welcome to al jazeera america, these are the stories we are following for you. getting ready to bring u.s. troops home from afghanistan. a gay marriage battle in michigan kids caught in the cross fire, we'll have a live report. and some riot police in ukraine apologizing as the country tries to work out it's political problems. >> we begin with a high

stayings game of poker unfolding between the white house and afghan president. today the president telling the pentagon to get ready to bring all of the u.s. p toos home. pike is at the white house, and a very stern warning from the president, what else has he been saying? >> there's a very significant change. and the statements they are making about that force, the over the horizon force that the united states wants to keep in afghanistan, after the 24 teen deadline, by which all-american and allied combat troops would be withdrawn. you know, at the end of last year, we heard repeatedly the white house say that the president needed to sign the status of forces agreement. it is known as the b.s.a. sooner rather than later, by the end of the year, as a matter of fact. to enable those u.s. and ally forced to stay in afghanistan after 2014. when karzai refused to do so, the white house kept the pressure on, it said id had to be within weeks month months. they said they would not

wait until after elections. he is leaving office after those elections coming in just about six weeks time. the united states says they wouldn't do that, that would be too late. now a significant change in tone, the administration now declaring after the president had a long extended conversation with hami the first in more than since months we might add, that sometime later in the year, if afghanistan were to agree to that bsa, well, then the white house would be amenable, just moments ago, the spokesman described the conferring like this. >> in planning for a ton tin generalsy of a post 2014, smaller troop presence, and what they are in the president's view, it is necessary to plan for that force. against the clock here, in the sense that the longer we go without a bsa, the smaller in scale and ambition the mission

would have to be. >> >> but that planning has been going on all along, and looming all over this, as the situation in iraq, remember the u.s. government failed to come to a similar agreement with the iraqi government, and now iraq certainly a mess there in terms of the security situation. dell. >> and mike, to be clear, are we talking about all u.s. troops withdrawn, or will there be some left behind. >> that's exactly what is at issue. the united states called it the zero option, having no troops pes 2014. the role of those troops would be training, advising and going after the ream innocence of core al quaida. that's the description the white house put, but the future, whether they will be in afghanistan still is very much an

open question. now. is there aceps congress will back this? >> they have roundly criticized for failing to reach a similar agreement. they are calling on the president to reach an agreement in afghanistan to stabilize the security situation after those combat troops are gone. he hopes they will lead. the other will be located outside detroit. you might recall that you can follow all of this and our coverage of the president on twitter, our twitter handle by the way is@a ajam. he says ignore them, or calling those laws

discriminatory, saying the state attorneys general are not obligated to defend them. and their decisions should net be based on politics six state attorney general have refused so far. they want the court to allow them to adopt each other's children, but the state says that would be illegal. live at the courthouse in detroit, what was the tone this morning of the opening statements? >> lawyers representing the state, they argued this morning that children are better off with hetero sexual parents and they strongly believe that the 2004 ban on gay marriage here supports that motion. now this is a case that centers on a lesbian couple p.

they filed this lawsuit after learning they couldn't jointly adopt their three children. this is an issue that has brute out people from both sides you can see some of the protestors still here behind me, joining me now is pastor rex evans with first free will baptist church. and this is a case that you have been following for quite some time. >> that's correct. yes, we became aware of this about the time they decided to take it to court in the summertime. >> what is your position on this. seven well, we are for traditional marriage. and we are taking the stand that the state of michigan is taking, and that the bible speaks of. and the bible clearly says marriage is between one man and one woman. there's a very good

chance that michigan could be the next state. >> yes. >> your take on all the attention this case has gotten so far? and if that does happen, what do you think. >> well that's between the judge, we don't think he has the right to make that decision. since the people of michigan have spoken, but if he chooses to do that there's nothing we can do. we are not here to cause any problems we are here to take a stand for what the bible says. and if the verdict doesn't go our way, we will still take a stand for what the bible says. >> thank you for joining us, i appreciate it. >> thank you. this is a trial that started today and is expected to last a little over a week, i haves their judge to the lawyers as they make

their way inside the courthouse. i am told the state attorney general, that he is strongly against what is going on here. and that if this judge decides to overturn this law, he plans to appeal. back to you. >> coming to us live from detroit, thank you very much. >> riot police going on stage, begging for forgiveness, a dozen officers saying they were sorry for the actions of their colleagues. may accused of fying at civilian protestors. yelling shame on you as the men walked through the crowd. although the officers say they weren't the ones involved they did ask forgiveness on behalf of those that were. >> where things are so

normal, they are once again open for business. >> here on the edge, life is getting back to normal, the subway station behind me, they are running again, people are going to work. most of the shots are open, it has been closed for about a week. and that includes the government. they are trying to put together an interim government they say they expect that to happen on thursday. they want to make sure they know what is going on, that they don't slip back into the old habits of the past. his last known location according to the new interior was for crimes for the murder of

civilians mass murder of civilians. people even though they have gone back to work, come on their lunch hour. children coming after school, to lay flowers at the shrines of those that died here, they are called heros of ukraine. they want to make sure it is the kind of ukraine, this is the kind of ukraine that they want. >>s in city, there is still also a lot of support. nick, what can you tell us about the opposition moving in and setting up catch? >> date, you are right,

thises have much a city divided but tis toricly, a very pro russian one. right behind me that's the administration building no longer control bid local government, instead control bid the same people that have been protesting. >> these protestors serve up their revolution with a plate of cookies. every few minute as volunteer brings more supplies. and the aid station distributes water by the gallon. >> they create add little city here? >> yes. >> like everyone now in this building the 27-year-old identified more with europe than

russia. waking off long time ago, they say we are nobody. we can do something. and here you can see a lot of young people, and they do it. >> the local media embraced the occupation. jostling to get into the governors office. he apparently collected old phones and big game trophies. that's where we found 38-year-old antwan. he grew up here and went to school in new york, he is fighting a governor he considered corrupt. >> he wants to take it all. all the money, all the luxury things. not thinking about his people, about his country.

which is occupied by thousands and on this side of the street, the police are protecting people who still support the government. >> she is proud this city was ukraine's fist soviet capitol. she thinks the protestors are treaties. >> they are all brainwashed, they claim to stand for freedom, but we don't want their freedom. >> a few hundred feet behind her, the pro soviet camp outside of russia. >> to that russia that is only 20 miles away. a former city official, his entire life he looks east with price. pride, now he can't bear to look across the street where people have taken over a building where he worked.

if you crane is going to unite, it must overcome those that look east and those that look west, that bridge will need to be built. they say that ukraine is a bridge from east to west, and this is a bridge within ukraine, from the western ukraine that looks to europe, and an eastern ukraine that still looks toward russia. >> how does it feel to you on the ground? does it feel like the people are coming together? >> there's about a few dozen also to my left throughout this day. we have been harassed. a lot of journalists are here, and a lot of beam that are pro russian are saying that the journalists are redding lies that they are encaging the protestors that have taken over the administration building. at the same time, no one

is going beyond that, no one is going beyond that harassment. but we very much feel it on the ground, and to a certain extent it is generational. the younger generation is saying let me engage with you, the older generation is says we are towards russia -- >> joining us from car cove, we lost his satellite window, we knew it would be tight, we apologize for that. coming up, a deal between comcast and netflix which means you could be paying a lot more for their services.

down about 9 points. is positive earns from retail such as masseys are being offset by those concerns.

the house oversight reform committee sates it wants copies just showing when target learns of that breech. the committee wasn't satisfied that the company provided last month. test la reportedly in talks about teaming up. meanwhile the top pick for 2014. it has exceptional performance and impressive technology. allowing subscribers to stream videos without interruptions. that deal could wind up costing you. >> can you please just -- some slack. >> now that fleet flex has direct access to comcast broadband pipes customer whose are fans of shows like orange is

the new black, can look forward to fast streaming. >> her name is crazy eyes. >> i find in the end consumers always end up paying so if netflix is taking on additional costs or verizon, eventually, we find their hands reaching into our wallet. >> last month the net neutrality rule, that forced to all treat all traffic the same. much like a public highway is open to all, net neutrality ensured the paragraph used to deliver content over the internet including the last mile pipes owned by giants comcast, verizon, and at&t, would be open to providers and consumers.

supporters argue that allowing major broadband to charge a toll like video streamers or throttle delivery of their content, will limit consumer choice and possibly undermine internet freedom. >> this deal suggests it is getting harder to do that. >> but proponents for priority access will generate revenue to upgrade networks democracy is so overrated. >> creating a better experience who have grown accustom to shows like house of cards at the push of a button. >> we could seen get another scene -- he was head of the new york fed during the melt down, he took over the treasury when the treasury took office. after the requirements that were put on banks

following the financial crisis of 27-2008. coming up, there are dogs to help the blind, now dog whose are being trained to help veterans with post dramatic stress disorder. it is part of our continuing series deciphering dogs. >> for some of us it felt like summer, but for some of us winter is back.

telling the pent gone to tell troops to get home from afghanistan. after the president had a conversation with the afghan president. president obama said since car die is unlikely to sign a security pack that would keep them past 2013, they should be ready, prepared to remove troops by the end of the year.

opening statemented delivered in a trial challenging the ban of same sex page, a lesbian couple arguing the law violates the constitutional rights for equal protection, observers of the case say it could go all the way to the supreme court. that is now been put off until thursday, meanwhile there are worries of a separatist movement in ukraine's pro russian east. >> well, we can see quite a site here in the skies but this is the aurora tracker. this coming in from norway, and it was quite a site there, the solar activity, when it interacts with the earth's atmosphere, gives up a light here, a nice sight that can be seen so certainly watching for more solar activity, but

also watching for some snow. and then right through west virginia and virginia. right around washington, d.c. be it is that area of snow that is of concern now, it is moving out, some light showers developing this afternoon, and then another period of snow timing with us tomorrow. all the way up, i 95, not a lot is expected but a little bit during the rush hour, on untreated surfaces in the morning so watch nor that tomorrow morning it will be clearing out by tomorrow afternoon. the storm will really intensify, but it is well off to the north and east. so not expecting a major storm across the east coast here. we will see the cold air return though, low pressure moves out, high pressure moves in, so that's the bitter cold air. temperatures will be dropping over the next few days. here is the snow we are picking up on the radar. these are the showers

developing, this area will be clearing out, and we have another one coming in tomorrow morning. this is the close up view, and it shows the timing of this being about 5:00 in the morning light snow developing, clearing out, it is rain, down in north carolina. and south carolina. that rain snow line pushing all the way south of virginia. so areas in virginia can see light snow by tomorrow morning. the forecast, well, maybe a bit heavier, right through d.c., right through the peninsula, and hitting cape may county, but that's about it for the snow. it is clearing out by tomorrow, and just get ready for that cold arctic air. >> thank you very much. veterans coming home from war say it is the loneliest time of their lives. now service dogs are being trained to sense fear and anxiety in those vets. as part of our special series deciphering dog as training facility for psychiatric service dogs. >> science has taught thaws dogs have two great gifts a sense of smell,

and an unmatched ability to follow the instructions of human beings. >> in some cases humans train dogs to be unfriendly, or worse. but a new category of trained canine psychiatric service dogs help veterans suffers from post dramatic stress, brain trauma, and physical injuries. making noise, creating distraction. >> runs operation freedom pause. that provides these dogs to veterans. >> we train them to train our own service dog, it is very task specific to them. >> once trained dogs to detect bombs and drugs for the military, and now trained them for tasks that help anxiety plagued human beings. >> the dogs can learn whatever you tell them. she goes to the bathroom on cue, believe it or not. so block, watch my back, i say side. >> research has suggested that dogs can smell the signs of cancer, and they

say they can also smell anxiety, and diffuse it. >> their noses are so fantastic, and they know what your normal chemistry and what your normal sent is. so when you get anxious, you're adrenaline or your cortisone goes up. they know it. >> we take that ability and turn it into a task. >> she will grum and nudge me, and kind of wake me up. >> this organization received no funding. to spend even a few hours is to meet people that have been transformed by their dogs.

more than 300 hours of training at a cost of roughly $10,000 per dog, which is covered by donations and grants. >> at the very end, they go through 6 1/2 hours of a public access test. where they must demonstrate everything that they have learned, and that they are effectively using the dog. >> the results at least for the 156 klines he has taken on so far, seem to bring together the best qualities of dogs in the interest of restowing the best parts of being human. she taught me we are okay. >> we're okay. >> proof team summita. hockey player bringing back a different kind of souvenir. nhl star rescued two stray puppies and they weren't alone. teaming up in an effort

to adopt 1,000 stray dogs from sochi. thank you for watching al jazeera america, in new york, 101 east is next. >> in 2009 peace came to sri lanka after 26 years of civil war. >> government troops had crushed the tamil tigers - a guerrilla force which had waged a brutal insurgency seeking self-rule for the tamils c a minority making up about 12 percent of sri lanka's population mainly living here in the north. >> peace has brought stability, tourists are again flocking to sri lanka's golden beaches and investment is flowing.