out there. thank you so much. >> what better coaster to have for your first legal drink. >> not a coaster. it's a silver medal. >> well, that's all for us at "new day." a lot of news this morning. obviously monitoring the ongoing situation with the nor'easter. let's get you to the "newsroom" and miss carol costello. >> we're turning into a nation of hibernating bears. "newsroom" starts now. >> happening now in the "newsroom," frozen nation. >> the snow started with a fury. >> 100 million people in the path of another catastrophic storm. the south socked in and stuck under snow and sleet. >> a lot of people had abandoned their cars. >> an epic traffic jam with flashbacks to atlanta. >> i don't think we were quite as prepared as we should have

been. >> hundreds of thousands without electricity. >> are you worried about this next storm coming up? >> yes. my husband is buying a generator right now. >> this morning, the historic storm with a laser focus on the northeast. >> we need you to be on alert. >> and a dire warning. this is really the one. stay home. >> a special edition of "newsroom" starts now. good morning. i'm carol costello. most americans have endured brutal conditions this winter. and today snow-weary northeasterners could face the worst storm of the season. we're covering the path of that storm, where it's been, where it's head with our cnn correspondents in place from atlanta to new york. but let's start in maryland. >> the last time i saw you, you were by an overturned semi and

had just rescued someone from a car. >> we've had an active morning, carol. we just pulled up to the scene of another, a second overturned semi trailer. we just pulled up to it. i'm in the vehicle now. i'm going to be getting out talking to one camera now. i'm going to talk to the other camera that's pointing to the front of our vehicle through the windshield. then we'll pick it up with another camera and show you the picture of the second overturned tractor trailer. getting out of the vehicle now. coming up to the front. got to talk to this camera for a second while we get set. the vehicle overturned here. this intersection of 295 and 495. 495 is the washington beltway. this vehicle heading southbound and what they call the inner loop of the beltway. picking it up with the camera. we can walk across here and show you this is an exit so we have to be very careful. this tractor trailer overturned. there was an identical accident just up the road.

that driver suffered minor injuries and got out. this was the scene of an active rescue. this driver was trapped. we are trying to get information as to whether he is still trapped in the vehicle. vehicles coming by here as a speak so bear with us here. the state police are out here. they are interviewing a gentleman over here. not clear if that's the driver or not. but we were told the driver of this vehicle, as of probably 20 minutes ago, so, was trapped. and that they were trying to get him out. we're trying to get the information as to whether that driver is still in here or not. i can probably walk down and get a little closer. not sure how state police will react to this. a lot of problems as this sleet, freezing rain and snowfall continues to pound this area. a lot of road closures here in maryland. we were in virginia a short time ago when we helped a gentleman who had done a 180 off the road. hooked up his vehicle to a cord. hooked it up to our vehicle and

pulled him out of there. a lot of road closures in this area. the federal government is closed today. so that has cut down on a lot of the traffic. that's a fortunate thing. the unfortunate thing is you have a very slippery surface here on the roads. a lot of slush. a lot of ice. and here come the state police over here. i am not sure if this is still an active rescue, carol. >> we'll let you go because your shot is freezing on the air. some irony there. but please be careful, brian todd. please stay off the roads today. it's just not worth it. stay off the roads. let's head to new york city now and central park. it is snowing like mad there. let's check in with indra petersons. hi, indra. >> good morning, carol. that's an understatement. we're talking about flakes that are so big that one of these felt like someone just threw a snowball into my eye. snow coming down near blizzard-like conditions out here. two if not four inches per hour. that's how heavy this snow is

falling. you can see just to my right, residents trying kind of shovel out early and get ahead of the storm. they'll come out every hour because that's what it's going to take when you have a heavy snowfall range like this. what are we expecting throughout the day? two things. remember, still ice in the southeast. a half an inch to an inch of ice in the southeast. crippling ice storm. unfortunately, more ice is still on the way into the southeast. the second part of the system is this heavy snow. see it intensifying because that low from the southeast, the same storm is making its way up the coastline. so you'll have two things going on. one, as the low makes its way closer, winds will intensify. you'll see snow coming at you. this heavy, wet miserable snow. and then as you warm up, right on that freezing line. some places will have this transition over from even snow to sleet and some places some rain. the closer you are to the coastline, there you go with the wind. the closer you tor the coastline you'll see rain farther inland.

snow into my mouth. i feel like i'm checking on the snow. as you go through tonight, the snow returning. if you see rain, don't think the system is over with. is not. it will cool off again this evening. if you are in boston. 4 to 8 inches of snow possible even through tomorrow for your morning commute. 12 inches through new york city. should die down by midnight or early morning tomorrow morning. into d.c., late evening tonight, should see that snow die down. still potential of a foot of snow. not hard to see looking at me, if nothing else, why, carol? >> indra petersons in white plains, new york. we'll head to central park in just a minute where it's also snowing like mad. thanks so much. as the storm churned its way up the east coast it barreled through the carolinas and created the exact same sort of traffic nightmares that paralyzed atlanta two weeks ago. commuters rushed to get home only to get stuck on the

highway, often for hours. david mattingly joins us live from charlotte to tell us more. good morning. >> good morning, carol. got some good news this morning from the spokesperson from the department of transportation in north carolina. he says last night those massive lines of traffic that we saw jammed outside of raleigh resolved themselves late last night. they were able to get the plows in there, start clearing the roads. able to move cars that were abandoned. moving them out of the way. there was no one that had to spend the night on the interstate last night. they had the national guard ready to go out there and rescue people in case they were stranded. as far as the department of transportation is aware, none of that had to happen. today, everyone is being cautioned to stay inside. stay off the roads unless they absolutely have to be out. the reason for that you can see it all around me. more snow this morning. and heavy snow. we woke up this morning to find this road had been plowed clear

and just in the last hour, gives you an idea how much snow is falling. the road completely covered over again. we've been seeing police out here quite a bit. very few people coming into the city today. yesterday people came in -- quite a few people came into work but left at noon. most people in charlotte getting lout ahead of the weather. charlotte did not see the traffic jams that raleigh did. raleigh's problem was there was that cell of really heavy snow that seemed to catch everybody by surprise. even though they knew it was coming. but again, those traffic problems in raleigh resolved themselves late last night according to the department of transportation. today they'll just keep working to clear these roads whether nature cooperates or not. >> i do like what the north carolina governor said. don't put your stupid hat on, people. stay home. david mattingly, thanks so much. let's talk about philadelphia now. it got whacked last week by blizzards that left nearly a million people without power. guess what? another storm system is moving

through philadelphia and the exact same thing could happen. glee let's go to margaret conley who is covering that part of the story. >> reporter: the snow is coming down at a rate of two to three inches per hour in this area. they are expecting 14 to 18 inches of snow for this entire storm. emergency workers there standing by to deal with the power lines to deal with cutting down trees, whatever is necessary in case there are any more blackouts. just days after pennsylvania was hit with crippling power outages across the state, residents are bracing this morning for yet another storm. heavy snow fell overnight threatening blackouts in some counties here that were hit harder last week than during superstorm sandy. emergency workers from as far away as canada have stayed in town to help residents face this storm. >> it was very eerie in the town last week. every street was blocked off and there were trees lying everywhere. >> reporter: residents have had

to restock or get new supplies from last week. >> are you worried about this next storm coming up? >> yes. my husband is buying a generator right now. he tracked one down somewhere on the internet. >> reporter: and some residents just got their power turned back on. this restaurant owner was out of business for seven straight days. >> a little hard. about $6,000 or $7,000 of business lost for the week. >> reporter: his fear, along with many others here, is another round of outages too soon as they wait to see what this storm will bring. >> getting up tomorrow morning. see what i got and get in my truck and drive here. that's all i can do. >> reporter: so far authorities that we've talked to and we just got off though phone with the commissioner of this county, josh shapiro. he said -- advised everybody, reports are normal but, please, everybody stay off the roads here. carol? >> we keep saying that. i hope people follow that advice. margaret conley reporting live from philadelphia, thanks so

much. the snow and ice are breaking records on the great lakes. this is a beautiful picture. isn't that bizarre right now more than 88% of the five great lakes are covered in ice. that number expected to rise. these are pictures taken by nasa. the lakes haven't been frozen over in 20 years. meteorologists say because of all the ice on the lakes, the cities around lake michigan could see a cooler summer this year. as millions dig out of the snow and ice, here 24 words that will warm your heart. play ball. pitchers and catchers for several teams, including my beloved detroit tigers, tropt the clarm climates of florida and arizona this weekend. by the end of the week, spring training will be under way for almost every team. and the regular season begins next month. so never clear. spring is on the way. less than 40 days away. hi justin. still to come, the senate approves a bill to raise the nation's debt ceiling bup not without a bit of drama first.

our senior white house correspondent jim acosta is on that story. good morning, jim. >> good morning, carol. that's right. the president praises perhaps an end to the politics of brinksmanship as the congress, as the senate passes that debt ceiling bill. i'll have details coming up in just a few minutes. up so we're up early. up late. thinking up game-changing ideas, like this: dozens of tax free zones across new york state. move here. expand here. or start a new business here... and pay no taxes for 10 years. with new jobs, new opportunities and a new tax free plan. there's only one way for your business to go. up. find out if your business can qualify at start-upny.com hot breakfast options. hampton, enjoy our free you did a great job. it looks good! then fuel up with up to 9,000 hhonors bonus points on a long weekend stay. make every stay more rewarding and feel the hamptonality.

you are gonna need a wingman. and with my cash back, you are money. forget him. my airline miles will take your game worldwide. what i'm really looking for is -- i got two words for you -- re-wards. ♪ there's got to be better cards than this. [ male announcer ] there's a better way with creditcards.com. compare hundreds of cards from all the major banks to find the one that's right for you. it's simple. search, compare, and apply at creditcards.com.

first round's on me.

checking our top stories. it's 15 minutes past the hour. new video shows the moment a 10-year-old girl crashed her mom's car into the dmv. the mother told police she left her 10-year-old and 12-year-old daughters in a parked suv. the younger kid who is 10 apparently turned the key, hit the gas and drove straight into that building. no one was hurt but the little

girl, yes, the little girl, got a ticket for careless driving. a section of eastbound interstate 84 in oregon still closed after a rock slide sent boulders crashing on to the road. according to katu, a man said boulders nearly smashed into his car while he was driving. amazingly, no one was hurt. no word on when that road will reopen. and encouraging news for the white house as more than 3 million people have now signed up for obamacare. and we're getting more details about who is enrolling. about a quarter of the enrollees are ages 18 to 34, while 82% are eligible for federal subsidies to help cover premiums and out-of-pocket costs. the congressional budget office predicts 6 million people will enroll in obamacare this year. a small breakthrough in a deeply divided washington. the senate voting to raise the nation's debt limit. approving a measure that allows the government to borrow more money to pay its bills through

march 2015. the legislation got through, thanks in part to 12 republicans who blocked a filibuster attempt by fellow republican ted cruz. our chief congressional correspondent dana bash has more for you. >> reporter: this vote was never going to be easy, but this was high drama. for 45 minutes, the senate was in limbo. two votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster waged by republican ted cruz on raising the debt ceiling. thanks to cruz's tactic, what republicans feared most, putting the nation's credit and american stock portfolios at risk, was about to happen. then suddenly, the senate's top two republicans walked the political plank together. senate gop leader mitch mcconnell and his number two, john cornyn, approached the doesk vote yes. both mcconnell and cornyn are facing primary challenge s from the right. both new allowing more borrowing would give ammunition to their

conservative opponents but they did it anyway. that was the 60 votes needed to break cruz's filibuster. but republicans decided they needed more. the search began for other gop colleagues to switch their votes to yes to give their senate leaders political cover. finally, susan collins emerged from the gop cloak room with a group of republicans who agreed to vote yes. john mccain, orrin hatch and others taking one for the team, helping to pad the margin and share responsibility. >> the votes on the motion are 67 in favor. 31 against. >> reporter: quickly followed by final passage on a party line vote. something most republicans wanted in place without the drama of cruz's filibuster. >>vote, the ayes are 55, nays 43. >> 55 democrats voting yes. all republicans voting no. joining me now, dana bash along with our senior white house correspondent jim acosta. they are trying to put tea party

politics, quote, in the rear-view mirror. is he right? >> it's a good sound bite. we can always chuck schumer for that. the principles of the tea party are still very much alive and well. just look at the emergency unemployment insurance benefits that expired at the end of last year. the extension is still stuck in the senate. hard to imagine that happening before the tea party rise in 2010. but what is true is that many republicans who came here on that tea party wave have been in office for three years. they understand more. you can't always stand on principle and it backfires because they learned it the hard way with the government shutdown in the fall. there was the revolt a couple days ago when boehner allowed this clean debt ceiling vote to come. that gives you a sense they get it more than before. you still have ted cruz seeing himself as the guy that's going to hold on to the conservative principle, even though it means he'll be the skunk at the

republican garden party for the next few weeks. >> that was my favorite line from you yesterday. the skunk at the garden party. jim, the president says he'll sign the bill into law and hopes it ends political brinksmanship. i don't know about that, though. >> i don't know about that either. several skunks at the garden party here in washington. so you never know what's around the corner. this is a victory for the president. he said he wanted a clean debt ceiling bill with no strings attached. that's what he got. he's been saying since the beginning of his second term he'd like to break the tea party fever as he calls it here in washington. as dana was saying, some of that happened yesterday. white house officials are optimistic that perhaps this breakthrough could lead to perhaps some movement on the minimum wage and immigration reform. as dana can tell york that's going to be a stretch in this midterm election year. and people at the white house know it. but they are going to say in the meantime that while the congress is not always going to go along with the president, that he has

that pen and that phone. he's going to take executive actions. so we're going to continue to hear that from the president going forward. >> washington looks beautiful behind you in the snow. joe, we have a picture of your masterpiece you created a short time ago to show our viewers. >> oh, no. please don't. actually, i should give yet credit is due. our crew here, bill and berry, they worked hard on that all morning. i actually broke it earlier. i had to make another one. i'm going to carefully hold the new one up because it may fall apart again. it's starting to get warm out here. >> we needed a little smile this morning. >> we're multitasking. >> dana bash, jim acosta. let's talk seriously about the weather now and head to new york's central park where sain asher is standing by. >> hi, carol, absolutely. it's official. we are getting hammered out here

in central park. mayor diblasio said, guys, stay inside. this is the real deal. over here, i had to walk about 45 minutes. but the wind was really coming at me so hard that i had to walk backwards. who is this girl? what is she doing? she's crazy. let me show you what the snow looks like on the ground. it's very light. very powdery, fluffy. some good news and bad news. the good news is, the snow will eventually turn to rain so you don't have to worry about that for too long. this will eventually turn into slush. obviously, everybody hates slush. in terms of what new yorkers are saying. they are used to this. they are a resilient bunch. one woman saying she loves the snow and would not miss this for the world. >> until it turns into that slush because there's nothing like new york city filled with slush. it's not a pretty picture.

zain asher, thanks. still to come, a blockbuster deal could create the nation's largest cable provider. but in a deal worth tens of billions, could consumers get the shaft? christine romans has more. >> good morning, carol. a $45 billion deal between comcast and time warner cable. what will it mean for your customer service and for the number at the bottom of your cable bill? i'll have that for you after the break.

ameriprise asked people a simple question: in retirement, will you outlive your money? uhhh. no, that can't happen. that's the thing, you don't know how long it has to last. everyone has retirement questions. so ameriprise created the exclusive.. confident retirement approach. now you and your ameripise advisor can get the real answers you need. well, knowing gives you confidence. start building your confident retirement today.

it is the dawn of a new era

for cable tv subscribers. early this morning, comcast announced it's agreed to pay $45 billion to buy time warner cable and create the nation's largest cable provider. one analyst estimated that if this deal goes through, more than one-third of pay tv subscribers would get their service from comcast. christine romans is in new york following this story. i'm thinking that's not a good thing for consumers. >> well, carol, this would be a very big cable company. it would control about one-third of american households. most of those are in new york, los angeles, philadelphia, washington, d.c. now the companies, carol, they are touting all this cool stuff they have. the consumer demand of more on demand, more dvr features. the new online capabilities. but they may not like their new cable bill. less competition typically means higher prices. when it comes to cable bills, customers have experienced rapidly rising prices.

they are increasing at a rate of 6% each year. and they're forecast to reach 200 bucks a month on average by 2020. that's according to npd research group. pricing and competition are what federal regulators will look at when they scrutinize this deal. this could be a very good deal for the two companies. but there are three questions for cable customers. what's it going to do for your bill? sdwhat it mean for those occasional blackouts when cable companies battle the content providers? and, what will it mean for your customer service. those are still the questions for consumers. >> one day soon, everything will be owned by one great humongous company and we'll be totally controlled by that one company. another question, you know, you mentioned cable bills, right? >> right. >> the cable bills of people who subscribe to other services, will they also rise? >> it's interesting. you can lower your cable bill if you can leverage, you know, the different services in your neck of the woods. i know a lot of people have been calling their cable providers

and asking to go right to the retention office. you want to keep me, lower my bill. that's a personal finance tip in all of this. in general, these fees for these services have been going up, up and up. as we're expecting more from our cable company and they are giving us more choices. so the cable companies are touting all the cool features. the bundling of the phone and the cable and on demand. but the price for that has been rising. no question. far outstripping the price -- >> if you look at national surveys, customer service for cable providers at the bottom of the barrel. >> and these two, who are merging, are number six and seven of seven when you talk about customer satisfaction for internet service providers. they are number six and seven. even if you lose the time warner cable name and it's just comcast, you've upgraded from number seven to number six. somebody from free press, a group that often criticizes the cable companies. this is what this consumer

group's criticism was. already americans hate dealing with the cable guy. both these giant companies regularly rank among the worst of the worst. but this deal would be the cable guy on steroids pumped up, unstoppable and grasping for your wallet. >> ouch. >> it's a frightening prospect. a lot of americans can only afford to watch television at home. you know the price of a movie these days or going out to dinner in a nice restaurant? >> cutting the cord, too. >> there's a lot of trends. a lot of fast-moving trends in the cable space. >> christine romans, thanks. paralysis in washington. today you can't blame politics. cnn's erin mcpike is out and about. good morning. >> carol, good morning. because this winter has been so rough, states on the east coast are blowing through their snow removal budgets. more on that after the break. [ male announcer ] this is jim.

a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto. like warfarin, xarelto is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem that doesn't require routine blood monitoring.

so jim's not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin there is limited information on how xarelto and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. plus, with no known dietary restrictions, jim can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto, rivaroxaban, without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto with aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto if you have abnormal bleeding. xarelto can cause bleeding, which can be serious and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto, tell your doctor about any conditions

such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto. once-a-day xarelto means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. [ male announcer ] how could a luminous protein in jellyfish, impact life expectancy in the u.s.,

real estate in hong kong, and the optics industry in germany? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. it's a struggle just to cope today across much of the southeast. almost an inch of ice in atlanta. close to a foot of snow in the carolinas. and for a while, wednesday's roads turned into parking lots in places lycra ike raleigh. this is a live look at the

interstates in raleigh. people learned their lesson and no one is on the road today. this is one of my favorite features this morning. you can see they're doing a good job with the roads in baltimore because about, oh, seven or eight inches of snow fell overnight in baltimore. and then it started to rain in the morning. so those snow plow crews have been out for a long, long time. and they are still going this morning. as you can see, they are doing a pretty good job, although dropping temperatures later this afternoon could make things very difficult for all of the snow removal crews out today. that snow removal effort does not come cheap. this winter's unrelenting assault comes at a steep cost. in maryland, the state came into the season with $48 million in its snow removal budget. look at how much it's actually spent. more than $82 million. we still have several weeks of winter left. they are certainly not forgetting that in virginia. that state snow removal budget was $157 million.

officials are still tallying how much they've spent but they are confident they've already blown the budget. in washington, the usual budget talk is largely muted today. the government has shut its federal offices. cnn's erin mcpike is standing -- oh, that's so beautiful, erin. >> well, carol, washington, d.c., is really, for the most part, shut down. even the white house briefing has been canceled for today. but the federal government is completely closed. and you can see here that the capitol is behind me because the federal government is closed it means all of the hearings that were supposed to go on in the capitol today also are off. and that means all of these people who have come to washington for business throughout the week are stuck here because also the dulles airport is shut down. washington reagan airport is shut down. all the runways are closed there. baltimore-washington international airport, the runways are open but most of the flights have been canceled. i want to show you real quickly

how much snow we have. look how deep this is and how heavy it is. also maybe you can see over there we have a big snowman. thick, heavy snow and it's going to get worse throughout the day. >> be careful out there, erin mcpike. that nasty winter storm is, well, it's interrupting a lot of people's lives today. let's go up the east coast and head into new england. actually we'll head into new york because snow was falling there, too. eight inches of snow possible by the end of the day. ashleigh banfield is there. good morning, ashleigh. >> hi, carol. how did you get your assignment? how did i get this one? >> you are prepared. you have goggles. >> can i tell you, i am prepared because i actually did come out in this earlier this morning and it hurts. this is the poor man's exfoliator. it does hurt that the snow is really going sideways. i don't know if you can really see it through the camera lens. when you are out here in new york city and there aren't as many commuters out here on

columbus circle as you'd normally see at this hour. i don't know whether it's smart enough to look out their high-rise windows and say forget about it. also i heard as i was walking over the subway grates. one of those wonderful announcements. to me, i actually could decipher it and it was the trains are really running slowly. so everybody obviously knows what the deal is in new york city. so i usually bring my president's ruler out. there's not a whole lot of point because i'm in a plowed area. i did dip over there and i was up to milliard fillmore. we're expecting 15 inches in new york city. here's what i don't get, carol. why are the kids going to school? they didn't cancel school today. i am like -- my kids are canceled up in connecticut. we're expecting a lot of snow up there, too. and i will tell you this. you know new york city. you lived here. and you know it's not normal for some stranger to walk up to you and say, hi. can i give you a free cup of hot

chocolate. but follow me if you will. i know, right. the guy in the red truck is handing out hot chocolate. it's a store i think called modell's. handing out hot chocolate to complete strangers. how delightful. >> it takes a snowstorm to warm the hearts of new yorkers. now we know. ashley b ashleigh banfield, i'll let you get out. i'm sure you're in search of stories. >> that's really big of you, carol costello. >> you'll be back in a minute with another story that i love so stick around. thank you very much, ashleigh banfield. a wisconsin bus driver is trying to get his job back after he's caught on tape beating a teenaged passenger while he's driving the bus. we'll talk more about this next. ♪

[ chicken caws ] [ male announcer ] when your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast with tums. heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum tums! ...and let in the dog that woke the man who drove to the control room [ woman ] driverless mode engaged. find parking space. [ woman ] parking space found. [ male announcer ] ...that secured the data that directed the turbines that powered the farm that made the milk that went to the store

that reminded the man to buy the milk that was poured by the girl who loved the cat. [ meows ] the internet of everything is changing everything. cisco. tomorrow starts here.

shocking video from wisconsin this morning. a kenosha transit bus driver is caught on tape beating a teenaged driver while the bus was full of people. the bus was still moving while that fight was going on. the driver is in a whole world of trouble. jean casarez live with that part of the story. >> the student is facing criminal charges. i just got off the phone with the kenosha police department. they confirm the student is 16 years old. and i don't think anybody would imagine it was all caught on video but it sure was. watch this. a wisconsin bus driver is out of a job after a violent fight with a passenger on board his bus. the whole thing was caught on tape. the shocking video shot inside a

bus packed with high school students. shows the heated moments before a violent altercation between kenosha transit bus driver scotty wells and a teen passenger last month. the video seems to show the testy encounter was not the first time the two had exchanged words. >> i know it's you. i've been waiting to see you. >> that's that for? >> that's for your mouth. >> [ inaudible ]. >> no, when you got off the bus the last time. >> reportedly, wells told authorities he asked for the teen's information after allegedly experiencing issues with him on previous rides. the teen is seen in the video taking a seat. but a few moments later, he approaches the front of the bus and pulls the first punch. >> when that border goes, that bus pass is no longer any good.

but perhaps more shocking, watch here as the bus still moving with no one behind the wheel crashes into three parked cars, one with people still inside. the teen is facing felony charges for assaulting wells and reckless endangerment. wells declined to comment. >> you can talk to my union representative. >> his union rep is fighting for him to get his job back. >> my issue with the bus driver is that when he defended himself he put others at risk. by defending himself while the bus wasn't in park. >> and i was just able to confirm with the kenosha school district that this is in fact, a city bus driver. and the school district was using him. they do contract out with all of that. and i think, carol, we have to look at the facts here because the students had just gotten on to the bus. the bus driver must have put the

car in drive, the bus, to start to drive and then he was attacked. and we know his glasses were broken as the student began to punch him. and then he, as the bus driver, has the duty for the safety of the kids. but i think he felt a momentary reaction he had to subdue the student but then the bus kept moving. we did confirm there was one occupied car that that bus just sort of coasted into, but minor injuries but nothing serious. >> that's a crazy story. so the teenager has been charged. what about the bus driver? >> the bus driver, no charges at all, but as i just spoke with the school district, they believe he, in fact, had been fired but they said you need to confirm with the bus company because they were his actual employer. >> wow. jean casarez, thanks so much. take a break. we'll be right back with more in the "newsroom." those little things still get you.

cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

hot breakfast options. hampton, enjoy our free you did a great job. it looks good! then fuel up with up to 9,000 hhonors bonus points on a long weekend stay. make every stay more rewarding and feel the hamptonality. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage.

luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. wall street looking at a down day of trading. dow dropped shortly. down 72 points thousand. this is after the congress department said retail sales dipped slightly in the month of january. chilly weather has kept shoppers at home with wallets shot. toing other stories. 53 were hurt after a home was set on fire in what authorities say might have been an explosion

in kentucky. fire crews on the scene. according to witnesses, several structures have been levelled. comcast has agreed to purchase time warner cable for $45 bmd4$45 billion. the deal is expected to take tough scrutiny by regulators. let the bing watching begin as if. political junkies are begging netflix to release the new season of "house of cards" one day early so they can sit home and watch during the snow storm. so far, no go. it has long been rumored the smooth talking senator underwood and his wife claire are actually modelled after bill and hillary clinton. >> your marriage may be more kal you cue lacalculated than you l

on. >> i wanted it to go longer. frank denies the character is based on bill clinton. by the way, bill clinton loves "house of cards" and kevin space say. don't know if you caught the actress that portrayed the reporter in the clip. that was cnn's own ashleigh banfield. she joins me with correspondent michelle turner. good morning to both of you. >> good morning carol. >> top of the morning to you. >> i was going to put specks on and look like the both of you. ashleigh has the futuristic goggles on outside so -- >> i know. i'm at sundance filming the next big ski movie. that's why i have the goggles. >> your acting was primo. how did it feel to be in a show everyone loves? >> tell you what, i love it when

someone else writes the stuff and you have to say it. i thought it would be a total breeze. turns out acting is hard especially trying to act as yourself. it was a blast though. i had a 12 hour day on the set. i spent the whole day in a scene which i'm not allowed to tell you about. i signed a deal with robin wright who is just one of the nicest, coolest, smartest people. clearly one of the best actresses not by my judgment but by the golden globes and other accolades she's been getting. man, was it ever cool. >> it was cool. >> ashleigh was being humble. she didn't have a line or two. she had lines, pages. she did work. i'm excited to see her in the role. >> i was excited too. >> i did. >> i am too. >> this movement to get netflix to release the series a day early so people trapped in their homes by snow could bing watch. >> i blame our own brian stelter for this. he was one of the people on twitter calling for them to

release early. netflix is saying they can't give up the goods any earlier, can't move it up carol. it seems like we've got to do some other things to give us a little bing watching. we won't get the house of cards series until tomorrow, valentine's day. here's what i say. if you're trapped in house and want to do bing watching, catch up on "scandal." i watched all of season one. >> michelle, are you crazy? what about "walking dead"? clearly we're living images of "walking dead." i think people should bing watch that. >> hold on for a second. we have a surprise for ashleigh banfield about her acting skills. experts weighed in. let's listen. >> let's talk about my dear friend and colleague ashleigh

banfield. okay. she comes up to me in the hallway one day and said, i got a call. kevin spacey's office is on the line. i said that's not true. she didn't buy it for a second. she's in season two of "house of cards." she does as many journalists in washington cover it. ashleigh did a very nice job. i know her personally. she's a lot of fun. >> she's great. you might lose her. >> that was kevin spacey. >> nice. >> and robin wright. >> i call him k space. that's just me. funny thing happened on the way to the grill here. when i was doing the live shot, months and months ago the audio engineer working with me does run of these, look behind you. it was kevin spacey. i called out to him, hey, come on over.

there began the odyssey of fun. i have that in me. we became buddies. i like to say best friends forever, but yeah. he asked me to do the gig, and i've done a few other things for him. been a lot of fun. look at this weather story behind you as we go. look at that. hey guys. thank you central park. live reporting for you. >> ashleigh banfield, michelle turner, thanks so much. appreciate it. the next hour of cnn "newsroom" after a quick break. 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 get 36 months interest-free financing, and save up to $500 on beautyrest and posturepedic. get a sealy queen set for just $399. even get 3 years interest-free financing on tempur-pedic. plus, free delivery, set-up, and removal of your old set. keep more presidents in your wallet. this special financing offer ends presidents' day at sleep train. superior service, best selection, lowest price, guaranteed. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. today the deadly winter storm that crippled the southeast is pushing up the eastward seaboard to new england. it could dump a foot and a half

of snow. 18 states under a winter storm warning. people in new jersey are rushing to stock up on supplies. some say they're ready. >> i mean, we're all post sandy at this point, post snowstorms. i'm a little tired of it. if we are not all prepared at this point for how many storms we have had, shame on everyone. we could all live off our pantry thats point. >> across the southeast, more snow falling turning roads to skating rinks, trees coated in heavy ice. well, those trees are now falling onto power lines knocking out power. 700,000 homes and businesses in the dark. at least ten deaths have been blamed on the storm. it may be near impossible to escape. 5100 flights are cancelled this morning. one of the hardest hit area, north carolina, now called the new atlanta after drivers ign e ignored warnings and got stuck on the highways for hours. >> trying to get home.

it's a little cold outside. roads is real bad. we're trying to stay focussed and get past where we need to. >> i'd like to be home now. hopefully i can get there before dark. >> take a look at this. in the middle of the traffic you chaos, one driver saw this car spin out. as you can see, that car burst into flames. as far as we know, no injuries. what a frightening site. we have cnn coverage. indra petersons, david. let's start in central park with ashleigh banfield where snow is falling like mad. good morning. >> reporter: hi carol. sometimes it's hard to tell with the camera the direction the snow is falling. if you're traveling southward, no problem. if commuting this way, it feels like tiny bullets hitting your eyes. we're expecting 15 inches of

snow by the end of the day. if you can go to the magic cnn sign. i find out to what's happening in the temperature. it's 31 degrees here. we've gone up half a degrees in the last hour. it's expected to go up above freezing which means this lovely white flaky skiable stuff turns to nasty, sleety, ugly rain. when i snows later, which it is expected to do, it becomes dangerous and the kind of place you don't want to be on roads in any i place. half an hour ago i was here for the snow. it's scientific. plowers have been all over the place. we have gone to lincoln. on the president's ruler, that's what we have. one thing you don't expect. franky did not stay home from work. you think you're going to get petty cab business? >> i pray to god i do. i think i do. people want to see the park in

any season for any reason. the park is amazing. >> reporter: it's very pretty. when it snows in new york city, it hides the junk underneath that can be ugly. my question, do you have snow tires on this? >> no, we don't. we manage to get through the snow better than the vehicles. absolutely. >> oh no. ashleigh's shot froze. she's okay. she's still talking to that nice man. let's head to white plains, new york where it's snowing like mad. indra petersons is there. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i think it's the theme today. snow is unbelievable. very hard and wet. it's coming down very heavy. talking snowfall rates of two to four inches an hour. you can see when i'm walking, this is fresh snow from the last few hours guys. we haven't been here that long. you can see this accumulating. we can see a lot of residents

trying to shovel their driveways. they're coming out every hour for good reason trying to stay ahead of this system. it's a tough one. talking heavy snow out here that's expected to be with us throughout the day. there's a catch. it will will transition. what are we talking about? it's a low. we know about the ice storm in the east. as the low makes its way up the coastline, it's all about the snow strengthening. talking about the transition. closer to the coastline you could see rain as we warm up throughout the day. it's the reason snowflakes are so large. that huge moisture source and the fact the temperatures are warm. if you're on the back side of this low, you're getting heavier snow. suburbs and inland areas getting higher amounts. talking a foot of snow for d.c. think about that. four years ago five inches was a huge story. some places have seen six to nine inches. the snow returns once the sun goes down and temperatures drop.

keep that in mind. this is a story all the way through tomorrow. carol? >> all right indra petersons. it's windy. ashleigh banfield's shot was knocked off the air because of high winds. it is nasty. be careful. gridlock and chaos rang supreme but not in the world of politics. a snow emergency is in place, first since 2010. we did find some people on the roads and some needed a helping hand. that's cnn brian todd and his crew freeing a stranded driver outside of maryland. brian joins us from oxen hill maryland. good morning brian. brian, can you hear me? >> reporter: treacherous conditions on these roads. 295 and 495. 495 is the maryland belt way. this is an overturned tractor

trailer truck. the driver is okay. he had to be rescued, pulled out a short time ago. the driver is okay. suffered minor injuries to his hand. i spoke to him. he didn't want to go on camera. he told me the truck got away from him. the snow and ice, especially slush got away from him as he came down an incline down this hill. he got wedged between the surface here and the ditch down there. they're about to wench him out of there. he is okay. we came upon an almost identical accident, another tractor trailer truck that looked like this overturned. that driver was also okay, five miles up the road. a lot of road closures in the d.c. area. these are conditions they're dealing with on the roads. you talked about mix of sleet and ice with regular rain. this is slush, what drivers are dealing with. there's ice under the slush. treacherous conditions overall. you no i'm feeling a light rain

on my head. it's been very bad, really mixing with some snow, some freezing rain. it's just kind of pounded us all day, hasn't let up carol. >> brian todd, be careful. please stay off you the roads. it's not worth it. >> the snow, ice, cold breaking records on the great lakes. this is amazing. right now, imagine this 88% of the five great lakes are ice covered. that number expected to rise. these were taken by nasa by the way. lakes haven't been frozen in 20 years. meteorologists say because of ice on the great lakes, the cities around lake michigan could see a cooler summer this year. as the storm churned up the east coast, it barrelled through the carolinas, created the traffic nightmare that paralyzed atlanta two weeks ago. in raleigh, commuters rushed to get home, only to get stuck for hours. david mattingly joining us from

charlotte. everything clear now? >> reporter: a spokeman tells us yes the traffic jam in raleigh revolved itself last night. they had the national guard standing by to rescue those if anybody got stranded. as far as they know, there was no need for rescues. no one had to spend the night on the expressway. we woke up this morning thinking things were starting to turn around here in charlotte. this road behind me was plowed clear last night. look, this is a real case of deja vu. just yesterday i was talking to you about snow falling here. it's falling again this morning. this storm just won't quit. >> hit hard by the winter storm, the carolinas are digging out this morning. emergency crews working to clear snow covered streets, motorists reclaiming abandoned cars.

ice and heavy snow hitting some areas at one to two inches per hour resulting in travel chaos. >> it came on so fasts and furious. it happened to quickly. that is why so many of us were caught. a lot of cars were abandoned. they just left. next thing you know, i see flames. >> reporter: drivers stuck on highways in raleigh. cars skidding off streets. some people simply abandoning their vehicles. more than 200,000 people in south carolina are right now in the dark. energy crews calling in reinforcements to repair fallen power lines. >> reporter: and the word from authorities all across south carolina is to stay indoor, don't be on the roads if you don't need to be. reasons are obvious. there's personal safety.

they want the cars off the roads so snowplows and salt trucks can do their jobs and finally turn the corner to start clearing up the massive wintery mess. carol? >> just to figure out why this traffic mess happened in raleigh. that warning to stay off the roads was in effect when people tried to do errands right? >> reporter: what we were hearing from motorists, they had the warnings, knew the storm was coming. what surprised them was how much snow they got and how quickly they got it in the raleigh area. it was at a time people were trying to leave their jobs and go back home. like what we saw in atlanta a couple of weeks ago. in this case it was the tremendous snowfall that seemed to catch everyone by surprise. they knew the snow was coming, they just didn't know it was going to be that much. >> a couple of differences then what happened in atlanta. north carolina had the national guard on stand by right? and they had a plan?

>> reporter: right, they had a plan. they hadn't planned for the traffic jam. the traffic jam did resolve itself last night. no one spent the night on the interstate they say. it was a little different from atlanta where all levels of government seemed to be caught by surprise as well as those motor resiists caught on the expressway. >> a word about georgia and the city of atlanta. this time they were prepared. they had a plan. there have been no problems this time around. in other news, a florida jury returned for the second day of deliberations in the loud music murder trial. they must decide whether michael dunn is guilty in the first degree murder shooting death of jordan davis outside the jacksonville gas station. in closing argument, dunn acted in anger and not self-defense. dunn's attorney suggests his client is the victim of a botched police investigation.

>> that is premeditation knowing when he pull had the gun up, he had it ready to go. he didn't pull a gun out to brandish it and back them off. he pulled it out and immediately started firing. >> never checked the bushes, never checked the dumpsters? the detectives allegeds they did five days later. >> good morning sunni from jacksonville, florida. >> reporter: good morning carol. >> the jury asked to see the gas station surveillance video again. what does that suggest to you? >> reporter: that's right. they asked for it last night. they got to see it this morning at 9:37. about 20 minutes ago. there's 20 minutes of tape and six angles. it doesn't snow the outside of the gas station where this took place. a lot of people don't understand that. it does show the front and

interior of the convenient store gas station. you can see michael dunn's fiance reacting to hearing not one, two, but ten shots. you can hear the shots on the surveillance video. you can hear the pauses between the first three and the next four and next three. that is very important. the prosecution here argued this was premeditated. so even if the jury doesn't believe the first couple of shots were premed dated, because of that pause, it's possible they draw the conclusion he continued shooting at the unarmed boys. >> i had the initial thought that the jury would quickly decide. in your mind, what do you think will happen? that's hard to know, but i'm just curious. >> reporter: in terms of -- i'm sorry -- >> in terms of whether the jury will come to a quick conclusion? >> reporter: that's a good

question. a lot of us are wondering that as well. the yardstick generally is one hour of deliberations for every day of trial. so that would be eight to ten hours. remember oj simpson, months worth of trial, came back in little under four hours. george zimmerman weeks of trial, came back in 16 hours over two days. it's anyone's guess. conventional wisdom says a quick verdict is generally prosecution investigat verdict. they've got a lot to go over. talking about five counts. he's also charged with manslaughter. he's also second degree murder and attempted murder for other three boy this is the car. they've got a lot to mull over in the jury room. >> sunny reporting live from jacksonville, florida. still to come, we all get them.

e-mails in our account that could be can behind the largest target hack. >> fascinating details about the entry point for the hack and how malicious malware made its way to your data. that's right after the break. isn't it time you discovered the lighter side of dog chow. purina dog chow light & healthy.

you want everything.orks an expert ford technician knows your car's health depends on a full, complete checkup. the works. because when it comes to feeling safe behind the wheel, going the distance and saving at the pump you want it all. get our multi-point inspection with a a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection and more for $29.95 or less. get a complete vehicle checkup. only at your ford dealer.

fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yeah. everybody knows that. did you know there is an oldest trick in the book? what? trick number one. look-est over there. ha ha. made-est thou look. so end-eth the trick. hey.... yes.... geico. fifteen minutes could save you... well, you know.

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. we're getting a clearer picture of how data thieves hacked into target and stole credit card and personal information from 10 million shoppers. it may have started with a malicious phishing e-mail, the very kind we're warned against opening. christine romans is here with details. a single e-mail may have caused this? >> how many times have you seen

something from somebody you don't know or something from somebody you know that's a weird link. that's how they get in there and steal your stuff. new details on the entry point for that target hack and how it was something like that, malicious malware moving through the heating and a krorks company into target's sang tum. the trail leads to a pennsylvania company that's a vendor to target. that vendor was the door into the personal information of 110 million target customers. here's how it worked. that's the new part here. a phony e-mail laced with malware sent to employees at pennsylvania company. apparently workers opened the e-mail. the malware affects their computer, worms its way into the company's records. it has a door way to target because it's a vendor. that's how it gets paid. hackers steal the target credentials from the company and feast on target customers.

it raises serious concerns carol, how about secure connections are between companies and how easily your information can be hacked. i've got info on the hotel hack last year. we're learning more about that too. that hack was not the information you gave at the front desk but the restaurant and gift shops apparently. those vendors is how they got through there. another example of how it's the wild west with information. >> christine romans, thanks so much. >> you're welcome. checking other stories at 20 minutes past. the russian antigay laws, president putin is not backing down. he just signed same sex adoption. the resolution bars single people from adopting russian children if they come from countries where same sex marriage is legal. their sexual orientation does not matter. 16 roll per coaster riders

safe on the ground after they were stuck in the air three and a half hours. it happened at bush gardens in tampa. according to the affiliate, the cheetah hunt coaster broke down as the train was coming back to the station. fire crews got everyone off safely. no word on why the ride broke down. comcast has agreed to purchase time warner cable for $45 billion. the sale would join the largest cable providers meaning more than a third of u.s. paid tv scribers would get their service from comcast. the deal is expected to face scrutiny by regulators. still to come, mitch mcconnel is the top ranking senate republican. why did he join forces with the democrats on a critical vote about the debt ceiling? we'll have the report from washington next. [ man ] look how beautiful it is. ♪ honey, we need to talk. we do? i took the trash out. i know. and thank you so much for that.

i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? [ male announcer ] whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. i did a little research. with a medicare supplement plan, you'll be able to stay with your doctor. oh, you know, i love that guy. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. and there are no networks. is this a one-size-fits-all kind of thing? no. there are lots of plan options. it all depends on what we need and how much we want to spend. [ male announcer ] call now to request your free decision guide. it could help you find an aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. what happens when we travel?

the plans go with us. anywhere in the country. i like that. you know what else? unitedhealthcare insurance company has years and years of experience. what do you say? ♪ i'm in. [ male announcer ] join the millions already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. remember, all medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay and could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose your own doctor or hospital as long as they accept medicare patients. and with these plans, there could be low or no copays. you do your push-ups today? prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] don't wait. call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan to go the distance with you. go long.

congress managed to pass an increase of the nation's debt ceiling but not before a high profile political drama played out on the senate floor. top republicans crossing the aisle to join democrats to block a filibuster bid by texas senator ted cruz. the result, a vote that some say deals a blow to the tea party. chief congressional correspondent dana bash from washington. dana, 12 republicans banded together stop cruz's filibuster attempt. schumer had this to say about the change of heart, quote, they're trying to put tea party politics in the rear-view

mirror. is that right? >> reality be [ bleep ] backfired. other top republicans have made clear they will not allow republicans to engage on this issue, the debt ceiling, since defaulting would have put the nation's credit at risk, stock portfolios at risk and put republicans at risk. diminished chances of taking the senate in november and maybe risked their hold on the house. that's why you saw this drama in this senate yesterday with republicans as you said, crossing over not just any republican, the number one and number two senate republicans. it became unclear if ted cruz's filibuster could have been overcome. they walked the political plank, walked down and voted yes even though they have republican primary challengers. they knew well this would be am

n in addition again them. >> especially mcconnel. he responded to this. could this hurt mcconnel and other republicans in the midt m midterms? >> sure, absolutely. both of these men as i said have primary opponents. mitch mcconnel looks at this point he's at greatest risk from the democrat in the fall than the primary opponent. they know full well things turn very quickly in republican party politics. they did it because they sort of were taking the long view that having even the risk of the economy blowing up because of a bad vote in the senate would have been bad. >> now wait a second. they did it for the good of the country you? that makes me feel good. >> they did. if you ask them, they did. i have to say that at a time -- i'm glad you stopped this conversation and pointed that out carol.

it is important underscore at a time there's so much politics going on. in the halls of the senate, especially among republicans who were uneasy about this, many of them were uneasy to begin with. there were a lot of kudos for mitch mcconnel and john for doing this. they felt they put politics aside. that brings me to the other man we've been talking about, ted cruz. i have to tell you, i have rarely seen so much anger frankly at somebody in the senate among his own colleagues and his own party as we're seeing for ted cruz. he knows that. he's not unaware of that. he got it over and over again in private meetings during the government shutdown. that's a strategy he push had the led to the government shutdown. the fact that he insisted on having the filibuster even though, you know, he understood full well it would put fellow republicans in the danger from

the right made many angry. he's not backing down. he put out a statement people are going to have to basically pay the piper in november and worry about their own stance when it comes to facing voters. he is somebody who says that he's come to washington to stand up for conservative principles. he doesn't care about the way he's perceived in his own caucus. it has made for something you don't see often. the senate is at the end of the day a club. they don't like to anger, especially people in their own party. ted cruz is very different. >> we'll see how it plays out. dana bash, thanks so much. still to come in the newsroom, people around philadelphia were just getting the power turned back on after two crushing blizzards. now another major storm is on the way threatening to leave them in the dark again. margaret conley live outside of philly. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this entire town was in a black route last storm. we'll give you an inside look at

what people are doing to handle this storm and more snow that's expected tonight. stay with us.

ameriprise asked people a simple question: can you keep your lifestyle in retirement? i don't want to think about the alternative. i don't even know how to answer that. i mean, no one knows how long their money is going to last. i try not to worry, but you worry. what happens when your paychecks stop? because everyone has retirement questions. ameriprise created the exclusive confident retirement approach.

to get the real answers you need. start building your confident retirement today. a steel cage: death match of midsize sedans. the volkswagen passat against all comers. turbocharged engines against...engines. best in class rear legroom against other-class legroom. but then we realized. consumers already did that. twice. huh. maybe that's why nobody else showed up. how does one get out of a death cage? vo: right now, get 0.9% apr on all passat models plus a total of $1000 in bonuses. so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cash card from capital one, i get 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally someone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card

from capital one. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day. what's in your wallet? i need your timesheets, larry! what's in your wallet? [ female announcer ] some people like to pretend a flood could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them. [ thunder crashes ] it doesn't. stop pretending. only flood insurance covers floods. ♪ visit floodsmart.gov/pretend to learn your risk. good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you for joining me. today that deadly winter storm that crippled the southeast is pushing up the seaboard into new england. could dump a foot and a half of

snow in some places. 18 states now under a winter storm warning. across the southeast, more snow falling overnight turning roads to skating rinks. trees coated in ice are falling and knocking out power. 700,000 homes and businesses in the dark. ten have died because of this storm. it may be impossible though. 5300 flights cancelled this morning. take a look at hardest hit areas, north carolina. now called the new atlanta after drivers got stuck hours on icy highways. all city offices are closed today which has happened one other time in the past seven years. we have team coverage for you. margaret conley north of philadelphia. george howell south of atlanta. let's begin with ashleigh banfield in central park. >> hey.

it looks beautiful. wind is at my back. needles called snow are behind to the camera producers. i'm going to spin around so they don't have to be in the torment. there's a good use for goggles out in this. in the last hour, we've gone sideways blowing snow that hurts to gusts. look i were at the cnn sign. 31 degrees. haven't changed much in the last half hour. this is moving up. this is all turning to rain. if you've been to new york city when it snows a lot and then rain, it's not a nice place to be. this is a pedestrian city for the most part. cabs are not incline to drive on ice like every other place in the ice struggling with it. the beautiful central park, seven inches of snow. we're expecting up to 12 or so.

you need to do a wipe? you good? crews are battling out here. news organizations have been scrambling back in their cars to dry themselves off. i just swallowed a snowflake. job hazard. sorry about that. we lost power in the last live shot because of winds. they've been gusty. reports are these are near blizzard like conditions. you need 35 miles per hour winds for a blizzard. you can tell me all you want whether it's near or not, it feels like the blizzards i grew up when i walked uphill on the way there and back to school everyday in cold, cold canada. this is columbus circle, one of the famed spots, high tourist location. people recognize it and know it's the entrance to central park. i've been giving the measurements. i don't know if it's changing much. let me do a ruler. i'm going to guess we're at

wilson. i have no idea. you can see it's an unpleasant place tonight. what i don't understand and i will never understand why the brand new mayor of the big apple didn't cancel school. a lot of people had to go out and get kids to school and manage this. whether they'll manage to get home will be a different kettle of fish. rain is coming. a second round of snow and freeze is coming. that's when it gets bad. i don't need to tell you. you're from atlanta and have driven it. i want to go to pennsylvania too. margaret conley got hit before i did. she got the first blast. i got to learn what was coming from her. let's spin over to her to see what she's got in pennsylvania. >> reporter: thanks for that ashleigh. snow is coming down two to three inches per hour. we're expecting a 14 to 18 inches in total. we're about eight inches now. emergency workers are standing

by. a lot t have flown in from other part of the country. they're stand in case there are other blackouts. >> days after philadelphia was hit by blackouts, residents are facing another storm. heavy snow fell overnight threatening blackouts in cities here hit hard last week. emergency workers from as far as canada have stayed in town to help residents face the storm. >> it was eerie in the town last week. every street was blocked off. there were trees pllaying everywhere. >> residents have had to restock and get supplies. >> are you worried about the next storm coming up? >> yes. my husband is buying a generator now. he tracked one down on the internet. >> reporter: this restaurant owner was out of business seven

straight days. >> little hard. $6,000 to $7,000. biggest loss for a week. >> his fear is another round of outages too soon as they wait to see what this storm will bring. >> opening tomorrow morning, see what i got. get many my truck and drive here. that's all i can do. >> reporter: we have talked to authorities. they say reports so far are normal. they're warning people to stay off the roads. there have been more accidents than normal. this part of the country is expecting more snow tonight. >> thank you margaret conley. i appreciate it. >> how much is all of this awful weather costing all of us? we'll have more on our storm coverage coming up. [ female announcer ] a classic macaroni & cheese from stouffer's starts with freshly-made pasta, and 100% real cheddar cheese. but what makes stouffer's mac n' cheese best of all. that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. made with care for you or your family.

but when we start worrying about tomorrow, we miss out on the things that matter today. ♪ at axa, we offer advice and help you break down your insurance goals into small, manageable steps. because when you plan for tomorrow, it helps you live for today. can we help you take a small step? for advice, retirement, and life insurance, connect with axa. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around, barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ [ female announcer ] fiber one.

accelerate. shift. shift. ♪ and shift again. through all eight speeds of a transmission connected to more standard horsepower

than its german competitors. and that is the moment that driving the lexus gs will shift your perception. ♪ this is the pursuit of perfection. thousands of flights cancelled, trains delayed,

workers staying home unable to leave the house let alone go shopping. you better bet this having an effect on our economy and your money. we are live in new york to tell us the toll. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you carol. a lot of people say it's lame to blame the weather for weak data from the economy. a lot of this does hold true to softness in the economy. the first sign is the job report we got. not just january but december as well. no coincidence we've been getting blasts of very cold air and snow in the northeast and in the south, southeast. we're seeing this in the numbers. once again numbers were weak. that translates because a lot of companies have actually closed their doors during those times. wal-mart for instance had to close their stores during this time off and on because of weather. because of that, they're saying expect weak sales coming up. a lot of people not getting out

to stores because they're not open and not going out because who wants to go out in this weather and shop. same for auto sales. a lot of people going out to buy bread and milk running to the grocery store. they're not running fast to the car dealership to buy a new car. same for housing numbers. new home sales, they were below expectations as well. existing home sales as well because this is not the greatest weather to go house hunting, to go look for a house in. you're also going to see the spike in your heating bill. even the you power company here says expect to see heating bills go up 16% in february this year compared to last year. electricity prices carol, expected to go up a whopping 22% compared to one year earlier. my bill carol, literally more than doubled in january. i can only imagine what my february bill is going to look like carol. >> i have experienced the same

kind of pain. i'm with you allison. thanks so much. hundreds of thousands without power this morning. george howell gives us that side of the weather. >> reporter: we're out of the woods as far as the storm is concerned, but there are still power outages and ice on the roads. i'm george how heell with the l report coming up next. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop.

can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. yeah. i heard about progressive's "name your price" tool? i guess you can tell them how much you want to pay and it gives you a range of options to choose from. huh? i'm looking at it right now. oh, yeah? yeah. what's the... guest room situation? the "name your price" tool, making the world a little more progressive.

you want everything.orks an expert ford technician knows your car's health depends on a full, complete checkup. the works. because when it comes to feeling safe behind the wheel, going the distance and saving at the pump you want it all. get our multi-point inspection with a a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection and more for $29.95 or less. get a complete vehicle checkup. only at your ford dealer.

more than 700,000 homes and business across the south and east coast have no power. in georgia alone, nearly a quarter million customers are in the dark. rush is on for crews to restore service. george howell is in one neighborhood south of atlanta with no power. >> reporter: carol, good day. so the good news is we are out of the woods as far as the storm is concerned. the sleet, freezing rain. but the problem we're seeing now is the ice on the roads and also the power outages. you can see the crews just removed the tree that took down power lines. many have had to deal with this for hours. the worst of the storm may have passed, but now there's a challenge for hundreds of thousands hah lost power in the south and northeast. more outages are expected. >> it was cold, no heat. can't see. >> reporter: left in the dark, gala and hollan had to sleep

through the cold. >> how did you get through the night? >> stayed under the cover and prayed i guess. it was really cold. it was really down in the low degrees. i just managed what i could. >> reporter: this community in clayton county, georgia one of the hardest h esest it comes to outages. residents knew the ice and snow that built up on trees and power lines would cause problems. >> took out three transformers like fireworks. sounded like a bucket of echoes. boom, boom, boom. everything went out. i said we're going to be in for a while. >> reporter: power crews are doing their best to restore as quick as possible. they say the process could take days. >> this is georgia man. i've been here for years. >> reporter: now you see a live picture here where there used to be a tree in the road blocking

the road. the tree has been removed. crews are waiting for georgia power to return. the story we're talking about here is the story you see throughout the region and area. a lot of people lost power. they'll be waiting for crews to restore it. the other thing, roads are getting better. plenty of ice on the roads. real quickly you can see. still plenty of ice to slide around on. officials are warning people to stay at home to avoid any problems. carol? >> a great idea. george howell reporting live from atlanta, georgia this morning. thanks so much. this winter's assault comes at another steep cost. price of removing the snow and ice to make roads possible. the work is creating big headaches n. maryland the state came in the season $48 million in the snow removal budget. look how much it actually spent. more than $82 million as of yesterday. we have several weeks of winter left. they aren't forgetting that in

virginia that budget $157 million. the state tallying how much they've spent, but they're confident they've blown through that budget. in washington, the usual budget talk is muted today. the government shut down federal officers. cnn erin mcpike is in d.c. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. washington d.c. is shut down, bus services even suspended. you see why. roads are in really bad shape behind me. also because the federal government is closed it means there are no cars really outside the capital. all the hearings not going on. a lot of people came into town for those hearings, and they're stuck here because the airport and run ways are shut down. as the run ways are shut down at reagan national airport as well. those run ways in boston are open, but many flights are

cancelled. take a look at this heavy, thick snow. that's the problem i want to spin around. you can see now actually people are enjoying it. a lot of people out on the mall. you might not be able to see because there's such a big blanket of snow. lots of people out here today. we are getting more snow later this afternoon. it stopped for the time being but should get worse later today. >> looks fun. erin mcpike, thanks so much. still to come in the newsroom, obama's sign of surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. - surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. up surge. lingering questions about how many people have paid for their plans. [ woman ] parking space found. [ male announcer ] ...that secured the data that powered the farm that made the milk that went to the store that reminded the man to buy the milk that was poured by the girl who loved the cat. [ meows ]

the internet of everything is changing everything. cisco. tomorrow starts here. and better is so easy withrning you cabenefiber.o something better for yourself. the internet of everything is changing everything. 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.

checking our top stories at 56 minutes past. the u.s. calls the move quote deeply regrettable. afghanistan has released 65

prisoners. officials say they made the release based on afghan law. 21 cars went off the tracks when a southern train derail d in western pennsylvania carrying crude oil and pro pane. there's a leak in one of the cars. no injuries reported. none of the cars caught fire. authorities say it may take days to clear the scene. nkts good news for the white house. the number of americans signing up for obama care is growing. 3 million have enrolled since the exchanges opened four months ago. the congressional budget office says that will grow to 6 million this year. what's unknown is how many of those have actually paid for coverage. officials tell cnn they're developing a method to keep track of payments. jim joining us now. what's the plan? >> reporter: we ask this question in part because of the

enrollment release by the administration saying 3 million have enrolled over all, 1 million in the month of january. republican critics have been asking the question, wait a minute, until you have proof people have made payments, how do you actually know who completed the process? we asked officials and they got back to us and said they are developing an automated system they hope in time will be able to measure, track, report those details in terms of how many made the payments. it's an important detail in all of this carol. i talked to an insurance source earlier that said 10 to 25% of people that enrolled have not made their payments which means they have not actually enrolled and their policies may have been cancelled. some people obviously may be attempting to make those payments time and again. they may eventually get enrolled. a key important detail in this

and administration officials we've been talking to say once the system is up and running, they should be able to report that payment data. we'll have to see if that goes anywhere towards silencing some of the critics who have been asking what are the real enrollment numbers. >> right. are problems part of the lingering problems from the website itself? >> reporter: some of them are. remember back in the fall when they were having the problems with the rollout of the website. the insurance companies were saying, wait a minute, the so called 834 enrollment forms which is technical jargon, they had mistakes. sometimes they were incomplete. they couldn't determine who was signing up and not signing up. they have largely taken care of that problem. in the meantime, they've been trying to get this system up and running to determine who is making payments which of course is an important part of this. people making payments, those are the ones actually getting enrolled getting coverage.

in some cases they're getting financial assistance from the federal government. this is a wrinkle in the rollout of the president's signature health care achievement. it's one we'll be watching. >> jim, many thanks. thanks for joining me this hour. i'm carol costello. at this hour starts. at this hour there's snow, snow, more snow. a heck of a lot of news. i'm john berman. my colleague michaela pereira is outside in the snow. we'll find her in a minute. that's first up at this hour. this storm could be the biggest yet. the powerful blast of ice and snow that's knocked out the south is attacking the north. roads closed, flights cancelled, power out. a lot of people say here we go again. also at thi