i'm thomas drayton. we'll get to the top stories. a second round of peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in syria are set to kick off. at the heart of the talks, a traditional government that does not include the current president. as james bays report the meeting comes as humanitarian aid reaches the city of homs. >> when the first round of these talks got underway two weeks ago the issue of humanitarian access was at the top of the agenda. that's when the deal to get aide to homs was discussed. lakhdar brahimi said he had a deal for homs. it has taken longer and what has happened on the ground is now itself controversial. the issue was supposed to be a confidence-building measure, it's one of the issues dividing twot sides as they meet around the table. the key issue that divides them is the future role of president bashar al-assad, his family and chose around him. that is something on which there is no agreement between the sides. >> that was james bays reporting. more than 600 people have been evacuated from the city of homs.

thomas drayton, al jazeera. >>> checking wall street, the dow unable to hold on to early gains. blue chips down right now. the nasdaq's eight-day winning streak also in jeopardy. this is after the imf issued aern waing about countries ending stimulus programs too soon. >>> chairman tom chewheeler say he will once restrictions on providing online content. >>> the commerce department reporting on new home construction saying it sunk 16% last month. the bad weather being blamed although economists say the downward trend may indicate the housing market is growing weaker. >>> the mortgage banking associate say applications for home loans fell last week. the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 4.5% that is the first increase this year. still ahead, an overanxious octopus giving drivers a thrill of a lifetime. that story and a recap of our headlines when al jazeera america returns. ♪ what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together the fastest internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! we

i'm thomas drayton. good to have you with us. ukraine's political standoff has reached its bloodiest point sint since the situation began. hotels turned into makeshift hospitals. but in the last hour there has been a recent break through. ukraine's president says a deal has been reached and will be signed on friday. nick shifrin has more. >> reporter: every army needs a supply line and for the antigovernment protesters in kiev. crudest kind of bomb, moll off the cocktails. all tonight they will stay here, stuffing rags, pouring gas. somebody has to help the fighters. even if it means deceiving and leaving their families. >> what do your parents say? >> think don't know that we're here. i have a son, one year old son and i think that i must be here because it's my city. it's my people. and i don't want that they will be killed. >> reporter: this informal support network has created not only a physical but an emotional life line, fighting for the heart and the future of the ukraine. we have just walked half a block from those molot

i'm thomas drayton in new york. "america tonight" is next.an get the latest news online at jom are. -- at aljazeera.com. . >> on "america tonight", breaking the pipeline offel chapo. >> the street members are the amway army used. >> also, pigs, pea cocks, well dressed shrubbery. ukrainians expose the excesses of their president, and charge him with mass murder. and the silent army

i'm thomas drayton in new york.ere are the top stories at this hour. we are following a developing news story out of switzerland where the high jacker of an ethiopia plane is now in custody. the plane had a military escort and the hijacker was asking for asylum. according to the airlines website the passengers and crew are safe. >> secretary of state john kerry is accusing the bashar al-assad group of stalling in the peace talks. the venezuela opposition leader wanted by police in connection with violent protests said he'll lead more demonstrations on tuesday. a warrant has been issued for the arrest of lopez. he says he has done nothing wrong. >> the united nations recommends the international criminal court investigate north korea for crimes against humanity. a u.n. report due to be released alleges executions rape and forced abortions. >> demonstrators agreed to sleeve city hall in kiev if the government dropped charges against arrested activists. >> those are the headlines. i'm thomas drayton in new york. "talk

i'm thomas drayton. >> just days ago viktor yanukovych was the president of ukraine. now he's on the run. a warrant is expected to be issued for his arrest. the country he led is moving forward. ukraine's parliament appointed its former speaker as interim president. a new presidential election campaign will start on tuesday. as jennifer glasse reports, there's plenty of uncertainty. >> kiev got back to work today, its streets filled with people. not long ago away from independence square, the capital was like a ghost town. >> last week i was afraid to go out of my house. now, thinks are better. >> in the place where it started three months ago, where the deadly violence flared, the biggest working day crowd. they came on their lunch hours, after work, or took the day off. >> ukrainians came to independence square in their thousands to pay their respects. they are hoping that a government worthy of those who died to help put it in power. >> the people say they'll stay until they have the government they want. >> we have a temporary government. as we see now, they are n

aime thomas drayton in new york. thanks for watching, "the stream" is coming up next. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you're in "the stream." is it time to reset the conversation about motherhood and success? we ask if feminism and science and pop culture have led women astray. you're digital producer, rang raj is here, to bring your feedback tonight.

i'm thomas drayton in new york. you can get the latest news at aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight" - world on fire. anger and activism explode in two increasingly important nations. ukraine - where a violent crackdown on protesters leads to bloodshed and death. >> and venezuela, where the opposition leader turns himself in, leaving supporters. >> the mighty residents of

thomas drayton takes a look at some of the major pieces of legislation. >> reporter: after passing thearm and budget bills in congress, other big issues appear to have stalled in washington. issues that effect millions in the u.s., and threaten the economic well-being of the country abroad. first immigration, after signalling he would seek immigration reform this year, house speaker john boehner is retreating a bit. >> i never underestimated the difficult in moving forward this year. >> and the biggest obstacle, says boehner is the president. >> listen, there's widespread doubt about whether this administration can be entrusted to enfours our laws. >> reporter: that charge reject by the white house. >> the president has an exceptional record of improving border security on his watch. there are more agents on the border now than ever consistently. >> reporter: another reason for the potential gridlock, the president's promise to act alone when congress won't. >> wherever and whenever i can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more american families, that's what i'm g

i'm thomas drayton. thanks for watching. "the stream" is coming up next, and we leave you with another snowy look at new york city. have a safe morning. >>> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you are in "the stream." we'll break down the trans trans-pacific tonight. ♪ >>> our digital producer wajahat ali is here bringing in all of your live feedback. this trade agreement while like

i'm thomas drayton.ere are the top stories. >> there are reports of new threats for people travelling to russia. concerns that explosives could be smuggled on to planes using tubes of toouth paste. it is for airlines that have direct routes to russia. including the u.s. >> a shocking display of violence in the central african republic. shortly after a speech, a man suspected of being a muslim was beaten and dragged through the streets. >> ta storm that dumped snow and lies through maine left a million people without power. >> pennsylvania was hit the hardest. 750,000 power outages. some areas received a foot or more of snow. c.b.s. making history by becoming the big drug store to drop tobacco. the ceo announced it will end the seam of tobacco product. it could cost of the company more than $2 million a year. mourners in new york are remembering actor philip seymour hoffman. the office of the new york city medical's office said an autopsy did not reveal the exact cause of death. more studies will be neede

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories we are following. the manhunt for an inmate who murdered four people is over. michael david elliot was captured monday evening in indiana. he escaped from a michigan prison sunday night while several life sentences. more snow is coming from the north-east. on the east coast from boston to washington d.c. thousands of flights have been cancelled, disrupting travel nationwide. >> chris christie answering questions on the so-called bridge gate scandal. he appeared on a radio show, insisting he knew nothing about lane closures leading to the george washington bridge. multiples are underway. the united states is said to be considering sending financial assistance to ukraine. the president viktor yanukovych returned to work monday after four days of illness. he took a hard line against protesters and his opponents. there was a stock market plunge on wall street. it was the worst trading day since last june. disappointing factory activity report was blamed. a jobs report is due out on friday. "america tonight

i'm thomas drayton, in new york. >> on "america tonight", tensions build. signs of russians hands at work amid clashes in you cane's borders. -- ukraine's borders. >> we'll do everything to stablilize the situation. >> also tonight - saving kids from the street. inspired by young black men in chicago, the president offers a new initiative. >> and the point was i could see myself in these young men. and by almost every

i'm thomas drayton. >> on "america tonight," the ice, the snow, the flooding. extreme weather of every kind. why all of this could be our our new normal. >> the next 48 hours will be tough in the carolinases. >> extreme whether is too common and frequent. >> also, from upstart performer to a raft of corruption convictions. in a city well-known for political implosion, the verdict against the new orleans former mayor rocks the

i'm thomas drayton in new york. here are the top stories we are following. game of poker unfolding between the white house and afghan president hamid karzai. tuesday president obama ordered the pentagon to plan for the full withdrawal of u.s. troops in afghanistan by the end of the year. it's the latest response to hamid karzai's refusal to sign a security agreement. >> ukraine's currency tumbled to a low over uncertainty about its political and financial future. the interim leader delayed the formation ever a new government until thursday. >> nigeria says boko haram was behind an attack on a school leaving 59 dead. boys and girls, 11 to 18, were separated. the boys were locked in a building and burnt alive. >> arizonans prop divided by a bill targeting gays and lesbians. the governor has until wednesday to veto the bill. >> there are reports federal prosecutors are launching an investigation into the sudden disappearance of $350 million of virtual currency called bitcoin. the company managing it worldwide stopped trading. those are the headlines - "america

i'm thomas drayton in new york. here are the top stories we are following at this hour. arizona governor jan brewer vetoed a controversial rights bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to gays on religious grounds. >> religious liberty is a core american and arizona value. so is nondiscrimination. >> opponents of the beer cheered after the announcement. spores say it's a sad day for arizonians who cherish and understand religious liberty. >> charges of misconduct with respect the u.s. military. the army did haved hundreds of soldiers -- disqualified hundreds of soldiers in sensitive positions after a review. they have been linked to a raping of infactions. the army is trying to get rid of dozens of the soldiers. >> the nominee for the ukrainian transitional government faces a vote on thursday, a week after president viktor yanukovych was forced from office. the u.s. announced it could give ukraine a $1 billion loan. >> dramatic pictures out of a camp in syria. 20,000 people have been trapped strug

. >> >> welcome to jam r i'm thomas drayton -- thomas drayton in new york, here are the top stories.rizona governor jan brewer vetoed a controversial rights bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse services to gay on religious grounds. >> >> opponents of the bill cheered after the announcement. supporters say it's a stad day for arzans who cherric and understand religious liberty. >> charges of misconduct, hundreds of soldiers linked to a range of infactions, including child abuse and drunk driving. the army is trying to get rid of dozens of soldiers. >> less than a week after viktor yanukovych was forced from office. the u.s. announced wednesday that it would give ukraine a $1 billion loan guarantee. >> dramatic pictures out of a refugee camp in syria. 20,000 people have been backed, struggling for supplies and medical care. it shows people lining up for food and water. those are the headlines coming up next. i'm thomas drayton in new york, see you again in an hour. send gaze to jail for life. should we put moral clauses on foreign funding. the rank and fired why the u.s. a

i'm thomas drayton, here are the top stories we are following at this hour - college football star sa michael sams announced he's gay in a "new york times" interview with espn. >> i'm not aphrased of who i am. i'm michael sams, a college graduate. i'm afghan american, and i'm gay. >> sam says his team-mates and coaches were supportive when he came out to them. if picked in the draft, sam would become the first openly gay player. >> millions of pound of beef has been recalled. diseased and unhealthy animals were slaughtered. it's the largest recall of meat in years. >> more than 600 syrians were rescued from a dangerous area of the war-torn country. the city of homs is under siege for a year and a half. officials are arriving in geneva ahead of the next round of syrian peace talks. >> north korea has a change of hart, rescinding an offer to a u.s. official who was going to try to negotiate the release of american kenneth bae. the state department says it was the second time pyongyang took back the offer. no reason was given, although the north objected to upcoming military drills betwe

i'm thomas drayton, remember news at the top of every hour. thanks for watching. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher and you're in "the stream." fitness experts are taking the wearable app market by storm. is our fitness getting a boost or is it an outlet that needs instant gratification via social media? ♪ >> our digital producer woj wajt ali is here. waj, people don't get enough of the instant gratification they bring. >> my wife loves this area, today might inspire some fitness for me. chris says how else can i feel good if i don't go on the gym and plaster it all over my facebook and twitter pages? i think mine may be trying to kill me i'm not putting it down. google plus david says, we are cheating on social media. this encourages us to cheat harder. are people cheating, is it making them feel better or do they do it for the points. >> well smart watches haven't lived up to their point, there is a new techie in town, wearable fitness gadgets. we're curious how and why they're using this technology? >> i use the old school nike, i think it's a fitnes

i'm thomas drayton, thanks for watching. >>> huh, i'm lisa fletcher, and you are in "the stream." teach for america is a program designed to revolutionize how kids in low-income areas are taught. the question tonight is where to its mission. ♪ >> our digital producer, wajahat ali is here, bringing in all of your live feedback. % >> this has overwhelmed us. >> it takes a lot for you to be overwhelmed by the way. >> yeah, because there has been so much online engagement that i will try my best to honor it. and we have christina who tweeted in . . . and our stub page has this huge page going back and forth. here is a comment from chad . . . on the flip side, ginger says . . . here is a critic . . . and the last one, eric says . . . >> we got a lot to talk about. this hashtag recently come come -- dominated twitter. since 1990 the program has trained young college grads as full-time instructors. they are sent into the more challenged districts in in the nation. but some are left to ask if the group is more about image than results. resist tfa tweets like these are getting attention. o

i'm thomas drayton. president obama's patience with afghanistan is wearing thing. after months of negotiations, the president issued an ultimatum on tuesday. he told afghan president hamid karzai - sign the deal or the u.s. is pulling all u.s. troops from afghanistan by the end of the year. as patty culhane shows, it creates a showdown with potentially huge consequences for both countries. >> u.s. president obama left the negotiating with afghanistan's president hamid karzai to his staff. after nine months of silence, he picked up the phone on tuesday to send him a personal warning. he was told that while the u.s. wants to stay in afghanistan after 2014, they have given up hope that hamid karzai will sign an agreement. more than 12 years after the invasion, the u.s. started to plan for the zero option, a withdrawal, warning that there'll be consequences the longer he delays. >> the further we go without a signed dsa, any mission will be necessarily limited in scale and ambitious because of the requirements of planning for that troop presence. >> analyst mark jacobs

i'm thomas drayton. we start in ukraine. 26 people were killed in kiev during protests. as you can see from the live images, there's a lot of activity going on. president viktor yanukovych indicated that the two sides will reopen peace talks. jennifer glasse is in kiev. >> the barricades were already burns as the police tried to force them from here. hope is negotiations can avoid blood shed. the violence left 25 dead. hundreds injured. this paramedic said she treated 50 people. >> yesterday was a nightmare. many people were injured from grenades. there were people of plastic and glass. glass is the dangerous. the clashes appear to have strengthened the resolve of people in the square. numbers have been swelling. double since tuesday. they are reinforcing barricades. police may have pushed them back. they are determined and undaunted. >> as night falls the people are preparing for the worst. there's piles of rocks. there's molotov cocktails. the barricades have been set alight ready for what might happen next. >> as the protesters dug in, so did the government. they thre

i'm thomas drayton. we'll get to the stories in a moment. first, afghan president harz has been holding -- hamid karzai has been holding secret talks with the taliban in dubai. it is likely to strain tense relations with the u.s. i'll bring in jane ferguson, in kabul. what are we hearing from president hamid karzai's office. >> the palace here in kabul are not commenting on the reports of secret peace talks. it's worth mentioning the at all times have been going on, with the taliban, for years, and not just with the americans, with their nato allies and pak sustain. it won't be news to people in kabul to find their president has been trying to have uniry lateral talks. at this point in the war, 13 years on, any peace talks with the taliban are pursued from kab all, including with and without partners. it's not a big price to find attempts why not been successful. they have said again and again that they do not wish to talk with hamid karzai's government. they consider it to be a puppet government of the u.s. if they want to sit with bin for

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories we are following.rous weather gripping the east from the gulf coast to maine. 22 states and 100 million affected. hundreds of thousands of people across the south lost power because of snow, ice and rain. the storm is expected to continue until friday. >> parts of england are under water after more than two weeks of flooding. authorities issued high-risk warnings for north-west england and wales. the military says 2,000 soldiers are available to help if needed. >> a jury found former new orleans mayor ray nagin guilty of 27 corruption charges, and he faces 20 years in prison for taking kickbacks in exchange for contracts during his time in office. he's the first mayor in city history to be convicted. >> federal contractors who earn minimum wage will get a raise next year, an executive order signed by the president increasing the hourly raise by $3, from $7.25 to $10.10. the raise won't take effect until 2015. >> the debate over mammogram readings has had a public study staying it it does not help women

i'm thomas drayton. we begin with a crisis in ukraine. moscow is trying to hold on to ties with ukraine. russian president vladimir putin ordered his deposit to discuss possible financial aid for ukraine with international partners, and is asking the government to consider humanitarian aid. the south is seeing backlash to the new ukrainian government. there has been a wave of protests and reports that gunmen in russian-marked uniforms seized the main airport. this was taken at the airport, a dark image of men in helmets. 50 armed men were there. earlier another group of pro-russian gunmen took control. lawrence lee takes a look at the rising tensions in crimea. >> there's attempts made to turn the crimea capital into a kiev, but in reverse. the parliament building in the hands of dozens of heavily armed men, protecting it from what they see as undemocratic forces. the support is not so many, but eager to tell you that they'd like nothing more than russian tanks on the streets to protect them them. >> the american army was supported in dif

i'm thomas drayton. it's more than a one-two punch. winter weather is impacting coast to coast. a rare storm hammered the pacific north-west, dumping a foot of snow in oregon and washington. a second storm on friday could bring up to another foot of snow in the area. hundreds of thousands cross the mid west have no power after a serious snow and ice storm knocked down industries. state officials are struggling to cope with the winter. >> i'd like to pack up and move somewhere. everywhere will snow. even a warm state. >> across the country it's hard to get a break from the bad weather. >> in pennsylvania, preparedness for a winter wallop means shelters are stocked up with supplies. a storm positions people at shelters where they may be needed. with the power company reporting 6,000 people without power at one time, the facilities were ready for an influx of families looking for a warm place to sleep. cold temperatures forcing people to spend the night with the red cross. philadelphia mayor michael knutter told america practice with storms is part of the preparation. >> we are on

i'm thomas drayton. arizona governor jan brewer vetoed a bill that set up a national debate over gay rights and religious freedom. sp 1062 would have allowed business owners to refuse service to same sex couples. the bill received harsh criticism, including law makers who vetoed or voted for the bill. >> after weighing all the arguments, i have vetoed the senate bill 1062 moments ago. to the supporters of this legislation i want you to know that i understand that wrong-held norms about the family are being challenged as never before. our society is undergoing many dramatic changes. i believe that senate bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve. in ways that we cannot imagine and no one would want. religious liberty is a core american and arizona value. so is nondiscrimination. going forward. let's turn the ugliness over the debate into a renewed search for respect and understanding among all arzans and americans. >> the veto followed mounting opposition including appl

i'm thomas drayton. chris christie is standing firm on the scandals surrounding lane closures on the west virginia. the embattled new jersey governor made it clear that he has done nothing wrong, as several of his top aides face subpoenas to find out what the governor knew and when. david shuster has more. >> appearing on a new jersey radio program governor chris christie hit back at critics and an appointee. >> what is going on now is a game of gotcha. when did i first learn about this or that. well, the fact of the matter is i've been very clear about this. before these lanes were closed, i knew nothing about it. i didn't plan it. i didn't authorise it. i didn't approve it, i knew nothing about it. >> over the weekend david wildstein, who engineered the lane closure said the governor knew about it when it happened, not after as chris christie insisted at his last news conference. chris christie said he may have read media reports, but is not sure. >> if i read it or someone said something to me about t

i'm thomas drayton in new york. "talk to al jazeera" is coming up next. >> i called it a ticking time epidemic. sherman. >> he twerked his way into the national consciousness, taking a page out of miley cyrus's book. >> when you started off the term super agent didn't exist. if you think about it player representation didn't exist as it does today. how did you start that, and why? >> the reality is there was no right of representation when i began. i remember calling up mike brown of the bengals to represent a player, and he said, "we don't deal with agents" click. that was that. mostly players had their parents tore did it themselves. the roll of an agent is to serve as a buffer. years ago i asked steve bartkowski in the first negotiation whether he wanted to hear every fact that went on between me and the general managers. and he said, "sure, it's my life, i want to hear it. i said steve, they'll say no so complimentary things about you. "no, i'll be fine." we get into the negotiation and the gm says, "not so fast

i'm thomas drayton.nsider this" is next. >> ukraine's civil unrest threatens violence. >> toxic nuclear sites speaks to us. the plight of gaoled al jazeera journalists gets global attention. we look at threats to reporters around the world. using penn gins to gauge men's impact on climate change. m

. >> i'm thomas drayton. that'll do it for us. thanks for watching. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher and you're in the extreme. outdoor enthusiasts flock to utah. for those at home, poor airquality has many asking if tourism and of the people are in jeopardy. >> our digital producer is here bringing in your social media. utah's slogan, the greatest snow on earth. millions flock there. we discover tonight that lots of folks are shocked to find out about the level of air pollution. >> i'm from california, and we thought we had the worst air pollution. >> you do. >> we thought we were the only ones. we didn't know people could empathize. a lot gobbi to the parks. >> the olympics. >> second-worst air pollution. rj tweeted: i had a picture from utah. check out the beautiful mountains. same picture with the pollution. that's the same beautiful mountains, and that's what they are witnessing, and who to bham. and this suggestion: >> that's a point of contention, who is to blame - the industries, the government, pollution, the people. we have a lo

aime thomas drayton in new york. thanks for watching, "the stream" is coming up next. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you're in "the stream." is it time to reset the conversation about motherhood and success? we ask if feminism and science and pop culture have led women astray. you're digital producer, rang raj is here, to bring your feedback tonight. and it is always surprising to me, the topics that we put out there that get these tonight. >> we're inundated with responses, not just from millennial moms, from women of all ages, women who have decided not to have children and women who are millennials and older. and she gives us the modern mother: and that means hippy. today a daily standard that women have to face that seems to be recurring in the community. >> and a voice that seems to be there is men. as the ambassador of all men, the pressure is on, raj. nearly one in five women haven't had children by the time their fertile years have passed. and for those who did want to be mothers, messages about fertility may

i'm thomas drayton. as lawmakers get ready to form a new national government in ukraine pronational supporters are fighting back. >> in eastern ukraine supporters of the viktor yanukovych attacked demonstrators on sunday. no one knows who viktor yanukovych is hiding, but he's refusing to step down. and we get a look at another of the former president's homes. it has been seized and top the public. it's on a property where fas ants and wild boar roam. the new president met with the american ambassador. america warns russia not to send soldiers, national security advisor susan rice says such a move would be a mistake. >> it's not in the interest of ukraine, russia or the united states to see the country split. it's in no one's interest to see violence return or the situation escalate. a modern ukraine wants to integrate with europe and the old which had ties to russia, it need not be exclusive. >> protesters are hopeful about the future. the optimism has come at a price. >> this is the new seat of power, t

i'm thomas drayton in new york. thanks for watching. don't forget, news updates every hour, and the latest on aljazeera.com. >>> hello. you are at the "listening post." this week, it's a war on terror. you are either with us or against us. those are the marching orders. for the news media in egypt, the olympics go ahead underway in sochi one of the few critical outlets on russian television goes dark. it's just a magazine. the clinic has proven to be the tonic for journalism in chile. the super bowl ad that wasn't. a commercial that gets under the skin of the n.f.l. week. >>> egypt is in the midst of a self-declared war on terror, a political party that eight months ago was the elected government has since been branded a terror group and there seems to be nor mittens ground in this debate. he job descriptions are for the security solution or they are considered to be with the terrorists, the muslim brotherhood. since the middle ground is where news organizations are supposed to operate, the media have come under huge pressure, including

. >> i'm thomas drayton. that'll do it for us.hanks for watching. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher and you're in the extreme. outdoor enthusiasts flock to utah. for those at home, poor airquality has many asking if tourism and of the people are in jeopardy.

i'm thomas drayton, in new york. thanks for watching. >> hi i'm lisa fletcher and you're in the stream. is the boycott strange u.s. israeli relates or just making headlines? >> our digital producer wajahat ali is here. whenever we barely touch israel and palestine, it's a huge issue. >> when i talked to friends -- >> on either side. >> i'll try get as much of the diverse community feedback. for example, henry, israel is its own country and should run it as it sees fit. there's a reason why israel does what it does. all the nations have said they want to destroy israel and drive them into the sea. >>> it is the same in the case of south african thawed. unprovoked war which they lost, i support the settlements. speaking about settlements here is lance. bds should complete israel boycott, settlement is just one symptom of the rest of israel. as you can see a light hearted discussion. >> no shortage of discussions on this topic. achieving a two state peace agreement between israel and palestine. for decades, the u.s. hav

i'm thomas drayton. >> on "america tonight," the ice, the snow, the flooding. extreme weather of every kind. why all of this could be our our new normal. >> the next 48 hours will be tough in the carolinases. >> extreme whether is too common and frequent. >> also, from upstart performer to a raft of corruption convictions. in a city well-known for political implosion, the verdict against the new orleans former mayor rocks the biggeesy. >> the behaviour doesn't reflect the heart and sole of the people of new orleans. the rest of the nation knows that. >> from the sea a delicacy and aphrodisiac is kicked out of china. what it could mean for an american community that counts on it. >> there is a lot of reading done into the prosecutors remarks and the defense attorneys remarks. one of the things brought up is whether or not this young man had any kind of weapons, a gun or anything else in the vehicle. do they know for sure? >> you have the defense saying one thing, prosecution another. the police did not find a weapon, we heard that, that is on the record. dunn sw

i'm thomas drayton. thanks for watching. "the stream" is coming up next, and we leave you with another snowy look at new york city. have a safe morning. >>> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you are in "the stream." we'll break down the trans trans-pacific tonight. ♪ >>> our digital producer wajahat ali is here bringing in all of your live feedback. this trade agreement while like some of the others is also quite different in that it's very brood and much of it has been crafted in secret. >> yeah, that seems to be the trigger for most of our community members. they think everyone would care if they knew about it . . . and lisa a lot of people are wondering whether this would really help american workers and jobs. >> that's a question we'll ask. it is a massive trade agreement between 12 countries and the us. it is much more than a free trade deal. it has the potential to impact everything from how we use the internet and pay for prescription drugs to food safety and the environment. it's controversial because most negotiations happ

thomas drayton,. diagnostics, and radical break thrust. >> can we interface the brain with computers? i don't think any of this is dpobl. >> as the chair of singularity university. >> you are worried about quarterly returns, also worried about some kid in the garage coming up with technology that you weren't expecting that puts you out of business. >> i caught up to peter in new york. on the 10th anniversary of the xprize foundation, a board i sit on. people will know about that because of the contest to get the spaceship into space that actually spurn spurred this. tell me about it. >> my passion has been to get people into space, i gave up on nasa as being the mechanism to call me there. back in the 1990s, i read a book called the spirit of st. louis. i found out in 1927 when lindburg played that flight, he didn't do it on a whim, he did it to win a $25,000 prize. i thought that innovation could be spurred by applies. this $10 million prize for the first person to build a spaceship privately that co

i'm thomas drayton, good to have you with us. >> it's been a rough 24 hours for a lot of folks. the latest snow and ice knocked out power to more than a million people. as paul beban tells u the long winters are starting to put a strain on resources in many states. >> as night falls the temperature is dropping and all the slush and water on the streets is turning back to ice on roads making the evening commute treacherous. people are asked to take public transportation, be careful on the roads and the big question for thousands of people is when they do get home, will the power be on? across pennsylvania more than 750,000 people are without power. more than half a million of them, homes and businesses in the suburbs of philadelphia. the cause, by and large, downed power line, dragged down by snow and freezing lane. peco, the major power supplier, warns that it may be days before the power is turned on, requesting 500 line crews to assist them. state emergency management officials are working with leaders to see what is needed to provide food and shelter for those arrested in the

thomas drayton telling us that a lot of lawmakers want brewer to reconsider. >> reporter: in arizonaome are gearing up for a fight, a fight that they say targets gays and lesbians across the state. >> it opens the door for discrimination in in a huge brood spectrum the way the law is written. >> reporter: and now the bill that could give business owners the right to refuse service to gays and lesbians based on religious believe is one vote away from becoming law. the bill has sparked protests across the state. and in washington senator john mccain took to tweeter, calling for jan brewer's veto. >> the insidiousness of the bill is that it gives people the power to excuse from commerce. and if i can exclude you from commerce, i can exclude you from society itself. >> reporter: for bakers like the kleins in oregon, it's about their strong faith and right to exercise it. he refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. >> i believe in what the bible says and that's how i feel about it. >> reporter: the state investigated and ultimately the bakery shut down after the backlash. back in

i'm thomas drayton. here are the top stories. winter storm that started in the south and is now in the north-east is blamed for 21 deaths. 751,000 people lost power. 7,000 flights were cancelled and 10,000 delayed. more rain and high windforecast for the u.k. tens of thousands of homes are without power and thousands dealing with rising water. a month's worth of rain could fall in the next two days. >> peacekeepers uncovered a mass grave with a dozen bodies at a former muslim rebel camp. >> afghanistan released 65 accused militants amid strong objections. the men are taliban fighters, likely to attack coalition and afghan forces. hamid karzai says the relief is afghanistan's right as a sovereign country. tennessee authorities released a man in connection with a parcel bomb. police say the victim's son-in-law planted the package. richard parker has been charged with murder and is being held on a 1 million bond. >> those are the headlines. "america tonight" is next. you can get the latest news at aljazeera.com. bracing for more. th

i'm thomas drayton. good to have you with us. we begin with breaking news out of switzerland, a man accused of the hijacking ethiopia plane is now in custody. it was heading to ethiopia to rome when it was diverted to geneva. the plane had a military escort and the hijacker asked for asylum seekers. the passengers and crew are safe. the airline is making arrangements to fly passengers to their intended destination. >> the u.n. says it has evidence that the north korean regime is committing unspeakable crimes. the human rights council released a report detailing crimes. they want three generations of the kim family dealt with for the coims. >> it's a place -- crimes >> it's a place that would make your hair stand on end. >> this woman spent nine years in a brutal prison camp. >> from sun rice to sunset you work. there are no set working hours. you get up at 3:30am and work until dark. >> she scoped the county, giving evidence to the united nations and seoul for their year-long investigation. it is evidence of torture, widespread a

i'm thomas drayton. here we go again. another storm across the country.re are warnings of mass power outages because of ice and snow. in the south-east they are getting ready for the second winter storm of the year. several states were paralyzed two weeks ago when snow and ice blanketed the region. atlanta, which was hit hard, says it will not make the same mistakes. >> we'll be in a constant state of readiness over 72 to 100 hours. >> the georgian government says he's taking pre-emptive measures to avoid pitt falls from the last form. they are issuing early school closings. the governor declared a state of emergency for 45 counties. kevin corriveau has more on the impact of the storm >> as we go to tuesday things will disintegrate across the south-east. look at the satellite and the radar. it's mostly rain for many locations except for out towards louisville. as we bring the cold air in, that's when we will see the problems, especially atlanta and also into south carolina. you can see on tuesday afternoon, there'll be a high. rain turning to snow, and th

i'm thomas drayton, in new york. thanks for watching. >> hi i'm lisa fletcher and you're in the stream. is the boycott strange u.s. israeli relates or just making headlines? >> our digital producer wajahat ali is here. whenever we barely touch israel and

. >> those are the headlines, i'm not thomas drayton in new york. "america tonight" coming up next the the latest news online at aljazeera.com. to stand his ground. >> he said he's threatened. and i said you're not going to kill me, and i shot him. >> and president obama said that crisis could destabilize the region. >> we have a horrendous situation on the ground in syria. >> and bad bite. chemica chemicals in some of your favorite foods that are banned almost every everywhere else in the world.

i'm thomas drayton in new york with a look at today's top stories.e russia's ambassador has been recalled to moscow for consultation. this comes after the ukrainian parliament named the opposition back chairman interim president. the new leader is making closer relations is europe a top priority. >> the ugandan president is said to sign an antigay bill into law. western countries criticised the measure, calling for a life sentence for same-sex relations. a government spokesman said he's making the move to demonstrate uganda's independence from western pressure. >> a meeting between a top opposition mam ber and the venezuela president is planned for tomorrow. when nicolas maduro visited his supporters in caracas, anti-government groups are still angry with rising crime and inflation. >> jason collins made history, becoming the first openly gay man to play a game in one of the four major professional sports leagues. he played against the l.a. headachers. he -- la lakers. he played in the second squart. >> "talk to al jazeera" is next. for news updates

. >> i'm thomas drayton in new york. "america tonight" coming up next. liquorice smell in west virginia's drinking water is back. schools are closed. patience is running low. >> also ahead - six more weeks of this... ..the bitter cold, heavy snow and the powerless. is your community ready for what is next? >> i'm ready to pack up and move. year. even the warm states. >> paying the price in paradise. our indepth look at crime and punishment - a hawaiian

i'm thomas drayton in new york. you can get the latest news at aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight" - world on fire. anger and activism explode in two increasingly important nations. ukraine - where a violent crackdown on protesters leads to bloodshed and death. >> and venezuela, where the opposition leader turns himself in, leaving supporters. >> the mighty residents of minnesota great north wood and a mystery dwindling their numbers. >> if we continue at this trajectory we'll be out of moose in 2025. >> return to the ring. the return of one champion, how her fighting spirit is winning over new fans. >> good evening, thanks for being was, i'm joie chen. we start tonight in ukraine. police stormed opposition camps, the result is this - flames, fireworks, guns, grenade. the blood yesterday since the protest began. the demonstrators took over independence square after the president rejected a deal with the yooup -- european union in favour of closer ties with russia. >> protesters threw rocks and firebombs as riot p