i'm thomas drayton. in new york.

i'm thomas drayton in new york. "america tonight" is next.emember - you can get the latest news online at aljazeera.com. products when charity and the pitch don't mix. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

i'm thomas drayton. missouri death row inmate herbert smalls has been put to death, shortly after the u.s. supreme court denied his appeals. the lethal drug used was at the center of his legal challenges. >> herbert smalls is the sixth ban executed by lethal injection in the u.s. there was appeals over the pharmaceuticals used to carry out his order failed. in 2008 the u.s. supreme court ruled three drug protocol does not amount to cruel and unusual punishment. with pharmaceutical d companies failing to allow their chemicals to be used, states are struggling to find alternatives. >> dennis maguire was executed using a combination of drugs not used before. it took 26 minutes after witnesses gassed, choked and convulsed. are these inmates entitled to a pain-free death. the constitution does not guarantee a pain-free death. at some point it's so intense, protracted. the sense of decency precluts the infliction of capital pin ushment. >> missouri state representative rick bratton introduced legislation that

i'm thomas drayton. we begin with iran. six world powers put the touches on a temporary deal freezing much of tehran's nuclear program. starting on january 20th iran has agreed to roll back the nuclear production. for the next six months the united nations will have full access to nuclear facilities. if iran cop rates a permanent deal will be final used. iran will get relief from sanction, including $6 billion and $7 billion. >> this was the first step taken in november. six countries and iran agreeing to a deal to slow it's nuclear program. now the next step. iran's leaders will take action. on 20th january they'll enrich uranium to the 5% level, dismontle stock and allow inspections. they'll get relief for gold industry. some overseas accounts will be unfrozen, put in a $6 billion to $7 billion in the economy. they'll try to work out a lopping-term bill. from the powerful to the people on the streets. skepticism about the future. >> translation: it is not easy to be optimistic about this. we should wait and see what happe

i'm thomas drayton. mexican national was executed in texas a few hours ago despite international outcry. >> edgar tamayo was convicted of killing a police officer 20 years ago. lawyers argued that he did not receive proper legal representation after his arrest. heidi zhou-castro has more on a case that could strain relations between the u.s. and mexico. >> edgar tamayo was pronounced dead at 9:32 central time, wednesday evening. this came after the supreme court refused to grant a last-minute stay on the execution. the lawyers for edgar tamayo had argued that executing him would be a violation of international law and could endanger u.s. citizens abroad. >> edgar tamayo was 24 years owl when he shot a houston police officer three times in the back of the head. 20 years litre the mexican government says edgar tamayo's execution is a violation of international law. at the heart of mexico's claim is the vienna convention on consular relations a treaty that says a person arrested in a foreign country has a r

thomas drayton has more. >> reporter: from the start stephen colbert rpulls no punches.ing in on what many americans have long associated with the al jazeera brand. >> al jazeera america is part of the al jazeera media network -- >> which is part of the al-qaeda media network. [ laughter ] >> but john siegenthaler made the case for any newest kid. we can bust some myths here. al jazeera is one of the largest news organizations around the world. we have 12 bureaus in the united states. >> lead story tonight? >> syria. >> okay. miley cyrus has bleached her eyebrows john. [ laughter ] >> what is your angle? is it liberal or fair and balanced? >> we just cover the news. >> reporter: in the end of the roast, a serious question and a serious answer. >> how do you keep people from being afraid of this? >> all i can say is watch what we do, and i think if they see what we do on the air and the stories we cover, i think they'll understand we are doing serious news. [ cheers and applause ] >> well, john, i think -- >> reporter: thomas drayton, al jazeera. >> and you can see the wh

i'm thomas drayton in new york. "consider this" is next.y hopping can and do parents really go to jail for stealing education? >> handcuffed with a leather belt. >> with handcuffs. >> we went in jail. >> also tonight, more to come. new threats for tourists coming to the winter olympics. why there's reason to stay away from sochi.

. >>> thomas drayton has our next report. >> reporter: with the threat of another government shutdownnly days away the house and senate announced a $1.1 trillion spending fwhal will keep the country running through october. the bill drafted in december by democratic senator patty murray and republican congressman paul ryan is the latest display of bipartisan agreement after washington gridlock ground the country to a halt in october. a joint statement in the house and senate responsible for spelling out the details of the budget deal read . . . with the clock ticking, passing the measure this week is critical because the current bill expires on wednesday, the same day the house is expected to vote. but the so-called omnibus bill needs to pass the senate as well. lawmakers have drafted one more short-term spending bill ensuring the go will be funded long enough for senators to vote. as for what is in the budget no clear victories for either side and both republicans and democrats had to compromise. democrats have rebelled in the repeal of $20 billion across the board spending cuts know

i'm thomas drayton. we begin with syrian peace talks. warring sides will come face to face for the first time today in just about an hour. the bashar al-assad regime and the opposition will meet. world leaders hoping to bring a diplomatic solution to three years of war in syria. the talks will open in montro and move to geneva on friday. >> inside syria the violence is continuing unabated. 100 were killed yesterday, and the two sides were violent as ever. there's multiple opposition fighters fighting each other. the hope is to create a localized peace deal or humanitarian corridor to reach some of the people who have been locked away by the syrian government or the opposition or caught in the middle of the firing. the official goal is to create a transitional government, a government that will have the ability to go into syria and move the president. and the country would create a new government. the syrian government has refused to allow that to happen. the opposition barely made it here. they were so fractured they barely voted to be r

i'm thomas drayton. "talk to al jazeera" is coming up next. >> he is a 30-year-old street artist plastering the world with his art. in new york a photo booth was put up and portraits of new yorkers and their visitors were pasted on the floor. why? it was part of the j.r.'s "inside out" project, a world-wide million dollar art endeavourer allowing anyone to upload a portrait, printed out by the artist and pasted to draw attention. j.r. won the ted prize helping him with this process. j.r. is the name of a photographer whose identity is semie anonymous. he calls himself a guerilla artist. he got his start after finding a camera in a paris subway. his photos have been displayed in unusual places. along the barrier dividing israelis and palestinians, in the slums of kenya and shan'ty towns of brazil. i caught up with him at his studio in new york. >> j.r. good to meet you. nice to meet you. >> what a pleasure to meet you. you have asked the world, literally the world, to help you essentially turn the world i

i'm thomas drayton. two former californian police officers were found not guilty in the death of a mentally ill homeless man. the incident in 2011 was captured by surveillance camera. it showed kelly thomas struggling with six police officers. thomas's mother is outraged by the verdibility -- verdict. >> they got away with murdering my son. >> a third officer was awaiting trial but the orange county district attorney said the charges would be dropped. >> hundreds of thousands urged not to drink the water in west virginia can turn the tap on again. chemicals left the water undrinkable and untouchedable. jonathan martin is in charleston, where they are slowly bringing the system back online. >> while the state of emergency has been lifted it may be a couple of days before the citizens can use the tap water. priority is to the hospitals like those behind me. surgeries have been put on hold. they have been using watertankers. for many people things are slowly getting back to normal. >> russ fuller is relieved

i'm thomas drayton. president obama is preparing for his fifth state of union speech. he'll do so with the knowledge that it's thought the country is not getting better under his watch the the president's approval rating is 46%, up from a low of 42% in november, after the government shutdown. it's his lowest approval rating ever, going into a state of union address. most americans are sour on the beleaguered economy, the direction of the economy and the state of politics. during tuesday's address they'll try to turn the public's tapes to key initiatives, including early chide hood, increasing the minimum wage and the affordable care act. we'll have coverage of the state of union before and after the speech starting the 6:00 pm eastern, and the president's speech live here at 9 eastern. >> hillary clinton is speaking out about her time as secretary of state and what she could have done differently. mrs. clinton was in new orleans for the national automobile dealers commence. during a question and answer section she spoke about her biggest regret whilst leading the state

that's if for this newshour, i'm thomas drayton from new york.oks challenged or banned is on the rise much we look at why, and the intersection with community values. clr >> our digital producer is bringing in all your live feedback. all of us at one point or another read a contrsi

i'm thomas drayton. good to have you with us. >> there are small signs of progress coming out of syrian peace talks. both sides have agreed to allow women and children to leave the city of homs. it's a relief for hundreds of families starved in the third-largest city. the brutal civil war has taken a steep toll. >> most of homs no longer exists. >> for two years it's been pounded by bombs. morta mortars, art ill ris. the assad regime tried to crush this city that was the center of the revolt against his rule - from the ground and from the air. almost every day the terrifying sound of jets. and the horrifying inevitable plume of smoke rising above a neighbourhood. the city's population was a million. more than half the houses today have been destroyed. residents forced to eat greens picked off the side of the road. >> those greens are the only sus tinnens for 22-year-old resident and activist. he spoke to us via skype from the homs country side. >> this is what we eat. it's been 11 months, a year. >> he s

thomas drayton reports. >> reporter: two weeks after dangerously cold temperatures gripped the entireation a new wave of arctic air is making a come back. temperatures will plummet to below zero in at least 11 states starting today through friday. and with that cold scenes like this will surely play out again. that includes airline delays and cancellations like the ones that left thousands stranded for days the first time around. the effects of the cold blast are already being felt. this train in wisconsin hauling coal derailed. the frigid temperatures blamed for cracks in the crook. in this pileup, ice blamed for the wrecks that sent four to the hospital. forecasters say this cold snap won't be as brutal as the one earlier this month, but in chicago are counting down the days to spring. >> it has been something else this year. >> the snow in my face has been a little too much. >> reporter: but for now it's all about preparation. from north carolina to connecticut roads are being treated for snow and ice. in virginia crews are readying snowplows in trucks, shoppers on new york's long

i'm thomas drayton in new york. a bully and denies knowing about his aide's wrongdoing. will it work? >>> dennis rodman says he is sorry for blaming an american held cap tiff in north korea. >>> also uncovering the shocking role women played in the holocaust. >>> and duz the "the wolf of wall street" depict or glamourize greed gone wild. hello, i'm antonio mora. welcome to "consider this." ♪ >>> we begin with chris christie, the new jersey governor and likely presidential candidate, faced reporters thursday to respond to the biggest political crisis of his career. emails and text showing top staffers conspired to snarl traffic on the george washington bridge in an apparent act of political revenge. >> iment am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team, and i come out here today to apologize to the people of new jersey. i am responsible for what happened. >> christie said he was blind sided and his deputy chief of staff betrayed him. >> i am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. i have terminated the employment of bridget ke

i'm thomas drayton. new york. news at the top of every hour. thanks for watching. >>... the list i had was 2005 to 2006. it's obtained through an industry source, which showed the security around. the no fly list is a joke. people were routinely allowed to travel to the united states on the no-fly list. the reality is the list is something to comfort the public, to make us feel better. it's a meaningless list. >> marty, is this ineffective, and meaningless. >> no, not at all. it works. >> it's a large list. >> how do you know it works? >> i'm involved in it for a significant amount of my career. i'm directly involved for a portion of time at the end of my career at the center. but the comment about heads of states and officials from states, there have been heads of states on the list. senior government officials on the list. these are states that sponsor and support terrorism that's why they are on there. >> how would anyone know if this is effective: speaking of letting the terrorist go, the nigeria underworld bomber was not on the list. the pakistani american failed an

that's if for this newshour, i'm thomas drayton from new york. of books challenged or banned is on the rise much we look at why, and the intersection with community values. clr >> our digital producer is bringing in all your live feedback. all of us at one point or another read a controversial or banned back. it's hard to believe that books like "to kill a mocking bird" is on the list. >> i have read all. check out my facebook page, "captain underpants" all the books challenged or banned. jim says: >> what is graphic, what is objectionable, who decides? >> that is the big point, is it being decided in a vacuum. how does a book become off limits. you may be surprised. books like "captain underpants" and "kite runner". there was a 53% increase in challenged books. and for the same period in 2013. bans are requested by concerned parents to restrict books they find to be inappropriate. before being banned it has to go through a process. objecti objectionable content ranges from sexually explicit material or violence. a complaint can include multiple

thomas drayton in new york. consider -- "consider this" is next, and you can get the latest online at aljazeera.com. >> as the white house negotiates with iran, why are two men's in prison while another is missing. >> a look at why the war on terror is creating more enemies for america. >> outrage in atlanta over a frigid response to a snow storm. >> should college football players unionize. i'm antonio mora, welcome to "consider this". here is more of what is ahead. >> he was a former u.s. soldier, accused of

thomas drayton reports. >> reporter: as she lies in a hospital bed on life support, her husband is preparingor a legal fight to take her off of it. she is 20 weeks pregnant with her second child. she has been hospitalized since november when her husband says he found her on the floor of their home. the victim of an apparent blood clot. her husbands says she would have never wanted to be like this. >> we both knew that we didn't want to be on life support. >> reporter: but the hospital in fort worth, texas has refused to take her off of life support, citing a texas law which prohibits doing so for patients who are pregnant. >> we're not about making law or contesting law and if this goes to a court or judge who says you need to change what you are doing in any way, then we will follow the direction of the legal system. >> reporter: while the hospital is refusing the comments on whether or not marlies is brain dead due to patient privacy laws, her husband has been very adamant and vocal about his wife's condition in state of pregnancy. marlies cannot be a pregnant patient. marlies is dead. tho

i'm thomas drayton. , a botched camp fire morphed into a massive wildfire. san gabriel mountains, causing evacuations in nearby city of glenglendora. police say they have the culprits who may have started that fire. al jazeera's jennifer london is in glendora with more. >> what started as an early morning camp fire quickly spread to a wildfire out of control. within hours the wildfire burned 1700 acres and caused evacuations of 5,000 people. the colby fire as it is called, 600 to 700 firefighters are trying to increase that containment level. firefighters do say as night fell they began to get the upper hand and were able to stop the forward movement of the flames. the hope is that the wind does not come up overnight, to bridge the fire lines that workers worked all day to establish. three people have been charged with recognizelessly starting th it was fired in the early morning hours. while they believe it was started as an accident, they could be charged if it was determined it was started on federal forest land. the severe drought like conditions which a

i'm thomas drayton. we begin this morning with a senate report suggesting a deadly aattack on the u.s. consulate could have been prevented. the state department and american intelligence agencies did not do enough to boost security despite warnings that the threat level was increasing. it's the first report criticising ambassador chris sevens directly. it raises questions about his judgments and actions in the weeks before his death. stevens and three other were killed on the attacks, taking place september 11th, 2002. >> there's a new wave of violence in iraq. six car bombs exploded in and around baghdad. 75 were killed, dozens injured. the blasts occurred in the mostly shia neighbourhoods. senator mccain has been an outspokener critic and spoke with john seigenthaler about his view on america's foreign policy throughout the region. >> throughout the middle east america is declining in influence and on the wane. people are making their own accommodations for the departure the united states, whether it b

i'm thomas drayton. the growing unrest in ukraine is getting the attention of u.s. leaders. secretary of state john kerry is said to meet with key ukrainian opposition leaders in germany on friday. assistant secretary of state victoria nuland travels to kiev to meet with both sides in the crisis. as jennifer glasse reports the trip came amid accusations of human rights violations against ukraine's government. >> a report from human rights watch says ukrainian police targeted journalists and medical workers when clashes started in kiev and are calling on the ukrainian government to carry out an investigation. the ukrainian government does not have a great reputation for investigating such violations, coming as an actist who had been missing for eight days was found alive, badly beaten and had been tortured. he's an activist in the thorn of the side of the government. his demonstrations for the past few weeks targeted government officials personal homes and has taken dozens of officials there. he has been in the darker side of what had been going on. there are reports of ak du

i'm thomas drayton. >> we begin with security at the winter olympics. the u.s. is comparing a contingency plan to protect u.s. athletes and citizens in the effect of a terror attack. it involves military warships and planes on standby in case evacuations are needed. it comes as russian security forces are searching for a suspected suicide bomber. as allen schauffler explains, authorities are looking for a young woman being called the black widow. >> police are looking for female suicide bombers and released information about one in particular, her name is rusana, from dagestan, linked to caucuses emirate, a terrorist seeking on independent homeland in southern russia. the group taunted russian authorities and threatened attacks on the sochi games. a poster with her into n is has been posted at the airport. it's been sent by russian federal security to enforcement agencies in and around sochi. the u.s. olympic committee is working with the state department and local russian law enforcement doing what they can to ensure the safety of americans travelling to the ga

i'm thomas drayton. >> new jersey governor chris christie is involved in a local political scandal ruffling his image. emails suggest chris christie's top staffers were involved in closing access lanes to the george washington bridge in september, causing massive traffic delays for days. as david shuster reports, it could hurt chris christie's presidential ambitions >> emails released shows a top aide to chris christie instigated lane closures at the approach to the george washington bridge, one of the busiest in the united states, to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse chris christie: >> the email went to a david wildstein, a friend of chris christie's appointed to an agency overseeing bridges and tunnels: >> one month later the agency closed several lanes as part of what it called a traffic study. for several days the amount of time it took to cross the bridge stretched to four hours. in a text message about the traffic jams another chris christie aide expressed delight: >> two weeks ago chris christie insisted the lane closures had nothing to do with his office. >> because p

. >> welcome to al jazeera america, i'm thomas drayton, good to have you with us. >> we begin with a school shooting. police in ros wall say a seventh grader walked into a gym and opened fire. hundreds attended a vigil in roswell. an 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were surrounded at the bereneder middle school. the victims were airlifted to hospital. the 11-year-old boy is in critical condition. the 13-year-old girl is stable. the suspect, a 12-year-old boy, is under arrest. his identity has not been released because of his age. a stupid who witnessed the shooting said the suspect snuck the shotgun into school in a musical instrument case. we'll have more on that shooting throughout the morning. >> the obama administration is responding to critical comments from a top israeli official aimed at secretary of state john kerry. it began 2010 the israeli defence minister described john kerry of being oscessive and messionic. the state department is calling the comments offensive and inappropriate. >> there's no sign of a breakthrough in the latest round of israeli palestine peace ta

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories we are following. delegates from syria and around the world are gathered in switzerland for a long-awaited conference. this is a live look at that meeting. it's the first time since the war that opposing sides have come together. >> investigators learn of a previously undetected material that seeped from the west virginian water tanks into the elk river. thousands have been told not to drink the river. >> a storm has slammed the north-east. 3,000 flight were cancelled after five airports were hit with heavy snow. a state of emergency was declared in delawardelaware, ne jersey, and washington. >> russia is searching for suicide bombers black widows. police believe they may try to attack the games. police have identified the women and it's believed one has made it past security into sochi. >> violence between police and protesters because of a law cracking down on protests in ukraine. police fought back with tear gas. injuresies are reported on both sides. those are the headlines. "america tonight" is ne

. >> welcome to al jazeera america, i'm thomas drayton, good to have you with us. we begin with a chemical spill prompting west virginia's government to declare an emergency around charles son. 100,000 are affected and nine counties. health officials are advising people not to drink, bathe or cook with the oil. the chemical used to process coal leaked into the elk river. daycare, universities, schools are told to cut down. the department of health says: >> the diplomats at the center of a standoff between the u.s. and india is on her way back to her home country. prosecutors charged devyani khobragade with visa fraud. as john seigenthaler reports, the u.s. ordered her to leave. >> from the start this case has caused outrage in india with protesters filling the streets. it started last month when u.s. authorities in new york arrested an indian diplomat, devyani khobragade, whilst dropping her young daughter at school. she said she has outraged at her treatment - handcuffed in public, strip searched and housed in a new york gaol. >> there was no indications that anyt

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we're following: syrian peace talks are off to a rocky start. the syrian opposition threatening to withdraw from the negotiations after the u.n. secretary-general invited iran to the conference. a spokesperson said the us state department could accept a u.s. participation if iran accepts a full transition in syria. >> u.s. is threatening sanctions in u.k. if they don't stop violence. >> west virginia's water company is assuring people their water is safe, but many people are not taking chances. they say the water smells. bottled water is being offered to let's dents. >> central new zealand has been rocked by a 6.3 earthquake. there are no reports of injuries, but there are reports of broken windows, collapsed walls and fallen chimneys. >> more security concerns as russia prepares to hold the winter olympics in 18 days. a video emerged of two men claiming to be suicide bombers. they warn tourists will be targeted. those are the headlines, "talk to al jazeera" is coming up next. . >> i did not want to be a writer with parkinson's, i just wanted t

i'm thomas drayton, it's downright cold.ost of the country is dealing with brutal subzero temperatures. the freezing weather is not just wreaking havoc, it's having an effect in places where winter goats, hats and gloves are never almost ever used. al jazeera's jonathan betz has more. >> a polar plunge across the u.s. from the midwest where a state of emergency declared in 29 countries after tens of thousands lost power. >> temperatures dropped in the house. my son was concerned. >> georgia with single digits for the first time in decades. schools closed, shelters opened in atlanta. i'm wearing long underwear. >> philadelphia, louisville - stunningly low temperatures. new york yesterday in the 50, and 60 degree plunge 24 hours later. temperatures hovering, shattering a record from 1896. >> it's cold. i should have stayed home. >> at these temperatures, it takes minutes for frostbite to step in. >> cities are stepping up efforts to reach out to the homeless. >> the large swing in temperatures is hard on equipment and causing

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following. the south reeling from a snow and ice storm that hit tuesday. children forced to spend the night in schools. highways turned into parking lots, stranding thousands of motorists in the middle of the storm. the national guard and georges state patrol were called in to assist. >> president obama has taken his state of union message on the road, giving speeches in maryland and pennsylvania on wednesday. he spoke about income equality and introduced a new retirement plan. >> in geneva, a small step forward in syrian peace talks. both sides saying yes to a peace agreement. the main u.n. mediator says there's little chance of a break through before both sides head home. peter greste's appeal against his detention in egypt has been denied by a court in cairo. peter greste and two producers have been held without charge for a full month now. economic jitters drove down the dow 190 points. the same day the federal reserve said it would continue to roll back stim louse efforts. those are the hea

i'm thomas drayton. >> president obama will address the nation on tuesday in his fifth state of union. income and the economy will be the top the agenda. approval ratings are low going into a state of union address. coverage begins 6:00 pm eastern on al jazeera. >> the city of pittsburg is dealing with a spike in overdozes, two dozen people have decide from heroin dosed with morphine. >> spy agencies in the u.s. and u.k. can collect data from cell phone apps. according to documents from edward snowden. the leaked document reportedly shows intelligence agents taking information from gains in social networking apps. >> during an interview with the bbc sochi's major said there are no gay people. the social network pointed several gay and transgender networks. >> the arctic weather slamming the mid west to the south. more than 100 million people reeling from the deep freeze. america tonight with antonio mora is next. you can get the latest news on aljazeera.com. highlighted her story to galvanize america, hadiya pendleton. >> whether he is backed or not is a different story. >> and true m

i'm thomas drayton. we begin with the upcoming syrian peace talks, in danger of ending before they start. on sunday the united nations invited iran to participate in the conference set to take place this week in switzerland. that invitation affects syrian opposition groups, threatening to pull out of the talks. they want iran's invitation to be rescrinded unless the current president steps down. >> the last few days have seen intense diplomacy over syria. this was moscow, a meeting the friends and allies. russia hosting the iranian and syrian frern ministers. the man from tehran making clear that his country was ready and willing to go to switzerland if invited. on sunday evening, after a round of last-minute telephone calls the u.n. secretary-general made this announcement. >> 40 ministers policemeninged that iran -- pledged that iran would play a positive and subcontractive role. therefore as convener and host of the conference, i decided to issue an invitation to iran to participate. >> no sooner had

i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at the top stories. >> iran and six world powers agreed onhe process to role back the nuclear program. the first steps begin on january 20th. iran will allow the united nations full access to nuclear facilities. the senate is scheduled to vote on a bill monday extending unemployment benefits through much of this year. the $18 billion extension is needed. republicans say the government should focus on creating jobs. >> target and neiman marcus may not be the only retailers whose

i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at the top stories at this hour.ice in roswell new mexico say a seventh grader walked into a middle school gym, armed with a shotgun and opened fire. hundreds of people daneded a vigil in roswell on tuesday night. an 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were wounded in the adabbing at bereneda school. >> israel's defence ministers called kerry obsessive and apologised. he said the plan for peace between israel and the palestinians was not worth the paper it was written on.

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following. >> a dangerous chemical spill in west virginia, a dangerous chemical used for processing coal leeked from a factory into the elk river. a state of emergency has been declared in and around the capital. nine counties have been affected. >> a diplomat from india has been indicted by a grand jury. she was granted diplomatic immunity and left the county. >> new jersey governor chris christie says sorry about a scandal involving a top

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories we are following this hour: syrian peace talks are off to a rocky start. the syrian opposition threatening to withdraw from upcoming negotiations on sunday. after the u.n. secretary-general invited iran to the conference. a speaks woman for the state department said the u.s. could support iran's participation if iran accepts an earlier plan for a full transition to syria. the u.s. is threatening sanctions to ukraine f it doesn't stop the violence. rain interrupted violence. the white house blames the government for not easing temperatures. west virginia's waco

i'm thomas drayton, let's get you caught up on the top stories. >> thursday there'll be a hearing intohris christie and his staffers, they closed leaps on a bridge to punish a town ta didn't support him. >> the white house came out in support of joe biden. in response to a memoire by robert gates. he criticises the vice president's foreign policy instincts. jay carney said joe biden is a key advisor to barack obama. >> the found of

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories we are following this hour: syrian peace talks are off to a rocky start. the syrian opposition threatening to withdraw from upcoming negotiations on sunday. after the u.n. secretary-general invited iran to the conference. a speaks woman for the state department said the u.s. could support iran's participation if iran accepts an earlier plan for a full transition to syria. the u.s. is threatening sanctions to ukraine f it doesn't stop the violence. rain interrupted violence. the white house blames the government for not easing temperatures. west virginia's water company is assuring people their water is safe. many are not taking chance, saying the water smells. bottled water is being offered to residents. >> central new zealand has been rocked by a mag ni tud earth i take. there are reports of broken windows, collapsed walls and falling chimneys. >> russia prepares to host the olympics in 18 days, a video emerged of two men claiming to be the suicide bombers in

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following this hour. a u.s. military helicopter crash in the u.k. claimed four lives during a training mission. the incident happened near the east coast of norfolk. authorities are investigating. >> the first batch of deadly chemical weapons left syria. it was loaded on a danishship and will be destroyed aboard a specially designed american vessel. >> syria pledged to destroy its stockpile by the middle of this year. >> in collingwoodar one person has died in a deadly avalanche, the grandson of the man who helped to

i'm thomas drayton in new york. thanks for watching. ♪ ♪ >>> hello, i am richard and you are at the listening post. this week turkey's prime minister accuses the media inspiring against his democratic elected. but they say he is just blowing spoke. a number of reporters have signed up with the obama administration. three more journalists are murdered in pakistan and the taliban say they did the killing. and when a masterpiece comes to life. that's our web video of the week. there is a huge political story unfolding in turk and it's media aren't just reporting they represent a key subplot. prime minister's government is caught up in a cryption standsal and some journalists and media outlets chasing the story have been paying the price with fines, prosecution and some times their jobs. the country was the world amounts biggest jailer of journalist long before the scandal came to light. we have reported before here on the listening post on the corporate conglomerates that own most of the media outlets in turkey. all of

i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at the top stories. >> iran and six world powers agreed on the process to role back the nuclear program. the first steps begin on january 20th. iran will allow the united nations full access to nuclear facilities. the senate is scheduled to vote on a bill monday extending unemployment benefits through much of this year. the $18 billion extension is needed. republicans say the government should focus on creating jobs. >> target and neiman marcus may not be the only retailers whose data was breached. three more were also hacked. the other stores are not coming forward. >> a plain has landed at a wrong airport. south-west airlines 4013 from chicago should have landed in missouri, but touched down at a regional airport nearby. now the runway at the regional airport is too short for the boeing 747 to take off again. those are the headlines. "talk to al jazeera" is coming up next. don't forget for more news up dates head to aljazeera.com. american life" covers it all. >> for the stories to work, they have to be universal. >> ira glass hosts a show

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following at this hour. >> a dangerous chemical spill in west virginia, a chemical used to process coal leaked from a factory into eliud kipchoge. there are fears of water contamination, a state of emergency has been declared in and around the capital. >> the indian diplomat arrested in new york has been indicted by a grand jury, charged with visa fraud and making false statements. she was granted diplomatic immunity and left the county. >> new jersey grandfather snore chris christie is sorry about a political revenge scandal involving a top aide. the staffer

i'm thomas drayton in new york. "consider this" is next. boundary hopping can and do parents really go to jail for stealing education? >> handcuffed with a leather belt. >> with handcuffs. >> we went in jail. >> also tonight, more to come. new threats for tourists coming to the winter olympics. why there's reason to stay away from sochi. and mud cat, sweet lou, so many greats. the american treasures who came after jackie robinson. on an era of pain, how a few good hits could level the playing field. >> why the blackball players attack that ball, you guys would simply attack it, simple, it was white! >> and good evening, thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. when it comes to improving this country's public education, there are endless headlines about charter programs and districts that offer open enrollment for anyone who want to be there. but for school choice movement the simple reality is that hundreds of thousands of students remain trapped in failing school districts because of their zip codes. as what "america tonight"'s special corres

i'm thomas drayton, let's get you caught up on the top stories. >> thursday there'll be a hearing into chris christie and his staffers, they closed leaps on a bridge to punish a town ta didn't support him. >> the white house came out in support of joe biden. in response to a memoire by robert gates. he criticises the vice president's foreign policy instincts. jay carney said joe biden is a key advisor to barack obama. >> the found of utah but a hold on same-sex marriages. the federal judge declared the gay marriage ban unconstitutional. 50 years after the beginning of the war on poverty too many americans are being born into lives of hardships. the white house says he'll create zones, focussing on education in five of the poorest parts of the country. >> those are the headlines. >> "america tonight"'s fook schema workers is coming up next. and the latest news online at aljazeera.com. >> they only have the vaguest idea where it sits, the molten fuel. they have to keep it cool with water because if they don't keep it cool, it lets up. radiation escapes and we are back to square one. >> a

thomas drayton in new york. consider -- "consider this" is next, and you can get the latest online at aljazeera.com. >> as the white house negotiates with iran, why are two men's in prison while another is missing. >> a look at why the war on terror is creating more enemies for america. >> outrage in atlanta over a frigid response to a snow storm. >> should college football players unionize. i'm antonio mora, welcome to "consider this". here is more of what is ahead. >> he was a former u.s. soldier, accused of spying. >> they have. >> judgments. >> against. >> one way for iranians to demonstrate they are serious... >> this is supposed to be the frontline of the war on terror. i knew i was missing the story, there was another war hidden in the shadows. >> i see miles of traffic. >> people are stranded, running out of gas. >> players on the north-western university team want to join a labour union. >> they knowingly established a system to skirt labour laws. >> we begin with a nuclear program and reports of what c

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following. >> a dangerous chemical spill in west virginia, a dangerous chemical used for processing coal leeked from a factory into the elk river. a state of emergency has been declared in and around the capital. nine counties have been affected. >> a diplomat from india has been indicted by a grand jury. she was granted diplomatic immunity and left the county. >> new jersey governor chris christie says sorry about a scandal involving a top aide. the staffer organised lane closures on the george washington bridge causing gridlock. christ your denied involvement. >> kenneth bae's family accepted an apology from dennis rodman, former n.b.a. charge. he insinuated during an interview that kenneth bae was at fault. >> a cold blast cost the american economy $7 billion. experts say the figure is about a seventh of the day's production for the entire country. those are the headlines. "america tonight" is coming up next. power disaster we ponder that nation's energy future. ism imagines of an iraqi city under power. and why falujjah is lukin

i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at the top stories at this hour. police in roswell new mexico say a seventh grader walked into a middle school gym, armed with a shotgun and opened fire. hundreds of people daneded a vigil in roswell on tuesday night. an 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were wounded in the adabbing at bereneda school. >> israel's defence ministers called kerry obsessive and apologised. he said the plan for peace between israel and the palestinians was not worth the paper it was written on. the white house condemned the comment. >> chris christie opened his state of the state address by apologising for the mistakes of his administration. he says the traffic jam did not define his team or the state. >> a federal judge in tulsa declared the state's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. the ruling is on hold until a similar case in utah is decided. those are the headlines. "america tonight" is next on al jazeera america. >> on"america tonight," when help is not on

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following this hour. >> thursday, new jersey politicians will hold a hearing to investigate chris christie's administration. they allegedly blocked traffic lanes on the george washington bridge to punish a town that did not support him. >> the white house came out in defence ever vice president joe biden in response to a memoire in robert gates' book. he criticised his foreign policy insects and jay carney said joe biden is a senior advisor to president obama. >> utah put a hold on same-sex marriage, including those that have taken place. the gay marriage ban was declared unconstitutional last month. >> 50 years after the war on poverty, president obama said too many americans are born into lives of hardship and now promise zones will be created, focussing on edcue kags and jobs in five poor parts of the country. >> those are the headlines. "consider this" is coming up. you can get the latest news online at aljazeera.com. >> the empire strikes back at robert gates. the white house responds to his book's bomb shells. >>> also, education unde

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following this hour. >> thursday, new jersey politicianschris christie's administration. they allegedly blocked traffic lanes on the george washington bridge to punish a town that did not support him. >> the white house came out in defence ever vice president joe biden in response to a memoire in robert gates' book. he criticised his foreign policy insects and jay carney said joe biden is a senior advisor to president obama. >> utah put