in wisconsin a truck driver killed after a semi plunged off an icy bridge. this car wheels up on a lake. this morning snow ravaged chicago they're cleaning up after 10 inches fell. the storm grounded thousands of flights across the midwest and east coast and more cancellations are expected today. >> i think we're going to be staying in chicago. and i guess -- i don't know. i guess we'll do something fun. >> reporter: in west haven, connecticut, firefighters and crews braced for an epic event. some businesses staying open getting used to bad weather. >> i had water up to my door and i'm up four, five feet from the road and 100 yards from the beach. >> reporter: up and down the east coast residents living along the storm zone stocked up. >> just making sure we have milk, eggs and water. that's it. >> bread, bread is here. check. toilet paper. check. >> reporter: what else? water? >> junk food is also important. >> reporter: along the superstorm sandy ravaged shore

evacuations are under way. big worry about flooding and high winds on the already battered coastline. back here in washington, this snowstorm is expected to be the worst here in three years. the snow is expected to taper off tonight but there is worry about heavy wind gusts, perhaps up to 35 miles per hour. diana and john? >> wow, tahman, thank you from washington. time to gear up for that. thank you. we'll take a closer look at where that deadly system is heading next. >> accuweather meteorologist jim dickey is tracking the storm. >> good morning, john and diana. storm system bringing heavy, wet snow here to much of the mid-atlantic as we head through the day. tracking its way towards the coast as that does, cold air working its way back in so the rain/snow line setting up to the south and east of washington, d.c. we're going to pick up a heavy, wet, 4 to 8 inches of snow in the d.c. area and baltimore. more in the 2 to 4 if not 3 to 6 in philadelphia and new york city and that comes mainly late in the day. john and diana, back to you.

>> all right, thank you, jim. our extreme weather team is keeping close tabs on this storm. join us on "good morning america" for the latest updates from sam champion and ginger zee. >> venezuela mourning the loss of its president this morning. hugo died yesterday after a battle with cancer. his funeral set for today and now there are questions about who will follow in the footsteps of this controversial and ka rhys pattic leader. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: many americans viewed him as a dictator infamous for jousting with president george w. bush. >> you are a donkey, mr. bush. >> reporter: but in venezuela, hugo was a charismatic hero wearing that trademark red shirt running the country with the world's biggest oil reserves the fourth biggest exporter of oil to the u.s. but chavez grew up poor and after winning his first of four presidential elections, he publicly called for the redistribution of the country's oil wealth to venezuela's poor and embraced some of the most notable tyrants, moammar

ghadhafi and bashar al assad. in 2007 barbara walters asked what his message is to the american people. >> we, venezuelan people, love you. we went, i went to meet your brother. >> reporter: ambitious and defiant to the end. the question is, who will follow the most dominant latin-american leader of his generation? matt gutman, abc news, miami. and venezuela's in a seven-day mourning period. a funeral will be held friday. from another of the world's hot spots, north korea is threatening to cancel the 60-year-old cease-fire which had held peace since the korean war and also threatening to attack the u.s. with smaller and lighter nuclear weapons. the sabre rattling comes as the u.n. considers some of the toughest sanctions yet against the north over its nuclear program. the last of the catholic church's cardinals who will elect the next pope are expected to arrive at the vatican today.

the sistine chapel now closed to tourists being prepared for the meetings at which the new pope will be selected. later today, the cardinals will hold a prayer service and offer their thanks to former pope benedict. a new report fines $60 billion of taxpayer money spent to rebuild iraq was largely wasted. the findings are part of the final report sent to congress on the war's efforts. in the report iraqi prime minister nuri al maliki said u.s. funding could have brought great change but there was misspending of money. they're not ruling out a drone strike against american targets on u.s. soil but attorney general eric holder said such a move would only be considered under extraordinary circumstances. the use of strikes against terror targets overseas has come under increasing scrutiny on capitol hill. the race for the next mayor of los angeles is too close to call this morning. early returns show two front-runners failed to capture enough votes in the election for a win.

counsel maun eric garcetti and wendy greuel appear to be facing off trying to beat anthony villaraigosa. shimmering lights illuminating the bay bridge. it marked the start of the so-called bay lights, the largest l.e.d. sculpture featuring 25,000 lights strung along 5 miles of the suspension cables. you can see it every night for the next two years. gorgeous sight. coming up, wall street is soaring, but will the happy times last? plus, imagine a world without the iphone. apple had alternative names for the revolutionary gadget. those names now just being made public. barbara walters is revealing the famous actor who gave her the chicken pox. the answer later on in "the pulse."

welcome back. there is a new record on wall street. the dow jones industrial average soared to its highest close ever yesterday. it's a key milestone in the economic recovery. the dow gained 126 points to close 89 points above the previous record. that was set in october of 2007 just before the recession started. this is a sign of the improving economy. and it's good news for you and for me. the average american family's 401(k) nest egg went from a prerecession balance of $67,500 to a low of $46,000 at the depths of the market. now it's higher than ever, $77,000 and climbing, but trades, investors and analysts aren't sure whether this bull market will last. some say, yes, companies are posting bigger profits, interest rates are at an all-time low and the housing market is

stabilizing, but others worry that the run-up will end when the fed stops its stimulus measures. martha stewart says she's shocked macy's reacted so strongly to her deal with jcpenney. she testified yesterday whether her deal with jcpenney violated her contract with macy's. her appearance drew more spectators than any other day of the trial. there are reports jcpenney could be sold or at the very least the new ceo could be replaced. and ferrari is showing off its fastest car ever, and it's a hybrid. check it out. it's called la ferrari and has a gas electric engine with almost 1,000 horsepower. costs well over a million bucks. only 500 will be made. all of them have been sold. did you get one of those, diana? >> oh, yeah, parked one right outside. >> i got one too. and you're not going to believe some of the names that apple considered for what is now

the iphone. it included the tripod because it could handle the internet and cell phone calls and music. the telepod, a cross between the telepho telephone and the ipad, which was later used for, as we know, the tablet, and then there was the mobi, a play on the word mobile, the name iphone was owned by another company, by the way, until apple struck a deal. >> just wouldn't be right having a mobi. >> no. >> doesn't sound so good. >> and if my uncle was a woman, he'd be my aunt. >> there you go. coming up next on this wednesday, the tsa is easing up on those strict carry-on restrictions in place since 9/11. and new video just coming in. a violent volcanic eruption overnight. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime.

take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue.

so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ take a look at the live picture of the white house. you can't really see it, but, yeah the snow is falling. the storm that slammed the midwest descending on the nation's capital and this morning the public schools and federal offices in d.c. are closed. this storm could dump up to a

foot of snow on that area before moving up the east coast and into new england. and that falling snow makes for a messy commute in the mid-atlantic and the northeast. still across the midwest and ohio valley, wet highways from seattle to southern california. snow-covered mountain passes in the sierra nevada, rockies and cascades. >> and if you're flying, airport delays possible in d.c., philly, new york, boston, san francisco and l.a. and now something plenty of passengers and others surely will be talking about. there's been a rule change by the tsa that makes it okay to carry small knives on to planes. >> yes, starting april 25th, you'll be able to carry a folding knife on board if the blade is less than 2.3 inches long and a half an inch wide. airline flight attendants aren't happy. they say the new rule puts them and passengers at risk. >> having knives on board is a horrible decision, and we're incredibly disappointed in the tsa for allowing weapons on board an aircraft. >> all right. now, the tsa says the change

allows officers to concentrate on more serious threats like guns and bombs. razor blades and box cutters are still banned. the number of commuters who spend 90 minutes or more on the road is growing. the san francisco bay area tops the list of megacommuting cities with the longest travel time. next is the new york metro area, no surprise there, followed by d.c. faced with longer commutes, people are just taking the train more and more. >> not a bad idea. well, a massachusetts teenager is fine this morning after spending two days stranded on a frigid mountain in maine. nicholas joy found by a snowmobiler yesterday morning. the 17-year-old survived by building a snow cave and drinking water from a stream and he said he learned those skills by watching tv. among the first requests after the ordeal, a cheeseburger, which mom was very happy to supply. all right, a major surprise in the george zimmerman case in florida. zimmerman's defense attorneys waved their right to a stand your ground hearing, a mini trial of sorts, which which had been slated for april

22nd. the attorneys say they will now focus all their attention on preparing for the trial, which is set to start in early june. a cargo ship heading to guantanamo bay, cuba, lost nearly two dozen containers off of florida. the ship arrived at port everglades after the containers fell overboard. some of them were loaded with cars and other valuables. a salvage company is now trying to retrieve those containers from the water. and a dunkin' donuts worker in connecticut did what she had to do to fight off a would-be robber. the guy trying to get inside. she throws a cup of coffee right at his face, and she wasn't done yet. she followed that up with a whole pot of coffee out the window into his car. the guy drove away empty-handed. police still looking for him. >> so nonchalant too. another day on the job. all right, take a look at last night's sports highlights. we get those from espn. welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. the chicago blackhawks have 22

games with at least a point. trying to make it 23. marian hossa playing his 1,000th career nhl game. tied at one. bryan bickell, the rebound goal there. he had two goals in the game. under two minutes left in the first. blackhawks up 3-1. great passing by chicago. leads to a hossa goal right there. his tenth of the season. blackhawks go to 4-1 in the first. third period, the deficit to 4-3. but patrick kane lighting the lamp, 12 goals this season, the blackhawks win it, 5-3. kobe bryant and the lakers taking on kevin durant and the thunder. kobe had a rough start to the game. watch at the bottom of the screen. pulls up in pain. holding his right elbow. kobe not feeling well. sefolosha and contact on that elbow there. he gets checked out in the locker room for treatment. under 1:30 in the first, kevin durant for the jam. 21 points, 9 boards for him.

fourth quarter, serge ibaka, 3 of his 13 points in the game, 6 boards for him, as well. thunder by 9. 1:35 to go in the fourth. westbrook, he was the star of the night. a steal there. had 37 points, 10 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. thunder win it, 122-105. and that was your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. have a great day. and now to a natural highlight of sorts. this is mt. edna. it's been at it again spewing red hot lava, ash and smoke right up into the sky. >> quite a sight and tallest volcano in europe. almost in a constant state of activity and sometimes when it offers up scenes like this, they're simply amazing. more impressive even in the dark, i think. >> beautiful. that's really nice. all right, up next in "the pulse," finding love might be as close as your nearest big box store. >> really. plus, britain is buzzing this morning. did the duchess reveal the gender of her baby? and who's the actor who made barbara walters sick with the chicken pox? she reveals it coming up next. [ woman ] i take one prevacid 24 hr for frequent heartburn

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and tartar buildup is a contributing factor. [ dog ] or dentastix fresh. clinically proven to fight tartar, with added ingredients to fight dog breath, too. [ playing "star wars" theme ] probably the most recognizable music. from a movie. yeah, time to check "the pulse" starting with a blast from the past. the next "star wars" sequel. >> carrie fisher has confirmed that she will reprise her role as princess leia. the 56-year-old actress is still expected to support her bagel buns and joked that she will be slower and less inclined to be up for a big battle. you guys handle it. i'll sit over here and wait. all right. plenty of talk this morning about what was an apparent almost a slip of the tongue by

our favorite british royal couple, kate. >> that's right. she was on a visit yesterday and was given a gift by a well wisher. well, that's when the pregnant duchess of cambridge was overheard saying she would keep the gift for her -- then she made a "d" sound before stopping short. asked if she meant to say daughter, she said, we're not telling. she's due in july. >> makes you wonder. >> it would be a really cute baby no matter what. >> oh, absolutely. all right. another big secret now revealed. barbara walters told david muir that she got the chicken pox after kissing, quote, a friend on new year's eve. >> friend. wi there you go. though barbara clearly did not want to name the friend. word got out, and she was forced to come clean. >> the person who gave you the chicken pox is a very famous actor. you want to tell us who it is? >> i didn't want to but, okay, it was frank langella. >> frank langella. >> frank langella. >> i love everybody is clapping. everybody is clapping. >> see that picture.

that's where i got it. >> there you go. langella no stranger to the ladies on "the view." he did have a five-year relationship with whoopi goldberg. >> i think they're clapping because they recognized him, not because he gave it to her. >> barbara handled it cool, and the light was on her and said, what the heck. >> here are my goods. finally attention walmart shoppers, the love of your life might be in aisle two. that's right. a new study says shoppers in 15 states claim that they think they have seen "the one" at a walmart more than anywhere else. >> researchers studied the connections postings on craig's list, and apparently walmart is where it's at, at least in those 15 states and also found in new york it's in the subway. the hot spot for connections in california is the gym. >> that kind of makes sense. >> did you have a job doing the announcements for walmart? that was pretty good. >> attention, all shoppers, love of your life, aisle two. that's my next life. that's what i want to do in my life. >> wouldn't be so bad.

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning, everyone. i am katie marzullo. >> i am kristen sze. how did you sleep with the howling wind? >> that is sleeping weather. >> it is sleep-inducing. now, mike nicco has what is going on. >> we have scattered showers. the best chance of rain is in the south bay. we will zoom down. as you come out of the grade headed to fremont, you can see across 237 to sunnyvale and 101 for the best chance of showers moving from southwest to northeast. you can see the low is near the for the. we will have scattered showers

and moisture from the rain last night with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50's in the bay and inland. the coast is in the low-to-mid 50's. it is breezy this morning. the breezes will taper. be careful if you cross some of our bridges during the next hour or two. >> thanks. we have high wind advisories for the bridges, golden gate bridge is included and bay bridge and richmond and san rafael and san mateo and dumbarton. the golden gate bridge is clear and wet. the rubber cones that divide the lanes are scattered. i don't know if it is the wind or what, but be careful. toll plaza, wet roads but light traffic. for the drive from the central valley we are looking at good traffic right now from tracy and over the altamont pass to livermore with just a little bit of slowing. kristen and katie? >> storm watch. we are seeing some damage related to the rain and winds

pounding us overnight. the north bay has been hardest hit. cornell bernard is live to take a closer look. cornell? >> mother nature certainly getting the attention of a lot of people in the north bay. wind and rain is the big story of the morning. it has been moving in for the last several hours. it has the attention of a lot of folks in the north bay with a rain cell moved through downtown petaluma where we are this morning. up north in santa rosa it has caused some problems. crews are dealing with downed trees. high winds took down a tree that brought down cable, phone, and power lines at 1:15 this morning. fire crews are on the scene. pg&e are there trying to figure how to get the tree out of the road and power to folks who lost

power. it is unknown how many are without power at this hour. if you drive cross the golden gate bridge check this out. the drive is sketchy. this video is from a short time ago, heavy storm cell coming through with both hands on the wheel and we made our way up through petaluma and we saw scattered showers. there are definite rain cells coming through. checked with c.h.p. and there have been spinouts and if you are on the road, be came, the roads are extremely slick. >> new this morning a stand off with a patient at san mateo county general hospital has ended peacefully, with a hospital spokesman saying the man set small fires in his room and barricaded himself inside the room. the staff evacuated patients in the surrounding room. negotiators talked to the man