♪ a terror threat in the skies, why americans are warned not to fly a specific airline. a new round of syrian peace talks getting underway in geneva but it's unclear if the two sides unwilling to sit at the same table can end the violence in the war-torn country. >> came to tell the world about this. >> reporter: a star college football player comes out of the closet as he prepares to enter the nfl. >> you are in cowboy church when

the horse makes the prayer list. >> reporter: they embrace god and the cowboy culture. ♪ good morning and welcome to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy, the u.s. is warning americans not to fly a regional carrier out of the south american country giana and they have unconfirmed threats of the flights to the u.s. from caribbean airlines and it was posted on the u.s. embassy website on sunday and the message specifically sites a possible attacks on flights today from guianna to the u.s. and it's rare and not specific and in effect through wednesday and this is not the first time they have been connected to a u.s. threat, they foiled a 2007

threat to bomb jfk airport and four men connected to a militant group was connected and one was a citizen. they have access to a taliban propaganda video and shows the planning and execution of an attack on a cia compound in afghanistan last year. as al jazeera reports it also shows the taliban's increasingly complex tactics. >> this is not the training exercise of a conventional military. they are been shot by fighters in afghanistan and say they are planning an attack on the u.s. compound in kabul. >> translator: the cia and america think and say they are ruling the world with advanced technology. but this is not true. we entered into the compound in the same uniform and vehicles they are using. but nobody noticed. now it's time to destroy them. >> reporter: they are referring to an attack which happened in june last year but we cannot

independently verify when the pictures were shot. taliban said the target was cia headquarters in kabul and planned it for months, this reveals that taliban are capable of attacks and they have equipment which appear like soldiers and official-looking vehicles and the fake license plates which allowed them to enter the secure area and they passed through multiple security checkpoints without any trouble. these scenes of the incident were filmed independently. it appears to be the same area shown in the taliban video. but the taliban pictures appear to contradict the police chief's statements after the attack. >> translator: a land cruiser car using a fake id came to the gate while the guards were asking them to show the id two or three people came out from the car and the car exploded. the guards killed all the attackers. >> reporter: and he is a

national security analyst. >> this is huge. >> reporter: he says the video shows extensive planning and training. he thinks the fighters stole the u.s. gear and likely bought some of it on the black market. >> very effective and belief in themselves and they are organized and they can do complex operations and i think state actors across the world need to look at this video to see that within a span of four, five, six years these people have learned to asimulate a lot of information into what they are doing over there, the lesson learned is don't ignore their competence. >> reporter: this is what a u.s. official told al jazeera. the taliban has made no secret of its efforts to attack u.s. and coalition forces in afghanistan. the number of attacks in which operatives have breached the perimeters of coalition speaks to the group's planning and taliban said the attack was this retaliation for being ordered to

take down the flag and offices in the capit doha. we are fully prepared to take revenge and retaliation and teach them a lesson. >> reporter: the attack on the compound happened when the u.s. envoy was in afghanistan with talks between the taliban and afghan government and they say the video is a form of propaganda but says it shows the evolution of fighters in the mountains who are launching complex attacks and the electorate scheme are cause for concern for international troops handing over security to the afghan army and also for those taking up the challenge of securing one of the world's most volatile countries. al jazeera islamabad. >> reporter: three afghan guards were killed in the taliban attack on the u.s. compound last year. efforts to release american kenneth bay from north korea hit a roadblock and they cancelled at the last-minute and convicted

of trying to over throw the government and it's unclear why they are revoking the invitation for a u.s. official to visit and they believe it's in protest of up coming drills between the u.s. and south korea and the annual military exercises are set to begin february 24th and will last through the middle of april. more than 200,000 south korean troops and 12000 american forces will participate and north korea calls them a prelude to war and threatened to cancel an upcoming reunion for families separated during the korean war if they move forward. there is mounding pressure forwarding sides in south sudan to end the sectarian conflict. the u.s. says both government and rebel forces may be violating a cease fire agreement signed in january. the state department is urging foreign troops to leave the war-torn country and keeping forces in south sudan could result in a fill over of violence to other parts of the region and comes as both sides

renew peace negotiations in ethiopia and we are in the south of sudan capital of duba and good morning, a new round of peace negotiations begins today but how does the news from the u.s. impact the talks? >> well, the u.s. actually has been saying really what we have heard over these past two weeks, there have been accusations from both sides that both sides are violatingly the cease fire and when you speak to the people in the idp camps they point the finger at both sides saying that they don't trust the situation, it's so volatile and the fighting continues. it's such a large country that you really cannot get to pinpoint who is starting what and who is fighting where, a complication of the place. it will have an impact but only to a certain point because this is a very difficult situation. last week there was the au

summit and african summit and you heard over and over again from african leaders, from the u.s. and eu that foreign troops and mainly uganda troops should pull out of this conflict. well, the south sudan government position was we are a sovereign country and a lateral relations and the uganda troops are here to help us and not actually involved in the conflict. so certainly there is a lot of pressure behind closed doors and i'm sure south sudan government is saying something else but publically it does remain defiant. >> what issue also be on the table during the latest round of talks, hoda? >> well, this should be talks about national reconciliation and how to bring about a durable peace but there is a lot of sticky points. the starting point of the government is that the former

vice president and several senior members of the ruling party were fermenting a coup but they say they are trying to modernize espm which is the ruling party and we had 11 and 7 have been freed and they might very well be joining these talks that will start in a few hours. however, four remain in jail and that is one big sticking point. the opposition says they should be part of the talks because they are very influential people in this country. then you have the issue of the monitors and the observers and they have arrived on the ground, the advanced team has arrived and written its report and should put it forward to that meeting there. so we need to have the mechanisms working and everybody happy to start the talks and bring about the kind of national reconciliation but it will be very complicated and very long

according to both sides really. >> reporter: to say the least, and we are reporting from duba south sudan and thank you. iran is taking additional steps to answer questions about its nuclear program. the country has agreed to provide information on its detonators to the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency, the international atomic agency is investigating a possible use of the program and tiran says it's for energy and will cooperate with iaea to clear the doubts and they are separate from the on going negotiations over its nuclear program with six world powers including the u.s. there are renewed security concerned in japan after a politician in favor of nuclear power sell lethed the mayor of tokyo aren't he backs the plans to restart the nuclear reactors and his closest rivals campaigned against the power and

the nuclear energy took a dive when the fukashima plant and that was the worst since 1986. they want answers in the chemical spill that tainted the water supply to 300,000 people. members of the house will hold a rare field hearing at a courthouse in charleston and it has been a month since the spill but robert ray reports and says residents still don't trust the water. >> your poison water has to go. >> reporter: it has been a stressful month in west virginia. >> this is a place worth fighting for. >> reporter: frustrated citizens took to the streets this weekend protesting the ten -- 10,000 gallons that spilled in the west virginia water supply on january 9, effecting 300,000 people. people in neighborhoods like these in the capitol city are still not drinking the water even though centers for disease control and prevention say it's

clear to do so. most people smell the chemical in their homes and, in fact, last week some of the schools closed down because some teachers and students smelled the odors and became nauticus. in their hill side home above charleston rochelle and two daughters boil the water to bathe and using the bottled water to brush their teeth and wondering when the chemical smell will go away. >> it's so stressful and emotional and mentally exhausting and you don't know what to do because we had such mixed messages. >> reporter: she spent over a thousand dollars on water supplies and medical bills experiencing the nausea and itchy eyes. >> i was sick on and antibiotics for two weeks. >> reporter: she blames the smell for making her feel sick. >> we are all still smelling it strongly in our system.

i mean, it took three or four times you are flushing it to try and get rid of it and you don't trust it. >> reporter: feeling pressure from the public the governor said state agencies will be testing house pipes for the chemical making sure nothing left on surfaces and she wonders why that doesn't happen sooner. >> more concerned about industry and businesses than the people who live here. and i don't know that is ever going to change. >> reporter: with an uncertain future and the cost of water supplies mounting this resident has decided to take her children and leave the state. >> you don't know this is not going to cause cancer in us or in them and in 20 years, you know, we find out that we are really sick. >> reporter: a long, hard winter in west virginia but perhaps a warmer, more certain life ahead for rochelle and her daughters, robert ray, al

jazeera charleston west virginia. >> reporter: demanding tougher bills to regulate storage tanks. and he arrives in washington for a visit and president obama will visit him when he lands at andrews airforce base and will go to the virginia home of thomas jefferson and the guest of honor at a dinner tuesday night at the white house and the trip also includes a stop in san francisco. >> it was sort of impossible to process that he was talking about my daughter. >> reporter: a mother singled out by the head of aol accused of driving up the cost of the company's healthcare. why the ceo is now eating his words. ♪ plus an unique texas church that encourages cowboy boots in the pews. >> i'm not afraid of who i am. i'm not afraid to tell the world who i am. >> reporter: and a college football star headed to the nfl tackles a social issue head on,

admitting that he is gay. >> reporter: i'm john henry smith and the college basketball player who solved a fan knows what his penalty will be, details ahead in sports. >> reporter: and a live look now at sochi, russia where the winter games are in full swing and speed skiing and down hill skiing and curling on the schedule today. ♪

good morning and welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy and ahead a clj football star stuns the world sharing he is gay but let's look at the temperatures across the nation and metrologist nicole mitchell is here. good morning. >> we have cold air once again. i'm from minnesota and i was home over the weekend and they were saying the ice is so thick this season that you almost can take a full drill to get through it doing ice fishing, that is trivia. minus 9 this morning around minneapolis. the midwest and northeast we had colder than average air most of the season and going to findly

start to get back at least around normal over the next few days. in the meantime bismarck minus 15. all the way to the south we have temperatures in the 50s but with some of the colder air sinking in over the next couple days with the next round that will be coming in of rain there could be some ice mixing in so the temperatures could be just right for that which would obviously cause some problems and you see 50s drop to 30 tomorrow. the southwest gets warmer once again, los angeles at 77 degrees. and i talked about snow and ice for the south and we will talk where that will be coming up, in a few minutes and back to you. >> reporter: thank you, a second round of discussions aimed at ending the conflict in syria are underway in geneva at the heart of the talks creating a transitional government that does not include the current president bashir al-assad and they met two weeks ago and ended with no resolution and the u.n. brokered a cease fire that allowed for much needed aid to hit the hard hit city of homs

and 600 people evacuated from homs and took advantage of the three-day cease fire to get them all to safety and stephanie decker reports there is hope more people will be able to leave the besieged city. >> captured on video, the help they didn't believe would come had come. this was the moment when the first u.n. cars arrived in the old city of homs. these people have been living under siege for a year and a half and this finally is their way out. a moment of happiness in a war that has brought nothing but suffering to those caught in the middle. among those are priests, part of a few kris crayons left inside the old city. >> translator: we are happily smiling and exhausted and starved and crying. we are crying in their support too. we want to keep the people happy and every citizen has a right to lead a dignified life.

>> reporter: this is a glimpse into how it is all unfolded. discussions about who was already left and those remaining waiting for a way out. this has been an operation with great challenges. this is earlier on sunday and activists groups reported casualties among civilians and through the difficulties this day is hailed a success. >> translator: most of those who left our women, children and all the people, they are receiving medical attention and relief aid and received by government representatives and humanitarian organizations. we manage to overcome the challenges we face in the morning and the humanitarian operation will continue. >> reporter: this was supposed to be the last day of a three-day u.n. brokered cease fire and it has been extended by another three days. sunday's evacuation could be called a humanitarian breakthrough but it's a small victory if a three-year war that left millions of syrians exhausted and desperate for an

end, stephanie decker al jazeera beirut. >> reporter: less than 3,000 people remain in the city of homs. the conflict in syria has killed 136,000 people and displaced millions. currently there are no publically gay players in the four major u.s. sports but that could come to an end and john henry smith is here with more on a man who is breaking new ground. >> courageous young man, from david to wade davis a few football players have come out of the closet after their careers were done. but now a nfl prospect is coming out before his nfl career has even begun. >> came to tell the world that i'm openly proud gay man. >> and with those words michael sam if drafted has set himself up to become the nfl's first openly gay player. in interviews with espn and "new york times" the 24-year-old

university of missouri all american defensive lineman said he came out last year to his teammates and his coaches. >> rallied around me and supported me and could not ask for better teammates. >> reporter: the sam codefensive player of the yeerl -- year will be in the draft and wants to take control of how his story is told and it's a story he says shouldn't make a difference no matter which team he plays for. >> it shouldn't matter. if i work hard, if i make plays, that is all that should matter. can he help us win games, is he a team player, that is all that should matter. >> a big question in the coming months is sure to focus on whether the nfl locker room is ready for an openly gay teammate. the locker room is very ready and if the university of missouri play kers -- players

and so can the seahawks and everybody else. >> reporter: that is echoed by the nfl which says we admire michael sam's honesty and courage. michael is a football player. any player with ability and determination can succeed in the nfl. we look forward to welcoming and supporting michael sam in 2014. the stand out defensive lineman will find out soon if he will get a chance to win a nfl roster spot but for now he is content to have won the right to be who he is. >> i'm not afraid to tell the world of who i am. i'm michael sam. i'm a college graduate. i'm african/american and i'm gay. >> reporter: michael sam is a 6'2" and thought to be worthy as a selection as early as the second round in the may draft. the big 12 conference suspended oklahoma for three games after he shoved a fan at texas tech

and happened late if the game as smart fell in the crowd following an attempt to block a shot by the robert and smart said he reacted to being called the n word and in a brief statement he expresses remorse for his actions. >> this is not how i condone myself and not how the program is run and not how i was raised. i let my emotion get the best of me. just came that it happened again and something i have to learn from, a lesson i have to learn from, the consequences that are coming with it, i'm taking full responsibility. >> reporter: well as for the texas tech fan in the center of all this jeff as an apology saying my actions were inappropriate and do not reflect myself or texas tech and university i love dearly and regret calling mr. smart a piece of crap but did not use a racial slur of any kind and i want to offer apologies to the fans who have been embarrassed by the

attention this incident has created. texas tech said that he agreed to not attend texas tech home or away games for the remainder of the season. the slopes in the olympics and looking for gold in the slope style and anderson's second run is great as she executes jumps and landings and 95.25 and in first place. much to the delight of her fans and at that point only anna stands between the gold metal and it is going well but going in the last jump she slips and gives anderson the win and the snow board slow style gold. to the men's down hill, bode miller of the united states going for the metal and he finished with a time of 2: 6.23 seconds and miller despite the fastest time in practice he could not catch up with meijer and finished 8th.

and in olympic hockey the united states women leads switzerland 6-0 in the second period. that is your look at morning sports. >> reporter: john henry smith thank you. a new report shows punishments handed out by the military for sex crimes, what it reveals about how the violations were handled by the military. an unexpected after shock after the massive haiti earthquake and thousands suffering with mental illness and no one to treat them. >> ultimately it's so much lower as far as starting up a business. >> reporter: and how one count is bouncing back from hurricane katrina and helping businesses grow and putting people to work. this is a live picture of wichita, kansas and 12 degrees with a light snow falling.

al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it. primetime news. >> i'm john seigenthaler in new york. >> stories that impact the world, affect the nation and touch your life. >> it's like a brawl here in the waters around monterey. >> only on al jazeera america. ♪

welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy and these are the top stories at the hour. u.s. officials say americans should not use a regional airline to fly from guinna to the united states and they say they have unconfirmed threat information about flights to the u.s. on caribbean airlines and the theft was posted on the site on sunday and it's in effect until wednesday. discussion about syria's future are underway in geneva and sitting down for a second round of peace talks and aimed at stopping the violence and creating a transitional government and last month it ended with cease fire and evacuations in homs and they are complaining the water in west virginia still smells a month after a chemical spill and they want answers that tainted the water supply to 300,000 people and they are holding a rare field hearing in charleston in

hopes of finding out more. a report is talking about sex crimes and specifically looks at american military personnel stationed in japan, the associated press studied data from the investigative service which handles the navy and marines and said light punishments of people accused of sent -- sentences and no jail time and one went to a court marshal and more than 620 serious allegations against military person any 323 were in the military and 473 cases involving marines and sailors, 179 were given some punishment but only 68 went to prison. attorney general eric holder said today legally married same sex couples will have legal right on the level and this was

on saturday during a speech in new york and follows last year's ruling saying they cannot refuse them in states that allow them. >> on monday i will issue a new policy memo to give full and ecckwal recognition to the greatest extent possible under the law. >> reporter: among the changes same sex spouses will not have to testify against each other in federal, civil or criminal case. and the move will effect bankruptcy proceedings and visitation policy at federal prisons. closing arguments of former new orleans mayor negan and accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of bribes from contractors for contracts and filing false tax returns and he took the stand last week and

denied he did anything wrong and he led the city through hurricane katrina faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted. the senate foreign relations committee is meeting in a few hours on their agenda workers rights in bangladesh, two owners of a factory turned themselves in to authorities to face homicide charges. their factory caught fire two years ago killing at least 112 workers and it revealed when the fire broke out they said it was part of a routine drill and by then it was too late for many to escape and this is the second largest textile exporter after china. in december it raised the pay for workers and allowed them to form unions after a string of factory accidents. switzerland is reversing the stand on allowing immigrants from other parts of europe into the country. swiss voters narrowly agreed to end the immigration policy it adopted from the eu. in 2002 they did away with

quotas allowing in nationals from other countries and it's not a member of the eu it decided to adopt the free-moving policy but catherine shows the swiss decision could have a ripple effect across the continent. >> in a country that relies heavily on foreign workers a vote gauging support for immigration control is contentious and to limit the flow of immigrants was brought by the right ring swiss party and wants the government to abandon the agreement with the european union and because it's too crowded and causing problems with steep rising houses. and 50% support the cap, a difference of around 30,000 votes. >> the people here feel like they press down the salaries, they raise the housing prices,

they are pressure on the education system, the criminality increased because of them and there is this perceived feeling that the immigration is behind a lot of problems in switzerland. >> reporter: switzerland is not a member of the european union but it adopted large section of policy including free movement and the open borders agreement to access europe's single market. it's not clear what the new quota will be and means the swiss government will need to renegotiate the deal it has with the eu but with several industries relying on foreign workers critics say implementing a quota is a mistake. >> if you look at economic relayings with europe where about every working day 700 million pounds worth of trade is conducted between switzerland and the eu, you certainly get the impression this won't be doing switzerland any favor in economic terms but could have disastrous economic consequences. >> reporter: switzerland cannot

cherry pick aspects of eu policy but with the swiss population clearly so divided on the issue of immigration caps this could be the first step toward a changing relationship with the european block. catherine with al jazeera. >> reporter: , in fact, 23% of switzerland's 8 million people are foreigners. the pressure is mounting for ukraine president viktor yanukovych to step aside and they flooded the streets for antigovernment prothe tests on sunday and call for yanukovych's resignation as the country spirals in an economic crisis and russia this weekend said they will continue to withhold a $125 billion aid package to ukraine. antigovernment protests are picking up steam in bosnia and people are up set over high unemployment and poor living conditions and it began in the northern town of tuzla last week after a factory was shut down and demonstrations have spread to three other cities including the capitol and angry people set

fire to buildings and hundreds injured including dozens of police and protests continued all weekend and said the crowds were smaller and more peaceful. aol-ceo is reversing changes to the company's 401(k) policy after a week of bad publicity and tim armstrong apologized for xhent comments he made and are changing the plan because two women with distressed babies were driving up the cost of healthcare and it went viral and he said on a personal note i made a mistake and i apologize for the comments when i talked about healthcare examples and trying to explain our decision making process around our employee benefit program and called the two women and apologized personally and the child was born three months premature and her medical bills were in the thousands. >> it was sort of impossible to process that he was talking about my daughter who was home

with me at that time. to hear her labeled a distressed baby and to me there did sound like the implication that somehow we were greedy consumers of healthcare benefits, that we had kind of gobbled up more than our share of the pie and he has spoken in very heart felt ways about how badly he feels for having caused us this hurt and i accept that. >> reporter: after the media outrage the ceo announced aol is keeping the original 401(k) plan in place. the state run health ex change in california could face serious troubles and setting aside $200 million to fight out projected budget shortfalls and a billion in federal grants have been supporting the program but those will dry up this year. california has 625,000 enrollments in january, the most of the states, 13 other states

and the district of columbia operate state exchanges. four years after a devastatingeth quake haiti is struggling to rebuild in many ways, one of the biggest problems the country faces is helping the mentally ill to get care they desperately need. >> reporter: outside the mental health hospital they wait and watch. it can take hours to see a doctor or nurse and the line keeps getting longer. another man is brought in, his hands and legs bound together, restrained in the back of a vehicle. he is virtually ignored for several minutes until someone notices he is thirsty. they have a combined bed capacity of over 300. >> we are overwhelmed and not enough doctors and 30 psychiatrists in the country and 23 have a private practice, that leaves 7 psychiatrists for 10

million people. >> reporter: the doctor let us film him on rounds at the hospital and inside are dozens of people in varying degrees of distress and locked up behind bars and no facilities and the problems are epilepsy and drug-related illnesses and schizophrenia and almost all are related to the earthquake and most will go untreated. >> translator: i'm really worried and concerned because people come for help that sometimes we cannot provide. >> reporter: the earthquake displaced around 1 1/2 million people and it's hard to have a handle on numbers but based on research they estimate 70% of the people are in need of some kind of help from mental help services. before the disaster there was no mental health system and they thought it meant you were crazy

and some of the shame went away but there is a long way to go. the government allocated 50% of the budget to health and 3% is spent on mental health services. the other obstacle is cultural. they often turn to religious and spiritual leaders, not medical professions. >> you go to see a person of voodo and they don't have the capacity and they don't have the skills and to ensure the follow-up of this person living with mental health issues. >> reporter: continue neglect of the mentally ill population is yet another challenge for a nation still haunted by one of the worst natural disasters in history. >> reporter: the imagine tut 7 earthquake struck miles from

po there. they are battling fires in wales and one firefighter was injured in victoria and a hot, dry summer says it's a serious condition for fires in five years. two winter storms could be headed to georgia today and tomorrow. the governor said the state will take a proactive approach this time around and treating the roads early and residents encouraged to stock up on food and other items and two weeks ago a storm shut down the city and children were forced to sleep in schools. let's bring in metrologist nicole mitchell for the latest on the storm and what the rest of the world is facing. >> they have making up to do from the disaster on the roads and last week jumping on the gun and putting on the d.o.t. theys there was a watch for winter

weather when there wasn't so they went from one direction to over correcting and hopefully this time we will get it closer to just right. here is what you see, snow coming through places like missouri and kansas this morning and as we get across the region there has been a couple reports of a little bit of ice in southern parts of oklahoma into north texas so watch for that as this ban comes along. this is how it forms. later in today still a moist boundary through the south. tomorrow a better chance that some of that spins up and could become areas of freezing rain as the temperature drops and you see atlanta is kind of on the cusp of that and we will have to watch that. could be on the rain side but freezing rain would definitely make things slick and snow to the north of that that is why we have so many watches and warnings up that last for the next couple of days because of the region. as we get to the forecast the temperatures drop off and that is why tuesday and wednesday we could see some of that freezing precipitation.

getting in the northwest we had the pineapple express coming in the region that brought beneficial rain to california. but some even lower elevations of snow to parts of the northwest, needed for the snow pack and really created some mess on the roads. so you can see what the snow pack did just from last week to this week, one week different, a lot more snow you are dealing with. we will have more on the temperatures across the country in just a little bit. back to you. >> reporter: thank you, looking a business news a data breach at barclays is launching an invest that data for 20,000 customers has been stolen and sold. a uk newspaper claims the stolen data could be sold for millions on the black market because it allows brokers to look at business scams and could cost the bank more in fines. it could be the end of an era for the australian auto industry. toyota said it will close factories in the country by the

end of 2017 and it will effect about 2500 jobs and general motors and ford also announced similar plans next year and it will leave australia without a major auto manufacture and it makes imports cheaper and difficult for auto makers to export cars overseas. wall street will open lower after a two-week losing streak on friday and they start at 15794. the s&p 5 00's 1797. nasdaq is 4125. asia markets closed higher and the composite added 2%, the highest close in a month. and tokyo rose 2%. consumers paying less at the pump. the average price of gas falling 2 cents a gallon in two weeks and the average nationwide for a gallon of regular is $3.29 and

the cheapest gas is billings, montana for $2.99 a gallon. mississippi has one of the fastest growing economies and as stephanie reports small businesses are playing a big role in that city's success. >> reporter: a building boom here, construction starts rose 21% last month alone and a new hotel opens in a couple of weeks and a river front complex with shops, restaurants and condos is scheduled to break ground later this year. the mayor jim blevins knows the economy is driven by oil and natural gas boom and the ship building industry but he also says the city is working smarter and assisting small business. >> we have a whole set of opportunities for businesses that come here that talk about tax abate -- abatements and fees to be waived and helping businesses how to integrate themselves in the whole coastal

area and that is something we take pride in doing. >> reporter: for almost a decade he has been helping small business take root and take off. >> that is not a one-year wonder. we had growth of 5% and greater through the years since katrina. >> and see what the slate border. >> yes. >> reporter: that help is proved a formula for success for amy who moved here two years ago to be with her fiancee. she never planned on starting her own business but. >> we started looking into the cost and the overhead of opening a store here and it was just very low and very doable. >> reporter: with the help of the city she opened party girls invitations and gift, a shop in a make-shift shopping center also newly constructed. >> the city got a grant to do the banker square with the fema cottages from katrina and we rent from the city so it's very low, the rent is very low. you pay the utilities which are

very low. ultimately everything is just so much lower as far as starting up a business so i mean that was one of the main factors. >> reporter: the mayor says they average 2-6 new businesses a week. part of the attraction is that this city has established an environment that allows entrepreneurs to start a business and to grow. >> it's a really great idea and i think more cities should do it. >> reporter: in less than a year sales are good she moved to a larger location in the square and hopes down the road to a permanent location. small steps that make for a big difference in a city's economic revival. stephanie boswell in mississippi. >> reporter: joining the ranks as the nation's fastest growing are texas, odessa, texas and fargo, north dakota. this is key. >> it's our way.

we are not suiting up. >> reporter: how this house of worship is breaking down barriers. and a new study is revealing about how the power of vitamin c is helping to fight the big c, cancer. and needed moisture but the snow is causing a mess in the northwest, i'll have your forecast. they have been man's best friends for centuries, a companion to tens of millions but how much do we really know about dogs? >> hello sweetie. >> reporter: and how much do they know about us? do dogs have feelings in your opinion? >> yes. >> reporter: it's the bond, the behavior and finding out just how smart they might be. a whole new field of science is trying to decode the inner lives of dogs. >> new research theories and surprising findings that may change the way you look at america's most popular pets. >> yes, good little girl.

>> reporter: at 8:00 p.m. tonight we look at a question scientists and the rest of us have been wondering about for centuries, how smart, really smart are dogs?

only on al jazeera america ♪ welcome back to al jazeera america, just ahead a church that caters to cowboys let's see where the snow and rain may fall today and nicole mitchell is back, good morning. >> snow in the northeast last night and if you missed it when you went to bed and it has gone through and light and not too significant but be warned it's there when you head out the door. across the country we have another boundary through portions of the south where we are getting snow associated with that for the most part like

wichita, kansas picking some up and portions of missouri. a little spotty freezing rain with that further to the south like oklahoma. one other place where we cannot turn off the faucet but this is beneficial rain is into the northwest. you see we have a band of rain coming in. as it gets to higher elbow va e elevations that is significant amounts of snow and great for ski resorts but driving has been treacherous and good for the snow pack because we are so dry and could use the moisture. >> weather in the uk could get worse before it gets better. large parts of southwest england are slammed by winds and flooding and they are stacking sand bags and trying to prevent further flooding and one village all roads are cutoff and january had an unusually high rainfall. 6,000 miles across the globe japan is dealing with the heaviest snowfall in 45 years.

tokyo had 10" and metrologists say more snow is on the way. at least 11 people died in weather-related accidents. lawmakers plan to pressure the nfl into renaming the washington redskins in an stern letter to roger gidle today members of congress are blasting him over the support of the name and it was cowritten by both washington senator and oklahoma representative tom kohl and say if they do not comply they they may change the status and the letter stays the nfl can no longer ignore in and perpetuate for what it is, a racial slur. there are churches across the country where it's okay to wear your cowboy hat and boots and we went to a place of worship in greenville, texas that embraces its western heritage.

♪ the signs and pictures on the wall are misleading. sure, people are singing and having a good time, but the only spirit these folks indulge in is the holy spirit. >> this old place used to be a bar. >> reporter: now it's the home of top rail cowboy church located in greenville, texas and the christian congregation is outside the mold of what some may see as chufrn. >> as we take down barriers that prohibit people from coming to church and worshipping and go around the cowboy who may have to feed cows or attend horses and he can come to church with a little stuff on his boots. >> more boots than loafers and women decide on jeans instead of dresses. >> we do it in our way. we are not suiting up. >> reporter: charlie pastors the church which has more than 200 in the nation and most are in the lone star state. >> what started in texas went to

alabama, oklahoma and louisiana and maybe some in montana. >> reporter: it braces rural and western heritage and traditional cowboy culture. >> it's the right culture and right personality fit for me and my family, it's great. >> i'm not going to be judged here and i wear this a lot of times and you go to a brothers church and people look at you. >> reporter: nationwide the cowboy church is growing, so much so it's being renovated to increase seating capacity. and pets are a welcome part of the church family. >> and a horse or two will make it on a prayer list on a sunday sometimes. so that is when you know you are in cowboy church when the horse makes the prayer list. >> reporter: members spend a great deal of time together. >> this is my family away from home and where i can praise god and be myself praising god. >> reporter: it brings him joy to see the growth of cowboy

churches and more people are going to church who weren't before, brandon in greenville. >> reporter: most cowboy churches have a rodeo and teach roping and riding skills. new research suggests increasing your vitamin c intake can help protect you from cancer and if it's given by injection it could be a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for several forms of cancer and calling for large clinical trials in the u.s. and i has been used for years as alternative therapy for cancer but there are concerns that pharmaceutical companies will not run the trials because vitamins cannot be patented. getting out of bed in the morning can be tough at any age but a study fines children and teens are turning to caffeine for the pick me up. according to the centers for disease control nearly 3 out of 4 kids consume caffeinated beverages every day and found soda is a favorite and coffee

and energy drinks have grown if popularity. the average kid drinks 60-70 milligrams like a 6-ounce cup of coffee or soda and we have the stories next hour. >> reporter: members of congress are having a field hearing in west virginia and investigating the chemical leak of tainted water for hundreds of people. michael sam publically announcing he is gay, if chosen during the draft he will be the first openly gay player. a second round of talks to end syria war beginning in geneva and the sides unable to reach a deal when they first met two weeks ago and justice department extending benefits for same sex couples and what they will get and what it means for states that oppose the legalization of gay marriage. in 8:00 the former attorney general will join us and why he thinks the government should curb the use of drones.

>> i'm metrologist nicole mitchell and could be in a winter states in the south and some states starting the day below 0. >> reporter: we are back in two minutes and thanks for watching.

>> you don't know what to do. >> demanding answers for the toxic spill in west virginia. congress getting to the bottom of things. >> we will never stop working to ensure quality under the law is protected by the law. >> same sex couples getting a boost from the federal government, taking action to

ensure equal treatment in all 50 states. >> two deadly car crashes resulting in large loss of life. how the same costly mistake claimed 11 lives in two states. >> it's dubbed operation angry bird. the cock fighting bust that saved thousands of animals from certain death. >> welcome to aljazeera america. >> congress wants answers in that west virginia chemical spill that tainted the water supply. a rare hearing is being held in the field in charleston, west virginia. >> it's been a month since that spill and residents still don't trust the water. this people began protesting this weekend, saying the water smells and is making them sick. >> residents are boiling the water to bathe and even brush their teeth.

robert ray in west virginia for us. what do they hope to learn during the hearing? >> good morning, del. as you said, a rare congressional hearing in the field here in charleston, west virginia. they'll be in the courthouse starting at 9:00 a.m. this is an explore atory meeting as to how the spill should have occurred here ole eming river. they want to find the reasons leading up to that. they want to look at response, why the emergency management, the state, c.d.c. and e.p.a., the current situation, where they are now and how they move forward as far as regaining the faith of the public here so that people are actually safe in drinking the water and bathing in the water. del. >> here's the problem though, the officials from the company responsible for the leak, freedom industries were asked to speak today but said no. who is going to be at the hearing. >> precisely. freedom industries, particular the president was asked to come

here today. they have declined. the last time we have seen anyone or heard anyone from that company that has filed chapter 11 and blamed for the spill was on january 11 in a very awkward press conference where the gentleman came out and said he was sick and actually drinking a bottle of water to add insult to injury. we'll have people from the homeland security, senator joe manchen, a president of the water company of west virginia water here, the departmentalth . we also got an early draft or paper from senator jay rockefeller last night. his people sent over some statement that is he will be giving, but he won't be here. they're going to read what he said. he talks about the fact that it has been financially taxing for the people and businesses of charleston, west virginia area, it's been emotionally draining. he wants to know about long term

health effects, would like studies put in place. he wants the industries held accountable, specifically freedom industries. let me give you a quote here: we must ensure no west virginian is left doubting the scheme of the state or federal government. that given to aljazeera america last night. you're the first to hear that. >> robert, thank you very much. >> this morning, a young collegiate athlete is breaking ground getting ready to head to the nfl. there are no openly gay players at this point, john henry smith has more on this story. good morning. >> good morning. nfl players have come out of the closet before, but only after their careers have been over, and yet now, an openly gay player is about to change that. a college football star, an nfl prospect took a big step coming out before his nfl career has

even begun. >> i came to tell the world that i am an openly proud gay man. >> with those words, michael sam if drafted has set himself up to become the nfl's first openly gay player. in interviews, the all american defensive lineman says he came out last year to his teammates and coaches. >> they rallied around me, supported me and i couldn't have asked for better teammates. >> sam, the southeastern conference company defensive player of the year is expected to be picked in may's nfl draft. he said he came out now because he wanted to take control of how his story is told. it's a story he says shouldn't make a difference no matter which team he ends up playing for. >> it shouldn't matter. if i work hard, make plays, that's all that should matter, can he help us win games. is he a team player. that's all that should matter.

>> michael sam! >> a big question in the coming months is sure to focus on whether the nfl locker room is ready for an openly gay teammate. >> the locker room is very ready, and if the university of missouri players do it, so can the seattle sea hawk players, houston texans and everyone else. >> that sentiment is echoed by the nfl, saying: the standout defensive lineman will find out soon if he gets the chance for an nfl roster spot. >> i'm not afraid to tell the world of home. i am michael sam. i'm a college graduate.

i'm african american and i'm gay. >> he is thought by most experts to be worthy of a selection as early as the third round in may's nfl draft. >> i think the question everybody is wondering right now is how good is this guy? >> well, at his waiting, his experience playing as a down defensive end. he's not big enough to play that position in the nfl. he doesn't have the experience playing off the line as a linebacker, which is a position he'd probably have to play should he go to the pros, so there's question about his ability. >> will this announcement keep teams from picking him? >> well, there was eight general managers interviewed by sportsillustrated.com and all eight said that they thought it would affect his draft positioning. it only takes one team, one owner, general manager to fall

in line. >> efforts to release american kenneth bay from a north korean prison hitting a road block, talks canceled at the last moment. i was convict of trying to overthrow the north korean government. it is unclear by the country is revoking an invitation for a visit. some analysts believe the north is protesting the upcoming joint military drills between the u.s. and south korea. >> more than 3,000 birds were rescued and nine people arrested after investigators broke up a cock fighting ring doing business in new york city and upstate new york. operation angry bird targeted locations in brooklyn and queens along with a farm. state attorney general said it was the largest cock fighting bust ever in new york and among the biggest in u.s. history. he said spectators paid admission in a basement in queens that housed the all night fights.

the roosters attack each other with some wagers going as high as $10,000. >> new jersey's on line newspaper having second thoughts about endorsing chris christie. the new jersey star ledger saying it made a bad decision backing christie who is currently dealing with that george washington bridge scandal, the headline endorsing chris christie was regrettable. they said they blue this one, and in that editorial added yes, we knew christie was a bully, but didn't know his crew was crazy enough to put people's lives at risk in fort lee as a means to pressure the mayor. >> heavy rains are bringing some relief to california. the state is under a state of emergency for near historic drought conditions. many cities and farming communities are dangerously low on water. as he can are a men toe's lake rose eight feet thanks to the rain, but it is still below 20%

of its total capacity, just one third what it should be this time of year. >> that doesn't mean the epic drought is over. >> nicole mitchell has more with our morning forecast. >> all the rain that we have seen recently in the west and the snow as well is kind of a drop in the bucket versus years of ongoing drought, but a drop in the bucket helps at least make the bucket a little higher i guess. the west coast, you have what we call the pineapple express, a channel of moisture, that's cut off, a little more of that into the northwest, california a drier day, but you can see another system back behind, so february should be one of our wetter months, actually the wettest for places like california and it looks like we have at least some more opportunities. we'll take what we can get at this time. although it has been a mess, even lower elevations into parts of the northwest over the course of the weekend were getting the snow, places that would normally get rain even in the winter. it's been very messy on the

roads and more of that today. this is where we do still have moisture coming in, including parts of the olympic range, definitely some more snow. that is great news for the snow pack. look, just one week ago, this is what it looked like in terms of snow pack. you add the recent moisture over the last few days and that becomes much more widespread. look at this, a lot of washing on and oregon under snow now. that's messy on the roads. we've got a boundary moving into the southern tier of the country, already bringing snow to places like kansas and missouri. as this continues to move across the south, especially into the day tomorrow as temperatures drop, could have some freezing rain and snow and that will cause a mess. i'll have more on those temperatures in a few minutes. >> well, the weather in the u.k. couldn't get any worse. live pictures now of the times river, the southwest and england slammed with heavy winds and

flooding. residents are stacking sandbags to prevent further flooding. in one village, almost all of the roads are cut off, january having unusually high rainfalls. >> google in trouble overseas. the home page in france now bears a large advisory, telling visitors google's been fined for violating french privacy laws. it must pay more than $200,000 in fines and that post has to stay up for 48 hours. the country has received harsh criticism over user data protection. google's facing similar action in the u.k., germany, italy and the netherlands. >> it is held as a victory here for same-sex marriage couples, eric holder making the announcement over the weekend. >> the new rights being given to married gay couples even in states that don't recognize gay

marriage. we will talk about the change. >> nearly 9 million pounds of bad beef, some of it could be in your freezer. we'll tell what you to look at for. >> a game of pride, why a lack of cooperation between the u.s. and russia may be threatening security at the winter olympics.

>> today's big number, 8.7 million, that's how many pounds of ground beef have been recalled by federal regulators. >> rancho feeding corporations used meat from diseased animals. regulators said they sent the bad meat to california, florida, illinois and texas. the distribution becomes one of the biggest recalls in history. >> a lot of people concerned about how they find out about what meat may be tainted. go to the usda website. they will have all the information. >> no illnesses yet, but inspectors say it could happen. >> always check. >> welcome back to aljazeera

america. >> straight ahead, a major victory for same sex couples. >> first, let's get a look at the temperatures we expect across the nation today. meteorologist nicole mitchell is here. >> good morning. i hope everyone is off to a good monday. southern tear of the country, some of these cities won't get that warm for their highs tomorrow, so enjoy the milder air while we have it. i want to means the midwest. these temperatures well below zero once again, fargo at minus 15. this winter has been so persistently cold. del, i know you're always curious about the ice fishing. it takes a four-foot auger to get through it. that ice thick is half a person because this winter has been so cold. today is below average, too, you can see the temperatures in the south drop. >> have to get the new auger. thank you very much, attorney eric holder is issuing no

policies that expand the rights of same sex couples, giving new rights under the new law. >> for example, some same sex spouses will be able to file oh for bankruptcy together. they cannot be compelled to testify against each other in civil or criminal cases. the goal here is for gay couples to be treated exactly the same as straight couples under federal law. >> we will never stop working to ensure that equality under the law is protected by the law. >> a pledge from the u.s. attorney general himself is the latest move by the obama administration to recognize same-sex marriages to the greatest extend possible. >> the justice department is taking additional steps to further advance this fundamental truth and give real meaning to the windsor decision. >> edie, since then, married

couples can file federal taxes jointly. they can apply for benefits within federal programs, like the september 11 victim compensation fund. in federal prisons, same sex spouses will now have visitation rights. attorney general eric holder said the new policy apply to say legally married gay couples even living in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage. >> in every courthouse, in every proceeding, and in every place where a member of the department of justice stands on behalf of the united states, they will strive to ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges, the same protections, and the same rights as opposite sex marriages under federal law. >> the announcement comes as attorney generals in some states face legal battles.

last week in wisconsin, the aclu filed a lawsuit in federal court suing the state for discrimination on the grounds that same sex couples who live in wisconsin and go out of state to marry could face prosecution when returning to the state. in virginia, a federal judge is deciding whether the state's ban on gay marriage should be overturned. >> we just want the opportunity to be recognized the same way everyone else is and to have the same benefits that married couples have. >> the democratic attorney general in virginia has said he will not defend his state's same-sex marriage ban in court. as far as this federal expansion of equal rights goes, there has not been much of a republican response on one of the sunday political talk shows, republican senator of new hampshire said this move is just another example of the obama administration i am prosing its will on the states. her state of new hampshire legalized gay marriage in 2010.

>> here to discuss the impact of the new policy is former senior advisor to president clinton. thank you for being with us. we appreciate your time. so how significant are these changes, what's the real impact? >> the changes themselves announced on saturday by the attorney general perhaps are part of a trend, part of a larger trend where the federal government is aggressively taking step to say recognize same sex relationships that come out of states where they are legal. let's seep in mind here that the attorney general isn't creating anything, any new legal rights. he is simply saying if you were married in the state which can happen in 17 states that the federal government will recognize those marriages. it's a very positive development, indicates that the justice department is very aggressively recognizing those rights.

>> an example of what president obama talked about with his pen and phone moving ahead, not waiting for congress or states to act necessarily. >> yes, and he's been doing this in this area of lgbt rights more aggressively, perhaps for sometime now. you remember it was a couple of years ago that he announced he had changed his position, he had evolved so to speak on the issue of same-sex marriage. the justice department was active as a participant on the side of gay rights activists in the supreme court cases we saw last summer, so this is part of an important trend. >> if the critics have said that this undermines the sovereignty and authority of the states to make their own decisions, what's your response? >> let's keep in mind that this applies only to people who are married in states where same-sex marriage is already legal. it's up to state law.

individual states, the state of the law is that individual states get to decide for themselves what marriages they want to recognize, so far, that may change. the justice democratic is saying if you are married in a state where it's legally recognized, the federal government is going to recognize it for all purposes. it's a positive development and welcome change. >> 17 states and the district of columbia. what about the states that don't allow it? does she push them at all? we heard a bit of a response. >> the state the senator is from is legal, i don't know what she's complaining about. oklahoma and utah already have federal judges that said those states must recognize same-sex marriage. those decisions are stayed pending appeal. we are expecting a decision out

of a federal court in virginia very soon, maybe this week, which we think will be favorable. these distinctions will become ir. >> you've been working on this for a long time. put this in the cultural framework for us. we've seen michael sam, college athlete coming out being gay, but put this in the cultural context for us. >> the michael sam announcement is a very big announcement this morning, because he's the first -- might be the first nfl player, everybody thinks he's going into the nfl. it's a marker, because that is seen as such a man's man sport. the culture is changing, sometimes faster than the government. you see on television, now in prime time, show that is feature gay characters, even young high

school gay characters. the world has changed in many respects and the government and our political leaders are catching up with the changes we see in the culture. michael sam, you know, very important announcement this morning. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> former senior advisor to bill clinton. >> we have breaking news coming in from hasbro reporting lower than expected profits for the holiday season, earnings falling nearly $130 million in the last three months of last year. the company blames lower sales. toyota will close factories be affecting 2500 jobs. g.m. and ford announcing similar plans. and you say stale i can't will be left without a major auto manufacturer. it is more difficult for car

manufactures to ship cars overseas. >> dow futures are down 45 points. the dow starts the day at 15,794. the s&p 500 stands at 1797. the nasdaq is at 4,125. >> in asia, markets closed mostly higher, it's highest close in a month. nikkei rose 2%. european markets are mixed. >> barclays is launching investigations that data for customers have been stolen. brokers are allowed to target people in investment scams. it could cost the bank even more in fines. >> talks to end nearly three years of war in syria.

>> what negotiators say is the biggest road block to a deal ending the violence. >> it's a new beginning. forget the past, it's a new life, move forward and new beginning. >> a woman walked out of prison after 10 years behind bars, plus an american man exonerated after 15 years behind bars is joining us live. >> trading weapons for words in the west bank. palestinians are using old fashioned disobedience in their fight for an independent state.

al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people.

>> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news. >> welcome back to aljazeera america. a second round of discussions aimed at ending the conflict in syria is underway in geneva. at the heart of the talks, creating a transitional government that does not include president bashar al assad. government and opposition representatives met two weeks ago, but talks ended with no

resolution. the u.n. brokered a ceasefire allowing much needed aid to reach the hard hit city of homs. james bays is in geneva. >> the talks are back underway, initially both sides reaching separately with th the mediator. doesn't look like things have moved forward in any way since they last were here a week ago when the first round of these weeks started was two weeks ago. the idea of the evacuation of the old city of homs, it was thought to get a breakthrough would be a confidence building measure to increase the atmosphere, but it's taken so long to actually get the aid convoy into homs. of course you've seen those mortars fired as people tried to leave the old city that it itself has become one of the contentious issues here, adding to a very difficult atmosphere.

we believe this round of talks is going to last about a week. >> reporting from geneva. >> more than 600 people evacuated from the syrian city of homs, rescue teams taking advantage of a three day ceasefire to get all to safety. there's hope now that more will be able to leave that war-torn city. >> captured on video, the help they didn't believe would come had come. this is the moment when the first u.n. cars arrived in the old city of homs. these people have been living under siege for a year and a half and this finally their way out. a rare moment of happiness in a war that has brought nothing but suffering to those caught in the middle. among those, a priest, part of a few christians left inside the old city. >> we are hardly smiling, they're exhausted and starved. they are trying. we are crying in this, too, we want to see all other people

happy. every citizen has a right to live and lead a dignified life. >> this is a glimpse into how it has all unfolded. discussions about who was already left and those remaining waiting for a way out. this has been an operation with great challenges. this is earlier on sunday, activist groups reported casualties among civilians. this day is hailed as success. >> most of those who left are women, children and older people. they are receiving medical attention and relief aid. they are being received by government, representatives and humanitarian organizations. we managed to overcome the challenges we face in the morning and the humanitarian operation will continue. >> this was supposed to be the last day of a three day u.n. brokered ceasefire. it has now been extended by another three days. sunday's evacuation could be called a humanitarian break

through. it's a small victory in a war that has left millions exhausted and desperate for an end. >> rescue workers say fewer than 3,000 people are still in the city. the conflict in syria has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. >> an american woman is a free woman today. she was given a 20 year sentence for smuggling nine pounds of pot. there was much debate over her guilt or in sense. >> it's a new beginning. forget the past, move forward, and new beginning. >> she was granted parole last week, but can't return to australia until 2017. when it comes to exonerations, 2013 was a record year here. last year, there were 87, the highest number since 1989 when

there were 83. that brings the total number to slightly over 1300. jeffery served 15 and a half years behind bars for rape and murder but exonerated in 2006 with the help of the in sense project. they used d.n.a. to clear convicted criminals, how do you feel when you keep hearing about another case coming forward where somebody is exonerated. >> it's a mixed feeling. i'm happy someone else's insofts has come to an end, on the other hand i'm frustrated, because the state legislature in new york and across the country have not passed eforms to make the system more accurate to stop this from happening. >> when it happens once, it's a mistake. when it happens 87 times, it's a systemic problem. it seems they are finding more and more people just like you. what do you say about aistic that seems to indicate that a lot of people may be behind bar that is didn't do anything at all? >> the system is broken. it's a public safety issue, as well, because every time the wrong person is sent to prison,

it leaves the criminal free to strike again, which happened in my case. >> what is it like being behind bars knowing you were innocent? every time you talk to somebody, they say i'm in sent and they say we hear that all the time. they find later on you are innocent. how do you put your life back together? >> it's very difficult. you try to get up to speed with technology, reestablish family ties. no one walks away unscarred. >> do people still look at you strange? >> they do. it's more like you spent 16 years in prison, so much of that rubbed off on you? >> did you get any money? that's what people want to know, how do you put somedays life back together. >> i did receive some financial compensation. let's me tell you, there's no amount of money worth being incarcerated wrongfully. i would give it back, go into debt for the same amount of money to have the normal life back. >> the prison itself makes an

awful lot of money off inmates. isn't until you feel the prison system has to pay a lot of money to people like yourselves that they'll get it and realize we are putting too many innocent people behind bars. >> not really the prison system, it's law enforcement and prosecutors. when they have to start personally pay instead of the state ponying up anything, i think we'll see deterrence. >> you wrote letters, telling people i'm innocent. how did the in sense project get in your case? >> somebody lobbied outside the organization while somebody address lobbied them. we got further d.n.a. testing not only confirming my in sense, but showing my in sense. >> there were many calling for justice a long time and a long time later, justice was served.

what is it going to take to get to the bottom of what's happening inside prisons in the u.s. for people going to jail who didn't do anything? >> i think clear cut prosecutorial conduct. >> you think this they make a mistake, put them on trial. >> i think they if they withhold evidence to get a conviction, they should serve time. it would depend how long the person wrongfully spent time in prison. >> right now, d.n.a. evidence seems to be exonerating an awful lot of people, but a lot of states don't have widespread d.n.a. testing. do you think they don't want to, are covering up something they know is bad? >> i think covering up something they know is bad. in states, where they do have laws allowing testing, they

fight it in court. i don't understand. you're going to free someone who's innocent, it's a no lose proposition. >> why would the state cover up something? >> maybe misconduct on the police or prosecutorial level, maybe both. maybe they're thinking about the fiscal compensation. >> you say you got the money, you say you lost 16 years of your life. there's no way to get that back. i'm still confused how society manages to level the playing field when it gets it wrong. >> if we had a better system of public defense, that would help. >> one other question i want to ask you and that is as you look back on all of it, when you were exonerated, it was rare. it's now becoming less and less rare. these stories aren't making headlines, in fact people are saying that's the norm. is it dangerous that this is start to go become the norm and not the exception for those getting out that need the money,

need the publicity, need the system to say we've made a terrible mistake, we're going to right this? >> no, the amount of exonerations are not showing that the system is getting it wrong more frequently, but what is happening the justice are getting corrected at a more frequent level. >> glad you're out. >> that you can very much. >> i have a feeling we're not as happy as you are. >> i doubt it but when you lose the basics and get them back, you have a new found appreciation for small things.

>>

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>> welcome back to aljazeera america. >> in just a few moments, we'll talk more about that top nfl prospect who just announced he is gay. >> first lets look at potential precipitation across the u.s. >> a little bit more seeing the snow than any rain we have out there. you might be waking up to snow in new york, and up through the northeast. most of this went through overnight. not a lot of moisture associated with that. we are also seeing a little bit, southern parts of missouri getting that snow, and more on the way for the northwest. we'll talk more about these totals in just a little bit. back to you guys. >> it's a landmark moment in american sports history. michael sam announced that he is gay. the nfl hopeful said he told college teammates and coaches last year and they supported

him. >> i'm not afraid of who i am. i'm not afraid to tell the world of who i am. i am michael sam. i'm a college graduate. i'm african-american and i'm gay. >> the 24-year-old was an all american defensive lineman at missouri and the scc defensive player of the year, projected to be a mid round pick in the upcoming draft in may. if picked, sam would be the first openly gay player really in any franchise of american sports teams. >> a former sports agent joins us. we hear about this announcement. is this going to affect, this is what everybody wants to know, is he going to get drafted? he will probably get drafted. he was projected around the 90th pick in the draft.

there may be many teams that would stay away from him, but at some point, his value is going to be higher than others picked and he will be drafted. >> we heard that his agent was aggravated asked, hey, does he have a girlfriend, is he seen around women, all becoming before he came out publicly. does that give a sense of the chatter? >> the nfl combine next week, the job interview takes place in indianapolis, that's where monte te'o was asked questions last year. i think he wanted to be in front of this coming out. >> there is a basketball player who announced he is gay, jason collins said he is gay, but still awaiting draft. >> he was drafted. he played in the nba for 13 years and came out as a 34-year-old. >> but no activity since he came out. >> that may be cause and effect, but maybe the fact that he was

34 years old and cut from the worst team in the nba at the time. >> you think the locker room is going to be ok. >> if michael sam can play, he'll be welcomed. >> in missouri, he talked about how he'd already been out to his fellow teammates. they accepted him. he felt at home there. >> i don't think this is an unusual experience. >> we talk about this player being courageous and heard eight coaches quoted anonymously. why can't the coaches who are supposed to be the leaders of the team speak publicly about how they feel and why are we giving them a pass. >> i think we've given them a pass to allow them to speak anonymously. >> they wouldn't speak if they didn't. >> some might, some might say

they would pick this player. 1960's, vince lombardi said he had to welcome gay players in their locker room. it's been a known thing for a long time. if they can play, many would welcome them. some may still have an attitude about not wanting them. >> missouri has a program called you can play, a way in which coaches and teammates talk openly about if you can play, you can play. we don't care about your sexual orientation. is that a movement across campuses. >> it is stretching across all sports. i think this may break some barriers. bob, every time a player breaks a barrier, jacki robinson, be it any sports athlete, publicly one thing is said and the public acts one way but behind closed doors, they go through hell, is this player going to go through hell this fall. >> i think he probably will have

a short run of having to prove himself, but my sense is the door is open to gay athletes everywhere. >> thank you very much for joining us this morning. we shall wait and see. >> we'll be watching the draft pick. >> march madness is just a few weeks away and john henry smith is here with more of a coach's son's story. >> one heck of a college basketball player. the 3,000-point club is a very exclusive club in college basketball, you can argue a motor exclusive club. it's a seven member club that admitted just two members in the last years. >> last season, doug mcdermott was the cream of the crop as the second leading scorer and showed the rest of the nation what blue jay fans have known, mcdermott can not out play. while most student athletes

would elect to leave, he chose to return for his senior year. the 6'7" forward simply picked up where he left last season. >> that win kind of explained it all. i was wanting moments like that this year and definitely have gotten some. we got off to an incredible start just being able to be with these guys another year, not even on the floor. off the floor, just enjoying college, being a student another year and i'm enjoying senior year. that's the main reason i wanted to come back. >> his coach greg mcdermott who also plays the hat of dad, had to weigh his future. >> i was prepared to be very happy for him if he chose to begin his professional career, and obviously i was very excited and happy that i was going to have an opportunity to coach him

one more time. >> mcdermott is determined to go out with a bang. doug is again one of the nation's leading scorers. despite clayton moving to a tougher big east conference. >> it's been incredible for me to sit back and enjoy doug's career having a hand in helping him develop and reach the heights he has reached as a basketball player. it's been more rewarding watching him handle the success, stay humble, stay focused and be a careful individual to everyone around him. that's been incredibly rewarding for me. >> mcdermotts have faced plenty of tough opponents on the court, but their biggest came off. doug's mother was diagnosed with cancer. they used the sport as therapy. >> i think at that point in our lives, it was a welcome distraction not just to us, but to teresa. she was bound and determined she wasn't going to miss any of the

games i was coaching, she wasn't going to miss nick's high school games or doug's junior high school games. it provided a little bit of a recipe for her to go do something else and not think about what she was doing at that particular point in time. >> at the time, i was young, and it was really hard, you know, to play basketball, have my mom in the stands and she has a wig on. it was some tough days where she couldn't even cook us dinner and we had to have a family friend make us food. i'm never going to forget those times, but our family grew tighter during that time. >> >> for the past three seasons, crayton held a pink out. >> in two games over the

weekend, doug mcdermott scored a total of 57 points, 202 points shy of 300 with significant regular season games to play. whatever points he scores in the postseason will count toward that total, as well. >> thank you very much. >> america's marking the 50t 50th anniversary of the british invasion. back in february, 1964, the beatles made their debut on the ed sullivan show, sparking beatle mania across the country. back in the u.k., we report from the birth place of the band that changed rock and roll forever. >> it is from this northern england port city of liverpool where the legend that would become the beatles began. the sound is characterized by multiple harm knees and lots of get tars. fewer than half a million people live here, but more number one hits have come from performers

from liverpool than anywhere else in the world. 56 so far, according to the guinness book of records. billy said the nearby military bases imported the sounds that influenced them all. >> it was a combination of all these sounds we had, all the bands in britain, plus all these -- the association with all these people back and forth to america, bringing all these great records that no one else in the country had. that meant a great deal. >> the sow port is all but dried up. luckily, the beatles are a big industry here. liverpool gets over $400 million a year from music tourism, from all around the world, they come to see where it all began. >> this is the place where paul

mccartney met john lennon. >> for seven years, jay johnson has proudly shown his city and the beatles connection to visitors. he said without his city, the world would never have known hits like penny lane or strawberry fields. >> we have a saying here that it was liverpool that made the beatles and not vice versa. >> there's little doubt the band changed this city profoundly. it's clear from the moment you step off the plane to when you check into a hotel, this is beatles territory. >> they may have traveled far and wide, conquered america and changed the pop music landscape forever, but in this hearty northern england town, they are firstly forelocal lads who made good. aljazeera, liverpool. >> one of those liverpool attractions, the legendary

cavern club, they played a tribute at the hard rock cafe. >> del has a check of stories we're following in our next hour. del. >> members of congress hold that go rare field hearing in west virginia, investigating the chemical leak that tainted the water supply pour hundreds of thousands of people. >> michael sam announced he is gay, if chosen in the draft, will become the league's first openly gay player. >> we could be in for another winter mess in some parts of the southern states, plus a nice warm up for some cities, starting today, sub zero. that's all in your forecast. >> the aljazeera morning news continues, we are back in two and a half minutes.

>> it's highly stressful, so emotional and mentally exhausting. >> demanding answers, what caused that toxic chemical spill in west virginia. the rare move congress is make to go get to the bottom of things. >> former attorney general criticizing the obama administration and its drone policies joins us live to explain why he's now against the program that started on his watch. >> i came to tell the world that

i'm openly proud gay man. >> a college football player coming out of the closet as he prepares to enter the nfl. >> you know you're in cowboy church when the horse makes the prayer list. >> god embracing cowboys. >> it has been more than a month since that chemical spill in west virginia contaminated the wore supply. the water is still making residents sick and they say the federal government that joined in the search for answers. welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. in about an hour, members of the house are going to hold a rare congressional hearing in the field in charleston. robert ray has the latest. >> you're poisoned water has got

to go. >> it's been a stressful month in west virginia. >> this is a place we're fighting for. >> frustrated citizens took to the streets this weekend, protesting the 10,000 gallons of coal cleaning chemical called mchm that spilled into the west virginia water play january 9, affecting 300,000 people. >> many people in nakeds like these in the capitol city are still not drinking the water, even though the centers for disease control and prevention said it's all clear to do so. most people are smelling the chemical in their homes. last week, some of the schools closed down because students andesers smelled. >> it's highly stressful. it's so emotional, and mentally

exhausting. you don't know what to do, because we've had such mixed messages. >> beckner has spent over $1,000 on water and medical bills, experiencing the nausea and itchy eyes that so many people have reported. >> i've gotten sick, been on antibiotics for two weeks. >> she blames the odor from the chemical. that smell is lake michigan rich and makes her sick. >> we're all smelling it strongly in our system. it took, you know, three or four times flushing it to try to get rid of it. you don't trust it. >> feeling pressure from the public, the governor said state agencies will be testing house pipes for the chemical, making sure nothing has been left or coated on any inside surfaces. beckner is wondering why that didn't happen sooner. >> they are more concerned about the industry and businesses than the people who live here, and i don't think that that's ever going to change.

>> with an uncertain future and cost of water plies mounting, this resident that decided to take her children and leaf the state. >> you don't know that this is going to cause cancer and in 20 years, you know, we find out that we're really sick. >> a long hard winter in west virginia, but perhaps a warmer, more certain life ahead for michelle and her daughters. >> that is robert ray with our story from charleston, west virginia. >> at the last minute, north korea canceling talks over bay's detention. he was convicted for trying to overthree the government. still unclear why the country is revoking an invitation for an official to visit. some believe they are protesting military drills planned by south korea and the united states. they will last through the middle of april. the exercise involve more than

200,000 south korean troops. north korea calls the drills a pray looked to water, threatening to cancel an reunion for families if those exercises move forward. >> effective today, legally married same sex couples will be given the same widespread legal rights. the new policy unveiled saturday, this follows last year's supreme court ruling which said the federal government cannot refuse to recognize same-sex marriages carried out in states that allow them. >> on monday, i will issue a new policy memorandum that will for the first time in history formally instruct all justice department employees to give lawful, same sex marriages full and equal recognition to the greatest extent possible under the law. >> among the changes, same sex spouses will not have to testify against each other in federal, civil or criminal cases, holder's move also will affect

bankruptcy proceedings and visitation policies at the federal prisons. >> the u.s. now warning americans not to fly a regional carrier out of guyana. they have unconfirmed threat information. that threat was posted on the u.s. embassy website on sunday. the message specifically cites a possible attack on flights today from guyana to the u.s. the warning is rare, because it is so specific. it is in effect through wednesday. this is the not the first time guyana has been connected to a u.s. security threat. authorities foiled a plan to bomb new york city's airport. >> there is a new report out that claims the n.s.a.'s surveillance program is used for

drone strikes which have killed people. rather than confirm a targets identity with assets on the ground, the c.i.a. or military can order a strike based on a cell phone a target is believed to be holding. documents were provided by edward snowden. >> there's another article on drone strikes 60 pages long entitled drones, the power to kill, but it is who wrote it that is really has a lot of people talking. it was written by former attorney alberto gonzalez. he says some uses of drones may not be constitutional. he is it former attorney general under george w. bush. he joins us live from nashville this morning. good morning. >> good morning. >> mr. gonzalez, last week, the wall street journal published your comments in which the follow said that used that the white house decision to target a u.s. citizen killed by that drone strike in yemen, now

you're say that go you don't think they should target american citizens. what's the reason for writing your essay? >> well i'm not sure that that's quite what i say in that article. i strongly believe in the effectiveness and using drone strikes. i think they've been very effective in protecting america. the concern that i would have, given a recent supreme court precedent is whether or not there are five votes on the supreme court that would agree that the president of the united states could on his own authority designate an american sit 10 and have him killed without due process. that's the concern i have as a lawyer. i think i would say yes, he is an enemy combatant and can be killed as a threat to national security, but i would caution the president i'm not sure the supreme court would agree that the president has the sole authority to do so. >> that sounds like something a lawyer would say covering his bases on all sides. would you have advised the president then to go forward or would you have simply said if

you do this, this is going to happen, if you do this, this is going to happen. what do you think? >> as i said in the article, i would have advised, given all the information that i know and that's the problem, of course, is that i'm relying upon information made public by the administration, maybe addition information that i don't have access to. based upon the public information, i would have advised as i say in the article that he was an appropriate target, and the president does have the authority to kill him, but again, i would have cautioned the president that given supreme court precedent, if the court decided to take up this case, the court might not agree that the president has the authority on his own without providing additional due process, as i say in the article, to take the life of an american citizen. >> but you were there during the bush administration when drones were used for similar purposes and recognize the chase that presidents find themselves in trying to protect the american public, also trying to do what

is right legally. is this a case where the law just is not going to match what needs to be dub in the name of national security? >> well, that's always a constant struggle, in terms of protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights, but also protecting the national security of this country. certainly, the drone program began or with the bush administration. i don't recall where we used drones around targeted american citizens. when the program began, of course, we didn't have the benefit of the supreme court decisions that have occurred during the war on terrorism. we're smarter today, wiser, we have more information and we have a better idea of how the court might come out on this kind of issue if the court decided to take up this case, but clearly, the president of the united states has commander in chief authority to protect this country. that has to be balanced against the rights of american citizens. >> there's a third group involved here. we're talking about the courts, about the president, but we're also talks the american public.

one of the things the american public has said is they do not want to see boots on the ground in a lot of the places where these drone strikes have been carried out. are they, in your opinion and you're legal opinion, as well. giving tacit approval to the white house to carry out these attacks even against american citizens on u.s. soil. >> i'm not sure i fully understand your question. i do understand and agree that drones have been very, very effective and they're much preferable in terms of expenses and in terms of putting at risk american lives, than putting boots on the ground. this is certainly a process, this is something that we ought to continue using, because i think drones have been very, very effective and i think we should continue to do so, but we should do so mindful of the rights of american citizens. that's why i called in the article for perhaps congress to step in and pass some kind of legislation, but legislation that provides adequate

protection for the due process of american citizens but also recognizes the need for flexibility for the president of the united states to take action when absolutely necessary to protect our country. >> the problem with asking congress to get involved is congress has proven over and over again that during this administration they have not been capable of getting anything done. >> down the road that congress will be able to agree on this highly charged atmosphere that we're seeing in washington. >> that's a very good question. i'm not suggesting that it's going to be easy. but this president has been shown himself to be quite fond of executive orders, but he could provide guidance. this is when and how we're going to take action, what kind of actions would put you on this

kill list. again, what congress should do, i think congress should provide guidance, notification which the president. whenever he puts an american citizen on the kill list or when using drones, explain why. i'm not saying we should have a regime, if congress plays a record, it should be different actual to action to the congress, and action to the president. >> mr. gonzalez, let's talk about immigration. what do you think of self deportation. >> i'm not sure i agree with the

assessment that those two words cost mitt romney the president. again, i think it's the over all message and the over all turn that has hurt republicans. i think hispanics generally believe in the rule of law. i think people come here not to break the law but to find a better life. all of us do the same thing, to provide a better life for our children, but we need to do something that is consistent with the rule of law. i regret the fact that we have made such little progress on immigration. i think this is something that i think our congress needs to address. it helps our economy, our national security, but that's why we take elect these people

to take on the hard issues. >> it does not seem to be a hard issue for the majority in congress but a small wing of congress. what do you say to the tea party who says we don't want immigration reform, and isn't that the same thing as not saying self-deportation but to get out. >> i wouldn't put it solely on the tea party. >> who is to blame. >> this is a complicated issue that effects the very essence of who we are at a country. there is a lot at stake here. it's very complicated, and i get that it is hard. but i wouldn't put it on one party. they need to come to the table with an open mind. >> you think we're a

compassionate-- >> i think we are. most people who come into this country, think don't focus on citizenship, they want to live here in some kind of legal status not necessarily citizenship based on the conversation that i've had with enemy around this country. all they want to do is live in this country under some legal status, but that issue of citizenship has been politica politicized. that's an issue we should take off the table. i think we can create immigration component without citizenship. >> so the migrant worker who has been here for 30 years. >> there is no such thing. you're either here lawfully

under some legal status or you're not. there is no in between. we need to take the people who qualify. they're employable. they don't have a criminal record, we need to put them in some kind of legal status. have them come out of the shadows and enjoy the protection of our police department and enjoyed benefits of a driver's license because they have some sort of legal status. >> should that come before securing the borders or after securing the borders. >> i think this is why comprehensive r reform is better than piecemeal legislation. my concern about separate legislation once republicans put something osecurity on the borde going to wipe their hands and walk away because that's what they want, security on the

border. nobody should get everything that they want on this debate. everyone is going to compromise to some degree. >> mr. gonzalez, some will say that makes you sound like a democrat and not a republican. >> well, i believe in a safe border and rule of law. you can call me whatever you want, but that's what i want. >> former attorney general under the bush administration. coming up, the cease-fire deal that both sides were able to agree to in the talks. >> it was impossible that he was talking about my daughter. >> the mother wh whose daughters accused of driving up medical costs. now they're change their tune. >> now the football star taking

head on their personal admission. i must begin my journey,

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>> good morning, and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. state ahead the peace talks in syria and we'll report on what we might be able to expect. >> unfortunately, it has been the trend this winter throughout the winter most places are running below average as we get out the door this morning. as we get somewhere like the midwest, and to atlanta through houston, these temperatures are warmer than tomorrow afternoon might be. it's been so cold out here. i especially want to mention the midwest. we've had such per citizen tint cold air not just the last week but through the winter that we set record ice levels on the great lakes. i'll talk more about that coming up in a few minutes. that's pretty impressive. now as i mentioned the south in the 50s today, there will be

weather coming in, perhaps freezing rain. we'll have more on that coming up. >> thank you very much. there is mounting pressure on wars sides in south sudan to end that sectarian conflict. rebel and government forces may be violating a cease-fire. forcdevelopment coming as both s renew their peace negotiations in ethiopia. a second round of discussions ending the conflict in syria are now under way in geneva. central to those talks include creating a central government that does not include bashar al-assad. there was an u.n.-brokered cease-fire that allowed much needed aid to the city of homs. rescue teams to take women and children and elderly to safety.

less than three thousand people are in that city. rescuers say the men should be released soon. the the conflict has killed over 1-thousan100,000 people and. >> there is a building boom here. construction starts rose 21% alone. a new hotel hopes in a couple of weeks. a river aren' riverfront projecd to break ground here. the marinos his economy is driven by the oil and natural gas boom and the now revived shipbuilding industry. but he said the city is working smarter and assisting small businesses. >> we have a whole set of opportunities to talk about tax

abatement, fees, but the best part about it is helping these businesses understand how to integrate themselves into this whole coastal area. that's something that we take pride in doing. >> for almost a decade they have been helping small business to take root and to take off. >> that's not an one year wonder. we've had growth of 5% and greater since katrina. >> so you want the slate border. >> that has proved a formula of success for amy who moved here two years ago to be with her fiancé. she never planned on starting her own business, but-- >> we started looking into the cost and over head of opening a store here, and it was just very low, and very doable. >> with the help of the city she opened party girls invitations and gift, a novelty shop in a makeshift shopping center, also

newly constructed. >> the city got a grant to do the anchor square. we rent from the city, so the rent is very low. we pay the utilities, which are very low. everything is so much lower as far as starting up a business. that was one of the main factors. >> the mayor said they average two to six new business as week. part of the attraction is that the city established an environment that allow entrepreneurs to start a business and to grow. >> it's a really great idea. i think more cities should actually do it. >> in less than a year err sales are so good she's moved to a larger location in anchor square. she hopes down the road to a permanent location. small steps that make for a big difference in a city's economic revival. stephanie boswell, mississippi. >> joining the ranks as the nation's fastest economies are

midland, odessa texas, and fargo, north dakota. we're following breaking from mcdonald's. sales in the u.s. fell but gained in europe. and mcdonald's blaming bad weather for the dropped sales last month. investors getting ready for janet yellen as she talks to congress on tuesday. in asia markets closed higher, adding 2%, that's it's highest close in a month. european stocks are mostly liar. hasbro stock is down. the retailer reporting lower than expected profits for the holiday shopping center.

earnings falling slightly $30 million over last year. the company blaming weak sales in north america, but the holiday season is key for retailers because they make 40% of their annual sales during that period. >> mark zuckerberg and his wife donated 18 million shares of facebook book worth $1 billion to the silicon valley community foundation. that organization provides grants to a number of non-profits. the top donors gave 4% more than 2012. the changing face of libya, how the international community may be rethinking its relationship with that country. plus there is a new report that shines a troubling light on sex crimes in the military. why the top brass may be turning a blind eye. plus muslim models trying to

find a balance between a passion for fashion and their faith.

>> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america >> the associated press studying data from the ncis finding i in 2012 only one navy sex abuse cases in japan, there were more than 620 and in 473 cases

involving marines and sailors, 179 were punished, but only 68 went to prison. aol ceo reversed changes to the 401k policy after a weak of bad publicity. he said the company was changing its plan because two women with distressed babies were driving up the cost of healthcare. they issued a comment over the weekend stating on a personal note i apologize for comments last week when i mentioned specific comments in healthcare example around our employee benefits programs. the baby was born three months

premature and medical bills were in the thousands. >> it was impossible that he was talking about my daughter, who was home with me at the time. to label her as a distressed baby and to some how say we were breezgreedy consumers, he spoken heart felt ways of how badly he feels for having caused us this hurt, and i accept that. >> now after the outrage the ceo announced that aol is keeping that 401k plan in place after all. the state setting aside $200 billion to fight off a budget shortfall. more than $1 billion in grants have been supporting the program, but they dry up this year. california has 625,000 enrollees through january, the most of any

state. 13 other states and the district of colombia offer same exchanges. the northwest getting harme hamd with snow are bracing for bad weather. the forecast that i'm sure people in atlanta don't want to hear. >> especially in atlanta is the debacle on the road, last year jumping the gun and saying there was a winter storm washington when there wasn't one. this week we'll try to get that right. the west coast the last few days has had a ton of moyes, that pineapple express, that has been cut off a little bit. this moisture is needed up and

down the drought line. look at this. this is last week at this time and what we had for snow back. fording this, and look how much widespread this is for washington and oregon. so we've definitely gotten a lot of snow. let's talk about the cold air week after week. this is an aerial shot of the great headaches. you can see entirely frozen over. 92% frozen over. that sets a 20-year record. you have to be consistently cold to get that. i want to mention erie, south, and ontario, which is north, with frozen over. that's because ontario is a deeper lake and takes long for freeze over. another area we're watching moisture in the midsection of the country that will slide southward, that what we'll see today and tomorrow in places

like atlanta, back to you. >> fashion week now under way in new york city, a lot of people looking to see if there will be a new type of model down the cat walk. there is one model agency that will embrace muslim. >> yes, this modeling agency is called under wraps. a fashion designer who wanted to show that women can be confident and covered. there is no titl tight clothingd her models never show more than their hands, their feet and their face. >> savannah basks in the moment showing off fierce fashion. for years she grappled with an inner conflict. how to reconcile a passion for modeling and a face that is islam. launched in 2012 by new york native and islamic designer, n

nyla. it all started out of the need to get muslim models mainstream explore while remaining modest and clearing up misconceptions along the way. >> it will hopefully clear up the misunderstanding of muslim women in general, but definitely in the fashion world. >> a seemingly impossible dream became a reality. >> she came to me and asked me would i be interested in modeling for her. of course, that would give me a chance to be covered still and still be able to model and show the world. >> the big moment came when savannah took the runway in 2013 in new york's fashion week and the fashion industry took notice. >> you don't see that every day. so for america on the new york runway, why not, yes. i think it would be a great way to expose share with everyone. not to say that we have tunnel

vision, but we get used to the habits and the way we do things. it's nice to embrace something new and different. >> the islamic fashion industry is worth to be $96 billion globally a market that the agency is banking on. back at the photo shoot jasmine crawford is getting ready for her show up. for jasmine modesty was not always fashionable. >> i was brought up to be believe that it was okay to walk around half naked before i realized i would become muslim. i wanted to be more modest in my attire, and had no intention of being muslim, but every intention of dressing more modestly, regardless. it opened up my eyes to being beautiful and modest. >> being covered up is all in a

day's work. >> this is not the first time that modesty has come up. she said this is not a muslim thing but a modest thing. >> and it might be a huge market for modesty, too, these days. awful lot is showing an awful lot. negotiations under way in geneva, government and opposition sitting down for second round of talks. what is on today's agenda? >> well, they're back where they were really two weeks ago, del, discussing the same issues. you remember when all this started the first round of talks two weeks ago, one of the first things they talked about was humanitarian access to homes, the old city of homes in evacuation that we've finely

seen take place over the last couple of hours. the delay that took place, and it took two weeks to get this under way meant what was supposed to be a confidence-building measure at the start of these talks two weeks ago as we start another set of talks has become another contentious issue on the table. they're not really making much progress at this stage. >> there was trouble getting both sides to see eye to eye on anything. especially the transitional government that would not include bashar al-assad. how are they going to fix that? >> well, the mediator, the man chairing these talks, he wrote to both sides and said he he wants a commitment to two things. one is to start the fighting. another is governing body.

they said yes, we're committed to transmissioning to a governing body, and we might have surprises when it comes to those issues on the agenda. i asked what he met by surprises? did he mean concession? that assad did not have to be head of that transitioning body. he said, no assad will stay. >> james bay, thank you very much. there are no publicly gay players in any of the four sports, but that may be changing. >> reporter: it's a landmark moment. a great player and legitimate nfl draft prospect announced that he is gay. he's projected to be a mid round draft pick as a linebacker. this after a season he won

all-american and fcc co-defensive player of the year. he would be the first openly gay player in the league. the coaches asked the players to reveal something that nobody knew about them, and that's when sam decided to come out. >> hey, it shouldn't matter. if i work hard, if i make plays, that's all that should matter, can he help me win games. is he a team player, that's all that should matter. i can help team win games, that's all that should matter. i'm he not afraid of who i am. i'm michael sam. i'm a college graduate. i'm african-american, and i'm gay. >> "sports illustrated".com spoke to eight draft and all

saieight aid he would be negatie effected. >> this is not how i was raised. i let the motion get the best of me. i can't let this happen again. this is a lesson that i have to learn from, i'm taking responsibility. >> as for the text tech fan at the center of all this, jeff orr said:

>> texas tech also added that orr has agreed not to attend home or away games for the rest of the season. in the olympics the u.s. hockey team could go either way 2 and 0, team switzerland gave up a whooping 69 shots and lost to canada, and u.s. team gave up 53 shots. they scored five points and in five minutes of action three lit the candle lights. they play defending gold medal winner canada on wednesday. >> and as they say, that is personal. >> certainly. it should be an interesting ga

game. >> you have been known to sport cowboy boots from time to time. >> a long time ago. >> we will gather to a church where cowboy is key. >> we're going in our way, we're not suiting up. >> how this house of worship is breaking down religious bearers. >> i can see it now, out in their cowboy gear. you're going to need the snow gear once again. we'll have more on the ice and the storm. >> they have been man's best friend for centuries. how much do we know about dogs. how much do they know about us? >> do dogs have feelings? >> yes. >> it's the bond, behavior, and finding out how smart they might be. >> a whole new field of science is trying to decode the inner

lives of dogs. >> our jake ward with new theories and surprising findings that may change the way you look at america's most popular pet. >> you're a good little girl. >> at 8:00 p.m. tonight john seigenthaler looks at a question that scientists and the rest of us have been wondering about for centuries. how smart, really smart are dogs?

consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the government shutdown. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what. >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> we've heard you talk about the history of suicide in your family. >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but, what about buying shares in a professional athlete? real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all

of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it. >> the decision to disarm came two years after the topple of muammar qaddafi. now libya said they want to move forward. >> reporter: more than two years after the killing of muammar

qaddafi, libya's future is uncertain. the prime minister is weak. the country is now split along regional lines, each year led by tribal groups. >> what's worse is that there is different configurations in every single little hamlet you go to. >> the correspondent from the financial "times" have visited many villages and found many areas are under control. >> these militias are trying to basically maintain. they don't think of themselves as fighting a war against an evil entity. they think of themselves as local boys trying to make good as protect their communities. >> but that has not been the case everywhere. just last week 12 children were hurt in bengahzi when someone tossed a bomb over a school wall.

in tripcall tripoli, stealing gd getting away. and in 2012 the attack on the u.s. diplomatic left four dead. >> it was a boomerang affect and a sobering wake-up call for many in the obama administration, this ground swell of anti-american sentiment. and it came so quickly. >> it's a stark. contrast shortly after qaddafi's fall, with hopes high that democracy would soon take root. they lifted all the sanctions imposed on libya, but some remain in place. they will look at those

measures, including an arms embargo, and a freeze on assets. >> these are bureaucratic minor matters. i don't think this has anything to do wit what is happening on e ground. >> reporter: the assembly will soon be charged with writing a new constitution. >> a middle east political analyst in washington, d.c. this morning, good morning. >> good morning. >> reporter: now when the arab spring happened there was a lot of rejoicing especially when leaders like muammar qaddafi were overthrown, and now we see time and time again these countries splice along sectarian lines. what happened? >> the problem was that it was easy to bring down a regime like qaddafi. in n.a.t.o. and western

allies have shown that it's easy to bring down a regime in iraq or libya. the problem is nobody invests the time and energy to think through what should happen next. when you bring down a regime like qaddafi, which itself was a chaotic de-centralized regime, without thinking through what should replace it or putting any kind of constraints on the kind of evolution that happens afterwards. and you arm a bunch of rebels fragmented groups across very vast area, i mean, i don't think anybody should be surprised this is what we end up with now, hundreds of militias, each one motivated by a different motivation whether it's criminal, ideological or political, so on. >> there are parts of libya right now where you can't go

anywhere without being shot depending on who you are and what group you belong to. but going forward, this election on the 20th, is this going to solve anything or is this going to simply cause more problems? >> i think it will cause more problems. i was saying last year when they had the first election for the parliament, that that election would only drive libya along the same lines that we've seen in iraq, where a great deal of the violence of fragmentation that happened in iraq happened after the first elections. you cannot just have elections without a foundation upon which these elections are anchored. and in are a place like libya i think that was quite clear, that dragging the country into these kinds of facade elections is not going to solve any problem but it is just going to exacerbate the situation. how do you write a constitution when people are running around

with guns, and you have vast amount of arms all over the place? i mean, those who have just their voices and their thoughts to present will be out of the game. i mean, the guy with the gun is going to impose the kind of constitution you're going to end up. i think trying to do that now in this kind of fragmentation is a classic case of putting the horse before the court. >> thank you very much for being with us this morning. he is a political analyst, and he joined us from washington, d.c. there are a number of churches across the country where it's okay to wear your cowboy hat and boots to service. we found one in greenville, texas, and let's just say that they embrace their western heritage. >> reporter: the signs and pictures on the wall are misleading. sure, people are singing and having a good time.

but the only spirit these folks indulge in is the holy spirit. >> this whole place used to be a bar. >> reporter: now it's the home of cowboy church located in greenville, texas. this christian congregation is outside of the mold of what some see as church. >> we take down the barriers and model it around that working cowboy who had to feed cows and feed horses, and he's okay to come in with a little bit of stuff on boots. >> more boots than loafers herers and more women come in their jeans. the pastothis is one of more th0 cowboy churches, mostly in the texas state.

>> it's just the right culture. it's the right personality fit for me and my family, it's great. >> i'm not going to be judged here. i wear a cross all the time. >> like the number of cowboy churches nationwide the cowboy churches are growing, and many are being renovated to increase seating capacity. pets are also a welcome part to the church family. >> a horse or two will make it on the prayer list on sunday sometimes. you know you're in a cowboy church when the horse makes the prayer list. >> members here spend a great deal of time together. >> this is my extended family. this is my family away from home. this is where i can come and praise god and i can be myself praising god. >> the pastor said it brings him joy to see the growth of cowboy churches. as he sees it more people are going to church than

there were before. >> and depending on where you live you're going to need some type of boot. here is nicole mitchell. >> reporter: maybe a snow boot or rain boot may be more appropriate. you can see moisture we have in the central united states. a little bit of freezing rain below this. now right now in the south it's too cold or too warm for that to be snow, but tomorrow some of this could be freezing rain, and that is going to be a problem. we're watching it in cities in atlanta. back to you. >> that will do it for this hour of al jazeera america. i'm del walters. your headlines are just two minutes away. and remember you can check us out 24 hours a day by going to www.aljazeera.com. we'll look at sochi and the olympic torch.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters with a look at your top stories at this hour. college football star michael sam announced that he is gay. >> i'm not afraid who i am.

i'm not afraid to tell the world who i am. i'm michael sam. i'm a college graduate. i'm african-american, and i'm gay. >> coaches have been supportive. he came out at the beginning of the football season this season. if picked in the nfl draft sam will be the first openly gay player in the nfl. congress is holding a hearing regarding the chemical spill that affected 350,000 people. creating a central government that does not include bashar al-assad. pressure to end conflict in south sudan. both governments may be violat

violating a cease-fire that was signed in january. state department saijanuary. those are your headlines. consider this is next. >> inside the mind of a child with autism what is it really like to have the disorder? also, why are some ethnic groups more successful than others? the tiger mom will talk about her controversial new book. plus collateral damage in the millions. refugees on every don't inspect left homeless because of civil strife. and are robots after your job? this is "consider this."