>> tensions ignite in ukraine's capital. world leaders from washington to moscow debating a day of action after the deadliest day of demonstrations in kiev. >> they handled the flag-draped cas kets. a photo posted online is causing outrage and may cost a job. >> a painful entry in history -

a push to recognise and reconcile children who were virtually stolen by their families. >> it was heart breaking to walk by empty cages >> top predators falling victim to a virus. the race to save a sanctuary full of big cats. >> we begin with breaking news in lebanon, where a series of explosions has claimed seven lives. a pair of bomb blasts ripped through a suburb south of the capital beirut. it's a predominantly shia muslim community. four civilians and one military officer were killed, along with two suspected suicide bombers. reports say it was a car bomb and a motorcycle bomb exploding subtle aniously outside --

simultaneously outside an iranian embass which. >> around the world governments in crisis. in ukraine 25 are dead, and hundreds injured after police went into kiev's independence square and cracked down on anti-government demonstrators have been camped out since december. in thailand fighting in the streets. in venezuela. deadly protests. >> this is a live look at kiev. we have this report mu's there' battle taking place. >> a barricade of fire. demonstrators in kiev's independence square are using whatever they have to keep the police out of the main protest site.

riot police fight back with water canons, hoping to make a breakthrough. >> the fires have been burning throughout the night as anti-government protesters took on the security forces. >> protesters torched this armoured personnel carrier as it approached the barricades. they used stones and petrol bombs. police in turn fired hand grenades and rubber bullets. this footage shows the bodies of two demonstrators killed. dozens of police officers were badly injured. last-minute talks between the opposition and the government did nothing to stop the violence. >> i'm very unhappy because there was no discussion, and they don't want to listen to the opposition. they don't want to listen. and just one way, and all

protesters have to stop protest, the demonstration, but right now it's important to make a break, and no fighting any more. >> earlier more than 10,000 people marched from independence square. they wanted to pressure parliament to debate a law restoring the 2004 constitution and limit the powers of president viktor yanukovych. when their discussion was tabled, opposition politicians who are a minority tried to stop viktor yanukovych's allies from leaving. so far the government is showing no signs of backing down. >> organizers of mass protest will be held accountable. the prosecutor generals office will demand the heaviest punish the for those that rev people up and those that organised and controlled them. >> with each side blaming the other for the violence, the

crisis got worse. >> a short time ago. the president viktor yanukovych wants to meet with opposition leaders. the u.s. is ask the the government to exercise restraint. there was grave concern expressed. the white house says ukraine's government has the power to diffuse the situation. >> we condemn street violence and use of force. it will not control the crisis to restore peace and stability. we urge president viktor yanukovych to end the confrontation. >> the white house says the u.s. is committed to supporting efforts bringing a peaceful resolution to the crisis. the state department issued a warning calling the situation

fluid and unpredictable and urnals u.s. citizens to avoid demonstrations. americans are advised to keep a low profile and stay ipp doors -- indoors while the clashes continue. >> ukrainians living here in new york city are keeping a close eye on what is happening. >> erica, good morning. what are people saying? good morning to you. certainly ukrainians here in new york city say they are glued it the television set. we are at a ukrainian restaurant. normally it's the bustling pace. it's a little early. people haven't gotten up for breakfast. i did talk to one of the waiters. he's been in united states for

six years, he's been clued to his phonement he had family over there. can you stand behind for the protesters - for him he said it's scary. even though his family doesn't live close to the capital, he said it's concerning to know there's friends there, and when he watches the pictures it gives him heartache to have to see the violence, the burning. i mean a lot of it is unset iping, and he's in constant contact. a lot of people we speak to, whether they've been here for a long time or a little timers for the most part they are behind the protesters, we talked to some folks when it was a little busier inside the restaurant. take a listen. >> we have seen grenades thrown

at people, military tanks roll on to people. it's beyond troubling it's horrific. >> there are about 14 guy, the same age like me. they wanted better future, like me. people in power have the money and the connections. they started with a peaceful protest. they were there for two months and did not go anywhere. >> our officials will so greedy and desperate to stay in power. there is no prize. they won't pay for that. >> truthfully all of the people that we talk to say they are behind the protesters, and want to see freedom for the people of

ukraine. >> erica pitzi with reaction from ukrainians. >> thailand's courts are ordering the government not to use protesters. >> protesters demanded the resignation of the prime minister, calling her corrupt. veronica pedrosa reports from the site of tuesday's clashes. >> what you see on the streets, among the protesters, the clashes with police and the army, you have to understand is part of the specific make-up of politics in thailand. the institutions are politicized. the police are seen as a performy for the government and the military is seen as anti-government. the fact that there was a clash is read as a show of a break

down of communication. one side saying that the other let it down, and that's why they raided and were beaten back on the street. it seems inevitable that this is just going to happen again at this point. >> al jazeera's veronica pedrosa reporting from fong far. >> the face of the opposition movement in venezuela resurfaced, but only briefly. >> popular opposition leader leopoldo lopez galvanised thousands of supporters. he told the crowd in caracas that he was ready to vepder to security forces. >> i have nothing to hide. >> this is a fight for the young people, for the students, for

the oppressed and gaoled. this is a fight for all vepz. >> leopoldo lopez was arrested after the speech and is facing charges of murder, terrorism and ar sn. >> a -- arson. >> a big storm is about to hit the country. let's bring in meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> a lot of people are getting storm weary. it's been the winter storms. this has a little more of what we consider a spring setup as we go forward. here is a look at the big picture. this is the area developing in the midsection of the company that we'll monitor. i'll get to that. before that i want to mention off to the east coast. you see the area. most of the systems are quick moving and with this line moving quickly there's a moderate to heavy rain. it will move out fast, a half to a quarter inch of rain.

>> already by later today the area that i highlighted that doesn't have a lot of moisture in it, will tap the gulf moisture. it's into tomorrow as the system beginning to develop. look at this through the day on thursday. more of the gulf moisture, warm air and a line. that line could have a score line activity, high damaging winds and the potential for his lated tornados. the northern side, the cold side, areas of heavy snow. high winds associated around the great lakes. severe weather - something we want people to be aware of ahead of time. all the way down to the gulf coast, you'll want to be on monitor. >> iran will not shut down any of the its nuclear facilities. a key demand. they have been meeting in vienna to seal a deal on the nuclear program.

the world powers hope the agreement will leave iran with a limited ability to use the nuclear power program to make weapons. a deal signed in november allows a sanction relief for iran in change for partially conserve. a soldier has been disciplined after posting a photo of service members posing around a draped casket. >> this photo is shape as destasteful and showing a lack of respect against those making the ultimate sagry fizz. is cost the woman who took the photo, terry harrison, her job. she has been suspended for soldiers smiling and posing around a coffin draped in the

flag. there was a caption, "we put the fun in funeral" has led to anger and outrage. people that are service members, picked to be in this highly specialised area wouldn't be sensitive enough to realise how awful it is. it's not the only controversial picture harrison posted. this second photo tears into a sacred duty. that one "it's so damned cold out why have a funeral outside, someone is getting a jacked up flag", a suggestion that a family would get an unprofessional flag because of the cold weather, during a funeral. >> they are learning the identities of the other yup formed sold yours and issued this statement: -- uniformed soldiers and issued this statement:

>> the fallout led to threats to harrison by way of phone calls and stolen media. they have taken steps to ensure her safety but removed her from duties she required a special recommendation to perform. >> wisconsin national guard says they provide social media awareness training, but there's no rules to prevent soldiers using facebook tore twitter. >> president obama is heading to new mexico for a summit dubbed the three amyingos. canada, new mexico and president obama. key stone project is on the table, canadian leaders pushing for american approval of the

project. the one-day meeting touching on immigration, border security and drug trafficking. >> president obama is pushing a raise the minimum wage. according to the congressional bget office increasing the hour -- budget office increasing the basic bay from $7.25 to $10.10 means a race for 3.5 million workers. it could put 500,000 jobs at rick. they forcibly took children from a tiny island and moved them to rural france. why the french government is facing up to the practice that has been kept secret. >> california is not the only state where the tech industry is booming. new york city is bringing silicon valley closer to the big apple.

>> i'm john henry smith. it's another big day on the slopes for one men skier. we'll have the details in sport. >> taking a look at the olympic flame in sochi, which will burn until the closing ceremony on sunday.

>> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> coming up france's stolen children tell their story. >> first the temperatures across the nation, meteorologist nicole mitchell is back. >> as you head out the door a lot of you are noticing how much milder temperatures are becoming. >> memphis, 62. that's the warning temperature. 30 up and down the east coast. everywhere has been wanting the warmer temperatures, coming with a price. a lot of 70s, into the day form. the next weather system developing, flowing out of the south, nice warm hair, 50s up to the parts of the great lake.

the temperature contrasting with the cold air and a potent front. it will set up the story for severe weather. we get the warm air, coming with a price. more about the risk in a little bit. >> california's drought is putting cities at risk of running out of drinking water. rural communities, those relying on wells, could see supplies dry up. last month governor jerry brown declared a state of emergency. >> the openers of a power plant have been ordered to plug a second leak contaminating the drinking supply. the plant owned by duke energy claims arsenic levels 14 times higher than what is safe. the first bill released up to 82,000 tonnes of ash. the coal fire plant was built in

the 1940, and retired in 2012. >> 2001s france is admitting tok chapter. in the 1960, a program allowed children to be picked up from an island territory. al jazeera's simon mcgregor-wood met come of the victims of a stolen child. >> it has been a long journey. back in paris, 50 years after arriving as young children, they were taken from their homes and families and resettled in france. a better life was promised. what they got was a nightmare. >> translation: it was like a camp. there was wire. when we ran away they called the police. they had gun, dogs and whips. when they caught the kids they put them in a cell. >> the idea was to boost the population of parts of france.

in the 1960, this area was poor and overpopulated. those taken were sold a lie. many suffered terribly. >> translation: this needs to be taught in schools. high schools and universities, that we lived a story, and it happened only 50 years ago. it's not such a long time. i think our story has to be incorporated into french history so we cap move towards closure. >> they are here to witness what they hope is the first step in achieving some measure of justice. not many french people know much about the sorry episode. that is set to change. here at the national assembly, politicians are recognising the french state's involvement and guilt in this whole affair. >> there's no mention of an apology or compensation.

not yet anyway. this is a symbolic achievement for the victims and the politician that worked hard to publicise the cause. herself from reunion. >> at the moment france and reunion have a page missing in their history. we have not written it. we have to do this peace fly and objectively so these people can find peace of mind. >> for valerie, this is it not about financial compensation. it's about getting france to recognise what happened to them. it's about helping them recover and making sure it never happens again. >> france is not the only country to forcibly remove children. australia apologised for removing 100,000 aboriginal children from the 1890s to the 1970s, the los angeles arch

diocese said it settled its last child abuse case, coming on the eve of a trial of a visiting priest that molested two dozen boys. the settlement is approximately $1 million for each victim. the arch diocese paid out there 740 million. the floodgates opened in 2002 when the church took out $172 million loan, and the church explored a $200 million capital campaign to repay the line. >> team usa is looking at cold. john henry smith is looking at who is closing this on another medal. >> ted liggetty doesn't feed a deed or seed or any other document to prove he owns the giant slalom. he came into the olympics winning 4 events and brought the

dominance to sochi. he took a huge lead logging 1:21.01 seconds it would take a surprising run by someone to deprive liggetty of the medal. bode miller is out after his run was only good enough for 26th. bode miller tweets his surgically reconstructed knee has been tweaked and he may not compete later. >> canada takes on latvia. and usa the czech republic. >> one game is in the books, the scrappy slovenia took on the swedes and kept it close. slough trailed 1-0, but that's when the swedes hit the similaritior scoring four, two

in the game came from carl haglin. america has won gold in the first olympic men's ski halve pike. a trouble through the sloppy snow sludge mix scoring 92. conditions were worst. no one could beat the score. wis is a 3-time winter x games champion. mike reid lan were canada took the silver. >> the women's bobsled. elana myers is in the winning time. they have the advantage over a canadian team. the only american team is lo low jeanes and jasmine finn later. they could only muster an 11th place finish.

women's bob sled resumes at 11:00am. the fact that low lo jones is on the team, many believing she made it over more deserving candidates because she's famous. berkeley didn't make the team and he thinks they would have been better to put katy everling on the team. here is his tweet: >> that would ruin your day, it's an 8-foot long, 1 foot wide piece of metal that fell from the ceiling, hours before the seats would have been filled with people to witness indiana men's basketball hosting number 15 iowa. officials postponed the game. no make-up date has been scheduled. engineers told him that the harsh winter conditions were to

claim. that is very scary. that's a look at the morning sport. >> police crack down on demonstrators. they decided to give the government a 15 billion bail outlet some are questioning the timing of that. >> how the tech industry is diversifying and closing the income gap. back at the big cats. last summer - a deadly outbreak lead to deaths in tigers and lions. a lot has changed for the better.

>> at least 25 people have been killed in the daddtest fighting -- deadliest fighting since anti-government protests. police entered independence square, and protesters battered back, using barricades of

burning wood and tires to keep the authorities out. the u.s. is urging the viktor yanukovych to exercise restraint. the kremlin says vladimir putin spoke with viktor yanukovych, saying moscow would help to imply to calm the situation. >> an emergency meeting will be held to discuss the violence in ukraine. >> the political crisis has been fuelled in part by outside forces. the government faces russia, the people the e.u. >> a monetary decision could cut the opposition movement. >> in kiev as thousands clashed with police, just down the street inside the parliamentary building, the government got a financial boost. russia's government announced it would unblock a 15 billion

credit for ukraine. the money have been frozen because of violence and political disarray. >> the move could bring breathing room. the action coming as opposition groups trimmed the powers. the russian life line undercut the efforts by german chancellor angela merkel. she met in berlin with ukrainian opposition leaders. >> translation: we shouldn't underestimate the role of germy, the role of the german chancellor. and the position of germany in the e.u. plays an important role in the development of the ukraine. >> merkel, other european leaders and u.s. secretary of state john kerry repeatedly said they are working on financial assistance, so far no offers have been made public. money loomed large over the

political interpretations sips the protests erupted in november. the demonstrations were sparked by viktor yanukovych's decision to turn down a trade deal with the european union and tilt the rub public towards -- republic towards russia russia is the biggs trading partner. 25% of goods go through. and russia counts for 36% imports. ukraine is stuck in an economic crisis. the ukrainian government, no matter who is in charge, and where it turns will need to fight billions to pay off foreign loans and avoid a default. the battles on the streets continue, and the tug of war between financial interest to the east and west intensified. >> we talk to a former state or

initial and the director of the men institute in ukraine and joins us to go a little further in depth. how did we get here? we talked about the government granting amnesty. this is the worst violence we a seen in the last few months. >> as of last week things looked better. i was in kiev last week. >> you were. >> what did things look like? >> peaceful. i was in the mydong where this was happening. and they were in camps. they had a barricade up, there were civilian guards and there were erected gates and controlled by civilian militia. it was peaceful. >> at that point, you know, the president was still saying "i will not clear the square. clearly that situation has changed and police moved in. did that create this. >> yes, and there was a decision

by the - the government said "okay, amnesty, on the condition you leave the buildings occupied. that was the basis for an agreement. and an announcement by opposition that they'd march on parliament. parliament decided not to do the reforms that the process demanded. the march towards parliament, police intervened and violence occurred. apparently radical elements within the protesters initiated the violence. you believe the protest was hijacked and nothing to do with the fact that putin said he'd release the $2 million by buying ukrainian bonds. nothing to do with that? >> it's hard to make a link between putin's decision and the onset of violence.

a lot of the demonstrators do not want russian said. russia has the ability to give the aid the ukraines need. it's not sure that the europeans can gave aid to the same extent. they have billions in foreign exchange reserves. >> is this not at the heart - a struggle between east and west. does the fact that the e.u., despite meeting with the opposition, and the u.s., despite vice president biden calling the president of ukraine, do they have any more leverage in this or have they ceded ukraine to moscow. >> i don't think they've ceded, but the we were powers would like the current government to go. that's something moscow is trying to prevent. there's a tug of war between moscow and brussels and washington. you know, the reality is moscow

is the - is there. you know, is their backyard. they have the influence in the country, and they have the financial means to keep the ukrainian government afloat. that is something that vladimir putin stepped up to the gate with money. that's part of the dilemma. >> the executive director of the american institute in ukraine, thank you for coming in, sir. >> journalists, human rights activists and politicians are rallying outside the egyptian embassy in london, calling for the release of al jazeera jumpist, mohamed fadel fahmy, peter greste, and mohammed badr have been in an egyptian gaol without charge since december 29th, is comes a day after network journalists send a letter acting for release. it was signed by nb this. c,

a.b.c. bbcers and others. the letter read in part: >> our phil itner joins us from london. the protests are set to begin in a few minutes. what are you seeing? >> well, stephanie, they are starting to gather outside the egyptian embassy in what is called a day of action. this is one day before a controversial trial is set to start. they gathered not only to express concern, but to protest for press freedoms. >> mohamed fadel fahmy and peter greste are into the second month of incarceration without being charged. they are accused of supporting a terrorist organization, after interviewing muslim brotherhood.

al jazeera maintains the journalists are doing their jobs. they are a few of many journalists held in egypt. the committee to protect egypt is among the worse companies for imprisoning the press. the white house urged them to release the journalists. >> the government has a responsibility your to ensure they are protected. we have expressed them to the government of egypt and urged the government to drop the charges and release the journalists and academics that have been detained. >> the rally in london organised by the union for journalists in part in order to present is petition at the egyptian embassy calling for the release of all journalists healed. the union heads stating this repress of journalists in the country, operating under outrage jous pressure undermines freedom and calls in question the government attitude to basic human rights. >> this is by no means the first

rally, the push for release is global. whether it's in east africa, where peter greste is based or his family's pleas to the australian press or campaign in canada, with mohamed fadel fahmy is a dual citizen. >> it's critical that journalists see that outside of egypt are standing together. one of the reasons that the country's detained journalists is to create a chilling effect, scaring journalists from doing their job. >> the question is whether freedom of the press calls on deaf oars. >> this is a clear sign of solidarity with those imprisoned, but it appears as though the interim government is planning to go ahead with the trial.

>> there's a number of outstanding journalists. >> we'll continue to track that. phil itner reporting from london. a legal showdown in new jersey. two former members of the lazaros christodoulopoulos's staff are refusing to comply. >> they are looking in into lazaros christodoulopoulos knew will lane closures in september which appear to be part of an endeavour. turnies say they won't turn over records. the committee likely will take the case to court. >> technology is becoming a staple. it's changing where jobs are and who is filling them. >> morgan radford reports from new york city where some say the industry is creating more equality. for years many thought new york

was a one-horse town. there's a new horse in town. since 2006 the tech industry has grown 11", adding 26,000 jobs and 6 billion in wages. >> new york has been able to grab on to the rise on the new wave of technology, advertising financial services, publishing all the things that new york is good at, are things that - that the technology has been drying off of. >> that makes tech the second largest contributor. the tech boom has another added benefit. >> what are the advantages that new york has over other places. is that it has outlying burrows that are part of the city, but are cheeper. where you can set up at a low expense. that happened here, a spreading

out of the jobs to other parts of new york. >> this is fantastic in terms of creating opportunity for minorities in new york. queens has 2.2 million residents. hall of whom were born outside of u.s. make mack queens a diverse community. >> that man started a tech projects. >> it's based off your skills. you don't have to go to an elite institution. so i think it prevent an amazing opportunity to teach people and provide the skills. the stupid from queens and other lower backgrounds. >> there's 20% more african-americans working this tech-related jobs. the difficultersity was yet to

take it the to top. 1% of tech company founders were minorities. his company see me connects artists online, and says the tech boom is the great social equalizer. >> it's not a cloisterred thing of a few people. it's a universal phenomenon. who you are, what you have done matters less than how ambitious you are, and where you can take it. it will level the playing field. it's a way the country hasn't seen in years. >> the executive director of the new york technology council joins us to talk about the phenomenon. thanks for being with us. walk us through the parts of the technology/information sector. from information to internet services, to software developers, all part of this

booming tech sore. are we seeing growth in each area. >> all are growing at this point. one of the changes that morgan brings up is diversity. yet let's look at the numbers - when it comes to tech, it seems the industry is growing diverse. the spannics and latino are pure suing computer and mathematical ougss. it's been a perception that white and asian males dominate the industry. do they need to do more to attract talent with more diversity. >> yes, it's hard to attract at the top. that tends to happen from the bottom up. we'll see over time that the top will become more diverse as people get in the middle and

choose to form their own companies. >> we see a spike of tech jobs, compared to the united states. why is this? what has new york done right? are there lessons that can be learnt here? >> the spike underestimates what is going on, but it includes the tech jobs in the financial sector, which went down and haven't been going as quickly. >> you are saying it's bigger than this. >> the growth is faster than the graft would indicate. >> what are some of the things that new york city did that others did to attract the investment. >> they have everything right at this point. it has the urban concentration, it has the diversity, and the counter round of check innovation is occurring not in building infrastructure, but applying technology to other industries, if you want to build

a trip, you wouldn't do it in new york. but if you want to do it where the customers are, which is new york. it's natural that the boom is in new york. >> in some way cities can't model themselves out of the new york paradigm because new york has an intersection of industries. they can try and you are seeing growth in other areas. there's tech growth in other arse. but new yorkers got it all. the diverse population, the art, things that foster create itty. >> thank you so much for coming in this morning. >> the trading week is off to a tepid start. futures are lower. here is where we stand. the dow opens at:

mixed results over sees. investors in japan cashing in on profits from a recent surge. >> several market reports n on the calendar. we'll see what inflation is doing, and what the labor department is doing. that'll be this morning, and it covers services and construction. also this morning the commerce department releases a report on housing starts for january. the federal government reserve releases minutes from its january meeting. >> investors are loving it's lon motors. the company's stock is at a high. the company releases earnings after the bell todayment word that ceo elon met with executives, creating a buzz of

merger rumours. an analyst dunn see it happen -- doesn't see it happen. >> the likelihood that they merge will be low. once they work together, they may find a level of affinity and may have the marriage after al. >> tesla's market value is $25 billion. your morning cup of coffee could cost you more, prices up 38%, and that means higher prices at cafes and supermarkets may not be far behind. coffee traders blame ohhed dry weather. into nature's perfect predator, no match for a microscopic bug. >> the road to recovery after a big cat sanctuary was nearly wiped out by a virus. >> a new storm is brewing. this one on the rain variety verses the snow.

i'll have the details coming up.

>> welcome back to al jazeera. just ahead a sanctuary for liens and tigers looking at a sanctuary, where the lives of some big cats have been taken. first nicole mitchell, meteorologist. >> a lot of problems over the next couple of days. more on that coming up. waf the system going through the east coast. this is going through the midwest. not a lot of moisture. look at what happened. really firing up. this is moving fast enough that a lot of the rain asserted with it is in the quarter to half

inch raping. not significant. cold enough that it spilt snow into new england. the other place with active weather is the west coast. more heavy rain. another system brewing for tomorrow. we'll have the details in a few minutes. >> a nearly century-old law is keeping new jersey from getting desperately needed road salt. the state blew through its supplies. it ordered 40,000 tonnes from maine, which had a surplus. the problem - the ship that would ship it does not fly an american flag. a 1920s law does not allow a non-american ship to go between ports. >> a new group of tigers is easing a sense of lose at this center. >> what are you doing? hi.

>> in is where some big cats go when their owners realise lie jobs and tigers are not meant to be pets. or the animals are no longer making money for them, like in circumstanceses. the wildlife rescues and education center is a nonprofit that rehabilitates and cares for the animals. >> last year an outbreak of canine distexter, a measles like virus affecting animals, spread with deadly abandon. >> it being a virus almost destroyed us emotionally. it didn't destroy us as a sanctuary. we keep in mind that the mission continues. >> 22 cats showed symptoms. seven died, but 15 survived. how, because of an immeasurable amount of work. >> we started the days giving

meds and we'd have to just conjol and baby the tigers. we tried every meat. our days would not end until 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock the next morning trying to get the tigers and lions better. >> after the tragic summer. take about what you guys have done to ensure it davis cup -- doesn't happen. >> we have vaccinated the cats, using a ferret vaccine. >> there's no guarantees. no one believes they wouldn't see a cape in distexter outbreak, which they suspect was caused by an infected rehabilitation on. >> they hope the animals now added to this wall will be natural deaths not disease.

they received 10 tigers and three cougars from a wildlife place getting out of the business. >> it was heart breaking to walk by empty cages. now it's not empty it has given us a sense of purpose. >> there are 63 big cats, symptom free. >> similar outbreaks of canine distemper hit los angeles two decades ago. >> he is in precool, but an arizona toddler has been accepted into the high iq mensa. this 3-year-old is well over 160 points, which means she's a genius. at 2 years old she is reading and is up to fifth grade. her parents say he has an exceptional memory. >> she learns or picks up a

word. she never uses it incorrectly. >> alexize is teaching herself spanish on her parent's ipad and is cute to boot. >> now a check of the top stories with del walters. >> ukraine's president calling for calm after more than two dozen people were killed in the clashes. >> in thailand a court ordered the government not to use violence against those that take to the streets there. four died on tuesday in bangkok when police tried to shut down protest camps. >> president obama leading with the leaders of mexico and canada. they'll discuss the trade agreements. >> how student loan debt could be widening the gap between the haves, and the have notes. >> the brewing storm system bringing rain to risk of severe

weather. >> dell waters and libby casey are back with you in two minutes. have a great morning. 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.

>> tensions ignite in ukraine's capitol as world leaders call for sanctions after a deadly day of demonstrations. >> 20 years after the free trade agreement, president obama heading to mexico to discuss its impact and the road ahead. >> one of the most disturbing things about student debt is it follows you through the rest of your life. >> young americans entering the real world saddled with thousands of dollars of debt.

a look at steps some are taking to erase their mounting bills. >> i hated to quit on a bad note like that, i guess. i get over feeling sorry for myself. >> refusing to give up after losing it all now are working to rebuild their livelihoods. >> good morning. welcome to aljazeera america. i'm libby casey. >> i'm del walters. 25 people are dead after police tried to clear independence square in key every, the center of anti government demonstrations in ukraine. >> police entered the scare foods night and protestors battled back with molotov cocktails. the president of ukraine is

urged to demonstrate restraint dealing with the demonstrators. the french president is calling for sanctions against ukraine. >> the president delivered a message to the ukrainian opposition. >> the opposition leaders ignored the basic foundation of democracy, power is gained not on streets but in electoral districts. >> aljazeera has the latest from key every. >> the morning after the brutal crush, a city inflamed by violence, both sides refuse to go give up. independence square went from encampment to war zone, a burned out reminder of an area that was for weeks home to activists. the president still blaming opponents for the ruthless crackdown. >> my duty is a guarantor of the constitution is to ensure peace in the country, peace of the citizens and peace for everyone.

therefore, i'm again calling for the opposition leaders who claim to also want a peaceful resolution to immediately separate themselves from the radical force that is provoke blood shed and clashes with security services. >> his words provoked alarm from opposition leaders. >> i am very unhappy, because it was not discussion. they don't want to listen to opposition. they want to listen in just one way. opposition and all protests have to stop, protests have to stop, demonstration, but right now, it's very important to make a break and no fighting. >> the bloody crackdown continued throughout the night. police advanced at independence square, people responded with whatever they could lay their hands on, fireworks, bricks, bottles and molotov cocktails

threw through the air. from the other side, tear gas canisters screamed through the night. an armored vehicle attempted to break through. it didn't last long before being set on fire. tents went up in in flames. these aerial views show how much has been destroyed in kiev. >> i'm deeply worried by the escalation of violence in key every on the number of reported casualties. this violence and blood shed must stop. i'm worried about the ultimatum to stop this by force. i call on the president and government together with the leaders of the opposition to find an immediate way out of this deepening crisis. >> the intensity of the violence has appeared to strengthen the resolve of the protestors determined to fight to the bitter end. this is a battle which over time

has only seen more blood spilled on the streets of central kiev. >> also today, two suicide bombers hitting the lebanese capitol of beirut during the morning rush hour today. seven were killed, 103 injured, al-qaeda group claiming responsibility for the attack. we have more from beirut. >> the army has cordoned off the area, forensics happening on the site. we know two car bombs went off, a b.m.w., the other a mercedes packed with exflowsives, 70 kilograms and 90 kilograms each around 9:30 here in beirut. this is a busy civilian area. this is the iranian cultural center. you can see the iranian flag on top of the building, one car bomb at the foot of this building surrounded by apartments, shops, four civilian lost their lives, one a military security officer stationed outside here. people will tell you there has

been a claim of responsibility because hezbollah is fighting in syria, that the war in syria is having a deadly spillover here. >> reporting from beirut, lebanon. >> security tensions are rising in iraq after a series of attacks. dozens were killed in baghdad when a blast from a parked car rigged with explosives ripped through a bus station. thee people were killed when another car bomb exploded near the capitol. >> monday, 23 were killed after a series of explosions targeting a shia neighborhood. >> iran's stream leader wants a backup plan in case talks on its nuclear program fail. he needs an economy of resistance to counter international sanctions. it won't shut down nuclear plants, a key demand of world powers. in vienna, they are working on

an agreement. an interim agreement allowed for some relief from economic sanctions in exchange for iran curbing its nuclear activities. >> secretary of state john kerry is scheduled to meet the palestinian president today in paris. kerry's trying to get israeli and palestinian leaders to agree on a framework for resolving their conflict. he does not want to flood israeli with returning palestinian refugees and that there was no need to redivide jerusalem. >> the government is urged not to use violence, violence intensifying tuesday. four people were killed between police and civilians. protestors there have been demanding the resignation of the countries prime minister, calling her corrupt. thailand's anti corruption agency is considering filing charges against the prime minister over a controversial rice subsidy program. >> the face of the opposition movement in venezuela resurfaced

today. popular opposition leader lopez joined demonstrations after hiding from police for a week. the excitement over his appearance was short lived. >> the excitement of his supporters was plain, the opposition leader lopez emerged after days of hiding addressing the crowd. he told them he was ready to surrender to security forces to face charges of terrorism and murder. >> i have nothing to hide. when i turn myself in, i beg to you remain peaceful. >> the former mayor has emerged as the face of a protest which took to the streets a week ago with thousands of students blaming the government for soaring crime and inflation. >> this is a fight for the young people, for the students, for the oppressed and jailed. this is a fight for all venezuelans. >> the president accuses lopez

of inciting violence during the marches, leaving four dead. >> lopez has now crossed the security barrier you see behind me. minutes earlier, he told the crowd that he's going to give himself up and turn himself into the authorities and told the crowd to keep taking to the streets if he is imprisoned. >> moments later, he went up. in a sign of how divided the nation is, that you says of supporters held their own rally in caracas. the president accused the opposition of trying to destabilize the country. >> the fascists are now in the hands of the law and they will have to respond to justice. >> as the police tried to escort him to oh military base, his

supporters surrounded him chancing the people are with you. he now faces a tough political decision, whether lopez is put on trial or remains free. he is becoming a powerful symbol of discontent. aljazeera, caracas, venezuela. >> the charges against lopez include murder, terrorism and arson. >> officials in south sudan say the latest fighting does not threaten peace talking about. ten were killed after rebel's took control of an oil producing town. soldiers loyal to the president are fighting for those in favor of the vice president. thousands have been killed. more than 800,000 peoples displaced since those warring sides and the fighting broke out. the sides accuse each other of violating a ceasefire. >> uganda's president said the u.s. is trying to blackmail his country by threatening aid in response to the antigay bill.

he says he won't listen to it. he said he is set to sign a bill criminalizing homo suit. uganda could lose $400 million in aid per year if the anti gay law becomes in effect. >> we could be seeing a legal showdown in new jersey. two members of governor chris christie's campaign now refusing to comply with the state legislative committee. they are looking into what he knew about closures on the george washington bridge in september. staff emails indicated the closure may have been political pay back. staffers had until tuesday to respond but attorneys say they will not turn over their records. >> the owners of a shuttered power plant in north carolina have been ordered to plug a second leak that's contaminating the drinking supply. the plant owned by duke energy is near groans borough. it contains arsonic levels 14 times higher than what is considered safe.

prosecutors say 82,000 tons of ash were released to the river. the coal power plant was built in the 1940's and retired in 2012. >> parts of you will be dealing with severe weather in the form of spring time systems. >> everyone is sick of the snow and cold, well, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. we're going to get rid of a lot of that at the cost of a different type of system. moving across the country, we have rain in the east coast. the system hasn't gotten organized and tapped into the gulf stream yet, but once it does will be a whopper of a system. we've had a conveyer belt of systems day after day. today, rain coming through moves through quickly, a quarter to a half inch of places, a couple places locally higher. once you get into new england,

cold enough to be snow. you can see systems developing in the midwest. here's how all of this looks into tomorrow. this has already developed by then, a deepening low. as the low deepens, the winds crank up. there's more instability and lift for that weather. we'll also have a lot of warm air ahead of that intersect, cold air to help give lift. straight line winds a possibility. this will be melting the snow with rain on top of it, making it a muddy sloppy mess for places like chicago. as all of this develops, look at this line develop through the midsection of the country. we could see damaging straight line winds even with tornadoes. anyone from the ohio river valley into the east coast tomorrow. >> french police made an arrest in the killings of a british iraqi family in the alps. the suspect, a 48-year-old

former policeman was let go from his job last year. this is the first arrest in the case. the family was traveling in france in 2012 when they were gunned down in a remote mountain village. the couple, the elderly mother and passing cyclist were killed. two children survived the attack. >> a child prank led to the murder of a teenager in arkansas. 15-year-old adrien broadway was shot in the head saturday morning. she was with a group of teens who threw toilet paper and eggs at a car parked outside a home in little rock in retaliation for a halloween prank by the car's owner. the man came out and opened fire. the 48-year-old is now charged with first degree murder. >> violent crimes have fallen across the u.s. a drop off in murders and property and gun crimes were found in the first six months of last year. violent crimes fell by 5.4%. murders are down 6.9%.

the only category that's on increase was rape, up from 13,200 back in 2012 to 14,400. the reason, the justice department broadened the term to include more types of sexual crimes. >> an 84-year-old nun looking at 35 months in prison for breaking into a nuclear plant. the sister megan rice wanted more time, telling the judge being in prison for the rest of her life would be the best gift he could give. jonathan martin explains. >> anti war activists from around the country gathered outside the federal courthouse in knoxville tennessee to support sister megan rice and two other peace activists sentenced to federal prison for breaking into a nuclear weapons facility in tennessee. >> it wasn't a disappointment. none of us should feel like it was a disappointment, because it wasn't. >> i was grateful, if that can be the right word, that the

judge departed from the guidelines and sentenced them lower than that, however, he should have said oh, here's a congressional medal of honor for you all. you keep doing this until america gets it and stops building these weapons. >> i am megan from nevada. >> sister rice, a click nun will spend just under three years in prison. two others were sentenced to five years, convicted of sabotage after cutting through fences at the security complex in 2012. they spray painted the walls affable where enricheddure 18 yum is stored for nuclear bombs. activists say they are illegal and immoral and called their actions symbolic. >> the government, which continues to build and develop and increase nuclear weapons is the guilty party here, not our beloved friends. >> prosecutors pushed for seven years, arguing it damaged

national defense. sister rice said their actions helped the country by exposing major security flaws tropical storm facility. the judge said they had no respect for the law but couldn't hand down the toughest sentence taking into account their past and their in tent wasn't to do harm. they considered her age, missionary work and the fact she had no violent criminal history. he told her in the future if she wants change, she should try to do that in washington, not by committing crimes in tennessee. jonathan martin, aljazeera, knoxville, tennessee. >> now rice is a sister in the society of the holy jesus. >> the philadelphia inquirer reports that city employees last year took advantage of lax rules on overtime pay and pocketed

nearly $200 million. del, that inflated the city's tax funded payroll by 13%. >> one of the employees made $90,000 just in overtime alone, wound up making more money than the mayor. >> the question is do they need the overtime, should they hire more people. >> the prince of wales in saudi arabia, joining in on the traditional saudi sword dance during the second day of his mideast tour. he was taking part in the ceremony that celebrates the cultural life. >> looks pretty natural there. >> looks a little like lawrence of arabia, but i'm sure he's heard that before. >> it was movie night at the white house last night. mate damon, george clooney and bill murray screened their new movie, monuments men. >> it is a fascinating movie celebrating parts of world war ii history that we didn't know until now. sadly, i believe it was 200

monuments men, only one survives. >> those actors political contributors to president obama. mate damon has taken hits for president obama, because they've had political falling out. you wonder not just about the movie, but were there political discussions going on. >> president obama set to meet with his north american counter parts discussing the trade agreement they signed on to 20 years ago. who are the real winners under nafta? >> a growing number of young americans are entering the real world with the burden of student debt. we'll talk about how the mounting bills may haunt them after graduation. >> 11,310,000 is our big number of the day. it's also a big hello from the american public to a new t.v. host.

>> now to today's big number, 11,310,000, that's how many people watched jimmy fallon's first night as host of the tonight show. >> it is the second largest

audience since may, 2009. the show dominated the demographics in the age group of 18-49. his tenure marking the return to new york city where it originated back in 1954. >> that 11.3 million audience is 182% better than the average 4 million viewers that jay leno got but lagged leno's final episode, 14.6 million people watching his farewell. that's slightly behind the 11.9 million who watched when conan o'brien transitioned back in may, 2009. we'll see how his numbers stay. >> if they hold up. >> the offering college student, $29,000 in debt when they walk across the stage to graduate. we'll talk to a woman who is trying to fix that. >> first let's look at temperatures across the nation today. >> a lot of people are actually enjoying the news this morning,

because as you're walking out the door in chicago, 34 degrees. might not sound warm in the south, but that is mild especially given this winter. 35 in new york. 63 in memphis. a very mild morning, a lot of warm air is going to surge northward over the next couple days, but it is coming, already starting to see some of that today. into the day tomorrow, 50's all the way up to the great lakes. that's going to be melting the snow as new rain comes in, so it's going to turn into a sloppy mess and even flooding in some cases. all of this core of warmth heads eastward friday, new york even makes it into the 50's. back to you guys. >> president obama is push to go raise the nation's minimum wage this year. a new report offering mixed reviews on the possible effects. increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 would mean a

raise for 16.5 million workers. the report says that pay hike would lift 900,000 people out of poverty, but 500,000 people could lose their jobs. >> student debt and dead end jobs have put many young americans in circumstances outside of their own control. aljazeera's patricia looks at students struggling to make ends meet and pay off loans. >> if you want to succeed and get the american dream that i came here for for you to get, go to college. >> that's what her father instilled in her when the family fled the soviet union to build a new life in america. >> just like an all american girl. >> she earned a bachelors in jury roomism and masters as international releases, only to graduate into a recession racked economy, jobless and overwhelmed by $80,000 in student loan debt, she quickly defaulted on. >> i just ignored it and it was

a big mistake to ignore it. >> only when she landed a part time dream job in the united nations she was ready to face her debt demons. >> i signed into my account and took a look and it was $92,000. >> she moved back in with her parents, started cocktail waitressing for extra cash and set an ambitious goal, slash her student debt to a manageable level by her 30th birthday. it was just a numbers game. it became a game to me. >> a game she's winning by throwing every penny she's earned at her student debt, she has paid off $73,000 in two years and now owes less than $20,000. but though she's closing in on being debt-free, it's likely she'll still feel the sting of her student loans well into retirement. >> i have no retirement funds, no savings. >> like many student debtors in their prime earning years, she

is paying off her education instead of making investments that build wealth over time, like buying stocks or a house, placing her at a huge disadvantage to students who graduate debt-free. >> one of the most disturbing things about student debt is it follows you through the rest of your life. >> even households with average debt loads are projected to have $208,000 less in savings and home equity than households who graduate debt-free. >> one of the perverse things you can say about higher ed today in the united states is it's crystallizing privilege instead of blowing it up. >> it's an i am balance that threatens the promise which brought her here. >> if this is the country of opportunity, the country where dreams are attainable if you work hard enough, if you, you know, just pursue it, then this problem needs to be fixed. >> aljazeera, new york. >> currently more than

40 million americans have student dead. that's a number larger than the entire populations in several countries, including canada and australia. >> checking business news, the trading week off to a tepid start, do you futures down 15 points. mixed results overseas. the nikkei falling 76 points. in europe, stocks are lower following the report that britain's unemployment rate rose last month. several market moving reports are on today's economic calendar. we'll see how inflation is doing on a wholesale level with a new index opening this morning covering construction. the commerce department will report housing starts for january. this afternoon, the federal reserve will release minutes from its january interest rate

meeting. >> investors are loving tesla motors, the stock at an all time high of more than $200. the company releases earnings after the bell today. the jump in the price tuesday raises the value of tesla even though its sold just over 22,000 cars last year. there are rumors of a deal with apple that may be in the works. one analyst cautioned against becoming too excited about tesla. >> people seem to really, really like the cars. in fact, that seems to be something that owners are saying if they like the sedan, they need an s.u.v. which is coming, i think until that car that is for everyone prized in the $30,000 to $40,000 category, that's really going to be the telltale sign for tesla as a whole. >> the recent rise in its stock puts tesla's market value at $25 billion. >> your morning cup of coffee could soon cost more, coffee bean prices are 38% up so far

this year. that means higher prices at cafes and super markets may not be far behind. coffee traders blame hot dry weather in brazil hurting supplies. >> world leaders trying to stop the violence in ukraine, the steps they are taking. >> president obama addresses key economic issues today with neighboring mexico and canada. the big ticket items that the three leaders will hash out. >> ranchers looking to rebuild their lives, looking to rebound after the winter. >> another gold on the slopes in sochi. more on how the u.s. has added to its medal count.

al jazeera america gives you the

total news experience anytime, anywhere. more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters.

>> i'm bibby casey. ahead, violence flaring up again in ukraine, what sparked the clashes between protestors and government forces. >> president obama meeting with the leaders of mexico and canada today talking economics and the north american free trade agreement. >> farmers in the u looking to pick up the pieces after this winter wiped out the cattle herd. >> protests in ukraine had police enter independence square and protestors battling back. they used barricades to try to keep the authorities out. the international response is swift, moscow saying it will use its influence to calm the situation. the french president is calling for sanctions against the ukraine. tomorrow there will be an emergency session to discuss the increasing violence. >> vice president biden called for president victor yanukovych

to calm the situation. >> we condemn the violence by either side. force will not resolve the crisis. to restore peace and stability, beurge president yanukovych to deescalate the situation and end the confrontation. we also urge him to restart a dialogue with opposition leaders today. >> the white house says the u.s. is committed to supporting efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the cries. >> the state department has issued a warning for americans currently traveling in ukraine, calling the situation very fluid and unpredictable, urging u.s. citizens to avoid demonstrations and large gathers. americans are also advised to keep a low profile and stay indoors at night while clashes continue. >> ukrainians here in the u.s. are keeping a close eye on their home country. we are live in new york city.

what are people telling you? >> many of the ukrainian americans that we're talking with here say they are just having such a hard time watching all of these pictures coming out of their home country, many of them still have friends and family who live in the ukraine and are there right now. i talked to one waiter who is here and works at the coffee shop in new york city. he's been on a green card for the past six years in the united states. all of his friends and family still over in ukraine and he says that he really does worry about them. he's scared for their safety. at the same time, he really believes in their cause. >> people protesting, because they find him for their freedom and democracy. they want better life. they want good job and better living, you know. some of my like relatives in

kiev, a lot of friends in kiev right now, they actually fighting for the democracy. >> do you believe that it's worth it, what's happening right now? >> i believe so, and i hope it's going to get better. >> in fact, i asked him if you were over in the ukraine, would you be there in independence square and he told me absolutely. del. >> erika, thank you very much. canadian institute of ukrainian studies professor joins us. is there any way out by the situation in ukraine that doesn't involve even more violence? >> only i believe a kind of peaceful mediated solution to this crisis is possible with international actors coming in. the european union has been

hopeless and passive. maybe tomorrow, the e.u. will start to adopt a tougher line, but i don't see how this can end in a less bloody, less violent way without international mediation. both sides now are very entrenched. we have now close to 40 people dead sips the beginning of the crisis, probably actually the figure is higher, and both sides don't really see much evidence of compromise. particularly on the side of the president. we have to remember that this cries could have been very easily resolved back in december, even, if the authorities had begun a meaningful dialogue, but they haven't. every time the population and the opposition get strung along, it eventually explodes into this kind of violence. we need clear signs of compromise from the authorities, signs of dialogue and of course accountability.

in democracy, you need the police chief's head to roll if people die. >> this is a very difficult situation for americans to understand. ukraine is almost equally divided between those that say the country should go to russia and those oh who say the country should go to the e.u. how do you come about with a solution to such a complex problem? >> it is more complicated than the orange revolution in 2004, but there, it was more of a clear cut case of east ukrainians with more russian speakers versus western ukraines or more ukrainian speakers. today, the situation is more clear cut. today we are talking about a majority of the population, 70%, who are very much against this regime. we have seen protests in eastern ukraine as well as western ukraine. it's pretty much wrong today to call it a civil war between east and west. this is more of a case of the population against a corrupt

regime. there are going to be people, approximately 25% of the polllation primarily old age pensioners, people nostalgic for the soviet union who prefer a russian orientation. the young people, businessmen and women see their future in europe. it's a more blurred and fuzzy dividing lines than just east and west. certainly victor yanukovych born in the late 1940's, he comes from that very soviet background as do his peers and allies. therefore, he doesn't really see himself as a european. >> vice president biden calling on victor yanukovych saying he wanted to express great concern regarding the violence on the streets. aside from phone calls, is there

more the international community can do? >> yes, it's very simple. the european union can impose targeted sanctions and visa black list against ukraine officials and their oligarch allies who tend to live, travel, put their money -- >> if they do that won't russia counter anything that the west does? >> no, no. we shouldn't be confusing western assistance and russian assistance to ukraine's massive cries. the ukraine and russian elite by the way all have their ill gotten gains stashed away in western europe and offshore zones of western european countries. cypress accounted for 30% of foreign investment into ukraine, money being recycled and cleaned up and going back to ukraine. so ukrainian and russian elites like to live, work and play as

much in monaco, vienna, london, liechtenstein and the cayman islands, virgin islands as they do in kiev and moscow. the elites can be very severely hurt. if they are hurt, they will in turn put pressure on the president, but the e.u. has been passive until now and hasn't done that. the reason for that is both the e.u. finds it very difficult to come to a decision with 28 separate members and secondly, there's i think 166 on the part of the e.u. ma many countries, including my own country, i'm british, gains financially from this money coming in. the real estate market in london is very high partly because of this ill gotten and corrupt money coming into the country. we're talking about 40% of the money in the city of london being of corrupt origins.

>> president obama is heading to mexico. he's meeting with his mexican and canadian counterparts to talk about the future of the nafta agreement, key stone people line and immigration reform. twenty years after and a half mistake became law, mike viqueira looks at the talk. >> when president obama meets his fellow leaders in mexico, he'll ever explaining to do. domestic american politics has him hamstrung, unable to follow through on big ticket items. the key stone pipeline in limbo. the $5.5 billion project would bring oil to america's gulf coast. the administration won't say when the president will decide. ultimately, president obama must choose between environmentalists and a close ally. >> this is an enormous benefit

to the united states. >> the canadian prime minister steven harper is pushing hard for approval. >> this north american leader summit is happening at an interesting time where progress on a lot of the other things we want to do with canada is building and awaiting the key stone decision. >> on trade, the president's being undercut by those usually most supportive. he wants another big trade pact this time with 12 pacific rim nations, but democratic leaders have openly declared opposition, refusing to give any deal a stream lined path to congressional approval. organized labor is also wary. >> what happens is these companies outsource production to locations abfor example mexico, and that puts downward pressure on wages here in the united states. they are able to threaten workers in the u.s. that if they don't cut wages or organize labor unions, they're going to move plants to mexico. >> immigration reform is stuck

in congress, roughly half of the 12 million undocumented immigrants now in the united states are from mexico. after signs that a deal might be at hand, republican leaders shut the door for this year. >> there's widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. >> that's a disappointment for mexico and its leader. >> immigration, i think to the mexican is a bit of a litmus test for how serious the united states is about the economic agenda and commitment to the relationship between the two countries. >> there are two other issues that are likely to be near the top of the agenda. that's climate change and the security situation within mexico. mike viqueira, aljazeera, the white house. >> joining us is eric farnsworth, vice president of the council of the americas and america society joining us from washington this morning. good morning, thanks for being with us. back in 1993 on the eve of

nafta, an editorial said to ratify the treaty is to condemn american workers to more hard times. what's your grade two deck kids later? >> that was a bit dramatic. nafta has been a success, done what it was designed to do, increase trade and investment among canada, united states and mexico. clearly it's done that. i think it's done so in a way that's benefited all three economies. there have been some transitions, some jobs have been moved. that's true, but more jobs collectively have been gained. i think on that, the benefits have outweighed the costs. i think most credible studies would back that up. >> let's look at the situation between the u.s. and mexico. want country's engages in trade every day and in 2012, close to 78% of mexicos exports came to the u.s. u.s. companies invested roughly

$101 billion in mexico. so clearly intertwined. is one country benefiting more than the other? >> no, i think both countries are benefiting equally. if anything, the united states is benefiting more because our economy is so much larger than mexicos. every time mexico sends a dollar of product to the united states, it includes about 40 cents of u.s. content and therefore as mexico is increasing its exports to the united states, we're actually gaining, too, because that's the product, the work of a lot of americans who have previously exported their good to say mexico. we are fully intertwined in a way that we weren't prior to nafta. i think nafta is democraty responsible for that. it's not the only indicator why we're so intertwined. if you add canada, we're seeing a north america that is more competitive and has to be if we're going to compete successfully against countries like china and india.

>> the key stone pipeline is going to be a key point of talking today. canada prime minister frustrated. what is their conversation likely to be like? >> clearly this is an issue of concern for the canadian witness, they made it clear a couple of weeks ago. that was the primary issue raised. i don't think you're going to have a resolution today, but clearly the prime minister will raise it. it's become a symbolic issue for the canadian witness an issue of whether they can work closely with the united states with a close range of issues. this has become an issue from the environmental perspective about what the actual pipeline would do. clearly, it is a bilateral irritant and needs to get resolved if we want to move forward with the canadian relationship. they have waited five years for the decision. that's along time. they're looking for a decision. they hope it's favorable, but at

the end of the day, they need a decision. >> what about getting all the countries onboard looking to the future, also looking at the environmental issues? >> i think it's a really exciting prospect. whether it will happen or not i don't know but the energy relationship within north carolina america has fundamentally changed even in the last five years with the entire natural gas sector bottoming with fracking, horizontal drilling, these things have radically transformed north american energy. with mexicos own energy reforms, the president is moving through right now, you are beginning to see mexico potentially open to that foreign investment it needs to increase reserves and unluck it's own resources. if the united states, canada and mexico can bring together their energy grids, their technology, best practices, environmental protections, this is going to be a game-changer globally and already is become that go way. my own view is that there is a

way forward here to both -- you don't have to choose between energy and environment. my view is you can have both. you move forward with the key stone pipeline, work together with canada and mexico on an environmental compact, climate change all three countries are working for. that's going to mean more than whether an individual pipeline is approved or not considering we have many more in operation. >> thank you so much. >> to sports, another u.s. skier heading to the medal stand this morning. we have all the sochi highlights. good morning. >> good morning. this guy is truly dominant. it's already been a big day in sochi for american skiers as ted legty has taken gold in the men's giant slalom. it's been safe to say a good 24 hours for americans in the winter olympics. >> freestyle skier david-wise clinched the gold in halfpipe skiing, a brand new event at the

winter games. the 23-year-old soared through slush, sleet and heavy snow to claim a commanding lead after his first run. while the three straight winter x game titles fell on his second run, it didn't affect the outcome. conditions were just as bad in the men's snowboardcross. placing third. four years ago, he worked behind the scenes for team u.s.a. waxing the snowboards. now he's a bronze medalist. >> this has been my first experience as an athlete. it's been beyond words, the hard work that i put in and the sacrifices i've made over the last four years to win a medal is just the icing on the cake. >> lauren williams and lo lo jones competed in both the summer and winter games. they are trading in their track shoes for a bobsled here in sochi. williams and teammate are in first place.

u.s.a. team are third. jones and her partner are 11t 11th. with a win today, williams would become the second athlete ever to win gold in the winter and summer games. >> it's a big day in men's hockey featuring four elimination games at noon. in progress right now is finland and russia. that's sports for this hour. >> libby was laughing when we said we were going to take up olympic curling. how hard could it be? >> famous last words. i'm sure the olympians would beg to differ. i think anybody would be able to get over the netherlands medal count, because they win all of those skating events. >> that's right, they own speed skating so far, but the americans are doing it on the

slopes. >> thank you so much. >> tough winters across america are taking their tolls on cattle farmers in south dakota. some aren't letting a massive die off of their herds stop them from pushing forward.

>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. ranchers in one part of the u.s. aren't giving up after mother nature dealt them a big blow. >> let's find out first of all where it's going to rain and snow across the country, possibly rain. good morning, nicole. >> we have a potent system especially into tomorrow. we're going to have to watch that. a different sort of white stuff this morning. portions of louisiana, texas, the coastline areas especially, dense fog, so watch that heading out the door in places like

interstate 10. you get back into new mexico, low humidity, record high temperatures and winds kicking up, we could have some dangerous fire situations. red flag warnings have been issued here. across the country, the central u.s. we're watching closely today into tomorrow. today, pennsylvania, a lot of this will be rain, but there has been freezing rain and snow to the north. it could cause problems. >> in early october, a storm wiped out tens of thousands of cattle in south dakota. months later, ranchers are struggling to recover from the hard hit. we have the story of a rancher who wouldn't give up on his farm. >> as western south dakota struggled under winter's icy grip, there are signs of rebirth at the ranch. >> these are old first calf

heifers. >> these are cows he bought to replace the nearly 400 that died last october when an unexpected blizzard swept through the state, herds grazing miles away from shelter. faced with a $600,000 loss, he wasn't sure he could continue ranching. >> what changed your mind? >> i hated to quit on a bad note like that, i guess. got over feeling sorry for myself, realized there might be some good years in the livestock business. >> to stay in business, he is buying more pregnant heifers. >> is that a good deal? >> if they have good calves that have a good year, yes. >> he thinks cattle prices will sell higher when he sells later this year. he took out a $3 million bank loan to finance the herd and put his ranch up as collateral. it's a gamble, but he's

convinced it's worth taking. >> corn prices came down. that reflects on our calf market and makes it better. >> interest rates are better, right? >> they're wonderful. >> he credited farm services of america trying to help ranchers like him with more flexible loan terms. >> we have a disaster systems program. that means we can extend payments, defer payments. we do some subs sides interest rates. >> he got money from a ranchers charity. he may qualify for disaster funds under the new farm bill. he says it's difficult accept that go kind of help, but the rancher is grateful for it. now, he hopes for help from mother nature. >> i'd like to see the snow melt away and have some bare ground for cattle. we're as prepared as we can be, i guess. >> that's cautious optimism for a man who's already weathered quite a storm. aljazeera, south dakota. >> some ranchers could get aid

from the new farm bill as early as april. >> ukraine president calling for calm after two dozen were killed in clashes between anti-government protestors and police in kiev. >> in thailand, they are ordering the government not to use silence against those who ever taken to the streets. four died when police tried to shut down the protest camps. >> president obama meeting today with the leaders of mexico and canada for the north america summit discussing trade agreements in the key stone excel pipeline. >> one of the occupy wall street protestors will be in trial. she is accused of assault ago police officer but says she was the one assaulted. >> giving big cats a new home, the sanctuary giving these animals a second chance and the disease that threatened to wipe them out.

>> a brewing storm system will bring heavy rain and warmer temperatures to the risk for severe weather. i'll have that forecast. >> the aljazeera morning news continues. we are back with you in just two minutes. >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

>> tensions running high in ukraine's capitol, clashes between police and protestors have left 25 dead and the city of kiev on edge. >> years after the occupy wall street movement, a trial set to begin for a woman arrested. some say it will be a true test of civil liberties in america. >> football helmets do very little to protect players from brain injuries. the results of a medical study

will show what it will take to keep the game safe. >> we're talking 20-25, she would recite them from the night before. >> she is three years old, already called a little genius. meet the little girl who's so is that right, her i.q. is off the charts. >> around the world this morning, governments are in crisis. in ukraine, at least 25 are dead and hundreds injured after police went into independence square cracking down on demonstrators. >> police opened fire on protestors in bangkok who want the prime minister to step down. >> venezuela, an opposition leader comes out of hiding and is arrested during a protest against the president.

we're looking at a live image of the capitol of the ukraine where the deadliest of the clashes have been taking place. there's an all-out battle right now taking place for control of kiev. >> the morning after the brutal crush, a city inflamed by violence, both sides refuse to go give up. independence square, the central point for protestors in kiev went from encampment to war zone, a burned out reminder of an area that was home for anti-government activists. ukraine's president blaming opponents for the ruthless crackdown. >> my duty is a guarantor of the constitution to ensure peace in the country, peace of the citizens and peace for everyone. therefore, i'm again calling for the opposition leaders who claim to also want a peaceful resolution to immediately separate themselves from the radical forces that provoke blood shed and clashes with

security services. >> his words provoked alarm from opposition leaders. >> i'm very unhappy, because it was not discuss, don't want to listen to opposition. they don't want to listen in just one way. it's opposition and all protests have to stop, protests have to stop the demonstration, but right now, it's very important to make a break and no fighting. >> the bloody crackdown by police continued throughout the night. as riot police advanced, people responded with whatever they could lay their hands on, fireworks, bricks, and molotov cocktails flew through the air, tear gas canister screamed through the night.

tents used by the demonstrators went up in flames. aerial views show how much has been destroyed. this latest conflict alarmed western leaders. the e.u. policy chief appalled by the violence. >> i'm deeply worried about the violence in kiev and the number of reported casualties. this violence and blood shed must stop immediately. i'm concerned about the ultimatum to stop this by force. i call upon president yanukovych, the government, together with the leaders of the opposition to find an immediate way out of this deepening crisis. >> the intensity of the violence and the ve solve of the protestors are determined to fight to the bitter end. this has only seen more blood spilled on the central streets of kiev. aljazeera. >> the state department has issued a warning for americans who are currently traveling in ukraine. it calls the situation very

fluid and advises u.s. citizens to avoid all protests, demonstrations and large gatherings. the u.s. is telling citizens in kiev to maintain a low profile and remain indoors at night while clashes continue, adding that the situation in ukraine is unpredictable and could change quickly. >> thailand had violence intensify tuesday. four were killed in clashes between police and civilians. protestors have demanded the resignation of the prime minister, calling her corrupt. we report from the site of tuesday's violent clashes. >> what you see on the street among the protestors, the clashes with police, with the army, you have to understand is part of the very specific makeup of politics here in thailand,

the police are seen as being problems sees for the government, pro government. the military seen as being anti-government. the fact that there was a clash yesterday has been read by some observers as a show of the breakdown of communications between the two sides. one side saying that the other let it down and that's why they came and raided and were beaten by any sort of death on the street. it seemed kind of inevitable that this is just going to happen again at this point. >> aljazeera's veronica pedroza reporting from thailand. >> the face of the opposition movement in venezuela resurfaced but only briefly. the popular opposition leader lopez gal have a niced thousands of supporters after a week of

hiding from police. he told the crowd in caracas that he was ready to surround tore security forces. >> i have nothing to hide. when i turn myself in, i beg to you remain peaceful. this is a fight for the young people, for the students, for the oppressed and jailed. this is a fight for all venezuelans. >> lopez was arrested shortly after the speech. he's facing charges of murder, terrorism and arson. >> two bombs tore through beirut during the morning rush our, seven killed, 100 injured. bombers targeted a culture center. al-qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack on twitter. we have more from beirut. >> the army has cordoned off the area. there's forensics happening on the site. we know two car bombs went off, one a b.m.w., the other a mercedes. seventy kilograms and 90 kilograms each. this happened in the morning

around 9:30 in beirut. this is a busy civilian area. this is the iranian cultural center. you can see the flag right on top of this building. one of the car bombs right at the foot of this building also surrounded by apartments, shops. four civilians lost their lives, one a military security officer stationed outside here and people will tell you there has been a claim of responsibility from al-qaeda because a hezbollah shiite group is fighting in syria. the war in syria is having a deadly spillover here. >> journalist human rights activist and politicians are rallying in london today. >> they are calling for the release of our colleagues, three aljazeera journalists now detained for nearly two months. phil ittner is live in london right now. >> they have gathered outside the egyptian embassy here in

london in what they're calling a day of action. now, this is just one day before the start of a very controversial trial in egypt, and the people here have gathered not only to show solidarity for the incarcerated journalists, but also to protest for press freedoms. >> the three are now into their second month of incarceration without being charged. the ruling military backed government accuses them are supporting a terrorist organization after they interviewed members of the now outlawed muslim brotherhood. aljazeera maintains the journalists were just doing their job. they are just a few of the many journalists held in egypt, the committee to protect journalists puts egypt among the worst countries, imprisonling press members. the white house urged the government to release the journalists. >> egypt's interim government has a responsibility to ensure they are protected. now we have expressed these concerns directly to the government of egypt in answer to

your question and we have strongly urged the government to drop these charges and release jurists and academics detained. >> today's rally organized by the nation's union for journalists in part in order to present a petition at the egyptian embassy calling for the release of all journalists held. the union head stating: this is by no means the first rally, the push is global. whether it is in east africa where peter is based or his family's pleas to the australian press, or campaigns in canada, where this reporter is a dual citizen. >> it's critical that the journalists in egypt see that the journalists all over the world are standing together,

because one of the reasons that countries detain journalists is to create a chilling effect, to basically scare other journalists from trying told their job. >> the question is whether or not calls for freedom of the press will fall on deaf ears on a country so deeply divided. >> now as it stands now, egyptian authorities do still continue to move forward with that controversial trial of those aljazeera journalists. there are some 20 odd arrest warrants still outstanding for a variety of international journalists. they are saying very clearly journalism is not terrorism. >> phil ittner joining us live from london, thank you very much. >> president obama is traveling south of the border today. he's meeting with mexican and canadian leaders for day long talks and economic and trade ties. also on the table expanding the

north american free trade agreement or nafta, the key stone pipeline will come un, also immigration reform. the president may find himself caught in the middle of the two u.s. neighbors. >> the so-called 3amigos have a lot to talk about today like when or if president obama will approve the key stone excel pipeline sending oil from canada to the gulf coast. >> my view is you don't take no for an answer. >> it will create thousands of jobs in canada, but president obama has delayed his decision, citing environmental concerns. >> it's strange that the united states has not made a decision yet on the issue. >> with mexico, immigration, border security, drug trafficking and mexicos economy are all likely topics today. mexico's making it easier for american oil companies to drill there, plus the country's shipping four times as many cars here as two decades ago. there's a huge chrysler plant near today's meeting.

nestle also has a large plant here. trade is increasing, but there's room for improvement. >> we need to build the infrastructure. >> it's a big concern mexico and canada make up a quarter of the world's output. >> that was tracy pots reporting. president obama is expected to depart from the white house shortly. >> one of the things on the table of those talks is the and a half mistake agreement, the north america free trade agreement celebrating its 20t 20th anniversary, linking 450 million people. ali velshi has discussed it. >> companies large and small cancel into those markets. what's happened is that today,

hour greatest export market is to canada, and our greatest export -- second greatest to mexico. we create 8 million jobs as a result of our trade with canada and 6 million jobs as a result of our trade with mexico. >> what would you like to see done that you didn't get done in the initial round of negotiations that could make america even more competitive and prosperous? >> i think we can be more competitive not because it didn't get done, but because trade is so intense across our northern and southern borders. we need to him prove the infrastructure and with super rates low is a good time to do that. second of all, we need pieces and parts from outside our perimeter. if we import some little piece from asia that goes into something that we make together, because canada, united states and mexico, not only tell things to each other, we make things together, we have different

tariffs. if we could make those the same, it would eliminate a lot of red tape. >> you can watch "real money" every week night at 7:00 p.m. eastern time right here on aljazeera america. >> president obama is push to go raise the minimum wage this year, but a new report is giving mixed reviews to the potential impact. according to the congressional budget office, increasing the basic ourly pay from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour would mean a raise for 15.5 million workers. it could put 500,000 jobs at risk. >> we are looking at a warm up, but there is a catch. good morning, nicole. >> it seems that's how it works. we've had poetent weather systems, winter storms, but this one more of a spring type storm

that we have developing. you can already see kind of a little action starting in the central plains. once this taps into gulf moisture, gets more developed, the low is going to intensify or deepen, meaning the winds will crank up, as well. we're going to have a real problem on our hands. already this morning, a less dynamic system bringing rains to the east coast, freezing precipitation, watch out for that. two to four inches north that have on the cold side could get the snow. already today, even though we haven't seen moisture, we will start getting it into the central plains. tomorrow, look at this low pressure system, a lot of warm air with the moisture. you'll be like great, we want some warm temperatures, it's been a cold winter. that interacts with the cold air, a potent front, enough to give us the lift for the thunderstorms, high winds, damaging winds, slight potential for hail and also an isolated risk for tornadoes. watch the north side of this,

where it is still cold enough, so much moisture that we already have blizzard warnings for minnesota and iowa starting tomorrow, winds because the pressure change will be so intense could gust 40 or 50 miles per hour, and some places could pick up snow up to two inches an hour, northern parts of wisconsin and michigan could get up to a foot of snow. that's the snow side of it. possible blizzard conditions and then the severe weather risks from the great lakes to the gulf coast. tomorrow's going to be a very interesting weather day. >> is it just me or is it time for winter to be over? >> even when we get the good news of warm temperatures, it's complicated. >> good news, bad news. >> talks to end iran's nuclear program continue in vienna. why some are saying the meetings are pointless. >> the trial set to get underway for a woman arrested during the occupy wall street protest. some say the arresting officers are the ones that should face jail time. >> a sanctuary that rescues big

cats is getting back on its feet. a virus more commonly known to make dogs sick almost wiped them out. i must begin my journey,

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>> james bays takes a look at the long road ahead in iran. >> talks on iran's nuclear program, the foreign minister greeting the e.u. official in charge of foreign policy, catherine ashton. he is meeting the rivers at the international community known as the p5 plus one, the five permanent members of the u.n. security council as well as germany. >> after intensive negotiations -- >> these countries came to a deal in november with iran. it was a historic agreement, but a temporary one lasting six months. now they must attempt a

permanent deal. there are many issues still to be resolved, as well as areas of mistrust and suspicion. >> during these negotiations on the comprehensive agreement, all concerns about the iranian nuclear prom will have to be addressed. it will be intensive and difficult work lying ahead of us. the overall objective remain to say seek a comprehensive solution that would ensure that iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. >> one of iran's main negotiators was interviewed on a state t.v. channel. deputy foreign minister knows many people at home including iran's supreme leader seem convinced this process will not succeed. as he left the interview, i asked about the progress so far. >> it was a good beginning, and very constructive. we decided to continue in both bilateral and multi-lateral decisions. >> no one involved in this process doubt that is it will be

difficult and complicated. there is a deadline, the interim deem is for just six months, but there's a clause in it saying it can be extended for a further six months. there will be long negotiations. james bays, aljazeera. >> a former iranian presidential candidate and current president of the iranian american council joins us, thank you for being here. heading into these talks, the supreme leader said that the work that has been started by the foreign ministry will continue and iran will not vital its commitment, but i repeat, again, it will lead nowhere. we're hear ago mix of pessimism and yet he approves of the negotiations. >> he has always been pessimistic about the u.s., he never trusted the americans, he continues to express the same idea. he is a revolutionary, he is not a diplomat and grew up with that

revolution which is anti american and always had belief that america is after the revolution. that's where that pessimism comes from, but at the same time, you have a government that is pragmatic, is trying to make a deal because that government needs to feed the iranian people, provide jobs for them and without the agreement, that is not going to be possible. that's where we stand now, but the negotiations ahead of us is very tough. back in november, the parties reached an agreement and in the meantime, they did implement most of the agreement and they have a commitment, so now we are negotiating beyond that agreement for a more comprehensive solution. this is a tougher --

>> turn your phone off while i ask you the next question. do you have your phone on you perhaps? >> no. >> we have a phone in there, apologizing for the hum. i do want to join in and get a sense from you, because you have so much experience as a presidential candidate. iran has said it won't shut down any of its nuclear facilities. where can negotiations go from here? >> on the table now is of course the iranian -- first, there is this enrichment factory in iraq, heavy water and that the americans are very sensitive towards that. they wanted that shut off. there are also enrichment facilities in fardo, an underground facility and americans don't think it needs an underground facility for a legal enrichment pros. finally is the issue of whether

iran should have enrichment at all. the americans have accepted tentatively that iran can have an enrichment program with you, but the level is at question. what level, how many sentry finals have to spin. these are issues that are very tough to negotiate and i think iranians are going to insist that they would have the right to enrich and they will not go back to square one and the americans are going to also insist that that is acceptable and more importantly, america seems to be asking also for the iranian missile program to be on the negotiation table, which is indeed a deal breaker. >> thank you so much. we will stay tuned. president of the american iranian council, thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> taking a look at business news this morning, your morning cup of joe could cost more, prices set to go up 38%.

that means higher prices at your cafe and supermarket could be next. coffee traders blame the hot dry weather in brazil. >> the trading week off to a slow start, the dow down 50 points. >> we are looking at mixed results overseas. the nikkei falling 76 points. europe's stocks are lower falling a report that britain's unemployment rate rose last month. >> the economic calendar is out. several reports that could affect markets comes out today. we'll see how inflation is doing at the wholesale level. the consumers price index covers services and construction. also this morning, the commerce department reporting housing starts for january. this afternoon, the fed, the federal reserve releasing the

minutes from its january interest rate meeting. >> applications for home mortgages continue to decline. the mortgage bankers association says applications fell to 4% last week, including both purchases and refis. at the same time, interest rates rose to 4.5%, the first increase so far this year. >> football helmets do very little to protect players from brain injuries. that's the findinging of a new scientific study. we'll talk with the researchers behind it. >> where are the medics? >> a trial set to begin for a woman arrested during occupy wall street protests, a case some say will test the civil liberties in america. >> a group of national guard members who handle the caskets of fallen soldiers are in hot water. the photos posted on line that could cost at least one of them her job. >> an american dominates in a

giant olympic ski event. that means another goal for team u.s.a. in sochi. >> this is a live image out of kiev, ukraine. protestors have gathered once again this morning. more than two dozen people feared dead. details when we come right back.

>> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. i'm libby casey. >> i'm del walters. president obama traveling to mexico for a meeting with mexico's president and canadas prime minister. topping the agenda, expanding nafta. the three will iron out differences over immigration, border violence and drugs. >> four people were killed in thailand in clashes between police and civilians.

the protestors are demanding the resignation of the country's prime minister, calling her corrupt. >> 25 have been killed in the deadliest fighting since protests erupted in ukraine. the u.s. calling on ukraine's president to exercise restraint with protestors. jennifer, you were there when the protestors began their demonstrations. what has changed? >> it was the clash that everyone hoped would not happen, brutal fighting here all day yesterday and overnight. this is the square. it is quiet here. there is a makeshift hospital. 150 protestors, some very seriously wounded there, because they're too frightened to go to official hospitals.

independence square the site of many protests is really just a few hundred yards that way down the hill, still very tense this morning. people bryceing for another attack by the police. half of the square has been burned down. brought testers have taken shelter in some of the buildings, the hard buildings there including the post office and a music academy. very, very tense, the subways are closed here in kiev, some people are walking to work, the streets were very quiet when we came into the city this afternoon. there are about 5,000 people in this square right now demonstrators saying they will not leave. they are digging up paving stones like on the streets behind me. they've used everything they can, getting molotov cocktails together, so a very, very tense situation here, waiting to see what the authorities will do next. >> has the president met with the opposition leaders yet today? >> he has not met with the opposition leaders today. we don't think a meeting is

planned. we spoke with opposition leaders people and they say the leaders don't in tend to meet with the president. last night, the president told demonstrators the pro opposition demonstrators to lay down their arms and get out of the square, offering no concessions at all. this broke out because parliament yesterday refused to look into changes into the constitution, president yanukovych changed the 2004 constitution in 2010, giving him wide sweeping presidential powers. the opposition would like the constitution to go back total old constitution, which gives more balance to the parliament, more say of the people, parliament wouldn't do that yesterday and that's how all this started, spiraling out of control yesterday, 25 people dead, hundreds injured. some of them in this monastery behind me here and a very, very tense situation here in kiev today. >> as you know, there are a lot of developments taking place away from the protests, the e.u.

holding an emergency session tomorrow of its fortune ministers. the white house is asking ukraine's government to show restraint and the french president calling for sanctions. how might that impact things on the ground? >> that is really unclear, del, ukraine is in the middle of a tug of war between the east and west. the west of course being the united states and europe, and many of the pro opposition folks here would like to see ukraine turn more towards europe. that's how this all started in november when president yanukovych did not sign a long awaited trade deal with europe. russia released a $2 billion loan that it offered ukraine and that money had been on hold for a couple of weeks. ukraine's economy is a faltering economy, really desperately needs that money from russia. the pull between the east and west, whether yanukovych willis to the european union, listen to the united states is unclear at this time.

we know that when things were getting tense early they are month and late last month, vice president joe biden called prosecute yanukovych to try to calm the situation. >> we are getting a reaction at a ukrainian restaurant right here in new york city. >> good morning, libby. in talking to ukrainian nationals and americans living here in new york city who have gathered together particularly at this coffee shop in an area that is heavily filled with ukrainian people here, they say that they are just trying to gather together to support each other, because really, when they are watching the news around the

clock, they say while the images are truly heartbreaking, they also find them inspirational. >> to see ukrainians fighting for what america stands for, freedom and democracy, that's great, but they're fighting with blood she had happening, so that's the horrific part of it. i guess sometimes you have to fight hard to get freedom. >> people are protecting themselves by building fires with tires. that's their weapon. they don't have military grade weapons and it's all their perseverance that's doing that. i hope no one gets hurt. i hope this ends today. >> people protesting because they are fighting for their freedom and for democracy. they want a better life you know. they want like good job and better living, you know.

>> that is a 28-year-old ukrainian national here in the united states for the past six years on a green card. i asked him if he were over in the ukraine with his family and friends would he be in independence square and he said absolutely. libby. >> thank you, erika. >> we want to switch gears now to sports, the u.s. adding to its medal count in sochi. tough to talk about sports when so much is unfolding elsewhere. >> indeed. they do call it the toy department of the news, though. ted legty doesn't need any document to move he owns the giant slalom. he came into the olympics having won nine of 14 slalom events. he has brought that dominance to sochi.

bodie miller fell out of the medal conversation early for the g.s. after his opening run was only good enough for 26t 26th place. he is saying he's not sure he can compete in saturday's slalom competition. >> u.s. men's hockey takes on czech republic. canada takes on latvia. those are elimination games. another one's going on right now. that would be fourth seeded finland and fifth seeded russia going at it. right now, late second period, it is 3-1 finland is on top. we'll switch gears now, moving on to other parts of the olympics. one game is already in the books. the scrappy slovenia squad took on the top ranked swede and kept it close. slow vain i can't trailed going into third period action. the swedes scored four goals,

two from carl has gone land of the new york rangers. sweden advances 5-0. >> women's bobsled resumes, the americans look in good shape with two teams in contention. the team comprised of myers and williams have first place over a team from canada. fellow americans jami and asia evans have an advantage over a belgian team for third place. the only american team not in the medal hunt is jones and fenlater with an 11th placed finish. >> the nba resumed regular season action with a slate of nine games and free agent to be lebron james put on an m.v.p. worthy performance in dallas. he blazed the nets for 42 points on 16-23 shooting.

lebron also ripped down nine rebounds, dished out six assists and notched two steals in the process. the heat open the second half with a 117-106 win over the mavericks. >> that is an eight-foot long one foot wide piece of metal that fell from the ceiling and hit the seats at the university of indiana's assembly hall mere hours before those seats would have had people in them to host iowa. officials postponed the game tuesday night. no make up date is scheduled. engineers said the harsh winter conditions in town were to blame. very scary situation in the big 10. >> thank you so much with sport. >> we are looking at a new study finding 10 of the most popular football he willments are not effective protecting players against concussions or brain

injuries. dr. frank cineti joins us from florida and a doctor from tampa both working on that new helmet study. you tested the 10 most popular helmets we can find right now. when you compare the helmets, which ones perform best and which performed worst? >> i would like to did he ever that to dr. lloyd. he did the actual helmet testing. >> dr. lloyd. >> the mel mets were tested according to three different criteria, and that is the risk of traumatic head injury, such as skull fracture, which can be measured based upon linear acceleration, as well as the risk of a brain contusion, which can be measured in terms of head injury criterion measures. the risk of traumatic brain injury is measured based upon the rotational kinettics, the

twisting of the brain inside of the skull as a result of an impact. considering the three measures was the right l360 helmet. the worst overall across those three measures was the adams a2000 helmet, however it did perform very well -- excuse me, better than the other helmets but still with a lot of potential for improvement, and that was the best one in terms of protecting the brain from traumatic brain injury. >> if i'm a parent sitting at home and i want my loved one to play football all the way from pop warner all the way up, what does this mean? >> i think one of the things parents need to focus on in the study is really this study really validated what concussion experts have been saying, that is that helmets do little to

protect athletes against concussion. with that said, they do a wonderful job at protecting athletes against traumatic brain injury, skull fractures and intra cerebral bleeds. >> head injuries in just one football season can cause permanent brain damage. tell us about some of those injuries and symptoms. >> i would not make any -- draw conclusions at this time that head injuries, a single head injury can actually cause long-term cognitive neurocognitive and long term behavioral effect. i think the jury is still out, i think the research is still out on that. however, when we look at the signs and symptoms of concussions, certainly it's very important that parents thrash recognize those signs and symptoms and also that children need to royce those signs and symptoms. if they experience any of those

signs and symptoms -- >> what signs and symptoms are we talking about? >> headaches, dysfunction which is the feeling of off balance, athletes often have cognitive symptoms, trouble with attention and concentration. they may be seen walking the wrong way after a hit. they may not remember the last play. they may not know they're even at a football game. >> this has to be the bottom line question, can manufacturers build a helmet that completely protects a football player from brain injuries altogether? >> let me address that one. providing complete protection i believe is not possible, however it is possible to dramatically increase the protection players are currently getting. it's our opinion that football helmets are getting bigger and heavier, and in doing so, they

actually increase the rotational inertia and it's that giving rise to this risk of traumatic brain injury. i think smarter, lighter helmets are the way to go. we've been working with some specialized -- >> what do we do in the meantime. we're talking about the future when we say smarter, lighter. what do we do now? >> can i answer that? >> please. >> go ahead, john, you answer, then i'll answer. >> so what i was saying is right now, it's important for players of all levels to understand that when they take to the field, they are vulnerable to the risk of a traumatic brain injury. their helmets provide some protection, on average 20% protection from a traumatic brain injury, so they're not out there. they're not invincible. with that new knowledge, i believe that players should exercise caution and protect their heads and brains from

direct trauma. >> i've got about 20 seconds left. >> i would tell parents or say athletes need to work on strengthening cervical muscles getting with an athletickic trainer or physical therapist that understands how to strengthen cervical exercises. we need to limit time an athlete spends with high impact contact, high velocity contact, limiting the amount of time we practice and we need to teach proper tackling techniques, lurk to hit between the niece and under the shoulder pads. >> thank you both very much. >> it's been two and a half years since a group of protestors gathered in new york to occupy wall street. their wham pain turned into a nationwide movement for economic quality but their message eventually fizzled out at least that in physical storm. sicily was one of the thousands of protestors forcibly removed

by police. she said she was beaten and bruised. as america tonight reporter tells us, she is the one facing trial. [ screaming ] >> on the night of march 17, 2012, a group of police officers swept into new york city's zucotti park trying to break up a demonstration marking the six month anniversary of occupy wall street. a then 23-year-old as he ili mcmillen was in the park that night. she says in the chaos, she felt a hand grip her right breast from behind and she instinctively put up her elbow bow. she said she was detained and beaten by police, suffering a seizure. officers stood around her convulsing body, eventually giving her an oxygen mask. it took 15-20 minutes before an

ambulance took her away. in the videos uploaded late that night, you can hear the confusion and concern from by standers. >> where are the medics? >> she is still on the ground. >> these are photos her friends shared taken while she was in nypd custody, further helped to piece together the altercation. the dark mark above her eye and the print on her chest she claims are black and blue evidence that a police officer assaulted her. >> being drug over there, they were over here, i ran to get one of the medics. >> the nypd did not charge any officers with assault in her case. instead, she faces charges of second degree assault with a possible seven year prison term. now, two years later, her trial is set to begin. of the almost 8,000 occupy wall street arrests around the

country, a quarter took place in new york city. according to a joint report from nyu and the ford ham school of law, aggressive over policing was widespread in the police response to occupy wall street, from the batons and pepper spray to denial of medical care. the arrests were often illegal and most led to charges dropped. her lawyer said the policeman she elbowed, officer bovell left the mark on her right breast and that her arrest was an example of overly aggressive policing. legal proceedings for the trial are ramping up with jury selection in march. the case's outcome will be a verdict not only on her behavior but on how the new york city police department handled a mass protest that turned into mayhem. >> you can watch america tonight weeknights at 9:00 eastern right here on aljazeera america. >> wisconsin's national guard taking action against one of its own, specialist terry harrison

has been suspended after posting this picture on her instagram account. national guard members are posing and smiling around that empty flag draped casket. the caption we put the fun in if you know release angered some saying it's disrespect to soldiers who make the unit mat sacrifice. >> a facility catering to very large clients, where big cats spend their golden years. how a very small virus nearly wiped them out. >> she is one of the youngest and cutest members of mensa. meet the little genius who is so smart, her i.q. can't be measured.

take a new look at news. >> welcome back. can you say cute? she is three years old, labeled a genius. >> it's enough to make you

feeling a little unintelligent. first the forecast from nicole. >> we have a system brewing in the midsection of the country, our biggest concern. the areas with rain and snow, mid atlantic, a quick moving system, a lot of this rain under a half inch. on the northern tier parts of new england, four inches at the most, most place will see less snow. it moves out quickly. tomorrow, the storm system could be a bad one, blizzard conditions to bad weather. >> an animal sanctuary in texas still recovering after a virus nearly killed all the cats. >> what do you do? hi. >> this is where some big cats go when their owners realize lions and tigers aren't meant to be pets. for the animals are no longer making money for them like in

circuses. >> come here! >> the exotic wildlife rescue center forever cares for these abandoned animals. last year, an outbreak of canine distemper, a measles like virus spread here. >> it almost destroyed us emotionally. it didn't destroy the sanctuary. we have to keep in mind our mission continues. >> 22 big cats showed symptoms for the deadly canine distell speaker virus. seven died, but 15 survived. how? because of an i am measurable amount of work by the staff here. >> we started our days every morning bright and he really giving meds and we would have to just baby these tigers until they would final leeat. we tried every different meat possible that we could get our hands on. our days wouldn't end until

2:00, 3:00 next morning trying to get these lions and tigers better. >> after the summer, talk about what you have done to ensure that doesn't happen again. >> what we've done primarily is to vaccinate the cats, using what is the best possible vaccination available for big cats, and that is the ferret vaccine. >> there are no guarantees, but no one here believes they're going to see another canine distemper outbreak, which they suspect was caused by an infected raccoon. >> then they go in order. >> their hope is animals added to this memorial wall will be the result of natural death, not disease. >> recently exotics received 10 tigers and three cougars from a wildlife foundation getting out of the animal business. >> the relief is palpable. it was heartbreaking to walk by empty cages for so long and now that the cages aren't empty

anymore, it's given and you say new sense of purpose. >> there are now 63 big cats here, all symptom-free. aljazeera, wiley, texas. >> she's still in pro school but an arizona toddler has been accepted into the high i.q. society of mensa. 3-year-old alexis martin has an i.q. so high her doctors can't even calculate it. she's well over 160 points. meaning she has a genius i.q. at two years old, she began reading, now already up to the fifth grade level. >> per parents say she has an exceptional memory, already teaching herself spanish on her ipad. >> thanks for joining us this morning. >> more news straight ahead. only on al jazeera america

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> at least 25 people have been killed in the most deadly fighting since anti-government protests began in ukraine. police entering kievs independence square tuesday night and protestors fighting

back used barricades built of burning wood and tires to keep authorities out. the u.s. calling on eye crane's president to exercise restraint. >> tendings are running high in thailand. four were killed in clashes between police and civilians tuesday. thailand ordering the government not to use violence against protestors there demanding the resignation of the countries prime minister. >> two suicide bombs in beirut, seven killed, 103 injured, the bombs targeting ires cultural center. an al-qaeda linked group claiming responsibility for that attack. >> president obama on his way to mexico for a meeting with mexico's president and canada's prime minister to talk about expanding nafta. they will discuss immigration, border violence and drugs. the president ordering higher fuel efficiency standards for american trucks.

on tuesday, he announced the e.p.a. will draft new regulations for trucks set to take effect in march of 2016. those are your headlines. "consider this" is next. arsenik >> the violence in ukraine explodes and turns deadly - reaction from kiev. venezuela's uprising gets more dangerous by the day with no end in site as the opposition leader is arrested. how will helicopter's time at the state department impact her presidential run. how does he compare to john kerry. >> and sob rity in relation to marijuana. here is more of what is