioned to you the community base organizations coming back into existence. we're part of a group that in the past we were funded for about four years with a grant that we were able to get, that enabled our youth to be introduced to agriculture. >> it's going to help rural communities, it's going to help you guys get more interest in farming, is that what you're saying? >> that's right, exactly. >> let's get your dad over here real quick. sir, this is your original farm. your son is working it right now. one of the things that tony harris in new york, about this bill, it will help farmers during bad weather situations. we were talking before. it's freezing out here right

now. have you ever seen weather like this in louisiana? >> not since i've been in the business. this is the worst year we've had, and it has taken its toll on the herd, the cattle, the hay, all of it. it's real bad right now. >> thank you, sir. tony harris in new york, you can see that the farm bill is important to guys like this who are out here creating the bread and bulletter not only for america but the exports that go around the world. tony? >> robert, appreciate it, and just let the harris's know in louisiana i'm checking the family tree. let's bring in margaret president of the food bank for new york city. margaret, good to see you. first of all, i know you didn't agree with the president signing this. you wanted him to veto this farm bill. now that he has, what is your reaction? >> we're incredibly disappointed. the president mentioned the people who he does not want to

go hungry, unfortunately, 850,000 people will be negatively impacted by this decision that has now been made law. >> does michigan's debbie stebenow, does she get any credit for negotiations with republicans. it could have been worse if republicans had their way. >> the reality is i don't know how we can applaud a decision without looking at whether or not it's a good decision. at the end of the day there has to be some focus on people instead only party and politics. you know, we're hearing people talk about, really, it's just going to be a 1% difference. that is not the reality for families. families are going to see half of the money that they received for food stamps to be taken off their plates. while i'm very happy the farmers

mr. and mr. harris in louisiana are feeling pleased, i can only say we can celebrate food that is grown while food can no longer be afforded. >> austerity with spending in the abstract, i know we're not talking about the abstract, but for the moment in the abstract can't any program anywhere survive and continue to do really good work having to sustain a 1% cut in the total program? >> the reality is food stamps- stamps--you can't find an abstract because it is about purchasing food. we're still very recently dealing with a recession, and for many families they're still reeling from that. 47 million americans just suffered a cut.

just november 1st. so that we are now barely three months later with another cut. they're saying balance. they're saying it's about savings, but it is absolutely on the backs of the most vulnerable americans. so key can't joy in this. i certainly wish i could. >> i get it, margaret, the president of the food bank for new york city. margaret. thank you. >> waves of violent protest spread through three major cities in bosnia. 90 people were injured. government buildings coming presidential offices were ransacked and set on fire. anti-government protesters were aaron over high unemployment widespread corruption. the unrest started when state run businesses were privatized and the new owners declared bankruptcy without paying workers. today at the hague the

prosecutor for the international criminal court announced a preliminary investigation into war crimes in central african republic. there are reports of hundreds of killings, acts of rape and slavery. more than 600 people have been killed and a million dispoliced by sectarian fighting between christians and muslims that began last month. and in asia, canceling reunions of families separated since the korean air. >> reporter: the u.s. has more boots on the ground on the korean peninsula and more tracks. 400 pieces of military commitment including tanks and army vehicles are joining the 850,000 strong battalion just arrived from texas. in total numbers it is small, but it is a front line combat unit. so increasing a unit like mine

of transporters would not add the same type of capabilities but it does add a lot of firepower and heavy maneuve maneuverability. >> this bolstering is an added deterrent to north korea. this deployment comes at a sensitive time just days over the military exercises between south korea and the united states and amidst complex negotiations between pyongyang and seoul for the reunion of families separated by the korean war. checking on the mountain resort where those reunions are due to be held in two weeks time. >> the purpose of the visit is to conduct preparations so that south and north korean elderly people will not be in discomfo

discomfort. >> all right north korea has put it in doubt. it warned on thursday that the south korean military exercises must be canceled. last year the exercises coincided in the worst broke down of north-south negotiations in many years with north north a making threats of war. a new strategy encountering various scenarios, they plan to practice those exercises in. >> a search for a baby missing in wisconsin has come to an end. marie has more on that, good news story and other headlines from across the country. >> reporter: yes, thanks, tony. a police in iowa found that newborn baby who was taken from her wisconsin home. caden powell, less than a week old was reported missing yesterday morning. an iowa police officer heard the baby boy crying and found it in

a tote back outside of an iowa gas station. the instant appears to be in good condition. in nevada a 88-year-old man is facing murder charges for what he said was a mercy killing of his wife. he walked in her hospital room and shot her in the chest. he bought a second bullet for himself but the gun jammed before he could commit suicide. he said his wife as paralyzed and wanted to die. a man is on trial for waterboarding his stepdaughter. he's charged with child endangerment and assault. his wife said he saw him holding her head underwater running. he said he was washing her hair but she said she never saw any shampoo. >> need to know more about that, but that sounds ridiculous. making a stand of gay rights before the winter games with a

rainbow of colors. the images are lighting up social media today. and a look at beatle plain i can't, the iconic band arrived in the u.s. 50 years ago today.

oh. >> for weeks supporters of the lesbian gay bu by sexual trans transgender community blasting colors of the rainbow all over sochi, maria? >> reporter: you may have noticed google made a statement when it searched the sochi games. the symbol for lgbt rights. so now folks are noticing the rainbow colors all over sochi starting with the official

gloves. so the merchandise includes rainbow spirit sochi gloves. now a lot of people are associating these with lgbt rights. these are the most colorful rainbow-themed outfits. >> please let them pick the lgbt flag as their outfit because that is amazing. also here is ban ki-moon with those sochi gloves as well. and also in moscow outside of moscow today some lgbt activists were arrested. they were holding the flag. take a look at this, police commissioner from manchester holding his deputy's hand here,

and you'll see this one here, a drinking game idea, see a rainbow, any type of rainbow itemtype, take a swig. >> it was 50 years ago that beatles took over america. thousands screening fans as they flew in to appear on the ed sullivan show. >> reporter: even 50 years on we all know someone who knows exactly where they were when it happened. not when tragedy hit with the death of president john kennedy, but when the beatle it's landed at new york's newly christened jfk airport. the euphoric antidote to the nation's sadness. ringo starr could feel how bad americans needed the beetles. >> they were jumping, that we

landed in new york, we were in america. it was nothing more far out than that. we were in our 20's, we were all lads. what was incredible, even in on the plane new york was pulling us down, come on, come on, i had a great time. >> reporter: the beatles had a singular spectacular look at america. >> we were number one, and we were living in the plaza, the whole floor, and we really didn't know about ed sullivan. he saw us coming from sweden, and he booked us. we had no records here, but when we got here it was up. [♪ music ] >> reporter: what the country saw was one of the most memorable tv appearances in history. and after the ed sullivan show it was on to washington, d.c. >> i think it was a boxing ring.

and my roster didn't go around, i had to jump off and do it myself. i was playing here and the band was playing. i can see it happening now. >> reporter: ringo said it's the songs at the heart of the beatles, not the hype. >> for me it's the music, not the haircut or the boots. the music is still out there, and it's still great. [♪ music ] >> reporter: while the beatle's musical legacy is cemented, ringo's personal legacy is different. he was awarded the award for peace and love. >> i ended up there because my second son had just been born and when i got home there was a message from george and a message from john, we've just

met this guy. we're going to wales. you got to come. okay. >> did you think they were nuts when you heard that? >> no, but we went to wales. the first time i met him, i thought, this man shines. age way, we went to india, we had some lessons, medicine meditated this morning. >> what is ringo starr like when he doesn't meditate. >> angry bastard. >> we celebrate at noon wherever you are, i'm usually on tour, so it could be anywhere. we had that moment of peace and love. that's all. now it's in japan and spain. it's taken off. >> seventh of july is when they run for the bulls. >> is that on the seventh of

july? i didn't know that. you see, you learn something every day. >> reporter: ringo's youthful charm remains on display across oceans and across decades. >> a famed stolen stradivarius violin has been recovered. stephen hirsch the original a theauthenticateor said it has bn found. it appears to be in good condition. a stun gun was used to steal the stradivarius. three men connected to the robbery is now in custody. it's worth $5 million, my goodness. al jazeera america returns in just a moment.

we're revolutionary because we're going back to doing best of storytelling. we have an ouportunity to really reach out and really talk to voices that we haven't heard before... i think al jazeera america is a watershed moment for american journalism

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. this is tony harris. and it is official. president obama signed the farm bill into law. and he events at michigan state university, the bill will fund

the food stamp program and crop subsidies for farmers. the national unemployment rate dipped despite another disappointing jobs report. 113,000 jobs were added to the economy last month, about 70,000 less than expected. defense secretary chuck hagel said he's determined to end scandals within the military. hagel announced restorm reformst ethics. ththe opening ceremony of this year's winter olympics is officially in the books and nearly everything went as planned. there was a minor glitch when four of the five olympic rings opened up in the first part of the program, but despite concerns no security threats reported. in syria the u.n. said both sides have agreed to a cease-fire in the city of homs.

1 million people were evacuated tray. and rebels are accusing the syrian government using starvation as a weapon of war. those are the headlines. i'm tony harris. inside story is up next on al jazeera america. >> it was another month of steady if not spectacular job growth. we'll talk about unemployment and take a look at the president's new retirement savings vehicle myra on "inside story." hello, i'm ray suarez. after americans were moved from