this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm rich -- richelle carey. a pause in fighting in syria allows for much-needed humanitarian aid, but does not stop all of the air strikes. a meeting 1,000 years in the making between the pope and the russian patriarch. and the science behind the surf, one of the biggest competitions in california.

24 hours after the u.s. and russia announced a cessation of hostilities in syria, many questions about the agreement have yet to be answered. one is whether it can be implemented in just a week, and another concerns the group it excludes which will still be considered fair game on the battlefield. jamie mcintyre has more from the pentagon. >> reporter: if you cut all through of the diplo speak, the pros -- prospects for success in syria comes down to a single word, terrorists. in the northern province of homs, more than a dozen people were reportedly killed as russia

continued to provide air cover for force loyal to president bashar al-assad. under the agreement hashed out between sergei lavrov and u.s. secretary of state john kerry, air strikes will continue, but some groups will no longer be targeted. >> to that end, we have also established a task force under the auspices of the u.n., and co-chaired by russia and the united states. and over the coming week, this group will work to develop the modalities for a long-term comprehensive, and durable cessation of violence, of hostilities. >> reporter: both sides have already agreed that isil and the al-nusra front are legitimate targets, both having been designated as terrorists groups by the u.n. so the pentagon says any eventual ceasefire will have no effect on the u.s.-lead

anti-isil air war. >> we continue to operate against isil exclusively, and we have had occasional strikes under al-nusra. those will continue because they are not party to this ceasefire. the u.s. us says isil rayly -- rarely strikes isil targets. russia insists it is battling terrorists as it bombards opposition strong holds such as aleppo where isil isn't operating. so a lot rides on who is labeled a terrorist. >> translator: well, if liberation of the city taken by illegal armed groups can be qualified as aggression, then probably. >> reporter: the pen gone continues to accuse russia of bombing indiscriminately killing

hundreds of civilians and then lying about it. the pentagon says this is a step in the right direction, largely because it provides for a flow of humanitarian aid, and could lead to a more permanent ceasefire in the future. but moscow also sees this as a big win. it puts russia in charge of the flow of humanitarian aid. it leaves bashar al-assad even more firmly in power. the proceedings in munich have had no effect on the ground in syria. zana hoda says many there are deeply skeptical about the agreement. >> reporter: rebl fighters understand the need to hold ground on this front line. if defeated the syrian government and itself allies will be one step closer to the

rebel-held city. the opposition is trying to prevent itself strong hold inside syria's second-largest city from being besieged. >> translator: they are killing us, but we will remain steadfast. we are still on the front lines. we will liberate every inch of territory they captured. we won't surrender. >> reporter: within a week the bombardment is supposed to stop, but the russian u.s. agreement reached in munich is being accepted with scepticism on the ground. >> translator: i don't think the international community represented by the u.s. and russia is serious about a ceasefire for now. they are postponing the peace talks to give the regime more time to take more ground. it means the rebels won't be able to regain this territory after a ceasefire is in place. >> reporter: the government is on the offensive in one than one corner of syria. towards damascus the aerial bombardment is only

intensifying. the rebels no longer control supply lines into their strong holds and the u.n. is warning the 120,000 inside risk hunger and disease. members of the opposition inside and outside of syria have told us they have little faith in the syrian government and itself backer russia. they say the munich deal will only give them time to make further gains on the ground, further weaken the opposition, and force the armed groups to surrender. but a pause in the fighting and the delivery of much-needed aid to the hundreds of thousands trapped cannot come fast enough for the people. the battle for aleppo has left more than 50,000 people homeless adding to the millions who have been displaced over the years. >> translator: what have the people done to deserve this? they are not sparing anyone. it has been five years and we continue to suffer from their oppression. this is enough. >> reporter: the conflict has laid waste to much of aleppo and the rest of syria. the government and itself allies

are confident they are close to a victory, but claims of victory will have little meaning for anyone without a wider peace. zana hoda, al jazeera, southern turkey. >> at the bottom of the hour, i will speak to al jazeera contributor about the complex situation in syria. congress gave itself fine approval to a bill that will slap more sanctions on north korea. meanwhile south korea has cut off all the electricity to an industry al complex run between itself and the north. >> reporter: as of midnight overnight local time, south korea cut off the electricity supply to the complex, that having the knock on effect of also cutting off the water supply. it says it is turning that joint

venture into a military zone, also cutting off the military and civilian hot lines. the defense ministry saying it is possible that north korea might wish to turn it into a military base. they have so far abserved no abnormal military movements within the area. there is also some evidence of the economic fallout of all of this developing as well here in south korea at least. the business owners of the 124 businesses that operated within the complex, they say the entire responsibility lies with the south korean government. the government has talked about assisting with insurance payments, assisting with delaying loan repayments, and making other representations to banks and other people that the companies may owe money too. the companies say that what they want is full government financial assistance, they say a

special law may need to be enacted to make sure that happens. >> harry fawcett reporting from seoul. the world health organization expects that within weeks it should be able to confirm a link between the zika virus and two neurological disorders. but it says clinical trials for vaccine are at least 18 months away. as caroline malone reports, the push now is to speed up testing and intensify prevention efforts worldwide. >> reporter: this is china's first zika patient. he was in venezuela when we began to get a fever and feel dizzy. >> translator: the symptoms made me think i had dengue fever. >> reporter: infection with the virus is not usually life threatening to adults, but there is a link to babies with birth

defects. >> translator: there is great optimism that we could develop this vaccine in less time than originally foreseen. we believe within a year, we could have the vaccine in its developed form. >> reporter: but the world health organization says it is likely to be 18 months before a vaccine can no to large-scale trials. as many as 1.5 million zika cases have been reported in brazil. and 4,000 links to birth defects in ba baby's. there are cases in the u.s. and people who have traveled south, and at least one suspected case from sexual contact as well as a case in china, at least two pregnant women have returned to

australia. doctors are closely monitoring pregnant women, but have not seen evidence of deformities in babies yet. >> translator: he told me it shouldn't be dangerous at this stage. but if i was closer to giving birth, it would be. >> reporter: people are worried about what would happen if this latest outbreak spread to other parts of africa. >> potential zika can -- can come and infect areas where the mosquito is present, so this is a very large portion of the world. >> reporter: on february 1st, the w.h.o. designated zika a public health emergency, and since then health authorities have stepped up their response to what is now a virus of international concern. caroline malone, al jazeera. michigan governor rick snyder is getting his day in congress. he asked for a chance to address

the house oversight committee to explain his administration's actions related to the water contamination in flint. the day for that hearing has not been announced yet. one day after begaiting in wisconsin bernie sanders, and hillary clinton were back on the campaign trail. clinton jetted back to south carolina while sanders has yet to campaign in the state. the republicans are criss crossing the state, and it is getting ugly, including talk of lawsuits. >> reporter: in a normal presidential election, new hampshire tends to clarify what comes after that, but this has been anything but a normal year, and heading into south carolina which is the next big primary prize, things are as unsettled as ever. hillary clinton is still con fronting a rising bernie sanders, and the republican establishment still cannot stop trump, so the stakes are getting higher and the tone is getting sharper.

>> there's nothing conservative about donald trump. >> reporter: as the race for the white house turns south, the rhetoric on the republican side is turning nastier. in a new ad, the conservative club for growth blasts donald trump on everything from donating money to the clintons, to his record as a realess stated mogul. >> it's a line echoed in a new ad from senator ted cruz also bashing trump. >> imminent domain! >> reporter: meanwhile trump's campaign has pulled this ad talks cruz. because it wants to run only positive ads. >> took more than a million dollars in sweetheart loans from wall street banks. >> reporter: but positivity is apparently not the game plan on twitter:

and just for good measure taking a shot at jeb bush: for his part, bush hit back at trump at a south carolina campaign stop. >> we have an entertainer, a guy who is a reality tv star who has been successful in his own life, but he also pushes people down to make himself look better. >> reporter: marco rubio has been busy touting his foreign policy experience. >> donald trump has zero foreign policy experience. negotiating a hotel in another country is not foreign policy experience. jeb bush has no foreign policy experience period. >> governor john kasich is trying to keep it positive and personal. >> my parents were killed by a

drunk driver, but my parents did not die in vein. i was transformed. i discovered by purpose by discovering the lord. >> reporter: hillary clinton divided her time between south carolina and minnesota friday. she and rival bernie sanders are both attending an annual democratic fund raiser in st. paul, a day after squaring off in milwaukee. [ applause ] >> the kind of criticism that we heard from senator sanders about our president i expect from respects republicans. >> reporter: that was the last debate before voting begins in nevada next week, then south carolina, then super-tuesday march 1st. the republicans will debate saturday night in greenville, south carolina. texas is one of those states voting on super-tuesday. and today the dallas morning news endorsed john kasich over home state rival ted cruz, saying cruz threatens to take

the party to a quote, dark place. the paper threw itself behind hillary clinton, but the last democrat to win texas was jimmy carter 40 years ago. >> paul thank you so much. on saturday night we'll take a deeper look at money and the 2016 campaign. some candidates call for campaign finance reform. a look at whether it is even possible to take big money out of the political process. up next the meeting 1,000 years in the making, pope francis comes face-to-face to its orthodox counterpart. and finding out against invasive snakes, how wildlife officials in florida are trying to contain the burmese python.

♪ >> havana provided the background today to an historic

first. pope francis met with the head of the russian orthodox church. it is the first time the heads of the two churches have ever made. natasha ghoneim is in havana. >> the two men exchanged hugs and kisses. they called themselves brothers. but in a joint declaration issued after the almost three-hour meeting here in havana, the two leaders focused on the despair in the world. they talked about the need to have a common goal and work towards a solution that would combat the extermination of christians in the middle east and north africa. they sited iraq and syria specifically, and said the international community needed to do it part to bring an end to the quote, violence and terrorism. they said they also believed that the international community needs to give wide-scale

humanitarian assistance to refugees. and they promoted this notion of interfaith dialogue. now this entire meeting has been framed as a way to unify the two sides, but critics have said what this really was was a shrewd geopolitical move on the part of russia. it is likely putin signed off on this meeting. and the meeting comes at a time when russia is isolated by the west due to its military action in ukraine and syria, and critics say this may have been an attempt by russia to raise its profile in the west. next stop tonight for pope francis is mexico. he is scheduled to arrive there in just about an hour. adam raney is in mexico city. adam, during this visit, it's expected that pope francis will be true to who he is, and that

means pressing sensitive issues the government would rather avoid. >> reporter: indeed, richelle. he is going to be concentrating on a lot of very sensitive issues. the drug war, corruption, rampant violence, the disappeared in mexico. issues the government is well aware of, but issues they would rather not speak about. which is why this trip by pope francis could turn out to be an uncomfortable visit. the faithful pray for salvation not just the spiritual kind, but one more tangible to see mexico saved from the violence consuming so much of the country. pope francis wants to help them achieve that. >> translator: fight every day krens corruption, trafficking, war, division, against organized crime, against human smuggling. >> reporter: mexico is home to the second largest number of

roman catholics in the world. for tens of millions here there is excitement. for mexico's political leaders, though there's discomfort. one official was asked if the go was afraid of what the pope might say. >> translator: the term fear doesn't exist for the government. the pontiffs words will likely have an effect on society and all three levels of government. the pope comes to mexico, which in some parts is in crisis. the case of the 43 students who went missing drew attention to the plight of many mexicans who simply disappear. meanwhile killings are on the rise again in a country that has seen so much bloodshed. the hope's very itinerary is seen as provocative he'll hold meetings with indigenous leaders, hold a mass in one of

the most violent cities in mexico, and travel to the border to shed light on the plight of the migrants. this father is regarded as being too vocal a critic of the government to be invited to meet the pope. regardless he is excited. >> translator: francis will shed light on issues the government will rather keep in the dark. >> reporter: it is unlikely his visit will prompt rapid change, however, it may provide some solace for those whose faith has been so receive veerly tested. well, it's not all conflict and discomfort, of course the government is going to try to embrace pope francis. the president will be there with him on saturday, and he'll try

to -- perhaps -- spin might be too strong of word, but try to show they are listening to his words. he is very popular here in mexico. so politicians are going to want to make the most of his visit to try to boost their own profile here in mexico as well. >> what is on the agenda for the pope's first day of this visit? >> reporter: well, on the first day we'll hold typical events. get the keys to mexico city. meet with bishops in the largest cathedral in the americas. but we'll also go to the basilica to see this cloth, which the image of guadalupe, a dark-skinned virgin mary, and he said earlier, before leaving rome that this was the most important thing to him, to stand in front of that cloth that bares her likeness.

on sunday he'll begin this trip that will take him to parts of the country that display more of the problems, the conflict and corruption that is very present here in mexico. >> all right. adam thank you. an invasive snake is throwing one of the nation's most sensitive ecosystems out of sink. hundreds of hunters are combing the wetlands to kill the invasive burmese python. >> you catch them crossing there. >> reporter: it is up to snake hunters to track and capture burmese pythopythons. >> i got to catch one bigger than 15 feet, bro. the biggest catch, first prize. >> reporter: it's a competition

sponsored by the florida fish and wildlife competition, the goal is to remove the invasive snakes from public lands in south florida. leo is one of hundreds of hunters taking part. you have somebody ahead of your right now. >> yeah, i think it's another fellow hunter. >> reporter: it turns out it's outdoorsman and veteran hunter bill booth. he is in the lead right now, and leo is trying to stay competitive. >> give us a brake bill! what is going on? everything good? >> yeah, real good. >> what your count? >> 28. >> reporter: the last challenge in 2013 netted 68 snakes. this year that number is expected to be higher. burmese pythons began invading parts of south florida in the 1980s. the result of accidental or intentional release by pet

owners. the constrictor snake can grow to 26 feet and with no natural predators can be a threat to native animals. >> it's possible to think the numbers of these things might decline, they won't disappear, but they might become another member of our fauna and be part of the ecosystem, and hopefully that might happen before they drive any of our native animals extinct. >> reporter: researchers are searching for clues to control the population. a massive female python captured last summer measured 18', 3". this year more than 600 men and women paid $25 apiece to take

part. >> reporter: you see that? that's a big hole right there. that hole, i can stick my whole foot in it. >> reporter: leo has been hunting the reptile for five years. on a recent hunt he came face-to-face with a snake none too pleased to have been caught. this photo showed the moment it bit into his shoulder. and yet he continues. >> i'm dying to come across a female sitting on a clutch of eggs. in that would be an awesome fight. i want the meanest python i can get. >> oh, my. up next, building a new life, how canada is helping more syrian refugees get a fresh start. and violent protests. why farmers in greece are demonstrating against the government.

>> syria president, bashar al-assad says he supports the international effort to end the conflict in his country, but he doesn't sound ready to end the war just yet. in an interview conducted yesterday, he said his goal is to recapture all of syria, no matter how long it takes to do so, and he said the fight against what he called terrorism must continue. >> translator: we have fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of this crisis. however, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. the two tracks are inevitable in syria, first through negotiations, and second through fighting terrorism. >> the al jazeera contributor joins me in the studio. when you listen to the way he is still talking, does what happened in munich this latest iteration of a ceasefire,

cessation of hostilities, does it really matter? >> if you notice, actually nothing that has been happening in the last four years -- coming on to five years, really matters to president assad, because his rhetoric remains exactly the same. everyone who opposes him is a terrorist, and the destruction is not happening in the country. >> having said that is there any hope that perhaps this particular agreement might actually be put into effect? >> i mean, we always want to keep some sort of hope alive. but the truth is as long as russia says they will continue to fight so-called terrorists and that is really a loophole in any agreement that allows them to continue with air strikes, and we have seen what any russia air strikes can do.

so this is really -- you know, this is potentially a new escalation to the crisis if they don't come together with a genuine agreement to some sort of ceasefire, but at the end of the day, it's military strategy 101 when a party feels that they are winning, by the russias and the assad regime feel that they are right now, there is very little reason for them to come to an agreement with the opponents. >> let's talk about the humanitarian crisis. the numbers that we have heard are just horrific as many as 200,000 syrians have been killed. but there is a report that came out yesterday that says that those numbers are actually sadly a gross underestimation. the numbers could be twice as high as that. >> absolutely. i think twice as much is even

still an underestimation. we see this in every war, because we can't run a realistic tally of all that has been going on. there are a lot of syrians that have disappeared. many are dead. we haven't begun to find the mass graves, the -- you know, the same sort of story that comes out -- out of every war when the fighting stops, so as long as the fighting continues, and the international community has stopped counting the dead -- as you recall, the united nations has stopped officially counting the dead for at least two years now, so -- everything we hear is an underestimation. >> should the world have been shocked when we hear about entire towns of people that have been starving. >> unfortunately it seems that they are shocked, but nothing happens. every time we hear about it, the united nations and other humanitarian aid workers, they have known about it for months, and they are trying to negotiate

ways to get through to these people, but they can't. i mean it's just this ongoing crisis. >> how -- how much longer could this possibly go on. it has been five years. how much worse could it get. >> it seems every time we say it can't get worse, it does. but i have to say now, the russian might of the air strikes, it just causes so much death and destruction, and so many displaced. europe and turkey cannot take anymore of this. now we're finally seeing, i think the obama administration, and the european union, and everything sort of coming together saying we just -- we can't do this anymore. this is becoming costly to us in every day, so -- so, you know, maybe as more and more parties start to feel the cost of this war, maybe something will happen, some sort of push to come together to find a resolution. >> we all certainly hope so.

thank you so much for your incite on this. >> thank you. canada says it is on track to welcome about 25,000 syrian refugees by march. so far the country says it has expedited program to process refugees has let in half of that amount. >> reporter: pediatrician has been treating newly arrived migrants in toronto for two years now, but her patient list these days is overwhelmingly syrian, as thousands of people, mostly young families arrive in canada's largest city every week. >> translator: we have had a great welcome from the canadian government, and the red cross has helped us so much. the clinic is helping with the kids, then we can look for a house and settle in. >> reporter: getting them vaccinated is crucial for starting english classes in the

schools. so is making sure everyone has the right clothes for winter. these coats, clothes, and toys were donated. >> my husband is a big reason that we got involved with this initiative. he is syrian, only been fear five years. early on in the war he lost his uncle and 15-year-old cousin in a car bomb. >> reporter: canada's new prime minister was there in person last year to welcome the first arrivals. more than 13,000 have landed so far, and it's becoming difficult now for some to find permanent accomodation. in toronto hundreds await resettlement in hotels best described as modest. it has been a long journey from displacement from syria to this suburban hotel. but for hundreds of families this represents a new start.

here to the public is stepping up. canada allows private sponsorship of refugees. come community groups raising money to help families. this meeting is looking for volunteers to help newly arrived refugees and there's plenty of interest in doing more. going directly to syrian families, offering to set them up with accommodation. >> we have to raise the money to look after a family for a year. well, we are all set to do that. we have all been approved. so we're all set to go. let's go. >> reporter: young syrian refugees fitting right in sliding down a snowy hill in a video that went viral earlier this month. so far this country and its newcomers seem to be adjusting to each other rather well. in greece violence resulted

between farmers and riot police. neave barker has this report from athens. >> reporter: protesting farmers attack riot police with sheperd's crooks, as an angry crowd tries to storm the ministry of agriculture. plumes of tear gas fill the air. many of these farmers have travelled from the island of crete to join a day of demonstrations that began with violence. from across the country, farmers converged on athens in the thousands. this group came in convoy. in think -- the last two weeks, farmers have staged at least 70 blockades. >> the country is the people. these laws are not going to help the people. they are going to destroy them. not only the farmers, most of society. >> reporter: close to parliament, some protesters have

pitched tents. they say they will be here for several days. >> translator: we have come here to protest with determination and decisiveness. we won't leave here until we have found justice. >> reporter: last year the greek government signed an agreement with its lenders, and e.u. finance ministers that if it introduces a raft of deep-seated economic reforms, it would have access to a $95 billion bailout. the greek government says the reforms are not matter of choice. they are a matter of necessity. but it will mean tax hikes and changes in pension contributions. as evening came the crowds increased. tractors that had been stopped by police on the edges of the city were allowed into the square. in recent years greeks have experienced soaring taxes, volatile protests, but many

question what this new wave of demonstrations will achieve. still ahead, righting the wrongs of the past. >> like he hit the ground. like here. and then crawled. >> reporter: new details to bring justice to civil rights era murder victims.

february is black history month, and tonight we're taking a closer look in the dark chapter in the struggle of civil

rights. in jackson, mississippi, one newspaper reporter has spent his career digging up murder cases from the 1960s. randall pinkston has more. >> if somebody kills me, i would tend to think in those terms, so many someone kills me, then it just means i'm going home sooner. >> reporter: investigative reporter jerry mitchell has risked his life looking for a special breed of killers. where were they killed? >> right here. >> reporter: men who murdered civil rights activists decades ago with impunity. >> -- pulled him out of the car, and said are you that n-word lover. and he said sir, i understand how you feel.

and he pressed his gun up against his chest and pulled the trigger. >> reporter: they were helping african americans register to vote when they were ambushed and killed in 1964. the back roads of mississippi still hold many dark secrets. african americans families were often hesitant to report murders to law enforcement authorities, because they didn't trust them. and jerry mitchell says they had good reason. in fact the trio was delivered to a lynch mob by the country's deputy sheriff, cecil pryce. it would take 41 years for a murder prosecution in the case after mitchell's digging lead him to the master mind of the plot, a preacher. were you nervous? >> no, we were in a public place. he wanted me to come to his house, but it was going to be at

like 9:00 another night, and i was like that's okay. >> reporter: mitchell grew up mostly unaware, he says of the civil rights movement. >> i grew up in my unsill lated white south, and didn't get a lot of exposure to it. >> reporter: the movie mississippi burning opened his eyes, as did learning about his own newspaper's past. >> reporter: when you learned the legacy what did you think? >> i was horrified. >> reporter: decades later, and under different ownership, they supported segregation and had close ties to a state agency that kept tabs on activists like the three murdered men. >> so i said when i found that

out, we have got to write about ourselves. >> reporter: former governor says the commission was formed in 1956 to promote mississippi. >> it was to be a pr operation. >> reporter: but by the 60s, it operated in the shadows. exactly how did that work? >> well, they would infiltrate the ranks of the naacp, it was really an arm of white segregationists who were determined to prevent any sort of integration, particularly in the schools. >> reporter: through a source mitchell got his hands on more than 2300 pages of sealed files and found that mississippi leader has been a mayor target. the commission's agents some african american recorded his movements, portraying the world war ii veteran as an enemy of the state. in june 1963 everest was shot

and killed in the driveway of his home. his wife and children were inside. >> as he step forward, he got shot in the back, and then went through that window, the corner of the window here, went through a wall, hit the refrigerator and landed on the counter. >> reporter: his accused murder was tried twice by both juries dead locked. mitchell made a crucial discovery. >> at the same time the state of mississippi was prosecuting [ inaudible ] for killing him. this commission was secretly assisting in the defense trying to get him acquitted. >> reporter: mitchell persuaded him to give him an interview. >> he walks me out to the car and says if you write negative things about white caucasian christians, god will punish you. if god does not punish you directly, several individuals will do it for him.

>> reporter: but mitchell's story ran, prompting new witnesses to come forward saying beckwithsecurity forces forceses -- beckwith had bragged of the murders. >> jerry mitchell is one of the few whites that fight for rights of everybody. and i love him as a brother and respect him as a reporter. >> reporter: mitchells reporting also helped convict ku klux klan leader, and in the church bombing that killed four little girls, helped secure a murder conviction against bobby cherry. after talking to you, he was prosecuted. >> yeah, he was.

>> reporter: mitchell is still on the hunt, working on a book, titled race against time. why that title? >> because time is running out to be able to prosecute these cases. >> reporter: but even if no suspects remain, telling the story is just as important, doing justice to history no matter the risk. >> it has lead to an unexpected gift which is living fearlessly. i began to live for something that, you know, greater than me. i'm not that big of deal. >> reporter: randall pinkston, al jazeera, jackson, mississippi. >> i think he is a pretty big deal. up next fishing in extreme conditions how anglers make the most of their surrounding where winter is a way of life. and catching massive waves the spot on the california coast that hosts a one of a kind competition.

the conference call. the ultimate arena for business. hour after hour of diving deep, touching base, and putting ducks in rows. the only problem with conference calls: eventually they have to end. unless you have the comcast business voice mobile app. it lets you switch seamlessly from your desk phone to your mobile with no interruptions.

i've never felt so alive. make your business phone mobile with voice mobility. comcast business. built for business. al jazeera america. with baiter chill moving in on the east this within, many are looking for a place to keep warm. in places like minnesota where cold is a normal part of life. people are taking a different view. why not enjoy it. >> reporter: fishermen travel from across the country to do this. sit and stair into a whole, in

sub-zero weather waiting for the big one. this is one of the most popular ice fishing spots in the twin cities. more than a million fishing permits are issued each other. dan jasper has turned minnesota's favorite winter past time into a successful winter business that they drove us around the lake covered in 26-inches of ice. enough to hold our heavy suburban. the roads lead to villages of ice fishing houses. >> this is one of the nicest ones on the lake in fact it's more like a camper. the heater right here, refrigerator, stereo, stove, sink, flat screen tv.

>> reporter: out here the fish houses come in all shape and sizes. there is one big everyone said we have to check out. it's called the bah lauj you, and the owner invited us inside. wow! this is incredible. his house has everything. an extreme ice fishing house. >> this is what we love to have you see. >> how many holes do you have? >> ten holes. and then we keep a full bar. >> a full bar. >> yeah, for everybody. >> every a flavor imaginable. and then the big screen tv so we can watch football out here. and then before we put in the fireplace, we can bring a four-wheeler in here, that door folds down. >> reporter: it kind of makes me wonder how many fishing is actually taking place in these led illuminated holes, bubbling to prevent freeze over, but here

is the proof. >> this muskie is out of min tonka. this is a walleye. >> reporter: but there are still some who do it the old fashioned way this father and son have hurdled in a small tent for years, it's not fancy, but to them that's the point. >> it's our bonding time. a lot of time you get wrapped up into a busy life. and you are not able to get over and see your parents. >> slow down like this. >> right. and this is our time to spend together. it means the world to me. >> reporter: even if the fish aren't biting the memories can be unforgettable. >> you can see more of adams report tonight at 9:30 eastern,

6:30 pacific. every year people head to california for some of the biggest wave surfing competitions. >> reporter: the maverick's big wave event is an annual gather of the world's best surfers. but those waves only happen a few times a year, so how do they know when the competition is on. this guy. big wave surfer and official big wave forecaster. when he says the word, more than two dozen professional surfers from around the world say their prayers and get on a plane. >> we want guys to be able to catch waves, ride it well, compete, and not die in the process. >> reporter: if you were walking at the base of this cliff, you might not think that this beach

is anything other than a picturesque california scene, but under the right circumstances, and this el niño year is going to create those circumstances, incredible amounts of water get pushed over that rocky outcropping, and produce the largest waves on earth. >> it scoops the ocean up and pushes it towards our coast. >> reporter: he looks for big storms at sea. that's what creates the swells necessary to create these punishing waives. our pebble is a storm that has near hurricane-force winds, and all aimed directly at northern california. >> reporter: the underwater topography is what makes the whole place possible. if the swell is powerful enough, it shoves with enough force to

create an enormous triangle that dumps more than three swimming pools of salt water over the wave. and the question of style goes out the window. the primary motivation for surfers who brave these waves is survival itself. >> you are basically as alive as you can possibly be. your heart is pounding and you are breathing hard, and it's just you and the ocean. >> you need more volume in the board. >> reporter: he is not just a weather geek. he has been on the bad end of mavericks. >> i go to grab my board, and my arm was floating behind me. and it was just ugly from there. so my arm was fully dislocated. >> reporter: for him, predicting these waves is like riding them. choose a swell big enough for a

contest, but not so large that anyone's ride will be their last. i'm richelle carey thank you for watching. have a wonderful weekend. john siegenthaler is back with more of today's news. john. >> thank you richelle. a temporary cessation of hostilities. urgent delivery of humanitarian aid but there are questions about this deal. jamie mcintire reports from the pentagon. >> john. if you cut through the diplo-speak, it comes down to how the russians define a single word: terrorist. russians continue to pound areas of