>> listen, it's cold out there, you need layers. i'm thinking long underwear, then the pajama jeans or swants and you'll be good to go on the "ridiculist." hey, that's it for now. "early start" begins now. have a good day. an historic deep freeze gripping the country. this morning, more than a dozen people killed, thousands of flights canceled, roads and schools shut down, government leaders warning residents to stay inside. but our indra petersons is outside live in the cold to explain what's coming next and why this is happening in the first place. look at her. she's smiling because she has to. good morning. welcome to "early start," everyone. i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. she's frozen solid. that smile frozen solid on her face. it's tuesday, january 7th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> welcome to "early start," by the way.

>> thank you! thank you. >> christine romans, the official new co-anchor of the "early start" broadcast. >> i know. it's my first day, so please be gentle. >> i know. it's a huge haze the whole broadcast. we have a huge story and it's cold. we begin with the cold weather, hard not to feel it this morning. some 87 million americans caught in the sting of mother nature. at least 15 deaths now blamed on this weather. temperatures won't reach above 0 some places today. >> oh, man. >> won't reach above 0, the windchill even worse. how bad? okay, we'll show you the map. >> real bad. >> try 55 below 0. and for many, the wind, that windchill is going to hit at least 10 below. that's why so many schools are shut down. so many people are staying home. >> there is a state of emergency in 14 counties in western new york state. the buffalo area in addition to all the cold is facing 3 feet of snow. in that cold with windchills that could reach 40 below 0. ouch! the governor of new york has shut down parts of the new york state thruway because of these

dangerous driving conditions. look at that. >> it's hard to believe it was above 50 degrees in new york city yesterday, and the sudden temperature change is blamed for this fire not far from radio city music hall. so, they had melting snow mixed with salt dripping on to an electrical transformer that caught fire. hundreds evacuated from the office building above it. >> all kinds of strange stuff happening. schools shut down statewide in minnesota. you know, we always like to say in minnesota they know cold? >> look at that. >> well, it's so cold there, they're shutting the schools down. temperatures dipping to 40 below in brimson, 30 below at the airport in duluth with windchills of 60 below. they were recorded in several parts of the state. >> stay inside. a tragic story out of missou missouri, a 1-year-old boy killed in a crash involving a snowplow. state highway patrol says his mother lost control of the car, skidded and hit the snowplow head on monday. troopers say the boy was not properly restrained. a major headache in downtown columbus, ohio, a huge water

main break expected to make the morning commute a nightmare. can you imagine having to work in this? crews have been trying to deal with it in the subzero conditions overnight, hoping to have water service restored in the morning. people in homes and offices in the immediate area have been advised to boil water until further notice. and you know, heavy snow being blamed for a roof collapse in a kmart in saginaw, michigan. a big section of that roof giving way during the overnight hours on monday. luckily, only one employee inside was there and not hurt. >> can you believe the litany of things that are going on because of this cold? jetblue airways promising to be back in operation later today, which is welcome news, perhaps, for the thousands of passengers left stranded when the airline stopped nearly all its operations in boston and the new york area. more than 400 jetblue flights were canceled. the airline said it needed 17 hours for crews to rest and planes to be serviced. those who were scheduled to fly out on monday say they received no warning and no alternative options for getting out.

that's because thousands of other flights on other airlines were also canceled because of this weather. even more grounded today. >> i don't know if anyone actually knows where any of the lines go, like, or what they're for. everyone just kind of gets -- and there's no one out here answering questions. >> i was sitting on my plane, and then there was an announcement that it was canceled, so then i had to get off. and then i went back with them and i've been stuck here for two days. >> i've actually been kind of worried because the way this line is, i don't even want to know what security's like. >> talking about driving and flying, some 5,000 passengers on three amtrak trains are stuck on the tracks this morning just west of chicago. that does not sound good. and they've been there for more than 12 hours. >> oh, wow. >> yikes! amtrak says blowing and drifting snow to blame for this. again, the weather at work here. crews are working to reopen the tracks. the trains, luckily, have power and heat, and the passengers are

being fed. this cold extends far now into the south, including parts of florida. farmers there taking steps to protect their crops of citrus fruit and strawberries, racing to pick the fruit before a freeze hits and then cover the plants with cloth or even ice to try to save them. what a morning! a cold, cold morning. all this going on. we want to know how much longer will it last and what's causing this? indra petersons smiling but with us in the 8-degree temperatures of new york with the forecast, i should tell you, the windchill where she's standing 12 below. you're brave, indra. >> reporter: you know, i have to tell you, i know you were standing out here just a week or so ago, john, when it felt like about the same temperature, and i was just in boston where it felt like it was 20 below, but this is way worse. remember, windchill's a combination of the cold air mass and the winds. yes, you put them both together and it tells you the feels-like, but there's a difference when 40 and 50-mile-per-hour winds are blowing that cold air straight at you. this is miserable today and

something new yorkers and a huge chunk of the entire northeast will be dealing with. they're finally joining the party that the rest of the country has already been dealing with for several days here. so, yes, these windchills are cold, but keep in mind, even as we go throughout the day today, this cold air mass is still making its way in, so we're not going to be warming up as the day goes on. that is tough news to bear. as you noted, it's already cold right now. so, there are very strong winds out here. i don't know if you can see the signs behind me here shaking. our news trucks and satellite trucks are shaking even as we're running in for cover right now. so, those strong winds are also the winds that are going to be producing blizzard conditions off of the lakes, lake erie and ontario, anywhere from 1 to 3 or even 2 to 5 feet of snow will be possible in those regions with the strong winds and heavy amounts of snow bringing visibility down. this cold air mass we know is moving all the way down even into the southeast today where temperatures are going to be dropping 30 degrees from just yesterday. so, many places in the southeast, hard to believe, are going to be below freezing even as we go throughout the afternoon.

now, i know it feels miserable for so many of us, but remember, the worst is still out towards minneapolis, out towards minnesota. we're talking about temperatures there still in that particularly dangerous situation, that rare issuance of awareness there. we're talking about temperatures 40 below to even 60 below. they're still talking about those dangerous temperatures out there. the relief, we all need to know, comes as early as tomorrow, about a good 10-degree warm-up every day. and of course, it takes time to get back to where we need to be when it is this cold. >> that is crazy, indra. she did say 3 to 5 feet of snow in upstate new york, so crazy stuff going on. thank you so much, indra. try to stay warm. the senate again will try to take up the issue of extending unemployment benefits for more than a million out-of-work americans. the vote for monday was postponed after many senators couldn't get to washington because of the weather. and it wasn't clear that enough votes were there to get past the 60-vote hurdle anyway. democrats in the white house are pushing for the measure, which would resume sending checks,

about $300 a week for three months to families who had their benefits cut off last month. >> that would give immediate relief to these families and remove the fear that i think now many of them face, not knowing if and when they'll ever get those benefits back. and it would allow for time for further discussions about how to move forward for the rest of 2014. >> jay carney's beard almost overshadowing the substance of the story. some republicans say democrats are trying to force through the bill without a full debate and that the economy has now recovered enough that the extended benefits are no longer necessary. this was supposed to be an emergency program and can't go on forever. that's what they say. congressman trey radel headed back to washington after his admitted confession of cocaine. the florida republican has hired a top d.c. ethics lawyer to represent him. you'll remember that radel pleaded guilty in november to cocaine charges and has been on a leave of absence since then, including a stint in rehab. he has pledged that he will try to rebuild the trust of voters. vice president joe biden

offering u.s. support for iraq in its fight against al qaeda-linked militants. biden spoke with the country's prime minister, nuri al maliki, on monday as the administration announced it has accelerated deliveries of military equipment, including missiles and surveillance drones to help iraq fight those militants. iran seems to be saying no, thanks, to a u.s. offer to help with syrian peace talks set for later this month. secretary of state john kerry had suggested that iran could possibly contribute from the sidelines, even though it may not be formally invited to take part, but a spokeswoman for the iranian foreign ministry said the country will not accept any proposal that "does not respect its dignity." the senate has given its okay to janet yellen becoming the next chair of the federal reserve. that makes her one of the most powerful people in the world. >> after christine romans. >> and the fed's first female leader. she's really big. there's this debate about whether she's more powerful than -- >> you? >> no, i would say angela merkel from germany, but that's another story altogether.

weather delays meant some senators couldn't make it back to washington to take part. yellen will take over at the end of the month when ben bernanke steps down. how she does her job will affect your money this year. all right, the new head of the irs says so far, so good when it comes to implementing obama care, but we're told budget constraints could mean cuts to other irs programs if the agency needs to spend more on its part of the health care overhaul. the law made numerous changes to the tax code. the irs is eventually responsible for making sure americans have health insurance. the irs will be responsible for making sure you pay your fine, take it out of your tax refund. >> it will be complicated. all right, the florida state seminoles are the champions of college football! this was quite a game. they defeated auburn 34-31 in a thrilling bcs title game. the lead changed three times in the final 5 minutes with just 13 seconds left. >> wow. >> heisman trophy-winning quarterback jameis winston threw a touchdown pass to win it all.

college football fans will note that florida state is the first non southeastern conference team to win the title since back in 2005. as i mentioned before, this was the final bcs championship game, thank goodness. next year, college football will have a real-life, honest to goodness, four-team playoff. >> in the break, john berman will explain the significance of that to me. >> very significant. but it was amazing. sadly, it ended very, very late, but the last four minutes, nuts. all right, coming up, a basketball matchup for the ages. dennis rodman and his group of former nba players squaring off against a north korean team. the drama soon to unfold. we are live there with a report. plus, an mma fighter fending off four intruders inside his home. what we're learning now about the attack. new developments this morning. and "saturday night live" announcing a big change in its cast. that's right after the break. welcome back. how is everything?

there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. there's a lot of fruits and drinks

that have acids in them that you might not know about. salad dressings, raspberries, strawberries... they all have acid in them, and it's working at your enamel. once the enamel is gone, it's gone. you can't get it back. i would recommend using pronamel as your regular toothpaste. pronamel will help to re-harden the enamel that is softened by the acids in our daily diets. knowing what i know about pronamel, i use that every day twice a day. and i know that i am protected. i use that every day twice a day. i'm bethand i'm michelle. and we own the paper cottage. it's a stationery and gifts store. anything we purchase for the paper cottage goes on our ink card. so you can manage your business expenses and access them online instantly with the game changing app from ink. we didn't get into business to spend time managing receipts, that's why we have ink. we like being in business because we like being creative, we like interacting with people. so you have time to focus on the things you love. ink from chase. so you can. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing.

so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what? all right, welcome back to "early start." for dennis rodman, it's a day to prepare. the ex-nba star is in north korea meeting and coaching along with his team of former pro basketball players, all set to take part in a special exhibition game on wednesday. the game is for the birthday of kim jong-un. paula hancocks is live in seoul this morning for us. paula, the controversy around this trip, it just seems to be growing. >> reporter: that's right, christine. i mean, certainly, it's a birthday present that kim

jong-un is likely to love. it's well known he's a big basketball fan, but of course, officials around the world say it's not a birthday present that he actually deserves. krit yikcritics are saying what and his nba players are doing is effectively handing a propaganda coup to the north korean leader. only a few weeks ago, kim jong-un executed his uncle on alleged charges of treason, trying to overthrow the regime. it's also a country that has one of the worst human rights records in the world. but what rodman is saying is that's not his job, he's not there to try and change things, he's not there to try and change the world. he says he's there for sport and not politics. but of course, the criticism is increasing. the state department says the focus shouldn't be on basketball, it should actually be on the brutality of this regime. now, it's just gone 7:00 in the evening korea time, and they will just be finishing off their first full day in pyongyang, as you say, preparing for the big day on wednesday. tomorrow they will be having

this exhibition game. it's believed to be kim jong-un's birthday. he's believed to be 31 years old. and some of the other players are saying that this could actually work like ping pong diplomacy did back in 1972. remember, that improved the relationship between china and the united states, and they ask why not this time as well? christine? >> there are many, though, who say that what dennis rodman gets his publicity and what kim jong-un gets is a pawn, and this all just legitimizes what is a very, a very brutal, brutal rule. >> reporter: absolutely, and critics are questioning why he would want to give, basically give good publicity to the north korean leader. remember as well, there's actually a u.s. citizen who is still in custody, in prison in north korea. he's been there for well over a year now, kenneth bae. he is a former missionary, a tour guide, and rodman has said that he's not there to try and lobby for kenneth bae either. so, critics are really asking why he is there.

they believe that this dictatorship, as they call it, this regime is just simply too brutal to be able to have this kind of propaganda coup. >> paula hancocks, thank you. in fact, dennis rodman kind of shrugged off kenneth bae when he was asked by reporters at the airport, literally shrugging off kenneth bae. thank you, paula hancocks in seoul. 16 minutes after the hour now. gay marriages on hold in utah. the high court ordered marriages to stop for now while the state appeals a lower court ruling that a ban on same-sex nuptials was unconstitutional. utah had asked two courts to stop the marriage ease from happening. both said no. the supreme court has not revealed its reasoning for taking this step, but with hundreds of utah couples, maybe even more than 1,000 having already married, many are wondering, are their unions still legal now? >> this is precisely the uncertainty we were hoping to avoid. by requesting a stay immediately upon the decision of the district court, it's unfortunate

that many utah citizens have been put into this legal limbo. >> we consider we're on the right side of history here, that, in fact, we're on the right side of love, we're on the right side of the constitution. >> the next step in the legal battle should come by the spring, when the appeals court hears arguments in this case. it could wind up before the u.s. supreme court some time in the fall, or at least next year. a federal judge has thrown out chicago's ban on gun sales, ruling that it runs afoul of the second amendment. it goes too far in stopping dealers and buyers from making legal gun purchases. the law prohibited anyone from giving a firearm to anyone else, even family members, except through inheritance, but the judge put his decision on hold pending an appeal. more details this morning over the fate of jahi mcmath, the brain-dead 13-year-old from california. she was transferred from an oakland hospital to a care facility on sunday night. a lawyer for her family says the teenager is in bad shape and they plan to sue the hospital for not feeding her after she

was declared brain-dead. the family is not saying where her body was taken but has now indicated she traveled by land, which sort of suggests she's still in california. they say she is now receiving intravenous antibiotics and supplements while she remains on a ventilator. >> still big questions about how a tonsillectomy could lead to a girl's death. a mixed martial arts fighter from new mexico is now working on his legal defense after a deadly confrontation with suspected gang members at his home on new year's day. joseph torres lives in las cruces and fought four men who allegedly broke into his home. one of them was found dead nearby afterwards. he had been beaten and stabbed. police initially said they were treating what happened as self-defense, but they won't clear torres of committing a crime, and his lawyer has told his client to stop cooperating. >> the four men that went to the home were allegedly trying to settle some kind of an argument with the man who lives inside the home. >> my client did what he had to do, did what any other person would do, he defended himself and he defended his family. >> it's not clear what sparked

the home invasion, but court documents show torres had gotten phone calls from one of the men before the incident. we're finding out more this morning about the death of a northern california priest found murdered inside his rectory on new year's day. the autopsy shows that father eric freed was beaten to death with a wooden stake and a metal gutter pipe. gary lee bullock is facing murder charges in this death. authorities say he had been released from jail just hours before this priest was killed. a former steubenville high school football player convicted last year of raping a 16-year-old girl has been released from juvenile prison. the family of ma'lik richmond says he is now "a better person." two students were convicted in that case that rocked that small ohio city and ignited a nationwide debate. trenton mayes is serving a two-year sentence. there's a new battle over whether the oklahoma state house should get a new document. get this, a group called the satanic temple unveiled designs monday for a 7-foot goat-headed

statue of satan, satan with children at its feet. the state legislature okayed a privately funded ten commandments monument erected in 2012, opening the door for satan, at least according to the satanists. opponents say the group is just trying to stir things up. >> what will disqualify them has really nothing to do with satan as such, it's that it has no historical significance for the state of oklahoma. >> not only was a satanic monument send a clear and distinct message that america respects plurality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, but it would also stand as a historical marker, commemorating scapegoats margealized and the demonized minority. >> advocates for the statue say it would also double as a place for visitors to sit. they could, you know, cozy up on the lap of lucifer. >> so, it would technically be the devil's advocate. >> exactly. the people who support the statue are devil's advocates.

thank you, christine romans. "snl" has a woman. is sheer zamata will be a featured player when they return january 18th. the show conducted a coast-to-coast search for an african-american female cast member after coming under fire for its historic lack of black females. the issue came to a head when "snl" regulars like jay ferrell and keenan thompson said the show was too white. they'd no longer dress in drag to play black females in sketches. and there are so many prominent, amazing black females that there's kind of a lot of sketches. >> a lot of people think this is way overdue. coming up, what a way to say good-bye to the bcs, a game for the ages in pasadena, and let's just say for all those who thought this would be a cake walk, think again. what a game! andy scholes will have the play-by-play in "bleacher report," coming up. open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan --

dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. jim, i adore the pool at sion your hotel.ad to make. we're open to it. anna, your hotels have wondrous waffle bars. ryan, your hotel's robes are fabulous. i have 12 of them! 12? shhhh, i'm worth it... what i'm trying to say is, it's so hard to pick just one of you, so i'm choosing all of you with hotels.com. a loyalty program that requires no loyalty. earn free nights worldwide with hotels.com abreva can heal a cold sore in as few as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign.

without it, the virus spreads from cell to cell. unlike other treatments, abreva penetrates deep to block the virus, to protect healthy cells so cold sores heal fast. as fast as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign. ♪ learn more at abreva.com. don't tough it out. knock it out! fast. [ female announcer ] only with abreva. at afraud could meanuld blower credit scores. and higher interest rates when you apply for a credit card. it's a problem waiting to happen. check your credit score, check your credit report at experian.com. there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen.

[ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. and better is so easy withrning you cabenefiber.o something. better for yourself. fiber that's taste-free, grit-free and dissolves completely. so you can feel free to add it to anything. and feel better about doing it. better it with benefiber. what a game to end the college football season. florida state mounting a huge comeback to beat auburn for the bcs national championship! >> and that means andy scholes is here with more in this morning's "bleacher report." hi, andy. >> hey, good morning, guys. you know, this is the end of the bcs. next year we'll go to the four-team playoff, but ha a way to go out. last night's game will definitely go down as one of the best championship games in college football history. the seminoles and heisman trophy winner jameis winston looking to complete an undefeated season. now, they fell behind in the first half of this game, but they rallied to take the lead in

the fourth quarter, but the tigers continued to look like a team of destiny. under a minute and a half to go, trey mason breaks off a 37-yard touchdown run. check him out, he strikes the heisman pose. it should have been me. auburn up by four at that point, but florida state drives right down the field. and after a pass interference penalty put them at the 2 yard line, winston hits calvin benjamin for the touchdown. there's your heisman moment right there. florida state beats auburn 34-31 to claim the national title. >> i'm pretty sure i got more respect for my teammates and the people around me on that last drive than i got the whole year. >> it's the best football game he played all year, and i'll tell you why, because for three quarters, he was up and down. anybody can do it when it's their "a" game night. a lot of guys can do that. very few can do it when it's not their night, and to pull it out in an atmosphere and environment and with what was on the line tonight, to me, if that's not a great player, i don't know what one is. >> all right, this past weekend's nfl games were really

good, so good that they set a new record for tv ratings. the nfl announced it had more than 34 million viewers per game, making it the most-watched wild card weekend ever. the niners/packers frostbite bowl? they had a fox record of more than 47 million viewers. that's 7 million more viewers than the oscars had. now, is the nfl more popular this year than last year? maybe, but guys, the record could have a lot to do with the frigid weather and snowstorms sweeping across the country. you know, a lot of people are hunkered down indoors on their couch watching tv. and what better thing is there to watch than nfl football? >> there's been some good football. >> it was a crazy weekend. >> you were rewarded if you stayed inside and watched football. >> might watch a few games coming up this weekend. >> thanks, andy. coming up, the top headlines and everything you need to know for your day.

if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should test you for tb.

ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your doctor if humira can work for you. this is humira at work.

frozen solid. a deadly deep freeze spreading across the country. many waking up to record low temperatures this morning. this arctic blast being blamed for more than a dozen deaths so

far. this morning, schools, government buildings shut down, thousands traveling by ground and air are stuck. they are waiting for relief. our indra petersons out in the extreme new york city cold this morning, tracking just how bad it's going to get and when it will turn around. >> oh, that looks awful! >> and it will turn around, i promise. welcome back to "early start" this morning. i'm christine romans. >> and we're so happy you are christine romans, new co-anchor of "early start." so glad you're here. >> thank you. >> and i'm chris berman. 30 minutes after the hour right now. this morning we have one word for you -- hide! pull those covers up and hide! it is cold, epically cold, dangerously cold. it's beyond frigid, beyond bone-chilling, beyond anything we've seen in decades, and frankly, it's beyond reasonable. this cold for this long is almost unprecedented. take a look at this map, the windchills in parts of the country. you're looking at 10 to 55 degrees below 0, and it's dangerous, folks. so far, 15 deaths are blamed on

this freezing weather. >> right now hundreds of passengers are stuck on amtrak trains in illinois because of the blowing snow. it's happening just west of chicago. you got some 500 people sitting on three trains, sitting there now for more than 12 hours. amtrak says the snow has been blowing and drifting across the tracks, making it impossible to move those trains. crews are working now to reopen the tracks. i mean, remember, folks, west of chicago, these are the planins, just wide-open space. the trains have power and heat, passengers are being fed, but they are sitting tight for now. >> i would not be sitting on that train, even with food and heat. many customers of jetblue airways not happy this morning after the airline canceled hundreds of flights on monday out of the new york area and boston as well. they did it because of the weather and because they say their crews needed rest. the airline is promising to be back in full operation later today. thousands of other flights on other airlines were also canceled because of the weather,

and so far, today, coming up, nearly 2,000 flights grounded. >> i don't know if anyone actually knows where any of the lines go, like, or what they're for. everyone just kind of gets -- and there's no one, like, out here answering questions. >> i was sitting on my plane, and then there was an announcement that it was canceled. so, then i had to get off, and then i went back with them and i've been stuck here for two days. >> i've actually been kind of worried, because the way this line is, i don't even want to know what security's going to be like. >> much of western new york under a state of emergency with heavy snow, extreme cold hitting that region. the buffalo area facing 3 feet of snow. but it's the windchills that are really brutal here, 40 below. the governor's even shut down parts of the new york state thruway because of the danger. just yesterday, temperatures in new york city were above 50 degrees. it was warm, melted the snow quickly, but then the snow mixed with ice is being blamed for this fire not far from radio city music hall.

an electrical transformer burst into flames in a manhole. hundreds had to be evacuated from the office building above this. a lot of problems with this weather. in minnesota, they've shut down the schools, the entire state, shut down the schools, temperatures dipping to 40 below in the city of brimson, 30 below at the airport in duluth. windchills of 60 below 0 reported in several parts of the state. >> this can be so dangerous. a deadly crash in missouri has left a 1-year-old boy dead. state highway patrol says the boy's mother lost control of her car, skidded and hit a snowplow head on. troopers are saying that the boy was not properly restrained in the car. >> heartbreaking. very tough to get around downtown columbus, ohio. a huge water main break there. look at that! crews have been working in subzero conditions overnight hoping to have water service restored this morning. people in homes and offices in that immediate area have been advised they should boil their water until further notice. all right, want to hear one more? >> one more. >> a roof collapse in saginaw, michigan, is being blamed on the heavy snow there.

it happened at a kmart. a big section of the roof gave way during the overnight hours on monday. luckily, the only employee inside at the time was not hurt. all right, indra petersons live in the cold, frigid new york, keeping an eye out for us on the forecast. until now, i thought polar vortex was a movie by tom hanks about a train, but actually, it's not. it's what we're facing right now. hi, indra. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, lucky us, we are definitely talking about this polar vortex, this cold air that has sagged southward, where it should be in the poles. that's where we want to keep it, but unfortunately, today, the last several days, it's already sagged into the midsection of the country and today has spread into the northeast. now, today the difference is, i don't know if you can tell, that wind is just howling. you can see the signs behind me shaking, the satellite truck is shaking. we're talking about 40-mile-per-hour winds with temperatures a good 10, 15 degrees below 0 right now. it is hard for me to put into words, because i was just in 20 below a few days ago.

this feels to me ten times worse. we know windchill accounts for the arctic yiair mass and winds combined, but when it is blowing at you full force like this, the chill is unbearable. my fingers are freezing in seconds, my face and eyes are burning. that's what people will be dealing with as they go out in the city today. keep in mind, these winds are so strong that over the lakes, they'll be talking about heavy snow today, just lake-effect snow, 1 to 3 feet off of erie, as much as 5 feet off of ontario today, a blizzard warning for low viblt thanks to the combination of the wind and that snow out there. and this cold air is not just here in the northeast, it's all the way into the south today, so temperature differences. keep in mind, new york city was about 60 degrees warmer yesterday. it's about 30 degrees cooler also into the southeast today, but the worst of the worst we know is still out in minnesota, particularly dangerous situation still in effect for them where there windchills or temperatures are a good 50 below 0. this is about 10, 15 below 0. i cannot even imagine. the only difference i can tell you there, though, the winds are generally calm. it really is that wind blowing

in your face that makes it so difficult out here this morning. >> and you know, in minnesota and parts of the midwest and great plains, they know cold weather. i mean, this is extreme cold weather. they know cold weather. that's why they canceled schools. they don't want to deal with people being outside. so, i think caution is the word of the day and so many governors are looking at that right now. >> yeah, please be smart out there. thank you, indra. >> thanks, indra. >> warm up, please. 37 minutes after the hour right now. unemployment benefits are back on the senate agenda today after lawmakers put off a planned procedural vote on a bill to extend benefits to more than a million americans. now, many senators could not get to washington because of all this weather that we're talking about. still, it's not even clear that enough votes were there to get it past the 60-vote hurdle. democrats in the white house are pushing for the measure, which would resume sending checks for three months to families who had benefits cut off last month. >> that would give immediate relief to these families and remove the fear that i think now many of them face, not knowing if and when they'll ever get those benefits back.

and it would allow for time for further discussions about how to move forward for the rest of 2014. >> some republicans say democrats are trying to force through the bill without a full debate and that the economy is now recovered enough that the extended benefits are no longer necessary. congressman trey radel heading back to washington this week amid an ethics investigation into his admitted possession of cocaine. the florida republican has now hired a top d.c. ethics lawyer to represent him. radel pleaded guilty back in november to cocaine charges, has been on a leave of absence ever since, including his time in rehab. he has pledged to rebuild the trust of voters. a lot going on around the world right now. want to go to iraq and the really new, or at least renewed fight that threatens to send that country back into chaos or further into chaos, depending how you look at it. the country's prime minister says that they are battling an al qaeda-linked militants in fallujah, and vice president biden has talked with nuri al maliki, promising u.s. support, but there are real questions over maliki's motives and

whether this fight is actually about terrorism. want to get the latest now from nic robertson, who's in the region. what's the latest, nic? >> reporter: well, we know that the white house is going to accelerate the sale of military supplies to iraq based on this outbreak of violence. those supplies will include hell fire missiles, potentially, as well as additional hellfires being sent, but the picture today, it's as murky as it has been, who precisely controls fallujah right now? is it the tribes or is it mostly al qaeda? is it a mix of the two? what does that mix look like? but there's an indication today of an escalation of what is essentially a sunni versus shia conflict, sectarian conflict, because the shia minority feels that the -- the sunni minority feels that the shia majority in the government aren't giving them a fair shake. and in the sunni town of tikrit, former hometown of former dictator saddam hussein, today

we have reports, unconfirmed reports so far, of attacks on government buildings, of deaths, of a curfew being in place, and if that is proven to be correct, that is an indication, therefore, of this sunni/shia escalation in violence continuing to ramp up, john. >> for those who know the geography of iraq, if it has moved to tikrit, this unrest there, that would be a big shift in the geographic center of this struggle and an escalation, to be sure. nic robertson in the region for us, thank you so much. a deal could be in the works between prosecutors and an indian diplomat arrested in new york. court filings show the u.s. attorney and a lawyer for dav yanni say she has not responded to the recent offer. kobe choeb gatti was arrested, calling for a diplomatic outcry from india, which called her treatment at the hands of u.s.

officials outrageous. coming up for us, terror watch one month ahead of the olympic games. this morning a massive security operation is being launched. we're live with what's being done to keep people safe. plus, concussion problems plaguing former nfl players in the nfl. now could football be ready to offer up a big payout? i quit smoking. i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette... even if you slip up... so you can reach your goal. [ male announcer ] now, quit on your own terms with nicorette or nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] now, quit on your own terms so ally bank really has no hthat's right, no hidden fees.s? it's just that i'm worried about, you know, "hidden things." ok, why's that? well uhhh... surprise!!! um... well, it's true. at ally there are no hidden fees.

not one. that's nice. no hidden fees, no worries. ally bank. your money needs an ally. and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection.

ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible. welcome back to "early start," everyone. today marks just one month ago

before the winter olympics in sochi in russia, but security concerns not going away. two terror attacks just before new year's left dozens dead only a few hundred miles from sochi, and there are real questions this morning if the russian government will be able to keep these games safe. dia diana magna is in moscow. what's the latest? >> reporter: well, today the surveillance zone around sochi goes into force, so no vehicles that aren't registered except for emergency vehicles and except for the intelligence, the vehicles used by intelligence can go into that zone. you'll be very strictly monitored and you go in and out. there is very heavy surveillance that will be carried out in the area on athletes, journalists, members of the olympic committee. all the data that you receive and send on public wi-fi will be monitored and kept. there are drones in the air. there's going to be sonar

technology, so the operation there is going to be very, very high-tech and pretty secure. you can be sure that president putin does not want his pet project messed up, either, by, for example, gay rights activists or by terrorists. and so, there will be no stones left unturned and no expenses spared on security. and when i spoke to someone just yesterday, john, who lives in a village quite near sochi, he said it's crawling with fsb officers, you know, intelligence officers. i'm not worried about security around sochi. but as we saw from volgograd and the bombings there, there are vulnerabilities further away in the region and terrorists can strike elsewhere and still overshadow the games. >> and just one month to go. all right, diana magnay in moscow. we will be following this every day until the olympics. appreciate it. the supreme court has stepped into the gay marriage debate in utah, issuing a stay that halts marriages for now in utah while the state appeals a lower court ruling that a ban on same-sex nuptials was unconstitutional. utah had asked two courts to stop the marriages from

happening. both said no, and the supreme court hasn't revealed its reasoning for taking this step. but with hundreds of utah couples having already been married, many are wondering, are there unions still legal now? >> this is precisely the uncertainty we were hoping to avoid. by requesting a stay immediately upon the decision of the district court. it's unfortunate that many utah citizens have been put into this legal limbo. >> we consider we're on the right side of history here, that, in fact, we're on the right side of love, we're on the right side of the constitution. >> the next step in the legal battle should come by the spring when the appeals court hears arguments in the case, and it could wind up before the u.s. supreme court some time in the fall or next year. a tough gun law in chicago that banned almost anyone from giving a gun to anyone else has now been thrown out. a federal judge ruling the law runs afoul of the second amendment and goes too far in stopping dealers and buyers from making legal purchases.

this law prohibited anyone from giving a firearm to anyone else, even family members, except through inheritance, but the judge put his decision on hold pending an appeal. there's a new lead this morning in the case of a tennessee woman missing for years now. shelly mook disappeared in 2011. police found her burned-out car but never found her body. now authorities are looking at a van owned by a neighbor of her husband. it's not clear what they're looking for exactly or if any evidence has been found already that could clear up what happened to her. >> i'm hoping that this is going to be one of the breaking leads, and hopefully, can put, you know, serve justice to someone. >> we want to leave, you know, every stone turned over to see what we can find, and this is just one of those things. >> her mother tells cnn affiliate wztv she's hopeful this will finally bring the family some closure about what happened to their daughter. six more people indicted in an atlanta public school test

cheating scandal. they've now pleaded guilty. the teachers, administrators and school staff all admitting to their roles in changing answers or lying to investigators. dozens of professionals in the atlanta schools have now been indicted, accused of manipulating test results in order to show student improvement. most of those who have admitted their guilt will face community service and probation. this is a sweeping scandal. >> it really is. finding out more this morning about how the nfl will pay out millions to former players as part of a settlement over concussions. under the agreement filed in federal court, those who played the longest would be eligible for the largest payouts, and medical history would be taken into account as well. the league could wind up paying nearly $1 billion to settle those claims. coming up, the intense cold could mean you're soon paying more for everything from oranges to oil, and it also means, wow, you might have to book a flight on a different airline. >> it also means you're really cold. >> we'll have details.

so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what?

all right, welcome back to "early start." it's money time. cold, hard cash. like that segue? it is anything but business as usual for companies large and small, thanks to this bone-chilling polar vortex. if you are flying jetblue, well, maybe you're not flying. jetblue freezing flights for 17 hours at boston's logan airport, new york's jfk, laguardia airports and newark. that's the busiest airport in

the country. flights stopped at 5:00 p.m. last night. jetblue says it's going to restart operations again at 10:00 this morning. jetblue blaming the weather and new faa rules on pilot rest. curiously, no other airline is blaming faa rules for that and no other airline is actually shutting down, basically, for two days. the deep freeze also threatening to interrupt oil drilling and fracking operations from texas to north dakota and canada. too cold to drill for oil! it has already disrupted livestock shipments throughout the farm belt, it has curtailed meat production. on the railroads, delays on union pacific railroads across illinois, minnesota, missouri and wisconsin. they're moving coal in a lot of these places and it's too cold to move. farmers in florida are worried about their fruit and strawberry crops. they're racing to pick the fruit before a freeze hits and cover the plants with cloth or even ice to try to save them. and power companies are asking customers to lower their thermostats or use generators unless you prepaid for your

heating costs, you're likely to see higher energy bills this month. now, bendable tv. a bendable tv, the latest, greatest thing in technology at the consumer electronics show. that does not bend. >> no. >> that does not bend. this is in vegas and this is from samsung. it can go from a flat-screen to curved with a touch of a button. samsung says consumers might want to watch movies on the curved screen, they might want to watch other things on the flat. the curved mode, according to samsung, provides even more life-like picture quality and depth, because think about it, when you look at something in real life, you're not looking at it flat, you're looking at it kind of curved, right? samsung says you'll be able to buy this tv this year. no word yet on the price. >> i'm thinking they're going to charge more for the bendable tvs. i'm thinking they're looking for ways to charge more for tvs in general. >> i don't have a price point yet, but i do know that is all the buzz in vegas, where it is not freezing, and the consumer electronics show's going to. >> do you want your tv to bend? i hadn't quite thought of that. tweet us @earlystartcnn.

coming up next, the family a brain-dead 13-year-old speaking out about their fears now that the girl has been move fraed a hospital. we'll give you the latest on this story coming up next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ so you can have a getaway from what you know. so you can be surprised by what you don't. get two times the points on travel and dining at restaurants from chase sapphire preferred. so you can taste something that wakes up your soul. chase sapphire preferred. so you can. open to innovation.

open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. anna, your hotels have t wondrous waffle bars. we're open to it. ryan, your hotel's robes are fabulous. so i'm choosing all of you with hotels.com a loyalty program that requires no loyalty.

a former elementary scho schoolteacher is back in the news this morning. she was arrested monday in washington state for driving on a suspended license. you may recall she served seven years for raping a 12-year-old student. she was 34 at the time. the two later married. they have two children. out of a juvenile prison this morning. a former stubenville high school football player. >> the family says he is now a, quote, better person. two students were convicted in the case. it ignited a nationwide debate. the second player serving a two-year sentence for rape.

jahi mcmath is in very bad shape. she was transferred to an oakland hospital sunday night. and a lawyer says the family plans to sue the hospital for not feeding her after she was declared brain dead. they indicated she traveled by ground, which does suggest she's probably still in california. she's now receiving intravenous antibiotics and supplements. we'll have more on "new day". >> all right. much more on that coming up. "new day" starts right now. this is extremely cold. >> deadly freeze. dangerously low temperatures hit the east coast. half the country waking up to record lowe's. crops down south in danger. the toll mounting. this amtrak train frozen in its tracks.

we talk to a passenger live. now day exclusive. dennis rodman live from north korea as he prepares for an exhibition game there. an amazing finish over night. florida state's stunning come from behind. just how did they do it? your "new day" starts right now. >> good morning. good morning. what a morning we're having here. >> good morning. >> it is tuesday, january 7th. happening right now, 180 million americans waking up on the cold side of history literally. the most dangerous deep freeze in decades. so it's not just about the numbers of the temperature itself. take a look at the scene. this is buffalo. a state of emergency there.

vapor rising from snow covered roads as they brace for 3 to 5 feet of snow tomorrow. not inches. windchill 40 below. take a look at the map. these are the numbers that tell the story of what people must live through. chilly temperatures understatement of the year. feels like 50 below in de lawsuit. minnesota, 128 below -- 28 below. you're going to fly today or in the airport watching right now, a cold reality. 1700 flights already canceled. that number most likely will climb. we are trying to cover this situation in every way possible because there are, again, 180 million americans affected here. we have our meteorologist, indra peter sons. she is standing in a bitter cold right off the