make their own wager on the super bowl. >> this was supposed to be chris christie's weekend. sunday his state hosts the super bowl but governor christie is facing new allegations and tough new questions. what did he know and when did he know it? the governor is spotted just a few minutes ago leaving howard stern's bird day party in manhattan but he's besieged with questions over the george washington bridge. john terrett is with us. john. >> reporter: googood evening,. governor christie is in a tight position, in a letter through his lawyer, governor christie knew about those lane enclosures, evidence exists is the wording in the letter. it all means that governor christie is in a very tight spot because he has always vehemently denied any knowledge of though lane closures while they were happening. it's the scandal that continues to surround governor christie. the lane closings at the george washington bridge causing a commuter nightmare for days. the alleged political pay back against a democratic mayor who refused to back christie for his reelection. christie has been considered a contender for the president in 2016. remains popular in new jersey and was asked if he knew the plan for lane close beings. his response, clear and forceful. >> i had no knowledge or involvement in this issue in its planning or its execution and i am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. >> reporter: but now a sharp rebuttal by a former official at the port authority who owed his job to christie. evidence exists tying mr. christie having knowledge of the lane closures prior to the time the lanes were closed. the letter described the lane closing decision as the quote, christie administration's order. the man who since resigned from his post was the one exchanged text with bridget ann kelly. time for some traffic problems in fort lee, he applied, got it. christie fired kelly. justice department as well as the new jersey state assembly and senate are investigating and several people have been subpoenaed. the timing of the letter's release also raises questions, coming just two days before the super bowl hosted by new jersey. in a statement tonight to the governor's office, says the letter from wildstein's attorney confirms, he has absolutely no knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever mr. wildstein's motivations for closing them to begin with. after the mayors of fort lee, jersey city and hoboken. wildstein was in a grade above him and they reunited. in 2007. he didn't have too much to do with wildstein while he was at the port authority. there was a photograph that surfaced in the wall street journal on the day of the state of the state speech in trenton which showed governor christie with david wildstein at the site of the cement 1 september 11 me. >> thanks john. new jersey democrat whose district includes fort lee. the site of those lane closures. thanks for coming. >> thanks for having me. >> what is your reaction about the letter from mr. wildstein's lawyers? >> the people of fort lee, the people of the state of new jersey, the people of america, need to know when he knew of these lane closures and who directed it. now, he says he didn't know anything about it when he gave his speech on january 9th. that's what he states. but on september 13th, the senate majority leader, senator wineberg sent him a letter acquiring about this traffic -- inquiring about this traffic mess that was hatching in fort lee. i find it strange why no one in his inner circle would not inform him about an inquiry about a traffic problem in her district which is also my district. >> this story gets fairly complicated. but the governor's office is tonight suggesting that this letter proves christie's point. what do you see that? >> i don't see that in the letter at all. the evidence exists as well tying mr. christie to have knowledge of the lane crowrs when the lanes were closed. >> the evidence exists. until we see that evidence we don't know what it is. how do you prove this case one side or the other? who's telling the truth and who's not? >> i don't know, we have this select committee investigating this in the legislature. this is another piece of evidence that they have to look into as they make their determination. we have mr. shar who is the legal advisor to this committee. he of course will be advising this committee and which way to go with this evidence. this is another piece of evidence that the committee has to look at and determine and find the facts in this. >> you were on this program a couple of weeks ago. how has your opinion changed since you talked to us the last time? >> my opinion hasn't changed. i was always very suspect about the inner circle of the governor not knowing about this. i went and presented myself along with senator wineberg on september 19th and october 16th and november 13th to the commissioners of the port authority asking questions. and i can't believe that those commissioners did not advise the governor's office that we had elected officials inquiring as to what happened with this alleged traffic study. >> when this story broke, barbara buono who was the governor's democratic opponent in the race for governor came on this program and was very critical to the governor and suggested this is the example of the bullying that she believes takes place in the governor's office. what do you think? >> well, you know, he runs his office, in his belligerent type style also known as bullying and that's another factor in this. where a person his style leadership causes me to believe that there's nothing that goes on that he doesn't know about. nothing particularly someone who works in his shadow the could do this, rogue, as he calls it a rogue campaign, in his shadow, right underneath him within his inner circle. so i just find it hard to believe that none of the people in this tight inner circle would not know about this lane closure or this fictitious traffic study. >> any idea how long it will be before the people of new jersey or americans will get some answers on this? >> absolutely not. as we go forward, when you have an investigation you go where the facts take you. i'm sure that solomon wisnisky the co-chair along with senator wineberg are going to investigate this until they get answers for the people of fort lee, the people of the take it of new jersey and -- the state of new jersey and the people of america. the people who traverse that bridge, every day people, who couldn't get to work because somebody had abone to pick with an elected official. >> senator thank you thech. >> thank you sir. >> an apparent super bowl hoax, several letters with white powder. haz-mat teams have responded but the fbi says the powder was not toxic, not dangerous. former mayor rudy giuliani received one of those letters. opposition caves says he was kidnapped and tortured in the ukraine. being blocked by workers at the hospital where he's receiving treatments. jennifer glasse reports from kiev tonight. >> he was beaten and left for dead in a ukrainian are forest. dimitri balatov says he's lucky to be alive. >> i was crucified. i've got holes in my hands. are a part of my ear was cut off. they cut my face. there isn't a spot in my body that hasn't been beaten. i couldn't tell who they were. it was always in dark. i can't tell you very well because i have been in darkness so long. >> reporter: vulotof was a thorn in the government's side. leader vanished. isn't the only one who has disappeared. an independent monitor says there's abou 30 people still missing. the relatives don't want to talk about them in public because they're afraid much making the situation worse. they just want to see their loved once come home alive. every night volunteers at midan sos record what they hear each day to share what they know about -- >> the most notorious cases of civil rights abuses. missing persons. arrested persons and god forbid if there are any persons who lost their life. >> reporter: their hot line helps keep track of the missing and they have a list of lawyers who will help ukrainians who have been rafted or detained. >> it is important to know what they can do, what they are not to do, what they are entitled to do. because the legal averness of the ukrainian people is not that high. >> reporter: accuse he ukrainn police, a pattern they saw before and called for investigation. as he left for the u.s. secretary of state in germany one of the opposition leaders called for the same. >> translator: in munich we will insist in an international investigation of all the killings torture and kidnapping of people and the fact that journalists are being targeted and shot at. proof that in ukraine, just like those in latin america, death squads have appeared. >> reporter: in independence square at the heart of the opposition demonstrations they read names of the missing in the hope that someone might know something and ensuring those who are out of sight aren't out of mind. >> and jennifer glasse joins us live from kiev. jennifer, how has this case, this latest case changed the dynamic of these demonstrations? >> reporter: well, you know john, i think many opposition supportsers say it proves what they've been saying all along that the security forces have been targeted them and this surreal standoff at the hospital tonight with police trying to question bolotov and his supporters protecting him, really is reminiscent of what we've seen over the last few weeks here when clashes broke out last week, opposition supporters were instructed not go to public hospitals because public doctors have to report any injuries that are connected with a protest and police were going to the hospitals and interrogating and arresting people at the hospitals as they were being treated. so i think it's just really heightened the mistrust between the opposition folks here and the thorlts -- and the authorities. >> seablght john kerry is meeting -- secretary of state john kerry is meeting with opposition leaders. what can we expect? >> well secretary kerry is going to talk about some political solution when he gave a speech in germany prior to those meetings he tried to build a coalition government, a government of yacia national un. they do not trust president yanukovych. secretary kerry wants to find a peaceful solution to this problem. >> jennifer glasse, in kiev, thank you. there is new information about the keystone pipeline tonight, the pipeline proposed through the u.s. little impact on the government, that would put more pressure on the white house to approve the project. rosalyn jordan has more. >> state department officials are keen to suggest that the seis is not the final decision whether transcanada will be allowed to build the keystone pipeline on u.s. border from the canadian border to the gulf of mexico. officials also say that after ample input over the past year it is now to the u.s. governmental agencies to figure out exactly what other impacts could be created if this pipeline indeed is constructed. then it will be up to the secretary of state john kerry to decide whether the economic benefits outweigh the diplomatic and political concerns. the technical report introduced on friday indicates there would not be many negative impacts in terms of wetlands, climate changes, environmental facilities or the local economies. however, there's considerable political pressure to build this pipeline and the administration is already hearing the pressure from particularly republican members of congress. >> rosalyn jordan reporting. now water problems in west virginia. it's been three weeks since toxic chemicals spilled and left hundreds of thousands of west virginia residents without water. but chemical spills worries began years ago. jonathan martin reports. >> the gentle trickle of a spring was the very tranquility that maria sought when she moved her system to this enclave 14 years ago. >> we wanted the grand kids to play the way we played. >> but as it would turn out the water flowing from lambert's tap was less than pure. harmed by the coal which fuels their economy. by 2011 she said people were getting sick, six developed brain tumors. high level of arsenic and other toxins in the water. when coal is mind, it is washed with chemicals. underground in the process known as injection. state officials disputed the groundwater was contaminated at the hands of mining operations. west virginia university researchers found otherwise. >> that they were dumping that stuff underground by the billions of glabs and we -- gallons and we had no idea that there was a permit for that. we didn't know any of that. >> in 2008 residents filed lawsuits again companies. the suit alleged coal slurry contaminated the drinking water. the companies made a settlement with the locals. citing a confidential no fault settlement neither would comment to al jazeera. publicity that let the officials to abandon their wells and connect them to the municipal water supply. but here today, many do not drink that water. >> here she is as a young girl and there she is when she passed away. >> pamela hoops believes years of exposure to the chemicals claimed her mother's life too soon. >> newspaper of these lines weren't changed, the hot water heater wasn't changed. that water is still in our lines, it's still coming through. i just don't trust it. >> as to what the city has been through, she doesn't believe this will change in the mountain states. >> then you find that the government is supposed to be the keepers of the castle or the keepers of the land. , are allowing all of this to happen. you're pretty mad. >> left feeling betrayed she's using her voice, advocating change in a place where the economy and the environment depend on each other for better and for worse. jonathan martin, al jazeera, printer, west virginia. up next, getting back to work. president obama enlists the hope of ceos from major companies. plus, first and last. the nfl commissioner is lukewarm on another cold-weather super bowl. >> fault lines, hard htting.. ground breaking... truth seeking... al jazeera america's breakthrough investigative documentary series. families ripped appart racial profiling... >> sometimes they ask questions, sometimes they just handcuff people. >> deporting dreams... destroying lifes... >> this state is literally redefining what it's like to be a criminal alien. >> fault lines, the deported only on al jazeera america. >> president obama is calling on the company's top ceos to help people find jobs. then he signed a memo signaling the federal government not to discriminate against people who are trying to find work. >> we have committed to a set of inclusive hiring policies for making sure recruiting and screening policies don't disadvantage people who have been out of work, to a policy that quls all applicants, and it's right for the federal government to lead by example. >> $150 million through grants to help people find jobs. improving the situation for people who have jobs. the middle class people who make 40 to $100,000 a year who are still struggling to make ends meet. here's "real money"' "real monei velshi. >> john, we start on monday a year long study of finding the american dream. almost all americans agree that the middle class feels squeezed after years of job losses, rising costs and stagnant wages. today's middle class is under pressure. >> i feel like i'm on a treadmill like i'm sweating and there's nowhere to go. >> one little setback here and there and you're both going to sink. >> only inform 40% of americansy they're in the middle class. identifying themselves as middle class in 2008, when the recession hit. millions of families who built their lives on their homes, found they were underwater. soaring student debt makes it harder for many to move up the economic ladder and bolster america's middle class. >> we called our local bank and they said with how much student loan we had, we wouldn't be able to refinance at a better rate. >> america's middle class is made up of households with total incomes of anywhere between 40,000 and $100,000 a year. based on our analysis the middle class consists of middle income families who have similar dreams and aspirations, a secure job, owning a home, access to good health care, and a college education for their children. add to that some time off for vacations and the ability to save enough to live comfortably for retirement. these things are becoming harder to chief. >> to chief the may i respectfully dream it's difficult. >> it turned into a nightmare actually. >> rebuilding the dream is important for all of us. because the most important part of a robust economy is the middle class. spending creates strong consumer demand. without middle class the america's economy will falter. we're kicking off monday with a special hour long show, robert reich. teamsters union president james hoff fa and suze orman, it's a mixed bag but worth watching john. >> you can watch right here al jazeera america 7 eastern and again 10 eastern monday. beaten abused and forced to work up to 18 hours a day. we'll tell it where it's happening. plus drinking to death. what's killing many russian men. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. a busy friday night and lots to cover this half hour. a drinking problem in russia and why so many men in that country are dying, young. plus, a great environmental fight over dirt being dumped into australia's great barrier reef. and betting on the super bowl. the high stakes wager between art museums in denver and seattle to show their team pride. butter first a look at today's top stories. new allegations in the george washington bridge scammed. a port official, a friend of christie says through his lawyer that the governor knew about the closures as they happened and says there's evidence to prove it. the governor denied the statement and said he had no knowledge of the lane closures before they happened. 4 million americans who have been out of work for six months or more, the pledge made at a meeting with the president at the white house. anyone who has been out of work, knows the longer you're out the less attractive you are to a prospective boss. mr. obama says that's a cruel catch 22. more threats of violence against protestors in the ukraine. secretary of state john kerry will meet with activists. the are geneva meeting peace talks ended with no deal. 1900 more people died in the syria fighting while the meeting was underway. nick shifrin introduces us to one orthodox christian priest pleading for help. >> for century this church has been a sanctuary. and for 50 years father francis has been its conscience. he came from the netherlands to lead a christian community built on tolerance and compassion. >> translator: we send soup to the elderly that are stuck at home alone or injured people who cannot leave their homes. >> reporter: in this area there's a church site as old as christ. a mosque that is a thousand years old. but today when the bell tolls faintly for the christians who live here, there is no one to hear it. francis had the chance to leave. he refused. this week, he released a plea, vee youtube. via youtube. >> translator: it is possible for us to continue like this. we need a lot of help. >> reporter: after it posted we talked to francis by skype. >> what are the conditions for the people -- >> on a cell phone his assistant filmed his horrific answer. >> translator: people are running down the streets, screaming, i am hungry. >> reporter: prafrancis is thy westerner that's left in home. olives which he eats for breakfast and dinner. a little tea. an empty jar, once filled with wheat. he is a proud man. clinging to whatever dignity he has. >> translator: i wish they create a bridge to transport everything we need. >> reporter: in geneva they've spoken about that bridge but nothing's been built. nick shifrin al jazeera geneva. >> nuclear negotiations between iran and six world powers will be held next month in vienna. the european union's top policy advisor made that announcement after meet meeting with iran's foreign minister. the last meeting produced a six month agreement that curbs iran's sensitive enrichment activity for a pause in sanctions. $300 billion worth of goods to the u.s. every year. specifically the hand made carpet industry in india. a new report from harvard, has uncovered forced labor, young children physically abused. the reporter joins us from los angeles. his work at harvard kennedy school focuses on modern slavery and human trafficking. siduth welcome and thank you for being on the program. >> thank you for having me. >> what surprises you most about the study? >> i think the most surprising was the scale of the number of cases we were able to document. we focused on trying to gather as much data as possible on the severely exploitative conditions, child labor, human trafficking across nine states in northern india. that to me was one of the most startling of this project. >> siduth am, when you talk about stories that touchtone you, give us at least one. >> i think one of the most impactful experiences hi was in particular documenting the child labor cases. there are a lot of forms of forced labor we have documented but when children are involved it is particularly disheartening and i can think of a couple of areas that i documented in one state called behar in northeastern india and there were a couple of boys a half dozen in shacks sleeping next to the area they worked, working 12, 14 hours a day in exceedin exceedingly filthy environment, for carpets that are exported to the united states. >> do people know about it? >> in some areas they are held away and off the beaten track but in some cases they're right there in broad daylight. and in fact those ever some of the ones that we were not able to document. we could go to shacks and carpet factories right in some of these cities, look and see children inside or have alleged human trafficking adult victims inside, but guards wouldn't let us in. and we simply weren't able to document those cases but they were right there in broad daylight. >> where do the factories find these children? >> oftentimes recruiters, contractors, traffickers go into villages where they know there are a lot of destitute, deeply distressed and poor families and will make an offer to bring the child to a carpet factory for what sounds like good wages and good conditions and the child can come home every couple of weeks to visit parents but of course once they get there, the conditions can be very different. they are told the child has to work off a large debt, have this fee or that fee for room and board and et cetera, and they may be there for years before they get out. >> we appreciate you bringing this to us, sidharth thank you for being with us. >> thank you. russian authorities figure out why, they think they have an answer, vodka. peter sharp reports from moscow. >> reporter: vodka has been part of the social life of russia for years. but for a gross section of the population here, the party has gone on too long. at a wedding the couple toast their future with vo vodka. divorce rates are soaring, alcohol too likely the cause. the major cause of extraordinarily high risk of early death in russian men. it confirms that 25% of all russian men die before they reach 55 due to heavy drinking and to put that into perspective, the rate in britain is just 7%. >> there are only comoiks here,s here, oh so many. vodka is the cheapest 40 proof you can get. >> russian people they drink lots because they want to forget about their everyday problems. the problems with politics, the problems with jobs, some problems in family. and it seems to me that when they drink, they forget about all their problems. >> reporter: and it's not just the vodka on its own. it's the whole lifestyle of persistently heavy drinkers that throws up other drink related factors that claim so many lives. violence, suicide, alcohol poisoning, accidents, especially traffic accidents. russia's love affair with alcohol comes at such a cost. the lancet asked 150,000 people how much they drank and followed them for a decade. >> drinking a lot of hard liquor is typical, in english it's called bing drinking. precisely this type of consumption which is the main cause of death. >> president yeltzin's drunken outrages proved he was no role model. but antidrinking campaigns broadcast an state television, consumption of spirits has fallen by a third. however in a country where average life expectancy for men is only 64, vodka takes the lives of a quarter of men before they even reach 55. and that could just prove sobering. peter sharp, al jazeera, moscow. >> and joie chen is standing by to tell us what's coming up on "america tonight." joie. >> the lathest revelation against new jersey governor chris christie related to that gw bridge scandal. also, we'll take a more in depth look at the case of amanda knox, a second italian court has convicted her of the murder of her roommate in 2007. will she be forced to serve her sentence? the united states and italy have an extradition treaty. lori jane gliha will expel how this could affect the extradition request. >> her chances of appeal seem not to have been exhausted. if that is the case, presumably italy may not try to request her extradition immediately. >> more on the possibility of amanda knox's extradition to italy and more on chris christie and his political ambitions, coming up. >> all right joie, thank you very much. we are about 48 hours away from the start of super bowl. the game expected to be a record setter in more ways than one. this city has got a little super bowl fever. >> you got olove it. it's goods to be must-see tv. experts say it will break the television record of 148 million viewers for super bowl xlvi. the reason, broncos and seahawk and also because of the weather. and speaking of the weather our john henry smith is braving the chilly conditions outside the met life stadium. john, you have this hot or i should say chilly topic. >> i'd like to say i'm braving the conditions but conditions are not so bad and apparently they are going to be better as -- at least better than we thought they were going to be early on. forecast sunday here in east rutherford are correct, won't even be the coldest super bowl ever played. that distinction belongs the super bowl vi in new orleans, in 1982, where conditions were 39°. the national weather forecast predicts 40° with low winds and a 30% chance of rain or snow. the weather is so not an issue at this point that roger goodell the nfl commissioner was in a notion to joke about it friday morning. >> one focus for this year's super bowl has been on the weather. of course we cannot control the weather. [ laughter ] >> i told you we were going to embrace the weather. here we go. we appreciate the magnificent job done by new york and new jersey. the forecast, despite what you see behind me, is terrific. is football-ready. and just to confirm: we will kick off at 6:30. >> reporter: roger goodell breaking out the special effects for that press conference moment. despite the freezing conditions both teams in super bowl 48, seattle seahawks, they practice indoors like they've been doing all week. in the giants facility a few yards away from us here in the met life stadium parking lot, seattle went through 77 plays, all while accompanied by loud hip hop music, the way pete carroll keeps the atmosphere loose and upbeat. every seahawk is healthy, including percy harvin who is scheduled to play on sunday, which had been in doubt. as for the broncos, spent much of the week outdoors to get used to the cold weather. denver has a very healthy roster, only back of the roster seana fua, is off with a calf injury. a plane flew overhead friday where, meet aaron brewer, tonight. walk throughs on saturday before me on the field at met life shay stadium. and you would say they would have to spend that time figuring out t how to deal with the harsh conditions but if they had had to do that they said they are ready. >> we're not really worried about the weather. in denver we've seen snow to sunny to rain. everything. our defense is pretty weather proof and our team is pretty weather proof and we're going out to play football. >> precipitation, it's preal pry easy we're used to this. the less turnovers is goods going to win this game. >> we played in the elements, played in rain played in cold played in wind. we just want to be prepared for anything sunday. it's the super bowl. it doesn't matter what the weather is. we get an opportunity to play for a world championship. that's enough in itself. >> and once again we are being serenaded we believe by bruno mars. we hear bruno mars music, as bruno mars has got to go through his paces to get ready for the stadium, in less than 48 hours, bruno mars and the teams will get a chance to show their stuff. back to you. >> things are heating up in terms of excitement as well as the weather which is a pleasant surprise. >> may not be a problem, plrt ross thank you. next up. a major wager on the super bowl. the wager between the art museums in denver and seattle. >> and environmentalists and the coal industry. >> now in a continuing series, join ali velshi as we follow families, just like yours, as they try to get by... >> we're all struggling financially... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream only on al jazeera america! are. >> good evening, we are till looking rat a very sears drought situation across the west. no difference on the extreme and exceptional drought conditions that we have in california as well as many parts of the northwest. let's go a little bit closer in. you can see the rain that came through. all of california is seeing a drought for the most part except for down here in the very southeast. in the central we're looking exceptional 6% of the state that's the highest you can get when you talk about the drought. up to the north we are seeing some drought as well. what has caused this has been a ridge of high pressure over the area. what we have now is this ridge has come down. you notice a more flat pearch with thpatternwith the atmosphe. that ridge of high pressure is coming back. it moves closer to the coastline. any precipitation is going to go north and keep most of the southwest very, very dry. you may get a break but unfortunately we're looking for those conditions to come back. seattle at 44°. no rain in the forecast. that's a look at your national weather, your news is right after this. al jazeera america brings you more us and global news than any other american news channel. find out what happened and what to expect. >> start every morning, every day, 5am to 9 eastern with al jazeera america. >> the great barrier reef off australia'australia's east coase biggest sea coast system about 1500 miles long. environmentalists threaten it's being damaged by the environment. andrew thomas reports from sydney. >> already a united nations agency is considering whether to consider the great barrier reef as endangered. 3 million cubic meters of mud and sand dredged to deepen a port at queensland abbott point will be dropped at sea. the port needs to be deep bed so the port can export more material. environmentalists point to gladstone where an inquiry is underway whether their port developers there who said the runoff from land after flooding led to diseases in fish, whistle blowers say, this is partly to blame. 47 environmental conditions will be imposed it says and spoils won't be dumped over correlate reefcoralreefs. or sea grass beds. >> environmentalists say that's not enough. materials dumped at sea travels they say and blocks off light, killing life. >> we will see, the condition of the reef only get worse. and this is only the thin edge of the wedge. this 3 million cubic meters or five million tons of dumping is only the first of a number of proposals to expand ports and allow more dredging and dumping across the reef waters. >> the more industrial projects that are allowed in other words, the more fish suffer. the great barrier reef marine park authority is supposed to be an independent watchdog looking over the life of the reef. the government has made it clear, its priorities are economic. this decision environmentalists say, amounts to putting the interests of australia's coal industry above those of its greatest resource. andrew thomas, sydney. it's been a month since colorado has legalized recreational marijuana. raising a lot of legal problems. john hendren reports. >> after a month of legal mj marijuana sales are in. chaos. for the two dozen or so retail dispensaries in operation so far -- >> these are our retail edibles. >> business has grown faster than the budding talks in their greenhouses. >> we have constant flow of customers and revenue coming in. 15 to 20 patients, now we're seeing about 100 to 150 people a day. >> some sellers have run out of stock but with another 100 dispensaries expected to open next month the problem isn't supply. it's a completely system that hasn't caught up with the drug that's still illegal under fell law. this shop has changed banks several times. as soon as they figure out who they are dealing with they shut the accounts down but they do take credit. >> we're on our seventh or eighth bank account. it's been terrible. it's also dangerous because i'm walking around with a large amount of cash in my pocket. but we have a very tight system to hold that cash on different premises of our operations. but it's doesn't stop someone who is desperate to put a gun to my head or kidnap my wife or family. >> reporter: the green rush has fueled a new industry bud tenders, trimmers, even marijuana temp workers. but cri critics are working on w law taking pot off of the menu. >> they want to be regulated like alcohol which that creates high use for kids. >> workplace law is also unsettled. you can't be fired for using cigarettes or alcohol. but some like brandon coats here have been fired for using legal medical marijuana. as colorado's marijuana business continues its move from the legal shadows to the night of day, america's newest industrialists can only hope the law can move with them. john hendren, al jazeera, denver. 90 now, the inevitable bets between the competing cities and competing teams. museums in seattle and denver have come up with different way to show their pride. paul beban and allen shaw shoff. >> jonathan barofsky's 48 foot tall ham erlg man and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits including an asian art exhibit respond big i.t. has its own building. >> doesn't mean they're not also sports fans and here is the masterpiece that the denver art museum is putting up as its object. >> an icon of the west, one of the stars of our collection. >> that's going to look really nice on display in seattle, next to suji kako's sound of prey, the seahawk, of course, what the seattle art museum is putting up in this wager. have you ever heard trash-talking? here it is. >> a very large six-panel screen, bigger than life, much bigger than life. >> it's sad that the people in seattle are not going to get to enjoy it in seattle. >> it is sad but they can always come here to denver which is a great city. >> a man riding a bucking bronco, beautifully sculpted that we are going to be proud to display here. >> they won't get to keep that japanese screen, it will be on loan for three months. with the loser having to pay all exhibition and shipping costs. good luck in the art bowl, paul. >> thanks allen i wish you meant it. well i guess on sunday we'll find out which piece of art goes where and which city has its super bowl dreams shipped away. for allen schoffler i'm paul beban, in denver. >> coming up in our broadcast, a batch of heroin turns especially deadly in pittsburgh. plus, capturing the human condition. one photographer shows his stories behind some of the most powerful images of our time. all coming up 11:00, 8:00 eastern time. in a segment we call freeze frame, tonight it's a super bowl prediction. eli the ape has chosen the seattle seahawks as a super bowl choice. we'll see whether he he's right. headlines next. has tonight's exclusive report. >> stories that have impact... that make a difference... that open your world... >> this is what we do... >> america tonight next only on al jazeera america >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. here are tonight's top stories. new allegations in the political scandal involving the new jersey mayor chris croicht. a port authority official says christie knew about the lane closures when they occurred. he has the evidence to prove it. the governor again denies any knowledge. government authorities in ukraine, angry over protester reappearing met with top ceos today, signed a memo ordering the federal government to end hiring practices that discriminate against the unemployed. a controversial oil pipeline project between the u.s. and canada has cleared one hurdle. the white house is now expected to face more pressure to approve eit. several letters containing white powder, powder was not hazardous. i'm john siegenthaler. i'll see you at 11:00 eastern, 8:00 pacific. remember you can get the latest news on aljazeera.com. >> ton "america tonight": a bridge bomb shill, chris christie to the gw bridge scandal and how will what the governor knew raise the stakes on his political future? >> i had no knowledge or involvement in this issue. in its planning or its execution. >> on "america tonight," convicted but unconvincing. an italian court says