making news in america this morning. >> a siberian express rolls out of the midwest. now, straight into the northeast and new england. plenty of snow. and the most severe temperatures of the winter so far. after a final look at the arizona mountains, congresswoman gabby giffords is off to begin her rehab in texas. and don't ask, don't tell. new numbers show just how expensive a policy has been. good morning. from what is a snowy new york city. times square is once again wearing a coating of white. and from this camera, we usually see the manhattan skyline. this morning, it is shrouded in snow.

the fifth winter storm of the season may make things difficult for this morning's rush hour. >> there's now winter storm watches and warnings in effect, from the midwest to the northeast. and temperatures could plummet to 40 below in some places today. in boston, schools are already shut down today. >> the midwest felt the full brunt of the storm yesterday. pars of central illinois got a foot of snow. near st. louis, 15 inches. >> roads across the center of the country were a mess. at least three people were killed in crashes in oklahoma. further north, it was arctic. high temperatures in fargo were well below zero. >> for more on the deep freeze and the latest blast of snow here in the northeast, we turn to accuweather. >> ava dinges is tracking the big storm. >> good morning, rob and vinita. what do you know? snow is returning to the northeast. cities like philadelphia and new york city got this down pat. but we are expecting some travel concerns as we go throughout the day, whether it be along i-80 and i-95. even though it's going to be

three to six inches of accumulation, you need to take it easy for the slippery roadways. and even the airports, running into some delays and cancellations. the worst of the travel actually coming in across southern new england, from boston towards bangor, maine, that's where the storm is intensifying. about six to ten inches of snow just throughout friday. then the storm system exits into atlantic canada. and behind it, it will draw in some very cold air. air coming out of the arctic. the temperatures are dropping down in buffalo. high temperature at 20 degrees. 26 in syracuse. and although it's relatively looking mild across the east coast, new york at 37, we're going to see the temperatures dropping down into the evening hours. we look at the temperatures across the midwest, for minneapolis. you can imagine how much cold is to come. now, back to you, rob and vinita. >> thanks, ava. now, for the rest of this morning's weather from around the nation. a dusting of snow in from fargo to kansas city and minnesota. showers and thunderstorms from orlando to miami. rain and flooding in the pacific northwest. and up to five inches of snow in the cascades and northern rockies. >> meanwhile, 62 in sacramento.

70 in phoenix. and 45 in salt lake city. below zero again in fargo and the twin cities. 7 in chicago. snowy in the low 30s from boston to baltimore. and more santa ana winds are tearing through the los angeles area. but some good news. they're not as strong as they were yesterday. 18-wheelers were tossed around like toys, as winds gusted up to 90-mile-per-hour from san diego to l.a. in other news, congresswoman gabby giffords is expected to be transferred to a texas rehab facility today. but before leaving the tucson hospital, giffords and her husband took one last look at the surrounding mountains. >> it's been less than two weeks since the assassination attempt. but giffords continues to make a remarkable recovery. emily schmidt reports. >> reporter: for the first time since congresswoman gabrielle giffords was shot, doctors wheeled her outside to see sunshine. and they say she smiled when they did. >> she is a strong person. a fighter.

i mean, she is a fighter like nobody that i know. so, i am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon. >> reporter: giffords husband, mark kelly, says he expects a full recovery for the representative from arizona. but that means leaving arizona. today, giffords will be discharged from university hospital in tucson, and flown to a houston rehabilitation center. >> it's not usually the gunshot wound itself that will determine the duration of rehab. it will be what the person needs. we have people with gunshot wounds who need to be with us for only a couple of weeks. and there's others who need to be with us for months. >> reporter: giffords' tucson doctors say she moves her lips. stands with help. even scrolls through an ipad. but they don't yet know if she can talk or see. >> i do want to caution everyone, that she has a long road ahead of her. >> reporter: houston is home to the rehabilitation center and also to johnson space center, where mark kelly is an astronaut. he says at some point he could return to work and still see his wife every day.

>> it's going to let me be there, by her side, as much as possible. >> reporter: congresswoman giffords will be the last of the shooting victims to leave the tucson hospital. emily schmidt, abc news. president obama paid tribute to president john f. kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his inauguration. at a gala in washington last night, mr. obama praised his predecessor's vision and influence. and he said, he would not be in the white house today, if it weren't for jfk's impact on the nation. and another milestone in american history was remembered last night in texas. top officials from the first bush administration gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1st gulf war. the former president said it was one of the greatest honors of his life, to liberate kuwait and command u.s.-led forces. we are learning new details about the brutal murder of daniel pearl at the hands of terrorists nine years ago, thanks to a group of intrepid

college journalism students. they released the report three years in the making, called the pearl project. martha raddatz has details. ickedly smart reporter, was a about to be a father, when he was kidnapped in 2002. his beheading put on the internet by his captors for the world to see. there have been many investigations since and a hollywood movie. but nothing compares to this. 32 journalism students at georgetown university spent 3 1/2 years uncovering the truth. >> it took waking up in the middle of the night to make these phone calls to pakistan. >> reporter: khalid shaikh mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, had confessed to slitting danny pearl's throat. but only after he had been waterboarded nearly 200 times, raising questions about whether he had told the truth. the students k the first break came at a secret meeting in a parking garage. a source gave them high-quality

video of the murder. and that's when they saw the detail in the killer's hand. >> the process is called vein matching. it's a biometric way of identifying people. >> reporter: the students found a match. they learned that the fbi had already gotten pictures of khalid shaikh mohammed's hands in guantanamo and carefully compared the veins, measuring precise length and spacing. it is less scientific than fingerprinting. but these students and the teacher, who was danny pearl's friend, believe danny's case is now solved. >> it was his clues that we followed. and i think he would be really proud of these students and all of the spirit with which this work was done. >> reporter: martha raddatz, abc news, washington. congressional investigators say the military's don't ask, don't tell policy has cost taxpayers nearly $200 million over five years. that's more than $50,000 for

each service member removed from 2004 through 2009. the report says more than 3,600 troops were removed under the policy. and the money had to be spent to recruit and train the replacements. nearly 40% of them held critical roles. >> i would say the majority were expelled had served for about two years. that explains where the money was spent on training. >> wow. when we come back, a big shakeup at the top of google. that's on your business news ahead. and l guys, wise guys, wearing the types of bracelets they really don't want. the nicknames are straight out of an episode of "the sopranos."

asian markets fell for a second-straight day about concerns that china will now take steps to cool off its fast-growing economy. tokyo's nikkei average fell 1.6% today. hong kong's hang seng lost 0.5%. and in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow kicked down 2.5 points yesterday. president obama is restructuring his economic revisery board. the board had been focused on the economic recovery. now shifts its attention to job creation and competitiveness. it's calling for a focus on manufacturing and exports, trade and innovation. google is getting a new ceo. and he's very, very familiar with the company. in a surprise announcement, google said co-founder, larry page will take over.

page's goal is to make the company more nimble, returning the search company back to its roots as the start-up. 2010 was the worst year for home sales in 13 years. but there were signs of hope last month. the pace of existing home sales topped 5 million in december, for the first time since the government's tax incentives ended in june. that's giving some folks confidence the housing market may stabilize in the next year. if you are looking for a job, you may want to check out "fortune" magazine's 100 companies to work for. not only do they have pay and perks, they have thousands of jobs available. topping the list is consulting firm, s.a.s. followed by wegman's, google and data. and there's a salon available to employees. >> wouldn't that be nice? when we come back this morning, details on that big mob bust we mentioned. and a trashy attraction in

the middle of one of europe's most cosmopolitan cities. it's a real dump. stick around.♪ i hate suburb the♪ ♪ but i really love my bank ♪ i hate-- didn't quite catch that last bit. i said i really love my bank. right... is there a problem ? it's not really raging, man. uh, we were hoping for more raging ? well, you said write from the heart. yeah... don't do that. at ally, you'll love our online savings account. named the best of 2010 by money magazine. ally. do you love your bank ? it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do re of what matters to me.

[ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, inclu blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands,gs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica aff you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. ask your doctor about lyrica today. to cover up flaws and make skin look pretty but there's one that's so clever, it makes your skin look better even after you take it off. neutrogena healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% of women saw improvement in their skin's natural texture, tone, or clarity. does your makeup do that?

neutrogena® cosmetics recommended most by dermatologists. that snowstorm we've been telling you about is blowing into the northeast. it's already covering new york in a little blanket of white. >> you're looking at a live picture of times square, where the snow wraps up later this morning, with up to six inches on the ground, making for a lovely friday commute. commute on of, it will be a i-95, from washington, d.c. to northern new england. also slick on i-70, from pittsburgh to the canadian border. and on i-90, from boston to cleveland. snowy highways from the dakotas to the upper midwest. wet on i-5, from seattle to portland. >> and if you're flying today, expect airport delays in seattle, boston, new york, philly, d.c. and miami. the names sound straight out of "the sopranos."

more than 100 mobsters have been arrested in a series of crackdowns. >> the charges against them include murder and extortion. t.j. winick has moreon. washington. >> reporter: the arrests were complete by 8:00 a.m. and represent the largest sweep of mobsters in history. >> our goal is to eradicate these folks, as menaces to distinction. >> reporter: the fbi raids against seven italian mob families and their associates came before dawn. as more than 120 alleged criminals were dragged out of bed, in the largest single-day takedown of what attorney general eric holder calls some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. the charges include murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking. >> time and again, they have shown a willingness to kill, to make money, to eliminate rivals and to silence witnesses. >> reporter: they go by names like baby bat larry, cheeks

lacotta, and tony bagels. many that were arrested were in brooklyn. but they also occurred through new york city, new jersey and new england. there were so many arrests in the new york area, suspects had to be taken to a gym for booking. >> we have about 700 law enforcement agencies from a number of different entities that are involved in this massive takedown. >> reporter: mobs, aided by turn coats, have reduced the ranks of crime families in recent years. while organized crime may not be what it once was, it is hardly the stuff of fiction. >> enough said. you don't want to go there. >> reporter: the crimes include 2 murders dating back 30 years. and one as recently as 2002. one of those arrested is a former new york city police officer. rob and vinita? in florida, the miami-dade police force is grieving the loss of two officers shot while on duty. they were part of a team serving a murder arrest warrant on a fugitive with a long record. they traced him to the suspect's

mother's home. she let them in. and the suspect jumped out and shot the two officers. the largest rocket ever launched from the west coast has blasted off from from vandenber force base in california. it carried a top-secret national security satellite. preparing for the launch took three years. the base north of l.a. needed $100 million in upgrades. nasa's shuttle fleet will not be retired as soon as expected. the space agency has added a mission by "atlantis" in june. two other launches were planned. "discovery" next month and "endeavour" in april. that is the flight that gabrielle giffords' husband, mark kelly, is slated to command. the steelers, bears, jets and packers are putting their final plans in place before the conference title games. for the rest of sports, here's mike yam from espn news. >> we start on the nba hard wood. jason terry thinks his team will be the last team standing.

may want to rethink after what we saw against the chicago bulls. fourth quarter's where we pick it up. chicago down by two. derrick rose, the nice finish. they talk about him as potential mvp. why not? moves like that will help the fodder. 25, 5 and 8 are the numbers for him. mavs down four. dirk nowitzki had 20 points. he looked strong in this one. as did derrick rose, who scored 10 of his 26 in the fourth quarter alone. bulls up by one. more from rose. getting it done. chicago a winner, 82-77, your nal score. blake griffin and the clippers heading to portland to take on the blazers. griffin, had a streak of double-doubles, snapped at 27. griffin finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds. to start a new double-double streak. fourth quarter, blazers up by nine. tony fernandez to andre miller. he's got the lay-in.

portland, just rolling. clippers trying to rally back. eric gordon, has been so good this season. he's averaging almost 28 over his last 5. a barrage of threes. 7 of 11 from distance in this game. a career-high for threes in a game. wes matthews had the dagger. the blazers go on to win. what a game. that will do it for sports. back to you in new york. there are new questions this morning about the woman who fell into a mall fountain while texting. court documents show cathy cruz marrero used a credit card without permission to wrack up $5,000 in charges. >> also, there's a hit-and-run on her record, as well. when the texting incident might have been a hoax, h attorney said, quote, nonsense. this hotel in madrid, spain, is a real dump because it's made entirely of beach garbage.

it's designed to draw attention on how much trash ends up there. >> anyone can stop by during the day. but only ten guests get to stay there each night. it is free. but reservations are made only by an online lottery. after sunday, the hotel will be taken down and, well, trashed. >> believe it or not, people say it doesn't smell in there. >> no kidding? up next, the stories we'll be following today, including a former dictator possibly meeting the press. and some of the former iranian hostages are getting back together. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stn motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arths, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide our relief

for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is er. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long perio nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding ann occur w. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increasesk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you' had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor about your medical history and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more

about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion. and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. that's how splenda® is sweet...and more. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. can getting enough vegetables make you feel good? oh, yeah. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings of vegetables. v8. what's your number? [ male announcer ] there are snacks. and there are better snacks. quaker chewy, 25% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks,

no high fructose corn syrup and the goodness of whole grains. and now, for the stories we'll be watching on this friday. after a last look at the arizona mountains, congresswoman gabby giffords is on the move today. she's being transferred from her tucson hospital to a rehab facility in houston. some wicked winter weather rolls out of the midwest, straight into the northeast, just in time for this morning's rush hour. the snow and ice will be followed by some of the coldest temperatures so far this season. president obama tours a g.e. plant in upstate new york today. and will announce that g.e. chief executive jeffrey immelt will head his new economic advisory board. that board will focus on job creation and competitiveness. there is ford that former haitian dictator, baby doc duvalier might speak to reporters, after his surprising return to his homeland. three decades after their captivity in iran came to an end, some of the hostages are getting together for a reunion. it's taking place at the u.s.

military academy at west point. and will be the site of their emotional homecoming. with active naturals wheat formulas, that target even the weakest parts of hair with hydrating proteins to help repair damage in just 3 washes. for softer, stronger... ... hair with life. [ female announcer ] aveeno nourish plus. and for a luxuriously nourishing shower experience, add positively nourishing body washes. visit aveeno.com to save, and discover the power of active naturals.

visit aveeno.com to save, everybody's talking about honey bunches of oats. whoa...with cinnamon! it's got warm, freshly baked cinnamon in one delicious heart healthy cereal. mmmm. can't you just taste it? try honey bunches of oats with cinnamon. heck, try 'em all. did you know up to 50% of new cavities form between teeth, in places you can't even see? aquafresh iso-active whitening is a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. its active fluoride formula penetrates deep, surrounding and protecting the whole tooth against cavities -- front, back and in-between. for strong, healthy teeth for a lifetime, try triple protection iso-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing.

coming up next, a stunning admission leaves parents speechless. an oakland teacher on leave with a stunning admission. >> and significant milestone as wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords prepares to leave the hospital two weeks after being shot in the head. well, finally this morning, as we mentioned earlier, the steelers, jets, packers and bears, all play on sunday. it's a shot for the super bowl.

>> the big game in texas will be quite a spectacle. but it also starts a countdown in the contentious battle between nfl players and owners. karen travers reports. >> reporter: typically, when nfl players come to washington, it's to celebrate a championship. but this week, they came to ensure there will still be a game to play. the current labor contract between the nfl and the players union expires a month after the super bowl. right now, the league seems headed straight for a lockout. that means no spring practice. no free-agency deals. and potentially, no 2011 season. >> it's unfortunate that we've gotten to this point. >> reporter: the standoff centers around two, key issues. first, revenue sharing. nfl players currently receive 60% of the league's $9 billion in annual revenue. but team owners say that's unsustainable, given the economic downturn. they want to reduce the players'

share by about 9% to 18%. the second issue is the schedule. the league wants to add 2 more regular season games for a total of 18. the players say that increases their risk of injury and they deserve compensation. also at stake, local economies. >> we're not talking about penalizing the players only. everybody in the city hurts when this happens. >> reporter: players hope the economic reality of a league stoppage will influence congress to intervene. so far, lawmakers have shown little indication they will. the nfl owners are eager for a deal. but one through compromise. >> if there's a work stoppage, it hurts everybody. it hurts the clubs. it will hurt the players. and it will hurt the game. and most importantly, it will hurt the fans. >> reporter: unlike the 1994 baseball strike that canceled a world series, the nfl players insist they want to work. but it may take a hail mary pass to reach a compromise. rob and vinita? >> i think there's way too much money at stake for there not to be a compromise at some point. we'll see.