bisi onile-ere. bisi, the judge has made the ruling. what is at steak here?> reporter: there are a number of things at steak. retiree pensions are on the line. these are checks that people depend on every month. and masterpieces at the detroit institutes of art could be auctioned off to help get the city back on financial footing. this hearing has been going on for about an hour now. and the judge put together a 180-page report detailing his decision to declare the city bankrupt. as you can see behind me there are about 60-plus protesters that are opposed to this bankruptcy. they have been out here chanting, no justice, no peace, and no bankruptcy. and they have been doing this for the past four months. >> how many pensioners will be effected in the city of detroit based on these rulings? >> reporter: there will are about a little over 20,000 pensioners, as i mentioned, who depend on these checks. just the other day we interviewed a retiree every month he receives about $800 from the city, and right now he is terrified. it's unclear if the judge is going to m

bisi onile-ere is live from detroit. what is the reaction there. >> as you can see me there is a group gathered. and you have been very outspoken through this whole or deal. were you disappointed by the judge's decision? >> we were very disappointed. he basically found that terminating the pensions is legal. >> reporter: a lot of people are worried right now because of the ruling that came down. >> we're continuing to pursue all of our options. we hope to negotiate hard in the plaintiff process, the judge asked to step up and protect some of these pension benefits, and we have already appealed. >> so when you file that appeal, does it slow anything down? >> one of the things in chapter 9 is you can't stop the bankruptcy proceedings, so we're appealing quickly. but somebody has to talk to us, and somebody has to be willing, governor, to step to the plate and help us solve some of these issues? >> is there any message you have out there for the 20,000-plus retirees that are on edge right now? >> we're going to keep fightin

. >>> the popularity of locally brewed liquor is growing, and a neal jazeera bisi onile-ere reports. >> reporter: two james spirits at the distillery is a company in the business of making liquor. gin, vodka and whiskey are their specialties. >> that bubbling is just co2. >> reporter: this is the first time liquor has been legally produced in detroit since prohibition nearly a century ago. when state lawmakers aunted the small distillery law in 2008 it opened the door for investment. >> we're bringing back history and getting back to detroit's roots with whiskey. >> reporter: when two james distillery was established the owners considered locations all across the country. they say detroit stood apart from the rest. >> there is an energy within the city with people moving down here, new businesses. i think we put all those factors together it was clear to us that detroit was the right place. >> reporter: they invested $1 million into the company and turned this old taxi warehouse into a brewing operation with a full staff. from the ingredients to the packaging, everything is local. so

bisi onile-ere joins us live from there. the ruling is underway as we speak, bisi, what are we expecting today? the >> the hearing got underway about 40 minutes ago. woe are waiting for the judge's decision to come down any minute now. i have been talking to legal analysts about this case for sometime, and many believe the judge will declare the city bankrupt. the emergency manager is expected to have a restructuring plan for the judge by the end of this month. now a number of scenarios could play out in this whole situation. for one retiree pennings could be reduced. that's a big fear here in this city to the thousands of people who depend on these checks every month, and also the city could look at its assets such as masterpieces to help get back on financial footing. throughout the past couple of months with this case there has been the argument from retirees who say that their pensions are protected by the state constitution. that's something that the emergency manager says he is able to trump due to state law, so a very

bisi onile-ere joins us. what does that christie's report mean for the future of the dia?> reporter: tony christie's estimate is significantly lower than previously predicted. still one expert still predicts that these predators are going to fight to catch in on one of detroit's gems. $450,000 to $750 million. christie's manager gives a snapshot of what the art is worth and if it's worth selling off to pay the $18 billion in debt. the disclosure comes a day after the judge ruled that the city is eligible for bankruptcy. >> i said us in this room, i think on a smash 25 that everything was on the able. that remains now even seven months later. >> with authority worit aamounts of work. among them paintings and sculptures by world renown artists such as van gogh go the. >> i think there are some who are disappointed that they're as low as they are. i think they would like it to be much higher. >> reporter: some may go after the city's art for compensation. >> i think creditors are going to fight as hard as they can. >> during detroit's bankruptcy eligibility hearing the judge

bisi onile-ere has the numbers. >> it's extremely rare. in fact, of the fortune 500 companies in the u.s. only 21 are headed by female ails. the highest ranking is the head of hewlett packard, she is meg whitman. meg whitman took over during stuff times. in the top 500, marilyn hewson, the ceo of lockheed martin. total revenues in 2012, $25 billion. the head of zoour okay's corporation is a woman, you sula. xerox is number 41. >> denise morrison, ceo of campbell soup. $75 billion in revenue. we heard about yahoo's chief operating officer, marissa mayer, she is cracking the fortune 500 list at 494. look at this, to show you how rare it is. of the top 1,000 companies in america, 45 are headed by women. >> bisi onile-ere reporting. we want to go to the extreme weather in syria, and how it's making the situation worse for refugees. kevin corriveau has that story. >> that's right. we had a storm passing through the eastern part of the united states. the storm that is coming into syria is going to be devastating because people are living in tent

for that we turn do bisi onile-ere, who is with me in new york. >> tony, after the new town tragedy the president vowed to do something. it forced a lot of law enforcement across the country to take action. while stricter gun laws have been put into effect tha that actually has loosened restrictions on guns. meanwhile the number of victims continue to grow. >> i never knew pain like this consisted. >> reporter: natasha christopher, mother of three, lost her son last year. the 14-year-old was shot in the back of the head after leaving a new york party. the gun was never found. and neither was his killer. >> i'm not going to sit here and lie to you. i live in constant fear. >> reporter: despite new york state ace strict gun laws christopher believes more needs to be done it get illegal guns over the streets. >> i feel like the system has failed every mother who has lost a child to gun violence. no mother should ever have to bury a child. >> reporter: in the year since the sandy hook elementary school shootings in neighboring connecticut the gun control debate has raged across the country.

. >> bisi onile-ere is covering the bankruptcy for al jazeera. >> the judge has given orr until marcho submit a restructuring plan for the city. this is a report that the emergency manager said he will complete within the next couple of weeks. this is when we'll get a good idea of how deep orr's cuts will go, and how he plans to generate new revenue here in the city. retirees will get a better idea of how much they stand to lose. >> with a crushing $18 billion in debt, unions, pension funds and retirees as well as other creditors could stand to lose. for every $1 detroit collects, $0.40 goes back to paying off legacy debt, a figure that could rise as much as $0.65 without bankruptcy relief. when a city files for chapter 9 it must first qualified for protection before reducing it's debt to creditors. additionally it must negotiate in good faith with those creditors who understand that they'll be paid also than they are owed. some say that hasn't happened. >> when you're an institutional creditor, you make decisions. when you work for the city of detroit for your entire life, you retire

as bisi onile-ere reports, not everyone is willing to part with the artwork. >> the detroit institute of arts is considered one of the top museums in the country. it's a cultural gem in an any gone bankrupt. pieces held in trust now face an uncertainly future. christie's estimate of city-owned artwork, amounting to 5% of the museum's total collection is $450 to $870 million. $18 billion in the red, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled nothing is off the table. >> pensions and retiree health care could be taught and art sold to the highest bidder. >> the art is not a bag of money sitting on the wall. >> todd levin, born and raised in detroit, thinks selling the artwork is unethical. he says art is sold to buy more art. >> it is the government's job to make sure the artwork was held in a way where it would de off limits. they did not do their job. they assumed they'd be a non-starter. >> 3,000 pieces are up for sale. including works by von go and bruegel. it's going be cautious on the part of the court and on the part of the mediator appointed by judge rhodes to ensure that the dis is not u

we begin with bisi onile-ere, and a lot to talk about. a lot needs to be done. lot they say is being done. a lot you had to follow. >> after newtown the president wiped a tear from his face and vowed to do something. but it forced a lot of lawmakers to take action. but much of the legislation passed actually loosens restrictions on guns, and the number of victims continues to grow. >> i never knew pain like this existed. >> reporter: natasha christopher lost her son akeel last year, the 14 year old was shot in the back of the head after leaving a new york party. the gun was never found and neither was his killer. >> i live in constant fear. >> reporter: despite new york's strict gun laws she believes more needs to be done. >> i feel like the system has failed every mother who has lost a child to gun violence. no mother should ever have to bury a child. >>> in the years since the shootings in neighboring connecticut, the gun-control debate has raged across the country. >> we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action regardless of the politics.

. >> bisi onile-ere for us in detroit. bisi, good to see you.thank you. >>> president obama has announced who will represent the u.s. at next year's opening and closing olympic ceremonies in sochi, russia. the president is not going, neither is the first lady or the vice president. instead president obama is sending two openly gay athletes colleague tennis great billie jean king who said she was honored to represent the u.s. in sochi, and i hope this is a water shed acceptance of people. white house today called those policies offensive. we're learning more about how the u.n.'s chemical weapon watchdog plans to get rid of syria's stock pile. they say it will be destroyed on board an american ship but they will be taken on ground from 12 storage sites to a syrian port. we have more now from beirut. >> reporter: it's been a challenging task, and it may well get even more complicated. the job is to dismantle and eliminate the chemicals program in a country in the middle of a raging civil war, but so far it's been a relatively smooth operation. chem

. >> bisi onile-ere for us in detroit. >>> president obama is sending a message to russia about its treatment to guys and lesbians, billie jean king will go to the opening ceremonies. and cahow will be at the closing ceremonies. the president will not be at the games. >>> targeting military crimes with a new type of secret informants. hundreds of selfy portraits getting a gallery treatment. >>> the new twist on shopper habits. (vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. (vo) we pursue that story beyond the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capitol. (vo) we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. (vo) and follow it no matter where it leads, all the way to you. al jazeera america. take a new look at news. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story next

bisi onile-ere has more. >> the detroit institute of arts is considered a top museum, a cultural gem in a city gone bankrupt. now a collection of masterpieces held in trust for generations to come faces an uncertainly future. christy's city-owned artwork amounts to 5% of the total clecksz is worth $450 to 870 million. 18 billion in the red. a federal bankruptcy judge ruled nothing is off the table. pensions and retiree health care could be caught. >> art is not a bag of money on the wall. >> todd is a new york art advisor and thinks selling the artwork is unethical. art is sold to buy more art, never to settle did i debts. >> it was the government's job to make sure that the artwork was hotel in a way that would be off limits. they didn't do their job, they assumed it would be a non-starter. >> nearly 3,000 pieces are up for sale. >> it's not going to be an open door where artwork will flow out. on the part of court are mediator appointed by judge rhodes to ensure there's no unfair disadvantage. >> in a city that endured lose, the reality that detroit may have to sell off part of its

alternatives to save the artwork here at the -- >> unfortunately we've lost our live smot with with bisi onile-ere ,. >>> after lying about the employees salary in the a visa application. the state department is attempting to defuse the situation. shiad ratanzi on that. >> john kerry did underscore the need for those in the u.s. to respect u.s. law however he also emphasized a need for foreign diplomats in the u.s. to be treated with respect and tig tonight. mr. kerry did state that he had two daughters about that sairm age, he expressed his regret and his hope for the bilateral relations will not be affected by all of this. we understand that india has now promoted the deputy consul general to become the permanent u.n. consul. she only had consular immunity. india clearly hoping that will be applied retroactively. however it has to be signed off by the u.s. state department around we have to wait their discussion as to whether this can go away. >> thank you. representing marketing icons like peyton manning, adel, jufnn timberlake. >>> ross shimabuku, this going into effect college sports as well

bisi onile-ere, al jazeera, detroit. >> ukraine's president is apologizing for a crackdown on protesterswho are defannedding that he step down. thousands remain in the streets of kiev while police beat dozens of demonstrators over the weekend. president yanukovych said police acted excessively. more than a thousand people rallied to increase ties with the european union. they're occupying several government buildings. and in thailand deadly protest there getting worse. [ gunfire ] >> over one of the opposition leaders is calling on supporters to take over police headquarters tomorrow. world leaders fro are calling fr restraint. the country is divide between hundreds of thousands of people for and get thailand's current regime. ♪ >> meteorologist: arctic air and a soggy storm are coming together around canada and into the pacific northwest for a lot of mountain snow. in fact, minnesota the snow is coming down right now. no accumulations to tell you about, but it's looking good and folks are getting ready--getting practiced. they're certainly practicing crystal mountain, washington, a shot