. right now in america this morning, the death toll rising amid this brutal blast of winter weather gripping the nation. dozens killed roads and cars

frozen over. and today, more snow on the way for millions. >> breaking overnight, the us launching a new attack in the middle east targeting militants supported by iran and now worried that pakistan has launched an attack inside iran. the latest from the pentagon taking aim nikki haley's new campaign ad attacking trump and the new polls from new hampshire, which is five days to go before the crucial primary royal health scare. the mystery surrounding princess kate's hospitalization. the princess of wales canceling all public events through easter. >> back here at home, fed up with government regulations as fishermen take their closely watched case to the supreme court, what they're demanding and how the justices responded detained at the airport. >> why arnold schwarzenegger was held overseas for three hours, plus, the nfl superstar and the chance encounter at mcdonald's and later science proves men really are better with directions than women. we'll let you be the judge.

>> from abc news in new york. this this is america. this morning. >> good thursday morning, everyone. i'm andrew dymburt. >> i'm andrea fujii in for rhiannon. we'll get to those new airstrikes in the middle east in a moment. but we begin with the extreme weather gripping much of the country. >> the death toll from the frigid conditions rising overnight and much of the country is about to get even more snow. this morning, at least 31 deaths nationwide are now blamed on the arctic blast gripping the u.s. among the victims, a man in wisconsin dying of hypothermia. three people in oregon also dying of hypothermia as parts of the northwest face heavy snow and ice. south of portland, this truck sliding down an ice covered road. conditions so bad. deandre ayton of the nba's portland trail blazers missed last night's game due to icy roads in his neighborhood. temperatures in some states are 35 degrees below average in bolton, mississippi. this water tank, overflowing after a sensor froze water spilling onto the firehouse below, coating

vehicles in a thick layer of ice. the severe cold snap leading to record electricity and natural gas demand from texas to tennessee. in chicago, the windy city, suffering through a cold streak the likes of which hasn't been seen in nearly 30 years. and near buffalo, more than five feet of snow has fallen in some areas since last weekend. today, more cities are bracing for a second round of snow from the midwest to the mid south. and then tomorrow the east coast sees snow 1 to 3in around new york city, snowing everywhere i went, flying in all directions. the fierce weather couldn't stop a doctor in iowa who went above and beyond when his patient went into labor, he drove an atv 20 miles through a snowstorm to deliver her baby. >> this is a dream come true for me to be here in a small town and provide the care we can in experiences like this is just not how i imagined i'd be a doctor one day. >> it's also a high risk of avalanches in the rockies. new video shows this avalanche in utah tuesday. parts of the deep south will finally see a warm up today, but the cold returns tomorrow. we'll check your forecast in just a few minutes.

>> the other big story this morning, the u.s. launching a new attack against a militant group in the middle east backed by iran. the pentagon revealing details overnight. abc's em nguyen is here with more m. good morning. andrea. good morning. >> the u.s. has launched another air strike against houthi fighters in yemen. the pentagon says the air strike destroyed missiles that were posing a threat to ships in the red sea. it's the fourth time the u.s. military has targeted the houthis in less than a week. the strike came just hours after the pentagon said a houthi drone attacked a u.s. cargo ship. houthi fighters in recent weeks have attacked dozens of commercial ships in the red sea. the busy shipping route sees about 15% of all global trade. the houthis are heavily supported by iran and claim their strikes are in retaliation for israel's war in gaza. meanwhile, another troubling development overnight, neighboring pakistan and iran have now attacked militants on each other's soil. pakistan's military carried out strikes in

inside iran, saying they targeted terrorist hideouts. seven people were reportedly killed, including women and children. it comes after iran carried out a similar strike inside pakistan. the day before. andrew m, thank you. >> now to the race for president. a new poll from new hampshire is out, just as former president trump and former south carolina governor nikki haley exchanged new attacks ahead of next week's primary. abc's melissa don has the latest from new hampshire. melissa good morning. >> good morning andrew. so three candidates are still in this race. but new polling from new hampshire shows that this race is down to two people. all with just five days before the first in the nation primary in new hampshire. a new poll shows former president trump with a big lead with 50, nikki haley and second with 34, ron desantis, a distant third. but another poll shows a virtual tie between haley and trump. last night, trump hitting haley with a new line of attacks at a rally

in portsmouth focusing on haley's electability. >> a vote for nikki haley this tuesday is a vote for joe biden and a democrat congress this november, because that's what's going to happen. >> haley is now turning her attention to trump. >> and you all know i'm right. chaos follows him. the only way we're going to win is if we elect a new conservative generational leader and put the negativity and the baggage behind and focus on the solutions of the future. but speaking to nightline's byron pitts, new hampshire governor chris sununu, who endorsed haley and is appearing at rallies with her, downplayed expectations. >> we always wanted to have a strong second. that's the only expectation we ever laid out. >> haley's campaign now releasing a new ad featuring trump, praised haley during her time as ambassador to the un. >> where's our nikki? ambassador nikki haley, who was so incredible, and nikki haley did a great job. i like the message that nikki sent yesterday at the united nations. so, nikki, that was the right message that you

and i agreed to be sent. >> meanwhile, both trump and haley are dealing with personal issues off the campaign trail. haley briefly flew home to south carolina to see her father, who's been battling cancer. and today, trump is attending his mother in law's funeral in florida, skipping his ongoing defamation trial in new york, a jury already found trump liable for sexually assaulting e jean carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her. carroll is now suing trump a second time, saying he continues to defame her. yesterday, the judge threatened to kick trump out of the courtroom for making comments during carroll's testimony. trump has denied all wrongdoing. as for the desantis campaign, it's moving most of its staff to south carolina. that's nikki haley's home state, and that primary is next month. and to melissa, thank you. >> here in new york, a man believed responsible for a frightening stabbing spree is in custody. police released video showing him carrying a large knife he suspected in at least five stabbings this month. four

in recent days, shocking development after last week's on air tv station attacked by gang members in ecuador. >> prosecutor looking into the attack has now been assassinate and killed while driving. he had also been investigating criminal gangs linked to drug related violence. >> new details this morning about the boy from maryland attacked by a shark at a popular resort in the bahamas. witnesses are now describing the frantic moments this morning. the ten year-old bitten by a shark in the bahamas is back in the u.s. after being airlifted to a hospital in his home state of maryland. >> everyone was freaked at trying to figure out what was going on. >> the boy was bitten on his leg during a shark tank experience at the atlantis paradise island resort. witnesses describe the terrifying moments. >> there was a lot of blood. the mom was a hero. she jumped right into action. she started wrapping towels around him, kind of probably doing tourniquet style and, um, and got him in into to, you know, at least helping with the bleeding.

>> reporter doctors say the boy underwent successful surgery before being flown back to the u.s. the resort website has advertised the shark experience, saying guests can walk on the bottom of the tank and come face to face with the sharks. the owners of the excursion say they're deeply saddened by the attack and say they have begun an internal investigation and are fully cooperating with the authorities. the experience is closed pending an investigation, and local lawmakers are now questioning whether these types of activities should be regulated. we will consider lessons learned from all of these shark attacks, potentially , they reflect some changes in the regulations. experts say maintaining a safe distance and respecting the sharks personal space is key for safety. >> you don't want to get too close, invade their space. it could. it could, um, make them uncomfortable for shark encounters with people can be extremely rewarding and special experience for people and can be done safely. >> the resorts shark tank experience has been open since

2006. the company says this is the first guest related incident. >> time now for your thursday weather. good >> looks like a slippery morning commute today for many from chicago to detroit to pittsburgh, pa. a little bit of snow, very cold out there. watch out for some slick roads and sidewalks. meantime, as we look our way into tonight, this storm will spread its snow toward new york city after midnight, the snow will accumulate as we head into friday and friday night to the tune of 1 to 3in in new york city and boston. greater amounts of snow through friday night in the interior. i'm accuweather meteorologist kevin cosgrove >> coming up, fishermen fed up with government regulations. take their case to the supreme court. but first royal health scare. >> the mystery surrounding princess kate's hospitalization for abdominal surgery and later naps may not be so good for you after all.

>> we'll explain

when you were diagnosed with cancer. i know this has allowed you to see how hard life can be, but always realize it's full of opportunities to make someone's day better. there's been so much kindness surrounding you, starlight who made you smile even on your toughest days. never forget those who loved you so well and know that you have the responsibility to give back. love, dad.

series on abc this morning, an outpouring of well-wishes for the royal family as king charles and princess kate face health challenges. >> kensington palace says kate underwent a planned abdominal surgery and could be hospitalized for two weeks. they say it was not cancerous and the operation was successful, but offered no further details, only saying the 42 year old mother of three wants to maintain her privacy and as much normalcy for her children as possible. her public events have been canceled through easter. here's a look at the front page of the british daily mail. this morning. both royals side by side under the headline let's pray that they're both okay. as for king charles, he'll be hospitalized next week to be treated for an enlarged prostate. his condition is described as benign and common for men. his age. the king is set for an overnight stay in the

hospital back in this country, a major supreme court case is testing the power of the federal government to impose regulations. >> the case is being brought by fishermen fed up with the government interfering in their jobs. abc's derrick dennis has more. >> you've been doing this for years. you love it? >> yeah, and i don't know how to do anything else. >> new jersey fisherman stephen axelsson is one plaintiff in a closely watched case before the supreme court challenging a law thatrillionequires federal observers to be on board commercial fishing boats, making sure the fishermen play by the rules when it comes to catch limits. the requirement became an added burden in recent years, when the government mandated some fishermen pay the salaries of those observers up to $700 per day. if we don't mind taking observers, you know, we have for decades now, but to be told to pay for it just isn't right. the justices heard arguments yesterday. the fishermen's case centers on a 1984 court ruling that gives the government power to delegate disputes over

federal regulations, like fishing rules, to policy experts at government agencies. the fishermen want that power taken away. justice sotomayor yesterday appeared ready to uphold the status quo. we do delegate. >> we have recognized delegations to agencies from the beginning of the founding of the interpretation. >> but justice kavanaugh appeared willing to side with the fishermen, expressing concern about the executive branch. those federal agencies becoming too powerful. >> that's why it's hard to find the right balance between restraint and letting the executive get away with too much. >> in the end, fishermen say, having to pay for government observers will deplete their already thin profits. >> this is really about the government without express authorization from congress, imposing some additional huge costs on the industry. >> well, the court decides in this case could affect a variety of industries from public health and safety to tax collection and even prescription drug development. the court's ruling

is expected this summer. andrew andrea. >> thanks, derek. well, coming up, another flight attendant attacked in the air also ahead, what's prompted richard simmons to make a rare public statement i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. thanks to skyrizi, i'm on my way with clearer skin. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. nothing on my skin means everything! ♪ nothing is everything ♪ ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. hey... it's me! your dry skin! i'm craving something we're missing. the ceramides in cerave. cerave, with three essential ceramides, helps restore my natural barrier, so i can lock in moisture and we can feel it long after. cerave moisturizers.

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... but he's stille with y living in the red.gain. with a very high risk of another attack. with his risk factors his recommended ldl-c level should be below 55. find out if you're living in the red. learn how to get a free ldl-c test. learn how to get a free ldl-c test. >> we're back with a wayward horse out for a run on this tennessee highway. deputies did what they could to protect the horse from speeding traffic. the low speed, high hoof chase ended when a trailer arrived to bring the horse back home. >> another case of airline passengers misbehaving, this time on a flight from japan to seattle. officials say an american who was drunk bit a flight attendant, forcing the flight to return to tokyo. the man was taken into custody. recent incidents of biting or hitting crew members on american and delta resulted in fines of around $80,000, a new opportunity to fill thousands of vacant health care jobs. >> a charity run by former new york mayor michael bloomberg is planning to find the workers in high schools. it's spending $250

million to train high school students for nursing lab science and other medical careers. they're pairing the students with hospitals for on the job training. >> we turn now to richard simmons, and what's prompted him to come forward with a rare public statement this morning. reclusive fitness icon richard simmons issuing a rare statement after word that a biopic about his life will soon be released. >> i just love myself. every part of myself. >> the 75 year old saying on facebook. hi everybody. you may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with pauly shore. i have never given my permission for this movie, so don't believe everything you read. i no longer have a manager and i no longer have a publicist. i just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. thank you for all your love and support. what? check it out. two three simmons, rose to stardom in the 80s with his sweating to the oldies aerobics videos. his eccentric, energetic personality made him a favorite guest on talk shows. it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. >> if this doesn't bring the

cops, i don't know what will. >> but in 2014, simmons withdrew from public life, cutting off contact with friends. soon, rumors began to circulate that he was being held at his home against his will. simmons addressed those rumors during a phone interview in 2016. >> no one is holding me in my house as a hostage. i just sort of wanted to be a little bit of a loner for a while. i just really don't want to do anything , you know? >> yesterday, a trailer was released for a short film called the court jester, with comedian pauly shore playing simmons. a feature film also starring shore is in development. the production company behind the film, saying while we would love to have simmons involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story. the short film premieres friday at the sundance film festival. >> coming up, science proves men really are better with directions. >> plus, the nfl superstar and a >> plus, the nfl superstar and a chance encounter at mcdonald's (♪) a tiny pinch of knorr chicken bouillon will save you more gas than driving down hill.

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morning america, we're right here. >> and we got you, we got you. we got you. >> it's time to check the pulse. and we begin with that midday nap. in some cases doing more harm than good. >> well, naps can make us feel refreshed, a study from china claims it can also raise our blood pressure. researchers found adults who took naps were 12% more likely to develop hyper tension, and 24% more likely to have a stroke than those who didn't take naps. that's because they often hurt our ability to get a full night's sleep the following night. >> experts say naps can still be beneficial if done properly. that means only 20 to 30 minutes in the early to mid afternoon. next, arnold schwarzenegger in trouble at the airport. >> he was detained in munich, germany, for about three hours because of a high end watch, customs said he failed to declare the watch, which he plans to auction off for charity . the customs agents reportedly took him to the atm so he could withdraw enough money to pay the taxes, and the penalty, which

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danielle is one of many fans hoping he still returns. and finally, a new study on why men may be better with directions than women. >> that's questionable. researchers say it has nothing to do with evolution and everything to do with how we're raised. they say boys are simply encouraged to play outside more than girls. that socialization allows boys to be exposed, to go outside and see their surroundings and build up their navigation skills. i do have to say though, sense of direction is different than taking directions. >> that is very, very true. we've got top headlines. i think we've got top headlines. i think next. when migraine strikes you're faced with a choice. ride it out with the tradeoffs of treating? or push through the pain and symptoms? with ubrelvy, there's another option. one dose works fast to eliminate migraine pain treat it anytime, anywhere. without worrying where you are or if it's too late. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. allergic reactions to ubrelvy can happen.

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abc7 news. >> alaska airlines will initiate and enhance our own layers of quality control to the production of our airplanes. >> that's the ceo of alaska airlines now promising a focus on safety moving forward. now a five, the expanded investigation into what caused this mid-air incident. >> one bay area city offering the largest signing bonus in the