♪ this is "al jazeera america" live from new york city. i am richelle carey. here are today's top stories: >> we are deeply saddened by this despicable and horrendous act of terrorism. >> japan's prime minister expresses his outrage after a second japanese hostage held by isil is executed. >> at a time planes did airstrikes all day and night. they targeted everything. >> meanwhile, it's ill forces

are pounded into retreating from two key fronts. ukraine peace talks have broken down with both sides blaming the other as renewed violence continues. more cases of measles confirmed in california as the white house >> today, an online video we will not show you reportedly has images of the journalist's beheading. japan's prime minister is calling the beheading an inhumane and despicable act of terrorism. >> to the terrorists we would never, never forgive them for

this act. and the act committed, we are going to coordinate with the international society. sot japan will never be defeated by terrorism. >> kingigoto -- kenji goto was yoon experienced journalist. more how he ended up in the hands of isil fighters. >> this is kenjigoto before crossing into isil territory. he was well aware of the risks. >> we are aware of isis. if something happens,so please don't claim any claim to the syrian people. >> kenji goto was a freelance

journalist who reported from war zones for more than 20 years, afghanistan and the middle east. he traveled to syria at least in part to attempt a rescue of his friend who was captured by isil in august. yukawa was a self-decide military consultant to set up a security company despite a lack of any experience. in october, kenji goto was captured by isil

demanded. >> on the fate of aesecond man a part of the prisoner swap. the family of the jordanian pilot captured last december is

anxiously waiting for news about his conditions. jordan's government said they will not negothis release unless isil shows proof of life. another major developing story tonight, isil forced to retreat from two key fronts tonight. driven out of the town of kobane. the announcement comes that isil has retreated from kirkuk. they madeplayed a significant role in both vict owners the battle in kirkuk was not without severe cost. kurdish commanders say 25 soldiers were killed on friday but iraq has regained control of the oil-producing straj teencally critical town. a similar story in northern syria, a 4-month battle ends with isil forces in control of kobane. the city is in ruins. two reports about the isil defeat. first to kirkuk where the more experienced kurdish forces led

the raid. zeina hodr has story. >> reporter: in the heart of kirkuk in broad daylight the it's lammic state of iraq in the levant made its presence felt. three armed men dressed in black detonated a car bomb outside the kassar hotel before storming the empty building. the attack on friday destabilized the security situation in this northern city. it was part of a coordinated assault that involved isil fighters attacking kurdish peshmerga positions west and southwest of kirkuk. kurdish peshmerga soldiers told us that they ended the hotel siege after a two-hour gun battle but the armed men preferred to deton ate their explosive belts instead of being captured. it was a fierce fight for a .6-story building that will briefly gave the isil fighters a good vantage point to cause chaos in kirkuk's city center. kurdish commanders say isil

objective was to capture the city of kirkuk. it failed to do that. but it managed to send a message: the armed group wants to show it hasn't been defeated e especially after it suffered recentsetbacks on the battleground. >> kirkuk has long been a dangerous city. over the decades, various people have laid claim to this oil-rich region. friday's attack wasn't the first time isil tried to take control. >> translator: we know that isil wants kirkuk. in fact they have been telling the supporters it is a matter of time before kirkuk will be theirs. >> the kurds did lose ground when isil pushed on three different fronts around kirkuk. stfts an aggressive attack the worst in months. >> isil attacked us from many directions. at the beginning, they were able to surround us and we lost our positions. >> kurds have since manage today recapture most areas including a small oil field, but that was only possible with the help of coalition airstrikes.

the peshmerga are facing a well-armed enemy, and isil's offensive here still hasn't ended. zeina hodr kirkuk. >> to kolbane. it's ill fighters say they may have lost the battle but they are not done yet. >> we decided today withdraw friday from the city of kobane. shelling continued which killed some of our brothers. it is not a lots. it's a win. look at the destruction behind me. our islamic state will remain. i tell that to mr. obama. >> the four-month battle destroyed the town. the focus now rebuilding the city so families can return home. more from hoda hamid on the turkey-syrian border. >> reporter: only a few days since the streets of kobane went quiet. four months of combat have taken a toll on the town and those who

remain here throughout. >> translator: i was terrified. i will never forget those moments. they will stay with me until i die. we live near the front line. our fighters gave us food and water. there was no electricity. the children were very scared. >> it's been months since she and her children have been able to walk around their hometown. jamil has stayed in kobane moving around as the fighting spread from one area to the next. this is the first time he sees his family home. >> translator: they destroyed peoples lives. before, there were people traffic. they all fled to turkey lebanon and iraq all gone. it's sad. >> reporter: it's a war that cost the islamic state of iraq in the lee vant. this is the body of a turkish national being returned to his family. the military achievement has broad a new found pride among

kurds. every way here says it's not over yet. >> the hospital has been destroyed. so they have turned the basement of a building into a field hospital. it is here you feel the battle is going on all around kobane. >> kurdish fighters are trying to push back. the wounded keep on arriveingarriving. there is no water. doctors lack equipment and medical supplies. they have had to adapt under pressure. >> in a real hospital a doctor has what he needs. here we had to forget about it all and work in a primitive way. we don't have the means to treat properly, find out if vital organs were touched. a lot of people i knew my nephew and uncle died in my arms. i couldn't save them. >> the battle for kobane has brought together kurdish fighters from different places fighters from the free syrian army have also joined in. media escaped the syrian stronghold of isil.

>> translator: some youth from kobane came to defend us there. i saw what happened so i had to help here many of us died. some carried out suicide attacks. others were cut to pieces. images i will never forget, very rget, very painful. >> the security summit underway more from jane araf in baghdad. >> this national conference is taking place at a crucial time.

and on the ground in the fight against isil, it has been a crucial past few days as well. even with the airstrikes and the military gains that kurdish forces are making in the north and shia malishas with iraqi forces making in the rest of the country, there are places where he is ill is creeping back in. in the west a senior was killed when al tanker rammed into his guest house this week. in the north, around kirkuk in heavy clashes with its ill over the past few days two senior pesh punish commanders including a major general killed by a sniper today have said to have been killed in those clashes. around the country as well, in the province of diala, the repercussions much what is alleged to be a massacre of unarmed gun men by shia malitias along with iraqi security forces. and that was part of the back backdrop of this conference the rhyme primary addressed. he said in fact that iraqi security forces and anyone

acting outside the law would not be considered anything but outlaws. he said the killings and kidnappings were no better than terrorism. he called for national unity. >> we need to be unified in order to put an end to isil. we could put an end to isil through government reforms. we have to be determined to defeat isil on the military security and social fronts. if we do this we will defeat our en needs sooner

think. >>. >> the death of a japanese hostage. isil fighters released a video that they show shows the beheading of kenji goto. he was kidnapped by isil in october. let's go live to andrew simmons. what is the reaction in jordan? any word on the fate of that jordanian pilot? >> reporter: well of course the pilot has been missing and has been since december when his f-16 plane crashed in northeast syria. people are uncertain about his fate. but this has come as such a shock. the ritualistic, macabri familiar that has become depressingly familiar seen here by the key people involved in

trying to get his release. japanese and jordanian, utter shock. no official statements yet from the japanese embassy or indeed from the foreign ministry or the information ministry. they are still absorbing the news trying to verify various aspects to what's happened. but this did occur 241 hours after a warning from japan that there was stalemate in the negotiations. the hopes had been that there would be a three-way deal, a freelance journalist from japan, a would beb -- be suicide bomber from iraq who was engaged in the bombing if in 2005, the biggest bombing that jordan had seen of its sort. they had hoped there would be a 3-way deal regarding the release of a pilot, the release of a journalist and the handing over

of this woman who had been on death row. it all seems to have fallen apart simply because the jordanians were not getting any verification any proof that their pilot was alive. they are very concerned about being duped in all of this and, of course the situation for kenji goto was desperate. he was being used as the messenger, piling on the pressure for an exchange deal when many people suspect here in jordan in the government that's cynically, isil was just playing the cards all the time to put more and more pressure on two sovereign governments that were engaged in talking with what are described as blatant terrorists here in jordan. so, it is a tragic macarbe affair and right now, a black cloak hangs over hopes that the jordanian pilot

will indeed be released. but no one is sure what can happen next in this situation. >> all right andrew simmons. thank you for that report live in jordan. ukraine's defense ministers said 15 ukrainians have been killed. both civilians and soldiers killed in the violence this week. the defense minister is accusing russia of sending troops into ukraine. ukrainian officials say the soldiers are helping pro-russian separatists fight. moscow denies those allegations. more than 5,000 people have died in the conflict since last april. >> we have a number of russian prisoners of war. i want to say that russian federation with an aggravated cynicism. while sending in troops every day, while getting dozens of military hardware into ukrainian territories is saying that there is no presence of russian federation there. >> meanwhile, talks between pro- russian separatists and ukrainian officials in belaruse have come to haelt.

they say they will not discuss a cease-fire and are making ultimatums. >> are college students mature enough to protect themselves against sexual violence? that debate is raging at the university of virginia. we will have a live report coming up next. seventy-five years after it started, we will take a look at how social security is keeping some americans from falling symbol poverty. the koch brothers have announced they will spend as much on 2016's campaign. we look at money and politics and ask whether anything can or will be done about our more expensive political campaigns. >> that's coming up at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 5:00 p.m. pacific.

tonight, controversy at the university of virginia. authorities received a letter from their national leaders telling them not to participate in fraternity bid night. tension has been high since

"rolling stone" reported a sexual assault on campus. erica pitzy, what's going on there? >> reporter: richelle good evening to you. this is a big deal for uva. in about a half an hour you have the televised men's basketball game against rival duke university about to start, which is why the main drag here along the uva grounds is pretty hopping. you've got restaurants in bar -- and bar did all carrying the game. but that is not the only reason to celebrate here you've got uva's fraternities welcoming their new members in what is called "boys' bid night." those celebrations have been going on all day long. and then there are the sorority did. sorority row is quiet. some sorority sisters say they are going to be inside their houses watching the game. there are some being required to

remain inside those houses all night long not even allowed to come down to the bars. remember, the national sorority group that issued this rule says the reason behind it is safety because the risk for sexual assault is allegedly higher on this big night for the frats. some sorority sisters have been trying to stay away from their fraternity brothers. these few brave women who did not want to be named for fear of backlash from their sorority did painted this bridge on the ground the message directed straight at the national sorority group saying empower us. don't imprison us. and they are yang re but they are also sad. this is an emotional time for them. it's not just because they can't party with their fraternity brothers tonight. they say it's much more than that. it's because the message that this will send is that they are lesser people. in fact, they essentially feel punished just for being women. >> it's just such a wrong mandate because like what it is doing is it is telling united states in order to be safe like in the name of safety we have

to hide from men, which is just bizarre. we originally planned a protest, but a lot of it -- it's kind of awkward because a lot of people who would have been at the protest are not allowed to participate because they are at these events that their sororities are making them go to. so we kind of had just like our baku plan. we feel like it's a solid message. it speaks for itself. >> so let's talk about the fraternities. well the brothers who would not speak to me on camera did say to me off camera they totally support their sisters. in fact they have said and this is a major development on this story, that we are now hearing the head of almost all of the fraternities on the uva grounds have collectively come together and decided to postpone their big parties that were normally slated for tonight's big bid night to next weekend to get around this rule and include their sorority sisters,

richelle. >> all right, big development there, erica pitzy live from virginia. 75 years since the first social security benefits were issued offering a financial lifeline to millions of americans. but with the number of workers in decline, the future is under threat. kimberly halcut from washington, d.c. >> reporter: after working for most of their adult lives, donna purchase and her husband, henry, are now retired despite some save savings, they rely mostly on a monthly government check known as "social security" to pay their living expenses. donna says without her husband's help and government assistance? >> i would have to give up my home. >> she is not alone. it's estimated without social security benefits most female retirees in the u.s. would be poor. >> that's why social security was created back in 1935. at the height of the great depression with so many joblets, the congress created social security to lift millions of poor elderly and disabled

americans out of poverty. president roosevelt signed it in to law. >> today, a hope of many years standing is in large part fulfilled. >> the first check for $22 and 54 cents or about $389 today was issued to i hada may fuller on january 31st 1940. she never married, had no children and social security was her only support until she died at age 100. for most the average check runs about $1,100 a month, enough to cover basic living expenses. but that lifeline so many have depended upon for decades faces an uncertain future. >> when social security was created, there were roughly 53,000 beneficiaries collecting about $1,200,000 in payments. contrast that to today where there are now more than 59 million americans cashing social security checks totalling more than 860 bill$860 bill i don't believe dollars each year. >> unless the u.s. con congress

changes the program, funds for disability payments will run out next year. by 2033 money for retirement checks will also be dwindling. that's why many advocate raising taxes on high-income earners to cover the shortfall. >> there is a cut off. if you make more than $118,500 a year you don't pay any social security taxes on that additional income. >> but opponents say social security benefits are already heavily biased toward lower paid workers who will collect substantially more than they contribute. >> that's led to the lack of political will in the u.s. congress to make changes to ensure social security remains solvent for future generations. >> i don't feel optimistic about it being around for my children and possibly even my grandchildren. >> those retirement years without congressional action may be less certain and secure. kimberly halkett, al jazeera, washington. >> still to come on "al jazeera america," the measles outbreak

in california. how some are fighting back,fused to go have their children vaccinated. the african union has reached an agreement to add thousands of soldiers to the fight against boka haram. >> you know how they say that everybody has a purpose in life? well, at one time, i felt that selling cocaine was my purpose. >> we was starvin', just lookin' for a way to succeed. >> the first time i seen rock cocaine was 1980. >> the murder rate was sky-high. >> south of the 10 freeway, was kind of a "no-man's land". >> you know, we're selling it for the blacks. i said, you go into these neighborhoods, there's no cops you can sell it where you want and when they start killing each other, nobody cares.

>> i was going through like a million dollars worth of drugs just about every day. >> that's like gold! >> we can make a fortune! >> he was maybe the biggest guy in l.a. >> freeway rick was getting his dope from a very big operator. i think we're into something that's bigger than us. something we really can't deal with. >> they had been trafficking on behalf of the united states government. >> she could prove what she was saying. >> [rapping] crack in the system. >> [rapping] this is los angeles. >> start with one issue education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america

welcome back to "al jazeera america." here is a look at your top stories: there are reports isil has killed a remaining hostage kidnapped four months ago. the isil imposed deadline passed two days ago. meanwhile, isil fighters have been driven out of two key strongholds in syria and iraq t peace talks between pro-russian separatists and ukrainian officials broke down today. accuse fighting keeps escalating in ukrainets east. a defense minister says 15 ukrainian soldiers were killed today. political reform is top of mind for spaniards. thousands took to the streets of madrid to rally for a bureaucratic change. this is seen by many as a

support for a new party called podemos. party leaders say they are attempting to reform austerity imposed by other mean nations. more cases of measles have been confirmed in california. the number now stands at 91 and the white house is weighing in on the connelltroversy surrounding vaccinations saying while a personal choice parents should heed the advice of public health officials who urge vaccinations against measles. not all, not even all doctors, rather seem to agree. john henry smith has more. >> on just one day this year january 5th talameda county,cal saw as many cases of measles as it normally sees in a whole year. the source became quickly obvious. >> the only link we had come up with of a place where the person might have been exposed to international travellers was disneyland. it turned out there were also other cases that tested positive that day that had been to disney land on those same dates. >> reporter: the currents isn't just that measles is a deeply

dangerous diseased especially in young children. it's also that the bay area is especially vulnerable because for some reason people are not vaccinating their children here all 50 states require measles vaccinations for students but 19 states give parents the choice based upon medical or religious reasons. these exemptions are a growing problem because when more than eight % of a school isn't vaccinated like those shown here in red, a disease like measles can spread quickly. >> in the bay area parents in wealthy enclaves which enjoys ready access to great healthcare are, for some reason exempting their children at an alarming rate. >> we have to really look closely. >> for example, dr. john hicks, a local physician. he blames a course of vaccinations for tragedy in his own family. >> i have a stepson who developed autism after a full set of shots.

he hit 105 for five days and that was the last he was really connected to what was going on. >> there is no credible scientific evidence that vaccinations somehow overload a child's immune system nor is there any evidence of any ingredient in vaccines that is dangerous or somehow leads to autism, but the belief seems to persist and doctor hicks is sought out by patients who share that belief. >> what i see my job as is to figure out what it is the parents really want and what they believe and then support them in that because if a parent believes these vaccines are going to create a problem, they may create a problem. >> reporter: on the other side of the golden gate bridge dr. nelson brocco has gun turning away told toddlers who aren't vaccinated. >> we felt the duty was not only to the parents in our office but really to the entire community and to the many patients in our practice who could not be immunized against the measles,

the infants who are under a year, the older children who have arthritis or hiv or cancer. >> meanwhile, dr. pann says oakland is beginning to see the result of this dynamic, secondary infections passed from someone infected at disneyland to others. >> so i think there is sort of measles circulating here in the bay area. i think we are going to see more cases. >> john henry smith, al jazeera. >> joining us via skype from california is carl

chemotherapy. the people that we are trying to protect, not just my son, but hundreds of other kids that are going under chemotherapy. so, it's not so much about doing everything that i can to protect my son but it's doing what i can to protect the most vulnerable of our population. and i think we have an ethical obligation as healthy people to do our part in helping those that are not -- those that are vulnerable, that are not as health. >> tell me what it is that you are trying to do. >> so our goal is to rise to the level of heard immunity. basically, get more people vaccinated. >> and children are -- if children are not vaccinated what do you think about them being in school? >> the fewer kids that are not vaccinated in school the lower

of risk for those children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons for my son who don't have an immune system strong enough to get the vaccination, let's chance of them getting one of these diseases when there is an outbreak. but it goes further than that, too. for example, we had a chickenpox outbreak in our school recently. and i now beg the question of: should these kids get the chickenpox vaccine? some say i had the chickeppox whennists a kid. i got it. i got over it and now i will never get it again. but you are also then at the risk of getting shingles when you are an adult. and as an adult, you know, do i want to put myself through that again later when i could have avoided both of them with a vaccine? so it's more than just measles. but measles is such a highly con tangous disease that people can get very very sick very very fast and that is a bigger bigger risk.

>> so right now in california parents obviously can opt out of giving vaccinations to their kids. that's what's happening. would you like -- would you want that to be changed? >> i would like our school to take a leadership position in saying in an attempt to educate people, at schools, our job is to educate our children. let's also educate our community on the benefits of vaccinations and say, if you would like to come to this school please vaccinable to. and if you choose not to vaccinate, they are you are not welcome to come to this school. and i think that position is justified in the sense that it lowers the risk of kids getting sick just like they say no peanuts in school. just like they say no smoking, you know. when i was a kid, the teachers could smoke at school. we could smoke at school. so we take away risks that are public safety hazards. and i believe this is another one. >> so what do you think that means for the ethical dilemma

when it comes to parental choice? >> again, i respect people's choice. however, when that choice puts my son or any child who has a vulner vulnerimmune system in danger then we have to weigh that personal choice against the greater good of our community. and i think as a community, we have to make some hard choices sometimes. and this is one of them because it is one that saves lives and one that's very easy to do. you know, it's -- we often say if there is no silver bullet to the solve any problem, things like that. but the thing about measles is: there is. it's a vaccination. and there is no other medical breakthrough in the history of med sip that has saved more lives that vaccinations. i look at some of these people that are not vaccinating their kids by personal choice. the reason they are here in and

they are healthy is likely because their parents vaccinated them a generation ago or two generations ago when polio and measles and whooping cough and rubella and all of these other diseases were pervasive. >> mr. krawitt thank you very much. i hope your son continues to do well and improve. and i thank you for the conversation. >> thank you for inviting me. please immunize. >> absolutely. airbag problems prompting a big auto recall this weekend. more than 2 million cars and trucks are being recalled because the airbags may inflate while the car is running. recall brands include acura, dodge, honda and toyota made between 2002 and 2004. no deaths or injuries have been reported. about a million of the hond models are part of an earlier recall involving tecata bags. >> three of our colleagues are marking their 400th day in

captivity. they are waiting for aretrial. they were convicted of aiding the muslim brotherhood but that was thrown out by a review court in egypt. al jazeera denies the accusations against the men. security forces say they foiled an attempt tom target a security checkpoint sinal eye after egypt's president said its nation is facing a long battle against fighters. president abdel he will sisi said he would die defending the region. new forces will be joining the fight against boka haram and nigeria. >> now deploy an international force to deal with boka haram to be -- i don't know how to say in english. >> the african union today agreed to 707500 soldiers from five west african nations to aid

nigeria's struggle against boka haram. in addition the united states and iran are offering assistance. thousands of people have been killed since the group began its attacks five years ago. an african political analyst based in washington, d.c. says boka haram is not just a problem for nigeria but other african countries as well. >> they have been around since 2002. they are in nigeria. they are destabling. they have attacked cameroon. it's not a nigeria-only problem. it's about time. i am grad the african union is focusing on it. we don't need help. we give help. we are the big guys. but, i think the situation of boka haram is different because the attacks have been so devastating and the army has struggled. president jonathan the one thing he has been criticized for the most especially here from washington corruption may be

but his inability to crush them the man challenging him might win. he has also made crushing boka haram haram. his claims are he can do a better job. he understands them better. he can do a better job. so my expectation is that ift even though generally if nigeria doesn't like this thing, people coming to -- get involved in its security this is an exception because much the size of the problem, because of the election. so my expectation is after the election whoever wins is actually going to make a bigger support, more support from the africans and even from the international community. i am picking this up even in washington that washington wants top rachet up support for niger a i can't to deal with it because people are asking questions: why so much help against isis and why so much focus on what happened in france but boka haram's issue hasn't gotten much attention.

>> meanwhile, chad is struggling to cope with an influx of nigerian refugees. mohammed ado reports from the capitol. >> reporter: on the shores of lake chad the crisis spawned by boka haram is laid bear beyond nigeria's borders. these are some of the victims of the group driven from their villages in the northeast. this camp is now their home. the camps here are quickly filling up as hundreds of refugees cross the border daily. >> we have seen a massive influx of nigerian refume ease into chad from the third of january. more than 11,000 people arrived during this period. the majority are civilians. >> the refugees also include members of pro-government militia. aluba abeki is one of them. >> they kill our people.

they attack them. and the military nigerian military they just run away. >> reporter: the needs of the refugees are immense. some aid agencies are providing food and shelter. others like the international red cross are helping people to track down missing relatives. >> my husband brought united states here and then returned home. his brother was killed by brother was killed by

boka haram. now more toxic dump, if you will of millions of tons of chemical waste and sewage. chris misiash reports on why the clean-up effort is not working. >> reporter: >> reporter: coming to the banks of the yemenar river to pray for the souls of her ancestors. it's a pilgrimage she makes every month with her friends, mostly to seek blessings for her children and forgiveness. and every time she brings offerings of candles, flowers and incense for a river that's considered holy by many. >> in hinduism we believe she is our mother. there is the mother who gives birth to us and the river is the mother that raises us. >> she protects us from our problems and ms.eries. we get peace by coming to her. >> but activists say this

devotion is contributing to hazardous levels of pollution despite being revered as a goddess, it is being used to dump rubbish, sewage and industrial waste. it is now considered dead in some parts with no life able to survive in these waters. alarmed by the crisis the national green tribunal has increased fines for people throwing waste. >> there are people who are bullies and they don't want to follow the rules. for those people we find a problem. others will be careful next time. >> over the years, the government has invested millions of dollars to clean up the river, but it hasn't worked. just a few kilometers downstream, the major cause of the pollution becomes obvious: this foam is evidence of the millions of liters of untreated

sewage that flows into the river every day. to clean up the yemena activists say this waste has to be diverted and used for irrigation. >> very very little treated sewage needs to come back to the river. let's try and divert all of it away to some use or other. so that really needs to be done. >> environmentalists say the poor state of the river is already affecting its ritchey coming and the health of communities. around 60 million people depend upon this river to survive. more than fines and funding, activists say what is that really needed is the political will to save the yemena. karish yvyas new delhi. >> success for two adventures, a 7,000 mile journey comes to an end in mexico. digging for answers in argentina, dozens of new species

of dinosaurs.

this is the season to party, that is carnivale in vennits. residents say rising water won't dampen their spirits this year. the famous saint marks square awash right there. in rio de janiero super heroes. it doesn't kick off for another two weeks but the spirit of the season is certainly in the air. they are having a wonderful time there. all right. let's turn to rebecca stevenson with more on our weather. rebecca? >> we have some weather moving in, too, as we look at where the snow is moving fast we are seeing it track slowly but surely in the midwest. where the super bowl is being held, we have had a lot of rainfall here, anywhere from an inch to two inches of rape and high amounts of know in the mountains. the white mountains of arizona living up to that name with the snow coming down quite heavily.

how much time do i have? i am just going because this is an incredible storm that's developing and it's going to be tracking across the entire united states. i want to make sure i get the whole forecast to you in the time i've got. as we look now at our forecast snow as we get into sunday night, it is going to be causing all kinds of problems around chicago to des moines as we get into detroit, columbus on ohio ohio we are going to have such high amounts of snowfall coming down that planes are going to have problems landing as the snow is falling throughout the day tomorrow. chicago, yeah, that is 12 to 18 inches forecast for you. this storm system has so much moisture in it, pumped up from the south, slamming into cold air. but here is where we are going to have the final line. it is right along interstate 80. north of here will be your heavier snow total. south of here, the snow may get a little lighter. has you are headed south, that's

where we are going to have the next of sleet and its. there will be its accumulations, too. in fact as we look at that forecast as its tracking across illinois, we are going to see icy specially reaching into central pennsylvania. now, by monday morning, this storm system is going to be dumping very heavy snow all the way across theshire valley into the mid atlantic. there is going to be a line of winter mix, a little farther to the south, and that's what we are really focusing on to the morning hours of monday from washington, d.c. on that fine line of winter mix across new york city. right now, manhattan looks like it will get about 6 to eight inches of snow throughout the early morning hours of monday and then in the afternoon, it will switch to that wintry icy sleet mix. it's going to be a day to watch. if you could stay home from work i think i wouldra recommend that. >> rebecca told me to stay home from work. >> there you go. >> rebecca, thank you. an amazing adventure came to an ends this morning off of the

coast of mexico two balloonists completed a 7,000 mile long trip across the pacific ocean. their voyage broke two longstanding records, for distance and time aloft. they began the flight in japan last sunday. >> scientists in argentina have discovered fossils belonging tots ancestors of dinosaurs and ma'am els. they are hoping to understand how ma'ammmals evolved into dinosaurs from the western proven ince of san juan on the 230 million-year-old find. >> this is the valley of the moon haunting secretive, inigmatic. several dinosaur remains have been found here, the oldest 22 meat eating raptor. this millions and millions years ago was the bed of a fresh water lake the cradle of life. its revealed in fossil form some of it secret including the

oldest dinosaur ever found b, but it still holds many many more. now, the same palentologists have at a nearby site unearth 113 fossils representing 12 previously unknown species. they are much smaller, none more than 5 centimeters long, but no less important than the always dramatic dinosaur finds. >> they are all unknown species that don't yet have don't yet have

names. >> the secret of life, itself. dr. martin and his team hope the find will help them understand the relationship between animals and plants and their environments at a time before dinosaurs dominated before what is now africa and america separated. >> finding new species is what motivates us. it's our holy grail, to uncover whole new site. but this is just the tip much the hard work starts now. >> it's slow laborious work. these rocks do not give up their $230 million secrets easily. but it promises to reveal information about one tiny but vital link in the evolutionary chain, how ancient mammals evolved into dinosaurs.

daniel swiemler al jazeera, san juan argentine i can't. smaem famous for a lot of things but not necessarily the film scene. why that's changing at sundance. president obama nominated ashton carter. we will take a look at the challenges he will face when he takes over that position. tomorrow 8:30 eastern, 5:30 pacific.

>> aljazeera america presents a break through television event

borderland... >> are you tellin' me it's ok to just open the border, and let em' all run in? >> the teams live through the hardships that forced mira, omar and claudette into the desert. >> running away is not the answer... >> is a chance at a better life worth leaving loved ones behind? >> did omar get a chance to tell you goodbye before he left? >> which side of the fence are you on? >> sometimes immigration is the only alternative people have. borderland only on al jazeera america the sundance film festival is wrapping up this weekend in park utah. south florida film makers are finding success at sundance and we talked to them about their global aspirations. >> reporter: they are making more than just popcorn in miami these days. across the city film makers are editing, writing and may notplanning the next festival, fimdz like

papa match shetmachete have been selected to play at a time sundance film festival produced by local film makers who say the city is gaining a new found reputation. >> for the first time you are seeing independent miami stories that are authentic to our neighborhoods being told and being respected on a world stage. and that's very exciting. >> in miami, it's a big neighborhood that reflects a diverse population. >> thewriter who is originally from barbados says making films here is an opportunity to undo stereotypes of the region. >> there is so much more there than what we see in movies and television shows. it's so much richer, so much deeper so much more nuanced, and so, you know this is everything to me. >> i feel great about this. i really do.

>> in all three made-in-miami movies have been selected to play at sundance a small step for film makers. miami isn't about to take over from new york or los angeles as a film-making capitol but it has come a long way. perhaps more importantly, the stories now being told on the silver screen reflect what is a unique and diverse community and that is significant. >> beautiful things about independent film making in miami. >> for those who have helped fund and encourage miamits film makers, this year's sundance is being seen as a turning point. >> we have local film makers telling local stories to the local community, but they are stories that resonate worldwide. >> from sundance, it's likely these films will go on to reach a global audience hoping to put the film makers and miami on the map. andy gallacher, al jazeera, florida. >> i am richelle carey in new york. "fault lines" is next.

thanks for your time. have a great night. ♪ >> it's still months before college football season kicks off, but the team at northwestern university is in the middle of a 40 hour work week. >> they are traveling more than even 10 years ago, they're being asked to sacrifice more they're asked to treat their sport as a year-round endeavor. so the demands on them are so intense that it has put them in a situation where it's like a fight or die situation.