Families across the u. S. Gaving thanks, and the holiday has many meanings. For some fighting 30 degrees temperatures to watch the annual macys parade. The parade wrapped up without incident. The wind died down, the balloons flew. Others decided to take advantage of store hours. Kmart opened their doors early at 6am. But nowhere were they more grateful than in washington illinois, it is in what we call the nations heartland. Some that live there lost everything in the tornado. Today the Community Came together to help and feel. Andy roesgen is there. This is why they call it the heartland. In fact, a lot of people here are thankful for their lives. We look at the damage behind me, you can see why. Not much has changed since the last two sundays when the huge storm hit, 24 were killed. Around washington a number of churches and schools got together to hold thanksgiving day feasts, free meals. All the volunteers working to fix the meals, food donated. We stopped by a church with a large gathering, the crossroads meth difficulty church. They had about 1200 pounds of turkey donated. No shortage of food. They had so much they had to turn some away. For the victims, we talk to a number of people that lofter everything. The tornado that tested their strength strengthed their faith in what happened. These people are amazing. Its like soldiers on earth, they are angels for me. They give us food, a place to sleep and i adopt them, all of them, as a family. They are so wonderful. In fact, that tornado missed the church by 50 yards, so the church has reason to be thankful. 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. There is help on the way. President obama pledged federal disaster aid for 13 counties in south or central illinois. They are not being forgotten. Aid includes lowcost loans for housing renovation to get them on their feet and going here in washington. Andy roesgen live from washington illinois. Thank you very much. Well have more on the holidays in a moment. First we want to look at the days other top stories, we begin in egypt where these are the images leaving some speechless. 14 women and girls in white in a cage in a cairo courtroom. They have been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Among them seven minors going to gaol. They were convicted under a law banning demonstrations without government permission. Hoda abdelhamid has more. There was an uproar across the board. People were angered seeing this 14 girls standing in that gaming in the court, and being treated as if they were high criminals. Now, these girls do belong to a group called the 7am movement. Thats a movement that does support the aint Coup Alliance and former president mohamed morsi. Before going to school or university they stood in the street for half an hour, sometimes carrying balloons with the sign of the antiCoup Alliance on it. Other times, like the day they were detained, they were forming a human chain. They were sentenced for thuggery, for destruction of public property among other charges. Something that the lawyer says they will appeal. But certainly it raises a lot of questions for many people, specially that they were detained before the protest law, and they were charged in the middle of the uproar that exists in this country because of that protest law. Cairo university and another have been in turmoil for a while. Now, the antiCoup Alliance has been holding a lot of the demonstration in there and students that support them are holding the demonstrations. They do turn violent once in a while, and that is what happened. According to the interior ministry, the students spilt outside of the campus. The interior ministry say the Security Forces use the protocol spelt out by the protest law, which is verbally warning the students to go back inside the campus much the students remained outside. Then they used a water canon, and then they fired tear gas. We heard that one student has died. It is an excallation that escalation that keeps on going on. With the protest, its difficult to carry out any protest because the students have to go through the dean of the university, they have to ask the interior Ministry Permission for the student to protest. Theres a feeling that the government is all out trying to stifle any voices of dissent at the time when the country is heading towards a constitutional referendum. That promises to be a debate. We are joined by Tamara Alrifai from the Human Rights Watch joining us via skype. This seems to be a harsh sentence. What does it say about democracy in egypt . It says a lot about people organizing, mobilising, peaceful protests, and comes after a new law was adopted with restrictions on the ability to organise anything in protest of government stations, before the country is going through a referendum in a few month, and perimeterry elections. It raises the question about peoples ability to organise anything in the upcoming election under the restrictions. These are women, what does it say about womens rights, not to mention the fact some were girls as young as 15. The problem is that. Its the age of the girls considered children under law. This is not about women per se, its about any demonstration that is against a decision taken by the government. This group happens to be a group of the girls. Yesterday other girls, young ladies were arrested and young men. A famous activist that is demonstrating against a military trial of civilians was taken from his house, this isnt targetting women as much as its targetting anyone that dares to approach. These laws were supposed to stop people taking to the street. It seems the outrage over the sentences is having the opposite effect. Is that what you hear . This is a country where the government wont have public protest. Its a country where citizens exercised their right through demonstrations. Its difficult to impose people now to go back home. Based on what you see from Human Rights Watch, does it appear is that egypt is moving backwards. It appears to us that things are not looking goods on the human rights front. They are not looking good on the continuation of military trials on civilians and laws that it is studying, restricting the work of nongovernmental organizations. There is a line itself with the official idea. Things are not looking good for a country in 2011. A country acting with impunity and moving to a rightsbased system. Thank you Tamara Alrifai, joining us via skype. Vice President Joe Biden heading to china. China declared an air defense zone extending over a disputed area in the east china sea. The zone including ireland, china and japan. The u. S. Became involved when it flew bombers through an an airspace. It may take a tiny miscalculation or misunderstanding, and these islands could become a center of a Large International conflict. To the japanese, they are the s sending , to the chinese the diaoyu island. They are the most talked about island in asia. Politics at home have a lot to do with it. China, japan and korea are facing domestic issues. They want to divert peoples attention. The countries want to find another issue to quarrel about. Chinas decision to impose control over the airspace upset neighbours. It is argued that the u. S. Is most annoyed. Translation the adiz was introduced by the United States after japans defeat in the Second World War to secure japans safety. Its the u. S. s invention. China is trying to introduce a new order. Thats why the chinese are more sensitive than japan. On the streets of tokyo there is concern. Translation i cant understand why anyone would do this. If you dont know what your neighbour is thinking, its a reason to be afraid. Translation my feelings of mistrust, anxiety and nervousness increased. The islands were never more than a footnote until a u. N. Survey more than 40 years ago. That suggested there could be large oil deposits beneath the seabed around them. That got taiwan and china originally interested. Now, with so many countries involved, a small misstep could have consequences for peace in the region. Its that miscalculation that americas vice President Joe Biden hopes can be avoided when he visits the region next week. With oil deposits yet to be proven, the islands hold little real value, and it could be a highstakes confro tags over nothing. Coming up an Al Jazeera America the traditional Holiday Shopping season gets started a little earlier this year. Im Jennifer Glasse in new york square, macys will be open on thanksgiving for the first time in its history. Shoppers are lining up in times square at toys r up and tradition sailing high over the streets of new york. Im from wyoming, wishing a hol di wishes and Merry Christmas from afghanistan. Love to my husband film and son joseph. Shms some americans are getting a head start on the thanksgiving shopping season. Several major retailers opened up ahead of black friday allowing consumers to get a jump on Holiday Shopping. Macys extended their hour to today for the first time ever. Jennifer glasse is at the flagship store. Macys set to open in a few hours. What do you crowds look like . There arent crowds. They are cleaning up from the parade. A lot of shoppers have gone up to the store to see what time they are opening. It was 8 00 pm. It opened to let some of the macys employers out. There was a rush to get in. Employees said, no, we dont open until 8, a lot of excitement that the store will open tonight at 8 oclock for the first time in its 111year history is it worth it getting out there today or should we wait . Will there be better deals today than there will tomorrow on black friday. . At macys, shoppers here tonight before 1 00 pm will get better deals. Its not just for the deals, its for the retailers. Thanksgiving falls on the latest on the calendar. Retailers have one less week of shopping, and they are retailers like macys are competing with online competition, internet, so they have to do what they can to get shoppers in. Thats a large part of what this is about macys was not alone. How many other nationwide chains jumped on board the early shopping bandwagon . Quite a few. Kmart opened at 6 oclock this morning. At times square toys r up are expected to open at 5 00 pm. Shoppers are lining up. People do want to get a jump on Holiday Shopping, especially if they are out and about. Thousands came to manhattan to see the thanksgiving parade. If they are out they may as well get started. As i walk through the streets of Manuel Zelaya manhattan, many are open. Save a spat no line for me. Jennifer glasse out and about. Thanksgiving some think its a celebration between the pilgrims and its native american neighbou neighbours. The history is political. It was claimed in 1777 to celebrate a war over the british. In 1789 George Washington declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer in honour of the constitution. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln askeded the nation to celebrate triumph and battle. It didnt become an official holiday until 1971, Franklin Roosevelt signing it into law to lengthen the shopping season. Macys stealing a cue the show must go on. Despite high windows things went off without a hitch. John terrett was there for every step. Maceys staff called them the gentle giants. 16 huge character balloons flying through the canyons of new york, narrowly making it through the skyscraper as traditional as having the whole family for a thanksgiving sk dinner. It almost didnt happen, a storm passed over leaving blustery weather in its wake. Winds, higher than 23 Miles Per Hour or gusting above 24 Miles Per Hour would have kept the boys on the ground. Stiff breezes did not stop the balloons taking off. At times they tested the strength of their handlers. Macys estimates 3. 5 million braved freezing temperatures to watch the parade. 50 million would have seen it on tv. Thanksgiving day parade. Why wouldnt i want to be out here. The statistics are staggering. 16 gentle giant balloons, more than 30 smaller ones, 11 marching bands, 900 clowns and 1600 drum majors, mainlier et cetera and cheer leaders. Its over for another year. Listen closely as the parade windows down. You can almost hear a sigh of relief. Definitely something worth giving thanks for. Well the front that produced the rain and brought in the wind pushed off sure. We are looking at a nicer day across the majority of the country across the North Central plains to the northwest. You can see the front pushed offshore. The winds are pushing in out of the north and west, gusting earlier this morning. Thats why the parade was threatened. The winds did not gust more than 23 Miles Per Hour. The parade was able to go on. I want to mention the northwest, the fact that theres a lot of dense fog across i90. Theres an advisory in effect until 4 00 pm pacific time. If you travel, keep that in mind. Back to the northeast. Snow showers along the new york state freeway, through the serra cues area. Thats my home town in pennsylvania. If you are in manhattan sunshine through the day. Chilly. Philadelphia 36. Cleveland 31. Again, the winds this is an isobar map. The closer the lines, the gustier the windows. Gusty winds are pushing across new england. Tomorrow comfortable. As we track across the region winds gusting 25 Miles Per Hour. Theyll diminish. Philadelphia 15 miles. Boston at 21. Take a look at the textures in new york city. We are in the 30s, back in the 40s next week. Thank you. Good news for those that are skye watchers. Comet ison may be in one piece. It circled closely around the sun, moving at almost 217 Miles Per Hour to temperatures approaching 5,000 degrees farenheit. Mike hankey is an amateur photographer following ison. He joins us via skype. Ison survived. What should we expect next . Its hard to say. We are looking at images 15 minutes old. Part of the comment is there. The nucleus is not as bright as it was. Its too early to tell. I doubt well see a super bright comet like they predicted earlier. This was kind of dicey because we didnt find out until a short while ago that it survived. As it 20 minutes ago reports said it had died. Then it was already expected to show up in this camera. It didnt show up. It was dim before it went in or dimmed a lot before it went in. I got several emails from the top avt ron omers saying its over, ison is dead and so on. 15 minutes ago images of a tail showed up. Clearly something is left. What is it about the comets that cause us to be curious. Well, they are transient, exciting. They were exciting. They are different every day, we dont know what to expect. People want to predict and see if they come through. People and societies have been fascinating by comments for thousands of years. Theres ancient drawings. They are neat. To look up at the sky and see something stretching a quarter of the sky. We saw cotech in the sky for some time. With ison, what will we see. The best predictions is that we could potentially see a comment as bright as the moon, which would have meant it was a naked eye comment, half an hour before dawn you would you see it in the sky and a long tail stretching 2030 degrees in the sky, maybe longer. We want to look over the next 34 days. We want to wake up and look to the eastern sky. You might see something. In case my loved ones are listening. What times of things do i need to put on my Christmas Wish list in order to see ison. A dslr cameron is the easiest thing to use. Point the slr at the sky and expose for 510 seconds. If its there it will show up. The cameras can catch more light than our eyes. Anything else. Binoculars would be a useful tool. Anything else on the horizon before you go. Theres billions of commets out there, several in the sky now. Not as chiting as this. Mike hankey joining us live via skype. Ross shimabuku joins us with sports. Good news for the broncos fansism. Yes, head coach john fox heading back to work on monday. He had open heart surgery earlier, recovering in charlotte. Hes been in denver for thanksgiving. The plan is to have him in the coachs box or on the sideline. Airing it out against the Green Bay Packers and an annual game. Matt stafford had a monster game. 300 yards, three touchdowns. A megatron. Spasming the packers for the first thanksgiving day victory since 2003. The good news, Aaron Rodgers spected to be badge from a broken collar bop. The packers have not won a game since rogers was injured. Coincidence. Not good at all. Thank you. Still ahead on Al Jazeera America. Its black friday shopping, if it doesnt float your both, maybe the deals on cyber monday will. Im kaelyn forde in new york. Turkeys are running while. I wish my wife a Merry Christmas and happy holidays in denver, colorado. Is welcome back to Al Jazeera America. Im del walters. This is a look at the top stories. A thanksgiving tradition taking to the streets. The balloons flying in the macys parade. 1,100 workers held them tethered along the route. Its looking like black friday. Shoppers that finished early will have chances for a bargain. They opened their doors to kick off the shopping season early. Vice President Joe Biden heading to china amaid tension between china and japan both claiming ownership of islands in the china sea. Major delays from the Affordable Care act. Small businesses will have to wait another year before signing up employees. Spending by shoppers on the day after thanksgiving is a barometer of how retailers will fair during the holidays. With each passing year, new factors important the lessling of black friday. Gerald explains why. Americans are expected to spend 602 billion this holiday season. A good chunk, 11 or 65 billion, is expected to change hands on black friday. Thes