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♪ ♪ the ravenous and freezing night lingers seemingly without end. until finally the darkness begins its slow retreat. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ after many months light returns in earnest to the south pole but only momentarily. and yet, it is enough. the victory over winter has begun.

their efforts have not been in vain. ♪ ♪ the light is returning, the winter is far from over. the worst is actually yet to come.

♪ ♪ no matter how cold it is or how hungry they are, the fathers must keep moving. if they don't, they will die. ♪ ♪

each day, more eggs will hatch but this check is hungry. he needs the food in his mother's belly. but his father is hungry, too. he has not eaten in nearly four months. if his mate doesn't arrive soon he will be forced to abandon his

child and returned to the sea to feed himself. he will have no choice. but there is one secret weapon against the newborn's hunger. the father coughs up a milky substance. despite his own hunger this tiny meal has been relegated to a small piece of his throat just for this moment. this little banquet will keep the chick alive for a day, perhaps two. hopefully long enough for the mother to arrive. for some, it is already too late.

♪ >> the mothers step up their rhythm as they're sensing the urgency. ♪ ♪

>> they shuffle along as quickly as possible, hauling their overstuffed bellies one last mile. and then at last, they're back.

to find each other in the enormous crowd, the penguins must rely on sound, not sight. as they circle the returning mothers trumpet and wait for their mates to call back. the sound is deafening. and yet somehow each of them will hear their mate's song.

a couple has found one another. the mother sees her chick for the first time. and at last, the family is together.

and just as they did with the egg, the parents now quickly pass off the newborn from one to the other.

now it is the mother's turn to protect her chick from the fierce cold. the father and his chick sing to one another, making sure each knows the other's voice. it is the only way the two will find each other when the father returns. as the chick enjoys his first real meal, the father prepare es to sever the bond between them. it's not easy to do.

the fathers have gone without food for over four months. they will have lost as much as half their weight. but still they must walk for over 70 miles. this leg of the journey may be why there are fewer males than females. each year, some of these new fathers will not make it back to the sea. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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>> like the sun, the chicks grow stronger every day. but they are not yet ready to

leave their mothers.

>> in time, after being perched atop their mother's feet for 1,000 paces, like a child learning to dance on her mother's shoes, the chick takes his first steps alone. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> with the winds return, the temperature drops. this year, winter's going out with a bang.

this is a first for some of the new chicks, and many of them will not survive it.

♪ ♪ >> when the winds stop, the search for lost chicks begins. some have kept warm by huddling

together. others have not been so lucky. the loss is unbearable.

every year, some bereft mother will respond to her agony in an unimaginable way. having lost her own chick, she will attempt to steal another's. but the group will not allow it.

back in its mother's care, the chick is not eager to leave again. despite having known each other only a few days, the bond between mother and child is surprisingly strong. in the next few weeks, it will only grow stronger.

more than 1,000 flights have already been cancelled for friday and more can be expected. the hardest hit is chicago o'hare and boston's logan airport has stopped its flights until later friday morning. live in boston and you have been

out there a few hours, i suppose you have felt the temperature dropping. >> we are feeling the temperature dropping and the winds picking up, we are also feeling the snow coming down and the snow accumulating here on the ground. we have a ruler and if you recall the last time it was about two hours ago and we had seven inches of snow. i will put it in and we are just under ten inches. we are close to ten inches and for boston the forecast is 14 inches and we are still expecting it to snow for another couple of hours. five or six hours. it is bad in boston and worse in other places especially along the east coast. cape cod and the area around there some places expecting two feet of snow. some counties already have 18 inches of snow that have come on the ground. we are seeing there are a lot of

snow plows through the streets but they are having a difficult time. you can see the snow piling up. it is because this note is very light, the snowflakes are light and the draft a lot. a lot of wind and difficult for the plows to keep up. this is the weather you have all around and it will make things very difficult for international travelers and, of course, for the residents of these areas as well. >> absolutely. take care. we will bring you updates on the storm. for now we'll send you back to "march of the penguins."

>> winter's grip slowly weakens, and the chicks begin to run free. some need a little encouragement. but eventually, they all find their way. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> winter may have ended. but the dangers have not. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> it is late august now, and time for the mothers to return and feed once more. for some, this development is unacceptable. but it is also nonnegotiable.

because they are old enough now, the chicks are left alone for the first time. ♪ ♪ as spring arrives, the ice packs near the ocean's edge begin to melt, shortening the distance between the sea and the breeding

ground. it isn't long before the fathers return, their bellies heavy with food. the chicks will gather at once to meet them and sound their calls. the returning fathers will circle the excited newborns and listen. until he hears his chick call.

some will never find their chicks. the newborn will have died from cold or hunger or at the hands of some predator. but for those that do find their young, the reunion is a joyful one. and very quickly, the young chick's belly will be full again. for the next several months, the parents will take turns shuttling back and forth to the sea for food.

and occasionally, the new family can actually spend some time together. ♪ ♪

by september, the ice has begun to thin and crack. the sea gets closer, allowing the parents to go back and forth more frequently. the chicks' new coat of feathers is now thick and full, enough to protect them on their own. and by november, the ocean is within a few hundred yards of the breeding ground.

i've got a job to do today. i've got a job to do today. have a good first day at work, mom! your donations to goodwill fund job-training programs right in your community. feels good to start fresh, right? sure does. narrator: and like that, you're a job creator.

the brand-new family prepares to go their separate ways.

the couples, locked for the past nine months in their ancient ritual of coming and going, will now part for the last time. and as their newest members look on, the tribe returns to their home at last. for the next three months, they will lavish in the rich and warmish waters of their short summer. they will feed and they will play, and in all likelihood, their chicks will never see them again.

they will remain here, alone, and unsupervised for a few more weeks, growing stronger. the ice continues to melt, returning the borrowed water to the sea. and beckoning the young penguins into the ocean as well. ♪ ♪ >> it is now december, and they

are ready to leave the place where they were born. and although they have never known the ocean, nor touched it, they, like their parents, are of the sea. and so, one day, they'll take the plunge. and go home for the first time. and go home for the first time. ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> for four years the chicks will live at sea. but as the sunlight begins to disappear at the end of their fifth year, and the warm days begin to cool, they too will climb out of the water, and they will march just as they have done for centuries. ever since the emperor penguin decided to stay, to live and love in the harshest place on earth.

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a dangerous nor'easter slamming the northeast. more than a foot of snow will fall as blizzard conditions wreak havoc and it's so cold in some places, exposed skin could freeze in 15 minutes. >> yikes! travel nightmare. roads are closed and more than 2,000 flights cancelled because of the storm. we have what you need to know to help you get where you're going today. incredible rescue. a man pulled from the ice in chicago after he fell. he fell into lake michigan. whoa. okay, good morning. welcome to "early start" this friday morning p.m. i'm christine romans. >> i'm ana cabrera.

john berman is hosting "new day." it's january 3rd, 4:00 a.m. in the east. a beast of a winter storm battering the northeast right now. 100 million people are in its path. driving snow and fierce winds forcing the governors of new jersey and new york to declare a state of emergency. this storm is enormous. parts of new york state and new england will be digging out from well over a foot of snow later today. in fact, we saw 21 inches already in massachusetts. much of the reason facing extreme cold with sustained winds of 30 miles an hour or more. that makes windchills below zero. >> air travel is a nightmare. thousands of flights cancelled or delayed and highways impassible. many shutdown so that plows can do their work. blizzard conditions from the big apple all the way up to maine. cnn that the first winter storm of 2014. we have got it covered like in other network can. we begin in boston with indra

petersons. indra? >> reporter: i'm going to do everything i can to look at this camera. as you can tell the winds are coming across now. the snow is already on the ground really blowing across the area. i want to show you some of the berms. you can see they have a couple of feet high but a blessing and a curse at the same time. we were able to drive through it because it's so powdery but the same problem here. a little bit of wind and this is blowing around because it is so cold. this is have a very dry snow. you can see the blizzard warnings there on the map. we have talked about it from the coastal sections of maine and long island and not including boston pop for the blizzard warnings you need winds 35 miles per hour steady an brings that visibility down and the concern for this type of snow we are dealing with. let's talk about these temperatures. i can tell you firsthand is freeze p freezing. that is an understatement. 2 degrees in boston and winds from the north at a good 20 miles per hour.

with that actually right now it feels like negative 20 degrees. now this is a danger in itself. it feels like negative 20. only ten minutes outside exposed could give you frost bite so we will test that on my face. that is the concern. let's talk about the storm itself. we are still expecting to form off the coast of the carolinas. it's really building here and by late afternoon -- excuse me, late morning into the afternoon, we should see the snow dying down. that is the good news here. as long as we still have the strong winds in place, you have snow like this on the ground even when the system actually moves offshore and the snow itself stops. you're still going to have the visibility concerns with the snow blowing around. the other side of this will be the heavy amounts of snow, especially in essex county. the low is forming so low to the coast we are getting ocean effect snow so we are talking as much as two feet of snow is possible in there area and heavy amounts of snow and blowing of the snow and dangerous temperatures we are feeling this

morning. guys? >> so many of the schools cancelled before the first snowflakes fell they cancelled yesterday. a lot of the highway is shut down so the plows can do their work. thanks, indra. if you have plans to fly this friday morning well over 2,000 flights have been cancelled between thursday and today. 8,000 more flights delayed. those numbers are now climbing. our breaking news coverage of this massive winter storm continues with pamela brown live from new york's laguardia airport. good morning. >> good morning to you. >> reporter: already, christine and ana, there are 1,300 flight cancellations and we are only four hours into the day today and we expect that number to continue to rise. right here at laguardia airport, 230 flights have been cancelled. around 300 at newark airport and seeing a lot of cancellations at boston logan airport and chicago ae hair airports. those are really the main hubs where we are seeing a lot of the

issues and really the big problem here is that planes can't make it into the airport. the conditions picked up here in the new york area at around 8:00 p.m. eastern time so we have already seen a lot of cancellations this morning because the planes couldn't get in. the big issue is the visibility. we have about 5 inches of snow but the winds are kicking up that snow. it's a light feathery kind of snow and creating a lot of issues in that regard. the port authority say they are ready for the storm and dispatching over 200 pieces of snow/ice equipment at the airport today so they are doing their best to handle the situation but as you can see on the board behind me here, all of the cancelled flights in the yellow and we expect the board to continue to light up in the yellow as these conditions persist through the morning until 10:00 a.m. eastern time and we will see the ripple effect beyond that. back to you. >> pack your patience if you're at an airport this morning. thank you. parts of the mist taking a pounding from the first winter

storm of 2014 in midwest. winds in cleveland well below zero with a foot of snow on the ground and driving there is treacherous. thick ice. under all of that snow, triggering spin-outs and accidents all over town. chicago has been absolutely battered since wednesday. 6 more inches of snow falling overthit on top of the 12 inches on the ground in the windy city. the worst storm to hit chicago since 2011. o'hare airport crippled by the winter blast and hundreds of flights cancelled and creates the ripples of delays across the country. a man pulled from the water after falling on the ice on lake michigan. firefighters helped the man to safety. he was unresponsive at first and showed signs of life after medical help and taken to the university of chicago hospital in critical condition. >> we will follow the storm

closely so stay with us throughout the morning for updates and tweet us any of your weather pictures at early startcnn so we can see what you're seeing as well. other headlines. breaking news out of south sudan. a u.s. embassy personnel are ordered to leave the country and all americans are urged to get out of the african nation because of rebel forces and government troops. 1,000 people killed in less than three weeks in this escalating violence. an american stopped by libyan official on friday. a news report says two u.s. citizens were detained for scouting at benghazi university. the british man and new zealand woman found death shot to death outside of trip oltripoli. a computer of breaking all types of encryption and able to

crack codes around the world. the paper cites documents relieved by edward snowden. the documents imply the nsa still has plenty of work to do on this project. new this morning. secretary of state john kerry in the west bank meeting with palestinian president mahmoud abbas. he arrived in israeli thursday to create a middle east peace deal he says is not mission impossible. he had dinner with israeli prime minister benefiting anyone netanyahu who says there is growing doubt in israel the palestinians want peace. kerry's tenth trip to the region and harsh word. >> the time is soon arriving where leaders are going to have to make difficult decisions. we are close to take time, if not at it, and i think we understand the circumstances within which we are working. >> the secretary of state vows to work to narrow the differences on a framework that addresses core issues including

borders between israel and a future palestinian state. more drama down south. happening right now. that australian icebreaker carrying the 52 rescued passengers who were on the stranded ship in antarctica nay ordered to stay put. it's on standby because officials on a chinese vessel involved in that helicopter rescue fear it may get stuck in the ice again. once the aurora ship is cleared to resume its journey it will stop at a base for supplies before the 14-day voyage to tasmania. a california man arrested for the murder of a california priest. police say gary lee bullock killed reverend eric freed. in eureka, he died of blood force trauma. several religious nonprofits

want the requirement to provide birth control and other reproductive coverage thrown out as sonia sotomayor issued a temporary stay on new year's eve. no official deadline to act for the white house but we are watching this for you. coming up more of the nor'easter slamming into the northeast. a tanker explodes on a icy michigan road but the driver is able to walk away. a hiker is rescued after falling off a waterfall in california. we have more incredible images next. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. everybody knows that parker. well, did you know auctioneers make bad grocery store clerks? that'll be $23.50. now .75, 23.75, hold 'em. hey now do i hear 23.75? 24! hey 24 dollar, 24 and a quarter, quarter, now half, 24 and a half and .75! 25! now a quarter, hey 26 and a quarter, do you wanna pay now, you wanna do it, 25 and a quarter - sold to the man in the khaki jacket! geico.

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welcome back to "early start." breaking news coverage of this winter storm slamming the northeast right foot now. 100 million people are feeling the impact.

long islanders are looking at a long day of shoveling. close to a foot of snow falling in northeast suburbs forcing the governor to shut down the long island expressway overnight. drifts two feet or higher are being reported. the windchill there this morning makes it feel like 20 below. and if you had plans to fly today, please check in with your airline before you head to the airport because more than 10,000 flights, 10,000 flights have already been cancelled or delayed in the past 24 hours. eastern massachusetts is hit hard this morning and our lori seagal joins us by phone where they are battling blizzard conditions with winds gusting over 50 miles an hour. i know as a result, lori, you had some technical difficulties already this morning to say the least. that is the least of your concerns, i'm sure. >> reporter: absolutely. you're exactly right. right now i'm -- our satellite transmitters went out and i think causing some of the cold air. i'm standing on main street

right now. you can probably hear the wind in the background. last time i checked it was about 30 miles per hour and the snow here, we are looking at at probably over a foot of snow and really right now we are in chatham, massachusetts. you have to understand we are on the coast and near the water. there is a blizzard warning here until 11:00 a.m. and also, you know, a lot of the folks here say, hey, look. we are used to this kind of storm. that being said, they look out for coastal flooding. it hasn't been that bad right now. they are going to be looking for high tide which comes in around noon today to see if the water comes up, if there is any effect on the beaches, on the sand dunes. we actually spoke to the fire department just about four or five hours ago and, you know, it's a small fire department and only six here but they have doubled the staff just in case. when it comes down to it, what you can feel and probably hear in the background is this wind. then you combine that with the water and with these gusts, snow

blowing and you can really, really feel it over here in massachusetts, guys. >> we know you're going to keep an eye on how things are unfolding there. lori, any reports of damage or power outages so far? >> i've been on the phone with a couple of folks and nothing so bad. nothing that bad so far but i will say just about three hours ago, we saw a power line that was sparking so you can imagine that people are -- that they are going to be looking out for this kind of thing. right now people in their homes. no one except for us being here on main street is on the road. as you can imagine. i joke that i always wanted to visit cape cod and i really got the best opportunity right here, right, guys? >> be careful what you wish for, all right? lori seagal in chatham, massachusetts, this morning, thank you for that. a michigan community rocked by a tanker explosion along the interstate. this is in david township

yesterday. the blast was felt for miles and forcing the evacuations for everyone within one mile of the explosion. a rough day for first responders putting out the fire in what you can see is frigid conditions. the truck was carrying hazardous materials. the driver told officials he hit a patch of ice leading to the explosion. amazingly that driver was okay. >> he walked away from it. >> what do you make that have? >> he walked away the luckiest man i know today. >> the evacuation order was lifted after a few hours. utah's battle over same-sex marriage hires to the supreme court and the high court could act as early as today on the state's request to put gay marriages on hold. utah officials appealing to the high court after a district court destruct down the state's ban saying it violated federal guarantees of federal protection. ever since that decision came town, utah clerks's offices have been flooded with gay marriages trying to get licenses.

last year, sergio garcia challenged a federal law which bars undocumented immigrants by receiving professional licenses from government agencies. garcia has waited more than half his life to get legal residency. he passed the bar in 2009 and yesterday the court found that garcia met the requirements to practice law in california. very much alive. a former banker suspected of faking his own death appeared in georgia in a courtroom on thursday. a federal complaint says aubrey lee price falsified documents to conceal more than $20 million in investor losses. price managed in 2012 reportedly leaving behind a suicide note. he was declared legally dead more than a year ago. price could face 30 years in prison. he is due back in court monday. the minnesota vikings insisting punter chris kluwe was

cut for poor performance on the field not so advocatesy same-sex marriage. kluwe says he was on the receiving end of vicious anti-gay remarks and asked to tone down his advocacy for gay rights. he said he did come forward sooner because doing so would hurt his teammates. the vikings say they take these accusations seriously and they will thorough review the matter. search and rescue teams in los angeles air-lifting an injured hiker to safety. police say this 18-year-old woman was with friends at a popular waterfall when she slipped and fell and broke both ankles. the woman was taken to the hospital for treatment. that looks like quite a ride. a u.s. automaker about to announce some stung news. details straight ahead. female announcer: it's time to make room

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welcome back to "early start." thanks for joining us extra early today. right now, we are watching that bruising worm that is affecting about a hundred million people in the midwest and the northeast. a foot of snow has fallen on boston where the windchill this morning, is 20 below. blizzard conditions in the suburbs of new york forcing the governor to shut down the island expressway overnight. a foot of snow falling east of the city and if you have plans to fly today or this weekend good luck. you better call your carrier. over 10,000 flights cancelled or delayed between yesterday and today. now it's "money time." after the best year in stocks since 1997, 2014 starts to stumble. after a banner year, folks

taking a look at the landscape and proceeding with caution in the stock market tlest yesterat yesterday. the first time the markets started the year on a down note since 2008. apple was downgraded by a wells fargo analyst on concern that balance of power will shift from phone makers to carriers this year. auto sales for ford are out later this morning. ford has already said it will be the best selling car brand in the united states for 2013. ford got there this year with big sellers like the f-150 pickup truck and focus likely to finish as the world's most popular car this season and a strong year for auto sales in the u.s. analysts expect sales to finish at 15.6 million cars and light trucks and an important sign of strength in the economy. when people buy a car or a truck they are more confident in their financial well-being and able to spend money like that.

a very big deal in a hot industry to tell you about. cybersecurity. stories every day companies like snapchat and skype being hacked. we got news yesterday that fireeye would buy mandiant for $1 million. it is believed to be behind on u.s. companies. fireeye shares jumped 30% after yesterday's announcement and analysts expect more of these cyberdeals as hackers get more sophisticated and ambitious and try to figure out ways to build their business around protecting your information and protecting cybernetworks. >> in the age of the internet and technology. coming up, we are tracking a monster nor'easter battering the east coast this morning. a live look at new york right now. you can see the snow blowing around. we are reporters live on the ground covering every angle for you so stay with us.

mother nature hammering the northeast. a dangerous winter storm is bringing heavy snow and freezing temperatures. we are talking windchills below zero. we have reporters live on the ground all over this story. nightmare at the airport. more than 2,000 flights have been cancelled. delays could last for hours. we have what you need to know. draining on the roads. driving conditions are treacherous this morning. our richard quest shows us why it's critical to be careful. welcome back to this extra early start. i'm ana cabrera. >> it's early or late if you're

on the west coast. i'm christine romans. john berman is hosting "new day." 29 minutes past the hour. big news is massive winter storm pummeling the northeast and blizzard conditions in parts of new york and new england. a state of emergency in new york. major highs shut down with parts of long island facing up to a foot of snow. if your travel plans call for air travel today, you might have to change them. more than 10,000 flights have been cancelled or delayed. our breaking news coverage of the first big storm of 2014 kicks off in boston with meteorologist indra petersons, where it is cold, my dear. that smile could freeze right on your face. >> reporter: i think my teeth hurt smiling. this is a new one for me. it is definitely chilly out here. i got one of the last flights into logan last night where the snow is steled coming down and the winds are picking up a enreally has not stopped throughout the overnight. south in boston overnight we got about 6 inches of snow. the winds are out here and

gusting 30 miles per hour. the problem with that is when you take a look at the snow, it is so dry. this is the concern here. it doesn't take much for this to really blow away. you can kind of see how it quickly blows away and that is the concern here as we talk about these winds continuing to gust. visibility issues here about a quarter mile or less. not a blizzard warning per se in boston itself but take a look at the map and you can actually see really from the coastal sections of maine through long island. we are dealing with this type of snow. that cold dry snow that blows around so easily and that is really the concern as we go forward. taking a look at we talk about temperatures. wow. yeah, cold is an understatement. i think we have been talking about that. right now in boston it is 2 degrees but the winds are coming out of the north gusting as high as about 30. you factor that in and it feels like negative 20 degrees. very dangerous at that temperature it only takes ten minutes to get frostbite. if i keep doing this, i'm sorry

but it's absolutely freezing out here this morning! the low is still really bringing snow down and will continue to do so through these morning hours. still that heaviest point of the storm. as the low is building off the coastline. when expected to leave late day and early afternoon and see it pull its way offshore but as long as the strong winds are out here you are talking about this snow blowing around and those visibility issues could still be a concern. traffic and air delays will be a concern as long as you have those winds out here. as far as how much snow this is impressive. you can see the low is close to the coastline as it's forming. with that you have something called ocean effect snow. you're talking about pulling that moisture off the coastline and really enhancing the snowfall melt. essex county the north end could get as much as two feet of snow before it's all said and done. imagine shoveling there when you talk about temperatures feeling like a negative 20. not a fun thing even when it's all said and done. >> and when it's blowing around while you're shoveling it.

thanks, indra. new york, as well as new jersey, are both under a state of mj right now. several major highways shut down overnight. they are facing 14 ichlgs nches snow or more in albany. long island is taking a beating close to a foot of snow falling there and blizzard conditions. let's bring in alexandra. i'm sure it's cold and not so fun where you are either? >> reporter: right. but i can still smile out here because what i'm hearing indra is 20 below where she is and it only feels like 6 below out here so i have to toughen up and take this one. we do have a blizzard warning in effect in long island. take a look what has happened overnight. the long island expressway in the distance. you do see a couple of cars right now but make no mistake about it. that road is shut down.

part of interstate 84 is supposed to be shut down with the long state freeway through albany. the orders from the governor and the idea to keep people as safe as the snow falls. take a look down here. we are told right now across long island we have about 4 to 5 inches and incredibly light powdery show and speaks to how cold it is here. new york getting the wet, sloppy, heavier snow. a lot more to come today on long island. take a look at this parking lot out here. this was covered in snow overnight. some of the plows are making a first or second pass through and working through the night to stay ahead of this because we know the heaviest snowfall is coming over the next couple of hours and know some of the lowest temperatures come after that. we are in the middle of it on long island right now. the governor hopes to open up the roads by 5:00 in the morning and that was the announcement yesterday so the roads would be open in time for the morning

rush. that said, no one will be rushing anywhere this morning and the governor has not announced when the roads will open and it depends on how the weather plays out the next couple of hours. >> looks like you have lots of layers on this morning. a good thing. key if you have to be out in this. thank you, alexander field. travelers grounded in the northeast. 2,000 flights have been cancelled between thursday and today and 8,000 more delayed. the numbers are climbing. our breaking news coverage of the massive winter storm continues with pamela brown live from laguardia airport. a lot of frustrated people there at laguardia this morning, pamela? >> reporter: yeah. people have been waiting here for hours. we just spoke to one passenger already waiting 14 hours for his flight and that is the theme here at laguardia airport. people coming here waiting for their flights to take off. there's not a lot of flights

coming or going at laguardia airport as well as newark airport and boston logan. a lot of the cancellations are here in the new york area. we are only 4 1/2 hours into the today and already 1,330 flight cancellations. we expect that number to continue to tick up as the morning goes on and as these conditions continue to pick up. the conditions really started at around 8:00 p.m. last night, these blizzard-like conditions in the new york area and beyond and that is when with we saw a lot of the flight cancellations begin. so, again, we will see that issue throughout the morning. you can see on the board behind me there is a lot of yellow showing the flight cancellations. we expect the board to continue to light up as the conditions pick up. the port authority say that they are ready for this storm. they are deploying more than 200 pieces of snow and ice equipment to help with the situation here but there's not a lot that can be done about the visibility issue with this flight fluffy

snow and these whipping winds is creating the issue here. only about half a mile visibility here at laguardia airport according to a local aviation weather report. once these conditions do calm down later this morning, we are likely still going to see a lot of delays throughout the day. this is really having a domino effect with delays and so people traveling to any state in the u.s. are probably going to be impacted by this storm. back to you. >> now is a good time to sort of check the flight on the ticket you bought. for weather, your airline is not really required to get you on a different airline to get you out. you're just going to get rolled until you can get on the next flight standby. it's important for people to be patient and talk to their air carrier. thanks so much, pamela brown. as pamela mentioned one of the worst areas as far as travel goes was chicago yesterday and it's taken a beating since wednesday. six more inches of snow falling overnight on top of the 12 inches already on the ground. it's the worst storm to hi the windy city since 2011.

o'hare airplane crippled by the winter blast and hundreds of flights cancelled there creating delays all across the country. conditions aren't much better in ohio. windchills in the cleveland area well below zero this morning. a foot of snow on the ground in some areas and driving dangerous. a layer of ice under you will of that snow causing spin outs and accidents all over ohio. >> in pennsylvania, worker was killed when a 100-foot pile of salt used to clear the icy roads fell on top of it and it happened at a storage facility in philadelphia hours before the storm system hit. rescue crews tried to save the man but not clear what caused the salt pile to tip. troubling reports out of libya. two u.s. authorities allegedly scouting at the university of bengha benghazi. two were found shot to death near an oiler terminal west of

tripoli. genevieve, what do we know about this? >> reporter: very little information or comment on these incidents that were reported late on thursday. the state department said it was in contact with a private u.s. citizen who was stopped by authorities in the eastern city of benghazi and due to privacy reasons, the state department did not provide more information. their comment came after the libyan agency reported that two u.s. americans had been detained in benghazi saying the two allegedly scouting on the campus of benghazi university and police stopped them. it is also said the two claim to be basketball players for one of the city's basketball clubs. it's not clear now if they were released or if they are still being held. in a separate incident as you mentioned local authorities in the western coastal town said the bodies of two foreigners a man and a woman who were reported missing earlier were found shot dead on a beach and appeared to be having a picnic

when they were killed according to the initial police report we are being told. there is no official statement from libyan official on their death or their identities but the uk foreign office and a new zealand foreign ministry are saying they are looking into the dead were citizens of britain and new zealand. locals in the area we have spoken to said criminals were on the rise. >> they were teachers, is that right? >> reporter: this has still not been confirmed because various reports what they were doing in the area or in libya, especially at this time. because many of the foreigners here living and working in libya are out of the country for the holidays and not many have returned so it's really not clear yet what they were doing and various reports about their job in libya. >> thank you so much for the latest on that. a dangerous situation for foreigners there. 40 minutes past the hour now. another snag for 52 passengers rescued from the

russian research vessel in antarctica after trapped in the ice since christmas eve. their journey home has been halted again. anna corin joins us from long congress this morning. it's one thing after another for this group, isn't it? >> reporter: it is, it is. you know what? they are fine and have food and water supplies. yes, but they are stuck in ice again on the australian icebreaker that came to rescue them. they are waiting for this ice to dislodge. they had made progress yesterday but it seems that they have found themselves surrounded by ice again. they are trying to get to open water and from there they will either make their way to casey which is an australian post in antarctica and then to hobart and tasmania at the bottom of australia. that is the situation with the australian vessel. we understand the chinese icebreaker that also came to the rescue that was providing that helicopter, they are also stuck

in ice and i think the passengers, the 52 passengers are feeling pretty bad for them, considering, you know, the chinese helped them out. of course, the russian ship, that research ship they were all originally on is also stuck in ice. the 22 crew on board have been given extra supplies, enough supplies to last them for six weeks. they are waiting also for that ice to break up so they can make their way back to new zealand. that is the status at the moment in antarctica. everybody is stuck in ice waiting for things to change. as we can report, ana, everybody is fine, in good spirits, and nothing really too bad to complain about. >> that is good to hear. we know the group is expecting an adventure and exactly what they got. thanks. new this morning. secretary of state john contrary in the west bank meeting with palestinian president mahmoud abbas. he arrived in israeli thursday to create a middle east peace deal he says is not mission

impossible. he had dinner with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu who says there is growing doubt in israel the palestinians want peace. harsh words to the start of kerry's tenth trip to the region. >> the time is soon arriving where leaders are going to have to make difficult decisions. we are close to that time, if not at it, and i think we understand the circumstances within which we are working. >> the secretary of state vows to work to narrow the differences on a framework that addresses core issues including borders between israel and a future palestinian state. new this morning. "the washington post" reporting that the nsa is trying to build a super computer capable of breaking nearly all types of encryption and it would be able to crack codes and protecting banking and medically and business and government records around the world. the paper cites documents relieved by edward snowden and

those documents imply the nsa has a lot of work to do on this project. the house goes back to work next week and obamacare is the first care of business for republicans. majority leader air cantor says the first to address the security risks on the website. he is afraid hackers could steal enrollee's personal information. they say it is another cheap shot at obamacare. a california man arrested in the death of beloved catholic priest. the reverend freed's body was discovered by parishioners in eureka and dead of blunt force trauma and no word yet on a possible motive. supreme court could take a vote today. several religious nonprofits want the requirement to provide birth control and other reproductive coverage thrown

out. sonia sotomayor i should a stay of leave. the court has no official deadline to act. flagrant act of arson on thursday at the chinese consulate in san francisco. it appears to be intentional. a person was captured reportedly pouring two buckets of gasoline on the front door and then setting it on fire. they are trying to provide more protection to personnel. no injuries reported. two hearings scheduled today in the heart breaking case of jahi mcmath who was dlavered brain dead following complications from tonsil surgery. her family is fighting to keep her on a ventilator. a judge has ordered settlement talks with children's hospital. the mother says her daughter still shows signs of life and she wants her transferred to a different facility. starting this year, all female marines were supposed to be able to do three pull-ups but

officials say more than half of the women in boot camp couldn't meet the standard. the delay is sparking new debate about the place of women in the armed forces as thousands of combat roles are set to open for them in 2016. official at the vatican say pope francis drew more than 6.6 million people to his events in 2013. the figures are based on the number of tickets issued, as well as estimates of number of people at events where tickets were not needed like the pope's weekly appearance overlooking st. peters square. if you could charge a goat with attempted burglary this goat would be in jail right now. the goat tried to head-butt a man at his front door. >> i see it running toward me. i run back inside. >> your front door is like this and they had a window here and the goat here is here hitting the front door so you can see the telltale signs. we had to communicate through

him through the dispatch. >> the goat went after the cops and tried to use those famous horns there to break into their cruiser. everyone is okay and the goat is back with its owner. >> that is one determined goat! coming up, changes to a popular breakfast today. what cheer yios is going to sta doing differently next.

welcome back to "early start." cnn's breaking news coverage of the monster storm that is hitting the northeast right now. 100 million people are feeling the impact of this first winter storm of 2014. now if you have plans to fly specifically in or out of the northeast today, you're likely

grounded. over 10,000 flights have already been cancelled or delayed the past 24 hours and long islanders are looking at a long day of shoveling and plow ahead. close to a foot of snow falling in new york's eastern suburbs and forcing the governor to each shut down the long island expressway overnight. a live look at boston this morning. really feeling the brunt of the storm. a foot of snow or more has buried parts of boston. it's 4 degrees. the windchill makes it feel like 20 below. hello, winter. now a look at your business headlines in "money time." after a best year in stocks in 1997 you had great year in your 401(k) last year. but 2014 starts out with a dud. the dow lost 135 points on thursday and nasdaq and s&p also fell and the first time the markets started the year on a down note since 2008. early predictions how this year will go from analysts. in short analysts predict a year-end starting of 1,962 on the s&p 500 and 17502 on the

dow. a childhood favorite is going back to basics. under pressure from consumer groups, general mills says it will stop using genetic kalli modified organisms saying less safe but little data to back that up but consumers have been really pushing to get gmo-free foods. general mills says it has no plans to face out genetically products and now you'll see that rolling out in your grocery stores. >> i wonder if it will change the way they taste? >> we will see. former secretary of defense robert gates is recovering after hurting his neck if a fall. he fractured his vertebrae in his washington state home. he is 74 years old and resting after treated at two different

hospitals and he is expected to make a full recovery. led the pentagon in parts of the bush and obama administrations. a safety alert about crude oil shipped from north dakota and montana. the department of transportation says it has a lower flash point than traditional oils making it much more flammable. the warning comes after a string of recent explosions. the latest in north carolina on monday. the region has seen an oil boom of late. companies relying chiefly on trains for transport. in july 47 people died in a derailment in quebec. utah's battle over same-sex marriage heads to the supreme court. the high court could act as early as today to put gay marriages on hold. the state appealing to the high court after a district court in utah struck down the state's ban saying it violated federal guarantees of equal protection. ever since that decision came down, utah clerk offices have been flooded with gay couples looking to get marriage licenses. a former banker suspected of

faking his own death appeared in a georgia courtroom thursday. a federal complaint says aubrey lee price falsified documents to conceal more than $20 million in investor losses. price managed in 2012 reportedly leaving behind a suicide note. he was declared legally dead about a year ago. police picked him up tuesday after a routine traffic stop. price could face 30 years in prison. he is due back in court monday. if you found that was bizarre story, listen to this! we have a tweet from ben and engineer' jerry's. weighing in on the pot being sold in colorado. you can see the ice cream there in the freezer. we are hearing reports of them selling out of ice cream in colorado. they think it's because they are suffering from the munchies.

if you're traveling today you have to be careful. we will show you what happened to our richard quest when he hopped in a car a snowbound new york city. life could be hectic. as a working mom of two young boys angie's list saves me a lot of time. after reading all the reviews i know i'm making the right choice. online or on the phone, we help you hire right the first time. with honest reviews on over 720 local services. keeping up with these two is more than a full time job, and i don't have time for unreliable companies. angie's list definitely saves me time and money. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today. ♪ ♪ ♪ i've got a job to do today. i've got a job to do today.

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welcome back to "early start." the snow on the streets of new york city creating a nightmare for commuters but city employees say they are working around the clock to try to make sure those roadways are clear and safe for drivers. cnn richard quest takes us for a ride through the snow covered streets of manhattan. >> reporter: this is fifth avenue in new york. the snow has been falling for many hours. having had a gradual start, now the accumulations are really starting to build up. the city has deployed 1,700 snow

plows but head to wait for the 2 inches of snow on the ground before they could go about their business. overall, the city is working two shifts of 12 hours each to make sure those around the clock coverage in insuring not just manhattan but the outer boroughs too get cleared. too many people remember 2010 when the city failed to clean the streets after a snowfall. from there, bill de blasio, his his first big challenge having only just taken office. perhaps somewhat unfairly, but maybe he'll be judged in the early days on how he clears the snow. richard quest, cnn, new york. we have breaking coverage of the nor'easter. "early start" continues right now. a dangerous nor'easter slamming the northeast. up to a foot of snow could fall as blizzard conditions

wreak havoc and it's so cold in some places, exposed skin could freeze in 15 minutes. travel nightmare. roads are closed and more than 2,000 flights cancelled because of the storm. we have what you need to know to help where you need to be. incredible rescue. a man pulled from the ice in lake michigan. okay, good morning. welcome to "early start" this friday morning. i'm christine romans. >> i'm ana cabrera. john berman is hosting "new day." it's january 3rd, 4:00 a.m. in the east. 5:00 a.m. in the east. a beast of a winter storm battering the northeast right now. 100 million people are in its path. driving snow and fierce winds forcing the governors of new jersey and new york to declare a state of emergency. this storm is enormous. parts of new york state and new england will be digging out from well over a foot of snow later today. in fact, we saw 21 inches