So we begin tonight with a new ruling on the nsa spying controversy. A federal judge ruled at the time legal for the National Security agency to collect socalled metadata from persons cell phone. A week ago another judge ruled it basically violated are rights. John terrett could you tell us . Half us think its a good idea because it keeps us safe, the other half thinks its terrible. And now members of the judiciary. Not just any members of the judiciary, two federal judges, district judges, pretty high up, one in new york, one in washington, d. C, coming to completely different conclusions on basically the same issue. Take a look. In his ruling federal judge William Pauley of new york, connected fragmented and fleeting communications. He said the 9 11 attacks might have been prevented if the phone Data Collection system had existed then to help investigators connect the dots before the attacks occurred. He says the governments learned from its mistakes and has adapted to confront a new enemy, a Terror Network capable of executing attacks across the world. He said the collection. Data was part, after former Edward Snowden being pleakd details, on american are Networks Every day. The aclus lawyers arced the governments interpretation of authority under the patriot act was so broad it could justify the mass collection of financial, health and even Library Records of innocent americans without their knowledge. The aclu says it will appeal judge pauleys ruling. Misapplies a narrow precedent to read away core constitutional connections. The department of justice said they were pleased with judge pauleys position. Richard leon sitting in washington, d. C. Ruled the opposite way in a suit brought against the phone Company Verizon for bulk collection of phone records. He wrote, i have serious doubts about the efficacy of the metaData Collection program as a way of creating time sensitive investigations, edwar edward sns disclosure bts the nsa programs, at home and around the world. So where are we tonight . Well, last week the white house issued a report that was commissioned in the wake of the Edward Snowden affair in which it seemed to suggest that some changes may very well be in the offing in this country into the way this kind of metadata as its called is collected and stored. Meanwhile, Edward Snowden had what he always wanted, as a new years present, national if not International Debate over spying. Many people feel that this issue is so big and with two federal judges coming to completely different conclusions on basically the same issue, its heading towards the Supreme Court in washington, d. C. Tony. You were talking about cases that would not have come to the fore if it were not the leaks, Edward Snowden got exactly what he wanted. Todays ruling raises all sort of questions. Lets bring in ariva martin. Ariva, good to see you again. Could the nsa and the Justice Department have asked for a besht finding from a federal judge than it received today from judge palley . No, toifn. Thi toifn, this is a early new years present. Well within the right to collect all this data even though theres no necessary find that theres probable cause that a crime is going to be committed or that any individual is leaked to any particular terrorist threat. So a big day today for the government. And yet react to that, 11 days ago, dr. Richard leon as you know said the metaData Collection program was almost orwellian, calling it district and arbitrary and likely unconstitutional sphwhrp you know whats so particularly bizarre about this tony is you have the same set of facts, you have the same law and you have this 1979 case, this smith versus maryland case that said when you give your phone records or you engage in, you know, a business deal with the phone company, you no longer have a reasonable expectation of privacy. As it relates to your phone records. Now the washington, d. C. Court says thats outdated. That the data that was on phone records in 1974 is completely different than the data thats contained on phone records today, and that that case is no longer you know valid. The court in manhattan said absolutely not. That case is still good law and the Supreme Court is the only court that can overrule the smith case and as long as that case is valid there is no expectation of privacy. Well get to whats next in a moment. But these opinions are in such opposite direction, starkly so. I have to ask you did the aclu lawsuit ask this judge, judge pauley the critical Fourth Amendment question, whether that represents an unreasonable search and seizure activity . Thats the heart of the situation, without being probable cause that there was a crime committed and is it a violation of your Fourth Amendment rights and judge pauley said it is not a violation of your 4th amendment rights. Only the Supreme Court i think can make a final germings the Data Collection determination about the Data Collection program. Ariva good to see you. Thank you tony. Theres no responsibility for todays car bombing that killed mohamed chata, former ambassador to the United States, also a member of the coalition that oppose the syrian government. Rula amin has the story. A daring attack in the downtowns posh area. Why killed hamad chata and his four body guards. He was a close aid and top advisor to former Prime Minister. Are march 14th antisyria coalition. The explosion took place just a short distance from the resident of hariri where chata had his office. Security had been very tight here lately but not enough to prevent this attack. We were inside and felt glass breaking and coming in. Then we heard the sound and thats what happened. An explosion happened. An explosion continued to break. We waited until it was all broken and then went out and saw this. As you can see all these shops here are damaged. I consider all this terrorism. All this is terrorism damaging the country and the people. What more can i say . God help us. God help this country. Reporter as investigators looked for clues, politician he said they already knew who was behind this attack and they pointed the finger to iran and hezbollah. Hariri who had not set foot inside the kin for a year said the killers were the same as those of his father. The march 14th leaders met at hararis home. From dara, to aleppo, to syria. Two weeks before the start of the work of the International Court investigating the killing of hariri, they killed mohamed chata. It is not the first car bomb to hit lebanon this year. In november, the Iranian Embassy was attacked. Dozens were killed then. And in tripoli, twin car bombs went off outside two modification. Lebanese politicians may agree on various issues but when it comes to the deteriorating situation in the country they share the same view the civil war next door in syria is the reason for it. Hezbollah accused syria of being behind the attacks on the shaa neighborhoods. But for the people who live in lebanon, their country is turning into a regional battle ground. This war is transforming, the whole Political Landscape it is transforming even the borders that were prevailing before this syrian revolution, so it could be as a part of a big attempt to redraw the whole levant map. Key figure in lobbying the International Community to bring the killers of the former Prime Minister. He always stressed it was important to deter the perpetrators from further killing. It was set to start on january 16th, that did not stop the assassination of this person. Tear gas at anticoup protestors near Azhar University in cairo. Nearly 300 were arrested. Peter cresta has more now. Friday was always going to be a day of confrontation. The tends to will between egypts 18th government protestors and the police. It came two days after the government declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist group. The interior ministry warns anyone would be in prison for five years on charge of attemp attempting terrorist ideology. Thousands turned out after friday prayers. And now they want to rule us with with food, with guns, and because of that were going to present very seaively, very peacefully, to save our rights. They will be there, the killer will not be in egypt. Women also joined the march that seed hez of headed for a confrontation. Above them, supporters wavered from balconies. This four firngd salute is fingered salute is a symbol. They continue to defy the government, we are now needing to see what the governmental is is carrying out. Minutes later the police moved in firing tear gas and bird shot into the ground, a determined core regroups to fight blacks. The police tried to arrest anyone involved in the protest. We have one person. Dation six burns were received by them. They are now in prison. A photographer captured this, what official here to be a threat to stayed security and national civility. But if these coffin front takings continue as the protestors promise, it may have the sops effect. Peter cresta, al jazeera, cairo. Three cabinet members have already resigned, testers want the Prime Minister to go as we well. Reporting from iiveld. Its one of the largest scandals that erdogan mass suffered. After three of his key ministers were forced to resign. But erdogan still enjoys support and countering antigovernment protests. On friday, he announced before his followers sovereignty does not balooning to the government either, it belongs to the people. Elsewhere in istanbul, l although small in number, his opponents were with ongoing battles with police, the chance he are clear. Bribery is everywhere, corruption is everywhere, they simply wants the Prime Minister to resign. Police tried to break away the crowsdz outside taksim square. We do not want that man who is a traitor and a thief around our turkz. We want to say to him, goodbye. This latest scandal has brought to the surface a power struggle between the government of turkey, based in the u. S. Is said to have big support in soirkturkey including followersn the police and the asia. It is widely believe that gulan was responsible for bringing the Corruption Scandal into a public domain. The two men were allies in the past but the rift between them is now threatening the countrys are public utility stability. During an apparent Suicide Attack in afergz, a bomb are struck a convoy as it was leaving a military base in the capital, kabul. The taliban has claimed responsibility. Uncompleer whether rebels fighting in the east africans, meantime 72 u. N. Peace keepers riesked in south sudans capitol. They joined more than 5,000 peace keepers, protecting the 63,000 in are bases. Starting tomorrow, Many Americans will no longer be getting their unemployment checks. And ban if box, have you ever been convicted of a crime. Well be right back in a moment. That make a difference. That open your world. This is what we do. America tonight next only on Al Jazeera America here is more. Beneath the fluorescentsun in a former meat packing plant is the latest trim in farming. They call it vertical farming. These fields grow on floors on at Industrial Park and farmer john adel and his staff agrees user. My shipping proceed did you say 1500, 2,000 miles to get are. The plant of the indoor as the indoor formers call it doesnt grow corn or soybeans but mustard, high end micro greens on the plates of whitenapkin restaurants. These fish supply the vert liser that number issues the he. Wet weather coming into text. Alabama, mississippi, georgia, all the way across the southeast. Were going to have wet weather coming in, little warmer and means no ice and were also going to have the showers still in parts of southern texas, looks Like Northern texas around lubbock, youre going to stay dry. Saturday arctic air is coming in, and that will bring snow around the great lakes. And breezy winds will bring the hint of cooler air as well. Keep in mind, that snow will pile up. Lake effect snow machine, but areas just south of that will see accumulations of two to four inches. Starting out the day theyll feel better than they have this last week, closer to normal, billings, high of 32, but were going to have more comfortable temperatures in places to the. This is the radar, where the rain showers are flooding in and here are flood warnings. Areas of flood warnings popping up so you want to monitor your local weather in the southeast. Rebecca thank you. They have arrived. Ups says thousands of backlogged packages have been delivered to customers but angry shopper say they want a refund. They will not refund ground shipping, they blame a surge of bad weather. Holiday hack attack, hackers stole numbers from 40 million credit and debit users and enincremented pin accounts. Target is confident they are secure. The key needed to decode the data was not stored in its system. Time and money has run out, their extended benefits end tomorrow. Congress did not vote to extend the benefits before taking recess. The president would, quote, Push Congress to act promptly and in a bipartisan manner to renew these benefits. David hawkins is in detroit with that story. More than 1 million unemployment workers will lose their benefits this weekend because Congress Allowed the benefits to expire before taking its holiday break. Since 2007, the federal government has been providing benefits to unemployed workers when their are benefits ran out. Michigans unemployed will be the hardest hit. 145,0045,000 will lose benefitst year. I get 157 a week after taxes. Im not going to be able to pay for utilities. In fact, after this check i get this week from unemployment, i have to pay the mortgage payment on 1st of january. Im have less than 200 in the bank. Michigans Unemployment Rate is 8. 8 , third highest in the country. Thats led many republicans in congress to say theres no locker any need for emergency unemployment benefits. Most democrats believe the benefits should continue. Before heading off to hawaii for the holidays, president obama consolidated congress for failing to extend the program. Because congress didnt act, more than 1 million of their constituents will lose a vital Economic Life line at christmastime. When Congress Comes back to work their first order of business should be making this right. Until then people relying on federal unemployment checks will just have to wait and see. Keep looking for work and hope the new year brings good tidings and cheer not to mention more jobs. David hawkins, al jazeera, detroit. So it is called banning the box. It is a law that says employers cannot ask job applicants if they have been convicted of a crime. Seattle is one of the biggest cities to adopt the policy. Tanya moaz mri has the story. Its a simple interaction. He isnt taking for granted. Before he was hired by the Community Resource program year up, taylor had applied to more than 100 jobs. I got zero interviews, zero call backs. No, nothing at all. Taylor thinks he was shut out of the hiring process thanks a little box on job applications that asks, have you been convicted of a crime . At 18, taylor served time in prison for robbery. When you fill out so many job applications and hear the same thing, no, because of your record, it basically makes you wants to turn back to a hive of recidivism, commit more crimes because you have no opportunity. Seattle is one of 50 cities in ten states to make it easier for persons like taylor to move on from their crimes. They cannot be asked until after they are brought in for aan interview. They have to give someone a chance to explain or correct their record, if it makes them not want to go ahead in the hiring process. This does not apply to committing crimes in direct conflict for jobs they are applying for. For instance, a sex offender cannot apply for a job dealing with children. They still can decide not to hire someone based on a criminal record but they need to have a legitimate business reason. Some like jim tharp questions the effectiveness of the law, he believes Educational Programs would provide a greater service. There needs to be not just so much laws but there should be programs so that thee people can get into jobs. And without that were going to continuously have the same problem. When searching for work thats what it all boils down to. Am i qualified for this position . Can i do better than any other applicant . My background just says i made a mistake. Taylor says ban the box is not a solution but a first step in helping felons give back to society. Tanya moaz mri, seattle. A couple of days ago we told you about the las vegas cab driver who found 300,000 in his cab and returned it. Today he got a pretty nice reward. The poke are player who left the cash in the back seat has noun given the cabbie, 10,000. The cab company made him employee of the year and gave him another 1,000. Why the ged is getting a major makeover and bidding war why every Major League Team wants this pitching phenom, no matter what the cost. Judge welcome back to Al Jazeera America. Im tony harris. Here are your top stories. Died in a huge disploation in beirut today, much of the violence in beirut is being blamed on the civil war in nei