making news in america this morning. >> snowbound. the latest monster snowstorm traps drivers. and it's about to make for a very messy morning commute for millions. our reporters are out there, braving the elements. lightning speed. that's how doctors describe the recovery of gabrielle giffords, as she begins her first full day of rehab today. and an injured jimmy buffett, taken to the hospital, after this mishap at a concert. good morning. and thanks for being with us. well, schools are closed. airports and highways thrown into chaos. all because of another crippling snowstorm in the northeast. >> here we go again. taking a look at where the snow is now.

it is pounding new england, after moving out of the washington area. but not before trapping commuters, sometimes for hours. >> emily schmidt is there, out in the elements. she begins our coverage. out in the elements. it looks like you're holding some of the elements, emily. >> reporter: they are heavy. washington is accustomed to topping the worst commute in the country list. what happened here over the past few hours is an entirely different story. all because of what you were talking about, this heavy, dense, wet snow. it meant that some commutes that are usually 20 minutes, stretched into 5 and 6 hours. and the problems aren't over yet. the storm hitting the east coast is a fast mover. >> you look outside now. it's just all ice. nothing but ice. it was rain. now, all ice. >> reporter: so fast, everything else comes very close to a complete stop. >> i've been a mile in two hours. >> reporter: people who left their washington, d.c. jobs early wednesday, thought they'd be ahead of the crowd. instead, they were stuck in it. buses and cars, abandoned. >> tried for two hours just to

get to the bottom of the hill from the top. we're 100 feet away. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people in maryland and virginia are without power. countless people are stranded by at least 2,000 canceled flights on the east coast. >> i think it's too much. i just want to stop. >> reporter: that frustration now runs record-deep in new york city. central park has received 32 inches of snow so far this month, the snowiest january on record. >> i strongly urge you to use extreme caution. >> reporter: new york used its $38 million snow budget, four storms ago. and in portland, maine, the snowplows are overwhelmed hours before one new flake falls. thanks to four storms in two weeks. >> biggest hurdle this time of the year is just trying to make enough room for the next snowstorm. >> reporter: it turns out that no one is immune from these weather problems. last night, president obama was returning from wisconsin on air force one. but once he reached andrews air force base, the weather grounded his helicopter. so, he had to go back to the

white house by motorcade. a trip that usually takes 20 minutes, even for the president, took him an hour. rob and vinita? >> emily, i thank you. and encourage you to go get a hat now. let's go to the boston area, where abc's jeremy hubbard checked in with us just a short time ago. >> reporter: rob and vinita, good morning. we're in a massachusetts department of transportation snowplow right now. we spent part of the evening with driver, ken coburn. he's been out here for 25 years. and you were saying, it's rare you see conditions like this. >> it is. it's rare you get storms like this, one after another. >> reporter: that's right. this is the seventh snowstorm so far this season. the fourth in just a month. it's been whiteout conditions for most of the evening. and snowfall is 270% above average here in boston. quite a mess. and it will be throughout the day, up here. rob and vinita, back to you. >> thanks to jeremy hubbard. here in new york, it is officially the snowiest january on record, with 18 inches on the ground and counting. >> and for more, now, on how much we're bracing for

and for other cities around the country, we turn to accuweather.com's ava dinges. good morning, ava. >> good morning, rob and vinita. it's been a rough winter in the northeast. especially the coast. and the new snowfall is adding to that. six to ten inches in the d.c. area. new york city getting that much, as the snow is starting to taper off. boston, mostly tapering off after the morning rush. travel will be rough, even into the morning hours, as the snow crews try to catch up from this thumping of a snow. and new snow is on the way, likely to push in friday into saturday. so, it won't be as heavy. back to you, rob and vinita? >> it just doesn't end. thanks, ava. sam champion's team is hard at work this morning. they'll have complete storm coverage coming up later today on "good morning america." the winter weather shortened president obama's wednesday trip to wisconsin. but it didn't stop him from delivering his revitalized economic message. he visited three factories, pushing his plan to invest in resources, innovation and

infrastructure. it's part of a strategy that he says will not only create jobs. but will also put the u.s. in a better position to succeed and win in the world marketplace. there's mounting evidence that the man accused of shooting congresswoman gabby giffords carefully planned his crime, and even understood the likely punishment. according to an official familiar with the investigation, loughner used his home computer to browse a website that had some information about the effects of lethal injection. the source says, he appeared to want to know what death by injection actually felt like. experts said this could make an insanity defense very difficult to prove. meanwhile, congresswoman giffords continues what doctors are calling her lightning-fast recovery. we'll have more on that later in this half hour. the pentagon takes steps tomorrow towards allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. the service branches are expected to be given a detailed plan, outlining personnel, recruiting and regulations that must be changed. they'll get three months to train their forces on the new law. the homeland security department will phase out the color codes in the nation's terror alert system, created after the 9/11 attacks.

the colors should be completely gone by the end of april. anti-government demonstrators are facing off with police on the streets of cairo for a third-straight day. police are taking an especially hard line. punching protesters and even beating some with batons. they're even firing tear gas, as alex marquardt found out the hard way. >> reporter: watch out. watch out. we just got -- we just got tear gassed. nair shooting indiscriminately, at anybody in the streets. >> alex and his crew are okay. he tells us that so far the battles between police and protesters show no signs of ending. a spectacular volcanic eruption is underway in southern japan. spewing fiery smoke and ash nearly 5,000 feet in the air. the results, nearly zero visibility, creating dangerous conditions on roads, rails and in the sky.

one of the ferries that actually rescued passengers aboard the miracle on the hudson flight a few years ago caught fire yesterday. the boat had left the dock in new jersey when the engine began smoking. thankfully, no one was hurt. and passengers were transferred to another boat. the incident happened not far where that miracle flight went down on the hudson two years ago. coming up next, another minivan recall. a problem that causes drivers to lose control. plus, gabby giffords' amazing her doctors. and on the verge of regaining her voice. leap of faith. the burglary suspect who escaped a moving squad car. >> unbelievable. and of course, as we all know, this epic winter continues. the update on the latest storm, when we come back.nini looking to add a little smile to your chili ?

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wall street hit an important milestone wednesday. the dow rose above 12,000 for the first time in 2 1/2 years. investors were encouraged by president obama's call to lower corporate tax rates in his state of the union address. but the dow could not hold on to those gains. it added 8 points yesterday, but slipped below 12,000 late in the day, following disappointing earnings news. turning overseas, tokyo's nikkei average climbed 0.57% today. and in london, the ftse opened lower. the federal reserve is not convinced the economic recovery is on solid footing yet.

it voted unanimously on wednesday to continue its bond-buying program, designed to boost growth. the fed says the sxhi still faces risk, the biggest being high unemployment, which could weigh on consumer spending. ford is recalling older windstar minivans because of a potential problem with steering that could cause drivers to lose control. this covers wind stars from 1999 through 2003, that were sold in cold-weather states. ford says it will notify affected owners next month. when the academy awards announced its nominees for best picture this week, it was more than just an honor for those films. it was like money in the bank. new numbers show over the past four years, best picture nominees made $20 million extra at the box office. what is that gold statue worth? that's an extra $14 million in ticket sales. >> not bad. >> everybody's a winner. >> just from being nominated. coming up next on this thursday, one congressman's

expensive lawsuit over an olive. on top of that, we have new details on singer jimmy buffett's condition after the singer tumbled off the stage. at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible. so we set out to discover the nutritional science in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains, and essential antioxidants for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your cat. purina one with smartblend. discover what one can do. comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. check out the pattern. same soft rolls we use at home honey! [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right.

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feeling fresh enough to last through my parent's cocktail party? that's where we're going? ♪ [ female announcer ] feel fresh up to five times longer with scope outlast. still feeling fresh? oh yeah. [ female announcer ] what will you outlast? kids at heart are making the best of the storm. they battled it out in the nation's capital last night with a massive snowball fight. world spread like wildfire on facebook. dozens of people joined in. if you can't beat it. >> here's what it looks like live, in new york. that's the george washington bridge. new yorkers are weeks up to a foot and a half of snow on the ground this morning. this latest storm puts the city over the top for the snowiest january on record. as you might expect, on the roads, it will be a very slick ride on i-95, from maryland to maine. snow-covered on i-90, in new england. and slippery on i-94, from

indianapolis to detroit. and on i-80 and 90 from chicago to cleveland. >> and all this weather is affecting airports. expect delays in los angeles, minneapolis, chicago and detroit. and on the east coast, from d.c. to boston. now, more on the amazing recovery of congresswoman gabby giffords. she's started rehab at a houston facility. and is showing daily movements to moving and commands. >> but as bob woodruff reports, the congresswoman faces still many challenges ahead. >> reporter: it was just a two-minute trip, but a major step forward for congresswoman gabrielle giffords. as her husband made the short ride in the ambulance with her, mark kelly gave the thumbs-up. as she was moved from the trauma ward three blocks to the rehabilitation center at tear memorial hermann, ready to begin her intensive therapy. >> in terms of recovery for brain issues, this is really at lightning speed. >> reporter: earlier concerns about fluid accumulation in the brain have subsided. the drain inserted to balance out the fluid levels was removed

two days earlier. what about infections? no infection? >> no infection. which, you know, everybody is ecstatic about. >> reporter: swelling in the brain has gone down. her doctors are beginning to discuss options for closing her skull, a procedure that is still several months away. doctors plan to replace a standard trach tube in her throat, with currently prevents her from making any sounds. once the trach is taken out, do you think she'll be able to speak? >> that is a big -- everybody hopes that that will happen. >> reporter: rehab often works on both the physical ability to speak and the mental process of speaking. even if she's got the physical ability to speak, she might have inability to remember the words? >> or speak the words or remember words. what i tell the family, and we all talk about this, for all trauma patients is, nobody comes through this exactly the same as they went into it. nobody. >> reporter: this kind of recovery is a lot of work. very exhausting. but the doctors say she's sleeping a lot less.

she is now awake much longer. very soon, she may be back to the normal sleep schedule. i'm bob woodruff, abc news, houston. ohio congressman dennis kucinich has a beef with the food providers on capitol hill. the former presidential candidate is suing for dental damage after biting down on an olive pit and cracking a tooth. according to court documents, he's asking for $150,000. but a spokesman in his office refused to discuss the suit. well, it's getting ugly between a california lawmaker and fans of rush limbaugh. state senator leyland ye is asking for a boycott of companies that advertise with the ray show. that's after the conservative talker refused to apologize for mocking china's president. and he says he's received racist death threats. incoming college students are apparently more stressed out than ever. a new study found only about 52% of freshmen reported their

emotional health was above average. that's 3.5 points down from last year. overall, emotional well-being among freshmen is at its lowest levels since the surveys were first conducted in 1985. jimmy buffett is out of the hospital and on the mend, a day after he fell off the stage while performing in sydney, australia. he was knocked unconscious after taking a tumble during a concert. bravery or stupidity? you be the judge. a burglary suspect tried to escape by jumping through from a patrol car. when the officer partially lowered the window, you see the man unbuckled his belt and climbed out. the car was going 30 miles per hour. the suspect only suffered minor injuries and no broken bones. >> wow. turning, now, to sports news. big losses at the australian

open. both number one seeds are now out. for college basketball highlights now, here's steve weissman at espn news. >> good morning. i'm steve weissman with your espn news update. we start with what they're calling the biggest game in mountain west history. byu taking on undefeated san diego state. both teams looking to maintain perfect records. er have debt, making a case of player of the year. he finished with 43 points. byu wins 71-58. they stay perfect in the mountain west conference. great game in the nba. kevin durant and the thunder face off against the minnesota timberwolves. thunder down one. durant, runner in the lane. started a big game for him. third quarter, tied at 73-73, love with the offensive rebound. 2 of his 31 points. fourth quarter, thunder down

three. durant, the shot to tie it. he was four of eight from deep. and less than ten seconds later, thunder down two. how about jeff green? former hoya to the rack. he had 19 points. we're tied at 110-110. time winding down. kevin love, a chance to win it. goes in and out. so, we head to overtime. tied at 116-116. durant, a career-high with 47 points. cuts the thunder up two. eight seconds to go, t-wolves down two. out to ridnour. and that won't go. durant, 47 points. 18 rebounds. thunder win by one. and for more of your scores and highlights, watch "the highlight express," airing until 3:00 p.m. eastern on espn news. now, back to you in new york. coming up next, the stories we'll be following today, including the chilean miners' vacation here in the u.s. and the snowstorm still churning through the northeast right now. an update, next.

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more than 100,000 questions have now been submitted. the homeland security department will begin a 90-day phaseout of the color-coded terror alert system. they were created after the 9/11 attacks. in southern japan a volcano is spewing smoke and ash 5,000 feet high. and shows no signs of slowing down. residents are being warned to stay at least a mile away. wall street tries, again, to push the dow past 12,000. the benchmark briefly rose above that important milestone wednesday. investors will be reacting to corporate earnings. and it will be a special day at the happiest place on earth. most of the miners trapped for 69 days in the chal lain mine are starting a six-day visit to disney world, along with their families. each family will get a $500 gift card that happens with the expenses that happen when you're having fun. for some of you, your local news is next.

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and finally from us this morning, mystery solved. the culprits who gave florida a new set of keys has now come

forward. >> video of a grand piano that popped up in biscayne bay went viral this week. wplg's janeane stanwix tells us, the masterminds are barely old enough to drive. >> reporter: this piano is on the world's radar. and not until now has someone claimed responsibility. an independent filmmaker who shot this for another work says he did it. but the real truth, according to these miami teens, who say it was they. >> it was a nice day when we did it. >> we all went out. >> reporter: 16-year-old nicholas harrington, the brain child of it all, has the photos to prove it. >> this is before christmas. this is moving it to my house. >> reporter: here he is, moving the piano from his grandma's house to his. a month later, on new year's eve -- >> we had a big party. we had over 100 people here. >> reporter: and with sparklers, all for the sake of art,

nicholas, with friends and family, set it ablaze. >> it looked great. we took some great photos of it. >> they were really cool shots. >> i've been trying to build up my art portfolio. >> reporter: two days later, the teens thought the piano should be on display. so, they hoisted it into the deck of their fisherman. >> the back was here and the front legs here. >> reporter: and at low tide, motored it here. >> reporter: heaping that would be the end of story. but the piano on the bay would remain a mystery. no longer. reaction to the filmmaker's claim he did this. >> that's ridiculous. >> what people will do for publicity. who knows? >> reporter: nicholas says he never wanted publicity. he wanted to set the record straight. his nam thinks this would be a great essay on a college application. as for the filmmaker, we put in a call. and we still have not heard back. >> we'll hear from the artistic guys later on